RealFantasies

I am really really certain there would be flak to be caught if the show was all white and all straight. I absolutely think the lgbt and poc characters could be depicted *better* on this show, but there's utterly no way people wouldn't be complaining mightily if everyone in Riverdale was white and straight. And trust me, no one would be saying "well, I can at least respect that they're acknowledging their own ignorance". Trust me, the negative stereotyping does FAR more damage. And literally hundreds of shows and films every year have all white, straight characters, hell, most the of CW's shows are, and there's no issue. Either do it right or don't bother, because getting it wrong just perpetuates ignorance.

Show, you need to either redeem Chuck if shuffle him off campus to fix this mess. I'm giving you til season 2 to clean that up. And fix what you've done to Dilton, too. I don't care how you do it, say he was battling depression or anxiety like Betty is, or that his parents were splitting up, whatever. It's understood that this show will always revolve around the Big Four but you have to get your supporting crew in working order with a narrative that feels genuine and isn't making negative stereotypes or tokens of your PoC and LGBTQ characters. If you can't figure out how to write non-white, queer characters, then DON'T. I'd rather watch an entirely white, straight "Riverdale" than this graceless fumbling, at least then, respect would be shown in acknowledging your own ignorance. Reggie is on the backburner because of 13RW, fair enough. Betty is romantically or sexually fixated on Chuck? Oh, well, of course, she is. Women dig sexual harassment, slut-shaming, and rapists, it just makes them SO hot and bothered. And you know, if a woman has a bone to pick with you, don't ever reflect on what behavior may have prompted her fury, she just hasn't gotten 'any' in awhile. Sarcasm over. "The Lost Weekend" (and kudos for naming this after one of my favorite older films, as I share my love of classic Hollywood is common with Jughead) was the best episode of "Riverdale" thus far. It can't be said enough how much I enjoy this show, there's tons of nostalgia and charm along with just the right amount of soapy, familial and whodunnit elements. It's also a classic teen drama that's been missing from Primetime for a minute, and the source material is extensive enough that I can see it going six, seven, and eight years from now. But there's room for improvement and I want season 2 to truly live up to this show's potential. It was a good freshmen kickoff, now I want to see more nuance, experience, and care put into effect with the stories and mysteries they're winding and weaving.

Veronica went out with Chuck around episode 3, I'd say. They had a nice time but all they did, physically speaking, was make out. The next day he had captioned the selfie he took of them saying Veronica enjoyed her "sticky maple". Now, despite the CW's censorship, it was pretty clear what "sticky maple" insinuated, and all the guys promptly started heckling Veronica for her perceived sexual history. That's slut-shaming. Veronica and Archie really do bring out the best in each other, be it as friends or a future pairing, and I think that was clear from their "7 minutes in heaven" kiss in the Pilot episode. Betty and Archie don't have anywhere near that type of chemistry, so please don't go there, show. The way they have fleshed out Alice is one of the more impressive bouts of writing for this show. More of that please.

Right, I see what you're saying. I was just stating that the other MoC on campus either aren't shown or painted in a negative light, as well. Chuck's had the most screentime in comparison to Pops or Weatherbee, but he's the villian. I honestly just wish they had casted Chuck as white, there's too many glaring negative stereotypes to wade through otherwise.

I agree with everything you said here, particularly the part on how the female characters are allowed to vent or focus on internal struggles that have nothing to do with the men in their lives, but I'm gonna have to cry foul on that last part. When's the last time we saw Reggie? The two scenes he had the most presence in, he was 1) Bullying Jughead and then picking a fight that Archie had to end, and 2) Getting in Archie's face because they had to battle it out for the team captain position. Chuck's the only black male we've seen in Riverdale aside from Pops or Weatherbee and we barely see them. Doily (the only other MoC on campus) has been done a great disservice, he's supposed to be an incredibly intelligent inventor and friend to Betty and the guys but he's been repainted as a "psychopath" that likes to play with guns who've we seen all of three times in ten episodes. And even then, he was just used to further a plot-point. "I, too, saw Archie at Sweetwater River that morning".

I see that everyone's come to a consensus that Betty and Jughead need to jump in bed already but I'm still wondering if he'll end up on the ace spectrum somewhere, lol. The emotional intimacy they share is deeper than many of the adult relationships on primetime, imho.

That last statement was inspired and I'm still snickering over it.

