Jeremy and Natalie obsess over a rumor they've heard that a "ratings guy" is coming to raise the show's third-place status. When confronted with the rumor, Dana denies that it is true. Later, Isaac confirms that the "ratings guy" is coming... and he is the one who hired him. Dana anguishes that Isaac hired the expert because he's worried about his job.

Dan is invited to Hillary Clinton's fund-raising breakfast. He has a crush on her and is determined to make a favorable impression on her. During the breakfast, Dan confuses secular with non-secular in a conversation about schools. Dan worries that Clinton believes he is an idiot. He attempts to contact her to correct his mistake, but he fails to have his calls returned.

Casey plans his first date with Dana. When Casey reveals his plans to Dana, she shares with him her "epiphany." After attending a biker-themed bachelorette party, the "epiphany" came to her. Instead of immediately going out with Casey, that they postpone their first date for six months. During that time, Casey is supposed to date other women. In her logic, once Casey starts dating Dana, he won't worry if he missed out on something.

Sam Donovan, the "ratings guy," arrives and immediately dictates changes to that night's show. The crew reacts by threatening to walk out, and Sam says he's there to do his job and he doesn't care if they remain with the show or not. The crew looks to Dana for guidance, and she advises them to do what he says. As calmer heads prevail, and the show goes on... with uneasy feelings.

The weekly internet poll question asks "Who's Cooler: Dan or Casey?" and when Dan discovers Casey is winning, he's convinced Casey is rigging it. Casey denies it, but it turns out that Casey is rigging the poll by voting for himself.

Casey asks Jeremy to help him rig the computer because he wants to bury Dan and he can't do it fast enough by himself. Jeremy resists, until Casey reminds him that in his first week Dan tricked him into thinking the camera had ignition keys, for which he spent seven hours looking.

Overnight, Casey gained another 150,000 votes, and no one seems to care except Dan.

Sam continues to drive Dana crazy. When Dan questions Sam about getting to know the staff better, Sam states that he comes in, does his job, and then gets out.

Jeremy becomes concerned when he finds out Natalie is writing to his deaf sister, Louise. After letting Dan know about the Internet poll, Jeremy continues to settle "all family business" by deciding to write and become friends with Natalie's father.

When Dana goes out with an old friend from high school, Cab Calloway, Casey is angry. Casey tells Dana he didn't realize that her "dating plan" also constituted her dating. Dana reminds Casey that the plan has been in effect for two weeks, and he hasn't dated any women.

Dana, as a spur of the moment action, takes off her underwear during the meal with her high school friend. After telling Natalie, Dana can't explain why she did it. Natalie believes Dana is trying to exert some control over her life in a place Sam can't trump her.

Natalie informs Casey of what Dana did during dinner, and it bugs him. He finally demands an explanation from Dana. After her explanation, Dana is surprised to discover that Casey understands her situation and supports her, even though he wishes she was having dinner with him and not a high school friend.

In a "close up" interview, Casey's old friend and baseball player Sam McArnold disses New York. After just signing with the New York Yankees, he says he "doesn't like New York," Casey promises to edit it out, because he gave Casey an interview when he was just starting out. Dana won't let Casey edit the tape because she thinks it's good television and will help ratings, but Casey feels torn. Casey goes over Dana's head and tries to have Isaac's approval to edit the tape, but Casey is caught in the process.

Abby's probing into Dan's feelings about his family make him unable to function and make him fear he is having a nervous breakdown. While taping a teaser, Dan cannot say "Yevgeny Kafelnikov" properly; he keeps saying "Yegevny." Dan panics and interrupts a session Abby is having with another patient. After settling down, Abby reveals that Dan only feels comfortable with people on television and that he feels blame for his brother Sam's death and that his parents blame him also.

Natalie tries to come to terms with learning that hell isn't a place, but "a state of being." This comes to her after the Vatican releases a statement releasing the fact.

Dana gets edgy as the arrival of her brother, whose use of illegal steroids may have destroyed his football career, comes closer. Dana's handing out empty folders, spitting out coffee, and shattering windows with her edginess.

As part of a Secret Santa, Casey searches for the perfect gift for Isaac. Casey feels Isaac hasn't liked his previous gifts, so he is determined to find something that he'll like. After being quizzed, Isaac tells Casey that he wants a cheese grater. Casey searches and buys many different varieties of graters. When he presents them to Isaac, Isaac reveals he has no expertise in cheese graters. Isaac tells Casey that because he put much thought and effort into finding the perfect grater, that means the most.

