Riverdale Rewind: The best ship moments from season 2

Choni

Riverdale doesn’t go easy on any of its characters, but Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) has unequivocally born the brunt of the trauma on the show, which has been unequivocally sensationalized at times. Whether the producers and writers should have put her character through so much is a valid question, but they did. Nothing will change that fact.

What has changed Cheryl’s life going forward, though, is that the writers and producers have finally given Cheryl a very worthy person to support her, love her and help Cheryl love herself.

Toni (Vanessa Morgan) and Cheryl should have received more screen time in season two, but they were able to form an incredibly strong bond. And, many of their scenes were quite memorable and powerful. Their scene at Pop’s, for instance, made the word “sensational” iconic.

The kiss scene was their best moment, though, because of what led up to it. Cheryl had assumed that no one would come to rescue her from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy because she had grown used to having no one in her corner. Toni’s determination to save Cheryl, along with Cheryl’s poignant relief at finally being a priority to someone made their kiss that much more emotional to watch.

I would also like to point out that Cheryl subsequently held Toni’s hand the entire time while they were running out of the facility, even though she probably could’ve run faster, and, therefore, escaped more easily if she hadn’t. Cheryl was willing to risk getting caught just so that Toni wouldn’t be caught by herself and be left to suffer alone as Cheryl had been.