Dial M for Maple

Latest Episodes:

Art Imitates Death: Recapping “Killing Mr. Honey” (Chapter 76) May 08, 2020

Show notes

And so we close another chapter of Riverdale. The early episodes seem so long ago—that lovely tribute to Luke Perry, Julian the porcelain doll, Chad Michael Murray on a rocket—and, yet, there’s no denying the fact that season four wrapped things up a little too quickly. That being said, “Killing Mr. Honey” ends things on a satisfying note, bringing most of the principal cast together to take down their principal, the maybe-not-completely-wrong Holden Honey. As directed by Mädchen Amick, the episode offers up a fun take on the revenge fantasy while still leaving plenty of threads dangling in the mystery of the VHS voyeur (what’s a Riverdale season finale without a cliffhanger anyway?). As usual, Dial M For Maplerecaps all of the madness, and ponders what lies ahead for our beloved show in these COVID-19-stricken times. Hosts Marah and Cameron share their elation with an overdue Nana Rose appearance, continue to stan Mrs. Bell, and wonder if Jughead has it in him to write something truly original. And, in our final Blue & Gold of the season, we evaluate Cole Sprouse’s quarantine facial hair and unpack the rumors of an early season six renewal.

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Ponytail Playmate: Recapping “Lynchian” (Chapter 76) May 01, 2020

Show notes

And, just like that, we’ve reached the home stretch of Riverdale’s fourth season! With the COVID-19 pandemic halting production across the board, the show’s planned final three episodes have been shunted off to TV purgatory, and we’ve found ourselves at this chapter’s penultimate offering. While “Lynchian” intriguingly ups the ante on the long-percolating mystery of the voyeuristic VHS tapes, one can’t help but wonder: Is there any way next week’s season finale can possibly give us a satisfying conclusion? Regardless, Dial M For Maple is on hand to unspool the latest clues in this videotape whodunnit and deliver our post mortem on the “Barchie” that nearly was. Hosts Marah and Cameron dig through the episode’s hat tips to its titular director and wonder if anyone knows what an A/V Club even is anymore (beyond this very website, The A.V. Club, that is). Then, in The Blue & Gold, we check in on Kevin Keller’s visit to Katy Keene, recap Jordan “Sweet Pea” Connor’s visit to Celebrity Drag Race, and preview Camila Mendes new Netflix thriller, Dangerous Lies.

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Hedwig Snatched: Recapping “Wicked Little Town” (Chapter 74) Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

Did you just say, “wig”? Well, someone in the RiverdaleHair & Makeup Department sure did, again and again and again! That’s right, it’s the most glorious time of the year: Riverdale’s spring musical episode, a tradition started back in season two with a bloody good take on Carrie: The Musical. And, in keeping with tradition, “Wicked Little Town”—the show’s ode to cult classic Hedwig And The Angry Inch—is another high point for the show, ratcheting up the interpersonal drama and giving our beloved Kevin Keller a true chance to shine. In this week’s Dial M For Maple, we unpack the “Wig In A Box” to highlight our favorite musical numbers and to toss out our theories about those eerie final moments. While hosts Marah and Cameron are no “Barchie” ‘shippers, they’re at least happy to see the show putting in the leg work to convince us that maybe these crazy kids really can’t keep their paws off one another. And, in The Blue & Gold, we catch up on the cast’s dispatches from quarantine.

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Quaran-Keene: Catching Up With The Archie-Verse’s Katy Keene Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

Since Riverdale put a bow on the mystery of Jughead’s faux murder and went on a mini-hiatus, the whole world has changed. And while the situation is dark (like, “Riverdale dark”—remember when the town went under quarantine?), it’s important to find moments of levity and happy distractions to keep your mind off the doom and gloom. That’s why there’s no better time to catch up on The CW’s other “Archie-verse” series, Katy Keene, a pure escapist delight. Now that it’s aired the first eight episode of its inaugural season, our podcast Dial M For Maple decided to check in with the “high-fashion fairytale” to see what its cast of big-dreaming characters has been up to. Hosts Marah and Cameron weigh in on what makes the series so special, from its colorful view of the world, to its queer-friendly stories, to its guest roles for icons like Bernadette Peters and Shangela. Truly, its a blast. And then, in the latest edition of “The Blue & Gold,” we ponder what kind of impact the coronavirus-related delays will have on the current seasons of Riverdale, Katy Keene, and beyond.

