the motif of milkshakes as the core four of riverdale: an analysis thread
first of all, i wanna say before everyone starts quoting me and saying i’m over analyzing: this show is VERY deliberate with its symbolism, and it always has been. for instance, mads said herself that roberto is super purposeful with the colors of the wardrobe
also, other characters drink plenty of milkshakes on the show but when i looked into it, they seemed more random and i think it’s just more relevant to keep with the core four bc the direct connections are a lot clearer.
so,

vanilla: BETTY, innocence, goodness

chocolate: VERONICA (and later JUGHEAD), mystery, an appealing type of darkness

strawberry: ARCHIE, bravery, luck/acceptance

coffee: JUGHEAD, the feeling of being an outsider, a “bad” type of darkness (grief, inner turmoil, etc)
^this is the pattern for which milkshakes match which character for basically the whole series, although i included coffee bc it takes on a metaphor of its own for jughead’s “i’m weird i’m a weirdo” thing (you’ll see). so here’s how it plays out in the episodes:
the first pops scene we get in 1x01 is the barchie scene where betty has strawberry and archie has vanilla, meaning that they’ve swapped signature milkshakes. this is pretty clearly bc they’re thinking of one another and the scene is about their relationship, +
+ but i think it could also be about betty confessing her feelings to him bc strawberry represents the bravery/strength we associate with archie.
also in the pilot, we first see jughead at the end of the episode, and he has coffee! part of this is bc he is always drinking coffee when he’s writing, but also bc he’s serving major loner/outsider vibes and the coffee represents that.
in 1x02, betty has vanilla and veronica has chocolate, which is pretty self-explanatory bc they’re both in their element in that moment. the way they’re dressed and the lighting also adds to the major “light vs. dark” theme that’s featured pretty heavily in season 1
in 1x04, betty is the only person with a milkshake (she almost always has one in a pops scene) and it’s strawberry. this is bc she’s still heartbroken over archie and is clearly thinking about him, not to mention that in this scene she’s overcome by worry for him about gr*ndy
in 1x06 and 1x08, veronica has coffee, which correlates with her feeling of being an outsider bc of her father.
in 1x06 and 1x08, veronica has coffee, which correlates with her feeling of being an outsider bc of her father.
in 1x06 and 1x08, veronica has coffee, which correlates with her feeling of being an outsider bc of her father.
and also in 1x08, betty has another strawberry, which you could interpret as being about archie or about her confidence in fp/loyalty to jughead.
1x10 shows this motif really well too, because jughead and betty both getting vanilla after their fight and the disaster of a party shows that they’re craving innocence and peace.
then in 1x12, jughead has coffee again to symbolize his loneliness after his friends betray him and his dad is arrested.
1x13 is the most prominent example of the milkshake symbolism: veronica has her signature chocolate, betty has vanilla with a strawberry on top (a little part of me always thought?), archie has chocolate (which he explains in the deleted scene is a metaphor for choosing ronnie)+
+and jughead has strawberry, which i think is about him finally feeling like belongs and feeling lucky (basically a resolution to 1x02 where he describes himself as invisible and archie as the luckiest guy in the world)
but in 2x01, jughead goes back to coffee after joining the serpents and going back to mystery-solving in the wake of the first black hood attack, and betty gets a strawberry on her milkshake to show she’s worried about archie.
and the next time bughead is at pops in 2x02, jughead has coffee again but betty now has a strawberry milkshake, which i think is because of archie but you could also argue it’s bc she’s taking on a heroic role in this episode by saving the diner.
later, veronica has her signature chocolate, archie has strawberry, jughead has coffee, and betty has strawberry again.
later, veronica has her signature chocolate, archie has strawberry, jughead has coffee, and betty has strawberry again.
later, veronica has her signature chocolate, archie has strawberry, jughead has coffee, and betty has strawberry again.
in 2x06, archie has coffee which is pretty unusual for him, but it’s meant to show the toll that his ptsd is taking on him,
and in the same episode, betty and veronica have the light/dark pairing (with their clothing AND milkshakes) twice, which really emphasizes the importance of the symbolism imo.
and in the same episode, betty and veronica have the light/dark pairing (with their clothing AND milkshakes) twice, which really emphasizes the importance of the symbolism imo.
and in the same episode, betty and veronica have the light/dark pairing (with their clothing AND milkshakes) twice, which really emphasizes the importance of the symbolism imo.
in 2x09 and 2x19, the core four all have coffee in moments of great distress, showing once again that coffee symbolizes darkness/grief.
