Todd Gives Blair The Deed To The Omega Building
There are newspapers littering the floor of the penthouse. The camera pans up to reveal Todd sitting on the couch and studying a copy of The Banner.
Blair comes into the room and immediately spots something strange on the table -- a large envelope adorned with a pink bow. Curious, she picks it up.
Blair: What is this?
Todd ignores Blair.
Blair: Todd, this -- this has a bow on it. (giggling) It's got my name on it, too! (she waves it around) Can I open it?
Todd: (trying to sound disinterested) If you feel like it. Or just throw it in the trash. Whatever.
Todd keeps his eyes focused on the newspaper while Blair gets more and more excited about the surprise.
Blair: Come on, Todd! What's in here??
Todd: (no response)
Blair: (teasingly) I'm gonna open it now, okay?
Blair starts to open the envelope as Todd ever-so-slowly turns to watch her....
--end scene--
Blair opens the envelope and starts to take out the paper inside.
Blair: What is this?
Todd quickly goes back to trying to look like he's only interested in today's copy of The Banner.
Todd: You know, the only reason Kevin Buchanan gets to report for The Banner is 'cause his dad's the editor and his mommy owns this rag.
But now Blair has read the paper and she's stunned by what it says.
Blair: Oh, my God. Todd, stop talking about Kevin Buchanan a minute and tell me what I -- I'm seeing is -- is real!
She goes to the couch and sits next to Todd, who continues to try to act like he's only interested in the newspapers.
Blair: Is this the deed to the Omega Building?
Todd: (refusing to look at her) Yeah.
Blair: Don't just say "yeah"! Did -- did you buy the building?
Todd: Yeah.
Todd finally puts the newspaper down.
Todd: I started thinking about Old Man Asa and how much he hated you, so I decided to buy the building. I mean, that way he can't screw you out of the lease once your business starts to get off the ground.
Todd picks up another one of the nearby newspapers. Blair is still in disbelief.
Blair: Todd! You bought the whole building?
Todd: (flipping through the newspaper) It was less than 2 mil.
Blair: I can't believe that you did this for me.
Todd: It's just good business. I'm gonna move the paper there. Plus, that way, once Melador starts to grow, you've got room to expand. (he starts reading the newspaper)
Blair: Todd. (she puts her hand on his arm) Todd, look at me a minute.
Todd looks at her. Blair has tears in her eyes.
Blair: Thank you. And not just for this building, but for having the confidence in me that I would succeed. It was so sweet of you to -- to not want -- well, to protect me from Asa.
Todd: It's no big deal. You're my wife, right?
Blair: Yes.
She sets the deed aside and leans in toward Todd.
Blair: I'm your wife.
She kisses him, then pulls back while they stare at each other. Then they quickly start shoving the papers off the couch so they can get more comfortable. Todd puts his arm on the cushion behind Blair for leverage as she leans back. He moves on top of her, and they start making out.
--end scene--
When the scene returns, Todd and Blair are both in robes and lounging in the living room -- Blair's stretched out on the couch, looking over the deed to the Omega Building, while Todd is in a nearby armchair, thumbing through Lord of the Banner. Blair looks over at him.
Blair: Well, you've really been into that book lately.
Todd: Yeah. Just reading about dear old Dad. You know how he made a pile of money?
Blair: Hmm?
Todd: He'd buy up these ratty little newspapers, and then he'd turn them around 'till they were worth something, and then he'd either fold them into The Banner or he'd sell 'em off for a bunch of bucks.
Blair puts down the Omega Building deed and picks up one of the tabloids sitting in Todd's stack of reading material. It's The Intruder -- the newspaper previously owned by Dorian Lord and recently acquired by the Lord heir publishing portfolio. Todd's advisor, Arthur Vandenberg, intended to sell it to The Banner before Todd expressed an interest in holding on to it.
Blair: Well, here's one that he wouldn't have touched with a ten-foot pole.
Todd: Why not?
Blair: Todd, I saw the latest circulation figures on that sheet that you had. The Intruder has been losing it for the past two years. I mean, it's -- it's over.
Todd: Maybe.
Todd puts the book down, gets up from the chair, and moves to sit next to Blair on the couch.
Todd: Maybe not. (he picks it up and studies it)
Blair: Trust me, Todd, I know. It's a loser.
Todd looks at the tabloid in his hands with renewed interest.
Todd: Oh, well, I was a loser once. Look at me now.
