On CW's popular adaptation of the Archie Comics, Riverdale, has become famous for its collection of ships among the main and ing characters. As Archie does his best to juggle his romances with Betty and Veronica, several unlikely pairings have led to canonical shipping among fans. Whether couples, friendships, and slash ships, each season of Riverdale inevitably pair characters that fans love and hate.
With the second half of season 6 poised to return to the air on March 6, 2022, now is as good a time as any to look back and relive the unhealthiest, short-lived, and least convincing ships on the show to date.
Season 1 - Archundy
While season 1 of the popular CW/Netflix show has no shortage of awkward and untoward ships, nothing can eclipse the wildly inappropriate tryst between 15-year-old Archie (KJ Apa) and his adult music teacher, Geraldine Grundy aka Jennifer Gibson (Sarah Habel). Never mind the illegality that could have led to statutory rape charges, the stunning lack of chemistry between the two made fans wonder how they even hooked up in the first place. Creepy, unsettling, and downright disturbing, there's nothing to like about this short-lived ship.
Archundy decided to call off their illicit affair following Jason's death, prompting her departure from Riverdale by season's end. When Archie learns Geraldine is a woman named Jennifer who is hiding from an abusive husband, Archie realizes how mendacious his supposed instructor truly is.
Season 2 - Kangs
Season 2 also saw a slew of ill-fitting ships on the show, including the forgettable Archeryl union. However, none left fans more disappointed than Kangs, the slash ship between Fangs (Drew Ray Tanner) and Kevin (Casey Cott) that started strong but grew ugly in a hurry. Upon meeting in the student lounge and instantly flirting a bit, the ship grew when Kangs worked together directing a class production of Carrie. Just when things started to heat up, Kangs was offered less screentime.
Alas, when Kevin began talking trash behind Fangs' back to Moose and Midge, fans began to disfavor the ship. Later, when the ship entered a disturbing "tickle porn" cult fetish storyline, fans were left completely turned off by what started as a promising union.
Season 3 - Clinelope
The marital het-ship between Clifford (Barclay Hope) and Penelope Blossom (Nathalie Boltt) is one of the most unhealthy, disgusting, and destructive ones on the beloved CW series, much less season 3. Penelope is one of the vilest and most abusive villains on the show, and her time with Cliff is positively the reason why. , Penelope is not only Clifford's adopted sister who becomes his wife, but Clifford flat out killed their son Jason as well. Wait, what?!
Indeed, this union is based on quasi-incestual, semi-infanticide, and ultimately cold-blooded murder. After Penelope learns Clifford killed Jason and framed FP for it, she went into a vengeful rage and staged his suicide by killing him with pufferfish poison. Seriously.
Season 4 - Hiramione
While Hiram (Mark Consuelos) and Hermoine Lodge (Marisol Nichols) linked up early, their marriage was doomed from day one and hit the skids in season 4. Often castigated as one of the nastiest and most tumultuous pairings of all, the marriage of convenience is just a big front for their criminal partnership. Hiram went to jail for embezzlement, at which point he begins running a drug operation for Fizzle Rocks.
As soon as Hermoine catches wind of Hiram's newfound drug empire, not to mention his chronic infidelity, Hermoine hires FP to assassinate Hiram, her husband. Hermione completely took her marital vow of "till death do us part" the wrong way. By season 4, the ship is completely insufferable to watch and has no reason whatsoever to remain together.
Season 5 - Jabitha
Since most Riverdale fans consider Bughead to the among the best overall ships on the show and the most forgettable CW couples.
Fans of the show also felt that Jabitha was forced at times and that Tabitha did not need a boyfriend on the show and that the ship would have been better as a platonic friendship. Jabitha felt forced from day one and was dashed just when things looked brightest, leading to the Bughead's inevitable reunion at some point.
Season 6 - Veggie
While they formed in season 1 and hit their stride in season 3, the ship between Veronica and Reggie severely fell out of favor by season 6, with Varchie acolytes often attacking the pair online. Veggie began as a rather strong ship but ended rather abruptly when writer's ended the union so that Veronica could go back to her previous ship.
Moreover, fans had enough of Veggie when Veronica promised that she wanted to reunite with Reggie following their break-up, only to instantly dump him instead. By season 6, the so-called Veggie "power couple" induces more eye-rolls than triumphant cheers, long overstaying its warm welcome earlier in the series.