OK, Pussycats, Southside Serpents and River Vixens, it’s (finally) time for the return of Riverdale, our favorite small town with big secrets. Here’s all you need to know before Season 2 premieres Oct. 11 on the CW at 8 p.m.
The Jason Blossom murder mystery
Let’s start with the resolution to the murder mystery that started off Season 1. The death of Jason Blossom rocked the little town of Riverdale, but it turned out that his killer was as close as the town’s iconic maple syrup.
Jason is twin to Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale High School’s resident mean girl and captain of the cheer squad, the River Vixens. Jason, before he died, was the school’s golden boy and football quarterback. He was dating Betty Cooper’s older sister, Polly, who got pregnant, causing the two sweethearts to plan to run away together.
Cheryl was in on the scheme, and went with Jason to help fake his death so he and Polly could leave in peace (though that plan would have been foiled by Mr. and Mrs. Cooper anyway — more on that later), but their plan goes horribly wrong and Jason ends up dead for real.
It turns out that Cheryl and Jason’s father Cliff Blossom, the maple syrup baron of Riverdale, was using his maple syrup business as a front for a drug ring. When Jason found out about the drug trafficking and refused to take over the business from his dad, Cliff couldn’t handle the optics on the family name and shoots him, then planned to groom Cheryl for the position. But when he gets found out, he hangs himself.
All the ‘ships
On a lighter note … let’s talk about the relationships that emerge out of Season 1. The first and most talked about coupling off online has to be Betty and Jughead Jones, who fall in love while investigating Jason’s murder together. Yes, Betty began season one with eyes for Archie Andrews, but he doesn’t see her as anything more than friends and the forever girl-next-door.
We aren’t expecting the Bughead relationship to be all smooth sailing as we begin Season 2, however, as the end of the first season saw Jughead switch schools and join the Southside Serpents. Plus, Jug has been feeling misunderstood by Betty recently, especially after she threw him a birthday party everyone knew he didn’t want.
Next we have the other half of the squad, Archie and Veronica Lodge, the bad girl foil to Betty’s crime-fighting goodie-two-shoes (though Betty has her dark side, too). When Veronica first moves to town, she and Archiekins end up in a closet together during a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. Betty feels betrayed, so Archie and Veronica vow never to let feelings for each other come between their friendship with Betty.
But by the end of the season — after Archie’s forbidden relationship with Mrs. Grundy and then his failed relationship with Valerie — the sexual tension and bonding over annoying parents is too much to withstand, and Ronnie and Archiekins agree to be Riverdale’s very own Bey and Jay.
So FP, Jughead’s dad, finally cleans himself up just in time to be implicated in Jason Blossom’s murder. As we recalled above, he’s not Jason’s killer, but he nonetheless confesses to the crime because Clifford Blossom threatened to harm Jughead if he told the truth. But a lot of what he confesses does end up being true: that he was working with Jason to deliver weed, and when he learned who Jason’s father was he decided to capitalize on the opportunity.
So when Jason and Cheryl were faking his death at Sweetwater River, FP kidnapped the twin and locked him in the Whyte Wyrm’s basement and then tells Clifford Blossom that his son is being held for ransom. It doesn’t turn out so well, though, when Cliff shows up, takes back Nana Blossom’s ring and then shoots Jason.
So FP’s name is cleared, though he refuses to snitch on other Serpents who might have been involved in the Blossoms’ drug ring. This causes them to show up to FP’s trailer jus tin time to interrupt Betty and Jughead from gettin’ it on after pronouncing their love for one another for the first time. Jughead–who had to transfer schools and his moving in with a foster family on the Southside–believes that’s where he belongs, and accepts the Serpents’ jacket offering, effectively joining the gang. Betty doesn’t seem too jazzed about it, though.
And now for the grand finale. After spending a night at Veronica’s, Archie heads to Pop’s Chok-Lit Shop for an early breakfast, expecting his dad to discuss something serious. But when Archie gets up to hit the restroom, he returns to find an armed gunman robbing Pop. He looks at his dad, who is definitely giving Archie the don’t-be-a-hero-son look, but when Archie makes a move, the gunman points at his dad, and the season ends with a cliffhanger: will Fred live or die? And who sent that gunman?
Season 2 of “Riverdale” premieres Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. on The CW.
From 'Riverdale' to 'X-Files': 14 Shows We Wouldn't Have Without 'Twin Peaks' (Photos)
It's not an exaggeration to say that "Twin Peaks" changed the face of television. It proved that you could tell serious, surreal, narrative, character-based stories. You could also take risks. David Lynch proved that you can shape the stories around interesting characters, explore the most mundane of settings ... and still create an intriguing story. "Twin Peaks" is coming back for its third season in May, and since going off the air 25 years ago, its legacy has only gotten stronger with a batch of shows that it inspired, for better or for worse.
