Original subtitles

Good afternoon, eclipse chasers!

How's everyone doing out there?

Yeah!

We are just 30 short minutes away

from the big event,

and we couldn't ask for better conditions,

so let's all get ready

to have a fun, safe,

and memorable eclipse viewing!

♪ Come on out, sing it loud ♪

♪ Let the sun shine on your face ♪

Okay. Solar filter in place...

and...

we're good to go.

Hear that, Morgan? We're good to go.

Yeah, yeah. That's amazing, Malcolm.

I can't wait.

Isn't this amazing?

The first solar eclipse of the century,

of our lifetimes,

...in, I mean, in the U.S., anyway,

and here we are,

smack dab in the middle of the path of totality.

Pretty cool, huh?

Yup.

And, lucky you,

you get to experience it all

with a PhD candidate specializing in astronomy.

Malcolm, I can barely get a signal up here.

I'm gonna go down the hill

and see if there's better reception.

But...

...the eclipse will be starting soon.

You're gonna miss it.

Not for, like, another half an hour.

I'll be back in time, okay? I'll bring you a rocket dog.

No. No, I-I said, "Do you have the eclipse glasses?"

It's about to start.

Um, I'm trying my best, Kim.

There's a ton of traffic.

You know how important this is to me.

Blake, you promised that you would be here on time.

I know, and I'm trying.

I'll be there as soon as I can.

Okay.

This is something...

Nice scope.

Do you mind if I take a closer look?

No.

I mean yes.

I mean--

Yes, uh, no, I don't mind,

and yes, you can take a closer look.

Okay.

Oh, that's...

definitely not consumer-grade.

No, and it's not mine, either.

It's, um, I'm getting my PhD in Applied Physics at SIU

specializing in astronomy,

and, uh, the department let me borrow it.

Wow.

Well, it makes the telescope I grew up with

look like an old-timey spyglass.

Hey, what's the focal length on this?

900 millimeters.

It-it's high magnification, but limited field of view.

Should be perfect for today.

Wow.

You grew up with a telescope?

Is that surprising to you?

Oh, you're just so--

I mean--

I mean, you just don't look like the typical--

sorry, that-that sounded...

I mean, I-I wasn't trying to...

I mean, I-I didn't mean...

I-I-I am... I have a girlfriend, so--

Okay.

...who's not interested in this stuff, like, at all.

Yeah, she's, uh... down there somewhere.

Well, at least yours showed up.

My fiancé is late, as always, and has our eclipse glasses.

Waited my whole life to see a total eclipse,

but looks like I'm maybe gonna miss it.

Here.

If Morgan doesn't come back, you can use these.

Aw, thank you.

Are you ready...

for the experience of a lifetime?

Because totality...

is on its way!

That's cool.

But the, um, the astronomy thing

is really just more of a hobby for me.

How'd you get into it?

Uh, my mom, actually.

Although...

she's more into astrology than astronomy, so...

I know, it's dumb.

No, I don't think astrology is dumb.

Without it,

astronomy probably wouldn't even exist.

What?

Yeah, when you get right down to it,

astronomy is about the study of celestial events,

and astrology is about their interpretation.

I mean, the what and the why, so to speak,

and in ancient times,

there really was no distinction between the two.

It wasn't really until the 1700s that their paths split,

and they sort of went their separate ways.

I mean, it's really--

Sorry. I can get carried away sometimes.

What? No, no, no, no! I-I love it.

You're really good at explaining things.

You'd make a great teacher.

Ah, I don't know.

I feel like I still have a lot to learn.

Yeah, but-but isn't that what's so amazing about the universe?

There's just so much we don't know,

that we'll probably never know?

I mean, like, how can you ever possibly hope

to wrap your brain fully around

something so vast

and so, just... random and chaotic?

Yeah, it's not all random and chaotic, though.

There's so many things about the universe that feel...

intentional,

like it's perfectly designed.

Perfectly designed?

Yeah.

Okay, like-like what, for example?

Well... take the eclipse.

Did you know

the sun is 400 times larger than the moon,

but the moon is 400 times closer to the Earth?

That's why they fit together so perfectly

on days like today.

Doesn't that feel

too coincidental to be coincidence?

It's also kind of romantic...

and a little tragic.

You know, like the sun and moon fit together so perfectly,

but so rarely, and just for a moment,

and then, once that moment is gone...

it's a long time before it can be recaptured.

This is it, everyone!

The eclipse in one minute!

One minute? Wh--

I've totally lost track of time! -Me too.

Yeah. -Do you want to--? Should we--?

- Yeah, we should. - Okay. Okay.

-Okay. Okay! -You ready?

-I think, yeah. -Okay.

Just about there.

Blake, finally.

I'm here. Where are you?

I'll be right there.

I've got the glasses. I'll meet you at the main stage.

You're the best.

Um...

my fiancé made it.

Oh, that's great.

I, um, I guess I won't be needing these anymore.

Thank you.

It was really nice meeting you.

You too.

All right,

and here's a view of the last solar eclipse

that was over North America.

It's hard to believe that it's been seven years

and already another one is upon us,

and once again,

Carbondale will be in the path of totality.

And just a reminder to all you amateur astronomers,

there are many ways

to have a safe eclipse-viewing experience.

Just don't try to watch it through a colander.

You'll only end up straining your eyes.

Oh... boy.

Yikes!

Sorry, folks. Dad joke.

Well, that's it for all of us here at WGZA News.

Good night, Chicago.

And we are clear.

It was funny!

-Yeah. -It was!

Great job, Keith.

It was great. It was awesome.

So good.

Guy can't tell a joke.

He's a news anchor, and you're a news writer.

You're not comedians,

which is now completely obvious

to the entire greater Chicago area.

I am a part-time news writer, thank you very much.

I'm just trying to stand out around here.

You stand out!

Everyone loves your segment titles.

"Pocketbook Peril"?

"Diets for Dogs"?

Oh, my personal favorite--

"Cat Café Catastrophe"?

Nobody cares who writes the segment titles.

I just want to make my mark.

I know I've only been back for four months,

but I was gone for five years.

You know I was supposed to come back

after maternity leave,

but I just got so attached, I couldn't leave Anna.

If I'd stuck to the plan, I'd be a reporter by now.

Stop second-guessing your choices.

Plans are made to change, and you love being a mom.

I know.

When it comes to becoming a reporter,

you'll get there.

You got to sub in for Carlos a few weeks ago, right?

Yeah, that went... that went super great.

That was awesome.

Oh, please.

You're not talking about the dreaded nickname, right?

It's not bad.

Just don't even say it.

And you know, for the record, I did not freeze.

My earpiece malfunctioned.

You know, never mind. Forget it.

I just can't catch a break.

Hey... don't give up.

I'm sure there'll be a great opportunity

right around the corner.

I'm sorry, Mr. Whitaker.

I have to leave. My son has pink eye.

Can't you get a babysitter?

No! Pink eye is extremely contagious.

I could have it too, for all I know.

You can't do this to me, Julia.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I have to go.

Well, what about the eclipse?

Who am I gonna send to Carbondale?

Did you say Carbondale?

Not now, Kim.

Well, no, I mean, you know, I was actually in Carbondale

for the last eclipse seven years ago.

I, um, I know my way around the place.

I was even at the festival.

I'm sort of an astronomy nerd a little bit,

um, well, I-I used to be, so anyway, if you're--

if you're looking for someone to fill Julia's place,

maybe someone, um, who has

a little bit of on-camera experience...

On-camera experience?

I hope you're not referring to the Freezer Burn incident.

That was not my fault.

As I have told you repeatedly,

that was an equipment malfunction.

Never mind, never mind.

You want the assignment? It's yours.

Really?

Sure. What do I care?

End of the day, it's just, uh, you know,

another puff piece, right?

It's not like I have any other options.

Mr. Whitaker, I can do this.

Look, we're budgeted for a three-person team, and--

Oh, sorry.

...you can choose your own camera person.

Claire Reynolds!

Uh, if, you know, if she's available.

Fine, but I want to keep my nephew on as field producer.

Have you met Reed?

Uh, Reed? No, uh, no, I don't think so.

He's untested, so you'll have that in common.

Promised my sister I'd give him a chance.

Hopefully this gets her off my back.

Mr. Whitaker,

thank you so much for this opportunity.

I will not let you down.

Kim?

I like you...

and I was more than happy to bring you back

after your leave of absence,

but if this doesn't work out,

I don't want to hear any more

about you being in front of the camera.

It's your last shot. Understood?

Yes, sir.

Challenge accepted!

All right, go get 'em!

Oh, yes. Yeah! I'm sorry.

-Yeah. -Okay, thank you.

So the sky is gonna get dark,

so all the plants and the animals

are gonna think it's nighttime,

so the petals on the flowers are gonna close,

and the birds are gonna stop singing,

and the bees are gonna stop buzzing.

You might even hear an owl!

What do you think the owl will say?

Hoo-hoo!

You-you, Anna Banana!

You-you!

I'll miss you!

I know, honey, I'm gonna miss you too.

But it's only for one night,

and I want you to listen to Grandma

when I'm gone, okay?

Can you do that?

You know, she's so excited to watch the eclipse with you.

I can't wait to see you on TV.

Well, let's hope it's not for the last time.

Will you wish me luck?

Good luck, Mommy.

I love you.

Oh, come here. I love you too, baby.

Ah...

I am so proud of you.

Thanks, Mom.

Oh, I feel like my life

is finally getting back on track.

You know, and if this goes well,

maybe Anna and I can even get our own place,

get out of your hair.

You know, I love having you and Anna here with me.

I know, but it just, you know,

it doesn't feel great to be

a 30-something single parent living at home with her mom

'cause she can't afford to pay her own rent.

Cut yourself some slack.

You've been divorced for, what, a year now?

One year, one month, two weeks and five days,

but who's counting?

Next year, it's gonna be your year.

Back in January,

when I did your astrology chart,

it said great things are in store for you

in both your career and romance.

Okay, enough with the charts.

Do you-- do you remember the chart

that you did for me when Blake and I got engaged?

I admit,

the stars may have been

a teensy bit mistaken about Blake,

but, Kimberly, this is different.

Eclipses are powerful astrological events.

They signify new beginnings and transformations,

and that's exactly what you need, isn't it?

It's like...

the stars and the planets are aligning just for you.

I mean, it is kind of crazy that...

I'm heading back to Carbondale for another eclipse.

You know I almost missed the last one 'cause of Blake?

He was running late--

Mm.

...and I-I wound up talking

to this-this really nice grad student.

He knew everything about astronomy and eclipses,

and I...

kind of wonder what happened to him.

We really connected.

Well, the sun and the moon are about to cross paths again.

Maybe you and your mystery man will too.

What-- what are the odds of that?

I can't do it.

Can't do what?

Ask Dr. Longford to read my book.

What if he says no?

Or worse, what if he reads it and hates it?

Then I'll never get it published.

He's not gonna hate it, and if he does, he's a fool.

Dr. Longford? Dr. Stanley Longford,

who had one of the most-viewed TED Talks

of all time-- you're saying he's a fool?

If he doesn't recognize your genius, then yeah.

I'm probably crazy to think he'd remember me, anyway.

I mean, yes, he was my favorite professor

when I was getting my PhD,

but that was ages ago, he probably--

Would you relax?

Listen, I don't know anything about astronomy,

but I know you're a great teacher,

and your book-- what's it called again?

The working title is

"Cosmic Phenomena

and Their Effects on Early Cultures:

A Study in Three Parts, Volume I."

Look.

I know you'll get your book to this Longfellow guy--

Longford.

...him too, because you can be very convincing

when you want to be.

You're right.

You're right! Positive attitude.

I'm gonna connect with Dr. Longford,

and I'm gonna convince him

to help me get my book published.

Attaboy! Manifest it!

Thanks for coming with me, by the way.

Can't believe my T.A. bailed at the last minute.

Honestly, I'm glad for the change of scenery,

and to forget about my breakup.

Yeah, yeah.

Last time, though, the eclipse was something to behold.

What last time?

Seven years ago. It ran through Carbondale too.

That's weird. I mean, right?

Cosmically speaking?

Well, I mean, their paths of totality

are completely different.

Last time, it was northwest to southeast,

this time it's southwest to northeast,

but... for some reason,

they both run right through Carbondale, Illinois.

Huh!

Who would've thought a little college town

in the heartland of America

would turn out to be the center of the universe?

Well...

...I think we're done here.

I'm starting to think

Whitaker doesn't consider this assignment a priority.

This clunker is supposed to get us to Carbondale?

Well, it's 300 miles away.

Just has to hold together for... five hours.

Whoa.

Four and a half, the way I drive.

Hi! Reed Harris, your producer.

I'm gonna be handling everything, top to bottom,

soup to nuts.

That's a saying, right? Soup to nuts?

I don't know.

Just kind of sounds weird, you know what I mean?

Like, what does that even mean?

Anyway! Doesn't matter. What I'm trying to say

is that everything goes through me,

so as long as we all remember that,

it is gonna be smooth sailing. Promise!

Great. Uh, I'm Kim,

and this is Claire, our camera person.

Nice to meet you, Reed.

Okay! Kim, Claire. Got it.

Really looking forward to working with you guys--

girls. I mean, women.

We're so excited to be working with you too.

So...

So, Reed... can ya tell us

about some of the segments you produced?

Well, technically, this will be my first,

but I've done some great P.A. work.

Wait. You haven't produced anything before?

Not technically.

You keep saying "technically."

It's either you have or you haven't.

Well, then no, okay?

But it's fine, okay?

Uncle Pete gave me this assignment weeks ago.

I was even working on it when Jillian was still onboard.

I even booked our accommodations.

Julia.

Julia? The reporter that I'm replacing?

Her name is Julia.

Jillian, Julia...

I don't keep track of those small details.

I'm more of a big-picture guy, you know?

Your job is all about the details.

Soup to nuts, remember?

Okay, it'll be fine.

I'm prepared, I promise, okay?

So if you guys are ready to go, let's get moving.

-Great, let's do it. -All right.

Let's do it.

What's the problem?

I don't know. Door's stuck.

It's not stuck, it's locked. Where are the keys?

Uh...

Found 'em.

Okay. No, okay.

No, it's okay!

You know, it's-it's-- it's... heh.

It's okay. You know what? This is my first problem.

I'm the producer.

I just gotta produce a solution.

Good.

Got any ideas, maybe?

Hi there! I am Kim Gallagher,

here at the Cardinal Regent Hotel

in Carbondale, Illinois,

the unofficial headquarters of this year's total eclipse.

People have gathered

from far and wide to witness the...

You can't-- you can't hear me.

"Far and wide" was like-- I don't know.

It was kind of like... I don't know.

I'm gonna try that again.

Okay, ready?

Whew!

Three, two...

Hi there, Chicago!

It's Kim Galaxy here with--

What did I just say was my last name?

-Galaxy. -Galaxy?

I got my actual name wrong.

It's a good thing we're not live.

Is this why everyone calls her "Freezer Burn"?

-Wait, what?

Maybe we should take a break and re...

-Yeah. -...group.

No, I gotta get this!

Other people are waiting, so we're gonna...

I'm just gonna do it. I'm just gonna do it.

Okay, let's go. Let's go.

Ho ho! A lot of people here.

I had no idea eclipses were such a thing.

This might actually be pretty fun.

Uh, I've got work to do.

You can concentrate on fun.

You don't "concentrate on fun," Malcolm.

You just have it.

Travis, I've got research to conduct,

eclipse footage to record...

and I've got to get my book to Dr. Longford.

I'm not here for fun.

All right, no fun allowed.

Got it.

How do you know it's on?

It's... on.

Oh, hey, look! It's the news. You want to try to get on TV?

- All right. Ready? - Hey, be careful.

-Sorry. -Uh, yeah.

Everything all right?

I think so. It's just very delicate equipment.

What were you saying?

Huh? Oh, I just-- the news.

Hi! I'm Kim Gallagher here in beautiful Carbondale.

They're not interviewing Dr. Longford,

I'm not interested.

For the first time in 70 years...

oh, seven! ...in seven years,

that, um, that the eclipse

will be passing over the exact same spot in the sky

that it did just...

What are the ch--? Oh, god. You know what?

I-- Can we maybe just, like,

change up the angle or something? I--

Can I see your research notes, Reed?

My what?

-Your research? -My--

You know, on, like, on the hotel, on the town...

You did do research, didn't you?

