I never expected to fall in love with Riverdale. As a small child, I devoured Archie comic books like Jughead does all food items and was so proud that I went to Riverdale Elementary school. I would rush home from school every day to catch the Archie show on TV and I dreamt of marrying Jughead and having a 3 tiered wedding cake made out of cheeseburgers with a ketchup fountain.

So I was nervous when it was announced that there would be an adaptation of my favorite comics. Teen dramas were always too dramatic for me and grit has never been my style. But this past week I had this bizarre thirst inside me that I knew only Riverdale could quench. And I was hooked after the first three minutes.

The film noir vibes, the timeless nature of the show, and the depth given to a classic “Twin Peaks” style plot was enrapturing and by the time the credits rolled, I knew I had found my new favorite show. I finished the entire show in two days and have been itching to share my love with the world.

And what better way to do that than researching the show I love and sharing set secrets, little-known facts, and fascinating tidbits with all the other Riverdale fans on the internet. And, in true obsessed fangirl fashion, I am writing this article while wearing my Vixens tee and beginning my first rewatch of the series. So without further ado, here are 20 things you may not have known about Riverdale.

20 Not Your Average Headwear

Nothing in Riverdale is done by accident. Every outfit, every set, every single frame is planned out and chalked full of hidden meanings and symbols. Take Jughead’s hat, for instance. Cole Sprouse revealed in his Reddit AMA that the hat has historical origins which relate to Jughead’s character. In the mid 20th century, factory workers had to cut their hats in order to keep the brims out of their eyes. They trimmed the brim on their hats (usually fedoras) and flipped the remaining brim up.

They later passed these hats onto their children when they came of age.

Their children wore the modified hats with pride and they later became a symbol of a non-conformist and working-class spirit. Who else do we know who fits that description?

19 Something Witchy This Way Comes

You may have noticed (as it has been briefly mentioned in numerous episodes) that Greendale lies just across the Sweetwater River. And who lives in Greendale, you might ask? Well, none other than everyone’s favorite teenage witch: Sabrina Spellman. In fact, there were rumors that Sabrina was planned to appear in the first season's finale episode but those rumors dried up like a puddle in July when Netflix announced that they were planning to release their own witchy drama. Though that doesn’t mean that we should rule out magic coming to Riverdale. Lili Reinhart has revealed that she doesn’t think this crossover would work due to the current nature of their show, but some showrunners have revealed that they aren’t prepared to close the door on bringing a supernatural element to our favorite grim little town.

18 Real Life Pop's

Do you find yourself needing a bib due to all the drool running down your chin after watching an episode that features Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe? After powering through the entire show in two days, the only thing I’ve wanted to eat for the past week has been cheeseburgers and strawberry milkshakes.

If only Pop’s were real…

Turns out it is! Rocko’s Diner might not be filled with brooding teens and crooked suspects, but it has great food, 24-hour service, and is situated in Mission, BC. This real-life diner also appeared in the Daniel Radcliffe dark comedy Horns, as well as Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. A replica set was used for the rest of the episodes; however, that replica was so realistic that a group of truckers once pulled onto the set, looking to get some quick and delicious food.

17 Timeless Haze

Similar to A Series of Unfortunate Events, Riverdale was purposefully crafted in a way to make it feel ungrounded in any time period. The retro cars, certain vintage clothes, and classic hangouts (diners and drive-ins) clash with the modern tech, pop culture references, and more modern costumes. These elements are supposed to contradict each other in a way that makes viewers unable to assign a specific time period to the show. The clean-cut buildings, bright colors, and retro feel makes the show feel like a Grease spin-off. But we all know that Sandy and Danny didn’t have access to smartphones and MacBooks. The lack of a defined time period is supposed to invoke a sense of unease and mystery in the audience for Riverdale is a place where anything can happen.

16 Numerology

Have you noticed a certain number which consistently pops up on Riverdale? A certain number continually used for all town events? For some reason, everything in the town seems to be celebrating its 75th anniversary.

What an arbitrary number to cling to… or maybe not.

It turns out that during the production of the first season of Riverdale, Archie Comics was celebrating the 75th anniversary of its initial publication. Archibald “Archie” Andrews first appeared in the 22nd issue of Pep comics in 1941. The character of Archie got his own spinoff comic book series which began in the Winter of 1942 and is still releasing new issues today. In fact, Riverdale is known as the town with pep in attempts to give a salute to the comic that started it all.

15 Haunted Halls And Ghastly Sets

One of the biggest twists of season 1 was the revelation that Polly wasn’t the girl that we were lead to believe that she was. When Betty and Jughead traveled to the convent, I expected to see a rebellious, broken, and unhinged girl who couldn’t be trusted to be on her own. Meeting an intelligent, put together, and stable young woman blew me away.

But what about that “group home?”

