Riverdale: The 10 Saddest Things About Cheryl

From the start, Riverdale was not kind to Madelaine Petsch’s Cheryl Blossom. A neglected child of rather cold-blooded parents, she needed to learn how to survive all the Blossom family’s misfortunes that have been continuously happening throughout this CW show’s (soon-to-be) five seasons.

Living like a grief-stricken heroine in a haunting family mansion, Cheryl possibly suffered more than the other residents of Riverdale — from her brother’s tragic fate to many abusive relationships and events. And although she normally wouldn’t get the emotional support she needed, Cheryl is always trying to convert her pain into strength so she would never become a victim of her sad past.

10 She Is Often Misunderstood

Portrayed as a “love-less monster,” Cheryl frequently represents a stereotypical mean cheer captain thanks to her bossy and self-absorbed personality. It doesn’t surprise anyone, considering that she grew up in a wealthy household with snobby and cold-hearted parents. After all, Cheryl is a Blossom and that kind of behavior is in her blood.

But, over time, fans realized Cheryl’s attitude is only a defense mechanism to hide her sorrow and vulnerability from others. In reality, she’s always willing to help her friends, like when she saved “Varchie” and “Bughead” from Penelope after she kidnapped them. She has even comforted them at one point, which shows her sensitive and compassionate side.

9 She Lived In Jason’s Shadow

It is no secret that, compared to Jason, Cheryl was kind of a black sheep in the Blossom family. It is quite apparent that their parents show her less pride and kindness than they did with Jason. With her father, she didn’t have a close relationship. Similar to that, she wasn’t often on good terms with her mother Penelope, either.

On the other hand, Jason was considered as the golden boy, which simply indicates they treated him better than their daughter. However, it looks like Cheryl didn’t mind because her brother was her favorite person in the world and constantly provided her with emotional support.

8 Jason’s Murder

No doubt, the mysterious murder of Cheryl’s twin brother was surely one of the greatest Blossom family tragedies — and one of the most intriguing homicide cases in the history of Riverdale. But, in particular, it was a huge loss for Cheryl, who always considered her loving brother to be her soulmate.

They were inseparable, protective of each other, and most importantly, Jason was probably the only person who truly cared for her. Yet, reality hit harder when his murderer was finally discovered. It was their own father, Clifford Blossom, who shot Jason in order to preserve his illegal drug business.

7 Her Father’s Death

After being devastated by Jason’s death, Cheryl had to face her murderous father next. With a piece of video evidence in her hands that shows Clifford killed his son, it didn’t take too long for authorities to act. However, they couldn’t catch him alive because he had killed himself. Or did he?

Justice may have been slow, but Penelope got sure it came for her husband. Long story short, she poisoned him, then put his body in a family barn so it would look like a suicide. And, as much as it seems like he deserved it, Clifford’s death certainly had a negative impact on Cheryl. After all, he was her father.

6 She Had Attempted Suicide

Cheryl’s inability to cope with Jason’s murder and her father’s death culminated in Sweetwater River, at the place where her family tragedy began. Her mental health got worse as she received no professional support and continued to live with the emotional pain her family was causing her from childhood. So, when the burden of grief finally became too heavy, Cheryl decided to attempt suicide.

As always, Archie and the gang arrived to stop her. Luckily, after this tragic incident, she received some support from her friends. However, there is still a long way to go before these wounds heal.

5 Her Relationship With Jason’s Corpse

Following the discovery of Jason’s body, which was dug up by Edgar Evernever’s cult, Cheryl decides to bring his corpse home. Unable to cope with her grief, she hides him inside the basement, in order to hang out with him every day. Not only does it sound creepy, but this Cheryl’s delusion also seems extremely sad because she’s denying the reality while talking to her dead brother instead of to a therapist.

Nevertheless, she eventually realized how unhealthy her behavior became. So, to help herself to finally accept the loss of her brother, she gives Jason a majestic Viking funeral.

4 She Was Almost Raped

Nick St. Clair is known to be a manipulative guy, who was also revealed to be a sexual predator after the gang discovered his history of sexual assault attempts. Unfortunately, Cheryl ended up being targeted by Nick as the music producer drugged her by slipping a pill into her drink.

Thankfully, Veronica and the Pussycats predict his bad intentions and went after them to Nick’s room, where the girls then proceeded to defend Cheryl from this sexual predator. Although it took time for Cheryl to heal from this traumatic experience, she ultimately gathered up the courage to confront Nick and press charges against him.

3 Her Abusive Kinship With Penelope

Instead of supporting each other after all the family drama that happened in season 1, Cheryl and her mother are usually plotting against each other. In fact, their relationship became even worse because Penelope blamed her daughter for their family tragedies.

Furthermore, she was never a caring parent to Cheryl; instead of giving her support and love, she was mostly mentally and emotionally abusive towards her. Also, Cheryl wasn’t a much better person herself. She burned down the Blossom’s residence, blackmailed Penelope, and even tightened her air tube intimidating her while she was in the hospital. It is really disappointing that she hasn’t got one family member she can truly count on anymore.

2 She Had To Hide Her Sexuality

Cheryl decided to hide her sexuality after Penelope spotted her and Heather (a girl from a junior high) in bed. Because of that, she was in constant fear of her mother, worried that Penelope would never accept her for who she truly is.

While Cheryl has come to accept that her mother’s approval isn’t everything, fans were glad to see her find happiness with Toni Topaz and proudly embrace her sexuality.

1 She Was Forced Into Conversion Therapy

Sadly, when Cheryl brought up her feelings for Toni, Penelope signed her up for conversion therapy in an attempt to change her daughter’s sexual orientation. She was abused by The Sisters of Quiet Mercy, who forced her to watch anti-LGBT+ videos and participate in manual labor.

Fortunately, with the help from Toni and Veronica, she managed to escape the institution and was able to start a relationship and move in with Toni at Thistlehouse.

About The Author