'Studio 60' A Strong Finisher
The neatness of last few scenes of last night’s Studio 60 made them so good, such compelling television, that I can't even remember what I thought about the rest of the episode. Did I enjoy it? Was I engaged? I don't know, because that ending knocked me out.
60 is written with broad story arcs–plotlines that are designed to span seasons and not meant to be wrapped up in one night. Last night's ep not only hewed to this formula, it managed to do it one better. Matt's awful B-12 jokes? They made perfect sense functioning as the vehicle by which Danny finds out that Jordan is pregnant. The Dilbert-27 references? Ultimately, the audience knew they weren't just one-offs, because although Danny hated that Martha O'Dell quoted the commentor, he used Dilbert-27's response to Jordan's interview to help buck her up. The freshmen writers who have never collaborated with Matt (or anyone else, for that matter) before? They finally get a sketch on the air, Matt learns to play with others, and a new guru-like character had been introduced.
Corinne Bailey Rae's songs were utilized as the soundtrack to the episode, perhaps to narrative effect, making use of the musical guest star in the same way that Sting–and only Sting–has been employed so far. By the end, the episode was wrapped up neatly, smartly, and efficiently, and left me desperate to watch more.
Well done!
By Guest Blogger Liz McKeon
Andrew commented:
I absolutely agree with Sally... T Dogg and Kyle are just mad because Studio 60 is for higher level thinkers. I hope Studio 60 lasts, but i fear that people in today's society want shows that they don't have to think about. They want something straight forward and to the point, not something that they actually have to pay complete attention to. Our nation is filled with so many stupid, uneducated people that cant even begin to understand the comedy that is given to us in Studio 60. This is why other countries look at us and ask, "and they are a super power?"
Frodo commented:
I don't know who Aaron Sarkin is but Studio 60 and Heroes are my two favorite shows on tv. I love the witty banter and the mix of music and comedy in Studio 60. I love the use of real ethnic people in Heroes. It's great to see so many cultures depicted realistically (for a scifi show) and not just for comic affect.
tom commented:
This show is weak!
Sally commented:
I agree completely. This show is so good, it's the only show I'm watching right now. I love it, and I love its characters.
This week was an especially good episode, and I think next week will top it. Can't wait!
LTNYC commented:
Actually I really do like it. In fact, I like it a lot more than I ever liked The West Wing. It's smart, funny television for adults. And I say "adult" in all the best ways. The last episode was great but the two previous episodes were good too.
T Dog commented:
Why is it that this show gets all the praise and publicity and "Heroes", a higher-rated show (and much better show, IMHO) gets snubbed? What do you have against us fanboys? I'm rooting for "Studio 60" to fail because I'm tired of the media deciding which shows deserves to be "hits" and those that do not. "Studio 60" is one of those shows that does not.
Kyle commented:
Studio 60 is a mediocre show that some people are going overboard to praise, for fear that their hero, Aaron Sorkin, will have a failure on his resume. You know deep down that you don't really like it.
No matter - it'll be gone by this time next year.