Scorpion (2014–2018): Season 2, Episode 12 - Dam Breakthrough - full transcript
Its Christmas Eve and Team Scorpion must prevent a catastrophe when torrential rains create a large crack in a dam. The fight to save an entire town from the threat of it wiping out an entire town in its wake.
♪ ♪
(water dripping)
(exhales)
Yes.
This El Niño is a real drag.
It's supposed to be
white Christmas,
not wet Christmas.
Uh, we are working on it.
I don't think the mix
is cold enough.
It'll be covered.
If Toby bothers
to come back.
I'm going very south
on Christmas this year.
This holiday nonsense
is killing me.
I think Ralph might say
Christmas is fun.
TOBY:
In a city that collapses
into gridlock
over a light drizzle,
let alone seven days
of downpour?
Is that your idea of fun?
It is not.
Christmas spirit.
Apocryphal state of mind
that doesn't really exist.
We get it. "Humbug."
Humbug is right.
And it's about to go viral
when Cabe sees the dent
I put in his ride.
Anyway, I got the stupid
ammonium nitrate.
There's one more
bag in the car.
Where's Walter?
Walter, Toby's back!
Walter?
No.
I swear I saw him
go upstairs.
I mean, it's not
a definitive failure.
I have put
some thought into this.
What if there was a way to take
the technology, and then...
Um, are you on the phone?
Huh? No.
Oh, so you were just talking
to Ferret Bueller?
Does he answer back?
Has Toby returned
with my ammonium nitrate?
He did.
Happy took it from him.
Okay. We should be ready.
Hold that.
Give me that.
Um, you do realize you were just
talking to yourself, right?
Must have been running
some calculations.
(ferret chittering)
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
PAIGE:
Whoa.
Where did this
come from?
It's my proprietary formula.
Now, this non-melting
snow project
could be
a massive windfall.
Imagine every ski resort
using non-melting snow
to cover their mountains
every seven or eight years.
The patent could
be worth billions.
This is snow density test A-1.
Now, on the count of three,
give me a hard shove.
Down a steep, icy ramp?
That would make me
an accessory to homicide.
And ferret-cide.
Or an assistant to
a groundbreaking discovery.
Now think positive.
CABE:
Hey, gather up!
We got an emergency!
And you...
what the hell
happened to my SUV?
It was Christmas.
MAN:
The situation is at
the Augustine Power Station
on Mount Baldy,
and it's about to go critical.
I'm gonna send you a password
so you can access the
surveillance photos of the...
Don't bother,
I'm already in.
Wow, big tree.
Yeah, that 50-foot pine uprooted
and crushed
the power station wall
like it was made of sugar.
Yeah, the root system on
these pines can't handle
that sort of precipitation;
they just let go.
This rain is killing us.
Augustine DWP
has 58 repair crews,
all working 18-hour shifts,
and we can't get anyone
up to Augustine.
If that transformer
gets flooded and shorts,
100,000 people
lose power on Christmas.
Why us?
We're getting sporadic contact
from the computer system,
so that needs
rebooting or repair,
and we also need
engineering for the roof.
All up your alley, right?
I guess word's gotten around
how good
and professional we are.
Christmas Eve
is triple time.
It's a very important
holiday to me.
We'll be happy to help.
Walter, do you think...
There might be
a chance to show that...
Walter?
(mumbling)
Walter!
Yeah.
Uh, sorry.
Uh, Mr. Woodbury,
once we get there,
we can easily run
a system diagnostic.
Happy, check my engineering.
Now, if we can float a large
enough tarp over the structure,
we can give
it a new roof
and improve the
surrounding drainage
to prevent a mudslide
from this hill.
Why do you think
that hill's in danger?
Uh, surface area of the soil,
volume, porosity.
Standard geomorphology.
Okay, decent engineering,
but where do we get
the big balloons?
Didn't your father used to sell
used cars at his garage?
Yeah.
Then we're covered.
Okay, we will be at
the power station in an hour.
Now, we will need three cars
to gather the equipment.
I'll explain why
on the way.
Second time this morning I've
heard him talking to himself.
Ever since Megan died.
It's getting worse.
I'll ride with him.
(thunder rumbling)
(sighs)
You work with
the world's best mechanic.
You ever think to ask her
to fix this jalopy?
(mouthing)
Something
on your mind?
You're moving your lips
and nothing's coming out.
I'm running ideas, numbers.
What's the big deal?
It's just a new development.
And an odd one.
Can't shut you up today.
Do you at least have something
to dry off my leg?
Don't open that. Please.
Whoa.
What's so important about this?
Don't shake it.
Don't shake that, Toby!
Please, don't, don't.
Oh, God.
I told you not to open it.
But what you didn't say
was that your sister
was in there.
Well, I haven't had
the opportunity to spread them.
So you're keeping them
in the glove compartment,
in a coffee can?
The urn they gave me was black.
Megan hated black.
It's safe in there.
And that's enough on this topic.
(Sylvester humming)
Got a song
in your heart?
I'm just thinking about Megan.
And you smile about it?
Absolutely.
Even close
to the end,
when there was music she wanted,
we listened to it;
a book, I'd read it to her.
We were together
for a short time,
but we didn't waste
any moments, so...
there's nothing to regret.
Why?
What are you thinking about?
Nothing.
Excellent.
Now we have a break in weather.
Okay, let's set up
balloons and tarp.
Helium tank goes over there.
Now I'm gonna go inside and
start a computer diagnostic.
Happy, pick the lock.
We'll float the tarp
over the building
in under an hour.
TOBY (quietly):
You're not gonna believe
what's in his glove compartment.
Gloves?
If it was gloves, do you
think I'd be whispering?
He's got a can of Chock
Full 'O Sister in there.
What?
(whispering)
Oh, boy.
All right, let's get a move on
before there's another downpour!
♪ ♪
(gas hisses)
CABE: All right, let's connect
it and turn on the valve.
(inhales)
What the hell are you doing?
(high-pitched): ♪ Grandma got
run over by a reindeer. ♪
(inhales)
(high-pitched): ♪ Coming back
from our house Christmas Eve ♪
♪ People say there's
no such thing as Santa... ♪
(inhales)
(high-pitched):
♪ But as for me and Grandpa ♪
♪ We believe! ♪
(laughs)
Okay, so...
once this balloon is inflated,
we can lift everything up,
and the tarp will
cover the building.
All set. - Ready to roll.
Sure thing.
Okay, so the computer system
is back to full operation.
Now, one electric transformer
suffered water damage
from the roof rupture,
but I shut it down,
and the backup is compensating.
(Toby sighs)
It's the unexpurgated buildup
of stress and grieving.
His internal monologue
has gone external.
What's going to
get him out of this?
TOBY:
Well, if it was 1940,
shock therapy.
Past that, until he's willing
to deal with Megan's death,
there will be no progress.
He has to want it.
We're back online.
Okay.
Um, can I get
a minute?
I think that
this construction
should protect
the building nicely.
TOBY: Yeah,
it's pretty traditional.
I-I want to ask you
something else.
(loud rumbling)
Earthquake?
No, that was a pressure crack
from concrete
at least 15 feet thick.
I know my concrete.
Isn't there a dam
about a mile away from here?
(vehicle doors closing)
There. Mudslide.
WALTER:
It must have poured
millions of gallons
into that reservoir.
HAPPY: It's well over
the capacity line,
and there's a crack
in the dam face.
