Last time: SPRQ Point dealt with the fallout from Simon’s statement at the press conference. Danny Michael Davis continued to be a douche until forced not to be a douche and then pretended to be a hero. Zoey learned that she has a lot to learn about seeing the world from a different perspective as did Leif. Tobin finally took a stand and told his truth, backing up Simon’s experience of racism at the company. And Max and Mo hit up a white guilt-ridden Danny Michael Davis for the capital to finally open their restaurant.
Zoey is back! Just as I thought, the second dose of the Moderna vaccine did put me out of commission. So I finally caught up and can now recap the return episode.
(For those wondering, a few people I spoke with who also got the Moderna vaccine have reported the same side effects I had: chills, headaches, hot flashes/night sweats and then an overall feeling of blah for about 24 hours).
Now onto the episode!
Let’s get loud/let’s get loud/turn the music up to hear that SPOILERS!
We open on top a mountain or very tall hill late at night. Young Zoey eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as she watches the stars with her father. They then get to watch the Leodons Meteor shower as it goes by, though Zoey wonders why Mitch isn’t watching them. He tells her that he’s busy watching her enjoy the moment and that it was enough for him. Zoey smiles, clearly enjoying this wonderful father-daughter moment.
The episode returns to the present as David tells Milo all about the law. Zoey enters the Clarke house and greets him, noting that he’s talking about the law again. David says that Milo hasn’t gotten it yet. They both realize he might be going stir-crazy and that being a stay at home dad may not have been everything he thought it would be. David needs something else to do. Zoey then asks if he’ll be able to come with her that night to see the Leodons Meteor shower like she and Mitch planned to do. He’s apologetic but he can’t make it, so Zoey says she can ask someone else to go with her.
Aiden then enters and greets Zoey. David greets him and Aiden points out that there’s something wrong with his shirt. David says he knows he has baby spit up on it but Aiden says it’s also on backwards and inside out. David excuses himself to change his shirt. Zoey asks Aiden if he wants to go see the meteor shower that night but he has practice with his band. Zoey then hears her brother singing “Drift Away” and she suggests that David should play with Aiden’s band sometime. Aiden, though hesitant, agrees and David says he’ll stop by that night.
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| (Yep, he needs to get out of the house) |
Zoey then heads to work, stopping by Simon’s office. He’s clearly on a call but he waves her in and ends the call, explaining he’s now in demand since his statement a few weeks earlier. Zoey congratulates him and then asks if he’s free that night. Unfortunately he is not as Tatiana invited him to be on a panel about diversity. Zoey looks him over and then says his pants aren’t fancy enough for how fancy pants he’s gotten. It’s awkward flirting but it works for them. They then talk about the opening of Max and Mo’s restaurant the next day and he asks about what he should wear. She says that she’s wearing something sparkly so he may want to consider that. They part with some flirty smiles.
She makes her way to the food bar and notes that Danny Michael Davis is overcompensating given the diverse types of food she sees there. McKenzie warns her that they left the shrimp heads on in the gumbo and Zoey asks her if she wants to go see the meteor shower, noting her screensaver is space-themed. McKenzie isn’t that interested in space but says she’ll go since Zoey is her boss. But Zoey shuts that down and says it’s not a work thing, it’s just something she wants to do for fun.
Leif overhears and wants to come. Tobin tries to talk him out of it, saying they are in an axe-throwing league and need to practice. But Leif insists they can practice another night and so they agree to go. Though they are the last two people Zoey wants to spend a night with, she agrees and then curses it out as we get our title card.
Meanwhile, Mo and Max are busy preparing for their restaurant’s opening the next day. A man enters and notes the exact heat being put out by Mo’s blowtorch as well as noting that the drink on the bar is on fire. He blows it out as Mo explains that it’s a Mo-Lotov Cocktail before asking how the man knows so much. He explains that he’s the fire marshal and it’s his job. Marshal Haskins is there to inspect the building and give them the proper permits so they can open the next day. And right now, he says the only saving grace he sees is that they don’t have any indoor tiki torches, which forces Max to bring them back into the kitchen. Marshal Haskins lists off several violations, including the fact that the exit sign is bejeweled. Mo corrects him and says it is bedazzled but he doesn’t care. It’s a safety violation and they have a lot of work to do if they want to get it ready for the grand opening tomorrow.
