Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021!

One good thing that came out of 2020 for me was the fact that I revitalized this blog and posted more. I hadn't posted as much as I had in 2020 in almost three years! So I hope that 2021 continues on in that vein. 

Because of that, I was able to figure out my Top 5 Posts of 2020! Now, these are only posts that were published during 2020 and are passed on the view counts I have. You can always see my most popular posts on the side of this blog! 

Top 5 Posts of 2020

5. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Leap of Faith and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Truth Hurts (tied) 

First, Zoey gets some advice as she navigates her new role guiding people as she tries to help Mo when he worries that he would either have to sacrifice his true self or his church. Then Zoey deals with the fallout from Simon and Jessica's engagement party as well as Max's romantic feelings toward her, culminating in her finally telling Max about her powers. 

4. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Unwanted Romance?

Zoey tries to adjust to her new powers, her new position and her best friend's romantic feelings for her in the second episode of the season. 

3. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Learning to Let Go

Zoey helps her father's caretaker Howie learn to let go of his daughter Abigail before he loses her by trying to hold on too tightly while she learns to let go of Simon and to let the chips fall where they may when it comes to whether they will only ever be friends/coworkers or more. 

2. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Joan's Husband Sucks

Zoey bonds with her boss Joan but ends up way more involved in Joan's failing marriage than she ever wanted to be. But by the end of the episode, Zoey learns that her powers may not be entirely bad after all. 

1. "One Royal Holiday": A Bit of a Flip on a Classic Hallmark Trope

One of Hallmark's many Christmas movies featuring a prince and the American woman who steals his heart. This time, he ends up stuck at her family's bed and breakfast and she knows he's a prince. During their time together, she teaches him to relax and listen to his heart while he teaches her to take chances and be open to love. 

There you go! Yes, there's a lot of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, but that's not surprising. Recapping that show really jumpstarted things for me in 2020. 

And tonight marks the start of Season 2 for Zoey! So there are more recaps coming! And maybe this year I'll finally finish my Once Upon a Time recaps. Who knows? 

See you all soon! 

A Timeless Christmas: Hallmark’s Kate and Leopold

Another day, another Hallmark Christmas movie! And who knows? There may be many more where this comes from!

I love myself a good time travel story (and one day, I’ll binge watch the rest of Outlander). But it’s almost always the woman going back in time, which kinda sucks for her. So it’s nice when someone travels forward in time as well. And that’s what this movie does!

Time to step out of time and into SPOILERS!

“One Royal Holiday”: A Bit of a Flip on a Classic Hallmark Trope

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes – Hallmark is all Christmas, all the time until 2021! We all make fun of them but let’s face it, these movies are like comfort food to us. So much so that not only did Hallmark quickly arranged a weekend marathon when we were all huddled in our houses trying to flatten the curve but I’ve seen plenty of people on my timeline watching the movies as breaks from following the craziness that is the 2020 Presidential Election.

I know I did. And I really wanted to see Laura Osnes’ movie because I absolutely love her.

And I was also excited because this movie included Broadway alums Aaron Tveit and Victoria Clark, who starred in Cinderella with Osnes on Broadway. I got to see the two of them and knew they would be fabulous together in this as well.

So were they? Let’s find out!

And this song of mine/In three-quarter time/Wishes you and yours/SPOILERS!

Cinderella: Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo!

Yes, I know this came out in 2015. So yes, I know I’m really behind in seeing it. But it’s now on Disney+ and I’m not really going anywhere just yet. So I put it on and finally got to see it.

And now you get to hear my thoughts about it because…well…it’s my blog and that’s what I do. So grab your best pair of glass slippers, settle onto your pumpkin and gather your mice friends for the live-action version of Cinderella!

A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast SPOILERS!

Phineas and Ferb: Candace Against the Universe

Hey, Ferb, I know what we’re going to do today!

I love Phineas and Ferb – my whole family does. My dad loves the main characters while my mom absolutely adores both Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Platypus. One year for Christmas, I gave them P&F mugs I found in the Disney store and then another year, I gave my mom a plush Doof she keeps in her office.

