Smash, yeah I watch it.

The highly promoted season two of Smash starts February 8th.  However, if you are on iTunes, you can download the season premiere for free. That is, you can download the first half.  On Feb. 8th NBC plans to open with a 2 hour premiere, which leaves me to assume that what is available to watch now, is only half of the Feb. 8th show.

It is clear that the writers/creators are starting to clean up the loose ends from season one.  Everything from the reason Rebecca left the Bombshell, where the money came from to put on the show, and all the personal stories of every primary and secondary character.  With season two, it looks as though the writers are integrating the musical numbers into the plot much better.  Last season's random duet in Time Square was, um, random.  The musical numbers themselves are lovely, including lyrics and choreography.  It was the placement of the numbers that was off putting.  It needed to be more like Tetris, with everything coming together, and the pieces fall into place.
The series is already filled with talent, and premise, but falls just short in the execution.  Using the theater entertainment field, which is no doubt competitive as setting it highly workable.  While my junior high theater experience has left me with luke-warm memories,  I can certainly remember feeling bitter when I lost the Stage Manager position to a younger student. I have to imagine those emotions are amplified, when you are attracted to a co-star, and/or sleeping with and ex-flame, cheating on a spouse, using the IRA(?) to fund an off-broadway production, or trying to sabotage a major production.  Point is, the competitive and drama filled setting is the perfect stage for this show.  In addition, it allows for plenty of special guests, temporary characters that can be woven in and out of plot lines, and showcase cross-overs.  It really can provide seasons of good plot lines.  Where Smash again falls short is its effort to get all these plots out at once.  Nevertheless, t is looking like season two is trying to focus on the smaller, and more attempting the "less-is-more" approach. Which I think will work out better for the over all chemistry and flow of the show.

two cents given