Smash - Recap: Crossing Jordan
Recap and review of Smash - Season 2 Episode 8 - The Bells and Whistles:
Now that Hit List is on the way to being developed simultaneously with Bombshell (though not in conjunction with it), Smash has provided narrative momentum for the rest of its season, as we chart how these shows will come to fruition on the Broadway stage. "The Bells and Whistles" proves to be a solid outing primarily by illustrating the difficulties that are frequently encountered in the creative process. Whether it's deciding on what numbers to cut, measuring the thematic relevance of one song vs. the show-stopping potential of another, or butting heads with the director because you feel he's compromising the dramatic integrity of your show, "The Bells and Whistles" explores those conflicts, and that's something I can appreciate, even if the episode makes the unfortunate decision to couch these issues in terms of these characters' relationship problems. But even with this narrative stumble, the hour still manages to feel immensely purposeful, which is a good thing, since Smash has taken far too long in getting us to the point where it actually feels like any of these people will actually make it to a Broadway stage. It's been a lot of stop-and-start without much in the way of payoff. Thankfully, we seem to be headed in a more dynamic direction as the series barrels towards its final episodes, and entries like "The Bells and Whistles" give me confidence about the direction of the show...or at least the show's shows-within-the-show.
Credit: NBC
As fairly routine as its storyline sounds, I would watch the hell out of Hit List right now. There's something compelling about how Jeremy Jordan plays the lead role, as Jimmy, that makes it feel like a viable Broadway production in a way that Bombshell never did under Karen (Katharine McPhee). On the subject of Karen, she seems far more natural in this role with Hit List, as the role plays to her pop star sensibilities in a way that the more theatrical Bombshell didn't, and the result is a better performance all-around. This extends to Jordan, who really plays Jimmy as a bruised egomaniac. It's a divisive portrayal, but it's eminently compelling, to me, if only because there's an emotional rawness behind Jimmy's seeming sense of entitlement that makes him somewhat more relatable than just another "Guy Acting Like A Jerk". That said, he can still be a bit of a pill. For instance, he pouts about the Karen/Derek situation instead of confronting Karen and telling her the truth, or maybe asking her what she wants. He also continues to butt heads with Derek (Jack Davenport), whose high-tech, garish directorial choices aren't in line with Jimmy's low-tech conception of the show. It's an episode-long conflict that culminates in a dynamic musical setpiece, "I Heard Your Voice In A Dream", which depicts the scene in Hit List where the lead discovers that the woman he loves has stolen his song upon hearing it on the radio. It's staged gorgeously, with a group of dancers providing manual resistance to Jimmy as he struggles to reach Karen in her elevated position on a scaffold. The choreography sees the dancers moving around Jimmy as fluidly as smoke, and they're so elegant in their movements that I almost didn't notice when Jimmy would use one of them as furniture or as a step-stool, as it just seemed like a natural extension of the sequence's fluidity. And the song is great, to boot. Genuinely. Jeremy Jordan sings the hell out of it, and provides the number with a real feeling of energy that sets Hit List apart from the increasingly-subdued Bombshell.
Credit: NBC
Of course, it's this number that makes Karen realize that she's crazy about Jimmy. She wonders if Jimmy even likes her at all, as he's been wishy-washy, as of late. Her roommate, Ana (Krysta Rodriguez), encourages Karen to go for it by making a big move of her own, singing Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy" to Derek. It's kind of silly in how it's turned from an emotional pop ballad into a weird, Coyote Ugly-esque burlesque, yet Rodriguez performs it well, which helps it make a bit more sense when Derek recasts her in Hit List as The Diva, i.e., the biggest star in the world (a role Derek had intended for Lea Michele, over Jimmy's vehement objections. It's a moment I'm not sure the show meant for us to find funny, yet here we are). Emboldened by Ana's display, Karen decides to confront Jimmy about whatever there is between them, and Jimmy is unable to really give her an answer, since it would involve telling her about his standoff with Derek, which could make rehearsal a bigger pain in the ass than it already is for him. Dejected, Karen leaves with Derek, who walks her home and looks about six seconds away from giving her a goodnight smooch before she turns in for the night. No sooner does Karen get through the door than the buzzer to her apartment rings. Assuming it's Derek wanting to take her out for one last drink, she buzzes the stranger in (which is all kinds of reckless, but whatever). Yet when she opens the door, it's Jimmy. Without saying a word, he kisses her, and they're suddenly tearing each others' clothes off as we smash to black.
I go back and forth on the effectiveness of the Jimmy-Karen romance, mainly because Jimmy remains a problematic character since he's not inherently likable. Sure, I argue above that he's more likable than your run-of-the-mill jerk, but that's mostly thanks to Jordan's portrayal. Cast an ugly guy in the role, and nobody would be putting up with his attitude. That said, Jimmy is making significant gains in the likability department, as he's passionate about his work, which is a likable enough trait to get us rooting for him to get his shot, since there's a real feeling that he probably deserves it (at least more than some). And again, Jeremy Jordan remains one of the best talents on the show (I'd argue he has the best voice in the cast, and I couldn't have been more thrilled to see him get his first full solo since "Broadway, Here I Come," since they only ever pair him with McPhee, it seems). As for the romance, I'd say it mostly worked this week, as there's something beguiling about Karen playing the puppy dog, instead of playing the crush object. This development also raises interesting implications for how Hit List will progress going forward, since I can't imagine either person will be able to keep the hookup from becoming public knowledge. As Julia (Debra Messing) implied in the premiere, personal secrets have a way of getting out in the Broadway community.
Credit: NBC
On the subject of Julia, she has a mostly insubstantial plot in which she confronts Scott (Jesse L. Martin) about how their friendship ended. We learn that fifteen years ago, she took an opportunity with a prestigious production that essentially left Scott out in the cold, though it ended up launching Julia's career. It took Scott years to recover to the point where he could even have a respectable career, and he's understandably bitter about it still. Yet Julia remains dogged in her determination to make things right, and Scott finds it increasingly difficult to remain mad at her, so he accepts her apology -- and then offers his condolences on the end of her marriage. I guess the plot helped humanize Julia a bit more, but I just don't think any of it was necessary this week...or any week, really. Especially when Julia had a far more substantial subplot with Tom (Christian Borle).
Credit: NBC
When Ivy (Megan Hilty) invites Sam (Leslie Odom, Jr.) to join the Bombshell cast for a get-together while on break from the touring company of The Book of Mormon, he sings a jazzy number titled "(Let's Start) Tomorrow Tonight". It goes over like gangbusters, and believably so, since Leslie Odom, Jr. finally gets a chance to showcase his considerable talents, even if it's just for one song. But what a song it is, going over so well that Tom decides to add it to the show, encouraging Sam to quit The Book of Mormon, the touring schedule of which has apparently been making him miserable, in order to join the cast of Bombshell. Sam is overjoyed, but there remains a lingering question of how much of Tom's decision comes from the earnest belief that the number is right for the show, and how much of it is his continued affection for Sam, with whom he has a one-night stand in this week's episode. Ultimately, it's Julia who tells Tom what he needs to hear: they can't put this number in the show. It just isn't relevant to the story, and making room for it in the show means cutting a song that actually is. Sam shows up at the rehearsal, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to get to work in his first real Broadway role. But Tom, unable to break it to Sam, leaves Julia to be the bad guy, telling him that they can't use the song. A dejected Sam leaves, and Tom falls into a funk.
Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/NBC
Julia brings him to see Derek, of all people, in order to help Tom learn how to get over not being loved by his cast all the time, and how to do what's best for the show. These are the best scenes of the episode, as the original rivalry between Derek and Tom is what imbues their light-hearted, introspective banter here with such meaning. In essence, Derek teaches Tom how to be a better director, while Tom helps Derek be a better listener and collaborator, resulting in dramatic changes in each man's directorial style. Tom gets a bit colder and more magisterial, reiterating to Sam that they're cutting his song, all the while trying to keep his personal feelings out of it for the good of the show. Derek, meanwhile, admits to Jimmy that perhaps he was wrong, that maybe he's been working Big Broadway for so long that he's lost his auteur's touch, and that maybe he and Jimmy can reach some sort of compromise. I just love watching the creative process in action, as that's essentially what creation is between independently-minded collaborators: compromise. The growth of Tom as a director even leads to one last huge development, as Eileen (Anjelica Huston) tries to get coverage for Bombshell in the New York Times via her friend Richard (Jamey Sheridan). However, he insists that there's no new story to even report, unless she wants to tell him the story of how her daughter helped her get Bombshell back from Jerry, since the mother-daughter hook could be huge. Eileen doesn't want to get her daughter involved publicly, but she does know of one other mother-daughter hook she can play up. She approaches Tom and says that Ivy's mother, the legendary Leigh Conroy (Bernadette Peters), has agreed to come out of retirement to play Marilyn's mother if Tom can get Ivy to agree. Tom, newly-assured in his authority as director, decides that it won't be a problem. Bernadette Peters will never not be great, so this is a pretty stellar development, all-around.
Credit: NBC
Ultimately, "The Bells and Whistles" thrives on whether or not you're into the relationship aspects of the show, as they occasionally overwhelm what I'd argue are the far more compelling creative elements of putting together a show. However, the show still manages to string together a solid episode, regardless of which side of the fence you happen to fall upon, relationship drama or behind-the-scenes drama (and hey, sometimes they're one and the same). Smash seems intent on going out strong, so it should be interesting to see if the series can maintain its momentum as it barrels towards its series finale.