'Riverdale' Season 2, Episode 5 'When A Stranger Calls' Recap: Black Hood Proves Popular Fan Theory Right [SPOILERS]

“Riverdale” is being extremely timely right now. Hollywood has been caught in one sexual harassment scandal after another. It’s interesting to see the show focus on both the plot and social issues.  Season 2, Episode 5 titled “When A Stranger Calls,” has Betty (Lili Reinhart) having a toxic exchange with the Black Hood hoping to distract him from killing again. Meanwhile, Veronica’s (Camila Mendes) old friend comes to town, but his plans for a wild night takes an unexpected turn.

Riverdale’s Blackhood Has Betty On A Leash

Betty confides in Archie (KJ Apa)  about the Black Hood’s calls. The two decide to keep it a secret and see what the serial killer wants. Betty has a cute and eerie ringtone for the Black Hood, a cute tune of “Lollipop” plays whenever he calls. He tells Betty that he will give her answers if she proves to be loyal. She reluctantly agrees, but the first task is harder to execute than she thought. Black Hood sends Betty an e-mail of Alice’s (Mädchen Amick) mugshot when she was a Southside Serpent. He tells her to publish it if she wants him to answer her questions.
This information proves a very popular fan theory amongst “Riverdale” fans. Fans have noticed FP Jones and Alice have quite a tumultuous history. Some believe Alice was from the Southside and it turns out that they are right. When Alice wouldn’t believe the legitimacy of Black Hood’s letter blaming Betty for forging panic, she fights back and publishes her mother’s mugshot. The Black Hood calls again giving her one more instruction: to break her ties with Veronica. Hoping she’s distracting him from killing, Betty executes her second task. She and Veronica get into an argument in the middle of a small soiree with their friends.

Archie notices Betty’s strange behavior. When he confronted her about it, she admits that the Black Hood made her do it. It’s obvious the killer is trying to alienate Betty from her friends to have her all to himself. His last instruction, though, was too hard for Betty—he asks her to break-up with Jughead. Afraid of hurting Jughead, she asks Archie to do it for her. After proving she is willing to do anything to get answers from the Black Hood, he sends her to an abandoned house to find answers, but all she found was a box with a mask similar to the Black Hood. He taunts her, telling Betty they are one in the same.

Jughead’s Ready To Be A Serpent

The tension between the Northside and the Southside of Riverdale is getting worse. Jughead (Cole Sprouse) confronts his Serpent buddies about the rumor that Serpents jumped at the Bulldogs. Sweet Pea (Jordan Connor) informs Jughead that they didn’t jump the Northside. Instead, it was the Bulldogs who started the fight. Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) explains to Jughead it was his father’s job to keep the peace between the two sides. As the others question Jughead’s loyalty, he decides to be fully a serpent.

Just like his girlfriend, he has to go through a test to prove his loyalty. The first two tests were easy enough: he had to take care of the vicious shaggy dog named Hotdog and have an actual snake take his blood. But it’s the final test that worries Toni—a bloody beating to prove he is willing to die for the Serpents. He tells her he can handle it, but Archie comes, suddenly bearing bad news.
Archie tries to tell Jughead that Betty wants to break-up with him. At first, Jughead refuses to believe it. But when Archie notices his best friend is becoming a Serpent, he makes the message loud and clear. In some way, this motivates Jughead. A broken heart helped him endure the brutal beating. While Betty is having an eerie exchange with a serial killer, Jughead finds comfort in Toni. The two Southside Serpents share a kiss after Jughead receives his honorary Serpent tattoo.

More Than One Slithering Snake In Riverdale

Riverdale is full of sketchy characters. There’s Hiram (Mark Consuelos) and Hermione Lodge (Marisol Nichols), who is planning something shady again. The Lodge parents have Veronica win over the son of one of their investors for them to fall into favor with the Lodges.  Veronica is actually pleased her parents have her being part of their business deals especially when it involves an old New York friend, Nick St. Claire (Graham Phillips). 

Nick is also someone who believes consent is just another dictionary word. At first, he tries to make a move on Veronica but she aggressively pushes him off. He does it again but this time with Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) at the Lodge open house. Nick drugs Cheryl and takes him up to his hotel room. Luckily, Veronica spots them. Veronica and the Pussycats run after them to stop Nick from attempting to rape Cheryl. Thank God, they made it in time and kicked his butt before his attempt on Cheryl. Traumatized and angry, Cheryl promises to sue Nick St. Claire for being the disgusting snake he is. Surely, if he knows how to drug someone, it’s not his first nor last time doing so.
By the end of the episode, Betty receives another call from the Black Hood, who is angry with her for sharing information to Archie. He threatens to kill her sister Polly if she doesn’t give him another name. After an insisting threat to kill everyone she loves, she gives him a name—Nick St. Claire, the only death no one will be sorry for.
“Riverdale” continues next Wednesday with “Death Proof,” 8/7c on The CW.