Riverdale (2016–…): Season 4, Episode 14 - Chapter Seventy-One: How to Get Away with Murder - full transcript

Well, it finally happened.

The moment
we've all been waiting for.

A fire in the woods.

Three friends in their underwear,
covered in blood.

My iconic beanie up in smoke.

Driving back to Riverdale,
they didn't say one word to each other.

They should have.

They should've gotten
their stories straight.

Mija?

Que paso?

And where are your clothes?



Oh.

Um...

I got coaxed into an
intense game of strip poker,

at that stupid
Stonewall Prep party.

Lost my shirt, as they say.

Oh, well.

C'est la vie.

Archie?

What are you doing? It's almost
three o'clock in the morning.

Why are you in your boxers?

Everything's okay, Mom.
I was just at a, uh...

Stonewall party.
We all went skinny-dipping.

Some preppies stole
our clothes as a prank.

Oh.



- What are you doing up?
- I had insomnia.

Are you okay? You look...

Yeah. No, everything's fine.

I'm sorry it's so late.
I'm gonna go up to bed.

Elizabeth?

You better have a good explanation for
keeping me up till all hours of the night.

And why are you
in your underwear?

- I...
- Is that blood on your bra?

No! Relax, it's red wine.

Underage drinking in the
middle of the night, half-naked...

No, I wasn't even drinking.

I... went to
a stupid Stonewall party

that turned out to be
toga-themed.

Bret spilled a whole bottle of wine all
over me, and I couldn't stand the smell.

Okay, but I don't understand.
Where are your clothes?

I put them in a sink
to soak off,

and when I was leaving,
I couldn't find them.

Okay, that makes no sense.

So, Jughead couldn't just lend
you one of his grungy flannels?

I'm tired, I need to wash up,
and go to bed, okay?

- What...
- I'm sorry.

Betty?

That's the thing about murder.

You've gotta have
the stomach for it.

Especially if all signs point
to you having committed it.

Toga party, strip poker,
and skinny-dipping.

Those are three
wildly different activities.

If our parents compare notes,
we could be in deep, deep trouble.

I panicked, Betty. I blurted out
the first thing that came to mind.

- Me too.
- Me, three, but this is exactly the kind of mistake

we can't afford to make. Charles
made that abundantly clear.

I keep thinking

we should've called someone
other than Charles.

No, Charles was
the right call to make.

- He's had experience dealing with...
- Bodies.

- Dead bodies.
- As a matter of fact, yeah. He's an expert.

Without him, we would
all be in jail right now.

For what? We didn't
do anything, did we?

Did we, Betty?

When Archie and I
found you and Jughead...

I had just found Jughead, too.

You were holding the rock.

Yes, I... I picked up the rock.
That was a stupid mistake.

I played right into their trap.

Those psychotic preppies are
trying to frame us for murder.

Why us? They barely know us.

Me, then. They're trying to
frame me for Jughead's murder.

That has to
have been their plan.

They wanted me
to be caught, red-handed,

standing over Jughead's body,
with my DNA smeared all over everything.

It's the only thing
that makes sense.

Okay...

Okay, we have to be
smart about this.

We have to take them down.

We cannot let them get away with this,
with what they've done.

Betty, why would they
want to murder Jughead?

Maybe Jughead got closer to the truth
about Chipping's death than they liked,

or maybe...

Maybe what?

Maybe this is just
a game to them.

This whole thing is a game or an
experiment to commit the perfect murder.

If it's a game,
then it's a sick one.

Hey, guys. What's up?
Can I join you?

Actually, Kev, we're kind of in the middle
of something right now. Catch you later?

Uh, yeah. Of course.

Archie, that was exactly
the wrong thing to do.

We have to pretend to be
normal. Everything is normal.

We have to pretend to be
normal. Everything is normal.

Kev. Come back.
Archie's just kidding.

- Right, Arch?
- Yeah. Sorry, Kev. My bad.

All good.

What are you guys talking about?

- Seems intense.
- No.

Mmm-mmm. Nope. Nothing.

How's everything going
with the musical?

Have you decided
what you're doing?

Yeah.

Oh, good. Archie, you're home.

Remember my friend from Sarah Florence,
Brooke Rivers?

And from
the Naval Academy, right?

- Nice to see you again, Counselor Rivers.
- Yeah.

So, Brooke was just in town for a visit,
and we were catching up,

and of course, I told her
about your situation.

What situation?

Oh, with school and colleges.

And she thought...
Well, we thought,

that we might have an idea.

Archie, I was talking
with your mom,

and I was telling her how impressed
I was with you when we met last year.

Really? Even though I passed
out and fell flat on my face

before the exhibition match?

People can be taught
to know their limits.

They can't be taught
gumption and fortitude.

That's what I see in you.

That's why I'd be willing to recommend you
to the Commandant for the Naval Academy.

If you're interested.

The Naval Academy?

It's a long shot,
but it could be a path forward.

Assuming you'd want it, Archie.

Sure, Mom.
Yeah, that sounds great.

Thank you, Counselor Rivers.

Would you like to join us?

Uh, I think I'm gonna go
for a run, actually.

Thanks again.

Hermanita.

You're just in time.

No offense, Hermosa,

but I am not in the mood to pretend
like I can stomach your antics.

Veronica... honey,
why don't you take a seat.

We've got something
important to discuss.

Okay.

I've decided to update my will.

Your will?

And, let me guess...

this was Hermosa's idea?

Me?

And why would you think that?

Oh, I don't know, maybe because you
always seem to show up when it suits you.

And you're so much better?

Changing your name,
deliberately undermining rum business.

As usual, you have no idea
what the hell you're talking about,

so why don't you sink back to
whatever Florida swamp you crawled...

Enough.

I'm the one who wanted this.

As a precaution.

Just in case.

It's a normal thing.
People do this.

"Normal"?

Are we really going to
play this game?

Are you seriously going to
pretend like this is normal?

- Veronica...
- No, Mom, I'm sorry.

But I can't take this. There's
only so much pretending I can do.

You really want me to
sign off on your will, Daddy?

Don't you think you should've
been honest with me first?

About what everyone in
this room knows is happening,

even if they're too scared
to talk about it?

There. That's what I think
about your will.

Mr. Jones? Hey, it's Betty.

Um, I'm sorry to bother you,

but I haven't heard from Jug
all morning,

and I'm starting to get
a little worried.

Have you talked to him?

Just at the party last night.

The only thing I can think of is
that he went somewhere to write.

I know he had to finish
a draft of his novel.

No. You know what, I can go to
Stonewall Prep and see if he's there.

I have to pick up some stuff
I left in his room anyway.

Thanks, Mr. Jones.
I'll do the same.

I'll let you know
if I hear anything.

How was that?

Very convincing.

You did exactly what you'd do if you
hadn't heard from Jughead for a few hours.

Are you
ready to go into the lion's den?

I think so.

Okay.

In any case, here's the bug.

And remember,
besides planting it, our goal is to...

Find out what they know,

what they think happened,
and what they thought was going to happen.

Oh! Hey, Ponytail, what's up?

Hi. I haven't heard
from Jughead today.

- I wanted to know if you guys had seen him.
- No, not since the party.

- I wanted to know if you guys had seen him.
- No, not since the party.

Not since the two of you walked
off into the woods together.

We didn't do that.

You and I went into
the woods together, Donna.

Did we?

All I remember is,

you met up with Jughead and
peeled off together, hand in hand.

That didn't happen.

It did.

- Hmm.
- Maybe you don't remember because...

you were pretty drunk.

I'm surprised
you didn't black out.

Or did you black out?

No. I was fully conscious
the entire time.

Are you sure about that?

Because your friend
Evelyn Evernever

said you have a history
of blacking out...

and doing terrible things.

Bret, how about you?

Did you and Jug have any
interesting chats at the party?

Oh, no, not really.

Forsythe was in a mood,
more than usual.

He had a bunny mask on.

Last thing I remember...

was him saying that he was gonna
meet up with you in the woods,

which, I assume, happened.

It didn't.

He did say he wanted though.

So, Betty, are you saying you and
Jughead didn't meet up in the woods?

Yeah, that's exactly
what I'm saying.

I'm saying you and I
went into the woods together.

And then what happened?

Don't you remember?

If you're that worried about Jughead,
maybe you should call the police.

Oh, I already told his father,
the Sheriff. So he's aware.

