tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post4813622254084620215..comments2024-03-19T05:50:19.572-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Sports Night rewind: "The Quality of Mercy at 29K" & "Shoe Money Tonight"Alan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-90144110244155124192009-07-26T18:33:41.018-04:002009-07-26T18:33:41.018-04:00It's interesting that Schlamme did not direct ...It's interesting that Schlamme did not direct Shoe Money Tonight, but has named his company Shoe Money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-6049918197303330512009-07-26T11:37:09.831-04:002009-07-26T11:37:09.831-04:00"But there is one specific instance in which ..."But there is one specific instance in which the "Jeremy is always right" dynamic isn't accurate, and which I absolutely loved, because the writing was beautiful. The exchange included "I didn't behave like a man" / "But you're apologizing like one.""<br /><br />Just watched that ep, and: yeah. Sorkin's tendency to write women via his analysis *of* them, versus how we actually might behave, drives me nuts; it's like he's got to make the girls all daffy and insecure so he can feel better about himself (and if he doesn't do that, he makes them kinda trampy, eg., Sally). <br /><br />Natalie and Jeremy are well enough *acted* characters that this bothers me less than it might -- ditto CJ Cregg, later -- but when she busts out the white-shirt line here, I just can't stand it. Way to undercut your own plea to be taken seriously by defaulting to "but I'm cute" mode. (Jeremy's callback response of "I was never in it" is really funny, though.)Sarah D Buntinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10218852480789623737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10818095784836969062009-07-26T08:39:43.915-04:002009-07-26T08:39:43.915-04:00(played by Brenda Strong, who would get more work,...<i>(played by Brenda Strong, who would get more work, I believe, if she wasn't taller than most of her insecure potential male co-stars)</i><br /><br />I never realised until that scene with Dana just how freakishly tall Brenda Strong is/ I spent the first few seconds of that scene wondering if there was some kind of step or platform in the set that she was standing on.<br /><br />Just a minor point, but did anyone notice the surprisingly awful work keeping the sound mikes out of sight? In the scene where Dan and Jeremy "talk while walking to the bathroom", the mike is clearly visible twice within ten seconds in two seperate shots - firstly, as Dan says "I don't think anyone saw through your clever ruse", then when they walk into the office and Jeremy talks about "some rule that no-one ever taught me". I was surprised by how sloppy that work was.<br /><br />Not much to say about the actual episodes that haven't already been said. Definitely flawed, but with enough entertainment value that you can't really hold it against the show.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196372589248892579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-29911910254406445122009-07-23T08:46:19.075-04:002009-07-23T08:46:19.075-04:00Like "L Sacks", I immediately thought of...Like "L Sacks", I immediately thought of the "Small Town" Jeremy/Natalie argument regarding the "Jeremy always wins" thought. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves episode-wise, but that argument had Natalie winning and also played off the idea that Jeremy usually wins in arguments.<br /><br />And like Linda, the "shrinking Isaac" running joke never fails to crack me up. Though my favorite is the "where's Isaac?!?" mock panic. <br /><br />Finally, Dana and CJ Cregg have very similar styles of dealing seven card stud. That's an odd coincidence. :-)Mike Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-31792403547695835132009-07-23T03:25:40.074-04:002009-07-23T03:25:40.074-04:00I noticed "Hal's" (great DFW referen...I noticed "Hal's" (great DFW reference) original comment, too, and it made me think. Tonally, it's mostly accurate, especially -- being very vague here -- the rather disquieting fight that Jeremy and Natalie later have about their different social needs. That still makes me uncomfortable. But there is one specific instance in which the "Jeremy is always right" dynamic isn't accurate, and which I absolutely loved, because the writing was beautiful. The exchange included "I didn't behave like a man" / "But you're apologizing like one." <br /><br />I agree that The Cut Man Cometh is the funniest ep. But FAR AND AWAY my favorite episode of Sports Night is "The Six Southern Gentlemen..." so I'm tickled that we'll be getting to it next week. It's rare when both the A story AND the B story can touch you enough to make you well up a bit...CJ at Creating a Comichttp://www.creatingacomic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-29028020824631480562009-07-22T21:22:03.395-04:002009-07-22T21:22:03.395-04:00Hannah Lee, I only wish I were the person who crea...Hannah Lee, I only wish I were the person who created that website. I certainly visited it enough times. I miss it. I feel as though I've lost a dear old friend. <br /><br />I'm just rereading what I wrote today and regretting the tone. I don't