Rachel Bellwoar reviews the first episode of The CW’s live-action Archie series Riverdale…
“Guys, can’t we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock, artist? Can’t we, in this post-James Franco world, be all things at once?” Veronica asks Archie and Betty this at the back to school dance but it’s Riverdale, the show, that takes her proposal most to heart, to great success with Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Veronica (Camila Mendes), and on overdrive when it comes to show star, Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa).
A darker spin on the Archie Comics, by having Betty and Veronica start out as friends Riverdale picks the most obvious way to subvert expectations around the infamous rivals, but it works. This is Veronica’s first year at Riverdale High. A scandal involving her father embezzling money forced her to move into town with her mom, and Betty has been assigned as her peer mentor. While their interest in the same redhead is no secret, they form a bond over trying out for the cheerleading squad. Now, if you place any credit in archetypes, Betty should seem a shoo-in to make the team, but she was refused last year for being “season five Betty Draper.” The dig is absurd but Betty’s not unused to hearing undeserved criticism, with her mom (Twin Peaks‘ Mädchen Amick) believing she needs to take Adderall and seeing warning bells in her being seven minutes late, once, for curfew.
Being around Veronica helps Betty stand up for herself, to the point where she’s brought to dancing around her room. Betty helps Veronica stay true to her promise to turn a new leaf at Riverdale. Veronica was the mean girl at her old school and it brought her absolutely nothing when her family fell from grace. Can her sophomore year be different, when she’s already stifling feelings for her friend’s crush? Whether the show will be able to resist going full-on love triangle forever, Veronica and Betty’s friendship is the best thing to come out of Riverdale‘s pilot.
Saving their friendship isn’t the only reason to keep Archie out of it. The man may be struggling with being too good at too many things (football; construction; songwriting), but friendship isn’t one of them (see a loaded conversation with Jughead (Cole Sprouse) at Pop’s Diner). You never get a sense of the history that should exist between Betty and Archie, from having been best friends for years. That Betty cares about him is undeniable but going off of this episode alone, I’d be hard pressed to answer why (his first response to her invite to the dance—he isn’t in the right “head space”). And there’s certainly no explanation for why cool-as-ice Betty has eyes for Archie in his current state (and don’t say his new, six pack abs).
In Archie’s defense, he did have a tough summer, and it’s tricky to say whether we’re getting a fair introduction to how Archie always is (no one seems too concerned that he’s acting differently) or how Archie is after the vacation he’s been through. An affair with his music teacher threatens his education when she’s reluctant to give him private music lessons. Teacher-student affairs are the bottom barrel of soap plots but, having included one, the show gets some acknowledgement for not making their relationship about forbidden chemistry but how they’re going to work together afterwards.
There’s also the July 4th Tragedy which overshadows Veronica’s arrival. Jason Blossom (Trevor Stines) drowned in Sweetwater River retrieving a glove for his twin sister, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch), and his body has yet to be recovered. His grieving sister, a terrifically calculating Petsch, quickly rubs former queen, Veronica, the wrong way but it’s Archie who seems haunted by Jason’s death the most, offered his jersey number to play Varsity football and affected by a picture of him at the dance.
Beyond having characters make a number of pop culture references, Riverdale has clear roots in TV shows past, from the town sign (Twin Peaks), to parents who dated (The OC), to Betty spying on Archie from her bedroom window (Smallville). And let’s not get started on the many ways Grease comes to mind. At this juncture Archie is Riverdale‘s weakest leak but, knowing the promise of future romance, he’s a pretty important character to get right if the show wants to retain believability.
Rachel Bellwoar
Originally published January 27, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
