Manhattan

Previously on "Manhattan"...

We're about to have our very own plutonium factory.

If our colleagues don't wipe the Confederate states off the face of the Earth.

You leave for Tennessee tomorrow morning.

I just saw Charlie this morning at the gate

with Helen Prins and a mountain of luggage.

Who's Helen Prins?

Hope you're not too lonely.

All by yourself on that business trip.

I should have brought a book.

You've got a busy day, Mr. Ellis.

If it would be helpful, I can walk our guests through the plant.

Compartmentalization, Theodore.

I don't think Washington would like that.

But I could use some coffee.

It's Private Dunlavey, right?

Don't pretend you know anything about me

just because you put a bullet through my dad's mathematician.

You know, I've seen you before.

- Music. - That's right, music.

The reactor will be fully operational within a day.

We gave you a list of 22 major hazards

to resolve before we go critical.

And the army intends to give your list

the consideration it deserves.

- When? - Just as soon as we're critical.

I'm surprised they bothered to call.

You look terrible, by the way.

'Cause you kept me up all night.

You know you talk in your sleep?

That's ridiculous. What did I say?

I have no idea. You were speaking Flemish or whatever.

Dutch?

I banged on the wall. Apparently you can sleep through anything.

Why send us 2,000 miles if they're just gonna ignore everything we tell them?

The US Army is a fickle mistress.

Excuse me. Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson.

The reactor's just shy of criticality.

1,247 channels loaded.

One more and the curtain comes up.

I wouldn't take a bow just yet.

You'll be the one taking bowing.

For whatever reason, you're still Uncle Sam's favorite nephew.

Honor of initiating criticality is yours.

We're not interested.

Suit yourself.

No, wait.

Gentlemen, after nearly a year at sea

braving perilous waters, we pioneers,

we fearless navigators

have arrived at the New World.

Mrs. Donaldson.

What?

Somebody's got to sail into the history books.

It might as well be a woman for once.

Better hope the natives are friendly.

If I die of embarrassment today,

do you promise not to bury me in this uniform?

You... you look fine.

If you're gonna force me to go, the least you can do is be honest.

You look like a leprechaun.

But you're our leprechaun.

It's all wrinkled.

- Why didn't Paloma iron it? - Paloma doesn't work for you.

And even if she did, she hasn't shown up for two days.

Well, so much for my hygiene badge.

She's never even been late before.

I'm gonna go check on her.

What did you say?

I already have a day pass to Santa Fe.

I'll pop by and make sure that Paloma is all right.

You can't even communicate with those people.

Not that you would have noticed,

but I've actually picked up quite a lot of español in the past six months.

You know, there are some days when Paloma's

just about the only person I have to talk to.

I'll drive you.

What?

You shouldn't go by yourself.

You could blow a tire out there.

Shouldn't you be at work?

Just take an hour.

Glen can hold down the fort.

Writing in your diary?

Just taking notes for my report to Dr. Akley.

You know what your problem is, Charlie?

Stuck in Tennessee with the wrong wife?

You've got no sense of adventure.

You need to enjoy life's unpredictability.

I'll take predictable over reckless every time.

You and Mrs. Isaacs must have a lot of fun in the bedroom.

Do you know where they built the first nuclear pile?

Of course. Chicago.

Under the bleachers at the football stadium.

They were afraid they'd take out half of Illinois.

Do you know what happened?

They changed the world and toasted with martinis.

Gentlemen, we have reached the shore.

Criticality!

Are you gonna stand around licking your wounds

or should we get a celebratory drink?

It's 9:00 A.M.

Predictable.

Anyway, it's a dry town.

Why do you think my suitcase was so heavy?

You packed a bottle of booze?

Four.

In case we had to bribe somebody.

That's not good.

Tell me again how it happened in Chicago.

- This is a level-one alert... - Shit.

... proceed to your designated safety areas.

You're in early.

It's lunchtime in London.

And probably raining, but I see you're not wearing a slicker.

Been first in every day this week, actually.

Not that it does me any good.

Trying to make myself indispensable,

and who does Frank send to Site X?

The girl with the pearl earring.

Did you ever stop and think he didn't send you

because you've made yourself indispensable?

Did Frank say that?

Glen, well?

Is it true?

The opposite of a fact is a falsehood.

But the opposite of one profound truth

may well be another profound truth.

What does that mean?

I don't know. I haven't had my coffee yet.

Hello.

I'm sorry. I knocked. Nobody answered.

I'll buy it, whatever you're selling.

I work at the switchboard.

That's a criminal waste of beauty.

Face like that, you belong on the prow of a ship.

Um, is this building 12?

I have a telephone message for Helen Prins.

She's not here by any chance, is she?

No, no, afraid the canary has flown the coop.

Chesterfield?

I don't smoke.

Do you know when Mrs. Prins might be in?

Or is it Miss Prins?

Doctor, actually.

You Americans hand out advanced degrees like mash notes.

No, I wouldn't wait around for Helen too long.

She's parlayed her looks into a subsidized vacation

while the rest of us here toil in the dust.

She's pretty, then?

Yeah, I suppose so, in an irritating sort of way.

I hope it's not urgent.

What?

Your message.

I could pass it on for you if you like.

If you recite it very slowly.

This evening, perhaps, over a stiff drink?

Hey, what do we know about the gamma emissions from radiolanthanum?

Glen Babbit, may I introduce to you the lovely and talented...

Mrs. Isaacs.

You shouldn't be in here.

Excuse me.

We removed the control rods to reinitiate the reaction.

But you still don't know what triggered the shutdown?

We'll sort it out when we get all the data.

- When will that be? - Soon enough.

Anyway, we'll be up and running in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

What's that?

Sir, the temperature is rising in the core.

- How fast? - Five degrees a second.

Turn on the spigots. Let's give it a cold shower.

Fuel slugs liquefy at 1132 centigrade.

We could melt down in less than five minutes.

Fail-safe countermeasures prevent any core melt accident.

We told you there were risks. Nothing about a nuclear reactor is fail-safe.

- It's just a minor hiccup. - We've got to get all these people out of here.

Son, I understand you got a PhD and a healthy sense of your own importance,

but this isn't a college lecture hall. This is a factory.

So why don't you step off the floor and let the experts do their job?

You coming?

Hello?

Hello, Paloma?

She's not here. Let's go.

Hello?

Liza, what are you doing?

Isn't it odd?

Paloma spends every day inside our home.

I've never even seen hers.

We shouldn't be here.

Actually, you know what this place reminds me of?

Do you remember that little cabin you used to take me to?

Before Callie.

Near Mt. Shasta.

You know, this is your kind of place.

Wood fires, starry skies.

Outhouse.

I'll be in the car.

Buenas tardes.

Perdón

¿Sabes dónde es Paloma?