The Auteur, formerly known as the Voyeur, was an anonymous character(s) and one of the main antagonists of the fourth and fifth season of The CW's Riverdale. Initially believed to be a single individual videotaping local Riverdale residences, the Voyeur has evolved into an Auteur, now re-enacting the gruesome murders of deceased residents while wearing masks crafted in their likeness, such as with Jason Blossom and Jughead Jones.
In "Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Preppy Murders", Betty and Jughead discover that Jellybean is the Auteur and that she became the Auteur not with malice intent but to convince Jughead to stay in Riverdale. With him leaving for Stonewall Prep and college soon after that, she created the mystery of the Voyeur in hopes that the investigation would pressure him into staying. With help from Ricky DeSantos and kids from the community center, Jellybean went on to craft masks and props to further her goal.
Throughout Riverdale[]
Season 4[]
Arrival of the Voyeur[]
The Voyeur approaches the Cooper-Jones house, rings the doorbell, and leaves behind a single videotape, which is recovered by Betty and Jughead.[1]
Charles, FP, Alice, Betty, and Jughead watch the VHS tape
Charles, FP, Alice, Betty, and Jughead play the VHS tape that they recovered from the doorstep. It’s six hours of the Cooper-Jones house being filmed. Charles suspects that it was done to unsettle them, but Jughead wonders why a video tape specifically. FP hopes that it’s just a prank. However, over the next few weeks, more and more citizens of Riverdale received copies of similar tapes, footage of their houses being taped, including Cheryl and Toni, Archie, Veronica, and Pop Tate.[2]
Second Round of Tapes[]
After a brief hiatus, a second round of video tapes are left on the residents of Riverdale’s doorsteps. FP, Veronica, Archie, and Mary watch the videos from their respective homes. Just like before, they played hours of footage of the viewers’ home. Only this time, the camera was much closer.[3]
Gruesome Re-enactments[]
The town gathers at Pop's to watch the new videotape
After spending some time at Pop’s, where he concluded the Stonewall Prep chapter to his novel, Jughead returns home, where he finds a videotape on his doorstep. This is the third round of videotapes to surface throughout town. Betty opens the front door, as he looks around for the man or woman responsible. They head inside and proceed to watch the tape along with Alice, FP, and Jellybean. Meanwhile, all across Riverdale, the townsfolk, much like Jughead, recover the videotapes placed at their doorsteps, including Archie at his house, Veronica, Hermione, and Hiram at the Pembrooke, Cheryl, Toni, and Nana Rose at Thistlehouse, and even Pop’s diner, where Pop Tate, Kevin, Tom, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Reggie watch the recording.
Jughead offers to help Charles look through the tapes
Jughead stops by the FBI field office where he asks for Charles’ help. He’s hoping that he can help Charles review the latest rounds of tapes so not too feel so overwhelmed by his school work. Charles informs Jughead that the mysterious voyeur is stepping up their game and recording more and more houses. He fears what will happen should this person find their way inside someone's house. Before leaving, Jughead asks Charles not to tell Betty about this.
Enactment of Jughead's alleged murder
During his performance with The Archies, Jughead starts to wonder if the Voyeur was among them, someone within the crowd, playing his long game. Jughead returns to the bunker and continues his investigation into the mysterious voyeur and the videotapes. One tape in particular isn’t a recording of a house but rather a gruesome enactment of Jughead’s alleged murder at the hand of the Stonewall preppies; someone wearing a mask crafted in Betty’s likeness repeatedly beats their victim who’s wearing a similarly crafted Jughead mask, over the head with a rock.[4]
Charles, Alice, Betty, and Jughead watch the snuff film
Jughead, Betty, Alice, and Charles watch the re-enactment video in which someone wearing a Jughead mask is bludgeoned to death by someone wearing a Betty mask. Jellybean interrupts and asks what they are watching but Jughead turns her away. Jughead explains that the video was dropped off at the sheriff station in a bin with all the other voyeur tapes, however, this is the only tape not of someone’s house. While Betty refuses to get pulled into the another mystery, Charles welcomes Jughead’s assistance.
