Archie lived up to Fred’s legacy in all the most important ways in Riverdale season 7, episode 8.

After seven episodes of mystery surrounding Reggie, he has finally arrived in Riverdale!. It turns out, there’s really no big supernatural conspiracy surrounding his absence at all, it just came down to an actor’s scheduling issue and the fact that Koreans were, sadly, not all that welcome by some Americans in the 1950s.

Since the Bulldogs basketball team has been making a mockery of the esteemed Fred Andrews’s legacy, they had to bring in a ringer in the form of a strapping young farm boy from the outskirts of town who went by the name of Reggie “the Blur” Mantle. Apparently he used to play for Stonewall Prep, but then the notorious Bret happened and he was forced to drop out. Sadly, the racism and bullying he experienced left him weary of making connections with his classmates, who were all very eager to connect with him (some way more than others, *cough*Veronica*cough*).

Riverdale season 7, episode 8, was hopefully just the beginning of an interesting storyline for Reggie, because he’s struggled to get many of those over the course of the series! I like how the show is using this time hop as an opportunity to tell completely new stories for some of these characters that wouldn’t necessarily fit in their established narratives. However, I’m still slightly skeptical about how all of this is going to tie together for the series finale.

Thanks to the unfailing support and courage of Archie and in spite of the hateful words of the Blossoms and their cohort, Reggie began to relax into the Riverdale family, starting with his teammates, and perhaps ending with a certain raven haired entrepreneur.

Veronica fully jumped on the thirst train in Riverdale season 7, episode 8. I love that she knows her worth and that she shamelessly shot her shot with both Clay and Reggie, but the girl could maybe learn a little more subtlety for the boys of Riverdale High. That being said, now that Veronica and Reggie know that they share a love (or at least like) of the movies, more than the popcorn will start popping.

Related: Riverdale season 7, episode 7 review: Downright unconstitutional

Lest I forget, one of the best moments in Veronica’s Riverdale season 7, episode 8 storyline was her conversation with Kevin when he confessed his truth to her. It was so sweet to see how happy her acceptance made him, and it clearly gave him hope for a better future for himself.

While Veronica might get rewarded for her persistence, Betty is still as horny as ever and she’s still getting punished for it. In another shockingly stupid move, Dr. Werthers thought it would be good for Betty to get some exercise by…joining the Vixens. Riverdale adults really are clueless. And spoiler alert, from the looks of next week’s episode, this strange strategy definitely did not work.

But, it is good that Cheryl gained a new Vixen, because Toni’s time with the squad has officially come to an end. Riverdale season 7, episode 8 was quite the rollercoaster ride for Choni. First it was hot and heavy, then it was “only squares go steady,” and then it was…let’s try again? I couldn’t keep up!

That being said, I think this will be a really good thing for Choni. They began with a strong attraction without knowing what else could be there, and this will give them a chance to actually begin something real. I’m so proud of them for taking this step and I’m so excited to see how it plays out. I’m also thrilled to see the work that Toni’s literary society turns out, and how it continues to shake up the town. They definitely need some shaking! And not the kind they’re doing on Riverdale Grandstand.

I’m also a little curious and nervous to see what, if anything, happens when Clifford finds out that Cheryl took the money from the Blossom mixer, and I desperately hope that nothing bad ends up happening to Reggie’s family because the money has been taken. Clifford seems to be an even worse guy in Riverdale season 7, and I fear for anyone who gets on his bad side.

Excitingly, yet another Riverdale couple made their resurgence in this episode! Tabitha is back, and even though Jughead completely left her hanging on the whole “help me with my homework” thing, she’s still down to hear everything that the aspiring writer has to say.

The beginnings of the Jabitha romance were pretty rushed when they first started, so it’s nice to actually see these two come together. I feel like Jughead’s brief affair with Veronica opened him up in a way that he’s now willing and able to give Tabitha the attention she deserves, and I love that they’re sharing ideas and experiencing new stories together. Although I’m still holding out hope that we’ll get at least some scraps of Bughead before we leave the 50s, I’m also happy to see this come together.

This happened at just the right time, because Jughead might need a new mystery solving buddy now that, sadly, Brad Rayberry’s death has been confirmed. I doubt Jughead will be happy to sit back and let the police handle this one, since it’s getting more and more personal.

I was terrified that Jughead would be implicated in the murder since he was so near the scene of the crime, but it looks like the milk man, or whoever covered up for him, did things a little differently this time. The scene was staged to look like a suicide, complete with a note, which I think will help Jughead see right through the cover. This is so interesting, and makes me even more confused and curious about who the killer is, and why they’re doing it. Hopefully we learn a little more on the next episode of Riverdale.