Hello, all! Okay, so I'm still doing the non-linear thing - I jumped to the last disc in the DVD set. This is the commentary for both parts of the season finale, "Loose Ends." Some really great stuff in this set of commentaries - I especially liked the commentary from JD about using his brother for his green beret cover, when he says, "if you ever meet my brother, this is him." JD is too cute.

Enjoy!

FYI: there are twelve commentaries for these two episodes.


NOTE: here are the links to the other commentaries for season 1.

BN Season 1 DVD Commentaries, Episode 1, "Pilot"
BN Season 1 DVD Commentaries, Episode 2, "Identity"
BN Season 1 DVD Commentaries, Episode 3, “Fight or Flight"
BN Season 1 DVD Commentaries, Episode 4, "Old Friends"
BN Season 1 DVD commentaries, Episode 5, "Family Business"
BN Season 1 DVD commentaries, Episode 6, "Unpaid Debts"
BN Season 1 DVD commentaries, Episode 7, "Broken Rules"
BN Season 1 DVD commentaries, Episode 8, "Wanted Man"
BN Season 1 DVD commentaries, Episode 9, "Hard Bargain"
BN Season 1 DVD commentaries, Episode 10: "False Flag"

”Sam takes out Ray Wagoner”



BC: I think this scene sort of typifies the difference of Sam Axe vs. Michael Westen - whereas Michael knows probably any kind of martial arts, you know, ever invented, [laughter from JD]...and Sam basically can just throw a haymaker and pick up a board, you know? So it’s kind of the difference between ‘em. Which is kind of fun, that it’s...Sam’s very, very Fred Flintstone in his approach to fighting. [laughter from GA, Matt Nix]
Matt Nix: That’s great. [laughs again]

”Michael the green beret at the truck”



JD: This uh, this character - I had to be a green beret. And uh, a lot of people um, don’t know this, that my brother actually used to be in the army and uh, he was a pretty tough bad a-s-s. And uh...and he’s from, I’m from north of Boston. And Mike still has a thick north of Boston accent. So this is actually kind of my brother personified. It’s an ode to him - uh, with his accent, with his attitude. Um, Mike’s a great guy, and uh - but I just...if you ever meet my brother, this is him.
Matt Nix: Yeah. What really strikes me about this scene is, is that you move differently. You’re standing - you always stand up pretty straight, but the way you stand in this scene, the way you walk away, the way you spit...it’s uh, it’s really an entirely different, a different kind of physicality. You could *almost* call it acting. I mean, I wouldn’t... [chuckle from GA] I don’t want to go too far. But it was, it was impressive.
JD: Uhhhh…you - yeah, I don’t think you’ve gone far enough yet. [laughter from Matt Nix] I’m amazing.
Nix: Oh, actually, uh, I wanted to ask - uh, when you walk away here, you say “Semper Fi.”
JD: Mmm-hmmm.
Nix: Um, was that in the script? I don’t actually remember that.
JD: No.
Nix: Yeah…
JD: No. I just ad-libbed it. First time the whole season I ad-libbed something.
Nix: Yeah, yeah, it really - ‘cause normally you don’t really add anything.
JD: I just lib.
Nix: You just sort of...

[period of silence as everyone watches the scene]

JD: [chuckles] I worked out before this scene.
Nix: Yes.
GA: Look at those boobs. [laughter from Matt Nix]
JD:*deep serious voice* I’m - I’m a marine.
GA: You are your brother!
JD: That was, right?
GA: It’s kind of scary!
JD: Yeah, yeah.
GA: Not that your brother’s scary, but -
JD: No, that - how accurate I was.
GA: Mmm-hmmm.
JD: Yeah.

”Madeline arrives at Michael’s place and yells about giving his brother a gun”



Matt Nix: So this next scene - uh, we also noticed that, uh, Sharon had never actually been to the loft. And so we wanted to write the first “mom arrives at the loft” scene.

[laughter from JD, SG upon seeing Madeline enter the loft]

JD: And she kicks open the door.
SG: Matt, you’re funny.

[brief period of silence as everyone watches the scene]

JD: The only person who could shut me up. [laughter from SG, JD]
SG: I took pride in that moment.
JD: You know, this scene actually - uh, I, I found one of the most challenging but rewarding scenes...is that the first time coming up, is we face the truth with one another. The underneath of the whole season - of how we will not be honest with one another about what I do.
SG: Yeah. I’m - I’m sort of mesmerized by this, guys, because I haven’t seen this. *deep breath* So… *pauses* [to JD] God, you’re good. *laughs appreciatively*
Nix: This scene actually came in, and you guys had really done a lot of new stuff with this scene. Um...and while you’re not allowed to do that ever again? [chuckle from SG, JD] We were really excited when we saw what came in.
SG: Thank you. [unintelligible] memory.
Nix: Particularly this line. [referring to the “I left you” line]
JD: This line was written like, two seconds before I said it.
SG Remember that he said that, Jeffrey.

[brief period of silence as everyone watches the “I left you” moment; then upon Nate’s “And you *still* got the car” moment, hearty laughter from everyone]

JD: And there’s the tension breaker!
Nix: Yes.
SG: The treacle cutter!
JD: You know what’s great about - what’s great about this scene, I think, for the first time, you see Michael’s facade drop and let her know the history that he’s lived for many years. And it’s real hard to find that. But it’s so much easier to be the cover. When he, when the brother Nate comes in with that comment - it’s easy to be vacant. That’s the easy Michael Westen. The hard Michael Westen is the Michael Westen that says, “I left you - how dare you hurt me with all of that.” And uh, that’s...we don’t touch upon that much - and I think that’s appropriate, because it’s not what the show is about. But I love that it’s underlying there.
Nix: It was really exciting to see it, when it came in. Yeah.
SG: I didn’t - you don’t expect things, you don’t know what’s gonna happen when you do a scene. But watching you, Jeffrey, uh, get hurt - it really made me cry in the scene. It touched me.

Michael fights Kent



JD: This scene - uh, we were doing it at, like, this gravel yard. *laughs* It’s kinda hard to fight in the middle of a gravel yard. And especially if you’re going to fight like some former, uh, military guy.
Matt Nix: But I thought this was uh, as we moved through the season - we uh...there were some things we still do the same...you know, we still have Sam with the rifle. *laughs*
BC: There I am, back again with the rifle! I’ve got yer back. [laughter from BC, GA, JD, Matt Nix]
Nix:: Thank you, Sam. Uh, but at the same time, you can see the, the evolution of, of how we shoot the fight scenes, um, with uh, more sort of punchy action, getting in closer… *pauses* And a blow line! [referring to the “Man, I just fixed that” windshield line] before we said goodbye.
BC: Is that what you call those? A blow line?
Nix:: Yeah, the last line, the sort of line before you go. The blow.

”Chuck Finley at the Chart House”

BC: Uh, I believe this is the uh, third incarnation of uh, Chuck Finley from Sam in the first season of BN. Uh, the name that he always uses for other people. And what’s kind of fun about this scene was that we did this, Gabrielle - this was like, three in the morning when they finally got to this. And I remember everyone was a little tired and crabby. And I was very buoyant and happy, and people were like, “What is your problem? Why are you so happy?” [laughter from Matt Nix] And...this is a fun scene! I don’t care what time of, of the night it is - it was actually a fun sequence to do. Normally you’re doing some boring stake-out or whatever at three in the morning, and as an actor it’s not that exciting. But this was actually really fun! So I didn’t really care. And what’s nice is it serves two purposes - it’s meant to be pseudo-entertaining, but also it’s meant to distract the guy so that his partner could get over. [referring to Michael climbing the fence to get to his client’s car] So what’s nice again - you got two reasons for seeing it: entertainment and infotainment. [laughter from Matt Nix]
JD: And the guy - and the guy was really good! The, the uh - the shack guy, the guard shack guy.
Nix:: He did a great job!

