WEBVTT

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<v Eric>Welcome everybody to steel watching, the podcast for Remington

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steel fans.

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I am Eric, and it's gonna make me sound psychotic and antisocial

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to save this to to say this, but I'm really getting tired of

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dealing with people. Yeah.

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<v Sara>No. No. I that's valid. That's

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<v Speaker 2>valid. I'm just

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<v Eric>so fed up with it.

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Wanted to stay at home with my wife, with our dogs, and only deal

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with the people I want to deal with, when I want to deal with

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them, in the way I wanna deal with them.

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<v Sara>That no. I 100% agree with you, and I say this as a teacher.

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And I'm Sara, and I suggest you talk to the plant lady because

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she can't stay long.

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<v Eric>Oh, catchphrases. Catchphrases. Yes. I know.

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1 thing you learn about me.

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<v Sara>Oh. Yeah. Exactly.

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<v Eric>All right.

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Yes, it is season 4, episode 9, Dancer, Prancer, Donner and

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Steele.

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Now before we get into this, before we get into this, we have a

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couple of things.

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1, going back a ways, and I intended to include this after I

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found it in a follow-up episode, and I kept forgetting.

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And then I couldn't find it.

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<v Sara>That's some timers.

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<v Speaker 2>No. It's

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<v Eric>getting to be all the timers.

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Going back to corn fed steel, you remember the scene where steel

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says, oh, this is the scene where the farmers refuse to bid and

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blah blah blah blah.

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<v Sara>Yeah.

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<v Eric>Yeah. Penny auctions at foreclosed Michigan farms in 1936.

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Penny auctions, farmers would conspire to offer low bids

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resulting in a low return to the creditor.

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The final buyer would then return the property to the destitute

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farmer. Hangman nooses served as a warning to squirrelly bidders.

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<v Sara>Oh, wow.

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<v Eric>Haunting photographs from 1936 captures penny auctions at a

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foreclosed farm in Michigan, 1 of the most defiant and ingenious

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acts of resistance to emerge during the Great Depression.

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When banks repossessed farms after families could no longer meet

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their mortgage payments, local communities often took matters

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into their own hands.

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Farmers would gather in large groups and agree beforehand to bid

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only pennies on each item, from livestock to land, driving the

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auction prices down to virtually nothing.

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The final buyer, usually a trusted neighbor, would then return

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the property to the original owner, ensuring that the family

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could remain on their land. Good for them.

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Nooses seen in photographs were not decorative.

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They served as a chilling warning to outsiders who might attempt

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to outbid the crowd. These were not empty threats. Wow.

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Solidarity and survival left little room for betrayal.

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Penny auctions became powerful symbols of rural unity and

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defiance.

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They weren't just about saving 1 farm, but about preserving a way

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of life 1 desperate bid at a time.

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<v Sara>And That's back,

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<v Eric>by 1933, more than 200,000 farms were foreclosed across the

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Midwest, sparking organized movements like the Farmers Holiday

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Association, which fought to halt foreclosures entirely.

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<v Sara>So That is so cool.

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<v Eric>Yeah. It was not wrong.

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I mean, he was wrong in this particular situation, that's the

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background on this whole whole thing.

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So, yeah, I intended to bring that up the next episode, and I

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forgot.

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<v Sara>Yeah. Yeah. It's

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<v Eric>okay. But

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<v Sara>I have learned something new, so I I I appreciate that.

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That that's really cool.

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<v Eric>And then we got a fan mail.

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<v Sara>Yay.

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<v Eric>Listener from Wayland, Michigan.

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Last 4 digits of their phone number is +1 699.

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That's the only way we have to identify them.

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Now I'm gonna say I think something got cut off. There may be a

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<v Sara>10 character

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<v Eric>limit to the text messages.

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So Wayland, Michigan 1699, if you get a chance, send us the

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<v Sara>rest of

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Wanna

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<v Sara>know. We

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<v Speaker 2>wanna know.

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<v Eric>Send it to us in an email. Go to the website.

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You can click on the link there, it'll take you and send you you

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you can send us an email or you can send it to

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steelwatching@yahoo.com.

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Anyway, gonna read this, and then we'll talk about it.

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I'm loving the podcast. I found it not too long ago. Welcome.

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I started at the beginning, and I've just finished listening to

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your Dreams of Steel episode.

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I love all the calls for fan fiction, although we don't

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explicitly say fan fiction in Dreams of Steel.

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What a brilliant idea to flip whose dreams is whose, and you'd

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<v Sara>mentioned I'm brilliant. It's me.

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<v Eric>You're also very humble.

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<v Sara>Humble. So

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<v Eric>humble. Yeah.

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When Steel seems to be possibly mixing up his sports, I think

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that could be exaggerated to comic effect. Could have been.

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Or he just doesn't know sports. Or he Yeah.

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Missed an opportunity there.

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In your discussion of Dreams of Steel, you talk about Stephanie

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Zembus swimming in the sea snake pool and how actors have gotten

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sick swimming in weird water. Well, yes.

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In fact, in LG and Steel, when Pierce Brosnan was swimming in the

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LA River, he got Bell's palsy.

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That's why his face is droopy in the next episode, small town

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steel. It is also noticeable in places in molten steel.

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<v Sara>Yeah.

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So I I I I did notice that and didn't like, I noticed it in

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molten, I think, and I do mention it because I was like, hey.

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What's going on here?

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And then a couple of fans told us about it, which we then

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mentioned, like, a couple of episodes later.

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So just keep listening, and you'll hear us mention

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<v Speaker 2>there. Yes.

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<v Sara>It'll happen.

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<v Eric>And he he continues or she continues or they continue, whoever it

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is.

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I have no idea what the source of information is, but somewhere

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over my 40 years of fandom, that's stuck in my head.

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Man, do I understand that?

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<v Sara>Yeah. I'm just kidding.

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<v Eric>There are so many things that I know, but I can't document where

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I got the information because it's just, like you said, all the

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timers.

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<v Sara>Yeah.

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<v Eric>Anyway oh, you know, and it's not just that.

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It's just it's I've got so much information coming in 1 side that

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it falls out the other side to make room for the new stuff.

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So anyway, where were we? Yes. Yes. Yes.

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I have thoroughly enjoyed arguing with my radio and my commute to

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work.

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<v Speaker 2>I love this. I love

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<v Sara>it because I do the same thing when I listen to other podcasts

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for, like, other shows that I like, so I totally know what you

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mean by that. I love it.

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<v Eric>Yes. Yeah.

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It says, you guys you guys make some really good points.

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You get some stuff very wrong.

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<v Sara>I wanna know what. What do we get wrong? Please tell us.

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<v Eric>And in parentheses, they add, okay, it's opinions, but you're

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still wrong.

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<v Sara>Sounds like me. Well

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<v Eric>okay.

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You include some great trivia and you leave out some interesting

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things.

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For example, 1 of Sharon Stone's early roles was the homecoming

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queen in Steel Crazy After All These Years.

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You've mentioned that the show likes to recycle character names,

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but they also like to recycle character actors.

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Harry Swan from Steel Flying High is Fresco Zapata in High Flying

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Steel. I find that amusing.

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Also, Eddie Ho and the And that's hookup where we're cut go.

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Yeah.

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<v Sara>Yeah, please, please send us the rest because I wanna know, I

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wanna know.

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I I mean, we have mentioned some recycled character actors, and

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there's 1 in this episode that we're gonna talk about.

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But I didn't know that about the actor who played Harry Swan

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slash Zapata that I missed that 1. So cool.

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<v Eric>Hey. We're not perfect. We're just really, really good.

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<v Sara>So please, please, tell us tell us how we're wrong.

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Tell us where we're wrong.

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I I wanna know, like, not because I wanna argue, although that's

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fun, but I just I love hearing it's it's really nice because,

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like, this is unless people are giving us feedback and they do in

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the the Steel Watchers group, which is It can feel like a 1 way

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thing where we're we're talking at other people and then, you

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know, it it that's it.

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But it's really nice when people engage back and say, I disagree

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with you, or here's my opinion, because then we get other

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perspectives that we hadn't considered, and it's just kind of

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neat to have that 2 way communication.

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<v Eric>Yes. Yes, absolutely.

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So whether it's this podcast or any other podcast you listen to,

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send feedback to your hosts.

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<v Sara>Send them an email.

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<v Eric>They would greatly appreciate it.

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Send them an email, send them a fan mail through text messages if

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they have that, whatever. Just communicate with them.

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Let them know you're listening.

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We see it in the numbers, but it's nice to be able to quote, put

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a face, so to speak, to the numbers.

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So anyway, Dancer, Prancer, Donner and Steel, first aired

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12/17/1985.

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It was written by Michael Gleeson and Elliot Lewis and directed

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by Christopher Hibler.

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<v Sara>So obviously we know Michael Gleeson, but Elliot Lewis, I don't

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recognize that name.

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So I'm wondering if it was like a first script that Gleason

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helped to punch up because

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<v Eric>Yeah. We

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<v Sara>have we seen that name before? I could

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<v Eric>be wrong. Remember correctly. No.

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<v Sara>Okay. Yeah.

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So I'm guessing it was, like, a first script that Michael Gleason

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sort of jumped in on because, like yeah.

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I wanna say something right off the hop. I hate Christmas movies.

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And I and I know, like, how this is gonna sound.

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Like, I'm a massive Grinch, but hear me out. Okay?

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Because, like You're a mean

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<v Speaker 2>1, mister Grinch.

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<v Sara>I also hate Christmas music, and it sort of goes hand in hand as

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to why in the sense that I used to work retail.

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<v Eric>Well, I'll I'll agree about Mariah Carey. Okay? Yeah.

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<v Sara>Yeah.

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Well, I worked retail for 8 years, so it was the same, like, 12

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songs that would get recycled in varying different versions of

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said 12 songs, and it just my eye would start to twitch, you

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know, and it just you

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<v Eric>you look like something out of a horror movie.

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<v Sara>It's like, just get a little bit.

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But the reason I I hate Chris and I say I hate Chris that's a bit

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of a blanket statement. I hate your typical Christmas movies.

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I don't like the cheese and the corniness and the, like, the

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extreme schmaltziness that tends to accompany Christmas movies.

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<v Eric>Okay.

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Now we need to we need to we need to refine that because, I mean,

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it sounds like you're talking about the Hallmark type Christmas

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movies as opposed to things like White Christmas, Holiday Inn.

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<v Sara>See, I'm not a fan yeah. Like, not not for me.

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Those ones aren't for me. Just don't like the whole, like

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<v Eric>We are looking for a new cohost for the podcast.

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<v Sara>I will say I will say It's a Wonderful Life gets a pass.

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I do like that 1 because I just think the acting in it is so

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good.

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It is so good in that movie that I'll I'll give it to It's a

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Wonderful Life. But for the most part, I don't know.

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Just that whole, like, everything turns out happy, peace on

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Earth. I don't know. It just it doesn't work for me.

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But the Christmas movies where stuff goes horribly, horribly

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wrong, those are my jam.

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Like the weird ones, the ones that are like, and I know this will

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engender some argument here, but Die Hard.

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Die Hard's a Christmas movie. I will die on this hill.

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And my proof for that?

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This episode, because this episode predates Die Hard and it's

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basically Die Hard. They're in a building.

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They're being held hostage by a bunch of terrorists who say they

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want 1 thing, but actually want another.

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You know, 1 person has to defeat them. That's Die Hard.

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You know, literally without Alan Rickman.

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But Die Hard Home Alone, which is not really a Christmas when you

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think about it, it's he's fending off burglars, but there's

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Christmas trees, so it counts.

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Disney movie, the 1 Disney movie that gets a pass called 1 Magic

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Christmas, and only because it's the most depressing kids movie

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ever invented.

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I don't know how the scriptwriters got this plot past the

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studios. Literally, the dad gets shot.

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The kids get kidnapped and driven off a cliff.

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Mom ends up thinking her kids and her husband are dead, but she

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meets Santa, so everything's okay.

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<v Eric>Okay.

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Well, first of all, anybody who doesn't like the Muppets

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Christmas Carol?

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<v Sara>Oh, no. No. No. I love the Muppets.

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<v Eric>Okay.

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<v Sara>That that that 1 gets a pass because it's funny.

00:12:24.365 --> 00:12:26.845
<v Eric>Okay. White Christmas.

00:12:26.845 --> 00:12:31.404
I mean, you got Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera

00:12:31.404 --> 00:12:34.684
Ellen, we can do without. How can

00:12:34.684 --> 00:12:36.539
<v Speaker 2>you how can you not

00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:39.259
<v Sara>just too like happy. It's just too, like I don't know.

00:12:39.259 --> 00:12:40.699
It's just too by the numbers for me.

00:12:40.699 --> 00:12:42.620
Like, I like it if there's a weird twist.

00:12:42.940 --> 00:12:45.339
So that's why I like the Muppets because I actually don't really

00:12:45.339 --> 00:12:48.139
like A Christmas Carol as a story. I think it's like, okay.

00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:50.299
So we're gonna have to terrorize rich people into caring?

00:12:50.544 --> 00:12:54.065
I mean, I guess that works, but, like, at the same time, it seems

00:12:54.065 --> 00:12:57.105
a little bit of not really the message you wanna send, but I do

00:12:57.105 --> 00:12:59.585
love like, the Muppets element makes it awesome.

00:12:59.585 --> 00:13:02.144
So that 1, I'll I'll get on board with. Gremlins?

00:13:03.070 --> 00:13:05.950
<v Eric>Well, there's there's there's a lot of misinformation about A

00:13:05.950 --> 00:13:07.149
Christmas Carol because Sure.

00:13:07.149 --> 00:13:10.110
Cratchit was actually not not Cratchit.

00:13:11.149 --> 00:13:16.110
Scrooge was actually a much more generous employer than most

00:13:16.110 --> 00:13:17.709
people believe. But anyway.

00:13:17.945 --> 00:13:18.345
<v Sara>Yeah.

00:13:18.345 --> 00:13:21.464
But but like mean If you I don't you've probably never seen this

00:13:21.464 --> 00:13:23.625
1, but there's a movie called The Ref. Okay?

00:13:23.625 --> 00:13:25.945
This is another good example of the kind of Christmas movie I

00:13:25.945 --> 00:13:26.184
like.

00:13:26.184 --> 00:13:31.039
It's a Dennis Leary plays a bank robber who robs a house, and the

00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:34.799
trip wire goes off and he ends up the alarm goes off and he has

00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:37.600
to escape really quickly, but they put up roadblocks so he can't

00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:40.799
get out of the town. So he has to take a couple hostage.

00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:43.679
And it's basically, it's Annette Benning and Kevin Spacey, and

00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:46.865
they are pretty much on the, like, point of divorce.

00:13:47.105 --> 00:13:48.465
They're fighting all the time.

00:13:48.705 --> 00:13:51.424
And so he takes them hostage in their car and has to play

00:13:51.424 --> 00:13:53.585
therapist to them throughout the entire movie as he's holding

00:13:53.585 --> 00:13:55.504
them hostage, and then their in laws show up.

00:13:55.504 --> 00:13:58.540
And he ends up, like, tying up the mother-in-law and, like, the

00:13:58.540 --> 00:14:01.980
kids blackmailing his prep school headmaster, and it's just a

00:14:01.980 --> 00:14:03.899
mess. But that's the kind of stuff I like.

00:14:03.899 --> 00:14:07.179
Maybe because, like, dysfunctional families are to me, feel more

00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:10.940
realistic in Christmas than happy families and everything turns

00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:11.899
out okay. I don't know.

00:14:11.899 --> 00:14:14.625
<v Eric>But, like Well, I'll agree that I don't like most Christmas

00:14:14.625 --> 00:14:17.664
movies, but White Christmas, Muppets Christmas Carol, Holiday

00:14:17.664 --> 00:14:21.664
Inn, yeah, Charlie Brown Christmas. I just love all those.

00:14:21.664 --> 00:14:22.384
<v Sara>I can get on board with

00:14:22.304 --> 00:14:26.590
<v Eric>I'll that also agree to a certain extent about the music, which

00:14:26.590 --> 00:14:30.669
is why I listen to smooth jazz versions of Christmas tunes Okay.

00:14:30.669 --> 00:14:32.509
And big band Christmas versions.

00:14:33.230 --> 00:14:33.789
<v Sara>Fair.

00:14:33.789 --> 00:14:36.029
But they they don't play those in the department store I worked

00:14:36.029 --> 00:14:37.950
at. Well They don't

00:14:37.950 --> 00:14:40.350
<v Eric>play those. That's the fault in the department store.

00:14:40.904 --> 00:14:44.105
<v Sara>You get Britney Spears singing Santa Baby over and over and over

00:14:44.105 --> 00:14:45.544
and over till you snap.

00:14:45.784 --> 00:14:48.184
<v Eric>Oh, I went from Christmas.

00:14:48.504 --> 00:14:51.065
<v Sara>Yeah. Stop. Still November.

00:14:51.144 --> 00:14:54.504
Anyway, so the point I was trying to make with this diet

00:14:54.584 --> 00:14:54.904
<v Speaker 2>Oh, there was

00:14:54.904 --> 00:14:55.544
<v Eric>a point in there.

00:14:55.544 --> 00:14:56.345
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. There was a point.

00:14:56.345 --> 00:14:58.160
<v Sara>I'm getting to it very slowly.

00:14:58.160 --> 00:15:04.080
But, like, this episode is literally the perfect example of the

00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:07.519
kind of Christmas movie that or it's not a movie, but the kind of

00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.000
Christmas thing that I like because it's Okay. Yes.

00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:13.235
It's got Santas, and it's on Christmas Eve, and you've got all

00:15:13.235 --> 00:15:14.195
the Christmas elements.

00:15:14.195 --> 00:15:17.475
But it's aside from the kind of shmulty breaking of the fourth

00:15:17.475 --> 00:15:21.315
wall at the very, very end of the tag, this is my jam.

00:15:21.475 --> 00:15:26.490
There's guns. There's danger. There's Santas. This is me.

00:15:26.490 --> 00:15:27.850
This is why I love it. I get

00:15:27.850 --> 00:15:29.289
<v Eric>popping on of Santas.

00:15:29.289 --> 00:15:32.329
<v Sara>Oh, over abundance of Santas. This is the kind of stuff I like.

00:15:33.129 --> 00:15:37.129
<v Eric>Well, let's get into why we're really here instead of all of the

00:15:37.129 --> 00:15:38.409
the Christmas bashing.

00:15:39.304 --> 00:15:41.784
<v Sara>I'm not bashing Christmas, just the movies.

00:15:42.024 --> 00:15:45.784
<v Eric>Oh, well, alright, fine. Went with TV Guide listing.

00:15:46.664 --> 00:15:50.424
3 menacing Santas crashed the agency's office party, taking

00:15:50.424 --> 00:15:54.029
Laura, Steele, and the guests hostage and threatened to blow up

00:15:54.029 --> 00:15:57.070
the building if they're not given $2,000,000.

00:15:58.509 --> 00:15:59.790
Pretty much sums it up.

00:16:00.269 --> 00:16:05.654
<v Sara>So speaking of actors that appear more than once, this is in in

00:16:05.654 --> 00:16:08.534
Judith's book, it has the the notes saying this is Don Gordon's

00:16:08.534 --> 00:16:11.174
second appearance, and the first was in Springtime for Steel.

00:16:11.174 --> 00:16:12.214
He played Nash.

00:16:12.455 --> 00:16:17.174
And then this is his second time showing up as a dancer.

00:16:17.495 --> 00:16:20.294
And then Alexandra Borey's second appearance, this 1 I didn't

00:16:20.294 --> 00:16:23.529
catch, but the first she appeared was in hearts of steel.

00:16:23.529 --> 00:16:26.490
She was probably 1 of the married woman women.

00:16:26.809 --> 00:16:30.009
And now she's, as Alison Green.

00:16:30.009 --> 00:16:31.929
So I didn't catch that originally.

00:16:31.929 --> 00:16:35.985
And can we talk about the 2 guest stars in this

00:16:35.985 --> 00:16:37.585
<v Eric>episode? Why not?

00:16:38.144 --> 00:16:42.545
<v Sara>No. But, seriously, like, Jennifer Tilly and Peter Jurassic.

00:16:42.865 --> 00:16:45.345
Have you seen either of them and other things?

00:16:49.809 --> 00:16:51.250
<v Eric>I'll go with

00:16:51.570 --> 00:16:58.050
<v Sara>no. Okay. So you have the DVDs, though, for Babylon 5. Correct?

00:17:00.529 --> 00:17:08.855
<v Eric>No. I've got the DVDs for the time travel 1, which

00:17:10.775 --> 00:17:13.575
<v Sara>Oh, I thought okay.

00:17:13.575 --> 00:17:15.015
For some reason, I thought you said you were gonna

00:17:15.174 --> 00:17:16.055
<v Eric>Something gate.

00:17:16.375 --> 00:17:17.650
<v Sara>Oh, Stargate. Stargate. Okay.

00:17:17.650 --> 00:17:20.130
I I don't know why, but I thought you said you had the Babylon

00:17:20.049 --> 00:17:22.769
Okay. 5 So Peter Jurassic, plays

00:17:23.089 --> 00:17:25.809
<v Eric>No. But if somebody wants to just send them to me, go ahead.

00:17:26.369 --> 00:17:33.734
<v Sara>Who plays Jack slash Eggnog. He is a main character on Babylon 5.

00:17:33.974 --> 00:17:39.095
He plays the character Londo Malari, which is an alien species or

00:17:39.414 --> 00:17:42.374
well, he's part of an alien species on the show.

00:17:42.615 --> 00:17:46.419
And he's essentially I mean, he's in a bunch of other things too,

00:17:46.419 --> 00:17:50.500
but this was his big role in terms of like as a series regular on

00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:51.220
a TV show.

00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:58.825
And he was a villain that had 1 of the best redemption arcs that

00:17:58.825 --> 00:18:01.304
I've ever seen happen on a television series.

00:18:01.304 --> 00:18:05.304
Like, he starts out as 1 of the most despicable I'm not gonna say

00:18:05.304 --> 00:18:08.184
human beings because he wasn't, but, like, despicable characters

00:18:08.505 --> 00:18:11.544
and just this has this beautiful transformation over the course

00:18:11.544 --> 00:18:15.279
of the show. Mhmm. And it's really, really perfectly done.

00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.000
And his acting is just amazing, and he's just great.

00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.160
And so when I see him here, I'm like, oh my god.

00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:23.519
It's Londo Malari playing like a drunken stockbroker.

00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:25.920
I'm like, how does this but he's great in this too.

00:18:26.394 --> 00:18:29.754
So he's just he's just like chef's kiss wonderful.

00:18:30.234 --> 00:18:32.954
Like, they had such good talent in this episode because you've

00:18:32.954 --> 00:18:35.434
got him, and then you've got Jennifer Tilly.

00:18:35.434 --> 00:18:39.640
And like, Jennifer Tilly is an icon.

00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:43.640
She's known for some of these, like, really weird, really kind of

00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:46.200
like bizarre roles that she's done in many cases.

00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:49.000
She's she says she's it says she's an American and Canadian

00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.605
actress. I didn't know we had any connection to her.

00:18:51.605 --> 00:18:52.644
So, hey, yay.

00:18:53.045 --> 00:18:55.765
And apparently, she's also a professional poker player.

00:18:55.765 --> 00:19:00.404
So she's the actress that plays Eva, plant lady.

00:19:01.684 --> 00:19:05.525
But she was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting

00:19:05.525 --> 00:19:09.289
actress in the film, I think bullets over Broadway.

00:19:09.849 --> 00:19:14.169
And she also earned like some extreme acclaim for playing like

00:19:14.169 --> 00:19:17.210
her portrayal of Violet, who was a lesbian sort of femme fatale

00:19:17.210 --> 00:19:18.169
in the movie Bound.

00:19:18.694 --> 00:19:21.654
And that's considered to be 1 of these sort of films that are,

00:19:21.654 --> 00:19:25.974
like, really, important in, like, the LGBT community.

00:19:25.974 --> 00:19:29.575
She was Tiffany Valentine in the bride of Chucky, and she's done

00:19:29.575 --> 00:19:30.775
all these other movies.

00:19:31.090 --> 00:19:34.049
The Haunted Mansion, Fabulous Baker Boys, Liar Liar.

00:19:34.049 --> 00:19:36.849
She played the I don't if you've seen that 1, but she played the

00:19:37.090 --> 00:19:39.250
ex wife that's trying to, like, take her husband for everything

00:19:39.250 --> 00:19:41.809
he's got. And Jim Carrey's trying to get it for her.

00:19:41.809 --> 00:19:43.970
And she's just awful in that movie too.

00:19:43.970 --> 00:19:45.650
Like, she's she's great, but she's awful.

00:19:45.650 --> 00:19:46.855
Like, her character's awful.

00:19:47.174 --> 00:19:52.615
And then she became a World Series poker champion in 2005.

00:19:52.615 --> 00:19:58.214
So there's that. So she's just really like I don't know.

00:19:58.214 --> 00:19:59.095
She's just amazing.

00:19:59.095 --> 00:20:04.119
And and to see her here in this tiny little role on the show was

00:20:04.119 --> 00:20:06.119
like, I don't know.

00:20:06.119 --> 00:20:09.639
They had lightning in a bottle in terms of the some of the guest

00:20:09.639 --> 00:20:10.519
stars that appeared.

00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:13.559
And every now and then we get a guest star that is a big person

00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:16.414
elsewhere that like Gina Davis. Mhmm.

00:20:16.414 --> 00:20:20.734
This time we have 2, plus all of the other guest actors who are

00:20:20.734 --> 00:20:21.055
awesome.

00:20:21.055 --> 00:20:23.934
Like, this is just a anyway, I know we're not even into the

00:20:23.934 --> 00:20:25.535
episode, but I told you I had thoughts. So

00:20:26.095 --> 00:20:28.335
<v Eric>Well, I'm gonna take us down another detour.

00:20:28.789 --> 00:20:29.829
<v Sara>Oh, yay. Good.

00:20:29.829 --> 00:20:32.950
<v Eric>The episode opens with a close-up image of a pistol on a desk as

00:20:32.950 --> 00:20:37.349
a singer is crooning. Have yourself a merry little Yes.

00:20:37.349 --> 00:20:38.549
<v Sara>You hinted at this. Sunny

00:20:39.909 --> 00:20:45.855
<v Eric>Averano is a Frank Sinatra style singer, and in my opinion, based

00:20:45.855 --> 00:20:50.734
on what we hear in this episode, he's not bad.

00:20:51.535 --> 00:20:54.335
He's the guy that was the lounge singer in Dice Steele, of whom

00:20:54.335 --> 00:20:55.055
Eddie Rose

00:20:54.894 --> 00:20:55.535
<v Sara>Oh, I was gonna

00:20:55.509 --> 00:20:59.190
<v Eric>he's got everything but Sinatra's salary. This is the same guy.

00:20:59.509 --> 00:21:03.589
He took singing lessons as a youngster, made his living first as

00:21:03.589 --> 00:21:07.190
an auto mechanic, and then beginning in 1967 as the owner of

00:21:07.190 --> 00:21:07.910
several junkyards.

00:21:08.215 --> 00:21:10.934
Along the way, he opened a nightclub in what was an abandoned

00:21:10.934 --> 00:21:13.654
church in South Philadelphia, which he called the Roman Gardens,

00:21:13.654 --> 00:21:15.575
which did well until there was a shooting.

00:21:15.815 --> 00:21:16.775
<v Sara>Oh, yeah. That that would

00:21:16.775 --> 00:21:20.295
<v Eric>do Yeah. Kinda killed the business. Yeah.

00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:24.640
He continued in the junkyard business and eventually became

00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:29.119
president of the South Philadelphia Auto Records Association, and

00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:31.679
whatever he was doing, he was always listening to the music of

00:21:31.679 --> 00:21:34.079
Frank Sinatra and would often get up and sing at gatherings

00:21:34.454 --> 00:21:35.174
families and friends.

00:21:35.174 --> 00:21:40.774
Well, sometime in 1982, at a junkyard association dinner, singer

00:21:40.774 --> 00:21:44.934
slash comic Julie DeJean, don't know who that is, was

00:21:44.934 --> 00:21:46.134
entertaining that night.

00:21:46.454 --> 00:21:49.335
She knew Sonny and knew that Sonny sang, so she called him up on

00:21:49.335 --> 00:21:51.039
stage to sing a couple of numbers.

00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:55.039
His friends were cheering and he walked off the stage, not aware

00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:58.960
that a couple of executives from the Playboy Hotel Casino in

00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:00.640
Atlantic City were there.

00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.680
They called him over to their table and asked how he'd like to

00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:07.615
sing at the Playboy Club, And in a retelling, Sonny said he had a

00:22:07.615 --> 00:22:10.575
voice, but no stage presence, no arrangements, but he knew what

00:22:10.575 --> 00:22:11.615
the executives saw.

00:22:11.615 --> 00:22:14.975
They saw all these people that he sorta controlled, and they knew

00:22:14.975 --> 00:22:17.295
that junkyard people made a lot of money.

00:22:17.455 --> 00:22:21.099
They figured they'd bring him down to Atlantic City and that he'd

00:22:21.099 --> 00:22:22.779
bring in a lot of gamblers with him.

00:22:23.179 --> 00:22:26.940
They gave him a Monday night, a dark night, which I presume means

00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:30.140
that they don't normally have an act book, I'm not sure, in the

00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:31.579
main room of the Playboy Casino.

00:22:31.579 --> 00:22:36.565
He opened on June 28, and they were waiting in line to see him.

00:22:36.964 --> 00:22:40.244
He sang 4 or 5 bars of Come Fly With Me from behind the curtain,

00:22:40.244 --> 00:22:42.884
then they opened the curtain, and the crowd went wild.

00:22:43.125 --> 00:22:46.164
It was his first time on stage, and he had a 16 piece orchestra

00:22:46.164 --> 00:22:46.724
behind him.

00:22:47.320 --> 00:22:50.680
And according to David Richards of the New York Times, on that

00:22:50.680 --> 00:22:54.840
night, the casino registered 1 of its biggest drops, which I

00:22:54.840 --> 00:22:59.720
believe is a term for the amount of money lost at the gaming

00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:04.695
tables by patrons for a Monday, and Sonny was asked to do 6 more

00:23:04.695 --> 00:23:06.214
Mondays and then 6 more.

00:23:06.375 --> 00:23:07.015
<v Sara>Wow.

00:23:07.015 --> 00:23:10.535
<v Eric>And from now on, he was the first or he was first and last a

00:23:10.535 --> 00:23:11.095
singer.

00:23:11.174 --> 00:23:15.255
The Playboy dates parlayed into steady casino work at Harris, the

00:23:15.255 --> 00:23:19.700
Golden Nugget, Caesars, Claridge, and the Trump Taj Mahal.

00:23:19.940 --> 00:23:23.700
And though he wasn't fixated on Sinatra or Sinatra's style, he

00:23:23.700 --> 00:23:27.299
always had insisted that what audiences heard was his own voice,

00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:30.500
he had somehow internalized the style, the artistry, the

00:23:30.500 --> 00:23:33.304
phrasing, the personality, and the electricity, and the charisma

00:23:33.304 --> 00:23:36.504
to the point where it became his own, and there was the physical

00:23:36.504 --> 00:23:37.704
resemblance to Boot.

00:23:38.825 --> 00:23:42.345
Now Bruce Klabber, who was a close friend of Sonny's and a writer

00:23:42.345 --> 00:23:47.250
of an article that appeared in The Shore Local, which is a

00:23:47.250 --> 00:23:51.410
website newspaper for the Jersey Shore, stated that like Frank

00:23:51.410 --> 00:23:54.929
Sinatra, when Sonny Avarana walked into a room, he owned it.

00:23:54.930 --> 00:23:57.730
You were drawn to him, and you knew he was there because the room

00:23:57.730 --> 00:23:59.009
was filled with electricity.

00:23:59.894 --> 00:24:03.335
I often hung out with him in the wee small hours after the job at

00:24:03.335 --> 00:24:07.174
places like Grable's, and I saw people clear a path so he could

00:24:07.174 --> 00:24:08.855
walk through the room comfortably.

00:24:09.015 --> 00:24:11.414
High roller suites opened their doors to him.

00:24:11.414 --> 00:24:14.455
Headliners in the main room came into the lounge after their

00:24:14.455 --> 00:24:17.630
shows to be with him. He knew people who were connected.

00:24:17.630 --> 00:24:20.190
Years later, I came to believe that 1 of the reasons so many

00:24:20.190 --> 00:24:24.029
flocked to see Sonny was because in some weird way, being with

00:24:24.029 --> 00:24:26.670
him was the closest they would ever get to being with Frank

00:24:26.670 --> 00:24:27.230
Sinatra.

00:24:28.785 --> 00:24:32.065
Now Clabber pointed out that there is a vocal similarity to

00:24:32.065 --> 00:24:35.025
Sinatra, and specifically the latter day Sinatra, which

00:24:35.025 --> 00:24:38.625
apparently frustrated Sonny, who said, it's tough for a guy like

00:24:38.625 --> 00:24:41.585
me. I try to do my own things. I do show tunes.

00:24:41.585 --> 00:24:43.750
I do Tony Bennett. Right.

00:24:43.750 --> 00:24:48.150
That's important because I had I had this wonderful conspiracy

00:24:48.150 --> 00:24:48.710
theory.

00:24:49.269 --> 00:24:51.349
<v Sara>That they got him to do this episode too?

00:24:51.990 --> 00:24:54.390
<v Eric>Well, I'll get to it. I'll get to it. K.

00:24:55.204 --> 00:24:57.845
It it doesn't doesn't last, but I'll get to it.

00:24:58.325 --> 00:25:02.164
Vic Damone, Al Martino, I sing as good as all of them, but the

00:25:02.164 --> 00:25:03.284
people won't let me.

00:25:03.285 --> 00:25:06.964
The minute I get on stage, they shout, my way, or the lady is a

00:25:06.964 --> 00:25:09.365
tram, or New York, New York, so I ended up staying in that

00:25:09.365 --> 00:25:10.085
Sinatra vein.

00:25:10.589 --> 00:25:14.509
By '92, things were winding down for Sonny because Atlantic City

00:25:14.509 --> 00:25:17.150
was changing, but it really didn't matter for Sonny.

00:25:17.150 --> 00:25:20.509
On July 3, he sat down with David Richards of the New York Times

00:25:20.509 --> 00:25:24.669
for an interview for an article that Sonny and Klabber hoped

00:25:25.204 --> 00:25:28.724
could finally be a career training point for him to catapult him

00:25:28.724 --> 00:25:29.764
into the big time.

00:25:30.005 --> 00:25:33.365
The next morning on July 4, Klabber got a call.

00:25:33.365 --> 00:25:37.444
Sonny had died suddenly earlier that morning, and the New York

00:25:37.444 --> 00:25:40.490
Times article, was supposed to be a boost to Sonny's career

00:25:40.490 --> 00:25:43.369
instead became a tribute article. Oh.

00:25:43.369 --> 00:25:49.849
And I gotta say, was I wasn't impressed with his singing in these

00:25:49.849 --> 00:25:53.289
particular episodes in terms of I I didn't think it was great,

00:25:54.414 --> 00:25:57.775
and I would have judged him as merely a mediocre Frank Sinatra

00:25:57.775 --> 00:25:59.455
impersonator at best, based

00:25:59.295 --> 00:26:02.255
<v Sara>I think on that's we called him in Dice But,

00:26:02.575 --> 00:26:02.974
<v Speaker 2>you know, I

00:26:02.974 --> 00:26:05.295
<v Eric>checked out some of the videos of him performing at various

00:26:05.295 --> 00:26:09.799
venues that are available on on YouTube, and I gotta say, he was

00:26:09.799 --> 00:26:13.640
actually much better than he comes across in these episodes.

00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:20.119
But the bit about how he would do Tony Bennett and Vic Damone and

00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:21.079
Al Martino

00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:21.559
<v Sara>Right.

00:26:22.195 --> 00:26:28.914
<v Eric>Got me thinking, and I checked with the mighty Oracle of Music,

00:26:29.394 --> 00:26:30.275
Steve Sisson.

00:26:30.275 --> 00:26:31.875
<v Sara>I was gonna say, Steve.

00:26:31.875 --> 00:26:36.990
<v Eric>And I asked him, you know, when did that modified version of

00:26:36.990 --> 00:26:38.190
Steel Tryin' come out?

00:26:38.190 --> 00:26:42.430
Well, he says to the best of his knowledge, it didn't exist until

00:26:42.430 --> 00:26:43.710
the DVDs were released.

00:26:43.710 --> 00:26:47.230
It was done specifically for the DVDs, which were early 2000s,

00:26:47.230 --> 00:26:50.774
which was a problem if Sonny died in 1992, so he obviously

00:26:50.774 --> 00:26:56.694
couldn't have done the music to replace that Tony Bennett with in

00:26:56.694 --> 00:27:03.269
2005, but my thought was, okay, Michael Gleeson wanted to get

00:27:03.269 --> 00:27:08.230
Tony Bennett to do these things, but what if somebody on the

00:27:08.230 --> 00:27:11.669
production staff, maybe Gleeson himself, maybe 1 of the attorneys

00:27:11.669 --> 00:27:15.455
for MTM, maybe 1 of the attorneys for the network said, okay,

00:27:15.455 --> 00:27:18.414
yeah, we know you've got this deal going with Tony Bennett, and

00:27:18.414 --> 00:27:22.255
it looks like that's gonna go, but, you know, we're really,

00:27:22.255 --> 00:27:25.934
really nervous about this because the record companies, you know,

00:27:25.934 --> 00:27:28.654
they like to have their money, they could just make a big stink.

00:27:28.654 --> 00:27:32.230
And even though you've kinda got it covered with this agreement,

00:27:32.230 --> 00:27:35.750
if if they make a big stink, it's it's probably not worth it to

00:27:35.750 --> 00:27:36.549
us to deal with it.

00:27:36.549 --> 00:27:41.029
So come up with some songs that are not Tony Bennett songs sung

00:27:41.029 --> 00:27:43.734
by somebody who kinda sounds like Tony Bennett, but it's

00:27:43.734 --> 00:27:46.294
obviously not Tony Bennett because they're not Tony Bennett

00:27:46.294 --> 00:27:51.095
songs, and record those and file them away just in case.

00:27:52.134 --> 00:27:56.294
And I thought, you know, the voice in those, it's not exactly the

00:27:56.294 --> 00:28:00.630
same, but I mean, when you're doing, I'll say an impersonation or

00:28:00.630 --> 00:28:02.710
a tribute

00:28:02.950 --> 00:28:03.349
<v Sara>Yeah.

00:28:03.509 --> 00:28:06.630
<v Eric>Performance to somebody, you're not gonna sound exactly like

00:28:06.630 --> 00:28:09.509
them, but you're not, also not gonna sound exactly like what you

00:28:09.509 --> 00:28:12.309
do when you're doing a tribute performance for somebody else,

00:28:12.555 --> 00:28:15.355
even though, you know, the same person's physically doing it.

00:28:15.595 --> 00:28:18.394
I thought, well, it could have been the same guy.

00:28:18.394 --> 00:28:19.595
It could have been this guy.

00:28:19.595 --> 00:28:22.235
It could have been Sonny, and he just recorded these, and they

00:28:22.235 --> 00:28:27.529
got stuck, and somebody pulled them out of the episode library

00:28:27.529 --> 00:28:32.650
and stuck them in, and the Oracle shot me down.

00:28:32.650 --> 00:28:35.130
He said, nah, it doesn't sound like the same guy to me at all.

00:28:35.450 --> 00:28:40.330
So I told him, yes, he insisted because I told him he ruined, he

00:28:40.184 --> 00:28:43.305
totally ruined my conspiracy theory, but he said I had to include

00:28:43.305 --> 00:28:44.105
it here anyway.

00:28:44.105 --> 00:28:46.265
<v Sara>So Yeah. No. That's a good conspiracy.

00:28:46.265 --> 00:28:48.505
We I I enjoy a good conspiracy theories.

00:28:49.785 --> 00:28:51.224
<v Eric>Well, I think most people do.

00:28:51.545 --> 00:28:54.424
And and I even came up with a pretty good explanation to work

00:28:54.424 --> 00:28:56.000
around the dates issue,

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.759
<v Sara>but Yeah. Absolutely.

00:28:58.399 --> 00:28:59.599
<v Eric>Thank you, Steve.

00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:03.039
<v Sara>Pretty weird, but thank you.

00:29:03.919 --> 00:29:07.039
<v Eric>Anyway, as the image remains tight on the pistol, we see a white

00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:11.325
gloved hand pick up the pistol, and we can tell even in this

00:29:11.325 --> 00:29:14.684
close-up shot that whoever it is that is picking it up is dressed

00:29:14.684 --> 00:29:15.804
in a Santa suit.

00:29:16.044 --> 00:29:18.284
Well, this person tucks the pistol into the waistband of his

00:29:18.284 --> 00:29:21.244
pants. Yeah.

00:29:21.724 --> 00:29:26.929
Boy, that's I I I still gotta say your your bits are a little

00:29:26.929 --> 00:29:28.049
more important than that.

00:29:28.529 --> 00:29:33.089
<v Sara>Well Any Nick's magic bits? Maybe it doesn't know.

00:29:32.769 --> 00:29:35.569
I I don't know. Pretend I didn't say that. Edit that out.

00:29:38.365 --> 00:29:40.684
<v Eric>That's not true. We won't talk about unwrapping them.

00:29:40.845 --> 00:29:44.845
Then pulls the Santa jacket closed and Awful.

00:29:44.845 --> 00:29:49.005
He pulls the Santa jacket closed, thus hiding the pistol. Yes.

00:29:49.399 --> 00:29:52.279
The camera pulls back, and then we see this unidentified man

00:29:52.279 --> 00:29:55.319
who's already wearing the full Santa beard and hat standing in

00:29:55.319 --> 00:29:58.599
front of a full length mirror as he buckles his wide Santa belt

00:29:58.599 --> 00:29:59.639
around his waist.

00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:02.359
And after completing his costume, he stands for a moment

00:30:02.359 --> 00:30:03.559
inspecting his appearance.

00:30:04.875 --> 00:30:08.554
We jump to the agency where a Christmas party is in full swing.

00:30:08.634 --> 00:30:11.914
<v Sara>Can I say 1 more thing? Just 1 more little thing.

00:30:11.994 --> 00:30:13.275
Tiny weeny thing.

00:30:13.275 --> 00:30:15.194
<v Eric>Okay. Yeah. It's only been a half an hour.

00:30:15.355 --> 00:30:17.914
<v Sara>Know, right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry to everybody listening.