Jughead meets with Charles at the FBI field office. Charles informs him that drop off boxes are under 24-hour surveillance meaning they’ll have to review hours of footage to hopefully catch a glimpse of whoever made the faux snuff film. While reviewing the surveillance footage, Jughead recognizes someone and decides to investigate the lead solo.
Ethel denies making any videos
Jughead questions Ethel about the videotapes she dropped off at the sheriff station. He informs her that one of them was a snuff film of someone dressed as Betty murdering someone dressed up as him with a rock. Ethel insists that she had no knowledge of this. She’s just trying to keep her head down and make it out of Riverdale in one piece.
Jughead returns to the field office. He no longer suspects that their suspect is a voyeur, but more likely a filmmaker. They start their investigation at the Bijou theater.
Charles and Jughead question David
Jughead and Charles arrive at the Blue Velvet Video store. They ask the clerk, David, to take a look at his records and if he’s heard anything in relation to the videotapes circulating around town. While looking through their records, Charles comes across Ethel’s name. She rented Friday the 13th 16 times. David explains that Ethel is one of his regulars. Jughead and Charles return to the field office. Charles' suspicion of Ethel is growing. She has a predilection for horror films, she dropped a videotape at the station, and even Jughead himself admitted that she was obsessed with him. As far as Charles is concerned, Ethel is a prime suspect. However, with over 100 tapes recovered, Jughead doubts she has the equipment for that type of operation.
Jughead asks Ms. Bell about the AV club and how easy it may be for someone to get access to the equipment. Ms. Bell explains that only AV Club members are allowed to use the equipment. When Jughead asks about Ethel, Ms. Bell reveals that she’s the president and that he’s not the first person to ask her about Ethel today. The first was a "handsome FBI agent," she describes. He supposedly left with Ethel. Jughead confronts Charles about his investigation into Ethel. Still uncertain that Ethel is their suspect, Charles hands Jughead a tape he recovered from Ethel’s house.
Jughead confronts Ethel
Jughead confronts Ethel with the tape that Charles found in her home; the sex tape of him and Betty that was originally filmed by Bret at Stonewall Prep. He questions where she got the tape from. Ethel reveals that there’s a secret place in the back of the Blue Velvet video store called the "Scarlet Suite." There, you can find tapes of all kinds, including sex tapes and snuff films. Ethel explains that the video was called Ponytail Playmate and that she had no idea it was of him and Betty. She only kept it to make sure no one else would find it.
Jughead arrives with Charles and the FBI with a warrant to search the Blue Velvet’s Scarlet Suite. Jughead discovers a snuff film of Clifford Blossom killing Jason.
Snuff film of Jason Blossom's murder
Jughead tells Betty about the sex tape that he recovered from Ethel. He then gets a call from Cheryl, who got sent another tape and wants Jughead to come over. Despite previously swearing off mysteries, Betty decides to join Jughead. The two of them arrive at Thistlehouse, where Cheryl and Toni explain that they found the tape on their doorstep when they got home. Instead of video footage of their home, it’s another re-enactment, faux snuff film, but this time of Clifford killing Jason.[5]
Charles, Jughead, and Betty watch Jason's snuff film
Betty, Jughead, and Charles simultaneously review the snuff film of Jason Blossom’s murder as well as the re-enactment. Jughead believes that the Voyeur is trying to recreate himself into an auteur. He’s trying to recreate their deaths and blur the line between fact and fiction. Betty worries it could be a rehearsal for an actual murder. Until they get another tape, all that’s left now is for them to review the tapes from the Scarlet Suite, which Betty lets Jughead and Charles take over, as she has to finish proofing the yearbook.
Betty arrives at the field office to find Charles watching a new tape. Mrs. Klump was sent a video re-enactment of Midge’s death. Betty and Charles watch it side by side with the actual footage of Midge’s death, which was confiscated from Blue Velvet Video.
