Many are familiar with and cherish the classic Archie comics, and now, the CW is bringing well-loved characters to life with a twist and modern spin in the new TV series “Riverdale.”
STARS: 3/5
“Chapter One: The River’s Edge” opens with a set of twins in an eerie river scene on the Fourth of July, quickly ending in tragedy when the audience learns that one of them, Jason, dies mysteriously.
The small, white-picket fence town is shocked and continues to gossip about the incident until fall, when the school year is just beginning for the main characters.
Betty Cooper, the overachieving girl-next-door, is a somewhat cliche yet likable character. Between her overbearing mother, unstable sister, unrequited love for her close friend and the pressure to be perfect, many of her problems are laid out in the beginning of the episode. I’m interested to see how she will develop throughout the series and hopefully break out of her shell a little.
Archie, the all-American teen who Betty is secretly in love with, is another important character introduced in the pilot. After a summer of menial work under his domineering father and a risque fling with the high school’s music teacher, he is back to deal with his internal struggle of following his dreams of a career in music, or being the jock everyone wants him to be. At first, Archie seems like a pretty static character, but by the end of the first episode, shows he is capable of real feeling and empathy.
New-girl-in-town Veronica shakes things up with her intriguing personality and pretty face. She and her mom moved to Riverdale after her father was sent to jail for a white collar crime.
One would expect her to be snobby, but she really surprised me with her genuinity with Betty and her ability to already not take smack from anyone. Things do get complicated however, when she kisses Archie after the school dance, where Betty declared her love to Archie.
Even though it’s set in high school, the show promises more than just another typical teen drama, going slightly beyond the stereotypical characters often prevalent in shows centered around high school. Though, you can definitely expect familiar adolescent archetypes thrown into the mix, like the mean cheerleader and gay best friend.
The pilot ends on a huge cliffhanger, with two guys stumbling upon Jason’s dead body in the river with a gunshot through his head.
The mix of aesthetically pleasing cinematography, appealing characters, mystery, relatable plot lines and a tie-in to the vintage Archie comics of both the past and present, makes “Riverdale” a show you won’t want to stop watching. I am looking forward to seeing the progression of not only the murder, but also, what’s to come with the cast.