Best Foot Forward (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

- [Josh] I'm gettin' there first!
- [Kyle] Nope. I'm getting that ice cream.

I call the last chocolate
chip cookie sandwich.

[Kyle] Hey, I'm the guest.

Then you'd better beat me.

- [Kyle grunts]
- Shortcut.

[grunting]

- Advantage, Kyle. [laughs]
- Ah! Dang it! My socket broke.

Uh-uh. I'm not
buying it. [chuckles]

Let me guess. I stop to help
the kid with the prosthetic leg,

so you can jump up and run right
past me and get the last ice cream?

Seriously? What's
wrong with you?



Just grab my cell so
I can call my mom.

Oh. Dude, I'm... I'm sorry.
That was really stupid. Here.

- Ha ha, ha ha.
- [Kyle groans] Dude,

- you played on my good nature.
- You fell for it.

- Ha ha! I get the last ice cream.
- [Kyle] That is just rude.

You know, you're
a terrible host.

[theme song playing]

[Luisa] So, the next time you're
singing "Ring Around the Rosie,"

remember, you're singing
about all the people

who died in the Bubonic plague.

Oh, okay. Thank you, Luisa.

That was vivid, as usual.

Class, let's, uh,
hear it for Luisa.

- [chuckles] Okay.
- Whoo!



Next up is Josh.
Your turn. Here.

- [Gary] Morning, Mrs. Dubin.
- [Maggie] Hi.

- [sighs]
- [Maggie laughs]

Good afternoon, homeschool.
Thank you for being here today.

We didn't have a choice.

Well, lucky you.

Because I am pumped
to talk to you about…

what I learned this summer.

Now, what do Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z
and Warren Buffett have in common?

Ooh. They're all
friends with Beyoncé.

Correct. But more
importantly, they all went to…

public school.

Now, I know what you're thinking.
"This again?" Yes. This again.

That's the picture you chose?

- I look good.
- Uh...

So, why should I go to public
school for seventh grade?

For starters, subjects are
about to get a lot harder.

Dare I say… algebra.

Dude, you're
wasting your breath.

We're gonna be trapped in this
vanilla-scented prison forever.

See, Matthew gets it.

[clicks tongue]

[sighs]

In addition to academics,

there are many social and
developmental advantages.

Getting a locker.

Staying up late
to finish a paper.

Joining clubs.

And this is why you want
to go to public school?

[sighs] As if this isn't enough,
Kyle, my best friend, will be there.

Kyle is the most
popular kid in school,

so I will instantly be tapped
into the social hierarchy.

Did someone say second
most popular kid in school?

Did someone say you'll be one
of 40 kids in every classroom,

instead of one of three?

I think I did. Yeah,
it was me. Many times.

Listen, buddy.

We understand your side of
this. But it's moot, okay?

- School's already started, so…
- Mmm.

Homeschool has already started.

Public school doesn't
start till next week.

Huh, I did not know that.

[stammers] Great presentation,
Josh. Really, thank you so much.

Let's take a break.

[sighs] Mom, why
can't we discuss this?

We have discussed this, Josh,
for the last three years.

At home, you thrive
academically and emotionally

in a comfortable and
safe environment.

By "safe," you obviously mean,

"I don't want my son with one
leg going to public middle school

because he can't handle it."

Josh, it's not about that.
You are an amazing kid.

Then how come you
don't think I'm ready?

I don't know how to explain
it. It's adult stuff.

- I wanna see the fight.
- Slow down there, cowboy.

Dad!

You gave me such a
great foundation.

But I'm starting to miss out on so
much more than I'm gaining here.

Yeah, well, trust me, Josh. Some
things are worth missing out on.

- Gary, will you help me out here, please?
- [sighs] I don't think I can, honey.

What?

He's got a point.
Maybe it's time.

You think it's time for
him to go to public school?

Uh, it's gonna happen
sooner or later.

I mean, clearly
you've shaped him

into somebody who'll succeed in
public school no matter what.

Yeah. I mean, when you
think about it, Mom,

it's your fault for
doing such a good job.

Mm-mmm.

Josh, public school is going to
be challenging for you in ways

you can't even imagine.

- [sighs]
- And it's my job to imagine them for you.

Mom, you've always inspired me to
never back down from a challenge,

even if that challenge is trying
to convince my mom she's wrong.

Yeah, but what if she's right?

