Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist centers on the titular character’s ability to hear people’s innermost feelings through song, courtesy of a routine MRI gone awry. However, the reasons behind where her powers came from or why she got them are never expanded upon in Season 1. Now that the NBC musical has been renewed for Season 2, will that change? Showrunner Austin Winsberg recently revealed that how Zoey got her powers could be explored further next season.
Jane Levy’s Zoey found herself in a lot of awkward situations because of her powers. She’d be going about her day when her friends (and sometimes strangers) would burst into songs that only she could hear. These musical outbursts led Zoey to discover exactly what the other characters were feeling at any given moment. She resisted her powers at first, but she began appreciating them later on. Will Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 2 reveal more about them? Here’s what Austin Winsberg told TVLine:
I feel like that’s something that we can continue to explore, and I like kind of leaning into the mythology a little bit, but not at the expense of the human dynamics and characters and relationships, which I think are more important. So that’s something that I want to continue to explore and play with, going forward, and perhaps that could become a bigger part of the storyline in Season 2.
I’m all for more exploration of Zoey’s powers, but I agree that it shouldn’t come at the “expense of human dynamics.” And, considering that the musical drama is not a sci-fi show, it would be a mistake to go so deep into the mythology and origin of Zoey’s powers for fear of derailing the series. Outlander, as an example, utilizes time travel without sidelining the characters or relying on the fantastical aspects too heavily.
That said, the exploration of Zoey’s powers might actually develop her as a character if it’s done well. She might have acclimated to having her powers in Season 1, but I’d be interested in understanding a bit more about how they work. If nothing else, Zoey should probably go back to the doctor for a follow-up MRI.
Austin Winsberg goes on to say that the mythology surrounding Zoey’s powers is certainly “interesting,” but that it wasn’t explored very much in Season 1 because he didn’t want the reasons for why she has musical powers to “overwhelm” the storyline. But, there might be a bit more time to focus on them for a bit more in Season 2. We’ll see how that goes.
All talk of powers aside, Zoey will be dealing with plenty of other things in Season 2. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist capped off Season 1 with Mitch’s death and wake. The sophomore season will likely tackle the aftermath of losing Mitch and the impact that will have on Zoey and her family.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 1 is currently available to stream on Hulu. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.
