Throwback Thursday - Smash - Pilot

For my first Throwback Thursday, I wanted to revisit one of the most polarizing shows on my list of favorites: Smash! Though the series was definitely hit or miss, it combines two of my biggest passions: TV and Theater so it will always hold a special place in my heart.



Smash premiered on February 6, 2012 to strong reviews and great ratings, seemingly giving NBC it’s first hit of that season (the same season where they axed The Playboy Club far too early, in my opinion). However, as the critical reception took a negative turn, so did the ratings, and the series was cancelled after only 32 episodes and 2 seasons. As I mentioned, I was initially drawn to the series because I am a huge musical theater nerd and also will watch literally anything that Debra Messing is in (#RIPMysteriesofLaura). As the show went on, however, I really grew to love all of the characters even as the show got more and more ridiculous and because of that, I wanted to revisit the show’s first episode, which is definitely my favorite of the entire series!

I won’t go too much into a recap of the episode but as a quick refresher: The pilot follows a few different key players involved in the making of a musical about Marilyn Monroe. We start with the actresses (Karen and Ivy), who are both coming off of failed auditions and feel as though their dreams are unattainable. We then jump to the writers (Tom and Julia), who are growing increasingly excited by the show and make significant progress in writing the music, even though they agreed to take a break from writing musicals. Finally, we meet the ambitious producer (Eileen) and the difficult to work with director (Derek). One thing the pilot does really well is it quickly establishes the preexisting relationships between the entire creative team. Whether it’s the decade old professional and personal relationship between Tom and Julia or the bad blood between Derek and Tom, by the end of the episode, I had a very strong sense of who these characters are and how they feel about each other, which is an impressive accomplishment with such a large cast.

In terms of characters, I am always immediately drawn to Eileen and her storyline every time I rewatch this episode. Because of her messy divorce that leaves all of her assets frozen and the fact that her ex husband is an incredibly sexist jerk, she is immediately set up as an underdog that I want to root for. That is then coupled with her hilariously fierce and aggressive personality, making her an instant favorite of mine. Additionally, because she is the producer, her lack of money is the biggest threat to Marilyn the Musical, which always intrigued me from a story perspective. Also, c’mon, gotta love Anjelica Huston throwing drinks in people’s faces! If Smash ever has a reboot or spinoff, I would want it to be about that and only that.

Another strength for me in this episode is the juxtaposition between Karen and Ivy as they audition for the title role. Though many feel that throughout the series Katharine McPhee’s acting was a weak point, I do feel that she really nails her character here. Between her goofy attempts at playing Marilyn when she practices with her boyfriend or her lack of understanding of the fast paced business she is trying to break into, she illustrates how, in many ways, she is completely wrong for the part.

At the same time however, her beautiful voice and strong, sultry version of Marilyn in Derek’s apartment indicate that maybe she's the perfect choice and is able to bring a new interpretation to a character that has been done countless times before. On the other end of the spectrum, Megan Hilty’s Ivy has an incredible voice and does a flawless Marilyn impression, but doesn’t seem to add much of her own interpretation. The fact that both of them are so different in how they approach Marilyn had me genuinely torn between who I wanted to get the part and extremely excited to watch the next episode. I still get butterflies every time I hear the opening few notes of “Let Me Be Your Star” because I know some intense, emotional belting is about to go down.

I also loved the production value of all of the musical numbers, especially the flashing between rehearsals and the fully realized performance of “The National Pastime.” This sequence is especially exciting because it shows where the season is going and what Marilyn the Musical could turn into given the time and talent. The scenes that took place backstage or in the wings of a live performance of “Heaven on Earth” were fun as well and helped immerse me into the world of live theater.


Though I do love this episode, not every part of it is strong. I found the adoption storyline to be pretty unnecessary. Now that I’ve seen the entire series, it seems as though it was included to put a strain on Julia’s marriage in order to set up the affair storyline. That storyline was always my least favorite part of the show’s first season (and yes that includes the time Ellis poisoned Uma Thurman and when Katharine McPhee danced naked in a bed to techno music). In an episode that needed to set up 8 series regulars, this storyline felt out of place and extraneous.

Also Ellis. Ellis is just the worst even from the beginning.

Overall Grade: B+. Smash may have turned into a show that many hate watched, but I think it started with a bang and made the theater nerd in me smile. Complete with intriguing characters, awesome musical numbers, and well set up storylines, Smash seemed to be on it’s way to having an amazing first season.

Song Grades:
1. Never Give All the Heart - B. Though an objectively beautiful number, it’s such an important emotional song in the show that I couldn’t quite appreciate it until I had seen the entire series. Still a beautiful song though.
2. The National Pastime - B+. Such a fun song that was amplified by the over the top choreography that helped win Joshua Bergasse an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography.
3. Let Me Be Your Star - A+. Flawless. Not only did it highlight Ivy and Karen’s intense competitive relationship, but also had some ridiculously amazing belting from Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty.

Favorite Broadway Cameo - Legally Blonde and Kinky Boots’ Annaleigh Ashford as Lisa, a failed Marilyn auditioner

Thank you for reading my first ever SpoilerTV article! Let me know what you thought of the first episode in the comments!

About the Author - Doug Greer

Doug Greer is a TV obsessed Leo from the Bay Area. His TV origin story begins in 7th grade, when his friend lent him her Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs and 144 episodes (and 9 days) later, he was hooked for life. All time favorites include (but most certaintly not limited to) everything Joss Whedon, Charmed, The 100, Nikita, Battlestar, and anything with a laugh track. More recently, Doug produced and help write a webseries for The CW called CW FanTalk and also produced webseries for actors such as AnnaLynne McCord and John Lehr. For the 2016-2017 season, Doug will be reviewing 2 Broke Girls, Mom, and The Good Place.

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