Stalemate Preview

Original TwoP air date 8.27.06

[MR's trailer late night/early morning. A mostly empty bag of pork rinds sits on the table. TW and MR each take a shot of tequila. MR refills their glasses with a bottle that's nearly empty.]

Don't forget we need to replace the rinds and the tequila before Allison comes back.

Yeah, yeah. I've got it covered.

OK, get this for an opening. Start with a shot of a banner that reads "Gotham Children's Charity ball." The camera pans down to reveal a ballroom practically in ruins. A crowd of people is gathered in a huge circle. We zoom into the center to show Oliver and a dark haired man leaning over an unconscious Chloe. What is left of her clothes are burned and tattered and she has smudges of soot all over her body. Cut back to show Clark zip into the scene. He pushes his way through the crowd. When he sees her he looks quite scared, "Chloe!" Then to Oliver, "Is she OK?" Oliver and the man look up up Clark. Oliver says, "Glad you could finally make it. Fortunately we were able to get things under control on our own." Clark says it doesn't look that way. They need to get Chloe to the hospital. Oliver stands and with his foot turns Chloe over to reveal she has wings on her back. Clark looks up at him in shock. The dark haired man says "Chloe is safe at my place." Oliver smiles, "Let me introduce you to my friend. Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne. Bruce, this is Clark. He and Chloe go way back." Bruce puts his hand forward to shake hands with Clark. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Clark. But as I dropped Chloe off with my butler she said you were still in Metropolis." Clark looks uncomfortable and then Oliver jumps in, "It was supposed to be a surprise, Bruce. I figured she might like to have more than just one familiar face around while visiting this dismal city you call home. Besides, I figured you wouldn't mind selling yet one more ticket to your pet charity event." Bruce looks at Clark sceptically. "I guess Oliver failed to mention this was a formal event." Then we do the 24 hours earlier thing.

Yeah, right. There is no way that I'm going to write an episode that doesn't have Lex in the teaser. Plus the episode is supposed to be about Lois being trapped my domestic terrorists at a LuthorCorp facility. How the hell did you turn it into Chloe at a charity ball in Gotham?

How the hell did you turn it into the attack of the naked woman robots?

We ironed out the details on that.

We can iron out the details on this too.

You're going to tease people with Bruce Wayne and then not deliver? I smell a fandom revolt.

Bruce would have a role.

Ah ha! So you are changing the plot.

Well it's not like I've turned zombies into exploding babies!

Look, I don't care if you stick Bruce Wayne in sometime this season. But it's not going to be in any episode I'm writing. Lex is going to have the spot light.

What if there's a lot of Lex and Bruce exchanges.

No, because no matter what when it comes to Bruce Wayne Lex will get his ass handed to him. I know how this superhero stuff works by now.

The episode is entitled "Stalemate".

So?

In a stalemate there is no loser.

Where exactly are you going with this?

I think you'll be happy with it.

OK, but we need to do it with Lois. It's time to spread the wealth. Allison is getting way too many lines. More than me in fact.

Is your ego getting the best of you?

Ego? No.

Then how do you know she's gotten more lines than you?

Annette mentioned it.

Damn woman is always stirring the pot, isn't she?

Actually she didn't tell me. She told Allison and Allison rubbed it in my face. But she's going to have a rude awakening. I've still got seven episodes to write after this one and she's got just two. Chloe is going to fade away like .... like something I can't think of this second.

Why do you two make it so personal?

Like this bottle of Tequila!

What?

Chloe is going to fade away like this bottle of Tequila.

The bottle did not fade away.

Let's not split hairs, Tom. It's three in the morning and we're both drunk off our asses. It's not the time to be splitting hairs.

You never answered my question.

What question?

Why do you two make it so personal?

It's not personal. It's business.

It's personal.

You're right. It's personal. She thinks Chloe is smarter than Lex.

Well maybe she's ri...

If you want this friendship to last another moment don't even go there.

OK.

So we'll swap Chloe for Lois at the charity ball.

No.

But you said...

The charity ball won't be the climax anymore. That will be with Lex and Lois back in Metropolis.

I don't know.

It'll kick ass.

And we'll blow up all three naked robots at the same time?

Um, sure. We can't do the cockroaches if they blow up.

Screw the cockroaches.

OK.

I don't care what Kristen says. This episode is going to kick ass.

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