Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Put on a Happy Face

(Sorry for the delay. I had a harc deadline for something else and needed to devote more time to that).

Last time: Zoey was plagued by a recurring nightmare in which she sang a heartsong while trying to escape her family home and then her apartment. She tried to reduce her stress by delegating tasks but that blew up in her face, leading to her blowing up at her team. Max kept trying to help put she kept pushing him away until realizing that she was not in a good space to be in a relationship with him. They agreed to a pause and to resume their relationship when she felt ready.

Meanwhile, Maggie struggled with her first job since Mitch’s death but found the spark again when she teamed up with Jenna while Max and Mo rented a place for their restaurant.

Congratulations to Jane Levy on her Golden Globe nomination for this show! It’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s only nomination but at least our show is getting recognized! (I believe Alex Newell was also nominated for a Critics Choice Award as well – so yay, Alex!)

Also we know now that Zoey will be going on a six week hiatus and returning March 28th, meaning it is going back to Sunday and will be on at 9 PM. So mark your calendars!

Now I’m stronger than yesterday/Now it’s nothing but SPOILERS!

We start at the Clarke house. Zoey’s family is sad to hear that she is on a break from Max but support her. Though Emily jumps back on her Team Simon wagon and reminds Zoey that he’s still an option. Mo comes in and asks them to try a drink he’s considering for the restaurant. Zoey passes, saying that she doesn’t need alcohol on top of her melancholy. David notes the drink is really strong though Maggie says she likes the sugar. Jenna chugs a glass and says it’s not strong enough. Mo takes note.

As the Clarkes continue drinking, David and Emily start to make their excuses. David has a big day tomorrow – he’s going to try his 100th case, which is a big deal as public defender. The family decides to go and support him, even though he seems a bit uncertain about that. When he confirms that it would likely make him nervous, Zoey is even more eager to attend his trial. As Jenna downs another drink, Mo excuses himself and heads into the kitchen.

Zoey follows him and asks if he’s okay. He says he is and is already thinking up new cocktails to try. Zoey asks how he can be so happy after both a breakup and having his first cocktail dissed by her family. Mo tells her that he chooses to be happy and to push away the negative energy. Zoey is surprised it can be so easy but decides to give it a try.

She starts the next morning, bounding into SPRQ Point with a big smile on her face. Zoey compliments people left and right before getting on the elevator, feeling as if she’s off to a good start. George then joins her and he reveals that it’s his abuela’s birthday. Or at least it would’ve been if she hadn’t died of cancer a few years earlier. It’s clear that he was close with her, even calling her his angel, and is really sad, which causes Zoey to struggle with her vow to stay positive.

(Happy Zoey)

She then gets off the elevator and is greeted by a nervous Simon, who says he has his first interview as SPRQ Point’s spokesman and it’s with Tatiana Morris, an acclaimed but tough journalist. He says it’s so nervous, he’s already sweated through two shirts. Zoey assures him that he’s going to do well and really charm impress Tatiana. He thanks her and goes to continue preparing.

Zoey heads into her office and Leif asks her about the decree that Zoey that their floor needs to reduce staff by 10%. So she’s looking at doing mass layoffs and she first refuses to believe it until she gets the email, which takes us to our title card.

When we return, Zoey is staring at her staff and wondering how she is going to fire someone let alone who it has to be. Tobin approaches and compliments Zoey, who assures him he’s not getting fired…before saying his might. Yasmine, one of the new coders, is suggested due to her attitude before Leif offers to create a program to evaluate everyone’s productivity. Zoey approves it and I must say that’s a pretty good idea, though they should probably address Yasmine’s attitude.

(Tobin's safe...or is he?)

Maggie and Jenna work on the project. Roger comes over to talk with Maggie for a bit and Jenna teases her, saying that Roger was flirting with her. Maggie, though, doesn’t think so and also confirms that she’s not ready to move on just yet. Jenna accepts that and they keep working.

In their new place, Mo and Max work together. Mo asks Max how he’s doing after his breakup with Zoey. Max reminds him that it’s just a pause and that he’s doing okay, understanding that it just wasn’t the right time. Mo, though, worries about bad breakup juju infecting their space and also has concerned about past businesses that have failed in that building. He declares that they are having a séance that night to cleanse the building. 

Zoey avoids the mass layoffs for a bit while going to her brother’s trial. Maggie and Emily are there along with baby Miles. David starts with his opening argument but it’s clear to everyone, especially the judge, that he’s not very focused. Zoey knows why – she can hear him singing “I Want to Break Free” with a focus on Miles. After the trial, she asks him about why he seemed so distracted and he confesses that he doesn’t want to be a public defender anymore. He wants to stay home and take care of Miles, not wanting to miss a moment with his son. Zoey tells him that he needs to talk to Emily.

(Dance, David, dance!)

Maggie returns to her project and Roger asks her out to dinner. She reminds him that her husband just died and he says he just lost his wife too – though he’s getting divorced. So she correctly points out that it’s not the same and tells him that she’s not ready. Maggie just wants to keep their relationship professional.

