The second season of Riverdale is exploring Kevin Keller’s sexuality in a way that the first season never did, but it’s unclear whether the show can do justice to his story.

Last season, Riverdale introduced us to the very charming and attractive gay kid named Kevin Keller. Kevin is generally depicted as open about his sexuality, but in a rather nonspecific way. The audience knows Kevin is gay, but as a supporting character his sexuality was only explored superficially.

The show quickly paired Kevin, the son of the town sheriff, with Joaquin, a member of the Southside Serpents. At the end of season one, Joaquin reveals that he was ordered to get involved with Kevin so the Southside Serpents could keep better tabs on Sheriff Keller. The couple breaks up and Joaquin leaves town.

Now in season two, Kevin is single again and seen exploring his sexuality in new and exciting ways. Last week’s episode, “The Watcher in the Woods,” opened on Kevin jogging through the woods at night.

He passes another guy on the trail and they make eye contact. Kevin stops jogging, turning around to face the nameless guy, holding his gaze. The other guy stops as well and there’s a brief, noticeable tension between them. Seconds later, they are seen passionately making out together against a tree. Kevin Keller is cruising.

Put simply, cruising is the act of walking or driving in an area in search of someone with which to have anonymous or casual sex. Cruising has a long history, particularly within the gay community. Due to both the criminalization of gay behavior or simply the societal norms that frown up such behavior, cruising functions as an opportunity for gay men to discreetly engage in sex without enduring the difficulties of being publicly out.

As far as TV’s teen dramas are concerned, particularly those airing on the CW, Kevin’s plotline is a significant step forward. It is one of the first to depict cruising in such an explicit way. Kevin’s hook up is not accidental, nor does it take place at a club or party under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Riverdale makes Kevin’s cruising an active choice – that in and of itself is meaningful.

Gay characters in mainstream TV shows are typically depicted as either single and looking for a relationship or involved in a long-term relationship; they are rarely afforded the sexual promiscuity of their heterosexual counterparts.

Riverdale’s choice to give Kevin a plot where he actively seeks out gay hookups is refreshing. It helps broaden the Riverdale universe, establishing the fact that the gay experience is by no means singular. Unfortunately, the way the show handles the issue raises serious doubts regarding how successfully they can pull it off.

The issue lies in how Riverdale chooses to characterize Kevin’s cruising. Despite a strong introduction that gives Kevin agency over his decision to cruise, Riverdale immediately depicts the behavior as dangerous. Yes, the episode begins with Kevin’s interaction in the woods, but as soon as he starts hooking up with another guy, gunshots ring out within the woods.

Kevin and the other boy run in opposite directions. We never see what comes of the other kid, but Kevin runs headlong into the scene of the crime, just seconds after the Black Hood shot at both Moose and Midge. Midge, protected by Moose, runs away from the car and collides with Kevin, soaked with Moose’s blood and screaming in fear.

Later when Kevin recounts to his friends how he happened to come upon the crime scene, Betty demands to know why he was in the woods. After Kevin explains, Betty’s immediate reaction is to demand that Kevin stay out of the woods and stop cruising. She expresses concern for Kevin’s well-being, but in doing so, reveals an ignorance or even contempt for Kevin’s cruising.

For Betty, Kevin’s cruising is a problem to be solved, a risk not worth taking. This is all too representative of the way heteronormativity seeks to dictate the actions and behaviors of the gay community. Betty is unable to fathom a world in which she might seek out anonymous hookups, since her community consistently validates her sexuality. As a result, she condemns Kevin’s behaviors.

Of course, Kevin is noticeably frustrated by Betty’s demands and agrees to stay out of the woods, but his promise is clearly not genuine. Later in the episode, Kevin cruises again, only to be interrupted by Betty and Cheryl. Betty demands again that Kevin stop: “I want you to have more respect for yourself than this.”

Rather than agree with Betty, Kevin pushes back: “You act like we have the same set of options, but we don’t. You live in this pale, pink world of milkshakes and first kisses and ‘Am I going to date Archie or Jughead?’ … This is what I’ve got, Betty, these woods. So please don’t come here and tell me it’s disgusting.”

At first, this seems like a moment of reclamation for Kevin, allowing him to take a stand for himself and validating his cruising as an important and valid part of his experience as a gay man. However, later in the episode we see Kevin cruising again. This time, he comes across a guy in a car who asks him to get in. Kevin has a vision of getting into the car and getting stabbed. He tells the guy no thanks and runs away in fear.

Any attempt at normalizing Kevin’s sexual activity and behavior is undercut by Riverdale’s intent to infuse danger into every corner of the story. On one hand, that has been the show’s prerogative since the very first episode. However, it’s disappointing to see the exploration of Kevin’s sexuality and the inclusion such an interesting component of gay culture characterized as unsavory and dangerous for the sake of Riverdale’s unyielding darkness.