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Riverdale: Earnest, Attractive and Fun

The CW has a reputation for TV like Supernatural, the ArrowVerse, One Tree Hill and The Vampire Diaries for young, fun programming. Riverdale fits right in.

Young, hyper attractive cast with reasonably good on screen chemistry? Check.

Comics Adaptation, taking a more grown up take on the property? Check

Abs? Check

Love Triangles and Mysteries to drive the drama? Check

Seemingly straightforward characters with a secret twist? Check

More Abs? Check

More than that though, while Riverdale may have all the above elements, it also features some really quite lovely composition and design work. I’ve rarely seen teen melodrama look as pretty as this, while being as interesting.

For those who are unaware, Archie Comics is one of the longest running American comics brands. They centre on the titular Archie Andrews, resident of the small American town of Riverdale. The stories tend to revolve around Him, an ongoing love triangle between him and the two lead women Betty and Veronica, and a huge cast of side characters.
Fun Fact: Josie and the Pussycats and Sabrina the Teenage Witch are also found within the pages of Archie Comics, and thus crossovers are common.

In recent years, the Setting and characters have been used as a playground for a whole host of Crossovers and What If? Stories. This is partly what’s led us to 2017, and the CW’s Riverdale.

Riverdale Sign

In episode one, the audience is introduced to all the main characters and basic relationships including:

J. Apa as Archie Andrews: “An intense, conflicted teen, a boyish high school sophomore who got pumped up over the summer working construction and is now juggling the interest of several girls, as well as trying to balance his passion for writing and performing music—against the wishes of his father and his football coach.”

Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper: “A sweet, smart, eager-to-please and wholesome girl with a long time crush on her best friend, Archie. She is tired of being the perfect daughter, student, sister, etc., so she turns to her new friend, Veronica, for life advice—much to the consternation of her emotionally brittle mother.”

Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge: “A sophisticated, confident, silver-tongued high school sophomore. Veronica returns to Riverdale from New York, eager to reinvent herself after a scandal involving her father.”

Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones and the narrator of the series: “A philosophically bent heartthrob who was once the best friend of Archie, who is still dealing with the rift that came between them.”

Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge: “Veronica’s mother”.

Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom: “A rich, entitled, and manipulative girl who recently lost her twin brother in a mysterious accident.”

Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy: “A gorgeous, snooty, and ambitious girl who is the lead singer for the popular band Josie and the Pussycats.”

Mädchen Amick as Alice Cooper: “Betty’s mother, who is the editor of the local paper. She is a perfectionist who places exceedingly high expectations on her daughter.”

Luke Perry as Fred Andrews: “Archie’s father, who owns a construction firm that he hopes his son will take over one day.”

From there, a web of intrigue spreads out with the suspicious death of Jason Blossom having seemingly drained the innocence out of the town. Now everyone has secret agendas, there’s blackmail and murder in the air, and a blossoming Love triangle between Archie, Betty and Veronica to set the stage for the season.

Archie/Betty/Veronica in Riverdale

Introduction aside, Riverdale is a blast. The dialogue is what’s to be expected from the melodrama on display, but there’s still some quite good lines in there. The overall narrative leaves the audience comfortable with the initial situation, but ready for twists in the future. The side characters in particular look like they’re going to be getting their own arcs throughout the season. In particular, a growing conflict between Archie and Josie (of the Pussycats) looks like it will be a delight.

Particular note has to go to the cinematography. There are some beautifully crafted shots that really sell key moments. It’s far more visually interesting than the vast majority of CW productions. (Especially the workmanlike shooting on Berlanti’s more well known Arrowverse shows)

Archie Riverdale

There’s some really great colour use as well. The original comics are obviously famous for the rehead/blonde/brunette love triangle, but every colour in Riverdale pops off the screen. Visually every character is easily distinguishable, with their personality coming across fully in costuming and design. The use of neon in the diner scenes especially gives those moments a sense of cushioned closeness that really helps to get across the tight knit nature of the town.
None of the above would work however without the washed out background work going on. That’s not a criticism. The use of colour to focus the audience attention only works because of the contrast available.

It’s fun. It’s melodramatic. There’s a whole lot of earnestness in the writing that really captures the imagination of the audience. It’s worth watching.

The programme will be airing weekly on The CW, or becoming available on Netflix weekly too.