Penguin Town (2021) s01e06 Episode Script
Weekend Warriors
[waves splashing]
[crickets chirping]
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Midnight in Simon's Town.
All seems peaceful.
[penguins braying]
Unless you're a Bougainvillea.
Petal is still in hiding.
Separated from her dad and brother Twig
by the Car Park Gang.
She's mere feet from the nest.
[suspenseful music continues]
But with the bullies in between,
it might as well be a mile.
Her dad has already lost his wife.
He'll do whatever it takes
to bring his baby girl home.
[screeching]
The gang is ready and waiting.
[braying]
[dramatic music playing]
Mr. B is drained
from weeks of single-parenting.
He's more punching bag than prize fighter.
But this beatdown has an upside.
No one is looking for Petal anymore.
Hurry, little one.
Your dad can't take much more of this.
[chirping]
[braying]
He retreats to the sheltered nest
where it's harder
for the gang to get at him.
The whole family is battered,
exhausted…
[penguins braying]
…and surrounded.
[opening theme song playing]
Yeah! ♪
Yeah, yeah ♪
Till my breath's all gone
I'll be pushing on so strong ♪
I'll keep pushing on ♪
Till the river runs dry
I've got to try, try, try ♪
I'll keep pushing on ♪
When my soul's burnt through
I won't be feeling blue ♪
I'll keep pushing on ♪
Till my dying day
I won't give it all away ♪
I keep pushing on ♪
Yeah! ♪
[penguins braying]
[narrator] Late summer
descends on Penguin Town.
By now, most chicks are almost
as big as their parents.
[chirping]
They've eaten more than 20 pounds of fish.
But they always want more.
[screeching]
Their parents scramble to keep up.
[dramatic music playing]
It didn't used to be so hard.
Changing currents and commercial fishing
mean scarcer food every season.
And then…
there are the fur seals,
who devour fish
and penguins.
Lady Courtyard and her entourage
survive today's gauntlet.
Their cargo holds bulge with baby food.
In the water,
they're sleek and streamlined.
On land, that baggage
really weighs them down.
[whimsical music playing]
[braying]
After her 20-mile swim,
Lady C still has
a long road home to her babies.
All uphill.
In the snow.
Well, grass. But still.
[seagull squawks]
The long hunt and final waddle…
are like penguin Zumba.
The longer it takes,
the more fish she burns through.
And the less
she'll have left for her chicks.
As daylight fades,
she's finally in the home stretch…
when her commute
takes a sharp turn for the worse.
He's a Cape porcupine.
Africa's largest and pointiest rodent.
He doesn't eat penguins.
He's a roots-and-tubers man.
But those foot-long quills can be deadly.
[tense music playing]
Porcupines can't shoot their quills.
That's a myth.
But they will stab a penguin.
Well, anyone, really.
Your chicks need you unpunctured, Lady C.
Keep your distance.
[braying]
Her neighbors in the front garden
don't have that option.
The 30-pound digging machine
wanders right into their nursery.
But what can they really do…
except wait it out?
Finally.
Lady C cuts through the house.
To her nest.
And lightens her load.
[penguins chirping]
[birds chirping]
Dawn breaks down the hill.
A full day and night have passed
since Mr. Bougainvillea's beating.
And the gang has taken over the yard.
[braying]
[old western music playing]
The family nest is no longer a safe haven.
It's a prison.
And Mr. B's in no shape
to take on his jailers.
Which means the chicks are hungry, again.
Is there no justice?
Someone should do something.
Enter the hired guns.
[suspenseful music playing]
The giants load their weapons.
[old western music playing]
[lawn mower starts]
Mr. B watches
the showdown from a safe spot.
[penguins braying]
He's lived here long enough to know
these hitmen won't whack him.
But their huge metal beaks…
are just too much for the gang.
Time for them to get the heck outta Dodge.
The masked vigilantes
have done what they came to do.
And Mr. B can finally leave to fish.
[light upbeat music playing]
Next door…
the Wheelbarrow super-parents
snag the clippings…
to line their second nest of the season.
But their teenaged chicks
are still at home.
