Watching Studio60

We’re taking a (long delayed) second look at “K&R Part I,” the nineteenth episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Following up on last week’s review, here’s a recap of the episode. Still to come: memorable lines from the episode, and five questions about it.

As the episode starts, we’re right back in the same night as the previous episode, “Breaking News,” with Matt and Danny gathering the cast to tell them that Tom’s brother’s been kidnapped in Afghanistan. At first, they’re going to cancel the wrap party, but then Cal points out that the longer it takes for people to make the connection between the Mark Jeter who’s been kidnaped and his brother the TV star, the better. So, hey, everybody, party like your friend’s brother is not in grave danger!

Tom, meanwhile, is sequestered in an NBS office with Jack and some guy from the news department, with whom Jack is not particularly pleased. We’re told Simon’s making a lot of noise outside, trying to get in to see Tom, but we never actually hear or lay eyes on the guy for the entire episode. Are we sure it’s really Simon, and not some terrorist plant sent to reek havoc … nah, it’s just D.L. Hughley’s week off, apparently.

News Guy has just filled Tom in on the hostage takers’ entirely impossible demands when Tom’s picture comes onto the TV screen next to his brother’s, and that cat Cal wanted to keep in the bag, she is out. If Jack had an ax like that terrorist in the video, the news directors who let this connection be publicized would be in fear for their heads. As Tom stares in despair at the screen, we hear Jack saying he needs Jordan McDeere right now …

… but bad luck on that, Jack, because Jordan’s at the ER with baby problems. A young doctor whose manner and line readings remind me uncannily of Timothy Busfield is questioning her, trying to make it seem like it’s no big deal, but then the nurse, who’s acting like she’d rather be on an episode of ER, holds up a piece of paper with Jordan’s blood pressure, and the doctor thinks they should probably get a sonogram. Even though, if Jordan’s BP’s high, there’s a pretty good chance it’s her horrible terrible job and not a horrible terrible complication.

Back at the cast meeting, our beleaguered troupe learns that Tom’s been outed as the airman’s brother. And when Danny gets a call to get to the hospital pronto, they also learn that Jordan hasn’t felt the baby kick in a while. Harriet thinks that over, and then does the only logical thing for her to do: She drops to her knees and starts praying, as Matt looks on.

Later, Harriet stops by Matt’s office, to joke a little about beheading and try to re-break the ice between them. She recalls having this same fight once before, this same specific fight, only they were on opposite sides. It was the day the war started, the day the Emmys were postponed, and that’s all we need to go whooshing back in time …

… to a day when Matt needed someone to tie his bow tie. And a time when Harriet was smooching with Luke. Apparently, they’ve been having this fight over and over, too. As seems to be Luke’s eternal fate, Harriet is distracted from their relationship to be at Matt’s beck and call. Run while you can, man.

While Harriet fiddles with Matt’s tie, the two of them do their bickering thing and try not to make eye contact lest they fall for each other all over again. They have a familiar argument over who broke up with who when, and how dumb Matt’s girlfriend is, and how hateful Luke is, and whether Matt can effectively write the show, although in this case the stumbling block is the nearness to 9/11. Danny comes in and tells them the Emmys are going to get cancelled again, because the war has started.

And then, in present time, Danny’s rushing to another crisis, this one involving Jordan and the baby. The baby has the cord wrapped around her neck and has a slowed-down heartbeat, things that sound serious to Danny but not a big enough deal to the doctor. Danny would like to have a grown-up, someone who’s built his beach house in Malibu with the babies he’s delivered, to be in charge of Jordan’s care. Jordan seems touched by how scared he is, and seeks to reassure.

Jack seeks to reassure all those news directors who are showing footage of Tom in their stories about his brother’s kidnapping that he will beat the crap out of the people responsible. As he shouts about how they’re going to get Mark’s ass dragged through the streets, Tom is hearing it all, and looking even more troubled, if that’s possible. He’s also upset that the news only mentions him and his brother, as though the other captives weren’t newsworthy and didn’t have brothers themselves. He also wonders whether we didn’t already win this war …

… which swoops us back to the early days of the war, when Luke is whooping it up in the writers’ room about the victorious stomping of Afghanistan. He’s all for continuing the battle on the show, doing sketch after sketch ridiculing Arabs. Matt thinks that’s overkill, and moreover, it’s too soon to go back on the air. And then, in what Matt describes to Harriet as “15 seconds of accidental normal,” Andy comes in with cigars to say that his wife had a baby. And he’s almost smiling.

Still in that early wartime past, Matt tells Harriet about the trouble writing the show this week, although her boyfriend had suggested some ideas that would incite lynchings. Harriet tells him the trouble is that he can’t make fun of Bush or Christians with all that’s going on, and that leaves him with nothing to joke about. He denies it, and says that when the war is over, in about 15 minutes, there will be plenty of material; but he’s going to tell Wes that there’s nothing funny this week.

