What’s good, Black Hood? Ranking the weirdest moments from ‘Riverdale’ S2E20
Season 2 of Riverdale delivered plenty of camp and chaos, and Episode 20, “Carrie: The Musical,” remains one of the standout hours for fans who love the show’s blend of horror nods and high-school drama. The episode aired in 2018, and with the full series now wrapped, rewatches keep pulling new viewers into its musical numbers and Black Hood suspense. The fourteen moments below still land as the weirdest and most memorable.
14. “You can’t even see my bruises anymore”
Well now, how about that for a convenient plot contrivance? Miraculously, Veronica’s (Camila Mendes) makeup skills managed to hide all of Archie’s (K.J. Apa) bruises, swollen skin, and cuts from his previous savage beatdown for the entire episode.
13. Betty inadvertently introduced the best euphemism for murder we’ve heard in a while
May “I took him to the bus station” be forever used in every situation in which someone willingly sacrifices a man pretending to be their half brother to a serial killer who might be their dad.
12. Fangs also inadvertently introduced the best euphemism for boning a study partner
No shit, Fangs (Drew Ray Tanner)! No shit.
11. Cheryl’s zinger about Betty’s dad
When your cousin suggests her dad may be the killer the whole town is looking for, do you grimace in horror? Show concerned support? Or bring up the fact he’s one of the more pathetic, clumsy John’s who has been boinking your mom for the past few months? Definitely the latter.
10. A moment of respect for Hermione Lodge’s pink velour tracksuit, please
It’s so early 00’s Paris Hilton and we’re living for it.
9. Joaquin is back!
Okay, not weird but just awesome. How we’ve missed him! Joaquin dies in Season 3.
8. Reggie hides his face (but not his letterman jacket) before attacking the Serpents
May as well not bother with that balaclava, son! We’re not exactly experts on being a violent vigilante gang of jocks. But we’re inclined to think that your extremely distinguishable letterman jacket is a big giveaway about your identity, Reggie (Charles Melton).
7. Reggie goes completely off the deep end
Look at those eyes; Reggie has left the building, ladies and gentlemen.
6. Apparently teenagers are making all the major mafioso business deals today
Over milkshakes in Pops’s, no less. Seems legit! Definitely nothing sketchy or unusual about that.
5. Papa Poutine has a son called Small Fry!
We can’t breathe. This is too good. Also, we’re sure Archie is quaking in his boots at the thought of “Small Fry” coming for him. Small Fry seeks revenge on the Lodges in subsequent episodes.
4. Archie discovers a new turn-on
Apparently hearing his girlfriend say she’s supporting his father for Mayor is his new shortcut to the bone zone. Whatever works for you, Archie!
3. Fangs is shot
Would it have really been such an inconvenience for the kid to receive a police escort against the rowdy reckless mob baiting for his blood outside the station? Apparently so. Fangs survives the shooting.
2. Cheryl comes face to face with the Black Hood
We honestly don’t fancy his chances against her. The Black Hood may be a bloodthirsty killer, but Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) has one-liners that could snap a heart in half.
1. Cheryl is reading Books of Blood by Clive Barker
It may simply be a cool prop to tie in to the overall horror theme of the season, but Barker’s classic collection of horror shorts also features a relevant story called “Sex, Death, and Starshine”. The story features a theater production in which the lead is swapped out for another actor (like what happened with Cheryl & Midge in the previous episode “Carrie: The Musical”) and a man with an “obscured face” (like the Black Hood) who turns out to be undead. Story details in 'Sex, Death, and Starshine' accurately match the article's observations about swapped leads and masked undead figure. Hal Cooper later confirmed as Black Hood.
The Black Hood Arc Resolution and Fan Theories
The original tease in Episode 20 left room for speculation that the Black Hood could be Cheryl’s supposedly dead father or even an undead figure pulled straight from the Clive Barker pages. The following episode confirmed Hal Cooper as the primary Black Hood, and the series finale delivered complete closure on the major Season 2 arcs that had fans guessing for months. Rewatches now carry the extra layer of knowing exactly who was under the mask, yet the literary parallel still clicks.
Small Fry's Revenge and the Lodge Mob Storyline Continuation
Papa Poutine and his son Small Fry entered the story as comic relief during the milkshake meeting, but the mob thread continued straight into later Season 2 episodes. Small Fry broke into the Lodge home seeking revenge, only for Hermione to shoot him; the body was later marked as a riot victim. The escalation gave the mafioso subplot real stakes beyond the one-off joke.
Joaquin and Fangs: Serpent Characters Beyond the Episode
Joaquin’s return in Episode 20 felt like a welcome Serpents reunion, while Fangs’ shooting outside the station added immediate tension. Joaquin died in Season 3, closing his arc after several key appearances. Fangs survived the E20 shooting and remained a steady presence across the rest of the series, giving both characters fuller weight on rewatch.
The Carrie Musical Episode's Lasting Fan Appeal
The musical sequences, horror references, and escalating Black Hood suspense helped Episode 20 earn an 8.2/10 IMDb rating. It still ranks on frequent “best episodes” lists for its mix of mystery and camp, and the ranked weird moments continue to circulate among fans who revisit the season on streaming. The episode’s blend of theater and thriller elements keeps drawing new viewers long after the series ended in 2023.
These fourteen moments capture the episode’s signature mix of absurdity and tension, and the added context from later seasons only sharpens the humor and the stakes. Whether you queue it up for the musical numbers or the Black Hood clues, S2E20 still delivers the strange, memorable beats that made Riverdale appointment viewing.
