By Daniel
The scene is a downtown sports bar on Super Bowl Sunday, where I'm enjoying steak and beer and a highly entertaining football game when all of a sudden I see a commercial which looks like a guest spot of Regis Philbin on Sports Night. Immediately I begin choking and require the Heimlich. I mean, it wasn't as scary as Edward James Olmos' giant head on the big screen during halftime, but it was pretty frightening and I was jumpy while watching the show the following Tuesday. Not only was there not a Regis Philbin cameo, there wasn't even a Super Bowl reference, but I'll let that go since Sports Night was timeslot-less for so long the writers probably had no idea when a Super Bowl-themed episode would air.
This episode starts out with Dan telling Casey to look into his eyes. Casey won't. Dan explains that to look into his eyes is to see sheer desperation, which I suppose the many women in Dan's life can corroborate. Walking and Talking -- Casey tells Dan he won't switch with him because he has plans. Dan says "winding down" is not plans. Casey says he was thinking about going to a movie. Dan complains that he's going to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a movie. Guess so! Not that we know yet what this "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity is. The suspense is killing me. And by "killing me," I mean "annoying the hell out of me." Casey doesn't see what the big deal is about seeing a singer. We learn that Dan wants to see Tom Waits tomorrow night. Dan's coolness quotient has just been multiplied several times in my mind. Anyway, Tom is playing at a club tomorrow night, which is Casey's night off. Dan promises Casey his first-born son, which would be really enticing for Casey, who hardly ever sees his own first-born son. At the desk, it's Tertiary Character Elliot's turn to have some lines this week, as he gives Casey the update on "Webber," which is "just a sprain." Go T.C. Elliot! Casey tells Dan he needs new clothes and that Dan has to arrange for Natalie to go clothes shopping with him. Seems Casey's seeing this new girl (and I'd like to know what happened to Pixley) who thinks Casey dresses like her father, which doesn't surprise Dan. Or me, for that matter. Casey busts on Dan for mocking him while asking for a favour. Anyway, apparently Natalie has good taste in clothes so Casey needs her help, because last time they went shopping together, he found a "cool scarf." Does a scarf even count as clothes? Dan says he'll make it happen. It's not exactly Mission: Impossible.
In the control room, Dana is giving orders, and both Chris and Elliot get lines instead of silently listening to the dialogue of the rest of the opening-credits cast. Elliot says, "FYI, Miller fouled out . . ." which forces Jeremy to wonder when saying actual words became such a burden. He's looking at Kim but she doesn't have any lines yet, so Natalie says, "1975," in a comedic non-zinger in this week's installment of Sports Night's Quirky Dialogue (tm). Either that or it's more stand-up material posing as dialogue. Jeremy then says, "FYI, BYOB, ASAP," which immediately made me shout, "STHU!" which stands for "shut the hell up." Dana puts a stop to the madness by pointing out she needs his help putting on a show.
In comes Dan to talk to Natalie, but before he can say anything, she says, "Not a chance in hell," and Dan is flabbergasted that she knows what he was going to ask, and Natalie says it's intuition but Jeremy tattles and points out that Dan and Casey are miked. Dana gets all huffy about whether or not Dan planned to check with her to see if it was okay for Dan and Casey to switch. Dan apologizes and asks if it's okay. "What the hell do I care?" says Dana, all impressed with herself for displaying her executive-producer power. Natalie gets up to start walking through the set, forcing Dan to chase her. She bitches some about spending eight hours with Casey as he tried on everything Barney's had to offer. Twice. And then he only left with a scarf, but she doesn't say whether she thought it was cool or not. The scene ends up in a production room where Natalie says "no" again, forcing Dan to get on his knees and profess his love of Tom Waits. I'd like to say Dan's got the style, but not the grace. He's got the clothes, but not the face. He's got the bread, but not the butter. Got the winda, but not the shutter. Natalie tells him there's a party at some place called "Lot 61," and I don't even know if that's a real club or not, but it certainly has one of those telltale Hipness Through Ironic Understatement names. ["It is a real club." -- Sars] Natalie relates how she already tried to get on the list by posing as Dan's fictitious secretary and using his "celebrity." When I stop laughing, I see that Kim is conveniently walking by just as Natalie walks off, so Dan starts following Kim and he grabs her by the -- shoulders -- man, she's got great shoulders -- and he starts pushing her through the various Sports Night sets and he says, "Walk with me." Kim has this weird "what the hell" look on her face, and it's either because she's blown away by the fact that she has lines two episodes in a row, or because people who commandeer your body and say "walk with me" in a water cooler-dictator type of way are incredibly annoying. Turns out that Kim knows one of the bouncers at Lot 61. Isn't that lucky! But wait, she knows him in the Biblical sense. Dan asks if she could call Curt to get Natalie on the list. Kim says, "If I call Curt he's going to think I want to sleep with him again," and Danny makes this groaning noise, but Kim says that she wants to sleep with him again. Woo hoo! Go Kim! Uh -- I mean, look, I'm trying really hard not to objectify you, Kim, would you work with me a little? Kim says she doesn't want to sleep with Curt at her crappy apartment. So go to his place, you randy little trollop. Anyway, Dan promises them a suite at the Four Seasons, and Kim skips off, promising to call Curt.
Wheedling and pimping accomplished, Dan makes his way to the desk, where he lets Casey know everything's all set up and that "this time tomorrow I'll be bathing in the raspy drawl of Mr. Tom Waits," and Casey is equally excited that soon after that he'll be "trying on pants," and it is just beyond sad to equate the two. The prep crew are combing Dan's gay hair. But what's this? Elliot has handed Dana a message, and she informs Dan that Tina Lake (tomorrow night's sub) has called to cancel. "So who we getting for replacement?" asks Dan. "You," says Dana and the camera zooms in on Danny, who looks like he's about to cry. "But I'm going to see Tom Waits tomorrow," says Dan, and his voice is just this side of pouty. Dana says, "Maybe someday, just not tomorrow." The Boys go live and Dan gives the teasers through moderately clenched teeth. Casey gives a teaser with a rare reference to a Canadian hockey team. Woo hoo! As they fade out, Dan gives a disgusted push away from the desk. He's so disappointed! Commercials.
, Dan and Dana are Walking and Talking. Dan is trying to get out of work, but Dana tells him that "the sub pool is dry." Dan suggests a couple of people, but Dana has already tried them because she is "not a moron." Dan is not pleased with the lack of available subs. I suppose I wouldn't be either; what's the point of a sub pool if there's never anyone available? You'd think after the Cut Man debacle that the sub pool would be stocked about two hundred deep, because I'm sure there's no shortage of wannabe sports anchors with catch-phrases at the ready to hit the airwaves. Dan suggests Jennifer Somebody, who Dana says is having a baby. Dan asks, "Which trimester?" prompting a "Danny!" from Dana as they enter the office. Dan tries to suggest that there have been many medical advances that allow women to work well into their "fourth or fifth trimester." Dan refers to women as "you people," which is probably pretty telling in terms of his success with them . . . people. Dana wryly notes it's amazing what medicine can do, and Dan agrees. Natalie barges in and says, "We got Steve Saris." Danny gleefully points out to Dana that "she got Steve Saris" about fifty times and thanks Natalie, but naturally Natalie did it for her own selfish self. Dan promises he'll get her into the club, but Natalie needs to get one more person on the list; Dan wants to know who, and Natalie says, "Who do you think I'm taking, I'm taking my boyfriend." Dan has a good laugh that Jeremy would even want to go to Lot 61. Natalie says she doesn't care if he wants to go, but that he will because he's her boyfriend and he loves her, which is the kind of relationship maturity you might expect from a fifteen-year-old. Blah blah blah, says Natalie. Dan promises to get them in and says "woo" and raises his arms in the air and walks out, not a moment too soon for me.
Natalie flounces onto the couch and announces some changes to that night's show. Dana tells her, "I've got a gun under my desk," and Natalie, without skipping a beat, says they could leave the show the way it is. Heh. She needn't be so alarmed, since this is only the Sports Night trademark device that I like to call "We Have No Time For Transition So We'll Change the Direction of a Scene and/or Introduce a New Plot Through the Use of Non Sequiturs." Dana calls it a big "honking" gun and piece by piece reveals that it's actually a Revolutionary War musket left to her by her uncle. Natalie, very impressed, says, "Your uncle was in the Revolutionary War?" and maybe Sars would like to insert a little history lesson here. ["Easy, tiger." -- Sars] Dana can't believe this question and says, "Yes, he died just recently at the age of 241, Natalie!" which made me laugh. Natalie defensively says, "You're a little sarcastic and short-tempered for someone who hasn't been having a lot of sex lately. Oops! I think I just put my finger on the trigger." And she kind of sang the last bit. You'd think Natalie, as the Casey/Dana Love Saga go-between, would be a little more sensitive to Dana's lack of sex, but apparently the writers needed Natalie to utter one more reference to her boyfriend, love, or getting regular sex to bring her total to an even hundred for this scene. When someone talks about a relationship this much on a TV show, it can mean only one thing, and I'd like to say that the subtle foreshadowing of Natalie and Jeremy's impending breakup in this scene just about shattered the windows in my apartment.
