Riverdale Season 3 finale predictions: Do all three mysteries actually connect?
By Reed Gaudens
Ahead of the Riverdale Season 3 finale, let’s talk five bold predictions about the Gargoyle King’s identity and how the mysteries could be connected.
One hour remains in the Gargoyle King mystery, but before Riverdale shows all of its cards in the Season 3 finale, it’s time to boil this insane season down to five final predictions. In the second to last episode, Betty uncovers the harrowing reality of The Farm, while Archie and Veronica seek revenge and Jughead learns who’s behind the Gargoyle King mask. But the most chilling revelation of them all could be the connection between each of the season’s mysteries.
Let’s dig into the five boldest predictions we have for the finale after the penultimate episode of Riverdale Season 3. (Warning: It’s about to get real spoilery in here.)
1. Betty somehow takes down The Farm.
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As suspected, Betty’s official check-in at The Farm gave her the haunting glance at the cult’s inner workings that she hadn’t been privy to before. After noticing her friends complaining of physical pain from scars, seeing Evelyn hooked up to anti-rejection medication, and falling into Edgar’s hypnosis, Betty pieces the clues together.
The Farm harvests human organs and hypnotizes its victims all the while. Thankfully, Betty knocked some sense into Cheryl, who helps Toni escape before getting cut open. But Cheryl sacrifices herself (why?!), and it’s too late for Betty. Edgar preps our girl for surgery, but there’s no doubt that she will continue to resist and hit them where it hurts.
2. Someone will die, someone will return.
Hey, if there was ever a time for a shocking death, it’s the season finale. The Black Hood continued his wrath at prom last week, but we’re talking a big death here. Currently, there’s no one we should be worried about in the main cast (though we already know of one departure), but we should also be worried about everyone all the time.
The odds aren’t in the favor of the Big Bads though, that’s for sure. On the other side of the coin, we should possibly expect someone we haven’t seen in a minute waltz back in and drop our jaws.
3. It’s not the end of the road for Hiram.
Finally, Veronica got her dad back for all of his bad deeds by teaming up with Mary’s friend at the FBI (we love convenience!). How Ronnie didn’t also implicate herself in the illegal gambling and underage drinking going on at La Bonne Nuit is a mind bender, but she successfully lands Hiram in handcuffs during his boxing match with Archie.
She pays him a visit behind bars to gloat that his assets have been seized, but this guy has nine lives and he’s barely used three. Whether we like it or not, time is very much not up for Hiram Lodge.
4. Each of the mysteries are connected… maybe?
While Archie’s boxing and Betty’s trapped in an organ farm, Jughead puts in some real work at cracking the Gargoyle King’s code. He tracks down Ricky, gets chased by creepy Boy Scouts, and reunites with Ethel, who whispers in his ear the identity of the Gargoyle King. She claims it’s Jason Blossom (!!!), which would be out of the realm of possibility if we weren’t talking about Riverdale.
Jughead takes one for the team and digs up Jason’s grave, revealing an empty coffin. Listen. People get on Riverdale’s case for being ridiculous, but all three of the season’s mysteries could very well be connected. Did The Farm use its harvested organs to bring Jason back to life? Is the Black Hood helping the Gargoyle King counteract The Farm? Is this all just a misunderstanding and Chic is actually the Gargoyle King posing as Jason? (I won’t let the Chic conspiracy die.)
5. A cliffhanger will introduce a new mystery.
With Season 4 coming down the pipeline this fall, it’s all but a given that Season 3 will end with a cliffhanger that teases the next arc. And since we’re still talking about Jason Blossom and the Black Hood in the midst of the Gargoyle King and Farm mysteries, we can anticipate some kind of connection — unless we’re way off base. Perhaps Gladys’ drug empire or Hiram’s power struggle will be the next major season-long arc, since both ominous characters strangely haven’t been involved in these mysteries… yet.
Odds & Ends:
- Alice and Polly tell Betty she was born with the “serial killer gene, and Edgar’s hypnosis seemingly confirms the darkness inside of her. These stories, including the one about pushing Polly down the stairs, are false, right? What’s the game here?
- Mary uttered the word “endgame,” which officially means Riverdale has had its characters use this word too many times. You get one, and they spent it literally in the pilot. All other uses of the word should come with a fine, and they’ve racked up quite the bill.
- But can Molly Ringwald stick around? We need a new moral center.
- Veronica and Reggie appear to have gotten back together, much to Archie’s disappointment. Is it too soon for Varchie to restart the push and pull?
- Admit it, there’s a thread carrying over between every season’s mysteries, and it’s not just a coincidence. We’ll see how they stick the landing before deeming it solid storytelling.
What did you think of the latest episode? Sound off in the comments!
Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.