'Riverdale' Season 4: Did Jughead fake his own death or have the writers decided to kill off a major character?

It has not been a great start for Jug at Stonewall Prep as he runs into the school bully Bret Weston Wallis. This, coupled with the missing Stonewall Four case, has led fans to speculate if his faked death could be a way of escaping Riverdale's next big threat

'Riverdale' Season 4 has aired five episodes so far and each of them has managed to successfully grip the audience with some unexpected twists.

The Halloween episode, however, took the intrigue factor a notch higher when it showed a dead Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) and his body being identified by Betty (Lili Reinhart) and FP (Skeet Ulrich).

This leads us all to ask the all-important question — Is Jug really dead or this is a plan concocted by the core four? 

The scene led to some wild fan theories on social media with a majority of Jug fans speculating that he faked his own death.  The theory was backed by the plotline that explained the disappearance of the Stonewall Four.

The first hint of his death was teased in Season 3 finale's flash-forward which saw Betty, Archie (KJ Apa) and Veronica (Camila Mendes) burning their clothes and Jug's beanie.

Fans, however, have been having a hard time coming to terms with the character's death. Despite looking like a hoax, the scene where Betty and FP pull back the sheets to identify his body is pretty convincing to rule the fake death theory out. 

It has not been a great start for Jug at Stonewall Prep as he runs into the school bully Bret Weston Wallis. This, coupled with the missing Stonewall Four case, has led fans to speculate if his faked death could be a way of escaping Riverdale's next big threat.  

Supplementing this theory was Lili Reinart's comment to Green Matters in an interview where the star said: "No one's ever actually dead on 'Riverdale'."  It seems the actor was referencing the scene where Jug was buried alive in the coffin.

"Even when you're buried in the ground, you can still come back. So, there's always a chance that he will come back," Reinart added.

With Jug's death shown this early in the series, it is still unclear if this is just a ploy or whether the writers have decided to kill off a major character. Also, Betty and FP's reactions would have been a lot different has this piece of news been true.

What are your thoughts on Jug's death this season? 'Riverdale' airs on Wednesdays at 8 pm on The CW.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Detective Vincent Riley was introduced during the 'Law & Order' Season 23 premiere
2026-10-16T05:35:28.000Z
The latest episodes uncover surprising family connection that could change everything for Constance
2026-10-16T05:25:45.000Z
Amazon's upcoming horror thriller 'Stillwater' will star Ben Hardy as Daniel West, whose arrival in the town sets the story in motion
2026-10-16T04:34:59.000Z
The album includes tracks such as ‘Guile’s Theme,’ ‘Hadoken!’ and ‘KEN VS RYU,’ plus a Dhalsim’s Cave Rave remix
2026-10-16T03:55:25.000Z
The fan-favorite show returned for Season 4 on October 15, with all episodes released simultaneously on Netflix
2026-10-16T03:24:12.000Z
The 'Victorious' spinoff 'Hollywood Arts' brings Daniella Monet back as Trina Vega, who returns to guide a new generation of aspiring artists
2026-10-16T02:55:26.000Z
The Basgiath War College adaptation has named the actors who will bond with Tairn and Sgaeyl
2026-10-16T01:54:00.000Z
Ellen Pompeo returns as ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 23 brings another emergency to Grey Sloan Memorial.
2026-10-15T18:15:35.000Z
Samuel L. Jackson and Sylvester Stallone reunite in the first teaser for Paramount+’s 'Frisco King.'
2026-10-15T16:46:54.000Z
Sylvester Stallone returns as Dwight Manfredi in 'Tulsa King' Season 4, where rival gangs threaten to change his criminal empire.
2026-10-15T16:18:54.000Z