Political Animals (2012–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Lost Boys - full transcript

Previously on
Political Animals...

You gave T.J. money
for that nightclub,

didn't you?
I thought that if he

had something
that he was proud of that...

he could stay clean this time.

We had a deal.

We had a deal, and you
can't even go...

Stop. What's the point, huh?
...one day without getting high.

I am considering running
for president again.

It's crucial nothing leaks out

before we're ready.



Nobody takes me seriously.
You want to be taken seriously?

Take yourself seriously.

This is how it works, Douglas.

You help me by giving me

everything I need to know
about your mother's plan.

I owe you now.

Those of us in the Republican
Caucus are united,

and we'll camp out in the House
Chambers over Christmas

if we have to,
but we're not gonna make

the American people
pay for a huge new entitlement

they don't want.

What a putz.
I think he's very attractive.

Yeah, he is.

And he's smart, too. Graduated



summa cum laude from Stanford.
How do you know that?

He had that spread
in Vanity Fair.

"Best abs

on the Hill,"
or something like that.

If only his political opinions

were as toned as his six pack.

Eight pack.

- Is that even possible?
- Yep.

Oh, yeah, sweetheart.
You know, it doesn't take

a summa from Stanford
to see that child poverty

in this country is a tragedy.

That douche bag Reeves
is the worst.

I'm not Garcetti's biggest fan,

but it shows how
truly screwed up

this country is
when a first-termer

like Sean Reeves can just stick

his finger in the eye
of the President.

As far as I'm concerned,

he can put it
wherever he wants.

T.J., look at this.

Do you remember?

You made this in, uh,

Ms. Bea's third grade
art class.

I've got to get going.

But we just got started.

I have the N.A. meeting.

Okay.

I am so proud
of what you're doing.

I love you, Mama.

I love you, too.

I love it when you play.

God, I can't stay.

We reconvene in an hour.

Still deliberating?

What are you holding on for?

The bill goes way too far.

It gives municipalities
carte blanche

to take kids away from
their parents without enough

judicial review--
that's child endangerment,

not child protection.
Either you just

made me want to switch parties,
or have sex again.

Well, there'll be plenty
of time for that.

We could be here through Christmas...

My wife.

She's pretty.

Bet you and her

were king and queen
of the prom.

Oh, God, no.

We were nerds.

Couple of corn-fed,

football loving Methodists.

Was it love at first sight?

I didn't know what
love at first sight was...

till you.

Flirting with me
at a grocery store.

You were shameless...
I had a wedding ring on.

Extra point.

Besides...

I knew you were
checking me out.

Don't you have to leave?

Uh-uh. They can
start without me.

Last December...

that's the last time
I was really happy.

Six months clean.

Longest period of time
I'd gone without using

since I was a kid
in the White House.

The fishbowl, you know?

As they call it...

The bubble around
the President's family.

All the eyes, the judgments,
the expectations...

made me feel very alone.

My twin brother could handle it,

but me, not so much.

So...

booze, weed, pills...

made me feel a lot better.

And then I found coke.

And then everything
fell by the wayside.

So my life's...

been pretty much a blur.

Highs...

and lows.

Mostly lows.

I know there's no cure
for this thing,

but there's recovery.

Good share, man.

I didn't know you had kids.

It's my sister's place.

I just locked her
in her bedroom.

Figuratively.

She's infatuated with you.

Remember when you
were on the cover of People?

She had that taped to her mirror
for way too long.

You live with your sister?

It's temporary.

Don't ask, okay?

So...

the run for the White House.

Right.

You do all the asking.

Catch me up on the campaign.

Fundraising, your father's
potential involvement

What campaign?

In the last three weeks

we've flown over 25,000 miles,

crossed every time zone.

My mother's schedule has
included almost everything

except campaigning
for the Presidency.

Well, that was exciting.

Can we go home now?

Is Garcetti finished
keeping me on ice?

Our primary strategy...

three days after we touch down,

we will be up and running.

I'll start rounding up
high-level donors,

give us the leverage
to jump into the primaries

on our own schedule.

Wow. Let's go home.

I'll need that list of donors.

And about your father,
was it your decision

to hire him a publicist?

Mindy Meyers.
Word is

she was brought in
to help rehabilitate

his image
as a reckless womanizer.

Let's be honest,
there's only one...

Elaine Barrish.

And she was...

...and she still is

the love of my life.

Next question.

If half my clients

stuck to the script like that,

I would be one happy publicist.

You got so choked up,
misty-eyed.

Who knew you had it in you?

Mark my words,
Mr. President,

there will be a tear bump.

A "tear bump?"
Christ sakes.

I'm the man who looked
the Russians in the eye,

and convinced them
to get rid of 5,000

nuclear warheads.
About your son's

club opening this weekend...
you're not going.

I have to be there for him.
And one picture of some drunk coed

with her arm draped around you,
and everything

we've worked for goes to shit.

Now it is your job

to be a good, little boy,
Mr. President.

And it's my job to show
the world

what a good boy you can be.

So is your father going?

To your brother's club opening?

Of course.

Whole family's going.

You don't think that's
bad press waiting to happen?

T.J.'s under supervision.

I got him a 24-hour chaperone
to keep him on the level.

Who's keeping you
on the level through all this?

Anne. My fiancée.

She's, uh, a real trooper.

She must be.

She agreed to sit down
with Georgia Gibbons

to do a puff piece
on her company.

Georgia is the journalist...
I know

who she is.

Look, I will hold my nose,

and slip you a few
political details,

but stop prying into
my family life.

That wasn't part of our deal.

Yeah...
"Somebody has to put

our family first,
we can't take another run."

"Full access" means
full access.

Unless you want me
to tell your mother

how you betrayed her

by coming to me
in the first place.

You need the full story

or else you already would have
run the scoop.

Why you want it
so badly, Ms. Berg,

I don't know, and I don't care.

Now what I do know is

whatever deal we have,
whatever this is...

you need me
as much as I need you.

♪ After all God
can keep my soul ♪

♪ But don't ever give me up ♪

♪ I could never get back up ♪

♪ When the future ♪

♪ Starts so slow... ♪

At 10:16this
morning, Zulu time,

Naval Station Coronado
intercepted

an emergency distress call

from the Chinese
nuclear submarine

Gui-Lin.
The signal faded quickly,

and 38 seconds later,

the station's hydrophones heard

this...

She bottomed out.

Hard. 13 nautical miles
off San Diego.

Not surprising really.

The Chinese are spying on us
every way they can.

How many men aboard?
About 100, sir.

So 100 men are trapped

in a sub at the bottom
of the ocean,

getting slowly cooked
by nuclear radiation?

So good to have you back,
Elaine.

The whole country

just about fell apart
while you were overseas.

Forget the crew.

It's San Diego we should
be worried about.

How fast can the Chinese
dispatch a rescue?

In all likelihood, they won't.

The distress call was sent

from depth.
It makes the signal weak.

Such that we can hear it

13 miles away,
but the Chinese can't.

And even if they did...

Chinese can't send
surface ships that close

to our shores without
giving themselves away.

- We have to tell them.
- Tell them?

In hell. We wait.

Getting our hands on that sub
will be a major victory

for counter-espionage.

We are talking about 100
of their men

dying slowly from
radiation poisoning,

and you think
letting that happen

is the proper course
of action here?

- Elaine...
- Ethics aside,

the Chinese are the world's
second superpower.

Our relationship with them

is the key global partnership
of this century.

Now their boys are in trouble
and we know about it.

I'm sure they'd appreciate
a heads up.

Thank you, sir.
Elaine, you run

back channel on this,
but be cautious.

You'll be telling them
we know they were spying.

Who are you?

I'm, uh, Gunner Cox.

T.J.'s sober partner.

Oh.

Keeping him on the
straight and narrow.

Hmm.

In my day we'd call you
a party pooper.

This place is amazing.

It's like it's right out
of a magazine or something.

That's because it's right
out of a magazine.

Oh, this is...

Gunner.
Please to meet you.

It's very reassuring
to us that you're here.

Ooh. I'm all right.
Sorry, my phone's

been on fire with
the opening night.

Okay, so here's the plan.

We're all gonna convene
here and shuttle over

to the club together.

We'll do the whole
red carpet thing,

and then we'll have
dinner around 10:00.

First of all,
Mother and I don't eat at 10:00.

There's not enough Maalox
in the whole world.

Which is why I spoke to Martin.

