A Man. And His Blog.

Season 1, Episode 3
Date of airing: Feb 20, 2012 (NBC)
Nielsen ratings information: 6.47 million viewers, 2.3/6 with A18-49 (Live+SD)

Seems like the episode was okay-ish. Not a burner, especially full of all kinds of story clichés, but I already like the characters, which means I can look past the story difficulties, no matter how weak they are. Their weaknesses was noticeable this time though, and they annoyed me a bit more than the usual plot holes in SUPERNATURAL.

Let’s just get it out of the way: I hate Eileen (Anjelica Huston). Her character could be interesting, but her story is all about her ex-husband Jerry (Michael Cristofer), and all about the running gag of the Manhattan in his face. Blah. I want to see how difficult it is for her to get the musical made, and how difficult it is for her to not accept the help of her ex-husband. Instead the episode pounds on the most easy way into the story, with the most easy way to not make it look so complicated for a Broadway TV drama. I mean… getting her ex-husband into the story, who is more like a deus ex machina with the offers around him, and with the producers just wanting to work with Eileen, when Jerry is in the project. Of course Eileen wouldn’t accept Jerry in her project, but at least the writers could have worked on some less predictability and more originality with her storyline. No wonder it feels like Eileen isn’t really part of the show and could have even less screentime than Frank in the second part of this season. She feels unimportant. As soon as the money question is resolved (and it will be, when the musical is up and running and in production), her character will be a chunk in the story.

Also, I didn’t get much out of Karen’s (Katharine McPhee) little family storyline. It looked too much like the happy little Smalltown, USA family, who doesn’t have any problems, because they have a star in the midst. The baby shower party in the bar felt very forced (even acting-wise), and Karen’s little karaoke number could even be more boring than last episode’s “Call Me”. When it comes to the music, the producers still have to figure out how to make SMASH entertaining. In addition, her scenes with her parents (Becky Ann Baker, Dylan Baker, and they really are married in real life) were a cliché, because nothing was happening. As if the writers tried everything to stay out of the usual story of marriage problems (especially since Eileen already has this back story) and tried to depict both mom and dad as positive as possible. No originality here, though the moment with the check was sweet, because that was something family-worthy. It could have been on 7TH HEAVEN.

Meanwhile, Ivy’s (Megan Hilty) story was also okay. It was more of a little romance with Derek (Jack Davenport) than a real Broadway drama storyline. Asking herself if she’s in a relationship or not is boring. Finding no answers is also boring. And actually showing a real (sexual only?) relationship between Derek and Ivy couldn’t be more boring, especially when it’s a secret in front of everybody else. Same goes with the casting for Joe DiMaggio. I like Will Chase, and I’m happy to see him here (but he needs to star in his own show), but the back story with him and Julia (Debra Messing) is so old, I could see the dust on her flashback scene. Not good to come with such a storyline around the corner. It makes SMASH look like as if it wants to be an intriguing and intelligent series, but can’t create new(-ish) storylines. If you’re honest for a few seconds, Michael Swift showed that SMASH isn’t original at all. Instead it walks on trails currently used by the writers of THE WALKING DEAD.

Only the conflict between Ellis (Jaime Cepero) and Julia/Tom could turn out to be interesting in the long run, even though Ellis is an idiotic character. How he talks about loving working for those two, but seizing the opportunity to get some money out of his idea. First: The Marilyn musical was just a thought. Second, he has nothing to do with the story or the songs. Third, his “kick-ass” way of stealing Julia’s notebook and telling his girlfriend how kick-ass he is made me almost puke. Not a good way to show the characteristics of a potential annoying character. But it could eventually lead to a great storyline. Who knows, maybe Ellis turns out to be the “villain” of the story, or maybe the writers try to find a way to get him involved in the musical production (maybe as a writer?).There is some promising development with Ellis’ character, and I’m intrigued at this moment. It’s just not a guarantee that it will turn out great though.

All in all, clearly the weakest episode so far. Maybe a bit less than just “alright”, because SMASH shows here how annoying it could be, when the writers don’t watch what they’re writing. It’s also the current prime example (for me) how not to turn a project into a big cliché in storytelling. But I have to say something else: I don’t know Marilyn’s private life at all, but when the writers continue to deliver something like a biography of her life in this show, then I will continue to like her. As somebody who nearly has no knowledge about movie history before the 1970s, I didn’t even know Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio were a married item. That makes it a bit more interesting to not just watch a TV show, but also a bio of some kind from a sex and movie icon I haven’t learned much from yet. 5/10

