Showtime 2.3 - Two Bosses

Showtime - Two Bosses
Genre : Drama / Comedy / Sports
Showrunner: Steven Soderbergh
Writer : Chad Taylor & Mo Buck

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Dacre Montgomery, Nick Offerman, Cooper Andrews, Zoey Dutch, Anna Gunn, Clayne Crawford, Tom Hopper, Alan Ritchson, Paul Rust, Toby Huss, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Samara Weaving and Joe Manganiello

Plot: Ben Carr (Barry Keoghan) is watching old wrestling tapes by himself in the locker room when he hears someone entering. Bill Gundy (Nick Offerman), without even seeing him knows that Ben is the one still in there and he asks him how it went tonight. Ben says it surely was chaotic, but it went great for him. Bill points out a visible bruise on Ben’s thigh and he asks him if he’s sure. He says he defended himself the best he could and Bill suggests they watch that instead of decades-old tapes. They share a laugh as they watch Ben embarrass Thunderjack with submission holds. After the match is over, Bill turns the television off and he tells Ben he has something to tell him, but he must not tell anyone. Ben is confused, but accepts.

Brad Wolfe (Clayne Crawford) paces around his hotel room, venting his frustration about the company’s situation to Diane (Anna Gunn) and she says there’s nothing she can do about it, as of right now. They need Paul’s support to keep going, because whether they like it or not, losing Ricky has really hurt TCW. Brad sits on the bed and he asks Diane if he’s still her best wrestler and she says he is. As they get ready to leave and go back to the arena, Brad asks her to win the TCW title before Cain does. She saw and heard the reaction he got out there, it can’t be good for business. She disagrees and she says he had one of the loudest reactions she has seen and it can be really good their business. They are now in a car and he says she doesn’t seem to understand his point of view. They are both hated by the crowd and he wouldn’t want Cain to take his place. They are now in the parking lot and Diane forces him out of the car before she has a chance to answer.

Loto (Cooper Andrews) and Dicky (Paul Rust) are already there and they try and get close with Thunderjack Haynes (Dacre Montgomery) and Sweet Tea (Zoey Deutch). Loto offers some advice to Thunderjack about how to control his anger in the ring, while Dicky tries to give Sweet Tea manager tricks, but he grosses her out and leaves. She sees Ben, by himself, nursing the bruise Thunderjack gave him. Honey Moon (Samara Weaving), on her end, is waiting for Cain Khan (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) to leave Paul Martin’s (Toby Huss) office, as they are having a private, but heated conversation, most possibly about what happened at the last show. After Loto leaves Thunderjack, she sits close to him and Sweet Tea goes over to Ben, as Thunderjack flirts with Honey Moon. She asks him if he’s alright and he says he will be. She apologizes for Thunderjack’s behaviour, but she compliments him on his in-ring skill. He thanks her and blushes. Brad meets with the Jackson brothers (Tom Hopper and Alan Ritchson) in the parking lot and he says they need to do something about Cain. They all agree to go speak with Diane. They won’t allow someone else to steal their thunder.

As Diane converses with Paul in their office, Ben enters the office. With Ben clearly there to talk to Diane, Paul sees himself out. Ben tells her that he has a storyline request for tonight's show. With hesitation, he says that he thinks they should return Bill tonight but that Bill will turn heel on Ben to set up a heated match at next week's big pay-per-view event, Southern Showdown. Diane turns this down immediately and says that Bill and Ben work too well as a team and that she doesn't think the crowd would boo Bill. Ben is adamant that the change should happen but she puts her foot down.

In the locker room, Thunderjack and Honey Moon are nowhere to be found so Tea approaches Cain. She asks him what he thinks about those other two and he says he doesn't mind. This surprises Tea. She says "aren't you two dating?". He says no, that's all a show. Character stuff. There's not much that makes the white crowds more angry than seeing a pretty white woman with a black man. On that topic, Tea asks him if he is alright after the verbal abuse he experienced at his first Texas show. He shrugs it off and says he's used to it. He then starts to open, showing a more tender side than the swagger he has been projecting so far. He says that after a while it does get tiring. He feels like he is doing his job well because he consistently gets the loudest crowd reactions. But at the same time, he wonders if it is because of his acting skills or his skin color. She tells him that she thinks he can the work the crowd pretty well, from what she's seen so far. He thanks her for the compliment. Thunderjack and Honey Moon saunter in, laughing about a previous conversation.

Brad and his boys have recruited Loto to join them in their demand that the unified title stay on Loto (and thus with TCW). They storm Diane's office, ready to exert their will, but are surprised to find that she is not there and it is Paul instead. Paul asks if he can help them and they aren't sure what to say. Loto asks what the current plans are for Southern Showdown main event, the match between Loto and Cain. Paul cracks a smile and says they haven't decided yet. This frustrates the wrestlers, who wanted to hear that Loto would win. They want to say more but then decide it is best to leave and re-formulate their plan.

Meanwhile, Ben sees them leave the office and complain about Paul. It is as if a lightbulb pops up above his head. He makes his way back to the office and Paul tells him that Diane isn't here this time. Ben says that's OK, it's Paul he wants to talk to.

Cut to the ring, where we see Ben being attacked by the Bruiser Brothers 2-on-1. To the crowd's surprise, Bill Gundy makes his return to a huge pop. He fends off the Bruiser Brothers and, afterwards, offers Ben a hand. The crowd is ready for them to take on the Bruiser Brothers and the referee rings the bell. However, when Ben goes to tag in Bill, Bill pulls his hand away and says that he is not fully healed (even though he looked fine when he made the save). He jumps off the apron and walks to the back, to mild boos by a confused audience. Ben is left to fight in a handicap match against the brothers, which he promptly loses. In the back, Diane looks furious at Bill's actions. She looks to Paul, fuming. He shrugs his shoulders.

Backstage, Bill hands Ben a few more tapes, without saying a word, his usual homework assignment. At his apartment, Ben looks through the various tapes, from wrestling promotions new old, from Europe to Japan. He finally decides on which one to watch: last week's APW show from Madison Square Garden. He puts the tape into the VCR.

Cut to the Madison Square Garden locker room, where we see various wrestlers and valets. But the camera comes to focus on one familiar face in particular: Ricky Santana (Joe Mangianello).