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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 7 Episode 6 of RiverdaleSince the beginning of The CW’s Riverdale, the writers have tried to subvert tropes and shatter expectations from the comics about the love triangle between Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), and Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes). To do so, Betty and Veronica quickly became best friends upon Veronica’s arrival in town, and the two put the pilot episode’s Archie drama behind them to embrace a real friendship. This friendship was strengthened by Betty beginning a romantic relationship with Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) and her feelings for Archie being, for the most part, shelved. So, there wasn’t a boy in between them, allowing for a real relationship with honesty and support. This continued for a couple of seasons while Archie and Veronica’s romance blossomed, though Betty and Veronica’s friendship eventually became less prominent on-screen due to other factors. Everything completely changed, however, when Betty and Archie cheated on Jughead and Veronica in the fourth season. Or, rather, it should have, but the Riverdale writers never let go and continued to push the B and V “best friends” narrative.
Betty and Veronica’s Friendship Doesn’t Work When Archie Is Involved
For many, including myself, Betty and Veronica’s friendship was one of their favorite aspects of the first season. It faded away somewhat afterward, but was still always there in spirit, to be called upon whenever the writers felt like revisiting the dynamic. However, those in charge don’t seem to understand that Betty and Veronica being so-called best friends doesn’t work when they are both pursuing Archie. It hurt their newfound friendship in the pilot episode after Archie and Veronica’s kiss in the closet, while Betty was very much interested in Archie and Veronica was fully aware of this. It threatened their friendship, somehow, in the second season when Archie and Betty kissed amid the Black Hood drama, though this was “solved” by Veronica and Jughead sharing a kiss of their own. Then, in the fourth season, Betty and Archie cheated on their respective partners to a greater extent, which irreparably harmed the relationship in the viewers’ eyes. It’s still baffling that Betty and Veronica never had a real conversation or arc to find whatever remained of their friendship, but Veronica seemingly forgave or exonerated Betty (and Archie, for that matter) nearly instantly after she found out.
Even before this happened, but especially since, there isn’t complete honesty or transparency between Betty and Veronica. We’re told they are best friends, though the series hasn’t proven why in a long, long time. So, especially with their shared affection for Archie in play, it prevents the friendship from ever going to a deeper level. It always feels very two-dimensional. Neither girl supports the other in the ways that they should, as best friends, and the ways they have hurt one another — but particularly how Betty has hurt Veronica — needed much more weight put behind them in the story if we were ever to believe the friendship would recover. Thus, since the cheating in Season 4 and the subsequent time jump, the issue has only become more pronounced with the gap between Betty and Veronica wider than ever before.
The Love Triangle Is Still a Major Part of ‘Riverdale’ Season 7
Throughout Riverdale Season 6, which finally began to explore Betty and Archie’s romance full-time, Veronica continued to pine for her former beau. After the seven-year time jump, in the fifth season, Archie and Veronica tried to rekindle their flame from high school, but it didn’t work. They were too different and wanted different things for their respective futures, plus Archie had lingering feelings for Betty from their casual relationship that began upon their return to town (and high school, of course). Season 6 ended with Archie and Betty getting engaged as Bailey’s Comet struck Riverdale, but Veronica held out hope to reunite with Archie after speaking with Tabitha (Erinn Westbrook), who used her newfound angelic powers to view many different versions of the future and found that in about half of them, Veronica and Archie were endgame. Now, in Season 7, the characters have been transported to the 1950s without their memories, so the love triangle between Betty, Archie, and Veronica is in full swing. The season started with Archie and Veronica, but Archie quickly lost interest (at least for now), his emotional memories of Betty from behind the shift in the space-time continuum still leading the charge. This leaves Veronica on the outskirts, once more, but the show still tries to push her friendship with Betty at every turn.
As long as the love triangle continues, there cannot be a real, wholesome friendship between Betty and Veronica. Fans are entirely tired of this friendship between the two ladies because it often feels fake, just as it did taking center stage in the sixth episode of Season 7. Betty asks Veronica for help with Archie, Veronica talks her into asking Archie out to the movies, and Veronica is happy when Archie turns Betty down (for unrelated reasons). Truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with Veronica’s reaction, as she obviously has strong feelings for Archie, too. But, it’s a prime example of how their shared love for Archie impacts any friendship between these ladies. You shouldn’t be happy over your so-called best friend’s feelings being hurt, whatever the reason. You shouldn’t cheat, especially with your best friend’s boyfriend. Both girls have hurt one another to some extent, showcasing exactly why they aren’t best friends (no matter how much the writers would like to tell us otherwise).
All in all, this friendship isn’t doing justice to either Betty or Veronica. It feels like a waste of time as neither character can fully be themselves or express what they want and what they are feeling. There are better friendships for these ladies to focus on, like Betty’s with Toni (Vanessa Morgan) or Veronica’s potential relationship with Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) which was quite enjoyable as well in the first few seasons — mostly. Or, both of their respective friendships with Tabitha when she returns to Riverdale soon. Most of all, there’s no need to force a friendship between Betty and Veronica. It’s not working, it hasn’t for a while, but that’s totally fine. They don’t need to be friends!
Riverdale Season 7 continues Wednesdays on The CW.
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