Riverdalebegan as a dark spin on Archie Comics.
Its ending as one of the weirdest teen soaps ever made.
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Betty had a sadistic alter ego.
Veronicas Daddykins was in prison for financial crimes and possible drug-trade connections.
And then came the Gargoyle King.
And the Serpent Queen.
And musical numbers, so many musical numbers.
The show ends August 23 as one of the last of its kind: the 22-episodes-a-season teen soap.
Petsch:Were the only people who understand what were going through.
Riverdalehas gone in so many directions since it started.
That night, I found out I got it.
Archie started off very pure-hearted, then all of this crazy stuff started happening.
He started going down this darker path.
Drew Ray Tanner:In our first scene together, you pulled a gun on me.
It was my first time meeting you.
I started when the show was in its second season, and it was massive.
Like, Come on, lets go run some lines.
That was the sweetest gesture.
I waited in the wings.
Apa:You should tell the story of Charles coming in for that first audition.
Charles came in, and I was like,Damn, that guys handsome.
He did a really good job.I walked out, and he looks at me from down the hall.
But youve all had to sing.
Was that part of the audition process?Petsch, Camila Mendes, and Reinhart:No.
Apa:Absolutely not.
Mendes:They didnt even ask.
Petsch:They didnt even care if I could dance, and I play a cheerleader!
Sprouse:They tried with me.
Reinhart:They tried.
Sprouse:It did not work.
Reinhart:It didnt.
Very quickly, before you get going shooting an episode were talking two days you get the script.
And sometimes you dont even have a script.
You just get an email that says, You have a recording session.
Mendes:If theres one thing that show taught us, its how to wing it.
Cott:Theres no conversation.
Petsch:Theres no time for conversation!
Mendes:I sangLadies Who Lunchbefore I even knew what the scene was.
Sometimes it fails, and sometimes it turns out great.
People seeclips taken out of contextand are like,What?
I thought this was about teenagers.And we thought so as wellin season one.
But its really not been easy to feel that youre the butt of a joke.
We all want to be actors; were passionate about what we do.
So when the absurdity of our show became a talking point, it was difficult.
It isWhat the fuck?Thats the whole point.
Cott:It only works if we lean in.
Youve got a fucking talking raccoon fighting aliens in space!
No ones like, This makes no sense.
Were a comic book; its supposed to be fun and fictional and weird.
Sprouse:Go watchEuphoria.
Mendes:But Roberto didnt want to do that.
I think he wanted something that was more outlandish.
Sprouse:Thats the natural life cycle of a cult program.
North America is the only part of the world that raises vocal opposition to the absurdity of the show.
We find a huge audience in France that has a fascination with classic Americana.
Mendes:And dont forget Brazil!
All the shows fan accounts.
Sprouse:This used to be how every actor got their start.
You think about21 Jump Street,Johnny Depp.
You think about Clooney.
These shows used to be that proving ground.
And now theyre not really going to exist.
Petsch:And rightfully so.
But we often pay homage, and this is an homage to Scarlet Witch.
Vanessa Morgan:My moment was when I was eight months pregnant.
Im literally dancing with these snakes beside me, having major anxiety.
Petsch:I had to work withmy brothers corpsefor an entire season.
And that, I thought, was amazing.
Im so thankful that TikTok wasnt very big because my posts would have been horrendous.
How do you feel about the very intense investment that the online fandom has in these characters relationships?
Death threats, really nasty, honestly criminal stuff.
Or is that what fanaticism looks like?
Cott:Theres sometimes a failure to differentiate the characters from the humans.
you could go down an extreme hole if youre looking at that.
Someone got my moms phone number and started leaving voice-mails saying that they were going to come get her.
Morgan:Ive been grateful for it.
Riverdale,AsSeenbyItsLocals
We gave the cast disposable cameras.
Here’s what they captured on set.
Melton on set for a Halloween episode.
Photograph by Lili Reinhart
Morgan, Sprouse, and Petsch.
Photograph by Drew Ray Tanner
Apa and Mendes in Archies car.
Photograph by Cole Sprouse
Apa and Sprouse.
He was Caucasian, and his wife was Chinese, and their son was mixed like me.
I remember introducing myself to him and his mom saying, See, he looks like you!
That was a good feeling.
I dont want to be defined by my ethnicity.
This is also a show where every young character is sexualized.
And I feel like some people were scared of that.
I felt it was really important for our particular relationship.
AndRiverdalehas an equal-opportunity gaze.
The sexualization doesnt just affect the women.Apa:Ive been through a lot of shit with that.
It can mess with your head a little bit.
I was like, Yeah, let me take my shirt off.
And then you gotta consistently stay in incredible shape.
It takes a toll.
Even saying that I didnt feel comfortable I had a hard time with.
I thought people would be like, Why not?
Just fucking do it, bro.
I tried on six different outfits and eventually found something that made me feel remotely okay.
My body does not look like that anymore.
And suddenly this season were 17 again.
Ive looked at myself in the mirror and laughed at myself a couple of times.
I dont look like Im 17, and Im okay with that!
Its just the nature of being on a teen show.
I think its kinky.
Sprouse:I didnt like playing my age.
Mendes:It was cool to play my own age.
Apa:It reminds me of those scenes fromTop Gunin the locker room, you know?
Just so
Sprouse:Erotic.
Petsch:Does anyone remember when I had my whole-ass own church in season five?
I think my favorite line is I am Cheryl Blossom, queen of the bees!
Mendes:I had this long line, and I remember I was like, I fucking hate this!
I couldnt get it, and it was so complicated, but now its my little party trick.
Sprouse:Say it, Cami.
Petsch:Say it, girl.
[Everyone cheers and applauds.]
Petsch:I dont even know what you just said.
Reinhart:I was thinking of when I had to say the Spear of Longinus.
Mendes:The Daggers of Megiddo.
I could speak for probably all of us: We will never again do something thats 100-plus episodes.
I think hes a huge reason why the show is where it is today.
Sprouse:I think he knew everything we were all going to be going through.
And I often think about how he would be sitting answering these questions if he were still with us.
Petsch:Hed wear his little glasses.
Mendes:We were lucky to work with him.
What are you most looking forward to post-Riverdale?Apa:Not having red hair.
Petsch:Im literally going to throw my phone.
Sprouse:This show has created
Apa:Monsters.
Sprouse:Tremendous opportunities for every single one of us.
Apa:But only one of us will make it!
Cott:Im just really excited to hang out with my superhot wife.
Sprouse:Im excited to hang out with Caseys superhot wife.
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