”Michael runs/Michael meets Cowan/the squib”



JD: Yeah, by the way? You can’t tell this - it’s raining. And they’re on a like, uh, a tr- a four by, uh, a four by four, uh, a Gator.
GA: I love this music.
JD: And then I run forever.
Matt Nix: I was very excited when we were - we came up with this scene and we were working on it, and, and I was writing that piece of dialogue. And I wrote, it’s a mile away. And Philip Cowan says, “You better run” and I was like, I know how we’re gonna shoot this! And I know that Jeff Donovan is gonna have to do a LOT of running. [laughter from JD] And there’s no way he’s gonna let the stunt man do it. And it’s really hot. And it’s just a great way - you know, if there’s ever any tension between a writer and an actor or anything, just to get it out by punishing them with making them run a mile.
JD: I love with your writing, you take a lot out on me. [laughter from Matt Nix, GA]
Nix: Exactly! [continued laughter] Yes. Now this is wonderful! [referring to Melissa and Kent’s car blowing up] This - this I have to say, when I first saw this I thought, Oh look at the cars! They’re driving! Ah! Why didn’t we let those cars go? ‘Cause those cars would stop in reality if there was that huge fireball. And then I realized, those weren’t stunt cars! [laughter from GA] Those are just Miami drivers, driving by a ten-story fireball without missing a beat. [laughter from JD, GA] None of those people were told in advance, that there would be a ten-story fireball right next to the freeway. And no one did anything.
JD: Gabrielle, what was it like actually jumping over and doing your own stunt here? [laughter from GA] What was that like?
GA: That is not my bottom.
Nix: You got to do -
JD: *assuming a British accent* And, and are they called bloomers? Are they called bloomers?
GA: *laughs* Knickers, darling. Knickers.
JD: *still speaking in a British accent* Knickers! *resumes normal speaking voice* And okay, Jeff, just run up a five story parking garage. Go. We’re just going to follow you! Keep going. Keep going. *pause* Keep going.



Nix: I will note that the steady cam guy is running alongside you with the camera.
JD: *incredulous tone of voice* It’s - he’s on an ATV! [laughter from JD, Matt Nix] And I had to - then of course you, you, you waited an hour later to shoot the top, and I hadn’t been running...so I had to run up all those stairs so I could be out of breath again. *laughs*
Nix: Now this was - we all really thought a lot about who did - who, who would we get to play Philip Cowan?
JD: Toby. *chuckles*
Nix: Well, we wanted it to be someone who was not - didn’t look like a badass agent, uh, felt like a government agent who was the kind of smart-ass that we’ve seen, you know, throughout the season. And Richard Schiff, uh, just seemed like a great guy uh, for the role. And we also wanted somebody who when viewers saw him, they would initially say a-ha! Now here’s a new series regular on Burn Notice. This is somebody we’re going to be seeing a lot of, and there’s no way on earth that they will put Richard Schiff onscreen for 45 seconds and then shoot him in the chest. *chuckles* Um…
JD: Especially after all the money you paid him.
Nix: Yeah - this was...I have to say that Richard did pretty well off this. [laughter from JD] Uh, on kind of a per second basis.
JD: He got ten thousand dollars a minute. [laughter from JD, Matt Nix]
Nix: Something like that. *pause* But no, he did a fantastic job and we were really, really excited to have him. And even now, every time I see this scene it surprises me. Now what happened here with the uh, stunt?
JD: They put a - okay, it’s what’s in movie business, it’s called a squib. You put a blood packet with an electrical charge that explodes inside the shirt and then explodes on me. And you see the blood - that’s all fake blood, obviously. So they put the squib on me. And it’s supposed to be a charge that is an entry wound, and then his back would be an exit wound. Unfortunately they rigged it to be an exit wound - so I got five times the charge going into my face than it should be. And it actually busted my lip open and I had a golf ball size uh, lip, uh, bruise that, that I had to ice and hide from the camera for the next three hours. Yeah. It’s a lot of fun.



Nix: I had to pay that guy like, fifty bucks to rig that charge that way too, so …

”Sam held hostage”



