Round Two: Smash

Smash: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Callback” (C+)

In week two, this show demonstrates that there’s more to it than just music, mainly in the form of familiar drama with all of the characters. There isn’t all that much that’s original here, and all the threads are highly predictable. The adoption plotline with Julia seems particularly over-the-top, with her conversation with her son reaching exceptional lows in terms of effectiveness. It’s great that Frank wants to go back to work and teach science, but there’s a point at which too big a net can be cast, to include elements of an extended universe that just aren’t all that interesting. Karen’s perfect boyfriend being up for a promotion and getting stood up thanks to her late rehearsal, on the other hand, is completely par for the course, and I’m sure that Karen isn’t going to stop alienating him anytime soon. Eileen is not someone you want to cross, as evidenced by her disposal of her Manhattan in her ex-husband’s face during their run-in at the restaurant. At least Derek has her back, and it’s good to have friends in a business like show business. In terms of casting Marilyn, I was rather shocked that they ended up going with Ivy. That’s probably due to the fact that Ivy slept with Derek, something that Karen wasn’t willing to do. The show is obviously slanted towards Karen’s story, portraying her in a much better light and even envisioning her as Marilyn in the staging of one of the musical numbers. That’s one area in which this show rocks – the song and dance performances are top-notch.