Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Review: The Pilot

Creating a musical drama revolving around the main character seeing other people’s deepest desires revealed via song could be problematic, but the awkward concept gives way to some great drama in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

The musical numbers are amusing, especially Peter Gallagher singing “True Colors.” However, it’s the regular drama moments that stand out the most in The Pilot. The risks taken in the pilot with some of the character backstories pay off.

The nearly pitch-perfect casting helps sell this intriguing concept that looks like it could be NBC’s next This is Us.

Adding to complexities in the high-concept show is that Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is part-workplace and part-family drama. Before delving into the workplace and family drama aspect, we need to start with the most crucial element of the show: Jane Levy and the musical nature of the show. [photo credit: NBC and IMDB]

Leave it to Levy

The script by Showrunner Austin Winsberg makes a strong choice to introduce the family and workplace elements prior to Zoey’s gaining this “power.”

Levy is simply the perfect casting choice for the title role. Zoey isn’t a cookie-cutter character. She’s certainly caring, quirky, funny and stellar at her job. Levy has to balance these endearing qualities with some weaker character moments. While she’s never outwardly rude or antagonist to others, she is very stuck in her own bubble.

More importantly, Zoey doesn’t grasp how other people perceive her, which makes her newly discovered power an essential character development device.

The Opening Stanza in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

The episode begins with Zoey’s next-door neighbor, Mo played with magnificent enthusiasm by Alex Newell, waking Zoey up with Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” After an all-too-brief conversation between Zoey and Alex we are introduced to the workplace portion of the series.

SprqPoint

The first person we meet from SprqPoint is Zoey’s best friend, Max. The character of Max is perfect for Skyler Astin’s talent for creating a likable love-interest or sympathetic best friend. However, he never crosses the line into being a doormat. The likeability of Max comes across in his very first scene opposite Zoey.

She’s up for a promotion from a coder to leading the engineering team. He encourages Zoey to go after the promotion. Removes himself from competing against Zoey. Then, provides some strong advice that while Zoey deserves the promotion, she’s going to have to convince her boss.

Once at SparqPoint we are introduced to Simon played by John Clarence Stewart. Zoey clearly has a crush on Simon, which Max and Zoey talk about. The show doesn’t seem to be hiding a potential love triangle. Stewart’s character is the most fleshed out in terms of the workplace cast and he delivers a breakout performance. His backstory is heartbreaking. In light of Zoey’s family tragedy, I’m shocked that they gave another character such a tragic history. More on this later in the episode.

Zoey has a terrible interview with her boss, Joan played by Lauren Graham. Zoey fails to provide any strong reasons for her to get the promotion. While I quite enjoyed Graham’s other series roles(Gilmore Girls and Parenthood), she seems to be slightly miscast as the jerk boss-type.

After the disastrous interview, we meet two other members of the SprqPoint team, Tobin (Kapil Talwalkar) and Leif (Michael Thomas Grant). The duo are best friends. Tobin comes off as sexist, while Leif seems a bit more reserved and is nicer to Zoey, but later we learned he’s hiding his true motivations. Talwakar is fine in the role, while Grant really shines in the musical setpiece later in the episode.

Simon’s unique backstory helps add to the most cliche aspect of the pilot. However, the most dramatic and ultimately successful element to the series is the family drama surrounding Zoey’s family.

The Clarke Family

Following in the perfect casting footsteps of Levy, Newell, Stewart and Astin is the masterstroke of Peter Gallagher as Zoey’s father, Mitch Clarke. Gallagher was terrific in his role as Sandy Cohen on The O.C. In that teen drama, his parental guidance and wise voice was an important aspect of that show. Having him portray a father that is catatonic due to PSP (progressive supranuclear palsy) and unable to provide readily available advice in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, really sells the tremendous sense of loss that the characters feel to the audience.

Mary Steenburgen also showcases incredible strength as Zoey’s Mom, Maggie Clarke. Rounding out the Clarke clan is Andrew Leeds as Zoey’s brother, David. Leeds isn’t given too much to do in the Pilot, but here’s hoping the series makes good use of the talented actor.

Time for an Origin Story 

Due to the stress of work and her family situation, Zoey’s been suffering from pressure headaches and decides at the behest of her Mom to get an MRI. One of the funniest moments is the MRI technician offers to play some relaxing music, which is the amusingly inappropriate “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It’ by R.E.M. While in the MRI machine, an earthquake occurs causing the MRI and I guess Zoey’s brain to go haywire and voila… Zoey has a superpower.

