'Riverdale' Boss Previews the 'Brutal' Luke Perry Tribute Episode, and It's Tough

Riverdale boss Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa recently dropped a preview of the upcoming 'brutal' Luke [...]

By Stephen Andrew

Riverdale boss Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa recently dropped a preview of the upcoming "brutal" Luke Perry tribute episode, and what he had to say was very tough to hear. While speaking to TV Line, Aguirre-Sacasa addressed Perry's death, and explained that when Luke passed, they "very quickly made the decision" that they weren't going to address it at the end of Season 3.

He went on to say, "We didn't want to rush it. We didn't want to sandwich it in between all the other plotlines." The Riverdale executive producer also stated that they did consider ending the season with an acknowledgement of the tragic event, but "that felt a little cheap. So we thought, 'Let's just hold it, so we can think about it over the hiatus and reflect on it.'"

This leads fans to Season 4, which will be kicking off soon, and will very directly deal with the death of Fred Andrews. "It kind of allowed us to absorb what happened, and really think about what kind of story we wanted to tell," Aguirre-Sacasa said, adding that they soon realized that is was "absolutely the right decision" to wait.

Regarding the episode in which it will emerge that Fred has died, Aguirre-Sacasa explained that it was very hard on the cast and crew to film. "We kind of knew this was going to be brutal on the cast, especially KJ [Apa], who was Luke's main scene partner," he said, then adding that — while it was an emotional challenge — "everyone was really proud to gather to tell this tribute to Fred, and to Luke."

He also revealed that there was some catharsis in the shooting the episode, as it gave the stars and crew members an opportunity to process the loss together in a productive way.

"When it happened, we were all kind of scattered," he said. "So there was something really special when we gathered to do the table read that was cathartic. You know, shows are families. But we knew it was going to be hard, and it was."

Perry passed away in March, after suffering a stroke at his home in February. The former Beverly Hills, 90210 star was only 52 years old at the time of his death.

Photo Credit: The CW

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