Riverdale season 5 will include a crossover with Katy Keene. Slated to include a major leap forward in time, which will take the lead characters through college before they return to their old stomping grounds, bits and pieces about Riverdale’s upcoming season has already been teased through trailers and promotional posters.
Now, ahead of its return to The CW on January 20, it’s been revealed that Riverdale will also sneak in a bit of a crossover. Debuting in February 2020, Katy Keene focused on the main character (played by Lucy Hale) and chronicled her hopes of becoming a renowned fashion designer. The series had a short run before it was ultimately cancelled in July. At the time, it was reported that other ways were being explored to keep the spinoff alive. One of those ways could be to transfer the world of Katy Keene to the show it originated from.
In new photos released ahead of the season 5 premiere, Archie is seen doing battle with K.O. Kelly (Zane Holtz). K.O. Kelly was previously mentioned in Riverdale season 4, before appearing as a regular character on Katy Keene. Scraping by as a bouncer, Kelly was Katy’s longtime boyfriend and he’s long had dreams of making a name for himself in the world of boxing. But that won’t be Kelly’s only contribution to the season 5 opener, since it’s noted that he’ll factor into the prom in some way. You can check the photos, from Comic Book, below.
The boxing competition between the two characters could prove to be interesting. Archie first took to the sport in Riverdale season 3, as a way to channel his anger. He then begins training with Tom Keller (Martin Cummins), who teaches him the ropes and offers advice along the way. Heading into the season 5 premiere, which is titled “Climax”, Archie and Tom are still side by side. Although it’s unclear yet how much Kelly will appear in the episode, it’s a safe bet that he won’t be an easy challenge for Archie to overcome. And, regardless of how their match unfolds, his appearance is a hopeful sign for those hoping that Katy Keene might find a second life.
For all of Riverdale’s success, particularly in the genre of teen drama, which struggles to breakthrough, it hasn’t been entirely successful in building out an extended universe. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has now ended its run without a proper crossover. Katy Keene, for different reasons, hasn’t fared much better. While it remains to be seen if the spinoff will find another home on HBO Max, there is always a chance that the titular fashion designer could show up on Riverdale on an at least recurring basis. K.O. Kelly’s upcoming guest spot makes the possibility a little more likely.
Source: Comic Book