Earth-????
Narrator
20 years after the events of outbreak day,
Kendrick Stark continues to survive, living in a post-apocalyptic world.
With the Oryctolagus virus wide spread, danger lurks at every corner.
Tess
So what do you think?
Kendrick Stark
What do I think about what?
Tess
The girl, Ken.
What do you want to do with the girl?
Kendrick Stark
There's nothing to discuss. We're not taking her.
It's too dangerous and it's all bullshit.
She's lying.
Ellie
I'm not lying!
It's been a week since I got bit.
And I haven't turned.
Tess
I don't know, Ken.
This looks pretty fucking real to me.
Maybe she really is the cure.
Kendrick Stark
There is no fucking cure.
Tess
But if she is... if Marlene was telling the truth,
then we owe it to mankind to try.
If we can somehow undo this world and make a better one..
We have to at least give it a shot.
Kendrick Stark
We can't help everybody.
Tess
It sort of seems like we can.
Kendrick Stark
Not if we stop.
We can put a stop to this, right here, right now.
If we just... go home.
There's nothing for us out there.
Nothing but death and misery.
Because if we go out there.. there is a very high probability
that we'll get killed.. either by raiders or infected or something worse.
We can't risk it, Tess.
End of conversation.
Tess
Let's just finish what we started.
We only have to take her across the city to the Capitol building.
That's all we need to do..
You owe this to me, Ken. You owe this to humanity.
Kendrick Stark
I don't owe you or this goddamned world a thing!
There is no more humanity out there.
Everything that we once knew is gone.
Tess
You're right, Ken.
Everything that we once knew is gone.
And there is no getting it back.
Not for me and you.
But what about the rest of mankind?
What about everybody else? There can be a future for them.
.....
You know, there might not be any humanity out there, anymore.
But you know what I believe?
I believe there's still humanity in you.
The White Rabbit
Do it...
WEST COAST COUSINS
NO WAY HOLMES
Episode Nine - Behind the Scenes
Molly Qerim
Welcome back to First Take and joining us here on ESPN,
we have a very special guest.
Joining us in studio, accompanied by his Wiseman, Paul Heyman.
He is the 2x WCC League Champion, undefeated in his 2024 campaign.
The Tribal Chief, Rockson Reigns!
Rockson Reigns
That was a hell of an intro.
You'd better look out Wiseman, she's might give you a run for your money.
Paul Heyman
I'm not worried about it, my Tribal Chief.
Molly Qerim
Well, it's so great to have you both here.
Rockson, you are having one heck of a year this season.
Many are saying this is the best team that you have ever put together in the WCC.
And this Sunday, you have a chance at history.
You are already tied for the best starting record in League History at 8-0.
You are there with John Seana, who set the record in 2020.
But now you have a chance to break that record and improve to 9-0.
How are you feeling ahead of this historic moment?
Rockson Reigns
2020 was a backwards year, wasn't it?
Stephen A. Smith
Oh, boy. Here we go...
Rockson Reigns
I mean, let's talk about it for a second.
In 2020, we had the pandemic.
Everything was shut down.
The world was falling apart, and John Seana was actually good at Fantasy Football?
Everything was backwards that year, am I right?
Stephen A. Smith
Rockson, you know that I've been critical of John Seana this season,
but it seems like you have a bone to pick with your nemesis here.
Rockson Reigns
See, now that's where you're wrong Stephen A.
Because I'm not even thinking about John Seana.
Isn't he all the way down there in 14th place?
Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith
There's only 12 teams in the League, Rockson.
And to be clear, he's currently in 11th place.
Rockson Reigns
See what I mean?
John Seana isn't even on my radar.
None of those guys are.
I'm leagues above them all, I don't even know what's going on behind me.
And as far as the record for best start in League History?
I'm not even thinking about that.
That's a foregone conclusion.
You see what I mean? This is greatness on another level.
I'm in God mode.
Molly, this isn't only the best Fantasy Team that I have ever assembled,
this is the greatest Fantasy Team of all time.