So he's gonna set up a
buffet here for everybody.

Oh, Jesus.

Sorry, I got to get this.

Things fall apart
when I'm not there!

Hello.

That is a whole lot of pep.

What's going on?
Fred said he needed me.

We might have had a
breakthrough on the House vote.

The Child Protection Bill.
I thought that was dead.

Uh, could you folks, uh, give me
and the secretary a moment?

Yes, Mr. Vice President.

Elaine, have a seat, please.

Uh, look, uh,

we're gonna get the votes, uh,

just not the way we wanted.

We're gonna turn Sean Reeves,

who turns a dozen other
Republicans our way.

How?

Well, uh, it would seem

that the congressman
from Ohio is a... homosexual,

and neither his constituents
nor his wife

would react very well
to that news.

Fred,

your tactics disgust me.

When the president

hears about this...
Please.

You think he doesn't know?

Look, it just dropped
in our lap, and you know

they'd do the same to us if
they had us by the short hairs.

We're supposed to be better
than they are.

Our party has been trying
to pass a bill like this

for two decades!

You have a lot of your own
blood, sweat and tears in it.

And I'm keeping my distance now.

You're already involved.

Congressman Reeves is having
an affair with your son,

Thomas.

I know your son has had

some problems in the past.

Hate for him to get caught in
some kind of scandal, not that

it has to come to that.

I just, uh...

Thought you should know.

Li Bao.

Madam Secretary.
So good to see you.

Forgive me for putting you
out of a job

for just a few minutes,

but my old friend
and I speak several languages,

and it's fun to practice them.

Yes, it is.

And then you say, uh,
"It sounds better in English."

You must let sleeping dogs lie.

Always so good to see
you, Madam Secretary.

Your trip was very
much appreciated.

This is the first
time I've seen you nervous.

Who are you trying to impress?

You, Gunner.

I've been hot
and bothered all day

thinking about your balls
tickling my thigh.

So, listen,
can you just park it out

in the car for a few?

Calm down. It's not...

I'm gonna do blow
in the lobby of the Wrigley.

Jesus.

How long has it been going on?

Six months.

He's married, T.J.

I know that, Mom.

So, what were you thinking?

I wasn't thinking anything.

It just kind of happened.

You're gonna let them do this?

Come after us
like some kind of witch hunt?

I think what they're doing is
the lowest form of politics,

but the congressman created
this situation for himself.

It's-it's not a situation.

Whatever it is,
you have to stop it.

No.
Yes.

Because if you think coming out
in the White House was tough...

Oh, don't.

...wait till the press
gets a hold of this.

They will string you up

for every right-wing
weirdo in the country.

Right. That's the last
thing you need right now.

This is 'cause
Sean's a Republican.

How about that?
Oh, come on!

If he was a hot young Democrat
congressman they were after...

That's ridiculous.
...you would have destroyed them.

You are having an affair

with a closeted married man.

That is what concerns me.
You don't know him.

He's trapped in his
marriage, in his life.

He's gonna leave her.

He's a politician.

If he was going to leave her,
he would have done it.

This is my territory.

I was married
to your father, remember?

I'm in love with him, Mom.

I never thought this
was gonna happen to me.

I feel like a different person
when we're together.

And I haven't been high
in six months.

Not even an aspirin.
You are tying your sobriety to this asshole.

You are in so much trouble.

Then help us.

You can't let them
threaten him like this.

You got to stop them.

Oh, come on.
I'm... I'm sorry.

I can't, and I won't.

You're the most important woman
in the world,

and you can't help me?!
I'm trying to help you.

That is what I'm doing.

You just can't see it!

T.J!

T.J.?

Sean.

Hi.

Wow.

Oh. Uh, you...

You look... great.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Hey, I, um...

I heard some things.

I was a little concerned.

Total rumors.

Well, mostly.

Yeah, well, I-I wish we
could talk more, but...

No. I'm slammed, too.

I'm opening a nightclub.

Oh, you know, I, um...
I read about that.

You should come.

Yeah, I'd-I'd like that.

I'll... I'll have my
secretary call for details.

I always knew you'd be

running this town
one of these days.

Listen, thanks for trying,
Elaine.

We've done everything we can.

We can rescue them ourselves...

