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Studio 60
At the end of tonight's show, there's a scene where Sting plays "Fields of Gold" accompanied on the lute. I think this scene serves as a perfect comment on Sorkin and the show.
First, both Sting and Sorkin are pretentious. Sting records an album of classical music, and Sorkin writes a TV show about a TV show to tell us why TV is wrong.
Second, both of them have their best work behind them. Sting was at his best back when I was in junior high and he was in the Police. (I can be persuaded that The Soul Cages outshone his work with the Police, but his solo albums that followed reinforced all of his bad tendencies.) Sorkin was at his best (and lightest) with SportsNight. (I can be persuaded that some moments of The West Wing eclipsed SportsNight, but there was so much heavy-handedness that reinforced all of Sorkin's bad tendencies.)
Third, drugs. Cocaine broke up The Police, and a host of drugs forced Sorkin to turn over The West Wing to John Wells.
Fourth, despite all their faults, the song was pretty, and the scene with Matt and Harriet worked. Both were very close to being bad, but they stayed good.
Having said all that, Friday Night Lights is better than Studio 60
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"You're going to miss everything cool and die angry."
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