Entertainment

New 'Riverdale' Theory About The Black Hood Will Make You Scream

by Billy Lorusso
The CW

If you're a Riverdale fan, then you know this season has been, to quote my dear friend Gwen Stefani, B-A-N-A-N-A-S. If you're just joining us, though, you might be unaware that the biggest mystery in our fave small town is the identity of a masked serial attacker known only as "the Black Hood." As is usually the case when television meets the internet, there are tons of fan theories online surrounding who the Black Hood could potentially be, but one recent theory suggests Sheriff Keller is the Black Hood on Riverdale and I, for one, was NOT prepared to be so shaken.

As you've probably guessed by the title "sheriff," Sheriff Keller is, in fact, Riverdale's sheriff. In other words, his responsibility is to police the town and actively work to unmask any serial killers. Odd as it seems, though, Sheriff Keller's pursuit of the Black Hood has been somewhat lax this season, which has led many to think he is the man behind the dollar store ski mask with two eye holes cut in it.

Of course, this would mean that Sheriff Keller is responsible for shooting Fred Andrews, murdering Ms. Grundy, attacking Midge and Moose, and harassing Betty. Whether or not this particular theory is true, you have to admit it's not far-fetched — and this is Riverdale, so at this point, even the writers of the show are suspects.

The main case for Sheriff Keller being the Black Hood stems from the fact that (from what we've seen) he has been fairly mild in his investigation of the attacker; indeed, last season he worked diligently on the Jason Blossom case, but this year he doesn't seem to be taking this mystery man seriously, and he even accused Betty of forging the letter the Black Hood sent her. If he is the man behind the attacks, then that would certainly explain his sh*tty police work this season (side note: If he is not the Black Hood, Riverdale should seriously consider a new sheriff... I feel like Betty would be down?).

On top of Keller's C+ (at best) police work, he fits the Black Hood's description. Though it's certainly not very telling, we know the Black Hood has green eyes, as does Keller; we know he is obsessed with protecting Betty; and we know Betty would recognize him. When you take all the pieces of the puzzle together, I say it's too soon to rule Sheriff Keller out. Riverdale loves the element of surprise, and a sheriff (in theory) would be the last person to suspect.

Of course, there are plenty of reasons why this theory is absurd, as well. We know the Black Hood is close to Betty in some way and, as far as what we've seen on the show, Keller doesn’t have a close connection with Betty. It also seems out of character for Sheriff Keller — a man whose life has (at least to this point) been devoted to justice — to shoot at his friend Fred Andrews and two teenagers.

One theory built off of the Sheriff Keller suspicions claims that there is more than one Black Hood, and that Keller is one of several involved in the letters, phone calls, and attacks. The question then is, who is Sheriff Keller working with?

The current list of suspects includes tons of characters like Hal Cooper, Alice Cooper, Hiram Lodge, Dilton Doiley, Kevin Keller, Penelope Blossom, and Chic Cooper (Betty's brother we have yet to meet) to name only a few, and any one of these characters could be involved in some way or another.

I guess, like Betty and the rest of Riverdale, we'll have to wait and see who is truly responsible for the chaos and suspense this season.

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