Hiram Lodge

"You wanted a more active role in Lodge Industries, and we let you have it. Then you break into my office and try to use whatever you find as leverage. Now I admit, there's a lot you don't know, and that's on purpose.{...} Mija, you think you want to know everything, but you don't."

- Hiram to Veronica

Hiram Lodge is a main character and one of the two main antagonists of the second season of Riverdale. He is also the concealed, hidden secondary antagonist of the first season. He is portrayed by Mark Consuelos.

Hiram is the husband of Hermione, and the father of Veronica Lodge. He is a powerful businessman and the CEO/President of Lodge Industries. Prior to the start of the series, he was incarcerated at Yonkers Penitentiary and was awaiting trial for multiple counts of embezzlement and fraud. Despite his imprisonment, Hiram still ran his business and criminal empire from behind bars. He has been released from prison and has now taken up residence at the Pembrooke in Riverdale with his wife and daughter. Since his release, he has secretly purchased Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe, hiring Pop Tate as manager in exchange for his silence. Hiram is also business partners with Fred Andrews, working on the SoDale project together, an arrangement that was put in place by Hermione, in an effort to legitimize Lodge Industries.

He was also business partners with Manfred Muggs until he no longer needed him, resulting in Manfred and his family almost losing everything including their house. As a result of their partnership Manfred was hospitalized.

Character Description
''A ruthless, handsome, charismatic businessman who is coming back to Riverdale after weathering a financial scandal that almost destroyed him. He is there to reconnect with his wife Hermione and, especially, his daughter Veronica, who is the apple of his eye.''

Early Life
It is currently unknown if Hiram grew up in Riverdale, but he did at least spend some time there, long enough for him to form a rivalry with Cliff Blossom. He eventually went on to steal his current wife, Hermione Lodge away from Fred Andrews. The two of them moved to New York, and some time later got married and had a daughter, Veronica, and they all lived together in New York living a luxurious lifestyle. However, their fancy life and luxurious living didn't last forever as Hiram was arrested for fraud and embezzlement.

Before getting arrested, Hiram had an on-going arrangement with the Southside Serpents, a local gang in Riverdale. He hired the gang to decrease the value of the Twilight Drive-In, so that Lodge Industries could purchase the land for a low price.

Before his arrest, Hiram had an incredibly strong bond with his daughter, Veronica; She was daddy's girl. Whenever Hiram did something wrong, he'd bring her gifts home as a way to make up for it, such as Givenchy bags.

Throughout Riverdale

 * -|Season 1=

Season 1
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Compensating the Serpents
Roughly three months after his arrest for fraud and embezzlement, from prison, Hiram sent Hermione a duffel bag filled with money, leaving her to wonder what it was exactly that he had gotten himself into.

Hermione would later discover that the money was meant to complete payments to the Southside Serpents for a job well done in de-valuing the Twilight Drive-In so that he could purchase it at the cheaper price using an offshore LLC. Initially, no one knew of this dealing other than Hiram, that is until he told Hermione, who went on to tell Fred, and so on.

Anonymous Buyer
Unbeknownst to Hiram at the time, Hermione was seeking to award the construction contract for the SoDale project to Fred Andrews. However, two out of three signatures were required, and with Hiram looking to give the contract to a less than legit company, Hermione needed Veronica's signature, in order to grant Andrews Construction the contract seeing as Hiram made Veronica a legal officer of Lodge Industries, after he was arrested. Unfortunately for Hermione, Veronica refused to sign. Although, with no other option, Hermione forged her daughters signature to move forward the contract.

According to Veronica, when Hiram got arrested, the police, lawyers, judge, and the courts took everything from him and his family, including their houses, cars, club memberships, yacht, and even the clothes off their backs. As Hiram would later come to discover, Hermione was having an affair with Fred Andrews, and she claimed that this was a result of Hiram making certain decisions that distanced him from the family. So, from that point on, Hermione would be making decisions that would benefit her. Soon thereafter, Hermione called Hiram from prison and confessed about forging Veronica's signature in order to award Andrews Construction the land contract

Warfare; Lodges vs Blossoms
It was revealed through Hermione that the Blossom family was making a play for the drive-in land, and that if they found out that Hiram was the anonymous buyer, it would be open war. They were looking to stop construction on the SoDale project, leaving many to believe that the Blossoms were responsible for the attack on Andrews Construction. However, FP Jones and Hermione would later come to find out that Hiram hired several guys from Montreal to come down and trash the work site after discovering that Hermione was having an affair with Fred.

With his trial quickly approaching, Hiram's lawyer would be visiting Hermione and Veronica to take their statements. This left Veronica questioning what she should say, and if her father even deserved to be released. To further complicate the situation, Veronica learned that one of her friends, Ethel Muggs, was having problems at home. Her family lost all their funds due to their investments with Hiram, thus intensifying Veronica's anger towards her father. The Muggs would be testifying against Hiram during his trail, which Veronica agreed they should as he was a bad person that was ruining lives. To make matters even worse, Manfred Muggs attempted to take his own life. At that point, Veronica decided that she was done lying for her father.

