The CW’s Riverdale is currently airing season one on Thursday nights at 9pm ET/PT, with Archie and his friends caught up in trying to figure out who murdered Jason Blossom while also balancing school, music, and normal high school relationships. The dramatic series based on the popular Archie Comics has already earned a second season renewal and with season one still in full swing, the cast made the trek to WonderCon in Anaheim to discuss the series and their characters.
Luke Perry (‘Fred Andrews’) and K.J. Apa (‘Archie Andrews’) were paired up for roundtable interviews to talk about their father/son relationship, delving into backstories, and what happened when they found out who was the murderer.
Luke Perry and K.J. Apa Interview:
How much more will Riverdale dive into the relationship between Archie and his dad, Fred?
Luke Perry: “You know, as the relationship continues to develop, when we get closer to that time in a student’s life where they’re a senior and big life changes are coming, our relationship is going to roll with some of these punches. We’ll see what the changes are.”
Are they going to delve more into Fred’s history?
Luke Perry: “I don’t know. I think so. One of the great things about Riverdale is the parents all went to school together. It’s a multi-generational kind of dysfunction. A lot of history everywhere.”
K.J. Apa: “Little things pop up all the time.”
Luke Perry: “They will. Yeah, there’s going to be lots of little historical stuff. You know, in the first 13 episodes they were just trying to show great stories. Now it’s going to be a little more character-driven. We’ll get into that.”
Are we going to be exploring a lot more of Archie’s music in the coming episodes?
K.J. Apa: “Definitely, for sure. Archie performs a duet with an unexpected person this season as well. Yeah, I think the music element is Archie’s…he decided what his passion was over the summer and he went with it. [Exchanging a look with Luke.] He’s gutted about the football, just like my old man was gutted that I stopped playing rugby.”
He’s doing a duet with an unexpected person? Is it a character we currently know?
K.J. Apa: “Yeah.”
Luke Perry: “Well said, son. Yeah.”
It could be a him or her?
Luke Perry: “We’re not gender-specific in Riverdale. We let the men sing, the women sing. Everybody gets a little music.”
Will Fred’s relationship with Hermione (played by Marisol Nichols) continue to grow?
Luke Perry: “I hope so. There’s room there for growth. I mean, they can be friends, take long walks on the beach and stuff. All kinds of stuff…”
Will we learn more about their past together?
Luke Perry: “Yes, and certainly Alice and Fred have a past. Fred and Hal have a past. Like I said, it’s this great thing about Riverdale. You peel this onion and peel it and peel it – everybody’s got a past and we’re going to get to all of them.”
What was your reaction when you found out who the murderer was?
Luke Perry: “I couldn’t believe it. We all had the same reaction because, of course, it’s one of us. And so we were sitting there…”
K.J. Apa: “I think he couldn’t believe it.”
Luke Perry: “We’re all reading it and you flip that page and it drops on you like, ‘Oh man…Oh god!’ We can’t tell you who it was but the moment for all of us was just crazy.”
You didn’t have it figured out in advance?
Luke Perry: “No. And that’s what is so great about it; none of us did. We literally all had to turn the page and you see the reaction around the room. It was great.”
K.J. Apa: “Yeah.”
Can you see it now as you’re watching the episodes?
Luke Perry: “No.”
How many times before reading it did you think you had figured it out?
K.J. Apa: “I kind of knew. I kind of knew who it was, who the person was. I remember asking one of the writers on set and he laughed and walked away, so I immediately knew that it was that person.”
Luke Perry: “I never did because one of my favorite things about these kind of shows is the not knowing. I’m along for the mystery, too. I don’t want to know. When they’re filming stuff, I don’t go and watch. I prefer to not know.”
So then what was your reaction when you found out about the second character who’s going to die?
Luke Perry: “I felt it was too soon for them, yet at the same time they deserved it.”
K.J. Apa: “Second character question mark.”
Luke Perry: “It was too soon but they had it coming.”
Where is Archie’s relationship with Valerie (played by Hayley Law) going to go?
K.J. Apa: “Yeah, I think Archie does… That relationship was founded on the music, the musical side of it. She’s a brilliant musician and she wants to get into the musical stuff, and that’s how they kind of get their connection going. Yeah, it gets interesting between them.”
Luke Perry: “And she’s a brilliant musician – Hayley is.”
K.J. Apa: “Yeah, she is. She writes her own music as well.”
Luke Perry: “That’s what’s neat about how they put this cast together. They can all really do it, so when they do it they do it.”
Watch the full K.J. Apa and Luke Perry interview:
 and Luke Perry (Fred) interview on season one, the murderer, relationships, and Archie's music.){kind=link}