Scorpion (2014) s04e14 Episode Script
Lighthouse of the Rising Sun
1 Hello, keen viewers.
My name is Walter O'Brien, and you are watching the seminal episode of Walt's Whiz Kidz.
Now, today, we will be learning the most basic concepts of physics: acceleration, deceleration, velocity, gravity, Newton's laws of motion, thermodynamics, impact force What kid besides Ralph is gonna understand all that? Now we will be doing this via the classic egg drop experiment.
I have already explained the aforementioned concepts to our Whiz Kidz, who are going to use homemade contraptions to protect their eggs from a 12-foot drop.
Ready, Whiz Kidz? ALL: Ready! Okay! Ready! Okay, let them drop! Okay, cut, cut, cut.
Why is Ralph the only one getting this? I told you, it's so simple.
You increase the egg's drag to generate friction, turning its kinetic energy into heat to combat gravity, reducing its acceleration over the longest period of time possible to reduce the impact when it hits the ground, okay? Okay, let's try again.
Take six.
Wayne, did you just write âgravityâ on your egg and drop it? Huh? Everyone just calls him âMeatballâ.
You sure you want Walt hosting your public access science show? Well, I got the funding for it.
I can't be the face of it, too.
Conflict of interest.
Yeah, good luck.
I got to go.
I got to pick up Allie for a little R, R and R.
What's the extra âRâ for? Romance.
Here you go, mister.
Oh, Meatball! Haven't you ever heard of salmonella?! Patty, what are you doing? Taking PR pictures for your reelection campaign.
Reelection? I just had an election.
That was a year ago, and it's a two-year term.
Time to start pounding the pavement.
Already lined up an endorsement meeting with the powerful library committee, a photo op at the Warlock's Chest, and an interview with my old friends at the West Altadenia Shopper.
If I spend all my time campaigning, I won't be able to advance my anti-bullying platform, or get funding for my piezoelectric walkway.
You're finally starting to get politics.
My schedule is so full up with aldermanning and Scorpion, I don't know if I want to run for reelection.
Who cares what you want? You've cut the town's electric usage by redesigning street lamps.
You lowered pollution and commute time by synchronizing traffic lights, and now you're producing a science show for kids.
You're effective.
And I want to graduate with honors, and getting a nobody elected twice guarantees it.
- Here's some more.
- Oh! Seriously?! (throat clearing) Thank you for your time today.
Um, my latest chemical endeavor harnesses the power of the invisible light spectrum by creating a translucent, luminescent solar concentrator that is capable of converting infrared light into an electrical current Stop.
Just stop.
Investors are not interested in the science behind your invention.
But then, how will they know what they're investing in? They're either investing in a winner or loser, so just show them how they make money.
If you can't explain it to them in one sentence, then they'll know which of the two they're investing in.
Okay.
Then, with your investment, I can make translucent solar panels to replace everyday windows and cut energy bills.
There.
Wasn't so hard, was it? Okay.
Thank you for your help.
Not a problem.
Good luck.
Oh, if you're looking for more eggs, we're out.
Yes, that's 'cause Ralph is the only Whiz Kid that I have here.
The rest are useless! That means they're just regular kids.
Be patient.
You mean, like you were with Florence? I heard you giving her notes on her investor's speech.
A little harsh.
I was being direct to help her.
You sure it doesn't have anything to do with, um us kissing in my dream? (laughs) Wow, what an ego.
For the last time, I am fine with your dream.
It all happened when you were dying, and Toby told me it wasn't a big deal, so it'd be illogical for me to feel anything but okay, right? Good.
Well, in that case, uh, can I ask you a favor? Mm-hmm.
I need eggs.
(eggs splattering) MEATBALL: That's the last of them! Lots of them.
Not bad.
Not bad at all, Gallo.
You ready for a weekend of no work, no cases, no Scorpion? Sounds like a plan.
(thud) I thought we had the place to ourselves.
So did I.
Then what? A a prowler? (quietly): Wait here.
CABE: Don't move, scumbag.
Toby? Cabe, what are you doing here? I'm on vacation.
What are you doing? You got to get out of here.
Ju-- g-get the hell out of here, man.
Okay, perv, I put it on Weekend ruined.
No, no, no! No, no, no! Don't take it off! Congratulations, Cabe.
You got her out of that outfit faster than I ever could've.
What are you doing in my lighthouse? Your lighthouse? We booked this.
I've been talking about bringing Allie to this place for weeks.
No duh.
It sounded so good, we booked it, too.
Not for this weekend, you didn't.
It says right here that it's our lighthouse today, the 22nd.
Well, I got confirmation Crap.
The 27th.
Happens to the best of us.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Wait, wait, whoa, whoa, wait.
Can we-we trade the dates? This weekend's kind of important.
More important than two geniuses populating the Earth with a superbaby? (sighs) Just hear him out.
The mood's already killed.
Are you proud of yourself, Cabe? She's in normal clothes now.
Normal clothes.
I didn't mean to bust up your Cleopatra/pirate story, but now that it's over, can you do me a solid? I was really planning on telling Allie that I'm in love with her.
You haven't told her already? Assumed you had.
You've been going out for months.
I'm old-fashioned.
You're old everything.
The only gal I've ever said those words to is my ex-wife.
I never thought I'd say them to another woman again, but since I almost went to the slammer, I'm not gonna hold back anymore.
You are lucky that my old lady has a soft spot for you.
We'll, uh, just take our procreation weekend on the road.
Okay, good.
I owe you one.
(quietly): You know, actually, maybe you could lend us one of your old FBI jackets.
For, um, reasons.
(electricity buzzing) I get Patty's position, but being an alderman is exhausting.
I mean, I-I haven't played Fantasies & Frolics in weeks.
But I have things that I want to accomplish.
Dreams.
Seems everyone has dreams.
Some about their futures, some about their neighbors.
I thought you were okay with Walt's dream.
Toby said it was meaningless.
What the hell? WALTER: Let's go.
We need to move faster, people.
Ralph's done already.
RALPH: Nice camera.
Huge improvement over Johann Zahn's.
Huh? What? Johann Zahn.
Inventor of the camera.
What about him? I was cropping pictures.
Nothing.
Okay.
You almost finished retrofitting your contraptions? (screams) I didn't do it.
It's a power surge.
Here, stay away from anything plugged in.
S-Stay put.
What's going on? WALTER: Our cell network and Internet are down.
Let's see.
Anyone on? You got me, Toby, Cabe and Allie.
PAIGE: And you've got Paige and Sly.
What-what are we dealing with? For starters, Cabe ruined our weekend.
Shut up.
There was a flash, now there's no power, and there's not a light source on the coast.
Whole sky's glowing green.
Is it some kind of attack? No.
The aurora that you're seeing is the northern lights.
The fact that you're seeing it in Southern California is a sign that we've been hit by a solar storm.
A what? Sometimes there is a plasma eruption on the sun.
Now, plasma contains charged particles that, when it hits Earth, causes numerous issues due to radiation and geomagnetic-induced current.
This knocks out the power grid and satellites, GPS and cell towers.
Almost everything that was plugged in when this hit is fried beyond repair.
Last time this happened was in 1989, when a grid in Quebec was knocked out for over six hours.
And that's nothing compared to the worst solar storm on record, the 1859 Carrington Event.
Grid was hit so hard that all communication went offline.
And back then, it was just telegraphs.
But now? We could be looking at a power and communication blackout that could last several years.
PAIGE: So how do we find out the extent of this solar storm if we can't call anyone or look up the news? We could use a ham radio.
Uh, solar radiation knocks out higher frequencies, but we can still reach people on lower frequencies-- the same reason why our comms are still working.
Mm.
Unfortunately, I left my ham radio and my Dick Tracy decoder ring back at my apartment.
Well, I have one, in the garage, under the ramp, in my solar storm go-bag, next to my earthquake go-bag and my financial collapse go-bag.
I'll get it.
Sly, hey.
Remember our talk about the difference between obsession and preparation? Guess which way you're leaning, buddy.
Do you want a ham radio or not? Here you go.
I'm scared.
I want my parents.
That's not possible, Melanie.