- Interesting.
- Shut up, Bret.

Well, I'm sure he'll turn up.

But let us know
if you hear anything.

Will do.

Oh, and, Betty...

let us know if you remember whatever
happened when you blacked out.

Watch where you're going.

Yeah, back at ya.

My dad made out a will, and he
still refuses to admit that he's sick.

My mom wants to
ship me off to the Navy.

- What?
- And I don't even care, Ronnie.

- All I can think about is...
- I know.

Betty.

Me too.

That's kind of why
I texted you, Archie.

Why was Betty holding the rock?

- Because she picked it up.
- Why?

Why would she do that? She
knows about fingerprints and DNA.

What do you think happened?

I don't know. Maybe...

she had an episode.

Ronnie, come on.

Archie, you didn't see her sophomore
year with Chuck Clayton in the hot tub.

She went full Sybil.

She thought she was Polly
and Chuck was Jason,

and, I swear,
for a minute there...

I thought she was
going to drown him.

It was terrifying. And even more
terrifying was that the next day,

she didn't even remember it.
It was like she blacked out.

That was Chuck Clayton,
this is Jughead. She... She would never.

What if she didn't know
she was doing it?

We saw her, Archie.

With the rock...

covered in blood.

Hello, Evelyn.

It's nice to
see you again, Betty.

So, tell me, what can I
do for you this time?

Did a girl named Donna Sweett
come and visit you,

from Stonewall Prep?

She did.

She asked me about
your time at the Farm.

Donna said you told her about
some post-hypnotic suggestion

that I would be susceptible to.

What, like some...

magic word...

that would cause you to fugue
in such an extreme way

that you could hurt someone
you love and not remember it?

I mean...

I guess it's possible.

But what specifically
is bothering you, Betty?

I can tell something is.

I went to a party last night.

And I think I blacked out.

- And I wanna know...
- What you're capable of.

Right?

Come on, Betty.
You already know.

And, besides,

I actually have
a question for you.

How's Jughead doing these days?

Go to hell, Evelyn.

Oh, I'm already in hell, Betty.

This is hell.

And soon you're gonna
be here, too,

'cause they're saving a cell for you on
murderers' row down the hall from Old Sparky,

where they keep
all the boyfriend killers.

Hey, where'd you go
after Stonewall?

Um, just made a pit stop
at Pop's.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine. Have you
heard anything interesting?

No. Nothing.

Bret's just been monologuing about
his new Rolex for the last 30 minutes.

Okay, we need to do something
that rattles them.

That forces them
to make a mistake,

or to say something...

incriminating.

- Hey, how was your run?
- Yeah, it was good.

Listen, I'm sorry
if I just sprang that on you.

What, the Naval Academy?

It's fine, Mom.

Good. Um, because there's something
else that I need to talk to you about.

What's up?

Brooke's not just my friend.

She's...

my girlfriend.

- Your what?
- We hadn't really been close since college.

And then we reconnected after
her husband died in Afghanistan,

which was really hard on her.

And at first, I just thought I
was comforting her, and then...

I don't know... It just happened.

I don't want there to be
any secrets between us, Archie.

I hope you're okay with it.

- Are you?
- Yeah, Mom.

I mean, I'm not gonna lie,
I'm a little surprised...

Oh, hi. Hey, Mrs. Andrews.

Archie, do you have a second?

Yeah, totally.

- We'll talk more later, Mom? Cool?
- Yeah.

Nice to see you.

I need your help with something.

Of course. Anything, Betty.

I need you to go to Stonewall
and start a fight with Bret.

What? I thought we were supposed
to be laying low, acting normal.

We are. Going to Stonewall Prep is
exactly what Archie Andrews would do

in retaliation for what
they did to Jughead.

What would it even accomplish?

Besides revenge for Jughead,
it would get them talking.

We know it was them.
We just need proof.

Do we know it was them?

I mean, we didn't see them.

Of course it was them.
Who else would it have been?

Bret!

Oh, crap.

What did you do to Jughead?

Nothing, you plebe.
Now, get away...

The hell you didn't. Admit it!

You killed Jughead.
You killed my best friend.

Archie, you're done!

I called campus security.
They're on their way.

I suggest you go,
or the police will be next.

