SMASH 2×07 – Musical Chairs
So, I try to be a writer and I really love it. I obviously don’t keep this updated and i’ve been wanting to recap Smash but here we are like 7 episodes in and NADA. I did watch last Tuesday’s episode “Musical Chairs” and I loved it. It actually got me to my computer to write this. Honestly, I’ve loved every episode of SMASH. I want there to be some GOOD reviews out there instead of the mean crap that everyone and their mothers write about. Why don’t all you media people focus on the good things from Smash, like how Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty, and Jeremy Jordan are all singing angels. Not to mention some of the many other talented cast members. So many Broadway dreamers and musically inspired people love that there is a show about the creative side of the world. I would rather watch Smash every week than having to put up with reality tv like Jersey Shore. Smash gives us completely new and fun music every week. I have never heard voices so perfect. I also threw all my itunes money on these people and I don’t regret it.
So far season two has been amazing. It started off with the end of Boston previews of Bombshell. Karen, Derek, Julia, Tom and Eileen as the fab five and all about perfecting Bombshell and booking a huge Broadway theater. Karen moved out of her old apartment and ditching Dev to the curb permanently. Karen moves in with an old friend Ana. I like Ana already, she’s kind of spunky and fun. Unfortunately Derek isn’t having a good time. Being the womanizer he is, Derek’s past actions and a few relationship rumors finally caught up to him. Everyone is saying that Derek has been harassing a lot of women and the media is having a field day with tormenting him. This causes Derek to hang out at the bar more than usual and has drunken visions of Karen, Ivy, and the other girls he’s been with, toying with him. (Derek Wills if anything, has really good fantasy daydreams. They usually include a wind fan. Who doesn’t love having their hair dramatically flowing in wind?)
Derek has been showing Karen the world, and by world I mean apparently Broadway plays. He takes her to a new show starring the Famous Ronnie Moore played by guest star Jennifer Hudson. Karen gets to meet her and tells Ronnie how much she’s inspired her and afraid that if the work isn’t good, she’ll get over looked.
Ronnie gives her some great sassy wisdom:
“Someone’s always waiting to take you down honey, but if the works good, they won’t be able to.”
Eileen decides to throw a party to celebrate that they booked a theater for Bombshell. At the party, Karen and Ronnie sing a duet, and everyone loves them. Derek pulls Karen aside and tells her that he was feeling bad earlier and but she made him feel better. Karen tells Derek that she is her muse and the two share longing glaces and almost kiss… but Ivy interrupts them before the kiss can even happen. Excuse me, I need a moment to regain my thoughts and compose myself.
Karen and Ivy haven’t been friends ever since (The beginning of the show) Ivy slept with Dev. Of course Ivy didn’t know that she was sleeping with Karen’s now ex-boyfriend. Ivy’s done some bad stuff like sabotage rehearsals so she could have Karen’s solo and just be rude to her because she felt threatened, but I actually like Ivy and she really just needs a good support system and a few hugs. Ivy and Karen aren’t friends but they’re being nice to each other and I’d like to see them be in a play together as leads. I still don’t know why Karen AND Ivy couldn’t play Marilyn. Ivy is more Marilyn toward the end of her life while Karen is the beginning of Marilyn’s career. I don’t write this show unfortunately. Ivy and Karen have slowly become less enemies and more friendly. Don’t mistake this as that they’re suddenly going to have a sleepover and share Broadway tips.
Eileen has been getting money for Bombshell from her sketchy hot boyfriend, Nick. Jerry Rand found out about where the money was coming from with help from Ellis Boyd and decided to use the information against Eileen and temporarily close the show. When I watched this in the premiere I was extremely depressed. I have all the bombshell music on my phone like a nerd and I felt like Derek and saying: But Bombshell was my baby!!
Karen and Derek meet up, feeling depressed and talk about if they have any ideas for a new project, keep in touch. Apparently the music gods were listening because while Karen was moping in a bar at 1 am she meets Kyle and Jimmy. (Played by Andy Mientus and Jeremy Jordan).
Kyle tells Karen that he and Jimmy are working on a play called “Hit List”. Jimmy plays “Broadway Here I come” (its probably one of the best songs I have ever heard in my life.)
Karen calls Derek and says she found “Something Else.” This soon starts the beginning of a beautiful idea. Slowly Derek gets on board with the concept of Jimmy and Kyle’s play by directing it and he decides to try and get their play some attention.