BC: Well, the scene where, you know, Sam is the, the hostage, um, takes some fun little turns. And again, I give uh, Matt and and, the writing staff credit...of working out two things. It’s not just Sam as a captive getting beaten up. Then again, this team is inventive enough that they’ll go, okay - Michael’s trying to free him from the outside. Sam is actually trying to get the guy to kill him, because if Michael shows up he’s gonna be killed. So these guys have bonded enough by the end of this first season that they will actually risk their life for the other person amid all the jokes. So that was another really fun thing to play. It wasn’t just a guy getting beaten up - Sam was being pro-active at the same time, trying to get the bad guys so angry that he would kill him...therefore saving, you know, uh, Michael and Fiona. So it’s always fun playing scenes where there’s always something else going on.
Matt Nix: And I just wanted to say - probably one of my favorite Bruce Campbell acting moments of all time was the look that you gave, Bruce, after Herrick leaves and you know that you have failed. You tried to get him to kill you and he didn’t and there’s just the...there’s some real humor to the scene, and you’re completely being sort of goofball Sam. And the sorrow in your eyes, when Herrick leaves that room and you think your friend is dead...I just thought it was heartbreaking. And I thought it was just a fantastic piece of acting.
BC: Well, it’s your fault - you set the whole thing up! I mean, you, you, you make it easy ‘cause you leave us...when you create a sequence like that, there’s only so many ways to react to it. And it just seemed normal at the time.
Nix: Well… *laughs*
BC: And there you have it.
Nix: Congratulations to us both. [laughter from Matt Nix, BC]
JD: I love you, Bruce.
Nix: We love you, Bruce.
BC: You guys are all beautiful.

”Michael and Fiona build a bomb”



Matt Nix: I thought you guys could talk a little bit about, uh, your flirting while building bombs. You did it a few times over the course of the season, and this - this was certainly my favorite of those.
JD: Well, I think...I’m, I’m really fortunate to play a character that is very dry and introverted - but yet is constantly uh, kind of poked at and riled by Gabrielle’s character. And I have to tell, to be honest with you, it’s all Gabrielle’s doing. She brings this energy to every scene, and it’s really - I’m very thankful for it. I am, Gabrielle. I’m very thankful for it.
GA: Oh, that’s very sweet. I feel the same way about you. I - if you weren’t in this scene with me, I would not know what to do with that blue moppy thing or that funny tie thing. I have NO idea what I’m doing.
JD: But - But, what uh, when we read something we don’t necessarily think, oh, this is how you do it. But for some reason when we start a scene and we rehearse it, it just becomes apparent...this is how you do it. Because Gabrielle will give me an energy and - like that. [referring to moment when Fi tears the saran wrap with her teeth to wrap up the sticky bomb] And I will have to react to it. *laughs* [chuckle from GA] And uh...there’s - it’s like deer in headlights. I just can’t...I freeze and can’t get out of the way of it. It’s really great.

”Michael says goodbye to mom”



Matt Nix: Now this is the big goodbye scene between mom and Michael. They might not see each other again.
JD: And she packed 18 weeks of luggage in those bags. [laughter from SG]
SG: I happen to know that those bags were empty. And Jeffrey is so good, he made it look like he was carrying anvils [laughter from JD, SG, Matt Nix]
JD: Well, they were empty, but I pretended she packs a wallop! [continued laughter]
SG: Well, it was very funny. [period of silence as everyone watches the scene]
JD: What’s great about Sharon’s character, I always think, is that she puts up with everything…just, everything. An abusive father, uh, a criminal brother, and uh, and uh, a son who uh, is a spy and doesn’t admit it. It’s… *chuckles* [chuckle also from SG]
Nix: I also think what’s exciting - and I think it’s a credit to you, Sharon - as we over the course of the season we really explored a lot. How much does Madeline actually know...and it was fun to constantly show, oh - she actually knows a lot more than she’s letting on. So in the case of, you know, stealing cars - well, she actually knew he was stealing cars.
SG: Yeah.
Nix: She takes it in stride.
JD: Well, I had to learn my skills from someone.
SG:*laughs* Exactly.
JD: I think I learned a lot from you.
SG: I think you did, too, honey. *chuckles*

”Michael and Fiona say goodbye”

Matt Nix: This is Michael and Fiona saying goodbye to each other, possibly for the last time. And...I think it really shows how their relationship evolved over the course of the season. And you can see the connection between Michael and Fiona is different in this moment than it was in that first moment in the pilot, when they’re getting together in the motel room.
JD: Yeah, I agree. There’s a maturity here, and, as...Gabrielle, you’d agree, is more real.
GA: Yeah. I think that they’re just communicating with more authenticity with one another.
JD: And he truly is grateful for everything she’s done. *pause* It’s a nice moment.
Nix: And I think part of what we were going for here was just the idea that they can have this moment of real authenticity because they’re saying goodbye.
GA: Mmm-hmmm. Yeah.

