Favourite Shows - Smash

Tim likes to say that for someone who barely watches TV, I certainly am in love with a lot of shows. It's true - I rarely have time in the evenings to sit down and watch (although I'm hoping that changes once Tim and I move in together and he's done evenings at Lakefield College that will change), but I'm really good at using my work lunches to download an episode and get caught up.

This season, one of the shows that really caught my attention was Smash, featuring Katherine McPhee and Debra Messing.

Photo courtesy of GossipBoy.ca

The first series finale was shown Monday night - and I'm heartbroken that it's off for the summer! There were only fifteen shows and it seemed so short. The speed version recap of the season: 

Karen (gorgeous girl next door from Iowa) moves to the big city to realize her theatre dreams. She is up against blonde bombshell Ivy to be cast in a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. When Derek (the director) comes on to Karen, she tells him to forget it because of her boyfriend Dev. Ivy sleeps with Derek and gets the part. They get through the workshop portion of the production and work through various financing problems, but at the end of the workshop it's determined that it's not enough. They get a big-screen star, Rebecca, to come onto the show to beef it up. Ivy gets drunk and loses it on the set of the other production she's working on. Derek puts Karen in as Rebecca's understudy because of it. Rebecca, unfortunately, can't sing, so they make a bunch of changes to the show to accommodate her. Derek also starts sleeping with Rebecca. Ivy convinces Ellis (the producer's assistant) to put peanuts in Rebecca's smoothie, which she's allergic to. Between that and bad reviews on the previews of the show, Rebecca is out. Dev can't really stand Karen's commitment to the show, so he winds up spending too much time with another woman and they make out. He goes to Karen and asks her marry him, but she's too stressed with the show and says she needs time to think. Dev gets mad and confesses to kidding the other woman, so Karen tells him no and leaves. Dev then runs into Ivy at a bar and sleeps with her. Karen winds up forgiving him and she accepts his marriage proposal. Karen is also given the Marilyn role, although everyone thought Ivy would get it. Ivy winds up losing her shit again and tells Karen she slept with Dev. Karen breaks up with Dev (again) and walks off the show. Derek, in a rare moment of compassion, goes after her and convinces her to come back and she does an amazing job in the show. At the very end they show Ivy holding a big handfull of pills. 

I like to think that this show is a brilliant lesson on karma. Ivy is a bitch a huge part of this season. She is who suggests Ellis poison Rebecca, she sleeps with Derek to get the part, she sleeps with Dev, she tries to sabotage Karen at every turn. I realize they insinuate that she's had a hard life living up to her mother's fame, but really . . . Bitch, please! You can't act that way! Not that I want her to commit suicide, but I'm glad they didn't give her the part in the show. Karen is a nice person who actually cares about people. If she maybe didn't want it quite as much as Ivy (who psychotically committed herself to it) it was because she actually bases her self-esteem on something other than the theatre. 

I thought this show did a great good on character development and the musical numbers were wonderful. The talent on this show is just insane. I think my favourite moment might have been Sam (one of the dancers) and Karen's duet at church singing Donnie McClurkin's gospel song 'Stand'. It was amazing, such a great feel-good moment. I really want to buy the soundtrack. 

Here is the only video the cast of Smash has released from the show, featuring Katharine McPhee singing Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful'. Love it - can't wait til next season!