Everything You Need to Know About ‘Riverdale’ Season 3

Photo credit: Katie Yu | The CW
Photo credit: Katie Yu | The CW

From Cosmopolitan

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The CW announced in April 2018 that it had renewed a whopping 10 original series, including Riverdale. Two months later, a premiere date was announced: mark your calendars for Oct. 10. Here’s what we know about season three:

1. Production commenced in summer 2018. As Skeet Ulrich (FP) revealed during PeopleCon’s first-ever RiverCon in Paris, filming for season three kicked off in Vancouver, Canada this summer.

Here’s KJ Apa back in his Archie hair in an Instagram Story shared on June 27, 2018.

Photo credit: Instagram Stories | KJ Apa
Photo credit: Instagram Stories | KJ Apa

And here’s Vanessa Morgan (Toni) showing off her “new” cast chair.

2. Season three will deal with the repercussions of the “tragedy” that happens in the season two finale. This was teased by KJ Apa (Archie) and Cole Sprouse (Jughead) in an interview with TVLine in April. “I think the last episode, if I were to describe it in one way, it would be tragic – for one person in particular in the show, but for everyone, ultimately, ” said KJ. Added Cole, “Jughead’s made a lot of enemies.” In the same interview, Camila Mendes (Veronica) called the finale “the lead-up from everything that’s been happening between Archie and Hiram, their relationship.” Marisol Nichols (Hermione), also alluded to “a throwback to any gang war.”

On the season two finale, this “tragedy” turned out to be Archie getting arrested.

3. The first episode will see Archie in court. In late-June, show runner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa shared the title of the season three premiere, “Labor Day,” along with a comic of Archie in court.

According to a teaser shown at Comic-Con, Archie spends his Labor Day at a lake with the fab four – Veronica, Betty, and Jughead, which suggests he’s not in jail for long. Or maybe he’s in between hearings? Whatever the case, look at Archie driving shirtless! (The new stuff starts around the 2-minute mark.)

In September 2018, RAS revealed that Archie’s trial wraps as soon as the show returns. “It’s Labor Day weekend and it’s closing arguments for Archie’s trial,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “His fate hangs in the balance, and in the premiere episode, the outcome of the trial will be revealed.”

Photo credit: Jack Rowand | The CW
Photo credit: Jack Rowand | The CW
Photo credit: Katie Yu | The CW
Photo credit: Katie Yu | The CW
Photo credit: Katie Yu | The CW
Photo credit: Katie Yu | The CW

4. Toni will appear as a series regular beginning on season three. The promotion was announced in May 2018. “Toni Topaz has been a break-out character for us since Jughead met her at Southside High – and that’s thanks to Vanessa Morgan’s fearless, winning performance,” RAS said. “We’re thrilled that the adventure of this fan-favorite will continue into season three. Long live Choni!” Yes, always here for more Cheryl and Toni screen time!

Photo credit: The CW | Giphy
Photo credit: The CW | Giphy

5. You’ll also see more of Charles Melton (Reggie). Charles, who took over Reggie duties on season two after Ross Butler headed to 13 Reasons Why, has also been promoted to series regular. “He’s a terrific addition to the gang and in season three, will be seeing A LOT more of him,” teased RAS. OK but stay away from Hiram, kid. He’s not a good mentor to you, to Archie, to anyone!

6. Related: Supporting characters will get the spotlight for a change. Speaking to Deadline, RAS says that as Riverdale becomes a Sin City-like town, “one idea is that we might shift the focus around on different characters, some of our supporting players as well to kind of tell a tapestry of what life is like.” This means people like Cheryl, Tony, Kevin, and Josie will “carry more story” than previous seasons.

7. Get ready for a new genre. As RAS tells Deadline, following season one’s murder mystery and season two’s serial killer vibe, season three will include traces of pulp and noir. “So if it feels like Riverdale is a place where people are getting killed all the time, maybe we find out that that’s not a coincidence. Maybe in season three, that’s actually part of a bigger pattern and a bigger unspoken history of Riverdale.” Friendships and romances will also remain a core part of the show, he says. In an interview with EW, RAS adds that there will be an “investigation aspect” to the season and “that probably Dr. Curdle in the coroner’s office will still be in business next season.”

In September 2018, RAS told EW that the new season will be a mix of True Detective season one and Dungeons & Dragons. (Just go with it.) For starters, there’s a new killing spree in Riverdale, and leading the unofficial investigation once again are Betty and Jughead. But more about that killing spree: “The murder victims in the present were playing a game called Griffins & Gargoyles, which is, of course, the Riverdale version of Dungeons & Dragons,” RAS says. In the flashback episode (see entry 13), it’s revealed that Alice, F.P., Fred, and company also played this game when a similar murder happened in town.

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

8. Jughead’s mom will pop by. Gladys Jones and Jellybean Jones, Jughead’s mom and sister, respectively, have been talked about (by other characters) for the past two seasons, but have never showed their faces in Riverdale. It looks like they might finally leave Toledo. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they came to Riverdale bringing bad tidings for Jughead and Betty and FP and Alice,” RAS tells Deadline.

On Oct. 7, the show announced during New York Comic Con that Jughead’s mom and sister will be played by Gina Gershon and newcomer Trinity Likins, respectively. Per Deadline, you’ll get to meet the much-talked about Jones women on an episode airing Dec. 12. Juggie’s mom is Gladys, described as a “businesswoman” in charge of the salvage yard that also happens to be a Serpent compound. Jellybean, or “JB,” is described as a “wise beyond her years” teen who listens to Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath.

