Ep 4. The Crisis

In NewsRadio season 1 episode 4, titled "The Crisis," the office is hit with an unexpected disaster when a water pipe bursts, flooding the entire building.

The episode opens with the staff of WNYX radio arriving to work on a rainy day. It's not long before they notice a small trickle of water coming from the ceiling. Dave (played by Dave Foley) calls maintenance to report the issue, but they don't seem too concerned. However, when Lisa (played by Maura Tierney) starts to notice more water coming from the ceiling, Dave decides to take matters into his own hands and investigates further.

Dave soon discovers that a water pipe has burst and that the entire building is starting to flood. To make matters worse, the emergency shut-off valve is located in the basement, which is now completely flooded. Dave, along with Jimmy (played by Stephen Root) and Bill (played by Phil Hartman), decide to take on the task of finding the valve and shutting off the water.

Meanwhile, Joe (played by Joe Rogan) and Matthew (played by Andy Dick) are stuck in Joe's office, which is now completely flooded. Joe tries to stay calm and suggests that they build a makeshift raft to escape, but Matthew is starting to panic.

Back in the main office, Lisa takes charge and starts to delegate tasks to the rest of the staff. Catherine (played by Khandi Alexander) grabs a squeegee and starts to push the water out of the office, while Beth (played by Vicki Lewis) takes on the job of finding dry clothes for everyone.

As the crisis continues, tensions start to rise between the staff members. Dave and Jimmy butt heads over the best way to find the shut-off valve, while Lisa struggles to keep everyone under control.

In the end, the staff is able to overcome the crisis and the flood subsides. However, not everyone comes out unscathed. Joe and Matthew's friendship is put to the test, and Dave's leadership skills are called into question.

Overall, "The Crisis" is a chaotic and hilarious episode that showcases the comedic talents of the NewsRadio cast. While the flood itself is a serious situation, the writers manage to infuse the episode with plenty of laughs and zany antics.