Pilot

**Pilot** is the first episode and Season One premiere of NBC's musical dramedy *Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist*. It premiered on January 7, 2020.

## Episode Summary

Zoey, an introverted computer programmer living in San Francisco, begins to hear the innermost desires of the people around her through song.

## Plot

An exasperated Zoey Clarke awakes in her San Francisco apartment to the sound of her neighbor Mo singing very loudly. She knocks on Mo’s door and berates him for playing and singing his music so loudly, remarking that she has a huge day at work. As Zoey heads to work, Mo asks what music she is listening to. Zoey says he wouldn’t know the band, but in reality, she is just listening to a podcast.

At The Golden Gate Grind coffee shop, Zoey’s best friend Max Richman asks her if she’s ready for her big day at work. Zoey confides in Max that she is very nervous. Max orders black coffee and Zoey orders a nonfat latte. Max expresses annoyance at their boss, Joan Bennett, because she is making all the coders go after the promotion, and while Zoey really wants it, Max is content with the job he has. They arrive at their workplace, SPRQ Point, a vibrant tech company, where Zoey sees an attractive new coworker and greets him awkwardly. Max teases her, and the two discuss how complicated and exhausting Zoey's past relationships have been. Joan immediately calls Zoey into her office and asks her why she would be a good manager. Zoey awkwardly touts her programming skills, but ultimately, she gives a very lackluster interview. After this, Zoey tells her coworker, Leif Donnelly, that Joan wants to see him next. When Leif asks how Zoey’s interview went, another coder, Tobin Batra, makes lightly sexist remarks at Zoey, and Leif defends Zoey. Max expresses sympathy that Zoey’s interview did not go so well, and Zoey dejectedly replies that she just wishes she had good news to tell her father.

At Zoey’s parents’ house, her mother, Maggie Clarke, spoon-feeds her father, Mitch Clarke. Mitch has PSP (progressive supranuclear palsy) and cannot speak or move much. Zoey’s older brother, David Clarke, enters with some pizza, and he has a mild argument with Zoey over what is best for their father. Later, Zoey tells her mother that she has been experiencing headaches and some eye pain of late, and they discuss Zoey’s worries that she might have the same disease as her father.

At her mother's suggestion, Zoey goes to get an MRI. The MRI tech asks if she’d like to listen to music while in the machine, but Zoey is dismissive and tells him to play whatever. He plays “It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M. and soon after, an earthquake occurs. As the MRI machine shakes, the music playing alters her brain function. After her MRI, Zoey is talking to her mother on the phone when she thinks she hears the woman walking next to her singing. She asks the woman if she is singing to her, and though the woman scoffs at this, she then starts singing “All By Myself” out loud. Zoey interrupts the woman's song, but she denies that she ever sang. Zoey gets back on the phone with her mom, but she is distracted again by three women singing “Whatta Man” as a man walks by them on the sidewalk. Zoey keeps walking and sees a man start singing “Help!” by The Beatles. Gradually, many other people on the sidewalk join in. Zoey hops on a trolley to try to avoid them, but the people on the trolley start singing to her, too. Everywhere Zoey runs, the song seems to follow her. When the song is over, all the people who were singing walk their separate ways as if nothing had happened. Zoey runs back up to her apartment in shock. When she hears Mo singing again, she knocks on his door, wondering if he's singing to her, too. However, Mo seems to know he is singing. Zoey runs into his apartment and tells him people are singing their thoughts to her. Mo accepts Zoey's story and tells her to tell him if it happens again.

At SPRQ Point the next day, Tobin warns Zoey and Max that Joan is particularly upset. There are only five days until the launch of the SPRQ Point Watch, and there is a bug in the Health App giving inaccurate readings of people’s blood pressure. Joan tells the coders they are going to have to work late until they solve the bug. Later that night, Zoey and Leif are still working on the bug when Zoey hears someone singing. She realizes that it is her attractive new coworker, Simon Haynes. He is singing “Mad World” alone in his office while looking extremely pained and clutching a photograph. After hearing this, Zoey goes to a club called “The Make Out Place” and finds Mo, who is DJing for 70s night. She tells Mo that she heard Simon singing, and she is confused because the song he was singing was so sad, but he appears to be charming and happy. Zoey says she thinks the song was called “Mad World,” starting a running gag in the show where Zoey doesn’t know the names of any of the songs people sing to her. Mo tells Zoey he thinks the song may be a cry for help.

The next day at work, all the coders are working on the bug, clueless on how to solve it. Zoey approaches Simon at the cereal bar. After an awkward exchange where Zoey mentions that her dad is dying and asks Simon if he's secretly miserable, he asks if she wants to take a walk. Zoey and Simon leave work to walk and eat cheesequakes. Zoey and Simon stand near the Golden Gate Bridge, and Simon asks Zoey about her grief. Zoey asks if one of SImon’s parents is also dying, and he tells her that his dad killed himself five months ago. Simon tells Zoey to take advantage of the time she still has with her dad. Later at the Clarke home, Zoey tells her mother about her crush on Simon. She tells her mom she’s worried about her and her dad. Maggie says they're fine, but she expresses remorse that she can’t communicate with Mitch anymore.

