Season three of Riverdale ended on plot twists and a cliffhanger: Alice was working undercover for the FBI at The Farm; Cheryl hid Jason’s corpse in her basement; and in a flash-forward to senior year, Archie, Betty, and Veronica were seen in their underwear near a fire, bloody, and holding Jughead’s signature hat, but no Jughead. Season four will answer those questions and more. However, the season premiere will also give us the chance to say goodbye to a beloved actor and character.
Beverly Hills, 90210 stud Luke Perry played Archie’s dad, Fred Andrews. Back in March, Perry unfortunately passed away due to a stroke. Everyone was shocked and devastated, and production on Riverdale was paused for a few days.
Over the summer, it was revealed that the first episode of season four would be a tribute to Perry. Appropriately named “In Memoriam,” the episode allows the characters to say goodbye to Fred. In the promo that was just released, it shows Archie and the gang at Pop’s with Archie falling to his knees and the others running to him, indicating he could’ve just gotten the call. It also shows clips of the funeral, which will definitely be hard to watch.
Probably the most important episode of #Riverdale we’ll do this year, if not ever. A tribute to our fallen friend. Thankful for this opportunity to honor Luke & Fred. ❤️🏆💎👨🏻💻 pic.twitter.com/MH7xOjNyDu
— RobertoAguirreSacasa (@WriterRAS) June 19, 2019
During San Diego Comic Con, it was announced Perry’s 90210 costar and Charmed star Shannen Doherty will be making an appearance in the episode. Perry had been wanting Doherty to guest star on the show for the longest time but could never find the right time. After getting the script for the season four premiere, Doherty knew she couldn’t miss it.
The first episode that premiered after Perry’s passing had an “In Memoriam” tribute at the end, and creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said the remainder of season three plus every episode after will be dedicated to him.
“In Memoriam” kicks off season four of Riverdale this coming Wednesday, October 9, at 8/7c on The CW. RIP Luke.
