Schmigadoon! Review: Tribulation (Season 1 Episode 5)

Schmigadoon! Season 1 Episode 5, “Tribulation,” is a good — but not great — addition to the Schmigadoon! canon. For every moment it soars, we’re also reminded of its weaknesses.

Schmigadoon!‘s cast is strong but has always felt cluttered, at least when it comes to the townspeople. Seemingly major characters will disappear for long stretches and then reappear only for a few minutes, and Jane Krakowski, heavily featured in previews just arrived on this episode. 

There is momentum to Schmigadoon!‘s story — finally! — and as engaging as the story has become, there simply doesn’t feel like there’s enough time to get to a wholly satisfying conclusion.

Additionally, this episode is steeped in ultra-niche musical references, and feels very inside-baseball as a result.

As a musical fan, I can appreciate the cleverness of the references, but I’m also acutely aware of how exclusionary that can be to audiences unable to quickly identify what’s being parodied. (Most audiences can catch a Sound of Music reference, but Kiss Me Kate or Carousel? Probably not.) Perhaps that’s not Schmigadoon!‘s target audience though, but it is worth noting. 

The weight of this show has rested on Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key’s characters, Melissa and Josh. That’s made for an uneven experience, to say the least. Melissa is far more nuanced and likable than Key’s Josh but both tend to pale in comparison to their musical counterparts.

Some of this can’t be helped. Melissa and Josh are on an emotional journey and this can mean less time for chewing scenery a la Kristin Chenoweth. But this also poses a problem when the actors’ performances aren’t up to the task.

Strong and Key are exceptional comedians, and Strong especially seems to be pouring her whole heart into this, but the show always skids a bit when she and Key have serious, emotional-laden scenes (both together and apart).

The moment Melissa finds her heart stone while abandoned in the middle of nowhere and Josh comforts Emma after discovering her secret should land differently (read: better) than they do. 

With that said, it’s more obvious than ever that this show is leading Josh and Melissa back to one another, and I hope the series can pull off a heartwarming reunion (and at the very least let these two finally be full-on participants in a big song-and-dance number).

But enough about Melissa and Josh. The real focal points of “Tribulation” are Jane Krakowski and Kristin Chenoweth and their respective appearances have very different impacts.

Jane Krakowski is one of the strongest comedic actresses today and a legitimate Broadway star in her own right. The woman has presence (with a capital P, that rhymes with T, and that stands for Tribulation).

Her acting style is very distinct and broad, which makes her an amazing fit for Tina Fey’s properties and can make her a bit of an odd duck in other settings.

The conceit of her appearance — that the Countess archetype is finally fighting back and unwilling to play second fiddle — is a good one. Her musical number, part Kiss Me Kate with some She Loves Me/Drowsy Chaperone vibes is expertly written, sung and performed. Krakowski can belt! 

With that said, it also feels out of place and the Countess reads far more modern than the rest of Schmigadoon. In theory, it’s all interesting, but in practice, she seems just as out of place in the universe as Melissa is.

Chenoweth’s musical number, from which the episode gets its title, is a wholly different matter. While it’s unclear why the show didn’t focus on Chenoweth in a major musical number until its second to last episode (pacing questions abound!), fortunately, it makes up for it.

“Tribulation” is an ode to The Music Man’s “Trouble” and while Schmigadoon!‘s lyrics can’t quite compare (but what could?) the technical and staging achievement of this moment can’t be ignored.

Filmed in a single take, there’s no detail that hasn’t been choreographed and Chenoweth keeps the energy of the scene up throughout.

Few performers could carry a number like that, and Chenoweth does without so much as breaking a sweat. She sings the hell out of it, all while perfectly selling that she’s a conniving, scheming opportunist. It’s an all-star moment on an only okay episode.

While “Tribulation” is only an okay episode, it sets up some major stories for Schmigadoon!‘s final installment, so in that sense, it’s an important episode. There’s Mrs. Layton’s mayoral run, the fall-out from Emma Tate (Ariana DeBose)’s confession about her “brother’s” paternity, Melissa and Josh’s reunion, and hopefully more from the Menloves and Danny.

This all feels like enough content for at least 4 more episodes, so it’ll be interesting to see how this all wraps up.

Stray observations:

• Dream ballets are the worst. 
• Is Dove Cameron even still on this show? Is anything else going to happen with that character? 
• The twist in Emma Tate’s story isn’t hard to see coming but the nuance of Ariana DeBose’s performance makes up for the lack of originality in storytelling. Can Emma Tate get her own spinoff?
• Several episodes later, why is there still little to no follow up with Mayor Menlove and his wife (or lover) after his coming out?
• It would be far more interesting if Dr. Lopez was written to have more personality. Emma Tate’s fleshed out; why couldn’t Melissa’s temporary paramour have something more to him than a dashing accent and an inclination to ballroom dance in the parlor?

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

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Schmigadoon! is available to stream on AppleTV+. New episodes premiere on Fridays.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 Most Binge-Worthy TV Shows of 2021 So Far