01x03 - Thanksgiving

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Little Men". Aired: November 7, 1998 – December 17, 1999.*
Watch/Buy Amazon

Based on Louisa May Alcott's book "Little Men", the sequel to "Little Women", this show chronicles the heroic struggles of Jo Bhaer as she attempts to manage Plumfield, a boarding school for boys in Concord, Massachusetts.
Post Reply

01x03 - Thanksgiving

Post by bunniefuu »

- What're you doing?

- Kids were swinging on the gate again...

broke the hinge.

- How many times do I have to tell them it's not a toy.

- Whole house is a toy to 'em.

- Whoa!

I, uh...

I happened to see the judge today

at the general store when I was in town.

We spoke about you.

- Nothin' bad I hope.

- No, he um...

He wanted to know how you were getting along in your job.

I told him that you were doing very well

and that you've been a big help to us.

- Thank you.

- He offered to reduce your sentence.

- Really?

- as*ault is a very serious charge,

but because of good behavior the judge feels that

you'll be free to leave as of Tuesday.

- Tuesday! That's great!

- Well, you've earned it.

- Listen, I- I'll help you find a replacement.

- I appreciate that...

but I've already posted a sign at the General Store.

Thanks.

Well, I better get these groceries back to Asia.

She's got a lot of cooking to do for Thanksgiving.

[ Clicks ]

Come on honey.

- Hey Dan, Mr. Laurie's here!

Hey guys, Mr. Laurie's here!

- Laurie! - Jo!

- How are you? - I'm fine.

- Amy, ohh...

Oh! Well, I didn't think you'd make it

back in time for Thanksgiving.

- We nearly didn't.

The wind calmed the day after we set sail out of London...

we sat there, bobbing like a cork in the channel for a week.

- It's good to have you back, Mr. Laurie.

- It's good to be back, Dan.

And Nat, you've grown another inches, I'm sure.

- Bess, sweetheart. How are you?

- I'm fine, Aunt Jo.

- Nan, come here...

I'd like you to meet my sister, Amy,

and my brother-in-law, Teddy Laurence.

- Most people call me Laurie.

- This is Miss Anthea Harding. - Most people call me Nan.

- Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Nan.

This is our daughter, Bess.

- Nice to meet ya, Bess.

- Uh... hello.

- Nan is our newest student.

- Student?

You're accepting girls now?

How... progressive of you, Jo.

- It's a wonderful idea. Do you like it here, Nan?

The boys aren't too rough on you, are they?

- I think you've got that backwards, Laurie.

It's Nan who needs to be easier on the boys.

- Yes, she fits in quite nicely with them.

She certainly has that Plumfield look.

- Yes, she certainly does.

She's a welcome addition to our family.

My husband and I founded Plumfield

as a school for children from all walks of life.

His passing has left a void in our lives,

but in the children I see the promise of a new day

and find the strength to keep our dream alive.

No matter how hard the struggle.

Well, you didn't have to get me anything.

- Nonsense.

I couldn't very well return from Europe

without bringing gifts for my family.

- Oh, it's beautiful!

- It's Austrian.

Bess!

There! Always nice to add a touch of class, isn't it?

- [Kid outside]: Aahh, it's so close.

Too slow. Ohh...

- If you want, you can go play with them.

I'm sure the children would like that.

- No, thank you. I haven't quite finished my tea.

- How have you been holding up, Jo?

- I have my moments.

This house... the school...

Rob...

Everywhere I look, there are reminders of Fritz.

- Your husband left quite a legacy.

Our lives are the better for knowing him.

- We'll all miss him very much.

- Well... the children keep me busy.

They keep me in the present.

I don't have much time to dwell.

- How have you been managing with the school?

- Well, we're still here...

But it has been difficult.

Several of the parents have already pulled their boys.

- I can help sponsor some new students.

- That means so much, Laurie.

But I couldn't ask you to do that,

you already sponsor Dan and Nat.

- You didn't ask me to do anything...

I want to do it.

Anything to help keep the school running.

- I wish everyone felt that way.

If it were up to Eli McBride

he'd turn this school into a guest house.

He won't stop badgering me about buying.

- What did he offer?

