Lockie Leonard (2007–2010): Season 2, Episode 7 - The Silence of the Frogs - full transcript
When the frogs in the swamp suddenly go quiet, the Leonards are left wondering why.
- Nighttime in Angelus is usually
when mother nature gets together
for a major jam session.
But, tonight, her loudest band members
had packed their instruments away.
And when things get this
quiet, it gives you time
to think about things
you don't particularly
want to think about.
Like your best friend
kissing your girlfriend.
And with so many thoughts in
your head, you can't sleep.
I wasn't the only one.
Egg couldn't take it any more.
He decided he needed to be punished,
and so, like mother nature's band,
he packed away his instrument too.
- No more air guitar.
- Lockie, how come you
can't tickle yourself?
- What?
- You can't tickle yourself.
If someone else tickles
you, it's ticklish,
but if you try to do it
yourself, it doesn't work.
- Go to sleep.
Phillip and me weren't the only Leonards
keeping vampire hours.
- Things to do tomorrow.
Iron the breakfast, fold the bed,
change the kids' lunch,
send Cyril off to school,
tie up Phillip to eat grass.
What else?
- I think you've got it covered, Joy.
- And as for Cyril.
- 28, 29, 20.
'Um.
One, two, three.
- "Insomnia is the inability to sleep,
"commonly caused by worry, loud noise."
- Noise? You can erase that theory.
- Last was so
quiet, you could hear
the proverbial a pin drop.
- "Other causes include
bright light and caffeine."
- Caffeine?
Maybe it was the cola
chicken we had last night.
- What kind of mother do you think I am?
I only feed my family
caffeine-free casseroles.
- Sorry, Joy, it was a beautiful dish.
Very inventive.
- Now, these are due back
at the library today.
- Read it.
- Read it.
- Read it.
- Read it.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- That's it!
- What's what?
- We can't sleep 'cause of the frogs.
Their croaking helps send
us off to sleep at night.
Now they've gone quiet,
we've become insomniacs.
- And to think their croaking used to
keep us awake when we first got here.
- But the question remains.
What is causing the silence of the frogs?
- Good question, Sarge.
But it will be answered.
- Phillip wasn't
the only one on a mission.
After the kiss, Vicki was determined
to forget it ever happened.
Convincing Egg was another matter.
- Egg, we can't say anything.
- But, I have to tell
Lockie it was all my fault.
- No, you don't.
- My dad's the rev.
Confessing is in my blood.
I'm sure if we're honest
about what happened.
- Nothing happened.
If we tell him, he's
gonna get really upset,
and he's gonna stop being
friends with both of us.
Is that what you want?
- All right, come on, Lock.
It's all right.
Nothing has to change as long
as no one mentions the kiss.
They're your friends.
Just act nice and normal.
Hi, guys.
A picnic.
What a great idea.
- Yeah, with kites.
- That's something
we've never done before.
- But, it's not weird or anything?
- No, it's totally normal.
- I just thought it might be fun
to try something active for a change.
- But Lockie, first up,
there's something I need to tell you.
- Good, isn't it?
Isn't this fun?
- It wasn't just the frogs
who were silent that day.
And with a little help
from Vicki's sandwiches,
we were happy to keep the truth
hidden as long as we could.
- The frogs are still here, just silent.
- Sorry.
Perhaps the frogs are responding to
a negative change in their environments.
- So we need to give them
something new to react to.
Something worth croaking about.
- Exactly.
"Magnificent creatures of the swamp.
"What is it that you seek?
"A little shady place to hide
"from the dreaded wing or beak?
"A lily pad is sure to offer
the safest place to jump.
"Or perhaps the soft, damp mud will call
"to lure you from your stump.
"And won't you treat us to your song,
"as your chimes are like a spell?
"So we can rest our heads again
"and know that all will be well."
- Never mind, Sarge.
- At least your
mother's responding well
to the sudden change.
- We need to get the frogs croaking again.
- Because f their mouths aren't open.
- They're not catching mosquitoes.
- Exactly.
- While things at
home were getting quieter,
things at school were getting weirder.
- Okay, today we're going
to try something different.
It's called silent music.
