The Parents

Last updated

"The Parents"
Smash episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 9
Directed by Tricia Brock
Written by Jordon Nardino
Featured music
Production code209
Original air dateApril 2, 2013 (2013-04-02)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Bells and Whistles"		Next →
"The Surprise Party"
Smash (season 2)
List of episodes

"The Parents" is the twenty-fourth episode overall and the ninth episode of the second season of the American television series Smash . It was written by Jordon Nardino and directed by Tricia Brock. The episode premiered on NBC on April 2, 2013. After Leigh Conroy returns to join the cast of Bombshell, Tom finds himself struggling to defuse the long-standing tension between her and her daughter, Ivy. Jimmy and Karen's connection is threatened by both Ana's new-found success and an unexpected visitor. Derek learns more about Jimmy's past just as the public sees their first piece of Hit List.

Contents

Plot

Tom tries to get word to Ivy that her mother Leigh Conroy has taken the role of Marilyn's mother Gladys in Bombshell. Unfortunately, Ivy finds out just as her mother swoops into the rehearsal hall. Given their history of estrangement, Ivy is not happy. Tom struggles to get them to rehearse and use their history. Ivy and Leigh try hard to be polite to one another, to the detriment of rehearsals. Tom finally gets them to remember some of their history, but it only ends up with them fighting. As part of rehearsals, they duet on "Hang the Moon", a song of regret, as Gladys is dying. Ivy later tells Tom they aren't friends anymore.

Karen and Jimmy have just spent the night together when Karen's dad Roger arrives and Karen gets Jimmy to leave by the fire escape (Roger catches a glimpse of him). Roger attends Hit List rehearsals (for an upcoming fundraiser for their sponsor Manhattan Theater Project) where Karen reprises "Broadway, Here I Come". Roger tells his daughter he thinks she made a mistake leaving Bombshell; she tries to convince him otherwise. Roger thinks Derek is the one he saw leaving the apartment and treats him coldly. A man comes looking for Jimmy, and turns out to be his old drug dealer boss, who wants to be repaid what Jimmy stole from him.

At the Manhattan Theater Project fundraiser, Karen sings "Broadway, Here I Come!" and Ana as The Diva sings "Reach For Me", complete with aerial performance. The NY Times writer Richard Francis is wowed by Ana's performance and Kyle blurts out that the character is in a lot of act 2, only she isn't. Meanwhile, Jimmy is looking in the coatroom for something to steal when Derek catches him. Jimmy tells him what's up, and Derek later gives him the money to pay up his dealer.

Scott and Julia are trying to put their past estrangement behind them, and Scott asks her how best to enlarge a part to be co-lead. He asks her to take a look at the Hit List script (without Derek knowing) and give him some advice, which she agrees to do.

Roger tells Karen he accepts what she's doing with her career and then realizes Jimmy as the one on the fire escape. He lets slip that information to Derek, who isn't happy about it.

Production

There were three songs featured in the episode, all originals (one a reprise). For the original songs, the show's in-house songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman wrote "Hang the Moon", while Andrew McMahon wrote "Reach For Me" [1] and Joe Iconis wrote the reprised "Broadway, Here I Come". [2]

"Reach For Me" was released as a single for sale from iTunes and Amazon.com's MP3 store, while "Hang the Moon" is available on the cast album Bombshell .

Critical reception

Sara Brady of Television Without Pity gave the episode a B− rating. [3]

Related Research Articles

"The Movie Star" is the eleventh episode of the American television series, Smash. The episode aired on April 16, 2012.

"The National Pastime" is an original song introduced in the first episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash, entitled "Pilot". The song was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but in the show's universe, it was written by songwriting duo Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.

"On Broadway" is the sixteenth episode and the second-season premiere of the American musical drama television series Smash. The episode was written by Joshua Safran and directed by Michael Morris. It premiered on NBC on February 5, 2013. Bombshell returns to New York in hopes of landing a theater for its Broadway debut, but a new scandal puts its fate in jeopardy.

Smash is an American musical-drama television series created by playwright Theresa Rebeck. It premiered in the United States on NBC on February 6, 2012. The series revolves around a fictional New York theater community making new Broadway musicals. In the first season, the focus was on the making of Bombshell, a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. In the second season, the show was split between taking Bombshell to Broadway and the creation and mounting of a contemporary pop musical called Hit List that was about the price of fame. Other fictional musicals that were touched on for which original songs were performed include Beautiful and Liaisons. A few of the songs were written for events outside of the aforementioned musicals.

"The Dramaturg" is the eighteenth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Bryan Goluboff and directed by Larry Shaw. The episode premiered on NBC on February 19, 2013, the third episode of Season 2. Eileen introduces Tom and Julia to a new writing partner in order to fix Bombshell's script; Karen confers with Derek about Jimmy and Kyle's musical that they are working on; Derek tries to get reinstated as the director for The Wiz revival with Veronica Moore.

