Following hisaward-winning performance as Joe inMay December,Charles Meltonis the talk of the town (and the internet). Joe’s emotional journey was the tour de force of the film, finally giving the actor his flowers. However, his rise to stardom is no surprise to those who watched him regularly onRiverdaleuntil the series ended in 2023. Entering in the second season as the newReggie Mantle, replacingRoss Butlerin the role, Melton changed the character — and, by extension, the show — for the better, bringing a much-needed new energy to Reggie (even after only 13 episodes of Butler’s take) that turned him into the character that fans later came to adore, especially in the final season.
While navigating the troubled waters of romance, school and family, Archie and his gang become entangled in dark Riverdale mysteries.
Charles Melton’s Reggie Fit ‘Riverdale’ Much Better Than Butler’s
InRiverdaleSeason 1, Reggie is, essentially, the town’s resident frat bro — possibly due in part to the somewhat lighter tone of the seasonbefore it went off the deep endwith serial killers, demons, a town-wide board game with real adventure quests, and a genetic mutation that makes one more prone to becoming a serial killer. Reggie doesn’t take anything seriously, really, nor does he have much substance, channeling the absolute worst of your typical high school jock.
When Melton steps in at the beginning ofRiverdaleSeason 2,Reggie is almost instantaneously more enjoyable(at least in this writer’s eyes). He maintains the same essence, but no longer feels like a frat bro, now having a deeper, darker energy surrounding him that ultimately builds into the Reggie we knew and loved (and sometimes hated, actually) for the next six seasons. His dynamics with the other characters, namelyArchie (KJ Apa) and Veronica (Camila Mendes), became far more interesting and entertaining, bringing something to the series that we might never have seen otherwise.
Charles Melton Showcased His Immense Talent Throughout ‘Riverdale’
On occasion, though nearly often enough,Riverdaleoffered Charles Melton opportunities to prove his talent. One such example, and probably the most prevalent, is the story surrounding Reggie’s relationship with his father, Marty (Matthew Yang King). As we come to learn, Marty is an abusive father. For instance, when Reggie asks his father about the Gryphons and Gargoyles game inRiverdaleSeason 3, his father gives him a black eye as punishment. These violent “punishments” are said to be a staple of Reggie’s childhood, which is incredibly sad for the character but allows Melton some great material when this relationship enters the spotlight.
Melton manages to capture and showcase Reggie’s internal conflict over hisrelationship with his father. While Reggie understands his father is out of line, it takes until his senior year of high school to discuss the abuse. When Archie eventually stands up for Reggie, after Marty scolds Reggie in public at their football practice, this conflict is crystal clear. Reggie turns on Archie, too proud to be grateful for his friend standing up to his father about being abusive.Melton’s performance is what makes the relationship between Reggie and Martyso complex and, despite how objectively terrible Marty is, compelling to watch. InRiverdaleSeason 6, in particular, the reveal that Marty is dying puts an intriguing weight on Reggie as he tries to cope with losing his father and the many emotions that come along with losing someone you love who regularly abused and/or mistreated you.
Tabitha Tate Deserved Better Than ‘Riverdale’s Final Season
This is the most underwhelming thing about ‘Riverdale’ Season 7.
At the end of the day, Reggie’s abusive father and their tense relationship somewhat allow the audience to have a better understanding of Reggie and explain his aggressive behavior early on, like his eagerness to join the Red Circle — a group of teenage boys trying to become vigilantes to fend off the Black Hood and protect their town — and how Reggie took over the group when it was rebranded the Dark Circle, which sought to do the bidding of oneHiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos).
Charles Melton Changed Reggie’s Relationships With Archie and Veronica
However, possibly the biggest change that came with Charles Melton taking over as Reggie was the direction of Reggie’s relationships with Archie and Veronica. Over the course of the show, there wasa love story with Veronica and Reggieon the back burner, which arose first duringRiverdaleSeason 3 after Veronica and Archie (temporarily) broke up. Reggie had had feelings for Veronica for quite some time, though it took a while for her to realize and reciprocate said feelings. Then, she got back with Archie and this relationship disappeared again until the seven-year flash-forward inRiverdaleSeason 5, leading to the two dating for several episodes in Season 6.
Reggie and Veronica had great chemistry, becoming a beloved couple that, for many, rivaled Veronica and Archie’s relationship — another love triangle to cause more conflict next to those between Jughead (Cole Sprouse), Betty (Lili Reinhart), and Archie andBetty, Archie, and Veronica. While Veronica and Reggie didn’t end up together, and the final season did criminally little to honor this romance in any way, it remains a pleasant part of Reggie’s story that arose directly from Melton and Mendes’ chemistry (as the two were together off-screen for part of the show).
Similarly, Archie and Reggie’s relationship seemed to evolve from what it was originally supposed to be due to Apa and Melton’s chemistry behind the scenes.Their close friendship translated on-screen to allow Archie and Reggie to develop a real friendshipthat, of course, we also saw far too little of during the show’s seven-season run. However, when this relationship was spotlighted, even if the two weren’t getting along at the time, it produced such fun television that allowed Melton to show off his skills. This is especially true ofRiverdaleSeason 7, after Melton’s return mid-season following production ofMay December, as the primary story for the ‘50s versions of Archie and Reggie became their bromance. This, paired with Melton’s incredible performance as a new version of Reggie, remainsone of the few highlights of an otherwise controversial final season.
‘Riverdale’ Should Have Embraced Charles Melton’s Reggie Even More
All in all,Charles Melton joining the cast ofRiverdaleafter the first season was one of the best things that ever happened to the series. His limited, yet strong performances added a surprising amount of depth to the characters and even occasionally to the overarching story when allowed. The characters’ relationships reached new levels with Melton on the scene, and his talent only enhanced the performances of his fellow stars. It’s only a shame thatRiverdaledidn’t take advantageof his obvious star power until too late into the series.
Riverdaleis currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
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