No! No-- no one told me

that I was supposed to be do-doing that--

Reed! That's just basic preparation.

Oh, my. You know what? Never mind. Never mind.

I will-- I'll figure it out.

What do we think about the tone, though?

You know, should I, like, change it up a little bit?

Make it, like, fun and breezy,

or more like sciencey and serious?

-Yeah. -What should we do?

How about over and done?

What?

Steve Hartwin, KCYD St. Louis News.

Uh, Kim Gallagher, WGZA Chicago.

Hi, Kim. Nice to meet you.

Listen, I was wondering, could you do me a favor,

you know, colleague to colleague?

Yeah, absolutely. What do you need?

Could you get out of the way, Kim?

Um, what?

My team have been watching

you and your painful attempts to say anything coherent

for the last 10 minutes, and, uh...

gosh, we're just plumb out of patience.

-Wow. -Yeah.

Okay.

Look, you're not the only one

trying to record a stand-up here today,

and I'm just worried

that by the time you finally get it right,

the light'll be gone,

and we're gonna be covering the next eclipse.

-Yeah. -So move, please?

I got it. Okay.

Sorry.

Thank you. Hey, don't worry!

You can have the spot back when I'm done.

Rude!

Don't worry about it. We got everything we need.

We do?

Yeah. We could piece something together.

We can?

Why don't you go to the van, send the editors what we have,

and Kim and I'll check in?

Okay.

Well, this is off to a terrific start.

It's not how you start, it's how you finish.

This is Steve Hartwin

at the Cardinal Regent Hotel in Carbondale, Illinois.

Back to you, Beverly.

You know, that was actually pretty impressive.

You know what might help the edit?

If I get some B-roll of the lobby.

-Oh, yeah! -You go line up.

I'll be right there. -Okay.

Hey, Reed, what's up?

You what? Okay, I'll be right there.

Claire?

So, Reed left the lights on in the van,

and now the battery's dead.

You're kidding.

I wish I was. Can you handle check-in?

Yeah, sure. Good luck.

Dr. Brooks?

Oh, boy.

What? Who is that?

Former student.

Incredibly smart, but she's got a lot of energy.

Dr. Brooks? Meredith Gordon.

I was in your Astronomy 101 class three years ago.

Meredith, of course.

Great to see you again.

This is my friend, Travis. He's also--

Oh, I know Professor Westley.

My best friend, Carolyn, was in your Film Studies class.

She thought you were the greatest.

Sounds like a bright young mind.

I was really hoping you'd be here.

I remember you saying

how amazing the last eclipse was to watch,

so I just had to come see it for myself.

I'm glad to hear you're still interested in stargazing.

Oh, uh, I am!

I'm even getting my master's,

and my thesis is on the sun's corona,

but my telescope isn't working right.

Do you think you could take a look at it?

There is nothing he would love more

than to help a former student.

Right?

Go ahead, I'll, uh, get us checked in.

Sure, let's go take a look.

A Panasonic AJ-PX800G?

Nice!

Built-in optical conversion lens,

improved 3MOS sensor...

You know your cameras.

A little.

I'm a film professor at a junior college in Arizona.

We don't have anything as impressive as that,

but I like to stay up-to-date on these things.

Arizona, huh? Long way from home.

Oh, my buddy's an astronomer.

His assistant canceled, so he asked me to tag along.

Ah.

What about you?

I'm a camera person

for a local news station in Chicago.

I used to be a camera person too,

but unfortunately, I had to give it up.

Why's that?

Kept losing focus?

Okay, this is not my fault.

The lights are supposed to turn off when you shut it off.

What kind of vehicle did they give us?

We are the B-team, Reed.

We get what we get, and we don't get upset,

and there's no use in complaining, okay?

Um, maybe there's a battery booster

stashed inside?

Everything all right?

Yeah, we're all good, thanks.

Gah!

You sure you don't need any help?

No, we're good.

Ha! Reed!

I found one!

Okay, here we go.

From what you're saying,

it sounds like a calibration issue,

usually not that big a deal.

Wow, what a beauty!

Yeah, thanks.

It was a college graduation gift.

Think you could fix it?

I think so.

I have a collimator with me, so...

we should set it up first, though,

make sure we get it right.

Okay.

Ah!

Yes! We got it!

How was your trip from Chicago?

More exciting than I would've liked.

We have the world's oldest news van

with the world's youngest producer at the wheel.

It was just-- -Next, please?

After you.

Okay.

Hi. Checking in. WGZA News.

WGZA.

Yes, for one room?

One room? N-- uh...

No, it should be three.

Uh, I'm only showing the one.

Well, that-- that's not gonna work.

We need two more.

I'm so sorry.

We don't have any other rooms available.

Reed!

We are here in Carbondale, Illinois,

where workers are busy

setting up for tomorrow's Festivus.

...val. Festival.

Keep going, keep going.

Um, um, dozens, if not hundreds

of eclipse--

...en, uh, enthusiasts, are--

All right, let's just try that again.

We are... we're live, Reed.

-What? -Yeah!

So, um, there you have it.

That's it,

and I am Kim Gallagher live from Carbondale,

and I will see you again tomorrow

for the big event.

Back to you, Keith!

Clear.

Oh, god.

Kim, that was-- that was--

I don't. No, don't.

Okay.

Ow!

That was not my fault.

No one told me we were going to go live.

Yes, we did. Yes, we did!

You were playing Candy Crush on your phone.

Claire said, "We're about to go live,"

and you said, "Uh-huh."

It wasn't Candy Crush.

Just stop, Reed.

Oh, Reed...

You are the producer, okay?

We are depending on you!

You said that you would be prepared.

You said that you wanted to be in charge of all of this!

I am in charge!

Then start acting like it!

Oh... that was a disaster.

Uh, could've gone better.

He walked into a live shot!

Which I should actually probably thank him for,

since I was so terrible.

Well, you-you-- mm....

you weren't terrible.

I was... terrible adjacent.

I am-- I am...

I'm blowing it, Claire.

I'm just...

I feel like such a fraud!

Kim!

Hey, it's the camerawoman.

It's the professor.

My name's Claire, by the way.

Travis. Mind if I...?

Yeah.

Isn't it weird

that when you meet someone who's...

fun, cool, and easy to talk to,

you always forget to ask them their name?

You think I'm fun and cool?

And easy to talk to.

Right now, you look like

someone who has something to talk about.

The shoot not going well?

Are you psychic?

Sometimes.

Uh, excuse me.

May I please grab a beer,

and can I buy you a drink?

Sure.

Wait. So, you're a film professor,

and your favorite movie of all time

is Weekend at Bernie's II?

Yeah, right!

It's true!

You'd think they couldn't outdo the first,

but somehow they managed.

Uh, so I saw they had a food truck outside,

so what do you say--?

Uh, Kim! Hey! This is Travis. He's--

Hi. Hi, Travis.

Uh, so Reed has locked himself in the hotel room.

Oh, the kid's such a handful.

Yeah, and he's now having a temper tantrum,

so that's fun. Can you help me?

Yeah. Sorry.

Apparently, there's a crisis I need to deal with.

Hey! I saw there's gonna be a party in the ballroom later.

Maybe I'll see you there?

Yeah, that would be great!

Sorry.

-Yeah. -Sorry!

You were too harsh on Reed. You should've apologized.

Why should I apologize?

Because, Kim, he's just a kid,

and one of you has to be the adult.

I am an adult.

Hey.

Ready to go grab a bite?

Everything okay?

Yeah. Everything's great.

It's taco time.

Let's do it.

Reed... please open the door.

Maybe try apologizing.

Okay, fine.

Reed? Hey, Reed?

Look, I'm sorry about what happened before.

I shouldn't have gotten angry.

Will you please just open the door?

I'm sorry too.

There! That's a start.

Now, listen.

We have a job to do tomorrow,

and if we're gonna do it right,

you two need to work out your issues, so...

do not join me

until you've talked this out, okay?

Okay? -Okay.

I'm sorry about the room.

I'll just sleep in the bathtub.

I'm sure we can call down to the front desk

and have a roll-away brought up.

I... really am sorry.

God, I keep messing up.

Just everyone keeps expecting me to fail, and...

I am... I'm really trying.

I know. I know you are.

I'm... I am sorry that I've been so hard on you.

It's just this is such a big opportunity for me.

You know, when I was your age,

I was just brimming with confidence.

10 feet tall and bulletproof, you know?

But then...

after so many years out of the workforce,

I think I'm just not as sure of myself as I used to be.

Maybe not as competent either.

A little while ago,

I was given a chance to do

a live report on this fire downtown.

It was the first time

your uncle had ever given me a chance to speak on-camera.

I-I called the segment "Flames of Fury."

Wow! Yeah, that's good.

Yeah. Too bad my performance wasn't.

I've been blaming it on a faulty headpiece,

but the reality is I just froze up.

The "Freezer Burn" thing?

Yeah, "Freezer Burn" thing.

But I... I am not gonna let that define me.

You get knocked down, you get right back up again.

And-and all those people

who think that we can't do this,

well, we're just gonna have to prove to them that we can.

And we're gonna have to prove that to ourselves, too...

you know, actually, especially to ourselves,

and I-I actually really believe

that we can help each other succeed.

Right?

Right.

Right, yeah! Okay. So...

you know, we're a team.

Let's start acting like one.

Yeah! -Yeah.

Thank you.

Hey, man.

Have you... you ever had an immediate connection

with someone you've only just met?

Yeah, once. Why?

So, that guy that you were talking to...?

The funny, nice guy with the cute accent

that was about to ask me out before you dragged me away?

I'm sorry!

That's okay.

I'm sure I'll see him again.

Well, his name's Travis...

Her name's Claire,

and I don't know what to tell you, man--

butterflies, fireworks...

the whole nine yards.

I've just never connected with someone so quickly, you know?

I mean, I only came out here to...

...work and hang out with you,

and all of a sudden,

my dream man's right in front of me?

I mean...

what are the chances?

The universe is funny that way.

Sometimes things just line up.

Okay, did you know

that the sun is 400 times the size of the moon...

...but the moon is 400 times closer to the Earth?

That's why they-they seem like a perfect fit

during an eclipse.

Of course, that perfect fit only lasts for a moment...

...and then, once that moment's gone...

Claire...

you never know when you're gonna find a perfect fit.

But if you think there's a chance

that this is your perfect fit...

...my advice to you is don't let it pass you by.

As you can see,

everyone here at the Eclipse Festival

knows how to let loose and enjoy themselves.

Well, that's all for tonight.

Tune in tomorrow for the big event,

the total eclipse!

Oh, I feel ridiculous in this thing.

Well, since everyone else here is wearing them,

you'd look ridiculous if you took it off.

Now, come on!

Help me find Claire.

Are you sure you need me here?

Won't I just be like a third wheel?

She's got a friend!

I might need you to be my wing man.

Now, wait here.

I'm gonna go do a loop, see if I can spot her.

I'll be right back!

Dr. Brooks?

Sorry, Malcolm.

Yeah, it's me?

Oh, I'm surprised you're here.

I don't think of you as a party person.

Oh, I'm not.

I'm here for Travis.

I should be trying to get ahold of Dr. Longford,

but I don't think his assistant believes he knows me.

Wait. You know Dr. Longford?

I'm trying to get him to read this book I wrote.

You wrote a book?

What's it called?

"Cosmic Phenomena

and Their Effects on Early Cultures:

A Study in Three Parts, Volume I."

Wow! I so want to read that.

Oh. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Thank you.

To... a successful shoot.

I'll drink to that.

Ooh! Oh, what time is it?

Like five to eight.

It's Anna's bedtime.

I'm gonna grab my phone, give her a quick call.

Okay!

Hey, Claire, is that you?

-Reed! -Yeah.

We missed you at dinner.

Yeah. So, I'm trying to get better at this job,

so I spent some time preparing for tomorrow.

That's good.

Wouldn't want anything falling through the cracks, right?

Hi, baby! Hi, Mom.

Mommy, we saw you on TV.

You were funny.

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it,

but I wasn't supposed to be funny.

I, uh... Mommy actually made a few mistakes.

I'm sure no one noticed.

Everyone noticed.

I-I just hope we can pull it together by tomorrow.

Come on, honey, you're gonna be great!

Here... listen to your horoscope.

Oh, please, I don't want to hear the horoscope.

"Expertise will..."

"...guide you to your heart's desire."

That sounds promising, doesn't it?

Uh, well, it might,

if expertise weren't in such short supply.

The only one here

who has any idea what they're doing is Claire.

-Mommy? - Yeah, baby?

What if I get scared tomorrow during the eclipse?

Yeah. We're, um... we're struggling a little bit

with the idea of it getting dark in the daytime.

Yeah, that does sound scary.

Hey, but you know what?

Sometimes, it's okay to be scared.

You know why?

Why?

Because when you're scared,

it gives you a chance to be brave,

and no one's braver than you, right?

-Right! -Right.

Okay, I love you.

I love you!

Bye!

Bye, sweetheart. Mwah!

It's just--

...if you're serious about a career in academia,

you've got to get published, but...

ah, I worry my book's just not good enough.

How could it not be good enough?

You're the best teacher I ever had.

Getting published is no easy feat.

Dr. Longford, with his contacts, his clout,

he's my best shot at getting it in the right hands.

Attention, please! Can I have your attention?

I have a fantastic surprise for all of you.

A very, very special guest

has just called in to say hello.

So...

let's give a warm welcome...

to Dr. Stanley Longford!

Hello, eclipse-chasers.

Ah, just look at this place.

Whoo!

I just want to say

I'm excited to see you all at tomorrow's festival,

and after the eclipse,

I'll be recording

a special live episode of my podcast

from the park.

I may even choose one or two of you lucky folks

to join me.

How does that sound?

Now, get back to the party,

but don't stay out too late...

big day tomorrow.

And remember,

keep your head in the clouds...

And the stars in your eyes!

Excuse me?

Sorry, this, uh, this might be a silly question,

but who is that guy?

Dr. Longford?

Yeah.

He's, um, well, he's a lot of things.

He's a college professor, author...

he's probably best known for hosting

this really great astronomy podcast,

and that's the way he signs off every episode,

"Keep your head in the clouds and-and the stars in your eyes."

Ah, okay!

He's, uh, kind of a rock star with this crowd.

Yeah, he's an expert on all things cosmic.

Huh.

"Expertise will guide you to your heart's desire."

Pardon?

Um, sorry-- something from my horoscope.

I don't usually pay attention to that kind of thing,

but at this point,

I will take all the help the universe can give me.

I hear you.

I could use some help from the universe

myself right now.

You know, someone really smart once told me

that astrology and astronomy

were once very tightly connected,

that you couldn't have one without the other.

That's true, actually!

Yeah, it wasn't until the 1700s, really, that they--

Oh! Uh...

Sorry! I just... I have to take this.

Okay, bye.

Ooh! Guys, hey!

Uh, it's Mr. Whitaker.

What do I do?

-Answer it! -Don't answer it!

What if he fires me?

He's not gonna fire you! Just-just answer it.

Hi, uh, this is Kim. What's up?

What's going on? Sounds like you're at a party.

We are, uh, but we're working!

We're getting some great footage.

Is my nephew with you?

Yup, he's right here.

Hey, Uncle Pete.

I need you to hear this too.

Terrible job today.

Yes, sir. Sorry. Um, we're so sorry about that.

We had a bit of a miscommunication,

but we promise

that we will have it all together tomorrow.

'Kay. You better,

'cause I just talked to the network,

and it turns out the St. Louis affiliate

didn't send a team to Carbondale,

so I told them we have a team there.

They decided

they want us to go national.

-National? -And live, of course.

Oh.

And live, of course.

Okay, I don't want you to change anything.

Just keep on reporting exactly

how you planned...

just, you know, better.

Yeah, yeah, better.

Absolutely, yup, we can do that.

This is a huge opportunity.

We're gonna be seen

by millions of people across the country,

so... don't mess this up.

Bye, now!

Um...

Congratulations?

Yeah. Yeah, live?

Live, national.

It's an opportunity of a lifetime is what it is.

Kim, if you nail this,

you'll be regular on-camera talent for sure.

Yeah, but if I mess this up,

then I will never get another chance,

not just at WGZA, but anywhere,

because I will have messed up on live national television.

Focus on the positive.

Yeah. Okay, you know what? We need to up our game!

Okay, back to the hotel room.

Let's, uh... we got work to do.

Let's go! Come on.

Oh! My-- oh!

Claire!

Travis!

Uh...

I've been looking for you.

Likewise. These, uh...

masks definitely upped the degree of difficulty.

There you are.

Oh, Malcolm, meet Claire,

TV news camera person extraordinaire.

Claire.

I've heard great things.

Well, it's nice to meet you.

Uh, where's your friend?

Kim, right?

She and Reed, our-our producer,

we just got some big news about our report tomorrow,

so they went off to prepare.

That's great! But also too bad.

She's single, right?

I was gonna introduce her to my buddy Malcolm here.

Travis, I'm not--

sorry, I'm not looking for anything, or--

It's okay. Kim's kind of got a lot on her plate right now.

I know the feeling.

Well, Malcolm's sworn off fun, but...

would you like to dance?

I would love to dance.

It's nice to meet you.

You too.

♪ And I don't even need to look far for the answers ♪

♪ 'Cause you're like the sun and moon ♪

♪ Yeah, I don't need to reach ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ They got nothing on you ♪

♪ Got nothing ♪

♪ They got nothing on you ♪

♪ Ooh, nothing ♪

♪ They got nothing on you ♪

Hey! Did you see that video?

Uh, Dr. Longford, I think.

He's really, like, a really big deal.

Well, well, well. Look who it is.

Say, did you, uh, did you ever get through that standup?

Don't beat yourself up.

I mean, not everybody is cut out to be on camera.

If she's not good at what she does,

why was she chosen to go national tomorrow?

National? You?

Kim, right? -Uh-huh.

Look, uh...

Kim, I know you're new to this, so...

let me give you a little insight.

It's a tough business.

You got to be willing to do whatever it takes.

I mean, do you really think

you're ready for a live national report?

You know what?

I'm a single working mom...

and I deal with pressure every day

that would flatten a guy like you,

so if you think I can't handle a live national report,

I just have two words for you...

stay tuned.

So, can you just--

You, um...

you might want to work on your wrap-up.

You couldn't have held the door open?

There's Leo, and that's Libra,

and the big one in the middle, that's Virgo.

Which one's Virgo? I'm a Virgo.

Oh, all right. Right there. See that really bright star?

It's called Spica.

It's actually one of the brightest stars

in the entire galaxy.

Which makes perfect sense

that it's in the constellation for your astrology sign.

You better stop.

I'm extremely susceptible to flattery.

It was constellations

that actually made me

first fall in love with the cosmos.

I was fascinated by the idea

that I was looking at the same stars

that the ancient Babylonians and Greeks

first identified thousands of years ago.

It made me feel small,

but at the same time,

aware that I was part of something huge.

The stars, they... they connect us to the past,

to the future...

to each other.

When I was younger, I used--

I'll leave you two alone.

Oh! Oh, no, don't go! It's early.

Yeah. Malcolm, stay, please.

As much as I'd like to, I got a big day tomorrow.

I should go get some rest.

You two have a great night.

Oh, wait, wait!

Before you go, selfie time.

Oh, you don't want me in your picture.

Oh, come on!

Get in here!

All right.

'Kay. Ready?

Everyone say "starstruck"!

Starstruck!

All right, guys, have a good night.

-Good night. -Good night, Malcolm.

We have another call coming in. I'll just put you on hold.

-Okay, yeah, I'll hold. -Any luck?

Well, I managed to track down Dr. Longford's assistant.

I've got her on the phone right now.

That's great. Will he do it?

Okay, well, what do you want?

You want the bad news or the worse news?

Oh, just give me-- can you say the things?

Okay, okay, yes.

The bad news is,

he's already booked a pre-eclipse interview.

-What? -Yeah.

No. With who?

Well, that's the worse news.

Remember our friend from the elevator?

Steve Hartwin?

Oh, I can't believe he beat us.

That pompous, spray-tanned, cap-toothed--

Well, yeah, hold on!

He hasn't beaten us at anything... yet.

I have a plan. I'm gonna--

-Mr. Harris? Are you there? - Oh, wait, shh.

Uh, yeah, hold on! -Speaker! Speaker, speaker.

Okay, yeah. I'm gonna put you--

Hold on. I'm gonna put you on speaker.

-Okay, great. - Um, yes, okay, hi.

You are here with our star reporter,

Kim Gallagher.

Hi. Hello, hi! Yes.

Mr. Harris, as I told you earlier...

No, I-I understand.

I am aware that Dr. Longford already has an interview booked,

but here's the thing.

He's gonna want to cancel that interview

and talk to Kim instead.

Okay, you see,

our network is broadcasting our interview

to all affiliates

nationwide.

There will be no larger audience

for that eclipse. That I can guarantee, okay?

Now, I know Dr. Longford is a very famous man, okay,

but let me ask you this.

If you have the chance

to possibly expand his listeners

by potentially millions,

would you at least want to talk to him

before saying no?

Okay. I'll try

to get a hold of him.

Dr. Longford loves to expand his universe.

That is great, but don't take too long,

'cause we got Neil deGrasse Tyson

waiting in the wings. -What?

I'll call back as soon as I can.

Oh, my-- That was amazing!

That was amazing. That was amazing.

Although, uh, is it ethical, though? Is it ethical?

Because I'm no Steve Hartwin fan,

but he did technically have the interview before us.

Didn't he say to do whatever it takes?

-Yeah. -This is whatever it takes.

If anything, he brought it on himself.

Hey! I'm the producer.

You're the reporter.

Let me worry about getting the interview.

You worry about knocking it out of the park, okay?

-Yeah. -Okay.

-Yeah. -Yeah! Okay.

All right. Let's do this.

-Let's do it. -Let's do this.

I left New Zealand to try make it in Hollywood,

thinking I'd make this big splash...

and then I ran out of money,

and I saw this job posting

for a teacher

at Solana Ridge Junior College in Arizona,

and six years later, there I still am.

This is so typical.

I haven't been on a good date in, like, years,

and tonight,

I'm on what may be the best first date

of my entire life,

and we live nowhere near each other...

Stop. Stop, stop, stop!

The best first date of your life?

Your entire life?

Did I just say that out loud?

You did.

Oh...

And I'm gonna say it too.

This is the best first date.

No, this is the best date I have ever been on.

I mean... look at us.

We shouldn't even be here.

Both of us ended up coming here at the last minute.

Both of us came here to support our friends,

but it feels like something wanted us to meet...

I don't know,

something bigger than the both of us.

We have to find a way to see each other

after tomorrow.

If we don't, it's like...

a slap in the face to the universe.

Slapping the universe in the face

sounds dangerous.

We definitely shouldn't do that.

So...

let's just worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

Tonight...

♪ We found the world divine ♪

♪ Found the world divine ♪

♪ We found this world divine ♪

♪ Divine ♪

Samantha Johnson speaking.

Hi, Samantha. It's Malcolm Brooks.

I called earlier. -Yes, Dr. Brooks.

I remember you.

This is the fifth time you've called.

As I told you, Dr. Longford is very busy.

I promise I've given him your message...

four times.

Did you have anything else to add?

Well, no. It's just--

I'm very sorry,

but I am in the middle of something right now.

Goodbye, Dr. Brooks.

You know, I didn't know you were single.

What?

Uh, at the elevator,

when you were talking to Steve,

told him that you were a single mother.

Well, I was-- I was raised by a single mother.

Oh.

Well, she did a good job.

Well, she did her best.

She was working a full-time job and raising me and my sister.

When I was little,

I used to get upset

that I couldn't see her as often as I wanted to,

and she'd always say,

"Even when we're apart, you're always in my heart,"

which was a little corny, yeah...

No, it's not corny. I like it!

Yeah, it's not easy

finding that balance, being a working mom.

I think I'm getting there.

Can I ask you a personal question?

Uh, yeah, sure.

Why'd you get divorced?

Um...

it was no one reason.

You know, I think there was a time

when we both truly thought we were meant for each other,

and then, we just... we realized that we weren't.

It's just love is complicated.

Yeah. Well, at least you've been in love.

I've never even--

Reed, you are so young.

You have your whole life ahead of you.

You know, the thing about love is that you just never know

when it's gonna pop into your life.

Sometimes the timing is just really crazy.

Like, you could be searching and searching

and searching for love

and then it's nowhere to be found,

and then, as soon as you give up,

it's like, boom! there it is.

I mean, love is just...

I'm... in love!

You're what?

