Riverdale: FP Is Not Stoked About Serpent Jughead

Prison has changed FP Jones (Skeet Ulrich), but is Riverdalegoing to let him stay that way?

The former Southside Serpent leader is getting out of jail on parole on this week's Riverdale and he is determined to set up a stable life for himself and his son Jughead (Cole Sprouse). He's got a job at Pop's and is trying his best to show that he can be a contributing member of society -- but the drama brewing in town is going to make it difficult for FP to prove that he's got his act together once and for all, especially with what's going on with his son.

First off, Jughead has unintentionally found himself in the middle of a drug turf war between the Serpents and the Ghoulies. He's also in debt to the Snake Charmer Penny Peabody (Brit Morgan), who is blackmailing Jughead into continuing to be mule for all of the Jingle Jangle making its way into town. Those are big messes that FP isn't going to be able to stay out of.

TV Guide talked to Skeet Ulrich about FP's return into the free world, trying to stay straight and how worried FP should be about the Black Hood killer.

What is FP's mindset now that he's a free man?

Skeet Ulrich: At first, there's a bit of just wanting to live a normal life, to obviously get back to Jughead and to live a straight, clean, life. As we know in Riverdale, that's not always easy.

So he's as committed to being an active father in Jughead's life as he was before he went into prison?

Ulrich: Absolutely, more so even! He gets a job at Pop's. He has the things he has to do for parole. He's trying to move Jughead away from the Serpents and clean things up a bit for the two of them. That's what's after, more so than ever.

What is it about Jughead's involvement with the Serpents that makes FP so worried about him?

Ulrich: The nefarious business that they are in. It's a group that has been known to do things and whether it's by reputation or by actuality, it doesn't really sit well in the town. They are not necessarily drug dealers, but they are not necessarily not drug dealers. They have a need to do whatever it is they can to get by and so there's a lot of things that no teenager should be a part of. Certainly, the Serpents represent a lot of that.

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Jughead is in a lot of trouble with Penny Peabody, the Snake Charmer. It seems like she's got it out for him because of FP. What can you tell us about that confrontation and why there's so much tension there?

Ulrich: It gets bigger and bigger and bigger. She has the ability to manipulate people and because of the way Jughead uses her to get his dad out of prison, he's indebted. She's the wrong person to be in debt to, for sure.

What about FP's relationship with the other Riverdale parents? He's been an outsider for so long, but now that he's on the straight and narrow, is it going to improve his relationship with Fred and Alice?

Ulrich: Not at all! Alice -- certainly, they have a past together. There's kind of a draw to each other, but at the same time she is not one to forgive and forget. That's something we start to learn a bit about. I think his relationship with Fred is always a bit guarded from Fred's standpoint, just because of the historical failings of FP. I don't think [FP] is quite ready to trust him yet, either. FP doesn't really have friends.

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Is FP at all worried about the Black Hood?

Ulrich: It's not on his plate just yet, but as with everyone in the town it will inevitably wind up on his plate. At the moment, no.

We know that the Black Hood is targeting sinners and FP isn't exactly a saint. How worried should we be about him going through the rest of the season?

Ulrich: I think there are many people that feel that way about FP and probably many that would welcome the Black Hood taking him out. I think you should be as worried for him as nearly everyone there. It's hard to find someone in Riverdale who is not a sinner to some degree.

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, one of The CW's parent companies)