- I told him that it wasn't for sale, Amy.

- N-no, of course not.

This is a fine school, Jo.

Perhaps the best in all of Concord.

Any parent who wouldn't want to send their child here

would be a fool.

- Thank you.

- She does love you, Jo, very much.

When word came of Fritz's death, she was inconsolable.

She just has difficulty expressing her true feelings.

You know that.

- Well, the last she'll confide in

are the ones she loves the most.

Oh, Nick!

You haven't met my brother-in-law, Laurie.

- Hello.

- Pleasure to meet you.

- Nick's been helping us out since Silas had to leave.

- I'm gonna ride into town,

send some inquiries about ships leaving Boston.

- Of course.

- Nice to meet you.

- He's leaving?

- Well, he's only been here on a temporary basis.

You remember Emil's uncle, Captain Hoffmann?

- Unfortunately, yes.

- Well, he was abusing Emil.

and Nick stepped in, tried to stop him...

Sort of...

punched him.

- He punched Captain Hoffmann?

- Ah-ha-ha, yes.

- I'm liking this guy more and more.

- Yes well, he had Nick arrested for as*ault,

I spoke to the judge and arranged for him

to serve out his sentence here at Plumfield.

- That makes sense...

A man convicted of as*ault,

serving out his sentence at a school for children.

- He's done a great job.

The boys are very fond of him.

Anyway, his sentence is up on Tuesday, so he's leaving.

- Well, I'm sure there are many other convicts

you can pluck out of jail.

- Very funny!

- Tommy, catch!

- Bess, the boys are choosing teams to play ball.

Why don't you join us?

- I'm reading.

- Well, you can read later. Come on.

- I'm wearing my new dress, Father.

- That's all right.

- No, it isn't!

That's cashmere, I will not have it wallowing in the mud!

- Tommy you couldn't play- - Quarterback, okay.

- She doesn't want to play.

- Oh, that's too bad.

- Hey, Nick! Nick's on our team!

- No, we get Nick! - You get Mr. Laurie.

- Sorry guys, I can't play.

I got too much to do before Tuesday.

- What's Tuesday?

- You didn't tell them?

- I thought you were going to tell them.

- Tell us what?

- The Judge says I'm free to leave as of Tuesday.

Just rode into town,

found out a ship's leavin' Boston Harbor Thursday.

A company I've worked for before.

Headin' to the South Pacific, then on to India.

- Why do you have to leave?

- I was only here temporary, Nat, you know that.

Can't stay in one place too long... never could.

- But Thursday's Thanksgivin'.

- I know, but if the ship's leavin', it's leavin'.

Company don't give much thought to holidays.

Guys, c'mon!

I'm finally gettin' back to doin' what I love.

The sea's my home, it's where I belong.

- A walnut?

It's the most amazing thing,

Nan's out there cracking them on her forehead.

- She's a child of many talents.

- That she is. Reminds me of a certain March girl I once knew.

- Are you staying for dinner?

- I'm afraid Amy and Bess are ready to go.

Bess is already in the carriage.

- Oh, well, you will be here for Thanksgiving, though?

- Of course.

- What is it?

- It's Bess.

It's just... I'm worried about her.

I feel like she's missing out on so much of life.

- Missing out?

She's traveling the world,

she's seeing things that most children only dream about.

- Most of the time she just stays inside, reading a book.

She has no friends, no ambition, no... no spirit.

Not like the kids here.

- What are you saying?

That Bess should attend Plumfield?

- It's crazy, isn't it?

- Ah-ha-ha, yes, it is.

It's also a great idea.

- What is?

- Um, well... the idea of sending Bess to Plumfield.

- I see.

- You, you don't have to make a decision right now.

- No, of course not.

- She just started with a new tutor.

- Oh, she hates that tutor, Amy.

- Still, I think now's not the time to shake up her life.

- Shake up her life?

Well, we just got back from London, and Paris before that.

Her life's been one shake up after another.

Plumfield will bring her some stability,

make her feel like she has a home-

- Stability? Here?

We don't even know if the school will be around next month.

- I can assure you this school will be around next month,

and the month after that.

- Don't be so sensitive, Jo.

It's not that I doubt your abilities-

- No? Then what is it?

Is it the children?

- I don't want to fight with you.

- If you don't want to send your daughter to this school,

just say it!

- Why wouldn't she want to send Bess here?

It's the best school in Concord, Amy said so herself.

Any parent who wouldn't want to send their child here

would be a fool.

- If it means that much to you Jo, then fine.

- This isn't about me...

I'm only thinking about Bess.

- Of course you are.

- It's settled, then. We'll move her in tomorrow.

- She's here, she's here! She's here!

- [Driver]: Whoa, whoa!

- Remember what we said, sweetheart.

It's just a trial run.

If you don't like it, you don't have to stay.

- But you must give it a good try, Bess.

I'm sure once you get settled, you'll be having so much fun,

you'll be begging us to let you stay.

- Hey, Bess!

Guess what? You're gonna stay in my room.

- In your room?

- I guess I should call it our room now, right?

What do ya think?

- Nan, I thought you were going to clean this room?

- I did clean it this mornin',

but then I wanted to show Bess my lucky rabbit's foot.

I finally found it under my bed.

Wanna touch it?

- N-no. Thank you.

- I'll get the rest of the bags.

- My mother gave me this music box before she d*ed.

It still works, see?

I found this dead frog down by the river.

Did you know, if you boil it, the skin comes right off!

Did you know that?

Hey, fellas.

When did you boys start wearin' Sunday clothes to school?

- Since Bess showed up.

- My other clothes were dirty.

- That never stopped you from wearin' 'em before.

- Guys.

- We were uh, thinking about what you said...

about why you're leavin'.

And we just wanted you to know that...

well, we're happy for you.

And we hope that wherever you go,

you'll have lots of great adventures.

- Yeah, we got somethin' for ya.

Somethin' for you to remember us by.

Tommy found this out by the corral.

Jack polished it and...

Well... we'd like you to have it.

- Ahh, thanks guys.

I'll keep it with me always.

- And maybe when you talk to other people about us...

we could be one of your adventures.

[ School bell ]

- You better get going.

Go on, git!

- What're you doing? Nan was gonna clean this room.

- Yes, well, we saw how well she did

the last time she cleaned it.

- Amy, cleaning up after her isn't gonna teach her anything.

She has to learn to do things for herself.

- Is that part of the Plumfield philosophy?

- Yes it is. It's a very important part.

I want these children to be self-reliant,

not to expect to have everything handed to them.

- I was wondering how long it would take for you

to criticize the way I'm raising Bess.

- It wasn't a criticism of you-

- Of course it was, it always is.

I see the way you watch her every time we come to visit.

- Well, that's only because I want her

to play with the other children and have some fun.

- Bess is not like the other children.

- No she isn't...

because she's been surrounded by adults her entire life.

- Well, now she's surrounded by children...

And we'll see how well she benefits from it.

- Amy... I believe in my heart

that she will grow to like it here.

And I'm grateful to you for giving her the chance.

It's a beautiful figurine.

- It's Bess' favorite.

- It's lovely.

- Just keep that Nan away from it.

I don't want it getting broken.

- It won't.

- Hey, Bess, whatchya doing? You paintin'?

- Yes.

- I'm just headin' over to feed the pigs. Wanna come?

It's a lot of fun.

- No, thank you.

- That's a nice paintin'.

Hey, you know what it's missin'!

Me!

- Hmm, it's a landscape.

- Well, it's just a bunch of trees.

It needs people.

Can I try?

- I don't have any more brushes.

- Some in the schoolroom.

- I don't have any more paint.

- Oh... Okay. I guess I'll see ya later.

- Ah, she can be a real pest sometimes.

Yeah, but she doesn't mean any harm.

So um... you know, I was wondering uh...

You know, when you're done painting, if we could you know,

perhaps engage in a friendly game of horseshoes?

- No, thank you.

- Oh. Well, uh... perhaps you'd uh,

like to take a walk, you know, down to the uh-

- No! How many times do I have to tell you people?

I don't want to play horseshoes, I don't want to feed the pigs,

and I do not want to cr*ck nuts on my head!

I don't want to have to do anything with any of you,

so just leave me alone!

Aaah!

