Recap: 1-22 “What Kind of Day Has It Been”
We’re taking a second look at “What Kind of Day Has It Been,” the twenty-second and final episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Following up on the review, here’s a recap of the episode. Still to come: memorable lines from the episode, and five questions about it.
We’re right back where we left off after “K&R Part III,” with Jordan battling a life-threatening infection, Tom’s brother in captivity, Mary working on a ransom arrangement with Jack’s money and Tom’s consent, Jack trying to persuade Simon to apologize for an inflammatory comment he made to the press, and the action periodically popping into flashbacks of the days after the start of the war when Jack wanted Matt and Danny to apologize for a sketch.
Since this episode moves around a lot between previously established locations, I’m again going to flag them as we go. And so we start in the:
Hospital: It’s 3:55 a.m. Danny and Harriet are asleep in the waiting room, with Harriet’s head on Danny’s lap … at least, until Matt comes and Danny jumps up to greet him, sending Harry’s head crashing into the hard plastic chair. The guys are oblivious to her complaints, though, as they compare notes about what’s going on at the studio and with Jordan. Danny shows off his daughter, and after talking about Mary’s work to ransom Tom’s brother, Matt very reluctantly broaches the subject of getting Jordan to sign custody papers. Danny reacts about the same way Matt did when Mary mentioned it to him — but as Matt’s about to leave, Danny asks him to find out from Mary whether Jordan’s drugged-up signature would even mean anything.
Studio 60: Captain Boyle is watching the promised tape of the kidnappers with the supposed dead body of one of the hostages, except he’s sure it’s a fake. Tom’s not convinced by his sureness, or by the ability of the army to get his brother out. They debate some more about why you don’t negotiate with terrorists, and why the war is going as it is, until finally Tom says they have to just stop talking.
Still talking, though, are Simon and Jack. Simon’s still refusing to apologize, but the two men do discuss the plan getting underway with Tom, and the reasons for the end of Jack’s marriage — he got tired of apologizing, which is maybe not the best thing to reveal here — and eventually work their way back to the situation with Matt and Danny five years back.
Flashback: And Harriet and Matt are still talking, about the sketch and the repercussions. She points out that if a Democratic administration had sent an emissary out to talk to Hollywood, Matt would have had no problem with it, and he agrees. And, seems he’s fine with the hypocrisy. Not fine with her seeing Luke, clearly. He’s just asking Harriet if she was offended by the sketch when Danny comes in to say that it’s all over, Wes is going to be issuing an apology, and they’re off the hook. Maybe not, though, judging by how ticked off Matt looks about the whole thing. Danny urges him to let it go, but that’s not exactly Matt’s style.
Hospital: Matt calls in to tell Danny that Suzanne will be bringing the papers over, and a drugged-out Jordan signature will be better than none at all. After Danny hangs up, a way-too-perky Harriet comes in with food from the cafeteria, but Danny’s mind is in the past.
Flashback: The five years ago past, or the last time he lost everything he had, though certainly less to lose than now. Matt comes into his office and declares he’s going to quit. Danny tries to make it right, first with him, then with Jack. He tries to appeal to Jack by saying it’s not a matter of friendship or honor or patriotism, Matt’s the franchise and they’ve got to keep him. Then he hears what he’s saying, and he quits, too. Harriet’s upset then …
Hospital: … and wondering now if Danny has any regrets about it. His only one is that he didn’t quit sooner. They wind up talking about Matt and Harriet, and why the two of them can’t ever seem to get together. Harriet admits he’s the only one she ever loved, but thinks he’ll never forgive her for not quitting, too. Danny is incredulous, and assures her that Matt never wanted her to quit, and loves her only. He tells her that, since the dinner where she was so cruel to him, Matt’s been using drugs. Just then, Suzanne comes with the paperwork, and Danny goes to try to get into Jordan’s room. And then we have the commercial-break lead-in from hell — the doctor coming out with a serious face, telling Danny they need to talk, and boy, does it seem like that will be bad news. Harriet calls on God …
… and apparently He comes through, because after the break, here’s Jordan, groggy and sweaty but very much alive. She meets her daughter, gets her engagement ring back on, then realizes that there was some business she meant to conduct that never got done. There, in the bag she brought with her to the hospital, are adoption papers all ready for Danny to sign, making him the official daddy of little Rebecca Tripp.
Studio 60: Jack gets the call that Jordan’s okay and shares the news with Simon. They go round some more about the apology, and in thinking again about five years ago, Jack realizes that he didn’t have a problem with the sketch and should have stood up for Matt and Danny. So now he’ll stand up for Simon, telling him he shouldn’t apologize. That’s all Simon needs to hear — he’s ready to make the apology now. So then Jack’s fighting to get him to stop, almost coming to drunken blows before Suzanne runs through to say something’s happening with Tom’s brother.
We finally get all the cast back together to hear the news — that Tom’s brother has been rescued, and is in fact on the phone waiting to talk to him. Matt slips away from the jubilant crowd, walks downstairs to the stage, and gives thanks to God, which of course Harriet is right in place to overhear. She questions him about his drug use and slaps him for not telling her sooner, because she is the one person he must never lie to, the one person. And he admits that he loves her, and she wonders if they can be together while he’s the boss. So he starts asking the assembling cast members if they would mind him dating one of their co-workers, and given how much turmoil has been created by their not dating, it’s no surprise that nobody objects.
Danny shows up to pass out cigars. Tom mentions he’s going to Germany to see his brother, and Lucy asks if she can go, too, but Danny says no — they’ve got work to do, they had a good show but they can do better, and they need the whole (miniscule) writing staff in place. Danny sends everybody home, but Matt’s going to stay and start writing. As Danny leaves, turning out the lights, Matt’s upstairs turning on the clock and getting back to work. On something we’ll never see, because this is the end. But a happy ending it was.
Studio 60, NBC, What Kind of Day Has It Been, recap
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