Punky Brewster (1984) s02e22 Episode Script

Maybe the world is blind or just a little unkind.
Don't know.
Seems you can't be sure of anything anymore.
Although, you may be lonely, and then, one day you're smiling again.
Every time I turn around, I see the girl who turns my world around, standing there.
Every time I turn around, her spirit's lifting me right off the ground.
What's gonna be? Guess we'll just wait and see.
SINGERS (THROUGH How much is that doggy in the window-- Arf! Arf! --the one with the waggly tail? How much is that doggy in the window? Arf! Arf! I do hope that doggy is for sale.
Dear dairy-- dear diary, long time, no see.
How you doing? That's good.
Me too.
Sorry I haven't written for a while.
But a few we-- a few we-- a few weeks ago, something happened that made me real sad.
Henry said for me to write my feelings in a journal.
But since I don't know what a journal is, I'll use my diary instead.
Anyway, what made me so sad was that the space shuttle blew up.
It bothered me especially a lot because-- well, maybe I should start from the beginning.
A few days before it happened, I was home after school.
I was showing Brandon my latest card trick.
OK, Brandon, pick a card, any card you want.
OK, don't show me which card you picked.
OK, now, put it back in the deck.
All right, I'll put it back for you.
Now, I'm going to show you which card you picked.
OK, the three of spades.
Wanna know how I knew which card was yours? It's the only one with doggy slobber on it.
You should learn this trick, Brandon.
It might get you a date with that lady beagle you're always barking about.
-Hello, Punky.
-Hello, Henry.
Guess what? -What? -This Friday is gonna be career day at school.
-Really? -Yeah, isn't that awesome? -The awesome-est.
-You know, I have a present that I wanted to give your for a long time.
And I think this is the perfect occasion for it.
-Ooh, I love presents.
Tell me what it is.
No, don't tell me.
Just let me look.
No, I can't look.
Just tell me.
No, you can't tell me.
Just let me look.
No-- -Hold it.
I'll tell you and show you at the same time.
-OK.
-It's your very own camera! It's the first camera I ever used.
-It looks like the first camera anybody ever used.
-Aw, but I've kept it in mint condition.
It still takes perfect pictures.
You can use it for career day.
-Look, Henry, I know you want me to follow your foot shoes.
But I'm really not interested in photography.
-You're not? -No interest at all? -Nope.
-None? -Zip.
I'm really sorry, Henry.
-No big deal.
-I've always known what I wanted to be when I grow up.
In fact, I better get started on making my outfit for career day.
-You know, Punky, there are a lot of children in this world who would jump at the chance to take over a thriving business.
-I bet you're right.
Want me to ask around school and get you a list of names? -Never mind.
-Not right now, Brandon.
I've got a million things to do.
Try it on Henry.
-Try what? - Brandon's trying to learn a magic trick.
-Ha.
That's the silliest thing I've ever heard.
-Henry, don't say that in front of him.
It may hurt his feelings.
Come on.
Pick a card, any card you want.
-No peeking.
Ha, ha.
-That's amazing.
Good boy.
Brandon, would you be interested in photography? Settle down.
OK, I see we have a lot of interesting careers today.
We have a fireman and a ballerina.
-And we have a doctor.
And, Freddy, what are you supposed to be? -I'm a jewel thief.
-Unfortunately, Freddy, that will be a very short career.
Jimmy, read him his rights.
-Cherie, you wanna come up and tell the class about your occupation? All right.
-I wanna be an architect.
I've wanted to be an architect ever since last night at 10:30 when I still couldn't come up with an occupation.
-This is Cherievale.
It's a modern community where people all races, color, and religion can pay me real high rent.
-Very nice, Cherie.
Class, let's hear it for the Frank Lloyd Wright of the fourth grade.
Give it up.
-OK, let's see who's next.
Allen.
-I wanna be Rambo! -Um, Allen, Rambo is not a career.
-It is for Sylvester Stallone.
-You see, Allen, Sylvester Stallone is a movie actor.
He doesn't just play Rambo.
He did all those Rocky movies.
-He was Rocky, too? -And III and IV.
-Wow, Rambo and Rocky, that guy can play anything.
-My turn.
-Let me guess, Margaux, you wanna be a heavy machinery operator.
-No, my ultimate career is to be the lady who shows off the prizes on a game show.
My idol is Vanna White on "Wheel of Fortune.
" No one points like Vanna.
Mike, will you read these cards for me? -I'll try.
Congratulations, you'll find your dream come true when you wake up in this brand new four-poster bed by Sleep Away.
Ooh.
- And you'll really rise and shine when you put on this glittering diamond ring from Kotowski Jewelers.
But don't go near the water with it, unless you're in your new high-powered Cruise Right ski boat.
- Peasants! Wow.
Wow.
-Sit, boy.
Me and my dog Brandon wanna be astronauts.
Wow.
-We wanna be like Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon, and Sally Ride, the first woman in space.
We wanna explore outer space, discover new planets, and ride Harley's Comet.
-Brandon wants to be the first dog on Mars.
I just hope they have fire hydrants there.
-I've wanted to be an astronaut ever since I was a kid.
Whenever I look out my window at night, I think, boy, I wonder what's up there in outer space.
Well, someday, I'm gonna find out.
Someday, I'm gonna touch the other side of the sky.
-Mike, I wanna be a astronaut, too.
-Same here.
-Me, too.
-Me, too.
Yeah.
-Me, too.
-Tell you what.
Next week, the space shuttle is going up again.
Now I have a very special interest in this fight because a lady teacher will be on board.
-Really? -Wow.
-Really? -Wow.
-Wow.
-Neat.
-Wow.
-Neat.
-That's right, the first teacher in space.
Now, since several of you are interested in being astronauts, I'm gonna bring my television.
And we can all watch the launch together.
Yeah.
- Woo.
-Punky, why aren't you in school? -They sent us home.
Honey, what's the matter? -We were watching the space shuttle take off.
And-- -Yes? -It exploded.
-The shuttle exploded? Are you sure? -Please, Henry, don't turn on the TV.
I don't wanna see it again.
- Well, all right.
But I do think we should talk about it, OK? -I still can't believe it.
When it was time for the countdown, the whole class counted along.
Then it took off.
And we all cheered because it was so exciting and beautiful, you know? I remember thinking, boy, I wish it was me up there.
And then, all of a sudden, there was a big flash.
And smoke went in all directions.
- Yes? -Mike turned off the TV.
Some kids started to cry.
I was one of them.
I just couldn't stop.
Honey, I understand.
It's OK.
-Mike cried, too.
Then he asked us all to hold hands and say a prayer for the astronauts.
-Why did it happen, Henry? - I don't know, honey.
It's hard to understand.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
-Guys, we all watched something scary on TV yesterday, didn't we? Yeah.
-Now what do you think about it? And how do you feel? -I kept thinking, this can't be happening.
It-- it isn't real.
-Me, too.
I kept hoping they'd go to a commercial.
When they came back, the astronauts would be saved by Mr.
T.
-But that didn't happen, did it? What do you think about the astronauts? -I think they were real brave.
- Were they explorers? - Yeah.
-They sure were.
-Were they trying to do a good thing? -They sure were.
-Yeah.
-Always.
-They didn't get to finish their mission, did they? -Nope.
-They didn't.
-But they did get started on their way.
Now is that a good thing? - Sure.
-Yeah.
-Should we be proud of them? -Yeah.
-Yes.
-We sure should.
-Mike, are they gonna stop the space program? -I don't think so.
-My dad says they should.
He says they shouldn't send people up in space anymore.
-Well, that's an understandable first reaction, Allen.
But I think that most people will realize how important it is for us to keep exploring space.
-Maybe, but the next time they decide to send a teacher up, I don't know if that person will want to go.
-I would.
If they asked me, I would go in a second.
-What about you, Punky? -Well, it's always been my dream.
-But, Punky, it's dangerous.
-I know.
But it was-- -I sure don't wanna be an astronaut.
-Me neither.
-I never wanted to be one.
-Well, I do.
-After what happened to the shuttle? Punky, you're crazy.
You sure are.
-I would never be an astronaut.
Now hold still.
It itches! Why don't you use a dummy? -I am.
-Now hold still.
- It itches.
-I'm almost finished, Henry.
If you don't hold still, I might accidentally stick you with one of these-- ----pins.
-Betty, it's still in me! Pull it out! Pull it out! -I will if you'd just hold still.
Betty, that hurt.
- For goodness sake, Henry, be a man.
- No.
I'll never forgive you for this.
-Hey, Betty.
-Hi, Mike.
Come on in.
Hello.
-Hello.
-- Betty Johnson, meet Buzz Aldrin.
Buzz, Betty.
Betty, Buzz.
-It's a pleasure to meet you.
-Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut? -That's right.
-Get outta here.
-Really.
-The guy who walked on the moon? -That's right.
-Get outta here.
-Betty, where's Punky.
- She's upstairs with Cherie.
I'll get her.
Are you really Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut? -That's right.
-Get outta here.
-Um, Betty, please.
-I-- I'm gone.
Betty, who was at the door? - Buzz, have a seat.
I'll be right back, OK? -OK.
-Relax.
Henry, it's me, Mike.
Listen, I brought somebody-- -Ooh, I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm looking for Henry Warnimont.
-Very funny, Mike.
-Buzz Aldrin was in town visiting from the University of North Dakota.
He was giving a lecture on the Space Studies Program.
I told him about Punky.
He came right over.
-Buzz Aldrin is here in my apartment? -As a matter of fact, he's sitting right on your couch.
-Get outta here.
-Really.
-Really? -Yeah! -Come on! - Hello.
-Hello.
-M-- Mr.
Aldrin, I-- I'm Henry Warnimont, Punky's father.
May I have a picture taken with you? - Certainly.
- All right, - -OK, ready? Say, "dress.
" - I'm sorry.
I wasn't expecting you.
I mean, I forgot that, - excuse me, Mr.
Buzz.
Why didn't you stop me! -Wow.
-Are you Punky? Hi.
-Are you sure you're really Buzz Aldrin? -I sure am.
-Get outta here.
I'm sorry.
I just didn't recognize you without your spacesuit.
-Well, I would've brought it.
But it's at the dry cleaners.
I spilled Tang on it.
-Are you sure you really came here to see me? -I sure did.
Your teacher tells me you'd like to be an astronaut.
-Yeah, but you know, because of what happened to the space shuttle, my friends think I'm outta my gourd.
-A lot of kids at my elementary school used to laugh at me for wanting to fly to the moon and be a part of the space program.
-Wait a minute.
They didn't have the space program way back then.
-Maybe that's why they laughed.
-But this is the way I look at it.
Astronauts are explorers.
And all through history, people have thought that explorers are a little off their rocker.
-Yeah, like Christopher Columbus.
People told him that the Earth was flat, and if he sailed too far, he'd fall off the edge.
-That's right.
But he went anyway.
He just took lots of rope.
Punky, I have something for you.
-You do? Ooh, Young Astronauts? -Yes, it's an organization for children who are interested in math, science, NASA, and outer space.
And you know what? -What? -I helped start the very first chapter at Viking Elementary in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
-Wait til I tell Mike about this.
He said all the Vikings were extinct.
Wait til he hears they're living in North Dakota.
-Punky, would you like to join the Young Astronaut Program? -You bet.
-Just fill this out, and mail it in.
- Can I have one for my partner, too? -Sure.
- Thank you.
Meeting Buzz Aldrin was awesome.
I mean, it overwhelmed me.
It must've done the same thing to Henry, because he didn't come out of the kitchen all night.
Anyway, I still feel bad about the shuttle.
But I'm gonna be an astronaut, no matter how scary it might be.
Henry says you gotta take risks when you're doing something that nobody's ever done before.
And here's something I realized all by myself.
"If" is a word smack in the middle of "life.
" Isn't that deep? Well, I guess I'll say goodbye for now, dear diary.
Hang loose.
And don't take any wooden nickels.
Your pal, Punky.
-Someday, Brandon.
Someday, you and I are gonna go to the stars.