Don't kid yourself, Elmo.

You and I both know
who killed Jughead.

It was Betty. Don't let her
drag you down with her.

What
the hell was that about, Bret?

That red-headed lout
accosted me out of nowhere.

Wanted me to confess
to offing Forsythe.

The irony being, of course,
that we know who Forsythe's murderer is.

Ponytail herself.

Betty, Betty, Betty,
how stupid do you think we are?

Planting bugs
like a rank amateur?

Sending a bull
into a china shop.

You're gonna seriously
have to up your game

if this is gonna be
any fun for us.

Bye for now.

They are so infuriating!

It's okay. They're smart.

We just have to be smarter.

Archie?

Archie.

I just got off the phone with the
headmaster at Stonewall Prep.

He said that there was
an incident at the dorm.

Apparently, you attacked
a student?

It was that douchebag Bret.

- He had it coming to him.
- Archie, what is going on with you?

Are you upset with me?

- About Brooke?
- What? No.

- No, Mom, of course not.
- Well, then can you tell me what's wrong?

- No, Mom, of course not.
- Well, then can you tell me what's wrong?

It's incredibly complicated.

I know I'm not your father.

But you can tell me
what is happening in your life.

You just need to trust me.

Let me in, and I will help you.

Mom...

Hello?

Stop talking, Archie.

Don't say another word.

Tell your mom that
everything's fine,

but that you have to go.

Say it's about Veronica.

Just end the conversation
before you say something stupid.

Do it. Now.

I understand, Veronica.
I'll be right over.

- That was Veronica. Look, I have to...
- You have to go.

You always have to go.

You're avoiding me, Archie.

I'm sorry, Mom, it's just...

Ronnie asked me not to
say anything, but her dad is sick.

Like, really, really sick.

Oh, my God. With what?

It's some muscular thing.
I'm not sure exactly.

Ronnie's really upset,
so I haven't asked her too many questions.

But that's no excuse to
disrespect you. I'm so sorry.

I'll make it up to you, I promise.

Elizabeth, can you
come here for a moment?

What's going on?

I got to admit,
it was Jellybean's idea.

We've been calling Jug's phone.
Of course, no answer.

It's been going
straight to voicemail.

But then Jellybean said that...

That we should try to track it.
That there's a way to, uh...

To ping a lost phone,
so we did that.

And sure enough,
it started to... To ping.

Where was it?

In your jacket.

So I guess
I'm wondering, Betty...

what the hell are you doing
with my missing son's phone?

Well, Elizabeth?

Explain yourself.

Okay. Uh...

The night of the party,
Jughead was talking about losing his phone.

He thought he had lost it
in the woods,

but I reminded him that he had just
left it here to charge before the party.

It was dead,
so we plugged it in to charge it.

And when we left for the party,
we must've forgot about it.

- Forgot about it? All this time?
- Okay.

- Yeah.
- How did it get into your jacket?

I must've picked it up
at some point.

"At some point"?

Elizabeth, Jughead is missing,
you have his phone.

You didn't think it was
worth mentioning to anyone?

I don't know
what to tell you, Mom.

I'm worried, okay?

This is the longest Jughead and
I have ever gone without talking,

even when we've been in a fight.

So, please forgive me if
I'm not 100% lucid about this.

I think we should declare Jughead
a missing person, Mr. Jones.

Can you do that?

I'm losing my mind here.

So that's where
Jughead's phone was?

The preppies must have snuck it
into my pocket when I was at Stonewall.

- To make you look guilty?
- Exactly.

You know what? Joan
bumped into me as I was leaving.

That's probably
when it happened.

God! This...
This was a move, okay?

Just like everything else
that they do.

They are treating this like a game
of Chicken, and they're enjoying it.

But I am not about to blink.
Are you?

Veronica.

Daddy.

Where are Mom and Hermosa?

I sent them to the club.

I'm sorry.

You deserve to hear
the truth from me.

Why didn't you tell me?

I didn't want the pity.

I didn't want you
to see me as weak...

ever.

Daddy...

all I want is to be
a source of strength for you.

I love you.

And we're going to
fight our way through this.

Together.

What can I do?

Well...

It would give me
peace of mind...

if you'd just try to
get along with Hermosa.

I mean, she's your family.

