On Katy Keene season 1, episode 11, Meta Gala season brings about opportunities for Katy, Josie, and Pepper, while Jorge deals with some family drama and his break-up with Bernardo. Meanwhile, Guy LaMontagne causes quite the mess.

Katy Keene season 1, episode 11 is, without a doubt, the best episode of the series so far. Focusing primarily on Katy’s design career is the best move the writers have come up with, and this career opportunity with Guy is providing incredible fodder for stories and development of Katy’s character and career.

Meanwhile, finding out more about Pepper and Jorge’s pasts is surely a bit overdue, but is letting viewers finally see another side to them to get closer to, relate to, and sympathize with them. In total, the series finally has direction, which is such a relief!

‘Katy Keene’ season 1, episode 11 review

As I said, Katy Keene season 1, episode 11 is the best episode yet, rivaled by the split focus and polar vortex episodes. The writers finally have an endpoint for the season, and I could not be more excited to see how the foursome’s stories play out.

The series has finally found its groove, and it’s certainly important because, for a while, the series felt like it didn’t know where it was headed.

It’s really inspiring to see Katy, Josie, and Pepper follow their dreams and face all of these trials and tribulations on their way to the next (or first) step. While Jorge has put his on the backseat for a little while because of his familial issues, his relationship story has, surprisingly, been quite interesting and provided another layer to his character.

And after that ending, I don’t think I’m prepared for the emotional rollercoaster of the last two episodes. Please, turn this revelation into a story to be envied and remembered.

Katy’s dilemma(s)

First of all, I absolutely loved this story with Katy and Guy on Katy Keene season 1, episode 11… although I could have done without their office sex scene at the end, especially after Katy already contemplated and considered a romance with Guy and decided against it for the sake of her career.

Katy saving the day by fixing Guy’s Meta Gala gown to the client’s pleasure with an ingenious idea is exactly what we need to see from her, but seeing her failures beforehand were also incredibly important because we now see how much Katy has learned from Guy during this experience.

Above all, it’s admirable how Katy followed through on this dress and deadline with something incredible, despite being plagued by self-doubt. No one has more raw talent than Katy Keene, and it’s about time the world acknowledged and respected that.

As for Guy, I’m quite pleased that K.O. decked him. Yes, Katy doesn’t need K.O. to stand up for her, but the way Guy has treated Katy — at times — has been incredibly problematic and near abusive, honestly. There’s a line between being a hard ass boss and being a dick, and Guy has completely crossed that line and his dickishness is not forgiven because of a few sweet moments.

Like on this episode, Guy put Katy through hell as he dealt with his own self-doubt, and Katy had to pick up the slack for him in so many ways. A simple thank you does not fix that, nor does praising Katy as his apprentice during his Meta Gala interview. (It was a very sweet and big thing of him to do, as most employers would not do so, but like I said, it’s not a magical fix!)

I wish Katy had a little more self-respect than to sleep with Guy after everything he’s done, and while her acceptance of his behavior toward her is understandable so she doesn’t lose this incredible opportunity, it’s wrong — in my opinion — that she’s still romantically interested in him after he has continuously proved he’s not a very nice guy.

Such a downgrade from K.O., girl, the sweetest man on the entire planet.

Josie and Pepper

It’s interesting how Josie seems to be the first (of the group) to figure out that Pepper isn’t being truthful. Before, we saw her questioning Pepper and looking into the details of her story, but this time, Taylor spilled an unknown amount of information to Alex that, as we saw from the trailer, he’s passed to Josie, Katy, and Jorge.

Perhaps it’s the length of Katy and Jorge’s friendship with Pepper that has caused them not to question her stories, but I’d love to see some flashbacks to when they first met and how Pepper fit into their long-term friendship in the first place. Did they question her back then, or was Pepper a little more down-to-earth?

Anyway, I really love how Pepper pulls through for both herself and her friends at the same time. It’s such a unique skill and talent, and Pepper really makes it look effortless, though it clearly is not. It even seems like Pepper always prioritizes her friends first, willing to put her future on the back-burner to help them. So, despite her lies, Pepper clearly loves her friends an unbelievable amount.

