Was a little disappointed to not find Nina Dobrev in this season, but I mean, it was only rumored for her to be in this season, it was never confirmed. I might just be a little salty for her leaving TVD the way she did....ANYWAYS. Back to Riverdale.
Things I loved about this season:
1. I loved that they finally branched out of the high school scene and showed them living their lives in the adult world. What I truly loved about this was that they depicted each character going through a struggle in their adulthood. That it doesn't always turn out successful for everyone, and I loved the reality of that.
2. The incorporation of Toni Topaz's real pregnancy! The fact that Riverdale really let Toni's character shine, in spite of her pregnancy in real life. I loved that she was able to be part of the new season.
3. NEW RELATIONSHIPS. As much as I shipped Jughead and Betty, things got weird when they shared their half brother Charles. I felt maybe this was why they decided to have the characters branch out to new relationships. My favorite new relationship to emerge is Ronnie and Reggie. Love that for them.
4. Bringing some backstory in! I always love when shows provide a subtle backstory as to why a character acts the way they do. Seeing Hiram's backstory was nice. Although it doesn't dismiss him being a terrible person, I loved it nonetheless.
5. The Whyte Worm being located under Pop's. The idea of the Southside Serpents having their own place to hangout again made my heart warm, especially because Pop's holds a deep place of comfort for Jughead, who was a former Serpent.
Things that could have been better:
1. The relationships of Fangs, Kevin, Toni and Cheryl really broke my heart. Don't get me wrong, the LGBTQ+ representation was great, since Fangs and Toni's characters are both bisexual. However, it made me wonder why the writers decided to cast it this way now and not earlier in the season.
2. The Southside Serpents have just been irrelevant since Season 2 and I was really hoping to see more of the Southside Serpents. Especially after having their hangout right under Pop's. I also wish we got a bit more screen time with Sweet Pea.
3. Since when did Riverdale become a musical? Other than Josie and Pussycats, when did the rest of them begin to sing? I didn't mind it for the Heathers episode in the earlier seasons, but honestly, there are some shows that are not meant to be musicals, and this is one of those shows.
Things I hope get answered in Season 6:
If there is a season 6, there are a couple of things I hope get answered. For instance, who is the Trash Bag Killer and what is his infatuation with Betty? How did everyone who exiled Hiram not see him plant a bomb? What happens with Cheryl?