For a moment or two there, during Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist 1×05 “Zoey’s Extraordinary Failure,” I really, really felt this show. The whole notion of failure, and how we must all deal with it is a very interesting subject that hits especially hard in the current world we live in. And, of course, there’s Simon.
Simon who has always been, for many reasons that are too personal to go into, the one character on this show that routinely touches me. His experiences, his feelings – not the romantic ones, we’re not touching that one with a ten-foot pole – are congruent with my experience, and the rawness of the performance always leaves me wanting to either cry a bit, or hug the character really, really hard.
For all of those things, I’d be tempted to say that this episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was better than the other ones, and yet, when I think about it, this episode was just …exactly what I’ve come to expect of the show. Nothing extraordinary, nothing awful, some fun songs, and some people I will absolutely forget about as soon as I finish writing this review.
The idea, though, that might stick with me.
Because the truth of the matter is that, as women, it’s super easy to relate to Zoey’s fear of failure. We’ve been taught that our failures are, sometimes, worse than anyone else’s. The expectations are higher, the falls hurt so much more. And on top of all the regular being a woman stuff, Zoey is also stuck with this power that makes her feel like she has to fix everyone.
Yet failure is the way of life. We cannot escape it. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless we keep from doing anything at all. So, the best thing we can do is, like the show proposes, change our relationship with failure. That means understanding that, at some point, we will all fail, in ways big or small
And when that happens, we must simply dust ourselves off and try again. And again, and again.
But that’s not all, we must also learn from those mistakes, from those failures. We must try again, maybe fail again, but fail better, as they say. Because the thing is not giving up, yes, but the thing is also about evolving. Those are the lessons of failure.
See, maybe, every once in a while, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist gets one right with me. Every once in a while.
Things I think I think:
- Soooo, if they’re bringing up the fact that Zoey hasn’t texted Simon back in days, that means we’re going FULL INTO this mess. *cringe*
- Thank God it wasn’t the serial killer singing.
- “Just Give me a Reason” is a beautiful song.
- Oh, damnit, he’s singing now.
- Yes, ask Mo. Even when Mo doesn’t know, Mo should be the person you ask everything. Because that means more Mo.
- “Somewhere basic and hetero, I’m in the mood for potato skins.”
- Is adequate a compliment in the world of men?
- This whole peer reviews thing is haaaarsh.
- The team had thoughts: “misogyny, misogyny, misogyny.”
- And this is why it’s great to have a FEMALE boss.
- Oh, joy, now the serial killer is singing alone.
- Simon is a good friend. Now he’s gonna ruin it by trying to be more without, you know, doing anything about his fiancée.
- Okay, why is Simon’s laptop so high and how is that good for you? Someone explain.
- Ah, so that’s a step in the right fucking direction Zoey. You know him, even when he isn’t singing.
- Yeah, we’re going deep into this mess.
- Birthdays are hard. I get you, Simon. I really, really do. And it often feels like no one understands, even when they say they do. Grief is such a personal thing.
- The fact that Simon’s girlfriend is the same lovely, amazing human that played Schneider’s girlfriend on ODAAT and that just means I don’t like her characters even though I know she’s a lovely, amazing woman, is bothering me.
- But WHAT is the issue, serial killer? That you think you will mess up with a boy? Everyone feels like they’ll mess up.
- Zoey, you don’t have to fix everyone’s problems every day. I promise.
- I like aggressive-aggressive too.
- Oh, a pupusa. Such a good replacement for an actual latinx character!
- Thank God you broke up with her, Max. You looked miserable.
- Is that mask glued on? Masks never stay in their place like that.
- Simon’s pain about his father is the only thing in this show that’s real to me.
- Oh, this ending. Oh yes? Oh no? I’m not even sure.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of “Zoey’s Extraordinary Failure”? Share with us in the comments below!
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist airs Sundays at 9/8c on NBC.
