Cop Fridays: Riverdale's 'Sins of the Father' with a Dark Millennial Twist

     First of all, Riverdale is a very spooky town. It's reminiscent of the 90's, a classic, timeless small town where everyone's parents went to school together. This is an increasingly important part of the plot. I love the relationships between the teens, but their parents have some uncomfortable history, See below) and everyone knows everyone's business. It could easily be Forks, Washington (Twilight) or the elusive but about to return) Twin Peaks, Washington. It's definitely in the pacific northwest because these pasty kids need some sunlight. Even on the sunny July 4th of Jason Blossom's disappearance, a slow fog and chill linger by the river.

     It's Jason's mysterious disappearance and eventual murder that kick up unrest in the town. Sheriff Keller is doing his best with his murder board, but he is out of his depth. Somehow teens Betty Cooper and 'Jughead' Jones (why the name?) are lapping him on mystery solving. All-American gal Betty (Lili Reinhart)  has a stake in the matter. Her sister Polly was dumped abruptly by Jason and sent away for a supposed breakdown. Of course, we discover Polly was sent away like it's 1960 because she's  pregnant with Jason's child. To briefly unpack this Romeo and Juliet scene, The Coopers are tightly wound investigative journalists (at the last non-online newspaper on earth) and the blossoms are old money rich from their maple syrup company. Back int he days of their great grandparents, Mr. Cooper and Mr. Blossom had a falling out and now they must never be friendly! Meanwhile Mrs. Cooper (Madchen Amick, formerly of Twin peaks) manipulates Betty, trying to keep her from crossing over to some unknown dark side.  We saw flashes when she dressed like a hooker and tried to boil the football captain in a hot tub. Betty just wants everyone to get along, but her Scooby gang hi-jinks have been bringing her closer to danger.

     Speaking of danger, Betty's new boyfriend and longtime friend Jughead (Cole Sprouse) is from the wrong side of the tracks.  His dad is an unemployed alcoholic and his mom ran off with his little sister. He spent time living and working at the drive in before it was sold to a mysterious buyer. Now poor Juggy has found some solace. His best pal Archie's dad invited him to crash with them, and Jughead seems to have found stability. His poetic lamenting is a bit much for me, it's goth Dawson-esque and not at all attractive. I wonder why people are friends with him, but I guess he's there to lend an ear. This week, Betty (the less damaged version of Joey Potter) threatened  Jughead's happiness by throwing a party for his birthday, which was crashed by the whole school. She also invited his dad, and in a very un-Dawson like matter, they did not come back together and wipe each other's tears away. Another important note about Jughead's dad (Skeet Ulrich) is that he;s the president of a rough and tumble biker gang, the Southside Serpents. This might have led to his wife taking off. The serpents are responsible for several unseemly things in town, shaking down people for payments, and  possible gay bashing. When the party broke up, Mr. Jones leered at Mrs. Cooper, suggesting they had a thing back in high school. This was too disgusting for words because THEIR KIDS ARE DATING!

     Let's get back to the murder at hand. My first guess was that Jason was murdered by his twin sister, Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch). Cheryl is the typical rich girl, cheer captain, queen Bee, and resident town insultress. But Cheryl has a soft spot for her twin. She was too attached to him from the first minute. The pair went out or an early morning boat row and he alleged downed trying to pull her glove put of the current. This was a lie. Cheryl (like mean girl Abby on Dawson) was covering for Jason so he could run away with Polly. His parents are typically cold and distant, but their grandmother supposed Jason and Polly's romance, offering him her engagement ring. But she had no idea about the baby. Polly explained to her sister that she went to Jason and he never showed up, she thought he chickened out. So we're thinking Cheryl is very sweet, helping her brother sneak off with his forbidden love. I (of the dark mistrust) intermediately thought Cheryl was jealous of Polly and murdered Jason so nobody could have him. At the party this week, a dangerous game of truth or dare led Veronica to accuse Cheryl of twincest. I completely agree with this theory, but it seems a bit too obvious when the characters confirm it.