00:30:17.914 --> 00:30:21.380
I apologize, but there's some cool stuff here that I just wanted

00:30:21.380 --> 00:30:21.859
to point out.

00:30:21.859 --> 00:30:22.579
<v Eric>Okay. Alright.

00:30:22.900 --> 00:30:27.140
<v Sara>This is a bottle episode, and I think this is the first Mostly.

00:30:27.140 --> 00:30:28.019
This is like the yeah.

00:30:28.019 --> 00:30:30.579
This is like the first time I think that the show has done a

00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:31.299
bottle episode.

00:30:31.299 --> 00:30:34.115
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they've done it

00:30:34.274 --> 00:30:35.554
they've done 1 before.

00:30:35.714 --> 00:30:38.914
And for those who don't know what I'm talking about, a bottle

00:30:39.315 --> 00:30:42.114
<v Eric>The episode on the island was close.

00:30:42.434 --> 00:30:44.754
<v Sara>Yeah. Kind of. Kind of, but not quite.

00:30:44.754 --> 00:30:48.220
Because, like, the purpose for a bottle episode exists.

00:30:48.619 --> 00:30:51.980
It takes place almost entirely in a single location, usually with

00:30:51.980 --> 00:30:54.700
the main cast and minimal guest stars or special effects, and it

00:30:54.700 --> 00:30:57.900
comes from the idea of keeping the production bottled up,

00:30:57.900 --> 00:30:59.579
confined and contained to save money.

00:31:00.105 --> 00:31:03.304
So these are usually episodes that appear when a series needs to

00:31:03.304 --> 00:31:06.184
stretch its budget or they've got like a production schedule

00:31:06.184 --> 00:31:09.065
that's tight and they don't have time to find other locations and

00:31:09.065 --> 00:31:09.384
stuff.

00:31:09.384 --> 00:31:12.664
So because of these limitations, bottle episodes often end up

00:31:12.664 --> 00:31:16.460
being character driven, emotionally intense, and if they're done

00:31:16.460 --> 00:31:18.059
well, really creatively written.

00:31:18.380 --> 00:31:21.500
So that's why I think the island 1 is a bit of a stretch because

00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:24.539
they would have had to spend a ton of money to be on that

00:31:24.539 --> 00:31:26.059
location and whatnot.

00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:29.835
But in this case, and I don't know, like if in this particular

00:31:30.075 --> 00:31:33.595
case it was budget restraints or whatnot that caused them to do

00:31:33.595 --> 00:31:36.634
it. It could just be a good idea that they went with. But

00:31:36.875 --> 00:31:39.914
<v Eric>Well, if it was, they blew it when they did the motorcycle chase.

00:31:39.914 --> 00:31:40.234
But anyway

00:31:40.474 --> 00:31:45.079
<v Sara>Yeah. Or the the terribly, eighties CGI explosion. But Sure.

00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:49.960
But, yeah, this is a really cool self contained episode, which is

00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:52.759
really well written and really character driven.

00:31:52.840 --> 00:31:55.720
And, yeah, I just I really love a good bottle episode.

00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:59.335
I'm a big fan of of of these episodes that kind of force

00:31:59.654 --> 00:32:01.174
<v Eric>You're a fan of the bottle.

00:32:01.255 --> 00:32:06.054
<v Sara>I'm a fan of the bottle. Funny. Alright.

00:32:06.054 --> 00:32:07.974
I'm I'm gonna shut up now. You go ahead.

00:32:09.494 --> 00:32:12.240
<v Eric>Anyway, we see that Mildred is playing hostess, and as she is

00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:15.840
pouring eggnog into a cup for 1 of the guests, a man who we later

00:32:15.840 --> 00:32:20.080
learned is named Jack, although he commonly gets called eggnog,

00:32:20.080 --> 00:32:23.920
yep, he comes up and asks who made the eggnog, and Mildred tells

00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:26.079
him that she made it from her mother's recipe.

00:32:26.799 --> 00:32:29.305
And he complains that apparently mom was a teetotaler.

00:32:29.305 --> 00:32:31.384
It's a little bit light on the rum.

00:32:31.384 --> 00:32:31.865
<v Sara>Okay.

00:32:31.865 --> 00:32:35.224
I was a teenager when I first saw this because I caught it in

00:32:35.224 --> 00:32:35.944
reruns.

00:32:36.345 --> 00:32:41.920
And that line was a revelation to me because I didn't know that

00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:46.240
eggnog, a, could be made at home or, b, was supposed to have

00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:48.960
alcohol in it. Because the only thing I would

00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:50.640
<v Eric>know buying a carton at grocery store doesn't.

00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:51.839
I can guarantee you that.

00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:55.039
<v Sara>Quite but that's quite literally the only eggnog I ever knew.

00:32:55.414 --> 00:32:59.575
So I didn't realize that eggnog was supposed to have alcohol or

00:32:59.575 --> 00:33:01.894
that you could have a recipe and make it yourself.

00:33:01.894 --> 00:33:04.054
Like, was just I was like, My

00:33:04.054 --> 00:33:05.494
<v Eric>question would be why?

00:33:06.534 --> 00:33:08.375
<v Sara>Well, yeah. I think it's gross.

00:33:08.375 --> 00:33:12.789
I don't like it But at As a kid, I used to love it.

00:33:12.789 --> 00:33:15.909
I used to it's weird because as a kid, I would guzzle that stuff

00:33:15.909 --> 00:33:17.029
like you wouldn't believe it.

00:33:17.029 --> 00:33:21.109
Now I'll buy it, but only my daughter drinks it because I cannot

00:33:21.109 --> 00:33:23.989
stand the taste and neither can my husband. It's too sweet.

00:33:24.549 --> 00:33:27.634
I'm guessing the rum maybe takes the edge

00:33:27.634 --> 00:33:28.115
<v Speaker 2>off of that.

00:33:28.115 --> 00:33:28.835
<v Eric>Yeah. That could. Yeah.

00:33:28.835 --> 00:33:31.394
<v Sara>But, like, maybe I should just pour some rum in it.

00:33:31.394 --> 00:33:33.075
<v Speaker 2>Try it out. I don't know. But,

00:33:33.315 --> 00:33:35.234
<v Sara>yeah, it was just I I was like, wait a minute.

00:33:35.234 --> 00:33:37.554
There's supposed to be rum and egg dog? Since when?

00:33:37.794 --> 00:33:41.700
<v Eric>Anyway As a kid, my drink was cactus cooler, which is not gonna

00:33:41.700 --> 00:33:43.059
be a name familiar to most people

00:33:43.220 --> 00:33:44.019
<v Sara>Heck is that?

00:33:44.019 --> 00:33:49.220
<v Eric>Unless you're from California. It is a orange pineapple soda.

00:33:49.539 --> 00:33:51.059
<v Sara>Oh, crazy.

00:33:51.220 --> 00:33:56.019
<v Eric>And when my mom worked at the hospital, Kaiser Hospital in in

00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:59.934
Oregon, they had a vending machine, it's the old style vending

00:33:59.934 --> 00:34:02.255
machine that had, you know, dropped the cup and it pushed the

00:34:02.255 --> 00:34:05.134
crushed ice in it and squirted You the stuff in could get the

00:34:05.134 --> 00:34:09.054
cactus cooler as either carbonated or non carbonated, but I loved

00:34:09.054 --> 00:34:12.359
that stuff. I still love it, I just can't get it. Anyway Okay.

00:34:12.359 --> 00:34:15.320
So as an adult, my tastes haven't entirely changed.

00:34:15.480 --> 00:34:17.079
Anyway, let's see. Yes.

00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:19.880
Mildred humorously observes that they wouldn't want to send

00:34:19.880 --> 00:34:21.559
anyone home half cast.

00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:22.519
<v Sara>Fair.

00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:25.925
<v Eric>And Jack chuckles, perhaps more sorrowfully than humorously, and

00:34:25.925 --> 00:34:29.204
tells her that he'll just finish this 1 up and go home.

00:34:29.445 --> 00:34:31.525
Judith and the young ones await.

00:34:31.765 --> 00:34:34.085
Then they wish each other a Merry Christmas.

00:34:35.204 --> 00:34:39.710
Well, Steele is in his office standing at the window, staring

00:34:39.710 --> 00:34:43.630
out, not looking real excited.

00:34:43.869 --> 00:34:47.309
Mildred opens the door, leans in, and calls to him, urging him to

00:34:47.309 --> 00:34:48.989
come on out and join the fun.

00:34:49.070 --> 00:34:52.844
He turns and he looks at her with a frown on his face, and he

00:34:52.844 --> 00:34:56.925
turns back to the window telling her that it's obscene.

00:34:57.644 --> 00:35:00.844
She steps into the office, and not certain what he's calling

00:35:00.844 --> 00:35:02.765
obscene, asks him to clarify.

00:35:03.485 --> 00:35:07.360
He says he tried to play tennis this morning. It was too hot.

00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:07.760
<v Sara>Okay.

00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:10.639
I'm calling bullcrap on this because this guy complains about

00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:14.159
climbing stairs, and he's I don't see him out there willingly

00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:14.880
playing tennis.

00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:17.920
He's this character has been established as, like, the laziest

00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:19.360
when it comes to physical activity.

00:35:19.755 --> 00:35:23.114
<v Eric>Does not Define wanna do play tennis.

00:35:23.114 --> 00:35:24.154
<v Sara>Okay. That's yeah.

00:35:24.154 --> 00:35:28.074
Maybe maybe he's hanging out with what's her face, miss Doll

00:35:28.074 --> 00:35:28.474
Rimpel.

00:35:28.474 --> 00:35:29.114
<v Eric>That's right.

00:35:29.114 --> 00:35:30.795
<v Sara>I don't think he's playing tennis.

00:35:30.954 --> 00:35:34.074
<v Eric>He he may be playing something, but he's not. Yeah. Yeah.

00:35:34.989 --> 00:35:39.950
Anyway, Mildred chuckles and agrees that, yes, it's a little warm

00:35:39.950 --> 00:35:43.630
for December. 97 degrees is more than a little warmy pouts.

00:35:43.630 --> 00:35:46.349
97 degrees on Christmas Eve is obscene.

00:35:46.349 --> 00:35:50.030
Should be big flat snowflakes falling, Jack Frost nipping at your

00:35:50.030 --> 00:35:50.190
heels.

00:35:50.324 --> 00:35:51.765
<v Sara>I had to look this up.

00:35:51.925 --> 00:35:55.844
<v Eric>97 in in on Christmas Eve in Southern California.

00:35:55.925 --> 00:35:58.964
I mean, that that seems a little bit unlikely even for Southern

00:35:58.964 --> 00:35:59.605
California.

00:35:59.605 --> 00:36:02.085
<v Sara>Yeah. I was I had because okay. So I looked this up.

00:36:02.500 --> 00:36:06.180
That's a great segue. I looked this up and yeah.

00:36:06.180 --> 00:36:08.260
The average temperature because I was like, okay.

00:36:08.260 --> 00:36:11.219
I gotta know what was the average temperature in California in

00:36:11.219 --> 00:36:14.739
the eighties during December because I don't live there, and I

00:36:14.739 --> 00:36:18.275
didn't live there. And I'm I'm thinking, is this obscene?

00:36:18.275 --> 00:36:21.555
Is this because I first of all, I converted it to Fahren or

00:36:21.555 --> 00:36:22.114
Celsius.

00:36:22.114 --> 00:36:27.235
So for those of you, using the metric system, it's 36 degrees,

00:36:27.235 --> 00:36:28.675
which is very hot.

00:36:28.994 --> 00:36:32.690
It's very hot, period, much less for, you know, December.

00:36:32.929 --> 00:36:33.969
The average temperature in

00:36:34.130 --> 00:36:37.329
<v Eric>And changing it from Celsius to Fahrenheit or back or forth, it

00:36:37.329 --> 00:36:39.010
it doesn't change the fact that

00:36:39.010 --> 00:36:40.449
<v Speaker 2>it's the way it's going to

00:36:40.609 --> 00:36:43.905
<v Sara>I can now understand what temperature that is. Right? So Right.

00:36:44.144 --> 00:36:47.585
The average temperature in LA in the eighties in December was 67

00:36:47.585 --> 00:36:50.224
Fahrenheit or 19 degrees Celsius.

00:36:50.704 --> 00:36:55.585
So, yeah, that's a little little warm, just a tad.

00:36:55.585 --> 00:36:59.710
Like, you've gone from a light jacket weather to your air

00:36:59.710 --> 00:37:02.989
conditioners breaking down because there's not enough power to,

00:37:02.989 --> 00:37:08.349
like, manage the grid hot. So, like yeah. Oof. Yeah.

00:37:08.349 --> 00:37:10.429
Did you get a chance to read the script for this out of

00:37:10.429 --> 00:37:11.070
curiosity?

00:37:11.150 --> 00:37:11.869
<v Eric>I did.

00:37:12.505 --> 00:37:14.664
<v Sara>Okay. There's a lot that they took out

00:37:15.065 --> 00:37:16.105
<v Eric>Yes. For this.

00:37:16.184 --> 00:37:18.984
<v Sara>Some of it's kind of, like, incidental, but some of it's like,

00:37:18.984 --> 00:37:20.985
oh, that makes more Yeah.

00:37:21.065 --> 00:37:23.224
Makes the episode make a lot more sense.

00:37:23.224 --> 00:37:25.945
<v Eric>I've got a lot of it stuck in through.

00:37:26.344 --> 00:37:26.585
<v Sara>Okay.

00:37:26.585 --> 00:37:26.984
<v Eric>Cool.

00:37:26.984 --> 00:37:31.950
I will try to highlight when I am going going on script as

00:37:31.950 --> 00:37:33.630
opposed to going off screen.

00:37:33.630 --> 00:37:38.349
<v Sara>So, yeah, it is hot it is hot for LA.

00:37:38.590 --> 00:37:41.755
<v Eric>Anyway, he says, should be big fat snowflakes falling and Jack

00:37:41.755 --> 00:37:42.954
Frost nipping at your heels.

00:37:42.954 --> 00:37:43.675
<v Sara>I agree.

00:37:43.675 --> 00:37:47.275
<v Eric>He he pauses and then asks, speaking of things nipping at your

00:37:47.275 --> 00:37:48.715
heels, where's miss Holt?

00:37:48.715 --> 00:37:52.554
<v Sara>I love it. That's a great line.

00:37:55.500 --> 00:37:56.460
<v Eric>I'm sorry.

00:37:56.460 --> 00:38:01.739
I just that word I just I have something else entirely in mind

00:38:01.739 --> 00:38:03.099
when when I hear that word.

00:38:04.059 --> 00:38:06.460
She tells him Mildred tells him that Laura's outrunning

00:38:06.460 --> 00:38:07.179
Samaritans.

00:38:07.179 --> 00:38:09.659
He looks at his watch, points out that it's only a quarter past

00:38:09.659 --> 00:38:14.215
4, and raising his voice in irritation, ensuring that everyone in

00:38:14.215 --> 00:38:17.655
the outer office will hear rhetorically asks, has she forgotten

00:38:17.655 --> 00:38:20.454
that this is a place in which we conduct business?

00:38:20.855 --> 00:38:24.750
<v Sara>I mean, the guy this is from the guy who barely turns up on time.

00:38:24.750 --> 00:38:27.390
And when he does, he's often found in his office with his feet up

00:38:27.390 --> 00:38:30.429
reading the paper or putting together his VCR

00:38:30.750 --> 00:38:31.469
<v Eric>That's right.

00:38:31.469 --> 00:38:34.989
<v Sara>Or whatever other or buying a boat. Come on, Steele.

00:38:34.989 --> 00:38:36.590
You're not fooling anybody here.

00:38:37.070 --> 00:38:39.905
<v Eric>Well, he's just he's just in a bad mood

00:38:39.905 --> 00:38:41.744
<v Sara>because of his business. Well, he's

00:38:41.824 --> 00:38:42.144
<v Eric>he doesn't

00:38:42.144 --> 00:38:48.144
<v Sara>like And I I like the way they they develop this because the fact

00:38:48.144 --> 00:38:53.719
that he's upset about the lack of snow is is 1 part of it, but

00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:55.960
it's not the whole reason, obviously, because

00:38:56.360 --> 00:38:58.920
<v Eric>That's that's the excuse he's giving. Yeah.

00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:00.840
It's it's really not about that. No.

00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:04.199
Anyway, Mildred points out that they don't have any business to

00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:08.224
conduct, optimistically adding that this is goodwill toward men

00:39:08.224 --> 00:39:10.224
time. Crime is on a holiday.

00:39:10.625 --> 00:39:12.625
<v Speaker 2>That's not actually right.

00:39:12.625 --> 00:39:13.905
<v Eric>No. No. No. No.

00:39:14.065 --> 00:39:15.425
<v Sara>You looked this up too then,

00:39:15.825 --> 00:39:17.744
<v Eric>Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

00:39:22.730 --> 00:39:28.250
Reports indicate that robbery and personal larceny increases by

00:39:28.250 --> 00:39:31.210
an approximate 20% during December.

00:39:31.449 --> 00:39:33.769
Shoplifting rates spike around the holidays.

00:39:33.769 --> 00:39:35.769
There's also an increase in cybercrimes.

00:39:35.769 --> 00:39:38.875
Identity theft, fraud are among the most common cybercrimes

00:39:38.875 --> 00:39:41.434
around the holidays. Of course, not back in the eighties.

00:39:41.675 --> 00:39:42.474
But Right.

00:39:42.554 --> 00:39:45.675
DYs increase during the holidays with New Year's Eve, of course,

00:39:45.675 --> 00:39:46.875
being 1 of the biggest nights.

00:39:46.875 --> 00:39:49.194
Domestic violence typically increases.

00:39:49.194 --> 00:39:53.194
Vandalism increases during Christmas, much of it focused on

00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:54.960
festive and religious seasonal decorations.

00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:59.840
Employee theft often surges during holiday seasons, particularly

00:39:59.840 --> 00:40:03.280
with temporary staff turnover. So no, Mildred.

00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:05.519
Crime is not on a holiday.

00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:05.840
<v Sara>Yeah.

00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:09.094
I had I had literally the same thing that more valuables are

00:40:09.094 --> 00:40:12.855
visible, so there's more opportunity. Lots of homes unoccupied.

00:40:12.855 --> 00:40:13.894
People go on vacations.

00:40:13.894 --> 00:40:16.934
So there's lots of, like, home thefts if they know that the

00:40:16.934 --> 00:40:17.735
people are out.

00:40:17.815 --> 00:40:20.454
Increased alcohol consumption, more foot traffic in retail

00:40:20.454 --> 00:40:20.775
spaces.

00:40:21.190 --> 00:40:26.390
And the fact that if depending on where you are on the planet, it

00:40:26.469 --> 00:40:32.789
gets darker earlier, which allows for more instances of crime to

00:40:32.789 --> 00:40:33.829
take place there as well.

00:40:33.829 --> 00:40:38.795
And also the fact that not everybody has a good Christmas.

00:40:38.795 --> 00:40:42.554
Not everybody has a good family. Not everybody has money

00:40:42.954 --> 00:40:44.954
<v Eric>Not everybody has good morals.

00:40:45.195 --> 00:40:46.474
<v Sara>And or well, that too.

00:40:46.474 --> 00:40:50.234
But I just mean, like, if you look at the the rise in, like,

00:40:51.079 --> 00:40:54.280
theft could come from the fact that you've got parents that are

00:40:54.280 --> 00:40:59.639
maybe trying to provide a Christmas for their kids and don't have

00:40:59.800 --> 00:41:02.280
barely have enough money to put food on the table, much less by

00:41:02.280 --> 00:41:04.840
all the presents that capitalism tells them they're supposed to

00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:08.844
buy. So, you know, they turn to shoplifting or whatever.

00:41:08.844 --> 00:41:11.885
And I mean, not all of the crime is based on that, but some of it

00:41:11.885 --> 00:41:15.244
has to be because this is a season that is literally saying, if

00:41:15.244 --> 00:41:17.085
you don't spend money, you're a bad person.

00:41:18.525 --> 00:41:22.690
<v Eric>You know You know, I I I don't remember much about being a kid,

00:41:22.690 --> 00:41:26.210
but I got a feeling that we had some pretty lean Christmases when

00:41:26.210 --> 00:41:26.769
I was a kid.

00:41:26.769 --> 00:41:29.650
I don't remember my parents going out and committing major crimes

00:41:29.650 --> 00:41:29.889
to

00:41:30.049 --> 00:41:30.609
<v Sara>No.

00:41:30.449 --> 00:41:31.329
<v Eric>To fund it.

00:41:31.569 --> 00:41:35.445
<v Sara>I just mean, and and obviously not everybody does, but I I just

00:41:35.445 --> 00:41:37.764
mean there is a lot of pressure, and there is a lot, like, to

00:41:37.764 --> 00:41:40.405
keep to create the magic for your kids, to keep that Mhmm.

00:41:40.644 --> 00:41:43.125
That movie that I mentioned that I said was Disney's most

00:41:43.125 --> 00:41:47.139
depressing film, it's called 1 Magic Christmas, and it's and for

00:41:47.139 --> 00:41:49.059
the longest time, I didn't even know the title of this because we

00:41:49.059 --> 00:41:52.420
had just taped it off the TV, but it's got, Mary Steenburgeons in

00:41:52.420 --> 00:41:54.900
it and Harry Dean Stanton is in it.

00:41:54.900 --> 00:41:59.219
And it's basically she plays a a mother who hates Christmas and

00:41:59.219 --> 00:42:03.265
is really, like, complete like, just depressed throughout most of

00:42:03.265 --> 00:42:07.825
the most of the film because she's working at a grocery store as

00:42:07.825 --> 00:42:11.265
a cashier. Her husband has been on like, lost his job.

00:42:11.585 --> 00:42:13.440
They don't have, they barely have the money.

00:42:13.440 --> 00:42:15.519
They're getting evicted from their house because it was a company

00:42:15.519 --> 00:42:18.719
home, so they're having to move around the Christmas season.

00:42:18.960 --> 00:42:22.639
And she is trying desperately to provide some sort of Christmas

00:42:22.639 --> 00:42:24.719
for her kids, but her husband's a bit of a dreamer.

00:42:24.719 --> 00:42:27.945
He wants to open like a bike shop and they're having marital

00:42:27.945 --> 00:42:30.265
troubles because she buys like 1 or 2 small things.

00:42:30.265 --> 00:42:31.704
And he's like, yeah, we'll get the rest later.

00:42:31.704 --> 00:42:33.625
She's like, no, no, no. This is the rest.

00:42:33.625 --> 00:42:37.785
And so it just kind of like emphasizes this idea of like trying

00:42:37.785 --> 00:42:39.545
to keep this magic alive.

00:42:39.545 --> 00:42:43.079
And a lot of families feel that the only way to do that is by

00:42:43.880 --> 00:42:46.920
having their kids because if they believe in Santa, you know, and

00:42:46.920 --> 00:42:52.119
then so little Tommy gets a bike and they don't get the 1 thing

00:42:52.119 --> 00:42:55.464
they asked for, which might not be as big, but mom and dad just

00:42:55.464 --> 00:42:56.905
couldn't afford it. Like, I don't know.

00:42:56.905 --> 00:42:58.905
It just there's a lot of pressure, I think, in the holiday

00:42:58.905 --> 00:43:03.784
season. And that can add to people, like, drinking more.

00:43:03.784 --> 00:43:06.984
It can add to and not just for kids, but, like, adults who are

00:43:06.984 --> 00:43:10.510
maybe alone during the holiday season or just stuff.

00:43:10.510 --> 00:43:14.029
It's it's a hard time, I think, for people who are going through

00:43:14.029 --> 00:43:17.869
something. So Mhmm. That tends to to lead to a rise in crime.

00:43:18.670 --> 00:43:22.589
<v Eric>So anyway, Steel Grouse is that even if a client did wander in,

00:43:22.589 --> 00:43:26.224
she would she would probably be trampled to death with all those

00:43:26.224 --> 00:43:27.184
freeloaders out there.

00:43:27.184 --> 00:43:29.905
And I'm curious about the use of the word she by Steve

00:43:29.825 --> 00:43:34.385
<v Sara>Actually, from what I heard of it, he said he or she, but it

00:43:34.465 --> 00:43:36.625
because he said it so fast Mhmm.

00:43:36.704 --> 00:43:40.569
It kind of, like, squished it together, and it was kinda

00:43:40.569 --> 00:43:41.449
difficult to make out.

00:43:41.449 --> 00:43:44.409
But I think he said he or she, and he just it it ran together as

00:43:44.409 --> 00:43:45.929
a phrase.

00:43:45.929 --> 00:43:47.690
<v Eric>It's to me, it sounded like she.

00:43:47.690 --> 00:43:50.969
The original script said he that we have.

00:43:51.289 --> 00:43:55.145
But my question is why not a generic term like they?

00:43:55.224 --> 00:43:56.905
<v Sara>Yeah. That would make more sense.

00:43:56.905 --> 00:43:59.465
<v Eric>If a client came in here, they would probably be trampled to

00:43:59.465 --> 00:44:00.664
death. That that yeah.

00:44:00.664 --> 00:44:03.625
<v Sara>It'd be easier to say too because it's hard to say he he you

00:44:03.625 --> 00:44:07.690
would I don't know. It's just doesn't trip well off the tongue.

00:44:07.690 --> 00:44:08.250
<v Eric>Yeah.

00:44:08.410 --> 00:44:13.050
And I find the, reference to freeloaders almost humorous because

00:44:13.050 --> 00:44:16.809
in a sense, that's what a criminal is, and that's what Steele was

00:44:16.809 --> 00:44:18.170
for most of his life.

00:44:18.170 --> 00:44:21.925
<v Sara>He he kinda still I mean, he sort of still not saying he's not

00:44:21.925 --> 00:44:26.005
working for for his his job or what have

00:44:26.005 --> 00:44:29.045
<v Eric>you, but like But he he's certainly not he's getting more out of

00:44:29.045 --> 00:44:31.844
it than he's putting into. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

00:44:34.324 --> 00:44:38.059
Well, chuckling, Mildred blames Steele's grumpy attitude on his

00:44:38.059 --> 00:44:42.140
not having had his Christmas shopping completed, and Steele

00:44:42.140 --> 00:44:46.140
grumpily denies being grumpy, then says, well, as for not doing

00:44:46.140 --> 00:44:50.164
my Christmas shopping, but he never gets to finish as Mildred

00:44:50.164 --> 00:44:53.605
cuts off his pending denial saying, you haven't done it.

00:44:53.765 --> 00:44:56.085
Men always wait till the last minute.

00:44:56.085 --> 00:44:58.005
Well, miss Holt did hers in August.

00:44:58.005 --> 00:45:00.885
<v Sara>Facts. This is facts. Okay?

00:45:01.369 --> 00:45:04.650
Because I worked retail for 8 years, and let me tell you, I

00:45:04.650 --> 00:45:09.369
worked the Christmas Eve shift, and it was always men, always men

00:45:09.369 --> 00:45:11.849
coming in and doing the emergency.

00:45:11.849 --> 00:45:13.530
I forgot this and this and this and this and this.

00:45:13.530 --> 00:45:17.755
And I'm like, I try to try to push back against stereotypes as

00:45:17.755 --> 00:45:22.155
much as possible, but that 1 sorry. Sorry. Sorry, guys.

00:45:22.155 --> 00:45:26.715
But, like, the only people coming in on Christmas Eve were the

00:45:26.715 --> 00:45:26.954
men.

00:45:28.389 --> 00:45:32.150
<v Eric>Well, Steele frowns then responds to Mildred's comment about

00:45:32.150 --> 00:45:34.710
Laura having done hers shopping in August.

00:45:34.789 --> 00:45:39.269
He complains that she's probably bought them all mufflers. And

00:45:40.454 --> 00:45:43.015
<v Sara>I don't know why you'd need a muffler if the average temperature

00:45:43.015 --> 00:45:46.695
is 19 degrees, but hey. Yeah. Or 67.

00:45:47.094 --> 00:45:50.215
<v Eric>Anyway, the phone rings and Mildred reaches across Steele's desk

00:45:50.215 --> 00:45:51.015
to answer it.

00:45:51.015 --> 00:45:53.494
Then on the other side of the phone call, we see that it's Laura

00:45:53.494 --> 00:45:54.454
calling from her loft.

00:45:55.170 --> 00:45:58.049
We can see that she has learned home Christmas decorating from

00:45:58.049 --> 00:46:01.329
the school of if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing.

00:46:01.329 --> 00:46:02.610
<v Sara>Yeah. Pretty much. I

00:46:03.250 --> 00:46:06.449
<v Eric>mean, she's got a highly decorated tree, which is enhanced by a

00:46:06.449 --> 00:46:09.569
full length mirror reflecting the back of the tree out for

00:46:09.569 --> 00:46:14.574
everyone to see, basically doubling as a second decorated tree.

00:46:14.655 --> 00:46:16.494
Her piano is covered with decorations.

00:46:16.494 --> 00:46:18.414
Her coffee table is covered with decorations.

00:46:18.414 --> 00:46:21.295
The desk where she's wrapping gifts is covered with decorations.

00:46:22.175 --> 00:46:23.614
Yeah. She over over did.

00:46:23.614 --> 00:46:28.889
<v Sara>If if Instagram existed, she'd have pictures all of, like, her

00:46:28.889 --> 00:46:32.410
apartment. Yep. Yeah.

00:46:32.809 --> 00:46:35.769
<v Eric>Laura asks Mildred how the open house is going, and Mildred

00:46:35.769 --> 00:46:40.664
gushes that it's a smash, and Steele gifts her with yet another

00:46:40.664 --> 00:46:44.025
sour look, and Mildred amends her statement, adding, well, for

00:46:44.025 --> 00:46:44.824
the most part.

00:46:45.464 --> 00:46:49.545
Laura asks if Steele is in, and Mildred chuckles and says, yeah,

00:46:49.545 --> 00:46:50.344
with bells on.

00:46:51.469 --> 00:46:54.989
Mildred hands the phone to Steele, and so with false cheer,

00:46:54.989 --> 00:46:59.710
Steele grandly greets Laura as the Lost Patrol, which is an

00:46:59.710 --> 00:47:01.070
indirect movie reference.

00:47:02.030 --> 00:47:06.385
The Lost Patrol, Victor McLaughlin McLaughlin McLaughlin

00:47:06.385 --> 00:47:07.025
McLaughlin. This

00:47:09.905 --> 00:47:11.505
<v Sara>could be a while, guys.

00:47:15.585 --> 00:47:16.945
<v Eric>What can I say?

00:47:17.260 --> 00:47:21.900
Boris Karloff Wallace Ford and directed by John Ford. RKO 1934.

00:47:21.900 --> 00:47:25.340
A dozen British soldiers lost in the Mesopotamian Desert during

00:47:25.340 --> 00:47:28.140
World War I are menaced by unseen Arab enemies.

00:47:29.614 --> 00:47:33.375
And then from the script, Laura, I got a late start.

00:47:33.534 --> 00:47:36.014
There was a nip in the air this morning, and I jogged.

00:47:36.094 --> 00:47:38.734
Remington, nip, did you say? You're hallucinating.

00:47:38.734 --> 00:47:41.375
Probably heat stroke. Laura, what's the matter with you?

00:47:41.375 --> 00:47:43.454
Remington snaps. Nothing's the matter with me.

00:47:43.929 --> 00:47:45.690
Laura, I know what it is.

00:47:45.690 --> 00:47:48.410
You haven't done your Christmas shopping, it's made you grouchy.

00:47:48.489 --> 00:47:51.450
Remington, not at all. Not true at all.

00:47:51.530 --> 00:47:56.090
While I didn't shop in August like some Oregon like some bleh.

00:47:56.454 --> 00:48:00.934
Though I while I while I didn't shop in August like some over

00:48:00.934 --> 00:48:04.614
organized fanatics, I and then Laura responds to a subtle

00:48:04.614 --> 00:48:07.974
commentary on her absence by assuring him that she's on her way

00:48:07.974 --> 00:48:11.970
in, then reminds him to be charming to their guests, reminding

00:48:11.970 --> 00:48:14.369
him that it's the season to be jolly after all.

00:48:14.369 --> 00:48:17.650
<v Sara>So I find it weird that they would have her say that she went

00:48:17.650 --> 00:48:20.930
jogging and there was a nip in the air when it's so ungodly hot

00:48:20.930 --> 00:48:24.445
it would literally be breaking records. That's an odd line.

00:48:24.684 --> 00:48:27.005
<v Eric>It is. Yes. But it was

00:48:27.005 --> 00:48:27.644
<v Sara>in there.

00:48:27.964 --> 00:48:31.724
I do like the fact that he calls her, like, overly organized

00:48:31.724 --> 00:48:36.364
fanatical about Christmas shopping. Yes. That was cute.

00:48:36.840 --> 00:48:41.400
<v Eric>Well, Steele responds to Laura with a very unenthusiastic ho ho

00:48:41.400 --> 00:48:45.800
ho and hangs up with a little more force than is necessary.

00:48:46.680 --> 00:48:49.320
Mildred laughs and then offers to get Steele some eggnog.

00:48:49.635 --> 00:48:54.835
And Steele's response of whoopee is again very unenthusiastic.

00:48:55.474 --> 00:48:56.914
<v Sara>It's funny though.

00:48:57.155 --> 00:49:02.034
<v Eric>And here is something that probably should have been left in

00:49:02.034 --> 00:49:06.910
because it relates to a little bit with steel.

00:49:06.910 --> 00:49:11.230
He ponders for a moment, then withdraws his wallet and removes a

00:49:11.230 --> 00:49:11.950
business card.

00:49:11.950 --> 00:49:15.630
Sitting at his desk, he dials the number on the card. Remington.

00:49:15.974 --> 00:49:16.614
Yes.

00:49:16.614 --> 00:49:19.095
I passed your window a few weeks ago, and there was a woman's

00:49:19.095 --> 00:49:22.215
wristwatch, gold band, and encrusted with tiny diamonds.

00:49:22.215 --> 00:49:26.215
Do you, by any chance, still have it? Smiles. Splendid.

00:49:26.215 --> 00:49:30.660
Put it aside, will you? What time do you close? Checks his watch.

00:49:30.820 --> 00:49:35.539
I'll be right down. The name Steele, Remington Steele, modestly.

00:49:35.619 --> 00:49:38.019
Yes. Yes. That Remington Steele.

00:49:38.500 --> 00:49:41.699
He hangs up inordinately pleased with himself.

00:49:41.699 --> 00:49:46.315
There's a spring to his step as he crosses the office too, and

00:49:46.315 --> 00:49:50.635
that does play into something here in a little bit, so yeah, it

00:49:50.635 --> 00:49:51.755
kinda relates.

00:49:51.755 --> 00:49:54.795
Anyway, Mildred is at the Punch Bowl, again, playing hostess,

00:49:54.795 --> 00:49:57.835
handing cups of eggnog to a young woman who thanks her for the

00:49:57.835 --> 00:49:59.355
cup but says she can't stay long.

00:49:59.880 --> 00:50:01.719
<v Sara>Eva, the plant lady. Yay.

00:50:01.880 --> 00:50:02.679
<v Eric>Yes.

00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:05.960
The 2 women walk in the direction of Steele's office, Mildred

00:50:05.960 --> 00:50:09.559
with Steele's cup of eggnog in her hand, and Steele comes out and

00:50:09.559 --> 00:50:12.759
Mildred introduces him to the young lady, Eva Wilson, their plant

00:50:12.759 --> 00:50:14.365
lady. Script.

00:50:14.605 --> 00:50:20.125
Eva, I have 3 more floors of Ficus a couple of anorexic Algerian

00:50:20.125 --> 00:50:25.405
ivy and a batch of Boston fern that need me. Anorexic plants?

00:50:25.670 --> 00:50:27.750
<v Sara>Yeah. Okay.

00:50:29.989 --> 00:50:31.590
<v Eric>Okay. Yeah. That I

00:50:31.590 --> 00:50:33.110
<v Sara>see why that was cut. Yeah.

00:50:33.110 --> 00:50:33.670
<v Eric>Yeah.

00:50:34.070 --> 00:50:38.344
Anyway, she, again, tells Steele that she can't stay long, and

00:50:38.344 --> 00:50:40.505
Steele responds that he knows the feeling.

00:50:40.824 --> 00:50:43.784
Mildred hands Steele his eggnog, and he informs her that he has

00:50:43.784 --> 00:50:46.505
to go out for a few minutes, and this is where that previous bit

00:50:46.585 --> 00:50:46.984
<v Sara>Yeah.

00:50:46.984 --> 00:50:47.864
<v Eric>Ties in.

00:50:48.264 --> 00:50:51.065
And as he begins to make his way to the door, Jack approaches,

00:50:51.065 --> 00:50:54.349
grabs Steele, asks if he might have something to give the eggnog,

00:50:54.349 --> 00:50:56.989
you know, a little more Christmas spirit, if you know what I

00:50:56.989 --> 00:51:01.309
mean. Steele, wanting to avoid delays, tells Jack that Ms.

00:51:01.309 --> 00:51:03.390
Krebs is in charge of the spirit. Yeah.

00:51:03.390 --> 00:51:07.230
Then he excuses himself, and Eva, the plant lady, again calls to

00:51:07.230 --> 00:51:12.135
Steele that she can't stay long, and Steele gives a wave of

00:51:12.135 --> 00:51:16.454
acknowledgment and then again attempts to depart only to have a

00:51:16.454 --> 00:51:18.054
female voice call out his name.

00:51:18.214 --> 00:51:21.335
He is approached by a woman who, with a huge grin, introduces

00:51:21.335 --> 00:51:24.800
herself as Alison Green from Cohen, Campbell, and Carstairs on

00:51:24.800 --> 00:51:26.079
2020. Carstairs.

00:51:26.160 --> 00:51:27.920
<v Sara>We've got Carstairs again.

00:51:30.800 --> 00:51:34.239
<v Eric>Grinning Steele, who clearly doesn't recognize her or the name of

00:51:34.239 --> 00:51:37.545
the business says, oh, yes. Of course. Excellent attorneys.

00:51:37.545 --> 00:51:41.065
<v Sara>Good guess. Mean, it sounds like a law firm to me.

00:51:41.144 --> 00:51:41.785
<v Eric>Yeah.

00:51:42.105 --> 00:51:47.065
Well, her grin immediately loses much of its intensity, and she

00:51:47.065 --> 00:51:48.664
says, we're an advertising agency.

00:51:49.380 --> 00:51:52.820
Steele apologizes, saying that he just got his Cohens confused.

00:51:53.859 --> 00:51:57.219
<v Sara>Which is funny because there is a a law firm here in my city

00:51:57.219 --> 00:52:03.715
called Cohen Highly. And so, like, again, not a a terrible guess.

00:52:03.795 --> 00:52:04.355
Yeah.

00:52:05.554 --> 00:52:09.875
<v Eric>Script. Allison, lovely idea this little Christmas gathering.

00:52:10.034 --> 00:52:12.675
These modern high rises can be so impersonal.

00:52:12.675 --> 00:52:16.880
So glass and steel chuckles, no pun intended.

00:52:18.400 --> 00:52:22.159
Steel insincerely adds that it's always delightful to meet one's

00:52:22.159 --> 00:52:25.039
neighbors, then suggests that she talk to the plant lady.

00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:26.000
She can't stay long.

00:52:28.324 --> 00:52:31.924
As he near nears the door in his so far frustrated attempt to

00:52:31.924 --> 00:52:35.364
depart, he is stopped by a short man who demands to know, how are

00:52:35.364 --> 00:52:38.724
your feet? And Steele is perplexed at the question.

00:52:39.204 --> 00:52:42.964
The man introduces himself as doctor S. Wilson Scabbard, unate.

00:52:43.340 --> 00:52:45.659
He pulls out a business card and heads it to Seal.

00:52:45.659 --> 00:52:49.340
He informs Steele that he is a podiatrist, and he couldn't help

00:52:49.340 --> 00:52:52.700
but noticing that Steele seems to be favoring his left foot.

00:52:52.940 --> 00:52:56.460
Why is that? Corn, bunion, ingrown toenail?

00:52:56.699 --> 00:53:00.215
Steele arches his eyebrows and says, New shoes.

00:53:00.454 --> 00:53:03.894
But scabbard is not to be deterred by his misdiagnoses.

00:53:04.135 --> 00:53:07.894
He comes back with the quote, There's language in her eye, her

00:53:07.894 --> 00:53:12.840
cheek, her lip. Nay, her foot speaks. Do you know who said that?

00:53:13.239 --> 00:53:17.639
And Steele shakes his head slowly and then answers, no, but I'm

00:53:17.639 --> 00:53:19.159
sure I'm gonna find out.

00:53:19.319 --> 00:53:20.760
<v Sara>Yep. Pretty much.

00:53:21.239 --> 00:53:25.744
<v Eric>Shakespeare, Troilus, and Crissida, Act 4, scene 5, Scabbard

00:53:25.744 --> 00:53:29.025
proudly and forebbs him and holding out Scabbard's business

00:53:29.025 --> 00:53:32.065
cards, steal counters. Feats don't fail me now.

00:53:32.065 --> 00:53:33.345
Do you know who said that?

00:53:33.825 --> 00:53:37.265
And Scabbard, who clearly prides himself on knowing more than all

00:53:37.265 --> 00:53:40.139
things feet related, is chagrinally upset.

00:53:40.300 --> 00:53:44.539
Not knowing the quote, and he has to admit that he doesn't steal

00:53:44.539 --> 00:53:45.179
supplies.

00:53:45.179 --> 00:53:48.699
Charlie Chan's chauffeur, Shanghai Cobra monogram, 1945.

00:53:48.860 --> 00:53:51.820
I always felt those were words to live by. So

00:53:52.204 --> 00:53:54.445
<v Sara>I I used to teach Shakespeare.

00:53:54.445 --> 00:53:58.605
I've never taught Trovis and Cressida, but, this 1, for those who

00:53:58.605 --> 00:54:02.684
don't know, it's a play set during the Trojan War, and you've got

00:54:02.684 --> 00:54:04.844
the 2 title characters who begin a love affair.

00:54:05.360 --> 00:54:08.320
Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek

00:54:08.320 --> 00:54:08.719
camp.

00:54:08.719 --> 00:54:11.199
Meanwhile, the Greeks endeavor to lessen the pride of Achilles.

00:54:11.199 --> 00:54:14.239
I'm using Wikipedia here to just kind of, like, sum it up, but it

00:54:14.239 --> 00:54:18.320
kind of alternates between, like, a somewhat raunchy comedy and,

00:54:18.320 --> 00:54:19.599
like, tragedy.

