Schmigadoon! Review: How We Change (Season 1 Episode 6)

There are few things as joyful and uplifting as a buoyant musical finale, filled with so much emotion you can’t help but feel your heart leap. It’s a well-worn moment, but never one that gets old.

The key changes, the music crescendoes, and yet…we got none of that on Schmigadoon!‘s finale episode, Schmigadoon! Season 1 Episode 6, “How We Change.”

Knowing the template for musicals well, I know I’m supposed to feel relief when Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key). I know I’m supposed to want to dance a little in my seat when the townspeople break out the tambourines and start dancing in celebration of their newfound liberation from their stilted identities.

And yet…

Nada.

Schmigadoon! is an ambitious project, and for that it gets some kudos. 

There are plenty of things to admire: giving many Broadway performers a platform during a critical time, paying homage to the greatest classic musicals of the past and hopefully introducing new audiences, and relying on original music (hell, Broadway doesn’t even do that as much anymore!)

Alas, Schmigadoon! never quite comes together like you hope it will, and while earlier episodes showed moments of promise, the finale falls flat (and this is the musical world, so to be flat is to commit the utmost sin.)

As discussed before, part of the show’s biggest flaw is deep in its DNA. The show could never quite figure out how to solve a problem like Melissa and Josh.  Strong’s commitment is evident but the core couple’s characterizations, and more importantly, the central love story, never quite gel.

Think back to some of the great musical couples of the past: Maria and the Captain, Anna and the King, Marian and Harold, Laurie and Curly, Lilli and Fred.

None of these romances technically have a lot of screen time devoted to their relationship but the pairings do have intense chemistry and tension, and well plotted scenes that quickly telegraph what makes their love special and fated.

Melissa and Josh’s love story never quite achieves that, though Schmigadoon! tries. However, it’s simply not enough, and while it’s clear that Josh’s musical epiphany is supposed to feel triumphant, it mostly feels bland.

Plus, it’s somewhat dubious that Melissa finds herself apologizing for….having standards and expectations? She suggests that she has a habit of looking for perfection, but from all the scenes we’ve seen, Melissa mostly seemed to be looking for decency, kindness, and respect.

Having her apologize to Josh feels unnecessary, forcing a narrative that they both learned things along the way but really, Melissa didn’t need to learn much. It’s a fairly silly, irritating plot point.

It also doesn’t help matters that this episode features some of Schmigadoon!‘s weakest songs. Several songs throughout the season have hit the spot, and more than a few have felt perfunctory, but cumulatively, these are the worst, and for a finale, that simply won’t do.

So to recap, so far we’ve got an iffy love story, bland music and lyrics, and lastly, Keegan-Michael Key’s not so great singing. This last point wouldn’t be a huge deal if either the acting or the music was fantastic, but alas, that’s not the case.

Unfortunately, Melissa and Josh’s reunion isn’t the only thing that feels forced. Plenty of other stories are resolved quickly.

Baroness (Jane Krakowski)? Gone. Melissa stranded in the middle of nowhere? Immediately saved minutes in. The transition from the mayor (Alan Cumming) feeling ostracized to celebrated is quick and easy. Even Mildred (Kristin Chenoweth) does an about-face without much pushing.

To be clear, things move quickly in musicals and in comedies and I understand that Schmigadoon! is both. However, the show does a real disservice to everyone involved by ending stories and character arcs almost as soon as it begins building them.

Some of this is the episode count. Six episodes isn’t a lot to work with, but with sharper writing, better, more satisfying arcs could have played out.

The final group number, “How We Change” leaves much to be desired. It’s uninspiring on a musical level, and mostly serves to remind us of all the great actors we didn’t get to spend much time with and all the stories we didn’t get to see.

Tambourines can’t make up for all the narrative shortcuts, though it’s nice to see the show remembered Dove Cameron and Aaron Tveit exist.

Of everyone, Ariana DeBose is the one that comes out smelling the most like a rose, having created the most grounded, realistic character despite all odds. 

As talented as she is though, seeing her almost drives home the question: what if every supporting and leading character had been given the care and attention of Emma Tate? What a different, more satisfying show this might have been.

Schmigadoon! achieves a few moments of kick-up-your-heels-bliss throughout the season. As a whole though, it’s not a particularly memorable venture. Melissa and Josh may walk across the bridge to normal life and reflect back on their time in Schmigadoon but I doubt the rest of us will.

What did you think of this episode of Schmigadoon!? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Schmigadoon! is available to stream on Apple TV+.

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