For Josie McCoy, her New York adventure has just begun, but for Katy Keene and company, they’ve been soldiering on through the intense world of following your dreams. Welcome to the Katy Keene series premiere.

The Katy Keene series premiere introduces Lucy Hale’s Katy Keene as we go through the motions of her life in New York City with her, from her friends, her boyfriend, to her dream job. Altogether, I’m impressed with Katy Keene season 1, episode 1, which we obviously had the chance to view early, and I believe this was a truly unexpected success.

Like Riverdale — of which this is technically a (much safer) spin-off because of Josie’s presence but has an entirely different vibe — Katy Keene follows four characters. In this case, it’s four New Yorkers as they attempt to make it big: Katy in fashion, Josie in music, Jorge on Broadway, and Pepper… well, in life (more on that below).

Additionally, this show is very accessible for those who aren’t familiar with Riverdale or the Katy Keene comic series (like myself), though I assure you there are a few fun Easter eggs.

Katy Keene

No surprise here, but Katy is, without a doubt, my favorite character so far, which is probably because she commands much of the attention of the first episode. (Don’t worry, Jorge and Josie get their fair share, too.) She has the perfect personality for a leading character; she’s hardworking, supportive, and has the potential to be fantastic (as a TV character and as a person in her own world).

When we meet Katy, she’s very optimistic and clearly takes every opportunity to show off her skills, whether that be designing or styling. Katy is an assistant for Gloria Grandbilt at Lacy’s, a very prestigious retail space that boasts clothes, accessories, and more from basically every designer. In her free time, she designs, creating outfits for herself and her friends.

We meet Katy’s long-term boyfriend fairly quickly, K.O. Kelly, a boxer following his own dreams. Amongst Katy’s struggles are how K.O. fits into her life as she pursues her own dreams, and the Katy Keene series premiere makes their life together a little more difficult in several ways.

Honestly, Katy Keene is right in Lucy Hale’s sweet spot. An instrumental role in a group of four friends? Check. Love interest? Check. Not to shade Pretty Little Liars, but Katy is like the more interesting and involved version of Aria Montgomery (and actually gets to play a main role in the story instead of being overly focused on her love interest).

Josie McCoy

Josie isn’t that different from her time on Riverdale, aside from her hair color, so I’m interested to know what’s happened in her life over the years between her leaving Riverdale and heading to New York City. If she disappeared for that long on Riverdale, she’d come back with a list of secrets a mile long, but that’s not what this show is aiming to do.

Josie’s first few days are a wild ride, so much so that it’s kind of unbelievable, even for a TV show. However, I think it’s a good example of what the tone of this show will be like: almost getting a foot in the door and then having it slammed shut, breaking your foot, and leaving the characters no time to deal with it before they have to move on to the next opportunity. Basically, it’s a good example of life.

Also introduced on the Katy Keene series premiere is Josie’s love interest, Alexander Cabot, a man with a lot of money at his disposal who is trying to make a name for himself (from within his family’s company). He’s sweet, charming, and has some resources to help Josie, though she won’t necessarily want him to do that. Like on Riverdale, Josie is not keen on letting people help her. For those hoping for a quick start to this relationship, well, guess again.

Jorge and Pepper

Honestly, Jorge’s not clicking with me (and that’s after three episodes). I understand the writers wanted to change things up, but I don’t think replacing a Latinx woman from the comics with a gay man was really the right choice. If they didn’t want another cis woman in this foursome, I think Ginger Lopez being a transgender woman trying to make it on Broadway would have been far more interesting. It’s kind of insulting to the comic character that Ginger is just Jorge’s drag persona.

Aside from that, I’m just not on-board with Jorge’s entitlement. The Katy Keene series premiere has a moment with Jorge that is supposed to be brilliant and inspired (and tackle real issues with casting on Broadway and in Hollywood), but for me, it just really cemented Jorge’s sense of entitlement to whatever he decides he wants (and the third episode is especially terrible with this). As of now, I’m not a fan.

I believe Pepper, on the other hand, will be a treat for viewers. Though she receives little focus in the first hour, episodes 2 and 3 introduce her as a woman that is so mysterious, not even her friends know everything about her. As the trailer below shows, Pepper is interested in women, though she does not have a label (as of the three episodes I’ve seen).

So, in short, fans aren’t going to see what they need to of Pepper to form an opinion on her after one episode. Hold tight for the second episode, which definitely opens up her life far more… but don’t expect the air of mystery around her to fade.

Katy Keene series premiere review

Honestly, upon first viewing, the Katy Keene series premiere wasn’t my favorite. Maybe it was a mix of my low expectations and, well, the fact that this is being called a Riverdale spinoff, which didn’t give me much hope.

That said, after watching for a second time, I was able to appreciate the show and the characters much more. Already, Katy, Josie, and Jorge are all such complex characters. Without the darkness usually required on The CW these days, these are strong characters with strong desires, personalities, and dreams.

However, the strongest aspect of this show is the friendship between the core four. While Josie is just introduced to the group, it’s a seamless transition for Katy, Jorge, and Pepper to add her to their list of best friends, and the friendship blossoms unbelievably (and unrealistically) well. A friendship of four often works, like we’ve seen on Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale (though the latter has gotten a bit away from that of late).

However, in my opinion, the dynamic doesn’t work as well as it could have with another woman in the foursome (instead of Jorge).

I’m excited to watch the rest of the season and to, in all honesty, take a break from the usual darkness on television to enjoy the lighthearted nature of Katy Keene. There’s light drama, comedy, and music, so it’s the perfect show to watch. (And part of me is hoping Lucy Hale will start singing again for us — her talent should not be wasted!)

Side and final note: I’m a bit confused about why the series is titled Katy Keene. Yes, there’s a heightened focus on Katy so far and the recognition from the comics, though it would be like naming Riverdale after Archie despite focusing just as much on Jughead, Betty, and Veronica. Clearly this show is on the same path.

Katy Keene premieres on Thursday, February 6 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Watch the trailer above, and don’t miss it!