The Ashlee Simpson Show - Season 2, Episode 8: London Calling

Previously on Ashlee: Ashlee got ready to sing at the Orange Bowl. She had to change some of the lyrics of “La La” and Joe wasn’t sure she would remember them. At the stadium, Ashlee had problems with her earpiece. We were left with a cliffhanger.

We’re still at the Orange Bowl, of course, and Ashlee tells us that she’ll be singing in front of 75,000 people. She wants to prove that she can sing live. Up in their box, Jessica and Nick are surprised when they can’t hear Kelly Clarkson singing. (This was in the fifth episode of Newlyweds.) Jessica thinks that Ashlee must be scared right now. Ashlee says that she noticed that Kelly was having problems and that no one else in her bank could hear anything in their earpieces either. Ashlee goes ahead with her song and Jessica notes that she took out her earpiece. She sounds fine anyway, and she remembers the new words. Afterward, however, she says she wanted to cry.

The band members tell some guys that they couldn’t hear anything. Ashlee goes to Jessica and Nick’s box, where Jessica tells her that she must have had an angel on her shoulder. Ashlee is grateful for how supportive and sweet her sister is. She says that it’s important to her to have support from her family and friends.

Ashlee skips back to L.A. for a little while before heading to Europe for her press tour. She has lunch with John Shanks, her album producer. She wants to do some experimenting the next time she’s in the studio. John is for this, saying that it would be fun to do something different.

Ashlee and Tina visit Dr. Sugarman to discuss Ashlee’s voice. She says that she feels like something might be wrong, since she’s fine during performances but her voice is scratchy afterwards. Since she has a tour coming up, she wants to make sure everything’s okay. Dr. Sugarman tells her that there’s some swelling in her vocal cords and discusses possible treatments. Ashlee says that since she’s about to go to Europe, she doesn’t have time to rest her voice.

Speaking of Europe, here we are! Ashlee is going to London and Berlin for her press tour. Things are different for her there because she’s not as well-known in Europe as she is in America. She does some interviews, then some promos for radio stations. She has a little trouble speaking some German. She then goes to do a photo shoot for a teen magazine.

Afterwards, in a car with Steph, Ashlee is exhausted. She says that the time change really messed up her schedule. She does an interview with a guy who’s a little, as she says, “spastic,” and she wasn’t quite ready for him. This guy really is hyper. He asks her about her first sexual experience, but she won’t answer him.

Ashlee does the German version of TRL. She has a slightly embarrassing moment where she thinks she’s on the countdown; she doesn’t realize she’s actually there because they’re introducing her video. Done with the tour, Ashlee is tired, but she’s still going to London, then back to the U.S.

London! Obligatory shot of Big Ben. Ashlee goes shopping with her band and signs some autographs for her fans. As she gets her hair done, she explains that someone (I think one of her band members) stepped on her toenail and ripped it off. OW! She’s doing some good-natured complaining and Steph says that she was a dancer, so she should be able to handle this. She jokes that they can get Ashlee a wheelchair.

Ashlee does some interviews, in which she’s asked some very random questions. One woman does a segment entitled “Keeping it Real,” in which the interview subject is asked questions such as the price of a carton of milk and what Condoleezza Rice’s job is. (Wow, my spell check recognizes Condoleezza!) Ashlee doesn’t know any of the answers. The future of America, ladies and gentlemen.

That night, Ashlee and her band go for a traditional English dinner. Ashlee predicts that she won’t like any of the food, and she’s right. She toasts her band members, thanking them for their hard work. They head to a club, where Ashlee meets some fans. She loves her English fans because they’re so supportive.

Ashlee performs on “Top of the Pops.” She says that it was nice of them to ask her back. It’s also nice of them to have her perform live, since most people lip sync. She does a good job and is happy with her performance. In the car, Steph tells her that in the past week, her album has jumped 38 spots in Europe. Ashlee is understandably happy about this. She heads back to L.A. to get ready for her tour.

Next week: Ryan gets Ashlee a dog. Did he learn nothing from Nick, Jessica, and Daisy? Ashlee prepares for her tour, figuring out her set list and graphics. She plays hockey with her band for the first time.

Jenn Brasler is an aspiring writer from Falls Church, VA. You can e-mail her at luckyjenn@hotmail.com. She's trying to decide whether to use her powers for good… or evil. She will write for money. Or candy. Or clothes from Old Navy.

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