The neatness of last few scenes of last night’s Studio 60 made them so good, such compelling television, that I can't even remember what I thought about the rest of the episode. Did I enjoy it? Was I engaged? I don't know, because that ending knocked me out.
60 is written with broad story arcs–plotlines that are designed to span seasons and not meant to be wrapped up in one night. Last night's ep not only hewed to this formula, it managed to do it one better. Matt's awful B-12 jokes? They made perfect sense functioning as the vehicle by which Danny finds out that Jordan is pregnant. The Dilbert-27 references? Ultimately, the audience knew they weren't just one-offs, because although Danny hated that Martha O'Dell quoted the commentor, he used Dilbert-27's response to Jordan's interview to help buck her up. The freshmen writers who have never collaborated with Matt (or anyone else, for that matter) before? They finally get a sketch on the air, Matt learns to play with others, and a new guru-like character had been introduced.
Corinne Bailey Rae's songs were utilized as the soundtrack to the episode, perhaps to narrative effect, making use of the musical guest star in the same way that Sting–and only Sting–has been employed so far. By the end, the episode was wrapped up neatly, smartly, and efficiently, and left me desperate to watch more.
Well done!
By Guest Blogger Liz McKeon
