SMASH 2×09: One too many leather jackets

SMASH 2×09 – The Parents 4/2/13

I’m back with my SMASH recap this week! Tuesday’s episode “The Parents” easily could have been called: “The case of the mistaken leather jacket“.

This week starts off with Karen and Jimmy all happy, making coffee and cuddling when Karen’s dad makes a surprise visit and shows up at her apartment. Karen freaks out and makes Jimmy go down the fire escape. I actually loved the first ten minutes of the show. Jeremy Jordan couldn’t have been more adorable and I actually LIKED Jimmy in this scene. Finally, he’s all happy (and makes everyone around him happy) and he got himself a nice girl. (Which is good, because he needed to chill with the attitude and tough guy stuff).

Karen lets her dad in and he see’s enough back and leather jacket sneaking down the fire escape to feel mortified and worry about his kid for the next ten years.

Over at Bombshell, Ivy arrives at rehearsals and Tom and Julia drop a bombshell of their own on Ivy, letting her know that Norma Jean’s mother Gladys, had been cast. Unfortunately for Ivy they cast her mother, Leigh Conroy (Guest star Bernadette Peters). In that moment, the woman herself pops up and everyone is attempting a “Yay!” Ivy and Leigh try to be so nice to each other that there is a lack of acting and feelings like Marilyn and her mother had toward each other. Tom whines to Julia that: “They’re turning Norma Jean and Gladys into the Gilmore Girls!!”

(Best show reference ever. Throw in some coffee and then it’ll get real interesting.)

Bobby and all the other cast and crew think the same thing while witnessing Leigh and Ivy attempt their scenes: “This is boring. I want my catfight already!”

Finally Tom gets some real acting out of Ivy and Leigh by getting them to go down painful memory lane. Leigh talking about Ivy’s childhood obesity and Ivy saying how her mother always brought her down and never said much encouragement to her. Ivy tells her mother the last most painful comment that “at least the best of my career is still ahead of me.”

Ivy and Leigh’s battle of the words finally ends with them having some emotion with their lines and singing and performing a great scene of “Hang the Moon”. As much as this made me want to cry, It didn’t affect Ivy and she tells Leigh that she won’t need her anymore.

Womp Womp Womp….

Back at Hit List, Karen performs her own version of “Broadway Here I Come”. I’d like to buy this on iTunes. Someone make this happen and no one gets hurt. Derek walks in and cuts off Karen WHY and Daddy Cartwright claps and beams like a happy dad. As proud as Karen’s dad is, he can’t help wondering why she would quit a Broadway play like Bombshell to go and end up singing with Jimmy and Ana in a dark grimy theater. (It has character, man.)

Karen tells her that he should trust her and the play is really good. Derek walks over to talk to Mr Cartwright and Karen’s dad notices Derek’s leather jacket. He puts the fire escape boy he saw earlier that morning, and Derek’s jacket together as the guy who snuck out his little girls window. Suddenly, Mr Cartwright has a lot of dislike toward Derek Wills. Now it seems Derek took Karen away from a huge Broadway show to a lesser version of it, AND snuck out his daughter’s apartment..

That darn leather jacket fooled us again!!!

On the way to rehersals, Jimmy skips goes to work in a great mood, but stops in fear because the guy that we saw previously in the beginning of the season who beat up Jimmy is roaming the streets like the gross creepy dealer he is.

*Jimmy sees bad dude*

Me:RUN MAN

Mom:turn around

Me:RUN DONT LOOK BACK

Mom: keep going!

My mom and I are involved with our tv shows.

The bad guy finds Jimmy at Rehersals and tells him that Jimmy owes him $8000 from their previous interactions and then his debt with him is cleared. Um, can some mobster just get the junkie guy? I’m pretty sure if you shook the guys hand, he’d literally be grimy. Good acting, dude.

Later that night at the fundraiser, Karen sings “Broadway Here I come” again for a much larger crowd. While watching Karen sing, Derek walks up next to her dad. Mr Cartwright glances at Derek and causually says to Derek: “Nice Jacket…” and Derek replies with a confused “Thank you..”

