He gets so caught up with the women he forgets to finish off the men.Zodiac · 2007 — Chapter 9 of 30 · 5'05" · B2
Zodiac Calls the TV Talk Show, Explained: at a moment's notice
Police notice the killer has changed his method — the cab driver does not fit the couple-on-lover's-lane pattern. Then a man claiming to be the Zodiac promises to call a live TV show, and the lawyer he asked for prepares to speak to him on air: "This is the Zodiac speaking."
What happens
Investigators realize the Zodiac has broken his pattern by killing a lone cab driver. A caller claiming to be him says he will phone a morning TV show and asks for attorney Melvin Belli. Belli, afraid he could be shot, rides to the studio in a bulletproof car and takes the live call.
Listen for
at a moment's noticeyou have my wordbreaking the patterndrunken reprobate
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Phrase of the scene
at a moment's notice
immediately, without warning or preparation
梅尔文担心车外那个枪手随时能要他的命，用这句话说明危险近在眼前。
The team can be ready to travel at a moment's notice.
Also in this scene
- you have my word
I give you my solemn promise
- breaking the pattern
to act against the usual pattern
- drunken reprobate
a drunk person with no moral restraint
Everything marked in this scene
28 notes across 88 lines
He gets so caught up with the women he forgets to finish off the men.so result clause
He gets so caught up with the women he forgets to finish off the men.Plus, they're all couples and all on lover's lanes.Single, male cab driver on Washington and Cherry doesn't fit.to act against the usual pattern
He's breaking the pattern.Someone claiming to be Zodiac called Oakland PD a half-hour ago.want someone to do
He wants Melvin Belli on to counsel him.immediately, without warning or preparation
This man is a marksman, could snuff me out at a moment's notice.weak form
This man is a marksman, could snuff me out at a moment's notice.Are you sure you're up for this?Get him talking. Convince him to meet you somewhere.liaison
Get him talking. Convince him to meet you somewhere.If you see an opportunity, we want you to suggest Old St. Mary's Church in Chinatown.a drunk person with no moral restraint
Here you go, you drunken reprobate.Here you go, you drunken reprobate.Welcome to this special edition of our show in which we arejoined by attorney Melvin BelliFinish up, buddy, and put it in the sink.so that purpose clause
And we ask the public not to call in, so that the Zodiac himself can reach us.A shame about the show.Jim, we have a call. We're going live.elision
Jim, we have a call. We're going live.would like someone to do
Sam, we'd like you to know that we are not tracing these calls.I give you my solemn promise
We're not tracing these calls. You have my word.liaison
We're not tracing these calls. You have my word.That is fucked up!How long have you been having these headaches?present perfect continuous
How long have you been having these headaches?Zodiac Calls the TV Talk Show, explained
What's really going on
The chapter is about the killer turning media into a stage. Detectives can describe the change in his method — he "gets so caught up with the women he forgets to finish off the men," and now a single cab driver does not fit — but they cannot stop him from reaching the public directly. The call-in is a performance, and its horror comes from the calm exchange: "This is the Zodiac speaking," answered by a famous attorney trying to sound like a counselor. Each side uses the other: the Zodiac gets airtime and attention, the show gets a headline, and the police get a chance at a call they admit cannot be traced in time. Everyone is on live TV, and no one is in control.
Theme
DeceptionA caller claims to be the Zodiac and performs illness to win sympathy live on the air.
PowerThe killer turns a TV studio into his stage, forcing the police and the press to play along.
What you'll learn
- Hear snuff out as kill
- Use you have my word as a pledge
- Split passport as metaphor vs document
- Catch breaking the pattern in crime talk
Listen for
- at a moment's notice — weak form
- Convince him to meet you — liaison
- going live — elision
- You have my word — liaison
I have headaches. I kill, I don't get them.The caller's bizarre bargain: murder is his cure for headaches, a self-serving excuse offered live on the show.
He gets so caught up with the women he forgets to finish off the men.A detective's grisly read of the earlier attacks, noticing the killer leaves male victims alive when a woman is present.
This man is a marksman, could snuff me out at a moment's notice.Belli's fear stated plainly: the man he is about to talk to could kill him in an instant.
I don't want to go to the gas chamber.The caller's real worry surfaces, less about guilt than about avoiding execution.
Questions about this scene
Why does the killing of Paul Stine break the pattern?
The earlier victims were couples on lover's lanes, but Stine was a single male cab driver on a city street, so the method no longer fits.
Why does the show ask the public not to call in?
The studio wants to keep the line open for the Zodiac himself, since he told the police he would phone the program.
Is the caller really the Zodiac?
The film presents him as the person who phoned the show and claimed the name; the police try to keep him talking but never confirm who he is.
Why does Belli agree to appear?
He says the man asked for his help, and he wants to counsel him, though he also admits he is afraid of being shot.
Zodiac · 30 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 10crack the codeBelli Tries to Catch the Zodiac
Chapter 1creep someone outDarlene Ferrin's Last Drive
Chapter 2I wouldn't kid youThe Zodiac Confession Call
Chapter 3shed light onZodiac's Cipher Reaches the Chronicle
Chapter 4get any ideasZodiac Attacks the Couple at the Lake
Chapter 5a hell of a get-upZodiac's Lake Berryessa Attack
Chapter 6flag a cabThe Presidio Cab Murder
Chapter 7did inZodiac Claims the Taxi Murder
Chapter 8skip townPolice Bicker Over the Zodiac Case
Watching · Chapter 9at a moment's noticeZodiac Calls the TV Talk Show
Chapter 10crack the codeBelli Tries to Catch the Zodiac
Chapter 11What's your angle?Graysmith Cracks the Zodiac Cipher
Chapter 12the more the merrierKathleen Johns Escapes the Zodiac
Chapter 13come out of the woodworkGraysmith Finds the Zodiac's Source
Chapter 14in my gutGraysmith Talks Zodiac on a Date
Chapter 15beat the bushesRiverside Investigators Compare Notes
Chapter 16lost in the shuffleThe Informant Describes Leigh Allen
Chapter 17the whole pointPolice Question Arthur Leigh Allen
Chapter 18greener pasturesPolice Question Leigh Allen's Mother
Chapter 19home turfPolice Build a Case Against Allen
Chapter 20tore out of herePolice Search Allen's Trailer
Chapter 21holding the bagBill Transfers Out of the Chronicle
Chapter 22fade into a footnoteGraysmith Pitches a Zodiac Book
Chapter 23yesterday's newsGraysmith Talks His Way In
Chapter 24more than just a coincidenceGraysmith Follows the Birthday Clue
Chapter 25tread lightlyGraysmith Chases Rick Marshall
Chapter 26blow overThe Letter That Framed Toschi
Chapter 27put yourself out thereGraysmith Chases the Case at Home
Chapter 28get it in your headGraysmith Meets the Theater Owner
Chapter 29the date that didn't endLinda Recalls the Painting Party
Chapter 30cancel each other outRobert Confronts Dave About AllenChapter 9 of 30 · about 106 min to go