And any new eggs won't be safe
with these knuckleheads stumbling around.
[chirping]
Mom and Dad have decided.
It's time the chicks leave the nest…
for good.
[chirping]
They need some tough love.
No.
No fish for you!
He said no.
The answer will be the same
no matter how many times you ask.
[screeching]
Penguin parents figured this out long ago.
Lock the fridge…
and force the teens
to fend for themselves.
[braying]
A tall order
when they've never even seen the ocean.
They're at a loss, and getting hangry.
How can they blow off some steam?
Just… follow your ears.
Right next door.
[chirping]
Petal and Twig.
All alone.
There's no one to stop
the disgruntled fledglings
from following in the gang's footsteps.
[dramatic music playing]
[screeching]
[indistinct chatter]
In their sheltered castle,
Lord and Lady Courtyard's chicks
still have weeks before they're weaned.
[chicks screeching]
They've emptied their mom of fish.
While she recovers
from yesterday's epic journey,
Lord C prepares to sally forth.
But a problem looms
just beyond their battlements.
[whimsical music playing]
A giant blocks his favorite exit.
Hanging the skins of his vanquished foes?
Ugh. Gruesome.
Caught between ravenous chicks
and this monster…
Lord C takes his chances with the monster.
Safely on the other side,
Lord C joins his royal hunting party.
[upbeat music playing]
So many giants out today.
Even mini giants.
Is that an oxymoron?
On weekends in Simon's Town,
everyone goes to the shore.
Sure, it's got all the normal beach stuff.
Meh. Whatever.
But the celebrities…
[camera shutter clicking]
…make this the place to be.
[chirping]
No. No time for autographs.
Saving your own species is a 24/7 job.
Back off, people.
Harassing the stars is so uncool.
When Lord C can't outrun his fans…
he outswims them.
Farther down
the shoreline at Burghers' Walk…
Mr. Bougainvillea is back.
He knows to go straight home…
as fast as penguinly possible.
But, Murphy's Law,
he runs smack into the weekend rush hour.
Giants galore.
With freakishly unwebbed feet.
Don't get distracted.
The real danger here
are these giant penguin-squishers.
Mr. B is blocked at every turn
by some very inconsiderate giants.
And at his nest…
the Wheelbarrow fledglings…
get bolder every passing minute.
[screeching]
[tense music playing]
Daddy's comin', Petal and Twig!
But today…
no rescue is needed.
[soothing music playing]
The fledglings have slowed their roll.
They're just not gang material.
Look at 'em.
Big softies.
Feeling vulnerable,
they followed their instincts
to form a "crèche."
Basically, a penguin youth group.
They just want company.
And a place to hang.
[penguins screeching]
Plus, maybe they'll get a meal out of it.
Fat chance.
For Mr. B,
two chicks are quite enough.
Sorry, guys.
You don't have to go home,
but you can't stay here.
The fledglings are back on the outside.
Alone.
The youngest brother is still not ready
to move on from Mom and Dad.
Even if the Wheelbarrow nest
is no longer, uh, kid-friendly.
He can never un-see that.
The eldest, however, has had enough.
And the ocean is calling.
He'd be gone already…
if he could navigate the suburbs alone.
[dramatic music playing]
Never fear, kid.
Even if Mom won't feed you…
she'll still lead you.
Onward and outward, young Wheelbarrow.
-[waves splashing]
-[birds chirping]
Sunday winds down.
And everyone rolls out.
Sharing the roads.
Uh, try the sidewalks!
Much safer!
The shortening days
push Lord Courtyard's return trip…
into darkness.
His hunting party can see just fine
with eyes made
for the ocean's dark depths.
But not all species are so highly evolved.
[car honking]
As a waddle, they're easier to see.
[car honks]
And avoid.
[car honks]
[tense music playing]
But the group thins, one by one…
as penguins reach their nests.
And Lord Courtyard's castle
is the very last…
stop.
[suspenseful music playing]
[car screeching]
Something evil ♪
Evil gonna rise ♪
Something evil ♪
Evil gonna rise ♪
What have you done? ♪
What have you done? ♪
Evil gonna come ♪
[crickets chirping]
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Midnight in Simon's Town.
