The movie has been nominated for several awards, notably Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical and Best Screenplay-Motion Picture (as well as actor, supporting actor, and supporting actress). Aaron Sorkin was also nominated for a Critics' Choice Award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Writer (along with a best supporting actor nomination for Philip Seymour Hoffman). The actors have been nominated for a number of other awards, but they aren't directly related to Studio 60.

Aaron Sorkin also won a Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Award for best adapted screenplay (winners were announced December 9).

The film itself was listed as one of the year's 10 best movies at the Dallas Ft. Worth Film Critics Awards.

Also opening today is Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. This is of note because Simon Helberg, Alex Dwyer on the show, is in the movie playing Dreidel L'Chaim. Harold "Egon" Ramis is playing L'Chai'm, so I'm hoping/assuming those characters are related.

Ayda Field (Jeannie Whatley) is a regular on Back to You.

Chris Carter is working on a new X-Files movie. Amanda Peet (Jordan McDeere) has been signed to appear in the movie. So has Xzibit, but he's also not related to Studio 60. I just thought it bore mentioning. Amanda also starred in Martian Child with John Cusack and provided a voice for the animated film Terra.

Nathan Corddry (Tom Jeter) was in The Nanny Diaries.

Merritt Wever (Suzanne the PA-Cum-Assistant) was in both Into the Wild and Michael Clayton, both films that are being highly recognized in the awards season.

Columbus Short (Darius Hawthorne) is in This Christmas, which is still playing in many/most markets.

Nate Torrence (Dylan Killington) was in the short film Driftwood.

Steven Weber's been keeping busy. He was in the TV movie More of Me and an episode of Side Order of Life. He was also in an episode of Brothers and Sisters and three episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Sarah Paulson (Harriet Hayes) was in an episode of Desperate Housewives playing fellow former Mighty Sorkin Player Fellicity Huffman's sister.

Camille Chen (Samantha Li) was in an episode of Ghost Whisperer.

Lucy Davis (Lucy Kenwright) appeared in an episode of Californication.

Bradley Whitford is keeping busy with various causes including Clothes off our Backs, the charity he runs with his wife, actress Jane Kaczmarek, autism, and California voter reform. He's doing a lot that takes a bit of work to find, and it's been eaten in two separate computer crashes, so I'll give details on those in a later post.

Almost all the cast has other projects in production or post. I'll post those as we get closer to their release dates.

Aaron Sorkin (Writer/Creator)
As previously reported here, Aaron's new play, The Farnsworth Invention opened recently on Broadway. Thankfully, the stagehands' strike just ended, so you can finally see it. I hear that ticket prices are pretty low right now, so it may be time to go!

He also wrote the screenplay for Charlie Wilson's War , which opens this Christmas Day. It stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts and is based on a true story.

D.L. Hughley (Simon Stiles)
D.L. is currently on tour.

He will be one of the co-hosts of Comedy Central's Last Laugh '07. Not sure how that works, what with the strike and all. I imagine there will be at least one Studio 60 joke. I hope so, anyway. It airs December 2 (tonight) at 10 p.m. And then repeats many times after that.

He will also host the 13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards on Jan. 7 on VH1. Notice that the picture they use of him is one of the promotional shots NBC took for Studio 60....

In other news:
Aaron Sorkin's new play The Farnsworth Invention, opens in previews this week (Either yesterday, October 15, or today) on Broadway. The play concerns the invention of television-the device, not programming-and stars Jimmi Simpson and Hank Azaria. The show was workshopped in La Jolla. The production opens November 27 and will run at the Music Box Theatre.

He also has a new movie Charlie Wilson's War, coming out at Christmas.

Simon Helberg (Alex Dwyer) is a cast regular on CBS' The Big Bang Theory.

D.L. Hughley's "new" stand-up special (it premiered September 22) will re-air at 9 p.m. on October 21, October 22 at midnight on HBO and HBOHDP, and October 25 at 2:55 am on HB2P. Check local times.

I did promise to release a "Where Are They Now?" post. Please be assured that I am working on it, but it turns out that the entire cast has bounced back pretty well, so it's taking way more time than I had anticipated. It'll be along.

John Goodman was given the award for Guest Actor in a Drama for his role as Judge Robert Bebe in the episodes "Nevada Day Parts I & II." He beat out, among others, Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker (on ER) as well as fellow Studio 60 guest star nominee Eli Wallach. Other nominees were Tim Daly on The Sopranos, Christian Clemenson on Boston Legal, and David Morse on House.

Studio 60 was also nominated for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, a category with exceptionally tough competition and ultimately won by Friday Night Lights. It was also nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series for "Pilot." Most other nominees in this category were HBO programs; the only other non-premium channel program nominated was CSI. This category was won by Rome for the episode "Passover."

All categories fielded strong competition, and your Humble Blogger congratulates John Goodman on his win. She also wishes to make a non-PG remark to NBC in relationship to the win, but she'll refrain, simply saying, "In your FACE."

Studio 60 is also nominated for one Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Thomas Schlamme, "Pilot"). I have a great deal of hope for his ability to win this award. It was an excellent episode, and the one on which most critics based their assessment that Studio 60 would be the best new show of the 2006-2007 season.

The Primetime Emmy program, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will air on your local FOX affiliate on September 16, 2007.

Primetime Emmy award nominations can be found here.

The Creative Arts Emmy nominations and wins are found here.

Good luck to Tommy, and a hearty congratulations to John.

Guest Actor in a Drama: John Goodman as Judge Robert Bebe in episodes "Nevada Day Parts I & II."

Guest Actor in a Drama: Eli Wallach as Eli Weintraub in episode "The Wrap Party."

Directing Drama: Thomas Schlamme (Tommy!) for episode "Pilot" (Darn tootin'! As much as I loved the whole show, I'd still have to say this was probably still the best of the series).

Casting for a Drama. (Um, YEAH).

Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series for episode "Pilot."

Interestingly, the two (well, three) episodes that had guest actor nominations were some of the most harshly criticized on the 'net.

Also, despite the nomination for best casting, the only member of the regular cast to get an acting nomination was Matthew Perry, and that was as the lead in The Ron Clark Story.

The list of nominees for the primetime awards are here. The creative arts awards (like casting and cinematography) are here.

The Emmy ceremony will air on September 16 on your local Fox affiliate.

Although the NBC episode replay thinks it's "What Kind of Day it Has Been," demonstrating for a final time their commitment to this program.

The episode opens at 3:55 a.m. with Harriet and Danny (who has grown a lot of stubble in the few hours since the end of "K&R part III") dozing. Matt comes into the waiting room, and Danny lets Harry's head fall on the chair. Good shot!

Danny worries that people on the East Coast are watching Simon going off the rails, as it's 7 a.m. there. He then takes Matt to see the baby. Danny gets adorably paternal, and Matt is stunned. Er, by the baby, not Danny's paternal side. Danny's also thrilled because the baby scored 90% on her very firstest ever test. The point she missed was grimacing. Evidently it doesn't bother her too much when they touch her with something cold. Matt and Danny joke around about them calling her "Baby Girl McDeere," and they display some of that terrific chemistry that I never got enough of and that I am already missing dearly.

Matt tells Danny about the current efforts to buy Tom's brother back. Danny says now he's involved too. Matt also very reluctantly tells Danny he has to get Jordan to sign the papers to name him the baby's legal guardian. Aaron Sorkin briefly screws with the audience by having Danny say that Jordan is "definitely gonna die" before adding "just not tonight." Damn you, Sorkin!

Danny, understandably, doesn't want to talk about it or even consider the possibility that he might lose the baby if anything happens to Jordan. There is some terrific acting in this scene. In fact, perhaps because they knew this was the last hurrah, the entire cast seems to be acting their asses off in this episode. After insisting that Matt go back to the theater and take care of everything there, he tells Matt to ask Mary if Jordan's signature will be legal at all when she's doped-up on morphine and coming out of anesthesia. There's a slow, sort of sad slide to credits.

Danny gives a pretty succinct recap of the last four episodes (give or take) to Harry, then says this can't be his life. It probably can.

Capt. Boyle (Tom's brother's commanding officer, still on hand to comfort Tom) is watching TV. The news anchor announces that the video of the Taliban members standing in front of the body of one of the kidnapped airmen is probably fake. Tom mentions that it looks real. Capt. Boyle points out that if it were Airman Valdez, they would be showing his face. He also tells Tom how al Jazeera verifies whether these tapes are real.

Tom says that he has started the process of getting the private company to rescue Mark (his little brother). The two of them have a very tense exchange about how nice it is for Tom to be rich and how the Army isn't "working out" for Tom and Mark. Capt. Boyle reiterates that Tom should not do it. If he does, he's giving money to the terrorists, funding their operations, and giving them incentive to do this again, making the war more dangerous for other members of the military over there. He also says that if Tom does get Mark back through the private company, Mark will coldcock him one because this is what he signed up for. Tom points out that no, it's really not. He's not going to fail his brother, and Capt. Boyle says that using private Kidnap and Ransom security is going to do just that. These boys are not getting along well.

Back in Danny's office, Jack comes back, surprised to find that Simon has not run off. Simon says he's calm, but he's still not going to apologize for accidentally allying himself with al Qaeda. He also says he wants in on whatever they're cooking up for Mark. He wants to be the first one to give money for the ransom. Jack tells him he's going to need to keep his money. He then tells him that one apologizes a lot when one is married. And he's getting divorced because he's tired of saying he's sorry.

Simon wants to know what Jack meant when he said that Matt and Danny lost their jobs back in the day because Jack kept his promise. He says he should have just pulled the plug on the Karl Rove in Hollywood sketch. Instead, he did what he does.

We have a flashback. This time it actually says it's five years earlier. I think that's the first time in the four episodes where we've been having these flashbacks that they've said so. Matt comes in to his office. Harriet is sitting with her feet up on his desk. He tells her that when Jack called Wes to put his muscle on Matt and Danny, Wes was asleep and the nurse wouldn't wake him up (Wes Mendel, if you'll recall, was recovering from a heart attack, which is sort of how this mess got started in the first place). Matt is confident that Wes will tell Jack to screw himself and not insist that Matt and Danny apologize or fire them.

Harry starts to challenge Matt. In the course of this, she utters "oy." Matt suggests she never do it again. Hey, she's at least as convincing as he is (I love Matthew Perry, but he just can't stop being so...goy). She wonders if things would be different if Al Gore were the president and had sent his envoy out to Hollywood to talk about how the entertainment industry could help. Matt realizes that he wouldn't have a problem with that at all. He's made peace with the fact that that's totally hypocritical. He says his government has contempt for him. He wonders if Harry was offended by the sketch, and Danny calls him away.

Wes has called back. He's going to apologize in a press release. Matt's angry that Wes caved, and Danny wants him to let it go. They have to do this week's show.

Back in the present, Danny gets a call on a pay phone from Matt. Matt and I both had no idea that there were still pay phones, let alone pay phones that receive incoming calls. Danny says cell phones aren't allowed in that part of the hospital.

Suzanne is going to bring over the papers naming him the baby's legal guardian. Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer That We Don't Get To See Tonight, says that if someone contests the legality of Jordan signing the papers when she's that doped-up, it could be a problem, but it's better than nothing. Matt says that Jordan would be counting on Danny to do this.

Harriet brings food, which causes Danny to have a flashback. Matt comes into his office, says he talked to Wes, and he's going to have to quit; they're getting bullied. Danny points out that they're this close to having the show themselves. Matt insists he's quitting.

Danny goes up to Jack's office. He tells Jack they have to come up with a better solution than Wes apologizing because Matt just quit. Jack is sure they'll muddle through somehow. Danny says Matt has been the show for the last two years. He also says that Jack doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Wes is basically just a stuffed shirt. Danny seems stunned when Jack says that he knows Danny and Matt are patriots. Danny (always one to think before speaking) shoots back with, "Screw friendship, screw honor, screw patriotism; we just lost the franchise." Jack says Matt will come back. Danny says if Matt leaves, it will take an extraordinary event to get him back (Irony!). Danny wonders what exactly Jack said to Wes.

Back at the theater, Harriet is freaking out that Matt quit. Danny answers "yeah" to most of her questions. How very Sorkinesque of him. Harry wants Danny to get Matt back, and Danny says that if Matt's out of the building, that's it; he's gone. Danny says he really isn't being casual about all this. And then he tells her that he's quitting, too. Harry tells him that this is a career decision not to be made in two minutes. He says it didn't take the whole two minutes. He says that Matt has been let down by everyone and is still standing. And Danny's going to stand with him.

In the present, Danny tells Harriet he can't believe it took him that long to stand with Matt. He also wonders why Matt and Harry never got it together; they never really tried. Harry reveals that Matt is the only one she ever really loved, but she thinks Matt will never forgive her for not quitting too. Danny says that Harriet is the only one that Matt ever loved. He also tells her that after she said she wanted to sleep with Luke last winter, he started writing the show high. Okay, Danny is clearly not to be trusted with secrets.

We briefly see Suzanne as she brings Danny his legal papers. Danny tells Street Wise African American Nurse (as opposed to Grumpy Nurse from "K&R Part II") that he needs to be thoroughly cleaned up so he can go see Jordan. Street Wise African American Nurse tells him he has to wash his hands and wear a mask. He's a little put out that that's all it takes, but he agrees to it. However, before he gets the chance, Junior Emergency Doctor takes him into another room to have a Serious Talk. Solemn music plays, Harriet whispers, "Oh, God, come on," and the audience freaks out while we go to commercial.

We come back from the ad to find Jordan waking up. Danny and Junior Emergency Doc are in the room with her. She says she can't remember anything, so Danny puts the baby in her arms to remind her. Hey, look! The baby can be touched!

He proudly tells her that the baby scored a 9 out of 10 on the Apgar test. He tells her they'll work on that grimace thing, and JED worries that the baby may have a little to much pressure at home.

As an aside, your humble blogger's humble day job involves typing up doctor visit reports all day, many of which involve labor and delivery. She had actually forgotten that the Apgar scale goes up to 10. She's not sure she's ever seen anyone get above a 9. So Baby Girl McDeere doesn't need to worry. Except, of course, about that complex her parents are going to give her.

Danny also gives Jordan back her engagement ring. She makes JED make himself useful by fetching her bag. It turns out Jordan has adoption papers she wants Danny to sign. She says she didn't know Danny was going to propose; she had just been hoping ever since they first met. Would that be when she blackmailed him with the fact that he'd failed his drug screen? That's some good marriage/father material right there. And wife material, too, come to think of it.

JED makes himself useful again by giving Danny his pen. Danny signs the form, then leans in to kiss Jordan, while JED watches in sentimental jealousy or something.

Jordan is all teary as she tells Danny she wants to name Baby Girl after her grandmother, Rebecca. He says that "Rebecca McDeere" is a nice name. But he likes it even better when he reads that the adoption form lists her as "Rebecca Tripp." He leans in and kisses her again. Baby Girl Rebecca McDeere Tripp would be watching all this if she weren't totally passed out.

Ladies and gentlemen, Amanda Peet (And Junior Emergency Doctor).

Over in Danny's office, Jack has found out that Jordan is okay and celebrates with more booze. He suggests Simon celebrate by apologizing. Simon suggests that would be akin to a minstrel show, that it has to be harder because he's black, and that some people consider blacks to be borderline Americans anyway. He then says the reason Jack has been sitting there all night is because he feels guilty about what happened with Matt and Danny five years ago. Jack says he wasn't the bad guy, and everything isn't McCarthyism. He waxes philosophic about the McCarthy era and the fact that we'll never know who, back then, gave a damn. He mists up a little about it. He reveals that he actually liked the Karl Rove sketch. He then says that anyone with half a brain knows that Simon didn't mean what he said to the press earlier, and there is no reason why he should have to apologize. Simon thanks Jack and announces that he will, in fact, apologize.

