Riverdale : "He was supposed to come back"

We're "supposed" to take this as a nonsensical, grief-driven line.

But what it really gives away:

Jason falling out of the boat and his body not being recovered. He was faking his death to leave town for some reason, and Cheryl was of course part of the plan. Something you should always assume when the story tells you instead of showing you, there's more to it than what you're being told. So up until his body was found, Cheryl thought he was really alive, wherever, and going to come back for her. Interesting, because he likely wasn't planning to reveal himself still alive at large (of course I could be wrong, we'll see), so she was likely planning to leave alone.

Cheryl didn't kill him, not if the "reveal" is that quick, she has a reason for confessing.

Lol, your explanation makes much more sense than mine, and now I feel like an idiot. I was thinking somewhere along the lines that she knew he died, maybe they really did fall in the water, but he drowned, and the "he was supposed to come back" was "from the dead". My thinking for this was this was how they were going to introduce Sabrina the teenage witch, but she was going to be some dark magic kinda chick. Yeah, I know. I was waaaay out there. In my defense, I thought it would be stupid if they went there, and was hoping they wouldn't. Ugh. I'm going to have to delete this later.

I wouldn't say Sabrina showing up in Riverdale is out of the question. She is an Archie comics character. I'm not sure how they'd do it is the thing. Granted seeds have been planted mainly in episode two that maybe witches and magic are real in this seemingly real world esque universe. You'd have to alter her slightly and some how distance this new take from the Iconic Melissa Joan Hart one.

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I wouldn't say Sabrina showing up in Riverdale is out of the question.

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The creators mentioned in an interview a while back that they do have plans for the character, and are hoping to squeeze her in towards the end of the season.

Although I'm not sure if she'll be a genuine witch in this version.

We are not "supposed" anything, of course Cheryl meant that they were faking Jason's death.

I am thinking, without much proof, I admit, that Jason was supposed to "surprisingly" come back in the game, that is why Cheryl lost it at that moment.

I am very interested in the current mistery and it was interesting what you said about he planning to leave. Perhaps he was planning to go see Polly and elope with her.

This theory is interesting.

I always thought Cheryl just meant "I had hope deep down that he was alive somewhere and he'd come back."

But this theory explains why Cheryl has been so nonchalant about Jason in the first episode.

That's a pretty good theory.

Honestly I didn't even consider that. I was thinking that he didn't fall in to the river, instead he decided to go for a swim (it was mentioned he was captain of the water polo team and probably a pretty strong swimmer) and just never came back.

But I like your theory better.