Riverdale fans are still mourning the loss of the late Luke Perry, who played Archie's father Fred Andrews. Now they will have to live without both Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols on their screens. Both stars confirmed they are leaving Riverdale in Season 4 and won't be part of the recently renewed Season 5. The CW is currently airing Season 4, so the clock is ticking for how they write out Jughead Jones' (Cole Sprouse) father F.P. Jones and Veronica Lodge's (Camila Mendes) mother Hermione Lodge.
Will Riverdale kill off F.P. Jones and/or Hermione Lodge? Riverdale is a dangerous place, and F.P. is at the center of everything with the Southside Serpents and a job as town sheriff.
Skeet Ulrich shared a statement with TVLine on his departure:
I’m incredibly grateful for the friendships I’ve made on Riverdale, and I will miss seeing everyone on a daily basis. I’m proud to have been part of such a talented group of people, in front of the camera and behind. But I’ve decided that it’s time for me to move on to explore other creative opportunities.
Marisol Nichols shared a separate statement with TVLine:
I had an incredible time bringing Hermione Lodge to life and working with my amazing cast, who became family. We had so many wonderful times together during the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We really do have the best fans ever. I am looking forward to the next chapter and am excited about the future.
Why are these two stars leaving? Maybe it's just time for a change and their contracts were up. Riverdale boss Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa commented on both departures to TVLine:
Part of life in Riverdale — and part of growing up — is saying goodbye to people. I’m grateful to Skeet and Marisol for their incredible work on the show these last four years, and we all wish them well on their future endeavors. F.P. and Hermione will never be far from our hearts. And, of course, they’re always welcome back in Riverdale.
Welcome back? That suggests maybe the characters won't be killed off. Or maybe they will but come back as ghosts or in flashbacks. It's Riverdale, they could make it work.
Skeet Ulrich and Marison Nicholas were -- well, still are for the moment -- part of Riverdale since Season 1. Ulrich was a series regular (and fan favorite) since Season 2.
But four seasons of a show is a big commitment, especially a show that has 22 episodes a year. Riverdale Season 4 just aired Episode 13 on February 12. The next episode airs Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Here's the synopsis from The CW for "Chapter Seventy-One: How to Get Away with Murder":
THE AFTERMATH - When a night in the woods goes horribly awry, Betty (Lili Reinhart), Archie (KJ Apa) and Veronica (Camila Mendes) are forced to confront what one of them may be capable of.
Riverdale's titles tend to be foreboding, and the episode after that is called "To Die For," so there's a lot to worry about. It's especially sad to think Riverdale is losing F.P. since he's been a father figure to Archie after the death of Fred Andrews. And poor Veronica. Life with her parents has never been easy, but without her mom?
It's possible F.P. Jones will just disappear after Season 4. Maybe Jughead's estranged dad will be estranged again. They don't necessarily have to kill him, but it wouldn't exactly be a shock for F.P. to end up in that situation.
Fans will definitely feel the losses of these two key cast members, but good for Skeet Ulrich and Marisol Nichols for following other opportunities. We'll see Ulrich on the big screen later this year in the sci-fi drama Bios starring Tom Hanks, Samira Wiley, and Caleb Landry Jones. That opens October 2. He co-stars in the Quibi series #FreeRayShawn, and he's also reportedly in pre-production for the horror movie The Mystery of Casa Matusita, per IMDb. Marisol Nichols' horror/crime film Spiral is set to open May 15.
Riverdale Season 4 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Keep up with everything premiering in early 2020 with our handy TV schedule.