And the greatest start in League History? That's small time.
Rockson Reigns
Were here to much bigger things than that.
Isn't that right, Wiseman?
Paul Heyman
That's right, my Tribal Chief.
Rockson Reigns
Rockson Reigns
9-0, that's nothing.
We're trying to go undefeated, Stephen A.
Rockson Reigns
14-0, that's the goal.
You see, we do things differently around here.
We're trying to break the history books.
We're writing history as we speak, Stephen A.
Stephen A. Smith
Rockson, if I may interject.
I know you said you're not thinking about Seana.
But I just have to ask.
John Seana has gone on record, largely placing the blame on you for his loss in 2020.
It's been brought up numerous times, I just have to ask you to respond to his criticism.
Rockson Reigns
Stephen A., these all sound like excuses to me.
And frankly, I don't care what he has to say.
That's the loser bracket. That's beneath me.
Paul Heyman
I think what my Tribal Chief is trying to say is,
we're not focused on the past.
We're here to write new history.
Rockson Reigns is focused on his own legacy.
Rockson Reigns has the opportunity this season,
to only put on the greatest performance that this league has ever seen,
but he also has the opportunity to become an Omega Level Fantasy Manager.
And that's exactly what we're planning to do.
This is the beginning of a new dynasty.
The Rockson Empire is here.
Paul Heyman
So all of this talk, crying over spilled milk from 4 years ago,
it's grown tiresome and quite frankly, we're sick of hearing about it.
Stephen A. Smith
Fair enough.
Well Rockson Reigns,
you definitely are entering the second half of the season as the clear favorite.
But you've made it close in the last couple of weeks.
You haven't looked as dominant as you had in the early part of the season.
Drew Minhtyre almost put an end to your streak, falling just 2 points shy.
Rockson Reigns
Almost doesn't count, Stephen A.
At the end of the day, I got my hand raised and I'm still undefeated.
Molly Qerim
Be that as it may, you have a tough opponent this Sunday,
when you take on Tai "Freakin'" Rollins with history on the line.
Dollar Discount has shown flashes at times this season,
and you'll be short handed as many of your key players will be on a bye this week.
Paul Heyman
Tai Rollins is no slouch.
He's a former League Champion, and a worthy opponent.
But we don't make excuses over here.
Bye or not, you will see the very best of Rockson Reigns this Sunday.
I can assure you that.
And if you want to be apart of history,
you'll want to tune in this Sunday in the West Coast Cousins.
Because the Tribal Chief, Rockson Reigns,
will show you exactly why he his team is the greatest of all time.
Molly Qerim
Well, that's the Wiseman, Paul Heyman.
We want to thank both you and Rockson Reigns for joining us on the program.
We have to take a quick commercial break,
but when we return, averaging 4.2 points and shooting 28.7% from the field,
we'll talk about Bronny James and his breakout potential next on First Take.
*Commercial*
*Commercial*
Earth-1 (aka the Alpha Verse)
Narrator
We open on the interior of Saul Goodman's office.
Narrator
Inside, we find Goodman finalizing divorce paperwork
with his wife, Kim Wexler.
Saul Goodman
So, I guess that's it then, huh?
Well, have a nice life, Kim.
Narrator
Kim's body language is apparent.
She shows no effort to hide her disdain for Saul's comments,
but she refrains from giving him a piece of her mind.
Narrator
Saul's assistant, Francesca, walks Kim out of the office.
Saul Goodman
Whose next?
Let's make some money!
Francesca
*Sigh*
....
Nathaniel Kang Richards!
Nathaniel Richards
Oh, hi.
Hello.. I'm Nathaniel.
I'm sorry, but I think you said my name wrong?
King. Nathaniel King Richards.
Francesca
It says Kang on your paperwork.
Nathaniel Richards
Does it?
I'm so sorry. That must be my mistake...
Nathaniel Richards
Sometimes my handwriting can get a bit messy when I'm nervous...
