[birds chirping]
[insects buzzing]
[shovel scraping]
[soft music]
[creek bubbling]
- Callie!
[sighs]
Hey, kiddo.
We gotta go. I'm sorry.
[baby babbling]
Yeah.
We got a fun ride, Zo. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
You see Daddy?
[baby babbling]
- Hey, Callie.
You ready?
[Mimi Gilbert's
"Society's a Mansion" playing]
- And I don't know
what I came here for
I ain't playin' games,
so get off my back
If society's a mansion,
I wanna live in a shack
We slept
in fields together...
- Sugar maple.
Sugar maple.
Beech.
Hemlock.
Red maple.
[baby crying]
Don't cry.
Wanna say hi?
[baby whimpering]
Yes. See?
This is Mabel.
- [whispering]
Mabel?
[baby babbling]
- Careful.
Shh.
[pensive music]
Burger King,
Applebee's,
Olive Garden,
Target,
Best Buy.
Where are the woods?
[sighs]
- Look at this
Japanese maple tree.
It's awesome.
- [sighs]
[vehicle approaching]
- All right.
- Hey.
- Hello, new neighbors.
Agnes, look.
Look at that.
There's finally another girl
in the neighborhood, huh?
- Hi!
- Hey, how's it going?
I'm David.
This is my wife, Angela.
- Hi.
- This is our daughter,
Callie, our daughter, Zoe.
- Mom, I need my suitcase.
- Hello.
I'm Brian Russo.
That there's Ricky.
Say hi, Ricky.
- Hey.
- Hey.
[laughs] And this is Agnes.
- [chuckles awkwardly]
- Awesome.
- Sorry about that.
She just had kind
of a long day, you know?
- Yeah. How about tomorrow?
- Yeah, we're free tomorrow.
All right.
- Bye!
[dogs barking in distance]
[pensive music]
[birds chirping]
[dog barking, dove cooing]
[muffled pop music playing]
- Hey, hey.
Look out.
We got a cool dad
coming through.
- You are such a dweeb.
- Oh, yeah.
- Do you have to put
your plant on the table?
- You mean Mabel?
Um, yes, I do.
- Yeah, but not
to school, though.
Right? Not to school.
You need me to do anything?
Pack the lunch?
- That's okay.
Just get your stuff.
The taxi's gonna be here.
- Wait, you're leaving?
- Only for two days.
- I thought we moved here
for your job.
- We did.
- We had an airport back home.
- Callie.
- We had a freakin' airport!
- I know. We talked about this.
- I'll tell you what.
I'll go to the conference,
and you can go to Nike Dri-Fit
Junior High with, like,
300 total strangers.
- That sounds awesome,
actually.
I like strangers.
I like Dri-Fit.
I like junior high.
- Wait here, hon.
I gotta get
your class schedule.
- [sighs]
[indistinct chatter]
- All right, kiddo.
Take your first left.
- You k*lled a cactus?
- I always forget to water it.
- It's a cactus.
[school bell ringing]
- Right this way.
Wait, you're Callie Johnson.
Okay, okay.
Settle down.
I've got a big question
for you.
Which of the following
do humans breathe out?
Is it, A, oxygen or,
B, carbon dioxide?
Michael.
- Uh, I'm gonna say oxygen?
- Bzz. Wrong.
- Tragic.
- What's tragic?
- For the rest of sixth grade,
we will be studying the human
body and all the wonders--
[indistinct chatter]
[school bell ringing]
- That's what I said.
- She shouldn't do that.
- Yeah.
- And this kid, Liam, in my
class, literally in lunch,
he threw his food at me.
Whenever we're in class,
he picks his boogers
and wipes it on people's desks.
- Oh, my gosh,
that kid is so annoying.
- And then I blame it
on him because he's a--
- Hey.
Cool shirt.
- As I was saying, so annoying.
- Right? That's what I said.
It was gross.
[giggling]
- [sighs]
- That bad, huh?
- This is a seriously
stupid town.
Even the teachers are dumb.
- [chuckles]
[quirky music]
[baby squealing]
- Put those quiet hands
all over me
Tell me the things
that scare you
Use your words, not looks
The world can disappear
while we're tied deep
- What a beautiful baby.
- Oh, thank you.
- Oh, where's
your mommy, cutie?
- You're joking, right?
- She's mine, actually.
I'm a teen mom.
My parents told me to wait.
I guess I should have listened.
- I know you better
I come in
spilling curiosity
There's a light in you
and I can see a glimmer
- Hey.
You can't let it get to you.
You know that, right?
I know, it sucks,
but you just deal with it,
and then--
- Put those quiet hands
all over me, hey
Tell me that
[baby babbling]
[muffled pop music playing]
[pensive music]
[dog barking in distance]
- Hey.
- What's with this?
- Oh. It's for you.
