Jabitha

Jabitha is the het ship between Tabitha and Jughead from the Riverdale fandom.

Canon


When Jughead returns to Riverdale as an adult in desperate need of money and a purpose, he finds a lot has changed, including Pop Tate retiring as his granddaughter, Tabitha, is taking over her family business. Tabitha is unimpressed by Jughead's woe-is-me demeanour and his behaviour, telling him off for hogging space in her business, meant for paying customers, to get free wifi. Jughead notices that Tabitha is looking for a waiter and asks to interview for the position, but Tabitha declines, reading Jughead pretty clearly and thinking he wouldn't be a good hire, despite Jughead's protest that she doesn't know him. Archie asks Jughead to write a toast for Pop Tate's retirement party and Jughead agrees. He interviews Pop at the diner, when he spots his creditors approaching. Abruptly cutting off the interview, Jughead begs Tabitha not to tell them where he is and dives behind the counter, as Tabitha looks on incredulously. At a glance from her grandfather asking her to help Jughead, Tabitha decides to take pity on him, warding off the creditors' and firing right back at their derogatory remarks to her, unafraid. She comically takes a jab at Jughead's name to the creditors, knowing full well that he's within ear shot. After they leave, Pop offers to help Jughead with his money troubles and Tabitha looks wary for a moment but Jughead immediately declines, saying he's not that low and that he'll figure something out. This seems to slightly alter Tabitha's perception of him, as she decides to give him a shot at the waiter position, which he accepts without thanking her, asking for another favour: that she call the creditors and inform them that he's employed so he's safe from harm.

One night, when business is practically dead, Tabitha tells Jughead he can go ahead and write if he so desires. Jughead asks her if he can interview her for his next book, lowballing it as a book about small-town life and not the 'sad Americana' exploitative his agent expects him to write. Tabitha agrees and they sit down, Tabitha relaying that she went to business schools and had a six-figure salary at a big company in Chicago. Jughead seems astounded that she wouldn't stay and enjoy the opportunities he assumes she must've clearly had, but Tabitha underlines that, unlike high-paying corporate life, running Pop's has value. It's her family business and legacy and something she really cares about succeeding at. They're interrupted by customers, as Tabitha explains her marketing plans for the future of Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. They later attend karaoke night at Toni's Whyte Wyrm, where Tabitha's surprised at Veronica's stellar performance while Jughead's still in his sombre mood. They're not hanging out with everyone Jughead knows, but playing darts together and having a beer. Tabitha suggests that Jughead look into The Mothman, giving him a lead on an old loner who can dazzle Jughead with this tale. After having talked to Dreyfus, Jughead tells Tabitha about it at work as it's another quiet night at Pop's and he's writing. Tabitha says she'd be interested in joining further exploration of the story with him and Jughead's surprised. Taken aback for a second, he says she's welcome, intrigued. Tabitha gives him a flirty look and walks off as Jughead sits, seeming surprised that she might be interested in him, and perhaps at the thought of something new.



Jughead researches the Mothmen at the library and brings his findings to Tabitha. She's skeptical about the miners' tales about aliens, but Jughead persists with another article on residents seeing a bright light in the sky. Jughead points out the eye witnesses listed to Tabitha's shock and he cheekily asks if she can get him an interview. One evening, they sit down with Tabitha's grandfather, Pop Tate, and he relays to them what happened that night in the '70s. Pop says they all figured the lights in the sky were military testing. Asked by Jughead, Pop relays that he never saw the lights again, but that he wishes they would return, which Tabitha admits gives her goosebumps. Pop points them to talk to someone else who was present that night — Rose Blossom. When they talk to Nana Rose, she confirms that it was the Mothmen, to which Tabitha remains skeptical. She tells them she found a dead Mothman on the Blossom grounds, they performed an autopsy and that she kept it preserved in maple, although the Mothmen came looking for the deceased and she lied about having cremated them. She offers to find it for Jughead who looks bemused, while Tabitha is not buying a word. Later on, Jughead walks in the door at Pop's to find Tabitha standing next to a Blossom barrel containing the 'specimen', which they unwrap, as it were, in the backroom. Tabitha's reticent at just having it there, and it's probably a health code violation, but they seem mostly concerned with someone seeing it. Jughead has the night shift and says he'll make sure no one does. During the night shift he's drinking and sees a bright light outside Pop's, just as Pop Tate described it. He wakes up having lost 4 hours and tells Tabitha about it later on. She asks if he'd been drinking and he sheepishly implicitly confirms it. Tabitha looks at him, concerned, but Jughead attempts to skip over it, pleading with her to come with him to the backroom, where he shows her that the Mothman corpse has disappeared.



