Elsewhere, Veronica can’t help but solve the problems of others. This week it’s Ethel Muggs. Veronica takes the dark poem Ethel reads in class as a cry for help. But in this town everyone has ulterior motives. For Veronica she doesn’t just want to be friends with Ethel. She wants to atone for the mistakes of her past. Before her father, Hiram, went to jail for his Ponzi scheme Veronica was the Cheryl of her school. She was so bad she got a girl to drink gutter water just for her own amusement. That’s definitely cruel. But the friendship becomes strained when Hermione tells Veronica that Ethel’s father lost a lot of money after investing with Hiram. Veronica has previously been steadfastly in Hiram’s corner so it’s interesting to watch her decide being kind is more important than worrying about how Ethel’s parents will likely testify against her father. Soon Veronica is spoiling Ethel, giving her expensive items of clothing and jewelry that were once gifts from Hiram. But this isn’t enough to distract Ethel from her family’s problems especially once her father tries to commit suicide. This dramatic turn of events forces Veronica to come clean to Ethel about her lineage and Hiram’s role in her family’s problems. Ethel later decides to forgive Veronica since she has neither control nor power over Hiram’s decisions. She’s just a kid after all. While I’m glad Veronica got some development, this isn’t what I had in mind. It’s kind of ridiculous seeing Veronica break down crying after Ethel’s father tried to commit suicide to the point she needs to be consoled by Betty. I get why she would be sad that Hiram’s actions have such tragic consequences but it’s a bit much. What’s more interesting is watching Archie think he can’t get played by the Blossoms.