It's all about imagining the music
rather than actually playing it.
This group will be on violins,
and this group cello.
Egg, naturally you'll be on air guitar.
- I don't want to play the air guitar.
Maybe I can play the air triangle?
- Stop what you're doing and
listen very, very carefully.
It's come to my attention that
Ms Archer was callously and heartlessly
locked in her room last week.
- Help!
Help, help!
- And the culprit is
still at large amongst us.
But don't be afraid, my little sparrows.
Justice is imminent.
- Egg's guilt levels
were at an all time high,
and he had to do something to reduce them.
- I have a confession to make
- No, you don't.
- Yes, I do.
- No, you don't.
- I do.
It was me.
I locked Ms Archer in the music room.
- That!
Yeah, I suppose you might have done that.
- See?
It's in my blood.
- At last, Egg told the truth.
Well, part of it.
- Why just one frog croak and no others?
It doesn't make any sense.
It defies all natural amphibious
tribal behaviour.
- There's nothing to show
that the oxygen levels aren't normal.
Maybe it's a bit more mystical.
- Right, yes.
What do we need to measure mystical?
- Like the great silence of 1856.
- The great silence?
- It's not in any history books.
Nobody spoke about it,
let alone wrote about it.
But I remember it well.
That started with the frogs.
They stopped croaking.
- They did?
- Dogs stopped barking,
cats didn't meow for a few
days, birds stopped chirping,
it was like a contagious disease.
- So what happened, Marjorie?
How did the silence get broken?
- That's the strangest thing of all.
I can't remember.
Shall we have a chocolate crackle?
- Like Marjorie had warned,
nothing was safe from the silence.
Even Ms Archer's bell.
- I'm so sorry.
Are you okay?
- Yes, it was totally my fault.
My bell wouldn't ring.
I really ought to have it, er, seen to.
- As long as the recorder's okay.
- Lemon chicken.
I love lemon chicken.
- Me too!
- What a coincidence!
- I should have it again.
Some time soon.
- When do you think that one day might be?
- When I'm hungry, I suppose.
Perhaps even tomorrow night?
- So, what time do you
usually find yourself hungry?
- Around seven.
- That's interesting.
Well, and again, I'm so sorry.
If there's anything I can do.
- I'll see you soon, perhaps?
- Yes, perhaps you will.
- What are you doing here?
I thought you hated surfing.
Now Egg had started to confess.
Vickie was worried he wouldn't stop.
- How about on Friday night,
you and I have lemon chicken
at the new Chinese restaurant?
Just you and me, my shout.
- But I thought you wanted us
to start doing more active things?
- Yeah, well, all that
eating will keep us busy.
- Lockie!
- Hey, Egg.
- Hi.
- Heard you got detention.
- It was stupid.
It's not the only stupid
thing I've done lately.
Lockie, last week at the eclipse.
- Egg.
- I kissed Vicki.
- The truth
had started to come out
And apparently.
It was something worth croaking about.
- I'm so sorry, Lockie.
It was all my fault.
- Yeah, Egg's right, it
was totally his fault.
- And it didn't mean anything.
- It was like kissing my brother.
- If I had a brother, I would
have been just like that.
And as a personal punishment,
I banned myself from guitar, all forms,
real, air, or shower.
I know that withdrawal's hard,
but it's what I have to do.
- All right, Lockie.
Time to tell some truths of your own.
Guys, I know.
I saw you at the eclipse,
and I understand.
It's no big deal.
Cue more frogs croaking.
But, the frogs knew better.
- You knew all this time
and you didn't say anything?
- I didn't want anything to change,
so I didn't tell anybody.
- And you're not angry at all?
- No, why would I be?
- I can't take it any more.
Go on, just kick me.
If I could kick my own bottom I would.
- I'm not going to kick you.
Like you said, it didn't mean anything,
so why should we bother
making a big deal out of it?
I'd told the truth and
forgiven my friends.
Come on.
Everything had changed
back to how it was before.
The silence of the frogs
could officially end.
But it didn't, because some of us
weren't telling the whole truth, yet.
- Where are you going?
- Nowhere.
Somewhere.
With no one in particular.
Well, someone, I think.
