Every ‘Riverdale’ Plotline You Need to Remember Before Season 3

Keely Flaherty
TV Riverdale
TV Riverdale The CW

The second season of Riverdale was a doozy. There were so many twists and turns, it’s easy to forget just where our faves ended up by the end of it all. So, ahead of the Season 3 premiere on October 10, here’s a refresher on how everything ended last season:

We Know Who the Black Hood Is — but There’s a Twist

Hal Cooper, Riverdale, Black Hood

The second season revealed that the Black Hood was Hal Cooper, Betty’s father, all along. But there is, as always, a twist: He’s probably not the only Black Hood. Earlier in the season, Archie and Betty caught a different Black Hood (who turned out to be Riverdale High’s very own janitor, Joseph Svenson).

While Hal was confessing his crimes to Betty and Alice in the Coopers’ living room, another Black Hood showed up at Archie’s house and tried to kill Fred Andrews (again). Hal admitted to having committed most of the Black Hood’s crimes, save for shooting up City Hall during the mayoral debate. This could be a simple case of copycat killers, but it’s unlikely that the Black Hood narrative is truly over — and that Hal’s the only one.

Bughead Is Alive and Well

Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Bughead, Riverdale

After a bumpy season of breakups, reconciliations, brushes with death, and brief dalliances with other people (Jughead with Toni, Betty with random dudes online), Bughead is officially back and stronger than ever. They’re so strong, in fact, that Jughead asked Betty to be his Serpent Queen of sorts (TBD on exactly what that means, but we’re choosing to believe it means many more scenes of them together in bed).

Varchie Is Also (Barely!) Alive

Archie Andrews, Veronica Lodge, Varchie, Riverdale

Poor Archie really went through it this season. He watched his dad get shot, was almost buried alive, and became an errand boy for his girlfriend’s mob boss father. Veronica spent the whole season trying to balance her familial commitments (which included helping her father with his sinister plan to take over Riverdale) and her friendships. In the end, pretty much everyone ended up mad at her. While she and Archie are together for the moment, staying together for the long haul won’t be easy.

Choni Is Riverdale‘s Best New Couple, Hands Down

Toni Topaz, Cheryl Blossom, Choni, Riverdale

This is the pairing we never knew we needed: Cheryl and Toni had their first kiss in a horrific nunnery, they’re both the definition of hair goals, and now they’re in a gang together. Toni’s a grounded, witty, wise-beyond-her-years badass who doesn’t apologize for who she is. Cheryl’s an iconic, complex, cherry-hued mess made of equal parts sugar and vinegar. They both have tough exteriors but are secretly big-hearted heroes desperately seeking some kind of stability. Hopefully, we’ll see much more of them next season.

Moose and Kevin Might Be a Thing Again

Kevin Keller, Moose, Riverdale

The last we saw of Moose and Kevin, they were making out in the boys’ bathroom. In all fairness, Moose recently got shot and almost died, and then saw his girlfriend get brutally murdered on the Riverdale theater stage, so he’s not super emotionally stable. But, ideally, that kiss means that Moose is ready to come out and become Kevin’s permanent movie date.

FP Retired From the Serpents

FP Jones, Serpents, Riverdale

The season ended with FP finally retiring from the Serpents and appointing Jughead as the new head of the Southside gang. Where to next? Maybe Toledo to be with Jughead’s mom and sister, Jellybean, but probably not. FP is a Hot Riverdale Dad, no way are they writing him off to Toledo.

The Serpents Are Going Through a Rough Time

FP Jones, Riverdale

The second season ended on a pretty bitter note for the Southside. After a vicious confrontation with the dreaded Ghoulie gang left Sunnyside Trailer Park in flames, most of the Serpents either defected and joined the Ghoulies, left town, or went into hiding. Principal Weatherbee even tried to ship the Southside high schoolers off to Seaside High — but luckily the Riverdale High students protested. Basically, the Serpents are looking at an unsure future no matter where they go.

But Good News! Cheryl’s a Serpent Now

Cheryl Blossom, Serpents, Riverdale

After legally emancipating herself from her evil mother and surprise uncle, Cheryl appointed Nana Rose Blossom as her guardian and officially became a Serpent. Unlike Betty, who’s kind of a Serpent, Cheryl’s a full-fledged member of the gang, complete with a custom cherry leather bomber jacket.

Penny and the Ghoulies Will Return

Ghoulies, Riverdale

Penny Peabody, aka The Snake Charmer, and her Ghoulie lackeys ended the season by joining forces with Hiram Lodge to try and take down the Serpents once and for all. Jughead offered himself up as a sacrificial lamb, and even though he survived the Ghoulies’ brutal attack, the Serpents still lost the battle. But Penny will almost definitely be back.

