From: Robert Willers <willers@trombone.sps.mot.com>

THE CITY Update for Friday, June 14:

STORYLINE: THELMA AND LOUISE AND FRANK AND JACOB
 (location: Angie/Jacob's apartment)
* Angie hugs [Frank], while he and Jacob kid each other.  Frank asks
 Angie if she is really still with this guy, and she says yes, forever.
 Frank turns serious, though, saying he's only in town for the evening
 and he has to tell her something -- that he is back to get some stuff
 out of storage and to say good bye.  "I've decided to stay in L. A."
* He says he knows it's the right thing to do...for him.  "If you guys
 could see some of the footage I've shot, it's incredible!"  That's when
 he knew he could do it.  Angie says she has always told him he could do
 whatever he wanted to do...but in L. A.?  Frank says that's the only
 place to do film.  Jacob says Spike Lee and Woody Allen are doing OK in
 New York.  Yeah, but who else?  And that's not the point, says Angie,
 he should still be in school.  Yeah, says Frank, so I'm enrolling at
 UCLA.  "You can understand, can't you?"  "I don't know."  She says NYU
 has an excellent film school.  So does UCLA, and besides, I've made so
 many contacts out there.  Ah, but school and your contacts aren't the
 only reasons you're leaving New York, says Angie.  "You're leaving New
 York because of me, aren't you?"
* Frank asks how she could even think that.  Angie asks, "It's true,
 isn't it?"  Jacob excuses himself.  Angie says she just needs to know
 that he is running *toward* something, not away from anything.  "Mom,
 do you realize how much I love you?  Do you know how ridiculous that
 sounds?  Do you know how much I'm going to miss you?"  "I love you too,
 sweetheart.  Probably more than you want to be loved..."  "No such
 thing."  Angie says she felt a bit guilty about following him to New
 York, but there were a lot of good reasons for her to move there.
 Jacob, for one.  Is this the time to tell the truth, asks Frank.  That
 is what I've always taught you, says Angie.  Frank says he didn't like
 the fact that she moved in four blocks down the road, at first, and he
 met some powerful people in New York, including James, who helped him
 get in touch with his roots before he moved to D. C..  Even though he
 was arguing with her almost every day, though, he was able to do all
 of this *because* of her.  "No matter how far I spread my wings, I knew
 that if I crash-landed, there was going to be a safety net to catch me.
 And that net only lived four blocks away."  "Oh, baby..."  "You know,
 you weren't the only one who had a hard time letting go.  So did I.
 I know I am ready now.  What about you, kiddo?"  "Well, I'm not sure.
 [Crying.]  I'm going to try.  You know, I am so proud of you.  What
 you've accomplished in school, with your film.  But most of all, I am
 just so proud of the man you have become."  "Thank you."
* Angie says she's finally willing to let go of her baby...sort of.
 What do you mean, sort of?  She says she just wishes he wasn't driving
 cross-country all by himself.  He says he can handle it.  She says
 maybe he could fly and they'd ship his car later.  He says he has it
 under control.  "You're really going to do this, aren't you?"  "Yeah,
 I'm gonna be OK."  He wants her to promise not to worry.  She says she
 will make any promise but that one.  He says he'll be fine.  She says
 she knows he's fine -- too fine.  He says he has to get something and
 walks away.  Jacob comes back and gives Angie a hug, saying California
 isn't that far away.  She talks about the Road Runner pajamas Frank[ie]
 had as a kid, and says he still wants to be a roadrunner.  Jacob says
 they've all got some kid in them; he still wants to be Superman, but
 he doesn't have the big "S" painted on his shoulder.  She says she'll
 paint it on later.  She asks if he thinks Frank will be OK.  Yeah, says
 Jacob, he'll be fine.  Angie comes up with an idea: why doesn't Jacob
 go with him?  There'll be contract business for Nick in L. A.  No, says
 Jacob, he doesn't want to leave her alone in New York, especially with
 her sleepwalking.  She says she'll be fine.  "What's a few more days?
 Please, please?"  "Oh, don't start with the eyes."  Then you'll do it?
 Jacob says he doesn't like this.  She hugs him and says she can stop
 worrying.  Yeah, but I can pick up where you left off.  She asks what
 could happen.  He says he hopes he won't have to answer that question.