At SPRQ Point the following day, Simon approaches Zoey while she is sitting with Max and tells her she can lean on him if she needs to. Zoey tells Max she bonded with Simon. Later, Joan tells Zoey the promotion is down to her and one more person. After this, Leif and Tobin badger Zoey about whether Joan was giving Zoey an edge in the competition. Though Leif pretends to be on Zoey’s side, he starts singing “All I Do Is Win” with the other coders. Zoey is taken aback at this as she learns that essentially all her male coworkers—with the exception of Max—are against her. After the song is over, Leif still panders to Zoey. Later, Zoey buys two cheesequakes when she runs into Simon. She asks him if she can talk to him, but Simon’s fiancée, Jessica, interrupts. They have an awkward exchange before Zoey leaves. At the Clarke home, Zoey vents to her dad about her troubles at work, her new superpower, and having a crush on an engaged man. As she is crying to her dad, he starts singing “True Colors” to her. Zoey is overcome with emotion, as it is evident that her dad is still processing everything around him, and she is able to dance with him. At the end of the song, Mitch reverts back to his vegetative state. Zoey runs into the kitchen and tells Maggie and David that Mitch is still processing and that they should take him sailing.

At SPRQ Point, Simon tells Zoey that he opened up to Jessica about his grief, but that he doesn’t think she relates to him like Zoey does. When Simon mentions a lack of communication between the two, Zoey has an epiphany and realizes that the app and the SPRQ Point Watch are not communicating. Zoey tells her fellow coders how they should proceed to solve the bug. In Joan’s office, Zoey finally gives her a confident answer as to how she would be a good manager. Later, Zoey and her family take Mitch sailing, and Mitch is able to clasp Maggie’s hand. The following morning, Zoey wakes up to Mo’s singing but seems to appreciate it this time. Leif and Tobin congratulate Zoey on her promotion. Max also congratulates Zoey, and Zoey thanks Max for being there for her. Suddenly, Max starts singing “I Think I Love You” to Zoey, revealing that he has feelings for her.

## Cast

### Starring

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

### Guest Starring

* **Michael Thomas Grant** as Leif
* **Kapil Talwalkar** as Tobin
* **Andrew Leeds** as David Clarke
* **India de Beaufort** as Jessica Hamilton

### Co-Starring

* **Adam Beauchesne** as MRI Tech
* **Connie Chen** as Ogling Woman #1
* **Karriyma Pekary** as Ogling Woman #2
* **Carolyn Fluehr** as Ogling Woman #3
* **Malinda Farrington** as Lonely Woman
* **Dan Sachoff** as Lost Man
* **Cindera Che** as Old Woman
* **Jillian Meyers** as Crowd Dancer #1
* **Emily Crouch** as Crowd Dancer #2
* **Colin Thomson** as Bald Man
* **Nick Baga** as Bird Scooter Rider
* **Stuti Mandala** as Woman Holding Baby
* **Damian Gomez** as Miserable Man
* **Andre dos Santos Morgan** as Three From Trolley #1
* **Adam Fallick** as Awkward Kid
* **Allegra de Peralta** as Three From Trolley #3

#### Uncredited

* **Morgan Larson** as Crowd Dancer #4
* **William W. Barbour** as Sedan Driver
* **Napoleon Highbrou** as Crowd Dancer #24
* **Charlie Nesbitt** as Kissing Couple
* **Gordon Hart** as Crowd Dancer #8
* **Britt Stewart** as Crowd Dancer #5
* **Leo Lam** as Crowd Dancer #12
* **John P. McGinty** as ASL Dancer
* **Steven J. Durham** as SUV Driver
* **Giovanni Jones** as Pedestrian
* **Jessica Bozzo** as Crowd Dancer #22
* **Asheesh Williams** as Hip Hop Passerby
* **Billy Mustapha** as SPRQ Dancer #3
* **Sarah Bush** as Crowd Dancer #19
* **Blake Coronado** as Pedestrian
* **Karen Chuang** as Crowd Dancer #11
* **Emanuela Silvestri** as Sports Club Client
* **Katherine Stein** as Crowd Dancer #27
* **Esteban Deleon** as Crowd Dancer #26
* **Johnny Yao** as Crowd Dancer
* **Charissa Kroeger** as Crowd Dancer #16
* **Wyatt Fossett** as Influencer
* **Cassidy Noblett** as Crowd Dancer #9
* **Ashley Ho** as Crowd Dancer #25
* **Patrick Stanley** as BMW driver
* **James Arthur M.**  as Crowd Dancer #33
* **Namita Kapoor** as Crowd Dancer #21
* **Belle Jessen** as Crowd Dancer #10
* **Jin Kim** as Crowd Dancer #30
* **Bianca Vallar** as Crowd Dancer #13
* **Camila Peraza** as Crowd Dancer #24
* **Victor Rojas** as Crowd Dancer #3
* **Madisyn Hayner** as Crowd Dancer #17
* **Danny Derrick** as Crowd Dancer #29
* **John Orr** as Crowd Dancer #28
* **Brenda Palaby** as Crowd Dancer #18
* **Carolyn Fluehr** as Ogling Woman #2
* **Talia Rapier** as Crowd Dancer #20
* **Jan Seville** as Crowd Dancer #23
* **Charles Williams** as Crowd Dancer #14
* **Jalen Preston** as Crowd Dancer #15
* **Yianni Apostolopolous** as Street Dancer
* **Nicholas Dohy** as Market Patron
* **Michael M Tatmon Sr.** as Pedestrian
* **Michael Tatmon** as Pedestrian
* **Jonathan White** as Street Pedestrian

## Gallery

* Pictures
* Videos

1/27

Zoey's Freaking the Eff Out! - Zoey's Extraordinary PlaylistZoey's Dad Shocks Her with a Song - Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

## Review

* This episode is discussed and reviewed in tandem with musical shows "Smash, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Glee."

## References

1. ↑ Broadway Podcast Network.com episode #213 Musical TV Pilots Get Broadwaysted!