TAGGED AS: comiccon
The final day of Comic-Con typically belongs to TV, and 2019 was no different. The cast of Supernatural sent off one fan in style with a car — no, really, they gave away one of the series’ iconic Impalas — while the Riverdale cast paid tribute to their fallen costar Luke Perry. Read on for the biggest moments of those Hall H panels, plus a few more tidbits out of San Diego.
The opening moments of Riverdale‘s now-annual Hall H panel were, like the season 4 premiere, dedicated to Luke Perry.
“We suffered a huge, huge, huge loss, and it’s something that we’re going to be feeling for as long as we’re lucky enough to keep making the show,” creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told the crowd before playing a tribute video to the actor, who died in March after suffering a stroke.
The first episode will be a standalone hour paying tribute to both Perry and the character of Fred Andrews, and will include a special appearance by Perry’s friend and former Beverly Hills, 90210 castmate Shannen Doherty. Also appearing on the show this season will be Molly Ringwald, who plays Archie’s mom — and she’ll be back “more or less full time this season” rather than introduce a mysterious, never-before-heard-from uncle or something to take over the parental role.
Another special casting: Teen soap veteran Kerr Smith, a.k.a. Jack on Dawson’s Creek, who will play the new principal of Riverdale High.
K.J. Apa, Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, and Madelaine Petsch joined Aguirre-Sacasa on stage to reveal more about the season, which will include a Halloween episode where someone will die (though not someone who was present at the panel), a member of Veronica’s extended family dropping by, a battle of the bands episode, and flash-forwards to the jaw-dropping moment from the season 3 finale (with Archie, Betty, and Veronica covered in blood and burning their clothes).
Supernatural hit San Diego Comic-Con on Sunday for one last time after Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins announced earlier this year that the long-running CW series will end after its 15th season. With the end in sight, Supernatural‘s final Comic-Con panel brought all the feels, as both Winchester brothers teared up during their hour in Hall H.
“I’m really lucky because my friendships won’t go away,” Padalecki said. “And Sam Winchester, for me, won’t go away. He’ll be a part of me forever.”
Added Ackles, “I’m really proud of the work that this team has done for this long. There’s a lot that goes in and it takes a lot of very talented people to give you guys the best product we can make. I’m really proud of that product. After this long on a show … to truly love what we do and be proud to hang my hat on that, that’s one of the legacies I’m proud of. I put in the effort, we all did, nobody phones it in and I’m thankful you guys can appreciate that.”
Supernatural is the longest-running genre show on American television. That is an achievement in and of itself. The legacy the cast and crew are leaving is one people will surely celebrate for years to come.
“I hope in the future that this fandom continues to function as a family,” said Collins as the panel came to an end. “I hope that you guys continue to be a force for good and companionship in the world. You’ve been so supportive of one another and so supportive of us. We all love you guys very much.”
To pay the fans back for their decade and a half of loyalty, the guys surprised the fans at the San Diego Convention Center by giving away a fully restored 1967 Impala (a replica of the show’s beloved “Baby”).
Be part of the club. Watch the OFFICIAL TRAILER for the all-new season of Mayans M.C. Premieres 9/3 on @FXNetworks. #MayansFX pic.twitter.com/kVKk1uAqNH
— Mayans MC (@MayansFX) July 19, 2019
Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans MC might be returning to its roots: At the show’s 2019 Hall H Comic-Con panel, co-creator and showrunner Elgin James told the crowd that we’ll “for sure” see some members of the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club in season 2 of the FX drama. Also of note: The network screened the first 15 minutes of the season 2 premiere, and according to reports, the episode picks up several months after the first season finale.
Though Doctor Who sat out Comic-Con 2019, the Doctor’s presence was still felt throughout the weekend via PlayStack and Maze Theory’s Doctor Who — The Edge of Time VR game at the BBC America booth. Strapping on a headset, fans were transported to an alley reminiscent of 76 Totter’s Lane — the key location in the first ever episode of Doctor Who — where the Doctor (voiced by Jodie Whittaker) directs the user in building a device to call the TARDIS. Once it materializes, players get to fulfill the wish of every Doctor Who fan: step inside the TARDIS.
The experience is quite intuitive to video game players, but as producer Kiron Ramdewar told Rotten Tomatoes, many fans were just pleased to be in a London back alley picking up different items and working with the Sonic Screwdriver.
“One of the key differences in the game is that you do not play the Doctor,” he continued, comparing it to Maze Theory’s Iron Man game, which was also at Comic-Con. “We felt it was important fans had a Doctor Who experience alongside the Doctor.” Instead of playing the Doctor, the player takes on the companion role as the Time Lord, stranded at the end of time, aids the player in piloting the TARDIS through time and space to collect time crystals and repair the continuum. They will also run into familiar Doctor Who adversaries like the Daleks.
And it begins with that first glimpse of the TARDIS, which allows players to experience that “it’s bigger on the inside” moment for themselves; a truly palpable sensation we experienced in the demo. Scanned from the actual TARDIS console room set, the entire locale is fully interactive — including the biscuit dispenser.
Doctor Who — The Edge of Time comes to Playstation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Vive Cosmos in September.
