Marta ultimately admitted defeat—
Even though David Crane's smug expression was hard to bear, the joy of discovery outweighed any frustration or embarrassment. She acknowledged that she had misjudged, that her bias had clouded her vision, and that Anson had indeed brought a surprising performance. Without a doubt, this was a significant find, an unexpected revelation.
It felt like discovering treasure.
She had already given up hope, fully prepared to unearth a pile of worthless junk, only to stumble upon a trove of diamonds, jewels, and gold instead.
In that unexpected moment, all the complaints, irritations, and frustrations suddenly seemed irrelevant. Joy and happiness took over, and even David Crane's "I told you so" smugness became tolerable.
Of course, it would have been better not to see David Crane's arrogant, gloating face at all. But life isn't a Disney theme park—things don't always go your way, right?
"Alright, I was wrong. I admit it, okay?"
Marta conceded bluntly, hoping to put an end to the matter quickly so that David Crane would shut up and they could move on to the next chapter.
"Honestly, how did you see it? Was his audition really that good?"
David Crane raised his chin, a proud look on his face. "It was intuition, just intuition. There's no secret trick. What, are you jealous? You can't envy this kind of thing."
Marta: ...
If she could, Marta genuinely wanted to strangle this guy—she couldn't stand it!
But!
Considering that they were wrapping up the sixth season and still needed his writing talent and negotiation skills, and that he played a crucial role in ensuring the next season's revenue would increase, she decided to be the bigger person and tolerate him for now.
Inhale. Exhale.
Then.
Marta regained her composure. "He mentioned some ideas to Deborah. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I'm wondering if there might be something to develop."
David Crane: "What do you mean?"
Marta glanced at her partner, whose eager-to-learn expression couldn't hide the cunning glint in his eyes. Clearly, he already understood what she was getting at but wanted her to say it out loud.
Marta met David Crane's smiling gaze, her voice deliberate, biting each word, "I mean, maybe we could write another episode for Paul."
David Crane feigned surprise, "Marta, really? Are you saying we should give Anson another chance and have him appear in one more episode?"
Marta: ...
Does this guy really not get beaten up by others when he's out and about?
But, watching David Crane's childish behavior, Marta felt a strange sense of relief.
"Yes, exactly."
"David, I admit it. I misjudged. Anson…"
She paused, turning to look ahead. Michael, Anson, and the other actors were deep in conversation, the atmosphere warm and friendly.
"He does have a certain unique charm."
"Especially when he's performing—refreshing and confident, composed yet lively. You have to admit, he easily captures the audience's attention."
There was no awkwardness, no reluctance, just a straightforward acknowledgment.
"I think we should give Paul's character more room to develop. It just so happens we're considering how to fill the upcoming content."
"Don't you agree?"
As a screenwriter, Marta had been contemplating—
Though it was still a secret, the truth was that Marta and David Crane had already completed the script for the finale of the sixth season, and it had been finalized smoothly.
Episodes 24 and 25 would be a two-part broadcast culminating in the big event of Chandler proposing to Monica. They were confident that this season's finale would once again draw in a huge audience, giving them leverage in the upcoming salary negotiations.
Now, the challenge was deciding how to fill Episodes 22 and 23.
As the final stretch leading up to the grand climax, they couldn't afford to treat these episodes as filler. They needed something strong to drive the narrative forward.
This was why Marta had been so furious when she found out that David Crane had decided to bring in a "pretty face" as a guest star for Episode 21. But, to her surprise, the gamble had turned into a stroke of genius, sparking a flood of inspiration in Marta's mind.
And it all stemmed from Anson.
Watching Anson's performance had given the character of Paul a newfound charm. Even though Marta herself hadn't fully decided what kind of character Paul was supposed to be, she found herself fleshing out the character piece by piece as she watched the scenes being filmed. Paul began to come alive, with a distinctive appeal that made him more than just another face on screen.
Especially after that unexpected moment—
What could have been a mistake interrupting the shoot and causing an NG ended up giving Paul's character an extra layer of depth.
And then.
Marta felt a growing urge to sit down at her computer immediately and hammer out the script, turning this inspiration into text. Perhaps continuing to focus on Paul as the core of Episode 22 wasn't such a bad idea.
Marta looked at David Crane.
"Anson mentioned to Deborah that Paul could be a tough guy on the outside, but soft-hearted on the inside, the type who might silently tear up while watching his favorite movie, like *E.T.*."
"I thought about it more, and maybe Paul could also be a romantic, charming but with a tender heart. His favorite movie could be *An Affair to Remember*."
Whether it's a tough guy with a soft heart or a romantic with a tender soul, these kinds of contrasts are classic tools in creating comedy characters. They're tried and true, often serving as a source of humor.
As she spoke, Marta's ideas flowed freely.
"Did you catch that little accident earlier?"
"I have an idea: Paul is constantly harsh and critical of Ross, making Ross feel perpetually on edge. That's the main thread of Episode 21."
"In Episode 22, we could stage a situation where Ross stumbles upon Paul's vulnerable side. Despite his suave and carefree exterior, Paul gets extremely nervous about his date with Rachel. We could show Paul standing in front of a mirror, repeatedly psyching himself up, trying to boost his confidence."
"There could even be a touch of clumsiness, something endearingly awkward about it."
"Then, when Paul tries to suppress Ross again, Ross could bring up this incident to blackmail Paul, forcing him to stay quiet."
"And so, a delicate balance forms between the two."
Creating truly memorable characters requires a certain trajectory, a character arc.
In real life, people don't always change; some remain stuck in their ways, while others might regress. Not everyone grows or evolves. But in television and film, characters need to undergo some form of transformation or growth, or they risk feeling flat and unremarkable, lacking the ability to resonate with the audience.
Comedy is no exception.
Marta's inspiration had led her to realize that with just Episode 21, Paul would remain a one-off, superficial character—a mere foil to Ross, whose main purpose was to be charming and put Ross down. But adding Episode 22 could give the character more depth.
Suddenly, Paul's character had flesh and a discernible arc.
It would benefit both the character and the storyline, adding layers and nuance that could elevate the entire season.