No matter how much you love Riverdale, chances are that a large portion of its second season has left you a little. . . underwhelmed. Since its jam-packed midseason finale, the CW’s dark teen drama has staked a lot of its drama on plot lines that have dragged on without any real payoff—dull arcs that have overshadowed the show’s original, campy charm and mistaken convolution for suspense. With its musical episode on Wednesday night, however, Riverdale High left all of that nonsense behind—zeroing in on all the elements that have made the series great as Kevin’s production of Carrie: The Musical made its stage debut.

Like any musical episode, this one proved that some members of Riverdale’s cast are clearly more comfortable expressing themselves musically than others. But for the most part, parts got doled out wisely, and regardless of singing talent, we can say this: none of the performances felt flat. And the episode’s final twist also seemed like a pretty firm promise that the show plans to return to its roots as it sprints toward its second season finale. Plus, let’s be honest: is there a better suited pair in the world than Riverdale and Carrie?

Throughout the episode, dramatic character beats unfolded perfectly in song as reconciliations and revelations abounded. Betty, cast perfectly to type, played Carrie’s “good girl” classmate, while Veronica played the mean girl. In playing those roles, however, each realized something about herself: as Archie told Betty, Veronica has always been there for her—so perhaps Betty’s unwillingness to forgive Veronica for colluding with her father and lying to the group is a little harsh. And for Veronica, playing the bad girl helped her realize that, perhaps, she hasn’t been the greatest friend.

It didn’t hurt that in addition to its musical flair, this week’s installment continued to move the show’s current main story forward—and away from some of the season’s duller elements. This was an episode full of payoffs: Cheryl won Josie’s forgiveness in song. (Because what’s a creepy sketch and a few terrifying threats between friends?) Betty and Veronica settled their differences with a soaring duet of their own. And Alice Cooper, playing an uncannily cast Margaret White, helped Betty realize that above all, what her own repressive mother is feeling right now is fear. In the end, Cheryl also went full-on horror show on her own mother, coating herself in blood and promising to end Penelope if she ever kills Grandma Rose. And yes, as one might expect, there were little Carrie nods left and right—most notably, the way a certain corpse got staged for the show’s premiere.

Let’s talk about that seemingly dead body, shall we? Poor Midge Klump. She only got the role of “Carrie” because Cheryl’s mother wouldn’t let Cheryl play it—and then, Midge became the Black Hood’s wake-up call. Mr. Svenson, whom Archie and Betty caught in the Season 2 midseason finale, was the reddest herring in the history of scarlet fish; as the real Black Hood seems to have proven, he’s still alive and kicking and ready to wreak havoc on some more poor, unsuspecting students.

That’s perhaps the most encouraging development of all; as Entertainment Weekly’s Kristen Baldwin notes, this meandering season seems to have lost its way from the core element that got us all hooked on Riverdale in the first place: the murder mystery factor. The Carrie-themed episode has effectively doused the series with a bucket of blood—washing away some of its more boring elements to make room for camp, teen drama, and a little gore. It also proved that Riverdale and musicals go hand in hand; maybe next year, Riverdale High could give Heathers a try?