This "Riverdale" Fan Theory Is So Insane It Might Actually Work

Could Riverdale become Afterlife With Archie?

OK guys, we've talked about who might have murdered Jason and where Jughead could be living. It's time to look at the wildest Riverdale fan theory of all: that this is all headed towards a zombie apocalypse.

CW

Yes, it's crazy, but a few fans have pointed to evidence to support this theory. Buckle up, because this is a wild ride.

CW

As you may or may not know, Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is also the creator of Afterlife With Archie, a popular comic series that sees the Archie gang battling a zombie apocalypse.

Archie Comics

It's a very dark take on the Archie universe, and as writer JK Pimento points out, Riverdale has established a similar tone and interpretations of the characters. Which makes sense, considering that they both come from the same creator. But there are certain things that indicate Riverdale could be heading more explicitly into Afterlife territory...

Sabrina Spellman, the teenage witch, will appear in the final episode of Season 1 (sadly not played by Melissa Joan Hart).

ABC

Sabrina is the one who accidentally causes the zombie apocalypse in Afterlife, when she tries to resurrect Jughead's dog Hot Dog after Reggie runs him over. The undead Hot Dog bites Jughead, who turns into a zombie, and the end of the world spirals out from there.

Even if this doesn't happen in the show, it'll be interesting to see how they handle her witchy abilities. But back to the zombie evidence...

There could be more to Jason Blossom's death than meets the eye.

CW

CW

The twincesty vibe between Jason and Cheryl in Riverdale is straight out of Afterlife. Maybe they're the key to the zombification of the show?

In Episode 5, Cheryl has a nightmare that involves a suspiciously zombie-like Jason. Sure, there's a really good chance it was just symbolic, but maybe it's foreshadowing an actual zombie Jason.

CW

When she had her breakdown in Episode 2, Cheryl said Jason was "supposed to come back". Cheryl took him to the Greendale side of Sweetwater River – aka the home of Sabrina and the more magical element of the Archie universe. We know he was tied up and later shot in the head.

Maybe Jason died and Cheryl was trying to resurrect him (perhaps with the help of Sabrina?), and he became a zombie. Or maybe he was infected in another way (perhaps connected with the mysteriously absent Polly) and Cheryl was trying to find a cure. Either way, his condition could have deteriorated to the point where he needed to be tied up and shot in the head – a surefire way to destroy a zombie.

Dilton Doiley's survivalist obsession might be more important than it seemed.

CW

In Episode 3, it's revealed that Dilton was the one who shot a gun on the morning of July 4, because he was trying to teach his scouts his "hardcore survivalist" skills. When Jughead confronts him about it, he says it was needed because of "the way this town is going..." This could be a massive hint towards the zombie storyline. Or it could be a total red herring.

Look, this theory is pretty out there and would drastically change the show. It's not at all what fans have signed up for, so it's hard to see it actually happening. But hey, if it does, at least we know Archie can run...

CW

(This was just an excuse to post this GIF, really.)

Read more about this fan theory here, here, and here.