In its most shocking plot move yet, “Riverdale” has bro🍸ken up its central couple.
Warning: Spoil𒀰ers below for this wꦑeek’s episode of the CW show.
Archie Andr🍸ews (K.J. Apa) and Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), aka “Varchie,” ar𝄹e no more.
At the end of “Chapter Forty-One: Manhunter,” Archie breaks up with Veronica via a call from🎃 a sketchy-looking pay phone. His reason? Her nefarious father, Hiram’s (Mark Consuelos), endless schemes against him are destroying everyone around them.
(Most recently, Hiram framed Archie for murder, which led to 🌠a wild subplot involving underground fight clubs in prison — admittedly a valid reason to stop dating his daughter.)
So while police search for him, a recently escaped Archie is leaving town, off to parts unknown — and ♛he’s severing ties with Veronica.
This is a big deal because for a pulpy teen show, “Riverdale” has surprisingly stagnant romances. Both its central couples — Archie and Veronica and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) anꦆd Betty (Lili Reinhart) — have been together for the majority of all three seasons.
They had some ups and downs in Season 2, but each of their splits were patched up quickly. Love triangles and shuffled romantic pairings have long been a teen drama staple — from “Buffy” to “Gossip Girl” to “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.”
But “Riverdale” prefers to focus on drama in its nutty plot, filled with murders, gangs, long-lost family membe𝕴rs and cults. Its relationships, on the other hand, have been the calm at the center of the storm.
In fact, “Chapter Forty-One: Manhunter” also kills off a significant🐽 side character (Rob Raco’s Joaquin), and his death is less surprising than Archie and Veronica’s breakup.
Murders are a dime a dozen on “Riverdale”; couples are set in stone. But it looks like that’s not continuing, because Archie and Veronica’s breakup seems final.𓃲 So pour o𝐆ne out for Varchie.
Only in “Riverdale” would romantic drama be more shoꦕcking than death.