#its so odd to me that the song's meaning completely counters the ending??? whattt

[fat-fem-and-asian]

full thoughts post season (not all positive and also spoilers)

S2 felt much stronger than S1 overall -- mainly for the reasons I listed above. It was much freer in what characters get to interact and I think that the plot was fairly efficient at getting things done. I also loved the performances and the songs in the second half of the season! They were all so fun and high energy! Cecily's 11 o'clock was a season high for me and it was such a sweet moment. I could really go on for hours about everything I loved. The sets. The costumes. The chandelier drop. The songs were so good! So much to praise!

The finale was a bit of a let down though. It contradicted it's own themes of happiness and misses the mark of why Schmicago's musicals were as dark as they were. Historically, they're from an era of confusion and protest that rejected American post-war golden age narratives.

Hair is staunchly anti-capitalist and anti-war; JCS is built around revolution and breaking down the barrier between god and man; Chicago and Cabaret explore how decadence and immorality can come hand in hand; Sweeney Todd and Pippin's plots hinge on the cyclical nature of violence. You get the picture. They all address themes of deep personal and worldly unhappiness and ask the audience to reflect too.

Schmicago best addresses this in episode 4 during a conversation between Melissa and Josh. They got married, moved out to the suburbs, followed the blueprint - so why aren't they happy? It's a subtle performance from Cecily and Keegan that broke my heart. And I loved it! It makes sense for Schmicago to challenge Schmigadoon, and by proxy, Melissa and Josh's relationship.

The finale song, "A Happy Beginning", is the literal thesis of the season (great song btw). Happy endings don't exist, things don't work out the way you thought, but you still go on to the next day. You define happiness, not the other way around.

So, when the show frames a baby, not their individual goals, as the happy ending of the show? It's confusing! It deflates Melissa and Josh's arcs. What about their personal desires? Melissa's love of performance and Josh's mentoring? A child can be a happy and desirable goal, but the season spends little time showing this (even with a show full of orphans!). It's hardly established that either of them have a genuine longing for children, at least no more than they wanted a house in the suburbs.

This feels similar to the issues I had with S1's finale. Schmigadoon followed tropes of the musical without question, even if the series emphasizes different values earlier. Josh and Melissa don't find each other in a grounded way, instead having a (admittedly sweet) grandiose reunion. Its unearned and counters the show's theme of small moments and actions defining relationships. The central issue in their relationship was masking poor communication with grand gesture and distraction. Similarly, the conflict of season 2 is not lacking a baby, it's a deeper feeling of dissatisfaction and the pressure to be happy in an unfair world. Does the finale really resolve this?

P.S. still love this show and it's gonna ruin my spotify wrapped cinco paul please don't get mad i only criticize bc i love this little show

okay i know its early but s2 schmigadoon is feeling much better than s1!

my main issue w/ s1 was really wrapped up in josh and mel and how little their chemistry was actually shown -- creating sort of weak subplots since they relied on that relationship and tension! but now we have a josh and melissa who obviously care about each other and have grown! josh can interact with the plot in a more interesting way than just rolling his eyes! melissa has a true personal motivation! i care about them a lot more this time and feel like i'm rooting for them in a way that was missing during s1. i was kinda just team ariana debose.

and everyone is used so, so well. jane krakowski is rolling in solos, kristen chenowith gets a cockney accent, and dove cameron is off doing chair tricks! everyone gets something fun and cool and is put in different dynamics that really help to showcase them as performers. love love love aaron tveit who can do no wrong. plus having keegan and cecily paired together lets them show off more of their comedic strengths and like they're not just talking to camera.

also fun to reverse their main partners! who knew that keegan and aaron could have such good chemistry or that cecily would play so well off of dove.

the plot is tighter, the characters are more dynamic, and the songs are just as good. maybe even better! honestly i went in with low expectations but i have pretty high hopes for the rest of the season! i know there will be some more fun numbers and other characters to get in to, and maaaybe the plot won't be as cut and dry as we think. maybe. even if it's not i will have a damn good time watching schmicago