Riverdale is the hottest new teen drama in town. It is based on the characters from Archie Comics and centers around the murder of Jason Blossom, the son of the historic Blossom family of the quiet small town of Riverdale. What excites us the most about this show, other than its attractive cast and crazy twists and cliffhangers, is the fact that it is brought to us by the creators of the Queen of Teen Dramas – Gossip Girl. And even though Riverdale is darker and (dare I say) has a better developed plot than Gossip Girl, here are 7 similarities you will immediately notice between the two shows:
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1. Our New Park Avenue Princess
The show starts off with rich kid Veronica Lodge moving to her mother’s hometown Riverdale from the sparkling streets of the Upper East Side in New York. Some of those words sound familiar? ‘Rich kid’? ‘Upper East Side’? ‘New York’? Yeah. Moreover, her father has been arrested for fraud and embezzlement. Who else do we know had a similar fate? Yes, Nate’s dad, Howard ‘Captain’ Archibald!
2. Gossip Girl Isn’t Anonymous Anymore
You read that right. Gone are the days of hiding behind a computer screen. Stand back, Dan Humphrey, because the new era of gossip is here! And the new gossip girls (yes, plural) are more fearless than ever. Jughead Jones takes the lead, with his ongoing narration of the show (he’s writing a book on Jason’s murder) and ‘Outsider’ tendencies. Even though he’s more on the Inside than Dan ever was, by the end of the first season we see him embracing the shady Southside Serpents, with whom he feels he truly belongs. The other gossip girls are Jug’s girlfriend Betty Cooper with her school magazine Blue and Gold, and her mother Alice with her local newspaper The Register.
3. Make Way for B&V
B&V is the new MVP. Keeping alive the Serena-Blair tradition, we have two protagonist best friends, light and dark haired, who refer to each other by their initials. Yes, I’m talking about Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Let’s face it though. Betty is a thousand times better than Miss Serena ‘Bimbo’ van der Woodsen, and Veronica has way more maturity than Blair did in high school.
4. There’s Always a Student-Teacher Scandal
Dan Humphrey dated the infinitely annoying Miss Carr in the early seasons of Gossip Girl. Similarly, Archie Andrew dates the not-much-better Miss Grundy in the early episodes of Riverdale. But that’s about the only similarity between the two characters. Instead, Archibald Andrews takes after Golden Boy Nate Archibald, and not only do they share the same name, but also their ever-present confusion about which girl they actually like.
5. The High School Sweethearts
Hell yes, Veronica’s mother Hermione Lodge and Archie’s dad Fred Andrews used to be high school sweethearts. We all know the rest – the girl leaves the guy for a richer man and they still harbour feelings for each other in secret which come out when they reunite after years. Rufus and Lily, I’m looking at you! This one is textbook Gossip Girl, though I have to say I like Hermione way more than I’ve ever liked Lily. Let’s hope the later seasons don’t change that.
6. Chuck It All The Way
Riverdale has its very own Casanova in the form of Chuck Clayton. Remember those questionable early days of the legendary Chuck Bass? The Serena Coercion, The Little J Manipulation, and waking up with three different women every day? The Clayton guy has it all, from exploiting dozens of girls to keeping score in a secret notebook with his friends. What he doesn’t have though, is the rare Bass Charm. I mean, come on, there can only be one Chuck Bass.
7. New Queen B Crowned
Blair Cornelia Waldorf will always be the Queen Bee of our hearts. But Cheryl Blossom, my personal favourite on Riverdale, has proved within 13 episodes that she is a serious force to be reckoned with. She gives off some major Waldorf vibes – the nose in the air, the elegance and sophistication, the impeccable fashion sense. But her character is undoubtedly more complex than Blair’s and exudes a discomforting sense of foreboding. I wish there isn’t some shocking revelation about her as the show progresses. But knowing the Gossip Girl creators, there most probably will.
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