02x10 - Rocky's Code

[bunniefuu]

He rally
in Tennessee went over great.

People are loving that
you're addressing the feud

with Dr. Julien head on.

Good.
I'm glad to hear it.

The polls are still showing
a tight race, though.

It's gonna go down to the wire.

We're making one final push

through the rust belt,
several stops a day,

right up until November 4th.

I love it.
And I'm up for all of it.

I'll see you guys
in eight hours.

What?

Where are you going?

I'm going to meet
an old friend for lunch.

But it's two days
before the election.

I know.
It's exciting, right?

We're almost
at the finish line.

Can't you reschedule?

No, you don't want that.
Trust me,

nothing but good will come
out of this lunch.

- Randall, let's roll.
- Really?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

I'll bring you back
my leftover lasagne.

Come on, guys.

What if it's not
an Italian restaurant, Randall?

So... Who is this friend?

Oh, somebody
who's very important to me.

We made a promise
to each other

a long time ago that,

no matter what we had
going on in our lives,

we're going
to meet up this same time,

every single year,
and we're going to have lunch,

and we were just going
to check in with each other.

Just had so much
on my mind lately.

So do you want to, like,
pre-chat about the things

you're going to chat about
to see if maybe I can fix it?

No, I don't think so.

Oh, okay.

Hey, come on.

- You and I chat all the time.
- Yeah, no, yeah.

We have lot of chances
to chat, me and you.

- We've been chatting for weeks.
- Of course. Yeah.

- You're right.
- Hey, look, man, I'm sorry.

But when I make
somebody a promise,

I do my best to keep it.

It's part of my code,
and I try to live by it.

It's a lesson I learned
from my dad.

Back in Nashville,
after a rough patch,

we were all
under the same roof again.

Traveling the circuit
with my dad,

I saw the grind
he put himself through.

And let me tell you, it puts
a presidential campaign

to shame.

The older he got,
the more everything hurt.

And the older I got,

the less
he could hide it from me.

I knew my dad was
struggling to rebuild

his relationships
and his career,

but now I saw he was
also struggling physically.

[♪]

When I was a kid,
I wanted to be just like him.

I thought he was a superhero.
[crowd cheers]

But as I grew up,
I realized

my old man was human,
just like the rest of us.

Huey Lewis & the news'
"workin' for a livin'" plays

It was hard
seeing him like that.

♪ What they giving 'cause
I'm working for a livin' ♪

so I did what
a broke kid could do to help.

♪ Whoa

♪ taking what you're giving

we're still
a little short this month.

I'm a little short
on ice in this drink.

[laughs]

Hey, Dewey,
go grab me a few cubes.

Rocky, I'm serious.

My temp job doesn't pay
till next month.

There's no sweat.

I got the lawler match
on Saturday.

And I'll ask for a few
extra shows just to be safe.

But you can barely walk.

What if you skip Saturday
and we take it easy,

you know, go get
some pancakes or something?

Well 'cause,
if I don't show up,

Jerry doesn't pay me,
and we can't make rent.

I don't understand
why you don't get paid

more than these other guys.

You were a wwf champ.

I'm working my way
back up the ladder, son.

It'll all work itself out.

We're out of ice.

See?
Worked itself out.

Hey, rock.

A new promoter
was asking about you.

Really?
Who?

This guy, Jarvis.

He's new,
but he's got a lot of money

for some big-time shows.

Said he wants you to headline.

I can put you in touch
if you're interested.

Oh, thank you,
Jerry.

I was about due
for some good news.

- Yeah, you deserve it, champ.
- [chuckles]

Ho ho!
Okay, gentlemen,

it is time for me to announce
some good news.

Jerry, you ain't gotta
tell everybody.

I just heard
from Vince McMahon

that this big boy right here

is getting called up
to the wwf!

[All cheer and applaud]

- Congrats, champ.
- Way to go, crusher.

Thank you.
Thanks, boys.

But hey,
it's not crusher anymore.

From now on,

- it's bam bam Bigelow.
- Bam bam!

- [Chuckling] Okay.
- That's nice.

You got it, bam bam.

Now since this is
his last match with us,

he's gonna headline,

and he's made a special request
to face the soul man.

