4 Changes that need to happen in Riverdale season 3

After a rocky second season, Riverdale needs to make a few critical changes to get back on track for season 3.

Warning: this article contains spoilers about Riverdale’s first and second seasons.

In 2017, Riverdale premiered and quickly became the hottest teen show on television. Its blend of sex appeal, likable performances, lush visuals and engrossing plotting made it feel like a fusion of Twin Peaks and Dawson Creek. Plus, the way the show modernized and remixed the iconography and characters of the Archie Comics on which the series is based gave the show a subversive edge.

Unfortunately, the program ran into a rough patch in its second season. In being forced to nearly double the number of episodes produced in season one, the show’s writers struggled to craft compelling long-term arcs. The tight serialization that made Riverdale’s first season appointment television now felt overextended and tedious. Also, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s decision to make the series darker and edgier in season 2 made it considerably less charming. The show hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6 levels of dourness with dispiriting speed.

Despite its flaws, Riverdale ultimately told enough compelling stories in its second year to remain watchable. And on the back of the show’s recent optimism-inspiring presentation at the San Diego Comic-Con, there’s good reason to suspect the series will get back on track when he returns in October. However, to regain the goodwill the program squandered in season 2, Riverdale will have to make some big changes in season 3. Here are four things the series could do to retake its mantle as TV’s best teen drama.