On Jan. 26 of 2017, the first season of the show “Riverdale” premiered. That first season, and the one to follow, were big hits, especially after they were added to Netflix. However, nothing could prepare fellow watchers for the sudden plummet of the storyline during season 3, along with the fourth season which was released on May 14, 2020. The story takes place in a small town, where four teenage friends, Betty, Archie, Veronica and Jughead, begin to investigate the strange murders occurring in the neighborhood. Each season has a new mystery. But season 4 seems to be the final straw in terms of actual watchable content.

The first major flaw in season 4 of Riverdale is the script. The writer of the show, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, has received loads of criticism. According to an article from The Journal, “Riverdale provides a dizzying mishmash of overarching plot points.” It is rumored that the actors all know that plot has gone downhill, but they have all signed a contract agreeing to 7 seasons starring in the show.

The flaws in the show’s script started to become noticed as early as season 3, specifically when Archie Andrews is in juvie and proposes to organize a football game with his fellow inmates. One of the teenagers responds by saying, “I dropped out [of school] in the fourth grade, to run drugs to support my nana.” To which Archie says, “That means you haven’t known the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of high school football,” in a surprisingly serious tone. This line soon became a widely known joke on the internet.

In season 4, the most prominent issue is the plot. It’s extremely unpredictable and random, even for a drama/mystery show. At one moment, Archie and his friends are mourning the death of Fred Andrews, and at the next episode, they perform an original and horribly rhymed song in public. The clip of the group singing has also become a joke on the internet, and it’s perhaps the main reason that the show is no longer taken seriously.

According to an article by Jay Ruyman, the event that stirred up commotion regarding the acting was when YouTuber Elijah Daniel tweeted, “does the riverdale fanbase know the show sucks and don’t care or do they just not know?” To which KJ Apa, who plays Archie Andrews, responded with, “do your fans know that you’re an idiot or do they just not care?” Later, Ashleigh Murray tweeted back, “Lol he’s worried about a fanbase when none of us know who he is. People recognize me from the back of my head. What do you do?” Since this, Lili Reinhart has deleted Twitter due to negativity, and Cole Sprouse tweeted, “What a nice day to ruin my mood with social media.” The actors have been judged for not being able to handle criticism regarding the show.