Jack chases after him, telling him not to. The two of them have a pretty hilarious walk-and-talk, and Jack offers to beat Simon up. Jack is, of course, pretty drunk. Again. So it could be a pretty quick fight. Suzanne comes zipping through, telling them that something is going on with Tom's brother. Again there is ominous music as we go to commercial, and the audience freaks out. Again.

Matt jogs past Capt. Boyle on his super secure government cell phone into his office, where Alex, Samantha, Cal, and Andy are looking bored and/or worried. Tom is still freaking out. He's going to go ahead with the Mary Tate's kidnap and ransom company. Jack and Simon come in past Jeannie, who also looks bored and/or worried. Lucy and Suzanne are in the room too, and I imagine Dylan is around, though you never actually see him in this scene.

Tom says there was just a report on the news that jets and attack helicopters are being scrambled out. Simon and Tom don't know what that means, but Jack knows: The prisoners are dead, and they're going in to bomb the place. Capt. Boyle finally comes back into the room, and Tom looks for confirmation from him. The captain says he'll answer, but first does he want to talk to his brother on the phone? It takes several tries before it sinks in that Mark is alive (as well as the guy they were saying was dead) and on his way back. Tom mists up. I mist up, too. Lucy also mists up, and there is much rejoicing.

Matt walks out along the outside of his office. As he walks past the control booth, he and Cal knock on the window at each other. Cal looks like an excited kid.

Matt comes down the spiral staircase as lights are turned out behind him in the theater. He sits on a step and breathes, "Thank you, God." Harriet does a very bad impression of the Voice Of God, and they catch each other up on what's happened with Tom and Jordan.

Harry wants to know if Matt's been doing drugs. She's glad when he doesn't lie to her about it, and then she slaps him. She says she's the one person he doesn't keep that sort of thing from. They hug. And then they kiss. And it's a much more comfortable kiss than some of their kisses have been in the past. Like, I could maybe buy it this time. He says he loves her, and they continue to make out. Harriet says they can't do this; he told her he couldn't be the boss and be with her at the same time. Matt says he may have been wrong about that.

Herb The Announcer wanders by, and Matt asks him if it's a problem for him if Matt dates Harry. Herb seems confused by the whole thing.

Dylan and Alex come by, and Matt asks the same thing. They don't. He asks Samantha, and as long as she doesn't have to date him, she doesn't care. Jeannie wants to know if she can still sleep with him. Harry says no. Jeannie says Andy can sleep with her. Andy seems nonplussed about it. I'm going to miss Andy, too. Harry wonders why they couldn't have done that nine months ago. Because otherwise, Harry, there wouldn't have been a show. Suzanne, Simon, Tom, and Lucy have trickled in too.

Danny comes in with cigars for all. Tom gets two because he got his brother back. Cal comes down and interprets for a weepy Lucy. So we don't get to hear her pretty accent at all. Danny says no one is surprised that Matt and Harriet are dating. He hugs Simon. Tom is going to go to Germany. Lucy wants to go too, but Danny says they need to start again with a full writing staff on Monday. Well, she could go to Germany and turn right around and come back. Okay, that's no fun. And since the Concorde doesn't run anymore, I'm not even sure it could be done. But Lucy actually seems okay with not getting to go anyway. He tells the cast he'll see them all on Monday, and they go their separate directions.

Ladies and gentlemen, Timothy Busfield and Merritt Weaver.

Ladies and gentlemen, John F. Carpenter (Herb The Announcer), Mark McKinney, Camille Chen, Ayda Field, Simon Helberg.

Ladies and gentlemen, D. L. Hughley.

Ladies and gentlemen, Nate Corddry and Lucy Davis.

Ladies and gentlemen, Nate Torrence.

Harry and Matt make out. Danny tells them he's all in favor of it, but not in front of him. Hear, hear! Harriet says she's going to go get some stuff from her dressing room (marital aids?) and leaves Matt with a kiss.

Ladies and gentlemen, Sarah Paulson.

Matt wishes Danny mazel tov. Seriously, Sarah Paulson's Yiddish really isn't any less convincing than Matthew Perry's. In this spirit, Danny says Gesundheit.

Matt says everything is unbelievable. Danny wonders if Harry and Matt will actually stay together this time. Matt doubts it, but they'll always come back. Danny suggests they actually come back faster than they have in the past. He also thanks Matt for keeping everyone together. He's going back to the hospital. Matt pats Danny's shoulder and goes up to his office. Well, at least he has couches up there, so Harriet won't be completely out of luck. Danny tells Matt to go home. Matt wants to get a head start on next week's show, and he's actually feeling good. We get a final bit of the Matt/Danny chemistry that was always some of the best parts of the show.

Danny tells Matt he loves him. Matt makes a joke. Then he tells Danny he loves him, too.

On the studio floor, Danny lights up his cigar and turns out the work light, leaving him very artfully back-lit. He jauntily walks back stage.

Ladies and gentlemen, Bradley Whitford.

Up in a largely dark office, Matt sits at his desk and stares at the darkened Clock O' Doom. He walks up to it, smiling. He turns the Clock O' Doom on and pats it. "I'm gonna make a friend out of you yet." He smiles, and the screen goes black.

Ladies and gentlemen, Matthew Perry.

I enjoyed this episode, though I don't think it was nearly as strong as the four the preceded it. And actually, as fluffy as it was, I really liked "The Disaster Show," so I'm tempted to say this wasn't as strong as that episode, either. Part of the problem is that they just tried to tie up too many loose ends at once. I'm tempted to say that they should have tried to resolve at least one of the stories in "K&R Part III," but they really needed to end at the same time. If they could have, what would have been really good is a two-hour finale. I know, I know; we're lucky we got an actual finale. But I think it might have helped not to feel quite so rushed.

Interestingly, as I recall, The West Wing version of "What Kind of Day Has it Been" was one of the least popular of that show's first season (it was the only one that Aaron Sorkin had planned out ahead of time, and the general consensus was that it was better when he didn't plan too far out). This isn't to say that that episode was bad; that entire season was excellent; it was just less excellent than the others. And I sort of feel that way about this episode. It wasn't the best episode, but it was far from the worst. It just had a whole lot of work to achieve in a very short amount of time.

Everyone really did an excellent job with their final outing, but there were a few outstanding performances. For the fifth episode in a row, Nathan Corddry stunned me. I loved him on The Daily Show, but I had no idea he had such amazing drama chops. Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford, of course, do terrific. Steven Weber turned in a terrific performance, and I didn't really know he had that in him either. James Lesure (Capt. Boyle) also gives an impressive performance. The scene between him and Nate Corddry in the first act is tremendously powerful.

Now that I've complained that they tried to do too much in a short amount of time, I am sorry we didn't get to see more of the rest of the show-within-the-show's cast. I'm especially sorry we didn't get to see more of Cal. Also, I could always stand to see more of Andy. And Lucy, for that matter. The same is true for Suzanne. We didn't need to see Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, but it was a little odd that we never saw her at all. Also notably absent was Darius. Additionally, but I would like to have seen Wilson White one last time. He really doesn't fit into the story line, but I sort of wondered what happened to him after the vote of no-confidence. I'm also sorry that Simon didn't have meatier material for this last episode. He had one pretty good scene, but we do know D. L. Hughley can do more intense work, and we just didn't get to see it this time.

I am sorry that we'll never get to see how the FCC fine story line would have played out, or the Macao merger or the sexual harassment case. It would have been interesting (and possibly Emmy-worthy) to watch Matt actually try to deal with fighting his narcotic addiction. I'm especially sorry that we're losing out on the Matt/Danny chemistry and the Tom/Simon chemistry. Both duos were terrific together, and neither got enough use.

So, here are your humble blogger's plans: I did mini-recaps, not full reviews, for five of the final six episodes. I am hoping in the near future to do longer reviews. However, that depends on how long they stay up at the NBC site. But there were a whole lot of smarty-pants things I wanted to say but didn't have the time. And I live for the smarty-pants comments.

I also owe a lot of responses to people who have commented in. I'd also like to do a final wrap-up/where are they now/where will they be next post. And then I plan/hope to be back with a new series next fall, but that isn't decided yet. Whatever happens that way, it won't be as good as an Aaron Sorkin show. More's the pity.

But first, I'm going to have to dig out all my other "What Kind Of Day Has It Been" episode DVDs.

Ladies and gentlemen, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Jack wants to do something right now, or the replays of Simon's yellings will be all over the TV on Monday. He also wants to know why Simon went to go talk to Leon Cushman (of The Post). Why, because he's a stand-up guy and they have a relationship. However, the rest of the Pack o' Reporters found them. Jack wants to know if the Pack o' Reporters was blocking Simon's escape. Well, no, not really. Simon finally admits that he lost it when a reporter asked if NBS leaked the story to boost the West Coast ratings for the show. Okay, fine. But Jack wants Simon to apologize. Simon refuses.

Jack insists that Simon is going to apologize. And he's never going to work again. Simon tells Jack to fire him or shut up. After giving each other a very tense look, we crash to credits.

During the credits and ensuing commercial break, Jack has found booze. Simon offers to bet Jack their respective paychecks that he won't apologize. Jack takes it; he has total confidence in himself and absolutely none in Simon.

Simon is affronted that the Pack o' Reporters comprises members of the entertainment press covering a hostage situation in Afghanistan. He's also affronted that the hostage situation didn't become news until it turned out that one of the hostages is the brother of a mid-level star. Finally, he's affronted that by making the situation an entertainment story, the Pack o' Reporters put the aforementioned hostages in greater danger. So when someone asked if NBS was manipulating the story for ratings, he blew up.

Jack then asks Simon why he thinks he hasn't fired him. It's because he agrees with Simon. But he's still going to make Simon apologize; they're going to do it right this time. Way back in the day, all Matt and Danny had to do was apologize for a fairly benign sketch. That brings up another issue for Simon; he says Jack broke his word to Matt and Danny, and that's why they lost their jobs. No, Jack says, they lost their jobs because he kept his word. It's time for a flashback.

In the past, Simon is doing the warmup for the first show of their 2001-2002 season. While Simon is warming up the crowd, Matt is doing rewrites. Harriet wants him to drop the Karl Rove in Hollywood sketch, even though it's just dress rehearsal.

Matt explains the deal with Jack, that there are ad reps at the dress rehearsal, and if they balk, the sketch will be cut. Harry points out that even if the sketch gets cut, word will still get out that they did it. She then wonders if Matt isn't doing the sketch to get back at her. Matt makes an unfortunate Jew/Arab joke very loudly. The studio is quiet save for the chirping of some very uncomfortable crickets

Harriet is convinced that the sketch will be cut anyway, so why don't they just not do the sketch at all?

Back in the present, Harry sits next to a very worried-looking Danny (Bradley Whitford gives a lovely performance throughout, usually without saying a word). She's trying to cheer him up with her Holly Hunter impression. He seems underwhelmed.

He catches up with Junior Emergency Doctor. Jordan still isn't clotting, so they're using an experimental medication on her. Danny seems underwhelmed by this, too. JED also reveals that Jordan's condition is critical. Harriet comes back and wants to do some Juliette Lewis for him.

Back at the studio, Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, runs into Matt. Apparently her people "have a way of moving forward" with the rescue of Tom's brother. Matt's going to get Jack and meet back up with her.

Over in Danny's office, Jack is pointing out that in 1993 Congress apologized to native Hawaiians for overthrowing their kingdom. Simon offers to apologize to Hawaii. Matt fetches Jack, who drunkenly (for a guy that seems to have a glass in his hand in nearly every episode in which we see him, it doesn't seem to take him long) tells Simon that he will apologize.

Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, wanders alluringly past Capt. Boyle (Tom's brother's commanding officer who is on hand to comfort Tom) while he's on the phone. After he hangs up, he comes into Matt's office where Tom helpfully tells him how bad he is at boosting peoples' confidence.

Capt. Boyle wants to know who the Hot Lawyer is and why she's there at 3 a.m. Tom doesn't know, but he's about to find out. Matt takes him to have a private meeting-in the hallway-with him, Jack, and Mary. Matt says Mary's firm thinks they can buy Mark back. Nate Corddry gives an almost-heartbreaking look at her past the camera. As much as I love Aaron Sorkin's writing (and Mark McKinney's, apparently, as he co-wrote this episode), over the last four episodes some of the best performances have been the unspoken moments. This shot is an eloquent case in point. As is the gesture where, as going into the booth to actually speak privately, Matt puts his hand first on Tom's head and then on his shoulder.

In the booth, Tom is told about Trask Security, the company that handles Kidnap and Recovery/Rescue efforts. Mary does reassure him that Trask does share their information with military intelligence. Capt. Boyle notices the conference through two closed doors. There is way too much glass in this studio. Mary tells Tom their success rate is 50-50. Tom appreciates the offer, but he doesn't want to do anything to interfere with the military's efforts. Just out of curiosity, though, Tom wonders how much the ransom would be. Jack and Matt both insist he not worry about that.

Back in Matt's office again, Capt. Boyle wants to know if Tom knows any good record stores. He then tells Tom not even to consider taking Mary up on her offer. He tells him a story about another case like Tom's that ruined a potential deal between the US state department and the Colombian government and has caused the going rate on ransoms in Colombia to be $11 million. The guys who have Tom's brother are jihadists, and one of the ways they make their money is taking hostages, so Tom is absolutely not to give them any cash.

Capt. Boyle then turns on the TV to see a replay of Simon's rant. He agrees with Jack's earlier assessment that Simon was stupid and says that he should apologize (Er, Simon. Not Jack. Or himself). Tom says Simon won't apologize.

We have another flashback to the end of the dress rehearsal. Harriet still wants Matt to cut the sketch. Matt says the ad reps had no problem with it. Harry says the sketch is the sort where, after the fact, people will realize that it just wasn't that funny. She says that laughter during that sketch was uncomfortable laughter and they shouldn't be making fun of people being patriotic. Matt says he's not; he's making fun of car decals masquerading as patriotism. Harry still thinks he's trying to mock her. However, she does insist that the sketch will lose him his job.

Matt says he's been scared for the last five weeks, and that's too long. He's not going to be scared of this. Harriet's going to go over his head to Danny.

Back in the present, Danny sees JED coming out of the back covered in blood. He reassures Danny and Harry that the blood belongs to someone else. The good news is that the experimental drug stopped Jordan from bleeding out. The bad news is that they think she has a postop infection. They're giving her antibiotics, but if they didn't catch the infection in time, Jordan could go into shock and her organs could shut down. And there's a 25% chance of this happening. Danny tries to push past JED to see Jordan. JED says that A) If Danny has any sort of bug at all, he could make her worse, and B) She's young and healthy and she'll be fine. Harriet offers to teach Danny to pray.

Back at the studio, Jack wants Matt to tell Simon to apologize. As opposed to all the terrific unspoken performances I'm enjoying in this episode, Steven Weber's timing with the dialogue is just beautiful.

Jack explains that the upfronts are coming the following week, when 90% of all advertising time for the next year will be sold (interesting, given that a great variety of the shows at upfronts won't make it through the season, and some-like, I'm guessing, Caveman-won't even make it to November sweeps), and none of the advertisers will be buying time at NBS if they think they employ terrorist sympathizers. Matt says the decision is Simon's to make. Jack then says that this is just like the situation five years ago. Matt could have saved his job then just by apologizing. Matt says Jack should have told the people who were overreacting about the sketch to screw themselves, and that would have saved his job. Again, Jack insists that he never broke his word to Matt and Danny.