With Taylor out of the picture, I’m looking forward to this confrontation with the people in her life, as we really need to see who Pepper really is and find out her life’s story. She seems like a new, interesting character every episode because we’re always learning something new that changes our entire viewpoint of her, and I really want to see what Pepper is like without all of her barriers.

Like, does Pepper actually have an accent? Seems that, since her father is the man we’ve seen Pepper interact with at the hotel she owes roughly $60,000, this accent is a lie to accentuate her lies of wealth and privilege. If the writers continue at this snail’s pace, we won’t know who Pepper is until season 5.

Also, that wig was so not you, Pepper.

On Katy Keene season 1, episode 11, Josie and the Pussycats make their first public appearance, thankfully before Xandra’s knock-off group, and their future looks bright. I really love who Josie is becoming, finally.

While she’s still tangled up in the Cabot drama, she’s branching out on her own to make it in the world, her band her path to victory once again, which was an aspect of her life I didn’t realize how much I’ve been missing since the band disbanded on Riverdale. Josie’s music career is and always will be Josie and the Pussycats, and let’s not ever forget that again, alright?

As the season ramps up to the finale, I hope we see Josie completely separate herself from the Cabot family. Alex really isn’t a good enough love interest or manager for Josie to reasonably keep him in her life amid all of trouble his family causes her, so they need to make a break, for good. I’d also love to get to know the new Pussycats a bit more (or maybe even see the long-awaited return of Val and Melody).

Let’s keep Josie on this path, which is far more interesting and entertaining than what we’ve been seeing from her all season.

Jorge

I really did love Jorge’s story on Katy Keene season 1, episode 11. Personally, it really struck a chord with me, as I experienced something similar to Jorge. Though my parents didn’t kick me out, coming out was rough, and I completely understand how Jorge is still so torn up about it almost a decade later.

It’s brutal to not be accepted by the people who are supposed to love you more than anyone, and while his mother has made an effort, I’m kind of confused about how she didn’t accept him with open arms in the first place. Doesn’t seem like the type of person to ever have an issue, but maybe we should just take that as a testament to how hard she’s tried to learn more about her son in order to be the mother he deserves.

The kind of trauma that Jorge is dealing with is long-lasting, and this is really such an important story to tell. I respect how the writers are shining a light on the impact this has on someone, which I’ve personally never seen on TV before, at least not in this way. While the story of parents coming around and accepting their kids after coming out is common, it’s usually dropped immediately after, never to be discussed again.

Bravo, Katy Keene writers. Thank you for telling such an important story and really touching my heart, personally, as someone with similar experiences. Words cannot express how much I, and the many others in this situation, appreciate it.

‘Katy Keene’ season 1, episode 11 final thoughts

Katy Keene season 1, episode 11 is my favorite so far, promising what are sure to be two incredible episodes to wrap up the season. Jorge’s back on his game, Katy’s at the peak of her career as Guy’s apprentice and co-leading Gloria’s former department, the Pepper Plant is in the news, and Josie has a viral video of her and the Pussycats performing at the Meta Gala.

Per the trailer for the next episode, the crew is learning that Pepper’s hair is so big because it’s full of secrets, but there’s one part that I’m a little disappointed with already (though obviously have not seen). Jorge’s questioning whether Pepper’s been conning them all along, which is so disappointing to hear.

Pepper, while she almost always has her personal motivations, does everything she can for her best friends to help support them, their dreams, and even those in their life. Like, did they miss what Pepper just did to help Kevin Keller, a man from Riverdale she’d literally just met? That’s who she is. Hopefully this story doesn’t play out like I’m expecting and someone nips that thought in the bud immediately during their conversation.

Lastly, why is K.O. with Xandra, when he’s literally the sweetest man alive and she’s a bitch? She’s always trying to tear down Josie, which is exhausting, and she’s just not really a nice person. That’s not the woman for K.O. and he clearly has to see that, right? Just like Guy is clearly not the man for Katy?

Can Katy and K.O. please just get back together already?

Katy Keene continues Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW!