Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip/Nevada Day (2)

Nevada Day (2)
Season 1, Episode 8
Airdate	November 13, 2006
Written by	Aaron Sorkin David Handelman (story) Cinque Henderson (story)
Directed by	Timothy Busfield
← 1x07 Nevada Day (1)	1x09 → The Option Period
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip — Season One

Nevada Day (2) is the eighth episode of the first season of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and the eighth episode overall. While the motley crew of Simon, Jack and Danny attempt to get Tom out of jail, Matt tries to put together a back-up show if they don't make it back to the studio in time.

Special Guest Star: Ed Asner (Warren White)

Guest Stars: John Goodman (Judge Robert Bebe), Lucy Davis (Lucy Kenwright), Nate Torrence (Dylan Killington), Jay Paulson (Roger), Michael Kostroff (David Langenfeld), Julia Ling (Kim Tao), Raymond Ma (Zhing Tao), Columbus Short (Darius Hawthorne), Ayda Field (Jeanie Whatley), Simon Helberg (Alex Dwyer), Camille Chen (Samantha Li), Diana-Maria Riva (Lilly Rodriguez)

Plot Overview

A little less than 6 hours until the show goes live, Matt recaps exactly what is going on with Tom, Simon and Pahrump, Nevada to the cast and sets them to work on rewriting the sketches for the show in case they don't make it back from Nevada in time. He assigns Dylan to pick up the slack on News 60, a role which Dylan is terrified of taking on.

While they work, Harriet continues to deal with the fallout of her gay marriage comment in the Post. Jordan asks her to call off all performances in order to let it blow over, but Harriet opposes the strategy saying that she doesn't want to shirk her responsibilities as a role model for her own sake. After some angling, Harriet considers Jordan's proposition and leaves to get back to work.

Meanwhile, back in Pahrump, Danny calls Jordan with information on Tom's fate. It seems that Tom will be getting out without a problem, but the point of his call is to try to convince her to do something about her husband's book negatively affecting her reputation. She insists that she knows what she's doing and lets Danny go, in time for him to hear the judge's ruling. Not only is Tom not getting any special treatment, but they're going out for lunch at the diner across the street. There, he informs them that a prosecutor is on the way from his paintball competition but until then, Tom can't be arraigned.

During rehearsal, Matt pulls Harriet aside to bring up Jordan's comments on deciding on whether or not to cancel her appearances. He ultimately leaves it up to her, but she winds up being dropped from the bill by the organization putting together the concert for not being intolerant enough. They continue on with rehearsal, including using Jeanie to seduce Dylan into taking his News 60 temporary role and running with it.

In Pahrump, the DA lays out the charges currently levied against Tom. However, when the DA notices a military tribute wristband on Tom's wrist, the Judge discovers that Tom's brother is in the military and is assigned to a unit which exists to build new buildings and infrastructure in hostile areas. Under his own duress, the judge releases Tom and dismisses all charges under his jurisdiction. He also "loses" the evidence bag with Simon's joint and lets Jack go without being charged for contempt of court.

Everyone comes back in time for the dress rehearsal, although the dress is pushed back 15 or 20 minutes because of traffic. It seems like everything will work out, until Zhing Tao discovers the gossip about Jordan and attempts say that NBS has no honor. Jack explodes at him, defending everyone involved in the Pahrump debacle and Jordan. But, after all this, it turns out that Kim mistranslated her father. Whether he'll take his business to Time Warner or not is left unknown.

Notes

Host/Musical Guest

• Although she doesn't make an appearance in either episode, the host and musical guest for this week's episode of Studio 60 is Jessica Simpson. Simpson is a pop singer and actress who has appeared in films like The Dukes of Hazzard and Employee of the Month. She also starred in a reality show chronicling her ultimately disastrous marriage entitled Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. As of the first airing of this episode, there have only been 20 "double duty" hosts in the history of Saturday Night Live.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• Liberace: Liberace is a notoriously flamboyant entertainer who died of AIDS when he was 67. Although he is often used as the butt of jokes about homosexuality, Liberace constantly denied rumors that he was gay.

