And That's What You Really Missed with Jenna.

And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.

Welcome to and That's What You Really miss Podcast.

Today we watched Zoe's extraordinary playlist pilot.

But first, Kevin, how the hell are you?

I'm good.

I'm a little all over the place.

There's a lot going on.

There's a lot going on, is there?

Yeah, I am because I'm in the process of moving to New York.

Oh my guesh oh I finally I got approved for an apartment.

Listen to everyone, Jenna.

Are easy.

It ain't easy.

It's been It's easier to buy a house in la than it is at an apartment in New York City.

Truly, I'm not even joking.

Just like, the thought though, that you sent me this link for your apartment in New York like gave me deep green envy, really green with envy.

I am so jealous.

Number one, you're doing one of my favorite musicals ever.

Number two, you're going back to one of my favorite cities in the world, if not my favorite.

And number three, you're gonna see them all our friends.

You're living in New York City life.

I'm just really going to be living vicariously through you, like deeply.

I think all of everyone listening and myself included, need to shame you.

So you also go to New York and do more theater because love to you need to do this.

If this show continues on, you need to come in and do it.

I don't know about that, but we'll see everyone.

Literally, Jenna Ushkowitz can play every role in Spelling Beece like, I want to see your take on every every role.

For the role of William Barfett.

Yeah, you could do it.

I believe in you, but I'm I'm nervous.

I'm starting to Austin and I are having to sort of stort through.

So he.

Shooting a movie in New York for a couple of weeks right before with alex Wives.

Oh my god, I wrote it.

Wow yeah Spring Awakening, fam.

Are you going to see some shows when you go before?

Hopefully?

I don't know how much time I'm going to have, right but when I like properly moved there, which is happening in like a week, then I will I will try.

I'm going to try my hardest because I have to.

No, you have to.

You'll find a way.

You'll find a way.

Karen saw when we rehearsed for the Kennedy Center.

Person he saw a show every single night.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what I would do.

Yeah, so maybe I could do that.

I'm living.

I can't comprehend living in New York.

You only spent like like some some decent few weeks at a month or two a month at a time.

I don't think I've ever stayed there longer than a week.

Oh what, No, you were there longer for sure.

I mean I stayed with my sister for two weeks in New Jersey.

Wow, well that's still New York.

But that's crazy.

You're gonna love it.

It's really really fun.

It's just vibrant, even like though you're doing a show, which like takes like a certain amount of like you know, you can't do everything you want to do, but like just the vibe of the city.

You are going to be living there during the winter, though, so you are really going to have to Like I remember wearing like two pairs of pants out in the winter.

I would work out and I would wear my workout pants and I wear my sweatpants over it.

Like you gotta get a winter coat.

You got to, like you need some some gloves.

I have to get a water of winter coat, right, Yes, Listen, I've lived in la since I.

Was pature, and like a water proof one because I'm hearing it's getting warmer and I'm hearing that it's not as snowy, so.

Climate change isn't real.

Jenna, No, right, yeah.

Wow, wow, wow, Wow, that's very exciting.

I'm nervous.

It's it's like happening, happening, it's real.

Well, you're gonna have to come and report back.

We're still going to be doing the show.

Obviously, we're in this new formats.

We're going to be watching lots of musical stuff.

But you're going to come and and we're going to be like able to chat a little bit.

I feel like I never see you doing these podcasts, and so I'm going to need like the weekly report of like how your body's feeling, where your head's at, how the show has been going, how the week was.

Holiday weeks are tough, Like you're getting into like the holiday fifteen show.

We you know, in the middle of winter, recapping musical TV shows.

I'll be doing a music stage musical and yeah, oh, the schedules.

Some of the other people in the show, and I've been texting like we have ten shows the week of Christmas, Like, what yep show on Christmas?

Probably no, I don't think so.

That's good.

That could change, but I don't think so.

I remember doing all those shows missing like Easter and missing uh maybe Christmas Eve.

I think I had to do a show.

There's like just a lot of ones holiday ones that were like, well, oh yeah, it was Christmas Day at a show, at a Spring Waking show, and Spring Waking on Christmas Day and I remember going to my family's and Queens and then my dad dropped me on the subway so that I could see my family and then he dropped me on the subway to take into the city from Queens so I could get to the show.

Wow.

Wow, that is the life.

Yeah, how are you, Jenna?

You know, I'm good.

It's kind of like groundhog Day right now.

With two children under the age of three.

It's tough, but I'm enjoying it.

