History YMMV / Riverdale

** Critics and viewership returned somewhat for Season 5 as a time jump into adulthood and a promise of improvement ignited by Vanessa Morgan's criticism of the show's tokenism and Archie and Betty's blossoming romance. Season 7 then undid that once more.

*** Bughead shippers, who hate Archie simply due to Betty being in love with him, consequently write and promote the wrong notion that Archie is an abusive, toxic villain who might harm Betty, even though nothing in canon supports this.

* RonTheDeathEater: {{Downplayed}}. Whilst Archie is mostly well liked, some fans portray him as selfish and simply toying with numerous girls’ emotions purely for his own benefit. The reports that he and Betty were going to kiss led to numerous posts exemplifying this. In canon, he’s constantly portrayed as a decent, caring and kind-hearted young man who at worst simply has trouble deciding what he wants. Overall, his actual relationships with women amount to one case where he was clearly being groomed, briefly dating Valerie, and then Veronica. However, some make it sound like he can’t even walk past a woman without seducing then leaving her.

** Archie Andrews: A lot of fans interpret Archie's rejection of romance with either Betty or Veronica in this series as being a result of him still dealing with PTSD and guilt from Grundy's grooming and [[TeacherStudentRomance sexual abuse of him]], rather than his comic book counterpart's infamous indecisiveness.
** Bughead shippers, who hate Archie simply due to Betty being in love with him, consequently write and promote the wrong notion that Archie is an abusive, toxic villain who might harm Betty, even though nothing in canon supports this.

** Luke Perry's former co-star [[Series/BeverlyHills90210 Shannon Doherty]] as the woman Fred sacrificed himself to save.

** Betty and Veronica are bisexual and into each other, and their relationship will happen at some point or even be endgame; though it has been all but confirmed that this will definitely never be canon. Was popular fanon in the comics as well.

** In early Season 1, Betty/Veronica was a fairly popular ship, to the point where many fans took their LesYay as canon. Numerous events throughout Season 2 that put them on opposite sides to one-another have killed the ship, as well as started a feud between Betty fans and Veronica fans. It doesn't help that many former Betty/Veronica fans are disaffected LGBT people who thought they were going to get representation and now feel that they were queerbaited.

* Fanon Disontinuity: Many fans prefer to ignore anything that takes place after the fourth season. Others draw the line at anything after the seventeenth episode of the fifth season. A smaller margin of fans are happy with seasons 1-6, but prefer to ignore the existence of the final season.

* FanonDisontinuity: Many fans prefer to ignore anything that takes place after the fourth season. Others draw the line at anything after the seventeenth episode of the fifth season. A smaller margin of fans are happy with seasons 1-6, but prefer to ignore the existence of the final season.

* CriticProof: From the very first season, the show had detractors who disliked it for either being DarkerAndEdgier, or finding it poorly written. Didn't stop the show from doing well enough to get a seven season run.

** Toni gets this from Bughead shippers. Even before her character was ''ever introduced'' her actress was getting '''death threats''' simply because WordOfGod teased that she would stir some trouble for the ship. It also dips into RonTheDeathEater territory at times.

* Kevin is referred to as "Gay Kevin" to poke fun at the fact that his sexuality is arguably his only defining character trait and plotlines.

** While normal teen sitcom fans balk at the weirdness of Season 3 and beyond and view it as SeasonalRot, ''Riverdale'' also attracted an audience that likes to see how strange the show can get, especially fans of WebVideo/SuperEyepathWolf, who made a video on the show stating that he likes the show for this very reason.

** Polly/Jason, Polly/Cheryl and Betty/Cheryl were all quite well-liked in the fandom. [[spoiler:Then came the reveal that the Blossoms and the Coopers are related, making Polly, Betty, Cheryl and Jason ''cousins''. Cue most of the shippers promptly saying, "...Never mind." Those that remain do so mainly on the grounds that being third or fourth cousins isn't ''that'' close, but for most, it's close enough. Alternatively, [[IncestYayShipping people who still ship any of them]] flat out [[FanonDiscontinuity pretend that they aren’t related at all.]] ]]

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** Chic may be creepy and gives [[OedipusComplex more]] [[BrotherSisterIncest than]] his fair share of [[IncestSubtext incesty vibes]], but many fans point out that he's just so ''pretty.''

** '''Betty/Veronica:''' Beronica
** '''Betty/Archie:''' Barchie, Archetty, Betchie

** '''Archie/Veronica/Betty:''' Beronchie

** '''Jughead/Archie:''' Jarchie

** '''Cheryl/Josie:''' Cherosie
** '''Cheryl/Toni:''' Cheroni or Choni or Blopaz
** '''Veronica/Josie:''' Verosie or Josonica
** '''Veronica/Toni:''' Tononica, Toronica, Veroni
** '''Betty/Toni:''' Tonetty, Bettoni, Coopaz
** '''Archie/Reggie:''' Archeggie

** '''Veronica/Reggie:''' Veggie, Reggonica
** '''Reggie/Josie:''' Joseggie, Reggosie, [=McMantle=], Rosie
** '''Chuck/Veronica:''' Churonica
** '''Chuck/Josie:''' Churosie
** '''Betty/Reggie:''' Beggie
** '''Jughead/Veronica:''' Juronica, Jugonica, Jeronica, Vughead, Ronhead, or Ronniehead
** '''Jughead/Cheryl:''' Chughead
** '''Jughead/Toni:''' Tughead or Jopaz
** '''Jughead/Ethel:''' Jethel, Ethelhead [[note]]This last name is actually used in episode 3.7[[/note]]
** '''Kevin/Veronica:''' Kevonica

** '''Ethel/Veronica:''' Ethonica
** '''Joaquin/Kevin:''' Joavin
** '''Archie/Valerie:''' Archieval, Valerchie, Valarchie, Archerie
** '''Archie/Kevin:''' Archevin
** '''Archie/Grundy:''' Archundy
** '''Archie/Cheryl:''' Archeryl or Charchie
** '''Archie/Josie:''' Archosie
** '''Archie/Dilton:''' Archilton, Darchie

** '''Betty/Cheryl:''' Chetty or Beryl
** '''Polly/Cheryl:''' Peryl or Cholly
** '''FP/Alice:''' Falice
** '''Hal/Alice:''' Halice
** '''Polly/Jason:''' Jolly, Pason, Polson
** '''Archie/Hiram:''' Harchie or Archiram
** '''Penelope/Alice:''' Palice
** '''FP/Fred:''' Fredsythe
** '''Sweet Pea/Betty:''' Swetty

* UnfortunateImplications:
** [[https://blackgirlnerds.com/body-double-proves-great-riverdale/ Black Girl Nerds]] praised aspects of the show but criticized it for not "embracing the social and political" and being "too ignorant to consider the implications behind the only black guy in Riverdale being predatory toward a bunch of white girls and a light-skinned Latina."
** Monique Jones wrote a long article for [[http://colorwebmag.com/2017/02/10/riverdale-react-so-lets-talk-about-chuck-clayton/ Just Add Color]] taking the show to task for its handling of Chuck, wondering if no one in production questioned whether Betty binding and torturing a young black man and calling him "boy" was really a good idea.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54GVYFc7gu8 Andre the Black Nerd]] called out this aspect of episode 3 in an otherwise fairly positive review.
** These [[https://nessamorgannn.tumblr.com/post/620108655627567104/chuck-clayton-barely-any-lines-used-in-one two]] [[https://nessamorgannn.tumblr.com/post/620046312996470784/melody-valentine-used-as-a-background-character posts]] point out how the African-American characters are usually used to further the development of the white characters and then disappear.
%%** The lack of long term same-sex male relationships and way the plots given to many of the male gay or bisexual characters (often [[PutOnABus putting them on a bus]], having them be [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed or manipulated in some way]], or having them be outright villainous) has some unfortunate implications, even if there is representation of female same-sex couples on the show. As of the fourth season the only same-sex male couple on the show are [[spoiler: Chic and Charles, who killed a man and are implied to be serial killers.]]

