It Sure Seems Like This "Riverdale" Character is the Gargoyle King
Warning: this post contains spoilers for Riverdale season three.
It seems like every new episode of Riverdale leaves us with a million new questions. The most pressing this season, however, has continued to be who is the Gargoyle King? Yes, many people have donned the mask (I'm looking at you Tall Boy), but the identity of the OG Gargoyle King remains a mystery. And now, he has, more or less, teamed up with the Black Hood, which means he's double dangerous! It's probable that we won't find out the real mastermind behind the mask until the end of the season, but that hasn't stopped me from putting together a comprehensive suspect list. Here's everyone who very well could be the weird stick creature wreaking havoc throughout Riverdale.
1. Gladys Jones
Gladys has quickly become one of the sketchiest characters in all of Riverdale (a title that is not easy to achieve). Not only did she single-handedly run the town’s drug trade, but she also lead the Ghoulies in order to distribute the Fizzle Rocks. Yes, the Gargoyle King just kidnapped her daughter, but it could have been an elaborate ploy to throw everyone off her trail (I mean, JB got out of the situation unharmed, right?). And yes, Gladys did end up in the hospital after that whole ordeal, but Penny Peabody could have just gotten carried away during their “duel.” Either way, with Gladys leaving town, she will have tons of time to take care of all of her Gargoyle King duties.
2. Hiram Lodge
Hiram is pretty much behind every bad thing that goes down in Riverdale, so is he the cause of all of this Gryphons & Gargoyles chaos? Not only did he hire Tall Boy to wear the mask, but he also is the one that handed out the “Kill the Red Paladin” cards to literally everyone around town, a very Gargoyle King thing to do if you ask me.
The fact that Gladys has left town also points at Hiram being the King. She left after a task from the GK, and now that she is gone, the drug trade is in need of a new kingpin, ready to be taken over by someone. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hiram used JB to get Gladys out of town so he could take over the Fizzle Rocks empire once again.
3. Tom Keller
It's hard to imagine Ex-Sheriff Keller has a lot of free time (maintaining that body must take up a lot of his day), but Tom seems like a determined man and I wouldn't put it past him to set aside the time to embody the GK if he really wanted to.
Not only did Sheriff Keller refuse to talk to Josie and Kevin about Gryphons & Gargoyles when they asked him about it, but he also may have been part of the cover up of Dilton Doyle's father's murder. (To remind you: Daryl Doyle was said to have committed suicide, but there was oleander found in his blood.) When Betty asked him about the death, Tom pointed the finger right at Penelope, who, granted, is a plausible suspect, but come on Tom, you were the Sheriff at the time! Take some of the responsibility!
Since then, Tom has taken a backseat to the action, spending his time coaching Archie and enjoying being a newly wed, but something tells me he's in for a story arch soon and it could involve a Gargoyle mask.
4. FP Jones
FP's guilt has mostly to do with his reluctance to talk about the Gargoyle King. Back when Betty had that little Midnight Club reunion, FP was the first one to abruptly leave the talk. Not that suspicious, but why was everyone else willing to hear her out when he bolted? Hiding something, FP? Also, what's a better cover than being the Sheriff? No one would suspect the Gargoyle King is wearing a badge under his costume.
Of course, FP was more or less exonerated when the King kidnapped Jellybean, but, like in the case with Gladys, it didn’t seem like JB was actually ever in any danger, so the whole thing could have been a ruse to throw the town off his track.
5. Evelyn and Edgar Evernever
There are a lot of reasons why I think one (or both) of this father-daughter pair couple is Your Highness Gargoyle. First, neither of them have any alibis as of now. They’re always off doing mysterious things, and while they could easily be working on The Farm, they could also be running around town wearing wooden masks.
The Farm is obviously trying to take over Riverdale. They already have the students and parents covered, but what about the junkies and the outcasts? What better way to bring them into The Farm than with the help of the Gargoyle King. People seem to really love to fall in step with him, just like they do with Edgar. He may not have the back tattoos, but that doesn't exonerate him in my book.
6. Penelope Blossom
Everyone loves to point fingers at Penelope (Tom, Hermione), and for good reason too. She is the keeper of the oleander, the poison that killed Daryl Doiley, though she let Betty know, “even if I wanted to poison Daryl Doiley, I wouldn’t leave traces." Fair enough. Then there's the fact that she was once the G&G game master, the only surviving one from the Midnight Club, in fact. Is there a reason why she's alive and Daryl is dead? Hm...
7. Alice Cooper
Alice doesn't seem able to do much of anything these days, having been pretty much brainwashed by the Farm and Edgar Evernever, but could it all be an act? After all, she wrote the story for the Riverdale Register that Daryl Doiley died of suicide, when he was really murdered. And she sent Betty away to Sister of Quiet Mercy! If that's not evil, I don't know what is. Was she trying to keep her snooping daughter from finding out the true identity of the Gargoyle King Queen?
Alternatively, Alice could be working with the Evernevers and all three of them could be the Gargoyle King collectively. I mean, they are pretty much a family now…
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