So here I've been griping about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip every week, and still tuning in every week, for who knows why...until my friends in Toronto aired the newest episode last night (airing tonight in the US). Titled "The Wrap Party", this episode is the episode of Studio 60 I've been waiting for. To keep the Sorkinesque baseball metaphors going, I don't know if this episode represents Sorkin finally emerging from a long slump or just a single bit of good hitting amidst a generally lousy season, but this was a very good episode.
And why? Well, without delving too deeply into spoiler territory, it's because in this episode it's not "All Matt-and-Harriet, all the time". Yes, there is some of that here, but it takes a nice back seat to some other stuff, and we get some welcome insight into the DL Hughley, Timothy Busfield, and Nate Corddry characters. There's a subplot that's classic Sorkin in the way it starts out being kind of funny and goofy, but turns out in the fourth act to be a wonderful bit of storytelling, and this particular storyline also serves to put Studio 60 into the context of television's long history, which is also something I've been wanting to see.
And best of all, Sorkin allows his stories to express what it is he has to say, instead of giving all of his characters soliloquies and monologues that bring the show to a grinding halt. Maybe someone reminded him of the old adage, "If you want to send a message, use Western Union." Anyway, this episode was a very welcome change. I hope it augurs well for episodes to come.
The personal blog of author Kelly Sedinger, chronicling the adventures of one overalls-clad wanderer.
1 comment:
Very good ep. The Eli Wallach stuff was great, but what might have impressed me the most was the stuff in the comedy club. The tired routine of the first comic rung true, which was impressive on its own, but what really floored me was how well Sorkin was able to write for the bad-comic-with-great ideas character. To be able to accurately and believably give us an actual routine (and not just have another character describe it, which would have been very easy to do) that was horrible but that showed potential for real originality of thought? Brilliant.
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