Directed by Thomas Schlamme
Written by Aaron Sorkin & Joan Binder Weiss (uncredited)
Casey and Dan are backstage, getting their hair and makeup touched up. Casey complains to Dan about how Charlie is being strangely formal with him, only willing to shake hands. On the other hand, Casey is proud of the fact Charlie went 3 for 3 in his last Little League game, along with two RBI's, two walks and a stolen base. Dan agrees it's impressive. The make-up artist tells them they're good to go, and they walk to the studio. Dan is still fixating on the fact Rebecca left him.
In the control room, Natalie and Will bicker briefly about what shot is supposed to be up. Dana tells everyone her camera works - or at least it looks good - and she wants everyone to come in tomorrow with nice clothes so she can take a group picture. Kim goes into the studio to tell Casey and Dan this, and Dan thinks Dana is just being psychotic. Jeremy walks into the control room and grouses that they don't have a ninth-inning rally to put on the show, but Dana and Natalie think he wants the show to start off in a disadvantageous position. Elliot goes into the studio to tell Casey and Dan they've got a minute till airtime. Casey asks Dan to make a big thing about Charlie's new baseball prowess, and Dan says he will.
The next day, in the news room, Jeremy continues to try and explain why he thinks a ninth inning rally would be fun to watch on the show, but Natalie doesn't get it. Dana tells everyone it's picture time, and everyone (Chris, Dan, Dave, Elliot, Jeremy, Kim, Natalie, and Will) except Casey (who's interviewing Michelle Kwan at Madison Square Garden, because she hates Dan - at least according to Dan) is there. Dana doesn't want to take the picture without Casey, but then decides it'll be good to take a practice picture so Casey won't have anything to snark about later. Dana sets up the camera on the tripod, gets the flash ready, and everyone gets into place and smiles at the camera. Unfortunately, it does nothing; when Dana walks over to the camera to check it, that's when it takes a picture and the flash goes off. Dan says, "Well, I don't see where Casey could have gotten any material here, Dana. I don't think you have anything to worry about." Dana says she'll work out the kinks. Elliot tells her Gordon is on the phone for her.
Charlie and Holly, his nanny, walk through the studio. Charlie is worried about being late to meet his mother, but Holly insists they're fine on time. Dana comes in and hugs Charlie, and she and Holly introduce themselves. Dana tells Charlie where Casey is, and says she'll put the two of them in the conference room, as she has to wait for someone. Jeremy walks by, and Dana introduces them; he agrees to take them both to the conference room. Charlie again worries about being late, but Holly says they're fine, and Dana tells Jeremy she'll be there in the studio if anyone wants her.
A little later, Gordon walks in, Dana kisses him, and Gordon apologizes for being late. Dana starts talking about the party they're supposed to go to that night, but realizes Gordon is nervous, and further realizes he wants to call off the engagement. She says they should talks somewhere else, and they go to Isaac's office. Once there, Dana gets upset because Gordon is upset at her, and says since he's the one who (1) harped on the fact Dana was Married to the Job, and (2) slept with Sally, she's the one who should be upset at him. Gordon points out Dana is hung up on Casey, and is more upset about Casey and Sally than Gordon and Sally. Dana denies it, and says she wants to beat the crap out of him. Gordon decides to leave, and Dana gives him his engagement ring back.
Charlie is in the conference room doing his homework as Holly checks her schedule on her palm pilot. Charlie again says he can leave a note for his dad, and Holly again reminds him Casey will be back. Dan comes into the room, and he and Charlie greet each other. He introduces himself to Holly, and offers her a break, which she accepts. Once Holly leaves, Dan brings up Charlie's performance at his Little League game, and plays a tape of a Sports Night broadcast where Dan is describing a game Ken Griffey Jr., where he had the same stats Charlie claimed to have. Dan wants to know why Charlie is lying to his father. Looking guilty, Charlie admits he can't play at all. Dan is about to say something to him when Casey comes into the room. Charlie extends his hand. Casey looks at Dan, asks Charlie if he's trying to sell insurance, and kisses Charlie on top of his head. Dan wants Casey to step outside for a second to talk about Cleveland; Casey doesn't want to, but Dan insists.
Once outside, after asking how Casey's interview went (fine), Dan tries to tell him Charlie can't play, but Casey is more interested in the fact Charlie lied to him (Dan: "It's actually the first time in history that a son has lied to his father, so I would definitely go off the deep end."). Casey storms back into the conference room, and when Charlie complains he's going to be late, tells him his mother will have to live with that. They go into Casey and Dan's office, and Casey asks Charlie to explain himself. Charlie admits he can't play, and he lied because he didn't want to embarrass Casey. Casey is shocked to hear this, and in a different voice, asks Charlie to come over to him.
Holly comes into the office and says she and Charlie have to go. Casey and Charlie hug each other, and Charlie leaves with Holly.
In the control room, Jeremy is continuing to try to explain to Natalie and the others about what he meant when he wished for a ninth-inning rally. He mentions the Phillies are down 14-1, but it's the best game they're covering nonetheless. Dana pops in to tell everyone it's picture time.
Dana goes to Casey's office to tell him about the picture. Casey notices she's not wearing her engagement ring, and she tells him it's being cleaned. Casey doesn't understand, but Dana tells him not to worry about it. Everyone gathers in the newsroom, and Dana says all the glitches have been fixed, and they're good to go. Everyone gets into position and smiles, but nothing happens. Dana gets up and tells everyone it's a small problem; just then, the film falls out of the camera. Not only that, but when Dana walks over to the strobe, it explodes. Dana yells, especially when Casey tells Dan (who's just noticed Dana's not wearing her ring) about the ring being at the cleaners.
Dana: One good thing before the day is over, I swear that's all I want!
Just then, a voice behind them says, "Hey lady, are you thinking of getting my show on the air anytime soon?" It's Isaac! Dana runs over and hugs him, and everyone in the newsroom claps and cheers. Natalie hugs him after Dana releases him and asks when he got out of the hospital; Isaac said he was discharged that morning. Kim also hugs him, and then, in a loud voice, asks if he'd like to watch the show from his office; everyone stares at her in confusion. Dana tells everyone she's going to try and get the camera working one more time. Elliot reminds her she's only got five minutes to airtime, but Dana insists she can do it. Jeremy sees the Phillies are down to their last batter in bottom of the 9th, and tells Chris and Will to get sound. Casey and Dan walk over to Isaac, and joke about how long it took for him to recover from the stroke. Isaac says they both look good, and Dan, hugging Isaac, says he looks good too. Dana tells everyone it's fixed (she put the film in backwards), and they all get in their places. Just then, Jeremy hears the sound of a hit baseball coming from the TV, and he and everyone else turn to the TV just as the camera clicks. There's a freeze frame, followed by an audio montage of Casey and Dan reading various teasers from the season, ending with the familiar, "All that coming up after this. You're watching Sports Night on CSC, so stick around."
This episode contains examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question: "What's a stolen base?"
- "Be Quiet!" Nudge / Ear Ache: Happens to Jeremy twice:Dana: We have a name for people like you back home in Cedar Rapids. It's called sourpuss.Jeremy: We have a name for people like you back home in Boston, too. It's called- (Natalie comes over and grabs his ear) Ow, ow, pain, pain, pain!
- And then a little later:
Jeremy: Hey, maybe you could start by just drawing a picture, that way- (Natalie grabs his ear again) ow, ow, ow! - Ironic Echo: Earlier in the season, Casey had said Dana wasn't very funny. When she makes the crack about loading the film in backwards, Casey laughs, and when she asks what's wrong, he says he thinks she's funny.
- Literal Metaphor: Jeremy says the show needs a ninth-inning rally. Natalie and Dana are insulted — the show hasn't even started yet, and he thinks they'll have to come back from behind? His attempts to explain that, no, he means it would be good if some actual baseball game actually rallied in the ninth inning, so they could talk about it on the show, fail miserably.
- Noodle IncidentHolly: Hi, I'm Holly. I'm the new nanny. Deborah-Dan: I lived through the trauma.Holly: Yeah.
- Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: Dana describes what's going to happen when the camera takes a picture of them.
- Shout-Out: When Jeremy tries one last time to explain why the show could use a ninth-inning rally, he quotes from The Lion in Winter ("As if it matters how a man falls down. When the fall is all that's left, it matters very much").
- Take Five: A nicer version of this trope - when Dan says he wants to talk to Charlie alone, he offers Holly a chance to take five, which she happily accepts.
- Waxing Lyrical:Dan: Those stories, plus we'll show you what a long, strange trip it's been for the grateful Reds at Riverfront.
