Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street (2014) s01e10 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.
If you could see
into the future,
what would you do?
Would you try to change it?
What if getting involved
was just playing
right into fate's hand?
That seems
like a lot of questions
especially for someone
in my predicament.
In this moment,
I can't help but ask.
Ranger: That is so cool.
How'd you get it?
Diving for a ball.
I slid halfway
across the court
and ended up
underneath the bench.
But I saved the point.
Nice.
I've missed you guys.
I didn't realize
how much of my time
practice was going to take up.
We can't wait
to see you play.
We've even been
working on a cheer.
No way.
Ready?
Both:
Okay.
Duck and cover ♪
Just in case ♪
'Cause Mel's gonna spike it
in your face ♪
You guys are the best.
Sorry. We don't have
to talk volleyball all day.
What is this I hear
about a chili cook-off?
Well, if we win it,
my mom says
we can put our chili
on the bakery's lunch menu.
Let the excitement
build.
And when the market's ready,
jump on franchise
opportunities.
We want to make something
no one's ever tasted before.
But in a good way.
So we're mixing together
a bunch
of different recipes.
But we're still missing
that special something.
You know, my grandma's
chili recipe
won a lot of awards.
Maybe that could help.
I know I have her recipe
book around here somewhere.
What?
A fortune teller?
Yeah. I used to make
these things all the time.
It's not one of mine,
though. Not my handwriting.
Who's first?
I'm master
of my own destiny.
It's just a game.
Pick a number.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Pick a color.
Purple.
P-U-R-P-L-E.
Pick another color.
Green.
"Tonight
you'll face the heat.
But will you make it
out of the kitchen?"
I predict you will make it
out of the kitchen.
You go.
White.
Blue.
"Expect a surprise
from the deep."
Sorry to interrupt,
but I'm going to need
to steal my sous chef
to help with dinner.
I'll look for the recipe,
but off the top of my head,
I remember my grandma
always primed the base.
She got the chili
as hot as possible
before letting it
cool down to a simmer.
Are all of you
going to be in
the chili cook-off?
No, the boys are just
entering together.
Entering
and then winning.
You guys want to join
us for dinner?
- What's on the menu?
- Lasagna.
Whoa. It was lasagna day
at school today.
Do you know how rare
a double lasagna day is?
It's pretty much
like winning the lottery.
We have a lot
of chili work to do.
Right. Focus, Ranger.
- Thanks for the offer, though.
- Okay.
Yeah. Thanks.
[sigh] Already had
lasagna for lunch, huh?
Yeah. Sorry. I don't have
Ranger's constitution.
I doubt if I could do it
twice in one day.
Well, what-- Maybe
we have the makings
for tuna surprise.
Sold.
Hmm.
Surprise from the deep.
So, strange coincidence.
Remember when my fortune said
I should expect
a surprise from the deep?
- Uh-huh.
- Well, we had tuna
surprise for dinner.
Isn't that funny?
Where's Gortimer?
Gortimer: Down here.
Gortimer's fortune
came true, too.
Time to prime the base.
Just got to get it
a bit hotter.
You don't want to keep a sauce
over its boiling point
- for too long.
- This isn't a sauce.
Our chili can take it.
Just a bit more.
I think
you made it angry.
Needless to say,
it exploded.
[Gortimer chuckles]
I faced the heat,
but I didn't make it
out of the kitchen.
So you've been cleaning
since last night?
Well, our experiment
led to a recipe
that is sponge-resistant.
Well, maybe we can
get you some good news.
Still the master
of your own destiny?
I like to make my own messes
rather than letting fate
make them for me.
1, 2.
- Orange.
- O-R-A-N-G-E.
Black.
"Today you are going
to figure out the secret."
That can mean tons
of different things.
What are you talking about?
That can only mean one thing.
That we're going to win
the chili cook-off.
Not unless we find
the missing ingredient.
Say, from someone's grandma's
award-winning recipe?
Oh, yeah. My grandma
sautéed the beans
in a light pistachio oil
before adding them
to the chili,
to help bring out
their flavor.
I've never heard
of that before.
Pistachio like the nut.
Yeah. See, it makes
sense to use in cooking
because nut oils have
a higher smoke point, and--
Gortimer:
Okay, how about we start
with the red pepper?
So what do you guys
want to do today?
Oh.
I see. Chili.
Ms. Gibbon, where do you
keep your pistachio oil?
Ms. Gibbon:
If that's a real thing,
we don't have any!
Sorry.
Ranger, spice inventory. Go.
Cumin full, chili powder okay,
paprika low but not desperate.
I'm going to go.
You have
volleyball practice?
Uh, yeah. We've got
a big game coming up, so--
Have fun.
We'll still be here.
Ground pepper?
We've got ground pepper
for days.
Fridge huddle.
Blue.
Yellow.
