In the comic books, Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones have been best friends since 1939. But on the small screen, it took murder, intrigue and one very strange town to bring them together as true pals.
CW鈥檚 Riverdale (Wednesdays, 8 p.m.) is pulling big ratings early in its second season 鈥� last week鈥檚 premi猫re was the network鈥檚 highest-rated telecast among teens in five years 鈥� while allowing Archie (KJ Apa) and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) to enjoy the renewal of their friendship.
They鈥檙e going to need it: After a first season centred on the mystery of a classmate鈥檚 murder, the new one sets a killer named Black Hood on the loose. In May鈥檚 finale, he shot Archie鈥檚 father Fred (Luke Perry), and in the season premi猫re he murdered Archie鈥檚 former teacher 鈥� and lover 鈥� Miss Grundy (Sarah Habel).
All the Riverdale kids are struck by 鈥渁 palpable fear and dread, so we鈥檙e seeing them under the microscope of: 鈥極h my God, am I being stalked? Am I going to be next?鈥� 鈥� says executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa of the series, which is shot around Vancouver.
鈥淲hen characters are in those kinds of extreme situations, they reveal their true selves.鈥�
And being 鈥渢he rock upon which the show is built,鈥� he adds, Archie is on 鈥渁 darker journey this year.鈥�
In the aftermath of his dad (Luke Perry) being wounded in Pop鈥檚 Diner, Archie鈥檚 showing more emotion and vulnerability, especially around his girlfriend, socialite-with-a-heart Veronica Lodge (Camilla Mendes).
鈥淎rchie鈥檚 always trying to take things into his own hands and do what he can to help his friends and family,鈥� Apa says. But everything changed for him after Fred was shot. 鈥淭hat was like his Peter Parker/Bruce Wayne moment, where it completely flipped the switch in his mind and forces [viewers] to see a completely different side to him.鈥�
His sarcastic BFF Jughead has also found love with good girl Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), though circumstances are more complicated for him, too. His father FP (Skeet Ulrich) is in jail, Jughead is finding himself drawn toward his dad鈥檚 gang the South Side Serpents, and his new school isn鈥檛 as nice as Riverdale High.
Sprouse sees Jughead as a 鈥渓ore-building device,鈥� broadening Riverdale鈥檚 horizons to the seedier South Side, and his storyline sets up later episodes, in which a civil war threatens the town and he chooses a side 鈥渢hat is going to dramatically affect where he stands.鈥�
Archie and Jughead work so well together because 鈥渢hey鈥檙e not the same representation of modern masculinity,鈥� Sprouse says. 鈥淎rchie鈥檚 the muscle in many situations, and Jughead鈥檚 the guy being cynical and looking at stuff from a distance and trying to think his way out of a box.鈥�
Apa says their story lines keep them apart for much of this season, but Sprouse adds that 鈥渨e鈥檙e always pulling for more鈥� to satisfy fans and the actors.
