01x03 - The Futures
Posted: 10/30/16 11:10
♪♪
♪ I'm a girl and by me that's only great ♪
♪ I am proud that my silhouette is curvy ♪
Ready. Set.
Go!
♪ With my hips kind of swivelly and swervey ♪
♪ I adore being dressed in something frilly ♪
♪ When my date comes to get me at my place ♪
♪ Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy ♪
Yes.
Let's go.
Let's go!
Come on, Jane.
Yes!
That a girl. Yes!
Ha, ha!
Oh, oh.
I did it. Finally, I won.
No celebrating. I b*at you by a foot.
No, no, no, Daddy. You know that I won.
Won my ass. I could have smoked a cigarette waiting for you.
You shouldn't lie. It sets a bad example.
Oh, you two.
Chad, the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Chad, who won that race?
This is strictly Hollander business.
Reenie, let me buy you a juice.
Oh, such a gentleman.
Yeah. Put it on Gordy's tab.
All right.
Well, they asked me to audition for "The Philadelphia Story."
Mm, you should. As Tracy Lord?
We'll be in the front row to cheer you on.
Oh, you don't cheer at a play.
But it is all at night, and then I wouldn't be home for Daddy after his long day at work.
Well, wasn't it your goal to retire at 50, Daddy?
And that's, what, five years away?
Yes, exactly.
Now I have to wait until your idiot brother can prove that he won't run the business into the ground, so I will very likely be an old man, unless I can leave the business to you, Chad.
Well, let's see.
Been at Townley's a month.
How early is too early to resign?
[chuckling]
Oh, I was...
No, she's finished.
Waiter: Oh, okay.
So finish that story.
[phone rings]
"News of the Week," this is Charlie.
I wonder why she's here.
Patti: She's the publisher. She doesn't need a reason.
Oh, I read an article that despite being one of the richest people in the country, Mrs. Burkhart still enjoys making her own clothes.
I guarantee you she didn't make those snake skin shoes she walked in on.
They look like they cost at least $50.
$50?
The Burkhart family made their fortune from Kentucky bourbon, and as the story goes, a giant oak tree fell on Bea's great great grandfather's house.
He made 40 oak barrels using that tree, and used them to age his first batch of bourbon.
It's now called Storm Tree bourbon, and it's one of the most sought after in the world.
Oh.
The Burkhart family is a client of my father's financial firm.
There it is.
Oh, Naomi, you have a run in your stockings.
I have an extra pair of L'eggs in my desk.
Let me get them for you.
Thank you.
[laughing] I tell people when Daddy d*ed, he had so much bourbon in his blood, they didn't have to embalm him.
[chuckling]
Thank you.
Just a second and I will join you.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Bottoms up.
Mm. [coughs]
Wow.
That is, uh, good stuff, strong, strong stuff.
That'll drive you to put a lamp shade on your head.
[chuckling]
Well...
Now that we have had our frivolities, let's get down to boring old business.
You know, for most of my life, although my father was a rich bastard...
[laughs]
[chuckles] I was a failure at everything I ever did.
I failed at arithmetic, I failed at three marriages, and I can't get a seed to flower to save my life.
But despite my failures, people always remembered me.
Because you were the daughter of a rich bastard?
[laughing]
Well, that... That helped.
That has always helped, yes.
Uh, but, um, no.
People remembered me because I was different.
I said things that people didn't expect a lady to say, and I wore things that made people turn their heads, and I did things that, uh...
Well, I usually blamed on the bourbon.
[laughing]
But I am concerned that my daddy's magazine is not memorable.
It's not interesting.
There's nothin' I can read in our magazine that I can't read somewhere else, and to add insult to injury, "Time Magazine" is kicking our butt.
Well, we're kicking "Newsweek's" butt.
Look, I agree with you, Bea, but the news is the news.
We're gonna be covering the same story.
Our goal is to tell it better than anybody else.
To go deeper inside...
We're not gonna b*at "Time" at their game.
But the game is changing.
And I can assure you, we are looking to the future.
And what is it that you see?
Well, before long, "Time" is gonna be the old people's magazine.
Meanwhile, there are 3 million 23 year old Americans out there.
Their parents read "Time Magazine," which means they're not going to.
They're looking for something different, and I want "News of the Week" to be that something.
So that by the time they're 25, we're their go-to magazine.
We're the voice that they trust.
That they can turn to.
Hm.
How are you going to do that?
Well, we're working on several initiatives...
How is he gonna do that, Wick?
Well, we're gonna write about the things they care about.
Civil rights. The draft.
The back of the book stuff.
Uh, you know, and the arts, and the rock musicians.
"Rolling Stone" is less than two years old.
It's got a fraction of the subscribers that "Time" does, and yet the young people, they can't stop talking about it.
Jan Wenner, he is not afraid to take risks.
That is exactly what we need to do.
You are saying that we're going to lose readers?
Well, you can't win new readers without...
We may lose some.
Hm.
Robinson.
Rhodes.
You left this in my apartment a while back.
Thought you might want it.
Need it.
Are you trying to drive a point home?
You will not be sleeping over at my apartment anymore.
I got it.
We gonna be able to work together?
Yes.
Of course.
[phone ringing]
Jane.
Finn needs you.
Bea, you remember Jane.
Of course.
I knew Jane when she had braces on her teeth, and Gordy Hollander had a full head of hair.
It is so nice to see you again, Mrs. Burkhart.
Well, Jane was an excellent recommendation on your part.
She's kind of our head researcher around here.
Jane, maybe you can give Bea a little tour of the place before lunch.
Well, that would be nice. It's been a while.
I'd love to revisit how the sausages are made around here.
Well, I would love to show you around the sausage factory.
Um, may I carry this for you?
Oh.
Thank you.
[sighs]
Bill Shawn from "The New Yorker" called to say he only found two typos in last week's issue.
[chuckles] Son of a bitch.
Inside joke.
Angie.
Yes?
Is that a hand?
Yes. Yes, it is.
It's my daughter.
She woke up too sick to go to school today, and my husband's on a construction site in Philly for three weeks.
And my neighbor who usually watches her in a pinch is at the hospital having a baby of her own.
I understand how terrible the timing is with Mrs. Burkhart being here and...
Angie, I... I didn't know you had a daughter.
Hi. What's your name?
Vera.
I hope you feel better soon.
Put her in my office, she can lay down. Comfy couch.
What about...
It's better, it's private.
Are you sure?
♪ Thank heaven for little girls ♪
♪ For little girls get bigger every day ♪
♪ Thank heaven... ♪
♪ They grow up in the most delightful way ♪
Robinson.
Get over here.
How old are you?
Twenty-four.
Follow me.
Do you read this magazine?
Is that a trick question?
No, it's a g*dd*mn serious question. Do you read it?
Every word.
How about the average 24-year-old.
Look, if you didn't work here, would you read it?
Well, I would, but I'm weird.
I read three newspapers every morning even before I got this job.
Well, I guess we're both weird.
Three?
[as Johnny Carson] I will require absolute silence.
[laughs]
Ah, "The Times,"
"The Daily News."
Mm-hm.
You're too smart to read "The Post."
Too cool to read "The Wall Street Journal."
What am I missing?
"The Star Ledger."
[laughs] It's what I grew up on.
The loyal reader.
That's f*cking beautiful.
And that's why we gotta get 'em young.
Keep 'em loyal.
Can I tell you a secret?
There's not a man in the history of the world that said no to that question.
All right, Robinson.
I'm ready to receive your covert intelligence.
I watch the late local.
[laughing]
You are weird.
I bet that requires a stiff drink.
A joint, actually.
You watch the TV news high on marijuana.
Not out of my mind.
Just, you know, tuned in.
Why?
I don't want to just watch the news.
I want to feel a part of it.
Well, doesn't working here make you feel a part of it?
Sometimes.
[machine chugging]
[chuckles] Oh, the noisy telex room.
It's like a factory.
I love the sound of breaking news.
[chuckles] Daddy said he used to hear it in his sleep.
[laughs]
A lot of us do.
Mrs. Burkhart, this is Cindy Reston, one of our researchers.
Well, I didn't think it was the milk maid.
That is a beautiful vest, Cindy.
Thank you.
I... I actually made it myself.
All right.
Oh. [chuckles]
Um, Jane, have you seen Brady?
I'm supposed to be helping him today, 'cause Susan is out.
No, no, I haven't.
Nice to meet you.
[chuckling]
So Jane, tell me, how is everything at "News of the Week"?
Is everybody treating you well?
Absolutely. Very well.
I love my job.
Glad to hear it.
Though I was surprised to learn you were still here.
I thought a pretty girl like you would be married by now.
Oh, well, my boyfriend just graduated from Wharton, and started his job at Townley Investments.
Is it anybody I know?
Chad Huntington.
His father...
So, of course, Huntington Metal, yes.
But you were dating Chad before you started working here, yes?
It's been almost two years.
Two years.
And you don't have a ring on that finger yet.
Goodness.
Well, he couldn't do better. What is he waiting for?
Well, there's the new job and all.
Yeah.
[machine starts up]
Oh! [laughs]
There it is. [laughs]
Shall we?
Let's continue.
Patti: Did you see what just came in?
Their official statement with numbers.
The FBI defends police action in Los Angeles because they say it's the eighth act of v*olence perpetrated by the Black Panthers there.
Just read the same thing.
But I called the Los Angeles Police precinct, and they only have three acts of v*olence on their blotter.
The FBI lied, or L.A. intake stinks.
Check out Chicago.
That's where Fred Hampton was k*lled, so that's one.
FBI crime stats say five, Chicago says two.
It's orchestrated sabotage.
If the trend continues.
You call the capital precincts west of the Mississippi, I'll do the east, see what kind of numbers we get.
Hey.
Good work. Thanks.
Oh! Hey.
Oh! Sorry.
Sorry.
Hi.
What's up?
Um... Whoo. Well, I was supposed to help Brady with his environmental policy story, and I couldn't find him, um, and I found this in his typewriter.
What's that say?
I can't write this story.
Whoa. Brady always seemed so relaxed.
Yeah, well, I guess this place really isn't for everybody.
But Wick wants the story on the wall today, so they know how much space they have for the rest of the page, so do... do you think maybe Doug could write it?
He and I are in the middle of something.
[sighs] I think Jane said that Sam was doing...
Why don't you write it?
And get fired like Nora?
Nora re-wrote her reporter, your reporter left the magazine high and dry, and if Wick has a problem with that, you can tell him what the lawyer told us, that it's illegal not to let us write.
You girls seen Brady?
He quit.
He's gone.
[groans] Fucker took my Zippo.
Sorry.
You look cute today.
♪♪
Man: Sacramento Police Department.
Hi, this is Patti Robinson.
I'm calling from "News of the Week" magazine.
I'm wondering if I can speak to the chief of police?
Man: Can I put you on hold?
Yes, I'll hold. Thank you.
♪♪
Patti: Thank you so much.
Yes, sir, I have everything I need.
I really appreciate your time.
♪♪♪♪
Well, then, sir, I would advise you to find some experienced legal counsel who understands the libel laws of the United States of America because if you are so f...
Uh, misinformed about what that means...
[giggling]
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
Is that right?
No, that is not what I said.
That's not what I said because I was standing with myself 10 seconds ago when I said it, and my ears work just as well as my brain.
If you'll excuse me, something pressing has come to my attention.
[quacking]
[giggling]
Let me see if I can pull yours off.
[chuckles]
[grunting]
[giggling]
Angie: He's off the phone.
You ready?
Finn, Doug and Patti wanted a word.
Come on, Vera.
Just one more.
There'll be more soon, I promise.
Remember, when you're in a news room, you gotta look busy.
Give me your busy face.
I said let's go.
You should get to the luncheon, Finn, your car's waiting downstairs.
Yeah. [sighs] Fill me in.
Well, we're not done, but so far we've called 21 capital city precincts, 18 of them couldn't confirm the violent incidents the FBI is attributing to the Black Panthers.
Why couldn't they confirm?
Their numbers were much lower.
So the Panthers are responsible for...
Some violent incidents, yes, but nothing like what the FBI's reporting.
The FBI is using their numbers to justify a massive ramp up in counter surveillance against the Black Panthers.
If you're accusing the FBI of framing citizens, you'd better have sources backed up for miles.
Yeah, that would be nice.
Yeah, wouldn't it.
Let's talk about it over lunch. You can share my car.
♪♪
[knocking]
Wick: Come in.
Um, hello.
What do you need?
Oh. Well, um... I mean, I... I know that you wanted Brady's environmental story on the wall today.
So... I have it.
What's he doing?
Why didn't he bring it himself?
Oh, well, he seems to have quit.
He cleaned out his desk and he left a note that made it seem like he was not coming back.
Ah, jeez.
I should have known.
It's always the guys that act like nothing phases them that you gotta watch.
All the men were busy, so I just wrote it myself, um, off the research.
Pretty straightforward.
I guess maybe Brady prefers the stories with more conflict or...
Okay, take this to the copy desk, make those couple of changes and put it up on the wall.
Bea: Well, there's some pretty girls.
Just some early Christmas presents for the most beautiful and important part of this magazine.
Here you go, sweetie.
And for you.
Thank you.
This is Naomi.
Hi.
This is Patti.
Hi.
And this is Vivian.
Merry Christmas, ladies.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you so much.
Don't think I don't know what you do for those boys up there.
[chuckles]
Fran.
Is that...
Look at you.
Oh, wedged back there like a doorstop.
Hello, dear.
Come out here and give me a hug.
Oh, sweetie.
You look just beautiful.
Ohh.
Fran and I are old friends.
[chuckling]
The summer when I was 15... Do you remember?
I came to visit Daddy every day, and Fran would give me a stick of green gum.
[chuckling]
And a piece of paper, and sit me down at her typewriter, and, oh, I wrote some bad poetry that summer.
[laughing]
It's all because of Fran.
[chuckling]
Oh, sweetie, I can't believe you've been here almost 30 years.
Last Friday was 40.
Bea: Good heavens, 40 years.
[whispers] In the pit?
This was my very first job out of high school.
[whispers] And it'll be her last.
We are lucky to have her.
And we are lucky to have all of you.
You know, my daddy always wanted everybody who worked for us to feel like family, didn't he?
And I know I'm not around very often, but I want you to know that you can always come to me with any questions or concerns.
I'm crying. So glad to see you.
I'll see you soon.
All right.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
All: Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
I want you to go to Tiffany's on Fifth, and get Fran a crystal paperweight for her desk, put it on my account.
Poor thing, 40 years deserves more than a scarf.
Of course. That is so thoughtful of you.
