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caz963Well, that’s it. I am now officially a fandomless fangirl.
And this post might just be a little on the long side...
Studio 60 rides off into the sunset – or the sunrise, I guess – Danny’s a father, Matt and Harriet are back together (until the next time they break up), Tom’s brother is safe… and the show must and will go on.
The loose ends were neatly – maybe a little too neatly - wrapped up, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. The axe had fallen way before these final shows were written and I’d have been complaining a hell of a lot more if we’d been left with cliffhangers that would never be resolved. Sure, there are unanswered questions – Sorkin dropped the ball big-time in a few places (what the hell caused Danny’s relapse for example, and what happened to Matt crashing after he stopped taking the pills?) – which is frustrating, but the two main storylines in this final story arc were concluded happily, and I guess we did at least get a full season, unlike many of the other shows touted last Autumn.
First of all – I squealed with delight when I found out the title of this episode a few weeks back. I’d been hoping Sorkin would use that and it seems especially fitting seeing as the past five episodes all took place the same night. I don’t care about the recycling – it’s more of a trade-mark now, and I love him for it.
And it appears the lovely Mr Whitford has yet another string to his bow. I was so sure that Tommy Schlamme would direct the finale, and surprised to think it would be entrusted to a first time director. (Although Brad’s directed plays hasn’t he?) I’m not an expert, but I’d say he did a pretty good job – more than that actually; I thought there were some lovely shots there - but that might just be the fangirl in me talking!
As with last week, the episode was built around a series of ‘two-handers’ – Matt and Danny, Tom and Captain Boyle, Jack and Simon, Danny and Jack etc., and again the writing and acting were amazingly good. But interestingly (as a friend helpfully pointed out) all the “resolution” scenes – the Danny/Jordan one, Tom’s brother, the cast on the stage near the end – all had more than two people in. The doctor with Danny and Jordan and then the whole cast with Tom and later on the stage – Aaron likes his ‘families’, doesn’t he?
That first scene between Matt and Danny was wonderful – Danny the proud father (bragging already!), Matt clearly not wanting to say what he had to say about Danny’s having no legal rights to her if Jordan dies. I ran out of superlatives to describe just how good Brad is in every scene he’s in a long time ago, so you’ll have to take it as read. But I’ll still drone on about the fact that he looks fucking hot in that white shirt, the extra undone button and the stubble… guh. Yeah, yeah, I’m totally predictable.
Baby girl McDeere.
You’re hoping that she’ll become a stripper. Heh.
Danny insists Matt goes back to the theatre to keep an eye on Tom, Simon and keep everyone together. But before he goes Danny asks him to ask Mary whether Jordan’s signature would mean anything because she’s so doped up.
Tom has started the ID process with Trask. Captain Boyle isn’t impressed.
You guys hire your own security, your own detectives and now you’re hiring your own army.
Yes I am. ‘Cause the one I hired with the taxes I pay doesn’t seem to be working out.
Excuse me?
Captain –
No, excuse me, pal, but three thousand of my friends are dead - and about another fifteen thousand left some arms and legs pretty far away from home.
Ouch.
Captain insists that the last think Mark would want, as a member of the armed forces, is to be ransomed. Tom wants to do it anyway – that’s his parents’ kid.
Skippy McDumbass. Yeah! Don’t hold back, Aaron. Nice one.
Jack is still trying to get Simon to apologise – Simon wants in on whatever is going on to rescue Mark.
Five years ago, Matt is convinced there’s no way Wes will apologise on behalf of the show for the Karl Rove sketch.
Harriet – naturally – turns the argument around.
If Al Gore had won the election –
Al Gore did win the election, but go on.
Oy.
Did you say “oy”?
Yeah.
Don’t anymore.
If Al Gore had won the election, if President Gore had sent his top emissary out here, say he sent Bill Clinton out here to talk to leaders in Hollywood about how the entertainment industry could help right now – would you have had an objection?
Matt can’t deny that he’d have been there like a shot.
And you don’t find that hypoctitical?
I do. I think you’re making an excellent point.
So the difference is that you don’t like them.
I guess it is.
You’re okay with that?
I seem to have made peace with it.
Matthew – what?
You think I have comtempt for my government.