After weeks of keeping this secret, Hermione finally decided to tell Fred that she and Hiram were the anonymous buyers of the drive-in land, and that he was working for Lodge Industries. She was hoping to turn the business legitimate, which meant partnering with businesses like Andrews Construction. She then revealed that it was Hiram that sent the thugs to attack the work site after learning of their affair. It was later discovered by Archie that Hiram was set up and sent to jail by Clifford Blossom, leaving many to suspect Hiram of killing Clifford's son, Jason Blossom.

Upcoming Trial
As expected, the ladies received a visit from Hiram's attorney to take their statements for the hearing. Even though Mr. Sowerberry only asked that Veronica speaks to Hiram's character in order to humanize her father, she refused. After learning from her friends that Cliff Blossom was responsible for Hiram's imprisonment, Veronica took it upon herself to do some investigating. She found a spreadsheet of monthly payments dating back 75 years from Blossom Maple Farms to Lodge Industries until about five months ago, just after Hiram was arrested. Veronica believed that Clifford implicated Hiram to get out of paying the monthly fee. She suggested that they inform his lawyer of this, however, Hermione decided against it as it may lead people to believe that Hiram was involved in Jason's murder as retaliation.

Aware that she was feeling conflicted over testify during his trial, Hiram sent Veronica a letter, in which he essentially threatened Veronica and Hermione. Although, it was never explained how she knew, and whether or not the rest of her family knew, Cheryl Blossom exposed Hiram as being the anonymous buyer for the drive-in land to an entire party worth of students. It seemed as if Veronica decided to heed her father's warning as she testified on his behalf. Afterward, he sent her a pearl necklace to show his gratitude.

Thanks to Veronica's statement, Hiram would be returning home soon. The Judge ruled on time served, he'd be free within a few months at the most. Upon learning that her father was begin released, Veronica felt conflicted. She still suspected that maybe he was involved in Jason's murder, and she was dead set on proving it. However, just as she was ready to give up, and accept that he had no involvement in Jason's death, FP Jones was arrested for killing Jason, leaving Veronica to believe that her father might have hired him to commit the murder.

Orchestrating Jason's Murder?
Almost immediately after learning of FP's arrest, Hermione began to panic as they were known associates of the man that killed Jason Blossom. While she was still unsure if Hiram was involved or not, Hermione wanted to be prepared to run should the time come. Inside the motel room of a deceased Southside Serpent named Mustang, the police found a duffel bag filled with money, with the initials "H.L.". Initially believed that it belongs to Hermione, Veronica told Sheriff Keller that it, in fact, belong to her father, and that he had business with the Serpents. Following the discovery that FP's confession was false, and that Clifford killed Jason, Veronica apologized to her mother for ever considering the possibility of her father killing Jason. However, had Hiram been involved, both Veronica and Hermione were willing to cut all ties with him. Hermione then revealed that Hiram was coming home.

With Hiram returning home soon, Hermione fired the Serpents working for Andrews Construction as she couldn't have the project associated with criminals. After talking it over with Hiram, the two of them decided that it would be best to buy Fred out of his contract, which Fred considered but ultimately declined despite the way that he and Hiram felt towards each other. }}
 * -|Season 2=

Season 2
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Release from Prison
Hiram returned to Riverdale following his release from prison. He sat at the table with Hermione at his side, awaiting Veronica's return home. Veronica entered the door soon thereafter. He came home early to surprise her, but imagine his surprise when she wasn't there to greet him. Hermione chimed in, telling Hiram about how Veronica drank his Cristal. So disrespectful, Hiram remarked. Not like Veronica at all, to which she admitted to changing since the last time they saw one another. The only question left was whether or not Hiram has changed, which he may have, but not so much that he still doesn't want a kiss from his daughter. Veronica approached to kiss him on the cheek before informing him that Fred Andrews was recovering from his gun shot wound.

On his way in from an early run, Hiram wanted to address the fact that Veronica was actively avoiding him; leaving before breakfast and coming home after dinner. He couldn't even recall the last meal they ate as a family. However, Veronica reminded him that their last meal was the day he got arrested at the Dakota. Hiram then suggested that they talk about his arrest over dinner, but Veronica claimed to have plans that evening.

Later that day, Hiram surprised Veronica at school with a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses, asking if he could speak to her privately. Just outside the school, Hiram explained that every day he was in prison, he thought about getting back to Veronica and Hermione. And while he knew it wouldn't be easy, and knew it would take time, he was hoping that Veronica would at least meet him halfway. It's not that she didn't want to, but as Veronica put it, the blindfold's off, and she couldn't just put it back on. Hiram's arrest and the events that followed resulted in Veronica seeing him in a whole new light. As Veronica prepared to reconvene with her friends, Hiram offered to help with her crusade to save Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe from closing in any way he could.

