Zoey's Extraordinary Mother

**Zoey's Extraordinary Mother** is the eleventh episode of NBC's musical dramedy *Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist*. It aired on April 26, 2020.

## Episode Summary

Zoey has to figure out a clever way to help her mother with an impossible decision. Max unexpectedly bonds with Leif. Mo hits a rough patch with Eddie.

## Plot

Zoey, while in the car with David and Maggie, asks her mother if she is clear on the plan. Maggie says she'll stay aloof, reveal nothing, and keep small talk to a minimum. David asks about eye contact, and Maggie says he and Zoey are being dramatic and that she has dealt with salespeople before. Maggie says she is starting to regret Zoey and David coming with her. They all get out of the car at the cemetery and start walking. Dale, an employee at the cemetery, says he is sorry for their loss, but Zoey says they haven't lost Mitch yet. Dale praises them for planning ahead and says that Mitch is very lucky to have them, but Maggie retorts that they don't have all day. Dale tells the family that picking an eternal resting spot is difficult, but the memorial service will handle all their needs. Dale lists the different services they offer, and Maggie asks for clarification on some packages. Dale apologizes for going too fast and suggests they start with something simple.

Dale leads the family into a room filled with caskets and touts their wide selection. Zoey notices that Maggie looks very overwhelmed and asks if she’s alright. Maggie starts singing “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” looking very uncomfortable. David and the other patrons in the mausoleum also sing and dance with her, and Zoey watches the performance uncomfortably. After the song, Dale asks Maggie if any of the coffin models is speaking to her. Zoey turns to David and says they need to leave. Zoey leads Maggie out of the coffin room and tells her to feel free to swear if she wants. Maggie says she is fine, but she then swears in agony.

At SPRQ Point, Max and Leif, holding takeout bags and drinks, get on the elevator right behind Zoey. Zoey says morning to Max, who replies that it is the afternoon. Zoey tells Max he wouldn't believe the day she has had so far, but Max says nothing. Zoey brushes Max off and asks Leif if they made any progress on the bake- off. Leif cryptically says yes. When the elevator reaches the fourth floor, Zoey gets off and looks back after Leif doesn't join her. Max tells Zoey that Leif is on his team now, leaving Zoey in disbelief. Zoey protests that Max can't steal their best programmer in the middle of a bake-off, but Max replies that Leif came to him. Leif confirms this. Zoey asks Max if he's really so mad at her that he's willing to work with his least favorite person at SPRQ Point. Max says Tobin is his least favorite and that he just wants his floor to win. The elevator doors close, and Zoey storms off angrily.

Zoey storms into Joan's office and asks her if she actually approved Leif working on the sixth floor. Joan avoids answering and chastises Zoey for coming into work so late. Zoey asks about the Chirp, but Joan says that after Leif put in a transfer, she couldn't say no after everything that happened between them. Zoey resolves to take down Ava and the sixth floor but laments the bad timing because of everything with her dad. Zoey apologizes to Joan and says she is not sure she can be on her A-game, but Joan insists that Zoey not worry and take all the time she needs. Joan reminds Zoey that she was there for her when she was going through it, so she will be there for Zoey.

At the Clarke home, Maggie sifts through samples and swatches and remarks that she is feeling overwhelmed by all the choices. Zoey advises her to take it one step at a time and asks if she wants to start with headstones. Maggie insists that she needs Mitch for this since he knows how to make decisions. Zoey asks if she wants to ask Mitch for help, and Maggie approaches him and asks if he needs anything. Zoey watches sadly as Maggie kisses him on the cheek. Maggie mentions that Mitch is not doing well and that he is not eating and is sleeping a lot. Zoey asks Maggie why they didn't plan for their funerals earlier, and Maggie replies that they thought they had all the time in the world. Maggie expresses her frustration and tells Zoey that all of these decisions is a lot for her.

Zoey sits on the couch at Mo's apartment, gulping down wine. Mo pours her more and asks if she wants a straw. Zoey says she knows he's joking but says yes and asks when the last time he went funeral shopping was. Zoey says that Maggie is overwhelmed with all the things she has to decide, and Mo says this is why he already planned his funeral in elaborate detail. He gives Zoey a straw and she starts sipping her wine. Mo describes his funeral to Zoey, and Zoey says it almost sounds fun before Mo retorts that if any of his friends are caught not sobbing they have to go. Zoey asks Mo if he will speak at her funeral because she thinks he's now officially her best friend, prompting Mo to ask about her Max drama. Zoey starts saying that Max pretty much wants nothing to do with her but hears the door rattling and asks if someone is coming over. Mo explains that he gave Eddie a key. Eddie enters and tells Mo that he got a fancy callback for a Broadway review show on a cruise ship for eight months. Eddie hugs Mo, and Zoey says that's amazing and that she hopes he gets it. Mo remarks that he hadn't heard about it being eight months before, and Eddie says he must've kept it to himself since it was a long shot. Mo does not look too happy with this.