Matt: ...Makes me want to hit you over the head with Liberace.

• Ann Coulter: Ann Coulter is a right-wing pundit and author who is infamous for her demonizing of everyone further to the left on the political spectrum than she is. She proclaims Christian beliefs, but often exhibits fanatical tendencies. Following the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, Coulter said that the Unites States should "should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." Her comments have caused publishers and politicians alike to distance themselves from her.

Harriet: Christianity has a nicer voice than Ann Coulter's.

• Carol Channing: Carol Channing is an actress in both film and Broadway who is most well known for appearing in Broadway shows like Hello, Dolly! and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her singing style is often parodied because it is so unusual and not typical of a music theater actress.

Jordan: Carol Channing has a nicer voice than Ann Coulter's.

• Anita Bryant: In 1977, Anita Bryant, a singer and spokeswoman for Florida orange juice, campaigned heavily for the repeal of an ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation. This campaign notably involved declaring that acceptance of homosexuality would cause an increase in child molestation and "homosexual recruitment." Ultimately, the anti-discrimination bill was passed and Bryant's career folded under a pressure of a major boycott.

Jordan: Just for a second opinion, let's ask Anita Bryant.

• Walker, Texas Ranger: Chuck Norris stars in Walker, Texas Ranger, a CBS action/adventure series about a Texas Ranger who fights crime with a mix of martial arts and cunning. However, the show is mainly known for being campy and ridiculous. Clips of the series were, for a while, a source of mockery for late night talk show host Conan O'Brien which spawned a greater phenomenon on the internet.

Danny: I'm in the middle of an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

• George Michael: George Michael is a pop singer who first gained popularity in the 1980s as part of the group Wham before finding success as a solo musician. In 1998, Michael was arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a park bathroom and subsequently was outed as a homosexual. Although the case was relatively minor in nature, the arresting officer sued Michaels for "slandering" him in interviews.

Harriet: When George Michael does some guy in a bathroom...

• Woody Allen: While married to Mia Farrow, famed movie director and comedian Woody Allen was found to have established a relationship with Farrow's adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. The two were married in 1997 and later adopted two daughters. They have an age difference of 35 years.

Harriet: Or Woody Allen marries his daughter...

• Roman Polański: The child molester that Harriet refers to is likely Roman Polański, a film director responsible for classic movies like Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby. Polański was involved with Sharon Tate prior to her murder at the hands of Charles Manson's cult in 1969. In 1977, Polański became embroiled in a scandal with a 13-year-old girl that ended with him pleading guilty to "unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor." Believing that the judge would disregard his plea bargain, Polański fled to Paris were he would not be extradited due to his French citizenship. He won the Academy Award for best director in 2002 for The Pianist.

Harriet: Or a child molester gets an Oscar nomination...

• Mad Max: The sequel to Mad Max, a post-apocalyptic action movie starring Mel Gibson, was subtitled "Beyond Thunderdome." In the movie, Max challengers the co-mayor of a town to a duel in the Thunderdome, a kind of gladiator ring in which the tagline of the film proclaims "two men enter. One man leaves."

Danny: There is now an assistant DA here in Thunderdome.

• Hee Haw: Hee Haw is a long-running variety series hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark that was taped at Opryland USA in Nashville until its cancellation in 1992. The series made often usage of country music and "country" humor which attracted a niche demographic that would likely be referred to as "blue collar" if it were created in 2006.

Judge: And stop thinking that everyone between 5th Avenue and the Hollywood Bowl just stepped barefoot out of the cast of Hee Haw.

• Keystone Kops: The Keystone Kops are the focus of a series of silent film comedies about an incompetent police force which featured comedic actors like Fatty Arbuckle. Since their release, the term "Keystone Kops" has been adapted as a term used to describe an organization's colossal blunders.

Danny: We're the keystone cops.