That night, as he and Hiram enjoyed a meal together at the dinner table, they were interrupted by Veronica, who accused Hiram of buying Pop's shoppe in an effort to buy her. Hiram denied the accusation before insisting that Veronica sit down so that they could speak civilly. All he wanted was a fair hearing to explain himself. Veronica suggested that they talk about Fred and the shooting at the diner, since Fred was shot one day after he rejected the offer to sale his portion of the SoDale project, which left Veronica wondering if it was Hiram that called for Fred to be shot. Hiram insisted that the attack at the diner was not his doing. Unconvinced with Hiram's statement, Veronica explained that she was his fiercest protector, which Hermione could vouch for. Whenever someone called him the devil incarnate, she always came to his defense, telling herself that Hiram wasn't that bad and that he can be forgiven. However, all that changed when she received a letter from him, threatening Hermione. After reading the letter, Hermione informed Veronica that Hiram didn't write the letter, she did. She wrote the letter threatening herself in order to get Veronica to testify on Hiram's behalf, so that they could come together as a family once more.

The following night, Hiram and Hermione showed up for Retro Night in support of Veronica and her cause to keep the diner from closing. Much to their surprise, Veronica was willing to start over after taking into consideration how the evening was also a new beginning for Pop's. However, she asked for total transparency in return. The thought of being a family again excited Hiram, so much so that he gave Veronica a hug. In the spirit of that, Hiram proposed that Lodge Industries make a "charitable contribution" to the diner.

After a show of appreciation from Pop Tate, during which time he personally thanked the Lodges for their generous donation, Hermione remarked that she wasn't aware that they were in the charity business. We're not, Hiram replied. As of five minutes ago, they owned the diner. He had secretly bought the diner from Pop Tate, and in exchange for his silence, Hiram told Pop that he can stay on as manager. It was nice to have him back, Hermione stated. He then thanked her for lying to Veronica about writing the letter that he actually wrote. Veronica never would've forgiven him had she learned that he threatened her. Once again, Hermione has proven that her loyalty knows no bounds.

Hiram returned home with Hermione and Veronica, where they are greeted at the door by André, their new doorman. Hiram informed Veronica that Smithers' mother fell ill, so he went home, over seas, to care for her, and that André was his replacement

Manipulating Archie
Hearing Hermione and Veronica just outside his study, Hiram joined them in the main room, where Veronica asked if her inner-circle of friends could come over to watch the season premiere of The Matchlerette. He was even extended an invitation to join them as they were supposedly dying to meet him.

That night, Hiram and Hermione stopped by to meet Veronica's friends before leaving for dinner at the club. Veronica introduced him to each of her friends, starting with Betty Cooper, then onto Jughead Jones, the son of FP Jones, who Hiram claimed was a good man that valued family. He hoped that FP's return came sooner rather than later. Finally, he was introduced to Archie Andrews, the boy whose captured his daughter's heart. He and Archie shared a firm handshake as he instructed Archie to call him Hiram rather than Mr. Lodge. He couldn't help but hear their previous discussion in regards to the frustration they were demonstrating towards Sheriff Keller and his inability to catch the killer. As someone whose had his fair share of run-ins with the law, Hiram could say with confidence that the police weren't always the solution. Drastic times called for drastic measures, meaning they would have to take justice into their own hands. Before leaving, he invited Archie over for dinner later in the week. He looked forward to seeing what Archie came up with for saving Riverdale.

A couple nights later, as Hiram and Hermione prepared for another night out, Hiram assisted Hermione in zipping up the back of her dress, during which time he told her that sound carries in the apartment. Even in his study with the door closed, he could hear Hermione's conversation with Veronica earlier in the day, as if they were all together. If Hermione wished to burn down her relationship with their daughter, that was her business, but Hiram warned her against every trying to poison Veronica against him.

The following night, Archie came over for dinner as planned. Hiram asked him about Ethel Muggs, who he had rescued the prior night. Unfortunately, the individual stalking her got away. Admittedly, they needed to increase their response time, which Hiram understood as he too liked to be ahead of the threat. He then asked Archie if he's ever had rum. There was a signature Lodge family label that he had in his study, asking if Archie would like to try some. Of course he would, Veronica replied. However, she mistook this as an offer to join them, which it wasn't as Hiram asked that she stay behind, providing him and Archie with the opportunity to talk man-to-man.

As he and Archie looked up to the portrait of Veronica hanging in the study, Hiram told Archie that having Veronica over his shoulders kept him honest. On a more serious note, Hiram asked about the Red Circle, and Fred's position on the community watch group. Archie explained that his father was still trying to wrap his head around it. Moving forward, Hiram was hoping that they could grow to respect each other. This meant no more of Archie sneaking into Veronica's bedroom. Looking to revisit the topic of the Red Circle, Hiram did offer a thought. While it was a noble idea, evil had no regards for nobility or good intentions. Sometimes, defending one's self just isn't enough. Striking back is often in order. The killer, now calling himself the Black Hood, was waging a war based on terror and fear. Those are his weapons. They should be yours too, Hiram said to Archie.

