The Paper (2025) s01e04 Episode Script

1
Everyone, give a warm welcome
to the students
of Derrysburg High School.
Future of journalism,
meet present of journalism.
You can ask them
anything you want.
Don't be shy, guys.
You do not need
to be intimidated by us.
We're here to help you,
all right?
No question is too stupid.
Do you think an over-reliance
on anonymous sources
damages public trust?
That's an amazing question.
And it's very curious.
Who wants to take this one?
I feel like I'm monopolizing
the conversation.
Okay, personally,
I have never found the need
to use anonymous sources
in either of my articles, so.
You've only written two?
But she's only starting out, so.
Yeah.
Yeah, but I'm a freshman
and I've written 30.
Goddamn.
Well, Barry over there,
he's written thousands.
Is this your family?
Davey, you had something else,
didn't you?
What are your rules
on asking leading questions?
Oh, I'll take this one.
The great thing about
journalism, we have no rules.
Yes, we do. Um
Those are really tempting.
Instead of saying
something like,
"You were outraged by
his behavior, weren't you?"
It'd be better
to say something like,
"Did you have a strong emotion?
Yes or no?"
Well, Mrs. Hanks taught us
that we shouldn't ask
yes or no questions
because it discourages someone
from elaborating.
-Yes.
-Okay.
If there are no more questions,
I think we can head
Is there like a way
we could come to your school
and shadow you for a bit?
What does it cost
to run Truth Tellerevery year?
Oh, I don't know,
the monthly budget
is about
a half a million dollars?
-Whoa.
-Pretty cool, right?
How do you expect
you can survive
with so much waste?
I don't think
there's all that much waste.
-Hey.
-Yeah?
Travis says that a byline
is a reporter's name
at the beginning of an article,
but isn't a byline like
the article's very last line?
It's like, "Bye"?
-Byline
-Uh Don't.
-Sorry.
-Don't write that down.
You guys all go to Derrysburg,
right?
-Yeah.
-I graduated there in 2012.
I have a girlfriend.
That's good. Um
So is there anything big
happening at the school?
The music teacher's retiring
after like, 30 years.
Oh, Mr. K? He's retiring?
They're having
a send-off for him.
He's directing one last show
-at the school.
-Wow.
He's a pretty big deal
in Toledo.
He went to Juilliard.
Fancy. What's the show?
It's a gender-swapped
Mean Girlscalled Mean Boys.
-Fun.
-Yeah.
Sure, I remember Mr. K.
Remember a lot
of my high school teachers.
Do you ever worry about outlets
like SoWesley,
that basically do the same job
as Truth Teller
but have no expenses?
-SoWesley?
-Wesley Holzwanger?
He runs the local news blog
in Lucas County?
It's the most popular one.
-And he
-I don't care.
He's in the grade above me
and he has 300,000 subscribers.
-Did you say 300 or 3000?
-Oh, 300,000.
Good God.
And he's the only employee, so.
Our budget is still
carrying pensions
from typesetters who retired
in 1991 who keep living.
And this kid just hits publish
for free
and it's not even good.
Oh, look at this, are you sure
that you mean "inflammable,"
SoWesley, and not "flammable?"
I mean, it's only
the exact opposite meaning.
"Ever heard of proofreading?
Maybe you should've been
in the journalism class
at The Truth Teller
this morning. Winky face."
-Hey. Got a sec?
-Hey. Absolutely. Come on in.
Uh, Oscar and I were talking,
and we thought we could
head down to the high school.
I really don't think
we have all that much
to learn from them.
-No.
-We were just gonna,
uh, cover some stories.
There's a theater teacher
that's, uh
I don't know,
everybody loves him
and, uh, it's his last big show.
Figured I could write
a feature on him.
And I could review the play.
Just because
I'm writing for the paper
doesn't mean I want to be
a part of this documentary.
I don't.
And I realize that sitting here
talking to you,
may send, uh,
a confused message.
So let me be ultra-clear,
the only reason I am doing this
is to promote
my art and leisure beat.