     As the new girl in town, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) has her own secrets. The New Yorker (Jen Linley much?)  in a small town shifts back and forth between rivals and friends with Cheryl, and instantly bonds with Betty. The tow are ironically known as fighting over football star Archie Andrews, but here it seems like their girl-mance is more important. Betty was classically in love with Archie, confessing to him after he kissed veronica at a party. Brokenhearted Betty finally moved on, and Archie seems to be "totes kewl" with his two best friends dating. Is yesterday's episode, the house party for Jughead's birthday ended with Archie (KJ Apa's) and Veronica's less than innocent sleepover. This came on the heels of Archie being dumped by Valerie. As much chemistry as the pair have together, their relationship is very icky because their parents used to date, and may be dating again The pair recently started working together and were caught making out several times. This is truly a Riverdale scandal because Mr. Andrews (Luke Perry) is still married (the estranged wife moved to Chicago) and Mrs. Lodge's husband is in jail for a Madoff-like scene. Then Mrs. Lodge got the movie theater land for the Lodge company (on the D.L) and fired Andrews's construction group to run the demolition. There are at least 10 major laws broken in this business deal. It's possible Jason's death is tied to Mr. Bloom bringing down Hiram 'Daddy' Loge's company, but it's too soon to tell.

     Finally, let's discuss Archie, the golden boy of town. He became the new quarterback when Jason Bloom died. Let's hold out horses, I don't think Archie had anything to do with the murder, but he certainly hindered the investigation. Archie was busy banging his music teacher (eww, please teens and teachers should not be having affairs because its icky)  in the woods on the morning Jason was shot. It took some time to tease it out, but everyone found out about Archie and Miss Grundy (Pacey), and Miss Grundy was sent packing. Archie  seems despite his misguided love interest, to be a nice kid. I still am a little surprised that all the girls are throwing themselves at him. In the span of a few weeks, it's been Betty, Miss Grundy, Veronica, Miss Grundy again, Valerie and Cheryl. They are all trying to get in his pants. Only one has succeeded, as it looks like Archie and Veronica made out and slept in separate beds. This poor kid is still reeling from his parent's split, but he may soon get some closure. The last moment of the episode ended with Archie's dad coming back from Chicago with his mom, played by Miss Molly Ringwald.

*The parental relationships are a new level on this show. Usually  on a teen drama, there's a few parents and some sort of love triangle or a couple going through a difficult time. Now we're seeing tons of the generation X drama, which I love. I want to see the parents and their relationships and work drama,  but it just seems like a toxic level of towncest here. I wrote myself a note that said: This town is full of creepy creeping. The level of rivalries and incest present in the parental generation of the town downright revolting.




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/03/23/teen-drama-tv-darker-ever/

Fashion or Foe: The Great Shorts Debate

'Jorts' (c) PipPepPop

     I'm heading to a warm climate for a spring break trip, and I'm trying on my summer clothes in the middle of a blizzard. It's moved way past odd timing, since we just got an extra hour of daylight about 2 days ago. I'm officially in a summer shopping binge. As I mentioned last week, it's tough enough to shop for petite fashions, but even more so when they're made to be short. I've encountered shorts problems  most notoriously involving the length. The classic above-knee Bermuda short usually comes below my knee, making it more conservative than your standard 3" inseam 'Daisy Duke' short, but somewhere in-between a short and a capri.

     So where do I continue my shorts struggle? One of the bizarre trends I've noticed on fashion retail websites is the pairing of a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt or long sleeve top. This seems to be a trend per my Google search, possibly made popular by the breezy lake fashions of Dawson's Creek. You can spot Katie Holes in the season 1 credits here, sporting a tied dress shirt top and shorts. I have tried this, but never left the house intentionally in this outfit. The reason for this is that there is never a time when I'm going to be be outside where my legs and arms are not equally cold. I'm definitely not going to pair a sweater with my shorts, as suggested by Ann Taylor Loft and other retailers.  If I'm going to wear a sleeved and shorts, I'm just going to save myself the complaining and put on longer pants to stay warm.