(Better luck never, Roger)

At SPRQ Point, Tatiana Morris enters Simon’s office. They exchange some pleasantries and she seems delightful. She says it must be momentous to have two Black people in the same room at SPRQ Point and he says it has happened before. Tatiana isn’t so sure given how many white people she passed on her way to his office and fair. SPRQ Point is obviously overwhelmingly white. She starts recording and goes straight into questioning Simon about the decline of SPRQ Point and the fact it has been in freefall since Danny Michael Davis was arrested. He gulps.

(Tatiana is pulling no punches)

David ambushes Emily with his confession that he wants to quit and stay home with Miles. She’s trying to comfort their fussy son while processing what he has said. Emily has a bunch of concerns about losing his income, including their plans to buy a house and to possibly have a second child. He promises they can still do all of that but she asks him not to make any big decisions just yet, to think it over.

Zoey fires a bunch of people in a rapid fire montage, including someone from HR. Well, she doesn’t fire them. She lays them off, it is a bit different even it doesn’t feel like it (until you go to apply for unemployment). Also, someone from HR should be there as there are a lot of things that need to happen once you let someone go, including talking about benefits and the like. And California has several laws benefitting employees.

(Sorry. I’ll take my HR hat off now).

And as if her day couldn’t get any worse, Leif reveals that based on his program evaluating everyone’s productivity, the one on the chopping block from the coders is…George. Both feel bad that he needs to go and Zoey especially hates that she has to tell him on the anniversary of his grandmother’s death. She then gets a momentary reprieve when Simon comes out performing Lizzo’s “Juice” and she picks up that the interview went well. He says it did and that’s definitely feeling good. Zoey’s glad at least one of them is.

(Simon's definitely in a good mood)

She then calls George into her office and he says he thinks of her as a sister. Zoey is touched and feels like he’s a brother to her. But she has to pull the band aid off, telling him that she has to let people go and that after reviewing the coders’ productivity, she has to let him go. While George looks crushed, he takes it well. He admits that he knows his skills are lacking and figures this day was always coming. He thanks her before leaving.

The business day ends and Mo begins his cleanse at the new restaurant. He invokes the spirit and strength of Beyonce as he lights sage, waving it around the place. Mo then invites the people gathered for the seance for drinks and some karaoke to continue imbuing the space with good juju. Zoey and Max have an awkward moment where they try to be normal but really can’t because of what happened between them. So she makes a beeline for the bar, saying that since trying to be positive didn’t work, she’s going to go for alcohol.

Mo, meanwhile, decides to get the karaoke started. He invites Max up to perform with him but Max doesn’t appear to be in the mood. He reluctantly joins in singing “Opposites Attract” before storming off. Mo follows and Max lays into him, saying he feels like he’s doing all the work and Mo is just messing around. That for every step forward Max takes, Mo drags him back two.

(Sing it out!)

At the Clarke house, Jenna and Maggie have a talk over wine. It soon evolves into a “Never Have I Ever” game and Jenna starts to learn about Maggie’s wild past, including the fact that she was arrested while naked. Jenna seems to have even more respect for Maggie as they continue. And as they do, they can hear someone drumming from outside.

Back at the restaurant, Zoey is about four drinks in and clearly feeling the alcohol. Simon shows up with Tatiana, who is intrigued by the concept. Zoey starts blathering before going over to hit on Max. He turns her down, recognizing she’s drunk. Mo decides it’s time to take Zoey home. When they get there, Mo makes Zoey promise not to drunk dial anyone and Zoey vows she is just going to bed. However, once she is in her apartment, she pulls out her phone and calls someone.

(Oh, Zoey)

The next day, Zoey heads into SPRQ Point with dark sunglasses on and a giant cup of coffee. She stops short when she finds George sitting at his desk again. He reveals that he was the person she drunk dialed and she essentially hired him back. She realizes she has made a big mess and retreats to the bathroom, where she calls Emily. Emily is a bit surprised to get a question about firing someone you drunkenly rehired after firing them. But Zoey really just needs a sounding board and she talks about how it’s clear that coding is George’s passion so she feels like she would actually be doing him a favor by firing him. Emily agrees and then has an epiphany of her own when Zoey says it’s not fair to keep him in a job he doesn’t get any joy from. Emily looks at a picture of her and David as she realizes what she needs to do.

(Not a good look for a director)

Zoey then calls George into her office and apologizes for the confusion. She then tells him that he should feel free to pursue his true passion, especially if it lies outside of coding. George then starts singing “Stronger” and dancing around the office as he packs up his desk. After declaring that he’s now stronger, the song ends as George thanks her for the opportunity and assuring her that he will be fine. Zoey believes it.

(You go, George!)

At the restaurant, Mo approaches Max and explains that he is working hard on their business, just not in the same ways Max is. Max is focused on spreadsheets but Mo is focused on building up hype for their restaurant. The cleanse the night before also served as a preview for their restaurant so people could get interested. And he says that Tatiana wants to write a story on Max, fascinated by the coder becomes a restauranteur angle. Max realizes that would be great publicity and apologizes to Mo for not recognizing the work he was doing. They then decide to do some karaoke before they have to return the machine.

