Cherry's hilariously psychotic moment when she dissects (or, rather, butchers) that frog in class
Betty's mother, though equally as neurotic as Cherry, injects some much-needed black humour into the show
The scene in which Betty tearfully confesses to Archie she's not okay is so well-acted by Reinhart and Apa. It actually was cathartic to see a seemingly okay girl admit out loud to her best friend that she really wasn't okay at all.
Cole Sprouse's Jughead is duller than he is moody. He only shines when he lightens up a bit at the end.
That Headmaster is far too obviously shady for a high school drama.
It's becoming more and more like a Glee makeover with a murder mystery. Like a Glee Cluedo.
As ‘Riverdale’ spits out truths one by one, it’s the shock of a lie well-kept in plain sight that catches everyone out in this murderous teen drama.
A ‘Riverdale’ staple is a broody voiceover from Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) to tell you the next phase of his tale. Archie (K.J. Apa) runs to Miss Grundy’s (Sarah Habel) house, half-naked, to talk. Meanwhile, Betty (Lili Reinhart) defies her mother’s attempt to turn her against Archie and Veronica (Camila Mendes).
Kevin (Casey Cott) is juggling his muscle of a ride Moose whilst holding a four-pronged friendship together. A disaster awaiting, Veronica and Betty’s friendship resolves and dissolves instantaneously. But it’s Archie and Betty who struggle, as she tears up when he sings:
Archie: “Betty, you okay?”
Betty: “I’m supposed to say yes. That’s what the nice girl always says: yes. But I’m not.”
Miss Grundy is equally unwilling to tolerate him too, as an earnest Archie pleads for the truth from her. Jughead sneaks in a view of an almost-kiss between the forbidden duo, whilst Betty invites Cherry Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) for a mani-pedi, using Veronica’s gift out of spite. It quickly turns into an interrogation about what Betty knows about Dead Jason’s ex, Polly—Betty’s sister—and the unease doesn’t stop there.
RELATED l RIVERDALE 1×01 Review
Jughead warns Archie that Grundy’s just using him as an alibi, and though Archie ignores him, summer can’t halt friendships. In the common room, the jocks accuse Jughead of murder and it results in a messy brawl. And it messes up Archie’s eye. So the pep rally ensues, and in an awful moment, Cherry breaks down as she sees Archie’s smile as he sprints. With his red hair, pale skin and cheeky grin, he looks the exact picture of Jason to her—and she runs away, sobbing.
Veronica finds her, and tells her that “you’re not alone”. Nobody in Riverdale is, condemned by the loss of Jason Blossom. They still head to the diner, with Veronica proposing a vow to Betty:
Veronica: “No matter what, no boy will ever come between us again.”
You’d think a diner with slow-motion clinks of milkshake glasses is where we finish. But we don’t. Instead, Cherry is arrested by the Sheriff for murder, after the autopsy. It stuns everyone, so what happened? How was Jason killed a week later than told, and what does this mean for the gunshot Archie heard? What’s Jughead gonna write about now?
In an episode of relationships splintering and meshing, it is perhaps apt we are narrated by the sardonic, loner Jughead.
Jughead doesn’t make himself an easy character to like. If you’re a fan of Cole Sprouse, perhaps you are easier convinced. But Jughead, despite his obvious loneliness, gives you a reason for that loneliness. Unpleasant, defensive and frankly a bit of a jackass, the fact that he’s actually writing a book about a real murder in his town is twisted enough.
Still, he may well prove to be a decisive and important character in the story. He’s placed in the thick of it due to Archie’s trust in him, and protection of him. Yet he’s nosey enough to peek into his friend’s love life (which, to be honest, needs to stop).
Despite the obvious devastation rippling through Riverdale, it’s love that glues everyone together. Finally—a cliché gone right. Archie may not have his Miss Grundy (thank the Lord) but he’s got friends in Kevin, Veronica and Betty—who all have each other. Veronica even extends a hand of friendship to Cherry. Notably, Hermione (Marisol Nichols) is planting herself in Riverdale’s hubbub as a waitress. It may be a downgrade from New York fashionista, but Hermione’s a background character we must protect at all costs. Nichols is unrivalled in the way she exhibited her love for her daughter in the premiere, and second episode, she proves that she is perfectly capable of being a loving, fun single mother. Not that she needed to.
The dialogue is quick and witty, but the overall show is still all show and no tell—yet.
We really want this show to work. However, we have to draw comparisons to ‘Glee’ yet again, unfortunately. When you throw in the undeniably talented Josie (Ashleigh Kennedy) and her Pussycats, as well as a cheer team with a tyrannical leader, the charming jock who liked to sing, the Token Gay Friend—it’s all ‘Glee’. And we hate comparisons like this.
