NBC

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: “Zoey’s Extraordinary Distraction”

By Roz | January 13, 2021

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist‘s second season is starting off with a bang! Let’s see how we feel about the second episode of this NBC show.

Here is a synopsis for this week’s new episode entitled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Distraction”

Zoey’s attempts to spend private time with Max are constantly thwarted by both Mo and work problems; the Clarke family get a new guest when Emily’s sisters, Jenna, comes to “help” with the baby.

Join Nice Girls Roz, Karen and Rueben share their thoughts on the season two episode [spoiler alert]:

Roz: I’m sad that this feels like a letdown after the stellar start from last week. I liked parts of it, but it was a mix of good and some awkward at the same time (not that funny awkward either).

Watching the fall of the Brogrammers was a wonderful sight at the end with those women Zoey met on the elevator, and Leif had a great song out of the dumb things those guys were doing. (“Bad Bad Thing” is one of the most awesome, but not always useful song to have around). Lief has to figure out his new role, but he can’t let Tobin walk all over all the work they should do for fun without getting answers.

I found the storyline with Jenna could have been longer. I want to see more of how Jenna doesn’t match up to Emily, but that seems like it’ll only work if we meet Emily’s parents. That said, I love “Poison” as a song so to have it be Emily’s opinion of her sister was funny.

Meanwhile, I don’t know if I’m on #TeamMax, but I wish both of them weren’t trying so hard for that perfect moment. If you’ve let the moments come naturally until now, why rock the boat?

RELATED: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Karen: Oh man, I couldn’t disagree more Roz! I LOVED this episode.

My thoughts:

Leif is growing as a character, and this episode showed that. He’s insecure about his new role within the group of brogrammers, and I know how he feels. I’ve had a job where I went from co-worker to supervisor, and it’s just as awkward as it seems. He also owned up to his mistake to Zoey, which is a HUGE step. He respects her, even if it isn’t perfect.

I’ve also been a girl in a STEM world, and the beats where they highlight that experience were really good. The immaturity of the brogrammers, incredulity at four female programmers in the elevator, awkwardness as a female supervisor, they’re all very authentic.

The virtual meeting with Danny Michael Davis was weird, but I think they’re actually aiming for weird when he’s involved. Simon got a great pat on the back for his idea, which is nice to see. Now that he’s single, I like him a lot more. Since it was also a pretty small storyline, I’ll include the contract issue between Max and Mo. I didn’t really get where that’s going, but maybe they’ll explain it quickly in the next episode.

I was frustrated a bit with the interruptions for Max and Zoey, but that was subverted in a BIG way by the fantastic sequence between Max and Zoey where Skylar Austin flexes his superior musical chops. Going between “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” and finally “A Moment Like This,” which he and Jane Levy sang together. It gives them another level of intimacy, where Max gets to see her actual out-loud heartsong. Three songs in seven minutes, ending with their HFN (Happy for now) was *chef’s kiss* great.

Emily’s singing and dancing during “Poison” floored me, but I have to admit, not sure how I’m liking the sister’s animosity. It was probably the most meh part of the episode for me.

All in all, I was engrossed, and with so much story, I think they packed it into this one nicely.

Rueben: I laughed, I cried (from laughter) and I cheered. Those were my emotions from watching this episode. I enjoyed it a lot, not as much as the premiere episode – so I’m somewhere in between your view, Roz, and your view, Karen.

I LOVED the duet between Max and Zoey! You said it so succinctly, Karen, that whole seven-minute sequence was just superb in terms of showing how talent Skylar Austin in with switching between songs and the great choreography that wasn’t full out dancing, but just fit so perfectly to Max and Zoey having sex for the first time, and both of them wanting it to be so special. I wrote the following in my notes (yes, I take notes every time I watch an episode of Zoey so I’m prepped for writing down my thoughts!). “Who knew that trying to have set with Zoey, a woman who can hear the inner thoughts of people through song, could be so hysterical.” This was my favorite part of the whole episode.

As for Emily and her sister Jenna, well…I agree we need more background on them as sisters, but it’s obvious that Jenna is more of a “free spirit” than Emily and Emily was obviously the poster child for being perfect. Hard act for both of them to follow and/or be compared to for a lifetime. Thankfully Maggie was there to “help” Jenna give Emily and David that night off that they so desperately needed. It would be good if they delved into their relationship a little more since David and Emily (sans Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee) are regular characters (i.e. series regulars).

OMG, that full head-to-toe makeover on Zoey by Mo was laugh-out-loud. The hair, the fake fingernails, that top. OMG! It was too much, but the whole “I don’t want to sign a contract/agreement with Max because of how I screwed over my best friend since junior high” thing was just, huh?! Why?! The writers put that in there for a reason – hopefully it wasn’t just a “let’s throw this in there to fill the void and give Mo some screen time,” so they’ve (the writers) got some explaining to do.

Lastly, thank God Zoey and Leif pulled apart the brogrammers! The whole frat house antics were, as far as I’m concerned, unnecessary for the office place. Keep that in the frat house not at work. And, I love that we’ll get some girls on that team. Who says that women can’t do those jobs. The boys, especially Tobin, better be on their toes because those girls are going to teach those brogrammers a thing or two. And, I can’t wait to see it.