mean to be so negative. I just have a bad reaction to 29K; as you say, there are some lovely moments in it. Shoe Money is clearly more of a favorite with me. I love Dana sitting with Danny and her "Whoa, Huckleberry" to Casey. Her banter with Isaac is priceless.gracielanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37944771214114429532009-07-22T20:26:36.332-04:002009-07-22T20:26:36.332-04:0029K is not my favorite episode. As you said, Alan...29K is not my favorite episode. As you said, Alan, it has Sorkin over arguing a point, being preachy for no good entertaining reason. That was one of the issues with <i>S60</i> that made me finally tune out of that show. I could take it for an episode or 2 with smart characters I had come to love, who seemed to have great affection for each other. I could not, however, take it for an entire season with idiot characters that I did not know or like. That being said, 29K has it's moments: Natalie snarking on Dan, the rulers bit, Dana's radiant joy of the theater (especially The Lion King, with Robert Guillaume's connection and all) and this:<br /><br /><i> Dana: The lights went out, and this woman, with a voice like thunder, this woman, she summons all the animals of the jungle to appear and honor the birth of the new lion king. She summons the animals with her voice. And do you know, do you know what happens next? <br />Dan: The animals appear? </i><br /><br />Felicity Huffman really sells Dana's captivation. And I've always loved Dan's/Josh Charles' response there. He's sweet, appreciative, mocking and a little afraid of the crazy, all at the same time (how does someone do that?) Even in an episode like this one that's a bit clunky, there are still good moments, and the cast still delivers. That's one of the reasons why I love this show.<br /><br />Shoe Money Tonight, however, to me is just silly fun. From "being in the zone" to snapping pencils while rolling off camera in frustration to fighting about Henny Youngman (or was it Benny Goodwin?) to "You know someone named Judy Rudy Tootie?" to "Rack 'em up Casey" to "we're going to have a little talk, aren't we?" to "how are my guys? Us???" to "the good chair" to Isaac as "lil buddy" to Dana's dealing cards with narration at the end, it just seems like everyone is having fun, and I had fun right along with them. <br /><br />BTW, @graciela, is it you we have to thank for having the Sports Night scripts online for many many years? I can't tell you how many times I referred to them when trying to quickly get a quote just right, because I knew if I popped in a DVD to check the line, I'd just keep watching and watching. Have you found a new home for them?Hannah Leenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-425933886889134422009-07-22T14:08:33.069-04:002009-07-22T14:08:33.069-04:00To me, this is the one truly funny episode of the ...<i>To me, this is the one truly funny episode of the show, well ahead of "Thespis."</i><br /><br />If we're going solely on funny, I don't see how "The Cut Man Cometh" loses.BFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15264282750160516858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-14755628045409716262009-07-22T13:25:19.652-04:002009-07-22T13:25:19.652-04:0029K has always annoyed me -- yes, Sorkin, I keep w...29K has always annoyed me -- yes, Sorkin, I keep wanting to say, I get the message, now could we just move on? How about a game of poker? <br /><br />The thing we learn from 29K is that life is indeed a vicious circle. There are homeless people seeking shelter in the atrium. Then there's Dan, the rich white anchor boy in his safe, warm, brightly-lit little world, obsessing over what to do with his disposable income -- Dana's there, too, going on and on about her Lion King experience, and of course we have Casey who thinks he's starving. Natalie and Isaac try to set Dan straight, but at the end of the day, even after coming face-to-face with an actual homeless guy, you see that he hasn't learned a thing. He's watching TV, marveling at the mountain climbers, seeing their ascent of Everest as a symbol of what mankind can do, and sitting right there next to him is the living proof of what mankind can't do, or won't do, or is too self-involved to do. The poor we shall always have with us. The clueless, too. It is indeed a vicious circle. <br /><br />As someone who has come to care about those characters, I guess what I resent most is Sorkin using them that way. Whenever he gets preachy, they do and say things that don't always ring true. <br /><br />After "The Weight" that is 29K, Shoe Money is a breath of fresh air and I simply want to enjoy it, and I do, especially the work of Felicity Huffman. Of course I wish Natalie had won the game and hadn't needed the white dress shirt to make things up with Jeremy. I wish Casey wasn't so gaga over the way Sally looks. And I wish Dana wasn't so bothered by Casey's lusting after Sally. Yes, it's all another vicious circle, isn't it, though this episode is at least more fun.gracielanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-78124875920485111552009-07-22T12:09:37.324-04:002009-07-22T12:09:37.324-04:00Rick, plan is to stick with doubled-up reviews for...Rick, plan is to stick with doubled-up reviews for however many I get to before summer's over.