My middle name is King.... not.. what did you say? Kang?
Francesca
Whatever.
Mr. Goodman is waiting for you inside his office.
Nathaniel Richards
Oh, alright then.
...
Umm... B-b-but are you going to correct my name on your paperwork?
Saul Goodman
Hey! Come on in here, Nathaniel.
I don't have all day.
Nathaniel Richards
Right, right.
I'm so sorry, Mr. Goodman.
Saul Goodman
So, what can I do for you?
What kind of legal ailments have brought you into my office today?
Nathaniel Richards
Well... this isn't very easy to talk about..
I've... I've been accused of...
um, domestic violence or... domestic abuse?
I don't know the proper term for it.
But my ex-partner, we broke up.
She sent me text messages insinuating as much.
And then... then I was arrested.
She accused me of beating her... pressed charges against me.
And... and I need a lawyer.
I hear you're the guy for this kind of stuff.
Saul Goodman
Really? You heard I'm the guy for this kind of stuff?
Who told you that? You know what? Nevermind.
Because whoever it was, boy, you should be counting your lucky stars.
Because I am the perfect guy for the job.
But before we proceed, I just have one question for you.
Nathaniel Richards
Yes?
Saul Goodman
Did you do it?
Nathaniel Richards
Um... I'm sorry?
What?
Saul Goodman
Did you beat your wife?
Sometimes, these women... hey, it happens.
One minute you're having a nice dinner, enjoying your evening,
and then she starts asking one too many questions.
The next thing you know, she says you're worse than Hitler.
Says you're the worst person in the world!
Things get a little heated and then.. Bang!
Lawsuit.
Nathaniel Richards
What? No!
No... the only thing I did was grab my phone from her hand.
She was going through it...
I don't know? Maybe I pushed her back into the car.
It all happened so fast.
Saul Goodman
ERGHT!
Wrong answer!
Saul Goodman
You see, that was a trick question, Nathaniel.
You tell the jury what you just told me
and the only thing that they heard was G-U-I-L-T-Y!
Do you know what that spells? GUILTY!
Let that be the first lesson in cross examination.
You don't say anything, you understand?
These prosecutors will do anything to manipulate the narrative,
and our job as the defense is to manipulate it back in our favor.
What did you say you did for work again?
Nathaniel Richards
I didn't... say.
But... I'm a... a scientist.
Saul Goodman
A scientist, eh?
Well I've got a hypothesis for you.
If you hire me, not only will I get you off scot-free,
but there is a very good chance that we can counter sue.
You know? Defamation of character and such.
When its all said and done, she'll be the one paying you.
Nathaniel Richards
Yeah... I'm not so sure that I want to go that route...
Saul Goodman
No? You don't want to counter sue?
I thought you might be interested in more money.
But I get it. 500 days of Summer.
A word of advice, you better get over it quick.
Because right now, your heart is your biggest weakness.
Trust me, I would know.
Saul Goodman
Alright. You don't like the counter sue idea.
But you know what we need to do instead?
We need to clean your entire act up.
What you need is a good ole press run. Nothing but good PR.
Maybe a couple of publicity stunts to turn you into a hero.
Whenever someone hears the name 'Nathaniel Richards'
the only thing they'll be thinking about is 'Gee, what a great guy he is.'
For the next 6 months, your reputation is going to be sparkling clean.
The jury would never convict such a great guy like Nathaniel Richards.
You got it?
Nathaniel Richards
Umm... wow.
Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea...
Saul Goodman
It's a great idea.
Nathaniel Richards
Yeah... it is. I'm sorry.
This is all just so... surreal.
I'm sorry if I'm a bit emotional...
Saul Goodman
Emotional is good. But save it for the jury.
Nathaniel Richards
There's a lot on the line...
My life... my job. My career.
It could all come crashing down because of this...
Saul Goodman
Breathe. Relax.
You're in good hands, Nathaniel.
Put on your brave face and buckle up.
Because we're going to get through this.
