Marietta Season 2, Episode 14
S.O.S.
Tammy: How did the City Council meeting go?
Marietta: There have been better ones.
Tammy: What happened?
Marietta: They rejected my proposal to add five million dollars to the city budget for increased disease control.
Tammy: That’s stupid. There was plenty of other fluff they could’ve cut from the budget before voting that down.
Marietta: I know. Most of it they threw in themselves.
Tammy: Who voted against it?
Marietta: Everyone but Moira and Helene. The rest of them all hate me to varying degrees.
Tammy: You should really have Amy accompany you to those meetings. Her being by your side could help you tremendously. She was one of the longest-serving members of the council, she has influence.
Marietta: There’s another meeting next Thursday. There’s three this month instead of two!
Tammy: I guess we should ask Amy to help then. It’s not like she’s doing too much right now anyway.
Marietta and Tammy call Amy and have her come to Marietta’s office.
Amy: I ran here as quick as I could! I was working on some social media stuff, but that can wait. What did you need?
Marietta: I need your help trying to sway the city council over to my side. We’re currently fighting over the city budget.
Amy: It’s February, you haven’t approved the budget by now? How haven’t I been told about this yet?
Marietta: The budget’s already been approved. I just needed to amend it to add a few million for disease control.
Amy: Oh, well that’s technically allowed. A lot of the councilors just tend to be sticklers and don’t like to approve budget amendments. Luckily though, you got me. You may not know this about me, but I was a prosecutor before I was on the council. I know how to present a strong case. Between than and my connections, I’ll get this done for you.
Marietta: You better, because the health department is underfunded and with the flu being worse than usual and this new virus, it needs some more money.
Tammy: It’s four o’clock, I’m gonna go home if you guys don’t mind.
Marietta: Alright Tammy, see you tomorrow! We’ll keep working away. Hopefully we have good news for you tomorrow!
Later that night, as Tammy is settling in to watch television, her phone rings.
Tammy: Hello! Is that you, Sheryl?
Sheryl: How did you know?
Tammy: I didn’t think anyone else at the White House would be calling me.
Sheryl: How did you know it was the White House?
Tammy: Caller ID.
Sheryl: Oh, I forgot about that. I never understood it.
Tammy: You’re in charge of the nuclear codes and you don’t know how caller ID works? That’s frightening.
Sheryl: None of this matters, I have an extremely important question to ask you.
Tammy: What is it, Sheryl? Going to ask me how to figure out where the closest McDonald’s is?
Sheryl: Don’t be silly! I’m vegan, I don’t eat McDonald’s! I have to ask you to do me a massive favor. You know I never ask you to do anything unreasonable.
Tammy: Sure…
Sheryl: I am calling to ask you to make a brief return to politics on my behalf.
Tammy: I’m technically still in politics. I’m Marietta’s chief of staff.
Sheryl: Yeah, but this is a real job.
Tammy: My current job is extremely important.
Sheryl: What I’m going to ask you to do is far more impactful.
Tammy: Well… what is it?
Sheryl: You know how Secretary of State Engelford resigned yesterday?
Tammy: No. He did? I haven’t been following politics too closely, it’s all a nightmare.
Sheryl: Considering I was just nearly impeached, I agree.
Tammy: Are you calling to ask me to be Secretary of State or something?
Sheryl: That’s what I wanted to ask, yes.
Tammy: My god, Sheryl. I left DC behind. I even sold my house that I had there for twenty years. I’m done with DC politics. It’s a lot nicer in Louisiana.
Sheryl: You wouldn’t even be in DC all that much. It’s only a ten month term and you’d be traveling a lot.
Tammy: Even worse! I’m old as hell! I can’t be traveling all the time.
Sheryl: I want you to just think about it.
Tammy: Why? Why does it have to be me?
Sheryl: You’re so well-respected. You’ll soar through the Senate and I might even get some praise for appointing someone so beloved. It can give me some positive PR.
Tammy: What would I really gain from it? I’d be uprooting my entire life to take this job. I barely see my husband so as it is, I don’t know if I’d see him at all with everything that this job would entail.
Sheryl: You’re starting to think about it, aren’t you?
Tammy: A little. You know how much I love a good challenge.
Sheryl: There you go, that’s the spirit!
Tammy: I still worry about leaving Marietta. I’ve been with her throughout this journey, leaving her now would just crush her.
Sheryl: She’ll be fine, she can get over it easily. By the time you’d be back in ten months, she'll be over it.
Tammy: I will think about it. Now, I have to be going. I have a tater tot casserole to heat up and the third season of Scandal to get to. I’ll talk to you in a few days.
