Riverdale Report: Who Is The Green-Eyed Man?

By Kristy Puchko | TV | October 18, 2017 |

By Kristy Puchko | TV | October 18, 2017 |

This season on Riverdale, Archie and the gang are on a hunt for the green-eyed gunman who shot his dear, hot dad. Fans of the scintillating mystery series have been quick to venture theories on who might be behind the black hood. But ahead of “Chapter Fifteen: Nighthawks,” let’s take a look at the irises, to see how these suspects shake out.

Hal Cooper
In season one, Betty’s dad went from mild-mannered newspaper man to bullying rage spout, shipping his pregnant daughter off to nuns, yammering about his bloody family to the Blossoms, and ransacking Sheriff Keller’s home office to keep suspicion away from his clan. But could he have upgraded to killer?

Not according to his eyes. Actor Lochlyn Munro has blue eyes (seen more clearly here), and so does Hal Cooper.

Sheriff Keller
Because this local cop was almost absurdly bad at chasing down leads, some Riverdale fans suspected he was Jason Blossom’s murderer in season one. Nope! Just bad at his job. But hey, with the town with pep’s premiere family proving to be a bunch of deceitful—albeit posh—heroin peddlers, is it inconceivable that the scruffy cop could be corrupt? Perhaps even inclined to gun down a well-respected member of the community in a popular hangout spot?

Not according to this comparison. I brightened the picture so you could get a better sense of his eye color. But even looking at the shape and the shooter’s patchy brow game, it’s clear this is not the same man.

FP Jones
Nope. 1) He’s still in jail for being an accessory to the murder of Jason Blossom. 2) Skeet Ulrich’s eyes are deep pools of chocolate and swoon.

Sorry, not sorry.

Hiram Lodge
Veronica’s notorious father was much-discussed but never seen in season one. Mark Consuelos joined the cast with season two’s premiere, and this ominous introduction cloaked him in darkness, perhaps playing out that Poppa Lodge is hiding big green eyes. He could be a prime suspect, since he knew his wife Hermione was messing around with Fred Andrews, and he wanted the contractor out of their upcoming endeavor.

Nope. Besides, the Angel of Death was visiting Greendale’s new music teacher, Miss Grundy, when Hiram and his daughter were having their moody stare-down.

Smithers

I love this theory. Forget that it’s unlikely this older gentleman is limber enough to leap up onto the counter to threaten Pop. Ignore that this is clearly not the same body type. Maybe Hiram or Hermione sent out their loyal butler to do their dirty work?

The eyes don’t have it.

Now, the wrinkles around the eyes suggest this isn’t a teen. But could it be one of the characters alluded to in season one, who went unseen?

Ethel Muggs has a suicidal father driven to the brink by Hiram Lodge’s Madoff-style malfeasance. Perhaps desperate for money, he became a hitman for the crook who cheated him.

If"> “Geraldine Grundy” wasn’t lying, she’s got a furious ex-husband out there somewhere. Could it be he heard rumors of her and and Andrews, and assumed it was Fred? Then after taking down what he thought was her new man, he went to Greendale to finish her off? It’s possible, but I’m hoping not. That seems at once too simple and too seedy for this show that’s better known for unapologetic camp, allusionary wit, and socio-politically aware storylines.

Or could it be the long lost Cooper. In the comics, Betty had a brother named Chip. In season one, her mom revealed she gave a baby up for adoption when Hal knocked her up in high school. Chip is supposed to be in his early 20s, but if he’s had a rough life it’s not inconceivable he’d be rocking some eye wrinkles. Plus, with actress Lili Reinhart teasing things will be getting darker for Betty this season, this seems a solid potential reason why.

Now of course, whoever did the shooting could have worn colored contacts. But let’s assume the Riverdale writers aren’t pulling that cheap a trick on their main clue. Be watching for green eyes and red herrings.

Tomorrow we’ll bring you a report about season two’s second ep, “Chapter Fifteen: Nighthawks.”