The season-two premiere of “Smash” has the task of getting rid of old characters and introducing new ones. Karen, played by Katharine McPhee, crumpled a note from her ex-boyfriend so that we never have to see him again. Julia, played by Debra Messing, broke up with her husband and sent him off the show. Eileen, played by Anjelica Houston, no longer has her annoying assistant who didn’t even rate a mention.
Meanwhile, they add some new characters like a songwriting duo and a roommate for Karen. The most interesting addition is Jennifer Hudson, who plays Veronica, the star of a successful Broadway show. Hudson is fantastic and steals every scene she’s in. She and McPhee sing a duet of “On Broadway” that is the highlight of the episode. Not coincidentally, the title of the episode is also “On Broadway.”
For the most part, I liked the first season of “Smash.” I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the two-hour premiere when it airs February 5 on NBC. My wife and I already watched the first hour, which is available now for free on Amazon.com and other online and OnDemand sources.
