Last we saw Chic Cooper, he was hovering over newfound sister Betty as she slept, freaking out anyone with a pulse—or at least an obsession with Riverdale. In tonight’s episode, we’ll finally find out why he decided to break into her bedroom and watch her (though, is any excuse going to be good enough?).

“You can’t pin Chic just yet,” Hart Denton (who plays Chic) tells Glamour. “You have to understand this is a strange and foreign situation for him to be in, but you’ll ultimately enjoy watching him the most if you are slow to judge. Trust me.” (Side note: That’s some Cheryl Blossom-level confidence right there.)

From what we know, Chic is involved in the “fantasy fulfillment” business, and it has nothing to do with helping folks gain access to Disney’s Club 33. “I was told he makes his living via webcam and that he didn’t care who was on the other side of the screen,” Denton says. “He was going to survive at whatever cost.” In tonight’s episode, the Cooper clan will not only find out more about how Chic has financially supported himself all these years, but just how detrimental it’s been to his emotional health.

In the exclusive clip below, Chic tells Betty that he has “a pretty good collection of scars” he can show her (OK, ew), and they both realize they cope with their anxiety by digging their nails into the palms of their hands. “It’s bonding,” Denton points out. “Betty and Chic share the same blood, inside and out. She has darkness, he has darkness. Confiding in one another makes this strange utopian transition just a bit easier for Chic. She’s never had that scapegoat to confide in. She does now.”

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As for the bigger picture, Denton hopes that exploring Betty and Chic’s anxiety can help anyone struggling with the same difficulties. “Anxiety is heartbreaking,” he says. “It deprives people of the best versions of themselves. We all experience it on different levels but certain people experience it in ways others will never understand.”

Except, of course, for Betty. Still, Denton says that Chic’s world expands a little more every episode, and certain connections to other Riverdale characters will begin to surface. “I was so surprised, so I can only imagine how [shocked] the fans are going to be,” Denton teases.

Until then, check out the drama that unfolds at the family breakfast table in the video above. And for more about what’s to come this winter on Riverdale, don’t miss our interview with creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa here.

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