Alice stole the answers for the quiz show, Veronica and Cheryl hired Penelope as the manager of their new club, and Fangs begged Kevin to get back together on Riverdale Season 4 Episode 11.

Below, TV Fanatics Jasmine Peterson, Becca Newton, and Meaghan Frey debate Jughead's betrayal to secure a book deal, Betty reacting to the truth of her Yale rejection, and the potential beginning of the end for Andrews Construction.

Jughead used Betty's history with The Black Hood as the plot for his Baxter Brothers book. Share your thoughts on Jughead choosing to betray Betty with this decision.

Jasmine: It was low. I wouldn't have thought it was so bad if he wasn't her father and that Jughead told her he was doing it because they both solved the mystery together.

However, it's way too close to home, comes across exploitative, and feels like a huge betrayal. I was so disappointed in him!

I think not telling her is what made it so much worse.

Becca: Is this Riverdale or Grey’s Anatomy?

Betraying a loved one to further career aspirations is something I expect from a surgeon at Grey Sloan, not Jughead Jones. Probably more than any other Riverdale character, Jug cares about honor and living by a code. On top of betraying Betty, he betrayed himself.

I agree the not telling Betty was the worst part. It changed what was initially a panicked decision made under pressure into a calculated choice.

Mr. Dupont: Forsythe’s best work stems from his personal experiences. Might I suggest you start there?
Jughead: What about a dark and ominous force that threatens the town of Seaport? An obsessed killer who is looking to expose the hypocrisy and sins of his neighbors. The Baxter Brothers discover that man unleashing his righteous rage is the father of Bobby Baxter’s girlfriend, Tracy True.
Publisher: This sounds promising. What’s the name of the killer?
Jughead: “The Brown Hood.” If you give me a little time, I can come up with…
Publisher: No! We like this. If you ask me, this sounds like a million-dollar idea.

• Permalink: What about a dark and ominous force that threatens the town of Seaport?

Meaghan: Come on Jughead! I was rooting for you. We were all rooting for you!

Jughead deciding to betray Betty's trust like that is completely out of character for him. I'm not pleased at all.

Hiram has resorted to raiding La Bonne Nuit and smashing bottles in the hopes of stopping Veronica and Cheryl's rise in the rum business. Has this plot crossed over into childish territory?

Jasmine: It crossed over into childish territory ages ago! But it's also this really weird almost incestuous/Freudian energy to Veronica and Hiram's relationship that keeps irking me out. It feels like some twisted foreplay.

The same thing keeps happening: Veronica goes to Hiram and tells him her entire plan while rubbing it in his face like she wants him to chase after her. And then when he finds a new way to thwart her, she's shocked. I can't even take it seriously anymore or root for her.

And I'm dying that they turned Penelope's brothel into a speakeasy/gentleman's club and put a masked Penelope (because that hairdo is by no means recognizable, you guys) in charge of it like she didn't just try to kill her daughter a few weeks ago!

Riverdale is going to Riverdale, I guess.

Becca: Jasmine, I wholeheartedly agree about this plot being childish long before this point. Hiram lost all credibility as a villain long ago, which makes everything involving him seem childish.

Constantly pitting Veronica against such a weak antagonist makes her just as ineffectual and childish.

Meaghan: I laughed out loud at that second paragraph, Jasmine! Seriously though, the man has ties to organized crime and he goes in and smashes bottles?

Hiram could keep them from having a successful business in so many other ways and it is bizarre that this was his choice. I've been over the Hiram and Veronica war since it began, so I wish they would move on already.

Tom Keller quit the construction crew after Frank stole money from the business. Do you think this will be the beginning of the end for Andrews Construction?

Jasmine: Sometimes I forget how hot Tom is. My goodness! Sorry, yeah, if Archie doesn't cut his uncle loose, it will be the end of Andrews Construction.

He's a liability, and he can't hold a candle to Fred's legacy. He's not trustworthy at all, and they're losing good people to keep him around.

Becca: Frank will bring the business to the brink of ruin before Archie gets rid of him, but I think Andrews Construction will survive.

