Smash: Waiting, Impatiently

Last time on “Smash:” Hit List made it to Broadway! Daisy blackmailed Derek and replaced Ana in the show! Jimmy wants to get Kyle a Tony! Someone told the press about Season 1 Ivy! Tom and Julia have a goodbye performance! Ivy is preggers!

SMASH!

Ivy’s pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. A stage manager bangs on the bathroom door, telling her she’s missing her curtain call. She yells back she’ll be out in a minute. And her odd behavior hasn’t gone unnoticed. Jessica and Bobby recruit Sam to check in with her, telling him about her bizarre behavior which includes almost missing her Act II entrance because she had fallen asleep during the intermission. They are concerned Season 1 Ivy is back.


So Sam talks to Ivy and she reveals she has a bun in the oven. Sam is surprised but figures it’s Derek’s. He asks Ivy what she’s going to do. And she’s not really sure. Keep the baby? Tell Derek? I have a vision for a spinoff: Ivy raising her child as a single mother who is also a Broadway actress. Helping her are Sam and Tom, who are still sniping at each other following their break up, as well as Julia as the been-there-done-that fellow mom. Derek and Eileen can make appearances as well—Derek as the dad who is trying but not always succeeding and Eileen because Anjelica Huston. Come on! Anyway, Sam promises to stand by Ivy. Cue the “awws”.

Meanwhile, Tom is anxious about the Outer Circle Critics Awards. They are announced online and then the winners attend a luncheon (which is true). But Eileen has brought Tom to a show which could be a possible competitor so he’s the annoying person looking at his phone in the middle of show. And the person is Patrick Dillon, a famous actor who is also on the Tony voting committee! But the good news is Tom won the Outer Circle Critics award for Best Director! Well, he tied with Derek. But he still won.

Outside, he does the happy dance but has another run in with Patrick Dillon. Eileen wants to kill him as Patrick is on the nominating committee for the Tony Awards. Tom is nervous.

Jerry celebrates Hit List’s many, many Outer Circle Critics Awards by showing off the ads he created for Tony consideration. Jimmy’s upset that Kyle isn’t mentioned anywhere. But Jerry insists that winning Best Book is a lost cause because Julia already won one award for Bombshell. Jimmy’s not happy about it. Jerry’s probably ready to kill him but a new assistant comes in to give him some papers. Ana’s suing them for wrongful termination! Everyone is shocked. Jerry tries to get Karen to convince Ana to drop the suit, but Karen’s kinda on Ana’s side here.

Instead, Karen decides to talk to Daisy. She thinks if she asks Daisy really, really nicely than Daisy will give the role back to Ana. This works as well you expect—Daisy pretty much laughs in her face. She’s made it and she’s going to enjoy it. Karen’s shocked—SHOCKED—Daisy didn’t just kowtow to her because she’s Karen Cartwright.

Meanwhile, Michael Musto is interviewing Jimmy at the Ethel Barrymore. But he seems to be sick as he coughs through the interview. He still pushes Kyle, wanting to make sure everyone knows what a genius Kyle was though back in “The Read Through” they seemed to dub him a failure and dumped his book. And only Scott actually thought to get him help. Anyway, Karen steps in and tries to help. But Michael is fixated on the whole Julia-serving-as-dramaturge thing. He believes Julia wrote Hit List. Jimmy and Karen are surprised. Really, guys? I’m sure people talked about how bad Kyle’s first manuscript was and then bringing in Julia…the gossip was inevitable. Jimmy is livid. He wants Kyle to get his Tony, dammit! 

Over at the Lyceum Lilly Hayes, Ivy greets her adoring fans at the Bombshell stage door. Someone asks her about Hit List and she’s very gracious about it. Until someone quotes Jimmy’s interview with Michael Musto where he rags on Bombshell. And so Ivy says that Hit List only made it to Broadway because Kyle died. Everyone is shocked that Ivy had the nerve to tell the truth. And of course, someone video tapes it on their phone. Countdown to it going viral…

The next day, Eileen and Julia talk in Eileen’s office about Frank. Remember him? Well, it seems their divorce isn’t going so great. Eileen offers her lawyer for Julia to use.  And then Tom comes in and tells Eileen he handled everything with Patrick Dillon. How? By sending him some wine! Eileen wants to kill him—again. She reminds him about the rules against giving gifts to the judges and shouldn’t Tom have known that? We’re racing toward the end and they are still making characters look like idiots? As he goes to fix it, Eileen goes back to worrying about how Hit List won more awards than Bombshell.

So Tom tries to get the wine back. Hilarity somewhat ensues. As does some flirting between Tom and Patrick. Though by “flirting,” I mean the stereotypical “I can’t stand your guts but I’m giving you sexy eyes.” The security guard in Patrick’s apartment building thinks Tom is crazy. And probably has him down on the “Do Not Grant Entry” list.

