Deals

DEALS (1-hr TV drama) Monica Levy
Synopsis monica@dogsandaview.com

The pilot opens with a teaser: underwater footage and then a helicopter rescue airlift of a teenage girl. The teenager has a small purple heart on a chain that she grabs as the cage is hauled into the sky.

A1

Maureen Lewis arrives at her office, Bagby Worldwide (BGBWW), a water technology company. On her way in, she meets Mr. X, a mysterious homeless man who figures prominently in later scenes. At the BGBWW offices, Martin, Maureen’s boss, holds a meeting to tell his staff the division is in financial trouble and that their jobs may be at risk. Maureen has a big sales opportunity with 8Trax, but her nemesis Jacqueline resists making the necessary custom components. Martin, their boss, shuts down the argument but demands everyone work on the weekend.

Meanwhile, at the Nagel home, Mark’s sportswriting work is interrupted by an argument between his children, Hope and Jack. Maureen calls home to tell Mark about her unfortunate weekend work schedule, and Mark tells her he must cover a hockey playoff game. She’s going to work late so he agrees to feed the kids dinner.

Later, Maureen is in the restroom when Jacqueline walks in. They continue the argument, with Jacqueline insisting they can’t do the work and that she’s no longer going to “roll over” for Maureen and her sales team. When Maureen asserts that it’s a personal issue, Jacqueline doesn’t disagree. Maureen leaves with a pitched battle in progress. She brainstorms 8Trax strategy with her two salesmen, Rick and Dave, who suggest that they could possibly buy the components from another supplier. Their conversation is interrupted by a phone call from the local hospital, where Maureen learns that her parents, Maya and Julian, have been admitted. Maureen hustles out of the office to meet them.

A2

Maureen and her brother Nate visit their parents at the hospital. Maureen tries to convince Nate that the small housefire that landed them in the hospital is a sign that it’s time for their parents to move into assisted living, but Nate resists, as do Maya and Julian. Maureen returns home, where Mark mentions their checking account balance is declining fast. After warning Mark to put away food on the counter, she heads upstairs to say goodnight to Jack and Hope. Mark ignores the warning and the family dog gets into the food, making a mess that Maureen has to clean up. Maureen testily asks Mark to put away a bunch of stuff the next day while he’s home.

Rick and Dave call Maureen at home to deliver the news that the project due to 8Trax on Friday is going to be even bigger than any of them imagined, and includes important work in flood control and hurricane preparedness and in controlling Naegleria, a deadly water-borne pathogen. But this will mean the need for even more of the custom components that they don’t yet have. Maureen knows a deal can be made but it seems very unlikely.

A3

In the office the next day, Maureen tries to convince Martin to take on this (now even larger) project, diagramming it on a whiteboard. Maureen tells him about the Naegleria, and they argue over a prior incident they shared in dealing with a similar situation. He is reluctant to take on the risk involved, but ultimately she gets him to agree that they can take the job if she can get to an acceptable profit level.

Maureen and her sales guys Zoom with George, the component supplier, who says they can’t do the work at the price BGBWW needs. The deal is now further away than ever. Maureen is upset and shares her feelings about work, family, financial troubles and parents’ issues in a Facetime with Jan, her college roommate and best friend. Maureen steps outside to grab a coffee and runs into Mr. X. She vents about her company’s predicament and Mr. X advises her to offer the component company “something they need.” This sparks an idea for Maureen about how to get the components, and she runs off.

At a family dinner in a restaurant, the group sees an older couple, friends of Maya and Julian, who recently moved into a retirement community. The couple raves about the amenities, and Maureen doubles down on her pitch to move her parents into an assisted living facility. Maya and Julian resist, saying they only will leave their home “feet first.” Back at home, Maureen notices Mark hasn’t put away the stuff she asked him to yesterday. They go to their bedroom and have a major argument. Mark expresses that he feels like his needs, his career, etc. always come second to Maureen’s work, and Maureen argues that she is the one who has to do everything and is always left to figure everything out.

A4

The next morning, things are still tense between Maureen and Mark. He tries to make up but she rejects him.

At work, Maureen presents her components master plan to Dave and Rick, who think it’s a great idea and they call the components supplier, who agrees. She goes to Martin’s office and explains that the components supplier will get them the components at the requested price if BGBWW will give them additional business. Martin is persuaded that the deal will work.

Maureen and Nate grab a quick lunch, where they Facetime with Julian, who’s having internet and email issues. When it becomes clear that he and Maya have been calling for IT help on a near-daily basis, Maureen has the idea to get them a “tech concierge” whose actual purpose will be to make sure the oldsters are okay living independently. Julian, not realizing the ruse, willingly accepts the deal.

When Maureen returns to the office, she’s accosted by Jacqueline about the 8Trax order. Martin appears and endorses it. He then calls a team meeting, where he congratulates Maureen for her quick work, shares the good news with the rest of the office, and promotes Maureen to a new and exciting role. On her way home, Maureen goes to thank Mr. X for his help.

Back at home, Maureen and Mark discuss the day’s events. She tells him the promotion will be a lot more work and travel; he says at least it will pay for Maya and Julian’s tech concierge. She tries to make up with him over the morning’s snub, but he rejects her. As the scene ends, Maureen holds the purple heart shown in the teaser, as we learn she was rescued from a flood.

Later, Jacqueline lets Nick know that she’s unhappy about the company still considering the 8Trax order and has a plan to sabotage it...