The Sisters of Quiet Mercy location sent a shiver down my spine and there’s a reason for that. Those scenes were filmed at Riverview hospital in Vancouver, BC. For those of you who don’t have to drive by this place everytime they want to go to the grocery store, allow me to explain what Riverview is. Riverview was a mental health facility. It's now known as one of the most haunted places in BC.

14 Beauty Comes At A Price

If you can’t tell by the number of times I’ve discussed cheeseburgers in this article, I’ve got an appetite bigger than Jughead’s when it comes to diner food. How is it that set designers get food to look so amazing on TV? But this dream quickly turns into a nightmare when you find yourself having to eat 35 burgers in order to finish a scene. Luckily for the actors, they have spit buckets on set which they can use to dispose of that delicious looking food between shots.

Unluckily for KJ Apa, his use of these buckets is more or less required.

In order to maintain Archie’s famous abs, Apa is required to stick to an intense diet and workout regimen during the filming of the show. I couldn’t even imagine what that would be like.

13 The Girl The Next Town Over

Everyone loves Betty. I mean, how could you not? The beautiful, kind-hearted girl with a hidden dark side, perfectionist next door. Throughout the series, Betty and Archie communicate and watch each other through their bedroom windows. But what if I were to tell you that Betty and Archie’s houses aren’t actually next door to each other?

They aren’t even on the same street.

Though sets are often used during the filming of the show, real houses were used to film some exterior shots. And those houses are literally miles apart. Archie’s house resides in a quaint neighborhood in East Vancouver while Betty’s humble abode lies all the way in Queensborough. For those of you unfamiliar with Vancouver geography, these houses are nearly 17km (10.5 miles) apart. That is a 21-minute drive!

12 Dark Betty Comes Out To Play

Now, this is only a rumor so there is no need to come after me with torches and pitchforks if season 3 proves this untrue. However, there is a reason to believe that ‘dark Betty’ will be coming out to play in the shows upcoming seasons. Dark Betty has been hinted at and slowly revealed, but rumors are predicting that we might shed a little light on the dark side and see Betty slowly start to slip.

Now, I wish her nothing but the best. But she cannot be doing okay.

Spoilers ahead: I mean, she was manipulated and used by the deranged Black Hood and told she was his inspiration. She realized her entire family (and life) has been a huge lie. Betty helped her mom dispose of a body and now she is dabbling in exposing herself online. She cannot keep repressing everything. She’s going to crack.

11 Not So Subtle Costuming

One of my favorite things to do is to consume and analyze media. Some people accuse me of reading too much into things, but in film and television, nothing's a coincidence. Every frame, every outfit, every knick-knack in the background was placed there for a reason. An example of this can be seen in Betty, Veronica, and Cheryl’s makeup. Makeup can be used to hide blemishes and as a means of artistic expression. But it can also be used to convey and understand a character's personality.

Cheryl’s statement maple red lip is used to convey her ‘sass and fire.’

Veronica prefers a darker lip to convey the ‘snake in the grass’ nature of her and her families affairs. And Betty prefers a delicate and feminine pinks shades; except when dark Betty comes out to play. Then she prefers a dramatic and sultry blood red lip.

10 Take A Tip From The Past

What makes Riverdale such a special show? I believe it’s the fact that it was created by a group of intense cinephiles. In one of the behind-the-scenes featurettes for the show’s first seasons, the creators of the show detail their lengthy list of inspiration for the style, story, and general aesthetic of Riverdale.

Inspirations include Twin Peaks, Stand By Me, Blue Velvet, Brick, River's Edge, and the film noir genre in its entirety. In fact, each episode title references a film, show, or novel that inspired an aspect of the series. Not only that, but there are several pointed references to these inspirations throughout the show as well. Including the town sign which is seen in the pilot as well as Alice Cooper's pie cutting scene.

9 Musical-Roles

Like most shows and films, Riverdale struggled with casting their main roles. Sometimes someone walks into the room and you just know that they were born to play this role. Sometimes you tear your hair out after auditioning and endless sea of actors, none of which “fit” the part. In a phenomenon which I like to refer to as “musical roles,” multiple actors were brought in for or auditioned for one role and ended up being cast as another. Cole Sprouse was originally brought in to audition for the role of Archie, but later won the role of Jughead. Madelaine Petsch was originally called in for the role of Betty, but once she arrived at the audition was informed that she was actually brought in to be offered a secret role that was yet to be announced. She agreed and became the Cheryl that we all know and secretly love.

8 Face Your Fears

In a show that features some of society's worst fears, one would think that the scariest part of being on the show would be the show itself. But not for actress Madelaine Petsch (Cheryl Blossom).

For her, the biggest and most nightmare-inducing moment of the show happened early on.

