| The Maelstrom, Part II |
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Dan and Bobbi are wrapping up the show.
Bobbi: (on-air) And that's going to do it for "Sports Night." Dan and I will be back here tomorrow night. Motocross from Las Vegas is coming up next. Have a good night.
Dan: (on-air) Good night.
Will: Rolling credits.
Chris: Rolling sound.
Dave: We're out.
Dana: That was a good show, everybody. Thanks for hanging in there tonight.
Natalie whips off her headset.
Natalie: Midnight on the dot!
Natalie skips out of the control room.
Dana: Jeremy? Could you make sure the final walk-through is done?
Jeremy watches Natalie run to her desk as everybody else gets ready to leave the room.
Dana: Jeremy?
Jeremy regains his focus to find himself and Dana the only ones inside the control room.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Dana: Is everything all right?
Jeremy: Yeah.
Dana: Are you thinking about Natalie?
Jeremy: No. I was thinking about the printers.
Dana: Yes, that was unfortunate.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Dana: I've got to go talk with Isaac.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Dana: You'll do the walk-through?
Jeremy: Huh? Yeah, I'll handle it.
Dana: Good.
Dana starts to leave the room.
Jeremy: Dana?
Dana stops.
Dana: What is it, Jeremy?
Jeremy: Have you ever had this intuition- an extra sense- where you felt something was going to happen?
Dana looks intrigued.
Dana: Yes. Yes, I have. What is it?
Jeremy: I don't know.
Dana: You feel as if you know something is coming.
Jeremy: Exactly, but I cannot pinpoint what could possibly be coming.
Dana: I've been getting the same feeling.
Jeremy: So you know what I'm talking about?
Dana: Yes.
Jeremy: Then what is it?
Dana: I don't know.
Thunder is heard through the building.
Dana: it's coming.
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Dan and Bobbi are walking out of the studio and toward the newsroom.
Dan: This is the battle.
Bobbi: And I'm sure at some point you're going to tell me what this battle entails.
Dan: It is the battle of mankind against the forces of nature. Now nature isn't something to be toyed with, but it shouldn't think that it can waltz right in here and take everything out. There's a little something called intellect, and with that we were able to build an infrastructure with the ability to withstand a fierce punch from nature.
Bobbi: I wasn't expecting an explanation. We were without power for five hours.
Dan: And look around. There's light. There's warmth. The storm is still going on outside, but we are fine inside. We are just fine. Isn't that right, Kim?
Kim approaches the two.
Kim: Yeah, whatever you say. A call came for you while you were on the air.
Kim passes a note to Dan. He looks over it.
Dan: Did they say what this is about?
Kim: Nope.
Dan: Okay.
More thunder rumbles through the building.
Dan: Yup. The battle continues.
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Casey and Isaac continue their conversation inside Isaac's office.
Casey: So, what's going on with you?
Isaac: Me?
Casey: Yeah. Earlier, Dana said something was wrong with you.
Isaac: Nothing is wrong with me.
Casey: Isaac. Dana wouldn't have said anything if it wasn't true.
Isaac: Nothing is wrong, Casey.
Casey: So I have to take your word for it?
Isaac: Dana and Natalie are over exaggerating.
Casey: There is something.
Isaac: It's nothing.
Casey: Dana and Natalie picked up on something. And knowing Natalie, she's probably been snooping around and gathering information.
Isaac: (sarcastically) Not Natalie.
Casey: Isaac. If something's wrong, maybe we can help.
Isaac: There's nothing you can do.
Casey: Isaac? What I am going through right now is a prime example of what happens when you do nothing.
Isaac laughs at Casey's words.
Isaac: Using my own words against me, Casey?
Casey: I think the situation calls for it.
Isaac: There is no situation.
Casey: Okay, but if this nothing turns into something, don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Isaac: I will.
There is a knock on Isaac's door. It's Dana.
Dana: What are you two doing here?
Isaac: Rehashing the good old days.
Dana: Aren't there good days ahead of us?
Isaac: There are great days ahead of us. What is it?
Dana: If I could have a moment with you in private...
Casey: Sure. I'll leave the room.
Casey gets up to leave.
Casey: Remember what I said, Isaac.
Isaac: I will. Thanks.
Casey and Isaac shake hands and Casey leaves the office. Dana closes the door.
Dana: We're you two making a deal?
Isaac: That's between me and Casey.
Dana: I'm not going to have to worry about somebody getting whacked or having an "accident," am I?
Isaac: Don't you think if I wanted somebody "whacked," you would have been gone long ago?
Dana: Probably, but that's because you love me.
Isaac: What do you need?
Dana: I've been thinking about this all day and I think if we go to Donna-
Isaac: Dana.
Dana: -and maybe a few of the executives, and maybe pass along some compliments... nothing like wearing buttons which say "I Support Isaac Jaffee"-
Isaac: Dana.
Dana: -but enough to let them know that we love you and support you and show that you are the best managing editor in network television-
Isaac: Are we talking about this?
Dana: Well... well... your door is closed.