The president's decided
to respect the wishes...

We can't just give up
on a hundred lives.

Spare us the morality talk when
you're plotting a coup d'état.

A what?

Come on.

You're planning to unseat us.

It's been obvious

since you forced
the president's hand

on Iran just

to rehabilitate
your philandering husband.

My ex-husband, Fred,
and I don't have to stand here

and listen to this crap.

You think we don't know about
his little trip to Jubal Jacobs?

Now he's on TV
blubbering like a baby?

Come on, Elaine.
We're not idiots.

Well... I thought you
might have the decency

to resign first, but no.

You want to attack us
from inside the gates.

It's sedition.

What Fred is responding to is
the idle chatter around town,

so I'll chalk up his
accusation to loyalty

to you.

It's out of the same loyalty

that I am here reminding you

of how strongly you feel
about saving these men.

Well, I'm glad that's settled.

Your loyalty.

Listen, Elaine,

it's done.

Those boys are now
a Chinese problem.

And if they're dropping it,

I think we should, too.

All my experience

was in Southern California...
Mm-hmm.

...so it... it took me
a while to adjust

to Washington's more
traditional aesthetic.

Right. Well, D.C. is
certainly discovering you.

You were just hired by RG3, the
Redskins' rookie quarterback.

8,600 square feet to be
completed by the fall

and the start of
the NFL season.

How would that conflict with
your fiancé's schedule?

Oh, he already works
all the time.

Yeah. His hours as his
mother's chief of staff

must be pretty grim, huh?

Yeah.

The campaign's only gonna
make it worse, right?

Times ten.

So, will your wedding
take place before

or after the formal
announcement?

What announcement?

Elaine's campaign
for president?

Which you just said will
make Douglas even busier.

Would you like to see my designs
for Robert's home theater?

No, I want to talk

about how your future
mother-in-law plans

to run for president in
the Democratic primary.

I shouldn't have said...
whatever I said.

Uh, I would like to make that
off the record.

That's not how it works.

You have to call
"off-the-record"

before you say something.

But don't worry.
No one will find out.

I won't use your name...

if you just nod "yes" or "no"
when I ask a simple question.

Okay.

Has Elaine Barrish discussed
with her family her intentions

to run for president
in the upcoming primary?

She got it on record?

Look, she tricked me, Douglas.

I didn't even know
what I was saying

until I'd already said it.

But it's on record?

Look, I... I tried
to take it back, okay?

I should have never

talked to her. Your
mom's gonna hate me

even more than she already does.
My mother does not hate, you,

okay, and this is not
your fault, Annie.

It's that bottom feeder's.

Listen, hey.
Hey, hey, hey, hey,

hey, hey.

I know how to fix it.

You do?
Mm-hmm.

Now, go get ready
for T.J.'s opening,

and please put on
that sexy, green dress

that makes me want
to tear it off you.

Where are you?
My apartment.

Nice elephants.

Thanks. Listen...

Sure you don't want to give me
the full Skype tour?

Georgia got Anne
to spill the beans

about my mother's run
for the White House.

Jesus, Douglas!
I warned you.

Georgia ambushed her, okay?

It was a very sophisticated line
of questioning.

Georgia doesn't even know
how to spell sophisticated.

Well, it's done, okay?

And now you need to stop it,
or else, we're both screwed.

Make yourself at home, Bud.

I'm here for
T.J.'s dinner.

Whoa.

Admiral Taft

was right.

You look fantastic

for a woman who's just
been around the world,

not to mention getting
called into the sit room

your first day back.

Yeah, I just assumed.

No, why else
would you be rubbing elbows

with the commander
of the Pacific fleet?

You know the rules, Bud.

Heard you paid a visit to
the Chinese embassy, too.

I saw the DCM.

Oh, a back-channel meeting
between the Chinese DCM

and the American
secretary of state.

Whatever

is going on must be
as delicate as an ass pimple.

Please tell me we didn't sink
one of their ships.

We didn't sink one
of their ships.

But one of their
ships went down.

So, the only reason a downed
Chinese vessel would matter--

if it was close to our waters.

Chinese got a downed sub
near our shore.

Holy son of a bitch.

You are something.

God forbid one of their sons
was stuck down there.

Crew's still alive?

Not for long.

Baking in nuclear radiation.

