Episode Report Card Niki: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT In a Whole Lot of Shhh
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 5 | Aired on 11.27.2000
Back at the Sammler ranch, Eli's on the phone in the kitchen, ranting again about standardized tests. This time, he's complaining that "they actually give teachers bonuses based on how well their students do." That's right, Eli; it's all a big conspiracy aimed at making your life miserable. Everyone's in on it. Whoever's on the other end seems to be suggesting a new way of seeing things. Eli concedes that he guesses they're right -- he'd never thought of it that way. Rick enters, and when Eli spots him, he tells the person to hold on. "It's for you," he says, handing Rick the cordless. "It's your client, that Drentell guy. He seems pretty cool." From the back seat of his car, Miles informs Rick that he has a "very engaging son." Miles then cuts to the chase. Which is to say, he begins torturing Rick. He tells him that he'd planned to call and commend him. Rick says he did the best he could. Miles repeats that that was his plan, but he just finished speaking with the clients. Rick's stomach plummets. He sits on the stairs and grabs the bridge of his nose, bracing for the worst. "Uh huh," he says, resolutely. "They...Are...On...Board," Miles says. Rick looks stunned. Miles goes on to praise Rick's performance and says the clients were almost as impressed as he was. "It's going to happen, and more," Miles declares. Rick cautiously asks whether the Heads have to check with anybody. Miles informs him that they are the people with whom people check. Miles congratulates Rick and tells him -- are you sitting down? -- to enjoy the rest of the weekend. He tells Rick to "take that son of [his] to a sporting event and bond, and [they'll] talk Monday." Rick disconnects and stands there for a minute, looking disoriented and weaving slightly. As it registers, he spins around and does that little jockish "Yeee-es!" move, like he just scored a touchdown.
Cut to a close-up of paper clips around the base of a champagne flute. The camera pans back and we see that David is tossing the clips at the glass. Rick enters and they exchange hellos. After a moment or two, during which David goes on shooting clips, Rick proclaims him "unbelievable." Rick bugs him about not asking how it went Saturday night. "How'd it go Saturday night?" David dutifully asks. "We got it, David. We got the whole damn thing," Rick says, with barely restrained elation. He goes on to say it was like the first time they got anything except "a million times better." Rick's elation is not contagious. David, still sitting, simply looks at him. Rick tells David to do himself "a favor: open up just a crack and let some of this in because it feels so good!" "So you were brilliant?" David asks. Rick affirms it, sings his own praises, and ends up sounding like Cinderella after the ball as he remembers how transformed the office looked -- like a dream. David points out that the only remnant is the lone champagne flute. Still blabbing excitedly, Rick says he's going to frame the flute. David's expression still hasn't changed. "Miles must've been happy," David says from behind the fist that's propping up his chin. He removes his feet from his desk, stands, and walks deliberately to Rick's desk, saying, "If you hadn't impressed those people, his whole dream would've fallen apart." Rick agrees, saying that after all that, doing only Miles's building would have been a letdown. "Miles wouldn't have a building if it wasn't for those people," David states in a monotone. Rick wants to know what he's talking about. David moves to Rick's other side, lowers his voice, and drops the bomb: he made some calls over the weekend and managed to find out that, "about the same time Miles started being so fussy, the funding for his building was going down the toilet." Rick doesn't comprehend. "I mean there's more real money behind this model than there is behind Miles Drentell." Miles's old financers, it seems got cold feet, and when word got out "there was a stampede." Rick can't believe they didn't hear about it. David points out they don't "run into too many investment bankers in the car-pool lane." "Last May," Rick repeats, finally absorbing the reality of David's news. David lays it out: "Without Atlantor, [Miles is] nothing. You saved his ass the other night, and I bet you said 'thank you.'" Rick looks like David Spade must've when his assistant got finished with the stun gun. "I'm sorry," David mutters before walking away. I honestly think he means it.