Shocking blast from the past for Julia

And a sweet musical romance for Marilyn

Season 1, Episode 2
Date of airing: Feb 13, 2012 (NBC)
Watched for review: Feb 14, 2012
Number of review in February/2012: 61/184

I have to say it took a while for me to realize I totally dig musicals. In fact, it was “The 20th Century Fox Mambo”, when I noticed that I’m totally glued to the screen. A typical musical number. A cool song. A fat choreography. Katharine McPhee, whom I starting to heavily crush on. I can’t even dance, and I surely can’t sing. I don’t have dreams to stand in front of a camera, or even on a stage, though I have theater experience (in school, duh). But SMASH… It makes me realize things. Maybe I’m into musicals more than I would have thought before this show and after GLEE. I love MOULIN ROUGE, and I think CHICAGO is an even better musical movie. I don’t have much love with the older Hollywood musicals, but just because I have only seen WEST SIDE STORY so far (in school, duh). I loved the first season of GLEE, minus most of the second half of the first season. I have seen THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, but it wasn’t really mine from the beginning (a remake would probably help, but then all the fans would run amok). Now I have SMASH. And maybe it will change me into a big musical fan – someone who doesn’t have a clue about Broadway, and only heard of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, because of all the accidents during the rehearsals. SMASH makes me a geek with musicals. And I’m proud to say that. I’m also proud that NBC gives me a TV show to love again. Though I won’t be happy, when it’s gonna be canceled. I will cry into my pillow, when the ratings continue to sink, and when the series is canceled, before the first season finished airing.

It was a good episode. Of course, a bit weaker than the premiere, but only because the setting was already known. The magic of the first episode vanished for a few times, and only returned, when the Marilyn musical was casting its Marilyn, as well as the musical number near the end. The characters were not that “special” anymore, and in addition the episode didn’t go as much into all the storylines as I wanted it to go. When I was reading about Team Karen and Team Ivy after the airing of the pilot, I was expecting for a real duel to be born out of the duel they actually have in the show. Yet there wasn’t a duel, and the question of who is becoming the next Marilyn of Broadway was answered pretty quick. I wouldn’t mind to see this storyline folding itself throughout a couple more episodes, though I know it was necessary to give this story an ending very soon. Even I know that callbacks don’t take weeks, and decisions are made very fast.

I still liked the episode though. Mostly because it shows that the writers want SMASH to be a real TV show. It was obvious that Ivy (Megan Hilty) would get the role, because of two very big reasons: First, it wouldn’t be much of a story, when our “main heroine” Karen gets the role. She is the one we should root for the most, and how to do it, when she gets the role in the second episode already? That also makes it obvious that the writers are going to be mostly interested in Karen’s storyline, and show Ivy in the role of Marilyn (also: That probably means less private time for Ivy). Second: The little bed stunt with Ivy and Derek (Jack Davenport). It’s a cliché storyline, and it will definitely cause some trouble in the future. Especially when it comes to recasting the role. Ivy and Derek wet-humping under the sheets keep the option open for Karen. Stereotypical, but very effective. Every writer would do that and keep the story alive like this.

Interesting was how much worth the production of the Marilyn musical was given. Julia’s (Debra Messing) efforts of placing the songs right, which makes her think about the possibility that the musical won’t be linear… And especially with the little musical “preview”, I found it to be an excellent scene. I hope the writers are going more into the writing efforts of the characters, eventually telling a storyline where it is difficult to come up with a real story for the actual musical. Like Tom (Christian Borle) already mentioned, maybe they should have a script first, before the music gets arranged within the story. And I really want something from the story of the musical, instead just hearing one song after another. After all, SMASH creates a whole new musical, and the idea of Steven Spielberg was to actually put the TV musical onto a real stage. Meaning that the TV musical will have a development in the TV show. And that’s what I’m still waiting for. With the baseball song, and the mention of Joe DiMaggio, I hope there is something coming in the next episode. And yes, I can see what’s coming in the next episode, when I just look at the episode title. Which is why I’m hoping it won’t suck.

Kat’s musical number was great. Like in the pilot with Megan’s number, I was glued to the screen. I can’t believe that simple rehearsal numbers can be that breathtaking (for me), so what are the real musical numbers look like, when they are performed on stage during rehearsals mid-season, or during the actual musical at the end of the season (which will hopefully come – a whole episode, just for the musical, that would be awesome). The song was also great, and will be the song I’m going to listen to over and over for the next week (Lindsey Pavao can take a break now, lol). I also hope that every episode will have the chance, the strength and time to deliver a musical number like this. There don’t need to be three or four songs per episode – just one musical number like this is completely fine by me. But maybe I’m hoping too much here.

