Eruption: LA

---

[dramatic music]

[Murph] I can't believe

they signed that guy.

Seven million bucks.

You know how many

utility players

you can pick up for that price?

I mean, the guy's

a six-time all-star,

four-time MVP, and he's won

three rings

with two different teams.

He's got nothing left to prove.

I think he's just going through

the motions here.

Saving money to buy a yacht

and a beach house in Tahiti.

What do you think, chief?

I think if I have to spend

one more minute

listening to you talk about

stupid baseball contracts...

I'm gonna make sure you don't

make it out of here alive.

Well, we gotta

check these pipes.

There were reports

of erratic

fluctuations

back at the station.

So, what do you think, boss?

Sewer gas?

Sure stinks down here.

Probably 'cause

they had that extension

for the Metro Silver Line.

Those fools are blowing

the hell out of that tunnel.

Maybe something got

knocked loose in here.

Hey, how come we never

get to blow stuff up?

You think I'm gonna let you

anywhere near some explosives?

Forget it.

Speaking of explosives,

remember that story

from a few years ago?

Guy's sittin' on

his toilet, boom!

The whole apartment blew up.

Sewer gas is no joke.

Damn, it's hot down here.

How's it possible

it's hotter down here

than out on the street?

Murph, do you ever...

stop complaining?

[man 1]

Well, that can't be right.

Well, do you think

it's sewer gas?

[dramatic music]

[rumbling]

I think we gotta get the hell

outta here. Go, man! Go!

[hissing]

[creaking]

[screams]

Boss!

[intense music]

[instrumental music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[cell phone chimes]

Hey, little brother.

Thought you had some big studio

meeting or something.

Yeah, yeah, I'm early,

I thought it'd look

more important

if I was on a call.

You know, look busy.

And you're nervously pacing

around outside.

Yeah.

No.

[Jessica]

Liar.

Anyway, did you feel

that big quake?

Yeah, but it wasn't that big.

That's what you always say.

You know, for someone

who writes disaster movies,

you're kind of a wimp.

Hey, easy, sis, I'm nervous.

This is a big meeting.

I know, just think of it

as a good omen.

This is the first of many

big studio meetings.

Just try not to mess it up.

Thanks for the vote

of confidence.

All right,

I-I'll buzz you later.

[helicopters whirring]

[exhales]

Yeah.

Yeah.

No, no. Uh, no,

I-I'll-I'll call you.

Hey, Josh, come on in,

have a seat.

Hi.

[Bennett]

You all right, Josh?

You look pale.

Earthquakes freak me out.

You wrote an earthquake movie.

Yeah, still not a fan.

- [laughing]

- Yeah, this was nothing.

My first was Northridge,

back in '94.

I was hookin' up

with this sorority cutie

at my dorm room

when she started...

A-all right, l-let's stay

on track though here, huh?

Look, as I'm sure

your agent filled you in,

we're in a world of hurt here.

We need a page one rewrite

on Earth's Crisis.

Now, your last movie

had great numbers,

and it's in the similar

wheelhouse to what we have here,

so, uh, you up for it?

- Uh, rewrite?

- Yeah.

What, did you think you're the

first writer on this project?

[Stern laughs]

I love this kid.

Uh, how many writers are we

up to now?

- Six, I think?

- Seven.

There was that one guy,

forget his name,

but he always wore

that weird hat.

- Oh, yeah.

- You said seven including me?

- Okay, eight.

- Yeah.

But you're in this for

the long haul, kid, I promise.

'Cause after you, we can't

afford any more writers.

- We're tapped out.

- [laughing]

Do you have any scripts

I could take a look at?

[Bennett]

Forget about those.

We are starting fresh.

Have you heard of Dr. Irwin?

Seismologist-turned-novelist.

- Yeah, he's brilliant.

- Was brilliant.

I read his books when I was

researching Lava Angeles.

Yeah, that's why you're here.

And, uh, I hear awesome things

about that movie, by the way.

Oh, you, you didn't see it?

I don't watch movies.

[Bennett]

Dr. Irwin.

We've arranged for you

to meet with him today.

He's been a freelance consultant

on disaster movies

for a while now.

We thought you could

get inside his head.

Pick his brain for the movie.

We want our main character

to be loosely based on him

back in his prime.

And when we say prime,

we mean not crazy.

[knock on door]

Right. Come in.

Thank you.

Ah, speak of the devil.

Your meeting with Dr. Irwin

has been pushed up.

- To when?

- Right now.

If you're gonna meet

with a seismologist,

why not do it

after an earthquake, huh?

Even if it is a little baby one.

Stephanie, can we get

a car to take Josh

over to the helipad, please?

[Stephanie]

Yes, Mr. Stern, right away.

Thank you.

[Stern grunts]

Did we mention that Kat Rivers

is set to star?

Kat Rivers,

as in Kat Rivers?

Yeah.

Yeah, she's extremely talented.

I know, right?

Do a good job and you

might even get to meet her.

You're in the big leagues

now, kid.

After this movie comes out,

you'll be the first

writer we replace.

[laughs]

[Bennett]

Oh, almost forgot.

Do us a favor

and don't mention to Irwin

that the hero in our movie

is based on him.

Wait, you don't have

the rights to his story?

Well, it's complicated,

but you let us worry about that.

You just have fun.

[Stern]

All right?

All right.

That is one wet fish.

[chuckling]

[siren blaring]

Casualties?

Four confirmed dead.

One missing,

presumed dead and three

in critical condition

at St. Jones.

The Metro crew?

Did the explosion impact

the tunnel extension?

I mean, is it salvageable?

That's your concern?

Excuse me, that's one

of my concerns, okay?

We're four months

behind schedule

and three million dollars

over budget,

so please forgive me.

[sighs]

I'm sorry.

Just seemed like

a nothing earthquake.

I don't, I don't get it.

It was nothing.

Only magnitude four and five

on the Newport-Inglewood

fault line. I...

The Newport-Inglewood what?

It's a fault line,

like San Andreas.

Yeah, no, I get that,

I've just never heard of it.

Well, I have a field team

from Dr. Robson's boys

investigating the tunnel

as we speak.

Great. Keep me updated

when intel comes in.

You do mean

on the workers, right?

Yes, of course.

[Kent] Oh, my God.

This is worse than I thought.

[sighs]

Seeing anything yet, Sawyer?

[Sawyer] The heat is intense,

I can barely see

three feet in front of my hands.

Hey, I'm not gonna find

any new bodies down here.

Because that feels like

a bump in pay grade.

[chuckles] They already evaced

the tunnel team.

It's just you.

Great.

[creaking]

It looks like

the whole tunnel caved.

Man, all of a sudden, it got

at least ten degrees hotter.

[Sawyer] Burnin' up down here.

[Kent] Ten degrees, really?

You're determined to get that

bump in pay, aren't you?

[rumbling]

[people screaming]

Sawyer, get out of there.

Whoa!

Oh, God!

Everyone out!

Leave the area immediately.

[clamoring]

[siren blaring]

- You're good...

- Uh-huh.

Okay, yeah.

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