Riverdale remains the same

Melissa Donovan, Assistant Editor|October 16, 2017

Riverdale season two premiered on the CW on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Catch more episodes on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CW.

‘Is Jughead (Cole Sprouse) part of the Southside Serpents?’

‘Who was the thief at Pop’s diner?’

‘Is Fred Andrews (Luke Perry) dead?’

‘Was Mr. Blossom’s (Barclay Hope) death really a suicide or was it a murder?’

Questions like this created high anticipation for Riverdale’s season two premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 11. The episode did not disappoint, even if it is too similar to the plot of the previous season.

The mirage of the perfect town, Riverdale brings dark twist to the innocent Archie comic series. Season one of Riverdale, which can be found on Netflix, focused on the thrilling murder mystery of Jason Blossom (Trevor Stines). Almost every episode was filled with intrigue, danger and surprises; there was a new possible murder suspect keeping viewers skeptical of everyone and their actions. From there, the Blossom’s residence was burned down, someone caused a shooting in Pop’s diner and Jughead thought about becoming a serpent.

Season two picks up with a shooting at Pop’s Diner where Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa) and his dad, Fred are having dinner. Fred gets shot and the episode deals with trying to find out who the shooter is. This was more emotional for viewers than the Jason Blossom case was because it seemed like someone had targeted the heroic, genuine and loveable Andrews family. What made season one a hit was the suspense that was put into every episode. So far season two has not delivered but the premise of it does seem familiar.

Even though it becomes a highly emotional 42 minutes,  that does not make it okay to have the whole season focused on the “Who did it” concept…again. Fans will get tired trying to follow all of the threads of the mystery if it is the same idea all over again.  From the previews and even snip-bits shown in the episode, it looks like there are other, more interesting, stories that could be covered. Hopefully, Riverdale will deliver.

Although it was not the focus of the episode, a unique turn which shifted the focus from Fred’s recovery was the burning at Thornhill and the effects it had of Mrs. Blossom (Nathalie Boltt). Cheryl Blossom (Madeline Petsch), being her devious self, tells her mom who is in the hospital struggling to breathe with multiple third degree burns, that this is “revenge” for her cruelty. This raises so many questions, I want to know what was going at the Blossom home much more than finding the shooter from the diner.

As a fan of season one, I expected this new season to be filled with different mysteries and dynamics between the characters, but it seems that they are going down a beaten path. So far season two still does seem like a “watch and see” situation, but maybe the best twists and turns are coming.

 

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