     My other conundrum when it comes to shorts is the style. In an ideal world, you would have a few pairs in different colors, prints and possibly even shapes. I love the idea of classy black or white shorts that can be paired with a cute (short length) tank. I even fancy printed shorts that can be paire with a solid top. In reality, I usually end up searching for a pair of dark blue jean shorts (jorts). Then when washing, I pray the blue doesn't run if it's a particularly hot day. In New Orleans, a brand new pair of blue jean shorts bled all over my fabric bag from sheer sweat!

     In the quest for the perfect pair of denim shorts, there are two types, frayed and finished. While I own some frayed pairs, I'm not a fan. They end up looking too worn soon after the first wash. I'm all for something that I could wear to a picnic or amusement park and not worry about getting dirty, but I shouldn't have to pick off split threads  after each time I wear them. The frayed pair is usually marketed as a cutoff, like you took for favorite pair of jeans and shortened the length. More often than not, I find the shorts are made different from my favorite pair of jeans, either roomier in the leg or gaping around my tailbone. Is there a perfect pair out there? I'll keep looking until I find it.

My ideal pair would have to be:

• A minimum 5" inseam (even as a teenager I didn't want my butt hanging out)
• Evenly finished at the bottom
• Tight enough around my waist that I don't need a belt (#NoBelts) (#NoBoyfriendFit)
• Casual, but could  be dressed up

A Note About Celebrating Halloween Part 2: Teen Dramas

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Out of the 3 Halloween episodes (and Buffy vs. Dracula, which I consider in the same league), it was a tough choice to choose the best. An oldie but a goodie, I went with season 2's "Halloween ", where Giles's old buddy Ethan Rayne comes into town and casts a spell, turning most of the characters into their Halloween costumes. Princess Buffy and Army Commander Xander offer plenty of humor as they are completely clueless to the whole "demons are real" idea. Best line is from Willow's, "You couldn't have dressed up as Xena?" Honorable mention to season 4's "Fear, Itself" where a spooky frat party is haunted by a 6-inch tall demon that feeds on fear. "All the Way" in season 6 was also nice but so Dawn-centric.

VAMPIRE DIARIES
Season 1's Halloween episode (yes there was also a season 2 one but I haven't begun season 2 yet) was a great and solid start for the diaries. "Haunted" unleashed newborn vamp Vicki on the Mystic Falls Halloween party, where Nurse Elena ended up covered in blood and regret.

ANGEL
In a show all about a vampire, the first and only Halloween episode came in season 5's "Life of the Party." Empathic Lorne is sleep deprived and everything he says begins coming true at the Wolfram and Heart office Halloween party.

CHARMED
The most clear Halloween themed episode of Charmed came in season 3's "All Halliwell's Eve." The sisters (Elvira, Butterfly Princess and Glinda) get transported back to the 1700's where they have to use old school magic (apples and brooms) to protect the birth of their great grandmother and the first witch in their family's line. Leo dresses in his old WWII army uniform as well! Honorable mentions to two unofficial Halloween episodes, season 5's "Sympathy for the Demon" where fear demon Barbaras attacks the sisters fears, and season 8's ep where Billie fights crime dressed as a slutty superhero.

FELICITY
Season 1's "Spooked" picked up with Felicity getting close to Ben because they were robbed together. Then Ben gets distant -I know what a shocker. COSTUME highlights: Julie as Catwoman, Elena comes dressed as a SUBWAY employee, Felicity is the Bride of Frankenstein, and Ben shows up as a duchey stockbroker. Honorable mention to the "Twilight Zone" themed "Help for the Lovelorn" in season 2 and the episode where Meghan wants Sean to go to a fetish club. Best line: I think I just saw Ben making out with the pink power ranger." -and not referencing Amy Jo Johnson's Julie- the actual pink power ranger.

DAWSON'S CREEK
The one, and only, Halloween episode of DC came in season 6. So be default, "Living Dead Girl" wins. Dawson throws a Halloween party and thinks he sees the ghost of a dead girl.

