When the television network, the CW, announced that the current 8th season of The Vampire Diaries would also be its last, it left many fans, myself included, devastated but also curious. While the CW is responsible for hit shows such as One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl, when those programs ended, it was The Vampire Diaries which kept them afloat. With their newfound interest being in shows revolving around DC Comic superheroes, the CW needed to create a show that would maintain the fantasy audience that The Vampire Diaries captivated.
Thus enters Riverdale. From the second I saw the trailer, I knew this was the show they planned to use to replace The Vampire Diaries. The show is produced by the same people who created The Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl (which totally makes sense when you watch it). Riverdale airs during the Thursday night time slot that The Vampire Diaries used to hold until they moved it to Friday nights. They also very cleverly promoted the trailer on The Vampire Diaries Facebook page to intrigue fans.
However, in order to understand the show, it’s important to know its history. This part gets a little confusing, so let’s break it down slowly. Riverdale, as a show, is based off characters from the comic series called Archie Comics. Fun fact: the main character’s name is Archie. Additionally, the publication is called Archie Comic Publications Inc. Riverdale isn’t the name of a comic series, but rather just the setting. A positive of all this is that the CW not only regains The Vampire Diaries audience but also can reach comic fans. On the other hand, they really need to be more diverse in their name-picking. (If this still doesn’t make sense, use Google to get some more information.)
Anyways, this is what you need to know about the pilot episode. Over the summer, twins Jason and Cheryl Blossom go for a boat ride in the river. When his sister’s glove falls into the water, Jason goes overboard trying to grab it and drowns- or so Cherlyn claims. His body isn’t found. Flash forward to the start of the school year. Best friends, Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper are getting dinner the night before school starts, and since Betty is in love with Archie (typical) this is the night she wants to confess her feelings. However, in the middle of doing so in walks Veronica “Ronnie” Lodge, a transfer student from New York, and completely steals Archie’s attention. The love triangle dynamic is formed instantly.
After only seeing the pilot, I do have to say the show has a lot of potential. It’s full of romance, scandal, and mystery. I was constantly eager to learn more information, and it made me want to watch the next episode immediately to get all the answers. In all honesty, I kind of did love how much it reminded me of The Vampire Diaries because it follows the same theme of being dark and brooding.
Riverdale isn’t The Vampire Diaries, and it never will be. They are two different shows, with different characters, and different stories to tell. That being said, with The Vampire Diaries era coming to an end, there will be some fans who are losing a show they grew up watching. It happens because no story can last forever. Riverdale offers audiences a fresh story and new faces. After one episode, you’ll be addicted to playing the ‘who did it?' game and have chosen your team in the new love triangle.