Also working, so it's just it's a lot, but it's it's been good.

I'm happy and everybody's like doing well.

But work has been crazy.

And Graham started like a toddler in me class, which is really wild that he's already like in classes.

The other week we were talking about we were talking about whether or not you were gonna sign up for Spanish class.

Well, here's the funny part.

So it's really important to us that that Emma learned a second language.

So we've been talking.

We were talking about how there's this Spanish enrichment class that she could take after school, and I was trying to go I was going back and forth of like, you know, there's this like thing in momhood these days in twenty twenty five where like people can overschedule their children and it actually leads to like anxiety later in life.

So we were very conscious of that.

But Graham's class right after that, literally, like I think that weekend, Yeah, we were talking about this.

Graham's class came up and it's at the school where she goes, so it's on the day that the enrichment class is happening, and so they can take the enrichment class.

I can go to class with Graham and then I can take them both home.

So it was like, oh, I think we're going to do it.

I still don't know if we're going to do it, because I just it's a really long day for her, but that would be the enrichment class we want.

Yeah Spanish, yeah, yeah, And it does work out the time, and so there's something in the water stuff.

I think she needs to speak Spanish.

She does, yeah, exactly.

But this is more like centered around like which is great too.

It's like they center around the culture, they talk about, like, they do dances, they play the music.

So it's like it's an immersive experience, which it's like a really great learning experience for her, and I love that.

So anyway, that's that's the plan is that we're going to do.

I don't know how you do it.

I don't know.

Well, you texted me the other day and you were like, my dog's up with diaryel night and I have had no sleep, and I don't know how you do it with children.

And I actually was laughing because the truth is I do sleep at night most of the time.

Our kids luckily sleep.

So I'm just going to take it.

But I was laughing because I thought it was funny.

Because I hate when people are like, uh, you know, when people are talking about their kids, like, oh, well I have a cat or I have a dog, Like it is not equivalent.

I understand that.

I have a dog too.

Yeah, it's not equivalent.

When our dogs were literally diary ing all over the house the other day and I was like gagging.

I'm like, I can't even do this, and I know this is not even a fraction of what it's like to raise a human.

So there's so much poop and so much split up.

Yeah, I'm like, good for Jenna, because you're also like, maybe at some point we'll talk about it whenever you want, but like, you're also building an empire.

Really, you're doing a really really cool thing.

Yeah, we'll talk about that another day.

Yeah, but yeah, yeah, it's very exciting.

Oh you know, a mom covered and split up, just full time working whatever.

I had to change my shirt before this because I got split up all over it.

So we watched Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist, which there's a lot of Glee crossover, totally a lot of Glee.

I feel like it's within the same family.

It's pop culture, sure, it's current, it's young, yep, and just in the team of it, and so it was.

I was really excited to watch it because I had never seen it.

I have a silly little history with the show because I auditioned for Skyler's part.

I auditioned for Alex's part, did you Yeah, And they wanted me to test for it, and they're negotiating the test deal.

And in the middle of it, Oh, actually, like after we had finished negotiating it, they decided to cancel that and not have me test.

So you never got to your test.

I never got to test because their first choice suddenly became available.

Turns out first choice was Skyler.

As how many times did you go in for it before you were about to test for it?

Just once?

I think I only went in once.

That's why the whole thing was so shocking.

I think they were sort of running late on things and needed to make it happen quickly.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it.

And so I was like, great, sure, I know a musical I can do this totally.

Do you remember like where your head was that being like I could potentially be a series regular on another musical TV show.

At that point, I felt good about it because I, you know, as self deprecating as we can be about ourselves, it's like, if there's one thing that I have experience doing, it's musical television.

You like, I can do I know I can.

I know I can do this, And I felt like a promotion in a way, because yeah, for a potential promotion because he's sort of like the second lead of the show.

Oh yeah, and so or like the male lead of the show.

And that was scary to me, right, but you know, seeing Skyler do it, it's like, oh, obviously, it's one of those things.

It's funny because it would have been very different.

It wouldn't very different, so like even though you probably go out for a lot side by side, like you're very different and it would have been played very differently, so so interesting.

I remember auditioning for this because Robert Alrick was the casting director for this one as well, of course, and I remember going in and singing Gravity from Sarah Braurellis for this one, and I remember everybody being there really and I don't know why, but it was like cattle call style, like there were I remember sitting in the hallway oh yes, same same with like people all the way in the front, like tons of people.

And I don't remember why, but maybe maybe like there was some backup that day.

