Curt
Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.
Dana
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
John-Paul Duddy
How refreshing to see an all-singing, all-dancing TV show which has a real plot which makes the viewer invest in the programme! As much as I like Glee, and am a regular watcher, it often lacks a concrete storyline because it focuses on getting music in. However, due to Smash writing its own music, they truly work around the plot making it extremely believable. The brilliant casting has unearthed and re-earthed some great talents of the acting community. For example, Katherine McPhee has flourished as Karen Cartwright - a growing star of Broadway who battles Megan Hilty's character, Ivy Lynn who's seductive ways with renowned director Derek Wills, superbly played by Brit actor Jack Davenport make exciting and compelling viewing. The amazing producer of Bombshell, a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, is Eileen Rand who is played by the brilliant Anjelica Houston who works alongside the famous writing team of Julia Houston and Tom Levitt, played by Debra Messing and Christian Borle respectively. Every week, I, along with millions of other viewers tune in to watch the U.S imported Smash which captivates the viewer with its spectacular dance numbers, tantalisingly well-written and well-preformed songs and fantastically acted characters which make the show the excellence it is! Such a shame that once again, a mesmerizingly, refreshingly good programme is lost to the archives. May there be many repeats!
edwagreen
Sometimes, accidents are the best thing that could happen as has depicted in this episode.When Ivy's dress falls down during rehearsal, the crew comes up with the idea that this should be part of the show. This occurs while she is rehearsing the song with the JFK character, as the two prepare to go to bed. I haven't stopped laughing since the JFK character belts out "Let's do it for the country." What immorality! What a sensation! Will she do it when the show actually opens?Derek shows that he can plot revenge quite well. When he catches Karen kissing her new boyfriend, he promptly takes away her main song and gives it to the other girl. The latter tells Karen that she should have gone to bed with Derek.Is this what the world is all about? Going to bed with people in the know, so as to get somewhere?
glynne41
Last season, I would have given this program a much higher rating, but this season just keeps going from bad to worse. My favorite shows are always character driven. I become deeply involved with the characters in the story. I actually care what happens to them.In this program the only character even worth watching is Ivy. The rest are all written as stereotypes. I say this with the deepest respect for the actors. You're only as good as you're written. I'm so tired of seeing great talent wasted on redundant story lines, predictable outcomes, and bad casting. I don't care about them any more. They have no depth, no ability to draw me in.The stories are also all over the place. Instead of focusing in and giving us one or two great subplots, we now have at least five subplots going, and none of them are intriguing, much less relevant. It's just sad. The music and dancing are fun, but that's not enough. Give us real characters to watch. Trust that your audience can deal with real people and real situations. This season the show is lacking in focus, devoid of any depth, and not humorous enough to support the cartoon characters it is giving us.
dramos-ehs
This review was mainly encouraged as a beacon of optimism after watching last night's episode of Musical Chairs (this is coming from a person who normally doesn't write reviews). Like many viewers who fell in love with the first season, I became disappointed in Season 2's first few episodes in the clichéd aspects, predictable plot, ambiguous scenes, Katherine Mcphee's static character and all the other very reasonable and common criticisms, but after hearing the song "Rewrite this Story" as the new intro to "Hit List" I was reminded of why I loved the show in the first place.As a young Broadway lover, or to Broadway lovers out there, Smash is a show worth watching. The original songs from Bombshell and Hit List are absolutely breathtaking, and I always look forward to its musical numbers. Ultimately, I view Smash as a celebration for Broadway and the gratitude I express for the sweat and blood of hard work put in to create such a beautiful form of entertainment. This can be similarly said for the work actors/crew of the show who strive to continue to make Smash work despite low ratings. Singing, for the most part, is enjoyable, but personally it's the wonderful Meghan Hilty I look out for in terms of vocals. With that said, I am also impressed with Katherine Mcphee's very impressionable numbers. I also particularly enjoy notable Broadway actors who take part in the show such as Jeremy Jordan as it adds to the general Broadway-esque feeling.It saddens me that Smash will not be receiving a third season and has recently been rescheduled for Saturday showings. Yes, I limped along the first few episodes of this season to an extent, but as a fan I am staying with Smash until the very end. Many have been critical of the show and so easily dissatisfied, but I believe this show deserves more of a second chance to those who are willing to lend it.
