Riverdale (season 1)

The first season of Riverdale premiered on The CW on January 26, 2017 and concluded on May 11, 2017 with a total of 13 episodes. The series is based on the characters from the Archie Comics, created by Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John L. Goldwater, and was created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

Riverdale
Season 1
Home media cover
Starring	KJ Apa Lili Reinhart Camila Mendes Cole Sprouse Marisol Nichols Madelaine Petsch Ashleigh Murray Mädchen Amick Luke Perry
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	13
Release
Original network	The CW
Original release	January 26 – May 11, 2017
Season chronology

The principal cast included the core four characters of the series Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), and Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse), who also serves as the series narrator. Other cast members included Veronica's mother Hermione Lodge (Marisol Nichols), fellow students Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray), Betty's mother Alice Cooper (Mädchen Amick), and Archie's father Fred Andrews (Luke Perry).

The first season focuses on the town of Riverdale in the aftermath of the death of Jason Blossom, who supposedly drowned the summer before school started.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	1	"Chapter One: The River's Edge"	Lee Toland Krieger	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa	January 26, 2017	T15.10136	1.38[1]
During an eventful summer, including the supposed drowning of quarterback Jason Blossom, Archie Andrews discovers his passion for music. He soon begins his sophomore year and expresses his love for music to Betty Cooper, the sweet girl-next-door who harbors her own secret—her feelings for Archie Andrews. We soon learn that on the Fourth of July, Archie shared a secret rendezvous with the music teacher of Riverdale High, Ms Grundy. Meanwhile, Veronica Lodge, the daughter of Hermione and Hiram, a millionaire facing embezzlement charges, arrives in town, instantly capturing Archie's attention. Despite the fact that a love triangle is developing, Betty and Veronica become fast friends, united when Veronica stands up against the condescending captain of the cheerleading squad, Cheryl Blossom, who may be hiding a secret concerning her brother's death. Archie's former best friend, Jughead Jones, begins to write a novel retelling the events of the summer, including what happened between him and Archie. Kevin Keller and Moose Mason stumble across Jason's body, which has a gunshot wound to the head, by the lake.
2	2	"Chapter Two: A Touch of Evil"	Lee Toland Krieger	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa	February 2, 2017	T13.20302	1.15[2]
Veronica's kiss with Archie strains his relationship with both girls, while Miss Grundy insists that he not reveal that the two of them heard the gunshot that may have killed Jason. Kevin, disturbed by the discovery of Jason's body, refuses to acknowledge Moose's affections for him. Jughead, after accidentally discovering Archie and Grundy holding hands, deduces their secret and confronts Archie for refusing to go to the sheriff, Kevin's father. Archie asks his father, Fred, for advice and decides to come clean. Cheryl strikes up a friendship with Betty, but it soon ends when it becomes clear that she blames Betty's sister, Polly, for Jason's death. At a pep rally in his honor, Cheryl runs away after hallucinating Jason on the field; in the locker room, where Veronica has followed to comfort her, Cheryl admits to her that Jason was supposed to "come back." Against the wishes of her mother, Alice, Betty renews her friendship with both Archie and Veronica, while Archie also reconciles with Jughead. The next day, during science class, Cheryl is arrested due to evidence from Jason's autopsy, which revealed that he was actually murdered a week after the Fourth of July.
3	3	"Chapter Three: Body Double"	Lee Toland Krieger	Yolonda E. Lawrence	February 9, 2017	T13.20303	1.20[3]
Cheryl admits to Sheriff Keller and her parents, Clifford and Penelope, that Jason wanted to run away and she helped him fake his drowning. Betty, upset with how Alice is attacking the Blossom family in the press, restarts the school newspaper, The Blue and Gold, and sends Jughead to interview the Adventure Scouts who found Cheryl at Sweet Water River just after Jason died. Veronica is enraged to learn that Chuck Clayton, whom she had one date with, has been slut shaming her to the rest of the school and, when he refuses to stop, she, Betty, and Cheryl find evidence linking him and his friends, including Jason, to the shaming. Jughead learns from one of the Scouts that the shot heard on the Fourth of July was fired by the troop's Scoutmaster, Dilton Doiley, during a training exercise. Betty and Veronica drug and torture Chuck until he apologizes and Jughead pressures Dilton to come clean. Fred builds a grounded Archie a studio in which to practice, Chuck is kicked off the football team, and Betty and Cheryl burn the evidence together. Dilton reveals that he saw Miss Grundy's car by the river and Jughead realizes Archie's secret is at risk.
4	4	"Chapter Four: The Last Picture Show"	Mark Piznarski	Michael Grassi	February 16, 2017	T13.20304	1.14[4]
