NBC's SMASH, Season 2 -- Discussion- Page 50
NBC's SMASH, Season 2 -- Discussion
Joined: 12/31/69
#1225SMASH
Posted: 3/28/13 at 3:28pm
I caught up on the last couple episodes on demand. Astoundingly bad- as if random words and situations were pulled from a hat to comprise a "Plot."
It's hard to pick just one but I think Leslie Odom's return, showcase number and firing was the most absurd part of this episode. How many months do they rehearse this thing in a studio randomly adding and cutting songs, scenes and characters before someone says "Good God, enough already."
Conversely, Hit-list is a random collection of bland pop songs with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
#1226SMASH
Posted: 3/28/13 at 3:48pm
I don't know if I'm the first person to suggest this or not, but "Liaisons" seems to be a pretty clear across-the-board pastiche of "Candide," which almost clears up a plot point- is it witty chamber operetta, broad farce, serious social drama or some perverse mixture of all three?
If "Liaisons" is equivalent to "Candide," it has been all of those things, and hence the tone and interpretation vary so heavily from performer to performer. The random and gratuitous inclusion of sheep in "Liaisons" for no logical reason seems to be a wink to the "sheep" in "Candide," anyway.
#1227SMASH
Posted: 3/28/13 at 5:57pm
I'm late to the game, but finally saw this past week's episode of Smash. I thought it was an improvement on last week's--in terms "Smash-land" and accepting what happens in the show's universe, it mostly sorta kinda maybe made sense. Someone mentioned how they are tired of the snarky Smash blog and online recaps--and I agree.
At this point it seems like a blogger at Vulture, or wherever is simply getting paid to be snarky (when Ent Weekly's blogs, where they usually praise everything, are being snarky you know a bandwagon has not merely been jumped upon but destroyed.)
I appreciated, and largely agreed with the AVClub's review (though I think a B rating is too high) and I am amused that the blogger there is still reading the Garson Kanin to me that the show had to buy the rights to, to use the title, but seems to not have much in common with except for how silly the whole thing is. (Apparently, thanks to the show his book has been released on Kindle so you can find it cheap--it's been out of print for years--that way, Amazon has a 30 page previews...)
I think it's good that (I hope) they are now just focusing on Hit List and Smash and there aren't more side stories that don't add up to anything like the Liaisons subplot or worse the Veronica subplot--I hope this stays true to the final episodes. They were just padding (though at least Liaisons showed off Hilty.)
So much ridiculousness--I did like Derek and Tom scene, though it makes me wonder if it's related to that awkward moment in season 1 where Tom confronted Derek and said that their show together years back was destroyed by Derek and he got the only good press due to Derek's dad sleeping with the critic--Didn't Tom watch how Derek directed people back then? Or is it just that now he realizes, after becoming a director, that it's an approach that works?
Other things people have commented on:
Karen is not remotely a slut, and anyone who thinks her behaviour has shown her to be needs to re-think what the term slut even means (and why people even use it.)
I like Kyle. I like the actor. But his character is just as milquetoast as Jimmy, and while (like the AVClub said) I appreciated that Smash seems to be getting back to actually showing gay relationships, the whole instant connection with hipster lightingdesigner guy was, for a show that focuses way too much on repeating scenes, too forced I felt.
I assume in Hit List the Diva is either a dual role with Karen's and is what she is when she sings and performs those songs, or is ummm someone her character wants to be or ummm? no clue. Seriously, it seems obvious that while Shaiman and Wittman worked hard to map out Bombshell as an actual piece, Hit List (maybe because it has about 13 different composers at this point) has no actual thought behind it. That kills any reality such a dumb sounding show could have ever had.
The number from Hit List made no sense--I thought Karen's character (not the Diva?) stole his songs, so during the song he makes his way from NY to LA (they should have covered the old disco song) to get to her, but from what I knew of the story wouldn't she either be ashamed that he found out she stole his songs, or he be mad? or yeah who cares
Anyway I found the episode a breeze to get through and kinda fun. Which I guess is all I should expect of Smash.
(And yes, we ALL know it's ending--there are a dozen posts since the last episode saying they can't believe people think it will geta last chance reprieve, but I'm at the point where I'm not sure--except from two posters on here who keep saying the same--who even in their most clueless mindis saying it could get a third season?)
#1228SMASH
Posted: 3/28/13 at 6:01pmDarque a few people have mentioned Candide--I think particularly after Hilty's song which seems to pretty much be a Glitter and Be Gay (now I want to hear Hilty as Cunegonde!) though I didn't think of the sheep. Dangerous Liaisons (hell, even its teen flick version Cruel Intentions) are so different in tone from Candide at least IMHO, that it seems odd they chose it as the subject, but I think what you say makes a lot of sense. It's too bad they couldn't have played up the varieties in tone, and different possible approaches more than just having Sean Hayes' character never quite understanding how to stage it.
trixigold
Understudy Joined: 12/24/12
#1229SMASH
Posted: 3/28/13 at 6:07pmI don't think the camera "loves" Katherine McPhee. If it did, it wouldn't make her look so vacant and stupid. I personally find her face hard to look at. High cheekbones and a nice complexion can't overcome her terrible acting and the way it makes it look like she doesn't think at all. She has no future in TV and movies other than small guest roles, if she's lucky. She is one of the main shortcomings of "Smash," besides the inept writing. I also don't think Megan Hilty is that unphotogenic. Unless people are prejudiced against the big-boned (she'll never be as tiny as most TV actresses no matter how thin she gets, she's a big girl) and busty. Her skin isn't that great, either, but she's otherwise a very beautiful woman and she's a good actress with the material that she's given. I would have liked to see her get more screen time than McPhee if nothing else that she's a more compelling actress. She's also a vastly superior singer.
