The Newsroom (2012–2014): Season 1, Episode 7 - 5/1 - full transcript

How did you
get this number?

- That's not important.
- It's important to me.

Charlie, this is the
first of several calls

and its only purpose is to demonstrate
my credibility as a source.

How about you tell me your name?

Call me Deep Throat.

I'm not calling you Deep Throat.
That's a sacred pseudonym.

And by the way, Deep Throat gave
Woodward his name on the first call.

He said, "Hi, this is Mark Felt.
I'm the Deputy Director of the FBI

"and I want to talk to you about
this story you're writing."

- So who is this?
- I don't care what you call me.



Call me Late for Dinner.

I'm not calling to give you a tip.
I'm simply establishing my credibility.

But you're not establishing
your credibility.

- I'm about to.
- Go ahead.

In roughly 90 minutes,
you're going to get an email

from the White House
telling you to get to work.

- I am?
- That's it.

Should I be telling people
to get to work now?

- And do what?
- You tell me.

If I could, I would have already.

I'm not trying to play a game.

I have 7:30.

At 9:00 Eastern,
you're going to get an email

from White House Press Secretary Jay
Carney telling you to get to work.



And when that happens,
you'll know that I was for real.

- Is anyone in danger?
- No.

If someone's in danger
and you're not telling...

No one's in danger, Charlie.
This isn't a scaly call.

I'm just establishing
my credibility.

Why? Why do you need me
to believe you're credible?

Hello?

- What was that?
- I don't know.

You should probably
say a few words.

- Really?
- Yeah.

- What do I say?
- What do you want to say?

"Please get out of my home"?

Everyone, Will wants
to say a few words.

I really don't. But here you all
are in my apartment, socializing.

Coworkers, friends, family...

In my apartment

just like in my nightmares.

This is a party to celebrate the
one year and one week anniversary

of what we used to
call News Night 2.0.

Remember that?

And I think we're up to about
News Night 174.0,

but I'm confident we're gonna
get it right one of these days.

So have a good time at the party.

And please, please know,
from the bottom of my heart,

that I'm not gonna think it's rude
if you leave early.

- Good?
- Goose bumps.

Resume being here.

Okay, this is an
Australian actress.

- Nicole Kidman.
- No, she was in Spider-Man.

Time. Let me see.
It's Christian Bale.

English, Batman and a man.

Who am I thinking of?

- Up chickens.
- Down chickens.

- It's not there.
- Not there.

Just to be clear for you youngsters,
this isn't recreational. it's medicinal.

When I was a junior in high school

I was already throwing
a 74-mile-an-hour fastball,

which puts a lot of stress
on your landing leg.

Also have epicondylitis in my elbow
due to my mess-you-up breaking ball.

You know, if you just want to bake,
that's okay with me.

You don't need to go to WebMD
to come up with symptoms.

I don't want to bake.

I'm telling you I was an
awesome high school athlete,

but it's left me in constant
physical pain in my knee and elbow.

And experts say that

medical marijuana relieves
the pain and inflammation

with fewer side effects than
prescription pain killers.

- Which experts?
- The ones on WebMD.

Anyway, thank you and thank your
friend in LA for getting this for me.

No problem. He said
they're pretty strong.

So you should just break off
a quarter and eat that.

And when this guy says they're
strong, they're strong.

I ate two.

Okay. Well, enjoy yourself and
we'll see you in 12 to 14 hours.

It's fine. I have incredibly high tolerance.
That's why I can't feel the Vicodin.

You took Vicodin and
then ate two cookies?

- Mmm-hmm.
- He's fine. You're fine.

Just stay away from
anything dangerous.

Electricity. You know, outside.

I'm fine. I don't feel it at all.

- You will.
- We'll see.

My body has the physical
tolerance of 10 men.

Doctors have called
me a medical marvel.

Yeah, I'd just lie down.

But if you want to
see a real marvel,

Kaylee is going to play Jim at Guitar Hero
and Kaylee is gonna be blindfolded.

- You should come watch.
- I will.

Look at this. It's from Mike Tapley.
"I'm available. Call me."

That's how you ask someone out?
"I'm available. Call me"?

What time do you have?

8225.

Boo, I just buzzed.

Can you check my phone?
It's in my back pocket.

It might be Jim's mom
begging me to stop.

I can play an actual guitar.

All you have to do is declare
my supremacy and I'll stop.

- It's your incoming Twitter feeds.
- Oh, read them to me.

And someone tell me
if Jim's holding back tears.

Someone named Monster has a
link to some epic photographs.

Steve Martin says,
"I like my antiques new."

And The Rock's tweeting,
"Just got word that will shock the world.

"Land of the free, home of the brave.
Damn proud to be an American."

I guess Fast Five
just won the weekend.

No, that means he's coming back.

The Rock is coming back to lay
the smack down on Triple H.

Stop playing.
You lost like ten minutes ago.

Hey.

Somebody said you were in here working
on a Sunday night during a party

and I had no trouble believing it.

I was just securing
the video overnights.

It's okay.

It's weird how the video overnights look
so much like the Mets-Phillies game.

Isn't it?

- It's Lisa. You should take it.
- It's okay.

She's supposed to be here.
Maybe something happened.

I'm sure she's just
blowing up her hair.

- Blowing out her hair?
- Is that what it is?

Yeah. Take the call.

I think she's gone.

Hi, Lis'.

