Directed by Don Scardino
Written by Chris Lusvardi, David Walpert, & Aaron Sorkin
Dan hires, fires, and re-hires a publicist. Natalie goes on an interview at Saturdaynight Live. The staff finds out at the end their network is being sold.
This episode contains examples of:
- Brick Joke: Casey and Jeremy are both tracking the stock price of Continental Corp., waiting for something big to happen, and Jeremy says big news will be advertised by bells and a siren, though he admits he was kidding about that. At the end of the episode, when the staff reads that Continental Corp. is being sold, a siren goes off, but it's the fire alarm.
- Chekhov's Gun: The fire alarms had been turned off before because they kept going off when there was no fire, and Dana told Kim to call someone to get them fixed.
- Call-Back: We hear again how Dana told Natalie to look for another job just in case, and how Isaac told her not to do that.
- Continuity Nod: Isaac is worried his grandson Matthew is afraid of him; this is the grandson who was born right before Thanksgiving, and whose name Isaac briefly forgot.
- Get Out!: After Isaac complains about his house being baby-proofed because his Matthew is visiting:Dana: Isn't it great?Isaac: What?Dana: Matthew's here.Isaac: Get out.
- Hypocritical Humor:Catherine: I'm a very important part of your life now, Dan. You can't take me for granted.Dan: I don't take you for granted. Elliot, this is my publicist's secretary, Catherine something.Catherine: Brenner, and I'm not a secretary.
- Old Media Playing Catch-Up: Casey can't believe all the other computers in the office are connected to the same network, and he can look up info on stock prices anywhere.
- Place Worse Than Death: Though Dan doesn't want to go out to the "hot new place", as Catherine, his publicist, describes it, he's especially not wild about the fact it's in New Jersey.
- Reverse Psychology: Dan, Dana, Isaac and Jeremy all use this on Natalie before her interview, telling her they don't think she's funny, has a limited vocabulary, is too short, and isn't dressed right.Natalie: I hate all of you.
- She ends up acing the interview, but decides to stay on anyway.
- Shout-Out: Catherine mentions both of Donald Trump's ex-wives - Ivana Trump and Marla Maples, though neither she nor Dan can remember Maples' name; he does remember liking her on stage, though - will be at the restaurant he's going to. Also, Dan disparagingly tells her to go watch Felicity, and complains to Jeremy he was mistaken for a Backstreet Boy.
- Too Much Information:Casey: I like the French...I like their dressing. I like their fries. I like their maids. I like their kissing.Dan: Okay, right now, before we go on the air, the image of you doing that is, like, the last thing I want in my head.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Catherine gives one of these to Dan after he fires her:Catherine: You're really full of it, Dan.Dan: I don't think I am.Catherine: No, I really think you are. There are these things you want and you're ashamed that you want them, and then you get mad at the people who try to give them to you. And you make these judgments. Like, you decided off the bat that I'm dumb, which I'm not. Being a publicist isn't Radio Free Europe either, Danny. I know what most people think of us, but I wanted to be one, so I'm going after it. You want to be famous. I don't think there's always something wrong with that, I'm told being famous is enjoyable. I can understand why you would want it, particularly when it translates directly into business for you and your show at a time when both could use it. You came to us, Danny. If you want to fire us, that's fine, but don't look down your nose at me. It's really unbecoming.