But anyway, I remember hanging out with Lenji's and I remember hanging out with my friend Alice Lee and I remember hanging out with There was like a ton of Glee people there, so it was just really funny.

And at the same time, I was like, why am I here?

Like, there's no world in which they're and I cast somebody from Glee in any other musical TV show, But here we are.

You've almost tested Alex got it, Skyler got it?

Skyler is in it anyway.

So I remember reading it though, and then watching it in real time.

This was the first time I'd ever seen it last night, and it was so so interesting to see another musical TV show pilot.

Yes, yeah, And I think for me, I think going into these episodes we're watching as I always start from and what we talked about, Glee was so challenging because there was so much to do when you add in that extra musical component.

Technically and logistically, there's so much to do, and so how is everybody, How are you doing that?

How are you maintaining that schedule and operating like the highest level possible in all those different departments.

When I think Glee was most successful and most of the time time all of those departments were working over time, but it's at the highest level, like, oh, you know, we had excellent people in control of everything, and so I really want to get into sort of how they structured this and how they did it and the team.

So, like we do in the news this week, what was going on in the world when this pilot premiered, which is on January seventh, twenty twenty.

Wow wow wow.

Wow wow wow.

So either they got a lot of us because everybody was just home, not just because of that, but like, wow, what a time.

What a time to premiere.

I mean, wow, it's tough because like you have a pandemic that's about to hit.

Oh my two months?

Wow?

Okay.

Yeah.

So in the news, the number one song Kevin.

Circles my post Malone.

I think it's a perfect pop song.

I love this song.

How do you like this song?

I think that's great.

And the number one movie was Star Wars Episode nine, Rise of Skywalker, this third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following Force Weekends and The Last Jedi.

Do you see this one?

I did see this one, Kevin, I did see this one.

I actually auditioned for one of the earlier films of the triller Ryan.

What's it like to audition for a Star Wars movie.

Oh, it's weird.

It's like really weird.

Like you I had an hour with the script at the casting agency.

I'd never seen anything before that.

So you go in, you check in.

From that point, you get you sign an NDA, you get sides.

You learn the sides in your car for an hour.

You come in, you audition, you sign, the sides back out.

So there's the very little preparation that you can which is kind of great because like the pressure is off a little bit.

But it was a lot.

It was a lot.

Wow.

Was there anybody else?

And there was like one at a time like that.

It was like very spread out.

It was very spread out because I think as one person was auditioning, another person was preparing.

Interesting.

Yeah, very tight security of those Wow and Glean News this week, Kevin.

Coincidentally, on January tenth, twenty twenty, it was announced that we would be recapping the season one in the original version of our podcast Wow.

That I do remember that because obviously it was a brief stint.

Yeah it was.

It was a brief state.

It didn't last.

Long, No, and you know, it all worked out.

I did.

This is the at least.

In the podcast was the new and improved It worked out in the podcast, Yeah, in the podcast.

So let's get into it.

So let's let's talk about what this pilot is about.

Because some of you are watching what some of you aren't.

Regardless, we're here for you, and that's right.

We're just going to talk about it.

We're gonna chat about it and contrast, we're going to tell you what we think and then we'll hear from you guys as well at some point, I'm sure.

And I love that these shows all use music slightly differently, and I think the whole hook of this show is how the music is used.

So this show is about Zoe played by Jane Levy, who's a software engineer who, after having a very strange accident during an MRI scan, suddenly gains the uncanny ability to hear people's innermost thoughts as songs and dance numbers.

It's what the show.

The show calls it heart songs, which I think is really cute.

Yes, and I think it is a great concept for the show.

And so each musical number, as she's like walking by people and work with people, she can hear their innermost thoughts and feelings and they break out into song and dance.

I like that they really intentionally use the musical number to advance the story or the plots or the characters, like either to reveal something that she'll then use later or you know, it was just it was different.

It's different than Glee for sure, and it's just it was a it was a clever way to purposefully kind of sell the show of like the music is intentional at every point where we're guiding her through this, like this becomes like her special power almost right.

So they aired for season one and then they renewal in June, and then season two debuted in twenty twenty one.

It wrapped in May, and then after NBC canceled their show, Weren't Roku commissioned a holiday wrap up film which we love.

We love that somebody else picked it up, and zode Zoe's Extraordinary Christmas premiere December one, twenty twenty one.

I noticed those San Francisco streets for their pilot, running down those nasal hills.

