Riverdale Stars Remember Luke Perry Ahead of Series Finale

On Wednesday, Riverdale will end its run after seven seasons on The CW and as the fan favorite Archie Comics inspired series draws to a close, its stars are remembering the star they say is a "huge reason" the show became the success it is, Luke Perry. Perry played Fred Andrews during the first three seasons of Riverdale and sadly passed away of a stroke in March 2019. The series' Season 4 premiere paid tribute to Perry.

"I had a long conversation with Luke Perry about this at Comic-Con when we first booked the show because he was on 90210. I asked him, 'What is this ride gonna be like?' And he said, 'Nothing like you've ever imagined, but I promise you, it will be the last of its kind.' Luke was an oracle for me and a lot of the people on the show," Madelaine Petsch, who plays Cheryl Blossom, told Vulture. "Especially in guiding us during those first two years of chaos and confusion and the rise to success. I think he's a huge reason why the show is where it is today."

Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead, said he still thinks about how Perry would sit with them and be answering questions about the series still, were he still alive.

"I think he knew everything we were all going to be going through," Sprouse said. "And I often think about how he would be sitting answering these questions if he were still with us."

What to Expect in Riverdale's Series Finale

Here's the official synopsis for Riverdale's series finale, "Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale".

"NOW LEAVING RIVERDALE — Back in present day and longing for her former life in Riverdale, 86-year-old Betty (Lili Reinhart) turns to a special friend to help her relive her last day of senior year with her friends as they were, their memories restored.  KJ Apa, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Madelaine Petsch, Mädchen Amick, Casey Cott, Charles Melton, Vanessa Morgan and Drew Ray Tanner also star.  The episode was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa."

The Riverdale Series Finale Will Offer Closure

With last week's episode wrapping up the season-long plot by having Archie and the gang each have their memories of their previous lives restored by Angel Tabitha and it will be interesting to see what's left for next week's finale. However, series star Mädchen Amick has confirmed that while they don't exactly "get out of the 1950s", there will be closure.

"You'll experience the characters in different… dimensions [that will allow for] a lot of closures that are outside of the 1950s," Amick said.

Riverdale's series finale airs Wednesday, August 23rd at 9/8c on The CW.