I should be editing, but yesterday I binged the first Season of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist on Apple TV. And I teared up at almost every episode. Her Dad. My mom…
I remember when it first started, and I had no interest. I enjoyed Glee, Mamma Mia, and Grease as musicals, but that’s about it as far as musicals go. Oh and The Greatest Showman I enjoyed that one too, but I think I really only enjoyed that one because I saw this video and song before the movie.
Anyway, I just didn’t see how it could work in a half hour sitcom situation.
When it was on I never really heard much about the show, and then all of a sudden on social media I noticed so many people commenting on the season finale. Seeing how they’d loved the whole season and every show and they just seem to really enjoy it so in the back of my mind it was there is something I should watch at some point in time.
Yesterday seemed to be that time. I started out playing it in the background as I was doing artwork on my iPad, but soon ended up watching it and putting the art away. I have to warn you I teared up pretty much every episode. Literally crying in some of them. It was the perfect combination of humour heart and everyday life crap. The teary parts were always with her dad. Peter Gallagher has only gotten better with age and after his stint on Frankie and Grace I only love him more. This was a great role for him.
Now, the thing is, I don’t know if every episode made everybody tear up like that, or if it’s because of what’s going on with my mom. For those of you who don’t know, my mom is officially undiagnosed, because we can’t get her to go to the doctor, but we believe she has dementia. We’ve believed it for a couple of years but we still can’t get her to do anything about it. She fell one time at home and my dad called an ambulance and even the medics couldn’t get her to go to the hospital. We believe it’s dementia because I’ve talk to the Alzheimer Society and doctors and the symptoms all lineup. But basically she is wasting away physically because she either forgets to eat or doesn’t want to eat. And her long-term memory is was fairly good until recently, but her short term memory has been gone for several years. The biggest clue was the delusions. I’m not gonna get into it, but they’re there and we as her family all recognize it. For me the very worst time came just before I turned 50 last November. This is what made me see my Mom in Zoey’s Dad.
Three weeks before my birthday my mom suddenly got angry with me. She wouldn’t speak to me. I’d walk into a room she would get up and walk out she wouldn’t even look at me. I was devastated. My mom has been my best friend since I left home when I was 17 years old. We weren’t super close when I was growing up because she was a strict Catholic mom, but when I moved out and I was on my own in a different city in a different province she was the one I always called for advice and help. And she was always there for me. As I grew up and matured we became closer and became friends. So having that happen right out of the blue, with no warning at all, was devastating to me.
My dad didn’t know what was going on and just asked me to stay away for a while as my being around agitated her. So I stayed away and I stopped calling because she wouldn’t come to the phone when I called or answer it if the voicemail said it was me. Then after two weeks she suddenly was fine again doesn’t remember being mad at me. But during that time all I could think was what if I never get to speak to her again? I knew in my heart that if she knew how much she was hurting me she wouldn’t do that, but the thing is with Alzheimer’s or dementia is that as much as your loved one looks like themself, they’re not really themselves anymore. And that episode really brought it home. So watching Zoe find a way to connect with her father and help her family connect with her father when he was unable to communicate really hit me in the heart
As for Zoe getting a season two that’s still sort of up in the air as far as I can find on the Internet. It didn’t do great on the season but it apparently has a great digital following. Which I can vote for as I just binged watched the whole season in one day. So, have you watched it? Are you maybe going to if you haven’t? Does this entice you to watch it at all.? Don’t let my teary response scare you off because it really is actually funny and very feel good which in this time and space is something I think we all could use a little love. So check it out.
If you have watched it….. I think if there is a season two she’s going to go for Simon first. Not so much because he’s the right one for her because as Matt said “you sand one about love and one about attraction.” I think as a 20 something woman she’s going to go for attraction. I think most people that age do but I could be wrong? What do you think?
BTW: Still no official word on if there will be a Season 2, but Zoey did win the Save Our Shows Survey…so there is hope.