The Wonder Years (1988–1993): Season 2, Episode 14 - Brightwing - full transcript

To get closer to his sister, Kevin agrees to run errands for her before school. He soon discovers that she is skipping school to hang out with her friends at the "rock".

-♪ WHAT WOULD YOU DO
IF I SANG OUT OF TUNE? ♪

♪ WOULD YOU STAND UP
AND WALK OUT ON ME? ♪

♪ LEND ME YOUR EARS,
AND I'LL SING YOU A SONG ♪

♪ I WILL TRY NOT TO
SING OUT OF KEY, YEAH ♪

♪ OH, BABY, I GET BY ♪
- ♪ BY WITH A LITTLE HELP
FROM MY FRIENDS ♪

-♪ ALL I NEED IS MY BUDDIES ♪

-♪ HIGH WITH A LITTLE
HELP FROM MY FRIENDS ♪

-♪ I'M SAYIN' I'M GONNA GET HIGHER ♪ - ♪
TRY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS ♪

- ♪ WHOA-OA-OA-OA, YEAH ♪
- ♪ OOH, OOH, OOH ♪

TURN ON...

TUNE IN...



AND DROP OUT.

[BOB DYLAN'S "SUBTERRANEAN
HOMESICK BLUES" PLAYS]

-♪ JOHNNY'S IN THE BASEMENT,
MIXING UP THE MEDICINE ♪

-IN 1969,

A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
DOING A LOT OF THINGS

A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.

-♪ SAYS HE'S GOT A BAD COUGH ♪

♪ WANTS TO GET IT PAID OFF ♪

-LOVE-INS...

BE-INS...

HAPPENINGS.

IT WAS... DIFFERENT.

IT WAS WEIRD.

-♪ THE MAN IN A COON-SKIP
CAP IN THE BIG PEN ♪



♪ WANTS $11 BILLS ♪

♪ AND YOU ONLY GOT 10 ♪

-KEVIN, CALL YOUR
SISTER FOR DINNER.

-KAREN! DINNER!

-BUT WHERE WE LIVED,

THINGS WERE STILL
PRETTY MUCH NORMAL...

WITH ONE EXCEPTION.

OKAY, WE KNEW HER
NAME WAS KAREN.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT,

SHE MIGHT AS WELL
HAVE BEEN FROM MARS.

[WAYNE CHORTLING]

MARS OR PLUTO.

- A "D" IN MATH?
- MOM!

-DON'T "MOM" YOUR MOTHER.

-AS FAR AS I COULD TELL,

HER MAIN FUNCTION IN THE FAMILY

WAS AN ONGOING BATTLE
OF WILLS WITH OUR PARENTS.

-YOU'VE ALWAYS
BEEN GOOD IN MATH.

-THERE'S GONNA BE PLENTY
OF MATH ON THE S.A.T.s...

BELIEVE ME.

-DAD, GEOMETRY HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH LIFE!

- "D" IN MATH.

-YOU'RE NOT EVEN
LISTENING TO ME!

-NOT THAT MY RELATIONSHIP
WITH HER WAS ENTIRELY NIL.

PAY ATTENTION, NOW.

- WATCH IT!
- WATCH IT!

-BUT IT HADN'T
ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT.

[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]

WE USED TO PLAY TOGETHER.

WE USED TO SHARE THINGS.

SHE'D TELL ME SECRETS.

SHE'D MAKE ME LAUGH.

WE USED TO HAVE FUN.

BUT THAT WAS THEN.

[ACID ROCK MUSIC BLARING]

-HEY.

A LITTLE PRIVACY. DO YOU MIND?

-UH... SURE.

-KAREN HAD HER
WORLD, AND I HAD MINE,

AND NEVER THE TWAIN WOULD MEET.

[TIRES SCREECHING]

UNTIL ONE DAY...

-GET IN.

-US?

-GET IN. WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU.

-WHAT WAS THIS?

AN ACTUAL
CONVERSATION IN PUBLIC?

I WAS SUSPICIOUS.

PAUL WAS LESS SO.

-I THINK WE SHOULD GET IN!

