Reunion Episode

Fade in. Warm night, cold whiskey, cigarette keeps going out

Standing on the balcony, bar too packed, music too loud, crowd to familiar

This town is a 50s tv show, classic in its own way, but every episode seems the same, no change in the storyline

She comes up the stairs, and it's like a new scene. She used to be a regular on this show, the main character, but she moved on, finally getting a spot on a better spinoff.

Tonight she's a guest star, the main attraction. I drop the now defunct cigarette and head back inside behind her, not too close because if she sees me I'm liable to forget my lines.

As she walks up to the bar, the camera changes angles and suddenly it's a flashback montage, to happier scenes with her, before this show went to shit. But the resolution is blurry like somebody forgot to clean the lens, and suddenly it seems like maybe the show was never all that great. Nominated for a couple Emmys sure, but we never won, and the reviews were critical after that second season

Maybe we'd all be off on better shows?

The director yells cut, but it's really the bartender saying closing time,

There's another show starting in 5 minutes

She gathers her things and heads back down the stairs, her spinoff is waiting at the bottom in his fancy car

I call a cab and head back to the balcony to try that cigarette again

Fade to black, roll credits