'Riverdale' season 4: Molly Ringwald's Mary Andrews will look to fill the void Fred Andrews left in Archie's life
This article contains spoilers for 'Riverdale' season 4, episode 1: 'In Memoriam'
'Riverdale' opened to a brand new season with a tearful and fitting farewell to Luke Perry. The actor essayed the role of Fred Andrews, Archie's (KJ Apa) father in The CW teen drama. The episode wastes no time in setting up Fred's storyline. Post the bloody season 3 finale, things seem to have quietened down - the heroes Arch, Jug, Ronnie and Betty are happy and content, gearing up for the Fourth of July. Until Archie gets a call about his dad's death. Fred was killed in a road accident, a hit-and-run case while he was on his way back from Cherry Creek.
He had stopped his truck by the side to help a stranger (Shannon Doherty) fix her tire, and given the busy highway, he was an unfortunate victim. Thankfully, the episode didn't set up a mystery behind his death. It was a seamless fit to the plot and crafted rather well. His death also means Molly Ringwald who plays his wife and Archie's mother, Mary Andrews will have a key role to play in the upcoming season. Since the series inception, Archie leaned heavily on his dad whenever he was faced with grim situations and now we're pretty sure the teen will approach his mother for support.
In three seasons, Ringwald has appeared in 19 of the 58 episodes (including the season 4 opener) and that may change with Perry's untimely demise. Her role takes center stage and with the new season teasing the ominous spring break mystery along with some unsolved crimes from the previous season, tough times are ahead of Archie and his gang— a situation where Mary plays a crucial role in being the guiding light for her son.
Fred was always there for Archie. Be it when during fighting the Blackhood, battling the sinister Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos), and the father-son bond was something much appreciated in the usually over-the-top series. The new season, however, may also see Archie trying to get used to life without his father. With Mary generally out of the picture in the previous seasons, it might be a tough challenge for the teen to easily confide in his mother. Considering how things generally pan out in the murky town, it remains how Archie will make a move forward and whether Mary could fill the void Fred left.
'Riverdale' season 4 airs Wednesdays 8 pm on The CW.