- Seriously, Mom?
- What?
- Seriously?
You got me a frickin'
grocery store flower?
[sighs]
- Excuse me for trying
to do something nice.
[crickets chirping]
- [grunting]
- Yeah, you ain't
seen nothing
I'll set the world on fire
Think you know me, but
Today is tomorrow.
- What?
- Your mom said tomorrow.
Where are you from?
- What do you mean?
- What state?
- Oh, Virginia.
- What grade are you in?
- Sixth.
- I have Ms. Clark.
I'm in fourth.
[gasps] What's this?
- Catmint.
I'm transplanting it.
Wait, you--you have
to shake out the roots first.
- Okay.
- Wait. No, stop.
- [giggling]
- [sighs]
- Here, I'll rinse you off.
- No, no, no, no.
No! No! No!
[giggling]
Oh!
No, no, no!
Oh, I'm getting it.
- [giggling]
- I'm gonna get you back.
- [squealing]
- [breathes in, out] And a one.
[baby babbles]
Ooh.
Yeah.
Your sister made a new friend.
[exhales, chuckles]
[baby babbling]
Hmm?
[calm music]
- Whoa!
- I call her Mabel, but the
Latin name is Mimosa pudica.
It's a sensitive plant,
because when you touch
the leaves, they fold up.
Don't do it too much.
- How come?
- 'Cause how would you like to
get poked over and over again?
- Is that where Mabel goes?
- What?
No, I'm not planting Mabel.
- But plants want to be
with other plants.
- How would you know?
- I like plants, really mostly
because of the flowers.
- [sighs] Yeah.
- What are we gonna do, huh?
We're gonna crawl?
We're gonna crawl? [chuckles]
Ooh.
[baby giggles]
Hey.
- Hey.
I miss you. How was school?
How are the kids?
- Ask her.
Say hi to your dad.
- [sighs] Hi.
- Hey, Cal.
How was the first day?
- Fine.
- Cool.
Did you meet any kids?
Well, I guess it was
the first day.
How's Mabel doing?
- Fine.
- Well, this has been
an awesome conversation.
Uh, all right,
change of topic.
Guess what hotel
I'm staying at.
Huh? The Johnny Appleseed.
- They should have named it
the Henderson Luelling.
- What? Who is that?
- I gotta go. Bye.
- Love you both.
See you tomor--
- [sighs]
Who's Henderson Luelling?
- He's like, the smarter
version of Johnny Appleseed.
- Okay, lights out.
Glasses.
- [sighs]
[sighs]
Wait, come back.
- Come here.
I saw you playing with Agnes.
Did you meet the mom?
- No.
- Well, how was Agnes?
- She's a fourth grader.
- Still, she seems nice.
- She is.
She's just not for me.
We have, like,
nothing in common.
- Okay.
But you wanna make
friends, right?
- Mom.
- What?
- Seriously?
What sixth grader wants,
like, no friends?
- Okay, I'm sorry.
Good night.
[pensive music]
[indistinct chatter]
[cart clacking]
[curious music]
[school bell ringing]
- Lab desks, please.
Lab desks.
All right, for the rest
of eighth grade,
I'll be your long-term sub.
You can just call me Ms. G.
- Where's Mrs. Morgan?
- Who?
- Mrs. Morgan, our teacher.
- No idea.
- You're
not in this class.
- Am too.
- Today, we are going to start
botany.
- I thought we were
learning about primates.
- Well, when you have a PhD
and you're doing groundbreaking
research at a major university,
you can make the decisions.
Until then, we're doing botany.
- That's why you
brought the plants?
- Yes, smart-a*s.
That's why
I brought the plants.
Why don't you go on up there?
Yes, you.
I would like for you
to choose one plant
and tell me one
scientific fact about it.
- I don't--
- Just pick one.
That's a good one.
- It's, uh, sticky.
- It secretes adhesives.
Why?
Only one.
Go on.
- To trap its prey.
- Correct.
Okay, I want everyone
to gather around.
Get close. Watch this.
Okay, so...
[fly buzzing]
- [gasps]
- Whoa.
[pensive music]
- Don't turn around.
This is what it's about.
- [gasps]
[gagging]
- Okay.
Fast forward.
What happened?
- The fly is dead.
- How?
- She k*lled it.
- It got trapped
by the secretions.
- So what?
These are just facts.
What does it mean?
What if I tell you
that that plant
won't try to eat the tweezers?
Why not?
- Um--
- Because they're not food.
- Correct.
The plant knows
the tweezers aren't food.
But how?
What does it mean?
No one?
No one. Really? Wow, okay.
It means that the Drosera plant
has a mechanism to know
when it's touching food.
What is that mechanism?
How do humans know
when food is nearby?
- Sight, smell.
- So if a plant knows
that food is close by,
does a plant have senses?
