According to star Cole Sprouse, Riverdale season 2 will get even darker and more over the top than the show's twist-packed first outing. Before it even premiered, the series was touted as a moody, subversive take on the original wholesome Archie Comics, and season 1 delivered, offering a soapy dive into the seedy underbelly of the small town that Archie and co. call home.

The series' next run will apparently get even bleaker, and Sprouse isn't the first to say so. In an interview earlier this month, Camile Mendes, who plays Veronica, said that Archie will also get a grimmer story line, likely tied to his father, who was shot in season 1's final moments.

Sprouse, for his part, was less specific in terms of which character will receive the darkest story line, but the Jughead actor did say that the entire show will be going down a stranger, more sinister path. As he told TV Line:

“I think the whole show is going to be getting darker and stranger. We’re going to be leaning into a lot of those qualities that a lot of people ended up loving in the first couple of episodes — this heavy cinematography, this overbearing coloration, this really dark content that’s kind of over-the-top and campy, but it’s taken very seriously.”

That is certainly in keeping with some of the things that showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa discussed in the weeks leading up to the season 1 finale, regarding the reveal of the surprising chain of events that led to the murder of Jason Blossom. Shattered by the tragedy that her family became, Cheryl Blossom dipped into a dangerous and deeply depressive state that ultimately led to her torching the Blossom mansion, Jughead became an official member of the felonious south side serpents, and, of course, Pop's — Riverdale's de facto safe haven — was robbed at gunpoint, leaving Fred Andrews' fate hanging in the balance.

The word "stranger" is also a curious choice, considering the rampant speculation that Riverdale could get supernatural in season 2, though it's too opaque to jump to any rash conclusions. For now, the only takeaway to be drawn is that the darkness that came to define Riverdale throughout season 1 will only intensify when the show returns. What exactly that entails is still to come.

Riverdale season 1 is available for streaming on Netflix. Season 2 premieres on The CW this fall.

Next: Riverdale Season 2 Premiere Title Revealed

Source: TV Line