Jughead despairs over the news that the local drive-in where he works is closing. At the diner, Betty spots Archie and Fred having dinner with Miss Grundy and she confronts him about their relationship. Under the guise of an interview, Betty questions Miss Grundy about her life, while Veronica demands answers from Hermione upon learning she was speaking to a gang leader; Hermione insists that nothing shady happened. Betty and Veronica meet with Archie and inform him that there is no trace of Geraldine Grundy ever existing aside from a woman who died seven years ago. They break into her car and find a gun and ID with the name "Jennifer Gibson." Grundy reveals that she only wanted to escape from an abusive relationship. At the drive-in's final night, Veronica spots Hermione meeting with the same man from before. Alice exposes Archie's affair and threatens to put Grundy on trial, but agrees to stand down as long as she leaves town. Sheriff Keller finds that all of his evidence pertaining to Jason's murder has been stolen. Jughead vandalizes the projectionist's booth before leaving his temporary home in full view of the gang leader, who turns out to be his father.
5	5	"Chapter Five: Heart of Darkness"	Jesse Warn	Ross Maxwell	February 23, 2017	T13.20305	0.98[5]
Angry at Cheryl for helping Jason run away, Clifford and Penelope refuse to allow her to speak at Jason's memorial, but Cheryl does so anyway, ultimately breaking down during her speech while wearing the white dress she had on the day he left. Coach Clayton pits Archie and Reggie Mantle against each other for the coveted spot of team captain. Archie is introduced to a potential songwriting mentor, who ultimately decides not to teach him. Trev informs Betty that Jason had become much more secretive in the weeks before his death and was rumored to be selling drugs. Jughead suggests searching the Blossom family mansion for clues during the memorial dinner. He and Betty encounter Jason's grandmother, Rose, who mistakes Betty for Polly and reveals that she and Jason were engaged. While cleaning the diner, Hermione finds a box with a snake inside it, a warning from the Serpents. Betty learns that her family has hated the Blossoms ever since their ancestor killed great-grandfather Cooper decades before. Archie is named captain, but turns it down to focus on his music. Jughead and Betty deduce that her father, Hal, is responsible for stealing the sheriff's evidence.
6	6	"Chapter Six: Faster, Pussycats! Kill! Kill!"	Steven A. Adelson	Tessa Leigh Williams & Nicholas Zwart	March 2, 2017	T13.20306	1.09[6]
With Riverdale High's annual variety show approaching, Valerie's efforts to help Archie prepare for his debut performance lead to a major fallout with Josie. Meanwhile, Betty and Jughead's investigation into Jason's murder brings them face-to-face with Betty's sister Polly, who is revealed to be captive at a home for troubled youth, unaware of Jason's death and seven months pregnant. As Veronica decides to rebuild her relationship with her mother, she learns that Hermione is using her for her own purposes. At the same time, Hermione's first day of work at Andrews Construction brings her closer to Fred. Josie deals with her own family pressures after her father visits for her performance at the variety show. Betty confronts Hal and Alice about Jason's death to no avail, but grows closer to Jughead, eventually kissing him. After, they discover a car hidden in the woods containing drugs and Jason's belongings. However, an unknown perpetrator torches the car and destroys all the evidence before the police arrive, around the same time that Polly escapes from the home.
7	7	"Chapter Seven: In a Lonely Place"	Allison Anders	Aaron Allen	March 9, 2017	T13.20307	1.03[7]
Cheryl informs Sheriff Keller that Polly has escaped and the town organizes a search party to find her, which fails. As tensions continue to grow between the Blossoms and the Coopers, Betty finds her sister hiding in the attic of their house. Cheryl offers to help Betty take care of Polly. F.P., after being offered a job by Fred, reveals that he and Fred founded Andrews Construction together, but Fred kicked him out of the business after bailing him out of jail. Fred counters that F.P was stealing money from him while abusing drugs and alcohol and that he had no choice. Jughead is taken into custody as a suspect in Jason's murder, but Fred provides Keller with an alibi. Cheryl suspects that her parents have bad intentions with Polly, so Polly moves in with the Lodges instead. F.P is revealed to have Jason's jacket in his trailer.
8	8	"Chapter Eight: The Outsiders"	David Katzenberg	Julia Cohen	March 30, 2017	T13.20308	0.99[8]
Polly reveals to Sheriff Keller that Jason was supposed to make a drug delivery for "some biker gang", implied to be the Southside Serpents, in exchange for money before both of them ran away. Veronica suggests hosting a baby shower for Polly. Fred's workers leave because of promised work from Clifford. Archie tries to help Fred by getting some friends to work on the construction project, but Moose is attacked after witnessing someone vandalize the machinery and warned they should stop. After a confrontation with F.P Jones in the Serpents' bar, Archie realizes Jughead's father is a Serpent. At the baby shower, Penelope and Alice argue over with whom Polly should live. Alice learns that Hal threatened Polly with an abortion, and when he refuses to let her come back, Alice kicks him out of the Cooper household. F. P. recruits some of his Serpents to replace Fred's crew and informs Hermione that Hiram was behind the attack on Fred's construction site. Polly chooses to live with the Blossoms.
9	9	"Chapter Nine: La Grande Illusion"	Lee Rose	James DeWille	April 6, 2017	T13.20309	0.91[9]