When Tabitha and Jughead meet with an expert at Pop's, who deduces that Jughead needs help and offers him a support group, which he declines. After starting to see brief hallucinations of a Mothman, Jughead decides to go to the group. They're both invited by Cheryl to a key party at Thornhill, but before that, Tabitha comes with Jughead to the group, to be there for him. Jughead has more flashes and walks out of the group. Tabitha runs after him and tells him it's just them now, so he can talk to her when Jughead says he didn't want to share with a group of strangers. He confides in Tabitha that he did a lot of drugs and drinking and lost time in New York. Tabitha offers that the two of them can go see a movie instead of Cheryl's party, as it may not be what Jughead needs, but he just wants to forget his troubles and go to the party, at which Tabitha seems a bit disappointed. They go to the party where Jughead proceeds to get hammered and Tabitha tries to watch out for him. Wasted, Jughead gets up to pick a key and Tabitha tries to argue with Cheryl that he's in no fit state to participate. Cheryl rejects that and Jughead drunkenly protests that he'll pick a key. He picks Tabitha's and she resolutely asks Cheryl if they can leave now, and proceeds to put Jughead's arm around her and support him as she takes him home. At Archie's house, Tabitha tells Jughead he should get help, but that he should sleep for now and turns around to see him already out. She puts a blanket over him as she looks emphatically at him.

Jughead leaves
One late night at Pop's, some time later, Tabitha and Jughead are cleaning up when a familiar song comes on the radio. Tabitha starts dancing and Jughead joins in, grabbing her hand and swinging her. They're having fun and he dips her over one of the tables, and when they stand up again they fall into a kiss. When they break apart, Tabitha apologises quickly and Jughead excuses himself. They talk the next day in a booth and Tabitha apologises for kissing Jughead, who says that he leaned in too. He tells her about his heartbreak from Betty cheating on him (although he doesn't mention the cheating) and his unhealthy relationship with and ex in New York, stating that he's not in a state to be in a relationship. Tabitha suggests they just be friends, and Jughead cheekily asks her for a favour: he wants her to watch over him as he does psychedelics to uncover his trauma. Tabitha is obviously hesitant, but Jughead says he needs someone he trusts and she relents, seemingly rather wanting to make sure he's okay than just letting him do that on his own. When Jughead's ex, Jess, later shows up at Pop's with the shrooms, Tabitha pretends to be his new girlfriend to get Jess to leave, which she does. Tabitha cooks the shroom in a burger and gives it to Jughead, who eats it in the bunker and tells her to check up on him a few hours down the road. When she does, Jughead is high, shirtless and, upon seeing Tabitha, immediately starts flirting with her and trying to kiss her. Tabitha parries him off and shows that she's brought handcuffs to make sure he isn't harmed while high. Jughead continues flirting, joking about bondage, but Tabitha is steadfast, handcuffs him to the table and leaves while Jughead protests. When she later returns to check on him, she finds the handcuffs bloody and Jughead gone.

