Riverdale Round Table: Who Shot Hiram Lodge?
Justin Carreiro
at
.
Archie returned to Riverdale, Alice gave away all of Betty's school money to The Farm, and someone murdered Claudius Blossom on Riverdale Season 3 Episode 10.
Below, TV Fanatics Becca Newton, Kat Pettibone, and Brandon Vieira debate the reveal of Tall Boy as the Gargoyle King, Hiram's mysterious shooter, and the end of "Varchie."
Tall Boy was revealed to be the Gargoyle King and that he killed Joaquin. Share your reactions to these revelations.
Becca: Tall Boy isn't the Gargoyle King just as Svenson wasn't the Black Hood. I hate him for killing Joaquin, but I'm glad he was brought back for an onscreen resolution. Also, Tall Boy coming back (in addition to the name drops) increases the probability of Minetta returning.
FP: We all thought you were dead, Tall Boy. Where were you hiding?
Tall Boy: A small town called, “Athens.” I gotta say, it’s good to be back. And Alice Cooper, she was looking extra sweet the night me and my boys broke into her house to scare the c*** out of her and her b**** daughter. That was fun.
[Jughead punches him]
Jughead: Alright, let’s cut to the chase. We know you’re working for Hiram. You’ve been dressing up in that little costume, have his mask on. Now you [Jughead pushes his finger to Tall Boy’s head] are gonna help us take him down.
Tall Boy: You know what else was fun? Carving that simpleton Joaquin’s forehead after I killed him.
Kat: It was honestly the most underwhelming reveal I think Riverdale has done yet. This has been a season-long arc and the fact the GK wasn't looking to be Hiram was a driving force as to why I was still intrigued by it. And then it ends up yet again being Tall Boy? Everyone's favorite stand-in?
At this point, we're just telling the same story, aren't we? I'd like to see there be more to this, but as of right now, I'm truly disappointed.
Brandon: I'm still not sure whether I liked it or not. Even though we thought he was dead, it kind of felt like too easy of a reveal. Perhaps, no reveal was going to satisfy the build-up that's come to play.
While I think he was the one who killed Joaquin, I don't think he's actually the Gargoyle King.
Similar to Riverdale Season 2 and the whole Black Hood mystery, I feel like they are trying to throw us off, pretending to reveal the identity of the Gargoyle King, but in reality, they are just trying to throw us off the real trail of who the Gargoyle King is.
If it turns out that Tall Boy was the real Gargoyle King, the man behind all these deaths, I'd be kind of disappointed considering he's never been that major of a player on the show before.
Betty has allowed Hal Cooper back into her life. Will she regret this mistake or has Hal turned over a new leaf to get his daughter back?
Becca: This is going to lead to a lot of torment for Betty; I suppose that's her (and everyone else's) status quo. Hal hasn't turned over a new leaf, and he definitely wants to manipulate Betty, but he may genuinely care about her.
This is twisted, disgusting, and tragic in its own right. All of that is amplified due to the fact that the parent who is a serial killer is showing more regard for Betty than her non-serial killer parent.
Kat: I don't really understand it. Why are we bringing back this story when the entire Black Hood plot was such a mess? Either way, I see Betty regretting this.
Yes, he's her father, but it's clear that Betty has some deep-seated issues she's never dealt with. I can see those manifesting in extremely harmful ways by being around/influenced by her serial killer father.
I do believe she may be able to use him as a means of figuring out a few answers to some mysteries, but other than that, this seems like bad news.
Brandon: She might eventually regret this, but Alice hasn't really given her much of a choice. Alice and Polly have both pretty much gone completely to the coo's nest, and somehow the only person that seems to be able to listen to reason right now in the Cooper family, besides Betty, is her murderous father.
While I don't think Betty will ever completely forgive him or let him back into her life fully, I think she's using him for what he's good for. Who better to help her solve all these mind games going on in Riverdale than her psychotic father?
Alice gave away all of Betty's college money to The Farm. Were you surprised that Alice showed little thought or remorse to Betty's future?
Becca: I'm not at all surprised, but it doesn't make me any less angry or frustrated at Alice. She may not be murdering people, but her ability to get away with the horrible things she does with little consequence rivals Hiram.
I'm actually more worried about Alice never being held accountable because the narrative still treats her sympathetically.
I don't want Riverdale to say Alice's behavior is excusable due to The Farm's brainwashing. At most, The Farm's influence merely validates what Alice would have done anyway.
Related: Riverdale Season 3 Episode 9 Review: No Exit
Kat: Yes. I knew Alice is suffering from a major identity crisis but has gone through serious trauma with Hal, but at the end of the day, I really always felt like Betty and Alice had each other's backs. No matter how kooky Alice was, I thought she would remain Betty's somewhat stable parent figure.
I would have liked to see them bond after Hal's reveal, and although it makes sense she'd put faith in the safety of The Farm, this was over the edge and seemed considerably out-of-character for Alice. I hope we get some Farm explorations soon because we haven't gotten much.
Betty: No one else understands what she’s capable of. No one but you. She just gave my money away, Dad. Mom gave all my money. Like my education meant ... nothing.
Hal: It means everything. And I’m sorry, Betty. But here’s the good news. Betty, you’re gonna have colleges lining up to give you scholarships. Weren’t the SATs this weekend?