As the Blossom family's annual maple tree-tapping ceremony approaches, Cheryl asks Archie to be her escort. When he refuses, Penelope offers to get him into an exclusive music school as a favor. Veronica grows close to Ethel but, when Hermione reveals that her father was one of Hiram's investors, she becomes distraught upon learning that he attempted suicide due to his financial hardship. Alice prepares to publish a full-blown exposé on the Blossoms, but Hal fires her from the paper as retaliation for being kicked out of the house. Betty gets a call from Archie, learning that Polly moved in with the Blossoms to uncover the truth about Jason's death. She and Jughead decide to write the tell-all exposé in The Blue and Gold and ask Alice to join them. Finally realizing that the Blossoms are using him, Archie attempts to reconcile with Val, but she breaks up with him.
10	10	"Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend"	Dawn Wilkinson	Britta Lundin & Brian E. Paterson	April 13, 2017	T13.20310	0.87[10]
Fred leaves for Chicago to finalize his divorce, leaving Archie alone. Betty learns that Jughead's birthday is coming up and that he has never had an actual party. She and Veronica persuade Archie to let them throw it at his house. Hiram threatens retaliation against Hermione if Veronica refuses to testify on his behalf. The Vixens elect Veronica as captain over Cheryl, who retaliates by crashing the party with Chuck and his friends. F. P. also shows up after Betty's insistence. Jughead argues with Betty and tries to leave, but Cheryl forces him to stay for a "game" in which participants are forced to reveal their secrets. Jughead and Chuck get into a fight and F. P. declares the party over. He urges his son to reconcile with Betty and confronts Alice, implying she was once a member of the Serpents. Archie and Veronica comfort each other and share a kiss. Veronica agrees to testify on Hiram's behalf. To Archie's surprise, his father returns home with his mother, Mary.
11	11	"Chapter Eleven: To Riverdale and Back Again"	Kevin Sullivan	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa	April 27, 2017	T13.20311	0.89[11]
While Archie and his mother reconnect, Veronica learns that Hiram may soon be released from prison. F. P. questions the purpose of Jughead's novel, urging him to consider moving on. To learn the truth about Hiram, Veronica decides to investigate F. P. as a possible suspect in Jason's murder. The Blossoms, increasingly suspicious of Polly, forbid her from entering their master bedroom. Fred and Mary agree to attend homecoming together. Polly and Cheryl discover the former's engagement ring in Penelope's jewelry collection, which she claims is because Jason threw it away in disgust after arguing with Clifford. At a contentious dinner, Alice tries to question F. P., but he shuts her down. Afterwards, he informs Jughead that they will be moving to Toledo to reunite with the rest of the Jones family. While Archie and Veronica perform "Kids in America" at homecoming, the police execute a search warrant on F. P.'s trailer, find a gun, and arrest him for murder. Jughead disappears and Archie and Veronica deduce that someone is framing F. P. for Jason's death.
12	12	"Chapter Twelve: Anatomy of a Murder"	Rob Seidenglanz	Michael Grassi	May 4, 2017	T13.20312	0.98[12]
Jughead calls his mother, but she refuses to let him move in with her. F. P. confesses to everything, including Jason's murder. Betty and Alice catch Hal trying to destroy evidence and learn the family secret: the Coopers are, in fact, Blossoms by blood, making Jason and Polly's relationship technically incest. The Coopers take Polly back to their home. Mary, posing as F. P.'s lawyer, advises Jughead to visit his father, who tells him never to come see him again. With Joaquin's help, the group tracks down one of F. P.'s associates, but finds him dead of an apparent overdose. The police are summoned and find a bag full of money with Hermione's initials on it. With both Hal and Hermione cleared as suspects, Jughead and Betty investigate a lead from Kevin and find Jason's varsity jacket. Inside one of the pockets, they find a thumb drive and discover Clifford murdered Jason, which they tell Cheryl. Nevertheless, Jughead learns that his father's other charges will not be dropped. Veronica learns that Hiram has been released and is coming to Riverdale and Mary returns to Chicago. When the police go to arrest Clifford, they discover he has hanged himself in the syrup distillery.
13	13	"Chapter Thirteen: The Sweet Hereafter"	Lee Toland Krieger	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa	May 11, 2017	T13.20313	0.96[13]
It is revealed that Clifford was in the drug business and Jason found out. Clifford killed Jason to stop him from exposing the family business. F. P. is cleared of all charges relating to the murder, but remains in police custody. Alice reveals to Betty that, in high school, she found out she was pregnant, but because Hal disapproved, she went to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and gave up the child, a baby boy, for adoption. Jughead is placed in the care of a foster family and transfers to Southside High. Devastated by her father's secrets and suicide, Cheryl attempts to drown herself in Sweetwater River, but Archie injuring his hand, along with Veronica, Betty, and Jughead, saves her. Cheryl later burns down the Thornhill mansion, much to Penelope's dismay. Jughead is invited to join the Southside Serpents. The next day, Archie meets Fred at Pop's, where a masked gunman arrives. He then tells Fred to turn over his wallet at gunpoint. When Archie tries to intervene, the gunman shoots Fred.

