The first episode of Riverdale season four was an emotional watch for fans after Archie Andrews (played by KJ Apa) had to say goodbye to his dad in an emotional sendoff. Fred Andrews (played by Luke Perry) is no longer on the show after the actor died of a stroke back in March.
It seems Archie is set to struggle with his father’s death as the storyline progresses.
Fans may have thought Archie got closure after the first episode saw him finally identify who killed Fred in the hit and run.
The first episode saw Archie find out the person responsible for the death wasn’t who he initially thought it was.
Instead, it turned out it was a teenage boy, who’s dad had taken the blame to protect him.
However, it seems Archie will have even more hardships in upcoming episodes.
At a recent press screening for the new series, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa spoke out about Archie’s new setbacks.
The showrunner explained the character is determined to keep Fred’s spirit alive.
He began: “Archie is trying to do what his father did, which is help his community, help his town, help his friends, make the right choices…
“He’s always wanted to follow in Fred’s footsteps, but now feels that burden even more so.”
However, this change won’t be easy as the Riverdale High senior is set to struggle all season with the burden of filling his father’s shoes.
The showrunner revealed Archie is “going to struggle with grief, and struggle with how to live up to Fred’s memory.”
There is a significant jump between episode one and two, with the time-shifting from the fourth of July to September.
Source: express.co.uk