[TIRES SQUEALING,
YOUNG WOMEN WHOOPING]

-WELL, THIS WAS DIFFERENT...

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE.

-BOY! SHARP TURNS, HUH?

-SO WHERE ARE WE GOING?

-GOING CRAZY. WANT TO COME?

-WE NEED A FAVOR.

WE NEED YOU TO
DROP THESE OFF FOR US

AT TINA DESARIO'S LOCKER.

-AT YOUR SCHOOL?

-FIRST FLOOR, END OF THE HALL,

107.

-WILL YOU DO IT?

-WELL, WHY DON'T YOU DO IT?

-WE CAN'T. WERE NOT
GONNA BE IN SCHOOL.

-WE'RE TAKING ONE
OF OUR FREE DAYS.

RIGHT?

-ODDLY ENOUGH, I SMELLED A RAT.

-A FREE DAY?

-IT'S KIND OF AN...
INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSE.

WE ALL TAKE IT.

-WHAT'D THEY THINK I
WAS, A NAIVE LITTLE KID?

-I DON'T THINK I WANT TO DO IT.

-OH, COME ON.

BE COOL.

-YEAH, COME ON, KEVIN! BE COOL!

-UH-OH. A CHEAP, OBVIOUS
APPEAL TO MY SENSE OF COOL.

-WELL, WHAT IF
SOMEBODY STOPS ME?

-THEY WON'T. NOBODY
PAYS ANY ATTENTION.

LOOK, IF IT'S A TEACHER,

JUST TELL THEM YOU'RE
GETTING YOUR BOOKS.

IF IT'S A STUDENT,

TELL HIM IT'S NONE
OF HIS BUSINESS.

-I DON'T KNOW.

-LOOK, IT'S JUST THIS ONCE.

DO IT FOR ME.

OKAY, KEVIE?

-WHOA. "KEVIE."

SHE HADN'T CALLED
ME THAT IN YEARS.

-OKAY...

BUT JUST THIS ONCE.

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

-WHY'D I HAVE A BAD
FEELING ABOUT THIS?

OKAY, I SAID I'D DO IT.

SO THE BEST THING TO DO
WAS TO FIND THE LOCKER,

DROP OFF THESE NOTES,

AND GET OUT WHILE THE
GETTIN' WAS STILL GOOD.

-NEED SOME HELP?

-I HAD A DECISION TO MAKE.

STUDENT? TEACHER?

-UH...

NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS?

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

-YOU DID IT? YOU REALLY DID IT?

-I TOLD YOU HE'D DO IT.

-BOY, THAT IS SO COOL!

-YEAH, I WAS COOL.

AFTER ALL, I WAS PLAYING
WITH THE BIG GUYS NOW.

-SO, WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

[TIRES SCREECH]

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
- YOU GUYS HAVE GOT ONE MINUTE
TO GET TO CLASS!

-NOT EXACTLY WHAT I HAD IN MIND.

STILL, KAREN AND I HAD
KIND OF SHARED SOMETHING.

AND THERE WAS NO HARM DONE.

-WHERE'D YOU AND KEVIN GO IN
JULIE'S CAR THIS MORNING? HMMM?

-WHOOPS. MAYBE I SPOKE TOO SOON.

-NOT THAT IT'S ANY OF
MY BUSINESS, OF COURSE.

I SAW YOU AT THE BUS STOP.

SO LET'S JUST SAY I'M...

CURIOUS.
- LEAVE IT TO MY BROTHER

TO FERRET OUT
POTENTIAL MISDOINGS.

-YOU GAVE KEVIN A RIDE?

-WELL, SURE.

-A RIDE TO WHERE?

-TO SCHOOL. RIGHT, KEV?

-UH, YEAH.

TO SCHOOL.

-IN JULIE'S CAR?

-OH, THAT WAS NICE OF YOU.

-EXCEPT THEY DIDN'T
GO RIGHT TO SCHOOL.

DID YOU, GUYS?

-NO, WE DIDN'T, WAYNE.

-I DIDN'T THINK SO.

-SEE, JULIE'S CAR
WAS SPUTTERING.

