An utter waste of time is the only phrase that comes to mind when attempting to describe the confusing, exhausting, and overall brutal experience that is watching season five of Riverdale.

Riverdale is universally known as the show that had potential in season one; its viewers were pulled in by the intricate combination of mystery and romance. At the time, the cringy script went right over my head and it was an enjoyable enough experience. 

But now, five years since the first episode aired, I have realized that Riverdale season one was the epitome of a goofy, middle school TV show, and ever since has been perceived as a joke rather than a proper way to spend your time. 

Season five starts out with a seven-year time jump into the futures of our four main characters: Archie Andrews, Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones, and Betty Cooper. Much like the previous four seasons, these characters have continued to live out a life of tragedy through drugs, toxic relationships, and murder. 

Even though those adjectives could be used to describe a thrilling murder mystery, they hold no weight when describing Riverdale. When watching, the content feels too scary and/or inappropriate for anyone younger than seventh grade to watch, and yet, any respectable middle or high schooler wouldn’t enjoy the show as it is. 

However, despite my constant dislike for Riverdale, I believe that this poor excuse for entertainment is, unfortunately, coming out with another season. 

Other than the fact that I don’t want to watch another season where each episode seems like ten failed ideas forced together to make one awful plot, the poor actors involved in the making of Riverdale seem to hate it as much as the viewers. 

In interviews with the cast, they have been known to describe the plot as confusing and even cringey. You know something is bad when the actors can’t even justify the content they are performing. When the script, plot, and viewer participation are bad, there is little that good acting can do to fix anything. 

A strange new development of season five is that the show seems to have turned into a musical. With each episode came a new outburst of random performances, and although the show has always had a musical touch, the singing has been in multiple episodes scattered throughout the seasons.

I found this to be particularly weird given that it was never a musical show before season five, and to breach this new creative lens now feels like a desperate attempt to gain attention and press before the show gets canceled completely. 

Someday, I hope to see some of these same actors in TV shows and movies that will showcase their true potential, but until then, I will continue suffering through this series until it inevitably stops airing all together.