I don’t have any quips. I have no cute introduction. Let’s just Go! Go! Go!
Spoilers Ahead
1. The Broken Illusion
My problem with the Archie property had always been the faux happy 50s “Gosh Gee Willikers” Americana image that had never existed and, for the many, many, many problems this series, it was the rejection of that image that appealed to me. So I did enjoy the eerie spin that the show puts on this. With the murderer of Jason Blossom revealed, the adults of Riverdale seemed obsessed with bringing things back to “normal” and scapegoating the South Side Serpents for it. But the kids, who were the ones who figured this all out, are not having it. And it’s going to put them in greater danger.
2. Infectious Hate
Got to admit, wasn’t expecting the “GO TO HELL, SERPENT SLUT” to be written in pigs blood on Betty’s locker along with an effigy. Really should’ve, this is Riverdale and it’s always been about as subtle as the Somme. But this just further emphasize the above thought: the obsessive need for things to “go back to normal” to the point that it metamorphosizes into something incredibly bad.
2.5. That Twin Peaks Trailer
Nothing much to say here, just found it cute that trailer ran during the show that clearly wanted to be CW’s Twin Peaks.
3. Cheryl
Soooooooooooooooo yeah. I might have to make a bit of an apology.
I have always had trouble gauging Cheryl Blossom throughout this season. I coined the term “The Wheel of Cheryl’s Personality” because I just really felt that the writing came off as inconsistent. Here though. I’m not going to make jokes. I’m not going to make criticisms of the writing. Here… Cheryl tries to kill herself. And yeah, this show is ridiculous, but I also forget that trauma of losing someone is… well… traumatic and on top of living in that Hell House that is the Blossom residence cannot be good on the psyche.
And that’s the minimal of things that she does here… because after the attempt to kill herself fails, she decides to go full on Everything Burns to the house!
4. WHAT?!
Just….THAT LAST FIVE MINUTES! Jughead in the serpents?! Fred Andrews gets shot! Just… I can’t even put words into a coherent paragraph so I’m just going to put this Paul Heyman gif in:
5. Conclusion
This show is bad. But it’s also good. An absolute ball of madness that is cliche as hell, but wears all of its influences on its sleeve proudly. And I am positively enamoured with it. You got me invested in these characters that are nothing like the source material. It’s that balance of car crash you can’t look away from and generally compelling. This isn’t a guilty pleasure as people I see writing it off. This is a pleasure. Well done to everyone involved with this series. Truly.