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| (Definitely lose the Tiki torches) |
That night, David goes over to Aiden's garage and talks to the band. He asks if they have a keyboardist and they don’t. David shows off some skills on the keys and Aiden agrees he can jam with them. David is excited and says maybe another time so he can change Miles. He leaves, giddy that he might be in a band.
Zoey drives Leif and Tobin to the spot where she saw the shower with her father. Leif, though, insists that they go to a different spot and questions her telescope. Tobin keeps saying that this is how a horror movie starts, though he thinks the Blair Witch Project is a documentary so grain of salt there. Zoey snaps and tells them that they are going to her spot and watching the shower with her telescope – end of story. Leif then gets a call he ignores and Tobin asks why he’s ignoring Kaia but Leif brushes it off. They bicker as Zoey is pretty sure she’s in hell.
They make it to the spot where Zoey and Mitch first watched the meteor shower. She sets up the telescope as Tobin continues to complain, asking how old the blanket is – it has a My Little Pony BandAid on it – and why they are eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Zoey snaps at him and he moves on, looking into the telescope as Leif then sings “Tainted Love,” drawing Zoey’s attention to him.
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| (Not now, Leif!) |
By the time he finishes, Tobin announces that the Leodons has passed and is amazed by them. A distraught Zoey pushes him out of the way and looks through the telescope but sees only cloudy skies. Leif announces that visibility is going to be poor for the rest of the night so if they want to see the Leodons, they would have to do it the next night.
Zoey is heartbroken.
The next day, Mo visits Zoey to ask her opinion on his opening night outfit before reconsidering. Mo then vents about Fire Marshall Haskins before noticing that Zoey seems a bit off. But Zoey wants to remain focused on Mo. She quickly recounts what happened the night before and says that she clearly has to help Leif with whatever is bothering him – rules of the heartsong, after all. She promises that she will be at the opening – especially as Danny Michael Davis has asked her to deliver some words on his behalf – but she will need to leave to go see the meteor shower that night. Mo seems okay with that and goes back to fretting about his opening.
At work, Zoey approaches Leif and asks him about Kaia’s calls, saying she could tell it was bothering him. He’s not surprised and says he wants whatever super power she has. Zoey says she would be happy to give it to him and then waits for him to start talking. He explains that it took him a long time after his relationship with Joan ended to wade back out into the dating pool. He met Kaia online and they were supposed to go on a date at a popular restaurant known for it’s molecular cuisine. But she then told him that her grandmother had died and bailed on him. Leif figured he had been dumped and it has pushed him out of the dating pool. Zoey, though, notes that Kaia has been calling so maybe she wants a second chance. She encourages Leif to take it and bring Kaia to Maximo’s that night. He agrees.
It now seems Zoey’s night is set. She’s going to go the opening night, make sure Leif’s date is going well, give a speech on behalf of Danny Michael Davis and then go watch the Leodons Meteor Shower.
But we’re really only had the halfway point so we all know that everything is likely to go wrong.
A line of people wait outside Maximo’s. Two people comment how long they have been waiting and that the food is likely to get there before they get in. One says he’s going to go on Yelp but Zoey tells him not to do that. She says she can go check to see what the hold up is and she heads inside, admiring how amazing the inside looks. She then asks Max what’s taking so long and we see Fire Marshall Haskins doing his final inspection. Mo then bursts out of the kitchen holding the permit they need to open. Max gives their staff a pep talk before they burst into singing “Let’s Get Loud” ahead of opening the doors.
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| (Party Time!) |
They then open the doors and people poor in, amazed by Maximo’s. Even the two people complaining are impressed and say they are going to go on Yelp. Zoey watches, proud of what her friends have accomplished.
We see delivery people dropping off meals and prepares in the kitchen making them. Max oversees everything before heading out, finding Zoey as she watches the countdown until the Leodons. She has a little over two hours. He tells her that her order for Leif has shown up and it comes with an instruction manual. She says she’ll put it together, explaining that she’s trying to recreate the date he didn’t have with Kaia, who has shown up this time. Zoey heads into the kitchen.
