Zoey's Extraordinary Glitch

**Zoey's Extraordinary Glitch** is the eighth episode of NBC's musical dramedy *Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist*. It aired on March 29, 2020.

## Episode Summary

After receiving heartbreaking news, Zoey suffers a mysterious "glitch" in her powers.

## Plot

Maggie is on the phone with Zoey and tells her to send out email invitations to Emily's baby shower. Maggie mentions that Emily doesn't like baby showers and doesn't want hers to look, feel, or sound like a baby shower. Maggie asks if Zoey is coming to Mitch's doctor's appointment later, and Zoey says she will and that she wants to meet Howie, Mitch's new caretaker. Maggie says Howie is not what she expected, but she’s rolling with it.

In the elevator at SPRQ Point, Zoey tells Max that he really missed Movie Night the night before and that she’s making her way through Jim Carrey's oeuvre. Zoey says she’s on *Liar Liar,* and Max says that maybe when he returns to his roots, he will be ready for Movie Night again. When the elevator doors open, Tobin hurriedly tells Zoey that there's a problem with the SPRQ Point Watch but says it isn't his fault just because he wrote the entire calendar code. Tobin tells Zoey and Max that the bug causes every event created to be posted on Christmas. When Zoey and Max get to their desks, Zoey tells Max she has to tell him something. She looks over at Joan and Leif and tells Max she saw them kissing and saw Leif singing "I Put A Spell On You" the night before. Joan calls Zoey over and says she and Leif want to see her in Joan's office, and Zoey and Max look at each other.

Joan tells Zoey that the SPRQ Point CEO, Danny Michael Davis, is coming to town and wants to hear the pitch for the Chirp. Joan tells Zoey that this is their chance to show Danny what they can do, and Leif remarks that Joan deserves to be rewarded for her hard work. Joan and Leif flirt while Zoey listens uncomfortably. Joan tells Zoey to make a timeline for the Chirp for six months, but Zoey is unsure if she can make the timeline that short.

After Zoey leaves Joan's office, Simon runs up to her and says tech bloggers are reaching out to him for comments on the SPRQ Point Watch. Zoey says Tobin is working on the bug, and Simon says he's going to go make some calls. Zoey asks Simon if she can ask him something, and she asks if he knows Danny Michael Davis. Simon explains how Danny got him his job at SPRQ Point and says he’s intense. Simon tells Zoey that if she feels overwhelmed, she should take deep breaths. He mentions the new meditation technique he's using, and Zoey says it’s cool he's working on himself. Zoey says she has to go to her dad’s doctor's appointment.

At the doctor's office, Howie is telling a story about how he got robbed in the middle of a ghost pepper eating competition. Dr. Hamara enters and asks Howie to give him some time alone with the family. Howie leaves and says it was nice to meet Zoey. Dr. Hamara asks for the family to have a seat. He tells Mitch that his medication is no longer stopping the progression of his disease. Though Maggie and David protest, Dr. Hamara affirms that Mitch is in the final stages of his disease. Zoey starts hearing a ringing sound and tunes out the conversations with Dr. Hamara. The sound of her heart beating and the ringing continue as Zoey walks outside.

As Zoey enters SPRQ Point, her ears still ringing, she freezes. A woman asks Zoey if she’s okay, and music starts playing. Zoey starts singing “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, and the other people at SPRQ Point dance and perform along with her. When Zoey gets off the elevator on the fourth floor, she keeps dancing and singing. However, Max looks over and sees Zoey singing and dancing without any backup dancers or music. Max, smirking, asks Zoey if she’s alright and if someone is making her crazy. Zoey asks Max if she was singing out loud, and Max says yes. Zoey then asks if she was dancing alone or with dancers, and when Max says she was dancing alone, Zoey says she thought there were dancers. Zoey asks Max he thinks there’s something weird with her powers, and Max says they’re making her crazy.

