This is not your grandparent’s Archie that’s for sure. As the town of Riverdale tries to cope with the death of a high school student, Jason Blossom, new girl Veronica Lodge moves into town. Warning, spoilers ahead…

Following what appears to be a drowning, we’re introduced to Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa) his neighbor and his potential love interest, Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart). Like a lot of teens, Archie has dreams of being a musician and wishes to give up being a football star and working for his father (played by Luke Perry). Archie is even rejected by fellow musician Josie McCoy as ion Josie and the Pussycats, for lessons. Instead Archie seeks out his music teacher, Miss Grundy whom he ends up having a fling with over the summer. Did I mention this is not your grandparent’s Archie?

As the new school year begins, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) arrives and quickly befriends both Betty and Archie. Archie seems intrigued by her and Betty feels awkward around her. She clearly sees that Veronica could become a rival for Archie’s affection. To ease Veronica’s transition to a new school, Betty teams up with her to audition for the cheerleading squad. It works out and they’re accepted.

Later that night the trio goes to the school dance together. Betty confesses her feelings to Archie but he does not respond. Instead, at the after party, he ends up kissing Veronica. When Archie goes to find Betty, he runs into Jughead Jones. The two talk about Jason and telling him that remembers hearing two gunshots the night of Jason’s death while being near the river with Miss Grundy. Archie eventually finds Betty and tells her that he’s not good enough to be with her.

The pilot episode draws to a close when two male students looking to hook up, discover Jason’s body that had washed ashore, with a gunshot wound to his head. Jason Blossom’s death is now a case of murder. From the beginning this was very much an edgier version from that of the comics or at least how the comics had originated. There’s no mistaking that this is a CW type of show. At first it had a Twilight/Twin Peaks feel to it but by the halfway point, it had started to establish a bit of its own identity… slowly. Stay tuned.

May the Dork be with you,

JPB

The Dork Knight

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