Hey, did I call
the wrong computer?

No, your man is right here.

- He was just watching some porn.
- Nope.

- Where are you?
- Five minutes away. I'm walking.

I've got FaceTime on my phone.
Can you see me?

You should be looking
in front of you

while you're walking
or you're gonna...

- What? I'm sorry.
- Christ! What the...

- Are you okay?
- Yeah.

- Okay, have a good night.
- You okay?

Yeah, I walked into a pedestrian
who also has FaceTime on his phone.

Please don't cross any streets.

I was gonna call you
and then I saw you were online.

- Aren't I coming to a party?
- Absolutely.

- I just needed to do some work.
- Watch some porn.

- Mets-Phillies?
- Only to check the score.

Hey, check it out. I've got a
new expression I want to try.

You ready? "It's a gas."

- I like it
- Try it.

- It's a gas.
- Nope. Terrible.

You can't do it. I'm almost there.

- It'll be a gas.
- Seriously, no.

- All right.
- All right, I'll be there in a minute.

I love you.

And I do, too.

Yeah, maybe if you stare at that
piece of paper long enough,

the time will reverse itself

and the last ten seconds
will be erased from the universe.

All right, first of
all, can we agree that

sometimes being this connected
by technology does more harm...

"I love you" and "I do, too"?

Here's what happened.
Lisa told me she loved me last night.

- She did?
- Yes.

- She does that too early.
- I completely agree.

Save your agreement,

'cause I don't think
we're on the same side on this one.

How do you feel about that?

Her? How do you feel about her?

- I don't feel the same way.
- You don't?

I like her. She's really nice and
really funny and incredibly sexy.

Really very sexy with
the sexiness that...

- I get it.
- And I like the new expression.

- It's a gas.
- Don't even.

- But I don't love her.
- You don't?

No.

So what did you say
when she said, "I love you?"

- I said, "I love you, too."
- Of course you did.

- Anything else seemed rude.
- And then you just told her again.

No, what I said was, "And I do, too."
Which means that I love me.

And I do. I look in the
mirror and I like what I see.

And I've been on a journey of self-discovery
to answer the question who is Jim Harper...

- Shut up.
- Okay.

You can't keep telling her
you love her if you don't.

Which is why, frankly, I would have
preferred not to take the call.

You think blaming me
is gonna be a winning strategy?

- No.
- What are you gonna do now?

Well, obviously I have
to leave the country.

- You have to break up with her.
- Why?

You can't have a relationship

where one person's here
and the other person's there.

Really? Where's Don?

Don's on a plane back from D.C.

And was that a dig
wrapped in a metaphor?

- No.
- I think it was a dig wrapped in a metaphor.

- I have to break up with her?
- Yes.

You don't think that's gonna come as a
surprise after I told her I loved her?

I do, yes.
I think it'll be a surprise.

I'll write her a nice letter.

- No.
- Everybody likes getting mail.

You're not overseas
fighting World War I.

You have to do it in person
and you have to do it tonight.

- In the middle of a party?
- No.

When she gets here,
you'll tell her you'd like to take a walk.

Hang on.

- And she's not that sexy.
- Yes, she is.

Just because of her sweet face?

Yeah, that's it.

- I think...
- It's from Mike Tapley.

"I'm available. Call me."

Why would Tapley
want me to call him?

I mean, I get that she has physical
attributes that are prized by

- the superficial male.
- Hey. Tapley?

Our own National Security analyst.

Stay here and look around and
find out what he's talking about.

- Where do I start?
- Start by emailing him back

and asking, "What are
you talking about?"

Do not take a tone with
me, American Gigolo.

I wasn't...

- Hey, listen.
- Sing more.

No, I just got a strange email
from Mike Tapley.

- So did I.
- It said, "I'm available. Call me."

Why is he hitting on both of us?

He's not hitting on
either one of you.

He's saying he's available
to go on the air.

- For what?
- When?

- Now.
- What are you talking about?

Wait for it.

- "Get to work."
- Who's it from?

The White House.
What does yours say?

"POTUS to address the country at 10:30
EST on matter of national security."

Hang on.

- It's Kaylee, right?
- What's wrong?

The Rock, he has a cousin
who's a Navy SEAL?

- Yeah.
- And tell me what his tweet said.

Um...

"Just got word that
will shock the world.

"Land of the free, home of the brave.
Damn proud to be an American."

- He's coming back to avenge Triple H.
- No, he's not.

Everybody, quiet down.

Will, turn off the music.

Turn it off.

Martin, throw me the remote.
It's right next to you.

Fine.

Martin, throw me the remote.
It's right next to you.

The President's speaking in 90
minutes on a matter of national security.

That's all we know right now.

30 minutes from now,
I want to know a lot more than that.

Four people to a cab. Let's go.

What do you think it is?

It could be Qaddafi.
It could be Iran.

They could have fired
on a ship in the Gulf.

Jimmy Carter just got
back from North Korea.

He could have learned something.
We could be under attack.

But what do you think it is?

I think we got bin Laden.

- How many people does your lift hold?
- What?

Your elevator, how many
people can it hold?

- Six.
- Call down to the doorman.

- Just up and down, no stops.
- Yeah. Lonny!

I'm bringing the car around.
Look, you stand in the lobby.

- Do not go out on the sidewalk.
- Yeah.

Guys, get Lonny in the elevator.

- Right.
- What is going on?