On the sixth floor of SPRQ Point, Max exclaims that they completed the AR interface for the Chirp and says he says he has come to expect this level of excellence from his team. He does an elaborate handshake with one of the coders as others cheer them on. Max walks up to Leif's desk and asks if him being a manager is weirding him out. Leif replies that the only thing that's weird is that Max is actually an impressive manager. Leif says he meant that as a compliment, and Max says that might be the nicest thing Leif has ever said to him. Max sees a drawing on Leif's desk and asks what it is. He picks the drawing up and sees a heartbroken drawing of Leif and Joan, and Leif says it is nothing. Max reassures Leif and says that Zoey told him about his thing with Joan. Leif sadly says it's over, and Max asks if he wanted to transfer up there because of Joan. Leif says he needed a change of scenery, and Max asks Leif if he wants to get a beer with him after work.

Zoey, David, and Emily walk with Dale as Zoey tells him that they are doing whatever they can to make things easier for Maggie. Dale leads them into the memorial chapel and shows them the 4K projection system if they want to do a multimedia tribute for Mitch. Dale and Emily start talking about The Crown, but David interrupts that they just want to take a look at the grounds. Dale informs them that if they act that day, they can get a family plot with six spaces. David starts counting the number of spaces in the plot, but Emily tells him that she does not want to be buried. Emily says she is claustrophobic and tells Dale she is getting cremated. David says he thought they agreed to be together forever, but Emily insists that "till death do us part" lasts only while they're both alive. Dale suggests they make their way to the plots and leads David and Emily out. As Zoey lingers behind, she hears someone singing and looks out the window. Zoey sees a woman put down flowers and spiritedly sing "Feeling Good" at a grave while holding a bright umbrella. After the song is over, the woman turns around and smiles at Zoey.

Back at her parents' home, Zoey shows Maggie a map of the cemetery where they put down a deposit for plots. Zoey tells Maggie that the plots are in a very pretty, quiet area by a fountain, but Maggie says the fountain is hideous and tells Zoey the plots won't work. Zoey points out another area Dale showed them, but Maggie objects, saying that it is right by the highway and that Mitch hates traffic. Zoey asks Maggie if she wants to look at pictures of other spots, but Maggie looks away, exasperated. Zoey assures Maggie that they're just trying to make it easier for her. Maggie says she knows and appreciates their help, but none of the plots were right. Zoey says helping Maggie might be beyond her abilities and asks her mom if she knows someone who has also gone through losing their spouse. Maggie adamantly tells Zoey that she is the first. Zoey asks how she can help, and Maggie tells her to get her deposit back and that she will not be rushed into a decision like that.

At SPRQ Point, Zoey walks in and says she is sorry she's late. Tobin reassures Zoey and says that he completed all the AR interface for the Chirp. Zoey walks over to Tobin's desk and says she's impressed and that that was super fast. Zoey looks over, sees someone in a black hoodie sitting at Max's desk, and wonders out loud who it is. The hooded figure turns out to be Joan, who turns around and tells Zoey that since they're light on manpower, she's helping out. Zoey remarks that she has never seen Joan in a hoodie before, but Joan insists that the hoodie is exorbitantly expensive. As Tobin laughs at something on his screen, Joan tells him to stop Slacking with Leif. Tobin explains that he wants to know the details of how Leif is doing on the sixth floor. Zoey thanks the coders for holding down the fort and says that she will catch up as soon as she can. Joan rolls to Zoey's desk in her chair and asks her if she has an hour free that night. Zoey says she could probably find time and asks why, and Joan says Zoey looks like she could use it.

Zoey and Joan sit down at a karaoke bar as a man sings badly in the background. Zoey asks Joan if this was just a ploy to get her to duet with her. Joan laughs and says that the karaoke bar was just the closest to work. Zoey tells Joan she knows she has not been focused and that they are falling behind in the bake-off, but Joan tells Zoey she just wanted to tell her about her mom. Joan says her mom was a very tough stay-at-home mom and that she could have ruled the world. When her mom got sick, Joan was working her way up in the ranks at Google, and on the night she died, Joan was prepping for a presentation for the Google Smart Pencils. Joan asks Zoey if she remembers those, and Zoey says barely. Joan reassures Zoey that work may seem like the most important, but she will never get the time with her family back. Zoey sees something in the distance and alerts Joan to it. They both look and see Max and Leif enter the bar.

