Riverdale: Skeet Ulrich to Exit in Season 5

The world of Riverdale has gone through self-righteous serial killers, Evel Knievel-inspired cults, and quite a lot of other drama, but it looks like the series is about to endure a major casting change. According to a new report from TVLine, Skeet Ulrich will not be returning to the hit The CW series in its upcoming fifth season. Ulrich has been a series regular on the show since Season 2 as F.P. Jones, Riverdale's current sheriff/occasional Southside Serpents leader and the father of Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse). There is no indication of how F.P. will be written out of the show.

"I'm incredibly grateful for the friendships I've made on Riverdale, and I will miss seeing everyone on a daily basis," Ulrich said in a statement. "I'm proud to have been part of such a talented group of people, in front of the camera and behind. But I've decided that it's time for me to move on to explore other creative opportunities."

This news comes alongside the confirmation that Marisol Nichols, who portrays Hermione Lodge in the series, will also be stepping down in Season 5.

"Part of life in Riverdale — and part of growing up — is saying goodbye to people," showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said in a statement. "I'm grateful to Skeet and Marisol for their incredible work on the show these last four years, and we all wish them well on their future endeavors. F.P. and Hermione will never be far from our hearts. And, of course, they're always welcome back in Riverdale."

Ulrich is set to appear in both the upcoming Quibi series #FreeRayshawn, as well as the Tom Hanks film Bios.

Given the recent plot twists on Riverdale, news of Ulrich's exit could evolve things in some interesting ways. Namely, the series' most recent episode appeared to show Jughead's murder, something that has been teased in various flash-forward sequences throughout the season. As sheriff, F.P. has appeared to play a role in the immediate fallout of Jughead's death, particularly in arresting Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), and Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) for their roles in it. Of course, there still is the theory that Jughead's "death" is an elaborate ruse, which - if F.P. is complicit in it - would add another wrinkle to his time as mayor.

Viewers will certainly find the news of Ulrich's exit bittersweet, especially given the fandom that has grown around the actor since he debuted on the show.

"[Riverdale] certainly has a rabid fan base," Ulrich explained in a 2018 interview. "I arrived in Vancouver last month and had teenagers waiting to get pictures with me. It's the strangest thing. I have kids their age! [Before,] there was no social media, so there was very little awareness of any fame or popularity. You just hoped audiences got to see what you were doing. And then you got traditional fan mail — like bags of it!"

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Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.