There's breaking news
and we don't know what it is,

but the President's gonna
go on TV at 10:30.

- You don't know what it is?
- No.

Can I come watch?
I'll sit in the corner.

Sure. Yeah. But once you're
there, you can't leave

and you can't communicate
with anyone.

Okay. What do you
think is going on?

We don't know. But I have to be honest,
it can only be very good or very bad.

It's almost, I don't know.
It's almost...

- Like she's trying too hard.
- Yeah.

Like she's trying too hard
to show you everything's fine.

It's almost like that.
It's right near being like that.

What are you guys talking about?

- Don thinks that Maggie's...
- Too loud.

...trying too hard to
create the appearance

that she's happy in
their relationship.

Full plane. Man sitting right here.

You've yammered about
your love life for two weeks...

- Wow. Bizarrely loud.
- Last night at the Correspondents' Dinner.

I'm a financial news reporter

and the Secretary of the Treasury
turned around and said,

"When's he gonna shut
up about Maggie?"

That was really embarrassing for me

and it came right after
I accidentally set him on fire.

Hey, don't turn on your phones yet.

- We haven't touched the ground.
- I turn mine on at 500 feet.

I turn mine on when I see
someone else turn theirs on.

It messes with the navigation.

The runway is right
in front of him.

Do you use your car's navigation system
to get from your driveway to your garage?

I don't have a driveway, a garage, or a car,
but why don't we assume the pilot knows...

Hey, sir, can you
take his phone away?

He's endangering your life and the
lives of the other passengers.

I'm not. I'm not. She set the
Treasury Secretary on fire.

- It's true.
- Why?

Just to show the other cabinet
secretaries that I could.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome
to New York's LaGuardia Airport

where the current time is
seven minutes past 9:00.

- We ask that you...
- You okay now?

Or are you worried he can't
find the airport from here?

I'm all about safety.

Yeah, I'm sure if we went to the burn unit,
Timothy Geithner would say that... Damn it.

My phone was on the whole time.
It's out of juice.

Could you guys scroll
through your messages

and see if there's
anything I need to know?

It's my daughter. "Daddy, are you
the smartest man in the world?"

- Yes.
- Scroll.

"Miss Sabbith, a lady always
buttons her top button.

"If you buttoned your collar on
television, you would be a lady.

"If you spilled water all over your
front, I would like that, too."

It's a fan.

- Scroll, scroll.
- Shit.

Jesus.

Hey, do you have this?

Excuse me, would you mind just
switching seats with that woman?

- We're almost at the gate.
- I know it sounds crazy,

but would you do it for me?

Well, can I get your number?

- No.
- Sure. I will give you her number.

Come on.
If you'd just give me a chance...

How old are you?

- I'm old enough.
- I will give you a chance.

Your first test is will you switch seats
without asking for anything in return?

- Yes.
- Excuse me.

You have to stay seated
until we're at the gate.

- Points for trying?
- Throw me your phone.

- You think they're still at the party?
- Not anymore.

Guys, wait till we're
off the plane.

There's just too much we don't know

and too many words
we don't want to say out loud.

- What's going on?
- See?

No, I mean the plane's stopping.

Ladies and gentlemen,
this is the captain.

Well, no good deed goes unpunished.

We arrived ten minutes early

and ground traffic control
doesn't have a gate for us.

No, no, no.

It'll be just a few minutes and
then we'll have you on your way.

All right, you guys
mind switching seats now?

Hey, remember, I've already proven
myself with the first test.

Excuse me.

- You have to stay seated.
- But we're stopped.

We're still on the taxiway.

You have to stay seated until the
captain turns off the seat belt sign.

Ma'am, this is a bit
of an emergency.

Sir, FAA rules require
passengers to stay seated...

- Sure.
- ...with their seat belts fastened

until we're safely at the
gate and the captain...

- Got it.
- ...has turned off the seat belt sign.

It's not just for your safety.

You could fall into
one of the other passengers.

- Understood, ma'am.
- Please don't make me tell you again.

If I can just say this,
we're stopped. Right?

And the pilot just said that
it would be a few minutes.

Now, if the plane does start moving
while my colleague and...

- Lester.
- ...Lester are changing seats,

it'll be going two miles an hour.

Up there, you let us stand and move
around and we were going like 550.

So I thought maybe we could apply
logic and see where that took us.

Insulting me is not gonna
help you out much.

- I wasn't insulting you.
- I can't get anybody to answer their phone.

You're calling people
who are on the subway.

Call people who are in taxis.

You have to let us off this plane.

I'm not letting you
unbuckle your seat belt.

You think I'm letting
you off the plane?

If you knew what we
know, which is nothing,

you'd be behind us and
they'd be behind us

and I think later on tonight
you're gonna be saying,

"I wish I'd been more cooperative
with that passenger."

I think later on tonight
you're gonna be saying,

"These handcuffs hurt my wrists."

All right, she's not easy.
I need information now.

If they knew more,
they'd be telling us, right?

We'll keep calling the desk,
but I think we're just gonna have to wait.

Waiting, patience...
Words like that, always my last option.

Borrow somebody's phone
and start dialing.

Lester.

Andy, listen, most
of my staff are kids.

Five years ago, half of them were
editing their college newspapers.

Will, We can't...

You just got to give
me a little guidance.

We think it's bin Laden.
If we're wrong, just wave me off.

I can't do any waving.

All right, we're gonna do a Carl Bernstein
from All the President's Men.

