OUAT: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Another episode featuring Zelena and Oz and since neither new song added to Wicked For Good seem to fit this episode, I’m using lyrics instead of song titles.

My Once Upon a Time recaps return, resuming with Season 6 since I never finished those recaps! Here we go!

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Last time on “Once”: Hook encountered Tiger Lily, who helped him stay away from angry and vengeful Lost Boys. They managed to evade them as he tried to get his way back to Storybrooke.

In Storybrooke, Regina tried to find a way to break the curse on Snow and Charming. She got an idea as they drifted off into a presumably permanent sleep and had everyone in Storybrooke share the curse. This weakened it and allowed Charming and Snow to finally wake up.

Flashbacks revealed that Charming and Snow woke up during the first curse and were briefly reunited. They found a way to get to little Emma but Rumple convinced them not to go to her, to let fate play out so they could stop Regina – who was still in full Evil Queen mode. So they left Emma in foster care and allowed themselves to be cursed again.

Parents of the Year.

Anyway, Fiona and Gideon are still threats and Rumple and Belle are still determined to stop her and save him.

No wonder my “Last time” recaps were almost as long as the regular recaps! Because that was me trying to condense it into one paragraph and failing!

We open in the merry old land of Oz as young Zelena walks down the yellow brick road. She encounters a boy about her age with an axe who is cutting wood. She warns him to be careful before they find a nest that’s fallen with a broken egg. He reveals someone knocked it out of the tree and Zelena uses her magic to fix it.

The yellow brick road needs a new paint job. 

Other kids come out of the woods to mock Zelena and warn the other boy to stay away from her. But they were the kids who knocked the nest out of the tree before the tree fell. So the boy threatens them with his axe and they run off. He introduces himself as Stanum and it seems Zelena has herself a friend!

We flash out of Oz and to Zelena’s farmhouse as Baby Robin cries. Zelena quickly makes a bottle for her and when she races into the next room, she stops short. The Black Fairy stands there with Peanut in her arms, taunting Zelena. She pretty much demands that Zelena help her or she would hurt Peanut.

Poor Peanut.

And now Zelena is pissed off, which can never end well for anybody.

Cue the credits!

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: 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: Fallout

Last time: Zoey decided to have a “live free” day and did drugs with Aiden and Danny Michael Davis. They wandered the neighborhood and then had popsicles at the Clarke House. Zoey then decided to not care so much anymore but then she abandoned it the next day after Max called her out and Danny Michael Davis said he was going to sell the company.

Meanwhile, Max just wanted to get his dad’s approval (and money) but fell short (though he gave the money back), Jenna pulled a prank to punish the contractor who now turned cold toward Maggie after she rejected him and caused Maggie to fire her, and there was a bug with the Chirp that meant it didn’t recognize anyone who wasn’t white. So Danny Michael Davis wanted Simon to smooth things over, leading to an internal battle and a consult with Tatiana and Mo – did he do what his boss asked or did he take a stand?

At the press conference, he kinda did both – he gave the company line and then took a stand.

So this is the last episode until the end of March. Let’s see what they left us on…

Cause baby whether you’re high or low/Whether you’re high or low/You gotta tip on the SPOILERS!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: I Want to be Sedated

Last time: Zoey struggled to pull herself out of her funk and decided to follow Mo’s example by focusing on being happy. However, she then had to layoff 10% of her staff, including sweet George – who was already having a bad day as it was the anniversary of his abuela’s death. She then decides to just get wasted at the cleanse Mo had for his and Max’s new restaurant, something that caused some turmoil when Max felt Mo wasn’t taking the business as seriously as him. They eventually talked it out and realized they just had different ways of approaching the business, both of which were valid. Zoey accidentally rehired George while drunk and so had to fire him again. She then had a heart-to-heart with Simon, who told her that she needed to lean into her feelings and not try to fight them in order for her to grow and heal.