Harry, if I do, it ain’t nothing compared for the comtempt my government has for me.
Just... yeah.
Danny arrives to tell Matt that Jack’s spoken to Wes – and that he agreed to the apology. Matt’s pissed – but Danny tells him to get over it, and on with the next show.
At the hospital Matt calls Danny to let him know Suzanne’s on her way over with the papers for Jordan to sign.
I don’t understand why Suzanne keeps giving me the number of a payphone to call you - I didn’t know there still were payphones.
Cellphones aren’t allowed up here – they screw with the heart monitors.
Why?
I don’t know. Why don’t I go to medical school for six years to find out?
He tells Danny that, according to Mary, Jordan being out of it could be a problem if custody is ever contested – but that having her signed consent is better than nothing and says exactly the right thing -
I think Jordan would be counting on you to do this. Put a pen in her hand.
Back in the past, Matt tells Danny not to make a big thing out of it, but he’s quitting. Danny knew it was coming – and goes to see Jack, telling him that he needs to find a solution to this, because Matt has been the show for the past two years.
Great scene (we really should have had more “Jack and Danny shout at each other” scenes) – and the point at which Danny yells –
Screw friendship, screw honour, screw patriotism! We just lost the franchise!
- is the point at which he realizes what he’s doing – trying to appease the network and not giving Matt enough back up. Jack thinks Matt’ll be back, Danny knows it’ll take an extraordinary event to get him back. Yeah, like his best friend screwing up. Shame we never got to know more about that. Jack makes it clear that Wes isn’t sticking up for Matt at all –
What did you say to Wes?
Didn’t have to say much, Danny.
Harriet’s waiting when he gets back, telling him to rein Matt back in. But he tells her he’s quitting too.
You can’t make a decision like this in the two minutes it took you to walk back from the NBS building.
I didn’t need the whole two minutes. There it is. He tells Harriet what he said about ‘screwing friendship’ etc. That was his wake up call.
And now the zinger -
He’s been threatened by the network, compromised by me, browbeaten by you, gotten his heart broken by Wes and he’s still standing up. Why am I quitting? ‘Cause they’re going to start shooting at him. And I’m going to be standing next to him when they do.
(You know, I was almost expecting him to say something about taking a bullet for him if necessary! But I guess that would have been a bit too weird:))
Back in the present, Danny starts to quiz Harriet on why she and Matt can’t get it together and despite her protestations to the contrary, tells her they haven’t tried. She thinks Matt can’t forgive her for not quitting when he did, Danny tells her that Matt never expected that, and that he worships her. I could care less actually, so I just look at Brad, who is looking particularly gorgeous throughout, and don’t really listen to what he’s saying… moving along, Suzanne arrives and Danny gets to see Jordan, but not without one extra click up on the angst-o-meter. Nice shot there of Danny’s reflection in the glass as Harriet and Suzanne look on.
Okay, so now’s the part where my brain turned to complete mush (you’re surprised, I can tell.) *Listens to ovary explosion coming from most of f-list*.
Considering what she’s been through, I’d have expected Jordan to look a little more horrible, and hooked up to wires and tubes. But it was perfect that she’d had adoption papers drawn up in advance, although I have to say, I'm not really sure about the “I wanted you to propose since the first day I met you,” thing. Well, okay – on one level, I am – come on, it’s Brad! – nuff sed. But on others, I think it would have made more sense if she’d said “since we got stuck on the roof”, but, you know, whatever. It was sweet.
His face after he signed the papers? Killed. Me. Actually I died several times over during that scene. And you know, this might be the last chance I get to do some serious fangirling for a while, so just indulge me, okay? I may have even forgotten my name and where I live. GUH.
Also – Steven Weber is just fantastic. In the next scene, Simon comes right out with it and says that Jack has spent the last four hours trying to get him to apologise because really, he feels guilty about what happened to Matt and Danny. There’s a fabulous part where Jack almost breaks down and finally admits that he liked the Rove sketch and that he knew Wes was an empty shirt - he was trying to get rid of Wes back then, not Matt and Danny (at least that’s the way I saw it). He also admits that he doesn’t think Simon should apologise – at which point Simon of course says he’ll do it, and in typical Sorkin fashion, after all the angst, I’m now laughing at Jack telling Simon he’s going to beat him up.
