Ethel Muggs

"They put me in a wooden box as I desperately opposed. But all my screaming was for naught. My mouth had been sewn closed. Curled up in bed was just a girl. Needing Daddy's arms to hold her."

- Ethel's poem

Ethel Muggs is a recurring character on Riverdale. She is portrayed by Shannon Purser.

Ethel is a student at Riverdale High School, who teams up with Betty and Veronica for a revenge plot against Chuck Clayton.

Early Life
One day at school last year, she and Chuck Clayton had a brief discussion in the library, Ethel assisted him with a math problem, and that was all. However, Chuck began to spread a rumor that he and Ethel engaged in sexual acts. Following that, either Chuck or one of his friends wrote "sloppy seconds" on Ethel's locker.

Season 1
Ethel joined forces with Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge after learning that Betty was looking around school for female students who were also slut-shamed by Chuck Clayton and his posse. Ethel then volunteered to go on record with her story, she told them that after a short conversation with Chuck in the school's library, he went on to ruin her reputation by spreading rumors of him and her together. Betty sympathized with her, feeling bad that Ethel had to go through such an experience. But that's wasn't all, they also keep score of each conquest, which earns them a point, they keep all this hidden within a secret playbook, according to Ethel. And due to lack of evidence, Mr. Weatherbee's hands are tied, so informing him would accomplish nothing. Upon learning from Trev Brown, the potential location of the playbook, Ethel, Betty, Veronica, Cheryl and Kevin Keller broke into the school after hours to recover it. In the book, Ethel was discouraged to learn that she is labeled as "big girl (7.5)". With the proof provided by the playbook, the ladies manage to take down Chuck and his goon squad.

Several classmates were disturbed by Ethel's reading of an extremely dark poem, specifically Kevin and Veronica, which resulted in Veronica taking a personal interest. While Veronica was moved by Ethel's poem, she could also tell it was coming from some place dark, which led her to ask if Ethel was alright. Ethel admitted that everything was not okay within the Muggs household as her parents had been constantly fighting, but they would not tell her why. She felt as if something really bad was happening, and there was nothing she could do to stop it, like watching a slow motion car crash. In an effort to cheer her up, Ethel was invited to lunch and pampering with Veronica and Kevin at The Pembrooke.

As promised, Ethel had lunch with Veronica, Kevin, Betty, and Hermione, however, due to all the stress she had been undergoing at home, Ethel wasn't feeling hungry. Her living situation hadn't gotten any better, as her parents were still fighting, and after some bad luck with their savings, they were going to have to sell the house. At that moment, Veronica realized that she and Ethel had more in common than she originally thought because the Lodges had also lost everything several months prior, but Veronica reminded Ethel that she still had her family and friends. Unbeknownst to either Ethel or Veronica at the time, Hiram Lodge, Veronica's father, was responsible for the Muggs' recent misfortune. So upon learning that Ethel's last name was Muggs, which the third "G" had been removed from when her grandfather came over, Hermione became fairly concerned.

The next day, Ethel was invited back over to the Pembrooke by Veronica, who gifted her with expensive clothing and jewelry, yet she didn't feel comfortable accepting them, Ethel only wanted to be friends. Just as life seemed to be getting better for Ethel, her father attempted to end his life after swallowing an entire bottle of pills. At the hospital, Ethel and her mother were greeted by Veronica and Betty, who came to extend their prayers to the family. After introducing Veronica to her mother, Mrs. Muggs discovered that her last name was Lodge, making her the daughter of Hiram Lodge, the man who was at fault for destroying the lives of the Muggs. Veronica then went on to apologize for her father's actions, which she could do something, but Ethel's mom wanted actions, not words.

The next day at school, as Ethel prepared for class, she was approached by Veronica, who was sorry for everything her family had done. Ethel explained to Veronica that she was not responsible for her father's actions, not to mention Veronica had been there for Ethel during her time of need multiple times. She then offered Veronica the desk next to her if she wanted it.

During lunch one afternoon, Ethel was approached by Chuck, newly returned to school following his suspension. Surprisingly, he came over to apologize, it would appear that his suspension offered him some time to reflect on his wrong doings. Before long, Betty came over to the table and demanded that Chuck leave her alone, slamming her hand on the table in a fit of rage, but Ethel assured Betty that everything was fine. The following night, Ethel attended Jughead's 16th Birthday Party, but before the party could even start, she found herself wondering if she could make it to the bathroom before Jughead and Betty returned from the double-feature at the Bijou, to which Kevin suggested that she hold it. Ethel peeked out the window to discover that Betty and Jughead were nearing the house, so she advised everyone to hide, and as Jughead entered, everyone jumped out. Then came the birthday cake, Ethel, Archie, Veronica, Kevin, and Joaquin surrounded Jughead as he blew out the candles.

Not long after, the party was crashed by Chuck, Cheryl and the rest of the school, all looking to party. Later that night, she offered Jughead a slice a cake as he passed through the kitchen, claiming that not eating his own cake on his birthday was bad luck, but for him, the entire night was bad luck and he denied Ethel's offer and said he would see her at school.

Physical Appearance
Ethel is a lovely young lady with pale skin and light brown hair and eyes. She's a little on the heavier side, being labeled by the Riverdale Bulldogs as "big girl", but this does not take away from her beauty. Ethel has more of an unusual wardrobe, much different from that of anyone else in Riverdale. In most cases, she'll wear a blouse, paired with a thin sweater and a long skirt.

Personality
Ethel is a shy and quiet girl, the type to avoid problems and controversy. She keeps to herself and is heavily focused on school work. Beneath all that is a depressed and lonely young lady. The troubles that her family is currently facing certainly do not help.

Trivia
Ethel is of Dutch descent on her father's side. Their family name was originally spelled "Mugggs" but lost the third "G" when Ethel's grandfather Manfred Mugggs came over to the United States.

Relationships

 * Ethel and Veronica