'Riverdale' Season 2: What To Expect From The Next Season

Archie and friends just wrapped up one insane year of High School. In the Riverdale season finale alone, enough happened for Archie, Jughead, Veronica, and Betty to call it a rough year. There were good times, too, but "The Sweet Hereafter" suggests the bad times are far from over. Below, find out everything we know about Riverdale season two.

It's a testament to Riverdale's successful first season how much tension there is in Pops' Diner in the finale. After a bumpy start with the pilot, investing in these characters soon comes easy, especially if we're talking about Fred Andrews (Luke Perry). Archie's father is an all-around good dad who, like his well-intentioned son, is capable of slipping up. He's one of the few parents who's a symbol of good in Riverdale.

When the robbery begins and Fred's fate looks sealed, there's an immediate sense of dread in another great "oh no" moment from Riverdale. Is it a coincidence Fred is in the diner the same time the robbery goes down or are the Southside Serpents or Hiram Lodge behind it? Lodge's involvement seems most likely, but Riverdale frequently subverts expectations.

Season 2 won't begin with a time jump and will address why Fred Andrews was the only character shot. We know Archie is a good kid, but he's got a little darkness in him, which will come out more in season 2 as he maybe looks for his father's shooter, according to showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Source: THR):

It's like the moment when Bruce Wayne sees his parents gunned down in Crime Alley or when Peter Parker learns that that his Uncle Ben was murdered by a burglar. It absolutely changes Archie and sends him on his season-long journey, which — without giving too much away — starts in a really dark place: revenge. Then he starts to turn back towards the light, which is honestly being a true hero.

Aguirre-Sacasa confirmed Fred Andrews would be in the Riverdale season 2 premiere, but didn't say more beyond that. Based on how the showrunner described Archie's next "season-long journey," it doesn't sound like everything is going to be peachy for Mr. Andrews next season, though, dead or alive.

On his way to cause more trouble for Anders boys is Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos). While F.P. Jones (Skeet Ulrich) started to pick himself back up to be there for Jughead, Hermione Lodge (Marisol Nichols) continued to disappoint Veronica (Camila Mendes) and sink further to her husband's level.

When the husband and wife are reunited next season, they're going to be a power couple. Aguirre-Sacasa, who has a lot of reference points, says they'll be Riverdale's very own Frank and Claire Underwood. Unlike Clarissa, Poppa Lodge won't be Archie's biggest fan, says Aguire-Sacasa (Source: EW):

I can only say that when Mark Consuelos arrives, as handsome and charming as he is, we're definitely going to get a sense that a young Michael Corleone has arrived in Riverdale. Our characters aren't going to be quite sure what to make of him or what he's up to. He obviously plays a huge part in the series. One of the classic dynamics from the comic books, which we love to honor and subvert, in a way, and sometimes both, is Hiram-versus-Archie. Hiram hates Archie in the comic books. We're going to play a much more complex version of that, of course.

Hiram may create problems for Veronica and Archie, but maybe so will Archie's feelings for Betty. The famous love triangle seems like it'll become more prominent next season. Archie's longing looks, even after he tells Veronica he was just happy to see Betty and Jughead together, aren't exactly subtle.

The Southside Serpent jacket sure does look comfortable on Jughead. Yes, the use of Imagine Dragons' "Believer" is a bit too much, but it doesn't spoil the scene. Jughead feeling accepted and Betty's disappointment makes for a good note to end their relationship on.

A civil war is coming between the Southside and the rest of the town. With Jughead now at Southside High, a place he quickly makes friends at, that's going to "play into that bigger, more contentious divide happening," according to Aguire-Sacasa.

While Jughead may start to follow in his dad's footsteps, the showrunner told EW Betty will learn to control her dark side:

I think a lot of season 1 was Betty trying to control or suppress her dark side or contain her dark side. A lot of season 2 is about her owning it and harnessing it. Without saying too much, the idea of Jughead joining the Serpents is very provocative. Even more of a Riverdale subversion would be the perfect girl-next-door joining the Serpents, so that's something we're going to play with as well!

Maybe Betty will join the Serpent family before or after her mystery brother comes home and her sister Polly gives birth.

The season one finale laid plenty of groundwork for season two to cover. With her father and brother now dead, Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) experiences the worst of Riverdale. In a show with a lot of angst, pain, and disappointment, she suffers more than anybody. While one would maybe hope, after everything that's happened, Penelope would try to be there for Cheryl, their relationship will keep taking all the wrong turns.

Next season their homelife will resemble Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Grey Gardens, and Crimson Peak. The showrunner told TV Line about their upcoming battle:

She is very much going to be the character we know and love. But this time, she really has nothing to lose, because she's liberated herself of all the shackles. For a lot of Season 1, Cheryl was tortured by her parents, really. They were quite cruel to her. I think we're going to see, after the finale, a big power shift between Cheryl and Penelope. They're going to be kind of locked in battle — these two very formidable, slightly unbalanced women.

Some Riverdale fans were hoping Sabrina the Teenage Witch would make her debut in the finale. Didn't happen, but her appearance, based on how much she's been talked about, seems inevitable. As Riverdale grows darker and stranger, which sounds like the plan, maybe Sabrina the Teenage Witch could soon fit the series.

Months ago, Aguirre-Sacasa, who wrote "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," was considering a spot on the show for the character:

As dark as Riverdale is, the vision for Sabrina is even darker. Riverdale is on one side of the Sweetwater River and Greendale, where Sabrina lives, is on the other. There's sort of that mythic idea that on one side of the river there's one reality and on the other side of the river there's another reality. So who knows? But yeah, there's definitely a universe where Sabrina pops up in Riverdale, or there's a version of Sabrina that exists in her own witchy bubble.

There's a fun nod to Sabrina in the finale. When F.P. Jones – who grew in some surprising ways – was in his jail cell, he's holding a folded copy of "Chilling Adventures in Sorcery." Each issue of the horror anthology comic featured introductions from Sabrina.

The episode prior to the finale, "Anatomy of a Murder," answers the big question of season one: Who killed Jason Blossom? The answer – Mr. Blossom, a maple syrup, and heroin connoisseur – is a nice shock. With the big mystery solved, the finale spends a decent amount of time setting up season 2, but it's all natural and feels right for the characters and show. Very little was forced.

After the pilot, Riverdale quickly picks up. By episode seven, "In a Lonely Place," it gets even better. In that episode and the midway point in the series, after the mostly throwaway Miss Grundy subplot was gone, we get to know these characters better. As wild as their predicaments are in season one, they feel authentic.

They nailed the characters and casting with this show. From the parents to the kids, they all have personalities, and their own strengths and weaknesses and motivations. They're three-dimension characters in a show a CW show that easily could've been one-dimensional.

Despite a few bumps in the road, Riverdale quickly becomes a very entertaining drama, in which even walk and talk scenes with these characters are fun. There's plenty of conflict in store for season two, but more than anything else, I'm already looking forward to seeing these great friends get back together for Riverdale season two.