Archie and the Gang Grow Up on the Sexy, Haunting ‘Riverdale’

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.

RiverdaleEven though I grew up on superhero comics like Captain America, Amazing Spider-Man and The Avengers, I’ll admit I’ve always had a soft spot for Archie and the whole Riverdale Gang.

All-American teen heartthrob Archie Andrews was always in over his head. The biggest problems he faced was whether to ask Betty or Veronica out on a date. For the record, I would’ve always chosen Betty.

Then there’s his hamburger-eating pal Jughead. Lovable goon Moose. Bad guy with a soft spot Reggie. The always clueless Principal Weatherbee and the super skinny, almost witch like Mrs. Grundy. I loved them all and fondly remember reading Archie at a variety of points in my life.

Every time I was home sick in bed, mom would buy me thee latest Archie comics to read. When I went to my orthodontist, the waiting room was full of magazines and… yes, Archie comics! And whenever our family went on vacation and we’d stop for snacks along the way on some crazy mysterious highway, I’d grab an Archie comic off the spinner rack. If I was really lucky, they had a copy of Little Archie.

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Archie and Veronica come to life on The CW’s Riverdale.

So when The CW came out with a brand-new show called Riverdale, my first response was, “Wow, imagine if this was really based on the Archie Universe!” The trailers looked dark and mysterious. Like a cross between 90210 and Twin Peaks, the show was packed with teens, angst, mystery, betrayal, you name it. But no way it could really be about Archie Andrews and his pals, right?

Wrong!

Turns out that Riverdale is in fact all about that fabled town I’ve read so much about. But like I said, this show is far from the hilarious, joy-filled Archie world I grew up on. And that’s what makes it so insanely fascinating and addicting!

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Jughead and Betty do some serious investigating.

Riverdale Story Synopsis:

Based on the characters from Archie Comics, Riverdale gives a subversive take on small-town life. Things aren’t always what you expect in Riverdale. As a new school year begins, the town is reeling from the tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom. The summer’s events made all-American teen Archie Andrews realize that he wants to pursue a career in music, but his fractured friendship with Jughead Jones, and Josie McCoy’s focus on her own band leaves Archie without a mentor. Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper is not ready to reveal her true feelings for Archie, and new student, Veronica Lodge, has an undeniable spark with Betty’s crush. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale’s queen bee, who stirs up trouble amongst Archie, Betty and Veronica. But is Cheryl hiding something about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there’s so much more to the story.

Yep, the first season (13 chilling episodes!) is set against the backdrop of a mysterious murder of one of the teens in Archie’s school. It’s definitely intriguing but to be honest, it’s the least crazy part of this series! That’s because there’s tons more mysteries layered upon mysteries, most of which deal with the previous generations, as well as the founders of Riverdale. There’s a lot of history in this town and apparently it’s not all rainbows and bunny rabbits.

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Archie and his dad (Yes, that’s Luke Perry!) have a pretty solid relationship.

I don’t want to spoil anything for you but you can pretty much expect the most unexpected in this series. Hidden pregnancies. Snakes. Shady real estate deals. Divas. Jailbirds. Adultery. Fake identities.

Even without being set in the Archieverse, I think I’d really enjoy Riverdale. But layering all of that mystery on an ever-darkening town with this cast of characters really sucks me in. Did I mention there’s even Cheryl Blossom and Josie and the Pussycats?

If you’re even a casual fan of the Archie comics, you will definitely love seeing how these wholesome characters of yesteryear are portrayed on the modern screen. And if you’re a fan of shows like 90210, you’ll really love Riverdale, especially since Archie’s dad is played by none other than Luke Perry.

Yep, Archie comics have most definitely grown up. Unfortunately for the town of Riverdale that means deciding which milkshake to buy at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe is far from the hardest challenge they’ll be facing.

Buy Riverdale: The Complete First Season

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9 thoughts on “Archie and the Gang Grow Up on the Sexy, Haunting ‘Riverdale’”

  1. Oh wow… So I have heard of Riverdale…. heard some whispers and mumblings about the show as it gained momentum, but I had no idea it was based on Archie the comics! This changes EVERYTHING!!!!! Why have I not watched this yet! I am seriously FREAKING OUT!

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  2. I enjoyed your review. It sounds like a great show. I’ve always loved Archie and the other characters. It’s great to see a TV show based on their hometown.

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  3. My daughter loves this show. The picture of them at the diner reminds me of Fry from Futurama in the Roswell that Ends Well episode LOL.

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  4. I only saw the first two episodes before they took it off on demand. I really liked it so far-it wasn’t what I expected at all from the Archie characters.

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