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Katy Keene Discussion: Katy makes a semi-disastrous relationship choice
The main theme of Katy Keene is growing up and the mistakes that are often made along the way. Our heroine is doing her best to make it in New York City, and despite her hard work and forward-thinking, sometimes she gets a bit off track, especially when romance (or at the very least booty calls) is involved.
In Episode 6, "Mama Said," Katy is juggling potential suitors, Pepper is still a con artist, Josie is dealing with her disapproving mother's visit, and Jorge is trying to be the best pageant queen he can be. Everyone is doing their best and looking fabulous at the same time.
We're Alyssa Fikse and Jessica Toomer, and we're here to break down every misadventure and romantic mistake on Katy Keene.
Warning: This discussion contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 6 of Katy Keene.
Rebounds and Reunions
Jessica: Katy’s still wearing her Nancy Drew hat this episode, investigating her mom’s ties to Lacys with Gloria’s help but she doesn’t have long to ponder her mother’s double life because Prince Errol and Patricia are back for an engagement photoshoot. A department store, even one as historic and classy as Lacys, is not the venue I’d choose for something like this but, alas, plot. The prince and his missus seem to be going through a rough patch: he wants to chuck the status quo and do his own thing, she wants to impress his family with how elegant and royal she can look, and of course, it’s up to Katy to mend the rift. Seriously, this couple should be paying her to be their unofficial marriage counselor at this point. Too bad Katy can’t fix whatever’s going on with Josie and Alex. She’s into him, sure, but the truth about her arrangement with his dad is bound to come out, probably at the worst possible time.
Alyssa: Katy is dealing with a lot this episode. She dropped off her application to Parsons fashion school, but she doesn’t even get a moment to enjoy it. Jorge is in crisis mode because he has to enter a drag pageant in an attempt to keep his primo time slot at Molly’s Crisis, and there is a drag queen named Deveraux determined to bring him down. Luckily, Jorge’s mother is still an angel and she has a pageant queen background and is determined to help her son. It’s all very sweet. You’re definitely right about Josie and Alex — that is just messy with a capital M. I was a little taken aback that they decided to almost start shifting Patricia to villain mode with this engagement photoshoot. I liked the bond that she and Katy were building as everywomen in glamorous lives, but I’m guessing that camaraderie is not going to last now that… well, we’ll get to that.
Jessica: Patricia does not deserve any of this and honestly, it made me rethink just how dreamy Prince Errol really is. Dude, if you can’t see that your fiance is acting out of character because she’s worried about impressing your family and being seen as common trash to your royal pals, you need a lesson in reading social cues. Still, Katy manages to find a compromise for the pair and score the hot photog’s number so it’s a win-win … for now. Meanwhile, Josie’s mom finally arrives. Man, do I love Robin Givens and though I haven’t always been a fan of Mayor McCoy on Riverdale, she felt like a breath of fresh air this episode. Count on mom to give it to you straight. She takes Josie shopping, insults the apartment’s color scheme, and questions her daughter’s decision to hook up with the guy mixing her album, who also happens to be the son of the guy paying for her EP. We all need this kind of tough love once in a while.
Alyssa: Yes! I am not a Riverdale watcher, so I went into this episode without any knowledge of Mayor McCoy, but now I’m honestly obsessed. She ramped up the drama of her performance all the way to 11 and I loved it. Josie is sweet, but she isn’t being the wisest about her career choices, so I am glad that her mom is here to be real with her about her options. I know that you’re officially old when you start agreeing with the parents on teen shows over the teens (I know they aren’t teens on this show but you know what I mean), so it might be time for me to start checking out the Denny’s early bird special. Listen to your mother, Josie! The Cabots are bad news, and I shared Katy’s concern when she saw K.O. hanging around Xandra. That girl is trouble and loves to stir the pot, as evidenced in this episode when she reveals Josie’s contract with their dad to Alex. Shockingly, he does not react well to the news that his dad is paying his girlfriend to babysit him.
One Queen To Rule Them All
Jessica: Before we get into the drama that is the Cabot family — with all their incest and thinly-veiled grudge-holding — a quick Pepper update is in order. She’s still crashing at her warehouse, still hooking up with her filmmaker boy toy, and still evading the police. She does find a silver-lining though after an afternoon quickie. Turns out, Raj has a rich Nanima (grandma) who disinherited him after he chose Tisch and tasteful gay porn over a return trip to India. If Pepper can bring these two back together, she might have a solid investor in her Pepper Plant. While she does some scheming and screwing, Katy attends Josie’s listening party with her plus one. He’s hot, but isn’t everyone on this show? Josie’s outfit is fire, her mom is having a good time, and all seems to be going well until Alex shows up wasted and ready to make a scene. Girl, if you like managing temper tantrums, go work at a daycare! He calls Josie out for making a deal with his dad before storming off, leaving her to perform a particularly sad number before her mom doles out some more maternal wisdom: when people show you who they really are, pay attention. For some reason, I doubt Josie will take this truth to heart.
