I just couldn't wrap my head around why he would do that. I now know.
We learned that he was trying to get rid of evidence that would lead to awkward questions about the Blossom and Cooper families.
We learned in this episode that Great-Grandpa Blossom was not just a business partner with the man that he killed way back in the day, Great-Grandpa Cooper. It turns out that the two men were brothers. That means that Jason Blossom and Polly Cooper were related to each other. Distantly related, but still related. Hal didn't want the world to find out that Polly committed incest or that their children were the product of incest.
Ew! Incest, right?
Then you think about it and they're not that closely related. Jason and Polly were third cousins to each other. If they wanted, they could get married in any state and it would be completely legal. And any genetic problems that might be encountered because of incest? Well, they're really not that statistically prevalent in this type of situation.
I've pointed this out a few times in online places where "Riverdale" fans congregate. It's earned me a few "likes," but I still find myself in the odd place of defending third cousin incest! How did I get here??
Part of it's because I come from small town America. Where I come from, it's not completely foreign for people to date or marry distant cousins. The joke in smaller communities is that you're somehow related to most people around you. And third cousin relationships are probably more common than most people would expect, even in larger communities.
I mean, think about it. Do you know who your great-uncles' and great-aunts' great-grandchildren are? Do you even know who your great-uncles or your great-aunts are? I'm sure that I could find out, but I really don't know. So how easy would it be to connect with one of your classmates who also happens to be a forgotten third cousin?
The situation is slightly scandalous, but not that scandalous. Certainly not work stealing police evidence and risking a conviction and jail time. At least from my perspective.
What about you? Were you sickened to learn that Jason Blossom and Polly Cooper were third cousins? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!