Traffic lights are out all over, and there's gridlock and mass confusion.
Oh, comics! So there's a good chance that you won't see your parents for days.
Dude.
Walter, she's ten.
So she should understand the concept of traffic.
Ah, ha.
Here we are.
Ham radio.
Now I just need to find a monitored frequency.
CABE: Try 146.
52.
That's a Homeland emergency channel.
Hello? Anyone there? Sir, this is a government channel.
I need you to leave it immediately.
CABE: Just give them my badge number.
Homeland badge number 2-8-3-5.
Hold for verification.
Agent Gallo, how can we help? Uh, this is actually Walter O'Brien of Scorpion working with Agent Gallo.
Now, he would like an update and advice as to how we can assist.
We're still gathering Intel.
All of this is preliminary data, but most of the power grid and comms are down in SoCal.
Emergency services have mobilized to get power back up to the most vulnerable: hospitals and retirement homes, but if you want to assist, we have an aircraft issue.
Well, major airlines have backup systems to maintain GPS and communications, so I'm assuming a private plane? Correct.
There were 25 smaller craft in the process of landing when the solar flare struck.
But we are missing one seaplane that took off from San Francisco at 5:30 with a flight plan for L.
A.
The pilot is not instrument rated.
(whispering): That means he can't fly at night.
We believe his comms and navigation are down, which means he's flying blind.
We are putting out a million fires here at once.
Can you and Agent Gallo handle this one? Absolutely.
Uh, uh, Walt, hey.
We can hear the ham radio over the comms.
Why would you agree to that? It's an impossible task.
Because if we don't help, who will? Great, so all we have to do is find a tiny seaplane in the middle of a pitch-black sky.
That's flying somewhere between San Fran and L.
A.
With no working instruments.
Before it crashes or runs out of fuel.
But if we do our part, whoever's on the stick, they'll do theirs.
Those flyboys have nerves of steel.
Mayday, Mayday, come in! Mayday! I can't get in touch with anyone.
No one can help us.
Scorpion 4x14 Lighthouse of the Rising Sun So, what's the plan? Okay, we have three tasks.
One: find the plane; two: make contact with the pilot, and three: guide him to safety.
Uh, how do we find the plane? The sky's a pretty big place.
Okay, we know the plane took off at 5:30 and FAA regulations require pilots to stay at their altitude and en route if they lose communication.
Sly, that should be enough to do some quick math with that data.
Theoretically, but I can't approximate the plane's locale without its max speed, its fuel and its weight, stuff I normally grab off the Internet.
But since the cell service is down, I don't think I can do that.
You need plane data? Get in.
There's an aviation school nearby that has info on every aircraft, standard flight patterns Ralph had a field trip there.
How many trips does that kid go on? Too many.
Great thinking, Paige.
Now, Happy, Toby, you'll need to figure out a way to get the lighthouse up and running.
A small seaplane will be flying close to shore.
Yeah, if we light this candle it'll be the brightest object on a dark coastline.
- It'll be a beacon for the seaplane.
- Yeah, but we're out of power.
I may be able to get this old dame up and running.
And I will find a way to communicate with the pilot.
Once I'm done, I'll head to the lighthouse.
You're not going anywhere.
You're the only adult in a garage full of scared children.
You need to watch them.
Oh, yeah, the ch-children.
Patty.
You're, uh, 18, 19? Um, I'm 16.
Good enough.
You're in charge.
Uh, Ralph.
Yes.
Whatever you need, I can help.
No, just listen to Patty.
She's in charge of the kids.
Okay, who likes arts and crafts? I do.
Come on, Ralph, we're gonna use pipe cleaners.
When they shut this place down, they kept the components intact.
We get it power, we get the light back on.
Shouldn't there be a generator? HAPPY: Ah, looks like they removed it during the renovation, but I got a way to juice this sucker: Cabe's SUV.
CABE: Cars run on direct current.
All this stuff is running on alternating current.
They're not compatible.
I saw a brand-new fridge in the kitchen.
It's got an inverter to save energy.
I can extract it, run it with the jumper cables from Cabe's SUV to the main power line for the lighthouse and turn DC into AC.
Hmm, well, then we'll no longer be âBack in Black.
â Huh? You get it? DC/AC, AC/DC.
That's the title of their hit song.
Just get the jumper cables.
Yes, dear.
Do you know what you're doing? I've seen Happy do it a million times with a lock just like this.
You press the Flathead against the tumbler, give it a firm pop with the palm of your hand.
Is that how it works for Happy? Come on.
We'll send them a check.
Oh.
Wow, Happy makes that look so easy.
Done, guys.
It's a pigeon.
With four legs.
Yeah.
Great job.
Walter, you got to give me something to do.
Ah, okay.
Hold the circuit board steady while I solder this.
No, I mean something to really help with the case.
Patty has me playing art class with Meatball.
I need her to see me as a man.
But you're not a man.
You're 13.
Please.
I'm dying over there.
(clucks tongue) All right.
You can help me with the launch.
What launch? Okay, give me the speaker.
Great.
Now, you see, Whiz Kids, what I did was match the frequency of an ordinary radio speaker to the frequency of our comms, which makes me and my team what? Magic.
No, not magic.
In communication with our friend, Birdroni, here.
Hey, Ralph.
You should handle this.
I have programmed the lighthouse coordinates into the remote.
You might want to take a step back for safety.
Aah! What the hell?! Sorry.
Uh, I had the remote upside down.
Yeah, I'll just take that.
Inverter's attached.
Got it.
You ready? Pipe's open.
Do your thing.
Okay, babe, hit it.
ALLIE: It worked.
TOBY: One beacon up and running.
Now if we only knew where to look for that seaplane.
SYLVESTER: Try between longitude 33.
724 and .
725 and latitude -118.
211 and .
218.
Focus the lens of the lighthouse in that direction to attract the seaplane.
HAPPY: It's working.
What? We've already committed breaking and entering.
I don't want to add vandalism to my rap sheet.
Oh, smashing a glass door isn't considered vandalism? That was an accident and vandalism is an intentional crime.
Stop lawyering me and figure out how much fuel that plane has left if it was full on takeoff.
Okay.
We're getting low on fuel.
Rachel, I am so sorry I got us into this.
No, it's not your fault.
No, it is.
I convinced you to come up with me.
I-I talked you into it.
Look, there! Is that a light? W-Where? Over there.
Is that land? Uh, one way to find out.
Anything? Not yet.
Happy and Toby have been talking to Walt.
He sent Birdroni towards the lighthouse.
He rigged it with speakers and cameras.
If the plane heads towards us and sees our light, he can land the drone onto their window and establish communication.
Ambitious plan.
Guess we can only wait.
Yeah.
Hey, why don't I take over for a little while? Okay.
You ever work binoculars before? How do you think I found you? You know, uh while we're waiting, I, uh, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.
ALLIE: Sure.
I, um ALLIE: Cabe! I think I see it.
CABE: Hey, Walt.
We've got a visual on the seaplane.
Fantastic.
Give me the specs.
It's coming in from my one o'clock.
- It's about 50 klicks away.
- Okay, speed? Can't get a read on that.
Hey, I'm starving.
The altitude couldn't be more than 500 feet.
Looks like he's heading straight for the lighthouse.
These are burned.
You hear Cabe? Yeah, I've got my comm in and I've adjusted Birdroni.
Okay, give me the remote.
(whispering): Come on, you said I'd get another chance to impress Patty.
Yeah, no, you did.
You got us this far, but I need to land Birdroni on the plane and I can't leave that to someone who gets so nervous around a girl that he holds the remote upside down.
Come on.
Thank you.
Okay, changing Birdroni's course.
Arriving at the edge of Sly's search grid now.
There it is.
It's following the light to the lighthouse.
WALTER: Uh-huh.
Sending Birdroni in to land.
That's amazing piloting, Walter.
Yeah, Walt.
Great job.
What the hell is that? I-In the moonlight.
It's a bird? It's it's a drone.
Hello.
My name is Walter O'Brien and I'm here to help you land.
Uh good, because I've lost most communication and navigation.
I-I've got pilot controls, but that's it.
Well, that's due to a coronal mass ejection, which sent protons Walter, simplify.
There's more than one of you? We are a team.
A natural disaster hit.
It damaged your plane.
We're here to help.
Um, tiny problem.
I don't really have experience flying at night.
Uh, I don't think I can land without my guidance system.
I thought you flew all the time, Griffin.
Well, with my dad who doesn't know I borrowed his plane.
Look, I just wanted to take you to L.
A.
for the weekend.
Hey, kid, weekend plans get messed up all the time.
The main thing is we're trying to get you home in one piece.
Now, I got a pilot here who can talk you through the landing.
Okay, Griffin, we're gonna get you to land on the water right by the lighthouse that you're headed to.
GRIFFIN: Um, one more thing.
I've only landed solo a half dozen times and always during the day.
Okay, it's simple, just like your training.
Slow your descent, keep the draft stabilized and pretend the light on the water is your runway.
U-Um, I'm kind of freaking out a bit.
I don't blame the kid.
I'd be terrified.
We can hear you! TOBY: Hey, Griffin.
My name's Toby, I'm a doctor, and I'm gonna calm you down.
I want you to breathe in for four seconds, then hold it for seven and exhale for five.
You ready? Go.
(all inhaling) What are you doing? (holding breath): Relaxing.
(exhaling) TOBY: All right, Griffin, we just activated your hypothalamus to tell your pituitary gland to send out neurohormones that'll inhibit stress-producing hormones and trigger a relaxation response in your body.
How you feeling now, buddy? Better.
Great.
Now you just listen to the beautiful voice of my beautiful bride and let your instincts take over.
HAPPY: Okay, kid, pull on the throttle and adjust your draft.
Walt, we're gonna need you to keep an eye on the plane's altitude and speed via Birdroni.
Well, Griffin could be slower and lower, but his flow is perfect.
Oh, what a surprise, Walter thinks Flo is perfect.
That's just beneath you.
Paige, I know bullies.
And a bully is someone who picks on somebody for no other reason but their own insecurity.
That's what you're doing to Florence.
You, Paige you're being a bully.
Okay, I see the lighthouse.
HAPPY: Okay, good.
Focus on the light hitting the water.
Got a visual.
HAPPY: Okay, now reduce your power, tilt your nose up and begin your descent.
You got this? We're gonna be okay? Yeah, visibility's great.
I got this.
There you go.
Nice and easy.
What the hell?! (screams) Uh, okay, you've hit something.
Pull up.
What happened? HAPPY: You need to gain altitude.
You're gonna hit the bluff.
Griffin, full throttle! (both screaming) Pull up, pull up! Their float must have hit some flotsam.
Okay, binoculars.
But is the plane okay? Can we take another run at landing her? Uh, don't worry about it.
We'll get you down in a jiffy.
Okay, their float is toast.
Without it, there's no way to land the plane.
WALTER: Okay, Griffin, stay in a holding pattern, we'll be with you in a second.
We have an inexperienced pilot in a seaplane with a missing float.
And no navigational systems.
And no pancakes.
Seriously? Now? I'm growing.
Oy.
So a water landing is no longer an option.
SYLVESTER: According to my calculations, they're gonna run out of fuel in less than 30 minutes.
So, ideas? How 'bout not burning them this time? How 'bout you stop talking? Walter, don't talk to a kid like that.
CABE: Why don't we do a plane-to-plane transfer? It's risky, but it's been done before.
What, scramble a jet and pull it off with a couple of terrified kids in the pitch black? There's not enough time for that.
Are all those people gonna die? Probably.
Ow! Uh, maybe.
(thud) Ow! You're supposed to use eggs.
Well, you broke all the eggs.
Oh MEATBALL: Hey, I'm still hungry.
Guys, are you still there? Where else would we be? Well, can we take another shot at landing the plane? Uh, not exactly.
You lost a float when you hit some debris, so a water landing now would flip the plane over, killing you both.
Oh, God! But it's okay-- you don't want to land, you want to crash.
Wh-- I'm gonna disagree with you on that one.
Okay, I think what Walt is suggesting is a controlled crash.
It's very common in the aviation world.
We will do everything to make sure that you land as comfortably as possible.
How are you gonna make the ground comfy? It's just like the egg drop experiment.
We increase the plane's drag To create friction between it and the air.
Converting its kinetic energy into heat So it decelerates And turns into gravity! No.
What the hell does that even mean? Walter! Language! Okay, so we're the egg.
How are you gonna catch us? Delicately.
Now, first, Sly and Paige are gonna find a map showing the flattest stretch of nearby land for our runway.
On it.
And Sly will calculate the necessary speed and angles for the crash while the lighthouse team builds a crash zone to slow the plane over the maximum amount of time possible.
Doc, you and Allie keep flyboy calm.
Cabe, let's see what we've got to work with in the boathouse.
WALTER: Okay, according to Griffin, this is everything that's on the plane It's not an exact match, but it's close enough.
Picnic basket, candle, sleeping bag.
Someone was planning a romantic night under the stars.
These are the cockpit's dimensions.
Okay, we need to use the items on the plane to cushion cockpit impact.
Like stuffing a turkey.
Not really.
Well, yeah, kinda.
Did you make those pancakes? Someone had to take care of us.
Make yourself useful and blow up that raft.
HAPPY: Okay, just make yourself useful.
Hold that lantern higher.
Sheesh, grumpy.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
Just not how I thought my, uh, lighthouse trip would work out.
Preachin' to the choir.
I know, but I am trying to make a baby, and it is not happening.
It's getting to me.
It'll be all right, kid.
I don't want to talk about me anymore.
How about you? Did you drop the, uh, L-bomb on your little alley cat yet? Let's keep looking.
And to answer your question, no, I haven't told her.
Saving the lives of two kids takes precedence.
You could have told her months ago.
You're scared she won't say it back.
She will.
So just man up and, uh, don't be a wuss.
Yes.
I think I just found our plane catcher.
(chair creaking) Oh! Should I get Cabe? Sometimes you're not the most graceful.
I'll have you know I was voted best tumbler at P.
S.
90 in Brooklyn.
Oh oh! So, what's up there that's worth breaking your neck over? Emergency landings have a high probability of starting fires.
I want to help prevent that.
Okay, but I'm looking at a fire extinguisher right now.
That's a Class-A extinguisher.
Fires involving liquids and gases, that'll just spread the flames.
But the lighthouse was built with a Halon fire suppression system.
Okay, now we're ready to play fireman.
Good, 'cause we found our runway.
Just west of the lighthouse is a one-kilometer stretch with no slope that terminates between the lighthouse and the boathouse.
Okay, that'll work.
We can use the palm trees as pick points for the fishing nets.
Fishing nets? Stretchy nylon nets.
They have a lot of give.
They better, because I'm done with the math.
Griffin and Rachel are going to experience 40 Gs of force when they crash.
Ten Gs is on the higher end of the survivable scale.
Industrial nautical nylon can cut down the G forces by, say, 20, but we still need to lose another ten Gs, or else they'll die.
(exhales) Whiz Kidz, let's do this! (wheels squeaking) (groaning) We got it-- the raft absorbed 10.
02 Gs of force.
(chuckling) Okay, sweatshirts, sleeping bags And don't forget the picnic basket.
Wicker's pliable.
Every bit of force absorption counts.
Now, inflate the raft.
You'll only have a few seconds to move it into position before the crash.
RACHEL: All right, got it.
Okay, I-I see the stretch of grass.
That lady said one kilometer.
It looks a lot shorter than that.
HAPPY: It is what we said it is, so just relax and line it up with the net, lower your speed, and land on your belly.
Yeah, that's not happening.
We need another plan.
There's no other plan, and this will work.
I'm out.
I'm sorry, but I didn't sign up for this.
I just wanted a nice weekend with Rachel.
See the Hollywood sign, the Santa Monica Pier.
And after everything was perfect (quietly): I'd ask her to be my girlfriend.
Ooh, like Ralph and Patty.
(laughs) CABE: Wait a minute, you took Rachel on a moonlight plane ride, and she's not even your girl? She's been my best friend since first grade.
I was gonna ask her tonight, but Everything's a mess.
Look, Griffin, come on, man, you're too much in your head.
You gotta put aside all thoughts of Rachel and focus on the task at hand.
Wrong! You've been waiting on this since grade school? Get over it already.
You're scared that she won't say it back, but she will.
Now man up and quit being a wuss and tell her.
At least, that's the advice that I got.
Advice on what? On you.
I'm in love with you, okay? I was gonna tell you proper when this is all over, but I'm head over heels for you, kid.
I love you, too.
CABE: Okay, Griffin, my cards are on the table.
CABE: It's your turn.
Rachel, I need to say something.
Hey um Rachel, you've been my best friend since we were six years old.
I've been in love with you since we were seven.
If we're gonna die, I don't want to die without you knowing, so, uh now you know.
I've known since we were six.
I love you, too.
CABE: Attaboy.
Now you got something special to live for, don't you? Yes, sir, I do.
Okay, making my approach.
Is that him? HAPPY: Uh, yeah.
He's going too fast.
Griffin, lower the speed.
I'm trying, but the flaps aren't responding.
Wha-- checking them now.
I know what Happy would say if she saw this.
I'd say ânot good.
â What is it? WALTER: Well, when the float broke, a shard must've have hit the flap and damaged it.
We can't fix it.
Then we're stuck up here.
SYLVESTER: Not for long.
I've been keeping a tab on you guys.
You're gonna run out of fuel in ten minutes.
WALTER: Okay.
We have about ten minutes to figure out how to land a busted plane before it runs out of fuel.
We can't just sit here and watch them circle until they crash.
Excuse me? No, not now.
But I have a question.
(stammers) The brownies are in the cabinet, okay? Not my question.
What I was gonna ask is, if you know the plane's gonna crash, why not leave the plane? Wayne, now's not a good time.
No, hold on.
Meatball might have a point.
Uh, g-go on? You can catch them like an egg in an egg toss.
What? Or not.
I'm not sure.
Meatball, you are brilliant.
Hey, Walter, you're talking about human beings plummeting to Earth, not eggs.
I did it from a space capsule.
Yeah, but these guys don't have a body of water or a torpedo to break their fall.
They just have a fall to break their neck.
WALTER: Wrong.
If we flip the nets from facing the ocean to facing the sky, then it should have enough give to catch them without killing them.
Wha-- no, that is insane.
That's never gonna work.
It did work.
In 2016, a daredevil jumped from 25,000 feet, without a parachute, and landed in a net suspended off the ground.
Right, well, that-that jump was planned well in advance.
These kids can't jump a second too early or a second too late.
TOBY: Sly, you up for this? I don't know.
There's too many variables.
Wind speed, altitude, wind direction.
I need real time data, and I can't get that information from any book.
T-The lighthouse doubled as a weather station.
The equipment's still functioning.
Allie, little help? I'll get the other end of the net.
You get this end.
Uh, what about us? You need to prepare to put the plane into a stall.
It's the only way to get your speed close to zero relative to the ground.
Just pull on the stick until the nose is perpendicular to the ground, so that there's no lift, and the plane will fall back to Earth.
Okay, uh, we got numbers.
Wind speed's three miles per hour.
The temperature is 62 degrees.
Wind direction, Allie? Uh, north by northwest.
Okay, almost there.
Griffin, you need to stall the plane 200 meters north of the net.
All right, pointing the lantern at the net now.
Net's up and we got over seven feet of stretch! GRIFFIN: Good, because we're running out of fuel.
Making my approach now.
Okay, Griffin? Two things to keep in mind.
One, you'll have to tie off the stick, and you'll only have one second to jump, and you can't be fiddling with the controls.
I can use my belt.
And two, you guys have to jump at the same time.
If you don't, whoever lands first will get all the net's stretch, and whoever lands second They'll be Humpty Dumpty.
We've been in sync for a long time now.
We can do this.
TOBY: Let's get these lovebirds on the ground so they can smooch already, huh? We should get down there.
RALPH: Birdroni's numbers say Griffin should pull up Now! Now! Now.
Okay, stick's in place! Go, go! (grunts) The plane stalled! WALTER: Get ready to jump on my count.
Three, two, one.
Go! (both screaming) (both screaming) Man, this is tense.
Quiet.
I-I used to get nervous waiting for a pop fly to come at me, but this is ridiculous.
Shh! Ralph, plane? Fell a few hundred feet and caught an updraft and glided out to sea.
Guys on the ground should have a visual any moment now.
Ugh, this is too tense, even for us.
Hang in there, big guy.
Thank you, Meatball.
You know what? Thank you all.
I have not been patient today, and you've all comported yourselves admirably, despite my failings.
You've even helped.
True Whiz Kidz.
You okay? We convinced two healthy teens to jump out of a plane.
Is that even legal? There! ALLIE: That's them? Are you sure? They're so tiny.
They're getting bigger fast.
HAPPY: Hey, where are you going? Look, I trust Sly's math and all, but if he's off, this is not how I want to go out.
CABE: Crap, that really is them.
(screaming) (gasping) Are they okay? (gasping, laughing) Yes! Oh! Congrats, Sly! (cheering, clapping) (chuckles) Okay.
I feel like that's over now.
MEATBALL: No, it's not.
(both laughing) Man, what a first date, huh? That kid's got game.
So do you.
Not now.
We got to take the net down.
That's what happens once you're married.
(laser sound) Hello, keen viewers.
My name is Walter O'Brien, and you're watching Walt's Whiz Kidz.
Now, today we'll be using the classic egg drop experiment to demonstrate what principles of physics? ALL: Creating drag to reduce the force upon landing.
WALTER: That's exactly right.
Now, we will be right back with you to walk you through the steps.
But remember, if you have a science problem, don't take just any old kid along with you to help.
Take a whiz.
(whirring sound) Um s Well said.
Thank you, Toby.
And? (door opens) Hello, everyone.
(door closes) I go should see how Patty's doing.
Yeah, I should pack.
Yeah, I don't make excuses.
FLORENCE: I have positive news.
After the electricity came back on, I was able to teleconference my investors.
I was direct, as you suggested.
And they've agreed to fund me.
Florence, that's wonderful.
Well, I owe you thanks.
And I-I owe you an apology.
I was, I was a bit short with you, and I shouldn't have been.
Yes.
I noticed.
I was worried that maybe I had offended you.
No, you didn't.
You did nothing wrong.
I was upset about something else, something entirely not your fault, and I took it out on you.
That is illogical.
But I'm relieved.
I don't have many friends, and I thought you had become one.
I have.
Splendid.
(chuckles softly) Well, I'll see you tomorrow.
(door closes) Great.
Thank you.
Checked in with West Altadenia.
Like L.
A.
county, they've got cell towers back up, and expect full power by morning.
Excellent.
And the Whiz Kidz? Melanie and Tracy are home, and Meatball's calling his dad from the trailer.
Great job, guys.
I was just wrangling the kids.
Ralph really helped, though.
Oh, no.
Everyone contributed.
Even Meatball.
I think you make a good team.
Maybe Ralph could help you running my reelection campaign.
Y-You'll run again next year? Our science club just helped save two lives.
We're making a difference.
You up for being my assistant campaign manager? It'll be really long hours working together.
You have the time? I-I'll make the time.
Excelsior.
Now, how about some celebration milkshakes, huh? Yes.
SYLVESTER: Paige? I'm taking the kids to Kovelsky's.
Be back in an hour.
PAIGE: Uh, bring me a chocolate? (door opens, closes) You hiding back here? No.
Yes, you are.
You're hiding because the woman you dreamed about and your crazy girlfriend were talking.
And if I were you, I'd hide, too.
You would? Yep.
Okay.
Because I was unreasonable.
And insecure.
And wrong.
Walter, I saw two teens today trust each other with their lives, jumping as one, so I should easily be able to trust you with a stupid dream.
The dream wasn't totally stupid.
Okay When I was almost dying, my subconscious knew t-the only way out was to find you.
I-I trusted you to bring me back from the brink of death.
And I trust you.
You know, Sly and the kids won't be back for an hour.
Hmm.
MEATBALL: My father says that the solar flare messed with the wiring in his electric car, so I'm sleeping over.
(quietly): Damn it.
My name is Walter O'Brien, and you are watching the seminal episode of Walt's Whiz Kidz.
Now, today, we will be learning the most basic concepts of physics: acceleration, deceleration, velocity, gravity, Newton's laws of motion, thermodynamics, impact force What kid besides Ralph is gonna understand all that? Now we will be doing this via the classic egg drop experiment.
I have already explained the aforementioned concepts to our Whiz Kidz, who are going to use homemade contraptions to protect their eggs from a 12-foot drop.
Ready, Whiz Kidz? ALL: Ready! Okay! Ready! Okay, let them drop! Okay, cut, cut, cut.
Why is Ralph the only one getting this? I told you, it's so simple.
You increase the egg's drag to generate friction, turning its kinetic energy into heat to combat gravity, reducing its acceleration over the longest period of time possible to reduce the impact when it hits the ground, okay? Okay, let's try again.
Take six.
Wayne, did you just write âgravityâ on your egg and drop it? Huh? Everyone just calls him âMeatballâ.
You sure you want Walt hosting your public access science show? Well, I got the funding for it.
I can't be the face of it, too.
Conflict of interest.
Yeah, good luck.
I got to go.
I got to pick up Allie for a little R, R and R.
What's the extra âRâ for? Romance.
Here you go, mister.
Oh, Meatball! Haven't you ever heard of salmonella?! Patty, what are you doing? Taking PR pictures for your reelection campaign.
Reelection? I just had an election.
That was a year ago, and it's a two-year term.
Time to start pounding the pavement.
Already lined up an endorsement meeting with the powerful library committee, a photo op at the Warlock's Chest, and an interview with my old friends at the West Altadenia Shopper.
If I spend all my time campaigning, I won't be able to advance my anti-bullying platform, or get funding for my piezoelectric walkway.
You're finally starting to get politics.
My schedule is so full up with aldermanning and Scorpion, I don't know if I want to run for reelection.
Who cares what you want? You've cut the town's electric usage by redesigning street lamps.
You lowered pollution and commute time by synchronizing traffic lights, and now you're producing a science show for kids.
You're effective.
And I want to graduate with honors, and getting a nobody elected twice guarantees it.
- Here's some more.
- Oh! Seriously?! (throat clearing) Thank you for your time today.
Um, my latest chemical endeavor harnesses the power of the invisible light spectrum by creating a translucent, luminescent solar concentrator that is capable of converting infrared light into an electrical current Stop.
Just stop.
Investors are not interested in the science behind your invention.
But then, how will they know what they're investing in? They're either investing in a winner or loser, so just show them how they make money.
If you can't explain it to them in one sentence, then they'll know which of the two they're investing in.
Okay.
Then, with your investment, I can make translucent solar panels to replace everyday windows and cut energy bills.
There.
Wasn't so hard, was it? Okay.
Thank you for your help.
Not a problem.
Good luck.
Oh, if you're looking for more eggs, we're out.
Yes, that's 'cause Ralph is the only Whiz Kid that I have here.
The rest are useless! That means they're just regular kids.
Be patient.
You mean, like you were with Florence? I heard you giving her notes on her investor's speech.
A little harsh.
I was being direct to help her.
You sure it doesn't have anything to do with, um us kissing in my dream? (laughs) Wow, what an ego.
For the last time, I am fine with your dream.
It all happened when you were dying, and Toby told me it wasn't a big deal, so it'd be illogical for me to feel anything but okay, right? Good.
Well, in that case, uh, can I ask you a favor? Mm-hmm.
I need eggs.
(eggs splattering) MEATBALL: That's the last of them! Lots of them.
Not bad.
Not bad at all, Gallo.
You ready for a weekend of no work, no cases, no Scorpion? Sounds like a plan.
(thud) I thought we had the place to ourselves.
So did I.
Then what? A a prowler? (quietly): Wait here.
CABE: Don't move, scumbag.
Toby? Cabe, what are you doing here? I'm on vacation.
What are you doing? You got to get out of here.
Ju-- g-get the hell out of here, man.
Okay, perv, I put it on Weekend ruined.
No, no, no! No, no, no! Don't take it off! Congratulations, Cabe.
You got her out of that outfit faster than I ever could've.
What are you doing in my lighthouse? Your lighthouse? We booked this.
I've been talking about bringing Allie to this place for weeks.
No duh.
It sounded so good, we booked it, too.
Not for this weekend, you didn't.
It says right here that it's our lighthouse today, the 22nd.
Well, I got confirmation Crap.
The 27th.
Happens to the best of us.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Wait, wait, whoa, whoa, wait.
Can we-we trade the dates? This weekend's kind of important.
More important than two geniuses populating the Earth with a superbaby? (sighs) Just hear him out.
The mood's already killed.
Are you proud of yourself, Cabe? She's in normal clothes now.
Normal clothes.
I didn't mean to bust up your Cleopatra/pirate story, but now that it's over, can you do me a solid? I was really planning on telling Allie that I'm in love with her.
You haven't told her already? Assumed you had.
You've been going out for months.
I'm old-fashioned.
You're old everything.
The only gal I've ever said those words to is my ex-wife.
I never thought I'd say them to another woman again, but since I almost went to the slammer, I'm not gonna hold back anymore.
You are lucky that my old lady has a soft spot for you.
We'll, uh, just take our procreation weekend on the road.
Okay, good.
I owe you one.
(quietly): You know, actually, maybe you could lend us one of your old FBI jackets.
For, um, reasons.
(electricity buzzing) I get Patty's position, but being an alderman is exhausting.
I mean, I-I haven't played Fantasies & Frolics in weeks.
But I have things that I want to accomplish.
Dreams.
Seems everyone has dreams.
Some about their futures, some about their neighbors.
I thought you were okay with Walt's dream.
Toby said it was meaningless.
What the hell? WALTER: Let's go.
We need to move faster, people.
Ralph's done already.
RALPH: Nice camera.
Huge improvement over Johann Zahn's.
Huh? What? Johann Zahn.
Inventor of the camera.
What about him? I was cropping pictures.
Nothing.
Okay.
You almost finished retrofitting your contraptions? (screams) I didn't do it.
It's a power surge.
Here, stay away from anything plugged in.
S-Stay put.
What's going on? WALTER: Our cell network and Internet are down.
Let's see.
Anyone on? You got me, Toby, Cabe and Allie.
PAIGE: And you've got Paige and Sly.
What-what are we dealing with? For starters, Cabe ruined our weekend.
Shut up.
There was a flash, now there's no power, and there's not a light source on the coast.
Whole sky's glowing green.
Is it some kind of attack? No.
The aurora that you're seeing is the northern lights.
The fact that you're seeing it in Southern California is a sign that we've been hit by a solar storm.
A what? Sometimes there is a plasma eruption on the sun.
Now, plasma contains charged particles that, when it hits Earth, causes numerous issues due to radiation and geomagnetic-induced current.
This knocks out the power grid and satellites, GPS and cell towers.
Almost everything that was plugged in when this hit is fried beyond repair.
Last time this happened was in 1989, when a grid in Quebec was knocked out for over six hours.
And that's nothing compared to the worst solar storm on record, the 1859 Carrington Event.
Grid was hit so hard that all communication went offline.
And back then, it was just telegraphs.
But now? We could be looking at a power and communication blackout that could last several years.
PAIGE: So how do we find out the extent of this solar storm if we can't call anyone or look up the news? We could use a ham radio.
Uh, solar radiation knocks out higher frequencies, but we can still reach people on lower frequencies-- the same reason why our comms are still working.
Mm.
Unfortunately, I left my ham radio and my Dick Tracy decoder ring back at my apartment.
Well, I have one, in the garage, under the ramp, in my solar storm go-bag, next to my earthquake go-bag and my financial collapse go-bag.
I'll get it.
Sly, hey.
Remember our talk about the difference between obsession and preparation? Guess which way you're leaning, buddy.
Do you want a ham radio or not? Here you go.
I'm scared.
I want my parents.
That's not possible, Melanie.
Traffic lights are out all over, and there's gridlock and mass confusion.