It's an apology with lemon chicken.
- Trust me, apologies are overrated.
- So, how do I look?
Is this colour me?
- So, who's this apology to?
- Ms Archer.
- Ms Archer?
As in my music teacher Ms Archer?
- I can cancel if you prefer.
- You can go on an apology
with anyone you like.
- Neither of them
were being completely honest,
and they both knew it.
Back at our house, there
was still no talking.
We were all too tired to communicate.
We've all heard of blind dates.
But a date that was completely silent?
Despite their inability to
speak, Rev. and Ms Archer found
a unique way to communicate.
At least things were back
to normal with me and Vicki.
- How weird is it that
someone else kissed me?
Someone that wasn't you?
- I told you, I totally understand.
- How long were you planning
on not telling me you knew?
You gonna torture me forever?
- Have I done something wrong?
- No, do you think I have?
Are you mad at me?
- Why would I be mad at you?
It was Egg's fault.
He's the one with the problem, not us.
- Yeah, I guess so.
- If anyone needs help, it's him.
- Do you want to help Egg?
- Yeah, totally, we're his friends.
It's what friends are for, right?
We need to get him back to being Egg.
Make him happy.
That way, all of us can be happy.
I'd like us to be happy.
- Okay, well, I'll help you to help Egg.
- Great.
- Have you got any ideas?
- None.
It's a bit hard to find the time and place
to help someone serving
23 years of detention.
- Hey, I've got an idea.
- Vicki's plan
was dangerous, cunning,
ruthless, and exactly what we needed.
- Lockie!
- I thought you said he was on yard duty.
- Just hurry up!
- Okay, so it was
slightly against the rules.
- You three, get down now!
- But it was
worth getting detention
to get things back to
the way they used to be.
Not that there weren't consequences.
- We need to talk to you
downstairs, young lady,
presto, pronto.
- Now, you know we're
going to have to ground you
for that incident today, Lockie.
Right after lemon chicken, all right?
- Sarge, I'm busting!
- Mum's cola chicken
was still causing Sarge trouble.
- Wouldn't go in there if I were you, son.
- I'll get it!
What's wrong?
- My dad's sending me
off to boarding school.
He's been looking for any excuse,
and after today, he got one.
I've got to go.
- Now?
- If I'm not there for
assembly tomorrow morning
then I lose my place.
I'm sorry.
- You can't go.
- Try telling that to my dad.
- Wait.
- Is there something
you wanted to say first?
- No. I mean.
- I've got to go.
- Vic, stop.
And then the words just came
how I really felt all along,
what I needed to say, the honest truth.
I hated seeing you and Egg kiss.
I don't want you to kiss
anyone else except me, ever.
Except maybe your mum.
- I promise I'll only ever
kiss you, Lockie Leonard.
- Me too.
You know what I mean.
- Always have.
I really have to go.
- I'd never felt so close to Vicki,
right at the moment she
was leaving Angelus.
Wait!
- And it was only then,
when the whole truth was out,
that the frogs started croaking again.
Vicki!
Your flowers!
She forgot her flowers.
- I didn't know it then,
but at the same time I
spoke the truth to Vicki,
the Rev admitted the hard truth to Egg.
- It was a successful apology,
except for the fact it was really a date
a proper, enjoyable date.
And there may be some more.
- Now the truth was out there,
the frogs were back on song,
and Mum could finally put
away the mosquito repellent.
Even Cyril was happy.
Meanwhile, Phillip had his own theory.
- Basically, I came up with
a formula that consisted
of water, creatinine, potassium
and a few other compounds.
Just did the trick, I guess.
- Hey, Lockie.
- Hey.
- Want to give it another go?
- Yeah, sure.
- I don't know, Lock, it
just doesn't feel the same
without sandwiches or Vicki.
- That's because it's not the same.
- Well, we'll see her during the holidays.
And absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Although the jury's still out on that one.
I reckon we'll get these
suckers up this time.
By the time Vicki gets back, we'll be pro.
- And then, out
of nowhere, it came to me.
I knew exactly what we both needed.
What was that for?
- You asked me to.
Begged me to, remember?
- Yeah.