”Michael scuba-diving”

JD: I actually...I’m actually certified to scuba dive. And uh, we wanted to incorporate a diving sequence. And they put me in what’s called a dry suit, which is different. A wet suit is - you wear all the time and it lets the water in, moisture in, heat and coolness go in and out. A dry suit is - you are inside of a dry uh, a vacuum cleaner sucking your body of moisture. And you’re in a cesspool called the Miami River. [laughter from GA] That was awesome.
Matt Nix: Although this is actually on the stage.
JD: That moment there, yeah.
Nix: We actually built a big tank on the stage, um, so that it could be warmed to the precise temperature that Jeffrey insisted upon. [laughter from JD]
JD: They had nine fireman standing by to save me in a five by five pool. [laughter from Matt Nix]
GA: When you suggested that you scuba dive -
JD:[interrupting] Sorry, sorry - just wanted to say, I cover the, the, the, uh, that thing, the hook, with plastic. And then you sound guys add in a clink! That just pisses me off to no end. Sorry, gotta say that.
Nix: In the second season, uh, Jeffrey will actually be doing all of our sound work. [laughter from JD, GA] As well as acting.
JD: *animated tone of voice* My God! I mean, the thing’s covered in plastic so it doesn’t make any sort of noise! And then you sound edit, “clink!”
Nix: And the sound guys will actually be acting for, for Jeffrey.
JD: I hope you act better than I sound at it.

”finale”

