Last night's Smash introduced a time-told theater tradition to us: the sex couch. You see, in high school and in college, we had these leather couches in the dressing rooms that...well, after hours, we all know what happened on them. And now this show has one, too.
So, here we go. Synopsis: Ivy's got an inflamed throat and can't really sing, which means Karen is prepped as an understudy just in case, because the workshop performance is nine days away. Ivy takes some steroids to bring the inflammation down, but she's hypersensitive to drugs and has a ridiculous hallucination involving an odd pop number sung into a mirror, that ends with Karen-as-Marilyn putting her down. Meanwhile, Tom continues to date the cute professional guy, but gets called to Ivy's side to help her through her crazy. Sam, the straight-acting gay dancer, comes too, and we know how this is going to go (sorry, cute professional guy).
Julia's home drama continues, and she and Michael advance their affair to having a midnight romp in the studio on the aforementioned sex couch. Meanwhile, her husband finally comes home, and her wooden son Leo is super awkward about everything because he knows mommy is knocking booties with someone else. Ellis is now Eileen's full-on assistant, helping her find a new apartment, a new dive bar to hang out in, and aiding in the courting of a new investor. Eileen also apparently discovers video games, and plays with a fake rifle. Yep.
And then there's Karen, who brushes up on the Marilyn stuff, and then fills in last minute as a bar mitzvah singer for one of her fellow choristers, which was a gig that was originally Ivy's before it got handed off. Karen proves to be a little bit out of her element and doesn't know a lick of Hebrew, but apparently pimply thirteen year-olds love Florence and the Machine, and she saves the day...and is discovered by a big-league music producer, which totally pisses Ivy off when she finds out. Ivy then explodes at Derek in the middle of a rehearsal, and storms out after insulting his manhood. And that's where we leave it.
WHAT WAS GOOD: Well, I like that the continuity of this show is in full force. It's great to hear the songs from other episodes throughout rehearsals, and this week's "History is Made at Night," another duet between Joe and Marilyn, is a fun little number that uses the sex-couch...but on wheels. It's fun to see Karen come into her own, and learn how to play the game and hustle a little.
WHAT WASN'T: This episode was a sudsy, fun-to-watch mess. Smash started out as an earnest drama, and this week I felt like I was watching an over-the-toppish episode of Dallas. If this is a nighttime soap, fine. But there has to be a better job done of measuring audience expectations.
Also, the Julia affair plot makes her look TERRIBLE. She has a great husband and she's shtupping around because she's got a hot guy in front of her...which makes her a tramp. Not cool. Very not cool.
And then there's the laugh-out-loud poorly edited Ivy drug-induced freakout, where she sings a Jessie J song while flipping around on her bed in a maroon top that matches her pillows, flapping her arms from jump-cut to jump-cut. It's super awkward and unintentionally funny, and the Karen hallucination at the end is just eye-rolling. Yeah, we get it, she's threatened. Find some better ways to show it. And I don't think steroids cause acid flashbacks like this...but hey, it's television. Whatever.
THE LAST WORD: For all the jumbly problems of this episode, plots did in fact move forward. Eileen found a funder, Ellis wormed his way up in the world, Karen is positioned to take the lead, and the show is coming together. I just wish there was way more finesse in putting it together.
Consider yourself on notice, Smash. You can do better. See you next week.
