Season 3 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 4 will answer those questions and more. However, the season premiere will also allow us 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 4 would be a tribute to Perry. Appropriately named “In Memoriam,” the episode allows the characters to say goodbye to Fred. The promo that was just released 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 co-star and Charmed vet 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 4 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 3 plus every episode after will be dedicated to him.
“In Memoriam” kicks off season 4 of Riverdale this coming Wednesday, October 9 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on The CW. RIP Luke.