Nathaniel Richards
Right. Okay. Right....
It's time to be brave. Time to be brave...
....
Alright, I feel good about this.
Mr. Goodman, you're hired.
*Commercial*
*Commercial*
Vinpool
Good evening folks, your friendly neighborhood mercenary here.
And joining me tonight are the head writers of the new era of the West Coast Cousins.
Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
Welcome aboard gentlemen, but I'd also like to point out that we have a very special guest.
Our boss, the Executive Producer and head honcho himself, Mr. Kevin Feige.
Vince Gilligan
Hi there, it's great to be here.
It's such a pleasure to sit down and chat with you about the West Coast Cousins.
Vinpool
Wish I could say the same.
You know, I could be actively hunting Omega Level Fantasy Managers right now?
That was the arbitrary mission objective that I was assigned for no apparent reason, right?
Who assigns that stuff anyway?
You know what? Nevermind.
I guess we all have to dance for the mouse.
Vinpool
Kevin, I'll start with you.
You brought these two dumb dumbs along to revive the West Coast Cousins storyline,
and it seems like they'll be in charge of writing the entire new era,
so long as they don't get cancelled along the way.
What made you decide that Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were the right guys for the job?
Kevin Feige
Well, I think their resumes speak for themselves.
The work that they've done in the past and with this new saga of West Coast Cousins,
we needed some excitement to jump start this new phase in the WCC.
And I think one of the things that Vince and Peter have done,
is they've shifted the focus to be more story based.
And personally, I think that has completely changed the dynamic
of the storylines in the West Coast Cousins.
We knew that if the WCC Storylines were to return,
we would have to do something different from what we've done in the past.
Vinpool
Well, that leads me to my next question.
Why are we here?
Because in 2019, you announced that the storyline era would be coming to an end.
We took you at your word.
We were all led to believe that Endgame was.... the end.
Why are you a liar and why have you forced us all back here in make-believe land?
Vince Gilligan
I can answer that.
The truth is, this was all some kind of happy accident.
I can assure you, when Endgame wrapped, we were done.
The writers had no intention or even a desire to return to the world of storytelling.
Despite not being the cleanest of endings,
Endgame was a conclusion to 10 years of storylines in the West Coast Cousins.
When the credits rolled, that was it
The writers were finished.
There was no desire or urge to write anything after that.
That is... until the next season came along. Ha ha.
Vince Gilligan
So the following season, some of the writers came together,
and just for fun, we started asking ourselves....
If there was a storyline to be told, what would it look like?
Who would be involved? What's the main plot?
It was all kind of just throwing ideas at a wall and seeing what sticks.
Do you remember that, Peter?
Peter Gould
I do. I remember we were sitting there, listening to the Batman soundtrack
and someone said, what if we did a Batman universe?
Vince Gilligan
Yeah, and that was the first idea that really raised some eyebrows.
Because there were a lot of ideas, but nothing really stood out and got us excited
the way that the Batman Universe did.
Peter Gould
And with the Batman Universe, we knew there was something there.
The world of Batman has such a rich history, with so many unique characters
and potential storylines that can come from it.
We really started to craft together our storyboard.
But then, after a lot of thought and consideration,
we decided there just wasn't enough to sustain a multi-year storyline
that would be worth revisiting for the West Coast Cousins.
Vince Gilligan
And from there, we were ready to stop.
If the Batman Storyline wasn't good enough, then there was no point in coming back.
But then... we started to think about some of the other superheroes
and what stories could be crafted in these other worlds.
That's when we had a huge revelation.
What if these superheroes from other worlds started crossing over and colliding
into each other's universes?
What if MarthaMan met Batman?
What would that conversation be like?
How would that interaction go? Who would get the upper hand?
Peter Gould
And then, when you bring in the possibilities of Kang and the multiverse,
it all started to come together.
All these ideas and thoughts started rushing in.
And it got to a point where we liked so many of these ideas,
that we just had to write this story.
