Riverdale Season 3 Premiere: 5 Ups & 3 Downs From 'Labor Day'

4. Archie & Jughead's Friendship

One of the several reasons the second season was such a slog was the fact that former best mates Archie and Jughead were consistently at each other's throats. For some reason, the writers seemed hell-bent on separating the iconic duo, and due to this, much of the show's signature charm was lost.

Labor Day is a step in the right direction, as it not only establishes the new status quo for the narrative moving forward, but also reinforces that Archie and Jughead's friendship couldn't be stronger. The thought of losing his best friend has brought Jug closer to Archie once more.

The Labour Day subplot provides for a much-welcomed break from the darker storylines, and ultimately reminds us of why we fell in love with Riverdale in the first place. The murders and twists are great, but it's the characters and their bonds that keep us tuning in each week, and seeing said characters having fun for the first time in months is the ideal way to the re-launch the series.