Die-hard Riverdale fans were rewarded for not snoozing their alarms on Sunday morning when the 10 a.m. New York Comic Con 2018 panel opened with a sneak peek of the season 3 premiere. It was followed by a chat full of juicy clues from KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Luke Perry, Mädchen Amick, and showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. So, what did the sleepyheads miss? First, the kids will actually be studying! “We’re working on an episode that’s all about the kids taking the SATs,†Aquirre-Sacasa told fans before adding, “with murders and stuff.†And who better to solve those murders than our favorite crime-fighting duo: Betty and Jughead! Bughead returns! Aquirre-Sacasa also revealed that his love for the first season of HBO’s True Detective informed much of this season’s plot, “it’s a pretty dark, very twisted and very twisty mystery.†And if you’re wondering just how dark it could be, this season’s new villain is named the Gargoyle King. So, yeah.
In addition to announcing that Jughead’s mother and sister will be stirring things up this season, we also learned about two other new characters who’ll be added straight from the Archie comics: Evelyn Evernever and her father, a charismatic farmer named Edgar Evernever, whom Amick revealed the now very single Alice Cooper will take a very special interest in.
More clues as to what awaits the gang this season are: Archie is learning to literally fight for his life! Cheryl Blossom is having a pool party with velvet couches! And no, there will not be a Sabrina crossover this season, but someday! Betty hits her head against a wall a lot! The hot dads will bond! We can’t stop shouting! It’s too exciting!