The smell is from being sealed in a too moist bag during shipping. Get them out of the bags, clean them up where they need pruning and plant them as soon as possible. They should recover.

Thanks for the encouragement Seil. They are currently out of their bags and soaking in water. Here is a photo of the jubilee celebration (the bucket next to it has some bare roots I got from lowe's).

I see we live in the same zone (6b). When do you think is a good time to plant the bushes? I was planting them in containers to hold them over until it was "safe."

Those look fine. The canes are good and green and not wrinkled. Just prune off anything that's damaged or unhealthy looking.

I don't know exactly where you are but it's too soon to plant here. The ground is still frozen. A rule of thumb would be to plant when the forsythia bloom in your area. That usually means the soil has thawed and warmed to a sufficient temperature for growth to happen. For me that's usually mid-April weather permitting. Although lately the weather has that all screwed up, lol.

Yes, you can pot them temporarily. If you have a garage keep them there. If you have to keep them inside put them under lights if you can. Any fluorescent light will do. Either way keep a close watch on watering. You do not want them to dry out. Pot them with good potting soil in pots that have good drainage. I wouldn't suggest fertilizer until they are planted. You don't want them putting on a ton of new growth until you can get them outside.