"Egg will have a severe
allergic reaction
at the chili cook-off."
What the--
Thanks for getting
here so quickly.
Of course. What's going on?
You sounded really worried.
I am really worried.
Look.
"Egg will have a severe
allergic reaction
at the chili cook-off."
What does that thing
have against Egg?
See? This is exactly why I
don't like messing with fate.
If Egg's going to have
an allergic reaction
at the cook-off,
it's got to be because
of someone's chili.
No problem. We just
tell him not to eat any.
But look at this.
We can't tell Egg not
to eat any of the chili
if he's
one of the judges.
But don't worry.
I've got a plan.
That's why
I called you guys.
You ready to be heroes?
Guys, I hear
what you're saying,
but I don't think
it's that big a deal.
Egg is a partial sponsor
of the cook-off
and also a judge.
He's benefiting from an event
the outcome of which
he has a direct
influence in determining.
That's a conflict
of interest.
It's a teeny-tiny
chili cook-off.
And a regional qualifier.
He's not making that up.
There's
no need to verify it.
We're just really concerned
that, if the local
news picks this up,
there will be a scandal
and people start
pointing fingers.
And no one likes that.
See? It's not fun to have
fingers pointed at you.
Especially when you could
have avoided all the drama
by simply removing
one of the judges.
Okay. Fine.
I'll have him removed
from the judging committee.
I'll let him know
right away.
Wow. You guys must really
despise this guy.
Actually, we adore him.
Lifelong friend.
Super-great guy.
That was great.
When did you become
a legal scholar?
It was all improvised.
I don't even know
if it's a conflict
of interest.
So what's next?
It's got to be
chili all the time
until the cook-off
tomorrow.
Right.
So I guess we'll just--
Go do your thing.
We did good today.
Yeah. We did.
Ranger:
You know what I'm thinking?
Gortimer:
Let me guess. Chili?
Paprika? Wasabi?
Blue.
Purple.
"You will lose
your closest friends."
Like that would ever happen.
[no audible dialogue]
Ranger:
Needless to say, it exploded.
We have ground pepper
for days.
[thinking]
"Dear diary, when
the fortune teller
"predicted that I would
lose my closest friends,
"I thought it was impossible.
"Not anymore.
"What if it's
already happening?
"What if we're drifting apart?
"Well, not on my watch, diary.
"I saved Egg, and I can
save this friendship.
"I'm going to stick to Gortimer
and Ranger like glue.
I hereby launch
Operation Glue Stick."
Do you want me to take over
for a little bit?
I think they're done.
I'm just going
to let them rest.
Ohh.
I can help
with the tomatoes.
I've got it
under control.
Actually, you can
deseed those jalapeños.
Sure.
Oh, hey,
congrats on making
the volleyball team.
I can't wait
to see you play.
I'm going to quit.
I thought you loved
being on that team.
I did at first,
but I don't like
spending so much time
away from you guys.
I mean, we're only young once.
I want to spend all my time
with my best friends.
Right? Right?
Sure.
Uh, I think we got
the wrong paprika.
We should probably go
back to the store.
Mel, uh, honey, why don't you
stay and keep me company?
We'll let the boys do that.
Don't take too long.
Your dad's going to call
from Sierra Leone
in about a half hour.
I thought he was
in Papua, New Guinea.
That was last week.
Papua, New Guinea.
Papua.
Papua.
So what's
really going on?
Why are you talking
about quitting
the volleyball team?
It's like I said. I miss
spending time with the boys.
Can I talk to you
about something that's
completely unrelated?
Well, I don't want to give up
on this volleyball thing,
but go ahead.
It's about a
a short story I'm writing.
I'm having problems
with the ending.
You're a writer, right?
Well, uh, I'm an editor,
which is a little different,
but I do
work on endings a lot
because they're tricky.
What do you got?
Well, my story's
about this girl
who can see the future.
She has acrystal ball.
One day she finds out
that he greatest fear
is going to come true.
What is
her greatest fear?
Oh. Uh
being eaten by a bear.
A grizzly bear.
And this fear coming true,
it's all she can think about.
She's doing everything
she can to stop it.
She's obsessed
to the point that she wishes
she never saw the future
in the first place.
But she did
see the future.
So what is she
going to do about it?
That's where I'm
getting stuck.
How do I end it?
Well, she can either do
everything in her power
to stop the bear
from eating her, or--
She could get rid
of the crystal ball.
Hmm. I don't know.
Doesn't she need to try
to stop her worst fear
from coming true?
But if she gets rid
of the crystal ball,
then the future
won't be told,
and her worst fear
won't come true.
It's like a clean slate.
Hmm. I'm not sure
that's how crystal balls
are meant to work.
This has been really helpful.
Oh. Good.
I would love to read
your next draft.
Of what?
Of this short story
you're working
so tirelessly on.
Right.
You'll be the first
one to see it. I promise.