The side arcs were okay. I was annoyed about the adoption plot though, especially when Leo (Emory Cohen) came around the corner and was all dramatic about the decision Frank (Brian d’Arcy James) made (basically for himself). First, I was surprised how a son can be emotionally involved like this. I mean, a teenager, who should care about drugs, girlfriends, and computer games, is rather interested in getting a sibling from China? That feels off and so not from this world. Second, the emotions coming from Leo, while talking to Julia, felt pretty fake. Like the story. Not that Leo is one of those ugly kids characters in a TV show, who is not getting any worthy storyline to talk about. In addition I was thinking that Leo was recast in this episode. I watched the pilot three times, and still couldn’t believe that Leo looked pretty “mature” and different from his stint in the pilot, even though this wasn’t the case. Second, I don’t like the story. It feels like pressured into the series, because the writers need a complete different plot, because they won’t write a whole episode just about the musical production. And I don’t like when I’m getting pressured into a storyline, which seems so totally wrong. I mean, why wasting two years of time in adopting a Chinese baby, when you could easily go to an American adoption office and adopt an American baby? Why does it have to be a Chinese baby? There wasn’t even a reason given for this “complicated” plot, and I would ask for some answers, please.

Also, Dev’s (Raza Jaffrey) individual storyline feels pushed into a show, because SMASH wants to be diverse. But I liked his story more than I did Julia’s. But maybe just because the story is more involved with one of the major characters involved in the Marilyn musical. After all, Karen coming late and giving all her time for the callback affects Dev and his plans, which kinda makes his relationship with Karen look like, as if they were the US president and his First Lady. Maybe a bit too political for a musical drama like SMASH, but who knows where this story is going throughout the next episodes. The only stereotypical thing about the story was how angry Dev was after Karen’s late-coming. I can understand his anger, after she texted him already, but damn… She’s a musical actress, so better get your anger skills under control, because it will happen more often in the future. I just hope it doesn’t become a problem in their relationship, because that would take the top spot of all clichés in this show.

I’m in love with this show. I want it to survive the season, and see a second one next year. I want to see multiple seasons of a musical production, because it’s something I care about. Yet it’s not something the American audience cares about. From a 3.8 rating to a 2.8 – looks terrible, though the number still looks great for NBC standards. But PAN AM started like this, and soon crashlanded (and is not going to return for a second season), and I already liked this show for its different approach of making a television series. I really hope SMASH will live a different fate. I want it to be successful so much. But secretly I already know it won’t live to see a second season. 7.5/10

Derek shows feelings for Karen

But lands in bed with big-breasted Ivy, who (I think) shows off a bit too much for network TV standards

Season 1, Episode 1
Date of airing: Feb 6, 2012 (NBC)
Rewatched for review: Feb 5, 2012
Number of review in February/2012: 31/154

Not always is the series premiere of a new TV show that important for a broadcast network. Usually, the success or failure of said series premiere doesn’t depend on a life-or-death situation for the network, but NBC and SMASH have a different relationship with each other. The drama about a Broadway musical and its life, starting with the very idea and continuing with its casting for the major role, metaphorically will either kill NBC or bring it back to life. The executives from the NBC offices see in SMASH the savior of their beaten network and the show where the audience will return (especially for Robert Greenblatt, who took this show with him from Showtime).The critics see in SMASH a potential hit TV show, which can live up to its title (even though it’s unclear if the drama with its difficult topic will ever be something for a mainstream audience). And the potential audience outside of the business has gotten much from SMASH lately. Reportedly $25 million did the marketing and promotional work cost – billboards, paper ads, online ads, taxi stands, the 40-page program guide in Broadway style, which was given to the press beforehand. Is SMASH the smashing success NBC is looking for since 2006, or is it just the last sign of life for a network, which was on top of the Nielsen charts not even ten years ago?

Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee, runner-up in season five of AMERICAN IDOL) is standing on a stage, singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” – her dream, her element is the theater and the musical. A dream, which is not reality, after she gets interrupted by a ringing cell phone, which brings her back to reality: a casting for a musical, and she doesn’t get the job. On the other side of New York, stage writer Julia Houston (Debra Messing) dreams of a proper musical, which tells the life of Marilyn Monroe, despite there was a huge musical flop in 1983 already. This is her dream, and she wants to live it – so, an outline and a first song is written, and the project goes to Broadway producer Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston), who is looking for a director. At the same time, Broadway actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) is dreaming to get the Marilyn role, and takes part in the project from the beginning. But before the production of the Marilyn musical can begin, there are some problems to fight: Arrogant British director Derek Wills (Jack Davenport) and Julia’s co-writer Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) can’t stand each other, and there is a question about who is going to star as Marilyn. In the running: professional and hard-working Ivy, who is looking for her breakthrough, as well as green, but talented Karen, who just wants to live her dream.

