Riverdale said goodbye to THREE characters and everyone is shook (RECAP)

25 April 2019, 21:32

By Katie Louise Smith

Gladys Jones, Kurtz and Josie McCoy all departed Riverdale, while Penny Peabody came steaming back into town... with one eye.

With only three episodes left until the big season 3 finale episode, Riverdale's episode 19, titled 'Fear the Reaper', involved some absolutely game-changing moments for our fave characters. And it's safe to say that we're starting to gear up to an explosive season ending.

This episode had everything: Shirtless Archie, Shirtless Hiram, Josie McCoy's iconic vocals, a Gargoyle King quest, a Kill Bill martial arts fight, fake identities, daughters that are actually wives, some lovely breathable white cotton outfits AND a baby kidnapping sub plot.

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The episode also featured the departures of three characters in the series, saw the return of one presumed dead character and left one controversial character's fate completely up in the air. The episode also contained Luke Perry's final appearance as Fred Andrews in a bittersweet scene but Fred's fate has not yet been confirmed.

So, who left the show in this week's episode? And just how likely are they to make a grand return at some point in the future? Let's investigate...

Gladys Jones

Gladys' empire finally comes tumbling down when Jellybean ends up being kidnapped by the Gargoyle gang. Hosted by Kurtz, the Jones fam are sent through the ringer on a four part quest to save icon and living legend JB. Gladys plays a role in three of the stages. In the first stage, she confesses to her role as Riverdale's drug Queen pin and it's all downhill from there. FP is furious and Gladys is actually quite remorseful but if she expects me to feel sorry for her, she's wrong. Because I don't.

The second task is robbing Pop's and the third, facing off against the Cyclops. What?! Who is the Cyclops?! It's Penny Peabody, bitch! She's alive! Gladys did not kill her back when she showed up in Toledo (big mistake!), she merely took an eye for an eye. Literally. Penny has a God damn eye patch now - and no eye.

Then, in what might be the greatest and most insane scene Riverdale has EVER produced, Gladys and Penny face off in a full scale Kill Bill battle - with sais! - to the tune of 'Back to Black' while I'm sat in front of a laptop wondering how, why and who the hell trained them to fight like that?! It's often said that nothing makes sense in Riverdale but this? This scene takes the absolute cake.

Anyway, despite a casual ruptured kidney and a broken wrist, Gladys wins. She stabs Elle Driver Penny in the thigh on the way out and heads to hospital. After a conversation with Jughead from her hospital bed, she decides to skip town and avoid having to deal with the fallout of her drug dealing. She leaves JB in the care of FP and Jughead and... goes.

Chances of a return: Pretty high, to be honest. She even said it herself, she'll be back, once everything and everyone has cooled down. But as far as "trying again"? Oh sweetie... not on FP's watch! He's already googling "grounds for a divorce" to see if 'Fizzle Rocks dealer' is on the list.

Kurtz

Listen, I'll give it to Kurtz, he knows how to throw an amazing Gryphons and Gargoyles quest party. In the episode, Kurtz sets up a very eventful (and dare I say, my favourite yet?!) quest for the Jones family. Their task? To save Princess Jellybean who has been 'taken' by the Gargoyle King.

Kurtz is the Gamemaster and sees the fam through four rounds of torture that ends up with both FP and Gladys injured. At the end of the quest, he brings Jughead to a location where he makes him choose between two doors. Well, they're fridges, actually but whatever. ANYWAY, Jughead picks, he fails and is then forced into one of them at gunpoint by Kurtz. By the time Jughead breaks out, he stumbles across Kurtz's DEAD BODY on the floor, before turning round and coming face to face with the Gargoyle King.

Kurtz falls victim to the Gargoyle King, but who exactly killed him? Considering they actually left Jellybean alone, I'm guessing the Gargoyle King is someone who ultimately isn't down for murdering a Jones family member?

Chances of a return? No fam, he's dead. And so is that theory about him being the real Charles Smith. Bye.

Josie McCoy

It was one we all knew was coming. Josie McCoy delivered her swan song in this week's episode and she was absolutely magnificent while doing it.

After hearing that her previously problematic dad, Myles, was performing at Seaside, Josie tries to get in touch with him for dinner. Her motives? She wants to go on tour with him and broaden her musical horizons beyond the stage of La Bonne Nuit. He's not keen but she persuades him to come and see her perform.

The time comes! She's in her dress! Her vocals are warmed up! But her father doesn't show... Josie goes on with the show anyway and delivers an absolute belter of a performance of Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black'. (Honestly? Top 3 Ashleigh Murray performances of all time.) She ends the performance, the audience claps AND HER DAD IS THERE! He says yes to her joining him on tour - and they're leaving tomorrow!

Josie has her final farewell with Archie saying, "I've loved our time together but we're not Endgame." And that's it. Josie is off. There's no backdoor pilot, no big send off. She just says goodbye to Archie and leaves.

Chances of a return? That all depends on whether or not Katy Keene is picked up to series. Of course, the door has been left open for Josie to return at any point and seeing as her mum Sierra is still living in Riverdale, she'll have to come back and visit at some point, right? RIGHT? (Josie, please come back. Please don't leave me with these Farmies. I need you.)

Hal Cooper...?!

Here we bloody go... another mystery surrounding the Black Hood. I'm so exhausted! After approaching Betty and asking for her help so he can "come back home", Hal gets some good news. Betty has spoken to Hiram Lodge and he has agreed to transfer him to his prison! And he might even get a river view cell! Wow! Perks!

At the end of the episode, Betty arrives back at the Lodge apartment where she's been staying 'cause like, her mum sold the house and totally moved into Edgar and Evelyn's weird throuple commune. Veronica delivers the bad news: there was an accident during the transfer from prison to prison and there were no survivors.

NO SURVIVORS, HUH?! So, Hal Cooper is possibly dead? Maybe, but then again when Hiram is involved, nothing is as straight forward as we're lead to believe. Hal would certainly make a lovely addition to Hiram's Legion of Doom, huh?

Chances of a return? Hal is 100% not dead and you all know it. He'll be back by the season finale. (In fact, he was on set filming on the last episode with KJ Apa.)

So there you have it but how will these departures - and arrivals *cough* Penny *cough* - affect the town in the last few episodes?

Kurtz' death means nothing, really - the Gargoyle King is clearly back on his bullshit and thriving without him. Archie seems to be one foot into Veronica's bed already. The Jones family? I'd be sleeping with one eye open - Penny Peabody is gonna want revenge for that stab wound in her thigh.

And as for Hal Cooper who may or may not be on the loose? So many people have sinned since he got locked up. He is gonna be booked and BUSY!