Is the dam gonna fail?
SYLVESTER: Is anyone else
thinking about the little town
down in the valley?
TOBY:
It's more like a small city.
Augustine has close to
100,000 people.
We need to get into
that dam's control room now.
Wait, why is no one here?
HAPPY: Most dams aren't
manned full-time,
and most definitely not
on Christmas Eve.
Okay! We're in!
(computer beeping)
The reservoir is
at 110% capacity.
This facility is run
by Augustine DWP.
We need to call our contact
right now.
CABE:
Just got off with him.
Flash floods took out
the only two roads
leading in and out
of the valley.
He can't get his crew up here,
and a chopper couldn't
make it up in the fog.
The town needs
to evacuate.
We need to get word
to the police
and the fire department.
They know.
They're holding back
the information
till they figure out a way
to evac 100,000 people
with no roads.
You've got to be kidding me.
Realistically, there's no
leaving the valley for 24 hours.
(loud rumbling)
Come on, come on.
I haven't seen a crack
that terrifying
since my proctology rotation.
Based on some quick
calculations for water volume
and the structural deficiencies,
I'd say we have 68 minutes
until the dam collapses.
Down there cooking hams
and trimming trees,
they have no idea how much
danger they're in.
♪ Scorpion 2x12 ♪
Dam Breakthrough
Original Air Date on December 14, 2015
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
Okay, so we have two problems:
the immediate and the eventual.
Immediate-- there's
a current crack in the dam.
We fix it, we buy time
to address the eventual.
The overflow.
Which, given the
tremendous weight from
the extra water volume,
will cause another crack
or topple the dam outright.
Killing 100,000 people.
I think it's insane
not to start an evacuation.
WALTER:
Not without viable roads.
There'll be panic, car wrecks,
and then when we're successful,
we'll know that that is
statistically unnecessary death.
Can you guarantee
we'll be successful?
I can guarantee that we're
the only shot those people have.
Damn it to hell.
Dam puns
at a time like this?
Not intentional.
(Walter mumbling)
Walter, not a good
time for that.
Mimicking nature
might be a possibility.
So, Toby, if there
is a rupture
in the body, a cut,
how would the body respond?
With clotting.
How do you clot water?
By freezing it.
The whole reservoir?
We're in the Southwest,
not the South Pole.
No, an isolated,
endothermic reaction.
Now we freeze just
the water directly
behind the crack,
so it will stop pouring
for long enough
for us to repair the wall
with a quick-drying concrete.
Concrete I can handle.
There's got to be a bag
up here for small repairs.
When I worked for my
grandfather's masonry company
in high school, he used
to add chalk to it
so the concrete
would dry quicker.
HAPPY:
Calcium carbonate.
Smart man.
So we have that covered,
but freezing a section of water
in the reservoir?
The ammonium nitrate for
the non-melting snow.
I never took the last bag
out of Cabe's SUV.
Okay, so we have enough for one
block of ice just one time,
which will
melt quickly.
Okay, we'll get it right
the first time, then.
Let's move.
Hey, hey, a quick question.
How do we get the concrete
through the crack
in the dam face?
There is a winch and a harness
on the dam's walkway
for repairs,
but someone will need
to rappel down.
Down a 200-foot face?
Here's the thing.
I have sciatica.
100,000 people are gonna die
if we don't take care of it.
I got this.
Thank God.
Okay, the concrete
and chalk mix is ready.
About to load the sprayer.
Okay, 40 feet down
inside the crack,
approximately half a liter
of mixture, give or take.
Anything in that skull worth
discussing with actual people?
I'm filling
this section of pipe
with ammonium nitrate
solution.
We'll feed it down on the water
side of the dam to the crack.
Once it's released,
it will freeze a block of ice
inside the dam wall,
approximately 100 square feet,
and it will melt
in about 90 seconds.
I got 90 seconds
to fill that whole rupture?
Okay.
All right, let's move.
WALTER:
I don't think
muttering calculations
makes me less efficient.
It's the symptomatology
that's concerning.
It's not making me less
efficient, so please keep
your dime-store
psychoanalysis to yourself,
so that I can focus
on saving the dam.
With the number
of degrees I have,
it's more dollar-store
psychoanalysis.
Just FYI.
Can we please focus?!
Okay, down you go.
♪ ♪
Yeah!
Yeah, I can see it!
WALTER:
Once it's at its proper depth,
pull the string,
solution releases,
and we start the clock.
Still got a ways to go.
Ten more feet!
It's good.
I'm gonna go check the monitors
in the control room.
Okay, Walt,
Cabe's in place!
Now!
It's working!
90 seconds.
All right, good!
(computer beeping)
TOBY: Okay, I'm not seeing
any further structural breaches.
So far, so good.
58 seconds.
Working like a charm!
HAPPY:
Okay, good. Now hurry,
'cause if the ice melts
before you're done,
the water will gush back out
and knock you
out of your harness.
I need more slack!
I got to swing over
and fill this last spot!
TOBY:
40 seconds.
Is it necessary for him to be
swinging around down there?
He leaves even part
of the crack unsealed,
when the ice melts,
the water pressure
will rip out
all the repair work.
And back to square one
with no more ammonium nitrate.
Happy, give him slack!
We only have one shot at this!
(whirring)
TOBY:
20 seconds.
Come on, guys.
I've already done
the calculations.
There's an 88% chance
that this winch won't sustain
his centrifugal force!
(grunts)
Got it!
HAPPY: Whoa!
His rope jumped the wheel!
Oh, oh!
We got to haul him in
by hand!
No, no, it's too far apart!
Can't reach it!
(gasps)
All right!
I'll walk my way back up!
No, do not pull on it!
It's about to fray!
Okay, it's gonna
snap in seconds!
Cabe, Cabe, Cabe, spray
a staircase with concrete!
What the hell's
he talking about?!
The sprayer!
Do it now!
(screams)
I'll be up in a minute!
(panting)
TOBY:
I'm seeing a flashing sign
that says "Dam failure."
I'm assuming that's bad.
(computer beeping, door opens)
Toby?
CABE:
What are we looking at?
A problem in the form of a clog.
Debris from the mudslide's
blocking the output pipe.
So the reservoir's not draining.
And if it doesn't drain,
the water builds up,
the pressure builds up--
bye-bye dam.
Capacity's at 110%.
Concrete gravity dams
don't survive
over capacity for more
than half an hour,
unless their water level can be
brought down substantially.
Is that even possible?
Not with the output
pipe blocked.
At least we got
a doctor in the house.
Who's got two thumbs
and rocked his G.I. rotation?
This guy!
What are you babbling about?
This place needs
a dam colonoscopy. D-A-M.
I'm talking about the dam.
I'll explain.
Picture a colonoscope
with spinning blades on the end.
I'd rather not.
No, Toby's right.
We need to clear this like
a plumber clears a sink drain!
Problem is these pipes
are roughly 73 times
the diameter, like...
the length of my wingspan.
Oh, that's some rooter.
Think this place
keeps gear like that on hand?
Uh, nope, but we can build one
with an outboard motor.
I saw one on a skiff
up top on a walkway.
20 horsepower.
Uh, that will do.
And with 60 feet of cabling and
the car battery from your SUV,
we should be good to go.
(computer continues beeping)
Uh, Walt, toss me the camera.
Y-Yeah, sure.
Okay, the only access
to the pipe is in this room.
