Smash: Sn02 Ep06 – The Fringe

Did you catch the latest episode of Smash tonight? Looked like a ping-pong game with a few Broadway songs mixed in. They pushed us one way, then the other way. Over and over.  Smash is not only manipulative but it is so predictable. The Episode was called The Fringe. And almost devoid of any highlights.

All of a sudden Producer Jerry Rand is throwing his weight around. First he’s going to cut Karen’s song (he claims the song is ‘too intellectual’). Then he manages to piss off Derek. All signs of what? All together now – Jerry’s exit likely as soon as next week.

You didn’t really think that he was going to stay in power all that long, did you? Lucky old Ellis’s ex gf strolled by and mentioned that Ellis was working for Jerry to Karen. And Karen would convey this to Eileen. And Jerry was dumb enough to leave a paper trail right in his office. Puhleeze!

It won’t be the usual torches burning march through the streets, and it won’t be the cast revolution I wrote about earlier. Either way, or anyway, Jerry’s ticket will get punched.

Derek quit in a snit. Or was it that Jerry called his bluff so he had no choice but to say he had enough and quit in a huff. Wasn’t it convenient that Hit Song needed a director?

As predicted, Jessie L. Martin was waiting in the wings and made his entrance right after the Hit Song performance at The Fringe. On cue, Derek stepped up and assumed the directorship of the show. Right on cue, Martin’s character suggested that they all go out for a drink. As Bogie’s Rick said to Claude Rains’ Captain Renault as they walked off at the end of Casablanca – Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Across town, Terry Falls, and the rest of the Liaisons cast were putting the press to sleep. Dreadful, horrible, really bad were just some of the words that spilled out of the cast, when Terry finally manned up and asked for the truth. All it took were some tears falling from Ivy’s eyes into her cleavage and Terry was soon willing to face the truth. He hadn’t heard the truth in sooo long because he’s been a star for more than 20 years, and no one tells a star the truth. That is until Ivy.

Peter Gilman is out. As expected. He was simply the filler until it was time for Jessie L. Martin’s turn at bat. Peter had asked Julia to quit Bombshell, and join him on a show he was hired to fix in London. Julia was hesitant – she had to stay in town and see her son Leo (really?) –  but Peter said – Bring him to London with us. At that point Julia said she’d think about it.

That lasted what – 15 minutes?.

Tom had an idea to rework Karen’s song that Jerry wanted to cut. Not only did he re-do the music to make it a more positive song, but he also re-imagined the staging. Naturally this got Derek all peeved, and before anyone could stop the avalanche of Derek’s anger, he got into his Piss Off – I Quit mode and was out the door. As usual it was Karen who chased after him. Have you been keeping score? Karen chased Jimmy(who was furious) in Ep 4, she chased Kyle (who was angry) in last week’s Ep 5, and ditto for following Derek’s angry dude once more in this week’s Ep 6. Let’s see – an alley, the apartment house roof, and now the street. Where will they run to next?

How come none of the women in the cast ever walk off/run off ready to punch a wall and then disappear. Why is it only the men who do this?

So now Tom is the director of Bombshell. Any action on picking the number of weeks that Tom will last as Director? I’ll make the over/under number 4. Which should take us up to Episode 10 which seems a good place to bring in Liza Minelli.

Also remember that Tom is pro-Ivy. And we all know that the Liaisons production is going to crash and burn soon enough. It would have to – to get Ivy back to Bombshell. But with Tom at the helm, this will be good for Julia.

At least you’d think it would be the case. But maybe that will get twisted out of shape in a few weeks. That would be another bit of  those shocking ‘Expect the Unexpected’ twists, but don’t hold me to that.

Karen and Jimmy had another week of ‘not-happening yet‘ as expected. What does she see in him anyway? Nice to see Kyle have an opportunity and a positive experience.

Let’s see – did I leave anything out? Wasn’t it nice to see Eileen’s limo navigate down winding and curvy Pell Street in Chinatown. And won’t it be nice to see Jerry in Department of Corrections inmate garb?