- Without Vicki,
things were going to be
different from now on.
But at least some things
were back as they were.
("Worlds Away" by Jebediah)
when mother nature gets together
for a major jam session.
But, tonight, her loudest band members
had packed their instruments away.
And when things get this
quiet, it gives you time
to think about things
you don't particularly
want to think about.
Like your best friend
kissing your girlfriend.
And with so many thoughts in
your head, you can't sleep.
I wasn't the only one.
Egg couldn't take it any more.
He decided he needed to be punished,
and so, like mother nature's band,
he packed away his instrument too.
- No more air guitar.
- Lockie, how come you
can't tickle yourself?
- What?
- You can't tickle yourself.
If someone else tickles
you, it's ticklish,
but if you try to do it
yourself, it doesn't work.
- Go to sleep.
Phillip and me weren't the only Leonards
keeping vampire hours.
- Things to do tomorrow.
Iron the breakfast, fold the bed,
change the kids' lunch,
send Cyril off to school,
tie up Phillip to eat grass.
What else?
- I think you've got it covered, Joy.
- And as for Cyril.
- 28, 29, 20.
'Um.
One, two, three.
- "Insomnia is the inability to sleep,
"commonly caused by worry, loud noise."
- Noise? You can erase that theory.
- Last was so
quiet, you could hear
the proverbial a pin drop.
- "Other causes include
bright light and caffeine."
- Caffeine?
Maybe it was the cola
chicken we had last night.
- What kind of mother do you think I am?
I only feed my family
caffeine-free casseroles.
- Sorry, Joy, it was a beautiful dish.
Very inventive.
- Now, these are due back
at the library today.
- Read it.
- Read it.
- Read it.
- Read it.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- Ribbit.
- That's it!
- What's what?
- We can't sleep 'cause of the frogs.
Their croaking helps send
us off to sleep at night.
Now they've gone quiet,
we've become insomniacs.
- And to think their croaking used to
keep us awake when we first got here.
- But the question remains.
What is causing the silence of the frogs?
- Good question, Sarge.
But it will be answered.
- Phillip wasn't
the only one on a mission.
After the kiss, Vicki was determined
to forget it ever happened.
Convincing Egg was another matter.
- Egg, we can't say anything.
- But, I have to tell
Lockie it was all my fault.
- No, you don't.
- My dad's the rev.
Confessing is in my blood.
I'm sure if we're honest
about what happened.
- Nothing happened.
If we tell him, he's
gonna get really upset,
and he's gonna stop being
friends with both of us.
Is that what you want?
- All right, come on, Lock.
It's all right.
Nothing has to change as long
as no one mentions the kiss.
They're your friends.
Just act nice and normal.
Hi, guys.
A picnic.
What a great idea.
- Yeah, with kites.
- That's something
we've never done before.
- But, it's not weird or anything?
- No, it's totally normal.
- I just thought it might be fun
to try something active for a change.
- But Lockie, first up,
there's something I need to tell you.
- Good, isn't it?
Isn't this fun?
- It wasn't just the frogs
who were silent that day.
And with a little help
from Vicki's sandwiches,
we were happy to keep the truth
hidden as long as we could.
- The frogs are still here, just silent.
- Sorry.
Perhaps the frogs are responding to
a negative change in their environments.
- So we need to give them
something new to react to.
Something worth croaking about.
- Exactly.
"Magnificent creatures of the swamp.
"What is it that you seek?
"A little shady place to hide
"from the dreaded wing or beak?
"A lily pad is sure to offer
the safest place to jump.
"Or perhaps the soft, damp mud will call
"to lure you from your stump.
"And won't you treat us to your song,
"as your chimes are like a spell?
"So we can rest our heads again
"and know that all will be well."
- Never mind, Sarge.
- At least your
mother's responding well
to the sudden change.
- We need to get the frogs croaking again.
- Because f their mouths aren't open.
- They're not catching mosquitoes.
- Exactly.
- While things at
home were getting quieter,
things at school were getting weirder.
- Okay, today we're going
to try something different.
It's called silent music.
It's all about imagining the music
rather than actually playing it.
This group will be on violins,
and this group cello.
Egg, naturally you'll be on air guitar.
