Riverdale will dedicate its Season 4 premiere to Luke Perry following the actor's untimely death. The show won't soon forget Perry or his character Fred Andrews, though, as protagonist Archie will work to honor his father's legacy throughout the season.
Archie will "be committed to honoring his father’s memory" all season, executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told TVLine. Indeed, Archie will attempt to fulfill Fred's dreams by opening a center for at-risk youth: "All of the plans and dreams Fred had about Riverdale, he’s trying to fulfill those."
Perry passed away suddenly in March after suffering a massive stroke. After a brief suspension in production, Season 3 wrapped its final four episodes without him. "Chapter Fifty-Four: Fear the Reaper" was his last appearance on the series, but the cast and crew will continue to pay tribute to him into Season 4.
Season 4's first episode is titled "Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam." Aguirre-Sacasa himself will pen the episode, which he describes as, "Probably the most important episode of Riverdale we'll do this year, if not ever. A tribute to our fallen friend." Shannen Doherty, Perry's 90210 co-star, will also appear in the episode.
Returning to The CW on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. EST, Riverdale stars KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Madelaine Petsch, Casey Cott, Mark Consuelos, Skeet Ulrich, Marisol Nichols and Madchen Amick.