I think you should do that.
Go and cover a high school
better than
a high school kid can.
-Okay.
-Mm-hmm.
Mare, you source
the bejesus out of everything.
Oscar, don't hold back.
Unleash your full lexicon.
This isn't
the baby blog news-hour.
Let's show them how it's done.
You got it, boss.
What?
-What is it?
-Ah, you haven't seen it?
No. What is it? What is it?
"Truth Tellerpunches down.
Editor-in-chief
cyber-bullies minor."
Shit.
Um, a bully is the worst thing
you can be.
-I
-Like, this is
really humiliating for you,
right?
Oh, in case you didn't know.
In case you didn't know.
No, I know that.
But this is stupid.
Yeah, but it gets better.
I mean, it gets worse. Like,
-keep scrolling down till
-Yeah.
Yes.
No, no, it's, it's fine,
but look at your eyes.
Scary like a goat.
That's not a fair description.
I've got perfectly human eyes.
Deary me, Ned.
What have you done, mate?
"In a pathetic attempt
to claw back relevancy,
Ned Sampson, editor-in-chief,
and supposed grown man,
decided to verbally assault me
in the comments of this blog.
But what's worse
is that he used this emoji."
This is just some punk kid.
I'll have you know
that Wesley Holzwanger
does have some influence
in this town.
Unlike you, pal.
I think you need to apologize.
That's not gonna happen.
I thought it would be fun
to carve a bird for Nicole.
I've never carved anything
before,
but I had some free time
over the weekend,
so I watched a, a two-hour
YouTube video a couple times,
ordered
the right kind of knives,
and after a few tries,
I was pretty happy with it.
The first one I made
had really big eyes,
but then I remembered
Nicole doesn't like
being looked at sometimes,
so I got a glass cutter
and I cut out
some little sunglasses.
Then I polished it
the same color brown
as a bag of hers
that I know she likes.
It's just my way of saying,
"Hey, what's up?"
How long
do you think it took him?
Too long.
Longer than
we've ever spent talking.
Stop.
It's just too much.
Yeah, no,
I mean, a hand-whittled bird
is not what you'd expect
from a healthy young man.
I think
I should've used a better wood.
I used pine like a simp.
I don't think she likes pine.
Nah, no, no. It's not the wood.
It's the woodsman.
A hand-carved bird?
You might as well
have carved her
an engagement ring.
You're freaking her out.
And you're freaking me out.
You're freaking Adelola out.
And frankly, you're freaking out
all the Softees guys back there.
How many people know about this?
Everyone who's facing this way.
I know.
So, what What should I do?
Act like I don't like her?
Exactly.
Dude, I'm icing out
my stepdad right now,
and he's begging for it.
I like making Nicole
homemade gifts.
I'm a proud
Michael's reward member. Um
But I realize
it may be too much for her,
so I'll probably just hold off
until later, maybe.
After our wedding.
I'm just I'm kidding.
I don't have a lot of friends
outside
of my fishing collective,
uh, but Detrick is cool.
He's nice, he's tall,
smells good.
And, um, I'd like to think
he would do the same for me
if we become friends
like I am planning.
All right, this is humiliating.
Hey, Wesley.
Wesley, are you on mute?
I didn't hear you say hello.
I didn't say hello.
Okay, well, this is Ned Sampson.
The Spelling Nazi.
It was actually semantics,
not spelling, but
-But you're still a Nazi?
-No.
I'm uh
I'm-I'm calling to apologize.
Okay. Not accepted.
No one leaves this room
until he accepts that apology.
I-I'd really appreciate it
if you took the story down, pal.
Not gonna happen.
Also, "flammable"
and "inflammable" are the same.
Wesley, I'm sorry,
you're just wrong here.
-He's right.
-He's what?
The same.
"Flammable" and "inflammable".
That makes no sense.
Cool. Uh, I'm gonna go.
-No, don't go.
-'Cause I'm busy
-No, that No
-Wesley, hi. Ciao.
This is Esmeralda Grand,
managing editor of TTT Online,
very cool, very sexy,
very innovative.
