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Did Jughead kill Jason on ‘Riverdale’? Cole Sprouse makes a strong case for it
The more we think about Jughead (Cole Sprouse) on “Riverdale,” the more we can’t help but wonder if he’s the person that killed Jason Blossom (Trevor Stines). It’s no secret that Sprouse himself initially wished for his character to be the person behind the dastardly deed but things are starting to add up in a way that don’t look good for ol’ Jug.
First and foremost, nobody knows exactly where he was when Jason was killed. When questioned by the police, Archie’s dad, Fred Andrews (Luke Perry), made up a fake alibi for his son’s one-time best friend and left it at that. Jughead didn’t really offer up an alternative, though. We know he was originally supposed to be on a road trip with Archie (KJ Apa) and that it never ended up happening. So where were you, Jughead?
And while we wouldn’t say Jughead is benefiting from Jason’s death, as Sprouse points out it doesn’t necessarily impact him in a bad way. “This murder of Jason Blossom, in a funny enough way, rather than being a severely negative thing for Jughead has become the door-opening or reintroduction for him into a group — like a talking point,” the actor tells us during a visit to the show’s Vancouver set. “Everyone had a common ground now and Jughead had that common ground to reintroduce himself to these two kids, Betty and Archie, who he’s been friends with and loved since he was a kid.”
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Is that enough to make him a murderer? By itself, not so much. However, you have to take Jug’s family into consideration and the revelations about his dad FP (Skeet Ulrich). At the end of episode 7, “In a Lonely Place,” it’s revealed that FP has Jason’s varsity jacket — the same jacket viewers saw in the car full of drugs that was mysteriously burned.
There are a few ways of looking at this particular deed. FP could be the killer and he’s covering his tracks. Then again, perhaps the drugs in the car were care of his gang, the Southside Serpents. What if the real answer is he’s protecting his son, though?
FP isn’t a good dad and hasn’t been one for a very long time. He’s trying, though. He wants to be better for Jughead and his never-seen sister Jellybean. It’s entirely possible this is helping his son the best way he knows how.
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And if that’s the case, it certainly makes sense how Sprouse says the rest of Season 1 will play out.
“The relationship between Jughead and his father after episode 7, kind of become one of the primary storylines of the latter half of the season,” he teases. “Jughead in the beginning of the season, intentionally mind you, is a character that’s very much on the outside. He’s in less episodes and you sort of heard of him in whispers and he appears in vague little moments. From episode 7 onwards, he really takes a step and his life becomes one of the primary investigations of what’s happening to the narrative of the town.”
What will the town of Riverdale find out as more about Jughead is revealed? We’re almost too afraid to ask. One thing’s for sure, if he is Jason’s killer, producers need to figure out a way to bring him back in Season 2. What’s “Riverdale” without Jughead?
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“Riverdale” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.