And Garcetti won't lift
a greasy finger.

This is perfect.

To get your campaign out of
the barn, you need a reason

to leave that administration.

All right, now, with
Elaine Barrish in charge,

America is a country
that saves lives,

even if they are Chinese.

Now, that could be
the narrative of your exit.

No, it can't.

The situation
is classified, Bud.

Yeah, well, these things
have a way of leaking out.

No one can know about this,

Bud, I mean it,

and you've done
enough leaking for this week.

Oh, you saw that, huh?

Honestly, I can't remember
the last time I saw you cry.

Who is she--

this flack you must have hired?

No man alive
could get you to cry

on national television.

Has to be a woman, obviously
someone you're sleeping with.

Mindy Meyers.

Ah, she swears I'll
get a bump out of it.

Bud, first rule of D.C.--

never hire anyone from L.A.

Is this because Jubal said

you can't be involved
in my campaign?

No, it doesn't matter
what the polls say.

We're still divorced.

We always had

our ups and downs.

Are you that desperate to get
back in the White House?

I told you

I wasn't giving up on you,

and I will follow you
wherever you go, Sugar.

T.J. will be home soon.

Congratulations.

Anne Ogami.

It's an angle no one
else thought to take.

Good work.
How do you know about that?

I'm deep inside
the Hammond camp.

Have been for weeks.

What I hear you have
is too thin to run.

I have enough, Susan.
See, that's the problem.

It's my story, not yours.

I have a prior claim.

I'm, I'm light-years
ahead of you.

Now, if that were true,
you'd have published already.

Journalism is about
quality, not speed.

People come to this paper,
they read at length

about something important
to American political life.

Takes 'em all of breakfast
to get through it,

and when they're done,

they are better informed
citizens of a democracy.

300,000 people read this paper.

When I post, I'll get
ten million direct views.

Elaine Barrish is running,
and I broke it.

And you'll be a blogger

who broke a headline,

not a journalist who
reported a story.

You'll get views, of course,

but neither you nor this
paper will get an ounce

of prestige from it.

A story takes effort, time.

It takes reporting.

Look, I can include the
Anne stuff in my piece.

You'll have contributed.

I'll have contributed
to your glory maybe.

That's not good enough.

There is nothing to stop me from
running this story right now.

I'll get Alex to give you
an additional reporting credit.

No.

You'll bring me
in on it completely.

No way.
You teach me the longer game,

and when we publish,
we split the credit 50-50.

I get half the byline.

That's not going to happen.

So you'd rather

I just upload that
tonight, then?

Tell you what.

Saturday's dead

for traffic.

I'm much better off posting this
first thing Monday morning.

Anne, be careful

getting out of the limo

'cause those photographers
love to get a beaver shot.

Thanks, Margaret.
You know,

I'd like to argue, but in
fact she's probably right.

I am.

Would you make me another
martini, please? Sure.

Mother.
Well, he's on payroll.

As a sober partner.
Happy to.

Just don't sen
me for oxycodone.

That was my beast.

Oh, charming.

Chill it
till my teeth hurt, huh?

Guys, I just,

um... I just want
to tell you guys

how much tonight means to me.

I know you all had
doubts, but...

I really feel
like this is the beginning

of a whole new,
good chapter of my life,

so...

About tonight, son,
I'm afraid I can't go.

Mindy Meyer

got you crying
on Letterman tonight?

Well, this has nothing
do with her.

I wouldn't anymore
attend this thing

than I'd watch someone toss

a baby seal
into the jaws of an orca.

Bud.
That's about

as much chance as T.J. has,
keeping straight in a nightclub.

Tell me, when did you decide
to write me off?

You have a serious problem,

son, and you just keep adding
fuel to the fire.

Oh, well, maybe if I was
a pussy-hound like you,

then I'd get
a little compassion.

You never believed in me.

Ever since I came out,
ever since...

Oh, w-what?

You think I care
who you sleep with?

T.J. you could have married
your childhood sweetheart

and done it missionary
style for 50 years.

You'd still be an addict.

Okay, Bud, you've
made your point.

You are not going.

Now, if you'd just
stuck with the piano...

With this club, I finally have
something that's mine.

Yours?

You couldn't squeeze the money
from me or your mama,

so you went running to Dougie.