I want to apologize for Ned.
He resents children
because he can't have any
of his own.
He sat on a stove
in high school.
And it was on.
That's not true.
That didn't happen.
So Ned's a premature grandpa
with his print paper.
But at TTT,
we are completely different.
Ice cream on Thursdays.
Very fun, very chill vibe,
a lot of rizz.
Nothing sus, nothing mid.
And we are also very concerned
about climate change.
We all get to have ice cream
on Thursdays, Wesley.
Everyone, it's not just digital.
Yes, old man.
-TTT online, huh?
-Yes.
It's definitely more my speed.
Come intern with me.
Let's collab.
Looking forward to it.
Ciao, bro.
Hey, Wesley, how
He knows how to say goodbye.
And that is how it's done.
That was an absolute
master class in talking to kids.
Am I threatened by So Wesley?
I'm not
I'm not threatened by SoWesley.
The two types of media work
completely differently.
You have a blog,
one person reads it.
That's it. You have a paper
They might leave that
in a coffee shop.
Someone else comes in,
they read it, take it with them.
They leave it on the bus.
Now you've got two people
reading it.
Someone else picks that up.
Three people.
That person's homeless,
they wrap themselves in it
at night.
Can't wrap yourself in a blog.
Mm.
I don't know how I can
sugarcoat this, so I won't.
At this point,
we don't have a show.
I repeat, we do not have a show!
Pick that up.
I see some of you
are getting emotional.
Do you know what would happen
if we cried at Juilliard?
Do I have to remind you
that Defiance High School
is mounting an amazing
production of Bye Bye Birdie
that's gonna
blow your asses off?
-All right, there we go.
-Mr. K?
-Let me fly it.
-No.
Gimme a 360, like, you know,
like, the camera thing
in the Oscars?
-You mean the GlamBot?
-Uh-huh.
-Hey! Hey!
-What?
Is it too much to ask
to not have any flying robots
in this office?
I can't even think over here.
We can't hear you, Kimberly.
We're trying to work over here!
Hey, you didn't say
executive parking,
so I was across the street
in the parking lot.
This is executive parking.
Did you see
what this little brat did?
"Esmeralda Grand, 51,
Editor of TTT Online,
"begged me to work for her,
quote, "sexy website."
Was she hoping to violate
more than child labor laws?"
You're a lot of things,
but you're not
Fifty-one! I know. It's slander!
Yeah, okay.
This kid is a menace.
He's a threat to your paper.
Like,
if there's no Truth Teller,
who is going to preserve ethics
in journalism, and truth,
and all that other shit
that you say?
-You're right.
-Are you on board for revenge?
Ethical revenge, yes.
We cut his breaks
and then what happens after
is in the hand of God.
I think that's too much.
-Welcome to our playground.
-Nice to meet you.
I don't think I've ever had
the pleasure.
Oh, wow.
Well, Mr. K is famously good
at never forgetting
a face or a voice.
It's good to see you again.
Ah. Yes, Mare.
So I was
a former student of yours.
-Oh.
-I auditioned for Anna,
-the lead in The King And I?
-Ah.
You remind me
of a young Tyne Daly.
But you know who got that part?
-Our dear, dear Allison Page
-Mm.
just a delightful
little songbird.
Now, a lot of people felt
like she only got that part
because her parents donated
that fog machine.
-Mare
-Would that had anything
to do with your decision-making?
What is this?
Are you even a real paper?
Yes,
we're from The Truth Teller.
Well, then let me tell you
the truth.
You didn't get the part
because you weren't good.
-Okay, and Allison Page was?
-Yeah.
She was a soprano when the role
was clearly meant for an alto.
She improvised
most of her lines,
which is a little problematic
for a show set in 1860s Siam.
Oh, and she wasn't that good.
Well, this space, the
What you did with it
I don't play favorites, Mare,
-I play performers.
-Okay.
And my apologies
that I can't recall anything,
not a thing,
about your audition.
But I always remember
the great ones.