There's another flashback. Jack takes Matt and Danny into his office a few days after the show with the Karl Rove sketch. Danny says Wes is still recovering from his heart attack, so they're baby-sitting the show for another week. He tells them that the morning crew for a radio show in Phoenix is furious about Rove sketch, replaying the radio program for them. The show's hosts have declared Matt to be a Friend of Osama's. They then tell their listeners to boycott all of Studio 60's sponsors, listing the companies in question (Interestingly, the show-within-the-show's sponsors are things like Sears and Wal-Mart. By comparison, the show-without-the-show is sponsored by things like higher-end cars. Hmmm...). Jack says the radio show is a problem because it's syndicated into 11 other cities, some pretty major. Matt says the ad reps had no problem with the sketch at dress rehearsal. Well, they sure have a problem with it now.

Jack wants them to apologize. Matt refuses. Jack says he'll fire Danny for sitting next to Matt when he said that if he doesn't apologize. I always knew network suits were twisted and a little bit crazy.

In the present, Tom is being driven a little bit crazy by Capt. Boyle singing Sinatra. Boyle gets a Very Official Phone Call on his secure line (On a cell phone. Apparently the military has phones that are way more secure than my cell). He tells Tom that al Jazeera is going to report that they've executed one of the other airmen and put up video of a victim, but it's all a lie; they haven't killed anyone (Or not recently, anyway). Tom says he's going to get Mary back and give them the money. Boyle says that's what they want; this is what terrorism is. Tom storms down the hall, fuming that it works.

In the hospital chapel, Harriet wants Danny to get on his knees. He wants to know why. She says it's for respect, and he says that he has a problem with a god that needs him to suck up. Harriet says the kneeling isn't for God, it's for him, and the only thing he isn't handed on a silver platter is humility. Danny wants to know why God doesn't just fix it. She doesn't have the answer to that.

Danny says he wasn't handed anything on a platter; he had to work really, really hard and he got what he has because he took action. Harry suggests that praying is the action he can take now. He says it feels really wrong for him to be in the chapel and leaves. Alone, Harriet tells God that Danny did have a few reasonably good points.

Over in Danny's office, Jack has drafted an apology for Simon to read. Now both of them are fairly wasted. Simon says he'll apologize for seeming to sympathize with terrorists when Jack apologizes for the same. He gives money to the Democratic Party, and they're not with Bush, and Bush said you're either with us or against us, so clearly he's a terrorist sympathizer, too. So if Jack apologizes for that and answers a couple other hard questions that really aren't anyone's business, he'll apologize.

We flash back to more of that meeting in Jack's office with Matt and Danny. Danny is trying to be reasonable about it, and wonders if they're responding to a worst-case scenario before it's even happened. Jack says things are blowing up just like he said they would. Danny points out that it isn't even their show; they're just watching it while Wes convalesces. Jack says since it isn't their show, they shouldn't treat it recklessly. Matt points out that no one who would be offended watches the show. It doesn't matter, Jack says; they watch other shows on the network, only they won't once they think the network is unpatriotic. He insists that they apologize or they're fired. Matt says Jack doesn't have that power. He can fire Wes, and Wes can fire them, but he can't fire them. Danny wants everyone to cool down, and Jack sends his secretary to call Wes. Danny gives Matt a bit of a resigned "now what?" look as we come back to the present.

Matt, Jack, Tom, and Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, looking even hotter in an oversized Studio 60 T-shirt, meet up again in the control booth. Tom doesn't want to commit to anything, but he wants to talk to the security company. They'll have to put him through an identity verification process and then they'll quote him a price. Again, Jack and Matt tell him not to worry about the money. Tom is going to talk to his parents and then get the process started.

Matt and Mary briefly flirt. She then wants to know if Matt talked to Danny about the baby and not bonding before he knows if he'll get to develop a relationship with her. Ever the lawyer, she tells Matt that Danny needs to have Jordan sign papers making him the baby's legal guardian. He says he can't; it's insensitive and ghoulish. He also says that Jordan is a friend of his, too, so he would like her to stop talking like that, thank you very much. Matthew Perry's voice breaks on that line; another excellent performance in an episode full of them. Mary says Danny could lose his daughter and his fiancee in one night, and that doesn't have to happen. Matt asks her to draft up the papers.

Over in the hospital, Danny is watching the baby through the glass at the NICU (It's an actual infant this time!). The look he gives her is just heartbreaking. Again, he says volumes here without speaking a word. At last, he gets on his knees. It finally feels right.

I am both looking forward to and dreading next week's episode. I'm not just dreading it because it's the last one ever, although that is admittedly a huge part of it. But there's a certain freedom in a series finale that doesn't exist with a season finale. There's no worry of fan outrage to keep them from killing off Jordan and Mark Jeter and firing the rest of the cast. Well, okay, there could be fan outrage (I know I'd be outraged), but what are the fans going to do, stop watching? Boycott their sponsors (Ha!)? I'm really hoping that isn't the direction they're going to go, but there's very little actually keeping them from doing it.

I read an article that featured quotes from some person associated with the show. I want to say Mindy Kanaskie (the associate producer), but I'm not sure that's who it was. Regardless, she was talking about the end of the series and said that fans would like it. But I'm not sure I'm comfortable taking that on faith right now.

Also, of course, there are quite a few loose ends to tie up in one 44-minute episode next week. Now, I wasn't sure how they would tie up all the loose ends in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and they managed to do it exceptionally well, particularly in light of how crummy the "first" two episodes were. So there's a chance that they could tie them up really well with next week's episode and leave me even sort of happy. Or as happy as I'm liable to be with the show's finale. Here's hoping.

And then I had this dream last night where the series ended with them going back to Pahrump. Geez, I hope that's not how they handle it.

I'll let the leader of the United States portion of the effort, Diana Botsford, say it; she says it better than I could anyway:

So art got its ass kicked. Help fans say 'Goodbye' to a great show by supporting New Orleans' music culture.

A large group of Studio 60 fans from around the world have united to raise funds for a thank you ad in the June 28th edition of The Hollywood Reporter that will also encourage readers to contribute to the New Orleans music society. More information is available at http://thanks2studio60.livejournal.com.

The text on the advert will be simple - just a thank you, nothing nasty aimed at NBC (no matter how much we'd like to! - we don't want to come across as honey-crusted nut bars!), and will also feature details of how to donate to Tipitina's Foundation. (http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org)"

And as long as I'm letting her give us the details herself, I'm also including the text of the press release:

Fans say “Goodbye” to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

A full page “Thank You” advertisement, paid for by fans of the show will run in the Hollywood Reporter on June 28th, and will also encourage donations to Tipitina’s Foundation.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a cutting edge, satirical commentary on contemporary television entertainment, and its often damaging impact on popular culture. Funny, imaginative and well written, it was a standout in a medium short on quality product.

While the show developed a worldwide audience, achieved respectable ratings, and was one of this year’s most DVR’d and downloaded network shows, it was officially cancelled by NBC in May.

Fans of Studio 60, frustrated by the network’s unwillingness to renew the show, have been looking for a way to express their thanks for the innovative work of its cast and crew.

A group of the show’s loyal viewers from the website LiveJournal have organized an Internet campaign to raise funds to buy a full page ad in the Hollywood Reporter.

Please visit http://community.livejournal.com/thanks2studio60 for more information.

The final episode of Studio 60 will air on Thursday June 28th in the US, and the “Thank You” ad will appear on the same day. It will thank the show’s creative team for “providing us with an intelligent, inspiring and compelling drama.”

All I want for Christmas is my city back.
Along with the message from fans, the advertisement will also include information on Tipitina’s Foundation, the New Orleans based charity which was established in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Its mission is to restore the city’s unique jazz community, and preserve its irreplaceable music culture.

In December of 2006, the Studio 60 episode “The Christmas Show” featured the stories of a group of homeless New Orleans musicians, working pick-up jobs in Los Angeles so as to be able to send money home to stricken families and friends. Playing on the darkened and empty Studio 60 stage, against a backdrop of photographs of the devastated city, a small group of jazz musicians from New Orleans performed a blues version of the carol “O Holy Night.”

The performance exemplified the thoughtful, and often unexpected, directions the show would take -- combining humor with drama to provide meaningful insights into modern culture.

The clip is available for viewing online at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI2LdpW7g5U

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Thanks2studio60 community at LiveJournal
http://community.livejournal.com/thanks2studio60

Further information:
US – Diana Botsford - 417-849-1051 – dianab@elysiumwebs.com
UK and Europe – Carol Sissons – ++ 44-7831-618998 – caz963@homecall.co.uk

Tipitina’s Foundation
http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org

I both urge and encourage you to donate to this ad. It's our last, best chance to tell the incredibly talented people behind this excellent show how much it's meant to us and to thank them for bringing us this terrific program, even if only for an all-too-brief time.

Right. Down to actual business. Part II picks up, oddly enough, where part I left off. It's 12:55 am, in the hospital. A janitor is buffing the floor. Sadly, it is not Dr. Jan Itor. Bummer. Danny is sitting alone in the waiting room next to a less-than-cheery vase of sunflowers. Junior Emergency Doc comes in to talk to him. Jordan's in surgery but is otherwise fine, and Danny wonders if this hasn't taken a real long time. JED says this is his first c-section. Um...there's candor, and then there's just needlessly freaking out the family. He continues to demonstrate why he shouldn't do comedy. He finally says that Jordan has internal bleeding. Danny offers to make him bleed internally. But it's okay. She's "gonna" be fine (I'd say something about how that's an un-doctorly thing to say, but sadly, it's not). JED suggests that Danny go get a drink, which Danny says is kind of contraindicated by his alcoholism. JED says this is a bummer. JED may want to consider going into some field that doesn't involve actual interaction with patients and family. I don't know about sports medicine, but in general medicine, this sort of bedside manner could eventually lead to a lawsuit. Or at least a punch in the mouth. Danny apologizes for ripping on JED's age, which seems premature, considering what a tool JED continues to be. Then JED reveals his name is Jess. Jess? This is not a name that inspires confidence in me in many professions. And medicine is pretty close to the top of that list. JED bears my immediate suspicions out by sort of neglecting to mention that the baby has been born. Danny wants to see the baby, but she's in the NICU. But that's only because she's a little premature and they want to keep an eye on her. JED then suggests that Danny calm down (see? Total tool) and wonders if there's anyone who can sit with him and calm him down. On cue, Matt and Harriet show up, being their usual calming influences (though to be fair, hardly anyone Danny knows is very calming, and the ones that are are either under anesthetic or dealing with family trauma, and those folks aren't that calming). JED runs away. He's a tool, but at least a smart tool .

Danny brings Matt and Harry up to speed and then, in much the same way that JED revealed that the baby had been delivered, Danny mentions offhandedly that he's engaged. Apparently Matt had been working on writing a proposal for Danny to use. I suppose when one doesn't start writing one's nationally televised live program until Wednesday, one has plenty of time to craft wedding proposals for one's friends. I think perhaps we should keep this news away from Jack and Jordan. No matter. Danny winged it. Harriet is actually the voice of reason here, telling the boys to shut up when they start bickering about the quality of Matt's writing. This, of course, is before she smacks Matt (across Danny) for not telling her that Danny was going to propose. She then wraps things up for us: Danny's engaged and there's a baby, and none of that was true an hour ago. Well, things are moving fast tonight.

Harriet suggests Danny not worry about Tom for a while. Danny says the baby isn't his stepdaughter, she's his daughter (of course, there are a variety of reasons why that ain't technically right, but logic is apparently not Danny's best trick), and then he screams that he'd like to meet her. Because screaming in a hospital frequently gets you what you want. At best, it usually gets you escorted out. On the bright side for those of use who are really, really into Bradley Whitford, the way he throws his head back to scream shows off his pecs. And his package. Anyway, Danny escorts Matt and Harriet out, suggesting Matt try to "normalize" things back at the theater. Harriet wants to know if Danny and Jordan have set a date yet. Okay, she now loses her "voice of reason" title. Regardless, Matt has her stay at the hospital with Danny. She wants to know if Matt needs anything from her. Stop being cutesy, maybe (and yet, darned if they aren't cute. Oh, sure, now, as the show is almost over, now they're successfully cute)? Or at least give him the car keys.

Back in Matt's office, the TV shows that the airmen are still missing. Since these are fictional airmen, I'm going to make a terribly inappropriate and tasteless joke that I would never, ever make about real kidnapped...well, anyone: No they're not! We know where they are. They're sitting in front of the guy with the axe! Tom reveals that his parents are in the green room (which didn't seem that private back during "The Disaster Show," but I suppose it's better than on stage) with the chaplain, Lt. Pierce. His mom has been given a medical sedative, while his dad is drinking heavily.

Mark's (Tom's brother) commanding officer, Capt. Boyle, wonders how famous Tom is. He says he's not all that famous, but there's nothing going on. Capt. Boyle says that A) there are two wars going on, and B) does he have any relatives who could get kidnapped in the 9th ward in New Orleans. Hey, I may not have made the least tasteful joke today! Of course, his cuts more to the truth, but it's not really appreciated by Tom. Capt. Boyle isn't real good at making idle conversation or comforting the families. However, it's fairly amusing inept comforting in that bittersweet humor that Aaron Sorkin writes, so I enjoy it regardless.

Okay, I know I've gushed a lot over the last three episodes about how good Nate Corddry has been in these scenes, how powerful his performances as the helpless, sometimes angry, sometimes despondent brother have been, but he continues to be really excellent. As back at Christmas, I fall in love with him once again. He wants to know if Mark is getting beaten up, and Capt. Boyle suggests that engaging in hypotheticals won't help. He does wonder if Tom wants to hit him. It's okay, he says, he thinks he can take a hit from Mr. Sketch-TV-Boy.

Tom, going to get booze, says that Capt. Boyle is a jackass. Capt. Boyle wonders that they made him a captain. The jerkwad in me wants to suggest that that's why they made him a captain.

Down in the writers' room, Lucy, Andy, and for some reason Dylan, are studying their computers. Simon comes in to tell Lucy that she can see Tom soon. She wants to see him now, but that's not happening. Darius is in with Tom's parents. Simon wonders what everyone's up to. Though not what Dylan is doing with the writers. Everyone is just surfing the 'net for information. Because about three hours after the news breaks, there's going to be really solid information out there.

However, the Internets do reveal that conservatives weren't thrilled about the show's cold open. Which would be the one that Jordan told Danny not to run. Everyone suggests that perhaps Lucy shouldn't read all this stuff. Hey Lucy! Read my blog! No, wait, don't. I'm making inappropriate jokes.

Matt and Cal come down, and Matt gives the run-down on what's happening with Jordan. Cal sits at the table and even puts his arm on it, and it actually stays intact. If people weren't so worried about Tom and Jordan and their respective crises, I'm sure they'd be stunned by this.

Matt says the baby is 16 lb. Andy finds this slightly unlikely. Hey, maybe she'll have a great career appearing on Maury as the gargantua-baby! Cal sets us all straight. Matt also tells them that Danny and Jordan are engaged, and Andy comes close to half-smiling right before Lucy hurls her computer to the floor. Well, that killed the mood.

Dylan says he told her not to read the web page she was on. Of course, that was after he gave it to her to read. Again, I'm wondering what the hell he's doing in the room. He's not a writer (writer-performer, maybe, but it's not the "writer-performers' room"), and he's not super-helpful. Apparently the "Angry Pajama People" wrote that Hollywood is evil and uber-liberal, you reap what you sow, and Mark Jeter is paying the price. Interestingly, there is a Pajamas Media out there that may or may not be to whom Aaron Sorkin is referring, but they certainly think they are.

