Studio 60 Fodder

Studio 60: The Friday Night Slaughter

So, when I did my long review of "The Harriet Dinner Part I," I said something to the effect that I wsn't going to do these mini-recaps again. This would ordinarily be true. However, this week, your humble blogger's humble day job exploded, so this mini-recap is actually mini. I plan to do a full one by Saturday complete with humor and (hopefully) astute observations. There was a lot of really good stuff in this episode, some nice dramatic devices, some terrific Sorkin patter, and I'd like to talk about all that. Plus, Mark McKinney got to do some verbal butt-kicking that was awesome (yeah, I'm biased) and the whole Danny/Jordan relationship was quite a bit less uncomfortable than I was afraid it would be. So, keep an eye on this space, as there will be something considerably more thoughtful later this week.

The episode opens with the final dress rehearsal of the show. Andy finds Matt looking depressed in his office and reluctantly offers to be a shoulder for Matt to lean on.

The whole episode bounces back and forth between the pre-show in the present and one seven years in the past, when Matt was so new a writer, his "office" was the floor outside the writers' room. He gets an actual (miniscule) office when another writer, Tim, is fired for abusing pills.

In the present, Matt starts taking prescription drugs himself. After the rehearsal, Matt and Danny (with a little help from Cal) will now decide what sketches make it into the show. Dylan and Tom spend the episode campaigning for a sketch of theirs not to be cut. Danny and Andy both abuse them mercilessly.

The final process of winnowing down these sketches is called the "Friday Night Slaughter." And we have show title.

In the past, Harriet first joined the cast, and both Matt and Luke Scott (also a writer at Studio 60 at that time) write sketches for her. Matt sticks his foot in his mouth with Harriet about her Christianity for the very first time. Luke's sketch improbably makes it to air, while Matt's, written to emphasize physical humor (not his strength), does not. Simon also auditions (presumably; we never find out if Wes finally saw him or not) and figures out that Matt is smitten with Harriet. At the end of the final flashback, Tim has tried to get back onto the show, not by beating his addiction, but by trying to write a sketch so good that Wes will let him back in. It doesn't even make it to the final dress.

In parallel in the present, no one can remember this Tim fellow of whom Matt speaks. However, Cal and Danny do notice that the night's episode is Harriet-heavy, and all the sketches feature characters Harriet premiered 7 years ago.

Jordan uses Danny's office because hers is being fumigated, where Hallie tries to wheel and deal with her over guests for the reality show that is no longer being called All You Need is Love. She doesn't let Danny kiss her where they can be seen, a move in their relationship of which I actually approve. It winds up turning out that Hallie was finagling to get a more salacious guest for the show and basically wasting Jordan's time making her think that the actual "classy" guest could be convinced to be on the show. When he can't, they "have" to bring in the porn-star guest.

The musical guest writes really depressing songs, which suit Matt's mood. She reveals to Matt that she can work when she's depressed because she drinks. She also knows that he's using narcotics and gives him something Extra Special.

Danny tries to talk to Matt but gets shut down. At the end (and half to Andy), Matt discovers that there never was a Tim.

He is Tim.

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Posted by on February 13, 2007 9:47 PM
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