‘Riverdale’: Lili Reinhart Talks The Return Of “Dark Betty”

Betty Cooper took some pretty drastic measures on tonight’s Riverdale – and it might have given fans flashbacks to season one.

Spoilers for tonight’s episode of Riverdale, ‘Chapter Fifteen: Nighthawks’, below.

Throughout the episode, Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) tried to convince the Blossom family to help with F.P’s (Skeet Ulrich) trial. After the Blossoms refused, Betty confronted Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) head on – in a way that seemed to resemble Dark Betty.

As Riverdale fans will remember, Betty evoked her “Dark Betty” side early on in season one, torturing Chuck Clayton for what he did against the girls of Riverdale High. But according to Reinhart, Dark Betty isn’t here to stay – she’s just brought about to help someone that Betty loves.

“I feel like when it comes to defending Jughead or defending people she really cares about, she kind of turns into a little bit of a badass because she has to be sometimes,” Reinhart told Entertainment Weekly. “[Betty] would have done the same for Veronica, or Kevin, or Archie.”

When it comes to what Riverdale fans like about Dark Betty, Reinhart says the change adds a new layer to her iconic Archie Comics character.

“I think people really respond and love seeing that little side of her that’s not the typical Betty,” Reinhart added. “It’s darker and a little more — I wouldn’t say ‘stone cold bitch’ — but a little more assertive, you know?”

Judging by what we’ve already seen of season two, fans can probably safely expect more of Dark Betty. After all, Betty is set to have a core part in the season’s most intense mystery.

Riverdale airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.