9 ‘Riverdale’ Side Characters Who Deserve(d) Better (PHOTOS)
Kevin Keller
Kevin’s had a little more to do this season than in seasons past, but still. Out of Riverdale’s main characters, he gets little screentime and very few substantive storylines that don’t involve his sexual orientation at the center — plus, his boyfriends always die or leave town. Kevin deserves better!
Toni Topaz
While “Choni” are great together, sometimes it feels as though Toni’s storyline and character development gets sacrificed in order for Cheryl to have the spotlight. Toni was great in Season 2 when she was fighting against Pickens Day with Jughead and the rest of the Serpents, because that storyline gave her agency and expanded on her backstory. Let’s hope she gets similar treatment in episodes to come.
Josie McCoy
Josie started out having a fair amount of narrative weight in Riverdale’s first season, but since then, unfortunately, her screentime has been dwindling. That’s a pity, because she’s interesting on a number of levels; not only because of her singing, but because of her complex (and often heartbreaking) family dynamic. Now that she’s potentially moving over to the spinoff, maybe she’ll get the attention she deserves.
Dilton Doiley
Deserved better. While he wasn’t a mainstay in the central storylines of Riverdale by any means, Dilton had an interesting backstory and a plethora of survival skills that came in handy for the group when they needed him.
Mary Andrews
By far the most normal mom on the show, probably because she doesn’t actually live in town. Though Mary doesn’t show up too often, it’s always nice to see her when she does because unlike other parental figures on Riverdale, she rarely has an ulterior motive. She just wants to help Archie get through all the crazy goings-on in his hometown and keep him safe. In many ways, that might be a tougher job than being a lawyer!
Polly Cooper
Polly was really interesting in Season 1, but lately her storyline has turned her into a bit of an antagonist. Her relationship to The Farm has made it hard to sympathize with her and put her on Betty’s bad side… which is never a side of Betty you want to be on. Polly Cooper redemption arc, anyone?
Midge Klump
Like Dilton, Midge deserved a whole lot better than what she got. While it might have been necessary to get her out of a relationship with Moose so that he could realize his feelings for Kevin, she didn’t have to die for that to happen! Though she had a couple of unsavory secrets (and on this show, who doesn’t?), Midge was a solid side character who provided both intrigue and a little levity.
Joaquin DeSantos
Joaquin was a complicated character, which was what made him so interesting. While he certainly didn’t do the right thing all — or even most — of the time, he had enough redeeming qualities that it was always interesting to see what he’d do next. And given how he cared for Kevin despite only needing to get close to him for information, it was clear Joaquin had a good heart… it just got muddled by the darkness in Riverdale.
Valerie Brown (and the rest of the Pussycats)
Where did they go? After Season 1, the dynamic among the Pussycats — and the characterization of its secondary members — started taking a backseat. That’s too bad, because the other members of the band were definitely interesting and had quite a bit to say and do. Valerie especially could have offered more to the show, considering how she broke up with Archie!
There’s no shortage of interesting characters on Riverdale, which means — unfortunately — many of them don’t end up getting much time in the spotlight.
That said, many of these background and supporting characters have just enough of a backstory and connection to the mains to leave us wanting more, and, more often than not, scratching our heads when they die in some horrible way (Dilton Doiley, anyone?).
Here are nine characters — some deceased, some still living — who we think earned a bigger focus on the show than what they’ve had so far.
