![]() ![]() Sure, things happened, but there were never any real consequences. But, the problem with all of those narratives is that they were inconsequential to all of the main characters. There was a maple syrup feud that escalated to murder, mobsters who were obsessed with handsome teen boys and a serial killer who ended up being Betty Cooper’s dad. I’m not suggesting that Riverdale wasn’t ridiculous before. It’s so ludicrous, that in it’s own unique way, becomes daring and fresh when compared to other television shows. In Riverdale, it’s brushed aside in favour of seeing teens open alcohol-free bars and play with bows and arrows. In any normal television show, this would be a massive plot point that would most likely drive the season’s narrative forward. ![]() He also gets shanked and escapes the prison in the most on-the-nose reference to The Shawshank Redemption I’ve ever seen.Īlthough it has been a little glossed over, two babies were also dropped into a fire by what is surely a witches coven. Archie ends up going to jail and is forced to participate in bare-knuckle brawling for bloodthirsty mobsters. Like I said before, that’s only one part of this season. When two ritualistic murders - that clearly take inspiration from True Detective - magically showed up in the premiere, I was both rolling my eyes and thoroughly entertained. ![]() I referenced True Detective, explaining that the first season of that show is a masterclass in the cult-crime drama genre. I was clamouring for some original, risk-filled content and that’s exactly what I got. I might dive into some spoilers here, but looking back at the article I wrote, it’s almost surreal looking at the direction the show has gone in season three. Nonetheless, I was wrong, because the third season of this silly little show is so crazy that it’s ridiculously entertaining. I’m not even going to say that season three of Riverdale falls into the category of classically exceptional television. I still think they meander along through boring storylines, end anticlimactically and are so hokey it hurts. Now, I’m not going to say I was wrong about the first two seasons of Riverdale. And there’s also some sort of beastly cult leader named the Gargoyle King and a sinister board game called Gryphons & Gargoyles. Oh, and two babies were dropped into a fire in some sort of witch coven ritual. Archie Andrews, the star of the Archie comics inspired teen-soap opera, also went to jail at the start of the episode. It’s ironic that the headline of that article was ‘How Riverdale is poisoning television,’ as season three of Riverdale, which premiered in early October, started with two teens chugging cyanide-laced sports drink in a Jonestown-esque manner. This poisoning of the mainstream hit will ultimately be the downfall for television, in the same way that big budget blockbusters have marred the beauty of cinema for the past decade.” ![]() I’m also worried that shows that try something new will be discounted as being too different and will unfortunately not be able to break into the mainstream. With Riverdale receiving massive acclaim, I’m worried that future shows will be as formulaic and unoriginal as this one. It should try to offer something original and it shouldn’t be afraid of taking risks. “My point is that a television show with such a massive following should be willing to push television in a positive direction. Here’s an excerpt that summed up my main gripes. The previous article was littered with criticism towards the show’s lack of cohesion, the multitude of filler episodes and how it didn’t add anything to an already oversaturated television market. It’s directed at teens and I have no business writing about it. It stars a gaggle of attractive young actors who act brooding and mysterious and solve a bunch of crimes. If you’ve been living under a rock and have no idea what Riverdale is, it’s a nostalgia based, re-invention of the classic Archie Comics. One year ago, I felt it was my duty as a troubadour of good television to dismantle the “it’s so bad, it’s good” narrative that surrounded Netflix’s hit show, Riverdale. ![]()
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