The CW’s Riverdale is a bold new take on the Archie Comics cast of characters, by bringing the children’s series into the modern era with adult themes. This isn’t just another teen high school drama, as it is based around a murder mystery that encapsulates the entire town as residents struggle to find the real murderer before he or she strikes again.
The familiar relationships that were implanted in the comics come to life while bringing a much-needed twist in each of these characters. While it is a fresh new take on a once-popular comic, it still has all the teen angst that fans relish in.
Bret Weston Wallis
Bret and Jughead’s rivalry set the stage for a few tense moments in the story. A typical elitist, Bret has no use for someone of Jughead’s caliber. He always tries to attempt to bring up Jughead’s troubled past, while never coming to terms with his own. Bret’s father tried to make him a man at 14, buying him a prostitute only for Bret to cry the entire time he was with her. He believes in social Darwinism and that obtaining the upper hand by any means is what humans are supposed to do to survive.
Veronica Lodge
Veronica is your typical high school bully who has hidden, deep-seated issues with her parents. She believes that everyone looks down upon her after the arrest of her parents, causing her to try to make amends by appearing respectable. Deep down, she holds a strong resentment towards not just her parents but others, as she feels they unfairly judge her. Veronica is a devout feminist who tries to take on the male chauvinist world by herself. She feels that righting the wrongs of society is her duty and her burden alone.
Toni Topaz
Toni likes to think of herself as a social outcast. She yearns to be associated with those outside the norm. This is why she is so infatuated with Jughead, along with her association with the Southside Serpents. While she does have a softer side, Toni prefers that people believe she is tough and doesn’t care what others think of her.
Yet, deep down, she has moments where she was truly conflicted about her actions and whether they were right or wrong. She tends to feel that others are looking down on her because of her ties to the gang.
Polly Cooper
Polly is a rebellious teen who had the perfect whirlwind romance with Jason Blossom. In her mind, he was her Romeo and she was his Juliet, yet, in reality, his feelings for her were not mutual. Yet, that didn’t stop her from enjoying the animosity she received from her parents about her forbidden romance. Love is her addiction and even after Jason Blossom’s untimely death, Polly’s infatuation with him has not ceased one bit. After becoming pregnant with his children, she holds her babies as a reminder of the love that was never meant to be.
Moose Mason
Moose is bisexual and tries desperately to hide his sexuality from his parents and others. Refusing to be true to who he is and accepting whatever consequences may come with this path, he, instead, tries to hide it, resulting in him feeling insecure about who he is deep within. This conflict he holds inside, allows him to be understanding to those who are equally as conflicted. He is caring and compassionate towards those around him and works tirelessly to be there for his friends, helping them get through hard times.
Reggie Mantle
Reggie is what many would consider the typical high school jock. What he lacks in intelligence, he gains in popularity and physical prowess. Reggie’s father is abusive towards him, resulting in his son hiding his true emotions from those around him.
His instinct to hide his pain is to be as socially active as possible, filling his time with nothing but sex and football. Even though he had feelings for Veronica during their relationship, he broke it off due to his insecurity and fear of being in a rebound relationship.
Jughead Jones
Jughead is the living embodiment of what teen angst would look like if it was human. He is the typical tortured, sensitive soul and uses it as a means of getting sex. He is initiated into a gang that his father was once a part of, only to realize that he doesn’t really like hurting people but still feels obligated to join. After joining, his behavior goes back and forth between victim and tough guy, never quite finding the balance needed to make his actions feel real. His entire life revolves around making the same mistakes his father did.
Cheryl Blossom
Cheryl grew up with the right name and the money to assure her a high place in the social stratosphere that is high school. Like many teen bullies who bully others because they, themselves are being bullied at home, Cheryl hides behind her fake superiority and good looks. So much so, that she sometimes forgets who she is. The only thing that was real in her life was the love she had for her brother and after he was murdered, Cheryl lost her sanity and her popular girl status because of it.
Archie Andrews
Archie is angry and rejected inside and he wants everyone in town to know it. He kind of suffers from this guilty hero complex as he tries to be empathetic towards others but by doing so, he ends up making himself the victim in their pain. Archie also has an aggressive side and isn’t afraid to throw down the gloves when he is feeling that typical teen angst.
Like a beast, he tames his aggression through the calmness of his music. When he isn’t trying to be a hero, he instead seeks sympathy through calling himself a coward.
Betty Cooper
While intelligent and beautiful, Betty lacks a purpose in life as she only does what pleases others. She is a straight-A student but doesn’t want to fit into the stereotypical smart, pretty girl category. If there is one thing Betty struggles with, it is her anger. At times, she clenches her fists so hard that she cuts into her skin, resulting in scars. She also has breaks from reality, believing herself to be someone else at times. While she can be kind, she mostly is impulsive which ends up causing her more trouble than she should be in.
