The Studio
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Its a bad time for Matt to be a bumbler and nuisance.
Polleys shooting an ambitious single-take shot a oner at magic hour.
She hasmaybetwo chances to get it before she loses the light and loses her star to scheduling issues.
Everything has to go right, but nothing does, and its pretty much all Matts fault.
(Its Matts favorite part of the job, he says, watching the script come to life.)
Sure, he has some ideas.
For instance, he loves a bookend.
So does the episode.
Its a tight comedic episode that doubles as an epic disaster movie.
It doesnt have to be that way.
Sals casual attire makes him feel insecure.
He doesnt want to look like a suit, so why is he wearing a suit?
Maybe, Patty and Sal figure, they can confine Matt to his own video village?
Lee is flying to London to work on a Christopher Nolan film about Jack the Ripper.
(Spoiler alert: Hes a she.)
Once the sun goes down, theyve missed their last chance.
Matts arrival on the set has a butterfly effect, creating ripples of chaos.
Even the casual clothes he chooses to change into will have consequences down the line.
Theres another thing, too: It seems to be going really well without him there.
Polleys in command of the set and the rehearsals make the shot look like it will be incredible.
These developments, too, will have consequences, both immediately and down the line.
Take one: The joint goes out.
Take two: This goes smoothly apart from the video and audio feeds to the video village cutting out.
Matt, having escaped from the private video village, gets so panicky about this that he distracts Lee.
That gives them another chance, assuming they can replace Party Guy No.
The problem: Matts wearing Party Guy No.
Patty doesnt want him there and Polley doesnt want him there either.
She loves a bookend too!
(She also, as predicted, wants to use the studios private jet.)
Take three: Matt walks into the shot.
Then, attempting to save the day, he flees and injures himself as Polleys frustration mounts.
And she would, too, were it not for a classic convertible with the vanity plate STD HEAD.
Keys retrieved, he drives off as the sun sets.
The episode (with some help from the Rolling Stones) ends as it began.
But theres an unfortunate postscript: a text from the set lets Sal know they didnt get the shot.
Hes not an egomaniac, but hes not ego-less, either.
And … Cut!
Oners are so stupid.
Its just the director jacking off while making everyone elses lives miserable, Sal claims.
Audiences do not care about this shit.
Onersdooften play as indulgent.
If nothing else, its safe to say that a oner can go either way.
The man had a package like a caramel-leather sofa.
OHara may not getallof this series best lines, but she certainly gets her share.
Polley might be the episodes supporting MVP.