As they walk in, Max tells Leif to not look, but Zoey and Joan are right in front of them. Leif looks and says he thinks they should leave and that he doesn't really want to see Joan. Max says they have to be strong and tells Leif to show Joan he's okay. Max leads Leif over to Zoey and Joan and tells him to project confidence. Max greets Zoey as Leif greets Joan. Joan asks Leif how things are on the sixth floor, and Leif awkwardly insists that they are rock-solid. Meanwhile, Zoey asks Max if he and Leif are drinking buddies now, but Max says they are just grabbing a beer since he likes connecting with the members of his team on a personal level. Zoey patronizingly tells Max what he said was heartwarming but that Leif will stab him in the back the first chance he gets. Max says he and Leif have work matters to attend and leads Leif away from his awkward conversation with Joan.

As Leif and Max drink back at the bar, Leif asks Max how he did it. Max asks Leif what he is talking about, and Leif tells him that everyone knows he has a big crush on Zoey. Max says he's not sure he is completely over her, but he tries not to wallow. Max tells Leif that he has started to regain his sense of self and realized that he can thrive beyond his relationship with Zoey. Suddenly, the man running karaoke announces that Leif is up next, and Max commends him for putting himself out there. Leif starts singing “All Out Of Love" sadly while looking at Joan. Joan tells Zoey that there is nothing worse than someone singing directly into someone else's eyes, and Zoey agrees. Zoey waves her hands to get Max's attention and makes a jokey gesture for Leif to stop singing. Out of the blue, Max starts heart-singing “Bye Bye Bye” in an angry, assertive manner. Max's heart song pauses, and Zoey sees that Leif is still singing. Joan says she thought Leif was over her, and Zoey says he definitely isn't. Zoey looks back to see Max resume his song, and says he seems to be over her. After Max stops singing, Zoey sees that Leif is still singing and asks Joan if she wants to get out of there. As she and Joan leave, Zoey glances back at Max. After Zoey exits, Max glances back at her.

Zoey walks by Mo's apartment and says good morning. Mo asks Zoey how she is as he tinkers with his doorknob. Zoey mentions that she is going back to the cemetery for the third time that week and asks Mo what's wrong with his doorknob. Mo says the doorknob has seen too many keys, and Zoey asks if something happened with Eddie. Mo huffily says nothing happened other than Eddie sailing the seas for eight months, so Mo decided to jump ship before Eddie did. Zoey suggests that he and Eddie try long-distance, but Mo asserts that he hates long-distance and abruptly shuts his door.

At the cemetery, Zoey tells Dale she appreciates the refund and that her mom just needs a bit of time. Dale says he understands. Zoey hears a woman talking and looks over to see the woman she saw singing at the cemetery talking to some other people. The woman brightly reassures her companions that nobody said there is a right way to grieve. Zoey walks up to the woman and apologizes for interrupting. Zoey introduces herself and tells the woman that she saw her during her tour with Dale. The woman introduces herself as Deb and advises Zoey to not fall for Dale's selling tactics. Zoey remarks that Deb seems to know a lot about the cemetery, and Deb explains that when her husband passed away, the cemetery took good care of her. Deb says that she recommended the cemetery to all her friends, which keeps bringing her back. Zoey asks Deb if she wants to hang out, and Deb agrees.

At SPRQ Point, Tobin jumps up and exclaims that he finished the pattern-matching function on the reverse image search for the Chirp. After his announcement, Tobin informs everyone that he is going to take a victory lap. Joan tells Tobin that they all know his bathroom schedule and that they are not fooled, and Tobin runs off. As he leaves, Joan asks Tobin if he can send her the pattern file, but she realizes that he has already gone. Joan walks up to Tobin's desk and starts looking for the file. While she searches his computer, she sees a Slack message pop up from Leif saying that he has more code for Tobin and to meet him on the fifth floor.

The elevator doors open on the fifth floor, and Leif emerges, looking for Tobin in the construction. Joan walks out from the shadows and remarks that it would be a great place to murder someone. Joan tells Leif that she knows he's funneling Chirp code to Tobin. She asks Leif if he doesn't want to win the bake-off, and Leif says that he wants her to win the bake-off. Leif tells Joan that he is not giving up on them and that he wanted to do a big gesture for her. Joan tells Leif that it is a stupid gesture that could get him fired by Ava. Leif tells Joan that she's worth the risk, but Joan insists that she isn't and that she let their relationship go way too far and that it's over. Leif asks what about the Chirp and says that they are making strides upstairs. Joan tells Leif that she will figure it out and tells him no more espionage. Leif agrees, and Joan thanks him.