He walks through a door to talk to Wes in the past, and comes through into his office in the present, with Mary there instead of Mr. Mandell. He breaks their date due to the Tom situation, and she mentions a company her firm has worked with, Trask Securities, that specializes in K&R — kidnap and ransom. They “bring a bag of money and get the guy back.” Would they be able to do that for Tom? Mary’s not sure, but she’ll make a few calls.

Jordan’s taking a call from Jack about the news getting out about Tom’s brother. Afterwards, she tries to get Danny back into their argument about ratings, even though her blood pressure concerns would seem to argue against that. Danny eventually lets her know that Matt’s having trouble, and she wonders whether that will be true every time he and Harriet break up. But Danny assures her Matt will bring it around, and so will the baby. He mentions that Tom’s brother being kidnapped isn’t likely to make them funnier this week …

… and that swoops us back to the week of the war, as Matt and Danny sit waiting to go in to talk to Jack about their problem. Wes has had a heart attack, so it’s up to the boys to argue their case that the show shouldn’t premiere this week. Jack’s not so sympathetic to that cause — and since this is old Jack, past Jack, not the suddenly growing a conscience Jack we’ve been watching this season, he’s a pretty jerky Jack, calling Matt and Danny by the wrong names on purpose and generally messing with them. Even the mention of Tom Jeter’s brother, who joined up on September 12, doesn’t persuade him that the show can’t be funny under these circumstances. He instructs them not to take shots at Bush and America, but feel free to make fun of Hollywood. He’s pretty sure the war’s going to be over by dinner …

… except not so much, as we’re back in the present and Matt’s discussing Mary’s K&R plan with Cal, who, really not so suprisingly, knows all about these things. She describes a recent rescue that sprung one out of three hostages (the other two were killed), and explains that it’s likely to cost about 10 million dollars. Do they know someone who can put together that kind of money? Hey, turns out Jack Rudolph is good for something!

Back in the hospital, Jordan’s brainstorming ratings boosts (country acts!) and Danny’s wondering why he can’t get a real doctor on the phone. Jordan starts feeling nauseated, and when the doctor and nurse rush in and ask about headaches, she admits to having them too. The doctor mentions pre-eclampsia, and gives her a drug to reduce electrical activity. He makes it pretty clear that it’s serious and nothing to hem and haw about, then takes off for other ER disasters.

Back at the studio, a couple of military men are checking out a tape of the show, and asking questions about Gran Bel Fisher. Then Tom comes in, a rush of press inquiries behind him, and the officer introduces himself and the chaplain. Tom makes sure it’s protocol and not special treatment, and then goes with them to Matt’s office, where they’ll be staying. The military guy asks for the name of the singer, which seems like just another push for Gran Bel Fisher, but it’s really the officer’s assessment of Tom’s mental state. And that mental state is: ticked that he’s not getting any answers from the military. Cal comes in and gets Matt to come in the hallway and discuss the Trask idea with Jack. Meanwhile, Tom tries to at least find out how bad it is for his brother that he’s a celeb, and that he did a sketch called “Mohammed, the Thin-Skinned Prophet.” Coulda lived without that, the military man admits. But he’s not admitting much else.

In the control room, Mary is outlining Trask’s success rate to Matt, Cal, and Jack. Cal’s against the idea — negotiating with terrorists, and providing them with funding, and all of that — but Matt’s clinging to it, and seeking more info. Jack’s willing to talk to Mary’s people, and she’s off to make it happen.

Back in the hospital, Jordan and Danny are pretty freaked out by all that’s going on, there and at the studio. They have a couple of sweet moments together before the doctor comes in to tell them that she needs surgery, they’re going to deliver the baby. Danny shows off that he’s been studying up on development, and that the baby’s not ready to be born yet; but again, the doctor makes it clear that the circumstances are dire, and what he says needs to be done needs to be done. And of course, they go along.

While they’re waiting for Jordan to be whisked off to surgery, Danny decides this would be a good time to finally take out that ring that’s been riding in his pocket and propose. Jordan gives him a little banter before saying yes, as is their way, but soon she’s saying “I’m engaged!” and showing the nurses her ring as they wheel her away. The soundtrack is playing “Have a Little Faith in Me,” but Danny looks like he’s struggling pretty hard to keep it.

The song about faith makes a nice segue, though, to Matt vs. Harriet, Take 5,227. But this time, we don’t just see them argue in present time, we get a whole argument montage, years and years of going round and round. Yet they’re still crazy about each other, we know it, they know it. Well, crazy, anyway. For this episode, though, I think maybe Harry’s got the upper hand. With all the drama that’s been going on this hour, this scary Studio 60 night, belief in prayer sounds like about the most promising plan they’ve got.

_{Photo by Terri Mauro}

Studio 60, NBC, K&R Part I, recap