Oh, comics! So there's a good chance that you won't see your parents for days.
Dude.
Walter, she's ten.
So she should understand the concept of traffic.
Ah, ha.
Here we are.
Ham radio.
Now I just need to find a monitored frequency.
CABE: Try 146.
52.
That's a Homeland emergency channel.
Hello? Anyone there? Sir, this is a government channel.
I need you to leave it immediately.
CABE: Just give them my badge number.
Homeland badge number 2-8-3-5.
Hold for verification.
Agent Gallo, how can we help? Uh, this is actually Walter O'Brien of Scorpion working with Agent Gallo.
Now, he would like an update and advice as to how we can assist.
We're still gathering Intel.
All of this is preliminary data, but most of the power grid and comms are down in SoCal.
Emergency services have mobilized to get power back up to the most vulnerable: hospitals and retirement homes, but if you want to assist, we have an aircraft issue.
Well, major airlines have backup systems to maintain GPS and communications, so I'm assuming a private plane? Correct.
There were 25 smaller craft in the process of landing when the solar flare struck.
But we are missing one seaplane that took off from San Francisco at 5:30 with a flight plan for L.
A.
The pilot is not instrument rated.
(whispering): That means he can't fly at night.
We believe his comms and navigation are down, which means he's flying blind.
We are putting out a million fires here at once.
Can you and Agent Gallo handle this one? Absolutely.
Uh, uh, Walt, hey.
We can hear the ham radio over the comms.
Why would you agree to that? It's an impossible task.
Because if we don't help, who will? Great, so all we have to do is find a tiny seaplane in the middle of a pitch-black sky.
That's flying somewhere between San Fran and L.
A.
With no working instruments.
Before it crashes or runs out of fuel.
But if we do our part, whoever's on the stick, they'll do theirs.
Those flyboys have nerves of steel.
Mayday, Mayday, come in! Mayday! I can't get in touch with anyone.
No one can help us.
Scorpion 4x14 Lighthouse of the Rising Sun So, what's the plan? Okay, we have three tasks.
One: find the plane; two: make contact with the pilot, and three: guide him to safety.
Uh, how do we find the plane? The sky's a pretty big place.
Okay, we know the plane took off at 5:30 and FAA regulations require pilots to stay at their altitude and en route if they lose communication.
Sly, that should be enough to do some quick math with that data.
Theoretically, but I can't approximate the plane's locale without its max speed, its fuel and its weight, stuff I normally grab off the Internet.
But since the cell service is down, I don't think I can do that.
You need plane data? Get in.
There's an aviation school nearby that has info on every aircraft, standard flight patterns Ralph had a field trip there.
How many trips does that kid go on? Too many.
Great thinking, Paige.
Now, Happy, Toby, you'll need to figure out a way to get the lighthouse up and running.
A small seaplane will be flying close to shore.
Yeah, if we light this candle it'll be the brightest object on a dark coastline.
- It'll be a beacon for the seaplane.
- Yeah, but we're out of power.
I may be able to get this old dame up and running.
And I will find a way to communicate with the pilot.
Once I'm done, I'll head to the lighthouse.
You're not going anywhere.
You're the only adult in a garage full of scared children.
You need to watch them.
Oh, yeah, the ch-children.
Patty.
You're, uh, 18, 19? Um, I'm 16.
Good enough.
You're in charge.
Uh, Ralph.
Yes.
Whatever you need, I can help.
No, just listen to Patty.
She's in charge of the kids.
Okay, who likes arts and crafts? I do.
Come on, Ralph, we're gonna use pipe cleaners.
When they shut this place down, they kept the components intact.
We get it power, we get the light back on.
Shouldn't there be a generator? HAPPY: Ah, looks like they removed it during the renovation, but I got a way to juice this sucker: Cabe's SUV.
CABE: Cars run on direct current.
All this stuff is running on alternating current.
They're not compatible.
I saw a brand-new fridge in the kitchen.
It's got an inverter to save energy.
I can extract it, run it with the jumper cables from Cabe's SUV to the main power line for the lighthouse and turn DC into AC.
Hmm, well, then we'll no longer be âBack in Black.
â Huh? You get it? DC/AC, AC/DC.
That's the title of their hit song.
Just get the jumper cables.
Yes, dear.
Do you know what you're doing? I've seen Happy do it a million times with a lock just like this.
You press the Flathead against the tumbler, give it a firm pop with the palm of your hand.
Is that how it works for Happy? Come on.
We'll send them a check.
Oh.
Wow, Happy makes that look so easy.
Done, guys.
It's a pigeon.
With four legs.
Yeah.
Great job.
Walter, you got to give me something to do.
Ah, okay.
Hold the circuit board steady while I solder this.
No, I mean something to really help with the case.
Patty has me playing art class with Meatball.
I need her to see me as a man.
But you're not a man.
You're 13.
Please.
I'm dying over there.
(clucks tongue) All right.
You can help me with the launch.
What launch? Okay, give me the speaker.
Great.
Now, you see, Whiz Kids, what I did was match the frequency of an ordinary radio speaker to the frequency of our comms, which makes me and my team what? Magic.
No, not magic.
In communication with our friend, Birdroni, here.
Hey, Ralph.
You should handle this.
I have programmed the lighthouse coordinates into the remote.
You might want to take a step back for safety.
Aah! What the hell?! Sorry.
Uh, I had the remote upside down.
Yeah, I'll just take that.
Inverter's attached.
Got it.
You ready? Pipe's open.
Do your thing.
Okay, babe, hit it.
ALLIE: It worked.
TOBY: One beacon up and running.
Now if we only knew where to look for that seaplane.
SYLVESTER: Try between longitude 33.
724 and .
725 and latitude -118.
211 and .
218.
Focus the lens of the lighthouse in that direction to attract the seaplane.
HAPPY: It's working.
What? We've already committed breaking and entering.
I don't want to add vandalism to my rap sheet.
Oh, smashing a glass door isn't considered vandalism? That was an accident and vandalism is an intentional crime.
Stop lawyering me and figure out how much fuel that plane has left if it was full on takeoff.
Okay.
We're getting low on fuel.
Rachel, I am so sorry I got us into this.
No, it's not your fault.
No, it is.
I convinced you to come up with me.
I-I talked you into it.
Look, there! Is that a light? W-Where? Over there.
Is that land? Uh, one way to find out.
Anything? Not yet.
Happy and Toby have been talking to Walt.
He sent Birdroni towards the lighthouse.
He rigged it with speakers and cameras.
If the plane heads towards us and sees our light, he can land the drone onto their window and establish communication.
Ambitious plan.
Guess we can only wait.
Yeah.
Hey, why don't I take over for a little while? Okay.
You ever work binoculars before? How do you think I found you? You know, uh while we're waiting, I, uh, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.
ALLIE: Sure.
I, um ALLIE: Cabe! I think I see it.
CABE: Hey, Walt.
We've got a visual on the seaplane.
Fantastic.
Give me the specs.
It's coming in from my one o'clock.
- It's about 50 klicks away.
- Okay, speed? Can't get a read on that.
Hey, I'm starving.
The altitude couldn't be more than 500 feet.
Looks like he's heading straight for the lighthouse.
These are burned.
You hear Cabe? Yeah, I've got my comm in and I've adjusted Birdroni.
Okay, give me the remote.
(whispering): Come on, you said I'd get another chance to impress Patty.
Yeah, no, you did.
You got us this far, but I need to land Birdroni on the plane and I can't leave that to someone who gets so nervous around a girl that he holds the remote upside down.
Come on.
Thank you.
Okay, changing Birdroni's course.
Arriving at the edge of Sly's search grid now.
There it is.
It's following the light to the lighthouse.
WALTER: Uh-huh.
Sending Birdroni in to land.
That's amazing piloting, Walter.
Yeah, Walt.
Great job.
What the hell is that? I-In the moonlight.
It's a bird? It's it's a drone.
Hello.
My name is Walter O'Brien and I'm here to help you land.
Uh good, because I've lost most communication and navigation.
I-I've got pilot controls, but that's it.
Well, that's due to a coronal mass ejection, which sent protons Walter, simplify.
There's more than one of you? We are a team.
A natural disaster hit.
It damaged your plane.
We're here to help.
Um, tiny problem.
I don't really have experience flying at night.
Uh, I don't think I can land without my guidance system.
I thought you flew all the time, Griffin.
Well, with my dad who doesn't know I borrowed his plane.
Look, I just wanted to take you to L.
A.
for the weekend.
Hey, kid, weekend plans get messed up all the time.
The main thing is we're trying to get you home in one piece.
Now, I got a pilot here who can talk you through the landing.
Okay, Griffin, we're gonna get you to land on the water right by the lighthouse that you're headed to.
GRIFFIN: Um, one more thing.
I've only landed solo a half dozen times and always during the day.
Okay, it's simple, just like your training.
Slow your descent, keep the draft stabilized and pretend the light on the water is your runway.
U-Um, I'm kind of freaking out a bit.
I don't blame the kid.
I'd be terrified.
We can hear you! TOBY: Hey, Griffin.
My name's Toby, I'm a doctor, and I'm gonna calm you down.
I want you to breathe in for four seconds, then hold it for seven and exhale for five.
You ready? Go.
(all inhaling) What are you doing? (holding breath): Relaxing.
(exhaling) TOBY: All right, Griffin, we just activated your hypothalamus to tell your pituitary gland to send out neurohormones that'll inhibit stress-producing hormones and trigger a relaxation response in your body.
How you feeling now, buddy? Better.
Great.
Now you just listen to the beautiful voice of my beautiful bride and let your instincts take over.
HAPPY: Okay, kid, pull on the throttle and adjust your draft.
Walt, we're gonna need you to keep an eye on the plane's altitude and speed via Birdroni.
Well, Griffin could be slower and lower, but his flow is perfect.
Oh, what a surprise, Walter thinks Flo is perfect.
That's just beneath you.
Paige, I know bullies.
And a bully is someone who picks on somebody for no other reason but their own insecurity.
That's what you're doing to Florence.
You, Paige you're being a bully.
Okay, I see the lighthouse.
HAPPY: Okay, good.
Focus on the light hitting the water.
Got a visual.
HAPPY: Okay, now reduce your power, tilt your nose up and begin your descent.
You got this? We're gonna be okay? Yeah, visibility's great.
I got this.
There you go.
Nice and easy.
What the hell?! (screams) Uh, okay, you've hit something.
Pull up.
What happened? HAPPY: You need to gain altitude.
You're gonna hit the bluff.
Griffin, full throttle! (both screaming) Pull up, pull up! Their float must have hit some flotsam.
Okay, binoculars.
But is the plane okay? Can we take another run at landing her? Uh, don't worry about it.
We'll get you down in a jiffy.
Okay, their float is toast.
Without it, there's no way to land the plane.
WALTER: Okay, Griffin, stay in a holding pattern, we'll be with you in a second.
We have an inexperienced pilot in a seaplane with a missing float.
And no navigational systems.
And no pancakes.
Seriously? Now? I'm growing.
Oy.
So a water landing is no longer an option.
SYLVESTER: According to my calculations, they're gonna run out of fuel in less than 30 minutes.
So, ideas? How 'bout not burning them this time? How 'bout you stop talking? Walter, don't talk to a kid like that.
CABE: Why don't we do a plane-to-plane transfer? It's risky, but it's been done before.
What, scramble a jet and pull it off with a couple of terrified kids in the pitch black? There's not enough time for that.
Are all those people gonna die? Probably.
Ow! Uh, maybe.
(thud) Ow! You're supposed to use eggs.
Well, you broke all the eggs.
Oh MEATBALL: Hey, I'm still hungry.
Guys, are you still there? Where else would we be? Well, can we take another shot at landing the plane? Uh, not exactly.
You lost a float when you hit some debris, so a water landing now would flip the plane over, killing you both.
Oh, God! But it's okay-- you don't want to land, you want to crash.
Wh-- I'm gonna disagree with you on that one.
Okay, I think what Walt is suggesting is a controlled crash.
It's very common in the aviation world.
We will do everything to make sure that you land as comfortably as possible.
How are you gonna make the ground comfy? It's just like the egg drop experiment.
We increase the plane's drag To create friction between it and the air.
Converting its kinetic energy into heat So it decelerates And turns into gravity! No.
What the hell does that even mean? Walter! Language! Okay, so we're the egg.
How are you gonna catch us? Delicately.
Now, first, Sly and Paige are gonna find a map showing the flattest stretch of nearby land for our runway.
On it.
And Sly will calculate the necessary speed and angles for the crash while the lighthouse team builds a crash zone to slow the plane over the maximum amount of time possible.
Doc, you and Allie keep flyboy calm.
Cabe, let's see what we've got to work with in the boathouse.
WALTER: Okay, according to Griffin, this is everything that's on the plane It's not an exact match, but it's close enough.
Picnic basket, candle, sleeping bag.
Someone was planning a romantic night under the stars.
These are the cockpit's dimensions.
Okay, we need to use the items on the plane to cushion cockpit impact.
Like stuffing a turkey.
Not really.
Well, yeah, kinda.
Did you make those pancakes? Someone had to take care of us.
Make yourself useful and blow up that raft.
HAPPY: Okay, just make yourself useful.
Hold that lantern higher.
Sheesh, grumpy.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
Just not how I thought my, uh, lighthouse trip would work out.
Preachin' to the choir.
I know, but I am trying to make a baby, and it is not happening.
It's getting to me.
It'll be all right, kid.
I don't want to talk about me anymore.
How about you? Did you drop the, uh, L-bomb on your little alley cat yet? Let's keep looking.
And to answer your question, no, I haven't told her.
Saving the lives of two kids takes precedence.
You could have told her months ago.
You're scared she won't say it back.
She will.
So just man up and, uh, don't be a wuss.
Yes.
I think I just found our plane catcher.
(chair creaking) Oh! Should I get Cabe? Sometimes you're not the most graceful.
I'll have you know I was voted best tumbler at P.
S.
90 in Brooklyn.
Oh oh! So, what's up there that's worth breaking your neck over? Emergency landings have a high probability of starting fires.
I want to help prevent that.
Okay, but I'm looking at a fire extinguisher right now.
That's a Class-A extinguisher.
Fires involving liquids and gases, that'll just spread the flames.
But the lighthouse was built with a Halon fire suppression system.
Okay, now we're ready to play fireman.
Good, 'cause we found our runway.
Just west of the lighthouse is a one-kilometer stretch with no slope that terminates between the lighthouse and the boathouse.
Okay, that'll work.
We can use the palm trees as pick points for the fishing nets.
Fishing nets? Stretchy nylon nets.
They have a lot of give.
They better, because I'm done with the math.
Griffin and Rachel are going to experience 40 Gs of force when they crash.
Ten Gs is on the higher end of the survivable scale.
Industrial nautical nylon can cut down the G forces by, say, 20, but we still need to lose another ten Gs, or else they'll die.
(exhales) Whiz Kidz, let's do this! (wheels squeaking) (groaning) We got it-- the raft absorbed 10.
02 Gs of force.
(chuckling) Okay, sweatshirts, sleeping bags And don't forget the picnic basket.
Wicker's pliable.
Every bit of force absorption counts.
Now, inflate the raft.
You'll only have a few seconds to move it into position before the crash.
RACHEL: All right, got it.
Okay, I-I see the stretch of grass.
That lady said one kilometer.
It looks a lot shorter than that.
HAPPY: It is what we said it is, so just relax and line it up with the net, lower your speed, and land on your belly.
Yeah, that's not happening.
We need another plan.
There's no other plan, and this will work.
I'm out.
I'm sorry, but I didn't sign up for this.
I just wanted a nice weekend with Rachel.
See the Hollywood sign, the Santa Monica Pier.
And after everything was perfect (quietly): I'd ask her to be my girlfriend.
Ooh, like Ralph and Patty.
(laughs) CABE: Wait a minute, you took Rachel on a moonlight plane ride, and she's not even your girl? She's been my best friend since first grade.
I was gonna ask her tonight, but Everything's a mess.
Look, Griffin, come on, man, you're too much in your head.