There's also a group of people out there who think that the whole thing is a publicity stunt to raise ratings. Which is not only insane, but if that were the case, why would they have waited until right after the show aired in some markets to do it? Oh, wait, I'm being too logical again, aren't I? The sort of people who buy into that level of conspiracy aren't really into logic either.

Danny wants everyone to stay at the studio and stay busy (they might start writing before Wednesday? Allors!), so Simon wants to write sketches relating to what they're reading online. Cal says this isn't the week for that. Matt got "sucked" into this six years ago, to which Matt takes umbrage. After all, he walked into it.

We're back in the past. We know it's the past because Matt is casually dressed and has a backwards baseball cap on. Oh, and there are more than five people in the writers' room. Jack Rudolph is making them go on the air, and they aren't allowed to make fun of Bush, the White House, America, etc. Most of the ideas come perilously close to ripping on Bush. One of the writers says that Karl Rove wants studios to make more patriotic movies. While Matt has been telling the writers to drop it, he suddenly seems interested in this. Andy gives him a look. He knows what's going on. Oh, now I fall in love with Andy.

Still in the past, Matt is hanging out in Danny's office watching his TV. This may be his office in the present, but I mostly only recognize it as the room where Matt revealed to Jack about Danny's coke relapse in the pilot. Matt is stunned that the war is expected to be over in a matter of weeks. He also keeps pushing that they need to delay the premiere. Which is probably true, but that fight has been lost, so it's time to start writing. Danny says that the two of them are doing okay and will totally be ready to run the show when Wes retires. Irony! Matt says Wes will never retire. More irony!

Matt talks to Danny about the Rove story. Danny points out that it's an old story, but Matt just read it just now. It's a weekly show. By the time it airs, most of the sketches will be about old stories. Danny says that Matt hasn't interpreted the story correctly, that Rove was invited out by a writer and several executives, one of whom was Jack. Matt wants to write a sketch about it, and Danny points out that this is exactly what Jack said not to do. Matt, on the other hand, said Jack said to rip on Hollywood, and that's all he's doing. He's got spunk. Whaddaya wanna bet Jack hates spunk? Also really broadly interpreting his instructions. I'll bet he really hates that. Matt also says that if they do sketches that aren't about The World, they're irrelevant. Danny hates being irrelevant. He wants a first draft from Matt for him to run by Wes. He also wants Matt to try not to get them fired. Oooh, more irony!!

Back in the present, Danny is telling the television show-mandated grumpy nurse that he wants to see his kid. Grumpy Nurse says he can't do that without an ID bracelet to show that he won't steal the baby. Grumpy Nurse is actually a fairly amusing Grumpy Nurse. She indicates that the baby's biological father could see the baby, and Danny expresses annoyance that the biological father got to sleep with his fiancee. He wasn't even into her yet. And she certainly wasn't into him. Well, no one ever accused Danny of being the most logical guy going. But he wants the baby to see that there is a "big, grown man" (I'm struggling very hard to hold my tongue here) who is going to be there for her right away. On the bright side, newborns don't have very good vision. She'd be able to see a big, grown person-colored blob, but that's about it. Regardless, I fall in love with Danny again. Grumpy Nurse, on the other hand, has clearly not fallen in love with him, and maintains that he really won't see the baby without the ID bracelet. Now Danny actually wants to steal the baby.

Harriet talks to Grumpy Nurse woman to woman. Luckily for the hospital (though not so much for Danny), Grumpy Nurse has read her HIPAA rules handbook, so Harriet's womanly wiles don't work any better than Danny's shouting wiles. Grumpy Nurse does like Harriet's work, though.

Harry offers Danny a Mento. At least I'm slightly less annoyed by this particularly egregious product placement than I would have been back when Mentos had those insanely annoying ads. Danny is back to worrying about Tom.

Over in Matt's office, Capt. Boyle wants to smoke. They're in California. Isn't there no smoking, like, anywhere in California? I mean, I realize it's an emergency and he can't leave the building without getting attacked by the press, but he could at least go to the roof or something. Then again, I suppose breaking the no-smoking law is the least of our collective worries at this point.

Tom says he's the black sheep of his family, and Capt. Boyle tells him what a good engineer his brother is. Also a conscientious one.

Simon comes in. Tom wonders why everyone is still there, and Simon says that no one's leaving until he's out of the woods. They're collective good eggs. I fall in love with everyone. What the heck, why not? Tom's mom is passed out (well, asleep) and Lt. Pierce the chaplain took Tom's dad, who's probably kind of wasted, to a nearby chapel. Which must have been fun for the press to watch, drunk dad being led around by the chaplain. Simon asks Capt. Boyle a ton of questions, most of which have already been asked by Tom and none of which can be answered any better now than they were an hour ago. Simon tries to be a Tough Guy, which, strangely enough, doesn't really sway Capt. Boyle.

There are a lot of people down in the writers' room now (At first I thought we were in another flashback, there were so many people in there). Matt tells them all that basically they don't know anything, but at least Jordan's had a beautiful baby girl. Well, we assume she's beautiful. No one's seen her, either. So, she's probably beautiful in that way that all babies are, beautiful while still resembling ET. It's really a pretty good trick.

Once again, Matt forgets to tell the room that Danny and Jordan are engaged. I suppose it's probably that he's upset that Danny didn't use his proposal, but there's an evil part of me that thinks that Matt's just jealous of Jordan. Oops, did I write that out loud?

Alex wonders why there's a smashed computer in the corner. Hey, I know: Everyone's trying to stay busy. Someone could keep busy by cleaning that up! Lucy and Andy explain why, and Jeannie immediately knows that it was the Pajama People that got Lucy so upset. It's a big 'net out there. Is there really only one web site saying things liable to upset someone close to Tom? I'm not saying that's a positive thing. But I'm not buying that she would just know that's who it is. Oh, wait, sorry. This is one of those, "Because otherwise, Daniel, there wouldn't be a show" moments, isn't it? I knew that.

Matt wants to do the Sunday morning postmortem right now, since they need to keep busy. I think that's what he wants, anyway. The camera angle that's meant to show Andy mainly shows Jeannie's breast. It is a nice breast, I suppose, but I'll bet that's not where my attention is supposed to be. Matt wants to know, starting from the top, what they did wrong. Hey, this isn't going to be uncomfortable at all. Right away Herb The Announcer points out that he got the show's name wrong. Matt abuses him for a moment before asking "what's next?" Whoa, Matty! Wrong Sorkin show!

Andy wants to know why Jordan is still in the OR. I love Andy, but sometimes having a professional worrier around isn't all that helpful. At least he isn't worried directly at Danny. Jeannie supplies the word "placenta" for Matt when he can't find it. She's good tonight. I didn't know what he was going for, and I've already heard the explanation twice. Maybe she's psychic. Anyway, Andy's wife had the same condition back in the day that Jordan has right now, and he doesn't think she should still be in surgery. Something's going wrong that they haven't told Danny. Now Andy and Matt are freaking out. Quietly, but freaking.

Matt tries to divert by mentioning the messed-up announcement again. Herb is going to be haunted by this for the rest of his life. He's announced it successfully for 20 years. It'll probably be okay. Plus, what with everything else that has happened since the start of the episode, I doubt anyone will remember that. Matt agrees with me on the 20 years point. Cal points out about a technical sound issue that they had that will be fixed for syndication.

Matt goes back to Andy about Jordan's surgery. Andy points out that he isn't a doctor. Oh, that's right, he's not! Matt calls Danny, who at least now has other people in the waiting room with him besides Harriet and those sad, sad flowers. However, just as Matt is calling, Junior Emergency Doctor comes out. JED says he'll tell Danny what's going on, but he's going to use some words that will freak him out. I don't think he needs much help in the freaking-out department, but okay. Basically, Jordan's blood won't clot. They have a specialist working with her, and while Jordan is conscious, she's groggy, and they won't de-groggify her in case they have to take her back into surgery. JED promises that he'll let Danny know when it's time to panic. Really? 'Cause he didn't even remember to let Danny know when the baby was out.

Meanwhile, I can't help but think of some work from earlier in Bradley Whitford's career, namely a first-season episode of ER called "Love's Labor Lost." For those who don't remember, Brad played a young father-to-be. The mother had to have an emergency cesarean, which Dr. Greene (and I think possibly Benton, but it's been a while) screwed up, and the mother died. It's really tragic and awful (and an exceedingly well-done episode from the days when ER was good and hadn't jumped a whole school of sharks), and it's just about all I can think about during this scene.

JED does get Grumpy Nurse to agree to let Danny press his nose to the window of the NICU to look at his kid. Harry assures Danny that JED didn't seem nervous (a good trick, since he probably knows he's in danger of being punched by a stressed-out executive producer). Danny calls Matt back and is actually reassuring him. Meanwhile, the studio is completely surrounded by press. Both guys agree to keep calling each other. Matt says if he doesn't hear, he'll come over with a police escort, which he'll get by committing a crime and leading the cops in a high-speed chase (I don't think that's technically an "escort"). And I fall in love with Matt. Danny tells Harry she'll never find a guy better than Matt. Even on the drugs, apparently. Harry wants Danny to wash up because he's about to meet his kid. I actually manage to fall in love with her. I'm stunned.

Back in the postmortem, Cal owns up to blowing a camera cue. How big of him! He couldn't snap his fingers, so he couldn't give the cue. Perhaps they shouldn't have buttered popcorn in the booth (That why he couldn't snap). Hopefully they don't have Pepsi up there. If it gets spilled on the board, it'll be pandemonium, and the show's nuclear core will melt down (Haven't you all missed my nonsequitirs? At least this one is related to a Saturday Night Live sketch, so it's almost even on-topic).

Simon has come into the room, and he wants to stay on that Tony Snow sketch. He says the sketch was wrong. After all, painting a rosy picture of things is what press secretaries do (Though I venture to point out that some have done it more artfully than most working for the current administration). They should, Simon says, focus on the people who buy into it. Andy takes note of Simon's point, and suddenly Dylan asks Cal what Matt meant earlier when he said he "walked into it." Hey, this sounds like a good time to do another flashback!

And I'm right! In the past, everyone is out working in the studio doing the table read, and Harriet is smooching on Luke Scott. That's appropriate. And not at all nauseating or annoying. Matt looks annoyed. Luke keeps ripping on Harry's impression of Holly Hunter.

A Studio Suit comes over to talk to Danny. In fact, it's the same suit that made Wes pull the "Crazy Christians" sketch in the pilot. He has a different hairstyle and a creepy mustache, but it's definitely the same Jerry The Suit. At least he's been consistently obnoxious over the last six years.

Apparently unable to deal with annoyingly cute Harry and Luke, Matt angrily wants to know what Jerry the Suit's damage is. Danny, Matt, and the Suit go into the hall to confer. Jerry the Suit has read ahead and is concerned that there is a Karl Rove sketch coming up. Karl Rove sketch? There's no Karl Rove sketch. In the packet, Jerry the Suit says, it's titled "Karl Rove Sketch." Oh, you mean that Karl Rove sketch! Well, we just named it that so we'd know what sketch we meant. Matt can totally change the name of it. Danny says that just one sketch out of 47 can't be so bad, and besides, they haven't even read it. Jerry has. Yeah, but if the cast reads it out loud, it's way different.

Jerry believes the sketch is anti-American, and both Danny and Matt have to disagree with that one. Of course, they do it at the same time, so I don't know that it makes any impression on Jerry, who also thinks it mocks patriotism. Matt resents the implication. The sketch, he says, mocks patriotism being good for business, which, by the way, is what's happening at this moment. Jerry basically tells them to suck it. Besides, he has 12 other shows to vet. He's such a big man.

Danny isn't totally sure this is Jerry's call. It's not a standards issue, after all; no one's taking their clothes off (which, in a sketch centering around Karl Rove, is a good thing. The only thing worse would be Karl rapping. No, wait, we've done that) or teaching how to make meth (Which I don't see making for real good comedy). Danny thinks Jerry the Suit is just taking advantage of the fact that Wes isn't around because he would throw Jerry out on his ass. He says that he and Matt are for all intents and purposes Wes, and that's what they're doing. Jerry says that since they may one day executive produce the show (irony!), they shouldn't do things stupidly now. Jerry the Short Suit stalks off, and Matt looks thoughtful and determined.

We fast-forward to the present. The staff/cast photo, which in the flashback said Wes was the executive producer, now says Matt and Danny are. Well, sure, because I wouldn't have known we were back in the present without that. I would have thought Matt just transported into that suit. Matt goes for his drugs, which are in a very nice case, but is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer. Her kidnap and recovery folks are talking to each other. Meanwhile, in the mirror behind and between Matt and Mary, there's a poster of Tom peering peculiarly at them. They walk away from it. Matt wonders if this is a good idea (the K&R effort, not walking away from the disturbing Tom poster), and Mary just wants them to find out details.

She looks like she's about to walk away, and then asks how Jordan's doing. Mary actually knows a little something about her complications. Matt tells her that Danny and Jordan are engaged (though he's still miffed that Danny didn't use his material), and that they're going to let Danny see the baby in a minute. Matt lights up in a really sweet way. I already fell in love with him earlier this episode, but what the heck, I fall in love with him again. However, Mary kills the mood, saying that Danny shouldn't see the baby in case something should happen to Jordan, because being engaged gives him exactly zero rights to the baby. Matt looks stunned and horrified, and I continue to fall in love with him.

Over in the hospital, hands in pockets, Danny wanders by the huge plate glass window in front of the NICU. They wheel the baby in front of him (I assume it's not a real baby, but you can see its little tummy rising and falling as it breathes). He says hi to the baby, and says it's going to be okay, and he's got her back. He smiles very sweetly at her, and I fall in love with him some more.

Back in Matt's office, Tom wants to know if Mark's had any training for this sort of situation. Simon has come up from causing trouble down in the writers' room to support Tom again. Mark has gotten, among other things, the appropriate articles of the Geneva Convention. Given the way the US has treated the Geneva Convention, Tom doesn't find this particularly reassuring.

Simon notices Russell, a guy that worked for the show for a few months when Tom and Simon started with the program, on the news. Capt. Boyle wisely advises that Tom not listen to this guy, who they clearly have on because they've run out of actual experts. Of course, Tom pays about as much attention to this advice as Lucy did (They have complementary personalities, then. That's nice). Russell claims to have been Tom's boss, which Tom doesn't actually remember. Russell then says that Tom and Mark have been estranged for a few years, which gets Tom's dander up. Then Russell says that "pretty much everyone" at the show was against the war. Now both Simon and Tom are upset. Capt. Boyle turns off the TV. So he's not especially comforting, but he is practical.

Tom wants the story corrected, and he starts to go out to tell the reporters himself that he and his brother aren't estranged. Boyle tells Tom he can't go, gives Simon a Knowing Look, and Simon says he'll do it. There's a reporter out there from The Post that he knows, and he'll talk to him and get all the reporters to get the story right.

Simon has George, the show's security guy in the front lobby, find Leon Cushman, his contact at The Post and have him meet Simon privately off in the alley. He's meeting a reporter with whom he Has A Relationship in the alley? Okay, I clearly need more sleep. I'm making all sorts of things more Questionable than they actually are. Shame on me.

Back in the postmortem, Andy is pointing out that a rewrite of a sketch never made it to the floor. Well, that seems like a problem. Simon bursts into the room and takes Jeannie away with him. He explains the situation and says he wants Jeannie there when he talks to Leon Cushman. Evidently Leon wants to sleep with her, so having her there will...I guess, keep Leon from walking away from what's basically an exclusive story? Jeannie doesn't believe Leon wants to sleep with her (she apparently didn't see that shot earlier that was supposed to feature Andy, but mostly just featured her bosom), and Simon says everyone wants to sleep with her. Jeannie wonders if talking to press is a good idea. She's remembering what happened six years before. Which sounds like an invitation for another flashback.

