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: 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: Understanding and Acceptance

Last time: As Mitch deteriorated to the point that Maggie had to cancel their anniversary tradition, Zoey struggled with the anger it caused in her as other issues popped up. Newly single Simon invited her over for dinner but had fresh family issues to angst about, Leif’s feelings for Joan were stronger than what she wanted, and Ava Price decided to compete with them over the Chirp – and Max chose her over Zoey and Joan. Zoey ended up blowing up at several people – Mo, Simon, Max and Howie – before Mo forced her to dance it out and Simon had a heart to heart with her. In the end, Maggie and Mitch got to have an anniversary dinner at home and Zoey was ready for the next step of grief.

Not much to say heading into this episode except how much I love the fact this episode gives me both Renee Elise Goldsberry AND Bernadette Peters.

Thank you, show (and probably Robert Ulrich. I see his name in the credits and still have some good vibes about him from The Glee Project).

We gotta get out of this place ‘cause girl, there’s a better life for SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Shout, Shout, Let it All Out

Last time: Zoey tried to navigate the fallout after singing her emotions, especially with Simon. Mo got involved but realized it was far more complicated and messy and would not be solved easily, so Zoey decided to stop waiting for Simon to make a decision and made one for herself. Max got a job offer to work on another floor in SPRQ Point and Zoey encouraged him to take it. She did all this while helping Howie reconnect with his daughter after a fallout when she wanted to go to Africa to help teach children to code and he was afraid that her deafness would put her in greater danger. They ultimately reconciled while Simon and Jessica broke up at the end of the episode.


Things are about to get interesting!

And here I go again on my own/Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever 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: One Memorable Night

Last time: Zoey learned a lesson about accepting failure when her idea for anonymous peer reviews blew up in her face (though that was mostly Joan’s fault) and Leif ended up moping over his criticism. She finally got him to stop though she’s not sure he heard the notes he should’ve. And then she got into a fight with David after revealing a couple secrets to Emily she shouldn’t have. But really, it was a no-win situation as David was lying to his wife and hiding his own fears about his impending fatherhood because Emily hadn’t wanted to have children in the first place.


But you all know how I feel about that particular storyline.


She also failed in her plan to stay away from Simon after needing some advice regarding the David/Emily situation. Zoey then learned his father’s birthday was coming up and he wasn’t handling it well. She comforted him while trying to keep some boundaries but those were blown up when he visited her at her apartment at night and the two shared a moment.


Meanwhile, Max broke up with Autumn, Maggie decided to keep running her business without Mitch and Mo just wanted to sleep in.


I think I’m getting there on shortening those.


We still have no word on if Zoey is getting a second season. Hopefully she is and I will keep my fingers crossed for it.

Tick-tock on the clock/But the SPOILERS don’t stop

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: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Unwanted Romantic Attention?

Last time: Zoey Clarke has a pretty good life. She has a good job she loves as a coder at SPRQ Point, a tech start up company, and is trying to get a manager position there. Her boss Joan does seem to support her as does her best friend Max. And Zoey is close with her family, though they have been going through a tough time as her father Mitch is suffering from a degenerative disease that has robbed him of his ability to move and communicate.


When Zoey gets an MRI to find out if her headaches are something to worry about, an earthquake hits San Francisco. Entire music libraries appear to be uploaded to her mind and when she leaves, people start singing to her. However, they seem to appear to have no idea what’s she’s talking about and Zoey realizes only she can hear the songs, which are expressions of people’s innermost thoughts.


Through the songs, she learns a colleague named Simon is dealing with some internal angst and she starts bonding with him after learning his dad committed suicide the year before. She understands his grief due to her father’s condition and starts to feel an attraction to him…until she meets his fiancée, Jessica. Zoey then learns her best friend Max is in love with her and has to deal with that just as she lands the manager position.


And that brings us to this, the second episode. This was actually the first I watched and it was nice to revisit it almost two months later.

Strike up the 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!