Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) and Betty Cooper’s (Lili Reinhart) steamy chemistry — and romantic potential — has captivated many Riverdale fans over the years.
Since the show debuted in 2017, viewers have hoped to see Riverdale explore the connection between the All-American boy and the girl next door. Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa acknowledged that the writers were aware about the interest in the “Barchie” dynamic.
“I think that that’s one of the dynamics we haven’t played is the idea [of] Archie and Betty together romantically,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2019. “I think in a teen show that if we somehow went seven years in that and never saw that, I think it would be a failure … So ‘maybe’ is what I’ll say.”
After a scandalous kiss and a seven-year time jump, Riverdale took a major leap by centering the show around Betty and Archie’s relationship. Their bond continued to grow when Archie proposed to Betty one season later before a comet was set to hit their small town.
During the season 6 finale, which aired in July 2022, viewers saw Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) save the world from the impending danger. Things took a turn, however, when the characters ended up reverted back to their teen years.
At the time, Apa admitted he was “very anxious” to see whether Betty and Archie would get their happily ever after.
“I think Archie’s very much loving his time with Betty and imagining a potential future with her, [which includes] kids and her family and being married,” the New Zealand native shared exclusively with Us in May 2022, noting that he wasn’t concerned by Archie’s platonic kiss with Veronica. “Which is why that scene kind of struck me. I don’t think [the kiss] meant anything more to Archie.”
Scroll down to relive the relationship between Archie and Betty:
