As the final moments of the midseason finale of Riverdale showed Betty Cooper snatching up her Black Hood mask from burning flames, some fans of the series began to speculate on whether or not Dark Betty is making a comeback. While some say we witnessed a glimpse of that return an episode prior during her "Serpent dance," the moment was a far cry from the unhinged Betty featured in Season 1. Now, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa hints darker times may be ahead for Betty; he's teased that darkness might originate from within her family:
I think Betty's big series arc will always kind of relate back to the kind of darkness within her...I think she's always trying to figure out where that comes from and I think one of the theories is that she inherited it from her family. So I think that that's a story that we'll always be telling with Betty, some version of it. So yeah, we're going to explore that for sure in the second half of the season, and yeah Betty's family will absolutely kind of be front and center for her for a bit.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's hint that Betty's dark urges may be genetic is an interesting spin, considering there's still a bit to unravel about the Cooper family that Riverdale fans have only been teased with. In Season 1, it was revealed that the Cooper family was created a couple of generations ago when a murder within the Blossom family caused a portion of the clan to change their name. Considering the events of Riverdale Season 1, it's safe to say the Blossom family has a history of dark behavior, which could be further detailed in future episodes should Betty decide to explore the origin of her dark urges.
While Betty Cooper has had a bit of a wild streak in Riverdale Season 2, there hasn't been anything as crazy as Season 1 Dark Betty. There's quite a difference between doing a pole dancing routine and holding one of the school's top athletes hostage and dunking him underwater while threatening to drown him. Dark Betty has yet to return in full force, but the episode where the Black Hood revealed to her that they aren't so dissimilar, and Betty rescuing her Black Hood from the fire in the midseason finale, show her dark side may still return in full force yet.
Of course, the show's exploration of Betty's family tree will also reveal her long-lost brother which could also be what Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is referring to. Aguirre-Sacasa reassured fans when he spoke to Comicbook that Chic's appearance will be noticeable, and stated he "won't come in with a whimper." The in-family drama could prove to be a trigger for Dark Betty, so perhaps fans should look for the Riverdale sweetheart to break around the time his character comes into town.
Riverdale returns to The CW with new episodes beginning Wednesday, January 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET. For a look at what else is returning or premiering in the early months of 2018, visit our midseason premiere guide. Those who are still wishing to squeeze all the quality television they can out of 2017, our fall premiere guide is more than happy to oblige. Those wishing to see which shows were cancelled in 2017 can visit CinemaBlend's cancellation guide.
