JOIN USIf no summer holiday was complete for you without a stack of comic books starring Archie, Betty and Veronica, get ready to take it to the next level with the television series Riverdale. But if you think you are going to amble down the streets of this all-American town with Archie and his pals, watch him zoom around in his jalopy, and follow his romantic entanglements with the brunette beauty, Veronica, and the blonde bombshell, Betty, think again. Gone are the lovely days in Pop Tate’s mulling over life’s problems over malted milkshakes, or envying Hiram Lodge and his family as they set off on another Caribbean cruise, or marvelling at the appetite of Jughead as he wolfs down his tenth super-sized hamburger.
Our imaginary friends have grown up and stepped into an adulthood that is wrought with anguish and pain. They have discovered as most of us do, that life is rarely fair and that being good and kind doesn’t necessarily lead to a life of reward. The twists and turns in the lives of the Riverdale gang, however exaggerated they might seem, is truly, story-telling at its best.
And so, while the Archie in our comic book days was a bright-eyed romantic who muddled his way through life, the Archie in the television series is an athlete who displays several new facets to his personality. The writers of the series have kept the characters true to the original as much as they could, and many of the stories in the show have also been spun around the minor characters of the comic book version.
The television series, with its ensemble cast, features the Riverdale gang cast against a spectrum of stories within stories. Though each character is gorgeous, most of them are sad and troubled. Besides the romance that runs through the series, there is murder and intrigue too. The tragic death of a young man named Jason Blossom, brother of Cheryl Blossom, on the fourth of July, triggers a wave of new problems in the city.
Other interesting stories run alongside as the series plays out. We see Veronica and her family moving back to town when they lose all their wealth. Her father, Hiram Lodge, is taken to trial for embezzlement. Her mother and Archie’s father fall in love, and as for Betty, she finds herself romantically attracted to Jughead Jones. Girl power comes to the fore as the women rally around Betty’s sister Polly, who is pregnant with Jason’s baby, but there is also mystery and suspense in plenty as the authorities try to find out what happened on the fateful night of Jason’s death.
So, is this version of Archie and the gang too bizarre for die-hard fans to enjoy? Will they enjoy watching Betty flounder, as she is not as perfect as she has always tried to be, or seeing Veronica humbled when she finds out what life is like without her great wealth, or picturing Ethel disinterested in Jughead?
If there is a flaw, it lies in the fact that the comic book story has turned deeply dark and eerie. The bright and happy days of Archie and his gang seem to have truly disappeared, leaving behind a trail of broken relationships, mental problems and heartaches in its wake. The many twists in the plot have been designed to keep you hooked to the story, but there is always an ache in the viewer’s heart for having lost what was so innocent in order to embrace a new and dark world.
As far as television serials go, this is a must-watch, not only for its sizzling plot and exciting story, but also to appreciate the way the producers and writers have recreated an old story to make it more modern and true-to-life.