Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Review: Zoey’s Extraordinary Silence (Season 1 Episode 9)
Zoey and friends deliver one of their best efforts on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 1 Episode 9, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Silence,” but progress doesn’t necessarily cover up flaws.
There are aspects of Abigail’s story to celebrate where deaf representation is concerned and we will get there.
But as a disabled writer (I know some deaf people don’t identify as disabled. I’m not deaf, I am disabled), I’m compelled to say how disheartening Zoey’s final conversation with Mo about Abigail is.
After the episode does a pretty good job explaining that Howie has absolutely no right to “protect” Abigail just because she’s deaf, Zoey reveals that she hasn’t learned anything herself.
She says,
“You think her life would be hard ’cause she’s deaf but she’s got it like all figured out. And, I’m the one sitting there all down in the dumps because I occasionally sing or hear someone sing out loud? What’s up with that?”
Mo tells her that white privilege is to blame, which is plain wrong. Zoey has white privilege, but the term Mo is looking for is “abled privilege,” which Mo also has to check from time to time as an abled person.
This is a horrible way to address the issue because Zoey is framing Abigail as inspirational for living while deaf. The term for that is “inspiration porn” and it’s not OK ever. It’s the worst mistake Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist can make 37 minutes into the episode.
Disabled people don’t exist to inspire abled people by existing differently than they do.
It’s a complicated subject but a good rule of thumb is that if you are abled and want to compliment a disabled person, you have to know them pretty well because if you admire them for a reason related to their disability and say so, they definitely go home and curse you out.
I don’t feel rage toward Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist because other elements of Abigail’s story are great, but Zoey doesn’t win any points from me, and she definitely needs some.
Howie is the best, but using the phrase “people like you” to describe his daughter is cringeworthy. Implying that Kenya isn’t safe for deaf people is ignorant no matter the words used.
Sadly, “euphemistic” terms for the deaf and disabled communities are common no matter how close you are to someone. “People like you” is the worst term for a father to use while speaking to his daughter.
Overall, Howie’s journey is necessary. As ignorant as his point of view is sometimes, we need to let him off the hook because part of him is just being a protective dad.
There is a misconception in society that deafness and disabilities are problems that need to be fixed. Abigail is fine. Her father’s behavior is what’s holding her back the most.
It’s very relatable to people whose bodies are just different, but who society oppresses so much that it’s hard to show how much ability they really do have when provided a few adaptations. We just don’t have enough time to get into all of the opression, and neither do you.
Abigail and Howie are also a good warning that parents of kids and adults who are deaf or disabled need to be aware when their advocating becomes overstepping. We’re happy to have allies, but especially when we get to college, some of us can voice our needs for ourselves.
It’s quite a relief that Africa is happening. Plus, “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten is a brilliant song to have Abigail and her dormmates sign.
The choice to have them sign the whole song to music without anyone singing the lyrics is as vital as the fact that Sandra Mae Frank is a deaf actress (it’s too rare that deaf and disabled actors are hired to play themselves).
It’s difficult to recognize the song from the verse music unless it’s your favorite song. But once it gets to the chorus, not only should everyone recognize the song, they should know the first two lines of the chorus, at least. We’ve printed the chorus for you:
“This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me”
It’s just perfect for Abigail’s situation. But I don’t find it as emotional as the trailer touted. That’s a little bit of inspiration porn. It’s definitely powerful and necessary.
We have to move on to Simon because it’s such a relief that the ground is being laid for him to leave his fianceé without a full-on affair with Zoey being the cause of it.
He’s cheated emotionally. There’s no denying that. I’m proud of Zoey for ending whatever they have going on. It shouldn’t even be about not wanting to be dragged along.
It may be hard, but it’s also necessary to step away, especially when you realize someone is emotionally confused.
It’s going to get messy between Simon and Jessica. Yes, Zoey is part of the reason. But there should only be two people involved in the end of a relationship or things could go from messy to brutal real quick.
We all know that Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is too aesthetically bright to go brutal. So let’s talk about how refreshing it is that the show is slowly peeling the villain label off of Simon.
Cheating is wrong, but it happens; sometimes good people do bad things.
We know Simon has been struggling with his father’s death since the pilot. In a perfect world, he would’ve talked to Jessica. His current situation is just a result of not being able to really express himself to her.
That’s OK, but if you can’t talk to your fianceé she shouldn’t become your wife.
It’s technically unclear whether the last number of the show is a metaphor for a breakup that just happened or one that’s about to happen. Either way, this particular love triangle is currently taking a new shape and we support that.
Music And Miscellaneous Notes
- Mo is still woefully underused as a sidekick Zoey uses to figure out her problems when she’s overwhelmed.
- Maggie talking to her daughter-in-law about her son’s sex life is very odd. Openness with your parents is one thing…but something about this is too weird.
- “The Sound Of Silence” is great. Peter Gallagher needs to sing more.
- “Buttons” is fun and I love that a pregnant Emily is singing it.
- “Happier” is a great song and I love the lyrical/contemporary choreography.
- Tobin is a secret weapon.
- This rating isn’t higher because so much time is wasted on the less interesting stories.
What did you think of this episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist airs Sundays at 9/8c on NBC.
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Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.
2 comments
When Mo said “White privilege” it was his way of adding to this notion Zoey can be a little blind to others. Maybe I’m looking a little deep into it but Zoey has a lot of privilege. She’s white, educated, straight, able-bodied with a strong support system and a lot of her work is framed through that. The same way she talks about how bad her father has it and Howie counters a lot of the people he has worked with don’t have the family or the resources her father does. I do agree about the whole “people like you” and the part when Abigail mentions him trying to “fix her” we’re cringe. This episode had a lot going on, we could have had that handled in a better way. He could have talked about his fears of being far away where few people will be able to communicate which could be countered with technology that translates text to speech etc. I like the fix you because it led to this larger conversation about empowerment and how she found strength and support at college. That conversation really added to the show.
I sure hope the constructive criticism you are providing doesn’t translate into this show with its cultural and necessary topics along with its refreshing and entertaining strengths being not renewed. Let’s continue to praise its merits as loudly and forcefully as possible so your constructive criticism isn’t misinterpreted as disapproving the show. Remember what happened to the groundbreaking show Eli Stone? I’m disabled as well; and I found this episode, particularly this episode’s plot paralleling Zoey’s own story to be brilliantly examined—another building block in Zoey’s own relationship with her father.
I’m not a reviewer—just a person grateful for inspirational and entertaining television. I will argue for the renewal of this show. Will you?
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