SYLVESTER:
Okay.
And the door's locked.
Everything's electronic.
256-bit AES encryption.
Okay, so, Paige, keep an eye
on the structural
integrity monitors.
If anything turns red,
you let me know quick.
If anything turns red,
we're all underwater.
You three get the gear.
Sylvester and I
will hack open the doors.
♪ ♪
Clever.
Cabe, how's it looking?
CABE:
Good.
Hey, Doc?
You better be taking
better care of my car.
I'm sorry, Cabe.
You're breaking up.
Walt, Sly, you open
that door yet?
SYLVESTER:
Seconds away.
Actually, done.
(door buzzes)
HAPPY: I'll attach
the propeller
to the end of the conduit cable.
Toby, use the jumper cables
to hook up the power source.
Got a file?
HAPPY: This thing has
to chew through trees,
branches and everything
that's clogging that pipe,
so make those teeth sharp.
How's that?
Show-off.
Camera attached.
Okay, this will help us
steer turns in the pipe
and see where the blockage is.
Okay.
Okay, Sly?
You clocking this?
Crystal clear.
Okay, off Sylvester's
calculations,
we have 26 minutes
until dam failure.
You need to get that rig
in the water now.
Let the procedure begin!
(motor whirring)
Okay, there's a fork in the pipe
coming up. Steer right.
Once we clear
this blockage,
this water's gonna turn
into a raging river.
So we got to get ready
to clear out quick!
Oh, you're about
to hit the clog.
Doc, let 'er rip!
(motor whirring loudly)
So far, so good.
Water's already speeding up!
PAIGE:
And the reservoir is going down.
It's reducing stress on the dam.
Whoa, Nelly!
We are stuck!
Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi.
Okay. Clarifying the image.
Oh, no. Pinus muricata.
What-what is that,
a fancy word for pine tree?
Uh, this puppy can handle pine!
Toby, hit the throttle!
(motor whirring loudly,
Toby grunts)
Ah, what did I tell ya?
Let go and get out!
Quick!
(grunts)
(grunts)
Happy just got pulled in!
Happy!
Where the hell does
this thing go?!
I'm going after her!
PAIGE: Toby, that goes
straight to the turbine.
You'll both be sucked in
and cut to pieces.
Okay, we only have
one shot to save her.
The pipe she's in curves here.
We can beat her to the drain
and catch her!
CABE:
You're smarter than that!
Trust Walter!
He has been talking
to himself all day.
Would you?
Toby, it's her only shot!
Based on her size
and lung capacity,
she only has 64 seconds.
Okay, okay.
We can make it
and save her in 55.
Here, grab those two sandbags
and follow me!
Okay!
29 seconds
until she drowns.
Okay, we have to wait till
the rig goes through the drain.
Otherwise, we risk it
cutting through the catch
and then Happy slipping
straight through.
Now, if she gets pulled
down that whirlpool,
oh, it's straight
to the turbines.
That's a tight window;
we're talking seconds.
Ready?
Yeah.
Hold on, hold on.
There's the motor.
Wait for it.
It's being sucked
into the whirlpool.
Here she comes. Now!
Okay.
Happy!
Happy, we got you!
My foot's still attached
to the motor!
Help! It's pulling me down!
Come on!
Yeah! I think...
I got you.
Come on!
I can't get out!
It's pulling my leg.
(coughs)
Oh, it's too strong!
Happy! Cabe, get
her other arm!
CABE:
All right, on three!
One, two, three!
(all grunting)
(coughing)
TOBY:
Come on, look at me.
(panting)
Look at me,
look at me.
Hey, hey.
Are you all right?
I'm not really big on
involuntary swimming,
but I'm fine.
PAIGE:
Guys?
The turbines are not fine.
(computer beeping)
What's happening?
Uh... two of the three
turbines broke
when the rig went through.
There's only one left working.
Uh, one turbine doesn't
have enough power
to drain the
reservoir in time.
We have 24 minutes
until dam failure.
Don't even say failure.
The people in that town don't
know what's happening up here.
Dam doesn't care, Paige.
Earlier, while you were
building the rooter,
I went on the city's home page.
This is from yesterday.
Footage of the Christmas parade
in their town square.
Have you been
a good girl this year?
Yes.
Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
PAIGE:
This is what's at stake.
Not population statistics--
people.
Individuals, little girls,
parents, grandparents.
It is Christmas, guys.
We cannot let this happen.
Any bright ideas, Walt?
(mumbling)
Hey, Walt, you missed
a rousing speech
while you were
mumbling to yourself.
And the gist of it?
Lots of people need
Walter O'Brien on his "A" game.
So I'm not letting you
talk to yourself anymore.
You're gonna fight your
nature. Talk to me.
You have no idea
how right you are.
This I have often been told.
No, no, no.
The river needs
to fight its nature.
River? What? No, no.
That's not what I meant.
What are you talking about?
The only way to save the dam
and the people in town
is to make the river that feeds
the dam flow in reverse.
Doesn't sound crazy at all.
Okay, explain to me how you
make a river flow backwards.
Two miles upriver,
the Kesselman Reservoir
is stable at 48%.
Now, if we can force 52%
of our reservoir's water
back up into it...
We'll decrease pressure
on this dam just enough
so that failure is
no longer a threat.
You know, Doc always says
you have a god complex,
and I'm starting
to think he's right.
You're not Moses.
How you gonna part this water?
We fight nature.
With a tsunami bomb.
A bomb at a dam
that's about to give?
HAPPY:
During World War Two,
the U.S. developed
these bombs in secret--
tectonic weapons to
create monster waves
to wipe out enemy cities.
Won't the bomb blow out the dam?
Here.
Okay, so...
the dam ends here.
Bedrock starts down here
at a depth of 128 feet.
We drop the bomb here,
using the bedrock
to direct 100%
of the blast force upriver.
Dam safe.
This is nuttier than
George Washington Carver's
lunch box.
Okay, we got to move
theory into practice.
Just under 19 minutes to save
the Whos down in Whoville.
Don't forget about us.
If that dam goes, so do we.
(loud rumbling)
Speaking of which...
HAPPY:
Okay, one thing, Walt.
We cannot reverse the river
without stopping it first.
That's right,
but I have a plan for how.
Reversing the turbine.
That stops it
from draining water out.
You-you said
that was a bad thing.
Reversing it momentarily would
take pressure off the dam wall
and make it easier
for us to create a tsunami.
But we have to move fast.
Now, the road
to the substation
that we repaired is still open.
Paige and I will
head back there
to send maximum power
back to the dam.
In the meantime, you two seal
the cracks in the wall
with concrete,
'cause if water
kills the computers,
this plan falls apart
and we lose the dam.
Happy and Toby
will build the bomb.
As far as
the explosive substance,
she should be able
to find rubidium
in the dam's
thermoelectric generator.
Rubidium explodes
on contact with water,
so we'll need to keep it dry
as it sinks to the bedrock.
The casing needs to dissolve,
so I'm thinking rock salt.
So, in summary,
we stop the river,
drop the bomb, reverse
the river, save the town.
Easy.
TOBY:
See?
Those are the kind of thoughts
you should only say to yourself.
PAIGE: Walter, look at
all those Christmas lights.
Can we really revert
enough power back to the dam
to save all these people?
No. Those Christmas lights are
gonna kill all those people.
What?
You need to get Ralph
on the phone right now.
