(Warning: This post contains mild spoilers for Apple TV+’s “Schmigadoon!”)
Apple TV+’s new musical comedy “Schmigadoon!” is exactly as odd and zany as its name suggests. So really, it should come as no surprise that Martin Short plays an energetic leprechaun on the series — but one with a slightly ominous message for newcomers Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong), who find themselves stuck in the wholesome, musically inclined town. And it begs the question: Are all the other residents of Schmigadoon trapped there as well?
Now, if you were like Josh and Melissa and were a bit too dumbfounded (or bent over laughing) by Short’s appearance as a leprechaun to hear his warning, it went like this: “T’is true, you won’t be leaving soon. Within its borders yee are bound, until at last true love yee found.”
In short: Josh and Melissa can’t cross back over the bridge they came in on, and are stuck in Schmigadoon until they’ve found “true love.” It’s an unfortunate moment for Melissa, who already believed Josh was her true love; apparently, he’s not quite as committed as she is. But while they figure that out, let’s think about the others in the magical town — does this mean none of them have found their true love either?
It’s possible. As we see in the second episode of the two-episode premiere, the Schmigadoonians (Schmigadoonites?) are all more than willing to find love. Danny Bailey (Aaron Tveit) may be a rapscallion, but he seems determined to win over Melissa with the Tunnel of Love. Then there’s Betsy (Dove Cameron), who’s clearly taken with Josh, to the point of tipping him off on which basket is hers in the auction. Are these two both just previous campers who got stuck too? Are they desperately searching for their own true loves?
If that’s the case, then Melissa and Josh should probably be worried about becoming a permanent part of this musical and somehow turning into characters from the 1940s, because Betsy and Danny are definitely not from 2021. There’s clearly some strange magic at play in this town.
In all likelihood, the people of Schmigadoon aren’t actually trapped; that’d be a little dark for a musical. (Though as Melissa points out in the series trailer, there are plenty of musicals where people actually die, so…). Realistically, Schmigadoon is just a magical oddity, and the characters in it are simply meant to help Josh and Melissa figure out what they actually want from each other.
But we’ll keep a close eye on them, just in case.
New episodes of “Schmigadoon!” launch Fridays on Apple TV+.