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<i> Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist </i> — “Pilot” Spoiler Free Advance Review.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: January 7, 2020, 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“I think I’m going crazy.” — Zoey

Computer coder Zoey Clarke (Jane Levy) has no trouble navigating the tech world of San Francisco; it’s people she has trouble reading. That is until an unexplained event during an MRI leaves Zoey with the ability to hear people’s innermost thoughts through song and dance which only she can see. Is Zoey suffering from a peculiar medical condition or is this a gift from some higher power? 

Full disclosure, I cannot stand musically based television shows or episodes. Going from dialogue to spontaneous singing simply isn’t my thing. I cringed reading the synopsis to Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. As I began to watch the pilot I prepared myself for the inevitable.

My biggest complaint about musical shows is the songs are  pre-recorded in a studio and dubbed over the performance. This creates a stellar sound which is great for radio but unnatural for television given the lack of ambient sound. Songs like DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” performed by Zoey’s coworkers sounds great, but the perfection creates a noticeable audible void as they dance around the office. With Zoey’s Extraoridinary Playlist being a show about everyday people communicating with Zoey through song, I wanted a more honest vocal representation. 

One might assume, with my criticism of musical numbers, I might have a negative attitude towards Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist; however, you would be mistaken. After viewing the first four episodes, I’ve come to really enjoy the series even if I do roll my eyes every time the singing starts. 

What I hadn’t accounted for is Levy’s amazing performance. She hasn’t been on my radar other than a short stint on the Showtime series Shameless, and I wondered if she could lead this musical dramedy. I was proven wrong because Levy is the heart and soul of the series. 

Created by Austin Winsberg and directed by Richard Shepard, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist could have easily gone a more outlandish route. Instead, the subject matter is taken seriously and delivered by Levy with a straight face. It’s been a long time since a show has caused an emotional response but there’s one scene in particular involving Zoey and her father Mitch (Peter Gallagher) that reduced me to tears every time I watched it. 

That’s not to say Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist doesn’t have funny moments. Levy does a masterful job balancing the humor and drama of Zoey’s everyday life. Themes like equality in the workplace, relationships, and family are all tackled seriously but with a comedic edge that isn’t over the top. Levy’s performance gives the show credibility that I completely bought into. 

Rounding out the cast of characters is Zoey’s coworker and friend Max (Skylar Astin), her boss Joan (Lauren Graham), and her mother Maggie (Mary Steenburgen). The pilot wastes little time introducing the supporting characters but as the series progresses, the writers do a wonderful job giving each person a moment to shine. I especially like the professional relationship that developes between Zoey and Joan through the next few episodes. 

One of the things I appreciate about Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is that Winsberg doesn’t dwell on the how or why Zoey got her gifts. Sure, Zoey struggles trying to understand her newfound ability but there isn’t a conspiracy theory subplot chewing up screen time trying to figure if the cause was divine intervention, a tumor, or something else. Instead, the focus is on real world problems and how Zoey handles them with her new abilities. 

While I’m still not a fan of the musical parts, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is a thoroughly entertaining series. Any doubt I had about Levy as a lead is quickly put to rest and I’ve been amazed by the level of emotion brought to the series. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist reminds me a lot of Eli Stone starring Jonny Lee Miller. They each involved the lead character witnessing song and dance numbers only they could see and both were coincidentally set in San Francisco. Eli Stone lasted two seasons and I am hopeful Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is given at least that, if not more. I love what I’ve seen so far and am excited to see where Winsberg takes the series and what she has in store for Zoey. 

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about the Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist “Pilot.”

Tune in to Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Sundays 9/8c only on NBC.

For more on the show, go to https://www.nbc.com/zoeys-extraordinary-playlist

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.