Riverdale (2017)

What earned the score

• Queer Desire as Denied, Lurid Tease

  Moose insists he is not gay while telling Kevin he wants to experiment with him, and Kevin suggests they begin with skinny-dipping. The exchange frames implied same-sex activity as a tawdry tease, making queer desire part of the episode’s scandal-driven atmosphere while casting its label as something Moose resists.

• Gay Friend’s Attraction to Archie

  Kevin is identified as gay, and he spies on a shirtless Archie and admires his physique. The show gives Kevin a same-sex attraction beat within his friendship with Betty.

• Lesbian Prom Queens

  A lesbian couple campaigns to become prom co-queens and wins. The story gives their same-sex relationship a visible place in the school’s public life.

• Male Same-Sex Desire as Musical Plot

  In the school musical, two male characters sing about wanting to have sex with one another. The production inserts explicit same-sex desire into the show’s theatrical storyline.

• Queer Identity as Affirmation

  A man and woman identify themselves as bisexual and proud members of the queer community, and a gay man responds, “Amen to that.” LGBT identity is presented through an affirming exchange.

• Same-Sex Romance as Routine

  Teen same-sex couples kiss and dance; other episodes show two men making out or kissing, two women flirting, and a female couple together at a fireworks display. The series repeatedly folds same-sex romance into its ordinary teen-soap sexual spectacle.

• Teenager and Adult Teacher Sex

  Archie, a high-school student, is shown having sex with adult teacher Miss Grundy in the back of a car, with movement, skin, and steamed-up windows. The show depicts an underage student in a sexual encounter with an adult.

• Underage Sex Tapes on Screen

  The show includes footage from sex tapes involving Riverdale residents, including underage characters, while withholding the most explicit material. The episode still places minors in an on-screen sexual context.

Details

Set in the present, the series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends, exploring the surreality of small-town life, the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade.

Starring

KJ ApaLili ReinhartCamila MendesCole SprouseMadelaine Petsch

Genre

CrimeDramaMystery

Release Date

Jan 26, 2017

Parents Guide

• Sex Moderate

  The affair between a student and teacher is shown multiple times.

  In all seasons, be made aware that here and there, there will be women shown in their bras, bralette lingerie tops, abdomen or cleavage baring tops, short shorts that show butt cheeks, and short tiny skirts and even scenes where women will dance provocatively on stages.

  A sex scene in season three. Although you can see it coming and skip right past it .Sex, oral sex, and a lap dance are implied and blindfolds are worn. We don't hear any sound from the scene itself due to a track playing but facial expressions clearly depict pleasure and orgasms. Although no nudity is shown, we see both characters in their underwear. This scene is intercut with another scene, dragging it on for about three minutes. But again you can easily just skip it.

  Prostitution is a pretty prominent theme in the shows 5th season. Girls in revealing outfits are shown getting into trucks with men. It is implied this is for sex/drugs. This is part of the ongoing mystery of the season.

  Characters are shown engaging in roleplay before intercourse. Refrences to kinks and 'being kinky'. A character describes another character 'exploring a BDSM-fetish lifestyle'.

  Groups of teenage characters make 'tickle porn' for an online buisness. It is however stated that there is no nudity and it is just a way to make money.

  A young adult male character is implied to be a prostitute as well as creating/distributing Webcam porn videos. This is never shown and only discussed. He also ends up teaching his teenage sister how to make the Webcam videos, however this is also never shown.

  Male/female, male/male, and female/female couples all shown making out with implied sex scenes.

  One of the teen girls talks about being raped, but nothing is shown.

  Moderate.

• Violence Moderate

  Archie punches a patch of ice to free Cheryl from the water she's trapped in. Blood is seen on the ice. The most violent moment in season 1.

  The "Black Hood" terrorizes the town of Riverdale, sending threatening letters to civillians.

  The Black Hood kills two teachers. In one instance, he attacks a female teacher with a cello bow. She chokes and is lifted off her feet as she is strangled with the bow and blood drips from her neck. In the other instance a male teacher is shot in jail, but no blood is shown.

  Jughead and the serpents gang up on Penny Peabody after she scams and threatens them. They kidnap her and drop her off in a forest. Jughead orders the serpents to hold her down as he uses a knife to cut the serpent tattoo out of her arm. The screen turns black before a cut or blood can be shown, but we see Jughead's knife press into her arm as she screams.

  A character is shown hanging on a board with multiple wounds and blood behind her. This is shown in front of many people. This is the most violent moment of season 2.

  A main character is attacked by a bear. Prolonged shot of the bloody wound on his ribs as well as the character unconscious.

  A video is shown on Jugheads laptop from a usb of Clifford Blossom shooting Jason Blossom but the scene changes before the gunshot is heard so no blood or gore is shown

  A man is shown dead from hanging himself. His body is shown hanging for a couple seconds.

  A character is shot in the chest. He falls to the ground and blood is seen soaking through his shirt. Reactions to this depend on how you see the character.

  A girl repeatedly bashes her head into a locker. Some blood is seen on the locker and she's foaming from her mouth.

• Profanity Mild

  b**ch, sl*t, wh**e, and d**k are used alongside lesser profanity like ass. There are only about 1 or 2 bad words every 2 episodes.

  "God," "hell," "d**n," "ass," "b**ch," "b**tard," "wh**e," "sl*t," and "d**k" respectively.

  All swear words are extremely infrequent.

• Drugs Moderate

  Alcohol, tobacco, prescription medication, and heroin use. A fictional drug is also used called "jingle jangle" or "fizzle rocks".

• Frightening Scenes Moderate

  The Black hood calls Betty on her phone multiple times and threatens her, making her cut everyone out of her life or else he will kill them. She cries often due to this treatment. What's more disturbing is that someone close to her is behind all of it.

  There are many instances where teenagers have nightmares about the Black Hood. A girl has a dream in which she is playing the piano and is attacked from behind by the Black Hood. She chokes as her throat is slit. She wakes up choking in her bed. In another instance, a girl has a dream that her family is celebrating christmas and the Black Hood is dressed as santa. He climbs over the couch like a spider to attack her but she wakes up before he does.

  The Black Hood shoots Archie's dad in the side and blood pours from the wound. Archie takes him to the hospital covered in blood.

  When Archie and Veronica are at the "devil's house" We see black and white flashbacks of a man murdering a family, including children. The man smiles as he shoots the family. We don't see blood but we hear gunshots and we see each family member drop to the ground and writhe.

  We see security camera footage/flashbacks of a man shooting his own son in the head. This scene is very hard to watch.

  A major character is struck by a car and dies from the injuries (offscreen). Viewers are not aware of what has happened until it is discussed.

  A female character gets sent to conversion therapy. May be disturbing for some viewers.

  Instances of suicide, self harm, major character deaths, cults, conversion therapy, organ harvesting, monster-like creatures terrorizing teenagers, pedophilia, incest, cannibalism, and frightening sequences throughout the shows run.

  Intense and potentially frightening throughout. Progressively increases in severity as the show goes on.

  Multiple scenes of characters jumping out windows. Sometimes they come out unscathed and other times this results in death.

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