I watched the first five or six episodes roughly around the time they aired, but then got distracted and put watching more on hold. I stopped right after The Workshop (which I think is my favorite episode after the finale), though part of the reason came from watching the promo for the next episode. I knew Karen was going to be singing that horrific Touch Me song, and everything I'd read about it said it was just disastrous and revolting and it's sometimes hard for me to watch something that I know is going to make me embarrassed for everyone involved. Like the horrific Touch Me song. Tom and Julia were just so obviously appalled and insulted and screaming at Derek and all Karen could do was sit there wrapped in a ridiculous sheet trapped in the bed/jail contraption. Like I said, hard to watch.
Even without watching, I'd been keeping somewhat abreast of the show. I knew of some of the bigger plot points, like getting rid of Michael as Joe DiMaggio and replacing Ivy with a super annoying and not super talented movie star in the role of Marilyn, and was keeping up with the music as well (really the only reason to watch some musicals). Finally I decided it was time to wade back into the world of Smash...and promptly devoured it. Once I plowed through what I can only ever refer to as that horrific Touch Me song I was hooked and couldn't stop. I finished Bombshell around 1:15 this morning and am devastated that NBC is keeping season two on hold as a mid-season replacement.
So yes, as you can clearly see, I am definitely a fan of Smash. That's not to say that Smash doesn't have it's fair share of flaws. For me personally, the biggest issue is the constant pitting of Karen vs. Ivy. Clearly Katherine McPhee is talented. She's a lovely singer and a decent enough actress (despite what my sister constantly refers to as her "dead eyes") and a pretty girl, but there's nothing you can do to make me believe that her Karen possesses some kind of elusive "star quality" that Megan Hilty's Ivy lacks. Everything about Ivy's performance of Marilyn was superior: from her singing to her commitment to the overly enunciated breathy voice even down to her body shape. Like I said, Karen's a very pretty girl, but she's tall and slim and willowy. Marilyn was definitely not, and Ivy's more soft, rounded, and fleshy shape is much more the Marilyn ideal. For me, this point of Ivy's superiority was driven home the most in the finale episode during Karen's performance of I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Want to Howl. I wish I could find a youtube clip of the number so you could see what I mean. They intercut the number with a few clips of Ivy singing it oh so many episodes ago at Nick Jonas' birthday party (Lyle? Was that his character's name?), and it's clear that Ivy just so much more naturally embodied that combination of sweet innocence, sex bomb, and joy that Marilyn was able to contain. Karen was very much playing a part, whereas Ivy became Marilyn Monroe (which I suppose has a darker significance considering the way Ivy concluded the finale episode). I wish I could put a video of both performances here so you can see the difference I mean, but I can't find either so you'll just have to watch the whole show instead! Ivy sings her version in episode 4 The Cost of Art and Karen hers in the season one finale Bombshell.
Which brings me to something I simply LOVE about the show and that is the music. Sure, every once in a while when they randomly break out into real pop songs it can feel a little forced, but when it comes to the original songs, seriously I would so pay to go see this musical. I can take or leave some of the covers, but I've downloaded every song from Bombshell's playbook. And the fact that it comes and goes, like you'll hear the same song more than once adds an element of reality to the show, the fact that this is a musical that's still being built and rehearsed. You'll hear different people sing the songs and some lyric tweaks, and it's a realistic element that I find adds greatly to my level of enjoyment.
I'm very much looking forward to the next season. I know there's going to be a new show-runner, and with that some obvious changes (such as the exits of certain obnoxious characters that had the potential to be superbly slimy, but instead just became a nuisance), but I think that can only help Smash. There were some brilliant ideas that were entertained this season, but some definite kinks that need to be worked out too.
And so I'll leave you with one of my favorite numbers, where you get to see both Ivy (the blond in green) and Karen (the brunette in blue) in action. Neither of them are Marilyn at this point, only soloists in the chorus, but still super fun.
Which brings me to something I simply LOVE about the show and that is the music. Sure, every once in a while when they randomly break out into real pop songs it can feel a little forced, but when it comes to the original songs, seriously I would so pay to go see this musical. I can take or leave some of the covers, but I've downloaded every song from Bombshell's playbook. And the fact that it comes and goes, like you'll hear the same song more than once adds an element of reality to the show, the fact that this is a musical that's still being built and rehearsed. You'll hear different people sing the songs and some lyric tweaks, and it's a realistic element that I find adds greatly to my level of enjoyment.
I'm very much looking forward to the next season. I know there's going to be a new show-runner, and with that some obvious changes (such as the exits of certain obnoxious characters that had the potential to be superbly slimy, but instead just became a nuisance), but I think that can only help Smash. There were some brilliant ideas that were entertained this season, but some definite kinks that need to be worked out too.
And so I'll leave you with one of my favorite numbers, where you get to see both Ivy (the blond in green) and Karen (the brunette in blue) in action. Neither of them are Marilyn at this point, only soloists in the chorus, but still super fun.