Sam walks in and says, "Dana, let me put my finger on your trigger." Okay, he doesn't. He says, "Who's Steve Saris?" I would like to thank the crew on the MBTV Sports Night forums since I learned that Sam and Dana are married in real life. Normally, I'm against married couples appearing together on camera as unmarried potential couples, since scenes usually become in-jokey and nudge-nudge-wink-wink and stupid, but that hasn't happened with these two. Besides, as far as married actors go, we could have done a lot worse. We could have ended up with John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn. Or John Tesh and Connie Sellecca. Dana, annoyed, says, "Good morning, Sam," and Sam rather pleasantly says, "Good morning." Dana explains that it's nice to open conversations with the exchange of greetings such as "good morning," which confuses Sam since he thought they just did that. Anyway, Natalie explains that Steve's "not going to light the world on fire, but he's good." Pyromaniacal tendencies aside, Sam's not impressed with words like "good" and "solid" and "professional," and I guess he thinks it's a damning-with-faint-praise kind of thing. I can't believe that Sam the so-called ratings consultant hasn't thought of putting Kim on camera. Dana says Steve's an understudy who just has to keep the curtain up and that he'll be fine. Sam points out that "fine" similarly "always sets my toes a-tapping." Dana tells him to "leave now," and he does.
Dana asks Natalie what she should do with the musket since she doesn't want it, and for emphasis she yanks out her membership card in the Empire Racquet Club. Wrong card! Wocka wocka! Dana explains she's a dues-paying member of the Anti-Handgun Coalition, so she's morally opposed to the musket. Well, everyone knows that if muskets are outlawed, only outlaws will have muskets. Natalie leaves, ostensibly to do some work, while Dana continues to look consternated about the musket and sift through about nine hundred cards in her purse.
Natalie skips into the production room where Jeremy is busy with something, probably under the unlikely assumption that someone around this Melrose Place of a sports show should actually get some work done. Natalie's excited to tell Jeremy that they're on the list for Lot 61 that night. Jeremy is somewhat less than enthused. Wind out of her sails, Natalie says, "I knew you'd be this way." Jeremy denies being any way at all. His alternative to "Area 51" after tonight's show is to go home, order Chinese food, and watch Conan. Or Kilborn, he's flexible. It is now Natalie's turn to look less than enthused about that particular Jeremy Goodwin Thrill Ride. Natalie tells Jeremy that Dan had to pull a lot of strings, though I think more accurately it's Kim who's going to be pulling a whole lot of something. Jeremy still isn't thrilled, and Natalie's voice ratchets up a couple of octaves: "Jeremy, it's going to be great!" Jeremy goes into a stand-up act about how it's going to be a bunch of wannabe hipsters trying to look cool while simultaneously trying to spot Skeet Ulrich. ["He's right." -- Sars] Eventually Natalie just tells him he doesn't have to go, which makes Jeremy throw up his hands and say he'll go. Yay, reverse psychology! Blah blah she says he's not happy about it, and Jeremy concedes that he's not but he'll go anyway, because he's tired of having this fight with Natalie. He leaves to take a tape to graphics and asks if there's anything else. Natalie says "no" and watches him go. Uh-oh! I sense trouble!
