'Riverdale' Gives SPOILER a Surprising Origin Story in "The Midnight Club"

Tonight's episode of Riverdale took fans into the past to find out more about the mysterious Gryphons and Gargoyles game, but it wasn't just the lethal game that got a backstory. The origin stories of some of the parents were revealed as well and for one of them, that story is shocking to say the least.

Spoilers for tonight's episode of Riverdale, "The Midnight Club", below.

In "The Midnight Club," Betty convinces her mother to explain why the parents are so freaked out about the mysterious game and as Alice does so, it's not just the game that she talks about but about her classmates, too. Back in the 1990s Alice along with FP Jones, Fred Andrews, Sierra Samuels, Hermione Gomez and Penelope Blossom are all stuck in Saturday detention when they decide to attempt to get to know one another better by revealing their "sins and secrets". When it comes to Penelope, she reveals that the Blossoms are "terrible people". It's kind of a harsh thing to say about your family, but it turns out they're not her family.

Penelope reveals that she's not actually a Blossom. Instead, she grew up at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and when she was eight, the Blossoms came to the orphanage and asked to see all the redheaded children. She was selected, but it wasn't a kind adoption. Instead, Penelope was adopted in order to serve as a sister for the Blossom's son, Clifford -- and then later be his mate. That's right: Penelope was essentially adopted to be a child bride.

It's a disturbing reveal about Cheryl's mother and her family at large, but it also poses some very trouble questions about everything we thought we knew about the Blossoms in the present tense -- especially when it comes to the twin scenario within the Blossom family. Fans may recall that Clifford Blossom killed himself at the end of the show's first season when it was revealed that he had murdered his son, Cheryl's twin brother Jason. However, last season, a man identical to Clifford came to town and identified himself as Claudius Blossom. As Claudius told it, he was Clifford's long lost twin who fled on his 14th birthday when Clifford threatened to kill him.

It seemed plausible enough at the time -- after all, the Blossom family is all kinds of messed up -- but Penelope specifically says that she was adopted for Clifford. There's no mention that Clifford has a brother, let alone a twin. It's not impossible that Claudius is actually Clifford and it's something that we've speculated about before. After all, when Claudius arrived, he quickly slipped into Blossom family life wearing Clifford's pajamas, cozying up to Penelope and conspiring with her to get rid of anyone standing between them and the fortune Clifford left behind. It's not impossible that it was all part of a long play to evade punishment for Jason's murder while still keeping his hands on his fortune and empire.

No matter the story with the Blossom men, tonight's reveal about Penelope also fits in with something Nathalie Boltt -- who plays the adult Penelope -- told ComicBook.com earlier this year about the character and her need to feel like she has power as a result of some difficult situations in her life.

"She needs to feel powerful, and I think season two has ... I mean starting off burnt to a crisp was a bit of a blow to the character and then having Cheryl kind of have her power over her as well," Boltt said. "Not having Thornhill (ed. note: the Blossom's mansion) anymore, I think Penelope has taken a lot of knocks, and she's trying desperately to get back, and so I would like Penelope to find some really weird twisted and unexpected way to exert her power over Riverdale again. She needs to be a queen even if she's a twisted, creepy queen."

What did you think about Penelope's shocking origin? Let us know in the comments below.

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.