Studio 60: K & R, Part 3

While it's true that the show has found some solid ground, it's also tackling stories that it probably wouldn't had the show gone on to another season. These latest episodes, the three-part "K & R" story, are something of a kitchen sink attempt at saving a series that had been stuck in neutral.

The level and number of crises are worthy of a daytime soap opera: a main character in the ICU, her boyfriend without legal rights to her new daughter, Network executives talking about wiring millions of dollars to rescue the brother of a comedian who is being held by terrorists in Pakistan. It's all…a bit much.

And yet - it works. It's a contradiction that sets my head spinning. This shouldn't work - it should be laughable. And yet, the writing, direction and top notch performances by all involved carry it through. They are pushing this dying, bloated and pretentious show up a hill, on ice, in the dark, and other conditional metaphors that would make it very difficult - and somehow they're getting the job done. Does that mean I'm sorry to the see the show go? Not really. I think this may have been all the show had in it - it was best when it knew the jig was up and Sorkin pulled the trigger on storylines that are hard to top. How many times will the show be able to put characters in moral peril? How many times can TV actors play a role in national security?

Of course, all of that is speculation now. Steven Weber is stealing the show as Jack Rudolph. He's become the most complex and interesting character of the group. He's a bit of a hard nose, there's no denying that - but he's a realist and his heart is in the right place - when it can afford to be.

While this is a solid episode, this story still didn't need to be stretched to three episodes. Much of what's good in this episode, was seen last episode. The scenes with Jack trying to coax an apology out of Simon are redundant, the flashbacks to when Jack fought with Matt and Danny are padded for time and not that much happens in general. Tom is still waiting for news, Danny is still waiting for news, and everyone else is still…waiting. Sorkin is running out the clock for the one big finish episode that will hopefully preserve the show's legacy. It's all class and high caliber work, but at the same time if ever a show had spent its ammunition in one final daring charge - it's this one.