02x19 - Poetry Of The Penals Adventure

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Great North". Aired: January 3, 2021 – present.*
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Following the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family, as a single dad, Beef, does his best to keep his weird bunch of kids close by.
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02x19 - Poetry Of The Penals Adventure

Post by bunniefuu »

- ♪ Look up there ♪
- ♪ What do you see? ♪


♪ Nature and stuff ♪

- ♪ Like a rock ♪
- ♪ And a tree ♪


♪ Oh, the Great North ♪

♪ Way up here,
you can breathe the air ♪


♪ Catch some fish ♪

♪ Or gaze at a bear ♪

♪ Wow ♪

♪ Oh, the Great North ♪

♪ Here we live, oh, oh ♪

♪ Here we'll stay, oh, whoo ♪

♪ From longest night
to longest day ♪


♪ In the Great North. ♪

[cheering]

BEEF:
Well, time for me to do


- all the dishes and cleaning.
- No, no, Dad.

You guys are Honeybee
and my guests tonight.

You just relax
and enjoy digesting.

- Well, thank you.
- Honeybee, that lasagna was

- "Under the Tuscan Yum."
- Glad you liked it.

I'm trying to branch out
from layered dips,

so other layered foods seemed
like a good place to start.

Well, I couldn't stop dipping
my fork into it,

- my Glamorous Garfield.
- Having us over for dinner,

chaperoning our field trip
tomorrow...

Wolf, you're really turning into
an Adult Arnold on us.

You know it.
I can't wait to be your guide

on the abandoned Death Cliff
Prison field trip-a-roo.

Still one of
my all-time favorite FTs

from when I was in high school.

I've been browsing their
gift shop online since I heard

about the field trip, and
I'm torn about what I want:

a bar of soap
with a tiny prisoner inside

that you free when you wash
or a throw pillow that says,

"Wherever you go, you're in jail."

And Crispin and I get
to walk around all day together.

We do a lot of standing
and sitting together,

but walking?
Uh, this is kind of huge for us.

I'm sad my grade doesn't
get to go, but Dad and I

are gonna head out into
the woods tomorrow morning

and work on earning
my bird-watching patch

- for Lil' Preppers.
- Ah! Is that the time?

Ham, we got to go!

Dakota: A Cowboy at College
is on TV tonight,

and we got to watch live
so we don't see any spoilers.

I wonder if he's gonna
switch his boots

for some real city shoes for
his date with Taffiny tonight.

Oh, wait for me!
I'm ready for a heaping helping

of that bucking biology major.

Oh, babe, sorry,
you'll have to catch it later.

Remember, we got to finish
filling out that paperwork

to open our joint checking
account at the bank tomorrow.

Crapple sauce. I forgot.

Uh-oh.
Adult Arnold rides again.

Come on,
I'm not that old, guys.

- I'm still just one of the sibs.
- [chuckles] Look out.

- Old Man Tobin's cranky.
- Is that the sound

of an adult diaper
filling up with rage diarrhea?

[laughs] Oh, Wolf,
we're just teasing.

[laughs] Oh, yeah, sure.

I can take a joke because
I'm not an old fuddy-duddy.

- [overlapping farewells]
- Good night, you two.

- [door closes]
- [whispers] Adult Arnold?

A-Are those wrinkles?
Aah!

First, you don't watch
Dakota: A Cowboy at College.


Then your teeth fall out,

then you start farting
uncontrollably,


and then you do the jitterbug
at your nephew's wedding


and nobody wants to see that.

And then your hearing
starts to go,


and then your arms fall off,

then you die... die... die.

[screams]

All righty, kids. Who's ready
to do some hard time?

Oh, that didn't sound good.

Soft time. Ugh,
that doesn't sound good either.

I know last night I had to do

boring adult bank
paperwork stuff,

but today I'm responsibility-free.
[whoops]

But aren't you our chaperone?

More like a "fun-perone,"
young lady.

- Oh, no.
- You know, when I went

on this field trip
not that many years ago,

my friend Cheesecake and I
snuck off on our own...

