Page 73 of Fan Favorite

The relatively unknown philanthropist stepped intoThe Key’s lead role after photos surfaced of previous suitor Wyatt Cash at a gay bar in Miami, effectively outing the fan favorite from both the closet and the competition. Petitions for Cash to remain on the show with an all-male cast were ignored, even as criticism overThe Key’s heteronormative agenda continued to plague the series.

Is America ready for a LGBTQIA+ season ofThe Key? “That’s something we’re working toward and a season I want to see,” Kennedy said. “At the end of the day,The Keyis focused on telling compelling stories about compelling people and that’s why we’ve remained a ratings juggernaut for almost twenty years.”

Also affecting ratings, complaints about a too-white cast and allegations about the show’s “toxic environment.” Speaking onthe condition of anonymity, an eliminated contestant toldUsthe pressure to be sexual is commonplace.

“They make you do things you wouldneverdo,” she said. “No one told me that I had to sleep with Bennett Charles to stay on the show. But it was, like,implied.”

Multiple sources confirmKeyproducers use the lure of fame to convince contestants to do anything from parade around in lingerie to make late-night off-camera visits to the suitor’s bedroom.

“Sleeping with Bennett Charles was the worst mistake of my life,” the contestant continued. “And I want the women of America to know he only cares about being famous. He’ll pick whoever the producers tell him to. The whole thing is fake. And degrading. And toxic.”

When asked about the allegations of toxicity onThe Key, Kennedy said, “We are aware of these statements and take them very seriously. A commitment to not only consent, but enthusiastic and clear-minded consent, is at the heart ofThe Key.”

Feminist watchdog groups have called for a total boycott, but despite the premiere’s low ratings,The Keycontinues to lead Tuesday night, winning in the ever-important 18–49 demo.

The Keyairs on RX Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

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Peter Kennedy was in love.

Or falling in love?

He had no idea, but either way, he wasn’t happy about it.

For years, Peter had been certain thatfalling in lovewas purely a narrative deviceThe Keyused to keep multiple contestants on the hook and the show moving forward. But now, as he was being consumed by all thesefeelings, he’d developed a begrudging appreciation for the nuance. Surely, he couldn’t bein lovewith Edie Pepper. They’d only met six weeks ago! She was a contestant! But when he tried to pick it apart, pinpoint the origin of all these bizarre mushy feelings, he was irritated to find that just like the torment of his acid reflux, somehow they seemed to have always justbeen there, lighting him on fire from the inside out.

(The irony of his heartburn evolving from medical issue to metaphor—well, it was almost too twee to bear.)

Agonizing over the stages of love quickly led to agonizing over his failed marriage. Peter had been certain that his divorcewas this terrible thing that happened to him without his consent. But now he was forced to wonder how he could’ve picked someone so clearlywrongfor him. Julie did not like him. In fact, upon reflection, Julie’s desire to both shame himandmold him seemed to be the spark that brought them together. At the beginning, he supposed, there was something exciting about it. And surely he’d “loved” her then, but over time, as her disdain for him became impossible to ignore, he tried not to think about his feelings for Julie at all. They were married. What was there to think about? So he’d completely detached, thrown himself into work, until she’d put them out of their misery. And he’d taken this epic failure as evidence that love, marriage, a family—none of it was meant for him. He wasn’t husband material. He wasn’t even boyfriend material.

But, what if, with the right person,he was?

A terrifying thought.

Peter skulled his beer and let the glass hit the bar with a thud.

“Jesus Christ, Peter,” Jessa complained, wiping spatter from her iPad. It was tradition that before the lock-ins, there was always a hotel bar takeover. For one night, the moratorium on fraternization was suspended, and the hometown contestant, all the traveling producers, directors, PAs, cameramen, lighting, and sound guys gathered to drink and sing karaoke. The lead, of course, was always sequestered at another hotel. Peter had hoped to fly ahead to Kansas City for Max’s date and skip Edie’s entirely, but somehow he’d still ended up in Chicago, in the same room as the woman he was desperately trying to avoid. “Knock it off with the grumpy old man bit. We’ve got work to do.”

Yeah, they did. Never before hadThe Keybegun airing whileThe Keywas still filming. Wyatt Cash and the delayed production schedule had forced the parallel paths, and when Peter agreed to it months ago, he’d been so focused on saving the show hehadn’t thought through the implications. But now the pressure of shitty ratings and bad press on top of dragging this bloated production over the finish line—it was like a powder keg waiting to explode. Normally Peter would have time to coach the lead on the right moment to declare his love—the fullI love you—and lay the foundation for the last-second cold feet drama and fantasy engagement. But instead, in addition to the twelve-hour shoot days, Peter was doing press, dropping spoilers on surprise podcast visits, and signing onto Zoom calls with the marketing team back in LA to yell about fixing whatever the fuck the problem was with the marketing mix because whenever Peter opened his phone to the tabloid sites, Bennett’s goddamned love story was two or three scrolls down the page.

“I’m going to bed,” he announced.

Jessa looked up from her notes. “You can’t. It’s not good for morale.”

Peter made a sound in his throat, an annoyeduch, before frowning and ordering another beer. He glanced at Edie. She was laughing at something Lou was saying. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, which irritated Peter even more. He’d come to notice that he loved when she had her hair up like this, all messy and cute. It felt more likeherthan the glam Barbie-tron Jessa had created. He’d even come to love her stupid red sweatshirt with the strutting badger that she wore on planes. And her too-loud laugh that he used to find embarrassing broke him open now, especially when he was the cause of it. And her penchant for bad music and chemically laden foods. And how smart and funny and vulnerable she was. And how she showed him the world in a new way. And how he felt when he was with her. Fuck fuck fuckfuck,FUCK, Peter Kennedy was crazy about, falling in love with, maybein lovewith Edie Pepper.

“Seriously, I’m going to bed,” he told Jessa as soon as he saw Edie heading their way.

“Not till we go over the schedule for tomorrow. We’ve got a tight schedule, and there’s the whole thing with the band.”

Peter stood just as Edie arrived.

“You guys work too hard,” she said with that big smile. “Put the iPads away, I heard there’s going to be karaoke.”

Peter couldn’t help himself. “If we didn’t work so hard, how would all your dreams come true? How else would you end up engaged to the King Douche himself?”

Edie cocked her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

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