The CW premiered its newest series “Riverdale” on January 26th, and it is their modern take on the “Archie” comics. It is full of drama and mystery, enough to pull in fans of “Gossip Girl” and “Pretty Little Liars.”

“Riverdale” tells the story of a small American town overcome with secrets after a high school student is murdered (sounds like PLL already, no?). Episode 1 begins with narration from the one and only Cole Sprouse (welcome back!) whom we only see snippets of throughout the episode, who plays the observant Jughead. We are given a quick tour of the town and the death at large, before we are introduced to the main characters, one by one.

The quick backstory: The rich red-headed Blossom twins went off on a boat ride and mysteriously Jason, Cheryl’s brother, drowned in the water and his body wasn’t found — Of course.

Next, we meet the sultry new girl in town, Veronica Lodge, who ends up being much more than meets the eye. From being a New York socialite to tagging along with Betty, Kevin, and Archie, she finds herself trying to be a better person, one who sticks up for her friends. If there’s one detail that surprised me, it’s the amount of sophisticated pop culture references that I think most viewers won’t catch. But I have to admit I’m very impressed with her standing up to Cheryl, “Miss Queen Bee,” when she proves herself to be more confident and stronger than she looks. She tells Cheryl exactly the kind of girl she is and how she isn’t scared of her, and if she wants her on Cheryl’s cheerleading squad, she and Betty are a package deal. YES for girl power! Speaking of girl power, we get a great glimpse of Josie and the Pussycats, with Josie’s confident personality and their performance later in the episode at the back-to-school formal. I hope we get to learn and see more of Josie.

There are without a doubt a lot of secrets lurking around Riverdale. From Betty’s mom giving her daughter Adderall, which is meant to treat those with ADHD; to Archie’s summer affair with his teacher Miss Grundy; to serious tensions between Cheryl and Betty; the hinted past friendship between Archie and Jughead; the history between Frank, Archie’s dad, and Hermione Lodge, Veronica’s mom; the briefly told past between Polly, Betty’s sister (who is MIA), and Jason, Cheryl’s dead brother; and of course the main mystery surrounding Jason’s death, and much more.

The episode ends with friendships on the rocks, and Jughead bringing us full circle with his narration to Jason’s death as the town discovers Jason’s body and suspects are amidst the present Riverdale residents, including the main characters.

The drama has only begun and more secrets will be revealed as the show delves further into the mystery of Riverdale. I, for one, am intrigued, and am very happy Cole Sprouse has graced our screens once again, and I hope to learn more about his character Jughead. If there’s one thing many seem to complain about, it’s the fact that Archie seems too perfect. Hey, I don’t expect anything less from the CW than having attractive young adults play teenagers — they borrowed that from Freeform (formerly ABC Family). I’m all for another teen drama filled with suspense, while PLL is on break before the final season returns with the remaining episodes in April.

“Riverdale” is here to stay and I’m sure it will become a new hit show for the CW. Check it out if it intrigues you too. With only two episodes, the series has only just begun.