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Betty keeping a journal filled with the details about Archie's relationship with their music teacher, which would obviously been found by her overbearing mother at one point or another. This is intelligence 101, Betty, don't leave a paper trail, someone who had been so good with investigation up until that point was really stupid to let sensitive information so easily accessible by anyone who has access to her room. Let alone the fact she kept Gurdy's gun in her drawer, when she knows her mother is the one to put her clothes in said drawer and would find it sooner or later.
** Archie going to a bar crawling with Southside Serpents and then accusing a random Serpent of beating up Moose wasn't exactly the smartest thing he's done in the show so far, especially since that Serpent came close to clobbering him after Archie pushed his luck too far.
** Archie is drawn over by the Blossoms' offer of helping him get into music school, enough that he's willing to put his own relationship with Valerie in danger. She's okay with him visiting Cheryl once, but twice is going too far.
** Archie confessing to a murder he didn't commit ''after'' his first trial resulted in a hung jury, which makes the chance of a subsequent prosecution win less likely, and after his legal counsel advises against it. All for the reason he doesn't want to put his friends and family through a trial again, instead believing the emotional fallout of him being ''in prison'' will be better!
** Betty is told by Jughead's best friend since childhood, Jughead's dad, and even Jughead himself that Jughead ''hates'' his birthday and hates parties, ipso facto: it's a bad idea to throw him a surprise birthday party. Betty keeps insisting on throwing one anyway, and is completely flabbergasted that Jughead isn't happy.
** Jughead, having already been warned by his dad not to trust [[WolfInSheepsClothing Penny Peabody]], takes her at her word when she tells him that his dad has been attacked while in jail, to incentivize him to raise the money to pay for his legal fees and agree to help Penny transport drugs. Natch, [[spoiler: she was lying and now has blackmail material on him after filming his involvement]].

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** Quite possibly in response to the [[TheScrappy extreme negative reaction]] from the fanbase the younger Ms. Grundy provoked, the writers [[spoiler:revealing that she was an imposter of the original Ms. Grundy and having her leave town]] can be seen as a way of placating the fans who did not like her relationship with Archie.
** With the announcement that the character of Reggie had been recast for Season 2, after scheduling conflicts with Ross Butler lowered his screen time in the first season, it gives hope that finally the core five members of the Archies can be reunited. As of Season 3, he has been [[PromotedToOpeningCredits upgraded to part of the regular cast]].
** After the criticism Chuck's character attracted in Season 1, Season 2 has him genuinely repentant of his actions and trying to become a better person, putting him more in line with his comic book counterpart.
** In Season 3 Betty specifically goes after shutting down Quiet Mercy for good, after the previous season had the girls inexplicably okay with leaving it running after they rescued Cheryl.
** After much criticism of the show’s reluctance to put romantic moments between its two homosexual couples onscreen, including from Vanessa Morgan herself, “Bizarrodale” focuses very strongly on them.
** After Vanessa Morgan (Toni) called out the show for its treatment of [[{{Sidekick}} black]] [[SatelliteCharacter characters]] (and the pay inegality between actors), the producers give a bigger involvement, more screentime and interactions with other characters than Cheryl for her character after the time skip.
** Fans have grown increasingly annoyed with the main characters repeatedly using Jason’s death to manipulate Cheryl into doing favors for them, and [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic being portrayed as in the right for doing so.]] In Season Five, Archie tries to convince Cheryl into personally funding the Bulldogs by implying she’d be honoring Jason’s memory by doing so, as he was a Bulldog himself. Instead of going along with it as she had for four seasons, Cheryl instead gets furious and rightly calls him out for using her twin’s murder as ploy, and refuses before ordering him out of her house. It mostly worked to appease fans angry about this constant manipulation, though a lot wish it had been Betty— who has used Jason’s death to manipulate Cheryl more than anyone— rather than Archie— who until this scene, never mentioned Jason to manipulate Cheryl and instead has usually been more empathetic to her in general— to have been called out for this.
** In Episode Seven of Season Five, Toni calls Cheryl out on the fact that she has gotten away with absolutely abhorrent behavior due to her money and privilege, and points out that neither Cheryl’s own [[JerkassWoobie traumas]] nor her donations of money excuse her or actually count as making an effort of improve herself or help the town. This scene helped alleviate both complaints about Cheryl being EasilyForgiven for her actions throughout the show, and complaints that Toni has been reduced to Cheryl’s YesMan in their relationship.

