Riverdale’s gay kiss has fans asking: Is Archie queer?
The gay kiss between Archie and Joaquin (Netflix)
Riverdale is set for another gay kiss—and this one is earth-shattering.
Archie Andrews, the CW and Netflix show‘s main character and long-time boyfriend of Veronica Lodge, will passionately kiss fellow inmate Joaquin DeSantos next week (November 14), according to the episode’s trailer.
The gay kiss between the jailbirds will take place during an episode called “The Great Escape,” which is surely a reference to breaking out of juvenile detention—and away from the warden’s disturbing teenage fight club—which Archie talked about last week.
Archie has been in juvenile detention for most of season three (Dean Buscher/Netflix)
Riverdale has multiple queer characters, with Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz both coming out as bisexual before getting together during season two and Kevin Keller getting intimate with Moose Mason on various occasions, but fans were shook at the idea that Archie might not be straight.
One wrote: “DID I JUST SEE ARCHIE KISS JOAQUIN.”
“DID I JUST SEE ARCHIE KISS JOAQUIN” (bianumb8/twitter)
Another said: “DID JOAQUIN JUST KISS ARCHIE IN THE PROMO INMDMSMD,” and that was a pretty standard reaction to the shocking blink-and-you’ll-miss-it clip.
“DID JOAQUIN JUST KISS ARCHIE IN THE PROMO INMDMSMD” (str8forcolleen/twitter)
Many welcomed the gay kiss, with one fan tweeting: “Honestly. I ship Archie X Joaquin .”
“Honestly. I ship Archie X Joaquin ” (BarchieJeronica/twitter)
And one wrote: “The producers, making Joaquin and Archie kiss” above the iconic “I’m gonna give the gays everything they want” GIF.
“The producers, making Joaquin and Archie kiss” (harvestmoon____/twitter)
Others were worried that the showrunners were simply titillating their audience, and would end up pulling the rug out from under LGBT+ fans who would love to see the pair get together.
“DID I JUST SEE ARCHIE KISS JOAQUIN” – bianumb8
“Well if they’re gonna make joaquin and archie kiss then bi archie should rise, then i would love it,” one hesitant but excited fan said.
“Bi archie should rise, then i would love it” (korrasatx/twitter)
Another captured a common sentiment, tweeting: “even if i ain’t joaquin’s #1 fan… bi Archie is quite literally all i’ve ever wanted… don’t f**k this up for me @ Riverdale writers room.”
“Bi Archie is quite literally all I’ve ever wanted” (jknotapa/twitter)
And one viewer laid out a few storylines which could explain the red-hot moment of passion, writing: “the kiss in 3×05 could be…joaquin being thankful to archie for taking his place in the ring.
“It happens after they escape (heat of the moment win kiss) [or] a ruse to sidetrack the jailers, OR they kiss cause they wanted to…period.”
“OR they kiss cause they wanted to…period” (sarahreads88/twitter)
It seems like they wanted this last possibility to be the reason for the gay kiss, since they added: “I F**KING SHIP IT SO HARD.”
KJ Apa would welcome same-sex love affair for Archie
In June, ahead of Riverdale‘s season three, KJ Apa—who plays Archie—said he’d be in favour of his character getting into a gay relationship.
Archie and Joaquin before they share a gay kiss on Riverdale (Netflix)
Apa was asked at Oz Comic-Con in Melbourne about the way in which some fans ship Archie and Kevin, and how he felt about it, to which he answered: “Love it, let’s go!”
Watch the Riverdale trailer here:
