The Wonder Years s06e15 Episode Script

Some point in your teenage years, if you're lucky, you make a discovery.
You find out you're actually good at something.
It's that critical juncture, where talent becomesexpertise - kinda.
It's your chance to star.
Or End up flat on your face.
Two points - take down! Good move, Arnold! Around the middle of my junior year, I found out something about myself.
Kevin, I can't breathe! It'll just take a second.
For some strange reason don't ask me how, don't ask me why Pin! I was good at wrestling.
Good combinations in there! Alright - who's next, for Arnold? Not to brag, or anything.
Hey, sorry, Chuck! I guess you're just havin' a bad day Course, I didn't mind gloating a little.
I don't understand it I did everything right! Ah, no, when you do everything right it's the other guy who's sore.
That's very funny.
I just wish we'd start softball, again.
Well, you are showing improvement.
Face it.
Some guys had it, some guys didn't.
And some guys Hey, Kev? Why don't you go out for the wrestling team? What!? Were lazy.
Well, why not? I mean you have this weird natural ability, right? Hey! How much time do I want to spend jammed into some guy's armpit? The way I saw it, having a weird natural ability was one thing, but getting serious about it was another.
You're Arnold, right? Until I ran in toMr.
Clean.
UhI guess so.
What do you mean - you're not sure? No, I'm sure.
But I still didn't know who this guy was.
I'm Silva, the wrestling coach.
Oh! Hey, how ya doing? Your P.
E.
teacher gave me your name I heard you can wrestle.
Well, you know, I'm not that good.
I didn't say I heard you were good I said I heard you can wrestle.
Wellyeah, I guess I can.
I hate to see talent go to waste.
What are you - about one-forty? Yeah.
Of course I had that jelly donut after lunch.
I got a slot open at one-forty want to give it a shot? Well And there you had it.
I'd been wooed, recruited and signed, without so much as a tryout.
So, of course, I said - I don't think so.
I meanyou know.
It just seems like too muchwork.
Well, if that's how you feel about it.
I kinda do.
Fine.
But you might do yourself some good.
You get to compete, get yourself in shape maybe lose some of that baby fat.
Wait a minute.
Baby fat? Look, I just have a lot of things to do these days! Alright - suit yourself.
I mean, hey - I didn't have to stand there and put up with those insults.
Baby fat? Wayne? Does this look like fat? What?! Nah, look.
Everybody gets that.
It's part of what they call "the maturing process".
Evidently the only part in which Wayne participated.
Why? You watching your figure, or something? Hahahahah.
Nojust the coach asked me to try out for the wrestling team.
You? Uh-hhahaha.
What's so funny? Dad! Butthead's going out for wrestling.
OK.
It was time for a little encouraging moral support.
The wrestling team? Why? What's wrong with that? Nothing - it's just a pretty big commitment.
So? I commit! I've committed to lots of things.
Ahhahahahah, yeah, right.
"Mr.
Commitment".
Ah-hahhahhaha.
Then again, I didn't have to sit around here with a bunch of fat guys.
Iwas a wrestler.
So I decided to give it a shot.
Show up for practice - help out the team.
Work that mat, work that mat.
Good! Get outta that I mean, the guy had practically given me an engraved invitation.
Good, good! Hey, Coach! You're late! Unless, of course, it got lost in the mail.
Practice starts at three-fory-five.
You're late for practice, you do five extra laps.
You're late two days in a row, don't bother showing up on day three.
Nice seeing you, too.
What?! Nothing Alrightyou, you, you, over here.
Lets try some break-downs.
Still, maybe this wouldn't be so tough.
Figured I'd watch a some demonstrations, see a few holds Arnold! You're up.
Orbe the guinea pig.
Me? Spider! Come here.
Let's see what this guy can do.
OK, then - I could handle this.
It was pretty clear I had a basic advantage over this guy.
Starting positions.
Mainly - poundage.
You know what to do? Yeah, sure.
Yeah, this was going to be a piece of cake.
OKwrestle! Hmmm.
Arnold.
You get the point, here, right? He makes a move - you counter! Yeah.