- Uh-uh. No way.
- Really?
How do you know?
[wondrous music]
[mouse clicking]
[keyboard clacking]
It's really about knowing
when to pay attention.
This is a logging forest
at eye level--
just fir trees,
no birches, no other trees.
Now let's look at it
from above.
What does it mean?
Well, when the loggers
came into our forest
and started cutting
down the birch trees,
and then the fir trees
started to do worse,
we paid attention.
And we started
to realize that somehow
the birch trees
and the fir trees,
they were communicating
with each other.
They were doing
something for each other.
And so the question
for us became,
what is the experiment?
- Look.
- I can't right now.
I'm making you
something awesome.
- They injected this stuff
into the tree roots.
Hey, carbon isotopes.
- What's--what are--
what's an isotope?
- Forget it.
It's like food coloring.
You can see the nutrients
moving through the tree roots.
And you know what they found?
They found out the birches
were sending nutrients
to the firs, and the firs--
- Sorry, I have
to use the bathroom.
- And the firs were sending
nutrients back to the birches.
- I'm so confused.
- They're sharing food
across species!
I mean, not all the time, but
basically when they needed it.
The point is,
they're all communicating,
the birch trees
and the fir trees.
- What?
- Plants can talk!
- With words?
- [scoffs] Are you insane?
No, through an underground
fungal network.
- Okay, let's get started.
So my first question is...
Can plants hear?
You.
- I mean--
- Okay, I--I know.
You don't like the word "hear."
How about,
can plants sense sound?
Now, we already know that
plants grow towards water.
The tip of the root
can sense moisture,
and it will guide the plant
towards a water source.
What we don't know is,
will a plant
grow towards the sound
of dripping water,
even if the water isn't there?
So we do an experiment,
and we find out that,
yes, plants will grow
towards the sound of water.
Now, can plants tell time?
- No way.
- No way.
- Nope.
- No way.
- Wrong.
If I put this chrysanthemum
in a dark room
with no light source,
it knows when 12 hours is up.
Can humans do that?
Can you do that?
Can any human do that?
I don't think so.
- It's so pretty.
- Who cares about pretty?
Chrysanthemums
bloom in the fall
when the nights are longer,
12 hours long.
But we can trick them.
This chrysanthemum is from a
commercial grower's warehouse.
And this black cloth
keeps the light out.
So if the grower keeps
the chrysanthemums
in 12 hours
of uninterrupted darkness,
this plant will bloom,
no matter what
the time of year.
But so what? Who cares?
Who cares if a chrysanthemum
can count 720 minutes?
What does it mean?
[door opens]
- Callie Johnson.
We've been looking for you.
Come on.
[quirky music]
Okay, so can plants learn?
- Callie?
Callie?
Oh, okay, one more time for
those who weren't listening,
you're gonna figure out how
much each member of your family
weighs on the moon.
- We don't have
a scale at home.
- Just do your best.
Everybody got that.
- We require every student to
attend every class, every day.
- Can we just cut
to the chase here?
- Oh.
Your daughter has
already repeatedly
missed her science class.
- She's skipping science class?
- No, she's going
the wrong class.
She's going to
eighth grade science.
- I'm sorry, I don't really see
what the big deal is here.
So she's--
- Okay, forget science.
- Ms. G!
Ms. G, Ms. G!
Hey.
I'm so glad I bumped into you.
I just wanted to tell you
I'm not gonna be
in your class anymore.
- You're the girl who knew
about the Drosera plant.
- Yeah.
They're making me go back
to sixth grade science.
- Bureaucracy, man.
- [sighs]
- The teachers
have shared with me
that she's having trouble
adjusting to school.
- [sighs] After one week.
- Have you ever considered
having her evaluated?
- We already have.
Awkward nerd.
- Did you tell her
it's only been a week?
- Hi.
- Is that Cal?
- Yep, I gotta run.
- All right.
I'll see you at home.
Hey.
- Hi.
- Wow.
Um, how's the moo goo gai pan?
- Nobody orders that.
- Sounds good.
Uh, yeah, I'll--I'll have that.
- Number 27!
[birds chirping]
[insects chirping]
[animals chittering]
- I'll wait for you here.
Your sister likes to go
on adventures, huh?
[pensive music]
Look at this.
Look.
- Mom.
Mom!
- Yeah?
- Do you even care
about this stuff?
- I care about you,
so I care about this.
- Hey excuse me.
Sorry, I was just wondering
where you guys play.
Yeah.
- This tastes weird.
Can I be excused?
- Yes.
Oh, hey.
Let's show Mom the surprise.
- Mm.
- I'm shocked they even
had bok choy at that place.
- Mm.
It's fine.
It was great.
- Can I get a drum roll,
please?
- Okay.
[tapping table]
[chuckles]
- Huh?
