***Spoilers ahead***
Season one of Riverdale was chock-full of drama, containing a murder mystery, love triangles, crazy families and a shocking teenage pregnancy. In the first season, the murder of Jason Blossom, a student at Riverdale High, was the primary focus. I was constantly trying to guess who committed the hateful act that resulted in Jason’s death, and viewers got our answer by the end of the season. Jason’s dad, Mr. Blossom, was the killer.
With the murder-mystery being resolved so quickly, I wasn’t sure where the show was going to head with its storyline. My questions were answered, however, with the cliffhanger that occurred within the last few minutes of season one: Archie’s dad had been shot.
The season 2 premiere started right where the cliffhanger left off, with Archie rushing his dad to the hospital. The whole gang was informed of what had happened and rushed to be there for Archie, Jughead shockingly choosing a motorcycle as his means of transportation.
The first episode of the new season certainly did not disappoint. There were a couple of new dramatic conflicts introduced, particularly between mothers and daughters. Cheryl Blossom and her mother certainly have tensions running high due to the death of Jason, not to mention Mr. Blossom’s involvement in his death. Cheryl openly threatens her mother, and it is a chilling scene to watch. In addition, a much more surprising conflict has arisen between Veronica and her mother, Hermione. Hermione Lodge’s evil side is coming out with the homecoming of her husband Hiram Lodge from prison. It will certainly be interesting to see how these tensions play out.
Jughead and Betty are certainly fan favorites with their adorable romance. However, Jughead is stepping into his dark side, and becoming more involved with the town gang, The South Side Serpents. Betty is understandably worried, and their relationship will certainly face some repercussions as a result. While their relationship is still as adorable as ever, the show is certainly setting up for some issues to unravel.
However, the most suspenseful part of this season premiere revolves around the “Angel of Death” that has come to haunt Riverdale. With the two victims so far being Archie’s father, Mr. Andrews, and Archie’s teacher-turned-girlfriend-turned-ex, Ms. Grundy, a pattern is emerging. The “Angel of Death” is after people Archie cares about. Archie has already undergone a huge character change in just the first episode, going from a music loving golden boy, to a paranoid and scared kid who will do anything to protect his loved ones.
I give the premiere an A+ and I can’t wait to see what drama the rest of the season has in store.
Riverdale airs on the CW on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m.