I was also like, wait, didn't this fill in Vancouver, because I part of my failed negotiation for this was that I was going to film to Vancouver.

Yeah, they well they filmed the pilot in San France, and then the rest of the series was filmed in Vancouver, of course, because that's where everything was being filmed.

And this was inspired by creator Austin Winsburg's own experience with his father.

So, his father's diagnosed with progressive super nuclear palsy PSP, very rare degenerative neurological disease, and he witnessed firsthand how quickly it robbed him of his speech and mobility.

So the music became a conduit for expression on words veil, which is beautiful.

That's why I did not know that when watching this, And that brings me to my favorite part of this pilot is that emotional like it's so good when they get really emotional and use it for those really serious things.

But we'll get into that.

So the cast is Jane Leevy, Scaller, assent, Alex Newell.

I mean, look at that, you know.

Just Stuart, Yeah, this is crazy, Mary steam Marigan of course, I mean, it's a stacked cast.

She's one of those actors that I could just watch her read the phone book.

Yes, yes, I love I love A familiar friend of ours.

Producer choreographer Mandy Moore, the choreographer, not the music.

The music artist Mandy Moore also came in and choreographed a few episodes of Glee, and Robert j Ulrich was the casting director.

The music producer was Harvey Mason Jr.

Who is now the President of the Grammys, who I have known since I was sixteen because he produced some NLT music.

Yes, he produced our first single, oh My God, which is I did not know he worked on this.

He also he was part of a legendary producing team called the Underdogs.

They did dream Girls, they did all kinds of things.

Oh yeah.

So our producer Sam also has a friend who Samantha hillsher where she was the co executive in charge of the music for Zoe's and she worked for Lionsgate and worked very closely with the music supervisor of the show, Jen Ross.

So she gave us a little inside scoop, which is really fun to see because this is it's just so much fun having done a musical TV show to see how they navigated these like insane waters.

So she told us that a lot of the big concept musical numbers were written directly into the script, so the music supervisor worked with the writers during the writing the stage to ensure songs were tied to character development and story and not treated as an afterthought.

Smart, which I think is how sort of Yeah, most of the Glee numbers worked as it got on.

Some of them felt like they were just thrown in there, but in a pilot I think also, like, of course, that you have to do that to like really build it out.

The musical numbers were considered a core story device from the start, which makes a lot of sense.

I mean, like you said, it furthers every single plot point.

I like this one.

After a song was cleared, executive music producer Harvey Mason Jr.

He collaborated with the producers to determine the vibe.

So would it be a straight coover versus a reimagined version?

That makes sense.

Choreographer Mandy Moore began mapping out how the number would look visually and physically.

Yeah, so I guess the demo track kind of like l was like created in you know, before production began, but then the producer's, choreographer, and the music team all listened and signed off before moving forward.

Interesting, I think for us Ryan.

Yes, yes, yes exactly or the writers.

Right, since the show was primarily shot in Vancouver.

A recording studio was built on set.

Oh, there were so many musical numbers in an episode.

It just made it easier for the cast to be able to record while on set.

Wow, what a change logistically that sounds like a dream.

Yeah, I do have to say though, I loved going to the like they were the Like the recording studios we got to go to were some of the most famous Capital record Challenge, Like it's where everybody records there.

Jim Henson's recording studio, Like.

We run into, you know, all the biggest music artists in the world that were also recording at the exact same time, and so you really felt like a like a musical artist.

I guess when you're in Vancouver, though they're trying, they're like the recording studio is an hour and a half away.

Well, also, we were probably spending so much money renting those recording studios, like the budget had to be insane and.

The Hiloight, Mad World and True Colors were both performed live on set, So this was a creative choice the team felt added emotional authenticity to the scenes, of course, and so Samantha explained that for every episode, there was always a conversation about whether a particular song or performance would benefit from being recorded live, both from a storytelling and production and standpoint.

M Yeah, I like that we had like a mix, but I don't know that we had as much of a hybrid as they probably.

Yes, yeah, interesting I had.

I had a lot of question.

That was my first and biggest question when watching this pilot, because it did sound like some of the things were live live yeah, And I think for me I wanted to work, you know, like Ley Miz they did things live the movie.

I want that to work in theory.

I don't know if it necessary always does I agree Like seeing Peter Gallagher sing yeah live and that moment was like beautiful and raw and emotional.

Does it take you out a little bit?

It fully takes me out.

But I think I'm overly sensitive to that because I have a full body reaction when somebody that was like singing well like either a little sharp or flat or ahead of the beat or two behind, like yeah, yeah, it affects me physically, Yeah, I think, so it's harder for me.

So I think I'm probably not like everybody else in that way, And so I don't know if other people even notice that, or like there were times in the lane where I'm like, I get you want the emotion, but I also want a vocal that is like perfect.

I will say that in lame Is it didn't bother me as much like when I shot Hello Again the musical movie, we did the same thing that lame Is had done because they had just done it, and we were like, oh, I was like, this is so different things this because it allows for freedom and your performance right right, I will say in Zoe's because the tone and the look of the show was so elevated and so high quality of like this like office building that was so bright and like ugly Betty's style that I felt like it didn't always match.

That's also because I think we to be fair, like Lee was also there and set a tone for us that we're so used to seeing.

Yes, yeah, you know what I mean.

So I agree.

I don't know that it's necessarily everybody right because people love the show, but I think that they're definitely like some issues that I personally had with the singing live also, and I don't know if that's just because of our personal experience as well.

I was also wondering if things were recorded more quickly or on the fly, because I thought sometimes things were pitch corrected a little.

Sloppily, like the production style production.

Vocally, yeah, just vocally, And I couldn't tell if that was oh, they're fixing it afterwards or recorded live and then they are trying to, you know, fix it, because then to me it sounds like a but again, I don't know if that's just me catching it and other people don't even notice that, right, But I do get the performance of it because like it sounds like everybody's performance.

What you said makes so much sense, like the freedom to be able to do.

Especially in those like very like Mad World and True Colors were obviously the most emotional and like you know, like emotionally driven numbers, like them crying and you know, Peter Gallagher coming out of his like yeah, you know, his his paralysis essentially, Like so like there's just it's it was different.

But I appreciate where they were, why they did what they did in those moments.

I also think that Peter Galler is such a good actor that I'm like, I just I want to watch him do anything anyway, Yes, so I might, It's fine yeah, it's actually fine.

I think that you have to be to be able to really do that for me successful, like you have to be excent the Airy Vote or Oriana because do you know what I mean?

Yeah?

Yeah, like because.

They have perfect pitch and are going to be pitch perfect.

Yeah.

Well, I think when it comes to music, Evan, we learned this about you very early on.

You are a perfectionist in terms of.

Which is hilarious because I'm hardly ever on.

Pitch right, No, but you're but your ear perform Yeah, for others is preferable that it's you.

It's you're so sensitive to it.

I am, I know, to the recording of it, to the mechanisms too.

So let me just to all of these shows and to all of you listening, it's purely amanting.

You're getting to know me, for better or for worse.

I've had my entire life.

I was like, oh my, So this.

Was directed actually by Richer Shephard.

And it was written by Austin Winsburg, like we said, and you know, based off of his real life experience with his own dad, not that he magically got the ability to hear people's most inner thoughts through song and dance.

But this is what you write to right.

Yeah.

The special guest star of this episode, Lauren Graham, I mean, I.

Mean, come, I feel seeing more of her her.

The songs are there's quite a few songs.

Help by the Beatles, Mad World by Tears for Fears, All I Do His Wing by DJ Kalled Dude Jake Cat and True Colors by Cyndi Laufer.

We Crossover, and I Think I Love You by the Partect Channel.

Let's talk about the structure of a pilot.

You got to get into the world really quickly.

Yeah, I think I think this show does it really successfully.

You start with also Alex Newle.

Alex sings what six or seven times in this episode.

I mean, and if you're gonna have somebody sing live, you want it to be Alex Now Alex new because every time Alex say, I was like, yes, that is correct.

It is also really fun to see Alex put their spin on this character because reading this obviously you know in Robert Lark's office and going in for this role, it is so it's just so Alex.

And I'm so grateful that like there's somebody that like put their their flair and their spin on the character that like leaps off the page in this way that I never imagined before.

Yes, so it was so exciting to see a dear friend of ours and somebody from the blue world, yes you know, coming on and like bring this like just joy to the screen, but yet also seeing girlfriends.

And I like this mechanism it differentiates between music we hear, how we all hear in a normal life with this annoying neighbor, I would have I would have absolutely burned that place to the ground.

Yes, definitely, definitely, And also a character that Jane then has or Zoe has to confide in and help us get into the world right, get into the like this is the this is what she's what's real, and this is what's not right, Like she's able to then start to differentiate between the two.

Yeah, absolutely, And I feel like it lets you know who Jane is immediately, and also someone who seemingly is bothered by music, which is great, and there's not a lot of music after that for quite a long time.

It feels like.

Right because we need to have the MRI and the event.

The event, like she goes to work, she's up for a new promotion.

Oh yeah, we meet Skyler, you know, Skyler's like bff, like prepping her for this meeting she goes to with Lauren Graham, who like, you know, when somebody is so comfortable on screen, No, I don't, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I see it, Like, yeah, I'm not like that.

No.

Like it's such a comfort though to see a character that you love in so many shows that you've seen before to show up and they're like, oh, it feels like a warm rug.

Yeah, she's here, and she's wearing hands.

Like playing like this sort of like tough meanish character.

Yep, I don't care.

You can do it her you want.

But Zoe sort of bombs this interview like preliminary interview for this gig yep, And the whole thing is sort of the unraveling of like who she is, who she wants to be.

We find out she's struggling because her dad, Yeah.

Her father is to get home.

So we go we go home from workplace, this vibrant, bright workplace, to back to this home that's a little bit like the tones and the colors are a little bit darker, like stylistically, everything's a little bit gloomier and sad.

Given like you know, their family's current situation, and so we learn more about kind of what she's grappling with, what her challenges are, and it leads her to this, uh, this.

MRI I liked.

I felt almost startled by how it did go from like the bright and punchy thing to the seriousness of having a dad with that disease, right, and how I was not expecting it, and how they didn't lean away from it and they're like, you know, she's like, let me feed my dad.

It's fine, I can do it.

And they're sort of having confrontations throughout the episode about you know, we need to treat him like he can hear us, like he's still a living human, right And for me, for me, it felt like half the first half of the pilot felt like a TV show and then something turned into a movie.

And it turned into a movie because by the end of it, I was like, oh, I just wanted to keep going.

Yes, they like found it for me, like, yes, once you do all that set up and you do have So she goes to get her MRI because she thinks she's you know, she's having headaches and eye pain, and there's an earthquake, and the earthquake makes the MRI machine glitch this I don't know it.

This is where the camp comes in, I think, And this where you're like that's the sception of like disbelieve of like okay, we're we're in a different show now, you know, like how are they going to get into this?

And so it turns for me in that moment, I'm like, oh when when then she goes out onto the street and you get all by myself and what a man into this huge number in the San Francisco streets of help, You're like you're like finding like you said, like you're we're like, okay, what is this?

I was like, where are we?

What is this?

What is this going to be?

Because it's not just people breaking in the song like it is, but it's not like it's not like and Rachel Barry walking down the hallway and just starting to sing.

She's hearing it and it's she's hearing all these people and she's hearing their soul sing right, it's the heart the heart songs.

So I think at first, like it took me a second to like buy into that.

Yeah, like help, I was like, I don't know, I don't know about this flash pop number.

I don't know that I'm into this, this this gig, but as we got deeper into it, like the Mad Worlds of the and the True Colors, I'm like, oh, I actually am more invested in the stories and the emotion and the secret that she holds.

Like again, like it feels like a superpower that I'm like, Oh, she's going to use this to her advantage.

I'm sure it'll work against her in a lot of ways, but also like she's the this is her driving force now and it's just gonna it's gonna drive the whole story.

Like So it took me a second, and then when Skuyler breaks out into his song, I was like, here we go, right.

And it felt like it feels like one of those things too, like in theory, like oh, yeah, we can have all these big production numbers and I'm sure they like continue to have them and they look great.

Yeah, But like you said, I think I'm eating my own words here with like the live recordings, there's something about when it really is intimate and you hear these people that I mean, so she hears one of her co workers, like one of the higher ups, having this moment in the office and this guy in the office is all happy and lovable and hot, and you know, she's like, he has a perfect life, he has it all.

Yeah, and then she hears him singing mad world, right, and then it gives her the confidence for the first time to like speak to this guy yes, and she's That's when it switched for me, because then Zoe as the character is competent and and it knows about this stuff because she's had to deal with like really serious hardship with her dead.

And from that moment on, it felt like a different show and like they've really found their footing.

And I think that probably speaks to the writer and director's like personal experience, because I think that's where the music is most successful.

I think that's where the acting is most successful.

And then it makes it grounds everything else.

Like then when she goes back to work and Lauren Graham calls her back into the office and being like, what are you doing?

You see him all over the place, and she, like you said, she starts using it to her this Zoe starts using this power to her advantage.

Yeah.

Yeah, It's like, Oh, I like this character.