00:54:20.079 --> 00:54:24.114
And a lot of theatergoers and readers have frequently found it

00:54:24.114 --> 00:54:26.195
difficult to understand how they're meant to respond to the

00:54:26.195 --> 00:54:26.594
character.

00:54:26.594 --> 00:54:29.394
So it's been labeled as 1 of Shakespeare's quote unquote problem

00:54:29.394 --> 00:54:30.114
plays.

00:54:30.114 --> 00:54:34.114
And so it's interesting that he would cite this particular quote

00:54:34.114 --> 00:54:37.099
because I think and and he looks so proud of himself when he

00:54:37.099 --> 00:54:37.340
does.

00:54:37.340 --> 00:54:40.860
He's meant to sort of see himself as I can cite this obscure

00:54:40.860 --> 00:54:44.860
Shakespearean quote that makes me look really smart, but has

00:54:44.860 --> 00:54:47.820
really nothing to do with what the play is about at all in terms

00:54:47.820 --> 00:54:50.539
of, like, the foot. It's not you know?

00:54:50.699 --> 00:54:55.414
But that's why it's funny when Steele counters with a pulpy film

00:54:55.414 --> 00:54:58.214
reference that Scabbard just does not get.

00:54:58.614 --> 00:55:02.054
<v Eric>Well, you know, it's it's it's like when you're talking about him

00:55:02.054 --> 00:55:04.934
using this quote that really has nothing to do with the the play

00:55:04.934 --> 00:55:06.694
itself because of that 1 word.

00:55:07.309 --> 00:55:11.070
It's like tech support people that you call them and you say

00:55:11.070 --> 00:55:13.389
these things and they grab onto that 1 word

00:55:13.710 --> 00:55:14.349
<v Sara>Yeah, yeah.

00:55:14.429 --> 00:55:17.309
<v Eric>And try to give you a solution to this problem based on that 1

00:55:17.309 --> 00:55:19.789
word. It's like, no, no, no, no. That's just background.

00:55:20.355 --> 00:55:23.635
That's just getting me to the point of where the problem exists.

00:55:23.635 --> 00:55:24.355
Exactly. That's not

00:55:24.355 --> 00:55:24.835
<v Speaker 2>the problem.

00:55:24.835 --> 00:55:27.155
<v Sara>That's not the issue. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

00:55:27.954 --> 00:55:28.675
<v Eric>Anyway.

00:55:28.755 --> 00:55:31.554
Anyway, Steele bids the good doctor goodbye and then turns to

00:55:31.554 --> 00:55:34.835
leave, but his exit is blocked by a Santa walking in through the

00:55:34.835 --> 00:55:36.660
front door of the agency's office.

00:55:37.139 --> 00:55:42.739
Santa walks in and unenthusiastically recites, Ho, ho, ho,

00:55:43.539 --> 00:55:43.699
<v Speaker 2>and

00:55:43.699 --> 00:55:47.300
<v Sara>still He takes the time to say ho, ho, ho to everybody.

00:55:48.174 --> 00:55:48.815
That's nice.

00:55:48.815 --> 00:55:49.295
<v Eric>Yes.

00:55:50.014 --> 00:55:53.375
Mildred comes forward greeting the Santa with undisguised

00:55:53.375 --> 00:55:55.614
annoyance, demanding to know where he's been.

00:55:55.614 --> 00:55:58.815
He was supposed to be here at 2, and it's after 4.

00:55:59.375 --> 00:56:01.454
And Santa tells her to shut up.

00:56:01.960 --> 00:56:06.440
<v Sara>I gotta know why they hired a Santa. There's no kids there.

00:56:07.160 --> 00:56:10.760
What was the purpose of hiring? Usually, if you hire Santa

00:56:11.079 --> 00:56:14.119
<v Eric>Maybe they thought that other people in the building would bring

00:56:14.119 --> 00:56:15.000
their kids. I don't know.

00:56:15.744 --> 00:56:16.545
<v Sara>I guess.

00:56:16.545 --> 00:56:20.385
But it's it's an office building, and and the party looks like

00:56:20.385 --> 00:56:23.105
it's meant for the people who work in the building.

00:56:23.105 --> 00:56:28.065
So it's a it's a weird it's a weird thing to spend $25 an hour in

00:56:28.065 --> 00:56:30.144
eighties money on. That's all I'm saying.

00:56:30.144 --> 00:56:32.480
<v Eric>Yeah. But, I mean, yeah, it's Christmas.

00:56:32.480 --> 00:56:32.880
<v Sara>You gotta

00:56:32.880 --> 00:56:33.599
<v Eric>have a Santa.

00:56:33.679 --> 00:56:33.920
<v Sara>Okay.

00:56:33.920 --> 00:56:36.880
Well, it makes sense for the plot too, because if they think the

00:56:36.880 --> 00:56:39.359
Santa's expected, he can just walk on in. But Right.

00:56:39.359 --> 00:56:40.880
It just seems weird.

00:56:41.039 --> 00:56:44.364
<v Eric>Well, Mildred doesn't appreciate him telling her to shut up, and

00:56:44.364 --> 00:56:47.965
so she's not gonna take any After all, she's not paying $25 an

00:56:47.965 --> 00:56:50.365
hour, as you said, for a surly Santa.

00:56:50.684 --> 00:56:53.325
And Steele frowns, shocked that their Santa is getting paid so

00:56:53.325 --> 00:56:56.285
much. Mildred shrugs and says, it's the going rate, boss.

00:56:57.320 --> 00:57:01.079
Santa asks Steele if he's Steele, and rather than answer, Steele

00:57:01.079 --> 00:57:02.599
tells him to have some eggnog.

00:57:02.599 --> 00:57:06.119
He's sure that it'll cheer the man up, and then again, he tries

00:57:06.119 --> 00:57:09.400
to leave, but Santa again blocks Steele, asking him, what's the

00:57:09.400 --> 00:57:11.960
hurry? Business appointment, Steele responds.

00:57:12.815 --> 00:57:16.655
And with a sinister tone and grin, Santa tells Steele to stick

00:57:16.655 --> 00:57:18.735
around. The party's just getting started.

00:57:19.454 --> 00:57:22.494
Not with you, isn't, Mildred insists, and she tells him to go

00:57:22.494 --> 00:57:24.494
back to his reindeer and sit on an antler.

00:57:24.680 --> 00:57:28.280
<v Sara>Mildred has a great episode. This is a fantastic Mildred episode.

00:57:28.280 --> 00:57:33.880
She's just perfect. Like, telling off the Santa. It's yeah.

00:57:33.960 --> 00:57:34.680
I love it.

00:57:34.680 --> 00:57:39.304
<v Eric>Well, Santa angrily tells her to sit on this, and he pulls out a

00:57:39.304 --> 00:57:42.505
pistol and viciously jams it into her midsection.

00:57:42.505 --> 00:57:43.224
<v Sara>Poor Mildred.

00:57:43.224 --> 00:57:46.264
<v Eric>Mildred doubles over, and Steele grabs her to help, and as he's

00:57:46.264 --> 00:57:48.824
doing so, he sees the pistol pointing at himself.

00:57:49.385 --> 00:57:52.664
Then Santa asks Steele, You want the next dance?

00:57:53.820 --> 00:57:57.820
Well, out in the hall, the doors to the 2 elevators to the floor

00:57:57.820 --> 00:58:01.500
open, and Laura steps out of 1, and another Santa steps out of

00:58:01.500 --> 00:58:02.059
the other.

00:58:02.300 --> 00:58:05.579
Laura, turning toward the office, nearly bumps into the Santa who

00:58:05.579 --> 00:58:08.140
asks her, which way to the Remington Steele office?

00:58:08.835 --> 00:58:11.715
Laura gives him the once over and then pointedly says, You're a

00:58:11.715 --> 00:58:14.275
little late, aren't you? You were supposed to be here at 2.

00:58:14.755 --> 00:58:18.675
Santa doesn't say anything, so Laura raises her hand, wiggles her

00:58:18.675 --> 00:58:22.434
fingers in a follow me gesture, then begins to walk down the

00:58:22.434 --> 00:58:22.594
hall.

00:58:23.530 --> 00:58:26.730
Laura comes sweeping into the office, greeting everybody, asking

00:58:26.730 --> 00:58:31.849
how's the party, and then she stops, first at the apparent sight

00:58:31.849 --> 00:58:35.050
of everyone not partying, and then at the sight of the first

00:58:35.050 --> 00:58:39.454
Santa holding everyone at gunpoint with a gun that has suddenly

00:58:39.454 --> 00:58:43.295
have has had had a with a gun that suddenly has a suppressor

00:58:43.295 --> 00:58:46.255
mounted to it, which it hadn't been before.

00:58:46.974 --> 00:58:48.175
I just point that out.

00:58:48.175 --> 00:58:49.215
<v Sara>Yeah. That's fair.

00:58:49.695 --> 00:58:53.739
<v Eric>It's just a magic suppressor, just like when you pull a trigger

00:58:53.739 --> 00:58:57.420
and fire a bullet from a gun with a suppressor, it's just totally

00:58:57.420 --> 00:58:59.339
silent. It's magic.

00:58:59.420 --> 00:59:03.900
<v Sara>Maybe it was in his pants and magnetic and just clicked on like a

00:59:03.900 --> 00:59:04.139
second.

00:59:04.139 --> 00:59:07.525
<v Eric>Is that a suppressor, or are you happy to see me? Yeah.

00:59:09.125 --> 00:59:09.844
<v Sara>Ew.

00:59:11.844 --> 00:59:16.405
<v Eric>Well, the second Santa asks the first, Donner, dancer, the first

00:59:16.405 --> 00:59:20.739
Santa corrects, then asks Prancer? Right, says the second Santa.

00:59:21.059 --> 00:59:23.780
Dancer asks Prancer if everything has been taken care of.

00:59:24.019 --> 00:59:26.099
Just like you told me, Prancer confirms.

00:59:26.500 --> 00:59:28.980
On the other side of the office, Laura is standing over Steele

00:59:28.980 --> 00:59:32.414
and Mildred who are seated. Laura asks him, what's going on?

00:59:32.414 --> 00:59:35.055
Why is Santa holding the gun? Love the

00:59:35.055 --> 00:59:37.775
<v Sara>way she says this. It's just so horrified.

00:59:37.934 --> 00:59:39.934
Why is Santa holding a gun?

00:59:39.934 --> 00:59:44.175
Like, she's having her childhood ripped out from under her, it's

00:59:44.175 --> 00:59:44.494
crazy.

00:59:44.494 --> 00:59:44.735
<v Eric>Yeah.

00:59:45.849 --> 00:59:49.449
Well, Steele quietly says that they haven't found out yet, and

00:59:49.449 --> 00:59:53.210
plant lady tells Laura that she told them she can't stay long.

00:59:53.449 --> 00:59:55.610
She has to finish her rounds.

00:59:56.329 --> 00:59:58.614
Well, behind her, Jack says, oh, yes.

00:59:58.614 --> 01:00:01.815
And he looks at his watch and says, oh, my my. Look at that time.

01:00:01.815 --> 01:00:03.095
Kitties are waiting for me.

01:00:03.095 --> 01:00:06.055
I have to decorate the tree and all that, Christmas Eve and all.

01:00:06.135 --> 01:00:08.055
They'll be wondering what happened to daddy.

01:00:08.135 --> 01:00:09.335
<v Sara>I have a question.

01:00:09.414 --> 01:00:12.614
And this is an American Canadian question because maybe this is

01:00:12.614 --> 01:00:15.969
just what they do in movies, and maybe this is, like, a cultural

01:00:15.969 --> 01:00:17.250
difference that I didn't know about.

01:00:17.250 --> 01:00:18.130
<v Eric>But Okay.

01:00:18.210 --> 01:00:21.089
<v Sara>Do you wait till Christmas Eve to put up the tree?

01:00:21.089 --> 01:00:23.650
Because here, we put up the tree, like, a month ahead of time.

01:00:23.650 --> 01:00:27.409
And or or even some people do it even earlier than that.

01:00:27.409 --> 01:00:30.335
I'd refuse to acknowledge Christmas until December, which this is

01:00:30.335 --> 01:00:31.215
breaking my rule.

01:00:31.215 --> 01:00:36.735
But, you know, like, every movie I see, like American movie I see

01:00:36.735 --> 01:00:40.690
or or TV show or something like that, has them decorating on

01:00:40.690 --> 01:00:43.650
Christmas Eve, and I've always wondered, is that like an American

01:00:43.650 --> 01:00:46.690
thing, or is it just like they have to do this on TV this way

01:00:46.690 --> 01:00:48.369
because it shows that it's Christmas?

01:00:48.849 --> 01:00:51.329
<v Eric>I think some people probably do.

01:00:51.410 --> 01:00:54.369
I don't think it's necessarily an American thing.

01:00:56.015 --> 01:01:03.535
I imagine that the raising, raising, rising of the tree and

01:01:03.535 --> 01:01:06.974
decorating of the tree happens at various times for various

01:01:06.974 --> 01:01:09.535
families across the whole spectrum of the month.

01:01:10.930 --> 01:01:12.210
I'm trying to say, Is I think

01:01:12.690 --> 01:01:16.369
<v Sara>it a difference between a real tree versus a fake tree maybe?

01:01:16.530 --> 01:01:18.050
Or I don't know.

01:01:18.050 --> 01:01:21.570
It just it to me, I've I've never like, I think back to all of

01:01:21.570 --> 01:01:25.164
the people I knew as a kid, and nobody I knew waited till

01:01:25.164 --> 01:01:26.605
Christmas Eve to put up their tree.

01:01:26.605 --> 01:01:29.244
<v Eric>I've Well, if it's a live tree, I can I can see where people

01:01:29.244 --> 01:01:33.164
might wait a little longer because live trees tend to dry out and

01:01:33.164 --> 01:01:34.284
become fire hazards?

01:01:34.444 --> 01:01:34.684
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:01:34.684 --> 01:01:37.644
I well, and I also didn't know many people who had real trees.

01:01:37.644 --> 01:01:42.740
It was mostly all, like, fake trees because they they last year

01:01:42.980 --> 01:01:45.619
after year. You don't have to go out and buy a new 1. Right.

01:01:45.619 --> 01:01:46.820
But I don't know.

01:01:46.820 --> 01:01:52.825
I if if anyone knows in the fandom whether or not this was a even

01:01:52.825 --> 01:01:56.905
even Canadian, like, thing that people do, let me know because

01:01:56.985 --> 01:01:58.585
it's been driving me crazy.

01:01:58.585 --> 01:01:59.144
<v Eric>Yeah. No.

01:01:59.144 --> 01:02:03.305
I I think I think if you ask a dozen people, get dozen different

01:02:03.305 --> 01:02:05.545
answers as to when they put their tree up. Fair enough.

01:02:05.670 --> 01:02:08.869
I think we get ours up usually a couple weeks before.

01:02:09.670 --> 01:02:15.989
It's ours is 1 of those little, like, 18 inch tall tree in a box

01:02:15.989 --> 01:02:16.789
type things.

01:02:16.789 --> 01:02:22.364
<v Sara>See, ours is ours is 6 feet tall, and I it's it's this is kind of

01:02:22.364 --> 01:02:25.485
a funny story as to how we got it because it's it's absolutely

01:02:25.485 --> 01:02:27.644
beautiful when it's all up with the ribbons hanging from it and

01:02:27.644 --> 01:02:28.285
everything.

01:02:28.445 --> 01:02:32.445
It looks like something out of a, like, a a catalog kind of

01:02:32.445 --> 01:02:32.684
thing.

01:02:32.684 --> 01:02:35.965
And and that I am not the kind of person that knows how to color

01:02:35.965 --> 01:02:37.910
coordinate all the ornaments ornaments and whatever.

01:02:38.150 --> 01:02:42.630
We won this tree for free with all of the ornaments, the top,

01:02:42.630 --> 01:02:43.110
everything.

01:02:43.349 --> 01:02:47.430
I paid $5 for the raffle ticket, and I won the tree and

01:02:47.430 --> 01:02:49.670
everything on it, and it was from a funeral home.

01:02:49.805 --> 01:02:51.805
So that's where my tree came from.

01:02:51.965 --> 01:02:55.645
<v Eric>Well, we used to do a regular tree.

01:02:55.805 --> 01:02:59.885
Some years it was fake, some years it was real, when our kids

01:02:59.885 --> 01:03:02.125
were still younger and living at home.

01:03:02.845 --> 01:03:06.210
And our decorations were kind of a hodgepodge.

01:03:06.210 --> 01:03:09.170
1 of the things that we did for our kids was every year we bought

01:03:09.170 --> 01:03:11.329
them a Christmas tree ornament

01:03:11.650 --> 01:03:12.530
<v Sara>Really, yeah, we had those.

01:03:12.610 --> 01:03:16.130
<v Eric>For the tree, and so by the time they turned 18 and moved out of

01:03:16.130 --> 01:03:20.105
the house, or we pushed them out of the house, know, Gently they

01:03:20.105 --> 01:03:22.184
had nudged. They they had a yeah.

01:03:22.184 --> 01:03:24.664
Gently nudged the the toe of our boot.

01:03:24.664 --> 01:03:28.664
They they had a collection of Christmas tree ornaments already.

01:03:28.744 --> 01:03:30.505
<v Sara>Oh, okay. No. We didn't do that.

01:03:30.505 --> 01:03:34.710
We we just have our, like, birth bulbs that we would put on. No.

01:03:34.710 --> 01:03:35.110
No.

01:03:35.110 --> 01:03:38.949
Would have like, nerdy stuff and the stuff that my daughter made

01:03:38.949 --> 01:03:39.349
at school.

01:03:39.349 --> 01:03:41.910
But other than that, it looks like something out of a Hallmark

01:03:42.230 --> 01:03:44.644
Yeah. Film. And I that's not me. That's

01:03:45.125 --> 01:03:45.284
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:03:45.284 --> 01:03:48.644
We had our own decorations, and then and then, like I said, we we

01:03:48.644 --> 01:03:50.244
bought stuff for the kids, you know.

01:03:50.244 --> 01:03:53.525
It was a different thing every year for for each of the kids, so

01:03:53.684 --> 01:03:55.204
<v Sara>That's kinda neat. I like that idea.

01:03:55.204 --> 01:03:55.684
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:03:55.925 --> 01:03:58.244
But, you know, they're gone, so we don't need need that anymore.

01:03:58.679 --> 01:04:01.320
Anyway, where were we? So what

01:04:02.119 --> 01:04:03.400
<v Sara>happened to daddy?

01:04:03.400 --> 01:04:06.920
<v Eric>Jack begins to push the plant lady toward the door using her as a

01:04:06.920 --> 01:04:07.639
shield.

01:04:09.639 --> 01:04:10.199
<v Sara>That tracks.

01:04:10.775 --> 01:04:11.175
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:04:11.175 --> 01:04:14.295
But Jack and plant lady freeze when Dancer tells them that if he

01:04:14.295 --> 01:04:17.575
takes 1 more step, the kiddies will be reading about what

01:04:17.575 --> 01:04:18.775
happened to daddy.

01:04:19.655 --> 01:04:23.655
Allison steps forward and indignantly asks if this is a robbery

01:04:23.655 --> 01:04:27.190
because if it is, she has nothing, absolutely nothing of value.

01:04:27.590 --> 01:04:30.789
And they give her a hard look, and she glances down her no. No.

01:04:30.789 --> 01:04:34.230
No. This is a a real Cartier watch. No. No. No. It's a knockoff.

01:04:34.230 --> 01:04:35.670
You know, like they make in Hong Kong.

01:04:35.670 --> 01:04:38.309
<v Sara>They weren't even looking at her watch, which is why that's

01:04:38.309 --> 01:04:38.630
funny.

01:04:38.630 --> 01:04:41.454
They're just sort of, like, looking at her, she's like, this

01:04:41.454 --> 01:04:42.974
isn't real. No. No. No. This is like

01:04:45.135 --> 01:04:48.414
<v Eric>Well, just then, a third Santa appears at the office doors and

01:04:48.414 --> 01:04:50.255
then cautiously makes his way in.

01:04:50.574 --> 01:04:54.735
Dancer asks if he's Donner, and the newcomer asks Dancer if he's

01:04:54.735 --> 01:04:58.599
Prancer. No. He says, Prancer. I'm Prancer. He's Dancer.

01:04:58.840 --> 01:05:01.880
And Dancer asks Donner if he's made the deliveries right on

01:05:01.880 --> 01:05:02.519
schedule.

01:05:02.760 --> 01:05:06.599
This is this whole name thing is just gonna be you know?

01:05:06.599 --> 01:05:07.160
<v Sara>It's great.

01:05:07.400 --> 01:05:11.000
It's it's great because it's almost it's it's taken me a number

01:05:11.000 --> 01:05:14.295
of watch throughs to actually figure out which one's which even

01:05:14.295 --> 01:05:16.855
with the the script or whatever.

01:05:17.255 --> 01:05:20.135
This is a good way of, like, saying to the audience, it's okay if

01:05:20.135 --> 01:05:21.574
you're confused, so are they.

01:05:24.150 --> 01:05:26.869
<v Eric>But the 3 Santas momentarily distracted by their Abbott and

01:05:26.869 --> 01:05:30.469
Costello routine, Scabbard tries to make a run for the doors.

01:05:30.949 --> 01:05:34.949
Dancer shoots Scabbard in the foot, and Lauren, Steele, and

01:05:34.949 --> 01:05:37.909
Mildred rush forward to the doctor, but Dancer stops him by

01:05:37.909 --> 01:05:38.949
pointing his gun at them.

01:05:39.505 --> 01:05:42.784
Dancer complains to Prancer about the silencer throwing off his

01:05:42.784 --> 01:05:45.105
aim. Then he tells Scabbard that he's lucky.

01:05:45.105 --> 01:05:46.785
He was trying to shoot him in the gut.

01:05:47.344 --> 01:05:50.304
<v Sara>Take a deep breath. Just take a deep breath. Work through it.

01:05:50.784 --> 01:05:51.344
Work through it.

01:05:52.869 --> 01:05:56.630
<v Eric>Do suppressors affect accuracy? Well, the short answer is yes.

01:05:57.190 --> 01:06:01.909
Suppressors do affect a firearm's accuracy, but not always as you

01:06:01.909 --> 01:06:02.710
might expect.

01:06:02.949 --> 01:06:05.829
Sometimes accuracy might get worse when you attach a suppressor.

01:06:05.855 --> 01:06:08.255
Other times, accuracy will improve.

01:06:09.214 --> 01:06:12.574
In most tests, suppressors actually increase accuracy when the

01:06:12.574 --> 01:06:16.175
gun on which it is being used is properly set up by the shooter.

01:06:16.574 --> 01:06:20.909
It is necessary to re 0 the sights when using a suppressor, and

01:06:20.909 --> 01:06:24.190
the added weight and changes to the barrel harmonics can shift

01:06:24.190 --> 01:06:28.030
the point of impact, so those adjustments are necessary, but this

01:06:28.030 --> 01:06:30.909
is because they reduce the recoil and the muzzle rise, which

01:06:30.909 --> 01:06:34.505
actually leads to a tighter grouping and improved performance,

01:06:34.585 --> 01:06:37.145
especially in precision shooting scenarios.

01:06:37.385 --> 01:06:39.945
<v Sara>I would argue that he probably wasn't actually aiming for the

01:06:39.945 --> 01:06:44.985
guy's gut because as as psychotic as dancer is, he would know

01:06:44.985 --> 01:06:48.380
that having his gut spilling out all over the floor

01:06:48.460 --> 01:06:48.940
<v Eric>Would not be

01:06:49.099 --> 01:06:51.579
<v Sara>this stage in the game would not be useful.

01:06:51.819 --> 01:06:52.380
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:06:52.380 --> 01:06:55.819
And there's something else that later proves that, you know, that

01:06:55.819 --> 01:07:00.235
was just a throwaway line that he used to try and induce fear

01:07:00.635 --> 01:07:08.795
that he is such he's he's such a wild card and so out there crazy

01:07:08.795 --> 01:07:10.715
that you never know what he's gonna try and do.

01:07:10.715 --> 01:07:10.954
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:07:11.679 --> 01:07:16.239
<v Eric>Anyway, Dancer gestures over his shoulder toward the door,

01:07:16.239 --> 01:07:17.680
telling Prancer to lock it.

01:07:18.239 --> 01:07:22.000
As Dancer is working on the door, Laura steps forward and in a no

01:07:22.000 --> 01:07:24.925
nonsense tone says, let me get this straight.

01:07:24.925 --> 01:07:27.965
We're being held prisoner by a bunch of Santas?

01:07:28.525 --> 01:07:31.244
You got it, pretty face, dancer tells her.

01:07:31.804 --> 01:07:36.525
Prancer rejoins and asks, now what? They wait, dancer states.

01:07:37.559 --> 01:07:42.680
Hands on hips, Steele slowly asks, what exactly are we waiting

01:07:42.680 --> 01:07:43.720
for, gentlemen?

01:07:44.680 --> 01:07:48.440
Dancer continues to look intently at Laura, eyes unmoving from

01:07:48.440 --> 01:07:50.920
her as he answers Steele, Blitzen.

01:07:51.494 --> 01:07:52.375
<v Sara>Well,

01:07:53.014 --> 01:07:56.214
<v Eric>we come back from a commercial to the strains of Santa Claus is

01:07:56.214 --> 01:08:01.894
coming to town as the camera pans from Santa number 1 to Santa

01:08:01.894 --> 01:08:06.375
number 2 to Santa number 3 as if they were all contestants on To

01:08:06.375 --> 01:08:07.014
Tell the Truth.

01:08:08.429 --> 01:08:11.949
Dancer cryptically tells Donner, you know what to look for.

01:08:12.269 --> 01:08:14.909
Donner goes into Steele's office where Steele and Laura are

01:08:14.909 --> 01:08:16.670
helping Scabbard to the couch.

01:08:17.149 --> 01:08:20.750
After getting Scabbard seated, Laura goes into the inner office

01:08:20.750 --> 01:08:23.414
for the first egg kit while Steele holds up Scabbard's injured

01:08:23.414 --> 01:08:25.335
foot and begins removing the shoe.

01:08:25.895 --> 01:08:28.854
Steele observes the injury, declaring it's not too serious and

01:08:28.854 --> 01:08:31.574
that it appears to have only grazed the foot.

01:08:32.215 --> 01:08:35.574
Laura, preparing to clean up the blood, calls it ironic. Yeah.

01:08:35.574 --> 01:08:35.895
It is.

01:08:37.079 --> 01:08:40.520
Scabbard, seemingly a bit paranoid over her comment, asks, what's

01:08:40.520 --> 01:08:44.920
ironic about it? A podiatrist being shot in the foot, she says.

01:08:45.399 --> 01:08:48.520
Well, he takes offense at her attempt at dark humor, saying he

01:08:48.520 --> 01:08:51.720
doesn't find it at all to be ironic. He finds it very, very

01:08:52.435 --> 01:08:54.354
<v Speaker 2>painful. And

01:08:55.715 --> 01:08:59.074
<v Eric>Steele chastises her saying that she's really put her foot into

01:08:59.074 --> 01:08:59.875
it this time.

01:08:59.875 --> 01:09:02.675
<v Sara>Come on, Steele. You can do better than that.

01:09:02.994 --> 01:09:04.354
<v Speaker 2>And that's the look she gives him.

01:09:04.354 --> 01:09:07.800
<v Eric>Kinda like, you're gonna criticize my joke with a joke that is

01:09:07.960 --> 01:09:08.840
even worse.

01:09:09.159 --> 01:09:11.639
<v Sara>Yep. And it is it is pretty bad.

01:09:12.520 --> 01:09:15.640
<v Eric>Scabbard whines asking what kind of confidence his patients are

01:09:15.640 --> 01:09:18.439
gonna have in him if they see him walking around with a limp.

01:09:18.585 --> 01:09:19.225
<v Sara>That's true.

01:09:19.225 --> 01:09:22.024
You know the you know the saying, never trust a bald barber or a

01:09:22.024 --> 01:09:22.984
skinny cook.

01:09:23.465 --> 01:09:26.024
<v Eric>Well, yeah, but there's a difference between

01:09:26.585 --> 01:09:27.225
<v Sara>I know. I'm just

01:09:27.465 --> 01:09:29.864
<v Eric>a problem with your foot getting shot in your foot. I mean,

01:09:29.864 --> 01:09:30.265
<v Speaker 2>it's That's

01:09:30.425 --> 01:09:31.784
<v Eric>not exactly the same thing.

01:09:31.784 --> 01:09:32.824
<v Sara>No. No. It isn't.

01:09:32.960 --> 01:09:37.279
<v Eric>Anyway, Donner, having observed but not done any looking, as he's

01:09:37.279 --> 01:09:39.760
been instructed to, suddenly comes to life.

01:09:39.760 --> 01:09:42.639
He strides over to Steele's desk and begins looking through it.

01:09:43.119 --> 01:09:46.574
Steele begins to question Donner, but he misidentifies him as

01:09:46.574 --> 01:09:49.694
Prancer, and he apologizes saying that, well, who can tell?

01:09:49.694 --> 01:09:51.375
They all look alike under the beards.

01:09:51.454 --> 01:09:53.854
Well, that's the general idea, Donner says.

01:09:53.854 --> 01:09:56.175
Christmas Eve, the city is lousy with Santa's.

01:09:56.175 --> 01:09:57.454
Nobody looks twice.

01:09:58.414 --> 01:10:01.439
Scabbard continues to whine saying that he should have gone

01:10:01.439 --> 01:10:03.760
straight home. He doesn't even celebrate Christmas.

01:10:03.760 --> 01:10:04.800
It's not fair.

01:10:04.800 --> 01:10:07.279
It's not fair getting shot on a holiday that you don't even

01:10:07.279 --> 01:10:08.000
celebrate.

01:10:08.399 --> 01:10:11.599
<v Sara>Would he prefer to get shot on a holiday that he does celebrate?

01:10:11.840 --> 01:10:13.119
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Know, that

01:10:13.885 --> 01:10:16.284
<v Sara>That seems like an odd thing to focus on, is part

01:10:16.284 --> 01:10:17.564
<v Speaker 2>of That reminds me of

01:10:17.564 --> 01:10:20.925
<v Eric>a poster I saw years and years ago in the post office that said,

01:10:21.484 --> 01:10:27.404
It is illegal to assault or shoot, I don't remember the exact

01:10:27.404 --> 01:10:32.840
wording, but it it's illegal to assault or shoot a postal

01:10:32.840 --> 01:10:36.039
employee in an unlawful manner, which, of course, my question was

01:10:36.039 --> 01:10:38.119
what is the lawful manner to do it?

01:10:38.359 --> 01:10:40.920
<v Sara>That's great.

01:10:41.135 --> 01:10:45.775
I I would love to find whoever made that sign and just figure out

01:10:45.775 --> 01:10:47.534
what they were thinking with that statement.

01:10:49.055 --> 01:10:52.095
<v Eric>And then he turns his anger onto Steele saying that he's got a

01:10:52.095 --> 01:10:53.375
good mind to sue Steele.

01:10:53.375 --> 01:10:55.729
After all, this happened on his premises.

01:10:55.729 --> 01:10:57.409
It's his legal responsibility.

01:10:57.890 --> 01:10:58.609
<v Sara>Is it?

01:10:58.770 --> 01:11:01.810
Because I don't think it would be, but I I I don't know much

01:11:01.810 --> 01:11:06.770
about legalities and and US law in terms of stuff like that. So

01:11:07.425 --> 01:11:10.704
<v Eric>You can sue anybody for anything. That's weird.

01:11:10.864 --> 01:11:13.824
Regardless of whether it's legitimate or not.

01:11:13.824 --> 01:11:15.744
So, yeah, I could probably sue.

01:11:15.824 --> 01:11:19.904
I don't think it would go anywhere, but, I mean, you can sue.

01:11:20.359 --> 01:11:24.279
<v Sara>It's a lot harder to sue for stuff like that here because with

01:11:24.279 --> 01:11:29.000
our and and I know some of this might not be for this reason, but

01:11:29.000 --> 01:11:32.359
I know a lot of the lawsuits that are medically based in The US

01:11:32.359 --> 01:11:34.439
are because of health care costs.

01:11:34.520 --> 01:11:38.145
And so even if the company is not at fault, you're gonna shoot

01:11:38.145 --> 01:11:41.024
your shot if you think you can get some of your your medical

01:11:41.024 --> 01:11:41.425
costs covered.

01:11:41.425 --> 01:11:46.305
Whereas with with our health care system set up the way it is,

01:11:46.465 --> 01:11:51.909
unless you need extra stuff that OHIP doesn't cover in Ontario or

01:11:51.909 --> 01:11:57.270
elsewhere in Canada, you can't really sue for a reason like that

01:11:57.270 --> 01:12:01.784
unless you can prove that whatever injury you sustained was so

01:12:01.784 --> 01:12:04.824
severe that you can't work or earn income as a result because

01:12:04.824 --> 01:12:06.824
your hospital stay is going be covered.

01:12:06.824 --> 01:12:08.505
All that stuff is going be covered.

01:12:08.664 --> 01:12:10.984
The only thing that might not be covered is like if you need

01:12:10.984 --> 01:12:12.505
physio or something like that.

01:12:12.505 --> 01:12:16.569
But even then, most people's work insurance usually covers stuff

01:12:16.569 --> 01:12:17.689
like that if you have it.

01:12:17.689 --> 01:12:21.050
So it makes it harder to do frivolous lawsuits here.

01:12:21.050 --> 01:12:24.409
<v Eric>Well, think for medical lawsuits here in The US, I think the

01:12:24.409 --> 01:12:28.170
majority of them, I don't know this with documentation, but my

01:12:28.170 --> 01:12:32.654
suspicion is that the majority of them are based on malpractice

01:12:32.654 --> 01:12:33.295
claims.

01:12:33.295 --> 01:12:35.215
<v Sara>Right. Okay. That makes sense.

01:12:35.215 --> 01:12:40.414
<v Eric>Now in other arenas outside of medical like this, you go into

01:12:40.414 --> 01:12:42.975
somebody's office and somebody comes in to rob the place and you

01:12:42.975 --> 01:12:47.100
get shot during the process, yeah, you could sue everybody that

01:12:47.100 --> 01:12:48.619
was there. Yeah.

01:12:48.619 --> 01:12:51.739
That doesn't necessarily mean that it's gonna go anywhere because

01:12:51.900 --> 01:12:52.619
<v Sara>Fair enough.

01:12:52.619 --> 01:12:55.020
<v Eric>You know? Like, in this case, Steele and Laura, no.

01:12:55.020 --> 01:12:58.994
They weren't responsible for this. The building owners, no.

01:12:59.074 --> 01:13:02.354
You might sue them, but they weren't really responsible for this.

01:13:02.515 --> 01:13:05.155
The only people that they probably wouldn't wind up suing is is

01:13:05.155 --> 01:13:07.154
Dancer, Prancer, Donner, and Blitzen.

01:13:07.155 --> 01:13:08.114
<v Sara>Yeah. Well, yeah.

01:13:08.114 --> 01:13:11.475
<v Eric>The people who are actually responsible.

01:13:11.795 --> 01:13:12.275
<v Sara>Fair enough.

01:13:12.850 --> 01:13:14.930
<v Eric>You know, of course, they don't have any money, so what's the

01:13:14.930 --> 01:13:17.810
point in suing them? You sue people that got the money. True.

01:13:18.130 --> 01:13:23.970
Anyway, at doctor's threats, Laura and Steele give each other eye

01:13:23.970 --> 01:13:27.765
rolls, But in the meantime, Donner chimes in asking Scabbard,

01:13:27.765 --> 01:13:30.645
what makes him think he's even gonna live to sue anybody?

01:13:31.204 --> 01:13:36.164
And taking back, Scabbard stammers. What what do you mean? Look.

01:13:36.164 --> 01:13:37.845
I can't afford to die. Not now.

01:13:38.039 --> 01:13:40.359
I just opened a branch office in Encino.

01:13:40.359 --> 01:13:44.119
<v Speaker 2>Oh, I love that. Can't afford

01:13:44.119 --> 01:13:44.920
<v Sara>to die.

01:13:46.199 --> 01:13:48.680
<v Eric>Scabbard looks at Laura and Remington, telling them that he's a

01:13:48.680 --> 01:13:51.159
very highly regarded doctor in his field.

01:13:51.255 --> 01:13:55.494
He's been called the podiatrist to the stars. Sure. Scabbard.

01:13:55.494 --> 01:13:58.534
Professional ethics forbid me from telling you who, but you'd be

01:13:58.534 --> 01:14:01.014
amazed at the number of stars with bad feet.

01:14:01.175 --> 01:14:03.494
Remington, a veritable epidemic, I'm sure.

01:14:04.270 --> 01:14:07.149
And, of course, during Scabbard's rant, Steele has his face in

01:14:07.149 --> 01:14:13.550
his hand, and Donner demands to know where it is. What? Or asks.

01:14:13.710 --> 01:14:14.670
Your hardware,

01:14:14.670 --> 01:14:15.550
<v Sara>he demands.

01:14:16.429 --> 01:14:19.229
<v Eric>Laura looks at Steele and then turns back to Donner explaining

01:14:19.229 --> 01:14:22.125
that although it may sound lame, they sometimes have trouble

01:14:22.125 --> 01:14:23.564
locating it themselves.

01:14:23.965 --> 01:14:27.005
<v Sara>And this would sound really lame. This would sound like

01:14:27.005 --> 01:14:27.965
<v Eric>a really

01:14:27.965 --> 01:14:29.404
<v Sara>flimsy excuse.

01:14:29.725 --> 01:14:30.045
<v Eric>Mhmm.

01:14:30.045 --> 01:14:33.590
<v Sara>But it's not. We've seen it established over 4 years now.

01:14:33.590 --> 01:14:35.510
They can never find this damn gun.

01:14:35.510 --> 01:14:37.670
If they do, the bullets are somewhere else.

01:14:37.670 --> 01:14:39.750
Hence, what happened to the episode?

01:14:41.989 --> 01:14:45.350
<v Eric>Scabbard, in the meantime, is panicking. You can't kill me.

01:14:45.350 --> 01:14:48.194
Who would take over my practice? I'm a 1 man office.

01:14:48.194 --> 01:14:50.034
<v Sara>He literally just said

01:14:50.675 --> 01:14:52.114
<v Eric>He opened a branch office and

01:14:52.114 --> 01:14:54.755
<v Sara>it seemed branch office. How is he gonna do that?

01:14:54.755 --> 01:14:58.274
Is he gonna be 2 places at the same time? Anyway

01:15:00.675 --> 01:15:03.130
<v Speaker 2>And in in the in the script, it

01:15:03.130 --> 01:15:07.289
<v Eric>was totally, totally unnecessary, and I understand why they

01:15:07.289 --> 01:15:11.130
excised it, but it was great because Scabbard continues to Laura

01:15:11.130 --> 01:15:14.489
and Remington, I offered to send my son to any medical school in

01:15:14.489 --> 01:15:15.130
the country,

01:15:15.130 --> 01:15:18.155
<v Speaker 2>all expenses paid. You know what he did? He had

01:15:18.155 --> 01:15:20.234
<v Eric>his ears pierced and his head shaved.

01:15:20.235 --> 01:15:23.835
He wears black lipstick and listens to Sid Vicious all day.

01:15:24.074 --> 01:15:28.314
I'm the laughing stock of Beverly Hills, he realizes what he said

01:15:28.315 --> 01:15:30.315
to Donner. I'm not rich, though.

01:15:30.315 --> 01:15:32.315
Even though I live in Beverly Hills, I'm not rich.

01:15:32.315 --> 01:15:34.979
So if you're thinking of holding me for ransom, I have bad news

01:15:34.979 --> 01:15:38.739
for you. Nobody will pay. Certainly not my son, the momzer.

01:15:40.979 --> 01:15:43.699
<v Sara>I love this. I know I know it was cut for time.

01:15:43.699 --> 01:15:46.659
It had to have been, but it's funny, and it's a shame because.

01:15:47.564 --> 01:15:47.965
Yeah.

01:15:47.965 --> 01:15:49.164
<v Speaker 2>And and then he continues, and

01:15:49.164 --> 01:15:50.204
<v Eric>not my wife either.

01:15:50.204 --> 01:15:52.604
The only way she'd pay ransom is if she could put it on her

01:15:52.604 --> 01:15:56.844
<v Speaker 2>Visa card. And daughter's response is probably wouldn't get

01:15:56.844 --> 01:15:58.765
<v Eric>2¢ for the lot of you in Remington.

01:15:58.765 --> 01:16:02.079
For once, I'm delighted to be considered worthless, I which is a

01:16:02.000 --> 01:16:02.319
know great

01:16:02.719 --> 01:16:02.880
<v Sara>too.

01:16:02.880 --> 01:16:05.439
That is a great line, and it's really a shame that that had to

01:16:05.439 --> 01:16:06.880
get cut too. Well,

01:16:08.640 --> 01:16:11.439
<v Eric>Prancer opens the door and asks Donner if he's found any.

01:16:11.439 --> 01:16:14.239
When Donner says he hasn't, Prancer tells him that Dancer's

01:16:14.239 --> 01:16:15.279
orders are to keep looking.

01:16:16.085 --> 01:16:19.125
Donner gives a frustrated look and shake of his head and then

01:16:19.125 --> 01:16:22.485
tells Steele and Laura that for their own good, they need to come

01:16:22.485 --> 01:16:25.284
up with the hardware. Dancer likes to use his gun.

01:16:25.284 --> 01:16:27.204
Look what he did to the doc.

01:16:27.284 --> 01:16:29.604
Give him an excuse, and he'll do worse to all of you.

01:16:30.739 --> 01:16:33.939
And Remington says that, well, it could be in reception, and he

01:16:33.939 --> 01:16:36.500
starts to stand, but Donner tells him to stay put.

01:16:36.819 --> 01:16:38.819
He points to Laura and tells her to go.

01:16:39.300 --> 01:16:42.755
Dancer likes to look at pretty girls. Gross.

01:16:42.755 --> 01:16:46.274
Speaking to almost no 1, Laura comments that this is the most

01:16:46.274 --> 01:16:49.554
bizarre Christmas Eve she's ever spent.

01:16:49.555 --> 01:16:54.515
<v Sara>I like that line too. She's just like, fine. This is weird.

01:16:55.430 --> 01:16:58.550
<v Eric>When Laura enters the reception, Dancer asks where she's going.

01:16:58.869 --> 01:17:01.829
She stops next to Mildred saying, you want the agency gun?

01:17:01.829 --> 01:17:03.029
It might be out here.

01:17:03.350 --> 01:17:06.550
He tells her to sit down, take some weight off her lovely ankles.

01:17:06.965 --> 01:17:10.404
<v Sara>There's a switch in the script here because that's not what he

01:17:10.404 --> 01:17:11.444
says in the script.

01:17:11.444 --> 01:17:18.885
He says, sit down and, cross your lovely legs, which ew.

01:17:20.770 --> 01:17:24.449
I'm very glad that they changed this because yeah.

01:17:24.449 --> 01:17:28.930
He says, sit down, cross those pretty legs of yours.

01:17:28.930 --> 01:17:33.685
And then the direction has it saying says, Laura sits on the

01:17:33.685 --> 01:17:36.005
couch defiantly pressing her legs together.

01:17:37.045 --> 01:17:40.805
I'm glad that they had them say, take the some weight off those

01:17:40.805 --> 01:17:44.005
lovely ankles of yours because the other 1 was just

01:17:46.289 --> 01:17:48.770
<v Eric>Well, but that that might have been more in keeping with his

01:17:48.770 --> 01:17:49.090
character.

01:17:49.090 --> 01:17:52.689
<v Sara>Yeah. Well, true. True. It's just, he's gross.

01:17:53.810 --> 01:17:57.010
<v Eric>The dancer looks at Mildred then tells her, you look Brunhilde.

01:17:57.564 --> 01:17:57.885
Okay.

01:17:57.885 --> 01:18:00.844
And Mildred starts to make a smart remark, but then realizes the

01:18:00.844 --> 01:18:01.564
better of it.

01:18:01.564 --> 01:18:05.164
<v Sara>So I I looked up do you know who Brunhilde is in, like, Germanic

01:18:05.164 --> 01:18:06.284
Norse mythology?

01:18:08.364 --> 01:18:09.885
<v Eric>I looked it up, and I didn't put it down.

01:18:10.070 --> 01:18:10.470
<v Sara>Okay.

01:18:10.470 --> 01:18:13.829
Because I I just think this is cool because oftentimes, you hear

01:18:13.829 --> 01:18:18.310
the the word Bernhilde used to describe, like, a big burly butch

01:18:18.310 --> 01:18:22.150
type of woman who is, like, mannish looking or in some way

01:18:22.150 --> 01:18:23.590
unattractive. Mhmm.

01:18:23.590 --> 01:18:26.925
And he's using it as an insult to Mildred, but she's Valkyrie.

01:18:26.925 --> 01:18:30.444
She's 1 of the warrior woman women who serve Odin and choose who

01:18:30.444 --> 01:18:31.324
dies in battle.

01:18:31.645 --> 01:18:35.164
She defies Odin by saving a man he wanted to die, so he punishes

01:18:35.164 --> 01:18:37.725
her by putting her into a magical sleep behind a ring of fire.

01:18:38.289 --> 01:18:41.409
The hero Sigurd later rides through the flames, wakes her and

01:18:41.409 --> 01:18:42.369
they fall in love.

01:18:42.529 --> 01:18:44.609
But through deception and betrayal Sigurd ends up marrying

01:18:44.609 --> 01:18:47.489
another woman, Goodrin, while Brunhilde is tricked into marrying

01:18:47.489 --> 01:18:48.769
Goodrin's brother Gunnar.

01:18:48.929 --> 01:18:51.810
When she discovers the betrayal, Brunhilde causes Sigurd's death

01:18:51.810 --> 01:18:54.204
and then kills herself, tragic ending driven by love, honor, and

01:18:54.204 --> 01:18:54.604
vengeance.

01:18:54.604 --> 01:18:58.524
So it's kinda cool that she's being insulted, and I say this in

01:18:58.524 --> 01:19:01.564
quotes, and there's various different, portrayals of these

01:19:01.564 --> 01:19:03.885
characters and different, like, operas and plays and things like

01:19:03.885 --> 01:19:04.284
that.

01:19:04.444 --> 01:19:08.284
She's being insulted by being called this name that supposedly

01:19:09.060 --> 01:19:12.979
brings these images of, like, mannish looking women that are

01:19:12.979 --> 01:19:16.340
butch or whatever. But this woman's badass.

01:19:16.340 --> 01:19:20.100
And Mildred turns out to be pretty badass in this episode.

01:19:20.100 --> 01:19:24.020
Like, she takes chances that we haven't really seen Mildred take.

01:19:24.555 --> 01:19:27.914
And so I think she should she should wear that as a badge of

01:19:27.914 --> 01:19:30.555
honor that Bryn Hilda commented personally. Well,

01:19:32.074 --> 01:19:34.875
<v Eric>she stomps over to the filing cabinet, which is behind her desk,

01:19:34.875 --> 01:19:36.234
and begins looking through it.

01:19:36.475 --> 01:19:40.155
Jack asks Dancer if it's okay for him to get more eggnog, saying

01:19:39.750 --> 01:19:41.429
His throat is parched.

01:19:42.069 --> 01:19:45.590
In the corner, the plant lady is watering the plant.

01:19:46.390 --> 01:19:50.149
Dancer walks over and indignantly tells her that she's gonna

01:19:50.149 --> 01:19:50.949
drown it.

01:19:51.430 --> 01:19:55.265
She turns to face him, and in an overwrought outburst tells him

01:19:55.265 --> 01:19:56.864
that it's dying.

01:19:56.945 --> 01:20:02.064
<v Speaker 2>Don't you understand? It needs food and water and sunshine.

01:20:02.064 --> 01:20:05.664
It shouldn't be locked away here in this fluorescent dungeon.

01:20:06.270 --> 01:20:07.469
<v Sara>She's great.

01:20:07.469 --> 01:20:10.829
She does such a like, Jennifer, like I said, she plays these

01:20:10.829 --> 01:20:12.829
weird and wacky characters, and she does it so well.

01:20:12.829 --> 01:20:15.389
She's got this really distinctive voice, but they've also got Eva

01:20:15.389 --> 01:20:18.829
being such a unique character that you would literally never

01:20:18.829 --> 01:20:21.854
think this is the person behind all of this.

01:20:21.854 --> 01:20:22.494
<v Eric>Yes.

01:20:22.734 --> 01:20:23.854
<v Sara>So it's great.

01:20:24.335 --> 01:20:27.774
<v Eric>Well, dancer asks if she's 1 of those hippies, and she got a

01:20:27.774 --> 01:20:29.934
peace sign tattooed on her butt.

01:20:30.734 --> 01:20:36.319
<v Speaker 2>This trod she tells him, the plant's a living, breathing thing,

01:20:37.359 --> 01:20:40.880
<v Eric>and Laura, observing the confrontation, comes over, wraps her

01:20:40.880 --> 01:20:44.639
arms around the plant lady and tells her that it's alright, and

01:20:44.639 --> 01:20:47.604
as Laura takes the plant lady over to the couch, Jack is

01:20:47.604 --> 01:20:48.965
observing their interaction.

01:20:49.524 --> 01:20:53.364
Dancer calls to him to calling him eggnog, then asking if he's 1

01:20:53.364 --> 01:20:56.244
of those peace nicks too. He shakes his head. No.

01:20:56.244 --> 01:20:59.925
He's just a stockbroker. Dancer asks if he was in the army.

01:21:00.360 --> 01:21:03.479
Jack again shakes his head. No. He was 4 f.

01:21:03.479 --> 01:21:06.840
He had rheumatic fever as a child. Dancer can

01:21:07.399 --> 01:21:11.000
<v Sara>I looked up both of these things because I I obviously don't know

01:21:11.000 --> 01:21:15.765
how the US military weeds people out or, you know, disqualifies

01:21:15.765 --> 01:21:16.324
people, whatever?

01:21:16.324 --> 01:21:19.765
So I I assumed when I saw the episode that 4 f meant, like, you

01:21:19.765 --> 01:21:24.324
were physically in a not able to serve. I I actually yeah.

01:21:24.805 --> 01:21:28.085
I looked up what that meant, like, what would disqualify you.

01:21:28.159 --> 01:21:30.479
And And according to this website, and it could be, I don't know

01:21:30.479 --> 01:21:33.439
if this was the same in the eighties or the sixties, seventies,

01:21:33.439 --> 01:21:34.079
what have you.

01:21:34.079 --> 01:21:35.680
<v Eric>It would have been sixties probably. Yeah.

01:21:35.680 --> 01:21:38.079
<v Sara>But it says the military has standards for fitness to be inducted

01:21:38.079 --> 01:21:40.399
in the military, the purpose of the standards are to assure that

01:21:40.399 --> 01:21:43.055
the inductees are free of contagious diseases that probably will

01:21:43.055 --> 01:21:45.695
endanger the health of other personnel, free of medical

01:21:45.695 --> 01:21:48.175
conditions or physical defects that may require excessive time

01:21:48.175 --> 01:21:51.295
lost from duty or necessary treatment or hospitalization or

01:21:51.295 --> 01:21:53.614
probably will result in separation from the service for medical

01:21:53.614 --> 01:21:57.770
and fitness, medically capable of satisfactorily completing

01:21:57.770 --> 01:22:00.729
required training, medically adaptable to the military

01:22:00.729 --> 01:22:04.969
environment without the necessity of geographical area

01:22:04.969 --> 01:22:07.689
limitations, medically capable of performing duties, blah, blah,

01:22:07.689 --> 01:22:07.770
blah.

01:22:08.024 --> 01:22:11.624
And things like blindness, low vision, deafness, hard of hearing,

01:22:11.704 --> 01:22:14.425
history of bariatric surgery, anything that interferes with the

01:22:14.425 --> 01:22:18.425
proper wearing of a military uniform, HIV or AIDS, anaphylaxis,

01:22:18.425 --> 01:22:21.864
diabetes, rheumatologic conditions, migraine headaches, woo.

01:22:22.360 --> 01:22:26.920
I am out. Sweet. And chronic insomnia.

01:22:27.079 --> 01:22:29.880
And so then I looked up rheumatic fever because I had never even

01:22:29.880 --> 01:22:30.840
really heard of this.

01:22:31.159 --> 01:22:33.960
And it's apparently an inflammatory disease that can involve the

01:22:33.960 --> 01:22:35.444
heart, joint, skin, and brain.

01:22:35.444 --> 01:22:38.324
And it typically develops 2 to 4 weeks after a strep throat

01:22:38.324 --> 01:22:39.045
infection.

01:22:39.444 --> 01:22:42.005
Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful joints,

01:22:42.005 --> 01:22:44.404
involuntary muscle movements, and occasionally a characteristic

01:22:44.404 --> 01:22:49.109
non itchy rash known as Erythraium marginatum.

01:22:49.430 --> 01:22:52.150
So the heart is involved in about half of these cases and damage

01:22:52.150 --> 01:22:54.310
to the heart valves known as rheumatic heart disease usually

01:22:54.310 --> 01:22:57.829
occurs after repeated attacks, but sometimes can occur after 1.

01:22:57.989 --> 01:23:01.829
So now I know. Now you know because I didn't know.

01:23:02.375 --> 01:23:02.854
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:23:02.854 --> 01:23:06.534
I don't know all the different classifications, but, yeah, 4 f

01:23:06.534 --> 01:23:09.175
was basically they were rejected on medical grounds.

01:23:09.175 --> 01:23:12.614
<v Sara>Oh, my eye my asthmatic migraine getting ass would not be allowed

01:23:12.614 --> 01:23:15.734
in the army then. Yeah. Because I'm a mess.

01:23:17.539 --> 01:23:24.340
<v Eric>Well, to Jack's response about the military question, Dancer is

01:23:24.340 --> 01:23:25.300
very contemptuous.

01:23:25.300 --> 01:23:28.020
He says, yeah, he bets he had a note from his doctor.

01:23:28.579 --> 01:23:31.725
And as this conversation is happening, Mildred, we see, has found

01:23:31.725 --> 01:23:34.685
the agency gun in the filing cabinet and carefully slipped it

01:23:34.685 --> 01:23:36.125
underneath her outer wrap.

01:23:36.125 --> 01:23:36.765
<v Sara>Yep.

01:23:37.005 --> 01:23:39.965
<v Eric>Laura gets up from consoling the plant lady and approaches Jack

01:23:39.965 --> 01:23:42.444
and Dancer, asking if Dancer was in the service.

01:23:43.005 --> 01:23:47.940
He hesitates and then says, yeah, he was. See any action?

01:23:47.940 --> 01:23:48.739
Laura asks.

01:23:49.220 --> 01:23:52.739
Al Mildred has now moved behind Laura and is slowly pulling the

01:23:52.739 --> 01:23:56.900
agency gun out, preparing to do something with

01:23:57.060 --> 01:23:58.340
<v Sara>Good for Mildred.

01:23:58.579 --> 01:24:01.460
<v Eric>Dancer answers Laura saying, yeah, he saw action.

01:24:01.854 --> 01:24:04.895
Enough to get a silver star. They don't just hand those around.

01:24:04.895 --> 01:24:08.255
You know? You gotta waste a lot of slugs to get a silver star.

01:24:08.255 --> 01:24:14.414
<v Sara>So and I'm guessing, like, you know more about this than I do do,

01:24:14.414 --> 01:24:15.454
but I I looked it up.

01:24:16.489 --> 01:24:19.369
Third highest military decoration for valor and comet.

01:24:19.369 --> 01:24:22.329
I'm guessing it's not how many slugs have you wasted.

01:24:22.489 --> 01:24:25.689
Here, have your award. Have a significant service.

01:24:25.770 --> 01:24:29.449
Necessarily mean valor or calentree because that that yeah.

01:24:31.594 --> 01:24:33.994
<v Eric>That's just his definition of it.

01:24:33.994 --> 01:24:34.715
<v Sara>Yeah. Obviously.

01:24:34.715 --> 01:24:39.435
<v Eric>Anyway, ad agency Allison stomps forward, cutting off Mildred and

01:24:39.435 --> 01:24:44.154
her her sight and her vision and her clear shot as Yep.

01:24:44.154 --> 01:24:48.280
Allison indignantly declares that she's had just about enough of

01:24:48.280 --> 01:24:48.680
this.

01:24:48.760 --> 01:24:52.039
Her secretary knows she's down here, and if she doesn't return,

01:24:52.039 --> 01:24:54.039
he's going to get very suspicious.

01:24:55.000 --> 01:24:59.664
Incredulous denser hollers, you got a guy for a secretary? No.

01:24:59.664 --> 01:25:02.704
Ad agency Allison suddenly drops her indignant attitude and

01:25:02.704 --> 01:25:05.104
becomes very accommodating and say, well, they are an equal

01:25:05.104 --> 01:25:05.904
opportunity employer.

01:25:05.904 --> 01:25:08.944
<v Sara>I love the way I love the way she says this, though, because he

01:25:09.104 --> 01:25:12.304
like, he he's so you got a guy for a secretary, and then she sort

01:25:12.304 --> 01:25:14.625
of it's almost like a switch gets flipped. Yeah.

01:25:14.729 --> 01:25:17.850
And and she turned she goes to HR mode. Oh, sure.

01:25:17.850 --> 01:25:20.090
We're an equal opportunity employer. Yeah.

01:25:20.329 --> 01:25:23.609
It's like, it's perfect. It's perfect. I love it.

01:25:23.689 --> 01:25:25.850
<v Eric>Well, Dancers had it. He begins to yell.

01:25:25.850 --> 01:25:28.489
<v Speaker 2>You see? The world is upside down.

01:25:28.649 --> 01:25:31.984
A broad who's a dick, a guy who's a secretary.

01:25:32.145 --> 01:25:33.904
Somebody ought to drop the bomb so we

01:25:33.904 --> 01:25:35.344
<v Eric>can start all over again.

01:25:35.344 --> 01:25:39.984
And as dancer rants, Mildred begins to pull the agency gun from

01:25:39.984 --> 01:25:41.824
her ramp her from her rap.

01:25:42.289 --> 01:25:45.329
And as she does, Donner comes out of Steele's office, walks past

01:25:45.329 --> 01:25:48.609
her as he's telling Dancer that the office is as clean as a

01:25:48.609 --> 01:25:49.250
whistle.

01:25:49.810 --> 01:25:52.529
Well, Mildred grabs his arm, shoves the gun into his back, tells

01:25:52.529 --> 01:25:55.729
Dancer to drop his gun or he's gun. Yeah. She's got Oh, Mildred.

01:25:55.729 --> 01:26:00.024
Prancer have it. Yes. Donner, he corrects.

01:26:00.185 --> 01:26:02.024
Mildred gives him a confused look.

01:26:02.024 --> 01:26:02.904
<v Sara>Who cares?

01:26:03.064 --> 01:26:04.984
<v Eric>Dancer isn't intimidated.

01:26:04.984 --> 01:26:10.265
If she drops him, he'll drop her or maybe he'll just blast right

01:26:10.265 --> 01:26:10.984
through Donner.

01:26:10.984 --> 01:26:15.399
And then when he goes down and Donner, realizing that Dancer just

01:26:15.399 --> 01:26:20.279
might do it, panics and tries to protest, but Dancer tells him to

01:26:20.279 --> 01:26:21.079
shut up.

01:26:21.719 --> 01:26:25.079
He continues with the threats to Mildred saying that either way,

01:26:25.079 --> 01:26:27.880
he's gonna use her for target practice, again, calling her

01:26:27.880 --> 01:26:29.534
Brunhilde. Yep.

01:26:29.534 --> 01:26:33.055
Mildred grimly determined look on her face, pulls back the

01:26:33.055 --> 01:26:33.614
hammer.

01:26:34.255 --> 01:26:36.574
<v Sara>She doubles down and I love it.

01:26:36.574 --> 01:26:38.494
I love that she doesn't back down.

01:26:38.494 --> 01:26:40.814
She doesn't, she's not intimidated by him.

01:26:40.814 --> 01:26:43.854
He's trying to bully her and she's like, uh-uh, no, I'm not

01:26:43.854 --> 01:26:44.734
<v Eric>letting this happen.

01:26:44.789 --> 01:26:47.590
While she's doing that, she had to let go of Donner.

01:26:47.590 --> 01:26:50.630
I mean, seriously, half of the value of the threat of holding

01:26:50.630 --> 01:26:54.229
somebody with a gun to their head is that you have a hold of them

01:26:54.229 --> 01:26:54.869
so you can hold

01:26:54.869 --> 01:26:55.829
<v Speaker 2>the gun to their But

01:26:56.390 --> 01:26:58.789
<v Sara>at the same time, he dancers already said he doesn't care.

01:26:59.235 --> 01:27:02.994
So I think at this point, she's just like, who knows if she would

01:27:02.994 --> 01:27:03.875
have tried to fire it?

01:27:03.875 --> 01:27:09.074
We know that there's no bullets in it, but it she seemed pretty

01:27:09.074 --> 01:27:13.320
serious, like, willing to give an inch here, and it's impressive.

01:27:13.320 --> 01:27:13.880
Go Mildred.

01:27:13.880 --> 01:27:18.280
<v Eric>Well, Steele comes flying across the room, knocking Donner and

01:27:18.280 --> 01:27:21.159
Mildred to the ground, and then after a moment of confusion, he

01:27:21.159 --> 01:27:24.119
grabs the agency gun, stands, and takes aim at Dancer.

01:27:25.045 --> 01:27:28.725
Dancer holding his gun, Steele tells him, go ahead, pretty boy.

01:27:28.725 --> 01:27:30.164
Take your best shot.

01:27:30.404 --> 01:27:34.164
You get me before I get you, all these nice people can go home.

01:27:34.645 --> 01:27:38.725
Steele doesn't change his posture, but he doesn't make his move,

01:27:39.270 --> 01:27:43.109
And Jack urges Steele to go all Nike on dancer and just do it.

01:27:43.909 --> 01:27:47.029
Ad agency Allison joins Jack in urging Steele to pull the

01:27:47.029 --> 01:27:47.670
trigger.

01:27:47.750 --> 01:27:50.630
<v Sara>Which is interesting because the script has the name as Amy.

01:27:51.109 --> 01:27:56.354
<v Eric>Yeah. Yeah. Dancer taunts Steele. What's the matter, pretty boy?

01:27:56.354 --> 01:27:58.835
Any of slugs worth dying for?

01:27:59.234 --> 01:28:02.675
And Lauren Mildred gives Steele a desperate but questioning look.

01:28:03.154 --> 01:28:07.390
And after a moment, Steele carefully uncocks the revolver, turns

01:28:07.390 --> 01:28:11.069
it sideways in a gesture of submission and says, no.

01:28:12.430 --> 01:28:16.030
Mildred, her faith in Steele now totally crushed.

01:28:16.670 --> 01:28:20.030
You What's can out of see and defeated boss.

01:28:20.585 --> 01:28:24.425
<v Sara>You can see there's also a look on Laura's face.

01:28:24.505 --> 01:28:27.304
And I don't wanna say it's disappointed, but it's

01:28:28.344 --> 01:28:30.585
<v Eric>It's I I don't she shot.

01:28:30.585 --> 01:28:31.385
<v Sara>Confused.

01:28:31.385 --> 01:28:34.425
That's the better word for it because I don't think she thought

01:28:34.425 --> 01:28:36.185
he was actually going to put the gun down.

01:28:36.185 --> 01:28:40.239
That being said, would he have shot Dancer had it been loaded?

01:28:41.840 --> 01:28:43.520
Maybe. Don't know. It

01:28:43.600 --> 01:28:44.239
<v Eric>that's He

01:28:44.960 --> 01:28:49.439
<v Sara>shot the only the only argument I can think of for saying yes is

01:28:49.439 --> 01:28:53.104
that in in Elegy and Steel, he shot the mirror thinking that it

01:28:53.104 --> 01:28:53.425
was

01:28:53.585 --> 01:28:53.824
<v Eric>Mhmm.

01:28:53.824 --> 01:28:55.905
<v Sara>Descoign, and it turned out to be just a mirror.

01:28:55.905 --> 01:28:58.704
But but that was a bit of a different situation.

01:28:58.704 --> 01:29:00.465
It was him, and it was 1 on 1.

01:29:00.465 --> 01:29:01.984
Him and and Descoign, theoretically.

01:29:02.064 --> 01:29:03.664
There's all these people around.

01:29:03.905 --> 01:29:04.305
<v Eric>Mhmm.

01:29:04.305 --> 01:29:09.819
<v Sara>And if anything goes wrong, a bullet goes in the wrong place or

01:29:10.300 --> 01:29:13.420
dancer decides he's not gonna stop with steel, other people could

01:29:13.420 --> 01:29:13.979
die.

01:29:15.819 --> 01:29:18.460
There's a part of me that thinks maybe he wouldn't have done it

01:29:18.460 --> 01:29:23.055
anyway just because there were so many variables and it's not a

01:29:23.055 --> 01:29:23.774
guarantee.

01:29:24.095 --> 01:29:29.055
<v Eric>But in this particular situation, as presented, it might have

01:29:29.055 --> 01:29:33.935
been a good bet because he had basically a clear shot.

01:29:33.935 --> 01:29:36.414
The only people over by Dancer were Prancer and Donner.

01:29:36.880 --> 01:29:37.600
<v Sara>Right.

01:29:37.600 --> 01:29:46.399
<v Eric>So it's not like he was gonna hit any of the civilians, and if

01:29:47.199 --> 01:29:49.760
Dancer is the only 1 with a gun, which actually they don't know

01:29:49.760 --> 01:29:50.314
at this this point.

01:29:50.314 --> 01:29:50.475
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:29:50.475 --> 01:29:52.795
That's my other thing is they don't know that he's the only 1

01:29:52.795 --> 01:29:53.435
armed.

01:29:53.595 --> 01:29:57.034
<v Eric>But he's the only 1 they've seen with a gun, and you would think

01:29:57.034 --> 01:29:59.515
that at this point, if the others were armed, they would be

01:29:59.994 --> 01:30:01.515
displaying weapons as well.

01:30:01.835 --> 01:30:05.889
So, I mean, he has a shot to take out, shot, he has a shot at

01:30:05.889 --> 01:30:10.529
taking out Dancer and resolving this whole thing, and

01:30:11.729 --> 01:30:14.129
statistically, it might be a good bet.

01:30:14.689 --> 01:30:15.250
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:30:15.250 --> 01:30:17.809
<v Eric>But it's 1 of those things, you know, when I was in the military,

01:30:18.675 --> 01:30:23.475
we had some training classes, and 1 of them, of them, the

01:30:23.475 --> 01:30:26.274
instructor said, you know, here's the situation.

01:30:26.435 --> 01:30:30.994
You've got terrorists who have taken a nuclear weapon, who've

01:30:31.300 --> 01:30:33.860
captured a nuclear weapon, and they've got hostages and they're

01:30:33.860 --> 01:30:36.659
threat Or no, they haven't captured the nuclear weapon.

01:30:36.659 --> 01:30:40.979
They've taken hostages, they're demanding a nuclear weapon, and

01:30:41.380 --> 01:30:44.899
the question was, would you be willing to replace 1 of the

01:30:44.899 --> 01:30:48.524
hostages so that they could live since your security in there

01:30:48.524 --> 01:30:50.204
just, you know, not? Yeah.

01:30:50.204 --> 01:30:53.164
And of course, everybody in the class raises their hand and says,

01:30:53.164 --> 01:30:54.684
yes, yes, yes, yes, except me.

01:30:55.244 --> 01:30:55.724
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:30:55.724 --> 01:30:59.005
<v Eric>Except me. And boy, I got a lot of crap over it.

01:30:59.005 --> 01:31:02.520
And I said, look, guys, You could sit here and say you would do

01:31:02.520 --> 01:31:06.439
this all you want, but the fact is this is a classroom situation.

01:31:06.439 --> 01:31:08.279
It's easy to say, yeah, you would do that.

01:31:08.279 --> 01:31:10.999
In a real life situation, you don't know.

01:31:11.399 --> 01:31:13.959
Unless you have been there, you don't know.

01:31:14.199 --> 01:31:18.895
So like I say, statistically, taking the shot would probably be

01:31:18.895 --> 01:31:23.375
the wise move, but would he actually do it?

01:31:23.935 --> 01:31:29.774
Because statistics are easily overridden by the human factor.

01:31:30.310 --> 01:31:36.550
And and when you're in that kind of a situation, you're you're

01:31:36.550 --> 01:31:40.310
not wanting to increase the likelihood of somebody being hurt by

01:31:40.550 --> 01:31:40.869
Yeah.

01:31:40.869 --> 01:31:44.069
Doing something and being wrong or doing something and not

01:31:44.069 --> 01:31:44.949
succeeding at it.

01:31:45.405 --> 01:31:49.405
And so, yeah, I can see that he would have done it anyway.

01:31:49.405 --> 01:31:49.725
He would have

01:31:49.965 --> 01:31:50.125
<v Sara>He could

01:31:50.125 --> 01:31:51.085
<v Eric>always done anyway.

01:31:51.085 --> 01:31:54.125
<v Sara>He could always do what Keanu Reeves suggested doing in a

01:31:54.125 --> 01:32:00.149
terrorist situation, shoot the hostage. So in the movie

01:32:00.149 --> 01:32:02.069
<v Eric>Speed That solves the problem. Yeah.

01:32:02.389 --> 01:32:05.989
<v Sara>So in the movie Speed, this is this is what I mean by it's not

01:32:06.309 --> 01:32:08.229
Speed is in no way a Christmas movie.

01:32:08.550 --> 01:32:12.604
But back when the movie came out in 1994, and my mom was trying

01:32:12.604 --> 01:32:14.845
to keep my sister and I from coming out of the bedroom because

01:32:14.845 --> 01:32:17.324
she had to put stuff under the tree and my brothers were still

01:32:17.324 --> 01:32:19.645
young enough to believe in Santa, she handed us the movie and

01:32:19.645 --> 01:32:21.804
said, like, stay in your room and shut up.

01:32:21.965 --> 01:32:24.125
So every Christmas Eve, we watch the movie Speed.

01:32:24.125 --> 01:32:25.085
It's just become a tradition.

01:32:25.510 --> 01:32:29.429
And there's a scene where Jack Travin, Keanu Reeves character,

01:32:30.550 --> 01:32:34.149
he's basically a young SWAT officer who's kinda still training.

01:32:34.310 --> 01:32:37.989
And his superior officer played by Jeff Daniels says hostage

01:32:37.989 --> 01:32:41.255
situation or scenario, pop quiz.

01:32:41.895 --> 01:32:45.015
There's a gunman holding hostages. He's in an airport.

01:32:45.015 --> 01:32:48.215
He's almost to a plane. You're a 100 feet away. What do you do?

01:32:48.215 --> 01:32:51.895
And his response is shoot the hostage. And he goes, what?

01:32:51.895 --> 01:32:54.260
And he says, go for the good wound and you can't get to take her

01:32:54.260 --> 01:32:55.619
out of the equation. Go for the good wound.

01:32:55.619 --> 01:32:57.460
He can't get to the plane with her. Clear shot.

01:32:57.460 --> 01:33:01.300
Jeff Daniels is like, you're deeply nuts. You know? Shoot.

01:33:01.300 --> 01:33:04.979
<v Eric>Well, there's actually some logic in that because the hostage is

01:33:04.979 --> 01:33:07.195
their only leverage. Yeah. And if

01:33:07.195 --> 01:33:09.994
<v Speaker 2>you take out the hostage, they've lost their leverage.

01:33:10.074 --> 01:33:12.475
<v Sara>Well, and then slightly later on in the film, the terrorist

01:33:12.475 --> 01:33:15.275
actually has Jeff Daniels' character, and he's trying to get to

01:33:15.275 --> 01:33:18.235
the door, and he kinda mutters shoot the hostage.

01:33:18.235 --> 01:33:21.859
So Keanu's character shoots him and gets a medal for it.

01:33:23.060 --> 01:33:23.780
<v Speaker 2>Well, it's kinda

01:33:23.780 --> 01:33:29.300
<v Eric>like, know, if a doctor said, I can cure this disease by killing

01:33:29.300 --> 01:33:31.699
you, you know, hey, you're dead.

01:33:31.699 --> 01:33:34.175
You don't have the disease anymore. Hey.

01:33:34.335 --> 01:33:39.454
Anyway, Steele bends down, carefully sets the gun on the floor,

01:33:39.454 --> 01:33:42.255
then complies with Dancer's instruction to kick it over to him.

01:33:42.574 --> 01:33:44.895
Dancer picks it up, slips it into his pocket.

01:33:44.895 --> 01:33:47.774
Then he grins at Steele and chuckles, and of course, Steele

01:33:47.774 --> 01:33:52.189
stands rigid, tenseness visible in his jaw. Yeah.

01:33:52.189 --> 01:33:55.390
As Laura looks at him, as we said, in disbelief, her faith and

01:33:55.390 --> 01:33:59.389
trust in him seeming having to have taken a serious hit.

01:33:59.390 --> 01:34:01.630
<v Sara>I don't think it's even because he didn't shoot.

01:34:01.630 --> 01:34:04.345
I think it's because Dancer said, aren't any of these people

01:34:04.345 --> 01:34:04.905
worth dying

01:34:04.905 --> 01:34:05.145
<v Speaker 2>for?

01:34:05.145 --> 01:34:05.704
<v Eric>And he

01:34:06.024 --> 01:34:06.984
<v Sara>says no.

01:34:07.305 --> 01:34:11.864
That's the part I think that she's like like, not that she wants

01:34:11.864 --> 01:34:13.545
him to die. She doesn't want him to die.

01:34:13.545 --> 01:34:15.064
And I think that's how she comes through.

01:34:15.064 --> 01:34:16.185
<v Eric>Aren't I worth dying for?

01:34:16.185 --> 01:34:19.310
I mean, I thought we were, we had something going here. Yeah.

01:34:19.310 --> 01:34:20.029
Exactly.

01:34:20.510 --> 01:34:26.670
<v Sara>And I I do think that if he could save either her or Mildred

01:34:26.829 --> 01:34:26.989
<v Eric>Mhmm.

01:34:27.069 --> 01:34:28.829
<v Sara>By putting himself in harm's way, he would.

01:34:29.485 --> 01:34:34.445
And so that, I think, is where Laura's a little upset.

01:34:34.445 --> 01:34:36.525
She just doesn't understand what she doesn't understand what

01:34:36.525 --> 01:34:39.645
happened because something happened that she is missing. And

01:34:39.885 --> 01:34:41.485
<v Eric>Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

01:34:41.485 --> 01:34:44.800
But based on what she's seen, she doesn't like it. No.

01:34:45.600 --> 01:34:50.399
We have a time jump, and in the script Yeah.

01:34:50.560 --> 01:34:54.960
Jack Denver, eggnog, gleefully raids the liquor cabinet in

01:34:54.960 --> 01:34:58.239
Steele's office, gathering the bottles of gin, scotch, and vodka

01:34:58.239 --> 01:34:58.719
and bourbon.

01:34:58.814 --> 01:35:03.295
<v Sara>Wow. He's got a lot of booze in his office, apparently.

01:35:04.255 --> 01:35:05.055
<v Eric>Doctor S.

01:35:05.055 --> 01:35:08.335
Wilson Scabbard lies on the couch, staring bleakly at the ceiling

01:35:08.335 --> 01:35:11.055
while Donner Perches on the edge of the desk, quietly bored.

01:35:11.679 --> 01:35:14.880
Denver, provided I don't get my hind end shot off, this could

01:35:14.880 --> 01:35:18.559
well be the best Christmas I ever had. Scabbard, you're sick.

01:35:18.559 --> 01:35:22.800
You know that? Moans, oh, my foot is beginning to throb.

01:35:23.279 --> 01:35:26.465
Denver, relax, doc. I'll make you a Denver special.

01:35:26.465 --> 01:35:28.625
1 sip and you'll wanna go out dancing.

01:35:28.625 --> 01:35:32.064
<v Sara>So I kinda wish they had kept some of this.

01:35:32.064 --> 01:35:35.104
Not necessarily the the whole, like, pulling out bourbon and

01:35:35.104 --> 01:35:37.345
scotch and all this, because I don't think Steele has all of that

01:35:37.345 --> 01:35:40.420
in his office, but it would have been nice if Jack had managed to

01:35:40.420 --> 01:35:44.020
find 1 bottle of something squirreled away somewhere because and

01:35:44.020 --> 01:35:46.899
then to show that because the thing that was confusing me

01:35:46.899 --> 01:35:49.380
throughout the episode and had confused me for years until I read

01:35:49.380 --> 01:35:53.445
the script was when he initially asked Mildred about the eggnog

01:35:53.445 --> 01:35:56.005
and Mildred says, like, we wouldn't wanna send anyone home half

01:35:56.005 --> 01:35:58.564
gas. That implies there's no alcohol in the eggnog.

01:35:59.125 --> 01:36:00.005
And then shows

01:36:00.085 --> 01:36:04.085
<v Eric>was that it was light on the eggnog or light on the booze.

01:36:04.189 --> 01:36:04.829
<v Sara>Oh, okay.

01:36:04.829 --> 01:36:07.949
Because it but then it shows Jack getting steadily more and more

01:36:07.949 --> 01:36:09.309
drunk throughout the episode.

01:36:09.550 --> 01:36:13.550
And I remembered watching it going, so was there alcohol in the

01:36:13.550 --> 01:36:15.389
eggnog, or where did he find the booze?

01:36:15.389 --> 01:36:17.469
So this would've answered that question. Right.

01:36:17.469 --> 01:36:19.824
Because he obviously would've poured it in the eggnog and then

01:36:19.824 --> 01:36:21.505
that's why he keeps drinking it.

01:36:21.505 --> 01:36:27.185
<v Eric>The explanation we have to come up with from the episode as it

01:36:27.185 --> 01:36:32.260
exists is that there was alcohol in the eggnog, not a lot, but he

01:36:32.260 --> 01:36:34.579
drank so much of it that he became

01:36:34.659 --> 01:36:35.060
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:36:36.100 --> 01:36:40.020
I just that would be hard to have happen because if you're

01:36:40.020 --> 01:36:43.060
drinking over a long period of time, your body would be Yeah.

01:36:44.234 --> 01:36:44.635
Yeah.

01:36:44.635 --> 01:36:48.314
So anyway, it would have been nice to have seen some evidence

01:36:48.314 --> 01:36:51.114
that there was extra alcohol added because he does get more and

01:36:51.114 --> 01:36:53.834
more inebriated as the episode goes on.

01:36:54.154 --> 01:36:56.795
<v Eric>Well, and and the next scene would have addressed that as well

01:36:56.795 --> 01:36:58.960
because because in the reception area, the occupants have split

01:36:58.960 --> 01:37:02.319
off into dejected groups, Mildred Remington, Laura and Allison,

01:37:02.319 --> 01:37:03.359
Prancer and Eva.

01:37:04.000 --> 01:37:07.039
Only Dancer is, as always, isolated physically as well as

01:37:07.039 --> 01:37:07.840
emotionally.

01:37:08.319 --> 01:37:11.520
Faces gleam with perspiration and clothes stick uncomfortably to

01:37:11.520 --> 01:37:14.505
the skin, Except, of course, for Dancer who appears cool and

01:37:14.505 --> 01:37:16.744
crisp even with his beard and Santa suit.

01:37:16.905 --> 01:37:20.585
Denver takes his booty, all the booze, to Mildred's desk,

01:37:20.585 --> 01:37:22.744
upending each bottle into the punch bowl.

01:37:22.905 --> 01:37:25.145
<v Sara>Is see, this is what I mean.

01:37:25.145 --> 01:37:27.065
Like, it's just it would've made sense to see that.

01:37:28.140 --> 01:37:28.779
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:37:29.100 --> 01:37:31.659
And then, of course, Prancer's asking, why is it so damn hot in

01:37:31.659 --> 01:37:34.140
here? Laura says, they turn off the air conditioning at night.

01:37:34.140 --> 01:37:37.100
Prancer, then open some windows. Allison, they don't open.

01:37:37.100 --> 01:37:37.979
<v Speaker 2>They do.

01:37:38.140 --> 01:37:41.979
<v Sara>We've seen them Yes. When it's convenient to the plot.

01:37:42.315 --> 01:37:45.195
Wish they had kept this line in there too, because we see them

01:37:45.195 --> 01:37:48.155
getting progressively sweatier throughout the episode with not

01:37:48.155 --> 01:37:52.155
really any real explanation for it. Yeah. Well,

01:37:52.155 --> 01:37:54.954
<v Eric>next we see the hostages and hostage takers alike sitting,

01:37:54.954 --> 01:37:55.675
standing, pacing.

01:37:56.030 --> 01:37:59.630
The only thing seemingly happening is Jack is trying to get drunk

01:37:59.630 --> 01:38:03.710
by consuming Interesting all the what Laura is doing in the

01:38:03.710 --> 01:38:04.350
background.

01:38:05.310 --> 01:38:07.949
Plant girl seems like the type who would be doing the meditation,

01:38:07.949 --> 01:38:13.385
and later she is, you know, the cosmic woo woo thing. Yeah.

01:38:13.385 --> 01:38:14.744
Lemon meringue.

01:38:15.145 --> 01:38:19.704
But it seems that Laura's doing some woo woo thing herself.

01:38:19.704 --> 01:38:20.664
I mean, she's sitting there.

01:38:20.664 --> 01:38:26.159
She's got her hands in this let me see if I can pull it up here.

01:38:26.159 --> 01:38:28.800
<v Sara>I think she's just trying to calm herself down.

01:38:28.800 --> 01:38:30.399
Like, she they're all scared.

01:38:30.640 --> 01:38:32.159
<v Eric>And Yeah.

01:38:32.159 --> 01:38:36.000
She she's got her hands together with your her thumbs to her

01:38:36.000 --> 01:38:40.155
fingers, and they're up at the side of her head, and she's slowly

01:38:40.155 --> 01:38:41.114
lowering them.

01:38:41.114 --> 01:38:46.155
And and, yeah, she's doing like this, yeah, meditation type

01:38:46.155 --> 01:38:49.114
thing, probably calm herself down, but it's just interesting to

01:38:49.114 --> 01:38:51.114
see her doing it. Yeah.

01:38:51.114 --> 01:38:52.954
We've never seen her do anything like this before.

01:38:52.954 --> 01:38:53.274
<v Sara>No.

01:38:53.274 --> 01:38:56.789
Because she's always so in control, and she's always seems to be

01:38:56.949 --> 01:38:58.550
the 1 not panicking. And

01:38:58.630 --> 01:39:01.670
<v Eric>Even when the situation is out of her control, she seems to feel

01:39:01.670 --> 01:39:02.550
like she's in control.

01:39:02.550 --> 01:39:03.109
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:39:03.029 --> 01:39:05.670
I think this maybe is this this is maybe a little bit different

01:39:05.670 --> 01:39:10.744
because Dancer is not all there. Let's just That's right.

01:39:10.744 --> 01:39:14.184
He's he's a few crayons short of a box. You know?

01:39:14.185 --> 01:39:15.624
<v Eric>And he's eating them.

01:39:15.784 --> 01:39:17.704
<v Sara>Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

01:39:17.944 --> 01:39:21.545
So, I mean, the unpredictability of Dancer, I think, has has

01:39:21.989 --> 01:39:26.149
rattled Laura, especially with what she just saw with Steele not

01:39:26.149 --> 01:39:29.270
being able to fire the gun. Like, this is that heightens things.

01:39:29.270 --> 01:39:29.989
<v Eric>This yeah.

01:39:31.510 --> 01:39:34.630
Well, Mildred is sitting next to Steele fanning him and herself

01:39:34.630 --> 01:39:37.844
with a festive red napkin, and Mildred, mistaking his

01:39:37.844 --> 01:39:41.925
preoccupation for humiliation, begins to console him over his

01:39:41.925 --> 01:39:44.965
decision not to shoot dancers, saying that she doesn't know what

01:39:44.965 --> 01:39:46.885
anyone would have done in that situation.

01:39:46.885 --> 01:39:49.844
He lets out a breath and then tells her that it may have been

01:39:49.844 --> 01:39:53.380
more of a risk than she thinks. He clears his throat.

01:39:53.380 --> 01:39:57.859
As he does, the throat clears to cover himself as he rises

01:39:57.859 --> 01:39:58.739
slightly. Yeah.

01:39:58.739 --> 01:40:02.179
He pulls his left hand out of his pocket to reveal the ammunition

01:40:02.340 --> 01:40:05.034
that should have been in the agency gun, And

01:40:05.034 --> 01:40:05.435
<v Sara>he sends

01:40:05.435 --> 01:40:09.515
<v Eric>his hand back in with the ammo into the pocket and tells Mildred

01:40:09.515 --> 01:40:13.994
that he found them in his office, and stiffly, Mildred asks if he

01:40:13.994 --> 01:40:17.515
really means that the gun wasn't loaded, and he knew it all the

01:40:17.515 --> 01:40:19.859
time. Yeah.

01:40:19.859 --> 01:40:23.140
And and he grins at her as she realizes that she could have

01:40:23.140 --> 01:40:24.899
gotten her head blown off for nothing.

