【USA】

The USAfollowing recap contains spoilers from Season 1, episode 4 of Riverdale, titled "The Last Picture Show." Refresh your memory with our recap of episode 3.

Despite all earlier misgivings, it turns out that Riverdaledidn't change Miss Grundy (Sarah Habel) after all! The real Geraldine Grundy actually wasan old woman, white hair pinned back in an up-do and all, just like in the comics … but she died seven years ago.

So who is Riverdale's young, hot, heart-shaped-glasses-wearing music teacher with an affinity for teenage boys?

"The Last Picture Show" uncovers the truth about Archie's (KJ Apa) current flame a lot sooner than expected. After last week's cliffhanger, Betty (Lili Reinhart) is on the warpath trying to figure out just what is going on with her BFF and the high school music teacher.

SEE ALSO: Archie got hot, but 'Riverdale' is more than just a bunch of pretty faces

After a little light Googling (who needs the dark web?), Betty finds an obituary with a photo of the classic comic book Grundy -- so all Archie Comics diehard fans grumbling about how much a young, hot Grundy isn't true to the source material, here is your official validation.

The fake Grundy is actually Jennifer Gibson from Minnesota, who owns a gun and generally lies about her entire past until Betty motivates Archie to get the truth about his fling. But while "Grundy" tries to hide behind the ol' "running away from an abusive ex" story, maybe the truth will never be revealed.

Alice Cooper (Madchen Amick) and Fred Andrews (Luke Perry) blackmail her into leaving town by threatening to tell everyone about her illegal relationship with a teenager after Alice finds Betty's detailed diary entries about the whole thing.

As "Grundy" packs up her car to leave, she smiles seductively at two other high school boys. Maybe Archie wasn't her first statutory flirtation, and maybe he won't be her last. But Riverdaleisn't going to explore that any further, and some questions still remain unanswered: Did she have anything to do with Jason Blossom's (Trevor Stines) murder? Did she actually care about Archie, or was it all just physical for her? Who is she, really?

But what may be the wildest twist in this story is that Archie actually ends his affair with "Grundy" before they get caught by Betty, her mother and Fred. Considering how girl-crazy Archie is both in the comics and on the show, this was a shockingly mature move on his part, and very impressive. Too bad he won't get any credit for it.

SEE ALSO: 'Riverdale' reinvents Archie with a 'Twin Peaks' twist, and we dare you not to love it

After last week's female empowerment themes, Veronica (Camila Mendes) and Betty teaming up once again to investigate the fake Grundy proves that Riverdaleis really leaning in to their friendship. Forget catty fighting over a boy – these two are genuinely buddies now, and that's a smart move for the show. Keep on subverting our expectations and continue to give fans the female team-up they deserve, guys. It's still a little worrisome to think about what will happen when B and V decide their feelings for Archie can't be denied, but that's a problem for the future.

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The most intriguing part of this week's episode is the final moment's reveal: Jughead (Cole Sprouse) is homeless! He's been living in the projection room of the local drive-in, and now that the town is tearing it down, he's back on the streets, trying to figure out where he'll be sleeping next.

This raises so many questions about the show's compelling and mysterious narrator: why is he homeless? What's going on between him and his father (Skeet Ulrich), a Southside Serpent gang member? What happened between him and Archie to ruin their friendship? A slow burn is great, but answers are even better.

Other noteworthy moments:

- In Riverdale, the parents have just as many secrets as the kids. Between Veronica's mother Hermione (Marisol Nichols) and her backroom dealings with Mayor McCoy (Robin Givens) and the Southside Serpents; Alice and her obsession with taking down Archie andthe Lodges and the Blossoms, and even Fred's history with Hermione, this isn't just a show about teenage drama. I also love how the show is exploring its parental relationships with all four of our lead teens.

- Thanks to the takedown of Chuck Clayton (Jordan Calloway) last week, all the Vixens love Veronica now. She's slowly but surely on her way to becoming the person she wants to be with friends and allies, instead of the spoiled rich b***h she used to be. Here's hoping there's no backsliding in her future.

- I can watch Hermione drag Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) all day, any day. It's clear where Veronica got her quick wit!

- "You may be a stock character from a '90s teenage movie, but I'm not." This hour is just chock full of classic Cheryl Blossom takedowns.

- "What's happening out there? Do we know? Is it about me?" Mendes' performance of that line was hilarious. Equal parts self-conscious, confident and narcissistic, the perfect metaphor for Veronica herself.

- Betty fixes cars with her dad! Another classic comic book characteristic from everyone's favorite girl-next-door.

- How much does Smithers (Tom McBeath) know about Hermione's illegal activities? From the way she talks to her doorman, it's almost as if he's her confidant. I'm sure Smithers knows more secrets than anyone in Riverdale. My kingdom for a Smithers standalone episode!

- Kevin Keller (Casey Cott) officially gets his first boyfriend, and man is this relationship juicy. His new beau has to be kept a secret since Joaquin (Rob Raco) is a member of the Southside Serpents, and Kevin's father (Martin Cummins) is the sheriff.

- Twist in the Jason Blossom murder case: someone breaks into Sheriff Keller's home and steals all his files and his murder wall detailing the entire investigation. Was he getting too close to figuring out who the killer is?

Riverdaleairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on The CW.

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Topics The CW