Someone then calls Max’s name and he turns around to find Katie Findlay standing there. He calls her Roseanna Williams but she says she just goes by Rose. They apparently went to camp together as preteens/teenagers and he is happy to see her. He notes that she does something with art on the East Coast, admitting that he does check her social media pages every so often. She confirms that she’s an art curator but she’s in San Francisco for work. Rose then admits that she also follows his social media and when she saw him post about his opening, she convinced some colleagues to come to it. He thanks her and promises to stop by her table before she leaves.
There’s definitely some chemistry between Max and Rose. And in articles announcing Findlay’s role on the show, she was said to be Max’s new love interest. More on this later.
Zoey continues to track the Leodons Meteor shower as Leif comes up to Zoey. He says that Kaia really did lose her grandmother so it wasn’t just some excuse but it also sounded like she was laying the groundwork to bail. Leif’s confused so Zoey offers to go over and gage the situation for him. He thanks her and she goes over, asking Kaia how everything is going. Kaia says the good is great and that she’s there with someone from SPRQ Point. She says that the company is pushing a diversity initiative and figures he can get her in for a nice job. Kaia then asks Zoey to get her a new drink and Zoey walks off, pissed off that the woman is just using Leif for a job.
Tobin and McKenzie show up, eager to start drinking and showing something of a growing friendship. They find Zoey, who informs them that Leif’s date is just with him to get a job at SPRQ Point. Both are also upset at that and Tobin offers to go tell Leif. Zoey says she should because this was all her idea and she calls Leif over. She tells him that Kaia confessed a lot thinking that she was the waitress and breaks the news that Kaia is just using him. Leif doesn’t take it well and lashes out at Zoey, telling her to stop messing with his life and to stop helping because she makes things worse.
Ouch. And to make things even worse, Zoey has run out of time to see the Leodons because she was trying to help Leif.
Simon then shows up and she tries to hide how distraught she is. He asks her how he looks and she approves of his outfit. He then pretty much starts flirting with her and she asks if he’s been drinking. Simon confirms that he had a couple drinks before coming there and they head inside.
Back at Aiden's, David comes over to his garage without baby Miles. They invite him to jam with them and decide to play “Watermelon Sugar.” David doesn’t really know it but it doesn’t matter as he manages to wing it, playing along with them perfectly. When they finish, he asks if he’s in the band and it gets awkward. They try to let him down gently, saying they are a trio and then pretty much imply they feel the fact he’s a father would hold them back. He leaves, crushed.
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| (Call him the Piano Man) |
Max finds Rose’s table and meets her colleagues. They flirt a bit and she reveals that she’s going to be in San Francisco for three months installing an exhibit. She and Max hope to catch up more and he tells them their meals are on the house.
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| (Oh, Max) |
Mo and Max decide to make a speech to celebrate their opening, gathering up Zoey and Simon in the process. Simon congratulates them and tells them that he is so proud of them and what they accomplished. And he really means it, though Mo can easily tell that he is drunk. They then ask for everyone’s attention and thank everyone from coming. Mo says that inclusivity was important to them, from who they hired to the food they served to the people they served so they thank everyone for supporting their dream.
They then ask Zoey if Danny Michael Davis sent his speech yet. She checks her email and says he did. She starts to read it and it has a lot of imagery regarding astronomy, which he explains by saying that he and his parole officer are about to watch the Leodons. Danny does say that they should enjoy the moment because they will never be able to recreate it, something she clearly needed to hear with all her attempts to recreate that moment with her father. Zoey starts to breakdown and apologizes, telling Max and Mo that she’s proud of them and so happy for them before rushing off.
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| (Poor Zoey) |
(During the speech, Kaia notes that Zoey also works at SPRQ Point. Leif tells her that Zoey is his boss and she perks up, saying she needs to talk to Zoey. He realizes that Zoey is right – Kaia only wants him to get her a job).