Then maybe I need to
find that out for myself.

[sighs] Okay, look, Josh, you clearly
know how to set up an argument.

You established your
premise very clearly.

You backed it up
with solid points,

and you brought it home with
a strong closer. But I...

[inhales sharply]

[sighs]

- Yeah, okay.
- [gasps] Really?

Yeah, yeah. You can go to public school.
But listen, Matthew's going with you.

Yes! Yes! [chuckles]

That way, there's family
there if anything happens.

Don't worry, Mom. I'll
look out for my big bro.

[Maggie] Okay, boys,
listen to me, please.

This is a trial. If
something happens,

I will yank both of you out
of there so fast. Got it?

- Got it.
- Deal.

[both] We're going
to public school!

It's just gonna be
me and you, Mama.

- Yeah, you know it. Boom.
- Girl power! [giggles]

[laughs] Oh.

Cheer you up with some fresh
carrots from the garden?

Do those carrots
come with a hug?

You want the carrots to hug you?

Come here. [chuckles]

Oh, my God. [chuckles]

- [Matthew sighs]
- Outside air in the morning.

It smells so good.

It's the smell of freedom.

Are you sure you don't want
me to walk you to school?

We'll be fine, Mom.

- I... I love you.
- Love you.

[Maggie] Okay. Love you.

[Kyle] Hey, guys.

- Hey. What's up?
- Kyle. Sup.

I gotta say, it makes
me feel so much better

walking with the mayor
of middle school.

Oh, kids don't really call me
by that nickname that much.

It's more like an
informal title.

So at school, just call me Kyle.

Oh, got it. Oh, thanks for
letting me borrow this.

Why did you borrow his yearbook?

One of my motivational books
says, if you say a person's name

and shake their hand the
first time you meet them,

it makes them like you more.
You become friends faster.

So, I memorized
everyone's name and face,

and I'm going to introduce myself
to every single one of them today.

What? No, that's a terrible idea.
You're gonna totally embarrass yourself.

He's right.

You're gonna totally embarrass
yourself. You should totally do it.

Okay. No, Josh, just
take my advice, okay?

Lay low for a little while.

Don't worry, man. I
know what I'm doing.

- This is going to be great.
- [Josh] School, here we come!

Here we go.

Oh, uh, guys, listen.

Please don't tell
anyone about my leg.

- Which one?
- Ha ha.

I'll tell people
about it eventually.

But if the leg is the first
thing kids know about me,

that's all they'll care about, and
I'll just be the kid with the leg.

Dude, your leg is basically the
only interesting thing about you.

You should totally use it.

[sighs] I just don't want anyone
to treat me any differently, okay?

I want to make friends
because they like me.

Not because they
feel bad for me.

Well, you know, if you just lay
low, none of this will be an issue.

Geez. I won't say anything.

I don't care. Sure.

Look. Cooler people. Later.

So, who are you going to
introduce me to first, Mr. Mayor?

Yeah, no. Josh, uh,
about that... [sighs]

Everything I told you about
public school is a lie, okay?

I'm not popular. I'm not the mayor.
I don't even have any friends.

The assemblies are boring.

The homework is hard,
and the pizza's terrible.

Okay. I'm sorry, but if you need
me, I'll be hiding in the bathroom.

The pizza is terrible?

That's okay. I-I
can live with that.

- [bell rings]
- Here we go.

[students chattering]

Looks like you're flying
solo. Just stick to the plan.

Which friends
should I make first?

Gabriella Dekker. Captain
of the volleyball team,

drew the cover for the
district anthology last year.

Definitely wanna meet her.

- I mean, it was nice, but I just wanna...
- Gabriella Dekker, Josh Dubin.

Hi.

[sighs] Sorry,
I'm new to school.

Well, not school.
[stammers] I'm educated.

It's just... I'm new
to public school.

Oh, cool.

How do you know who I am?

I memorized the yearbook.

I know all of your names.
Kelly, Emma, Addison, Gisela.

Wow.

- Okay.
- [bell rings]

Um, we have to go to class.

It's nice to meet you, Josh.

[group giggling, whispering]

I-I made them laugh. Good start.

Lisa Miller.

Hey, Dave Conrad. Josh Dubin.

Good to meet you.
Love that haircut.

And there's Brendan Mort.
Morty. What's up? Josh Dubin.

If you want, you can call me
Dubin. It'll be our thing.

