Riverdale is a CW teen drama television series based on the characters of Archie Comics. Set in the fictional small town of Riverdale, in this scene we see a meeting of the Southside Serpents, a local gang. In it, F. P. Jones – the current leader of the Southside Serpents – makes his son Jughead, the new leader of the gang. Jughead, a 16-year old Sophomore in High School then initiates Cheryl Blossom – also a Sophomore in High School – into the gang.

discussion

How is gang life represented in this scene?

How reflective of real gangs do you think this scene is?

What do you think the possible effect of teenagers watching this scene could be?

What other representations of gangs can you think of? How do they reflect class, gender, and race?