Alyssa: Josie is a mix of ambition and naivete, so I’m glad that her mom is there to threaten Mr. Cabot and give her some boy advice. She’s right about Alex — that boy is messy even when he’s sober — but turning down a hot dude that’s into you isn’t always the easiest feat, especially when his dad is funding your dream. What a tangled web we do weave. Katy leaves the party with the hot photographer, but it’s pretty clear that she isn’t feeling it. She really only asked him out as a reaction to seeing K.O. with Xandra, and the chemistry just isn’t there. Who among us hasn’t pulled the ripcord on a date after a particularly terrible kiss? Katy’s back home and taking stock of the night with Pepper and Jorge when she gets a surprise visitor.
Jessica: It’s, who else, the prince. He’s called off the engagement after just one tense photoshoot and he starts unloading his relationship drama on Katy who, surprisingly, feels bad for him? Like, I get that you’re both going through things, and both of your moms died, but the dude just called the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with a rebound. Katy, check yourself. Instead, she invites him to Jorge’s drag pageant at Molly’s. He mentions something about making a scene, Jorge gives him a hat. Problem solved. I do love the carefree plot-solving on this show. Ginger struggles during the first half of the competition, giving cringe-worthy speeches during a Q&A, tripping in heels, and letting her nemesis Devereaux get the better of her, but count on Beyonce to take this queen from tragedy to triumph.
Alyssa: Jorge’s storyline this week was definitely my favorite, partially because it gave us more Francois! Yes, Lacy’s finest is legendary drag queen Ve Ve Humble, host of the drag pageant. It’s a great time. Ginger doesn’t win the pageant, but he still has his mom’s heart, so it’s all very sweet even if he gets a crappy time slot at Molly’s Crisis. Feels a little wrong since he works there, but life isn’t always fair, even on Katy Keene. Katy and Prince Errol get awfully friendly, and he is wowed by how fun her life is. Being royalty isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be (just ask Meghan Markle), so the prince is wowed by the fact that Katy and her friends can just be themselves. He’s going through an identity crisis because his fianceé likes diamonds now, so he decides that the best thing to do is hook up with Katy instead of dealing with his break up. Smart.
Royally Screwed
Jessica: Prince Harry this dude is not. The two get hot and heavy, Katy gets a royal grilling about it from her friends the next day. It all seems pretty harmless until KO shows up at Katy’s door to get his stuff. The two obviously still care about each other and Katy learns KO’s just working for Xandra as a bodyguard/boxing coach. She gets an emergency call from Gloria before they can hash things out. Meanwhile, Pepper comes clean to Raj who takes it fairly well, Jorge has a meeting with Francois who offers to be his fairy dragmother, and Josie makes amends with Alex. All seems to be well again. Until it’s not.
Alyssa: It’s definitely not. While it might seem like the worst thing coming out of this hookup was Katy’s regret once she realized that K.O. wasn’t seeing someone new. No, the bombshell is that while Prince Errol claims that he broke up with Patricia, Patricia doesn’t seem to know that. Katy arrives at Lacy’s and Gloria seems put out — is this about Katy asking about her mom’s work at Lacy’s (Gloria definitely knows more than she’s saying there)? Do they somehow know that she made the beast with two backs with the Prince? No, Patricia wants Katy to design her wedding dress. Yikes. Prince Errol looks appropriately sheepish, but the damage is done. What. A. Mess.
Jessica: Katy should know better than to do the horizontal mambo with a client, especially a royal twat like Errol who has even worse decision-making skills than The Bachelor’s Peter Webber. Obviously, most of the blame falls with him — and the writers for turning such a sweet love story into this awkward disaster that makes everyone in this throuple look bad — but Katy’s smarter than this. You want a random hook-up? Go on Tinder like everyone else!
What's Next
Alyssa: Is Katy smarter than this? I’m not sure we’ve been given sufficient evidence to make that kind of claim. Katy is definitely in a bit of a freefall right now. Between searching for answers about her mom, waiting to hear back from Parsons, and now having to design the dress for her latest hookup’s girlfriend, she has a lot on her plate. Her attempts to buckle down and focus on work haven’t gone particularly well in the past, but she really should try again soon, instead of hooking up with vaguely English princes who aren’t honest about their relationship status.
Jessica: Preach. The best thing for everyone on this show would be to focus on their careers and not on romance. Casual hookups are fine but, and I cannot emphasize this enough, they must be CASUAL! Still, I’m interested to see how Katy worms her way out of this disaster and what she uncovers about her mom’s time at Lacys. There has to be more to that story, no?