Natalie tells Casey that if his gift isn't cheap and located within two blocks of the building Casey's getting socks. When Casey suggests making a mix tape of his favorite songs, Natalie slaps down three pairs of socks.

When Natalie gives Dan a tape to watch of her work as an anchor, he contemplates how to give Natalie constructive criticism about her career and ends up telling her it was great, when it really was just mediocre.

The crew struggles to name an athlete of the century. Dan decides to go to midnight mass, even though he's Jewish.

When Kyle Whitaker visits Dana, she is furious over his actions. When she realizes how tired he looks, she softens and offers to be his big sister and help him get through this.

Casey runs into Pixley, who is on a date at a restaurant. After flirting and fumbling through excuses on why he never called her, Casey gives Pixley his phone number. Casey confesses to Dan that he likes Pixley, but he doesn't want to emotionally abandon Dana. Dan doesn't want to get involved because he knows how the situation is going to end. Pixley eventually calls Casey.

Dan, who wants to do a piece commemorating the 1951 pennant playoff game between the Giants and the Dodgers and Bobby Thomson's "shot heard round the world," is surprised to learn Isaac was in attendance at the game. Dan is dismayed to learn that Isaac told Jeremy of the experience, but had never shared it with Dan - even though the two supposedly share a special bond.

When Dana learns of Casey giving Pixley his number, she is shocked. The information given to Dana through Natalie through the network grapevine causes Dana to come to the conclusion that the "dating plan sucks."

Dan continues to bug Isaac about the pennant-clinching game. He first thinks Isaac is afraid to go on-air because of Isaac's stroke, but Dan later learns the truth. Isaac was at the game and missed the home run because he was in the restroom and washing his hands.

That evening, when Dana retreats to her office, Dan relays Isaac's story to Dana. He uses it as a metaphor to what is happening as a result of her dating plan - that she's essentially missing out.

Dana then hurries down to Anthony's to try and catch Casey, but discovers that he has already left the bar with Pixley.

Sam returns and sets Dana into a frenzy. Casey admits to Dan that he enjoys the powerful effect Sam has on Dana.

The crew is excited when they get a chance to interview Michael Jordan. That is, until the strings began to be attached. First, they find a paper in the press packet that coaches Michael to steer away from sports questions and direct them toward marketing his new cologne. Second, they are told to only talk about his new cologne. Third, they get a request for total editorial control to Michael and the marketing team.

Dana believes that Sam will still want to do the interview, sacrificing journalist integrity for better ratings. When approaching Isaac, Dana is surprised when Sam takes her side. The network drops the interview when they discover that they were picked because of their ratings vulnerability.

Sam later meets Sally, who spills her guts out to him. The talk doesn't go well for her, as she admits that she slept with Dana's fiancé, Gordon, and also slept with Casey.

Isaac marvels at the future of space exploration. He is obsessed over the colonization of space because he won't be alive to see it happen.

Casey has concerns over what to do in front of Charlie's class, when he is invited to show and tell. Dan gives him the idea of baking bread: sprinkle some flour, pound some dough, do a little misdirection with the class, and then pull out a loaf of Wonder bread. Going in with the idea of baking bread, Casey ultimately decides to do what he does best: a recap of recess and has interviews.

Casey experiences difficulty in seeing the TelePrompTer and believes he just needs new contacts. Dan jokingly suggests that it may be something more: a tumor. Upon returning from his doctor visit, Casey is temporarily blinded because his pupils are dilated- the result of Casey having the doctor check for a tumor.

Dan takes advantage of Casey's situation by causing him to scramble around several times. The first time, Dan tells Casey to hit the floor, which he promptly does. The second time, Dan talks about bugs being on the couch next to which Casey is sitting. Third, Dan causes Casey's curiosity to pique when he talks about Dana looking really hot that day. Fourth, before the show is set to air, Casey walks into a glass wall.

Natalie and Jeremy's breakup is still a secret, and Jeremy begins asking for his stuff back. When Dana learns of the breakup through Jeremy, she immediately seeks out Natalie. Natalie says she is fine and that she doesn't break down every time something bad happens.

A riot breaks out outside of Madison Square Garden, and the network filmed 38 minutes of it. The police subpoenas the network footage, and nobody has a problem turning it over to them, except Natalie. She believes in the First Amendment principle and the fact that their stuff should remain with them and they shouldn't just hand over things. Upon giving Isaac that speech, she finally breaks down and cries on Isaac's shoulder, upset over the breakup with Jeremy.

Dana deals with Sam's imminent departure. She obsesses about what kind of cake, if any, she should get for his send off. After having another talk with Sam, Dana finally kisses him and asks him to stay another day instead of leaving that night. Sam says he'll stay one more night. Instead, as that evening's show airs, Sam takes one last longing look at Dana and sneaks out leaving Sports Night and Dana behind.

Dan keeps an appointment with his therapist, only to tell her that he doesn't need a therapy session that week. Even though he says he can't stay, Dan stands for the full hour and tells of the events of the previous night.

Jeremy receives e-mail from Jenny, the porn star... adult-film actress. Even though he wants to break up with her, he finds himself drawn toward her. He doesn't love her, but he really likes her. Jeremy and Jenny have an argument in a rain storm. He parallels why she's wet (she meant to get wet, but she really doesn't have an umbrella) to her career choice (she received a dance degree from Juilliard, but settled for making x-rated movies). Jenny accuses him of being afraid like he was when he was a child; and being afraid of associating with people who does what she does for a living. The two manage to smooth things over, and Jeremy walks Jenny home.

Casey gathers everyone to watch a track meet in New Zealand. He does so by bribing them with different cuisine (Chinese, Mexican, Italian, deli, pizza, etc.)

While going to pick up the food, Dana seeks shelter from the storm. She finds she stepped inside a church. After spending some time there, she felt really good. She hurries back to the gang, sans the food, to tell of her church experience.

The track-and-field championships include Oscar Parrish and his lifelong dream of breaking the world record in the long jump. At 33, Parrish feels this is his last chance to break the world record. During the meet, he finally breaks the record, only to have his record broken a few minutes later by a virtual unknown.

Jeremy struggles with his shame that he is embarrassed to admit Jenny is a porn star. When she visits the set, Jeremy tells Jenny that he has told everybody the truth, only... no. He told everybody that she is a choreo-animator. Jenny is upset over Jeremy's behavior, but he pleads with her to stay since he is trying really hard, albeit failing.

Jenny and Natalie meet, and the two find some common ground. Jenny goes along with the choreo-animator story, and vaguely describes how she got into her line of work. Jeremy asks Jenny why she opened up to Natalie, but not to him. She tells Jeremy that he never asked about how she got into the business of making adult films. When Dana comes in, meets Jenny, and asks her about being a choreo-animator, Jeremy abruptly tells the truth: Jenny is a porn star, so deal with it. After that, Jenny breaks up with Jeremy.

During a commercial break, Dan and Casey have another fight backstage - this time, over their salaries. After Casey questions Dan's commitment to his job, all bets are off.

Dana bugs the control room for not wearing their "I Survived Draft Day" t-shirts. Once Dave says he would love to wear one, the rest of the crew falls into place like dominos. Shortly thereafter, everybody in the control room are each wearing a shirt.

Dan is in a disagreement with Natalie about the script she's prepared. The script has Dan asking the questions, Casey answering them, and making Casey look like the smart one. Natalie defends her assignments by saying she hands them out evenly, but today, she is pissed at Dan. That finally pushes Dan over the line.

When Dan and Casey do a piece on the fall of quarterback Ryan O'Brian, instead of asking Casey why the projected first-round pick is still available in the middle of the second round, Dan sandbags Casey with an unscripted and mean-spirited line of questioning to make Casey fumble for answers and look stupid in the process. After the segment ends, Dan realizes what he just did and asks Casey for forgiveness. Casey says they can get the show back, but it is clear from the expression on his face that the on-air incident is anything but forgotten.

With job security becoming an issue with recent budget cuts, Natalie gets a job interview at "Saturday Night Live." Encouraged by the recent, but likely temporary, ratings increase, Dana tries to undermine Natalie's confidence. Dana talks to Natalie about not being funny, having to help out in a writer emergency, being short, and questioning what she is wearing to the interview.

Dana gets to everybody, so Jeremy, Dan, and Isaac poke fun at Natalie when they get the chance to try and undermine her confidence.

