Riverdale Southside Serpents Jughead
INSCMagazine: Get Social!

A good mystery show is always one that will catch this writer’s interest. While I di not watch Riverdale season one while it aired live on the CW, I was always intrigued by the promos. It seemed to be a show filled with secrets and intrigue. But there was one character in particular that drew me in. That character is none other than Cole Sprouse’s, Jughead Jones.

Sure enough, as I began watching the show, it was Jug that kept me interested. While the early episodes were a bit rough in terms of actor portrayals for some, Sprouse was killing it as the town’s misfit. As the show’s narrator, I found myself captivated by his way of painting the picture and asking the questions on everyone’s minds. While the whole murder mystery was fun to play along with, I probably would not have stayed as invested if it weren’t for Juggy.

As the season progressed, the best friend of Archie Andrews would develop a relationship with the girl next door (to Archie), Betty Cooper. While the early episodes hinted towards a Betty and Archie fling, it was Jughead that would eventually become Betty’s guy.

Adding a girlfriend to Jug’s character helped add another layer to the dark yet sarcastic character. The two were described as soulmates on multiple occasions, helping to prove Jug is a multi-dimensional guy and not just a loner. But as good as they were together, they ended the season in a spot that leads fans to think there are rough times ahead.

After the arrest of his father, FP, Jones would be sent to a foster home. Jug still had access to his father’s trailer home, however, which is where he took Betty in the season one finale. As the two were ready to get it on, there was a knock at the door. It was the Southside Serpents, the town’s local gang, whom FP was the leader of.

After FP did not snitch on any of his fellow Serpents after his arrest, the gang wanted to let Juggy know he was family to them. They topped it off with a gesture of giving him a Serpents jacket, which the young Jones boy put on with a huge smile on his face. Then the camera panned to Betty, who had a look of horror on hers.

Betty knows the Serpents are not a great group. So seeing her boyfriend so pleased to joining their fraternity of brothers. So it appears that Jug will have a decision to make come season two.

Does he opt for the girl he loves? He said the famous three words not long before the Serpents arrived. She said them back to him. However, one must also ask how long this relationship really would have anyway. There is no doubt in my mind that Archie and Betty are destined for one another, simply based on the clues dropped in the opening 13 episodes. So as good as Betty and Jug seem for one another, their vast differences are certainly going to spell trouble at some point.

As for the Southside Serpents, they are Jughead’s new family. This is a character that spent the entire first season feeling like he did not belong to a family. His mother and sister live in a different town. He had not lived with his father for a long time. Hell, he was sleeping at a drive-in movie theater when we first met him. There’s a reason he is seen as a loner.

So when the Serpents come knocking and telling him he is a part of their family, it is easy to understand why he would be so overjoyed. All the bad things they do mean nothing at that moment in time. He feels wanted. Something he has not felt in a long time.

So, if I were to guess, Jug chooses the Serpents. Betty and he will end up disagreeing on his allegiance to the gang, leading to their breakup. This will free Betty up for her eventual relationship with Archie, as we all know his relationship with Veronica won’t go the distance. It will also set Juggy up for a much darker path.

Ideally, he would eventually realize the bad they are doing is not worth it. This will lead him to taking on the loner role once more. However, this time, he will be in a darker place, as he will be without his girl.

What do you think? Will Betty and Jughead be able to put aside Jug’s allegiance to the Southside Serpents? Or will things end badly between the two? Tell us what you think in the comments!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.