After the MRI appointment, we get a musical montage featuring:

• “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen
• “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa
• “Help!” by The Beatles

Once The Beatles finishes up saying goodbye and hello, Zoey immediately runs home trying and failing to make sense. Levy’s reactions during and immediately after this sequence is priceless. She plays it with a mixture of horror (naturally thinking she’s going insane) and concern for the people singing for help.

Enter the Confidante 

When you have a title character that sees things that nobody else can see, it’s important to have someone for the main character to confide in. By having someone to confide in, it helps put the audience at ease in regards to Zoey’s sanity. In Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, the role of confidante goes to Zoey’s musically inclined neighbor Mo.

After explaining what happened to Mo, instead of showing outright concern towards Zoey, Collins plays the scene with more of genuine curiosity and gives one of the best lines of the episode:

Let me know if it happens again. Because this is the first thing I find remotely interesting about you.

Mad World

After returning to work, she begins to hear Simon sing one of the most heartwrenching songs ever recorded, “Mad World” by Tears for Fears in the distance. Stewart’s performance is easily the vocal highlight out of all of the music scenes.

We then experience probably the most dramatic scene in the Pilot. In a conversation between Zoey and Simon, we learn that Simon’s father committed suicide. Simon is having a hard time dealing with the anger he feels towards his dad as well as the profound sense of grief he feels.

Levy also nails the tone in this scene. Zoey doesn’t pass herself off as an expert on handling emotions. Even though she likes Simon, she doesn’t use Simon’s story for her own gain at this point. She makes it clear, she won’t tell anyone about Simon’s father, but that keeping his emotions bottled up isn’t healthy.

The Magnificent Maggie Clarke

The highlight of Maggie’s storyline is the reveal that Maggie takes the same pills as her husband so she can understand everything Mitch is feeling. The scene is another lump in the throat moment that quickly underscores the strength of their marriage, while not minimizing the strain PSP has had on the family. We also get some important timeline info regarding how fast Mitch’s condition progressed.

All I Do is Win

After Zoey’s conversation with her Mom, Zoey returns to work, receives a verbal beatdown from Joan and a note of optimism the promotion is within Zoey’s grasp. Graham is much better at selling the supportive aspect in this scene then the scolding element.

After Leif offers fake condolences, we get Leif’s rendition of “All I do is Win” by DJ Khaled. The character really comes to life in the song through Grant’s performance and the inspired choreography by Mandy Moore.

Her work problems are compounded after she runs into Simon outside the office. She offers to cash in on Simon’s offer for emotional support, but before he can accept, Simon’s fiance is revealed. The added element of the fiance is unnecessary as Simon’s family grief is enough to make Simon emotionally unavailable. There’s really no need to create a physical obstacle when such a strong storyline is already in place.

What follows is my favorite scene in the episode.

The True Colors of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist 

Zoey returns to her parents’ house and is alone in the family room with her father. She breaks down everything that has happened in the episode. Her feelings with Simon, this crazy power and even the fact that she really could use her Dad’s help. At first, it looks like MItch won’t be of much help, but then we are treated to Gallagher’s rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.”

Gallagher’s performance is understated perfection. His eye beaming with pride towards his daughter while his voice provides the reassurance Zoey needs.

I Think I Love Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Zoey returns to work with her renewed spirits. After a short conversation with Simon, Zoey has an epiphany on how to solve a communication issue between a blood pressure app and a smartwatch. She immediately takes charge of the programming team outlining the communication issues and giving the team-specific instructions for solving the problem.

The episode should have ended with the scene featuring the Clarke family on a sailboat. However, the all-too-brief scene cuts back to SprqPoint with the reveal that Zoey did get the promotion and Astin’s rendition of The Partridge Family’s “I Think I Love You.” The performance is great, but the series would have been better served saving the scene for the beginning of the 2nd episode rather than using it as a sort of cliffhanger.

Final Thoughts on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

This is a strong pilot. The large ensemble cast does leave some of the more promising relationships to the side. Also, the workplace elements just aren’t as interesting as the family drama. However, the cast is strong enough across the board for what should a great and unique drama series.

When it comes to Zoey’s power, I hope they hold Levy singing to once a season in a similar manner to how once a season Scrubs would have other characters talk via voiceover.

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