Dan and Casey are in their office waiting for their scene to start, and when it does, Dan says, "I'm outta here!" and Casey pleads with him not to go yet, since he gave him the day off. Dan says it's his day off because "you're going scarf-shopping and Kim's getting boinked in a Parkview suite." Nice. Casey reveals he doesn't like being left alone with Steve. How old is Casey, anyway? Casey says Steve is a little morose, a little sombre. Dan correctly points out that "those are adjectives that wouldn't be out of place describing you there, Chuckles," and puts on this wicked grey toque. Coupled with his all-black outfit, it looks like he's getting ready to knock off a bank. In walks Steve, out walks Dan. Steve's huge! He wants to know if he's late, but he's right on time. Casey starts telling him all he needs to know, but Steve isn't really listening. Casey asks if something's wrong. Steve says he thinks his girlfriend Felicia is breaking up with him and that she's going to do it while he's on air. Steve sits down and almost starts crying while Casey's face clearly has an "oh shit" expression. Casey slowly looks back over his shoulder, maybe to look for Dan or something. Then the camera moves to a crane shot from up above as Casey lifts his fists and shouts, "DANNY!" to the skies in the wind and the thunder and the rain. Commercials.
Coming back, Sports Night is live and Steve teases the top stories. He ends the intro with "all that coming up after this. You're watching Sports Night on CSC," and he's doing fine, but then he says, "And this one goes out to you, Felicia," and we get a hundred shots of stunned reactions from Casey and the Tertiary Characters. Natalie barks, "Casey!" into her mike and Casey says, "I got it." Casey tells Steve that they don't generally dedicate a show, conveniently forgetting his own little shout-out to Danny's dad two weeks ago. Steve says he's sorry but he loves her and he's got to get her back. Casey excuses himself from the desk and storms into the control room looking for Dana, who went back to her office, according to Natalie. Casey has to hustle back to the desk and the camera still catches him settling into his chair and he begins, "We commence with our top story . . ." and I must say the writing for Dan and Casey's little show really sizzles.
In Dana's office, Sam is playing with the musket and aiming it out the door as Dana walks in, and she promptly has a heart attack. She says, "What are you doing here?" meaning "in my office," and Sam counters with "what are you doing here?" meaning "don't you have a show to produce?" Dana tells him Natalie has the wheel and she does that sometimes, "So don't feel like eleven to midnight is your special 'I can waltz into Dana's office and play with her gun' time" and Sam says, "My what?" and Dana starts to repeat that whole convoluted phrase again but stops and says, "Shut up," which was pretty funny. Sam says he came in because he heard about "Brown Bess," which is the name of that rifle. Dana folds her arms and says, "You like guns," so I guess that cancels out Sam's knowledge of Shakespeare in her world. Sam says, "I like this gun." He does seem pretty excited about it and moves closer to Dana to show off his knowledge of it. Dana tries to avoid checking him out as he stands so close to her. But she can't help it, so finally she says, "Guns are disgusting." Sam asks her if she's ever heard the expression "contempt prior to investigation." That's a new one on me and on Dana too, but I wouldn't worry about it since we are now in Metaphor Mode as we start examining Dana's contempt for Sam via her contempt for guns. The expression is from AA, says Sam. "Anyway, I wasn't hitting on you," says Sam. Go Sam! Dana is flustered and pretend-shocked at the idea that Sam would think that she would think that he was hitting on her. Sam says he's just playing it safe. I guess this is the Sally Sasser school of playing it safe. Dana shrugs it off and says she has to go back to the show. Sam wonders what she came in for, Dana says she can't remember, and she walks off but comes back so Sam can repeat the phrase "contempt prior to investigation" again. Just do him, Dana. Then Sam yells, "Nooooo!" and jumps out of the way as Dana's office blows up.
Back on the show, we are treated to an exciting shot of the TelePrompTer as Steve reads something about Indianapolis, "the home of the 500, the Choctaw Indians -- and Ms. Felicia Mercer. Hear that, Felicia? Ms., not Miss. It's called respecting you." Casey makes a face. So do I. This was funny at first, but in patheticness it's quickly approaching that scene in Swingers where Jon Favreau leaves about a hundred messages on that girl's answering machine. In the control room, Natalie flies into a rage and says, "Someone get Dana back in here!" As they throw to commercial, Casey gives Steve a warning "dude," and Steve asks if Casey thinks Felicia might have seen that. Casey figures that any number of people saw it, so Steve makes this "yes!" gesture. Natalie comes in and barks at Steve about the TelePrompTer and the FCC. The show goes back live.