I want to see this character win, and I want to see this character fight, yeah, and like make these connections with people.

I think that's also difficult is like having done a show, a musical TV show.

There's a very specific world in which what in which these ball shows created.

Right.

The more difficult thing that I grapple with of the belief in the music driving me being the driving force or like the I don't know the A big part of the show is that Glee was about a a glee club teacher in a high school.

Where this is surrounding a glee club, Right, there's so much more availability for us to sing and for it to be like, oh, yeah, they're going to put on a performance or this is going to be a dream sequence or competition or whatever, versus like making music fit into a world where music doesn't normally fit.

Yeah, And so I commend them for that.

It's really difficult.

It's also really funny to see some of these I'm sure we'll see Like I talk like we're gonna recap Zoe's We're not, but like, I'm sure you'll see a lot more crossover of songs used on both Glee and on.

Well There there's no way you won't.

We did over seven hundred songs like that's not fair top forties.

Yeah, like there's no, absolutely, no way.

I also love with the growing confidence of Zoe, of her like her sort of like sensey is Alex Newle and like going into the apartment being like, look, I don't even like you, but I just need to like tell you what's going on?

Am I crazy?

I'm hearing things?

And I love how Alex's character just keeps talking about how high they are and they're like, I don't know, maybe you can like hear people's inner thoughts.

And then Zoe just buys it.

Yes, and there's something freeing like, yeah, you have like this over analytical computer programmer.

Yes, character who then has to who's like living next to this person that just a one to eighty different difference in them?

Yeah, and you all of a sudden have to buy into like sure, like o' let's go with that idea when you wouldn't think someone like that would buy into it, And it obviously creates like it's perfect sort of sitcom rules.

It's like, oh, yeah, now, this combination, this relationship is something I now want to see.

I'm curious.

I mean, I understand why they didn't give Zoe a heart song.

In this episode, of course, because she's just figuring this out.

But I also feel like I would have loved to have heard her heart song, even though I kind of know what she wants and I know where she is, Like that was very clear, which I think is the sign of a good pilot or scrap.

But I'd be curious to keep watching to see at what point does.

She start involving herself in the music, right, I mean, because the music in the show serves as the device to re hurt into other people, well and for people to release, right, they're not speaking.

She seems to be speaking everything she's thinking, like she's not holding anything in for us as the viewer, right, So there's no point in the pilot at least for her to and same with Alex Alex's character, and so at some point you can obviously, like I imagine it will happen that you know, she will need to have some sort of release release.

Yeah, it's kind of like it's kind of like when a musical theaters say when they say, like when there's nowhere else for the emotion to go, you break in just up right.

A little bit when they get on the sailboat.

Because Peter Gallagher sings True Colors, Zoey's like, oh my god, he can hear us.

He loves sailing, Like, let's let's do these things that he loves still, just because he can't communicate with us verbally, Like and they get on that sailboat and he grabs his wife's hand.

Oh lord, That's why I was like I forgot what I was watching, Like I was so lost in it, where like you know, in the first half of it, you're like, Okay, this is a pilot.

They're doing all the normal things that you need to do, We're setting all this up, and then it's just this like beautiful moving switch.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It was a really nice balance of like these big musical numbers in the street versus like these very intimate numbers with like true Colors.

But then also like these moments where there was no music at all and like it actually wasn't even it drove her there, but then they let it kind of sit, which was nice, Like there wasn't I think overall there wasn't too much music.

I think it was just the right amount for a musical TV show, and there was still a lot of music.

I think that's a huge success on their part, Like there was lots of little like alex Is sing tons of songs.

Yeah, you have breakouts in the offices, you have people in the streets.

Like there's a lot of music in this episode, but like it does not feel overcrowded.

Yeah.

I like the little ending though of like a Skylar's song of us revealing something that she she thought she knew this person so well, and the reveal is that she knew nothing right.

She didn't know this big secret.

And so that's when I think, like the ethics thing where she says, like, you know, I don't know if this is ethical to like know into their minds, like, but like I just think, like this is that really got me.

I was like, Okay, she's gonna learn.

They're going to use this as like a device for so much for her to learn to use, to not use, to have to like navigate not knowing, like pretendingly she doesn't know this Skyler's in love with her.

You know.

It made me like want to watch more to see how they handle the rest of the series versus just one one pilot.

Right.

I also liked that the episode just ends then, yes, because it sounds like it wraps up like five minutes earlier.

