Episode 3 of "The Franchise" kicks off with an intriguing conversation between Daniel and Dag, as they engage with Quinn, a renowned, accolade-laden actress, who is eagerly anticipating her final scene in the film. Meanwhile, Daniel catches a glimpse of Anita sprinting, sensing that something is amiss.
Anita dashes into an office, where she meets Pat, who reveals that the studio is grappling with a pressing "woman problem." Critics had lambasted the studio for its inadequate female representation, prompting the decision to produce a film solely featuring female superheroes. Alas, that project was canned, leaving Anita with the monumental task of rectifying the woman problem within Eric's movie.
On the set, Daniel, Eric, and the rest of the crew are attempting to film a scene involving Quinn and Peter, who is sarcastically complaining about his lack of dialogues and being instructed to merely nod. Anita interrupts, informing the core team that they face a dilemma.
They adjourn to a separate room, where Anita emphatically declares the necessity to address the woman problem. Eric vigorously defends Quinn's character, the Lilac Ghost, asserting that she is a resilient and autonomous female ghost. Anita counters by pointing out that she lacks any supernatural abilities and urges them to devise one.
Simultaneously, Daniel is summoned to Adam's trailer due to a grave concern. The new drugs he's been taking—intended to enhance his muscularity—were actually formulated for sheep. Alarmingly, he's now spotted a white hair sprouting on his back, fears silently creeping in that he might be transforming into a sheep. Daniel reassures Adam, promising to arrange for an IV drip to purge the drugs from his system.
The main team reconvenes to brainstorm about Lilac Ghost's newfound powers. Anita happens to be partial to Dag's ingenious suggestion of a "stick of utmost potency," wielding the force of a thousand atom bombs. Furthermore, Anita is bringing in a feminist playwright to pen the revised scenes, infusing them with fresh perspective and vigor.
Daniel issues a stern warning, his voice tinged with frustration, asserting that their current approach is doomed to fail. His emotion bubbles over into a brief, fiery outburst. Anita swiftly intervenes, gently steering him aside and urging him to maintain composure. She confesses that her sole motivation is to complete her tasks, collect her paycheck, and depart. Daniel retaliates by likening the situation to "the yawn," a painful memory from their shared past.
Just as Quinn exhales a sigh of relief, convinced that she has gracefully bid adieu to the set, Anita strikes her with an unexpected blow—she must return. The subsequent day, Quinn is presented with a menacingly potent "stick" for her scene with Adam and Peter. However, the seamless flow of the shoot encounters a sudden obstacle when Peter hesitates to comply with Eric's direction to cower before Quinn. Adam, already on tenterhooks, misconstrues Eric's usage of the word "heard" as "herd," reigniting his anxiety over his sheepish woes. The abortive attempt to capture the scene leaves everyone frustrated, prompting Daniel to refuse to lend a helping hand and inform Anita that he intends to remain steadfastly behind the camera line.
Anita storms into Adam's trailer, only to be confronted by a video conference with his numerous agents, who protest that the stick's power overshadows Tecto's earthquake glove, deemed unfair. She exits in a huff, encountering Quinn, who threatens to conjure up a pregnancy scare if forced to endure any more scenes in the film.
Seeking refuge in Daniel's office, Anita admits her misstep. Daniel seizes the moment to revisit the wound of "the yawn," detailing how seven years ago, Anita's jest at his expense during a yawn earned her a promotion and left Daniel as the butt of the joke for years. Now, Anita pleads for an alliance, promising to manage the upper echelons if Daniel can handle the set.
He agrees, crafting a clever strategy: reducing the stick's size to placate Adam, granting Peter time off to shoot commercials, and scripting Quinn's character's demise to avoid her return. The scene finally inches toward completion, but the arrival of a Centurios 2 trailer, signaled by a blaring horn, disrupts the triumph.
As the day draws to a close, Quinn expresses gratitude to Anita. However, her joy is short-lived when her agent phones with alarming news—photos of the stick have leaked online, inciting protests from male nerd fans. Quinn's spirits plummet as she watches sniffer dogs scrutinize her car for bombs, realizing that her ordeal in "The Franchise Episode 3" is far from over.
