Riverdale is currently on hiatus, and all the promos for the midseason premiere to indicate the Black Hood is no more. Of course, many fans are skeptical that Joseph Svenson was the actual Black Hood, and it would appear they're now vindicated by a Riverdale star who feels the same. Betty Cooper actress Lili Reinhart agreed with skeptics that the mystery behind the Black Hood might not be solved just yet, and revealed how she learned of the killer's identity before fans witnessed it in the midseason finale:
I found out when I got the script. Obviously, Svenson wasn't even a character [on Riverdale] until episode seven, so you didn't even know who this person was [until then]. So there was no way you could have predicted that. But even shooting the episode...I do think that Svenson wasn't really the Black Hood, and that the situation is not really over. I think there's much more to it, whatever it may be. I don't think the Black Hood mystery is completely solved just yet.
So for any Riverdale fans worried they got stiffed with a lame reveal, take solace in knowing Lili Reinhart isn't buying the revelation that Joseph Svenson was the Black Hood. That's not a shock to most fans, as there was just too much that didn't add up between Svenson's motivations and things that were happening on the show. For example, how did the janitor that was just introduced a couple episodes before know Betty was into Nancy Drew, and why did he want to kill Moose and Midge?
As far as who she thought the Black Hood really is, Lili Reinhart didn't share any theories with Glamour. As improbable as it may seem that the Riverdale actress has no idea who the killer is, Reinhart swears she has no clue. Whether or not she's telling the truth, Reinhart does lay out why she thinks Joseph Svenson isn't the guy:
...If you're thinking about why Svenson would do that, it would be because he just has a vendetta against the town. I mean, one must have a really big grudge on Fred. Fred wasn't necessarily doing anything wrong [when he had a thing with Hermione]. He wasn't with his wife anymore. I think there are a lot of questions behind the motive, and that's what makes you question whether that was really the Black Hood or not.
Lili Reinhart's quote makes it sound like she thinks Hiram Lodge has a hand in this Riverdale mystery, which would makes sense. While he might not have been the man to pull the trigger, there's no denying he'd benefit from the violence around the town. In particular, it caused people to stop visiting Pop's Diner, therefore making him more likely to sell. Lodge also had the added bonus of hurting the man that slept with his wife while he was locked up, which he's been unreasonably calm about since returning. Then again, Hiram just paid Fred Andrews' medical bills (by force), and conceded he needed him for the next stage of the Lodges' plan. So perhaps Reinhart is off in assuming this whole thing is about Fred.
Riverdale returns to The CW Wednesday, January 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more information on what other shows will be returning in 2018, be sure to visit and bookmark CinemaBlend's midseason premiere guide. Those still wishing to see what's available in the final days of 2017 can find out at our fall premiere guide. Anybody curious as to what shows were canceled this past year can find out at our cancellation guide.