in 2x09 and 2x19, the core four all have coffee in moments of great distress, showing once again that coffee symbolizes darkness/grief.
in 2x09 and 2x19, the core four all have coffee in moments of great distress, showing once again that coffee symbolizes darkness/grief.
in 2x09 and 2x19, the core four all have coffee in moments of great distress, showing once again that coffee symbolizes darkness/grief.
in 2x09 and 2x19, the core four all have coffee in moments of great distress, showing once again that coffee symbolizes darkness/grief.
and in 2x20, archie has coffee again but elio parrots veronica with a chocolate milkshake, which i think is interesting bc it shows that elio is trying to mask his true intentions or present himself as a friend rather than a villain.
and in 2x20, archie has coffee again but elio parrots veronica with a chocolate milkshake, which i think is interesting bc it shows that elio is trying to mask his true intentions or present himself as a friend rather than a villain.
and in 2x20, archie has coffee again but elio parrots veronica with a chocolate milkshake, which i think is interesting bc it shows that elio is trying to mask his true intentions or present himself as a friend rather than a villain.
in 2x22, veronica has chocolate like usual and jughead has coffee (which he has sort of embraced as the leader of the serpents), but archie and betty both have strawberry again. they’re always on the same page🥺
3x01 has the same patterns, except jughead now has a chocolate milkshake instead of a coffee, which i think is because he feels like apart of the group and more accepted than before. (also notice betty’s strawberry— she’s worried about archie again)
3x01 has the same patterns, except jughead now has a chocolate milkshake instead of a coffee, which i think is because he feels like apart of the group and more accepted than before. (also notice betty’s strawberry— she’s worried about archie again)
3x01 has the same patterns, except jughead now has a chocolate milkshake instead of a coffee, which i think is because he feels like apart of the group and more accepted than before. (also notice betty’s strawberry— she’s worried about archie again)
i also thought it was worth noting that they mirror the milkshake orders with the parents in 4x04 bc the milkshakes kind of symbolize what all the parents wish they had (alice/purity, fred/bravery, fp/identity, hermione/excitement, etc). you CANNOT tell me this wasn’t intentional
i also thought it was worth noting that they mirror the milkshake orders with the parents in 4x04 bc the milkshakes kind of symbolize what all the parents wish they had (alice/purity, fred/bravery, fp/identity, hermione/excitement, etc). you CANNOT tell me this wasn’t intentional
i also thought it was worth noting that they mirror the milkshake orders with the parents in 4x04 bc the milkshakes kind of symbolize what all the parents wish they had (alice/purity, fred/bravery, fp/identity, hermione/excitement, etc). you CANNOT tell me this wasn’t intentional
end of season 3, everyone’s in their element.
end of season 3, everyone’s in their element.
end of season 3, everyone’s in their element.
and lastly, in 4x02 i think it’s interesting that when jughead has this sort of out-of-body flashback thingy, he’s drinking coffee and looking on as an outsider, but the version of himself he sees in his vision is drinking a chocolate milkshake.
and lastly, in 4x02 i think it’s interesting that when jughead has this sort of out-of-body flashback thingy, he’s drinking coffee and looking on as an outsider, but the version of himself he sees in his vision is drinking a chocolate milkshake.
and lastly, in 4x02 i think it’s interesting that when jughead has this sort of out-of-body flashback thingy, he’s drinking coffee and looking on as an outsider, but the version of himself he sees in his vision is drinking a chocolate milkshake.
and lastly, in 4x02 i think it’s interesting that when jughead has this sort of out-of-body flashback thingy, he’s drinking coffee and looking on as an outsider, but the version of himself he sees in his vision is drinking a chocolate milkshake.
if you’ve actually made it to this last tweet ily, and you can say i’m over analyzing which i probably am but this motif just makes SO much sense to me and i think it shows how archie and betty & veronica and jughead are the most fundamentally connected pairings in the core 4 <33
You can follow @lesbianiklaus.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled:
Those who think consciousness raising & movement building are disconnected, or even a distraction from electoral politics have not paid attention to the history of social change.In this thread, we
Read more
The 2020s will be known as the Remote Work decadeA few predictions of what is likely to emerge[ a thread ] Third Space: Office and Working from Home will
Read more
1/29: Have you ever had a concept explained to you that helps frame complex issues you’ve been wrestling with and opens your eyes to new possibilities? A concept that I
Read more
By continuing to use the site, you are consenting to the use of cookies as explained in our Cookie Policy to improve your experience.