The second season of Mr. Smith and the Roach continues its strong run with arguably the best, and certainly the most entertaining, episode of the series so far.

“Sunday in the Park With Jeannie” is the series’ first wall-to-wall musicial episode, and the production team pulled out all the stops.

The actual plot is slight: Mr. Smith (Michael Ironside) volunteers to run the NYPD Retired Officers’ Charity Gala, and in so doing, he has to put on an entertaining show.  The Roach (Anthony Stewart Head), his girlfriend Hilary (Kathleen Turner), his niece Jeannie (Lauren Ambrose) and neighbor Dr. Brooks (Fisher Stevens) all help out, as do guest stars Kate Bush, Rick Springfield and James Marsters.  Everyone gets a chance to sing, with adapted songs running the gamut from classic Broadway (a take on Stephen Sondheim’s “Putting it Together”) to Elvis Costello (“Retired Detectives”, sung to the tune of Costello’s “Watching the Detectives”, which closes the episode).

This episode continues this season’s positive trend of Mr. Smith driving plots forward, rather than being swept up in events as he was for most of the first season.  In the midst of the musicial fun, Jeannie and Dr. Brooks’ awkward relationship is touched on, as well as the continuing conflict between Hilary and her mafiosi ex-husband Charles “Charlie Peaches” Pagliacchi (Val Kilmer, who also gets to sing).

IT’s easily the most fun hour of television this season, and it earns five out of five roaches.  In case you missed the episode, the official episode guide site has a complete plot rundown and the lyrics for all the episode’s songs.