I’m sure you’ve all heard of this name by now: Riverdale.
Maybe you heard it at school; maybe you saw it on Twitter; or maybe it’s under your “Recommended” section on Netflix, but if you haven’t at least seen or heard the name once, I’m rather concerned about your Internet habits…
Most people that I know watch it, and at least two of your friends probably do, too.
So, should you watch Riverdale? It seems hugely popular, so it can’t be all bad, right?
Well, let’s start from the beginning.
Riverdale follows Archie Andrews and his friends as they explore the mysteries and intrigues of their small town, known as – you guessed it – Riverdale.
Does the name Archie Andrews sound familiar? How about Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge?
If so, you’ve probably seen the Archie comics at some point in your life.
But don’t be fooled – the characters may share the same names, but they have definitely had some changes made to them.
The series opens with narration about the mysterious death of Jason Blossom – beloved football player and the twin brother of Cheryl Blossom, your average redhead high school cheerleading “Queen Bee”.
From there, it’s a lot of “who dunnit?” and “why they dunnit?” about Jason’s death; a new revelation is revealed in each episode, and yes, I’d say that the show is suspenseful. If you like Pretty Little Liars, this show would be a good fit for you.
Add in the arrival of new girl Veronica Lodge; her name is shame, and her reputation is by all means unholy. She and all-American teen boy protagonist Archie Andrews definitely have something going on between them, but Veronica, not wanting to taint her newfound friendship with girl-next-door Betty Cooper, decides to play it safe and not make a play for Archie (well, probably not until season two anyways). Because, of course, Betty is totally crushing on Archie (who, according to the show, built up amazing abs and arms over the course of one summer. Goals.).
Archie is trying to juggle his feelings for someone with whom he totally should not be secretly hooking up with behind the entire town’s back (hint: it’s a teacher), while attempting to pursue a career in music without the support of his father. Yikes.
And of course, Queen Bee Cheryl is hiding some deep dark secret about the death of her brother. I’m sure we’ll find out what it is before the season finale.
I’ll be honest: Riverdale is kind of awful, owing in part to the bad acting. If that’s not your cup of tea, then I suggest you try building a wall between you and it.
But if bad acting and plot turns you can see coming from a mile away are your kind of thing, this show would be for you. Not to mention that, well, it’s pretty entertaining. Personally, I like complaining about bad shows with my friends and this one cranks out new episodes weekly on Netflix. Plenty of targets for your flamethrowers.
So, a quick summary of Riverdale: there are forbidden relationships, overbearing parents, emotionless narrators who probably listen to way too much TØP, reformed mean girls, and plenty of your average high school drama.
But should you watch it? Should you at least give it a try?
Well, unless you dislike bad acting and clear plot lines…
Yes.
By: Joanna Zeng