SMASH is back, and all is well in the world. Let me just say, that I have had a pretty rough couple of weeks, and my holidays were meh to say the least, but after seeing the first half of the two hour premiere (The title is "On Broadway") I felt happy, I felt giddy for the first time in weeks. The opening number, "Cut, Print, Moving On," is from Bombshell, but it effectively interweaves all the characters as they finish last year's stories and move on. Karen moves out and has a new roommate. Ivy moves back and throws away her pills. Julia moves back and tries to save her marriage. In one quick production number, the show tries to "correct" a lot of what they thought went wrong last year. This year's showrunner, Joshua Safran, has tried to listen to fans' input and is remedying things (no more scarves for Julia's , for example) Well, Bombshell is Broadway-bound, but not without drama, of course. We are also introduced to the character of Veronica Moore, played by Jennifer Hudson. While Hudson is fine and brings star power to the show, at this point, I am still unsure what she really brings to the storyline. She does some kickass numbers, though, and she duets with Katherine McPhee on "On Broadway," and it's great. We get to see Ivy "suffer," and I guess this is how she gets a retrieved reformation storyline, but by the end, when she sings "Don't Dream It's Over," you know that she is back. I can't help but be annoyed a little bit about the Karen character: she is still a bit whiny, and entitled acting. Karen, remember, you are not a star yet, and you have not opened on the boards. We are also introduced to Jeremy Jordan's character, a young songwriter, and he gets the coveted closing number of the episode, so we know big things are in store for him. There's a bombshell (he he) of sorts that happens to "Bombshell," so at the end of the hour, things are uncertain. It's meant, of course, to lure people back, and it succeeds. This hour is a wonderful opener for the new season, and I'm in!
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