IT DOES THAT WHEN
IT'S LOW ON GAS.

BUT JULIE THOUGHT THAT WE
COULD MAKE IT TO A GAS STATION.

-WHAT?!

-REALLY?

-BUT THEN, WE SAW
KEVIN AND PAUL.

SO SANDY SAID,
"LET'S PICK 'EM UP,

IN CASE WE HAVE TO PUSH."

-HELP!

-AND THEN?

-AND THEN WE MADE
IT TO THE GAS STATION.

AND THERE WAS THIS REALLY
CUTE GUY WORKING THE PUMPS.

SO WE STOPPED TO
TALK FOR A WHILE,

AND THEN...

WE DROPPED KEVIN
AND PAUL OFF AT SCHOOL!

RIGHT, KEV?

-WHAT WAS I GONNA SAY?

THIS STORY WASN'T GONNA FLOAT.

-WELL...

YOU WERE LUCKY.

-HUH?

-YOU COULD HAVE
BEEN LATE FOR SCHOOL...

BOTH OF YOU.

-MOM, THEY DIDN'T...

-WHY THE HELL WAS JULIE
DRIVIN' AROUND WITH NO GAS?

DIDN'T SHE EVER HEAR OF
CHECKIN' THE GAS GAUGE?

-DAD...

-THAT FUNNY LITTLE
DIAL ON THE DASHBOARD.

-MAYBE WE SHOULD
GIVE KAREN SOME MONEY

SO SHE CAN CHIP IN FOR GAS.

-AMAZING. KAREN
HAD PULLED IT OFF.

SHE GOT THEM
THINKING LIKE... PARENTS!

-WELL, I GOTTA DO MY HOMEWORK.

-I WAS BEGINNING TO LOOK AT
MY SISTER WITH A NEW RESPECT.

[EXOTIC PERCUSSION
MUSIC PLAYING]

- "GAS GAUGE."

[LAUGHS]

THAT WAS SOME STORY.

I CAN'T BELIEVE MOM
AND DAD BOUGHT IT.

-THEY NEVER LISTEN.

-YEAH.

THAT WAS PRETTY FUN TODAY, HUH?

-WHAT WAS FUN?

-WELL, YOU KNOW,
THE SCHOOL AND ALL.

I-I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR LOCKERS
ARE THE SAME SIZE AS OURS.

-YEP. WE WERE REALLY
CONNECTING NOW.

-SO, UH...

WHERE'D YOU GO TODAY?

REALLY.

[PENCIL THUDS]
- KEVIN!

BE CAREFUL WITH THAT.

-SORRY.

-DON'T YOU HAVE ANY
HOMEWORK TO DO?

-WELL...

-THEN CLOSE THE DOOR
ON YOUR WAY OUT, OKAY?

-OKAY.

-IF THAT'S THE WAY
SHE WANTED IT...

FINE.

ANYWAY, THAT WAS THE
END OF MY RELATIONSHIP

WITH MY SISTER...

[TIRES SCREECH] UNTIL...

-WE NEED ANOTHER FAVOR.

-COME ON, MAN!

-LOOK, IT'S THE
LAST TIME. I PROMISE.

-NO WAY!

I-I JUST DID YOU A
FAVOR LAST WEEK!

-IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

-REALLY IMPORTANT.

-SOUNDS PRETTY IMPORTANT TO ME!

-AMAZING.

DID THEY THINK THEY COULD
TURN ME ON AND OFF LIKE A...

LIKE A...

-YOU'RE GONNA GET IN TROUBLE!

KAREN, YOU'RE DITCHING SCHOOL!

MOM AND DAD ARE GONNA FIND OUT.

-MAYBE HE'S NOT AS
COOL AS WE THOUGHT.

-FINE. I'M NOT COOL.

-IT'S OKAY. YOU
DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.

I UNDERSTAND.

-AW, HECK. WAS I MADE OF STONE?

-LET'S GO.

[TIRES SCREECH]

-OKAY, SOME WORDS
THAT COME TO MIND HERE...

SUCKER, STOOGE, PUSHOVER.