- I don't want to play the air guitar.
Maybe I can play the air triangle?
- Stop what you're doing and
listen very, very carefully.
It's come to my attention that
Ms Archer was callously and heartlessly
locked in her room last week.
- Help!
Help, help!
- And the culprit is
still at large amongst us.
But don't be afraid, my little sparrows.
Justice is imminent.
- Egg's guilt levels
were at an all time high,
and he had to do something to reduce them.
- I have a confession to make
- No, you don't.
- Yes, I do.
- No, you don't.
- I do.
It was me.
I locked Ms Archer in the music room.
- That!
Yeah, I suppose you might have done that.
- See?
It's in my blood.
- At last, Egg told the truth.
Well, part of it.
- Why just one frog croak and no others?
It doesn't make any sense.
It defies all natural amphibious
tribal behaviour.
- There's nothing to show
that the oxygen levels aren't normal.
Maybe it's a bit more mystical.
- Right, yes.
What do we need to measure mystical?
- Like the great silence of 1856.
- The great silence?
- It's not in any history books.
Nobody spoke about it,
let alone wrote about it.
But I remember it well.
That started with the frogs.
They stopped croaking.
- They did?
- Dogs stopped barking,
cats didn't meow for a few
days, birds stopped chirping,
it was like a contagious disease.
- So what happened, Marjorie?
How did the silence get broken?
- That's the strangest thing of all.
I can't remember.
Shall we have a chocolate crackle?
- Like Marjorie had warned,
nothing was safe from the silence.
Even Ms Archer's bell.
- I'm so sorry.
Are you okay?
- Yes, it was totally my fault.
My bell wouldn't ring.
I really ought to have it, er, seen to.
- As long as the recorder's okay.
- Lemon chicken.
I love lemon chicken.
- Me too!
- What a coincidence!
- I should have it again.
Some time soon.
- When do you think that one day might be?
- When I'm hungry, I suppose.
Perhaps even tomorrow night?
- So, what time do you
usually find yourself hungry?
- Around seven.
- That's interesting.
Well, and again, I'm so sorry.
If there's anything I can do.
- I'll see you soon, perhaps?
- Yes, perhaps you will.
- What are you doing here?
I thought you hated surfing.
Now Egg had started to confess.
Vickie was worried he wouldn't stop.
- How about on Friday night,
you and I have lemon chicken
at the new Chinese restaurant?
Just you and me, my shout.
- But I thought you wanted us
to start doing more active things?
- Yeah, well, all that
eating will keep us busy.
- Lockie!
- Hey, Egg.
- Hi.
- Heard you got detention.
- It was stupid.
It's not the only stupid
thing I've done lately.
Lockie, last week at the eclipse.
- Egg.
- I kissed Vicki.
- The truth
had started to come out
And apparently.
It was something worth croaking about.
- I'm so sorry, Lockie.
It was all my fault.
- Yeah, Egg's right, it
was totally his fault.
- And it didn't mean anything.
- It was like kissing my brother.
- If I had a brother, I would
have been just like that.
And as a personal punishment,
I banned myself from guitar, all forms,
real, air, or shower.
I know that withdrawal's hard,
but it's what I have to do.
- All right, Lockie.
Time to tell some truths of your own.
Guys, I know.
I saw you at the eclipse,
and I understand.
It's no big deal.
Cue more frogs croaking.
But, the frogs knew better.
- You knew all this time
and you didn't say anything?
- I didn't want anything to change,
so I didn't tell anybody.
- And you're not angry at all?
- No, why would I be?
- I can't take it any more.
Go on, just kick me.
If I could kick my own bottom I would.
- I'm not going to kick you.
Like you said, it didn't mean anything,
so why should we bother
making a big deal out of it?
I'd told the truth and
forgiven my friends.
Come on.
Everything had changed
back to how it was before.
The silence of the frogs
could officially end.
But it didn't, because some of us
weren't telling the whole truth, yet.
- Where are you going?
- Nowhere.
Somewhere.
With no one in particular.
Well, someone, I think.
It's an apology with lemon chicken.
- Trust me, apologies are overrated.
- So, how do I look?