And it is an invitation for another flashback! Matt is lying on Danny's couch, and Jerry the Suit comes in to the room with a fig leaf. He still has that creepy mustache, too. He claims that the fig leaf is proof of his sense of humor. I think the mustache is a better indicator of a sense of humor, but I don't think he was trying to be funny with that. Besides, Danny points out, that's poison ivy. So apparently Jerry the Suit is as popular with the prop department as he is with executive producers and directors. Matt seems amused, and Danny points out that Jerry probably meant an olive branch anyway, and what does he want?

Wes talked to Jack and said the Karl Rove sketch stays. So Jerry tells Danny that Jack needs Danny to talk to Wes and take the sketch back out because Jack can't tell Wes no. So then Danny says to Jerry he says, that he, Matt, and Wes think the sketch is okay. Jerry the Suit says they should remove the guess work and just cut the sketch. So then Danny says to Jerry he says, they'd rather not be on the air at all, but since they are, they can't just ignore what's going on Out There. Jerry says they're not; after all, they have that "Muslims Say the Darnedest Things" sketch, and then seems a little wounded that it's been cut. Matt's annoyed that that sketch was broad stereotyping of all Muslims and that the network didn't have a problem with it. Jerry even says that it "resonates" and reminds us why we're in this war. We needed reminding? Jerry decides that the sketch isn't going on because Luke wrote it. Jerry isn't just a Suit; he's a total Tool. Matt makes a pretty reasoned argument why the cut has to do with the sketch being a bad idea and not with Luke dating Harry, and Danny just sits back and watches. He's pretty entertained by all this. Jerry the Tool says the network is scared of things like Matt's claim that writing sketches that the network likes amounts to a pogrom. Matt says there are a lot of things he's scared of, but talk isn't one of them. How long has he been in television that he doesn't know how these things work? He refuses to tell Wes they want to cut the Rove sketch.

Danny tells Jerry the Tool to get the ad reps to the dress rehearsal the next day. He's not to tell them anything about the sketch (and we believe that he'll do this?), and if they hate the sketch, they'll cut it. Jerry and Matt both seem surprised about this. Jerry leaves, and Matt wants to know what that was about. Danny says he's scared of "other things," and slams the door.

He slams it so hard, we wind up back in the present day. That's a good slam!

We're at the loading dock, which is apparently the one part of the studio that the press hasn't found out about. Simon and Jeannie come out to meet with Leon Cushman, and Simon tells Leon that the estrangement story isn't true, and it's really bothering Tom. Can Leon fix it? He tells Leon how close all the Jeters are. But then the pack of reporters finally finds the loading dock. Simon leads Jeannie back to the door and, while he doesn't shout "Sanctuary!" he does shout that he isn't answering questions. He then proceeds to answer some questions. One of them is if NBS leaked the fact that one of the airmen is related to Tom to boost ratings. Simon wants to know if the reporter is stupid. Which is a good question, and it does cause me to fall in love with Simon, but it's also probably not a good thing to say in stressful times to people with microphones and cameras. He offers to bust the reporter in his head, which I know isn't a good thing to say to people with cameras and microphones. He's furious that they're turning this into entertainment.

Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, finds Matt. Her people think that Mark is being held by a Taliban commander who has discovered that kidnapping civilians can help his heroin business, which means he might be willing to deal for the airmen. She thinks he and Jack should talk with someone who knows what they're talking about. He doesn't really hear her, though. Despite her hotness, he's just noticed an angry Simon on TV.

Simon is telling the press that the war never ended; they just got tired of covering it. He then calls the entire country a bunch of idiot teenagers. He then says it'd make him really happy if all the reporters got mowed down by friendly fire. Even Leon? That's harsh.

From the writers' room, Cal points out we've got a whole new story now.

I have seen a speculation on the Interwebs that Studio 60, the show within the show, would be canceled, a la the show outside the show, due to ratings. I'm now wondering if they're going to finish out the series by having the show be canceled due to Simon's inflammatory remarks. It seems like a bit of an overreaction, but it does provide an out. And it could be a combination of the two, the show's lackluster ratings and an angry outburst by a cast member that's interpreted as anti-American. We have two weeks to find out, and this story arc is supposed to end this coming week, with the series ending the week after that. So at least we don't have long to find out.

I know I said I fell in love with a lot of characters this week. I don't think I got everyone, but I got a lot of the ones we actually saw this week. Since they brought the show back to finish out its run, they've really reaffirmed for me how good this show is/was. It wasn't perfect, though given more time, it might have done better finding its stride. I realize that they had more time than a lot of shows that were canceled this season, but many shows take over a season to really figure out what they're doing (*cough* Seinfeld *cough*). I really love this cast. I love the writing. And over this last story arc, starting with "Breaking News," I've especially realized just how very much I'm going to miss this excellent little program when it's gone. The world of television is so rarely fair, and this is just one more case in point.

I enjoyed this episode, but not nearly as much as I had enjoyed "Breaking News." I think it was the increased focus on romance. I think the problem here is largely that I'm not really satisfied with Danny and Jordan's relationship. It never had time to develop properly (And never will, which is really frustrating, because there are moments of brilliance, especially during this episode, when you know it could have been terrific). The scenes with them together were sweet, but too rushed. Still.

That said, the situation with Tom's brother was still quite effective and, I felt, more compelling than the romantic stories.

"K & R" opens up where "Breaking News" left off. The cast has gathered in the writers' room and is freaked out. Danny and Matt come in and tell them about the situation with Tom's brother. This does not lessen their freaked-ness that much. Danny wants to cancel the party, but Cal says that the news hasn't yet reported that one of the hostages is the brother of a celebrity, they want to wait for that news to get out, and breaking up the party would speed that up.

Meanwhile, Tom is in Jack's office, which is probably really informative, but probably not really comforting. A Guy is in the office annoyed that Simon is making a lot of noise out there. Tom wants Simon in the room; he's family. Guy says that the airmen were taken 22 hours ago, but we only found out when al Jazeera put up the tape.

Guy then tells Tom what was happening when his brother and the other two were taken. Tom corrects Guy when he calls them "soldiers." They're airmen. The Taliban members who have Mark and the two others have demands: They want all US and UN forces out of the province. We don't hear the other demands because Jack discovers that they've started reporting that one of the captured airmen is Tom's brother and starts angrily storming around the office. Tom looks stunned. Jack, having stormed out of the office, is saying off camera that he needs to talk to Jordan.

Cut to the emergency room where Jordan is. The doctor is taking Jordan's history, and we learn she's allergic to shellfish and had an abortion in 1999.

The nurse shows the doctor Jordan's blood pressure. Doctor looks concerned and says her pressure is high. He says it like it's no big deal, but he looks like it's a big deal.

Emergency Doctor wants to know if there's any reason why Jordan might be stressed. Jordan goes to call Danny as they wheel her to ultrasound.

Back in the writers' room, Cal is pissed that the news has figured out that one of the captives is Tom's little brother. Jack's trying to shut it down.

Danny gets his call from Jordan. He runs out of the room. Matt tells them that Jordan hasn't felt the baby kick. Harriet kneels and starts to pray.

Matt watches Harriet dumbstruck before dumbstruckedly watching the TV a minute. We crash (it's a subdued crash) to the opening credits. The opening music is also pretty subdued.

Harriet comes into Matt's office. Tom is waiting for a chaplain and casualty officer and commander to come and wait with the family. Mark (that's Tom's brother again) has the fact that he's a soldier (and not a civilian) in his favor, because the armed forces are working towards his rescue. The other thing in Mark's favor is that he isn't Jewish. So if it were Matt, he would already be dead. Harriet makes an off-color joke that's actually pretty funny, and Matt points out that laughing about it is better than crying.

Harriet asks if they haven't had this fight before. Matt points out that they've had every fight once before. This particular fight was the day that the Afghanistan war started. Though Matt remembers it as the day of the Emmys. They're both right!

We have a flashback where Matt's flipping out because he can't tie his bowtie. He finds Harriet in a really nice dress making out with Luke, who's grabbing her ass. Harriet tries to tie Matt's tie without getting too darn close to him. Actually, the Unresolved Sexual Tension in this scene is quite good. I wish we'd had more of this throughout the season, because this I got into.

Matt thinks it's too early to be having an awards ceremony, and the bow tie is looking more like a hair bow, which is how I would tie a bowtie. Matt also thinks it's too early to do a new episode of the show on Friday, and he definitely thinks it's too soon after their breakup for Harriet to be making out with Luke. Matt gets a dig at Harry's Christianity, and Harriet gets a dig in at Matt's date, who quickly proves herself to be about as bright as a bag of hammers.

Matt notices that the music at the pre-Emmy party has stopped. Danny comes into the room looking Smart in a tuxedo. Danny says they're probably going to cancel the awards again because the war just started.

Back in the hospital in the present, Danny comes running to the rescue. After running past Jordan's room, he tries to come back looking suave. He's actually moderately successful. It turns out that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck. So she's choking, but just a little. It's also messing with her heart rate. Emergency Doctor keeps calling the baby "he," and I was hoping it might turn out that they had discovered Something on the ultrasound that had been missed before, but no, Emergency Doctor is just sort of a tool. The baby will just untangle itself from the cord. Danny is his usual helpful self (he pretty well tells the doctor, "For the love of God, you're just an emergency guy; you're easily replaceable!" which the doctor takes about as well as the prop guys did), and the doc points out that won't help Jordan's blood pressure. Will it give the baby's a little boost?

Jordan wants to know how Tom is doing (I'm sure he's terrific), and Danny calls for the extra special doctor with the Seriously Jewish last name. Jordan doesn't want them to broadcast that one of the airmen is the brother of a celebrity. Can the ultrasound monitor be tuned to a TV station so she isn't 20 minutes behind the rest of the class?

There is a lovely shared look between the two of them before Danny gives Jordan a very sweet kiss and then nuzzles her nose. Okay, I'm a girl, but that nose nuzzle did way more for me than the kiss. Maybe it's that I'm a looney girl. That's a possibility.

Meanwhile, at Stately NBC Headquarters, Jack is still trying to get the news about Mark's relationship to Tom off the air. Tom seems a little perturbed by this. I think his mind may actually be on the bigger picture. Jack offers to strong-arm the people running the B-roll, but then suggests that this information will get Mark's ass "dragged through the streets." Tom, already in a bit of shock, isn't cheered by this. At least Jack has the sense to realize this, though not until it's already been said.

Tom is upset that there are two other captives that aren't being mentioned who also have brothers. Jack says he knows, and then realizes that trying to get the news about Mark's one degree of celebrity separation isn't going to help; "they" already have the news. Jack wants to know why there isn't 24-hour CIA surveillance of every al Jazeera employee. It's a good question, but Tom wants to know if we didn't already win this war once? Um, wow, that's a Pandora's Box. I'd go into it, but then this wouldn't be a mini-recap anymore.

We flash back to the writers' room in 2001. They're watching the fighting on TV, and Luke is giving blow-by-blow of our success in Afghanistan. One of the other writers says the whole thing is about oil. Matt is actually reasonably about what the US is doing in Afghanistan and that it won't be all that satisfying if we bomb the snot out of them. However, he's more worried about how they'll do a funny show on Friday. Luke wants to be politically incorrect and make fun of the Arabs. Matt points out that Arabs aren't who lives in Afghanistan (except for bin Laden, of course). Luke pitches some really horrible ideas and a few halfway decent ones, but Matt can't think of a single joke that isn't in terrible taste.

Andy wanders in the room after having been gone for two days and not knowing about the Emmys or the war (apparently he doesn't wonder about the green explosions going on on the TV behind Matt) and is-gasp-almost smiling (apparently he's always been a Fun Guy. I assumed that was recent). His wife had their baby on Saturday. Cigars are handed out and money is thrown about.

Matt tells Harry about Andy's baby, and Harry doesn't know who Andy is. Well, he never wrote a sketch just to hit on her. Matt is pleased about the accidental Normal this brought. Harriet thinks Matt's annoyed that he can't make fun of George Bush or Christians. Matt goes to tell Wes there's still nothing funny this week.

In the present, Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, is in Matt's office looking hot. She is supremely confident in her hotness. She also knows about Tom's brother. Well, the control booth is just across the hall, and they do have the news on al the monitors in there. Matt's about to write a new introduction for the West Coast feed of the show. Mary suggests that her firm actually sells kidnapping and ransom insurance (K&R. And....we have show title!). They work with a security company (Trask) that works with the locals in the foreign countries and gets the ransom money to the Bad Guys and gets the kidnap victims back. Matt points out that this isn't really a kidnapping. Mary knows, but she Just Wanted To Mention It. Regardless, Matt wonders if Mary would make a few calls and find out more. She will. And she still manages to flirt. It's that short attention span again.

In the hospital, Jordan wonders if they want to say something at the top of the West Coast feed of Studio 60. Not only do they, Danny says Matt is already working on it. He and Matt share a brain, you know.

Jordan wants to know what Danny was trying to tell her about the ratings issue at the party. Danny thinks this is a bad time to fight (I agree), and he says he was specifically trying not to tell her anything at the party. Danny also points out that Tom's brother being taken hostage probably isn't going to make them much funnier this week.

Back in the past, Matt wonders what Danny will get Andy and his newly larger family. Danny doesn't remember who Andy is, either. At least Harry doesn't work directly with Andy the way Danny does. Some nice Sorkinesque banter follows.

Matt and Danny go to talk to Jack, suggesting they should hold off on the show another week. Jack keeps calling Matt "Danny." Well, at least he doesn't think he's the butler.

Usually Wes would be the one making this pitch to the network president, but Jack just fired the president, and Wes has apparently had a heart attack (I think he's faking so he doesn't have to deal with the Matt and Luke drama). Jack says they don't have a choice; the show has to air on Friday, so important to the network (and revenue and promotion of the new fall season) is Studio 60. Jack thinks "a bunch of Jews entertaining America" would really tick off the Taliban. Danny thinks it will tick off Americans, too. He also says that Mark Jeter joined the Air Force on September 12, and it's hard to ask Tom to try to be funny at the moment. Jack points out that Mark will be in training until Operation Enduring Freedom is over. True, but....

Matt says the show also won't be funny, and Jack says it doesn't have to be. I'm holding my tongue here. Jack also says Studio 60 is the most valuable property the network has ever owned. If that's true, the network is in trouble (any network would be). So I'm hoping this is just the sort of Buttering Up We Do To The Creative People To Get Them To Do What We Want Them To Do. There is more Sorkinesque banter, bless their collective hearts. Jack gives them permission to rip on Hollywood.

In the present, Cal knows that Tom's name has made it on the airwaves. And he's probably been IN the control room this whole time. He just knows this now? Matt starts to tell Cal about the kidnap and recovery group that Mary's firm works with. Cal has actually heard of Trask. The K&R group won't say much until they talk to Tom, and Matt doesn't want Tom involved until absolutely necessary. Mary says that Mark and his associates were taken by a group they worked with before. They were able to get one of those guys back, though the other two were killed. After the kidnappers got their money.

Mary thinks there's a chance of her group having success because the Taliban members aren't expecting money in exchange for members of the military. Matt wants all details, but the K&R group will only talk to Tom and his family. However, with all the new information they have, the ransom is probably going to be closer to $10 million than the 1 million she originally quoted. He needs to find Jack.

At the hospital, Jordan wants to book more country acts on Studio 60 and get younger hosts. Danny says the host that night was Jenna Fischer (Hey, I was right!). Who is younger than Allison Janney. But older than Zach Braff, who hosted the season finale of SNL this year.

