Upamanyu Biswas
The final episode of Apple TV+’s ‘The Studio,‘ titled ‘The Presentation,’ brings the show’s inaugural season to a whacky conclusion, especially with the specter of Amazon looming over Continental Studios. In the previous episode, we learned that the trillion-dollar company was looking to snap up Continental, leaving its numerous executives combatting an existential threat to their jobs. However, things went from bad to worse when the company’s CEO, Griffin Mill, ended up getting drugged on some shrooms hidden in the chocolate. The same happened to Zoe Kravitz and Dave Franco, leaving Matt and his team to figure out how to sober up their most important business partners before the CinemaCon presentation gets underway, which could determine the fate of Continental Studios moving forward. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Studio Episode 10 Recap
We begin the episode at the tail-end of episode 9, with Patty continuing to encourage Griffin’s intoxicated antics as she awaits Matt Belloni to show up and record the CEO at his most vulnerable. However, Matt and his team find Griffin and Patty before the entertainment writer gets the scoop. Subsequently, Matt informs Patty that her petty need for vengeance might cost everyone their jobs. He tells her about the potential Amazon acquisition of Continental Studios, which sends shockwaves down her spine. As a result, she decides to help Matt and the others carry Griffin back to the hotel. The only problem they face is people might recognize them on their way into the hotel. To that end, they decide to enact the ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ trick to drag Griffin into the hotel.
On their way inside the hotel, Matt and his team run into Dave Franco, who is still inebriated and excited about the upcoming presentation. He tells the group that he managed to make a huge fortune by beating a group of men at the casino poker table. Those men offer him dirty looks as they pass by. After the brief encounter with Franco, Matt’s group has the misfortune of running into Matt Belloni. As an act of desperation, they have Patty stall for them while they ensure that Griffin’s identity is kept a secret from the entertainment writer’s clutches. Once Belloni is out of the way, the group hurries upstairs to clean Griffin up and change his clothes. Sal is handed the unfortunate responsibility of taking care of an inebriated Griffin’s hygiene and dress change.
With one problem out of the way, the group realizes that Griffin must be sobered up before the presentation begins. The same goes for Zoe Kravitz, who continues to act bizarrely after her own challenges with shrooms from the earlier episode. Matt hands Patty the duty of taking care of Zoe. Eventually, Sal comes up with a technique to bring Griffin back to reality – make him snort cocaine – a high-risk-high-reward strategy, as per Sal and the others. In a strange way, the trick incrementally improves Griffin’s situation, albeit he still remains out of focus. To make matters worse, Tyler shows up to ask everyone if they are ready for the presentation. He is dumbfounded upon seeing Zoe and Griffin in a complete mess in the hallway while everyone else is panicking. Tragically, Matt has no choice but to move ahead as planned.
The Studio Ending: Does the Presentation Succeed? Is Continental Studios Safe?
Against all odds, the CinemaCon presentation turns out to be a resounding success. Matt and his crew desperately try to work the situation backstage while their main presenters, Zoe Kravitz, Dave Franco, and Griffin Mill, are in a state of total intoxication. However, somehow, the three big players show up in spades when the needs are must and duty comes calling. The first person to surprise everyone is Franco, who shows up backstage with severe bruises and blood all over him. Despite being roughed up by the same group of men he won his fortune from during the casino poker game, the actor steels himself and confidently presents in front of the audience for his much-awaited noir movie, ‘Alphabet City.‘ The crowd loves his delivery as much as the trailer itself.
After a brief speech by Patty to bide the time, the next person to bring the roof down is Zoe, who captures the audience’s attention by announcing her ‘Blackwing’ movie project. Everyone receives it with great aplomb and positivity. Amusingly, even Matt and his team are bamboozled by how their two biggest acting talents managed to up their game in front of a live audience despite being inebriated. It likely speaks to their acting prowess and instinctive ability to measure up and be accountable when the cameras start rolling. Griffin Mill is the third person to elicit a pleasant response from the crowd. The CEO is lowered onto the stage on a pair of wires, a makeshift solution for Griffin’s legs, having grown paralyzed after his recent high. Even though his arrival is slightly awkward, the crowd quickly warm to him and starts cheering.
