Riverdale is the runaway hit series by the CW, bringing a lesser known series of the Archie comics to life. The bright and pop worthy nature of the original Archie comics is replaced with a nearly film noir, dark and much more complex story line that includes the mystery and trauma of murder. In the first season on Riverdale, the main characters, which go by the notable names Archie, Betty, Jughead and Veronica, work to solve the mystery of a fellow student’s death. At the end of the season, violence strikes the peaceful town of Riverdale once more as Archie’s father is shot. The finale of Season 1 leaves us with a cliffhanger- who shot Fred Andrews, Archie’s father, and will he live?
Spoiler Alert: Fred Andrews lives. Though Fred Andrews survives and in remarkably good shape, Archie can’t quite get over the fact that his dad almost died. Archie and Fred were at “Pop’s” the local nostalgic fifties-style diner. The restaurant was empty aside from Pop, the owner, when an individual, dressed in all black with a black hood over their face, entered and threatened to shoot Pop. Fred intervened and was shot. Archie froze, as is common in that moment, and neither rushed to his father nor made an attack toward the shooter. In early episodes of Season 2, we witness Archie’s distress as he explains this to his friends. Archie’s symptoms of guilt are just some of the many symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder he displays.
Archie becomes obsessed with finding the man who almost claimed his father’s life. Archie becomes emotional, vengeful, angry, and frightened. He starts acting violently toward others. He has flashbacks and hallucinations about the shooter, feels hyper-vigilant and constantly on edge. Rather than sleep, Archie starts abusing highly caffeinated drinks and supplements so that he can stand guard all night and possibly catch the shooter.
Seeing fictional characters experience traumatic events and then struggle to cope with the trauma after the fact is important. Trauma is a life changing experience and can lead to painful, self harming behaviors without healthy coping techniques.
You can live life with confidence. Everyone has a story before they come to treatment. When you arrive at The Guest House Ocala, you arrive to open, welcoming arms. Our treatment programs are customized concierge style to meet your every unique need in order to heal from trauma, addictions, and other related mental health issues. Call us today for information on life at the estate: 1-855-483-7800