The Best "Riverdale" Season 3 Fan Theories, According to Reddit

With the premiere of Riverdale season 3 hurtling toward us like Hiram Lodge on his brisk 4 a.m. run, we’re all doing our best to research and prepare. Already, the writers and cast members have let a number of season 3 secrets slip — from a possible new love interest for Veronica to the arrival of the Evernevers, two new oddball characters. And if the new trailer is any indication, season 3 might be taking heavy cues from the “Afterlife with Archie,” an alternate reality horror comic that follows all your faves as they battle a zombie apocalypse.

But if we’ve learned anything about this show in the first two seasons, it’s this: there will be lace-front wigs and major plot twists, which means fans have plenty to theorize about. As creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa put it recently, “Riverdale is a small town, but a big place.” Translation? We might as well keep speculating because anything could happen.

To prepare for the third season's Oct. 10 premiere, here are some compelling, though as-yet unconfirmed, Riverdale fan theories to flex those Bughead-inspired detective muscles.

1. An epidemic might be coming to Riverdale.

Riverdale's showrunner recently hinted with glimpses of what’s to come in season 3 can be seen in episode 7 from season 2. If you recall, that episode followed an atypical, three-part format, and the creepiest storyline followed Archie and Jughead as they delivered a massive crate of something to Greendale for Penny Peabody.

On the side of that crate, one eagle-eyed fan caught a small, but potentially telling detail and posted it to Reddit: a Lovecraftian return address. In the works of HP Lovecraft, Miskatonic University is a fictional Ivy League school known for its collection of occult books. We know drugs are Penny’s main hustle, and per Lili Reinhart, next season’s centers on an “epidemic” of some sort. So, is Jingle Jangle making a nasty comeback? Or does that crate contain something way creepier?

2. Archie got a Serpent tattoo, but he’s not joining the ranks.

In the season three trailer, we saw a serpent tattoo on Archie’s arm. After being wrongfully accused and arrested for the murder of Cassidy Bullock in the season two finale, it’s become clear Archiekins will be imprisoned for at least part of season three while awaiting trial. Many have speculated the new tattoo may only be a defense mechanism to help him survive in prison — the Serpents would make convenient allies for Archie while incarcerated. But who knows? Cheryl Blossom just joined the Serpents, and Betty may soon be Jughead’s Serpent Queen. And frankly, who wouldn’t want one of those perfectly lived-in leather jackets? Sign us up.

3. The Blossoms have Satan on speed dial.

We already know the Blossoms are at least five distinct kinds of evil. To borrow Cheryl’s words, the Blossom family committed Riverdale’s original sin: the genocide of an indigenous people in order to steal and profit from their land. Plus, there’s the Blossom Curse — twins run in their family, but “one of the twins always meets a violent end, and often at the hands of the other.” Feel free to tremble.

Now, fans are wondering if there’s something even more sinister going on with the Blossom bloodline. What if the Blossom fortune was secured through a deal with the devil? And the price of that fortune is the Blossom curse?

Remember when Nana Rose was mysteriously poisoned with tannis root? Here’s a truth bomb, delivered to us via Reddit: tannis root only exists in the Rosemary's Baby universe. In that iconic supernatural horror flick, tannis root was used by the people in the Satan-worshipping cult.

Still not convinced? Here’s the kicker: when Clifford died, we learned he wore wigs. Cheryl later explained to Polly that her father started wearing wigs when his hair suddenly turned white overnight. Sound familiar? Spoiler alert: The same thing happened in Twin Peaks. In that cult classic series, the murderer’s hair turns white overnight after he is possessed by a demon. The plot thickens...

Bonus theory: This fan thinks the Blossoms are straight up VAMPIRES. Which, honestly, would explain a lot.

4. Polly’s twins will inherit the Blossom curse.

Polly Cooper just gave birth to the latest set of Blossom twins, Juniper and Dagwood, at The Farm — a mysterious and potentially cult-like commune. The twins are a little young to be plotting murder, but it’s not too far-fetched to imagine their lives are in peril. Even Riverdale's creator has teased the significance of the twins' heredity on Twitter. All hail Juniper and Dagwood, I guess??