You gotta put aside all thoughts of Rachel and focus on the task at hand.
Wrong! You've been waiting on this since grade school? Get over it already.
You're scared that she won't say it back, but she will.
Now man up and quit being a wuss and tell her.
At least, that's the advice that I got.
Advice on what? On you.
I'm in love with you, okay? I was gonna tell you proper when this is all over, but I'm head over heels for you, kid.
I love you, too.
CABE: Okay, Griffin, my cards are on the table.
CABE: It's your turn.
Rachel, I need to say something.
Hey um Rachel, you've been my best friend since we were six years old.
I've been in love with you since we were seven.
If we're gonna die, I don't want to die without you knowing, so, uh now you know.
I've known since we were six.
I love you, too.
CABE: Attaboy.
Now you got something special to live for, don't you? Yes, sir, I do.
Okay, making my approach.
Is that him? HAPPY: Uh, yeah.
He's going too fast.
Griffin, lower the speed.
I'm trying, but the flaps aren't responding.
Wha-- checking them now.
I know what Happy would say if she saw this.
I'd say ânot good.
â What is it? WALTER: Well, when the float broke, a shard must've have hit the flap and damaged it.
We can't fix it.
Then we're stuck up here.
SYLVESTER: Not for long.
I've been keeping a tab on you guys.
You're gonna run out of fuel in ten minutes.
WALTER: Okay.
We have about ten minutes to figure out how to land a busted plane before it runs out of fuel.
We can't just sit here and watch them circle until they crash.
Excuse me? No, not now.
But I have a question.
(stammers) The brownies are in the cabinet, okay? Not my question.
What I was gonna ask is, if you know the plane's gonna crash, why not leave the plane? Wayne, now's not a good time.
No, hold on.
Meatball might have a point.
Uh, g-go on? You can catch them like an egg in an egg toss.
What? Or not.
I'm not sure.
Meatball, you are brilliant.
Hey, Walter, you're talking about human beings plummeting to Earth, not eggs.
I did it from a space capsule.
Yeah, but these guys don't have a body of water or a torpedo to break their fall.
They just have a fall to break their neck.
WALTER: Wrong.
If we flip the nets from facing the ocean to facing the sky, then it should have enough give to catch them without killing them.
Wha-- no, that is insane.
That's never gonna work.
It did work.
In 2016, a daredevil jumped from 25,000 feet, without a parachute, and landed in a net suspended off the ground.
Right, well, that-that jump was planned well in advance.
These kids can't jump a second too early or a second too late.
TOBY: Sly, you up for this? I don't know.
There's too many variables.
Wind speed, altitude, wind direction.
I need real time data, and I can't get that information from any book.
T-The lighthouse doubled as a weather station.
The equipment's still functioning.
Allie, little help? I'll get the other end of the net.
You get this end.
Uh, what about us? You need to prepare to put the plane into a stall.
It's the only way to get your speed close to zero relative to the ground.
Just pull on the stick until the nose is perpendicular to the ground, so that there's no lift, and the plane will fall back to Earth.
Okay, uh, we got numbers.
Wind speed's three miles per hour.
The temperature is 62 degrees.
Wind direction, Allie? Uh, north by northwest.
Okay, almost there.
Griffin, you need to stall the plane 200 meters north of the net.
All right, pointing the lantern at the net now.
Net's up and we got over seven feet of stretch! GRIFFIN: Good, because we're running out of fuel.
Making my approach now.
Okay, Griffin? Two things to keep in mind.
One, you'll have to tie off the stick, and you'll only have one second to jump, and you can't be fiddling with the controls.
I can use my belt.
And two, you guys have to jump at the same time.
If you don't, whoever lands first will get all the net's stretch, and whoever lands second They'll be Humpty Dumpty.
We've been in sync for a long time now.
We can do this.
TOBY: Let's get these lovebirds on the ground so they can smooch already, huh? We should get down there.
RALPH: Birdroni's numbers say Griffin should pull up Now! Now! Now.
Okay, stick's in place! Go, go! (grunts) The plane stalled! WALTER: Get ready to jump on my count.
Three, two, one.
Go! (both screaming) (both screaming) Man, this is tense.
Quiet.
I-I used to get nervous waiting for a pop fly to come at me, but this is ridiculous.
Shh! Ralph, plane? Fell a few hundred feet and caught an updraft and glided out to sea.
Guys on the ground should have a visual any moment now.
Ugh, this is too tense, even for us.
Hang in there, big guy.
Thank you, Meatball.
You know what? Thank you all.
I have not been patient today, and you've all comported yourselves admirably, despite my failings.
You've even helped.
True Whiz Kidz.
You okay? We convinced two healthy teens to jump out of a plane.
Is that even legal? There! ALLIE: That's them? Are you sure? They're so tiny.
They're getting bigger fast.
HAPPY: Hey, where are you going? Look, I trust Sly's math and all, but if he's off, this is not how I want to go out.
CABE: Crap, that really is them.
(screaming) (gasping) Are they okay? (gasping, laughing) Yes! Oh! Congrats, Sly! (cheering, clapping) (chuckles) Okay.
I feel like that's over now.
MEATBALL: No, it's not.
(both laughing) Man, what a first date, huh? That kid's got game.
So do you.
Not now.
We got to take the net down.
That's what happens once you're married.
(laser sound) Hello, keen viewers.
My name is Walter O'Brien, and you're watching Walt's Whiz Kidz.
Now, today we'll be using the classic egg drop experiment to demonstrate what principles of physics? ALL: Creating drag to reduce the force upon landing.
WALTER: That's exactly right.
Now, we will be right back with you to walk you through the steps.
But remember, if you have a science problem, don't take just any old kid along with you to help.
Take a whiz.
(whirring sound) Um s Well said.
Thank you, Toby.
And? (door opens) Hello, everyone.
(door closes) I go should see how Patty's doing.
Yeah, I should pack.
Yeah, I don't make excuses.
FLORENCE: I have positive news.
After the electricity came back on, I was able to teleconference my investors.
I was direct, as you suggested.
And they've agreed to fund me.
Florence, that's wonderful.
Well, I owe you thanks.
And I-I owe you an apology.
I was, I was a bit short with you, and I shouldn't have been.
Yes.
I noticed.
I was worried that maybe I had offended you.
No, you didn't.
You did nothing wrong.
I was upset about something else, something entirely not your fault, and I took it out on you.
That is illogical.
But I'm relieved.
I don't have many friends, and I thought you had become one.
I have.
Splendid.
(chuckles softly) Well, I'll see you tomorrow.
(door closes) Great.
Thank you.
Checked in with West Altadenia.
Like L.
A.
county, they've got cell towers back up, and expect full power by morning.
Excellent.
And the Whiz Kidz? Melanie and Tracy are home, and Meatball's calling his dad from the trailer.
Great job, guys.
I was just wrangling the kids.
Ralph really helped, though.
Oh, no.
Everyone contributed.
Even Meatball.
I think you make a good team.
Maybe Ralph could help you running my reelection campaign.
Y-You'll run again next year? Our science club just helped save two lives.
We're making a difference.
You up for being my assistant campaign manager? It'll be really long hours working together.
You have the time? I-I'll make the time.
Excelsior.
Now, how about some celebration milkshakes, huh? Yes.
SYLVESTER: Paige? I'm taking the kids to Kovelsky's.
Be back in an hour.
PAIGE: Uh, bring me a chocolate? (door opens, closes) You hiding back here? No.
Yes, you are.
You're hiding because the woman you dreamed about and your crazy girlfriend were talking.
And if I were you, I'd hide, too.
You would? Yep.
Okay.
Because I was unreasonable.
And insecure.
And wrong.
Walter, I saw two teens today trust each other with their lives, jumping as one, so I should easily be able to trust you with a stupid dream.
The dream wasn't totally stupid.
Okay When I was almost dying, my subconscious knew t-the only way out was to find you.
I-I trusted you to bring me back from the brink of death.
And I trust you.
You know, Sly and the kids won't be back for an hour.
Hmm.
MEATBALL: My father says that the solar flare messed with the wiring in his electric car, so I'm sleeping over.
(quietly): Damn it.