| Feet of Clay |
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Dave is talking and teaching with the camera operators and other directors on the studio set. Marcus Young is carrying a backpack as he walks by the group. Dave: Are there any questions? No one raises a hand or asks a question. Dave: Great. Everyone be there at the 10 o'clock rundown and then you'll get to observe tonight's show. The group disperses. Dave spots Marcus. Dave: Hey, Marcus! Welcome back. |
Marcus Young was initially considered to be the "heir apparent" to Casey's chair, but that changed with his recent drug arrest. | |
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Dave and Marcus shake hands. Marcus looks very lethargic as he and Dave walk through the studio. Dave asks him if he has kept up with the recent changes at CSC, and Marcus acknowledges some changes, but admits he is ignorant of other changes. Dave tells Marcus not to worry and to check with him, Isaac, or Dana about all the changes. Dave pats him on his back and the two head in opposite directions. Marcus walks into the newsroom and looks around like he is seeing it for the very first time. No one in the newsroom seems to notice his arrival. "Marcus? Welcome back." Natalie walks up to Marcus from behind. Natalie: How are you doing? Marcus: I'm fine, Natalie. How are you? Natalie: I'm doing great. You look tired. Marcus: Yeah, I am... a little. Natalie: Still, you look good. Marcus: Thanks. Natalie: Check with Isaac on your assignments. Marcus: Thanks, Natalie. Natalie starts walking through the newsroom. Natalie: It's good to have you back. Marcus smiles. |
When Marcus skipped the first day of his court-ordered treatment program, the judge had him arrested. If it wasn't for Casey getting Marcus into the program, he would have been sentenced to six months in prison. Instead, the judge considered Marcus' clean arrest record prior to his arrest and his admittance into a facility. The judge then sentenced him to additional community service, but the network suspended him until his release from the program. |
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Isaac is sitting at his desk when there is a knock on his door.
Isaac: Come in.
The door opens and Marcus walks in. Isaac gets up to greet Marcus.
Isaac: Good to have you back, son.
Marcus: Thank you, sir.
Isaac: I've got some things for you, now that you are back.
Marcus: Great.
Isaac: Have a seat.
Marcus sits in a chair as Isaac searches through some folders. He pulls out a folder and hands it to him.
Isaac: We're putting you out into the field. Your first assignment is going to be in Edmonton for the Track and Field World Championships.
Marcus: Okay.
Isaac looks at Marcus.
Isaac: You look tired.
Marcus: I am.
Isaac: You sure you're okay?
Marcus: I haven't worked in over three months. I'm trying to adjust to it.
Isaac: If it's too much for you, let me know.
Marcus: I'll be fine.
Isaac: Good. You'll be in Edmonton and you'll feed your reports to Kim and Dana. They will edit and produce the segments for the shows.
Marcus: Okay.
Isaac: Good-
Marcus: I just remembered something.
Isaac: What's that?
Marcus: I can't leave the country. My sentence prohibits me from leaving the country, and I need written permission to leave the state.
Isaac: I'm so sorry, Marcus. I should have realized that.
Isaac takes the folder and starts crossing off some assignments.
Marcus: It's okay.
Isaac: I apologize. I failed to consider your situation before making the assignments.
Marcus: I don't want to be treated special.
Isaac: You have to be treated special.
Marcus: I know.
Isaac: I'll have to check and see if I can work you into assignments around the state. I'll even see if Dana could use you for temporary production help.
Marcus: It might be crazy to ask, but I could always anchor the show.
Isaac rubs his chin.
Isaac: I can't.
Marcus: I understand.
Isaac: It's not that I don't want you to anchor the show; it's just that the network doesn't feel comfortable with you behind the desk so soon.
Marcus: No, I completely understand.
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Dan and JoAnne are in his office.
Dan: You know, my closet space keeps getting smaller and smaller.
JoAnne: Maybe you need to get a bigger closet or, better yet, a bigger apartment.
Dan: I'm not moving.
JoAnne: Then stop complaining.
Dan: I'm not.
JoAnne: Well, you stated that your closet space-
Dan: That wasn't a complaint.
JoAnne: Your tone sure sounded like it.
Dan: What tone?
JoAnne: That tone.
Dan: I'm not complaining.
Marcus knocks on the door.
Dan: Ahem... Marcus. Good to hear you are back.
Marcus: Thanks, Dan.
JoAnne: Hi.
Marcus: Hi.
Dan: Oh... yeah. Marcus, this is JoAnne. JoAnne, this is Marcus.
Marcus: Hi.
JoAnne: Hi again.
Dan: Marcus is a substitute anchor-
Marcus: Reporter.
Dan: Huh?