Also, Simon nailed his first interview as SPRQ Point’s spokesman and befriended the interviewer, Tatiana Morris. And David decided to quit his job to be a stay-at-home dad to Miles. Emily first freaked out but then supported him. And Roger hit on Maggie and she turned him down, saying she wasn’t ready to move on. She and Jenna then bonded more, which made Emily feel a bit put out.

Oh, and Zoey reconnected with her old neighbor, Aiden, who is now an adult and hot.

So we’ve entered the mid-season hiatus. But I’m sure it will be here before we know it. After all, this March isn’t going to last a full year like last March.

Right?

Today is where your book begins/The rest is still 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: 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: Learning to Let Go

Last time: Zoey was still reeling from seeing Leif and Joan kissing when she learned that SPRQ Point’s founder was coming in so they could pitch the Chirp to him. Zoey had to try to fit their implementation timeline into six months when she got news that her father only had weeks to live. The stress caused her powers to glitch, forcing her to sing her heart songs rather than hear others’. She sang to Leif and Joan, revealing she knew they had kissed. Then she sang to the founder and Max had to save her, which led to her singing a love song to him. But not long after, she sang a song about how she wanted Simon to want her – which Max heard. It led to a fight, though it was somewhat resolved when Zoey told him about her dad. She and Simon also kissed and she ended the episode an emotional wreck, singing to her dying father.


Whew!


That might be my shortest recap so far!

Hello darkness, my old friend/I’ve come to talk with 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 Coming Back!

NBC has renewed Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist for a second season! It's gotten a 13 episode order, which is about the same amount the first season had so I wouldn't be surprised if it was another mid-season replacement.

We'll get to see how the Clarke family adjusts to not having Mitch around, if Mitch still appears to Zoey from time to time, what Max does now that he's no longer at SPRQ Point, if Zoey chooses Max or Simon, and what happens with Joan running SPRQ Point. Oh, and hopefully lots more Mo!

I'll see you next week with another recap! For now, let's celebrate that we're getting a second season!

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!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: A Fun and Heartwarming TV Musical

That can also rip out your heart.

No, really. This show piles on the feels every week. You get a feel good musical number and then WHAM! feels.

(How it feels to watch this show)

I wasn’t going to watch this show. And that sounds weird because I’m sure as you know, I love shows that feature singing and dancing. Glee. Smash. Galavant. Hell, I’ve even watched the old Fame TV series when a cable station was airing reruns of them. But I guess I just didn’t feel like trying to get into a new show. With the exception of Once Upon a Time, they didn’t have long runs. Heck, I even got into The Magicians…in time for the final season.

More on that later.

But back in February, back before all this madness took over, I went to Washington DC on a girls’ trip with my mom, my aunt and a family friend. My mom and the friend wanted to visit the Bible Museum there. My aunt went with them but I spent my time bouncing around the different Smithsonian museums (namely, American History and Space and Air). Since we were close to the National Mall and surrounded by federal buildings, many places were either closed for the weekend or closed up by 5:30 PM. So we were stuck in the hotel room for most of the night. And that meant watching TV. We found Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and I was hooked.

At first, I was just going to do a summary of the series and that would be that. But that’s easier for past seasons of The Magicians. I could wait for the entire series to be over but then I realized that I miss recapping shows. My schedule hasn’t allowed me then time I need to get them up quickly. But I really do want to recap this series (and I’m working on Season 5 of The Magicians too actually).

And now seems like a good time to do it. I’m stuck at home for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19. I live in New York (which is the epicenter) and work in New Jersey (which isn’t as bad as us but isn’t good as well). While I am working from home, I still have more time than I usually do now. So I’m going to use it while it lasts (which could be at least through May).

While Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is still airing, I’m going to start from the top. So tune in soon for my recap of the premiere.

And most of all – STAY SAFE! If you can – STAY HOME! STOP THE SPREAD! SAVE LIVES!
We can stop this together by staying apart. It’ll only be for a little while and then we can all come together again and celebrate. For now, we just have to be patient and selfless.