Last week’s episode of Katy Keene ended on Katy and Amanda being appointed co-heads of Gloria’s department at Lacy’s. In the newest episode, Katy will juggle that with helping Guy during Meta Gala week. Meanwhile, Pepper and Josie figure out a plan for the Pussycats and the Pepper Plant to get publicity at the Meta Gala.
Find out what happened in this week’s episode, “Chapter Eleven: Who Can I Turn To?”
The Gala theme might as well be “drama.” A new episode starts now on The CW! #KatyKeene pic.twitter.com/0w05jKMmof
— Katy Keene (@CWKatyKeene) May 1, 2020
“The Meta Gala is fashion’s biggest night. My mom and I used to park ourselves across the street and gawk at the gorgeous gowns. It was our Oscars, Super Bowl, Thanksgiving Day Parade, all wrapped into one.”
Katy’s working her apprenticeship, helping Guy work on his design for the Meta Gala. Gal tells Guy his design feels opposite from the theme, “Behind the Mask.” Guy tells her it’s not so different from the sketch she approved, which Casey Wilson loved. This is Guy’s first Meta Gala gown at his own label; it has to be good. He asks for Katy’s opinion, and she thinks that a shorter train will give Casey more mobility without sacrificing the integrity of the design. One less foot and Casey will practically float down the red carpet. Guy knows that Katy’s made a good point.
That night at the apartment, Katy gets a text from Amanda, who keeps sending her old Meta Gala looks, as if Katy doesn’t have every single dress ever worn committed to her memory. Pepper wonders what happened to quitting Lacy’s, and Katy tells her Gloria happened. When she found out that Mrs. Lacy put Katy and Amanda in charge, she asked Katy to stay. Josie’s looking through the mail, seeing a letter from Parson’s. Katy just looks at the envelope as Pepper, Jorge, and Josie hold hands in anticipation. Katy always thought her mom would be here for this, but she’s so lucky to have them here. She opens the envelope and reads the letter, a smile dropping from her face, saying maybe it’s better that her mom’s not here to see this. Tears running down her face, Katy says it’s totally okay; it wasn’t meant to be. Pepper tells Katy it’s okay not to be okay, but Katy knows that. What does she have to be upset about? She is helping Guy LaMontagne design a gown for the Meta Gala. Katy assures her friends she’s fine, really.
At Lacy’s, Amanda says they are dressing 20 A-listers for the Meta Gala, and Katy has been MIA with Guy LaMontagne, who is designing a line for Lacy’s, Katy adds. His Meta Gala gown takes priority. Amanda tells Katy to pull her weight. Katy gets a text from Guy, wondering where she is, and she tells Amanda that Guy asked her to help with Casey Wilson’s dress. She apologizes, grabbing something from a desk drawer and handing it to Amanda. “What Would Gloria Grandbilt Do?” Gloria had sent it over that time she had food poisoning. It has everything Amanda needs to know, and Katy will come back and help her, she promises.
Pepper asks Alex if he’s ever been contacted by a Hannah Melvey and Alex says he doesn’t answer calls from people he doesn’t know. Pepper knows that Alex’s investment didn’t pan out, but she does have another, even better business opportunity for him – The Pepper Plant. Alex thought Pepper already had funding, and she does; she’s just had to accelerate the launch thanks to a competitor. Josie doesn’t know, saying it’s not always good to mix friends with money. “What if I told you that Josie and the Pussycats could be the Plant’s house band.” Josie admits it would be the perfect place for them to work out their new material. However, Alex is less sure about it as an investment. Nobody knows about the Pepper Plant. “You leave that bit to me, Alex.”
Casey Wilson tries on Guy’s gown, but she’s not loving the corset so much. Guy tells her the corset is subversive; that’s the point. Casey loves everything that Guy makes, except for this. She wonders if it’s too late to just start over and whip something else up from scratch. Katy says they can make some small adjustments; maybe trade out the corset for a lace bodice? Gal tells Casey that her brother once got a dress ready 30 minutes before the Oscars; he’s a pro. He’ll come back with something new.
Katy is with Guy, who is still trying to figure out a completely new design for the gown. Katy tries to help, but it’s no use, getting a call from Amanda but ignoring it. Guy wonders how he’s supposed to start over on a gown and complete an entire line by Fashion Week. “By accepting help.” Katy tells him that Casey looks amazing in lace appliqué; she could look up photos of her wedding dress, maybe? Guy appreciates Katy’s help but tells her that, at a certain point, the work can only be done by the designer “and not the girl who didn’t even get into Parson’s.” Katy’s phone rings again, and she tells Guy she’s needed downstairs, but she’s just a phone call away if he needs her.
Josie and Alex are lying on a couch together, and Josie wonders what’s wrong; Alex seems distracted. Alex wants to help Pepper, and he wants to help the Pussycats, but there’s something about her that doesn’t sit well with him. Josie gets it; Pepper can be a bit extra. “But I am telling you, no one has more hustle than Pepper Smith. And she’s good people.” Alex believes Josie, but now that he’s cut off from his dad, he just needs to rein in his spending. If Alex invests in this, the rest of his savings will be tied to the Pepper Plant. Josie will talk to Pepper and make sure it’s really worth pursuing. Alex tells Josie that Pepper has to guarantee they’re the house band. An investment in Josie McCoy is the surest thing that Alex has.