So you can deduce from there
how you fared.
And we're back!
Turns out, Mare has a grudge
against Mr. K and it
Ooh Nope.
Not arts and leisure related.
We convince him his father
is not his real father.
Kids hate that.
That's interesting.
We smear
a little dog shit
on his retainer.
Just a little teaspoon.
-How would we get into his?
-Through the window.
We give him Lyme disease.
I think I have
the right kind of ticks.
My aunt has Lyme disease,
and it's not
Have you ever
had that happen?
Ken!
Go away! We are working!
-Pardon me?
-We are working, Ken!
Thank you!
Jealous? Uh, no.
No, no, no.
I actually think it's quite good
that Esmeralda and Ned
are getting on so well.
Really good. Good for business.
But is it good? Really?
I mean, Esmeralda and Ned
don't really gel,
would be my one thought.
Whereas, of course, for example,
Esmeralda and I
Well, we share a certain
European sophistication.
Not that the U.K. is currently
in the EU, thank God.
-I need to get back to work.
-Of course you do.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Which tape?
Oh, you mean this tape.
Um, so this is for
my headaches, you know?
So the tape, um,
like pulls back the pain.
Wait, I got it.
I got it.
We anonymously send Wesley
a fake press release.
If he publishes it,
everyone finds out
that he doesn't verify
his sources,
and his whole reputation
is destroyed.
-Oh, wow, yes, boom!
-Yeah?
And so he's untrustworthy
and I'm not 51.
Yes. We just need
a believable press release.
-Yeah. Yes.
-Okay, so Um
Layoffs?
Potential upcoming layoffs
at Corning Glass.
-Wow. Incredible.
-Hm?
Such a perfect level of bland.
How do you do that?
It comes naturally. Yeah.
It comes so naturally to you,
right?
Oh, Nicole.
Do you, um
Do you have the new numbers
on the half page ads?
Yeah, I'll send them right over.
Cool. Thanks.
Yeah. Detrick may have gotten
the message.
Phew!
-Off the record?
-Yeah.
Mr. K is a character.
A lot of insecurity
for such a tall man.
Yes. Would you say
he's also arrogant?
I mean, some people can be both.
He manages to drop Juilliard
into every conversation.
-Yeah.
-I went to Yale.
I never bring it up.
Is there anything else
you can tell me about him?
I just think it's all an act.
Thank you! Yes.
It is all an act.
That is so great.
-Can I use that as a quote?
-No, absolutely not.
The last teacher
who spoke poorly of Mr. K
got reassigned
to a different school district
like a bad priest in the night.
No. You want a quote?
He's a "pillar
of the community."
Don't be fooled by the pink ♪
No!
He is not playing dolls ♪
Christ, start walking!
the halls
For the thrill of the kill ♪
Bright faces! Wide eyes!
Every person in school
Is aware of his ♪
What do you think?
"Weak exports
force loss of 300 jobs."
Wow. Bravo, Ned.
It's so convincing.
Are you sure
Joanna Pringlebottom
sounds like the real head of PR
of Corning Glass?
Ned, I don't want to be here
all night, okay?
Should we really do this?
Maybe it's like an angry e-mail
that you write and don't send.
It's like we got it out
of our system.
-Ned.
-Yeah.
You know,
-when I was a little girl
-Mm-hmm.
one night,
my mom entered in my room
and you know what she told me?
-What'd she say to you?
-She said
Ha!
Sent it!
What's a synonym for atrocious?
I'm not asking. It's
Okay, Emma Gadsdon
gets Elphaba, and look,
big ad from her family's
contracting business.
2014, Kristen Mayhew.
Her mom is comptroller
of Hollywood Casino.
-Okay.
-And here's the full-page ad.
Sergio Giacoman, 2016. Okay?
He was actually pretty good
and did end up
going to Broadway.
But his parents owned Dillard's,
-and here, the full-page ad.
-Okay.
I mean, this has been going on
for years.
Mr. K has clearly just been,
you know, feathering his nest.
