The second season of the hit CW series Riverdale is giving Cheryl Blossom a new love interest to go along with her newfound look on life. Returning October 11, the series’ second season is set to go in a darker direction: the small town of Riverdale will cope with the fallout of the shooting at Pop’s, Jughead’s (Cole Sprouse) turn towards the dark side, and Hiram Lodge’s return to town.
One character who will go through major changes next season is Cheryl Blossom - the snappy, chic and "mean girl" in town who found herself in the center of last season's murder/mystery. At the end of season 1, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) attempted to take her own life (by trying to drown herself in the ice-covered river) after discovering that it was her father who pulled the trigger and murdered her beloved brother Jason (Trevor Stines). Saved by Archie (KJ Apa), Cheryl rose from the ashes like a phoenix and took back her life by burning down her family mansion signifying a major shift for the character heading into the second season.
In a new interview with Teen Vogue, Madelaine Petsch breaks down what’s next for her character when the series returns including if Cheryl will get a love interest. In the first season, we saw Cheryl develop some romantic tension with Archie when he escorted her to the Blossom Banquet, but things went sour after an awkward kiss that resulted in Archie walking away and ending up with Veronica (Camila Mendes) by the end of the season. Here is what Petsch said about what’s next for Cheryl:
"We kind of talk about it like Cheryl as a phoenix being reborn from the ashes of her house. She, obviously, tries to take her own life at the end of the first season, and after that didn't work for her, she chose to take her life back and take the power away from her mother who's been keeping things from her her whole life. So, she burns the house down to let her mom know that she needs to be scared. The beginning of season two is exactly that. Cheryl is taking the reins back from her mother. Hell hath no fury like a Cheryl scorned. She's kicking ass and taking names, for sure."
"The undercurrent for Cheryl this season is just that she wants to be loved and she needs to be loved. She hasn't felt love since her brother left the world. You do see a lot of camaraderie between the gang and her in very interesting ways. Cheryl goes through a couple of really huge things that will torture her, and the gang is there for her every single time. She will continue to give the one liners, but there will be a little bit more camaraderie. She does make a couple of friends this season and ultimately she will get a love interest."
While Petsch doesn't reveal who Cheryl will be falling in love with, it sounds like they will be one of the new "friends" she will be making as she shows her softer side. So far, we know that new character Toni Topaz, played by Vanessa Morgan, will be moving to the Southside and will be possibly causing trouble for Jughead and Betty, so she probably won't be Cheryl's new love interest. It was recently announced though that Betty's long-lost brother Chic will be joining the second season played by Hart Denton, so it's possible that the two could develop a relationship as Cheryl shows off her friendlier side.
Whoever Cheryl ends up with next season, we are glad that the character is finally going to get the love she deserves after going through literal hell and back thanks to her dysfunctional family.
Screen Rant will keep you updated on all Riverdale news, the second season returns on The CW October 11 at 8:00.
Source: Teen Vogue