JD: Okay, this fight, by the way, took six hours to shoot. And it lasts 55 seconds.
Matt Nix: Yeah, this was, uh -
JD: This guy actually punched me for real, many times.
Nix: In six hours, though, I think it’s fair to get a few shots in. *pause* Now how many changes of clothes did you guys soak through?
JD: Only about two. Two or three. So - when you do a set-up in a fight like this, is you’re trying to make every single blow authentic. So you do kind of a wide master, then you do a medium master, then you do a couple close-ups of the punches (like you just saw). But you have to do each take as if it’s real. You never know what’s gonna be caught - so let’s say there’s six punches during a take and there’s three takes on just one sequence. And there’s three different set-ups. That’s uh, 27 times he punches me on one angle. And we did about ten different angles. So it was about 270 times he hit me.
Nix: Now as I recall the whole shot - the whole scene was shot forward once and then backward once, and then forward again.
JD: That’s right. That’s right. We shot each sequence forward, and then we went each scene backwards, because it was fresh with how we were doing it. Umm...and I’m really proud of it. The only problem I had with it was you couldn’t tell it was me, again. *laughs* So next time I’m just gonna have a stunt guy do the whole thing.
Nix: Oh, we could tell it was you.
JD: This time -
BC: Why isn’t that Sam up there with the gun? Oh, that’s right - ‘cause he’s in here. [laughter from Matt Nix, JD, GA]
JD: There it is!
GA: Michael trusts me more than he does you.
BC: Apparently, yeah!
JD: Well you were tied up, dude!
BC: But are you a good shot? Look, you can’t even shoot straight! [laughter from Matt Nix]
GA: Oh, piss off.
BC: I mean, I would’ve had the guy already. [laughter from GA]
Nix: That was something we talked about. We, we try not to leave trails of bodies, because it sort of, you know, provides credibility problems. Now here - here, Sam? Talk about running!
BC: Yeah. Well, this is where I get screwed, of course, because it’s just you know, 120 frames per second, which accentuates every single thing. Of course, I’m doing the big hammy reaction and you know, Jeffrey wisely was playing the steely agent. And I’m being the goofball. And it’s for all the world to see at 120 frames a second - my hamminess.
Nix: It’s for all the world to see and then rewind and then watch again. [laughter from BC] And then see just like I do.
JD: There it is, there it is! [hearty laughter from JD, GA] And I love they freeze frame on you.
Nix: Oh, it’s just that good.
BC: Now this is weird - I have to say...doing scenes like this. Because the way you wrote this ending, Matt, you and guys - that you know, this guy’s leaving on a truck. I don’t really know - and as an actor I don’t even know if I’m gonna see any of these other actors again. I don’t even know if I’m coming back next season. So it’s - it was odd, shooting these scenes. ‘Cause you really didn’t know.
Nix: But I also think you can see the uh, the, the way that your relationship has matured as well. I mean, now you’re saying goodbye...I mean, this is - at the beginning of the season he’s not sure if he can trust Sam. And by the end, he’s risked absolutely everything to save him. And, you know, Sam gladly gives him his precious Cadillac.
BC: Yeah, since it was given to me anyway by some rich lady.
Nix: Yeah, easy come easy go, but still. *laughs*
JD: Right - here’s the goodbye. Which, in the previews we kissed -
BC: The goodbye kiss. The long kiss that they cut out.
JD: But they cut that out as well. [chuckle from BC]
BC: You guys cut out all the good stuff.
Nix: I actually did write a version very late at night, in which they kissed, just to see if anyone would notice. [laughter from GA, BC]
JD: People did, actually. People actually read your scripts.
Nix: Yeah. I got a call from the production manager telling me that um, I owed her a new computer because when she read it, she had spat coke all over her computer. [laughter from JD, GA, BC] And actually ruined part of her computer. *pause* Now this was actually shot out on, uh, what is it, 7 Mile Bridge?
JD: Hmmm. This was actually a GM commercial we lifted the footage from. [laughter from Matt Nix]
Nix: And then we wanted to end the season in a way that would be exciting and would bring people back to the next season. And you know, it’s a cliffhanger. And I know that in some ways that can be frustrating, but at the same time we knew that um, we knew at that point that we were coming back. And we wanted to have everybody know that you know, when you come back next season, we’re going to give you something really fun. And so, uh - something fun, like the inside of a dark truck. Um, so I think we’ll start the beginning of the next season with just maybe ten or fifteen minutes of driving around in the back of the truck. [laughter from BC]
BC: in darkness.
JD: Helllooooo? Helllloooooo???? [laughter from Matt Nix]
GA: Onstar? [more laughter from Matt Nix]
JD:*assuming British accent* Onstar???? *laughs* *pausing* [Then as the back of the truck comes down - *assuming scared voice*] I’m afraid of the dark!!! [laughter from GA, BC] That’s uh, that’s Michael’s kryptonite. He’s afraid of the dark. So that’s it! Thank you very much, uh, I hope you enjoyed the commentary. This is Jeffrey Donovan and I hope you’ll watch the second season of Burn Notice.
Nix: Matt Nix here. I, I just wanted to say - if it sounds like it’s a lot of fun making Burn Notice? It really is. And it’s an honor to work with the people that I get to work with. And it’s always a pleasure - even when it’s not. And uh, it’s really great when people talk about working with a family...um, to actually have that - it’s a really incredible experience. And I think that it sort of shows up in the work. If it - if it looks fun, um, it’s because it’s fun to do.

Well that was an awesome read! Can't wait until this DVd arrives from NetFlix so I can hear it. What can I say, JD is absolutely hysterical. I can't imagine how much fun he must be to spend time with. I also particularly love how much respect and appreciation he clearly has and is happy to verbalize for Gabrielle Anwar. These commentaries really make the show even more fun.

A HUGE THANK YOU FOR POSTING THESE. IM SURE IT WASN'T A SMALL UNDERTAKING.

Thank you so much Philippa for all your hard work transcribing the commentaries. I've only listened to a few of them, but now I have to listen to the rest. The commentary from "Loose Ends" just made me laugh when I watched it, when the car was in the dark and you can hear GA say: "Hello? Onstar?" Anyhow, thanks again! Great work!

I think this is some of the best show commentary I've heard from the 1st season DVDs -- I loved JD's line "I just lib."

I also love the section about meeting Philip Cowan, the whole running and running bits and how they would never kill off Richard Schiff's character -- A crack up!!!

Terrific stuff. Thank you PhilippaC.


-Mac

For some reason, I started reading this post about halfway through. I read the part about the kiss and didn't think anything of it, until it dawned on me whose initials are credited to the "kiss part!"

Too funny... I gotta get these DVDs!

