Schmigadoon! – Bells and Whistles

By: Gladys Luna

Josh’s (Keegan-Michael Key) picture is being plastered all over Schmicago as the most wanted man in town since he has managed to escape from jail as well as we also happen to see the Narrator (Tituss Burgess) singing all about it. In the meantime, Melissa (Cecily Strong) seems to have found a lead that might help to her husbands’ case so she goes straight to Bobbie’s (Jane Krakowski) office to tell her the good news. Unfortunately, she is welcomed with a not so pleasant update as Josh has gone all “prison break” and now his case might have gotten worse than they expected. Melissa falls apart in front of the lawyer who does not appear to be so good at dealing with emotional circumstances so she tries to comfort her in the best way she can as well as she encourages her client to go follow the lead and help her to find the real murderer of Elsie Vale (Justine Gera).

Meanwhile, Josh is sleeping pleasantly until he is suddenly awakened with a ray of sun in his face wondering where he might be but that is soon answered as he sees Topher (Aaron Tveit) along with a group of his friends Alex (Alex Gullason), Marisa (Marisa Gold) and Michael (Michael Delleva) surrounding him and welcoming him to their camp. It is only there when Josh realizes that he is wearing a different kind of clothes and that he has spent the night in Topher’s hippie camp. As soon as his new reality and the memories of what he had done the night before settle in, he begins to worry about what might be waiting for him ahead but Topher immediately comforts him and asks him to relax and enjoy the moment something that does not exactly work. Therefore, the group decide to make an “initiation ritual” just the Schmicago way and sing for him.

Back to Melissa, she has finally reached Quick Street and it is immediately met with Miss Codwell’s Home for Unwanted Orphans where, coincidently, Miss Codwell (Kristin Chenoweth) is just outside scolding a group of her children (Isabel Birch, Kairo Ryan Ellis and Milana Wan). Melissa makes herself noticed to the other woman who does not miss the opportunity to offer her a child. Melissa makes sure to clarify that she is only there looking for an address (which is the same one she found written in Elsie’s notebook) and is sent in the direction of the town butcher Dooley Blight (Alan Cumming). However, Miss Codwell advises that if she makes any wrong move towards him she will definitely give her some trouble. Once at the butchery Melissa gets to meet Dooley who is surprised to see someone coming in and who tries to sell her some meat right away. Melissa gets him up to speed about the real reason why she is actually there. She confronts him about his connection with Elsie thinking that she might be his daughter or girlfriend, but he tells her that she was just a kind woman who used to keep him updated about his daughter’s life which happens to be none other than Jenny (Dove Cameron). Melissa is taken aback by his confession but this is nothing in comparison with what comes next. Dooley sings about his tragic story on how Octavius Kratt (Patrick Page) had stolen his family, put him in jail and made him pay for a crime he did not commit. He also explains that he is back and more ready than ever to get his so desired revenge. This makes Melissa to believe that maybe Mr. Kratt is the one responsible for Elsie’s death. Also, now that she has become Jenny’s roommate, she promises Dooley that she will keep an eye on his daughter and make sure to show up every once in while with news about her but in return, she asks him to not to make any move yet.

In the meantime, at the camp Topher has just finished painting a smiley face on Josh’s face as a way to close the “initiation ritual” and officially welcomes him as a member of the group. Unfortunately, Josh is still having some issues embracing his new life. To make matters worse, he is worried sick about his wife and the fact that by this time now she might already know what he did and assumes she must be concerned about his whereabouts. So, in an attempt to help Josh to let his distress go, Topher and the group play a full representation of a story of how a strayed lamb had managed to join a group of hippopotamuses even though he was not one of them. Not even this bizarre move can make Josh to change his mind one bit and he is now determined to go find Melissa. Since he is in the lookout, Topher asks Alex to go find her instead and let her know Josh is doing just fine. Melissa is still at the butchery and right when she is about to leave Alex shows up saying that she has a message from Josh to her saying that he is alright and she has nothing to worry about but obviously Melissa is not content with such a vague notification so, she decides to follow Alex in order to reach for her husband.

At the camp Josh has finally seemed to find some peace as he is eating a piece of bread and feeling a little “funny” much to his surprise but Topher gives credit to the tribe vibe for said sentiment and also to that “something” that they have might or might have not put in the food. Melissa arrives to the camp with Alex and is amazed to see that Josh is there just looking so calmed. As soon as he notices there he shows his excitement to see her again Although, before anything else, Melissa demands an explanation from him which he immediately delivers but it is evident that he has been consuming something else. The tribe does not accept Melissa so well as they think she seems to be a stiff pers. on. She tries to prove them differently, but they are not convinced at all. Hence, she asks her husband to go with her saying that she will take him to the police so he can turn himself in and be in court the next day. Josh shares a long hug goodbye with Topher and takes him for all of his support.

The next day Josh and Melissa present themselves at court and, unfortunately, before everybody’s eyes he just seems to be more guilty than before for having escaped from jail. Despite of their eagerness to start, they still have to wait for their lawyer Bobbie to arrive. As they are wondering where she could be, she just makes her big entrance as she descends from the ceiling apologizing for her delay and recurring to an extremely peculiar way to introduce herself and defend her case and that is how, she ends up putting up a whole musical show where she presents the evidence and explains all the reasons why her client is innocent leaving everyone in the room in awe and with no other choice but to agree with her releasing Josh from any charges. The couple celebrates the Judge’s (Gerry South) decision and jump to the conclusion that they have seemed to found their happy ending which means they are free to go anytime they want but then, we get to see a glimpse of the Narrator who does not appears to be so convinced by it.

Next, we see Mr. Kratt as he is at his office, reading the paper where Josh’s innocence has been announced; he gets mad and complains with his advisors (Michael Q. Adams) and (David Beairsto); for their incompetence at their failed attempt on framing Josh for the murder of Elsie, they try to apologize but it’s all in vain now. Mr. Kratt seems to be desperate to find a wife and finally put an end to his loneliness and misery but sadly for him, all of his relationships had ended in tragedy. Frist with the butcher’s wife and now with Elsie; he appears to be running out of faith that maybe someday he might find someone when he is suddenly asked by the Narrator to look out the window and he sees Melissa and Josh leaving the hotel and suddenly, a new idea lights up in his head, maybe not everything is lost as he has found a new target now, that happens to be no other than Melissa.