Tabitha's frightened for Jughead and calls Betty for help. She ends up looking for him with both his exes, Betty and Jess, and learns that Betty cheated on Jughead, who years later sent Betty a misogynistic voicemail which Betty plays for them. Jess slips Tabitha and Betty drugs to 'help' them find Jughead and tells them to just ride it out together. They let Jess have Jughead's manuscript because Jess is worried that he will slander her like he threatened to do to Betty. Despite all this, Tabitha is still interested in Jughead, who has been lost in Sketch Alley and gotten sick. He decides to hitch a ride to New York to uncover his trauma and leaves Tabitha a voicemail to tell her how he feels and that he's sorry for the worry he's caused her. After being gone for around a month, Jughead returns to town and attends an AA meeting, where he explains that he uncovered his blackouts with help from Jess and that his main takeaway was that he was alone and nobody looked for him while he was hallucinating in the sewers. Knowing how he fell apart, he wants to start putting his life back together, beginning with sobriety. Meanwhile, Tabitha is helping out and getting to know Toni, Veronica, Cheryl and Betty, the latter of whom she's trying to protect while Betty goes through searching for her sister.

Tabitha meets her idol, world famous pop icon Josie McCoy, who returns to town and drops by Pop's. Later on, when Josie and the Pussycats give a reunion concert at the Whyte Wyrm to help the town, Tabitha attends with Jughead and they seem happy to have reunited. As part of his recovery, Jughead has to apologise to the people in his life that he's hurt with his addiction. He starts by apologising to Tabitha, who tries to apologise to him for leaving him in the bunker, but Jughead doesn't let her, stating that she has no blame whatsoever in what he got himself into. Tabitha accepts his apology and Jughead is happy and relieved that she does. When Tabitha finds out her former employee, Squeaky, is missing, she enlists the help of Jughead and her new friend, Betty, to find her. Eventually a body is found and Tabitha goes to the morgue and is heartbroken to identify the victim as Squeaky. Jughead comforts her and Tabitha says she wants to be a part of taking down the monsters who did this, but stays behind for now to contact Squeaky's family. When they find out the Blossom relatives were behind the murders, a group of them, including Tabitha and Jughead, go to Old Man Dreyfuss's junk yard to find the missing girl and they manage to save Britta from the serial killers.

Romance


Tabitha and Jughead, along with their other friends, are there for Betty as she griefs the death of her sister, Polly. Tabitha's parents come to town to visit her for Mother's Day, and they quickly start exchanging unpleasantries as Tabitha's parents, who are rich, do not approve of her choice to be in Riverdale nor running Pop's when she had more lucrative offers, despite it also being Tabitha's father's family legacy. To annoy her parents and have a buffer at dinner, Tabitha introduces Jughead as her boyfriend, which they openly seem unhappy with. Jughead plays along, but then later nervously tells Tabitha that he will be her real boyfriend if she asks him. Tabitha relays that she's interested, but that the timing isn't great. Jughead counters that there will always be a lot going on but that they should follow their hearts and he begins to sing to her. They duet and it ends with Jughead kissing Tabitha in Pop's, where she kissed him for the first time months ago.

Tabitha's father asks to speak with Jughead in his car and baldly tells Jughead that he's not good enough for Tabitha, but Jughead tells him that he really cares about her. Mr. Tate persists, telling Jughead not to show up at dinner. At dinner, Mr. Tate disparages Jughead to Tabitha, telling her he probably won’t show. Tabitha isn’t having it and confronts him about his dislike of her choices. Just then Tabitha sees Jughead and gets up from the table as Jughead steals her a red rose from the restaurant decor. They begin singing to each other, Jughead telling her she looks beautiful and they quash their worries that they couldn’t be together. Tabitha takes his hand and pulls him with her as they run out of the restaurant together. They dance in Archie’s garage as they sing their love for each other and kiss. They attend Polly’s funeral together. Afterwards, they reflect on life and Jughead quotes Shakespeare to comfort them, then holds Tabitha’s hand as they look lovingly at each other.

