extraordinary elevator kaleidoscope

Believe it or not, that's an introverted computer nerd in the center, singing "Crazy" as if she's known the Gnarls Barkley tune all of her life...

but she has not.

In fact, she was fairly oblivious to music in general - and musicals in particular - until an MRI incident opened up her world to life outside numbers and code.

But, like Sheldon Cooper of TBBT, she's blessed with family and friends familiar with feelings. 

Even more so, she has a fluid-gender neighbor who is a club disc jockey to figuratively hold her hand and help her understand all these emotions being flung at her via 'heart songs', by strangers and work colleagues and family alike.

Then, one day, the young woman finds herself as the one singing and dancing as if in a choreographed music video... but it's just her.

The accompaniment is all a figment of her newfound imagination.

And just what has set off the "Glitch" in her brand of superpower?

She has just left the family meeting called by the doctor of her terminally ill dad.

The medical world can do no more for the father and the family needs to prepare for his death.

I well recall Dr. Rydzak having that conversation with me and my brothers about my mom, twenty years ago last month.

I can totally relate.

No wonder that daddy's girl became her worst nightmare: a person who expresses emotions to everyone in her path, all day long, through song lyrics.

Grief doesn't pull any punches and leaves a person's mind in tatters.

This NBC show is very true to that truth.

So Zoey sings "Crazy" as she returns to work, post-doctor's office.

She sings "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" to her boss and coworker (Leif), having witnessed their scene the previous evening on her way out.

She sings "Pressure" when forced to participate in a meeting with the company owner about a new product in the works, no doubt saved from dismissal by the quick thinking of her best friend, Max, who turned her solo into a duet.

She sings "I'm Yours" to him, afterward, realizing too late that he will interpret it to mean she finally loves him, just as he loves her, and has loved her for quite some time.

She sings "I Want You To Want Me" to her crush, Simon, a man engaged to be wed but attracted to her via the prism of loss (she heard his 'heart song' about his father who'd committed suicide in the near past, hers is dying, so they have that in common).

Finally, at last, she accepts what is demanded of her by the universe: to talk to her father about her overwhelming emotions surrounding his demise.

After all, when her superpower presents her with someone else's 'heart song', her duty lies with helping them process the emotion driving the music.

So, all day long, she had avoided dealing with the emotion of this latest news about her dad, blowing off her mom's phone calls in the process - and, all day long, she had been haunted by other 'heart songs' emanating from her lips and moving her body, no matter how she tried to control the situations when they arose.

At day's end, she relents.

She sings "How Do I Live" to her Dad, a truly heartfelt moment between the girl he had always encouraged and protected and the man who had always accepted her as she was.

What a perfect song to end that episode.

I totally relate.

***   ***   ***

That was seen for the second time last night.

I had watched the entire season months ago, having seen previews for it on tv and been attracted to the musical nature of it.

N'est-ce pas?

Totally my cup of tea!

Then, last weekend, I was looking for something to distract from the grief anniversary of Mama's death...

and the universe reminded me of this.

It will only be available until the end of today and I still have four episodes to view.

I've thought of not watching the last one -

it deals with the funeral -

but it has the effervescent Bernadette Peters in a refreshing role -

so I'm going to try to get through it.

Plus, I know the relief of having completed this task will be good for me, much like eating all of a well-balanced meal is good for my body.

That's the usual way to get to dessert, too.

(smile)

i thank You, God, for the music in my life.