Is this colour me?
- So, who's this apology to?
- Ms Archer.
- Ms Archer?
As in my music teacher Ms Archer?
- I can cancel if you prefer.
- You can go on an apology
with anyone you like.
- Neither of them
were being completely honest,
and they both knew it.
Back at our house, there
was still no talking.
We were all too tired to communicate.
We've all heard of blind dates.
But a date that was completely silent?
Despite their inability to
speak, Rev. and Ms Archer found
a unique way to communicate.
At least things were back
to normal with me and Vicki.
- How weird is it that
someone else kissed me?
Someone that wasn't you?
- I told you, I totally understand.
- How long were you planning
on not telling me you knew?
You gonna torture me forever?
- Have I done something wrong?
- No, do you think I have?
Are you mad at me?
- Why would I be mad at you?
It was Egg's fault.
He's the one with the problem, not us.
- Yeah, I guess so.
- If anyone needs help, it's him.
- Do you want to help Egg?
- Yeah, totally, we're his friends.
It's what friends are for, right?
We need to get him back to being Egg.
Make him happy.
That way, all of us can be happy.
I'd like us to be happy.
- Okay, well, I'll help you to help Egg.
- Great.
- Have you got any ideas?
- None.
It's a bit hard to find the time and place
to help someone serving
23 years of detention.
- Hey, I've got an idea.
- Vicki's plan
was dangerous, cunning,
ruthless, and exactly what we needed.
- Lockie!
- I thought you said he was on yard duty.
- Just hurry up!
- Okay, so it was
slightly against the rules.
- You three, get down now!
- But it was
worth getting detention
to get things back to
the way they used to be.
Not that there weren't consequences.
- We need to talk to you
downstairs, young lady,
presto, pronto.
- Now, you know we're
going to have to ground you
for that incident today, Lockie.
Right after lemon chicken, all right?
- Sarge, I'm busting!
- Mum's cola chicken
was still causing Sarge trouble.
- Wouldn't go in there if I were you, son.
- I'll get it!
What's wrong?
- My dad's sending me
off to boarding school.
He's been looking for any excuse,
and after today, he got one.
I've got to go.
- Now?
- If I'm not there for
assembly tomorrow morning
then I lose my place.
I'm sorry.
- You can't go.
- Try telling that to my dad.
- Wait.
- Is there something
you wanted to say first?
- No. I mean.
- I've got to go.
- Vic, stop.
And then the words just came
how I really felt all along,
what I needed to say, the honest truth.
I hated seeing you and Egg kiss.
I don't want you to kiss
anyone else except me, ever.
Except maybe your mum.
- I promise I'll only ever
kiss you, Lockie Leonard.
- Me too.
You know what I mean.
- Always have.
I really have to go.
- I'd never felt so close to Vicki,
right at the moment she
was leaving Angelus.
Wait!
- And it was only then,
when the whole truth was out,
that the frogs started croaking again.
Vicki!
Your flowers!
She forgot her flowers.
- I didn't know it then,
but at the same time I
spoke the truth to Vicki,
the Rev admitted the hard truth to Egg.
- It was a successful apology,
except for the fact it was really a date
a proper, enjoyable date.
And there may be some more.
- Now the truth was out there,
the frogs were back on song,
and Mum could finally put
away the mosquito repellent.
Even Cyril was happy.
Meanwhile, Phillip had his own theory.
- Basically, I came up with
a formula that consisted
of water, creatinine, potassium
and a few other compounds.
Just did the trick, I guess.
- Hey, Lockie.
- Hey.
- Want to give it another go?
- Yeah, sure.
- I don't know, Lock, it
just doesn't feel the same
without sandwiches or Vicki.
- That's because it's not the same.
- Well, we'll see her during the holidays.
And absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Although the jury's still out on that one.
I reckon we'll get these
suckers up this time.
By the time Vicki gets back, we'll be pro.
- And then, out
of nowhere, it came to me.
I knew exactly what we both needed.
What was that for?
- You asked me to.
Begged me to, remember?
- Yeah.
- Without Vicki,
things were going to be
different from now on.
But at least some things
were back as they were.
("Worlds Away" by Jebediah)