Isaac: I thought I said to "keep it under your hat."
Dana: You did.
Isaac: And?
Dana: Your door is closed.
Isaac: So that gives you permission to bring this up in conversation?
Dana: Isaac. It isn't like anybody can hear anything- unless, of course, you are Natalie. But in that case, she is trying to get in contact with Michael-
Isaac: How's that going?
Dana: The phone circuits are busy.
Isaac: And what's with the flowers?
Dana: He sent them to her.
Isaac: You could build a float with that bouquet.
Dana: You're changing the subject.
Isaac: How did the lottery tickets turn out?
Dana: Isaac.
Isaac: What? I can't show an interest in the personal lives of my staff?
Dana: I thought you tried to avoid getting into our personal lives.
Isaac: People can change.
Dana: And we can change the minds of the CSC executives.
Isaac: I think the storm is clearing. I think I might start heading home.
Dana: Isaac. It's been raining at the rate of one-point-two inches an hour.
Isaac: Excuse me?
Dana: Jeremy's keeping me abreast of the weather reports. Anyway, I think we can stop them from forcing you out.
Isaac: They're not forcing me out.
Dana: Isaac-
Isaac: I think I'm going to get something to eat.
Isaac gets up and starts to leave his office.
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Natalie is standing at her desk. She is pacing and talking on her phone.
Natalie: (on phone) Oh my god, Michael. I've been trying to reach you a dozen times, at least. I'm so glad I was finally able to reach you. (listens) Yeah. I'm fine. We're all fine. It's just been raining really hard with some gusty winds. (listens) How's your movie coming along? (stops pacing) Yeah. Yeah. What?
Natalie sits down in her chair.
Natalie: (on phone) What do you mean?
In the meantime, Isaac and Dana enter the newsroom.
Dana: Isaac we need to talk about this.
Isaac: You can talk about this as much as you want as long as I am not in the room.
Dana: Isaac-
Casey: What's up?
Dana: Casey, this isn't about you. And by the way, the lottery tickets were all losers.
Casey: Hey, I could be drowning right now in eight inches of rain with letters covering my body and the symbol of the U.S. Postal Service stamped across my forehead.
Dana: I was trying to talk with Isaac.
Isaac continues walking and leaves the newsroom.
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Casey: Well, it looks like he doesn't want to talk with you. Dana: He's getting away. Casey: Yeah, like you are going to get outrun by a 65-year old man. Dana: Casey, how dare you not give a damn about Isaac. Casey: Hey, I care for him and I let him know that I am available for him whenever he needs me, which is more than I can say for you and your psychotic, tactical questioning. Dana: He's in trouble, Casey. Casey: And he doesn't want our help. Dana: He doesn't want your help. Casey: Fine! Dana: Fine! Casey starts walking away and then stops. Casey: Those were perfectly good lottery tickets, too! Nothing was wrong with them until you got your hands on them! Dana: You picked them out! You couldn't pick out a winner among twenty?! Casey: Yeah, well I guess I should be used to picking out losers and making wrong decisions! Dana: What's that supposed to mean?! Casey: Nothing. Dana: No, Casey. What does that mean?! Casey shakes his head and continues to walk away. Dana: Where are you going? Casey: I'm going home! Dana: In this weather? Casey: There you go again, questioning my decision-making. Casey storms out of the newsroom. Dana: Casey?! Casey! Elliott and Kim are standing off to the side, witnesses to Dana and Casey's fight. They see Dan emerging from his office looking in a state of shock. Dan is quietly in his head asking himself questions. Elliott: Hey, Dan. Dan doesn't respond. Kim: Danny? Dan: You know... you know... you really know how I thought this hurricane was a battle between man and nature? Kim: It's a tropical storm. Dan: That's beside the point. Anyway, I can't go home- at least, not right away. Elliott: The roads are flooded. Kim: Did your apartment get flooded? Dan: It's not flooded. I live on the sixth floor. Elliott: Then what? Dan: Nature has different ways of striking back. You know how lightning is an enormous amount of electricity? Kim: As opposed to? Dan: A bolt- this giant bolt of lightning- came down from the heavens and struck my building. Kim: Did it hit your apartment? Was there a fire? Dan: Not exactly. It hit the electrical system in the building. Elliott: So, you're without power. Dan: You know that enormous amount of electricity? Well, it had to go somewhere. Kim: It went through the building. Dan: And my apartment. Everything connected to an electrical socket is gone. It's melted, smoked, obliterated, gone. The smell of burnt plastic is all throughout my apartment- at least, that's what the landlord said. Jeremy joins the group. Jeremy: What's up? Kim: Dan's building was struck by lightning. Dan: Every appliance I own is gone. Elliott: And Dana and Casey just had a huge fight. "Oh my god!" Everyone turns to see what Natalie is joyfully screaming about. Natalie: Michael just asked me to move to L.A.! Michael just asked me to move to L.A.! Everyone looks surprised with the sudden news. Jeremy: Wow. It's here. | Lyrics from "Baby, The Rain Must Fall:" |
