The Magic of Musical Episodes in Non-Musical TV Shows

Introduction

Love it or hate it, musical episodes remain. A special musical episode in a non-musical-style show can be a risky move, but for some shows, it works out to great effect. TV shows typically establish a set of expectations early with viewers which develops into a format and style that can be easily recognized.

The Flash Supergirl Duet Barry Allen Kara Danvers

Shaking up these formats and expectations can be an effective way to innovate, but something too different will typically turn fans off. With that in mind, featuring a musical episode in a series that typically has no musical element or the main cast has never sung before can be confusing. Especially if these episodes are wedged in with little to no context. However, several shows managed to take their already existing format and develop a musical episode within the world they established. Often, a series that is able to weave the musical special into the bigger narrative and provide in-world explanations performs much better than those that don't.

Introduction

The Enchanting Examples

The inclusion of a musical episode in a non-musical series can add a whole new layer of storytelling and entertainment. Let's take a look at some remarkable examples of how these episodes have seamlessly integrated into their respective shows.

10 'The Song In Your Heart' - Once Upon A Time Season 6, Episode 20 Once Upon A Time is a show that revolves around blending together dozens of fairytales and classic stories. Considering the show frequently adds new characters from stories full of magic and wonder, having a musical episode seemed almost inevitable. Thankfully, when it did happen late in the sixth season, the execution was solid, with great performances and light-hearted fun as the evil queen Regina sang a melodramatic ballad and songs about the power of love. As a result, the episode worked perfectly in the series.

Buffy in Once More With Feeling

9 'Duet' - The Flash Season 3, Episode 17 The Flash is a superhero series set in the Arrowverse. Typically, each week, Barry Allen and his friends learn about a new metahuman that could threaten the safety and well-being of the people of Central City, until the team finds a way to stop the threat. During a crossover episode with the stars of Supergirl, Barry and Kara must face off against an extradimensional being with an unusual power. The Music Meister, played by Darren Criss (Glee), sends them both into a dream world where they must perform and sing to get to the end of the story and escape. It fits perfectly with the usual format, and the songs are genuinely good.

The Flash Duet Kara Danvers Barry Allen Music Meister

8 'A Night To Remember' - Riverdale Season 2, Episode 18 Riverdale actually included several musical episodes throughout the show's run. However, the first is still one of the best of the entire series. The teen drama and mystery series explores strained relationships between teenagers and adults, keeping dark secrets from them in the show, along with students frequently treating one another unkindly. Considering the themes, developing an episode around the students performing a musical adaptation of Carrie was a genius stroke. The songs and emotions experienced by the students echo the sense of betrayal and distrust of the original, and it provides the perfect excuse for a musical episode.

riverdale a night to remember veronica singing

The Art of Integration

The successful integration of a musical episode into a non-musical series often hinges on its ability to align with the existing narrative and characters. Let's delve deeper into how some shows have achieved this seamless fusion of musicality and storytelling.

7 'Fan Fiction' - Supernatural Season 10, Episode 5 Sam and Dean Winchester are no strangers to the supernatural and weird, but the musical episode, 'Fan Fiction,' took things to another level of weirdness. To mark the show's 200th episode, Supernatural decided to create a very special episode that looked back on the series as a whole, acknowledged fan's interest in the story, and told a great Supernatural story. The Winchesters arrive at a high school where odd occurrences are happening, only to discover a musical about their lives and adventures being made by the students. The episode naturally finds a way to have the characters sing and perform, without putting pressure on the actual Winchesters and it works perfectly.

Supernatural Musical Actors Playing Castiel And Dean

6 'My Musical' - Scrubs Season 6, Episode 6 Perhaps one of the most fun musical episodes of any series, Scrubs did a great job with 'My Musical.' While the series is generally funny, it usually stays grounded in reality, but when a female patient begins to hear everyone communicating with her in song, the team at Sacred Heart needs to work quickly to determine what's wrong. The episode is deeply emotional, as well as playing into its comedy strengths. Whenever the patient is in earshot, the cast performs and sings elaborately, but as soon as she is out of earshot, things go back to normal.

Patti Miller Surrounded by Hospital Staff in Scrubs

5 'Regional Holiday Music' - Community Season 3, Episode 10 Community is a show that is much looser with its format than most. Throughout the series, there have been animated episodes, stop-motion, and explorations of a wide variety of genres. In a special holiday episode, the odd and untrustworthy glee club teacher attempts to have the study group come and fill in for the indisposed glee club. Through song, he can persuade Abed to help, who in turn sings songs tailored to each member's desires and better natures to have them join the club. An incredibly clever implementation of a musical episode with fun performances throughout, and a great story.

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