Recap / Sports Night S 01 E 06 The Head Coach Dinner And The Morning Mail

Directed by Thomas Schlamme

Written by Matt Tarses & Aaron Sorkin

Natalie is getting death threats and hate-filled e-mails from her decision to press charges against Christian Patrick, and it's affecting her work; she's been forgetting things. Everyone is trying to tiptoe around that so they don't make her feel any worse, but she's upset about that as well. Jeremy, meanwhile, is doing his best to make sure Natalie doesn't see any of those death threats or e-mails, even breaking into Natalie's e-mail so he can see them before she does, and depriving himself of sleep. Dan and Dana both tell Jeremy to get some sleep, but they also recognize, as Dana puts it, his feelings for Natalie are pure, so they suggest he give her a quiet dinner. At the end of a show, after Natalie has called everybody out for walking on eggshells around her, she storms out, only to find Jeremy passed on on the floor, with candles, a bottle of wine, some pillows, and takeout Chinese food around him. When Natalie finds out Jeremy did this because he likes her, she sits with him while he sleeps, and Dana kindly but firmly tells Natalie to get her act together.

Elsewhere, Casey keeps harping on his alma mater losing a big game against Miami, though he changes his mind at the end.

This episode contains examples of:

• Call-Back: When Casey snarks about how Natalie's off her game, Dana reminds him of how he was after his divorce.
• Disorganized Outline Speech:
  Casey: How am I conversationally anal-retentive?
  Dana: Let me answer that question in four parts, with the fourth part first and the third part last. The second part has five syllables-
  Casey: All right, all right, all right.
• Everyone Can See It: Dana, at least, can see what's between Jeremy and Natalie:
  Dana: You like Natalie, don't you?
  Jeremy: Me?
  Dana: Yes.
  Jeremy: Of course I like her.
  Dana: No, that's not what I mean, Jeremy. I mean, you like Natalie, don't you?
  • And a little later:
  Dana: I'll let you in on a secret. I think Natalie likes you as well.
  Jeremy:...I've been getting that feeling.
  Dana: Good.
  Jeremy: I've had this sense, it's a faint, subtle thing-
  Dana: She's been throwing herself at you.
  Jeremy: See, I didn't get that.
  Dana: Trust me.
• Foreshadowing: The budget problems Isaac and Dana discuss will become even more prominent in Season 2.
• Running Gag: This won't be the last time people in the studio forget they're miked and everyone in the control room can hear them.
• Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: Casey asks Dana to ask Chris, Will and Dave for the "crash and burn" sound effect when he does his latest slam of Rostenkowski; she says they don't have it, but when Casey does it, they say they have it.
  • It's what they do.
• Serious Business: Basically, why Casey keeps harping about his alma mater losing to Miami.
  Casey: We were this close to beating Miami. This close. Do you know how many times we've beaten Miami?
  Dan: You've never beaten Miami.
  Casey: We've never beaten Miami! Now. who am I supposed to see about that?
  Dan: A therapist?
• Shaped Like Itself:
  Casey: They tell me I'm all over the radio in the Great Lakes region.
  Elliot: I've never been to the Great Lakes.
  Casey: Yeah, four of 'em.
  Elliot: How are they?
  Casey: Great.
• Shout-Out: Dana compares Jeremy to Don Quixote.
  • Also, everyone says Dan looks like Elmer Fudd when he's dressed in winter wear.
• Throw It In!: In-Universe: After Natalie fails to get new copy to the teleprompter on time, Dan ad-libs something about singer Tony Orlando to fill in.
• Too Much Information: When Casey and Gordon are talking about Dana:
  Gordon: Feisty girl.
  Casey: Yeah, she's a pip.
  Gordon: I gotta tell you, when she wears that outfit-
  Casey: I heard!
• What the Hell, Hero?: Natalie finally gives this speech near the end because she's fed up with everyone trying to be "nice" to her instead of telling her she's screwing up.