Entertainment
Spoilers ahead for May 10's Riverdale episode.
This week's episode of Riverdale was, by far, the most action-packed one so far this season. There were plenty of shootings, multiple deaths, and a Black Hood reveal. Not everything was neatly tied up, though, and fans are still pondering the clues about Jughead's Riverdale fate. Could the CW show really have killed off one of its beloved high school characters?
Certainly, anything is possible, and fans won't know for sure whether or not Jughead is alive until next week's Season 2 finale. Still, there's reason to believe it's not truly the end of the road for this fan-favorite character. After all, if Fred survived the Black Hood's attack, who's to say Jughead wouldn't survive a beating from the Ghoulies?
If Jughead is alive, though, it's safe to assume he'll be significantly worse for the wear. After Jughead's phone call to Hiram, it's clear that Hiram wants Jughead out of the picture, so that he'll stop protesting his plans for Riverdale's redevelopment. Jughead offers to sacrifice himself, in a "counteroffer" to Hiram's plan, knowing the Serpents won't win in a fight against the Ghoulies. So it looks like Hiram is responsible for Penny and the Ghoulies' attack on him.
That means that unless something drastic happens to the Lodges in the finale — like, say, Fred winning the mayoral election, or Sheriff Keller being reinstated — Jughead isn't safe just yet. Hiram won't want him around, causing trouble with his school newspaper articles and his protests, even if he is really just a high school kid. Hiram isn't above using people like Reggie to stir the pot in Riverdale, so there's no guarantee he won't threaten Jughead again.
Until next week, though, fans will probably keep speculating wildly about Jughead's future. Here are some of the major clues that Jughead could still be alive.
1
Cole Sprouse's Tweet Is Probably A Red Herring
Sprouse sent an alarming tweet after Wednesday's Riverdale episode aired. The simple message — "Grateful, thank you #riverdale" — caused some fans to worry that this really was the end for his character. Was the actor thanking the CW show for a good two seasons?
Many fans didn't believe the tweet should be taken at face value, though. If this really were the end of Sprouse's Riverdale journey, he'd probably want to share more than four words about the experience. (And if Jughead does turn out to be dead, well, maybe he will.) More likely, the tweet was just Sprouse's idea of a joke, to keep people talking about the show ahead of the season finale.
2
Penny Told The Ghoulies Not To "Finish Him Off Yet"
While Jughead endured a pounding from the Ghoulies, Penny directed them by saying, "Don't finish him off yet, guys." Would the Ghoulies really go against her order? Penny was clearly keeping Jughead alive for some reason. Unless, of course. she just wanted to do the honor of finishing him off herself, and FP found his son after that. But it doesn't seem likely.
Penny also told Jughead, quite ominously, that "come morning, Riverdale as you know it will cease to exist." It looks like she might know something the main characters don't — possibly about Hiram's plans or the election. It's safe to say Penny isn't leaving the Serpents' lives anytime soon, even if Jughead is out of the picture.
3
'Riverdale' Probably Wouldn't Be THIS Cruel To Betty
Betty just confirmed her suspicion that her father is, in fact, a serial killer. She just watched him ride away in the back of a sheriff's car. And she learned that her great-grandfather killed his brother. Would Riverdale really kill off the love of her life right after that? Betty's been callous at times, but she doesn't deserve this much heartbreak.
4
The Show Wouldn't Be The Same Without Jughead's Voiceovers
Jughead is not a good writer. He's a student who's still honing his craft. But his overly dramatic narration is part of what makes Riverdale such a fun show to watch. If he really were dead, fans would lose Jughead's voiceovers, and it's hard to imagine Riverdale without them.
5
Jughead's Hands Might Be In The Finale Trailer
This one is a bit of a stretch, but not much gets past eagle-eyed Riverdale fans. Some Twitter users believe Jughead is the one presenting Cheryl with a red Serpent jacket in the preview for next week's episode. Even if the hands don't convince you, it makes sense that Jughead would be the one to give her the jacket. Those clearly aren't Toni's hands, and Cheryl isn't close to any of the other serpents.
6
That Could Be Fangs' Grave Marker In The Finale Trailer
The trailer for next week's episode starts out with Betty, Veronica, and Archie standing in front of a gravestone. That doesn't mean it must be Jughead's, though. It could easily be Fangs' grave marker. Maybe the three of them wanted to pay their respects separately than the Serpents, to not take attention away from the late Serpent's memory.
There's also a fan theory that the three of them are pretending Jughead is dead — possibly to keep Penny and/or Hiram happy. Betty is holding Jughead's hat, so the three of them could be keeping up some sort of ruse in order to keep Jughead safe. Some fans even believe Fangs' death was also faked — the theories run deep.
7
Jughead's Name Showed Up In An Episode Summary For Next Week
One Twitter user shared an image that appears to be from a DVR set to record next week's Riverdale episode. In the summary, it says that "FP makes a surprising announcement to Jughead and the Serpents." Of course, this image could be doctored, but the same summary has showed up in other tweets, too.
So don't give up hope just yet — Jughead may be alive and well, but fans will have to wait until next week to find out.
