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When Riverdale returns to The CW this Fall, it’ll be without one key cast member: Luke Perry, who passed away suddenly from a stroke earlier this year. Though the in-progress third season of the show didn’t address Perry’s passing, the Season 4 premiere will tackle the real life tragedy head on, with an episode paying tribute to both Perry, and his character, Fred Andrews. And as announced at the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, Perry’s long-time friend and former co-star Shannen Doherty will guest star in a “pivotal” role.
Perry and Doherty are intimately connected through the TV series that made both of their names: Beverly Hills, 90210. The 1990 debuting series starred Perry as bad boy with a heart Dylan McKay, and Doherty as his on-again, off-again love interest Brenda Walsh. Though Doherty left the show after Season 4 (Perry also took a break for two seasons, before ultimately returning for Seasons 9 and 10), the two remained friends for nearly 30 years.
According to Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Perry had always wanted to have Doherty guest-star on the series, which would have fit perfectly with the often nostalgic casting of the show’s adult characters. Her presence on the series, “is something that Luke wanted to happen since season one,” said Aguirre-Sacasa via statement. “They were such good friends, and when we were putting together this tribute episode, we wanted to make it as special as possible, and so we asked Shannen to do a pivotal, super-emotional role. She read the script and immediately said ‘yes.’ It’s very impactful.”
The Season 4 premiere, written by Aguirre-Sacasa, is titled “Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam,” and will take a break from the show’s usual buzzy murder plots to focus on Perry’s life and legacy. In an Instagram post, the showrunner noted that this was, “probably the most important episode of #Riverdale we’ll do this year, if not ever. A tribute to our fallen friend. Thankful for this opportunity to honor Luke & Fred.”
Riverdale returns to The CW on Wednesday, October 6 at 8/7c.
