Bughead

Bughead is the het ship between Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper on the CW's mystery drama Riverdale.

Canon
Beginnings Like Archie, Jughead has known Betty since they were little, though they don't exactly know each other well or seem to socialise a lot. This changes after the murder of Jason Blossom, when Betty revives the Blue & Gold school newspaper and asks Jughead to work with her in uncovering what really happened and who's responsible. This quest inevitable includes Betty getting closer to the truth of what really happened with her sister, Polly, and as she uncovers the extent of her parents' betrayal, Jughead is there for support and comfort. Betty confides in Jughead that she's worried Polly really is crazy, and that maybe she is too, and Jughead assures her it's her parents that are in the wrong, not Betty. He then kisses her, after which they start being together, although their shared quiet natures have them take things as they come, and stay focused on uncovering the mysteries of Riverdale.

Sleuthing and romance

Their romance is soon noticed by everyone and Veronica is the first to actually call Jughead Betty's boyfriend, though neither object. Jughead helps Betty out with the baby shower for Polly and when Archie busts in, outing FP as a serpent in front of Betty and Veronica, Jughead seems concerned with how Betty will react. She assuages his worries when she tells him it doesn't matter to her, but that she wants him to share these things with her, as she wants to know who he is. Together, they pay a visit to FP and Betty meets him for the first time. Jug asks her if she believes FP didn't kill Jason and Betty says she believes in Jughead, something she reaffirms to Veronica and Alice, later when Alice starts investigating FP. Betty's heartbroken that Polly seemingly chose the Blossoms over her own family, while her mother has thrown out her father and she fears her family is coming apart at the seams. Jughead assures her that she is incredibly strong and shouldn't give up and his support keeps Betty's hope alive.

Chuck's return to Riverdale High leads Betty to take her mother's ill advice and not tell Jughead about the episode with the jacuzzi, or her self-harm, and instead throw him a birthday party, which Archie tries to dissuade her from doing. This and Jughead's discomfort with his own social awkwardness leads to their first fight, and Jughead punching Chuck when the latter reveals Betty's problems to the whole school. An unlikely source of help, FP, tells Jughead not to run away from his relationships and to support Betty. They go to Pop's and Betty opens up about her self-harm. Jughead also starts spending more time around Alice Cooper, as he's helping Betty with her family troubles, but her and FP's history comes between Betty and Jughead when Alice accuses FP of murdering Jason and FP bites back.

Jughead considers leaving Riverdale to live with his mother and Jellybean in Ohio, and is devastated when he finds out Archie and Betty knew about Alice's inquisition and lied to him, ruefully telling Betty he was considering staying in Riverdale because of her. Archie and Veronica inform Betty that FP is being framed and she and Jughead make up and start trailing what happened. After discovering the killer, Jughead faces his Dad's prison sentence for covering up the murder. Although he and Betty are closer than ever and say 'I love you' for the first time, Jughead feels lost and afraid and when the Serpents come knocking, sees an opportunity for a family of sorts.

Descent into heartlessness

Following the assassination attempt on Fred Andrews, Jughead and Betty start changing from people who look for justice and decency in Riverdale, to, arguably like the rest of the town, being willing to do whatever it takes to get what they need. With Jughead's knowledge, Betty threatens Cheryl with putting the video of her father murdering her brother online, saying she won't do it if Cheryl testifies on behalf of FP. Betty and Jughead have no qualms about this, even though Cheryl attempted suicide only days prior to their actions. Slowly, Jughead and Betty take different paths to uncover the mystery of the Black Hood serial killer, with Jughead asking the Serpents for help and eventually becoming a member while attending Southside High, while Betty keeps her contact with the Black Hood from Jughead.

The threat leads Betty to break up with Jughead via Archie, but they swiftly get back together when she relays the trauma the Black Hood put her through. Betty's fear of losing Jughead translates into her wanting to be a part of the Serpents and, seeing this, Jughead decides they shouldn't be together and ends things. They stay friendly and exchange their planned Christmas gifts, but don't reconcile. Jughead is visibly jealous when Archie gives Betty her Secret Santa present, but he doesn't act on it. Instead, Jughead seems OK being around the Serpents and wanting to keep his place with them, while Betty enlists Archie's help with The Black Hood once again and they end up sharing a kiss.

Quotes
"Hey there, Juliet"

- Jughead

Fandom
AO3

FANFICTION
 * bughead
 * Bugheads
 * Blue&Gold

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * I think Archie is also Jughead’s weakness when it comes to Betty, because they were kind of the three amigos when they were young, but Betty had always favored Archie and it’s something that will definitely see prevalence later on in the season, and just how much of a friendship Betty and Jughead had, even though it was just the three of them when they were younger or if Jughead felt more like a third wheel. So Archie coming to deliver the bad news is not only a slap from Betty, but really a slap from Archie too
 * For the closing night of the Twilight Drive-In, Jughead picks the film Betty suggested to screen: Rebel Without A Cause

Photos

 * Bughead/Gallery