All language subtitles for Lou Grant s05e05 Risk

Hello, I'm calling from the trip. I'd
like to... How much money was involved?

Was it over a thousand dollars?

Was it over ten thousand dollars?

The balloon is down here.

It's about 4 ,000 foot level. That's
very rugged.

Looks like the nearest civilization is
about 25 miles.

Okay, it's confirmed.

Everyone on board is safe. Did they say
where they're evacuating them to?

Riverside. Our stringer there can get
interviews. You know how it happened.

The blimp hit some high -tension wires.

Blimp what wall?

They said blimp. It's half -draped over
the wires in the mountainside. We could

use some art. Good idea.

Mike! Uh, this access road was washed
out in a flood last week. You think

still be out?

Oh, yeah. I've seen that country up
close lately. It's rough.

We can rent a helicopter. It's faster
anyway.

What's up?

Mike, we have a down blimp in the San
Bernardino Mountains. I want you to

to Cloverfield Airport. We'll have a
helicopter waiting to fly you out there.

Now, you should at least get aerials,
but they'll probably be able to set you

down. Why don't I just drive?

No, no, no, you can't. The road to a
washout's too slow anyway.

I don't know.

What do you mean you don't know?

Well, I'm just not too keen on
helicopters, that's all.

I mean, you're talking about mountains
here.

I mean, something made that blimp go
down, right?

I'm giving you an assignment, Mike.

You asked me to get your pictures. I can
get your pictures.

How, by taking a train?

Hey, I've done a lot of work up there.
It'd probably be easier for someone

familiar with the area.

Are you free?

Yeah. You don't mind?

No.

Get going.

What do you want me to do?

I really don't have anything right now.

Oh, oh.

Yeah, here.

Some eighth graders made a mural for the
airport.

Why don't you get me some shots of the
artwork?

Right.

Surprise.

I guess Mike isn't going to be our kind
of guy.

Too bad. He's telling it. It really is
too bad.

Lou, I got a kind of intriguing phone
call from that teacher I interviewed for

that science fair story. She wants me to
meet her this afternoon.

What about?

Well, she wouldn't say.

That's what's intriguing. She was very
upfront with me before.

She said it could also be helpful if I
could bring someone who was black.

Take Sharon with you?

This is all too vague to go to the
authorities, but I just can't carry it

with me anymore.

Tell us about it.

You know, I'm sorry, but when I said to
bring along a black reporter, I didn't

think it was going to be a woman. I
assumed you were... Oh, dummy.

It's okay, Maggie. Just share it with
us. We'll figure out what to do.

Now, this could all just be fantasy,
too.

What?

Well, there's a maintenance man at our
school, Frederick, who also does odd

jobs. Like he installed a smoke detector
for me once.

Anyway, he came to me with a story about
doing some electrical wiring on a house

in Encino.

They needed more current to set up photo
floods for filming.

What kind of filming?

Frederick thinks it's dirty movies.

They had a short or something and he had
to go back and he saw some of it.

Yeah? Yeah, well, Frederick saw a child
he thinks might be from our school.

He thinks she might be participating in
the film.

And when I heard it, it just upset me.
She could be in my class.

I teach fourth grade.

I see. Do you think we could talk to
Frederick?

Well, he's very nervous. He's afraid he
might lose his job if people find out

that he worked on this house.

I could try to set up a meeting.

He's black, see, and that's why I
thought... Sure, I understand.

Tell Frederick we will keep his identity
absolutely confidential.

And tell him he can trust us.

And now?

In a minute.

Me too. I'll walk with you.

In fact, if you didn't want to go home
right away, maybe we could go out for a

drink someplace.

Lance. Not McKenna's. I hate McKenna's.
Everybody's always looking at you.

Lance.

I'm seeing somebody.

Tonight?

No, he's out of town tonight.

Oh, well then... Okay.

Okay.

You know, I'm up to five miles.

Doggy. For the, uh, space shuttle.

You're jogging to the space shuttle?

No. Remember when NASA said that future
astronauts would not all be the engineer

test pilot types?

At some point, they're going to take a
long reporter.

Oh, well, that's just speculation.

It's way in the future.

Which is why my age is an advantage.

See, when they look around at all the
journalists in the country who want to

that one guy, out of all the hunters
that want to go, who do you think they

to pick?

The guy who, A, has got the background.

That's me. I had four years of physics
at Berkeley.

And B, the guy who's in shape.

Good luck.

I can be very patient and very
determined, Billy.

But a lot of people.

Billy! You'll see.

Donovan's going into the mountains
tomorrow.

You're on the desk. Oh, what's in the
mountains?

The guys in the cigarette ads.

Actually, they're not like that at all.
It's a group called the Mountain Search

and Rescue Team.

Oh, yeah, when somebody gets lost in the
mountains, they go look for them. While

I was heading our environmental unit
when we were doing the story on the

Dam, I bumped into these guys in a
little airport cafe.

I thought it'd make an interesting story
for somebody to go through the training

with them.

So he assigned it to himself.

Well, sure, it'll be fun.

Well, be careful.

Oh, just hang out with him. I don't go
where it gets hairy.

I'll see you in two days.

He's coming in solo. His tail prop is
whacking off branches.

This guy's Navy, right?

What was he in, choppers? I think he was
a lawnmower.

You guys don't get to choose your own
pilots. We get what the sheriff gives

So the pilot's on salary. I mean, this
is his job.

Right. We're the only ones that are dumb
enough to come up here and leave a

nice, clean office.

Train 20 hours a week and I get paid for
it. What are your jobs? I should know

that. I'm a cop.

Matt's an engineer.

I'm a dentist.

We got guys in construction.

It doesn't really matter. Just as long
as it's a job that your boss

you might have to leave on short notice.

Well, we left Gilbert and Iverson on the
ridge.

Are they planning on spending the night?

They may not be planning.

Hey, Art.

Hi, Phil. Where did we get this hot dog
for a pilot? We were just talking about

that. This guy would try stuff, which is
good, but you know who he reminds me

of?

Fassbinder. Oh, I hope not.

One of our guys is rappelling out of a
chopper, which means you're sliding down

the rope backwards and looking back up
at the bird.

With a 30 -pound pack.

Just as our man is ready to touch
ground, this pilot, Fassbinder, he sees

on a ridge, so he pops up 10 feet to
take a look.

Thinks maybe it's a signal from this
victim we're looking for.

Meanwhile, our guy runs out of room.

You mean he goes right off the end, back
first, with a pack, no way to write it.

About a ten -foot drop.

What happened to him?

He messed up his back pretty good.

Gets along pretty well now.

I saw him about a month ago.

He just had a cane.

When you're out on a rescue, you have to
take chances sometimes.

But this pilot today just doesn't
realize that this is just an exercise.

Well, is that going to be it for today,
or what? No, we're going to go out

again. In fact, we've got a couple more
hours before sunset.

Hey, Art, you gonna go with us?

Yeah, I wouldn't miss it.

Hi, Kat.

All right, so you don't put my name in
the story.

When the principal comes to you and
says, who told you all that?

Tell him we can't say.

How do I know?

That's what confidentiality means.
That's why we have a rule to never

source so that right now, today, you can
trust us.

See, the thing is, I couldn't wire the
house the way they wanted and do it to

code.

Frederick, the building inspectors
aren't going to know who you are, not

But the building inspectors know, but
what about the police?

We don't tell them either.

Try that.

Okay, I'll take you to the house.

You.

I'm not taking a pack of reporters
around with me.

Just you.

Okay.

You want me to sing?

We can pick you up by jeep on that road
over there. I've got everything else

with you guys. I don't think I have to
do that to get a story.

It's up to you.

You've been checked out.

You were in training. This would be our
first job. Yeah.

Don't do it. I'll let you fill in for
him.

It's up to you.

We'll continue in a moment here on A &E.

Wow, it was beautiful up there. Just
terrific.

Fantastic. Did you see my hand signal
from the chop?

Most of them.

I'm sorry.

I was just hanging out out there. I had
a look around.

Spectacular. We waited for you, Art. We
weren't sure if you were coming down or

not. I decided to take the stairs
instead of the elevator.

We might have found you enjoyed it.

No, thanks.

I'm writing a story about you guys. I'm
not becoming one. Yeah, right. You don't

have to go crazy to write about it at
St.

Asylum. You do have to be crazy to hang
around us, though.

We are.

Just you, Mel.

You did what you had to do. That's cool.

I know.

I'll see you guys next week. All right.
Take it easy. See you.

About 15, 20 minutes. It's kind of
tricky to find, but it's not that far.

Great.

It gets confusing sometimes in these
hills.

is over there, the white one.

Oh, okay.

Can you wait for me?

You going in there now?

Well, yeah, that's what I'm here for.

Well, I can't wait for you.

Then how am I supposed to get back?

I don't know, catch a cab.

Do you see a lot of cabs around here?

Lady, you didn't plan this very well,
did you?

Are you coming with me or not?

No.

What you got there? Panda?

A koala bear.

How come you're not in school?

I missed the bus and my mother didn't
feel like taking me.

I won't get in trouble.

My name is Sharon McNeil. What's yours?

Connie Lauder.

Connie, are you sorry in this school?

No.

No?

Sometimes.

I miss school when I'm sick.

And I miss school when we have filming.

Filming?

My mother's boyfriend is a movie
director.

Ronnie?

Oh, did Joaquin send you?

No, I'm Sharon McNeil from the Tribune.

Yeah? Can I talk to you for a few
minutes?

What about?

About the filming.

Connie, come here.

See, I'm doing a story on children in
certain movies, and I need some

background.

I don't know anything about that.

Mrs. Lauder, I know you do.

I'm sorry.

I'm going to be writing this story
anyway, Mrs. Lauder.

Don't you want to tell your side?

No.

See, I'll give you complete
confidentiality. Do you know what that

means if you let me talk to you, I won't
use your name, and no matter who asks,

I won't say who you are.

I'll tell anyone. Not a soul, not even
the people I work with.

Could you come inside?

I have to give Connie her lunch.

Sure. Oh, no, you should probably talk
to David, my boyfriend, about this. He's

the director.

No, I want to talk to you.

How do you know Joaquin?

I don't.

How often do you film here?

See, this is our house.

Pay the rent on time.

Do whatever we want here.

It's a law.

You can do anything inside your own
house.

Do you act in these films?

Me?

Not anymore.

Not since I put on this weight.

David said Connie's good.

She could be in commercials.

How long has Connie been acting in the
films?

About a year.

David says she has the talent for it.

Which mainly means being innocent.

Because that's what the people want.

They like this kind of thing.

That's why they want kids.

Because they're innocent.

Doing the same stuff adults do.

Like what?

Everything, you know.

Uh, Mrs. Otter, don't you think that
Connie's rather young?

She doesn't know what she's doing.

She doesn't know what sex is.

She thinks it's just playing.

Connie, you like to be in these movies?

No. Connie, she likes to be contrary.

As her mother, you don't object to this?

We're poor, see?

I worked until I met David.

He was a kid.

I hardly ever went out.

She pays good money.

She's old enough now to earn her keep.

How old is she?

Eight. Nine.

Right. Last month was her birthday.

She's nine.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. Did you snorkel into
downtown, or are you just getting ready

the next flood?

Scuba diving most nearly duplicates the
conditions of space.

See, all the astronauts in training do a
lot of diving.

When do you have time for diving?

After I jog.

Ah. Well, just try to save the trip time
for a few earthbound stories. Okay,

Lance?

Sure.

So, anyway.

These guys who spend their weekends
scrambling up mountains and hanging out

helicopters are engineers, accountants,
construction workers during the week.

They get paid?

They're all volunteers.

That's a good story. And they let you go
on these training sessions with them?

Most of it.

Last time they were rappelling out of
helicopters on ropes.

I gave it a big pass.

Good move.

You bet.

I mean, I could have done it, I guess.

What, climb out of a helicopter on a
rope? Well, you're hooked onto the rope

with a metal ring, so you're not going
to fall off of it.

But you're right. I got all of that
daredevil stuff out of my system in the

when I was eight.

You mean when your dad was in the Navy?

Well, he never made the distinction, so
neither did we.

I was up every morning at five o 'clock
to make my bed so you could bounce a

dime off of it and then maybe face one
of Pop's survival drills.

You ever try and spit shine sneakers?

What's a survival drill?

Getting dressed in your thickest,
clumsiest clothes and getting tossed off

pier. and then making a float out of
your pants and worrying about

Not sharks?

Oh, no.

Pop was worried about a barracuda
snapping off the source of future

So I was, too, at the age of eight.

My Pop was quite a character.

Garbage Scout Donovan, they called him.

First ship he ever commanded was a
barge. It sank.

He tried to go down with the ship. They
had to pull him off.

Look, you had a busy childhood.

Oh, yeah.

And it's good to grow out of.

I, uh, I started flying lessons, you
know, and I thought to be when I'm

out, we could go up sometime.

Oh, I don't know, Lance.

Those little planes made me kind of
nervous.

All right, so I'll call you when I'm
checked out on the 745th.

story tonight, I'm not going to be able
to believe it tomorrow.

Okay.

What'd you get?

An interview with a little girl who acts
in porno movies.

And an interview with her mother.

The mother talked?

Yeah, well, I had to convince her about
confidentiality.

You gave confidentiality?

Small price to pay for what we got.

I think this is the best writing Sharon
has done since she came here.

Terrific. She lets the mother hang
herself with her own words.

Zola seems to have so little awareness
of what she's doing.

That's what's so depraved.

That, and this part about an ordinary
little girl who plays with dolls, and

it's seen in a film with a grown man.

Oh, Rossi, Sharon, come on in.

Nice job.

Thanks.

Rossi, you're doing the side by the
psychologist?

And please reaction.

Uh...

These names, Esther T. and Sarah T.,
they're fictitious. Right. Yeah, well,

have to say that right up at the top.

Okay. This is local?

The Valley.

Incredible. Low.

Pitch it at the budget. We'll go with
it, page one.

I just wanted to talk to you before this
thing gets out of hand.

One thing.

You can't duck assignments from your
city editor the way you did the other

I wasn't ducking assignments. I was
merely objecting to the way you wanted

go about it. Look, you have to
understand something.

Journalists live by a kind of creed.

You do anything to get the story.

I don't buy it.

Look, I didn't sign up for the French
Foreign Legion here.

You can't take the attitude, I'll get
the story if it suits me. But I don't

to take the attitude, I'm going to get
the story if it kills me either.

But he was asking you to get killed.

Look, I don't like helicopters, all
right?

I'm a good photographer.

Why can't you just use me to take
pictures instead of putting me to these

of courage?

And keep a list of the things that every
reporter or photographer objects to?

Only send you out on the inoffensive
assignments?

You match people to assignments anyway.

This conversation is not going very
well.

I was trying to give you some advice.
You're giving me an argument.

This is not negotiable. We expect our
staff to go after the story.

With certain notable exceptions.

With no exceptions.

Not unless the assistant city editor
wants to amuse himself by going at an

assignment up to the point that you have
to climb out of a helicopter.

It wasn't a case of getting a story. I
had enough story without having to do

that. My point exactly.

Your example doesn't work, Mike. I don't
think this whole thing is going to

work. You can get 50 examples.

Hang in there, pal.

I think you're on the right track.

Morning, Mrs. Fincher. Good morning.

I came down to talk about Miss McNeil's
child pornography piece.

What did you think?

I thought it was infuriating.

Nauseating.

A terrific writer.

Oh, good.

This is one of those rare times when we
really touch a nerve.

I've already heard from the mayor, the
board of supervisors, and the police.

I'd like to congratulate the author. Is
she in?

Sharon.

What is it, Liv?

I called Sharon.

We are working together a lot.

Hello, Mrs. Pinchot.

Good morning.

I want to compliment every one of you
who has contributed to the child

pornography piece.

It was a chilling expose.

Thank you.

Joe was helping me all the way.

Whatever I could do, you know.

Now, all the reactions I have received
are unanimous. That child must be saved.

Taken out of that environment.

Poor kid.

It's not too late already.

Well, immediate action can be of some
help. The police have asked me to reveal

the name and location of that family.

I can't give them names or locations.

I can't give them anything.

I promise confidentiality.

That's what I was afraid of.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment.

Here on A &E.

Hello. Why don't you close that door?

Well, we got a terrific story out of it.

Excellent.

Yeah?

Well, that's our job, isn't it? To print
good stories?

We give confidentiality all the time. I
don't know what's bothering you so much

about this.

I'll tell you what's bothering me,
Rossi.

A nine -year -old girl who poses in
porno movies and a mother who lets her.

Encourages her. Well, if you were
bothered by that, and other people are,

just means we did something right.

It's the way we did it, Mr. Rossi.

Face it, Rossi.

Would you have done that?

I give confidentiality. I gave it to our
source. The guy led us to the girl. And

that was enough.

You'd worked your way into this story.
We didn't have to throw a blanket around

it. I've got to say something here.