As Zoey walks away briskly and mutters to herself how she’s going crazy, Max follows. Max tells Zoey to remember that a lot of people sing out loud. Zoey murmurs that she thought the song was inside her mind, but she was really singing and dancing. Max recalls that Zoey's powers normally let her hear other people’s songs, but now it's the opposite. Zoey says her singing "Crazy" makes sense because that is how the day is turning out to be. Max mentions that it is crazy because Danny Michael Davis is coming, and Zoey hesitantly agrees. Zoey’s phone rings. Max says Zoey singing out loud could be a one-time thing and that she shouldn't worry, and Zoey goes off and answers the phone.

On the phone, Maggie asks Zoey if she is okay since she left so quickly from the doctor's and they did not have a chance to talk. Zoey says she's sorry and that she had to get to work, but she's fine. Maggie says she's trying not to cry in front of Mitch. Zoey says she's sure there's plenty more they can do for Mitch but Maggie says she's not sure since Dr. Hamara was pretty definitive. Maggie hands the phone to David, who tells Zoey they are having a family meeting that night to go over Mitch's wishes with how to proceed with things. However, Zoey brushes this off, saying her CEO is coming to work. Zoey hurriedly says she's not sure how late she'll be at work and is unsure if she can make it and then hangs up.

In Joan's office, Joan asks Leif where they are with the Chirp presentation, and Leif says they’re almost done. Joan and Leif flirt and joke around as they discuss their presentation, and Zoey listens uncomfortably. Joan then asks to see Zoey's timeline on the Chirp. Zoey hands Joan her notes, and Joan and Leif make fun of Zoey's handwriting. Zoey squirms as Joan and Leif talk, and then Joan asks Zoey if she's okay. Suddenly, Zoey starts singing “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” Even though Zoey tries to stop singing several times, she continues involuntarily dancing and singing. Zoey finishes the song and immediately throws her head down on Joan's desk. Joan asks Zoey if she’s high. Zoey awkwardly says she's just high on life and that the song got stuck in her head because of the Christmas calendar glitch with the SPRQ Point Watch. Leif questions whether Zoey understands the importance of the pitch, and Joan tells Zoey it is not the day for any shenanigans. Zoey awkwardly leaves.

Zoey runs over to Max at the Cereal Bar and tells him that she sang out loud to Joan and Leif and couldn't stop. Right then, Tobin walks up to them and says he fixed the SPRQ Point Watch glitch but also created a new problem. Max suggests that Zoey's stress could be causing her powers to glitch. Zoey says she normally helps people when she hears them sing, and Max says Zoey needs to help herself. Simon walks up to Zoey and Max, and Max walks away. Simon asks Zoey how the doctor's office was, but Zoey dodges the question. Simon alerts Zoey that Danny Michael Davis has just arrived, and Zoey panics and says she needs more time. Simon says he’ll stall Danny by taking him up to the rooftop gardens, and Max looks on as they talk.

Leif opens an isolation pod and finds Zoey inside. He prods Zoey about the song she sang to him and Joan and says it didn't seemed more like an accusation than like a song that was stuck in her head. Zoey blurts out that she saw Joan and Leif making out, and Leif triumphantly declares that he knew Zoey knew. Zoey says she knows Leif is up to something, but Leif says he's just cherishing Joan and showering her with attention. Zoey gets a call from Maggie, which she declines. Suddenly, Tobin runs in and says that Danny Michael Davis is here. As Danny enters, the coders clap. Danny touts the carrot that he picked from the rooftop garden and asks his assistant Tony to make it into a smoothie. Danny declares his love for SPRQ Point, his first ever company, and asks if they love the Cereal Bar that he created.

In the conference room, Joan starts giving the presentation on the Chirp, saying that social anxiety has never been higher and that people need a greater sense of connection. Danny interrupts the presentation and says that products like the Chirp exist and asks what makes it different. He asks about the timeline, and Joan signals for Zoey to talk. Zoey glances at the people seated at the table as music starts playing, and she starts singing “Pressure.” Outside the conference room, Max hears something and looks over to see Zoey singing and dancing on the table. Max immediately runs over to help and starts singing and dancing along with Zoey. After the song ends, Joan cringes. Danny seems baffled by the presentation, but Max relieves Zoey and says that the Chirp helps relieve the pressure of awkward situations. Zoey chimes in that the Chirp is the duetting partner you always wanted but never knew you needed, glancing at Max. As Max tries to further justify the song, Joan cuts him off and says they’ll email Danny their proposal. As Danny walks off, Joan runs after him. Zoey cringes and grips her head in exasperation.

