Riverdale Premieres This Week On The CW, Here’s What You Need To Know

The CW has updated the Archie comic series with Riverdale, and this teen drama is a lot darker than what you probably remember.

Of course, you probably don’t remember much about Archie comics at all, so Riverdale might just be a whole new experience for you. The original Archie was a strip comic that featured a handful of innocent, all-American teenagers whose exploits were never more insidious than stealing a friends’ malt at the soda shop. The main players are Archie, his best friend Jughead, and their two female friends Betty and Veronica. There was the hint of an innocent love triangle here and there, but it’s nothing even close the murder mystery premiering later this week. 

Photo: Archie Comics

The new series seems to be something all together new. Whether or not it’s exciting or interesting remains to be seen, but it’s getting a lot of good buzz. It certainly helps that the trailers look like Twin Peaks meets Bates Motel.  And it absolutely doesn’t hurt that everybody is desperately good looking.

The update takes place in the the odd little town of Riverdale. The pilot begins with the murder of one of the gang’s classmates (a la Pretty Little Liars). The CW is not shying away from what it’s trying to be: a steamy, teenaged soap with lots of abs, cheekbones, and intrigue.

The mystery involves the death of a popular student and the possible involvement of his twin sister. The shocking crime unsettles the town, and the reimagined Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica get wrapped up in the drama of the crime.

The show also doesn’t shy away from it’s comparison’s to the David Lynch classic, Twin Peaks. It really doubles down on the parallels, featuring an opening sequence that will look very familiar to fans of the ’90s show. Even the Riverdale town sign is a nod to Twin Peaks.

The ’90s nostalgia doesn’t stop there, either. The show plants it’s tongue firmly in it’s cheek with the casting of Luke Perry’s as Archie’s father and Molly Ringwald as his mother.

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The CW has been churning out interesting, quality dramas over the last few years, so my hopes are high for this teen mystery. Check back here for weekly chats about all things Riverdale on Fridays.

Riverdale premieres on The CW Thursday, January 26 at 9/8c.