Wilfred (2011–2014): Season 3, Episode 8 - Perspective - full transcript

Ryan tries progressive psychotherapy to better understand a past trauma.

So... what made you decide

to give therapy a try, Ryan?

Well, it wasn't
really my decision.

My sister thinks I had
a nervous breakdown.

I take it you don't see it
that way.

No. It was just a bad reaction
to some sleep medication.

Which she prescribed
for me, by the way.

So you're doing this
for your sister?

She doesn't really take "no"
for an answer.

She wants me to
work out my issues

with our father before this big
family party she's planning



for my nephew's first Christmas.

Not that I'm planning
on being there.

Okay. Well, for whatever reason
you're here,

how about if we just...

Ryan?

Sorry. What were you saying?

Is that your dog?

I'm watching him for a neighbor.

You know, dogs can be

very therapeutic.

Why don't you bring him in.

It might help you to relax.

Then when I was, what,
four years old,

I suddenly started feeling
this rage inside me.



I felt like I wasn't me.

It got to the point where...

And honestly,

I felt like I wanted
to hurt someone.

And then,
it turns out in the end,

it was just some kid
skateboarding past my yard.

Whenever you're ready, Ryan.

I'm sorry.
I don't really know

what I'm supposed
to be talking about.

You said you were here

to work out some issues
with your father.

There's nothing to work out.

I already know
exactly who he is.

He's controlling, he's devious,
he's Machiavellian.

I really can't see a scenario

in which talking about it's
gonna change that.

Then when I was six,

I developed an unhealthy
obsession with this bird

until it flew away...

some five seconds later.

Sounds like you don't like him
very much.

Did he do anything specific
to make you feel this way?

I don't even know
where to start.

Well, is there a memory
that stands out?

Oh, by the way,

it can be very comforting
to touch an animal

while sharing your thoughts
in therapy.

I'd like you to pet Wilfred now.

Yeah, I don't think so.

Ryan and I don't really do
the petting thing.

I'm okay.

Just give it a try.

Don't.

Don't you dare.

Ryan, respect my space, please.

I'm not even joking, dude.
I'm...

Oh, wow. I always forget

how heavenly
that actually does feel.

Please, Ryan. Go ahead.

I guess the memory that
stands out the most is

the day he put my mother
in a mental institution.

I was ten.

After we dropped her off
and said good-bye,

instead of, I don't know,
consoling us

or doing something as a family,

he took us back to the office.

He just sat us down on
a couch with a Game Boy

and some magazines
while he spent

the rest of the afternoon
working.

Like it was just another day
at the office.

I still remember him yelling
at his secretary

for some missing report
that he needed.

Like he cared more about that
missing report

than the fact that his own kids
had just lost their mother.

Sorry, Jenna put some Frontline
on me this morning.

Ryan, it seems to me

that you're holding on

to a lot of resentment
from your childhood.

I'd like to tell you about

a nontraditional method
of therapy called EMDR.

EMDR?
EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization
and Reprocessing.

It allows people to sort of
revisit their memories

and reprocess traumatic events.

Yeah. I-I don't really...

Ryan,

confronting memories like
the one you've just described--

deeply, vividly
confronting them--

can help you to let go
of whatever's burdening you,

whatever's holding you back,

so you can finally start
to move on.

I wish Kristen would
get off my ass.

I did not have a breakdown.

Mate, you can lie to Kristen
and that doctor all you want;

I saw what happened.

You got to get past
these issues with your dad.

Maybe you should give this
memory therapy thing a shot.

Yeah, right.

The last thing I need
right now is

to relive moments from
my messed-up childhood.

Wait, you're scared,
aren't you?

Scared?
Of going back to that day

in your dad's office
after your mom got put away.

Ryan, you're an adult now.

It may not be
as traumatic anymore.

I'm not scared, Wilfred.

You know, years ago,

I found a muskrat skull
in the woods.

Still had one eye.

Really creeped me out.

So, obviously, I buried it
in the yard for safekeeping

with my other
cherished belongings.

Years later, I felt
it was time to dig it up.

I'll be honest, I was scared.

I mean, this skull--

I swear, I thought
I saw it blink once.

But-but when I dug it up,
what I found...

was a happy,
squeaky rubber bone.

So you forgot
where you buried the skull.

No. The way I see it is

the skull was
never an actual skull.

Yeah, you definitely forgot.

The point is...

things we bury in the past
are sometimes not as upsetting

as we remember them.

That's why you need
this therapy.

Trust me on this.

Why should I trust you?

Why shouldn't you?

I know we put that childhood
drawing to rest, but...

I still don't have
any answers about what it means

or what you are.

Maybe that's what I should
talk to my therapist about.

If you want him to send you

straight to the loony bin,
be my guest.

You're right.

I can't just ignore this shit
with my dad anymore.

Like I said, trust me on this.

Always trust Wilfred.
A.T.W.

That's why we wear
these wristbands,

to constantly remind
ourselves of that.

Wait, what did you do
with yours?

These are the pulsers
I described to you.

And as we discussed,

I'd like you to take
one in each hand

and concentrate
on the vibrations

being emitted through them.

They'll help you
focus and relax.

Now I want you to
close your eyes...

and we'll begin.

I want you to think back
to the day

your father placed your mother
in an institution.

Tell me what you see.

Whoa. I see my mother
being committed.

Get in the car.

There's Kristen.

Where are you now, Ryan?

I'm in my father's office.

This is right after
we left my mother.

I'm playing my Game Boy.

God, everything's so vivid.

Psst! Psst!

Wilfred?
What are you doing here?

Shh!

I'm not Wilfred.

I'm a creation of your mind,

and I'm here to deliver a very
important message to you:

Don't trust Wilfred.

I'm telling you, Wilfred is
up to something, mate,

- which is why you need to....
- Ryan,

I seem to have lost you.

Can you describe to me
what's happening?

I'm still in my father's office.

I'm pretending to focus on my
Game Boy, but I'm actually...

We can talk freely now.

Okay, I have no idea
what's going on.

You said you're a creation
of my mind?

Your subconscious often feels
the need to express things

to you in familiar,
accessible representations.

Like that guy over there.

What's up, Ryan?

Who the hell is that?

That's the part of your brain
that worries

about the parking meter.

Look, I mean,
I don't want to be that guy,

but you only have 17 minutes
left on your meter.

Personally? Me?

I'm kind of freaking out here!

And your purpose
is to tell me

that I'm not supposed
to trust Wilfred?

Never trust Wilfred. N.T.W.

That's why I wear
this bracelet, to...

Constantly remind yourself
of that. I got it.

Here's yours, by the way.

But wait,
why should I trust you?

Where are we going?

Oh, God.

Dude, what are you doing?

Nothing. I just...

Ryan, let's go!
School starts in 20 minutes!

Are you drawing on pubic hairs?

I was a late bloomer.

What am I, a freshman
in high school?

Why are we even here?

Shit, we must have taken
a wrong turn.

Okay, um,
freshman year memories.

There we are.

I think we were meant
to take a left

after the
Hootie & the Blowfish years.

Come on.
G-Get us out of here!

I said, let's go!

This is the day
I drew the drawing.

I must be... six years old.

God, I forgot
about those shoes.

I actually thought
Reebok Pumps were cool.

Were?!

Reebok Pumps are the shit!

L-Look, this is
all fascinating,

but I came here to deal with
my father issues.

This drawing created friction

between you and Wilfred,
didn't it?

He told you you'd find answers
in good time.

And you trusted him.

So what?

Was he hiding information
from me?

Did he burn the drawing for
some secret, selfish reason?

Maybe, I don't know.

But coming here
doesn't prove anything.

He burned it in...
the basement.

Did he really burn it though?

Or did he switch it
at the last second,

and burn a blank piece of paper?

That's enough for today.

We'll pick this up
at our next session.

Ryan, you're back.

Well, how was the therapy?

I have so many questions
about your childhood,

I don't even know
where to start.

Like, what was on the floor
of your dad's office?

Cookie crumbs?

Spaghetti sauce droplets?

I don't know what to tell you.

The EMDR thing
didn't really work.

Aw.

Well, that's a shame, mate.
Yeah.

Well, Dr. Blum seems to think
if I bring a memento

from my childhood,
like a photo or a drawing,

that it might trigger something.

Like your old
belly-smacking bat?

I've told you a thousand times,

that's my Wiffle Ball bat.

Agree to disagree.

Okay, and would you
stop doing that?

That shit's getting really old.

Even when I do
the monster truck rally voice?

Especially when you do the
monster truck rally voice.

Ow!

You got smacked!

Okay, I'm just gonna
come out and say it.

I know you didn't
burn the drawing.

What? Of course I did.

You saw me do it.
Oh, really?

Well, then how come I found it

when I was digging around
in the yard the other day?

Damn! How did you find it?

I didn't.

But I figured you buried
it like you always do.

W-Wait, so you were bluffing?

But how could you
possibly deduce

that I bury
all my cherished belongings

like my creepy muskrat skull?