Tom Keller: Hey there, Arch. I would’ve appreciated a heads-up if I was being replaced.
Archie: I know, Mr. Keller. I’m sorry, it happened fast. Frank has a ton of experience and I think the crew is going to love him.
Tom: I gotta be honest, Arch. I know about your uncle. He’s been trouble since the day he was born. I must’ve arrested him a half-dozen times when I was sheriff.
Archie: That was then. My dad believed in second chances and so do I.

• Permalink: I know about your uncle. He’s been trouble since the day he was born.

Meaghan: Frank has got to go. Archie has always been a little dense but letting Frank continue to be a terrible human being and doing nothing about it? That's bad even for Archie.

Riverdale High got disqualified from the quiz match after the discovery of the stolen answers. Who do you think tipped them off to the destroyed cheat sheet?

Jasmine: I still think it was Brett. But maybe it was Charles. Why not? It got Alice out on suspension too.

Becca: It makes sense to have Brett be the culprit because the revelation won’t upend the status quo Riverdale needs to uphold until spring break.

Charles may not be the direct culprit, but I think he’s involved in the Stonewall stuff. He might be the one orchestrating everything from Jughead’s acceptance into the school and onwards.

His actions seem oddly coordinated with those of the Stonewall characters. Both he and Dupont suggest using The Black Hood as inspiration to Jughead. Before then, Charles helped Jug find Forsythe the First, which led to Jug accepting the book contract.

The Yale drama seems designed to tear apart Bughead, and Charles delivered the final bit of news that sent Betty over the edge. Then, there’s Charles coming to over to hang with Betty on Halloween while the Stonewall kids have Jug trapped in a coffin.

What I dislike about Charles being the puppetmaster is how it diminishes the threat of the Stonewall characters. If Charles is working with them, then I hope Dupont and the rest have their agendas and aren’t just his lackeys. 

My preference would be to discover Charles isn’t pulling the strings at Stonewall but is taking advantage of what’s going on there to advance his revenge plans.

Meaghan: Brett. But who knows? This is Riverdale, so it could end up being Moose who has been in captivity brainwashed by the secret society.

Nothing would shock me at this point.

Betty destroyed her father's gravestone after discovering Yale rejected her for being related to him. React!

Jasmine: The fact that it wasn't already destroyed a dozen times over is the real surprise.

Betty: You’ll never be satisfied, will you, Dad? It wasn’t enough that you ruined my past and my present, but you had to destroy my future, too. Even rotting in the ground, you still find ways to torture me. Not anymore. I’m done.
[Betty smashes his gravestone with a sledgehammer]
Betty: I hate you!

• Permalink: Even rotting in the ground, you still find ways to torture me.

Becca: Hal Cooper deserved it and so much more! Poor, Betty, it was heartbreaking to watch. 

While Betty may see this as a spiraling breakdown, I see it as another example of her showing her strength and resilience even when she’s at her lowest point.

Meaghan: It is what Hal deserves, so I completely stand by Betty. Betty should not have to continue to pay for his sins.

Kevin has agreed to participate in fetish porn and be tickled. Is this a strange direction to take Kevin's character or are you a fan?

Jasmine: Stranger than having a teenage boy hooking up with grown men he met on the Riverdale version of Grindr in the woods, or him joining a cult? What is strange anymore?

It's not even strange by Riverdale standards, but it is disappointing that they never seem to know what to do with his character.

And there are some questionable sexual choices and storylines they make and create with their only gay male series regular who is underaged. Can they just ship him to Katy Keene and give him something else to do?

Fangs: Kevin…
Kevin: [Sighs] Now is not a good time, Fangs. I’m waiting for my Grindr date.

• Permalink: Now is not a good time, Fangs. I’m waiting for my Grindr date.

Becca: Did they come up with this to make the rum plot look better in comparison?!

This fetish porn plot is bad enough, but what makes it worse is that this has all the hallmarks of a throwaway plot Riverdale will continue to treat insensitively, will leave no impact on the characters, and be easily wrapped up in two episodes or less—assuming it’s even mentioned again.

Meaghan: I cannot stand the disrespect that Riverdale continues to show Kevin's character by having no idea whatsoever how to write for him. See my above answer regarding nothing surprising me on this show anymore, but Kevin deserves better.

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Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.