Students, stop talking.

Does everyone have
their worksheets?

You'll need to visit
these five locations

within the prison and write
a description of them.

- Wolf, did you look over the worksheet?
- Oh, absolutely.

- Practically got it memorized, Teachio.
- Please never call me that again.

Now, if you'd follow me up front,

there is seating for you there,
with the other adults.

Three to a seat
violates safety protocol.

Sorry about that.
[singsongy] Here I come.

Don't worry, guys.
I'm not gonna be hard on you

about that worksheet
because we can all agree

that homework stinks.
Pee-yew, am I right?

Do we have the option
to take a different bus?

- What's that one?
- Dark-eyed junco.

Slate plumage with a touch
of white around the tail.

Pale-pink bill.

A flock is sometimes called
a blizzard.

But instead of covering
the ground with snow,

they blanket the ground
with the warm thrum of life.

Aah!
Oh, sorry. Hello.

No, I'm sorry.

You should never surprise
a fellow bird-watcher.

I have some of the quietest
footsteps in the world.

I entered an international
competition and came in fifth place.

Hello.
My name is Greta Meatweep.

Well, Greta,
it is great-a to meet you.

I'm Beef Tobin.
This is my Moon son.

[laughs]
I mean my Moon, son.

I mean my son...
get it together, Beef.

This is my son Moon.

I couldn't help overhearing
you describing those birds.

It sounded like poetry to me.

I happen to be a proud member of
the Lone Moose Poetry Gaggle.

I also coordinate the snacks.
Are you a poet?

I, um... Am I a poet?
[music]

Elizabeth Barrett Browning!

Flying atop a bird
with a poetess?

This is what I daydreamed of
as a teen.

Please tell me you are
a poet, too, Beef,

and then arrange me
like your beautiful words.

♪ Greta Meatweep. ♪

- Yes, yes, of course I'm a poet.
- Uh, Dad?

Remember, Moon?
How I am one?

Right... yes.
He sure is a poet.

Oh, boy, can this guy rhyme
with the best of them.

I admire that so much.

I write non-rhyming poetry because
I can never think of rhymes.

Uh, uh, for instance,
this morning

I was trying to think
of a rhyme for "table."

- Stable.
- Wow, what a gift.

I can smell the horses already.

I know this is short notice,
but would you be interested

in attending a poetry
gathering this afternoon?

Perhaps you could recite
one of your poems.

Oh, and you can bring your son

and any other poetry lovers
out there.

Am I talking too fast?
I hope not.

I had a caffeinated mint
yesterday,

and it's still working its way
through my system.

- So, can I count you in or not?
- Hmm... Yes?

- And read one of your poems?
- Certainly.

What a wonderful thing
I have agreed to do.

I'm very happy
with myself about it.

It's going to be at the VFW.

- See you there.
- You bet.

Son, did I just tell that
enchanting lady of letters

that I am a poet and agree
to read one of my poems

- at an event this afternoon?
- Correct.

Wonderful.

Welcome to the Death Cliff
Prison and Museum.

There is to be no spitting,
slapping or chewing gum.

I believe you can laugh at something

without screaming performatively.

Just no loudness in general.
Got it? Good.

Okay, we'll be splitting up
into three groups.

One group with me,
one with Chelery's fathers,

and one with
the Tobins' older brother Wolf.

Stay with your group.
Do not stray.

Mind your chaperones
as if they were me

but with far less knowledge
of obscure film noir.

Okay, let's go inside.

All right, Wolf's group,
huddle up.

- You guys have your passes?
- What passes?

Yeah, the permission slip said
we just needed a water,

lunch and a good attitude.

My attitude sucks,
but I brought a sandwich.

Guys, I'm talking about
your back-cage passes. [laughs]

We're about to go on a special
little "off the books" tour

called "Wolf's
Private Prison Peep Show."

Eh... wait,
that did not sound right.

So, let's call it "Wolf's
All-Inclusive Prison Peep Show."

- Man, still not right.
- Wolf, what are you talking about?