A Note About Pregnant Teens on TV

I'm so done with seeing pregnant teens on television, but since I've been reading more glee scoop, I can't help but think of the comical pregnancy of McKinley's former head cheerleader, Quinn Fabray. Here is list of the best pregnant teens on TV:

10. Amy Jurgens (Secret Life) The only reason Shailene Woodley's whiny and obnoxious is on this list is because her hysterics are so dramatic it's to the point of comedy. Next time the drummer in the school band hits on you, follow Nancy Reagan's advice and JUST SAY NO!

9. Adrianna Tate-Duncan (90210) Jessica Lowndes' trampy Beverly Hills teen might be the worst teen mom ever. she was taking tons of drugs during her pregnancy, drinking, and wasn't sure who the daddy was. By the time she got her life together and found sweet Navid, she was considering not giving up the baby for adoption. Looks like she's lost a lot of sleep over not keeping her kid since then. (NOT!)

8. Corey Conway (7th Heaven) Alicia Leigh Willis, known as Courtney from General Hospital, first brought attention to the plight of pregnant teen athletes when she befriended Mary Camden. Plus she married teen father Wilson much later on in the series.

7. Cordelia Chase (Angel) Not only was Cordy pregnant at 18 after a one night stand with a demon, but a few years later she gave birth to one of the ultimate evils and paid the ultimate price, slipping into a coma she never recovered from.

6. Jen Linley (Dawson's Creek) It happened in the five year forward jump of the last episode, but Jen finally completed Gram's worst nightmare, getting pregnant and left by some horrible dirtbag. Of course, BFF Jack was there to step in and help raise the baby.

5. Tess Harding (Roswell) Long before she played pregnant Aussie Claire on lost, Emilie de Ravin was ruining relationships by secluding alien leader (and apparently her husband/alien king from a previous life) Max. One night yielded baby Zan, and finally sent Tess out of Max's life and back to the home planet.

4. Andrea Zuckerman (Beverly Hills 90210) The original teen mom, played by Gabrielle Carteris, was top of the class at West Bev. College came, she got a little irresponsible, and she had to leave the show (and the Bev Hills area) after getting pregnant and married. She ended up divorced :-(

3. Quinn Fabray (Glee) Dianna Aragon's pregnant cheerleader continued to make quippy comebacks until her water broke at regionals. Plus she pitted babydaddy and bad boy Puck against her dumb but sweet boyfriend Finn.

2. Lane Kim (Gilmore Girls) Keiko Agnea's lovable Lane Kim showed that you can be a rock and rolling teen (ok, maybe 21-year old) and still be a parent. It took moving into a house with her bandmates to get Lane to break her mother's tight control over her life. Soon after falling in love with bandmate Zach, three wedding ceremonies and twin baby boys followed.

1. Haley James Scott (One Tree Hill) After a season-long romance with the star of the basketball team,"tutor girl"became "tutor wife" then by graduation she was married "tutor mom". Seven seasons later, she and Nathan are still together and expecting a second child.

A Note About WB Stars Making TV Appearances

     The WB stars of the past and present, mostly the past in this case, have long made TV appearances together on new shows. They're popping up everywhere. Here are 10 great WB reunions in other shows and movies and 3 WB prequel friendships.

Reunited, and it Feels so Good

As part of their packaged deal, I'm convinced, WB stars make TV deals to be in future TV shows with other stars. Here are ten examples:

