Riverdale teases Veronica's older sister, remembers Luke Perry at NYCC 2019

The sexy, over-the-top antics of the Riverdale teens are back at New York Comic Con for a second time — and a lot has gone down since they've been to the Big Apple. The mysteries have been solved and The Gargoyle King dealt with, but Cole Sprouse's Jughead is missing after burning his iconic hat and graduation looms as everyone becomes (gulp) seniors.

Aside from all the soapy fun, star Luke Perry (who played Archie’s dad Fred Andrews) unexpectedly passed away earlier this year. He'll be getting a standalone tribute during Riverdale's Season 4 premiere. The show's already dropped a trailer for its upcoming fourth season, but SYFY WIRE was there at NYCC when they showed off a few more snippets of footage and let the cast and creator speak about the madness to come.

While fans previously learned about everything from another musical episode to a Veronica/Cheryl team-up during the show's SDCC panel earlier this year, NYCC brought plenty of news. Actors Mädchen Amick, Marisol Nichols, Molly Ringwald, Mark Consuelos, and Skeet Ulrich joined executive producer/showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa at the panel, where they discussed what to expect from the upcoming episodes.

The sizzle reel for Riverdale S4 showed off part of Fred Andrews' funeral, a sexy shirtless ab-filled car wash, and plenty of fistfights. Molly Ringwald explained that The CW show's Perry tribute helped since she didn't get to attend his real-life memorial. "It was my goodbye," the actress said of the episode dedicated to her scene partner's death. Archie will also be helping turn his gym into more of a community center, which is especially important since it's next to the crime-filled Sketch Alley.

Episode two has a bit more of a time jump, Aguirre-Sacasa explains, as it opens on the first day of school (after the premiere episode takes places over Fourth of July weekend) where everyone's staying at Veronica's place...because her parents are in jail. The show creator also said that Ringwald's hardcore introduction to the weirdness would come during episode seven's Thanksgiving — Archie even tells his mom, "Welcome to Riverdale" after the oddball meal. The season will also explore a bit about why Mary left her son.

Episode three involves Alice going full Reservoir Dogs as she seeks revenge for the farm, according to Amick, while episode five is a big episode for the Lodges (including a trial). The adults are getting a lot of action, but not as much as they could be, according to the creator. "Every season we talk about doing a key party episode" with the adults, said Aguirre-Sacasa, but it hasn't happened yet. But that doesn't mean there isn't any tension. "When and if Alice escapses the farm, she'll be living in the same house as FP," the creator said. "Berry kind of lives there too." As for the kids, we'll be meeting Veronica's older sister Hermosa (played by Mishel Prada) this season, who has a different mother than her sister but is just as scheming.

This casting news is just one of the exciting things coming down the pike when Riverdale returns on Oct. 9.

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