About this video

• Video Title: Riverdale: The Show That Went Completely Insane
• Channel: Super Eyepatch Wolf
• Speakers: Super Eyepatch Wolf
• Duration: 00:44:34

Overview

This video analyzes the television series Riverdale, tracing its evolution from a seemingly normal teen drama to a critically panned and bizarrely popular show. The presenter explores the show's origins in Archie Comics, its shifting narrative tones across seasons, and argues that its value lies in its spectacular failure and entertaining absurdity rather than conventional quality.

Key takeaways

• Origins in Archie Comics: The video begins by discussing the history of Archie Comics, highlighting its traditional, wholesome tone and how Riverdale diverged significantly from this source material.
• Season 1: Mediocre Teen Drama: The first season is described as a standard teen drama with a hint of Twin Peaks, critiqued for its uninspired storylines and clumsy handling of social issues, though praised for its cast's attractiveness.
• The Shift to Insanity: From Season 2 onwards, the show dramatically increased its bizarre and over-the-top elements, characterized by surreal visuals, convoluted plots, and increasingly outlandish storylines.
• The "Attitude Era" of Storytelling: The presenter draws parallels between Riverdale's narrative approach and the "Attitude Era" of professional wrestling, where shocking moments and spectacle were prioritized over coherent storytelling.
• Value in Spectacular Failure: Ultimately, the video posits that Riverdale's true appeal lies not in its quality but in its commitment to embracing chaos and absurdity, making it an entertaining, albeit nonsensical, viewing experience.

The presenter described Riverdale's first season as handling social issues "very badly." They noted that the show would "drag up social issues" but then discuss them with a noticeable reluctance, using the example of slut-shaming where the narrative focused on a character being a liar rather than addressing the societal problem of shaming women for their sexual activity. The show was also criticized for its handling of poverty, with a character from a wealthy background relating her struggles to someone experiencing severe financial hardship.

The presenter's analysis of the Season 1 finale shooting scene illustrated their argument by highlighting inconsistencies that emerged in Season 2, suggesting the original intent was different.

Initially, the scene appears to be a botched robbery: the gunman targets Pop's for money, shoots Fred only when he intervenes, asks for Fred's wallet, and loose bills are seen on the floor. This suggests a straightforward, albeit tragic, crime.

However, in Season 2, the narrative retroactively reframes the gunman as the "Black Hood," a serial killer targeting Fred due to an affair with Veronica's mother. This reinterpretation creates several logical inconsistencies with the original scene:

1. Targeting Pop's first: If Fred was the target, why go for Pop's till first when Fred was visible?
2. Asking for the wallet: Why ask for money if the motive was murder?
3. Loose bills: Where did the money on the floor come from if it wasn't a robbery?

Further evidence presented includes the inconsistency of the Black Hood's eye color, which changed from blue to green between episodes, indicating the character's identity and motivations were not firmly established when the Season 1 finale was written. The presenter argued that this scene was likely written purely for shock value to boost viewership, rather than as part of a planned narrative arc.

The video highlights several examples to demonstrate the increasing surrealism and bizarre storylines in Riverdale seasons 2 and 3:

Season 2:

• Visual Shift: The cinematography becomes more stylized, with intense neon lighting and a surreal atmosphere, making locations like Pop's Diner look vastly different from Season 1.
• Anachronistic Technology: The show uses a mix of modern and retro technology (old cars, corded phones, analog TVs), contributing to a feeling that Riverdale exists outside of time.
• Character Extremes: Reggie, originally a jock, becomes a drug dealer. Archie joins the mafia, buys a gun, and engages in vigilante violence.
• Hiram Lodge: Veronica's father, Hiram Lodge, is introduced as the central villain, depicted with an oversized portrait of himself and unsettling interactions with Archie.
• Serial Killer Family: Betty discovers she has multiple serial killer relatives, including a half-brother who is also an FBI agent and in love with the first brother.

Season 3:

• Archie in Prison: Archie is framed for murder and sent to a juvenile detention center where he is forced to participate in an underground fight club.
• The Farm Cult: A grassroots religious movement called "The Farm" takes over Riverdale High, with its members dressing in white and adopting its lifestyle. This culminates in a surreal musical episode where the cult's influence is dramatically revealed.
• Edgar Evernever: The leader of The Farm, Edgar, is revealed to be much older than the students he recruits. The cult is exposed for secretly harvesting organs from its members to keep Edgar's wife, Evelyn, alive.
• Griffins and Gargoyles Game: Simultaneously, a dangerous game called "Griffins and Gargoyles" spreads through the town, leading followers to commit suicide and murder, and culminating in the appearance of an 11-foot-tall "Gargoyle King."
• Multiple Gargoyle Kings: The Gargoyle King identity is revealed to be multiple people throughout the season, blurring the lines of the mystery.
• Anime-Style Finale: The season ends with the main characters trapped in a deadly, anime-like scenario involving poisoned chalice Russian roulette and fighting "mutant bear men."