01:40:24.979 --> 01:40:27.300
<v Sara>Yeah. I like that he tells her here.

01:40:27.300 --> 01:40:30.819
He doesn't tell her he doesn't tell her to redeem himself.

01:40:31.140 --> 01:40:31.619
<v Eric>Mm-mm.

01:40:31.619 --> 01:40:36.414
<v Sara>He tells her to reassure like, basically, to show her how close

01:40:36.414 --> 01:40:37.215
she came

01:40:37.614 --> 01:40:37.935
<v Eric>Mhmm.

01:40:37.935 --> 01:40:39.614
<v Sara>To death because she didn't know.

01:40:39.614 --> 01:40:43.215
And and maybe to ward her off trying it again if she gets ahold

01:40:43.215 --> 01:40:46.975
of the gun a second time because there's nothing in them in in

01:40:46.975 --> 01:40:47.694
the gun. Like,

01:40:48.659 --> 01:40:49.300
<v Eric>so.

01:40:49.779 --> 01:40:52.579
Well, Steele takes a deep breath and tells her that maybe he can

01:40:52.579 --> 01:40:54.260
find a use for the rounds later.

01:40:54.659 --> 01:40:59.219
Mildred asks Steele what he thinks the Santas want, and Steele

01:40:59.219 --> 01:41:02.585
doesn't answer directly, saying only that the only thing they

01:41:02.585 --> 01:41:05.064
know for certain is that they chose this building for a reason

01:41:05.064 --> 01:41:07.545
and that they want him specifically.

01:41:07.864 --> 01:41:11.625
And he turns his head slightly to look at her as he says that to

01:41:11.625 --> 01:41:15.319
emphasize the last point. Well, Prancer is getting antsy.

01:41:15.319 --> 01:41:17.399
He calls out to Dancer, where's Blitzen?

01:41:18.039 --> 01:41:21.239
And he steps over to Dancer, leans down, and demands to know when

01:41:21.239 --> 01:41:22.840
they're gonna get on with this thing.

01:41:23.560 --> 01:41:28.844
Dancer continues to just sit calmly, unfazed, petting the side of

01:41:28.844 --> 01:41:32.684
his gun like it was his pet. He's really weird.

01:41:33.005 --> 01:41:36.364
And he tells Prancer to relax, that everything's moving right on

01:41:36.364 --> 01:41:38.764
schedule. What's scheduled?

01:41:38.764 --> 01:41:42.329
Prancer demands to know, emphasizing the question by pointing out

01:41:42.329 --> 01:41:45.850
that Dancer's the only 1 who knows the schedule. Yeah.

01:41:45.930 --> 01:41:50.090
And more and more Prancer and Donner are starting to look to be

01:41:50.090 --> 01:41:52.810
nothing more than useful idiots for Dancer. Pretty much.

01:41:52.810 --> 01:41:55.210
Apparently signed on to the gig without knowing really what the

01:41:55.210 --> 01:41:55.610
goal was.

01:41:55.835 --> 01:41:58.954
<v Sara>They know nothing about it. And really neither does Dancer.

01:41:58.954 --> 01:41:59.755
He thinks he does.

01:41:59.755 --> 01:42:03.194
<v Eric>Yeah. Thinks he does, but they definitely don't.

01:42:03.675 --> 01:42:08.234
So Jack, who's been obviously significantly relaxed from his

01:42:08.234 --> 01:42:12.500
alcohol consumption, jumps in with the somewhat non sequitur

01:42:12.500 --> 01:42:16.100
statement that if you look hard enough, there's a silver lining

01:42:16.100 --> 01:42:19.460
in every cloud, and he takes a gulp of his eggnog.

01:42:19.939 --> 01:42:23.380
The dancer, slightly annoyed, I mean, who wouldn't be annoyed at

01:42:23.380 --> 01:42:23.699
Jack

01:42:23.699 --> 01:42:23.939
<v Sara>at this

01:42:23.939 --> 01:42:26.425
<v Eric>point, asks, yeah, What's yours?

01:42:27.145 --> 01:42:30.824
Jack thinks for a fraction of a second and then says, Well, I'm

01:42:30.824 --> 01:42:33.305
here, and Judas and Sherman Oaks.

01:42:33.385 --> 01:42:38.585
He laughs and then continues, Do you know that for the past 13

01:42:38.585 --> 01:42:42.179
years that Harpy's told me how to decorate the tree?

01:42:42.579 --> 01:42:45.939
The stars crooked Jack, watch the lights, Jack.

01:42:46.020 --> 01:42:48.180
Don't let them touch the carpet, Jack.

01:42:48.180 --> 01:42:51.140
You wanna start a fire, Jack? Damn right.

01:42:51.140 --> 01:42:55.395
I wanna start a fire under her And dancer chuckles.

01:42:55.395 --> 01:43:00.434
<v Sara>It's hilarious. Like, it just it's it's so funny.

01:43:00.435 --> 01:43:05.154
And and, again, I think Peter Jurassic chef's kiss. He's perfect.

01:43:05.154 --> 01:43:10.220
But just the the the calling her a harpy and then all of the the

01:43:10.460 --> 01:43:12.699
you know? Do you wanna start a fire, Jack? Yeah.

01:43:12.699 --> 01:43:14.539
I wanna start a fire under her.

01:43:16.780 --> 01:43:20.779
<v Eric>And he lifts his mug in a toast saying, here's to captivity.

01:43:21.100 --> 01:43:22.300
<v Speaker 2>Long may it last.

01:43:22.300 --> 01:43:25.164
<v Sara>Like, he'd rather be he'd rather be here.

01:43:25.244 --> 01:43:29.244
He would literally rather be here than be home with his wife.

01:43:29.485 --> 01:43:32.284
<v Speaker 2>That's right. Oh, ouch.

01:43:32.925 --> 01:43:36.445
<v Eric>And as he lifts his glass to take another drink, dancer shoots

01:43:36.445 --> 01:43:40.520
the cup, proving that the suppressor really didn't affect his

01:43:40.520 --> 01:43:41.719
aim, as you said.

01:43:41.800 --> 01:43:46.520
He actually was shooting at the And doctor's of course, the cup

01:43:46.520 --> 01:43:49.399
shatters, sending eggnog flying and splattering all over Jack.

01:43:50.774 --> 01:43:54.135
And with a menacing sense of delight, Dancer stands and starts

01:43:54.135 --> 01:43:58.135
moving toward Jack, telling him, I like you, Eggnog, even if you

01:43:58.135 --> 01:44:00.454
are 1 of those dirty draft dodgers.

01:44:00.935 --> 01:44:03.814
And with Dancer Gideon in his face and the gun in his face as

01:44:03.814 --> 01:44:07.550
well, Jack starts to whine, making the excuse that he wanted to

01:44:07.550 --> 01:44:08.029
go

01:44:08.270 --> 01:44:12.270
<v Speaker 2>desperately. But the old ticker, what could I do?

01:44:12.750 --> 01:44:16.670
<v Eric>And angrily dancer accuses him of profiteering like every other

01:44:16.670 --> 01:44:20.430
smart guy did, staying home and raking in the bread while dancer

01:44:20.430 --> 01:44:22.109
was up to his elbows in slime.

01:44:23.125 --> 01:44:27.204
<v Sara>There is a script change here too, and it's a really good 1

01:44:27.204 --> 01:44:32.244
because instead of slime, he says a nasty racial slur that starts

01:44:32.244 --> 01:44:36.020
with a g. So yeah.

01:44:36.100 --> 01:44:38.020
<v Eric>I missed that 1. Okay.

01:44:38.579 --> 01:44:42.260
<v Sara>Yeah. So it's it it was a you you know the word.

01:44:42.260 --> 01:44:43.940
I'm hoping you know the word because I don't wanna say it.

01:44:43.940 --> 01:44:46.820
But, yeah, that's that that was altered and switched out for

01:44:46.820 --> 01:44:49.140
slime. So which I can see why.

01:44:49.699 --> 01:44:50.020
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:44:50.405 --> 01:44:53.604
The phone rings, momentarily breaking the tension in Dancer's

01:44:53.604 --> 01:44:56.164
anger. Then he directs Laura to answer it.

01:44:56.244 --> 01:44:58.645
She picks up the receiver and says, Remington Steele

01:44:58.645 --> 01:44:59.685
Investigations.

01:44:59.925 --> 01:45:04.885
Then after slight pause adds, happy holidays, with a slight snark

01:45:04.885 --> 01:45:06.005
attitude in her voice.

01:45:06.090 --> 01:45:07.130
<v Sara>Yeah. Yeah.

01:45:07.130 --> 01:45:10.489
<v Eric>As she listens, we see the plant lady slowly moving toward

01:45:10.489 --> 01:45:11.209
Dancer.

01:45:11.449 --> 01:45:13.929
After a moment, Laura puts the receiver to her shoulder to cover

01:45:13.929 --> 01:45:16.969
the mouthpiece and tells Dancer and Jack, it's the shrew of

01:45:16.969 --> 01:45:22.564
Sherman Oaks. Dancer flatly says he left.

01:45:22.965 --> 01:45:26.324
Laura passes on the message adding that he left hours ago.

01:45:27.204 --> 01:45:31.204
Plant lady tugs on dancer's sleeve and asks if she can please be

01:45:31.204 --> 01:45:31.765
excused.

01:45:32.500 --> 01:45:35.460
And as Laura hangs up the phone, plant lady begins doing the

01:45:35.460 --> 01:45:38.819
potty dance, explaining that she has to go to the bathroom.

01:45:39.060 --> 01:45:42.420
Please, she's going to embarrass herself if she doesn't get to

01:45:42.420 --> 01:45:43.380
the bathroom.

01:45:43.380 --> 01:45:46.179
<v Sara>I'm wondering how Jack has gone this long without going to the

01:45:46.179 --> 01:45:46.420
bathroom.

01:45:47.484 --> 01:45:48.364
<v Eric>Man's been like

01:45:48.364 --> 01:45:51.804
<v Sara>downing eggnog like you wouldn't believe. Well

01:45:54.204 --> 01:45:57.965
<v Eric>I was gonna bring this up later. I gotta do it now.

01:45:57.965 --> 01:45:59.164
<v Sara>I gotta do it Sorry.

01:46:00.045 --> 01:46:04.179
<v Eric>When I when I drive, I I drive, you know, Uber and Lyft, like, 10

01:46:04.179 --> 01:46:07.139
hours a day, and I've got 1 of those cups.

01:46:07.139 --> 01:46:10.420
It's like the YETI cup, only I didn't have to pay for the label,

01:46:10.739 --> 01:46:11.859
so it was a lot cheaper.

01:46:12.100 --> 01:46:15.939
And I drink water all day, and I will fill that thing up 4 or 5

01:46:15.939 --> 01:46:17.699
times during the course of the day and drink it.

01:46:18.194 --> 01:46:24.354
And so at various times, I have to go relieve myself. Yeah.

01:46:24.354 --> 01:46:26.354
But but, I mean, I drink a

01:46:26.354 --> 01:46:27.635
<v Speaker 2>lot of water in between

01:46:27.635 --> 01:46:33.890
<v Eric>stops, and I'll I'll pick up the story a little bit later Okay.

01:46:34.130 --> 01:46:35.649
Point it

01:46:35.570 --> 01:46:39.489
<v Sara>I'm comes back into really grateful that you said that the cup

01:46:39.489 --> 01:46:42.930
was for drinking water and not for anyway.

01:46:43.215 --> 01:46:46.175
I know some truck drivers that keep a cup for other reasons, so

01:46:46.255 --> 01:46:46.894
Yes.

01:46:47.534 --> 01:46:47.935
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:46:47.935 --> 01:46:52.654
Anyway, dancer's anger flares again at plant lady and says, I

01:46:52.654 --> 01:46:55.215
thought you flowered children. Let it all hang out.

01:46:55.215 --> 01:46:58.175
Why did you go behind the plant like we had to do in the jungle?

01:46:59.119 --> 01:47:04.239
And she stares at him with harshly critical look. Does he

01:47:04.239 --> 01:47:05.520
<v Sara>really want her to do that, though?

01:47:05.520 --> 01:47:07.520
Does he really want her to go and pee behind the plant?

01:47:07.520 --> 01:47:09.039
Because I think that would start to smell.

01:47:09.039 --> 01:47:10.800
<v Eric>He just likes provoking I

01:47:11.840 --> 01:47:16.095
<v Speaker 2>know. But but, yeah, he would probably he would probably

01:47:16.095 --> 01:47:17.375
<v Eric>get upset if she did.

01:47:17.534 --> 01:47:20.414
Anyway, Steele distractedly says that there's a bathroom in his

01:47:20.414 --> 01:47:20.734
office.

01:47:20.734 --> 01:47:24.574
No windows, no way out, and Dancer gives permission, and the

01:47:24.574 --> 01:47:25.375
plant lady leaves.

01:47:25.375 --> 01:47:28.414
Although she bumps into Dancer as if trying to pass between them,

01:47:28.750 --> 01:47:30.429
between Dancer and Jack.

01:47:30.590 --> 01:47:33.149
But, of course, Dancer doesn't move, so she backs away and goes

01:47:33.149 --> 01:47:33.550
around him.

01:47:33.550 --> 01:47:34.029
<v Sara>Yeah.

01:47:34.029 --> 01:47:36.909
<v Eric>Well, the phone rings again, and Jack, assuming it's his wife

01:47:36.909 --> 01:47:40.909
calling again, apologetically tells Dancer, she's relentless.

01:47:40.909 --> 01:47:42.670
She'll call back every 15 seconds.

01:47:43.234 --> 01:47:45.715
I'm probably terrified I'm having a good time.

01:47:48.034 --> 01:47:51.234
Laura answers the phone and without preamble or waiting to hear

01:47:51.234 --> 01:47:54.194
who it is on the phone immediately begins saying, I told you,

01:47:54.194 --> 01:47:55.715
Mrs. Dendra, there's no 1 here.

01:47:56.610 --> 01:48:01.570
She stops, listens, and she again puts the phone to her shoulder

01:48:01.570 --> 01:48:05.489
and then glances at Steele before telling Dancer, it's for him,

01:48:05.570 --> 01:48:08.930
meaning Remington. Dancer tells Steele to take it.

01:48:09.250 --> 01:48:11.570
Steele gets up, walks to the desk, and takes the phone.

01:48:11.965 --> 01:48:16.284
He listens for a moment and then slowly repeats, Albert Hastings?

01:48:16.685 --> 01:48:18.765
Laura whispers, he owns the building.

01:48:19.645 --> 01:48:23.484
I'm guessing no single person has ever owned the Century Towers,

01:48:24.125 --> 01:48:25.725
that it's always been owned by a corporation.

01:48:25.970 --> 01:48:28.689
Alcoa Properties apparently being the first company to own it as

01:48:28.689 --> 01:48:30.289
they were the company that had it built.

01:48:30.930 --> 01:48:35.090
Anyway, Steele listens further and then, looking at Dancer, asks

01:48:35.090 --> 01:48:38.289
if he, by any chance, had a Christmas present delivered to mister

01:48:38.289 --> 01:48:42.784
Hastings in Steele's name. From the script, Remington. Yes.

01:48:42.784 --> 01:48:46.224
Sorry, mister Hastings. Holiday diversions. Gift you said.

01:48:46.225 --> 01:48:46.864
From me?

01:48:47.104 --> 01:48:49.744
<v Sara>I googled it. Sorry. I googled it, and you're right.

01:48:49.744 --> 01:48:52.859
No single person has ever owned the Century City Towers. Sorry.

01:48:52.859 --> 01:48:54.380
I just was curious.

01:48:54.539 --> 01:48:57.819
<v Eric>Startled, he covers the mouthpiece and turns to Dancer.

01:48:57.979 --> 01:49:00.859
Remington, by any chance, are you here to blow up the building?

01:49:01.819 --> 01:49:04.939
Dancer simply smirks, but a palpable fear ripples through the

01:49:04.939 --> 01:49:07.514
rest of the room. Remington, into the phone.

01:49:07.515 --> 01:49:11.755
Yes, yes, very damn poor joke, especially on Christmas Eve, and

01:49:11.755 --> 01:49:15.274
although the words are indistinguishable, we can hear Hastings

01:49:15.274 --> 01:49:17.114
ranting on the other end of the line.

01:49:17.274 --> 01:49:20.074
Picking it up, Dancer says to tell him to shut up and look out

01:49:20.074 --> 01:49:20.555
his window.

01:49:21.510 --> 01:49:25.829
Steele tells Hastings that it's nothing personal, but shut up and

01:49:25.829 --> 01:49:26.869
look out your window.

01:49:26.869 --> 01:49:28.869
<v Sara>I love the way he says it too.

01:49:29.750 --> 01:49:33.750
<v Eric>And Hastings obviously took exception to Steele saying this.

01:49:34.164 --> 01:49:36.244
Steele repeats, yes, sir. That's what I said.

01:49:36.244 --> 01:49:37.925
Shut up and look out the window.

01:49:38.484 --> 01:49:40.965
And after a moment, he covers the mouthpiece with his hand and

01:49:40.965 --> 01:49:43.764
tells Laura that Hastings says he's going to break their lease

01:49:43.844 --> 01:49:45.925
and that he never wanted a private investigator in the building

01:49:45.925 --> 01:49:46.760
in the first place.

01:49:46.760 --> 01:49:49.079
They attract the wrong sort of people to his building.

01:49:49.239 --> 01:49:53.319
<v Sara>I love how he says this with just deadpan calm.

01:49:53.319 --> 01:49:55.640
Like, there's no I don't know.

01:49:55.640 --> 01:49:59.395
Just the delivery is so spot on where he's like, yep.

01:49:59.395 --> 01:50:00.994
He says he's gonna break our lease.

01:50:00.994 --> 01:50:03.635
Never wanted a private investigator in here in the first place.

01:50:03.635 --> 01:50:08.834
They attract the wrong sort of people. Case in point. Well,

01:50:09.395 --> 01:50:11.795
<v Eric>after listening a moment further, Steele tells Dancer that

01:50:11.795 --> 01:50:12.994
Hastings is at the window.

01:50:13.819 --> 01:50:16.699
What does he see is the instruction from Dancer.

01:50:16.779 --> 01:50:20.059
Steele repeats the instruction and then reports that Hastings

01:50:20.059 --> 01:50:21.659
sees this building.

01:50:22.219 --> 01:50:25.500
Dancer looks at his watch and then says to tell Hastings to keep

01:50:25.500 --> 01:50:25.819
watching.

01:50:26.864 --> 01:50:30.784
Steele finally lets a hint out that there is somebody else here

01:50:30.784 --> 01:50:34.864
pulling the strings when he says to Hastings, the advice I get is

01:50:34.864 --> 01:50:38.784
to keep watching, and for several tense seconds, nothing happens

01:50:38.784 --> 01:50:41.505
except increasing tension in the faces of the hostages.

01:50:42.130 --> 01:50:44.609
Suddenly, there's an explosion near the top of the building.

01:50:44.609 --> 01:50:47.649
Lights darken momentarily as the office is shaken, and everyone

01:50:47.649 --> 01:50:49.969
grabs onto something to study themselves.

01:50:50.449 --> 01:50:53.489
After things stop shaking, dancer hands steal a note directing

01:50:53.489 --> 01:50:55.489
him to read at Tastings. You had a comment?

01:50:56.005 --> 01:50:58.805
<v Sara>I just would I okay.

01:50:58.805 --> 01:51:03.845
I don't know much about what would and would not. Mhmm.

01:51:04.885 --> 01:51:08.484
Like but wouldn't the building still be on fire?

01:51:08.565 --> 01:51:14.639
And wouldn't they have like, I it took out an entire floor.

01:51:14.639 --> 01:51:18.880
I I realize it's not gonna destroy the whole building, but I

01:51:19.039 --> 01:51:21.999
would think it would cause a fire that would spread.

01:51:22.000 --> 01:51:24.984
Like, I'd it just seems that it blows up the top floor and then

01:51:24.984 --> 01:51:28.264
everything's fine after that, and I find that very odd.

01:51:28.824 --> 01:51:33.145
<v Eric>Yeah. There would probably be some fire. Presumably,

01:51:33.145 --> 01:51:33.304
<v Sara>they

01:51:33.304 --> 01:51:35.625
<v Eric>would also have to call in the fire department to deal with that.

01:51:35.625 --> 01:51:38.710
<v Sara>Well, yeah, which apparently doesn't happen because Donna is

01:51:38.710 --> 01:51:41.270
looking out the window later on like, there's nothing stirring

01:51:41.270 --> 01:51:43.590
out here. Yeah. Weird.

01:51:43.829 --> 01:51:45.750
<v Eric>It it does seem a little bit odd.

01:51:46.149 --> 01:51:49.189
Can't come up with an explanation as to why it wouldn't have

01:51:49.189 --> 01:51:50.630
happened that way. Cool.

01:51:50.630 --> 01:51:55.925
I mean, are some explosives there are some explosives that are

01:51:55.925 --> 01:52:02.484
not designed to start fires, but that sometimes do. Yeah.

01:52:02.484 --> 01:52:06.890
So, I mean, you've got your flashbangs, which are loud and

01:52:06.890 --> 01:52:07.689
flashy, but

01:52:07.850 --> 01:52:09.050
<v Sara>But that's not what this was.

01:52:09.050 --> 01:52:12.969
<v Eric>Because It wouldn't typically create create damage like this.

01:52:12.970 --> 01:52:15.770
Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, it's it's just it's a little bit odd, but

01:52:15.930 --> 01:52:17.770
<v Sara>It does some significant damage.

01:52:17.770 --> 01:52:18.010
<v Eric>Yeah.

01:52:18.905 --> 01:52:22.744
So we just have to assume that there's some fire going on, and

01:52:22.744 --> 01:52:26.025
when Donner says that there's nothing happening out there, he's

01:52:26.025 --> 01:52:32.345
meaning anything yet, or where he's looking, he's not seeing

01:52:32.345 --> 01:52:32.905
anything.

01:52:32.905 --> 01:52:37.399
But anyway, Steele says, I've just been handed a note to read to

01:52:37.399 --> 01:52:37.640
you.

01:52:37.640 --> 01:52:41.159
Unless I receive $2,000,000 with nonconsecutive Syrian lovers by

01:52:41.159 --> 01:52:41.960
7 a.

01:52:41.960 --> 01:52:45.640
Tomorrow morning, your building will be blown up 1 floor at a

01:52:45.640 --> 01:52:45.720
time.

01:52:47.215 --> 01:52:52.094
And the script version actually ties into something that was said

01:52:52.094 --> 01:52:56.335
earlier where Steele said they picked him specifically because in

01:52:56.335 --> 01:52:59.694
the script version, it's I've just been handed something to read

01:52:59.694 --> 01:53:00.015
to you.

01:53:00.570 --> 01:53:03.850
As you know, I am a reputable private investigator, so you must

01:53:03.850 --> 01:53:06.729
believe me when I tell you that the situation here is extremely

01:53:06.729 --> 01:53:07.369
serious.

01:53:08.090 --> 01:53:13.530
I receive $2,000,000 in nominations no larger than 100s with non

01:53:13.530 --> 01:53:16.704
consecutive serial numbers, your building will be blown up 1

01:53:16.704 --> 01:53:17.345
floor at a time.

01:53:17.345 --> 01:53:21.824
So that should've should've been left in because that ties back

01:53:21.824 --> 01:53:23.505
into his comment about

01:53:23.505 --> 01:53:23.904
<v Sara>I agree.

01:53:23.984 --> 01:53:25.264
<v Eric>They picked him for a reason.

01:53:25.345 --> 01:53:28.145
<v Sara>Because when he says that, prior to reading the script, when he

01:53:28.145 --> 01:53:30.380
says that, I always thought of that as an odd statement for him

01:53:30.380 --> 01:53:34.300
to make because they could have taken any building hostage.

01:53:34.300 --> 01:53:38.619
It really wouldn't have mattered unless they're looking for his

01:53:38.619 --> 01:53:39.979
reputation or what have you.

01:53:39.979 --> 01:53:43.260
And still just assuming that, I guess, fits with his ego, but

01:53:43.260 --> 01:53:46.965
doesn't necessarily mean that's the case, whereas this verifies

01:53:46.965 --> 01:53:48.885
it, as you said. So yeah.

01:53:48.885 --> 01:53:49.524
<v Eric>Yep.

01:53:49.685 --> 01:53:53.364
Well, Steele hangs up, and Dancer joyfully declares, Merry

01:53:53.364 --> 01:53:54.804
Christmas, everybody.

01:53:55.045 --> 01:53:59.045
May we all live to see the New Year, and he begins to laugh.

01:54:00.619 --> 01:54:03.579
Back from the break, Prancer is pacing nervously.

01:54:03.579 --> 01:54:07.659
Mildred is stress eating cookies, and plant lady is sitting, legs

01:54:07.659 --> 01:54:08.219
crossed. I love

01:54:08.219 --> 01:54:11.819
<v Sara>that Mildred's stress eating. That's what I'd be doing.

01:54:11.819 --> 01:54:13.979
I I gotta say, literally what I would be doing.

01:54:13.979 --> 01:54:17.015
I would be, like Jack's pounding back the eggnog.

01:54:17.015 --> 01:54:18.774
I'd be eating cookies.

01:54:19.734 --> 01:54:23.175
<v Eric>And plant lady is sitting, legs crossed, palms up, chanting, Oh,

01:54:23.175 --> 01:54:27.574
Watagoo Siam. Oh, Watagoo Siam.

01:54:31.750 --> 01:54:34.149
Mildred gives plant lady a curious look.

01:54:34.150 --> 01:54:37.670
Jack has found a replacement cup, and though still covered with

01:54:37.989 --> 01:54:40.949
dried eggnog, continues to down even more of the drink, though

01:54:40.949 --> 01:54:44.204
clearly not feeling any better for it as he finishes his drink

01:54:44.204 --> 01:54:45.645
and then grabs his stomach.

01:54:46.765 --> 01:54:48.925
<v Sara>Cool. Dancer Can you imagine?

01:54:48.925 --> 01:54:51.404
Because, like, not just the alcohol, which would

01:54:51.965 --> 01:54:54.604
<v Eric>So many eggs. The dairy.

01:54:54.604 --> 01:54:56.444
<v Sara>All the yeah. I guess,

01:54:56.445 --> 01:54:57.485
<v Eric>know, they are cooked, aren't they?

01:54:57.760 --> 01:54:58.560
<v Sara>Well well, no.

01:54:58.560 --> 01:55:03.039
Because in when it when it's homemade, it's it's it's from what I

01:55:03.039 --> 01:55:04.560
understand, it it's raw.

01:55:04.560 --> 01:55:07.280
I think the stuff you get in the stores Pasteurized.

01:55:07.359 --> 01:55:12.475
Has to be because of, like, legal restrictions on selling stuff

01:55:12.475 --> 01:55:15.675
with raw eggs, but I'm pretty sure, like, homemade eggnog is made

01:55:15.675 --> 01:55:17.675
with raw eggs. Mhmm.

01:55:17.675 --> 01:55:20.154
If I'm wrong, tell me because I've never made it. So

01:55:21.595 --> 01:55:21.835
<v Eric>yeah.

01:55:21.835 --> 01:55:25.600
Anyway, from the script, Remington's office, dark, moonlight

01:55:25.600 --> 01:55:27.039
streaming in through the windows.

01:55:27.039 --> 01:55:30.159
Donner peers cautiously through the curtains at the street below.

01:55:30.479 --> 01:55:33.840
Laura kneels at the end of the couch, undoing the tie around the

01:55:33.840 --> 01:55:36.319
still prone, still moaning Doctor. Scabbard.

01:55:36.560 --> 01:55:39.439
Remington perches on the arm, holding a damp washcloth.

01:55:40.024 --> 01:55:43.944
With a glance toward Donner, Remington, at least we know why they

01:55:43.944 --> 01:55:44.904
chose this office.

01:55:44.904 --> 01:55:48.104
They needed Remington steel to lend veracity to their demands.

01:55:48.425 --> 01:55:51.704
Laura, sometimes I wish your reputation wasn't so damned

01:55:51.704 --> 01:55:54.104
impeccable. Remington, come on, Laura.

01:55:54.210 --> 01:55:58.449
You've labored long and hard to make me what I am. It's cute.

01:55:58.449 --> 01:56:01.809
And Donner's perplexed. It doesn't make any sense.

01:56:02.050 --> 01:56:04.850
Nothing stern out there. Not a car, a person, nothing.

01:56:04.850 --> 01:56:08.050
I mean, that wasn't exactly a firecracker that went off.

01:56:08.050 --> 01:56:11.284
<v Sara>So have you seen Die Hard? No. Okay.

01:56:11.284 --> 01:56:14.085
So this this is why I think this is hilarious because, like I

01:56:14.085 --> 01:56:16.804
said, this episode predates Die Hard. Die Hard came out in '88.

01:56:16.804 --> 01:56:17.685
This came out in '86.

01:56:17.685 --> 01:56:21.364
And I'm not saying they took inspiration from this episode

01:56:21.364 --> 01:56:24.324
because they probably haven't seen it, but there are so many

01:56:24.324 --> 01:56:25.524
similarities with the 2.

01:56:25.949 --> 01:56:29.390
And 1 of them is that when the the terrorists take this this

01:56:29.390 --> 01:56:33.390
building, which is, I believe, in the century 1 of those it it's

01:56:33.390 --> 01:56:36.110
not supposed to be, but it's they filmed it at

01:56:36.350 --> 01:56:37.550
<v Eric>As the Century Towers?

01:56:37.789 --> 01:56:39.710
<v Sara>Because it's called the Nakatomi Plaza.

01:56:40.765 --> 01:56:43.725
<v Eric>You're you're making it sound like they they actually use this

01:56:43.725 --> 01:56:45.404
episode as their inspiration.

01:56:45.404 --> 01:56:47.244
<v Sara>Honestly, like, I don't think they did.

01:56:47.244 --> 01:56:50.444
I don't think they did because that would be kind of obscure.

01:56:50.444 --> 01:56:54.199
But there's a scene where they've taken them hostage.

01:56:54.199 --> 01:56:55.479
They're holding there.

01:56:56.360 --> 01:56:59.000
They are pretending to be terrorists with a political cause, but

01:56:59.000 --> 01:57:01.159
it turns out it's just money they want to steal.

01:57:01.479 --> 01:57:05.000
And Bruce Willis's character is attempting to get ahold of the

01:57:05.000 --> 01:57:07.800
authorities to let them know something is wrong.

01:57:08.505 --> 01:57:12.824
He sets off a fire alarm, but they end up having somebody down at

01:57:12.824 --> 01:57:15.145
the front desk, like call the fire department and say, oh, yeah,

01:57:15.145 --> 01:57:17.944
that was just a mistake. It's fine. Don't worry about it.

01:57:17.864 --> 01:57:21.784
Fire truck turns around and you see Willis at the window going,

01:57:21.784 --> 01:57:23.064
no, no, no. Turn around. Turn around.

01:57:23.279 --> 01:57:25.920
And so he makes his way up to the roof, and he manages to get

01:57:26.000 --> 01:57:28.399
kill 1 of them and get 1 of their walkie talkies, and he gets

01:57:28.399 --> 01:57:31.039
through to the like an emergency channel through the walkie

01:57:31.039 --> 01:57:32.000
talkie. Mhmm.

01:57:32.000 --> 01:57:34.559
And he he yells, matey, matey, and he starts to give all the

01:57:34.559 --> 01:57:36.719
information, which, of course, the terrorist can also hear.

01:57:36.719 --> 01:57:38.559
So he's he's putting himself at risk by doing this.

01:57:38.935 --> 01:57:41.975
And the woman on the other end of the line, she says, sir, this

01:57:41.975 --> 01:57:46.694
is an emergency channel. And he says, no effing. Bleep, lady.

01:57:46.694 --> 01:57:48.135
Does it sound like I'm ordering a pizza?

01:57:48.135 --> 01:57:51.734
And she's like, well, sir, if you don't continue if you don't

01:57:51.260 --> 01:57:53.420
hang up, we'll have to come down here. And he's like, fine.

01:57:53.420 --> 01:57:56.060
Come down here. Arrest me, but send somebody.

01:57:56.060 --> 01:58:01.260
I'm like so it just made me think of that because in in here we

01:58:01.260 --> 01:58:04.860
are. There's been a giant explosion, and nobody's shown up.

01:58:07.844 --> 01:58:11.204
<v Eric>Well, Scabbard asks, doesn't anybody know what's going on around

01:58:11.204 --> 01:58:15.284
here? And Steele responds with, the taking of Pelham 1 2 3.

01:58:15.444 --> 01:58:18.724
Well, Scabbard doesn't understand, but Steele gives the citation,

01:58:18.724 --> 01:58:23.750
Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, United Artists, 1974, and scabbard

01:58:23.750 --> 01:58:26.710
is aghast that they're all gonna die like dogs and he's talking

01:58:26.710 --> 01:58:31.350
about a movie. Laura explains that movies often help Mr.

01:58:31.350 --> 01:58:32.630
Steele clarify a situation.

01:58:33.395 --> 01:58:36.835
Then just to make sure, she cautiously asks, that is what you're

01:58:36.835 --> 01:58:37.475
doing, isn't it?

01:58:37.475 --> 01:58:40.675
<v Sara>Yeah. Sometimes it's not what he's doing.

01:58:41.074 --> 01:58:42.274
<v Eric>Steele expounds.

01:58:42.274 --> 01:58:44.435
Yeah, like when he's trying to get Laura to buy him the MGM

01:58:44.435 --> 01:58:45.314
collection In of

01:58:45.555 --> 01:58:46.515
<v Sara>catalog, yeah.

01:58:46.670 --> 01:58:49.310
<v Eric>TL expounds. 4 men take a subway train hostage.

01:58:49.310 --> 01:58:51.630
They demand ransom or they'll kill all the passengers.

01:58:51.630 --> 01:58:54.590
The only problem is, once they get the money, how do they get

01:58:54.590 --> 01:58:55.949
away? In a subway?

01:58:55.949 --> 01:58:58.510
The train's movement is electronically charted from above.

01:58:59.784 --> 01:59:02.264
Donner, who's not been paying much attention to what's been going

01:59:02.264 --> 01:59:05.064
on around him, suddenly realizes that Laura and Steele are

01:59:05.064 --> 01:59:07.625
talking, but he's not close enough to hear what they're saying,

01:59:07.625 --> 01:59:09.864
so he demands to know what are they talking about.

01:59:10.425 --> 01:59:13.064
And the good doctor, somewhat irritated at the topic of

01:59:13.064 --> 01:59:15.380
conversation because he still doesn't understand the deep

01:59:15.380 --> 01:59:18.020
breathing answers, subway trains with Which

01:59:18.020 --> 01:59:19.699
<v Sara>is slight delay probably the to thing that he doesn't get it

01:59:19.699 --> 01:59:22.579
because then he doesn't give away that they're trying to figure

01:59:22.579 --> 01:59:24.420
out what's going on. Yeah.

01:59:24.979 --> 01:59:27.780
<v Eric>Well, satisfied, Donner wanders back toward the windows.

01:59:28.574 --> 01:59:31.215
Laura recognizes that their captors are in much the same

01:59:31.215 --> 01:59:33.614
predicament as the 4 men in the movie.

01:59:34.095 --> 01:59:36.814
The explosion draws the police, the police seal off the building,

01:59:37.055 --> 01:59:38.574
how do the Santas get out?

01:59:39.055 --> 01:59:45.619
Steele suggests that Blitzen has a plan, or as the queen in The

01:59:45.619 --> 01:59:49.300
Great Mouse Detective said, We have a plan.

01:59:52.659 --> 01:59:55.699
Laura tells him that she's in no mood to sit around and wait for

01:59:55.699 --> 01:59:56.819
him to make fools out of them.

01:59:57.364 --> 01:59:59.685
Steele reminds her that Dancer has a gun.

01:59:59.765 --> 02:00:03.204
2, actually, Laura corrects, and Steele suggests that it would be

02:00:03.204 --> 02:00:06.085
helpful to know if the other Santas are armed.

02:00:06.805 --> 02:00:08.965
Laura suggests that there is a way to find out.

02:00:09.770 --> 02:00:13.369
She starts to stand, pulling Scabbard's foot as she does, causing

02:00:13.289 --> 02:00:14.489
<v Sara>That's the so funny.

02:00:15.530 --> 02:00:18.489
<v Eric>Steele grabs Laura's arm and asks if the escapade with the gun

02:00:18.489 --> 02:00:20.010
lowered her estimation of him.

02:00:20.010 --> 02:00:20.729
<v Sara>This is sweet.

02:00:21.925 --> 02:00:25.045
<v Eric>She tells him that in her opinion, both he and Mildred were far

02:00:25.045 --> 02:00:26.005
too reckless.

02:00:26.244 --> 02:00:28.484
<v Sara>I She says it

02:00:28.484 --> 02:00:30.404
<v Eric>with the slightest hint of a smile.

02:00:30.725 --> 02:00:32.164
<v Sara>I love this for 2 reasons.

02:00:32.164 --> 02:00:35.284
1, he doesn't tell her he had the bullets. Mhmm.

02:00:35.444 --> 02:00:43.770
He needs to know if she still respects him, if she still sees him

02:00:43.770 --> 02:00:44.489
the same way.

02:00:44.489 --> 02:00:45.449
<v Eric>Respect him in the morning.

02:00:45.449 --> 02:00:46.569
<v Sara>You know what

02:00:46.569 --> 02:00:46.889
<v Eric>I mean?

02:00:46.889 --> 02:00:51.210
<v Sara>Like, she like, he needs to know that he didn't disappoint her

02:00:50.685 --> 02:00:51.645
because he had no other

02:00:51.725 --> 02:00:53.085
<v Speaker 2>That's what that's what I said.

02:00:55.405 --> 02:01:01.085
<v Sara>Wow. You know what I mean.

02:01:03.180 --> 02:01:06.619
He saw that look on her face, and he just wants to know that he

02:01:06.619 --> 02:01:09.260
doesn't have, like, to qualify it or explain it or whatever, that

02:01:09.260 --> 02:01:14.860
that if he made that choice that she will that she's not looking

02:01:14.860 --> 02:01:23.125
at him like he's any less than he is. And then she gives shut up.

02:01:23.125 --> 02:01:37.260
Shut up. You're ruining it. Sorry. Go ahead. Go on.

02:01:37.260 --> 02:01:38.699
He's ruining it perfectly good.

02:01:38.699 --> 02:01:43.020
Anyway, then she gives him that answer that he needs.

02:01:43.265 --> 02:01:45.664
Whether or not she feels that way, I think she does.

02:01:45.664 --> 02:01:48.704
Like, I think she does, at the end of the day, recognize that his

02:01:48.704 --> 02:01:51.505
his behavior his actions could have, if the gun had been loaded,

02:01:51.505 --> 02:01:52.944
could have gotten him killed.

02:01:53.425 --> 02:01:58.469
But she instead of saying, well, you could have tried or, yeah, I

02:01:58.469 --> 02:01:59.829
was kind of disappointed or anything.

02:01:59.829 --> 02:02:01.829
She just says that you and Mildred were far too reckless.

02:02:01.829 --> 02:02:05.189
Like, she she sees what he needs to hear and she gives it to him,

02:02:05.429 --> 02:02:08.710
and it's really sweet. And then he still doesn't tell her. Mhmm.

02:02:08.710 --> 02:02:11.755
He kisses her, but he doesn't say, by the way, just so you know,

02:02:11.755 --> 02:02:14.314
I'm a hero because the gun wasn't loaded. I saved Mildred.

02:02:14.475 --> 02:02:15.994
He doesn't need to do that.

02:02:15.994 --> 02:02:20.395
He's gotten the answer he wanted from her that he needed to hear.

02:02:20.635 --> 02:02:25.820
And so he doesn't feel the need to kind of like clarify it to her

02:02:25.820 --> 02:02:27.500
or make him out.

02:02:27.500 --> 02:02:32.219
It's 1 of the few times he doesn't take the opportunity to

02:02:32.220 --> 02:02:34.460
aggrandize himself in some way. Yeah.

02:02:34.619 --> 02:02:37.899
And it's it's really nice because she does end up finding out,

02:02:37.899 --> 02:02:38.780
but not from him.

02:02:39.195 --> 02:02:39.515
<v Eric>Yeah.

02:02:39.515 --> 02:02:44.155
So Well, Laura rises and begins pacing, her agitation slowly

02:02:44.155 --> 02:02:45.675
turning to hysteria.

02:02:45.835 --> 02:02:46.314
<v Sara>I love this.

02:02:46.314 --> 02:02:47.515
<v Speaker 2>This is crazy,

02:02:47.515 --> 02:02:49.835
<v Eric>she says in a seemingly stressed manner.

02:02:50.155 --> 02:02:53.195
And Donner, even though he's only about as sharp as a spoon,

02:02:53.699 --> 02:02:56.020
knows enough to instruct her to sit back down.

02:02:56.260 --> 02:02:58.739
Nora doesn't obey and goes into her rant.

02:02:58.979 --> 02:03:01.539
<v Speaker 2>This is cruel and inhuman and crazy.

02:03:01.939 --> 02:03:04.420
Why are you doing this to us? Why are you keeping us here?

02:03:04.420 --> 02:03:05.219
What do you want?

02:03:06.114 --> 02:03:09.635
<v Eric>And again, Donner insists that she sit, but she doesn't comply.

02:03:09.795 --> 02:03:13.074
<v Speaker 2>I can't sit down. I can't sit down anymore. The heat, the fear.

02:03:13.635 --> 02:03:17.555
<v Eric>And Steele and Scabbard look at each other in amazed confusion as

02:03:17.555 --> 02:03:21.119
Laura launches herself at Donner and wraps her arms around him

02:03:21.119 --> 02:03:24.479
and begins to give him a secret pat down as she concludes her

02:03:24.479 --> 02:03:25.119
act.

02:03:26.239 --> 02:03:27.439
<v Sara>But she's good.

02:03:27.439 --> 02:03:30.640
<v Speaker 2>Please, please let us go. Please, we won't tell anyone.

02:03:30.640 --> 02:03:32.159
We promise. We swear.

02:03:32.574 --> 02:03:35.854
<v Sara>Because she's basically playing the part of the hysterical woman

02:03:36.175 --> 02:03:39.854
that would be totally believable to somebody like Donner.

02:03:39.854 --> 02:03:44.175
And that gets her access to his his person, and she's able to

02:03:44.175 --> 02:03:46.020
frisk him. It's fabulous.

02:03:47.380 --> 02:03:50.739
<v Eric>She finds out that, no, that's that's not a gun in his pocket.

02:03:51.060 --> 02:03:51.699
Ew.

