Stock up on Jingle Jangle and reserve your seat at Pop's, because Riverdale is officially coming back for a third season. This is great (but also totally expected) news for fans of the CW's gritty reimagining of the Archie Comics world.
Here, everything we know about the third season.
Premiere Date
You're going to have to hang tight for this one. Riverdale will return to the CW on Wednesday, October 10 at 8 p.m.
Plots
After a wild season two finale (hi, new Serpent Cheryl Blossom), there's many questions about where the show will head next season. Luckily, Riverdale creator Robert Aguirre-Sacasa gives us a few answers in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Betty will continue to explore her darkness.
"For two seasons, we've been exploring Betty's darkness, and I think that will always be a part of her character. It felt like the black wig did take on a life of its own. With the darkness, either Betty was denying it or it was controlling her. There was a struggle to understand it. I think that will continue," explains Aguirre-Sacasa.
"Again, rather than do another season of Betty struggling with her darkness, she's dealing with it another way or turning away from it or controlling it. Lili is such a wonderful actress that you, of course, want to give dark, dramatic material to. But I was so happy to see her in the finale smiling in the hotel room and walk away from the darkness that I don't want to deny that part of her as well."
Archie and Hiram will face off against each other.
In the same interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Aguirre-Sacasa reveals Archie and Hiram will continue to battle against each other.
"This season, Archie was sort of intoxicated by Hiram—his power and the way he moves through the world and his ruthless ideals. Archie kind of came back to the good guys' side by the end of the season, but there are consequences for what he's done this season. He and Hiram are squaring off, so I think that will be one of the main conflicts of season three, for sure."
We're going to learn more about the Serpents.
"Is it the same Serpents, or have they changed? How many are there? What are they doing now? I think these are core questions that the show will address head-on," says Aguirre-Sacasa.
The show's genre will evolve.
Aguirre-Sacasa continues, "I think what started in my mind as a traditional coming-of-age show quickly morphed into something that was a little pulpier, something that was more noir, something that had a suspense or crime element. Yes, in season one, we did a murder mystery, and in season two, we did a serial killer in a small town and The Godfather in a small town."
"Season three will have a high genre element like that. That's what the show is. It's not just about the Archie characters. It's the Archie characters put into a specific genre, and we see how they relate and survive and adapt."
There's a major spoiler in season two.
In the same Hollywood Reporter interview, Aguirre-Sacasa tells fans to look back at season two, episode seven to get a glimpse into what we might learn about in season three. FYI, that was the episode with Penny and Jughead. You know...the one. Read a full recap of the episode here.
This post will continue to be updated as more news, casting updates, and spoilers become available.
