Smash Review: Bad, Bad Behavior

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"Let's Be Bad." What a perfect title for this episode of Smash, considering the behavior of many main characters.

Ivy continued to be an annoying diva. At first, Derek seemed to be specifically trying to feed Ivy's insecurities, but in actuality he doesn't have that in him. He was focused on the show and what needed to be done; he never truly saw what was going on with her.

Ivy as Marilyn

Despite Derek's disregard for anyone's feelings, Ivy did not make the situation any better. She is the lead and should be an example for the others to follow. Karen was forced into the spotlight by Derek; she did not seek it. Ivy must overcome her jealousy and insecurity of Karen or it will be her downfall, if only temporarily.

During rehearsals, Ivy was distracted by Derek's disapproval, but to cry? That was an act for sympathy, right? The transition to the full stage production of "Let's Be Bad" worked, however. Ivy and Marilyn's problems, while not the same, paralleled each other's. I was glad to see confident Ivy as Marilyn in that performance, rather than insecure Ivy.

One positive thing Ivy did was to confront Derek about their relationship. That positive quickly turned into a negative, though, when she jumped right back in bed with him even after he told her all he cared about was Marilyn. Will Ivy re-evaluate their relationship now that he slept with her and then immediately went back to work on the show?

Ivy wasn't the only one with personal issues. Julia had to deal with her son almost getting arrested and that potentially preventing their adoption. I did not understand why Julia called them about Leo's almost-arrest? Since he wasn't actually booked, how would they even know about it? And then she used the adoption to convince him to stay away from drugs and alcohol. That didn't make much sense.

Of course, as soon as Michael showed up at the house, it was obvious that Leo would find out about the affair. Ugh! Julia and Michael have chemistry together, but the way they finally ended up giving into their feelings was forced. From Michael's "A Song For You" to the kiss, neither seemed authentic. It would have been more believable if it happened after they had dinner out and said goodbye. Why in front of her house with her son watching?

It is difficult for me to believe that with this large cast of characters, Karen is the only one I like. The rest are either boring or unpleasant. I'm all for having complicated individuals, I would just like them to have some redeeming qualities despite their flaws. I'm holding out hope that this was a transitional episode and we will get a fuller picture coming soon.

Odds and Ends

  • Eileen buddying up to Ellis for the scoop on Julia and Tom's progress made me cringe. Eileen could not have picked a more self-serving person to be her snoop.
  • Tom and the lawyer went on a date! Then, they stopped Leo from being arrested. And had sex! Bad sex, but it was still sex! I like these two together. I hope one bad roll in the sack does not break them up. This relationship also showed a more personable side to Tom.
  • I was surprised that Dev left Karen behind to get ready for the dinner since she ditched him the last time. A convenient way to set up for Karen's song for the night, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World."
  • Karen's sexy look came in handy at the dinner. What will she do with the information about the new potential press secretary? After relegating Karen to another table, I'm not sure Dev deserves to get an advantage from her seating.

Let's Be Bad Review

Editor Rating: 4.3 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 3.7 / 5.0 (78 Votes)

Carla Day is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.

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Smash Season 1 Episode 5 Quotes

Ivy: Am I late?
Derek: No, Karen was early.

Michael: Have you seen Julia?
Tom: She's working from home. She's having family issues and that's where she needs to be. With her family!