We'll figure it out.

[sighs] Kyle.

[sighs] Listen, I'm sorry
you changed your entire life

based on my slight exaggerations
about public school.

Really?

Okay, they were lies. They
were huge lies. [chuckles]

Why didn't you just
tell me the truth?

I don't know. [sighs]

I guess it was nice to have
someone think I was popular.

Well, if it's any consolation, you'll
always be the mayor in my book.

- Please don't call me that.
- How about "the honorable Kyle Tucker"?

- Maybe.
- [chuckles]

[gasps] This is it, Kyle.

This is why I'm here. Clubs.

Dude, you can't sign
up for every club.

Student tour guides? Really? You've
been here for, like, nine minutes.

What better way to learn the
school? What are you signing up for?

- [laughs] Nothing.
- Kyle, come on.

These are all just another way
for me to embarrass myself.

Kyle, this is your
chance to try new things.

Find what you like.
Find who you are.

Just try something.

You know what?
You're right. Here.

Oh, chess club.
Kyle, I'm impress...

[Josh] "Stu Pid."

[laughs]

Ah, someone's going to have
to read that out loud, man.

Here.

Why didn't you just
sign up for joke club?

[students chattering]

[gasps] It's beautiful.
Just like in the movies.

- Yo.
- Oh. Hey, Matt.

How's the first day
of public school?

Pretty good, I gotta admit.

I found a whole mess
of bathroom passes.

Look at these. There's,
like, a million.

I'm gonna be peeing
a lot this year.

Ooh, there are cookies.

Yeah. [stammering]

Mmm. Mmm.

- You're the worst.
- [Kyle sighs]

So, how do you
know where to sit?

I mean, this wasn't covered
in the school handbook.

Unless I missed it...

Okay. Dude, do not pull out
the school handbook in here.

Just kind of sit wherever
you want. There's no rule.

Um, there's a seat across
from Gabriella Dekker.

Can we sit over there?

[scoffs] You're really gonna
embarrass yourself again?

[sighs] Chapter 10, page 126. How
to Make Friends and Impress People.

- "Persistence is key to success."
- [sighs]

- Okay, Josh. No, don't...
- No. Come on. This is gonna be hilarious.

Okay. No. Josh, come on.
Dude, d-don't sit there.

[slowed] Dude. Stop. Dude, no.

D-Dude. Stop.

Dude. [stammers] Josh.

No!

Gabriella Dekker.

Josh Dubin. We met
earlier in the hallway.

This is like watching a
lion take down a gazelle.

You are persistent.

Oh, Josh.

Uh, I'm Gabriella, which you
already knew, apparently.

And you obviously know
everyone else, so… [chuckles]

Um…

So, Kelly, how's your
twin sister, Alona?

Um, she's good.

You two look nothing alike.

[both laughing]

And they act nothing
alike either.

- [all chuckle]
- What's homeschool like?

It's basically a
vanilla-scented prison.

[both laugh]

- That's my line.
- His now.

Whenever I catch my
mom talking to herself,

she just says she's in a
parent-teacher conference.

[both laugh]

[sighs] The gazelle got away.

So is the volleyball team winning
districts again this year?

[all] Yeah! [chuckling]

He's a legend.

[student 1] That's the kid
who knows everybody's name.

- [student 2] Hey.
- [student 3] Hey, Josh. Who's the man?

He's, like, the mayor
of seventh grade.

- [student 4] Hello, Josh.
- Wow.

Thanks, Riley.

I'm not gonna lie, that stings.

Sorry about that. I mean, I
didn't ask them to call me that.

It just happened.

This is unbelievable.

- Day one and you're without a doubt…
- [student 5] Hey, Josh!

…the most popular kid in school.

I told you, people are
nice, but they're shy.

You just have to break
down their barriers.

Look at this homeschool kid.

- Nice to meet you.
- Thinks he's something special.

She was nice. It's that easy.

- Whoa. [grunts]
- [students gasping]

- [Kyle] You okay?
- [tripper] Dude, I-I'm so sorry.

I-I wouldn't have tripped
you if I knew about your leg.

You won't bully me just
because I have a fake leg?

- What?
- That's discrimination.

You should beat me up
just like anybody else.

[stammers] I could take it.

What? I-I didn't... I prom...

- Dude, what are you doing?
- I'm sorry. I didn't mean...

