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.

A big announcement forces everyone to take stock of their current lives. Cheryl sets a risky plan in motion after learning some surprising news about Toni. Jughead tries to make sense of a strange encounter he had. Kevin and Fangs make a big decision about their future together.

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.

Cheryl enlists the help of Archie, Kevin, Fangs and Reggie after she learns there is palladium underneath her maple groves. Meanwhile, Betty and Alice confront a trucker who may have been involved in Polly's disappearance. Elsewhere, Jughead and Archie each confront events from their past.

After hearing some unexpected news about his former commanding officer, Archie opens up to Uncle Frank about his time in the Army. Veronica comes up with a clever way to raise funds after Chad calls the SEC on her. Finally, Cheryl and Kevin attempt to take control of the ministry, and Jughead goes on an apology tour.

After learning that a friend has gone missing, Tabitha enlists help from Jughead and Betty to investigate the disappearance. Penelope plants doubt in Kevin's mind, which leads him to confront Cheryl about the ministry. Finally, an explosion at the mines leaves several lives hanging in the balance.