Episode Report Card Joe R: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT At The Risk Of Being Unpopular...
By Joe R | Season 1 | Episode 20 | Aired on 06.13.2007
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Danny's still at the hospital, and he learns that Jordan's under general anesthetic, but should be just fine, and oh by the way, the baby was delivered, also healthy. Harriet sticks around to lend support, while Matt returns to man things at the Studio. Tom's engaged in an episode-long tête-à-tête with Captain Boyle, while downstairs Lucy and Simon, among others, have discovered that right-wing message boards are essentially saying Tom got what he deserved for being a traitorous Hollywood fag. Simon wants to take it to these assholes, not to mention everyone else in the country who ever supported the war, but Cal wants to shut that idea down, not out of sensitivity to Tom, but rather so Matt doesn't run into a hail of bullets like he did back in 2001. Which means, yes, we're still flashing back to post-9/11 Studio 60, where Matt really wanted to write a sketch about Karl Rove pitching patriotic movies to studio heads. Standards and Practices wants to cut the sketch because it's "anti-American," which puts Matt and Danny into the conflict with management that will ultimately cost them both their jobs, though that doesn't happen tonight.
Back in the now, Andy tips off Matt to the idea that Jordan's situation is worse than the doctor is letting on, and indeed, there have been complications after Jordan's surgery, and she continues to bleed. Then Mary mentions to Matt that Danny really shouldn't try to bond with the baby until he knows Jordan's going to be okay, because he'll have no legal rights to the kid if Jordan dies and will be in a world of hurt when the biological father takes her away. Of course, it was probably too late for that even before Danny saw the baby.
Finally, some sleazebag former talent scout for the show pops up on the news talking out of his ass about how Tom and Mark were estranged, and how the reason for that was the anti-war climate at the show. Simon tries to privately speak with a reporter friend to set the record straight, but he's ambushed by the rest of the press, and when one of them asks if NBS leaked Tom's connection to the crisis in order to boost west coast ratings, Simon goes off on him -- and also on the war, the media, info-tainment, and a whole host of other things, closing by saying that if the entire gaggle of press were "mowed down by friendly fire," he'd pop the champagne. So, yeah, welcome to next week's episode. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
Previously on Studio 60, we all flashed back to those tumultuous weeks following 9/11, when Matt and Danny felt like the nation wasn't yet ready for comedy. Jack told them they didn't have much of a choice, however, and admonished them not to make fun of the President or "America" on the show. They were still free to make fun of the People's Republic of Faggy Hollywood, however. Tom was still reeling from the news of his brother's kidnapping, and the Air Force sent Captain Boyle out to talk him through it. Mary Tate thought her connections to semi-legal overseas security firms could possibly be of help in Tom's situation. And Jordan had to get an emergency C-section, but Danny first had to put a ring on her finger and make an honest woman out of her, and we're all left to observe that she's lucky to have him.
We're told it's 12:55 AM when we see Danny all by himself in the hospital waiting room. Danny's halo of poorly-dyed clown hair is at Threat Level Delta, and I don't even know what that means, though I suspect the hair does. The doctor shows up and says "everything's fine," but he follows that up with a whole AMA handbook's worth of medical jargon, all of which adds up to the fact that Jordan is, right now, bleeding internally. Danny asks if the situation is life-threatening, and Doc makes an ill-advised statement that going to the corner for a newspaper could be life-threatening too. Ah, I see Doc gets his paper at the Crips 'n' Bloods Newsstand, too. But this is all just an excuse for Danny to justifiably threaten someone, so he's all, "Kid, I will beat you up," because remember, we're dealing with an incredibly young doctor here. I would kind of like to see Danny Tripp in a fistfight, though. Something tells me the outcome would be very much to my liking. Doc assures Danny that they will stop the bleeding and "she's gonna be fine." Danny focuses on the "gonna," and Doc says that Jordan is, right now, under general anesthesia because she's at risk of seizures, which of course makes Danny focus on "risk" and "seizures." Doc suggests Danny go get a drink and calm the hell down, but of course Danny No Fun is an alcoholic. Doc's like, "Sucks to be you -- see ya," but Danny stops him and asks if Jordan being under general anesthesia is bad for the baby. "Oh, the baby's been delivered," says Doc. Danny and the Doc go back and forth about how that detail could have slipped by unspoken, and Danny's rapidly freaking out. The baby is in intensive care, because she's a few weeks premature, but otherwise, she's in good health. Doc asks Danny if he has anyone he can call who will be able to calm him down any before he starts to have a baby. On cue, the elevator doors open and Matt and Harriet exit, bickering as they do about some ridiculousness or another. Danny says these two are his calming influences. Ba-dum-bum.