Sork of July - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1.20

Worst press conference ever.

I've decided that Denny is my second favorite character on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, after Mary of course.  I find Denny fascinating and I wish there was more of him.

He worked on Studio 60 with Matt and was there before Ricky and Ron.  But he never rose through the ranks and he only left to work on Peripheral Vision Man.  He's sort of a slacker, but he pulls his own weight.  Like I said, he's fascinating.

I also secretly believe he's a blood relation to Stillman Frank from The Newroom.

Today's episode is "K & R Part II."

Host & Musical Guest: Jenna Fischer & Gran Bel Fisher (this is a continuation of the previous episode)

# of references “Crazy Christians”:  None

Sketches Referenced: Zero

Sketches Shown: None

Things start off immediately with Danny in the hospital.  The doctor gives Danny an update about Jordan.  The bad news is that she’s bleeding internally, but the doctors are handling it.  Then the doc tells Danny that Jordan did give birth and that the baby’s fine.  Matt and Harriet show up to support Danny.  Danny fills them in on everything including the engagement, at which point Matt complains that Danny didn’t use anything that he’d written for the occasion. 

Then Danny and Matt agree to split up to handle their crises.  Danny will handle Jordan at the hospital and Matt will deal with the Studio 60 situation.  It’s that division of labor that makes their partnership work.  Harriet opts to stay with Danny. 

Danny wants to see his daughter, but the nurse won’t let him.  Danny also seems to let slip that he and Jordan haven’t had sex yet.  He puts his foot down, but the nurse disregards him.  Harriet tries to intervene and gets equally shot down. 

The doc returns with some bad news; further complications; Jordan’s body is so taxed that it won’t clot.  As a peace offering, the doc makes the nurse let Danny see his daughter.  Danny is stressed, but Matt calls him and pledges his allegiance to his friend, at which point Danny tells Harriet that she’ll never find anyone better than Matt.

Back at Studio 60 Tom and Captain Boyle are hanging in Matt’s office.  Boyle is still being evasive with Tom about the situation.  Fortunately Tom’s parents are being seen to by the chaplain. 

Simon goes into the writer’s room to tell Lucy that Tom needs some alone time to process things.  He also explains that Darius is hanging with Tom’s parents.  Lucy, Dylan and Andy read what the internet has to say about Studio 60’s latest episode and the response is unkind.  Matt bursts in and fills everyone in on the happenings in the hospital. 

Suddenly Lucy throws her computer down in disgust because someone on the net said that Mark Jeter’s capture is karma for Studio 60’s political leaning.  And Simon feels that Studio 60 s should make the “angry pajama people” the targets of their comedy.  Cal tries to keep people calm because he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened six years ago. 

This is a good point to jump into the episode’s flashback story.   In the past, Matt, fresh from being told by Jack not to attack Bush or America, is still trying to figure out the season premiere of Studio 60. 

In the writer’s room Denny has a ton of ideas, because he’s a rabble-rouser.  But the idea that Karl Rove wants Hollywood to make more patriotic films is the idea that takes hold of Matt. 

Matt and Danny dream of taking over Studio 60 when Wes retires.  Matt pitches Danny on the Karl Rove sketch.  Danny is sort of cautious because he doesn’t want Matt to get them fired. 

At the table read for the season premiere, Matt is distracted by Luke and Harriet flirting.  He’s also distracted by Jerry the NBS Standards and Practices guy, who objects to the Karl Rove sketch.  Danny defends the sketch because it’s not like they’re teaching anyone to make methamphetamine (and a full six months before Breaking Bad debuts).   Jerry warns Matt and Danny to watch their step. 

Later Jerry asks Matt and Danny to tell Wes to cut the Karl Rove sketch.  They decline.  Jerry is also sad that the “Muslims Say the Darnedest Things” sketch is cut because it resonated, Matt says it’s just Luke attacking Arabs.  Jerry then suggests that the real reason it’s cut is because Luke is dating Matt’s ex.  Boom! 

Danny brokers a peace between Jerry and Matt; they’ll do the Karl Rove sketch ad the dress rehearsal for the ad reps, and if any of them object they’ll cut the sketch from the actual show.  Jerry is cool with that.   

Back in the present, Captain Boyle and Tom bond over Mark Jeter.  Simon comes in and tries to get info out of Boyle, but to no avail. 

Matt decides to rally everyone together to do the post-mortem on the episode of Studio 60.  Eternal ray of sunshine Andy points out that Jordan’s surgery shouldn’t be taking this long and something must be wrong, which prompts Matt’s call to Danny.  The post-mortem continues with Simon pointing out that the Tony Snow sketch should have been targeting the people who jumped off the patriotic/war bandwagon. 

A stressed out Matt almost pops some pills, but he’s interrupted by Mary.  He tells her all about Jordan and Danny’s engagement and whatnot.  Rather than be happy, she warns Matt that despite the ring, Danny has no legal rights to Jordan’s daughter, so he probably shouldn’t get attached to her, in case Jordan were to die or something. 

Simon goes to check on Captain Boyle and Tom, when Tom sees that someone who used to work at Studio 60 is on television saying that Mark and Tom were estranged.  Tom is outraged and wants to set the story straight, but Boyle won’t let him.  Simon volunteers to talk to the press instead. 

Simon pulls one reporter to the side to set the story straight, but other reporters quickly follow.  Simon does his best to answer their questions, but then someone asks if NBS leaked the story about Tom’s brother to increase Studio 60’s West Coast ratings.  At that point Simon goes off and threatens the reporter. 

Inside, Mary tells Matt that the guy holding the airmen is open to ransom, but Matt is too distracted by seeing Simon on television saying that Americans have lost their interest in the war because they have the attention span of teenagers and that he’d drink to their death.