Is the Black Hood Returning to Riverdale? It Sure Seems Like It

At the end of 2017, we Riverdale fans were collecting our heads. Could Mr. Svenson, the school janitor, really have been the mysterious Black Hood? With a few scraps of conflicting evidence and plenty of other suspects, we found ourselves immediately questioning the reveal. But as season two rolled on without further incident (at least, when it comes to the Black Hood), we began to falter. Maybe Svenson really was the Black Hood. Maybe it was time to bury our suspicions for good. Now, thanks to a few new quotes, we're not so sure.

On March 25, a throng of Riverdale cast and crew members descended on LA's annual PaleyFest. On the red carpet, our very own Archie (KJ Apa) teased the continued legacy of the Black Hood. "I think 100 percent, that's a possibility," he told POPSUGAR. And in terms of Mr. Svenson? "Archie clearly didn't buy it. I think he thinks the Black Hood could still be out there, so we'll see what happens." On the carpet, we also spoke to Marisol Nichols, who plays the delightfully devious Hermione Lodge. When we asked her what lies ahead for Riverdale's most corrupted family, she slipped in one interesting "threat" that's keeping them busy. "We're trying to deal with the Black Hood, with the Serpents, with putting our stuff in place."

By the time we got to the panel, the jig was up. Executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa copped to the fact that the Black Hood mystery was still just that: a mystery. "When we started, we had three likely suspects, so for the first half of the season, we were always dropping red herrings so we could pick," Aguirre-Sacasa said in reference to the masked murderer. "As we moved into the second half, and we get back to the Black Hood for the last few episodes, we always knew it wasn't Svenson, but for the last 10 episodes or so, we've had a pretty clear idea and have been writing toward that."

The Black Hood's return has just gone from a theory to an actuality. Now, we sit and wait.