The first season starts off the same as Twin Peaks, a student is killed at the river. It's a murder mystery while the audience is introduced to all the players. The main characters are Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Archie, and their parents. The adults on the show are well-known faces. Madchen Amick, who plays Betty's mom was Shelly Johnson a waitress at the Double R Diner on Twin Peaks. The Double R is where "pies go to die". She even serves cherry pie to Betty and Archie on Riverdale, it's an obvious nod to her Twin Peaks days.
With Josie and the Pussycats prominently featured in season one I was hoping for good music, but the music is horrible, distracting even. The actresses can sing, but the songs are mostly remakes with droning sad female vocal fry, some covers sound as depressing as country music. Sorry Josie!
With Josie and the Pussycats prominently featured in season one I was hoping for good music, but the music is horrible, distracting even. The actresses can sing, but the songs are mostly remakes with droning sad female vocal fry, some covers sound as depressing as country music. Sorry Josie!
Second season is focused on finding out, "Who is the Black Hood killer?" He's going around town murdering people that he feels deserve it, and with all the awful people on the show he's a busy serial killer.
It's fun because there's horror movie references sprinkled throughout, mostly mentioned by Jughead. There's The Shining rug print pillows on the bed at the lodge they are staying in, Jughead mentions Dracula on more than one occasion, Cheryl's Nana Rose is poisoned with tannis root (which by the way is not a real root, it was made up by Ira Levin for the book Rosemary's Baby.), and they perform Carrie: The Musical in their high school. I feel like the only successful musical episode was the Buffy episode Once More with Feeling. It moved the plot along and by the end it was explained why they were singing. The Riverdale episode seems to have been made just to showcase the actors singing abilities, not necessarily driving the story line. It all takes place on the high school stage like a real musical. I was disappointed and found it to be forced and uncomfortable.
In conclusion, I hate the music on the show, but I'm enjoying the soap opera story. A few ending thoughts...Jughead has about 10 different jean jackets. How does he afford all of them if he's living at the drive-in or in a trailer. They can be expensive! FP (Jughead's dad), played by Skeet Ulrich gives the best advice on the show. I love him and not just because he was in Scream and The Craft. Also by the end of season two I love Cheryl. Her spider pins, cherry sweaters, and red lipstick speak to my gothabilly heart.
It's fun because there's horror movie references sprinkled throughout, mostly mentioned by Jughead. There's The Shining rug print pillows on the bed at the lodge they are staying in, Jughead mentions Dracula on more than one occasion, Cheryl's Nana Rose is poisoned with tannis root (which by the way is not a real root, it was made up by Ira Levin for the book Rosemary's Baby.), and they perform Carrie: The Musical in their high school. I feel like the only successful musical episode was the Buffy episode Once More with Feeling. It moved the plot along and by the end it was explained why they were singing. The Riverdale episode seems to have been made just to showcase the actors singing abilities, not necessarily driving the story line. It all takes place on the high school stage like a real musical. I was disappointed and found it to be forced and uncomfortable.
In conclusion, I hate the music on the show, but I'm enjoying the soap opera story. A few ending thoughts...Jughead has about 10 different jean jackets. How does he afford all of them if he's living at the drive-in or in a trailer. They can be expensive! FP (Jughead's dad), played by Skeet Ulrich gives the best advice on the show. I love him and not just because he was in Scream and The Craft. Also by the end of season two I love Cheryl. Her spider pins, cherry sweaters, and red lipstick speak to my gothabilly heart.
Haven't watched season three yet, I'm waiting for it to be available on Netflix, in the meantime season two of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was just added and I'll be checking that out while I wait
0 comments: