Synopsis of La Forza del Destino
Dan and Casey are just finishing up a show. They make a joke about John Rocker being a doofus. Dana asks who wrote it. Dan, Casey, Jeremy, and Natalie all take credit. After she lets them argue over it for a little while, she tells all four of them that it was a stupid thing to do because John Rocker plays for the Atlanta Braves, and the Atlanta Braves are owned by AOL/Time Warner, and AOL/Time Warner is one of the bidders for Continental Corp. right now. Dan, Casey, Jeremy, and Natalie now try to blame each other for the joke. Dana annouces that they're going to Anthony's. Some of the others say that maybe they want to change their luck and go somewhere else. Maybe if they go somewhere else something good will happen. Dana insists they shouldn't change their luck. They head to Anthony's.
At Anthony's they're talking about the fact that no matter who buys Continental Corp., whether it be AOL/Time Warner, Fox or Disney, they all have sports already and won't need Sports Night. Dan goes over to Kim and Elliot and the rest of the crew and announces that during desperate times like these, people sleep together. Then he thanks Kim for being the best secretary he's ever had. Kim breaks it gently to Dan that she's not his secretary and never has been. Dan wanders over to the bar where Casey is giving an autograph to a red-head for her boyfriend, Joe. Dan adds his signature as well. After the red-head leaves, Dan talks to Casey about the job offer they got in L.A., saying it would be the same show, with Dana as executive producer, with more viewers, and in California. Casey is hesistant to get on the band wagon.
Back at the table, Dana is sitting on the bench trapped between Jeremy and Natalie when Natalie drunkenly decides to start telling Jeremy how much she still loves him and misses him. Dana tries to get out from between them, but Natalie won't let her out because she doesn't want to lose the moment. She says it was a big mistake to break up with Jeremy. Jeremy reminds her that he broke up with her. She says she hates him. Dan and Casey return to the table, expounding Dan's theory that during these desperate times, people sleep together. Casey looks pointedly as Dana. Natalie declares that Jeremy could have her anytime he wants. Dana decides she really needs to get out from between them, so she gets up to the go to the bar and asks what everyone wants. The three guys want beers, and Natalie wants another coconut pina-colada.
At the bar, a stranger is watching the rerun of Sports Night on TV, and comments to the bartender, Jack, that it's a good show. Jack says the show is filmed across the street, and often the crew comes in Anthony's for a drink after. The stranger says that he noticed. Dana walks up to the bar, and Jack comments to the stranger that she's the executive producer. Dana orders the drinks, and Jack needs to go to the back room to get something, so Dana is left at the bar with the stranger. The stranger comments that it's a good show. He says it's weird to be watching them on TV and seeing them in the bar at the same time. Dana starts telling him about tape-delay reruns, and then is sort of rude and says that she just left work and she doesn't want to talk about it. The stranger takes it all in stride, and then randomly says that Time Warner will drop out of bidding war when the stock hits 27. Dana is mystified by his assurance. He also knows her name somehow.
The next day, Dana is in Isaac's office and is about to tell him about the stranger at Anthony's when Dan walks in and announces that he just figured out that Kim isn't his secretary. After Dana assures him that he doesn't have a secretary, he leaves. Isaac asks about the stranger, but Dana decides not to tell him about it. Dana expresses to Isaac her fear about her job. Isaac tells her about his nephew who is a surgeon in an inner-city hospital in Detroit, and how when things get bad in the hospital, his nephew dreams of opening a restaurant in Albuquerque. He tells Dana that she's done an incredible job with not enough budget in a saturated market. And she can go with Dan and Casey to L.A. and do it all over again. She asks what Isaac will do. He says he wants to lie in a hammock and read. Isaac gets a phone call. Time Warner dropped out at 27.
In Dan and Casey's office, Dan tells Casey that he figured out that Kim isn't his secretary. He asks Casey if this is really his office. Casey admits that it's actually Dan's office, and Casey's office is somewhere else, but he always liked this one so he stayed. Dan says it worked out pretty well. Elliot brings flowers into Dan. Dan reads the card and they're only signed "RW."
Dan and Casey are finishing up that night's show with a caller who is ragging on Joe Torre. As they go to their final commercial break, Dana announces to everyone that Time Warner kicked out. Jeremy says they didn't need Time Warner anyway. Dana says that the options that are left aren't that great. Natalie says there's always the power of fate. "La forza del destino!" declares Jeremy. Dan brings up the subject of the jobs in L.A. again to Casey. Casey is still very noncommital. They finish the show, and Dana declares that they're again going to Anthony's. Jeremy suggests again that maybe they should change their luck by going somewhere else. Dana insists on Anthony's.
At Anthony's, Dan and Casey are sitting at a table together and Dan is still pressing Casey on the L.A. thing. Casey says he'd be concerned about being that far away from his son, Charlie. A blonde comes over asking for their autographs. She mentions that a friend of a friend of a friend used to date Dan: Rebecca Wells. At the mention of the name, Dan is stunned and drops his glass. He says he has to go outside and get some air.
Dana is sitting with Natalie and Jeremy, and is trapped in the booth by Natalie. Natalie starts rambling to Jeremy about how much she still loves him and how she's not wearing any socks because she knows he likes that. She says breaking up with him was a huge mistake. He reminds her that he broke up with her. She says she hates him and she's not wearing any socks. Dana loses it and insists on being let out. She heads to the bar and runs into the stranger again. She asks him how she knew about Time Warner. He says he just guessed. He asks her how she is and she says she's thinking of opening a restaurant in Albuquerque. He tells her that a new bidder will come in tomorrow: MDI Transcom. She asks how he knows that, and he says he's guessing, but he's right. She asks why, and he explains about how Continental Corp. owns coaxial cable that MDI Transcom would want access to for high-speed internet. Dana's weirded out, and says she's going back to talk to her friends about the power of fate. "La forza del destino," the stranger declares.
TO BE CONTINUED
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