02:03:54.100 --> 02:03:56.739
Donner, who is apparently feeling the stress as much or more than

02:03:56.739 --> 02:03:59.780
the hostages begins hollering at lawyer saying, he's not too

02:03:59.780 --> 02:04:00.899
happy about things himself.

02:04:01.835 --> 02:04:04.795
Now don't make it any worse, and he shoves her back toward the

02:04:04.795 --> 02:04:05.354
couch.

02:04:05.675 --> 02:04:10.395
She lands on the couch beside Steele, lets out a loud sob, then

02:04:10.395 --> 02:04:13.515
quietly tells Steele he's clean, then lets out with a few more

02:04:13.515 --> 02:04:15.275
distraught sounding sobs.

02:04:16.510 --> 02:04:19.709
Steele pats her arm and tells her that although it worked once,

02:04:19.949 --> 02:04:22.989
he doesn't think Pratzer's going to go for an encore.

02:04:24.429 --> 02:04:27.229
Laura suggests that Mildred might be able to do something, so

02:04:27.645 --> 02:04:30.845
pretending that she's regained most of her composure, she walks

02:04:30.845 --> 02:04:34.685
over to Donner, who again directs her to sit, and she tells that

02:04:34.685 --> 02:04:37.725
she needs a drink. Can she get something to drink? Yep.

02:04:37.725 --> 02:04:40.284
Donner tells her, yeah. Oh, and bring me 1 too.

02:04:42.829 --> 02:04:45.869
Laura enters the reception area where plant lady is still

02:04:45.869 --> 02:04:46.589
chanting.

02:04:47.229 --> 02:04:50.349
Laura and Dancer give each other hard looks, and then Laura goes

02:04:50.349 --> 02:04:51.709
to sit beside Mildred.

02:04:52.029 --> 02:04:55.229
But before they can talk, Jack starts losing it, a combination of

02:04:55.229 --> 02:04:56.189
the booze and the stress.

02:04:56.775 --> 02:04:59.975
He starts disparagingly repeating her name to himself.

02:05:00.295 --> 02:05:03.095
<v Speaker 2>Judy. Judy. Judy.

02:05:03.735 --> 02:05:07.414
<v Eric>When he noticed dancers staring at him, Jack begins babbling at

02:05:07.414 --> 02:05:10.055
him. She's not a bad woman. Really?

02:05:10.720 --> 02:05:12.479
<v Speaker 2>She's not mean intentionally.

02:05:12.560 --> 02:05:14.880
She doesn't even know she's nagging me to death.

02:05:14.880 --> 02:05:18.079
She just wants the best for me and the kids.

02:05:18.720 --> 02:05:22.960
She stays at home and cooks and cleanse.

02:05:22.960 --> 02:05:24.479
There's always a fresh pie

02:05:24.479 --> 02:05:24.800
<v Eric>in the

02:05:24.800 --> 02:05:27.715
<v Speaker 2>oven. Does the kids' homework for them.

02:05:28.114 --> 02:05:28.835
<v Sara>Okay.

02:05:28.835 --> 02:05:34.755
I'm gonna have to to to criticize, the shrew of Sherman Oaks

02:05:34.755 --> 02:05:37.795
here. Like, stay home, cook clean,

02:05:37.795 --> 02:05:38.034
<v Eric>put a

02:05:38.034 --> 02:05:38.675
<v Speaker 2>fresh pie

02:05:38.675 --> 02:05:38.914
<v Sara>the oven.

02:05:38.914 --> 02:05:39.715
<v Speaker 2>Homework for them?

02:05:39.715 --> 02:05:40.194
<v Sara>You do you.

02:05:40.280 --> 02:05:43.000
But does the kids homework for them is where I draw the line.

02:05:43.000 --> 02:05:45.079
Those kids are learning nothing. Okay.

02:05:45.079 --> 02:05:47.640
They are learning nothing if mom is doing their homework.

02:05:47.800 --> 02:05:53.079
So mom, you to doing the kids homework, let them do their

02:05:53.079 --> 02:05:57.534
homework, or they're not gonna anyway. Yeah. The rest, fine.

02:05:57.534 --> 02:06:01.295
You know? You do you, but don't do your kids' homework.

02:06:01.295 --> 02:06:04.015
<v Eric>No. Well, Dancer doesn't appreciate this.

02:06:04.015 --> 02:06:07.614
He steps over to confront Jack and cruelly tells him, I liked you

02:06:07.614 --> 02:06:08.574
better when you didn't.

02:06:09.279 --> 02:06:12.159
And Jack gets down, and he's in front of dancer and begins

02:06:12.159 --> 02:06:12.719
begging.

02:06:12.719 --> 02:06:17.279
<v Speaker 2>Oh, please. Let me call her. Let me tell her how much I love her.

02:06:17.279 --> 02:06:22.774
She deserves to hear that. I haven't said that to her in 5 years.

02:06:22.935 --> 02:06:25.814
<v Sara>In the script, it's 10 years. And,

02:06:27.015 --> 02:06:30.135
<v Eric>of course, dancer says, nope. Sorry, eggnog.

02:06:30.135 --> 02:06:31.814
Gotta keep those lines open.

02:06:32.295 --> 02:06:36.130
And Jack begins crying, talking to Judith, asking her how he can

02:06:36.130 --> 02:06:40.289
make it up to her, and Dancer bends down to look at Jack close-up

02:06:40.289 --> 02:06:43.890
and asks, hey. You really wanna do something for your old lady?

02:06:44.369 --> 02:06:45.489
Oh, yes.

02:06:46.369 --> 02:06:49.984
Dancer pulls Jack to his feet and says, have you considered

02:06:49.984 --> 02:06:52.864
medical assistance in dying? No. No. Wait. I'm sorry.

02:06:52.864 --> 02:06:55.904
That's Canada Health. He asks, how much insurance you got?

02:06:56.305 --> 02:06:59.104
Confused, Jack asks, why?

02:06:59.585 --> 02:07:03.809
Dancer holds up his gun and points it then tells Jack, 1 pill,

02:07:03.890 --> 02:07:07.969
back of the head, quick, painless, a great Christmas present.

02:07:07.969 --> 02:07:10.609
Every time she spends a dime, she thinks of you.

02:07:10.929 --> 02:07:14.210
<v Sara>I always thought he said 1 kill, but the script says 1 pill, and

02:07:14.210 --> 02:07:18.344
I don't is pill a euphemism for bullet? Yeah. Oh, okay.

02:07:18.344 --> 02:07:21.144
Because that, like, that that when I saw the script, I was like,

02:07:21.144 --> 02:07:23.624
a pill in the back of the head? That doesn't make any sense.

02:07:24.264 --> 02:07:25.304
That makes okay.

02:07:25.864 --> 02:07:28.904
<v Eric>Well, white eyed Jack drunkenly says, well, I don't love her that

02:07:28.904 --> 02:07:29.144
much.

02:07:32.289 --> 02:07:34.289
<v Sara>That is hilarious. I don't love

02:07:34.289 --> 02:07:36.850
<v Speaker 2>her that much. Like, no thanks.

02:07:37.329 --> 02:07:41.090
<v Eric>Mildred looks at Laura and is shocked at Dancer's audacious

02:07:41.090 --> 02:07:42.050
suggestion.

02:07:42.369 --> 02:07:45.010
Prancer, who's also apparently being stressed out by the

02:07:45.010 --> 02:07:48.414
situation, goes over to plant lady and and insists that she put a

02:07:48.414 --> 02:07:49.215
lid on it.

02:07:49.935 --> 02:07:52.975
She ignores him, so he hits her again, demanding that she shut

02:07:52.975 --> 02:07:57.614
up. She mindlessly tells him that she's not here.

02:07:58.175 --> 02:07:59.614
She's in a green space.

02:07:59.935 --> 02:08:04.149
The sun is warm on her face, A cold breeze rippling her hair.

02:08:04.310 --> 02:08:08.229
Peace and contentment far away from this foul, vicious place.

02:08:08.229 --> 02:08:11.590
<v Sara>I don't know about you, but sometimes I think I I I repeat that

02:08:11.590 --> 02:08:17.109
in my head at work. Peace and contentment.

02:08:19.364 --> 02:08:21.844
<v Eric>1 pill, boss. 1 pill.

02:08:21.925 --> 02:08:23.284
<v Sara>Just back in the head.

02:08:23.284 --> 02:08:23.844
<v Eric>Oh.

02:08:23.925 --> 02:08:27.204
Dancer seemingly comes to her defense, telling Prancer to leave

02:08:27.204 --> 02:08:28.005
her alone.

02:08:28.085 --> 02:08:32.005
She's a flower child filled with peace and love for all mankind.

02:08:32.739 --> 02:08:35.380
Then his attitude becomes hostile as he finishes.

02:08:35.380 --> 02:08:37.060
Ain't that right, dipsy?

02:08:37.140 --> 02:08:42.100
She covers her ears and begins chanting louder, and dancer yells

02:08:42.100 --> 02:08:43.060
angrily at her.

02:08:43.060 --> 02:08:45.619
I bet you used to run around sticking flowers and guns.

02:08:46.585 --> 02:08:50.505
Well, plant lady stops chanting and angrily tells him that if she

02:08:50.505 --> 02:08:53.385
had a gun right now, she knows where she'd stick it.

02:08:55.145 --> 02:08:56.264
<v Sara>I love that line.

02:08:59.489 --> 02:09:02.130
<v Eric>Dancer turns to face Laura and Mildred, pointing out that it

02:09:02.130 --> 02:09:05.649
doesn't take much to push even the most peaceful soul over the

02:09:05.649 --> 02:09:08.930
edge, and Laura stands to confront Dancer.

02:09:08.930 --> 02:09:12.689
As Mildred grabs her arms, Laura sneers, I bet you enjoy that,

02:09:12.689 --> 02:09:14.449
don't you? Pushing people over the edge.

02:09:15.074 --> 02:09:17.875
Everybody's gotta have a hobby, tells her.

02:09:18.675 --> 02:09:22.675
Prancer starts to crack, hollering that his hobby ain't dying.

02:09:22.914 --> 02:09:24.354
Look. We're trapped here.

02:09:24.354 --> 02:09:26.594
Any minute, they'll come blast them through the doors.

02:09:26.594 --> 02:09:28.194
This isn't what I signed on for.

02:09:28.820 --> 02:09:31.220
Then what did you sign on for, Donner?

02:09:31.220 --> 02:09:34.500
Or asks him almost certainly intentionally calling him by the

02:09:34.500 --> 02:09:37.300
wrong name. And, of course, the misidentification triggers him.

02:09:37.300 --> 02:09:39.859
<v Speaker 2>Prancer. Prancer for God's sake.

02:09:40.420 --> 02:09:44.135
<v Sara>He's yeah. I mean, you get that name right. It it matters.

02:09:44.215 --> 02:09:47.814
<v Eric>That's right. And Laura insincerely says, sorry.

02:09:49.414 --> 02:09:52.534
And, Desperately, he says, all he was supposed to do was sit on

02:09:52.534 --> 02:09:55.335
some people for a few hours, and he'd walk away with $5.

02:09:55.750 --> 02:09:58.869
$5 on Christmas ain't nothing to sneeze at, he says.

02:09:58.869 --> 02:10:00.469
He's been out of work for 8 months.

02:10:00.469 --> 02:10:01.989
They cut off his unemployment.

02:10:01.989 --> 02:10:04.710
His kids walk around with newspapers in their shoes like it's the

02:10:04.710 --> 02:10:07.590
depression or something. Now he doesn't care about the dough.

02:10:07.590 --> 02:10:09.510
He just wants to walk away with his skin.

02:10:09.590 --> 02:10:15.614
<v Sara>So, again, I am not defending turning to a life of crime when

02:10:15.614 --> 02:10:19.215
you're facing hard times.

02:10:19.215 --> 02:10:19.774
<v Eric>Mhmm.

02:10:19.774 --> 02:10:24.559
<v Sara>But I do think it's interesting that the episode went to these

02:10:24.559 --> 02:10:30.079
lengths to show not just, like, that dancers a few, you know,

02:10:30.079 --> 02:10:34.000
ornaments short of a Christmas tree, but also that seasonal.

02:10:34.000 --> 02:10:34.719
<v Eric>See what I did there?

02:10:34.719 --> 02:10:35.199
<v Sara>I see.

02:10:35.840 --> 02:10:41.094
But also the the 2 reasons why the kind of, like, more goofy

02:10:41.094 --> 02:10:44.614
idiots of of Donner and Prancer are involved in this because, I

02:10:44.614 --> 02:10:48.135
mean, we find out later that Donner needs the money to go to to

02:10:48.135 --> 02:10:51.175
go to trial, which is kinda funny. Yeah. Really.

02:10:51.175 --> 02:10:53.814
It's not exactly the kind of funny thing you wanna do, but, like

02:10:53.975 --> 02:10:54.454
yeah.

02:10:54.454 --> 02:10:59.469
But this guy has literally become so desperate because of their

02:10:59.469 --> 02:11:02.270
financial situation because he lost his job Mhmm.

02:11:02.510 --> 02:11:03.869
That he was pulled into this.

02:11:03.869 --> 02:11:06.909
And, obviously, he wasn't told the full scope of what he was

02:11:06.909 --> 02:11:07.869
going to have to do.

02:11:08.354 --> 02:11:12.034
He knew enough of it that it it's probably It sounded good.

02:11:12.034 --> 02:11:15.635
It probably sounded less less harmful than it actually turned out

02:11:15.635 --> 02:11:16.114
to be.

02:11:16.114 --> 02:11:16.835
<v Eric>Yeah. Really?

02:11:16.835 --> 02:11:19.954
<v Sara>Which, again, not not justifying or defending it.

02:11:19.954 --> 02:11:22.914
There are better ways to try to feed your family on Christmas

02:11:23.119 --> 02:11:24.319
rather than doing this.

02:11:24.319 --> 02:11:27.840
But I did think it was interesting that they sort of humanized

02:11:27.840 --> 02:11:32.880
him a little bit because it, I think, was meant to show because,

02:11:32.880 --> 02:11:35.920
again, there's not they're not trying to advance a social message

02:11:35.920 --> 02:11:39.119
here in the episode, but they didn't have to give him this back

02:11:38.414 --> 02:11:39.135
story, so

02:11:41.774 --> 02:11:45.295
<v Eric>Dancer walks toward Pratzer saying, he had a lieutenant like that

02:11:45.295 --> 02:11:46.654
in his outfit once.

02:11:47.135 --> 02:11:53.539
And he calmly says, frag them, which for anybody who is not

02:11:53.539 --> 02:11:57.859
familiar with the term, it's the deliberate attempted killing or

02:11:57.859 --> 02:12:01.300
successful killing of a soldier, usually a superior officer by a

02:12:01.300 --> 02:12:01.939
fellow soldier.

02:12:01.939 --> 02:12:02.899
<v Sara>I figured.

02:12:02.899 --> 02:12:06.095
<v Eric>US military personnel coined the word during the Vietnam War when

02:12:06.095 --> 02:12:09.534
such killings were most often committed or attempted with a

02:12:09.534 --> 02:12:12.414
fragmentation grenade to make it appear that the killing was

02:12:12.414 --> 02:12:15.534
either accidental or occurred during combat with the enemy.

02:12:16.020 --> 02:12:19.300
The term fragging now encompasses any deliberate killing of a

02:12:19.300 --> 02:12:20.340
military colleague.

02:12:21.859 --> 02:12:25.140
So sounding as if he's about ready to break into tears, Prancer

02:12:25.140 --> 02:12:28.979
begs, the joint is probably crawling with cops, so at least give

02:12:28.979 --> 02:12:33.935
me a piece. Dancer's got 2. Prancer doesn't even have a penknife.

02:12:34.175 --> 02:12:37.854
Well, Dancer gives Prancer a look and then after a moment tosses

02:12:37.854 --> 02:12:42.814
the agency gun to him, telling him in a menacing manner, careful

02:12:42.814 --> 02:12:44.414
you don't shoot off a vital organ.

02:12:45.569 --> 02:12:49.249
And Laura quietly lets out with a sad, great.

02:12:49.250 --> 02:12:54.209
Now they're both armed. And Mildred quietly says, not really.

02:12:54.770 --> 02:12:56.689
Laura gives her a quizzical look.

02:12:57.010 --> 02:12:59.969
Mildred tells her that the agency gun doesn't have any bullets in

02:12:59.969 --> 02:13:01.954
it. The boss has them.

02:13:02.274 --> 02:13:05.234
And Laura stares at Prancer in disbelief, then whispers back to

02:13:05.234 --> 02:13:10.675
Mildred. Did he know that when he had the gun? Mildred confirms.

02:13:10.994 --> 02:13:15.149
He saved my life. And they both get grins on their face.

02:13:15.149 --> 02:13:18.750
Laura proudly says, quite an actor, our mister Steele.

02:13:18.750 --> 02:13:19.149
<v Sara>Yeah.

02:13:19.149 --> 02:13:24.029
Like, this is a this is and I with at the risk of triggering your

02:13:24.925 --> 02:13:30.125
brain and and where it's gonna go, Mildred or sorry.

02:13:30.125 --> 02:13:32.685
Laura's probably thinking that she needs to find a way to thank

02:13:32.685 --> 02:13:37.324
him later because and I know I don't mean what you're thinking.

02:13:37.324 --> 02:13:41.239
I just mean that she's, like, that added layer of respect sort of

02:13:41.239 --> 02:13:42.279
added on to what

02:13:42.599 --> 02:13:44.839
<v Eric>Especially since there's no bullets in his gun.

02:13:44.840 --> 02:13:47.959
<v Sara>Yeah. Well, I mean oh god.

02:13:49.800 --> 02:13:50.439
<v Eric>Oh. I'm

02:13:50.439 --> 02:13:50.760
<v Sara>sorry.

02:13:50.760 --> 02:13:53.479
Ladies and gentlemen, take a drink every time Eric twists

02:13:53.479 --> 02:13:56.335
something I say and makes it.

02:13:56.335 --> 02:14:00.014
And if you do, you'll get as drunk as eggnog does in this

02:14:00.014 --> 02:14:00.734
episode.

02:14:02.335 --> 02:14:06.414
<v Eric>Anyway, back in Steele's office, Steele's been pacing.

02:14:06.574 --> 02:14:08.975
He sits down beside Scabbard discreetly showing him the

02:14:08.975 --> 02:14:12.869
ammunition and then tells Scabbard to tell Donner that he has to

02:14:12.869 --> 02:14:13.829
go to the bathroom.

02:14:14.310 --> 02:14:16.949
Scabbard cluelessly argues that he doesn't have to go to the

02:14:16.949 --> 02:14:20.550
bathroom and Steele grimaces with an, I can't believe this guy's

02:14:20.550 --> 02:14:23.989
so stupid look, leans forward, reaches out, hits the doctor's

02:14:23.989 --> 02:14:25.909
injured foot causing him to yelp in pain.

02:14:26.454 --> 02:14:29.094
Donner quickly turns around and asks what the problem is.

02:14:29.414 --> 02:14:31.335
Scabbard says, I have to go to the bathroom.

02:14:31.734 --> 02:14:34.054
Steele tells Donner that he'll help the doctor.

02:14:34.454 --> 02:14:38.454
Scabbard hops, probably exaggerated the need for hopping, as

02:14:38.454 --> 02:14:39.734
Steele helps him to the bathroom.

02:14:40.329 --> 02:14:43.529
Once they get in, Scabbard tells Steele, well, now that they're

02:14:43.529 --> 02:14:45.449
here, maybe he does have the go.

02:14:46.010 --> 02:14:48.170
And this is where I finish that story.

02:14:48.969 --> 02:14:52.729
You know, when I'm drinking all this water as I'm driving around,

02:14:52.729 --> 02:15:00.324
I only hit the relief station 2, maybe 3 times over the course of

02:15:00.324 --> 02:15:03.845
a 10 hour period despite having drunk all this water, but

02:15:03.845 --> 02:15:08.324
usually, you know, it's 1 of these things where, okay, I probably

02:15:08.324 --> 02:15:10.399
ought to take the chance. I'm near a gas station.

02:15:10.399 --> 02:15:11.360
I've just finished a ride.

02:15:11.360 --> 02:15:15.920
Probably ought to go do it, but the closer I get to the gas

02:15:15.920 --> 02:15:18.320
station and the closer I get to the bathroom

02:15:18.880 --> 02:15:20.000
<v Sara>you're like, oh no, I'm not asking.

02:15:20.239 --> 02:15:21.520
<v Speaker 2>It suddenly becomes.

02:15:23.335 --> 02:15:27.335
<v Eric>It's like this Pavlovian response to proximity.

02:15:27.574 --> 02:15:29.414
<v Sara>That makes sense. That actually makes sense.

02:15:29.414 --> 02:15:33.494
And as a teacher, I have become, like, disturbingly adept at not

02:15:33.494 --> 02:15:37.399
going to the bathroom when I when I should because we can't just

02:15:37.399 --> 02:15:40.840
walk out of the classroom. If we have to go, we have to wait.

02:15:40.840 --> 02:15:43.320
And, you know, there is not enough time in between classes.

02:15:43.320 --> 02:15:44.600
So I get to work.

02:15:44.840 --> 02:15:47.239
I go the whole morning, and then I don't get to use the bathroom

02:15:47.239 --> 02:15:50.039
till lunch. So yeah.

02:15:50.439 --> 02:15:54.154
<v Eric>Well, Steele puts Scabbard off, telling him that he's gonna have

02:15:54.154 --> 02:15:57.914
to maneuver Prancer out of the room, and Scabbard corrects him

02:15:57.914 --> 02:16:00.715
saying, That's Donner. Whoever it is, Steele says.

02:16:00.715 --> 02:16:03.994
Once he gets him out, Scabbard needs to build a fire in the

02:16:03.994 --> 02:16:06.715
wastebasket. It has to be absolutely white hot.

02:16:07.210 --> 02:16:11.130
So use as much paper as he can possibly find, then handing him

02:16:11.130 --> 02:16:14.729
the ammunition tells him to throw the ammo into the fire.

02:16:15.770 --> 02:16:18.729
Scabbard doesn't understand, so Steele explains, if they're

02:16:18.729 --> 02:16:21.354
living right, they should explode, hopefully diverting Dancer

02:16:21.354 --> 02:16:23.434
long enough for Steele to get his gun.

02:16:24.074 --> 02:16:27.034
Scabbard panics, saying he doesn't think he can do that.

02:16:27.594 --> 02:16:30.715
Steele puts his arm on Scabbard's shoulder, and then in an over

02:16:30.715 --> 02:16:34.395
the top, seriously inspirational tone, and I put that in sarcasm

02:16:34.395 --> 02:16:35.479
quotes, Yeah.

02:16:35.479 --> 02:16:39.879
He tells the doctor that ordinary men in extraordinary situations

02:16:39.879 --> 02:16:42.440
often find courage they never knew they had.

02:16:42.920 --> 02:16:45.399
I think you're that kind of man, doctor.

02:16:46.040 --> 02:16:50.284
Well, Scabbard looks at him seemingly So still Steele goes with

02:16:50.284 --> 02:16:53.485
the more self serving approach, telling him that if that appeal

02:16:53.485 --> 02:16:56.444
doesn't sway him, then think of his branch office in Encino.

02:16:56.444 --> 02:16:58.204
Well, that does it.

02:16:58.204 --> 02:17:02.190
Scabbard immediately tells Steele to give him the bullets. Yep.

02:17:02.270 --> 02:17:05.629
Steele does and pats Scabbard on the shoulder, and when Scabbard

02:17:05.629 --> 02:17:08.751
isn't looking, rolls his eyes. Yeah.

02:17:10.351 --> 02:17:14.511
Now I got a problem with this because 2 problems, actually.

02:17:15.310 --> 02:17:18.584
If you start a fire in a building like that, you're gonna set off

02:17:18.584 --> 02:17:21.145
the sprinklers. First problem, right there.

02:17:21.145 --> 02:17:24.104
<v Sara>They're wet. Maybe not in the bathroom.

02:17:24.104 --> 02:17:26.424
Maybe there's no sprinklers in the bathroom.

02:17:26.424 --> 02:17:27.065
<v Eric>I don't know.

02:17:27.065 --> 02:17:32.370
Still got fire smoke detectors in there and sensors, and it's

02:17:32.370 --> 02:17:35.568
gonna put it off because they wanna put that fire out before it

02:17:35.568 --> 02:17:38.370
damages the building because you don't wanna fight a fire in a

02:17:38.370 --> 02:17:39.090
high rise.

02:17:39.809 --> 02:17:43.488
And then the other problem is that if they are successful and

02:17:43.488 --> 02:17:46.529
those rounds start going off, where are those bullets gonna go?

02:17:47.284 --> 02:17:49.204
<v Sara>I would think in the walls and the

02:17:49.684 --> 02:17:52.165
<v Eric>And anybody that happens to be standing in front of them?

02:17:52.405 --> 02:17:53.684
<v Sara>Well, there's nobody in the bathroom.

02:17:53.684 --> 02:17:56.325
Well, I guess he doesn't know that that somebody could go in

02:17:56.325 --> 02:17:58.245
there to use it. You're right. Yep. I didn't know that.

02:17:58.245 --> 02:18:01.770
<v Eric>Scabbard could stay in there stoking the fire. True. You know?

02:18:01.770 --> 02:18:02.890
<v Sara>Yeah. That's true.

02:18:02.890 --> 02:18:05.290
<v Eric>Anyway, next, Steele exits

02:18:05.290 --> 02:18:08.170
<v Sara>the think Steele can Smothers' Cabbard looks real nice.

02:18:08.170 --> 02:18:10.569
<v Eric>Well, that's probably true at this point.

02:18:10.569 --> 02:18:12.250
Let's get Jack in there too.

02:18:12.806 --> 02:18:15.444
Steele exits the bathroom, leaving Scabbard inside, and when

02:18:15.444 --> 02:18:19.364
Donner asks if the doc is alright, Steele dismissively says,

02:18:19.364 --> 02:18:21.685
sure. It was just nerves like the rest of us.

02:18:21.924 --> 02:18:24.965
Then walking Donner toward the door of the outer office casually

02:18:24.965 --> 02:18:26.965
asks if they should see what's keeping Ms.

02:18:26.965 --> 02:18:28.004
Holt with those drinks.

02:18:29.020 --> 02:18:31.818
And Donner, exasperated, says, he doesn't know how he got it

02:18:31.818 --> 02:18:35.020
roped into this. Well, that's not true. He wanted the money.

02:18:35.260 --> 02:18:38.379
Steele asks Donner if he thinks he'll live to spend it.

02:18:39.100 --> 02:18:41.340
Donner confides that he wanted it to hire a lawyer.

02:18:41.875 --> 02:18:44.995
He's set to go to trial next week on a little job that went sour.

02:18:44.995 --> 02:18:45.234
Yeah.

02:18:45.234 --> 02:18:49.155
That's 3 years in the slammer doesn't look too bad right now.

02:18:49.234 --> 02:18:53.395
<v Sara>I I wonder I wish I wish we had gotten and this is if anyone

02:18:53.395 --> 02:18:56.354
wants to write this fan fiction, feel free, but I wish I I wish

02:18:56.354 --> 02:18:59.579
we had gotten some information on how they did get roped into it.

02:18:59.579 --> 02:19:03.579
Did they put out an did did Eva or whoever she has put out an ad

02:19:03.579 --> 02:19:07.101
in the classifieds? Like, wanted 3 men for robbery?

02:19:08.060 --> 02:19:11.101
Have references. 2 must be an idiot. Like, how did that go?

02:19:11.101 --> 02:19:15.625
And then, you know, how did she, how did she I'm just curious as

02:19:15.625 --> 02:19:17.306
to how this got organized.

02:19:17.546 --> 02:19:18.104
<v Eric>Yes.

02:19:18.185 --> 02:19:25.065
That's a question that is definitely Well, an Steele suggests

02:19:25.065 --> 02:19:29.389
that, you know, Donner could help them, and Donner's eyes go wide

02:19:29.389 --> 02:19:32.110
in disbelief. Go against Dancer?

02:19:32.110 --> 02:19:34.909
He asks, obviously not liking the suggestion.

02:19:35.148 --> 02:19:37.950
Steele nods, but Donner says, No, he'll take his chances with the

02:19:37.950 --> 02:19:38.590
cops.

02:19:39.069 --> 02:19:41.870
And Steele gives a slight grunt, then walks into the reception

02:19:41.870 --> 02:19:42.989
office with Donner following.

02:19:43.864 --> 02:19:46.745
The phone rings, dancer walks over to Mildred's desk and answers

02:19:46.745 --> 02:19:47.944
it with, Yeah.

02:19:48.504 --> 02:19:51.864
He pauses and then says, It took you guys long enough to get

02:19:51.864 --> 02:19:52.345
here.

02:19:52.665 --> 02:19:55.704
Another pause, Hold onto your pants, he'll be out in a minute.

02:19:56.370 --> 02:19:59.250
He gestures to Steele, telling him to go talk to the guys in

02:19:59.250 --> 02:19:59.810
blue.

02:19:59.889 --> 02:20:03.409
Let him know how serious he is and his compatriots are and to

02:20:03.409 --> 02:20:05.250
tell them to make way for Blitzen.

02:20:05.648 --> 02:20:09.409
Steele walks toward the front door of the agency suite and

02:20:09.409 --> 02:20:11.170
Prancer opens it to let him out.

02:20:11.545 --> 02:20:14.344
As he steps through the door, he raises his hands and turns and

02:20:14.344 --> 02:20:17.625
walks down the hall to where he meets a gaggle of SWAT officers

02:20:17.943 --> 02:20:22.584
and 1 unhappy man in a business seat, mister Albert Hastings, the

02:20:22.584 --> 02:20:23.784
alleged owner of the building.

02:20:24.670 --> 02:20:27.390
The officer in charge who happens to be named Grogan

02:20:27.629 --> 02:20:28.909
<v Sara>Except I never say that.

02:20:28.909 --> 02:20:31.470
So throughout my notes I I wrote my notes before I read the

02:20:31.470 --> 02:20:33.790
script, so I just kept writing SWAT guy. SWAT guy.

02:20:33.790 --> 02:20:34.511
<v Eric>Yeah. SWAT guy.

02:20:34.511 --> 02:20:36.110
<v Sara>Because I'm like, I don't know what this guy's name is.

02:20:36.110 --> 02:20:36.270
They don't

02:20:36.431 --> 02:20:37.470
<v Eric>He's probably Eddie's brother.

02:20:37.825 --> 02:20:41.424
But anyway, starts to speak to Steele, but he's cut off by the

02:20:41.424 --> 02:20:44.784
man in the suit who angrily demands to know what is Steele doing

02:20:44.784 --> 02:20:48.465
to his building. And barely pausing doing it. Yeah.

02:20:48.465 --> 02:20:50.465
Apparently pausing long enough to take a breath.

02:20:50.465 --> 02:20:53.279
He demands that Steele march right back in there and tell those

02:20:53.279 --> 02:20:56.959
hoodlums that the authorities take a very dim view of the

02:20:56.959 --> 02:20:58.318
destruction of private property.

02:20:58.318 --> 02:21:02.318
<v Sara>My response would be after you. Go for it.

02:21:02.318 --> 02:21:04.079
You go in there and you tell them that.

02:21:04.238 --> 02:21:07.680
<v Eric>Well, Steele fires back angrily demanding to know what about the

02:21:07.680 --> 02:21:08.158
people in there.

02:21:08.604 --> 02:21:11.325
And Hastings casually says, well, them too, of course.

02:21:11.325 --> 02:21:13.485
<v Sara>Sure. Yeah. They're an afterthought. Yeah.

02:21:13.485 --> 02:21:16.125
<v Eric>And that's that's what I've got in there. That's the exact word.

02:21:16.125 --> 02:21:19.965
Afterthought. Grogan barks. How many hostages?

02:21:20.700 --> 02:21:23.739
7, including me, Steele informs informs him.

02:21:23.979 --> 02:21:27.260
Plus Dancer, Donner, and Prancer. Reindeer?

02:21:27.260 --> 02:21:30.219
Groggen asks in a totally serious manner,

02:21:30.219 --> 02:21:34.459
<v Speaker 2>not even questioning the absurdity of the names in the question.

02:21:34.700 --> 02:21:38.204
<v Sara>See, there's actually reindeer in the office.

02:21:41.564 --> 02:21:44.684
<v Eric>Codenames, Steele explains. They're all dressed up as Santas.

02:21:45.165 --> 02:21:48.284
How apropos, Hastings sarcastically quips.

02:21:48.443 --> 02:21:52.261
Steele continues informing Grogon that only one's armed, but that

02:21:52.261 --> 02:21:53.540
he's the most dangerous.

02:21:53.780 --> 02:21:56.261
Grogon reports that the bomb squad's going through the building,

02:21:56.261 --> 02:21:57.540
but so far, nothing.

02:21:58.101 --> 02:22:01.060
Steele, trying to be helpful, suggests that the bomb squad check

02:22:01.060 --> 02:22:03.060
anything wrapped as Christmas presents.

02:22:03.140 --> 02:22:05.940
Santa delivering Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve wouldn't even

02:22:05.940 --> 02:22:06.819
arouse a suspicion.

02:22:07.254 --> 02:22:09.495
<v Sara>I would think that they would be doing that anyway.

02:22:10.295 --> 02:22:10.693
<v Eric>Yeah.

02:22:10.693 --> 02:22:15.495
I I got a feeling they know their job, but they may not have

02:22:15.495 --> 02:22:18.215
realized that well, of course, they wouldn't have realized that

02:22:18.215 --> 02:22:19.254
the men are in Santa suits. Yeah.

02:22:19.254 --> 02:22:23.459
That they were in Santa That does change the the parameters of

02:22:23.459 --> 02:22:26.340
what they would be looking for, so it's actually a good

02:22:26.340 --> 02:22:26.979
suggestion.

02:22:27.379 --> 02:22:30.818
Anyway, Grogan somewhat rhetorically asks how they expect to get

02:22:30.818 --> 02:22:34.818
out of the building and Steele passes on the final message from

02:22:34.818 --> 02:22:36.500
Dancer that addressed that question.

02:22:37.065 --> 02:22:39.306
They're waiting for another Santa, Blitzen.

02:22:39.306 --> 02:22:41.784
He's the 1 with the escape plan, so they'd better let him

02:22:41.784 --> 02:22:45.864
through. What about tear gas? Groggen asks. Steele says, no.

02:22:45.864 --> 02:22:48.665
Dancer's unstable enough that at the first whip, he'll shoot

02:22:48.665 --> 02:22:49.865
anything that moves.

02:22:50.265 --> 02:22:53.239
Groggen says, well, they'll come up with something, and Steele's

02:22:53.239 --> 02:22:55.959
response is straightforward, come up with 2,000,000.

02:22:55.959 --> 02:22:56.601
<v Sara>Yeah.

02:22:56.681 --> 02:22:59.880
<v Eric>Hastings says, well, he'll have to make a few phone calls first,

02:22:59.880 --> 02:23:02.520
you know, to see if his insurance covers that sort of thing, but

02:23:02.520 --> 02:23:03.399
he doesn't finish.

02:23:03.399 --> 02:23:06.440
Steele lunges at him, grabs him by his tie, pulling it tight

02:23:06.440 --> 02:23:09.354
around his neck as he violently slams the man against the wall

02:23:09.354 --> 02:23:12.556
and barely barely on the edge of control tells Hastings that he

02:23:12.556 --> 02:23:15.595
doesn't care about his insurance company.

02:23:16.155 --> 02:23:19.034
The 1 in there they called Dancer is a road company rambo.

02:23:19.034 --> 02:23:22.155
If he doesn't get the money, everybody's gonna be a casualty.

02:23:22.155 --> 02:23:24.129
Do you understand that?

02:23:24.370 --> 02:23:26.930
<v Sara>So here's a question that I have because the script says road

02:23:26.930 --> 02:23:31.090
company Rambo, and I had always heard it as rogue company rando

02:23:31.250 --> 02:23:33.170
Rambo as in he's gone rogue.

02:23:33.250 --> 02:23:36.530
I don't understand what a road company Rambo would be because

02:23:36.530 --> 02:23:41.344
that doesn't make any sense. Is there, like, a term I'm missing?

02:23:41.344 --> 02:23:43.344
Because, like, rogue company Rambo, that makes sense.

02:23:43.344 --> 02:23:46.385
Like, he's gone rogue and then Rambo obviously being the film

02:23:46.385 --> 02:23:47.344
reference. But

02:23:47.665 --> 02:23:47.984
<v Eric>No.

02:23:47.984 --> 02:23:55.799
Road company is a slang term for a for a theater group that goes

02:23:55.799 --> 02:24:02.680
from place to place, works cheap. Oh, okay. Works for hire. Yeah.

02:24:02.680 --> 02:24:04.921
It's a theatrical term.

02:24:05.000 --> 02:24:07.674
<v Sara>Okay. So I guess both phrases would work.

02:24:07.674 --> 02:24:09.594
I just that's not what I always heard.

02:24:09.594 --> 02:24:11.674
And then when I read the script, was like, road company.

02:24:11.674 --> 02:24:13.034
What the heck does he mean by that?

02:24:13.834 --> 02:24:16.715
It is quite satisfying to see him shove Hastings up against the

02:24:16.715 --> 02:24:19.988
wall and just, like, basically make him pee himself speaking on

02:24:19.988 --> 02:24:22.949
going to the bathroom because, like, the look on Hastings' face

02:24:22.949 --> 02:24:28.549
here and it's obviously the script actually has it saying that

02:24:29.430 --> 02:24:32.309
Remington grabs him by the lapels, the anger he's had to submerge

02:24:32.309 --> 02:24:33.670
for so long boiling to the surface.

02:24:33.670 --> 02:24:36.444
This is a really I didn't even think of it that way.

02:24:36.444 --> 02:24:38.765
I just thought, like, he was pissed off because this guy's being

02:24:38.765 --> 02:24:41.325
a jerk and not caring about the civilians.

02:24:41.325 --> 02:24:45.886
But when you look back at the episode all the way through, he's

02:24:45.886 --> 02:24:49.800
been not that he's, again, not that he's some sort of hothead

02:24:49.800 --> 02:24:51.880
that flies off the handle because we've established that's not

02:24:51.880 --> 02:24:52.841
really him, but Mhmm.

02:24:52.920 --> 02:24:57.319
Both he and Laura have had to tamper down on their natural urge

02:24:57.319 --> 02:25:00.520
to confront and to sort of provoke and try to they're they're

02:25:00.520 --> 02:25:03.754
trying to do something, but they're doing it covertly rather than

02:25:03.754 --> 02:25:07.515
overtly, so this would be like his boiling point. He's just no.

02:25:07.515 --> 02:25:11.114
<v Eric>Well, and just the stress of the situation, even if you dismiss

02:25:10.954 --> 02:25:12.315
Yeah. Their Absolutely.

02:25:12.795 --> 02:25:17.595
Them having to suppress their natural inclinations as to how to

02:25:17.595 --> 02:25:21.879
deal with it, Just the stress of the situation is just, you know,

02:25:21.879 --> 02:25:25.239
and it's been hours, and it's getting more and more, and then

02:25:25.239 --> 02:25:30.601
this guy comes along and obviously doesn't even care about the

02:25:30.601 --> 02:25:31.319
people inside.

02:25:31.319 --> 02:25:35.454
All he's worried about is his $2,000,000 in his building. Yeah.

02:25:35.694 --> 02:25:39.935
So, yeah, so Steele definitely lets him have it, but Hastings

02:25:40.575 --> 02:25:44.174
finally gets angry and yells back, even if he has to take it to

02:25:44.174 --> 02:25:45.375
the supreme court, he's going

02:25:45.375 --> 02:25:48.279
<v Speaker 2>to break Steele's lease. Oh, wow.

02:25:48.279 --> 02:25:50.760
<v Eric>Scared me. If I live

02:25:50.840 --> 02:25:54.200
<v Sara>through tonight, you're gonna take us to court.

02:25:54.200 --> 02:25:57.879
Not the threat you think it is, sir.

02:25:59.274 --> 02:26:02.315
<v Eric>Well, just then, the sounds of shots are heard coming from the

02:26:02.315 --> 02:26:03.435
agency's suite.

02:26:03.754 --> 02:26:09.034
And Steele, realizing what has just happened, swears it, doc.

02:26:09.674 --> 02:26:12.395
<v Sara>Well, it's not his fault. He did exactly what he asked him to.

02:26:12.395 --> 02:26:14.870
<v Eric>He just True. It's true. It's true.

02:26:14.870 --> 02:26:16.309
It's just the timing was terrible.

02:26:16.309 --> 02:26:17.510
<v Sara>Oh, it is. It is.

02:26:17.510 --> 02:26:20.229
He's he just wasn't expecting to be out there talking to the SWAT

02:26:20.229 --> 02:26:22.069
officers. Like Yeah.

02:26:22.629 --> 02:26:23.270
<v Eric>Yeah.

02:26:23.350 --> 02:26:26.935
Well, inside the office, Dancer takes a run off towards Steele's

02:26:26.935 --> 02:26:29.575
office where the sound of the apparent gunshots come from.

02:26:29.895 --> 02:26:32.694
Laura shoves his chair into his path, causing him to fall over

02:26:32.694 --> 02:26:35.175
it, and as he does, of course, he loses his gun.

02:26:35.175 --> 02:26:37.495
Laura dives for it, grabs it, and points it at Dancer.

02:26:38.389 --> 02:26:40.069
Steele comes rushing back in.

02:26:40.069 --> 02:26:42.950
Prancer is at the door and points the agency gun at Steele and

02:26:42.950 --> 02:26:46.469
pulls the trigger only to realize that nothing happened.

02:26:46.469 --> 02:26:47.030
<v Sara>It's not loaded.

02:26:47.030 --> 02:26:50.069
<v Eric>The gun's not loaded, and Steele, after the split second it takes

02:26:50.069 --> 02:26:53.030
him to realize that Prancer does in fact have the unloaded agency

02:26:53.030 --> 02:26:54.625
gun, punches him.

02:26:55.104 --> 02:26:59.504
Dancer, now on his feet being covered by Laura, but the plant

02:26:59.504 --> 02:27:04.145
lady rushes into her causing her to drop the gun, and it falls to

02:27:04.145 --> 02:27:06.305
the floor, and both Steele and Dancer make a play for it, but

02:27:06.305 --> 02:27:09.620
Dancer is closer so he retrieves the gun and points it at Steele,

02:27:09.620 --> 02:27:10.899
stopping him in his tracks.

02:27:11.379 --> 02:27:14.420
Still lying on the floor, Dancer dares Steele to try something,

02:27:14.420 --> 02:27:17.939
telling him that he'd love to splatter that pretty face all over

02:27:17.939 --> 02:27:18.579
their room.

