Riverdale

["(WE'RE GONNA) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK" PLAYING]

The year is 1955.

Number one on the Billboard Charts is "Rock Around the Clock."

An earworm if ever I've heard one.

Now, some random fun facts.

In 1955, a hamburger with a side of fries set you back 30 cents.

A comic book? A dime.

A pulp novel? A quarter.

It's been two days since Bailey's Comet almost decimated us

and we were somehow zapped back to the 1950s.

I'm not sure how that happened exactly,

and not sure if we're merely in the past, or in the past of an alternate universe,

but things are different here in Riverdale.

For starters, I live in an abandoned train car with Hot Dog,

which actually tracks.

And at Riverdale High, we're all juniors again.

Betty and Kevin aren't merely friends, they're dating.

Cheryl's twin brother is alive, but he's not Jason, he's Julian.

No sign of a Reggie yet, but Archie exists,

and he's still pretty much a teen Charles Atlas.

None of them remember our lives from before we became teenagers again,

and I haven't tried to remind them yet.

I've been waiting to reconnect with the one person

who might be able to shed light on our predicament

because she was chronokinetic and the town's guardian angel.

My girlfriend, Tabitha Tate.

Bus from Mississippi's pulling in.

Wonder if it was as bad down there as they're saying on the radio.

I already knew what Pop would soon find out.

It was much, much worse.

Tabitha, Toni, and some of Riverdale High's other students of color

were in Mississippi for the trial of the two men

who murdered Black teenager Emmett Till

for supposedly whistling at a white woman.

The jury deliberated for 67 minutes and then acquitted the killers.

It was one of the single most shameful and appalling events of this or any era.

Uh, Tabitha?

Uh, they announced the verdict on the radio.

Made me sick to my stomach.

If you need anything...

That's what we're trying to figure out now.

What our next move should be.

But I appreciate the offer.

It's Jughead, right?

Uh, yeah. Yes.

I'll let you know.

It's overwhelming.

Heartbreaking.

Whichever genius said the '50s were the greatest decade of all time,

should seriously have their head examined.

Archie?

Can I speak to you for a minute?

What's wrong, Mom?

They printed more pictures from James Dean's car accident.

- I can't even show them to you. - You shouldn't look, Mom. It upsets you.

No. What upsets me is the idea of you on the road being reckless.

And that's why...

I'm going to need your keys.

You're not going to drive that hot rod anymore.

Mom. Whoa, now, Mom. I'm a safe driver.

It's not a hot rod. It's barely a jalopy.

It's got fire painted on its doors.

Mom.

Keys. Now.

- What do you think, Betty? - Toni, your writing is remarkable.

This is the most important piece of reporting

that I've read in my two years as editor in chief at The Blue and Gold.

But we've tried covering Emmett Till before.

Both times, Principal Featherhead has vetoed the stories.

Betty, I heard Mamie Till give the most incredible, inspiring speech

after the verdict was delivered.

And I got a chance to interview people that knew Emmett personally.

His friends, his neighbors.

I made them a promise I would help tell his story.

I agree, wholeheartedly.

I'll make an appointment for us with Featherhead.

This is a squirrel mill.

A mill is a hot rod or souped up jalopy which was once just a car.

Well, if you...

Mrs. Thornton, I'm sorry to interrupt your class.

But I did want to personally introduce a new student to our Riverdale High family.

She's just moved here from sunny Los Angeles.

Damn. Even in 1955,

Veronica Lodge knew how to make an entrance.

Enchanté, I'm sure.

Thank you, Principal Featherhead.

Now before you ask, yes, I am that Veronica Lodge.

The daughter of Hiram and Hermione Lodge.

The married stars of America's number one rated television program, Oh, Mija!

For the foreseeable future,

I will be staying with my auntie and uncle at The Pembrooke in downtown Riverdale.

Why?

Well, you may have heard about MGM's upcoming film adaptation of Our Town.

Though I can't confirm that the lead role of innocent ingénue Emily Webb

has already been cast with a certain raven-haired starlet... Namely, moi.

...I did feel it was an opportune time to take a sabbatical from Hollywood

and get a feel for small town life.

But I beg of you, treat me as one of your own,

not as a scion of Tinseltown royalty.

Thank you.

Mind if I join you?

- Actually... - Yeah, sure.

I believe I caught all your names in Mrs. Thornton's class.

Archie, Betty, Kevin, Julian...

Hmm.

Remind me, what's yours again?

- Cheryl. - That's right. Cheryl.

So, what are we dishing about? Clue me in.

James Dean's untimely passing.

I'm the president of his fan club here at Riverdale High.

Your parents' show is "high-larious." We tune in every week.

You and everyone else, if Mr. Nielsen is to be believed.

- Where in Los Angeles did you live? - Bel Air.

In a ghastly old mansion Vincent Price used to own.

Is that close where James Dean lived?

- You didn't know James Dean, did you? - Kevin, don't be so provincial.

James Dean was a movie star,

he was friends with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.

Jimmy and I were quite friendly.

We went skinny dipping in the pool at the Chateau Marmaduke.

- Skinny dipping? - With James Dean?

Once? Or was it a regular thing?

I suppose next you'll be saying you and "Jimmy" dated.

No. But he did enjoy playing both sides of the net.

Girls and boys.

Wait. Hang on. Are you suggesting James Dean was...?

But he seemed like such a regular guy. Like a cowboy, almost.

How dare you besmirch his memory like that?

Don't you be so provincial.

I don't know why I'm so surprised to hear such filthy lies

coming out of the mouth of some wild child who grew up surrounded by perverts,

going to sex parties and orgies.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have lost my appetite.

What about Sal Mineo?

Remember, the Astronomy Club is meeting after school today.

We'll brainstorm ideas to fundraise

to purchase a new telescope before Bailey's Comet arrives.

Bailey's Comet is coming again?

Guys!

- When? - Not for two years, Mr. Jones.

But it's an extremely expensive telescope.

It will be the only opportunity we'll have to see the comet.

We mustn't miss it.

Hey, Veronica.

Can I walk you home?

Walk? Do I look like the kind of girl who walks home?

Ready, Ronnie?

Thanks for the offer, Archie, but I've secured an escort home.

Um, excuse me?

How do you expect me to get home?

You got two feet, don't you?

Use them or lose them.

I'm sorry, Miss Topaz.

Miss Cooper.

But I gave your article to Dr. Werthers for review, and we both agree.

It's not suitable for publication.

Toni's reporting is thorough, insightful.

Balanced.

Be that as it may,

as a child psychologist, it's my expert opinion

that the details of the Emmett Till case are far too violent

and disturbing for young, impressionable minds.

People, your students, need to understand the gravity

of what happened so it doesn't happen again... here.

These sorts of things don't happen in Riverdale.

May I remind you we were one of the first high schools in the country to integrate.

Isn't that enough?

Hardly.

We don't have any Black teachers.

We don't study or learn about Black authors.

Change doesn't happen overnight.

Your article is very well-written.

Surely you can find some satisfaction in that.

Mom, Dad. You haven't said anything.

Did you read the article my friend Toni wrote?

Yes, we did, honey.

And?

And it was very well-written.

Extremely well-written.

- Mm. - So you'll read it on the air, Dad?

Geez, hon, we only get 15 minutes of airtime a night.

Do we really need to spend one minute on a story that...

well, has nothing to do with us?

Dad, everyone watches your nightly broadcast.

Imagine the impact it would have if you,

the face of RIVW, talked about Emmett Till.

Elizabeth. It's not that simple, honey.

You know that we have to run every single one of our stories

past our sponsors for approval,