Riverdale Rewind: Cheryl’s top six scene-stealing moments

1. Cheryl is “sensational”

As previously stated, Cheryl immediately begins opening up to Toni as soon as she realizes that Toni genuinely cares about her. Toni is the first person that cares enough to try to get Cheryl to open up. She thus becomes the first person, other than Jason (Trevor Stines) maybe, that Cheryl confides in about a huge part of herself.

After confessing that she identifies with the titular character (Nick Robinson) of Love, Simon, Cheryl tearfully reflects on the pain of being seen as “heartless” by those around her and opens up about the emotional abuse she’s endured since childhood due to her bisexuality.

Penelope caught Cheryl in the same bed as her first love Heather, when the two were in junior high, and called her own daughter “deviant.” Cheryl had carried that anguish with her ever since. Toni lovingly helps Cheryl see herself as she truly is: “sensational.”

Petsch always brings her A-game as Cheryl, but I think this scene is her best performance of season two. The look Cheryl gives Toni after Toni takes her hand, for example, conveys so much without Cheryl having to say anything. She almost can’t say anything. She’s taken so off-guard by the fact that someone is there for her.

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Fortunately, Cheryl is now quite used to it because in that moment, even before they became a couple, Toni became Cheryl’s “person” in the Grey’s Anatomy sense. Here’s to hoping for more Choni and more Cheryl in season three!