In the final scene, we are presented with a close-up of Matt as he watches the audience around the theater express their enthusiasm for Continental’s upcoming slate. It is undoubtedly the most significantly validating moment of his life, one he has been deprived of all season to great comedic effect. To that end, the final scene resolves Matt’s need for affirmation, acceptance, and recognition by people for his moviemaking skills. Additionally, it also showcases a sense of contentment on his face. With the presentation’s success seemingly guaranteed, the studio head likely feels relieved that Amazon’s purchase of Continental Studios has a low likelihood of happening. Everything hinged on the presentation, which, given its resoundingly overwhelming reception, is likely to keep the studio in business and our beloved team in operation, at least for the time being.
Why Does Matt Thank His Crew Onstage?
While the presentation’s unmitigated success is a huge victory, one of its surprising moments is when Matt calls his team of executive producers – Sal, Quinn, Patty, and marketing head, Maya – onstage to serenade them with praises for their work. The scene serves as a sentimental closure for everyone involved, particularly Matt, whose desire for recognition is a deep-seated part of his character makeup. However, the moment also rings true for other reasons, such as paying homage and tribute to the unsung heroes behind the making of a film, especially from the commercial angle. People like Matt often dream about being appreciated by the general audience the same way an auteur director or a stellar actor is for their brilliant performance. As such, it allows him to lap up the crowd’s goodwill and spread it to his team.
Although it has an overall wholesome effect, Matt likely fabricates the moment due to desperation. In the earlier scene, he is worried that Griffin Mill might botch the whole presentation because he is still paralyzed from his waist down. To that end, Maya convinces him that she will fix the issue as long as Matt heads onto the stage and buys them all some time by talking for a while. Fortunately, he manages to stick to the script for the most part until the moment arrives to lavish some praise on his team of trusted helpers. He truthfully states that without their aid, he would be useless in his role as the studio head of Continental Studios. It is also his chance to garner recognition for everyone who generally gets no attention or love from the audience and worldwide viewers.
Intriguingly, the scene also has the tangential effect of showcasing Matt’s qualities as a boss. Despite constantly messing things up, Matt’s loyalty towards his team, Continental Studios, and movies, in general, stands him out as an exceptional leader who finds the positive even when things are bleak and he is routinely humiliated. We witness this throughout the season as he rarely gets what he wants and only ends up compromising time and again. Yet, against all odds, he shows that he is bigger than his failures and willing to rise up and give credit to his underlings rather than hog it all for himself. Thus, the scene has the double effect of poking fun at the entire filmmaking establishment while also being a genuine heartfelt moment born out of sincerity.
Why Does Patty Try to Disgrace Griffin?
One of the amusing aspects of the ending is seeing Patty show her petty, vindictive side as she tries to upstage Griffin in a variety of ways. She has no love for the CEO, especially after her unceremonious firing in the show’s opening episode. To that end, she makes it a point to laugh or snigger at Griffin’s amusing antics throughout the ending. It adds to the comical aspects of the show and showcases how people within the industry rarely forget a grudge, even when they have found success in the aftermath. Matt believes that Patty is in a healthy state of mind and happy with her life as a producer. As such, he expects that she will no longer have ill feelings towards Griffin for what he did to her. However, he turns out to be extremely wrong because Patty cares deeply about Griffin and how he “ruined” her life at one point in time.
After seeing Patty take pleasure in humiliating Griffin and even alerting entertainment writer Matt Belloni anonymously, Matt realizes that his producer’s desire for vengeance goes beyond the norm. However, the extreme nature of her pettiness could have enormous ramifications for Continental Studios. Therefore, Matt is left with no choice but to tell her that if Griffin’s antics become public knowledge, their jobs might be gone because of an impending purchase of their studio by Amazon. Of course, that does not happen because of the presentation’s success. Still, it does not provide any buffer for Patty to stop her sniggering attitude towards Griffin, who, by all means, is her number one enemy. Things work themselves to a degree by the end, but the animosity between Patty and Griffin will likely rage on moving into future seasons.
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