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-84627641546752524532009-07-22T12:02:33.580-04:002009-07-22T12:02:33.580-04:00@Rinaldo: Again, I see it the opposite way- if you...@Rinaldo: Again, I see it the opposite way- if you were going to write a story line somehow involving The Lion King, what story SHOULD have been used? I picture the synergy came before the story was written, though I give Sorkin credit for very good use of product placement that actually affects a character.<br /><br />Alan, have you given more thought to staying with Two-a-week for Sports Night? Following your Wire Rewinds- discussing an hour of the densest story on television, it suddenly feels empty when reading about one twenty-minute episode of a much lighter show.Ricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51314842554105889902009-07-22T11:04:37.787-04:002009-07-22T11:04:37.787-04:00@trishag: I definitely think Jeremy's way too ...@trishag: I definitely think Jeremy's way too comfortable way too quickly, yes. He's a smart guy and good at his job, but that doesn't excuse the sarcasm he frequently directs at Dana. However, I do like Dana's strategy of treating him like a little kid in response.<br /><br />I really, really don't like "29K"; it's one of the eps that I usually skip. It's heavy-handed, it's preachy, and Dan getting over his white liberal guilt by sharing a sandwich with a homeless guy is beyond ridiculous.<br /><br />"Shoe Money," on the other hand, I love, despite the Jeremy/Natalie resolution. Partly because Sorkin's by no means the only offender when it comes to the tough professional/emotional basketcase cliché (and I think Dana's a much bigger example of that than Natalie), partly because Natalie will, eventually and often, get to be right.<br /><br />But I also think it's one of the funniest episodes in the bunch, and, like Jed Bartlet, I like the sight of colleagues enjoying each other's company outside work. I adore the whole poker game, even if it was basically written to allow Malina to show off his chip-flipping skills.filmcrickethttp://filmcricket.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-56441996799536467982009-07-22T10:18:59.391-04:002009-07-22T10:18:59.391-04:00Alan:
Sorry to be a grammar geek, but "heret...Alan:<br /><br />Sorry to be a grammar geek, but "heretofore" should be "hereinafter" or "hereafter" (or just put the term in parentheses and we'll all know what you mean).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12055295778936609532009-07-22T00:34:06.135-04:002009-07-22T00:34:06.135-04:00After watching Joshua Malina in West Wing (towards...After watching Joshua Malina in West Wing (towards the end, when he became so darned unpleasant), I have a hard time not seeing him as abrasive and condescending now in Sports Night. He's often both of those things to Dana, who is his boss.<br /><br />Does anyone else get that mean Jeremy vibe?trishaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17622837513004497365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65618974099744052632009-07-21T22:56:12.146-04:002009-07-21T22:56:12.146-04:00I think it kind of got left out how funny "Sh...I think it kind of got left out how funny "Shoe Money" is. The banter is great, and I actually think the direction in the game works for it better than Schlamme might have done it. To me, this is the one truly funny episode of the show, well ahead of "Thespis."<br /><br />What gets me about the end, besides Jeremy being a little over-dramatically right, is that if he knows Nathalie has 3 of a kind, then he can't possibly discount a Full House by knowing the location of 7 sevens. She'd only need 2 of them.rhamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02697134869139534503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45127455131982609562009-07-21T22:38:40.755-04:002009-07-21T22:38:40.755-04:00It may be just me, but I think it makes the series...It may be just me, but I think it makes the series more interesting for Jeremy to somehow have his stuff together so well. Because he's the character who, off the bat, most seemed like he'd have no idea how to maintain a personal life. Plug Jeremy into almost any other TV show, and I'm sure he's totally clueless with women and his whole reason for being onscreen would be for the audience to laugh at him for being so socially inept.<br /><br />(Of course, without spoiling things for newer viewers, he and Natalie end up trading roles occasionally in the future. So, while it may play like he's that guy who is always right, it turns out she does get her chances to tell him what's what.)