History TearJerker / Riverdale

* The montage of the scattered surviving members of the Midnight Club reading the obituaty Jughead wrote for Fred.

* Jason's mother breaking down and crying after calling Alice Cooper out for publishing Jason's autopsy and talking trash about him, talking about [[AdultFear the fact that her son was held captive and tortured before being murdered]] and having his body thrown in the river "Like trash."

** Betty finally breaks down because of her family. Her father has left them, her mother is slowly going mad, and Polly has broken off all ties with them. Betty worries that her family is going to [[AdultFear fall apart forever.]] She has Jughead, thankfully, but that doesn't make her situation any better.

** It gets worse when we find out later in the season that [[spoiler:the falling out happened because Archie's father fired Jughead's father for stealing from him, which must've been a nasty situation all-around for both boys.]]

-->'''Cheryl''': ''(sobbing)'' He's gone!\\
'''Veronica''': I know.\\
'''Cheryl''': No, you don't understand, [[spoiler: [[WhamLine he was supposed to come back!]]]]

* The reveal that Jughead has been homeless for an undetermined amount of time, and living in the old Twilight drive-in until an 'anonymous buyer' [[spoiler: actually Hiram Lodge]] bought the property to tear it down. Compounding the situation is that his father is still alive (and apparently the leader of the Southside Serpents) but he refuses to live with him, and his little sister and mother's whereabouts are unknown.
* Also depressing is Grundy/[[spoiler:Jennifer]] being run out of town. Despite how sketchy her relationship is with Archie, being unceremoniously thrown out by Fred and especially Alice was sad to see, especially when she finally volunteers to do it to save Archie and Betty's reputations.

* Cheryl [[spoiler:finally breaking down at Jason's funeral about how he always protected her, and how when it was her turn to protect him, she didn't, and he died as a result.]]
-->'''Cheryl''': [[spoiler: [...] Jason insisted we always had the same birthday party... Later I found out it's because nobody wanted to come to mine.]]
* Cheryl's mental unwellness begins to come forward, [[spoiler: what with her arriving in the same dress she wore on July 4th to deliver her brother's eulogy.]]

-->'''Penelope''': If it wasn't for the fact that no one would have you, you'd be shipped of to boarding school right now.

* TheReveal that [[spoiler:Jason and Polly were engaged]]. Betty's crushed that her parents kept this from her, and Cheryl's grandmother is genuinely heartbroken that [[spoiler:the wedding]] will never happen, and comments to Betty (thinking she's Polly) that [[spoiler:she's "lost the love of [her] young life."]] For that matter, ''imagine'' being Polly in this situation for a moment.

* Betty [[spoiler: having to tell Polly that Jason is dead.]]
* [[spoiler: The reveal that contrary to what the Coopers have been saying, Polly never had a breakdown. She became pregnant with Jason's baby and had planned to run away with him, but Alice found out and had her forcibly put in a 'home for troubled youths' to hide her pregnancy. It's clear that months of being locked away have done a number on her mental state, and it only gets worse when she finds out Jason is dead. Even worse, her parents never told her about it.]]
** [[spoiler: And after she's been dragged home and confronted her parents over Polly, Betty lies back on her bed in tears as she comes to grips with how monstrously abusive her parents are, and the very real possibility that they may have killed a teenage boy.]]

* The entire of Jughead's plot in this episode. [[spoiler: Even as he and Archie try their best to get his dad's life back on track, it's clear that he and Fred can't easily reconcile and Jughead isn't even sure that FP will stick with it, despite it possibly being their only chance to bring their family back together again. Then Sheriff Keller interrogates him as a suspect in Jason's murder and brings up his history in a juvenile detention centre and that he's constantly been bullied throughout his life. Perhaps the greatest tearjerker of all is that, in the end, it's Fred Andrews who comes to his aid - FP arrives late and even tries to pick a fight with Fred over it.]] The whole episode just shows that no matter how hard Jughead tries, his dream of reuniting his family is impossible so long as FP continues to be self-destructive.
** The episode opens with Jughead dreaming in the style of classic 1950's Archie comics with everyone in their comic costumes and hairstyles. He's narrating about how much he wants to belong somewhere, how much he wants to have a home and a family [[spoiler: and he sees himself as a happily accepted part of the full Cooper family with Polly and Jason together and him and Betty seemingly engaged but then he catches a glimpse of his dad drinking and Archie accuses Jughead of stabbing him in the back. All Jughead wants is a happy family together but he can't have that]]
* Polly's situation. [[spoiler: Her parents want her to give her baby up for adoption when it's born, the Blossoms want to ''take'' the baby from her, and she has nobody on her side apart from Betty. Thankfully Hermione Lodge - no great friend to Alice Cooper or Penelope Blossom - agrees to let her live with her and Veronica.]]

* It's a quiet moment, but Polly comments at the start of the episode that [[spoiler: her and Jason's escape car going up in flames]] had robbed her of nearly everything of Jason's that she had - the situation has left her even more reliant on the charity of the people around her, many of whom have ulterior motives.
* Fred Andrews' subdued breakdown when he has to reveal to Archie that [[spoiler: the construction company he'd built from the ground up might go out of business, and unbeknownst to him he's a pawn in the battle between Hiram Lodge and Clifford Blossom.]] It's also shown that while he and Mary are still amicable, the failure of his marriage still stings and he regrets not being able to have the happy family life he'd envisioned.
* As horrible as Alice has been up to now, it's impossible not to feel for her as she suffers a HeelFaceDoorSlam, [[spoiler:her realization of how horrible she'd been to Polly coming too late to repair their relationship, so that even Hal being kicked out upon the reveal that he'd tried to make Polly get an abortion and a heartfelt plea from Betty isn't enough to sway her from moving in with the Blossoms rather than going back home.]]
* Jughead's reaction when [[spoiler: Archie and Betty find out his Dad his serpent. He's clearly terrified that they'll abandon him and admits to Betty he didn't tell her because he was ashamed.]]
* The moment it's revealed to the audience that [[spoiler: Joaquin is only with Kevin so that the Serpant's have a connection to the sheriff. Worse is that fact that Joaquin is clearly falling for Kevin for real.]]

