Community (2009–2015): Season 2, Episode 16 - Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking - full transcript

Apparently they found him unconscious

on a park bench.

Oh, my God.

Is he okay?

We don't know. We just got here.

He's ready for visitors now.

He's in 1023.

Hi.

Oh, welcome, my old friends.

- Welcome.
- Pierce, what happened?

We were all so worried.



It was the pills.

They just took me over.

I saw awful, horrible things,
demons, aliens,

critters 3, something called
Bruce Willis surrogates.

Abed, what are you guys doing?

It's okay. Just act natural.

Pierce asked me to document his life

for historical purposes.

At first, I said, "no," because at the risk

of sounding overly sensitive,
I feel intensely bored

by Pierce as a subject.

But I'm excited about
the narrative facility

of the documentary format.

It's easier to tell a complex story



when you can just cut to people

explaining things to the camera.

I've called everyone here so that I could

put my house in order,

bequeath parting gifts, say my final words

to each of you.

Final words?

- You're gonna kill us?
- No, dummy.

The pills wiped me out.

I'm dying.

Oh.

I'm not really dying.

Over the last few weeks,
it's become apparent

how little respect this group has for me.

So I've summoned them
here to exact my revenge.

See? Fish in a barrel.

I'm so sad. I don't know what to do.

Usually, if I need to cheer up,

I just make fun of Pierce, but now...

It'd just make me sadder.

It's Gregory Hines all over again.

Look, I'm sure he'll be fine.

You know how dramatic Pierce gets.

Remember when he had the hiccups

and pulled the fire alarm?

Let's just try to relax.

He's here because we relaxed.

No, he's here because he relaxed,

a handful of pills at a time.

That's all over now.

We're here for him, so there's no point

in feeling bad.

We know there's no point, Jeff.

We kind of just felt like feeling it.

Yeah, Jeff. What are you? Abed?

Oh, sorry, Abed.

No problem. Doesn't bother me.

Mr. Hawthorne is ready
to commence his bequeathings.

Shouldn't you be telling that
to an orderly?

He's gonna give us gifts.

Oh, cool!

I mean...

Cool.

I don't want Pierce to die.

But if I'm gonna get bequeathed upon,

I'd like to be bequeathed a drum kit

or a signed photo of actor Levar Burton.

Those would be my top two wishes.

My third wish would be a million wishes.

But I'd just use 'em all on

a million signed photos
of actor Levar Burton.

Hello, Pierce.

Hi.

I got you some things from the gift shop

to cheer you up.

I got you a John Grisham novel

and a funny little coffee mug.

You see how the flea's door mat
says "Dog, sweet dog"?

Yeah. Shirley, we both know

that you and I are the most hated
in the group.

We do?

And since, in my absence,
you'll be the new black sheep...

I'm sorry. That's offensive.

Black swan.

I want you to have this.

It's a compact record and it

contains an audio file of your study group

talking about you while
you're out of the room.

It's all here, burnt into this diskette

by optical lasers.

I don't believe you.

I know it sounds like science fiction.

No, I don't believe
there's anything on that.

Then I guess this is good-bye...Forever.

Good... good-bye, Pierce.

Smell you later.

He said it's a recording of you all

talking behind my back.

That's ridiculous.

That's what I told him,

because you all don't do that.

Right?

Mr. Hawthorne is requesting "sour face."

Knock, knock.

Is that you, Death?

- It's Britta.
- Oh.

Before you speak, I just want to tell you

that you don't have to give me anything.

I am happy to just spend time with you.

You know what Dylan Thomas
said about death?

No, tell me.

Okay, bluff called.

Britta, you're the selfless one
in the group, right?

I wouldn't know.
I haven't thought about myself in years.

That's what makes you
the perfect recipient

of this bequeathment.

It's a check for $10,000

with the payee line blank,

so that you can give it
to the charity of your choice.

Wow.

Pierce, this is... surprising.

After what you gave Shirley,

we thought you were playing mind games.

Thank you.

Of course, if you are so inclined,

you could always write
your own name in there.

Toodles.

I don't want to die in a place like this.

People shouldn't die in the same place

as People magazines do.

I hope to die surrounded by my family.

That's the only way I agreed to be

surrounded by my family.

Me and Abed have an agreement.

If one of us dies, we stage it to look

like a suicide caused
by the unjust cancellation

of Firefly.

We're gonna get that show back
on the air, buddy.

How'd it go?

Huh?

Oh, fine.

He gave me a check for $10,000

to give to the charity of my choice.

See? He's not messing with us.

- Maybe he just hates Shirley.
- What?

Yeah, maybe.

I just need to research a few charities,

because some take a lot off the top

and you think you're giving money to people

that really need it,
and you're really giving it

to some middle man
who's gonna pay off their parking tickets,

credit cards, and keep
from getting kicked out

of her place in... April.

Ah!

He'd like to see Annie next.

You know what? No.

He'll see Jeff next.

No, but you're not supposed to go...

Or what? You'll do twice
as much work as a doctor

for half the pay?

Thank you?

It's called a complisult.

Part compliment, part insult.

