The epic highs and lows of Riverdale have finally come to an end, as the show aired its final episode last week. With how bonkers the CW teen drama has gotten over its seven seasons, it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that the finale might have a shocking twist. Even still, a certain group of activists saw the episode from across the bar and did not like its vibe.
Fan reactions to the series finale have been mixed, as the story ends with Betty, Veronica, Archie and Jughead becoming a polycule. Advocacy group Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-Monogamy (OPEN) has slammed the show's ending, saying that the portrayal of polyamorous relationships in media should "be done both responsibly and from a place of understanding."
OPEN Executive Director Brett Chamberlin wants to celebrate non-monogamous representation in media, though he said it needs to be done realistically: "It's frustrating that Riverdale used its characters' non-monogamous relationship as a 'shocking twist' rather than engaging with an authentic portrayal of non-monogamy as simply being part of people's identities," he said [via TMZ].
He continued: "We didn't see or hear anything about why these characters practice non-monogamy, what it means for them, the substance of their relationship agreements and communication practices, or any of the other underlying motivations and work that makes relationships of any type function." Basically, he wants a plotline where Archie reads The Ethical Slut.
Beyond the ethics of quad-relationships in the afterlife, this is not something we had on our Riverdale bingo card — though we should have known better by now.
Fan reactions to the series finale have been mixed, as the story ends with Betty, Veronica, Archie and Jughead becoming a polycule. Advocacy group Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-Monogamy (OPEN) has slammed the show's ending, saying that the portrayal of polyamorous relationships in media should "be done both responsibly and from a place of understanding."
OPEN Executive Director Brett Chamberlin wants to celebrate non-monogamous representation in media, though he said it needs to be done realistically: "It's frustrating that Riverdale used its characters' non-monogamous relationship as a 'shocking twist' rather than engaging with an authentic portrayal of non-monogamy as simply being part of people's identities," he said [via TMZ].
He continued: "We didn't see or hear anything about why these characters practice non-monogamy, what it means for them, the substance of their relationship agreements and communication practices, or any of the other underlying motivations and work that makes relationships of any type function." Basically, he wants a plotline where Archie reads The Ethical Slut.
Beyond the ethics of quad-relationships in the afterlife, this is not something we had on our Riverdale bingo card — though we should have known better by now.