Vince Gilligan
Right. And once we got a lot of those main ideas outlined,
that's when we started with the White Rabbit teases during the 2022 season
that would eventually lead to the End of Time with He Who Remains.
Vince Gilligan
Before you know it, we started shooting West Coast Cousins Forever
and it has been one heck of a ride.
We really feel the story has been taken to new heights
and elevated in ways that we didn't expect.
Peter Gould
Not to mention that the entire cast and crew have been great.
We're excited about the creative process and
the journey for where the story goes from here.
Vinpool
Oh god...
Vinpool
Fucking kill me already.
Vince Gilligan
What was that?
Vinpool
Let's be honest, not all of the cast and crew have been great to work with.
You've got some real divas on set, you know that?
Vinpool
Like The Baugh for example.
That guy is a Grade A asshole.
Do you know how many ideas I suggested to him during our FantasyMania main event?
I was ready to do some really bad ass shit, but he shot them all down.
Instead, he wanted me to sell the People's Elbow.
Can you believe that?
The Baugh is a politician if I've ever seen one...
Peter Gould
Heh.
I can't say I share the same sentiment, Vinson.
Vinpool
Oh, come on. You know what it's like on set.
And when are you going to stop letting Vince take all the credit?
It may have been his original story, but in many ways,
you found a way to elevate it and
enhance the original plot with far less to work with.
So you should stop letting this guy put his name on everything,
when you're doing all the legwork.
Kevin Feige
Now hold on.
I think we're starting to lose focus on why we're here today.
Vinpool
Oh? Are we?
Well why are we here?
Because I still have no idea what the fuck any of this has to do with Fantasy Football.
So why don't you enlighten us, Grand Master Feige?
Kevin Feige
Well in this new era of the West Coast Cousins,
Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have brought new life to the West Coast Cousins.
Starting last season with West Coast Cousins: Forever.
Kevin Feige
And as we like to separate these things out into Phases,
the first 10 years of storylines, we called the Fantasy War Saga.
Well now, today, for the first time ever,
we would like to officially announce the Multiverse Saga!
Kevin Feige
And as you know, we like the notion that we've always had a plan.
And the plan for this Phase of the West Coast Cousins is a storyline
that spans the course of 6 seasons.
We started last season with West Coast Cousins: Forever.
And right now, we're in the middle of Season 2, West Coast Cousins: No Way Holmes.
Kevin Feige
Which means, after this season, we are planning 4 more seasons in the WCC.
Now before I go further into the future of West Coast Cousins,
let me warn our audience that this 6 season timeline is a rough estimate.
Things are liable to change, especially with any potential SAG-AFTRA writer strikes
and any number of unforeseen circumstances.
It is very possible that we may have to shorten a season or skip a year of storylines entirely.
We don't know exactly how these upcoming 4 seasons will play out.
But I can tell you, as of today, the current plan is for 6 total seasons of the Multiverse Saga.
Kevin Feige
So with that said, I'd like to bring your attention to the video board ahead.
For a quick recap, in 2023, we had West Coast Cousins: Forever.
Right now in 2024, we are currently in West Coast Cousins: No Way Holmes.
And in 2025, next season... well, we're just gonna skip over that one for now.
The Untitled 2025 Season will be announced at a later point in time.
Kevin Feige
But instead, let's talk about 2026 through 2028, shall we?
For the first time ever, we are announcing the upcoming blockbuster seasons.
Coming in 2026, West Coast Cousins: The Yan Dynasty.
Followed directly in 2027 with West Coast Cousins: Sleeper Wars (Part 1)
And then finally, the epic conclusion to the Multiverse Saga in 2028.
West Coast Cousins: Sleeper Wars (Part 2)
2023 - West Coast Cousins: Forever
2024 - West Coast Cousins: No Way Holmes
2025 - Untitled
2026 - West Coast Cousins: The Yan Dynasty
2027 - West Coast Cousins: Sleeper Wars (Part 1)
2028 - West Coast Cousins: Sleeper Wars (Part 2)