02:27:18.819 --> 02:27:22.915
<v Sara>You know, he keeps commenting on how pretty Steele is, and and he

02:27:22.915 --> 02:27:24.675
gotta start to wonder.

02:27:26.595 --> 02:27:28.835
<v Eric>Yeah. I think he spent too long in the jungle.

02:27:29.315 --> 02:27:32.515
Scabbard rushes out of Steele's office, flush with excitement,

02:27:32.840 --> 02:27:34.680
and expecting to be praised for

02:27:34.680 --> 02:27:38.600
<v Speaker 2>his efforts, breathlessly asks, hey, Steele. How did I do?

02:27:38.760 --> 02:27:39.318
<v Sara>Poor guy.

02:27:39.318 --> 02:27:43.079
<v Eric>Steele gives Scabbard a disgusted look, and as he's doing so,

02:27:43.079 --> 02:27:45.559
dancer stands, guns still pointed at Steele.

02:27:45.795 --> 02:27:49.075
Scabbard's face falls as he realizes that his efforts were for

02:27:49.075 --> 02:27:52.435
naught or worse, that he might've screwed up.

02:27:53.235 --> 02:27:55.875
Dancer, looking dead at steel, threatens the group.

02:27:55.875 --> 02:28:01.739
1 blink, 1 twitch, 1 sneeze that I don't know about, and none of

02:28:01.739 --> 02:28:04.780
you people are gonna be around to read about what a terrifying

02:28:04.780 --> 02:28:05.819
time you had.

02:28:06.780 --> 02:28:10.060
We get a scan of the tension on everybody's faces, and then

02:28:10.940 --> 02:28:14.700
there's a tapping on the glass doors. It's a Santa.

02:28:15.315 --> 02:28:18.274
Branson rushes over, opening the doors declaring Blitzen.

02:28:18.274 --> 02:28:20.594
<v Speaker 2>Thank God. Well, the

02:28:20.594 --> 02:28:25.555
<v Eric>newest Santa arrival enters, but he is clearly as drunk as a

02:28:25.555 --> 02:28:26.514
skunk as he slurs

02:28:26.674 --> 02:28:27.075
<v Sara>Yeah.

02:28:27.075 --> 02:28:31.200
<v Eric>Sorry. I'm late. What the hell? Party's still going on.

02:28:31.761 --> 02:28:35.040
<v Sara>What's funny about this is that had this not happened, the party

02:28:35.040 --> 02:28:36.959
would obviously not still be going on.

02:28:36.959 --> 02:28:39.920
And Felix Credle would have shown up to an empty building that

02:28:39.920 --> 02:28:42.560
was pitch dark and everybody's gone home.

02:28:44.745 --> 02:28:47.545
<v Eric>Prancer taps him on the shoulder and asks, Blitzen?

02:28:48.023 --> 02:28:51.943
Felix Criddle, he responds, and then taking notice of the other

02:28:51.943 --> 02:28:55.784
Santas present, asks Jack, I wanna ask you a question.

02:28:56.344 --> 02:28:57.305
What's going on here?

02:28:57.729 --> 02:29:01.329
I know I'm a bit late, but is that any reason to hire 3 Santa

02:29:01.329 --> 02:29:01.970
Clauses?

02:29:02.370 --> 02:29:05.890
Besides, I've been entertaining kids all afternoon, and I needed

02:29:05.890 --> 02:29:08.290
a little something to steady my nerves.

02:29:08.770 --> 02:29:13.185
<v Speaker 2>Hey, lighten up. Didn't anybody tell you it's Christmas Eve?

02:29:14.385 --> 02:29:16.465
<v Eric>Why is this 1 tough room?

02:29:17.024 --> 02:29:21.665
<v Sara>I gotta say that and I know I've said this before, but with this

02:29:21.665 --> 02:29:23.424
episode, the score is fantastic.

02:29:23.424 --> 02:29:27.649
It is tense and minimalistic, and it just like especially in

02:29:27.649 --> 02:29:29.969
those moments where somebody has a gun or they're waiting for

02:29:29.969 --> 02:29:34.209
something to happen, it really kind of like heightens that extra

02:29:34.209 --> 02:29:35.569
added element of suspense.

02:29:35.569 --> 02:29:38.014
And then it kind of like eases off when you get some of these

02:29:38.014 --> 02:29:41.055
more comedic moments with, like, Felix saying, light them up.

02:29:41.055 --> 02:29:45.614
Is anyone telling you it's Christmas Eve? Oh, it's great.

02:29:45.694 --> 02:29:48.334
<v Eric>And on next, we see a shot of the century towers with the upper

02:29:48.334 --> 02:29:50.575
floors showing signs of a massive explosion.

02:29:51.299 --> 02:29:54.658
We then see Grogan, the SWAT guy, walking out of the elevator.

02:29:54.658 --> 02:29:56.818
He heads toward the end of the hall where the rest of his SWAT

02:29:56.818 --> 02:29:59.859
team is assembled and then asks 1 of the men, any word from

02:29:59.859 --> 02:30:02.020
Hastings? And shakes his head, no.

02:30:02.420 --> 02:30:05.299
Grogan looks at his watch then turns to stare down the hall

02:30:05.299 --> 02:30:06.020
toward the office.

02:30:07.924 --> 02:30:11.685
Next, in the script, supply room day, Prancer helps Mildred make

02:30:11.685 --> 02:30:12.806
a fresh pot of coffee.

02:30:12.806 --> 02:30:15.046
The poor man's sweating from more than the heat.

02:30:15.204 --> 02:30:18.726
Prancer, what time is it? Mildred, 25 after 6.

02:30:19.351 --> 02:30:21.750
Almost sorry for him. 5 will get you 10.

02:30:21.750 --> 02:30:23.190
Blitzen's not gonna show.

02:30:23.591 --> 02:30:26.870
From Prancer's expression, that isn't a revelation.

02:30:27.431 --> 02:30:30.069
Laura's office, day.

02:30:30.550 --> 02:30:32.550
Donna peeps through the curtains at the coming day.

02:30:32.735 --> 02:30:36.815
Eva is curled up in a chair, her eyes closed but far from asleep.

02:30:37.454 --> 02:30:39.694
Donner, you wouldn't know the time, would you?

02:30:39.774 --> 02:30:44.175
Eva, I never wear a watch. Time is a man made obstacle.

02:30:44.254 --> 02:30:47.534
When the sun rises, I wake. When it falls, I sleep.

02:30:48.510 --> 02:30:51.389
Donner doesn't quite know what to make of this strange girl, but

02:30:51.389 --> 02:30:53.709
there are things that must be said.

02:30:54.029 --> 02:30:57.549
Donner, maybe this don't mean much to you, but I had no idea this

02:30:57.549 --> 02:31:00.510
was gonna happen, and I just hope you get out of it okay.

02:31:01.175 --> 02:31:04.056
Eva, a person's life is a scripted event.

02:31:04.216 --> 02:31:07.575
From the first mewling to the last gasp, it's all been written

02:31:07.575 --> 02:31:12.774
beforehand. Donner, bleakly. That's real good to know.

02:31:13.310 --> 02:31:17.149
<v Sara>I wish they had kept this bit in because and I I know I've said

02:31:17.149 --> 02:31:19.229
this for a bunch of other things, and there's only so much time.

02:31:19.229 --> 02:31:24.671
But without this bit here, you get the impression that even

02:31:24.671 --> 02:31:27.630
though he attempts to fire the gun, that Prancer's maybe the more

02:31:28.465 --> 02:31:32.145
sympathetic of the 2 idiots because he says all the stuff about

02:31:32.145 --> 02:31:34.385
his kids and and whatnot. Whereas Donner is like, yeah.

02:31:34.385 --> 02:31:36.784
I needed a lawyer, a job that went south, whatever. Right?

02:31:36.784 --> 02:31:37.184
<v Eric>Yeah.

02:31:37.184 --> 02:31:40.545
<v Sara>But if you look at Donner's behavior throughout the entire thing,

02:31:40.545 --> 02:31:42.863
Donner didn't kick Eva when she was chanting.

02:31:42.863 --> 02:31:45.841
Donner hasn't been losing his cool.

02:31:46.079 --> 02:31:51.280
Donner has actually been steadfastly kind of okay to everybody in

02:31:51.280 --> 02:31:53.920
the sense that he's not threatening I mean, he does kind of warn

02:31:53.920 --> 02:31:57.244
them, like, if you do this, dancer's gonna do this, but he lets

02:31:57.244 --> 02:31:58.203
them go to the bathroom.

02:31:58.203 --> 02:32:00.764
He asks if if the doc is okay when Seal comes out of the

02:32:00.764 --> 02:32:01.965
bathroom. Mhmm.

02:32:01.965 --> 02:32:04.844
And and he and he's he kinda, like, tries to help them out, but

02:32:04.844 --> 02:32:07.725
he's, like, come up with the hardware, all this other stuff.

02:32:07.725 --> 02:32:11.170
So this this moment where he says to her, like, I didn't know it

02:32:11.170 --> 02:32:13.969
was gonna go down this way, and I hope you get out of it, it

02:32:13.969 --> 02:32:15.489
humanizes He's

02:32:15.489 --> 02:32:17.329
<v Eric>not at heart a malicious individual.

02:32:17.329 --> 02:32:20.930
He's just in a situation where he's he was presented this

02:32:20.930 --> 02:32:25.090
opportunity that he thought it was an opportunity, and now he's

02:32:25.090 --> 02:32:28.344
starting to realize that things aren't exactly what they were

02:32:28.344 --> 02:32:31.465
intended to be or what he thought they were intended to be, and

02:32:31.465 --> 02:32:37.385
so he's still trying to be he's still not a malicious person.

02:32:37.385 --> 02:32:41.489
He's trying to work with the people, but he's also realizing the

02:32:41.489 --> 02:32:43.809
reality of the situation, and he's trying to say, look.

02:32:43.809 --> 02:32:45.649
You know, let's just make it easy for all of us.

02:32:45.649 --> 02:32:47.649
This is this is the way it is. You know?

02:32:47.649 --> 02:32:50.770
I'm sorry about this mess, but this is what we're dealing with.

02:32:50.930 --> 02:32:51.329
<v Sara>Yeah.

02:32:51.329 --> 02:32:55.984
I think it it it gives him a little bit of humanity and and makes

02:32:55.984 --> 02:32:59.023
him a little bit more like, he he obviously never thought he was

02:32:59.023 --> 02:33:00.145
going to hurt anybody.

02:33:00.305 --> 02:33:00.944
<v Eric>Yeah.

02:33:01.744 --> 02:33:07.184
So Well, next, Laura is perched in a window sill in Steele's

02:33:07.184 --> 02:33:12.370
office. No. Thank you. Would not. Never. Uh-uh.

02:33:12.609 --> 02:33:14.930
<v Sara>Well, those windows don't open unless they need them to, so

02:33:14.930 --> 02:33:20.609
<v Eric>she's It I doesn't I see something on TV, a shot down the side of

02:33:20.609 --> 02:33:24.515
a cliff or or what. I'm sorry. The vertigo, just no.

02:33:24.515 --> 02:33:25.636
I'm I wouldn't do it.

02:33:25.636 --> 02:33:28.995
<v Sara>Anyway I'm okay if I'm looking across a skyline because we're on

02:33:28.995 --> 02:33:32.274
the 8th Floor, our apartment, and I I really like looking out

02:33:32.274 --> 02:33:35.954
Like, on across because we can see the downtown core.

02:33:35.954 --> 02:33:38.439
We can see the buildings all lit up and all the trees and the

02:33:38.439 --> 02:33:39.879
top, and it looks really pretty.

02:33:40.040 --> 02:33:43.560
But if I stand and I look down, uh-uh. No thanks.

02:33:43.639 --> 02:33:47.799
<v Eric>Well, even just looking across like that, I I'm not totally

02:33:47.799 --> 02:33:49.559
comfortable with it. But Yeah.

02:33:49.559 --> 02:33:53.484
I mean, I can I can deal with it, but, if I have to start looking

02:33:53.484 --> 02:33:55.004
down, it's like, no, thank you?

02:33:55.244 --> 02:33:58.203
Anyway, Laura muses that Christmas was always 1 of her favorite

02:33:58.203 --> 02:33:58.924
holidays.

02:33:59.404 --> 02:34:02.203
Sometimes all of us, the whole family, would go to the mountains,

02:34:02.203 --> 02:34:03.165
run around in the snow.

02:34:04.220 --> 02:34:07.261
It was the 1 day in the year when everybody seemed to get along

02:34:07.261 --> 02:34:08.300
with everyone else.

02:34:08.700 --> 02:34:12.220
She pauses, quite a long pause, and then adds, even her mother

02:34:12.300 --> 02:34:15.899
rolling her eyes as she says as she says it. Yeah.

02:34:16.140 --> 02:34:17.341
She'd make a turkey.

02:34:17.341 --> 02:34:19.579
When Frances and I were old enough, we'd help in the kitchen.

02:34:19.844 --> 02:34:23.284
I love the smell of turkey. Some of those are additions.

02:34:23.443 --> 02:34:26.245
Laura and Steele look at each other, and Laura closes her eyes

02:34:26.245 --> 02:34:30.725
for a moment, serious, almost frowning look on her face, and then

02:34:30.725 --> 02:34:35.045
says, my father, he'd always give me a box of parlays.

02:34:36.370 --> 02:34:39.250
Steele asks, what are those? Candy, she tells him.

02:34:39.250 --> 02:34:41.409
It's my favorite candy in the whole world.

02:34:41.890 --> 02:34:45.970
<v Sara>So I there was a fan fiction.

02:34:46.290 --> 02:34:46.610
<v Eric>Mhmm.

02:34:46.610 --> 02:34:51.995
<v Sara>And I went down a rabbit hole looking to find out where you would

02:34:51.995 --> 02:34:54.475
find parlays and how to get them.

02:34:54.475 --> 02:34:59.995
And they're pretty much not totally gone, but pretty gone.

02:35:00.395 --> 02:35:07.351
Apparently, from what I found, it does still exist as a broad

02:35:07.750 --> 02:35:11.670
brand, especially in India, apparently, but specific vintage

02:35:11.670 --> 02:35:15.030
parley candies come from local US makers are either discontinued

02:35:15.030 --> 02:35:17.350
or available only from small specialized shops.

02:35:18.735 --> 02:35:21.056
Because I didn't know what they were when she did you know what

02:35:21.056 --> 02:35:21.614
they were?

02:35:21.935 --> 02:35:22.415
<v Eric>No.

02:35:22.415 --> 02:35:25.854
I knew it was a candy of some sort, but, yeah, they're a soft,

02:35:25.935 --> 02:35:28.415
chewy nougat wrapped in caramel pecans

02:35:28.575 --> 02:35:29.295
<v Sara>Oh, okay.

02:35:29.375 --> 02:35:31.534
<v Eric>And milk or semi sweet dark chocolate.

02:35:32.060 --> 02:35:32.620
<v Sara>Yeah. You can

02:35:32.620 --> 02:35:35.581
<v Eric>keep the milk chocolate, give me the dark chocolate anytime.

02:35:35.659 --> 02:35:38.860
<v Sara>I I'm I'll I'll take the nougat and the chocolate, but, yeah,

02:35:39.659 --> 02:35:42.380
like dark or milk. I'm good with that. In

02:35:43.341 --> 02:35:46.915
<v Eric>the script, Laura says, I'd hoard those parlays, wouldn't share

02:35:46.915 --> 02:35:47.876
them with anyone.

02:35:47.954 --> 02:35:51.155
1 Christmas, I was down to my last 1, saving it for just the

02:35:51.155 --> 02:35:55.395
right moment. Our dog, Susie, got it. She laughs.

02:35:55.395 --> 02:35:56.675
I coulda killed that mutt.

02:36:01.739 --> 02:36:04.780
Laura, that's because chocolate is deadly to dogs.

02:36:04.780 --> 02:36:05.819
<v Sara>Yeah. It is. It is.

02:36:06.059 --> 02:36:06.540
<v Speaker 2>Laura, if

02:36:06.540 --> 02:36:10.379
<v Sara>it's inferior chocolate, as we learned, because you know how like

02:36:10.379 --> 02:36:13.579
those, like, crappy advent calendars that you get from, like,

02:36:13.579 --> 02:36:16.825
Walmart or whatever, And they're, like, the little chocolate

02:36:16.825 --> 02:36:19.784
discs that are, like, really cheaply made, the chocolate tastes

02:36:19.784 --> 02:36:21.944
terrible, has a horrible aftertaste, but the kids don't care

02:36:21.944 --> 02:36:23.784
because it's, you know, whatever. Yeah.

02:36:24.104 --> 02:36:28.659
Our dog, Maggie, we had a, she's a Jack Russell wire haired

02:36:28.659 --> 02:36:32.420
terrier mix. Really smart. Too smart.

02:36:32.659 --> 02:36:36.739
And she managed to pull 1 out from underneath the bed 1 year, and

02:36:36.739 --> 02:36:40.181
she managed to somehow get every single square open.

02:36:40.261 --> 02:36:43.845
She ate that entire advent calendar, the entire thing.

02:36:44.165 --> 02:36:46.726
And we came home the 1 day and saw her sitting there wagging her

02:36:46.726 --> 02:36:49.845
tail on top of the box, like all the little foil bits are open

02:36:50.004 --> 02:36:52.485
and, like, had to call the vet and say, like, is my dog gonna

02:36:52.485 --> 02:36:56.165
die? And the vets were like, well, monitor her.

02:36:56.165 --> 02:36:58.920
And if if she's showing signs of distress, obviously, bring her

02:36:58.920 --> 02:37:02.279
in. That chocolate is such terrible chocolate.

02:37:02.279 --> 02:37:06.120
There's barely any actual cocoa in it, so she was fine. Yeah.

02:37:06.120 --> 02:37:09.479
<v Eric>But the darker the the more dark chocolate it is, the more it

02:37:09.479 --> 02:37:09.959
makes sense. Yeah.

02:37:10.635 --> 02:37:14.314
<v Sara>Because our cat recently ate a bit of a doughnut that we had

02:37:14.314 --> 02:37:15.674
gotten, from Tim Hortons.

02:37:15.674 --> 02:37:17.834
It was a double chocolate doughnut, and she jumped up on the

02:37:17.834 --> 02:37:19.674
counter, and she didn't get much of it.

02:37:19.674 --> 02:37:21.915
She just nibbled a little bit of it, but we called the vet, and

02:37:21.915 --> 02:37:25.434
they actually had to, like, look into a database and find out

02:37:25.440 --> 02:37:27.841
whether or not she was fine, but, like, yeah.

02:37:28.720 --> 02:37:30.960
<v Eric>About cats is because dangerous. Well,

02:37:31.681 --> 02:37:33.601
<v Sara>to to cats, yeah.

02:37:34.800 --> 02:37:37.761
<v Eric>Well, Laura observes that Christmas time doesn't really hold any

02:37:37.761 --> 02:37:39.440
special memories for Steele, does it?

02:37:39.601 --> 02:37:43.975
And in the script, Steele starts out by saying, You know that

02:37:43.975 --> 02:37:46.854
story about the bad boy who gets a lump of coal in his Christmas

02:37:46.854 --> 02:37:47.495
stocking?

02:37:47.895 --> 02:37:50.453
There were times I would have killed for a lump of coal.

02:37:50.453 --> 02:37:52.613
London witness can be very unforgiving.

02:37:53.690 --> 02:37:56.250
I remember 1, I saw this father and his son.

02:37:56.250 --> 02:37:59.209
They were walking in the snow hand in hand.

02:37:59.851 --> 02:38:02.489
The boy was about my age, 10 or 11.

02:38:02.729 --> 02:38:06.649
He had a sled, and I don't know why, I followed them.

02:38:07.084 --> 02:38:10.284
I told myself it was for the sled, I was gonna snatch it for the

02:38:10.284 --> 02:38:13.564
boy, sell it for a couple of quid, see if I could buy myself a

02:38:13.564 --> 02:38:18.204
place to keep that night, but that wasn't it at all.

02:38:18.204 --> 02:38:19.885
I just wanted to see.

02:38:21.319 --> 02:38:26.601
They went up the steps, small house, nothing fancy, and here,

02:38:26.680 --> 02:38:28.920
Steele tilts his head.

02:38:29.159 --> 02:38:33.079
His gaze shifts from staring at nothing Yeah.

02:38:33.239 --> 02:38:35.559
Into staring at an image from the past.

02:38:36.004 --> 02:38:38.484
I mean, it's like he's actually seeing this.

02:38:38.484 --> 02:38:39.284
<v Sara>This is If

02:38:40.165 --> 02:38:43.125
<v Eric>I hung over the railings, I could look into the front room.

02:38:43.684 --> 02:38:47.844
There was a Christmas tree. Presents, not a lot.

02:38:48.818 --> 02:38:54.500
People smiling, all warm and loving.

02:38:55.620 --> 02:39:00.818
Laura quietly asks what he did, and equally quietly, some

02:39:00.818 --> 02:39:05.005
answers, threw a rock through the window and ran like hell.

02:39:05.645 --> 02:39:07.485
And after a moment, he laughed.

02:39:07.565 --> 02:39:09.886
And in the background, we see Laura smile.

02:39:10.284 --> 02:39:12.364
<v Sara>I love I love this for a number of reasons.

02:39:12.364 --> 02:39:15.965
This is a similar monologue to her monologue to Max about

02:39:16.229 --> 02:39:22.390
watching, Atomic Man with her dad, in the sense that he's talking

02:39:22.390 --> 02:39:26.629
about a memory from his childhood to somebody, to Laura, which

02:39:26.629 --> 02:39:29.750
this is unique. He almost never does this.

02:39:29.750 --> 02:39:33.935
We've heard him talk about his childhood or his past to other

02:39:33.935 --> 02:39:37.375
people, but rarely has he ever opened up to Laura like this.

02:39:37.375 --> 02:39:41.454
And this is really, really something different that he hasn't

02:39:41.454 --> 02:39:42.094
done before.

02:39:42.094 --> 02:39:46.495
And then to get lost in it the way he does, and the fact that

02:39:45.819 --> 02:39:49.261
this is not a pleasant memory or it shouldn't be.

02:39:49.500 --> 02:39:54.940
It's it's a memory of him out on the street cold, hungry, and and

02:39:54.940 --> 02:39:58.219
seeing a family that he will never ever have. Mhmm.

02:39:58.219 --> 02:40:03.104
And instead of being saddened by it, he's remembering it fondly

02:40:03.104 --> 02:40:06.625
because as a little boy, he looked through that window and saw

02:40:06.625 --> 02:40:09.824
that families were capable of being loving and caring at

02:40:09.824 --> 02:40:13.825
Christmas, and that maybe was comforting to him in some way.

02:40:13.904 --> 02:40:17.310
<v Eric>I don't think at the time it was necessarily. No. No.

02:40:17.310 --> 02:40:23.790
I What he's looking at now is he's looking at that memory, and

02:40:23.790 --> 02:40:25.229
it's transformed over

02:40:25.229 --> 02:40:26.750
<v Sara>time. Yeah. Yeah.

02:40:26.909 --> 02:40:31.014
<v Eric>Because prior to this, that memory would not have been pleasant.

02:40:31.094 --> 02:40:37.014
But now he looks at that and he sees instead of seeing something

02:40:37.014 --> 02:40:42.135
that he'll never achieve, now he sees the possibility.

02:40:42.670 --> 02:40:46.189
<v Sara>Or he sees what everybody else sees about Christmas because he he

02:40:46.189 --> 02:40:48.909
wouldn't have seen that from his position on the streets.

02:40:48.909 --> 02:40:52.670
And I think when he says I followed him, I just wanted to see,

02:40:52.909 --> 02:40:56.109
there would have been an element of curiosity in his younger self

02:40:56.109 --> 02:40:59.204
that that obviously didn't just take the sled and run with it.

02:40:59.284 --> 02:41:01.524
He followed the boy because there was a part of him that

02:41:01.524 --> 02:41:03.524
wondered, wait a minute, do other kids have families?

02:41:03.524 --> 02:41:06.726
Do they do they have happiness? Like, are they warm?

02:41:06.726 --> 02:41:08.885
And so he just wanted to see what that looked like.

02:41:08.885 --> 02:41:11.689
And then, of course, was filled with rage, threw a rock through

02:41:11.689 --> 02:41:12.969
the window, ran like hell.

02:41:12.969 --> 02:41:15.930
But like you just said, he's now thinking of it.

02:41:16.250 --> 02:41:20.488
And there's there's an almost nostalgic feeling to it because

02:41:20.488 --> 02:41:26.305
he's realizing that that was something that he wanted, but didn't

02:41:26.305 --> 02:41:27.344
maybe know it then.

02:41:27.344 --> 02:41:30.625
And he knows it now and that he it's just really it's sweet, and

02:41:30.625 --> 02:41:31.665
it's a really good moment.

02:41:31.665 --> 02:41:35.104
I'm glad that they had the episode slow down for this.

02:41:35.344 --> 02:41:39.184
<v Eric>Yeah. Well, Linda. Linda.

02:41:43.420 --> 02:41:46.780
Laura gets up out of the windowsill, smirk on her face, slowly

02:41:46.939 --> 02:41:49.738
walking over to the corner of the desk, and then she sits down on

02:41:49.738 --> 02:41:50.219
it.

02:41:50.779 --> 02:41:56.315
She doesn't look at him at first, and almost as if she doesn't

02:41:56.315 --> 02:42:01.674
want to laugh, and that by looking at him, she's gonna lose that

02:42:01.674 --> 02:42:03.435
control that's keeping her from laughing.

02:42:03.674 --> 02:42:04.875
And she's not laughing at him.

02:42:04.875 --> 02:42:06.635
She's laughing at what she's thinking.

02:42:06.635 --> 02:42:08.315
<v Sara>No. At the situation. Yeah.

02:42:08.315 --> 02:42:08.715
<v Eric>Yeah.

02:42:08.715 --> 02:42:12.229
Because then she looks at him and nods her head and then tells

02:42:12.229 --> 02:42:14.790
him, 1 flexible flyer coming up.

02:42:14.790 --> 02:42:18.069
<v Sara>That is so sweet. And

02:42:18.549 --> 02:42:22.069
<v Eric>after a moment, he leans forward, his arms shoot out toward her,

02:42:22.069 --> 02:42:25.030
he takes her head into his hands, and he pulls her to himself and

02:42:25.030 --> 02:42:27.376
gives her a deeply emotional kiss.

02:42:28.095 --> 02:42:31.456
<v Sara>The whole thing is so sweet, and I like to imagine that they went

02:42:31.694 --> 02:42:34.655
up to, like, I don't know, somewhere that has snow and went

02:42:34.655 --> 02:42:37.375
sledding the next day. That would be nice.

02:42:37.375 --> 02:42:39.215
That would be write that fan fiction, somebody.

02:42:40.450 --> 02:42:43.889
<v Eric>Well, in the reception office, Allison is sitting on the sofa,

02:42:43.889 --> 02:42:47.810
and she appears to be on the verge of tears as drunk Santa Felix

02:42:47.969 --> 02:42:49.649
sleeps with his head in her lap.

02:42:49.889 --> 02:42:52.690
Dancer walks over behind Mildred's desk where Frank is sitting,

02:42:53.204 --> 02:42:56.084
leaning forward over the desk, arms stretched out in front of

02:42:56.084 --> 02:42:57.204
him, head down.

02:42:57.604 --> 02:43:01.524
Mildred comes over, Prancer accompanying her with fresh coffee.

02:43:01.924 --> 02:43:05.604
Addressing Frank, Dancer says, Hey, Eggnog, what time you got?

02:43:06.270 --> 02:43:11.550
Eggnog rises, looks at his watch, and slowly reports, 20 to 7.

02:43:12.110 --> 02:43:16.431
Dancer cheerfully says, 1 way or another, it won't be long now.

02:43:16.829 --> 02:43:19.790
<v Sara>So here's here's my question, because we know that none of them

02:43:19.790 --> 02:43:22.084
have been told the full story of what's going on. Right?

02:43:22.084 --> 02:43:25.523
But Dancer's obviously been told the most or at least enough that

02:43:25.523 --> 02:43:27.363
he thinks that Blitzen's gonna show up and save them.

02:43:27.363 --> 02:43:30.324
But he's clearly planning on killing these people should the

02:43:30.324 --> 02:43:34.725
money not show up in time, in which case the bombs are gonna

02:43:34.725 --> 02:43:35.443
start going off.

02:43:35.443 --> 02:43:38.520
Is he just like cool with sitting there and dying if puts and

02:43:38.520 --> 02:43:39.559
don't show?

02:43:41.078 --> 02:43:43.398
<v Eric>Yeah. Okay. Think so. Yeah.

02:43:43.398 --> 02:43:45.959
He's just that's that's how off kilter he is. Yeah.

02:43:45.959 --> 02:43:47.239
<v Sara>Yeah. He's he's

02:43:47.639 --> 02:43:48.280
<v Eric>yeah.

02:43:49.879 --> 02:43:53.915
Well, in the script at this point, Jack says, if I ever make it

02:43:53.915 --> 02:43:56.476
to New Year's, I'm going to lay off the sauce.

02:43:56.715 --> 02:43:58.795
That's my 1 and only resolution.

02:43:59.114 --> 02:44:01.834
Well, that and being nicer to Judith.

02:44:02.235 --> 02:44:04.715
Maybe we'll go away, just Judith and me.

02:44:04.875 --> 02:44:07.809
Get to know 1 another again, which I like that.

02:44:07.809 --> 02:44:09.488
That should've been left in. Anyway, Allison

02:44:09.648 --> 02:44:12.610
<v Sara>I think he and Judith should be seeing a marriage counselor.

02:44:13.090 --> 02:44:14.049
<v Eric>That's probably true too, I but

02:44:14.129 --> 02:44:15.809
<v Sara>don't need to be talking to somebody.

02:44:17.090 --> 02:44:21.295
<v Eric>Anyway, Allison suddenly stands up knocking drunk Santa to the

02:44:21.295 --> 02:44:25.056
floor and desperately declares, I want a baby.

02:44:26.655 --> 02:44:30.175
Mildred, Jack, Prancer, Dancer all look at her, taken aback at

02:44:30.175 --> 02:44:33.979
the sudden unexpected and totally out of context announcement.

02:44:33.979 --> 02:44:39.101
From the floor, drunk Santa interjects. Just 1 more, Jake.

02:44:39.181 --> 02:44:42.060
I gotta entertain some idiots in Century City.

02:44:42.060 --> 02:44:43.739
<v Sara>I love this line.

02:44:43.739 --> 02:44:47.825
This is 1 of my favorite lines because, like, just I gotta

02:44:47.825 --> 02:44:50.546
entertain some idiots in Century City.

02:44:52.545 --> 02:44:56.065
<v Eric>Well, disgusted, Allison steps over him and moves toward the desk

02:44:56.065 --> 02:44:57.584
where the rest of the crowd is gathered.

02:44:57.584 --> 02:45:00.864
In an apparently sleep deprived and stress induced rant, she

02:45:00.864 --> 02:45:02.226
insists, I know

02:45:02.226 --> 02:45:04.840
<v Speaker 2>what you're thinking. Allison Green's got it made.

02:45:04.840 --> 02:45:07.959
She's the perfect woman of the eighties, and why shouldn't you?

02:45:08.040 --> 02:45:10.040
I do all the correct eighties things.

02:45:10.040 --> 02:45:13.319
I read Cosmo, shop at Bloomingdale's, drive a Beamer.

02:45:13.479 --> 02:45:18.040
So you tell me, can any of you tell me why I'm so unfulfilled?

02:45:18.514 --> 02:45:21.475
Why do I feel so empty, so meaningless?

02:45:21.715 --> 02:45:24.273
I was going to work from home today, Christmas day.

02:45:24.514 --> 02:45:28.594
I was going to eat my 300 calorie frozen noodles Romanoff and try

02:45:28.594 --> 02:45:31.555
to come up with a new way to sell feminine hygiene products to

02:45:31.555 --> 02:45:36.600
people who don't want them and don't need them. I'm warm, loving.

02:45:36.600 --> 02:45:41.079
I want to give, nurture something that has some meaning in life,

02:45:41.079 --> 02:45:44.440
something worthwhile, and know I'm gonna die before I even have a

02:45:44.440 --> 02:45:48.674
chance. I want a baby. And dancer

02:45:48.674 --> 02:45:52.754
<v Eric>always want to not only revel in the misery of others, but also

02:45:52.754 --> 02:45:55.715
to torment others who are in the throes of their own misery,

02:45:55.715 --> 02:45:58.915
tells her to come over here, sweetie. I think I can help you out.

02:45:59.829 --> 02:46:00.549
<v Sara>Okay.

02:46:00.870 --> 02:46:05.430
Putting the disgustingness of that statement aside, I just wanna

02:46:05.430 --> 02:46:08.950
deconstruct her little speech here for a second because I have

02:46:08.950 --> 02:46:12.004
some issues with with her reasoning. K?

02:46:12.004 --> 02:46:14.324
I don't have any issue with somebody deciding they want a child

02:46:14.324 --> 02:46:18.645
or deciding that they don't feel fulfilled and wanna be a parent

02:46:18.645 --> 02:46:22.405
or what have you. Cool. Okay. Again, you do you. Right?

02:46:22.484 --> 02:46:25.850
It does sort of position working versus being a mother as an

02:46:25.850 --> 02:46:29.529
either or, which I I don't love because and I get it.

02:46:29.529 --> 02:46:30.409
It's the eighties.

02:46:30.969 --> 02:46:34.569
There these attitudes still sort of existed in in a lot of ways.

02:46:34.809 --> 02:46:38.648
But the fact that she then goes on to say where is it?

02:46:38.648 --> 02:46:43.164
She says says, why I'm so unfulfilled, so empty and so

02:46:43.164 --> 02:46:46.844
meaningless. And then she kind of like, I'm warm and loving.

02:46:46.844 --> 02:46:49.965
I want to give nurture something that it seems like she's wanting

02:46:49.965 --> 02:46:54.390
a baby to fill the hole in her life because she's been so

02:46:54.390 --> 02:46:58.390
consumed with materialism and and looking the part and being the

02:46:58.390 --> 02:47:00.390
perfect eighties woman or whatever it is.

02:47:01.030 --> 02:47:04.469
That's not really the best reason to have a child. You know?

02:47:04.469 --> 02:47:07.225
Like, it just it doesn't seem like she wants a child because she

02:47:07.225 --> 02:47:08.264
wants to be a parent.

02:47:08.264 --> 02:47:10.504
It seems like she wants a child because she feels like she's

02:47:10.504 --> 02:47:13.465
missing something, and she thinks that that's gonna slot nicely

02:47:13.465 --> 02:47:16.825
into her perfect life and and fit fit into that little hole.

02:47:17.065 --> 02:47:24.370
<v Eric>It it's almost like this the it's almost like a a young girl

02:47:24.370 --> 02:47:27.090
wanting a doll so she can turn to be a mommy.

02:47:27.090 --> 02:47:28.370
<v Sara>Exactly. Exactly.

02:47:28.370 --> 02:47:30.530
And I'm just thinking that's maybe not the best.

02:47:30.530 --> 02:47:33.648
And then she goes on to say she's gonna she was gonna work from

02:47:33.648 --> 02:47:37.055
home and eat her 300 calorie frozen noodles ramen off.

02:47:37.055 --> 02:47:38.495
First of all, barf.

02:47:38.655 --> 02:47:41.534
But also that she says, to come up with a new way to sell

02:47:41.534 --> 02:47:43.854
feminine hygiene products if people don't want them or even need

02:47:43.854 --> 02:47:44.334
them.

02:47:44.334 --> 02:47:48.500
I'm glad they clarify later on that she deodorant is what she's

02:47:48.500 --> 02:47:50.739
talking about because, like, I'm sorry, some feminine hygiene

02:47:50.739 --> 02:47:52.420
products are kind of necessary.

02:47:52.420 --> 02:47:54.579
<v Eric>Yeah. They're they're they're definitely handy for

02:47:54.579 --> 02:47:56.340
<v Sara>feminine type. She's talking period products.

02:47:56.340 --> 02:47:58.501
Like, what do you think they're going to do without them?

02:47:59.299 --> 02:48:00.020
You know?

02:48:00.181 --> 02:48:04.095
And even deodorant, I would argue, is is is socially fairly

02:48:04.095 --> 02:48:09.375
necessary in the sense that people tend to back away if you have,

02:48:09.375 --> 02:48:12.015
you know, extreme body odor and and whatnot.

02:48:12.015 --> 02:48:14.335
<v Eric>Yeah. So I can't Yeah.

02:48:14.655 --> 02:48:18.495
I can't tell you the how many times I've picked up people that

02:48:19.549 --> 02:48:22.750
smell like they're 1 week away from their annual shower.

02:48:22.989 --> 02:48:23.389
<v Sara>Right?

02:48:23.389 --> 02:48:26.989
Like, it just that statement I found rather odd because it's

02:48:26.989 --> 02:48:29.229
like, yeah, some of these products we do need.

02:48:29.229 --> 02:48:33.735
Like, I get that makeup and stuff might might not be a necessity,

02:48:33.735 --> 02:48:35.815
but know? Yeah.

02:48:36.534 --> 02:48:39.575
So, yeah, that that whole statement of, like, I feel empty, so I

02:48:39.575 --> 02:48:43.334
want a baby is, that's maybe not the best reason to have a child.

02:48:43.575 --> 02:48:45.814
<v Eric>Yeah. That's not the best motivation. Yes.

02:48:45.814 --> 02:48:48.295
<v Sara>It's not gonna go it's not gonna go well for you if you think

02:48:48.590 --> 02:48:51.709
you're just gonna get a doll, like you said, and be a mom.

02:48:51.709 --> 02:48:55.950
But then dance her. I love her response. Yeah.

02:48:58.908 --> 02:49:02.655
<v Eric>We get a shot of Grogan out in the hall.

02:49:02.655 --> 02:49:05.774
He looks at his watch and then commands his men to saddle up.

02:49:06.174 --> 02:49:08.975
Back inside the office, Dancer is looking at the watch on Jack's

02:49:08.975 --> 02:49:09.454
wrist.

02:49:09.454 --> 02:49:12.575
He drops Jack's wrist and informs everyone that it looks like

02:49:12.575 --> 02:49:15.295
they all get a free trip to the promised land.

02:49:15.534 --> 02:49:18.110
<v Sara>And he gets blown up. Cool, cool, cool.

02:49:18.909 --> 02:49:20.591
<v Eric>And just then the phone rings.

02:49:20.670 --> 02:49:25.229
Dancer picks up the receiver, listens, and then says, well, you

02:49:25.229 --> 02:49:27.310
got in just under the wire, pal.

02:49:27.709 --> 02:49:30.909
He hangs up the phone and says to no 1 in particular, the money's

02:49:30.909 --> 02:49:31.069
here.

02:49:31.984 --> 02:49:35.264
He looks around then points to the plant lady and commands, you

02:49:35.264 --> 02:49:36.226
go get it.

02:49:37.023 --> 02:49:40.385
<v Speaker 2>Me? She asked. Why me? I don't wanna go out there.

02:49:40.864 --> 02:49:44.145
<v Eric>Steele offers to go, reminding them that he was the 1 who

02:49:44.145 --> 02:49:48.340
established contact with the officers. No, Dancer says sharply.

02:49:48.340 --> 02:49:49.060
She goes.

02:49:49.779 --> 02:49:52.818
He walks over to her and grabs her purse and yanks it out of her

02:49:52.818 --> 02:49:53.939
hand and throws it aside.

02:49:53.939 --> 02:49:58.020
Distraught, she cries, my purse, everything I own is in it, and

02:49:58.020 --> 02:50:01.604
she rushes Dancer who grabs her and picks her up and carries her

02:50:01.604 --> 02:50:04.165
toward the door before dropping her back on the floor.

02:50:04.484 --> 02:50:08.165
<v Sara>I'm guessing that taking her purse was literally the only part of

02:50:08.165 --> 02:50:10.004
the plan that was not going as planned.

02:50:10.940 --> 02:50:12.140
<v Eric>Yeah. Probably. Yeah.

02:50:12.140 --> 02:50:15.341
<v Sara>Because, obviously, doing so allows Laura and Steele to figure

02:50:15.341 --> 02:50:17.181
out who she really is. Mhmm.

02:50:17.181 --> 02:50:20.220
So it's probably the only reaction that she has that is genuine.

02:50:20.220 --> 02:50:22.940
I mean, everything she owns isn't in there, but, like

02:50:24.405 --> 02:50:27.765
<v Eric>Well, Prancer and Donner push plant lady out through the doors,

02:50:27.765 --> 02:50:29.524
and then once in the hall, she throws up her hands

02:50:29.524 --> 02:50:32.165
<v Speaker 2>and goes, don't shoot. Please don't shoot.

02:50:32.245 --> 02:50:34.645
<v Eric>Then she begins walking toward the SWAT team.

02:50:35.125 --> 02:50:38.245
Prancer demands of dancer, well, now that we've got the dough,

02:50:38.245 --> 02:50:40.250
how do we get out of there with it? Yeah.

02:50:40.250 --> 02:50:43.370
That was Blitzen's end, wasn't it, Laura Taunts?

02:50:43.770 --> 02:50:46.011
How is he gonna do it? Donner asks.

02:50:46.409 --> 02:50:49.210
Plastic explosives, Dancer suggests.

02:50:49.450 --> 02:50:53.050
Tie him to the hostages with pressure point detonators, like hand

02:50:53.050 --> 02:50:55.976
grenades without a pin. The cop drops them.

02:50:56.375 --> 02:50:58.774
The hostages blow sky high.

02:50:59.254 --> 02:51:02.694
Steele taunts Dancer saying that it seems like that's a change of

02:51:02.694 --> 02:51:07.415
plan that's come around, and Donner piles on, come on, Dancer,

02:51:08.149 --> 02:51:10.950
you're running this operation. Give us our marching orders.

02:51:11.590 --> 02:51:15.270
Well, frustrated and stressed that things are not only not going

02:51:15.270 --> 02:51:18.069
according to plan, but that they seem to have been double crossed

02:51:18.069 --> 02:51:19.750
and set up. Yep.

02:51:19.750 --> 02:51:23.234
And in the words of the script, A slight fissure appears in

02:51:23.234 --> 02:51:25.635
Dancer's heretofore admirable control.

02:51:26.113 --> 02:51:28.995
Dancer waves his hand at Donner in a back off motion and

02:51:28.995 --> 02:51:32.354
demanding that his co conspirators wait a minute. He's thinking.

