Studio 60: What Kind of Day Has It Been

Storylines are wrapped up, arcs are given closure, outstanding issues are resolved and to some extent this final episode provides a kind of finality and completeness for the cancelled series. The events of this episode serve as a conclusion for the three part "K&R" episode. In fact, this is really just part 4, given a new name to better serve as a finale for not just the season but the series.

All of the crises set up over the last three episodes end well. Tom's brother is rescued by Special Forces, Jordan and her baby are just fine while after four hours of stonewalling, Simon decides to apologize to the press - but only after Jack says he doesn't have to. Of course Matt and Harriet get together, though Matt's new found drug addiction is left unresolved albeit with a sense that he'll be just fine. The conclusions come one after another, providing for a series of great emotional moments for all of the actors involved.

As I've said more than once, this is a show not short on talent in the acting department. Steven Weber runs off with the show again in a quietly riveting scene where Jack realizes and admits to himself that he should have stood up for Matt and Danny back in 2001. He - in what seems an almost accidental way - likens himself to the executives in the 50s who gave up the names that became the list of Communist sympathizers used by Joe McCarthy. He seems to realize in that moment that he values things even more than the Network, and he betrayed those values. Weber's Jack Rudolph proved to be the most complex and interesting character of the series, and that's saying something in a show that had some well written characters played by terrific actors.

I saw that Danny Tripp made a similar realization a few years earlier when he followed Matt out the door rather than apologize for a political sketch. "I found myself saying screw honor, patriotism and friendship. We could lose the franchise," he says to Harriet, horrified at what he was becoming. He knew Matt was right, and he knew there were more important things at stake than his job or Studio 60. Right there is perhaps where I found the malaise that affected the show for its run: that there are more important things than Studio 60. It always seemed clear that Aaron Sorkin thought a TV show would be an interesting setting, but he kept having more pressing issues on his mind and tried to shoehorn them into this show.

This is a decent finale for what has been an uneven series. This episode, like the rest of the show, is a class act with high production values, good and great performances and a strong sense of style. It's just hard to care too much about it all. When Danny turns off the light and walks away, there's not much emotion beyond a sense of "this should be more emotional than it is." The show closes with Matt looking at the clock counting down the time until the next episode of the show - which could have served as the setup for a second season. This might prove painful for some more adoring fans who wanted to see the show continue. I'm sad to say that I don't share their pain.

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.

Studio 60: K&R Part II

Now that I know Studio 60 is finished after this season, it's hard not to view the remaining episodes with a detached and somewhat passive bemusement. Everything that works makes me think "Oh, maybe the show could have had a great second season." While the moments that fall flat remind me why the show lost so many viewers and got cancelled in the first place.

Since it returned from its long hiatus to burn off the remaining episodes, the series has shown a higher standard than the early episodes while still offering a mixed bag of intelligent drama and self-satisfied aggrandizing. The flashback involving Matt and Danny's decision to run a political sketch during the first show following 9-11 is not as interesting as one would hope. It's unclear why we're seeing this story now, when we've already been told about it a few times in the past.

There isn't even a Judd Hirsch cameo to make it all worthwhile. Aaron Sorkin seems to have some unresolved issues about the political climate following 9-11. While this is perfectly understandable, this thread in the episode seems to clash with the more current and character-based stories - even if the transitions are seamless thanks to the shows typical high caliber direction and editing.

Nate Corddry as Tom JeterNate Corddry continues to impress as Tom, though it never quite makes sense why Lucy is being kept away from her boyfriend when he probably needs her the most. Corddry gets some help from James Lesure's great turn as Captain David Boyle - one of the more fully realized supporting characters to appear on the show in a while. The scenes between the two are very reminiscent of The West Wing, filled with military jargon and specific details tossed off as casual dialogue. It all works, even if it sounds a bit like the cover version of another, better show.

