Riverdale Review: Chapter Thirty-Six: Labor Day (Season 3 Episode 1)
Riverdale Season 3 Episode 1, “Chapter Thirty-Six: Labor Day,” is a perfect amalgam of what works best about Riverdale and what doesn’t. Viewers are inundated with a barrage of storylines, promising an action-packed season, if not a particularly good one.
Riverdale has carved itself a very specific niche in the pantheon of teen dramas.
It takes the characters from a relatively benign comic universe and turns them into something much more dark and twisted. To truly enjoy Riverdale, viewers must embrace the sheer absurdity of the series’ over-the-top storylines.
If you find yourself tempted to pull at one implausible thread, the entire show begins to unravel. So, when Archie Andrews is on trial for murder, the fact that there’s no weapon, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead aren’t called to testify, his own mother serves is his attorney, and a ton of other plot holes, all must become inconsequential.
If you drink from this pulp-filled elixir without choking, Riverdale is just a guilty pleasure. Sometimes the show succeeds in this task, but if Riverdale Season 3 Episode 1 is any indication of what’s to come, it may be quickly asking way too much from fans.
There are plenty of enjoyable moments in the Riverdale Season 3 premiere. Cheryl’s full-on transformation into a Sapphic Serpent who is as deadly with a bow and arrow as Katniss Everdeen is hash-tag laden heaven.
Alice and Polly’s unwavering devotion to the Farm, a cult whose elusive and charismatic leader we can’t wait to meet, has Betty spinning out of control. Time and again the biggest threats Betty face are inside the walls of her own home.
The same holds true for Veronica and Hermione. Ronnie’s mother finally reveals what fans have long suspected — she lives in constant fear of her husband.
Even Veronica, who displays a rebellious streak when it comes to dealing with her father, now realizes the dire consequences of crossing her father one time too many.
There is an inherent problem with the female leads of Riverdale: they are often subjugated, controlled, terrorized, manipulated, and victimized by men. Even the unlikable Penny Peabody is mutilated by Jughead of all people.
Ms. Grundy and Midge are killed by the Black Hood. Sierra, Alice, Polly, Betty, Hermione, Ethel, Penelope, and Veronica continue to come up short when battling the men of Riverdale.
Aside from the systematic dismantling of the nuclear family, and the subversive treatment of small-town life, Riverdale Season 3 appears to be introducing a supernatural component.
Polly’s levitating twins serving as the focus of some ritual, Betty’s seizure, and, of course, the Gargoyle King.
It is intriguing to envision a creature roaming the woods surrounding Riverdale, emitting some kind of siren song that appeals to geeky teenage boys. But if this new villain isn’t actually human, is Riverdale jumping the shark?
Fans must contend with the ongoing gang war between the Serpents and the Ghoulies, Hiram’s iron-fisted hold over the town, the aftermath of Archie’s ridiculous self-flagellation, the never-ending challenges facing young lovers, Betty’s futile attempts to steer clear of the dark side, and cult leaders.
Adding a new and complicated malignant force to the mix feels like a bit too much. It promises to be more interesting than the seemingly endless Riverdale Season 2 episodes revolving around real estate deals, but Riverdale is walking a fine line between soapy and stupid; a parody of itself.
What did you think of this episode of Riverdale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Jennifer has been working as a freelance writer for six years, contributing to BuddyTV, Screen Rant, TVRage, Hidden Remote, Gossip On This, and PopMatters. She prefers binge-watching old episodes of The Office (British and American versions) to long walks on the beach. She's still holding out hope that Happy Endings will get a revival.