The kids in her program aren’t too sure what to make of it.

So I was pumped when it was announced that a new Phineas and Ferb movie was going to premiere on Disney+ and even more excited when it got a release date – August 28th! I pulled up Disney+ on my TV and clicked on it, eager to watch a brand new adventure with all my favorite characters.

Curse you, Perry the SPOILERS!

Hello, Dolly!: I Wish I Could Find a Witty Subtitle for This

I know it’s just an algorithm but I feel bad for my “Recommended For You” list on Disney+. I am all over the board so it’s a strange mish-mosh of National Geographic specials, behind the scenes documentaries and musicals.

I love musicals.

Anyway, I was surprised when I was going through my “Recommended for You” list and Hello, Dolly! popped up. I didn’t realize it was on Disney+ and so I decided to give it a watch.

Now you get to enjoy my thoughts on it!

Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and 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!

Once Upon a Time is Coming to Disney+!

You can read about it here!

Of course, the show isn’t a stranger to streaming services as it’s been on Netflix for years – each season was usually released some time after it aired. But this is still exciting news.

Why?

Because I think Disney+ will be the better home for Once Upon a Time than Netflix. Netflix has so many offerings and I feel like it’s less likely you’ll stumble upon Once Upon a Time and decide to watch it given everything on Netflix. That’s more of a show you purposefully have to go looking for if you’re going to watch it.

While Disney+ does have a lot of content too, it’s very narrow and specific. Once Upon a Time has always appealed to Disney lovers and so it’ll reach new audiences who maybe didn’t give it a chance the first time or are more willing to watch something that’s complete rather than something that’s ongoing. Or maybe they were too young when it was on and now they are discovering it for the first time.

Whatever the reason may be, it will be easier for them to find it on Disney+ and for it to be recommended to them.

I’m also glad because I was always surprised that Once Upon a Time never became syndicated. I guess it’s a bit harder to pitch this show as it does have an ongoing storyline and you can’t just jump into an episode without feeling lost, unlike Law and Order or CSI. But I still think it could’ve worked and would’ve helped in expanding the fandom (though we Oncers are still pretty big and mighty). This is probably the best option.

And since I have Disney+, I promise to finally finish my recaps for all the episodes. So stay tuned for those!

What do you think about Once Upon a Time moving to Disney+? Sound off in the comments below!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Looking Ahead

I wasn’t expecting to watch Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist but I’m glad I got pulled into it. It’s such a great show and so much more than what it was made out to be. You come for the fun musical numbers and get hit with feels.

And it’s wonderful.

Once again, I just wish it had gotten some Emmy nominations after such a good first season. But I also have a whole other rant about how the Emmy categories are probably outdated for how modern TV is nowadays and that maybe things should be divided up by broadcast, cable and streaming.

Anyway, back to Zoey.

Thankfully, NBC gave a greenlight to the second season of this show. With the pandemic going on, we don’t know when it will even film, let alone air but I’m sure the creatives are hard at work creating the second season so they are ready to go when they can start filming. So what will the second season bring?

I’d like to speculate.

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!

Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen II (Or How the Sausage is Made)

I loved Frozen II. The fact that Disney made it available on Disney+ after most of us went into lockdowns and shut downs helped me get through those early days of this pandemic. It was comforting and something to entertain me.


Disney released a six part documentary that gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the last nine months or so of production on Frozen II. And I must say, I was very intrigued by the process and all the decisions that went into making the movie.

I’m going to warn of SPOILERS for both the movie and this documentary, which I encourage everyone who loved the movie or loves movies to watch.

Hamilton: The Room Where It Happened

Broadway will stay dark due to the pandemic until 2021. That leaves a big gap in the theater and for theater-lovers in the United States, though I hope they find a way to bring live theater to us sooner in a socially-distant way. I already know of one drive-in performance here in NY and Six the Musical’s UK production has announced it will start doing drive-in performances across the country as well.


