HOW TO REALLY 'MAKE RIVERDALE GREAT AGAIN'

Riverdale's sophomore outing will soon come to a close. After an almost perfect first season, round two was a bit bumpy. While there were some highs (I still maintain that Chapter Twenty is the series' finest episode), there were also some lows (fascist Archie??).

With Riverdale season three presumably premiering this fall, this presents a perfect opportunity to course-correct. Riverdale still has the potential to reach the absolute highs of season 1. Let's look at some ways it can rebound from what many see as a sophomore slump.

Warning: Some spoilers for Riverdale Seasons One and Two follow

Focus on Riverdale As a Whole

What really makes the world of Archie Comics stand out is the ensemble that makes up the town of Riverdale. It's similar to Springfield in The Simpsons. A town that feels like its own world, made up of a variety of unique and memorable characters.

It's something Riverdale was pretty good about in Season One. Sure, some main characters didn't get their due (like Josie...), but Riverdale, both the town and show, felt like a fleshed-out world. Characters like Valerie and Ethel weren't completely fleshed-out, but they had fairly well-rounded storylines. Kevin was pretty much a main character, appearing in almost every episode.

Josie doesn't even feel like a main character at this point.

Season Two really regressed in that regard. The show almost exclusively shined its spotlight on the core four. It makes sense in some regard. Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica are the main characters of the comics. But it also shined a light on the supporting characters in Riverdale, too. 

Josie got some pretty good moments in Season Two, but if it weren't for the fact that she was on all the promo, you'd have no idea she was a main character. Kevin, who was actually upgraded to a series main on Season Two, somehow got even less to do, even with an expanded season. (More on that later...) The Pussycats regressed into background characters. Cheryl, who was Season One's most fascinating character, got seriously (and tragically) sidelined for most of the second season.

The murder of Midge Klump, one of the most important characters from comics, did not have the impact it was surely meant to. She was pretty much a background character in any episode she appeared in, never getting any more than a few lines.

With news that Vanessa Morgan and Charles Melton, who play Toni and Reggie, respectively, will be upgraded to series regulars in Season Three, this brings even more concern. While I'm hopeful that this means Toni and Reggie will receive more development and storylines, I wish this show would give more focus on the main characters the show has now. 

Tighter Storytelling

Part of what made Season One so great was that there never truly was any downtime. The thirteen episode season really forced the righters to cut all of that fat in terms of solving the mystery of Jason Blossom's murder. I was skeptical of Season Two being almost double that length, but I had faith in the writers. And I still maintain that the first half of the second season is generally great. But the middle of the season just feels like the writers stalling while waiting for the Black Hood to return.

I had hopes that the expanded season would allow more character-focused storylines, like Chapter Six in Season One. Chapter Sixteen did go for that, having a Kevin-centric episode. Besides that, however, 

'Tales From the Darkside' may be the series' high point.

Is the solution to shorten Riverdale Season Three back to thirteen episodes? Not necessarily. A length like eighteen episodes would strike a good balance, and we see many network shows are starting to adopt shorter lengths. If we must have a twenty-two episode season, I think it's still possible to maintain Riverdale's greatness.

The big issue with Riverdale Season Two wasn't really it's length, but the storytelling. Should we get another twenty-two episode season, I believe having the season comprised of separate, defined arcs, would be the best course of action. Naturally, plot elements should be expected to carry through the whole season, but this would prevent the season from feeling like it's just treading water. And it really felt like the show was treading water in the middle of Season Two.

Bring Back the Fun

The first season was just fun. A pulpy, noire-esque mystery sprinkled within a teen drama show. It had a campy, self-aware tone. The teenagers are far from realistic, but you still had the sense that these were teenagers who were, at their core, good people. Before the second season aired, many on the show were talking about how the show would be going "darker". I was worried, but was sure the show's campy tone would still shine through.

And it did in certain instances (again, going back to Chapter Twenty). Chapter Thirty-One, the musical episode, was a great reminder of what the show once was. But as the season went on, it just kept getting darker and darker. More and more violent. I genuinely think last weeks installment, Chapter Thirty-Four, was a fantastic episode for the series. It was an intense, frantic episode of television. But there was still something missing. 

I almost wonder if the show would've been better off if it had not coupled off the core four so quickly.