While reading the morning paper at the breakfast table, Veronica proposed that she be granted an active role in Lodge Industries considering that she was a shareholder, though that was merely an honorary title, Hiram explained, leading Veronica to suggest that they make it a legitimate title. She wanted to get her hands dirty and be in the room where it all happened, to get a peek behind the curtains. Hiram agreed that as a Lodge, it was her right to be more involved in the family business. Following his discussion with Veronica, he watched from his laptop as Archie and his fellow Red Circle members, all of whom were wearing red masks, sent a message to the Black Hood, threatening to hunt him down.

With the Red Circle's public message to the Black Hood becoming a town-wide sensation, Hiram and Hermione questioned Veronica, who didn't seem to think it was as serious as they were making it out to be. Hermione explained that it was a video threatening violence, which in turn made Archie dangerous in the eyes of Hiram and Hermione, though the latter took it a step further by forbidding Veronica from seeing Archie any further. However, Veronica had no intent on breaking off their relationship without first getting Archie's side of the story. As Veronica left for school, a grin formed on Hiram's face, between the Black hood, the Red Circle, and the Town Hall meeting, there was so much chaos and confusion, providing the perfect opportunity for a business man like himself to capitalize off of.

While working in his study, Hiram was interrupted by Veronica, who returned home from school to ask about what he and Archie talked about during the night they invited him over for dinner. Hiram claimed to have no recollection of the specifics of his and Archie's conversation. Veronica was asking because one of the things she loved about Archie is how earnest he is, in more of an innocent sort of way, making him both trusting and kind. However, that simplicity also made him impressionable, as well as vulnerable to certain forms of attack, such as manipulation. If someone were to pour poison into one of his ears, a dark notion in the shape of the Red Circle may take form for instance. Hiram began to wonder if Veronica was suggesting that he had something to do with Archie's sudden reckless behavior. But Veronica explained that she wasn't suggesting anything, merely asking what he and Archie talked about. Unfortunately, just as Hiram said before, he didn't remember what he and Archie discussed. He then asked if Veronica could excuse him because the Swiss banks were about to close, and he had a call with the Lodge Charitable Trust to make.

Two days later, Hiram and Hermione attended the Town Hall meeting, where Mayor McCoy welcomed all to the event in hopes that she could address their concerns and if possible, ease their minds, as she too shared their desire to protect their town and their children. While the meeting started out peaceful, it quickly escalated, turning into a shouting match between two sides, with one side being spearheaded by Alice, who believed the south side was the cause of all their problems, and the other side being spearheaded by Fred, who believed that they were living in a time where they needed to unite rather than fraction off. Hermione had told Hiram that Fred was going to be a problem, though Hiram thought otherwise. The town loved and trusted him. It could work in their favor. It was then that Betty and Jughead entered through the back doors to alert everyone that the Black Hood would be striking at Town Hall next. Hiram and Hermione presumably evacuated the building with everyone else.

Hiram was joined in his study by Veronica and Hermione, who read aloud the latest published article from the Register, in which Alice Cooper accused him of wanting to profit off of Riverdale's misfortunes, rather than fix them. Hiram explained that they couldn't allow anything to derail the SoDale project, that included Alice, the southside gangs (Southside Serpents and Ghoulies), and the Black Hood. They're biggest problem was capital, which they were running out of at a fast rate, Hermione informed him. Fortunately, Hiram had invited potential investors to the open house, specifically the St. Clair's, who were coming up from New York. Veronica was thrilled to hear that an old friend of hers, Nick St. Clair, would be coming up with them for the opening. According to Hiram, he was a budding music producer, and his father was King Midas rich. If they could get the St. Clair's to invest, then others would surely follow. Hiram and Hermione looked to Veronica to help them close the deal by showing Nick the best sides of Riverdale.

Several days later, Hiram and Hermione arrived at the opening, arm-in-arm, greeting guests as they proceeded down the aisle. If the successful turn out of the open house didn't convince the St. Clair's to invest, nothing would. Hiram then called over Veronica to ask how things were going with her showing Nick the best that Riverdale had to offer. From all reports, Veronica's charm offensive was paying off.

While Hermione was wrangling Fred, and Veronica was off, quietly yelling at the caterer for allowing the canapes to run low, Hiram ran into an old friend; Hal Cooper. Where's Alice, Hiram asked. Just between them, Hal explained that the published mugshot of Alice's arrest, from many years ago, when she was a teenage Serpent, took a toll on her. So, they both decided it would be better if Hal covered the event on his own. However, imagine their surprise when Alice strolled into the event, wearing a red, snake patterned dress, with a golden serpent necklace.