Pepper and Josie bring food for Katy at Lacy’s, and Pepper asks Josie what Alex said. Josie tells Pepper what they talked about, and obviously, it’s a done deal. But, Josie does have to say, after the whole Palace Hotel debacle, plus the way Pepper went behind their backs and promised Xandra a role in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Alex is in a vulnerable place. “If anyone understands what it’s like to be cut off by their parents, it’s me.” Pepper assures Josie that Alex will get every penny of his investment back; she has her word. Josie gives in and gives Pepper Alex’s money. Katy comes down, relieved at the sight of Pepper and Josie. Both Amanda and Guy have her running around like crazy, and she hasn’t eaten all day. She runs back upstairs, and Josie wonders if the Meta Gala is going to break Katy. “I don’t know, but maybe it can help break us.” Pepper tells Josie they have a bit of a publicity problem. The world needs to know about the Pussycats and the Pepper Plant, and what better venue to showcase their work than the Meta Gala?
After an argument with KO and Guy ends with Guy getting punched out, Katy and Gal are trying to reach him with no luck. Katy tells Gal that Guy seemed like he was spiraling when he got into it with KO. Gal says her ex may have punched him, but the worst thing a person can bruise on Guy is his ego. She tells Katy when Guy is in a creative pickle, he usually goes on a pub crawl. Casey’s about to arrive for a fitting; what does Katy tell her? Gal tells her to say anything but the truth.
Josie comes into the apartment, telling Pepper and Jorge that the Pussycats just laid down their first new track, which is a banger. Katy gets off the phone, telling the gang she’s called every single pub in Manhattan, and there’s no sign of Guy. The Meta Gala is tomorrow, and they have no gown for Casey Wilson. Guy’s upset that his gown got rejected, but he can’t give up now. Josie tells Katy to just make the gown herself. Katy tried that once with Guy, and it blew up in her face. “Plus, I don’t think I have what it takes anymore.” This is the Meta Gala; Katy is just a Parsons reject. Enough with the self-loathing. What would Gloria Grandbilt do?
“Gloria would take the bull by the horns.”
Katy shows up at the precinct and finds a hungover Guy, telling him they’ll have enough time to get him in his tux and on that red carpet if they leave right now. She says she threw something together for Casey using Guy’s gown, but Guy doesn’t need Katy to rescue him. “Really? Because you are sitting in the police station on the day of the Meta Gala.” And Guy definitely doesn’t need a lecture from his apprentice.
“This apprentice saved your ass!”
Katy’s dreamt of showing her work at the Meta Gala since she could thread a needle, but now she’ll never make it there because she can’t even get into Parson’s.
“Dear Katy Keene, we regret to inform you that you are not good enough.”
Katy tells Guy to do whatever. She refuses to drag him to a gala kicking and screaming.
At the Meta Gala, Casey gets told they’re asking for her, they can’t stall any longer, and it’s now or never. Casey can’t walk without Guy; it’s as much his moment as it is hers. Gal tells her that Guy would want her to have this, with or without him. Casey says to break tradition and upset the fashion gods, and Gal has Katy help with Casey’s train. Katy assures Casey that they are going to love the gown; she can’t wait for everyone to see the real her. Guy shows up just in time, telling Katy it’s a beautiful gown, walking Casey down the red carpet.
Meanwhile, Pepper opens an emergency exit door. Josie, Cricket, and Trula come in with instruments, dressed up in their Pussycats outfits. On the red carpet, a reporter tells Xandra there’s been rumors that she’s working on an album with a girl group, and just as Xandra officially announces the news, pop music starts playing. Josie and the Pussycats are revealed behind a big Meta Gala sign, and they start performing, getting a round of applause and photographs taken afterward.
Guy is answering questions about Casey’s dress, being told it was one of the stand-outs of the night, and Guy says he feels like he doesn’t deserve all the credit. It takes a village, and he couldn’t do it without his sister or team of seamstresses. He also mentions Katy, saying she’s the unsung hero.
“And if you don’t know her name by now, trust me, you will one day.”
At Chubby’s after the Meta Gala, Alex is watching a video of the Pussycats’ performance, and Hannah Melvey comes in, telling him she doesn’t have much time. “There’s something you need to know about Pepper Smith.”
Josie, Cricket, and Trula celebrate their performance, noticing that the Pussycats are a trending topic. “This is something that Xandra can never take away from us.” Alex comes in, telling Josie they need to talk. “Pepper’s been lying to all of us.”
Katy is in Gloria’s office, and Guy comes in, apologizing. She tells him the next time he breaks, she cannot be the one who picks up the pieces. “There won’t be a next time,” Guy promises. He also tells Katy he didn’t get into Parson’s either; what is it going to take for her to stop doubting herself? Guy tells her she has an amazing career ahead of her, and he hopes he has a front-row seat. They kiss, and it turns into a little more.
There’s only two episodes left of season 1! Catch Katy Keene on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on The CW, streaming free the next day on The CW app, along with the rest of the season.
