Alternate Ending to Season Premiere

Duh it was a copout. Why do you think I made 'crap' the last line? Hello. Come now, Enrique. I'm cleverer than that.
In the original version, I didn't wake up at all, of course.

Instead, I did the following:

EXT. 500 FEET AND RISING OVER LAUREL CANYON
Atlas is overcome, tears of joy streaming down his face and washing away the dirt and the eye crispies and the crud and the smog and the metaphor and stuff.

Atlas looks down at Garth, whose arm he has a firm grip on as he flies, winging West toward the setting sun. Garth has his eyes closed and approximates a flying fetal position. He BLUBBERS incoherently about death.

ATLAS
Garth, this is amazing, I can fly!

No change in Garth.

ATLAS
Garth. Jesus, man, I can f***ing FLY, MAN! How cool is this!?!

GARTH
(screaming)
I DON'T WANNA DIE!

ATLAS
My God man, you are such a spineless stereotype.

The pair rises higher, breezing through the low-hanging clouds as they wind northwest toward the golden shores of Malibu.

INT. SD-6
Maggie, hands on hips, stares down Sloane.

MAGGIE
What have you been doing to Atlas, Sloane?

SLOANE
Watch your tone, Maggie.

MAGGIE
Watch your a$$, Sloane.

EXT. SKIES ABOVE THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS
Atlas marvels at his new superpower and waxes philosophical, ignoring the fact that Garth is effectively in a stress-induced mental coma.

ATLAS
It's like, Garth, it's like I'm now suddenly so much more a part of everything, now that I can be apart from all of it.

Garth's waterworks persist.

ATLAS
Would you quit it already? Don't you know you'd be dead by now if I were going to let you be? I mean, HELLO, I totally could've let you drop with that newschopper watching and I still would've been hailed as a hero.

Garth still doesn't move.

ATLAS
Ugh. You are so lame.

Atlas continues heading for the coast.

EXT. CRYSTAL COVE - NEAR DAVID GEFFEN'S HOMOVILLA
Atlas lands himself and Garth by crooking his arm at a walk-like-an-Egyptian angle until Garth is planted on the sand. Dolphins frolic in the sparkling waves as Atlas drops to the beach with swirl of sand and a big smile. [thanks for the heads-up, Peggy.]

Then, just for the fun of it, Atlas jumps thirty feet into the air with his arm upraised.

Garth is slumped in a heap when he returns to the earth.

ATLAS
Garth, you can stop freaking out now. You're on the ground.

Garth MOANS in the sand. Atlas SIGHS, then looks around. Gazing at the sparkling ocean with the wind tossing his hair, Atlas cracks a smile. He pats down his pockets and withdraws a pack of the P-Funk and a lighter.

ATLAS
You know what I wanna see more of, Garth?

Atlas lights a cigarette after he swallows some sea air.

ATLAS
Superheroes who smoke. More imperfect champions.

Atlas takes a deep drag.

ATLAS
Just like real people are.

INT. SD-6 - CONTINUOUS
Bubbles is open-mouthed at the confrontation occurring in front of her. Maggie stares daggers at Sloane, who does his best not to squirm under her Medusa-worthy glance.

MAGGIE
What really happened with XXX?

SLOANE
I didn't do anything to Atlas with XXX. He dug his own grave-- and he's still digging it.

MAGGIE
What do you mean?

SLOANE
I never made the call to Aliotta Fagina. Atlas dug his own grave on that one. And it won't be his last.

EXT. CRYSTAL COVE - NEAR DAVID GEFFEN'S HOMOVILLA
Atlas stubs out his cigarette on his shoe and puts the butt into his now-empty pack. Garth's sobs are subsiding.

ATLAS
Are we together yet?

For the first time in a long time, Garth looks at Atlas. But Garth says nothing.

ATLAS
Garth.

Atlas stares Garth down.

ATLAS
Garth, look at me.

As if hypnotized, Garth does.

ATLAS
Things need to change, Garth. It's time. I think we both know that.

Garth nods.

ATLAS
Can you feel the people rising Garth? It's like a slow, steady tide that will erode the greatest of the sandcastles.

GARTH
(finally sputters)
This is insane.

ATLAS
Why? Because it's so perfect that there's one assistant out there who can tell you what he really thinks. That there's one who can defy gravity and tradition and the crap that you throw downhill daily? Why, Garth, why is it insane?

The blood vessels on Atlas's neck bulge as he gets in Garth's face.

ATLAS
You're just gonna have to deal with it then, Garth. It's about time karmic insanity struck back on behalf of assistants everywhere. So f***ing deal.

EXT. FAMKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Swooping down from the skies, Atlas walks onto the land with a whistle and casual toss of the golden hair as he strolls down to a tony, off-Mulholland address.

Leaping into Famke's yard, Atlas RINGS the bell, steps back, licks his index fingers and runs them over his eyebrows and smiles hopefully.

FAMKE
Hello Atlas. I. . .
[pause pregnant with meaning]
I glad you're all right.

Atlas exhales.

ATLAS
Hi Famke.

They hug, hard. Then kiss.

THE [alternate] END