Riverdale has returned with yet another musical special - this time adapting the beloved LGBTQ+ musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Episode 17, Wicked Little Town - which has already aired in the US and is set to drop in the UK today - sees Kevin Keller (Casey Cott) trying to revive the school’s tradition of hosting a variety show.
Kevin wants to perform a number from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, saying the show “celebrates identities, genders, expressions of all kinds, and it speaks to my entire generation.”
When their menacing principal Mr Honey deems it “inappropriate,” the school rebels, with Kevin and his classmates all performing a different song from the hit musical.
The songs from the musical are weaved in as part of the plot, with songs like Tear Me Down, Random Number Generation and Origins of Love being performed by the likes of Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes).
But despite the usual popularity of the show's musical editions, it seems as though fans have mixed reviews over this season's high-energy episode.
Some praised the musical numbers and Cott’s performance:
However, others were not so complimentary, with fans of the original musical calling the episode a “train wreck” and saying the cast "butchered" the beloved show.
Official reviews of the episode are also mixed; Den of Geek said Riverdale made a smart choice to weave the songs into a plot about the principal trying to forbid a production of the show, rather than a performance of the show itself.
“The mature subject matter of Hedwig is wisely transformed into a plot point here with Mr. Honey (Kerr Smith at his smarmy best) refusing to let Kevin perform a number from the musical at Riverdale High’s upcoming variety show,” wrote Chris Cummins.
“While most of the singing here ranges from passable to great, the spirit of Hedwig and the Angry Inch lives on here, despite the compromises needed to bring the show to CW primetime. The ultimate success of this episode is that it will introduce a new audience to the musical.”
The AV Club praised Cott’s performance, writing: “Kevin’s rebellion numbers, subversive and risky and convivially pansexual (Kevin plants one on Archie for shock value!), stand head and shoulders above the other oddly-inserted songs.”
Wicked Little Town is set to land on Netflix UK on Thursday, April 16.
