Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street (2014) s01e03 Episode Script

I've lived my whole life
on Normal Street.
There's a lake at one end,
and a forest of shady trees
at the other.
But what lies in between
is anything but normal.
When it comes to the families
on Normal Street,
there is no norm,
but if there were,
Mel would say her family is
the opposite of that.
Her mom is a judge who's into
free solo rock climbing.
She'll scale a sheer face
with no ropes, harnesses
or protection,
just her strength
and ability.
That's how she relaxes.
[humming]
Mel's dad is an
otolaryngologist,
which Mel found out is an
ear, nose and throat doctor,
but not until after she
learned how to spell
otolaryngologist
at age five.
And here's Mel.
She's kind of unformed.
She could still be
all of those things
or none of those things.
Or her own unique mix.
If she doesn't
make herself crazy.
The Science Fair.
36 kids all using their
scientific smarts
in pursuit of one trophy.
I was off to
a slow start.
Foot cramp?
You might need
some potassium.
Head over to Vin's display,
he'll tell you all about it.
No, no, no,
you see,
the-the sensors are
supposed to be
translating my foot movement
into a D note.
[Beethoven's "Ode To Joy"
playing]
[thudding]
Yay, it works.
Okay, that's enough.
Everyone was feeling
the pressure,
but nobody more than Mel.
Ranger.
You'll mess up
my slides.
Lo siento.
Thanks again,
Miss Martin.
Glad my breakup was
good timing for somebody.
Oh, and I'm cooking today in
Family Consumer Sciences
if you want some of
my onion tears.
That's really
coming along.
Just wait until
it erupts.
This isn't the most
innovative or educational
project, you know.
I'm not goin' for that.
I'm goin' for awesome.
Good for you.
Wait.
Should the Fire Marshal
be there?
Couldn't hurt.
This is really cool.
It's rare that a project
actually teaches me something.
You've got a real chance
of winning.
Thanks.
I think so, too.
It's no secret that
Mel likes winning.
Girl:
I'm ready.
But she isn't the only one.
Catherine Dillman's project
had been shrouded in secrecy.
She, you know,
physically shrouded.
[electronic blipping]
It's a device that removes
car exhaust from our air,
and collects it so it can
be disposed of safely
rather than causing more
global climate change.
[electronic blipping]
In case you cry
tears of fear.
We've been working so hard.
How can Catherine
just swoop in
with her wildly
infeasible invention?
Infeasible?
It's incredible.
Well, it is.
So just build something
even more incredible.
I wish it were that easy.
Uh, okay, move around,
let me see how it does.
[electronic notes playing]
I'll build a robot.
It was that easy.
Here. If you're gonna
build a robot,
shouldn't it
spew stuff all over?
I don't think they
add points for that.
Encouragement, please.
Uh, you always
do good, Mel.
It'll be great.
I just need it to win.
[sighs]
Catherine.
Melody.
Cathy. I thought
your thing was finished?
It is.
Except for the digital
projector Ike ordered for me.
I figured why put everything
on poster board.
What are we,
in elementary school,
when I can project it all
into a beautiful display?
What projector
are you getting?
The Digiprompt 100.
Oh, I'm getting the 200.
Why? The bigger the number,
the less sophisticated
the image.
That's what I wanted.
- Hm.
- Yeah.
It'll make sense
once you see it.
I could see
one of them winning
on a technical merit,
but I think points
should be deducted for
whatever that was.
Ike gave me
a bunch of boxes.
Yeah, great.
I gotta pay.
What's going on, Mel?
You're acting weird.
It's just
a science fair.
Nothing is ever
just anything.
Sometimes.
How'd you get this?
The 100 doesn't even
come out for another month.
Not to the general public.
[whirring]
Able.
[beep]
About.
[beep]
Above.
[beep]
Abracadabra.
[knocking]
Hey. Brought you a snack.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hm.
Now, go back out,
and instead of knocking,
say, "Open the door,
please, robot."
Okay.
Open the door,
please, robot.
Open the door,
please, robot.
[whirring]
Okay, you got it to
respond only to you?
It's good, right?
I just can't tell if
it's good enough.
Are you kidding me?
Honey, that's amazing.
You're just saying that
'cause you're my mom.
Okay.
Where's all this pressure
coming from?
From wanting to win.
[sighs]
You built a robot.
You've already won.
Okay, I know that
sounds like a platitude,
but it's true.
Look, there are
different ways to win.
When you want to win,
it seems like there's
just the one way.
Well--
Have you ever lost
at anything?
Uh--
Uh--
Okay, never mind.
No, no, hang on.
Uh, yes, yes.
There was that one time.
[crowd cheering]
My high school
cheerleading squad
made it to nationals.
People in 32 countries
were watching.
It came down to us
and one other school.
I was supposed to vault to
the top of the pyramid,
and land in a handstand.
[screaming]
Oh, wait.
I stuck that landing.
[crowd cheering]
Hm.
[sighs] I am so sunk.
No, you're not. You are--
you are working hard.
But it might not be enough.
Of course, it is.
Easy on the stressing.
Okay?
You could come in
dead last,
and we would be
proud of you.
Goodnight.
Don't listen to her.
We're going to win.
[electronic voice]
We're going to win.
Finally.
Someone gets me.
[whirring]
Red.
So now a reporter
is following
Catherine Dillman around
like she's the Madam Curie
of the new millennium.
Green.
Madam Curie was a
physicist and chemist.
What Catherine Dillman is doing
is engineering.
I know, but--
Periwinkle.
[sighs] Name one famous
female engineer.
Joan E. Higginbotham.
I don't know who that is.
Dusty Shale.
She's an astronaut.
Don't worry,
I am also stupid.
What do you mean, also?
In addition to you,
earlier you said,
"Ah, I'm so stupid!"
Assemble that, robot.
This writer thinks
Catherine's device
is gonna be some
huge news story.
We're competing against
the next Joan E. Higginbotham.
This is the
toughest competition
I've ever done.
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
- Dismay.
- Dismay who?
Dismay not be
a funny joke.
It was a humorous
use of words
that involved
a pronunciation
that has more than one
possible meaning.
[laughing]
Ha, ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Mel: I'm actually glad
that Catherine
set the bar so high.
I can't believe
I ever thought
my lame tears thing
would win this for us.
I keep forgetting
you're a robot.
We've just had these
great conversations
about everything.
Photography, soccer,
the ocean.
I can read back your
question history.
Robot, is there life
on other planets?
What's your
favorite movie?
Can I eat this ice cream?
It's past its use-by date.
It's just funny that
we haven't known each
other for that long and--
Already we can predict what
the other is going to--
Say.
Well, that last word
was either going
to be "say" or "do."
That was a 50/50.
Why are we with
the competition?
They're my friends.
They're not competition.
No offense.
None taken.
My volcano is awesome,
but awesome
doesn't always win.
We have to win.
This is a big deal.
My parents are coming
and everything.
That's a competitive robot.
Does it play games?
It's not a toy.
It's got an embedded CPU
with wifi,
it's hips have
25 degrees of freedom,
and it tracks colors,
objects and faces, and--
I challenge you to
a game of chess.
Checkmate.
Whoa. That'd be
a good thing to fix
before tomorrow.
Why?
It's got ambition.
I've got ambition.
It this like when Gardner
does something annoying,
and my mom wants me
to think it's cute?
I said
it's not a toy,
and Ranger did use
an obscure move.
We're your friends,
and you're taking
the side of a robot?
I'm stating the facts.
I don't understand
what's going on,
but you're kind of
freaking me out.
Gortimer, I-- I think
we should go.
This is turning out to be
more than it's supposed to be.
Maybe put it away
for a while?
I can't. I still have
more stuff to do.
Best out of three.
[door closes]
[sighs]
Catherine can't win.
We can't be second.
Second is embarrassing.
Ahhhhh!
What was that?
I'm a little--
Ahhhhh! Stressed.
[no audible dialog]
Oh, hey.
Sorry for the scrubs.
I almost didn't
make it in time.
So good to
finally meet you,
Dr. Dillman.
- I'm Will--
- I know. Dr. Fuller.
You do amazing work.
Mm, and it is so nice
to put a face to the name,
your honor.
Same here,
your honor.
Aren't you glad
we don't have to
judge this thing?
[laughing]
Yours turned out
great.
Ah, thanks.
What's "wiñata"?
A person or thing
that is stuffed
so full of win
that if hit
with a stick,
it would spill win
all over the floor.
Ahh.
[laughs]
Well, may the best man
or woman or machine win.
Both: We will.
Well, in my opinion,
there's not really
an explosion
until there's a lava plug,
which causes an extreme
increase in pressure.
And now I will
demonstrate.
Everybody, Mount Ranger
is about to erupt.
We're ready, Beth.
And behold.
And behold.
[makes whooshing noises]
You fought the good fight.
["Axel F" playing]
[applause]
Fantastic.
I like how you connected
art and science.
So fun.
Really dynamic.
Robot, tell us
about yourself, please.
I'm 122 centimeters tall,
and travel easily over
paved or tiled surfaces.
I can operate for one hour
on a single charge,
unless you get me talking
and then it's 20 minutes.
Mel, this is incredible.
Really,
really well done.
Oh, I've been
reading about this.
Yeah. Good job.
It was a tough field,
with many fascinating and
imaginative entries.
And these are our
three finalists.
[applause]
Now, let's congratulate
our third prize winner.
Gortimer Gibbon.
Hey. Gorby.
[plays note]
[laughs]
Second prize
goes to
Mel Fuller,
who built that
incredible robot.
[applause]
All right.
Mel.
♪♪
[whirring]
You didn't happen to install
a "Find My Robot" app?
I didn't think it would
steal the trophy and run away.
That was
pretty drastic,
although there were
some high expectations.
Well,
you're not supposed to
aim for second.
There was
so much pressure,
I'm surprised
Catherine didn't
try to capture it
and dispose of it
safely.
I mean, I did see
some of your behavior
starting to
rub off on it.
It's a robot.
It's nothing like me.
Is it dangerous?
I don't think so.
Hey, robot.
This trophy is ours.
We were robbed.
Could we have
some private time?
Sure.
We'll be right around
the corner
in case it
goes nuts again.
Give me the trophy,
please, robot.
We should have won.
[sighs] Let's not be
sore losers.
We're losers.
Depending on
how you define it.
Somebody who
has not won.
A person or a team
that has failed
to win a specific contest.
Yes, okay.
By that definition.
Somebody unsuccessful
or unlucky.
An unsuccessful
or unlucky person
who seems destined to
fail repeatedly.
Got it. Thanks.
Second is embarrassing.
[sighs] You know,
second is actually
really good.
Gortimer seems happy
about third.
Winning isn't everything.
It's the only thing.
Did I say that?
No.
Good. I do not want
to be that person.
Come on.
I want to carry the trophy.
[whirring]
Hello, losers.
I need your help
to, uh--
dismantle the robot.
I know what to do.
Do you want us to
help you return
Catherine's trophy?
That's embarrassing.
You have to apologize.
Even though it's
not fair?
It's so easy for her.
She's so much smarter
than everyone--
I was just saying
I didn't want to be
that person.
Hey.
I was just tweaking this,
making it better.
But you already won.
Congratulations,
by the way.
I'm not sure if I said that
at the award ceremony.
You did. As you were
running after the robot.
To get my trophy back.
I'm sorry for all the drama.
I'm actually glad it's over.
It was annoying
having that reporter
- follow me around.
- Really?
My dad thought it would be good
for my college application
if I got news coverage.
I don't even know if
I want to go to college.
My parents want me to go to
the same school they did.
My first Halloween
they dressed me up
as John Harvard.
I was Madam Curie.
I love her.
Hey, you want to
come over tomorrow?
Ranger's gonna
blow up the robot
with leftover explosives
from his volcano.
Ranger has
leftover explosives?
It's almost as if
he planned it.
[laughing]
[makes exploding sound]
Okay, good.
This won't blow up,
but I bet
it would melt.
But you won it.
[rattling]
What is wrong
with people?
Yeah, let's
blow it up.
Uh, I don't get it.
The Earth spins in
the wrong direction.
You want to do it?
We've all got
that voice inside.
Sometimes it motivates you.
Sometimes it
tells you truths you
don't want to hear.
But sometimes
it's a
trash-talking robot
[explosion]
that needs to be blown up.