Danny says the #1 audience manipulator with women is a pregnancy in jeopardy. Please, please, please, for the love of all that is good and holy, tell me this isn't true and Danny's just being "funny." Because even if their reasons for putting Jordan in the hospital were totally innocent and independent of this fact (if it is indeed a fact), putting her pregnancy in jeopardy and mentioning it as an audience manipulator is just tacky.

Jordan gets nauseated (maybe she realizes the tackiness of this statement in this show), and it turns out she's been having headaches for a few days. She's showing signs of preeclampsia, so they're going to give her magnesium sulfate so she doesn't have seizures. Junior Emergency Doctor actually takes charge and tells them all to cool it because Jordan really, really needs the magnesium, and she seems to suddenly feel better the minute the drug goes in her IV bag. Danny thinks Junior Emergency Doctor would be a good producer, but JED thinks that job is too stressful.

Jack and Tom return to the studio to meet with the chaplain and Mark's commanding officer. Tom wants to make sure that the families of the other two captured airmen are receiving the same treatment that the Jeters are. They are.

Matt rushes in to explain both why the party is still going on and that he's written a new introduction for Harry to read at the start of the West Coast feed. Matt makes a mild joke, which is answered by Tom with a mild chuckle. Matt is reassuring and gives the group his office to talk in. Simon is meeting Tom's parents at the airport.

Mark's CO asks Tom the name of the musical guest. Tom's younger than the CO and chaplain (and me); maybe he knows who this guy is. And maybe he does, but he doesn't remember his name.

Tom wants to know if there's been communication with Mark. The CO says there was beforehand, which is important because it helps them know where the incident happened. Nate Corddry gives a terrific performance here (as he does throughout this episode) as a concerned family member completely stymied by the military's inability to dispense any information whatsoever.

Cal hugs Tom and says they're all right there. Tom wants to talk to Harry. Cal makes another mild joke, which earns him a mild chuckle. Harriet's praying her ass off. I guess that means she's a charismatic. That, or she's doing it wrong.

We do find out that Mark's CO should stay away from comedy. His mild joke is not met with any sort of chuckle at all.

Matt and Cal take Jack aside to tell him about Mary's firm's connections. There's no hard data because the military classifies this sort of information, but Trask estimates that they're more successful with the military, though Cal points out that the military isn't selling anything, either. Cal's a real wet blanket about the whole thing. Jack, however, wants to talk to Mary's "people."

Over in the hospital, Jordan tells Danny she loves him after he updates her on Tom. He goes to kiss her tummy, which conveniently puts his head between her breasts. They talk about how they got together; that he had given up on her until she stuck a note into his watchband, and then he went sprinting after her.

Junior Emergency Doctor comes in; they've confirmed preeclampsia, so it's time to perform a C-section. Yay, c-section! Both Danny and Jordan worry that the baby's lungs haven't developed enough yet. The nurse turns out to be even less comforting that Mark Jeter's commanding officer, and being comforting is actually her job.

Danny proposes to Jordan. It's very, very sweet. Bradley Whitford does sweet very well. Jordan protests that Danny has Suddenly decided he wants to get married, but it turns out he bought her a really nice ring several weeks ago. The song "Have a Little Faith in Me" starts playing, showing off something else Aaron Sorkin shows do very, very well that we haven't seen nearly enough of lately: He mixes music with his drama extremely well, and it's no less true here.

Jordan asks if Danny can do anything in a normal way. Not with her. He tells her how fantastic the diamond is, and she says yes. She was just being coy, though. They make out. The ring is huge, and they take Jordan to surgery as she tells the nurses she's engaged. Danny looks relieved.

At the studio, Matt asks Harriet if praying ever feels like "busy work." Well, when people interrupt you while you're praying, it probably does. He says they've been having this fight for eight years, and she says yes, and he's lost every time. He says Mary is doing Actual Things to help, and Harriet believes praying is helping? She quotes scripture, and we switch back to a flashback, where she's quoting the same scripture. We flash through many different parts of their relationship (and at one point, different parts of Studio 60's set) as they continue to argue, he that Christianity is a futile pipe dream, she in favor of faith. The flashbacks start in 2001 and move forward. They manage to be quite cute through several of the scenes. Though not so much when discussing the Nativity post coitus. Ew. However, her saying that Jesus isn't David Copperfield is pretty cute (And heaven forfend that anyone be David Copperfield. Even David Copperfield).

Finally back in the present, Harriet tells Matt she loves him and invites him to come pray with her.

Matt gets a call from Danny that Jordan's going into surgery. Before leaving the building, Matt looks heavenward. "Show me something." He and Harriet leave for the hospital.

Nate Corddry gives another particularly excellent performance throughout this episode, and a lot of what he does so well is nonverbal. A lot of it is spoken, but the majority is conveyed through his expressions.

Despite my ripping on the romantic stories at the top of this recap, on rewatching this show, I realized how really touching these scenes could be. Aaron Sorkin can do romance really well, and particularly in the last act of this episode, we got a good look at his skill here.

I'm looking forward to seeing how they resolve this story line. We've been promised that the show will end in a "satisfying" way, so I assume that means that there will actually be a resolution. I'm hoping it continues to be at least as touching and strong as it has been. And I'm really sorry it wasn't this touching and strong at the beginning of the season, when it might have attracted (and kept) a larger audience.

Matt confronts the show announcer, Herbie, before the huddle. Apparently he said "Studio City" during dress rehearsal. Herbie says that's all he can think about now. Now HE looks perturbed. Matt helpfully tells him the name of the show is all he has to think about. Danny actually smooths it over, telling him it will be fine and he should just take his position. I guess Herbie doesn't get to huddle up. Matt yells after Herbie (on Danny's urging) that he'll be great, but he is annoyed that, after all, the name of the show is written all over the studio. Hey, one year in marching band, the announcer managed to misspell the name of the school. Which was also the name of the state. And which was written all over the stadium (poor band members weren't sure if they should form the letter they were supposed to form, or the one he'd actually announced). And he'd probably been announcing the name of the school at least as long as Herbie has been announcing the show.

Danny tells the cast to keep sharp, they may make some last-minute changes to show order. And he and Matt demonstrate some of their wonderful chemistry that I'm going to really, really miss in a few weeks. And that I'd been missing for several months before this.

Danny also tells the cast that they are not to think about ratings. He's been hearing the cast talk about them, and that's not their business. Their business is making the audience happy. Let the network and Advertising worry about ratings. And they should "eat 'em up." Which isn't nearly as catchy as "What's next?"

Simon leads the huddle. He's always grateful for another week of working with the cast (Aw, man, don't make me preemptively miss the show when it's still on the air!). He's happy that Harriet has (apparently) wrapped the film, because her head is back on the show full-time. He still thinks she and Matt are dumb, dumb, dumb, but at least they're speaking. Simon wishes them all a good show. There is a White House press conference set on stage.

Herbie announces Danny before the show. He gets Danny's name right, at least.

Jack finds Jordan up on one of the balconies. Hey look! Jordan's also back this week! She mentions that she's just happy that Hallie Galloway isn't trying to take her job again. I'm not sure she should be telling her boss how threatened she is by that woman, but what do I know? Jack says pitting the two of them against each other gets him better results. Jordan tells Jack that Danny is aware of the show's ratings, and Jack wants to know what he (and Jordan) are going to do about it. He then tells her that if she can't be tough with Danny (professionally, not Personally), he'll just have Hallie do it.

On the show, Tom is playing Dick Cheney's press secretary (I admit it, I don't know who Cheney's real press secretary is, so I have no idea if Tom looks anything like him or her. Then again, I'm probably not the only American who doesn't know. Still, I'm amused that Tom plays Cheney's press secretary and Cheney's "boss."). He's giving a press conference about how well the troop surge is working in Iraq. Danny seems stressed by the sketch. There's actually some fairly decent humor in this sketch. Gee, Aaron Sorkin in his element writing about a White House press conference? I'm stunned. Though not disappointed.

Harriet finds Simon and wonders if Tom got an E-mail from his brother before the show. She got a call from Tom's parents (who don't know about Abbott and Costello, but can work their phone, so they aren't complete neo-Luddites); they haven't heard from Tom's brother in 48 hours. For those who don't remember, this is the brother who was standing in the middle of Afghanistan while Tom was showing them around the studio. Hopefully he was doing more than just standing. Seems a pretty ineffective tactic. But Mark (the brother) always E-mails Tom before the show. She wants to know when they should say something. Tom probably knows that he didn't get an E-mail. Simon says not to say anything during the show.

Up in his office, Matt is watching the sketch on his monitor. Suzanne the Assistant comes into his office with Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer. She thinks Matt is so happy to see her he could just spit. I dunno, she is pretty hot. She needs to talk to him, and she needs to do it immediately. There's going to be a deposition in the morning, and she needs to prep her client. She also needs to talk to Harriet, but she can wait until after the show for that. Mary wants to be Matt's date for the wrap party. Or perhaps just his "date." Maybe both.

Matt wants to know what Harriet did. Apparently, after a sketch of Karen Salazberg's (the woman suing over wrongful termination and sexual harassment) was cut from the show, Harriet told her that a writers' room is a tough place for a women. Matt counters that a writers' room is a tough place for someone who isn't a writer. It doesn't look like a walk in the park for someone who is a writer, for that matter. Mary then says that he must be excited about her being his wrap party date. Wow, Mary has one short attention span. She points out she has nice shoes. Yes, but where are the glasses Matt likes?

He wants to watch the show.

Herb announces the show is coming from Studio City on the Sunset Strip. Um, OOPS. We crash to show title, and the evil part of me really wants to title card to have been changed just for this episode to also read "Studio City on the Sunset Strip." Admittedly, I watch too many Matt Groening shows, where the titles are changed weekly. But it would have amused me tremendously.

The first sketch after the commercial is a cooking show with Nicholas Cage. It turns out that Alex actually does a pretty decent Nick Cage impression. Possibly Nick Cage on speed, but otherwise not bad.

Up in Matt's office, Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, is impressed that Matt has dressed up for show night. All Matt's old writer heroes all wore suits and ties, so he does too. Mary Tate, Short Attention-Span Lawyer, is back on the lawsuit. The plaintiff has now filed a retaliation claim. Apparently Karen Salazberg was up for a job with another series, and the producer called Matt for a recommendation. Mary is provocatively playing with a dart as she talks to him, but she doesn't want Matt to play with her. Again, that's professionally, not Personally. She actually encourages personal playing. Matt gets peeved that one of the jokes didn't get the laugh it should have. Mary declares Matt to be cute. Well, he is that. She still wants to know what he told the producer about Karen. He said that he had never worked with her, but she'd been fired by the show and was now suing and that she was bad news. Oh, dear. Yeah, that's a no-no. Even I know that. Now he's depriving her of future earnings. But on the bright side, Mary thinks he looks good in his tie, and he could wear that for court. I'm guessing that isn't real comforting.

She still thinks that she'd be a great date for the wrap party and that the sketch is funny. She knows, because she's so brilliant she can listen and talk at the same time. And she has a really short attention span. Matt finds this a turn-on.

The Nicholas Cage sketch ends, and Harriet, in a really nice dress, tells Alex that he stuck it, and he says he didn't. Simon catches up with Harry and tells her the last E-mail Tom got from his brother was three days ago. Simon can check Tom's mail? Time to change that password, man. It's unusual for Mark (the brother) to go on assignment without telling them when he'll be back. Harriet really thinks they should tell Tom, and Simon still insists they shouldn't do it during the show.

Meanwhile, Jordan comes down to talk to Danny. For someone who's trying to look like they aren't dating, she touches his arm very tenderly in front of a live audience. She says Jack is hassling her, but she says she'll talk about it with Danny after the show. He presses her; it's about the ratings, isn't it? She says she asked him not to open with the war sketch. Danny seems vexed.

Up his office, Matt also seems vexed. Jack comes into the office, which is only going to vex him more. Jack wants to know if Matt has any good scotch. Matt says to help himself, which doesn't exactly answer the question, but Jack gets some scotch anyway.

Jack reveals that he bought part of a company that day. It's called "Dramatic Revolution," which Matt says he could use. Funny he should say that....The company is developing software that "watches" TV shows and says what needs to be added or taken away to make them hits. They already make a program to do that with pop songs. Hey, there's a glowing recommendation (Yes, well, that's Sorkin's point). Matt seems thrilled. It can be used with sketch comedy, too. Well, huzzah. Matt says that ratings are cyclical, and Jack insists that the computer can figure out what people find funny. It's a chilling prediction, and while good, it's not Aaron Sorkin's most subtle statement on the direction of television. Okay, neither was Wes's diatribe in the pilot episode, but that worked better.

Now Matt seems more vexed.

Suzanne the Assistant comes into the office. She says the show's going okay. She's got something on her mind. Man, everyone's being thoughtfully vexed tonight. She doesn't say anything until Matt promises he won't fire her if she asks him something. She wants to know if he's high at the moment. There's a very nice unspoken moment here, where both characters know he's been found out. He wants to know how she figured it out. It turns out Suzanne's mother abused Percocet something awful. He tries to say he was taking them because he was a little depressed, but it's okay. Suzanne's not buying. He says that comedy isn't precise, you have to have energy and not be depressed, and you can't ask people to sit and wait while you pull yourself together (although if there were more than four writers total, the others could help take up some of the slack). He then insists that when they have a hiatus, he'll quit (What about that hiatus they've had since February? No, wait, that's the hiatus we've had since February). Suzanne still isn't buying. She's seen this before. In fact, when her mom told her she would quit, less than a year later she killed herself. Merritt Wever, who plays Suzanne, gives a very nuanced performance here. She speaks volumes with simple, subtle changes of expression. For that matter, Matthew Perry's performance here is one of his finest. I don't know if he's drawing on his own experience as a recovering painkiller addict (I can't imagine it doesn't figure in at least a little), but this is a very powerful scene in an episode filled with powerful drama.

She shifts attention then, wondering if Herb knows he said "Studio City." Matt says that was his fault for basically psyching Herb out. Oops. Suzanne smiles, just a little, says okay, and leaves Matt alone in his office.

We see part of "News 60." It's cute. Not hilarious, but cute.

Jack is talking up Dramatic Revolution to Jordan. She says that the show is averaging a 5.7/19 share for late night (A quick n' dirty on ratings: The first number is the actual percentage of households in the US watching the show. The second number, the share, is the percentage of televisions currently in use tuned to that program. In this case, these numbers are especially interesting in that the NBC show Studio 60 frequently had ratings and shares greater than other shows that NBC were happy to renew. Sure, not super-subtle on Aaron Sorkin's part, but he does tend to write what he knows. And exorcises his demons--or at least his issues--to an extent through his writing). She says Jack knows anyone would take that and run. Jack points out that that's the average over five months. Over the last two months it's only been 4.8/15, and the show is coming perilously close to losing 300,000 viewers half-hour to half-hour (again, not unlike the actual show, the average of which is not bad, but which hemorrhaged viewers week to week). Jordan says critics love the show, but Jack points out that the critics don't pay the bills. Besides which, lately the critics don't, in fact, love the show. Once again, he says he'll let Hallie do the dirty work if Jordan wants, since he's sensitive to Jordan's "situation." Jordan wants him to stop waving Hallie in her face, which he says he'll do when the show stops losing viewers in droves.

Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, comes into the room and meets Jack, who runs away. Okay, actually he makes Mary and Jordan leave, but same difference. He does, however, like how Mary calls him "sir" and sounds sincere and doesn't follow it with "you're making a scene."

