Fans of the Riverdale series were surprised with a teaser for the upcoming season at the New York City Comic Con on Oct. 5. During the reveal, a somber moment played out on screen as Archie Andrews — played by K.J. Apa — learned of the death of his father, who was played by the late Luke Perry.
The teaser showed the gang together as Archie was with Veronica, Betty and Jughead at Pop’s Diner. There, Archie took a call from his father.
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Seconds later, Archie stumbled up and fell down to his knees after learning the news.
“Fred Andrews will always be a part of Riverdale,” Archie is heard saying as the scene changes to a photo of Fred outlined by a floral arrangement.
At the panel, many of the cast members opened up about filming this season without Perry. Molly Ringwald, who plays Archie’s mom and the on-screen ex-wife of Fred, explained how filming the scenes centered on his death really hit home.
“I didn’t get to go to Luke’s memorial so [this episode] was really like my good-bye to him,” she shared. “It was kind of what I needed. He was my guy. It felt like a nice goodbye for me.”
Season 4 will premiere on Oct. 9. The loss of Fred will certainly play a big role in this season as Archie moves on in life without his role model. The trailer touched on what’s next for Archie as he and Mad Dog turn their run-down boxing facility into a rec center of sorts for the community.
During the shot, Archie’s mother tells him that his father would be proud of what’s he done.
Perry passed away on March 4 after a heart stroke. He was 52 at the time of his death.
Appearing on the Jimmy Fallon Show, Apa spoke about his relationship with the former 90210 star.
“It’s not every day you come across a guy like Luke,” he shared. “Luke is the kind of person who did everything he can to make whoever you are, no matter how big or small you are, feel comfortable and feel welcome. It’s hard to kind of put into words how that makes me feel.”
Apa also told the audience how Perry would keep in touch with his parents to keep them updated on how their son has been while he was away filming.
“He made such a huge effort from the very beginning,” Apa explained. “I wish I could be like that.”
Riverdale, which debuted in 2015, will kick off its new season at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 9 on The CW.
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