By Faith McQuinn

Kidnap and ransom —  that’s what K&R stands for. In Part 1, Tom Jeter (Nathan Corddry) finds out that his brother Mark, a U.S. airman, has been captured by Afghan militiamen. Jordan (Amanda Peet) goes into the hospital because she hasn’t felt her baby kick. And Danny (Bradley Whitford) and Matt (Matthew Perry) must keep the cast and crew of Studio 60 together through all the ordeals. In a bold move, Matt asks his lawyer —  and possible love interest — Mary Tate (Kari Matchett) to use her connections for a K&R rescue team.

Part 2 picks up with Danny, newly engaged to Jordan, awaiting news on her surgery. Back at the studio, Tom is waiting for news about his brother, and Mary is still on the phone trying to get information on Mark’s kidnappers. While all this is going on, the audience is treated to flashbacks to 2001, when everyone was trying to figure out how to be funny after September 11th. I use “treated” very loosely.

This may seem like a lot of story lines going on at the same time, and it really is. I don’t mind the mingling of Jordan’s and Mark’s fates, but to throw in flashbacks too? It’s a little much. The smart part of this show leaks out a little when the flashbacks strike too much on the nose about war, politics and the media. But, by the close of the episode, it’s not just the flashbacks that are on the nose. About 30 seconds before the credits roll, the cast and crew is gathered around a television watching D.L. Hughley’s Simon tell a mob of reporters, “This whole country is a bunch of idiot teenagers.” Talk about not being subtle.

Creator and executive producer Aaron Sorkin is not afraid of mixing politics and entertainment. He did it for four years on THE WEST WING before he left, and creating a show about Hollywood hasn’t changed his habits. K&R: PART II not only deals with the military and the war in Iraq, but also touches on how the media covers events and how people in Hollywood really feel about the whole thing.

We all know that liberals are an overwhelming majority in Hollywood. Aaron Sorkin is probably one himself, but that doesn’t stop him from creating characters that have varying feelings about domestic and international events. I applaud him for writing smart and witty dialogue that raises political discussion instead of beating me over the head with his beliefs.

I hope that NBC is just as smart as he is and picks up STUDIO 60 for a second season. This show might not be for everybody, but it is definitely good television. I can’t wait to see the conclusion of the three-part series next week. Will the trilogy’s title take on a new meaning when something happens to Jordan, and Danny can’t see the baby ever again? I guess I’ll just have to wait until next week. Good television always has a way of making you long for more.