Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Season 1 Episode 10 “Zoey’s Extraordinary Outburst” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Things come to a head for both of Zoey’s potential love interest, and it leaves you to ask: Can she just be single?
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Things come to a head for both of Zoey’s potential love interest, and it leaves you to ask: Can she just be single?
| Directed By | Tristram Shapeero |
| Written By | Adam Armus |
| Aired (NBC) | 4/19/2020 |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
Petty and Selfish – Max, Zoey, Ava, Joan
Due to Zoey’s rejection, and her desiring Simon and him, Max, at the same time, he decides to be petty. How petty? Well, with him moving to the 6th floor, he not only takes his expertise but the code he worked on while on the 4th floor. This becomes a HUGE problem because it was integral Chirp work, and now Ava, Max’s new boss, is in control of it. Which, as you can imagine, Joan is by no means happy about for while everyone is valuable at the company, the members of the 6th floor are clearly seen as the elite. Thus, Joan and Ava have an intense rivalry that Max has seriously flared up.
Leading you to think, maybe Zoey could break through to him, right? Wrong! Zoey’s approach triggers Max into calling her selfish and voicing how upset he was no one fought for him to stay on the 4th floor. Making it seem Zoey not choosing him was just the straw that broke the camel’s back, and Max was dealing with insecurities long before she showed up.
Is It All Just Bad Timing? – Zoey, Simon, Leif, Joan, Mitch
With Max leaving and having a hissy fit, this opens the door for Simon to make some headway since he has now broken up with his fiancée. However, rather than wait a couple of weeks, maybe a month, 4 days after the breakup, he is asking Zoey out, and it seems rather too soon.
Yet, lest we forget, one of the appeals Zoey has, when it comes to Simon, is that her power allows her to get him. Add in she is more than willing to do emotional labor, and it makes her the perfect person to speak to, rather than a therapist. However, with Mitch getting worse and Zoey looking for an escape from all the stress in her life, Simon is reminded that Zoey cannot solely operate in that space of grief.
Yes, she and Simon are dealing with father issues, from Zoey’s dad slowly dying to Simon’s dad killing himself and his mom now remarrying. It is all very traumatic. However, it has clouded what could be since it seems Simon is looking to secure a crutch more than a significant other. Which, frankly, Zoey is tired of for a part of her just wants to bone.
But, while that relationship is devolving, Leif is trying to make progress with Joan. Mind you, not promotion progress, but see if something real could come of their hookups? The answer: No. When Joan is given the notion Leif wants a real relationship, she shuts that down and hurts Leif’s conniving little heart. So much that he is now trying to leave for the 6th floor.
Back To Taking Things Slow – Zoey, Simon, Mo
After blowing up on each other, Mo finds themselves forced to get involved and help those two dance out all their frustration – since they aren’t going to do it any other way. Leaving them, Zoey and Simon, hitting the reset button. Well, more so, while acknowledging what was said, it seems they are forgiving one another and ready to move past what hurtful things were let out. Leading to it being agreed they’ll take things slow and steady.
Highlights
Joan and Ava’s Rivalry
While I thought the choreography was rather strange for their rendition of “The Boy Is Mine,” let’s not forget the attire Joan and Ava were in doesn’t really allow for much in the way of theatrics. Ava’s costume especially.
But, that aside, I just want to see how the 6th floor operates under Ava’s command. Much less, can Max truly fit in up there, or was he truly just a means to twist the knife when it comes to Joan? Never mind the big question: What started Joan and Ava’s rivalry?
Low Point
On The Fence
Are We Supposed To Root For These Potential Couples?
I’ll give “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” this, it doesn’t make anyone ideal and shows each of Zoey’s potential love interest as flawed. Most shows don’t do that. They usually paint them as Mr. Perfect, or Ms. Perfect, who has always been there and was just waiting to be chosen. So seeing that Max is insecure, petty, and childish at times, it makes him into a real person. Also, it balances out how he jumps in to rescue Zoey and be there for her. Particularly in showing that his love and friendship, is circumstantial.
The same goes for Simon. What he is attracted to may not even be Zoey, but what her powers allow her to be for him and the fact she lets him go on and on about his dad. That enablement, vs. pushing him to see a therapist, that is what he’s looking for, and she gives it to him.
Hence why there is such a desire to see Zoey single for while all people are flawed, these two seem like they are flawed in ways that won’t give Zoey peace. Since, from our point of view, both of them are selfish.
Hoping They Don’t Drag Out Mitch’s Death
Do I want Mitch to die? No. However, I feel that they need to do the deed in the finale instead of dragging it out another season. It’s just, even with it not triggering me, there is this feeling that they need to do it while it is still impactful rather than have it where it’s being dangled as something that can happen any episode in the future. Also, taking note of how that could shift Zoey’s life and family, it seems like the perfect thing to end the season with and then have season 2 be about Zoey’s new normal.[1]
Though, let me say this, I am already dreading how Simon and Max will likely swoop in when this happens. But, who knows, maybe that’ll be when Zoey asserts herself, as she did with Simon, and put her needs first rather than, as this power forces her to, speak softly and try to help others who often refuse to help themselves to anything but her time.
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[1] Another reason I think Mitch will die is it gives David the opportunity to name his kid after Mitch, which could help balance out a death in the family. Plus, it could give us reason to see David and Emily more.
You raise an excellent point in that Zoey did try to explain to Max that he was making more of the song she sang then she wanted him to. And I certainly see your point of being pro Zoey by herself. But when shows want me to ship couples, then 99 times out of 100, I ship them. And with ZEP, the writers want the audience to ship Zoey with someone. For me, I pick Max. I can see why you pick neither Max nor Simon. You and I are just not going to agree on this one, despite your very valid points :)!
When Max got upset over Zoey liking two people, it was right after Zoey sang “I’m Yours” to him. So Zoey sings a love song to Max, and then Max walks in on Zoey and Simon kissing. I think he had a right to pitch a fit. I believe I’m going to be disagreeing with you about Max because he just doesn’t bother me like he seems to bother you.
I would love to say he doesn’t bother me, but I feel like that would be a lie. But I think that’s because I’m more pro Zoey than I am pro Zoey x Max or Zoey x Simon. Which, for most shows, I don’t think we are pushed to recognize the options presented are kind of meh. With ZEP, Zoey has so much going on outside of dating that it doesn’t feel central. Making it so you aren’t presented with love interest who are viewed through rose colored glasses.
And in terms of Max getting mad, I get it but I’m also looking at it from Zoey’s POV in terms of her saying things which she wasn’t either ready to say or given the ability to full out explain.
I agree with you about Zoey and Simon. It felt like Simon was going to date his therapist instead of a girl. And it is so soon after he broke up with Jessica, it is like Zoey is a rebound-girlfriend, and he can’t be without a girlfriend for even one week. Zoey should not be dating this guy!
With Max, I thought he had a point about no one fighting for him or asking him to stay. He has worked on the 4th floor for years, yet when Ava wanted him to go to the 6th floor, everyone on the 4th floor was like, “Whatever”. It wasn’t until he wouldn’t give the Chirp stuff back to the 4th floor (O.k., that was petty. He should have shared it with both floors.) that anyone noticed he was gone. So I’m cutting him some slack.
Seeing some Joan and Ava rivalry-backstory (with an accompanying song) would be great!
Here’s my thing about Max, he seems like the nice guy who gets mad whenever he doesn’t get what he wants. So when he does finally ask for something, he has that, “Nice guys finish last” attitude. And I still can’t get over him having a fit over Zoey liking two people. It seemed, low-key, possessive.