Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Riverdale series finale, “Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale.”
The Riverdale series finale played out in true Riverdale fashion. It explained where the characters ended up and how they died via an angelic version of Jughead and filled in fans on round two of senior year. One reveal that really stood out, though, was the fact that the Core Four were in a quad relationship (yes, you read that correctly) during senior year. Betty Cooper would be with Jughead Jones at times, while Veronica Lodge was with Archie Andrews and vice versa. Sometimes, even Betty would be with Veronica. But amid all of that and the show's run in general, viewers never got a glimpse of Jughead and Archie hooking up. Now, producer and chairperson of Berlanti Productions Sarah Schechter explains why such a "Jarchie" moment never occurred on screen.
Throughout Riverdale’s seven-season run, there were some moments between Betty and Veronica that indicated there might have been something more, whether intentional or not. They kissed early on in the series, but that didn't amount to much. Yet during a recent Season 7 episode, it really seemed like they had developed feelings for each other. Still, nothing was ever done with Archie and Jughead, even upon the reveal of the quad relationship. Sarah Schechter explained to Variety that she didn't see the need for any intimate moment between the two friends:
I mean, that’s, like, too hot for TV. I don’t think there was a reason for it. I think there’s a fantastic, fantastic amount of LGBTQ representation on the show.
While you can never have too much LGBTQ representation, it seems like there just wasn’t a good reason to have Archie and Jughead together. You probably don’t want to force something that's so delicate. And to be honest, there weren't any true moments during the show’s run that even remotely indicated there was anything between the two other than just a brotherly bond. Personally, I also can't help but wonder how KJ Apa or Cole Sprouse would've felt about performing such a steamy scene.
The quad reveal is arguably dominating the conversations about the finale, but one also has to acknowledge that the show gave the four some emotional endgames. Veronica became the head of a movie studio, while Archie moved out West and became a professional construction worker and amateur poet before settling down. Jughead started his own comic book and was editor-in-chief, and Betty launched her own column and magazine. On top of that, Cooper even adopted a little girl and later became a grandmother.
On the whole, Riverdale’s final season proved to be somewhat odd due to its bizarre ‘50s storyline, which was ultimately all explained by the end. As for the quad relationship, that's sure to be talked and theorized about for years to come as will surely be the case with the show's other craziest plot twists. I can't help but wonder how people would've reacted to an explicitly intimate scene for "Jarchie." Also, it wouldn't even be surprising to me if viewers start crafting erotic fan fiction involving Archie and Jughead hooking up. All in all, the teen drama still serves as a prime example of prominent LGBTQ representation, even if the fan-favorite redhead and beanie-wearing writer didn't get busy on screen.
Fans can rewatch it all with the first six seasons with a Netflix subscription. Those who'd like to revisit Season 7 or check it out for the first time should know that it's set to drop on Netflix next Thursday, August 31.
