Why Bughead and Varchie are both getting back together on Riverdale

Riverdale may be going down a different route with a long-teased romance but that still doesn’t change the fact that its core couples will reunite before the end of the show’s run.

Riverdale season 5 has gifted the show with some of its most unique twists in years. The TV show has always been a fun and mind-bending experience but there is no denying that it was in need of a good reboot – and that’s exactly what the fifth season has given us.

Archie Andrews’ return to town saw him faced with the dilemma of restoring Riverdale to its former glory (as in before the show even began) and he called upon three people he knew could help him do that. But the problem in bringing Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones and Veronica Lodge back to Riverdale is that it brings all of the heartache and old wounds back with them. And that’s something the adult versions of these characters are going to have to deal with.

The most recent installment, “Chapter Eighty-One: The Homecoming”, saw Archie and Betty face some of those old feelings as the pair got, uh, steamy in the shower. It was a moment that the “Barchie” fans had been waiting on and, quite frankly, it was a far better execution of their long-teased romance than the contrived storyline of last season.

The thought of Betty and Archie being a couple without betraying their friends is a rather exciting one – and it could pose the show with many interesting story possibilities – because the truth is that now is the perfect time for “Barchie” to rise.

However, if you’re a fan of Archie’s relationship with Veronica and Betty’s relationship with Jughead, fear not because “Varchie” and “Bughead” both remain endgame.

Are Archie and Veronica getting back together on Riverdale season 5?

Veronica and Archie’s relationship took a turn when the latter began falling for Betty and it eventually ended when he was open about that kiss. Veronica seemed like she would have forgiven him for the betrayal but the two ultimately decided to move on their relationship. And this was the beginning of the rift that would form between the core four.

Flash-forward seven years and Archie has returned from war while Veronica is in a toxic marriage on the Upper East Side of New York. Until their reunion at the end of the time-jump episode, they hadn’t seen each other during that time. And while absence makes the heart grow fonder, it’s clear that in this case it didn’t… not in that way anyway.

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Veronica and Archie have moved on from “Varchie” for the time being, but that doesn’t mean they won’t reunite. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the show has crafted a poetically undesirable situation for the couple – one that will work against them every step of the way – and, as this is television, those obstacles will no doubt pull them closer together.

Veronica has “moved on” from Archie through her marriage to Chad Gekko, but here’s the deal: Chad is a short-term character. If he were a long-term character that was actually nice, then Ronnie’s storyline might have played out differently. But he isn’t long-term and his toxicity will eventually be exposed, resulting in Veronica leaving him behind much like her Real Housewives mother Hermione did to her father Hiram.

Whether Archie is with Betty long-term or not, the truth is that this relationship has simply been designed as another obstacle to keep Veronica and Archie apart. And, as enjoyable as it is watching Betty and Archie together, the latter will eventually realize that Veronica was always the girl for him.

Are Betty and Jughead getting back together in Riverdale season 5?

Betty and Jughead’s relationship ended a lot more awkwardly than Veronica and Archie’s. Though Jughead seemingly didn’t hold any grudges over Betty’s betrayal, distance set in on the pair and they drifted apart. They broke up somewhat amicably but there was a lot left unsaid between the two.

If you’ve watched Riverdale, you’ll know that no stone is left unturned on this show. And that means that the writers will address the things that were left unsaid between the two. In fact, they’ve already started doing that. Did you notice the awkward glance/glance away the two shared at Pop’s when they reunited in the core four’s booth? Not exactly something two former friends with no hard-feelings would do now, is it?

The unspoken tension behind their break-up will be addressed. Why? Because it’s an obstacle. And anyone who knows anything about writing knows that the plots of films and TV shows thrive on obstacles as it gives the characters involved something that needs to be overcome. What makes it even better on this particular occasion is how conveniently-timed the Betty/Archie pairing is – because that will, no doubt, bring up old wounds and force Betty and Jughead to address their break-up.

There’s an old trope in television that suggests watching the couple fall in love is far more interesting than watching them be in love. And it’s a trope that has come to life so beautifully on many TV shows over the years. Riverdale will join that list of shows because, no matter how great they were together, Varchie and Bughead had less to overcome when they were together. In order to truly reboot the show, they needed to be apart. And now that they are, we will get to watch the two pairings fall in love all over again. It may not be next week, next month or even in the remainder of the season, but it will happen.

Betty and Archie make a good couple – there is absolutely no denying that. Like many of us predicted, Barchie was inevitable after the time-jump. But, like the kiss they shared last season, the time-jump and Veronica’s marriage, it’s just another excellent obstacle designed to keep two of the show’s core couples apart. But, just like Cheryl and Toni will undoubtedly reunite, Archie and Veronica and Betty and Jughead will get back together.

Barchie is very much the present and that’s okay – because Varchie and Bughead are the future. And that’s what Endgame is all about.

Do you think Varchie and Bughead will reunite on Riverdale season 5 or do you prefer Barchie? Let us know in the comments below!