You see, Petsch is deathly afraid of water. She has encountered a few traumatic water-related incidents in the past (one including the bottom of a glass bottom boat giving out) and has developed an intense case of aquaphobia. These scenes which involved Cheryl being near or even submerged in water were exceptionally difficult for Petsch; though it did not show. If someone asked me to do a scene with clowns with angler-fish faces, I don't know if I could keep my cool like she did.

7 In The Dark

It can be hard to keep a secret in today’s age of authenticity, click-bait, and constant streams of news and information. I mean, we online writers get paid per view. Imagine the payout that would follow someone releasing the name of Jason’s attacker before the episode even aired. In order to prevent leaks, the actors were intentionally kept in the dark in respects to who really ended Jason.

Every actor had their own ideas, suspicions, and conclusions.

In fact, both Cole Sprouse and Madelaine Petsch believed that their character was the guilty one. Though there has been no official confirmation, multiple sources have stated that up to 12 different endings were written and filmed in order to keep the secret a secret until the episode aired. Now that is commitment.

6 Objecting To Objectification

One of the first things that is said about Archie in this series is Kevin discussing how good looking Archie has gotten after a summer of working for his father's construction company. Archie’s looks are mentioned several times throughout the series, which has branded both Archie and KJ Apa as a sort of symbol. KJ Apa has something to say about it.

KJ wants to focus on everything that Archie is.

Yes, he is conventionally attractive. But he is also kind, hardworking, and brave. He looks out for his dad and his friends. He is a talented musician and a stellar athlete. Which I think is admirable. There is nothing wrong with considering someone attractive, but typing them as one thing because of that is sort of cruel. Let people be everything that they are and that they want to be; this isn't High School Musical.

5 Gang Origins

Though the Southside Serpents seem like a pretty tough, edgy, and hardcore gang, their origins were comparably quite tame. The show depicts them as leather-clad thugs who have each other's backs and despise the ‘North-siders’ with every bone in their body. But it turns out that the gang that resides in Riverdale (and occasionally butts head with Archie and his ragtag group of friends) was much less intimidating than their live action counterparts. In 1956, a new version of Archie Comics hit the shelves. These comics featured Archie and friends and little tots, struggling through grade school. The Southside Serpents were a gang of tiny thugs who tormented Archie and his crew in the schoolyard through name-calling, athletic competitions, and aggressive baseball matches. Much less intimidating and much more adorable, don’t you think?

4 Silent Movies

Riverdale features an expansive cast, an action-filled plot, and cleverly written dialogue that is both filled with true emotions and constant pop culture references. A lot of work goes into writing scripts. Every line that a character says needs to further the plot in an organic and realistic way, while also taking that characters past, personality, and quirks into consideration.

Doing that for an entire cast of diverse characters sounds like a nightmare.

While rewatching the series, I realized that I had no idea what Jason’s voice sounded like. Although Jason Blossom appears in nine separate episodes in the show's first season, he does not say a single word. Not even in any of the numerous flashbacks he appears in.

3 Save The Drive-In

Like Pop’s diner, the Twilight Drive-In is actually a real place that you can visit. And luckily, no elusive billionaire with alleged ties to the mob has bought the land and forced it to shut down. Though the drive-in is currently closed for the season, in the summer the Twilight Drive-In is a bustling spot for both tourists and locals alike. There’s just something special about seeing a movie from the comfort of your own car. When I was sixteen, my mom, my uncle, my boyfriend (now fiance), my cousin and I went out to the drive-in to catch a triple feature. We saw 17 Again, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Taken. We laid out on the bed of my moms truck, brought some blankets, and ate buckets of popcorn just like Kevin, Veronica, and Cheryl did.

2 Redheaded Rage

Regardless of your opinions of Cheryl, Jason, or Riverdale itself, you have to admit that Cheryl trying to end things was one of the most intense scenes in television history.

I mean, who would even think to do something like this in a frozen river?

Before I ever even considered watching the show, I had seen this scene in its entirety through videos uploaded to social media. I had no idea who these characters were. I had no attachment to them whatsoever. And yet, I remember crying when watching Archie punch through ice in order to save his friend. The intensity of that scene radiated through my skin and down to my bones and I watched in stunned silence. But it turns out that intensity was felt on set too, as KJ Apa went full method and ended up breaking his hand (to no one’s surprise) during filming.

1 From The Page To The Screen And Back Again

It’s not a surprise to anyone that Riverdale was based on a comic book series. In fact, it’s pretty much common knowledge at this point. One of the head writers for Archie Comics actually actively works on the show itself. However, you might not know that Archie Comics is actually considering writing a new series of Archie Comics. They'd be focused on the Riverdale universe and the events of the show. And guess who is interested in penning these comics? None other than Cole Sprouse. I have to be honest here, I haven’t read an Archie comic in years. But this show has relit the flame. I want nothing more than to devour every Archie comic ever written. If they want to produce an in-depth companion comic to follow this new look at Riverdale, then sign me up for that mailing list.