After Riverdale Season 3 ended on May 15 with the Gargoyle King unmasked, fans are looking forward to the return of the show to The CW later in 2019.
The show was renewed for Season 4 in January and it is expected to premiere in the fall of 2019.
Following the alarming cliffhanger ending of the Season 3 finale, fans have been asking questions and speculating about the fate of Jughead Jones (Cole Spouse) in Season 4.
Does Jughead die in Season 4?
The Season 3 finale (Episode 22, titled Survive the Night) appears to reveal Jughead dies in the future.
A flash forward to next year’s spring break shows Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), and Betty Cooper (Lilli Reinhart), standing blood-spattered in their undies in front of a bonfire.
Archie is holding Jughead’s blood-soaked beanie. But where is Jughead?
“We have to burn all our clothes, including Jughead’s beanie,” Betty says. “We’ll wash off the blood in the swimming hole.”
“After tonight, we never speak of this, Ever,” she continues. “Not to each other. Not to our parents. No one.”
“We finish our senior year, graduate, and we’ll go our separate ways,” she adds. “This is the only way that we won’t get caught.”
She then turns to Archie, who is holding Jughead’s beanie, and says “Do it.”
Archie tosses the beanie into the fire. And the three teens watch tensely as it burns.
The scene reverts abruptly to Pops where the four toast to the future of their friendship, saying “Friends forever,” after vowing to enjoy their senior year and avoid anything to do with “death cults, and murder mysteries and… gargoyles.”
Fans just can’t believe Jughead dies in Season 4
The suggestion that Jughead will die in Season 4 sent fans into a frenzy of excitement.
They began speculating on social media about what happened and how his fate connects with the arrival of FBI investigator Agent Charles Smith (Wyatt Nash), the older half-brother of Jughead, Jellybean, Betty Cooper, and Polly Cooper.
So why didn’t we see Jughead in the flash forward scene? Was he dead or only missing? What happened that Archie, Veronica, and Betty wanted to conceal?
Some fans suggested that Jughead was actually alive but not present in the flashback scene. Maybe he went to dispose of the body of someone that died.
Others speculated that Archie, Veronica, and Betty might have mistakenly believed they killed Jughead.
What the hell is going on with riverdale surley they can’t have killed judghead????
— CourtneyAnn?? (@CourtneyannM) May 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/zuttonct/status/994425240234045440
OHMYGOD DID JUDGHEAD DIE??????? ISTG ID HES DEAD IM NOT GOING TO CONTINUE THIS SHOW ANYMORE
— veronica (@_vrncxmrr) May 11, 2018
IS JUDGHEAD DEAD LIKE WTF
— babygirl ? (@alluringbri) May 10, 2018
is judghead gonna b dead
— Yvoi Lovinszky (@yvoikl) May 10, 2018
If I see one more person thinking that Jughead is dead even tho it couldn’t be more obvious that he isn’t I’ll go crazy #riverdale
— #riverdaleisoverparty (@xdeIenax) May 10, 2018
He can’t be dead bc he is the narrator and they need one to keep the show going!
— Bughead (@Bughead211) May 10, 2018
wouldn't be surprised if he is dead tho
— k (@ArianaxShawn) May 10, 2018
This isn’t the first time Jughead is feared dead
However, other fans pointed out Jughead found himself in dangerous life-threatening situations in the past while playing detective. And this is not the first time he been feared dead.
He was also presumed dead in the closing episode as of Season 2 after he got into trouble with the Ghoulies, who severely beat him. But, he recovered.
When creating theory on where the hell is Jughead Jones? #Riverdale pic.twitter.com/9YXGVhzFgL
— Red (@GuirnaldaRed) May 16, 2019
I know right! They all are screwing with our minds to make us think #Jughead is dead, I just hope we get what has been said between #Bughead. #PrayforJughead #Bughead #Betty #Jughead #RomeoandJuliet #JugwillneverstoplovinghisBetts
— Keira Rees (@keirarees490) May 10, 2018
Most fans are thus betting the show creators won’t dare the wrath of Bugheads and kill off their favorite character.
Many fans believe that the show creators are only trying to make it look like Jughead has died to heighten the suspense in anticipation of Season 4.