Fans of Riverdale are used to a rollercoaster ride every season and last season was no exception. There was drama, suspense, and surprises around every corner. The biggest shocker though had nothing to do with Griffins and Gargoyles, the addictive role-playing game that was front and center for all the drama, it was the loss of beloved actor Luke Perry.
I know I wasn’t the only one who hoped that Perry would recover from the stroke that landed him in the hospital last February. I was shocked and heartbroken when his death was announced. I was also wondering what his passing meant for Riverdale and his character, Fred Andrews (Archie’s father) since the show was still filming its final episodes at that time. There was no doubt that Perry’s death was a crushing blow to the cast and crew, especially the younger cast who saw him as a father figure.
Earlier this week some of these questions were answered when series creator and executive producer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, dropped a teaser about the season four premiere. It will very much be a tribute to Perry and his legacy. The episode, titled In Memoriam, is written by Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Gabriel Correa, the Riverdale second unit and first assistant director.
It is still unclear how the show will deal with the details of Fred Andrews absence, however, last season did end with a significant time jump which opens up many possibilities. What is known, is that the show wanted to take its time and honor Perry appropriately, hence the reason why we aren’t learning the fate of Fred Andrews until season four.
Aguirre-Sacasa told Entertainment Weekly that “we are 100 percent going to deal with Fred’s death. We didn’t want to rush into that at the end of the season and give it short shrift or not make that story as great and emotional as it needs to be to honor the character and the actor. I think that’s going to be a big part of Archie’s journey next season, honestly.”
What that journey is and how it begins, remains a mystery for now. What we do know is the season four premiere is shaping up to be an emotional rollercoaster that is not going to tug our heartstrings, but forcefully rip them off.
Season four of Riverdale premieres Wednesday, October 9 on the CW.