Bingeworthy Breakdown: ‘Riverdale’ Season 2 Promises A Wildly Ludicrous Ride

The episode moved along at a clip that kept some of the slower, place setting scenes going so that the quality didn’t feel bogged down. The writing made sure to emphasize that no matter the exploits these high-schoolers get into, they’re still kids, from Archie not having his license, Jughead being in over his head or Betty and Veronica being at the mercy of their parents. It was a nice and grounded reminder of the power they all actually hold.

There are moments that seemed to simply satisfy fans, such as Jughead finally getting his burger. Other shaky notes include the complete dismantling of Hermione’s characterization to service the plot to further ostracize Veronica and on the nose line readings (the greatest offender being Pop’s Angel of Death monologue). Both hung something of a dark cloud over the episode. The implication being that if the series relied too heavily on that self-serious nature it could become a slog to get through, but overall it was an engaging hour of television.

What was the most ridiculous part of the episode?
Delightfully, there’s an endless supply to choose from. Most jarring is the whiplash-inducing tonal inconsistency. In a manner of minutes, we jump from Jughead and Betty being adorable to Jughead showing up at home beaten to a pulp to Archie standing vigilant to protect his father. There was Cheryl being Cheryl and imposing upon her mother how she’s in charge now as she blocked her oxygen, and all of Riverdale coming to stand vigil for Fred Andrews, the only purpose being to remind us these characters exist. Sticking to the core four and their parents would have allowed for a cleaner and structurally compact episode.

But nothing (really, nothing) touches how hard I guffawed as Jughead dramatically whipped the cover off of his father’s motorcycle to ride it to the hospital.

What on Earth is this show?
So many things and all of them more ridiculous than the rest.

Romance time: How are Jughead and Betty following their shared declarations of love, and Archie and Veronica after they got together at the end of last season? 
Cole Sprouse and Reinhart still share a tremendous amount of chemistry and will likely continue to be a popular pairing moving forward. Apa and Camila Mendes share less of that electrifying chemistry but are given better material in the premiere to solidify them as a strong duo. This is especially apparent when compared to the “Romeo and Juliet” narrative that the former two are bogged down with. In comparison, Veronica is being allowed to explore her selfless,  comforting side through Archie while he battles his own demons and fear while relying on her.

Are their courtships meant to last?
I can’t imagine the season ends with both pairings still intact. It would be easy to say that Archie and Veronica’s romance will fizzle, but my bet lies on Jughead and Betty. Their splitting would cause more drama for the show to mine from.

And the rest? Is Josie more than background fodder? Does Kevin get to steal scenes? Is Cheryl still spiraling? 
Josie still stands sadly in the background, though she is allowed a line! And Kevin gets one scene to reprimand Betty for dating a possible Southside Serpent. Most importantly, Cheryl has still lost it but in a beautifully controlled fashion. The character will always be at her best when the show allows her to go full tilt into her brand of craziness. Allowing her to recognize her mother’s treatment of her as abuse, while also getting to giddily make her power play is a wonderful way to humanize her; it makes us sympathize with her before eagerly awaiting what scheme she finds herself in next.

Are you excited for the rest of the season, or will it burn itself out?
Due to the amount of plot “A Kiss Before Dying” clawed through, I am curious to see how long the season will sustain itself with the added episodes. However, if it’s able to keep up the momentum that it’s begun with it should be a wild and wildly ludicrous ride. [B]

Ally Johnson

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