Riverdale Episode 5: A (Mostly Successful) Attempt at Character Development

For all its downright amazing aspects (okay, really the only things amazing about this show are the reimagining of Betty and Veronica and the whole Jughead-as-a-goth thing), one thing Riverdale consistently tries and fails at is actual character development. Hermione Lodge? Totally up to her ears in her husband's dirty deeds and the show doesn't even try to cast her in a more sympathetic light (working at a diner and secretly making illegal deals is NOT an arc!). Reggie? He's the same alpha-douche he is in the comics with the added benefit of being portrayed as a dumber than usual douchebag. Even when the show tries to add depth to otherwise unnecessarily shallow characters (Fred Andrews?), it always comes off as half-handed and underwhelming before the writers seemingly realize that they like these characters to remain in a familiar rut. Then...the funeral happened and finally, mercifully showed us all that this show might finally have some legs to make older fans uncomfortable.

Okay, total confession: I'm totally in the whole camp that believes Polly (Betty's sister) is pregnant and away because of her "sickness" and the show itself hasn't really done a good job of trying to make that anything less than a really lousy red herring. And, while there are small bits of info regarding Jason Blossom as ranging anywhere between a generally bad person to a total future serial killer, the fact that his only confirmed (and definitively described) actions are almost exclusively noble tend to put a wrench in the whole "He was killed for being a total bastard" theory. Outside of some out-of-this-world twist meant to uproot the entire plot, it all still comes down to the idea that Jason abandoned his family for a probably noble cause (Polly) and was killed by someone who probably believed the less noble things about him (which could still be almost anyone directly related to the whole forbidden romance in the first place). The fact that Cheryl has finally become less of a basket case and accepted that her brother was less than perfect (even though the journal from the last episode kind of hints otherwise) and finally been given room to grow before her mother stamped it out also lends to the idea that maybe she's not just the bitch character in this scenario. What can I say? I love when characters finally show a little more life beyond their initial impressions and the CW isn't known for that kind of nuance.

As for bad, its still kind of sad that the show is skimping on actual answers 5 episodes in even without any real hint of the direction its planning on going. Instead of solving anything (I don't care if its unrelated to the main murder mystery), the show continues to pile on plot threads that, at this current rate, could cause the entire series to bog down into little more than a bad teen melodrama long before its first season is up. Dear writers, solve a few problems before you go on to others. If you want to make the murder mystery the big payoff, fine. But, for the love of God, please don't keep dangling so many bizarre plot threads (Hermione's activities, Betty's "problems", Archie's new music stuff) above everything else! You did fine when you finally got rid of the whole Grundy thing in the last episode (which probably should have happened an episode sooner). Please don't bog us down with something that feels so unnecessary and pandering toward future seasons you don't even have yet!

Riverdale Episode 4: Chasing the Darkness, Not Quite Catching It

The main selling point of Rivedale, at least up to this point, is not that it is a modern retelling of an old comic, but that it tries to put a much darker spin on something better known for messy threesome jokes and overly dated dialog. And, while it has managed to exceed those expectations (a murder mystery, a teacher-student "relationship", mental health problems), it never quite manages to go the proper distance when it comes to embracing the darkness in a believable way. Regardless of how awesome Jughead comes off, his dialog is still pretty awful even for a CW/Teen-focused show (how does one keep a straight face when he delivers a somber monologue involving his sister Jellybean?). And, while its still managed to maintain its biggest strengths (the friendships are nearly perfect and the re-imagined characters mostly work great), it can never seem to get over the hump of its problematic quality.

For every wonderful new thing that brings out either the redemption of Veronica or the steady fracturing of Betty, the show continues to focus either on mostly one-dimensional characters (Kevin is still just "the gay guy" and needs to improve) or underwhelm with its side characters that don't really feel like they were meant to be this big a part of the story (Betty's mom hasn't really done anything outside of being a "kind of crazy bitch with some serious parenting issues" character). Fortunately, following Episode 4: The Last Picture Show, it at least feels like the writers are trying to remedy some of the more dangling plot elements of the show.

Let's be honest: the Grundy/Archie thing was icky at worst and just kind of poorly written at best and, even with its end, didn't seem to have any way to actually end it with any kind of clear resolution. And, while it was still nice to see Fred Andrews rear his kind of oblivious head again, it remains a sad state of the writing department that he's basically the most relatable adult in the series merely because he's the only one who either isn't batshit crazy (The Coopers), a potentially criminal (The Lodges) or just kind of there to pop in every once in a while to remind you of their existence (The Blooms). The adult problem on this show is beginning to show its seams.

Fortunately, when the series still clicks, it clicks beautifully. This week, Betty finally shows off the detective skills she sort of possesses in the comics and, instead of a willing Jughead to egg her on, she has recruited a reluctant Veronica as her sidekick (which somehow makes it all kind of feel like a buddy comedy). And, while Jughead still remains something of a blank slate when it comes to actual character development (four episodes in and all I know is he has some serious people issues), it was nice to see that he not only does have family that we get to see, but also that he hates them for some unforeseen reason (which I'm more than willing to grant them leeway for). Good job taking a slowly flailing character and trying to give him new dimension, I guess.