Frank enters with a photo of himself and Angie, saying he wants to take
 it with him, it's his favorite picture.  Mine, too, says Angie.  She
 holds the picture close.  He says he's just going back to Cali, not to
 another planet.  [Um, has he ever been to California?]  She says she's
 entitled (to be emotional).  He asks if she's sure she'll be OK.  She
 says no, and when did *he* become the adult?  "Hey, I love you."  "I
 love you, too.  Oh God, baby, I love you so much."  They hug.  "I'll
 be all right."

STORYLINE: THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
 (starting location: Ally/Jocelyn's apartment)
* Jocelyn asks Mike if she knows him.  "No, but I know you."  He eyes
 her, saying that he heard she was attractive, and she is.  Jocelyn
 says she's going to call the police, but before she does so, why is he
 there?  Can't you guess?  It's because of Danny.
[At the City Bar.]
Jared asks Danny if he plays chess.  No.  Then perhaps you're a checkers
 man?  No answer.  "Well, what I'm asking is, is there any game, outside
 of Mr. Potato Head, that you're any good at?"  "Yeah.  Go Fish."  Well,
 then, you understand that the object of a game is to anticipate the
 opponent's moves.  Therefore, you've lost, says Jared as he chalks a
 pool cue, "I'm on to your game."  The rather outclassed Danny says he
 doesn't know what Jared is talking about.  "Come on, Danny Boy, you
 can't be completely clueless."  Jared says he has anticipated every
 move Danny has made, and he knows that he is going after his money and
 his wife.
[At the Penthouse.]
Sydney is still listening to the tape of Jared telling Malcolm that
 "one way or another, she'll come along."  "Oh my God, Jared is really
 insane.  He's actually planning to kidnap me."
* [At Ally/Jocelyn's apartment.]
Mike tells Jocelyn that Danny told him she was a hot number, and he
 seconds that.  He says he's in the legal business too...sort of.  She
 asks if he is an attorney.  "Not exactly."  Mike introduces himself.
 Jocelyn tells him he had better leave.  But are you sure you aren't
 interested in some --um...  No, not at all, says Jocelyn as she tries
 to close the door on Mike for probably the tenth time.  Mike stops her
 again and says one more thing: tell Danny that Mike says hi.  Jocelyn
 succeeds in closing the door, as she says she will be sure to do that.
[At the City Bar.]
Danny says he's not interested in Jared's money, "and as far as your
 wife--"  Jared tells him he's *way* out of his league.  Well, says
 Danny, if I'm so far out of that "league," why is he even talking to
 him?  Because he wants to make it clear that he has no intention of
 relinquishing anything to him, not now, not ever.  Danny says he is
 talking like Sydney is a piece of real estate.  The name's Mrs. Chase,
 and "yes, escrow closed on her a lot of years ago."  Danny ask who he
 is that he can talk about her like that.  I'm her husband, and that
 gives me the right to do and say whatever I please.  He tosses a $20
 bill down on the railing, inviting Danny to have a drink on him and to
 think about what he said.  Jared leaves.  Danny crumples up the money
 and tosses it down.
Jocelyn runs in, asking Danny if he's out of his mind.  Danny mutters
 something about Jared being out of his mind, then asks what Jocelyn
 is talking about.  She says she told him she doesn't want to be fixed
 up, and if she did, she certainly wouldn't want that friend of his.
 Danny says he doesn't know what she's talking about.  You know, your
 buddy, your pal?  "Just tell your friend Mike that I'm not interested
 and to stay away from me, OK?"  "Mike?!  He was here?"  "Well you gave
 him my address."  "What did he do to you?"
[At the Penthouse.]
Sydney still listening to the tape:
  Malcolm: "But what if she resists?"
  Jared: "Resists what?  I'm going to tell her we're just flying to my
  private island for our anniversary."
  M: "And when she wants to leave?"
  J: "I think she'll learn to love my island paradise as much as I do,
  but if not, well, there are no phones, no fax machines, no computers."
  [The next line should have been 'not a single luxury.']
  J: "...In other words, no way out."
  Both laugh.
Sydney stops the tape and acts very nervous.
* [At the City Bar.]