It was a big deal before this pandemic started when Disney announced that it would be releasing Hamilton in theaters. And that it wasn’t just going to be a movie adaptation but an actual performance of the musical with the original cast. Movie adaptations are great but there is just something so special about sharing the actual performances and the full staging that comes with seeing a Broadway show. Then when the pandemic continued and kept theaters closed, Disney decided to put it on Disney+ in time for the 4th of July, giving everyone a chance to experience Broadway while the theaters stay dark.


So at 3 AM EDT on July 3rd, Hamilton went live on Disney+. And since I had the day off, I stayed up and watched it as soon as it was available.


While I do live in New York City and have access to see Broadway on a more regular basis than most people, Hamilton is still very hard to get tickets for and they are very expensive. So for now, this is the best way for me to see it. And I get to see the original cast too, which is always a plus!


While I’m not really going to do a recap and it’s seems strange to put this warning on a story that involves events from over 200 years ago, I’m still going to warn about SPOILERS!

Naya

This is absolutely heartbreaking to have to write.


On July 8th, Glee star Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez) rented a boat to go swimming with her son Josey. Police were later called to the scene when Josey was found by himself in the boat. He said he and his mother did go swimming but she hadn’t returned to the boat. Rescue efforts were then launched to locate Naya before being called off after night fall.

As someone who lives on an island and is surrounded by several beaches, including the Jersey Shore, our news programs unfortunately have at least three reports about searches for missing swimmers every summer. It is very, very common for searches to be called off after dark. So while I understand why everyone was frustrated and felt as if the police weren’t doing enough (especially as the particular department does have social media posts that reveal a very probable bias and Naya does identify as Afro Latina), ending the search for the night does mean anything either away about how dedicated to finding Naya they were. The search resumed in the morning and more resources were brought in to locate her. They continue to search for her. 


However, the operation has turned into a recovery rather than a rescue, meaning it is very likely that Naya drowned.

And it’s horrible to think that we’ve lost another member of the Glee cast.

Naya was very talented and leaves behind a very impressive body of working, starting from when she was a child. She probably would’ve gotten even more projects as time went by and it’s a shame we’ll never see what else she would’ve done.

My heart goes out to her loved ones, especially her mother and her young son. It was clear from Naya’s social media that he was her entire world and that they were very close. This is going to be an unimaginable loss for him but it seems he has a strong family support system around him.
My condolences also go to her friends and former costars. Even if they weren’t close, this still has to be a loss for them.

Though they haven’t yet found her body, I do hope they can find her and provide some closure for her family.

Rest in peace, Naya. You will be missed.

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!

Splash Mountain: From Laughing Place to the Bayou

Big news from Disney! Besides the fact that they are pushing back Disneyland’s scheduled reopening on July 17th (and honestly, they should also push back Walt Disney World’s looking at the numbers coming out of Florida). Splash Mountain is getting reimagined, going from its current Song of the South theme to a Princess and the Frog theme.


You can read about it on the Disney Parks Blog.


Usually, I’m one of those Disney fans who doesn’t like when they change things. I still am not over the fact they took out Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. And I would love to know who I have to blackmail to get the original Journey into Imagination ride restored.

(Splash Mountain in Walt Disney World)

But this change? I’m good with it.

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!

An Apology

I started this blog in 2008 when I was 22. Twelve years have gone fast (some faster than others) and the world, our country and I am so much older and just a little bit more wiser.

I have written over 1,000 posts and recapped several shows. And I am certain that over the course of 12 years and 1000+ posts, I’ve probably written something that was offensive or derogatory. That I made comments that may have been insensitive to someone’s race or gender or sexuality. I may have thought I was being funny but I wasn’t.

I am sorry.

I promise to do better and to really consider my words as I continue to write my posts.

I promise to keep learning and to be open if someone tells me that something is offensive, to educate myself why and to stop doing it.

Thank you.

And That’s What You Missed on Glee!

I know. I’m talking about Glee. It’s been years, right? But there’s a reason.

And, no, it’s not a good one.

It also does involve the current climate of the country. Let me say that I am horrified by the actions of the former officers in Milwaukee and the death of George Floyd at their hands (or rather, knees and inaction). And I am angry that this is just the latest in a series of Black deaths caused by the police. Change needs to happen and America needs to confront and overcome our racial prejudices.

Black. Lives. Matter.

Our Glee saga began a week ago when Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) posted a tweet about George Floyd, much like many other celebrities (and people) had throughout the past couple weeks.

Then on Monday, June 1st, Samantha Ware quote-tweeted Lea’s tweet. Samantha played Jane Haywood during Season 6 of the show. In her tweet, she wrote that Lea made her first TV job a living nightmare, threatened to “shit” in her wig, and committed other microaggressions against Samantha during filming.

(Samantha Ware)

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!

At Home With Sean and Bex

Calling all Oncers!

If you haven't been hanging around Twitter or Instagram, you may have missed the best entertainment of the pandemic - Sean Maguire (Robin Hood) and Rebecca Mader (Zelena/The Wicked Witch of the West)! They started doing Instagram lives together - just half hour sessions where they would talk and we would all watch. Sometimes they would try to answer questions but they usually got distracted with making each other laugh. They have a great friendship and are almost like a brother and a sister.

Well, they decided to dream big and found a way to interview people they know during this pandemic and share it with us. It's their new show - At Home With Sean and Bex! You can find them on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Their first episode was them interviewing Jason George from Station 19. And their second episode, below, featured their Once Upon a Time costar, Lana Parrilla (Regina Mills/The Evil Queen).

I hope you check it out when you get a chance! And check out their other interviews too! One just went up today with Robbie Kay (Peter Pan), so there's lots of new content coming.

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

Over the Rainbow: Reunited in Quarantine

I thought I had recapped "Over the Rainbow," the follow up to "Any Dream Will Do" and "I'd Do Anything" where Andrew Lloyd Webber tried to find Dorothy for his production of The Wizard of Oz. But I don't think it aired on BBC America and I only watched it thanks to the amazing people who posted clips of it on YouTube (you all rocked!). 

Anyway, here's a video where Lloyd Webber reunites with his final 11 Dorothys to perform "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The Dorothys, in order of elimination, are: Amy Diamond, Bronte Barbe, Dani Rayner, Emilie Fleming, Stephanie Davis, Jenny Douglas, Jessica Robinson, Stephanie Fearon, Lauren Samuels, Sophie Evans and the winner, Danielle Hope. 

The theater community - on both sides of the pond - have done so much to help keep us entertained during this time. To them, I say: 

THANK YOU! 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: A Brief Break

So I’m skipping posting a recap this week. I got a little behind so I want to take this week to catch up and continue from there. I was hoping to hold off until when Zoey had skipped an episode but this is necessary.

I hope everyone is staying sane as this quarantine continues. Are you rewatching Zoey? Did you find a new show to enjoy? Let me know in the comments!

See you all next week!

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: 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.

Noelle: A Merry Misadventure

I’m sure you’ve realized this by now, but if you’re new to this blog: I am a Disney addict.


So, hell yes I got Disney+.


I’m still exploring it. I have a lot of old Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) on my Watchlist, so get prepared for those. And I have a planned So Weird binge watch. But for now, I’ve watched Endgame yet again and I’m in the middle of watching the recording of the Newsies stage musical.

However, I also took some time to watch Noelle, an original Christmas movie made for the platform. So let’s spread some holiday cheer and enjoy this sweet if wacky movie.

Ho ho SPOILERS!

Revelations of a Fan

I often don’t write about my adventures in fandom here. More often than not, I tend to post that to my other blog about writing. It makes some sense as my fanfiction has kinda taken over all my other writing but I think I should try to focus more fandom stuff here.

After all, that fits into what this blog is about!

So, at the end of October I went to Creation Entertainment’s Once Upon a Time convention in New Jersey. It was my third time going to it and I had a lot of fun. Almost all my friends were able to get to New Jersey and though it didn’t sell as many tickets as they had hoped, we all enjoyed the smaller numbers. It was more intimate and definitely more chill.

I had vowed after my trip to Milan that the next convention that Sean Maguire (Robin Hood) went to, I would do everything of his. And I was true to my word at this one. I did his photo ops both days, got autographs both days and did his meet and greet on Sunday. I was practically his shadow.
The main reason I wanted to do that was to become more known to him, to kinda stand out in the crowd so that he would recognize that yes, I am one of his fans.

So did it work?

Pretty much. I definitely can tell he’s starting to recognize me. And I know this probably sounds crazy to others, but I can see a difference in his smile from the first photo we ever took together to the ones from this con. And at the meet and greet, my friend noted that he included me when motioning to the people he had met before.

That’s pretty good, if you ask me.

I did worry that I would lose my momentum with him as the next con I’m definitely going to see him at is Paris, which is several months away. But my friends assured me otherwise.

I also had an experience earlier that day to prove they might be right. I went to get a picture with Karen David (Princess Jasmine) and Emilie de Ravin (Belle). When I was next, Karen’s face lit up and I realized she remembered me from last year—I had a photo, auto and meet and greet with her then. It was so nice to realize she remembered me and I went in for a hug, even if it was a bit awkward.

(Sorry, Emilie)

But if Karen could remember me a year later, then it’s possible Sean will recognize me several months later.

I had one more experience at the end of the day (and the con). Lana Parrilla (Regina Mills/The Evil Queen) signed autographs at the very end. I had decided to get her autograph as well as Sean’s for a friend I was seeing in Florida, so I approached her with two items to sign—each with a different name.

She signed the one for my friend and then looked at mine, which was a manip for our Outlaw Queen calendar. Lana praised it and I talked to her a bit about the person who made it. She then asked if it was okay if she didn’t write my name on it because Sean already had and I said I didn’t care. She squeezed it into the corner and gave it back to me, thanking me for coming by name. I thanked her as well and walked away.

I showed off the calendar to a few people and told them to check out this year’s Advent calendar for more goodies. I then headed back to my friends when a thought hit me—how did Lana know my name was Allie and not the other name I had also asked her to sign?

First, I wondered if it was because my name was attached to the calendar and my friend’s to a promotional picture but easily dismissed that—we get lots of things signed, it’s not indicative of anything.

Second, I wondered if it was because I said I didn’t care if she put my name on the art. But then I realized that since Sean had already signed it, I could’ve thought that was fine for whoever else I could’ve been getting it signed for.

With those arguments pushed aside, I returned to my friends and told them that I think Lana recognizes me now. My friend Erica’s response was pretty much “duh, of course she does.” When I think about it, I’ve seen her about seven times now and that was my third time that year! She may not be able to call me by my name unprompted, but Lana probably saw “Allie” and connected with me from previous cons, so she knew it was safe to assume it was my name.

So, yes, cast members from one of my favorite shows are starting to recognize me. And that’s pretty thrilling! It’s nice to know that they realize I’m their fan and are happy to see me.

And hopefully, I can keep up the momentum in 2020!

Kim Possible: She Can Do Anything!

Yes, I was a fan of the Disney cartoon Kim Possible. After all, I was a big fan of Christy Carlson Romano as a teenager—especially as my entire class identified with her overachieving, Type A character Ren Stevens on Even Stevens. Kim Possible had some great plots, interesting villains and well-rounded main characters. It was great to see a teen girl who was allowed to be interested in fashion, cheerleading, and other things girls are often interested in and not shamed for it. That they could help her kickass daily. And that it wasn’t some secret identity situation either—everyone knew who she was and what she did, including her parents. It was just a lot of fun and it’s not surprise that when Disney tried to end the show, fans petitioned and got one more season.

When it was announced that Disney was going to revive Kim Possible as a live-action Disney Channel movie, the reaction was mixed. Some people were all for it, some people were totally against it and some people thought it was a good idea but weren’t sure how it would translate from cartoon to live action. (I was in that camp). There was also an uproar from some fans when the first pictures were released and they realized Kim’s suit didn’t feature a bare midriff. Most other fans clapped back at them, calling out the fact they were upset that they were being denied a chance to look at a teenage girl’s stomach was downright creepy. Otherwise, buzz seemed good and people seemed eager for the movie.

The movie debuted on the Disney Channel on Friday, February 15th, and yes, I watched it.

Call me, beep me if you wanna get SPOILERS!

Hello, 2019!

So, it’s 2019. Last year was probably the one where I posted the least. I didn’t even finish recapping the last season of Once Upon a Time, like I wanted to. There seemed to be a lot of changes I didn’t realize I needed to make but as the New Year dawns, I’m ready to do so.

Now, I’m not saying I’ll go back to posting once a week. While that would be nice, I’m trying to be realistic. I’m going to aim for at least once a month, if possible. Though I do want to write more than just recaps. I do want to go back to movie reviews and the like. So we’ll see how that goes!

Let the new year begin!

A Godwink Christmas

There’s just something special about Hallmark’s Christmas movies. Are they cheesy? Yeah. Are they formulaic? Yeah. But do we watch them year after year? Hell to the yeah. There’s just something about quaint towns covered in snow as people fall in love over and over that we just love to see.

Especially me.

We wish you a Merry SPOILERS!

OUAT: A Noblish Sacrifice

Last time on “Once”: Lucy was rushed to the hospital as everyone tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

Victoria meanwhile tried to keep Anastasia safe from Gothel and Drizella. She was forced to work with Rumple, who wanted to know if Anastasia was his long sought after Guardian as well as wanted to heal Lucy. He tested Anastasia and while she showed amazing magical powers, she ran away and let Drizella take her from their mother.

After going with Regina to San Francisco, Henry had to bail on her to be there for Lucy. She was left to deal with “Kelly,” Zelena’s cursed persona. Kelly hated Regina because she convinced Kelly’s daughter to drop out of college and travel the world, also seemingly cutting her mother out of her life as well. Regina apologized and tried to convince Kelly to come back to Seattle with her. When she refused, Regina was able to wake Zelena up. Zelena was willing to go to Seattle but pointed out a big problem—Kelly was getting married in a few weeks.

Rogers and Tilly discovered the coven symbol under the troll bridge and reported it to Weaver. He discovered a coin from the coven and told the two that “they” were in the city.

Henry read to Lucy and decided to try True Love’s Kiss, but it didn’t work. Regina told Zelena that was because Victoria must’ve broken Lucy’s belief, preventing the kiss from working. However, it was a good thing that it didn’t work—Henry’s life depended on it!

In the Enchanted Forest, we did a lot of time jumping. So hold on and try to keep up!

Ella gave birth to Lucy and Drizella showed up to threaten them with the Dark Curse. But Lady Tremaine somehow was working with the heroes and they used her blood to turn to Drizella into a statue. She got freed on Lucy’s eighth birthday by Mother Gothel and the two went off to cast the Dark Curse.

Regina went to recruit Zelena and a grown up Peanut, who were now in the Enchanted Forest while Hook went to visit Alice, who was keeping a fully Dark One Rumple company. Rumple gave Hook something to help him remember who Alice was in the curse and Alice asked him to deliver a letter to someone she had fallen in love with. Henry took Lucy to the original Enchanted Forest, leaving her with Tiger Lily so he could carve a magical wardrobe so they could escape ahead of the curse. But he got captured instead.

All the heroes confronted Drizella and Gothel, who revealed they captured Henry and poisoned him. It forced Regina to cast the curse. Alice’s new love was Peanut and they promised to find each other in the curse while Hook gave Ella the white elephant statue so she and Lucy would still be together in the curse.

In Hyperion Heights, Regina and Zelena vow to find a way to break the curse without killing Henry while Gothel gave Drizella’s powers to Anastasia. She then trapped Drizella in a hole with her mother while preparing to find the rest of her coven so the next part of her plan could start.

We open on a boiling potion as someone chants to some goddess. The camera pulls back to reveal three women in hoods, looking like members of Gothel’s coven, as the one chanting holds a book. She dips a vial in and gathers some potion in it before holding it up. 

(Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...)