“Our story is about a town, a small town. And the people that live in the town.”

This is the first line of the CW’s hit show “Riverdale” based on the “Archie Comics,” a long-running comic series based on a group of friends in the 1940s, and the shenanigans they get into.

Back in 2017 when the show first made its debut, it was swept up in a whirlwind of popularity, gaining fans of all ages. But does this show really deserve all the attention it’s been getting? With new seasons seemingly coming out every month, is it really worth the watch?

Season 1 primarily focuses on the murder of Jason Blossom, whose death affects the show long after the first season. While some parts seem a little uncomfortable, most fans can agree that it was by far the best season, along with season 2 being much of the same. It was dark and mysterious, while still keeping the plot in a semi-realistic light. Sadly, it’s after these seasons that things start to go downhill. Fast.

Personally, I think it’s the introduction of The Farm, a local cult, and the Gargoyle King, the main villain for season 3, that begin to poison this show’s integrity. Not only are the writers doing too much plot-wise, but both plotlines take an incredibly twisted turn into the areas of drugs, demonic murders, and illegal organ harvesting.

Season 4 and 5 follow in the footsteps of season 3, showing that their plots are equally as confusing and disconnected. Characters fake their own deaths, live with the bodies of their dead relatives, and a secret group lives in the woods, kidnapping and killing people. If any of this seems insane to you, trust me, you’re not alone.

But it only gets worse from there starting with how adult the supposed kids in the show act.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with trying to make the characters of a show seem more adult and mature, but are we as viewers really expected to believe that teenagers joining cults and gangs and getting involved with serial killers is normal?

At this point, it’s just lazy writing with little to no character or plot growth. I mean we’re five seasons in and main characters like Veronica and her father Hiram are still at odds over whose incredibly illegal business is better. Cheryl continues to obsess over her brother Jason’s death, and Hermoine, Veronica’s mother, can’t make up her mind on whether she loves or hates her husband, Hiram. The plot has been recycled so many times that each season seems like a more twisted and confusing version of the last.

But the question still remains: is the show worth watching? To boil it down to a point, no, no it is not. It’s full of contradicting plotlines, little character development, and a few too many shirtless scenes. It’s obvious they’re just covering up the fact that they have no idea what they’re doing. Now, if you’re into that sort of thing, go ahead and watch away. But I must warn you, if you do decide to watch this nightmare of a show, you have to be willing to risk your sanity.