Gritty Archie reboot Riverdale releases new character photos

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

I know I've been hard on RIVERDALE, the inexplicable Archie reboot from CW. It's just the TWIN PEAKS-esque darkness seems at odds with Archie's colorful and innocuous world. I mean, these are the same characters who did this…thing:

Anyway, here are a few new pictures gearing up for the premiere.

First up is rebooted Jughead (Cole Sprouse), with a more modernized verison of his iconic "crown" from the comics. I wonder if he eats a shit-load of burgers in this version too?

This one shows us the eternal love-triangle between Archie (KJ Apa), the blonde cheerleader Betty (Lili Reinhart), and the brunette rich socialite Veronica (Camila Mendes), which even got a shout out in the recent AGE OF ULTRON:

And, finally, Josie ( Ashleigh Murray), lead singer of Josie and the Pussycats:

Here's the official synopsis:

As a new school year begins, the town of Riverdale is reeling from the recent, tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom — and nothing feels the same… Archie Andrews is still the all-American teen, but the summer’s events made him realize that he wants to pursue a career in music — not follow in his dad’s footsteps—despite the sudden end of his forbidden relationship with Riverdale’s young music teacher, Ms. Grundy. Which means Archie doesn’t have anyone who will mentor him — certainly not singer Josie McCoy, who is only focused on her band, the soon-to-be-world-famous Pussycats. It’s all weighing heavily on Archie’s mind — as is his fractured friendship with budding writer and fellow classmate Jughead Jones. Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper is anxious to see her crush Archie after being away all summer, but she’s not quite ready to reveal her true feelings to him. And Betty’s nerves – which are hardly soothed by her overbearing mother Alice aren’t the only thing holding her back. When a new student, Veronica Lodge, arrives in town from New York with her mother Hermione, there’s an undeniable spark between her and Archie, even though Veronica doesn’t want to risk her new friendship with Betty by making a play for Archie. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom… Riverdale’s Queen Bee is happy to stir up trouble amongst Archie, Betty, and Veronica, but Cheryl is keeping secrets of her own. What, exactly, is she hiding about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there are dangers in the shadows…

So what do you Schmoes think? Any fans of the original Archie series? And if so, what are your thoughts on RIVERDALE?

Either way, RIVERDALE premieres on the CW January 26th, 2017 at 9 PM ET on The CW. 9