--end scene--
When the scene returns, T&B are still sitting on the couch, and Todd is flipping through back issues of The Intruder. He looks mildly disgusted at the content.
Todd: You want to know why the circulation is down for The Intruder? Look at this stuff. (reading one headline) "Elvis Is Seen At A Mall"
Todd puts the paper down and Blair picks it up and chuckles. Todd reads another one.
Todd: "An Alien Ate My Toy Poodle"! Oh, here's my favorite: "OJ Is Really Jack Kennedy In Disguise"! Who's gonna read this trash?
Blair: (amused) Todd, I'm telling you, a lot of people do. Look, I ran The Intruder for awhile. Badly, on purpose. But it has a very, very specific readership, believe me.
Todd: Who, the brain dead? Even they have to be tired of this garbage.
Todd picks up one of his financial statements and studies it.
Todd: The circulation figures for The Intruder -- they're pathetic! I say it's time for some new readers.
--end scene--
Todd continues studying the statements.
Todd: Hey, check this out.
Blair: What?
Todd: (handing a paper to her) No wonder The Intruder's such a dinosaur. Everybody that works there is, like, 400 years old.
Blair: Oh.
Todd: Talk about dead wood.
Todd gets up from the couch and starts pacing.
Todd: Somebody oughta go in there and do some pruning.
Blair: Yeah? And who is that somebody gonna be, Todd?
Todd's standing behind the still-seated Blair at this point, so she can't see face. But if she could, she'd have her answer: Todd.
--end scene--
Todd: Journalism isn't about truth and justice and the American way. It's about power.
Blair: Well, Victor Lord knew that.
Todd: That's right. See, when you run a paper, you got clout. People listen to you. You get respect. I remember once when I was playing football... (he sits back down next to Blair) I intercepted this pass, and this reporter wrote about it. He called me "The Phantom Of The Endzone." Then all of a sudden -- bam! -- I'm somebody. You take a -- a picture, and you put some words under it, and all of a sudden everybody pays attention.
He picks up a nearby copy of The Banner.
Todd: Then, when I was on trial for rape, The Banner convinced everybody that I was scum. (he tosses the paper aside) Now, that's power.
Blair: So what are you saying, Todd?
Todd: I've just been thinking...it might be kind of fun to run a newspaper.
--end transcript--
Blair comes into the room and immediately spots something strange on the table -- a large envelope adorned with a pink bow. Curious, she picks it up.
Blair: What is this?
Todd ignores Blair.
Blair: Todd, this -- this has a bow on it. (giggling) It's got my name on it, too! (she waves it around) Can I open it?
Todd: (trying to sound disinterested) If you feel like it. Or just throw it in the trash. Whatever.
Todd keeps his eyes focused on the newspaper while Blair gets more and more excited about the surprise.
Blair: Come on, Todd! What's in here??
Todd: (no response)
Blair: (teasingly) I'm gonna open it now, okay?
Blair starts to open the envelope as Todd ever-so-slowly turns to watch her....
--end scene--
Blair opens the envelope and starts to take out the paper inside.
Blair: What is this?
Todd quickly goes back to trying to look like he's only interested in today's copy of The Banner.
Todd: You know, the only reason Kevin Buchanan gets to report for The Banner is 'cause his dad's the editor and his mommy owns this rag.
But now Blair has read the paper and she's stunned by what it says.
Blair: Oh, my God. Todd, stop talking about Kevin Buchanan a minute and tell me what I -- I'm seeing is -- is real!
She goes to the couch and sits next to Todd, who continues to try to act like he's only interested in the newspapers.
Blair: Is this the deed to the Omega Building?
Todd: (refusing to look at her) Yeah.
Blair: Don't just say "yeah"! Did -- did you buy the building?
Todd: Yeah.
Todd finally puts the newspaper down.
Todd: I started thinking about Old Man Asa and how much he hated you, so I decided to buy the building. I mean, that way he can't screw you out of the lease once your business starts to get off the ground.
Todd picks up another one of the nearby newspapers. Blair is still in disbelief.
Blair: Todd! You bought the whole building?
Todd: (flipping through the newspaper) It was less than 2 mil.
Blair: I can't believe that you did this for me.
Todd: It's just good business. I'm gonna move the paper there. Plus, that way, once Melador starts to grow, you've got room to expand. (he starts reading the newspaper)
Blair: Todd. (she puts her hand on his arm) Todd, look at me a minute.