So much for our little secret?

I did not say anything,
I swear to you.

Could I just say something?

Oh, Jesus.

Bad idea, sweetie.
Now, these past three weeks,

T.J. has been really
committed to his sobriety

and he's doing an excellent
job with the club.

I think you guys

would be really
impressed to see

the guest list that
are coming tonight,

and it's all because
of your son.

Well, and who, pray tell?

Henry Kissinger, Desmond Tutu?

Bud.
Um, what's-his-name

- from The Voice, uh,
the congressman from Ohio. - No,

oh, Gunn-- oh, no.

Sean Reeves?

Yeah, that-that's him.

Really?

That's what all this is about?

That's why you're buzzing
100 million miles an hour?

Are you two together?

Of course not.

Just let me explain.

I...
No, I think

this once I agree
with your father.

Going tonight is
a really terrible idea.

Wow, you, you always manage
to abandon me

when I need you the most.

When did this become my fault?

He's the one who cheated
on his wife behind her back.

He's the one who said

he loved you
and then disappeared

when it got tough.

I'm the one who found you...

...barely alive.

I hope you're not expecting me
to thank you for that.

Because I never will.

All right,

well, I think it's time
that we all head out.

No, no, no, no,
stay, all of you.

No one really gives a shit.

Come on.

Every time

I have stood by
and lifted you up

and made excuses

for you, and it hasn't worked,

not once.

I'm done, sweetheart.

I am spent.

I hope
tonight is a huge success.

Holy shit.

Just stay out
of any TV shot, okay?

Okay.

How could they do this--
your mother's cronies?

This is my life, my career,

anything I've ever cared
anything about.

I mean, God,
they're destroying everything.

Sean, I know it sucks,
but this is an opportunity

for you to finally b-be free.

There's no more sneaking
around, no more being hidden.

Hey,

I know, I know
this is a scary thing.

I went through the same thing.

Oh, come on.

You came out as a kid.

You weren't
blackmailed into it.

You had your, your
mother, your father,

the whole country rallying
around your courage.

You think this country
is gonna applaud me

for breaking my wife's heart,
huh, for lying to everyone?

You can do this,
Sean, I promise.

We can do this together.

Come here.

Don't touch me!

Yeah, we had
sex, T.J.

Big deal.

I was lonely, and,
yeah, it felt good,

especially if I
kept my eyes closed

and it was fine while
it was happening,

but I always left here
feeling disgusted with myself.

No, y-y-you don't mean that.

I'm not like you, all right?

I've got a life, a career.

I'm not some pathetic
American punch line.

This life of yours-- or
whatever you want to call it--

may be okay for you,
but I want more.

If it ain't the man of the hour.

Good-looking on the VIP pass.

Please, you're
my guest of honor.

All right.
But you been out of the game.

Might want to take it slow.

Georgia Gibbons won't

back off the story.

She's determined to break your
mother's run for the presidency.

Isn't she your second source?

Not for the kind
of reporting she does.

I'll have to run my story
first-- not the piece

I wanted, but at least it will
appear in an actual newspaper.

What do I tell my mother?

Tell her to draft
her letter of resignation.

Otherwise, Garcetti's gonna
read about it in the Globe.

That girl is smarter

than she lets on.
She actually tried

to bully me
into sharing a byline.

And you said no?

Uh, yeah.
Are you kidding me?

You... you'd rather kill
my mother's campaign

than share a credit?

You would be derailing
a woman's first real shot

at the presidency.
Aren't you getting

a little ahead
of yourself here?

My mother can win.

Okay? I've seen how her numbers
stack up against Garcetti's.

If you can just
keep a lid on this

long enough for us
to build an organization.

Why would I do that?
Because...

you want her to win.
You want her to win!

You could've killed her campaign

weeks ago.

Because after all those years

of tearing her down,
she has finally

become the politician
that you want her to be.

Jesus, Douglas, I'm gonna blush.

You don't just want her to win
for noble reasons.

You live with your sister.

Look at all you sacrifice
for your career.

And for what?

So that you could have
some ancient Pulitzer

collecting dust in the
lobby of the Globe?

Tell me you don't
want a shiny new one

to place right next to it.

You want it as bad as I want to
be White House Chief of Staff,

and like it or not,

in order for our dreams
to come true,

my mother's have
to come true first.

