After spending seven years away from Riverdale, Archie returns to find the town is now under Hiram Lodge's grip and on the verge of becoming a ghost town. When Toni catches him up on what's been going on, Archie reaches out to the rest of the gang to return home.

Following in his Grandpa Artie's footsteps, Archie begins to recruit Riverdale's new volunteer fire department. Toni's attempt to lure Cheryl out of Thornhill and back into daily life in Riverdale leads to more tension between the two. Elsewhere, Betty, Alice and Kevin's latest investigation leads them into conflict with Hiram. Finally, as Veronica comes up with a risky plan to support Riverdale's local businesses, Jughead and Tabitha begin to unravel an old mystery surrounding some strange sightings in the town.

After the Bulldogs lose several football games, Archie and Veronica come up with a plan to boost school spirit. Jughead turns his attention to a student who he thinks might need his help. Betty seeks guidance from Cheryl after being faced with a difficult decision to make. Finally, Kevin is forced to face a dark moment from his past.

While preparing for the school's Parent-Teacher night, Archie is caught off guard when his former Army General shows up in Riverdale with some unexpected news. Cheryl pushes back after hearing that Hiram and Reggie have expressed interest in taking over the Blossom maple groves. Jughead's unconventional way to get through a case of writer's block causes Tabitha to be concerned for his safety. Finally, Betty and Alice receive some unexpected visitors.

While helping Eric deal with his PTSD, Archie is forced to confront his own past trauma in the Army. To find the Lonely Highway killer, Betty and Tabitha come up with a way to lure truckers to Pop's. Cheryl extends an invitation to Kevin and Veronica gives Reggie a shot to prove her wrong.

After being visited by a mysterious figure who arrives in Rivervale, the gang find themselves faced with unexpected ultimatums.

As news begins to spread about the bombing at the Andrew's home, Archie, Betty and Jughead begin to deal with mysterious side effects from the explosion. Elsewhere, Veronica spirals after learning that Hiram may have been involved, and Cheryl is consumed with guilt when she believes she may have had a hand in the explosion.

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.

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.