Last week, the CW’s fall favorites returned and reminded us all why they’re at the top of their game. Three of my favorite shows returned, and I was stressed out trying to figure out which one to write about. So I’m going to write about all three instead.
“Riverdale”
“Riverdale” is the show I absolutely hate to love. It’s not particularly well-written or well-thought out but I cannot get enough. And with the season two premiere, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to change anytime soon. We pick back up after last season finale’s dramatic cliffhanger: Archie Andrews is driving his injured father to the hospital after he was shot by a mysterious, ski-masked man. Archie, with the help of his best friends Betty, Veronica and Jughead, are all scrambling to make sense of the attack and what that means about their hometown of Riverdale. Was the attack random, or is this personal?
The murder mystery last season was equal parts juicy and intriguing. To me, that was what took this show and broke it apart from every other teen drama out there. They seem to be ramping up the stakes this season and I couldn’t be more excited. But the thing that brings me back week to week is the chemistry between the cast members — that as well as Betty and Jughead’s romance, I’ll admit it. From the kids to the parents, each character is perfectly cast, working so well with one another, that I feel like I’m simply watching a big group of friends making something together. I can’t wait to see what they’ll be able to do this season.
“Jane the Virgin”
I had spent a good week this past summer catching up with “Jane the Virgin.” I had forgotten how extremely addicting this show can be, so when I finally caught up, I was devastated to find that I had to wait for the next episode. Last Friday’s premiere reminded me that it was well worth the wait. We finally get to know more about Jane’s first love, Adam (played by the ever-so-charming Tyler Posey), as the two reconnect after he delivers Jane’s letter from Michael. I was really excited to see flashbacks of a young, hopeless romantic Jane defying her mom and abuela after so many seasons of trying to please them both. I’m even more excited to see this rebellious Jane come out now that Adam is here to stay.
The reason I was behind in “Jane the Virgin” before this summer was I had to take a break due to being overwhelmed by the love triangle between Jane, Michael and Rafael (Team Rafael, obviously). It doesn’t look like they’re going to let that theme die in the show, though if that means more Rafael screen time, I suppose I will survive. Last week’s premiere showed Jane dealing with her feelings for Rafael and Adam in a really mature manner. Add that to the long list of reasons Jane Villanueva should be everyone’s role model.
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Perhaps my favorite show of last fall, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” came back and they didn’t hold back. Last season we were left with a shocking twist as Josh Chan left Rebecca Bunch at the altar, finally showing everyone what I’ve been saying since the first episode: Josh Chan sucks. But, in what was probably the best ending scene in any finale ever, Rebecca swears to get revenge on Josh. We pick right back up on an incredibly depressed Rebecca hiding in her hotel, only to go out, rent “Fatal Attraction” and start her new persona as scorned lover and potential femme fatale.
The premiere also gave what may be one of my favorite musical numbers in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” history, titled “Let’s Generalize About Men,” — a song that seemed like a parody of most conversations my friends and I have after a few glasses of wine. The writing on this show is consistently both incredibly smart and silly. It’s a really accessible satirical look at society and gender roles within it. I’m glad to see the show has kept its snarky attitude and can’t wait to see where it will take us next.
