With the upcoming debut of the fourth season of Riverdale, fans everywhere are looking forward to more mystery, drama and deceit among the residents of the small town we’ve come to love. There’s always plenty of angst, plot thickenings and twists in store. The last three seasons have placed us in whirlwinds beyond our wildest dreams. Relationships have certainly been a part of that phenomenon. In all that time, we’ve had relationships we’ve supported, and some not so much. So, here are 5 Riverdale relationships we were all here for — and 5 we could do without.
Rejected: Hermione and Fred
According to Hermione (Marisol Nichols), these two had the briefest of flings back in the days of high school before she left him for Hiram (Mark Consuelos). In the first season, these Hermione and Fred (Luke Perry) appear to be rekindling their romance and picking up where they left off. Fred seemed hopeful, even reminiscing about the good old days, until Hermione abruptly reminds him that they’re both still married and nothing can really happen. If that were always the case, why did she lead him on? Just another cruel trick in Hermione’s book, and we don’t care for it.
Supported: Kevin and Joaquin
Okay, we know Joaquin (Rob Raco) was just using Kevin (Casey Cott) to get to his dad, the Sheriff (Martin Cummins). That sucks. However, while it lasted, Joaquin and Kevin seemed very happy together, and regardless of Joaquin’s intentions, Kevin’s feelings were genuine. We were really happy for Kevin for a moment there; being gay in a small town is no easy feat with judgment and criticism galore. We’re sorry these two couldn’t make up in the end, especially since Joaquin seemed remorseful and appeared to ultimately return Kevin’s feelings to some degree.
Rejected: Archie and Josie
Other than their shared interest in music, we didn’t see much happening for these two. To be honest, Josie (Ashleigh Murray) was kind of a jerk to Archie (KJ Apa) initially. Josie and Archie’s romance was short-lived and rejected for good reason — they just weren’t meant to be. Their brief relationship seemed sweet and all, but Archie’s better with Veronica (Camila Mendes) and every Riverdale fan knows it.
Supported: Alice and FP Jones
These two have history as Southside Serpents. The possibility was toyed with, making fans wonder if they would ever get together. It seems right, considering Hal’s (Lochlyn Munro) a monster and FP’s (Skeet Ulrich) wife left him long ago. FP and Alice (Mädchen Amick) have a shared history and interests (plus a son!). Then, the moment we were all waiting for came — Alice shows up to FP’s trailer, but we didn’t get the reunion we’d hoped for. Alas, fans still ship these two.
Rejected: Alice and Hal
Their relationship was toxic from the beginning. They had clashing parenting methods, they fought, they were snippy with one another, and frankly, we’re not sure why they stayed together. They disagreed over their daughter Polly (Tiera Skovbye) getting an abortion (to the point of Hal being kicked out) and, obviously, communication wasn’t present in their marriage for Alice not know her husband was the Black Hood. That’s pretty much the worst way for a marriage to dissolve, so we feel for her there. Plus, Hal was having an affair with murderess Penelope Blossom (Nathalie Boltt)…ick!
Supported: Toni and Cheryl
We have to give props to Toni (Vanessa Morgan) on this one. It’s not easy being with Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch). Granted, Cheryl’s gone through very hard times and has a disturbing family background. Still, she has rich girl tendencies (almost worse than Veronica) and can be something of a manipulator. However, we’re glad Cheryl’s found Toni and that it seems to be working out for the two. They have a new gang together, don’t they?
Rejected: Hiram and Hermione
These two are made for each other. They’re both scheming and conniving in their own ways. They’re both liars. In that, we can understand why they work well as partners and would make for drastic enemies. We can respect that they’ve been together for so long, but considering their morals, we question just how pure their marriage really is. They’re toxic not only to themselves, but also to their daughter Veronica. We’re not necessarily their number one fans.
Supported: Archie and Veronica
Strangely, fans seem to approve of this relationship. You’d think these two would be all wrong for one another, given their staggeringly different backgrounds. Veronica’s a spoiled rich girl from New York and Archie’s a more simple, wholesome guy from a small town. In some ways, it’s something of a cliché. Yet, these two work well together and seem to balance each other out in a way that no one else can do for them. We approve and respect their relationship accordingly.
Rejected: Jason and Polly
This tops the list for obvious reasons — they’re related. Yeah, as if that’s not disturbing enough, these two share children together. We wanted to root for this couple. Their romance was akin to Romeo and Juliet — they come from feuding families and share something of a forbidden love. They tried to run away together but their plans were halted permanently with Jason’s (Trevor Stines) murder. Afterwards, it’s uncovered that they were cousins. We’ll never be able to unlearn (or un-see) that.
Supported: Betty and Jughead
From day one, we’ve loved these two together. Hello, they’re affectionately dubbed “Bughead” for a reason. They’re perfect for each other — they can connect beyond their written words and get through just about anything. They’re gifted investigators and they both care so much for the people around them, and about doing the right thing. We can’t picture either of them with anyone else. We will always support these two lovebirds, and hope Season 4 isn’t too hard on them (even if it were, there’s nothing these two can’t get through together at this point).