Hiram, Hermione, and Fred took to the stage to make an announcement as the hosts of the event. A new story began in Riverdale that night. A story about reinvention and aspiration. The building would be the first chapter of that story. Luxury apartments, shopping, and even a golf course. The Southside as they knew it would be gone, replaced with a new Eden. So, they raised their glasses to a brighter tomorrow. But for that day, they would celebrate with a little music from Josie and the Pussycats.

Dealing with the St. Clairs
Hiram and Hermione arranged a meeting with Penelope Blossom after learning that Cheryl was roofied and nearly raped by Nick St. Clair at the Open house. Even though Penelope appreciated them calling her after Cheryl had told them of the incident, she still wished that they had stopped her from talking to Sheriff Keller, as she was skeptical of Cheryl's claims, and wasn't convinced that Cheryl was completely innocent, concluding that she somehow provoked her attack. However, Hermione stated that Cheryl was innocent in the matter, at least according to Veronica, who was present for the attack. Penelope then told Hiram that she wanted the situation to be handled discreetly, which was fortunate, given that Hiram was pretty certain that the St. Clairs shared that same sentiment. In closing, Penelope informed them that she'd tell the Sheriff that they wouldn't be pressing charges, because after all, nothing really happened to Cheryl, she believed.

Hiram and Hermione were called over to the Cooper house by Alice to deal with what happened at Nick St. Clair's party. All the parents, as well as their children attended. Alice deemed the party as a "bacchanalia free for all", pointing out that only her Betty was smart enough not to use the Jingle Jangle that was brought to the party. Hiram quickly replied to her rude remark, "careful throwing stones there, Acid Queen Alice. I'm not the only one in this room that knows the story behind that mugshot that your daughter printed in her paper". After Reggie Mantle confessed that he brought the drugs to the party, Hiram asked how he acquired it. Reggie revealed that he had a dealer on the Southside, who he suspected of being a Southside Serpent, as well as a student at Southside High. While they admittedly shouldn't have taken the Jingle Jangle, Veronica pointed out that Nick asked for it, and later pressured them into taking it. Furthermore, he attacked Cheryl. If anyone deserved to be interrogated, they believed it to be him. However, as Sheriff Keller explained, prosecuting Nick would be difficult given that they were all unreliable witnesses due to the fact that they were high, as Jingle Jangle remained in the users' system for up to three days. After Mayor McCoy learned that Josie experimented with the drugs as well, she declared that her number one priority as Mayor was to take over the Southside, even if it meant arresting every Serpent in sight.

Hiram and Hermione were playing chess in the living room, when Veronica entered to confront them on their business dealings with the St. Clairs, having learned from Cheryl that they were still allowing the St. Clairs to invest in the SoDale project, even after Nick attacked Cheryl. Hiram tried to make claim that Cheryl's accusations were not strong enough as she lacked any physical evidence to support what was being said. However, Veronica insisted that Cheryl was telling the truth, and she knew this because Nick attempted to do the same to her. Upon hearing this, Hiram's dismissive attitude toward the situation abruptly changed to anger, vowing to never take a single penny from the St. Clairs ever again.

The following night, the phone rang as Veronica read, while they played chess in the living room. Hermione picked up the phone, getting news from André that the St. Clairs had gotten into a car accident; Nick would gradually recover, with time, but Xander and Simone St. Clair's status were not mentioned. "Oh, well. Karma's a bitch", Veronica said, as Hermione and Hiram continued playing chess.

A Letter from the Black Hood
After receiving a threatening letter from someone claiming to be the Black Hood, Hiram and Hermione called Sheriff Keller over to investigate. As the Sheriff was leaving, Veronica returned home. Hiram informed her of the letter, and how it threatened that they would be targeted and punished for their sinful ways. Veronica was terrified by the letter considering that they were actually sinners, though Hiram and Hermione didn't express much concern given that dozens of households received the exact same letter. Not to mention that the Pembrooke was a fortress and André was trained in martial arts. In regards to Veronica's every day activities, such as going to school and shopping, André would drive her. But when he wasn't available, they'd hire a car service. After talking it over, Hiram and Hermione also wouldn't mind seeing more of Archie considering that he was brawny and devoted to Veronica.

The next day, while at the breakfast table, Hiram and Hermione learned from Veronica that Archie had said that he loved her, though she didn't say it back as she felt it was too soon. It didn't matter what Archie said or didn't say, it was about whether or not Veronica was ready to here it, Hiram and Hermione stated.

