| Archie's Weird Mysteries | |
| Season 1, Episode 36 | |
 | |
| Episode Information | |
| Air date | February 16, 2000 |
| Credits | |
| Chris Lundquist | Jughead |
| Camille Schmidt | Veronica |
| Andrew Rannells | Archie |
| Paul Sosso | Reggie |
| Danielle Young | Betty |
| Ben Beck | Dilton |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous Alternate Riverdales |
next Invasion of the Cockroaches |
This was the 36th episode of Archie's Weird Mysteries and the final part of a three part series where Archie travels through time and puts up with an angry fellow student named Vinnie Wells.
Synopsis[]
The future Vinnie is back and is badder than ever. Only this time he's not just after Archie, he wants to destroy Riverdale. And he's doing it with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Meanwhile, Archie is stuck traveling through the past and meeting his friends and principal, before they became his friends and principal. Will he return to present and send the prehistoric beast back to prehistoric times before the town and his friends are destroyed forever?
Plot[]
In the time vortex, the future version of Vinnie floats alone vowing to escape the dimension and get his revenge on Archie and Riverdale. Vinnie spots the chrono field generator floating nearby and uses it to escape the vortex and return to Riverdale where he vows to use the device to destroy Riverdale.
That night, a mysterious stranger visits the Andrews home and tosses a few pebbles at Archie's window to wake him up. The stranger tells Archie that he must wear the Time Belt to school the next day but runs away before identifying himself. A short distance away, the clouds in the night sky part and the stranger is seen to be what looks like a future version of Archie.
The next day, Archie drives to school and picks up Jughead on the way. Archie tells Jughead he's wearing the Time Belt and despairs that he can't make up his mind between Betty and Veronica and also has to decide whether to take the scholarship to study in Europe or not. Jughead suggests Archie that he take the scholarship and use it as a reason to tell Betty and Veronica he can't decide with such a trip happening. When Jughead starts talking of the fun he'll have eating in Europe with Archie, Archie points out that the scholarship only provides for one person to stay in Europe. With the car arriving at school, Jughead, angry that Archie would go to Europe without him, storms away. Archie despairs and decides to do some private thinking about the decisions he has to make.
A short time later, Archie is interrupted by Betty and Veronica, who demand that Archie choose between them once and for all. Archie, after a few moments, says he can't make up his mind and the girls run off crying. Despondent, Archie goes to see Mr. Weatherbee and tells him he's accepting the scholarship to Europe as he figures he doesn't make a difference in Riverdale. Weatherbee tells Archie not to think that way and says he felt the same way at one point in his younger days until a stranger told him otherwise.
The chat is interrupted by the appearance of a rampaging dinosaur outside the school that destroys Archie's car. Archie and Mr. Weatherbee run outside and sees his car is destroyed and distracts the dinosaur from chasing Mr. Weatherbee. The dinosaur pursues Archie and corners him against the school as Vinnie watches from the roof and explains his bringing the dinosaur to destroy Archie and the town. Just as the dinosaur goes to bite Archie, Archie activates the Time Belt and disappears just before it strikes though Vinnie fails to see Archie's escape and assumes Archie is now dead. Archie appears in the past but can't return to the present until the Time Belt's solar batteries have recharged. While he waits, Archie encounters a scout who says it is 1699 and he's looking for a good settling place for thirty eight families. Archie recommends a nearby valley and after the scout agrees and leaves to go tell the families, Archie realizes that the valley he recommended was the future site of Riverdale. Moments later, Archie, seeing he has a little power, activates the Time Belt in the hope he will return to the present. Archie materializes in what looks like Riverdale but a newspaper he picks up has him realize he's about twenty five years in the past.
While waiting for the Time Belt to charge up, Archie encounters a young Mr. Weatherbee, who wants to quit after his first day of acting principal at Riverdale High. Archie tells Weatherbee not to give up after a single bad day and convinces Weatherbee to keep working.
Archie activates the Time Belt again and finds himself in his neighborhood back when Betty first moved into the area. He encounters a young Betty, who is crying as she has no one to play with except for the young Archie next door. Archie tells her he knows the boy quite well and despite his goofiness, he's a good kid. After Archie sees his younger self crash his bike and Betty meet up with him, Archie figures Betty will be ok.
In the present, Betty is running away from the rampaging dinosaur and runs into Pop Tate's where Veronica is already located. The people inside hear Vinnie bragging on a megaphone that the T-Rex devoured Archie and will do the same to all of Riverdale shortly. Hearing this, Betty, Veronica and Jughead all start crying at the thought of never seeing Archie again.
Meanwhile, Archie waits for the Time Belt to recharge and encounters a young Veronica (a year before she moves to Riverdale), who asks Archie to get her a drink of water in a very bratty manner. While doing so, Archie meets Mr. Lodge, who apologizes for his daughter and thinks Archie's understanding attitude is commendable. Mr. Lodge goes on to say he might move to Riverdale after he approves a bank loan to Pop Tate to open a restaurant. Archie uses the Time Belt once again and finally finds himself in the present with the dinosaur nearby.
With the Time Belt still possessing a charge, Archie waits until it's near enough with an open mouth and throws it down the T-Rex's throat with a small time delay. Moments later, the dinosaur disappears for good in a big flash of light and Archie's friends run outside to welcome him back. From a nearby rooftop, Vinnie calls out that he'll bring back more dinosaurs and since he's the only one with a time travel device, no one can stop him. However, an arm belonging to the future Archie appears and plucks the device out of Vinnie's hand and sends Vinnie back to his future cell in jail for his time crimes. The future Archie thanks the present day version for his help and goes back to the future before telling the girls who Archie ultimately chose between them. Archie says he's not taking the European scholarship and decides to stay.
Later at night to close things, Archie cites a passage from the scout Bob Montana's diary that speaks of meeting him and his gratitude for his help.