** In early Season 1, Betty/Veronica was a fairly popular ship, to the point where many fans took their LesYay as canon. Numerous events throughout Season 2 that put them on opposite sides to one-another have basically killed the ship, as well as started a feud between Betty fans and Veronica fans. It doesn't help that many former Betty/Veronica fans are disaffected LGBT people who thought they were going to get representation and now feel that they were queerbaited.

** On the subject of 'the writers don't know about small towns' the whole "your great-grandfather and our great-grandfather were brothers" plot doesn't make sense either. It would be in records that they were related and other people's families would remember and know that. That kind of thing wouldn't just disappear. Also, just changing your name wouldn't help in a small-town environment, everyone still knows your face. Basically, the majority of Riverdale and possibly surrounding towns would know the Blossoms and the Coopers are part of the same family.

** In a weird way that's clearly unintentional, Chic utterly demolishing Betty's attempt at blackmailing him into a truce and giving her a ''huge'' BreakingSpeech, during which he turns her blackmailing threat against her and threatens to ''blackmail her'' with it instead. It's a little uncomfortable because Chic is a total creep who [[spoiler:basically turned Betty and Alice into accessories for his murder and may-or-may-not even be her brother]], but Betty had been so high-and-mighty beforehand and acting even more obnoxious than usual that the HypeBacklash surrounding her character just enjoyed seeing her be torn down a peg, with some jokingly giving him DracoInLeatherPants treatment for doing it.

** "The Sex Bunker" has made the rounds since Season 3, in which Dilton’s bunker was introduced. Although it’s been used for various things, pretty much every OfficialCouple in the series has slept together in it, giving it its name.

** Betty and Black Hood. Good God, Betty and Black Hood. At this point he's pretty much a full-blown {{Yandere}} for the poor girl. Doesn't help when he's revealed to be ''her own father''.

** Before it was revealed in Season 1 that [[spoiler:Jason and Polly were third cousins, everyone watching the show had pretty much figured out that they must have been related somehow and that was why their parents (particularly Polly's) were so against them being together and why Hal wanted Polly to have an abortion. The most popular theory was that Hal had had an affair with Penelope, resulting in Jason and Cheryl, making Polly and Jason half-siblings. Though the half-sibling theory ended up being false, Hal and Penelope do eventually get together in Season 2.]]

** Also, Penny Peabody, former Serpent and now Ghoulie, who refuses to honor the deal Jughead made with Hiram to turn himself over to the Ghoulies in exchange for a cease-fire, and proceeds [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown to skin the already beaten down Jughead]] in [[RevengeMyopia unearned retaliation]] for Jughead [[PayEvilUntoEvil doing the same earlier]], but for betraying him in the first place by blackmailing him into drug trafficking and [[LaserGuidedKarma earning her an expulsion from the Serpents in the first place]]. So, basically, a double MEH for her.

** Toni was quite unpopular at first, largely thanks to the DieForOurShip from Bughead fans. However, she pretty much became an instant fan favourite once she got with Cheryl and thus was no longer perceived as a threat to the FanPreferredCouple.

*** [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Percival Pickens]] is a centuries-old [[EvilSorcerer Satanist sorcerer]] from the Rivervale universe hellbent on ruling the town. [[Recap/RiverdaleS06E06Chapter101Unbelievable Transported to the Riverdale universe]], Percival begins corrupting the townsfolk, even going back in time to make it a place of racist hatred. Defied by the heroes, Percival summons [[MysticalPlague Biblical plagues]], killing many of the firstborns in Riverdale, and when beaten and taken to hell by the Devil, [[TakingYouWithMe spitefully sets Bailey's Comet to destroy the town]].