Watching Studio60

We’re taking a second look at “Breaking News,” the eighteenth episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Following up on yesterday’s review, here’s a recap of the episode. Still to come: memorable lines from the episode, and five questions about it.

We’re thrust right into the pre-show hustle and bustle. Matt takes a moment to mess with the head of the show’s announcer, who said “Studio City” instead of “Studio 60″ at dress, and now, having had it pointed out to him, will probably be unable to help doing it again.

Danny gathers the troupe for a huddle. Simon’s in charge of giving the good word this week, and he uses most of it to say he’s glad that Matt and Harriet aren’t fighting anymore. Well, goodness, aren’t we all.

Upstairs, Jordan and Jack aren’t fighting anymore, either, but Jack is bludgeoning Jordan with Hallie, threatening to involve her in hassling Danny about the Studio 60 ratings if Jordan can’t handle her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, backstage, Harriet’s received a phone call from Tom’s parents, who haven’t heard from his brother in Afghanistan. She wonders if Tom got his traditional e-mail from the soldier before the show. Simon doesn’t know, but is pretty sure they shouldn’t bother Tom with it while he has comedy to do.

In Matt’s office, Mary’s back to flirt and quiz Matt. On the docket tonight is something Harriet said to the litigious writer, about the writer’s room being a hard place for a woman. That, and Mary’s offer to be his date for the wrap party, still can’t distract Matt from hearing that, indeed, the announcer got it wrong again.

“Cooking Healthy With Nicholas Cage” is playing onstage while Mary continues to throw flirtation and legaleze Matt’s way. Turns out it’s not just Harriet who’s in trouble; Matt gave a bad referral for the writer in question, despite never having actually worked with her, and that’s netted him a suit for retaliation.

Simon and Harriet again confer about Tom’s brother. Simon’s checked the e-mails and found none for three days. That’s unusual; even if Mark’s unit is going to be out of touch, he usually lets his family know. Still, Simon is firm that telling Tom during the show when they really know nothing is not the thing to do.

Jordan stops by the stage to not talk to Danny about the ratings. She mentions that Jack’s hassling her and Danny knows why, but she wants to wait and talk about it after the show. When pressed, though, she says what’s on her mind: She asked him not to open the show with a war-related sketch, and that’s exactly what he did.

Jack, in Matt’s office, is refueling for the next confrontation with some scotch. He talks to Matt about some new computer program he’s bought into that has the potential to write successful sketch comedy, or at least advise on the elements those sketches should have. Matt plays along, but he knows this is a discussion about ratings and defends the show. Then Jack’s off to pester Jordan again.

Next, Suzanne comes in, and she’s not there for idle chatter. She has a question for Matt: Are you high right now? And a story for him, about her mother’s drug addiction and suicide, and why he’s got to stop. He promises he will, and she changes the subject, but it’s no sure thing that she’s buying what he’s selling.

We get a bit of News 60, then it’s back to Jack and Jordan, as Jack describes the amazing hit-making software for her, and hassles her more about Danny’s ratings. Then, Mary shows up to fill her in about the retaliation situation with Matt. Jordan’s night, it is not.

Nor Tom’s, as he frets about blowing a line. The cast gets to talking about ratings, and Simon reminds them that Danny wanted that off their minds. Harriet calls him out into the hallway and says she’s heard again from Tom’s parents, and they’ve heard from the parents of somebody else in Mark’s unit who haven’t heard from their son either. Harriet’s got the worst feeling about this, but Simon still insists that they not put this into Tom’s head when he has sketches to do.

Matt has a few words with Harriet about what she already said — that is, to the writer in the lawsuit about the writers room being a tough place — but Harriet stands by her opinion. Jordan is also sticking by her opinion that Danny shouldn’t have opened the show with the war, and, moreover he did it just because she asked him not to.

We’re listening to a song now about romantic misundertanding, as we watch Matt get some pills out of the bottom of a bottle of Flintstone vitamins. Down by the stage, Harriet introduces herself to Mary and offers to talk about the incident with the writer. After some more of Mary’s annoying coy prodding, Harriet admits that Ricky and Ron ran a bad room, a mean room. Mary says they’ll talk more at the party, but not before letting Harriet know she’s attracted to Matt.

Tom’s attracted to Lucy, especially when she’s wearing the short dress she has on now, and they engage in some adorable flirting. Simon’s about to break the news about Tom, but just can’t do it when his friend’s being all happy and relaxed.

The final sketch involves Samantha in a bathing suit doing some Thai therapy bit, and then Jenna Fisher is saying goodnight. Not much guest host time for her, no banter with the producers or nothing. Danny’s tearing upstairs and into Matt’s office, where he demands the pills. Seems Suzanne didn’t take Matt at his word and went straight to Danny. Matt swears he’s done, especially since it’s not helping him write the show anyway. Danny seems more inclined to believe him than Suzanne was, anyway.

Danny then moves on to debating ratings with Jordan, who appears to have an insatiable thirst for orange juice. Danny finally asks her what’s up with that, and she tells him she can’t feel the baby kick, and OJ usually does the trick. Danny immediately switches from adversary to caretaker and tells her to come with him. Maybe he has a cooler full of OJ in his office?

Matt is desperate for ratings and not getting anywhere. Suzanne comes in to say she knows Matt knows she told Danny, and also to spread some sunshine about how hellish it’s going to be for Matt to come off the pills. Knowing that he’s going to crash and be unable to feel pleasure in about two hours, Matt of course asks Mary out to dinner. Well, I don’t know. I kind of find her depressing. Maybe he just wants to get the worst of it out of the way all at once.

Danny doesn’t want to wait for the worst of it, but after trying to hear the baby’s heartbeat with a prop-room stethoscope, insists that Jordan go to the ER. But they’re intercepted by Jack, who’s got breaking news, of the bad variety, and it’s about Tom’s brother. The three of them find Simon and tell him that Mark Jeter has been ambushed and is a hostage. Simon rushes up to the roof to find Tom, who’s having the last happy moment with Lucy he’s going to have that night.

We see Simon tell him, then watch as Tom runs down to the monitors. Matt points out which one is his brother, and Nathan Corddry, normally the comic guy, does some great dramatic facial expression work here, finally picking up something heavy and heaving it at the screen. He goes off with Jack, Jordan goes off with a staffer who’ll drive her to the hospital, and Matt and Danny prepare to inform the staff. Suddenly, ratings don’t seem that important anymore.

Studio 60, NBC, Breaking News, recap