Of all the power moves we have thus seen on Smash, the only one that could outclass throwing a martini into an ex's face is Tom's, "Call Liza."

See, Liza's gonna fix his relationship with Ivy, which is on the rocks because he hired the woman Ivy's spent her entire career trying to escape to play her mother—which promptly ends up in Michael Riedel's column. (Poor Ivy, first her Heaven on Earth meltdown, now she's back in the papers for more terrible reasons.) And Tom, as we know, is desperate for things to remain the same as ever they were and for everyone to like him. (Funny, he had no qualms about Derek disliking him.)

Also, they're in tech but Tom has enough time to call Liza to prepare a special birthday surprise for Ivy? Remember when Karen couldn't even accept a proposal? Not only that, but Julia is off downtown, working on Hit List as a dramaturg. "You know my feelings about that," she demurs. But how can she resist the chance to make it up to Jesse L. Martin? Plus she gets to flirt with him some more, in front of an audience (just Kyle, but still!). They bicker about her Amelia Earhart play (!) with all the flashbacks (!!), then Jesse L. Martin admits that he had a bit of a thing for Julia back in the day (!!!).

"I've been thinking," Karen says to Jimmy during a wardrobe room makeout sesh. "You shouldn't do that," he whispers. Red flag, girl. She wants to make their relationship public; Jimmy, however, is more concerned with protecting her from his Past.

At Table 46 (I was about to make a crack about how often they go, then I remember that I am typically greeted with my cocktail of choice as soon as I walk into Glass House, so scratch that), Tom has supplied Ivy with a birthday surprise: A brand-new song, sung directly to her by Liza Minnelli. It's so good, Eileen has a martini in front of her and doesn't do anything but drink it, even when Michael Riedel sidles up to sow discontent.

Of course then Tom follows Ivy home to give her back her keys and finds her at her birthday party (at Gusto's! I used to sit outside and drink gin and eat fried green olives there) and he's... upset? Tom. If you're the boss, you don't get to be friends with your employees all the time. As usual, Ivy has to tell some man how things work. Do you think she ever gets tired of it?

Oh, and in terms of Hit List: Derek storms out of rehearsal; Karen stands up for herself with Derek and Jimmy; Jimmy alludes darkly to his Past and yells at Derek. And Kyle figures out the structure of Hit List with (?) Julia. Or perhaps he does it on his own after she gives him index cards and a corkboard.

And as the night grows late, Jimmy stops by Karen's apartment to take her on a real date (she finds drugs in his jacket pocket!), and Derek stops by Gusto's to wish Ivy a. happy birthday. On again.