The Riverdale Quad, Explained
What exactly is the Riverdale Quad? When Angel Jughead explains to Betty what happened in the last year of their senior year of college, he mentions the quad. Basically, as the love triangle dissolved and Betty, Jughead, Veronica, and Archie all express romantic feelings to each other and spend the rest of the senior year in a polyamorous relationship. Betty explained that the couples went on double dates and then they all snuck out to see each other. It was only a matter of time before they all saw each other (we didn’t see anything between Jughead and Archie, but more on that later.
Though things were hot and steamy between the four of them in high school, none of the couples were endgame before they died. Betty, Veronica, and Jughead never married and were single for the rest of their lives, and Archie ended up dating and marrying someone in California.
Executive producer Sarah Schechter talked to Variety about if the foursome was what they had in mind since the start of Riverdale. “I think anyone who tells you there was always a plan, they’re lying. From the beginning, we had so many conversations about not wanting this to be retro in the wrong ways, and not wanting to be reductive in the wrong way. There’s this core of Archie Comics about family, town, growing up and everything universal, but there was always Archie picking between two girls,” she told the outlet. “I think we made a really conscious effort to step away from that in the pilot, and have maintained that throughout. So I think it was modern and fitting.”
She continued, “Each of these characters have such big lives that they were meant to lead — I do think it was such a brave and interesting choice. Them not ending up together, in a way, is more honest. It also helps you remember that each one of these relationships is equally important in its moment. If anyone ended up with anyone, it would say somehow that it’s more powerful. There’s a maturity to it that I love so much. A person’s life isn’t who they end up with. It’s deeper and more meaningful than that.”
As if why Jughead and Archie didn’t have their own moments within the quad, she said, “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.”
Schecter told TV Insider about the finale’s impact. It has a lot to say about life and letting go and saying goodbye. I found it really emotional and really, really satisfying. And I think fans will, too. I hope.
In true Riverdale fashion, the quad got split reactions from fans on the Internet. “introducing betty, archie, jughead and veronica to all be in a quad relationship in the finale has got to be the most stupid thing riverdale has ever done,” one fan posted on X the platform formerly known as Twitter. While another fan posted a 180 degree opinion, “riverdale fans hating on the archie/veronica/betty/jughead quad relationship y’all are so boring I’m sorry”