9. The show isn’t done with Polly and her farm. In the season two finale, Polly tells Alice about the farm she’s been living at with her twins and how someone there “healed” her after everything that’s happened with Jason. She seemingly stays behind to be with Alice, who’s a mess after Hal’s whole Black Hood saga. Tiera Skovbye, who plays Polly, tells Cosmopolitan.com that this is a good indication that the farm “will be something that’s explored” on season three. Adds RAS in his EW interview, “We’ve been seeding the idea of the farm, and that the farm may not be as altruistic and as benevolent a place as Polly suggests… What is this place, and what does it mean for Polly?”

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

Per the Comic-Con teaser, season three will include a scene in which Polly and Alice appear to dangle the twins Juniper and Dagwood over a giant fire pit. Is this the farm (cult) doing its thing in Riverdale? Are they sacrificing the babies?!

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW


10a. Two new characters are reportedly headed to Riverdale, including a cult leader. Per ThatHashtagShow.com, Evelyn Evernever, a character from the Little Archie comics, will join the season three cast. The casting description has Evelyn in her “late teens – early 20’s” and notes that she’s “eager to befriend Betty.” Additionally, Evelyn is “otherworldly, seemingly omnipresent, and a bit odd,” and “is surprisingly insightful for her age, but may be hiding dark secrets about herself.” There’s also a casting call for someone named Evelyn’s father Edgar, a “new-age health ‘guru’ who has helped Alice get her life together.” According to the casting description, “an actor with ‘90s’s-2000’s pop-culture cachet is a plus.” @Luke Perry and Skeet Ulrich, can you call one of your buds?

10b. Archie has a new adult nemesis. At Comic-Con, it was revealed that Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist) will play Ms. Wright, the district attorney Archie must deal with after being framed for murder by Hiram. Per THR, Ms. Wright “will weave together disparate moments of Archie’s young life to portray him as a dangerous, violent sociopath who is capable of committing a heinous crime.”

Photo credit: Jack Rowand | The CW
Photo credit: Jack Rowand | The CW

11. Hiram will get even “darker,” if you can imagine that. Via EW, RAS says Hiram still has to get his hands dirty. “He influenced Archie. He influenced Reggie. He capitalized on Veronica’s love for him. But he didn’t get down and dirty in the mud that much.”

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

12. Prepare your heart for more Falice. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mädchen Amick (Alice) expressed interest in filming more Falice scenes, since their brief Serpent-y get together in season two was so well received. “I really do want to see her finally get with FP, because that’s a big thing. They have a lot of history together, so I’d like to see that.”

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

During the TCA summer press tour in August 2018, Amick teased that Falice “might be exploring a few old habits.” Executive producer Sarah Schechter also chimed in: “It feels inevitable, like some sort of celestial event.” Whatever happens, Falice should keep one eye open. RAS warns that Hal “is not completely out of the picture yet."

13. There will be another musical episode. After the success of season two’s production of Carrie: The Musical, which ended with the gory murder of poor Midge, season three with have another musical episode, according to an announcement made during Comic-Con 2018. Something else to look forward to: a flashback episode with the teens playing their parents. I am SO ready for Betty to play Alice, Jughead to play F.P., and so on.

RAS confirmed at the TCA summer press tour that episode 4 will be the flashback episode, titled “The Midnight Club,” which will reveal “a really, really dark secret that the parents have been keeping” since their high school days.

Photo credit: The CW
Photo credit: The CW

14. There might be a wedding. And unlike season two’s dream sequence with Varchie, this wedding will actually be real. Per RAS at the TCA summer press tour, the show “might have one in the offing that involves a certain ex-mayor and a certain ex-sheriff,” suggesting that Mayor McCoy and 1/3 of the Hot Dads of Riverdale, Sheriff Keller, will be walking down the aisle.

15. Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa’s son Michael will join the show for one episode. Michael Consuelos, 21, will play a young Hiram Lodge in the season’s flashback episode.

And it looks like Michael’s 15-year-old brother Joaquin has also been hanging out on location with the cast.

Quino.

A post shared by KJ Apa (@kjapa) on Aug 19, 2018 at 6:11pm PDT

Kelly Ripa’s got to make a cameo of some sort this season. Give the people what they want!

16. The Serpents have a new camp in town. This, according to a new image RAS shared on Twitter of Jughead, Fangs, and Sweet Pea. Why did Fangs even bother with a shirt that day?!

17. Moose and Kevin are a thing. Maybe. At the end of season two, Moose and Kevin (and their lips) finally found each other, giving way to a new couple to ship: Moovin. (Or is it Koose?) Per a new photo shared by RAS, the twosome will be spending a lot of time together next season, even if it is just for summer reading.

18. On Aug. 29, The CW released a new trailer showing more of Polly’s cult, Archie’s bicep, and Jughead in the woods. Won’t somebody help Juggie? He appears to be screaming from what used to be a seance or something definitely, maybe related to Polly’s cult.

19. Riley Keough will have a cameo. Per Vulture, Riley Keough will play Laurie Lake, an “all-American farm girl” who takes in a lost Archie and Jughead, who for some reason end up wandering on her property.

Photo credit: Joe Scarnici | Getty
Photo credit: Joe Scarnici | Getty

FYI, the casting comes some six months after Riley tweeted, “I just want to be cast in Riverdale.” See? Good things happen. Sometimes.

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