May 7

May 7 Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist or: How I Learned to Smile, Cry, and Seethe All at Once

Fresh off its season one finale, NBC's new musical dramedy series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is simultaneously everything I love: quirky short girls, random superpowers, music, dance, and Lauren Graham, and everything I hate: jukebox musicals, reminders of the pervasiveness of loneliness, and toxic masculinity -all at once. The series stars Jane Levy as Zoey, a high-achieving programmer at a tech company who, one day after an earthquake/MRI mishap, gains the power to hear people's innermost thoughts through popular songs (think the musical sequence in 2009's 500 Days of Summer, directed by Mark Webb, mixed with the hallucinations of TV’s Eli Stone, 2008-2009). With this newfound ability, Zoey attempts to navigate her work and family life, as well as complicated work relationships, all while glimpsing into people's most personal emotions, secrets, and troubles. The season finale aired this past Sunday, and after a tumultuous relationship with the show, I can safely confirm that I have no idea how I feel, but it's mostly not good...

I'll start with the things I love about this show (because there are quite a few). Firstly, there are some great characters here. Zoey, as an awkward introvert with a slight streak of weirdness, is a compelling character. The audience follows her from one impossible situation to the next, and witnesses her attempts to get through each obstacle and help those suffering in silence, sometimes faltering, sometimes leaving, and occasionally flat-out running away. I can't list the number of times that I let out a pained groan at the 'too realness' of her predicaments, and her responses to them. Another great character is her music-loving landlord/best friend, Mo (Andrew Leeds), who is all-too-eager to support Zoey as she tries to get a handle on her powers. Outstanding recurring characters include Zoey's honestly-too-cool-for-the-show sister-in-law Emily (Alice Lee), and Howie (Zack Orth), the sweet caregiver, with the heart of a Fluffernutter, who is looking after Zoey's ailing father (Peter Gallagher). And, of course, who can forget Zoey's amiably-snarky boss-turned-gal-pal, Joan, played by Lauren Graham. Just imagine a gruff Lorelai Gilmore after a world coffee shortage shook her spirit, and you've pretty much got Joan's character. She's exactly the type of character I wanted and needed right about now.

In terms of the format and style of the show, I was a little skeptical before it's premiere. The jukebox musical style of weaving popular songs into a narrative has always struck me as a bit creatively lackluster. However, I think that the premise of this series is the closest one that could get to making it work. I like that all of the characters get their moment to sing and that a good percentage of the main characters/actors don't appear to be professional singers. The effect is that of walking in on someone singing into a hairbrush in the middle of their living room, and I enjoy the roughness of it. My real happy place in the show, though, is the dancing. I've been a fan of Mandy Moore as a choreographer for some time, especially her work on La La Land (2016, dir. Damien Chazelle) with the large-scale, high-energy opening song, set on a traffic-congested highway, "Another Day of Sun." Many of the big group numbers in Zoey have a similar vibe to that showstopper, and Moore's contemporary choreography with the professional dancers is so amazing that I'm almost willing to pack my bags and move to the west coast in an attempt to participate in one. The smaller, more intimate numbers, when they work, really work. However, when they don't, it's usually due to a painfully apparent discomfort from one of the main cast in the singing/dancing that's required. Since we're being sincere here, when it comes to the songs, I stay only for the real dancers that are going to disappear at the end of the scene.

Another element of this show that is great, but also tough to sit through is its darkness. Along with the songs and quick humor, the show gifts us with some real bummers of storylines. If I had to sum up what the series is trying to tell us in the quickest terms possible, I would say that it's about loneliness. Everybody is on their island of trouble, emotion, and burden, and there is no way (aside from being gifted with musical superpowers) to get to the pain that lives within each individual. The show doesn't spring this on you suddenly, either. The first song that Zoey hears with her powers is The Beatles' "Help," sung by supposedly every person in the street of the show's setting: San Francisco.

Furthermore, the show sets up the storyline early on that Zoey's father is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease that prevents him from communicating with his family. Before learning that the father of the show's creator, Austin Winsberg, also had the disease, I found the premise of Zoey's powers to be a brilliant and beautiful piece of storytelling when paired with this storyline. Now, knowing the facts about Winsberg's own experience, I find it not only smart and powerful but also devastatingly sad. The emotional roller coaster may be worth it for many, but I would warn you: if you find the first episode a bit of a hard watch, it will only get harder.

And now, for the legitimately concerning part of the series: the sheer volume of male characters who are so despicable that they are almost unwatchable. I am mostly referring to Zoey's competing love interests, Max (Skylar Astin) and Simon (John Clarence Stewart), but Zoey's brother, David (Andrew Leeds), can also fall in the 'dirtbag' category. Several of Zoey's male coworkers also tend to give off a slimy vibe, though they tend to be caricatured rather than humanized, which is slightly less infuriating. Max and Simon are both coworkers of Zoey's, which already makes the romantic angle of their relationships just icky. Then, there's the fact that Simon starts out engaged, enters a flirtatious relationship with Zoey without revealing that fact, and eventually, his engagement ends due to his attachment to her... Yet, somehow, he's not the worst character in the show! The absolute worst person in the series, and I'm pretty sure in the history of both television and film, is Max. Max only reveals his romantic interest to her through his "heart songs" (unbeknownst to him), and when Zoey tells him mid-season that she knows his true feelings, he begins blaming her for not being sure if she feels the same way in return. He immediately treats her as someone who owes him something for doing the things that a good friend would do, such as being a comfort to her as she struggles with her dad's health problems. At any sign that Zoey's not interested in a sexual relationship, Max turns into a petulant child, gives her the cold shoulder, and even transfers at work to a different (and uber competitive) floor. He's either glaring at her and giving her the silent treatment, or falling back into the support role (doubtlessly to add it to his ammo when she doesn't give him what he wants). The next part of this rant is a spoiler for the final episode, so be warned:

SPOILER FOR THE FINALE EPISODE:

The season ends with Zoey and Max 'together.'...I think. She's still playing around with the idea of Simon as well… So? Both men are constantly hovering around Zoey, claiming ownership while also giving each other the space to compete for her so that it's 'a fair fight?' Because, you know, she's a competition, a prize to be won? Oh, yeah, and this is all happening while Zoey is dealing with the death and funeral of her father. Max calls Simon and essentially says, ‘Hey, Zoey's dad's like, two seconds away from death. I feel kind of guilty taking all the comfort-during-the-worst-time-ever points, so you might want to reach out.’ These characters are despicable, and I'm honestly worried that the creators (and particularly writers) aren't even aware of this.

THE SPOILER IS NOW OVER.

I don't think I've ever seen a show that makes me so sad and angry all at once, while also dying to be an extra. I can see where the creators could potentially end the entire series with this season finale, but, because of the spoiler elements that I discussed, I think that there is a significant problem. While the creators take a close look at the effects of severe illness and death on individuals and families, they desperately and criminally overlook a real problem that many women face: abuse and manipulation from 'friends' who want to be more. I genuinely hope that there is a second season and that during the season premiere, the creators walk onto the set, look into the camera, and say, ’Hey. So, this isn't an adorable and romantic conundrum Zoey is facing. It's a real problem. And these guys should both be fired. Period.’

What did you think of the first season of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist? Are you as conflicted as I am? Should it be picked up for a second season? Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget that it's perfectly acceptable to break out into song and dance during self-isolation. Keep dancing and singing like nobody’s watching!