Riverdale Season 3 Premiere

Riverdale, a show that airs on The CW television network, is loosely based on the characters of Archie Comics. Last Wednesday, Riverdale’s third season premiered with “Labor Day.” The synopsis of the first episode of the seasonably prepares viewers for what they are about to witness: “Archie makes a surprising request about how  he wants to spend his final days of summer; Betty must deal with her problems head-on after a heated confrontation with Alice and Polly; Veronica pleads with Hiram to help Archie.”

The last time viewers saw Archie Andrews ( KJ Apa), he was being inaugurated as class president, getting arrested for the murder (albeit a crime he was falsely accused of) of Cassidy Bullock, whose murder was actually organized by Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos).

This season’s premiere opens with the closing statements of Archie’s trial. Archie’s lawyer, his mother, Mary Andrews (played by Molly Ringwald), presents a case to the jury that Archie is a good person, while she prominently references events from the first season, such as the solving of Jason Blossom’s murder and the saving of Cheryl Blossom from a frozen lake.

However, the jury becomes deadlocked. The judge dismisses the court, and they reconvene the following Tuesday (the day after Labor Day) to give their final decision. Archie is left to enjoy what might be his last weekend with his friends and family before possibly going to jail.

Later that day, Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Jughead (Cole Sprouse), and Archie convene at Pop’s Diner.  The girls start plotting to prove Archie’s innocence, but he just wants to have a normal weekend without drama. While that may be his desire, his friends go looking for drama around every corner. On her way to meet Archie, Betty runs into her mother, Alice Cooper (Madchen Amick) and her sister Polly (Tiera Skovbye), who are now both members of a cult. Betty tells them that she is in therapy, though it is later revealed that Betty has just been writing herself prescriptions for Adderall to cope with the fact that her father was “The Black Hood” from last season, and the rest of her family is part of a cult.

Two “missions” are then set in motion. Veronica finds out where the jury is staying and tries to visit them so as to convince them of Archie’s innocence, but she is stopped by Sheriff Minetta. Meanwhile, Jughead leads a mission to recover the Southside Serpents’ pet dog, Hot Dog, from their rivals, The Ghoulies.

When the day for Archie’s fate arrives, the viewer discovers for themselves what comes next.

Seemingly setting up the conflict(s) for the rest of the season. That leaves viewers with a lot of questions about what they will be in store for in the newest season of Riverdale.