Riverdale Season 7 Episode 14 Review: Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One: Archie the Musical
Justin Carreiro
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The show must go on, but for Archie and his friends, the musical isn't the light-hearted tale they want to sing about. The show was more like Kevin's projected fantasy than a grounded musical.
Based on everyone's reaction on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 14, it was clear they weren't jiving with it.
Riverdale's last musical ended its legacy with a round of original songs. However, the plots and teen drama seemed to be retreading themselves, stuck in a neverending refrain of typical Riverdale tropes.
Riverdale musicals always find a way to tie back to the main plot. Even Carrie the Musical on Riverdale Season 2 Episode 18 found a way to connect back to Cheryl's issues with Penelope and Alice's fear of potentially losing Betty.
These nods were great because they gave more weight to the lyrics and what teens were performing. "Archie the Musical" is the most meta version of this style as it hit every nail on its head.
From its original concept, the musical seemed less like a "Grease" and more like a 1950's version of "Highschool Musical 3."
Don't believe me? Let's look at the plots: teens deciding what they want in life and after high school, singing about their romances and desires, and the musical's original ending taking place at the prom. (What team? Wildcats!)
Kevin Keller is no Kelsi, but there were a few Sharpay Evans and Troy Boltons in this group.
The connections seemed to pop up more and more as Kevin's original setlist came to life. From what we learned about his parents, it's no wonder he tried to create this picture-perfect version of senior year.
However, the problem with Riverdale's musical episodes is that it loses focus of the main story and embraces itself too much in the campiness of being a musical. It's almost as if these standalone episodes forget what show it is and wants to be a musical.
That same issue hits whenever Riverdale includes a singing performance, but this is felt more so during musicals.
Like the random spotlights, the whipping and whooshing noises, the fuzzy blending between reality and the musical world, and the randomness of everyone knowing a song Kevin wrote the night before ("This Is Our Song").
Seriously, how did they know all the lyrics?! Kevin said he just wrote it last night.
And then we have the spike in horniness from the cast and scenes.
Archie used to be shirtless a lot on Riverdale, so it felt nostalgic to see that trope pop up again. But Riverdale Season 7 wants its teen hormones trope to be nothing but sexually-charged scenes. This chapter went overboard for no reason.
Is this how you see us? Vapid, khaki, wacky girls fighting over some guy who doesn’t have any interest in any of us?
Betty
Did we need more sex scenes in a song about love and wanting to be their authentic selves ("Do You Know What It's Like?")?
Did we randomly need to have Archie and Julian undressing and singing naked in a school shower together ("All American Mind")?
There's a way it can add where it fits in the flow and blends into the purpose of the plot, like Riverdale Season 7 Episode 3. In this case, it came across as more flash than substance.
Kevin's heart was in the right place with his musical idea. Focusing on his friends would be a relatable topic that would be easy to write for, and people could understand.
However, his plot clearly shows he didn't know his friends well enough to write about them. He only focused on his idealized version of them and what he thought their problems were.
Kevin: And Archie is the main character.
Cheryl: But you just said the show is about all of us?
Toni: Yeah, and Cheryl and I aren’t here to play glorified chorus girls.
Like he should've asked Archie his biggest life decisions before framing an entire musical about him.
It would be one thing if the musical had different stories that framed the plot, but that wasn't the case. Archie seemed to be the focal point; everyone grew out of that. Even Betty and Veronica's new song ("The Universe Inside") was vastly different than the tone of the rest of the Archie musical.
And truthfully, the musical was better for having many perspectives. That new song was beautiful and perfect!
As sad as it is, it's understandable why Principal Featherhead didn't agree to the musical.
If the entire Drama department's budget relied on the sales of this one show, the school would need to be confident they'd make their money back. An original show about a small group of friends is very niche.
Maybe this is the universe telling us to swear off Archie and focus on our friendship right now?
Betty
Don't get me wrong, Kevin wrote many great songs, and they would be perfect if Riverdale High got to do several shows a year. From a budget standpoint, it wouldn't work, and he has to think of the program for next year.
Though, this is Principal Featherhead's fault. He should've told Kevin he needed to run a popular and familiar show.
By letting his hopes up, Kevin and the junior class wasted their time. That's not the mark of a good leader or administrator.
With everything going on in Kevin's life, he didn't need this rejection. Sure, Featherhead wouldn't have known what was happening at home, but his bad decision had consequences.
Why do you think Kevin's parents were separating?
"Archie the Musical" kept it vague about why. This move could partly be about keeping us in the dark until his chat with his mother, something to make us doubt his parents.
My best guess is that they grew apart.
Neither of them seemed happy in their few moments together, but since we didn't see much of Kevin's mother before, we're only left to guess. It would've been better if we had seen hints in past episodes that led to this.
Riverdale Season 7 Episode 14 accomplished one massive thing right: it finally forced Archie to make a decision.
Seriously, the reckless boy next door who flip-flopped between everything, from basketball on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 12 to his romances on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 11, picked a side.
I'm glad he buckled down and thought about it. He needed to do something, even if he let Kevin down by quitting.
Riverdale made him a very inconsistent character. It's about time he has follow-through in something that lasts longer than an episode or two.
Now for his choices, picking poetry over basketball made a lot of sense. He seemed more interested in writing than competing on the court, so this option fits his character well.
Archie was the same way in the original timeline as a football player.
For dating-wise, if he's not interested in pursuing something with Betty or Veronica, he needs to leave them alone.
Archie: Fellas, I’m sorry to do this to you. But I have to step away from this musical for a while for my own mental health. It’s too real, too raw. And I have to figure out some major stuff for myself.
Kevin: Really, Archie?!
Clay: Good luck to you, Archie. I hope you make the right decision about whatever it is you need to decide.
This inconsistency has been frustrating to follow during Riverdale Season 7. He keeps bouncing back and forth between them, having plots abruptly end after he pursues Betty or ends things with Veronica.
There's no consistency or continuity between episodes anymore; it feels like everything starts fresh, and people forget. Something has got to give.
For instance, if Betty and Veronica are going to explore their feelings for each other, let's have that plot keep moving forward.
The difference between "Friday Valentine" and "The Universe Inside" gave us a big dose of energy for where the couple could go next. There had been some light teasing, but the 'ship seemed to be a real thing.
Betty and Veronica were electric during their duet together. Everyone in that room felt it.
Now that Archie is out of the picture, let's hope the 'ship is treated more seriously if Riverdale wants to explore that path. There's a lot of potential and great chemistry to work with.
Last Thoughts From Sweetwater River:
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"I Want Two" sums up Archie's time on Riverdale perfectly. It didn't have to be about deciding between two women; he kept his options open about everything.
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Jughead is a wise boy. It's been long overdue to have a scene of Jughead and Archie together again.
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Did Cheryl and Toni really think they could perform the new song in the show? Their stance was shocking because all four had just recently devised a plan to pretend to be dating each other so they could stay in the closet.
- If you watched "Senior Year" without any context, you would think the episode was aired out of order.
Now, over to you, Riverdale fans.
What did you think of "Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One: Archie the Musical"?
Will Archie regret any of these choices? Will Betty and Veronica explore their feelings for each other? What was your favorite song in the musical?
If you missed the latest episode of Riverdale, you can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
