S04.E01: Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam

[Bort]

Quote

As the residence of Riverdale prepare for its upcoming Independence Day parade, Archie receives a phone call that will change the rest of his life forever.

Airdate: Wednesday, October 9, 2019

[mtlchick]

You can tell even months after his death, the cast and crew are still reeling. 

And then Shannen finally gets to say her on screen goodbye to her friend and you KNOW the tears were not from acting, but from hurt and pain that he is no longer there.  

While I did wish his death wasn't a result of a hit and run because it would try to become a "revenge tale" which ended quickly...I need some tissues.

Farewell, Luke Perry. 😓

[Lady Calypso]

I managed to hold it together, for the most part, right up until the final scene, when we saw the flashbacks of Fred and Archie finally breaking down alone. 

The whole episode was very somber. It was a decent send-off to Luke and to Fred. Of course Fred died saving someone's life. It was nice that they got Shannen to make her cameo (and how her scene was her saying her own goodbyes to her friend). And they wrapped up the mystery of Fred's killer fairly quickly. If only we could have gotten Betty comforting Archie instead of Veronica, though. That would be my own quibble. 

You could feel the loss permeating in front of the camera and you know it was just as intense off camera. 

But man, that last scene REALLY got to me. KJ Apa sold the numbness with Archie fairly well throughout the whole episode. And his final scene felt like KJ himself breaking.

Fred's presence will definitely be missed, as will Luke's.

[shapeshifter]

Oy. I quit this show mid-season 1, but I happened to tune in tonight while working on a project because I wanted to check out Nancy Drew following.
5 Kleenexes for me.

😥

[shantown]

I had other shows I planned on watching tonight, but after that episode I needed to take a quick breather (and take an aspirin for my cry-headache). Episodes that have to account for a real-life death are hard for so many reasons, not the least of which is knowing that so many of the on-screen tears are not acted. This was no different, though I enjoyed hearing the characters reminisce and seeing the tribute parade. It was a nice change of pace from the usual WTF-ness of Riverdale.

Also seeing Shannen Doherty get a chance to pay her on-screen respects to Luke was such a wonderful moment.

[One Imaginary Girl]

Oh, man. That was so well done. SO well done. Luke Perry could not have asked for a better tribute. The parade and the townspeople really were so moving, and kudos to the show for keeping Shannen's appearance a secret (or was I the only one who didn't know?).

[memememe76]

The shot of Hermione sobbing is the shot I will most remember. TBH, I don’t recall what happened to Veronica’s parents last season. Marisol Nichols was great. 

A lovely episode. It seems like a lot could still be examined by finding more about Fred’s family history.

[mtlchick]

30 minutes ago, One Imaginary Girl said:

 kudos to the show for keeping Shannen's appearance a secret (or was I the only one who didn't know?).

It was known since Comic Con in July.  BH90210 was filming in Vancouver and Shannen shot her scene for Riverdale during that time period.  It's been hinted that she may recur down the road, though we don't know in what capacity yet.  She appeared on The Tallk today to promote it while talking about her cancer battle. 

[One Imaginary Girl]

Aw, I wish it had been kept a secret. It was a wonderful surprise.

[Bulldog]

Very nice, fitting tribute.  Well done, show.

[Snookums]

Quote

I managed to hold it together, for the most part, right up until the final scene, when we saw the flashbacks of Fred and Archie finally breaking down alone. 

Oh man, I ugly cried through this whole thing. It's strange--I didn't watch 90210 on the regular at all back in high school, and I wouldn't have said Perry was a big part of my adolescence or anything, but this show really nailed it.

For me, the saddest parts were fictional (as opposed to the cast's real sadness)--the scenes where Cheryl is shocked from her usual craziness into genuine heartbreak and compassion, to begin with. I loved how Madeline made Cheryl's grief reflect how she still can't accept Jason's passing without it being a show about her. 

