The Teased ‘Epidemic’ Could Be a Zombie Apocalypse in ‘Riverdale’ Season 3

Emily Lee
TV Riverdale
TV Riverdale The CW

Season 3 of Riverdale is right around the corner. The new season will jump ahead three months from where Season 2 left off and begin around Labor Day as Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead attempt to get back to normal after “the worst summer ever”. While Archie hopes life in Riverdale can once again be peaceful, viewers know the odds of that happening are pretty slim. This is Riverdale, after all. After solving the murder of Jason Blossom in Season 1 and facing off against the Black Hood in Season 2, the stakes are high for the next installment of the hit show.

What’s next for Archie and the rest of the gang? There’s been plenty of fan theories circulating about who the villain of the upcoming season will be. From Penelope Blossom scheming to take back control of Riverdale to a new District Attorney determined to convict Archie of murder, there’s no shortage of enticing options for the big bad. There have been some hints, though, that the show will go in a totally new direction. The villain of Season 3 may not even be human…

The Season 3 Big Bad is Not What You Were Expecting

Betty Cooper is back to sleuthing.
Lili Reinhart gave away some hints about what's to come.

Back in July, the cast of Riverdale made an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con to promote Season 3. During one of their many interviews, Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty Cooper, let an interesting detail slip. She revealed the big bad will be an “epidemic in Riverdale.” This will be the central mystery of Season 3.

To interpret Reinhart’s quote, let’s look at the dictionary definition of ‘epidemic’. The most common definition is, of course, aligned to illnesses: “a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.” The second, slightly less common, definition is: “a sudden, widespread occurrence of a particular undesirable phenomenon.”

So, what does this all mean? While Reinhart gave no other details about the epidemic, her on-screen mother, played by Mädchen Amick, hinted that Betty will become ill. During a game of Truth or Dare at Comic-Con, Amick was dared to act out her favorite scene from Season 3. She mimed caring for a sick Reinhart, which strongly suggests that the epidemic does have something to do with some kind of disease breaking out in Riverdale. But the second definition of the word could also come to pass.

The Epidemic Might Kick Off an Afterlife with Archie Plot Line

Archie Andrews will face new challenges in season three.
Will Archie have to face off against the undead?

Fans of Riverdale have long wondered if the show would ever explore the supernatural. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the show’s creator, wrote the Afterlife with Archie comics, which followed Archie as he navigated the perils of a zombie apocalypse. He’s already reworked the Archie Comics into a gritty, blackly comic, noir teen drama, so, it’s possible he’d take the show one step further and introduce a supernatural element. An insidious illness spreading might just suggest the beginning of the end for the residents of Riverdale.

In most zombie pop culture lore, the walking undead are usually borne from some sort of infectious disease. The epidemic Reinhart teased could be the start of a zombie apocalypse. If so, things aren’t looking good for Betty. As Amick suggested, Betty will fall ill in the upcoming season; there’s evidence to support this in the trailer, too, in the brief shot of Betty passing out.

Reinhart also revealed that Betty and Jughead will be back to being “the investigating duo they were in Season 1.” There’s nothing quite like the threat of transforming into a flesh-eating zombie to light a fire beneath you. Betty’s potential illness could function as a story-driver for both her and Jughead. They’ll need to solve the mystery of the epidemic before it’s too late for Betty.

Polly Cooper’s Friends From The Farm Might Be Involved

Alice Cooper has joined The Farm.
Polly Cooper recruited her mother to join her cult. Who's next?

Another possibility is that the cult Polly Cooper joined has something to do with the epidemic. The Farm has long been teased, but never before seen on the show. Fans got their first, chilling glimpse of the cult in the trailer. Polly and Alice, along with other members of The Farm, are seen standing around a fire, dressed in all white, holding up Polly’s twins. There’s also a glimpse of a book filled with drawings depicting devil worship. The final scene shows Jughead discovering two bodies lying beside a pagan shrine as he calls out for help. It’s clear that the cult is going to play a huge role in Season 3.

Aguirre-Sacasa was heavily inspired by the Netflix documentary Wild, Wild Country which details the rise of the Rajneeshpuram cult that settled in Oregon in the 1980s. Aguirre-Sacasa’s interest in this particular cult hints that The Farm will tie into the epidemic plot line. Jughead discovering the bodies at the end of the trailer suggests that something sinister is happening in the cult. The members of Rajneeshpuram are infamous for attempting to poison an entire town. Perhaps this bit of history is where Aguirre-Sacasa pulled his inspiration from and the epidemic is intentionally caused by The Farm.

If Reinhart’s interpretation of ‘epidemic’ tips in favour of the second definition— a sudden, widespread occurrence of a particular undesirable phenomenon—she could still be referencing the cult. Bagwhan Shree Rashneesh, the leader of Rajneeshpuram, was able to convince thousands of people from across the world to abandon their lives and families to join his cult. Citizens of Riverdale dropping everything to join a mysterious new cult can definitely be considered an undesirable phenomenon.

Between the ominous cult and Reinhart’s reveal that an epidemic is going to hit this small town with big secrets, one thing is certain. Something wicked is coming to Riverdale. Will Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead be ready when it does?

Riverdale Season 3 premieres on October 10 in the US and October 11 in the UK.

Emily Lee
Emily is from Jersey City, NJ, loves reading YA novels, and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing.