Sports Night Season 3

by Biggy734

This is merely one fan's interpretation of how season three would have gone. Follow your favorite Sports Night characters through the trials & tribulations of work and life.

1. Return From Exodus

Sports Night episode 3.1: "Return from Exodus" - Mythical Airdate: October 11, 2000

Open on the Sports Night set, Mike Greenwey and Bobbi Bernstein are sitting at the desk

Mike: "...and we thought you should know that."

Bobbi: "That's all for us. It's been a great month, but all things must come to an end."

Mike: "Dan and Casey will be back with you on Sunday, so, for Bobbi Bernstein, I'm Mike Greenwey, and you've been watching Sports Night."

Bobbi: "Good night."

We pull back from the desk to see the credits rolling on a monitor

Dave: "We're out."

Natalie: "Good show everybody."

Cut to the control room, Natalie is in Dana's usual chair, Jeremy is in Natalie's, and Kim is in Jeremy's. All three take off their headsets. The crew in the front, Elliot, and Kim all begin to clear out as Natalie stands up and clasps the back of her chair.

Natalie: "Well...that's it."

Jeremy stands up and grabs a packet of paper

Jeremy: "Yep..."

Natalie: "One full month at the helm and now its back to being a sidekick."

Jeremy: "Natalie..."

Natalie: "I'm just sayin'..."

Jeremy: "You're just saying what?"

Natalie: "Nothing."

Jeremy: "Okay."

Jeremy walks out of the control room and into the studio, Mike and Bobbi have left and the camera crew is wrapping up as Kim walks through, looking at her watch

Kim: "Camera wrap...12:03."

She keeps walking as Jeremy comes up to the desk and grabs the scripts that were left behind. He turns to walks off as Natalie comes out of the control room.

Natalie: "Jeremy, all I'm saying is I've been doing the same thing for the last 3 years now, I'm ready for something more. I'm back to being a sidekick."

Jeremy: "You're not a sidekick and you know it."

Natalie: "Dana, Dan, and Casey got to go to the Olympic Games, Jeremy, that should have been me. You know how much I wanted that, and instead I got stuck back here."

Jeremy: "Well, thanks for that."

Jeremy starts to walk off

Natalie: "That's not what I meant and you know it."

He turns back around

Jeremy: "I know what you meant, but I'm telling you, you have a great job, you do it well, you like your co-workers, you've got me, what more do you want? Furthermore, not less than 4 months ago we were all wondering what our future held for us. We're sitting here, in the Sports Night studio; a place we didn't think would even exist anymore. You've run the show for a month; you're going to get to do it again down the road. Why can't you just be happy?"

Natalie stops to think about this, then a small smile comes over her face

Jeremy: "What?"

Natalie: "I think you might be right."

Jeremy: "It wouldn't be the first time."

Natalie rolls her eyes

Jeremy: "Listen, we're off tomorrow, Sunday the whole crew will be back together. If you ask me, this is a cause for celebration."

Natalie: "Really? What did you have in mind?"

Jeremy: "Well, actually, I made a couple of calls and, well, guess who's going to Lot 61?"

Natalie's eyes light up

Natalie: "You're kidding me!"

She hugs him

Natalie: "Why did I ever break up with you?"

Jeremy: "I broke up with you."

Natalie: "Knock it off."

They both smile

Jeremy: "You got it."

She grabs his hand and they walk off as the show fades to commercial

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Open on the Sports Night newsroom, there are several different football games on the different monitors, indicating it is a Sunday. There are staffers walking around, notes being exchanged, etc. We then pan around to a hallway as Dan and Casey both come walking down, in coats. They both walk into the newsroom, without saying a word, and then Casey extends his arms

Casey: "My home!"

Kim and Elliot hear this, look up, and both smile.

Kim: "You guys are back!"

Elliot: "Hey Casey, Dan...how are things going?"

Dan: "Well, as of this exact moment, things are officially once again great."

Dan and Casey both walk into their office and remove their jackets. Casey hangs his up as Dan throws his on the couch.

Casey: "Exactly as we left it. Our home away from home...man, it's so good to be back."

Dan: "One month in Sydney, Australia..."

Dan shakes his head as he sits down at his desk.

Casey: "It was great."

Casey sits down at his desk

Dan: "It was great. But..."

Casey: "It's not our home."

Dan: "Exactly, my friend. One month in Sydney was great, sure, but 12 months in the CSC studios, well, it may sound crazy, but it doesn't get much better."

Casey: "I couldn't agree more."

Casey turns on his computer when the door opens and in walks Jeremy

Dan: "Jeremy! It's great to see you!"

Dan jumps up and hugs Jeremy as Casey looks on, bewildered. Dan breaks the embrace with a big smile on his face as Jeremy looks just a little confused.

