What The Reviews Say About The CW's Archie Comics Drama 'Riverdale'
Did you know that Archie and friends fight zombies now? Okay, okay — that happens in an Archie Horror spin-off spearheaded by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. It's genre experiments like Afterlife with Archie that have led to Aguirre-Sacasa's new CW show, Riverdale, which promises to put the familiar comic characters on television in a sexy small town murder-mystery.
The themes might be more "adult," but the iconic teens from Archie are all here: Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Veronica (Camila Mendes) are in a love triangle with Archie (K.J. Apa), Jughead (Cole Sprouse) is always hanging out at Pop's Diner, and Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) is trying to get her band "The Pussycats" off the ground. Is "Riverdale" a soapy success? Here's what the reviews have to say:
'Riverdale' Really Takes Its Cues From The Newer, Edgier Archie Comics
Adapted for TV by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee), Riverdale is not your father's Archie story, but the Archie that older viewers probably remember from decades of digests and double digests — the redhead with the beat-up jalopy and rarely enough money for one weekend date, much less to split his affections between dedicated and mechanically handy blonde Betty and spoiled, manipulative brunette Veronica — hasn't existed for a long time. More recent incarnations of the character in comics, most masterminded by Aguirre-Sacasa, shifted from innocent small-town shenanigans to shocking character deaths, risqué explorations of sexuality and even dalliances with the undead.
There's sex. There's drama. There's scandal. There's violence. There's angst. There's more sex. There's everything a fan of prime-time soaps could want.
[Forbes]
Think 'Twin Peaks' Style With Drama Out Of 'The OC' And 'Glee'
Long, somber shots of the town bring the pilot episode of Twin Peaks to mind: This small town is insanely creepy, and there are clearly dark things lurking below the surface. One of the lines from the show's opening monologue notes that if you look closely at the town of Riverdale, you'll "start seeing the shadows underneath." That may as well be the theme for the entire pilot, as it seems dead set on letting you know that every corner of Riverdale is masked in sinister darkness.
[Nerdist]
It's a real high-wire act, blending teen soap, a murder mystery, biting humor and a beloved franchise. But Aguirre-Sacasa and uber-producer Greg Berlanti (who, with NBC's Blindspot and The CW's superhero lineup, seemingly has the magic touch these days) manage it all in surprisingly nimble fashion. In fact, the show Riverdale reminds me of the most is The O.C. — another show that took a seemingly worn-out teen-soap formula and reenergized it to create something altogether new… and addictive.
[TVLine]
The Cast Has Plenty Of Fun-To-Watch Faces, Some More Familiar Than Others
K.J. Apa, he of the red-dyed hair and loosely covered Kiwi accent, plays Archie Andrews, newly returned from a summer working construction for his father[…] Girl-next-door Betty (Lili Reinhart) is determined to finally tell best friend Archie about her love for him, but immediate complication comes in the form of Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), daughter of a disgraced businessman and new to Riverdale.
And the adult cast is filled with familiar faces, led by 90210 alum Luke Perry — who knows a thing or two about being a TV teen idol — as Archie's grizzled dad Fred, and Twin Peaks' Mädchen Amick as Betty's domineering mom Alice. The decision to make Jughead (Cole Sprouse) a sarcastic recluse who's estranged from his pal Archie doesn't quite work, at least not early on. But his role as world-weary narrator has room to grow as the show's mysteries deepen.
[Yahoo!]
From Performances To Plotlines, Betty And Veronica Are The Real Stars
Betty and Veronica become plausible friends, each with a peculiar relationship with the unbelievably attractive Archie (whose interpersonal failings are plausibly made up for by his frequently displayed six-pack). In "Riverdale," Betty is a "good girl" because her mother Alice Cooper (Mädchen Amick) is an abusively controlling bully, and rich-bitch Veronica is trying to redefine herself after hastily decamping from New York City, where her father just got sent to jail for embezzlement. Both have real chemistry with each other and with the object of their affections.
[Variety]
Betty (Lili Reinhart, the show's deeply affecting standout), the Girl Next Door, is mooning over Archie while combatting her own anxiety and depression with pills. Meanwhile, Veronica (Camila Mendes) is adjusting to her new life in the sleepy, saccharine town of Riverdale, or as she puts it, "I'm Breakfast at Tiffany's but this place is strictly In Cold Blood." They both could use a friend, someone who can finally see them as they see themselves.
[MTV]
TL;DR
Riverdale may not challenge you, but it sounds like it'll do it's best to entertain the hell out of you. Twin Peaks this isn't (you'll have to wait 'til May for that) but if you've got a soft spot for neon-lit diners and teen-centered soaps like The O.C. you should give this small town a try.
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