is hiram lodge really dead?

Riverdale is finally back on The CW. The veteran series returned to the network for the first time since December to officially kick off its sixth season, and it certainly left fans in shock – for multiple reasons.

The show, which aired its five-episode-event known as “Rivervale” last year, took things back to the main timeline, picking up where the previous season left off, as Betty, Archie, Jughead and the rest of Riverdale had to deal with the fallout of Hiram Lodge’s attempt to kill longtime nemesis Archie with a bomb.

*** Contains spoilers from Riverdale season 6, episode 6 ***

While Hiram’s daughter Veronica promised to help Betty and the FBI track her father down, she decided to put a hit out on him instead, vowing to end his reign of terror once and for all. However, after realizing that she didn’t want to be like Hiram, she decided to retract the hit – only to realize that it was too late.

While Riverdale definitely wants you to believe that Hiram Lodge is dead, we should definitely take it with a pinch of salt. Yes, Veronica seemingly saw the evidence and Hermosa called her to vow revenge, but looks can be very deceiving on Riverdale.

The thing that makes Hiram’s death very possible is the fact that Mark Consuelos is no longer part of the show in Riverdale season 6. His time as a series regular came to an end in the season 5 finale when Hiram sped off into the sunset after being run out of town – but not before leaving behind that bomb under Archie’s bed.

That said, it’s hard to believe that the show would kill off its long-running Big Bad off-screen when they had the opportunity to do it on-screen in the season 5 finale.

With that in mind, it’s best to keep an open mind. Whether or not Riverdale season 6 decides to fill you in on the truth remains to be seen, but we could always see Hermosa take over Hiram’s business and continue paying the Ghoulies just to make it look like her father is really dead. After all, Hiram doesn’t go down without a fight.

For now, it looks like Hiram is “dead”, but don’t rule out a return in the future.

Riverdale season 6 returned with quite the explosive episode. “Chapter One Hundred and One: Unbelievable” turned reality upside for Archie, Betty, Jughead, and even Bingo the dog. Due to Hiram’s bomb, all four of them were impacted in life changing ways.

Barchie and Bingo developed gifts including invulnerability, seeing someone’s threatening aura, and rapid healing. Jughead, however, is losing his hearing and doesn’t seem to have a new ability. So, while there were some unexpected benefits that came from the detonation of Hiram’s bomb, there’s also been irreparable harm.

Hiram’s last deed prompted Veronica to put a hit out on her father. He’d tried to kill Archie and nearly took out other innocent parties in the process. Unwilling to let him get away with yet another crime, V decided his exile wasn’t good enough.

It was quite the hard stance for the She-Wolf of Wall Street, one we weren’t sure she’d be able to hold onto once her anger settled. We were right, but by the time Veronica decided to call off the hit, she was too late. Her hired gun had already killed her father.

This, however, is Riverdale and characters don’t always stay dead especially when they were killed off-screen. Is Hiram Lodge really gone? Here’s what we know!

Yes. Hiram is dead. Though we didn’t see the proof of his death that was sent to Veronica’s phone, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa had the following to say to Entertainment Weekly about the Big Bad’s demise:

So, while Hiram won’t be wreaking havoc in present-day Riverdale beyond a possible haunting or a return to the past, we can expect to see Mark Consuelos sometime down the line. We’ll keep you posted on more news and coverage. Stay tuned to Hidden Remote!

Hiram, however, is done on the show. RAS told Entertainment Weekly: He's as dead as anyone on Riverdale has ever been. Even when characters are dead, they come back sometimes in flashbacks or dreams.

Without actually seeing Riverdale’s Big Bad go down in a blaze of glory and with one last monologue, fans wondered whether or not Hiram would be gone for good. His final parting shot was actually in the season 5 finale when he left town after planting a bomb beneath Archie’s bed.

Archie, Betty, Jughead, and even Archie’s dog, Bingo, have been dealing with the fall out of Hiram’s actions since Riverdale returned to The CW on March 20.

Spoilers ahead of Riverdale season 6, episode 7

This week’s episode, “Chapter One Hundred and Two: Death at a Funeral,” put another nail in Hiram’s coffin when Veronica confessed to Reggie how her father died. Hiram had been shot four times in the back of the head and his body had been burned. Reggie asked if it could be a fake out but Veronica is certain her dad is dead because she’s the one who had him killed.

V’s whole plot in the episode revolved around laying her father to rest and acknowledging that he was a complicated man that she loved. Hiram left her a voice message speaking to the love he had for her as well and his desire for her to take over his rum business. The moment seemed to close the book on the father-daughter feud, however, it also left the door open for more Lodge drama.

According to showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Mark Consuelos hasn’t left Riverdale completely even though he’ll no longer be a series regular. Hiram, however, is done on the show. RAS told Entertainment Weekly:

We got our first taste of Consuelos’ continued presence in Riverdale with the voice recording mentioned above. Since Veronica is now taking over Hiram’s rum business, we expect for the Big Bad to keep popping up in some capacity in the rest of the season. Not to mention Hermosa looks to be stepping into the man’s shoes to become the thorn in V’s side.

FanSided’s new podcast, The CW Spiral, is your go-to pod for all things CW from news to reviews of your favorite series on the network. Check out their Riverdale deep-dives in the playlist below: