Last season on Zoey: Zoey Clarke’s life changed when a magical MRI machine gave her the ability to hear people’s inner thoughts expressed as songs. With the help of her neighbor Mo, she figured out that her gift was meant to help people with difficult problems in their lives. She found herself learning more about people, herself and relationships as she embraced her powers. While all of that happened, she became manager at her tech job and formed a mentorship/friendship with her boss, Joan. She found herself drawn to fellow manager Simon, even though he was engaged, and learned her best friend Max was in love with her. And all through this, she had to come to terms with the fact her father was dying of a degenerative disease that slowly stole him from them.
Simon and his fiancée broke up just as Zoey started to develop feelings for Max, who was promoted then fired by Angelica Schuyler herself. And as she found herself caught between the two, her father died in the most heart-wrenching half hour of television.
And now the show is back for it’s second season after fans rallied and NBC saw how good its ratings were once digital views were added. So here we are, ready to see what happens to Zoey in her next chapter.
If you’re lost and alone/or you’re sinking like a stone/SPOILERS!
We open with Zoey lying in bed as Mo sings to her. She sits up and tries to get Mo to stop but Mo has a plan. Mo continues to sing and opens the blinds as she reaches the chorus of Andra Day’s “Rise Up.” When he finishes, he says he wanted to be there to support Zoey as she finally emerges from her 6 week grief bubble and goes back to work. It’s time to move on.
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| (Zoey is me in the mornings) |
(And wow, six weeks is impressive. I guess Zoey took a leave to help her family but most bereavement in the US is three days. It should be more but that’s another fight for another venue).
Zoey is staying at her parents’ house and so Mo tells Maggie that Zoey is awake and putting on actual clothes. Maggie thanks Mo for his help and for being a good friend. David and Emily arrive with their newborn son in tow. His name is Miles and he is adorable, though both parents look absolutely exhausted. Poor Emily looks like she’s in over her head already.
Zoey joins her family and David greets her, saying it’s good to see her out of bed and in clothes. Maggie admonishes him but he insists he wasn’t being sarcastic. She then asks if Zoey is ready to return to work and Zoey isn’t sure but knows she needs to take these first steps. Everyone wishes her well and Mo walks out with her.
As they walk to Zoey’s car, Zoey confesses that she hasn’t heard anyone sing since her father died. Mo doesn’t think it’s too much of an issue though he does say that he may lose interest in Zoey if her powers really are gone. He tells her to just keep going and be open to whatever happens before Zoey goes to meet Max before work.
She and Max meet up at a park and it’s kinda awkward. Mostly because Zoey is trying to find her footing after losing her father and Max wants to give her her space. And of course because they are ignoring the elephant in the room. But they manage to have a conversation. Max has spent his unemployment trying to create his own business and find his unicorn one. He also got Zoey a present it’s a ring with a music note on it, though he had it reversed so it also looked like a Z. She asks if it came from some seedy jewelry shop and Max confirms it did so she can’t get it wet. But he hopes it gives her strength and reminds her of her superpower. She thanks him and puts it on, asking if she’s invisible. He plays along and she laughs.
Zoey then returns to SPRQ Point and boards the elevator, hitting the button for the 4th floor. Just as the doors start to close, someone jumps on with her. And it’s Simon! Just her luck, she gets to deal with both her love interests before even starting work.
Simon says that it is good to see her and jokes that he doesn’t have to fill out a missing person’s report. She starts to apologize but he stops her, reminding her that he is the last person she needs to explain herself to. He says he understands what she is going through and reminds her that he is there for her if she needs to talk. She thanks him as the doors open and they exit onto the Fourth Floor. Her coworkers then break into a rousing rendition of “Hello, Dolly” and Zoey is less-than-thrilled to realize her powers are still active as she’s dragged around her office space during the song.
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| (At least Zoey's mind has great choreography). |
When it finishes, we get our first title cut of Season 2!
After the cut, Zoey is trying to figure out her new desk – which is now a standing desk. We are introduced to a new character, George, who says he’s the new Max. He’s eager to get to know Zoey but she’s still trying to adjust to everything and gives him a polite brush off as she goes to connect with Leif. Leif took over as manager in her absence and made some changes, including the standing desks and hiring George. He also brought in some dogs as levity and it’s clear one doesn’t like George, who is terrified of it. She then also asks what happened to their bar and Tobin reveals that SPRQ Point is broke so they had to make some cuts. He welcomes Zoey back, tells her death becomes her and gets a high five from her – though I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be automatic on Zoey’s part due to her shock or if Zoey just now knows Tobin’s love language and gives him the high five despite her shock.
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| (It's how he loves) |
Joan calls Zoey into her office and Zoey is grateful for the escape. She enters and Joan greets her warmly, saying she hopes Zoey took all the time she needs. Zoey thanks her for it and asks what’s going on. Joan admits that things have gone down hill since Danny Michael has been placed under house arrest. The board is freaking out and their stocks have tanked. And don’t get her started on SPRQ pants, making them a running joke now. She’s been running around putting out fires and has a greater respect for having people she can trust around her. So she wants to promote Zoey to be the executive director of the fourth floor. Zoey is stunned and honored but was hoping to slowly wade back in, not get dropped into the middle of the ocean. Joan acknowledges that and agrees to give her some time to think it over, but says she’ll need an answer soon. Zoey promises to give it to her before going back to her desk to get some work done.
Meanwhile, Maggie is trying to wrap up Mitch’s life – close accounts and get things switched to her name. She is constantly going through papers and on the phone, unable to answer Mitch’s security questions. Emily tries to reassure Maggie and asks if she wants to hold Miles. Maggie makes excuses and Emily looks so lost and like she needs a nap.
After work, Zoey heads over to her apartment to check in with Mo. She’s surprised to find Max and Simon at her friend’s place. Apparently, they started a WhatsApp group to keep up on any Zoey updates but it evolved until they had their own little friend group. Now they get to together and watch sports, even Mo.
Simon and Max then have a chat with Zoey where they tell her that there’s no pressure on her to choose between them. Nor will they fight over her because she is not some prize to be one but a person with feelings who they respect. She’s still a little shell shocked and then they start singing Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” each one expressing that he wants Zoey to pick him.
When they finish, Max asks Zoey if she’s okay. She quickly makes an excuse and leaves, Mo following her with her the glass of wine he had poured for her. Zoey takes the wine and gulps it before telling Mo that her powers are back. Here’s Mo’s reaction:
Zoey is not as happy as Mo and unloads all her stresses. Mo, though, decides to give her some tough love. While Mo is sympathetic to Zoey’s loss and her grief, he reminds her that the world went on while she had remained in her little bubble for six weeks. Eddie’s been away at sea for weeks and hasn’t spoken to Mo in days, so it’s likely that relationship will end (though I hope not). Mo points out that Zoey’s major issues right now are if she takes a promotion at work and choosing between two handsome men who want her. It’s pretty much a reminder that there are other people and Zoey needs to balance focusing on herself and helping the people around her.
Zoey goes home while Mo returns to her apartment. Max and Simon ask if she’s okay and Mo says that Zoey just needs to rest after her first day back. They then try to figure out what to have for dinner but they can’t agree on anything. Mo says that it would be great if there was a restaurant where you could eat other place’s food together and we zoom in on Max as he gets an idea.
At home, Zoey finds her mother in the study surrounded by various papers. She asks Maggie if she’s okay but Maggie isn’t doing well. She’s frustrated because Mitch promised to make everything easy for her once he was gone but she can’t get into his email account, which is where everything apparently should be. Zoey reminds her mother that she is a coder and can hack into the email account.
They get into Mitch’s computer and his accounts, finding a folder that says “testimonials.” They open it and find three videos made by Mitch – one for Zoey, one for David and one for Maggie. Both are surprised.
They get David and Emily and confirm they didn’t know about the videos either. David is excited to hear what his father has to say and Zoey starts to play a video. Mitch struggles to talk and it makes them all sad, especially Maggie. But they decide to try another video since it looks like they were all filmed at different times. But Mitch once again struggles and Maggie closes the laptop, unable to watch it.
