Studio 60 rehash

As predicted, this episode was MILES ahead of the pilot. This, my friends, is the Aaron Sorkin I know and love. The dialogue was witty - I laughed out loud more than once ("It has batteries... It's a clock, don't endow the thing with special powers."). There was more of an actual plot this week, which I thought was lacking from the first episode, making it feel like just a set-up. I thought the characters we focused on were well-developed - although I noticed some were neglected, like Timothy Busfield (what is his name? Cal?), but I liked the insight on D.L. Hughley's character and a little more background on the Matt/Harriet thing. I like seeing little Nate Corddry too. (If you didn't know, he got his start on The Daily Show, where big brother Rob Corddry is one of the main correspondents.)

The only thing I have a problem with is Steven Weber as a cutthroat network executive. In my mind, he's just too goofy to be taken seriously as a bad guy. Maybe I'll get over that eventually. The other thing I can't get over is that Bradley Whitford still feels like he's playing Josh (but WHAT is UP with his hair? It's blonder... and somehow manages to be thinner and yet still just as puffy). I don't really buy him as a drug addict. I do love the interactions between him and Matthew Perry. They have a great chemistry that started on The West Wing.

One final thought... C.J. Cregg would have kept a lid on that press conference MUCH better than Jordan and co. managed, although I did get shades of the White House press room when she was bantering with the press.

To sum up, I thought this episode demonstrated that the show has a lot of promise - moreso than was evident in the pilot. I think Aaron Sorkin will keep turning out the wit and keep making us think, even while he's entertaining us.