- Forget it. I'm not going.
- What? Come on.
You got the sweet visor.
You get to try something new.
You're gonna meet a whole
new group of kids.
- Golfers?
- I'm not going!
- Whoa, hey.
[footsteps running upstairs]
- It's not like some
crabby senior professor
has an idea and points
to me and says, go do that.
That's not how
discoveries happen.
It's when you see a
monocultural forest suffering,
and you think,
I should look underground
at the microbial
and fungal communities
at the soil food web.
And then you look
at those webs and think,
what if I could tag and track
the nutrient dispersal
among them?
Discoveries happen
because you have an instinct.
[curious music]
- Mimosa pudica--
it has a sense of touch.
- Something like that.
We're testing Mimosa
in the lab.
We think it might
be able to learn.
- I'm about to start my own
experiment, actually--
that one where you tell time,
the chrysanthemums.
- Okay, well, make sure
it's completely dark.
I mean, completely.
And cover the plant,
not the window, but gently.
You don't wanna
hinder its growth.
- Why are you always signing me
up for things after school?
I have my own stuff
I need to do.
- Like what?
- Like I have to order
a bunch of plants.
- Well, you'll have plenty
of time to do that after golf.
I mean, look at where we are.
Look at all these trees.
- Seriously, Dad?
- What?
- This used to be a forest.
These are all invasive species.
- [sighs]
Okay, if you try golf,
I'll buy you the plants.
- As soon as we get home?
- Yes, as soon as we get home.
- [sighs]
Fine, deal.
[sighs]
- Try to have fun?
- Come on.
[sighs]
- You're home!
- Hi, Agnes.
- Where were you?
- Golf.
- You need help?
- No, I'm fine.
- Okay, uh,
you wanna hear a joke?
- No. I'm really busy.
- A pig is driving
down the road.
- Hey, neighbor.
- Hey, Brian.
How's it going, man?
- Good.
I see your kid's
into golf, huh?
- Uh, she hates it, actually.
[chuckles]
I signed her up for it.
You know, I'm just trying
out a bunch of stuff.
- Yeah.
- For some reason,
the little golf program
they have around here just
had a ton of Asian kids in it,
so I just figured
that she was, like--
- Asian American, right?
- Right.
- Okay, good.
- Sure.
- Very intelligent pig.
VIP.
- Yep.
That's right.
Good to see you.
- You too.
- You wanna come over?
- Sorry, I'm really busy.
- Okay.
- Agnes, come on.
- Security code?
- Is 5-6-8.
- So what, are you gonna
bribe her every week
or just the first time?
[baby babbling]
- [sighs]
- Uh-huh.
That's what happens when
you get pregnant again,
and your husband
doesn't get tenure,
and we all have
to become golfers.
Hmm?
[baby crying]
I know. It's been a hard day.
All right,
I'm gonna put it down.
And then here we go.
Ooh, and the little book.
Yes.
- Evening.
- Wow.
[dog barking in distance]
Cheers.
- Cheers, yeah.
- Hmm.
[birds chirping]
[pensive music]
- Wish I could eat light.
[indistinct chatter]
[door opens]
- [gasps]
Oh, Jesus.
Don't you knock?
- Sorry, I, um--
- It's okay. Come here.
Look at this.
Tell me what you see.
- It is a leaf,
but without any color.
- What kind of leaf?
- Looks like--
I don't know.
- It's spinach.
But we washed away all
the plant cells with detergent.
And all that's left
is the cellulose structure.
Okay, now look.
[pensive music]
- It looks like blood.
- That's the idea, exactly--
to use spinach
to grow heart tissue.
- But that's impossible.
- Really?
Because we already can
grow beating heart cells
on these right now.
- I didn't know
plants could do that.
- Well, there's a lot people
don't know about plants.
- I know.
That's why
I'm doing my experiment.
- How many hours of darkness
are you giving them?
- 12.
- 12?
Why would you do 12?
- Because--because you said 12.
- [chuckles] Yeah, but
we already know 12 works.
We don't know
if 11 works, or 10.
What about 10 1/2?
- Should I do 10 1/2?
- I don't know. Should you?
The whole point is
to discover something new.
When I grew up,
you could discover--
The point is,
you seek knowledge,
you follow the science,
even if it lands you
in some podunk town
with a bunch of idiots
who are completely
lacking in curiosity.
You seek knowledge,
you follow the science.
- I can do one of each, one for
11 hours and one for 10 hours.
- One?
What are you gonna prove
with one chrysanthemum?
[pensive music]
- I'm gonna need
to buy more plants.
- How many?
- I don't know.
A lot.
- How much is this gonna cost?
- I don't know!
- We were doing tennis,
but it's so competitive.
We have to start them at like,
four, or it's too late.
- [chuckles] Yeah, totally.
Yeah.
- How's the older one?
- Hmm?
[baby babbling]
- The other one.
How's she doing?
- Oh, she just--you know.
I mean, being new is rough on
the kids, but she's hanging in.
[soft jazz music playing]
[birds chirping]
- Fore!
[distant chatter]
- How come you're taking golf?
- My dad's forcing me.
- Same.
Let me guess--he's Asian?
- Nope.
He's the white one.
- That's even funnier.
- Did you know that pine trees
are male and female?
- No.
Is that one a boy or a girl?
- Actually, it's both.
The top cones are female,
and the bottom ones are male.
They're gymnosperms,
but monoecious ones,
not like the cycads.
[bird cawing]
- [sighs]
- Special treat.
How was golf?
- [slurping]
- You know, you might
have to make friends
with someone who's not into the
exact same stuff you're into.
It's a small town.
There might not be
anyone who's into plants.
- Oh, there is.
- Oh, really? That's great.
- Hi.
- Jeez!
Don't you knock?
- What are you doing?
- [sighs] Making space
for my experiment.
- Oh. You wanna come over?
I have games we could play--
- Sorry, I can't.
But I could use some help.
- Oh, I don't know.
I don't know.
What's the experiment?
- Chrysanthemum morifolium.
- Uh, what's that?
- You like flowers, right?
- Yeah.
Okay, what can I do to help?
- Um, just clear out
this stuff for me, okay?
[soft music]
- They're heavy.
[humming]
Looks good.
Let's get the flowers.
- In a minute.
Take this out
of the table, okay?
- Okay.
- Be careful.
Three, two, one.
Move it to the right.
Seriously, Agnes?
[clattering]
This is science!
[water running]
- How come Agnes
went home crying?
- Because she screwed up
the experiment.
- What do you mean?
What experiment?
- Don't forget to talk
to Dad about the plants.
I'm gonna need more.
Like, a lot more.
[bird cooing]
[pensive music]
- Did you start dinner?
- Can we talk?
- So I have to unload the
dishwasher and cook dinner?
- Can we talk about
what the school said?
We gotta do something
to help her.
- You mean I have to do
something to help her.
- What? I tried golf.
- Which has been so successful.
- Okay.
Um--well, what about Agnes?
- Today she made Agnes cry.
- She made Agnes cry?
- So thanks for volunteering
to swoop in and fix everything.
- Angela, we--
[crickets chirping]
- [sighs]
- Wanna play catch?
- [sighs]
Here's your ball back.
- Sorry if I shouted at you.
- Yelled at me.
So are we playing catch or not?
Two.
- Come on!
We have to beat two.
- We have to get at least--
- 12. 12.
- 10 or--
12, 12, 12.
- 1.
Ooh!
- [laughs]
- Whoa.
- 2.
- 2.
Ow!
[laughter]
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Okay.
both:
- 9. 10.
- 11.
[giggling]
No!
- Agnes, bedtime!
- Wow. You go to bed early.
- Yeah.
- Maybe we can
play on Saturday.
- I have community music
on Saturdays.
- What's that?
- It's like a club
for really serious singers.
You get to go
to the university.
Bye!
- Hey.
- [sighs]
- So your mom and I decided
that you can buy
four more plants.
- [sighs]
Yeah, that's not enough.
- Well, it's gonna
have to be enough.
That's what you're gonna get.
- Whatever.
- You don't seem
very happy about it.
- [scoffs] Happy about what,
you guys arguing about me?
[scoffs]
- Well, can I get a thank you?
- Thank you.
- [sighs]
[pensive music]
[mouse clicking]
[door closes]
[mouse clicking, key clacking]
- Ms. G!
I ordered all the plants.
I'm gonna set up
the experiment this weekend.
- Good.
Have you ever been
in a real lab before?
You should come
to the university this weekend.
I'll show you around.
We're in Bowman.
- Any location will work.
- Mom, I need to be
somewhere tomorrow.
- Yeah. I was at a firm.
6-0--
- I need you to drive me.
- Sorry, can you
give me a second?
Can you get in the car?
- [sighs]
- Hello? Yes.
I'm sorry.
- [sighs]
- So where am I
driving you again?
- It's like, a special
opportunity for--
for kids who are into plants.
- What's this?
You spent $400 on plants?
Cal, this is not okay.
- I'm sorry.
I thought you guys
said I could.
- What makes you think you
can do this behind our backs?
- Mom, I just--
I didn't know it was
gonna be such a big--
- You are grounded from plants.
- No! Mom!
- I don't care what you do
with your time.
No plants for two weeks.
- Wait, so you're
not driving me?
- No, I am not driving you.
You're grounded.
- [scoffs] You're the meanest
person in the world!
- Trust me, I'm not being mean.
I know what it's like
to have a mean mom.
You need to learn that
lying has consequences.