A snake!

[ Crash! ]

- Bess, what is it? What's wrong?!

- A- a snake!

It was just a garden snake.

It wasn't like it was poisonous or anythin'.

- How could you ever do such a thing?

- She was being rude!

Ask Jack. She had it comin'.

- That's no excuse.

We'll deal with your punishment tomorrow.

Off to bed with you.

- Oh...

- Heard about the snake.

- Oh! Yes well, it's still

slithering around in there somewhere.

- I'm sure he'll turn up.

- You can count on that. The question is where?

- Let me guess, they've pulled this kinda prank before.

- Oh... we've seen snakes, spiders...

One time, Tommy brought home a bullfrog

that he found by the river.

Of course it gets loose in the house.

We searched for hours...

We finally gave up and went to bed.

Fritz had just closed his eyes

when from behind the pillow comes the frog,

landed right on his head!

You should've seen his face.

I'll never forget it.

- Jo.

- I was just on my way to see you.

Abo-about the snake... I, I can assure you that-

- This is what I was talking about.

Bess is not like those children.

They're undisciplined, unrefined...

- Well, they're children.

Sometimes children play pranks.

- Demi and Daisy play pranks on one another all the time.

- Pranks? This was a malicious as*ault!

- Oh-ho...

- It was a harmless garden snake.

- Don't try to diminish this, Jo.

Bess was terrified!

It was cruel and unprovoked,

and I will not have my daughter treated in such a manner!

- It was not unprovoked.

If Bess had been a little less rude to the children,

this never would've happened.

- Oh I see, this is Bess' fault?

- The children just wanted to be friends with her.

- Yes, by shoving dead frogs in her face!

- Amy, Jo, not so loud.

- Well, at least Nan was trying.

- There she goes again.

It's never your fault that these children lack discipline!

- Amy, stop!

- Anytime there's a problem it's always someone else's fault!

Never perfect Jo, who has all the answers,

who knows everything about raising perfect children.

- Well, at least I allow my children to be children.

And to teach them how to think instead of what to think.

- Don't flatter yourself, Jo.

You were never very good at tutoring me, remember?

- Well, you can only teach those who want to learn.

- Hah, you see? Again my fault, not hers!

Well, listen, I'll spare you the shame of having

my rude daughter foul up your perfect school!

I'll collect her first thing in the morning!

- Whoa!

You're gonna leave without saying goodbye?

- I'm not real big on goodbyes.

- Well then, don't let me hold you up.

- Thank you...

for everything.

- Good luck.

- You too.

- [Bartender]: What'll it be?

- Beer... and a room for the night.

Shippin' out tomorrow.

- Well, well... look what drifted up with the sea wind.

- Levi Cole!

- Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Nick Riley.

Ha-ha-ha! How are ya?!

- Good! How are you?

- Ha-ha-ha! Here, beer... Rum chaser, all around.

- You on the Karen Marie?

- Oh, temperamental old lady,

but she's as strong and sturdy a ship as I've ever sailed.

- You have sailed together before?

- Oh, many times.

- I was aboard first time Nick ever sailed with the company.

It was down Havana way, wasn't it?

- Portugal. But close enough.

- Worst voyage I ever sailed...

Howlin' wind for days, and then weeks of dead-calm.

Halfway there, the meat goes bad, so you know

that you're in for months of hardtack and warm beer.

Except for Nicky here...

Yeah, Nicky says he wants to try the meat.

He tastes it and he says, hey nothin' wrong with it.

- Tasted fine to me.

- Ohh! The smell alone made your skin crawl!

But Nick's there chewin' away,

happy as a clam till the Captain sends him up there

into the crow's nest for lookout.

Now son, I don't know if you knows it,

but when you're up in the crow's nest,

it sways times more than it does up on the deck.

But there's Nicky, and he's just a swayin' back and forth,

and back and forth,

and then blaaahh!!

Up comes all that beer and meat.

And we try to run for cover, but it's no use and we get drenched!

- I think it was, what, weeks

before I came down from that crow's nest?

- It was the most angry crew I ever saw.

But at voyage end, Nick here was part of the family...

and it's been that way ever since.

To family!

- To family. - Wee!