#1230SMASH
Posted: 3/29/13 at 12:10am
I suppose the idea of Candide being a massively flawed but beloved work that has never quite managed to work in any incarnation, and thus has no definitive tone or style, and Hayes's character playing the perpetually-revised Pangloss/Narrator role would have been a bit esoteric for a show like this.
Simplifying the "Candide" debacle down to "it kinda worked as a seriocomic operetta, and it kinda worked as broad campy farce" may have robbed "Liaisons" of some of its possible depth, but it was the C-plot, starring one of our B leads, opposite a guest star playing a C-lister.
(Coincidentally, I wonder if they asked Martin Short to audition for the role, or even just offered it to him, as the role seems inspired by him and Short is one of Shaiman's longtime collaborators. Hayes is fine in a gently comic way, but I never quite bought him as the half-mad schtick comedian. Even his moments of letting loose seemed mild and calculated.)
#1231SMASH
Posted: 3/29/13 at 12:30am
It seems just trite to point out more of Smash's inconsistencies (this episode in particular....no I take it back every episode is equally disjointed), but wasn't it like 2 episodes ago that Ana made a point to tell Jimmy to stay away from Karen. Something about her "terrible year". This episode though she was completely egging her on and telling her to go for it with him. Oh Smash.... And that isn't even to say anything of Ivy's TOTALLY inconsistent behavior with her character progression this season. Genuinely depresses me how bad it is 
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#1233SMASH
Posted: 3/29/13 at 12:55am
Instead of going back to reshoot the Tony episode, they should have gone back and just done an entire episode of Bombshell. And maybe Tracy Turnblad as Marilyn!
ETA: That's just a joke because Megan Hilty rules all. Tracy and Karen can be the shadow Marilyns.
Updated On: 3/29/13 at 12:55 AM
JohnyBroadway
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/12
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#1235SMASH
Posted: 3/29/13 at 9:25amtrixigold - Yes, Hilty is a better singer and actress but that does not mean IMO that McPhee is not a beautiful and sexy woman. Her lack of acting talent does not make me not want to look at her - lol. As for the show, the main shortcoming has been the writing. McPhee could have been the next coming of Meyrl Streep and the show still would have problems. If you ask me, Ms. Messing has not exactly done a great job acting in this show either.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
billis2
Understudy Joined: 3/22/13
#1241SMASH
Posted: 3/29/13 at 9:09pmMy friend was an extra at one of the Bombshell shooting and he said that it was a lot of Hilty. So hopefully she doesn't end up on the cutting room floor a most of her scene have this week. I know she was supposed to be in the champagne toast scene two eps ago but clearly they cut the scene short.
"I think lying to children is really important, it sets them off on the right track" -Sherie Rene Scott-
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#1242SMASH
Posted: 3/31/13 at 5:43pm
I thought I would be proactive and start complaining about this upcoming week's episode of SMASH. Here I go, see below. Just having fun because as soon as episode is over, you will read at least 2-3 of these things in post.
1) Hilty was not in show enough
2) Story line was not believable
3) Hit List stinks
4) Katherine McPhee is even worse than Hit List
5) How did Jeremy Jordan get decent Broadway reviews because he is horrible in SMASH.
Updated On: 3/31/13 at 05:43 PM
#1243SMASH
Posted: 3/31/13 at 5:46pm
TA: That's just a joke because Megan Hilty rules all. Tracy and Karen can be the shadow Marilyns.
Phyllis, I love the fact you're bringing up the shadow Marilyns.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Ham3
Understudy Joined: 2/10/13
#1246SMASH
Posted: 4/2/13 at 9:43ambillis, I guess I couldn't say that I hated her in SA because she was just sitting on the stage but she did go on as Vanessa in HEIGHTS and boy was it not good. She might not be the kind of actor that gets a lot of hate but it doesn't change my opinion of her.
"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah
#1247SMASH
Posted: 4/2/13 at 11:28am
"How did Jeremy Jordan get decent Broadway reviews because he is horrible in SMASH."
I'm not sure what you mean by that. Over and over I hear what a weasel he is on the show -- how can anyone love him? -- how can anyone be so self-centered and unthinking --etc., etc. Clearly people are referring to the character he plays. When people can't separate the actor from the character, then the actor is NOT doing a "horrible" job. Quite the contrary.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#1248SMASH
Posted: 4/2/13 at 11:41am
1) The parts where they didn't show Megan Hilty were particularly egregious
2) The part where Jeremy Jordan hated the suggestion by the director came out of nowhere
3) Hit List? More like Not List.
4) Katharine McPhee is from Gunsmoke, right?
5) Julie Jordan is really too masculine and seems to be playing her part as a male.
Twitter @NamoInExile
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yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#1249SMASH
Posted: 4/2/13 at 3:56pmPatash - I don't think the writers have done him any favors with how they have written his character. That being said, I have also read quite a few people say that he has not done a great acting/singing job in SMASH. In comparison, I believe his reviews in "Bonnie & Clyde" which was a flop and "Newsies" were pretty good.
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