Get him on the phone.
We're running out of concrete!
Happy, how's that bomb coming?!
Uh, slow and steady.
You do not rush rubidium,
not with all this water around.
Now, we need
to turn it to paste.
Okay.
Oh, no, no, da-da-da.
What? You got a faster way
to turn liquid solid?
Considering how explosive it is,
maybe the prudent...
(shrieks)
See? It worked.
We're almost done
building a tsunami bomb.
Th-That's a real thing.
I just said that.
SYLVESTER:
Walt, nine minutes!
We need that power stat!
Almost there.
We should be calling
the police, not Ralph.
They handle
the emergency alert system.
No, if we call them,
it will take a half hour
to convince them that
we're not crackpots.
Ralph, have you
accessed the system?
Almost there.
PAIGE: Uh, by the way,
where's your sitter?
Downstairs on her phone.
I gave her a soda.
I'm in.
WALTER:
Great work, Ralph.
Now send an
emergency alert.
It will go out to
every cell phone,
TV and radio in town.
And be blunt, so they
understand, okay?
No, no, Ralph.
Uh, appeal to
their emotions, okay?
So type these words.
(phone beeping)
Cabe, the Emergency
Alert System.
"We know this is scary,
but please trust us.
"You must turn off
all your power--
"Christmas lights,
appliances, everything--
so we can divert as much power
as possible to the dam."
"We all have families
and loved ones."
TOBY: "Please follow our
instructions, so we can be
with them tomorrow
on Christmas."
That must be Walter.
That kind of language?
That's from Paige.
Oh, no.
Don't tell me Toby's right
about the Christmas spirit.
Yes! Everyone's turning
off their lights!
Sending over the power now!
Okay, while that's
not a miracle,
I will concede that
is miracle-adjacent.
We are super-juiced
over here, Walter.
Reversing the turbine.
(computer beeping)
Toby, you have
to throw that bomb.
Doc, you ready?
Damn right I am.
Okay, that's the mark,
and you got to nail it.
Let it fly.
Okay, here goes.
(grunts)
Not good.
Not good.
We are two minutes away
from complete dam failure.
Toby, you sure
you missed that mark?
Well, you saw me box.
How well do you
think I can throw?
If I unintentionally
killed anyone,
I am sorry.
SYLVESTER:
Guys!
Bomb goes off in five, four,
three, two, one!
Wow, we really suck
at making bombs.
Yeah, we also suck at saving
that dam and that whole town.
(explosion)
Looks like your throw
was good enough, Doc.
(whoops)
(laughs)
It's working!
Who's the bomb?
(laughs)
Uh, what are
the reservoir levels?
Uh, Kesselman is at 82%.
And we are down to 57, 56, 55%!
We are good!
Well, it worked.
Dam structural integrity's
back up in the green.
Someone call Augustine DWP.
Let them know
we're in the clear.
On it.
RALPH:
You guys okay?
Yes. Great work, Ralph.
Now, why don't you tell everyone
to turn their Christmas lights
back on?
Your mom seems
to really enjoy them.
Oh.
I know I really don't
get involved in the holidays,
but this is a welcome sight.
Yeah, it is.
Uh, you know what else
would be welcome?
And something
you might find that is,
uh, efficient
and rewarding...
is opening up a little bit
and sharing with other people,
instead of just
with yourself.
Walter?
Yeah, sorry.
You were saying?
Um, just...
we should be getting back.
♪ Up on the housetop,
reindeer pause ♪
♪ Out jumps
good ol' Santa Claus... ♪
Okay, let's fire this thing up.
I call first on the sled.
Uh, we used up
the ammonium nitrate, remember?
Tomorrow, I call
first on the sled.
I'm surrounded by children.
Is that gingerbread?
Can I have some?!
(beep)
DREW:
Hey, Paige, it's Drew.
I talked to Ralph earlier,
but I wanted to wish you
a Merry Christm...
AUTOMATED VOICE: Deleted.
(beep)
WOMAN: Mr. O'Brien,
this is Margaret Crosier.
I'm calling from
the Karman Prize committee.
Guys, Karman Prize called!
Our panel of judges
was duly impressed
by the research you submitted
on rocketry.
So it's our pleasure
to inform you that you have won
the $15 million grant.
We just need to schedule
a site visit inspection
to make sure your rocket
matches the specs you provided.
Call us as soon as possible.
Congratulations, Mr. O'Brien.
And Merry Christmas.
Hey, Walter, ever
been to a dog track?
Son, that's life-changing money.
Oh, I know this is all very...
Where's the ferret?
Huh?
Where'd the ferret go?
Ferret?! Guys?
PAIGE:
You left him
in its upstairs cage.
No, no, no. I didn't.
I brought him down and then
I closed the door. Where is he?
Well, he couldn't have gotten very far.
Okay, I'm gonna
go out the back. You start
looking around for him now!
Now!
Bueller?
(ferret chittering)
Bueller? Oh.
I found him! It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay, pal.
Nice and safe.
Who left the cage open?
CABE: Pretty sure you were
the last one to touch it.
I closed the cage.
I always close the cage.
Okay. Well, it's okay now,
'cause the ferret is safe.
Well, I could've lost her!
Don't any of you
comprehend that?!
I don't want that!
I don't want to lose her.
I didn't want to lose her.
I didn't want
to lose my sister.
(exhales)
(sobs softly)
She was...
(exhales)
I miss her so much.
I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
This is unprofessional.
(sniffles)
(sniffles)
Oh, God.
I have a great idea.
Okay. Think of it
as a California snowman.
HAPPY: I've been working
on this launchpad
for the last few months.
If I knew
we were using it today,
I would've painted it
or something.
It's perfect. Thank you.
CABE:
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Just called in a favor
with the FAA.
Rocket's got clear skies
for takeoff.
You sure you want to do this?
The sentiment's beautiful,
but $15 million--
someone like you could do
a lot with that.
I built the rocket
so I could win money
to help with
Megan's research.
It's her rocket;
it's not mine.
Couldn't respect
you more, kid.
♪ ♪
Hey.
So, Sly told me today
that I should never
waste time in life.
Um...
that plus I-I'm thankful
I'm alive.
Last year, I kissed you,
and it didn't work out.
So let's try it
in reverse this Christmas.
For the record, your
logic makes zero sense.
But I don't care.
♪ ♪
(moans softly)
Quality kiss, Doc.
Good work.
♪ And we need
a place to hide... ♪
That was a Christmas miracle.
WALTER:
Megan loved the stars.
I'm hoping
she'd like to be with them.
I think she'd love to.
We are all set.
I think it would be appropriate
for the husband
to do the honors.
(exhales)
We never really talked
about it,
but, technically,
when I married Megan, that made
you and I brothers-in-law.
You know, I've always found
that term antiquated.
How 'bout we just go
with "brothers"?
♪ And we leave ♪
♪ It all behind ♪
♪ Can't you see ♪
♪ We need some time... ♪
Okay.
Um...
(rocket rumbling)
Bye.
♪ And we leave ♪
♪ It all behind ♪
♪ Can't you see ♪
♪ We need some time ♪
♪ The cold night
takes us to a place ♪
♪ To escape the chill... ♪
Oh, I'm feeling a lot better,
by the way.
You seem better.
I heard what you said earlier,
about, um, opening up.
Maybe it's time
I fight my nature.
It worked for the dam.
It might just work for you.
♪ Nobody knows ♪
♪ And we leave ♪
♪ It all behind ♪
♪ Can't you see ♪
♪ We need some time. ♪
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
(water dripping)
(exhales)
Yes.
This El Niño is a real drag.
It's supposed to be
white Christmas,
not wet Christmas.
Uh, we are working on it.
I don't think the mix
is cold enough.
It'll be covered.
If Toby bothers
to come back.
I'm going very south
on Christmas this year.
This holiday nonsense
is killing me.
I think Ralph might say
Christmas is fun.
TOBY:
In a city that collapses
into gridlock
over a light drizzle,
let alone seven days
of downpour?
Is that your idea of fun?
It is not.
Christmas spirit.
Apocryphal state of mind
that doesn't really exist.
We get it. "Humbug."
Humbug is right.
And it's about to go viral
when Cabe sees the dent
I put in his ride.
Anyway, I got the stupid
ammonium nitrate.
There's one more
bag in the car.
Where's Walter?
Walter, Toby's back!
Walter?
No.
I swear I saw him
go upstairs.
I mean, it's not
a definitive failure.
I have put
some thought into this.
What if there was a way to take
the technology, and then...
Um, are you on the phone?
Huh? No.
Oh, so you were just talking
to Ferret Bueller?
Does he answer back?
Has Toby returned
with my ammonium nitrate?
He did.
Happy took it from him.
Okay. We should be ready.
Hold that.
Give me that.
Um, you do realize you were just
talking to yourself, right?
Must have been running
some calculations.
(ferret chittering)
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
PAIGE:
Whoa.
Where did this
come from?
It's my proprietary formula.
Now, this non-melting
snow project
could be
a massive windfall.
Imagine every ski resort
using non-melting snow
to cover their mountains
every seven or eight years.
The patent could
be worth billions.
This is snow density test A-1.
Now, on the count of three,
give me a hard shove.
Down a steep, icy ramp?
That would make me
an accessory to homicide.
And ferret-cide.
Or an assistant to
a groundbreaking discovery.
Now think positive.
CABE:
Hey, gather up!
We got an emergency!
And you...
what the hell
happened to my SUV?
It was Christmas.
MAN:
The situation is at
the Augustine Power Station
on Mount Baldy,
and it's about to go critical.
I'm gonna send you a password
so you can access the
surveillance photos of the...
Don't bother,
I'm already in.
Wow, big tree.
Yeah, that 50-foot pine uprooted
and crushed
the power station wall
like it was made of sugar.
Yeah, the root system on
these pines can't handle
that sort of precipitation;
they just let go.
This rain is killing us.
Augustine DWP
has 58 repair crews,
all working 18-hour shifts,
and we can't get anyone
up to Augustine.
If that transformer
gets flooded and shorts,
100,000 people
lose power on Christmas.
Why us?
We're getting sporadic contact
from the computer system,
so that needs
rebooting or repair,
and we also need
engineering for the roof.
All up your alley, right?
I guess word's gotten around
how good
and professional we are.
Christmas Eve
is triple time.
It's a very important
holiday to me.
We'll be happy to help.
Walter, do you think...
There might be
a chance to show that...
Walter?
(mumbling)
Walter!
Yeah.
Uh, sorry.
Uh, Mr. Woodbury,
once we get there,
we can easily run
a system diagnostic.
Happy, check my engineering.
Now, if we can float a large
enough tarp over the structure,
we can give
it a new roof
and improve the
surrounding drainage
to prevent a mudslide
from this hill.
Why do you think
that hill's in danger?
Uh, surface area of the soil,
volume, porosity.
Standard geomorphology.
Okay, decent engineering,
but where do we get
the big balloons?
Didn't your father used to sell
used cars at his garage?
Yeah.
Then we're covered.
Okay, we will be at
the power station in an hour.
Now, we will need three cars
to gather the equipment.
I'll explain why
on the way.
Second time this morning I've
heard him talking to himself.
Ever since Megan died.
It's getting worse.
I'll ride with him.
(thunder rumbling)
(sighs)
You work with
the world's best mechanic.
You ever think to ask her
to fix this jalopy?
(mouthing)
Something
on your mind?
You're moving your lips
and nothing's coming out.
I'm running ideas, numbers.
What's the big deal?
It's just a new development.
And an odd one.
Can't shut you up today.
Do you at least have something
to dry off my leg?
Don't open that. Please.
Whoa.
What's so important about this?
Don't shake it.
Don't shake that, Toby!
Please, don't, don't.
Oh, God.
I told you not to open it.
But what you didn't say
was that your sister
was in there.
Well, I haven't had
the opportunity to spread them.
So you're keeping them
in the glove compartment,
in a coffee can?
The urn they gave me was black.
Megan hated black.
It's safe in there.
And that's enough on this topic.
(Sylvester humming)
Got a song
in your heart?
I'm just thinking about Megan.
And you smile about it?
Absolutely.
Even close
to the end,
when there was music she wanted,
we listened to it;
a book, I'd read it to her.
We were together
for a short time,
but we didn't waste
any moments, so...
there's nothing to regret.
Why?
What are you thinking about?
Nothing.
Excellent.
Now we have a break in weather.
Okay, let's set up
balloons and tarp.
Helium tank goes over there.
Now I'm gonna go inside and
start a computer diagnostic.
Happy, pick the lock.
We'll float the tarp
over the building
in under an hour.
TOBY (quietly):
You're not gonna believe
what's in his glove compartment.
Gloves?
If it was gloves, do you
think I'd be whispering?
He's got a can of Chock
Full 'O Sister in there.
What?
(whispering)
Oh, boy.
All right, let's get a move on
before there's another downpour!
♪ ♪
(gas hisses)
CABE: All right, let's connect
it and turn on the valve.
(inhales)
What the hell are you doing?
(high-pitched): ♪ Grandma got
run over by a reindeer. ♪
(inhales)
(high-pitched): ♪ Coming back
from our house Christmas Eve ♪
♪ People say there's
no such thing as Santa... ♪
(inhales)
(high-pitched):
♪ But as for me and Grandpa ♪
♪ We believe! ♪
(laughs)
Okay, so...
once this balloon is inflated,
we can lift everything up,
and the tarp will
cover the building.
All set. - Ready to roll.
Sure thing.
Okay, so the computer system
is back to full operation.
Now, one electric transformer
suffered water damage
from the roof rupture,
but I shut it down,
and the backup is compensating.
(Toby sighs)
It's the unexpurgated buildup
of stress and grieving.
His internal monologue
has gone external.
What's going to
get him out of this?
TOBY:
Well, if it was 1940,
shock therapy.
Past that, until he's willing
to deal with Megan's death,
there will be no progress.
He has to want it.
We're back online.
Okay.
Um, can I get
a minute?
I think that
this construction
should protect
the building nicely.
TOBY: Yeah,
it's pretty traditional.
I-I want to ask you
something else.
(loud rumbling)
Earthquake?
No, that was a pressure crack
from concrete
at least 15 feet thick.
I know my concrete.
Isn't there a dam
about a mile away from here?
(vehicle doors closing)
There. Mudslide.
WALTER:
It must have poured
millions of gallons
into that reservoir.
HAPPY: It's well over
the capacity line,
and there's a crack
in the dam face.
Is the dam gonna fail?
SYLVESTER: Is anyone else
thinking about the little town
down in the valley?
