Smash Season Finale: You Are My Star

Here we go - I cannot believe that it's already the season finale, and we won't see new episodes until January 2013. I do not know if I can wait that long, I am tearing up just thinking about it. But I am going to try and move on, based on the strength of last night's season finale. I know I slag the show, but I really do love it, and the best thing I love about last night's show is that all the drama was framed around putting on a show. We start with a show that's been fractured because it's lead star has quit - and by the end of the show, we get a rousing number that's so beautiful it erased whatever doubts I had about Kat McPhee being Marilyn. I kind of understand now why she was chosen as Marilyn - she has an innocence and purity that Ivy doesn't have. Ivy's greatest strengths - her polished professionalism - ultimately went against the production team's vision of "Bombshell."  I felt bad for Ivy - she wanted it and she almost had it - and there is a huge part of me that really wanted her to get the role. But - I have accepted Karen now, and appreciate her. And make no doubt, she werrrkkked that last song, "Don't Forget Me," made it shine like the diamond that it is. Marc Shaiman, on his Facebook page, wrote that he and Scott Wittman wrote that song in circumstances not dissimilar to Tom and Julia's. And it is a beautiful song that perfectly capped this season. I guess I should we should not have been surprised that Karen got the role: from the very start, they were framing her for it: she has the natural talent, the look, and let's face it, she is the star of the show. I resisted it - mainly because Hilty stole every scene she was in - but I am at peace with it now. (It's a little ironic that the day after Megan Hilty got raves for playing a Marilyn role on Gentlemen Prefer Bloondes at Encores!, she loses this Marilyn role)  As for the other story lines - I am glad Ellis was fired, and also that Michael's wife has left him, but I still don't know how I feel about the "Julia is pregnant" storyline. (Apparently, there is a scene that was cut where they show her taking a pregnancy test and seeing it positive)  I hope Ivy didn't take those pills. But I have heard major changes for next year, and if they are to be believed, there is a major shake up in the cast and direction of the series. I will wait, and judge then, but right now I just want to bask in the glow of last night's memory - Smash, You Are My Star.