Major ‘Riverdale’ Character Exits in Season 5, Episode 3

Skeet Ulrich is really leaving Riverdale for good after five seasons of viewers falling in love with his character FP Jones, leader of the South Side Serpents and father to Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse). In his final episode, it’s announced FP decides to leave town with Jellybean for Toledo, where he’ll raise the young mastermind with her absentee mother (Gina Gershon). The actor posted a snap from his last episode on Instagram saying, “it’s been a wild ride.”

Ulrich announced after Season 4 that he would be leaving the show, along with co-star Marisol Nichols who plays Veronica Lodge’s mother Hermione. Ulrich revealed in an Instagram Live session with his partner Megan Blake Irwin the reason for his saying goodbye was due to the lack of creative stimulation. “I’m leaving ‘Riverdale’ because I got bored creatively,” Ulrich said. “How’s that? That’s the most honest answer.”

Due to covid, which delayed the last few episodes of Season 4, and were ultimately used in Season 5, Ulrich came back for the first few episodes of the latest season in order to give the former sheriff a proper send-off. Cole Sprouse opened up about Ulrich’s exit in an interview with Variety, admitting “It’s easy as an actor, especially on a long-term project, to start feeling like creatively you’re repeating the same motifs.” He also shared that he supports his fictional father’s departure from the show. “Skeet’s truly a second father to me, so I’m ride or die for that guy,” Sprouse said. “Anything that makes the guy happy is something that makes me happy. … It’s up to him, and I can tell he’s super happy, and that’s all that really matters.”

In other news, viewers can look forward to a possible new addition joining the Riverdale cast. Vanessa Morgan, who plays Toni on the teen drama, shared the producers of the show found a way to write her pregnancy into the season’s storyline. “Officially on maternity leave!!!! Ahh!! Feeling grateful to my showrunner & producers for being so accommodating & writing my pregnancy into the show,” she said on Instagram. “Also proud of my body for allowing me to still work almost 9 months preggo. Now time to have a baby! lol Happy Holidays everyone.”