Director: Bryan Gordon
Cast: Nathan Corddry (Tom Jeter), Sarah Paulson (Harriet Hayes), Steven Weber (Jack Rudolph), Timothy Busfield (Cal Shanley), Amanda Peet (Jordan McDeere), Bradley Whitford (Danny Tripp), D.L. Hughley (Simon Stiles), Matthew Perry (Matt Albie), Mark McKinney (Andy), Simon Helberg (Alex Anderson), Nate Torrence (Dylan), Lucy Davis (Lucy), Merritt Wever (Suzanne), Columbus Short (Darius Hawthorne), Camille Chen (Samantha Li), Ayda Field (Jeannie Whatley), Monica Garcia (Nurse), Christopher Murphy Carley (Jeff), William Stanford Davis (Floor Manager), John Carpenter (Herb Sheldon), Amanda Tepe (Bobbie), Howie Mandel (Himself), Corinne Bailey Rae (Herself), Wendy Phillips (Shelly), Stephen Alvarez (Anchor), Christine Lahti (Martha O'Dell), Todd Stashwick (Bill), Tate Hanyok (Carrie) & Amy Honey (Personal Assistant)
A virus threatens the cast and crew, Matt has to cope with a reduced writing staff, and Jordan tells Danny a secret...This is a very curious episode; quite interesting, sometimes enjoyable, often a boring mess. Tellingly, it's the first Studio 60 Aaron Sorkin has co-written, meaning Sorkin was either upstaged at times by writing partner Eli Attie, or Attie crippled an episode with promise. We'll just never know for sure.
B-12 is another studio-based episode, which comes as a strange relief after the gallavanting location-based episodes recently. I like watching these characters work together as a team, even though the show is stuck in a formula. Yes, the dilemma-of-the-week rears its ugly head (again) to threaten the smooth-running of Friday's live show. This time it's a virulent sickness, causing one actor to faint whilst in drag, and everyone to be given B-12 injections.
Howie Mendell is this week's guest host, an unfamiliar face to UK audiences, but he's the US equivalent of Noel Edmonds -- in that he presents Deal Or No Deal. Cue a lame "deal or no deal?" opening sketch with Danny Trip pretending to call The Banker. And, y'know, I often grumble about Studio 60's weak comedy sketches, but this sketch is actually quite accurate about how lazily obvious such shows can be. So I can let this predictability pass. But, combining reality show The Bachelor with Ancient Rome is funny? Ugh.
Oddly, the sickness affecting Studio 60 doesn't become anything more than a background event. The emphasis is instead on Matt's situation with a staff that now consists of quietly goofy Lucy (Lucy Davies) and naive Darius (Columbus Short). If, like me, you were expecting a serious problem for Studio 60, now that it has three writers, you'll be disappointed.
Lucy and Darius are tasked with penning an "incompetent criminal" sketch, but the show is apparently not reliant on them actually coming up with anything! There are other sketches to be performed, perhaps stored up for just such an emergency? Weird. I was under the impression the stakes were going to be very high after last week's mass walkout... but apparently I was wrong.
Despite this plot being undermined, it's still enjoyable, particularly once downbeat former writer Andy (Mark McKinney) arrives to mentor Lucy and Darius. Lucy Davies is also less annoying this week -- probably because she keeps her mouth shut. McKinney is also a great antidote to the perky, motormouth smart-asses that populate Studio 60, so I'm glad he'll be sticking around.
I also lap up any scene with Jordan (Amanda Peet), who surely deserves a spin-off series. Or, failing that, just give Peet her own show! As network president, Peet's cute as a button, but with a tongue sharper than a steak knife. A great scene where she humourously pokes fun at a Time magazine reporter who's been sent to interview her, eventually belittling his intentions, is one of those moments that makes the rest of Studio 60 look uninvolving by comparison. That said, Jordan can be annoying occasionaly, as she's very blinkered when it comes to self-publicity and office politics.
Throughout B-12, an ominous thunderstorm rumbles above L.A and a CNN news report about a hostage crisis on Grosse Point becomes a recurring motif. Uh-oh. These are obvious omens that bad times are ahead, so it comes as no surprise when the hostage crisis has a knock-on effect with a prized sketch. Predictable stuff, sadly.
It's also very strange to see ace reporter Martha O'Dell (Christine Lahti) reappear on the show, as I'd forgotten about her character's potentially disastrous article on how Studio 60 runs behind-the-scenes.
Apparently, her article has been published and Danny didn't like it, so he snubs O'Dell here. But I don't understand Danny can't just make her leave the set! Isn't he an executive producer? Now that her report has been published, what business does she have being here, anyway?! And why does she have a folding chair with her name on it? It would also have been nice to get an indication of what her column actually said, too -- so, ultimately, the O'Dell storyline has been badly treated and has outstayed its welcome.
Overall, B-12 is just a very schitzophrenic episode. You can tell there were two writers involved, but I'd love to know who was most responsible for which aspects, as the episode veers from bad to good nearly every scene...
The writing staff dilemma is enjoyable (despite the weak ending), the hostage news report is too predictable, Harriet's inability to remember jokes is good for a giggle (if bizarre for a comedienne who has to remember lines), Jordan's scenes are spicy fun (ignoring her climactic soap-opera style announcement), and there's an unecessary plot-device that jumps back in time.
Solid, but flawed.
27 September 2007
More4, 10.00 pm