Um
If there were ill-gotten gains,
I wish
he would've spent the money
on voice lessons for the kids.
Okay.
-Mare.
-Yeah?
I see what you see,
but this is not hard proof.
Right?
Maybe the proud parents
bought ads after
to support their kids.
I know,
I just know he's full of it.
-Well
-You know?
Are you an R-word?
Ken, you cannot say that.
You can if it's just an initial.
It's what the initial
stands for.
Well, then, I'll say
the whole word, won't I?
Rascal. Are you a rascal?
I was trying to speed things up.
Ken. Come on. What is it?
So Wesley's got the scoop.
-What?
-The Corning Glass layoffs.
Oh, my God. He ran with it.
How are you letting a child
beat you to this?
No, no, Ken.
I'm the one beating the child.
-Excuse me?
-Ken. Ken.
-Yeah?
-No.
No? One thing I would say is
I don't love feeling excluded.
And I know I'm not contributing
anything to whatever this is,
but I do like the idea
of being able to stand with you.
Just for them, you know?
So it looks like
I'm taking part.
I can laugh when you laugh.
I don't need
to understand the joke.
Right?
-Okay.
-Okay?
-I think you can leave.
-Off I go? All right.
Fantastic.
God, finally.
-We got him?
-We got him.
-Oh!
-Mm-hmm.
-So now we finish him!
-I guess.
"Mr. Kirby Celebrates
30th Year At Derrysburg.
'Mr. K is a pillar
of the community.'"
-This is fine.
-It's not.
You could've written
a hit-piece, but you didn't.
You stuck to your principles.
Hello? Speaking.
Oh, yeah,
thanks for getting back to me.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, one second.
Are you sure?
Phew!
I made one small change
to my piece.
Turns out,
Juilliard's favorite son
never went to Juilliard.
He's terrible.
He had it comin'
He had it comin' ♪
He only had himself to blame ♪
Oh, my God, maybe he was right.
No, I'm just rusty.
Nicole.
Can I talk to you for a second?
Uh Yeah.
Um
I feel like I've
I feel like I've been
a bit much lately?
Oh, no.
Well, yeah.
I'm sorry. Uh, I
I didn't realize
at the time, I just
Hear me out,
I feel like
I feel like I need to tell you
that I like you.
Yeah, I'm really not in a place
right now to start
Like 3.5.
-What?
-I like you 3.5.
-Yeah, out of ten?
-No, out of five.
Because out of ten
would be like you hate me.
Yeah, no, I like you,
but just like, just casually.
All right, I'll see you
See you later.
All right.
"Popular child's blog
spreads vicious lies.
Esmeralda Grand, 37,
Editor of TTT Online,
led the investigation."
I wonder if he's upset.
Who cares? You saved
the local media, whatever.
What do you need more?
Did I go too far?
What is too far?
Is it using
the power of the press
to disgrace a high schooler?
That's probably too far.
And I think I went it.
-Hey.
-Hey.
I liked your very, uh,
balanced piece on Mr. K.
-Oh, thank you.
-Yeah.
You doing okay?
I saw some of the comments.
Oh, my God,
you should hear the voice mails.
I got called several different
species of animals, including
bitter cow, frigid pig,
venomous snake,
and poisonous dog.
I read a great quote
the other day
that I wanted to share
with you guys.
"The courage in journalism
"is sticking up
for the unpopular,
not the popular."
Well, uh, someone told me
that I had goat eyes today.
I don't have goat eyes.
Oh, no, no, no.
But the Julliard thing was
a hundred percent confirmed.
-Oh.
-You know, if people are mad
that I pointed it out, so be it.
At least I did the right thing.
God, you must be
rubbing off on me.
How great is that?
"Poisonous dog"?
The most important part
of any article is the byline.
You get one reputation
in this life.
Protect it, at all costs.
Who said this?
Geraldo Rivera.
Yeah, I like to come up here
to fly the drone.
This is like therapy to me.
I also go to regular therapy,
but this is awesome.
It's just so beautiful
up here, man. I
Oh
All right, Detrick.