Grownup Riverdale has given Kevin more of a chance to shine

Now that Riverdale has aged up its characters, it feels like it is finally Kevin’s time to shine. And even in subtle ways, we are getting to see him come into his own.

Not only did the latest episode, Chapter Eighty-Two: Back To School, start off by seeing Kevin at home with Fangs as he got ready for the first day of a new school year (this time as a teacher at Riverdale High), but we also saw him actively participating in different aspects of life with his friends.

Kevin was part of the after school trip to karaoke that was all about the friends reconnecting as adults. And with Betty searching for Polly, who we last saw running down a deserted highway away from a menacing truck, Kevin is taking the role that Jughead used to as a partner in crime (if you will).

Since we first met Kevin back in Season 1 of Riverdale, we have really been waiting for him to get a chance to take the spotlight. And while there have been moments over the years where we thought maybe this was his time, it seems like we really had to wait for the gang to graduate high school before he could come into his own as a character.

Kevin is finally getting a chance to shine now that Riverdale has graduated to adulthood

Ever since Riverdale did their time jump, it feels like Kevin has been a lot more of a focus of the show than he ever was when Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica were in high school with him. And while we would have loved to see more of the character in the past, it’s exciting to see him really coming into his own now.

As adults, there is a lot more that we can appreciate with these characters. And it is really nice to see Kevin in what appears to be a solid relationship with Fangs. The fact that these two had plenty of issues and rocky moments in previous seasons makes what they have now even more special.

Of course, seeing Kevin and Betty investigating Polly’s disappearance is a throwback to the “good old days” for the characters, but in a way that reminds us that from the very beginning, these two have been friends. And even if we didn’t get to see enough of that friendship before, at least it is still there and something the show is leaning into now that Betty is no longer part of a couple and standing on her own two feet as an individual.

Obviously we are excited to see what comes next for all of the Riverdale adults, but we are really holding out hope to see even more of Kevin in future episodes.

What did you think of this episode? Are you enjoying seeing more of Kevin in these time jump episodes? Tell us in the comments below.