As for actual resolution to the plot of the season so far: its fair to say that at least one step was made forward here. Removing Grundy from the scenario finally opens Archie up to some kind of character development and, while he's still the doofus with a heart of gold here, its nice to not see the kid bogged down by hormones and actually trying to work out things for a change. And, while there still wasn't enough of it, Betty's ability to stand up to her mom final feels like it yielded some kind of result (her mom seems to be underestimating her less). While this didn't address the bugfuck nature of the previous episode (Betty tried to kill a guy with a hot tub), its nice to see that, when she cracks from the pressure, its meant to elicit a favorable response to her plight. All in all, not bad four episodes in. Please don't hurt me, Episode 5.

Riverdale Episode 3: Full Dark

So far, as a CW TV series, Riverdale seems to be defying expectations despite its less-than-memorable opening. Most of the characters, excepting Kevin Keller and his overboard gay best friend shtick, become more interesting with time, the murder mystery that started so lame is finally reaching some level of compelling storytelling and, even though its all based on the most bubblegum of bubblegum classic Americana comics in existence, the series seems to be more than willing to not only change the characters in interesting ways, but also seems to be willing to give them a sense of darkness one would never associate with the character to begin with. Now, with Episode 3: Body Double out and ready to hopefully expand on the brilliance that was Episode 2, my only response is: "Wow! They actually went there."

Let's start off by pointing out that, despite its massive and hasty improvement, Riverdale still lacks quite a lot before my own brand of "Perfect TV Show" ever comes into play. Yes, the murder of Jason Blossom is finally getting interesting as the plot finally feels stabilized, but the Archie-Grundy-Hot-For-The-Teacher plot thread remains the weakest holdover from the pilot and, while he is steadily improving, Keller just isn't that interesting and all he seems to be here for is to randomly say gay things because "he's the gay guy". Come on, writers! If John Barrowman and Neil Patrick Harris can make homosexuals seems awesome in a totally guy movie way, you can find a way to make Kevin Keller more than a walking stereotype and GIVE HIM SOMETHING INTERESTING TO DO.

Other than that, what can I say? The episode is awesome. Cheryl Blossom, no longer the bitchy widow (to her twin brother), finally gets added depth as a woman who finally realizes that her brother was more of a bastard than she ever realized. Fred Andrews, the constantly niggling grownup voice that never comes off as anything more than a buzzkill for all the teen fun, is actually acting like he might be trying to understand Archie (which makes his character arch much more interesting). Jeez. Even Betty (the good girl in a way that makes other good girls look like whores) has finally been given a dimension of darkness that I didn't expect (I wasn't aware that the name "Betty Cooper" and the phrase "might fucking kill you!" could actually go together on this show). Kudos for not being afraid to slaughter some sacred cows!

My recommendation for Episode 4: for the love of God, kill Grundy or give her something interesting to do besides be Archie's creepy obsession. The character is bland at best and uninteresting at worst and, even though she seems to have some pivotal reason for her influence on Archie, her plot thread feels like the only thing on the show still struggling to tread water.  Other than that, the show is as close as your going to get to great disposable teen entertainment. What more could you ask for there?

Riverdale Episode 2: A Touch of Evil. Second Time the Charm

It's no secret that I kind of hated the pilot to Riverdale. Despite its best intentions, my only positive takeaway was that Betty and Veronica were two kind of awesome gems in an otherwise drab river of shit plotlines, overly broody characters and a kind of screwy murder mystery tying all the lousiness together. What a change a second episode makes!
Episode 2: A Touch of Evil is what the pilot should have been if the writers were intending to draw people to its original premise. Archie finally comes out in his own, becoming a somewhat loveable dunderhead (especially with his love life) who, despite being kind of an asshole (he keeps waffling on his girlfriends) always does the right thing when it counts the most. Jughead (Cole Sprouse), who spent the first episode as little more than a voiceover with an underwhelming intro, stepped out as more than the emo, asexual goth he was portrayed as in the pilot and finally became the "Archie's Best Friend" archetype he was meant to be without feeling tacked on for the sake of plot twists. Even Cheryl Blossom, the queen bitch in this version of Riverdale, had a little time to shine and gain a little depth. Seriously, where were these writers when the pilot was being filmed? Also, how did this show suddenly go from a drab, Twilight-inspired, teen angsty, cry-fest to a somewhat less drab, well-cast, teen angsty, murder mystery with the occasional spot-on humor (its actually an improvement if you didn't realize that)?
As for bad, why on Earth did the writers make Betty...that? I get they were trying to add friction for the purpose of drama with the whole fallout from the pilot, but isn't Betty supposed to be intelligent in this reimagining? To have a character go from shy but intelligent to irrationally bitchy because of something no one could have prevented (in this case: Cheryl's machinations to torment her) boggles the mind when she started out as one of the few steadfastly strong things about Episode 1. Whatever, it all felt like unnecessary padding to an otherwise well-rounded hour of television and, in defense of the her bitchiness, at least she shook that particular funk off before the credits. You can make mistakes when you properly time out how to fix them, Television.
As for watching it, surprising even me, I actually recommend it this time. Archie no longer feels like an Edward Cullen wannabe (because they added some sunniness for a change), Jughead shucks his Nameless narrator status for a sort of compelling character (who I'm anxious to see if he will capitalize on it) and what worked in the pilot still works here when it finally clicks (Veronica and Betty's friendship is still pretty fun to watch play out).  All in all, good times. Talk about a perfect 180!