Shannen Doherty Will Join 'Riverdale' Season 4 for Tribute to Luke Perry
By Ryan Carroll
Following Luke Perry’s sudden death in February of this year, a torrent of support poured in for the star from the actors who have worked with him over the years, especially from the cast of Riverdale. During this past weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con, it emerged that the CW series would be paying a special tribute to Perry--with an appearance by his 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty.
As Variety reports, Doherty will appear in the Season 4 premiere of Riverdale, which will serve as a tribute to Perry. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the show’s executive producer, said that the episode will “reflect Perry’s enduring legacy and the indelible imprint [of] his character.”
While Doherty’s character still remains largely ambiguous, Aguirre-Sacasa said that the role was “very emotional” and that Perry had been lobbying for Doherty to appear since Season 1. “They were such good friends, and when we were putting together this tribute episode, we wanted to make it as special as possible,” he said. “So we asked Shannen to do a pivotal, super-emotional role. She read the script and immediately said ‘yes.’ It’s very impactful.”
Doherty’s appearance marks one of many by former teenage stars; in addition to Perry, the show also features Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks), Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), and Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club), and different storylines are send-ups of teen drama films and TV series.
As for us, we’re glad to see that Luke Perry is getting the tribute that he deserves--and we’re beyond excited to see what Shannen Doherty has to offer on the series. Season 4 of Riverdale premieres Oct. 9, 2019.