26 Times Parentdale Was the Best Part of ‘Riverdale’

Riverdale isn’t a show about the parents of Betty, Archie, Jughead, and Veronica, but sometimes it might as well be.

Over the course of Riverdale‘s first four seasons, the members of parentdale have become quite the scene stealers. From Alice to Penelope’s everlasting feud to the hot dads of Riverdale saving the town, parentdale never fails to entertain. 

These characters may be secondary to the story at large, but we can’t get enough of them absolutely eating up that background material. 

With Season 5 including a time jump over five years into the future, we’re really hoping not to lose parentdale in the process of watching the core four grow into young adults. We asked parentdale fans on twitter about their favorite moments.

Here are 26 times when parentdale was the best part of Riverdale:

1. When FP confessed his feelings for Alice 

This is a moment straight out of all of the best romance fanfics. An accidental confession of your deeply buried feelings in a public place, nearly shouted in a desperate outburst that immediately reveals too much? This moment is everything. 

Up until this moment, the relationship between FP and Alice was largely speculation on behalf of the fans as we tried to piece together their past connection. Alice storms into the diner demanding that they not let their kids make the same mistakes they did, which is a line laden with enough angst as it is. 

When Alice talks about her garbage bag of a husband, FP reacts in emotion and reveals that what he really wants is for Alice to leave him…at home. You can tack whatever you want onto the end of that sentence FP, but we all know now, you’re undeniably still in love with Alice Cooper. And no one can blame you really. 

2. When Alice tells FP that she had his baby

In Season 1, a huge part of Alice Cooper’s character development is that she had a son that she had to give up for adoption when she was in high school. It’s not until almost the end of Season 2 that Riverdale reveals that FP Jones is the father of that baby. 

I may be biased (okay I am), but this is genuinely one of the most well-acted and emotional scenes of the entire series.

Alice comes to FP in tears with a secret she’s carried for over two decades. She confesses not only that she had his child but that their child has died. It’s a lot for FP to take in but he does it in stride, keeping her close and comforting her while refusing to let her close herself off again. 

This scene is Riverdale at its soap opera peak and I’d like to see more like it. 

3. When Alice and Penelope fight

These two hate each other, and watching them fight is actually high-key delicious.

Both Mädchen Amick and Nathalie Boltt get some of Riverdale’s most insane one-liners and they carry them off so well. Each time Alice and Penelope come head to head the audience can’t help but gawk as they tear each other apart. 

Alice: Shut your face, you half-melted ten-cent trollop. 

Penelope’s son got Alice’s daughter pregnant and then he died, but their hatred for each other runs all the way back into their high school days. Their physical fight from the fundraiser in Season 1 is paralleled on Riverdale Season 3 Episode 4, “The Midnight Club,” when they throw hands in the girl’s bathroom.

No matter what they’re arguing about, we could watch Alice and Penelope face off all day long. 

4. When Alice showed up to the So-Dale party in serpent chic

What was the reason for this scene? Why was it in slow motion? Why did we pan up Alice’s body in extreme detail on each serpentine piece of this immaculate lewk?

I don’t know the answer to any of those questions, but no one is doing it for the gays the way that Mädchen Amick is on Riverdale. 

After a story surfaces about her southside past, Alice chooses to embrace it rather than running from the rumor mill. She shows up in an outfit that demands the eyes of everyone in the room.

Alice owning her serpent queen roots is one of the standout storylines from Riverdale Season 2, and it’s definitely one we’d love to see return on Season 5. 

5. When Tom Keller was working out in his basement

The only crime that Tom Keller is guilty of is being the most underrated DILF in all of Riverdale. In Season 2, Veronica suspected that Keller was the black hood, and he was using his position as Sherrif to get away with it. 

She invites herself over to Kevin’s for a sleepover in order to spy on his dad. Instead of criminal activity, Keller is just working on his physique and proving to be one of the best dads in Riverdale. Keep up the good work Sherrif. 

6. When Alice ran an actual pedophile out of town 

Listen, we all collectively choose to forget that Mrs. Grundy managed to stick around as long as she did on Riverdale. We can all be eternally grateful to Alice for running the show’s most disgusting plot device right out of town. 