Mary is there to keep Jordan up to speed, but first asks how far along Jordan is (seven months) and what she's having. Jordan says, "We're having a little girl." Mary, brilliant woman she is, picks up on the "we," which Jordan quickly (but not necessarily convincingly) amends to just her. Mary is not convinced by Jordan's save, but she says it's none of her business. Darn straight!

So apparently Jordan is a lawyer herself, so Mary can tell her what's going on without spelling it out (plus, she did that earlier in the episode). Jordan wonders if Matt wasn't just exercising free speech. Hmm, maybe there's a reason Jordan isn't actively practicing law right now. Again, I knew better, and I don't practice law at all. Nor do I live in California. Jordan agrees with Mary, now demonstrating her short attention span, that Matt is "cute as a bug." Okay....I don't actually know that many cute bugs, but I don't think she was being that sincere. Right, back to the case. Since Matt didn't specifically know anything about Karen Salazberg and had never worked with her, all he was allowed by state law to tell her potential employer was her dates of employ at the show and nothing else (and he probably should have just sent the request to HR. That's how a lot of companies tell bosses to handle the situation). Jordan says it's a crazy-ass law. Mary is thrilled because the case could go straight to the Supreme Court. Jordan points out that if that happened, it would take seven years. Hmm, so I guess the viewers won't get to see how that one turns out, huh?

"News 60" ends with a number-heavy rich Jew joke. I don't believe I would have done it that way, but again, what do I know? Though it might explain why they're losing viewers. Danny looks vexed again. Actually, if it were my show, I might be vexed by that choice, too.

Tom, who is the weatherman for "News 60," obsesses over the fact that he said "snow machine" instead of "snow blower" in his segment. Alex tells Tom not to worry, but Tom says that that sort of thing is why they're losing viewers. Dylan suggests that they should concentrate on catch-phrase-worthy material. I was going to make fun of this, but then I remembered how many catch-phrases still linger in our common lexicon from Saturday Night Live sketches, some dating back to the first season. Alex wishes they had started the show with "Thai Therapist" because it features Samantha in a bathing suit. It's just a one-piece, but clearly Alex is a fan of the swimsuit anyway.

Simon comes in and wants to know what's going on. Tom still obsesses, and Simon scolds them for talking about ratings when Danny told them specifically not to. Harriet pulls Simon aside. Evidently she got yet another call from Tom's parents. I know I only do amateur theatre, but we really hear about it if we don't turn our phones off during performances. True, the studio is much larger than most theaters I perform in so probably the ring wouldn't be heard by the audience, but I should think that it would still be forbidden. Especially during a live show, when taking a phone call could mean a missed entrance. Better yet, Harriet had the phone with her during the "News 60" segment. True, it was on vibrate, but that's still not a great idea. But I digress. Apparently the Jeters heard from the parents of another soldier in Mark's unit who also haven't heard from their son. She has a terrible feeling about it, and she's going to tell Tom now, and to heck with Simon. He points out that no one knows anything, so what good would it do to tell Tom now? Harry suggests that Tom has a contact that maybe his parents (or the Air Force) don't have that he could talk to. Simon says that it would worry Tom, possibly needlessly, and then he'd have this memory of additionally sleepwalking through the rest of the episode, which would make it that much worse. He also says that "this" is where they really get in trouble. Harry wants to know if he could possibly be serious, talking about the ratings at a time like this. However, Simon says that if there's something "they" need to tell him, they'll do it. So apparently they are at least capable of calling Tom, after all. I do wonder why the parents are calling Harriet when I've always had the feeling that Tom was closer to Simon, but I imagine that Simon wouldn't obsess over this the way Harry is, and then there wouldn't be a TV show.

Simon also admits that yes, he is worried about his job. He doesn't have a movie coming out later this year. Again, this feels a little funny just because we know that D. L. doesn't have a job anymore. Well, he might. But it's not this one.

He tells her that everything will be fine before going to his next scene, but she's clearly not convinced.

Matt confronts Harriet, asking her if she really told Karen Salazberg that the writers' room is a tough place for a woman. Because that's so much worse than telling Karen's potential employer that she's bad news. Harriet explains that she was just trying to make Karen feel better. But Matt says they'll ask her if she was lying to Salazberg or lying to the court when she gives that answer. She says they're both true. Matt doesn't seem to believe that the writer's room is a tough place for a woman, but Harry insists it is; women are taught not to be funny because it isn't attractive. He says Joe DiMaggio thought it was. I assume not even he really believes that. He then asks her what a snow machine is (It's this machine that blows fake snow onto, say, a stage or Santa's village). She tells him to ask Tom (But I just told him!).

Jordan is waiting for Danny in his office. He comes up and wonders (not for the first time tonight) if she's feeling all right. When he was told she was going to his office, it sounded like she needed to lie down. He tells her cockily that he can be in the office for a few minutes during commercial; he's done this before. Probably not the best move he's made. She seems perturbed. Then again, so is he, because of her earlier mention that she had asked him not to open with the war. She says it was a note from the network president, and she asked him not to open with the war. Danny jibes that the war used to be a money maker, but now it's just a bummer. She says she's not going to have this argument. Now he brings up the 5.7/19 rating. Psst, that argument didn't work earlier; I don't see it flying now. Oh, and I'm right: It doesn't. In fact, Jordan uses Jack's exact counter argument. Danny says that they do need to talk about it, and she says they will. She then adds that she told him not to open with the war, and he even knew he shouldn't do it, and he did specifically because she asked him not to. And he's taking down a lot of good people with him when he works out relationship power issues through the show. They're both at loggerheads, and she tells him to get his ass back down on the floor. And he looks half prepared not to, again, just because she said to do it.

The musical artist, Gran Bel Fisher, starts to play his second set. Your humble blogger admits that some time after she turned 30 she stopped knowing what music was cool, so she doesn't know Gran Bel Fisher at all. It's a nice song, though.

While Mary Tate, Hot Lawyer, enjoys the music, Matt opens up the vitamin bottle where he keeps his pills, and takes three with another Red Bull chaser. I don't know if that expression on his face is about the drugs or the drink. Bleh.

Harriet finds Mary and says that she got in trouble with Matt because of Mary talking to him. Mary turns out to be a big fan of Harry's. Harriet wants to know if Mary wants to talk to her, but Mary says she promised that she wouldn't until after the show. Harriet says she's done except for the good night's, so it's okay for them to talk. Mary asks Harriet about the situation with the sketch that Karen Salazberg wrote that got cut. It was a sketch that starred Harriet. Again, Harriet tries to explain that she was trying to make Karen feel better. Harriet refuses to say that she was lying to Karen. Lying is a Big Thing for Harry. Mary wants to know if Studio 60's writers' room is a tough place for a woman. Harry says it was at the time. Mary tells Harriet that the answers she's giving at the time won't be real helpful to their case when she's deposed.

Harriet says she's sure that Karen was fired because she wasn't writing good material. Mary points out that, no, she's actually not sure, and she'd better not make Matt's mistake of saying that to anyone else. Harriet keeps answering questions that aren't the one she's asked. She finally says that Ricky and Ron ran a room with a bunch of guys who had never been part of the group and had never dated the prom queen and wrote to be mean. Hey, they say anger turned outside is comedy.

Mary finally takes that answer. Meanwhile, I'm not positive, but it looks like Sarah Paulson (and by extension, Harriet) has tattoos on the back of her neck. Awesome! Harriet tells Mary the wrap party will be on stage. Mary says they'll talk more later. She then asks why Matt writes, since the old writers wrote to be mean. Matt writes to get people to like him. People like, you know, Harriet. Harry notices that it's working on Mary. Harriet doesn't seem especially pleased. Hey, she asked.

Tom walks by, tossing clothes around. He passes Lucy, who's having her dress altered by a wardrobe person while she wears it. I bet that's exactly what the wardrobe worker wanted to do. They love extra work, you know. The dress is being altered to show more leg. Tom's in favor of this. She tells Tom he was great, and he says he wasn't; he doesn't know where his head is. Possibly on the E-mail that he didn't get from his brother? Or maybe just on Lucy's legs. He tells her that only amateurs aren't hard on themselves. Tom and Lucy are adorable together. Tom's also sad that he didn't get to impress her on the show tonight. Simon, Ratings Stalker, wants to know if they're talking about ratings. Well, they aren't specifically talking about them, no...Simon refuses to tell Tom that he was good tonight, what with that snow machine gaffe. I realize if Simon's too nice, it'll be obvious that something's wrong, but he doesn't have to be a jerk about it.

Simon takes Tom aside, presumably to finally tell him about what's going on with his brother. However, Tom starts enthusing on how crazy he is about Lucy. He screwed up, people are talking about how badly the show is doing, and he still feels great all because of her. Tom just wants to sit back and relax at the party tonight, enjoy more moments in their lives. Simon agrees, and says nothing about Mark after all, saying he forgot what he was going to say. So far he's the only one who saves face well at all.

They show the "Samantha Li, Thai Therapy" sketch. It's basically a one-liner. One and a half, tops. No, Alex is wrong. They really shouldn't have opened with it. It's not a good opener. It's not a good closer, either. Should have been shoved in the middle somewhere.

As the host (who I'm pretty sure is Jenna Fischer. But it might be Linda Cardellini. Or someone else altogether, for that matter. But I think it's Jenna) closes the show, Danny rips off his headphones and goes tearing through the building. He bursts into Matt's office, demanding his pills. Matt says he doesn't know what he's talking about. Danny says that he's a recovering drug addict, he will be forever, and he will beat Matt to a bloody pulp if he doesn't give him the pills. Danny starts tearing apart the office, wanting to know what Matt's been taking. He also says that if he crushes up OxyContin, it defeats the time-release mechanism and gets one high right away. He tells Matt how to really take the drugs right before one last request right in Matt's face to know where they are. Matt hands over the vitamin bottle. Well, A vitamin bottle. This one has Flintstone vitamins in it (are Flintstone vitamins useful in an adult?), which Danny determines by tasting the inside of the bottle. I don't know much about addiction, but even though it would have been a small taste, wouldn't consuming narcotics be a really bad thing for a recovering addict to do?

Danny says that Suzanne told him Matt was taking pills. Once again, Matt knows he's caught, and says he was taking pills, but isn't anymore. He's been clean a full hour. Does Narcotics Anonymous give you a chip for one hour? He tells Danny he's been taking "anything," but he's stopped now. Again, I don't see the recovering addict taking the one-hour clean thing as gospel. Matt says the pills weren't helping him write. In fact, Danny points out, they were making his writing worse. Matt says he knows that. And Danny confirms that Matt's done. Though I still doubt he really believes it.

Okay, just for a moment, I'm going to step away from my already not terribly objective role as reviewer and go into FanGirl mode. Bear with me a moment: OhMyGosh, Angry!Danny is just so flipping hot I can hardly stand it! Ditto with RecoveringAddictWhoKnowsWhereofHeSpeaks!Danny! I could watch him yell at Matt over and over and over again! I could probably wear out my iPod on this scene alone! Homina! This is another of the excellent performances that really made this episode so compelling to watch. Wow. Wow!

Okay, back to just reviewing. Thanks for your indulgence on that one.

Danny finds Jordan sitting alone at the cast party drinking orange juice. They're either on a set that looks like a roof, or they're back on the roof where they got together in the first place. I think it's probably the latter. Jordan's hair is blowing gently in the breeze. Danny wants to end the fight. Jordan apologizes for telling him to get his ass back on stage. Well, actually, isn't that both of their jobs? Him to be on stage, and her to tell him what to do when he isn't doing it? He decides he isn't sorry about anything. What a man. How about leading with the sketch she told him not to lead with in a move that probably isn't helping their ratings any? She points out that sometimes they will actually have to act like people in their respective jobs. Okay, then, he tells her, give him notes. She's says he's skewing "urban" and needs to increase red-state appeal (and we've never heard that about the NBC show Studio 60 before, now, have we?). He's also skewing older and needs to increase younger and female voters. I've never specifically heard this about NBC's show, but it makes sense for a sketch show. Networks like young men. Er, in the audience, I mean. They actually tend to not worry that much about women, but Jordan is. Danny deduces that her note, in fact, is "get more people to watch."

She wants to know why he opened with the war. Danny says that it was in the news that week and felt like a good cold open. Jordan then asks for the rest of the carton of orange juice. I think she has an orange juice problem.

Jordan wants Danny to stop asking him what he wants from her. She agrees with Alex that Samantha Li should have been in her bathing suit at the opening of the show. Okay, but that sketch was weak. Could they have put her in the bathing suit in a better sketch?

Danny tells her to stop. They're losing viewers because they show hasn't been good lately. Ah, so he actually paid attention to the Samantha Li sketch. And the other sketches, for that matter. He says it hasn't been good because Matt hasn't been able to start writing until Wednesday. Um, crap? There's cutting things until the last minute, and then there's not starting writing for a live show with guest hosts who don't usually do live television two days before air. That's bad. She wants to know why, and he says he's working on it. I have to say, if this were a show I were running, I don't believe I'd take that for an answer. However, Jordan does. He wants her to look at the show's history and see that its numbers have always gone up. Well, except, of course, for when they go down. Demonstrating that he has a bit of a short attention span for a moment, Danny wants to know what's up with the excessive amounts of orange juice. Jordan says that she hasn't felt the baby kick all day, and usually drinking OJ gets the baby to kick. Danny is concerned and leaves, taking Jordan with him.

Matt is on the phone in his office trying to get the East Coast ratings. Suzanne sneaks into the office as Matt gripes that one can get election results in two minutes, but not Nielsen numbers? Well, unless you happen to work in television, generally (though not necessarily always) the election results are a little more important.

Suzanne says she knows that Matt knows she told Danny about the pills. Suzanne is more obvious than Danny in her disbelief that Matt has really quit. She wants to know if he's mad at her. He says he's mad at himself. As well he should be.

She explains that he's going to crash and feel terrible. She's watched this. Apparently, because the drugs simulate the action of serotonin (a brain chemical) and endorphins, when one uses the drugs, the body stops making them itself. So when one stops using them, suddenly there are no chemicals in the body being produced that allow joy or pleasure. In a couple of hours, she tells him, he'll be so depressed that getting a Pulitzer from Miss America won't cheer him up. Matt makes a smart-ass comment. Suzanne insists that she isn't kidding.

Herb comes in. He just watched the tape and now realizes that he said "Studio City." Herb asks why he did that. "Just wasn't our night" is Matt's answer. Oh, and maybe that Matt totally psyched him out right before the show. He tells Herb to go enjoy the party. Herb has basically one job, and he messed it up. Going to be hard to enjoy the party after that. Tom's been moping over one biffed line of many. Herb leaves, but doesn't look any more convinced than I do that he'll be able to do that. Matt tells Suzanne he knows she isn't joking, and he appreciates it. He also asks her to tell him when she gets the East Coast numbers. Again, Merritt Wever gives a very powerful performance with very, very few words spoken. She's say so much just with minute changes of expression.

Matt finds Mary busily typing away. She says she talked to Harriet during the show, but it wasn't her fault. They told her they fixed it. Besides, Harry's the one who started it. Matt interrupts to agree to take Mary to the party. Or to dinner. Um, didn't Suzanne just get finished telling him that he was going to crash in a few hours? Why, that's a perfect time to take a girl on a date!

Mary declines. She says he's still in love with Harriet. However, he insists he's moving on. He has to; it's that or Betty Ford. Hmm, some lawyers might ask what that was all about, but not Mary. She says she'll call New York, but she'll let him take her out when she's done. Then she says she knows why he's taking her out, and she doesn't mind, because soon he'll find out she's hot stuff. He says already knows that. Well, her title IS "Hot Lawyer." She promises she gets to be even hotter stuff.

