Riverdale – The Complete First Season: DVD Review
*Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed. The opinions I share are my own.*
Season Overview:
Things aren’t always what you expect in Riverdale. As a new school year begins, the town is reeling from the tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom. The summer’s events made all-American teen Archie Andrews realize that he wants to pursue a career in music…but his fractured friendship with Jughead Jones, and Josie McCoy’s focus on her own band leaves Archie without a mentor. Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper is not ready to reveal her true feelings for Archie, and new student Veronica Lodge has an undeniable spark with Betty’s crush. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale’s queen bee, who stirs up trouble amongst Archie, Betty and Veronica. But is Cheryl hiding something about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town…but there’s so much more to the story!
It’s extremely odd to think that there is a show based on Archie characters but upon doing a little research I found that the most recent comics have been very serious and in tone with what the show is. I will say that I didn’t read too much just in case that anything was spoiled but I will say that this show definitely stands toe to toe with The OC, Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill. It’s a great blend of teen drama, thriller and mystery with a bit of humor thrown in here and there. The cast is another thing. I have a mental vision of the characters from the comics so I wasn’t too sure what to expect but surprisingly I thought they cast the Riverdale kids really well. They embodied the modern take on the Archie crew and each had a side of darkness to them which made them all more appealing to watch on screen. The overall plot was really good and delivered as far as giving the audience a great mystery. From the end of the first episode I was sold on it and each following episode ended in a way that kept me coming back for more. I don’t normally like shows like this but Riverdale is definitely one that I’m going to keep watching! 8/10
Special Features:
2016 Comic-Con Panel – The entire panel for SDCC 2016 where they previewed the show to the audience in advance of its release.
The New Normal – This feature looks at how they were able to bring these characters to life.
The Ultimate Sin – A look at how the discovery of the body changed the town and characters of Riverdale.
I Got You: Musical Piece – An unplugged version of Archie and Valerie’s duet.
These Are Moments I Remember: Musical Piece – Archie, Veronica and the Pussycats performance from the show in its entirety.
Gag Reel – For such a drama filled show there was bound to be some funny flubs and the cast of Riverdale didn’t disappoint.
Deleted Scenes – Scenes are scattered throughout the discs and the episodes. There really wasn’t too much of them nor were they that interesting.