Shit!

I just want to know why
you buried the drawing.

I can't quite explain why.

All I know is I had
a visceral feeling

that it was
too important to burn.

You're lying.
I'm not.

Look, if I could just
prove it to you, I...

Ryan, the next time you do
that memory therapy,

try to go back to the day
you drew the drawing,

and you'll see I'm not
keeping any secrets from you.

Yeah.

Well, I-I guess
I could, but...

Wait, don't tell me,
you already went back there?

Sort of. It all
happened so fast.

And you didn't even think
to check if I was there?

You idiot!

Ow!
You got smacked!

Look, mate, this is our chance
to finally learn the truth.

You've got to go back there.

Before we begin,

I want to remind you
to stay focused.

Last time,

you got to the point where you
were basically just repeating

the same sentence over and over,
almost like a skipping record.

Oh, sorry about that.

It's okay.

Now just relax

and focus on the vibrations.

Now, close your eyes.

I want you to revisit
that memory of your father

and tell me what you see.

I'm back
in my dad's office again.

Kristen is
still sitting next to me.

I notice a plant
on the table...

Wilfred?

Wilfred!

Wilfred, stop!

Why are you running from me?

Stop!

Wilfred!

Wilfred! Wilfred?

Wait, is that a spaceship?

Hey, buddy.

I sure did have a lot of fun
hanging out with you.

Thanks for showing me
your planet.

But now it's time for me
to return to my home planet.

Wait, you're an alien?

I'm gonna miss you,
little fella.

I don't understand.
How could I not remember this?

I'll be back in a couple
of human decades, kiddo.

And most importantly,

don't let anyone tell you to
stop wearing those Reebok Pumps.

They're cool.

Trust me.

Wait, did this actually happen?

Hurry back home now.

If you stay any longer,
you'll probably start to cry.

Good-bye, Ryan.
I'll miss you.

Just go back out the door
you came in.

Bye-bye.

Uh, yeah, don't worry
about that.

Uh, that's just our launching,
uh, thing-thingie...

Is that spaceship fake?

Just go, dude! Leave!

Wait!

You!

You created this memory.

Why would you do this?

why did you do it?

You're trying to trick me.

You're the one
I shouldn't trust.

I'm a creation
of your mind, mate.

How could I do something
without you making me do it?

So why did you do it?
I don't know.

Just say it!
Just say what?

You've been
distracting yourself!

What are you running away from?!

The memory in my father's office!
But why?!

Because I just don't want
to go back there, okay?

It'll hurt too much.

Come in.

Sorry to bother you,
Mr. Newman.

I just wanted to check in and
see how you were holding up.

Excuse me?

Oh, I'm sorry, I just thought

today must have been
difficult for you.

You want to know what's
difficult for me, Genevieve?

Understanding how in God's name

I hired someone as
incompetent as you!

I've asked you three times
to find the transcript

for the Enright deposition.
I'm so sorry, sir.

Just get the
goddamn deposition!

Yes, sir.

God, he's so angry.

Kristen, take your
brother to the lobby.

I have a meeting
in a few minutes.

Is he... is he crying?

He never cried.

So how do you feel?

I feel better.

That's wonderful, Ryan.

Now, before we end
our session today,

I-I'd like to talk
to you about

some things you said
during the EMDR.

Specifically, your memory of,

and I quote,

"the beast with
four Matt Damon heads

"who fellated you one night,

"each head performing
a different,

specific, oral task."

Unfortunately,
I didn't learn anything new

about you or the drawing.

But... I did learn a lot
about my father.

Your therapy experience
sounds inspirational, mate.

In fact, it even
taught me a few things.

Cool. Hey, also...

Stop,
you're not that short, mate.

What?
No, thanks.

Let's order Indian food tonight.

Have you not been listening
to me this entire time?

What? Of course
I've been listening to you

this entire time.

Come on, you must be
good at something.

Well, there is this one thing.

No, it's-it's too embarrassing.

Come on. I promise
I won't laugh.

Okay.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

Wow, that's great.

Really?

No.

It's disgusting.

You-you put your slimy,
erect penis on your lips.

And-and that-- I-I can
only assume it's blood.

Shit, you're right.

That's demented.

Don't tell anyone I did that.

Ah... ah.

Don't eat that.

It's got chocolate in it?
Yes.

It's got raisins in it, too?

Yes, and both are
poison to dogs.

And that-- is it mold on it,
growing there?

And if I eat it,
it'll make me sick, right?

Right. Exactly.

Thanks for the heads-up.

You're welcome.

Better take me to the vet.