Zoey and Maggie browse pies, and Maggie mentions that it has been a while since they had a mother-daughter dessert date. Zoey tells Maggie that when she woke up that morning, it felt like a Pie World kind of day. Deb calls out to Zoey from a table, and Maggie asks who she is. Zoey tells Maggie that that is her friend Deb, and Maggie is surprised. Zoey introduces Deb and Maggie and asks Maggie to take a seat. Maggie asks what is happening. Zoey says she wanted to be the one to help Maggie through everything, but she is losing the love of her life. Zoey says she doesn't have experience with that, but Deb does. Zoey implores her mother to talk to Deb, but Maggie looks uncomfortable. Zoey nudges her.

Deb and Maggie sit together and eat pie, and Deb has several slices in front of her. Maggie remarks that Deb must really like pie, but Deb says she just has a hard time making decisions. Maggie says that she does too, lately. Maggie confides in Deb opening up to a complete stranger isn't exactly her, and Deb reassures her that there is no pressure judgment coming from her end. Maggie expresses anxiety over the decisions for Mitch's funeral, and Deb tells her that she thought everything had to be perfect for her husband's funeral, but she hardly remembers it. Maggie says she doesn't know how to let go of Mitch because they have been together so long, and Deb says it was the same with her husband and asks if Maggie thinks Mitch really cares what flowers she picks for his funeral. Maggie jokes that they are in the landscape design business, but she says she gets Deb's point. Maggie says that every decision feels like it's moving her closer to Mitch's death and to everything being real. Deb says it’s very real and that Maggie has to accept it. Deb tells Maggie she could give her a big lecture on everything she will gain from loss, but they just have to get her through this first. Maggie says she doesn't want to get through it, but Deb says she has to whether she wants to or not. Deb reassures Maggie that she will be there anytime she wants to talk. Maggie's phone dings, and she sees a message from Zoey asking how it's going. Maggie replies that she is feeling good. Back at SPRQ Point. Zoey looks at Maggie's message and smiles. Then, she looks at Max's empty desk forlornly.

As Joan walks onto the fifth floor, Ava declares that it's a dramatic choice for neutral ground and that it would be a great place to kill someone. Joan bemoans she and Ava think alike and tells her that they have a problem. Joan tells Ava that someone from her team has been leaking information down to the fourth floor. Ava asks if it is Max, and Joan tells her that it was Leif. Ava says that it is a massive ethics violation and that Leif needs to be fired immediately, but Joan says though what he did was stupid, she would rather not fire him. Joan says that since Leif worked on her team for seven years, she can handle the situation directly. Ava asks Joan why she is telling her instead of just using the sixth floor's work against them, and Joan says she likes to fight fair. Ava asks what they should do about it, and Joan says that as the top two ranking women at SPRQ Point, they should band together for once.

Mo thanks Zoey for meeting him as they walk into Eddie's dance audition. Mo carries a bag of Eddie's stuff and says he wants to make sure it's out of the apartment before changing the locks. Zoey asks Mo if he really thinks Eddie's going to fight with him in the middle of his audition, and Mo says Zoey has no idea what Eddie is capable of and that he's going to calmly give Eddie his dance bag back and then have him out of his life once and for all. Zoey and Mo walk into the audition right as the audition judges call up the next group. Mo sees Eddie at the far end of the dance studio and tells Zoey he will be right back. Mo dramatically walks through the audition dancers towards Eddie and heart-sings "Issues" to him. The song abruptly stops as one of the judges condescendingly tells Mo they're in the middle of an audition. Mo says sorry and then resumes singing and dramatically walking towards Eddie. When the song ends, Mo drops Eddie's bag at his feet and tells him to lose his number. Eddie sadly tells Mo it doesn't have to go down like that, but Mo walks out, with Zoey following behind. Zoey tells Mo she heard him sing to Eddie and that he didn't sound ready to break up with him. Mo insists that they have too many issues, and Zoey offers that maybe they can work through them. Mo reminds Zoey that she did not attempt to work through her issues with Max, but Zoey asserts that it's not the same as Mo leaves.

