'Riverdale' Season 4 Episode 9 'Tangerine': Fans yearn for Toni's backstory instead of her just being Blossom's other half
This article contains spoilers for 'Riverdale' Season 4 Episode 9 'Tangerine'
Riverdale's 'Tangerine' episode — an ode to the 'Bloody Mary' folklore — might have taken a stab at thrilling character development but most fans resonated with Cheryl Blossom's (Madelaine Petsch) goodbye to her twin, Jason. In this scene, Blossom gets the utmost support from Toni (Vanessa Morgan), her devoted girlfriend, who, if you remember, helped her get out of the 'farmies', an organ harvesting cult in Season 3.
While Toni's character was brought in all Serpent galore, she played a major role in Cheryl's coming out and fortifying gang member loyalty. We might also want to remember that Jason, who made quite an introduction in the show's first season, was the initial murder mystery case leading Cheryl to attempt suicide in ice-cold water. This episode laid him to rest — well, set him ablaze — with Cheryl losing part of heart all over again. 'Riverdale's Writers Room' called it the 'closure she deserves' but fans were more concerned with how Toni Topaz doesn't have an individual storyline. The writer's room also tweeted a gif claiming how Toni is so loved because of her love for Cheryl, fans were quick to demand more lines for her character. The tweet said, "Toni’s unconditional love and support for Cheryl is why we love her so much #Riverdale"
Some hilarious tweets put Caramel — Betty's childhood cat, whom she killed — in the spotlight, saying, "Caramel got more of a backstory than Toni ever did". Others took a more direct approach telling the creators that Toni deserves more than sharing a dimming spotlight. A tweet read, "We also love her for being Toni Topaz, can y'all give her lines and a backstory, or anything to do that doesn't involve being in a relationship?"
The major part of the episode may have been the ending, where they deemed 'Dark Betty' (Lili Reinhart) as Jughead's (Cole Sprouse) murderer but fans were so much happier that Jason's body is out of the Blossom household. Love poured in for the 'Choni' — Cheryl's and Toni's ship name — scene on social media, "This scene literally broke my heart. I hate seeing her in pain. But I'm really proud of her and Toni is here for her, she'll never leave her..."