'Riverdale' season 1 spoilers: Why fans aren't too happy about 'hot' Archie; Sabrina The Teenage Witch likely to join cast
Original air date on The CW: Thursdays at 9 p.m.
After the first few episodes of “Riverdale,” fans started to share their thoughts on the various characters, particularly Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa). Many commented that they were not too happy with how the lead character was portrayed as perfect on the show.
As Polygon points out , Archie is an adorable klutz in the comics and this is what endeared him to readers. The Riverdale character constantly found himself in various predicaments because he made the wrong choices and his naturally awkward ways. However, the “Riverdale” version of Archie seemed to be too one-dimensional for fans.
A fan wrote that Archie in the “Riverdale” series was too perfect. Another noted how he was too good-looking. Other descriptions include boring, self-absorbed and annoying. A viewer stated that he was supposed to be accident-prone and downright goofy. In the comics, Archie was a struggling teenager who tries his best to get through the day in the most normal way. He was not supposed to be especially good in sports or music. He was supposed to feel nervous around girls and not overqualified to date Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Veronica (Camila Mendes).
By featuring Archie as a perfect stud, he has become identical to several other lead male characters on teen shows. Fans are complaining about the major shift, although “Riverdale” is trying to introduce the humour from the comics. Showrunner Robert Aguirre-Sacasa mentioned before that “Riverdale” is not a complete adaptation of Archie Comics, but a reimagination of the classic characters in a serious drama.
Aguirre-Sacasa also stated that “Riverdale” is a weird interpretation of the characters and the comics. It will not completely rely on the original source material, which also explains why some of the characters have been altered. “Riverdale” is darker, deeper and emotional, although it will still involve some laughs. Despite viewer complaints, Archie does not seem to be turning more awkward in future episodes.
The showrunner also told The Wrap that “Riverdale” may soon introduce a darker Sabrina (the Teenage Witch), although not in a supernatural way. She will, however, remain a witch, similar to the comics.
“Riverdale” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on The CW in the US and on SyFy in Australia. It also airs on Neftlix US and Netflix Australia.
