Riverdale Gets Intense In New Season 2 Trailer

If you thought things couldn't get darker than that grim Riverdale season two trailer released at San Diego Comic-Con, think again. A new preview for the CW drama's upcoming season ratchets up the tension even more, hinting at a very chilling road ahead.

The trailer begins with an officer sharing some tragic news, likely related to the shooting of Archie's (K.J. Apa) father (Luke Perry) at Pop's Diner. "Who did this?" Archie asks. "What if he comes back?" His words are intercut with grim images of the redheaded hero picking up a baseball bat and rubbing his hand over a bloody cast. "Desperate times," says his friend Jughead (Cole Sprouse).

The Coopers also clearly have something going on, as Betty (Lili Reinhart) storms into her kitchen and angrily slams a newspaper down in front of her mother Alice (Madchen Amick). "This is a war," Alice says. Other images shown include FP (Skeet Ulrich, a new series regular) in an interrogation room, Veronica (Camila Mendes) seemingly letting a man into her shower, and Archie pulling a gun from his jacket as he approaches Pop's. "Can't let this fear ruin your life, Arch," Fred is heard saying.

The mystery of Fred's shooting is sure to be a big factor in Riverdale season two, and it's still not clear if he'll survive to help lead his son through the trauma. As teased in the show's first season two trailer, there could be more to the attack than we realized, with showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa previously adding that the shooting will become "a huge mythic moment for Archie." 

Riverdale season two will see Charles Melton replacing 13 Reasons Why's Ross Butler as Archie's rival Reggie Mantle, while Mark Consuelos joins as Veronica's previously jailed father Hiram Lodge. Other new cast members include Brit Morgan as the "Snake Charmer" Penny Peabody, Vanessa Morgan as the Southside Serpent member Toni Topaz, and Graham Phillips as the "wolf in sheep's clothing" ex of Veronica.

Madelaine Petsch, Casey Cott, Ashleigh Murray, Marisol Nichols, and Nathalie Boltt also star in Riverdale, which returns to The CW on Oct. 11. As the show heads into darker territory, see some of the times that the Archie comics on which it was based included real-life crimes.