Bradley Whitford is terrific as Danny, who continues some of his sparring with Jordan's young doctor and realizes that not being the biological father to Jordan's baby is a bigger deal than he may have thought. As Jordan's condition seems to worsen, or at least not get much better, Danny finds out he still has his friends Harriet and Matt to lean on. A great line early in the episode is the doctor recommending that Danny go and get a drink. "I can't, I'm an alcoholic," Danny replies. "Bummer for you," the doctor says.

Meanwhile, Simon's big blow up at the press feels forced and doesn't come across quite like the cathartic rage it's supposed to be. He also doesn't say anything particularly interesting, though he does insult pretty much the entire country - so it'll be amusing to see how they sort that out.

The episode is about waiting around for something to happen, and it begins to feel like I'm doing just that. While the dialogue and the characters come off better in this episode, it does recall earlier two-parters such as Nevada Day - that simply didn't warrant multiple episodes. "K & R" is a three-parter, and when it's all over will we really have need all three? Probably not, but it's nice to see that the show has some life in it and it may be able to wrap things up in way that has the class and relevance displayed in the show's terrific pilot that began this whole endeavor in the first place.

Studio 60: K&R Part 1

I think there's something particular to Studio 60 fans in that we really, really wanted the show to be good. I'm not a hater. I'm not watching this show and cackling. Yes! Yes! That's right, Mr. Sorkin, make a left turn into a dramatically unsatisfying kidnapping of Tom Jeter's brother! Yes! Now flashback to 2001 for no reason whatsoever! Ah, yes!

That's not what I'm doing. I sit down hoping that the show will be good. I hope this for two reasons: 1) because I'm sticking out the remainder of the episodes and I want to be entertained in that time, and 2) I really, really had high hopes for the show and I hate to be wrong.

So that's why it's with a heavy heart that I must report my dislike of this episode. The second Harriet went down to pray in the opening sequence, I thought the show went off the rails. That, combined with the meaningless (and I mean absolutely meaningless!) flashback, the silly K & R conversation, and the crass Jordan pregnancy scare (more on this in a minute) and I was left with a pretty bad 60 minutes of television.

Let's get the bad over with first:

- Harriet praying. I pray that Harriet and Matt don't talk about religion on the show. Is that irony?

- The flashback. Sorkin can get pretty ham-handed with his "messages," but even I thought the "This war will be over with by dinner time" comments were being laid on a little thick. Yeah, Aaron, I get it, the war has dragged on a lot longer than anyone ever expected. Remember when this was a show about a TV show? I thought the exploration of trying to be funny in the face of war and 9/11 was a particularly rich vein (remember Giuliani and the firefighters at the first new SNL after the attacks? "Can we be funny again?" "Why start now?"). Too bad this was ignored for... I don't even know what the flashback was trying to accomplish!

- Jordan's pregnancy scare. Here's a question for you: when a show is struggling in the ratings and the show within said show is also struggling in the ratings and one of the characters very crassly suggests that the way to save the show within the show is to have someone on that show deal with a pregnancy crisis (as it's an easy way to manipulate the female audience) while those very characters are DEALING WITH A PREGNANCY CRISIS, how are we supposed to care for those characters? I mean, it's almost as if Sorkin is saying to us, "All right, jerks, you're not watching, so here's something that'll make the women weepy." I'd like to believe that it's just an ironic wink, but I really didn't feel that way. I found the whole thing insulting.

- Tom Jeter's brother. I'm sorry, I'm just not buying this. Like the flashback, there's an interesting story about the consequences of political satire ("Mohamed the Thin Skinned Prophet" and how a Muslim extremest group might deal with it) buried underneath about thirty layers of faux-drama. Instead we're treated to Tom Jeter asking angry questions.

Now, all that being said, there was some good stuff tonight. Sorkin's too talented to turn in a complete clunker. So, the good:

- No Simon! I like D.L. Hughley, but let's face it: there's nothing for him to do anymore. His disappearance was the first of the cost-cutting absences that actually improved the show.

- The return of Cal!