The Family Business
As Hiram ate dinner with his wife and daughter in the days leading up to Christmas, Hermione asked about the Spiffany's bag she saw him come in with earlier that day. It looked about the right size for a Glamerge egg, she commented. That depends on whether she's been naughty or nice this year, Hiram replied. Hiram assured Veronica that he had her Christmas list as well. But he asked of her to refrain from snooping as she does every year. However, for all Veronica cared, they could rip up her list. She expressed frustration with the wasteful ways in which they spend their money, with bejeweled eggs being one example. Veronica insisted that they realize how fortunate they were as there were people in Riverdale who couldn't even afford to pay their own bills, such as Fred Andrews who Veronica learned from Archie was drowning in medical bills to the tune of $86,000. Which is why she was hoping that Hiram and Hermione would cover his medical bill. Unfortunately, the Lodge Charitable Trust had made its donations for the fiscal year. Fred would have to tighten his belt, so to speak. However, as Veronica informed him, Fred was already selling Christmas trees for extra money. That's the kind of father he was, Veronica surmised. Regardless, Hiram wished to hear no more on the matter, storming off to his study.

The following night, Hiram and Hermione returned to the Pembrooke from last minute Christmas shopping after receiving a call from the bank, confirming a charge that was made from Hermione's credit card, in the amount of $86,000. They realized that it was Veronica's doing and came home to confront her. She deiced that Hiram and Hermione would cover Fred's medical expenses considering that they had the money to buy Pop's and then lie to her face about it. How is it that we can now afford a diner, Veronica asked. Hiram addressed the fact that she wanted a more active role in Lodge Industries, which they gave to her. In response, she broke into his office and tried to use whatever she could find as leverage against them. While Hiram admitted that it was a lot Veronica didn't know, he informed her that this was intentional. Veronica questioned how she could be apart of the family if they continued to hide things from her. Veronica thought that she wanted to know everything, but she didn't, Hiram remarked. Though, with her name being on all of the documents in Hiram's desk, Veronica insisted that she had the right to know the truth about everything. Hermione agreed. However, this would also mean that the time for being "Daddy's little girl" is over. It was time for all of them to work in lockstep. Hiram agreed, telling Veronica to follow him to the study.

In the study, Hiram and Hermione told Veronica everything about their family's business. She agreed to join them in running Lodge Industries, though she had one condition; she refused to do anything illegal. Which was fine considering that they denounced any illegal activity on their behalf as well. Hermione shared with Veronica two words to live by; plausible deniability. In regards to the charge that Veronica made towards Fred's medical bills, she wanted that to stick. While Hiram was initially against doing so as it would only complicate things, Hermione agreed to Veronica's demand, stating that they could smooth it over. Furthermore, they needed Fred for what would come next. Assuming that the Fred situation could be finessed, Veronica agreed to the deal with her parents.

On Christmas morning, the Lodges unwrapped their gifts, during which time, they informed Veronica that Archie had stopped by the day before to leave her a gift.

As Riverdale returned to a sense of normalcy, Christmas over and the Black Hood dead, Hiram and Hermione continued to conduct secret business meetings with Mayor McCoy, having hosted her at the Pembrooke. Hiram took her into his private study as Veronica looked on. Hermione briefly stopped, smiling and gave a wink to Veronica. Veronica returned the gesture in kind.

Hiram and Hermione took a moment to check in on Veronica. Hiram was concerned about how she was feeling with their established plan. Veronica assured them that she was still on board. Hermione pressed her further revealing the severity of what's to come. She explained that once completed, she would be at ground zero, i.e. the eye of the potential hurricane. Their concern went unwarranted; she believed, regardless of what's to come, she'll be fine. However, she assured her parents that she'll be able to keep her classmates from revolting once the news broke. With renewed faith, they nodded at their daughter in silence.

Later, at the Mayor's office, Hiram and Hermione discussed the closure of Southside High School. Sierra, having finished a conversation with Principle Weatherbee, mused that, with news of Southsiders headed to Riverdale High School, her phone was about to start exploding with calls from outraged parents. Hermione attempted to quell Mayor McCoy's concerns, telling her that it would only be news for a couple of days then it would blow over. She referred her to how quick Riverdale had stopped talking about the Black Hood since he'd been stopped. Hiram reassured her and claimed after a couple of weeks, the Lodges would quietly go about purchasing the land beneath Southside High. With Mayor McCoy's assistance in closing down the school, Hermione affirmed that she'd get her commission, a sizable donation to her re-election campaign. With business completed, Sierra's phone began to light up with phone calls.

That night Hiram and Hermione invited Archie up for dinner. He thanked the Lodges for helping his dad with his medical bills. The Lodges were happy to assist. Veronica explained that, in return, she had hoped he would stand beside her in welcoming the incoming Southside transfers. Archie agreed and took the opportunity to ask him and Hermione about the closure of Southside High. He assumed, that being close to the SoDale project, it's bad for business. Hiram corrected him, saying that drugs, gangs, and violence was in fact bad for business. Archie also assumed that investors, like the St. Clairs, must be fine with it as well. Veronica updated him, saying that they were no longer investors. Hermione confirmed that, due to what had transpired between Nick and Cheryl, they had severed all ties with the family; they didn't even call them after the accident. This news gained Archie's attention and so he asked what happened. Hiram claimed not to know what truly happened, that he either had a car accident driving back to Vail or on the slopes. Archie asked if he was okay, though Hermione assured Archie that he'd recovered enough to be back at Greenwich Prep.

