12 of pop culture’s best birthday moments

Jughead’s disastrous birthday party on Riverdale

During the first season of Riverdale, Jughead insists that he does not want anyone to celebrate his birthday, and then Betty goes ahead and plans a party for him anyway, because she’s his girlfriend, she does nice things like that, and she has the opportunity to wear possibly the cutest sweater ever. (It’s got a little crown on it, because it’s the shape of Jughead’s beanie.)

So she comes out with the birthday cake, singing “Happy Birthday to You,” and for a brief moment, you think that Jughead will change his mind about hating his birthday thanks to the power of teenage love and being presented with a delicious cake. He even smiles! Jughead smiling is a momentous occasion.

But this is also Riverdale, and any moments of happiness are fleeting at best, because this is about when Cheryl Blossom decides to show up. All of this takes place in the episode entitled “The Lost Weekend,” and Betty’s plans to quietly celebrate with some friends are replaced by a raging party with alcohol, just to make sure that things really do get “lost.”

The best part of Jughead’s birthday, though, is that he and Betty really do kiss and make up, just not at the actual party. Instead, they get a sweet little moment at Pop’s.

-Cheryl Wassenaar, co-expert