10 things nobody wants to admit about Riverdale

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Riverdale — “Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox” — Image Number: RVD605b_0214r.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Charles Melton as Reggie Mantle, Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller, Alvin Sanders as Pop Tate, Drew Ray Tanner as Fangs Fogarty, Erinn Westbrook as Tabitha Tate, Shannon Purser as Ethel Muggs and Major Curda as Dilton Doiley — Photo: Kailey Schwerman/The CW — © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. /

10. It was one of the most popular shows of its generation

It might be “cool” for some people to drag Riverdale for its off-the-wall plots or its ability to withstand the test of time, but what’s really cool is how this show surprised everyone when it became an unexpected pop-culture phenomenon.

The show was a moderate hit for The CW but that wasn’t enough to make a dent in the pop-culture landscape when it was a teen drama in an era where teen dramas weren’t hitting anymore. It was its weekly arrivals on Netflix internationally, and eventual full release on Netflix in the US, that turned Riverdale into a global phenomenon. Shortly afterwards, the cast were everywhere as fans flocked to the streaming platform to check the series out as if it were one of Netflix’s own originals (and internationally, it was).

As a US broadcast TV show, Riverdale changed the game, becoming one of streaming’s biggest hits – and that is something we should not overlook, because it could very well happen again with another show in the future.

The show was at the center of the pop-culture conversation for a hot minute, with the cast becoming overnight superstars and the show becoming one of The CW’s biggest exports. Sure, that popularity eventually waned, but Riverdale etched itself a place in history as one of this generation’s most-discussed, popular, and beloved TV shows.

Some loved it, some hated it, but everyone was talking about it. And the show will live forever as a cult classic that broke into the mainstream, becoming a favorite for so many. Now that it lives on streaming, it will live forever (and hopefully have the same effect on the next generation).

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