Ana gets to do a quickly pulled together performance in character as her role as “The Diva” singing: “Reaching Out for You” while doing some aerial stunts. I really loved this song and I hope Krysta Rodriguez gets to sing more in the next couple of episodes!

While everyone is watching Ana perform, Jimmy tries to find some pricey goods hiding in the coat racks. He finds a nice gold watch, but Derek catches him. I have to ask, who carries a gold watch in a case around with them. You rich people want to share a little?

Jimmy, instead of being all like: “Hey man, back off.. this is my watch pfft” He breaks down and literally asks for Derek’s help and tells him he’s in trouble and that he needs to pay an $8000 debt to grimy boy. Derek agrees to give him the money. I see this as a huge step up for Jimmy Collins, being responsible for his actions. Derek and Jimmy are interrupted by the coat holder guy and Derek notices Jimmy’s jacket. When the guy asks them what they’re doing, Derek replies: “Just fetching our coats. Oh look, they match..”

I love that British man. I have to say, Derek Wills is a pretty decent guy if he gives a kid he’s only known for a few months (who obviously hasn’t been that nice to him) $8000…

MARRY MEEEEE DEREK.

Later, Jimmy takes the money over to the guy and his debt is finally paid off. Just before Jimmy leaves, Grimy offers Jimmy some to go baggies of drugs.

Drug dealer: you want some for the road?

Jimmy: ….

Mom: NO NO NO DON’T DO IT

Jimmy: YAYYYY DRUGS!!

Me: I quit.

Also, Grimy comments on Jimmy’s last name: “Have a good one, Collins. It’s Collins, now, right?”

Maybe Jimmy is a wrongly accused murderer on the run from his old life. I’d like to think behind the hard, cold mean front he gives, is a nice Broadway singing boy wrapped in enigma, wrapped in a leather jacket.

Eric, the main executive of Hit List talks to Julia at the fundraiser about being the shows dramaturg. Julia agrees happily to be apart of Hit List. I really don’t know how I feel about this. I love Julia, but I wanted my shows to be somewhat separate. We’ll see how this all works out…

After his meet up with the drug dealer, Jimmy meets up with Derek, Karen and her dad. Jimmy and Karen walk off to be all couple-y and staring into each others eyes, while Derek gets Mr Cartwright a cab. Roger apologizes for accusing Derek that he was the guy that snuck out of his little girls apartment “like a boy” and looks to Jimmy. Derek Wills finally see’s that Jimmy and Karen are secretly together and then the poor british man’s heart breaks. Let me love you. (Also, while watching the scene with Derek and Mr Cartwright, I saw a few months ago promotional photos of Karen crying and Derek holding her.. I seriously thought in that scene that her dad was going to get run over by a taxi. There’s a plot twist for you.)

BTW Daddy Cartwright: Derek Wills does not sneak out and down a fire escape. He would sit there like a true british gentleman and sip his Coffee tea.

Side note: Derek has this look of astonishment about finding out that Jimmy and Karen are dating. I thought when he figured out the coat thing, he realized they were dating??

I hope you all enjoyed this recap. Feel free to write your comments and opinions about the show and characters. Be nice to Jimmy just a little.. Put your knifes down. I see you twitter people.. I see you.

This Saturday (4/6/13) starts the switch for SMASH to show on Saturdays now. People are now calling it #Smashturdays and it’s not cancelled. 😉

In the previews we see Jimmy, Karen and Derek all involved in a confrontation over who loves her the most. Jimmy also tells Karen that Derek told him to stay away from her and she’s not too happy that discovery. But in another clip, we finally FINALLY see Derek tell Karen that he LOVES cares about her. I’m really nervous for Saturday because I am too involved with my tv shows.. and no, I don’t plan to get help.

–Lexi

UPDATE: Help Leslie Odom Jr aka Sam in SMASH to reach his goal of $30,000 to debut his own album! We have a little under two weeks left. He needs about $8000 to reach his goal! Check out his site: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leslieodomjr/leslie-odom-jr-debut-album-project

SMASH season two: Broadway, baby.

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