Katy Keene Season 1 Episode 1 Review: A Dream Come True
Paul Dailly
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Becoming famous is not an easy task, but if Katy Keene Season 1 Episode 1 is to be believed, then tenacity pays off.
Katy Keene is a young woman who is desperately trying to live up to her potential, and she feels like the only way to do that is to make waves in a New York department store.
It's a compelling direction for a character we met on Riverdale Season 4 Episode 12, and through her eyes, it's clear were going to be taken on a wild ride as Katy and her merry band of friends battle to make their dreams come true.
Katy is a developed character who is written well, and her quarrels with Gloria made for great TV. Katy wants to be the best version of herself, and part of that involves making the right calls in sensitive situations.
Gloria punishing Katy for promoting her own work to the Prince and his love interest was not surprising in the slightest, but Gloria would have been wise to learn the full story before shunning Katy to the stock room.
Despite the hurdles, Katy knows how to make the best of bad situations, and I appreciated that she got a much-needed win when she got a new job in the department store, one that meant she did not need to answer to Gloria.
Gloria pegging Katy as an opportunist for her actions was par for the course. It looked bad, but when you have royalty in the store, you need to adapt your skillset to their individual needs.
For a city that never sleeps, New York has a lot of dreamers.
Katy
The aim of the game is to upsell, and if someone makes conversation with you, you use that as a means to build rapport.
Of course, Katy was upset that she didn't get the title she hoped. She was promised the personal shopper position, and she excelled in her trial to the point that she the two people left the store yelling her praises.
Let's hope Katy gets a much-needed boost in the right direction on Katy Keene Season 1 Episode 2 because it's highly likely Gloria and her one-note minion will probably be out for blood.
Katy and her gang being in the department store when they were not supposed to be was a bad idea, but it proved that risks reap the big reward. There's no way Katy would have been able to snag the opportunity offered to her if she didn't take that risk.
Another aspect of Katy's life that was thrilling was her relationship with K.O. Relationship drama may take center stage on the show's sister series, Riverdale, but Katy and K.O. managed to work through something in an adult way that could divide them.
Josie: I did meet a guy who works for a record label. He wants to meet tomorrow to go over some of my songs.
Katy: I don't want you going alone.
Josie: I am from Riverdale, it is the murder capital of the world. I'll be fine.
Katy's dream since birth has been to be a dominant force on the fashion scene, while K.O. is all about taking his boxing career to the next level. They spent several years together, and the thought of being apart as they follow their respective dreams was too much.
The way K.O. was supportive of Katy made him even more attractive in my book. He sacrificed an opportunity offered to him because Katy is on the cusp of reaching her dreams. That takes a lot, and he has to be commended for it.
K.O.'s time will come when he least expects it, much like it did for Katy.
The immediate success story was the transplant of Riverdale's Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy. The writers had no clue what to do with the character on Riverdale, so allowing her to spread her wings in a new city was the best foot forward.
I'm not sold on her relationship with Alexander. Off the bat, he made her think her dreams were going to come true overnight, while simultaneously failing to tell her that the company he works for was not actively working with artists.
He gave Josie so much false hope that she was distraught. It was horrible to watch, and if the show plans on keeping Lucien Laviscount around, they need to make him more likable .
He emerged from the shadows to sweep Josie off her feet, only to leave her high and dry by the final act. It was a harsh welcome to New York for Josie, but at least Veronica had lined up some friends for her.
I've been thinking about moving to New York for a while, and now I'm here to make all of my dreams come true.
Josie
Jorge is a thrilling character, who will not be boxed into a lane by anyone as evidenced by the way he dressed as his alter ego Ginger Lopez to get a second chance at an audition.
He was discounted from the jump because of the way he looked, and he wanted to prove there was more to acting than looks.
It's difficult to get that message across to casting directors who correlate acting ability with looks, but there's something about this storyline that feels like it will be popping up again before long.
Pepper seems like she has it all, and those are usually the characters that have the most to hide. The way she talked about all of her connections made me want to stop watching altogether.
Katy: Josie!
Josie: Katy Keene!
For now, she's a one-dimensional shell of a character. We need to learn more about her past and whether she's hiding things.
For a series premiere, Katy Keene established a beautiful world with colorful characters, but there was little mystery.
Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina thrive on mysteries, but Katy Keene is a much lighter offering.
Will you continue watching?
What did you think of Katy's demotion and promotion? Which character is your favorite? Are you glad K.O. was happy to sacrifice his career progression for Katy?
Hit the comments.
Katy Keene continues Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
