The Black Hood Is Still Out There On 'Riverdale' According To These Clues

This past holiday season, Officer Keller gave Riverdale the greatest Christmas gift of all by putting an end to the Black Hood. The serial killer that was creating havoc and unrest throughout the town of Riverdale was finally brought to justice — and in the end it was revealed that the school janitor, Mr. Svenson, formerly Joe Conway, was the Black Hood all along. But Riverdale (executive producer: Sarah Schechter, 15 episodes) may be dropping clues that the janitor wasn't really the Black Hood, meaning that the real mastermind cold still be at large.

While it seems that Riverdale's reckoning at the hands of the Black Hood is over, the small town is by no means free of harm. There's still animosity brewing in the South Side Serpents, Hiram Lodge appears to be up to no good, and the effects of the Black Hood may have awakened Betty's inner darkness. And, just because the man formerly known as Joe Conway is dead, that doesn't mean that the Black Hood is done with Riverdale yet. As Jughead mentions at the end of the Christmas episode that marked the Black Hood's reveal, it all wrapped up a little too well — especially with some lingering questions about what the Black Hood knows about Riverdale.

These five clues and questions indicate there the Black Hood could still be at large, and possibly more dangerous than ever.

1. Why Did The Black Hood Target Fred Andrews?

After the alleged Black Hood was killed, Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica all traded theories around a table at Pop's as to how Mr. Svenson went about his killing. Archie determined that Svenson may have seen Archie and murder victim Ms. Grundy canoodling in private, and it's suggested that the Black Hood could have seen Moose and Midge purchasing Jingle Jangle — but why did he shoot Fred Andrews? In a letter to the town, the Black Hood refers to him as an "adulterer," possibly for his relationship with the still-married Hermione Lodge, but why would the school janitor even be aware of that? Fred doesn't quite fit into the janitor's narrative, and it could mean he wasn't the true Black Hood.

2. There Was Time For Him To Slip Away

After trying to bury Archie alive, things went south for the Black Hood. This leads to the murderer being chased by Archie and Betty to a bridge — with plenty of time for the Black Hood to swap himself out. Did the Black Hood kidnap Mr. Svenson, put a mask on him, and tell him to run — effectively framing him for the murders? There's not much of a reason for Svenson to send Betty his severed finger on his own, and it could've been the Black Hood's way of dealing with a "sinner," as Svenson did get an innocent man killed.

3. Why Would Mr. Svenson Know That Much About Betty's Childhood?

One of the Black Hood's defining features was his obsession with Betty. He forced her to push everyone else out of her life — but why? There wasn't much indication for Svenson to have such a severe obsession with Betty, especially not to the point of being aware of her favorite childhood books or her sister's pregnancy. If Mr. Svenson was aware of all these things, he sure waited a long time to do anything with that information. Chances are that whoever the real Black Hood is, they have a much closer connection to Betty than just her school's janitor.

4. He Didn't Have Green Eyes

The single biggest clue is the most obvious one as well — Mr. Svenson didn't have green eyes. All season, the hunt for the black hood was defined by the incredibly green eyes that Archie remembered from his encounter with the killer. He even visited Mr. Svenson because Veronica was accusing him of being the murderer, got a look at his eyes, and decided that those eyes were not the eyes of the Black Hood. The Black Hood's eyes are green — just like Betty's.

5. This Isn't How Riverdale Works

Season 1 of Riverdale was about solving the murder of Jason Blossom — which turned out to have been committed by his own father. Cliff Blossom was introduced in the first episode of Season 1, and was present for the entire mystery before being revealed in the second-to-last episode of Season 1. Mr. Svenson, on the other hand, was introduced only two episodes before he was killed, and was never a huge part of the main characters' lives when he was on the show. With so much intimate knowledge of the lives of Betty and Archie, chances are the real Black Hood has been interacting with these characters for the entire season — especially when names like "Chic Cooper" have been mysteriously thrown around all season, indicating other, more likely, suspects.

While the citizens of Riverdale may feel safe, chances are that the Black Hood will prove to be a harbinger of things to come, and that the show has big plans for the rest of Season 2. Potentially having framed their crimes on Mr. Svenson, the Black Hood is now in a better position than ever to plan their next move to do the most damage possible to the town. If Jughead, Archie, Betty, and Veronica are going to catch the Black Hood for real, they'll need to start thinking outside the box and stop accepting the easiest answer.