Last week, fans of The CW’s Riverdale watched as Jughead became Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III at his new school, but one character at this school, who we briefly met when Jughead was still deciding whether or not he wanted to come to Stonewall Prep, struck my fancy. Why? Well, his name is Brett Weston Wallace.
To many, that is not a name you would think twice about—not when you realize that Jughead’s real name is Forsythe Pendelton (get it? FP? That means his father is also Forsythe) but for me, a fan of the brilliance that is American Psycho and the subsequent American Psycho musical, I got the reference.
Author Bret Easton Ellis, who is known as a problematic man on Twitter more than a writer anymore, wrote American Psycho, which has evolved into a satire about the elite of Wall Street but also as a poignant look at mental health. So, why is he getting a shoutout in Riverdale? Let me sit you down and remind you of the beauty that was the short-lived American Psycho musical and its connection to the show.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is not just the creator of Riverdale. In fact, before these teens took over our lives, he created a bloody good time with Patrick Bateman and the rest of his Wall Street friends. What I’m saying is that Aguirre-Sacasa wrote the book for the American Psycho musical, something I love with my whole heart.
Before season 3 of Riverdale ever premiered, I wanted to know when Archie Andrews was going to sing “Selling Out,” a song that opens American Psycho and features a shirtless Patrick Bateman talking about his “struggles” as a member of the elite New York social life. So, Riverdale would have to find some way to include it at some point, right?
But now, here comes my theory: Brett Weston Wallace is my key to the American Psycho references I’ve been waiting for. Sure, maybe it was just a sweet ode towards a work that Aguirre-Sacasa clearly appreciates, or maybe it’s something more (like a direct line to bringing to life Bret Easton Ellis’ stories within the context of Riverdale), but whatever this character is, I don’t trust him.
To be fair, I don’t trust anyone at the new Stonewall Prep that Jughead Jones is attending, because a school that has a weirdly selective class for “creatives” doesn’t seem like a school I’d ever want to step foot in. But then again, if Stonewall Prep is my path to Robert Aguirre-Sacasa giving me American Psycho—and, who knows, maybe even Less Than Zero—in the world of Riverdale, I’m here for it.
So, here is my dream: Jughead is at Stonewall Prep. He wants to be the best writer there. He wants to be brightest writer the school has ever seen, and then, in his anger, Brett Weston Wallace takes to a performance of “Selling Out.” Or maybe it is an entire episode of American musical numbers. I’m being wishful, but give me my Patrick Bateman content!
(image: The CW)
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