Later, Zoey lies on the ground in embarrassment. Max says he's sorry he ever doubted Zoey's powers because nobody could ever make up what just happened. Zoey says that if she can't find a way to stop singing, things will get really bad. Max tells Zoey to walk through her day, so they can figure out what happened. Zoey says the glitch started in the morning after she returned from her dad's doctor's appointment. Max asks about the doctor's appointment, but Zoey dodges his question and instead thanks him for saving her with the presentation. Zoey says nobody else would have done that for her and starts singing "I'm Yours" to Max. Max walks next to Zoey as she sings and dances. Zoey sits on a ping-pong table, grabs a paddle, and strums it like a guitar as Max sits next to her and does the same. As the song ends, Zoey giggles and rests her head on Max's shoulder. Max tells Zoey that says she just sang him a song, but Zoey evasively says she doesn't know why that happened. Max says that the song is her inner truth, but Zoey says she doesn't know if the song was saying exactly what he thinks it was. However, Max teases Zoey that it was pretty clear what the song meant. Leif walks over and says that Joan wants to see both Zoey and Max in her office. Zoey tells Max she's sorry and follows Leif, but Max says under his breath that he's not and that it was totally worth it.

In her office, Joan furiously asks Max why he's smiling, and Max says he's in a good mood for unrelated reasons. Joan questions why Zoey and Max would go rogue during the presentation and tells them that Danny said he needs space. Joan says she doesn't know if she can trust them anymore. Then, Tobin walks in and says there's a situation with the SPRQ Point Watch. Joan tells them all to get out and fix the glitch. As they walk, Tobin tells Zoey and Max that the coders fixed the holiday switcheroos, but now the watch shares events with all of someone's contacts. Zoey tells them to get it under control, and Max teasingly assures her that whatever she needs him to do, he's hers.

Zoey declines another call from her mom. She enters the meditation room and starts taking deep breaths, but Simon startles her. Simon notices that Zoey is trying his new breathing technique and mentions that he is mediating. Zoey says she needed a break and sits down. Simon mentions that the meditation room is his new favorite place. Zoey hears music start playing and tells Simon she apologizes in advance for whatever she is about to say. Suddenly, Zoey starts singing “I Want You To Want Me,” shocking Simon. As she sings, Zoey crawls on the floor to Simon, and they get very close. After the sing ends, Zoey says she's sorry, and Simon looks over to see Max standing in the doorway. Max derisively says he had a programming question but didn't want to interrupt Zoey's song, and then he storms off. Zoey says sorry to Simon and runs after Max.

Zoey finds Max and asks if they can talk. Max retorts that he doesn't want to talk. He bursts out that it is messed up that Zoey sang a love song to him and then, right after, sang a love song to Simon. Zoey and Max fight over Zoey's intentions with the songs, and Zoey insists that she's just as surprised as Max that she sang to both of them. Max chastises Zoey for blaming her powers again and angrily walks into the bathroom. Zoey follows him inside. Zoey says Max can't be mad at her, but Max says he can since Zoey sang the truth, which wasn't that she and Max can't be together because it would endanger their friendship, but because she has feelings for both him and Simon. Zoey contends that she wasn't even sure she had those feelings until she sang them. Max says pointedly that one of the songs Zoey sang was about attraction, and the other was about love. Max says he would choose love, but Zoey has to make up her mind. Max leaves, and Tobin walks into the bathroom and says 'sup to Zoey. As Zoey leaves, Tobin tries to gossip with her.