I was the one who was there.

And I felt that it was the only way to
get anything.

She was closing the door on me.

We all know the feeling, especially when
you're less experienced. You're so

concerned you're going to lose the
story, you give away more than you have

did have to.

I had to take a chance.

Can you honestly say you wouldn't have
got almost the same stuff anyway?

How do you ever know that?

Back to Sharon.

This woman talked.

Maybe she wanted to get back at her
boyfriend. I don't know. But people do

they want to do, and this woman wanted
to talk.

Yes. She wanted to talk, and I had to
find a way to let her.

I made a deal.

We understand, Miss McNeil.

But it was a poor deal to make.

But you made it, and as long as you
stick to it, we will have to live with

Okay, this is roughly the same situation
as the Mount Wilson rescue.

We're pretending that a woman was last
seen heading into a trail here.

Now, we have to search the terrain west
and south of this ridge.

Which is high brush mostly, right? Same
stuff we dealt with last week.

Okay, the chopper will drop you off on
this ridge.

We'll be in two teams.

One team will work its way down this
creek, the other down this creek.

Join up at the access road where the
four -wheel drive will pick you up. Any

questions? What's for dinner?

Depends on how you do, Mel.

You jumping this time, Art?

I'm watching you jump. Okay.

I'll be back in a second. Better check
in with my office.

You got it.

You're in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Say, you're pretty close to Debo Dam,
right?

Well, I'm not as close as it looks on a
map.

I could be there in about 45 minutes.
Why?

Don't you hurt?

What? They were supposed to open the
floodgates today, but protesters have

themselves in the wash area. They'll
drown if the water's released.

That's a story for us.

Well, I was going to send Sweeney.

It'll take him too long. I'm already
here.

You've got another story to do. Is there
a time limit on this?

The governor said 4 o 'clock today.

I've just got to stick with these guys
for a couple more hours, then I can head

over to the dam by late morning.

I could send Sweeney as a backup.

I've got it. No sweat.

I've had three dozen phone calls on this
child pornography story. Me too.

I figure what's upsetting people is that
up till now they always thought of

kiddie porn in the abstract.

You know what I mean?

But now we've gone and made it real. I
mean, now they have an image of a

particular nine -year -old girl.

Good reason to be upset.

Maybe we could get Sharon to do a follow
-up. A piece on the public reaction.

Well, she's in there with Lieutenant
McPhee right now. Right. I'll let him

my office.

It's before the time starts asking the
interviews.

You got a point.

What can you tell me?

Everything that I can say is in the
story.

Well, there are always some details that
you don't have room for.

There may be something that I can use
and what you'd be allowed to share.

Well, I really can't think of anything.

Well, the story indicated that the house
was in the hills on the valley side.

Yes. Perhaps you could be more specific
about the area.

I don't think I can.

What about the school the girl attends?

We know that a teacher contacted Joe
Rossi initially.

Is there a connection?

Does the girl attend the same school?

I couldn't tell you that, Lieutenant.

Naturally, we assume a connection, but
if there is none, you could save us a

of wasted effort.

By not answering, are you letting me
know that there is a connection?

By not answering, I'm not answering.

Did you see any of the films to verify
that what these people were telling you

was the truth?

Yes, I did. A portion of one.

Where? At the house. They had some reels
there, so I was able to hold some of

the film up to the light and take a look
at it.

And the little girl not only posed in
the nude in these films, she performed

sexual acts with adults.

That's all in the story, Lieutenant.

Well, in the story, you mentioned that
the woman was on public assistance.

There was a government check on the
kitchen table.

Did you get a good look at the check?

Yes, I did.

Do you know if it was a welfare check or
unemployment or disability?

Yes, I do.

Which?

Miss McNeil, did you promise not to
reveal what part of the government is

supporting this woman?

You know, the mayor is interested in
this case.

The chief of police.

Suddenly, this one little girl has
become the most important investigation

the city.

Lieutenant... They're leaning on me. I'm
going to lean on you.

I can't break confidentiality,
Lieutenant. You know what that means.

It means that you're honoring a pact
with someone who's completely

With a woman who pushed her child into
pornography.

Look, next time, it might be a drug
addict.

It might be a counterfeiter. But who's
going to believe me if I say I only

betrayed a confidence once?

There is a nine -year -old kid's life at
stake here. Where do I draw the line,

Lieutenant? At ten?

At fourteen? At eighteen?

You cannot have sort of a principle.

To me, one human life weighs more than
all the principles you can come up with.

You're sacrificing the life of a child
to protect your reputation.

Okay, just stop it.

That's enough.

Sure. Just tell me who this woman is.

Give me a clue.

Nobody will ever know where I got the
information.

Don't say the name, but give me a hint,
please.

For God's sake, for that little girl.

No, I can't.

No.

I can tell by the way everyone's looking
at me that I'm a company creep.

Everybody understands.

Every real journalist.

The ones who don't aren't worth worrying
about.

Joe, you think I blew it by giving
confidentiality.

We can't second guess each other on
something like that. I know you've got a

great story.

But you can't be sure that I did the
right thing either.

It's got to be a personal call.

Joe.

Two years ago, I was working up in
Seattle, and I remember reading about

going to jail to protect your source.

Yeah. Well, did everybody come down on
you this hard to get you to reveal who

was?

That was different.

Uh -huh.

It was different because everyone
trusted your judgment.

No, because my source wasn't the villain
of the piece.

The guy we were after was a pill doctor,
some physician who was dispensing pills

to teenagers.

So your story busted, pill doctor, and
you became a hero.

Not exactly. The cops needed my source
to make their case.

I held out. Then my source, the kid who
had broken into the doctor's office to

steal his files, the kid turned himself
in.

So everything worked out.

Except that all the time I was being a
hero in jail, this doctor was still

handing out drugs.

Must have put about 50 ,000 pills on the
street in that time.

I still get nightmares about it. I know.

The only reason I don't have nightmares
is because I'm not sleeping.

Everybody else just read what I wrote.
But, Joe, I met that little girl.

I'm worried sick about her.

I thought that the way I could deal with
that as a journalist was to write about

it. Well, of course.

Then why do I still feel so torn apart?

I mean, you don't doubt that you did the
right thing, do you?

I wonder about it.

But I had to protect that kid.

By breaking into the doctor's office, he
thought he was doing the right thing.

And he did help me get my story.

I guess it wasn't the same thing. You
weren't protecting the pill doctor

the way I'm protecting these
pornographers, right?

It is different.

Oh, boy. At least I thought I could
count on some support from you.

You can count on me. Of course you can
count on me.

This is, uh... This is real hard.

Oh, great.

Sharon, I'm trying to be as supportive
as I can.

Yeah, well, thanks anyway.

to the deep old dam to cover his story.

Fine, but first you're going to the
emergency room. That ankle is busted.

I've seen a lot of these and your ankle
is busted. Come on in.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

Hi, Lou. It's Art.

Time is tight.

Let me give you a rewrite. Lou, wait.
Hold up.

What? I can't dictate.

Why not? Donovan, we got a...

Oh,

no. What happened?

What happened?

Why are you asking me?

Well, because I haven't been to the dam
yet. And what do you have for us?

Uh, nothing much yet, but I'll be
heading up there real soon.

Heading up there?

The whole thing turned into a
Donnybrook.

Demonstrators apparently sabotaged the
floodgates. There were arrests.

I don't have the total picture of it
yet. I've been waiting for you to call

Where the hell are you? I'm in
Griffiths. It's about 30 miles from the

What's in Griffiths?

It's no big thing.

Oh, what happened?

I broke my ankle. But I'll be fine.

I'll send Sweeney up. Maybe we can make
the late morning.

No, there's really no need to do that. I
can get over there in time to make the

late morning.

I could probably slink in. It's just
hard to slink with these.

Good morning.

Gee, I didn't realize you were that
messed up. You didn't have to come in

Yeah, I did.

How'd you do that?

Well, the usual way.

Falling out of a helicopter.

Thought you passed on it.

I thought I'd try it.

Just to try it?

I can't believe what I'm hearing.

We blew a major story because you had to
see what it was like to jump out of a

helicopter?

It was more than just to see what it was
like. No, it was to prove you could do

it.

We talked on the phone.

You said you could handle it. I counted
on that. Then you pull something like

this. Lou, I didn't plan this. I was
right.

You really didn't have to come in today.

I don't believe it. Why?

I started getting these earaches after
diving, so I went to see the doctor.

Turns out I got some kind of inner ear
problem. He tells me I can't die.

