The “Archie” comic book-inspired series kicks off as “Riverdale” begins a new school year while mourning the loss of teen Jason Blossom. Part “The O.C.” and part “Twin Peaks,” the new series is set to put a spin on the classic characters in the small town, providing “Gossip Girl” fans with something soapy, scandalous, but also mysterious, to sink their teeth into.
The ‘Twin Peaks’ influence is strong with this one
FBI Agent Dale Cooper isn’t running through town to investigate the death of a beauty queen, but the inspirations from the David Lynch series are too strong to ignore.
Life in small town “Riverdale” kicks off with the story of a teenage boy dying under mysterious circumstances and a new person in town bringing in an outsider perspective.
In addition to the happy small town hiding lots of secrets and the teen death kicking things off (Jason was missing, but his body is found by the end of the episode), even the visuals of “Riverdale” feel like they were pulled from the “Twin Peaks” playbook. The coloring of the show, the set design, it’s all gorgeous and rides the line between whimsy and darkness. It’s already a ton of fun.
Archie already has a love interest
Betty and Veronica might be the girls who have been fighting for Archie’s heart on comic book pages for 70 years, but he’s already involved with someone in “Riverdale.” The CW has opted for the tried and true storyline of the teen at the center of the story having an affair with one of the high school teachers.
20 years ago when “Dawson’s Creek” did it, the story was groundbreaking and provided a new point of view. Today, it’s tired and repetitive as it seems like every single show with teenagers has to include the plot point. What’s a more interesting twist than having the typical love triangle or student-teacher affair is that Archie’s father and Veronica’s mother have a history.
That would put a nice wrinkle in their relationship -- or is that too wash-rinse-repeat of “Gossip Girl"?
Can Betty and Veronica be the real love story?
If you have even an inkling of what has gone on in “Archie” comics over the last seven decades, you know that at some point Archie will get between them. Or, if you’ve ever watched “Gossip Girl,” who had the same creative minds steering the stories as “Riverdale” does, you’ll know the same thing.
From the first hour alone though, it’s obvious that Betty and Veronica should be the real love story here.
It only takes Veronica five minutes with Betty to decide she wants to be her friend, that she’s going to support her, and to stand up to the most popular girl in school on her behalf. Betty doesn’t have enough of a backbone and Veronica can be overbearing, but together? They’re perfect. It doesn’t hurt that the two of them have more chemistry than they have with anyone else they interacted with in the pilot.
Jughead and Josie need more screentime
Beyond narrating the opening of the episode and appearing in a few background shots, Jughead doesn’t appear too much in the pilot episode, which is a shame.
He pops up at the end to offer Archie some (obvious) advice, and that’s all we get. As an aspiring writer and someone who is on the outside looking in, he’s going to have an interesting take on the goings-on with Archie and company.
Josie clapping down on Archie’s desire to get a little help with his music was an amazing moment on the show. Leading a band of three women who write and perform their own songs, she doesn’t have time to help a guy get ahead, especially when women get used and spit out in the entertainment industry fairly quickly. That quick introduction to Josie makes me want to know more.
The verdict and what’s next
Despite a few cliched missteps that seem par for the course for teen television that comes out of the CW (impending love triangles, a writer telling the show’s story via voiceover, student-teacher drama, parents with shady pasts, etc.), “Riverdale” has a lot of promise, thanks to that “Twin Peaks” vibe.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