Okay, fine, I'm not in love yet,

but I'm very much in like

with the potential

for it to grow into something so amazing!

Oh, Kim, you have to go on a double date with me

after the shoot.

Travis has a friend.

He's also a professor, and he's cute.

Here, I'll show you. Oh...

Oh, yeah, super cute.

Shoot. Sorry.

I promise he's cute.

I believe you. I just don't think that this--

Ladies, it's-it's her.

It's her! -Answer it.

No, no, you answer it.

Wh-- Oh, okay. All right.

Ahem!

Hello. Uh, Kim Gallagher speaking.

Hi, Ms. Gallagher, this is Samantha speaking.

Uh-huh.

So I've discussed with Dr. Longford,

and he's decided to go ahead with the interview.

Uh-huh. Yes, I understand.

Keep an eye out for details sent to your email.

I will do. Thank you, Samantha.

Well?

We got the interview.

-What? -We got the interview!

Yes!

What interview?

So, today is the big day.

Heading to the park soon?

Yeah, the eclipse isn't until 2:00,

but Malcolm has this spot he wants to call dibs on.

We're getting there early too.

Gotta set up for some big interview

Kim and Reed managed to score.

Oh, by the way,

I don't think

Kim will be up for a double date after.

She's, like, laser-focused on this report.

She's gonna want to head back to Chicago ASAP

when we wrap out.

That's unfortunate,

but honestly, Malcolm's the same way.

Totally work-obsessed.

He's dying to meet up with this old professor of his,

wants to give him his book,

maybe help him get published,

which leads to a better job.

You know, typical overachiever stuff.

Seems like he and Kim have a lot in common.

Yeah. Too bad the stuff they have in common

is the same stuff keeping them apart.

Well, I had a lovely evening last night.

We still on for drinks later?

We sure are.

Meredith, since your telescope is so much nicer than mine,

I was thinking maybe we could...

Team up? Seriously?

I like the idea of working with you.

You remind me of my younger self.

I-I do?

Yeah, although you're much more outgoing than I was.

When I was young, I was very shy.

I could never imagine being a teacher.

But you're so good at it.

Thanks.

You know...

I kinda owe it all to someone I met here

seven years ago.

Wow.

Yeah, a very special woman.

She's the one who put the idea of being a teacher in my head.

Without her, who knows what I'd be doing now.

And if you'd never been my teacher,

who knows what I'd be doing now?

So by the transitive property, she changed my life too.

Wow.

Huh.

Ever wonder what happened to her?

Sure, but...

for all I know, she's happily married

and living in Paris or Australia or on the moon.

She probably never gave me a second thought anyway.

Okay.

What matters today

is that I get some great footage of the eclipse,

and then I figure out how to score five minutes

with Dr. Longford.

Mm-hmm. I bet you will,

because I believe the universe always finds a way

to give us exactly what we need.

Hmm.

Oh! I love that shot with the girl with the headband.

It-It reminds me of my daughter.

Yeah.

Okay, um...

I think that's it. I think we're good.

Uh, "good"?

I-I mean, I think we're better than good.

I think this is gonna make a fantastic lead-in.

You know what?

You can probably just go ahead and send that

over to the studio.

Oh, I forgot to mention Samantha called me this morning,

told me that Dr. Longford will be at the park at 1:30.

She even gave me his cell phone number.

Great. Call him to confirm.

But his assistant already--

No, just-- I just want you to hear it from him.

All right. Of course.

Look, this-this interview is everything.

If we get this right...

-Hey! We will. -Yeah.

All right? You can count on me.

-Okay. -All right?

All right. I need a... I need a breath of fresh air.

-Yeah, okay. -'Kay.

-Go ahead. -Here I go.

Ooh!

Hey, Malcolm?

Oof!

If you're gonna check out, can you save me a spot in line?

I just gotta fix this quick.

You got it.

You good with that?

-Yeah. -Great.

You gotta move.

Hey, uh, Kim, we should leave.

Valet needs us out of here.

Oh, where are we supposed to go?

Um, I don't... we'll just pull... we'll pull it forward.

-Okay. -It'll be okay.

All right.

Claire.

Heading to the park?

Almost, yeah.

Maybe we'll see you there afterwards.

Hey, listen, uh...

I just wanna say,

I-I don't know if Travis told you,

or if I should tell you,

but he went through a pretty rough breakup recently,

and, uh, for what it's worth,

I haven't seen him

this... excited, optimistic, happy?

Whatever it is, I haven't seen it in him

in a long time. It means a lot.

It's nice you care about him so much.

He cares about you too.

Hi!

You just say goodbye to Travis?

Well, hopefully,

not "goodbye" goodbye, just... goodbye.

You know, if it's meant to be...

I know! I know.

Let's focus. It's a big day.

Yeah.

Sure is.

Steve!

So nice to see you.

You know, you're not gonna believe

the message that I just got.

Yeah, it seems Stanley Longford just canceled my interview.

Oh... that's... that's too bad.

You know, I know

that it was you who lured him away from me.

Um, what can I say?

I have a great producer, you know?

He gets things done.

Look. See, here's the thing.

You can't just take my interview.

Don't worry about it,

'cause you can speak to him when I'm done.

Yeah.

We'll see.

Satisfied?

Just a little bit!

Hi, Mom!

Hi, Anna.

We're making eclipse viewers!

Yeah, I can see that.

Hey, you be careful out there, though, okay?

Don't look directly at the eclipse.

Everybody knows that!

They do, do they?

Mommy, when are you coming home?

I miss you.

I know. I miss you too, sweetie.

Um, and I promise

that I'm gonna finish up as soon as I can,

so I can get home and tuck you in tonight, okay?

Hey, but you know what?

Even when we're apart... you're always in my heart.

How you doing, Kimberly? Are you okay?

Uh... why would I be nervous?

You know?

Just a few hours away from talking

to millions and millions of people,

coast to coast.

I'm not nervous. I'm...

terrified.

It's okay to be scared, Mommy.

You know why?

Why is that, sweetie?

Because being scared

gives you the chance to be brave.

That is very wise.

I was thinking,

maybe we try and stay another night.

Bet I could talk Claire into it, too.

We have classes tomorrow.

We can get out of them.

I can't.

Now, come on.

I've gotta get serious.

This afternoon is my only shot at getting to Dr. Longford.

- Yes, okay. - If I can just get around

his assistant... -Okay. Thank you, Dr. Longford.

I will see you at the park.

Was that...?

Were you talking to Dr. Longford?

Uh, yeah?

Dr. Stanley Longford?

The coolest astronomer of all time?

Okay, well, that's not for me to judge.

I don't even know what makes an astronomer cool.

He's meeting you at the park?

Uh, yeah.

Yeah, we're doing this live interview.

I'm with WGZA. -WGZA?

You must work with Claire.

You know Claire?

Uh, we met yesterday.

It's, uh, been a--

Oh! Oh!

You're the guy she kissed last night!

You and Claire kissed?

Yeah! It was awesome.

-That's great! -What's great?

Travis and Claire kissed!

That is great.

Who's Claire?

She's... never mind right now.

This guy-- sorry, I didn't get your name.

It's Reed.

Reed works at a news station in Chicago,

and they're interviewing Dr. Longford today.

No way.

You've gotta introduce us!

I'm-I'm sorry, I-I don't know who you guys are.

Claire will vouch for us.

You just said you don't even know who Claire is!

She'll vouch for Travis and I.

Who are you?

This is starting to feel

like an Abbott and Costello routine.

-Abbott and what? -Who?

Look. We really need your help.

It's very important I talk to Dr. Longford today.

Okay. For Claire,

I'll see what I can do, but...

no promises, okay?

See?

I told you,

the universe always finds a way.

♪ I want to find some way to be your peace of mind ♪

I wonder if Dr. Longford is here yet.

The eclipse footage is still the priority,

and this hill's the best place to get it.

Hey, Travis? Go find Claire.

What?

No, the whole reason I came here

is to help you out. I-I can't just--

I've got Meredith here to help me.

She's an expert in this stuff,

and, no offense, but you have no idea what I'm talking about

half the time.

Are you sure, though?

I don't wanna ditch my best friend.

You're not ditching me,

and what kind of friend would I be

if I kept you from the woman of your dreams?

Thanks, man!

Oh, and if you see Dr. Longford,

make sure to bring him our way...

kicking and screaming if you have to.

