Why Toni Topaz should be in Katy Keene season 2 (if there is one)

Vanessa Morgan spoke out about the treatment of her character, Toni Topaz, on Riverdale. Here’s why the character would fare better on Katy Keene.

When Toni Topaz arrived on the scene in Riverdale season 2, she flipped the script of what to expect on the show. Here was an alternative, grungy girl with a penchant for photography and little time for BS. A social-justice-talking, true-crime-loving, breath of fresh air, and she did all of this while Black.

Yes, we can criticize the writers for making her “The Girl” on the south side i.e. the narrative opposite to Betty, who shares an affinity for the same things Jughead does as well as a mutual attraction. While I am a fan of Jopaz, it can’t be ignored that Toni served as a bridge between Jughead’s life on the north side and the one circumstances were forcing him to create on the south side.

But, I also think that’s a reductive reading of Toni’s entry into the Archieverse if it’s the only part of her characterization that you focus on. When Vanessa Morgan, the actress who plays Toni, described her character to Teen Vogue, she said:

"“She’s chill; she’s a boss; she doesn’t really care about what anybody thinks. She’s on the South Side, and it’s not like Riverdale … She’s one of the boys. She’s super artsy. She loves doing photography; I love doing that as well.”"

It’s not that Toni was a “not like the other girls” cliché, but rather that her rearing on the south side of Riverdale required her to own space and fight for what she believes in. Toni was representative of girls who did not have a lot in life, and so she held tight to what she did have, the things that were hers — most notably, her loyalty and the family she’d found in the South Side Serpents.

So, as the seasons of Riverdale have crawled on, it’s been disappointing for Toni to become less and less relevant to the plot despite Morgan being promoted to a season regular in season 3. To be honest, it’s a big reason why I’d fallen off the show despite loving her character.

Jopaz didn’t work out, but the South Side Serpents being folded into the fabric of the north side provided a wonderful opportunity to explore the changing relationships and dynamics that would inevitably occur with both sides of town blending.

Briefly, Riverdale did explore that shift as Jughead held tight to his Serpent identity, while Toni felt like she could finally relax and focus on school. He overstepped with her grandfather over the treatment of the Uctana, and she led a protest in service to her people. The show also introduced its first same-sex canon relationship with Toni being one half of the ship Choni with Cheryl.

So, in Toni, Riverdale has a bisexual Black indigenous teenage girl from the wrong side of the tracks who has been homeless, is of a low-economic status, is part of a gang, has an interest in activism, and is an artist.

The actress who plays her has been a series regular for two full seasons, and yet you don’t need one hand to count the storylines Toni has been in that are about her. She’s often a part of Cheryl’s journey, missteps, and realizations, which is disappointing to say the least.

Recently, Morgan spoke out on her Twitter account, stating:

"“Tired of how black people are portrayed in Media, tired of us being portrayed as thugs, dangerous or angry scary people. Tired of us also being used as side kick non dimensional characters to our white leads. Or only used in ads for diversity but not actually in the show. It starts with the media. I’m not being quite anymore”"

While Vanessa didn’t explicitly say in this tweet that she was partly talking about her character Toni, it’s not hard to read between the lines considering just how far down the pecking order Toni has fallen on Riverdale.

She also didn’t mince words when stating that she’s the only Black series regular, but she’s paid the least, and considers Toni to be the token biracial bisexual. That is a long ways away from the initial excitement Vanessa had when she first took up the role in 2017.

So, in light of this, why would I be throwing my hat in the ring for Toni Topaz to make the jump from Riverdale to Katy Keene? Distance.

Set five years ahead of Riverdale, Katy Keene is, at its heart, a show about young creatives working in New York City and trying to make their dreams come true. The series titular character is a designer, Jorge is an actor/performer, Josie is a singer/musician, and Pepper is a taste maker/promoter.

The supporting characters are producers, singers, filmmakers, and musicians. Katy Keene is an artsy show with a side of activism. It’s lighthearted and fun whilst still grappling with real world issues and there’s a sense of camaraderie at its core.

It’s also the series that Ashleigh Murray, the actress who plays Josie McCoy, made the jump to after Riverdale. Same universe, different handling of her character.

If you’ve been a fan of Josie and the Pussycats for as long as you can remember, then you know the utter disappointment the Archieverse handed us when the band crashed and burned. Another reason I fell off of Riverdale.

Josie, however, is portrayed well on Katy Keene. Her storylines center her, her dreams, and her ambitions while allowing her to grow as a character. My faith is tentative but the first season was promising.

So, imagine Toni in the Big Apple. Camera in hand, high school behind her, and surrounded by creatives. Imagine her as a fully realized character outside of Cheryl, exploring New York City, and striving to realize her dreams.

Toni is edgy and cool. She’s the bit of grit missing from Katy’s candy-flossed fantasy, and she’d be a wonderful fit for the series. Whether she’s a photo journalist or a street artist. Whether she’s a recent transplant to the city or a five year veteran of NYC. Toni fits.

In response to public outcry via #hearvanessamorgan, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the creator of the Archieverse, Tweeted:

"“We hear Vanessa. We love Vanessa. She’s right. We’re sorry and we make the same promise to you that we did to her. We will do better to honor her and the character she plays. As well as all of our actors and characters of color. CHANGE is happening and will continue to happen. Riverdale will get bigger, not smaller. Riverdale will be a part of the movement, not outside of it. All of the Riverdale writers made a donation to @BLMLA, but we know where the work must happen for us. In the writers’ room.”"

It’s a public acknowledgement of the writers’ failure with Toni’s character and a promise to do better, but, to be honest, better might come from being a part of a different series in the Archieverse.

I’m skeptical of the five-year flash-forward in Riverdale paying dividends for her character, but we’ll see. But moving series worked for Josie. I don’t see why it can’t work for Toni. Now if only The CW could make a decision on whether Katy Keene is getting a season 2.

What do you think about Toni Topaz being on Katy Keene? Serve up your thoughts in the comments below!