Tonight, Riverdale will air the first episode of its fourth season without a major cast member. Luke Perry, who played Fred Andrews on the CW’s Archie Comics-inspired series, passed away in March following a stroke at only 52 years old.
Because of the show’s tight filming schedule in the previous season, the storyline wasn’t able to address Luke’s death or Fred’s sudden absence from the show. But show creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa took to Instagram Tuesday to tell fans just how proud he is of the work the cast has done to honor the late actor—and to warn them to grab the tissues.
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“I love this picture of him and the boys,” Aguirre-Sacasa wrote next to a photo of Luke with his former costars Skeet Ulrich, Cole Sprouse and KJ Apa. “It’s an episode that’s bursting with sadness, but even more so with love.”
The creator then heartbreakingly addressed the former cast member, saying, “I hope you like it, Luke.”
The CW released the first trailer for season four in September, with Luke noticeably absent from the clip. A new trailer appears to show the gut-wrenching moment Archie Andrews, played by KJ Apa, learns his father has died.
But as Archie said in the trailer, and Roberto echoed in his post, Luke Perry will always be a part of Riverdale.
The episode, titled “A Farewell to Fred Andrews,” will return to The CW on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. ET.
–Rachel Tillman