NBC's SMASH - Series & Broadway Adaptation Thread- Page 29

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 6:17pm

Lighten up, FindingNamo. Don't you recognize that my post was tongue-in-cheek.

As a practicing psychotherapist for many years, entertainment gets ruined for me when a show fumbles in how it depicts mental illness or psychotherapy. I get mentally pulled out of the piece and thrown into a state of "Oh Gawhd, how could they do that ?!?! That's so WRONG!!!"

My guess is that this is what is happening for some of you who are much more knowledgeable about the inner workings of Broadway musicals than I am. Just saying that I'm glad that my enjoyment of the show is not spoiled in this way.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 6:28pm

At least we now know SMASH is psychologically realistic.

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 6:47pm

Although some of the characters are a tad nutty, so far none of them are diagnosable. I'm safe, at least for now.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 8:37pm

I love the show. Its a mainstream TV show about the making's of a hit Broadway musical, with tons of Broadway stars, with catchy, original songs thrown in with some pop songs.
I'm not easy to please, but in this case I'm not gonna be picky. It's a fun show. That's all that matters to me.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 8:40pm

How do we know it's going to be a hit? Isn't that part of the drama?

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 3/11/12 at 9:13pm

Ok...bad choice of words on my part.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 10:49pm

Thoughts? Is it just me or is anyone else LOVING some Debra Messing?

Updated On: 3/12/12 at 10:49 PM

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 10:53pm

Oh. Barf.

Less clandestine-topless-bad-acting-about-unrequited-lust-in-rehearsal-rooms and more musical numbers. That Debra Messing/Will Chase storyline is annoying, and while Messing is doing her best with it, I just do not like Chase in this. His squinting and intense whispers of "*no one has to know*" look more like he's constipated than horny. I'm surprised Messing even went for such a poorly-staged and poorly acted scene (and storyline).

/Vent over. Thank you.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 11:10pm

Well, based on next week's episode, I would guess that Will Chase gets the ax(at least I hope). Outside of that terrible sex scene between Chase & Messing, this was a great episode. More focus on the workshop(& Hilty/McPhee) and less sex actually produced a nice episode for SMASH.

[LegallyBroadway2]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 11:19pm

What is the musical actually called?

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 11:27pm

That was NOT a Long Island Bar Mitzvah. SO underwhelming... and Northport, really?

OK, Jew Boy rant over.

That said, I rather enjoyed this episode. The whole Debra/Will plot line is laughable, though. Other than that, I thought this episode was pretty strong.

One more thing, is the son being directed to act like that? That kid is really starting to get on my nerves.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 11:42pm

I found the Bar Mitzvah scene excruciating. One, I don't think a Bar Mitzvah has looked like that in 30 years, especially, as you say, a "Long Island Bar Mitzvah." Also, it was incredibly boring. I don't understand why we needed to waste so much time with McPhee singing boring songs without anything exciting happening. The only potential plot development that came out of this was the agent or whoever he is that handed her the business card, which could have been accomplished in far less screen time.

I also thought the Messing/Chase scene was laughably bad. I actually think the plot line could go somewhere but every scene they're together just looks so lazily acted with horrendous writing. (And I ordinarily love them both!)

Another major issue I had: the whole Ellis now teaming up with Anjelica Huston's character. I find the Ellis character annoying because the whole thing seems so childish. He runs around divulging everyone's secrets with no apparent objective in mind and no one has thought that perhaps he shouldn't be sitting in a room watching rehearsals of a musical in development? Also, why is he taking rich investors/producers to cheap bars? I have a very hard time believing Huston's character and the investor would ever step foot there. More importantly, why is he having drinks at all with them? It makes little to no sense to me.

I thought the episode was ok but some of these glaring plot issues are hard to get past. It was a major improvement over the first few episodes but I thought it regressed a bit from last week.

Some positives:
Loved the rehearsal at the end of the episode. (so what if an actor would never scream at a director?) It's a drama! I also love the tension developing among the creative team and I definitely foresee something happening to Tom/Messing's character. That could be interesting.

I like Ivy's hallucinations and that entire plot line. It makes sense given the crazy drugs she's on and I really like the inner psychological battle we're seeing unfold. The part and rehearsals are clearly draining her both physically and mentally, something actors experience quite often. This could be interesting as she will probably confront the director in the future.

Sorry for the rambling - just pouring out my thoughts!

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 11:48pm

I'm guessing that the person who leaves the musical is either Ivy or Michael. Chase had only signed on for a recurring role and I thought that Uma Therman is going to play a recurring character who wants the role of Marylin. So Ivy might leave the musical for a while.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 11:57pm

Why is this show such a bore? It never gets any better for me.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/12/12 at 11:58pm

^^however, Hilty is scheduled to appear in every episode.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:10am

I like it okay, but I don't really take it all that seriously. And I just can't stand Karen. There's a fine line between being a naive little Iowa bunpkin and being someone who seems to be a little developmentally disabled. I love Ivy, though. And I only heard one "Amazing!" in the script tonight, so that's always a plus.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:18am

Funny how Deb and her Willy look so uncomfortable onscreen and are quite hot off screen.
And why is Borle still with that guy he had bad sex with?
Is it an inside writing joke that Borle is such a flop as a gay man and yet has a rep as a playa with the dames on Bway?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:24am

Oooh, I'd be a dame for Christian. I love him. But yeah, I don't really get him and that guy. I feel like they've been hinting at him and the "straight" gay guy eventually getting it on, but who knows?

I know others have mentioned this, but the kid who player her son really is a terrible actor.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:26am

Sorry for the rambling - just pouring out my thoughts!

Theresa Rebeck, is that you?

Now that the series has established that it is primarily a sudser set in the world of theater, my expectations have adjusted accordingly. I still fast forward through scenes like Ivy singing to herself in the bedroom (though I made it all the way through the Florence and The Machine number at the bar mitzvah, and really Kitty, we learned the lyrics to Hav Nagila in Catholic school in 5th grade! ), the whole point of soapy plots is to get you to scream, "How can anybody be so stupid?" at your TV. I enjoy the Marilyn musical numbers. Replacement Roger and Cousin Debbie taking off their tops did nothing for me at all. And I liked when Ivy got all Megan Mullally to Jack Davenport's Joe Mantello.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:32am

Now that the series has established that it is primarily a sudser set in the world of theater, my expectations have adjusted accordingly.

This, exactly this.

Ivy's bedroom singing was crazy, but I chalked it off to being a steroid hallucination.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:32am

^^^^^Hahaha

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:34am

Overral, I enjoyed this week's episode but not as much as last week's. I continue to enjoy how they piece together the musical and liked the original number "History Made At Night" at the end.

I may be one of a few out there who is actually rooting for Karen, but all this teasing with her MAYBE getting the part and then not getting it is starting to get on my nerves.

The only real problem I had with this episode was the Glee-like moment Ivy had in her bedroom when she suddenly busted out into a song and dance when she was hallucinating. It was a bit weird for me and I actually laughed out loud when she was done singing.

Bernadette Peters is on next week though...can't wait!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:37am

My boyfriend is rooting for Karen.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:39am

"The only real problem I had with this episode was the Glee-like moment Ivy had in her bedroom when she suddenly busted out into a song and dance when she was hallucinating. It was a bit weird for me and I actually laughed out loud when she was done singing."


Which was the point.

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 3/13/12 at 12:47am

I really kind of hated tonights episode and don't think I want to continue watching. I think tonight was my last time watching it.