"The Song" is the nineteenth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Bathsheba Doran and directed by Michael Morris. The episode premiered on NBC on February 26, 2013, the fourth episode of Season 2. Derek and Tom help Veronica with her one-night-only concert, while Jimmy and Kyle, with Karen's encouragement, try to get a song submitted for the concert, and Julia and Peter struggle to work together to fix Bombshell's script.

"The Read-Through" is the twentieth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Liz Tuccillo and directed by David Petrarca. The episode premiered on NBC on March 5, 2013, the fifth episode of Season 2. Julia and Peter prepare for a reading of Bombshell, but Julia worries that she can't trust him, while Jimmy and Kyle prepare for an informal reading of Hit List. Meanwhile, Ivy must deal with comedian and movie star Terry Falls who is not taking Liaisons very seriously.

"The Fringe" is the twenty first episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Julia Brownell and directed by Dan Lerner. The episode premiered on NBC on March 12, 2013, the sixth episode of Season 2. In this episode, Derek reaches his breaking point and quits Bombshell, Kyle and Jimmy struggle to show Hit List at the Fringe Festival, and Ivy works up the courage to tell Terry what she thinks of Liaisons.

"Musical Chairs" is the twenty second episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Becky Mode and directed by Casey Nicholaw. The episode premiered on NBC on March 19, 2013, the seventh episode of Season 2. Karen, Tom, Julia and Derek adapt to a new environment. Pressure mounts at Liaisons. Katie's assistance leads Eileen to discover how to salvage Bombshell.

"The Bells and Whistles" is the twenty third episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Noelle Valdivia and directed by Craig Zisk. The episode premiered on NBC on March 26, 2013, the eighth episode of Season 2. Ivy brings Sam back to New York City which makes things uncomfortable for Tom. Jimmy finds himself at odds with Derek regarding Hit List. Ana and Karen struggle with being assertive.

"The Surprise Party" is the twenty fifth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky and directed by S.J. Clarkson. The episode premiered on NBC on April 6, 2013, the tenth episode of Season 2. With Liza Minnelli in town, Tom plans a surprise for Ivy in an attempt to find a balance between their work life and their friendship. Relations between Karen, Jimmy, and Derek explode just as Hit List's rehearsal process nears its close. While Richard asks Eileen to spend less time at work and more time with him, Julia finds herself also pulled away from Bombshell by an unlikely source.

"The Dress Rehearal" is the twenty sixth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Julia Brownell and directed by Mimi Leder. The episode premiered on NBC on April 13, 2013, the eleventh episode of Season 2. As Tom and Julia race to ready Bombshell for previews, Tom's eagerness to prove himself may not be the best thing for the show. An on-stage mishap forces Ivy to make an important decision, while tension rises at Hit List as Karen becomes suspicious of Derek's motives towards her.

"Opening Night" is the twenty seventh episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Bathsheba Doran and Noelle Valdivia and directed by Michael Morris. The episode premiered on NBC on April 20, 2013, the twelfth episode of Season 2. After months of hurdles, Bombshell's opening night is here. As Ivy's nerves get the better of her, support comes from an unlikely source. Meanwhile, Tom and Julia look to their next project. Bombshell's success may be in jeopardy as Eileen's issues with Richard come to a head. Jimmy reveals all to Karen about his dark past.

"The Producers" is the twenty eighth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Becky Mode and directed by Tricia Brock. The episode premiered on NBC on April 27, 2013, the thirteenth episode of Season 2. An off-the-rail Jimmy threatens Hit Lists future, as Karen, Derek, Ana and Kyle join forces to try help him before things take a turn for the worse. Tom and Julia's partnership is at breaking point just as Ivy, Eileen, and the entire Bombshell team are running themselves ragged to outshine their competitors.

"The Phenomenon" is the twenty ninth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Jordon Nardino and executive producer and showrunner Joshua Safran and directed by Roxann Dawson. The episode premiered on NBC on May 4, 2013, the fourteenth episode of season 2.

"The Transfer" is the thirtieth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Justin Brenneman and Julia Brownell and directed by Holly Dale. The episode premiered on NBC on May 11, 2013, the fifteenth episode of Season 2.

"The Tonys" is the thirty-second episode of the American television series, Smash. It was written by Smash's show-runner and head writer, Joshua Safran, and directed by Michael Morris. The episode premiered on NBC, on May 26, 2013, the 17th episode of Season 2. It was the second part of a two-part series finale.

<i>Hit List</i> (musical) 2013 American musical

Hit List is an American musical with music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Drew Gasparini, Joe Iconis, Andrew McMahon, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, and Lucie Silvas and a book by Julia Brownell, based on the original fictitious musical from the second season of the NBC television series Smash.

References

  1. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (March 29, 2013). "'Smash's' Krysta Rodriguez Goes to New Heights for 'Hit List' Song (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ Snetiker, Marc (January 25, 2013). "Meet Smash's New Composers: Pasek & Paul, Joe Iconis and More Rising Talents to Watch". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ Brady, Sara. "Why Is It Always All About My Mother?". Television Without Pity. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.