The Whole Red Circle/Dark Circle Mess Might Be Over

Archie Andrews, Red Circle, Riverdale

Back at the beginning of the season, Archie and the other Riverdale Bulldogs founded the Red Circle to help protect the community from the Black Hood. Then, through Hiram Lodge’s repeated manipulations, the Red Circle morphed into the Dark Circle and Reggie stole the group away from Archie. Now the Dark Circle seems kinda dead, and, hopefully, it’ll stay that way.

Midge Klump Was Murdered

Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale

Lots of people almost died this season (Fred Andrews, Moose, Jughead), but poor Midge actually fell victim to the Black Hood after Riverdale residents thought the villain had been caught once and for all. It was pretty gruesome — her knife-riddled body was on full display when the theater curtain lifted during Riverdale High’s musical production of Carrie. Hal admitted to killing Midge, so mystery solved, but hopefully, she’ll get some additional justice next season.

Sierra McCoy Is Now an Attorney and Dating Sheriff Keller

Sierra McCoy, Riverdale

Josie’s mother was forced out of her position as mayor after the Lodges blackmailed her once they found out she was having an affair with Kevin’s dad, Sheriff Keller. The upside is that Sierra’s no longer helping Hiram take over Riverdale, and now we can see her be an Olivia Pope-like badass. We also might get a nice Brady Bunch dynamic between Josie and Kevin. The downside is that the new mayor is definitely in cahoots with Hiram.

Hermione Lodge Is Mayor of Riverdale

Hermione Lodge, Riverdale

After beating out Fred Andrews for the position by a narrow margin, Hermione buried the hatchet with her ex-lover and political rival by shaking hands on election night. Of course, political peace never lasts long in Riverdale. With Hermione acting as her husband Hiram’s political mouthpiece, she and Fred are bound to bump heads again, and soon.

Josie Is (Thankfully) Focusing on Her Music Again

Josie McCoy, Riverdale

Tragically, Josie and the Pussycats broke up this season. Josie did some soul-searching, ran for a student council position, and then remembered that she’s an incredible musician who needs to what she does best. Hopefully, we’ll see more “Milkshake” remixes next season.

Polly Gave Her Twins Weirdo Names and Still Loves Her Creepy Farm

Polly Cooper, Riverdale

The elder Cooper sister showed up a couple times this season with her new twins, Juniper and Dagwood (lol). Polly initially left Riverdale to escape the Black Hood’s threat to kill the town’s sinners (as a pregnant unwed mother, she was rightfully concerned). She later left again to escape creepy Chic but returned to comfort her family after they found out Hal was the Black Hood. Polly’s also still talking up that creepy, mysterious farm where she’s been living, and we clearly haven’t heard the last of it.

We Still Don’t Really Know Who the Eff Chic Is

Chic, Riverdale

As if the Cooper family tree weren’t already confusing enough, it turns out that Chic isn’t the long-lost Cooper brother after all. We did learn that the real Charles Smith was Alice and FP’s son, but that he’s likely dead — and Chic might be the one who killed him (he confessed to Betty, but who knows if he was lying).

The last we saw of Chic, he was sprinting away from the Black Hood and into the snowy woods as Betty watched. However, our bet is that Chic will be back, and that Betty will have to go visit her dear old Black Hood dad in prison to find out just what happened that night in the woods.

Alice Is Really Struggling

Alice Cooper, Riverdale

Alice isn’t doing very well. She lost Polly to the creepy farm, found out her supposed son was actually a terrifying imposter, and discovered that her husband was a serial killer. But the Cooper women are nothing if not resilient, and Alice is a former Serpent who has a dark streak of her own. Things might be tough right now, but next season might give us the Cooper Renaissance that iconic blonde trio deserves.

Hiram Is Due for a Reckoning

Hiram Lodge, Riverdale

Daddy Lodge spent the whole season deceiving his nearest and dearest just to further his own personal political agenda. Hiram’s long-term plan to control Riverdale isn’t slowing down. He’s joined forces with local baddies like Penelope Blossom, appointed a new sheriff who’s in his pocket, and is trying to silence the press.

Veronica finally caught on and realized how much her dad sucks, and severed all ties with him by exchanging ownership of the Southside’s Whyte Wyrm for Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe. But that didn’t stop Hiram from turning around and framing Archie for murder.

Archie’s Going to Prison for a Crime He Didn’t Commit

Archie Andrews, Riverdale

The season finale ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but we do know that Hiram Lodge framed Archie for a murder he didn’t commit. The victim, Cassidy Bullick, is the Shadow Lake thief who broke into the Lodge family’s summer home in Episode 14 while the Core Four were on their weekend getaway. Archie witnessed Andre, the Lodge family’s head of security, murder Cassidy when he tried to flee the scene. Basically, Hiram is a monster and poor Archiekins better call Sierra McCoy right now.

Basically, get hype, Bulldogs: Next season is gonna be dark.