On Jan. 26, I had the opportunity to attend the premiere showing of The CW’s new show Riverdale, hosted by College Fashionista. The showing was located at Yvonne’s, a bar and restaurant located in downtown Boston. The atmosphere there was perfect to accompany the retro and moody new show based off the Archie comic series.
EXPECTATIONS:
Going into the premiere, I didn’t really have any expectations; the only thing I was expecting was for it to be an edgy teen series, no different than other CW shows like The Carrie Diaries and The Vampire Diaries. Watching the trailer beforehand, I had already known that someone was dead and they were looking for the killer, comparing to drama series on TV like How to Get Away with Murder, Pretty Little Liars, and Bates Motel.
In the first few minutes of the show, there was an opening monologue by Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead, Archie’s ex-best friend. He said, “Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world: safe, decent, innocent. Get closer though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town is Riverdale. And our story begins, I guess, with what the Blossom twins did this summer …” After this, I was hooked and knew this show would be worth the watch.
CHARACTERS AND CASTING:
Archie Andrews is the main character of the show played by K. J. Apa. He is the head of the friend group featured in the small make-believe Midwestern town of Riverdale and plays the typical football player heartthrob seen in many television shows and movies as the main character. However, he wants to instead be an aspiring musician, which is a side not a lot of people see in him. His friend Betty Cooper, played by Lili Reinhart, is the typical perfect girl-next-door crushing hard on Archie. Just in from New York is the sultry new girl, Veronica Lodge, played by Camila Mendes. When Betty and Veronica were first introduced as a duo, it instantly reminded me of Serena Van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl. Betty, just like Serena is the perfect mix of blonde, fun and likable. Veronica, like Blair, is gorgeous, wealthy, and well, bitchy. Their rival in the show is the rich and cruel Cheryl Blossom, played by Madelaine Petsch, whose twin brother disappeared in a boat accident the previous summer, which is the mystery this season is based off of. Each character from the show seems to carry some dark secret or tragic past.
REACTION:
The show was overall interesting, but if it wasn’t for the premiere showing (and the fact that Cole Sprouse is in it), I don’t think I would have initially watched the show because I feel like teen dramas can be extremely repetitive. That being said, however, after watching the first episode I am intrigued to see where the Riverdale gang will be headed, and of course to find out who did kill Jason Blossom. My grandparents and parents remember Archie comics and old Archie television shows, so it’s interesting to see it hit another generation as well, but this time more modern and live-action.
Riverdale can be watched Thursdays on The CW at 9/8c.