Katy Keene Review: Chapter Ten: Gloria (Season 1 Episode 10)

It’s official: Kevin Keller makes everything better.

Katy Keene Season 1 Episode 10, “Chapter 10: Gloria,” brings over a familiar face from Riverdale, resulting in the series’ best episode to date. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily a good thing. 

Coming off his incredible performance in Riverdale’s latest musical episode, “Chapter Seventy Four: Wicked Little Town,” Casey Cott hops over to the big apple five years post-Riverdale timeline to share his talents with Katy Keene.

And boy, is he on a hot streak!

Cott is clearly a pro at what he does — he truly elevates every scene he’s part of, which is why it’s a shame he’s so grossly underutilized on his current show. Watching him front and center on Katy Keene, you can’t help but wonder: why not move him over in a more permanent capacity?

Kevin Keller (sans his time with The Farm) has always felt lighter than the rest of the hardened Riverdale kids but falls effortlessly in sync with the cast of this series almost immediately. 

Considering everything Kevin’s been through — which is just as much, if not more than Josie herself — he deserves to exist somewhere that can both cater to his artistic talent, and assist him in living a fulfilling life as a gay man. 

That’s something Riverdale has never provided. 

It’s disappointing watching this episode and realizing Keller is still stuck in a life that doesn’t satisfy him. It’s even more disappointing hearing he left New York City due to a case of sexual assault by a Weinstein-like opportunist (Keene’s somewhat flimsy attempt at commenting on the topical #MeToo movement).

Of course, in order for Kevin to be on Riverdale, he has to actually stay in the town of Riverdale, so teaching there five years into the future lines up with the show’s narrative, but it doesn’t make it less of a bummer.

Moving Kevin into Katy’s world undoubtedly feels like the stronger move here. It doesn’t just fit the character, it fits the actor who plays him.

It’s a delight to see Josie and Kevin in action again, a pair of friends turned siblings who actually had one of the most stable and well cared for friendships prior to this spin-off. While there’s some high key tension between the two, it’s refreshing to see these characters openly talk through their struggles, and find common ground. 

That’s not something they were gifted with on Riverdale, where people don’t stop dying or making out long enough to actually have a conversation about anything real.

There’s plenty of room for that on Katy Keene, and by the end of the episode, Kevin is in the best place we’ve seen him since Riverdale’s pilot.

He’s in sync with Josie, he’s showcasing a play he’s written (hilariously centred on Riverdale’s twisted narrative), and he’s finding peace of mind over a circumstance that’s haunted him for nearly five years.

Kevin Keller is thriving, and we love to see it.

His team-up with Pepper is brilliant, giving Pepper one of her strongest storylines yet. She’s the most likable she’s been since episode one, using her connections and power for good, and forming an instant connection with Kevin that we frankly don’t get to see enough of. 

Kevin also helps in advancing Josie’s arc, as she continues to figure out her new dynamic within the Pussycats. Without him around, Josie suppresses all memories of her hometown and lacks the ability to course-correct her past mistakes.

In fairness, Kevin’s presence isn’t the only aspect that makes “Chapter 10: Gloria,” the supreme episode of Katy Keene’s premiere season. All four of the show’s core characters are taking fresh directions in their story arcs, making each one of them worthy of a watch.

Unlike other shows on its network, Keene takes on an excellent approach to threesomes in “Chapter Nine: Wishin’ And A Hopin'” refusing to showcase any negative fall out. Instead, it attempts to normalize the outdated taboo connotations, and engrain it into social acceptability. 

The threesome itself leads Jorge down an interesting new path with his firefighter beau, and the comfortably and openness Jorge and Bernardo have while discussing their potential polygamous relationship with Buzz is enticingly refreshing. 

It’s unfortunate Keene doesn’t fully pull the trigger here, letting the polyamorous flag fly, but it does leave room to potentially return to a similar storyline in the future.

Even Katy herself is heading in a new direction, taking what could have been a one-off episode arc and curating it into what may actually be a conflict that runs through the season finale.

It’s a smart decision by the show, as matters of discrimination towards women in the workplace are not something to be taken lightly, especially in our current social climate.

For once, Katy finds herself with a problem she can’t automatically fix, plus a few more that aren’t exactly going away. Can someone say Guy LaMontagne?

Katy Keene is finally finding its flow and caring enough about its characters to take them on journeys which will cultivate longstanding developments in each of their lives. Unfortunately, too much of “Chapter 10: Gloria” credit goes to guest star Cott, who nails even the most candid of moments; including ones where he’s simply reactionary with his acting.

The presence of Kevin gives the show an extra boost of character and relies a bit too heavily on references and easter eggs surrounding Riverdale‘s mysterious looming five-year time skip.

Still, Katy Keene is growing as a series, and with it are the characters. That alone makes it a show worth rooting for. We’d just root a little harder if Kevin Keller was around. 

Riverdale Easter Eggs:

• Kevin is still in Riverdale, teaching drama at Riverdale High.
• Kevin and Veronica are still “besties.”
• In Kevin’s play, titled “La Bonne Nuit,” the character of Betty Cooper is scripted to say, “Just because someone makes a few questionable decisions in their life, doesn’t mean they’re a bad person,” referring to her current romantic plotline with Archie Andrews. 
• The play itself is set in the “fictional” town of “Creekdale.”
• Apparently, people still die and make out a lot in the town of Riverdale. 

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Katy Keene airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW. 

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