Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Taking the Leap

Last time: Zoey recalled her first day at SPRQ Point and how she became friends with Max when Danny Michael Davis made the “prehires” go through a competition to see who would get the limited open positions at the company. Zoey and Leif ultimately won but Max was hired about a month later after he and Zoey made Danny’s assistant obsolete with their final project.

As she was competing for her dream job, Zoey found out Mitch had rushed Maggie to the hospital with a possible heart attack. Maggie had to undergo surgery and the family rallied around her. David ran into Emily at the hospital, the spark of their relationship, and Mo was the driver who took Zoey from SPRQ Point to the hospital. Maggie pulled through but it was Zoey’s first brush with a possibly life-changing loss and she realized how fragile everything really was.

After some words of wisdom from her therapist, Zoey headed home and had an awkward encounter with Max. She reminded him of their winning invention, which he still had. We learned that Max had really gotten the job but had given it up for Zoey, something she didn’t know.

Here we are. The last episode of season 2. I really hope that this isn’t the last episode ever of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and continue to pray someone else can pick it up, even if the cast has been released from their contracts. Keep supporting the show and showing it love – that does help in attracting other interest.

Sing, sing a song/Let the world sing along/Sing of love there could be/Sing for you and for SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: One Short Day

Last time: Encouraged by her therapist, Zoey decided to focus on her relationship with Simon. But her plans were turned upside down when she ended up on a double date at a marathon with Rose and Max. She also was distracted helping Perry as he introduced his ex-husband Brad to Mo. And things went from bad to worse when Max revealed that he was considering moving to New York for a few months to run a Maximo’s pop-up funded by a friend of Rose’s. Zoey reacted so badly to the news that Simon later questioned if she still had feelings for Max. She denied it, explaining how her therapist had connected Max’s news to all the loss she had already experienced that year and that it was just a continuation of her grief.

Simon wasn’t convinced.

Meanwhile, Deb was worried that Maggie was gambling to fill a hole in her life but Maggie was really trying to just lose the last of the money Roger the Creep was paying her. However, she kept winning and winning. So Zoey and Deb convinced her to use some on house repairs, to save some and then to use the rest to go on a cruise with Deb. After Mo met Brad, Perry realized he still had some insecurities to deal with and it put his relationship with Mo back on the rocks. Tobin and McKenzie were betrayed when Leif submitted the winning phone design and it led to them kissing in the meditation room. And Max decided he needed time and space from Zoey, so he was going to go to New York.

I know we’re probably all still reeling from the announcement that the show has been cancelled. But there is still hope! There are platforms that may still pick it up. Make sure you let them know. Here are links to request shows to different streaming platforms:

Netflix

Disney+ (Click on "Feedback")

Hulu

Place your head on my beating heart/I’m thinking out loud/Maybe we found SPOILERS right where we are

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Last Friday Night

Last time: Mo took Zoey to visit a psychic and her powers went on the fritz. She realized all the heartsongs were mixed up and she had to figure which song belonged to which person in her life. Especially a song Max sang that was calling out for help. In the process, Zoey learned that Rose is a recovering alcoholic, Perry is a devoted dad to his son, Mo is struggling with not being the focus of Perry’s attention, her team is highly competitive and her mother struggled with being around her couple friends again. And she learned that Simon loves her but is a bit insecure about their relationship, especially after she had to blow off a meeting with his woodworking club to solve the mystery of the mixed up songs. In the end, she reassured Simon but chose not to reveal the truth of her powers and discovered the call for help came from Emily.

Sorry for the delay in my posts! May ended up being a crazier month than I thought! I was asked to cover shifts at one of our branches and that affected the amount of time I had to write. And then I went on vacation which was immediately followed by a funeral for a family member. Honestly, Memorial Day weekend feels like the first real break I’ve gotten all month.  

June, though, is looking a lot less hectic. So I think I can finish up the season before July! And hopefully, we’ll know the fate of Zoey by then.

After all my strength is gone/In you I can be SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: They Say It’s Your Birthday…

Last time: Zoey wanted to recreate a memory from her childhood where she watched the Leodons Meteor Shower with her father. It was coming around again but she could only go with Tobin and Leif, whose love life problems caused her to miss the shower. She then tried to see it on the second day but had the opening of Max’s and Mo’s restaurant while trying to solve Leif’s problems. In the end, Max rounded up some friends and they went to see the stars after the opening with Zoey.

In addition: David joined Aiden’s band to get out of the house more, Leif’s date just wanted a job at SPRQ Point, Simon is now the hottest thing on the San Francisco tech scene, Max reconnected with an old friend from camp named Rose and Mo was making eyes with the Fire Marshall.

All in all, it felt like a good reset after the hiatus and set up the backend of the season.

No word yet on a possible season 3. Alice Lee (Emily) has been cast in another pilot but that doesn’t mean much. She could just end up being a recurring again rather than a regular if a third season is picked up. So we’ll see what happens.

A little less conversation and/a little more touch my body/cause I’m SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Capturing Lightning in a Bottle

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!

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!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Ch-Ch-Changes

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!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Season 2 Update!

As we approach an unorthodox TV season (thanks, COVID!), we are starting to get some news about upcoming seasons. Derek Hough is returning to Dancing With the Stars in a mysterious role, Ken Jennings is joining Jeopardy fulltime, etc. And though it’s already slotted to be a midseason replacement, there’s some news regarding our favorite show about a woman who can hear people’s inner most thoughts as songs due to a magical MRI machine!

Four cast members have been promoted to regulars for Season 2!

Andrew Leeds (David), Alice Lee (Emily), Michael Thomas Grant (Leif) and Kapil Talwalkar (Tobin) have all been promoted from recurring cast to regular cast members. Jane Levy (Zoey), Skylar Astin (Max), Alex Newell (Mo), John Clarence Stewart (Simon) and Mary Steenbergen (Maggie) continue as regulars with Lauren Graham (Joan) still billed as “special guest star”.

According to the article, it seems David and Emily will be dealing with parenthood and grief throughout the second season. I am intrigued – coupled with my observations of them in the first season, this will either make them stronger or blow them apart. The article also mentions that Leif will have a new role at SPRQ Point but doesn’t mention what will happen to Tobin. My guess is that Zoey moves into Joan’s role and Leif moves into her role once Joan assumes control of the company while Danny Michael Thomas is lying low.

No mention of Peter Gallagher but I hope he can still come back from time to time as Zoey’s guardian angel of sorts.

Remember how I said it was a shame that Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist wasn’t nominated for an Emmy? I was wrong – it was! Mandy Moore won an Emmy for her choreography! Congratulations, Mandy! It is a well-deserved win!

What do you think of this Zoey season 2 news? What do you want to see for these characters? And what songs do you want Mandy to have to choreograph to next?

Let me know in the comments below!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: This Will Be the Day That I Die

Last time: The Clarke family tried to plan for Mitch’s funeral but Maggie found herself unable to make any decisions about it. Zoey met Bernadette Peters at the cemetery and realized that she was the one who would be able to help Maggie the most. Meanwhile, Zoey got a lot of support from Joan, who understood exactly what she was going through, while Max pretty much ended their friendship. Leif was still pining for Joan and it was revealed that he was essentially spying on the sixth floor in a bid to help the fourth floor win the bake off. Joan put a stop to it and got Ava to agree to a truce, so the two floors would work together. Zoey and Max made up while Mo broke up with Eddie because he was going to be gone for months performing on a cruise ship.

In the end, Maggie finally made some decisions, Max and Zoey made up and then Ava fired Max.

And so here we are – the season finale. You might want some tissues for this one.

Also, this show deserved to pick up at least a couple of Emmy nods. It’s a shame they didn’t get any recognition at all.

I see the bad moon a-rising/I see trouble on the SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Zoey’s Turn

Last time: Zoey and Simon agreed to go back to only being colleagues. Max then surprised her with a flash mob song performance that freaked out her, leading to her ultimately telling him about her powers. He didn’t believe her and she tried to prove it to him. Max only believed her after she confessed that she heard him singing love songs to her and then set him up with Autumn to divert his feelings from her. That hurt him and he wondered if they were even friends. Zoey apologized and promised to do better, though she couldn’t sort out her feelings for Max just yet. They agreed to maintain some distance though there did appear to be some hope for their friendship.


Meanwhile, Leif and Joan were eagerly moving forward with the Chirp. Zoey felt out of the loop as manager and Tobin felt as if his best friend was moving on from him, especially when Leif missed their spelliversary (the anniversary of them winning the national spelling bee). Zoey got him to open to Leif, who said he wanted to run SPRQ Point with Tobin and they reconciled. Then that night, she caught Leif and Joan kissing after a late night work session.


And Maggie decided to hire a care giver to help with Mitch. She thought she found the perfect one but Nancy’s cold and clinical approach ultimately was not what they needed. Instead, they hired Howie, who bonded with Mitch and proved himself to be an able care giver.


Thankfully, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist will be coming back for a second season! I can’t wait to see what happens next and what new songs they decide to use this time!

You have to learn to pace yourself/SPOILERS!/You’re just like everyone body else/SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: The Truth Hurts

Apologies. I didn't mean to skip last week but I'm sure you all understand that there were larger things that I gave my attention to. 

Last time: Zoey and Simon resisted temptation. She decided it was best if she didn’t go to his engagement party but ended up there after getting some drinks with Joan. Things went downhill fast after Jessica overheard Zoey talking with her mother about the night before and confronted Simon and Zoey about it. It ended with the flower wall in flames and Zoey fleeing their house. Her misery was compounded when her father was rushed to the hospital and it was Max who came to her rescue to get her away to the party and to the hospital.


Meanwhile, Max couldn’t comprehend that Autumn might have some hurt feelings after their breakup. Mo decided to give him a makeover and then he helped Mo get together with Jessica’s friend Eddie at the party. And Joan and Leif ended up working together on a new project for SPRQ Point.


Still no news about Zoey’s fate as NBC still has not unveiled its new season yet. Most of what I have seen is hopeful about Zoey. While it’s live numbers aren’t the greatest, it apparently has excellent digital numbers which is always a plus in today’s landscape. So it’s likely NBC will keep Zoey for another season.

Everything means nothing if I can’t have SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Failure is Always an Option

Last time: When Zoey heard Mo singing a rather sad song, she learned that he was hiding his true self from his church for fear of being run out – again. She felt lost in helping him as faith isn’t a big part of her life. Mo’s pastor, Pastor Steve, gave her some advice about looking for sign posts to show that she was on the right path. It certainly gave Zoey some thing to think about.


David started to spend time with Mitch and they watched his wedding video to listen to Mitch’s father of the groom toast. It caused Mitch to cry. David and Emily realized that there was a lot Mitch was going to miss and they decided to resolve their argument about finding out the sex of their baby (she for, he against) by having a gender reveal party. (It was a boy).


Joan tried to pretend that everything was great following the end of her marriage to Charlie but it was clear she was just trying to distract herself from the pain even before she sang “Wrecking Ball” to Zoey. Zoey convinced Joan to be kinder to herself.


Throughout the episode, Zoey heard the songs of her agoraphobic neighbor Bonnie and tried to engage with her. Bonnie finally came out and let Zoey walk her to Mo’s apartment. It was just the sign Mo needed and he returned to church to make a joyful noise as himself – dress and wig and all.


Believe it or not, that is the short summary of the last episode. I had something else written that was like twice the length and I was like “I just pretty much recapped it again!” I do need to work on summary lengths, which was a problem I had with Once Upon a Time too. I need to start nailing down the major points and covering them.


Anyway, onto this week’s episode…

You gotta fight for your right to SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Leap of Faith

Last time: Zoey found herself dragged in the middle of her boss Joan’s marriage. Charlie didn’t seem very interested in his wife and was very self-absorbed. And though it jeopardized their watch’s launch, Zoey finally gave Joan the confidence to give Charlie the old heave-ho.


After Maggie was disappointed over her husband’s first word once they figured out how to help him communicate with them, Zoey heard her sing a song that reveals she’s barely holding on. Zoey convinced her brother to spend some time helping their parents. He went to the store with her to get more lemonade and when they discovered a sorority had bought out the store’s entire supply, Maggie got into a fight with them. It led David to realize his mother wasn’t doing as well as thought and he agreed with Zoey to work out a schedule so she had more time to herself. Mitch signed onto the plan as well and Maggie agreed to accept their help.


Mo was hired to DJ at the launch party and finally got to meet both Max and Simon. He scoped out Zoey’s romantic interests and decided that he was Team Max, even if he was dating Autumn. By the end, he decided he was Team Simon, even if he was engaged.


USA Today has announced that Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist had the most votes to save it! While the numbers don't look good based on traditional viewing, it's clear Zoey has a strong digital presence. Hopefully we can get a second season of this amazing show! 

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Joan’s Husband Sucks

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is considered a "bubble" show - meaning it could be canceled by NBC ahead of the unveiling of the 2020-2021 TV season in a couple weeks. USA Today has included it in its annual "Save Our Shows" poll. Some shows that have won this poll have gone on to have another season. So if you want Zoey to have a second season, make sure to watch the show (preferably live) and also tweet along (#ZoeysPlaylist) so they know people are watching! And vote for Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist here. 

Last time: Zoey continued to adjust to her new power as well as being the manager of her department now. Unfortunately, her team was not making it easy and she struggled, especially given that one of her direct reports (Max) was singing love songs to her in her head. When he invited her out to dinner, she grew nervous and decided to set him up with their favorite barista, Autumn, instead. Max, though, noticed Zoey seemed to be avoiding him and she played it off as needing to redefine their relationship because of the new power dynamics between them. Max was not happy.


Meanwhile, her family continued to find a way to communicate with her father. They made a start with a buzzer but they still struggled, especially when he kept trying to tell Maggie something but she couldn’t figure it out. Zoey then heard him sing “Moondance” and had to broach the topic of her parents’ sex life. That seemed to be fine but it gave her mother the clue she needed to find what Mitch wanted – apparently a little show. Maybe foreplay? I don’t know.


During all of this, Zoey did manage to get some work done. She and Simon teamed up to design a scavenger hunt that would lead to the launch party for SPRQ Point’s newest product. However, her team refused to do the work and she ended up doing it herself. Joan was useless as she watched her direct report struggle but Simon managed to give her some advice, leading her to take the first steps to become her team’s leader.


If you aren’t aware, you can listen to the songs used on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – their covers and the original versions – on various music apps. I personally prefer Spotify and do have it saved to my library. I was listening to it when driving home from work when all this went down but I still like to just listen to it from time to time. If you’re enjoying the music, you can continue to do so throughout the week!

What the world needs now, is SPOILERS, sweet SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: HELP!

As promised, here is the very episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Let’s see how all this zany feels fest started…

Play that funky music, SPOILERS!