I've been hearing quite a lot about the new CW teen drama Riverdale , which premiered last week on Thursday (January 26), so I decided to check it out—and I was pleasantly surprised. Based on the popular Archie Comics characters, the series is set in the fictional small town of Riverdale, where the mysterious murder of rich kid Jason Blossom takes place on the Fourth of July. As it becomes evident within the first few minutes of the pilot episode, Riverdale takes a dark, noir, and subversive spin on the original comics, earning comparisons to shows such as The CW's own Gossip Girl , Pretty Little Liars , and Twin Peaks . The young cast consists mostly of fresh, relatively unknown faces. New Zealander K.J. Apa plays Archie Andrews, a popular, all-American jock who struggles to balance football, his father's construction firm, and his newfound passion for music. Wholesome, girl-next-door Betty Cooper, played by Lili Reinhart, is Archie's childhood best friend,...