Riverdale (4×01) In Memoriam Review

For our review of the last season of Riverdale, click here.

“In Memoriam”starts off with Jughead updating us on what happened in Riverdale during the summer. The town brought back its Fourth of July Parade, Jughead finished his story and the Core Four are back together again. Things are quiet, that is until Cheryl when talking to her brother’s corpse sees the plan for the usually Blossom-led parade and plans to stop it. However, when the gang grabs breakfast at Pop’s Archie is called by his dad and receives some startling news. Fred was on his way home and was helping a broken down car when he was killed by a hit-and-run.

After the Andrews figure out funeral arrangements, Archie sits around with his friends as they discuss their memories of Mr. Andrews. From Fred doing a potato sack race with Betty to taking care of Jughead when FP was drinking, he was the Father of Riverdale. Archie tries to sleep that night, but finds himself distracted by noise downstairs. He heads down to find his grandfather Artie and practically everyone he knows sitting around the dining room table. He says Archie was meant to get him and he abruptly wakes up believing he needs to go get his father’s body and bring it home.

That night Reggie gives Archie a hearse as the Core Four head up to Cherry Creek to get Fred. They arrive at the funeral home, but the director won’t release the body to him. He calls his mom hoping to get her consent and she manages to get them to release him. The director wants to get the body ready, but Archie wants to see him first to confirm it is him. However, he cannot bring himself to so the girls go in his place to check for him. Archie gets Jughead to agree to write the obituary when the girls return with the bad news.

They arrive at the crime scene where the pick up truck is. Archie gets in and looks at all the stuff Fred left behind. Suddenly, they are interrupted by a woman (Shannen Doherty) who comes to pay her respects. She was the one with the broken vehicle that Fred stopped to help. Turns out she froze in front of the car and Fred pushed her out of the way. She asks to say a prayer for him and they gather around her flowers.

Archie questions why his dad had to be such a good person because it cost him his life. They try to convince him otherwise, but Archie needs some air. While he’s outside, Archie gets a call from FP that they found the man. FP mentions that the guy got out of jail so Archie decides to take things into his own hands and find George Augustine (Blake Stadel). He arrives at the man’s house and instantly pins him to the wall, questioning why he did it. He asks what he was doing when he was driving, but turns out his son Jeffrey (Ryan Grantham) took the car without permission and did it.

The gang arrives to check in on him and Archie breaks down about the whole situation. Thankfully, Veronica manages to cheer him up as they head back home. That is until they are stopped by FP who wants to give Fred Andrews a proper police escort home. As they drive down the town, the residents have lined the street with signs honoring Fred and his memory on Fourth of July weekend. They arrive at the Andrews residence where they are greeted by Mrs. Andrews, Tom Keller, Sierra McCoy, Kevin and Josie. His mom thanks Archie for bringing Fred home and says how proud they both are of him.

As Josie starts to sing Amazing Grace, the funeral of Fred Andrews begins. Archie speaks and talks about what a man his father was. How he helped build the Riverdale they all know and love.  Veronica tries to pay the bill for Fred’s funeral, but Hiram paid it in full. That night, Jughead writes Fred’s obituary as his classmates and fellow parents read it from the Lodges in their prison cells to Pop’s at the diner.

At their house, Archie brings Mrs. Andrews to the backyard so she, him and the gang from school can set off fireworks in the backyard like Fred did for them many years ago. Archie heads to the soundproofed garage where he recalls Fred putting up the foam on the walls. Where he remembers putting together his dad’s old car with him. The episode ends with Archie slouching his head and starting to cry as Luke Perry’s in memoriam fades onto screen.

What did you think of “In Memoriam”? Was that the tribute you hoped for? Let me know in the comments below!

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Dylan Phillips