For every whimsical musical number that Zoey’s extraordinary playlist delivery, the series also has an emotional punch to the stomach, especially when it comes to the titular heroine’s father, Mitch. So, stock up on tissues, because after her father’s death, Zoey will be struggling a lot with the immense loss throughout season 2 (debuts Tuesday at 8 / 7c on NBC).
“When thinking about Zoey’s emotional arc and the arc of her story for the season, I wanted everything rooted in recovery and the different stages we went through in mourning,” showrunner Austin Winsberg told TVLine, adding that the redhead’s experience will mirror “my own emotional journey after my father passed away” from progressive supranuclear palsy.
“I wanted to explore the stages of this for Zoey, the different ways in which she is trying to recover, the ways in which she can rebel, the ways in which she can relapse,” continues Winsberg. “It’s such a monumental loss for her, and I didn’t just want to leave it behind like it’s a season [story]… When you lose someone significant and important to you, what does that mean for you going forward? how does it affect you For me, that was fundamental for the whole season.
Zoey’s pain will also have a significant impact on her head when it comes to romance – remember, she and Max shared a heavy kneading session just before Mitch’s death – so when season two begins, the love triangle of Zoey / Max / Simon will be in a state of limbo.
“At the beginning of this season, she is living at her mother’s house and has not left her home for six weeks,” predicted Winsberg. “Zoey’s approach to all of this has been to hide from the world … I think she’s not really, emotionally or mentally, ready to deal with any of it yet. And yet, she feels like six weeks have passed and, at some point, she has to go back to the world. So I don’t think she’s necessarily thinking that she’s ready for anything with Max or Simon. “
So Zoey had a “rude awakening” when she found out that Max, Simon and their neighbor Mo are all friends now, while things at their workplace, Sprq Point, have also changed a bit. “Now she needs to find out how she can recalibrate and put herself back in a world that didn’t wait for her,” says Winsberg.
Zoey’s playlist fans, wait in the comments for the second season!