Grundy from the comics was an elderly teacher at Riverdale High, but Season 1 exchanged that characterization for a predatory music teacher.

Despite being aged down, Grundy was still a grown adult seducing a 15-year-old. She then spent much of her time on the show gaslighting and manipulating Archie with predatory tactics to keep him under her thumb.

When Alice found out what was happening, she promptly demanded that Grundy leave down, despite her own misgivings about Archie and Betty.  

7. When we took a trip to the past on “The Midnight Club”

“The Midnight Club” is the single greatest episode of Riverdale, and no, you can’t change my mind.

We spend the whole episode in the early ’90s via Alice Cooper’s memories. The kids play their parents and tell the story of how they were all friends for a time until they weren’t.

We get the origins of FP and Alice’s relationship, details on the love triangle between Hermione, Fred, and Hiram, the secret love that’s always been between Tom and Sierra, and just how deep the twisted roots run in the Blossom family. This episode is formative to who the members of parentdale have become by the present timeline.

None of them were allowed to be with the person that they truly loved, and they all had to isolate themselves to protect each other. In the present, some of them have found their way back together allowing for their arcs to be extra satisfying. 

8. When Mary came out to Archie

It feels so rare for a teen show to make a parent part of the LGBTQIA+ community, so when Riverdale did, we were happily shocked. 

After Fred passed away early in Season 4, Mary Andrews became a more permanent fixture on the show than she had been in the past. Late in the season, they revealed that her “friend” Brooke, who had made a couple of appearances in Riverdale, was actually her girlfriend. 

Realizing your sexuality is fluid later in life like Mary is so common, but so rarely represented on television so we were delighted by this particular twist. 

9. When Alice and FP went on a Thanksgiving double-date with Hermione and Hiram

“The Ice Storm” is probably in the top five best episodes of Riverdale, particularly for this parentdale b-plot. 

Alice and FP head to Pop’s because for the first time, probably since she married Hal, Alice doesn’t have to cook some elaborate Thanksgiving dinner. Hiram and Hermione show up because Veronica ruined their dinner and nowhere else is open. 

The whole episode is a delight, but the parentdale highlights include: Hiram’s incredibly rude reaction to being invited to sit with them, Alice and FP being very in love while Hermione can barely stand being with Hiram, and FP almost going absolutely nuts and killing Hiram in the secret basement speakeasy.

10. When Alice threw a brick at Hal

Season 1 Alice was something else, and her disagreements with Hal were absolutely incredible to watch — and pivotal to her character development.

They’ve disagreed mostly on how to handle their eldest daughter Polly’s teen pregnancy. When Alice has finally had enough, she yeets a brick right through her own business to send a message to Hal. Say what you want about Alice, but she sure knows how to make a scene. 

An honorable mention here is when she finds out that he pressured Polly to have an abortion that she didn’t want (the same way he pressured Alice when they were young), and Alice kicked him out entirely. 

11. When Hermione was herself in Season 1

Hermione isn’t dead, and hopefully, she isn’t going anywhere, but she’s certainly not the same character that she once was.

Hermione was at her best before Hiram came back into the picture. She was consistent, cool, and compelling as the local rich girl went from the top of the social pyramid to the bottom.  

When Hiram is around, Hermione truly suffers both in the narrative as a victim of his abuse and from the lack of her own story in service of his. 

Season 1 Hermione was one of the best characters on Riverdale, we’d love to see her again one day.

12. When FP and Alice finally kissed

The ordeal the snakeparents fans went through to see these two kiss feels bizarre in retrospect.

FP and Alice got back together in the middle of Season 2. They then had a secret relationship for the first half of Season 3, but none of their kisses made it onto the screen until mid-Season 4. 

They’ve now shared a few of these and they’re all perfect little domestic moments that must be cherished. Even though we never got to actually see the biggest turning points in their relationship, seeing FP and Alice get little scenes like this is always heartwarming. 

13. When Fred took Mary and Hermione to the dance 

Listen who wouldn’t want to go to a dance with Fred Andrews? When Mary is back in town, and Fred and Hermione have started rekindling their high school romance, Fred decides to bring both women with him to homecoming as chaperones. 

The beauty of this scene is that no one is jealous.

Mary and Fred got divorced before the series began and there are no ill feelings between the two of them whatsoever. Hermione isn’t threatened by Mary’s presence because she’s an adult with her own complicated marriage, and both Mary and Fred are a breath of fresh air by comparison.

14. When Fred was always there for the Serpents, especially FP 

In Season 1, Fred is probably the number-two reason (behind Jughead) that FP gets his act together. Fred is always there for his friend because after everything he loves him anyway. 

At a booth in Pop’s, FP and Fred reminisce about the old days and being in the Fred Heads together. Its a genuinely soft scene and one of the first times that we get to see what FP was like before, and what he could be like again if he stops drinking, and what draws people in to care for him in the first place. 

While Fred drew boundaries to protect himself and his business, he never really gave up on FP, and that’s real friendship. An honorable mention here goes to that time that Fred hosted as many serpents as he could possibly fit in his home to keep them from becoming homeless at Hiram’s hands. 

15. When Gladys mocked the number of teenagers involved in the local crime syndicate 

Gladys wasn’t good for much, and she was wildly underused during her time on Riverdale. However, she did give us this gem, and for that we are eternally grateful. 

The amount of borderline children involved in massive crime schemes all throughout the town on Riverdale is actually hilarious. But it’s also part of the show’s charm to watch them deal with things so utterly absurd. Moments like this where Gladys brings attention to that absurdity keep things in balance. 

Gladys also gets an honorable mention for assuming that Archie and Jughead were dating. 

16. When Hiram said he wasn’t a 16-year-old nerd

Hiram Lodge is one of the show’s most menacing villains, but resorting to “I’m not a 16-year-old nerd” as his leading line in defense of not being the gargoyle king is incredibly funny. 

The delivery of this line by Mark Consuelos is fantastic because he plays it like Hiram is being completely serious, and no grown man should be able to say that with a straight face.

Plus we know that Hiram used to be a 16-year-old nerd, so he really doesn’t have much ground to stand on here.

17. When Alice summarized the show in one sentence

At the start of Season 4, Betty, Veronica, and Archie are covering up a plot to have Jughead killed at Betty’s hand, and instead of getting their stories straight on the way home they all sit in silence and come up with their own crazed versions of what happened at the party and why they’re in various states of undress. 

Betty’s lie is by far the worst, as she makes up a spill and then stolen clothes filled with plot holes that Alice sees straight through. She tells Betty to her face that her story makes no sense. 

This is a pretty small moment in the grand scheme of things, but Riverdale is in the business of not making any sense, and that’s a good part of why it’s such fun to watch. The show is filled with utterly ridiculous plotlines just like this one, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

18. When FP got rid of a body for Alice 

If you’ve made it this far down the list, then you aren’t surprised that I ship FP and Alice.

Season 2 was honestly like something right out of our wildest fanfiction dreams for these two. To the point that when Alice accidentally kills a “shady man” to protect the person that she believed to be their son, FP doesn’t even question helping her cover it up. 

FP goes out and takes care of everything, destroying the body and any evidence that could lead back to Alice and Betty. When he comes back to them at the diner she thanks him tearfully, and he just continues to comfort her. 

FP: We take care of our own.

Alice was once a serpent too, and these two have a long complicated history of being in love but never quite getting their timing right. If you ask me, this little moment in the diner is one of the most romantic in Riverdale history.

Get you a man who will literally cover up a murder for you, no questions asked. 

19. When Alice roasted Hal for not being a very good serial killer

No one can roast another person right into the ground the way that Alice Cooper can.

She’s had her fair share of zingers that could put just about anyone on the floor, but brazenly taking down her own husband minutes after finding out he’s the serial killer who’s been terrorizing the town is on another level. 

Hal is doing his best to be menacing and evil, and Alice just stands right up and says wow you’re bad at this, also I cheated on you with my high school boyfriend that I never stopped loving, and he’s way better in bed than you are. 

Alice egging him on as a distraction gives Betty the time to get a fire poker and knock him out, but there’s never been a more efficient defeat of a villain than Alice just eviscerating Hal where he stood. 