TOBY:
It's more like a small city.
Augustine has close to
100,000 people.
We need to get into
that dam's control room now.
Wait, why is no one here?
HAPPY: Most dams aren't
manned full-time,
and most definitely not
on Christmas Eve.
Okay! We're in!
(computer beeping)
The reservoir is
at 110% capacity.
This facility is run
by Augustine DWP.
We need to call our contact
right now.
CABE:
Just got off with him.
Flash floods took out
the only two roads
leading in and out
of the valley.
He can't get his crew up here,
and a chopper couldn't
make it up in the fog.
The town needs
to evacuate.
We need to get word
to the police
and the fire department.
They know.
They're holding back
the information
till they figure out a way
to evac 100,000 people
with no roads.
You've got to be kidding me.
Realistically, there's no
leaving the valley for 24 hours.
(loud rumbling)
Come on, come on.
I haven't seen a crack
that terrifying
since my proctology rotation.
Based on some quick
calculations for water volume
and the structural deficiencies,
I'd say we have 68 minutes
until the dam collapses.
Down there cooking hams
and trimming trees,
they have no idea how much
danger they're in.
♪ Scorpion 2x12 ♪
Dam Breakthrough
Original Air Date on December 14, 2015
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
Okay, so we have two problems:
the immediate and the eventual.
Immediate-- there's
a current crack in the dam.
We fix it, we buy time
to address the eventual.
The overflow.
Which, given the
tremendous weight from
the extra water volume,
will cause another crack
or topple the dam outright.
Killing 100,000 people.
I think it's insane
not to start an evacuation.
WALTER:
Not without viable roads.
There'll be panic, car wrecks,
and then when we're successful,
we'll know that that is
statistically unnecessary death.
Can you guarantee
we'll be successful?
I can guarantee that we're
the only shot those people have.
Damn it to hell.
Dam puns
at a time like this?
Not intentional.
(Walter mumbling)
Walter, not a good
time for that.
Mimicking nature
might be a possibility.
So, Toby, if there
is a rupture
in the body, a cut,
how would the body respond?
With clotting.
How do you clot water?
By freezing it.
The whole reservoir?
We're in the Southwest,
not the South Pole.
No, an isolated,
endothermic reaction.
Now we freeze just
the water directly
behind the crack,
so it will stop pouring
for long enough
for us to repair the wall
with a quick-drying concrete.
Concrete I can handle.
There's got to be a bag
up here for small repairs.
When I worked for my
grandfather's masonry company
in high school, he used
to add chalk to it
so the concrete
would dry quicker.
HAPPY:
Calcium carbonate.
Smart man.
So we have that covered,
but freezing a section of water
in the reservoir?
The ammonium nitrate for
the non-melting snow.
I never took the last bag
out of Cabe's SUV.
Okay, so we have enough for one
block of ice just one time,
which will
melt quickly.
Okay, we'll get it right
the first time, then.
Let's move.
Hey, hey, a quick question.
How do we get the concrete
through the crack
in the dam face?
There is a winch and a harness
on the dam's walkway
for repairs,
but someone will need
to rappel down.
Down a 200-foot face?
Here's the thing.
I have sciatica.
100,000 people are gonna die
if we don't take care of it.
I got this.
Thank God.
Okay, the concrete
and chalk mix is ready.
About to load the sprayer.
Okay, 40 feet down
inside the crack,
approximately half a liter
of mixture, give or take.
Anything in that skull worth
discussing with actual people?
I'm filling
this section of pipe
with ammonium nitrate
solution.
We'll feed it down on the water
side of the dam to the crack.
Once it's released,
it will freeze a block of ice
inside the dam wall,
approximately 100 square feet,
and it will melt
in about 90 seconds.
I got 90 seconds
to fill that whole rupture?
Okay.
All right, let's move.
WALTER:
I don't think
muttering calculations
makes me less efficient.
It's the symptomatology
that's concerning.
It's not making me less
efficient, so please keep
your dime-store
psychoanalysis to yourself,
so that I can focus
on saving the dam.
With the number
of degrees I have,
it's more dollar-store
psychoanalysis.
Just FYI.
Can we please focus?!
Okay, down you go.
♪ ♪
Yeah!
Yeah, I can see it!
WALTER:
Once it's at its proper depth,
pull the string,
solution releases,
and we start the clock.
Still got a ways to go.
Ten more feet!
It's good.
I'm gonna go check the monitors
in the control room.
Okay, Walt,
Cabe's in place!
Now!
It's working!
90 seconds.
All right, good!
(computer beeping)
TOBY: Okay, I'm not seeing
any further structural breaches.
So far, so good.
58 seconds.
Working like a charm!
HAPPY:
Okay, good. Now hurry,
'cause if the ice melts
before you're done,
the water will gush back out
and knock you
out of your harness.
I need more slack!
I got to swing over
and fill this last spot!
TOBY:
40 seconds.
Is it necessary for him to be
swinging around down there?
He leaves even part
of the crack unsealed,
when the ice melts,
the water pressure
will rip out
all the repair work.
And back to square one
with no more ammonium nitrate.
Happy, give him slack!
We only have one shot at this!
(whirring)
TOBY:
20 seconds.
Come on, guys.
I've already done
the calculations.
There's an 88% chance
that this winch won't sustain
his centrifugal force!
(grunts)
Got it!
HAPPY: Whoa!
His rope jumped the wheel!
Oh, oh!
We got to haul him in
by hand!
No, no, it's too far apart!
Can't reach it!
(gasps)
All right!
I'll walk my way back up!
No, do not pull on it!
It's about to fray!
Okay, it's gonna
snap in seconds!
Cabe, Cabe, Cabe, spray
a staircase with concrete!
What the hell's
he talking about?!
The sprayer!
Do it now!
(screams)
I'll be up in a minute!
(panting)
TOBY:
I'm seeing a flashing sign
that says "Dam failure."
I'm assuming that's bad.
(computer beeping, door opens)
Toby?
CABE:
What are we looking at?
A problem in the form of a clog.
Debris from the mudslide's
blocking the output pipe.
So the reservoir's not draining.
And if it doesn't drain,
the water builds up,
the pressure builds up--
bye-bye dam.
Capacity's at 110%.
Concrete gravity dams
don't survive
over capacity for more
than half an hour,
unless their water level can be
brought down substantially.
Is that even possible?
Not with the output
pipe blocked.
At least we got
a doctor in the house.
Who's got two thumbs
and rocked his G.I. rotation?
This guy!
What are you babbling about?
This place needs
a dam colonoscopy. D-A-M.
I'm talking about the dam.
I'll explain.
Picture a colonoscope
with spinning blades on the end.
I'd rather not.
No, Toby's right.
We need to clear this like
a plumber clears a sink drain!
Problem is these pipes
are roughly 73 times
the diameter, like...
the length of my wingspan.
Oh, that's some rooter.
Think this place
keeps gear like that on hand?
Uh, nope, but we can build one
with an outboard motor.
I saw one on a skiff
up top on a walkway.
20 horsepower.
Uh, that will do.
And with 60 feet of cabling and
the car battery from your SUV,
we should be good to go.
(computer continues beeping)
Uh, Walt, toss me the camera.
Y-Yeah, sure.
Okay, the only access
to the pipe is in this room.
SYLVESTER:
Okay.
And the door's locked.
Everything's electronic.
256-bit AES encryption.
