Riverdale's showrunner may have just confirmed a major Black Hood fan theory on Twitter. The hit CW teen drama aired its midseason 2 finale before the holiday season, concluding on a disappointing note - the big Black Hood reveal was labeled as disappointing by fans.
The last episode titled 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' revealed the masked killer and shooter of Archie's father as the high school janitor, Joe Svenson, who had been lurking in the background of our favorite characters' lives all season. In the episodes prior, Svenson's tragic past was revealed connecting him to the Black Hood killings, but none of the teen sleuths could connect the dots showing that the sweet janitor was clearly the killer. As a child, Svenson's entire family was massacred by the Riverdale Reaper. It was later revealed that Svenson blamed the wrong man for the crime, a traveling preacher, who was brutally killed by members of the town including Cheryl's grandmother. Unable to handle the guilt, Svenson decided the town needed to pay for their crimes with the blood of sinners - which Riverdale has an abundance of.
Related: Are Riverdale’s Teen Characters Too Sexualized?
The big reveal didn't sit quite right with fans though, leading many to believe that the Black Hood is still out there. Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre Sacasa hinted that the fans might be right, and that we haven't seen the last of the Black Hood. Here's a look at the tweet:
So at least we know that Betty's long, lost brother Chic Cooper - who will be introduced when the show returns played by Hart Denton - isn't lurking around her house. But, this does make us wonder what danger lies upstairs for Betty and if the Black Hood will be making a reappearance in her life. So far, we know that the second half of season 2 will focus heavily on Betty's family being "front and center for her" and Riverdale will be getting back to the basics focusing on the kids' relationships and school - not hunting for masked murders.
As for the Black Hood, it looks like we are getting mixed signals. With the show going back to focusing on teen drama and relationships, it sounds like there isn't going to be a mass murderer roaming the streets, but the final shot of the last episode showed Betty burning everything related to the Black Hood except for the hood he gave her gives off a different message. It could mean a lot of different things, but one of the most speculated is that Betty might adopt the Black Hood persona when the show returns.
More: Riverdale Stars Reveal Storylines They’d Write For Betty & Veronica
Screen Rant will keep you updated on all Riverdale news, the show returns with new episodes on The CW January 17.