在河谷鎮高中，貝蒂、亞契、賈格赫德和新生薇蘿妮卡為相互衝突的渴望糾結不已，同時還得應對一位同學不幸死亡的衝擊。

警方開始調查傑森死亡案件後，亞契的內疚感和賈格赫德的猜疑心隨之增加。貝蒂則掙扎於對亞契的感覺。

亞契和雪柔對警長吐實後，貝蒂要賈格赫德在校刊報導這起案件。薇蘿妮卡和運動健將查克起了爭執。

貝蒂追查潔若婷的過去，賈格赫德奮力挽救汽車電影院。雪柔撞見薇蘿妮卡的媽媽和一名機車騎士爭吵後，薇蘿妮卡直接找媽媽問個清楚。

佛瑞德為生命奮鬥，大夥齊聚安撫飽受驚嚇的亞契，並促使賈格赫德和貝蒂深入挖掘槍手的動機。

老爹的未來懸而未決之際，睡眠不足讓亞契很抓狂，也越來越懷疑有人會出手傷害他至愛的人。

Panic ensues after Archie and the gang learn that Mrs. Thornton is accused of being a communist. Cheryl's father Clifford forces her to out gay students at Riverdale High or risk losing power over the Vixens. Meanwhile, Hiram's surprise arrival to town is quickly met with suspicion by Veronica, and Jughead devises a plan to get around a boycott of comic books.

Veronica sets up a screening at the Babylonium after Julian gets his hands on a stag film and invites Archie, Reggie and the guys over for a watch party. Betty unexpectedly reunites with Polly and learns about her sister's new life in New York. Elsewhere, Jughead goes to war with Dr. Werthers over his censure of comic books.

Betty enlists help from Cheryl and Toni after deciding she's going to publish her own book. Veronica, Kevin and Clay host Hollywood movie star Josie McCoy, who is in town to screen her latest film. Finally, Archie's attempt to take his poetry to the next level doesn't go as planned.

As the gang gets swept up in Cold War paranoia, a new mystery brewing in Riverdale leads Jughead to suspect it may have ties to a string of suspicious murders in town. Archie reconsiders his future after Uncle Frank gives him a hard time about his poetry writing, and a shocking discovery involving her family shakes Betty to her core.