- Danny proposing to Jordan. It was romantic and moving and funny all at the same time.

- Danny ribbing the doctor.

- Jack. Last week he was in full-on stereotype mode, this week he's Mr. Sharp-Suited-Super-Shark-With-a-Soul. Not sure why the characterization keeps oscillating, but when Jack Rudolph is good, he's really good.

- In keeping with that, the Matt and Danny and Jack conversation in the flashback was the only part of it that I liked.

Studio 60: The Disaster Show

I've had my problems with Studio 60. It had so much potential that it squandered! It was like a kid who, during freshmen year had a 4.0, started varsity on the soccer team and was elected king of the freshmen dance, and by junior year he's dropping acid in the parking lot with Bender from the Breakfast Club. I just want to take the show by its collar and say, "What's your problem? You had it all! A great timeslot, network support, quality actors in every single supporting role, and probably the best pilot of the last ten years! How the hell did you get canceled!?"

The one part of the show, though, that was perfect, was the relationship between Matt and Danny. Even during the worst stretches of the show's short history, I could count on a few lines of sparkling dialog between the two of them to keep me watching.

Aaron Sorkin must realize this, right? With the number of references to blogs and YouTube on the show, he's got to be aware of those things and what people are saying about the show. He's got to realize that through all the problems people have had with his flawed brainchild, Matt and Danny was the one thing that we were all sure absolutely 100% worked 100% of the time!

So why... why would he give us a show where they don't appear once? I don't get it. Good as the supporting cast is (and Timothy Busfield and Steven Weber turned in their usual excellent performances), watching this episode, especially after going so long without a Studio 60 fix, was like going to a Beatles concert and hearing only George and Ringo songs.

That was my only major complaint tonight in what was otherwise a very solid offering. I guess since it had been gone for so long and had been produced with the foreknowledge that its cancellation was imminent, I was hoping that it would come out with both guns blazing and really show the world what it was missing. Instead I got a fairly forgettable mid-season episode that is more disappointing than it would have been because of the outside baggage.

That being said, here's what I loved tonight:

• Drunk Jack and the reference to When a Stranger Calls.
• The unflappable Cal. Wouldn't you like to be that chipper in the face of adversity?

Here's what I liked tonight:

• D.L. Hughley and Nate Corddry. In the absence of Matt and Danny, they make a fine replacement.
• Robbie's friend Robby.
• Nate Torrence getting a bit more to do as Dylan.
• Allison Janney as herself. Though the events surrounding the disaster show were not nearly as wacky and farcical as Sorkin probably thought, Janney was a fine mark for all the misdeeds. Her moment with Cal at the end was pretty good too, and a nice nod to the fact that at the end of the day, it is just a funky little Friday night sketch show.
• The wink from Jeannie and the rest of the cast that everyone was fed up with Matt and Harriet. I'm not sure, but it felt like an acknowledgment that the entire world hated that forced romantic comedy.
• The German Shepherd that only spoke German.

Here's what I didn't like:

• The sketches.
• The aforementioned absence of Danny and Matt.

Here's what I hated:

• It's a small thing, but what is it with Sorkin and crappy sitcom situational comedy? There was the silly Danny and Jordan trapped on a roof scenario that seemed like it belonged on Night Court fifteen years ago, and then, tonight, there was the Three's Company-like double slap to Simon. Maybe I'm not smart enough to get it... is he parodying these conventions? Making a homage to them? How can a writer this smart seem so intent on putting such stupid situations in his show?

Studio 60: 4am Miracle

I knew watching that this might be the last Studio 60 I'd ever see on NBC so I really didn't know what to expect since I haven't really been thrilled with this show. However, this was a 90% great episode with an ending that was enough of a predictable sour-note to remind me of why this show has had trouble living up to its lofty expectations.

But let's deal with the good first, shall I? There was a lot of it...Jordan and Danny and the Robot Baby. Funny and cute with a dash of sparkling dialog ("You don't drive a baby... ever" and "Now we know not to put it in a guillotine" being two of my personal favorites). I know I don't think that Jordan and Danny have chemistry, but this episode almost changed my mind! They were not bad together.

Tom and Simon. Though I thought that Simon's speech about the warning labels on consumer products was a little lame, everything else between them was great. I don't think there's been a bigger laugh-out-loud moment in the whole run of the show than when Danny leaves the Robot Baby with them and the first thing they do is throw it on the ground. Simon forgetting who he seduced was pretty funny too.

Matt and the lawyer. It was really interesting watching the discussion about the link between writing and ratings. It certainly seemed like Sorkin was acknowledging his own culpability for the Studio 60 slide in ratings, didn't it? I don't think I've ever seen a television show make such a self-aware pronouncement regarding its own place in the TV universe. I thought it was a cool touch but also a little sad (considering that the show might not be back). When the lawyer showed, I thought that the Russian-Roulette that was the Matt and Harriet relationship was finally going to splat against the wall like that teenager's brain from the moview Harriet is making.

But, no...Harriet is back. Again. Ugh. (If you haven't guessed, I'm up to the 10% that wasn't so great tonight).Listen, I need to say this: Harriet is still shrill and annoying. There's no way around it. I think she's a fine actress who can do a really good English accent and who can also make a dolphin sound, but her character is death. If I were that kid in bed with her, I would have asked for a real gun so I could end the hell of being around her and all her silly drama.

When Harriet showed up at Matt's office and Matt muttered "The 4am Miracle", my first thought was to scream "Noooooooo" like when Luke Skywalker found out that Darth Vader was his father. Then I collected myself.

My second thought was that the ultimate frustration that I have with this show is that there is so much great stuff there (like the other 90% of this episode) that is being weighed down by the anchor of their relationship.Matt started the episode by talking about Coleridge's "Kubla Khan." I think he would have been better off talking about another poem that Coleridge wrote: "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Because Harriet is an albatross, both for Matt and the whole of Studio 60. And yes, I am unduly proud of myself for that literary reference.

(Final sidenote: what happened to Matt's pill popping? They showed it in the recap at the beginning of the episode and then... nothing. Has he stopped taking pills? Or am I to assume that the pills have something to do with his writer's block. I'll be interested to see, if the show comes back, if this is a storyline they're keeping or if it's just going to disappear...)

Soup of the Week & Studio 60: Friday Night Slaughter

Mexican Beef-Cheese Soup - Ready in 30 minutes or less

1 lb ground beef

Onion, chopped

1 can (14 1/2oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 can (11oz) Mexicorn, drained

1 lb Mexican or plain process American cheese, cubed

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, corn and cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Studio 60: Friday Night Slaughter

Aaron Sorkin runs to the well of his life yet again and now Matt Albie is abusing drugs. As Matthew Perry did there for a while. which makes the story interesting and challenging - which the series hasn't really been so far.

Sorkin has a fondness for flashback episodes to flesh out his main characters - he did it so beautifully on The West Wing. Here it seems like an easy get - but he proves how strong a storyteller he can be, by making the flashbacks serve an unreliable narrator.

In the present, we have two actors desperate to survive the Friday Night slaughter - where sketches are deep-sixed from the show when rehearsal goes long. And in the past, it's Matt versus Luke - to survive the slaughter and to impress Harriet. I'm not sure I remembered or even registered that Luke was a member of the Studio 60 staff - and didn't recognise him with the beard.

Well-written flashbacks and the fleshing out of a show's history are always going to suck me in - particularly when they are done as well as this. Matt becomes the most interesting character on the show and his relationship with Harriet gets a new layer - because their relationship didn't begin as perfectly as it seemed (when they have discussed it previously).

Meanwhile, Danny/Jordan continue to bore me. I find Danny particularly patronising to Jordan and wonder if her hormones are getting her into trouble here - because I'm still in denial about her 180-degree about-face in last week's episode.

What I'm so glad about is that Sorkin is taking risks again and this twist promises to make a strong statement - which is what the show has been missing all along.

Pistachio Bread & Studio 60: The Harriet Dinner Part 2

My yoga class was canceled tonight so I'm home early for once on a Monday night. I didn't know our class was going to be canceled until last night and I had already baked a bread to take. So I took it to work today to share.

As some of you know, I used to bake a lot, which is something I am proud to say I am good at. But over the past couple of years I rarely bake that much basically because I was eating most it and it wasn't that healthy for me. So whenever I do put on my "baking" cap, it is always a treat.

I was amazed how many compliments I received on this bread. Some people were a little put off that it was green and Lauren doesn't care for nuts. But those that ate it, loved it. Every time Marty walked by my desk he had to swipe a piece. He finally had to leave the building to get away from it.

This green-hued bread has a pistachio flavor, light & moist cake-like texture, and a crunch topping. Enjoy!

Pistachio Loaf

1 package yellow cake mix

1 package (3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding mix

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

4 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Combine cake and pudding mixes. Add sour cream, eggs, oil and water; beat until blended. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. BEWARE: My bread ran over so you may want to use two loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (my bread took about 55 minutes though) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks.

Studio 60: The Harriet Dinner - Part 2

I’m really torn on how to write this review of Studio 60, which first aired February 5, as I don’t quite know yet how I’m feeling about the show. I will freely admit that I am very wishy washy about Studio 60 and sometimes love and the next scene loathe it. So, how to proceed?

I guess I’ll start by saying that Harriett’s Dinner ended much like it began, without much direction. The show continues to shove the forced relationship of Harriett and Matt down our throats. For a while I was excited to see this relationship in its varying stages but I don’t really understand the rushed urgency Sorkin and Company have placed upon it. I mean, next week is a flashback episode that will show us how Matt and Harriett met. Do we need that? Maybe. Do we need it now? Doubtful.

I’m over the coupling on the show. I know many folks are into the whole relationship aspects of Studio 60 but I’m far more interested in the politics in putting on a left wing show like Studio 60 and the diverse characters that make up the genius and the flaws within.

Danny and Jordan are still trapped on the roof and are forced to talk to each other, where we find out that Jordan doesn’t want to date Danny because she thinks his crush on her is the result of addiction recovery. After Cal saves them, Danny finds a piece of paper in his watch band that says “I’m crazy about you!” (Jordan does magic – so lame). Then he finds her waiting for him on the set and they… have one of the most anti-climactic kisses in a serial drama I’ve ever seen.

While Danny and Jordan are sharing their anticlimactic moment, Tom and Jack are trying to sober up the Chinese investor’s daughter. The scene where Jack and the Chinese investor finally come to terms with each other was a little strange, as if some lines had been edited out for time but no one checked the continuity of the entire scene.

One minute Jack is calling the guy a Commie prick, and then the next minute he agrees to help him and they’re best buddies? What happened to this “sense of honor” motivation that they’ve been building for the Chinese investor? We’re just supposed to forget that? Jack insults the guy’s parenting skills, then calls him a Communist, and the guy just lets it go and agrees to help him? Something’s off.

Something was definitely on with Cal’s scenes though – he and the animal handler were hilarious. I laughed out loud when he delivered the line “Yes, we will get them out of there…and then EAT them!” to the animal rights girl. This storyline was a refreshing break from all of the annoying love stories – another testament to how much better the show is when it actually focuses on television production instead of relationships. I have loved Cal’s character from the beginning, though – Timothy Busfield is certainly doing a great job with this one.

Studio 60 - The Harriet Dinner

Cliched. That’s not something I would have associated with the work of Aaron Sorkin…. until this episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip that first aired on January 29.

Danny asked Jordan to join him on the roof of the building so he could apologize to her for you know, stalking her. In the back of my mind I was thinking ‘hmm I bet they’ll get locked on the roof’ but then I thought, ‘no, this is Sorkin, he wouldn’t use that. Only hacks use that trick….’ Guess where this is going? So yeah, he went there. The trick led to Jordan and Danny talking for pretty much an entire episode. Jordan thinks Danny’s love is really just pity, Danny denies it. Wash, rinse, repeat. For like an hour.

Matt continues to bid on Harriet. Eventually the bids are so high that Harriet agrees to go out with both of the top bidders. In another "’shock", Lukes5858 turns out not to be Luke the Director but a 15 yr old skateboard/Star Wars geek. Matt tells Harriet that he spent money not only on her but on the polyamorous group and she gets pissed. They fight, a lot, and Harriet tells Matt that it’s over for good. No more being in limbo, no more flirting.

Tom lies to Lucy and says that he has to cancel their date in order to do some NBS press for the critics press tour. Lucy’s really sweet about it. She sets a time to reschedule their date and even kisses him. These two are adorable. Too bad the lie is gonna come back to bit Tom in the ass. So Tom goes to the event where the Violist from Julliard is sexed up with one thing in mind. He tries to rebuff her but she’s persistent. In an event so predictable any four year old could see it coming, Lucy shows up at the event and gets her heartbroken when she sees Tom with the Violist. She makes a comment that he was supposed to sleep with her and then turn out to be a sleaze. Poor guy. He really is one of the decent ones.

In other news Simon is still pissed at Darius because Simon is an egotistical nitwit who thinks that he’s god. Also, there’s a snake loose on the set. It’s supposed to be comic relief. Supposed to.

So nothing really happened in this episode. It’s now painfully obvious that Studio 60 is a relationship show. I don’t know how I feel about that.

Studio 60 - "Monday"

After being gone for five days, I'm really behind watching my TV shows. This episode of Studio 60 called "Monday" first aired on January 22. I finally finished watching it yesterday, February 6.

Studio 60 is a TV show about a fictional sketch-comedy series on the NBS broadcast network. Aaron Sorkin, the mastermind behind "West Wing" is the producer and main writer. So far, I'm still in limbo whether I really like this show. I keep watching it and it's like I really have no deep feelings toward it yet. Some of the characters I detest and others are okay. The same with the story lines. But this seems to be the same sentiments I have read from TV critics. So I guess I'll keep taping it and see if it improves.

Plot: Danny continues his pursuit of Jordan while Matt competes on an online bid for a date with Harriet. Jack and Wilson must deal with their pending situation about Macau, while Jordan meets with Hallie Gallway regarding a new reality show pitch.

Pam's Review: After a long break, this was definitely a filler episode for the next two shows. We meet Hallie, the new VP for Reality TV telling Jordan she can't just paint all reality shows with the same crappy label. I also like how Hallie shows she's not intimidated by Jordan, a move way overdue.

Fighting to keep the integrity of news is a good plot and I like how Jack is ready to do it. I also enjoy the sadly realistic bit that the board would rather remove Wilson White (Ed Asner) than risk a multi-billion dollar battle, showing Sorkin does indeed realize that in life, money would come before quality for these people.

I wince at them restarting the whole "foreign girl going after Tom" bit again but Jack had a great scene working with them all. The romances seem a bit too much now, especially the online auction and Danny's borderline stalking of Jordan. But at least she calls him on the fact it's more infatuation than real love.

But the highlight of this episode was the Simon/Darius bit. I always found it presumptuous of Simon that it was his duty to give other black comedians a break and save them from the inevitable life on the streets. It makes sense that Darius, an educated writer, doesn't want to be just "the black sketch" writer. That built to one of the best scenes yet where Simon blasts Darius for doing this after all Simon did to save him and Darius fires back "Yassa, Mistuh Simon, you sure is good to us." It's a great thing for Darius to let Simon know that not every black man feels like he does and they don't have to be shoe-horned like this. This is the Aaron Sorkin I've been waiting to see and hopefully the second half of the season will show more of that.