Director: John Fortenberry
Cast: Matthew Perry (Matt Albie), Sarah Paulson (Harriet Hayes), Amanda Peet (Jordan McDeere), Timothy Busfield (Cal), Bradley Whitford (Danny Tripp), D.L. Hughley (Simon Stiles), Nathan Corddry (Tom Jeter), Columbus Short (Darius), Lucy Davis (Lucy), Ayda Field (Jeanie Whatley), Evan Handler (Ricky Beck) & Carlos Jacott (Ronald Oswald)
Ricky and Ron plot to leave the show, along with the writing staff, to pursue a fresh writing challenge. Meanwhile, Harriet considers doing a sexy lingerie photoshoot, and Danny wrestles with pending budget cuts...We're about half-way through Studio 60's only season... and it's easy to see why the viewing masses didn't flock to Aaron Sorkin's drama. For, no matter how likeable the actors and deft the dialogue, the sad fact is that Studio 60's premise just isn't relevant or flexible enough to sustain interest...
The Option Period is another example of Sorkin plucking a few ideas from the air, outlining three plots that could each be summarized in 10 minute scenes, then doubling their length with his frothy, buzzing, unrealistic dialogue. The verbal ping-pong matches can be amusing and sometimes dazzling, but 60% of them are indulgent and pad shallow plots.
The main story has Danny (Bradley Whitford) informed of likely budget cuts by Jordan (Amanda Peet), unless he concedes to product placement appearing on the show. Their discussions on this matter prove to be enlightening, as Sorkin's done his research, but it's another example of research being shoehorned into chit-chat. They chat so eloquently on specific topics, using exact information, it's like listening to quirky robots, not flesh and blood human beings.
The secondary plot has Matt (Matthew Perry) discovering prickly writers Ricky (Evan Handler) and Ronnie (Carlos Jacott) are being sidetracked by a private project to adapt the Peripheral Vision Man sketch into a sitcom. No, really. It all becomes clear when the live show underuns by 30 seconds because Ricky and Ronnie forgot to change the show's script format back to 40-second-page, having used the software to pen their spec.
The supporting plot (I say "plot", but it's more a "sustained discussion") involves Harriet (Sarah Paulson) debating whether or not to pose in lingerie for a magazine. Simon (D.L. Hughley) and Tom (Nathan Corddry) are against it, as the magazine are fetishizing Harriet's pious public profile. It's a mildly interesting debate, but hardly a satisfying subplot.
While nothing in episode 9 is particularly bad, it's mostly filler. Mind you, what else can Studio 60 do but fill time? There are no ongoing plots to care about, beyond Harriet and Danny's weak romance, and Jordan's potential sacking.
Also, by its very nature, Studio 60 is about fixing problems before Friday's live show, then quickly forgetting about them to move onto next week's dilemma. Sure, there are plot-strands that occasionally get tied-up (like the bad blood between Ricky, Ronnie and Danny), but nothing that demands you tune in each week.
A good drama needs big stakes? But what's the wost that could happen on Studio 60? That a bad episode of a sketch show will air across America? That happens most weeks; if Science Schmience and a guy dressed as a lobster is any indication! Of course the characters care about the show's success, but why should we?
In the end, Ricky and Ronnie part company with Studio 60 to write Peripheral Vision Man, but it's a moment that just doesn't ring true. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't leave Studio 60 to peddle a crap sketch being stretched into a sitcom! Are Ricky and Ronnie really that deluded? I can only assume Sorkin's plan is to have their awful show become a ratings hit, as a not-very-subtle commentary on the bad taste of viewers.
It also wasn't clear to me how Ricky and Ronnie's exit meant all the writing staff had to follow! All the writers are willing to give up their paid, secure, comfortable jobs creating sketches for the network's flagship show... to help make a sketch-turned-sitcom? Ridiculous.
So anyway, Matt is left to write next week's show by himself, with help from Darius (Columbus Short), the promising black writer introduced weeks ago, who's had nothing to do since, and Lucy (Lucy Davies), the twittering irritation with the clipped English accent. Davies exhibits none of the charisma and naturalism she showed on The Office.
Overall, I'm just getting fed up with Studio 60's self-satisfied smugness, limp storylines, preachy tone, repetitive sparring and that magic way everything eventually comes good. Here, in the dying moments, Cal (Timothy Busfield) magically solves Danny and Jordan's budget woes by suggesting they build a set full of advertising billboards -- as it common on the real Sunset Strip.
The fact Studio 60's original set designer never considered that obvious idea (given the show's title), provides this episode's biggest laugh. Actually, I take that back; Sorkin's idea to have every discussion about product placement take place in front of various products was worth a chuckle.
20 September 2007
More4, 10.00 pm
