The Newsroom s01e07 Episode Script
5/1
Will, there's a comment on your website you need to see.
"I got a bullet for you, too.
You think I'm fuckin' around?" Charlie, I want a body on him until this guy's in handcuffs.
- No way.
- You're not gonna have a choice.
- The insurance company makes that call.
- How does this work? I'm with you any place that isn't your home or your office.
Speaking of your roommate, I had a great idea.
I'm fixing her up with Jim.
This is Maggie's roommate Lisa.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, too.
We're not in a relationship.
She calls me at night and she says, "Should I come over?" - And what am I supposed to say? - You say yes.
- Am I losing Maggie? - No.
Are you good at knowing these things? No.
This whole file here.
Every page is about Mackenzie.
You've had a lot going on for a long time.
Very serious stuff.
You're being hunted.
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 scary 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? 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 Spiderman.
- Time.
- Let me see.
It's Christian Bale.
English, Batman, and a man.
Who am I thinking of? Sunshine go away today - Up chickens.
- Down chickens.
- It's not there.
- Not there.
- It's not there.
- Not there.
How much does it cost? I'll buy it.
The time is all we've lost, I'll try it.
He can't even run his own life.
I'll be damned if he'll run mine.
Sunshine Sunshine go away today.
I don't feel much like dancing 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.
I 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? - Mm-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? Ooh, 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.
" - Funny.
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.
" 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 10 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-- Oof! - Whoa, sorry.
- Are you okay? - No worries.
No worries.
- 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 10 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 gonna be 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.
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 DC - 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 going to 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 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.
- Yeah, 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-- 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 tak-- - 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.
You're 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.
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 Gaddafi.
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.
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 - Too loud.
- is trying too hard to create the appearance - Way too loud.
- that she's happy in their relationship.
- Full plane.
Man right here.
You've been yammering about your love life for two weeks.
- Wow, also bizarrely loud.
- Including last night's 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.
- 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 10 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? 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 know 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 10.
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.
- No, he didn't-- 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, uh - 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? is warming up right now.
You talking to DC? 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 and 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.
- Gaddafi.
- 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, 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? - Ahem, all right.
Here I go.
- What? A study published in the Astrophysical Journal estimates there are 10 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 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 Gaddafi.
- Okay.
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.
- What'd you find? - According to FlyersRights.
org, 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.
Uh, 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.
- No! 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 Gaddafi.
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 Gaddafi? "Q-A," "K-A," "G.
" Will, are you able to-- Gaddafi 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 Gaddafi, 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 Gaddafi.
We've got NATO saying it's not Libya.
And we've got London and Paris saying it's not Gaddafi.
- It's not Gaddafi.
- So who's saying it is? Continuing what we have assumed that Gaddafi-- It has something to do with Gaddafi.
Do you agree with the general that the war in Libya will continue or do you think that the death of Gaddafi-- 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.
I can tie a square knot and a sheep-shank.
- 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.
- I'm a medical marvel.
- You can't go on the air.
My body has the melatolical tolerance-- - 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.
Bin Laden.
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, 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.
Um 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 Gaddafi.
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 counterintuitive.
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're gonna be like Spiderman? - What? - 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-- Shh, shh, 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.
- We weren't talking-- Shh.
Last night I said something.
I 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.
- Okay.
Um, 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 what 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 canceled.
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-- - Is 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.
Look, 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.
- You know what-- - 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.
DC 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 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 were forced to grow up without their mother or their father
"I got a bullet for you, too.
You think I'm fuckin' around?" Charlie, I want a body on him until this guy's in handcuffs.
- No way.
- You're not gonna have a choice.
- The insurance company makes that call.
- How does this work? I'm with you any place that isn't your home or your office.
Speaking of your roommate, I had a great idea.
I'm fixing her up with Jim.
This is Maggie's roommate Lisa.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, too.
We're not in a relationship.
She calls me at night and she says, "Should I come over?" - And what am I supposed to say? - You say yes.
- Am I losing Maggie? - No.
Are you good at knowing these things? No.
This whole file here.
Every page is about Mackenzie.
You've had a lot going on for a long time.
Very serious stuff.
You're being hunted.
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 scary 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? 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 Spiderman.
- Time.
- Let me see.
It's Christian Bale.
English, Batman, and a man.
Who am I thinking of? Sunshine go away today - Up chickens.
- Down chickens.
- It's not there.
- Not there.
- It's not there.
- Not there.
How much does it cost? I'll buy it.
The time is all we've lost, I'll try it.
He can't even run his own life.
I'll be damned if he'll run mine.
Sunshine Sunshine go away today.
I don't feel much like dancing 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.
I 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? - Mm-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? Ooh, 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.
" - Funny.
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.
" 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 10 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-- Oof! - Whoa, sorry.
- Are you okay? - No worries.
No worries.
- 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 10 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 gonna be 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.
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 DC - 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 going to 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 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.
- Yeah, 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-- 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 tak-- - 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.
You're 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.
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 Gaddafi.
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.
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 - Too loud.
- is trying too hard to create the appearance - Way too loud.
- that she's happy in their relationship.
- Full plane.
Man right here.
You've been yammering about your love life for two weeks.
- Wow, also bizarrely loud.
- Including last night's 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.
- 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 10 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? 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 know 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 10.
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.
- No, he didn't-- 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, uh - 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? is warming up right now.
You talking to DC? 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 and 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.
- Gaddafi.
- 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, 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? - Ahem, all right.
Here I go.
- What? A study published in the Astrophysical Journal estimates there are 10 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 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 Gaddafi.
- Okay.
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.
- What'd you find? - According to FlyersRights.
org, 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.
Uh, 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.
- No! 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 Gaddafi.
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 Gaddafi? "Q-A," "K-A," "G.
" Will, are you able to-- Gaddafi 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 Gaddafi, 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 Gaddafi.
We've got NATO saying it's not Libya.
And we've got London and Paris saying it's not Gaddafi.
- It's not Gaddafi.
- So who's saying it is? Continuing what we have assumed that Gaddafi-- It has something to do with Gaddafi.
Do you agree with the general that the war in Libya will continue or do you think that the death of Gaddafi-- 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.
I can tie a square knot and a sheep-shank.
- 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.
- I'm a medical marvel.
- You can't go on the air.
My body has the melatolical tolerance-- - 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.
Bin Laden.
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, 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.
Um 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 Gaddafi.
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 counterintuitive.
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're gonna be like Spiderman? - What? - 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-- Shh, shh, 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.
- We weren't talking-- Shh.
Last night I said something.
I 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.
- Okay.
Um, 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 what 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 canceled.
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-- - Is 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.
Look, 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.
- You know what-- - 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.
DC 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 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 were forced to grow up without their mother or their father