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| Scene from Katy Keene |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
As far as network shows go, there's nothing as crazy as the world that Riverdale has built. What started as a show that sought to turn the cutesy 50s-style comic into an adaptation full of sex and violence has become a phenomenon spanning both The CW and a spin-off on Netflix with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The flagship series has slowly been turning network TV into something darker for the teen dramas out there. Nancy Drew came back with similar results, only this time adding more fantasy elements. With all this in mind, it's quite something to know that their second spin-off, the first with deliberate ties to Riverdale, is far from the seedy murders that they're known for. In fact, it's almost difficult to think that they take place within the same universe.
This isn't a bad thing, as Katy Keene is a welcomed addition to the world of teen dramas. Having made her debut on an episode of Riverdale the day prior, Katy (Lucy Hale) is a fashion-forward relative of Veronica Lodge who decides to room with co-star Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray). The formula from there is prototypical spin-off material. Even if the audience is introduced to this New York through the eyes of Katy, it's clear that the series wants to quickly establish its connections. Josie is looking for a music career and meets Katy as she's moving into the city. There's so much optimism as Katy presents her narrative in a Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw-type voice-over that makes the world sound much more optimistic and full of potential. Then again, a show like this has no other reason to exist. As Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" plays, it's the cliche debut to a series clearly playing with the checkmarks.
Supporting character Jorge (Jonny Beauchamp) is introduced to Josie as Katy says "You're going to love him." It may be a moment between two characters, but it's one of many moments that feels like Katy Keen addressing the audience directly. By deliberately establishing intent, it hopes to get to the point quicker and in unsubtle ways. Josie finds a music career simply by walking up to a guitarist in the park and singing "There's a Rose in Spanish Harlem." There's no slow build. Maybe that's the point. This is all establishment and there's no time for formalities. What is important will be the future. Even then, it all feels a bit too pat, as if the writers are forcing opinions of characters onto the audience in a fashion meant to be clever.
Of course, Katy Keene is capable of rising above this. The show focuses on Katy as a person living in New York, pursuing a job in the fashion industry as she deals with high-end clients and finds the social life to be remarkable. Remember Jorge? He's also a drag queen named Ginger Lopez. Jorge wants to be on Broadway and, when an audition goes wrong, he defiantly says that the rejecting theater director will one day know his name. It's all again a bit too pat, but if it gets the show to somewhere bigger, then so be it. Katy gives up her safe job for a fashion icon in order to pursue a job with people who treat her right. It's fair enough, as the audience is taught to like the supporting cast and sympathize with glamor divas like Katy as they become underwhelmed by the opportunities of following the elites. They're still dying to be in that life, but they want to do it their way.
This show hits all of the familiar patterns necessary for the show to work. It doesn't necessarily do anything revolutionary with them, but through a story that establishes character, it presents a different side of Riverdale's atmosphere. In fact, it's refreshing to find a world that isn't immediately plagued with the sometimes unbearable darkness. Here it's more of a story regarding independent women trying to make it in the big city. The glitz and glamor are all an excellent tapestry to the show, and it helps that Hale gives the show an engaging protagonist capable of making any big reveal feel more jubilant than it is. This is a show that already knows what it is and hopefully will only continue to grow from there. The fact that there are humor and personality also helps. While a lot of things may be a bit too convenient at times, the chemistry exuded by the cast is positive. It makes such hokey moments as Katy watching Ginger stand up for herself feel like the start of something special despite being no more than another telegraphed moment from the writers.
Is the show something special? In certain ways, it's a hodgepodge of ideas from better shows. Even the choice to play "Welcome to New York" gives a familiarity that doesn't help things. With that said, the show has already proven it capable of standing on its own against Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina with a story that is likely to become more independent of its source material, showing just how diverse the world of Archie Comics can go. Maybe one day these shows could even compete in terms of quality, though it feels like things will only continue to mold from here, building a TV universe on par with CW's superhero Arrowverse. For any fault it has as another teen drama, it makes up for with a cast that feels more cohesive than most other CW shows currently going on. It defies following trends in favor of making something different. Let's hope it stays that way.
This isn't a bad thing, as Katy Keene is a welcomed addition to the world of teen dramas. Having made her debut on an episode of Riverdale the day prior, Katy (Lucy Hale) is a fashion-forward relative of Veronica Lodge who decides to room with co-star Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray). The formula from there is prototypical spin-off material. Even if the audience is introduced to this New York through the eyes of Katy, it's clear that the series wants to quickly establish its connections. Josie is looking for a music career and meets Katy as she's moving into the city. There's so much optimism as Katy presents her narrative in a Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw-type voice-over that makes the world sound much more optimistic and full of potential. Then again, a show like this has no other reason to exist. As Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" plays, it's the cliche debut to a series clearly playing with the checkmarks.
Supporting character Jorge (Jonny Beauchamp) is introduced to Josie as Katy says "You're going to love him." It may be a moment between two characters, but it's one of many moments that feels like Katy Keen addressing the audience directly. By deliberately establishing intent, it hopes to get to the point quicker and in unsubtle ways. Josie finds a music career simply by walking up to a guitarist in the park and singing "There's a Rose in Spanish Harlem." There's no slow build. Maybe that's the point. This is all establishment and there's no time for formalities. What is important will be the future. Even then, it all feels a bit too pat, as if the writers are forcing opinions of characters onto the audience in a fashion meant to be clever.
Of course, Katy Keene is capable of rising above this. The show focuses on Katy as a person living in New York, pursuing a job in the fashion industry as she deals with high-end clients and finds the social life to be remarkable. Remember Jorge? He's also a drag queen named Ginger Lopez. Jorge wants to be on Broadway and, when an audition goes wrong, he defiantly says that the rejecting theater director will one day know his name. It's all again a bit too pat, but if it gets the show to somewhere bigger, then so be it. Katy gives up her safe job for a fashion icon in order to pursue a job with people who treat her right. It's fair enough, as the audience is taught to like the supporting cast and sympathize with glamor divas like Katy as they become underwhelmed by the opportunities of following the elites. They're still dying to be in that life, but they want to do it their way.
This show hits all of the familiar patterns necessary for the show to work. It doesn't necessarily do anything revolutionary with them, but through a story that establishes character, it presents a different side of Riverdale's atmosphere. In fact, it's refreshing to find a world that isn't immediately plagued with the sometimes unbearable darkness. Here it's more of a story regarding independent women trying to make it in the big city. The glitz and glamor are all an excellent tapestry to the show, and it helps that Hale gives the show an engaging protagonist capable of making any big reveal feel more jubilant than it is. This is a show that already knows what it is and hopefully will only continue to grow from there. The fact that there are humor and personality also helps. While a lot of things may be a bit too convenient at times, the chemistry exuded by the cast is positive. It makes such hokey moments as Katy watching Ginger stand up for herself feel like the start of something special despite being no more than another telegraphed moment from the writers.
Is the show something special? In certain ways, it's a hodgepodge of ideas from better shows. Even the choice to play "Welcome to New York" gives a familiarity that doesn't help things. With that said, the show has already proven it capable of standing on its own against Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina with a story that is likely to become more independent of its source material, showing just how diverse the world of Archie Comics can go. Maybe one day these shows could even compete in terms of quality, though it feels like things will only continue to mold from here, building a TV universe on par with CW's superhero Arrowverse. For any fault it has as another teen drama, it makes up for with a cast that feels more cohesive than most other CW shows currently going on. It defies following trends in favor of making something different. Let's hope it stays that way.
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