* Oh, and as for Archie? [[spoiler:Even after Archie realizes the Blossoms are manipulating him, it's too little too late for Valerie, who coldly breaks up with Archie anyway.]]

* It's quiet due to the revelations of the episode, but there is Kevin finally discovering that [[spoiler: Joaquin was working with F.P and was possibly involved with Jason's murder. The fact that he only started going out with Kevin to keep tabs on the sheriff isn't brought up, but Kevin is definitely thinking it.]]
** [[spoiler: Joaquin leaving Riverdale and sharing one last kiss with Kevin before he goes.]]

* Cheryl [[spoiler: learning her father was the person who killed Jason]].

* Mrs. Blossom is completely broken [[spoiler:after the death of Clifford and the revelation that he killed their son.]] She briefly comments something implying she is contemplating suicide because of it, and does nothing to comfort a sobbing Cheryl.
* Fred [[spoiler: getting shot by a robber at Pop's]] in the final scene. Right after he and Archie were about to have a meaningful conversation, no less.

* Cheryl's gradual breakdown and descent into despair throughout the entire episode, [[spoiler: culminating in her suicide attempt at Sweetwater River]].

* Archie description of what happened after the Black Hood shot Fred. Whilst its clearly their was nothing he could do, he's now completely convinced he's a coward for not trying to take on an armed psychopath.

* Jughead realising that [[spoiler: Penny played him, and he's now trapped doing illegal transports for her.]] He only took the deal to help his father, and it now could cost him everything. The look on his face as it sinks in is actually painful.

* Whilst he was a jerk last season, its clear Chuck seen the error of his ways and is making a serious effort to become a better episode. Despite this, he ends up getting the blame for stalking Josie, and presumably in more trouble, and all because he tried to be friendly to her.
* Josie's story throughout. First she has to deal with having a stalker, then she discovers her mother has been receiving death threats, then Melody and Valarie find out she's been approached individually as a singer and angrily leave her, despite her protests of it not being like that. Finally said stalker turns to outright harassment and Josie's left believing that Chuck's attempts to make her feel better were all lies. The worst part is [[spoiler: its Cheryl, the one person who was there for her throughout the whole episode, who is responsible for everything in an attempt to gaslight her.]]

* Coming back from seeing "Love, Simon", Cheryl completely breaks down at Pop's dinner, telling Toni that she is emotionally exhausted that everybody thinks she's a complete bitch incapable of love. Then proceeds to tell Toni that she DID love someone in the past. Someone who loved her back. [[spoiler: Her name was Heather, she was her best friend in middle school and she would sleep over at her house every single weekend. But then Penelope caught them in the same bed and freaked out and started calling her a deviant, and according to Cheryl, utterly destroyed what she had with Heather.]]

* The episode opens with [[spoiler: Midge's]] funeral. Every main cast member from the Riverdale High students to the Southside Serpents are present, all solemn and saddened by her death. Cheryl even sings a beautiful rendition of "[[{{Theatre/Carousel}} You'll Never Walk Alone]]". But the scenes really hitting home are those of [[spoiler:Midge's mother, who is absolutely ''devastated'' at [[OutlivingOnesOffspring losing her daughter]].]]

* After being released from the police station, Fangs, clearly ''terrified'' of the homicidally angry crowd surrounding it, says that he doesn't want to die. It's a harsh reminder that for all posturing and his being in the Serpents, he's still a ''teenager.'' [[spoiler: It's even worse after Fangs is shot, possibly fatally. Thankfully, he survives.]]

* The small look on Jughead's face after him, Sweet Pea and Fangs find [[spoiler: Joaquin's]] dead body.

* Throughout the whole episode we have Betty, who wants to save her mom from the Farm after having heard from the sister of a former Farmie that her sister died during initiation ritual. Alice being Alice, or just being deep [[spoiler: undercover]] doesn't listen to Betty and lets Polly nearly drown her, thinking that she's finally been purged from the past. In the end, Betty sits down with her mom at their house, sobbing, as she's trying to get ahold of the woman who can warn her mom of the Farm. She doesn't answer her calls and Alice reveals to Betty that she'll be selling the house. The look on Betty's face says it all. This was her childhood home and now after everything Alice has done to her her entire life, she'll loose her home and to make matters worse her mom actually insists that she moves into the cult with her.

[[AC: Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam]

[[AC: Meta]]
* The tragic and real-life death of actor Creator/LukePerry, who played Fred Andrews and was widely regarded as one of the better parts of the show.

* Archie suddenly lashing out at Veronica for unpacking his father's things from the hospital. It's sad for Ronnie's whose only been trying to help him, but its equally sad for Archie, as its clear he's not really angry with her, but his trauma and pain at what happened is causing him to almost damage one of his best relationships.

* The tragic and real-life death of actor Luke Perry, who played Fred Andrews and was widely regarded as one of the better parts of the show.