In Isaac's office, Isaac is busy working. Until, that is, Dana comes flying in. Isaac wants to know why she's not in the control room. Dana gives this fake, "Oh my god! The show!" reaction and pretends to scurry off. Isaac thinks it's funny, which makes one of us. Isaac wants to know who Felicia Mercer is. Dana says she thinks it's Steve Saris's girlfriend, as if she has been paying any attention to the show whatsoever and knows what's going on. Isaac tells Dana to tell Steve that they don't mention their girlfriends on the show unless they're dating Martina Hingis. Dana completely ignores Isaac's instructions and closes the door to his office. She also completely ignores Isaac's pleas that he's trying to work so she can express her fake incredulity that Sam thinks that she thought that Sam was hitting on her, when it is obvious to everyone that she wants to get it on, bang a gong, get it on. Dana blah blah blah about how maybe Sam might be attractive if he shaved his moustache. How I wish something in Isaac's office would blow up. Dana says the worst thing about Sam is his need to control everyone and everything around him, which is nothing like anyone else I can think of. Then she says, "I hate myself," and I guess that's because she's admitting to herself that she wants to make like Kim at the Four Seasons. Then she looks at her watch and apologizes to Isaac and says, "I have to get back," and Isaac gracefully says, "Okay," instead of "about goddamn time." She leaves and Isaac vows to get a lock on his door. I think that's a fine idea.
Back at the show, it's time for Pathetic Male Grovelling III: The Quickening as Casey ends a story about a GM "sending a message" to a coach and then throws to Steve. Steve says, "Not unlike the many messages I've left for you, Felicia, all of which have gone unreturned." Steve generates a lot more sympathy for Felicia with his scenes than he does for himself and I hope there's an upcoming TV movie in the works -- I Dated a Eunuch: The Felicia Mercer Story. Natalie has had enough and instructs Casey to give Steve the hook. From off-camera, a giant cane appears and whisks Steve away, leaving only his microphone hanging in the air for a few seconds and few puffs of smoke. Actually, what really happens is that Casey throws to commercial and says, "All those who will be back for the second half of the show, take one step forward. Steve, not so fast." I admit that was a pretty funny line, but I also have to say using that line is almost as unprofessional as anything Steve said. In the control room, Natalie points and Kim springs into action. At the desk, Steve's microphone is being removed and Casey talks to him like he's been condemned to death. Steve apologizes and Casey tells him it's okay, that everyone has a bad night once in a while. Steve thanks him for being so understanding and Casey starts getting into how he himself has known the pain of unrequited love, and no one cares anymore, Casey, and when you're knowing the joy of trying on pants, I think you're healed. Kim shows up for some reason and just stands there, so I guess she's used up all her lines for one show. Casey tells Steve that Kim will help him get all his stuff together, and if Kim can't take Steve's mind off Felicia, then Casey wants to meet Felicia. Truer words were never spoke, Casey, but I believe the job of Kim's Pimp has already been filled. Still, I can't help but think that The Green Mile would have been much improved with Kim leading the convicts to the electric chair. Steve is banished. Natalie asks Casey if he's okay by himself and he says he is. He asks where Dana is and Natalie tells him that she's with Sam, which gives Casey pause, and then he says, "Okay." Oh man! He doesn't look okay with this! I can't wait to see how this pans out!
Cut to Dana wandering the halls as the crew does an admirable job of running the show without her conflicted soul around. She's on her way back, but pauses and heads back to her office where Sam is still polishing the musket, and no, that's not a euphemism for anything. Dana stands in the door and says, "I see you're still here," and Sam asks, not looking around at her, if she remembered what she needed. Keep in mind, we are in Metaphor Mode right now. Dana doesn't know what Sam means, and he reminds her that earlier she came back but forgot what she came for. She walks over to the desk and they stand face to face and Sam says, "Did you come back because you remembered what you needed?" I was kind of hoping Dana would say, "Yes -- and it's in your pants!" but instead of saying what she's thinking, she pretends she came back for Scotch tape and picks up the dispenser on her desk. Then she renews her objection to guns. "Guns kill people, Sam. They're macho and redneck and disgusting. And despite all your faults --" but Sam interrupts her and says, "The world isn't really like that, Dana. It's a more interesting place than that." "Like what?" Dana wants to know. "Black and white," says Sam. Dana starts to tell him about her membership in the Anti-Handgun Coalition, but he interrupts her to give her a history lesson about a bunch of farmers fighting off the oppressive British Empire with muskets like Dana's. A shooting star followed by a rainbow and the words "The More You Know" appear on the screen. Sam pulls out a card from his wallet and gives it to Dana. If anybody needs me to tell them which coalition Sam belongs to, they should be ashamed of themselves. Sam explains to Dana that "you have to separate the stuff from the stuff" which I think comes from Confucius. Sam blah blah blahs some more about the history lesson while moving a little closer to Dana, who is completely lovestruck by this point. Then he says, "I'm leaving in a week." Dana says she knows, as supposedly sad music starts up. Sam says, "Maybe we should . . ." and Dana finishes, ". . . keep it where it is?" even though she clearly doesn't want to. Sam says, "Yeah," even though he clearly wants to whip it out. They step back from each other a bit and Dana says she has to get back to the control room. Sam watches her leave, and from off camera she tosses him the Scotch tape dispenser, which was kind of odd.