Come on! Take your ass kicking!
Okay, but not on the face – I’m on TV.
But before blood can be shed, Suzanne races past to tell them something’s happening with Tom’s brother.
He and his fellow captives have been rescued by the military – Captain Boyle Asks if he wants to talk to his brother on the phone. And Nate Corddry just broke my heart again.
Matt leaves – thinking he’s alone Thank you, God
Matt and Harriet kiss and make up – he finally tells her he loves her and that he may have been wrong about their not being able to be together while they’re working together.
As the rest of the cast begin to filter on to the stage, Matt asks them if they have a problem with him and Harriet dating. Much like me, they could care less.
Jeannie: Can I still sleep with you?
Harriet: No.
Matt: No.
Jeannie: Then, Andy it’s your lucky day.
Andy: What’d I do?
Dylan: You get to sleep with Jeannie.
Andy: (looking singularly unimpressed) Alright.
BWAH!
Daddy – sorry, Danny, arrives and hands out cigars and a pep talk. Tom’s going to Germany to see Mark, but Lucy can’t go – they need her back at work on Monday. Take charge Danny is back (take-charge Danny is hot) – and everyone leaves the stage except Matt and Harriet who are still snogging.
(And in my head, they're together until they break up again, because they really really need some time apart and maybe to decide that the best thing for them is to be friends. I said that before, and I'm sticking to it.)
Matt (who is surely supposed to have crashed by now!) is pumped, and despite Danny’s exhortations to go home, leaps up the stairs back to his office to get a head start for next week. Danny’s heading back to the hospital, but can’t leave without telling Matt –
Hey, Matthew, don’t take this the wrong way, but I love you.
Okay.
Take it the wrong way?
I took it to mean that you’re gay and you want me.
Good.
I love you too, bro.
Okay.
(And the slashers go wild! Aaron – I thought we told you to stay away from the badfic?!)
Danny lights his cigar, switches off the light and leaves the darkened stage – leaving to the right, the same direction from which he entered with Matt back in the pilot.
I thought that was gonna be it, but no. Upstairs, Matt is still trying to make friends with the clock.
And that’s it.
So yeah, a satisfying conclusion on the whole, although I’m sure it wouldn’t have been happy endings all round if there had been a second season.
I read this on a message board somewhere, a sentiment I echo whole-heartedly.
Sorkin – you magnificent bastard.
As ever, you’ve made me laugh, you’ve made me cry, dammit and you’ve made me think. There’s no one else out there who writes like you do, and I sincerely hope that this experience doesn’t mean you won’t be back, because television will be the poorer without you.
I’ve been trying to write down some of my random thoughts about the show – what went wrong, what I liked, what I didn’t, stuff like that. I’m planning to post them if I can get them into some semblance of order, so if you’re up for a “wake” feel free to drop by with your own opinions. I’m doing it because, well, I'm obsessive like that and I won’t be able to rest until I’ve culled it all into some sort of sense!
Rambling comments and excessive fangirling will be more than welcome!
*switches off the light*
And this post might just be a little on the long side...
Studio 60 rides off into the sunset – or the sunrise, I guess – Danny’s a father, Matt and Harriet are back together (until the next time they break up), Tom’s brother is safe… and the show must and will go on.
The loose ends were neatly – maybe a little too neatly - wrapped up, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. The axe had fallen way before these final shows were written and I’d have been complaining a hell of a lot more if we’d been left with cliffhangers that would never be resolved. Sure, there are unanswered questions – Sorkin dropped the ball big-time in a few places (what the hell caused Danny’s relapse for example, and what happened to Matt crashing after he stopped taking the pills?) – which is frustrating, but the two main storylines in this final story arc were concluded happily, and I guess we did at least get a full season, unlike many of the other shows touted last Autumn.
First of all – I squealed with delight when I found out the title of this episode a few weeks back. I’d been hoping Sorkin would use that and it seems especially fitting seeing as the past five episodes all took place the same night. I don’t care about the recycling – it’s more of a trade-mark now, and I love him for it.