Riverdale was described by many prior to its premiere as a "dark and gritty" adaptation of the Archie world. But it truly wasn't. Sure, there was murder and teacher-student relationships, but it never got too dark. A more apt description would be a "modern" adaptation of Archie. Underneath all of the mystery, it was still a relatively lighthearted show that generally held true to the mythos of the Archie Comics world. 

Season Two stripped a lot of that away. Riverdale, both the town and show, became a violent, overall hateful place. What happened to the show where the characters could grab a booth at Pop's, get a milkshake, and escape the world around them for a bit? I get the desire to explore new genres every season. The first half of Season Two had a great horror movie tone. And putting your characters in more turmoil is almost inevitable in long-form storytelling. But it feels as if Riverdale lost its sense of identity in its sophomore outing. )

Let's Go Supernatural Already

Look. We all know Riverdale is going to go supernatural at some point. While I don't expect it to go full Afterlife with Archie for at least a couple more years, the seeds have already been planted. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is coming later this year (on Netflix, but still). They may not directly cross over (I still fully expect it to happen), but unless told otherwise, these two shows exist in the same universe.

I don't expect Riverdale to be a series about magic and such. But we've already established that something supernatural is going on over in Greendale. I don't expect it to fully bleed over to Riverdale (again, for now at least), but something has had to make its way across Sweetwater River. 

By that I mean that the Blossom family totally has magic running through it. Cheryl's totally a witch.

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I don't think Riverdale is bad now. But it just hasn't reached the heights of its superb first season. I am worried that it won't be able to recapture that magic, but I'm hopeful too. Riverdale has become one of The CW's most popular shows, so it's probably going to be here for at least a few more years. So hopefully the writers can learn from the growing pains of Season Two and fully rebound when it returns for another year.

What did you think of this season of Riverdale? Did you like it more than I did? What're you're hopes for Season Three? Let me know, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @aidansimonds.

(SOME OF) THE COOLEST FICTIONAL WOMEN

Women are pretty cool. But sadly, they tend to be underrepresented in the various forms of media, though strides are being made, there's still plenty of work to be done. And I know, I'm a white male, I'm probably the last person qualified to talk about representation, but I realize the value of having diversity in media. It not only better reflects the world we live in, but it just makes things more interesting. So, with that said, I compiled a list of some of my favorite fictional females out there. I tried to avoid obvious ones, and go with some that may be lesser-known, so these characters can get more exposure.

(Note: Mild Spoilers follow)

Terra Branford (Final Fantasy VI)

The SNES game Final Fantasy VI (or III, depending on when you played it first), technically has no main protagonist. It's true, with fourteen playable characters, the game is much more of an ensemble piece than others in the series. But, if a main character needed to be picked out from the bunch, it would be the teenaged, amnesiac Terra. I mean, her theme is the main theme of the game (and what a theme it is...)! Her story is one of tragedy, forced to work for the evil Gestahlian Empire against her will, Terra slowly comes to terms with the larger conflict she eventually finds herself entangled in, while also discovering more about her past. Now, I'm not going to spoil this game here (even though it did come out over 20 years ago at this point), but let me just say that she is obviously much more than she appears on the surface. 

What makes Terra stand out is her compassion. As a victim of torture herself, she is immediately able to sympathize with others who have been wronged by the Empire. This compassion is shown even more during the latter half of the game, where without saying much, everything goes to shit. Your party has been separated, and Terra finds herself on an island without her companions. All of the adults on the island die, and Terra takes it upon herself to take care of all of the remaining children. The love she has for these children is what ultimately allows her to rediscover her resolve, and she is an instrumental part of the final stand against main antagonist Kefka. She may not be the strongest physically, but she shows that compassion and love are vital tools in a world that is oftentimes sorely lacking in it.

Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel 

One of Marvel's newest superheroes, Kamala Khan has also become one of its most popular. Seen as Peter Parker for a new generation, she is also notable for being one of the first (and one of few still) Muslim characters to lead a comic from a mainstream publisher. This isn't something that is taken lightly, either. Her religion is a big part of who she is, but it doesn't define her. Like Spider-Man before her, she is someone who is suddenly thrust with incredible abilities, and decides to use them for good. She also has to deal with being a teenager in high school on top of all of that. 

