Who would have thought Katy Keene Season 1 Episode 3 – a belated Valentine’s edition of the series — would conclude with Katy and K.O. ending their relationship?
Not me. If you watch Katy Keene online, you know that Katy is bursting at the seams with optimism. Her aim has been to keep her and K.O. together despite their respective dreams pulling them further apart.
Despite the relationship seeming perfect from the outside, there were some deeply-rooted issues behind closed doors.
Katy has the drive to please those closest to her. She’s a kind soul who wants everyone to get along and to be the best version of herself. I appreciated the show addressing the fact that Katy was not honest with herself.
K.O. showing up at Lacy’s battered and bruised during one of the most important nights of the year was one thing, but Katy lied to him about why she was there in the first place.
If they survived all those years in their relationship without lying to each other, then now was not the time to start. The issue between them is that they can’t support each of their dreams while chasing their own.
It’s a tale as old as time, but these two will find each other down the line. This is a temporary pause to allow them to see what’s out there and to press on with their careers away from the confines of a relationship.
Josie: The kitchen is on fire.
K.O.: Call 911!
Katy Keene is showing more mature relationships than Riverdale, and that’s something I will always be thankful for.
Katy needs to focus on her career in her two positions at Lacy’s and think about whether returning to education would be a good fit for her. What should have been an inspiring night for Katy wound up being one of her worst.
Her relationship with K.O. started when she was 16, and you never meet someone like your first love, but Katy will probably breathe a sigh of relief down the line when they inevitably meet up again.
K.O. was struggling to adapt to being in the apartment full-time. He didn’t have the same conversations as Jorge and Josie and felt like he was constantly in the way.
In my next life, I want your optimism.
Jorge
Almost setting the apartment on fire was a big no-no, but how was he to know the stove was used as storage for Jorge’s wigs?
The truth is, K.O. tried to make the best of a bad situation — even if he couldn’t shake the feeling that moving in with Katy was a consolation prize.
Zane Holtz is attached to the series as a regular, so there’s little chance the character disappears off the face of the earth.
Instead, his next arc will probably revolve around him and Katy navigating their relationship as friends.
It will make for great TV. That’s for sure.
Jorge’s relationship with Buzz was always destined for disaster. Jorge felt like a dirty little secret because Buzz was worried about coming out to his lawyer friends.
Katy: Do you want me to beg?
Gloria: I’d prefer a good grovel.
For Jorge, that was difficult to handle, especially after only meeting in the dead of night for over a year. Bernardo appreciates Jorge for who he is, and isn’t afraid to show that in public.
That was part of the initial attraction between them, but it seems there are still uncharted waters for Jorge and Buzz to travel.
Look for Buzz to pop up again down the line, forcing Jorge to choose who is the right man for him. There was so much pain behind Jorge’s eyes when he realized Buzz was not showing up at Molly’s to watch him perform as Ginger.
Thankfully, Jorge has a great group of friends who will help him every step of the way.
I laughed out loud at Josie’s comment about burying Buzz in Riverdale, where the body will never be found. The nods to the parent series have been great!
Katy: I’m going to kill Buzz.
Pepper: Me too.
Josie: I’ll help, and then we’ll bury his body in Riverdale where he’ll never be found.
Josie’s relationship with Alexander hit a major snag, and I’m not surprised. Their relationship has been built on lies from the get-go. Alexander swept Josie off her feet with claims of making her a star.
She’s always going to hold some resentment for that, but the Cabots pulling the trigger and taking on the songwriter Josie found is only further going to divide Josie and Alexander.
Alexander should have taken the hint when Josie told him she could not make the dinner at his place. He should have given her the space to do what she wanted to do.
Ambushing her at the record store further proved why this pairing is not going to work. Admittedly, Josie is loving the attention and thinks this is the strongest connection she’s had with a love interest since good old Archie Andrews.
But Alexander is all brawn and no brains. He’s easy on the eyes, but this is not going to last if he keeps trying to overstep.
Which brings me to Pepper. She remains the weak link in an otherwise robust ensemble. The issue I have with her is that, rather than living within her means, she manipulated a man who wanted to pay her for sex to get $20,000 worth of stuff fro Lacy’s only to return.
While I agree that the man was a piece of work, how long can she realistically keep up this ruse when that wad of cash will only pay for the heating in the building?
There’s still the stage, walls, and everything in between to consider. For me to care about Pepper as part of the narrative, we need her to become a three-dimensional character.
I get that we’re only three episodes in, but there’s so much more to like about the other characters now.
“What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” was the best episode of the series to date. The show is finally introducing conflict for the key players, and that’s always welcome.
What do you think of the breakdown of Katy and K.O.’s relationship? Are you as frustrated with Pepper as I am?
Hit the comments below.
Katy Keene airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.