- Are you coming? - No.

You made that decision on your own,

you can pick her up on your own.

- Of course! Siding with Jo, you always do.

- We agreed to a one week trial.

- One week, that didn't include snakes being placed in her bed!

Laurie, our daughter is frightened!

She doesn't want to be there. She doesn't belong there!

-Hey, Bess?

I just wanted to say, I'm sorry about the snake.

I don't know really why I did it...

It's just when Mrs. Jo said you were coming,

I was so sure we were gonna be friends.

But when you didn't wanna be my friend,

I guess I got kinda got mad.

I'm really sorry.

If there's some way I can make it up to you,

do chores for you, I don't know...

If you think of something,

I'll be down by the river fishing with some of the boys.

- Hey Dan, look at the size of this one!

- Hey good job, Nat!

- Bess, hey, you came!

Since you're here, do you wanna try fishing?

- No, that's okay.

- Whoa!

- What?

- I got a nibble.

- A nibble? You mean, like from a fish?!

- Gotcha!

Oh, he's a big one, I can feel it.

- You mean there's a fish on the other the other end of that?!

- Yep, he's a fighter too.

- Well, what're you waiting for? Reel him in.

- It's not that easy, Bess.

If you pull too hard, you're gonna snap the line.

You gotta play with it a little bit, you know wear 'em out.

Here, try it.

- I can't!

- Sure you can!

- I've never caught a fish before.

- [Nan]: You're already doing it.

Just hold the pole steady and reel him in.

- He's strong!

- Hey, don't let him get away, Bess.

- Hey, keep the pressure on.

You don't want him to throw the hook.

- What do you mean, throw the hook?

[ Snap! ]

- Like that.

- [Nat]: Told ya she couldn't do it.

- He's gone...

May I try again?

- You bet.

Okay, when you reel him in...

- Mm-hmm.

- So I'm thinkin', what am I gonna do?

Don't want these fools sh**t' me.

But still, I got a full blown measles epidemic inside,

people are dying, I gotta get to town.

Before I can figure out what to do, there goes Nat,

runnin' through the gate, drawin' the guards away.

- [Bartender]: You're kidding!

- Nat...

Nat! The one with the violin?

- One and the same.

So now with the gate clear,

I'm able to ride into town to get the medicine.

- How did he know that they wouldn't sh**t him?

- He didn't...

He just saw somethin' that needed to be done and he did it.

- Ohh... that's a brave lad!

- Yep... he is.

- Why would Bess be at the river?

- I don't know, but the last time that I saw her

she was headed this way.

- Well, once we get there,

I'm taking her back to Plumfield and packing up her things.

- Amy... don't do this.

- Please don't make it any harder than it is.

I don't want to quarrel with you, Jo.

- Well, I don't want to quarrel with you either.

- Then just accept my decision.

- Have you discussed this with Laurie?

- Laurie wants our daughter to be happy...

as I do.

And clearly, at Plumfield, she is not.

- Gotcha! He's a monster!

- But you're a bigger monster, so haul him in!

Oh, you're not getting away from me this time!

- Reel him in! - Uhhrg!

- Need any help?

- No, I've got him.

- Bess, what are you doing?!

- I caught it! I caught it!

Aaaahh!

- Bess! She can't swim! Bess!

- [Dan]: Get outta there now! - [Nan]: Bess! Swim!

- Nan!

- C'mon Bess, grab onto me.

- Aaahh

- [Dan]: Nan, grab her! C'mon Nan!

- [Nat]: Nan, c'mon!

- [Nan]: Nat, Dan, help!

- [Nat]: Nan, bring her to shore, c'mon!

C'mon, c'mon guys.

- [Amy]: Bess!

- [Jo]: Bess, Nan, are you all right?

- Oh Bess! Oh my sweet Bess!

It's all right, you're all right now.

- [Dan]: You okay Bess? Good job Nan!

- Nan, would you like some tea to warm you up?

- No, thanks. - What's wrong?

- I shouldn't have asked her to go fishing.

I messed everything up.

- No, you didn't.

It looked to me like she was having fun.

- Yeah. We were actually starting to get along.

- Well, that's good.