The other was that brilliant little bit with Betty at her dad's grave. Covered with trash and graffiti, and you realize this young girl didn't get any of this. No one was sad when her dad died, he didn't leave his town or family better than he found them, she isn't getting a whole Riverdale comes out to say goodbye. She can't even say in public that there were good times, that her dad at least seemed to love her, that they worked on cars together, none of that. All conveyed in a one minute scene with no dialogue or music.

[BkWurm1]

Riverdale is one of those shows that I watch but don't actually follow online or look for spoilers so for me, Shannen Doherty being there was a total surprise and one that felt right in the moment.  Knowing this was his real long time friend speaking his praise and genuinely mourning him gave the moment real weight.

I grew up while 90210 was on the air and watched the first few seasons but never got caught up in the mania for the show or his character, so I was pleasantly surprised by Luke Perry's consistently grounded performance on the show.  That said,  was surprised by how much I bawled through this episode.   I can't imagine how the cast kept it together.  

1 hour ago, lilbeanhead said:

Again I do have to say, the shift in tone for the next episode is going to be a lot to take. It’s just going to be hard to go back to regular Riverdale after tonight. 

I suspect it's not going to be nearly as jaring as it felt jumping to the promo, but I also think it's kind of realistic.  The whole town can show up to mourn/celebrate a life lost in July but by September, the only ones really dealing with the loss still are those that were closest to him. 

I think we are going to see Archie trying to get back to normal and maybe even at times thinking he can and then get hit with his loss all over again.  But for the rest of the people around him, life will have gone back to regular Riverdale so bring on the drama.  

[BkWurm1]

3 minutes ago, Snookums said:

The other was that brilliant little bit with Betty at her dad's grave. Covered with trash and graffiti, and you realize this young girl didn't get any of this. No one was sad when her dad died, he didn't leave his town or family better than he found them, she isn't getting a whole Riverdale comes out to say goodbye. She can't even say in public that there were good times, that her dad at least seemed to love her, that they worked on cars together, none of that. All conveyed in a one minute scene with no dialogue or music.

This so much.  It was heartbreaking and such a great contrast to Archie who has his mom, his friends, all his father's friends and and entire town surround him so he doesn't feel alone in his grief.  Betty lost her whole family in one way or the other.  And while you know she could have asked Jug to go with her, she doesn't ask for that kind of support, maybe thinks she doesn't deserve it given who her dad was.  Hard to keep going carrying all that weight on her own.  Foreshadowing of some kind? 

[Snookums]

I did like how they managed to worm in some Riverdale-esque touches so it wasn't all tears--the bits with Cheryl and her Dead Bro, or when they're at the diner in Cherry Creek, and everybody has a full plate of food, clearly too upset to eat--except Jug's, whose plate is clean as a whistle except for some ketchup.

[AnimeMania]

Everybody showed up when they are driving down the street, but nobody showed up at the funeral.

[HeatLifer]

Luke would have been so proud of KJ. He carried that episode on his whole back. So much respect for what he was able to do. And to do it WELL. The strength and vulnerability and rawness, just...no words. 

[thuganomics85]

Riverdale is back and it understandably puts aside the batshit insanity to bring on some real heart and feels for Fred/Luke Perry.

I thought the episode overall succeeded at giving the Fred character a proper send-off, while paying tribute to Luke Perry and what he had brought to the show and just life in general.  I actually like that Fred's death was not only truly an accident (really was worried it was going to be revealed that Hiram was somehow behind it), but caused by a kid making a dumb choice that had consequences he never foresaw.  And Archie could see himself in that kid and remember the mistakes he had made, which was what was able to knock him off his revenge path finally.  And it being because Fred stopped to help a stranger perfectly fits the character.  The Shannen Doherty cameo ended up being a good fit for it as well.

While Archie was understandably front and center here, I did like that we saw how everyone else was taking the news and grieving in their own small ways.  I liked the little moments like remembering that Betty knew him since she was a little girl or how Cheryl was really emotional since she knew what it was like to lose a love one.

A few tidbits though about what is likely to come.  Cheryl is still talking and reading newspapers with Jason's corpse, Hiram clearly has a lot of reach and resources outside of the prison, Hermione is also in prison, and even a glimpse of Alice hold up wherever the Farm is currently hiding.

