One thing that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa could never be accused of is a tireless commitment to realism. The mind behind Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s latest offering is another fever dream of a series that takes the campy-darkness of his previous work and supplants it with an unbridled optimism that sets it apart from anything on TV right now.
Tone isn’t the only thing that makes Katy Keene stand out, as it’s also the first time that a fashion comic has been adapted to the screen. The popular trend of comic books aimed at young women through the lens of the fashion industry began in the early ’40s, and Katy Keene was Archie Comics’ response to the sequential fashionista craze. Here the title character, played by Lucy Hale, is thrown into modern-day — or possibly slightly future, the timeline is unclear — New York where she works in a dreamy department store as a highly decorated assistant personal shopper. Katy’s job title might be the first hint that this is not the New York (or world) that you know, but in the case of Aguirre-Sacasa’s wish-fulfillment fairy tale, that’s the whole point.
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If you’ve ever enjoyed the Steve Gutenberg-led Village People biopic “Can’t Stop the Music” then you might have some inkling of what you’re in store for as Katy Keene follows a similarly happy, chintzy, and song-filled found-family route. Our protagonist spends her days picking out outfits for the stars and her evenings designing fabulous gowns for her peppy friends. Her roommate Jorge (Jonny Beauchamp) dreams of Broadway and bringing his drag alter-ego Ginger to the masses, her name-dropping friend Pepper (Julia Chan) is the kind of nebulous media star who seems like they’d be happier in You’s hammy version of LA, and K.O. Kelly (Zane Holtz) is Katy’s delightfully butch bouncer boyfriend who can’t get enough of the wannabe fashion designer. Katy’s real co-star here though is Riverdale alum Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) who has joined the NY dreamers as their housemate.
Fantasy, friendship, and finding yourself are the order of the day here as Katy tries to balance her life as a professional shopper and an aspiring designer to the stars. Director Maggie Kiley imbues the streets of New York with a perky glitz that feels miles away from the dark drama of Riverdale. If anything, fans of Aguirre-Sacasa’s other work might be slightly surprised by just how light and bubbly Katy Keene feels. During the first episode, the biggest conflict comes from cruel broadway directors and machiavellian department store managers, with not a serial killer, private investigator, or cult leader in sight.
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Unless you’re a fan of Riverdale’s very specific brand of musical number, you probably won’t be blown away by the rather unimaginative music of the pilot, which is best when it’s drenched in drag queen camp, or left to be played completely straight like Josie’s rendition of Spanish Harlem. Otherwise, the musical element of the show is a little bit of a let down, however it’s still early days so hopefully with a cast of this caliber and the musical-loving mind of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, that aspect will catch up to the heady heights of this very silly show.
Though the unending optimism and aspirational escapism might be too much for some viewers, there’s something that feels refreshing about a series with such a depth of sincerity and lack of cynicism. Humor, warmth, and song fill the gaps where murder and mayhem usually sit in Aguirre-Sacasa’s TV creations, while a cast of mostly loveable young people do their best to make you feel like you should be chasing that impossible dream. Your range for enjoyment of Katy Keene will probably vary depending on how much you like Lucy Hale — who is a total bundle of uncontained joy — and whether you’ve ever dreamed of making it in the big city. But even the more cynical amongst us will likely find something to love in the shiny streets of Katy’s NYC.
With Katy Keene set five years after Riverdale, it’ll be interesting to see how the connections come into play and what we learn about the small town upstate as well as why Josie left. So far, the Archie-verse hasn’t really committed to the shared universe outside of a few references and namedrops, but with Josie playing such a large part and the fact that the show is essentially a direct sequel, there’s potential for some fun crossover. Especially as Katy and co. recently made their TV debut in a special episode of the high-school drama mystery series.
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Source: IGN.com Katy Keene Series Premiere Review