Riverdale gives its side characters the spotlight for a change

In Riverdale’s latest episode, “Bizzarodale,” the series did what it does best, it gave us a solid story, but it used its side characters to make it happen.

From the parents to Kevin and Josie, Riverdale has finally given the spotlight to some of their side characters. And while the Midnight Club reuniting was definitely a highlight of this episode, we have to talk about characters like Sweet Pea, Josie, Moose, and Kevin instead, as this was their time to shine.

Over the last season or so, most of the focus in Riverdale has been on the core four characters and the murders and mysteries surrounding the town, which means that people like Josie and Kevin have gotten pushed to the back burner. But for the first time in a long time, the series decided that it was time to give people like Sweet Pea, Moose, Kevin, Reggie, and Josie a bit more to do.

And sure we didn’t see a lot of Sweet Pea, but what we saw made a statement. I have never loved Sweet Pea more than I did when he made it clear to Josie that he is not just a booty call for her or someone she can use to scratch an itch.

Here is a guy who might be part of the Southside Serpents, but clearly he wants love and an actual relationship. And the fact that Josie wasn’t willing to share with the world the fact that she liked him, allowed Sweet Pea a chance to finally put his foot down.

Sweet Pea pops up here and there when Jughead needs something or wandering the halls of the school, but the fact that he finally had a moment to shine like this made him one of my favorite parts of this episode.

Then there is Josie. We know she doesn’t get enough attention in this series, but this time around we got to see her do something for herself. Her audition for Julliard may not have gone the way she wanted it to, but the fact that we got to see her working towards her dreams was an excellent way for all of us to see that just because we don’t see enough of her on Riverdale, it doesn’t mean she is trying to make moves in the background.

Perhaps the only thing I didn’t like about her time in the spotlight was the fact that she kissed Archie. Instead of choosing Sweet Pea, who has been seeing on and off since the end of the last school year, she actually seemed to be making a different choice.

And while I would normally be all for a new relationship like this, the fact she wasn’t willing to give Sweet Pea a chance made this decision one I couldn’t get behind.

The story of Moose and Kevin was a sad one, even as it was one we have been waiting for all season. I love the fact that these two finally had their moment. It was nice to see Kevin in the spotlight again, as I have certainly missed him.

But having Moose outed the way he was definitely was not a good situation. And on top of that, after finally being able to really be together, to have his own father try to use the Gargoyle King against him and Kevin made the entire night a sad occasion.

In the end, Kevin has once again lost someone he loves, and it is almost like he is destined to be alone, and that’s unacceptable. If everyone else can have their romances, why can’t Kevin?

Maybe it is time to give Kevin more than just some throwaway storylines and short-lived romances. Kevin deserves as much love and attention as the core four get, or at the very least as much as Cheryl gets.

There really was a lot to love about this episode of Riverdale, as it finally shifted the spotlight away from the usual players. Hopefully, we see more of this, as the series shines when it switches things up. And of course, if we could get a bit more screen time for characters like Sweet Pea and Kevin, that would be great.

What did you think of this episode? Do you think the series should give more attention to the side characters like they did this time? Tell us what you think in the comments.