Season Three: Exploring BEAUTY AND THE ROCK PROMOTER
Britrock website copyright EA Woolley
BEAUTY and THE ROCK PROMOTER
Well, someone really thought the ideas in the Princess and the Singer and
Broadway Magic in first season were SUCH good ones they decided to mesh them
together and revamp them a little using a fairy tale instead. Turning the
classic french story into a rock musical takes some stretch of the imagination
at times, it has to be admitted. But if you like seeiing Jem lose all her
marbles, this one has to be on your watchlist!
HOIST BY HER OWN PETARD...
This is without a doubt the biggest irony of the whole episode. For season
after season we've watched Jem dupe Rio into believing she and Jerrica are
in fact different people, and not one and the same. Now Jem gets a taste
of her own medicine, for Red Johnny Mack, the producer of the rock musical
is also "The Beast" in the stageshow, mysterious and an enigmatic performer
who attracts Jem's attention and interest from the first time they meet.
But the more she tries to find out who The Beast really is behind his mask,
the more elusive he seems to be for her, and the more obsessive she becomes.
This is such a neat mirror image of her own behaviour towards Rio and his
reaction to it. Rio never knows more about Jem than just her assumed name,
and its all part of her mystique and her attraction.
Of course, Rio too is in this show, and he has absolutely no patience with
Jem's new interest in stage performance. For once, though, you can understand
why. Though it's just a stage show, she always seems to be asking where the
beast is, working herself so hard that she winds up collapsing with exhaustion.
Of course, this means that the way is clear for the Misfits to take over
- and Jem has literally been defeated by her own deception techniques! At
last, maybe, we have the firm proof of something that's been suggested ever
since the beginning - that Jem herself is Jerrica's worst enemy.
THE MISFITS: STAGE SHY?
The Misfits are very much bit players in this episode, but significant all
the same. You can see the way they are being phased out of the spotlight
by the writing team at this point, but we do get a few classic and worthwhile
moments from them. The most significant is probably the first scene, in Eric's
office, where Eric is telling them about Jem's casting in the rock musical
in London. Pizzazz seems somewhat disinterested with the whole business,
and anyone who's familiar with the first season of episodes will find this
a spooky echo back to the opening Misfit scene in Broadway Magic. There again
Pizzazz has no interest in taking part in a stage production, and there again
Eric has to work his manipulative charms on her and the other Misfits to
get them to take up the fight to wreck Jem's day. But why is this? Are the
Misfits really stage-shy? Is it because - as is later suggested - they aren't
born actresses, and they don't like being made to look fools? Or is the way
they perform the script merely a form of rebellion against having to do it
at all? It's hard to know. Considering the way they conceal their sensitivities
from each other, I'd say that acting was definitely among their list of abilities.
Particularly, perhaps, remembering that Roxy has managed to overcome a fear
of heights and an illiteracy secret to maintain herself as the tough Misfit,
Jetta's charade in Britrock, and not to mention Stormer's classic role as
the "mystery lady" in the first five episodes.
But then, of course, the question has to be asked - WHY do the Misfits hate
performing in shows like this one, when the stage is their home from home
and the place we most often see them lapping up the crowd's attention?
My own assertion would be that when they perform on stage as the Misfits,
they are playing to their own rules. Acting requires them to adopt someone
else's instructions and script, and we've seen in other episodes (Starbright
namely) that Pizzazz does not like following other people's lines. Even in
this episode she decides the script is a waste of time and tosses it away,
determined to make up her own speeches instead. So maybe it's not a case
of stagefright, nor a case of bad acting. Just a case of the Misfits making
the point that what they do, they do their way, or not at all.
There is another small Misfit thing to take note of, too. When Pizzazz asks
Jetta how she'd like to take a trip 'home to merry old England', Jetta produces
a wicked smile. Yet this episode is not so very far removed from the events
of Britrock. Is it really all forgotten and smoothed over so soon? Or is
this simply bravado?
THE POWER PLANT BEAST
A few words must be said briefly about the concept of this play.
