Riverdale actor Luke Perry passed away earlier this week after suffering a massive stroke, and there was outpouring of grief and sympathy from those who worked with him over the decades of his career. His death came only days before a new episode of Riverdale featuring him as Fred Andrews was set to air, but there was enough time for producers to add a small tribute to the actor to the end of the episode. Take a look at how Riverdale honored Perry in the first episode after his death:
The tribute to Luke Perry from the end of Riverdale's March 6 episode was short and simple, but it honored the actor who turned Fred Andrews into one of the most heartfelt characters on a show filled with folks not to be trusted. Unsurprisingly, the episode did not end Fred Andrews' story in any way, although Perry did appear.
However the show writes out Fred Andrews -- or at least, Luke Perry's version of Fred Andrews, as we can't rule out a recast at this point -- will be revealed down the road once Riverdale runs out of footage filmed before the actor passed away. There are a number of ways it could happen, ranging from a recast to a happily-ever-after off-screen to an untimely end for the character.
The tribute to Luke Perry via "in memoriam" card likely didn't come as a surprise to all viewers, and not just because it's become something of a tradition for TV shows to honor the deaths of key contributors, even if they're no longer on board. Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre Sacasa shared an image of the Riverdale team on Twitter and revealed that the upcoming episode would be dedicated to Perry:
In his tweet, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa mentions that all episodes of Riverdale will be dedicated to Luke Perry "for the rest of our run." Does this mean that Riverdale will continue specifically honoring Perry, or that the Riverdale team will honor him in spirit? Only time will tell, but his words do indicate that Fred Andrews' story (assuming the character is not recast) will be handled in a way that respects everything that Perry brought to the role.
Tune in to The CW on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Riverdale. It has not yet been announced how many more episodes were filmed with Luke Perry before he passed away, but he could appear multiple more times. Be sure to watch and find out for yourself. For some additional viewing options, swing by our midseason TV premiere schedule!
