The hills are alive with the sound of settlement! Everybody and their foreign press association is reporting that the months-long Writer's Guild of America strike might finally be nearing its end. While union boss Patric Verrone says it ain't over 'til it's over and reminds an optimistic and entertainment-starved world that the strike will go on as long as it needs to, studios and networks are quietly making phone calls to get back into the swing of production, a deal has reportedly been struck on the contentious issue of internet revenues, and writers are already beginning to wonder what kind of work environment they'll (hopefully) be returning to.
It would be nice if we could remember the strike as something that taught us a lesson about labor relationships in the post-manufacturing economy, or that brought us all closer together over our tangible desire to find out how Lost ends, or resulted in the blessed cancellation of a handful of misbegotten film and television projects. But if indeed it's all over, we'd do well to remember that this was a serious issue with vast financial repercussions and real human costs, with careers wrecked, savings lost, dream projects consigned to the scrap heap, and professional relationships permanently soured.
On the other hand, it also brought us a video of Maggie Gyllenhaal engaged in a lesbian orgy. So maybe it was a good thing, in the end.
