Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Review: Zoey’s Extraordinary Employee (Season 2 Episode 4)
As Zoey continues navigating her grief, she’s also figuring out how to become a better leader — and sometimes, that means firing people.
On Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 2 Episode 4, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Employee,” Zoey tries to take Mo’s advice to choose happiness just as a new obstacle makes life a little more complicated. The company has to let people go, and that falls on Zoey. I’m a little surprised at how hard this comes for her, but not entirely.
The series has never only been about her grief, but also about her growing as a person and a leader. We’ve watched her move up the ladder and we’ve watched her struggle with coming into her own in this way. Still, it seems she’s floundering on things a little more than what makes sense for her character right now, even as she copes with her grief.
Where I’m not surprised, is with her difficulty in firing George, who, of course, we learn knows a little something about grief too. Not only that, but George was so instrumental in helping Zoey come into her own just a few episodes back.
He helped her, without realizing it, by being someone she could help — a moment that was not only good for her as a leader but that helped her with her own feelings of grief in the moment.
Unfortunately, she only makes things worse by drunk-dialing him, which leads to her having to fire the poor guy a second time.
Zoey does her best to choose happiness throughout the episode, and she also does her best to focus on her health and avoid alcohol. But when it all gets to be too much, she gives in (hence that drunk dial). It’s relatable, for one thing, but it reminds us what a flawed character she is.
Those flaws are one of the reasons the show works so well. Zoey Clarke has a lot to learn, whether it be from her own mistakes or from the heart songs she hears. Luckily, she has friends who give great advice on top of all of that.
Mo is a constant source of tough love and Simon relates to her when it comes to handling grief. Both of those relationships provide great moments, but they’re both bordering on redundancy. Here’s hoping those dynamics shift just a little throughout the season.
Speaking of Simon, Zoey is single now, and the connection with Simon is still clearly there. We could be right in the middle of a love triangle all over again, but the show is taking things in a much more interesting direction than that. It’s not relying on the love triangle formula.
Simon and Max are both very present, but the focus is shifting to allow Zoey to take a step back. It’s the smart choice for her character and it’s better storytelling for the show itself. There’s clearly going to be another person in Zoey’s life, too. I’m curious to see more of Aidan.
Zoey’s mother has her own storyline dealing with matters of the heart, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the episode. Jenna is right that Maggie’s client was flirting with her — he eventually makes that known. But Maggie is filled with all sorts of complicated emotions, including strong feelings of guilt.
She may not be ready to move on in her romantic life just yet, but what she finds in Jenna is a friend who brings out a whole other side of her, and that’s a joy to watch. It also just adds another layer to the story of grief, because while Zoey is certainly at the center of the story, it’s about how her entire family is coping with their loss.
Zoey’s brother, for instance, is in an entirely different situation. He has a new baby that his father will never meet, and he’s coming to a realization about what he wants in life.
He wants to quit his job — which we learn at first through what is probably the best of this episode’s musical performances. It’s passionate and entirely captivating, all while being just a tad bit awkward because it’s delivered in pieces while David is trying a case in court.
It’s supposed to be a big moment and, hopefully, a milestone win, but it turns out that his heart isn’t in it at all.
He decides to tell his wife what he’s feeling, and while she pushes back at first, she eventually understands — and is willing to go back to work and let him stay at home with the baby. It’s a sweet moment, and it’s so indicative of the great relationship these two people have.
Other thoughts:
- Mo and Max working together has plenty of potential, but so far, their butting heads is just frustrating to watch.
- What’s fun to watch, though? Their karaoke duets! More of this, please.
- Harvey Gullién’s time on this show has been a gift. He’s been wonderful as George.
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 Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.