He invented them. I coined the term.

See what I just did there?

That was an explanabrag.

Hello, Jeffrey.

Pierce.

I've thought about this day many times,

but I've always imagined it differently.

For starters, I thought
you'd be the one in bed

and I'd be a hologram.

What?

Ah, never mind.
There's no time for that now.

Pierce, it's starting to seem,

from observing the others,
that you're using

the social leverage afforded you
by your alleged deathbed

to exact complicated acts
of psychological vengeance

on those closest to you.

Vengeance? Oh, no.

I was never one to hold a grudge, Jeffrey.

My father held grudges.

I'll always hate him for that.

Did you get along with your father?

I got along without him.

Oh, that's no good, Jeffrey.

You don't want your dad to die

before you tell him how you feel.

I'm sure you're right.

Look, let's nip this in the bud.

Pierce, we're sorry we didn't respond

quickly enough to your pill addiction.

Is there any chance that apology is enough?

Are you ready to be
bequeathed upon, Jeff?

Yeah.

Blow my mind.

I found your father.

Did you now?

William Winger, born Oklahoma City, 1945.

1974, married Doreen Fitzgerald.

Divorced in 1983.

Most recently residing in Dorchester.

Currently sitting in a town car on its way

to this very hospital.

Should be here in an hour or so,

give or take a father.

That it?

Yep.

All right.

See you at the funeral.

And so it is bequeathed.

What are you gonna say to your dad?

I'm not gonna say anything
because I won't have to,

because Pierce is playing
head games with us.

I've decided not to listen to it.

What?

I'm not gonna listen to the CD

of you guys talking about me.

Because I forgive you.

But how do we know
what we're being forgiven for?

We don't even know what's on there.

And you never have to.

Hmm.

But what if he is coming, though?

What are you gonna say to him?

Here. I'll be him. I'll be him.

Hi. Hey.

Hi, I'm Jeff's dad. Hi.

Hi. Hi, Jeff's dad.

I'm Britta's dad.

- What? Why?
- I don't know.

Got drunk, didn't have a condom,

and her mom gets freaky
when she hears oingo boingo.

Oh, God, I wish I could relate,

but much like my son,
I'm a closet homosexual.

Don't apologize for that.

You're talking to the guy
that banged Britta's mom.

I have no standards.

Well, what do you say we take a tumble?

I'll put on a wig.

That's it. You're under arrest.

I'm an undercover cop.

It's not illegal to be gay.

It is here in Iran.

Not when we're in the green zone.

That's Iraq, stupid.

Well, what do I know?

I'm Jeff Winger's dumb, gay dad.

My father was a two-bit con man

of so little substance
he couldn't leave a trail

if he wanted to.

And I don't care if Pierce
hired Scotland Yard.

He isn't gonna track him down
from a hospital bed.

I mean, money can't just
make people appear.

Excuse me.

I'm looking for Troy Barnes.

Pierce Hawthorne sent me.

Hey, Troy?

Hi.

I'm Levar Burton.

Pierce got Levar Burton
to come here for Troy?

Is there anyone he can't produce?

Now I'm really getting mad.

Why am I the only one
he decided to torture?

I told Pierce a thousand times

I never wanted to meet Levar in person!

I just wanted a picture!

You can't disappoint a picture!

I hate you, Pierce!

I hate you so much!

Ahem.

Annie, I forgive you.

Annie Edison.

Your bequeathal is at hand.

Do you have a regular job here?

Annie, I know you're being strong for me.

I give you permission to weep.

I'm crying on the inside.

Gross.

Well, in any case,

I want to give you this.

It's been in my family for six generations.

Now it's yours.

Thank you.

Jeff, do you want to see your dad?

- He's not coming.
- But do you want to see him?

No.

Then why aren't you leaving?

Because I don't care and I'm not

gonna let him think that I care.

Your dad or Pierce?

There is no dad.

And get this thing out of my face!

And don't you dare intercut this

with footage of me freaking out.

Oh!

Is there footage of you freaking out?

Abed, I'm gonna kill you

and Pierce and Britta

and anyone else who thinks I care

about any of this!

So do you go to school nearby?

Well, are you more familiar with me

from Star Trek or Reading Rainbow?

Reading Rainbow was a show
I hosted and produced

for 25 years on PBS.

Ever seen it?

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ take a look ♪

♪ it's in a book ♪

♪ reading rainbow-ow-ow ♪

♪ reading rainbow ♪

♪ oh! ♪

Set phasers to "love me"!

What does it mean?

What do you mean "what does it mean"?

No riddles.

You're screwing around with everyone.

You gave me a tiara. What does it mean?

Are these... are these blood diamonds?

Are they holocaust diamonds?

No!

Well, what does it mean?

It means you're my favorite.

What does that mean?

I did it.

I gave away the money.

The red cross.

You know what that makes me?

A terrible person.

Because if that camera wasn't on me,

I would have taken that money

right out of the mouths of crippled,

starving, malaria-ridden refugee kids

and now I know that forever.

Thanks, Pierce.

Britta, you've got to forgive yourself.

Look at me.