Danny asks Jocelyn what Mike wanted.  You know what he wanted -- he said
 that you told him I was a hot looking chick.  Danny asks what else he
 said.  "He wasn't exactly a great conversationalist."  He asks if she
 let him in.  Hell no, of course not.  She asks how he knows Mike.  He
 says that Mike won't come near her any more, he'll make sure of that.
 Jocelyn persists, asking how he knows him.  "I just --uh-- met him in
 the bar.  We had a few drinks."  Jocelyn says it makes her feel real
 good that he would give someone like that her address.  Danny says she
 won't see him again.  Danny leaves.  Jocelyn, confused and frustrated,
 slams her purse down on the bar.  A drunk comes up to her and asks what
 she's drinking.
[At the Penthouse.]
Sydney says to herself that the fatal flaw in Jared's plan is that she
 found out about it.  Danny bangs on the door, yelling that he needs to
 talk to her.  She opens the door and lets him in.  He says this is an
 emergency.  She says he looks like he has seen a ghost.  He says he
 needs her help.  If this is about money again--  No, says Danny, I need
 your help: send Jocelyn out of town on business, as far out of town as
 you can.  "Why?"  "Just do it, OK?"  "No I won't, not--"  "Don't ask
 questions.  Just do what I say!"  Sydney folds her arms.  "OK, I didn't
 mean to be so..."  "What, Jared-like?"  He says he's in big trouble:
 the loan shark is on his tail.  She says she thought he was going to go
 see someone in Mexico.  No, says Danny, I can't leave town right now.
 She asks if he did anything to Jocelyn.  No, but he will, and until he
 gets the cash, he wants her out of town.  Did he say he will hurt her?
 No, but I know he will.  "She's my sister, Syd.  I gotta do something.
 I am not going to let this guy get to her."  She asks if sending her
 away is really going to solve the problem, if this loan shark is really
 intent on getting to her?  No, realizes Danny, probably not.  Danny
 produces the gun.  "This will."
* [At the City Bar.]
The drunk says he's not trying to hustle her, but would it be so bad if
 he were?  Jocelyn changes her tune: "Well, now, that depends.  What are
 you looking for?  Are you looking for a party?"
[At the Agency.]
Jared is alone in the dark agency, reaching into a hole in a wall.  He
 says soon, he'll have everything: "I'll have Sydney and I'll have all
 of this."  He pulls a pipe out from behind the wall.  He gets a knife
 and scrapes the paint off of the pipe  "My, my, my.  Would you look
 at that?  They were wrong, of course.  All that glitters *is* gold!"
 We see what appears to be a solid gold pipe under the paint.
[At the Penthouse.]
Sydney tells Danny to put the gun away.  He says it will take care of
 the problem -- if he aims right.  And what about his friends, asks Syd.
 "Didn't you say he was connected?"  Danny looks heartbroken.  "Look,
 you can send Jocelyn away, you can send Molly away, you can kill this
 guy, but is that going to solve your problem?"  Danny figures out that
 killing Mike would be a big mistake.  Sydney says his anger is directed
 at the wrong person -- who is at the root of all your problems?  Danny
 says it is probably him, he shouldn't have gone to a loan shark in the
 first place.  Sydney says she was going to back him, but--  But Jared
 got in the middle.  Exactly, says Sydney, Jared is the source of all
 of our problems.  "If he were just out of the way, everything would be
 fine.  We'd be free, we could do whatever we wanted.  I just don't see
 any other way out for either one of us."  "That's what you really want,
 isn't it?  That's what you wanted all this time.  [Angrily.]  For me to
 kill Jared!"  "No, look--"  "Oh, man, have I been stupid!  This has
 been about you and Jared from the start, you and your sick relationship
 with the man you married.  [Getting angrier.]  You wanted me to take
 him out from the beginning, didn't you?"  "Danny, please, just let me
 explain--"  Danny almost screams at Sydney, "Tell me that you weren't
 setting me up all this time!  Tell me, Sydney!!"

-----
|  "I'm surrounded by idiots!"                         |  Bob Willers  |
|  --Simba's uncle Scar (voice talent: Jeremy Irons),  |  Phoenix, AZ  |
|    THE LION KING.                                    | MY opinions!! |
+------------ willers@trombone.sps.mot.com ------------+---------------+

