Episode Report Card Niki: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Won't Someone Please Help George Bailey Tonight? (2)
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 20 | Aired on 04.17.2001
Grace calls out that "they're talking about Miles Drentell" on TV. The anchor reminds everyone that Miles was head of DAA, an ad agency that "shaped media culture" for years. He now faces up to fifteen years and thousands of dollars in fines for conspiracy and other charges. The news clip shows Miles hobbling down courthouse steps on a cane, assisted by another man. The anchor says that he is terminally ill and may not be well enough to stand trial. The news then cuts to an Atlantor spokesperson, who says that the project is being put on hold until they sort out exactly what happened. "They're gonna bail," Rick mutters, jolted by his flash of insight. He mutters that "they didn't make their last payments. I heard the rumors, but I thought..." Lily pats his shoulder and helpfully says, "Rick, who cares? It's over! Aren't you relieved?" Rick looks anything but. Stunned, he shakes his head a little and murmurs, "I've been working on this project for a year and a half. Everything I have is invested in it. I ruined my partnership. I let David take every other client we had." He adds that he's been so worried about going to jail that he never considered other possibilities. He seems to have forgotten that Grace is in the room. She listens, troubled and looking a little guilty, as if she now fully understands just what it meant when she was fighting him on the project. Lily insists they'll "make it through it." Rick's reaction to her statement of solidarity is to bail. He leaves to go upstairs and lie down. He takes the stairs two at a time, like he can't get out of there fast enough. Don't think Lily doesn't notice. Her troubled expression stays with us as we fade out to commercials.
After commercials, we find Rick and a subdued group of associates gathered around the Atlantor model. He says he just got off the phone wit the CEO, and he suspects everyone knows what he's going to say: the project's suspended, "at least for the time being." No one looks surprised, but a few looks are exchanged. He goes on to say that he appreciates "not just how hard [they] worked, but just how fine that work was." He tries to assure them that the work was not a waste of time, even though it may never be built, but he can't lift his eyes off the table in front of him. He thanks them again when he finishes his speech, and they all hang their heads, perhaps looking under the table for a couple of shovels. They may appreciate his words, but they don't believe them. A receptionist interrupts the solemn hand-shaking to tell Rick he's got a call from Mason Gould. Cho exposits, "The conscience of Chicago," and warns Rick to be careful.