Will do.

♪ I said to you "We will be fine" ♪

Just look at this crowd!

Eclipse chasers from across the country

have turned out in full force

to celebrate today's cosmic event.

I'm Kim Gallagher

reporting live from Carbondale, Illinois,

which is about to see

its second total solar eclipse in seven years.

Now, we're just under 30 minutes away

from the start of the main event,

but before we get to that,

I'm gonna be sitting down

with popular podcaster and astronomer

Dr. Stanley Longford,

and you do not wanna miss a minute,

so stay tuned.

We're clear!

Was that okay?

"Okay"? You were fantastic!

The kid speaks the truth.

No, it was amazing!

Confident, just no fear.

A lot of fear, actually,

but, you know, when you're scared,

it gives you a chance to be brave, right?

Seriously, Kim, you nailed it!

Let's not get too excited.

You know, that was just the local set-up.

You know, we don't go national until the interview.

Speaking of which, is Dr. Longford here yet?

How about I give him a call?

-Okay. -Claire, could you take this?

Thanks.

Hey, everything okay?

Yeah.

I just--

Déjà vu, I guess. I think.

I don't know.

The last time I was here, seven years ago,

I was all... just primed to set the world on fire.

Things just didn't work out quite that way.

Things hardly ever work out

the way we think they will...

but they do work out...

sometimes for the better.

Yeah. Thanks, Claire.

Now, focus!

You're an on-camera reporter now,

and you've got a live national interview

to get ready for, right?

That is right!

You know what? I can do this.

My mom was right!

The stars have aligned for me,

and everything is gonna be perfect!

Guys, we've got a huge problem.

What?

And, there, everything's set.

Perfect.

Now, if I can just connect with Dr. Longford,

we can call this day a success.

You'll get to him.

That cute TV news guy will pull through.

Cute, huh?

Don't change the subject.

I promise, everything's going to work out.

Can't you feel it, Malcolm?

The stars are aligning all over the place.

Dr. Longford, he's not picking up. Okay?

And I-I can't reach his assistant either!

He should be here by now. -You can't be serious.

The whole thing is built around this interview!

What are we supposed to do if he doesn't show?

-I don't know. I-I guess we-- -I'm right here.

Terribly sorry.

We tried to call, but, uh...

reception is spotty here.

Forgive me for being a few minutes late,

but I just had to get myself a lunar cake. Mm!

Delicious!

Dr. Longford, I'm Kim Gallagher.

Ya had us worried there for a second,

but it's so nice to meet you.

Ma'am, lovely to meet you as well.

I understand this is going out nationally,

is that correct? -Uh, yeah, that's right.

Um...?

I'll need you to, uh, hit these talking points

to set me up

to promote my live podcast after the eclipse.

That's the reason why I, uh,

agreed to cancel my previous engagement.

Yeah, of course! Yeah, we totally--

We can handle this.

Um, if we could just... look over the questions, and--

I'm sorry, I don't do pre-interviews.

It ruins the spontaneity.

Did you not tell her?

Dr. Longford doesn't do pre-interviews.

Ruins the spontaneity.]

Good to know. Thank you.

Don't worry.

I've been doing this a long time.

Together, you and I shall shine brighter

than a supernova.

Great. Right. Supernova time.

If we could just get set up for the shot?

-Of course, of course. -Let's, uh--

I just need to use the facilities...

-Oh. -...first.

Uh, do we have time for that?

We're live in 15 minutes.

15 minutes. I-- Can you wait?

I'd be happier if I...

take some of the pressure off, so to speak.

Don't worry!

Back in a jiffy! -Okay.

Great, great.

Okay, it's gonna be great! Let's go set up, guys.

-Okay, let's go get set up. -Let's set up.

Excuse me? Um...

Dr. Longford!

Steve Hartwin. KCYD in St. Louis?

Ah, yes, Mr. Hartman.

Apologies for canceling on you,

but I just had to go with the, uh, national broadcast.

I'm sure you understand.

-Of course. -Yeah.

We have to do what's best for ourselves, right?

That's very gracious of you.

Now, if you'll excuse me,

I just really have to use the restroom!

Uh, Doc, I think you got yourself turned around.

Yeah, the restrooms are all the way over there.

Thank you, Mr. Hartman.

My pleasure.

There's-- Is there a single-- a single bar?

-Call failed again. -What?

It's all the news trucks. They're hogging the signal!

This isn't happening.

-Claire! -This isn't happening.

Hey! There you are.

Uh, hi, Travis. Not now. Crisis.

Uh, what's going on?

Oh, nothing. Just, you know, the end of my career--

that's all.

We lost Dr. Longford.

He went to use the restroom and never came back.

Oh, he didn't--

it wasn't the meteor dogs, was it?

'Cause I've had three of them.

-Oh... -Oh! I got him!

-I got him! -Oh, hi, hi, hi, Dr. Longford.

Dr. Longford, it's Kim! -Fantastic.

Hi. Uh, wh-where are you?

Ms. Gallagher, thank goodness!

I-I-I-I... I think I-I might have got, uh,

turned around somehow.

Um... if you could send

someone to, uh, collect me,

I'm at the, um--

-We lost him! -You're at the--?

Three minutes till we're live!

I'm coming for you, Dr. Longford!

Oh, my god. Oh, my god!

We... we-we could--

We could still pull this off, right?

How? How, how?

I am about to go live to the entire nation

with no one to talk to and nothing to talk about.

No, no. I'm not gonna let us fail, okay?

No, I'm the producer!

I'm-I'm gonna produce a solution, okay?

Just give me a second!

He's gonna produce a solution.

You know, Malcolm was really hoping

to talk to that Longford guy too.

Hey, that's it!

Your friend, he's some sort of hot-shot astronomy professor,

right?

Uh, well, he's an astronomy professor.

Don't know if I would call him a hotshot.

Yeah, yeah, close enough.

Where is he?

Right up there.

Right up there?

Okay, you two bring everything we need up that hill,

make sure the signal can still reach our antenna,

and... we'll be right behind you, okay?

I thought you said he was incompetent.

He's had a transformative 24 hours.

Keep up, Travis!

I'm coming!

All right.

Okay, Kim.

-Uh-huh? Yeah? -Listen to me.

We're gonna have to salvage the whole interview.

All my questions are specific to Dr. Longford

and his podcast!

That's okay! You'll just have to make them up on the fly!

You're good at that, you're good at thinking on your feet!

Live on national TV? No, I can't.

Yes, you can!

Listen to me. -Oh...

It's just like you said,

everything, everyone who expects us to fail,

we have to prove them wrong!

Okay? -Okay.

Especially us.

Now, I'm not gonna let you down,

and you're not gonna let me down!

-No. No. -Okay?

We can do this! Yeah?

Yeah! Then let's do this.

-Yes, let's do this! -Yeah.

Okay, we got 90 seconds till they throw it to us.

-90 seconds? -Let's go. Let's go.

- Right over here. - What's going on?

Oh, what's going on

is you're about to be interviewed on live TV!

I'm what?

Nationwide!

Sorry! Live TV, nationwide.

Don't worry!

You're just gonna be talking about eclipses.

You love eclipses.

Wait a second! I don't wanna be interviewed live on TV.

It's too much pressure. I'm not--

I'm not cut out for this. -No choice.

You gotta save the day here, buddy.

But, I'm-I'm not-- I mean, I can't do that, Travis.

You totally can.

Dr. Brooks, Malcolm...

you were my favorite professor for a reason.

You make astronomy fun and relatable.

Just pretend you're teaching class.

Okay. Yeah, okay. Just like I'm in class.

Yeah, right. I can do this.

Okay, yeah. -Good, 'cause you're on in 30!

Just like in class...

except instead of 20 students watching,

it's millions of people.

No pressure.

Uh, notes. Do you have-- okay.

Yes, thank you.

Okay, what can I use?

Hey. Are you good?

Yeah! Yeah, I'm good.

You got this, okay?

-I got it. I got it. -You got this.

Do you have a high-def camera?

-Uh, yeah, right here. -Okay, great.

If we could link that feed to our antenna,

we'll have a perfect footage of the eclipse.

Um, is that-- Is that okay? Can I do that?

-Why not? -Okay!

This is getting so exciting all of a sudden.

Yeah.

Um, hey, Claire,

um, could you link this feed into our antenna?