All seems peaceful.
[penguins braying]
Unless you're a Bougainvillea.
Petal is still in hiding.
Separated from her dad and brother Twig
by the Car Park Gang.
She's mere feet from the nest.
[suspenseful music continues]
But with the bullies in between,
it might as well be a mile.
Her dad has already lost his wife.
He'll do whatever it takes
to bring his baby girl home.
[screeching]
The gang is ready and waiting.
[braying]
[dramatic music playing]
Mr. B is drained
from weeks of single-parenting.
He's more punching bag than prize fighter.
But this beatdown has an upside.
No one is looking for Petal anymore.
Hurry, little one.
Your dad can't take much more of this.
[chirping]
[braying]
He retreats to the sheltered nest
where it's harder
for the gang to get at him.
The whole family is battered,
exhausted…
[penguins braying]
…and surrounded.
[opening theme song playing]
Yeah! ♪
Yeah, yeah ♪
Till my breath's all gone
I'll be pushing on so strong ♪
I'll keep pushing on ♪
Till the river runs dry
I've got to try, try, try ♪
I'll keep pushing on ♪
When my soul's burnt through
I won't be feeling blue ♪
I'll keep pushing on ♪
Till my dying day
I won't give it all away ♪
I keep pushing on ♪
Yeah! ♪
[penguins braying]
[narrator] Late summer
descends on Penguin Town.
By now, most chicks are almost
as big as their parents.
[chirping]
They've eaten more than 20 pounds of fish.
But they always want more.
[screeching]
Their parents scramble to keep up.
[dramatic music playing]
It didn't used to be so hard.
Changing currents and commercial fishing
mean scarcer food every season.
And then…
there are the fur seals,
who devour fish
and penguins.
Lady Courtyard and her entourage
survive today's gauntlet.
Their cargo holds bulge with baby food.
In the water,
they're sleek and streamlined.
On land, that baggage
really weighs them down.
[whimsical music playing]
[braying]
After her 20-mile swim,
Lady C still has
a long road home to her babies.
All uphill.
In the snow.
Well, grass. But still.
[seagull squawks]
The long hunt and final waddle…
are like penguin Zumba.
The longer it takes,
the more fish she burns through.
And the less
she'll have left for her chicks.
As daylight fades,
she's finally in the home stretch…
when her commute
takes a sharp turn for the worse.
He's a Cape porcupine.
Africa's largest and pointiest rodent.
He doesn't eat penguins.
He's a roots-and-tubers man.
But those foot-long quills can be deadly.
[tense music playing]
Porcupines can't shoot their quills.
That's a myth.
But they will stab a penguin.
Well, anyone, really.
Your chicks need you unpunctured, Lady C.
Keep your distance.
[braying]
Her neighbors in the front garden
don't have that option.
The 30-pound digging machine
wanders right into their nursery.
But what can they really do…
except wait it out?
Finally.
Lady C cuts through the house.
To her nest.
And lightens her load.
[penguins chirping]
[birds chirping]
Dawn breaks down the hill.
A full day and night have passed
since Mr. Bougainvillea's beating.
And the gang has taken over the yard.
[braying]
[old western music playing]
The family nest is no longer a safe haven.
It's a prison.
And Mr. B's in no shape
to take on his jailers.
Which means the chicks are hungry, again.
Is there no justice?
Someone should do something.
Enter the hired guns.
[suspenseful music playing]
The giants load their weapons.
[old western music playing]
[lawn mower starts]
Mr. B watches
the showdown from a safe spot.
[penguins braying]
He's lived here long enough to know
these hitmen won't whack him.
But their huge metal beaks…
are just too much for the gang.
Time for them to get the heck outta Dodge.
The masked vigilantes
have done what they came to do.
And Mr. B can finally leave to fish.
[light upbeat music playing]
Next door…
the Wheelbarrow super-parents
snag the clippings…
to line their second nest of the season.
But their teenaged chicks
are still at home.
And any new eggs won't be safe
with these knuckleheads stumbling around.