Thanks for the talk,
Ms. Gibbon.
Any time.
Just destroy it, Mel.
Egg.
Hey, Mel.
What happened?
Carelessness, greed, hubris.
Take your pick.
Mr. Chada had a severe
allergic reaction
to a nut oil that was
in one of the chilis.
Why were you eating chili
if you weren't a judge?
I couldn't help myself.
Oh, Egg.
Chili is my one
weakness. I love it.
That's why I sponsored
the cook-off
and why I jumped at the
opportunity to be a judge.
Some busybody
lodged a trumped-up
conflict of interest
complaint against me.
so my judging duties
were revoked.
The irony.
What's he talking
about? What irony?
If I'd been a judge,
I would have gotten
a list of ingredients
for all of the entries,
and I would have seen
that Gortimer and Ranger
used pistachio oil,
and I never
would have tasted it.
I have a sensitivity
to tree nuts.
It's hereditary.
Thanks, Dad.
So if you were
a judge,
none of this would
have happened.
We really do have to get
him to the hospital.
Everything's
going to be fine.
We just want to observe
him overnight.
Think good thoughts
for me, Mel.
Good thoughts.
Who puts nut oil
in a chili anyway?
Mel, you should have
seen the judges' faces.
They loved it.
So did Egg
before the allergic
reaction kicked in.
But I thought we saved him.
He's going to be fine.
I need to tell you
something.
I used the fortune teller
a couple of more times
without you guys.
Firstly, it said I was going
to lose my closest friends,
- which is why I've been--
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
We're your closest
friends.
How could you ever think
that you would lose us?
Because the fortune teller
told me I would.
See? This is why I'm
master of my own destiny.
The other fortunes
came true, didn't they?
I was just so worried
about losing you guys,
I started
acting strangely.
If I kept it up,
I can guarantee
you guys would have gotten
frustrated with me
and started pulling away.
It's like I was making
the fortune come true
by getting involved.
You don't know that.
No. It's true.
Take Egg's fortune,
for example.
If I had left it alone,
he would have been fine.
And if I hadn't
told you guys about
my grandma's recipe,
then your chili
wouldn't have exploded.
And if I hadn't whined
about eating lasagna
twice that day,
there wouldn't have
been a tuna surprise
from the deep.
Face it. I had
a hand in making
all of this come true.
Oh, no.
I don't like that oh, no.
I was trying
to find you guys
because I got
another fortune.
Gortimer
will break his neck
after he wins
the chili cook-off.
Uh, what?
Don't panic. We'll just
drop out of the competition.
That way, we can't win,
and you won't break your neck.
And the results are in.
The winners of this year's
Normal Street Chili Cook-off
are Ranger Bowen
and Gortimer Gibbon.
You've got to do
something.
- Join me on stage
for the trophy ceremony.
- Give me a second.
So the other fortunes
came true
because I did something
to try and stop them.
So if I don't want
this fortune to come true,
then I shouldn't do anything
to try and stop it.
Winners, to the stage, please.
Just to be clear, you're
saying if we do nothing,
then I won't break my neck?
Come on, guys.
Mel?
Mel?
I think that's right.
It should work.
Just go with it.
And our first place winners:
Ranger Bowen
and his co-chili chef
Gortimer Gibbon.
Let's hear it for all
of our participants.
Ah, well, this event
would not have been possible
without the generous
sponsorship
from Hill Mini Market,
owned and operated
by Eggerton Chada.
As you may have heard,
Mr. Chada suffered from an
unfortunate allergic reaction.
How about that?
I already told you
I can't feel anything.
I can't believe you broke
your arm before I did.
And those bruises that
greenish-yellowish color.
You guys get
all the good stuff.
You got your chili
on the bakery menu.
Oh, yeah. I'm awesome.
And your neck is fine?
Completely.
Well, the trophy
isn't so lucky.
I found him
under the stage
after they
carted you off.
He broke his neck.
That would have been me
if I hadn't landed
on all that bubble wrap.
What's that?
What?
That.
It's just my face.
No, it is not just your face.
Spill.
Let's hear it for all
of our participants.
Ah, well, this event
would not have been possible
without the generous
sponsorship
from Hill Mini Market, owned
and operated by Eggerton Chada.
[bubble wrap popping]
But I thought
that you said
if you got involved
that the fortune
would come true.
One of my best friends
was in danger.
What was I supposed to do,
nothing?
No. I had to keep trying.
Thank you.
Are you guys going
to my game tomorrow?
I thought you were
going to quit.
I think our friendship can
survive my practice schedule.
You'll be there, right?
Wouldn't miss it.
Ready? Okay.
It's all right ♪
It's okay ♪
Because Mel's going to block
your serve today ♪
Tomorrow.
But don't worry.
It'll make more sense
day of.
How about now?
Nope.
[sighs]