Will and Reese

Will : We spiked up 9% overall.

Reese : On top of the 7% that came after Northwestern. You played high school football. What do you do when you have a lead late in the game?

Will : My high school never had to worry about that.

Reese : You protect the lead.

Man : Will McAvoy!

Reese : How do you get used to eating lunch at 4:00 in the afternoon?

Will : I work from 11:00 to 9:00. It's across all demos, too.

Reese : Will McAvoy's the place to be for all things BP.

Will : Hey, I need you to tell me right now you're not using that as a promo slug.

Reese : We're not, but Brad ground-researched the hell out of this since Northwestern, and the feedback we keep getting, especially from 18 to 49s, is just studded with green flags. And this isn't Brad selective-coding, man. We're talking about an actual, bona fide, audience-driven response to Northwestern and the way you handled the breaking news.

Will : I don't see them capping the well anytime soon.

Reese : But you're not leading with it.

Will : Not tonight. It'll be down in the D block.

Reese : It sunk this morning. We got film of a massive offshore drilling rig sinking into the Gulf of Mexico.

Will : We knew that was gonna happen.

Reese : People knew the Titanic was gonna sink when they went to the movie, but it was cool to watch, which is why they went to the movie. Partner, something's going on here and you gotta tell me what it is.

Will : Look, we're trying to format a new broadcast that puts a priority on information voters need, puts the information in context, and then tries to present the best possible versions of competing arguments.

Reese : Here's what I just heard... We got a hit show that just got bigger, so now we're trying to fix it. Listen, there's no one here but me and you. Is this something you want or something you got talked into?

Will : It's... no, it's something I want badly. I've wanted this since the dawn of time.

Reese : More than numbers? Weren't you the one that told me that your audience are your only friends?

Will : I said that after a couple of shots of some kind of varnish remover at a particularly low point in my life.

Reese : That was two weeks ago.

Will : It was a very low point. I think it was lower than three weeks ago.

Reese : Will.

Will : MacKenzie thinks I don't have to sacrifice one for the other.

Reese : Well, MacKenzie is the expert on predicting audience trends. No, wait. She's not, Brad is.

Will : We're not setting out to lose viewers...

Reese : No one ever does.

Will : Just better news for the ones we've got.

Reese : All right, I'll stop.

Will : Listen, I still want your advice every day.

Reese : My advice today : Go to the conservative websites.

Will : I do.

Reese : You'll see that they like you. They think you're a rino, but they like that you don't take cheap shots at Sarah Palin. Look at the comments section.

Will : Yeah, I know.

Reese : Palin made a statement about the spill last night.

Will : It was ridiculous.

Reese : Yes, it was. It'll be a joke on every late-night show. She basically wrote Letterman's monologue. So you want my advice?

Will : Yes.

Reese : Be the guy that doesn't take a shot at her tonight.

Will : Well, I won't be taking a shot at her, but that's because I won't be using her.

Reese : I'm saying you should use her, but not to take a shot...

Will : No, she's a private citizen. She doesn't have any qualifications in this area, so it's hard with the new format to justify...

Reese : Let me tell you what it looks like when the audience leaves.

Will : I can't jam in a Palin sot just to give myself the opportunity to not take a shot at her. If I cross that line, I'm just saying, "fuck the whole thing."

Reese : It looks like this : First you lose the people who just got here. Then everyone writes that you lost the people that just got here. That makes people think they're not at the cool party anymore. You ever been at Sardi's on opening night of a Broadway show five minutes after word gets out the "Times" panned it? They leave. And they never come back, ever. And it happens in not much more time than it just took me to describe it. It's conservatives who watch the news on TV. Don't pass up an opportunity to remind them why they don't hate you.

Will : I really want to give the new format a...

Reese : Also, would you do me a favor and tell Charlie Skinner that you're the one who asked for these meetings? And do you want me to fix you up with someone who'll take your mind off a girl from three years ago?

Will : No, thank you.

Reese : Palin.

Will : She's married.

Reese : Not to fix you up with. I'm saying use the Palin sot.

Will : I know. It's not gonna happen. MacKenzie would cook me and eat me.

Reese : You're the boss. I'll keep reminding you of that because I'm not wild about your ex.

Will : Hey, look, her name is MacKenzie or Miss McHale, and she's reported more real news in one day than I have in my career.

Reese : Fuck.