SMASH S2: better late than never.

Smash was renewed for a second season! Honestly, I’m shocked; thrilled. grateful, etc., but very surprised. Since the show [imaginary musical] within the show [NBC series] is finally up & running, I am very curious as to how the second season will maintain the same sense of interest & suspense. Here’s the bad news about SMASH Season 2: it will not premiere until mid-way through the TV season ("early 2013"). The choice to premiere a show mid-season is a move that the producers of LOST & Grey’s Anatomy [my favorites] have often utilized. Maybe it was to build viewer anticipation or maybe it was because they had no idea where to take the storyline, but it never ceased to frustrate & annoy me. I guess this decision does keep loyal, anticipatory viewers like me on the edge of their sofas. However, in terms of attracting new viewers to the show, it seems a much smarter move to debut the second season when all the new & old fall series erupt on the tiny screen. Even so, the finale of Season 1 was perfect & I will wait it out like the good, loyal viewer I am. Now, let's reminisce:

My favorite part of Season 1's finale was the process of Julia's writing/writing block; I liked her euphoric moment of realizing that she needed to rely on communicating the good & that being the catalyst that created the perfect song for the finale (if you do recall, they only finished 15 minutes before the curtain rose. Talk about drama!). That moment of breaking Julia's writing block was especially cool because it reminded me of a real-life historic theatre: In 2005, Son of a Witch (the sequel to Wicked) was published & I went to a reading/talk by Gregory Maguire (author of the books) & Stephen Schwartz (composer of WICKED). Schwartz recounted a phone call when he was struggling with the final/climactic duet between the two female leads & that he had wanted to communicate how their friendship had changed them both permanently. But instead of saying permanently, he said For Good. Hearing himself say those words led to his euphoric moment that led him to write the song For Good, with the phrase's double meaning of permanence/positivity as its' defining catalyst. I am curious as to whether the storyline on Smash was loosely inspired this real-life writing of WICKED's great closing ballad. Either way, here's the best-ever rendition of For Good, featuring Smash's own Megan Hilty:

THE AXED ACTORS

• Raza Jaffrey as Dev [Karen’s seemingly cool, completely devoted boyfriend who acted completely out of character & cheated on her with Ivy]: I’m so down with him being written off, but not with this plot development as the catalyst. It was inconsistent with his character, a little too Melrose Place, & a little too obvious that they were trying to faze out Dev. I'm still a fan of this choice; Karen will be a much more interesting character without Dev pulling her down. 
• Jamie Cepero as Ellis [the sneaky, snarky, ladder-climber who offered nothing but conflict & irritation]: His exodus was awesome, obviously necessary, reasonably executed, & much appreciated. They pulled it off in a believable, drawn-out storyline (his attempt at becoming a producer & poisoning the movie star's smoothie). This was a  wise & well-executed plot-point. 
• Brian D’Arcy James as Frank [Julia's husband who seemed like he was trying to get over her affair, but threw in the towel]: He will be on at least one episode, but is pretty much gone. I liked his presence only because he is an actual Broadway performer. But the whole Julia/Frank marriage conflicts got old & wasted air-time. So I say good riddance & Brian D’Arcy James should get himself back into a role where he can sing. 
• Will Chase as Michael [Julia's former cheating partner who sometimes played Joe DiMaggio]: I liked him for the same reason I liked Brian D’Arcy James: he’s a true-blue Broadway alumni. However, his role on the show was so boring & I never got why Julia was so entranced by him. I watch this show because I love musicals, not because I’m interested in marital strife. Plus, he was a very bland character & didn't even sing that much. 

THE NEW CAST MEMBERS 

• Daniel Sunjata as Unnamed Man [Julia's new love interest]: I was hoping Julia’s love-life storyline would be more subdued in Season 2, but he has been cast as her new love interest. At least he's easier on the eyes than the other two. Plus, he's a stage actor; he was nominated for a 2003 Tony for his performance in Take Me Out. 
• Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore [a Broadway veteran who has some sort of impact on both Karen & Ivy]: This is very exciting. The woman can do no wrong & is a perfect fit for this cast. Well done, Smash! 
• Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy [according to the casting call:  “Straight, working class from Brooklyn. Sexy, charismatic, musically gifted, but also self-destructive and remote.”]: I know nothing about this guy except that he is coming to SMASH from Newies on Broadway & that's enough to give me faith. 
• Krysta Rodriguez as Ana [Karen's spunky new roommate who is in the ensemble of a Broadway show & looking for her big break]: I LOVE THIS. Krysta's Broadway credits include A Chorus Line, Good Vibrations, In The Heights, Spring Awakening (where I met her briefly after a performance & she was very nice), & originating the role of Wednesday in The Addams Family. She was the pitch-perfect Wednesday. HERE'S PROOF: