Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Season 1 Episode 11 “Zoey’s Extraordinary Mother” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

As there is some effort to end the pettiness amongst those of the 6th and 4th floor, Maggie is forced to deal with Mitch’s end being soon.

Deb (Bernadette Peters) asks if Maggie is ready to talk about death.

As there is some effort to end the pettiness amongst those of the 6th and 4th floor, Maggie is forced to deal with Mitch’s end being soon.


Directed By Adam Davidson
Written By Gretchen J. Berg, Aaron Harberts, Sam Laybourne
Aired (NBC) 4/26/2020
Introduced This Episode
Deb Bernadette Peters

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

When You Put A Name To It, It’s Real – Deb, Maggie, Zoey

Choosing a coffin, a headstone, planning a funeral? More often than not, people do this after someone died, so doing so when someone is alive, though not well, is hard. Especially for Maggie for as much as Zoey wants to help, as does her brother, it is her husband, her business partner, her best friend who she is having to accept will die.

But, perhaps the biggest struggle for Maggie is that, of her friend group, she is the first to bury her husband. So with that, she has no one to turn to about what’s going on, how she feels, or even guidance. Luckily for her, Zoey overhears a woman named Deb, who is a popular widow amongst the cemetery, and she offers to guide Maggie through the process, or at least be a travel companion on the grief train.

Putting Old Feelings To Bed – Leif, Joan, Max, Ava, Mo, Eddie, Tobin

Max’s war with the fourth floor continues, and with Leif jilted as he was, he feels like he is in good company. However, Leif has not moved on from the fourth floor, specifically Joan, at all. He, in fact, uses Tobin to send code to the fourth floor in hopes that being a double agent could show his loyalty and love. But, all this does is put him in a situation to be fired and coerces Joan to speak to Ava about a truce. One which gives Max without a means to lash out and forced to stew in his anger.

Mo about to break up with Eddie.

And while that happens, Eddie, who apparently is a dancer, he is working for a chance at an 8-month gig on a cruise line. Which, upon hearing, drums up insecurities in Mo they have no desire to speak on. But, while not diving into in this episode, there is always the next, even if it is the season finale.

Can We Get Back To Some Semblance Of Who We Were – Ava, Max, Zoey

With losing his war against Joan, and Zoey in a way, just as Joan made peace with Ava, Zoey tries to with Max. Something that isn’t necessarily easy for him, since he remains hurt by not having been fought for. But, it seems the biggest issue of them all was being coerced to deal with being rejected but not having space. Though with Ava firing Max, since Joan protected Leif, he’ll now have the space he needs for his and Zoey’s relationship to regain normalcy.

Highlights

Maggie Getting A Friend

It is always strange when you watch a show with people of a certain age, and only their children or mentees seem to be the ones they talk to. No one that they went to college with, are friends their own age, or anything like that. All are younger.

So, to see and witness Maggie have a friend and life outside of Zoey, outside of Mitch for that matter, it felt like the start of something new. Plus, with Bernadette Peters being said friend, one can only hope this means a new reoccurring, or regular, role for her.

Max Getting Fired

Ava firing Max.

We’d like to think the reason Max has been the way he is comes from being unable to escape Zoey. She is at work, at the bar, is part of the reason he can’t go to one coffee shop anymore due to her matching him up with someone. Plus, when one feels rejected as he did, you need time to adjust. Hence why so many fear things changing with their best friend for just what Max does. They make it awkward, turn every nice gesture into them trying to prove themselves, and with being rejected, so comes the question if they can move on without leaving you behind?

So with Max no longer at SprqPoint, one can only hope it gives him the space he desperately needed.

Peace Between Joan and Ava, At Last?

It isn’t clear if the long-lasting rivalry came from being women or simply the top two at the company, but clearly, Joan and Ava relished in their battles. So, with the latest one being forced to end due to Leif tainting the fight, could this mean peace at least? As they equally work on The Chirp, a project that began on the 4th floor, which will now have the aide of the 6th, may we see harmony amongst the two floors and it be everlasting?

On The Fence

Mo and Eddie Ending

We have a complicated relationship with Mo, mainly due to not being sure how Mo should be handled. On the one hand, Mo being different being such a minor thing, and only present in one episode, it is progressive, forward-thinking, yet it does sometimes feel like we’re avoiding the elephant in the room. And what doesn’t help is the reminder that, while Mo might be one of, if not the, most interesting characters on the show, it isn’t about them. Hence disappearing for entire episodes or being the old school sassy Black best friend and having very little wiggle room outside of that.

Yet, with Eddie, there was this hope and desire to see how that relationship worked, and maybe even the complications due to Mo’s friend being the one who blew up Eddie’s engagement. A topic sidestepped if not utterly avoided. So to add in now Mo ending things with Eddie, no discussion, and one episode left in which you know Mitch’s demise, maybe Simon or Max stepping up, likely wallowing the majority of the screen time there is, it is hard to not be frustrated.

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One Comment

  1. It’s interesting how we saw the same episode yet it seemed like we saw 2 totally different episodes. I know the main focus of the episode was Maggie and accepting Mitch dying and talking about death with Bernadette Peters. But while I’ve been able to handle everything about Mitch so far, I did something during the scene with Maggie and Deb that I’ve never done during an episode of Zoey before. I did the dishes. Even though my father died 4 years ago, because I live 2.8 miles away from my mother, I’ve watched her weep over the loss of my father a lot. And that scene was just too much. So I blew it off.

    And with Ava, Max, Leif, Joan, and Zoey, I was more into the bar scene then the other stuff – Max singing “Bye, Bye, Bye” to Zoey was great, and why I love this show so much! The duet between Joan and Ava? I am finally used to Lauren Graham singing, and I appreciate Renee Elise Goldsberry holding back while singing the duet with her. But when you have a Broadway star in your cast, give her a solo so she can let go and shine!

    But Ava firing Max was unfair and imo, not connected to the problems with Zoey. It’s not space or too much Zoey that is the problem, it’s the signal that Zoey sent Max by singing him a love song. Spotify has all of the songs from Zoey’s, and I’ve listened to the words of the song Zoey sang to Max. The word Love is repeated over and over, so of course Max is going to get the wrong impression. And then when Zoey blows him off (like telling him to go to the 6ht floor if he wants to), it really hurts Max. It’s not until Zoey actually goes to talk to Max that their relationship starts to heal. And that’s before he gets fired.

    Side note: Mo’s friend didn’t blow up Eddie’s engagement. She blew up Eddie’s friend Jessica’s engagement. I think that’s why it’s never mentioned – because it happened to a supporting character’s boyfriend’s friend.

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