The polyamorous community has expressed dismay over the CW drama Riverdale finale’s twist ending in which the four main characters – Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica — were revealed to be in a four-way relationship.
Speaking to TMZ, Brett Chamberlin, executive director of OPEN (Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy) lamented that the show treated the revelation as a “shocking twist” as opposed to treating it like a regular identity.
“It’s frustrating that Riverdale used its characters’ non-monogamous relationship as a ‘shocking twist’ rather than engaging with an authentic portrayal of non-monogamy as simply being part of people’s identities,” Chamberlin said.
“We didn’t see or hear anything about why these characters practice non-monogamy, what it means for them, the substance of their relationship agreements and communication practices, or any of the other underlying motivations and work that makes relationships of any type function,” he continued.
Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressed mixed reactions to the show’s revelation of a polyamorous relationship.
introducing betty, archie, jughead and veronica to all be in a quad relationship in the finale has got to be the most stupid thing riverdale has ever done pic.twitter.com/2x6WOEBx00
— tia ♡ (@barchiesorigin) August 24, 2023
Statistics in recent years have shown that polyamory has steadily increased in the United States, with approximately four to five percent of the American population accepting the practice in one way or another.
“According to statistics published in 2021, 4 to 5 percent of the American population practices polyamory, while a 2019 YouGov survey found that 7 percent of UK adults had been in a consensual non-monogamous relationship at some point in their lives,” wrote IFLScience.
Last summer, Nexstar media group purchased The CW and promised to stop making shows like Riverdale, which targeted a much younger demographic than the network’s actual viewers (with an average age of 58). “It’s no secret that the CW is not profitable,” said Nexstar CFO Lee Ann Gliha. The company’s president Tom Carter conceded that the channel is the lowest-rated broadcast network and promised to change the “demographic focus” of its future programming to reverse that trend.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.