Kinda busy at the moment, Reed!

I know how! I can do that!

Then do it!

This is your moment.

I know this is all super chaotic, but--

...but for everything that feels crazy

and chaotic and random about the universe,

there's something else that seems--

All right, you guys, we gotta go.

We gotta go! We gotta go.

...perfectly designed.

Perfectly designed.

Hi, everyone.

It's Kim Gallagher,

broadcasting live from Carbondale, Illinois,

right in the path of totality for today's eclipse,

which will begin in just about five minutes.

In the meantime,

we have a great interview lined up for you.

Unfortunately, Dr. Longford couldn't be with us,

but we have another fantastic professor of astronomy

who's here to help us understand

what's going on in the skies today.

So, why don't you tell the folks at home

your name, Doctor--

Uh...

uh, Brooks, Malcolm Brooks.

Hi.

I'm Kim. It's nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too, Kim.

So, Dr. Brooks-- uh, can I call you Malcolm?

-Malcolm, please. -Malcolm, okay. Hi.

Sorry!

So, Malcolm, um...

how long have you been teaching astronomy?

Uh, about five years now.

I finished my PhD in Applied Physics at SIU

right here in Carbondale,

and got hired as a professor

at, uh, Solana Ridge Junior College in Arizona.

Arizona?

That's a long way from, uh, Carbondale.

It is, but...

I would've traveled any distance for an opportunity like this.

An opportunity

to see a total eclipse, of course.

-Of course. -Of course.

Is Mommy okay?

She looks funny.

Oh, I think Mommy is better than okay.

It's like I told her... the stars have aligned.

So, did you travel here with your wife?

-Oh, no. -No?

No, no. I'm not married.

No, I've still yet to find my... my-my perfect fit.

No, I totally understand.

You know, as a single,

completely unattached person myself,

I know how hard it can be to find that...

perfect fit. -That's true.

It can be tough,

but the important thing is to never lose hope.

Finding the perfect fit can take patience.

Sometimes it can take a lot of patience.

Speaking of perfect fits...

can you explain to the folks at home

why, on a day like today,

the sun and the moon match up so well?

Yes!

You see, the sun is 400 times larger than the moon,

but the moon is 400 times closer to the Earth, which...

Which is why, during an eclipse,

it seems like they were made for each other.

That's quite a coincidence.

You know, the universe is actually full

of coincidences like that.

-Hmm! -For instance,

isn't it amazing

that the paths of totality of this year's eclipse

and the eclipse seven years ago

both passed right through Carbondale?

You know, I was actually here for the last eclipse.

How about that? So was I!

And the cosmic coincidences just keep on coming, don't they?

It sure seems like it.

But, you know, seven years ago,

the sun and the moon crossed paths, even connected,

but... I don't know,

for some reason, it just didn't click, did it?

Does Mommy know that man?

It seems so.

I think I know what you mean.

Maybe the...

universe's timing wasn't quite right somehow.

That's what I was thinking.

But, I don't know, I think this time...

things are gonna be different.

I think you might be right.

We are just a few moments away from the eclipse...

beginning,

so back to you at the station, Keith,

and I'll be back here right after the show.

And we're clear!

That was amazing, Kim!

That was, uh, folksy, down to earth...

I mean,

it was a little weirdly personal,

but I loved it, and, I mean,

no one's ever gonna call you "Freezer Burn"

after that, right?

Thank you for that, Reed. I appreciate that so much.

Okay!

-Okay? -You're good to go.

Hey. Yeah, this is Reed.

Okay, whatever you were using for the eclipse,

I have something better. I'm sending it to you right now.

It's high-def live images.

I'm talking NASA-level quality here.

So... long time no see, Malcolm.

It has been a while...

-Yeah. -...Kim.

At least we got each other's names this time.

Uh, I think we-- we have a couple minutes.

You wanna go for a walk?

There's nothing I'd love more.

All right, folks!

Listen up! The eclipse is almost here!

Whoo!

Good work getting this camera

hooked up to the feed so fast.

I'm glad I could come through,

but this is the guy that deserves all the credit.

It was his idea.

Thanks for, you know,

letting us take over your whole setup.

Are you kidding?

That was the most exciting two minutes of my life.

I can't believe I was a part of that.

So, uh, TV news producer, huh?

You must see this kind of action all the time, right?

Well, I'm actually still kind of new at this,

but, yeah, it can get kind of wild.

Maybe later we can...

get some coffee?

You can tell me some stories.

Yeah, sure, yeah.

I got lots of 'em.

Dr. Longford! Are you okay?

I'm fine.

I just feel terrible.

I missed the interview.

But not the eclipse.

Thanks.

There's this Tahitian myth that reminds me of us.

I liked it so much, I put it in my book.

You wrote a book?

Yeah. It's called "Cosmic Phenomena

and Their Effects on Early Cultures:

A Study in Three Parts, Volume I."

Sounds like a real page-turner.

Anyway...

the story goes

that the sun and moon

met for the first time during an eclipse...

and, well, they fell in love,

and they became so enamored with each other

that they got lost in the sky,

so they created the stars

to find their way back to their proper paths.

That's beautiful.

I think I did get a little lost after that last eclipse,

and I went through a lot of ups and downs

just... trying to find my way...

but I think I'm on the right path now.

Full disclosure?

Okay.

I've thought about you a lot over the past seven years.

You were like

this beautiful stranger who came into my life,

gave me a glimpse

of how special a personal connection could be,

and then... vanished.

I don't wanna wait for another cosmic phenomenon

to see you again.

No, I don't want that either.

There's... there's something that I've been dying to do

since the last time I saw you.

Well, don't make me wait another seven years.

Yeah!

That was the best!

The best one ever!

The eclipse! It's over.

Huh.

I can't believe we missed it.

Eh, you seen one eclipse, you've seen 'em all.

Ms. Gallagher!

Ah! Hello!

Dr. Longford.

I'm so sorry I missed your interview.

Well, actually, I'm not.

I mean, I'm-I'm glad that you're okay, of course,

but if you hadn't missed it,

I might not have reunited with someone very special to me.

Well!

I was able to catch most of your interview on my phone.

I was quite impressed.

Eh, you seem... somewhat familiar to me.

Yes, I was in your class at SIU.

-Oh! -And I was actually hoping, um,

you see, I have this manuscript.

It's kind of part astronomy, part sociology.

It's about how cosmic phenomena like today's eclipse

have inspired us

to search for knowledge and understanding

over the centuries.

What's it called?

It's called "Cosmic Phenomena"--

"Cosmic Cultures." Right?

Good title.

And do you have a, uh, publishing deal?

Well, I was kinda hoping you might take a look at it,

and, uh, if you-- if you liked it,

maybe you could write me a little blurb

or a recommendation

I could put in my submission inquiries.

Well...

I'd love to help out a former student,

and if it's everything you say...

I'll forward it to my literary agent.

That sounds amazing.

Why don't we discuss it on my podcast this afternoon?

-You want me on your podcast? -I sure do, both of you.

You have amazing chemistry.

Thanks!

We think so too.

Fantastic.

Well, we, uh, we're recording on the stage... in an hour.

Hey, we're moments out, so do you guys wanna...

Oh! Uh, Dr. Longford, um, do you wanna jump in?

The least we can do is plug your podcast.

Oh, wonderful!

Okay, we're back in five... four...

Welcome back, everyone!

Well, there you have it,

another eclipse for the books.

I'm Kim Gallagher,

here with world-renowned astronomers

Dr. Stanley Longford and Dr. Malcolm Brooks.

So, Dr. Longford,

would you like to say anything to the folks at home?

Yes, thank you.

Please be sure to join all three of us

for a special live episode of my podcast,

which will begin shortly.

I can't wait to sit down with you

and learn even more about what happened here today.

Thank you.

-So... Malcolm? -Mm-hmm?

The next time the sun and the moon cross paths

over North America, it'll be 2044.

What do you think you'll be doing

for the next eclipse in... 18 years?

Well, with any luck...

I'll be spending it with you.

Once again,

I'm Kim Gallagher for WGZA News in Chicago,

and in the words of Dr. Longford here,

Keep your head in the clouds...

And the stars in your eyes!

Clear!

Fantastic.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Longford.

Yes, thank you.

♪ But we're flying through the sky ♪

♪ We're flying through the sky ♪