The next day, David talks with his mother and asks her if it’s too much for him and Emily to keep coming over with Miles. They thought it would be helpful to Maggie not to be alone but maybe they are a burden. Maggie insists that she loves having them there and wonders why he thinks that. David tells her that Emily said she doesn’t hold Miles and she’s concerned. Maggie makes some excuse but it seems that observation has shaken her.
At work, Zoey first tries to avoid Joan but gets pulled into her office Joan repeats that she needs Zoey’s answer soon and Zoey looks on the verge of a breakdown as she promises to give it to Joan soon. She leaves the office and Simon stops her, checking up on her. She brushes him off and he backs off, knowing she needs her space. She gets to her desk as Tobin recounts how he pranked George by pretending to be Danny Michael and asking George to buy Tobin a tiger cub. And he did it, with George showing off the scratch marks from the tiger. That was when Tobin revealed he was pranked. As everyone shares a good chuckle over something that shouldn’t be laughed about, Leif approaches Zoey and asks about the proposals he left her, including the one where they become co-managers of the department. Zoey says that she’s been swamped catching up but agrees to meet with him in the nest to discuss it.
Though this is a lot of pressure to put on Zoey. You should always give someone who has been away for a period of time enough time to catch up proportionally to the time they were away. For example, a day to catch up may make sense for someone who’s been on vacation for a week. Maybe two if they’ve been on vacation for two weeks. But if they’ve been on leave for several weeks or months, give them at least a week to catch up. It’s easy to feel that they should be ready to dive in because you’ve been experiencing the journey the business has taken while they were gone but they haven’t. I was reminded of this in 2019 when I made a passing comment about an open position at one of our branches to our controller, who had recently returned from maternity leave. She was surprised to learn the employee who had been in that role was gone and we spent a half hour where I got her up on all the comings and goings that had happened while she was on leave.
Leif could be filling Zoey in on everything that happened and catching her up rather than pushing his proposals at her. But then again, this is Leif. So…par for the course.
Zoey excuses herself to get some water first but before she can get there, George starts singing “Don’t Cry Out Loud” by Melissa Manchester. He reveals that his happy persona is just a mask so he can fit in and just wants friends, so he’ll do whatever it takes. But Zoey is still not in the right headspace to deal with it and tries to shut him out, even using her ring on him in an attempt to stop the song.
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| (Wonder Zoey powers activate?) |
In the end, she snaps and yells at everyone to stop. She says she can’t handle all the pressure and that everyone keeps demanding things of her and she can’t give them all what they want. It’s not normal, she yells, before storming off.
Max goes to visit Mo, who is brandishing a blowtorch. It turns out Mo is making crème brulee for a party and doesn’t have much time. Max makes it quick – saying he thinks that Mo’s suggestion about a restaurant where they serve other place’s food might actually be viable. He wants to talk it over with Mo, hoping that his analytical mind and Mo’s creative one will be able to put together something that works. Though Mo is hesitant, he agrees – as long as Max helps with the crème brulee.
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| (No one mess with Mo) |
Zoey is hiding in her bed when she hears someone enter the room. She starts to make excuses until she realizes it is Joan. Zoey apologizes for her behavior at work and Joan apologizes for pushing her too soon. Joan realizes she put a lot of pressure on Zoey and reveals it’s because there’s a lot of pressure on her. She’s been asked to run the Singapore division and is going to take it, saying it’s a huge opportunity and she needs to get away from the ghosts in San Francisco. But she wants to make sure SPRQ Point – and the fourth floor – is in good hands and she believes that those hands belong to Zoey. However, it’s okay if Zoey doesn’t take it – Joan will understand and just wants Zoey to succeed, no matter what that looks like. Zoey tells her she will miss her and Joan replies that she will miss Zoey too before leaving her.
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| (We'll miss you, Joan) |
That night, Zoey confesses to her mother that she’s not doing well as she readjusts to live without her father. Maggie admits she’s not as well and says she can’t hold Miles. They seem to be stuck and would love to know the magic spell that would free them from their rut and allow them to move forward.