In the coming week, Hiram and Hermione checked in with Veronica after a tumultuous week of turmoil between Southside and Northside integration. They'd learned some news from Mr. Weatherbee, relayed to them from Mayor McCoy, that integration of Southside High was not going well. Veronica mused that Reggie was just being Reggie, however she elaborated that gang ware, specifically the Serpent Jacket, had become a flashpoint. She proposed that a charitable donation would help them, that looking the part would quell the ever rising tension. Considering their options, Hiram looked towards his wife; they accepted her proposal in silence.

Hiram, Hermione and Veronica attended a meeting at the Andrews house with Fred, Mayor McCoy and Sheriff Keller, where they discussed the students who had been transferred to Riverdale High a week ago. While they were fine, their parents were in Mayor McCoy's office everyday to demand that she reopen Southside High. Which is why Hiram, Hermione and Fred had discussed how their new neighborhood could use something positive to focus on. With Mayor McCoy's blessing, they'd like to make Pickens Day a celebratory event. Sponsored by Lodge Industries with Andrews Construction co-sponsoring. Mayor McCoy took this to mean that they wanted to make Pickens Day a commercial event for the SoDale, similar to their open house, though as Veronica pointed out, the open house was for investors while Pickens Day would be for North and Southsiders alike. Two halves of a whole coming together. Mayor McCoy worried that trying to distract people with a party would backfire, resulting in violence. While the Southside Serpents had been laying low, they were wild cards and reasons for concern. Having prepared for just that scenario, Hiram, Hermione and Fred had offered to hire the Serpents as security for the event since FP had told Fred that the Serpents were looking for work. Furthermore, the party would let the Southside know that they haven't been abandoned. The meeting, unfortunately, came to an abrupt when Archie returned home.

As a firm supporter and former wrestler for Riverdale High's wrestling team, Hiram sat in on the team's tryouts, during which time he ran into Archie. Which came as a surprise to Hiram since he was under the impression that basketball was more of Archie's sport. Archie replied that he was branching out. He told Hiram that he was in the 175 weigh class, but he was trying to get down to 170. Chuck Clayton then joined in on the discussion to tell Archie that it was a good thing that they weren't in the same weight class, otherwise he would've wrecked Archie. Coach Kleats then blew his whistle, calling the team in and asking that they give Hiram "the Ram" Lodge, a round of applause for bankrolling the team. Not everyone would make the cut. So Coach Kleats advised them to make each match count. Archie paired off for "up and downs" with Kevin. Hiram and Tom watched from the sideline as Kevin out wrestled Archie back-to-back.

While working in his study, Hiram got a call from Jughead who was working on a article about how General Pickens massacred the Uketna tribe and stole all their land that he was building on. Realizing that this could mean trouble, Hiram abruptly ended his call with Jughead.

Later that night, Hiram entered Veronica's room to find her and Archie rehearsing for their Pickens Day performance. Archie offered to take it to the living room in the case that Hiram was uncomfortable with them being in Veronica's bedroom together. But he assured them that they were fine just as they were. Admittedly, the thought of Archie and Veronica being in her room alone used to upset him deeply. But after seeing Archie's wrestling performance earlier that day, he was less worried. While not everyone could wrestle as it took a certain kind of man, Hiram told Archie that there was no shame in admitting defeat and accepting the fact that he was better suited to performing with the Pussycats. While Archie may not have been a star wrestler yet, he was an incredible musician, who according to Veronica, was even sexier when he sung. Archie thanked Veronica for her support with a kiss. But on second thought, he had decided against performing with the Pussycats. He decided to go home and practice some moves that Kevin had showed him. But not before getting reassurance that Hiram would be at the next tryouts.

The next day, at tryouts, they were focusing on fundamentals, starting with the fireman's carry. And since it was his signature move back in the day, Coach Kleats had asked Hiram to demonstrate. In doing them the honor, Hiram called on Archie to be his volunteer. On the mat, he encouraged Archie to come at him before taking him down in one swift move. With Archie tackled to the mat, Hiram explained the simplicity of the fireman's carry. While it is fairly simple to execute, it's also an effective move when your opponent gets cocky by dominating your rival. Demoralizing him is the key if you want to win. While trapped in a headlock and pinned to the mat, Hiram pulled Archie closer to ask if he got the message, that he always wins.

