Directed by Thomas Schlamme
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Jeremy gets "the call"; he's sent to the Adirondacks to produce a segment for a CSC outdoors show. Jeremy has misgivings about this, since it's a hunting show, but keeps them to himself. This turns out disastrously when Jeremy faints and has to go to the hospital. When he gets back, Jeremy tells Isaac and Dana what happened; they shot a deer in front of him (and in front of its offspring), which made him sick. Isaac, however, points out if Jeremy felt that strongly about hunting, he should have said something about it, and he might not have had to go in the first place.
Elsewhere, the staff is invited by Luther Sachs (head of the CSC network) to a party after the Thursday night broadcast, which, of course, gives Natalie a chance to get Casey and Dana together. Casey claims he's not going to be interested in Dana, until (a) he gets a load of what she's wearing to the party, and (b) at the party, he meets Dana's date, Gordon.
This episode contains examples of:
- Arc Words:Isaac: It's taken me a lot of years, but I've come around to this: if you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.
- Can't Tie His Tie: Casey ("I used to have a wife for that"), which is why Kim is tying it for him.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Casey insists he's not going to pay an interest in Dana at the party that night...until Dana walks back to her office to get her purse. Distracted by what she's wearing (a black silk slingback), Casey falls down backwards onto the floor.
- Does Not Like Guns: Jeremy; or, at least, he doesn't like hunting.
- Eye Poke: Discussed when Jeremy gets "the call":Jeremy: I'm sorry, I just... is getting the call, you know... good?Dana: Better than a poke in the eye.Jeremy: Really?Dana: Yes.Jeremy: How much better?
- Foreshadowing: The Casey/Dana/Gordon Love Triangle will become a major plot point over the season.
- Honest Advisor: Isaac makes clear to Jeremy that this is what he values in an employee:Isaac: It's taken me a lot of years, but I've come around to this: If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.
- Insistent Terminology: Mocked.Casey: "October the 8th, Nineteen hundred and ninety-eight AD". AD... they're worried I might actually show up 2,000 years before the birth of Christ.
- Mathematician's Answer:Casey: Can I ask again, is it absolutely necessary that we participate in this?Natalie: Yes.Casey: Yes I can ask again, or yes...
- On Second Thought: After the sound guys have problems getting the system working right before broadcast:Dana: Dave, Chris, Will, what are you guys doing tomorrow at 10?Dave: Got a basketball game at the Y.Will: Yeah, it's a 3-on-3 with the guys..Dana: Dave, Chris, Will, what are you guys doing tomorrow at 10?Chris: Fixing the sound?Dana: There you go.
- Product Placement: Both Dan and Natalie ask about the outfit Dana's wearing to the party (Manolo Blahnik shoes and a Richard Tyler dress).
- Shout-Out: Upon hearing Dan asking about Dana's outfit (see above), Casey quips, "Thank you, Coco Chanel."
- Also, the only other "Gordons" Casey (and Dan) can come up with are Gordon Liddy and Gordon Lightfoot.
- What the Hell, Hero?: After Jeremy's bad hunting experience, Isaac wants to know why Jeremy didn't say anything when he got the assignment, and doesn't accept Jeremy's explanation that he should just shut up and do what he's told:Isaac: Now you had an obligation to tell us how you felt. Partly because I don't like getting a phone call saying that I've put one of my people in the hospital. But mostly because if you feel that strongly about something you have a responsibility to try and change my mind! Did you think I would fire you simply because you made a convincing argument?