Yeah, I loved that part as well, Mac -

Nix: Oh, actually, uh, I wanted to ask - uh, when you walk away here, you say “Semper Fi.”
...
JD: No. I just ad-libbed it. First time the whole season I ad-libbed something.
Nix: Yeah, yeah, it really - ‘cause normally you don’t really add anything.
JD: I just lib.

Hilarious! It's a great retort to Matt Nix, and it comes effortlessly to JD. He's there immediately with the punch line, "I just lib." And it's the way he says it as well - he says, "I just lib" with the perfect amount of cheekiness. Indeed - one of the things I've noticed the most when transcribing, is just how light and deft JD is in terms of commenting on a particular scene. He's very light on his feet, very quick-witted...he's has a way of wording things that is quite charming and delightful.

I was mentioning to Evelina69 how the thing I was noticing the most in transcribing these, is the voice inflections of the actors and Matt Nix. I didn't notice this as much when I first saw the commentaries, but transcribing these has made me pay more attention in that regard. By far the person with the greatest voice inflection on the commentaries is Jeffrey Donovan. He's incredibly animated. He's switching up his tone of voice constantly - the stuff where he segues into GA's British accent is quite funny, especially at the very end of this particular commentary, when the Cadillac is now in the truck and JD is repeating GA's plaintive plea, "Onstar??" - and then he goes straight into this scared voice, "I'm afraid of the dark!" LOL!!! He's just really animated, very engaged. I suppose part of the surprise in this is hearing the actor vs. the character (JD is funny and glib, while MW is the straight man and not very animated). I also love how droll Matt Nix is. When you hear him talking about getting Richard Schiff on the show, or the ten-story fireball - Nix is just so dead-pan in his delivery! Funny stuff. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the commentaries! There will be more to come, so hang in there, folks!

bumping this thread for those who are interested in reading the transcription of the season 1 commentaries - I know funnydiva mentioned that she'd be interested in reading 'em!

I'll work to get the remainder of season 1 transcribed during the BN autumnal hiatus...

[kusa, I'll start with the pilot next, as you mentioned you wanted to hear the commentaries for that eppie ]

Thank you, Pippa sweetie!
Keep 'em coming!
USA should pay you commish--I'm planning to buy the DVD set, and I've never done that for a TV show. Now, if they'd just hurry it up with the HD version!

XXOO
FunnyDiva

Nix: Now this was - we all really thought a lot about who did - who, who would we get to play Philip Cowan?
JD: Toby. *chuckles*

I looove that I was a west wing fan too and so was JD just awesome this was so kind of you to do this philippa thankyou look forward to reading your future ones as well.
Sam

Awww, thank you for the positive feedback Sam. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading the commentaries! I learned how to do screencaps from Vestokes at some point along the way and now I'm trying to go back and add pictures to make things a bit easier for people to follow with the commentaries... (uh, I didn't do them in order because I'm chronologically challenged, lol - will do better on the season 2 DVD commentaries)

Here's the funny thing - I wasn't aware of who Toby was, so I actually had to do a quick IMDB search on Richard Schiff to find out who it was and to make sure I spelled the name correctly. *lol* Yes, I have been living under a rock apparently. *ahem* Anyway, Siggy26 recently recommended The West Wing to me (as has FiRocks) - I'm planning on checking season 1 out of the library in the near future.

Reading these commentaries actually made me go back and listen to them again

Beware...if you begin watching The West Wing...you'll never stop, it's amazing!

So true the West Wing was an amazing series, I have tem on DVD and I can watch them over and over.
Sam

Philippa, I just thought of another reason for you to watch "The West Wing" Tim Matheson is in it!!! Wait, is that Philippa I see running, no sprinting to her nearest Blockbuster to rent "The West Wing"?

WHAT?!?! Tim Matheson is in The West Wing?

I've already requested the first season of The West Wing from my local library, so if you saw me you'd see me standing around, tapping my foot impatiently (as someone else has it checked out at the moment, argh!)...you're right, I'm actually contemplating going over to my local Blockbuster. I haven't been in there in years, so this gives you an idea of what a Tim Matheson addict I've become, lol!

Hey Phi love your transcription of the commentaries of season one please say you will do season 2 as well when it comes out

Thank you so much for doing this! That's alot of work! They're hilarious; I can't wait to watch season 1 again! I bought the box set, so I'm pretty excited.