Don't Remember Doc On 'Riverdale'? He Is Quite The Throwback

- Riverdale -
Don't Remember Doc On 'Riverdale'? He Is Quite The Throwback

Sometimes, people make appearances on Riverdale when you least expect them to. So is the case for Riverdale's Doc, a man we never thought we would meet on Riverdale — because, according to Jughead, he was supposed to be dead.

Not so, according to the latest episode of Riverdale. In "Strange Bedfellows," the first episode after the CW show's four month-long hiatus, we finally learn where Jughead is. No, he's not in the Mothmen's lair, as previously suspected. Instead, he's living on Sketch Alley, a community of unhoused residents in a "bad" part of town. When a group of businessmen come up to Jughead and attack him, a man named Doc rescues a wounded Jughead and bandages him up. Jughead, however, tells Doc his name is Henry, because, as a flashback reveals, Jughead already knows who this man is.

Back in Season 4, Jughead was initiated into the secret society at Stonewall Prep by telling them a secret. In his case, it was a secret all about Doc. Years earlier, when Jughead was without a place to live and staying on Sketch Alley, Doc cared for him — until he, Doc, was attacked in a very similar fashion. In fact, Jughead even says that men "beat the life" out of Doc, implying that he was murdered that night. While Doc rescued Jughead, however, Jughead told the Preppies that he did nothing to help Doc when he was in extremely similar circumstances.

Later on in the episode, Jughead gets a chance to redeem himself when the man returns and attacks Doc. (What the hell is with this guy?!?) Jughead takes a crate and bashes it over his head — knocking him out, and saving his friend in the process.

Though Jughead went by the name Henry, Doc informs Jughead that he already knew who he was — allowing Jughead a chance to apologize. It's the catalyst Jughead needs to move on in search of further redemption: Something happened to him in New York City that he's suppressing, and now, he's ready to face that trauma head-on.

Alas, while Doc came back from the dead (err, sort of kind of), Jughead may not make it to that place of healing. He's headed out of town on a truck — which looks an awful lot like the murder-y truck that followed a screaming Polly earlier in the season. Eep! Jughhead may have more lives than anyone else on this show, but whether this is danger he'll be able to escape from remains to be seen.

Images: The CW

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