Back at SPRQ Point, Simon finds Zoey in a meditation pod. She says it’s the one room that’s quiet and dimly lit, which helps with her hangover. He joins her and he teases her about the last time they were in the pod together. She promises that she won’t sing to him again and then opens up about how she’s feeling. Zoey expresses frustration that she can’t figure out how to “fix” herself – trying to be happy didn’t work and alcohol didn’t work. She starts to wonder if she’s unfixable. Simon, though, tells her that she’s allowed to feel more than one emotion at once and that she’s allowed to be complicated. He encourages her to lean into her feelings and not fight them, that eventually the scars on her heart will heal and she’ll fill more whole once more.

(Well, it's not as awkward as the last time)

That night, the family gathers at the Clarke house. Jenna goes on and on about everything she learned about Maggie the night before. Emily looks hurt that she’s never had such a bonding session with her mother-in-law. But that seems to be an issue for another time. Zoey hears her sing “I’ll Stand By You” before she tells David that she will support his decision to quit his job. He’s surprised but she says it will allow her to go back to work early and she would know Miles is in good hands. Besides, she doesn’t want him to go to a job that makes him miserable. They’ll just shift everything around and figure out how to be a one income family. He thanks her and they enjoy an embrace in the moonlight.

(What a cute family!)

The drumming starts up again and Maggie groans. She tells Zoey that Aiden from next door has moved back in with his parents and is trying to start a band. They’ve been practicing a lot at night and it’s annoying. She decides to go talk to him but Zoey offers to go again. She heads next door and hears the group performing “Sex and Candy.” Motion-sensor lights catch her and the band stops as Aiden approaches, revealing that the neighbor she remembered has grown up to be a hot man.

Well, damn.

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I’ve heard others call this a filler episode and I have to admit that it does seem like one. But let me go through some of the plot points:

Simon: Things seem to be going well for Simon. He nailed his first interview as the spokesman and has apparently made a new friend in Tatiana. Maybe they’ll be more down the line?

Jenna and Maggie: They have a cute relationship and an unlikely friendship. But I think they could be just what each other needs – Maggie could be a stabilizing force in Jenna’s life while Jenna could shake up Maggie’s now that Mitch is gone. Also, not thrilled that they went with the “guy invites Maggie out despite her fresh grief” route. I hope they would’ve gone down the route where they built up a relationship and maybe by the finale he asked her out and Maggie debated if she was ready to move on or not. But oh well.

George: I didn’t think his time on this show would end so soon. And it just ended. I don’t even think I could say he had a proper arc. He played a major role in Episode 1 and then was more a background character in Episode 2 and then had a minor role in Episode 3 and then gets fired in Episode 4. It seems all his character development was shoved into one Britney Spears’ song. And while it was an epic song, I think it would’ve been way more satisfying if we had really gotten a chance to watch George grow.

Mo and Max: Ultimately, they just had some growing pains as they adjusted to their respective business styles. I think they are well matched – Max can focus on the financials while Mo can handle promotions and drumming up business for the restaurant. I’m glad they talked it out and I hope they learn a lesson about talking about issues rather than simmering in silence.

David and Emily: I’m not a parent but my boss always says that having children changes your priorities. And I think we saw that here with David, along with losing his father. He realized that he wanted to be a stay at home dad rather than practice law. Though I do wonder if David took any parental leave when Miles was born. Putting my HR hat, I know that in NJ he would’ve been entitled to almost everything Emily would’ve been entitled to as mother (the only difference would’ve been temporary disability). And NJ allows a parent to take “baby bonding leave” up to a year after the baby is born. I can only imagine California has something comparable or maybe even better. So I do wonder if maybe going out on a leave and letting Emily return to work first would’ve been a better solution. I also think that they still need to work on their communication skills. I know they will work it out but I think there were still creative options for them where David could still be a stay at home dad while still bringing in some income.

(The hosts of the podcast I listen to, Our Extraordinary Podcast, pointed out that there is some privilege at play in David’s ability to just quit his job. And since they live in the area where Zoey is set, they also noted that Zoey and her family clearly have money. I think that would be interesting to explore as well).

Zoey: I still think she needs therapy but at least she’s talking to someone. And it’s someone who can give her actual, usable advice that applies to her situation. I hope we eventually get to her going to therapy but it seems she may be cycling through the not-so-helpful coping methods – the faking it until you make it method, the self-medication method, etc. It also keeps effecting her job and she’s really lucky there really is no one over her. Though I do also think a lot of writers don’t really understand how office jobs work but that’s a rant for another day.

I do believe she handled the layoffs very well. Those conversations are never easy, especially when the employee has done nothing wrong. I remember talking with a colleague who asked what it’s like in those conversations and had to admit that it’s awful. I’m usually sitting there with a tissue box, which has been used. And I’ve usually had to check to make sure someone is okay to drive after such a conversation. No one likes to do them.

And I’m not sure what’s going to happen with Aidan but I don’t think I can handle another love triangle. I also hope he doesn’t end up like George – with an arc that really goes nowhere and doesn’t really advance the plot.

Next time: Zoey decides to take a mental health day.