At her core, she really is just a teenage girl. She even obsesses over superheroes (including her namesake, Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel)! Kamala is a fascinating look into how the younger generations view religion. She never rejects Islam, but she also knows that she does not want to be restricted by it either. In fact, it's a moment of rebellion that leads her to become the superhero she is today. She may still be a teenager, but she suddenly finds herself thrust into the world of superheroes, even becoming a member of the Avengers (although the events of Civil War II made some changes in her status quo). Balancing high school, religion along with a religious family, being a teenager on top of being a superhero is a lot of pressure, but Kamala Khan manages to handle it all, most of the time.

Betty and Veronica (Riverdale)

The most recent additions to this list, though ironically they are have also existed the longest. Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge are pop culture mainstays, originating in the 1940's. In their original Archie Comics appearances, they were defined by their relationship to Archie Andrews. See, their biggest trait was that they were constantly fighting over him, while still being best friends...somehow. They were polar opposites, Betty being sweet and down-to-earth, while Veronica being rich and vain, yet they were both in love with Archie, and constantly competed for his affectio

ns. But the Betty and Veronica from the new CW series Riverdale are not that. They're so much better.

Betty and Veronica are friends. Like, best friends. They truly care and support each other, and there is no competition between them. The love triangle is still there, yes, but it's presented in a much more grounded way. Veronica knows Betty is in love with Archie, and does everything she can to help her new friend, despite her feelings for him as well. It's truly refreshing to see such a supportive female friendship showcased on screen, between two girls who are still polar opposites. Hell, the two of them would probably be better off without Archie in their lives, who at this point has really done nothing worthy of their affection. I fear that the show will eventually turn to the love triangle that has defined Archie comics for years, but for now, Riverdale is a prime example of how two strong women can have a healthy, loving friendship.

Clementine (The Walking Dead: The Game)

Trying to survive the zombie apocalypse is hard. It's even harder when you're just a kid, one whose parents are out of town as the outbreak happens. When we first find young Clementine, she's stuck up in her treehouse, no one else to depend on, her only source of communication a walkie talkie. Bringing her along with you, Clem slowly develops a strong father-daughter relationship with convicted murderer Lee Everett. But, as always happens in The Walking Dead universe, there must be tragedy, and Clem definitely goes through the ringer in her short life. But, she doesn't let that stop her or define her. She grows from it, learns from it, and uses it to push forward.

Over the course of three (as of now) seasons, we see Clementine grow, both physically and mentally. From the scared little girl we find in the treehouse, to her first time learning how to shoot a gun, Clem slowly evolves into a hardened survivor. Watching her growth is astonishing when you look at the whole picture, especially when people twice her age aren't as composed as she is. But the thing is, she's still just a kid. She may be a lone wolf who can more than survive on her own, but the oldest we see her thus far is still age thirteen. And the moments we see her truly be her age, however brief they may be, are all the more striking. Clem's been through hell and back, but she still carries on, and never gives up.

Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)

Gravity Falls is one of the best shows to come out in recent years. One of the things that makes it so is its world-building, especially with it's characters. If you were to ask me who the best character was, I would no doubt say Mabel, the goofy
twin sister of Dipper. What makes Mabel so great is that she knows she's weird, and she owns it. Of all the characters, the one with the most self-confidence by far is Mabel. Which is so refreshing. Oftentimes when we see a character that's as self-assured as she is, they are someone who is at the top of the food chain, metaphorically speaking. No, she knows she's odd, and that she's never going to "fit in". But that's what makes her great.

She also has one of the best sibling relationships I've seen on TV. Her and Dipper are truly best friends, and while they may not always be a constant presence in each other's lives, they both know they can depend on each other. Especially for what is essentially a kids' show (it was on Disney Channel, after all), it's just nice to see a sibling relationship that isn't based on constant bickering, but rather based on love. Basically, Mabel doesn't care what anyone thinks, whether it's aggressively pursuing boys with love notes, having a squad of boyfriends that are clones, or just spending time with her pet pig Waddles, Mabel knows who she is, and isn't about to change it to please anyone. 

Also, this is the perfect excuse to post this:

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What are some of your favorite fictional female characters? Lemme know by leaving a comment or on Twitter.