Sisters.

Okay, Daddy.

I'll try.

Mr. Jones, is everything okay?

I don't know yet, Betty,
but I got a lead.

I, uh...

I just got a call from a hiker who
found a bloody rock in the woods

at the same place where
the Stonewall party was.

Oh, my God. Do you think...

That it's Jughead's blood?

Well, we won't know
till I get it tested.

Can I do anything to help?

Not at the moment, no.

I have to go pick up the rock
and bring it back to the station.

Okay, will you... Will you
let me know what you find out?

I will.

Jellybean, do you have any of that
fake blood left over from Halloween?

Yeah, I think so.

Can you find that for me?

Charles, we have a problem.

FP got a call about
a bloody rock that they found

in the woods
behind Stonewall Prep.

But you threw the bloody rock
in the swimming hole.

Exactly. But think about it.

The preppies must've known
that I would get rid of the rock,

so they must've had a backup
one with Jughead's blood all over it.

And I'm sure my prints
are on it, too.

If they planted a murder weapon
covered in the victim's blood,

and FP gets a hold of it,

there's not much we can do.

On the contrary.

Betty called me
and gave me a heads-up.

- That's the rock they found?
- Yeah, it is.

I'm gonna send it out to the lab,
have it tested, see if it's a match.

Listen, the local lab
will take a week or more.

But if I send that to Quantico,
we'd know in two days, tops.

So, I send this decoy
to Quantico?

Put it down! Yes.

They will test it and
discover that it's fake blood.

Just some prop
in a stupid prep school prank.

This will buy us
a couple days, tops.

Every second counts.

What's their next move,
do you think?

But that's not possible.

And can I ask
what prompted this review?

I see. Well,
I'm sorry to hear that,

but not as sorry as you'll be
to hear from my lawyer.

That did not sound good.

Barnard College
is reconsidering my admission.

Apparently, they received
an anonymous tip

that I'm running an illegal
liquor operation, the Maple Club,

and now my application
is under review.

I'll give you one guess as to
where that call came from.

- The Stonies.
- Who else?

- It's like we're in a war.
- Yeah. Betty's war.

And I'll follow her to the ends of the
earth, but we need to know the truth

about what happened
at the party, all of it.

Before this gets any worse.

- What do you wanna know?
- Everything.

What do you mean?
I told you everything.

That you can remember.

But Betty, when Archie
and I found you,

standing over Jughead's body,
you were holding the rock.

There's no reason
you would've done that.

You wouldn't have picked up
that rock. Not consciously.

You're right.

I would've... I should've been trying to keep
Jughead's brains from falling out of his head.

I think, maybe I...

blacked out.

- Why didn't you tell us?
- Because I'm scared.

I'm terrified that I might've
done it. That I might've...

I'm terrified that I might've
done it. That I might've...

Whatever happened,
Betty, we're with you.

But somehow we have to
figure out what happened...

after your conversation
with Donna

and before you woke up
next to Jughead's body.

Do you remember anything?

I don't, but I...

I think Donna might have said a trigger
word that caused me to hurt Jughead.

"A trigger word."

Like the kind they used
at the Farm?

Yeah.

Didn't Charles help you
with that?

Maybe he can help again.

- And we can all find out...
- What I did to Jughead.

All right, Betty.

We're looking for missing time.

Right before you woke up
next to Jughead.

Start by just
letting yourself relax.

I'm ready when you are.

I'm ready.

Your mind and your body are
entering a deep state of relaxation.

I need you to try and recall the events
leading up to the moment of your blackout.

Try to remember the details
of your environment.

Your movements, your interactions
that night.

Find yourself
back in that place.

Inhale.

Exhale.

No, the other magic word.

The one that makes you fugue...

and hurt the people
who you love.

You wanna hear it?

I...

Donna... Donna and I
were in the woods,

and she blew this powder,
like, this white powder at me.

I must've...

breathed it in,

then everything just went black.

Did she say anything?

A trigger word? Or a phrase?

I don't think...
I don't think she did.

Maybe Donna's bluffing.

Yeah, and maybe Evelyn
was just messing with me.

- As for the powder, it might be scopolamine.
- What the hell is that?

It's commonly known
as Devil's Breath.