Here’s the thing: we are rooting for ‘Riverdale’ to break free (High School Musical) from those clamps and become its own thing. The problem is, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s script is not letting it. Make no doubt about it—’Riverdale’ is funny and quirky in its own oddball way. But there are far too many comparisons to make, and they’re blindingly obvious. Even the line of the show has you thinking about Lea Michele’s horrifically irritating Rachel Berry:
Cherry: “The weather’s already predicting a downpour the night of the rally, but already you’re raining on my parade.”
The only difference is, we don’t think Glee ever murdered anyone. So there’s a start. Last week we suggested a mash-up(!) of shows, and we stand firm by it this week too. The cast are talented. The one-liners are great. But bluntly, ‘Riverdale’ needs to find its identity quicker than the police needs to find Jason’s killer.
Betty and Veronica’s blooming friendship may well be the saviour of this show.
The two clear winners of the premiere shine again tonight. Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes remain in the starlight of this show, and we hope it’s for a while. Betty and Veronica had us sceptical at first (and who knows?) but it does seem like Veronica is sincere in her friendship with Betty. It’s early days, but it’s hard to think of why Veronica would befriend Betty if she didn’t like her, and vice versa. The pair reverse their tropes a little. The rich girl isn’t spoilt or bratty or pathetic. The nice girl isn’t a whispered one-liner of “I’m okay”.
Reinhart and Mendes are insatiable. They stroll confidently together through the school, unassuming yet charming. Backewd up by Kevin, it’s nice to just have a joyous heart of a show—some light in the darkness. And you know what’s even nicer? Is that they can be honest friends with each other and it’s not some classic ‘popular girl has a backstabbing plan to humiliate the nerdy one‘ plotline. Veronica even knows who Truman Capote is, for Christ’s Sake.
They’re funny, talented and enjoyable to watch together. In any capacity, you want to see how Betty and Veronica react—together. Because it just adds to their charm. Why can’t a typical teen drama like ‘Riverdale’ just have a typical teen, girl-friendship? Come on, Veronica even swore on her mother’s pearls she wouldn’t hurt Betty again. Give it a chance. They could be the mini Pitch-Perfect of Chloe and Beca on television.
Just please don’t sing. No more ‘Glee’.
Final Verdict: ‘Riverdale’ is still missing a heavy dose of originality, but the episode leaves us on a hanger that makes us irresistible to next week’s pull.
We weren’t over-the-moon with the sophomore episode. But we like to think we’re not savages! We’re only two episodes into ‘Riverdale’, and it would be a blatant lie if we said that ‘Riverdale’ had achieved nothing in those two episodes.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s script is rammed with one-liners. They’re practically bursting at the seams. But we haven’t seen enough of the mystery to really know if we’re invested in the hunt for the answer or not, or if his casting crew outdid him. The actors are undeniably fantastic, and so is Lee Toland Krieger’s direction. The slow-motion shot of Archie running onto the field as Cherry catches a glimpse of her brother in him is well done, and perfectly illustrates the muted horror she feels in that split-second.
Lastly, our whimsical hero remains a difficult point. A.J. Kapa is spot-on as the unpolished, well-loved Archie. But his lack of ubiquity could perhaps be used. His affability allows him to communicate with near-anyone, and his mish-mash of traits is just enough to put him as the rumpled ‘boy next door’. The comics are centred around him, so we’d expect the show to be too…and it might be. He may not be the loud, shining star, but he’s the one who everyone talks to. He still holds the gunshot mystery. And he’s still perhaps the only one who communicates with Jughead, our writer. So we need him—we just never knew it. He takes over the narration at the end, stating wistfully:
Archie: “For one shining moment, we were just kids.”
So, Archie, what happened next?
Questions and Comments:
- Miss Grundy is playing Archie, right? There must be something Grundy’s hiding and maybe she told Archie. Maybe that’s why she’s using him. I just can’t see Archie and Grundy working out. Stomp on my foot, but I’m with Jughead on this.
- So who got shot on July 4th? Do you think they were actually fireworks?
- Arresting Cherry means Cherry definitely didn’t kill her brother, despite her rise in psychosis this episode. So…whodunnit?
- We’re sincerely hoping that Ashleigh Murray’s role is expanded to beyond being just a singer every now and then.
- “You’ve got more demons than the exorcist.” Kevin had me cracking up this episode.
- His jock boyfriend is called Moose. Moose!
- Madelaine Petsch’s threat to kill was legitimately scary. Phew, Blossom!
- I have two yes/no’s for you, so tweet @TVAfterDark and let us know…
- Is Archie actually the killer?
- Is Miss Grundy using Archie?
Leave a Reply