And it appears the lovely Mr Whitford has yet another string to his bow. I was so sure that Tommy Schlamme would direct the finale, and surprised to think it would be entrusted to a first time director. (Although Brad’s directed plays hasn’t he?) I’m not an expert, but I’d say he did a pretty good job – more than that actually; I thought there were some lovely shots there - but that might just be the fangirl in me talking!
As with last week, the episode was built around a series of ‘two-handers’ – Matt and Danny, Tom and Captain Boyle, Jack and Simon, Danny and Jack etc., and again the writing and acting were amazingly good. But interestingly (as a friend helpfully pointed out) all the “resolution” scenes – the Danny/Jordan one, Tom’s brother, the cast on the stage near the end – all had more than two people in. The doctor with Danny and Jordan and then the whole cast with Tom and later on the stage – Aaron likes his ‘families’, doesn’t he?
That first scene between Matt and Danny was wonderful – Danny the proud father (bragging already!), Matt clearly not wanting to say what he had to say about Danny’s having no legal rights to her if Jordan dies. I ran out of superlatives to describe just how good Brad is in every scene he’s in a long time ago, so you’ll have to take it as read. But I’ll still drone on about the fact that he looks fucking hot in that white shirt, the extra undone button and the stubble… guh. Yeah, yeah, I’m totally predictable.
Baby girl McDeere.
You’re hoping that she’ll become a stripper. Heh.
Danny insists Matt goes back to the theatre to keep an eye on Tom, Simon and keep everyone together. But before he goes Danny asks him to ask Mary whether Jordan’s signature would mean anything because she’s so doped up.
Tom has started the ID process with Trask. Captain Boyle isn’t impressed.
You guys hire your own security, your own detectives and now you’re hiring your own army.
Yes I am. ‘Cause the one I hired with the taxes I pay doesn’t seem to be working out.
Excuse me?
Captain –
No, excuse me, pal, but three thousand of my friends are dead - and about another fifteen thousand left some arms and legs pretty far away from home.
Ouch.
Captain insists that the last think Mark would want, as a member of the armed forces, is to be ransomed. Tom wants to do it anyway – that’s his parents’ kid.
Skippy McDumbass. Yeah! Don’t hold back, Aaron. Nice one.
Jack is still trying to get Simon to apologise – Simon wants in on whatever is going on to rescue Mark.
Five years ago, Matt is convinced there’s no way Wes will apologise on behalf of the show for the Karl Rove sketch.
Harriet – naturally – turns the argument around.
If Al Gore had won the election –
Al Gore did win the election, but go on.
Oy.
Did you say “oy”?
Yeah.
Don’t anymore.
If Al Gore had won the election, if President Gore had sent his top emissary out here, say he sent Bill Clinton out here to talk to leaders in Hollywood about how the entertainment industry could help right now – would you have had an objection?
Matt can’t deny that he’d have been there like a shot.
And you don’t find that hypoctitical?
I do. I think you’re making an excellent point.
So the difference is that you don’t like them.
I guess it is.
You’re okay with that?
I seem to have made peace with it.
Matthew – what?
You think I have comtempt for my government.
Harry, if I do, it ain’t nothing compared for the comtempt my government has for me.
Just... yeah.
Danny arrives to tell Matt that Jack’s spoken to Wes – and that he agreed to the apology. Matt’s pissed – but Danny tells him to get over it, and on with the next show.
At the hospital Matt calls Danny to let him know Suzanne’s on her way over with the papers for Jordan to sign.
I don’t understand why Suzanne keeps giving me the number of a payphone to call you - I didn’t know there still were payphones.
Cellphones aren’t allowed up here – they screw with the heart monitors.
Why?
I don’t know. Why don’t I go to medical school for six years to find out?
He tells Danny that, according to Mary, Jordan being out of it could be a problem if custody is ever contested – but that having her signed consent is better than nothing and says exactly the right thing -
I think Jordan would be counting on you to do this. Put a pen in her hand.
Back in the past, Matt tells Danny not to make a big thing out of it, but he’s quitting. Danny knew it was coming – and goes to see Jack, telling him that he needs to find a solution to this, because Matt has been the show for the past two years.
Great scene (we really should have had more “Jack and Danny shout at each other” scenes) – and the point at which Danny yells –
Screw friendship, screw honour, screw patriotism! We just lost the franchise!
