Showtime 1.6 - A Night Out

Showtime : A Night Out
Genre : Drama / Comedy / Sports
Showrunner: Steven Soderbergh
Writer : Chad Taylor & Mo Buck

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Joe Manganiello, Dacre Montgomery, Nick Offerman, Cooper Andrews, Paul Walter Hauser, Zoey Dutch, Anna Gunn, Clayne Crawford, Tom Hopper, Alan Ritchson, Paul Rust, Sofia Black D'Elia and Lake Bell

Plot: Plot: Ricky Santana (Joe Mangianello) is arguing with his wife, Nadine (Lake Bell) about the offer he officially received to wrestle for APW from Buck Gordon himself. She brings up her children who need a father figure around and he can’t just abandon them like that. He says it won’t be much different from what he’s doing now. She says he wrestles not really far away and they barely see him, so she can’t imagine what it’ll be like if he works farther. She adds that it’s time for him to prioritize his family life over his work life. She says he’s not getting any younger and what if his previous injuries come back to haunt him. What would happen to him ? He says she doesn’t understand and it would help them because the job comes with a better salary and honestly it could help them a little. Nadine says she doesn’t care about money if she means not seeing him anymore. The whole argument angers Ricky who bursts out of the house and leaves in his car.

Diane Brown (Anna Gunn) is looking helpless in her office. She received all her responses and they are all negative. After many attempts and multiple reach-outs, she still hasn’t been able to get a new television deal. The pay per views carriers are unimpressed by their product as well. She’s angered to find out that only APW has been able to snag up new contracts with the major players. It is clear to her that they don’t view TCW as a major promotion and she’s busy trying to change their minds about it. She receives a little help from “The Superior” Brad Wolfe (Clayne Crawford). He comes in her office wearing only a small towel and he sits in front of her, not even crossing his legs. He says he has a grand idea that he kept pitching to Roy but he always refused. Diane wants to know why Roy refused and Brad said it is too risky. He always imagined TCW headlining a show at the Astrodome in Houston. Diane says he’s crazy. Brad gets closer to her and he asks her if she likes crazy. She gets closer to him and when he thinks she’s about to kiss him, she asks him if he’s going to join the others at the bar. He says he will now, but he’ll come back to finish this another time and Diane is sure he will.

The rest of the wrestlers are hanging out at a local bar after the show. Ben Carr (Barry Keoghan) and Bill Gundy (Nick Offerman) arrive at the bar. Ben begs Bill to go and he says bars just bring bad news, so he’s going home, but Ben can stay if he wants. He decides to stay as it will give him an opportunity to bond with the others. Thunderjack (Dacre Montgomery) and Sweet Tea (Zoey Deutch) are sitting by themselves in a booth, smiling at each others. The Bruiser Brothers (Tom Hopper and Alan Richtson) are at the bar with Clem (Paul Walter Hauser). Ben is looking for Loto (Cooper Andrews). He seems like a cool guy to hang out with. Loto grabs ahold of Dicky (Paul Rust) and he honestly asks him to watch him tonight and Sanders says he understands and he will. Ben starts a conversation by buying Loto a beer that he gladly accepts. Sweet Tea gets on Thunderjack’s side and she says this place is lame and they should go somewhere else. He agrees and they leave holding each other’s hands. Dicky asks the Bruisers and Clem if they've seen Ricky around and they say he is probably at home. Dicky doesn't buy this and leaves the bar.

Ricky is seen driving with the windows down and rock music blasting. He arrives at his destination, the diner where Shirley works. When he walks in, they make eye contact and smile at each other.

Smash cut to them once again hooking up in his car. Afterwards, Ricky opens up to her about his decision to join APW. He says that his wife just doesn't understand as she can't look at the big picture. While Shirley is obviously bummed to hear that he would be moving to another part of the country, she is excited that he is going to raise his profile and maybe the Ricky Santana Fan Club will gain a few more members. On the road outside the diner, Dicky's car drives by and he spots Santana's car - telling him everything he needs to know.

On their private date, Tea tells Thunderjack that this should help for their on-screen chemistry. He asks what about their real-life chemistry? She points out that they're basically the same thing, dummy. She goes to kiss him but he holds back, momentarily, pointing out that her brother will kill him if he catches a scent of this. Tea points out that he has the Bruiser Brothers in his corner now and that's all he needs. They commence their first kiss, cementing their real-life chemistry. 

At the bar, the night is waning down and everyone is several beers in. Loto, Ben, and the Bruisers tell their own respective stories about coming from wrestling families - kayfabe be damned. Loto, in particular, talks about the Samoan legacy in wrestling and, very drunk, opens up about his own worries about the shorter life expectancy for Samoans - especially Samoan wrestlers. Ben, a self-proclaimed lightweight (both in wrestling and in beer-drinking), says he has to tap out for the night as he has reached his limits. Loto, already doubling Ben's beer count, can do no such thing. The Bruiser Brothers ask him if he wants to hitch a ride with them but he says he's going to stick around a bit longer.

Diane, up late in the middle of the night, is restless in bed. She gets up and goes to the phonebook and calls an acquaintance of Roy's. She asks about the logistics of booking the Astrodome.

On his way back from spying on Santana, Dicky arrives back at the bar to find that everyone has left. However, as he is leaving, he notices something in the alley. When he goes to investigate, he finds Loto face-down and passed out, his head resting in a puddle of his own vomit. Dicky's shoulders slump in defeat. He tries to lift Loto up before calling for a stranger's help to carry his weight over to Dicky's car. Dicky drives with the radio off, clearly sobered by the guilt of leaving Loto unattended to.