A couple is stuck in an alternate universe in Apple TV+’s musical comedy Schmigadoon! in a quest to find true love and ultimately each other. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Dauriot, here’s what unfolded in the self-titled series premiere.
Four years after they first met, Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) take part in a Sacred Heart Love Trail, an activity where troubled couples disconnect from the world to try to reconnect with each other. They’re free to explore the woods, but are cautioned not to wander too far from the trail. “There’s no cell service here in the wild and we don’t want anyone dying out there,” their hosts tell them. “Seriously, some people died last time.”
They are each given love bags which includes a heart carved out of sacred Chippewa stone with their names on it. “Give it to your partner everyday and think about what that really means to give your heart to someone,” they’re told. Melissa and Josh trek out into the woods where it starts to rain heavily, despite being told the clouds would clear soon.
Melissa is upset that Josh has lost her stone-carved heart, though he is certain he had returned it to her. “Are you sure I didn’t give it back to you?” he responds. “Check your backpack. He lets her know that he doesn’t know why they’re even doing this love trail retreat, and when asked if he’s not interested in bettering their relationship, he says their relationship is just fine.
The couple then start to hear church bells in the distance. They follow the sound of the chimes, which leads them to a bridge. Crossing that bridge brings them to a bright and colorful town called Schmigadoon. Its welcome sign displays their motto: We Always Strive for Peace & Happiness. It’s a small town with a population of just 167. Little do the couple know, that number is about to increase to 169.
Melissa and Josh are then greeted with music “coming from everywhere” and a song from the townspeople introducing themselves to their new visitors. There’s Emma (Ariana DeBose) the schoolmarm, Henry (Garfield Wilson) the iceman, Danny (Aaron Tveit) the rapscallion, Mayor Menlove (Alan Cumming), Reverend Layton (Fred Armisen) and his wife Mildred Layton (Kristin Chenoweth). In the welcome song, she lets the couple know that everyone in town must “obey the laws of God.”
Unamused by the whole number, Josh is ready to go back to the other side of the bridge. “You know how much I hate musicals,” he tells Melissa. The mayor, the reverend, and their respective wives approach the couple and suggest they stay at their local inn. While heading there Melissa catches the eye of “the town bad boy” Danny Bailey, who offers her a ride on his love tunnel. “Don’t waste your time with this carnival trash,” Mildred tells her.
At the inn, they are forced to get two separate rooms by Mildred because they are not married. “I’m not interested in pretending we’re in the olden days right now,” Josh says. But Melissa can’t pass up two rooms for just a dollar. Before heading to their rooms, however, Melissa says that just because they have separate accommodations, doesn’t mean they can’t sleep in the same room. Mildred catches them in a kiss and clears her throat, letting them know that she has her eye on them, and they have no choice but to sleep apart.
Melissa decides to go for a late-night stroll after plans with Josh for a ride on the love tunnel falls through. She once again runs into Danny Bailey, who doubles up on his offer. “First ride’s on me. Second one, too.” He’s taken aback for a moment and asks if she’s trying to make him fall in love with her. Music begins to play and Melissa is pleased that she is getting a private performance.
The song the rapscallion sings lets her know that he can’t be tamed, “but if anyone could, it would be someone like you.” “That was a very handsome song,” she tells him when the song is over. “What song?” he asks, puzzled. “The one you were just singing to me,” she replies flatly. She lets him know that it’s getting late, she’s tired, she should go back to the inn because “it’s getting weird.”
The next morning, Melissa and Josh order breakfast and the waitress lets them know that they are in luck. “Today, we have our world-famous corn puddin’,” Betsy (Dove Cameron) says. When they share that neither of them have ever heard of the dish, the townspeople begin to sing about how corn pudding is made and how much they love them. There’s a break in the song, which gives Melissa an opportunity to get a verse in. “That was so weird,” Melissa tells Josh, after the song is over. “It was like as soon as I started singing, I knew what to say.”
Melissa, led by Josh, make their way immediately back to the bridge after the “corn puddin'” song restarts, determined to get back to the woods. Once they cross the bridge, they find that they are still facing the musical town. Nomatter which direction the go, they’re only heading back to Schmigadoon.
A leprechaun (Martin Short) magically appears and sings a song letting them know that once they’ve entered Schmigadoon, they won’t be leaving soon. “Within borders they are bound until at last true love ye found.” After the leprechaun vanishes, a bewildered Josh reevaluates and attempts to cross the bridge again, now that they know the “rules.” Unfortunately, their attempt fails and they realize they are stuck.
“This isn’t some tourist attraction,” Melissa says. “This is a musical. We’re in an actual musical.”
Schmigadoon! airs Fridays on Apple TV+.