[scoffs] Mom's gonna
pull us out of school.

- He tripped me.
- Mom won't care.

[scoffs, sighs]

Come on. Let's go. We got
to get you to the nurse.

The nurse? [stammers] It's a
fake leg. I need an Allen wrench.

Ooh. Shop class.
Come on. Let's go.

[bell rings]

That's the kid with the leg.

And there it is.

[sighs] Yeah. I see why
you kept it a secret.

Hey, at least you
still have a nickname.

- Sorry.
- [student] Here.

[sighs] Thanks, Carlos Piñero.

[bell rings]

Hey, excuse me.

So I know your leg's fake,
but is your foot fake too?

Uh, yep, it is, but
the toes are real.

Oh, that's so cool.

- Hey, Becky. Becky, the toes are real.
- No!

Dude, I'm sorry you gotta
deal with idiots like that

asking stupid questions
about your leg.

Oh, thanks, man, I
really appreciate that.

Of course. Some people
have zero chill.

So how did you lose
it? Shark attack?

[sighs] Uh, yep. It
was a shark attack.

No way. Which beach
did it happen at?

- What's your favorite beach?
- Hudson Beach.

That's the beach.

No.

Well, that kid's never
going swimming again.

It was fun being
mayor for an hour.

- It's an hour more than me.
- [scoffs]

[sighs] You know what?
I'll see you later.

[Kyle] Bye.

[Matthew] Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Please don't tell me you're
crossing off "Stu Pid."

- No.
- Good. Because that is classic. [laughs]

Someone is gonna have to call that
name on the first day of the club.

[scoffs]

Well, they won't have
to call Josh Dubin.

[sighs] I just wish I could have had
more time for people to get to know me

before I became "the
kid with the leg."

Maybe Mom was right.

Of course Mom was right.

Come on, dude. Kids are the worst.
Look at how I treat you and I'm family.

True.

[Matthew] Mm-hmm.

Holy smokes. Are those
two public school kids?

Hey, Dad.

So, how did it go?

Uh, it was good...
Mostly good. [sighs]

Oh, no. What happened?

Nothing, really. I-I mean,

some kid tripped me,
and my leg popped off,

- but it's no big deal.
- Wait.

Don't worry. I was there
to take care of it.

You yelled at me and
told me it was my fault.

Oh, my gosh. Are you all right?

- Is everything all right with your liner?
- Dad. Dad. It's fine.

It's just now everyone
knows about my leg.

[groans] You got the questions?

[clicks tongue] Shark attack.

Ugh. That's the worst.

I'm really sorry, buddy.

Yeah. Well, I'm sorry too.

Today didn't go at
all how I imagined.

[sighs] A-And if I go back,

I'm just gonna be "the kid with
the leg" for the next two years.

[sighs]

Look, Josh. I know...

Actually, I'll never quite
know how hard it is to be you.

But sometimes in life,
we all fall down.

[laughs] Sometimes
quite literally.

But you have to ask
yourself, "Why do we fall?"

So we can learn to
pick ourselves back up.

[sighs] Did you
just quote Batman?

I did. Yeah. But come on. That
is, like, the perfect line.

- Am I wrong?
- It's a classic. [chuckles]

Thank you. [chuckles]

All right, here's my version.

Tomorrow couldn't
be any worse, right?

I can't imagine how it could.

So tomorrow is
already a better day.

Just go do what
you've always done.

And show 'em what "the
kid with the leg" can do.

Thanks, Dad. [chuckles]

You bet. Come on.

So what's this kid's name?

[Josh] Devon Lawlis.

[Gary] Mmm. Cool name. Still
sounds like a jerk though.

Guys. Guys.

Listen, let me tell your
mom about this, okay?

I want to break the news to her gently.
I just gotta find the right time. Cool?

- Okay.
- Cool?

- Sure.
- [Maggie] Josh! Matthew!

- Now is not the right time.
- [Josh] Okay.

Hey. Hi. Hi. How did it
go? Everything okay, huh?

Were the kids nice? Yeah?

No one's gonna think any less of
you if you don't wanna go back.

No, um… [sighs] I-It was fine.

Good day. And tomorrow's
gonna be even better.

Okay. Yeah.

I'm glad it was
a good day. Okay.

[sighs] Who wants some snacks?

Luisa, snack time!

[whispers] Play it cool.

Ooh, secrets. And snacks.

Coming, Mama!