I've forgiven all of you
for the horrible things...

Oh, for crying out loud, Shirley,
give me that CD.

- Oh!
- We're gonna listen to it.

I don't want to listen to it.

Britta, please. Britta.

Britta, wait.

Britta!

I'll be right back.

Don't learn anything without me.

So how much do we all hate Shirley?

Pierce, knock it off.

Hey, James Bond, stop trying to record us

with that stupid spy pen.

We can see the blinking light.

Why do you keep trying to record us

bad-mouthing each other?

Because he thinks friendship
is a competition

and he's always trying
to get the upper hand.

Think Shirley's any different?

- Yes.
- Moron.

Hello!

Guess we do owe you an apology, Shirley.

We shouldn't have said
those things about you.

I guess the lesson here is

that I sometimes use guilt as a weapon.

What are you doing?

Oh, just shooting a talking head

or did you want me to be the only one

who didn't have one?

No, go ahead.

I think it stems from when I was...

So you found my father?

Yes, he's on his way.

I mean, if this is too much to handle,

I completely understand
and I can call it off.

Actually, I think I'm ready to see him.

Good. Good for you.

Oh, I should probably tell you...

If you're lying to me,
if my father isn't coming,

if a car pulls up and
anyone other than my father

steps out...
say, an actor or you in a wig...

If you try to pull any Ferris Bueller,

Parent Trap, Three's Company, F/X,

The Deadly Art of Illusion Bull,

I will beat you...

And there will be nothing
madcap or wacky about it.

Understood?

Crystal.

- I'm Levar.
- Oh, I know.

I was a huge fan of Rebop.

It was cancelled before I was born,

but I scored some VHS copies.

I was nostalgic from a very early age.

Cool.

Hey, you know, I assumed
that Troy was a fan,

but he hasn't said a word
to me since I got here

and now I've got to catch this flight.

No! No! You can't go.

He loves you.

He talks about you all the time.

How much would it cost
to change your flight till tomorrow?

Is, um, $261 enough?

'Cause that's all I've got.

- That's all you've got?
- Yeah.

No, you... you keep your money.

I'll... I'll reschedule.

Oh, my God. Thank you.

He's gonna be so happy.

You know, you are a very generous friend,

but you're really stupid with your money.

It's not that I'm selfish.

It's just that I'm really stupid
with my money,

which is why I'll never have a lot of it

and because I'm a really generous friend.

Problem solved.

Dilemma deleted.

Britta for the win!

Oh, thank God he didn't take it.

Could you imagine bouncing
a check to Kunta Kinte?

Hello?

Jeffrey, this is your father.

Uh-huh?

It's me here in this sedan.

See? I'm waving.

I'm sorry I can't come any closer, my boy.

This is too difficult.

You look too much like your mother.

No, no. Don't come any closer.

As you were.

Well, have to catch a flight to Katmandu,

but I just wanted to say
cherish the new friends

that you've made.

They're your true family now!

No! Don't open it!

It'll be too hard for both of us!

- Oh, Jeff!
- Jeff!

- Son of a...!
- Oh, no!

- Oh!
- Jeff!

No, no, no!

When you improvise a plan,

sometimes you hit a speed bump.

And sometimes you hit it so hard

that you soar through the air,

far beyond your initial expectations.

I set out to take revenge on Jeff Winger,

to scare him with the ghost of his father.

Instead, I took over
the role of his father,

and helped make him a better man.

It'll be a long time before Jeff Winger

underestimates me again.

Jeff, no!

Why would you do something like this?

Jeff! Come on, Jeff!

Becuse I'm sick of you people

not taking me seriously!

You forget my birthday!

You don't invite me
to your Dungeons and Dragons games

or your secret trampoline!

You guys think I'm some kind of a joke!

This isn't disproving the theory!

Good point.

What'd you say? What'd you say?

What did you say?

Apparently I need to say
some things to my father.

Things that I may have screamed
at Pierce instead.

I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it.

But my father deserves it too.

Pierce?

I figured out your test.

Crowns, presents, punishments, favorites.

You're trying to show me the dangers

of my own elitism.

My constant striving to be the best.

So I'm requeathing this tiara.

Because if I become the kind of person

who thinks it's their place
to pick favorites

and torture the rest,
I'll die sad and alone.

And that's what you were trying
to teach me.

Very good, Annie.

You pass.

She's actually just my favorite.

So I thought the documentary format

would be like fish in a barrel,

but as is the case
with a real barrel of fish,

after a while, it can become cramped,

chaotic, and stinky.

In their floor and bats...

Fortunately, if in the end,
your documentary is turning out

just as messy as real life,

you can always wrap it up with a series

of random shots, which when cut together

under a generic voice-over,

suggest a profound thematic connection.

I'm not knocking it.

It works.

Guys.

Oh.

Aww.

Jeff and I became...

Kind of like father and son today.

No, we did not.

Troy, I am telling you, man,

this salmon is really good.

Would you mind passing me the pepper?

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ take a look ♪

♪ it's in a book ♪

♪ the reading rainbow ♪

Well, more fish for Kunta.