"Smash", the confused conflicted self-sabotaging TV Show rife with behind-the-scenes drama is about "Bombshell", a confused conflicted self-sabotaging Stage Musical rife with behind-the-scenes drama. The TV series has gone so meta lately it's now devouring itself live. Which is turning it into must-see or at least can't-look-away television again.
Backstage at "Liaisons," another show within the show, slumming movie star (Just Jack) has read the online bitching about the show he's starring in and turns to Ivy (Megan Hilty) his supporting actress...
That's "Smash" in a perfectly nutty nutshell. more...
No one loves the show (anymore at least) and the only people who don't think Ivy is the best part of it are actually writing / producing / showrunning this tv show! Usually when shows describe themselves this succinctly they're in on the joke. But you'd be hard pressed to believe that Smash's creative team is since they still seem to have no idea what they're doing. Which is a pity because the evidence of what this show should have been committing to and doing was right there on view. Cue up "Let's Be Bad" from Season One again; there's your Smash for "Smash".
Smash 2.7 "Musical Chairs"
For most of this episode we cross-cut around through rehearsal / performance time for the show's three different musicals: "Hit List," starring Jimmy (still written and played for the most part as a childish insufferable unprofessional asshole that everyone inexplicably roots for... except the viewing audience), "Bombshell" starring Karen, and "Liaisons" starring Terry & Ivy. By the end of the episode, Karen will quit Marilyn for Hit List, Liaisons will close freeing up Ivy to replace Karen as Marilyn (which is what should have happened about ½way through season 1 but whatever). The episode mostly revolves around rehearsals and communication trouble between Directors and their Stars -- though why Derek or Tomkowtow to their non-famous "stars" is a mystery that's presented more like a fact so it's closer to a plothole.
Set List: Originals: "It's Not My Fault" (Sean Hayes),"ReWrite This Story" (McPhee, Jordan), "National Pasttime" (McPhee); Jukebox/Showtunes: none.
B♡BBY: is not amused by Tom's direction choices...
Did he just give her a line reading?
Neither is Eileen. Anjelica Huston pulls out her best Morticia line reading watching Tom try to direct.
Oh dear."
Why does the show want Tom to fail? Honest question. I can't figure the answer.
Best Moment: Derek offering coffee to a bouncing hyper active child. Ha!
Worst Moment: A more general pick this time. Why are Kyle and Karen always so lobotomized? Both of them say the dumbest things or continually state the obvious. Andy Mientus is a cutie but as Kyle is written (or maybe written and played?) he comes across like a dimwitted apologist with no self confidence. Meanwhile Karen comes across like a dimwitted entitled mediator. Karen to Derek when he gets a little too self-aggranizing "so you're Bob Fosse now?" DUH, KAREN. THAT'S WHAT THE SHOW HAS BEEN SAYING FOR TWO SEASONS.
Tweet of the Night:
all i'm really getting is that #HitList has a lot of fans that blow karen's hair. #smashbash
— Jennifer Marie (@notajenny) March 20, 2013
Grade: C+ Like last week, quite a marked improvement from the first five episodes of season two but so little so late...
Takeaway: Why didn't they just do a time jump and start with last week's episode for the Season 2 premiere? They spent five hours of the season extricating themselves from the "bad" decisions of Season 1 (still a vastly superior season) while introducing a bunch of new characters that are either extraneous (Jennifer Hudson) or are deeply annoying (Jeremy Jordan). If it's going to be a show about stage musicals in general instead of just one stage musical "Bombshell" I'm fine with that but then why not just jump right into the thick of it as so much Good TV does? The audience knows how to catch up.