After a break of a few weeks, we return to see Katy Keene and friends follow their dreams into fairy tales, though this time a bit separately rather than have their journeys woven together throughout.
We begin with Katy, telling the tale of how her mom used to give her a penny to make a wish into a fountain and it was always the same dream: to be a fashion designer. But to be a great designer, you have to work for one first and she is working for one now: under Guy LaMontagne as his latest apprentice. Everything was perfect, she still worked at Lacy’s under Gloria and now on the eighth floor as an apprentice atelier under Guy, but was Katy perfect enough to live up to her dream? Read on to find out what happens to Katy, Josie, Pepper, and Jorge on this week’s Katy Keene.
Katy begins her day being greeted by Amanda, celebrating her apprenticeship over champagne with Gloria and the other personal shoppers of Gloria’s girls. Amanda tries to tell her goodbye, however Katy bursts that bubble as she will still be there part-time. Working with Guy is an unpaid internship after all. Gloria pulls Katy aside to warn her the people Guy fires tend to vanish from the fashion world, and that she will not be around to clean up her mess-ups anymore. Katy reminds Gloria that she will do her best to keep Guy happy and you can’t vanish before you even appear.
Katy shows up for her first day as Guy’s apprentice when a woman shows up in his warehouse to insist on five completed pieces he is contractually obligated to. As he is working on one piece, he sharply insists that he cannot focus due to Katy’s outfit being covered in hearts: something his nemesis at Gucci uses. He then sends Katy home to change where she vents to Pepper that her day was a disaster and they discern that Guy is a control freak, much like Katy. Katy balks at the idea, but Pepper points out that she dresses her anxiety up in hearts and smiles while Guy is bottled up in all those turtlenecks. During this, Pepper’s phone alerts are sounding off repeatedly from a random Twitter account who began a hashtag to get under her skin. Katy asks her to leave it alone, however Pepper likely will not. Pepper also tells Katy that Guy had a meltdown previously at a “30 under 30” photo shoot when his then-apprentice delivered an imperfect dress and J-Lo wore Gucci instead. That apprentice now works at a retail store in Harlem.
Katy decides to make herself indispensable by toning down her wardrobe, and revamping the studio a bit for Guy, which was a mistake. He asks her to simply do as she is told and not disrupt a system of ten years. Katy then approaches the woman who had insisted on the five completed pieces, finding out that she is the CFO and his sister. She tells Katy that her brother is tough, be tougher. Katy is told to make full afternoon tea. While she asks for something design related, he wants her to do a lace applique with an overcast stitch. She can handle it, Katy can do that in her sleep, easily, right? Late into the night, after many times Guy passes by Katy and rips her stitching apart, he takes the applique from her and she runs to the women’s lounge on Gloria’s floor, into Gloria herself. She tells Katy not to give him another excuse to torture her, and to remember what happened to Sleeping Beauty when she pricked her finger? She forgot herself and slept for twenty years, reminding Katy to not lose herself in this process.
Katy returns upstairs to the drawing table to see Guy and Gal talking about the fifth dress for the collection, and he has thrown away countless sketches that were “perfect,” all he needs to do is sleep on it and he will be ready to finish the last look. Katy scoops a design off the top of the trash can and has a brilliant idea already. Katy goes rogue making the design herself, risking being blacklisted from the entire fashion industry! She has the dress ready to go when Guy walks in the next morning and he is upset to see his design not only executed but manipulated. Gal walks in and sees it before they have the chance to trash it for Gloria’s showing, and Guy insists Katy be there for the fallout. As Gloria reviews the collection she is impressed by the entire collection, except the one Katy made, pointing out that it was the color blocking that threw it off from the rest. Katy returns to the studio to collect her things assuming she is fired from her apprenticeship, however Guy notes that her overcast stitch is now perfected and that alone is reason enough to stay. Further, the people who make it in the industry are the ones who do not give up, because its not about talent, it’s about resilience and staying the course. Katy thinks to herself, “The thing about a fairytale is, once it begins you don’t want it to end. But what if suddenly, you’re the one who’s locked in a tower?”
Josie’s story began with her moving to New York to become a musician, to get signed, and create an album. That was her dream more than anything, and she had told Katy and others that on more than one occasion. She was able to meet the perfect guy and the best friends anyone could ask for (if Katy did say so herself) right from the start, and she got her EP deal. However, eventually, that magic would start to wear off. We see Josie and Raj filming a documentary for Alex, to record the process of finding her new band for the Pussycats by order of Mr. Cabot. As Josie states, “When Mr. Cabot says to get your band back together, you get your band back together.” Josie feels like part of her is moving backwards rather than focusing on what matters, but she is older and different now. Nervous about the auditions, she and Raj head off to find the new bandmates, but she and Alex walk into his father with two Cabot models in Pussycat ears who need auto-tune.
