Riverdale just killed off a huge character, but who murdered him?!

29 November 2018, 15:53

By Katie Louise Smith

Jughead unveils the dead body of one of the most popular Riverdale characters in episode 6, and fans are in their feelings about the big reveal.

Surprise, surprise, death has graced the town of Riverdale once again and this time, the Gargoyle King has claimed the life of a pretty huge character that we literally never thought (or hoped) would end up dead so soon.

Episode 6 of season 3, titled 'Manhunter', was dramatic from the jump. The now exonerated Archie broke up with Veronica (who literally managed to bust him out of jail and clear his name within the space of 24 hours) over a heartbreaking phone call, Betty managed to scam every parent into attending a reveal-all at the speakeasy and Jughead headed off on a mission of his own to find out why Archie was betrayed in jail by Joaquin.

Betty Cooper is in HUGE danger in the trailer for Riverdale season 3, episode 7

In case you weren't counting, the body count in this episode was 83 (just kidding, it was like, 4). Toward the end of the episode, Jughead's mission comes to a grizzly end as he discovers one of those dead bodies at Sunnyside trailer park which has now sent the entire fandom into a complete and utter meltdown because a) it was so unexpected and b) it was a real fan favourite character.

Riverdale just killed off a fan favourite and everyone is absolutely devastated
Riverdale just killed off a fan favourite and everyone is absolutely devastated. Picture: The CW

In the episode, Jughead orders Fangs and Sweet Pea to locate Joaquin, who joined a new gang after escaping juvie with Archie. It's revealed that he joined a gang of gargoyles who Jughead happens to stumble on in the woods. They find him and try to find out why he turned on Archie and who he was meant to protect.

Caught up the warden's game of Gryphons and Gargoyles, Joaquin then reveals that the mysterious brand on Archie’s hip means “sacrifice,” and since Archie ended up surviving, that sacrifice still needs to be made. When pressed to spill the tea on who was giving Norton his orders, he says "the man in the black suit." Uhhh, HIRAM?!

Later in the episode, Jug arrives back at the trailer park where Fangs and Sweet Pea lead him to a chair covered in a blue sheet. What is under that sheet? It's Joaquin, bitch. All blue-lipped and dead as shit, with the 'sacrifice' sign branded onto his forehead. Day = ruined. Life = over. Goin = depression hours.

Yep, they really had the nerve to kill off our blue-eyed Prince! Of course, the big reveal arrived completely out of the blue (too soon?) and now the fandom are all up in their feelings about the loss of such a fan favourite character.

Who branded him? Who killed him? Did he poison himself with the cyanide or did someone force him to drink it? TELL US WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR PRINCE, YOU COWARDS!

All hysteria about Joaquin's unexpected death aside, it's also just really upsetting to see the brilliant Rob Raco leave the show. He was even tweeting along with the episode and had a few things to say about Joaquin's death, which made the whole thing even more heartbreaking.

Miss you already, sweet sweet Serpent Prince Joaquin. See you in San Junipero some day x

via GIPHY