[chirping]
Mom and Dad have decided.
It's time the chicks leave the nest…
for good.
[chirping]
They need some tough love.
No.
No fish for you!
He said no.
The answer will be the same
no matter how many times you ask.
[screeching]
Penguin parents figured this out long ago.
Lock the fridge…
and force the teens
to fend for themselves.
[braying]
A tall order
when they've never even seen the ocean.
They're at a loss, and getting hangry.
How can they blow off some steam?
Just… follow your ears.
Right next door.
[chirping]
Petal and Twig.
All alone.
There's no one to stop
the disgruntled fledglings
from following in the gang's footsteps.
[dramatic music playing]
[screeching]
[indistinct chatter]
In their sheltered castle,
Lord and Lady Courtyard's chicks
still have weeks before they're weaned.
[chicks screeching]
They've emptied their mom of fish.
While she recovers
from yesterday's epic journey,
Lord C prepares to sally forth.
But a problem looms
just beyond their battlements.
[whimsical music playing]
A giant blocks his favorite exit.
Hanging the skins of his vanquished foes?
Ugh. Gruesome.
Caught between ravenous chicks
and this monster…
Lord C takes his chances with the monster.
Safely on the other side,
Lord C joins his royal hunting party.
[upbeat music playing]
So many giants out today.
Even mini giants.
Is that an oxymoron?
On weekends in Simon's Town,
everyone goes to the shore.
Sure, it's got all the normal beach stuff.
Meh. Whatever.
But the celebrities…
[camera shutter clicking]
…make this the place to be.
[chirping]
No. No time for autographs.
Saving your own species is a 24/7 job.
Back off, people.
Harassing the stars is so uncool.
When Lord C can't outrun his fans…
he outswims them.
Farther down
the shoreline at Burghers' Walk…
Mr. Bougainvillea is back.
He knows to go straight home…
as fast as penguinly possible.
But, Murphy's Law,
he runs smack into the weekend rush hour.
Giants galore.
With freakishly unwebbed feet.
Don't get distracted.
The real danger here
are these giant penguin-squishers.
Mr. B is blocked at every turn
by some very inconsiderate giants.
And at his nest…
the Wheelbarrow fledglings…
get bolder every passing minute.
[screeching]
[tense music playing]
Daddy's comin', Petal and Twig!
But today…
no rescue is needed.
[soothing music playing]
The fledglings have slowed their roll.
They're just not gang material.
Look at 'em.
Big softies.
Feeling vulnerable,
they followed their instincts
to form a "crèche."
Basically, a penguin youth group.
They just want company.
And a place to hang.
[penguins screeching]
Plus, maybe they'll get a meal out of it.
Fat chance.
For Mr. B,
two chicks are quite enough.
Sorry, guys.
You don't have to go home,
but you can't stay here.
The fledglings are back on the outside.
Alone.
The youngest brother is still not ready
to move on from Mom and Dad.
Even if the Wheelbarrow nest
is no longer, uh, kid-friendly.
He can never un-see that.
The eldest, however, has had enough.
And the ocean is calling.
He'd be gone already…
if he could navigate the suburbs alone.
[dramatic music playing]
Never fear, kid.
Even if Mom won't feed you…
she'll still lead you.
Onward and outward, young Wheelbarrow.
-[waves splashing]
-[birds chirping]
Sunday winds down.
And everyone rolls out.
Sharing the roads.
Uh, try the sidewalks!
Much safer!
The shortening days
push Lord Courtyard's return trip…
into darkness.
His hunting party can see just fine
with eyes made
for the ocean's dark depths.
But not all species are so highly evolved.
[car honking]
As a waddle, they're easier to see.
[car honks]
And avoid.
[car honks]
[tense music playing]
But the group thins, one by one…
as penguins reach their nests.
And Lord Courtyard's castle
is the very last…
stop.
[suspenseful music playing]
[car screeching]
Something evil ♪
Evil gonna rise ♪
Something evil ♪
Evil gonna rise ♪
What have you done? ♪
What have you done? ♪
Evil gonna come ♪