The Wrap Party (23 Oct. 2006)

Tom gets a visit from his uptight conservative parents, Matt and Simon go out to find new African-American writers for the show, and Cal tries to find the identity of a confused elderly man who wanders into the wrap party.

Director:

David Semel

Writers:

Aaron Sorkin (creator), Melissa Myers (story),

Stars:

Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Perry	...	Matt Albie
Amanda Peet	...	Jordan McDeere
Bradley Whitford	...	Danny Tripp
Steven Weber	...	Jack Rudolph
D.L. Hughley	...	Simon Stiles
Sarah Paulson	...	Harriet Hayes
Nathan Corddry	...	Tom Jeter (as Nate Corddry)
Timothy Busfield	...	Cal Shanley
Nancy Lenehan	...	Mrs. Jeter
Randy Oglesby	...	Mr. Jeter
Columbus Short	...	Darius Hawthorne
Teddy Sears	...	Darren Wells
Diana Maria Riva	...	Lilly Rodriguez
Merritt Wever	...	Suzanne
Mystro Clark	...	Willy Wilz

Storyline

Tom gets a visit from his uptight conservative parents, Matt and Simon go out to find new African-American writers for the show, and Cal tries to find the identity of a confused elderly man who wanders into the wrap party.

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Plot Keywords:

party | comedy club | world war two veteran | baseball player | blacklist | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Release Date:

23 October 2006 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shoe Money Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Guest Host, appearing on screen, Lauren Graham. The Guest Musical Act, appearing on screen, was Sting.

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Goofs

Tom tells his parents about the night Abbot and Costello wrote the famous comedy sketch "Who's on First?" If he was really such a fan, he would have known that although Abbott and Costello made the sketch famous, they did not write it. It was a version of an old vaudeville number that had been around for years.

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Quotes

Danny Tripp: You need to trust me on this.
Matt Albie: You are?
Danny Tripp: Twice divorced
Matt Albie: And you have?
Danny Tripp: No one special in my life
Matt Albie: And you haven't for?
Danny Tripp: Quite some time

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Connections

References The 700 Club (1966)

User Reviews

This episode is a huge disappointment

Jordan seemed totally out of character. Weak, insecure, dumb. Nothing like what she's been in previous shows. Tom's back story could have been interesting -- how his comedic sense emerged from a life in Ohio under a strait-laced father. Instead, he delivers a history lesson. And of all the cast members to pair up with Eli Wallach, wouldn't Tom, with his appreciation for comedy and comedians, have been a natural? At least he might have explained the Clifford Odets reference that probably sailed over the head of any viewer under 70. Last criticism: At the outset it seemed like the episode was going to set up the three bimbos as a main story line. That fell flat right away, so the trio disappeared. Good riddance. Only Simon's back story, his confrontation with Matt and their interplay at the Improv rang true; that's the only story line that sounded like something Sorkin wrote. The first five episodes hooked me and I will keep watching the show, but this week's show not only wasted my time, it insulted my intelligence.