K.J. Apa really brought it home for the funeral speech.

Rest in peace, Luke.  Things won't be the same without him, but hopefully he'll continue to live on with his work, and I hope he knew how much his fans and those who worked alongside him clearly loved and admired him.  He will be missed.

[theschnauzers]

I have to note, as confirmed in the closing credits, that Trevor Stines (Jason) did have a on screen cameo, as one of the spirits led by Archie’s grandpa, when they tell Archie he needs to bring Fred back.

The episode itself was well executed. The last similar situation I can remember was “The Quarterback” episode of Glee. These two episode had a similar tone, I guess is the word I’m looking for, and I'm hoping the Riverdale production team used to time to reset the long term plans  for the series more skillfully than Ryan Murphy’s team was able to do for Glee. In the latter case, I don’t think it ever recovered.

Edited October 10, 2019 by theschnauzers

[Chaos Theory]

Was Betty’s dad out serial killing instead of potato sack racing with her?  I did like that even though he was an awful father all the events with Fred brought her to her fathers grave (probably for the first time).

These kinds of touching episodes usually don’t work for me but this did.   Maybe because I was truly saddened with Luke Perry’s passing.   The moment when Archie entered the town and everyone was there to welcome Fred home is exactly the kind of moment that usually makes my eyes roll into the back of my head but I must have had something in my eyes because wet stuff was coming out.

i also really liked Archie’s speech.  “He helped build this town.” 

The show is going to eventually annoy be with crazy Cheryl which I am going to hate with the power of a thousand suns.   #RespectforCheryl. 

Edited October 10, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[HeatLifer]

14 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

If only we could have gotten Betty comforting Archie

I want to fanwank in order to defend the writers and that this was a way to showcase that Betty has residual guilt about her own father and the fact that he almost killed Archie’s dad the first time. And she couldn’t be there for Archie bc of this, or say things in connection to her own loss, so she allowed Veronica and Jug to take the lead. Which would explain why she was always in the background when they were all together. And I hope they have Betty and Archie talk about this in the future. 

Bc it would really disappoint me if no one thought it was important or relevant to write a solo scene for them, considering their characters’ history with each other and Fred’s character.

[GHScorpiosRule]

19 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

Riverdale is one of those shows that I watch but don't actually follow online or look for spoilers so for me, Shannen Doherty being there was a total surprise and one that felt right in the moment.  Knowing this was his real long time friend speaking his praise and genuinely mourning him gave the moment real weight.

I grew up while 90210 was on the air and watched the first few seasons but never got caught up in the mania for the show or his character, so I was pleasantly surprised by Luke Perry's consistently grounded performance on the show.  That said,  was surprised by how much I bawled through this episode.   I can't imagine how the cast kept it together.  

And had I known Luke was on this show, I might have given it a try. Why didn't you tell me?!

All joking aside, I tuned in just to watch Shannen's homage to Luke. I knew it was coming. But I wasn't prepared for it. It was HARD. And while Shannen was talking about "Fred", in my heart, it felt and came across as Shannen talking about Luke. And now I'm wondering if these two would ever have gotten around to sharing a screen together again, if he hadn't been taken so soon.

And I did watch Beverly Hills, 90210 from Day One. And I was a Dylan girl. He had the talent--I remember him from Loving. He and Shannen were the best actors on that show.  Sorry to sound like a broken record, but last night was just so gut-wrenchingly HARD to watch.

Edited October 11, 2019 by GHScorpiosRule

[tennisgurl]

I had no clue that Shannen Doherty was going to be in this episode (I must have missed those spoilers!) so her appearance really hit me in the gut. You can really tell how much the cast is still affected by Luke's death, I think this was a very fitting tribute. Riverdale put the crazy on the back burner to have a very touching and heartbreaking tribute to Luke Perry, with lots of great moments, like Cheryl reaching out to Mary, FP struggling to hold back tears when he told Mary and Archie what happened to Fred, Hermione sobbing in her cell, and of course Archie finally breaking down in the garage. I was holding it together, until we had those flashbacks to Fred and Archie together, then I just lost it. 

RIP Luke Perry. You were a talented actor and by all accounts I've read a nice guy and class act, and we will all miss you.

I also really liked the bit where Betty cleaned the garbage off her fathers vandalized grave. Hal might have been a monster, but he was still her dad. While I cant blame people for celebrating Fred and not Hal (Fred was the best person in Riverdale ever, and Hal was a serial killer) I feel awful for Betty, knowing that while Fred will be mourned by the whole town, everyone is happy that her dad is dead, and unlike Fred, he didnt leave Riverdale a better place than when it found it. Its a surprisingly subtle moment for a show that has increasingly gone increasingly crazy and over the top. 

[ketose]

17 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

This so much.  It was heartbreaking and such a great contrast to Archie who has his mom, his friends, all his father's friends and and entire town surround him so he doesn't feel alone in his grief.  Betty lost her whole family in one way or the other.  And while you know she could have asked Jug to go with her, she doesn't ask for that kind of support, maybe thinks she doesn't deserve it given who her dad was.  Hard to keep going carrying all that weight on her own.  Foreshadowing of some kind? 

It's also sad that Betty's story about Fred was how he was her "dad" for an afternoon, which is similar to Jughead's story. The show never really showed Hal being a good dad, although it's likely Betty would have favored him given her mom's overbearing attitude.

[HeatLifer]

Eh, I don’t care, they can have 800 scenes with Betty/Jughead/Archie together, reminiscing, etc. But this idea that Betty and Archie can’t be in scenes alone together, talking about Fred, or talking about growing up together, or talking about a loss of a parent, or whatever it may be, is not something I agree with in the slightest. Betty and Archie’s friendship has always been treated as its own thing—not just something related to Jughead. 

3 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

And I did watch Beverly Hills, 90210 from Day One. And I as a Dylan girl. He had the talent--I remember him from Loving. He and Shannen were the best actors on that show.  Sorry to sound like a broken record, but last night was just so gut-wrenchingly HARD to watch.

Same, same, girl!

[rmontro]

21 hours ago, Snookums said:

The other was that brilliant little bit with Betty at her dad's grave. Covered with trash and graffiti, and you realize this young girl didn't get any of this. No one was sad when her dad died, he didn't leave his town or family better than he found them, she isn't getting a whole Riverdale comes out to say goodbye. She can't even say in public that there were good times, that her dad at least seemed to love her, that they worked on cars together, none of that. All conveyed in a one minute scene with no dialogue or music.

I think that was the best scene in the entire series.  Saying so much with so little.

It was a good episode, even if it takes you out of the show a bit because of what is really going on.  

My memory is notoriously bad, so maybe someone can help me on this.  Cheryl seemed to be particularly broken up over Fred's death.  Have they shared some close moments that I don't seem to recall?  Maybe something to do with Jason's death?

[methodwriter85]

Not much to say but what a lovely tribute to Luke Perry/Fred Andrews.

[Duckie30ca]

This episode was *rough* but so very beautiful. It’s in the same category as Glee’s “The Quarterback” and Newsradio’s “Bill Moves On” and I sobbed just as hard. 
 

There were so many times when you just knew it was the actor crying vs the character. Skeet Ulrich had a moment or two when I thought “Hmm...that’s not FP. That’s Skeet...”

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, Duckie30ca said:

There were so many times when you just knew it was the actor crying vs the character. Skeet Ulrich had a moment or two when I thought “Hmm...that’s not FP. That’s Skeet...”

I really got that impression from all the actors, it was more about the loss of Luke Perry than Fred Andrews (and that's fine).  I got that impression most from Cheryl, because as far as we knew previously, she wasn't that close with Archie's dad.  However, as lilbeanhead said, it makes sense that she would be emotional around the fouth of July because of her brother Jason, so that's as good an explanation as any.

In all, a very nice episode and a fitting tribute.  It will be strange to go back to the "crazy" Riverdale, as others have said.  FP's police escort and Hiram paying for the funeral from prison were other nice touches.  

