Been lowkey looking forward to this since I found out who was involved.
Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key seem like good choices for the leads, as sketch comics who can hold a tune.
Having finished the first episode, I can safely say Josh sucks. Also, it's lowkey weird that Josh and Melissa call each other Josh and Melissa. At this point I'm hoping for an Enchanted sort of ending, which is already hinted at with the slight shipping.
The direction and staging of the musical numbers is on point, though. Tveit is basically perfect casting, and the set design is gorgeous. It's not super laugh out loud, but the Martin Short appearance was a quick hilarious moment.
Y'know, I just watched the first two eps (and made a page for the show while I was at it) and came to the opposite guess. Josh does suck, but I think he and Melissa are going to fix their relationship and leave together.
Anxiously awaiting the Jaime Camil and Jane Krakowski characters.
Josh and Melissa just fixing their relationship would seem strange at this point. The show really goes out of its way to show that Josh sucks at relationships.
I do like the writing acknowledging that Dove Cameron in now way looks like a teenager, though.
Two episodes later and I'm honestly more...affirmed in my belief? Especially now that both the Reverend and Emma have given Josh big speeches/numbers about having to work at things instead of giving up, in the context of the show starting with a faltering established relationship. This episode also has the first positive flashback about their relationship since the Meet Cute and has them reconnect, even if it's to help each other snag their respective town hotties.
Assorted other notes from someone who watches too much TV:
- This episode ("how do I progress the musical's story") reminded me how much I enjoyed the Arrowverse musical episode.
- Loved the lampshading of Hide Your Lesbians. "It's no longer subtextual!"
- I near spit out my water at "Va-Gi-Na"; it's something straight out of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
- Keegan-Michael Key and Ariana DeBose really went from "angsty gay teen and her supportive principal" to this, huh.
- I'm only assuming Jane Krakowski is taking so long so she's sure to be eligible for Best Guest Actor at next year's Emmys...
- "Suddenly" is further proof Jane the Virgin held back on us by not doing a Musical Episode.
- I enjoy the theory going around on Twitter — people in Schmigadoon are hikers who've lost love and assimilation is indicated by a willingness to participate in the musicality. Bonus if this is all revealed because the Mayor and Reverend leave together, lol.
It's done!
- The nod to the longstanding Music Man WMG of Winthrop Paroo being Marian's bastard son, omg.
- As expected I really liked Krakowski's Hitchcock-blonde Schraeder expy. "Of course I'm a Nazi!"
- I was right about Josh/Melissa, but it wasn't all that convincing emotionally...
- LOVED that the finale number pushed Schmigadoon into the future... But not by much.
- Was hoping for The Reveal about Schmigadoon's true nature, but alas.
Visiting from the Hoag Galaxy
The ending feels kind of strange. Like as if the show was slated for seven or eight episodes and was cut down to six at the last minute. There's a lot in the last episode that happens way too fast and then the way it actually ends?
Not Three Laws compliant.
Oh, for sure. The reconciliation especially felt unearned, and it felt like it put Josh's flaws on par with Melissa's, which...no.
Edited by Synchronicity on Aug 15th 2021 at 6:28:54 AM
Visiting from the Hoag Galaxy
The conclusion to Mildred’s plot was even worse. Like, I know a lot of musicals have very random and fast villain to good guy turns but goddamn was this one excessive.
Apparently if Apple decides to green light it, there is a season 2 plan, but like…I actually don’t understand the abrupt cut to black right at the end. It’s jarring and odd and means there’s no resolution, as we don’t know if Josh and Melissa’s thing actually worked or not.
Not Three Laws compliant.
I took the abrupt cut as a "the journey mattered more than the destination" thing but also believed they made it through, because what other alternative would there be? A Happy Ending Override in the first moments of season 2? But apparently they're included in the season 2 plan
, so who knows.
Thinking more about your comment, I realized the show could have done away with the Laytons, because there was really only so much attention one could devote to the non-Romantic False Lead characters, and the big reveal about Mildred they were building towards turned out to be kind of a nothingburger. Or at least maybe kept it to Mayor Aloysius and his wife Mildred, because Ann Harada and Fred Armisen did feel like they were just sitting there.
I think the final number really quite sums up my quibbles with the show and its music. It's catchy and they recruited a ton of talent, but it's ultimately kind of pithy (just singing "change" over and over ain't it, really) and doesn't really have the sharp parodic edge of something you'd find in, say, Galavant (RIP).
Edited by Synchronicity on Aug 16th 2021 at 2:23:31 PM
Reading throguh this article, it looks like 8 episodes was the original plan, but 'rona changed that.
Visiting from the Hoag Galaxy
That explains a ton about the weird pacing and random dropped plot threads. I guess they did the best with what they had (losing an hour of content when you only had four to work with to begin with and a lot of musical numbers that eat up time means laser focusing on Josh and Melissa was the smart move) but it's still a little disappointing.
Not Three Laws compliant.
So, as obvious from previous posts I was very meh on season 1 but I caught up on season 2 (of which we're 4/6 of the way through) and it is kind of...delightful? The musical numbers are a lot bigger/sharper and the characters are given much more to do.
Musical highlights so far have been delivered by theater luminaries Jane Krakowski doing Billy Flynn + Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth doing Sweeney Todd:
Cannibalism? Lame. Cannibalism of orphans? Kind of funny. Cannibalism of orphans that they're cheerfully helping you prepare for? Hilarious.
I'm loving the season. I binged S1 with my roommate who teaches ballet and we've had a great time because I'm big on music and theater while he's big on choreography and classic theater so we'll comment together during an episode.
We're behind an episode rn as we haven't seen E4 yet.
My theory rn is that Sergent Rivera is somewhere on the cross-dressing to LGBT spectrum as a nod to La Cage. When he's introduced to Melissa congratulating her on her casting but talking about how "Not everyone who wants to dance in this town can". Melissa seems to be kinda having a moment because obviously she recognizes Doc Lopez here, but Rivera's line sounds almost like a threat and intimidation in the moment as he's also being introduced as the Big Bad's henchman.
However, in the shot he's saying this, he reaches for something and instead runs his hand along the Boa feathers. His line might actually be read more literally; He is congratulating Melissa but somberly because he is a someone who isn't able to sing and dance in this town like he wants to. He caresses the boa not because it's Jenny's but because he wishes it were his.
With the Krat Club being a burlesque stage and Rivera liking a feather boa, why not take him to being the show's Albin, particularly if his ending is inheriting the Krat Club when Krat hopefully bites it.
I also get the impression this season's theme is finding your own happy ending within bad circumstance. Something very true of the era with shows like Into The Woods. I wonder if the ultimate conclusion is that It's ok that Melissa and Josh can't concieve, but that isn't the only path to their happy ending as they can adopt instead. Something that would tie Miss Lovett's home for orphaned youths into the direct theming rather than just a reference nod. Now Lovett trying to sell Melissa on adopting has a level of resonance.
I definitely agree we are headed for a GNC twist with the cop. I don’t remember if this is said in ep 3 or 4 but Josh and Melissa have to give everyone happy endings, so a big I Am What I Am number for the conformist manly man would fit with the theme (though my guess was Rocky Horror hehe).
So this is a thing, apparently.
The show has a ton of really talented musical theatre names attached to it, and just seems fun.
Edited by megaeliz on Jul 14th 2021 at 12:01:58 PM