- is the point at which he realizes what he’s doing – trying to appease the network and not giving Matt enough back up. Jack thinks Matt’ll be back, Danny knows it’ll take an extraordinary event to get him back. Yeah, like his best friend screwing up. Shame we never got to know more about that. Jack makes it clear that Wes isn’t sticking up for Matt at all –
What did you say to Wes?
Didn’t have to say much, Danny.
Harriet’s waiting when he gets back, telling him to rein Matt back in. But he tells her he’s quitting too.
You can’t make a decision like this in the two minutes it took you to walk back from the NBS building.
I didn’t need the whole two minutes. There it is. He tells Harriet what he said about ‘screwing friendship’ etc. That was his wake up call.
And now the zinger -
He’s been threatened by the network, compromised by me, browbeaten by you, gotten his heart broken by Wes and he’s still standing up. Why am I quitting? ‘Cause they’re going to start shooting at him. And I’m going to be standing next to him when they do.
(You know, I was almost expecting him to say something about taking a bullet for him if necessary! But I guess that would have been a bit too weird:))
Back in the present, Danny starts to quiz Harriet on why she and Matt can’t get it together and despite her protestations to the contrary, tells her they haven’t tried. She thinks Matt can’t forgive her for not quitting when he did, Danny tells her that Matt never expected that, and that he worships her. I could care less actually, so I just look at Brad, who is looking particularly gorgeous throughout, and don’t really listen to what he’s saying… moving along, Suzanne arrives and Danny gets to see Jordan, but not without one extra click up on the angst-o-meter. Nice shot there of Danny’s reflection in the glass as Harriet and Suzanne look on.
Okay, so now’s the part where my brain turned to complete mush (you’re surprised, I can tell.) *Listens to ovary explosion coming from most of f-list*.
Considering what she’s been through, I’d have expected Jordan to look a little more horrible, and hooked up to wires and tubes. But it was perfect that she’d had adoption papers drawn up in advance, although I have to say, I'm not really sure about the “I wanted you to propose since the first day I met you,” thing. Well, okay – on one level, I am – come on, it’s Brad! – nuff sed. But on others, I think it would have made more sense if she’d said “since we got stuck on the roof”, but, you know, whatever. It was sweet.
His face after he signed the papers? Killed. Me. Actually I died several times over during that scene. And you know, this might be the last chance I get to do some serious fangirling for a while, so just indulge me, okay? I may have even forgotten my name and where I live. GUH.
Also – Steven Weber is just fantastic. In the next scene, Simon comes right out with it and says that Jack has spent the last four hours trying to get him to apologise because really, he feels guilty about what happened to Matt and Danny. There’s a fabulous part where Jack almost breaks down and finally admits that he liked the Rove sketch and that he knew Wes was an empty shirt - he was trying to get rid of Wes back then, not Matt and Danny (at least that’s the way I saw it). He also admits that he doesn’t think Simon should apologise – at which point Simon of course says he’ll do it, and in typical Sorkin fashion, after all the angst, I’m now laughing at Jack telling Simon he’s going to beat him up.
Come on! Take your ass kicking!
Okay, but not on the face – I’m on TV.
But before blood can be shed, Suzanne races past to tell them something’s happening with Tom’s brother.
He and his fellow captives have been rescued by the military – Captain Boyle Asks if he wants to talk to his brother on the phone. And Nate Corddry just broke my heart again.
Matt leaves – thinking he’s alone Thank you, God
Matt and Harriet kiss and make up – he finally tells her he loves her and that he may have been wrong about their not being able to be together while they’re working together.
As the rest of the cast begin to filter on to the stage, Matt asks them if they have a problem with him and Harriet dating. Much like me, they could care less.
Jeannie: Can I still sleep with you?
Harriet: No.
Matt: No.
Jeannie: Then, Andy it’s your lucky day.
Andy: What’d I do?
Dylan: You get to sleep with Jeannie.
Andy: (looking singularly unimpressed) Alright.
BWAH!
Daddy – sorry, Danny, arrives and hands out cigars and a pep talk. Tom’s going to Germany to see Mark, but Lucy can’t go – they need her back at work on Monday. Take charge Danny is back (take-charge Danny is hot) – and everyone leaves the stage except Matt and Harriet who are still snogging.