It's not surprising Jem loses her marbles, considering we're expected to
believe that the Beast lives inside (and I quote), "A power plant castle
with a giant turbine engine in the living room." Of course, it can be argued
that Jem is already nuts before the show begins, since she seems to find
this idea "crazy, but beautiful." And though the story of Beauty and the
Beast is a classic, it doesn't quite work as a rock remake. I can accept
the idea that Beauty's father picked a rose and took it away with him, but
who finds an electric guitar abandoned in the grounds of a power plant and
assumes it doesn't belong to anyone?
HOLOGRAMS: OSCAR MATERIAL?
Taking a moment out from the plot for a moment, it's fun to look
at the Holograms and their portrayal of the 'ugly sisters'. I don't think
it'd be unfair to say that Kimber's performance is largely herself behaving
as she has done on occasion when jealous of Jerrica/Jem (do we assume she's
drawing on real life experience here?). Aja and Shana seem to think that
all they need to do is spout a few bitchy lines and fold their arms to be
winning actresses. But the stage - and the show - is actually stolen by Raya.
That's something we don't get to say very often! Not only does she have the
badass bitchiness down to a tee, she has entirely changed her voice, dropping
her accent and getting into role. We have hints in other episodes (Trick
or Techrat for example) that Raya might make an actress. She's a good drummer,
but I think she missed her calling!
JEM vs THE MISFITS: THE REAL RIVAL
The final thing to say about this episode goes right back to the real core
of the Jem series - the rivalry between the Holograms and the Misfits. Or
so we think, at first glance - Misfits heading to England to cause chaos,
Misfits sabotaging the set. Typical stuff, huh?
No. Not exactly. What's interesting to me is that after Jem collapses and
is no longer in a position to call the shots, Kimber takes the decision that
they should go and speak to the Misfits...and get them to replace the Holograms
in the stage show. Kimber and the others have their concerns in exactly the
right place - the health of one of their number - and oddly enough, the reception
when they arrive at the place the Misfits are staying is not hostile. Instead,
Pizzazz invites them in - "tea is on!". What's this about? Did the Misfits
expect to see them? Had they heard of Jem's collapse? Or is there just less
hostility when Jem isn't there? It's another interesting fact to note that
the MOMENT Jem is feeling better, she charges down to the theatre - against
ALL advice - to kick the Misfits out of 'her' play and return to centre stage.
For the audience, it's probably something of a relief. But it's another moment
where Jem goes in all guns blazing against the Misfits - with very little
due provocation for doing so. The Misfits have actually helped the Holograms
out by taking their roles - even though Jem wants to perform, the manner
of ingratitude is quite disgraceful, particularly since it's always being
raised on mailing lists how ungrateful the MISFITS always are ;)
Going back briefly to the stage performance of the Holograms as the ugly
sisters, I was struck by how much this is a parody of the Jem/Misfit relationships.
The 'sisters' are rude, uncouth and selfish. But they're also resentful of
their father bestowing all his attention very obviously on Beauty. This is
so blatantly a microcosm of how the Misfits feel - and react - to the way
the world bestows it's attention and favours on Jem (and also the Holograms).
Nice irony, isn't it, that the Holograms seem so completely oblivious to
it??
CONCLUSION
Any episode which uses insanity as it's main theme has to be one worth watching,
though it's not one of the best Jem episodes. It suffers a little from the
awful final song "Our Love Makes You Beautiful" - which always to me sounds
distinctly offkey somehow. And the Misfits do get airtime but not a song
- like I said, beginning of the end in so many ways. But, surprisingly enough,
Rio is actually in one of his better representations in this episode. Occasionally
he's even FUNNY - quipping that he's surprised Red Johnny Mack didn't want
to kiss HIS hand too when they meet. I have some minor issues with the fact
every time England is shown on this show there are sinister men behind the
scene plotting unpleasantness (usually relating to money or power), but I
guess otherwise it wouldn't be much of a story, would it?? ;)
Episode rating: 6/10.
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