Riverdale Creator Says the Show Will Address Luke Perry's Death

The cast of Riverdale is still recovering after the death of Luke Perry on March 4. After sharing tributes and stopping production on the show for a few days, cast and crew have resumed filming — and the show's creator has explained how the CW series will handle Perry's death as it relates to his onscreen character, Fred Andrews.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said that those involved with the show are still processing the loss, and that they're not rushing forward with any plans. "We know that we have to address it in some way," he said, "but we’re giving ourselves a little bit of time and space before we figure out the best way to honor him."

Aguirre-Sacasa said further, "Luke was, is, and will always be a big part of Riverdale. We’re kind of a family and when a loss like this happens, you carry it always. It changes and it hopefully becomes a little less painful as time goes by, but you’re changed."

He continued, "When I was with the crew, I said, 'It will never be the same,' and that’s true because Luke was such a part of the show. There are still a few more episodes that have Luke in them, so we’re glad to share those. His spirit — which was so generous and wise and vivacious — we hope will infuse every episode. So, in my mind, every episode for the rest of time on Riverdale will have a bit of Luke in it."

Aguirre-Sacasa's comments came after his previous Instagram post, when he announced the decision to dedicate all future episodes of Riverdale to Luke, writing, "Tonight’s episode of #Riverdale finds Fred doing what he does best—helping Archie. It is dedicated to Luke, as all episodes will be for the rest of our run."

In addition to that homage, the first episode of Riverdale since the actor's passing, which aired on March 6, featured a title card in memory of the former Beverly Hills 90210 star.

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