Riverdale season 7 episode 17 recap: Which beloved character returned?

Riverdale season 7 episode 17 was titled Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four: A Different Kind of Cat. Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan and written by Ariana Jackson and Evan Kyle, it was released on The CW on August 2, 2023.

Episode 17 of season 7 marked the anticipated return of Josie McCoy, a famous film actress who had arrived in town to spread the word about her new film. The first person to help her out thought that was Veronica.

The official synopsis of the episode read:

"Betty enlists help from Cheryl and Toni after deciding she's going to publish her own book; Veronica, Kevin and Clay host Hollywood movie star Josie McCoy; Archie's attempt to take his poetry to the next level doesn't go as planned."

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Riverdale season 7 episode 17 recap: Who helped Josie McCoy when she visited the town?

As mentioned earlier, this episode saw the return of the fan-favorite character Josie McCoy, played by Ashleigh Murray. Since the ongoing season is set in the 1950s in the USA, the character returned as a successful actress who had arrived in Riverdale for the test run of her new film.

However, Josie wanted to know more about the town before screening the film, so she began interacting with the locals. Veronica helped her with an open mic night, where she performed a spoken-word piece. As was seen, everyone was excited by her arrival. Moreover, Clay invited her to the school’s Black Athena literary society.

Meanwhile, Josie decided to go for a red carpet-premiere since she had apparently financed the film after the original lead was going to be Lana Turner. The premiere turned out to be a disaster as projectionists Kevin and Clay messed up the film reels, but Josie eventually saved the day. She kept the crowd busy by singing a song while the projector was being repaired.

The projector was finally fixed, and the show turned out to be a massive success. Following this, Josie thanked Veronica for her support and even told her that she should star in movies as well. Thus, there's a chance that maybe viewers will see Veronica move to Hollywood soon.

Furthermore, Veronica and Jughead officially announced themselves as a couple in this episode. They held hands while every peer of theirs stared at them. Meanwhile, Archie and Reggie traveled to the brothel and got inspired to write poetry. Here, Betty was learning more about self-love and even began writing a book.

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Riverdale synopsis

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of Riverdale reads:

"Archie Andrews starts the school year with the world weighing on his shoulders. He's decided he wants to pursue a future in the music business, but his recently ended clandestine relationship with the music teacher has left him without a mentor, and his friendship with Jughead Jones is in a bad place."

It further states:

"Things look like they might be turning around when Veronica Lodge, a new girl, arrives. Despite the instant chemistry, Veronica is hesitant to risk a friendship with Betty -- who has a crush on Archie -- to pursue anything. Amidst all the small-town banality lurks a mystery: the recent tragic death of Jason Blossom, the twin brother of beautiful and popular troublemaker, Cheryl."

Riverdale stars KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy, and Mädchen Amick as Alice Cooper, among several others.

The show premiered on January 26, 2017, and the finale of season 7 is scheduled to air on August 23, 2023.