Riverdale season 5 character preview: Jughead Jones

What should happen

Though many of season 4’s arcs weren’t able to be wrapped up because of the suspension of production, Jughead’s Stonewall Prep narrative did seemingly come to an end. While it did fall a little short of expectations because of the fact that it was reduced to little more than table setting for the inexplicable-but-short-lived Betty/Archie plot thread, it had a relatively solid conclusion when Jughead served up his best Jessica Fletcher impression and solved the crimes.

With the remaining few episodes of season 4 still due to be tackled, it’s inevitable that Jughead will find himself at the heart of the videotape mystery as he and Betty will undoubtedly play a major role in solving it – and figuring out if their principal Mr. Honey is really dead.

Now, that leaves the Archie and Betty nonsense which has yet to be tackled. As problematic, out-of-character and completely unbelievable as the plot-driven contrivance was, it can – if nothing else – serve a purpose to season 5. We know that a time-jump is on the horizon and will indeed take place within the first few episodes. That time jump will involve our gang going their separate ways before reuniting for a new mystery. And, as much as this writer hates to even toy with the idea, breaking Betty and Jughead up ahead of the time-jump could work.

Before you get understandably angry at such a dreadful thought, think of it this way: Jughead will feel incredibly betrayed by Betty after what she’s done – and rightly so. But this would allow their separation to take place off-screen, and thus allow them to spend their time on-screen finding their way back to each other as mature adults.

Again, it’s not ideal but it at least gives purpose to last season’s most contrived storyline, allowing Betty to recognize her mistake, suffer the consequences and eventually atone for them. It would also reaffirm that, no matter what happens, Bughead is stronger than anything.

As for the rest? Well, that’s easy: Jughead needs to play a lead role in solving the next mystery that the show poses the gang with – and the fact that he’d be doing so as a mature, older and wiser Jughead would make for an intriguing experience.