Editor’s note: Spoilers for Riverdale Season 7, Episode 17 The Big Picture follow.
This season of Riverdale has made a disappointing misstep by failing to address the trauma Archie experienced at the hands of Ms. Grundy. Despite finally acknowledging Archie’s trauma in Season 6, Season 7 repeats the same mistakes by reintroducing Ms. Grundy in the ’50s storyline. The writers have not learned from their past missteps and are not taking Archie’s trauma seriously.
Riverdale has always tackled heavy topics, but it has often failed to handle them properly. However, there have been attempts to explore how these issues affect the characters. Unfortunately, Season 7 proves that the show has not learned from its previous mistakes as it nears its end.
In Season 1, Riverdale faced criticism for its portrayal of Archie’s relationship with his teacher, Ms. Grundy. The show depicted their relationship as a secret affair, ignoring the underlying implications of sexual assault and pedophilia. Despite the show’s awareness of Ms. Grundy’s predatory behavior, it never addressed the trauma she inflicted on Archie.
Finally, in Season 6, Riverdale addresses Archie’s trauma in Episode 13. This rare moment of depth and cohesiveness examines how the grooming by Ms. Grundy shaped Archie’s life and ruined his love for music. It was a pivotal moment for Archie’s growth and journey.
However, Season 7 disappointingly repeats history. In Episode 16, Archie and Reggie sleep with a grown woman without any memory of their past lives. This echoes the mistakes of the first season, despite Season 6’s powerful exploration of Archie’s grooming.
In Episode 17, Ms. Grundy returns as a teacher at Riverdale High, once again becoming involved in Archie’s life. This time, she coaches him on his passion for poetry, mirroring their dynamic from Season 1. It’s painful to watch Ms. Grundy taint Archie’s love for poetry after she destroyed his love for music before.
To make matters worse, the show treats Archie’s trauma as a joke, with him writing and publicly reading a poem about his desire for Ms. Grundy. It’s sickening to see such a sensitive and harmful subject treated as a gag.
Riverdale had an opportunity in its final season to address these issues and showcase character growth. Instead, the writers repeated their mistakes and failed to take Archie’s trauma seriously. It’s disheartening to see how the show continues to mishandle such an important topic.
Overall, this final season of Riverdale has been a failure, especially in its treatment of Archie’s trauma. The writers clearly did not learn from their past missteps and have made a mockery of a serious issue. This is not a respectful sendoff for most of the beloved characters. Riverdale continues to air on Wednesdays on The CW.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