02:51:32.434 --> 02:51:32.995
He's thinking.

02:51:34.530 --> 02:51:37.489
Steele continues to try to tighten the screws, telling Dancer to

02:51:37.489 --> 02:51:39.649
give it up. The strings run out.

02:51:40.290 --> 02:51:43.489
Dancer, his rationality starting to completely crumble, tells

02:51:43.489 --> 02:51:47.729
Steele, I hope you like Santa, pretty boy, because it's the last

02:51:47.729 --> 02:51:48.851
thing you're ever gonna see.

02:51:49.755 --> 02:51:52.795
He raises his gun, pointing it at steel, trying to work up his

02:51:52.795 --> 02:51:55.755
anger and desperation enough to give himself the emotional

02:51:55.755 --> 02:52:00.956
justification to shoot, and the phone rings. Dancer freezes.

02:52:01.194 --> 02:52:04.799
His eyes dart back and forth, the sound of the foam seemingly

02:52:04.959 --> 02:52:09.520
robbing him of the mental tornado in his mind, him.

02:52:09.520 --> 02:52:10.799
The phone rings again.

02:52:11.280 --> 02:52:13.601
Answer it, he demands of no 1 in particular.

02:52:14.079 --> 02:52:16.719
Laura answers, and then after a moment gives out with a shock,

02:52:16.719 --> 02:52:20.485
what? Dancer demands to know what's being said.

02:52:20.645 --> 02:52:23.284
Laura says that the plant lady says she was instructed to take

02:52:23.284 --> 02:52:24.886
the money down to the lobby.

02:52:25.765 --> 02:52:29.284
Agitated, Dancer hollers, He didn't tell her to do that.

02:52:30.500 --> 02:52:33.379
Laura speaks to the person on the other end of the phone that the

02:52:33.379 --> 02:52:36.101
plant lady was supposed to bring the money back to the office.

02:52:36.899 --> 02:52:40.180
Dancer totally loses it. Living with confusion and anger,

02:52:40.180 --> 02:52:43.139
<v Speaker 2>he yells, What the hell is going on here?

02:52:44.665 --> 02:52:48.023
<v Eric>Next, we see a female hand pressing the elevator buttons for

02:52:48.023 --> 02:52:52.825
every floor from 11 to the basement 11 to 1, basement and ground.

02:52:52.825 --> 02:52:57.385
My question is why would she push 11 when they're on the 11th

02:52:57.385 --> 02:52:57.704
Floor?

02:52:57.704 --> 02:52:58.825
<v Sara>Good point. Good point.

02:52:59.799 --> 02:53:02.680
<v Eric>Then we see the plant lady walk out of the elevator, briefcase in

02:53:02.680 --> 02:53:03.159
hand.

02:53:03.319 --> 02:53:06.120
She walks down the hall to a door marked maintenance, which she

02:53:06.120 --> 02:53:09.239
unlocks, steps through, and then closes behind her.

02:53:09.879 --> 02:53:13.194
Back in the office, Mildred is emptying the plant lady's handbag

02:53:13.194 --> 02:53:16.556
onto the desk as Steele, Frank, Laura, and Allison observe.

02:53:17.034 --> 02:53:17.594
<v Speaker 2>In it, they

02:53:17.594 --> 02:53:21.354
<v Eric>find a metal box with an antenna up, a remote control detonator

02:53:21.354 --> 02:53:24.395
the plant lady used to set off the explosion when she went into

02:53:24.395 --> 02:53:24.795
the bathroom.

02:53:25.049 --> 02:53:27.770
They also find a tape recorder with a tape with the man's voice

02:53:27.770 --> 02:53:31.290
instructing that when the money arrives, select the plant lady,

02:53:31.290 --> 02:53:33.129
no matter how much she protests.

02:53:33.689 --> 02:53:36.568
When Laura hears the tape, she turns to Dancer and asks, is that

02:53:36.568 --> 02:53:37.049
Blitzen?

02:53:38.084 --> 02:53:42.885
Stunned, dazed, and confused, the dancer can only nod yes.

02:53:43.684 --> 02:53:46.564
Confused, Alison asks, why record something you're going to say

02:53:46.564 --> 02:53:49.844
on the telephone? Well, Steele has an idea.

02:53:50.084 --> 02:53:53.125
He grabs the recorder, plays with a knob, and then rewinds the

02:53:53.125 --> 02:53:55.040
tape and replays the tape.

02:53:55.279 --> 02:53:58.479
Only this time, it's the plant lady's voice, which

02:53:58.799 --> 02:54:02.959
<v Sara>I'm gonna call bullcrap on this a little bit because you could

02:54:03.119 --> 02:54:05.840
you can absolutely yeah. Right?

02:54:09.254 --> 02:54:11.735
<v Eric>Pick the yeah.

02:54:11.654 --> 02:54:15.334
<v Sara>Was If if you watch, like and I used to have 1 of these. Mhmm.

02:54:15.334 --> 02:54:17.654
The movie Home Alone 2 Mhmm.

02:54:17.654 --> 02:54:22.300
Where Kevin checks in at the hotel by recording his voice saying,

02:54:22.300 --> 02:54:24.380
hello. I'd like a hotel room, please. Mhmm.

02:54:24.380 --> 02:54:27.341
You know, with a large bed, blah blah blah, and a little

02:54:27.341 --> 02:54:29.979
refrigerator. And then he plays it on the slower speed.

02:54:30.620 --> 02:54:33.979
It is his it is it it does sound deeper, and it does sound like a

02:54:33.979 --> 02:54:36.540
a male adult, but it's lower. Hello.

02:54:37.055 --> 02:54:39.854
I'd like a hotel room, please.

02:54:40.174 --> 02:54:43.295
And the voice that told them to select the plant lady, no matter

02:54:43.295 --> 02:54:46.334
how she protested, just sounded like a guy speaking at a normal

02:54:46.415 --> 02:54:46.895
speed.

02:54:46.895 --> 02:54:47.934
<v Eric>Exactly. Yeah.

02:54:48.654 --> 02:54:54.050
Now there are pitch changing softwares that are available.

02:54:54.690 --> 02:54:56.209
<v Sara>Were they available then, though?

02:54:56.370 --> 02:55:00.690
<v Eric>But they weren't available then for the most part, and they

02:55:00.690 --> 02:55:03.329
definitely weren't available in a portable device like that.

02:55:03.565 --> 02:55:04.524
<v Sara>Yeah. Yeah.

02:55:04.524 --> 02:55:08.364
<v Eric>I mean, that would be studio recording studio level equipment.

02:55:08.765 --> 02:55:09.565
<v Sara>Exactly.

02:55:09.565 --> 02:55:13.245
What would make more sense would her to just have a man record

02:55:13.245 --> 02:55:15.405
that Mhmm. And then have that on the tape.

02:55:15.565 --> 02:55:17.806
But, obviously, there needs to be some way of telling us the

02:55:17.806 --> 02:55:19.165
audience that it's really Eva.

02:55:19.459 --> 02:55:20.180
<v Eric>Yeah.

02:55:20.180 --> 02:55:26.819
But for example, even in the early seventies, mid seventies, in a

02:55:26.819 --> 02:55:30.500
studio, they would change the tape speed when recording.

02:55:30.739 --> 02:55:34.579
David Cassidy, when he was doing the Partridge Family recordings,

02:55:35.245 --> 02:55:40.125
they played the tape that he sang with, you know, because they

02:55:40.125 --> 02:55:43.004
had all the instruments and such recorded, and he would sing with

02:55:43.004 --> 02:55:48.329
it, but it was slowed down, and so he would sing it at the pitch

02:55:48.329 --> 02:55:51.610
and speed that it was playing back, which was slower than it was

02:55:51.610 --> 02:55:54.250
intended to be, and then when they played it back at the regular

02:55:54.250 --> 02:55:57.690
speed, it made his voice sound a little bit higher and younger,

02:55:57.930 --> 02:56:01.129
but changed the speed as well, so yeah.

02:56:01.805 --> 02:56:04.924
Anyway, Laura explains to Alison that when you record something,

02:56:05.404 --> 02:56:07.805
you can change the speed of the tape and make it sound like

02:56:07.805 --> 02:56:09.405
something you're not, a man.

02:56:09.965 --> 02:56:12.924
Well, Donner and Prancer look at each other with an uh-oh look

02:56:12.924 --> 02:56:15.564
and Dancer still simply looks confused.

02:56:16.299 --> 02:56:19.899
Mildred states the now obvious fact that the plant lady was

02:56:19.899 --> 02:56:20.780
Blitzen.

02:56:20.780 --> 02:56:21.899
<v Sara>Yeah. He's Blitzen.

02:56:21.899 --> 02:56:24.780
<v Eric>Phone rings again and Steele answers, it's the police captain.

02:56:24.860 --> 02:56:27.340
After a moment, he tells everybody that the plant lady never

02:56:27.340 --> 02:56:28.140
reached the lobby.

02:56:28.765 --> 02:56:31.645
Steele informs the police captain that the little lady with

02:56:31.645 --> 02:56:36.604
$2,000,000 is also the author of this Kafkaesque drama, and he

02:56:36.604 --> 02:56:39.084
hangs up and tells Laura that the police are starting a floor by

02:56:39.084 --> 02:56:39.886
floor search.

02:56:40.045 --> 02:56:45.739
<v Sara>So for those who who missed that reference, Franz Kafka was a

02:56:45.739 --> 02:56:49.420
German language, Jewish Czech writer and novelist born in Prague.

02:56:49.739 --> 02:56:54.780
And his his work is essentially just very, very weird.

02:56:54.780 --> 02:56:59.245
I mean, it it according to Wikipedia, fuses elements of realism

02:56:59.245 --> 02:57:02.284
and and the fan fantastic and typically features isolated

02:57:02.284 --> 02:57:05.165
protagonists facing bizarre or surreal predicaments and

02:57:05.165 --> 02:57:08.204
incomprehensible socio bureaucratic powers.

02:57:08.569 --> 02:57:11.290
The term Kafkaesque has entered the lexicon to describe

02:57:11.290 --> 02:57:13.450
situations like those depicted in his writings.

02:57:13.690 --> 02:57:16.409
His best known works include the novella, The Metamorphosis, and

02:57:16.409 --> 02:57:17.851
the novels, The Trial and the Castle.

02:57:17.851 --> 02:57:21.370
And I don't know about the other 2, but if I remember correctly,

02:57:21.770 --> 02:57:26.783
The Metamorphosis was a book about a guy who's like changing into

02:57:26.783 --> 02:57:27.745
a bug.

02:57:28.305 --> 02:57:32.545
And it's meant to sort of like be a metaphor for transformation

02:57:32.545 --> 02:57:33.984
and change and some other stuff.

02:57:33.984 --> 02:57:36.909
But like, yeah, anytime you hear somebody say something as

02:57:36.909 --> 02:57:39.709
Kafkaesque, they're usually describing something that's, you

02:57:39.709 --> 02:57:44.431
know, either weird, bizarre, or an otherwise like yeah.

02:57:44.590 --> 02:57:46.590
So that's where he's going with that.

02:57:47.709 --> 02:57:52.405
<v Eric>The kind of thing that you would see in a drug induced paranoid

02:57:52.485 --> 02:57:52.966
Yeah.

02:57:53.604 --> 02:57:54.565
<v Sara>Kind of, yeah.

02:57:54.885 --> 02:57:59.604
<v Eric>Well, Laura turns to Dancer, and exercising poor judgment of the

02:57:59.604 --> 02:58:03.284
situation, dismissively tells the man that he's been had, that

02:58:03.284 --> 02:58:07.530
she never intended for any of the Santas to escape, And turning

02:58:07.530 --> 02:58:10.889
back toward Mildred and the others, she asks, but how's she gonna

02:58:10.889 --> 02:58:14.250
do it? I mean, there's a sea of blue out there. Mhmm.

02:58:14.250 --> 02:58:18.489
And after a moment, both Laura and Steele realize that's it. Yep.

02:58:18.864 --> 02:58:21.584
Next, we see the maintenance closet door that the plant lady had

02:58:21.584 --> 02:58:22.625
earlier entered.

02:58:22.864 --> 02:58:26.625
It opens, and she walks out in a motor officer's uniform complete

02:58:26.625 --> 02:58:28.385
with helmet and dark sunglasses.

02:58:28.465 --> 02:58:29.344
<v Sara>And a duffle bag.

02:58:32.489 --> 02:58:33.450
<v Eric>Chipped the head.

02:58:33.690 --> 02:58:36.250
Looks around and turns to walk away, and we see that the

02:58:36.250 --> 02:58:39.370
briefcase has been exchanged for a medium sized duffle bag.

02:58:40.409 --> 02:58:42.251
Thanks for spoiling the surprise.

02:58:42.649 --> 02:58:47.284
She reaches the door She reaches the door to the stairway and

02:58:47.284 --> 02:58:47.924
enters.

02:58:48.084 --> 02:58:51.764
Back in the office, Laura moves behind Steele to the phone on the

02:58:51.764 --> 02:58:54.405
desk and picks up the receiver and begins to dial.

02:58:54.725 --> 02:58:57.604
The dancer points his gun at her and tells her to put it down.

02:58:58.479 --> 02:59:01.200
Shocked, Laura exclaims, but she'll get away.

02:59:01.200 --> 02:59:04.001
I want her to, dancer says.

02:59:04.239 --> 02:59:07.681
If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to hunt her down, and then

02:59:07.681 --> 02:59:12.476
I'm gonna squeeze that 2,000,000 out of her penny by penny, or

02:59:12.476 --> 02:59:14.155
now nickel by nickel.

02:59:14.155 --> 02:59:14.476
<v Sara>Yeah.

02:59:14.476 --> 02:59:19.274
I was gonna say, you guys because we lost the penny years ago.

02:59:19.274 --> 02:59:22.235
We haven't had a penny in I can't remember when it was that they

02:59:22.235 --> 02:59:25.354
got rid of the penny in Canada, but it's been gone for quite some

02:59:25.354 --> 02:59:26.795
time, and now you've joined us.

02:59:30.450 --> 02:59:31.569
<v Eric>Sorry. I don't mean

02:59:31.569 --> 02:59:32.530
<v Sara>to be gleeful.

02:59:33.489 --> 02:59:34.370
<v Eric>But you are.

02:59:34.609 --> 02:59:38.049
And as he's saying this, he gestures with his free hand almost as

02:59:38.049 --> 02:59:40.129
if physically squeezing her neck.

02:59:41.114 --> 02:59:44.155
And he looks toward Allison and then moves toward her and then

02:59:44.155 --> 02:59:48.075
grabs her, pulling 1 of her arms behind her with his free hand,

02:59:48.315 --> 02:59:54.155
holding her tight against him with the other hand as it also

02:59:54.155 --> 02:59:57.440
holds the gun. He tells her, hello, sweetie.

02:59:57.440 --> 03:00:00.959
Let's you and me see about making that I mean, let's see about

03:00:00.879 --> 03:00:01.280
No.

03:00:04.239 --> 03:00:07.840
Let's see if you and me and those 200 calorie dinners could stop

03:00:07.840 --> 03:00:08.239
a bullet.

03:00:08.943 --> 03:00:11.825
And he slowly begins walking her backward toward the door as he

03:00:11.825 --> 03:00:12.465
says it.

03:00:12.943 --> 03:00:15.344
But Dancer apparently doesn't have as much control of the

03:00:15.344 --> 03:00:18.385
situation or of Allison as he thinks he does because she suddenly

03:00:18.385 --> 03:00:21.825
yells, No, as she lurches forward and free of his grip.

03:00:22.629 --> 03:00:25.590
Mildred, who suddenly has a pot of coffee in her hand from

03:00:25.590 --> 03:00:28.629
somewhere, swings the pot toward Dancer, splashing the hot coffee

03:00:28.629 --> 03:00:28.790
in

03:00:28.790 --> 03:00:29.190
<v Sara>its face.

03:00:29.190 --> 03:00:32.229
She had said she made a fresh pot earlier, but she wasn't holding

03:00:32.229 --> 03:00:35.716
it, and you would think that it would be slightly less like, it

03:00:35.716 --> 03:00:35.875
wouldn't

03:00:35.954 --> 03:00:37.075
<v Eric>Slightly less hot. Yes.

03:00:37.155 --> 03:00:38.995
<v Sara>Be quite as hot as it was.

03:00:39.075 --> 03:00:41.716
Unless so she was keeping it on some sort of warming platform.

03:00:41.716 --> 03:00:42.354
But yeah.

03:00:42.435 --> 03:00:46.034
I guess it would just be it would be shocking in in general just

03:00:46.034 --> 03:00:49.476
to get hit in the eyes with coffee, and then, yeah, you'd

03:00:49.476 --> 03:00:50.834
probably you might still drop your gun

03:00:50.834 --> 03:00:54.011
<v Eric>whether it's but I mean, it's probably on a hot plate.

03:00:54.329 --> 03:00:57.290
Most coffee pots like that have a hot plate underneath them, so

03:00:57.290 --> 03:01:00.170
it would still be hot, but yeah, the question is how did she get

03:01:00.170 --> 03:01:02.329
it in her hand that quickly from where she was standing?

03:01:02.569 --> 03:01:05.930
Anyway, he drops his gun, grabs his face in pain, and then falls

03:01:05.930 --> 03:01:06.889
writhing to the floor.

03:01:08.034 --> 03:01:11.235
Donner and Prancer take the opportunity to try to make their

03:01:11.235 --> 03:01:14.194
escape, but they are thwarted when Steele clobbers Donner with a

03:01:14.194 --> 03:01:17.636
punch to the face and Prancer takes Laura's elbow to the gut.

03:01:18.274 --> 03:01:20.834
As the 2 try to gather their wits and deal with their sudden

03:01:20.834 --> 03:01:24.920
newfound pain, Mildred runs over to the gun that Dancer dropped

03:01:25.399 --> 03:01:27.479
and picks it up. Oh, Mildred.

03:01:27.479 --> 03:01:31.879
And unflinchingly aiming the gun at Donner and Prancer, Mildred

03:01:31.879 --> 03:01:37.265
tells them, 1 blink, 1 twitch, 1 sneeze I don't know about, and

03:01:37.265 --> 03:01:39.905
you'll be home for Christmas in a box.

03:01:39.985 --> 03:01:41.665
<v Sara>And I think she would do it.

03:01:41.665 --> 03:01:45.345
I honestly think at this point, Mildred would not have any

03:01:45.345 --> 03:01:47.905
hesitation shooting him, and I love it.

03:01:47.905 --> 03:01:50.944
I love this for Mildred because she just she saves the day.

03:01:50.944 --> 03:01:54.049
She gets her moment. This is a really good Mildred episode.

03:01:54.129 --> 03:01:56.370
<v Eric>And I like the fact that she quotes Dancer.

03:01:56.609 --> 03:01:59.969
<v Sara>Exactly. She throws his words back at him. It's awesome.

03:02:01.170 --> 03:02:04.370
<v Eric>Well, Steele tells her nicely put, and then he and Laura start

03:02:04.370 --> 03:02:04.930
toward the door.

03:02:05.024 --> 03:02:07.985
Laura pauses on her way out to instruct Mildred to call the lobby

03:02:07.985 --> 03:02:09.825
and tell the police what to look for.

03:02:10.545 --> 03:02:13.024
Downstairs in the lobby, we see the plant lady in her police

03:02:13.024 --> 03:02:16.065
costume walk through the myriad of officers unnoticed.

03:02:16.065 --> 03:02:19.905
A moment later, the elevator doors open to reveal Laura and

03:02:19.905 --> 03:02:23.020
Steele. Instantly, all guns are pointed their way.

03:02:23.579 --> 03:02:25.819
Laura and Steele raise their hands, and Steele calls out,

03:02:25.819 --> 03:02:28.620
Remington Steele. And Laura adds, I'm with him.

03:02:29.020 --> 03:02:32.700
<v Sara>She does it's just another unnamed woman situation,

03:02:33.180 --> 03:02:33.819
<v Speaker 2>because if she

03:02:33.819 --> 03:02:37.956
<v Sara>says Laura Hole, it's like, okay, who are you? But I'm with him.

03:02:40.354 --> 03:02:42.435
<v Eric>I'm with stupid. Yeah.

03:02:43.075 --> 03:02:45.315
They step out of the elevator into the lobby.

03:02:45.315 --> 03:02:47.795
The officers relax and return their weapons to their neutral

03:02:47.795 --> 03:02:48.595
positions.

03:02:48.915 --> 03:02:51.315
Laura and Steele begin walking through the lobby, looking around

03:02:51.315 --> 03:02:51.795
as they do.

03:02:52.260 --> 03:02:55.299
At the sound of a motorcycle starting, they look off intently in

03:02:55.299 --> 03:02:57.700
the direction that the plant lady had left.

03:02:58.578 --> 03:03:01.540
Steele asks Laura, how are your instincts?

03:03:01.699 --> 03:03:05.699
Same as yours, she responds. Let's go, and they take off running.

03:03:06.395 --> 03:03:09.274
Outside, see the plant lady ride off on 1 of the police

03:03:09.274 --> 03:03:12.475
motorcycles. Steele and Laura run toward another motorcycle.

03:03:12.475 --> 03:03:15.354
Steele gets on in the driver position, Laura behind him, and they

03:03:15.354 --> 03:03:18.715
take off after the plant lady and either the Los Angeles police

03:03:18.860 --> 03:03:22.620
need to revise their policies and procedures, or there's a couple

03:03:22.620 --> 03:03:25.979
of motor officers that are in deep doo doo from leaving the keys

03:03:25.979 --> 03:03:28.220
to their rides in their fight. Yeah.

03:03:28.220 --> 03:03:29.819
<v Sara>I know. It's kinda funny.

03:03:30.940 --> 03:03:35.024
<v Eric>Well, Steele and Laura pursue the plant lady, the chase quickly

03:03:35.024 --> 03:03:38.065
taking them through the residential neighborhoods of the town.

03:03:38.546 --> 03:03:41.745
Plant lady, though realizing that Steele and Laura are pursuing,

03:03:41.745 --> 03:03:44.865
doesn't seem to be making any serious effort in getting ahead.

03:03:45.985 --> 03:03:50.149
<v Sara>Also, Century City Towers are not near a residential area at all.

03:03:50.149 --> 03:03:51.030
I've been there.

03:03:51.270 --> 03:03:51.591
<v Eric>Yeah.

03:03:51.591 --> 03:03:55.110
So, I mean, that's deep in the heart of of the business area.

03:03:55.110 --> 03:03:55.431
<v Sara>Wait.

03:03:55.431 --> 03:04:01.190
<v Eric>Yeah. So, obviously, this chase was edited in sequence.

03:04:01.190 --> 03:04:02.375
Heavily edited because they're

03:04:02.375 --> 03:04:04.375
<v Sara>in, like, a housing suburb. I'm like, wait a minute.

03:04:04.375 --> 03:04:05.255
That's not right.

03:04:05.255 --> 03:04:05.815
<v Eric>Yeah.

03:04:06.216 --> 03:04:09.255
And and obviously took a lot more time than we're allowed to see

03:04:09.255 --> 03:04:09.575
here.

03:04:09.575 --> 03:04:10.375
<v Sara>Yeah. Yeah.

03:04:10.375 --> 03:04:13.175
<v Eric>After a while, Steele pulls up beside the plant lady, so the 2

03:04:13.175 --> 03:04:14.216
are riding side by side.

03:04:14.600 --> 03:04:17.719
Laura stands and then jumps from the bike with Steele onto the

03:04:17.719 --> 03:04:19.398
back of the bike with the plant lady.

03:04:19.398 --> 03:04:22.439
She reaches around to wrestle for the controls, and in the

03:04:22.439 --> 03:04:25.000
process, they begin heading directly for a Christmas tree lot

03:04:25.000 --> 03:04:28.555
complete with fake snow, not only on the trees, but all around as

03:04:28.555 --> 03:04:31.754
well, and a banner stretched across the front reading, Christmas

03:04:31.754 --> 03:04:33.274
trees, Christmas trees.

03:04:33.995 --> 03:04:37.674
The plant lady and Laura ride over the curb, threw the banner,

03:04:37.674 --> 03:04:41.273
and dropped the bike into a fake snowbank amidst the trees.

03:04:42.109 --> 03:04:44.989
Laura and the plant lady struggle for a few minutes until Laura

03:04:44.989 --> 03:04:48.030
throws the plant lady onto the ground where she is miraculously

03:04:48.030 --> 03:04:52.590
knocked out, and Laura gives her a mock salute of 2 peace signs.

03:04:52.590 --> 03:04:55.469
<v Sara>The peace signs. I do like the peace signs. That's fun.

03:04:57.075 --> 03:04:59.715
<v Eric>We have a time jump, and we are back in the office.

03:05:00.113 --> 03:05:03.635
From the script, Jack Denver and Allison Green gather their

03:05:03.635 --> 03:05:04.273
belongings.

03:05:04.273 --> 03:05:09.234
A hungover Felix, the drunk Santa, mirrored half on, half off,

03:05:09.234 --> 03:05:11.875
stands at Mildred's desk busily writing something.

03:05:12.479 --> 03:05:18.640
A pair of paramedics, would that be John and Roy, wheel a gurney

03:05:18.640 --> 03:05:20.000
containing Doctor. S.

03:05:20.000 --> 03:05:22.799
Wilson Scabbard out of Remington's office, followed by Laura

03:05:22.799 --> 03:05:23.920
Remington and Mildred.

03:05:25.065 --> 03:05:28.024
If you're ever in Encino, don't look me up.

03:05:28.024 --> 03:05:29.864
I'm going to close that branch office.

03:05:29.864 --> 03:05:32.345
A man's got to stop and smell the flowers.

03:05:32.505 --> 03:05:35.466
Remington, perhaps and listen to Sid Vicious.

03:05:35.704 --> 03:05:40.370
Jack, now in a considerably better frame of mind, tells Laura and

03:05:40.370 --> 03:05:43.969
Steele that, you know, all things considered, it wasn't such a

03:05:43.969 --> 03:05:44.129
bad

03:05:44.129 --> 03:05:46.530
<v Speaker 2>Christmas party. He wouldn't mind making

03:05:46.530 --> 03:05:50.370
<v Eric>it an annual event. Laura laughs. Steele grimaces.

03:05:50.851 --> 03:05:52.770
But next year, he's gonna bring Judith.

03:05:53.104 --> 03:05:56.706
<v Sara>I gotta say, please don't. She sounds like an awful human being.

03:05:59.745 --> 03:05:59.985
I'm not saying

03:05:59.985 --> 03:06:01.265
<v Eric>you're such a badger.

03:06:01.505 --> 03:06:05.425
Oh, she sounds like an awful human being, but I got a feeling

03:06:06.199 --> 03:06:08.600
she's not nearly as bad as what he's describing.

03:06:08.600 --> 03:06:10.920
<v Sara>No. I'm he's he's not much better.

03:06:11.079 --> 03:06:13.799
Guessing he's he's half sauced most of the time.

03:06:13.879 --> 03:06:15.639
<v Eric>Could be true too.

03:06:15.799 --> 03:06:19.625
Anyway, Steele applauds Steele applauds his comment, and then he

03:06:19.625 --> 03:06:22.344
and Jack shake hands, and Jack kisses Laura on the cheek and then

03:06:22.344 --> 03:06:22.905
leaves.

03:06:23.385 --> 03:06:28.985
Drunk Felix, Santa Felix, finishes what he's writing, then turns

03:06:28.985 --> 03:06:32.520
it off and gives it to Mildred. What's this? She asks.

03:06:33.000 --> 03:06:35.000
My bill, he informs her.

03:06:35.000 --> 03:06:37.879
But don't worry, since I was late, I only charged you for the

03:06:37.879 --> 03:06:39.560
time I actually spent here.

03:06:39.719 --> 03:06:42.840
<v Sara>I am impressed that he was there this whole time without

03:06:42.840 --> 03:06:45.159
realizing he was in a hostage situation.

03:06:47.034 --> 03:06:50.476
<v Eric>Well, I'm I'm with Mildred on this.

03:06:50.476 --> 03:06:53.995
I mean, I'm I'm surprised that he has the balls to bill him.

03:06:54.075 --> 03:06:56.636
<v Sara>Because he doesn't realize he was in a hostage situation.

03:06:58.235 --> 03:07:01.648
Like, he's he was that he's that drunk still. He he thinks

03:07:01.648 --> 03:07:04.049
<v Eric>he was entertaining. I'm sure. Yeah. But Yeah.

03:07:04.049 --> 03:07:05.010
Like, I wouldn't pay

03:07:05.010 --> 03:07:05.729
<v Speaker 2>that bill.

03:07:05.809 --> 03:07:07.969
<v Sara>Well, no. They're obviously not going to pay the bill.

03:07:07.969 --> 03:07:10.930
I'm just like, this is funny that he doesn't even realize what he

03:07:10.930 --> 03:07:11.809
survived.

03:07:13.125 --> 03:07:16.404
<v Eric>Allison approaches Steele and Laura and tells them that she has

03:07:16.404 --> 03:07:19.523
some things to clean up in her office, and Laura's astounded.

03:07:19.523 --> 03:07:21.045
You're still going to work today?

03:07:21.443 --> 03:07:23.283
Not on your life, she assures Laura.

03:07:23.283 --> 03:07:26.079
I'm going upstairs to type my resignation. Hey.

03:07:26.079 --> 03:07:28.319
There's a whole world out there that has nothing to do with

03:07:28.319 --> 03:07:30.161
deodorants. Thank the good lord.

03:07:30.800 --> 03:07:33.761
They exchanged Christmas well wishes, and she leaves.

03:07:33.841 --> 03:07:38.000
<v Sara>I get that everybody like, that people might have a, like, life

03:07:38.000 --> 03:07:40.640
changing epiphany when they're in situations like this, but

03:07:42.345 --> 03:07:48.265
quitting your job with literally 0 to fall back on is stupid.

03:07:50.345 --> 03:07:53.386
Like, she's Yeah. Like, I'm gonna type up my resignation.

03:07:53.386 --> 03:07:53.944
I get it.

03:07:54.310 --> 03:07:57.671
But and I get that maybe she wants to do something else, but like

03:07:58.069 --> 03:08:03.829
<v Eric>It's certainly not the best move in most circumstances, but I

03:08:03.829 --> 03:08:04.390
mean

03:08:05.351 --> 03:08:05.591
<v Sara>you got

03:08:05.591 --> 03:08:06.310
<v Eric>a hefty savings.

03:08:07.674 --> 03:08:10.476
Well, did it once, and I didn't have any savings.

03:08:12.155 --> 03:08:15.354
I'd been promoted at work, I didn't want the promotion.

03:08:16.075 --> 03:08:18.155
I told them I'd give it a year, and if I didn't like it, they

03:08:18.155 --> 03:08:20.155
could take the promotion back, and I would go back to my old

03:08:20.155 --> 03:08:21.674
position. And I said, sure.

03:08:22.120 --> 03:08:24.520
Well, after the year was over, I said, I don't like it.

03:08:24.520 --> 03:08:26.601
I want my old position back, and they said, no.

03:08:26.920 --> 03:08:32.360
I said, fine, I quit, and, you know, I didn't have anything to

03:08:32.360 --> 03:08:37.534
fall back on, but, yeah, you know, at a certain point, you just

03:08:37.613 --> 03:08:38.575
gotta do what you gotta do.

03:08:38.575 --> 03:08:40.334
<v Sara>Maybe it's just me. I'm a coward.

03:08:40.334 --> 03:08:43.613
I'd be too scared to do something like that because I'd be, like,

03:08:43.613 --> 03:08:44.654
afraid of ending up.

03:08:44.654 --> 03:08:46.415
<v Eric>I would not normally do that sort of thing myself.

03:08:46.415 --> 03:08:48.254
I mean, I go for the sure bet.

03:08:48.254 --> 03:08:51.729
I'm which sounds kinda funny since I'm driving rideshare and

03:08:51.729 --> 03:08:55.889
there's no sure bet there, but, yeah, I'm I'm not I'm I'm pretty

03:08:55.889 --> 03:08:56.930
risk averse, but

03:08:57.170 --> 03:08:58.129
<v Sara>I am too.

03:08:58.930 --> 03:09:00.610
<v Eric>There's just times you gotta do it.

03:09:00.610 --> 03:09:03.969
<v Sara>Anyway Anyway, what you do, No no no no shade here.

03:09:03.969 --> 03:09:05.090
You you do what you need to.

03:09:05.863 --> 03:09:09.064
<v Eric>Mildred steps over to join Steele and Laura, or is it Doris

03:09:09.064 --> 03:09:10.344
stepping over to join Pierce

03:09:10.344 --> 03:09:11.145
<v Sara>and Stephanie?

03:09:11.145 --> 03:09:12.984
<v Eric>Because we're breaking the fourth wall here.

03:09:12.984 --> 03:09:15.703
Even though the script the script says they're not

03:09:15.783 --> 03:09:16.344
<v Sara>to be saying it

03:09:16.344 --> 03:09:17.545
<v Eric>to the people.

03:09:17.545 --> 03:09:19.520
<v Sara>They are. Yeah. Yeah.

03:09:19.520 --> 03:09:21.920
It's the only part of the episode I don't really like because it

03:09:21.920 --> 03:09:23.681
feels unnecessarily corny.

03:09:24.159 --> 03:09:24.479
<v Eric>Yeah.

03:09:24.479 --> 03:09:27.040
I I don't like when shows do this, you know, for the for the

03:09:27.040 --> 03:09:29.200
Christmas episode and and such.

03:09:29.120 --> 03:09:32.719
Anyway, they look directly at the camera and the viewing audience

03:09:32.719 --> 03:09:35.334
as Stephanie wishes Joette Noel.

03:09:35.574 --> 03:09:38.773
Pierce wishes Feliz and Abidade, and Doris wishes Merry

03:09:38.773 --> 03:09:42.854
Christmas, everyone. Pierce blows a kiss, and then we freeze.

03:09:43.094 --> 03:09:43.735
<v Sara>Yeah.

03:09:44.295 --> 03:09:47.574
Only part of the episode I'm like, it's cringey because it's just

03:09:47.574 --> 03:09:51.879
like leaning into the cheese. The rest of it, love.

03:09:51.879 --> 03:09:57.000
<v Eric>You know, it it's 1 thing when somebody like Jack Benny or Bob

03:09:57.000 --> 03:09:57.879
Hope or whatever.

03:09:57.879 --> 03:10:00.840
You know, when you're in a comedy doing a comedy bit Like a

03:10:00.840 --> 03:10:01.959
<v Sara>variety show. Yeah.

03:10:01.959 --> 03:10:02.601
<v Eric>Yeah.

03:10:02.920 --> 03:10:06.184
And especially if, like, in the days where they were doing live

03:10:06.184 --> 03:10:10.184
television or live radio, something would go wrong and they would

03:10:10.184 --> 03:10:11.145
break the fourth wall

03:10:11.385 --> 03:10:12.344
<v Sara>Yeah. Yeah.

03:10:12.584 --> 03:10:15.305
<v Eric>Because, okay, we're hey. People might

03:10:15.305 --> 03:10:15.703
<v Sara>as well.

03:10:15.703 --> 03:10:18.851
<v Eric>Things went south on us here. Gotta make a comment about it.

03:10:18.851 --> 03:10:21.489
That's 1 thing. But when it's like this Yeah.

03:10:21.649 --> 03:10:24.690
It it just it's never it's never worked for me.

03:10:24.690 --> 03:10:27.649
<v Sara>I'm glad it was in the tag because at least then you can it's

03:10:27.649 --> 03:10:29.970
like a bookend, and you can just be like, you could even just

03:10:29.970 --> 03:10:30.129
turn

03:10:30.129 --> 03:10:32.534
<v Eric>it before that. Yeah. Really.

03:10:32.534 --> 03:10:34.295
<v Sara>Turn the episode off. That's the end.

03:10:34.375 --> 03:10:37.815
But, yeah, it's it's the overall, though, this is, I gotta say, 1

03:10:37.815 --> 03:10:39.976
of my favorite episodes of the whole series.

03:10:40.135 --> 03:10:44.790
I I've watched this episode over and over and over at Christmas

03:10:44.790 --> 03:10:47.750
because it like I said, it has that perfect blend of, like, it's

03:10:47.750 --> 03:10:52.389
not cheesy aside from that tags, you know, little bit at the end.

03:10:52.629 --> 03:10:56.148
It's it's Christmasy enough, but it's not too Christmasy to,

03:10:56.148 --> 03:10:59.185
like, give me cavities because it's so sweet.

03:10:59.745 --> 03:11:02.625
It's got moments of humor, moments of character development.

03:11:02.625 --> 03:11:05.023
It's got a, like, great story for Mildred.

03:11:05.023 --> 03:11:08.305
It's you've got all these guest stars. I love it.

03:11:09.264 --> 03:11:10.704
<v Eric>I can take it or leave it.

03:11:11.104 --> 03:11:14.409
<v Sara>Oh, why? It's so good.

03:11:16.250 --> 03:11:16.889
<v Eric>I just

03:11:18.809 --> 03:11:22.010
<v Sara>Okay. Everybody email us and tell Eric why he's wrong.

03:11:24.090 --> 03:11:25.370
<v Speaker 2>I'm not wrong.

03:11:28.194 --> 03:11:30.274
<v Eric>Anyway, I I've got nothing else.

03:11:30.434 --> 03:11:33.636
<v Sara>No. Other than you're wrong, that's pretty much all I had to say.

03:11:35.395 --> 03:11:39.635
<v Eric>Anyway, website, steelwatching.com, where you'll find show notes,

03:11:40.738 --> 03:11:46.260
ways to support the show financially with donations, ways to

03:11:46.260 --> 03:11:49.939
subscribe. Now I'm stepping on your stuff there.

03:11:49.939 --> 03:11:51.779
Sorry about that. Show notes. Okay.

03:11:51.779 --> 03:11:55.219
Amazon links to lost patrol Shanghai Cobra taking the Pelham 1 2

03:11:55.219 --> 03:11:57.046
3 and other resources such as

03:11:57.204 --> 03:12:00.245
<v Sara>And Rambo. Don't forget Rambo. He mentions Rambo.

03:12:02.325 --> 03:12:03.845
<v Eric>I'm sorry. You could

03:12:03.845 --> 03:12:07.765
<v Sara>even link die hard there because let's face it. It's it's

03:12:08.005 --> 03:12:09.204
<v Eric>not a Christmas movie.

03:12:09.204 --> 03:12:12.369
Just because it happens at Christmas doesn't make it a Christmas

03:12:12.369 --> 03:12:12.850
movie.

03:12:12.850 --> 03:12:15.250
<v Sara>You just admitted you haven't even seen it. So

03:12:15.488 --> 03:12:16.450
<v Eric>you can watch it,

03:12:16.850 --> 03:12:18.369
<v Sara>and then we'll talk. Okay?

03:12:18.369 --> 03:12:21.729
Email us and tell us whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Wait.

03:12:21.729 --> 03:12:22.850
What am I supposed to be talking about?

03:12:25.045 --> 03:12:25.765
<v Eric>Resources.

03:12:26.084 --> 03:12:31.364
<v Sara>Oh, such as well, you already said the the Facebook page,

03:12:31.925 --> 03:12:34.405
<v Eric>not a Hallmark. It's not a Christmas movie.

03:12:35.860 --> 03:12:37.700
<v Sara>Remind me to tell you about the Hallmark movie.

03:12:37.700 --> 03:12:39.860
I was there while they were filming in Nova Scotia because that

03:12:39.860 --> 03:12:41.940
was funny. Anyway, yeah.

03:12:41.940 --> 03:12:47.219
Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram account, as well as the

03:12:47.219 --> 03:12:51.104
officially unofficial steel watchers Facebook group, where we

03:12:51.104 --> 03:12:53.024
hang out, we talk about the episodes.

03:12:53.024 --> 03:12:55.424
We have people posting fan fiction.

03:12:55.424 --> 03:12:56.944
We have people posting videos.

03:12:56.944 --> 03:13:00.864
We have usually, when we are about to drop an episode, somebody

03:13:00.864 --> 03:13:04.190
in the group will start posting little snippets from the episode

03:13:04.190 --> 03:13:06.909
and and and starting discussion ahead of time, which has been

03:13:06.909 --> 03:13:10.591
really awesome to see. So, yeah, join us and have some fun.

03:13:11.149 --> 03:13:16.786
<v Eric>Next episode, Steel on the Air. A good episode. It is 1. Yeah.

03:13:16.864 --> 03:13:20.306
So I guess that's it. We'll talk to you later.

03:13:20.306 --> 03:13:21.265
Bye bye, everybody.

03:13:21.505 --> 03:13:22.306
<v Sara>Bye bye.

03:13:22.625 --> 03:13:24.625
<v Eric>Hey, everybody. Eric and Sara here.

03:13:24.625 --> 03:13:28.399
Just a quick announcement to let you know that, yes, we do

03:13:28.399 --> 03:13:32.000
appreciate everyone who listens, participates, and supports the

03:13:32.000 --> 03:13:34.479
podcast in whatever way you do.

03:13:34.959 --> 03:13:39.440
But we wanted to give an extra thank you to those who are so

03:13:39.440 --> 03:13:43.765
graciously giving to be monthly financial supporters.

03:13:44.565 --> 03:13:48.325
<v Sara>We are making live streams of our recording sessions available to

03:13:48.325 --> 03:13:50.726
anyone who is a monthly financial supporter.

03:13:50.966 --> 03:13:54.165
So not only can you watch us live as we record our podcast

03:13:53.909 --> 03:13:57.270
episodes, you will be getting access to the raw behind the scenes

03:13:57.270 --> 03:14:00.470
unedited version of episodes before they get officially released.

03:14:00.629 --> 03:14:03.190
<v Eric>And Sara, does that include our mistakes and screw ups and our

03:14:03.190 --> 03:14:03.750
humiliating Every

03:14:06.229 --> 03:14:07.110
<v Speaker 2>single 1 of them.

03:14:07.110 --> 03:14:08.390
<v Eric>Every single 1 of them. Yes.

03:14:08.604 --> 03:14:12.045
So, again, this is just an extra thank you to those who are going

03:14:12.045 --> 03:14:13.165
above and beyond.

03:14:13.806 --> 03:14:17.004
But whether you choose to become a monthly financial supporter or

03:14:17.004 --> 03:14:18.524
not, we still love you.

03:14:18.524 --> 03:14:21.485
We wanna say we thank you for your support, your encouragement,

03:14:21.485 --> 03:14:22.125
and your feedback.

03:14:22.519 --> 03:14:25.317
<v Sara>If you wanna become a monthly financial supporter, please visit

03:14:25.317 --> 03:14:29.397
our website at www.steelwatching.com to sign up.