I'm talking about an all-access tour

of the very secret locations
within this prison

that Cheesecake and I discovered
when we were in high school.

Oh, I love going behind the scenes.

One time I saw the employee
break room at the art museum.

Whew, if those mugs could talk.

Okay, that's the door we need
to sneak through right there.

Beyond that is
a whole wing of the prison

that's not open to the public

that ends in a very fun
surprise destination.

Cheesecake was looking
for a bathroom,

but I'm telling you,
what we found was

so much better than a bathroom.

Better than a bathroom?
This I got to see.

Okay, quietly, on your tiptoes.
Go. Go, go, go, go.

We don't have to do the whole
tour on tiptoes, do we?

My calves are still tender
from jazz dance club.

Welcome to
the "Shawshank Tour-demption,"

where it's time to get busy
touring or get busy dying.

Mr. Wolf, I'm having
such an amazing time.

Please, Mr. Wolf is my father.

- Just call me Wolf.
- I can't believe

they don't put this cold, dark
corridor on the regular tour.

Well, this area is
technically closed off

because they say
it's a little dangerous,

- but Cheesecake and I did just fine.
- If we find the prison morgue,

I need someone to take
my picture in the body drawer

and text it to my brother,
so that he'll feel guilty

about taking the last
Toaster Strudel this morning.

Beedly-beedly-boop.
Listen up to your tour guide.

Coming up on our left is
the prison wood shop

where you can still see half of
an adorable napkin holder

built by Sammy the Smotherer.

So far I haven't learned
a single useful thing

on this field trip, and I love it.

HONEYBEE: Oh, hey, Beef. I was
just finishing a frozen waffle.


You want one? Oh, no.

What's going on with your face?

Moon and I met a lady in the forest.

This sounds like
the start of a fairy tale.

Is Moon a frog now?
Is he in your pocket?

Moon is at school, but I told
this woman that I was a poet.

And I promised to attend
a poetry gathering this afternoon

and read a poem I wrote.

- You really write poetry?
- Well, I've dabbled.

I mean, we're in Alaska.

How can one not be inspired
by the landscape?

Sometimes I write down
a fragment.

And I've always thought
female poets are...

sorry to be graphic...
very attractive.

Emily Dickinson is my ideal woman.

She loved to be alone and would
have had no interest in me.

Hubba-hubba.

But then I would never
actually call myself a poet.

It just came out.
I got flustered,

and, well,
now I've really done it.

Okay, don't panic, Beef.
It could be a nice time.

No, Honeybee,
you don't understand.

I'm bad at public speaking.
I've never written a whole poem.

My getting up there
and reading one this evening

will be like a snake trying
to catch a baseball.

Hmm, well, I'm not gonna be any
help to you in writing a poem,

but what I can help you with
is a look.

I was friends with a poet,
Armando, in Fresno,

so I know a thing or two
about how they look and act.

Maybe a scarf could be
an interesting touch.

There are some pretty nice ones
in the scarf hamper

from Wolf's close-up magic phase.

That's the spirit, Beef.
I have a feeling

once you look in the mirror
and see a poet,

those words will just
come tumbling out.

Thanks, Honeybee. Maybe I
will have a waffle after all.

Good, I'd feel waffle if you didn't.

My God, what is this family
doing to me?

All right, hope you all enjoyed
seeing the common area.

Some of the prison's
most notorious K*llers

did square dancing in there.

We're almost to our destination.
It's just up a... huh.

Wondering if we took
a wrong turn.

- Uh, Wolf? Are we lost?
- I get lost all the time

delivering pizzas, so I
keep two calzones in the car,

in case I need to stick
my feet in them for warmth.

Did you bring any hot food
for our feet?

Guys, I'm not gonna
officially label us lost.

More like "momentarily
on unrecognizable terrain."

Wolf, I also agree
that labels put us in a box

with the inability to grow,

but we might want
to find our way back

to the rest of the tour
before all the prison ghosts

- come out for the evening.
- Yeah, m-maybe you're right.