Marcus: Isaac is going to have me out there.
Dan: Oh. Well, Marcus still works with "Sports Night," and JoAnne is my... the head of technical support here.
Marcus: Good to meet you.
JoAnne: (to Marcus) Likewise. (to Dan) Anyway, be aware of any attachments you receive, Dan. A virus is rumored to be going around.
Dan: Huh?
Marcus: Yeah. If you open the attachment, the worm takes up the rest of the space in your hard drive and then seeks out your address book. It then forwards itself to everyone in your address book.
JoAnne: You understand computers?
Marcus: Yeah. I was also brought here to help out with the development of the network's website.
JoAnne: Awesome.
Dan: Yeah. I've been trying to catch on to the computer and internet lingo, but with Marcus and Jeremy nearby, it is easier to use them as resources. Anyway, with these worms, do they like to fill up hard drive space with clothes?
Marcus: Excuse me?
JoAnne: It's good to see somebody else understands this technology. So, Marcus? Are you going to be working with Dan?
Marcus: Probably. Yeah.
JoAnne: So you'll be able to help him whenever he runs into trouble.
Marcus: I would be willing to help out.
Dan: Some of this stuff is very technical- designed for those who specifically specialize in this kind of stuff, like JoAnne.
JoAnne: Well, you might be seeing less of me, Dan.
Dan: Well... only if nothing major happens.
JoAnne: Good to meet you, Marcus.
Marcus: Nice meeting you, JoAnne.
JoAnne: Dan, call me if there are any problems.
JoAnne leaves the office.
Marcus: She's nice.
Dan: Yeah.
Marcus: I didn't realize people in technical support could be that cute.
Dan: Hey, hey... let's show a little professionalism here.
Marcus: You're right. I'm sorry.
Dan: It's okay.
Marcus: It must be difficult for her. I bet a lot of men on this floor, probably in this building, are really attracted to her.
Dan gives Marcus a look.
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Jeremy is in the control room with the rest of the staff, and he is typing on his laptop.
Dana: Stop writing your letter, Jeremy.
Jeremy: I'm not.
Dana: Jeremy-
Jeremy: I'm getting the updates from the American League.
Dana leans over and looks at Jeremy's monitor.
Dana: Okay.
Dave: Roll VTR, sixty seconds live.
Isaac walks in.
Isaac: What is this about a party after the show?
Dana: Shush!
Dana looks around to see if anybody heard Isaac.
Isaac: Dana-
Dana: Casey might hear you.
Isaac: He's up in the green room, and unless he has the hearing capabilities of a bat, he won't hear a word I'm saying.
Natalie: Unless you have a megaphone.
Dana: There's a surprise party at Anthony's after the show. Casey thinks he is going to have dinner with me, and only me. But the real plan is to surprise him-
Isaac: With a party?
Dana: Yes.
Isaac: How come nobody told me?
Dana: Well, Isaac... there's a good explanation for that...
Natalie: Dana was trying to keep it a secret.
Dana: Yes. The fewer the people who know, the better the odds Casey won't find out.
Isaac: You think Casey won't find out about the party?
Dana: Yes.
Isaac: So, not only is it a surprise party for Casey, but it is a surprise party for everybody else?
Dana: Kinda.
Isaac: Who else knows?
Dave: I know.
Will: I know.
Chris: I know.
Elliott walks in.
Elliott: Know what?
Natalie: About Casey's party.
Elliott: What about it?
Isaac: We're you aware of it?
Elliott: Yeah. Who-
Dana quietly tries to stop Elliott by doing a "cut-sign" across her throat.
Elliott: -doesn't know? But then again, I'm not completely sure there is a party.
Isaac: There is.
Elliott hands Dana a note.
Elliott: The rumors are confirmed then.
Dana: Thank you, Elliott.
Elliott leaves the control room.
Isaac: Dana-
Dana: I'm sorry, Isaac. I'm sorry I failed to inform and invite you. You're more than welcome to join us after the show.
Isaac: Thank you. I'll stop by for a brief appearance.
Dana: Thanks, Isaac.
Dave: In 5, 4, 3, 2...
Dan: (on-air) Good evening from Rockefeller Center in New York City, we'll have those stories plus we'll take you around the horn with major league baseball, and Andy Porter will update us on the pennant and wild-card races.
Bobbi: (on-air) We'll race around the track with Jeff Gordon as he closes in on another Winston Cup Points Championship.
Dan: (on-air) And will defenses contain Tampa Bay's Doug Nettles? They may not, but our Kelly Kirkpatrick can, if only for a brief moment. She was able to catch up with this rising superstar, and we have footage to prove it. This is Sports Night...
