Second look at Episode 4: “The West Coast Delay”
Last night, I continued my DVD episode-a-week viewing with “The West Coast Delay.” Did you join me? I’ll share some initial thoughts here, then continue with a recap, memorable lines, and five questions as the week goes on.
After a little break from Matt-Harriet bickering last week, their ongoing love-hate relationship blossomed anew in this episode. Those crazy kids just can’t leave each other alone, can they? It was worth it, though, to see Tom tagging along as Matt’s “wingman.” If Tom’s your wingman, you’re in more trouble than you thought, I think. You don’t have to find yourself getting a stiletto boot autographed to know that.
“The West Coast Delay” marks the debut of the Martha O’Dell storyline, which sort of went nowhere but allowed for the amusing presence of Christine Lahti. Didn’t do them all that much of a favor when she found that online video, did she? Maybe if it had taken more time to find it, and they hadn’t been able to break into the West Coast feed, the whole runaround could have been undertaken more privately.
But the technical demands did make for some fairly adorable Cal scenes. I just love Timothy Busfield’s unruffled acting and “oh, well” tone when things keep going wrong. Nice to have somebody who’s not going to panic in charge of the panic-worthy side of the show.
Poor Jordan’s having the wind knocked out of her by this ex-husband thing, and just when she’d built up such a nice amount of speed. This is why I could never be a celebrity or high-profile personage: The possibility of significant public embarrassment would make it impossible for me to get out of bed in the morning. Jordan and Danny sure are continuing to be cute together, though, in these small doses. I’m still buying the after-the-fact revelation that Jordan fell for him from the start.
And way for the writer’s room to drop the ball when Matt finally tosses it to them. Would have been nice to take advantage of Ricky and Ron’s offer to resign, but they’ll be gone soon enough. Along with everybody but Lucy. Good riddance to ya!
What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Studio 60, NBC, The West Coast Delay, commentary
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