1. 2010, Life Unexpected 
1. (Shiri Appleby- Roswell and Kerr Smith- Dawson's Creek), as radio cohosts and engaged parents raising her long-lost teenager.
2.  2010, The Vampire Diaries 
1. (Paul Wesley- Everwood, Bianca Lawson- Buffy)
3. 2010, Pretty Little Liars 
1. (Holly Marie Combs- Charmed,  Lucy Hale- Privileged, Bryce Johnson- Popular, Bianca Lawson- Buffy)
4. 2008-2010, Bones 
5. (David Boreanez- Angel, and Brendan Fehr-Roswell)  as his brother.
6. 2008, 90210 
1. (Lori Loughlin- Summerland, Jennie Garth- What I Like About You) and including Shannen Doherty and Greg Vaughn- Charmed, Scott Patterson-Gilmore Girls, and Sarah Danielle Madison- 7th Heaven 
7. 2007, Samantha Who?
1.  (Barry Watson- 7th Heaven, Melissa McCarthy- Gilmore Girls)
8. 2007, Greek 
1. (Appearances by Charisma Carpenter - Buffy/Angel & Jesse McCartney- Summerland)
9. 2006, What About Brian?
1.  (Barry Watson- 7th Heaven, Amanda Foreman- Felicity, and Matthew Davis (The Vampire Diaries)
10. 2006, The Bedford Diaries 
1. (Penn Bagley- future Gossip Girl star, Milo Ventimiglia- Gilmore Girls)
11. 2006, Heroes 
1. (Greg Grunberg- Felicity, Milo Vetmingilia-  Gilmore Girls)
12. 2005, How I Met Your Mother
1.  (Alyson Hannigan- Buffy, and Bob Saget- Raising Dad)                                            with guest appearances by Amy Acker-Angel, Joanna Garcia- Reba, Alexis Denisof-  Buffy/ Angel, Tom Lenk- Buffy, Harry Groener-Buffy)
13. 2004, Fearless (Unaired WB pilot)
1.  (Ian Somerhalder, Bianca Lawson, and Rachel Leigh Cook- honorary WB star).
14. 2004, Jack and Bobby
1.  (starred Bradley Cooper, who links to many proijects with other WB stars, including Greg Grunberg (Alias) , Emma Caufield (I Wanna Marry Ryan Banks), Nick Brendan (Kitchen Confidential)
15. 2003, Veronica Mars
1.  (Guest roles by Alyson Hannigan- Buffy & Charisma Carpenter- Buffy/Angel)
16. 2003, Supernatural 
1. (Jared Paladecki- Gilmore Girls, Jensen Ackles- Smallville)
17. 2002, What I Like About You
1.  (Simon Rex- Jack & Jill, Leslie Grossman- Popular, Jennie Garth - 90210)
18. 2001, Lost 
1. (Emilie de Ravin- Roswell, Daniel Dae Kim-Angel  & GS Greg Grunberg- Felicity)
19. 2001, Alias 
1. (Jennifer Garner- Felicity, Greg Grunberg-Felicity, Amanda Foreman-Felicity, Kevin Wesiman, Felicity)
20. 2000, Gilmore Girls
1.  (Keiko Agnea- Felicity, Danny Strong- Buffy, Chad Michael Murray- One Tree Hill)

     Hold your hats, here we go on some deep dives!

• The appearance of James Van Der Beek on One Tree Hill (2008-2009 season) as a coke-snorting director brought the WB/CW (WC for short) full circle. VDB's director came to Tree Hill to try to direct a movie of Lucas's life story, and the former WB golden boy and resident moody dreamer finally passed on his crown to the WB's reigning golden boy and moody dreamer (CMM), before he left at the end of that season. Now if only VDB had come home  (both shows filmed to Wilmington, N.C.) as his WB character, director Dawson Leary, the earth as we know if would explode. If only....
• Some WB stars were friends before they came to the glorious network, like Lori Loughlin and Bob Saget, who starred as in-laws and co-hosts on Full House. FH stars Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were in a classic episode of 7th Heaven where Simon and a friend go on a double date with the daring twins. The pair also anchored a season of Two of a Kind on ABC, where their uncle was played by Sabrina cast member, David Lascher.
• The original 90210, the one that started it all, starred Shannen Doherty (Charmed, 90210) and Emma Caulfield (Buffy).
• The 1995 Clueless movie and subsequent 1996 TV show starred Elisa Donovan, who went on to play Morgan on Sabrina, and Donald Faison, who played Tracy on several seasons of Felicity. Rachel Blanchard, who played Cher in the TV series, later went on to play Kevin's police partner on 7th Heaven.
• The WB's less publicized shows such as Jack & Jill and Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane (aka Zoe...) launched the careers of other WB stars such as Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Lex Luthor), Ivan Sergei (Paige's husband in the last season of Charmed), and Simon Rex (Felicity once slept with him).