SMASH: Episodes 5-6

5: Let's Be Bad

• The whole Ellis-shadowing-Eileen vibe bugs me. His little comment “I’m pretty good with computers” seemed indicative of some forthcoming betrayal on his part. Ellis represents the new iPhone generation that are able to use technology to take advantage of the older.
• I liked Karen’s moment of stepping up to the plate with her rendition of Happy Birthday Mr. President (in her all-too-appropriate butterfly shirt).
• The ripple effect of personal distress on a production are becoming more apparent & I hope/predict this theme continues to be explored. I like when they acknowledge & accentuate how strongly & subtly intertwined the lives of a cast/production staff can become.
• Megan Hilty did a great job in the showing the glory breaking her; her moments of Marilyn paranoia reminded me of the Marilyn that Joyce Carol Oates crafted in BLONDE (incidentally, one of my favorite books ever).
• The last scene (between Julia & Michael) provided a new conflict & potentially dramatic new storyline, but I was not a fan. It’s just not a storyline that offers a new perspective on the collaborative creation of a musical. The affair element is just a little tired/unnecessary.

6: Chemistry

• I liked Julia’s initial resolve to fight temptation, but was disappointed she didn’t actually fight that hard before giving in. Her resolve was so quickly shaken that it makes her appear spineless & too easily influenced.
• I like Eileen, both because her character is interesting & because Anjelica Houston can do no wrong. But her character but she is so future-oriented that she can’t see Ellis being smarmy little weasel in front of her
  & it makes me question her common-sense (which is a pretty imperative trait for a producer to implement in all of their professional endeavors).
• I like that Jessica (Savannah Wise) is getting more air-time & influence in the plot. She’s an old-school, true-blue Broadway who is the daughter of accomplished actor/director/choreographer Scott Wise, started her career as Little Cosette & Eponine, & played Evelyn Nesbitt in Ragtime’s 2009 D.C. Revival at the Kennedy Center.