The Season 3 finale of “Riverdale” ends on a cryptic note. Somewhat ambiguously, Archie, Veronica, and Betty gather around a fire in the woods and throw some of their belongings — and Jughead’s signature beanie — into the fire. (It’s hardly the weirdest thing that’s happened on the show.) The episode confused some fans who wondered if the moment implied Jughead’s death. The reality was much less dramatic: Cole Sprouse, who portrays Jughead, was cold.
The cast spoke to TVLine (via BuzzFeed) about filming that scene during Comic-Con 2019. The interviewer asked about Jughead’s ominous absence, to which AJ Kappa, who plays Archie, bluntly replied, “The only reason why that happened is because Cole was cold that night.” Camila Mendes, who plays Veronica, concurred, “He almost shot that scene.” Lili Reinhart, who portrays Betty, elaborated, “No, but it literally is. It was scripted all four of us, and he was like, ‘I don’t wanna do it,’ so he didn’t. We’re not kidding, though.” The cast laughed through these statements but also seemed to hold back some angst on the subject. No matter if their feelings are difficult to read, Cole Sprouse, sitting right there with them during the interview, merely added nonchalantly, “I’m cold.”