Surface/Episode 11

Episode 11
Season 1, Episode 11
Airdate	January 2, 2006
Production Number	111
Written by	Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, W.G. Snuffy Walden
Directed by	Michael Robison
← 1x10 Episode 10	1x12 → Episode 12
Surface — Season One

Episode 11 is the eleventh episode of the first season of Surface, and the eleventh episode overall.

Dee and Rich attempt to break the story about the creatures while Miles learns about Nim's fate.

Guest Stars: Jason Davis (Sean), Dwayne Boyd (E.R. Doctor), Neil Brown, Jr. (Keith), Jason Horgan (Larry - Paramedic), Jack Landry (Jared), Melissa Ponzio (Ann Tracy), David Temple (Bill Withrow), Louanne Cooper (Mrs. Bennett), Kelly Collins Lintz (Tracy Connelly), Stephen Michael Ayers (Dr. Paul Blum), Linsey Godfrey (Caitlin Blum), Noah Michael Levine (Bret Scher)

Plot Overview

Dee and Rich are hospitalized after being exposed to the elements and make a brief recovery before suspicions that government men are after then force them to flee. Stealing an ATM card, clothes, and a PDA phone, they leave with the intention of meeting with a friend of Dee's who works at an NBC television affiliate in San Francisco. Dee desperately wants to phone her son, but Rich is adamant that they shouldn't because of the risk. As Rich is removing $300 from the ATM account, Dee makes a call home to her ex-husband and is monitored by Lee's team as Rich had predicted.

On the way, Dee and Rich stop by a copy store and have the tape copied. Despite intial fears of damage to the tape, the knowledgeable tech is able to copy it to several DVDs and help them to upload it to the internet to a site called Strange Film. Dee and Rich hitchhike to San Francisco and meet with Dee's friend Anne and show her and the television staff the contents of the DVD. Interested but somewhat puzzled by how to use the footage, they leave hints that the footage has more entertainment value than as evidence of impending ecological disaster. However, they quickly decide to film a piece for it although the happy moment is spoiled as Anne shares with them Coast Guard photos showing Jackson's abandoned boat and photos of the shell casings left behind.

In preparation for the filming, Dee breaks it to Rich that she should be the only one to the present the material because it would sound more credible coming from a scientist, and unspoken reference to Rich's tendency to talk about the effect of losing his brother and his visions. Hurt, Rich agrees to wait by the sideline as Dee is interviewed. The two watch the completed piece, given first airing on MSNBC to a nationwide audience under the banner 'American Nessie'. The piece is very positive initially, giving Dee an opportunity to describe their construction of the bathysphere and how they came to be stranded at the bottom of the ocean as well as to describe her footage. However, the piece turns to a NOAA scientist who believes it to be a work of fantasy. They also bring up her damaged credibility from the planted evidence of plagarism. In conclusion news anchor Keith Olbermann and the local science advisor share a few humorous remarks at Dee's expense and suggest she was just good at 'flash animation software'.

Dee and Rich, who makes known the irony that they only let her show the case to give the footage crediblity, get drunk after the perceived failure of the television piece. However, while browsing the MSNBC site, Rich notices that the download counter for the streaming copy of the footage is over 60,000 and the online message forums seem to be filled with people curious about the footage and believing their account. As this happens, they get a knock at their door that they've received a fax. As Dee approaches to unlock the door, the hotel employee is flanked by two of Lee's government men.

Miles makes a quick recovery from his illness and is invited by Dr. Bloom to observe the care of Nimrod's body. Packing him in ice in preparation for moving him, Miles thinks he hears a faint sneeze. Disbelieving, an Aquarium staffer hears Nim loudly sneeze and sees him awaken and quickly jump into a shadowy nook while shocking a nearby computer. Surprised that he is still alive, Dr. Bloom brings in researchers from Smithsonian and Natural History Museum and tells Miles that he'll be deeply involved with the discovery of the now-live creature and won't let anyone take him away. Miles is initially instrumental in dealing with Nim and is able to coax him out of hiding and is able to show Nim to his mom for the first time.

As the observations into Nimrod's nature and feeding habits intensify, Miles is steadily kept at greater distance before he's asked to step out entirely. While outside the lab, a young Aquarium worker named Caitlin makes a very accurate statement about his declining role in the process. Later, while comparing sea-life related scars in an unsubtly romantic way, Caitlin notes that Dr. Bloom may not be as altruistic as he seems. After declining an offer to go surfing with her, Caitlin arrives at Miles's house late at night and offers him access to Nim if he'll go with her. Continuing with the romantic advances, Caitlin and Miles swim with Nimrod in an Aquarium tank filled with exotic marine life. Unbeknownst to them, Dr. Bloom observes them and stops them as they leave. Revealing that Caitlin is his daughter, he lets Miles know that the risk and cost that would come from releasing a creature like that among the other sea life is very irresponsible and bars Miles from coming to the Aquarium again. Walking home, Miles turns down offers from Caitlin to make it up to him or to smooth things over with her father.

Notes

• Both Nim and Miles are having sneezing fits, possible indicating a connection or shared illness after their regenerative activities.
• Miles is having a subtle disruptive effect on nearby electrical items.

Trivia

The Show

• The title 'American Nessie' refers to the Loch Ness monster, another rumored sea monster descended from remnants of the fossil record.