A Riverdale villain is set to take a bite out of Katy Keene’s Big Apple in season 2

Uh oh, Katy Keene fans. A Riverdale big bad has his eye on a New York prize, and what he wants, he aims to get — one way or another.

All right, Culturess readers, if you haven’t watched Katy Keene‘s first-season finale, then I suggest you pick up your heart-shaped pillows to shield your eyes and quickly click out of this article. Nothing but spoilers lie ahead, and this is a big one!

Show of hands, who here let out a gasp that Ginger Lopez would be proud of when Hiram Lodge walked into the Lopez family’s bodega in the Katy Keene finale? Surely it couldn’t have just been me. Who would have thought the person trying to buy up a whole block in Washington Heights would be Hiram “The Ram” Lodge?

Granted, Katy Keene was launched into Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s Archie Comics Television Universe via a Riverdale crossover that portrayed Katy as a childhood friend of Veronica Lodge, so it makes sense that Hiram wouldn’t be too far behind. But the man has enough murder and mayhem going on in Riverdale, now he wants to set up shop in New York City? The same city he left after his crimes caught up to him and landed him in Yonkers Penitentiary for a time?

Okay then, Hiram, I guess it’s never too late to go back to your roots and attempt to forcibly buy a whole city block.

If Katy Keene does get picked up for season 2, Hiram is sure to shake things up in the New York we’ve come to know through Katy, Jorge, Josie, and Pepper. Hiram is Mr. Grim, Dark, and Dastardly himself, but have no fear Katy Keene fans: The show isn’t taking a dive into the deep end of Riverdale‘s patented darkness. Showrunner Michael Grassi told TVLine:

"“Katy Keene will always remain Katy Keene. When Hiram enters the picture, he’s coming into our world, the New York of our imagination. He’ll be a delicious, fun antagonist, but no one is getting murdered … yet. We wanted to bring a villain in, and there’s no villain we adore more than Mark Consuelos. He’s always shaking things up and keeping everyone on their toes.”"

While the “yet” qualifier on whether there will be a murder on Katy Keene has me a bit shook, I am excited to see what adding Hiram to the mix will bring to the show considering it’s the lighter counterpart to Riverdale — though Katy Keene has seen its fair share of tough topics such as addiction, homophobia, hate crimes, and sexual harassment, so lighter doesn’t mean the show is all powdered sugar and confectionery hearts.

Still, one can’t help but dramatically quote Shakespeare now that Hiram Lodge is on the scene: By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.

What did you think of Hiram Lodge’s appearance in Katy Keene‘s season 1 finale? Serve up your thoughts in the comments below!