The distinction between good and great shows is something critics are always dealing with. Riverdale, the Netflix show originally based on the Archie Comics, is in the great category: It has a suspenseful plot line, solid character development, and enough context for viewers who don’t have background information from reading the comic books.

The constantly changing plot line and the characters have earned it an 87 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The appeal to teens and even adults has turned the show into something more than initially anticipated. The show originally was supposed to be made as a movie, yet fans love the series as a show.

The series has been renewed for a third season, according to Elite Daily.

The series begins in Riverdale, a small town where a member of one the founding families (the Blossoms) is murdered. This mystery remains unsolved for some time. The first season finale ended in a cliffhanger, making the show even more gratifying and popular when the channel renewed the show for another season.

In the second season, the show has changed the direction of one of its main characters, Cheryl Blossom. Her sexuality is revealed, and some of the questions surrounding her maniacal and trivial acts of aggression toward the other characters are answered. Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge begin to advance their relationship, and the repercussions of whether the relationship works out or not intensify.

Archie begins to get more socially and mentally invested in the Lodges’ business. Though the business itself is never fully explained, the Lodges have enough wealth to buy buildings and manipulate the city into becoming their pawn.

Although the show has a high rating, there are still flaws. For one, actor Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead, argued to portray his character as asexual, but the directors and screenwriters had a different opinion, so the idea was scratched. One wonders whether this affects Sprouse’s ability to successfully portray the character, knowing his idea was disregarded.

A recurring question that fans are wondering about is the Betty and Veronica kiss. The acknowledgment lasted ten seconds in Season Two when Jughead and Veronica also kissed, after Betty and Archie kissed.

Riverdale has a entire fandom dedicated to specific couples in the show and the characters themselves. Bughead (Betty and Jughead) is one of the most well-known Riverdale couples, or “ship.” Ships are mashups of two names (like “Brangelina” for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie). The show has had many attempted “ships.”

The show has been a career maker for creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and has helped Cole Sprouse develop his own name, rather than being known mostly as Dylan Sprouse’s twin brother. Cole Sprouse (Jughead Jones) last acted in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the spin-off The Suite Life on Deck as Cody Martin.

One of Riverdale’s strong suits is the short, decisive, and concise episode recaps. Whether you miss an episode or not, you can grab onto the plot and development of the story. Though recaps can be repetitive or boring, in Riverdale, the recaps get to the point and jog your memory of the previous week’s episode. Waiting for a new episode is a strong and painful anticipation although the wait is almost always worth it.