Will they or won’t they? That’s the question Riverdale fans have been asking about Betty Cooper and Archie Andrews since the show’s premiere in 2017!
“I think that that’s one of the dynamics we haven’t played is the idea [of] Archie and Betty together romantically,” showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told Us Weekly in May 2019. “I think in a teen show that if we somehow went seven years in that and never saw that, I think it would be a failure … So ‘maybe’ is what I’ll say.”
Well, #Barchie shippers, following the show’s seven-year time jump during the show’s fifth season, they finally got together. Although it’s unclear whether or not Betty and Archie — played by Lili Reinhart and KJ Apa, respectively — will ever actually be boyfriend and girlfriend, their steamy shower scene proved that there’s been a lot more than friendship between the two for years.
“It’s very fresh and new,” KJ told Entertainment Tonight in January 2021. “I feel like Archie and Betty really haven’t had an opportunity to — just because of the other relationships they’ve had with Veronica and Jughead — to really dive into their relationship.”
Previously, the actor told Buzzfeed in February 2020 that he loves “the idea of Archie and Betty,” explaining that it’s “so iconic.”
“I think the whole endgame, like Archie and Betty being endgame, is something really cool. I think the fans would really love that,” he gushed at the time. Casey Cott, who fans know as Kevin Keller, agreed. “I think Betty and Archie are kind of — I mean, I said it in the first episode — they were supposed to be the endgame, so we’ll see what happens,” he told Entertainment Tonight in April 2020. “I’m sure there will be many [relationship] swaps in the remainder of Riverdale before it ends, so I would say whether you’re excited for it or not excited for it, just strap in because I’m sure it will be in your favor any day now.”
Well, his prediction was correct, because the duo got together (but then split) during season 5. But is there hope for the two of them? Roberto told TVLine in August 2021 that there might be more to come from #Bughead over #Barchie.
“I think that Betty and Jughead have a lot more of a distance, a gap to bridge than Archie and Veronica,” the showrunner explained. “I think they’ve got a bit of a journey and their own stuff to sort out.”
Scroll through our gallery for #Barchie’s complete relationship timeline.
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