I honestly think they decided the triangle would take away more from the characters than it was worth (and that is VERY appreciated). Keep Betty and Veronica BFFs and away from each other's romantic prospects. The pilot episode was enough homage to the classic triangle from the comics, and it ended in Betty saying of Veronica, "I just think we were meant to be friends". I don't think Valerie threw the drink at him intentionally, she was just trying to leave and yank her arm away from him after he grabbed it. He was being an asshole so I didn't care, lol. They dated for less than five minutes, let her leave, ffs. It was interesting to hear his mommy issues addressed because he has them in SPADES. The only time Archie is truly likable is in his friendly interactions with Betty and Jughead, and his quiet moments with Veronica really shine. Capitalize on that chemistry, Show. It would help if they show Archie doing more genuinely nice things for his friends, because he comes off incredibly self-absorbed even as one of a near entire cast of teenage characters. I believe Betty, Jughead, and Veronica care about him; they have his back, keep his secrets, cheer on his creative endeavors, but he hardly ever returns the favor, and that's gotta change if you wanna portray believable friendships with a history of give and take, and mutual adoration. I didn't realize that but you're so right, she was Alice personified in that moment!

It can't quite be said enough: Archie's a terrible friend AND a dumbass. Camila Mendes got moves. Ronnie's father is a supervillain of Machiavellian proportions. Those trademark pearls of hers might as well be a noose around her neck. Mental illness seems to run in the Cooper family. Alice, Polly, and Betty all seem to have some variation going on, and I think that's where Alice's preoccupation with appearances come from. When you suffer from a mix of anxiety, mania, and depression, you can spend a lot of time pretending and covering up to overcompensate. It seems like a great coping mechanism until the day or moment you finally run out of spoons and crack. I feel like Betty's on the verge and I wonder if she's still taking her meds or faking it to appease Alice. Jughead and his run-down of why he hates birthdays made me sad. His childhood obviously ended AGES ago via his parents and that's f'ed. His "I'm weird" speech was just him flailing in his emotions after he was pushed to the point of discomfort. What he shared earlier with Archie was legit: that he has a lot of traumatic surrounding his birthday due to his home-life but he struggles to divulge his history with Betty because he thinks it makes him "damaged goods" and unworthy of her. I was ready to mourn the end of Bughead, but I'll be damned, FP came through for ONCE, and both Betty and Jughead realized the importance of sharing themselves with one another and not losing out on a good thing just because of their insecurities and fears. I adore them. I feel like show's OTPs are Betty/Jughead and Veronica/Archie, and they should keep it that way. I love the stuffing out of this show but they have a serious problem with diversity. Nearly all the people of color and/or LGBTQ folks (which for the latter, consists of Kevin and Joaquin) are either minimized without a story of their own, or painted as one-note antagonists. They casted Reggie as Asian (which was cool) but he either plays a bit role or only shows up to play Bad to Archie's Good. They refuse to show the other women of color, to the point that the lead character was DATING one of them and the audience was left unaware until it was over. Camila and Marisol are white-passing, they could do MUCH better on this. Chuck is the only black guy outside of Pops to even be SEEN in Riverdale so of course he's Brock Turner-lite. The only other Asian guy on canvas is referred to as a "psychopath that likes to play with guns". Joaquin looks Native OR Hispanic but he's in a gang and screwing the sheriff's son for information. And Kevin's the only gay kid at Riverdale High so god forbid he be shown in a happy, healthy relationship. It's not inherently bad that so many of the people of color on canvas are either recurring and/or antagonists but the fact that they are not shaded out and given further nuance like Cheryl is, is a gross oversight. Oh, and when I saw Jughead hitting someone in the previews, I knew it was over Betty, lmao. I'll go down with that ship but I honestly, I think they're endgame. Alice is from the southside of Riverdale and her and FP have history? Color me intrigued. Also, who asked for the younger actors to portray their parents back in high school for a future episode because I'm SO onboard. Archie and his mother are roundabout related to the Blossoms and no one can convince me otherwise, lol. Veronica went THERE inquiring just how much Cheryl loved Jason. I mean, come on, Cheryl, you already live in a V.C. Andrews novel, would that be such a surprise? This was the best episode yet, I feel like "Riverdale" has firmly stretched out most of the kinks, and has figured out where their characters stand and what relationships to center around. While I'm relieved that it's been revealed we'll know Jason's killer by the end of this season, I'm very impressed but how twisty this mystery has become. I still have no idea who killed Jason and I'm enjoying it versus being frustrated. There's a thousand and one motives and theories and they all have equal merit. It's delightful. Lilli can SING, but it WAS haunting af, lol.

