Riverdale season 4 premiere review: “In Memoriam” remembers Luke Perry
During “In Memoriam,” Riverdale’s heart-wrenching season 4 premiere, fans finally learn what happened to Fred Andrews.
Before you read, make sure you’re caught up on what happened last season with Riverdale. When we last left our Core Four, they were all smiles, tummies full of phosphates. But as we know from the newest trailer released — and from the ominous foreshadowing in the season 3 finale — those warm fuzzies won’t last long. Spoilers abound…
Season 4 of Riverdale opens with a classic Jughead voiceover as he types on his laptop in Pop’s and reports that all has been quiet lately. For the first time in three years, Riverdale will host an Independence Day parade.
But, of course, we immediately cut to Cheryl talking to Jason’s corpse. We didn’t think she was going to let that go so quickly, did we?
Things are just lovely as the gang goes into Pop’s for lunch after parade prep and decides to plan a camping trip. And that’s when Archie gets the call.
Sadly, we learn that Fred Andrews was struck and killed in a hit and run while helping someone on the side of the road. No Black Hood. No Gargoyle King. The great Fred Andrews is brought down by an entirely mundane freak accident, and the circumstances of the episode deals with the fallout accordingly.
Sheriff FP Jones delivers the news, choking out the words, and it’s truly tough to watch, especially knowing the off-screen history of the actors.
All the usual spooky mysteries are gone from Riverdale this week as funeral arrangements are underway and Archie’s friends gather to share their favorite memories of Fred. Later that night, Archie decides he doesn’t want to leave his dad in the town where he died until after the holiday.
Reggie to the rescue — with a hearse natch. (Because, of course, Reggie has a hearse on hand.) And off the gang go to rescue Fred one last time.
Once they arrive, Archie, understandably still in denial, asks Betty and Veronica to look at the body and make sure it is indeed his dad. It’s a heartbreaking scene as the girls look at the casket and Archie asks Jughead to write his dad’s obituary.
Back in Riverdale, Cheryl is raw, pure emotion, so we shouldn’t be surprised when she shows up with Toni and gives her condolences to Mary, offering help upon Archie’s return.
Meanwhile, Archie, Veronica, Jughead, and Betty go to pick up Fred’s truck and a woman walks up with a bouquet of flowers (Shannen Doherty!). Archie is suspicious at first, wondering how she could possibly know who he is or what happened there. And then she tearfully tells Archie that Fred saved her life and pushed her out of the way of the oncoming car.
Later, FP calls him to say that the driver was caught, but made bail. In a classic Archie move, he promises justice and walks across the street to a phone booth where he finds the driver’s name in the white pages. It doesn’t take Archie long to find the driver. After Archie roughs the man up a bit, a teenager comes into the room and admits he had caused the accident and his dad had been protecting him.
As Archie grapples with the realness of it all, the foursome heads back to Riverdale, Archie and Veronica in the hearse and Jughead and Betty in the truck. When Archie pulls back into town, he’s stopped by FP who tells him he’d like to give his dad a police escort the rest of the way. “He deserves it.”
And soon, Cheryl’s plan is evident when the Independence Day parade is turned into a memorial for Fred as everyone waves “We will never forget you, Fred” signs along the red, white, and blue street.
It’s one of the purest moments in the show, hearkening back to the visuals and heart of the Archie Comics of yore.
Just in case you aren’t heartbroken enough, Josie is back from Katy Keene in time to sing “Amazing Grace” for the burial.
Archie delivers a lovely eulogy and shares the feeling of regret over not being able to say goodbye and wishing he could speak to his dad one last time, universal to any viewer who has lost a loved one. But Archie says, “Fred Andrews will always be a part of Riverdale,” and it’s undoubtedly true.
After the service ends, Veronica finds the funeral director in order to pay, only to find out that her father, Hiram, paid for the funeral in full. Her dad is definitely keeping busy behind bars. Surely there will be strings attached to this gift down the road…
The episode ends with Jughead’s voiceover once again as he writes Fred’s obituary, saying that, “Fred Andrews left Riverdale a hell of a lot better than he found it.”
Several notable Riverdale figureheads read the obit: Hermione Lodge (sobbing in her jail cell), Pop, and Alice (presumably “ascended” somewhere with a subscription to the Riverdale Register)!
Grab some tissues and dry your eyes. You and Archie aren’t the only one’s crying after this heart-wrenching and lovely tribute to Luke Perry, Riverdale‘s Fred Andrews.
Even if you don’t watch Riverdale, or somehow don’t know who Luke Perry was, the episode stays grounded, an usual beat for Riverdale, and perhaps a predictor for the future of this season…
Next. 12 things we learned from Riverdale's new NYCC trailer. dark