(And in my head, they're together until they break up again, because they really really need some time apart and maybe to decide that the best thing for them is to be friends. I said that before, and I'm sticking to it.)
Matt (who is surely supposed to have crashed by now!) is pumped, and despite Danny’s exhortations to go home, leaps up the stairs back to his office to get a head start for next week. Danny’s heading back to the hospital, but can’t leave without telling Matt –
Hey, Matthew, don’t take this the wrong way, but I love you.
Okay.
Take it the wrong way?
I took it to mean that you’re gay and you want me.
Good.
I love you too, bro.
Okay.
(And the slashers go wild! Aaron – I thought we told you to stay away from the badfic?!)
Danny lights his cigar, switches off the light and leaves the darkened stage – leaving to the right, the same direction from which he entered with Matt back in the pilot.
I thought that was gonna be it, but no. Upstairs, Matt is still trying to make friends with the clock.
And that’s it.
So yeah, a satisfying conclusion on the whole, although I’m sure it wouldn’t have been happy endings all round if there had been a second season.
I read this on a message board somewhere, a sentiment I echo whole-heartedly.
Sorkin – you magnificent bastard.
As ever, you’ve made me laugh, you’ve made me cry, dammit and you’ve made me think. There’s no one else out there who writes like you do, and I sincerely hope that this experience doesn’t mean you won’t be back, because television will be the poorer without you.
I’ve been trying to write down some of my random thoughts about the show – what went wrong, what I liked, what I didn’t, stuff like that. I’m planning to post them if I can get them into some semblance of order, so if you’re up for a “wake” feel free to drop by with your own opinions. I’m doing it because, well, I'm obsessive like that and I won’t be able to rest until I’ve culled it all into some sort of sense!
Rambling comments and excessive fangirling will be more than welcome!
*switches off the light*
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 01:28 am (UTC)Haven't the last 4 eps from K&R1 (where Danny bellows at Matt) all happened within 24 hours? It's quite possible given the time frame and the adrenalin that they would all be running on that he hasn't come down particular far yet?
He’s been threatened by the network, compromised by me, browbeaten by you, gotten his heart broken by Wes and he’s still standing up. Why am I quitting? ‘Cause they’re going to start shooting at him. And I’m going to be standing next to him when they do.
Do you sort of wonder who Tommy might have had a conversation with along those lines a few years ago...
I managed to get through "Tomorrow" with a lump in my throat... So couldn't not have a little sob over this... it wasn't the fact the show was ending... it was just so DAMN good!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 01:41 am (UTC)Even the episode before K&R 1 was the same night.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 12:21 pm (UTC)Gotta love the Sorkinuity!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 01:48 am (UTC)Yeah I have to admit that I had a look at IMDB after viewing this and noticed that he's NOT included as a director... so I have put a credit request in to remedy that ASAP!
Now I know Matt's a actor/writer, Brad's a actor/writer/director - they have a hell of a group of friends to go to for techincal assistance... this is a team I would love to see collaborate! Oooh had sudden fangirl image of the two guys sitting at opposite desks in a dingy office hecking over a scene flash through my mind.. all casual gear and glasses... Damn - excuse me I need a cold shower!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 02:03 am (UTC)Well seeing as I want to direct myself I watch this kinda stuff too closely so maybe am a kind of expert. Brad did incredibly. Some great, great shots (Matt and Harriet going down the stairs and lights going off, Danny smoking the cigar turning out the light and walking away to name a few), amazing performances out of his actors and a very well tied together story. He has a future in this and seeing the credit with his name and Directed By hit all my fangirl G spots.
I'm not really sure about the “I wanted you to propose since the first day I met you,” thing
Me either. It makes them even more creepy together. Danny's creepiness had worn off these past few eps because of the cuteness but Jordan comes back from the dead (I may have booo'd that she lived. I miss Working Woman McDeere) and says she knew from since before she was pregnant and before he stalked her? I am worried.