20. When Chad Michael Murray showed up

You can’t tell me your jaw didn’t absolutely drop when Chad Michael Murray stood up at the end of Heathers The Musical. The farm may have been the worst plot of Season 3 and one of the worst storylines in Riverdale history in general, but this casting was brilliant. 

Chad Michael Murray is a ’90s and early 2000s teen rom-com legend, so having him play a big bad on Riverdale, as a parent no less, is definitely trippy for those of us old enough to remember seeing Cinderella Story in theaters. 

Edgar Evernever was a total wacko who ran a cult that was really a front for an organ harvesting scheme for his fake daughter who was secretly his wife before ultimately attempting to escape arrest by taking off in a rocket, and I’m not sure anyone could’ve pulled that character off as well as Chad Michael Murray. 

21. When Nana Rose said gay rights

Nana Rose is a mixed bag of contradictions as her actions differ based on whose side Riverdale needed her to be on for the sake of the plot, but this move was truly iconic. 

Penelope sent Cheryl to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, which has now been turned into a conversion camp, to punish her for being gay. And she keeps Nana Rose from doing anything about it by sending away the help and leaving her stranded in her wheelchair. 

Nana Rose throws herself to the floor and calls Toni at the school to tip her off on Cheryl’s whereabouts leading to Toni, Veronica, and Josie eventually being able to save her! Gay rights! 

22. When Tom and Sierra got married

When we learned that Tom and Sierra used to be high school sweethearts on “The Midnight Club,” it made their present-day romance that much sweeter. They were forced apart before by their racist parents, then went their separate ways after high school. 

And while they both had other partners at the beginning of the series rooting for their romance over those connections became an easy choice after Kevin’s mom was essentially never written into the picture and Sierra’s ex-husband treated Josie terribly. 

Their romance may be a tertiary plot on Riverdale, but it’s a good one. 

23. When Keller asked Kevin about his dating life  

Kevin started out as one of Riverdale‘s only gay characters, and that’s since been remedied by the addition of Toni, Cheryl, and Fangs (and occasionally Moose). But back in the early seasons when Kevin was the only out character, the story would have him troll Fox Forrest for hook-ups with older closeted men. 

This isn’t exactly a safe message to send young gay kids, so having Keller not only not make a big deal about his son’s sexuality but encourage him to experience it safely is a good way to send the right signals instead. 

Keller is super earnest in this scene and he just wants to protect his son from harm. 

24. When they all teamed up to take down Mr. Honey

Is there a more triumphant parentdale moment than watching every single one of them march through the halls of Riverdale High? I don’t think so. 

Mädchen Amick directed this episode, giving us an absolutely iconic slow-mo moment as they all descend upon Mr. Honey to demand that their kids be allowed to have a senior prom. Each member of parentdale arrives, insistent on getting exactly what they want. 

With the moms leading the pack, Mr. Honey is met with threats from both the PTA and legal action. The dads in the back? Well, they’re just the muscle. I could watch this moment over and over; it never gets old. 

25. When the hot dads of Riverdale came to the rescue

We’ll just walk past Kevin calling his own dad hot and focus on how much we love this squad of truly hot dads. It’s especially satisfying to see the three of them all come together to protect the town from the ghoulies because they haven’t always gotten along.

On Riverdale Season 1, FP didn’t really have his act together. He was an alcoholic gang leader with no intention of getting better. He’d hurt his friends and his family. But by Season 2, he was well on the path to redemption and taking his place on the DILF squad.

Despite their differences, these dads will do whatever it takes to protect their kids. 

26. When Fred was a good dad

Let’s be real, every moment with Fred is one where he was a good dad. Fred Andrews was the best person in this entire godforsaken town, and it’s certainly not the same without him.

There are any number of moments I could list here for how amazing of a father Fred was.

From taking Archie to the border to keep him safe from Hiram to giving him advice about following his dreams and doing the right thing, Fred was always there for Archie, encouraging him to be a good person and stand up for the little guy. 

It’s because of Fred that Archie has become such a likable character that we root for, and Archie carrying on in his memory is the best way to honor him.

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What are your favorite moments from the parents of Riverdale? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and be sure to catch up with our review of Riverdale, Season 4 Episode 19, “Killing Mr. Honey,” right here.

Riverdale will return to The CW in 2021.

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