-HI!

-STILL, KAREN HAD SAID

IT WAS IMPORTANT.

MAYBE THERE WAS A REASON
SHE WAS SKIPPING SCHOOL...

SOMETHING I WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND,

SOMETHING COMPLICATED.

LIKE...

- "THE HILL"?

[GUITAR STRUMMING]

-I WAS MAD.

THIS WAS WHY I WAS RISKING
13-YEAR-OLD LIFE AND LIMB?

[STRUMMING CONTINUES]

-THAT'S REALLY
BEAUTIFUL, BRIGHTWING.

- "BRIGHTWING"?

-THE RAIN WILL WASH IT OFF.

AND THEN IT'LL BE PERFECT.

- GIVE ME A BREAK!
- HEY!

-KEVIN!

-LOOK... WE'VE GOT TO TALK...

ABOUT THE NOTES...
ABOUT EVERYTHING!

-YOU HAVEN'T TOLD
ANYONE, HAVE YOU?

-WELL, NO, BUT...

-I WANTED TO TELL HER
THAT THIS WAS WRONG,

THAT SOMEBODY WAS
BOUND TO FIND OUT.

THAT SHE C-

-OOH, KEVIN! I KNEW
I COULD TRUST YOU!

[BOTH LAUGHING]

-WELL... I COULD ALWAYS
TELL HER TOMORROW.

WELL, IN FOR A PENNY,
IN FOR A POUND...

WHATEVER THAT MEANT.

WEDNESDAY MORNINGS
WERE BECOMING ROUTINE.

-HI.

-HI.

-GEORGE FINCH.

-KEVIN ARNOLD.

-HOW YOU DOIN'?

-NOT BAD.

SEE YOU, GEORGE.

-AND THEN AFTER SCHOOL,
I WAS UP TO THE HILL.

[MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING]

-♪ YELLOW, BLUE, WHAT'LL I DO? ♪

♪ MAYBE I'LL JUST
SIT HERE THINKING ♪

♪ BLACK, WHITE, STOP THE FIGHT ♪

♪ DOES ONE OF THESE
COLORS EVER BOTHER YOU? ♪

♪ YEAH, YEAH ♪

[GUITAR SOLO]

-IT WAS FUN!

MAYBE BECAUSE THEY WERE BIG KIDS

AND I WAS A LITTLE KID.

OR MAYBE IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

-♪ MAKE YOUR OWN
STEPS UP IF YOU WANT TO ♪

♪ ANY OLD STEPS THAT
YOU THINK WILL DO ♪

♪ YEAH, YEAH ♪

-I'M NOT AVOIDING YOU, PAUL.

I-I JUST WENT ON A RIDE
BY MYSELF, THAT'S ALL.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. SEE YOU TOMORROW.

[WAYNE CHOMPING CARROT]

-WHAT'S THAT ON YOUR FACE?

-UH...

I WAS, UH...

-UH-OH. STAY CALM, NOW.

HOW WOULD KAREN HANDLE THIS?

- FINGER PAINTING!

-[LAUGHS]

FINGER PAINTING?

-UH, YEAH, I-IN ART CLASS.

-KEVIN, FINGER PAINTING
IS FOR 5-YEAR-OLDS.

-TH-TH-THAT'S THE IDEA.

IT WAS JUST LIKE...
A... EXPERIMENT.

-OH, PLEASE CONTINUE.

THIS IS FASCINATING.

-UH...

SEE...

-[GRUNTS, GROANS]

WAYNE, RUN AND
GET ME A BAND-AID.

-WHOA. CLOSE CALL.

-MM.

THANK YOU.

-AND THEN SUDDENLY I
GOT THIS WEIRD FEELING.

MY GOD, MY MOTHER WAS
SPILLING HER OWN BLOOD,

MAKING MY DINNER,

AND ALL I WAS GIVING
HER IN RETURN WERE LIES.

-HONEY? ARE YOU OKAY?

-UH, S-SURE, MOM.

-WELL, YOU LOOK ALL WHITE.

IT'S JUST A LITTLE CUT.

