Five Reasons to Be Excited for Riverdale: The Archie Revamp We Didn’t Know We Wanted

This year at San Diego Comic-Con, the CW gave us the chance to watch the Riverdale pilot. Riverdale is a TV series adaption of the Archie comic series which many grew up loving. Where Archie is known for its upbeat drama and love triangles, Riverdale delves into a more gritty dark version of this. Full disclosure, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. Here are five reasons why you should be excited for Riverdale as well!

If you’re a fan of the original comics then you’re no stranger to the rivalry between Veronica and Betty. They are often times pitted against each other and caught in a lot of stereotypical catty fights over their love for Archie. Already differing from this, the Riverdale Pilot displays a much more dynamic relationship between the two. When I chatted with Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes, the two teased that while we will inevitably (this is the CW after all) see the two get in their fair share of altercations over the redheaded jock/musician, their relationship is a lot more than just fighting over a boy. In today’s day and age, I’m sure the original premise wouldn’t stick with audiences so this was a wise choice for the show creators to make.

The cast is primarily made up of Hollywood newcomers (save for Cole Sprouse and Luke Perry), and they kick ass! Prior to this, Camilla Mendes only had a student film credit, K.J. Apa was mostly on a soap opera in New Zealand (yes, he has an accent in real life!) Madelaine Petsch ,and Ashleigh Murray are fun to watch, and the level of fresh talent is astounding. Of course, on top of all of that, they’re all gorgeous. The CW network never fails to deliver on that front. It’s always nice to watch young actors rise to success through their talent and I can’t wait to watch them do so with this show.

It seems today shows are becoming infamous for dragging out their main mystery for seasons and seasons (I’m looking at you PLL). Riverdale has promised to have their murder mystery solved by the end of the FIRST season.

I’m excited for this bromance especially! After talking to Cole Sprouse in the press room and seeing the two interact with each other in real-time it’s apparent that they actually like each other! K.J. and Cole have become close friends in real life and it will be really cool to see them reflect that relationship onto Jughead and Archie later on in the season.

Like I mentioned before this is a pretty kick-ass cast, but it goes without saying that the girls really stand out. I think they had the biggest challenge in making the original characters a little more than what they were in the comics. The girls, so far at least, have made their mark as strong female characters with a mind of their own.

Riverdale is set for a midseason premiere and I can’t wait for everyone to see it, it’s a good, smart mix of fun and mystery, with a small hint of film noir that you wouldn’t ever expect from an Archie adaptation!