Cast and characters

Main

• KJ Apa as Archie Andrews[14]
• Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper[15]
• Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge[16]
• Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones[15]
• Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge[17]
• Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom[18]
• Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy[14]
• Mädchen Amick as Alice Cooper[19]
• Luke Perry as Fred Andrews[20]
• Casey Cott as Kevin Keller

Recurring

• Martin Cummins as Tom Keller[21]
• Robin Givens as Sierra McCoy[22]
• Nathalie Boltt as Penelope Blossom[23]
• Lochlyn Munro as Hal Cooper[24]
• Colin Lawrence as Floyd Clayton[25]
• Peter James Bryant as Waldo Weatherbee[26]
• Sarah Habel as Geraldine Grundy[21]
• Jordan Calloway as Chuck Clayton[21]
• Rob Raco as Joaquin DeSantos[21]
• Asha Bromfield as Melody Valentine[27]
• Cody Kearsley as Marmaduke "Moose" Mason[28]
• Hayley Law as Valerie Brown[27]
• Shannon Purser as Ethel Muggs[26]
• Trevor Stines as Jason Blossom[21]
• Olivia Ryan Stern as Tina Patel[29]
• Caitlin Mitchell-Markovitch as Ginger Lopez[29]
• Major Curda as Dilton Doiley[30]
  • Daniel Yang portrays Dilton Doiley in the pilot[28]
• Tiera Skovbye as Polly Cooper[24]
• Barclay Hope as Clifford Blossom[23]
• Alvin Sanders as Pop Tate[31]
• Tom McBeath as Smithers[21]
• Molly Ringwald as Mary Andrews[32]
• Casey Cott as Kevin Keller[33]
• Skeet Ulrich as F.P Jones[29]
• Ross Butler as Reggie Mantle[28]