[Chuckling] IT'S NOTHING
TO WORRY ABOUT.

-LIES.

[ KNOCK ON DOOR]

-OPEN UP! WE KNOW
YOU'RE IN THERE!

[ KNOCKING CONTINUES]

OPEN UP, ARNOLD! YOU
CAN'T HIDE FROM US!

-WE KNOW ALL ABOUT YOUR SECRET!

OPEN UP, KEVIN!

-MOM?

DAD?

-BOOK HIM, NORMA.

[BOTH LAUGH EVILLY]

-[BREATHING HEAVILY]

-SUDDENLY, I FELT
IN OVER MY HEAD.

AND THEN, THE NEXT
NIGHT, IT HAPPENED.

-UM, KAREN?

IS SOMETHING WRONG AT SCHOOL?

[SNAPPING]

-I DON'T THINK SO. WHY?

-HOW'S YOUR MATH COMING?

-FINE. I'M DOING IT NOW.

-PHEW! FALSE ALARM.
JUST A HOMEWORK NUDGE.

-I JUST GOT A, UH, CALL...

FROM A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.

A GEORGE SOMETHING?

-DID SHE SAY "GEORGE"?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS]

-DO YOU KNOW HIM?

-YEAH! YEAH, HE'S CUTE.

HE'S YOUNG.

HE LOOKS LIKE A STUDENT.
- GEORGE FINCH.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS]

HE WANTS ME TO COME IN
FOR A CONFERENCE TOMORROW.

-WHAT KIND OF CONFERENCE?

-I'M NOT SURE.

HE SAID WE'D
DISCUSS IT TOMORROW.

-WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?

-I HAVE NO IDEA, DAD.

MAYBE HE WANTS TO
TALK ABOUT MY FUTURE.

MAYBE HE WANTS TO
TALK ABOUT MY LIFE.

ISN'T THAT WHAT EVERYONE
AROUND HERE LIKES TO TALK ABOUT?!

WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN
TO POOR KAREN?!

-WOW! ANOTHER GREAT PERFORMANCE.

MAYBE SHE COULD PULL IT OFF.

ANYWAY, NOW WAS
NOT THE TIME TO PANIC.

-I'M COMING WITH YOU
TO THAT CONFERENCE.

[DOOR SLAMS]
- NOW WAS THE TIME TO PANIC.

-WE'VE GOTTA TELL 'EM.

WE'VE GOTTA TELL THEM NOW.

I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA
FIND OUT TOMORROW ANYWAY!

-SO WHAT?

-DID THIS PERSON HAVE
CEMENT IN HER HEAD?!

-WELL, IF WE TELL THEM
NOW, THEY'LL UNDERSTAND.

THEY'LL GROUND US
FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS,

BUT YOU KNOW MOM AND DAD.

-I HATE TO POP YOUR
BUBBLE, LITTLE ONE,

BUT MOM AND DAD ARE
NOT THE SUN AND THE MOON.

-HUH?

-THEY'RE PEOPLE!
LIKE YOU AND ME!

-WRONG-O! THEY WERE MOM AND DAD.

- BUT...
- LOOK.

I'M SORRY I GOT YOU INTO THIS.

BUT EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE OKAY.

WILL YOU TRUST ME?

-ONLY IF YOU DO
SOMETHING FOR ME.

-WHAT?

-YOU'VE GOT TO PROMISE
NOT TO CUT SCHOOL ANYMORE.

AND YOU'VE GOT TO PROMISE
TO STOP GOING TO THE HILL.

WILL YOU DO THAT?

-OKAY.

-REALLY?

YOU PROMISE?

-NO SCHOOL.

NO HILL.

-AND SUDDENLY, IT WAS LIKE

A 10-TON WEIGHT
LIFTED OFF OF ME.

-EVERYTHING IS GONNA
BE JUST FINE, KEVIE.

-YEAH.

-YEAH.

-THAT NIGHT, IT DID SEEM FINE.

THINGS WERE BACK TO
THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE.

IT WAS GOING TO BE OKAY.