<br /><br />Also, you kind of don't notice it that much at times (maybe because of how they're constantly puffing themselves up), but it's my recollection that Dan and Casey spend much of the series seeming incredibly insecure and clueless about personal relationships with women. I think Jeremy gets to end up winning his arguments much of the time because if he didn't, then way too much of the show would be about the 3 main male characters (not including Isaac in this, since he strangely floats above most of the show) being baffled and slapped down by women in their life.J.J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11999053649820732449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-70340759465553756712009-07-21T18:59:36.505-04:002009-07-21T18:59:36.505-04:00Oh, and the difference between Dan asking for food...Oh, and the difference between Dan asking for food and Steve's situation is that Dan was fooling around for laughs, while Steve was definitely on the wrong side of the "too much information" line.Isaac Linnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35771175784069727932009-07-21T18:55:07.625-04:002009-07-21T18:55:07.625-04:00The poker game didn't bother me that much, oth...The poker game didn't bother me that much, other than feeling a bit clichéd (pretty gal is clueless about poker). To me, the key point is that people don't just fall into trustworthy/not trustworthy categories as real world scenarios make this more complicated. Without the final denouement, I don't think Jeremy would have adequately demonstrated that Natalie could still trust him to have her best interests at heart, even after his misstep.<br /><br />On the other hand, Dana's obliviousness to the need to buy tickets to The Lion King in advance always rings false to me (though Isaac's anticipation of this is a great moment).<br /><br />(And yes, I get a vicarious thrill at sharing a first name with such a memorable character.)Isaac Linnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-26701202036717930492009-07-21T18:26:16.637-04:002009-07-21T18:26:16.637-04:00Ahh Sabrina Lloyd.....not to hijack this post or a...Ahh Sabrina Lloyd.....not to hijack this post or anything but anyone else totally miss, or least miss the premise of Sliders? Damn that show could have been good....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9516120455508643072009-07-21T18:21:48.822-04:002009-07-21T18:21:48.822-04:00"I always came down on the side of Lion King ..."I always came down on the side of Lion King synergy."<br /><br />I understand that some do, but my reaction is... if you wanted to do a story about Dana expecting a negligible bit of children's theater and being unexpectedly blown away by theatrical magic, what title SHOULD have been used? That musical is really the perfect example of being blindsided by what the theater can do (clearly an essential part of the combined plots, not an afterthought), so it seems utterly natural to me to use it in this context.Rinaldonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57069036936574056512009-07-21T18:15:12.650-04:002009-07-21T18:15:12.650-04:00the Sorkin pattern of creating female characters w...<i>the Sorkin pattern of creating female characters who are mostly very strong and great at their chosen professions, but who, from time to time, need the men in their lives to tell them what to do and explain how the world really works</i><br /><br />To be fair, his men also need the women to do the same from time to time.<br /><br />I'll also go ahead and disagree about Jeremy winning every argument, but giving examples would be talking about "future" episodes, so I won't.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11372227786920932224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68625101915789219662009-07-21T18:03:39.578-04:002009-07-21T18:03:39.578-04:00@ghoti: You're coming up fat on the end of Ed ...@ghoti: You're coming up fat on the end of Ed Season 3. Take my advice: STOP THERE. Season 4 has a handful of good bits, but the whole of it forever tarnishes the three seasons that came before it.<br /><br />I always came down on the side of Lion King synergy. ABC was going through a BIG Disney-ification at the time.<br /><br />Shoe Money Tonight is one of my least favorite episodes of the series, though it is the only episode I quote on a regular basis.Ricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-15768185987339263272009-07-21T18:01:37.337-04:002009-07-21T18:01:37.337-04:00How about revisiting the "Jeremy always wins ...How about revisiting the "Jeremy always wins against Natalie" thing after "Small Town". Or "A Girl Named Pixley". Or the whole plot thread between them that (as I recall) kicks off with "The Sword of Orion". Just off the top of my head.L. Sacksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-83494119129952977722009-07-21T17:30:40.686-04:002009-07-21T17:30:40.686-04:00That is a great picture of Sabrina Lloyd.
I have ...That is a great picture of Sabrina Lloyd.<br /><br />I have watched 63 episodes of Ed in the last two weeks and I am now in the middle of the Frankie era. I can tell you that I still like her a lot more than Carol Vessey!ghotihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17285176297822242753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57081742145003767152009-07-21T17:25:34.864-04:002009-07-21T17:25:34.864-04:00As someone who gave "Studio 60" every ch...As someone who gave "Studio 60" every chance in the world (I think I actually watched every ep.), I can confidently say that it doesn't color my viewing of Sports Night (nor TWW) one iota.<br /><br />It was just so forgettable...I've, well, forgotten most of it. I guess I just chalk it up to a big swing and miss by Sorkin and nothing more.TCnoreply@blogger.com