The Auteur Theory: Recapping “Climax” (Chapter 77)

After an abbreviated fourth season and an extended hiatus, Riverdale finally returns to wrap up senior year—but it’s not all proms and graduation-day promenades. In typical Riverdale fashion, the teens still have a major mystery to solve before they can time-jump to their twenties, and that’s the identity of “The Auteur,” the voyeuristic villain whose eerie snuff films have got the whole town on edge (though, notably, they don’t appear to have put anyone in real danger—yet!). As ever, The A.V. Club’s Riverdale podcast Dial M For Maple is on the case, recapping the premiere episode, “Climax,” and running down the list of most likely—and most surprising—culprits. Hosts Marah and Cameron swap Auteur theories, wonder how Jellybean knew about the rave when Betty and Jughead didn’t, and share what they’ve missed most about the show in its eight-month absence.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.