Hmm... Let me just
take a look around.

Maybe down this way.

- [gasps]
- There's only one track to get back on,


and it leads straight from this prison

to the bank where you take on
a second mortgage.


Your underwear always feels wet,
front and back.


Then your arms fall off.

You start yelling at the sink,

and then you die... die... die.

[gasps] You know what?
On second thought,

let's just go a little further
and see if I can get my bearings.

If you're scared, Judy,
you can hold my hand.

No, thanks, Gill.

But you can hold your own hand
and pretend it's mine.

Really? Thank you.

Our hands fit perfectly together.

Good news, everyone,
this is starting to look...

- [all scream]
- Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.

You guys know I love to swivel
in a chair in complete darkness.

It's one of
my main personality traits.

I told you this tour would be
filled with chills and thrills.

[chuckles]
But everything's fine.

- Okay, let's keep... [screams]
- [others gasp]

Mountain Dew Code Crap!
Not my beautiful brother!

Ham! Say something!
Are you alive?!

- Ha, I'm okay, guys.
- Oh, thank God.

For a minute
I thought you were gone,

and we have so many plans
together, like how we were gonna

wear each other's jeans
and not tell anyone.

- You sure you're all right, bud?
- Oh, yeah. Yup, yup.

I-I just got surprised
when there was a floor

and then suddenly
there wasn't a floor.

Wolf, this has been super fun,
but we might want

- to turn around now?
- Yup, just the regular old tour

of regular old Death Cliff
Prison might be nice.

- OLD WOLF: Yoo-hoo! - Hmm?
- You know, just walking and looking


- and checking stuff off our worksheets.
- Oh.

Um, uh, yeah. I-I know
what you're saying, Judy,

but now that we're
at the barbershop,

I've got my bearings back.

I remember Cheesecake sat in that
chair and asked for The Rachel.

The place I'm taking you to is
right around the next corner.

Let me just show you guys
this one amazing thing,

- and then we'll go back.
- Okay. I guess.

All right! Here we go.

Everybody follow me.
Aah! O-Okay.

E-Everyone watch the hole there.

Now here we go. [laughs, sighs]

Okay, okay.
This looks familiar.

I think this is it.
[laughs] Guys!

Come here, come here!
I found it!


- Wow.
- Welcome to the most gorgeous cell

in all of Alaska's prison system,

the solitary confinement cell

- they called the "underwater coffin."
- JUDY: Look at that view!

This is more like solitary
just-fine-ment.

[chuckles] Okay.

[scoffs] This is so
much better than my room

that it makes me sick.

- I feel like I'm on Big Little Lies.
- Told you it'd be worth it.

All right, everybody get out
your lunches.

We'll have a little bite to eat
and then circle back

with the squares
and fill out those worksheets.

Let those chaper-oldies up there
bore their groups to turds.

"Up there, it's their time.

Down here, it's our time."
Goonies.

What on earth
are you talking about?

Oh, hey, Moon.
Glad you could get a ride home.

Your dad's just about to make
his big entrance as a poet.

Come on in, Beef!

- MOON: Oh, yeah. That's a poet.
- Yup, it's almost there.

Could I give you a few adjustments?

- Please.
- Okay. Come in again,

but this time stop in the middle
and chuckle knowingly.

Yeah. Then look off
into the distance

as you contemplate
the sound of a leaf falling.

And you should have
a slight cough from writing outside

- in the elements by the river.
- Got it.

Oh, how about a limp
from a duel you were in

with your lover Calista's husband?

And would it k*ll you
to be exhausted

by the beauty that's all around you?

Okay. Chuckle. Cough.
Limp. Exhaustion. Got it.

[chuckles]

[coughs]

Oh, look at that beauty.
Boy, I'm tired.

That is good.
Oh, one last thing.

Let's mess up your beard.
Poets are always a little shabby.

My friend Armando was
constantly mistaken

for a scarecrow
when we were picnicking.

All right, that ought to do it.

Should we get in the car
and set this poetry in motion?

Seriously, what is this family
doing to me?