Right, So that's the good thing about it, right, It didn't feel like everything else got left hanging, but like they leave you with this little cliffhanger moment of like oh and then also, we're going to use it like this, right, Yeah, this is how the music is kind of gonna go, which I like.

I think they really found it, like they yes, yes, they really found their footing, and it makes me really excited for like what comes next.

Very clever.

Yeah there, it almost felt like they shot at insequential order, you know, oh the whole.

Pilot you mean, yeah, or that's just a good director.

Maybe yeah, she would create some performances, yes, help any of this want to be Plus, I did not like when that woman right next to her scared her and sang right to her.

It did not make me feel good.

But I think that's the point.

I know, I know I did it, but I did not like.

I'll yeah.

B plus mad world an.

All I do is win, It's ridiculous.

B plus true colors A.

I think I love you just Skyler, you know.

Scott also Skyler yeap like she can sing live any any day.

I mean, he just gave us a full Broadway performance like that.

It was.

That's the other thing.

I want to feel confident and you know, like we're saying Warren Graham, Yeah she comes on screen.

You know, I'm I feel confident, Skyler.

I feel confident no matter what he's doing, it is going to work, sound and feel good.

Yes, okay, let's do so Tardi takes Ouchyes, cringe moments.

I don't know if they had.

Yeah.

Yeah, there's obviously the one character, Tobin, who sang all the but he's like it's intentional, right, that's the character, right, He's saying all the anti women, you know, misogynistic things, and that's but that's what he's He's clearly made to be the outlier there.

I don't think they really had a need to be.

Honest, No, I agree, Okay, so let's go on to best dance move.

I think, I mean help, I mean, there was a lot of choreo in it.

And then also Zoe running.

Yeah.

Also I know it wasn't dancy, but it's very funny.

But you have to choreograph that.

You're choreographing all the movement and that literally.

The song.

Okay, I know I did this with all the Glee recaps to where I start the episode saying one thing, and then I end the episode by saying the complete opposite, True Colors, True Colors or mad World.

That's so funny.

Look, I'm adaptable, I learned.

I'm malleable.

Yeah you are, you know, and I appreciate that you're willing to accept your failures.

No, no, I'm kidding, but we are opened to it for change.

That's we're willing to evolve.

Yes, that's all that we need.

The best performance by prop I.

Honestly, the MRI, The MRI, I awesome, MRI.

I mix yes, yes, yes, yes, that's line m M.

I loved when Alex says to in the bar scene when they're having their like little like pow wow Zoe and mo like I'm really sorry.

Uh let me know if it ever happens to you again, because this is the first thing that I find remotely interested.

Yes, my favorite line was also one of Alex's.

He goes, I'm just very very confused.

You said that I was getting a glimpse into other people's heads.

Mosays, I said, maybe you were, And you should really take everything I say when I'm high with a grain of salt.

Alex just coming in for the wind.

Yeah, performance MVP.

I mean Jane, yeah, Zoe, Yeah, I think she had a lot to do.

She had to like string this whole concept together.

Yeah, she really held it.

Yeah, she really did so.

Jane Leevy really smashed that.

Okay, we're still doing shit we found on TikTok and it's g Lee related, Jenna.

Big Time Cooper.

Saw this.

I saw this, you've seen this.

I didn't see it on TikTok, but I saw Instagram photos that I was tagged in, and I genuinely was like, what are we doing?

And I looked and was like, oh, that's not us.

Yes, So it was big Time Cooper and some of her friends said.

Ten years of hunting down screen accurate Glee costumes and we finally brought them to n my seat, Times Square, Washington Square Park, and Central Park.

Ninety degree heat couldn't stop us.

We gave up before Lincoln Center.

Wow, there was all the actual, really good all the costumes from our New York episode, all the girls, and it's it's absolutely insane.

This is this.

Is incredibly good.

Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, this is really really good.

I don't know how you found all of these things, even like the photos.

I know it's really good.

The locations, the whole thing is just spot on.

I don't know how they did this.

It's absolutely insane, but I please go look this up everyone, big time.

Cooper on TikTok.

It's just when I first saw it too, I thought it was actually yes, no, yeah, trip me out.

Anyway, we did it.

Hope you guys enjoyed this recap of Zoe's extraordinary playlists.

Next we have Max himself on the show, Jean Baptiste from Glee, our dear friend Skylar Aston.

But before you go, a little heads up, so next up we're going to be watching Rocky Horror Picture Show, so you can watch with us.

And that's what you really missed.

Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really miss pod.

Make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars.

See you next time.