Tabitha and Jughead attend Betty’s surprise graduation party, and Jughead surprises Tabitha with having their shifts at Pop’s covered so they can have their first real official date. Jughead takes her hand and they once again run out together. At the restaurant, Jug shares with Tab that he is on track to get his teaching position back in Autumn. Tabitha congratulates him, then teases Jug about being able to move out of Archie’s garage. She then tentatively mentions that her lease will be up by then and Jughead, while surprised, smiles at the thought of them living together. They’re interrupted by a call that Pop’s is burning and rush back to see it aflame. The structure is saved by Archie’s fire squad, but Tabitha will have to rebuild. She’s angry and upset and Jughead is there for her. While Archie and Toni help Tabitha by working on taking down Hiram for burning Pop’s, Jughead supports a dejected Tab. He cooks her a burger and makes her a milkshake and applauds her for choosing to pay her staff over her premium, though it means the damage won’t be covered. She shows Jughead a Lodge Ledger article that trashes Pop’s and Jug wants to make Tabitha feel better by letting her have revenge. He takes her to the ledger where he lights her a molotov cocktail, which she throws into the empty office, burning it down. As they watch it burn, Jughead pulls Tabitha into a passionate kiss.

Songs

 * next time i see you | LITTLE MILTON
 * jughead will write letters to tabitha. 7x10


 * a real hero | COLLEGE & ELECTRIC YOUTH
 * magical goodbye kiss. 7x01.


 * cry | JOHNNIE RAY
 * tabitha doesn't remember jughead

season 6

 * angel in blue jeans | GO GETTERS
 * jabitha talk about xandra's offer


 * i feel like cryin' | WERLY FAIRBURN
 * jabitha at pop's. 6x22.


 * say goodnight | FIVE2
 * jughead asks tabitha to fix his hearing with time travel. 6x12.


 * i cried to be free | ADA ‘CRY BABY’ RAY
 * tabitha and jughead research at pop's when a gunman comes in


 * sirens (follow me down) | MAVENNE
 * tabitha yells at jug for endangering himself

season 5

 * love kills slowly | ICEAGE
 * tabitha and jughead set fire to lodge ledger and make out


 * woman in love | SELECTRACKS
 * jughead quotes shakespeare and holds tabitha's hand


 * bow my back | BUCK GRIFFIN
 * tabitha pretends to her parents that jughead is her boyfriend


 * gellow mold | THE PREFAB MESSIAHS
 * jughead hits on tabitha while high and she rebuffs him


 * don't ever leave me | HOPE GRIFFITH
 * tabitha 'saves' jug from his ex by pretending to be his new gf


 * misery misery misery | JIMMY GILMER
 * talking about the kiss


 * hungry like the wolf | DURAN DURAN
 * kiss


 * the beldam | CREEPSEED
 * playing darts at the whyte wyrm


 * day by day | TOMAR AND THE FCS
 * jughead asks tabitha for the waiter position

Fanon
Viewers expected this pairing to unfold and there were a few reactions: most were concerned, because of the show's storied mistreatment of its characters of colour, that Tabitha would be treated as a 'diversity hire' and not be given her own substantial story. Then there's the notion that another alliterative T entered the show as a love interest for Jughead and was subsequently demoted to extra: Toni Topaz. Simultaneously, there was excitement about the pairing if it would be given a fair shot and wouldn't be treated like Toni was - as a speedbump on the Bughead highway. Overall, the general consensus is that the show better treat Tabitha well and as a character in her own right, regardless of whether she is together with Jughead. And then of course there's the requisite klandom outcry of "she doesn't need a bf", "why can't they be friends" that happens when a white fave and woc might date. After the ship did become canon, people rallied around it as it was given development throughout Season 5 and very sweet, romantic moments, not to mention that Tabitha Tate quickly has become a fan favourite.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION


 * IG


 * TIKTOK


 * TUMBLR


 * TWITTER

Media

 * Hang Jughead and Tabitha’s ‘Riverdale’ Season 7 Premiere Kiss in the Louvre (DECIDER • MARCH 2023)


 * The 'Riverdale' Season 5, Episode 10 Promo Teases A Jughead-Tabitha Moment (ELITE DAILY • MARCH 2021)


 * Will Jughead & Tabitha Tate Get Together On 'Riverdale'? Fans Are Convinced (ELITE DAILY • FEBRUARY 2021)