Go put the plants in the shed.
- They'll die!
Is that what you want?
- Put them in the shed.
- [scoffs]
[dogs barking in distance]
[scoffs]
[crickets chirping]
[birds chirping]
- [chuckles]
- Look at this.
- Aw, Callie was so small.
I hate being the bad guy.
- I think you did
what you had to do.
She's gonna survive.
- [sighs]
- Should I just put these...
- Yeah, you just
put them in there.
- With this stuff here?
Yeah, back home,
the plants were free.
She just got her tools
and went out
and dug them up in the woods.
- It's not just
the credit card thing.
- I know, but...
she's gonna make friends
eventually.
- Will she?
These are not her people.
- [singing along]
Romanticize
[Chela's "Romanticise"
playing]
The answer is yes.
I told you, like, 1,000 times.
Romanticize
- There's promising doors
- Callie, seriously?
You wanna join community music,
but you don't wanna sing.
Come on.
- And your
loneliness calls
Filling spaces where
you could have explored
- Despair came down on you
just like it was the end
And then you hid
and you covered your head
But face the rage and feel
how thrilling it could be
'Cause in the bedlam
there is always beauty
It's shaking, it's shaking
The ground, it's a-breaking
And you can't control it
So own it and feel good
I'm searching for glory
Now tell me a story
I don't want to hear
That you no longer
feel good
Romanticize
both:
Romanticize
It's shaking, it's shaking
The ground, it's a-breaking
- What time?
- 11:00.
- Bye.
- Bye.
- What's at 11:00?
- You told me
I can't do plants,
so I told Agnes I'd go
to music class with her.
- Wait.
You like music now?
- Yes.
[pensive music]
What's your favorite song?
- Oh, my God,
I have to think about that.
- Me, same.
- Maybe "Roar" from Katy Perry.
- Can I say
my favorite song, please?
Okay, so my favorite song,
you know,
you know, like,
the old 2019 songs?
- Yeah.
So my favorite song
is "Lost Boy" by Ruth.
[indistinct chatter]
- Agnes Russo?
- [giggles]
Ready?
[pensive music]
What group are you in?
- 4.
- Rats. I'm in group 8.
Well, okay.
Come and find me at lunch.
[chuckles]
[knocking on window]
[wondrous music]
- Hey.
Hey, hey. You can't be in here.
- But--but I thought--
- Hey, Jim.
Jim, it's okay. She's with me.
- Okay.
- This is, like, amazing.
[door closes]
- Come here.
380,000 species
of flowering plants,
and for the last
100 million years,
maybe 200 million,
they've all found a way
to adapt and survive.
And we don't understand 99%
of how they do it.
That's why we need
to increase knowledge.
What?
- It's a pitcher plant.
I've only seen them on YouTube.
A few ants stole nectar from a
pitcher plant and took it home,
and then, like,
a bunch of other ants
came back and tried
to eat the plant's liquid
and got digested.
A pitfall trap thing.
- Pretty good.
Not just the terminology,
but you have
a decent understanding
of the underlying
biological processes.
- Sometimes I feel
like plants are
more interesting than people.
- They are.
- My mom doesn't think so.
- Mine didn't either.
[pensive music]
- What's the experiment?
- We're looking at how
bacteria change
based on a plant's
water supply.
So that pool there
in the middle,
there's a whole ecosystem
of insects and tadpoles
and small crabs
that live inside it.
- I wonder if those guys
even know
they're hanging out on a plant.
- They're no different
than us, really.
[birds chirping]
We're all just guests
in the world of plants.
[birds chirping]
[sighs]
- Wait, aren't you coming over?
- Sorry, I have too much to do.
[upbeat music]
We're gonna need your basement.
Here, can you help me?
[alarm beeping]
Yes!
8:00 a.m.!
[sighs]
[alarm beeping]
[alarm continues beeping]
[alarm stops]
[sighs]
[sighs]
- It's 5:00 a.m.
What are you doing?
- I'm making coffee.
- Why?
Whoa.
- Don't worry about it.
It's halfway done.
Only two more to go.
- You're grounded from plants.
- Well, I can't stop
the experiment now.
- That's not the point.
The point is that
you're grounded.
- I just need a couple
more weeks, I think.
- You are exhausted.
You can't keep
waking up at 5:00 a.m.
- I have to.
- Why?
- Because that's the way it is.
Either you do it right, or
the whole experiment is void.
- Who's gonna know
the difference?
- My science teacher.
And I will.
- Okay.
Let me help then.
- [sighs]
- What are these?
- Chrysanthemums.
[soft music]
[alarm beeping]
- [sighs] Oh, God damn it.
[alarm beeping]
[alarm beeping]
Oh, my God, it actually worked.
Cal!
Cal!
- What?
- Look what happened
in the basement last night.
