On this week’s Smash, Bombshell finally opened (and the critics weighed in!), Ivy Lynn and Karen made crucial relationship decisions (and found time for unexpected/delightful bonding!), and speaking of (ahem) “bonding,” a naughty Tom got his freak on with…Kyle?!
Oh yes, Kyle, The Character Formerly Known as Gay Wallpaper (TM pending), got himself a stylish haircut, a newly discovered set of cojones and apparently the ability to quietly seduce everybody’s favorite neophyte Broadway director! Color me shock’ed!
Without a doubt, though, this was Smash‘s very best episode this season — even with Leo back in the mix! — so let’s get to the facts, shall we?
THE REVIEWS ARE IN FOR BOMBSHELL! | Yes, the Marilyn musical finally opened, and the critics all throught it was fantastic. Well, except for The New York Times, which liked it with the exception of Tom’s direction. (Waah waah waaaaahhh.) All we got to see was Ivy Lynn’s rendition of “Don’t Forget Me,” which she slayed (even if it’s maybe my least-favorite tune in Bombshell.) Eileen, buoyed by the mostly positive response, decided to ignore Agnes’ cautious advice and double down on advertising — in the hopes of sweeping the Tonys and ultimately reali ing her dreams of running longer than The Lion King.
IVY LYNN GETS CLOSURE…ON MULTIPLE FRONTS | Ivy Lynn and her mom made peace — and her mom even started a new clip book to keep track of her little girl’s big career. (Aww.) More surprisingly, she made peace with KAREN. Yep, the two former rivals had a really sweet sit-down in the ladies’ room at the Bombshell afterparty where Karen admitted to some pangs of jealousy watching Ivy Lynn as Marilyn, and Ivy Lynn’s patented brand of Season 1 spunk/bitchery percolated to the surface. “The magical Karen Cartwright? You do some tiny show at the Fringe Festival and suddenly it’s the can’t-miss event of the season!” Really, though, it was nice to see a sense of sisterhood between the rising starlets, capped by a killer duet to “That’s Life.” Even more fascinating, though, was Ivy Lynn discovering Derek was still pursuing Karen just a few weeks back — around the same time their own “casual/maybe not casual” dalliance resumed. And just like that, Ivy Lynn shut down Derek without explanation — “I’ll let you know if I need you again” — and chose single-lady status over being the toussled Brit’s Plan B. Good for her! [Side note: My fave part of "That's Life" came when Ivy Lynn delivered the line "my friends just wouldn't buy it" as Bobby and Jessica whooped their approval. Oh Bobby and Jessica, I'll miss you most of all!]
KAREN PUTS HER ROMANCE WITH JIMMY ON ICE | Karen decided that even though attending the Bombshell premiere would be like going to her ex’s wedding, she’d gather up her pride, get gussied up, and accept Eileen’s offer of free tickets for the entire Hit List team. Ana, meanwhile, discovered that Adam dude skulking around the stage door wasn’t just an old friend of Jimmy’s, but more specifically, was Jimmy’s estranged brother. (Can we all give Ana the side-eye for immediately inviting the dude out for drinks? I mean, yeah, I’m sure she was dying for intel, but on the other hand, Jimmy did write and is the current costar in the show that’s responsible for her big break, right?) Anyhow, despite the roomies’ current cold war, Ana spilled said intel to Karen — “nothing he says checks out!” — just as Jimmy told Kyle he was going to come clean to Karen.
Right before the Bombshell premiere, Jimmy got his chance: He was an abused kid who got turned out on the streets with his brother. “I dealt drugs. I used drugs. I watched people OD and I didn’t call 911.” Kyle saved him that life, though, and became his true brother, while Adam means nothing to him. Naturally, though, Ana brought Adam to the afterparty. Kyle got up in the dealer’s grill. Then Jimmy jumped in and fists flew — until Eileen dumped a bucket of ice over the brothers’ heads and kicked them out. (It wasn’t a tossed martini, but a solid alternative that didn’t waste any useful alcohol, I suppose.) Karen, showing good sense, told Jimmy it was clear he wasn’t willing to change — even if his intentions were good. “You scare me, Jimmy,” she said, walking away. Jimmy pretty much jumped up and down with his strained toddler face and whined, “You asked to get to know me and you did, and now you’re walking away of course!” Well, people do walk away when you generally act like a douche, Jimmy. But hey — Derek’s free, Karen’s free…does this mean they’ll finally hook up? Okay, Derek’s not 100 percent free — seeing how he hooked up with the gorgeous, charismatic pilates instructor (Mara Davi) who accused him of sexual harrassment and caught the eye of TVLine staffers earlier in the season. But that just looks like a dalliance, no? (Also: Derek and Scott want to bring Hit List to Broadway — setting up a possible showdown with Bombshell — and between Karen and Ivy Lynn — at the Tonys? Ooooooh.)
TOM AND JULIA’S “MARRIAGE” BEGINS TO CRUMBLE? | Tom got a tentative offer to direct a Broadway revival of City of Angels, just as Julia began to negotiate the Broadway rights to The Great Gatsby (the novel she and Tom had always dreamed of turning into a musical). Tempers flared when Julia found out via Rosie O’Donnell (¡!) about Tom’s potential new gig, and Tom was forced to reveal that for the time being, directing — and not writing with his longtime partner — was his passion. Julia, meanwhile, got the idea from Scott (who I always want to refer to as Eric) to try writing the musical on her own — and bringing it to Manhattan Theater Project. Then they made out! (Sidebar: If Julia really is Tom’s bestie, she should respect his desire to try new things in his career and be cool about it. I mean, he forgave her dramaturg secrets in a matter of 24 hours, no?) Oh, and then a drunken Tom, all alone at the end of the Bombshell party, spied the suddenly kinda hot Kyle, and was all. “Hey, wanna get out of here?” And Kyle was all, “I should really go see if Jimmy is okay, but I don’t want to.” Wink-wink, and presumably, baw-chicka-wah-wah! I have to say: I kind of approve!
What did you think of this week’s Smash? Did the Tom-Kyle hookup surprise you? Are you glad to see Karen and Ivy Lynn pressing pause on their unhealthy romantic relationships? Should Karen be thanking Ana instead of giving her the cold shoulder? And how about the Ivy Lynn-Karen duet? Sound off below!
Smash Recap: Up and Down and Over and Out
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