Mrs. Burkhart.
I do have a question, actually.
Some of us girls were wondering if, because we do work so hard on the stories, we might be included in the writers luncheons?
Oh... [chuckles] No.
No. Trust me.
You would sooner be stuck in the eye with a sharp stick, those things are so boring.
Well, boring or not, it would give us a chance to talk about the magazine...
So much more fun down here gossiping with your girlfriends.
[chuckles]
♪♪♪♪
Thank you.
Yeah, did you see the lines? Oh, thank you.
I am trying to manage expectations so you don't look like a failure next year when we're down.
You're managing me right into a f*cking snake pit, Wick.
Oh, let's...
I would appreciate it...
Oh. Thank you.
Well, I am sure there is some rule about chasing bourbon with a martini, but you boys won't tell, will you, now?
The soul of discretion, Bea.
You know, in the old days when your father declined a martini at lunch, we knew somebody was getting fired.
[laughs]
To the fine journalists of "News of the Week."
May all the stories you print be just as interesting as those you tell.
And a good deal more truthful.
Here, here.
Drink to that.
Cheers.
Here, here, here.
Finn, I think there's a real story in this thing with the Black Panthers and the FBI.
Don't confuse incompetence with iniquity.
You think the FBI can't count?
I think Hoover does things his own way, and if he wants to put little berets on house cats and call them panthers, who's to stop him?
That's exactly the point, though.
Who is gonna stop him?
Bea, we're doing very well in every category across the board.
It's true the moon landing sold best off the news stand, but the top selling cover not directly related to that week's news was Janis Joplin.
Well, you can't only look at the newsstand.
Our main obligation is our subscribers.
And they damn sure would rather see Sinatra on the cover.
Our subscribers have already paid for the privilege of enjoying the brilliance you put inside that cover.
It's the new readers you win at the newsstand.
I agree.
What sold best for "Time"?
I need to check.
You ought to know.
[indistinct chatter]
♪♪
Sorry to make you wait.
There's only one ladies room in the whole damn building.
And it's... [groans] all the way downstairs.
You know how pregnant women are supposed to gain weight during pregnancy?
Well, not me, no.
I am gaining it in my stomach but losing it in my ass, because I have to climb those stairs 10 times a day.
[laughs]
Uh, when is your baby due?
You see this?
Yes. We brought you a copy, but I see you already have one.
I know you work there, but do you ever read it?
Oh, of course.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah?
Okay, do you read this page?
Yes.
Senior editors. All men.
General editors. All men.
Department heads, Jonathan, Mark, Wilbur, all men.
Reporters, Douglas, Marshall, Samuel.
More men.
So, you're never gonna get your name on this page.
You good with that?
[gasps] Oh. I'm so sorry.
Oh, no, no, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[clears throat]
Thank you.
Mid-town, please.
[clears throat]
Here's the process.
First, we file a complaint with the EEOC.
And that is...
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
It's a formal way of saying it's not fair that guys get to do all the cool stuff.
So we're suing them?
No, not yet.
First, we scare the hell out of them.
Which will get them to do the right thing without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom.
What if they don't do anything?
Then we sue.
And that's fine, too. It just takes longer.
♪♪
h*m* in Hollywood.
Well, "Newsweek" ran a, uh...
Or jogging.
Jogging. Apparently, young people are running with no particular destination in mind.
Who covers health?
Uh, JP here is on the health b*at, but he still eats like sh*t.
I mean, I know some of these may be trendy, but you never know what begets what.
Upton Sinclair took a bite of a burger, wrote "The Jungle."
Please, uh, excuse me for a minute, my martini glass runneth over, so to speak.
Excuse me.
You want to tell me why you're really here, Bea?
You don't believe I'm just here to play Santa, and buy you drinks?
No, ma'am.
You got good instincts.
I'm here because our end of year numbers are crap.
I respect your vision, but I can't wait two years to see change.
I need to see it in six months.
Well, that's gonna be difficult.
Oh, don't you dare tell me your job is hard, because I am not in the business of easy.
Mm-hm.
Anybody here wear contact lenses?
Apparently, you put them right on your eyeballs.
[moaning]
[moaning]
So I just came by to do that.
Well, I'm glad you did.
It'll give me something to think about until I pick you up for dinner.
Actually, I have one more thing for you to think about.
We've been dating for over two years, and...
And on one hand, that seems like a very short time.
You were in school and sometimes I work around the clock.
And it's only been two Christmases, one of which we couldn't even spend together.
And it seems like every time I see you, I learn something new, like how you got that scar on your knee.
[laughs]
Or why your mother calls you Beanie.
Ahh.
[laughs]
But on the other hand, it is a very long time to be at this stage of a relationship once we've professed our love for each other.
And I do love you, Chad.
Which is why I'm ready for the next stage.
But if you're not ready for that, I need to know.
So three months.
I need to know in three months.
Because that would still give me a year to plan for a spring wedding.
If that's what I should be planning for.
Otherwise, I should be considering my other options.
You're giving me an ultimatum?
No.
I'm giving you a chance to know me better.
And now you know how I feel.
Okay.
Three months.
You got it.
[chuckling]
Oh, uh, I'll have one more.
Please.
If I drank two of those, you would have to carry me back to work.
She just made me so nervous.
[whispers] I know.
You know, talking about how we have to recruit more women for the complaint to mean anything.
She said we need a majority.
That's 18 girls.
We should talk to Vivian first.
She's always complaining about how Hank takes huge chunks of her research, and just drops them in his articles without changing anything or saying, um, thank you.
I mean, what about that?
What about just a thank you now and then?
Patti...
Maybe Beverly, too.
I don't know, Patti.
You don't know what?
If I can do this.
Oh, Cindy, I am nervous, too, but if we don't do this, we're gonna end up in the pit for 40 years like Fran.
Hey. What is it?
I am... so lonely.
In my marriage.
Oh.
[sniffles] When it's time to leave work, I... I get this heavy feeling in my chest and... and my heart starts to race.
And when I walk through the door, I try to smile extra big.
You know, like if I act happy, then maybe I'll start to feel it.
And he really wants to start a family.
And... and when we got married, I thought that I did, too, but now, I...
I can't imagine bringing a baby into our home.
In the mornings, I... I cannot wait to get out the door.
I love riding the train to work, and the doughnut guy who tells me I'm beautiful every day.
Wait, the one on the corner of 23rd Street?
Yes.
Uh, I guess...
I guess he tells you that you're beautiful, too.
No. No, he tells me to slow down.
I love coming to work.
I love being at work. It's fun.
You know, the guys, the girls, the sound of the telex machine.
The smell of the mimeograph.
But you heard what she said.
If the guys find out what we're up to, or if any of the girls rat us out, we could get fired.
It's not worth the risk to me.
I mean, even if I am being treated unfairly at work, it's...
It's still the best thing that I have.
I can't do this without you.
[traffic noise]
[typing]
It's from Mrs. Burkhart.
For me?
Oh, my goodness.
I have dreamed of getting a present in one of these blue boxes since I can remember.
Ohh.
Isn't that beautiful?
That is really something.
I agree.
Someone could find themselves staring at something that beautiful for a very long time.
Well, you're welcome to come by, and admire it any time, Jane.
How'd it go?
Finn's into it.
He said go, go, go.
Or maybe he said ho, ho, ho.
It's hard to say.
Bea ordered so many drinks, I developed a ringing in my ears.
Oh, well, maybe I should wait a moment before giving you this.
Is that three things?
That is one address for the Black Panther headquarters.
I got them to agree to talk to you this afternoon.
How did you do that?
Well, I told them that our editors didn't want you to talk to them because they feel that their interviews are shrill and predictable, but we want to focus exclusively on their social programs, which nobody is covering.
Yeah, it's gonna take me two questions of that before launching into their politics.
Yeah, it is. So we should get going.
We?
Well, I want to come with you.
No.
Please.
No way.
I'm just gonna listen and take notes, and help you stand up.
I said no.
Why?
Because, Patti, it's... it's Harlem, and it's dangerous.
And I just... I need to worry about the story, and... and worry about myself without having to worry about you, too.
♪♪
[typing]
[phones ringing]
[laughing]
Wow. Okay, Vera, no matter what happens, you're gonna be the winner, okay?
Yay.
And Cindy, you're gonna come in second.
Oh, thank you.
Here.
Ooh. All right.
Oh, God. [laughs]
I'm not very good.
Oh. I did it.
That's how you're supposed to do it.
Oh, my God, I did it.
Oh, my gosh.
♪♪
I'm Doug Rhodes from "News of the Week."
I'm here to see Keith.
You know, mere inches from the finish line, that damn horse dropped dead.
[chuckles] And the little jockey popped up off of him like a piece of popcorn into the air...
Ohh.
You are getting worse, actually.
I don't know why, just... I'm digressing.
I don't know.
[laughing]
Yeah, and you're...
I can't talk.
Oh.
Oh.
Uh-oh. I'll get it.
Is this yours?
Do you know that my daddy never let me come to the office until I was 13 years old?
Because this is no place for a child.
Yeah, that's my fault, Bea.
I know she's young, but she's the only one with hands tiny enough to change out the ink in those telex machines.
Oh, you.
Come on, I'll show you out.
[chuckles] Thank you, everybody, for your hospitality, and your service.
Buh-bye, now.
Breakfast for children was always on the agenda.
Huey P. Newton himself said that on day one the Black Panther Party was dedicated to a revolution, but that revolution is defined by our goals, not our methods.
See, we must feed and educate the people.
'Cause this...
This is about the people.
Not the party.
Power to the people.
Ya dig, Sundance?
What about your free clinics?
This community needs separate medical care?
Yes. We need healing.
From what?
From living in world in which we are systematically brutalized by the r*cist white police who oppress us.
[water running]
Where'd you go to college, Jane.
Bryn Mawr.
Did you work for the newspaper there?
I was the editor.
Okay, so do you ever feel like you want something more from working here, like to be able to grow?
Well, I don't plan on being here much longer.
I have a boyfriend.
Oh.
You've never mentioned him.
Church and state, keep it separate.
Even so, Jane, you're so good at your job.
I'm not a career girl, Patti.
[sighs]
Okay.
[chuckles]
We're tormented by a corrupt capitalist system.
A system which was denied its endless source of free labor, which is now intent on denying us our dignity.
And if we continue down this path...
Sorry to cut you off, but are you saying the Black Panther Party...
There's the white apology.
The what?
The white apology.
The lie.
Man, you so deep into it, you can't even see.
You just said you're sorry for cuttin' me off, while in the very process of cuttin' me off.
Yes, I did.
So what is it you're really sorry about? Hm?
Maybe it's the fact that you came in here like all the other white journalists already dead sure what you're gonna write about us.
That's not true. I want to know.
You came here to ask me about breakfast for poor black kids.
So ask it.
Ask me what you really came to ask me.
I believe the FBI might be inflating acts of v*olence committed by the Black Panther Party to justify an increase in counter surveillance.
That's what you believe, Sundance?
Good for you.
That's what I know.
We ain't scary enough.
They gotta make us into monsters.
Well, your party hasn't shied away from advocating v*olence to achieve goals. Some might feel the FBI is justified...
Advocating v*olence?
I was born in chains.
Because of the color of my skin.
My grandmother, my mother, my grandfather and my father all born in chains.
Now, Dr. King asked y'all nicely to cut 'em off.
Y'all wouldn't listen.
Y'all k*lled him.
Now you gotta deal with us.
Now we carry g*ns.
We're just tryin' to feed our people, educate our children.
And yes, we will defend ourselves.
We will fight to defend ourselves.
I'll take a breath while you write all that down.
[sighs]
Mm. I get to go home to my cuddle bug now.
Oh, how old?
Three and a half, or as he says, three and a half and three quarters.
[chuckles]
[elevator dings]
Here, after you.
Thanks.
[coughing]
♪♪
So, he just keeps on flipping through the pages of his case book while the professor waits.
The whole class waits.
Flipping and flipping like a crazy man.
[chuckles]
I guess he thought that if he did it long enough, the professor would just give up.
[laughs] And... and did he?
What?
Give up.
Yeah.
Called on Tommy Barton like always.
Mm.
Mm. And that's, um... That's Professor Trau?
No, Trau's contracts.
This was con law, Professor Easterbrook.
Ah.
There's this girl at work who says that it's illegal that, uh, "News of the Week" only hires men as writers.
How's that?
Uh, be... because of the... the Civil Rights act or something.
Um, this girl, uh, says that it makes, uh, discrimination against us illegal.
Like, you know, saying that women can only have some jobs.
That law's untested.
I doubt it will up in the Supreme Court, if it even gets that far.
Some southern senator put the women thing in just to try to k*ll the bill.
Figured people would never vote for a law making women equal at work.
They did.
♪♪[Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky"]
♪ When I die and they lay me to rest ♪
♪ Gonna go to the place that's the best ♪
♪ When I lay me down to die ♪
♪ Goin' up to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ Goin' up to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ Spirit in the sky ♪
♪ That's where I'm gonna go when I die ♪
♪ When I die ♪
♪ When I die and they lay me to rest ♪
♪ I'm gonna go to the place that's the best ♪
♪♪
♪ Prepare yourself you know it's a must ♪
♪ Gotta have a friend in Jesus ♪
♪ So you know that when you die ♪
♪ He's gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ Gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ That's where you're gonna go when you die ♪
♪ When you die ♪
♪ When you die and they lay you to rest ♪
♪ You're gonna go to the place that's the best ♪
♪♪
Hey!
Ronnie's goin' with you.
Oh, that... That's all right.
It wasn't a question.
He'll walk you down to 110th Street.
[phone rings]
Hello.
Oh, hi, sweetheart, I'm just about ready.
Oh, of course.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, it's fine.
No, it's fine. It's for work.
You should stay.
You know what? It's more than fine.
It's great.
I know you will.
Bye.
[sighs]
♪♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, oh, yeah ♪
♪ What condition my condition was in ♪
♪ Someone painted "April Fool" ♪
♪ In big black letters on a "Dead End" sign ♪
[knocking]
♪ I had my foot on the gas ♪
♪ As I left the road and blew out my mind ♪
Hello.
♪ Eight miles out of Memphis ♪
I don't know you but come on in.
My name is Jane, 15B.
Cool. I'm Max.
You like to party, Jane, 15B?
I have to be up at 6 to be back at work at 7.
And I don't know what it is you do that gives you the luxury of partying and singing the same song six times in a row so late on a Thursday night, but I hope you will do me the respect of turning down the music, and shutting your window until you officially wrap up.
Uh, just one question, there, Jane, 15B.
How were we?
♪ To see what condition my condition was in ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ I'm a girl and by me that's only great ♪
♪ I am proud that my silhouette is curvy ♪
Ready. Set.
Go!
♪ With my hips kind of swivelly and swervey ♪
♪ I adore being dressed in something frilly ♪
♪ When my date comes to get me at my place ♪
♪ Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy ♪
Yes.
Let's go.
Let's go!
Come on, Jane.
Yes!
That a girl. Yes!
Ha, ha!
Oh, oh.
I did it. Finally, I won.
No celebrating. I b*at you by a foot.
No, no, no, Daddy. You know that I won.
Won my ass. I could have smoked a cigarette waiting for you.
You shouldn't lie. It sets a bad example.
Oh, you two.
Chad, the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Chad, who won that race?
This is strictly Hollander business.
Reenie, let me buy you a juice.
Oh, such a gentleman.
Yeah. Put it on Gordy's tab.
All right.
Well, they asked me to audition for "The Philadelphia Story."
Mm, you should. As Tracy Lord?
We'll be in the front row to cheer you on.
Oh, you don't cheer at a play.
But it is all at night, and then I wouldn't be home for Daddy after his long day at work.
Well, wasn't it your goal to retire at 50, Daddy?
And that's, what, five years away?
Yes, exactly.
Now I have to wait until your idiot brother can prove that he won't run the business into the ground, so I will very likely be an old man, unless I can leave the business to you, Chad.
Well, let's see.
Been at Townley's a month.
How early is too early to resign?
[chuckling]
Oh, I was...
No, she's finished.
Waiter: Oh, okay.
So finish that story.
[phone rings]
"News of the Week," this is Charlie.
I wonder why she's here.
Patti: She's the publisher. She doesn't need a reason.
Oh, I read an article that despite being one of the richest people in the country, Mrs. Burkhart still enjoys making her own clothes.
I guarantee you she didn't make those snake skin shoes she walked in on.
They look like they cost at least $50.
$50?
The Burkhart family made their fortune from Kentucky bourbon, and as the story goes, a giant oak tree fell on Bea's great great grandfather's house.
He made 40 oak barrels using that tree, and used them to age his first batch of bourbon.
It's now called Storm Tree bourbon, and it's one of the most sought after in the world.
Oh.
The Burkhart family is a client of my father's financial firm.
There it is.
Oh, Naomi, you have a run in your stockings.
I have an extra pair of L'eggs in my desk.
Let me get them for you.
Thank you.
[laughing] I tell people when Daddy d*ed, he had so much bourbon in his blood, they didn't have to embalm him.
[chuckling]
Thank you.
Just a second and I will join you.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Bottoms up.
Mm. [coughs]
Wow.
That is, uh, good stuff, strong, strong stuff.
That'll drive you to put a lamp shade on your head.
[chuckling]
Well...
Now that we have had our frivolities, let's get down to boring old business.
You know, for most of my life, although my father was a rich bastard...
[laughs]
[chuckles] I was a failure at everything I ever did.
I failed at arithmetic, I failed at three marriages, and I can't get a seed to flower to save my life.
But despite my failures, people always remembered me.
Because you were the daughter of a rich bastard?
[laughing]
Well, that... That helped.
That has always helped, yes.
Uh, but, um, no.
People remembered me because I was different.
I said things that people didn't expect a lady to say, and I wore things that made people turn their heads, and I did things that, uh...
Well, I usually blamed on the bourbon.
[laughing]
But I am concerned that my daddy's magazine is not memorable.
It's not interesting.
There's nothin' I can read in our magazine that I can't read somewhere else, and to add insult to injury, "Time Magazine" is kicking our butt.
Well, we're kicking "Newsweek's" butt.
Look, I agree with you, Bea, but the news is the news.
We're gonna be covering the same story.
Our goal is to tell it better than anybody else.
To go deeper inside...
We're not gonna b*at "Time" at their game.
But the game is changing.
And I can assure you, we are looking to the future.
And what is it that you see?
Well, before long, "Time" is gonna be the old people's magazine.
Meanwhile, there are 3 million 23 year old Americans out there.
Their parents read "Time Magazine," which means they're not going to.
They're looking for something different, and I want "News of the Week" to be that something.
So that by the time they're 25, we're their go-to magazine.
We're the voice that they trust.
That they can turn to.
Hm.
How are you going to do that?
Well, we're working on several initiatives...
How is he gonna do that, Wick?
Well, we're gonna write about the things they care about.
Civil rights. The draft.
The back of the book stuff.
Uh, you know, and the arts, and the rock musicians.
"Rolling Stone" is less than two years old.
It's got a fraction of the subscribers that "Time" does, and yet the young people, they can't stop talking about it.
Jan Wenner, he is not afraid to take risks.
That is exactly what we need to do.
You are saying that we're going to lose readers?
Well, you can't win new readers without...
We may lose some.
Hm.
Robinson.
Rhodes.
You left this in my apartment a while back.
Thought you might want it.
Need it.
Are you trying to drive a point home?
You will not be sleeping over at my apartment anymore.
I got it.
We gonna be able to work together?
Yes.
Of course.
[phone ringing]
Jane.
Finn needs you.
Bea, you remember Jane.
Of course.
I knew Jane when she had braces on her teeth, and Gordy Hollander had a full head of hair.
It is so nice to see you again, Mrs. Burkhart.
Well, Jane was an excellent recommendation on your part.
She's kind of our head researcher around here.
Jane, maybe you can give Bea a little tour of the place before lunch.
Well, that would be nice. It's been a while.
I'd love to revisit how the sausages are made around here.
Well, I would love to show you around the sausage factory.
Um, may I carry this for you?
Oh.
Thank you.
[sighs]
Bill Shawn from "The New Yorker" called to say he only found two typos in last week's issue.
[chuckles] Son of a bitch.
Inside joke.
Angie.
Yes?
Is that a hand?
Yes. Yes, it is.
It's my daughter.
She woke up too sick to go to school today, and my husband's on a construction site in Philly for three weeks.
And my neighbor who usually watches her in a pinch is at the hospital having a baby of her own.
I understand how terrible the timing is with Mrs. Burkhart being here and...
Angie, I... I didn't know you had a daughter.
Hi. What's your name?
Vera.
I hope you feel better soon.
Put her in my office, she can lay down. Comfy couch.
What about...
It's better, it's private.
Are you sure?
♪ Thank heaven for little girls ♪
♪ For little girls get bigger every day ♪
♪ Thank heaven... ♪
♪ They grow up in the most delightful way ♪
Robinson.
Get over here.
How old are you?
Twenty-four.
Follow me.
Do you read this magazine?
Is that a trick question?
No, it's a g*dd*mn serious question. Do you read it?
Every word.
How about the average 24-year-old.
Look, if you didn't work here, would you read it?
Well, I would, but I'm weird.
I read three newspapers every morning even before I got this job.
Well, I guess we're both weird.
Three?
[as Johnny Carson] I will require absolute silence.
[laughs]
Ah, "The Times,"
"The Daily News."
Mm-hm.
You're too smart to read "The Post."
Too cool to read "The Wall Street Journal."
What am I missing?
"The Star Ledger."
[laughs] It's what I grew up on.
The loyal reader.
That's f*cking beautiful.
And that's why we gotta get 'em young.
Keep 'em loyal.
Can I tell you a secret?
There's not a man in the history of the world that said no to that question.
All right, Robinson.
I'm ready to receive your covert intelligence.
I watch the late local.
[laughing]
You are weird.
I bet that requires a stiff drink.
A joint, actually.
You watch the TV news high on marijuana.
Not out of my mind.
Just, you know, tuned in.
Why?
I don't want to just watch the news.
I want to feel a part of it.
Well, doesn't working here make you feel a part of it?
Sometimes.
[machine chugging]
[chuckles] Oh, the noisy telex room.
It's like a factory.
I love the sound of breaking news.
[chuckles] Daddy said he used to hear it in his sleep.
[laughs]
A lot of us do.
Mrs. Burkhart, this is Cindy Reston, one of our researchers.
Well, I didn't think it was the milk maid.
That is a beautiful vest, Cindy.
Thank you.
I... I actually made it myself.
All right.
Oh. [chuckles]
Um, Jane, have you seen Brady?
I'm supposed to be helping him today, 'cause Susan is out.
No, no, I haven't.
Nice to meet you.
[chuckling]
So Jane, tell me, how is everything at "News of the Week"?
Is everybody treating you well?
Absolutely. Very well.
I love my job.
Glad to hear it.
Though I was surprised to learn you were still here.
I thought a pretty girl like you would be married by now.
Oh, well, my boyfriend just graduated from Wharton, and started his job at Townley Investments.
Is it anybody I know?
Chad Huntington.
His father...
So, of course, Huntington Metal, yes.
But you were dating Chad before you started working here, yes?
It's been almost two years.
Two years.
And you don't have a ring on that finger yet.
Goodness.
Well, he couldn't do better. What is he waiting for?
Well, there's the new job and all.
Yeah.
[machine starts up]
Oh! [laughs]
There it is. [laughs]
Shall we?
Let's continue.
Patti: Did you see what just came in?
Their official statement with numbers.
The FBI defends police action in Los Angeles because they say it's the eighth act of v*olence perpetrated by the Black Panthers there.
Just read the same thing.
But I called the Los Angeles Police precinct, and they only have three acts of v*olence on their blotter.
The FBI lied, or L.A. intake stinks.
Check out Chicago.
That's where Fred Hampton was k*lled, so that's one.
FBI crime stats say five, Chicago says two.
It's orchestrated sabotage.
If the trend continues.
You call the capital precincts west of the Mississippi, I'll do the east, see what kind of numbers we get.
Hey.
Good work. Thanks.
Oh! Hey.
Oh! Sorry.
Sorry.
Hi.
What's up?
Um... Whoo. Well, I was supposed to help Brady with his environmental policy story, and I couldn't find him, um, and I found this in his typewriter.
What's that say?
I can't write this story.
Whoa. Brady always seemed so relaxed.
Yeah, well, I guess this place really isn't for everybody.
But Wick wants the story on the wall today, so they know how much space they have for the rest of the page, so do... do you think maybe Doug could write it?
He and I are in the middle of something.
[sighs] I think Jane said that Sam was doing...
Why don't you write it?
And get fired like Nora?
Nora re-wrote her reporter, your reporter left the magazine high and dry, and if Wick has a problem with that, you can tell him what the lawyer told us, that it's illegal not to let us write.
You girls seen Brady?
He quit.
He's gone.
[groans] Fucker took my Zippo.
Sorry.
You look cute today.
♪♪
Man: Sacramento Police Department.
Hi, this is Patti Robinson.
I'm calling from "News of the Week" magazine.
I'm wondering if I can speak to the chief of police?
Man: Can I put you on hold?
Yes, I'll hold. Thank you.
♪♪
Patti: Thank you so much.
Yes, sir, I have everything I need.
I really appreciate your time.
♪♪♪♪
Well, then, sir, I would advise you to find some experienced legal counsel who understands the libel laws of the United States of America because if you are so f...
Uh, misinformed about what that means...
[giggling]
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
Is that right?
No, that is not what I said.
That's not what I said because I was standing with myself 10 seconds ago when I said it, and my ears work just as well as my brain.
If you'll excuse me, something pressing has come to my attention.
[quacking]
[giggling]
Let me see if I can pull yours off.
[chuckles]
[grunting]
[giggling]
Angie: He's off the phone.
You ready?
Finn, Doug and Patti wanted a word.
Come on, Vera.
Just one more.
There'll be more soon, I promise.
Remember, when you're in a news room, you gotta look busy.
Give me your busy face.
I said let's go.
You should get to the luncheon, Finn, your car's waiting downstairs.
Yeah. [sighs] Fill me in.
Well, we're not done, but so far we've called 21 capital city precincts, 18 of them couldn't confirm the violent incidents the FBI is attributing to the Black Panthers.
Why couldn't they confirm?
Their numbers were much lower.
So the Panthers are responsible for...
Some violent incidents, yes, but nothing like what the FBI's reporting.
The FBI is using their numbers to justify a massive ramp up in counter surveillance against the Black Panthers.
If you're accusing the FBI of framing citizens, you'd better have sources backed up for miles.
Yeah, that would be nice.
Yeah, wouldn't it.
Let's talk about it over lunch. You can share my car.
♪♪
[knocking]
Wick: Come in.
Um, hello.
What do you need?
Oh. Well, um... I mean, I... I know that you wanted Brady's environmental story on the wall today.
So... I have it.
What's he doing?
Why didn't he bring it himself?
Oh, well, he seems to have quit.
He cleaned out his desk and he left a note that made it seem like he was not coming back.
Ah, jeez.
I should have known.
It's always the guys that act like nothing phases them that you gotta watch.
All the men were busy, so I just wrote it myself, um, off the research.
Pretty straightforward.
I guess maybe Brady prefers the stories with more conflict or...
Okay, take this to the copy desk, make those couple of changes and put it up on the wall.
Bea: Well, there's some pretty girls.
Just some early Christmas presents for the most beautiful and important part of this magazine.
Here you go, sweetie.
And for you.
Thank you.
This is Naomi.
Hi.
This is Patti.
Hi.
And this is Vivian.
Merry Christmas, ladies.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you so much.
Don't think I don't know what you do for those boys up there.
[chuckles]
Fran.
Is that...
Look at you.
Oh, wedged back there like a doorstop.
Hello, dear.
Come out here and give me a hug.
Oh, sweetie.
You look just beautiful.
Ohh.
Fran and I are old friends.
[chuckling]
The summer when I was 15... Do you remember?
I came to visit Daddy every day, and Fran would give me a stick of green gum.
[chuckling]
And a piece of paper, and sit me down at her typewriter, and, oh, I wrote some bad poetry that summer.
[laughing]
It's all because of Fran.
[chuckling]
Oh, sweetie, I can't believe you've been here almost 30 years.
Last Friday was 40.
Bea: Good heavens, 40 years.
[whispers] In the pit?
This was my very first job out of high school.
[whispers] And it'll be her last.
We are lucky to have her.
And we are lucky to have all of you.
You know, my daddy always wanted everybody who worked for us to feel like family, didn't he?
And I know I'm not around very often, but I want you to know that you can always come to me with any questions or concerns.
I'm crying. So glad to see you.
I'll see you soon.
All right.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
All: Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
I want you to go to Tiffany's on Fifth, and get Fran a crystal paperweight for her desk, put it on my account.
Poor thing, 40 years deserves more than a scarf.
Of course. That is so thoughtful of you.
Mrs. Burkhart.
I do have a question, actually.
Some of us girls were wondering if, because we do work so hard on the stories, we might be included in the writers luncheons?
Oh... [chuckles] No.
No. Trust me.
You would sooner be stuck in the eye with a sharp stick, those things are so boring.
Well, boring or not, it would give us a chance to talk about the magazine...
So much more fun down here gossiping with your girlfriends.
[chuckles]
♪♪♪♪
Thank you.
Yeah, did you see the lines? Oh, thank you.
I am trying to manage expectations so you don't look like a failure next year when we're down.
You're managing me right into a f*cking snake pit, Wick.
Oh, let's...
I would appreciate it...
Oh. Thank you.
Well, I am sure there is some rule about chasing bourbon with a martini, but you boys won't tell, will you, now?
The soul of discretion, Bea.
You know, in the old days when your father declined a martini at lunch, we knew somebody was getting fired.
[laughs]
To the fine journalists of "News of the Week."
May all the stories you print be just as interesting as those you tell.
And a good deal more truthful.
Here, here.
Drink to that.
Cheers.
Here, here, here.
Finn, I think there's a real story in this thing with the Black Panthers and the FBI.
Don't confuse incompetence with iniquity.
You think the FBI can't count?
I think Hoover does things his own way, and if he wants to put little berets on house cats and call them panthers, who's to stop him?
That's exactly the point, though.
Who is gonna stop him?
Bea, we're doing very well in every category across the board.
It's true the moon landing sold best off the news stand, but the top selling cover not directly related to that week's news was Janis Joplin.
Well, you can't only look at the newsstand.
Our main obligation is our subscribers.
And they damn sure would rather see Sinatra on the cover.
Our subscribers have already paid for the privilege of enjoying the brilliance you put inside that cover.
It's the new readers you win at the newsstand.
I agree.
What sold best for "Time"?
I need to check.
You ought to know.
[indistinct chatter]
♪♪
Sorry to make you wait.
There's only one ladies room in the whole damn building.
And it's... [groans] all the way downstairs.
You know how pregnant women are supposed to gain weight during pregnancy?
Well, not me, no.
I am gaining it in my stomach but losing it in my ass, because I have to climb those stairs 10 times a day.
[laughs]
Uh, when is your baby due?
You see this?
Yes. We brought you a copy, but I see you already have one.
I know you work there, but do you ever read it?
Oh, of course.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah?
Okay, do you read this page?
Yes.
Senior editors. All men.
General editors. All men.
Department heads, Jonathan, Mark, Wilbur, all men.
Reporters, Douglas, Marshall, Samuel.
More men.
So, you're never gonna get your name on this page.
You good with that?
[gasps] Oh. I'm so sorry.
Oh, no, no, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[clears throat]
Thank you.
Mid-town, please.
[clears throat]
Here's the process.
First, we file a complaint with the EEOC.
And that is...
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
It's a formal way of saying it's not fair that guys get to do all the cool stuff.
So we're suing them?
No, not yet.
First, we scare the hell out of them.
Which will get them to do the right thing without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom.
What if they don't do anything?
Then we sue.
And that's fine, too. It just takes longer.
♪♪
h*m* in Hollywood.
Well, "Newsweek" ran a, uh...
Or jogging.
Jogging. Apparently, young people are running with no particular destination in mind.
Who covers health?
Uh, JP here is on the health b*at, but he still eats like sh*t.
I mean, I know some of these may be trendy, but you never know what begets what.
Upton Sinclair took a bite of a burger, wrote "The Jungle."
Please, uh, excuse me for a minute, my martini glass runneth over, so to speak.
Excuse me.
You want to tell me why you're really here, Bea?
You don't believe I'm just here to play Santa, and buy you drinks?
No, ma'am.
You got good instincts.
I'm here because our end of year numbers are crap.
I respect your vision, but I can't wait two years to see change.
I need to see it in six months.
Well, that's gonna be difficult.
Oh, don't you dare tell me your job is hard, because I am not in the business of easy.
Mm-hm.
Anybody here wear contact lenses?
Apparently, you put them right on your eyeballs.
[moaning]
[moaning]
So I just came by to do that.
Well, I'm glad you did.
It'll give me something to think about until I pick you up for dinner.
Actually, I have one more thing for you to think about.
We've been dating for over two years, and...
And on one hand, that seems like a very short time.
You were in school and sometimes I work around the clock.
And it's only been two Christmases, one of which we couldn't even spend together.
And it seems like every time I see you, I learn something new, like how you got that scar on your knee.
[laughs]
Or why your mother calls you Beanie.
Ahh.
[laughs]
But on the other hand, it is a very long time to be at this stage of a relationship once we've professed our love for each other.
And I do love you, Chad.
Which is why I'm ready for the next stage.
But if you're not ready for that, I need to know.
So three months.
I need to know in three months.
Because that would still give me a year to plan for a spring wedding.
If that's what I should be planning for.
Otherwise, I should be considering my other options.
You're giving me an ultimatum?
No.
I'm giving you a chance to know me better.
And now you know how I feel.
Okay.
Three months.
You got it.
[chuckling]
Oh, uh, I'll have one more.
Please.
If I drank two of those, you would have to carry me back to work.
She just made me so nervous.
[whispers] I know.
You know, talking about how we have to recruit more women for the complaint to mean anything.
She said we need a majority.
That's 18 girls.
We should talk to Vivian first.
She's always complaining about how Hank takes huge chunks of her research, and just drops them in his articles without changing anything or saying, um, thank you.
I mean, what about that?
What about just a thank you now and then?
Patti...
Maybe Beverly, too.
I don't know, Patti.
You don't know what?
If I can do this.
Oh, Cindy, I am nervous, too, but if we don't do this, we're gonna end up in the pit for 40 years like Fran.
Hey. What is it?
I am... so lonely.
In my marriage.
Oh.
[sniffles] When it's time to leave work, I... I get this heavy feeling in my chest and... and my heart starts to race.
And when I walk through the door, I try to smile extra big.
You know, like if I act happy, then maybe I'll start to feel it.
And he really wants to start a family.
And... and when we got married, I thought that I did, too, but now, I...
I can't imagine bringing a baby into our home.
In the mornings, I... I cannot wait to get out the door.
I love riding the train to work, and the doughnut guy who tells me I'm beautiful every day.
Wait, the one on the corner of 23rd Street?
Yes.
Uh, I guess...
I guess he tells you that you're beautiful, too.
No. No, he tells me to slow down.
I love coming to work.
I love being at work. It's fun.
You know, the guys, the girls, the sound of the telex machine.
The smell of the mimeograph.
But you heard what she said.
If the guys find out what we're up to, or if any of the girls rat us out, we could get fired.
It's not worth the risk to me.
I mean, even if I am being treated unfairly at work, it's...
It's still the best thing that I have.
I can't do this without you.
[traffic noise]
[typing]
It's from Mrs. Burkhart.
For me?
Oh, my goodness.
I have dreamed of getting a present in one of these blue boxes since I can remember.
Ohh.
Isn't that beautiful?
That is really something.
I agree.
Someone could find themselves staring at something that beautiful for a very long time.
Well, you're welcome to come by, and admire it any time, Jane.
How'd it go?
Finn's into it.
He said go, go, go.
Or maybe he said ho, ho, ho.
It's hard to say.
Bea ordered so many drinks, I developed a ringing in my ears.
Oh, well, maybe I should wait a moment before giving you this.
Is that three things?
That is one address for the Black Panther headquarters.
I got them to agree to talk to you this afternoon.
How did you do that?
Well, I told them that our editors didn't want you to talk to them because they feel that their interviews are shrill and predictable, but we want to focus exclusively on their social programs, which nobody is covering.
Yeah, it's gonna take me two questions of that before launching into their politics.
Yeah, it is. So we should get going.
We?
Well, I want to come with you.
No.
Please.
No way.
I'm just gonna listen and take notes, and help you stand up.
I said no.
Why?
Because, Patti, it's... it's Harlem, and it's dangerous.
And I just... I need to worry about the story, and... and worry about myself without having to worry about you, too.
♪♪
[typing]
[phones ringing]
[laughing]
Wow. Okay, Vera, no matter what happens, you're gonna be the winner, okay?
Yay.
And Cindy, you're gonna come in second.
Oh, thank you.
Here.
Ooh. All right.
Oh, God. [laughs]
I'm not very good.
Oh. I did it.
That's how you're supposed to do it.
Oh, my God, I did it.
Oh, my gosh.
♪♪
I'm Doug Rhodes from "News of the Week."
I'm here to see Keith.
You know, mere inches from the finish line, that damn horse dropped dead.
[chuckles] And the little jockey popped up off of him like a piece of popcorn into the air...
Ohh.
You are getting worse, actually.
I don't know why, just... I'm digressing.
I don't know.
[laughing]
Yeah, and you're...
I can't talk.
Oh.
Oh.
Uh-oh. I'll get it.
Is this yours?
Do you know that my daddy never let me come to the office until I was 13 years old?
Because this is no place for a child.
Yeah, that's my fault, Bea.
I know she's young, but she's the only one with hands tiny enough to change out the ink in those telex machines.
Oh, you.
Come on, I'll show you out.
[chuckles] Thank you, everybody, for your hospitality, and your service.
Buh-bye, now.
Breakfast for children was always on the agenda.
Huey P. Newton himself said that on day one the Black Panther Party was dedicated to a revolution, but that revolution is defined by our goals, not our methods.
See, we must feed and educate the people.
'Cause this...
This is about the people.
Not the party.
Power to the people.
Ya dig, Sundance?
What about your free clinics?
This community needs separate medical care?
Yes. We need healing.
From what?
From living in world in which we are systematically brutalized by the r*cist white police who oppress us.
[water running]
Where'd you go to college, Jane.
Bryn Mawr.
Did you work for the newspaper there?
I was the editor.
Okay, so do you ever feel like you want something more from working here, like to be able to grow?
Well, I don't plan on being here much longer.
I have a boyfriend.
Oh.
You've never mentioned him.
Church and state, keep it separate.
Even so, Jane, you're so good at your job.
I'm not a career girl, Patti.
[sighs]
Okay.
[chuckles]
We're tormented by a corrupt capitalist system.
A system which was denied its endless source of free labor, which is now intent on denying us our dignity.
And if we continue down this path...
Sorry to cut you off, but are you saying the Black Panther Party...
There's the white apology.
The what?
The white apology.
The lie.
Man, you so deep into it, you can't even see.
You just said you're sorry for cuttin' me off, while in the very process of cuttin' me off.
Yes, I did.
So what is it you're really sorry about? Hm?
Maybe it's the fact that you came in here like all the other white journalists already dead sure what you're gonna write about us.
That's not true. I want to know.
You came here to ask me about breakfast for poor black kids.
So ask it.
Ask me what you really came to ask me.
I believe the FBI might be inflating acts of v*olence committed by the Black Panther Party to justify an increase in counter surveillance.
That's what you believe, Sundance?
Good for you.
That's what I know.
We ain't scary enough.
They gotta make us into monsters.
Well, your party hasn't shied away from advocating v*olence to achieve goals. Some might feel the FBI is justified...
Advocating v*olence?
I was born in chains.
Because of the color of my skin.
My grandmother, my mother, my grandfather and my father all born in chains.
Now, Dr. King asked y'all nicely to cut 'em off.
Y'all wouldn't listen.
Y'all k*lled him.
Now you gotta deal with us.
Now we carry g*ns.
We're just tryin' to feed our people, educate our children.
And yes, we will defend ourselves.
We will fight to defend ourselves.
I'll take a breath while you write all that down.
[sighs]
Mm. I get to go home to my cuddle bug now.
Oh, how old?
Three and a half, or as he says, three and a half and three quarters.
[chuckles]
[elevator dings]
Here, after you.
Thanks.
[coughing]
♪♪
So, he just keeps on flipping through the pages of his case book while the professor waits.
The whole class waits.
Flipping and flipping like a crazy man.
[chuckles]
I guess he thought that if he did it long enough, the professor would just give up.
[laughs] And... and did he?
What?
Give up.
Yeah.
Called on Tommy Barton like always.
Mm.
Mm. And that's, um... That's Professor Trau?
No, Trau's contracts.
This was con law, Professor Easterbrook.
Ah.
There's this girl at work who says that it's illegal that, uh, "News of the Week" only hires men as writers.
How's that?
Uh, be... because of the... the Civil Rights act or something.
Um, this girl, uh, says that it makes, uh, discrimination against us illegal.
Like, you know, saying that women can only have some jobs.
That law's untested.
I doubt it will up in the Supreme Court, if it even gets that far.
Some southern senator put the women thing in just to try to k*ll the bill.
Figured people would never vote for a law making women equal at work.
They did.
♪♪[Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky"]
♪ When I die and they lay me to rest ♪
♪ Gonna go to the place that's the best ♪
♪ When I lay me down to die ♪
♪ Goin' up to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ Goin' up to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ Spirit in the sky ♪
♪ That's where I'm gonna go when I die ♪
♪ When I die ♪
♪ When I die and they lay me to rest ♪
♪ I'm gonna go to the place that's the best ♪
♪♪
♪ Prepare yourself you know it's a must ♪
♪ Gotta have a friend in Jesus ♪
♪ So you know that when you die ♪
♪ He's gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ Gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky ♪
♪ That's where you're gonna go when you die ♪
♪ When you die ♪
♪ When you die and they lay you to rest ♪
♪ You're gonna go to the place that's the best ♪
♪♪
Hey!
Ronnie's goin' with you.
Oh, that... That's all right.
It wasn't a question.
He'll walk you down to 110th Street.
[phone rings]
Hello.
Oh, hi, sweetheart, I'm just about ready.
Oh, of course.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, it's fine.
No, it's fine. It's for work.
You should stay.
You know what? It's more than fine.
It's great.
I know you will.
Bye.
[sighs]
♪♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, oh, yeah ♪
♪ What condition my condition was in ♪
♪ Someone painted "April Fool" ♪
♪ In big black letters on a "Dead End" sign ♪
[knocking]
♪ I had my foot on the gas ♪
♪ As I left the road and blew out my mind ♪
Hello.
♪ Eight miles out of Memphis ♪
I don't know you but come on in.
My name is Jane, 15B.
Cool. I'm Max.
You like to party, Jane, 15B?
I have to be up at 6 to be back at work at 7.
And I don't know what it is you do that gives you the luxury of partying and singing the same song six times in a row so late on a Thursday night, but I hope you will do me the respect of turning down the music, and shutting your window until you officially wrap up.
Uh, just one question, there, Jane, 15B.
How were we?
♪ To see what condition my condition was in ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