David then calls them over. He says that he went back to the videos Mitch left them and says they need to watch the one he left for Maggie. She’s uncertain but he convinces her. They start it and it’s clear that it was filmed on one of Mitch’s better days. His voice isn’t strong but he isn’t struggling to speak. He tells Maggie that he’s been honored to have spent so many years with her and that he’s had a good life. And he wants her to continue having a good life – even though he won’t be there. He then starts talking about a romantic trip they took and she closes the laptop, saying she’s heard enough and thanking David. She then tells everyone to get ready for dinner.
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| (Family bonding) |
As they prepare for dinner, the family sings fun.’s “Carry On.” Zoey listens with a smile on her face and it seems that things may just be alright in the end.
Zoey returns to work and has found her footing again. She takes Leif’s proposals and places them back on his desk, informing him that she’s going to be the executive director of the Fourth Floor. He’s surprised but handles it well. She then promotes him to the manager of their division. Zoey then goes to Tobin and tells him to stop pranking George, that this is a place of business and not a college frat. He agrees as George watches on in awe.
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| (Show him who's boss, Zoey!) |
George then approaches Zoey as she gets a drink of water and thanks her for getting Tobin to back off. Zoey tells him that he’s welcome but that it’s her job to make sure people aren’t being tormented at work. Still, he says she has a superpower and for a moment, she wonders if he knows about her ability to hear people’s thoughts as songs. But he considers the fact that she is kind and stood up for him to be a superpower as he’s always had issues fitting in and no one really stood up for him before. He asks if he can have a hug and she says yes. They hug and it’s clear that Zoey needed it more than him.
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| (Who misses hugs?) |
We also see that Maggie’s put up several pictures celebrating Mitch’s life and accomplishments while rocking Miles, meaning she’s starting to move on. And Max works with Mo on their restaurant.
Zoey is back in her childhood room as Max comes to visit. He says he has a great idea and he’s been dying to tell her all about it. Max knows she’s going through a lot but he misses his best friend. Zoey admits she misses him too and says that they should probably talk about what almost happened between them before her father died. Max sits down and asks if she’s decided who she wants. She says she has before kissing him.
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| (Best Friend Triumphant?) |
Well, then.
Who is glad that Zoey is back? I know I am!
I think this is a great first episode for the second season. Though I don’t know what’s more fantastical – people bursting into song numbers that only Zoey can hear or people going to work and gathering in places without masks or social distancing.
(Austin Winsberg said he felt it was better to ignore the pandemic and continue on. And while I know other shows have acknowledged or incorporated the pandemic, I feel that’s better suited to medical shows and not a show where everyone bursts into song and dance routines that only the lead can see).
I’m already loving George and can’t wait to see where they go with that character.
I’m not sure that Emily’s look in the scene where Maggie makes an excuse not to hold the baby was just concerned. I still think she’s an overwhelmed new mother who needs a good night’s sleep and it will come up in later episodes.
And I don’t think the Zoey-Max-Simon love triangle is over just yet. All interviews during the hiatus indicated that it would continue over the second season and it seems odd that they would just wrap it up during the second season. It doesn’t mean that Max won’t be the one who triumphs in the end but I wouldn’t count Simon out just yet either, even though Zoey is now his boss and that changes the dynamics between them.
Besides, I still think there are a lot of issues Zoey and Max haven’t worked out from last time and I wonder if once again Zoey is (inadvertently) taking advantage of Max. I guess we’ll just have to see how this plays out.
I am going to miss Joan. Apparently, COVID caused Lauren Graham to have a filming conflict with the Mighty Ducks series. She had originally been cleared to film on both but plans changed. I do think how they wrote her off was good as it does give her room to return though I’m still not sure if she’s running SPRQ Point of not. I hope we get to see Lauren Graham again soon but Winsberg has confirmed that she hasn’t filmed anything else for season 2).
Next time: Zoey and Max try to have some alone time but that’s hard when she’s essentially living with her mom.
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