Ana goes on an audition for the touring company of “Once.” She knocks their socks off and it looks like she’ll get the part. One of the people there mentions that Derek suggested her for the part and Ana gets upset. She believes Derek is trying to get rid of her and her lawsuit. Or it’s a mea culpa. Either way, Ana’s still pissed.

Everyone meets up at the Outer Circle Critics Award luncheon. Julia accepts an award on Kyle’s behalf while Jimmy seethes. Derek and Tom accept their shared award and are pretty gracious around each other. Tom even thanks Derek. While the awards continue, Ivy pulls Jimmy to the side. I guess she’s there because she won for Liaisons? Anyway, she apologizes for her words about “Hit List” and Jimmy’s…not having it. Eventually, most of the main cast ends up around the table arguing. Jimmy brings up how he feels Julia is telling people she wrote the play, which offends her. Eileen breaks up, reminding everyone to act like adults. They go to their separate corners.

Outside, Julia waits for Jimmy. She apologizes for giving people the wrong impression. All she was doing was trying to sing Kyle’s praises. But she also says she’ll be more honest about using a dramaturge even though they didn’t use the script Peter (remember him?) helped her with. Jimmy accepts it and moves on. Ivy also stops Derek and says she has something to tell him. He agrees to meet her later.

Julia receives a call from Frank. He’s none-too-happy about her new lawyer and pretty much declares war. Sucks to be Julia.

Jimmy continues to hack up a lung as Karen tells him to sit out that night’s performance of “Hit List.” But he doesn’t want to as it’s the last show Tony voters will be allowed to go to. Karen convinces him to sit out and gives him a ticket, saying he’s going to watch the show instead. So Jimmy watches Karen singing “Rewrite This Story” as her hair blows in the wind and a light glows around her…we get it, show. Karen! Is! Awesome!

At the Lyceum Lilly Hayes, Eileen watches with Daphne in the wings. She says they’ve made it but they’ve had to sacrifice a lot. Like Thorsten Kaye. So Eileen goes to find Thorsten Kaye. You go, Eileen!
Outside the Ethel Barrymore, Karen signs an autograph for Jimmy. He says she was right and that the show was good. That Kyle’s work will live on even if he’s no longer there and I’m sensing a suicide. Ana breaks up the morbid conversation to ask for Karen’s help.

While waiting for Derek, Ivy receives some support about her stance on Hit List. It’s only mentioned briefly by a bartender who mentions there’s a message board dedicated to bashing Hit List. We don’t get to see it, which is a bit sad. I’d like to see what the show thought was “bashing Hit List.” I really do.

Before Ivy can talk to Derek, Ana and Karen burst in to talk to him. Ana says she knows what Derek did but she’s going to take the role anyway. And she’s dropping the lawsuit against him even though she wants to make him pay. Karen gives him a look of disgust as they leave. Derek shakes it off and turns to find Ivy standing there. He wants to know what she wanted to talk about but Ivy said she heard everything she needed. She walks out and the cheese Derek stands alone.

Eileen goes up to visit Thorsten Kaye but gets a shock when she learns he’s been released! Her quest for Thorsten continues…

The next day is the big day—Tony nominations! Karen, Ana and Jimmy squeeze around someone’s laptop while Ivy, Tom and Julia watch on his big screen TV. Julia brings pastries…and booze. You know, just in case things go south. Anyway, Cheyenne Jackson and Christine Ebersole are announcing the nominations!

Best Book: Julia for “Bombshell.” Kyle for “Hit List.” Cheyenne notes Kyle is the youngest to ever be nominated for the category. Jimmy’s just glad his campaign worked.

Best Score: Bombshell and Hit List.

Choreography: Derek is nominated for both Bombshell and Hit List.

Both Tom and Derek are nominated for directing.

And now the acting nominations!

Featured Actress: Leigh Conroy for Bombshell and Ivy Lynn for Liaisons! Daisy Porter for Hit List! While Ana and Karen sulk over that, Bernadette and Ivy congratulate each other over the phone.

Jimmy is nominated for Best Actor but no one really cares. Let’s get on with the Best Actress! And it’s Karen for Hit List! And Audra MacDonald! And Sutton Foster! And someone else! There is much partying at Karen’s apartment while Ivy looks sick. So does the audience. And that included me. But Cheyenne whispers something in Christine’s ear and she says she skipped a name: Ivy Lynn for Bombshell! Everyone goes nuts! (Well, maybe not Karen).

Derek has an interview with Michael Musto and he comes clean about the Daisy Porter/Ana Vargas debacle. He admits to his wrong doings and the episode ends with him committing career suicide.

First hour of the finale down! And it’s only the end of September. Let’s see if I can get the second half out before the end of the year!

Coming Up: THE TONY AWARDS!