Hiram received a surprise visit from Archie at the Pembrooke that night. He came wondering why Hiram didn't like him as he couldn't think of one thing that would account for the hate he was getting. Hiram told Archie that his father slept with another man's wife i.e. Hermione. Why shouldn't Hiram assume that Archie had the same weak character. Archie exclaimed that he was his own man and that he would never sleep with someone else's wife. Assuming that was true, Hiram still felt as if Archie wasn't good enough for Veronica in any respect. He wasn't worthy. Hiram didn't believe that Archie would ever be able to take care of her, but as Archie reminded Hiram, he took care of Veronica while he was in prison. When she and Hermione moved to Riverdale, Archie was there for Veronica when Hiram couldn't be. As the animosity began to boil over, Veronica entered the room to the sight of what she called a juvenile chest-thumping contest. Hiram assured her that this wasn't the case. He claimed that he had invited Archie over to plan some one-on-one training. But Veronica wasn't buying it since she could see the urge to kill the other in both of their eyes.

At 4:31 in the morning, Hiram called Archie to tell him to meet him outside in five minutes. In the early hours of the morning, the two of them went on a run around town and of the two, Hiram proved to be the faster runner. Following their run, Hiram and Archie stopped to eat at Pop's, where he explained to Archie his love for wrestling. When it's two men on the mat, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, or even how strong you are. It's about sheer will and knowing your opponent. Maybe even better than he knows himself. Which is why, Archie would never win. Veronica had a lot on her plate at the moment. So Hiram didn't want her worrying about them. So now they can say that he helped Archie when they went for a jog and broke bread together. Hiram was willing to tolerate Archie until this phase ran its course. Hiram told Archie that he wasn't the first boy who had turned Veronica's head. While boyfriends come and go, fathers are forever.

On the final day of tryouts, Hiram invited Veronica to see Archie wrestle after he had lied to her and told her that they had worked everything out over a good talk. Little did Archie know, Hiram had arranged for Archie to go up against Chuck, who had the advantage given that he had more experience and was of a higher weight class. Hiram and Veronica watched from the stands as Archie and Chuck faced off on the mat. Archie and Chuck went back and forth for some time. But ultimately, Archie managed to gain the upper hand and pull the upset victory over Chuck, which certainly came as a surprise to Hiram, who watching from the stands with Veronica, gave Archie and round of applause for his performance.

At Pickens Day, Hiram approached Archie and shook his hand given his surprise victory of Clayton. As Hiram tried to pull away, Archie grasped his hand tightly, asking if they were done with the back and forth. Hiram then invited Archie over to the Pembrooke so that they could talk about a few things.

Hiram and Hermione watched from the crowd as Veronica and the Pussycats performed on stage. Half way through their performance, the Serpents marched into the park as a protest with duct-tape covering their mouths and signs that read 'honor this land' and 'sacred land'. With Sweet Pea and Fogarty at her side, Toni, who seemingly led the protest, stood in front of the stage to announce that they represented the dead and the silenced. Pickens Day was a lie. General Pickens slaughtered the Uktena tribe, Toni's grandfather's family. And the land in which they were standing on, would soon give way to a new Southside, which was stolen from them. While the Serpents couldn't bring them back, they could at the very least honor them. Hoping to defuse the protest and resolve any conflict, Hiram got on stage to applaud the Serpents for standing up for justice, as well as the honor and legacy of the Uktena, who contribute to the rich tapestry that is Riverdale, that is the Southside and that will be SoDale.

Later that night, as planned, Hiram and Archie talked business in his study at the Pembrooke. Starting on a blank slate, they discussed Archie's future plans. In five years, he saw himself in college with some kind of athletic scholarship. Hiram assumed it was to study music, but Archie explained that being a musician was his former self. He was now considering studying business. Maybe one day he'd even be able to buy back Andrews Construction. As long as Archie's dating Veronica, Hiram was going to demand the best from him and that required learning from the best. So he asked how Archie would like to start his business tutelage under his shepherding, like an internship. Before Archie could respond, he got a call, though he did not answer. He then directed his attention back to Hiram to accept his offer.

The following morning, Hiram, Hermione Mayor McCoy and Sheriff Keller gathered in Pickens Park after being alerted of the desecration of the General Pickens' statue. Its head had been removed and red paint covered the statue to simulate blood. Since Hiram and Hermione were calling the shots, Sierra asked how they would like it to be handled. Hiram demanded that the investigation of the missing head be handled swiftly and with extreme prejudice given that the most likely suspects were the Serpents. }}

Personality
Prior to this appearance on screen, the series has managed to paint a fairly detailed picture of his overall personality. Hiram is a dishonest and underhanded businessman. He is quite ruthless, willing to step on and double cross anyone and everyone in order to achieve his own selfish goals. He has even gone as far as to threaten his own wife and daughter.

During the Season 2 premiere, Hiram made his on-screen debut after being released from prison. He appeared to be a bit intimidating, as he sat at the dinner table asking Veronica for a kiss on the cheek.

Relationships

 * Hiram and Hermione
 * Hiram and Veronica

Gallery

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Promotional Images

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