Ep 1. Attack of the Killer Spuds
- TV-Y7
- October 2, 1999
- 23 min
Archie's Weird Mysteries season 1 episode 1 titled "Attack of the Killer Spuds" follows the high school student Archie Andrews and his friends as they investigate a strange occurrence of killer potatoes in the town of Riverdale. After a few residents of the town fall ill to a mysterious disease, Archie, along with his friends Betty, Veronica, and Jughead, set out to solve the mystery.
The episode starts with Archie working at the Riverdale Community Garden when he notices a strange occurrence of the potato plants. The potatoes seem to be growing at an alarming and unnatural rate, and worse, they're attacking people. Initially, the attack victims are thought to have been bitten by a venomous spider in the garden, but as more people fall sick, it becomes evident that there's something amiss with the potato plants.
As Archie and his friends investigate, they stumble upon an abandoned and overgrown field that is the source of the problematic potatoes. They soon realize that the plants were specifically engineered with the purpose of serving as a super-food with special, disease-curing properties. The original purpose of the project was to take the plant's DNA and engineer it into a crop that could feed the world's hungry. However, the experiment went awry, and the potatoes evolved into aggressive creatures.
The group eventually discovers the brains behind the operation, who happens to be Veronica's father, who was trying to revive his family's name to its former glory. However, he is quickly exposed, and with the help of the plant's creator, the group finds a way to reverse the mutation and stop the killer potatoes.
Throughout the episode, Archie and his friends face various obstacles together as a team and show exemplary teamwork, with Betty's scientific research helping with diagnosis, Veronica using her knowledge of the town's power structure to track down clues, and Jughead's tech savvy making it possible to track down the responsible parties behind the mutation.
"Attack of the Killer Spuds" is an exciting and entertaining mystery that serves as an excellent introduction to the world of Archie's Weird Mysteries. The episode manages to balance the elements of suspense and humor and highlights the incredible bond between the core group of friends. It features an engaging storyline and relatable characters which is bound to keep the audience hooked and wanting more.