When Natalie returns from her interview, she tells Dana that she blew it. Dana tells Natalie that she heard back from "Saturday Night Live," and they offered to increase her salary by 25% on the spot. They were surprised she turned them down. Natalie tells Dana that she has personally invested a lot into the show since she's been there from the start.

Dan's new publicist wants him on the PR fast track, starting with an appearance at the opening of a restaurant in New Jersey. Dan attends, but he doesn't like it. He points out the high-water mark of the evening was when he was mistakenly identified as a Backstreet Boy. He calls in Catherine, his publicist, to fire her, but she tells Dan that he shouldn't feel guilty for wanting things and then turning his nose down to people who try to get those things for him. Dan changes his mind about firing Catherine, and she establishes that he will do PR opportunities whenever and wherever she finds them.

Isaac stresses over his grandson's visit. The effects of his stroke frighten little Matthew, and they remind him of the monsters he sees on television.

Casey and Jeremy roll up their sleeves and try to get to the bottom of CSC's financial woes. Isaac knows something is going on because somebody was acting particularly strange during the budget meeting.

When the Continental Corp website tells its viewers to "stand by," Jeremy thinks the company may be merging or having a huge stock increase. Instead, it is soon learned that the company is for sale.

Jeremy begins to settle his affairs. He begins returning things he had taken or borrowed over the years. Jeremy replaces a pack of Juicy Fruit he had taken from Dana, returns an ab video to Kim, and the good tape dispenser to Isaac. Later, he and Natalie reflect on Jeremy's first interview, and they each share they had feelings for each other the moment they met. The two reunite and kiss.

Dan and Casey talk about the job offer in Los Angeles. Casey says he isn't going to leave because of his son, Charlie. He tells Dan that he can do the job, he doesn't need Casey, and that he can go out there by himself.

Dan is having a difficult time focusing on writing the show. He bugs Casey about Rebecca sending him flowers out of the blue.

Rebecca comes back into Dan's life with a bang, literally. When he first lays eyes on Rebecca, Dan is accidentally hit in the back with a ladder that was being moved. After Dan recovers from his "massive head wound," Rebecca tells Dan that she is now divorced and has moved back to New York.

Isaac informs Dana that a new company as entered the bidding for Continental Corp. The company, called Quo Vadimus, is one nobody has heard of before. Dana is upset because MDI-Transcom would keep the network if their bid is accepted, while it is unknown what Quo Vadimus would do with the network.

Isaac asks Dana to keep the information a secret. Dana immediately goes to Natalie and tells her the information, and it starts a "brush fire" with rumors and truths being twisted.

Jeremy does some research and reveals Quo Vadimus is a holding company owned by a man, Calvin Trager, who invented the hard disk controller. His invention made hard disks much smaller, and he made a hundred million dollars from it. With his money, he began buying various companies and formed an umbrella group for them.

Dana has a run-in with the mysterious stranger at Anthony's. He asks Dana if she felt responsible for the show failing, and she says the show didn't fail. She also says Isaac took a chance on her, she didn't do enough, and although the show didn't fail, she feels responsible. The stranger tells Dana that when he's failed, he's gathered his people together and asks, "where are we going?" The stranger says after that, things get better. Lastly, the stranger makes a prediction that the new bidder will buy Continental Corp.

Dan visits Rebecca in the green room. She wants to go to dinner with Dan, but Dan doesn't think it's a good idea. He believes that if he goes to Dinner with Rebecca, he'll want to stay in town for a very long time and forget about the job offer on the West Coast. Still, Rebecca gives Dan the number to where she is staying. Natalie enters the room and tells Dan that Continental Corp has been sold. Dan tears up and throws away Rebecca's number.

Dana gathers and addresses the crew before the broadcast. She doesn't know what Quo Vadimus is going to do with the network. In fact, she doesn't know what Quo Vadimus means. Jeremy answers by saying Quo Vadimus is Latin for "where are we going?"

Dana runs to Anthony's and finds the stranger. The mysterious stranger turns out to be the owner of Quo Vadimus, and he says he just bought "a few more shares" of the company. He says he didn't tell Dana anything because his research says she can't keep a secret, but they're going to work on it. When Dana asks if they're going to work on it, Calvin Trager reveals that he is going to keep the network and the show.

Dana screams "my show is on!" and runs back to the studio. She shares the information with the crew, Dan, and Casey. The gloom-and-doom mood makes an immediate reversal to joy when they realize they are going to stuck together for a little while longer.