Yeah - I justwasn't ready Awright.
Once more.
You ready? Yeah, yeah.
Heh-heh.
Fool me onceshame on you.
Wrestle! Awright, awright - get some leverage.
Get some leverage in there! The thing was, this was really a lot like gym class But with one small difference.
In gym class, I was the guy on top.
Awright - that's enough! Not that I wasn't having fun.
Awright, Spider.
Thanks.
Piece of cake.
The rest of youpair up by weight-class let's get to work on some counters.
Wait a minute - that's it?! Why'd you let him pin you like that? Course, looking back, I probably just should have promised to do better.
But instead - Yeah, wellyou know, these shorts are really hard to wrestle in! I made excuses.
I see.
And anyway - I didn't let him pin me.
He was pretty much there.
And besides, gotta save somethin' for meets, right? Alright, Rodgers, show me that pinning combo! Come on! I just don't think you've seen what I can do yet! I've seen enough for one day.
Keep working, keep working! I couldn't believe it! How could you even call that a practice? I mean, first, I wasn't even ready.
And the kid pulled this Pretzel-hold I've never even seen before.
I'd about had it.
Why do I put myself through this? After one afternoon, I'd decided to put an end to my wrestling career.
That must really hurt.
Then again He alsomashed my chin.
It'll probably look a lot worse tomorrow.
And you should have seen the guy - he was a giant.
I never knew what it would be like.
What? You knowdating a jock Oh I just wish I could make it all better.
So, I decided to give the sport another chance.
Hey, Coach! We've been at this an hour! How about a break?! Oh, I see.
Now that you've mastered it.
Woops Seeing maybe the coach and I had gotten of on the wrong foot - metaphorically speaking ListenCoach - I think you're maybe gettin' the wrong idea about me.
Uh-huh, and why is that? Well, I'm a lot better than I'm showin' you here! Oh, is that right? Yeah.
I mean, I beat every guy in P.
E.
Oh - and who were they again? I suddenly realized the names "Chuck Coleman" and "'Skeeter' Lutz" weren't guaranteed to impress.
Look! Everyone knows I'm good at this! In case anybody didn't hear! Arnold, here, says he's better than he looks! Alright, ArnoldYoo-hoo Now, everybody knows.
That's it for today! How about 5 laps to celebrate Mr.
Arnold's greatness? I guess the message was clear.
In two days, I went from blue-chip prospect to team laughing-stock.
OK, kids - let's hit the showers! I guess some guys have so much talent They don't even need to run laps - is that right, Arnold? No.
I'm just really beat.
You're beat? Arnold, in the next couple of days, I'm going to make up a list of the new members of this team.
Do you want to be on that list, or not? Of course I said what any self-respecting teenager would say in this situation I don't care Speak up.
Look - I don't have time to screw around with you.
Do you want to be on this team or not?! I want an answer - yes, or no.
I wanted to tell him exactly where he and his team could go.
But what I heard myself say was - Yes.
And the worst part was I really meant it.
So how's it going, hay-stacks? How's what going? The wrestling, what else?! Well, it's goingOK, Chuck? During the next couple of days, the pressure bagan to build.
A little edgy, aren't we? It's just that the first meet is coming up.
You gonna wrestle that guy, Gurney? What's a Gurney? Doug Gurney! This guy took State, last year.
The kid's made out of like, titanium, or something! Chuck! He's pinned everybody he's faced.
He's like, the King Kong of wrestling! I'm definitely going to this match.
I wouldn't miss it.
Terrific.
I was the only non-starter with his personalized fanclub.
You're gonna be great! Can't wait to see you out there.
Thanks.
Yeah.
There was only one thing to do.
Fall back on my God-given talent.
Aren't you ever gonna get that reversal right? I'm doin' the best I can.
Are you? What's that supposed to mean? It means what it means.
Great - I'm talking talent - this guy's giving me Zen logic.
Alright, listen up! We got a big match coming up against the Spartans.
Not only do they have Doug Gurney, but they're tough in every weight-class.
I'll be posting the new team roster tomorrow.