Archie says he's going to honor his father's memory every day now.  Does that mean he's going to quit acting like a jerk?  I hope so.

I was impressed by the whole town (seemingly) turning out for Fred.  I'm sure he must have touched all their lives in some way - like George Bailey, as Jughead said.  I know there will be nothing like this when I shuffle off this mortal coil - I'm just not that much of a people person.  Which might make me admire the sort of person Fred must have been all the more.

Oh, I also thought it was pretty courageous of them to say the Our Father on television.  

Edited October 11, 2019 by rmontro

[LeanneH]

What an episode!!! Heartbreaking to say the least and had me sobbing the whole way through. Something that confused me was Alice Cooper, I’m sure she was meant to be missing? She was in the clip reading the obituary which I found odd or am I missing something?! 

[HeatLifer]

You guys, when the man Archie believed killed his father called him “son” and Arch punched the wall and screamed “SHUT UP! You took away the only man who can call me that!” 😩😩😩 I’m still gutted.

[Just my opinion]

Hi everyone, I really enjoyed this episode, so I thought I would re-post an episode review I wrote to my blog here. It covers some of themes you have all mentioned, and I'm glad after looking online that there is so much appreciation for it. I hope you enjoy:

Well done, Riverdale.

Since the tragic passing of Luke Perry, there was the question of how his character, Fred Andrews, would be written out. Timing wise, Luke's passing occurred as the show was busy filming the tail end of the third season, where the already fast pacing was becoming even more frantic as the show continued to crescendo it's story arcs for The Farm and Griffons and Gargoyles. Thankfully it was decided not to fully 'deal' with the character of Fred until a more appropriate time, that time being in-between seasons where a well rested crew could think clearly about how to best address the situation.

As it transpires, this decision was very wise. Luke's passing is addressed in this episode, the first of season four, by having Fred die in a self-contained episode that acted as a In Memoriam to both the character and to Luke Perry itself. The show's continuing arcs are seldom, if at all, addressed and the show, in an extremely rare move, slows down its pace and digs a little deeper in the portrayal of how our Riverdale characters, in particular Archie, deals with Fred's passing.

I had forgotten how beautifully this show is presented. The vivid colors and ridiculousness that Riverdale fans know and love are present in the first 5 or so minutes of the episode, and of course, Archie is shirtless at the first available opportunity, decorating a float for the 4th of July parade. Cheryl is as ludicrous as always, lamenting our four protagonists for not fully respecting the first parade since her brother's death, and, oh yeah, updating her dead brother's body (propped up in a chair; is it the actual body stuffed? A fake? I've forgotten the details) on the goings on of the town.

Then, Archie gets the call that Fred has died, and those elements of Riverdale, not that we don't love them, fall away. Those first few scenes are important somewhat to reestablish the world of the show, and to reassure fans that, don't worry, it's not changing anytime soon, but the moment Archie hears the news, and falls to the floor, the show takes a breath, strips itself back, and slows itself down.

The way Fred Andrews dies is in itself a tribute to Luke Perry and the character. He is hit by a car after having stopped on the side of a road to help a woman with car troubles. The show then sets up a small mystery, the driver that killed Fred is unknown, as it was a hit-and-run. In that moment, early on, it is difficult to judge if this will become part of a larger mystery or not, and how many episodes it will dominate. However, we quickly learn that the driver has turned themselves in and is out on bail. Of course, the inevitable Revenge Archie kicks in, but the moment is brief and more measured than expected. As Archie demands an explanation from the man, it transpires that he was just protecting his son who, in a moment of stupidity, took the car for a ride without a license. This, as Archie explains later, reminds him of something he would have done when he was younger, and Fred would have protected him in the same way.

There are other, smaller, more powerful moments. Early on, the characters sit in Archie's humble backyard trading stories about Fred, as so often happens in moments of mourning and reflection. The scene is elevated by the emotion from the characters (and one imagines, the actors). The scene does not serve to further any number of plot points, as is so often the case and the issue with fast paced shows such as Riverdale. Instead, it's just there, pulling you in, reminding you of Fred's kindness and the impact he has had in mentoring our protagonists. Jughead's story of how Fred would look out for him, and feed him when he was hungry, was particularly moving.

The road trip, and funeral home visit serves up more understated moments. Where, after Archie decides to be the one to transport Fred's body home, he asks to see the body to ensure that it is in fact his father. We cut then to the room that Fred's body is in. However, instead Veronica and Betty walk through the door. Archie, we are told, changed his mind. We don't see that moment, but we don't need to. We have already felt his pain. The body reveal, and confirmation that it is Fred to the audience and later, to Archie, is handled wonderfully.

Another beautiful scene that must be mentioned is the one with Shannon Doherty, shot at the roadside where he was ran down. Shannon, as it turns out, was the woman who Fred had stopped to help. Of course, Shannon Doherty and Luke Perry are linked together through Beverly Hills 90210, as Brenda and Dylan, at the peak of its popularity. There is a legacy there, a weight that has lasted almost 30 years and is a defining part of 'High School TV' culture. Knowing that Shannon is there as as tribute to Luke, plus the emotion in her delivery, as she explains what happened, followed by the prayer, only last a few minutes. But it's wonderful. There are no meta references, no winks to the audience. In fact, it's amazing just how 'straight' this whole episode is played.

The transportation of Fred's body home, to a rally in his honor, and the resulting funeral all pull emotional punches. At the funeral, Archie recalls a story of how, disappointed one 4th July when a fireworks display was called off due to the rain, Fred comes home with a ton of fireworks, and makes a display for Archie in their own backyard. Later, at episode close, the characters gather to do the same thing. As the fireworks are let off, Archie retreats to the garage, we see brief glimpses of Fred in the episode's only flashbacks as he remembers the old car, and the camera slowly withdraws as we leave Archie to cry alone.

Small glimpses of other story points of the show are thrown in. Hiram and Hermione are shown in jail, Alice with a picture of The Farm in the background, and in a touching moment, Betty spends some time alone at her father's graffiti-ed grave. However, all in all, this was an episode solely about paying tribute to Luke Perry, through Fred's passing, and you are grateful that this was so. Although I love the energy, furious pacing and ludicrousness of Riverdale, it's part of the fabric of the show and will always will be, I can't help but wonder that if the show trusted itself to slow down more, in the moments that really matter, it could really hone itself and make the right stories, ideally the ones that pack that emotional wallop, all that more powerful.

[MaggieG]

On 10/11/2019 at 7:54 AM, Duckie30ca said:

There were so many times when you just knew it was the actor crying vs the character. Skeet Ulrich had a moment or two when I thought “Hmm...that’s not FP. That’s Skeet...”

Definitely. Also the scene where Betty and Veronica had to identify Fred's body. 

I kept wondering where Hiram, Hermione and Alice were during the funeral. I totally forgot what happened to them last season until they showed them during the end.

[secnarf]

Overall I liked the episode. Took me a while to gather my thoughts about it - most comments I had have already been mentioned upthread.

I am not sure how I feel about the 'welcome home' that Fred got. It reminded me strongly of RFK's funeral train, and it seemed a bit out of place in Riverdale. It was a sweet gesture that played well on TV in the moment, but to me it felt out of place in the grand scheme of things.

[tabularasa]

I actually liked welcome home because I was sobbing before and it was nice to see he was loved. The episode was very well done. I too appreciate that there were no winks although I wouldn't have minded if the show "slipped" for a moment and frown in Luke. Maybe it'd ruin things, I don't know. Because of the ships we didn't get a friendship moment between Lily and Archie which feels wrong on every level. Judgead is always understated but I kind of wished he showed more emotions just like I appreciated Cheryl's crying even though she wasn't that close. Shanon cameo was beautifully done and her cameo took me by surprise, she was really raw and crying. RIP Luke!

[Dobian]

I've been debating whether or not I want to keep watching this show, but I had to watch this episode.  What a beautiful and perfectly done tribute.  The final scene in the garage was heartbreaking.  If this was my last visit to Riverdale, I'm leaving the show on a high note.

Edited November 6, 2019 by Dobian