Lochlyn Munro is a famous Canadian actor. He was born in February of 1966. Lochlyn has been in a lot of famous movies including White Chicks and Scary Movie. Lately, however, he is perhaps most known for playing the character of Hal Cooper in the wild CW show that is Riverdale. While many audiences adored the first season of the Archie Comics reboot, most seasons after that fell victim to hate-watching. With the recent news of Riverdale being canceled, it seems like a good time to look back at everything the show had to offer.
This show has been so incredibly camp since the very beginning. Many people, including the actors themselves, love to hate the dialogue. The plot gets more and more ridiculous with each season. No matter how weird you think it can get, it doubles your expectations. But one part of the show that people do not talk about enough is how good Lochlyn Munro is in it. Here are four times Lochlyn carried the drama of the crazy show as Hal Cooper.
Lochlyn Munro’s Controlling Performance
As mentioned before, season one of the Archie Comics-inspired show is probably the best season of the show quality-wise. Everyone is trying to solve Jason Blossom’s murder, and Lochlyn’s character Hal seems very suspicious. Audiences slowly learn that he sent his oldest daughter (Polly), who had been dating Jason, away. Munro’s character tells his younger daughter Betty that this was because Polly had attempted suicide and she was now getting much-needed help. However, we quickly learn that it was actually because Polly was pregnant with Jason’s child.
It is revealed that Lochlyn’s character tried to pressure his daughter to abort this child. His wife, Alice, kicked him out for neglecting his daughter’s needs in this way (It is then also shown that Lochlyn also tried to pressure Alice into abortion when she accidentally got pregnant in high school as he did not think they were ready for kids). After being kicked out, Lochlyn Munro’s character fires his wife from their family newspaper business as a way to get back at her.
When Lochlyn’s Character Admitted To Well Kept Secrets
Throughout the first season, Lochlyn Munro keeps doing suspicious things as his character, Hal Cooper. At one point he steals the sheriff’s case files related to the murder of Jason Blossom. After an arrest was made, he attempts to destroy this evidence but is caught by his wife and youngest daughter. When confronted about this concerning act, Munro’s character finally admits that they’re related to the Blossom family. This means that his older daughter is pregnant with her third cousin’s child. At this point, many understood better why Hal Cooper was so against his daughter’s pregnancy and relationship in general. He had been a minor villain and a murder suspect, but this admission made him more sympathetic. Lochlyn Munro’s performance in this scene really makes you question how much you actually dislike Hal.
Being Revealed as the Black Hood
Season one ends with Betty giving a speech telling the town to do better and then Archie’s dad being shot. Season two then introduces a new villain and mystery: the Black Hood. Throughout the entire season, the Black Hood murders those who he deems sinners. At the end of the season, it is revealed that Lochlyn Munro’s character is the Black Hood. He has a classic villain monologue explaining why he has been killing. Lochlyn’s creepy admission says that Betty’s speech reminded him of a promise he made to his mother to rid the world of sinners. The scene where he comes clean feels so intense as he implies he plans to kill his wife and daughter along with himself. While some were disappointed with Hal Cooper being the Black Hood, no one should be disappointed with how well Lochlyn sold it in this scene.
Lochlyn Advising Betty from Jail
Season two ends with Hal’s arrest which leads to most of Lochlyn’s season three scenes taking place in his jail cell. Betty often visits her father for advice or guidance in her investigations in the season three mysteries.
From the set design to the lighting to Lochlyn’s creepy demeanor, these scenes feel like an alternate cut of the popular horror movie, Silence of the Lambs. This Easter egg was obvious to movie lovers, but Lochlyn Munro’s acting is really what sells it. He is a spectacular horror actor. He is not attacking anyone, or physically doing anything creepy. All of the discomforts of these scenes come from the way he psychologically messed with Betty.
Lochlyn Munro has been a villain in this show since the beginning. At first, he was just another parent with secrets. Then he became a serial killer “for justice” before turning into the show’s Hannibal Lecter. He is truly an incredible actor and no matter how weird his plotline gets, he manages to pull it off. So go to Netflix right now and watch or re-watch some of Lochlyn’s incredible acting in Riverdale.
Read Also:
All You Need to Know About Charles Melton
Is The Winx Saga Actress, Abigail Cowen Dating her Co-Star?
Richa Moorjani: Breaking Glass Ceilings With the Perfectly Imperfect Kamala
What Has RuPaul’s Drag Race Gia Gunn Done Since Leaving The Show?
