'Katy Keene' Episode 2: Josie, Jorge and Pepper struggle to make their Big Apple dreams a reality
This article contains spoilers for 'Katy Keene' Season 1
The premiere of 'Katy Keene' last week saw K.O. Kelly (Zane Holtz) propose to his fashionista girlfriend Katy and while this episode picks up with the proposal scene, it also brought the other three lead characters' interesting narratives to the fore. Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray), walks the bustling streets of the Big Apple in search for a job that would help her afford her rent, Jorge Lopez (Jonny Beauchamp) longs for a stage to perform on Broadway and Pepper Smith (Julia Chan) takes a day off her gossip columnist job to make her dream of the 'The Pepper Plant' come true.
Since the series is set five years after the events of 'Riverdale', Josie has made her way from the murder capital of the world to New York City. Trying to make her wish-upon-a-star dreams come true, she had stumbled upon Alexander Cabot (Lucien Laviscount) on her first day in the city. While he believed in her, her snob of a sister Alexandra Cabot (Camille Hyde), the VP of Cabot Entertainment denied Josie's obvious talent. Josie, who decides to run away from the toxic siblings finds herself in the midst of their drama again but this time, she was trying to save one of New York's relics.
Picking up a job at an old classic record store, she finds herself in her happy place, only to find out from Mr Chubby, the owner that the landlord had hiked the rent, and so they have two weeks to pack up and bounce. Refusing to let a piece of the city's history fall to rumbles, she asks the only rich and famous person she knows in New York to help - Alexander Cabot. Since, he seems to be romantically interested in Josie, as we saw in the first episode, he quickly agrees.
But, as Josie says, the drama with the Cabot siblings is worse than the drama between the Blossom siblings in 'Riverdale.' While that was a hilarious tribute, she was absolutely right. Being the VP, Alexandra now owns the record store and her vile nature isn't suited for such a subtle piece of New York's magic.
Meanwhile, Jorge aka Ginger Lopez when in drag attire, auditions for the Broadway musical of 'Cats'. Unfortunately, because of his outburst at a director in his previous audition, he's been blacklisted. After trying out for a gig on a tour that would give him scope and opportunity, Jorge gets the part and has to leave the city the next day. His dream though is Broadway and his life is in New York, so maybe this tour wasn't worth leaving everything he knows behind. While performing for the last time as Ginger Lopez, he has an epiphany and realizes he's running away from the hardcore 'no's' he's been getting at auditions, he's running away because he's scared.
With his friends and a very supportive former Rockette as a mother, he decides to stay back and chase his Broadway dreams instead.
Misery loves the company of course, and so the trio's friend Pepper Smith, a gossip columnist dreams of a place where artists from far and wide can rejoice in their talent. With her quick wit and new love interest, she is able to secure a warehouse to open up 'The Pepper Plan'. All that's left now, is to convince rich bored people to invest.
Tying in the vibes of 'Gossip Girl' and 'The Carrie Diaries', the show has decided to take on a lighter note with struggles sprinkled into the characters' narratives. Unlike the two other Archiverse' shows 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and 'Riverdale', this spin-off keeps the comics alive all the way from Katy Keene's sparkling eyes to Alexandra Cabot's white streak on black hair.
'Katy Keene' airs Thursdays at 8 pm EST on The CW.
