Can Riverdale pull off a satisfying Black Hood reveal the second time around?

As Riverdale leaps toward the official unmasking of the Black Hood, it’s time to wonder whether the mystery will stick the landing.

[If you haven’t watched the latest episode of Riverdale, proceed with caution. It’s about to get real spoiler in here. You’ve been warned.]

Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, we should have seen it coming. As the Black Hood haunting approaches its rightful conclusion on Riverdale, the mystery has gained even more layers with the latest murder and investigation from Betty. But the sting of the first fake-out still cowers behind us like the Black Hood lurking in dark corners, waiting to attack. It’s unlikely that Riverdale will hit us with another false unmasking, but can the series bring this season-long cat and mouse chase to a resolution we never saw coming?

If Betty’s newest theory is to believed, we won’t be surprised, and we have already looked into the green eyes of the killer. After looking into a post-Chic hunch about her father, Betty now fully suspects that Hal dons the black mask and hunts supposed “sinners” in their sleepy town. The evidence adds up, thanks to a hasty investigation with Cheryl (love that Betty finally called on the powers of the real sleuth in the gang). Hal’s planner lines up with the dates of the murders, and he has a copy of the Nancy Dew book used to create the cipher in his possession. Sketchy, party of Hal.

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But what occurs during the mayoral debate should lead all Riverdale fans to believe otherwise. From the sidelines of the debate, Veronica spots the Black Hood in the rafters with a gun pointed at the stage, where Fred and Hermione field questions from Alice. And who should be in attendance on the Town Hall floor to shield Betty from the gunfire but her father. If we’re doing this math correctly, and I know we are, there’s either two killers in play… or Hal isn’t the Black Hood at all. Which option heeds the better dramatic resolution?

Adding more fuel to the two killers fire, the Black Hood shows up at Cheryl’s front door before the episode fades to black. Here’s the question we should be asking: What reason does Black Hood have now to go after Cheryl? Well, Betty mentioned to Hal that she and Cheryl broke into his hideaway apartment, and he consciously and verbally noted that Cheryl joined Betty for the breaking and entering Veronica Mars mission. Sounds like a motive to silence a potential witness to his crimes, doesn’t it?

Clearly, Riverdale has done a remarkable job at keeping the fans guessing with multiple theories as to who could be behind the hood. It goes without saying, but there will definitely be more to the story than the suspicion currently surrounding Hal Cooper. Showing your cards two episodes prior to the big finish isn’t an especially gratifying “mystery solved” moment. Knowing this show, there’s an avalanche of secrets to be unleashed, probably regarding Hiram Lodge. After all, there’s now a mob protege called Small Fry coming after Archie. Never get comfortable in Riverdale.

Next: Riverdale S2E19 recap: Chic doesn’t live here anymore

Odds & Ends:

• Veronica uses her new status as mob royalty to entertain the sons of Hiram’s enemies. She strikes a deal for a casino with a handsome mobster lite named Elio, but Hiram rebuffs her business plan. He also locked her ransom money from the St. Clair’s in a trust.
• Fangs Fogarty, a member of the Serpents, gets framed for the murder of Midge after footage of him in her dressing room gets leaked. Thinking he’s the Black Hood, the town wants his head when he’s released from jail. And…
• Reggie takes Hiram’s orders. Oh, yeah. Guess what? Hiram’s paying the Dark Circle to stir up unrest between the North and South Sides. Distraction! When Archie, from within the lynch mob, spots Reggie marching toward Fangs with a gun, he tackles him. But Fangs ends up with a bullet in his belly anyway. Both hands are on the gun. Who pulled the trigger?
• Hiram has also enlisted a new sheriff with whom he seems to be in cahoots. Anyone else reading too far into Hiram trying to get Archie to go for a ride along with the cops to identify a Black Hood suspect? Sure thing, Hiram.
• Still no word on Chic’s whereabouts, dead or alive, so that should just make us all feel really weird and overall comforted…

What did you think of the latest episode? Sound off in the comments!

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