[Betty slowly nods]
Hal: How did you do?
Betty: Pretty good, I think.
Brandon: Alice is not in her right mind; she hasn't been for a while. Alice doing this was symbolic in a way. Any hope Betty had that she could get her mom back without having to deal with The Farm is completely gone. Alice before The Farm would have never done something so reckless like this.
It's going to take a lot of work for Betty not only to get her mom and Polly out of this cult but to find it in her heart to forgive her mother for putting The Farm ahead of her own daughter.
Veronica and Archie called it quits officially. Do her and Reggie have a legitimate chance or is it only a break until she's back with Archie?
Becca: Sigh! Veronica and Archie are on a break. I've come to like Reggie during Riverdale Season 3, and I really feel for him. He deserves better than to be collateral damage in someone else's story.
Can I at least hope Reggie won't return to being a complete douche once Veronica goes back to Archie?
Reggie: I’m not down with it, Ronnie. Archie taking off like that. It’s not cool.
Veronica: He’s an extremist, Reggie. For all we know, he walked all the way back to Riverdale from Canada. And right into the pressure cooker of school and the SATs.
Reggie: All I’m saying is the Archie I saw last night was ... he’s different.
Veronica: And I don’t disagree. He is different, Reggie.
Reggie: And if it’s permanent? And he’s not your “Archiekins” anymore?
Veronica: Look, I know what you want me to say, but I just can’t even think about that right now.
[Reggie leaves frustrated]
Kat: I think so! The split felt very organic to the story for me. It's understandable that at some point, Veronica stopped missing Archie while he was away. And Archie can't be what Ronnie wants or needs, at least not right now.
I wasn't thrilled with how unlikable they made Veronica in this scenario, but regardless, when Archie said "it's over," it felt like it was truly over; not just another fake breakup. Plus, Veronica and Reggie have had a pretty slow and steady build this season, and he's consistently been more and more present each episode.
They aren't rushing these two, which is why I think it may stick. Not to say it will last forever, but definitely longer than a couple of episodes.
Brandon: I think Archie and Veronica are done, and any chance of a reconciliation won't be happening for a long time.
Their ship became so all-consuming that Riverdale needs to take a break from it for multiple seasons. Whereas Veronica and Reggie are fresh, new and exciting, and could potentially be a huge power-couple in Riverdale.
Obviously, we know, with the two actors dating in real life, that the two have serious chemistry. They have the potential to rival the steamy love scenes Varchie had.
If Riverdale is willing to put in the time and effort to build this ship, Reggie could finally get the chance to shine in ways he's never done before.
Now that FP is the new sheriff, do you think he will help Jughead, Fangs, and Sweet Pea cover up Tall Boy's murder if he finds out? Or, could we see one (or more) of them go down for the crime?
Becca: FP would/will help them with the cover-up regardless of his sheriff's position. He'll probably chew the three of them out for needing a cover-up, but again he would do that even if he wasn't the sheriff.
FP taking part of the cover-up doesn't mean there aren't plenty of ways for them to get caught. Still, I'm hoping this closes the book on Tall Boy's death. I'd rather the screen time be saved for newer plots instead of Jughead doing retreads of Betty's murder cover-up or Archie's prison stint storylines.
Kat: I think FP will want to help the Serpents anyway he can, but that doesn't mean it won't come back to haunt all of them, FP included. I'm happy to see the good guys win for once. But this is Riverdale, and nothing stays dead for long.
Related: Riverdale Season 3 Episode 10 Review: The Stranger
Brandon: I imagine FP being the new sheriff would be a good thing for them because the whole point of him agreeing to be the sheriff probably had something to do with him protecting the Serpents.
However, if Hermione has something on him then he might have no other choice than to take down one of the members. Knowing FP, he'll do what he can with his new powers as sheriff to help them cover-up their mistake.
Hiram got shot by a mysterious attacker. Who is your theory for the shooter?
Becca: Right now, I'm not married to a particular theory because Tall Boy's return was a good reminder about not limiting the suspect pool to characters who were featured in this episode or consistently present on the show. Someone new could also be thrown into the mix.
From a storytelling perspective, having Fred be the shooter or having Hermione order the hit would be the most interesting possibilities to explore.
Related: Riverdale and Jane the Virgin Spinoffs Among Pilot Orders at The CW
Kat: Finally! Sorry, I had to celebrate for a second. Hiram's shooter could be a myriad of people, but my money is on Hermione being behind this in some way. I see her being a mastermind in her own right.
At least, I'm hoping so because it would explain why they've been flimsy with her character, and why she's been so complacent in all of Hiram's wrongdoings.
She was just sitting back, waiting and plotting until she could take him down. With appointing FP as sheriff and that surprise scene between them, my theory is looking more and more likely. But, you know, it could always be Tall Boy.
Brandon: Fred Andrews seems like the most obvious answer, considering he threatened to kill Hiram earlier, but that seems out of character for him. I have a feeling it's going to be someone new.
What better way to introduce a new character than to have them shoot and almost kill the most powerful man in Riverdale? A pretty badass introduction, if I do say so myself.
Missed the latest episode of Riverdale? You can watch Riverdale online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and join the discussion.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
