TV Review: Riverdale Season 4

Netflix released the earlier than expected (due to lockdown) series finale of Riverdale this week and as usual, we were left with a cliffhanger.

Riverdale focuses on the lives of four teenagers: Archie, Betty, Jughead and Veronica in their hometown Riverdale that is always full of murder and mayhem.

However, due to coronavirus restrictions we saw the release of the ninetieth episode “Killing Mr Honey” as the series finale. In this episode, Betty had just finished producing the yearbook for the senior graduates that was requested by unpopular principle Mr Honey. However, as she is too late (according to Mr Honey) he forbids the yearbook from going through.

Betty is left angered and confides in her friends as they try to think of a way to get rid of Mr Honey once and for all. Betty, who is known to have an evil streak in her just like her deceased father, thinks to kill Mr Honey. Her friends agree, but without committing a crime they think of an alternative to scare Mr Honey off.

Eventually, they see rid of Mr Honey. However this is Riverdale, and there is never peace as Betty and Jughead receive another video tape (as video tapes continue to be sent around town) and we are once again left on a cliffhanger.

In the first series of Riverdale, it was a phenomenon to people and it was the gripping new Netflix series people became obsessed with as we came to know some of our favourite characters and new couples that we became invested in (#BugHead).

However as more series were broadcast it seemed to become more repetitive and the creators seemed to be struggling for ideas and made this town even more unrealistic as it encountered crime after crime, whether that was the serial killer known as the “Blackhood” or the “Griffins and Gargoyles” game that led to a gaming cult and multiple fatalities.

However, in season four, even though there weren’t major storylines that focused around the whole series – as there were more subplots – this series saw more emotive issues such as the death of popular long-term Riverdale resident and Archie’s father, Fred Andrews.

This was after the unfortunate passing of Luke Perry, who died after suffering a stroke on 4 March 2019. This meant producers had to re-write the series in order to take his character out of the show but it is something this series did well as they not only highlighted the inspiration Fred was to his son Archie, but they celebrated the life and career of Luke Perry.

Season four stand out characters would have to be Archie (KJ Apa) and Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch). After the death of his father, Archie stepped up and was determined to continue the proud legacy of his father as he set up a youth centre and was determined to take young criminals off the streets.

Archie I believe is one of the better characters out of Riverdale as he is one of the most caring and selfless out of them all. These are some traits Apa shows in reality, especially in terms of the relationship he had with Luke Perry in real life as he was distraught after the announcement of his passing.

Cheryl on the other hand is the badass head cheerleader who secretly has a heart of gold, especially for her girlfriend and love of her life Toni Topaz (#Choni). She does everything flawlessly with her confident and sassy style, all whilst having an amazing fashion sense.

Something I particularly enjoyed from this series was after four years we finally got a look into the possibility of Barchie (Betty and Archie for those who aren’t familiar) and even gained an insight into the forming of their friendship.

This is why it was a bit of a disappointment when this possibility into the relationship only expanded over two episodes, and as much as I love Betty and Jughead together, it would have been interesting and even thrilling to see what their relationship could be like. (Yes I know, I am just a old romantic at heart).

Ultimately, the fourth season of Riverdale took a different turn towards more emotional storylines, especially with the passing of Luke Perry. This was a series that compared better to the previous and it is just a shame that it was cut short due to coronavirus. However, with the cliffhanger, it leaves us with unanswered questions and something to look forward to after all of this is over.

By Katie Green

Feature image: Decider