- They bloomed!
Oh, my God, they bloomed.
Wait.
One, two, three,
four, five, six.
[bright music]
Ms. G!
- Callie.
- The nine hour bloomed.
- Oh.
How many days?
- 19.
- Impressive.
What about the eight hour?
That's the interesting one.
- It's still going.
- And you're keeping track
of the data?
- Yeah.
You should come over
on Saturday and check on it.
- Saturday's not gonna work.
- Or I could show you my setup.
- I don't know, Callie.
I don't know what to tell you.
- Well, maybe next week
or after the eight hour blooms.
- Take care.
[engine turns over]
[somber music]
- Agnes.
Agnes!
You're doing it too hard!
- No, I'm not!
So what did Ms. G say?
Was she, like, totally amazed?
- No.
I don't know.
- Look, what'd she say?
- Look, you can't
prove anything
with one chrysanthemum.
- But we have,
like, 10 of them.
- Seriously, Agnes?
After all this time?
- What?
- We have 20!
- Callie!
[water splashing aggressively]
[footsteps stomping]
- Hey.
Set the table.
[footsteps stomping]
[dishes clattering]
Hey, stop.
What's wrong?
You okay?
[footsteps stomping]
Hey.
I know it's been tough.
I love how much
you love plants,
but people are important,
too, Cal.
- Oh, my God. Mom!
- Look, I've been there.
I know how hard it is
to make new friends,
especially when
you're the only one...
But you still gotta try.
[door creaking]
[pensive music]
- Mommy made me
mash my M&Ms, I'm mad
Mommy made me--
- Agnes. Agnes.
No scales in the car, okay?
- Callie, don't worry.
They won't start rehearsal
without you.
Hey!
[panting]
Callie!
- I'm not going to rehearsal,
okay?
I have to find Ms. G.
Just go to music, Agnes.
- Callie! Fine.
I'm going with you.
Are you sure we're allowed to--
wow.
This is where Ms. G works?
- What's up, guys?
- Uh--
- Are you lost?
Hey, you, come here. Come here.
I remember you.
You guys aren't
supposed to be in here.
Come on, you have to leave.
- Ms. G invited me.
- I doubt that.
- Why?
- Because she's gone.
- Gone?
What do you mean, gone?
- She's gone.
She took another job.
- Did she leave a note?
- For who?
Hey. Hey.
- Come back!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey.
- Please.
- Come here.
Yo, where's your parents?
- Uh--
- Look, am I gonna have
to call security on you?
Wait. Wait, hey!
[apprehensive music]
Come on, where'd you go?
You're not supposed
to be in here!
Hey.
Come on.
- Ah!
- Hey! Hey, hey, hey!
- What are you doing?
- I'm dropping them.
See, that's the experiment.
Eventually, they'll learn
that it's not a threat,
and they'll stop closing up.
Mimosa can learn.
The experiment's been
done twice already.
- That's so mean.
- Hey, yo!
Hey, hey, don't, don't, don't.
Don't touch them.
Don't touch them.
[muffled singing]
- Hey, Dad.
I need you to come pick me up.
- Well, uh, I think our kid
has officially lost control.
- Mm-hmm.
- Do you remember what that
guy said to us, the, uh,
whatever that specialist was.
Your kid's gonna be fine,
but as an adult?
- It's just middle and high
school that's gonna suck?
- Yeah.
It's great, at the time when
everybody's trying to fit in.
- So what,
she's just supposed to be
miserable for the next
six years?
- [sighs]
[vehicle approaching]
- Here we go.
- Callie.
Callie.
It's not my fault.
I had to tell a grown-up.
- [hisses, sighs]
- Why are you so mean to me?
I'm nice to you.
- Cal.
Thank you, Brian. I'm so sorry.
- It's not a problem.
- Really, I'm really sorry.
- Yeah, maybe just tell Callie
to give her some space, okay?
- Sure.
Of course.
- Callie, stop.
Callie.
Callie, stop.
Callie, stop!
What the hell is going on?
You're sneaking
into a science lab?
- I wasn't sneaking!
- Well, you didn't
have permission!
- I just wanted to see her.
Is that a crime or something?
I mean, it's not like she told
anybody she was leaving town!
- Hey, Callie.
- Callie!
[pots shattering]
Callie!
Stop! What are you doing?
You need to calm down.
Stop it!
And after you calm down,
you need to apologize to Agnes.
- Agnes is fine!
- No, she is not!
You're not allowed
to play with her anymore.
Do you understand that?
And for what,
a substitute teacher?
- She's not just
a substitute teacher.
She's the only person that
actually understands me.
[scoffs]
[pensive music]
[shovel scraping]
- [vocalizing]
- Hi, Agnes!
- [vocalizing]
Daddy, I need help.
- Yeah, here I come.
- Okay.