Sheryl: Yes, please do! I need an answer soon!
Tammy: I’ll talk to you soon, I promise. Bye Sheryl!
Sheryl: Bye Tammy!
The next day, at Marietta’s office…
Tammy: Hey guys! Make any good progress yesterday?
Marietta: Not a ton. But we got somewhere!
Amy: I’m really trying to get into the minds of the councilors. I worked with them all for years, I really need to think of what would sway them to change their minds.
Tammy: Marietta, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about when you have some free time. It’s very important, I need your input on something.
Marietta: I’m working with Amy right now, but I’ll make some time to talk with you. If you say something’s important, it must be. You didn’t even act so serious when you told me you were retiring from the Senate!
Tammy: I appreciate it.
Four hours later…
Tammy: I think I’m gonna head out for lunch today. I forgot to bring anything in with me and I don’t have anything good in the fridge.
Amy: Where are you going? Could you pick me up a muffuletta? I didn’t bring anything either.
Tammy: I’ll do that.
Amy: Thanks. I was in such a hurry to get here since I’m finally being given something important to do, I also forgot my lunch.
Marietta: Pick up a muffuletta for me as well, if you don’t mind. Maybe you and I can have our talk while I eat it!
Amy: Alright, I’ll pick those up for you guys. I’ll be pack in about an hour, see you then!
Tammy heads out of Marietta’s office and drives to Martin and Patty Lynn’s.
Patty Lynn: Tammy! For what do I have the pleasure of seeing you today?
Tammy: I’m feeling very conflicted today. I need to talk to my friends. You and Kathleen are my friends.
Patty Lynn: Come on in and join us. Do you want a sandwich?
Tammy: Actually, I did lie to Marietta and say I was going to lunch. So yeah, I’ll take a sandwich.
Patty Lynn: Martin! Make Tammy a sandwich!
Martin: What kind of sandwich?
Patty Lynn: What kind of sandwich, Tammy?
Tammy: Turkey and cheese? I don’t know, whatever you’ve got.
Patty Lynn: Whatever you want, Martin! The world is your oyster!
Kathleen: Tammy! What are you doing here?
Tammy: I just need to talk.
Patty Lynn: Come on, let’s go talk in the living room. It’s nice and private in there.
In the living room…
Patty Lynn: So what’s on your mind?
Tammy: I received an interesting call last night. I didn’t even tell Marietta about it yet because she hasn’t been able to find the time to chat.
Patty Lynn: Ooh, what’s it about?
Tammy: It was a call from the President.
Patty Lynn: Oh my god. Is she changing her mind and running again?
Kathleen: Don’t be ridiculous, Patty Lynn. The primaries already started, she couldn’t even win.
Patty Lynn: Then what could it be?
Tammy: She offered me a job.
Patty Lynn: What? She did? What is it?
Tammy: She wants me to be her Secretary of State.
Patty Lynn: What?
Kathleen: Seriously. What?
Martin: Your sandwiches are ready!
Patty Lynn: Not now, Martin! Just set them on the table!
Martin: I wasn’t eavesdropping, but your conversation sounds interesting. Mind if I -
Tammy: Yes, you can join in. I’ll take all the advice I can get.
Martin: So President Howard wants you to be the news Secretary of State?
Patty Lynn: Martin, you have to pay attention if you’re going to barge into other people’s conversations.
Tammy: I don’t mind, PL.
Patty Lynn: PL?
Tammy: Do people not call you that?
Patty Lynn: No, it’s just Patty Lynn.
Kathleen: We’re going off topic. This is big news for Tammy! Are you gonna take the job?
Tammy: I have no idea. That’s why I came here. I don’t know what to do. Any advice you guys have would be appreciated.
Patty Lynn: Do you want to take the job?
Tammy: I don’t know! I’m so conflicted!
Kathleen: Have you ever had a desire to be the Secretary of State before?
Tammy: Not really.
Kathleen: Then, unless you’ve changed your mind on that I’d say you should turn it down.
Tammy: The problem is that I don’t know how I feel now. I want to stay here, but if I can help out my country for ten months, why not?
Patty Lynn: I think it’s probably best to have a Secretary of State that actually wants to serve instead of one who feels they need to serve. Wouldn’t you agree?
Tammy: I guess. I also think it could be an interesting experience for me. It’s not like there’s that many things that I haven’t experienced in life, and this is one of those things.
Patty Lynn: That’s an interesting way to brag.
Tammy: I don’t brag! I toot my own horn. There’s a difference.
Martin: Can I say something?
Tammy: Of course! Fire away!
Martin: I hope this doesn’t come off as me being biased…
Kathleen: Prepare yourselves, this is going to be crazy.
Martin: I think you should stay here. Why uproot your entire life to take on a job anyone else could take that’s gonna last for nine months?
Kathleen: She said ten months.
Martin: My point still stands. I think you’d probably be better off staying here.
Tammy: I appreciate the insight.
Kathleen: I actually agree with Martin. Besides all that he said, who’s gonna make me cheesecake if you leave?
Patty Lynn: I can! I make a great cheesecake!
Kathleen: Not as good as Tammy’s!
Patty Lynn: Only according to you. We’ll see what the cast of Bake Your Heart Out has to say when I’m on the show next season!
Kathleen: Tammy would beat you.
Tammy: I’ll take that in mind. I know how much you guys love cheesecake.
Martin: If I can ask, what way are you leaning? Do you think you’re going to take the job or not?
Tammy: I’m leaning towards no. However, Marietta doesn’t seem to need me too much anymore with how much she’s relying on Amy. I really think I need to talk to her before I make my decision. I just don’t know if she has the time to talk with me. Speaking of time, how long have I been here?
Patty Lynn: About a half hour.
Tammy: Oh, crap! I have to get back to work! I have fifteen minutes to get there and I haven’t even picked up those sandwiches I promised Marietta and Amy!
Martin: What kind of sandwiches? I could make some for you!
Tammy: Muffulettas.
Martin: I could try to make some.
Tammy: Don’t worry, I’ll stop at some restaurant on the way. I’ll see you guys later.
Forty-five minutes later…
Tammy: I’m so sorry I’m late! I lost track of time and had to get your sandwiches.
Marietta: Don’t worry about it. We’ve been hard at work, I forgot you were even gone.
Tammy: Oh, I see.
Amy: I had one of my assistants pick up muffulettas for us since you were gone for so long.
Tammy: You did? That’s so… great!
Amy: Yeah, we already ate and everything. But you can put the ones you got in the fridge.
Tammy: Will do.
Amy: Thanks, you’re the best!
Marietta: Hey Tammy?
Tammy: Yeah?
Marietta: I don’t think we’re going to be able to have that chat tonight. We only have two more days to prepare and we’re nowhere near ready.
Tammy: Alright. I guess I’ll just go to my office and work. You two do what you have to.
Three days later…
Tammy: So, how was the City Council meeting?
Amy: Well…
Marietta: We got the budget amended!
Tammy: Congratulations! I’ve never seen you so dedicated to passing one particular thing while you’ve been mayor.
Marietta: It was really important. And I couldn’t have done it without such a great team!
Tammy: Yeah, speaking of that… we have to talk.
Marietta: Oh my god! I completely forgot! You’ve been trying to tell me something for days and I just blew you off entirely.
Tammy: Let’s go to my office. This has to be done privately.
Marietta: You’re scaring me.
In Tammy’s office…
Tammy: I’m moving back to DC. I’m going to become the new Secretary of State.
Marietta: No way.
Tammy: Sheryl called me a few days ago and asked me. I’m going to live with Kate for the months I’m serving since I’m not staying there permanently. I’ll get to see Milton and Ellie more often again, it’s going to be a nice change for me. I wasn’t going to take it originally but I think you’re going to be just fine around here with Amy.
Marietta: I can’t believe this. I ignored you for days and all of this was weighing on you. I’m sorry.
Tammy: Good.
Marietta: Excuse me?
Tammy: I called Sheryl and turned the job down last night. I was just torturing you a bit for ignoring me this week.
Marietta: You are such a sneak!
Tammy: I know. I just needed to make you feel some of my pain.
Marietta: You got me good!
Tammy: I tried to think of the most realistic way to lie to you about it.
Marietta: So you really did get an offer to be the Secretary of State? And you turned it down for me?
Tammy: Of course I did! I talked to your parents and your aunt about it a few day-
Marietta: Wait. They kept it a secret. How did that happen?
Tammy: I have no idea, but I got lucky.
Marietta: So my parents and Kathleen were the only ones in the world that knew about it besides you and Sheryl?
Tammy: I also talked to Mitch about it if that’s what you’re wondering. Kate and Ellie, too. They all told me to turn it down. I was trying to wait to talk to Sheryl to decline it until I could talk to you, but you didn’t give me much of a choice since you wouldn’t talk to me. I said in 2018 that I wanted to stay away from DC, and I meant it. This is enough of a political fix for me, even if I am becoming your #2 behind Amy.
Marietta: Are you kidding me? You’re always my #1!
What did you think of the episode? Comment your thoughts, listen to the official season two playlist below and make sure to read the new episode next week!