But I didn't need a pep talk.
And I didn't need any team roster to tell me exactly where I stood with this guy.
What can I do for ya? Heck, no sense in dragging this out.
Well, uhI thought we could talk.
Ya know, about this whole thingI mean, I guess we both know, it's really not working out, right? It was time to end it - no hard feelings.
Not that it's anyone's fault or anything.
It's just you want out! What?! I'm not surprised.
You wanted to quit ever since you first came in here.
Well, nothat's not exactly true! I mean, you're the one who asked me to be a part - Ah! Maybe I made a mistake.
Huh, what's that supposed to mean? What it means is, some kids have what it takesand some kids just have excuses! I couldn't believe it! I'd come to bury the hatchet, and this guy wanted my scalp! Yeah, well, for your information, you haven't really given me much of a chance! Is that so? Yeah.
OK, in that casenow's your chance.
What?! You say you can wrestle - show me.
What - here? With you? Do you see anybody else standin' around here? Come on, Arnold.
what? Are you afraid you might look foolish? No Or just afraid? No! That's not it! Come on Arnold, I've seen your act, I've heard your alibi's, I've heard your stories Here's your chance - show me what you're made of.
And even though I knew it was a trap, at that moment, I just saw red.
Why don't you give up? No.
Come on - give up! You know you want to It was just about the worst moment of my life.
And then It got worse.
Oh yeah, by the way - you made the team.
The rest of that week I felt like I'd fallen into a bottomless pit - with no way out.
The thing that hurt most was something I had been good at once, had somehow turned bad.
I failed.
Yet for some reason, there I was - a member of the team.
And I didn't know why.
That Friday night, the place was packed.
Don't let him get that ankle! It seemed like half the high school had shown up.
Including my fan club.
Of course I was there, too - on the bench.
I'd been too embarrassed to call in sick with the flu.
But even if I was wearing the uniform, I knew one thing for sure - I was never gonna wrestle.
Not on this team - not in a million years.
Will the 140-pound weight-class please prepare for their match.
Nope.
I was just gonna sit here - forever.
Doug Gurney for the "green" team! Bill Larsen for the "red" team! Larsen, I'm moving you up a weight-class.
Sit this one out.
Arnold - you're up! Me?! You're the one I'm looking at.
But that's Doug Gurney out there! Yeah? I realized it wasn't enough to have me under his thumb.
He wanted to totally destroy me.
May I have your attention please There's been a change in the line-up.
Kevin Arnold will now be wrestling Doug Gurney! In front of everyone.
So, there was only one thing to do - set out like a lamb to slaughter.
I mean, what did I really have to lose? Gentlemen, shake hands.
Go get 'em, Kev! I prepared myself to be torn to pieces.
Come on, you can take him, Kev! Ripped limb from limb.
And then, the impossible happened.
I actually scored two points.
Two - take down, "red".
Alright, Kevin! It was astonishing! It was a miracle! - It was temporary.
- Two points, "green", reverse.
Next thing I knew This guy had me in a hold I'd never even seen before.
Come on, Kevin! So I did what came naturally I fled.
Good move.
That's a warning, "red" - fleeing the mat.
OK, "red", you're down.
It was embarassing, humiliating - but there was no way out.
It was a living, breathing nightmare.
And that's when it happened.
Come on, kid - make it easy on yourself.
I was beaten.
Finished.
Don't let him pin you, don't let him pin you! All I wanted to do was lay my shoulder against that mat But for some reason Come on! I didn't.
Something inside wouldn't let me.
Just lay down! You first! That's the way to fight him! Fight him! No matter how many points this guy racked up I wasn't gonna let him pin me.
Come on, do it! That night - maybe for the first time I committed myself to something.
Come on, Kev! Do it! Do it! I left the excuses, I dumped the alibi's - I went for broke.
I was a wrestler.
And I gave it everything I had.
Come on! Shake hands.
Sure, maybe the score may have been lop-sided And maybe a kid named Gurney got the win.
But for me - it was a victory.
Fifteen Two.
Yeah I told ya I was good.
Hi, Kevin!