It ended a bit (okay a lot) too happily for me but I will take it and spend time rewatching the whole series (I hate saying that so soon) to get a handle on it as a whole. It's been a rollercoaster.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 05:22 pm (UTC)I'm going to start a major re-watch soon as well.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 05:27 pm (UTC)On holiday I bought the West Wing series collection (hooray commentaries!) and Sports Night so I see a Sorkin rewatch month(s) coming.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 05:43 pm (UTC)I foreswore TWoP ages ago - it all got waaaay too nasty for me. I like a good discussion, so feel free to jump in with whatever you want to say - a well reasoned argument is always welcome - but that place really elevated Sorkin-bashing to an art form. Which is far too dignified a description really.
I've seen about half of Season 1 of SN - I have it all here, but it's just getting around to it. I keep promising myself I will at some point, because I've really enjoyed what I've seen so far. And I'm watching the Sunday repeats of WW - yes, even though I have all the DVDs, I will endure the adverts and still watch it on TV!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 02:21 am (UTC)He’s been threatened by the network, compromised by me, browbeaten by you, gotten his heart broken by Wes and he’s still standing up. Why am I quitting? ‘Cause they’re going to start shooting at him. And I’m going to be standing next to him when they do.
I flashed back to that ep, 'Red Haven's On Fire' in S4 of WW when Toby says to Sam that they're going to throw rocks at him and he wanted to be standing next to him when they did. Oh, I love Sorkin and I love the way he writes/portrays loyalty.
His face after he signed the papers? Killed. Me. Actually I died several times over during that scene. And you know, this might be the last chance I get to do some serious fangirling for a while, so just indulge me, okay? I may have even forgotten my name and where I live.
Only MAY have? ;-P I think it's definite for me! Me=puddle on the floor. Lustful puddle on the floor at that. Lustful, tearful puddle on the floor.
I'd watch the entire episode just to watch him in all the scenes he's in. He totally ROCKED in this ep. And rocked in the 'Noel' sort of way, I think, which I hadn't really thought was possible. Then again, his acting constantly amazes me. He's so good at the comic and bringing the funny, I sometimes forget that he can do angst and break your heart like no one else can too-- and all while looking good enough to eat. Damn.
And Nate Corddry just broke my heart again.
Yup, mine too. It occurs to me that I must be a masochist to love having my heart broken as many times as this episode did-- to say nothing of the broken heart from it being the last...
A "wake" would be more than welcome!! As for excessive fangirling-- well, see, I think that BW happens to deserve all the fangirling so can it really be excessive?...
Incidentally, I posted a new WW fic of mine the other day and would love to know what you think- since I trust your opinion more than anyone else's in the WW fandom, I think.
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:33 pm (UTC)I liked the "standing next to him" thing too - I adore the way Sorkin writes friendships and the importance of loyalty. I guess my biggest regret across the whole of this season is that we didn't get more Matt/Danny scenes and more exploration of their friendship.
And I saw your fic - I'll email you.
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Date: 2007-06-30 09:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 05:06 pm (UTC)I can buy that she was attracted to him from the start - for God's sake, who wouldn't be?! - but to have said she wanted to marry him from the start... but it was sweet, and it was a minor niggle. It didn't spoil things for me.
And as for the turning down after Christmas, I can explain that as her being worried about the way it looked, to have him asking all those influential friends to bombard her with recommendations, at a time when not long ago she'd been on pretty shaky ground, job wise.
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Date: 2007-06-30 02:00 pm (UTC)"You gotta wonder... What if she's for real?"
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Date: 2007-06-30 03:24 pm (UTC)Although it has also occurred to me that perhaps my discomfort has more to do my being used to the more glacial speed at which many other of Sorkin's romances have progressed (eight years, anyone?).
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:13 pm (UTC)LOL!
All too true. But Sorkin is only guilty for 4 of those years, don't forget. Who here didn't think that season 6 was going to show big changes between Donna and Josh?
On a side note, the whole apology thing... you gotta wonder..... was Wes meant to represent John Wells with The West Wing? How much flak did Sorkin and Schlamme get and how much did Wells defend them (or not)?
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:00 pm (UTC)Yes, there was always something between them, but I'm not sure it was as strong as wanting to get married!
(But like I said, it's also totally understandable - who wouldn't want him?!)
Having said that though, it was sweet and it's a minor niggle which didn't in any way spoil a fantastic episode.
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:09 pm (UTC)Cold Open has Danny charmed by how well she's doing at the press conference.
