Mystery Solved
K&R stands for Kidnap and Rescue - as revealed in last night’s episode of Studio 60. I know I am biased but I thought it was one of the best yet.
It conctraented on two main themes but also managed to weave in the history of Matt and Hariett brilliantly. No one can argue that Aaron Sorkin is not a very clever writer.
So - let’s start with Tom and his brother. Tom has been taken to NBS headquarters to await the arrival of the military who are going to help him through the ordeal. The general concensus is that it will be better if the news about the celebrity connection should be kept quiet but almost immediately it was on the network news despite all Jack’s attempts to get it off the air. It was also obvious that Tom was getting preferential treament over the families of the other two hostages. The lawyer, Mary, is still working out of Matt’s office and reveals that they have a private company whom they have used in the past to retrieve hostages. The company is called Trask - and Mary has statistics as to how much more successful they have been in the past then the military. Obviously this story line has 2 more epsiodes to run its course if the titles of the next two weeks mean anything.
Meanwhile Jordan is in hospital, remember she hasn’t felt the baby move for 6 hours, despite copious drinks of orange juice. It turns out that the cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, not apparantly any great cause for concern, but along with that Jordan’s blood pressure has sky rocketed and she shows signs of pre-eclempsia, which is far more life threatening then the cord situation. Danny gets called to her bed side, where his interaction with the very youthful (29) doctor is highly amusing in a very serious story line. This ends with Jordan being wheeled into surgery for an emergency C section, and a phone call to Matt and Hariett who immediately take off for the hospital. However, Danny manages to propose to Jordan before she gets wheeled in, and it just happens that he has a rock in his pocket which he has been carrying around for two weeks. Jordan accepts and is wheeled away as an engaged woman. Great scenes and dialogue between Jordan and Danny.
Back to Matt and Hariett. Hariett’s first reaction to the hostage crisis is to get down on her knees and pray. Matt is worrying about the show - How can he write anything funny in these circumstances. Which takes us back to 2001, 9-11 to be precise. We are watching the preperations for the postponed Emmy awards, postponed due to 9-11, and Hariett is dating Luke, when we learn that the war has started, the Emmy’s are postponed again and Matt and Hariett start their argument. It is about religion, Christianity, Judaism etc etc etc. And it has been going on for years - as very cleverly portrayed through numerous flashbacks, showing Matt and Hariett having the same argument over and over again in many different situations and haircuts and costumes. But - final touching moment, just before they get the Jordan phone call and rush to the hospital, Hariett invites Matt to pray with her - she will teach him how, and by the look on his face, he is about to accept.. and then…. the phone rings. I thought that was a great moment!
What I did not understand however, was the reference in the previews to why Matt and Danny got fired from the show the first time around. This episode was supposed to explain this and I must have missed that part. The flasback scene between them and Jack, when they try to get the opening in 2001 postponed because they claim it will be hard to be funny in the face of 9-11 and the war, but Jack commands them to go write the show as long as they don’t make fun of Americans or George Bush (isn’t that a national pastime?) stating that the war will be over before dinner time… Well they were both still employed at the end of the episode so maybe we are just being set up for next week.
And on that note - what happened to the previews for next week? I was glued to the screen and - Nothing!! except the next stupid reality show The Age of Love - What will they come up with next? - But No Studio 60. Is it a big secret or are they trying to milk the suspense. Whatever the reason, Stay tuned for next week. Only 4 left!
Check out this review on TV Squad.
June 8th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
This was a great episode, and should be shown to TV writers everywhere as an example of skillful flashbacks that add to the current plot, as opposed to flashbacks that are clunky and gimmicky and strange. I loved the war theme, also very well done and it is unfortunate that not many people will see this show.
The thing that struck me was how the show is returning to its focus on the interplay between the entertainment and news industries, with witty and entertaining conversations about ratings and how “24 hour news is expensive.” That was what I fell in love with at the beginning of the season, and what was missing during the “Danny as creepy stalker and other bizarre romcom stuff” eps that dragged down the show in the middle of the season. This episode had it all, in typical “Good Sorkin” style … relevance, wit, banter, romcom flashes mixed with larger plot lines. I really liked it, and I did not even mind the lawyer this week.
One thing that distracted me throughout the whole show was the repeated reference to “Trask Security” (the supposed K&R company). It was the way the lawyer said the name of the company, it just kept sounding so familiar … and then I realized it is because she said it in much the same way that Melanie Griffith says “Trask Industries” in the movie “Working Girl.” I doubt it was intentional, and I have not seen that movie in at least a decade, but once I made the connection it definitely added to the enjoyment of the episode for me.
The “two minute recap” on the NBC website has a preview for next week’s episode at the end. Absolutely nothing about Tom Jeter, but a smiling Matt talking about Jordan’s baby so I am guessing they come through okay. Nothing about the firing, either, but I am guessing you are right about this week’s show being a set up for next week. The Jack Rudolf we see in this week’s show clearly has not learned that you should not say “it does not matter what you put on the air” to Matt & Danny!
August 21st, 2007 at 2:26 pm
I am a huge fan of both TWW and S60, there must be something we can try to do, Emmy nominations, etc. This is a great show and should be continued, move it to another time slot before you get rid of it.