- We're like cats and dogs...

but that don't mean we can't be friends.

- That's right Nan.

- I've got some tea.

- Thank you, Jo.

- Amy, I'm- I'm so sorry-

- Not now, Jo!

Let's go upstairs and start collecting your things.

- Amy, would you just wait- - Laurie, please!!

- It's all right, come on.

Bess!

- Sorry.

I guess the glue's still wet.

- Well, maybe if we tie some string around it,

it'll hold while it dries.

- Good idea.

- I'll buy you a new figurine, Bess. That one's ruined.

Let's get your things packed, It's getting late.

- I don't want to go, Mother.

Father said I should give it a good try

and I don't think I have.

- Bess, you don't have to stay here.

- I want to.

Please?

[ Bar sounds ]

- Arrrrhh... Here we go...

- Almost there...

- Oh, almost there, aaarrrhh.

[ Coughs ]

- Ellie. - Huh?

- Whatever happened to her?

- Who?

- Ellie.

You were gonna marry her, remember?

[ Laughs ]

- I was gonna marry a lot of ladies, Nick Riley.

[ Laughter turns into a violent cough ]

- That's a bad cough, Levi.

- It'll be fine once I get to warmer waters.

Calm sea... following wind, that's all I need.

There's nothing like standin' on the deck of a ship...

watching the stars...

Makes you feel like...

ho... home gain.

- I've been thinking about our dear sister Beth...

and wondering what she would have to say about all this

if she were still with us.

- Yes, she always did have a way of

bridging the gap between us, didn't she?

- I know what she'd say.

She'd say Amy, Jo...

You are as different as cats and dogs,

but that doesn't mean you can't be friends.

- I think a lot about our childhood.

The of us, growing up in that old house.

The time I fell through the ice.

- Oh, you gave me quite a scare.

- But there you were, to pull me out.

I was always looking to you for help.

I still am.

Try as I do... I just can't seem to get things right.

- God, that's not true, Amy.

You have a wonderful home and husband...

and you've raised a wonderful daughter,

who loves you more than anything in this world.

You continue to be her mother...

She will always look to you for love and guidance.

No one will take that role from you, Amy.

No one ever could.

- Are you warm enough? - Yes.

- You do realize that I'm gonna have to

come out here everyday to check on you?

- I want you to, Mother.

- Good.

- I love you.

- I love you, too.

Sleep tight, sweetheart.

- Come back here you!

- I got him, I got him!

- Come back here!

[ Knock! Knock! ]

- Marmee!

- Delighted to be here, my dear!

- Oh! Oh my, it certainly is festive in here.

- Yes, and noisy, too.

- Oh, just look at you.

- Billy, what are you doing with that dish?

- We didn't have anything to put the cranberries in.

- I told you, it's Austrian crystal.

It's not meant to be used.

- Well, then what would we put the cranberries in?

- Anything but this.

- Aaahhh!!

- There you are. We've been looking for you.

[ Hammering sound ]

I thought you had a boat to catch?

- I make it a rule to finish what I start.

Figure, I'm not finished here yet.

Lots of things still need mending...

the, the barn door, paddock...

- Chicken coop.

- Exactly.

- Well, with all that work to do,

it looks like you may have to stay awhile.

- Suppose so.

- Well, since you're here...

would you like to come in for Thanksgiving dinner?

I insist.

- All right.

- Good.

- Nick's back.

- Marmee, Father, I'd like you to meet Nick Riley,

our new caretaker.

- Delighted. - Pleased to meet you.

- Please.

- Hey Nick, c'mon sit right here.

- Hey guys.

- Oh look! - Here it comes.

- Oh my, isn't that beautiful!

- It looks great.

- Wonderful!

Shall we join hands?

Dear Lord, this has been a year

of great change for us at Plumfield.

We've suffered the loss of loved ones

that we have held so dear...

But we've also seen new faces at our table...

And we welcome them,

and hope that they will be as happy here

as we are to have them.

We have faced many challenges that have tested

both our strength... and our courage.

But through it all, we've had each other,

and that is something for which we are truly, truly thankful.

Amen.

- [All]: Amen.

- Let's eat!

- Who's carving the turkey?
Post Reply