'Riverdale' Had A Wild Gargoyle King Twist Involving Jughead That May Explain Everything

There are only three more episodes left in Season 3 of Riverdale, but the Gargoyle King's true identity is still a total mystery. This Wednesday's new episode may have given us a big clue, though. Another Gryphons and Gargoyles game turned deadly in the latest episode, and the surprising end to the game may have revealed something very important about the Gargoyle King. So, why did the Gargoyle King rescue Jughead? The moment could be the key to understanding the mysterious figure.

Spoiler alert: This post contains plot details from Riverdale Season 3 Episode 19, "Fear the Reaper." At the end of last week's episode, we saw Jughead's little sister Jellybean being taken by the Gargoyle King, and this week, the Jones family was pulled into a dangerous game of Gryphons and Gargoyles in order to try to save her. Kurtz forced Jughead, FP, and Gladys to complete three quests in return for Jellybean's freedom, and at the very end of the game, a surprise appearance by the Gargoyle King totally flipped the script.

First up, the family had to rob Pop's. After that Black Hood mess last season, though, Pop has a shotgun behind his counter now and shoots the masked FP in the arm as the Joneses rush out with the money. Next, Gladys is tasked with going up against Penny Peabody in a knife fight. Gladys had implied that she had killed Penny back in Toledo, but Penny's return reveals that Gladys had actually only maimed Penny's eye. Sidenote: Is Penny just going to continue to be horrifically mutilated ever season now? The knife fight ends with Gladys stabbing Penny in the leg, although Gladys has to go to the hospital due to her own wounds from the brawl.

Finally, it is Jughead's turn to complete a quest, and Kurtz forces him to choose between two ominous refrigerators. Kurtz forces Jughead into one of the fridges at gunpoint and then reveals the whole game has been a lie when he orders Ricky to kill Jellybean.

Somehow, though, Jughead manages to break free from the locked refrigerator and finds Kurtz dead outside, looking like he had been shot in the chest. Then Jughead turns around to find the Gargoyle King right next to him and he runs off to go check on Jellybean, who is thankfully safe at home. But the real twist is what the Gargoyle King was doing there. It definitely looks like the Gargoyle King shot and killed Kurtz... but why? Kurtz was his most devoted follower, it seemed, but he was willing to kill him for some reason. Perhaps it was because Kurtz went against the rules of Gryphons and Gargoyles when he ordered Jellybean's death despite the promise of her safety, or maybe the Gargoyle King killed Kurtz because he wanted to protect Jughead.

The Gargoyle King has seemed most interested in Jughead of any character so far this season, and Jughead has delved the furthest into Gryphons and Gargoyles and uncovering the mystery. This most recent interaction feels like confirmation that the Gargoyle King and Jughead share some sort of connection, or some vested interest in one another. So who could that Gargoyle King be under that mask? Well, don't be surprised if it turns out to be someone connected to Jughead.