It's a rocket ship.

Come here, buddy.

It's way past your bedtime.

Do me a solid, okay?
Okay.

Get your mommy to tuck you in?
Okay.

Kiss?

All right.
I love you.

Good night, Trevor.
Good night.

You want to talk to me?

Come on in.

It's been obvious for some time

that I am out of step
with this administration.

And what happened today
made that even more clear.

I am running against you.

I've reached out to a few
donors and done some polling,

and I will resign in 48 hours,

after... we have saved
those men together.

Elaine...

The president who leaves those
sailors on the ocean floor

deserves to be dethroned,

and you know that
better than anybody.

The people chose you
to lead this country,

not Collier, not me.

You.

I ought to fire you right
on the spot, you know that?

You won't.

Knowing you're
gonna run against me,

that gives me
a hell of an advantage, Elaine.

And don't for one minute
think I won't use it. Good.

I want you at your fighting
weight when I thrash you.

Get Samson and her team up here,

the Joint Chiefs
and Admiral Taft.

Wake them up if you have to.

Don't you look dashing.

My boy's new club.

Tonight's the big
red-carpet shindig.

I told you that was a bad idea.

Yeah, well...

you also said there was
gonna be a "tear bump," Mindy,

and, uh, I saw those
new favorability numbers

that your office sent over, and they
look a lot like my old numbers.

Bud, I can't help you
if you're not gonna follow

my advice.
Yeah, well...

I wasn't planning
on it anymore, so...

I think we should
call it quits,

professionally...
and personally.

Now, look, you're a doll,

and I'm sure you're very good at
what you do, but in my experience,

the American people
have a pretty good nose

for sniffing out
the truth, and...

if I'm going to, uh...

rehabilitate myself and lose
my image as a womanizer,

it's best I stop
being one first.

Sorry, hon.

That means you're off the menu.

Been looking all over for you.

Jesus, T.J.

Three weeks

under your belt.
Ah...

T.J.

T.J., come on,

I'm getting you out of here.

Oh, is that really
what you want to do, Gunnie?

Gunnie the druggie
from Appalach-ey

who stole his grandma's oxy
to dull the trailer-park tedium?

That's the last thing
in the world

that you want to do
right now is leave.

That's just the drugs talking.
Is it?!

I bet there's
a hundred girls down there

you'd give your left arm
to sleep with,

huh? This ain't no
fairy tale, brother.

This is the real thing.

You don't have to turn back
into some backwoods hick.

And I'm gonna need
a right-hand man

when this club takes off,
but my guy can't be a boonie,

he's got to be an A-lister.

So who do you want to be
for the rest of your life,

Gunner?

You want to be the guy
who babysat T.J. Hammond

until he got sober?

Or do you want more?

Congressman Reeves,
how do you explain

voting for a bill you and your
party swore you'd block?

Well, politics is
all about compromise.

And thanks to compromise,

25 million impoverished children

just got the Christmas gift
they deserve.

Now, if you'll excuse me,

there are two children in Akron

who just asked Santa
to bring their daddy home.

♪ Have yourself

♪ A merry little Christmas

♪ Let your heart

♪ Be light

♪ From now on

♪ Our troubles

♪ Will be out of sight

♪ Here we are

♪ As in olden days

♪ Happy golden

♪ Days of yore

♪ Faithful friends

♪ Who are dear to us

♪ Gather near to us

♪ Once more...

...with Charles Lazlo

sponsored
by Fidelity Investments.

We witnessed some switching
from the equity sector

to the safe haven
of the government bond market.

The Commerce Department's
final reading

on fourth-quarter GDP was...

Because I love this newspaper
and I will do everything

in my power to
postpone its demise,

I'll give in to your blackmail,

as despicable as it is.

And I might have even done
the same thing at your age.

I consider that a compliment.

I would've been wrong, too.

So...

partners?

If you want to share
a byline with me,

you better be ready to earn it.

Every word you type
will be true.

Okay.

Show me your notes.

Hey, Gunner, where's my son?

Where is my son!

Sam! Find him!

Oh, my God.

Oh, God.

Somebody help me!

T.J....

T.J... Sam!

Sam, call an ambulance!

Aw, geez...

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, son.