Focus Group has Jordan kissing Danny on the mouth while giving Matt a peck on the cheek. Plus that great little conversation: "You look like one of them but you act like one of us."
Yes, I do think the relationship would have been made better by stretching it out over a couple of years. I also would have liked to have seen more arguing between them cos that was the fun part (ala Jed and Abby!). But still, it was fun to watch and no question remains in my mind -- Whitford really can play the romantic lead.
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:17 pm (UTC)Yes, I remember all those moments... and don't disagree that there was always something there. I don't have a problem believing she was attracted to him from the start (like I said, she's not blind or stupid!) - just that she wanted to marry him from the minute they met.
But I can live with the way it turned out - in effect, Jordan was echoing what Danny said to her on the roof, that he'd been in love with her since they met (and again, I think the same thing about that statement - he was attracted to her, yes, but 'in love' maybe took a bit longer) - so it was a nice way of closing the circle as it were.
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Date: 2007-06-30 11:05 pm (UTC)You as well? As cranky as it makes me to be down for the count, I does provide the time to sit and partake of a
littlelot of Sorkin. SN and S60 anyone? *g*(ala Jed and Abby!)
Yes! And I think that's why I'm left a little dissatisfied, though it's by no means Sorkin's fault. What upsets me is all the missed potential I can see in these relationships, stories and characters. There were plans, and NBC mucked them up.
But resolution is always better than leaving things hanging, so I guess beggars can't be choosers....
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Date: 2007-07-01 02:00 pm (UTC)I'm for a SN rerun. I watched their version of WKODHIB last night (I think I've got the WW version pretty much down).
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Date: 2007-07-01 04:25 pm (UTC)WORD.
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Date: 2007-06-30 03:13 pm (UTC)I’m not an expert, but I’d say he did a pretty good job – more than that actually; I thought there were some lovely shots there - but that might just be the fangirl in me talking!
I had totally forgotten that Brad directed this one. But while I was watching it, I do recall noticing a few really nice shots. Now, I'm not the kind of person who notices things like that on the first run-through, and often not even on later run-throughs (story is everything to me), so the fact that I DID notice, without remembering that it was Brad (and therefore not specifically looking for anything), tells me that he did a damn good job.
I will be rewatching soon specifically to look at the direction. As long as BW's killer expressions don't distract me. (Yes, losing battle, I know.)
...so help me, if the tagging isn't right this time...
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:10 pm (UTC)Yeah, I think you probably are on a hiding to nothing with that one. It's impossible not to look at him when he's on screen.
The two shots that really stood out for me was the final one in the hospital, where Danny kisses Jordan and they part - to reveal the close up of the baby, and then the one where Matt is going down the spiral staircase turning off the lights - that was especially beautiful, I thought.
People that I know who do know about these things tell me that he did a fantastic job with the direction - one friend even thought he "out-Schlammed" Schlamme!
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:18 pm (UTC)He still has things to learn - continuity issues, small transition things. And the first half of the wrap up -- with all the cast standing around and Matt asking for permission to date Harriet -- I think that was played a bit too loose. But they all looked so tired and who knows? Maybe Bradley wanted the actors to stand that far apart (it was a bit unrealistic) to remind the audience of how even in a family, there's differences.
Another shot I really liked -- well, actually, it's the beginning of the spiral staircase shot, is when Matt and Cal each tap on the glass to each other. That subtle bit of acting helped the mood change that was being conveyed by the descent down the spiralcase.
Seriously, I'm eager to see what Whitford does next!
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Date: 2007-06-30 05:46 pm (UTC):)
As long as you don't mind me pointing the finger!
*g*
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Date: 2007-07-01 04:16 pm (UTC)You can poke the hell out of me but now I have to get up for school. ;-)
I honestly hope that Brad's not going to take an entire 365 days off. It'd be criminal. I can completely see taking 6 months, yes. But a whole year? Beside the fact that the withdrawals for us would be painful, I don't think a year off is good for his career, IMHO. You're only as hot as what you're doing right now... or so the adage goes.
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Date: 2007-07-01 06:54 pm (UTC)I think I'd argue that one in Brad's case. He's hot even when he's not doing anything at all.
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Date: 2007-07-01 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 09:26 pm (UTC)