The second and final season of the American musical drama television series Smash premiered on February 5, 2013, on NBC and consisted of 17 episodes.[2] On March 13, 2013, NBC announced they were moving the remaining season two episodes of Smash to Saturday nights at 9:00PM EST starting April 6 in order to play the full 17-episode order.[1] The two-hour series finale aired on May 26, 2013, moving the show to a special Sunday slot.[3][4]
Production
On March 22, 2012, NBC renewed Smash for a second season.[5]Gossip Girl's Joshua Safran replaced creator Theresa Rebeck as showrunner, since Rebeck departed to focus on other projects. Rebeck did not return to the show in any capacity.[6] However, she remained credited as executive producer.
Not returning to the cast from the previous season were Jaime Cepero (Ellis), Raza Jaffrey (Dev), Brian d'Arcy James (Frank), and recurring cast member Will Chase (Michael),[7] although James did make guest appearances in the first episode of season 2 and the series finale.[8][9]Jeremy Jordan joined the series in the role of Jimmy.[10] Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson had a recurring role as Veronica Moore, a Tony award-winning actress who affects the lives of Karen and Ivy.[11][12]Jesse L. Martin was cast in a six-episode arc as Scott Nichols, the Manhattan Theatre Workshop's artistic director, whose story affected most of the cast.[13]
New Smash show runner/executive producer Josh Safran noted about the show's movement to Saturdays starting April 6 meant NBC was choosing to cancel the series, Safran said he was "saddened" and surprised by the move, "We're all aware the show is not successful, but I guess I had hoped we would see what happened when The Voice came back [or] maybe they'd move us to a better time slot. But I understand from the network's point of view. We hit a number and we stuck there." Safran said of the final episodes would be constructed as a series finale, "I don't want [viewers] to think they are going to be left hanging, because they won't be," he assures. "The season has a beginning, middle and an end... [And] it just gets better and better." Safran also said he and the other producers were still proud of the series.[14] The two hour series finale aired on May 26, 2013.[3][4]
Debra Messing as Julia Houston,[16] a successful Broadway lyricist and the musical's co-writer. She is married with a son, but had an affair with Michael Swift, who played Joe DiMaggio in the initial Marilyn workshop. Houston is based on creator Theresa Rebeck.[17]
Jack Davenport as Derek Wills,[16] the director of the musical, who will stop at nothing to make the show a success. He has an on-and-off relationship with Marilyn workshop star Ivy Lynn, though he has also shown interest in Karen Cartwright and had a physical relationship with Rebecca Duvall during the Boston preview before she left the show.
Katharine McPhee as Karen Cartwright,[16] an ingenue from Iowa, who lands a successful audition and becomes a serious contender for the role of Monroe. Somewhat new to show business, her naiveté is generally scorned by her peers, though her talent is rarely called into question. She played Marilyn for the Boston preview, when Rebecca Duvall left.
Christian Borle as Tom Levitt,[16] a theatrical composer and Julia's longtime songwriting partner. He and Derek Wills have an acrimonious relationship stemming from a business fallout 11 years ago. Tom briefly dates a Republican lawyer but later becomes attracted to Sam Strickland, a dancer in the ensemble of Bombshell.
Megan Hilty as Ivy Lynn,[16] a seasoned performer who, at the beginning of the series, is working in the ensemble of Heaven On Earth, another Broadway musical that Tom and Julia wrote. Ivy is favored by nearly everyone on board with the production to play Marilyn Monroe, but after the workshop flops, she is replaced by a big movie star. Throughout the show, she's in an on-and-off relationship with the Bombshell director Derek Wills and finds herself constantly competing with Karen in many different situations, eventually losing the role of Marilyn to her for the Boston preview.
Anjelica Huston as Eileen Rand,[16] the musical's tenacious producer, who is dealing with divorce proceedings from her husband, Jerry, which could threaten the musical and forces her to think outside the box in securing funds for the show. A running gag throughout the series is Eileen throwing drinks into Jerry's face.
Leslie Odom Jr.[18] as Sam Strickland, an ensemble member, a good friend of Ivy who is gay and very much into sports. Due to their mutual friendship with Ivy, he forms a connection with Tom.
Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy Collins, a working-class man from Brooklyn who is on the brink of self-destruction.[10][19]
Andy Mientus as Kyle Bishop, a poor kid from Brooklyn with dreams of writing for Broadway.[20]
Krysta Rodriguez as Ana Vargas, Karen's new roommate who is looking for her big break.[21]
Recurring
Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore, a Tony Award-winning Broadway star who has had to pay a price to reach her Broadway dream.[22]
Ann Harada as Linda, the stage manager of the musical.[23]
Sean Hayes as Terrence "Terry" Falls, a comedic television and film star who is making his Broadway debut in the musical Liaisons, based on Les liaisons dangereuses.[28]
Sheryl Lee Ralph as Cynthia Moore, mother and manager to Veronica Moore.
The creative team behind Bombshell struggle to repair their personal and professional reputations following allegations of legal improprieties. Karen encounters resistance when she tries to help a new writing team working on their first musical.
Eileen introduces Tom and Julia to a new writing partner in order to fix Bombshell's script; Karen confers with Derek about Jimmy and Kyle's musical that they are working on; Derek tries to get reinstated as the director for The Wiz remake with Veronica Moore.
Derek and Tom help Veronica with her one-night-only concert, while Jimmy and Kyle, with Karen's encouragement, try to get a song submitted for the concert, and Julia and Peter struggle to work together to fix Bombshell's script.
Julia and Peter prepare for a reading of Bombshell, but Julia worries that she can't trust him, while Jimmy and Kyle prepare for an informal reading of Hit List. Meanwhile, Ivy must deal with comedian and movie star Terry Falls who is not taking Liaisons very seriously.
Derek reaches his breaking point and quits Bombshell, Kyle and Jimmy struggle to show Hit List at the Fringe Festival, and Ivy works up the courage to tell Terry what she thinks of Liaisons.
Karen, Tom, Julia and Derek adapt to a new environment. Pressure mounts at Liaisons. Katie's assistance leads Eileen to discover how to salvage Bombshell.
Ivy brings Sam back to New York City which makes things uncomfortable for Tom. Jimmy finds himself at odds with Derek regarding Hit List. Ana and Karen struggle with being assertive.
After Leigh Conroy returns to join the cast of Bombshell, Tom finds himself struggling to defuse the years of tension between her and her daughter, Ivy. Jimmy and Karen's connection is threatened by both Ana’s new-found success and an unexpected visitor. Derek learns more about Jimmy's past just as the public sees their first piece of Hit List.
With Liza Minnelli in town, Tom plans a surprise for Ivy in an attempt to find a balance between their work life and their friendship. Relations between Karen, Jimmy, and Derek explode just as Hit List's rehearsal process nears its close. While Richard asks Eileen to spend less time at work and more time with him, Julia finds herself also pulled away from Bombshell by an unlikely source.
As Tom and Julia race to ready Bombshell for previews, Tom's eagerness to prove himself may not be the best thing for the show. An on-stage mishap forces Ivy to make an important decision, while tension rises at Hit List as Karen becomes suspicious of Derek's motives towards her.
After months of hurdles, Bombshell's opening night is here. As Ivy's nerves get the better of her, support comes from an unlikely source. Meanwhile, Tom and Julia look to their next project. Bombshell's success may be in jeopardy as Eileen's issues with Richard come to a head. Jimmy finally reveals all to Karen about his dark past, but is it too little too late?
An off-the-rail Jimmy threatens Hit List's future, as Karen, Derek, Ana and Kyle join forces to try help him before things take a turn for the worse. Tom and Julia's partnership is at breaking point just as Ivy, Eileen, and the entire Bombshell team are running themselves ragged to outshine their competitors.
Tom has his sights on the Tony and pulls out all the stops at a Houston & Levitt tribute night, but can Julia turn away from "Hit List" long enough to help? Scared of damaging her reputation, Tom asks Ivy to perform a risqué number. "Hit List" arrives on Broadway but immediately find trouble with Derek being blackmailed to give away The Diva's role.
The Tony nominations loom, but keeping your eye on the prize can be hard for both shows. Tom crosses an influential Tony voter, Ivy copes with some very distracting news and Derek's past has repercussions.
It's Tony night! And the awards might not provide the answers everyone is looking for. Jimmy faces a final reckoning and Tom, Julia, Derek, Karen, Ivy and Eileen wait to see if the awards will confirm their place in the Broadway pantheon once and for all.