2012 just found its best TV pilot so far. After the year had begun with the probably worst pilot already (WORK IT), aspiration can show, if it has it. The fact that SMASH is everything but bad, and also delivers to a niche audience, also means that the show will have troubles to actually find a bigger audience and to be considered mainstream but somebody else than the TV critics. Musicals are not everybody’s darling, especially when they are so different from the mainstream hit GLEE. And to destroy all comparisons between GLEE and SMASH right now, there is to say that those two shows can’t really be compared to another – the surreal fantasy-high-school world in GLEE and the authentic real-life drama in SMASH are two different pair of shoes. GLEE might have given the musical genre a revolution in television, after it didn’t happen with COP ROCK (1990) and VIVA LAUGHLIN (2008), but SMASH shows that the musical genre doesn’t always have to stand beside the real-life world. It can deliver real drama and characters – this is just the problem the show has to face in the long run.

It could be another great written show, the music could be filled with another number-one hits. Marilyn Monroe and musical couldn’t be more fitting for NBC, but is it going to fit between business and the American audiences? Let alone for the international market, if SMASH should ever cross the North American borders as a success. And the pilot actually has all the elements to consider it a really great one, to make audiences invest time in the characters for once, without being disappointed by unnecessary mystery and fake thrill moments. It begins with the rivalry between some of the characters, who can’t be defined with “protagonists” or “antagonists”, and it doesn’t even stop with the depiction of the production of the Marilyn musical, which surely is the seed of some great and original drama in television. And hopefully the reality and authenticity will also come over, to give the audience a mainstream look into a world, which isn’t really known by many people.

SMASH is able to succeed in almost all levels – if you have interest in musicals. “In almost all levels”, because the pilot doesn’t really work well, when it wants to show ALL the sites of Broadway – the light ones and the dark ones. SMASH wants us to be happy and to root for the characters, but it doesn’t even go into the negative aspects of Broadway. It can’t be the happy wonderful dreaming world everybody is hoping to live in. It can’t be just about conflicts between the characters, because they can’t stand each other for private reasons. The pilot only takes time in depicting the idea of the Marilyn project, as well as the casting process. Which is great potential by itself, but while the Broadway-contra is missing, the pilot is not as authentic as it wants to be. But the rest is working. The pilot gives a lot of time to the characters and their first depth scenes, and the original (Broadway) music is just the dot on the “I”, the cherry on the cake. COP ROCK might have completely failed with their original songs back then, but in SMASH (even though in just one single episode so far) it has worked, and it doesn’t need to come around the corner with pop covers (no matter how good McPhee’s performance of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” is). That also gives the nagging TV critics, hating on reality TV killing scripted television, looking for originality and quality. Even though SMASH works with clichés and cheesy moments now and then, the show definitely has quality, and even more, it is original.

Actually, the pilot has no difficulties in delivering to the mainstream audience as well, without not losing its straight-forward approach. Despite the anthology-like first half, with thee different stories only being connected by the Marilyn theme, the second half is able to connect all the storylines, making the pilot a spectacle of a Broadway production and the TV show following its story – which is pretty interesting for network TV standards, if you think about it. Even the audiences, who don’t know about Broadway or Marilyn get a few digressions about both elements of the show, making SMASH something of an entertaining drama, as well as giving insight into the niche and the Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe in no less than 15 episodes. If only there would be a large percentage of an open-minded TV audience in America.

Ultimately, those digressions aren’t the main aspect of SMASH. The Broadway production will deliver the drama, the idea of a Marilyn musical will divide and bring together the characters, the hectic time before the first performance will keep the characters fraught and connected. And when Steven Spielberg (who deserves his credit this time, because the idea for SMASH came from his mind) actually follows through with his original plan – showing the ups and downs of a musical production within one season – then SMASH can stand as an example in network television storytelling-wise. TV shows become season-long anthologies, like Ryan Murphy’s AMERICAN HORROR STORY wants to be one (and he better make a season-anthology out of it), like HEROES should have been one in 2007. SMASH could be a trend-setter here, and it would be desirable to have a varying TV show, which re-invents itself every year anew. Especially, when SMASH stays realistic, and never even thinks about copying the fantasy world of GLEE and its pop cover performances. And especially, when SMASH delivers proof that reality television can be beaten by original programming. At least this year. 9/10

Marilyn and her baseball career

Proof that American Idol delivers real stars