5. Claudius killed his brother, Clifford, and maybe Jason, too.

Riverdale is jam-packed with meaningful literary and film references. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Claudius murders his brother, the King, and marries his wife. The same appears to be happening with Claudius, the late Clifford’s brother.

When he enters season two for the reading of his brother’s will, Claudius tells Cheryl that he ran away from home after Clifford threatened to kill him, thus fulfilling the Blossom curse. Having returned and teamed up with Penelope, Claudius now stands to inherit his brother's drug trafficking empire.

6. Chic isn’t dead.

Let’s be honest. You know it, we know it, and actor Hart Denton knows it, too — Chic is (probably) not dead. We last saw Chic sprinting to escape the Black Hood, but his body was never found. In the next episode, Betty gets called to identify a body, but it turns out to be someone else. And notably, Hal never confessed to the murder of Chic.

We also never got a clear answer on who Chic is, or what actually happened between him and Charles Smith. And in July, the same month season 3 filming started, one of Camila Mendes’s Instagram posts featured Hart. But sure, maybe it’s just a throwback.

7. Penny Peabody is Alice Cooper’s sister.

We’ve known for a while that Alice Cooper grew up on the Southside and used to be a serpent. Penny, the snake charmer, bears a striking resemblance to Alice. Some fans have even theorized that Betty might be Penny’s daughter.

As one Redditor pointed out, "What is Penny Peabody's importance? Sure, you could argue that Penny is helpful for the Serpents, and her drug business with Jughead and FP had some importance, but other than that she kinda came out of nowhere ... There is no evidence to suggest her maiden name, but there is no evidence saying it isn't Peabody." They added, "Maybe Penny and Alice being sisters explains why Alice left the south side. Alice found out about Penny's drug business, and didn't want to associate with her. On top of that, she got pregnant with FP's son."

The evidence fans have dug up on Reddit is compelling, but who knows?

8. Charles is still alive, and he’s going by the name of Ben.

As this fan pointed out on Twitter, the name Ben has already “popped up” three times: behind the concession stand at the drive-in theatre; as Miss Grundy’s last student/victim/lover before her murder; and at the Cooper household, where he “interviewed” Chic for a job at the movie theater.

This theory might seem like a stretch, but Aguirre-Sacasa almost, kind-of validated it in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I can tell you he is going to continue popping up,” he said. “There is a resonance as to why he keeps popping up, but stay tuned. There will be more sightings.”

9. The whole show takes place inside Jughead’s fictional universe.

Juggy is the narrator, after all. And it’s no secret his semi-cynical outlook on Riverdale colors the tone of the show. Making his novel the framing decide for the story would certainly add some biases and embellishments to the plot.

One person on Reddit argued that Riverdale's chapter headings are a clue, since they could be chapters of a novel. "I believe his writing is more of a fan-fiction approach; he adapts the story to be more interesting and he changes the names of those involved," the fan wrote. "This could explain what’s going on with Betty lately. Jug and Betty broke up, so Jug is sending Betty’s character into a downward spiral to shift blame away from himself. But to keep readers from piecing together who wrote the story, Jug is always wrecking his character with his Serpent nonsense."

Could Jughead be pulling a Dan Humphrey?

10. As Camila Mendes has confirmed, something — or rather, someone — is going to come between Veronica and Archie.

So this one is all but confirmed: Veronica and Archie, despite V saying they're "end game" in the season 3 trailer, will likely spend some time apart this season. Camila hinted as much at San Diego Comic-Con, when she said, "[Archie and Veronica] are going to struggle in their relationship … and there might be someone else."

Those familiar with the comics know it’s probably Reggie, who will be working at Veronica’s new cocktail lounge. And Charles Melton, who plays Reggie, hasn’t denied the rumors...

In conclusion, there are speculative plot lines for miles in the town with pep, and we have no doubt more will crop up when the show premieres on Oct. 10.

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Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: What We Want to See in "Riverdale" Season 3