Max and his team walk onto the fourth floor, and Leif asks Max what is happening. Max tells Leif that he doesn't know, but he doesn't like it. Meanwhile, Tobin asks Zoey if she has any idea what the teams's meeting is about. Zoey says that if Joan and Ava want to talk to them all together, it's either about the Chirp or the first sign of the apocalypse. Zoey and Max greet each other coldly and awkwardly walk up the steps before going opposite directions. Joan and Ava enter and tell the coders to all take a seat. They tell the coders that over the years, the fourth and sixth floors have had a heated rivalry, but they are really one big team. During the speech, Zoey glances at Max, but he looks down. Joan and Ava announce that rather than fighting, they are going to make some changes and work together. Joan and Ava start singing “Get Together” as coders from different teams embrace. Zoey glances at Max, but he doesn't make eye contact with her.

Maggie shows Zoey, David, and Emily a plot on a hill overlooking the city. She shows them the sunset they will see when they visit and tells them that she arranged to have a cedar tree planted next to Mitch so there would be shade for visitors. David exclaims that it's amazing and says he didn't even know the cemetery would allow something like that. Maggie tells him that you have to know the right people. Emily asks Maggie how many plots they are going to get. Maggie says she only started with two says they have the option to expand later. David prods Emily, and she says she would be happy if they sprinkled part of her body over him and the rest in the bay. Zoey tells Maggie she is proud of her, and they hug. Maggie tells Zoey it was time and that she could only postpone the inevitable for so long, and Zoey gives her a meaningful look.

On the sixth floor of SPRQ Point, Max sits at his desk looking at his computer when Zoey approaches and exclaims that she got up there without an access card. Max coldly asks what he can help her with, and Zoey asks him if he really wants to do this. Max says he's not doing anything, just living his life. Zoey starts saying that if Joan and Ava can make up, but then she asks Max to just hear her out for a minute. Max agrees, and Zoey tells him that she has spent the last several days at a cemetery, which has made her very aware of how precious time is. Zoey tells Max that if she had to die tomorrow, she couldn't stomach being this so apart from him. Max sighs and tells Zoey that he has been getting good at finding his strength lately, but it is hard to hold his ground when she plays both the Joan and Ava cemetery cards. Zoey laughs and tells Max she had to haul out the big guns, and Max smiles. Zoey tells Max that she doesn't expect them to go back to how things were, but maybe with time. Max continues her thought and says that they could somehow get back to, and Zoey finishes whatever they are. Max agrees and smiles. Ava asks to see Max in her office. Max says a manager's work is never done and tells Zoey he'll talk to her later. Zoey smiles and walks away. Max smiles to himself.

Max enters Ava's office and asks her why she's still there. He says he takes a great deal of pride in shutting down the office and jokingly tells Ava to beat it already. Ava says she was waiting to talk to him, and Max seems surprised. Ava tells Max that Leif has been sending their code downstairs all week, which is why they had to end the bake-off. Max seems shocked and frustrated by this. Ava retorts by asking Max if he thought he could handle Leif even though he had a history of insubordination. She tells Max that she can't let someone with that kind of judgment lead her team and that he is fired. Max stands there in disbelief.

## Cast

### Main

* **Jane Levy** as Zoey Clarke
* **Skylar Astin** as Max Richman
* **Alex Newell** as Mo
* **John Clarence Stewart** as Simon Haynes (credit only)
* **Peter Gallagher** as Mitch Clarke
* **Mary Steenburgen** as Maggie Clarke

### Guest Starring

* **Renée Elise Goldsberry** as Ava Price
* **Michael Thomas Grant** as Leif Donnelly
* **Kapil Talwalkar** as Tobin Batra
* **Andrew Leeds** as David Clarke
* **Alice Lee** as Emily Kang
* **Patrick Ortiz** as Eddie
* **Bernadette Peters** as Deb

### Co-Starring

* **Cale Walde** as Random Businessman
* **Craig Haas** as Karaoke DJ
* **Veronica Bretton** as Drunk Karaoke Girl #1
* **Sage Linder** as Drunk Karaoke Girl #2
* **Mandy Moore** as Mandy Moore
* **Tom Pickett** as Grandfather
* **Nyima Hussein** as Young Granddaughter
* **Kelly Konno** as Middle Aged Sister #1
* **Dorie Konno** as Middle Aged Sister #2
* **Allison Law** as Nun #1
* **Cara Hrdlitschka** as Nun #2 (as Cara Lee)
* **Morgan Tanner** as Priest #1
* **James Hibbard** as Priest #2

#### Uncredited

* **Paul Feig** as Dale
* **Selma Heyman** as Funeral Director #1
* **Laura Ross** as Auditioning Dancer #8

## Trivia

* Showrunner Austin Winsberg and choreographer Mandy Moore both make brief cameos as judges during Eddie's dance audition.

## Gallery

* Pictures
* Videos

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