Riverdale Showrunner Confirms They Will Deal With Fred’s Death in Season 4

Riverdale‘s season three finale dropped some pretty major bombshells, but fans still have a few questions about what the show has in store. When it comes to one of the show’s more heartbreaking threads – the sudden death of Fred Andrews actor Luke Perry in the middle of the season – it sounds like we will get some answers.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was asked about Perry’s death, and how that will impact what’s in store for the character of Fred. While the remaining episodes of the season explained Fred’s absence by saying he was out of town on business, Aguirre-Sacasa reassured that Fred will get a proper sendoff.

“I’m so glad you’re asking about that.” Aguirre-Sacasa explained. “We obviously are going to deal with Fred’s death a story on Riverdale. When Luke passed, we’d already more or less outlined the last two or three episodes, and we didn’t want to rush that or get it wrong. So we are 100% going to deal with it narratively at the beginning of season 4, and we want that episode to really honor the character of Fred and honestly, to honor the actor Luke and our friend Luke. I’ve read online that they’re like, “Ooh, Riverdale’s not dealing with this. Is Fred going to just be on a business trip?” So Tim, I would be so grateful if you make it clear that we are 100% going to deal with Fred’s death. We didn’t want to rush into that at the end of the season and give it short shrift or not make that story as great and emotional as it needs to be to honor both the character and the actor. I think that’s going to be a big part of Archie’s journey next season, honestly.”

Perry passed away at the age of 52 earlier this year, after he had suffered a massive stroke in the days prior.

“His legacy is gonna live on in the lives around him, that he worked with, you know?” Apa said in a recent interview. “I’m never gonna forget him and I think it’s still very fresh and we’re all still dealing with it… We’re definitely gonna obviously have to address it at some point. [Possibly] that [means] Molly stepping in as more of an active parent for Archie, but that all depends on the availability of the actors around us. So, you know, we’ll do what we can.”

“You know, honestly, we are I think all still in shock and are all still processing and grieving,” Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa explained in an interview last month. “We know that we have to address it in some way, but we’re giving ourselves a little bit of time and space before we figure out the best way to honor him.”

In addition to his Riverdale role, Perry is best known for playing Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 90210. His work also includes appearances in The Fifth Element, The Simpsons, and The Incredible Hulk. In addition to upcoming episodes of Riverdale that had already been filmed prior to his death, Perry is set to appear this summer in Quentin Tarantino’s new film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

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