Guest

• Mackenzie Gray as Dr. Curdle
• Adain Bradley as Trev Brown[34]
• Raúl Castillo as Oscar Castillo[35]
• Reese Alexander as Myles McCoy[36]
• Alison Araya as Ms. Weiss
• Scott McNeil as Tall Boy
• Barbara Wallace as Rose Blossom[37]
• Moses Thiessen as Ben Button

Production

Development

Originally in development at Fox, it was announced in 2014 that Warner Bros TV would be producing the series through Berlanti Productions as Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti (creator of Supergirl and Arrow), and Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater, the CEO of Archie Comics as executive producers.[38] In July 2015, it was announced that Riverdale had moved to The CW and that Aguirre-Sacasa would be writing the pilot episode.[39] On January 29, 2016, The CW officially ordered a pilot[40] and on May 16, 2016 it was picked up for series.[41] In November 2016, it was announced the first episode would air on January 26, 2017.[42]

Writing

Robert Aguirre-Sacasa stated that the show was not directly inspired by the comics reboot that occurred in 2015, as the show had already been pitched to Fox at that point. He also stated he was aware that the show needed to be more accessible for a modern audience, unlike the original comics. He stated that the show would follow a serialized, neo-noir format.[43] At San Diego Comic Con 2016, Aguirre-Sacasa explained that the first season would follow what happened to Jason Blossom, a teen who died the summer before school started and stated that the murder solving would not be dragged out.[44] Talking about the darker themes of the show, he states he was inspired by coming of ages films such as Stand By Me and River's Edge. He said that he thought, "What would a coming of age story be like, if David Lynch made it, or if Stephen King wrote it?"[45] In January 2017, it was revealed that the show would not be making Jughead asexual, which was revealed in February 2016, stating that the first season was aiming to be an origin story for the 75 years of history.[46][47] Actor Cole Sprouse stated in an interview that he would like it to be explored in future seasons.[48]

Casting

On February 9, 2016 the first casting announcements were made with Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse being announced to be playing Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones respectively.[15] On February 24, 2016 Madelaine Petsch was announced to be playing Cheryl Blossom and Luke Perry of Beverly Hills, 90210 would be playing Fred Andrews, the father of Archie Andrews.[18][20] That same day it was announced that Ashleigh Murray and KJ Apa would be playing Josie McCoy and Archie Andrews respectively. Apa was one of the last to audition for Archie and got the role after months of searching for an actor.[14] Two days later, it was announced that newcomer Camila Mendes would star as Veronica Lodge.[16] In March 2016, it was announced that her mother, Hermione Lodge, would be played by Marisol Nichols[17] and Betty's mother, Alice Cooper, would be played by Mädchen Amick.[19]

In March 2016, it was announced that Ross Butler, Daniel Young, and Cody Kearsley would be joining the show in recurring roles as Reggie Mantle, Dilton Doiley, and Moose Mason respectively.[28] That same month it was announced that Casey Cott would star as Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in the Archie universe.[33] In August 2016, Robin Givens was cast as the mother of Josie McCoy and mayor of Riverdale,[22] while in December 2016 it was announced that Molly Ringwald would appear in a recurring role as Mary Andrews, the mother of Archie Andrews.[32]

Filming

Filming for the pilot lasted from March 14 to 31, 2016 in Vancouver, British Columbia.[49][50] Production on the remaining 12 episodes of season one began on September 7, 2016, in Vancouver[50] and wrapped on December 12, 2016.[51]