One more thing...
I have to write an actual poem.

Oh, yeah...
I forgot about that part.

You got minutes.
Go, go, go.

All right. Now I just have
to come up with a poem.

Let's see. Maybe one of these
fragments could inspire me.

Hmm. Well, this one is covered
in barbecue sauce.

Gonna throw that out.

And, uh, this one just says,
"Good morning, rake."

Oh, man,
this is gonna be terrible.

And now, a man who promised me
in the woods that he was a poet.

A man who I might be able to love,

but absolutely everything
is riding on this moment.

If this poem isn't good,

then my nascent feelings
for him will dry up

and blow away like ash.

Fingers crossed.
Here he is, Beef Tobin.

Poem. Poem.
Barf. Barf. Poem.

That's not a poem.

[echoing] Liar!

[shudders]
What rhymes with "God help me"?

I never thought I'd say this,
but I'm sure going to miss

this solitary confinement cell
in an abandoned prison.

Hey, um, why did they call it
the underwater coffin anyway?

Oh, it's not always so nice.

Uh, we were here
at a good time of day.

They would literally
send people in here to die.

See the holes they drilled
in the wall there?

It floods during high tide.
But what a way to go, huh?

So, we're in a cell
that floods with icy cold water?

Yeah, but we're fine now.
The tide's just starting to come in.

Okay, everybody. Pack your
snacks. We're headed back.

- Huh. How did this get closed?
- GILL: Oh, I closed that.

My mom's been getting
on me about

my door-closing bathroom
etiquette lately.

She's gonna be so proud
when I tell her.

- Uh... guys.
- WOLF: Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man.

Wolf, should you maybe use your
cell phone to call Mr. Golovkin?

Oh, right, yep. [stammers]

Okay, there's no signal.
Uh, a-anybody else getting one?

- OTHERS: No.
- Okay, nobody panic.

- I'm gonna get us out of here.
- Oh, great. How?!

Okay, let's see, locked cell

in an abandoned wing of the
prison, far from anyone else,

slowly filling up
with cold ocean water.

Just, uh...
give me one more minute.

[sighs] Well, if I'm going
to die in an abandoned prison,

I'm glad it's with you, Ham.

This guy with the romance.
How lucky am I?

[Beef coughing]

- Beef? Are you okay?
- Ah, yes.

My cough comes
from writing in the river,

and the limp from dueling
with your lover.

Oh, I'm so sorry,
I just heard a leaf fall.

Oh, wonderful.

I can't hear leaves.
I have leaf deafness.

What I would give
to hear a leaf again.

There are certain sounds
I can't hear

because I was struck by lightning.

Leaf sounds, dubstep,
certain truck engines,

and ironically, thunder.

Well, I better go put
the snacks on the table.

I love making the Cheez-Its
into a little fan shape.

Can't wait to hear
that poem, Beef.

Oh, God.

Ham, boost me up!

[grunts] Anyone with a belt?

- I need it now, please.
- What's it worth to you?

John, I like and respect you
just the way you are,

but we don't have time
for drama right now.

Fine, but you have to admit, what
we just did was a little dramatic.

Okay, yes! The belt.

Wolf, are you gonna use these
to climb out?

- Uh-huh.
- No, it's too dangerous!

Judy, I got us into this
acting like a kid.

I need to get us out of it
acting like an adult.

I was being a ding-dang
fool because a guy in a fire

extinguisher cabinet had me
worrying about second mortgages.

- What?
- Never mind.

If I can lower myself
to the rock below the window

with these belts,
I should be able to scale

the rest of the cliff.

Just like a little billy goat
right to the top.

Uh-uh.
You get out of here.

But your arms, they'll fall off

if you act like an adult.

Shut up, Old Wolf!
You have no power over me!

I'm really worried
about your brother.

I don't think he should get
that second mortgage.

- Don't leave! We need help!
- We're not leaving.

We're having our lunch break.

Wait, where's your group?
Why are you wet?

I screwed up big-time.