Okay, so, Paige, keep an eye
on the structural
integrity monitors.
If anything turns red,
you let me know quick.
If anything turns red,
we're all underwater.
You three get the gear.
Sylvester and I
will hack open the doors.
♪ ♪
Clever.
Cabe, how's it looking?
CABE:
Good.
Hey, Doc?
You better be taking
better care of my car.
I'm sorry, Cabe.
You're breaking up.
Walt, Sly, you open
that door yet?
SYLVESTER:
Seconds away.
Actually, done.
(door buzzes)
HAPPY: I'll attach
the propeller
to the end of the conduit cable.
Toby, use the jumper cables
to hook up the power source.
Got a file?
HAPPY: This thing has
to chew through trees,
branches and everything
that's clogging that pipe,
so make those teeth sharp.
How's that?
Show-off.
Camera attached.
Okay, this will help us
steer turns in the pipe
and see where the blockage is.
Okay.
Okay, Sly?
You clocking this?
Crystal clear.
Okay, off Sylvester's
calculations,
we have 26 minutes
until dam failure.
You need to get that rig
in the water now.
Let the procedure begin!
(motor whirring)
Okay, there's a fork in the pipe
coming up. Steer right.
Once we clear
this blockage,
this water's gonna turn
into a raging river.
So we got to get ready
to clear out quick!
Oh, you're about
to hit the clog.
Doc, let 'er rip!
(motor whirring loudly)
So far, so good.
Water's already speeding up!
PAIGE:
And the reservoir is going down.
It's reducing stress on the dam.
Whoa, Nelly!
We are stuck!
Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi.
Okay. Clarifying the image.
Oh, no. Pinus muricata.
What-what is that,
a fancy word for pine tree?
Uh, this puppy can handle pine!
Toby, hit the throttle!
(motor whirring loudly,
Toby grunts)
Ah, what did I tell ya?
Let go and get out!
Quick!
(grunts)
(grunts)
Happy just got pulled in!
Happy!
Where the hell does
this thing go?!
I'm going after her!
PAIGE: Toby, that goes
straight to the turbine.
You'll both be sucked in
and cut to pieces.
Okay, we only have
one shot to save her.
The pipe she's in curves here.
We can beat her to the drain
and catch her!
CABE:
You're smarter than that!
Trust Walter!
He has been talking
to himself all day.
Would you?
Toby, it's her only shot!
Based on her size
and lung capacity,
she only has 64 seconds.
Okay, okay.
We can make it
and save her in 55.
Here, grab those two sandbags
and follow me!
Okay!
29 seconds
until she drowns.
Okay, we have to wait till
the rig goes through the drain.
Otherwise, we risk it
cutting through the catch
and then Happy slipping
straight through.
Now, if she gets pulled
down that whirlpool,
oh, it's straight
to the turbines.
That's a tight window;
we're talking seconds.
Ready?
Yeah.
Hold on, hold on.
There's the motor.
Wait for it.
It's being sucked
into the whirlpool.
Here she comes. Now!
Okay.
Happy!
Happy, we got you!
My foot's still attached
to the motor!
Help! It's pulling me down!
Come on!
Yeah! I think...
I got you.
Come on!
I can't get out!
It's pulling my leg.
(coughs)
Oh, it's too strong!
Happy! Cabe, get
her other arm!
CABE:
All right, on three!
One, two, three!
(all grunting)
(coughing)
TOBY:
Come on, look at me.
(panting)
Look at me,
look at me.
Hey, hey.
Are you all right?
I'm not really big on
involuntary swimming,
but I'm fine.
PAIGE:
Guys?
The turbines are not fine.
(computer beeping)
What's happening?
Uh... two of the three
turbines broke
when the rig went through.
There's only one left working.
Uh, one turbine doesn't
have enough power
to drain the
reservoir in time.
We have 24 minutes
until dam failure.
Don't even say failure.
The people in that town don't
know what's happening up here.
Dam doesn't care, Paige.
Earlier, while you were
building the rooter,
I went on the city's home page.
This is from yesterday.
Footage of the Christmas parade
in their town square.
Have you been
a good girl this year?
Yes.
Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
PAIGE:
This is what's at stake.
Not population statistics--
people.
Individuals, little girls,
parents, grandparents.
It is Christmas, guys.
We cannot let this happen.
Any bright ideas, Walt?
(mumbling)
Hey, Walt, you missed
a rousing speech
while you were
mumbling to yourself.
And the gist of it?
Lots of people need
Walter O'Brien on his "A" game.
So I'm not letting you
talk to yourself anymore.
You're gonna fight your
nature. Talk to me.
You have no idea
how right you are.
This I have often been told.
No, no, no.
The river needs
to fight its nature.
River? What? No, no.
That's not what I meant.
What are you talking about?
The only way to save the dam
and the people in town
is to make the river that feeds
the dam flow in reverse.
Doesn't sound crazy at all.
Okay, explain to me how you
make a river flow backwards.
Two miles upriver,
the Kesselman Reservoir
is stable at 48%.
Now, if we can force 52%
of our reservoir's water
back up into it...
We'll decrease pressure
on this dam just enough
so that failure is
no longer a threat.
You know, Doc always says
you have a god complex,
and I'm starting
to think he's right.
You're not Moses.
How you gonna part this water?
We fight nature.
With a tsunami bomb.
A bomb at a dam
that's about to give?
HAPPY:
During World War Two,
the U.S. developed
these bombs in secret--
tectonic weapons to
create monster waves
to wipe out enemy cities.
Won't the bomb blow out the dam?
Here.
Okay, so...
the dam ends here.
Bedrock starts down here
at a depth of 128 feet.
We drop the bomb here,
using the bedrock
to direct 100%
of the blast force upriver.
Dam safe.
This is nuttier than
George Washington Carver's
lunch box.
Okay, we got to move
theory into practice.
Just under 19 minutes to save
the Whos down in Whoville.
Don't forget about us.
If that dam goes, so do we.
(loud rumbling)
Speaking of which...
HAPPY:
Okay, one thing, Walt.
We cannot reverse the river
without stopping it first.
That's right,
but I have a plan for how.
Reversing the turbine.
That stops it
from draining water out.
You-you said
that was a bad thing.
Reversing it momentarily would
take pressure off the dam wall
and make it easier
for us to create a tsunami.
But we have to move fast.
Now, the road
to the substation
that we repaired is still open.
Paige and I will
head back there
to send maximum power
back to the dam.
In the meantime, you two seal
the cracks in the wall
with concrete,
'cause if water
kills the computers,
this plan falls apart
and we lose the dam.
Happy and Toby
will build the bomb.
As far as
the explosive substance,
she should be able
to find rubidium
in the dam's
thermoelectric generator.
Rubidium explodes
on contact with water,
so we'll need to keep it dry
as it sinks to the bedrock.
The casing needs to dissolve,
so I'm thinking rock salt.
So, in summary,
we stop the river,
drop the bomb, reverse
the river, save the town.
Easy.
TOBY:
See?
Those are the kind of thoughts
you should only say to yourself.
PAIGE: Walter, look at
all those Christmas lights.
Can we really revert
enough power back to the dam
to save all these people?
No. Those Christmas lights are
gonna kill all those people.
What?
You need to get Ralph
on the phone right now.
Get him on the phone.
We're running out of concrete!
Happy, how's that bomb coming?!
Uh, slow and steady.
You do not rush rubidium,
not with all this water around.