Music

Riverdale features a number of musical performances throughout the first season, blending a mix of covers and original songs. Songs that are performed in the episode are released as digital singles after the episode airs. WaterTower Music released a digital compilation for songs from the first season on May 12, 2017.[52] The score for the season, composed by Blake Neely, was released on a physical CD by La-La Land Records, and simultaneously on download by WaterTower Music, on July 18, 2017.[53]

Riverdale: Season 1 (Original Television Soundtrack)[54]

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"The Song That Everyone Sings"	KJ Apa	3:46
2.	"Fear Nothing"	Ashleigh Murray, Asha Bromfield and Hayley Law	2:37
3.	"All Through The Night"	Ashleigh Murray, Asha Bromfield and Hayley Law	2:37
4.	"Dance Dance Dance"	KJ Apa	1:00
5.	"Candy Girl (Sugar Sugar)" (Cover of the Inner Circle version feat. Flo Rida; full-length version, Petsch is not heard on the aired version.)	Ashleigh Murray, Asha Bromfield, Hayley Law and Madelaine Petsch	2:19
6.	"I Feel Love"	Ashleigh Murray, Asha Bromfield, Hayley Law and Camila Mendes	3:11
7.	"I'll Try"	KJ Apa	3:15
8.	"I Got You"	KJ Apa and Hayley Law	3:32
9.	"Kids in America"	KJ Apa and Camila Mendes	2:55
10.	"Our Fair Riverdale"	Ashleigh Murray, Asha Bromfield, Hayley Law	1:19
11.	"Astronaut"	Ashleigh Murray, Asha Bromfield, Hayley Law and Camila Mendes	3:28
12.	"These Are the Moments I Remember"	Ashleigh Murray, Asha Bromfield, Hayley Law, Camila Mendes and KJ Apa	2:58

Riverdale: Season 1 (Original Television Score)[55]

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"Riverdale"	Blake Neely	2:58
2.	"If You Love Me"	Blake Neely	2:06
3.	"Viral Gossip in Town"	Blake Neely	3:08
4.	"Everyone a Suspect"	Blake Neely	2:33
5.	"Receiving the Jersey"	Blake Neely	1:56
6.	"Doubts and Accusations"	Blake Neely	2:24
7.	"All is OK With Milkshakes"	Blake Neely	2:48
8.	"Long Reach"	Blake Neely	3:47
9.	"Ended Up Drowning"	Blake Neely	4:11
10.	"Irreconcilable"	Blake Neely	3:25
11.	"So Many Questions"	Blake Neely	2:42
12.	"A Gift / Forced to Leave"	Blake Neely	3:23
13.	"Not Making the Play"	Blake Neely	3:25
14.	"Overwhelming Evidence"	Blake Neely	3:53
15.	"Realizations"	Blake Neely	2:02
16.	"Do You Feel Guilty?"	Blake Neely	2:38
17.	"Into the Woods"	Blake Neely	3:21
18.	"Name of the Game"	Blake Neely	3:38
19.	"Angry and Vulnerable Girls"	Blake Neely	2:52
20.	"Results of the Father"	Blake Neely	4:39
21.	"Your Father Was Arrested"	Blake Neely	2:44
22.	"The Recording"	Blake Neely	4:12
23.	"Oh, Mommy!"	Blake Neely	3:51
24.	"What Floats Beneath"	Blake Neely	3:29
25.	"Never Safe"	Blake Neely	1:59

Release

Riverdale premiered in the United States on The CW on January 26, 2017[42] and ended on May 11, 2017.[13] In late 2016, it was revealed that Netflix acquired the rights to air Riverdale less than 24 hours after the episodes premiere.[56]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 88% based on 62 reviews, and an average rating of 7.22/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Riverdale offers an amusingly self-aware reimagining of its classic source material that proves eerie, odd, daring, and above all addictive."[57] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews."[58]

Speaking positive of the show, Ellen Gray of The Philadelphia Inquirer compared the show to Twin Peaks and Dawson's Creek, and praised the adaptation of the characters.[59] Jeff Jenson of Entertainment Weekly similarly praised the show, stating that Berlanti and Aguirre-Sacasa "built a sturdy, appealing foundation", as well as paying homage to pop culture and "[spitting] on them too."[60] Writing for The Washington Post, Hank Stuever commented on the show's departure from its source material, stating that it's watchable but "entertainment value comes at a steep price, cashing out Archie’s underlying innocence to depict the corrupted community he calls home." Despite the difference from the source material, he praised the show and noted that it "can be terrific once you let go and let Archie grow up his own way"[61] Liz Shannon Miller of Indiewire criticized several stereotypes the show portrayed (such as Kevin being the 'gay best friend'), however commended the show for being "100 percent committed to creating its own little world" and praised the "strong visual choices."[62]

More critical of the series, Ira Madison of MTV criticized the narration, referring to it as "overwritten and dire" and thought the relationships had "no lasting impact." As well, he disliked the lack of an "outsize metaphor that brings home a point in each episode."[63] Daniel D'Addario of Time also criticized the adaptation from the source material, the voice overs by Cole Sprouse and the many cultural references the show makes.[64] Allison Keene of Collider said the series "isn’t as nearly as quirky as its early stylistic flourishes would like to suggest", referring to the series as campy and overwritten. She criticized the inclusion of the murder plot lines, stating the show "missed [an] opportunity to tell a strong, high school-set story".[65]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Riverdale

No.	Title	Air date	Rating/share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	"Chapter One: The River's Edge"	January 26, 2017	0.5/2	1.38[1]	0.4	1.01	0.9	2.38[66]
2	"Chapter Two: A Touch of Evil"	February 2, 2017	0.4/2	1.15[2]	0.4	0.76	0.8	1.91[67]
3	"Chapter Three: Body Double"	February 9, 2017	0.5/2	1.20[3]	N/A	0.71	N/A	1.90[68]
4	"Chapter Four: The Last Picture Show"	February 16, 2017	0.4/1	1.14[4]	0.4	0.73	0.8	1.87[69]
5	"Chapter Five: Heart of Darkness"	February 23, 2017	0.3/1	0.98[5]	0.4	0.71	0.7	1.69[70]
6	"Chapter Six: Faster, Pussycats! Kill! Kill!"	March 2, 2017	0.4/1	1.09[6]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
7	"Chapter Seven: In a Lonely Place"	March 9, 2017	0.4/1	1.03[7]	0.3	0.76	0.7	1.80[71]
8	"Chapter Eight: The Outsiders"	March 30, 2017	0.4/2	0.99[8]	N/A	0.55	N/A	1.54[72]
9	"Chapter Nine: La Grande Illusion"	April 6, 2017	0.3/1	0.91[9]	N/A	0.63	N/A	1.54[73]
10	"Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend"	April 13, 2017	0.3/1	0.87[10]	0.3	0.58	0.6	1.48[74]
11	"Chapter Eleven: To Riverdale and Back Again"	April 27, 2017	0.3/1	0.89[11]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
12	"Chapter Twelve: Anatomy of a Murder"	May 4, 2017	0.3/1	0.98[12]	0.3	0.58	0.6	1.56[75]
13	"Chapter Thirteen: The Sweet Hereafter"	May 11, 2017	0.4/2	0.96[13]	N/A	0.56	N/A	1.52[76]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2017	Leo Awards	Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series	Tyler Harron (for "The River's Edge")	Nominated	[77]
	Saturn Awards	Best Action-Thriller Television Series	Riverdale	Won	[78]
		Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series	KJ Apa	Nominated
		Breakthrough Performance	KJ Apa	Won	[79]
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Breakout TV Show	Riverdale	Won	[80]
		Choice Breakout TV Star	KJ Apa	Nominated
			Lili Reinhart	Won
		Choice Drama TV Actor	Cole Sprouse	Won
		Choice Drama TV Show	Riverdale	Won
		Choice Hissy Fit	Madelaine Petsch	Won
		Choice Scene Stealer	Camila Mendes	Won
		Choice TV Ship	Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse	Won

References

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External links

• Official website
• Riverdale – list of episodes at IMDb
• List of Riverdale season 1 episodes at TV.com