The ‘Riverdale’ Cast Is Ready to Graduate

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( exit interview [They’re Finally Ready to Graduate]( Riverdale began as a dark spin on Archie Comics. It’s ending as one of the weirdest teen soaps ever made. Photo-Illustration: Camila Mendes, Casey Cott, Cole Sprouse, Drew Ray Tanner, KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, and Madelaine Petsch [Riverdale]( premiered in 2017 with a simple premise: What if [Archie Comics](, those hokey all-American checkout-aisle stalwarts, were dark? [The CW]( show began as a moody small-town teen mystery centered on a “Who killed Laura Palmer?”–style murder. In this world, adapted by showrunner and executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Archie Andrews ([KJ Apa]() fucked — and he wasn’t just in a love triangle with Betty Cooper ([Lili Reinhart]() and Veronica Lodge ([Camila Mendes](); he was being groomed by Miss Grundy. Betty had a sadistic alter ego. Veronica’s “Daddykins” was in prison for financial crimes and possible drug-trade connections. The Latest TV Recaps • Only Murders in the Building: [Hanky Panky]( • Below Deck Down Under: [Redemption (João’s Version) (Episode 8)](, [Rocking the Boat (Episode 9)]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [DJ Crazy Times Will Never Die “I would love a remix with Aqua or Vengaboys. There should be one remix with an actual group from that era.”]( By Rebecca Alter [Reality TV’s Reckoning Is Coming Ahead of a scathing lawsuit, lawyers tell Vulture, “Frankly, we have been inundated with a litany of horror stories.”]( By Claudia Rosenbaum [Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan Are Two Little Ducks in a Pond Swimming toward their Oscars in the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro.]( By Zoe Guy [Emma Roberts and Kim Kardashian to Slay American Horror Story 12 Delicate’s due date is September 20.]( [Victoria Monét’s ‘On My Mama’ Video Looks Fly, Looks Good With a Ciara homage, Chalie Boy himself, and her own mama.]( By Justin Curto [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Today’s Crossword]( 9-Down, Four Letters: Kelly of An American in Paris. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images [Into It With Sam Sanders]( We consume it all so you don’t have to. Photo: CBS Network TV viewers are faced with ever-dwindling pickings as the Hollywood strikes drag on. CBS’s answer: plugging multiple prime-time slots with one of its longest-running reality shows. Big Brother, now in its 25th season, airs three episodes a week. Contestants living in a house together play bizarre games (often involving slime) to gain advantages, form alliances in their downtime, and vote a person out once a week. But that’s only a fraction of the content on offer. As the name of the show suggests, viewers can tune into live feeds of contestants 24 hours a day. Which means every single problematic thing a contestant might say is on full blast. Which means racism. And sexism. A lot of it over the years. “Big Brother isn’t naturally or inherently more racist, it’s just more on display,” explains Taylor Hale, the first Black woman to win the show (season 24). [Listen to the full episode of Into It]( to find out how Hale faced down racist bullying in her season and why Taran Armstrong thinks Big Brother is the most sophisticated reality competition show on TV today. [Read more from Vulture]( A newsletter of TV and movie recommendations. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved