tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post275601849605208688..comments2024-03-25T19:18:14.047-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Sports Night rewind: "Dear Louise"Alan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75457860768503663742009-07-19T21:14:25.565-04:002009-07-19T21:14:25.565-04:00Touche Alan! But I can't find anything that pu...Touche Alan! But I can't find anything that puts Josh Gibson on a team with Robinson. The episode specifically cites the Monarchs too.ZeppJetshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03173037727479142959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12608532818117913672009-07-19T19:08:19.219-04:002009-07-19T19:08:19.219-04:00ZeppJets, I assumed the Gibson in question was Jos...ZeppJets, I assumed the Gibson in question was Josh. Did he and Jackie ever play together?Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21736552926994586282009-07-19T18:56:01.756-04:002009-07-19T18:56:01.756-04:00Just noticed that Issac says AK Russell was often ...Just noticed that Issac says AK Russell was often overlooked because he was a teammate of Jackie (Robinson) and (presumably Bob) Gibson. I'm pretty certain they meant Robinson and Satchel Paige, who played on the KC Monarchs during the 1940's. Bob Gibson was too young to have played in the Negro Leagues.ZeppJetshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03173037727479142959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-17854288624880038872009-07-09T16:33:18.550-04:002009-07-09T16:33:18.550-04:00The nice thing about the Internet is that it's...The nice thing about the Internet is that it's easy to find <a href="http://www.earth62.net/transcripts/lloyd24aug99.htm" rel="nofollow">Sabrina Lloyd talking about that glass of water</a>.Karlhttp://www.claudepate.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-91904369538750990202009-07-02T20:38:22.392-04:002009-07-02T20:38:22.392-04:00mash them together
Very clever, considering where...<i>mash them together</i><br /><br />Very clever, considering where the "episode based on a character writing a letter to a family member" was perfected.<br /><br />The "Natalie harasses Dan" subplot was brilliant. Sports Night didn't do much slapstick, but when they did it was wonderful.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-48400365921357611842009-07-02T19:53:50.083-04:002009-07-02T19:53:50.083-04:00I recall reading an interview with Sabrina Lloyd w...<i>I recall reading an interview with Sabrina Lloyd where she was asked the question and asserted that it wasn't. She said the reactions were just good acting.<br /></i><br />Wow, good to know. That was good acting.Hannah Leenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51822307961120712702009-07-02T12:43:36.587-04:002009-07-02T12:43:36.587-04:00Well, I try hard with those things to think all th...Well, I try hard with those things to think all the way through whether they're really sexist -- like I said, in this case, Casey and Dan are also strong career people who tend to fumble their personal lives (and so were most of the dudes on TWW), so that, in and of itself, doesn't bother me so much.<br /><br />But there's a certain way -- that I think is reminiscent of what was sometimes also true of C.J. -- in which the image of Dana is oddly patronizing, in spite of being affectionate. She never became as nitwitty as Rebecca did, certainly. But in that one line, there is definitely a regrettable sense that nothing is more attractive than seeing a seemingly powerful woman revealed as, in secret, just a needy girl.<br /><br />I try not to be too hard on Sorkin about this particular character -- I like Dana in many ways, and she definitely commands respect at work and things like that. But oof, that line.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08184669198971626945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-19163572213945258342009-07-02T12:06:48.059-04:002009-07-02T12:06:48.059-04:00I had tried to block that line out of my mind, but...I had tried to block that line out of my mind, but it did irritate when I first heard it. It's an easy trope to have the "careerwoman" be great at her job and crappy with her personal life. What grates is that Dana isn't actually that bad (at least not yet, I would argue season two she does become dumb). Casey is the one with the divorce, but no comment is made about his failures. I can't pin the blame entirely on Sorkin because he is not the first male writer to go that route. However, it is lazy, and tiresome to have the "aggressive" woman once again be disparaged because she does not have a husband and 2.5 kids waiting for her at home.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11317568565085893849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-48938821131482489532009-07-02T11:52:18.324-04:002009-07-02T11:52:18.324-04:00My only tiny beef is that this is the episode wher...<i>My only tiny beef is that this is the episode where Jeremy explains how good Dana is at her job and then says the thing about how she's something like "an irresistible combination of brilliance inside the office and something less than brilliance outside" or something.</i><br /><br />Yes, and the implication that goes along with it that she's good at her job because she was raised with her brothers, and a mess at her personal life because she went to a girls' school. Makes me cringe, too.Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15433685942766758829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-28540835386837052562009-07-02T10:49:25.775-04:002009-07-02T10:49:25.775-04:00If the entire point of the exercise is that he is ...<i>If the entire point of the exercise is that he is not sending his sister an email, why not use pen and paper as opposed to typing it in a word processing program and then printing it? If one is going to be anti technology, why not eschew the computer altogether. </i><br /><br />I guess I don't understand this objection. I can easily imagine wanting to send some an actual letter through the mail (I still do that on occasion, though less and less often). But I might not want to subject them to my handwriting, or I might find typing easier on my wrist, or I might enjoy the delete/revise capabilities of word processing... I see any number of legitimate reasons. Even pre-email, I think I stopped handwriting letters once I acquired a typewriter.<br /><br />I share Linda's revulsion toward that one line. Fortunately, it's just one line in the series. (We see her sometimes acting screwed-up after that, like most of the characters, but aren't bludgeoned with the idea that it's "part of her charm.")Rinaldonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9470296926570310182009-07-02T10:45:03.476-04:002009-07-02T10:45:03.476-04:00@ Linda: that line bugs me too. Leaving aside what...@ Linda: that line bugs me too. Leaving aside what it means for a moment, it just <i>sounds</i> ridiculous - it sounds like a character description on a network website or a précis for a show pitch, not like something a real person would ever say in a letter.<br /><br />And yeah, Dana's just another in a long list of TV women who fall completely to pieces in their personal lives (and Rebbeca Howe is a great example - there's a lot of stuff about <i>Cheers</i>, seen from this distance, that's really unpalatable). That's one of the reasons I love Dana so much in the pilot; she's so tough-as-nails.filmcrickethttp://filmcricket.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39825820207354297212009-07-02T08:46:16.483-04:002009-07-02T08:46:16.483-04:00That one line from Josh and Toby's writer bloc...<i>That one line from Josh and Toby's writer block episode made me laugh out loud.<br /><br />Which specific episode, and what line? </i><br /><br />The line Alan quotes: "Somewhere in this building is our talent." It's preceded by this: "We're having difficulty locating our talent. ... It couldn't have gone far, right?"<br /><br />It's from Enemies, Season 1, Episode 8. I love the first two seasons of "The West Wing," but it really slipped once Sorkin quit the drugs.C.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03380027437403535609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-26819646621382532862009-07-02T04:20:01.397-04:002009-07-02T04:20:01.397-04:00On the question of whether the water was ad-libbed...On the question of whether the water was ad-libbed, I recall reading an interview with Sabrina Lloyd where she was asked the question and asserted that it wasn't. She said the reactions were just good acting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77362274324056823922009-07-01T23:28:48.271-04:002009-07-01T23:28:48.271-04:00I appreciated how the letter narration allowed som...I appreciated how the letter narration allowed some exposition to occur, speeding up character development. For me it is much more effective than the trick David E. Kelley uses in every show: throw all the characters in one room and get them all squabbling with each other to reveal their personalities. I know this was credited for getting Chicago Hope off the ground, but it always comes across to me as a cheap ploy to suddenly have characters act in radically different ways, completely inconsistent with their previously established natures.Isaac Linnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-48385022171413148952009-07-01T23:04:25.499-04:002009-07-01T23:04:25.499-04:00The first seven episodes could be called "The...The first seven episodes could be called "The Education of Jeremy Goodwin":<br /><br />Episode 1: He gets hired<br />Episode 2: He gets a lesson in editing a highlight tape<br />Episode 3: He gets the call and a talking-to from Isaac<br />Episode 4: He gets drawn into trying to make sense of Casey's tortured relationship with Dana<br />(something he's going to need if he sticks around)<br />Episode 5: He threatens to have someone killed <br />Episode 6: He's seen as quixotic; he finds the perfect place to take Natalie to dinner<br />Episode 7: He writes the perfect essay on "what I've learned at my new job."<br /><br />I think that every new series should do a show like this along about the 7th episode, just to help latecomers get their bearings and to deepen the loyal fans' understanding of the characters.gracielanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-26019754696813104332009-07-01T22:31:06.737-04:002009-07-01T22:31:06.737-04:00"Dear Louise" is so very, very good. I l..."Dear Louise" is so very, very good. I love this episode.<br /><br />My only tiny beef is that this is the episode where Jeremy explains how good Dana is at her job and then says the thing about how she's something like "an irresistible combination of brilliance inside the office and something less than brilliance outside" or something.<br /><br />That line drives me absolutely INSANE, every time I hear it. It always gives me the sense that a powerful boss who happens to be a woman has to be softened up with the notion that she's an idiot in her personal life, which is what makes her so gosh-darn cute. In fairness, Casey and Dan also screw up their personal lives, but I don't think you'd ever hear anyone say that their idiocy outside the office is what makes them irresistible. I hate, hate, HATE that line. Dana and Natalie are relatively well-written characters, and I really like their relationship as friends. But eeeevery time I hear that line about how adorable Dana is because sure, she's the boss at work, but get her outside the office and she's a total incompetent? I cringe fiercely on the inside. Perhaps it is my memories of "Cheers," where Rebecca was introduced as a highly competent, no-bull manager and gradually became barely smart enough to dress herself.<br /><br />It's a nitpick, but it sticks out every time for me.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08184669198971626945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86102317236139374252009-07-01T22:25:22.394-04:002009-07-01T22:25:22.394-04:00this is also my favorite of the letter writing epi...this is also my favorite of the letter writing episodes (although I always love the "Donna says "hi," Mom" line from Stackhouse Filibuster)<br /><br />To me this episodes seems to go nicely with Hungry and Hunted as Jeremy goes from sitting there alone in the empty office to hanging out and dancing with everyone<br /><br />(also every time I see a blue drink I'm instantly reminded of this episode)jcpbmgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76037649969139514382009-07-01T21:45:28.545-04:002009-07-01T21:45:28.545-04:00This is one of my favorite episodes. Alan, intere...This is one of my favorite episodes. Alan, interesting take on the tone/style of this episode compared to the previous ones. I had never picked up on that before.<br /><br />Though, despite everyone playing big, Dan's meltdown stays pretty contained. I guess it's just another way Sorkin gives us an idealized workplace. I don't imagine that any real-life national sports anchor would be so un-diva-ish in the same situation. Natalie throws water in Dan's face 3 times, plus gets him with a foghorn and he never even raises his voice to her. He reacts by speaking emphatically, not angrily:<br /><br />"Why did that just happen?"<br />"I don't have the hiccups."<br /><br />The only time we really see him lose it is when Casey accidently makes Dan think something's happened to his mother (plus the offscreen meltdown that ends badly for his computer). Though Sports Night characters often behave stupidly or go off on a rant, now that I think about it, I don't think we're ever shown someone really losing their temper (beyond fights like Dana and Casey's in Intellectual Property) I wonder if that was a conscious decision to keep the characters appealing.<br /><br />Though most of this episode has Casey trying to help Dan get a grip, the "Come out with me tonight" banter that starts the episode echos back to the pilot again, with Dan trying get a pissy Casey to cheer up and have some fun. I love their little Boogie Shoes walk-and-talk, where they seamlessly start singing and dancing while walking and talking. And that that scene rolls into them extending an invitation to Jeremy to join in the after hours fun. And that it leads into the whole, silly "smoking dog" discussion.<br /><br />The last scene is fun, though Filmcricket's right: this must be the most lightweight and/or heavy drinking group of NYC 20-30 somethings ever, to be so drunk after just an hour. This episode closes out with another random music bit that ties the episode together nicely (like the pilot). Everyone returns to their home away from home, tipsy and ready to let their hair down. The physicality of the scene really works for me. Casey dancing and ranting while holding that ridiculous blue drink, until Dana sex-kitten's it up and gets him to smile, Dan doing the robot (or whatever that was), Dana dancing on the furniture, Chris and Kim dancing up a storm obviously enjoying them selves, etc. etc.Hannah Leenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77965411371931945102009-07-01T20:54:44.160-04:002009-07-01T20:54:44.160-04:00Yes, Aaron Sorkin repeated the letter-writing devi...Yes, Aaron Sorkin repeated the letter-writing device in The West Wing, but first he lifted it from M*A*S*H, which I think is pretty cute as an homage.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15758923671028899249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57317332924805582212009-07-01T19:42:49.560-04:002009-07-01T19:42:49.560-04:00Susan, there must be 300 restaurants in Midtown wh...Susan, there must be 300 restaurants in Midtown where you can get a three-course sit-down dinner after 2 a.m., not counting the 3,000 all-night diners, hardworking ethnic joints that turn the keys over to granddad or grandsons while mom and dad get to bed, or the 6,000 fast food chains.<br /> <br />Some keep the kitchen open to keep the bar busy from 2 to 4. For some, the after-theater and postgame crowds are the start of their night. Some serve 500 delivery meals a night to bankers and traders running on London hours and keep the front room open for show.<br /> <br />When you have millionaires working sec ond and third shifts, there's money to be made in feeding them.Johanna Lapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11683581129390692385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21824225606577693112009-07-01T16:33:04.323-04:002009-07-01T16:33:04.323-04:00The one thing I couldn't figure out was why Je...The one thing I couldn't figure out was why Jeremy was not handwriting his letter. If the entire point of the exercise is that he is not sending his sister an email, why not use pen and paper as opposed to typing it in a word processing program and then printing it? If one is going to be anti technology, why not eschew the computer altogether. <br /><br />Except for that, I did enjoy the episode.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11317568565085893849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37505160927670457082009-07-01T15:40:07.858-04:002009-07-01T15:40:07.858-04:00The third splash sure seemed like an ad-lib.
Cer...<i>The third splash sure seemed like an ad-lib. </i><br /><br />Certainly a surprise. And it's not just Kraus' reaction. Notice the big laughs from background players, such as the cameraman. Big laughs. Eyes sparkling. Looks like a genuine surprise to everyone on set.<br /><br />It really comes across as a surprise, but maybe not an adlib. Someone set it up. Natalie reaches down off-screen to pick up the glass of water. Someone had to place that water there in advance.Eldritchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02247921343535184791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-78293642348931804472009-07-01T15:31:01.474-04:002009-07-01T15:31:01.474-04:00Thanks Alan,
I do kind of remember it now, Bartlet...Thanks Alan,<br />I do kind of remember it now, Bartlet's rantings about the fact that the people who were watching this stuff were the same people who elected him. (Or maybe that was some other random rant.)<br />FWIW, I've seen every episode of West Wing at least five times, and I just plain didn't remember the daytime TV bit. <br />I'll say it again. It's just shocking that Sorkin would drop in a bomb, that would literally affect every episode of the show, so casually. <br />I dunno, a blown disc in his back, could have worked, too.<br />It's a decision that mirrors all of Sorkin's work: audacious, maddening, and a little self-destructive.<br /><br />Here's some stuff from a West Wing episode guide, shedding some light on that one. <br /><br />http://www.westwingepguide.com/S1/Episodes/12_HSFTTT.htmlEyeball Witnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9738737170045436872009-07-01T14:09:27.783-04:002009-07-01T14:09:27.783-04:00Wasn't Matthew Perry's writer's block ...<i>Wasn't Matthew Perry's writer's block a big part of a couple eps of Studio 60?</i> <br /><br />It was indeed, making it one of Sorkin's trifecta themes that was featured in all three of his shows. <br /><br />The pressure to write, in general, was a theme that hung over most every episode of Studio 60 in the form of the countdown clock on Matthew Perry's office wall.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-31707987186362316032009-07-01T13:50:50.091-04:002009-07-01T13:50:50.091-04:00It wasn't until after the airing of that episo...<i>It wasn't until after the airing of that episode (I believe it was "He Shall, From Time to Time...") that it occurred to Sorkin that the president having secret MS would be kind of a big deal.</i><br /><br />That seems odd, if only because he treats the topic very heavily in the episode itself. It's sort of a major thing when he tells Leo about it, and the characters recognize the gravity of it. Remember, its the first and I believe only time Leo calls him "Jed" in the show, he's so distraught at the revelation. Sorking sure seemed to know it was a big deal. Maybe he didn't know exactly how it would end up, with Oliver Babish and "Brothers in arms", but he must have had some idea.<br /><br />-DamnYankeesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com