Riverdale TV Series: A Review

**SPOILER ALERT**SPOILER ALERT**SPOILER ALERT**

THIS REVIEW IS BASED  ON THE FIRST EPISODE "Chapter One: The Rivers Edge"
Air date: 26th Jan  2017

Riverdale is an American television drama series based on the characters from Archie’s Comics. The series is currently as of 2017 aired on “The CW” network and is produced by CBS television studios and warner bros. television.

The Trio: Veronica , Archie and Betty.

Set in the fictional town of Riverdale (Like the comics) the series begins with the death of Cheryl Blossom’s brother, Jason Blossom.  While spending some time with each other in a boat in the Riverdale River on the morning of 4th of July, there is an accident and he is claimed to have drowned. The overall story of the TV series seems to rotate around this incident which is initially shown to be an accident but later at the end of the episode confirmed to be a murder which leaves the viewer wanting for more.

Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge in the Riverdale series.

In the series Betty Cooper unlike the comics is portrayed to be a girl having some family issues. Her mother is shown to be a hard somewhat controlling parent. Betty has a sister (Polly Cooper) who was dating the now dead Jason Blossom against her mother’s advice and eventually had a breakdown. She is now institutionalized. Betty’s Mother believes it’s because Jason who was a spoilt brat who ruined her. But Betty believes (and I agree) that it was her mother who broke her into pieces.

Betty and Archie Andrews are portrayed to be best friends since many years, though she also has a gay best friend who seems more like her real best friend. (Hmm don’t remember him in the comics) and Betty has a crush on Archie that she has never revealed to Archie. Archie on the other hand has no such feelings and in fact has had a relationship with the character who is a teacher at Riverdale High….guess who … Miss Geraldine Grundy!! (Shocking right?!!) That’s one twist I did not see coming!! Unlike the comics here she is a complete cougar. (At least that’s what I feel ha-ha.)

Apparently these two were in fact not far from the scene from where Jason was murdered and Archie feels that they heard the gun shot that killed him. But Miss Grundy seems to not even want to talk about that day or any of it and even refuses at first the healthy approaches of Archie to provide him with help for his new found passion of music. These two have some weird thing going on here so much so that Archie even calls her by her first name!! (This reminds me of Ezra and Aria from PLL.)

Veronica lodge is shown to be the rich girl originally from New York who has moved in recently with her now divorced mother Hermione Lodge. Her dad is accused of fraud and embezzlement and on trial for the same. (I guess unlike the comics she will mostly be seen with her mother here rather than father.) Furthermore Archie’s father Fred Andrew a construction company owner also a divorcee and Hermione lodge are shown to be ex-lovers. (But she you know…chose the rich crook over this apparently nice guy..lol)

The mean girl and popular of Riverdale High Cheryl Blossom 

Initially Veronica appears to be somewhat of a bitch but as the episode plays along it is shown that she is actually a nice person trying to mend her ways and Cheryl Blossom is the true mean bitch of Riverdale High. The two, Veronica and Betty eventually seem to develop a friendship. But it then gets complicated (in the first episode itself, good god man) because Archie is attracted towards veronica and he never felt anything for poor ol’ Betty. (No drama series is ever complete without that other guy/girl.)

The whole series is documented and narrated by none other than Jughead Jones who seems to be a blogger and to my surprise is nothing like how he appears in the comics. (Basically nothing is like the comics here.)Apparently he and Archie (as it will be revealed in later episodes) were best friends but something happened that drew them apart.

I really liked how the episode played so far… if you are a Archie’s  fan or have read the comics I think it’s very much likely that you will also like the series. The story captures you into the lives of the Riverdale town residents and the episodes progresses and the mysterious death of Jason Blossom further captivates you. (I mean who doesn’t like a mystery.)  And no I don’t think the sister did it. But let’s watch and find out… she’s obviously arrested as the prime suspect in the next episode tough I am sure of it.

This is going to be a dark and mysterious series, I have a felling that there will be more murders and crimes alike. 

I can’t wait to see what Dilton Doiley is portrayed like.Cheers!!

Jughead Jones the philosophical Blogger in the series. 

----Raghuvir Keni