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Solving Riverdale’s Whydunnit: Recapping “The Locked Room” (Chapter 73) Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Riverdale’s modus operandi seems to be, “when one mystery closes, another mystery opens,” so it’s all-together shocking—and wholly satisfying—that its latest episode finally put a bow on the season-long mystery of Jughead’s fake death. “The Locked Room” not only tells us the great lengths Betty and company went to convince everyone (including Riverdale’s viewers) that Jughead was dead, but also lets our favorite sleuthing couple boast to Dupont and the Stonewall Preppies that they’ve uncovered the murderous secrets of the Quill And Skull. Just like that, most of season four’s big questions have been answered, save for a dangling thread or two (we’ll call it a Hanging Chic). Our podcast Dial M For Maple returns to unpack each new revelation, and to herald the long-awaited reappearance of everyone’s favorite money-grubbing mortician, Dr. Curdle, Jr.! Elsewhere in the episode, Marah recommends some other tantalizing whodunnit yarns and Cameron shares his thoughts on the new KJ Apa-starring biopic, I Still Believe.

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No Time To Die: Recapping “How To Get Away With Murder” (Chapter 71) Feb 29, 2020

Show notes

After a week away, Riverdale picks up right where it left off, the gang reeling from Jughead’s (apparent) demise (apparently) at the hands of his own girlfriend, Betty Cooper. But “How To Get Away With Murder” leaves little time to grieve their beanie’d pal, as Archie, Veronica, and Betty attempt to cross-reference their stories and cover their own tracks. It’s a lot to take in, so, with Marah out this week, Dial M For Maple had to call in the big guns for a guest host: None other than Cameron’s own mother, Andrea, joins the podcast to dish on the latest Riverdale. The pair shares their mutual distrust over Hermosa and tries to puzzle through some new fan theories about just who is in cahoots with who, exactly. And then, in The Blue & Gold, Cameron and Andrea break down the recent news of Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols’ upcoming show departure, and gush over the cute new puppy in Lili Reinhart’s life.

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Et Tu, Betty?: Recapping “The Ides Of March” (Chapter 70) Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

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Positively Tickled: Recapping “Quiz Show” (Chapter 68) Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

We never imagined we’d be walking away from Riverdale’s big “Quiz Show”wanting to talk about tickling fetish videos, but here we are! Though this week’s episode throws a few curveballs at the audience, none were quite as wild and unexpected as what Kevin Keller gets into on his “Grind’em” date. As Dial M For Maple grapples with whether or not this plot finally gives us #JusticeForKevin, hosts Marah and Cameron dive into a twisty plot that shakes things up for the Bughead ‘shippers and sees Veronica and Cheryl’s maple rum business make some questionable choices. Elsewhere in the podcast, we break down Riverdale’s exciting Hedwig And The Angry Inchmusical news, contemplate crossovers with Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, and Cameron explains why the creepy documentary Tickledportends bad things for Kevin’s current situation.

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It’s A Cheer-ocracy: Recapping “Varsity Blues” (Chapter 67) Jan 24, 2020

Show notes

It’s January, and football season is over for most high schools, but not Riverdale, which kicks off 2020 with “the big game” against the Stonewall Stallions. The rivalry brings season four back into focus after the holiday break, and thankfully lets the teens again worry about typical high school things, like college applications, frustrating coaches, and bringing down your father’s rum empire by creating a new rum brand of your own. Yeah, just normal teen stuff! Dial M For Maple is back with its game face on, recapping “Varsity Blues,” and punting some new theories about Principal Honey and shifty Uncle Frank. Hosts Marah and Cameron discuss their favorite school sports movies and ponder why cheerleading seems to be the hot new trend in television this year. And, in “The Blue & Gold,” we review Charles Melton’s appearance in Bad Boys For Life, and we share our excitement for the Riverdale-verse’s upcoming Katy Keeneseries.

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Tangerine, Tangerine, Ta...: Recapping “Tangerine” (Chapter 66) Dec 14, 2019

Show notes

In its final episode of 2019—and the decade, for that matter—Riverdale forgoes another seasonally-appropriate holiday episode and instead delivers a midseason finale largely concerned with moving on. The big theme of “Tangerine” seems to be setting the past on fire (quite literally) in order to push forward, with Betty laying Dark Betty to rest, Jughead accepting his fate with the Quill And Skull society, and Cheryl finally letting go of her beloved twin’s corpse. Dial M For Maple logs on—albeit a little later than usual—to recap another ambitious episode and to try to make sense of Evelyn Evernever’s deranged hypnotism scheme. Elsewhere, hosts Marah and Cameron introduce a new theory that makes Principal Honey seem even shadier, and the two cast their doubts on the arrival of Archie’s apparently forgotten uncle. Plus, we try to sum up Varsity Blues, and a Cole Sprouse-Adam Sandler reunion sends us on a trip down memory lane.

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