Smash: The Fringe

All of the episodes so far this season have been leading to this... Derek makes a big decision and Tom's role in Bombshell takes a huge turn. Also, Ivy takes control of her own performance in Liaisons. Julia continues to freak out about everything. And so does Jeremy. Not much change there. And Karen continues to be, well, Miss Perfect.

Observations:

Why isn't Karen at rehearsal when they're rehearsing her number? Doesn't she have a contract to be at rehearsals?

It's so funny that Jerry says they might have to cut something because "it's a lot of music." Uh, Jerry, that's why it's called a "musical." Because it has "a lot of music."

Oh, Karen isn't at Bombshell rehearsal because she's with the Hit List group. She certainly is committed to that show. 

Jimmy is finally positive about something! The little tiny black box where they're performing Hit List for The Fringe. Boy, if that's all it took for him to be happy, I wish they would have given him a black box at the beginning of the season. I'm glad his joy motivated him to sing. Sing, Jimmy, sing.

Hit List can't make noise in their space because there's a performance upstairs. When are they supposed to rehearse for the performance that's in 10 hours if they have shows going on upstairs?

Karen and Ivy almost seem like friends now.

I'm so much more interested in Ivy and what she's doing, than in perfect Karen whom everyone loves and thinks she's so wonderful, for I don't know what reason.

It seems that Julia always has to have someone to gripe about. Last week it was Peter. This week it's Jerry. Julia the Complainer just won't seem to go away.

Poor Karen has to choose between Bombshell and Hit List. The show that can make her a Broadway star, and the show that will probably make her a Broadway star. *wink*

Jimmy tells Karen that because she's choosing Bombshell, in a way she's saying that her career is more important than her friends. She's known the people in Bombshell longer than she's known Jimmy and Kyle. So, why does he think he is a more important "friend" than everybody else? Oh, yes, it's because the world is all against Jimmy, and instead they should all drop everything to do what's best for Jimmy. His character is so  unlikable, dang it. I wish they would make him likable in some way other than his great voice.

Peter wants Julia to go to London with him.  Hmm.

I love all of the "musical dropping" in this show. Musical posters all over, and dropping the names of musicals out of the blue. 

Karen runs into Ellis's ex-girlfriend, and she says what everyone knew last season. He's a psychopath. And he's gay. And Karen learns that Jerry made a deal with Ellis about something. Ooh! Who is she going to tell?

And, of course, the first performance of Hit List is a disaster because Karen wasn't in it. Pleeeeeease! We know what's going to happen. Karen will find some way to be in it tonight and she'll save it by her mere presence. Yes, I am tired of the perfection they have made Karen. 

Julia really is a coward. If she wants the song back in the show, she should fight for it herself.

I still want to know the history between Tom and Derek.

Derek quit Bombshell, and I think I know what his next directing project will be.

Karen tells Eileen about Ellis. 

Isn't Ivy the one who said that Liaisons was a drama? If so, why does she make her song a comedy? And Terry doesn't look to happy about her performance. 

Oh, Terry loved Ivy's performance. But he isn't happy because she was better than he was. 

Somebody really needs to call Jimmy out on his being such a jerk to everyone. And they need to do it with as much passion as he deals out his anger. Everyone just lets him get away with it, because he's the one with all the talent, so he has a right to just be angry when things don't go his way.  Just because some artists have a lot of talent, it doesn't give them an excuse to be a jerk to people. It reminds me of something I heard once about artists being "temperamental - more temper than mental." That can really be true about some people. Or about some characters that artists write. 

I'm so glad to hear Ivy tell Terry the truth. Karen could learn so much from Ivy.

We get to see what the staging of "Heart Shaped Wreakage" from Hit List would look like if Derek were to direct it, which I'm sure he will.

Terry wants to hear the truth about Liaisons from the cast, and the only thing they tell him is it's bad. They don't give any specifics. And in the end, only Ivy tells him what was good about the show. So, what was the point? Ivy already told him it was bad when they spoke before. He didn't need the rest of the cast to tell him that. Would he not have changed anything if the whole cast hadn't told him it was bad?

Karen is quick to just go home after the show at The Fringe when Jimmy asks her if she has rehearsal in the morning. It's like, "Jimmy doesn't think I should go out with everyone else, so I'd better go home like he suggests." What the heck was that? And really, why didn't Jimmy want her to go with them? Just because he thinks she's dating Derek and Jimmy didn't want Karen to be with them if Derek's there too?

And, I called it... Tom is now directing Bombshell.

Quotes:

Derek: Go up stage left. You don't go up stage right because oh, look out! Here comes the enormous, expensive, and totally unnecessary plane that's about to land on the stage.

Anna: It's The Fringe. You get two days in a shoe box. 

Ivy: These aren't going to be real sheep, are they?

Terry: Of course they are. Stuffed sheep can't act. I am worried about the peacocks, though. They are notoriously difficult to work with.

Julia (to Eileen): You just said, "Jerry's right," for the third time in the last week. Has everyone lost their mind.

Julia (to Tom): Get me my song. Then we'll talk.

Derek (to Karen): Sorry, love. I guess we're both stuck here. Whether we like it or not.

(I feel a bit of foreshadowing here.)

Derek: You look like you've just some from a funeral.

Ivy: I have. From the death of careers.

Derek: Can't be that bad.

Ivy: Tomorrow's press day. We're considering going to that really bad sushi place on 50th and praying for food poisoning.

Derek: You're in prime position. Everyone expects you to be good in a good show, but if you're good in a bad show, you stand out. That is time-honored tradition.

Ivy: Thanks for the advice.
Derek: Only thank me if it works.

Tom: The song is really important to Julia.
Eileen: So important that you came instead of her.
Tom: She kind of hates Jerry with a burning passion. Like you used to.
Eileen: Oh, I still do.
Jerry: I don't need people to like me. I need them to deliver a good show.

Anna (re: Jeremy): He's like the Incredible Hulk. One little thing and he's ripping through his shirt.

Karen: Break a leg, okay?
Anna: Don't wake the Hulk.

Tom: It's not like we've got the problems Wicked had.

Ivy: Tell him how bad it is and we can make it better.

Actor in Liaisons: I've never been so embarrassed about my work before. And I was in Urban Cowboy.