Thank you so much! I'm having tons of fun dabbling through the past of my soap. Maybe someone remembers, and I'll probably find it eventually, but someone gave this amazing synopsis of the show in about Oct-Dec 2011 all about how the show was about reflections, mirror images, facing your demons and the like. They connected Todd and Victor's s/l with Viki's DID and whatnot, and it was absolutely stunning and why I loved the show so much. Does anyone remember what I'm talking about?

Is the original OLTL TWOP thread still around and if so, can someone please drop me a link?

I'm starting to think this, as well, the fact that she's having romantic feelings for Damian is a red flag, and certainly indicative that she is not on even footing mentally. My viewership the first three seasons was choppy, her mother was abusive, yes?

Did someone different write this episode from the previous six because there were several slip-ups in the script, as already mentioned. Having Gunner mention Avery wasn't in the house (he's been living at Juliette's for MONTHS), show conveniently forgetting Daphne is a Conrad so it was hard to decipher who the hell she was even talking about when she was being interviewed on "her mom and dad". Clay going, "Oh, right, you still live with your parents" when he was just there meeting the family last week. They need to clean up these "B" sub-plots, or else I don't think their ratings will be consistently high enough for us to get a season 6. Send Maddie SOMEWHERE ELSE, I don't wanna see her and Clay date, I don't care. You might as well break Gunner and Scarlett back up because they're acting like stupid teenagers, and show is insistent on using abusive asshole producer as a legitimate romantic option, which is really gross. Note: I'd be totally on board with Damien and Scarlett if he hadn't harassed and belittled her the entire time they shot that music video. If they wanted to use him as a future love interest with some permanent staying power on the canvas then maybe y'all should have introduced him a little differently? Show could utilize the music a little better, take it up a notch, CMT. Rayna and Deacon were the saving grace of this episode, everyone and everything else was fairly forgettable. We get Juliette, Avery, and Will back next week, yeah?

Juliette, I love you but give that man of yours some credit, you put him through hell and then some last year, Jesus Christ. Serene IS a good look on her, though. She finally seems at peace with herself, it's a nice change of pace. I just wanna put out there that I adore everything about JJ/Avery, voice included, and really want so more music from him. He better call that guy. (And JJ's solo band, Enation had some great songs, that man can SING). So, I've heard that Maisy aka Daphne was originally supposed to be an only child but then they found out she had a sister (Lennon aka Maddie) who could sing, too, so then they wrote in a second Conrad daughter. I just gotta say, they made a grave error, there. I'm not even trying to be mean, but honestly? Maisy is charismatic and she can act. Lennon CAN'T and she ISN'T. She's not Hayden, she doesn't have half the sass or the vulnerability to carry these heavily weighted storylines. Not to mention, are we SUPPOSED to even LIKE her? She's a selfish brat. She asked her boyfriend about his mental illness like it was a hobby of his or something. She's just NOW realizing that other people have histories and emotions and behave accordingly? Daphne acts more like a legal adult than she does, and Daphne's, what, TWELVE? Why couldn't they have just used that ridiculous emancipation storyline to write her off to New York? And holy snap, I thought Clay was nineteen, at the most, not twenty-freaking-four. And Maddie seems continuously baffled that she doesn't understand him, rme. And her calling her parents racist made my eyes roll to the back of my head but Daphne's playful "WTF is wrong with you?" expression nearly made up for it. While Rayna is certainly correct that Clay is too old her, I liked her acknowledgement that "who am I to judge, I fell in love with a messed-up alcoholic and it took twenty years before we were in a truly healthy relationship", it was delightfully self-aware of her. Are they trying to do a #FreeScarlett thing with that asshole producer, because otherwise, I have no idea where any of that's going. I had no idea the Banjo had African roots, thanks for that, show. Oh, and we know Will's hot, no need to make the guy take his shirt off once an episode, lol. And Juliette's phys. therapist is a trans woman, nice to see small aspects of diversity making its way into "Nashville".

I really hope everyone here realizes that your boss (or anyone, for that matter) doesn't have the right to bully, scream at you, or throw shit just because you're not doing what they want you to do. This is, like, the sixth time I've seen this comment in reference to this s/l, and it's honestly freaking me out.