Back in the control room, Natalie's face fills the screen; then the shot pans over to include Jeremy, who asks her if they have time to get a full-body piercing before they go out tonight because he doesn't want to look weird. Natalie is not at all in the mood, but Jeremy presses on, oblivious. Jeremy wonders what all "those people" do during the daytime: "They can't all work at Tower Records, can they?" This comment makes the Tertiary Characters giggle, since none of them has any more lines for the rest of the show either. Dana comes in just in time to hear the last half of Jeremy's "what's the deal with Tower Records?" monologue. Natalie, annoyed, asks Dana if she can stretch her legs. Dana says sure and Natalie stomps off. Dana suggests to Jeremy that he take a break too. Jeremy says he's fine, but Dana says he's not and tells him to go get her. Jeremy takes off his headset and follows Natalie into the hall where there's this weird purple lighting and they get set to release all the tension that's been building for about fifteen minutes.
Jeremy opens fire with a "what's your problem, I said I'd go" type of attitude, and Natalie sarcastically asks him if he could possibly do her any more favours, if it's not too much trouble. She says she knows the Lot 61 crew aren't his people, and Jeremy wants to know when they became her people. Natalie says they're not, so Jeremy wants to know why they're even going. Natalie says she likes a lot of people and "I don't know what I like and I don't know why it's important that I have my mind made up at twenty-six." The argument escalates as they bicker about how often they go out. Guess who wants to go out more. Then Natalie complains about Jeremy's stand-up routine in the control room, and Jeremy explains that since he won't be having fun tonight, this is his way of having a good time -- making jokes. Natalie adds, "At my expense." She tells Jeremy that he doesn't have a good time because he sits around feeling superior, except no one at the club gives a rat's ass that he's a sports expert. Jeremy counters that he does feel superior, for reasons other than being a sports expert. He also says he doesn't feel superior for making it past two bouncers with a clipboard, which I thought was a pretty good point, but he continues that he doesn't get the same thrill as Natalie does from "being on the list." Jeremy looks really mad; Natalie looks really hurt. Jeremy asks Natalie to stop telling him what a drag he is. Natalie says, "Why are you so mad at me?" and Jeremy says, "I'm not mad at you." Fooled me! "There are things about you I find unattractive. There are things about you I don't like." Natalie says, "Well, there are things about you I don't like." "And that's the way it goes," says Jeremy, and he walks past her to go into the control room. Natalie says, "Are we done?" and Jeremy, because he's the only one in the world who didn't catch what Natalie meant, says, "Yeah, we're back from commercial," and Natalie says, "No, Jeremy. Are we done?" Jeremy, understanding this time, says, "Yeah," and walks back into the control room. This scene was incredibly well done, and Casey spoils the mood because the show fades out with Casey delivering a dumb line about "nature's newest anomalies -- a soccer game with a high score." I thought the patronizing American attitude towards soccer -- the world's most popular sport -- was a thing of the past since the US hosted the World Cup in 1998 and because of the success of the American women's team, but I guess I was wrong. When you compare the World Cup to the World Series, baseball's ultimate title, at least the World Cup lives up to the "World" part of its name.
Coming up week: thanks to the wonders of simulcasting, a process wherein the broadcast on an American channel is cut in with the signal from the local broadcaster here in Canada, the show from the ABC affiliate was interrupted because NYPD Blue was starting on the Global network, so I didn't get the coming-up scenes. But apparently Jeremy and Natalie go about the business of getting their stuff back, Casey experiences temporary blindness, and Dana offers Sam a romantic sendoff. Woo hoo!