Zoey walks up to Simon's office, which she sees is empty. Joan sees Zoey and tells her to grab coffee with her. Joan tells Zoey that she heard from Danny, who said that he thinks Zoey's weird. Joan is disappointed that Zoey's timeline implied the Chirp would take a year, but she excitedly tells Zoey that Danny said he would give them the money the need. Joan asks Zoey about the timeline and her "performance" during the presentation, and Zoey bursts out that she she saw Joan and Leif kissing. Joan says it was a huge mistake. Zoey warns Joan that Leif might not be in it for the right reasons, but Joan laughs and says that's good. Joan assures Zoey that it will not happen again with Leif and that she can stop any time she wants.

Zoey walks into Simon's office and asks if he wants to know what that was with the song. Simon says it sounded like she wants him to want her. Zoey says if she sang it she meant it, and Simon remarks that that was a strange way to phrase it. Simon admits that he is confused, especially since they decided there was nothing between them. Zoey says she couldn't keep truth inside and that it had to come out, even though she didn't want to ruin him and Jessica's relationship. Zoey reveals that she still has has residual feelings for Simon, and he pulls her in for a kiss. After they pull apart, both Zoey and Simon say they have to go.

That night, Zoey holds her head in her hands as she stares at her computer. Tobin rolls over in his chair and tells Zoey that he found the mistake in the code and that the crisis is averted. Zoey tells Tobin that's good, but Tobin reminds her that it was his fault. Zoey reassures Tobin that he worked all day and that he doesn't sound like a screwup to her. Max walks over and tensely asks Zoey why her mom is asking him if she is okay. Zoey offhandedly mentions that Maggie called a few times. Max reminds Zoey that people are really worried about her. When Zoey stays silent, Max rolls his eyes and starts to walk away. Suddenly, Zoey tells him that her father only has a few weeks left. Zoey says that they found out that morning, and then the day kept getting worse. Max tells Zoey that he's sorry. Zoey says that when Dr. Hamara told them, she ran away because she couldn't face it. Zoey confides in Max that she's supposed to go home so her family can talk, but she doesn't know how to be around Mitch. Max says he knows Zoey can do it since she has been laying down truths to everyone all day and made it through without anyone hating her. Zoey says she doesn't know how long she can continue singing out loud, and Max says she needs to stop avoiding it and go face Mitch.

Zoey arrives at her parents' house and waves at Howie. She hugs her mother, who says she is glad that Zoey made it. How says he is going to give them some alone time and that he'll be in the guest room if they need anything. Zoey asks her mother how her father is doing, and Howie interjects that Mitch is fine and that he has been binge-watching a TV show about surviving in the Arctic. Maggie asks Zoey if she is going to talk to Mitch. Zoey admits that she is afraid to, but she wants to.

Zoey sits down by Mitch and looks at the TV show he's watching. After seeing a man kill a moose, Zoey mutes the TV and asks her father if they can talk for a second. Zoey says she feels horrible saying this but admits that she did not want to come that night. She tells Mitch that after Dr. Hamara met with them, things got real, and her first instinct was to run away. Zoey starts singing “How Do I Live” to Mitch. She sits next to him while she sings, and he looks at her and caresses her cheek. After Zoey stops singing, Maggie enters and asks if they are okay. Zoey says yes and that they're just watching a show about survival. Zoey gives a small smile and takes a deep breath.

## Cast

### Starring

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

### Guest Starring

* **Michael Thomas Grant** as Leif Donnelly
* **Kapil Talwalkar** as Tobin Batra
* **Andrew Leeds** as David Clarke
* **Hiro Kanagawa** as Dr. Hamara
* **Noah Weisberg** as Danny Michael Davis
* **Zak Orth** as Howie

### Co-Starring

* **Cheyenne Mabberley** as Woman in Lobby
* **Duncan Bourke** as Tony

#### Uncredited

* **Mya Lowe** as Chorus Performer
* **Sam Scherzer** as Chorus Performer
* **Randa Barrett**
* **Joshua Blumhagen** as Dancer
* **Shae Bourne** as Dancer
* **Lex Burnham** as Dancer
* **Milaina Chanel** as Chorus Performer
* **Nicholas Dohy** as Exec-Type
* **Charlotte Kavanagh** as Dancer
* **Janessa McGrath** as Dancer

## Trivia

* This is the only episode where every song is sung by the same character (Zoey).

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