Danny and Jordan are in the prop room. Apparently Danny knows where it is, at least. Danny wants to know why she didn't say anything about the baby earlier. She didn't want to worry him. He finds a stethoscope, and as she listens to her belly, she says she's hit the bottom of the healthcare industry. Hey, it's not Dr. Nick Riviera checking her out, so there's still at least a little further to go before she hits bottom. Danny's face brightens (another nicely nuanced performance here), and he says he hears a heartbeat. She wonders how he knows it isn't hers. Oh, yeah...

He wants to take her to the emergency room, and she says she isn't going. She's worried they'll think she's crazy, and Danny offers to give her a head wound to avoid that problem. Ah, young love.

Jack approaches them on a mission: He has to talk to both of them, and Danny says he can't talk ratings right now. It isn't about ratings. There's been breaking news that the network is going on with in about three minutes.

We cut to the wrap party. Simon is talking up two girls at once. Danny comes up to Simon with Jack and Jordan in tow, wanting to know where Tom is. Jack tells him that three American soldiers were ambushed and captured in Afghanistan, and one of them is Tom's brother. Simon is hit hard by the news. Mark Jeter isn't dead, but al Jazeera has released some a very graphic video. Simon pushes past Jack in a sprint.

At a different part of the party, Tom is telling Lucy that tons of college students have Nielsen boxes in their dorm rooms now. Shouldn't those kids be studying? I mean, I watched TV in college, but not nearly enough for Nielsen to care about. Anyway, Tom isn't worried about his fate being in the hands of college students, mainly because of Lucy's legs.

We see Simon telling Tom the news through Danny's eyes. Again, this is terrific filming. As much as I love Aaron Sorkin's writing (and I do), this is another great scene that says everything with not a word spoken. Tom and Lucy look back at Danny before Tom leaves the party in a run.

Tom runs to the control booth, Simon and Danny close behind. Jack meets him there to tell him he's going to be taken to the network's newsroom. Tom shoves Jack out of the way (Jack's getting shoved a lot this act) to watch the feed in the booth. There is, again, a beautifully subtle performance given by Nate Corddry. Before Studio 60, I'd only ever seen him on The Daily Show. Which I love, but there's not a lot of opportunity for this sort of acting there.

The video shows three soldiers sitting in front of a group of menacing men with weapons. Matt tells Tom his brother is the one in the middle. The captor in the middle starts to read a statement. In disbelief, Tom says it doesn't even look like his brother (It looked to me that the solders' heads were covered when he says this, but it's a good dramatic moment, so I mostly let it go. Plus, on watching it again, it does seem conceivable that their heads are uncovered). Matt says Mark was beaten up. There's a cut to the other people in the booth, particularly Simon, distraught along with Tom.

Tom says there could be another Mark Jeter. Matt gives the soldier's assignment. It's definitely Tom's brother. Tom is devastated and hurls something at the monitor, cracking it. He goes to throw a stool, but Matt holds him back and Simon takes the stool and holds Tom. Jack says they're going to take Tom to the LA news bureau so he'll know everything the minute that network news does, and that they're flying his parents in, too. Tom wants his parents brought to LA. I'm kind of sensitive, but my heart just broke for Tom. Even watching it again to write this is very affecting. Simon and Jack take Tom away, leaving Matt, Danny, and Jordan to watch the video. Jordan notes that one of the captors has an ax, and Danny spirits her out of the room. He has a member of the crew drive Jordan to the hospital. She gives him a goodbye kiss. He wants her to call him the minute she gets to the hospital, and she wants him to call her if he hears anything.

On his way back to the booth, Danny passes Lucy looking at him very forlornly. He goes back into the booth. He and Matt watch the screen for a moment in silence before Matt asks what he wants to do. He wants to stay in the booth and have Suzanne quietly gather the cast. Matt asks why Jordan's going to hospital, and Danny tells him she can't feel the baby kick. Matt asks Danny if he's all right, echoing Danny's concern for Matt during "The Friday Night Slaughter." Danny says he is, but the look exchanged belies that. Danny asks Matt the same, with much the same result. However, Matt says the first person to talk ratings with him is fired. So hopefully that'll be someone we won't miss much. Maybe the cue-card guy who told the cast to shove the cards up their collective asses. The producers leave the booth together, and the episode closes with a view of the hostage video playing on the shattered TV screen.

Interestingly, we never saw Cal on this episode, but Timothy Busfield is credited as a creative consultant for this episode.

This episode starkly contrasted with "The Disaster Show." I tremendously enjoyed both episodes for completely different reasons. The entire cast gave excellent performances (though some admittedly had some more drama to work with, giving them a greater opportunity to shine) and some of them got to really add depth to their characters. Of course, that is as we're getting ready to have to say goodbye to them, but it was still nice. Additionally, while a lot of events occurred in this episode, because of the character development, it was a far more satisfying show than the ones that focused exclusively on Harriet and Matt's relationship (not on Harriet and Matt as people). Sorkin always writes best when he concentrates on the people and how they deal with issues as opposed to just the issues themselves.

It was also nice to see that they actually remember the addiction story line. There seems to be some chance that it will be resolved, at least in some form, by the end of the series. I was beginning to think they might forget about it. I do wonder how well the sexual harassment/wrongful termination story line will be resolved within the next (last) four episodes.

I've also seen it theorized in the grand blogosphere that the series end will in some way involve the show's declining ratings, perhaps with both Studio 60s, NBS' and NBC's, ending at the same time. Of course, it is just a theory, but it's an interesting one. If that is what happens, that will probably break my heart even more than Tom's reaction to his brother being taken hostage or the mere fact that the show has been canceled in the first place. It would be a strong ending, but it would still make me a sad, sad (yet always humble) blogger.

He then goes to the cast and crew and tells them there's been a Wildcat strike. Basically, the propmasters' contract is up at midnight, but the show's propmasters walked out 10 minutes ago, largely thanks to Danny's comment to them, "For the love of God, you're just prop guys; you're easily replaceable!" Never, never piss off crew when their contract is up. Or, really, ever.

Cal assures the cast that the prop table is already set and all the props are in running, so they don't need to worry about performing any propmaster duties, which would in fact, be crossing picket lines, which we certainly can't have. However, he manages to break the table (he does not have good luck with tables), so now the props are mixed up and broken. To make matters worse, it turns out that the cue card guys belong to the propmasters union, and they're on strike, too.

As Tom warms up the crowd, Cal is giving Allison a pep talk. Unlike Cal, she already knew that the card holders are in the propmasters union. Cal assures her that she'll have cards, but he gives her an earpiece so he can talk to her from the booth.

Simon reveals to a number of people that his girlfriend just broke up with him in his dressing room. He was planning on going with her to Hawaii with Tom and Lucy. Tom suggests he find a girl in the greenroom to take to Hawaii.

Harriet's Nancy Grace sketch is sabotaged by some propmaster who has not yet left the building.

Jack Rudolph wanders through Matt's office before going to the booth to talk to Cal, who is busily trying to run the show. After he confirms that she can hear him by getting her to thank the crowd in response to him, he tries to feed Allison her monologue through her earpiece. It doesn't work well. She forgets what show she's on and what city she's in, but at least she remembers she spent the last seven years of her life starring on The West Wing. The monologue is blessedly cut short. We find out that Danny is in the parking lot trying to smooth over the situation with the propmasters and that Matt is helping the cast basically come up with cheat sheets for their lines. We never see them through the entire episode.

Jack reveals to Cal that there's been a bomb threat. Apparently someone who saw the dress rehearsal was offended by the sketch "Mohammed, the thin-skinned prophet." Only they can't air the tape of the dress rehearsal because it was recorded without the color blue, and a tool belt was dropped during one of Macy Gray's sets (she's the musical guest), stopping the taping. So they can't stop the show, but the audience won't be allowed to leave their seats.

During a sketch, Allison tries to bribe Tom, but her prop wallet is empty. Tom is no help at all.

Harry says she won't date Matt, giving Jeannie permission to date him before taking it right back.

In the greenroom, Simon is looking for the sort of girl who hangs out in a greenroom and is so starstruck by him that she flies across the Pacific Ocean with him the next morning. The first woman he finds seems pretty hopeful until it turns out she's married. He then runs into Claire, a woman he dated once before but never called back because he lost her phone number. He reveals that he just broke up with his last girlfriend. Claire won't go with him to Hawaii, but he wants to take her for coffee. However, it turns out she's leaving the country the day they come back. Finally, she is convinced to go with him.

Jack comes back with the bomb squad. They have a single German shepherd, which coincidentally "speaks" German. One of the bomb squad members wants to know if they're running any electronic equipment, which earns him a dumbfounded look. Jack reveals he's drunk, and Cal allows 10 seconds of dead air.

In another sketch, Allison has money this time, but when she's supposed to be shot, both sound and special effects aren't working, so she flails wildly for no particular reason. Her improvising to save the sketch is not especially successful.

The rest of the cast reveals to Harriet that they "don't know how much more" they can take. They don't know why she and Matt aren't together.

Simon, the giant-sized stud, finds Stephanie in his dressing room. She's decided she's wrong and she actually wants to go to Hawaii with him after all. He agrees to take her. He is a dope. A studly dope, but a dope nonetheless.

Jack reveals to Cal that the bomb threat was called from within the building with a cell phone that was left at the studio. They called the owner of the phone, who is coming back to the studio to pick it up.

Jack, still drunk, tells Allison how much he loves The West Wing, which she points out has been off the air for over a year (um, over a year?). He then says he loved her on Chicago Hope. She points out that he's thinking of Christine Lahti.

Simon goes to Claire and tells her that he's taking Stephanie to Hawaii after all. She slaps him.

Harriet reveals that she got mad when Matt dated other girls. When they weren't actually dating. Also, Matt thinks it would hurt morale for a cast member to date an executive producer. Which is interesting, given the way he had been pursuing her. She realizes there must be some other reason they aren't dating.

Lucy manages to talk to Stephanie and manages to reveal that he's taking someone else. Not unlike Allison, she does not improvise her way out of the situation well. Stephanie slaps Hawaii.

Speaking of Allison, she's in another sketch with Tom. The sound and special effects from the earlier sketch finally occur.

The doofuses who called in the bomb threat are arrested. They were trying to be funny and don't even know who Mohammed is.

The show finally ends. Allison starts yelling about what a disaster this was, but Cal has (wisely) cut her mic. He asks her if she didn't have the time of her life anyway. As at the beginning of the show, she affirmatively answers him. "Thank you."

At the upfronts Monday, NBC revealed its schedule for the 2007-2008 season, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Stripis officially gone. It will be missed. I did ask to be absolutely, completely, and totally positive, and was reassured by Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Melanie McFarland that it's "really, most sincerely dead." Deader than a can of Spam.

Instead, they will be bringing us a Bionic Woman remake, a show that sounds like a cross between Quantum Leap and Early Edition, and a show adapted from the same author who brought us Sex and the City. Though because it's on NBC, it won't have the teeth of Sex and the City.

Later in the season we'll be getting a karaoke reality show called The Singing Bee. I realize I'm revealing my snobbery here, but there's already a karaoke reality show out there, and it's called American Idol.

Also cancelled was Crossing Jordan. Law and Order and Medium are both being held until winter, and Law and Order: Criminal Intent is being shoved over to the USA Network.

About the only bright spot here is that Friday Night Lights, which also had less than stellar ratings, did get renewed. It moves to Friday nights. How appropriate.

Of interest is the fact that NBC is not bringing a single comedy to the fall lineup (Though one is being saved for midseason featuring Joel McHale, Seattle Native and host of E!'s Talk Soup). Several shows will have longer-than-usual seasons, including Heroes, The Office, and My Name Is Earl. NBC will also try to have fewer reruns next season. Apparently Heroes lost a ton of viewers during its hiatus. I'll be interested to see what the ratings for Studio 60 will be starting next week.

Not that it matters anymore.

As if it weren't obvious, I'm really disappointed about this decision. I'm not surprised, of course. It's been obvious that it was coming for a while, even if other shows with disappointing ratings (Scrubs, 30 Rock, and Friday Night Lights) will be returning.

I really loved this show. I loved what it did, and what it was trying to do. And I thought it really had potential for the future. I loved the writing and the cast, and the chemistry they all had together.

Plus, now I can never get them to put a poster of the production of Pirates of Penzance I was in last summer up in Matt's office. Drag.

At least we have the remaining episodes to enjoy and relish. Now is the time gather our Studio 60 rosebuds while we may, folks.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
R.I.P.
2006-2007

Interestingly, I called them this week to express my undying love for this show and my hope that it will return, and was told by Morgan Steffano (filling in for Lesley Cerwin, who is on maternity leave) that they hadn't made that decision yet. Say what? I'm pretty sure she was having me on. They basically haven't advertised the show since January (if that recently), always an indication that they've given up on the show, and the ratings steadily dropped. But even if not, I can't imagine that less than a week before the upfronts they seriously don't have all their shows in line, with the POSSIBLE exception of any that are still in contract negotiations (which is apparently what was happening with Scrubs this week).

Additionally, the scuttlebutt from Rob Owen at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (almost as good a paper name as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, but I digress) is that the set has been dismantled. This is bad for anyone, but particularly for a show with as detailed a set as this one.

Appropos of nothing, I was watching (another) excellent but cancelled-too-soon series, Arrested Development. The Blue Man Group was performing at a theater that looked SUSPICIOUSLY like the Studio 60 theater. Hmmm...

Fingers crossed until Monday night!

It's almost a month off, but several sources including Zap2It.com, Starpulse.com, and TVSquad.com are announcing that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip will be returning to our airwaves on May 24, 2007. Notably, however, I can't find a release at NBC Universal Media Village's website. However, the news is confirmed by going to NBC's official Studio 60 page

As you remember, NBC pulled Studio 60 a week earlier than originally announced without giving any indication of when it would return to the airwaves. In its place it put The Black Donnellys, produced by the minds behind Crash with a pilot penned by the writer of Million-Dollar Baby. It did even more poorly in the ratings than Studio 60 did. While people gleefully pointed out how Studio 60 lost viewers week to week, The Black Donnellys lost 4 million viewers from its first to second half-hour. The Black Donnellys was ranked 120th in the season-to-date average viewers rating. By comparison, Studio 60 came in at 80th. At one point, it attracted a low of 5.5 million viewers.

The Black Donnellys was pulled from the schedule after only eight episodes (remaining episodes can be seen online at NBC.com). in favor of The Real Wedding Crashers, which critics hate, and its ratings indicate that the viewers agree. The premiere episode garnered only a 5.0 rating.

No show that has followed Heroes this season has been able to hold the lead-in audience.

Studio 60 returns May 24 at 10 pm. If you do the math, you'll see that this is not its old Monday post-Heroes timeslot. Instead, it comes "home" to the night it was originally going to air, Thursday nights in the time currently held by ER (On the bright side, this is not up against Grey's Anatomy, which is a very strong show to be up against. In fact, Grey's Anatomy's move to Thursday at 9 was the reason Studio 60 was shifted to Monday nights in the first place).

This is all terrific news, with one notable exception: May 24 is the day after the end of May sweeps. Studio 60 ended before the end of February (though sweeps may have been done by then), and the May sweeps establish the advertising rates for next season, so for a show to miss it entirely seems like a bad sign. Or one more in a long series of signs pointing strongly to Studio 60 not returning for a second season. As always, calls to Deborah Thomas, NBC Entertainment, 818/840-3663 and/or Lesley Cerwin, Phone: (818) 840-3980 Fax: (818) 840-2907 can't hurt.

Set your DVRs, TiVos, VCRs, and whatever else you have, pop some popcorn, and settle in May 24 at 10 pm for the long-awaited return of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

NOTE: This message has been updated from the original post indicating that this information is published on the NBC website