The CW’s Riverdale season 4 casts Ryan Robbins as Frank Andrews, Fred’s older brother. For Riverdale fans who knew Luke Perry as the beloved Fred Andrews, the immediate question of how the show would continue without him surfaced when Perry died earlier this year. Creator and showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa wants to keep the spirit of Fred Andrews alive in season 4. The premiere paid tribute to Perry with a tearful goodbye to the beloved character of Fred Andrews.
Riverdale season 4 begins with Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa) and the gang celebrating Fourth of July at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, but then Archie gets a call that changes his life forever. In the season premiere, Fred Andrews’ death is caused by a hit-and-run driver after fixing a flat tire for a stranger, played by Perry’s fellow 90210 actor Shannen Doherty. The loss of Fred inspired an emotional response from Archie during the season premiere, but in the second episode, there’s a time jump to the Riverdale gang’s first day of senior year and the story will continue moving forward without Perry.
Now, Deadline has confirmed that Riverdale season 4 will introduce Fred Andrews’ older brother Frank Andrews, as played by Robbins. According to Deadline, Frank is a “blue collar, former high school football star - tough, brash, and charming,” who likes to get himself into trouble. Frank joined the army to search for his identify after living in the shadows of his little brother, Fred, since he was born. Robbins confirmed he’s playing Frank Andrews on Riverdale via Twitter, saying how bittersweet the role is to him. You can check out his post in the space below.
Robbins is best known for starring in the WGN America TV series Pure. His other credits include Arrow, Deadly Spin, and The X-Files. Though based on his character description, it seems Frank will bring some charm to Riverdale in season 4, it will be interesting to see how his storyline will deal with the trauma of living in the shadow of his little brother, especially since that brother is now gone. It may also create a unique dynamic of how Archie will deals with his uncle and his own grief over Fred’s death. Plus, with Frank having served in the Army, he may be dealing with more than just grief over Fred. In a way, Archie and Frank may have some similarities in that losing their tempers causes them to get into trouble.
There is a possibility that Frank could be Archie’s new legal guardian, since that was a big question among fans after the death of Perry. Currently, Archie’s mom Mary Andrews (Molly Ringwald) has been looking after him since moving back to Riverdale from Chicago. But Mary could now have an excuse to leave again if all things go well with Frank. Fans can expect Robbins’ Frank Andrews to show up during Riverdale season 4 episode 9.
More: Riverdale Season 4 Cast & Character Guide
New episodes of Riverdale air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
Source: Deadline
