Riverdale, interview with actress Nathalie Boltt: "Consider yourself enlightened"

Penelope is a complex individual. As the season progresses, you will come to see how she has influenced her daughter, by taking out her own fears and frustrations on her child. Cheryl is mean because her mother is mean! Penelope is very loyal to her husband, but the marriage is cold - based on power and social standing.  You will come to see that Penelope has been influenced by dark personalities that are out of her control. So there is a vulnerability to her that will come to light. Whether she can control it or not is the big question. As a parent myself, I think there is no greater sin than passing your own darkness and problems onto your child. You should do everything in your power to become aware of your problems and be brave enough to process them alone, instead of making them your children’s problems. 

The fact that Penelope takes out her badness on her child makes her a very twisted individual … but a great villain! Hopefully audiences can see what she does and recognise how they could be a better parent in their own home!