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By Lauren Rearick
Prepare your television viewing schedule accordingly, because the Riverdale universe is getting a little bigger. Earlier this month, the CW confirmed it’s officially picking up the debut season of Katy Keene. The series, which is slated to premiere in the fall, is a Riverdale spin-off centering on the New York City-based adventures of its title character, an aspiring fashion designer (portrayed by Lucy Hale), and her friend, Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray, reprising her role), formerly of Josie and the Pussycats.
We’ll have to wait until later this year to see where Katy and her city dreams take us, but in the meantime, we’re more than happy to start crossing our fingers and hoping for a Riverdale crossover event. There’s no guarantee that any of our favorite Riverdale residents may make their way to the Big City, but just in case, here are nine Riverdale characters we’d love to see on Katy Keene.
Archie Andrews
Like most Riverdale romances, the relationship between Archie Andrews and Josie McCoy ended way too soon. Archie obviously wouldn’t be arriving in the Big Apple to hang with Katy, but his presence could be a welcome sight for Josie. Along with a possible rekindling of his romance with the former Pussycats leader, perhaps he could resume his musical endeavors, too. New York City would be the perfect place for a fresh start, and it would get Archie away from the dangers of the boxing ring, too.
Edgar Evernever
We’re still reeling from Betty Cooper’s revelations about The Farm, and we’d love for Riverdale’s creepiest cult to somehow make their way to New York City. Chad Michael Murray proved to be the perfect choice to portray a charismatic cult leader, and it doesn’t seem too implausible to imagine Edgar taking his charming but creepy presence on the road after packing up and “ascending” in the Season 3 finale. If anything, it’d definitely be entertaining to see the former One Tree Hill actor resume his Riverdale role.
Jughead
When Jughead isn’t saving the day or planning another outlandishly dangerous Southside Serpents mission, he’s usually brooding over his laptop, writing up every dramatic detail of the town’s latest saga. He likely doesn’t have an interest in Katy’s world of fashion design, unless you count his adoration for beanies, but New York City does offer plenty of new locations, with free Wi-Fi, for the aspiring writer to explore. That is, if he survives Season 4.
Hiram Lodge
The only reason that Hiram Lodge has been able to rule Riverdale with an iron mob boss fist is because his biggest rivals are primarily teenagers. We could all use a break from Hiram’s constant plotting against literal students, and shipping him off to New York City could be the solution. We can’t imagine that Hiram would take issue with Katy, but it would be fun to see him go up against some of New York City’s most elite mob families. Maybe he could even meet an evildoer that rivaled the iconically-named Papa Poutine.
The Pussycats (Valerie Brown and Melody Valentine)
Josie and her band of Pussycats have moved on from their days of performing in Riverdale, but New York City would be the dream place for a reunion. The city is home to plenty of sizable venues, and perhaps the aspiring performers would get lucky and even run into a talent scout. Plus, an appearance from Valerie and Melody for a one-night-only show would make for a dream musical episode of Katy Keene.
Betty Cooper
Betty Cooper is in dire need of a vacation. As television’s hardest-working teenager, she has faced death — countless times — and for some reason, she’s the only person in Riverdale that seems to realize when danger is afoot. Spoiler alert: Danger is always afoot. It’s high time that Betty had some peace and quiet, and New York City is filled with places for her to relax and unwind. Plus, if she does start to miss the action and newspaper-worthy events that happen practically every day in Riverdale, the city that never sleeps is sure to offer her some kind of daring adventure.
Polly Cooper and the Twins
After Polly’s participation in a Farm-related ceremony that had her newborn twins magically floating over fire, it was probably time for her to consider leaving Riverdale. Much like Betty, Polly has been through a lot. Since the show’s beginnings, she’s searched for a place to call home, and it’d be great to see her find that in New York City. Plus, with friends like Katy and Josie, it’s probably safe to assume that Polly might avoid any of the dangers once associated with the Black Hood and the Farm.
Jellybean Jones
Despite only just arriving in Riverdale, Jellybean Jones already found herself in perilous danger, including a brush with the Gargoyle King. New York City might not offer any mythical quests or leather-clad gangs to contend with, but the city would be a great place for this savvy youngster to find herself.
Cheryl Blossom
In a matter of days, Cheryl Blossom managed to form the Pretty Poisons, a girl gang created to take on the Southside Serpents. We can only imagine what she could do as a temporary guest resident of New York City. Aside from possibly inspiring everyone in NYC to embrace red lipstick and take up archery — and necromancy — Cheryl would be crowned Queen of the Big Apple within minutes. Plus, with Cheryl eager to make a statement with her choice of wardrobe, it’d be totally fun to see her team up with Katy for an outfit worthy of Riverdale royalty. Her dead brother Jason can come, too.
TV
Riverdale
Katy Keene