Oh, for how long?

Forever.

Let's see if there's more.

Because of this lousy little ear
condition, I'll never be able to go into

Ever.

I've washed out of the program.

You were never in the program.

It was a lock.

I'm out.

Why is life so hard?

Look, we still have to work together on
this story.

Aren't we still working together?

Are we?

I mean, do you still want to?

Rossi's schoolteacher friend read your
story over very carefully, talked to

other teachers, and together they
figured out who the little girl probably

They've been in touch with Lieutenant
McPhee, who's making his move now.

Here's the address.

Right. Let's go.

know if we're on the right track here.

It'll help when we make our move.

When are you making your move?

Come to the back.

Hello?

Mrs. Lauder, this is Lieutenant McPhee,
Police Department. Would you open the

door, please?

We have a warrant to search these
premises.

Check the rooms.

We're too late.

They've gone off to another location.

Maybe another state. They'll be able to
keep on doing what they're doing.

Now what chance does that little girl
have?

Want to join us?

Us?

Me and my foot.

Don't you want to know if it was neat
dropping out of a chopper?

Was it neat?

It was pretty neat.

And so scary.

What did you think you were doing?

I don't know.

Tommy, give me a scotch.

You, of all people, you're the last guy
I'd expect to take such chances, such

stupid chances.

Maybe that's why I did it. Because
that's what everybody thinks of me.

To prove something?

Maybe.

Really?

You felt you had to prove something to
me.

To the other people on the paper?

No. To myself.

Oh, Jesus.

I know. I should be past all of that.

Well, I thought I was.

I thought I'd gotten old garbage scout
Daddy Donovan out of my system a long

time ago.

But I guess I'm not past it after all.

No one is.

When I was a kid, about ten years old, a
bunch of us were playing on a garage

roof.

And some of the kids were jumping across
from one side of the roof to another

about three feet across.

And scrambling up the other peak.

Well, all the kids were leaping right
across like gazelles.

But I was a chubby kid.

So I passed.

I refused to jump.

Lou, you're going back 40 years.

But I still remember it in absolutely
vivid detail.

I wonder if I should have gone for it.

I probably could have made it.

I'd wear my good sneakers.

Lou.

Right.

On the other hand, I don't want to spend
the rest of my life playing it safe.

I'm 38 years old. This may be my last
chance to try some things.

That's why I asked to get out from
behind the desk more.

Right. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have
had this enriching experience of making

a fool of yourself.

I really do think a person has to try
the untested now and then.

To reach beyond your usual limits, it
gets your juices going. It makes you

alive.

Yeah, yeah.

A person has to take risks.

Sure.

Just not the dumb risks.

Sharon, I know you've been taking a lot
of static.

because of what you did.

I just want you to know I admire you for
it. You stuck by your guns.

That took a lot of guts.

Yeah, well, thanks.

Sharon. Hi, Billy. Look, no matter what
you hear, everybody knows you were

taking it down for all of us. Well,
thanks. No, thank you.

Sharon?

Sharon?

Sharon? Just don't tell me what a swell
job I did, okay? If another person comes

up to me and tells me I fought the good
fight, I'm going to scream.

What can I say? Nothing.

There really is nothing to say.

I have that little child on my
conscience now.

Okay. Just let me ask you this. Knowing
how things turned out, would you have

acted any differently?

I wouldn't have revealed my source had I
pledged confidentiality, no.

But maybe next time I can be shrewder.

Maybe I'll be able to find a way to get
the story without playing that card.

It's all part of learning.

Yeah.

And that little girl's gonna pay for my
education.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. Come here.

Now, this story was a lot more than just
learning.

You wrote a superb piece. It moved
people.

Maybe we'll get more attention for this
or better laws.

I know an assemblyman who's fighting to
put a new bill through right now. This

will help him.

Yeah.

You accomplished a lot.

I still feel awful.

I know.

Why can't things ever be simple?

It's a funny business.

Want to have dinner and talk about it?

Oh, Joe.

Are you kidding?

I feel now when you ask me to dinner?

A simple dinner.

I'd like that very much.

He's been called one of the greatest
comic talents television has ever known.

Make Him Laugh Week continues with the
extraordinary life of Sid Caesar on

Biography tonight.

Now, how long can a crafty con man keep
the cops guessing? Larry Hagman stars in

Police Story.

Next on A &E.