"Northern Exposure" It wasn't as creepy as "Twin Peaks" -- far from it -- but "Northern Exposure" drew from some of its more wholesome elements. Nothing too suspenseful or weird happened, but that was the point. Like "Twin Peaks," "Northern Exposure" was about the characters' relatively small lives.
"The X-Files" Fox's sci-fi series is not exactly like "Twin Peaks," but it's hard to imagine that this show about FBI agents investigating weird crimes (sound familiar) would've gotten made without it.
"Six Feet Under" HBO's funeral home drama was more straight up comical than "Twin Peaks" ever was, but both shows attempted to explore death and the surreal aspects of life with a form of lightness. "Twin Peaks" was more supernatural-based (sometimes), but both wanted to say something new in regards to those topics, and it spoke to fans.
"Veronica Mars" For some reason in the early 2000s, we got a slew of series that were essentially "Twin Peaks" but for a teen audience. "Veronica Mars" had a similar premise -- a teen girl is murdered and somebody has to figure out who did it. It's just in this case, we get to see Kristen Bell, a high school student, solving crimes.
"Pretty Little Liars" This is another of one of those 2000s murder teen dramas. Based on a popular book series, "Pretty Little Liars" follows four girls who are drawn together after they all get messages from the mysterious "A," who knows about the murder of their friend Alison and all their secrets. The violent mystery element ties it to "Twin Peaks," but the suburban drama and camp makes it fresh.
"The Killing" Both the Danish series and the U.S. series draw from quite a few "Twin Peaks" elements: small town murder, teen murder, a deep dive into the intimate lives of the characters. But the U.S. one feels particularly inspired, since it takes place in a world like our own, but one that's just slightly off. It made for great cinematic, narrative TV.
"Gravity Falls" It's weird to see a Disney Channel cartoon on here but I can't talk to this show up enough for fans of "Twin Peaks." Twins Mabel and Dipper Pines move to the town of Gravity Falls and soon discover not everything is as it seems. There are town conspiracies, supernatural demons, humor, horror, and plenty of actual "Twin Peaks" references. Be sure to watch out for the Kyle Maclachlan cameo in the series finale.
"Les Revenants" This is gothic, supernatural suspense at its finest. This French drama series (which was adapted to U.S. television with less than stellar results) depicts a town where the dead suddenly return alive. It's a small town drama, supernatural mystery, and character story all rolled into one.
"Hannibal" The books NBC's "Hannibal" show were based on came out before or around the same time as "Twin Peaks," but Bryan Fuller's takes it in a whole other direction. "Hannibal" is less about the story and author Thomas Harris' obsession with serial killers and focuses more on psychology and symbolism. Take a look at any of the dream/fantasy sequences and note how any of them would fit right at home with David Lynch.
"Broadchurch"/"Gracepoint" ITV's "Broadchurch," along with its American adaptation "Gracepoint" on Fox (both starring David Tennant) are basically the same show so we can lump them here. Two detectives -- one local and another trying to start over -- investigate a murder in a tiny town by the sea. Yes, trying to solve the murder is an integral aspect of the series, but how everybody in the town treats each other post-murder is ultimately more satisfying and engrossing.
"True Detective" Like "Hannibal," and obviously "Twin Peaks," HBO's "True Detective" is obsessed with its aesthetic and mythology. It's not so much about the story as it is about the character journeys and the lofty dialogue. That was the case in Season 1 anyway. We don't talk about Season 2.
"Wayward Pines" The early trailers for "Wayward Pines" were almost too familiar to fans of "Twin Peaks," but the show was able to distance itself for being less welcoming to its government agent protagonist, at least in Season 1. It's a lot darker, more hopeless, and probably the most egregious imitator on this list.
"Stranger Things" Netflix's hit takes more from Stephen King and Steven Spielberg, but those creators have a lot in common with Lynch in what fascinates them. King especially loves exploring small town life affected by supernatural events, and the violence that can tear people apart. "Stranger Things" is a story about kids in the middle of a traumatic event and, unlike "Twin Peaks," the central victim doesn't end up dead. Others aren't so lucky.
"Riverdale" All you have to do is swap out a couple of key elements. Instead of Jason Blossom, it's Laura Palmer. Instead of Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica, it's Donna, James, and Audrey. Also like "Twin Peaks," I hope it's not going to ultimately be about who killed Jason, but instead continues to keep the focus on its characters.
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David Lynch’s television masterpiece has left a strong legacy for future TV shows, for better or for worse
It's not an exaggeration to say that "Twin Peaks" changed the face of television. It proved that you could tell serious, surreal, narrative, character-based stories. You could also take risks. David Lynch proved that you can shape the stories around interesting characters, explore the most mundane of settings ... and still create an intriguing story. "Twin Peaks" is coming back for its third season in May, and since going off the air 25 years ago, its legacy has only gotten stronger with a batch of shows that it inspired, for better or for worse.