Jeremy: "Now, don't get me wrong Dan, it's great to see you too, but a hug?"

Dan: "It was a gesture."

Casey: "Ah yes, a gesture, I know them well."

Jeremy: "Well, listen, I just stopped by to let you know that the Denver game..."

Dan: "Jeremy, we just spent a month in Sydney, Australia."

Jeremy: "That's right."

Casey: "And now we're back."

Jeremy: "Again, you're correct."

Dan: "We were there, and now we're here. We've come home, my good man, a return from exodus."

Jeremy: "A return from exodus?"

Dan: "That's right."

Casey: "An exodus is a large number of people leaving an area."

Dan: "Right..." Jeremy: "So how is you coming back from Australia mark a return from exodus?"

Dan: "Well, we left right?"

Jeremy: "Yes...three of you."

Dan: "Large enough for me...and now we're back, right?"

Casey: "That we are."

Dan: "So, there you have it."

Jeremy looks at Casey, who shrugs

Jeremy: "Ya know, I must admit, it really is good to have you guys back."

Dan: "A return..."

Casey and Jeremy: "from exodus!"

Casey: "We know."

Dan: "That's all I'm saying."

Casey: "So, the Denver game?"

Jeremy: "Right..."

(SCENE CHANGE)

Cut to Isaac's office, he's sitting at his desk, looking through some paperwork, when there's a knock at his door.

Isaac: "Come on in."

The door opens and in walks Dana, Isaac smiles and stands up.

Dana: "I'm back!"

Isaac: "I can see that."

He walks around the desk and they hug. Isaac then walks over and sits down on his green chair in the corner as Dana can't stop smiling.

Isaac: "I take it you're happy to be back?"

Dana: "Of course I'm happy to be back, this is my life Isaac! It's Sports Night and I'm back!"

Isaac: "I can see that."

Dana: "Aren't you happy to have me back?"

Isaac: "Of course I am."

Dana: "You don't seem happy."

Isaac: "I hugged you, didn't I?"

Dana: "Well..."

Isaac: "Do I normally do that?"

Dana: "Well, no."

Isaac: "So..."

Dana: "I see your point. So, how did things go while I was gone?"

Isaac: "Actually, they went great, Natalie did a wonderful job."

Dana: "I knew she would, didn't I tell you she would? I told you she would Isaac. I stood here and I said..."

Isaac: "I got it Dana. In fact, to be honest, we couldn't even tell you were gone."

Dana looks surprised by this

Isaac: "I'm kidding."

She smiles, half-heartedly

Dana: "I know..."

Isaac: "What's on your mind Dana?"

Dana: "Well, it's just that..."

She fades off and stands there, looking worried, Isaac stands up and puts his arm around her

Isaac: "Listen to me Dana, I know what's wrong and I'm telling you, don't worry about it. You've done a great job here, you're going to continue to do a great job here. Sure, you were gone for a month, and I'm not going to deny that the show didn't really miss a beat..."

Dana: "Didn't miss a beat? Isaac, we're up 5 tenths across the board. We've gained 5 tenths and I wasn't here."

Isaac: "Is that what this is about?"

Dana: "No...of course, that's what this is about! We gain 5 tenths while I'm gone? What does that say about me Isaac? What does that say about Natalie?"

Isaac: "That Natalie does a better job than you?"

Dana: "Isaac!"

Isaac: "Again, I'm kidding. Listen, it was a natural progression, we've got a bigger budget, we've got better graphics, we were making a move all summer, the fact that our biggest jump came while you were gone is merely a coincidence."

Dana: "Will the network see it that way?"

Isaac: "Dana, Calvin Trager has more confidence in you than he does anyone else on this entire staff and you know that. Casey and Dan were gone during the ratings surge too, do you think he's going to replace them?"

Dana: "Well, no."

Isaac: "So..."

Dana: "I'm worried about nothing aren't I?"

Isaac: "Not exactly something new for you is it?"

Dana stomps her foot and smiles

Dana: "I'm leaving now."

Isaac: "Close the door on your way out."

She begins to walk out and then stops and turns around

Dana: "I'm back!"

Isaac: "I can see that."

She smiles and then shuts the door as Isaac smiles and chuckles to himself and we fade to commercial

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Open on Natalie and Dana sitting in Dana's office. Dana is in her chair, Natalie is on the couch

Natalie: "So, things went well in Sydney?"

Dana: "It was great. The reports went well, didn't you think the reports went well?"

Natalie: "I did."

Dana: "And the special coverage..."

Natalie: "That's not what I was talking about."

Dana: "What do you mean?"

Natalie: "I mean how were things with you and Casey."

Dana: "Natalie, don't start that again."

Natalie: "Well, you can't help but notice Dana. You're not seeing anyone, Casey's not seeing anyone..."

Dana: "How do you know I'm not seeing someone? Maybe I met a guy in Sydney..."

Natalie: "You would have told me."

Dana: "Maybe not, maybe I'm trying to keep it a secret."

Natalie: "You're not."

Dana: "How do you know?"

Natalie: "You'd have told me."

Dana: "It's a secret Natalie!"

Natalie: "You STILL would have told me."

Dana thinks about this

Dana: "I guess you're right."

Natalie: "So, I'm saying, you're not seeing anyone..."

Dana: "Natalie, I don't want to talk about it."

Natalie: "Fine, what do you want to talk about?"

Dana: "Oh...I don't know...work?"

Natalie: "Okay, fine, but you know what this is going to lead to."

Dana: "What are you talking about?"

Natalie: "It's just a matter of time before Casey..."

Dana: "Natalie..."

Natalie: "What?"

Dana: "I'm thinking about asking Casey out again?"

Natalie: "I knew it!"

Dana: "Natalie...help me out here."

Natalie: "What? You know how Casey feels about you, it's been a long time, he's going to say yes."

Dana: "I'm not so sure."

Natalie: "Why not?"

Dana: "I don't know."

Cut to a transitional exterior shot of New York

(SCENE CHANGE)

open on the Sports Night studio, Dan and Casey are sitting at the desk

Dave: "Thirty seconds live."

Casey: "Thirty seconds live! That's what I like to hear."

Dan: "Look at this Casey..."

Casey: "Look at what?"

Dan: "Where are we?"

Casey: "Home."

Dan: "That's right, we're home. We were there, but now we're here."

Casey: "Hard to believe."

Dan: "This is it Casey, we're back, we've returned."

Casey: "From exodus?"

Dan: "From exodus."

They give each other five and then adjust their earpieces as we pull back to see the VTR intro end on the monitor

Casey: "Good evening, from New York City, I'm Casey McCall, alongside Dan Rydell. Those stories plus, we'll take you to Dallas, where the Cowboys were snake-bit against the Cardinals."

Dan: "We'll take you to Detroit, where the Lions lost their roar, and we'll take you to Cincinnati where the Bengals were, well, the Bengals. All that coming up after this, you're watching Sports Night on CSC, so stick around."

Dave: "We're out. 90 seconds back."

Cut to a transitional exterior shot of New York

(SCENE CHANGE)

open on the Sports Night desk again.

Casey: "That's all the time we have, so, for Dan Rydell, I'm Casey McCall, and you've been watching Sports Night."

Dan: "Good night everybody."

Dave: "We're out."

Dan and Casey unhook themselves and then walk through the back of the set and begin walking towards their office

Dan: "So, have you explored your options."

Casey: "I've thought about it, yes."

Dan: "Well, I'm saying, the time is right."

Casey: "I've heard this before."

Dan: "Yes, you have, but this time, I think I'm right."

Casey: "You mean, as opposed to all the other times you thought it was time and we're wrong?"

Dan: "Exactly."

Casey: "I'm not sure you're right."

They walk into their office, Casey walks over and sits down on the couch as Dan shuts the door and then pulls up a chair and sits in front of him.

Dan: "What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Casey: "Well, let me see..."

The door opens and in walks Dana

Dana: "Dan, can I talk to Casey?"

Dan looks at Casey and points to his watch

Casey: "Yeah..."

Dan: "I'll see you guys later."

Dan walks out of the office, shutting the door behind him

Casey: "So."

Dana: "Yeah."

Casey: "You wanted to see me?"

Casey stands up, facing Dana.

Dana: "Uh, yeah, right...well, listen Casey. It's been a long time since, well, since Pixley, and I've been thinking...well...I've been thinking about when I asked you out and you told me to ask you another time."

Casey: "Yeah..."

Dana: "Well...I'm asking." Casey: "Actually, you didn't ask at all."

Dana: "Casey!"

Casey: "Okay, you're asking."

Dana: "And?"

Casey: "Well, Dana, to be honest, I'm not sure you're ready. In fact, how about you date some other men first and ask me again in six months?"

Dana looks taken aback by this as Casey smiles

Casey: "It was joke!"

Dana: "It wasn't funny."

Casey: "Okay..."

Dana: "I'm serious Casey, that wasn't funny."

Casey: "Okay, I'm sorry, so, you're asking?"

Dana: "Now? No, I'm not."

Casey: "Dana?"

Dana: "I'll see you later."

Dana walks out of the room as Casey just stands there, shocked, Dan walks back in, looking confused

Dan: "She didn't look too happy Casey, what happened?"

Casey: "It was a joke..."

Casey slowly sits down on the couch as Dan looks back at Dana walking away and we fade to black

--

"Sports Night" is the creation of Aaron Sorkin and the writer of this story has no affiliation to him, nor to Touchstone Television, ABC, Disney, or anyone else for that matter.