I actually imagined an entire scene of Nate Corddry screaming at Sorkin about that very point at the read-through for the show and Sorkin shrugging and saying, who’s got the Emmys, little boy? Then Tommy Schlamme pulling Corrdry aside and talking to him to smooth things out. “He’s a genius, Nate. You can’t expect little things like consistency. He’s a big picture man. It’s zen and dramacycle maintenance.”
At least Harriet got told off. We could use a lot more of that.
I just hate Harriet. She is so clueless and says the most insipid things. Matt must think she’s scorchingly hot to maintain this level of interest, seeing as she’s someone who’s not terrifically bright and shares none of his values. Their whole pseudo-love affair is boring and strains my disbelief. It’s hurting my enjoyment of the show, as are her interminable and inevitably inane debates with Matt.
Other than that, the show is OK.
I kind of thought it was actually his little brother that was driving, and Tom took the heat for it. The part where Tom’s little brother was pointed out as being a risk-taker kind of matched the speed of 120 MPH.
I’ve only hit that speed four times in my car, and I’m insane.
120 on a dry empty straight highway in broad daylight (i.e. ideal conditions) isn’t even remotely crazy. I did 115 under such conditions and would have gone to 120 but for that unexpected speed governor.
The whole thing was muddled beyond comprehension, and it’s still not helped by the network president and chairman taking such a personal interest in what the parent company chairman describes as (more or less) something of minor interest. How many times did a senior NBC exec show up at the courthouse after an SNL actor got busted for coke possession?
He was there because the girl wanted to meet Tom.
Why did the judge threaten to charge Simon with drug usage (apparently on the basis of the joint having been smoked)? There was no evidence he ever smoked it in Nevada, and given it was in Tom Jeter’s possession from the time he was driven into the state, no way Simon could have smoked it in Nevada.
I swear you guys make me feel like I’m snorkeling amongst scuba divers. I mean I enjoyed this two parter, then I come in here and see a lot more than I did when I watched it. I end up confused and trying to figure out if I’m dumb because I enjoy the show.
I mean seriously I come into the thread like this: 
Then I begin reading and it becomes this: :dubious:
A bit further puts me here :smack:
And then at the end I’m just going: 
You should probably avoid them. I should too. Ignorance is bliss.
This seemed more like the outline of an episode than the finished product. I kept feeling like I’d been channel surfing and missed something. It’s like a Powerpoint presentation and Sorkin wants to highlight seven-years worth of bullet points in the first ten episodes in case the show doesn’t get picked up.
Tom didn’t use his brother as an excuse to get out of the speeding ticket, but they never explained why he got it in the first place.
The chinese executive and his daughter get dragged to Pahrump and back to meet Tom. But they’re on the way to New York, why are they in the limo when it brings everyone back to the studio? So Jack can deliver his big speech at the right time and with the right people around?
And Matt’s pep talk to Dylan about how to do the newscast described exactly what’s wrong with Saturday Night Live without even realizing it. He told him something like “it’s not a character, it’s just you.” Weekend Update was 1,000 times funnier they delivered it like a newscast instead of stand-up from behind a desk.
And I’ve done 130 on the Autobahn. At night.
No, we couldn’t, because she really doesn’t get a voice - so it’s like watching strawman theater. Even though I don’t agree with her side, there are better words than the ones she’s being given to say, and watching it over and over and over again is not entertainment. It’s more or less just annoying. Maybe if Harriet got cut altogether - that would be good, because her continued presence really isn’t doing anyone (especially the screenwriter(s)) any good at all.
Maybe Mandy can show up, they’ll fall in love, and then they’ll go to Mandyville together.
I still feel like they talked less about issues of the day when they were in the White House.
Yes, and what was with the “laugh at the funny Asian accent” sketch? There was no level on which that was not embarrassing.
Who’s Mandy & where is Mandyville?
It was better than last week’s, but still condescending - especially when it told us it was condescending. Watching this show gives me a headache from rolling my eyes, but then we get the “Are we done talking about paintball?” line, and I chuckle. Sigh…
All the Show-within-a-show was dreadful. Especially the Mickey Rooney Asian girl.
Mandy was a major character on the first season of WEST WING who never again appeared nor was referred to. Where did she go? To “Mandyville,” one supposes.
This has got to be the only TV show whose major issue is:
“Is this the suckiest lamest TV show?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“No, I actually liked some of the sucky bits. Here’s why…”
Actually, in Jack’s speech to the Asian, he DOES say something about honor and how one of his stars was speeding in order to save some woman that was being abused. It flew by really fast (since Jack was talking really fast). I’ll check my recording when I get home and see if I can catch his exact words (unless someone beats me to it.)
That was the same impression I came away with. The brother was driving just before he deployed for his third time. And Tom was taking the heat because a ticket would have interfered with the deployment.
Haven’t seen the show in several weeks and I’m disappointed to say it hasn’t gotten any better.
Oh come on; everybody knows that he was paint balling with friends, and wasn’t in his own car. He was dropped off at the diner, and naturally had to keep his equipment with him.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
E3
I agree wholeheartedly. I also have to assume that for Matt to put up with her while they were dating, she must have been some sort of sexual dynamo, doing things to him that he just couldn’t walk away from. Then I remember that she’s staunchly Christian, and the uninhibited sexuality thing doesn’t jibe with that, so I’m left wondering why the heck he’s wasting his time with her.
I laughed, I cried. But to me “Cheeses of Nazereth” is FUNNY stuff.
Was John Goodman’s character supposed to be a charming “Andy of Mayberry” sort? Because he terrified me: exactly the sort of racist, insane, power-mad, meglomaniac redneck that I thought they were supposed to be saying doesn’t actually exist!
No, he was saying Tom was arrested in the first place for defending Harriet.