winterbadger | two things

1. I love Sports Night. I really could watch it several times a years. Wait, no, I *do* watch it several times a year.

2. In "What Kind of Day Has It Been", the closing episode for the first season, Casey has a talk with his son Charlie. Charlie (who is, oh, I don't know, maybe ten?) has to fess up to his dad that he's been lying about playing baseball really well because, well, his dad is a national sports anchor, and he doesn't want to disappoint his dad by telling him he can't play baseball. Casey's response? (my thanks to tktv.net for the transcript)

Casey: C'mere. That was really hard for you to say, wasn't it? You were scared during that.

Charlie: Yeah.

Casey: Well, it didn't show. You were really calm and honest. But I knew you were scared anyway, 'cause I'm your father. [Stands up] You were worried you might embarrass me. Man. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that you're my son. And you can't even blame me, 'cause grandpa started it. And I have a hunch his dad was no picnic either. So Charlie, I am nipping this in the bud right now. Pay close attention. In your lifetime, you will never embarrass me. It's not gonna happen. You play baseball if you want to play baseball. And the only thing that you have to do to make me and your mom happy is come home at the end of the day. In your lifetime, you'll never embarrass me. You know why? 'Cause I'm your father. Who'd you think I was?

2.a. I never had a conversation like that with my dad. But we had a few that were close, and I treasure them.

2.b. The emotion that lies beneath that moment, fictional as it is, is what has made it easy for the last two people I've seriously considered marrying (one of whom I did marry, one of whom I didn't) to convince me that we should have kids. I know it's not all heartfelt speeches. I know there's a lot more slogging through crap (figurative and, especially to be begin with, literal) than cheerful jollity. But I think that love and trust and respect don't get more fundamental than that.

That scene is only one of what makes the ep a climax. Jeremy Goodwin quoting from my favourite movie (one by Aaron Sorkin's mentor, James Goldman--brother of William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride) also makes it great. And the climax, when Isaac Jaffe--everyone's boss and, really, everyone's dad too--reappears for the first time after his stroke (written into the storyline because the actor Robert Guillaume, who plays him, had a stroke) at just the right moment... it's a wonderful ep.

3. There was actually a #3 as well, but damned if I can remember it now.