October 16, 2006

Studio 60

I'm trying to decide what I think about this week's episode. Part of me thinks it was terrific, yet it had at least two elements which I think were really weak.

The long bit early on of Harriet telling reporter Martha her story was just not great writing. Oh, it was well written. But it was blatant expository monologue. Great writing would be dialogue which "shows" you things, not "tells" you things.

The other troubling thing for me was the amount of time that they had Sting singing. Singing in a show which is not a musical is a classic example of jumping-the-shark. Spending a significant part of the hour being entertained by a singer is not what this show should be.

On the other hand, the Matt/Harriet story is really getting great. Their love/loathing relationship. The inherent, and perhaps insurmountable, conflict of their values. And although I don't like the way it was presented, Harriet's backstory, her relationship with her mother, is awesome.

Here's hoping that Aaron is still just finding his way, and that eventually he'll find a voice which works here, and then we get to really see his talent at work.

Posted by jackhodgson at October 16, 2006 11:35 PM