He starts telling her the captivating saga of getting Isaac a cheese grater, completely oblivious to the fact that maybe, just maybe, Dana has greater concerns on her mind than frigging cheese graters. But she feigns excited interest as they walk to the coffee machine, and then we get these close-ups of Dana fumbling with the coffee and smacking the machine. Casey, finally aware that something is wrong (it must be, if she's not listening to his story), says, "Dana." "Leave me alone," she says. "It's not like you don't see this in sports all the time," he says. Uh, Casey, it's her brother, you idiot. Dana points that out. Casey, in a surprise move, makes excuses for the professional athlete, saying he's a 240-pound linebacker going up against a 350-pound offensive athlete who's probably also "souped up," and that Kyle's just trying to keep himself in the game. They're entering the control room at this last bit, and Dana actually turns around and shoves Casey out into the hall. "Don't defend him and don't tell me how to be," she says. She talks about Kyle being part of a conspiracy to buy steroids, she talks about side-effects and long-term damage, the suspension and a likely $50,000 fine when he's making just over the league minimum. "And, if the local DA feels like running for something next year, he could also go to jail. To say nothing of the fact that his name is now also synonymous with everything that's bad about sports." "And all I'm saying is that he's got enough people telling him that right now. The papers, talk radio, agents, lawyers, the league, his teammates, his sister's own television show, and maybe he doesn't need any more guests at that party. And maybe the best role you can play right now is as his sister, Dana." Dana considers this. I hope she's just gathering her strength to rip Casey a new one. "That's all I'm saying," says Casey. "That, and don't be so edgy." "I'm not edgy," says Dana, and she goes back into the control room. "I'm not edgy," she repeats, as she slams the control room door. It's not a particularly hard slam, but the glass in the large control room window shatters into a million pieces at Casey's feet in so far the coolest thing ever to happen on this show, and the closest to something blowing up I'm likely to see. Dana, surveying the damage, glass crunching under her feet, says calmly, "Well, that'll have to be fixed." Heh. Casey makes his "you don't have to be crazy to work here, but it helps" face and headshake, and walks down the hall. Commercials.













Comments