-NOW, LOOK, I KNOW
IT'S 2:30 IN THE MORNING,

AND W-WE'RE JUST TRYING
TO FIND OUR DAUGHTER.

WE THOUGHT SHE
MIGHT BE WITH JULIE.

NO, JULIE'S NOT HERE!

WHO?

SANDY POTTER?

-NO, I CALLED HER FIRST.

MAYBE THEY'RE AT TINA'S.

-WHO THE HELL IS TINA?

-KAREN HAD LIED TO ME.

-[SIGHS] DID YOU
LOOK IN YOUR GARAGE?

THE GARAGE!

DOESN'T SHE KEEP THAT BUCKET
OF BOLTS IN THE DAMN GARAGE?

-IT WAS TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC.

-UH, I-I KNOW WHERE SHE IS.

-[Loudly] WELL, CHECK IT FOR...

[Normal voice] DIDN'T EVEN
CHECK HIS DAMN GARAGE.

-I-I'VE BEEN HELPING
HER DITCH SCHOOL,

AND... AND...

-LOOK, UH, CHECK THAT TINA...

WHAT'S-HER-NAME'S NUMBER.

-KAREN WAS RIGHT.
THEY NEVER LISTENED.

-I-I KNOW WHERE SHE
IS! SHE'S AT THE HILL!

THAT'S WHERE SHE GOES,
WITH JULIE AND SANDY AND TINA!

-A NOTE. JULIE LEFT A NOTE.

-I SAID SHE'S AT THE HILL!

THAT'S WHERE SHE GOES!
THAT'S HER BIG SECRET!

[RECEIVER SLAMS]

-THEY TOOK JULIE'S CAR.

THEY'VE GONE TO SAN FRANCISCO.

-THEY'VE RUN AWAY?

-I'LL, UH, PUT ON SOME CLOTHES.

[DOOR CLOSES]

-I DIDN'T SLEEP.

I LAID THERE THINKING ABOUT
WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO KAREN,

TO ME, TO ALL OF US,

ABOUT HOW BIG THE WORLD IS,
AND HOW FULL OF STRANGERS,

ABOUT HOW I MIGHT
NEVER SEE MY SISTER AGAIN.

[DONOVAN'S "CATCH
THE WIND" PLAYS]

-♪ IN THE CHILLY
HOURS AND MINUTES ♪

♪ OF UNCERTAINTY, I WANT TO BE ♪

♪ IN THE WARM HOLD
OF YOUR LOVING MIND ♪

♪ TO FEEL YOU ALL AROUND ME ♪

♪ AND TO TAKE YOUR
HAND ALONG THE SAND ♪

♪ AH, BUT I MAY AS WELL
TRY AND CATCH THE WIND ♪

♪ WHEN SUNDOWN PALES THE SKY ♪

♪ I WANT TO HIDE A WHILE
BEHIND YOUR SMILE ♪

♪ AND EVERYWHERE I'D
LOOK, YOUR EYES I'D FIND ♪

♪ FOR ME TO LOVE YOU NOW ♪
[VEHICLE APPROACHING]

♪ WOULD BE THE SWEETEST THING ♪

♪ IT WOULD MAKE ME SING ♪

♪ AH, BUT I MAY AS WELL
TRY AND CATCH THE WIND ♪

[CAR DOOR CLOSES]

[HUMMING]

[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]

[KAREN CRYING]

-Oh, sweetheart.

-♪ WHEN RAIN HAS HUNG
THE LEAVES WITH TEARS ♪

♪ I WANT YOU NEAR
TO KILL MY FEARS ♪

[CRYING CONTINUES]

-IN 1969, PEOPLE TRIED SO
HARD TO FIND THEMSELVES.

SOMETIMES THEY GOT LOST.

-♪ FOR STANDING IN YOUR
HEART IS WHERE I WANT TO BE ♪

-SOMETIMES THEY FOUND
THEIR WAY HOME AGAIN.

-♪ AH, BUT I MAY AS WELL
TRY AND CATCH THE WIND ♪

♪ AH, BUT I MAY AS WELL
TRY AND CATCH THE WIND ♪