The Nines Page #4

without you!

- You gonna look at those cards?

- Absolutely.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Sometimes the numbers

point things out

that you didn't want to admit to yourself,

and in this case, it's Melissa.

Well, her overall scores were okay,

but if you look at the people

who scored the show the highest,

the one consistent dip

was Melissa.

There's some sort of subtle

undertones of negativity there.

Well, Gavin, the show is testing

very well in the Midwest,

but it's not doing well in the urban areas,

and it's not doing well with men.

We've got a major problem,

and I really need you

to think about this with me.

It's Melissa, and it's just

what I thought it was gonna be.

If you'd read the cards,

you'd understand.

I read some of the cards,

but I don't believe in that stuff.

I don't believe you can let

these armchair quarterbacks...

They're not connecting to Melissa.

And I love her. She's so strong.

I am with you on the fact

that she is not

your traditional lead

of a network television show.

She doesn't have

a ton to do in the pilot.

There's so much to set it up.

That's one of the challenges

of the premise pilot.

- But the network still likes the show.

- Roger is your biggest cheerleader.

Okay, how about above Roger?

Roger's calling the shots on this.

But we all know that Roger

consults with the "higher powers."

- That is true.

- They tell him what to do.

- I'm wondering if they liked the show.

- They haven't seen it.

They're gonna watch

all of the pilots on Friday.

That's what I'm telling you.

I want to have something

to present to them...

Why are you focusing

on Melissa?

She's our biggest concern.

She's also the biggest star

on the show.

No, no, no.

You are the biggest star.

Roger has a huge deal with you,

and he went along with casting Melissa

when it was against his instinct.

Hooray for Roger.

I don't understand

what you want me to do.

Meet with someone.

- Who?

- Dahlia Salem.

I know you like her.

Oh, God.

Are you kidding me?

The network has

a huge holding deal with her.

Yes, and they put her

in Gatins' pilot.

That's dead.

I mean, it's dying.

But the network,

they love Dahlia,

so if she could just

jump into your show...

Just jump over to my show?

There's no such thing...

there's re-shooting the pilot,

and I brought this up

months and months ago.

You guys kept pushing

other people on me,

and I kept saying Melissa,

Melissa, Melissa.

You kept pushing Melissa on us,

and now we have a problem.

You're very lucky

in that Roger will pay for this.

Roger is willing to re-shoot

this entire f***ing thing.

Is this really

about Melissa?

This is about getting

your show on the air, right?

I need you to focus on that.

In the end, that's all that matters.

That's my job.

- Hey, hi.

- Hi.

- Hey, hi.

- Hi.

- Well, nice to...

- Thank you for doing this.

Absolutely. I've been looking

forward to this, actually.

- I have a question for you.

- Yes?

Is it "Dalia" or "Dahlia"?

Thank you for asking.

It's "Dalia."

- Dalia. I knew it!

- You did?

I contested this

with someone earlier.

Well, good.

We have the same birthday.

I looked you up on IMDb.

I wanted to see everything you...

yes, we have the same birthday!

Same year, same day,

everything.

- Are you kidding me?

- I'm not kidding you.

- Isn't that cool?

- That's insane.

- November 21st.

- Oh, my God.

So you're completely

and utterly crazy too!

- She works more than me!

- That's the thing that's killing me,

because she gave up

Gilmore Girls to do this show.

She's a very strong character,

and I'm attracted

to strong roles.

Yeah, I'm hoping

to fill her out even more,

and obviously collaborate

with the person that's playing her.

I mean, I see why

the network loves her.

She's adorable,

but it's just that in my head,

you know, I wrote

the role for Melissa.

She's one of my best friends,

and I can only imagine it with her.

Could Dahlia do it?

Absolutely. She's terrific.

It could work, I just don't know

if I want it to work.

When I get stressed out,

I play videogames.

It's my therapy.

Can't have them on my computer

at home 'cause I'd never write.

I love these games

that you can kind of...

lose yourself a little bit in them.

I love that it's a different world

that's existing at the same time.

They're better than real life,

because when you get stuck,

you can always hit "reset."

That's what life needs.

Needs a reset button.

I have to let Melissa go.

What happens

if you don't let Melissa go?

If I don't let Melissa go?

My world ends, so...

I can't let that happen.

If we're gonna replace Melissa,

I want to hear it from Roger.

Roger's on a plane to London,

but I talked with him before he left,

and he said yes on Dahlia.

What does that mean?

It means yes.

Yes, replace Melissa?

Roger wants your show

on the air starring Dahlia,

and I just got off the phone

with her agents, and they love it,

and she loves, loves you.

What about Melissa?

- You want me to call her agents?

- Oh, God, no.

No, I'll tell her.

As long as he needs me

I know where I must be

I am trying to get

my one-woman show together

that I'm trying to squeeze

in between the pilot and the series.

When you add that cry to the voice:

As long as...

I've always been kind of

obsessed with nuns.

You know, they're kind of

like God's fag-hags, so...

I went to private

Catholic schools for 12 years,

so I have a lot of... nuns.

I'm sorry.

I swear, I don't usually...

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I have to take this. I'm so sorry.

Yeah, I guess we still mean it.

They accepted our offer.

All right, we will call you back.

Thank you. No, no, no, it's good.

I know I sound nervous.

Okay, bye.

I think we just bought a house.

Pretty good.

Pretty good, right?

That's good.

- Right?

- Yeah, I'm sorry.

Go to take a phone call...

we just bought a house!

Well, I think that the show

that Gavin wrote for her

could be a really big deal for her,

'cause she's been more

of a supporting character,

and now she's right in the thick.

So, it's exciting.

She's really excited, a little nervous.

Then you will know

If someone needs you

You love them so

I won't...

Betray his trust

Though people say I must

I've got to stay true to...

As long as he needs me

Then he's like,

"I'm straight, remember?"

Suddenly stricken

with some sort of gay panic.

"I'm your straight husband."

- You can throw color swatches at me.

- I know. Oh, I will.

I think my house is haunted.

Well, your house is really old.

Ever since I got back,

I just, I feel like there's...

I feel like there's

someone else there,

and then last night,

I thought I heard something,

like, a woman singing.

- What? Like a ghost?

- I guess. I don't know.

Then I saw something.

I actually ran into someone.

I mean, I saw...

Was it the singing ghost?

It was a man.

I think it was me.

What? Your house

is haunted by yourself?

Yeah, I don't, I mean, I'm like...

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