It's a potent drug that blocks
certain neurotransmitters,

affecting one's short-term memory,
much like a blackout.

When inhaled, it leaves a victim
disoriented, but completely unaware.

After inhaling
the Devil's Breath,

would Betty
have been capable of...

Delivering a killing blow
to Jughead?

Doubtful.

Much more likely,
she put that rock in your hand herself,

and spun you like a top.

So, it's true what they say.

A murderer always returns
to the scene of the crime.

I know what you did.

You blew Devil's Breath
in my face.

It wasn't some triggering word
you got from Evelyn Evernever.

Although you did go
and visit her, which was...

a great mislead. Congrats.

Evelyn was more than happy
to help keep you guessing.

She really hates you.

You drugged me, Donna.

You put a bloody rock
in my hand.

But it was you or one of your
demented chums who killed my boyfriend.

Fascinating theory.

Here's what I think you did.

Rather than try to explain to the authorities
what you were doing with a bloody rock

standing over Jughead's corpse,

you hid or got rid of the body.

Archie and Veronica helped you.
Am I right?

No need to answer me.
I know that's what happened.

Just like I know Jughead's
body will never be found.

Yeah? Why is that?

Because if it was, all of the forensic
evidence would lead to you, Betty.

The crazy girlfriend with
a history of mental illness.

The perfect murder.

No body, no crime.

- Now what?
- Now?

Nothing.

Jughead becomes
one of the Stonewall Five,

and we go on with our lives.

Donna thinks
she's got it all figured out.

And in a way, she does.

Every move that we make,
the preppies make a countermove,

one that pulls us down
deeper and deeper.

And we helped them
by taking care of the evidence.

The problem is,
we've been playing defense.

Making moves that, of course,
Donna would be able to anticipate.

Making moves that, of course,
Donna would be able to anticipate.

- So?
- So we need to make an unpredictable move that...

blows up the game,
brings it to a head.

I have a feeling I know
where this is going.

Jughead's body needs to
be found by Sheriff Jones.

Not by the FBI,

not by Stonewall security,

and not by the local police.
It has to be him.

We need to organize
a search party.

Jughead!

Jughead! Jug!

Sheriff Jones, over here,
I think I found something!

Stay back!

Archie, do you wanna talk?

I'm so, so sorry about
what happened to Jughead.

It's just tragic.

It's just not fair.

Losing your father,
and now your best friend.

This is supposed to be
the best year of your life.

Instead, it's just...

full of devastation.

Mom, I have to confess
something to you.

Daddykins.

Mijas.

- What is it?
- Hermosa and I have a proposal.

We want to be named
co-executors of your estate.

Well, I think
that's a great idea.

I will have Sowerberry write
up my new will immediately.

And I'll be happy to see
you two shoulder-to-shoulder.

At least until Veronica
heads off to Barnard.

Yeah. And who knows,
maybe if my businesses are going well,

I'll defer my admission a year.

You know, Barnard will
always be there, so...

hermanita.

What was that BS
about deferring Barnard?

No one defers Barnard.

Hermosa...

we agreed to set aside our
differences for Daddy's sake.

And my circle of friends
is going through a huge loss.

So...

can you for one second just
stop being such a suspicious bitch?

Fine.

It'll be more fun for me
to find out on my own.

We have to stop
meeting like this.

People will say we're in love.

Why did you do it, Betty?

Why did you do it, Betty?

Why reveal the body when everything will
just point back to you and your cronies?

Oh, gosh, Donna.

Maybe it's because
I know you killed him.

The man that I love.

And if I'm going down, you better be
damn sure I'm taking you down with me.

As usual, I have no idea
what you're talking about.

You and your Stonewall chums
think you know me,

and what my next moves will be.

I'm sorry, Donna...

but I am the ultimate wildcard.

I am the daughter
of the Black Hood,

the nightmare from next door.

I'm training with the FBI and I'm
coming for you, you psycho bitch.

Not Joan, not Jonathan,
not even Bret.

Just you.

You're gonna regret
ever meeting me.

Wait, so Donna just showed up
at the clearing on her own?

Just like I told you she would.

Donna may not be showing it,
but she's scared.

They all are.

Finally.

So, what do we do now?

We wait, Arch.

For what?

For them to make the next move.