Mr. Honey cancels prom
Betty and Jughead enter Mr. Honey’s office to find him standing with Charles. Supposedly, a videotape was delivered to the school. Honey called Charles, who revealed that Betty and Jughead are helping him with the case. The tape goes on for hours. It covers every inch of the school. Mr. Honey worries that it could be a threat. He feels that he has no other choice but to put the school on high alert and cancel prom. He asks Betty and Jughead to let their friends know while he alerts their parents.
Betty and Jughead suspect that the video is a hoax
Betty, Jughead, and Charles convene in the Blue and Gold office. They agree that something is off. The auteur has moved on from simple recordings and onto recreations. Jughead and Betty suspect that it could be a hoax since the general public isn’t aware that the voyeur/auteur has moved onto recreation videos. With Honey wanting to cancel prom, Betty believes that the tape was forged by Honey in order to give him a reason to cancel prom. However, they don’t have any proof. And so, Betty agrees to go through every second of the tape.
Jughead and Betty confront Honey
While reviewing the tape supposedly sent to Riverdale High by the voyeur/auteur, Betty and Charles catch a glimpse of Mr. Honey in the reflection of a window. Betty, Jughead, and Charles confront Mr. Honey with a screenshot of him making the aforementioned video that he claims was sent by the Voyeur, but in actuality, was sent by himself in order to have a reason to cancel prom. Mr. Honey denies having any type of feud or vendetta against them, claiming that he was only trying to prepare them for a life outside of Riverdale. However, Betty and Jughead are unconvinced and they have already reported Honey to the school board.
The voyeur recreates Jughead's story
Jellybean reveals that they received another videotape. Jughead and Betty play the videotape. It’s footage of the Lodge cabin, where Veronica’s mom killed Sheriff Minetta. Jughead suspects that it’s an invitation. Betty and Jughead arrive at the Lodge cabin, which is or at least was clearly being used as refuge as food containers are littered all along the floor. There's also a bed and blankets. They discover a projector and makeshift screen. Betty and Jughead find another tape waiting for them. The videotape in question is a re-enactment of Jughead’s story, in which, six individuals wearing masks of Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Cheryl, and Reggie tie someone wearing a Mr. Honey mask to a chair and stab him to death.[6]
Season 5[]
Filming the Rave[]
The Auteur at the rave
The Auteur films David's X-rated screening at an undisclosed location. They are spotted by Betty and Jughead before fleeing the rave. Later that evening, the Auteur makes their next move, this time a prom, playing on the big screen a snuff film of what appears to be David being killed by several individuals wearing masks while tied to a chair in the back of the Blue Velvet Video store. Jughead shuts off the video while Betty gets the lights.[7]
Reveal of the Auteur[]
While discussing Charles and the fact that they were so certain that he was the Auteur, Jughead realizes that there’s only one other person who could have had access to such privy information such as his "Killing Mr. Honey" story. Betty and Jughead confront Jellybean and ask if she’s the Auteur. She admits that she is. Jughead then shares this information with their father and explains why she did it. She created the Voyeur and later the Auteur because she wanted Jughead to stay in Riverdale. She hoped that this latest mystery would convince him to stay in town.[8]
Suspects[]
Current[]
- Jellybean Jones (wanted to keep Jughead in town with a mystery to solve)
- Ricky DeSantos (Jellybean's accomplice)
Eliminated[]
- Ethel Muggs (frequent customer of blue velvet video and dropped off snuff film at sheriff station)
- Holden Honey (proved to be a copycat to cancel prom)
- David (either killed in a snuff film or fled; found hanged)
- Charles Smith (the Stonies serial killer, murdering people who hurt those he loves)
Victims[]
- Betty Cooper
- Jughead Jones
- FP Jones
- Alice Smith
- Jellybean Jones
- Archie Andrews
- Mary Andrews
- Veronica Lodge
- Hiram Lodge
- Hermione Lodge
- Cheryl Blossom
- Toni Topaz
- Rose Blossom
- Pop Tate
- Mrs. Klump
Appearances[]
Season 4[] |
Season 5[] |
Trivia[]
- The masks in the re-enactments and snuff films are inspired by the physical appearance of Archie and the Gang from the classic Archie Comics.
Gallery[]
- See also: Category:Images of Auteur
