Kanika Kumar
The sixth season of the CW’s ‘Riverdale’ shows us interesting and terrifying sides of characters we have loved and known for a long time. In the town of Rivervale, which is a warped reflection of Riverdale, the positive and negative traits of all the residents are pushed to their extremes. Thus, we see interactions — romantic, platonic, hostile, and supernatural —that are not seen in the ‘Riverdale’ universe.
In particular, we see an interesting dynamic between Archie, Betty, and Jughead. Although Jughead and Tabitha are together for most of the season, despite a paranormal obstacle in their relationship, certain circumstances force Betty and Jughead to reignite their previous intimacy. Meanwhile, Betty and Archie decide to take a big step in their relationship. If you’re curious to find out more about this obvious love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Jughead, you’ve come to the right place. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Do Archie and Betty Get Married in Rivervale?
In season 6 episode 5, we see that Archie has come back to life and is getting ready to marry Betty. In season 6 episode 1, Archie and Betty are excited to have children together, so it is understandable that they are planning to become husband and wife. Jughead, who has begun to notice the differences between Rivervale and Riverdale, is surprised to find out about this even though he is supposed to be the couple’s best man.
At Betty’s bachelorette party at Veronica’s casino, the other Reggie dances and entertains the women. Meanwhile, Archie tells Jughead how much he misses his father, Fred, and how desperately he wants him to attend his wedding. Later, Jughead, Sheriff Keller, and Archie save Jason Blossom from the Black Hood. Jughead also confronts Dilton and finds out a way to prevent Riverdale and Rivervale from exploding.
Thus, Jughead decides to skip Archie’s wedding in order to plan how to save the two towns. However, Archie barges into his house and tells him that he knows about his plan. He confesses that he strangled Veronica to death because he knew she was going to help Jughead separate the parallel universes. Archie emphasizes that Riverdale and Rivervale, where everybody comes back to life, cannot be split as he is trying to bring back his father from the dead for the wedding.
As a shocked Jughead looks on, Archie attacks and begins to strangle him. A few seconds later, Betty, still wearing her wedding dress, bursts in and shoots Archie in the head. She then tells Jughead that she knew something was wrong with Archie because he left her at the altar. Thus, Archie and Betty do not end up marrying.
Do Betty and Jughead Get Back Together?
Betty and Jughead decide to reenact the events of that fateful night when Hiram Lodge’s bomb explodes under Archie’s bed and accidentally creates the parallel universe of Rivervale. By recreating the circumstances of Rivervale’s birth, it is possible to separate the alternate town from the original town and thus bring normalcy to both universes. Since Archie killed Veronica, who was initially supposed to accompany Jughead, Betty decides to help her ex-boyfriend.
Betty and Jughead start kissing on Archie’s bed; the bomb ready to detonate in his hand. However, narrator Jughead bursts into the room to interrupt them. He explains how he visited Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe in the sky after Archie killed him. There, dressed as his character from the comics and surrounded by friends, he discovered a special edition ‘Archie’ comic between issue 95, which is the last ‘Riverdale’ comic, and issue 96, which is the first ‘Rivervale’ comic.
The comic made him realize that the only way to tackle the problem of the two universes is through the power of imagination, which, through its nature of creation, can counter the effects of the bomb that are characterized by destruction. Thus, narrator Jughead informs Betty and writer Jughead (who’s on the bed with her) that the latter needs to go into isolation and begin typing out the future of Rivervale. Jughead departs, and narrator Jughead gives Betty company.
The two at Archie’s wait with bated breath; elsewhere, Jughead starts to type. We hear Archie banging angrily on the door; Betty and narrator Jughead hug each other in fear of the bomb and a murderous Archie. However, writer Jughead writes him out of the story and also prevents the explosion using his words.
Betty and narrator Jughead go downstairs and become their regular selves. They meet their friends and it is apparent that normalcy has been restored since the two universes have been separated and Jughead has taken control of Rivervale’s fate. Betty goes to Archie and Jughead embraces Tabitha — thus, Betty and Jughead do not get back together as they are deeply committed to other people. Thanks to writer Jughead, the residents of Rivervale are able to go back to their regular lives.
Read More: Rivervale, Explained: Why is Riverdale Now Rivervale?