Now, we need
to turn it to paste.
Okay.
Oh, no, no, da-da-da.
What? You got a faster way
to turn liquid solid?
Considering how explosive it is,
maybe the prudent...
(shrieks)
See? It worked.
We're almost done
building a tsunami bomb.
Th-That's a real thing.
I just said that.
SYLVESTER:
Walt, nine minutes!
We need that power stat!
Almost there.
We should be calling
the police, not Ralph.
They handle
the emergency alert system.
No, if we call them,
it will take a half hour
to convince them that
we're not crackpots.
Ralph, have you
accessed the system?
Almost there.
PAIGE: Uh, by the way,
where's your sitter?
Downstairs on her phone.
I gave her a soda.
I'm in.
WALTER:
Great work, Ralph.
Now send an
emergency alert.
It will go out to
every cell phone,
TV and radio in town.
And be blunt, so they
understand, okay?
No, no, Ralph.
Uh, appeal to
their emotions, okay?
So type these words.
(phone beeping)
Cabe, the Emergency
Alert System.
"We know this is scary,
but please trust us.
"You must turn off
all your power--
"Christmas lights,
appliances, everything--
so we can divert as much power
as possible to the dam."
"We all have families
and loved ones."
TOBY: "Please follow our
instructions, so we can be
with them tomorrow
on Christmas."
That must be Walter.
That kind of language?
That's from Paige.
Oh, no.
Don't tell me Toby's right
about the Christmas spirit.
Yes! Everyone's turning
off their lights!
Sending over the power now!
Okay, while that's
not a miracle,
I will concede that
is miracle-adjacent.
We are super-juiced
over here, Walter.
Reversing the turbine.
(computer beeping)
Toby, you have
to throw that bomb.
Doc, you ready?
Damn right I am.
Okay, that's the mark,
and you got to nail it.
Let it fly.
Okay, here goes.
(grunts)
Not good.
Not good.
We are two minutes away
from complete dam failure.
Toby, you sure
you missed that mark?
Well, you saw me box.
How well do you
think I can throw?
If I unintentionally
killed anyone,
I am sorry.
SYLVESTER:
Guys!
Bomb goes off in five, four,
three, two, one!
Wow, we really suck
at making bombs.
Yeah, we also suck at saving
that dam and that whole town.
(explosion)
Looks like your throw
was good enough, Doc.
(whoops)
(laughs)
It's working!
Who's the bomb?
(laughs)
Uh, what are
the reservoir levels?
Uh, Kesselman is at 82%.
And we are down to 57, 56, 55%!
We are good!
Well, it worked.
Dam structural integrity's
back up in the green.
Someone call Augustine DWP.
Let them know
we're in the clear.
On it.
RALPH:
You guys okay?
Yes. Great work, Ralph.
Now, why don't you tell everyone
to turn their Christmas lights
back on?
Your mom seems
to really enjoy them.
Oh.
I know I really don't
get involved in the holidays,
but this is a welcome sight.
Yeah, it is.
Uh, you know what else
would be welcome?
And something
you might find that is,
uh, efficient
and rewarding...
is opening up a little bit
and sharing with other people,
instead of just
with yourself.
Walter?
Yeah, sorry.
You were saying?
Um, just...
we should be getting back.
♪ Up on the housetop,
reindeer pause ♪
♪ Out jumps
good ol' Santa Claus... ♪
Okay, let's fire this thing up.
I call first on the sled.
Uh, we used up
the ammonium nitrate, remember?
Tomorrow, I call
first on the sled.
I'm surrounded by children.
Is that gingerbread?
Can I have some?!
(beep)
DREW:
Hey, Paige, it's Drew.
I talked to Ralph earlier,
but I wanted to wish you
a Merry Christm...
AUTOMATED VOICE: Deleted.
(beep)
WOMAN: Mr. O'Brien,
this is Margaret Crosier.
I'm calling from
the Karman Prize committee.
Guys, Karman Prize called!
Our panel of judges
was duly impressed
by the research you submitted
on rocketry.
So it's our pleasure
to inform you that you have won
the $15 million grant.
We just need to schedule
a site visit inspection
to make sure your rocket
matches the specs you provided.
Call us as soon as possible.
Congratulations, Mr. O'Brien.
And Merry Christmas.
Hey, Walter, ever
been to a dog track?
Son, that's life-changing money.
Oh, I know this is all very...
Where's the ferret?
Huh?
Where'd the ferret go?
Ferret?! Guys?
PAIGE:
You left him
in its upstairs cage.
No, no, no. I didn't.
I brought him down and then
I closed the door. Where is he?
Well, he couldn't have gotten very far.
Okay, I'm gonna
go out the back. You start
looking around for him now!
Now!
Bueller?
(ferret chittering)
Bueller? Oh.
I found him! It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay, pal.
Nice and safe.
Who left the cage open?
CABE: Pretty sure you were
the last one to touch it.
I closed the cage.
I always close the cage.
Okay. Well, it's okay now,
'cause the ferret is safe.
Well, I could've lost her!
Don't any of you
comprehend that?!
I don't want that!
I don't want to lose her.
I didn't want to lose her.
I didn't want
to lose my sister.
(exhales)
(sobs softly)
She was...
(exhales)
I miss her so much.
I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
This is unprofessional.
(sniffles)
(sniffles)
Oh, God.
I have a great idea.
Okay. Think of it
as a California snowman.
HAPPY: I've been working
on this launchpad
for the last few months.
If I knew
we were using it today,
I would've painted it
or something.
It's perfect. Thank you.
CABE:
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Just called in a favor
with the FAA.
Rocket's got clear skies
for takeoff.
You sure you want to do this?
The sentiment's beautiful,
but $15 million--
someone like you could do
a lot with that.
I built the rocket
so I could win money
to help with
Megan's research.
It's her rocket;
it's not mine.
Couldn't respect
you more, kid.
♪ ♪
Hey.
So, Sly told me today
that I should never
waste time in life.
Um...
that plus I-I'm thankful
I'm alive.
Last year, I kissed you,
and it didn't work out.
So let's try it
in reverse this Christmas.
For the record, your
logic makes zero sense.
But I don't care.
♪ ♪
(moans softly)
Quality kiss, Doc.
Good work.
♪ And we need
a place to hide... ♪
That was a Christmas miracle.
WALTER:
Megan loved the stars.
I'm hoping
she'd like to be with them.
I think she'd love to.
We are all set.
I think it would be appropriate
for the husband
to do the honors.
(exhales)
We never really talked
about it,
but, technically,
when I married Megan, that made
you and I brothers-in-law.
You know, I've always found
that term antiquated.
How 'bout we just go
with "brothers"?
♪ And we leave ♪
♪ It all behind ♪
♪ Can't you see ♪
♪ We need some time... ♪
Okay.
Um...
(rocket rumbling)
Bye.
♪ And we leave ♪
♪ It all behind ♪
♪ Can't you see ♪
♪ We need some time ♪
♪ The cold night
takes us to a place ♪
♪ To escape the chill... ♪
Oh, I'm feeling a lot better,
by the way.
You seem better.
I heard what you said earlier,
about, um, opening up.
Maybe it's time
I fight my nature.
It worked for the dam.
It might just work for you.
♪ Nobody knows ♪
♪ And we leave ♪
♪ It all behind ♪
♪ Can't you see ♪
♪ We need some time. ♪
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man