Max and Mo follow Zoey outside and ask her what’s wrong. She tells them about the Leodons meteor shower and her memory with her father, saying it’s ruined now because the shower passed them and it will be years before they come back. They ask her why she didn’t tell them all that before and Zoey confesses that she feels like she’s being a burden with all her grief. She says they do so much for her and she wanted to be there for them because she doesn’t want their friendship to feel one-sided. Both assure her that she can always tell them what’s going on and not to worry about it.
Max says that there are still plenty of stars in the sky. He offers to round up a group and for them to go make a new memory. Mo decides to sit it out but Zoey appreciates Max’s efforts.
Tobin and McKenzie find Leif sitting upstairs by himself. He tells them that Kaia just wanted to get a job and was using him to do so. They commiserate with him and Tobin assures him he’ll find someone new. All three have agreed to back out to the hill to see the stars with Zoey and Leif realizes that Tobin is now really into it. Tobin says he even got a telescope. This is an interesting threesome and I’m digging it.
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| (An interesting trio) |
David returns to the garage and tells the band that he would be a good addition to them. He says that there are lots of musicians with kids and that his shouldn’t hold him back. They decide to accept him on a trial basis and David is over the moon.
We return to Zoey’s car, now filled with Leif, Tobin, McKenzie, Simon and Max. They enjoy the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as well as sing along to the radio. It’s definitely a better vibe than it was the night before and Zoey is having fun now.
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| (Sing it!) |
At Maximo’s, everything starts to wind down and Mo is surprised to see Fire Marshall Haskins there. But he’s there to give Mo a gift – a statue of St. Florian, who is the patron saint of firefighters. He says if Mo gives it a place of honor, St. Florian will protect the restaurant. Mo thanks him as he accepts it and I’m sensing a moment there.
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| (They are totally making eyes at each other!) |
Everyone arrives at the mountain. They set up and start looking at the stars, taking turns using the telescope. Zoey is asked if she wants a turn but she says she’s watching them, creating a new memory.
I think Mitch would be proud.
So here’s the first episode back from hiatus! And I think it was a pretty good start, setting up some interesting dynamics and possible storylines for the rest of the season.
Let’s take a look!
Mo: I’m interested to see where they go with Fire Marshall Haskins but there’s definitely something there. And he’s pretty fine, so I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him on my screen. I hope he sings and I can’t wait to hear it!
David: As I said, I had a feeling he may have rushed to quit his job rather than try to take a leave but at least he’s now performing in a band. And more Felix is always good, right?
Simon: Not much there from him but it does seem like he and Zoey were flirting a bit more. And she seemed jealous of his time with Tatiana. So maybe there’s still hope for Zimon after all? Someone tell Emily!
Leif, Tobin and McKenzie: I feel bad for Leif – his first foray back out into the dating pool is just someone trying to use him. And I could understand why he was upset with Zoey. She’s a bit out of practice and was in a rush to “fix” the problem before the meteor shower and so probably should’ve probed Kaia more before pushing Leif to try again. But it all worked out in the end. And as I said, I’m digging the dynamic they are creating between Leif, Tobin and McKenzie. I hope Zoey gets a third season and if so, I hope we see more of McKenzie.
Max: I’m intrigued by him and Rose. They are dinging my “Childhood Friend Triumphant” preference more than Zoey and Max ever dinged my “Best Friend Triumphant” button. Skylar Astin and Katie Findlay also have some good chemistry so I really want to see how this plays out.
But this does leave some confusion about the state of his relationship with Zoey. Last we left them, they were both on “pause” and it seemed that they did plan on getting back together. Or has this pause given them perspective and they’ve realized they are better as friends? Or will they have relationships with Rose and Simon just to realize that they belong with each other? So maybe this confusion is purposeful – we’re supposed to wonder and maybe it will be a major plot point in a later episode.
Zoey: I like Zoey’s plot in this, how she’s trying to recreate this memory to honor her father but also be there for her friends. And how she’s starting to help those with heart songs again, even if maybe she rushed things with Leif.
I also liked her conversation with Max and Mo. Grief has no timeline but it’s understandable that a person could feel like they should be “done” or “better” by a certain time. So Zoey feeling like she’s been burdening her friends or that their relationships have been lopsided rings very true. I love that she admitted to feeling that way and got support from her friends as well as reassurances that she can come to them.
Next time: It’s Zoey’s birthday!
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