This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of Riverdale, as well as fairly likely spoilers for future episodes, so proceed with caution.
Riverdale is going full bore with its theme episodes now, with another musical episode coming later this season.
The gang will be taking on Heathers, the Off-Broadway hit musical that is based on the 1988 cult classic movie (not the remake series launched last year) in the March 21 episode.
Check out this hinty, spoilery, cheeky cast list tweeted by showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa:
Here we go…..❤️????????#Riverdale #heathersmusical pic.twitter.com/lXZX8XKNZ8
— RobertoAguirreSacasa (@WriterRAS) January 17, 2019
Betty, Veronica and Cheryl are the Heathers, naturally; Josie’s playing Veronica, and Kevin has cast himself as Peter Dawson, a canonically gay side character in the original movie.
Sweet Pea is playing JD (the Christian Slater role), which is a bit weird considering he doesn’t seem like the type for extracurricular activities.
And Archie is playing quarterback Kurt Kelly, which is even weirder considering the show really, really wants us to believe he went out The Revenant-style at the end of the most recent episode.
My favourite part of the riverdale x heathers announcement is that they’ve cast Archie completely spoiling that he isn’t dead and is coming back by episode 16. This show is such a mess i- pic.twitter.com/j2w1Upyz2y
— Elizabeth (@lizzy_rose03) January 18, 2019
Writers: Archie’s dead
Literally the next day: *posts picture of Heathers musical cast with Archie’s character on it* pic.twitter.com/qKsEUleqoZ— Miya || RIP Luke? (@rainbowreinhart) January 17, 2019
Have u ever been so dedicated to the fuckin school musical that you resurrect from the dead after being attacked by a grizzly bear to play Kurt Kelly in Heathers, because Archie Andrews has xoxox #Riverdale #Archie pic.twitter.com/AeANDtNU8r
— tit nugget (@NuggetTit) January 19, 2019
The cast list has a few nods to the source material, including a burn mark and a chainsaw (though presumably The CW network nixed any verbatim quoting of the original movie’s most iconically visceral line).
Not only is there also a noir episode coming – shot all in black and white and no doubt narrated by an even moodier Jughead – but also a Bizarrodale episode focused on a much hotter, more interesting alternate-universe Core Four: Kevin, Cheryl, Josie and Reggie.
Just hanging out for a Community-style paintball episode now, basically.