Riverdale - A Kiss Before Dying - Review: A Season Premiere with a Surprising Twist

Riverdale has just returned on the CW. After getting a mid-season slot, the new teen drama based on the Archie Comics is airing in fall and spring season for 22 weeks. After an explosive season finale, we had great hopes for this episode. Was it a satisfying follow-up? With that ending, I would dare to say “yes”.

Let’s summarize what happened in this episode. After the shooting at Pop’s, Archie drives his father’s car and takes him to the hospital. Doctors are not sure if he is going to make it, and the gang tries to look after Archie. After their hinted relationship in season 1, Veronica wants to be the perfect girlfriend. She consoles Archie and she is not scared of facing her parents as she believes they are involved in this murder attempt. I really enjoyed how Veronica is trying to be brave and to do the right thing for herself and for Archie. She is one of the most interesting and complex characters of the show at the moment. We finally get to see Hiram Lodge, but he doesn’t have much space.

As for Jughead and Betty, they both have to face his new reality: he is forced to be one of the serpents. He is a sort of heir to the “throne”. I am foreseeing a lot of problems for them. The most hilarious and juicy storyline involves Cheryl. She is totally out of her mind and I loved how she threatens her own mother and leaves a huge kiss-mark on Fred. I am really curious to see what she will do in this season, considering that she is in charge of her mansion and her richness.

The episode included a new mystery: why did the masked hired assassin shoot, Fred? The kids are sure that this wasn’t a robbery, but a premeditate vendetta. We have a confirmation of that in the insane final minutes of the episode: Miss Grundy is back and she is still sexually harassing underaged students. I didn’t expect her to appear again and I didn’t see her death coming. What is the meaning of her death? Also, thank God, Fred lives.

All in all, the episode is a bit over-dramatic, sometimes totally absurd or hilarious like when Fred has some visions during his coma and KJ Apa has not improved his acting skills. Apart from that, this show is juicy and knows how to entertain. The rating results prove that the show’s popularity is raising: Riverdale was the second-best debut of The CW.

And you? What do you think of “A Kiss Before Dying”?