Last night's Smash was an improvement over many of the series' problems, and actually got that West Wing vibe going with multiple plotlines that all dovetail back into the Marilyn musical, instead of thudding along as their own thing. I dug it...with one big exception smack-dab in the middle. We'll get to that.
THE SHORT VERSION: The cast and crew continues to go their own ways a little bit after the Marilyn workshop, as they wait for the next steps. Ivy's gone back to Broadway musical "Heaven on Earth" as an angel in the chorus, and we learn that the show features the delectable Norbert Leo Butz as a dancing, singing God at the pearly gates...and that Ivy's on a whole mess of prescription medication, which is a problem because of her hypersensitivity.
Karen books a national orange juice commercial over Ivy, and the two of them bump into each other at the audition and accidentally exchange sunglasses (...right). Karen films the commercial in a green-screen and matching suit, which would have been hilarious five years ago. Ivy OD's on her meds and goes loopy in the middle of "Heaven on Earth," screwing up the show, faceplanting on stage, and getting kicked offstage by Norbert. Karen gets there just in time to watch her fall (she has to give the sunglasses back!), which somehow leads to a heart-to-heart boozefest between the girls in the middle of Times Square, in which they get crunked and sing a Rihanna song in front of hordes of appreciative tourists. Yep. That happened.
They then go back to Ivy's apartment, where she passes out on the bed, but not before telling Karen that this doesn't make them friends. O-kay. Meanwhile, Tom continues to date handsome lawyer John, but then finds out he's a republican and considers dumping him. He goes to a fundraiser with him anyways, only to leave because of Ivy's drama. He doesn't find Ivy, though...but does find chorus boy Sam, and the two bond on a stoop somewhere. Awwww.
In Julia-land, Frank finds out about the affair via some telling lyrics Julia wrote (...really?) and storms off to confront Michael...who reveals the PREVIOUS affair, five years earlier. Frank returns home, explodes angrily all over his wife, and then moves out. Julia is heartbroken and does a lot of crying and then accepts that she was responsible and this is her fault (Julia...accepting responsibility? Really?). She finally understands the darkness needed to write this show properly, that Derek complained about last episode. And she returns to her writing tasks, with pain reinvigorating her, and gives the Marilyn musical a title: "Bombshell."
Finally, we've got Eileen, Derek, and Ellis. Eileen continues to hunt for a star to play Marilyn, and plays a manipulative game in fishing for another director in order to get Derek hot and bothered and make him reinvest creatively in the show...which works. Ellis decides he wants to be a producer, and not just an assistant, and helps Eileen get in touch with Hollywood star Rebecca Duvall via MAYBE sleeping with her male assistant (!). He has a righteous display of power in front of Eileen, and Eileen spanks him down and tells him to keep answering phones. And suddenly, the show's got a name, and a star, and all the craziness is back on.
WHAT CLICKED THIS WEEK: I love Anjelica Huston as Eileen. She has this crazy way of walking that turns her into a sexy panther matron or something, and it's great that she can be so manipulative and lovable all at once. I also STILL love to hate Ellis, but it's fun to watch him work as the villain of this piece. And yeah, maybe he isn't straight. Ellis is AT LEAST am-bi-sextrous, after this week's episode. Sam and Tom is surprisingly fun to watch happen; I like Tom. It's good to see a confident gay male on TV that can date normally, with normal relationship conflicts.
Norbert Leo Butz singing and dancing on TV is always great. The man's a ridiculous talent. Oh, and Eileen's tearing down of Ellis was AWESOME. Someone had to give it to that little punk.
And I've bitched about the Julia plotlines for a while, but if this is the end of the pout-pout-cry-cry-screw-screw Julia and actually creates a sense of darkness in her that gets her to write something good...sign me up. If this is the end of her family plotlines, GREAT. There's the potential for this character to finally go somewhere interesting and worthwhile.
WHAT WAS GROSS AND WEIRD AND WRONG: Times Square. All I have to say. Drunk girl in an angel costume, smiley brunette wearing sunglasses at night. Rihanna song. These three things are what I expect to find when I die and go to purgatory. I just... for three minutes it felt like I was having a stroke. It was like someone dropped a Glee bomb on New York.
So, we're shaping up, Smash. Just...please. Think before you do that to Times Square again, okay? See you, with added Uma, next week!
