Riverdale channeled classic crime noirs in their latest episode, “Red Dahlia,” but all it did was remind us why we have issues with Archie Andrews.
When season 3 of Riverdale began, viewers were reminded about the many things that Archie Andrews has done that make him nothing short of a criminal. And while there have certainly been reasons for his actions, that does not make what he has done okay.
As viewers, we want to like our tortured leading man, but in this case, we are starting to wonder when someone is going to sit Archie down and set him straight.
In “Red Dahlia” we were sucked into the camp of Riverdale’s own take on a crime noir. Although that is where our focus should have been, we couldn’t help but get stuck on the things that Archie did in this episode that reminded us that we have an issue with this character.
Seeing Archie go toe-to-toe with the foreman that his own father employs was ridiculous. As the foreman told him, it is his job to make sure everyone takes their union certified break. Archie flips out and actually pushes this older man who is not only his boss, but someone who has worked with his father for years. Chill, Archie!
To top it off, seeing Archie arguing with his father over his behavior and then storming out of the house to get drunk just serves as further proof that someone really needs to step in and get this boy some help. Sure, he has been through some things, but at the same time, we have to admit he brought a lot of this onto himself.
Archie chose to align himself with Hiram Lodge against his father’s wishes. He chose to form a gang, better known as a masked vigilante group, to intimidate people. Let’s not forget the assault that left another boy with two broken legs. And at one point he threatened to shoot someone, only to do the same thing in this episode when he entered Hiram’s hospital room with a gun.
Since the first season, there have been plenty of things that Archie has done that have raised a red flag or two. But after this latest episode, it is clear that something needs to be done before the red-headed football star and musician that we loved from the first few episodes is gone for good.
I don’t know what’s coming next for Riverdale, but I hope at some point they decide to address the downward spiral of Archie Andrews.
What did you think of this week’s episode of Riverdale? Were you a fan of the crime noir vibe the show went with? What do you think of Archie’s storyline? Tell us what you think in the comments.