Neither of the girls can sing, or play instruments. Josie refuses to work with them and will still hold auditions. Alex does not think it’s a good idea and is torn between his girlfriend and his father. He does show to support Josie the next day though. They meet a drummer, a few off-key singers, and Cricket, who runs off stage due to fear but has an amazing voice. Ginger also makes an appearance at the auditions to get screen time in case the documentary turns into the next Paris is Burning. Josie hears Cricket later in the bathroom and eases her fears, offering her a spot in the band. Alex is upset Josie gave the spot to Cricket because she couldn’t perform on stage, but Josie says they will work with her to get here there. After discussion with Alex, they offer the other spot to Trula, the drummer from the auditions.
During the documentary, Raj interviews Pepper for her take on Josie and her alerts are still being intrusive. Someone by the name of Hannah Melvey is besmirching Pepper and she has had enough, dragging Alex into a photo to post in retaliation. At rehearsals however the girls click well and sound great. Alex feels good about the Pussycat swap until his father walks in. Josie says they’re not going anywhere and she would rather start over and stay true to herself than compromise her integrity or that of her band. Raj is still recording. Mr. Cabot tells Alex that he just wants his son to succeed and to leave Josie behind, that she’s not it, and to find a new project and move on. Alex sees it differently and it will be a lot easier to pick himself up later without his dad’s heel on his back. Mr. Cabot tells Alex that he gave him a trust fund, and the apartment, and he can take it all away …
Josie realizes Mr. Cabot was right: a band is good for her, as a reflection of who she has become. Raj asks if she will miss working with Alex, and assuming that he is no longer in her life, of course she will miss him. Alex walks in at that moment, assuring her that he is still her manager, and if his father wants to cut him off he can. Josie is worth more than anything his father can give him, and though they may have to start at the very bottom, they will be there together.
Jorge’s story begins when he was 14, describing his perfect man to Katy as “FDNY Hot,” which is exactly what he has in Bernardo. However Jorge is also trying to be friends with his ex, Buzz. Bernardo is visibly jealous at the thought of his boyfriend spending time with the ex, but should he be? The next day over tea and dry cookies, he and Buzz talk about drag and how Buzz has been keeping a watch on the crime reports. Jorge decides to give Buzz a drag-over, the internal and external makeover including the stage name, settling on the name “Prosocutie.” Jorge thinks he and Buzz spent an entire year in that bedroom but he never got to really see him. After reassuring Bernardo that the two of them are anchored, and there is nothing to worry about, Jorge vents to Pepper that he can’t stop thinking about Buzz.
Jorge can’t stop fantasizing about his ex yet Bernardo is the man he has been wishing and hoping for his whole life. Pepper points out that its not a crime to like two people at the same time. They discuss the option of an open relationship, but then there are rules, or a throuple, which is also … complicated, or to Jorge’s interest, a one night stand of just the three of them. Pepper has her notifications interrupt her conversation again, this time with a photo of a mug shot, which can only be dealt with on an in person basis this time. Jorge invites both Bernardo and Buzz out for drinks, putting Bernardo at ease. However, Jorge is not pleased with the complimentary comments that Bernardo is making initially in Buzz’s direction, until things go to the bedroom with the three of them later.
Pepper sits at a bar alone while “Hannah” shows up. It turns out it’s her wife, Taylor, whom she left with a $30,000 hotel bill in Morocco. Pepper left her behind as it was her turn to take the fall, their cover was blown, and she could call her mother to bail her out where Pepper could not … except Pepper knew that Taylor couldn’t since her mother showed up drunk to their wedding. To Pepper though, she did it for Taylor, to give her an out from the life. Except Taylor doesn’t want that: she wants revenge, which her wife taught her very well at how to get. Taylor may have been sweet and kind, but she was a good study. She knows all of Pepper’s tricks, fake names, and even her real age. Pepper has the divorce papers, all Taylor has to do is sign them.
While Jorge wakes up with Bernardo cuddling Buzz, Katy narrates “Some fairytales don’t have a happy ending, some do. But for me, Josie, Jorge, and Pepper, the enchantment would eventually wear off and we would be faced with the ultimate cautionary tale: be careful what you wish for because it might just come true.”
Find out what happens next week on Katy Keene, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.