Todd looks at her. Blair has tears in her eyes.
Blair: Thank you. And not just for this building, but for having the confidence in me that I would succeed. It was so sweet of you to -- to not want -- well, to protect me from Asa.
Todd: It's no big deal. You're my wife, right?
Blair: Yes.
She sets the deed aside and leans in toward Todd.
Blair: I'm your wife.
She kisses him, then pulls back while they stare at each other. Then they quickly start shoving the papers off the couch so they can get more comfortable. Todd puts his arm on the cushion behind Blair for leverage as she leans back. He moves on top of her, and they start making out.
--end scene--
When the scene returns, Todd and Blair are both in robes and lounging in the living room -- Blair's stretched out on the couch, looking over the deed to the Omega Building, while Todd is in a nearby armchair, thumbing through Lord of the Banner. Blair looks over at him.
Blair: Well, you've really been into that book lately.
Todd: Yeah. Just reading about dear old Dad. You know how he made a pile of money?
Blair: Hmm?
Todd: He'd buy up these ratty little newspapers, and then he'd turn them around 'till they were worth something, and then he'd either fold them into The Banner or he'd sell 'em off for a bunch of bucks.
Blair puts down the Omega Building deed and picks up one of the tabloids sitting in Todd's stack of reading material. It's The Intruder -- the newspaper previously owned by Dorian Lord and recently acquired by the Lord heir publishing portfolio. Todd's advisor, Arthur Vandenberg, intended to sell it to The Banner before Todd expressed an interest in holding on to it.
Blair: Well, here's one that he wouldn't have touched with a ten-foot pole.
Todd: Why not?
Blair: Todd, I saw the latest circulation figures on that sheet that you had. The Intruder has been losing it for the past two years. I mean, it's -- it's over.
Todd: Maybe.
Todd puts the book down, gets up from the chair, and moves to sit next to Blair on the couch.
Todd: Maybe not. (he picks it up and studies it)
Blair: Trust me, Todd, I know. It's a loser.
Todd looks at the tabloid in his hands with renewed interest.
Todd: Oh, well, I was a loser once. Look at me now.
--end scene--
When the scene returns, T&B are still sitting on the couch, and Todd is flipping through back issues of The Intruder. He looks mildly disgusted at the content.
Todd: You want to know why the circulation is down for The Intruder? Look at this stuff. (reading one headline) "Elvis Is Seen At A Mall"
Todd puts the paper down and Blair picks it up and chuckles. Todd reads another one.
Todd: "An Alien Ate My Toy Poodle"! Oh, here's my favorite: "OJ Is Really Jack Kennedy In Disguise"! Who's gonna read this trash?
Blair: (amused) Todd, I'm telling you, a lot of people do. Look, I ran The Intruder for awhile. Badly, on purpose. But it has a very, very specific readership, believe me.
Todd: Who, the brain dead? Even they have to be tired of this garbage.
Todd picks up one of his financial statements and studies it.
Todd: The circulation figures for The Intruder -- they're pathetic! I say it's time for some new readers.
--end scene--
Todd continues studying the statements.
Todd: Hey, check this out.
Blair: What?
Todd: (handing a paper to her) No wonder The Intruder's such a dinosaur. Everybody that works there is, like, 400 years old.
Blair: Oh.
Todd: Talk about dead wood.
Todd gets up from the couch and starts pacing.
Todd: Somebody oughta go in there and do some pruning.
Blair: Yeah? And who is that somebody gonna be, Todd?
Todd's standing behind the still-seated Blair at this point, so she can't see face. But if she could, she'd have her answer: Todd.
--end scene--
Todd: Journalism isn't about truth and justice and the American way. It's about power.
Blair: Well, Victor Lord knew that.
Todd: That's right. See, when you run a paper, you got clout. People listen to you. You get respect. I remember once when I was playing football... (he sits back down next to Blair) I intercepted this pass, and this reporter wrote about it. He called me "The Phantom Of The Endzone." Then all of a sudden -- bam! -- I'm somebody. You take a -- a picture, and you put some words under it, and all of a sudden everybody pays attention.
He picks up a nearby copy of The Banner.
Todd: Then, when I was on trial for rape, The Banner convinced everybody that I was scum. (he tosses the paper aside) Now, that's power.
Blair: So what are you saying, Todd?
Todd: I've just been thinking...it might be kind of fun to run a newspaper.
--end transcript--