The soundtrack in this video is used effectively to punctuate the narrative and enhance the atmosphere of the scenes being discussed.

Here's how it contributes:

• Emphasis and Pacing: Music often swells or changes tempo during moments of revelation, absurdity, or shock, mirroring the on-screen events or the presenter's tone. For instance, dramatic music might play when a particularly wild plot twist is introduced, or a more subdued track might accompany a critique.
• Atmosphere Creation: The music helps to establish and reinforce the evolving tone of Riverdale.
  • During discussions of the early seasons or more grounded moments, the music might be more subtle or less intrusive.
  • When delving into the show's descent into madness, the soundtrack becomes more dramatic, eerie, or even playful, mirroring the surreal and chaotic nature of Riverdale's later seasons. It enhances the feeling of escalating insanity and outlandishness.
• Transitioning between Sections: Music serves as a clear marker for transitions between different seasons or major plot points being analyzed. It signals a shift in focus or a change in the show's narrative direction.
• Adding to the Humor/Irony: In some instances, the music might be used ironically, playing during a moment that is meant to be taken seriously by the show but is presented as absurd by the presenter, thereby amplifying the comedic effect.

Overall, the soundtrack is not just background noise but an active component in the video's presentation, guiding the viewer's emotional response and highlighting the increasingly bizarre journey of Riverdale.

The intro of the video, spanning the first two minutes, masterfully sets a tone of bewildered fascination and dark amusement. The author, Super Eyepatch Wolf, is creating a mood that is simultaneously intrigued and slightly horrified by the subject matter.

Here's a breakdown of how this mood is achieved:

• Juxtaposition of Absurdity: The author begins by presenting a rapid-fire montage of Riverdale's most outlandish moments – a grown woman posing as a student, homoerotic superheroes, a magic word that induces murder trances, subterranean nuns, playing D&D with ghosts, an evil doll, zombies, and an 11-foot-tall Gargoyle King. This barrage of extreme, disconnected events immediately establishes the show's descent into madness.
• Calm, Analytical Narration: Contrasting with the chaotic visuals, the author's narration is delivered in a measured, almost deadpan, and analytical tone. This creates a fascinating dissonance: the narrator is calmly dissecting the utterly insane, which makes the insanity even more pronounced and oddly compelling.
• The Music: The music used in the intro is crucial. It's typically a dramatic, slightly unsettling, yet also catchy piece. It doesn't lean into outright horror but rather a kind of darkly energetic, almost epic tone. This choice amplifies the feeling that these events, while bizarre, are part of a grand, unfolding spectacle. It lends a sense of importance and scale to the madness.

The combination of this music and the wild events you're describing gives goosebumps on rewatch because:

1. Foreshadowing the Descent: The intro serves as a perfect preview of the show's trajectory. Knowing what's to come, the initial absurdity feels both hilarious and a little chilling, hinting at the depths the show will plumb. The music amplifies this sense of impending, epic chaos.
2. The "Car Crash" Effect: The montage creates a "can't look away" feeling, much like witnessing a spectacular accident. The music elevates this by making the chaos feel almost cinematic and grand, rather than just random noise.
3. Confirmation of Shared Experience: For viewers familiar with Riverdale, the intro is a validation of their own bewilderment. The presenter articulates the shared feeling of "how did it get this way?" and the music gives that shared feeling an almost anthemic quality. It's the shared experience of witnessing something so spectacularly bizarre.
4. The Author's Tone: The author's dry delivery alongside the dramatic music and visuals creates an ironic, almost reverent appreciation for the show's sheer audacity. It's not just mocking; it's acknowledging the unique, albeit flawed, achievement of creating such a consistently bizarre narrative. This acknowledgment, underscored by the music, can be goosebump-inducing in its sheer impact.

In essence, the intro sets up Riverdale not just as a bad show, but as a phenomenon of magnificent, controlled chaos, and the music is the score for that unfolding spectacle.