The Road Less Travelled: things I learned from Riverdale

I read The Archie Wedding series last night. I originally was buying the installations, but then missed a few so was happy to get my hands on the "Will you marry me" comic which had the entire story neatly bounded together.

Archie is worried about life after graduation and goes for a walk...up memory lane (do you see what they did here???) where he comes to a fork in the road. He decides to go left which leads him to ask Veronica to marry him, they live an indulgent life on her family money, have twins and life is good. What I learned in this segment was the four principles of a good marriage that Archie and Ronnie lived by:

1. Communication
2. A sense of humour
3. Work at it like it's your job
4. Be each other's best friend

I also learned that sometimes a girl can be jilted. Betty loved Archie and was devastated when she learned that he chose Veronica. But she acted graciously, kept her head high and was happy for her best friends.

Archie decides in his life with Veronica one evening to go for a walk and comes upon Memory Lane once again, and once again decides to walk up it. He chooses the right path this time at the fork in the road and is transported back to right after university graduation. He seeks out Veronica again to ask her to marry him, but listening to her plans for the future, realizes he could never fit into her jet set ways. So he takes Betty aside and asks her for her hand forever. It's the girl-next-door's dream come true. This actually makes me sad for Betty, because Archie still originally chose Veronica. I believe that Veronica will always be Archie's true love and I wish Betty would find someone who will love her as much as she is worth.

Betty and Archie's life is dramatically different from his life with Veronica. At first Archie can't find a job due to the recession and the two live off Betty's earnings as a junior buyer at Sacks 5th Ave (so clever, those Riverdale writers -- other favorites included Mall Warts, Storebucks and Spiffany's). This doesn't work out due to some class clashes with Betty's boss and the two return to live in Archie's parents home and teach at Riverdale high. It is soon announced that Betty is pregnant and they too have twins.

In this segment, I learned that Betty deserves more. She puts all of her dreams on hold for a guy and bows down to a "best friend" that tries to upstage her as the Maid of Honour at Betty's wedding. I am very thankful that I have the greatest best friend in the world. In this segment we also find out that Midge and Jughead get married! Midge always deserved more than Moose who was super controlling and angry all of the time. That was a real highlight for me to read. I do feel a little sad for Big Ethel though...always a bridesmaid it seems :(

Anyway, while with Betty, Archie decides to go for a walk one evening and stumbles upon (wait for it...) Memory Lane. He walks down it and runs in to Jughead -- high school Jughead -- who wants to know where Archie has been as they have homework due for the next day's poetry class. Archie has been transported back to his present day and all has been restored in Riverdale. The writers want to keep the readers guessing as to who Archie will eventually marry, but I honestly think it will be Veronica. She was his first pick both times. And Betty deserves to be more than some one's second choice.