WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Season 2, Episode 3, available now on Peacock and Hulu.
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is normally a musical extravaganza, including large, choreographed group performances and orchestrated solos. But Season 2, Episode 3, "Zoey's Extraordinary Dreams," hinges on a prolonged moment of silence that does something the series has never done before — showcasing what all these songs look like from someone else's perspective.
Max has known about Zoey's ability to hear people's inner thoughts as songs since mid-way through Season 1. Though skeptical at first, he soon not only fully believed her powers, but started noting one important drawback. While Zoey would always have a secret window into what others were thinking, her guarded nature made it difficult for others to read her. Even after Zoey and Max get together in the second season, she still doesn't always let Max in and tell him what's bothering her.
This lack of communication comes to a head in Season 2, Episode 3. Zoey tells Max that she talked to a man at work that she used to have a crush on, and Max tries not to come off as jealous. There are a couple seconds of silence as Zoey's face contorts, reacting to something that only she can see and hear. Max gets angry that even though he tried to control his emotions, he was betrayed by his inner thoughts and Zoey's superpower.
It's the first time Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist really shows what other people see when Zoey hears her heart songs, and it's used cleverly here. Zoey doesn't know the name of the song that Max presumably performs, so the audience never finds out what exact emotion Max is singing about. Max gets angry because he has no control over what Zoey hears — he rightfully points out that people can have a lot of emotions and that the ones they choose to act on should be more important. But the whole scene revolves around silence, which is unique for the show, and truly makes the scene feel more poignant.
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist has played with what other people notice during the heart songs before. After a particularly bad bit of news, one episode sees Zoey performing songs out loud that she thinks are just in her head. Other moments have seen her dueting with a person's heart song or talking to a friend while someone else sings. But this is the first time audiences have truly experienced what her superpower is like for those around her.
The choice to leave Max's emotions unsung during a pivotal moment is bold, focusing a musical show on a prolonged period of silence. But the scene is acted to perfection, driving home how unfair it must feel to Max for his inner emotions to betray him, and how awkward it must be for Zoey to live with this power. Showing how other people see Zoey's heart songs is an important moment, allowing the audience to truly process Zoey's world, and also makes the moment hit harder.
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