3 Things That Kept Me Up After The Kardashians, Season 2, Episode 4 – British Vogue

The latest episode of The Kardashians contemplates what it means to literally and metaphorically exist in the Kar-Jenner simulacrum. The family hypes Pete Davidsons upcoming space flight, but we never once see the comedian in the flesh. Kris Jenner considers hip replacement surgery, inspiring deeper conversations among the sisters about their momagers mortality. The family also finally addresses Kims Marie Antoinette-esque utterance during her now-infamous Variety cover shoot Nobody wants to work anymore and Khloe tells Kim that the constant criticism they face from the public will only end when we end. Plus, Kendall seeks house-flipping advice from Scott, Martha Stewart stops by the Khloe-Kris compound, and Khloe and Kris go peacock shopping. Here are three things that kept me up after watching season two, episode four of The Kardashians.

Kris Jenners hip replacement storyline feels devised to prepare the public for her inevitable ageing arc. During a confessional, Khloe reflects on her mums increasing physical challenges, saying, I just want her to stay in the cold to prolong her life. When a producer asks whether cold temperatures can really do that, Khloe explains that the theory hinges on personal logic. You lose a finger, you throw it on ice. Im just going to put my mum on ice. Its true that ice has long been connoted with preservation, inspiring mind-bending films about cryonics like Vanilla Sky (adapted from Spanish classic Open Your Eyes) and the persistent cultural lore that Walt Disney had his body frozen after death so that he could be resurrected whenever science advanced enough. Cryopreservation is an actual industry albeit a highly speculative one and because with the Kardashians, no extreme use of technology seems to be off limits, its a little intriguing to now know of Khloes interest in the powers and potential of ice.

Though, in real life, we already know it never ends up happening, weve been hearing about Pete Davidsons upcoming Jeff Bezos-endorsed space flight for two episodes now. Early on in this one, Davidson happens to call Kim while shes telling Kris, MJ and Khloe about how great he is. The ladies put him on speakerphone to discuss his big event.

Are you nervous? Kris asks. My personal life is scarier, he answers, ostensibly referring to Kanyes viral Twitter spirals at the time, which had included threats and a derogatory couples name for Kim and Pete (Skete). Pete Davidson has always generated a certain kind of meme-able enthusiasm from the public, but his attachment to Kim Kardashian elevated the hoopla. His tattooed-boy-next-door image contrasted whimsically with her own self-mythologising as a New Media icon, he was clearly a Kanye West agitator, and now he was apparently doing one of the biggest things a person can do leaving the literal planet? At this point, you might notice that the viewers experience of Pete on The Kardashians has only been through telling, rather than showing subverting a common narrative principle. It almost seems as though the hype of a rocket ship ride is a proxy for his actual presence on the show. Its an interesting dilemma: Is a dramatic and colourful storyline enough to turn a phantom figure into an actual character?

Over the past few years, weve seen Khloe and Kim becoming increasingly close confidants, and, while in the backseat of a black car together, Kim bemoans the backlash she faces for her Variety statements. It never ends will it ever end? She asks. Itll end, Khloe says, when we end. The answer is morbid, and probably only half-true, but it echoes a larger question Im often asked by critics of the family, especially during Kar-Jenner scandals. When will the Kardashian reign be over? Khloe is correct the family is, by now, too entrenched in culture and the media cycles that uphold it for their notoriety or power to dissolve during any of our lifetimes. But when I say Khloes statement is only half-true, what I mean is that the family is multi-generational, with many children to inherit the proverbial monarchy. Plus, Kim has plans to use her new private equity firm, SKKY partners, to invest in future media companies, and we have no idea yet just how far shell take her law pursuits upon achieving licensure. But beyond the known Kar-Jenner ventures certain to extend the familys legacy, for all we know, theyll all put themselves on ice. Im kind of kidding but the idea, at least, is likely to persist. After all, the Disney-on-ice rumours have been debunked and yet we still hear of them. And Marie Antoinette lives on through a famous phrase attributed to her; we dont need to see her in the flesh to know her name.

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3 Things That Kept Me Up After The Kardashians, Season 2, Episode 4 - British Vogue