Polly Cooper/Season 5 (2024)

Tricking with the Ghoulies[]

Polly finds herself being held at gunpoint by Betty while sneaking in the house at 3:00 AM. Betty suggests they talk over a cup of tea. She apologizes for not being there for Polly during the Farm dilemma and coming at her over the phone during that Halloween call. Betty would like for them to go back to being real sisters, as would Polly. Betty says that she’s only in town for a couple of days but that she’ll be back a lot more often after graduating from the academy.

Alice attempts to convince Polly to attend Pop Tate’s retirement party, but she claims that she has to work. However, Betty reveals that Polly hasn't worked at the Roving Eye for over a year and that she’s been hanging out with the Ghoulies. She asks how exactly is Polly making her money, which she uses to help out with the twins and pay the mortgage. She wonders if Polly is dealing or tricking, but Polly says that it’s none of her concern, especially since Betty deserted them. Polly then storms out. When she doesn't return, Betty becomes concerned and calls Polly to apologize, but she doesn’t pick up. Betty leaves a message apologizing to Polly for judging her. Admittedly, she had no right, especially not after leaving them. Unbeknownst to Betty, Polly is on the Lonely Highway, running for her life, as she is being chased down by a trucker.^[1]

Polly's Disappearance[]

Betty enters her room to find Polly sitting on her bed, bloody and bruised. She warns Betty that the Trash Bag Killer will find her moments before he sneaks up behind Betty and slices her throat. Betty awakens terrified, realizing that it was only a nightmare.

Betty and Alice get a call from a frantic Polly. She’s in need of help and trapped in the middle of nowhere. She ran as far as she could. All she knows for certain is that she’s somewhere on the Lonely Highway and that they’re coming for her. Betty hangs up with Polly and goes searching for her along with Alice. They pull up to a completely demolished phone booth covered in blood. They call out for Polly, but she’s nowhere to be found.^[2]

Weeks later, Polly's dead body is found in the trunk of an old abandoned junkyard by Betty and Alice after Betty and Jughead begin investigating the highway killings.^[3]

Next to Normal[]

Editor's Note: The following summary takes place in Alice's mind as a result of her refusing to accept Polly's death.

Fictitious versions of Polly and Charles appears to Alice, who is having difficulty with accepting Polly's death. Charles comes in wearing a Bulldogs jacket and Polly comes down wearing her River Vixens uniform. In this delusion, Betty joins them, and the three Cooper siblings surround Alice around the couch.

Willfully trapped in this fairytale world she's created for herself, Alice is playing the piano with Betty and Polly at her side, singing Everything Else.

Betty's concern for her mother grows as she seemingly dances with fictitious versions of Polly and Charles while singing It's Gonna Be Good and preparing the table. Hoping to bring her to reality, Betty gives Alice Polly's ashes, reminding her that Polly is dead and that Charles is in prison. Betty sings She's Not Here, in reference to Polly, which cause Alice to cry until Betty suggests they head into the city to see a Broadway show.

Polly appears to Alice when she attempts to leave for a Broadway show with Betty. Charles joins Polly, and they sing I'm Alive while attempting to prevent Alice from leaving the house. Betty pleads with mother to come to her senses and realize that what she's seeing isn't real. However, with Charles and Polly in both her ears, Alice doesn't believe that Betty truly needs her, or at least not as much as the two of them. Betty promises that she will always be there for Alice, but she recalls how Betty left her for seven years, and when she did finally come back, she chased Polly off, which ultimately resulted in her death. "She's dead because of you," Alice exclaims. Heartbroken by her mother's words, Betty simply heads out without so much as a word.

Betty returns home and makes amends with her mother. Betty promises Alice that she'll never leave her again and tells Alice that she loves her. Moved by Betty's heartfelt gesture, Alice apologizes for saying that Polly's death was Betty's fault. She then grabs Polly's urn. Alice has seemingly finally come to terms with reality, as Polly and Charles come down the steps and leave the house.

Later, Betty and Alice decide to give Polly a memorial and bury her ashes.^[4]

References[]