Citizens of Riverdale start turning up in a state of shock, something which appears to be related to the library. When Archie investigates, he discovers the culprit — the ghost of the former head librarian, with whom Jughead has bad history. Can Archie, Betty, and Jughead make the library safe again?
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Jughead's problems with Violet could've been solved if he took the chance to go back and see her for she truly was. He laments that he wished he got the time to learn more about her, but Betty thankfully shows off her autobiography for him to read.
- Food as Bribe: When Jughead refuses to help them solve the mystery, Betty tells him that they'll pay his tab at Pop's for the next month. This earns his cooperation, though he still tries to chicken out.
- Foreshadowing: Betty defending the former librarian and her care for children serves as an early indication that Jughead's traumatic first trip to the library has a more positive explanation.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Jughead assumed Violet was a horrible librarian who was really mean to him. It's not until he meets with her ghost that he pegged her completely wrong.
- Madness Mantra: One of the victims was found muttering "Quiet Violet" over and over.
- My Greatest Failure: Apparently, Violet regarded scaring a young Jughead away from the library as her single biggest regret. Archie and Betty find it in her autobiography and bring him to the library to settle things. After a talk in which they each share their side, the two make peace and Jughead finally gets his library card.
- Once More, with Clarity: Jughead shows off his side of the story in the library that made him run away. The second time we rewatch it, we have Violet's explanations telling the truth: she was only trying to help him.
- Poor Communication Kills: Jughead increasingly insists that Quiet Violet was nothing but mean to him, but if he had stayed long enough for her to explain, he would've learned that she really was as nice as Betty said she was.
- Prematurely Grey-Haired: A temporary version; Reggie's hair turns white from the shock of his encounter with Quiet Violet, though it's back to normal by the next episode.
- Running Away to Cry: Jughead was so upset by the librarian's behavior during his first library visit that he ran out the door before he could break down publicly, with her right behind him (because he hadn't checked out the book he was carrying). He didn't return until years later.
- Scary Librarian: The ghost of Quiet Violet is haunting the library for two reasons: 1) to make sure all the people who had overdue books returned them and 2) finally meet Jughead to make amends over their first meeting and to encourage him to go to the library again.
- Selective Obliviousness: After taking one book (that needed repairs) away from Jughead, Violet led him to the children's section and gave him another book to enjoy. Jughead doesn't remember her helping him and she regretfully theorizes that he found her so intimidating he blocked it out.
- Trauma Button: Jughead runs away at the very mention of going to the library, which he finds too horrible to bear after his upsetting first and last trip there as a child. Archie and Betty have to bribe him to get him there and drag him inside when he tries to sneak away. It's removed after he makes peace with the librarian's ghost.
- Unreliable Narrator: The former head librarian is haunting the town. Jughead remembers said librarian as the one who bullied and scared him away from the library, when she yelled at him for playing with the globe, told him a book that interested him wasn't for little boys, and finally yelled at him to be quiet because he was laughing. However, the ghost presents a different version. She did come up and tell him to stop playing with the globe because it almost fell down on him. She did take away a book he wanted to read because it was falling apart and needed to be repaired (and she gave him another). She did admit to telling him to be quiet because he was making too much noise and disturbing people who were studying. And finally, when she was chasing him, she was trying to ask him if he wanted a library card.
