After four months of hiatus, Riverdale finally returned with answers we've all been waiting for. Well, some of those answers, anyway. No, Jughead was not kidnapped by the Mothmen, as previously suspected, but instead was inspired (by drugs!) to take a trip to New York City to find out what trauma he has suppressed. (Sadly, he was picked up by that potential murder-y truck driver in the process, so...fingers crossed Jughead makes it out of that vehicle alive.) While Betty and Tabitha searched for Jughead, unaware of his plans, Betty finally let slip the reason she and Jughead weren't on the best of terms for the last several years: The harsh voicemail Jughead left her years earlier.
As previously explained in the first episode of the time jump, Betty was supposed to go see Jughead during his book launch, but was late. Jughead, drunk out of his mind, freaked out and was convinced his ex-girlfriend wasn't showing up. He lashed out over voicemail, telling Betty he was always abandoning him when he needed her. He accused her of finding his weak spots and picking at them, reminding Betty that she cheated on him with his best friend, Archie, who just so happened to be the one person Jughead was most insecure about her leaving him for. After all, Jughead screamed on the phone, Betty's hookup with Archie was the one thing that would hurt Jughead and her best friend Veronica, making Betty a cold, calculating bitch.
As fans may recall, Jughead doesn't really remember what he said to Betty over voicemail — it was a pretty hazy time in his life. But clearly, Betty does, and is still pretty salty about the whole thing. And now we will also forever remember, because I transcribed it to live in perpetuity. I recommend you use this on only the people you hate the most in life.
Betty, where the hell are you? You said you were going to come to my release party but what, you bailed? Of course you bailed. You’ve just been blowing me off for years, why should I have expected anything different. You know, I see you Betty. I see what I should’ve seen seven years ago. You pretend to be nice, but you are only looking for weak spots and when you find them you press on them like a bruise... like when you hooked up with Archie. You know you found the one person that would hurt both me and Veronica and you just went there. You’re a cold, fake duplicitous bitch. And once people read my book, everyone's going to see that.
Jughead was within his right to be angry at her for kissing Archie while they were together (especially given their complicated history and her longtime crush on her neighbor) but he also picked at an insecurity of Betty's with his words. After all, Betty is the daughter of the Black Hood, born with the serial killer gene, and occasionally dissociates into "Dark Betty." The last thing Betty wants is for a person she cares about to call her a heartless monster — because deep down, she suspects it might be true.
For Bughead shippers, it proves that a future relationship between Betty and Jughead may be further away than previously suspected — though, of course, still not impossible. While the voicemail will be a difficult thing to overcome, Jughead is on the road to uncovering his suppressed trauma. Perhaps, if he does that, he'll also be able to confront what he said to Betty, and properly apologize for it.
Of course, that's all dependent on him not becoming another victim of the truck driving serial killer. Fingers crossed!
Images: The CW