I'm gonna say, "it's bin Laden"
and I'm gonna count to ten.

If you don't say anything,
that's what we're pursuing.

Ready? One...

Two...

Wait a second.
That's where they fucked up in the movie.

- I've got to go, man.
- Are you gonna...

The guy misunderstood
the directions.

Andy?

We're not moving.

- There's construction.
- On a Sunday night?

They do it on Sunday night
so they don't inconvenience people.

This is gonna be a great city
once they finish building it.

Just sit tight.

What are we, 22 blocks away?

I'm gonna get you there.

I'm gonna run.

- No, you're not.
- I can run fast.

You can't get out of
the car without me.

I see you thinking about it.

Do not do it.

What are you putting
that in your pocket for?

Motherfucker!

Get back here!
You are not safe out here!

McAvoy, get back! God damn it.

- Sir, is there a problem?
- There's a guy running west.

- He's gonna go north on 5th.
- Just calm down.

I'm calm, Officer.
But that man cannot...

- Please step back in your vehicle.
- The keys are inside.

Could you just move
it over to the side?

- I'm private security.
- Calm down and step back.

- Please, listen to me.
- Turn around

and place your hands on the car.

- Officer.
- Turn around

and place your hands on the car.

- I'm gonna kill him.
- What was that?

- Officers, I'm armed.
- He said he's armed.

- Put your hands on the car.
- I'm licensed to carry.

And there's a weapon
currently on your person?

Under my jacket on my left side.

It's loaded with the safety on.

My carry permit's in
my back right pocket.

I work for Blue North Security
and my client is at large.

You're a big guy, Okay?

Don't do anything
that's gonna make us nervous.

Nothing I can do about being big
and black at the same time.

You guys, you can sit
anywhere over here.

The kitchen is back there with...

- With...
- Pop-Tarts.

Why did you choose Pop-Tarts?

I don't know, but you were
never gonna finish that sentence.

Just sit tight. And remember,

you're not gonna hear
please and thank you a lot.

How long does it take
to get the studio warmed up?

15 minutes. And the control room
is warming up right now.

You talking to D.C.?

They'll start rolling
coverage in 20 minutes.

- Of what?
- A live shot of the White House.

Let them know
New York's running this

and they don't say a word
until Charlie says okay.

Any idea when we're breaking?

President speaks in 45 minutes.

If we know something
before then, we'll go.

Gary. Have you tried Gary?

Quiet. Quiet!

Let's get organized.

What exactly do we know?
And I mean know.

The President is speaking at 10:30
on a matter of national security.

- What else?
- That's it.

Okay, that's exactly
what we knew 20 minutes ago.

Just to be clear, he's breaking
into the networks, too.

That's Desperate Housewives, Celebrity
Apprentice, Brothers & Sisters.

That's a ton of money
in ad givebacks.

- This can't wait till the morning.
- It's bin Laden, Mac.

We want it to be bin Laden.

Let's not let the wish
be the father of the thought.

Obviously we're pursuing bin Laden.

But let's just talk about
what else it could be.

- Qaddafi.
- Follow it. Put together a team out there.

A foreign attack.

No one at State or DOD
is talking, right?

If they're not clamming up,
they honestly don't know anything.

Who did the Santa Tracker story
at Christmas? Anyone?

When we get the guy from NORAD
on the phone,

and they report they're tracking
a big sled with reindeer.

- I did.
- Get him on the phone.

You think the Santa guy
is gonna know something?

I'd be pretty surprised,
but I'm not doing nothing.

What about outside the box?
Way, way outside the box?

- All right. Here I go.
- What?

A study published in The
Astrophysical Journal estimates

there are ten trillion planetary
systems in the known universe.

- Which one are you from?
- She said "outside the box."

Then she added, "way,
way outside the box."

Besides the near certainty that
intelligent life exists outside this planet...

Are you suggesting that we've made
contact with beings from another planet?

Is that your suggestion?

- You said way outside the box.
- Come back in the box.

- The birth certificate.
- What about it?

What if the long form's a forgery
and the president's resigning?

I think it's more likely that ET
is standing on the Truman Balcony.

- So should I follow...
- No.

Where's Will?

Okay, Where's Elliot?

Elliot, Sloan, and Don...

We're able to communicate with them, but
they're stuck on the tarmac at LaGuardia.

All right, Maggie, dust off the
obit packages for bin Laden.

Tess, you're on Qaddafi.

Jim, do what you do
and get us new information

and get the bookers to line up
our National Security guys.

You can start with Mike Tapley,
who's available.

Let's go.

What?

The President's gonna tell us
what's going on at 10:30.

He's going to tell us.

What's the virtue of breaking it
five minutes early?

America thinks bin Laden's alive.

If I can make him dead
one minute sooner,

my entire life in journalism up until
this point will have been worth it.

All right.

I got a White House usher
who says they're bringing

a backup generator
into the East Room.

Mac, he's speaking
from the East Room.

Presidents don't announce
bad news from the East Room.

They do it from the Oval Office
or the Briefing Room.

All right, good. Listen...

You don't think there's any
chance it's a UFO, do you?

Keep it together, would you?

- She's in the bathroom.
- Thanks.

- What do you have?
- What, is this your boyfriend?

- Yes.
- No. Yes.

Look, I'm not the kind of guy
that likes to play games.

- He's with Maggie.
- Thanks, Pete.

we can download a petition demanding
we be allowed off the plane,

but it's not clear
how many signatures we need.

We don't have time to circulate a petition.
What else you got?

A website that lists seven ways
to get kicked off a plane,

including shouting loud,
unpopular political views.

I can do that.

Being dressed in an inappropriately
revealing manner.

- Take off your clothes.
- You take off your clothes.

I guess I'm stuck
with the tiebreaker.

Lester, I'm gonna
lose my shit on you.

- Generator in the East Room.
- It's not bad news.

Elliot, let's try...

Boy, that Genghis Khan
had some pretty good ideas.

- You see what happened?
- Yes.

The worst thing that
could possibly happen.

I fell down and guess what?
Nobody died.

Get in your seat,
fasten your seat belt.

Sure, but I might need to see
that demonstration again

'cause I've never seen
a seat belt before.

He's stopping-

The gate's right there.
It's right out the window.

I can see it. I'm practically
touching it right now.

- Take it easy.
- It's right there!

Well, folks,
this is the captain.

- Good news, our gate has opened up.
- Thank you.

- But this is a tow-in gate.
- N 0!

So it'll be just a
few more minutes.

Let me out!

Let me out and I will push
the plane to the gate.

Maggie's a lucky girl.

No one's asked us to switch over to
the Emergency Broadcasting System,

so there isn't a North Korean
missile headed towards San Diego.

No one knows anything at the CDC,

so a vial of smallpox hasn't been dropped
in the middle of Madison Square Garden.

We have a computer that monitors
all the police scanners

and listens for certain words.

There's been no act of
domestic terrorism,

though there is a frat party at Michigan
State that's about to get broken up.

You guys know it's
bin Laden, don't you?

Believe me, when we know
it's bin Laden, you'll know.

I'd have expected it to
be a lot more chaotic.

Since the first day
MacKenzie got here,

we've been practicing
this once a month.

We do dry runs.

Obviously there are always
wild cards you can't predict.

Hey, little buddy.

- Oh, boy.
- Are you all right?

- Yeah.
- Mac's been worried.

We got stuck in some traffic,
so I ran here.

We've been calling.

I thought it would be better to
keep running than answer the phone.

What's that?

I stopped to get a falafel.

I'm just gonna...

Good. Thanks. Anything new?

It's bin Laden or Qaddafi.

And the White House pushed it
15 minutes to 10:45.

God.

Have you ever noticed
how we've never been able to agree

on a way to spell Qaddafi?

"Q-A", "K-A", "G".

Will, are you able to...

Qaddafi would have
been a NATO operation.

I've spoken with Wesley Clark,
who called NATO HQ in Brussels.

They don't know anything.

You've already spoken to NATO HQ?

When I was getting the falafel.

Kaylee.

I need to be able to count
on your discretion.

You can't imagine how
important this night is.

You're gonna be great.

Just keep drinking water.

All right.

So I'm gonna go in my office and...

Take it from there.

So if it's not Qaddafi,
doesn't that mean...

Like I said, when we have it
confirmed, you'll know it.

Go back to work.

Yeah.

You can see
the Press Briefing Room is empty.

The White House Press Corps
is starting to arrive on the scene,

but they're staking out positions
near the northwest executive entrance.

- Mac, can you hear me?
- Yup.

Keith Urbahn, who's the
Chief of Staff for Donald Rumsfeld,

has tweeted the following,

"So I'm told by a reputable person they
have killed Osama bin Laden. Hot damn."

- We got the tweet.
- We want to report it.

- You can't do it.
- We're not gonna say confirmed.

We just want to report the tweet.

Jane, this is double confirmation
territory, and we don't even have one yet.

The tweet is reportable.

Do you know how many tweets
there are out there?

Just one from the Chief of Staff
to the former Secretary of Defense.

I'm sorry, you're gonna
have to keep vamping.

We've got a package on past live
addresses from the East Room.

We'll shoot it to you.

Mac, we're eight blocks from the White House.
We'd like to report some news.

Then go get some, Jane.

Will's here.

- Mac?
- Back to you, Jane.

The President was scheduled
to address the nation at 10:30.

But we have been told it
will be closer to 10:45.

If you're just joining us, I'll recap
everything we're able to report.

It shouldn't take long.

Thank God. Where have you been?

There was construction.
I have to get on the air.

- What do you want to say?
- It's not Qaddafi.

We've got NATO saying
it's not Libya.

And we've got London and Paris
saying it's not Qaddafi.

- It's not Qaddafi.
- So who's saying it is?

Continuing what we have assumed
that Qaddafi...

It has something to
do with Qaddafi.

Do you agree with the general
that the war in Libya will continue

or do you think that the
death of Qaddafi...

Jesus Christ.

Let them know New York is ready.

I'm just gonna go on, say it's not Libya,
and then throw it back to Washington

- until we have a double confirmation.
- Good.

Okay, so let's let them
know New York is ready.

I'm just gonna go on,
say it's not Libya,

and then throw it back to Washington
until we have double confirmation.

You just said that.

Hmm?

You all right?

I just think this is
some kind of trick tie.

- I can't get it to...
- What's the problem?

I can't remember how
to tie a Windsor knot.

And I can tie
a square knot and a sheepshank.

- Will?
- But that's not useful right now.

What is wrong with you?

I'm wasted, okay?

- I'm completely baked.
- What?

- I had... Okay, listen.
- Oh, no.

- No, no, it's okay.
- Oh, my God.

Listen, Neal's girlfriend...
And you should see her,

she can play Guitar
Hero blindfolded.

- Oh, my God.
- No, you're right. It doesn't matter.

Let me back it up.
When you're pitching,

you have your push-off leg
and your landing leg.

That landing leg, as you can see,

takes a lot of force
when you come down on it like that.

Boom. Like that. And marijuana...

- This isn't happening. You can't do this.
- ...is suggested.

- I'm a medical marvel.
- You can't go on the air.

My body has the melatolical
tolerance of...

- "Metabolical."
- What did I say?

- Will!
- MacKenzie, listen to me.

There is no way, no way
I'm not reporting this story.

You understand, right?

Of course.

I'm not gonna let you down.

I know.

Hey, we got Obama.

I mean, bin Laden. Shh!

I got that one out of my system.

Let's think of the
people who would know.

- Well, POTUS.
- V-POTUS.

- Head of JSOC.
- Bill McRaven.

- Gates.
- Panetta.

- Guys.
--It was either Delta, SEAL Six,

- or a bullet from the CIA.
- Guys.

- What about a drone?
- I don't think they'd use a drone.

They'd want an
immediate positive ID.

Guys!

What does EKIA mean?

It means, "Enemy killed in action."

I have the first confirmation.

With the White
House now telling us

that the President's address
has been pushed back

another 15 minutes to 11:00.

You will know everything
we know as we know it.

And in the meantime, let's go back
to Jane Barrow in Washington. Jane.

- Don just called. We got the first confirmation.
- From who?

Chris Harkin at CENTCOM.

CENTCOM in Tampa. That's one.

- Mac, we got the second confirmation.
- From who?

- New York Times.
- You're kidding.

Helene Cooper just posted
she has it from two sources.

Maggie.

We've got Chris Harkin at CENTCOM and
Helene Cooper at the New York Times.

- We got him.
- Let's go.

- No.
- What do you mean?

- We're not going yet.
- We've got double confirmation.

First of all, we don't.
We have Harkin at CENTCOM

and a reporter saying
she has two sources.

- I don't know who the sources are.
- It's Helene Cooper.

- It's solid.
- We're not going.

- Charlie.
- There's nothing wrong

with waiting for the White House
to tell us it's reportable.

This isn't Watergate.
They're not the enemy.

We don't know what's going on.

We sent military assets
into sovereign airspace.

Maybe they're not out yet.

Maybe someone's injured
on the ground.

Maybe someone's been taken prisoner
and the rescue operation is underway.

Maybe we're at war with Pakistan.

Guys, in '91,

I was cheering on
my guy in Tel Aviv

who was reporting where the
Scud missiles were landing.

Turns out the Iraqis didn't know
where the missiles were landing

and I was helping them
range their targets.

Three killed,

96 injured in that operation.

Geraldo's probably still up the street
saying we're in a dogfight with Finland.

Whatever happened tonight,

I promise you,

lives and a presidency
were put on the line.

We're going to get this one right.

And if we're two minutes late,

let that be a small penance
for all the ones we got wrong.

Agreed.

- Yes.
- Yes, sir.

Hmm?

What's wrong with him?

Nothing.

Charlie, I do think
you should tell them.

That I'd love to do.

Can everybody quiet down?

Everybody quiet down.

Charlie would like to
tell you something.

I need to tell you

that you're going to remember this
night for the rest of your lives.

It's going to be a long night
and we need you to work fast

and we need you to work well.

But once in a while,
take three seconds...

You can't spare more than that,

take three seconds to notice

where you are and
what you're doing.

Will's gonna go on the
air in a few minutes

so that we can report that

at the order of
the President of the United States,

US Special Forces have shot
and killed Osama bin Laden.

Get to work.

You're out here.

Neal's looking for you.

I think word's starting to get out
we got Qaddafi.

Yeah.

Neal, she's out here.

- Are you all right?
- Yeah.

Hey. You should be working.

I told you when we knew for sure,
you'd know it.

Yeah.

I just didn't want to be the skunk
at the garden party.

- Why would you...
- You're not.

I was an idiot.

I thought it would make me
feel better when it happened.

- Like an on-off switch.
- Of course it doesn't.

You knew someone in
one of the Towers.

Her father was a partner
at Cantor Fitzgerald.

We've been celebrating
around you all night.

You should. Everybody should.

- You guys should get back to work.
- Nah, it's all right.

No, I want you to.

All right. I'll be right inside.

- He wants us to wait?
- Until the White House says it's reportable.

- Aren't we the only ones with Harkin?
- As far as I know.

So we are the only ones
who have double confirmation?

As far as I know.

- We're going.
- No.

The White House just pushed the speech
another 15 minutes. We're going.

If I have to bring Charlie in here
to tell you himself,

he's gonna do it in
a different voice.

Washington's keeping
the audience warm for Will.

We're getting our facts straight.

We got bin Laden, what do you want?

For one thing, I don't want it reported
like the Redskins won the Super Bowl.

I don't believe you people.

We're waiting for the White House
to tell us it's reportable.

- We're not.
- Jane. Jane!

- Okay, I've just received...
- Cut the fiber from Washington.

- It'll go black.
- Yeah.

- Cut the fiber.
- Copy.

You think she got the message yet?

- Couple of more seconds.
- Okay.

Bring 'em back.

- Hi.
- Damn it, Mac.

Move one inch in that direction again
and you're blacked out for the night.

The decision to go will be made

by the president of the news
division, Charlie Skinner.

And the announcement will be made

by the face and voice of Atlantis
Cable News, Will McAvoy.

Keep an eye on her.

What are you working on?

Will asked me to look
over his intro copy.

Wow, that's a compliment.

I know Charlie's right,
but I wish we'd get on there.

This is just counter-intuitive.

So's Lisa being attracted to you, but
you still have to deal with that.

Are you kidding?
I'm not doing it tonight.

- You have to.
- Tonight?

You can't sleep with her again.

Why are you sure I would?

"She is very sexy because
of her sexy sexiness

- "and the very sexual sexiocity of the..."
- Fine.

Tell me what you're gonna say.

- I'm not gonna tell you what I'm gonna say.
- You need to rehearse.

- I don't need to rehearse.
- You wanna be like Spider-Man?

- I'd love to.
- The musical.

They didn't have enough rehearsal
and actors died, Jim.

They lost their lives.

I don't think anybody died.

Well, they got bruised pretty bad.

So tell me what you're gonna say.

Lisa, you kind of took me by
surprise last night when you told...

She's coming over.
Dummy up.

Okay. Thank God we're not
in the middle of breaking news.

Hey-

You mind if I talk to Jim a second?

No. I'll be right there at my desk.

- It's right there.
- Where?

Right there.

- I'm sorry, where?
- Okay.

It's too bad the SEALs
are in Pakistan tonight

because they'd be getting some mad
ass if they were in New York City.

- Lisa, I...
- This is the worst possible time,

but I feel ridiculous because
you guys are talking about me

and I'm standing there.

No, we weren't.

- Shh.
- We weren't talking about you.

Last night I said something

that forced you to say it, too,
and that's not fair.

I didn't feel forced.

This was a fix-up that you never
wanted and it went too far,

and now I have to let you off
the hook because you're so nice

that we'd be searching
for preschools

before I realized that you
were just being polite.

I'm breaking up with you.

Just say, "Okay."

I really did like you.

Just say, "Okay."

Okay.

I'm gonna go talk to spy girl.

Get to work. That's an order.

And thanks for bringing
me here for this.

- Look, I“
- Work.

What happened?

I broke up with him.

He did? I mean, you did? What?

I saw your face
when I was talking on the phone

and he said, "I love you."

He said, "I do, too."
And what are you talking about?

I'm not doing this to you anymore.

You're not doing anything to me.
I've got Don.

- I shouldn't even be standing here.
- I'm with Don.

I saw your face.

Come with me.

- James Tiberius Harper.
- Not my middle name.

Lisa is... No.

Is under the impression that you broke up
with her because you have feelings for me.

- I didn't break up with her at all.
- But you were about to.

Any reason she needed to know that?

- She already knew.
- This isn't at all embarrassing.

And she is under the impression
that I also have feelings for you.

- Did you hear we'd killed bin Laden?
- We're in a holding pattern.

Now, can we please state clearly,
unambiguously, and for the record

that neither of us likes
the other in any romantic context?

- I so state.
- As do I!

You guys can't begin to imagine
how unconvincing that was.

Is it all right if I stay
for the President's address?

Yes. But we're not nearly done
talking about this yet.

- Maggie, I need you.
- Not nearly done.

I'll be over there out of the way.

- Wait, I...
- Just say okay.

Okay.

I'm the guy who wins the lottery
and loses the ticket.

Biggest story in a generation
and I'm a spectator.

You are not a spectator.

We are locked on a plane and we
still helped put it together.

That's pretty good.

What is this compulsion you have
to look on the bright side?

I can never count on
you to be Jewish.

If it helps, we should probably be
concerned about violent retaliation.

That does help, man. Thanks.

My regret is that I'd like to
have been with my wife for this.

Tell her to wake up the kids,
bring them down to the studio.

We'd all watch together.

Yes, I'd like to be
with your wife, too.

I'd like to be in the newsroom with
Will and Charlie and her and you.

- And Maggie.
- I said Maggie.

- No, you didn't.
- You didn't.

So you have to ask yourself

what happens when you and Maggie break
up, which you know is going to happen,

and Jim's with someone else?

We were talking that loud?

Over Delaware after
the second scotch.

There's passengers in row 22
who know about you, Maggie and Jim.

- True story.
- Shut up.

Excuse me, I've got a
text message saying

the President is speaking
tonight in a few minutes.

Do you know anything about this?

The Internet says he's speaking on a
matter of grave national security.

Yeah, I've got the same thing.

I've got a flight
that's been cancelled.

Does that have anything
to do with what...

- Has there been a terrorist attack?
- No.

- Wait, there's been a terrorist attack?
- No, there hasn't.

I've got an email saying
we're at war with Libya.

- Nope.
- You guys know what's going on, don't you?

Folks, there hasn't been
a terrorist attack.

None of your friends and
family are in danger.

The President will be speaking
in just a few minutes.

- No.
- Listen, they're just nervous.

I don't care. You do not take
over control of the cabin.

They're getting emails
and going online.

You do not take over control
of the cabin ever.

- Now sit down. I'm getting the captain.
- Ma'am, no, you know...

Yeah, get the captain, 'cause I'd
like to have a word with him.

The seat belt while we're
standing still is one thing,

but how paranoid do you have to be to think
that I'm declaring myself in charge of the...

ls there a problem, sir?