Side-note: Can we talk about Jeremy Jordan for a minute. I literally fell in love with him this summer when I heard him sing a 10 second clip of “Broadway here I come“ and then I watched him in “Joyful Noise” I learned that he’s an amazing singer and has been in a lot of Broadway plays. He is my new favorite. I’ve never heard a voice like his and I really want someone to challenge him to a sing off because i’m quite certain he will leave you in the dust. Andy Mientus is probably the most adorable human being on the planet. I really love him in general and his character Kyle, is just as sweet and adorable. Kyle is definitely a character you really can’t hate even if you tried. I wish I was best friends with Kyle. I really love these two additions to the show and I want them to stay around.
Jerry stops by Eileen’s and makes her a deal that he will fund bombshell and but he has to be the producer. As happy as everyone is about Bombshell being back on, no one is looking forward to having to deal with Jerry. They’re all stressed and annoyed about Jerry being in charge, especially Derek. After being antagonized from Tom and Jerry about how he was directing the show, he gets pushed one too many times and tells them that he quits. Now seeing every version of Derek Wills in this show, I would have loved to see a more dramatic and maybe a little bit meaner exit. This almost seemed like a tame and just normally ticked off guy. Remember that time Derek almost beat up Tom..?
Karen and Tom try to make their new partnership work. Unfortunately it just doesn’t work out. Karen tells Tom that she’s not his Marilyn, Ivy is. Karen quits Bombshell and decides to be a part of Hit List. I thought I would be really upset over this but I am completely 100% cool with it. I love Ivy as Marilyn too, but I’ve fallen in love with Hit List and the whole storyline of it. Later, Eileen finds out that Jerry is still the same backstabbing person that he’s been known to be and finds a way to kick Jerry out, and make her return as producer with help from her daughter and Julia.
On the Hit List side of things, Derek isn’t used to the old fashioned ways of making a non broadway, broadway play. He learns that you don’t have to use fancy computers and graphics to have a good show. Jimmy (the awesome backup dancers) and Karen preform “I heard your voice in a dream”
(This is literally my favorite song this season. Let’s all give the backup dancers a round of applause because they MAKE the song and it goes really good with Jimmy’s singing.)
Ana was a temporary stand in for karen while she was working for Bombshell, but now that Karen is officially the female lead, Ana wants a good part. She wants the Diva role. Finally, she decides to stand up to derek and perform “If I were a boy” and Dramatically walks on the bar. I love this chick. Who wouldn’t want to sing and dance on the bar? We could be friends. Derek sees her potential and officially Ana is now the diva. Jimmy and Karen have had so many ups and downs lately with each other. Jimmy is this temperamental junkie with a really good singing voice and Karen is this girl who’s finally realized who she is and I can see why she keeps giving Jimmy chances. She wants to fix him. I would want to fix him. I keep saying I would never give Jimmy a chance but to be honest I probably would. Would I still be hanging around as long as Karen? No. I have a limit of attitude and dumbness. Karen asks Jimmy if he likes her and he says yes but she mean does he really like her. He avoids the question and Karen fed up, asks Derek to take her home. Derek wants to go out to get another drink with Karen but she politely declines and i’m really tired of these two not being together. Life hates me. When Karen gets back to her apartment, Derek rings her doorbell and she goes to walk outside It’s not Derek, and its none of than Jimmy. Then they start kissing and making out on the table and i’m pretty sure Ana is saying, “Not on my table…”
Oh, Jimmy. I don’t know what to do with you, honestly. Finally, we’ll get some more backstory on Jimmy and why he’s such a uh… rude, attractive, hot human. Don’t get me wrong I would totally make out with Jeremy Jordan, too. He’s really pretty. But.. that’s not the point here. Jimmy needs to get himself together quick if he wants to actually have a successful play.
Well, this some of the first episodes of Season Two and I know i’ve missed a lot of my favorite things and important things but this was just an overview and I wanted to get the basic things that have happened. If you have any comments feel free to comment below. Also, the week of April 1st – April 7th there will be two episodes of SMASH that Tuesday and SATURDAY. IT IS NOT CANCELLED. NBC will move Smash to saturday’s after that week until the season finale. Please get all your friends to watch this show. I really love it and the music. Hope you enjoyed this!
Side notes that have also happened this season:
- Jennifer Hudson’s “I can’t let go”
- Ivy’s new play
- Kyle got a boyfriend
(Jimmy needs a hug and possibly some addiction help group sessions)- Tom and Sam split up
- Ivy and Karen are sort of friends now
Lexi Leigh 