Just a reminder this blog is about the NBC Golden Globe nominated TV drama Smash which stars Megan Hilty as Ivy Lynn. This blog is biasedly Team Ivy and contains spoilers! (It is a breakdown of the episode after all :))
We first see, or more precisely hear Ivy in an audition for a revival of a show called Liaisons. She is singing a not FAR above the staff, or in other words, a VERY VERY high note. The casting agent is clearly impressed by her audition for the ensemble. Taking a deep breath, as if to brace herself for whatever wrath may come from the question, she asks the casting agent if she can read for the part of Cecile. Cecile is an amazing part, wanted by every actress in New York City. He hints toward a no, but somehow Ivy convinces him. A huge grin immediately cracks across Ivy's face, and she assures him that she won't let him down. The way she says it, it is so easy to believe that she just might make it.
Next, Bombshell is seen back in rehearsals with Ivy clearly missing. Karen is preparing to sing I Just Keep Moving The Line, which Ivy so brilliantly sang last week. Suddenly, Karen's voice fades into Ivy's. Ivy is on Tom's TV singing Moving The Line. Ivy bounces in, swinging around his wall, seeming happier than ever. She smiles even bigger when she sees herself on his screen, then immediately tries to hide it. He points at the TV, "Look how good you are! At the workshop last winter!" She tries to play it off cool, but is so clearly flattered. "I wanted to be reminded of our initial instincts before jumping back in," he explains. Tom invites Ivy to watch with him, but she ignores this question, still grinning hugely. She tells him she talked herself into an audition for Liaisons. When he registers that she means for the role of Cecile, he stands up and gasps, as her pursed smile opens up in a laugh, showing all of her teeth. Then, the self doubt kicks in and her smile slowly fades as she starts listing off all of the big names they are auditioning for it. "And then I'm just.." she trails off, "Perfect for the part!" Tom exclaims excitedly. "I never thought someone would give me the chance after..." her head turns toward the screen where she is still singing in what must now seem like a distant dream.
Next, we see Derek giving Karen hell in rehearsal, Karen becoming a diva, rolling her eyes at him. Just as he's ordering to take it from the top, the door swings open and in walks Ivy. Derek asks invites her to stay and watch the number. She is shocked and reluctant, trying to tell him no, when he takes her bag, a gesture saying, It's probably best you stay. Her face has fallen, and her body is tense, arms crossed in defense as she watches Derek whisper into Karen's ear. She is remembering all of the times he whispered in her ear, back when she was Marilyn. We are transported, into a dream sequence. But not one like the Bollywood number from last season. Nope, this one is hauntingly beautiful. It is Ivy following Karen and Derek around a maze of statues while Ivy is quietly singing Robyn's Dancing On My Own. She is softly singing, almost a whisper, a very indulgent contrast to her typical Broadway belts. The song is vulnerable and her voice is raw, chilling, beautifully rising and falling. Her face is a well of emotion, pouring sadness, and hope, a memory of her fast, tumultuous, but strong love with Derek. She is now the outsider. With this realization, she apologizes for coming and heads out the door.
Ivy is then seen rehearsing her lines with Tom, him yawning repeatedly. He tries to say its not her fault, but she then sits down, dejected by her performance, still searching for who Cecile is. They start listing off character traits, unbroken, innocent, untouched, when Ivy throws a jab in, saying, "Sounds like Karen Cartwright." Then, he continues, saying that Cecile is easily corroded, but learns to manipulate men. At this, Ivy's face lights up, saying, "Oh my god, she's Marilyn." Tom counters with, "You know who else she is, YOU! She knows how to fight back." A smile and giggle leap from Ivy's mouth, "See, you're already feeling it."
After a scene of a newly written Bombshell scene, Ivy pops through her apartment doorway, her face showing off a smile bigger than any she's worn yet this entire season. "Tom, guess what? I got the part! I am Cecile!" Tom bends over with glee, as Ivy jovially lays down on her bed, suddenly relaxed, strong, and back to the same Ivy. She was beaten down, and was able to rise up again.
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