Riverdale, CW’s hit TV show based on Archie Comics, is coming to the end of its second season. Although I didn’t start watching it until months after the first season came on Netflix, I was immediately a fan. The characters are not only gorgeous, but also intriguing. They each have very distinct personalities. The core four characters are an unlikely group of friends who bond over the horrors that befall their small town.

Archie is the lovable redhead football player. Betty is the innocent but dangerously curious school newspaper reporter. Jughead is the brooding loner from the other side of the tracks. Veronica is the new girl from New York that is accustomed to a swanky lifestyle.

Spoilers ahead:

In the first season, a murder shakes the town, and the young detectives scramble to find the killer of their classmate’s brother. Startling secrets are revealed along the way, and the circumstances surrounding the murder are dark and disturbing. The first season was intense and captivating, causing high expectations for season two. With great expectations comes great disappointment.

Season two kicked off with a new conflict: a killer referred to as the Black Hood. Although he never killed that many people, he struck fear into the minds of Riverdale’s residents. An interesting aspect of this character was his motive for murder. He aimed to rid the town of sinners. Based on my understanding of the word, that would mean killing everyone. Thankfully, he had a more specific definition: sexual predators, drug dealers, etc. The core four had plenty of sins that could have gotten them killed, but they all survived until the Black Hood took his last breath.

The Black Hood storyline disappointed me because of his creepy obsession with Betty. The bond he formed with her brought out her dark side, which should have stayed suppressed until she could get professional help.

Another disappointing aspect of season 2 is the apparent lack of consequences for actions. The four teenagers have plenty of skeletons in their closet, but aren’t paying for their ill-advised decisions. In my opinion, the worst are the two girls: Betty and Veronica. Betty’s dark side, cleverly referred to as Dark Betty, reveals some deep-seated issues that she should really see someone about instead of becoming an underaged webcam girl. Veronica’s sketchy, rich father becomes a regular in season 2 after being released from prison for fraud. He conducts shady business dealings in Riverdale, eventually involving his daughter in his (borderline) illegal business. Talk about a bad role model.

Veronica deals with most of her daddy issues by running to her boyfriend, Archie, for some love-making. Frankly, they do too much of that. Given that they’re 16 and it seems to be the only constant in their relationship.

Also making an appearance in season 2 is Betty’s long-lost brother. He introduces her to web-camming and kills someone “in self-defense,” so it’s safe to say he’s not my favorite character. Also not my favorite is Penelope, the promiscuous mother of neglected Cheryl, whose father killed her brother in the first season. Her role this season is as a courtesan to the lonely men of Riverdale.

There are many other undesirable storylines in season 2, including an FBI agent hiring Archie to collect information to prove Mr. Lodge, Veronica’s dad, is conducting illegal business. That ends with an unexpected yet unsatisfying twist. Archie has plenty of information to convict Hiram since he was taken under his wing as a sort of “intern,” if you will. However, Archie stays loyal, which causes me to question his morals. Maybe Veronica is right for him after all.

Although the second season has been a bit of a letdown so far, I will continue to watch it in hopes of it redeeming itself. I’ve come this far, and I’m not the kind of person who can just stop watching a show as intense as Riverdale.

I'll sum up with an explanation of Riverdale I saw online:

"Riverdale is a post-apocalyptic, soft-core porno set around the Scooby-Doo universe."

Riverdale airs on the CW at 8/7C on Wednesday nights-Episodes are available to stream on the CW app