‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ Finale: John Clarence Stewart on Simon & Zoey’s Relationship (VIDEO)
The characters of NBC’s musical dramedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist are used to managing dramatic ups and downs alongside both jubilant and emotional song and dance numbers. Take John Clarence Stewart for example, who plays the grounded Simon Haynes. Stewart has shown off an amazing array of skill, balancing dramatic numbers like “Black Man in a White World” and joyous ones like “What Does the Fox Say?”
But when viewers last saw Simon (in May 2’s “Zoey’s Extraordinary Double Date”), he was sharing his doubts about his new romantic relationship with Zoey (Jane Levy) in a powerful “heart song.”
“‘Suspicious Minds’ was right on the nose,” Stewart tells TV Insider in our recent interview. “There’s a lot of murkiness. There’s not clarity where the relationship is, where it’s going and if Zoey has the capacity to be in a relationship with Simon.”
There’s no murkiness, however, in how Stewart feels about whether Simon should be in the know about Zoey’s secret powers, which allow her to see other people’s emotions via ‘”heart songs” that only she can see unfold. “Totally!” he exclaims. “I’ve been advocating for that for a long time.”
As for the show’s massive musical numbers (like the series’ recent “Don’t Stop Now” performance), which fans have grown to love just as much as the drama’s smaller emotional moments, Stewart teases that May 16’s season finale delivers. “We have one of the biggest numbers that we have ever done,” he says. “Like at the end of ‘American Pie’ [last season finale’s impressive group moment] I had this strong sense of just gratitude for being a part of that storytelling experience and at the end of this number, I had the same feeling.”
And while we hope this coming episode is the season finale, NBC has not made a decision about the show being renewed for a third season. Fingers crossed! Check out the full interview with Stewart above, and make sure to watch until the end when he’s caught by surprise about what time the show airs on Sunday nights. (It’s hilarious, we promise!)
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Season 2 Finale, Sunday, 9/8c, NBC