I just wanted them to think
I was still young enough

to hang out with them
and do something crazy,

but then I did
something actually crazy

- and very, very stupid.
- Where are they?

Okay, this is gonna sound bad,

but they're in a cell
called the underwater coffin.

- It's actually really beautiful.
- Stop talking. Let's move.

"And if you should see a baby stork

Flying through the midnight sky

Is he delivering himself?

Do I hear his forlorn cry?

Who delivers the baby storks?

With their parents
busy delivering us

Young birds, forsaken

Who can they trust?"

- Thank you.
- Thank you, Santiago.

Another poem about storks,

and just as enjoyable
as all the others.

Now, I'm very pleased
to introduce

a poet I found in the woods
this morning.

His name is Beef Tobin,

and he's going to read
an original poem.

Hello, everyone.
This is my poem.

It is called
"Good Morning, Rake."

[clears throat]

There I was,
walking by the lake...

Um, I'm sorry, let me...
let me start again.

Or rather, start over.

I, uh... Oh, boy.

Greta, this morning,
um, with the birds,

I was stirred by your smiling face,

and my vision blurred.

And-and, yes, I mistakenly
blurted out a half-truth,

making me a fool,
and here is the proof.

I am not a poet...
I'm sorry, it's true...

but my lie bloomed
from my feelings,

my feelings for you.

[applause]

Dad, I think you should have
coughed a little more,

but overall it was pretty good.

I'm sorry again, Teachio.

Wolf, we talked about "Teachio."
And apology accepted,

but I'm going to save you
a lot of heartache

and give you a piece of advice.

Being the fun adult never works.

It's impossible to ride
that line successfully

without ending up
looking like a fool

and maybe getting arrested
for a stunt at a skate park.

Just ask my stepbrother Glarn.

I could have followed
in his footsteps very easily

when I first started teaching

if I'd given in to my ridiculous
desire to be liked.

Kids crave boundaries
from adults, not friendship.

They can still like you
even if you're not their friend.

You're right. I'm sorry
I dropped the chaperone ball.

I guess I can't have my
childhood cake and eat it, too.

They still have adult cake, Wolf.

And the great thing
about adult cake is

it can be anything you want.

It can even be a model train set
you've put thousands

of hours and dollars into but
still feel weirdly ashamed of.

You're a grown-up,
you shouldn't have it,

but you love to see
those choo choos go round.

Thanks, Mr. Golovkin.

You can call me Theodore.
We're both adults.

Do all adults call each other
Theodore? I-Is that a thing?

- N-No, Wolf. That's my name.
- Oh, copy that.

Greta, sorry I lied to you
about being a poet.

Well, I hate to say this

because I hate
when other people say it,

but I think you are a poet,
and you may just not know it.

Well, perhaps we could
have coffee sometime

and just chat about poetry.

I think reading off a menu
is more the level

of public speaking I'm used to.

Coffee with you would be great.

We could even call it a...

- Mmm, date?
- Yes. That's exactly the word.

How do you do that?

I'm sorry I almost got you and
all your friends k*lled today.

My bad. I didn't want to be
an Adult Arnold,

and I almost accidentally became
a Murdering Michael.

I guess being responsible
doesn't have to be a bad thing.

But I promise,
I'm still gonna watch

Dakota: A Cowboy at College with you,
and I'll never let my arms fall off.

Well, I'm glad to hear that, Wolf,

because you'll need them
for hugging.

[chuckles]
Get in here!

GOLOVKIN: Safety protocol!

From one adult to another,
you frigging got it, Theodore.

♪ Cowpoke, they think
I'm some kinda joke ♪


♪ These slick city boys
with their whiskey and Coke ♪


♪ And I, I refuse ♪

♪ To let this city brand me ♪

♪ Hey, there's Taffiny ♪

♪ And my best friend Jim ♪

♪ His boyfriend's a dancer
whose name is Tim ♪


♪ This small-town cowboy ♪

♪ Might make this city his own ♪

♪ This college cowboy ♪

♪ Might bring
some knowledge home. ♪
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