'Smash' recap: Fringe Benefits

Footlights

- Uh oh, the preview indicates that Tom is actually a terrible director. No! Let's hope this is true only because he's directing Karen, and that all will be well once she heads to Hit List and Tom regains the Marilyn he always wanted.

- Julia briefly considers ditching Bombshell for London with Dramaturg Peter. She was even going to bring Leo along! I regret that she ultimately elects to stay put; it would have been fun to watch a transplanted Leo struggle to speak a foreign language (English).

- Why go to the trouble of designating this the Winter Fringe (and having Julia mention her son's upcoming winter break) if everyone's going to keep eating lunch outside and dressing like it's late spring? Winter in New York is cold! How much time has passed since the events of the pilot, anyway? Or even since Boston?

- Tonight's new Hit List song, "Heart-Shaped Wreckage," was pretty, but I couldn't help cringing at those on-the-nose lyrics: "We can start over, better / If we just let the broken piece go."

- I forgot to mention last week that Jimmy thinks Karen and Derek are dating, thanks to misleading info from Kyle. Update: He still thinks this.

- Raise your hand if you never realized how goofy it was for Smash to have major characters named both Tom and Jerry until this episode. [sheepishly raises hand]

- I really hope that Ellis stays Smash's Maris Crane: a malevolent, domineering presence who is never seen on camera.

- Wait, did that restaged "Never Give All the Heart" reveal that Bobby is playing Joe DiMaggio now? Our Bobby?! (Man, he and Jessica must be so mad at Jimmy/Kyle/Ana for stealing all their screen time.)

- Speaking of Kyle: He's sure invested and involved in Hit List, considering most of what he created for the show has been scrapped.

- In a Scowl-Off, who do you think would win: seasoned vet Ivy or young, hotshot upstart Jimmy?

- A local commercial for Orphans on Broadway during tonight's telecast reminded me of the crazier-than-Smash stories that are unfolding on the Great White Way at this very moment. If only this show were a documentary...

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