Why Fans Are Convinced This ‘Riverdale’ Character Is Jughead’s Long-Lost Sibling

As Jughead ventures further into Riverdale's Southside, he'll have to contend with a new crop of Serpents, including Season 2 addition Sweet Pea (Jordan Connor). His introduction raises the question of whether Riverdale's Sweet Pea is in the Archie comics the show is inspired by. Sweet Pea has only been in the series as of the third episode of this season, so viewers have yet to glean much information about the brooding Serpent lackey. But a quick perusal through the comics should dredge up more context, right?

Alas, Sweet Pea isn't from the original Archie universe, which means it's difficult to discern many details about who he is or what his story line may be as Season 2 unfolds. Thus far, he comes across as a fiercely loyal but hot-headed Serpent member. It's possible he's used to being underestimated: Twitter users have already begun to poke fun at his name, and if that's the case in Riverdale, too, that could be what lights his short fuse. If people have mocked him in the past, he may be used to jumping on the offensive. He also seems to be quite protective of his own, and sports a snake tattoo on his neck, proudly displaying his commitment to his crew.

Because Jughead is F.P.'s son, Sweet Pea is initially quick to roll out the welcome mat, but when Jughead turns down his offer to join the Serpents at the quarry, he just as quickly turns on him. "What, you'll ask for help from the Serpents when you need it, but you won't hang with us?" he snarls. "Don't come crawling to us hat in hand when some Ghoulie decides to earn his stripes by taking out FP Jones' kid."

Except, that's exactly what Jughead does when some Ghoulies corner him after a late night at the Red and Black and beat him up. The next day in the cafeteria, he asks if he can sit with the Serpents at lunch, and he and Sweet Pea exchange a glance that seems to suggest a mutual understanding. Jughead is a Serpent now, whether he wants to be or not; As long as he's on their side, Sweet Pea will have his back. And from the looks of it, Jughead will be returning the favor: In a teaser photo for Episode 5, "Chapter 18: When A Stranger Calls," Jughead can be seen in a tense stand-off with his ostensible BFF, Archie. Behind them, Sweet Pea stands cross-armed with the rest of the Serpent gang. It's unclear what they're arguing about, but it heavily suggests Jughead's allegiances have shifted.

So, that's what fans do know. What isn't clear yet is who Sweet Pea's family is, how he got entangled with the Serpents, or really anything about his backstory. Ever the speculators, fans have already begun to theorize online that he might be the son of F.P. and Penny Peabody, the wily backroom attorney F.P. warned Jughead to stay away from. Reddit user self.riverdale, who first proposed the idea, didn't elaborate on Sweet Pea's potential connection to F.P., though others have noted that he does look quite similar to Jughead, and F.P. and Penny clearly have a history. If they were romantically involved in the past and had a son, F.P. may not want Jughead to know about it. So, he and Sweet Pea being half-siblings wouldn't be a total stretch. And a relation to Penny would make even more sense: As far as nicknames go, it's a short leap from "Peabody" to "Pea."

Whether or not there's any merit to that theory remains to be seen, but it's a good reason to keep tuning in. For now, Sweet Pea is just another one of Riverdale's many mysteries.