Did 'Riverdale' Just Make Betty Cooper Canonically Bisexual?

Although Archie and Betty have always been seen as the core romance when it comes to anything Archie Comics, Riverdale’s latest episode has fans thinking that that this iteration of Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) might be a little higher on the Kinsey scale than the narrative previously allowed us to hope.

Spoilers for Riverdale below!

The second to last episode of season 6, which is, of course, somehow, a musical episode featuring songs from American Psycho, sees Betty’s FBI colleague, Agent Jillian Drake (Sophia Tatum) confessing her romantic interest in the other woman.

Betty talks it over with BFF Veronica (Camila Mendes) and makes an unexpected confession — not only does she feel like she can be herself around Drake more than she can with Archie, but her reaction when Veronica asks if she’s “hot for Agent Drake” heavily suggests that she kind of is, even though she subsequently denies it.

“I did have a dream about her,” she admits. “And yeah, on paper, we’re compatible.”

None
— Jay\ud83e\uded0 (@Jay\ud83e\uded0) 1654903498

The scene set sapphic fans off, with many feeling that bisexual Betty Cooper, regardless of who she ends up with, would be a win for representation and for the idea that showrunners should be open to following chemistry and vibes regardless of their original intent for a character’s sexuality.

\u201cbetty cooper having a bi panic this episode is so real of them to show during pride month\ud83d\udde3\ud83d\udde3 FULL ON SLAY #riverdale\u201d
— tanisha; TAYLILI EXISTS (@tanisha; TAYLILI EXISTS) 1655183900

\u201c\u201cbetty cooper, are you hot for agent drake?\u201d \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40\n\n#Riverdale\u201d
— daisy herondale (taylor\u2019s version) \u2728 (@daisy herondale (taylor\u2019s version) \u2728) 1654904485

\u201cBack at Slaughter-Con, FBI Agent Drake confesses that she's attracted to Betty Cooper.\nNormally, I'd applaud the show for adding a hot, fun, queer FBI Agent to the show's case. And in June, too.\n\n...but I feel like this guarantees she's a serial killer now.\u201d
— Luke Ruddick (@Luke Ruddick) 1655159787

\u201cbetty you should make out with agent drake trust me \u201d
— moon (@moon) 1654913673

\u201cFUCK BARCHIE I WANT BETTY AND AGENT DRAKE #riverdale\u201d
— Annisa Bryan\u2661 (@Annisa Bryan\u2661) 1655079611

\u201cbetty dreaming of drake in a bedroom setting my sapphic betty confirmation right there \ud83c\udf08\ud83d\udc69\u200d\u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d\udc8b\u200d\ud83d\udc69\u201d
— morgan (@morgan) 1655091353

Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa spoke briefly with TV Line about the progression of these characters, noting, “We haven’t seen the last of Agent Drake, but we’re very protective of Betty and Archie.” He also called Agent Drake’s confession a “weird, wild curveball complication,” which some fans have worried means this was a queer moment thrown in for a little bit of drama and not much else.

\u201cwhat was the point of this drake storyline if betty isn\u2019t allowed to explore her sexuality i just don\u2019t get it\u201d
— em (@em) 1655081378

However, he did acknowledge the “sparks between Betty and Agent Drake” and teased “one aspect of [Betty’s self] that she has to reckon with” — that involves Agent Drake.

\u201c@HandonsFlames \ud83d\ude4f I hope they follow up on this. I guess it could have been set up for the finale\u2026\u201d
— \ud83c\udf38 Dandelion \ud83c\udf38 (@\ud83c\udf38 Dandelion \ud83c\udf38) 1655124083

With only one episode left in the season, and one season to go after this before Riverdale calls it quits, there’s definitely still time for Betty to explore her sexuality. And sure, she may still end up with Archie, but — hear me out — what if she didn’t?

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