Let's be honest: Archie somehow always manages to do something in nearly every episode that makes us say, "Bruh . . . why would you do that?" And there is definitely a moment like that in the premiere. A deadlocked jury is unable to reach a verdict for Archie, declaring a mistrial. That's when the district attorney, Ms. Wright, offers to give Archie a lesser jail sentence if he pleads guilty, and against his own mother's advice, Archie takes the deal.
Not only does he want to keep his friends and family from having to sit through another trial, but a part of him feels responsible for Cassidy's murder because he didn't do anything to stop it. Sure, it's sad that he's so hard on himself and feels so guilty about something he had little to no control over, but he definitely doesn't deserve to go to jail for murder. How is that going to look on a college application? *Sigh*