Yeah, I was asking how paranoid
you have to, you have to be...

Sir?

Sir?

Captain, my name is Don Keefer.

That's Elliot Hirsch and
that's Sloan Sabbith.

We work for Atlantis Cable News.

And we wanted you and your first officer
and Flight Attendant Crazy Lady

to be the first ones
on this plane to know

that our armed forces killed
Osama bin Laden for you tonight.

You're serious?

Yes, sir.

We reported the news.

Sorry, I thought it was a spider.

Tapping you on the shoulder?

- Not everything makes sense.
- Most things do.

- But can I say something?
- You have to get the last word, too?

- This never would have worked.
- I want to find out.

Yes, this was a fix-up
that I didn't want.

And Maggie forced Valentine's Day on me.
And there was a certain amount of

cowardly behavior
disguised as politeness.

But now I'd like to ask
you out on a first date.

A complete do-over.

I like you and I'm asking
you out on a date.

Took your breath away, didn't I?

Now I get to make a cool exit.

Less cool because you said so.

- McAvoy!
- You don't have to shout.

You haven't heard me shout.
Where is he?

Lonny.

Good evening, Officers.

Uh-oh.

There's no way they
can know, right?

No.

Can we help you?

Mr. McAvoy, you know this man?

Of course, he's a
very famous jockey.

Sir, we'd appreciate
your cooperation.

He's my bodyguard and I ran out of the
car because we were stuck in traffic,

and chances are he abandoned the car to try
to protect me 'cause he's good at his job.

He's also a former
MP in the US Army,

so I want to tell him something.
Lonny, come here.

- You should tell them.
- You should tell them.

Officers,

I have some news for you.

This is Charlie Skinner.

So, we've established trust?

Is this Late for Dinner?

Yeah.

You work for the
White House or DOD?

Neither.

You've been calling me on a cell phone.
There are about 19 different ways...

The calls are encrypted.

I know how to find out who I am,
but you don't.

So you're with the NSA?

I am-I'm with a unit that's been
monitoring illegal electronic surveillance

- By whom?
- By AWM.

News of the World isn't the only tabloid
that figured out how to hack a phone.

- If you're fucking around with me...
- I think by now you know I'm not.

You've got a big
night ahead of you.

- We'll talk again.
- When?

When I want to.

AWM owns a tabloid magazine, TMI!

Are you saying you have evidence

that they've been
engaging in the same kind of...

You're not there, are you?

Charlie.

Charlie?

What if I told you that bin Laden
wasn't the only story we got tonight?

What are you talking about?

Don't worry about it.

I think we should go.

Jay Carney or someone's office would
have sent us an email saying reportable.

They also would have called us
begging us not to report it.

I'm unwilling to take that chance.

When was the last time
you checked your emails?

- 15 seconds ago.
- When was the last time you did?

Hmm?

Look at your BlackBerry.

- Press the buttons!
- Sure.

Okay, not tonight,
but in days to come,

you'll look back and think
that this moment was funny.

- It's from 20 minutes ago.
- Yeah.

What's it say?

"OBL reportable.

"Knock 'em dead just like we did."

Who's it from?

Joe Biden.

Are you kidding me?

We used to play softball together
when he was in the Senate.

He knows something
about the landing leg.

Get on the air!

We're going!

When did you turn into Ted Baxter?

Oh, come on. Enjoy the moment.

Herb, have Washington throw it
to us in 30 seconds.

Copy that. D.C. control,
you're gonna throw it here in 30.

Good thinking.

- Let's see the banner.
- Right here.

In five.

Do it for me, Will.

Good evening.

From New York City,
I'm Will McAvoy.

ACN is now able to report and confirm that
for the first time in almost three decades,

the world has no reason
to fear Osama bin Laden.

In just a moment,
in a live address to the nation,

the President will announce
that in a coordinated operation

under the cover of darkness,

US Special Forces tonight
killed the leader of al-Qaeda

and the mastermind behind the deadly
attack of September 11th, 2001.

It's been nine years, seven months,
and 20 days

since America's most wanted
criminal took from us

2,977 American sons and daughters,

fathers and mothers,
friends and colleagues.

We were transformed that morning
into a different nation,

more fearful and so, of
course, more hostile.

And while nothing,
not even this victory

our country has waited for
for such a long time,

can bring back the souls lost
on that terrible morning

in New York City, in Virginia,

in a field in Pennsylvania,

and all across America
and the world,

let tonight serve as
a welcome reminder

that throughout our history,

America's darkest days have always
been followed by its finest hours.

Here now, from the East Room
of the White House,

the President of the United States.

Good evening.

Tonight I can report to the
American people and to the world

that the United States has conducted an
operation that killed Osama bin Laden,

the leader of al-Qaeda

and a terrorist who's responsible
for the murder

of thousands of innocent men,
women and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a
bright September day was darkened

by the worst attack on the
American people in our history.

The images of 9/11 are seared
into our national memory.

Hijacked planes cutting through
a cloudless September sky.

The Twin Towers
collapsing to the ground.

Black smoke billowing
up from the Pentagon.

The wreckage of Flight 93
in Shanksville, Pennsylvania,

where the actions
of heroic citizens

saved even more heartbreak
and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are
those that were unseen to the world.

The empty seat at the dinner table.

Children who were forced to grow up
without their mother or their father...