- [panting]
[sighs] Hang on.
Just give me a second.
- No, I wanna start it here.
Please?
- Okay, we'll start it here.
But how many do we have?
We have a lot.
- Yeah.
- [sighs] You sure you
don't wanna, like,
draw it out, make sure--
wait a second, we'll just--
[pensive music]
- It's amazing
how easily fooled we are.
We see the plant world
in human terms--
individualistic,
competitive, unforgiving.
And we miss the infinitely
more sophisticated
network that is its hallmark.
You see it when you discover
something like the birches
and the firs,
two fully different species
that don't just coexist
but live in community
with each other,
that utilize sophisticated
mycorrhizal networks
to care for each other
and communicate,
that have moved
way beyond prioritizing
survival of the individual
to achieve
an astonishingly complex
and beautiful interdependency.
And then it's
blindingly obvious
that we stare at it every day,
the interconnectedness
of the biodiversity
that surrounds us,
this system of ecological
exchange and balance.
And you wonder how
you never saw it before.
- Hey, kiddo.
- [sighs]
- Whatcha thinking about?
- Just an experiment.
- Oh. What's it about?
- Tree roots.
I already told you.
- Okay.
Well, why don't you remind me?
- They found out that tree
roots are interconnected,
like they're sharing
across species.
- That's very cool.
- You don't understand.
[scoffs]
- Hey.
I know.
It's so hard when you lose the
one friend who understands you.
- [crying] Even if it's
only a fourth grader.
[somber music]
- Hey, hey, it's okay.
It's okay.
[sighs]
Hey, there.
- Hey, how's it going?
- Good.
I know this is awkward.
I mean, my kid got your kid
into breaking and entering.
- Yeah. Yeah, she did.
- I'm really sorry about that.
I don't know.
I mean, I was hoping--
and if you're cool with it--
that they could maybe play
together again in the yard.
Just the yard, you know?
I'm not sure how much
trouble they could
get into right in front of us.
[birds chirping]
Hey, Brian says you can play.
What is it?
- She doesn't want to.
- Just go talk to her.
- [sighs] What am I gonna say?
- You'll figure it out.
- I can't.
- Hey.
All I can do is help you
in the tiniest little bit.
Everything else is up to you.
You're the one
who has to do it, okay?
[dog barking in distance]
- Hey, Agnes.
You did a really good job
with your garden.
- I got help.
- I'm sorry, Agnes--
- I'm good.
[soft music]
[birds chirping]
- Hey.
So, um...
I was thinking.
Maybe we could plant Mabel
over there.
Just until winter.
Then we'd have to repot her.
- But Mabel is yours.
Oh.
I got a lot
of flowers to plant.
Wanna help?
[soft music]
- Okay.
Okay, go.
- Okay.
I'll do the watering.
I'm really good at that.
- I know that.
[chuckles]
- [chuckles]
Okay.
Hand me that one?
- Oh, God.
Oh! That.
- Look at this.
- Oh. Whoo!
- [chuckles]
It feels so good, though.
- Wait.
I wanna show you something.
- Okay.
Oh.
Okay.
[birds chirping]
[Chela's "Romanticise"]
- Don't, don't
Don't, don't
Don't, don't
[upbeat electronic music]
This ordinary thing
Can be more colorful
than you say it is
The cardinal sin
Is to tell a lie,
but now you must give in
The storm came down on you
just like it was the end
And then you hid
and you covered your head
But face the rage and feel
how thrilling it can be
'Cause in the bedlam,
there is always beauty
It's shaking, it's shaking
The ground,
it's a-breaking
And you can't control it
So own it and feel good
I'm searching for glory
Now tell me a story
I don't want to hear
That you no longer
feel good
Romanticize
Romanticize
Romanticize
Romanticize
There's promising doors
That are open
at the end of the hall
And your loneliness calls
Filling the spaces where
you could have explored
Despair came down on you
just like it was the end
And then you hid
and you covered your head
But face the rage and feel
how thrilling it can be
'Cause in the bedlam
there is always beauty
It's shaking, it's shaking
The ground,
it's a-breaking
And you can't control it
So own it and feel good
I'm searching for glory
Now tell me a story
I don't want to hear
That you no longer
feel good
Romanticize
Romanticize
The storm came down
But don't you run away,
run away
Despair came down
But don't you hide away,
hide away
It feels good
if you just face it
It's shaking, it's shaking
The ground,
it's a-breaking
And you can't control it
So own it and feel good
I'm searching for glory
Now tell me a story
I don't want to hear
That you no longer
feel good
Romanticize
Romanticize
Oh, don't, don't
Don't, don't
Don't, don't
[soft music]
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Mabel (2024)
Moderators: Maskath3, GabrielAlejo2341, sidolanters, Maskath3, GabrielAlejo2341, sidolanters