You good, rock?

You know it.
[all cheer]

It must have been hard
for your dad to see young guys

like bam bam rise to the top
while he stayed behind.

No, my dad was always
very happy

to see somebody make it.

As a matter of fact,
he did all he could

to help get the guys over.

- Another part of his code?
- Absolutely.

We've got
a very special guest today,

the superstar,
Randy "macho man" savage.

[Audience cheers]

It's great to be here, king.

Tell everybody
what brings you to Memphis.

Well, as you know,
Jerry lawler,

this is where it all began
for the macho man,

and I love coming home!

Ooh yeah!

- [Audience cheers]
- They love it.

And tomorrow, I have
the privilege of opening

a brand-new sears location

right here in downtown Memphis.

Stop by
and say hello.

That goes for you too,
Jerry lawler.

I'm more
of a woolworth's man.

You're insane!

Now entering the ring,

being accompanied
by his manager,

downtown Bruno,

weighing 390 pounds,

he is bam bam Bigelow!

[Crowd booing]

And his opponent,
former wwf tag team champion,

weighing 243 pounds,

soul man rocky Johnson!

Ooh, yeah!
The soul man.

That there is a contract
to wrestle in the wwf.

The only way to win is
to sign on that dotted line.

It's mine.
[bell dings]

They're circling each other.

Who's going to strike first?

Now, my dad knew

he wasn't going to win
that contract,

but that didn't mean he wasn't
gonna put on a show.

Oh, rocky gets him
on the floor!

He gets him on the floor!
[crowd roars]

Oh, the turnaround!

He's on his feet!
Oh!

And rocky's got the big fella
in a sleeper hold, macho!

Bam bam better get
to the rope, or it could be

lights out,
yeah!

- Come on.
- So close.

Bruno: Come on!
[taps on ring]

- [Body thuds]
- He's out!

He's out cold!
[crowd cheers]

And the soul man
has the contract!

And rocky has won
a coveted spot in the wwf!

He did it!

Hold on, macho.
Look at that contract.

It's signed in red ink.

That's not a binding color
for a contract.

Ooh, it's gotta be black
or blue.

Everybody knows that, yeah!

Somebody
must've switched the pen!

It's downtown Bruno!

He's got the official pen!
[crowd booing]

Bam bam's back
on his feet.

This match ain't over!

Jerry: Rocky has no idea.

Bruno's distracting the ref!

[Crowd groans]

Ref, do your job!

He didn't see it!
He didn't see it!

The big man's
going to the top rope.

[Dramatic chord]

Whoa, a flying headbutt!

Ooh yeah!

Here we go,
here we go, here we go.

Sign it, sign it.

Sign it, baby!

And bam bam Bigelow
is headed to the wwf!

That contract
was a gimmick,

but that pain
on my dad's face was real.

Nice work today,
brother.

You made bam bam look

like a million bucks.

You know, it's easy to act
like I'm in pain

when I'm in tons of pain.
[both laugh]

Randy and I loved
our time in Hawaii

when you were running
the circuit there.

The things you were doing,
all the storylines...

It was so innovative.

Thank you, Elizabeth.
Too bad it couldn't last.

Oh, sh**t.

I'm sorry if that's
a sore subject.

No, no, no, no.
It's fine.

I never mean
to bring up wrestling,

but it always seems to worm
its way into a conversation.

Well, honestly, what chance
do we have

being around these two?

He landed on my damn knee.
[knee clicking]

I mean, that's bad,
but check this out.

[Table thuds]

Shopping for gloves
must be hard.

I'll miss a couple
of matches,

but Vince said
he'll take care of me.

The wwf pays you
even when you don't wrestle?

Yeah, you betcha.

Hey, uh, you're paying
for this next round too, right?

Actually,
next round is on sears.

You know, I get
that big store opening

tomorrow, so I can't go
too crazy tonight.

- I got you.
- I'm good, son.

Hey, you wanna be useful,

come help me
carry these drinks.

So, ata,
how are you guys doing?

Huh?

I didn't want to ask rocky,
'cause you know him.

- He'll always spin it.
- We're all right.

Somehow, the bills
always get paid.

[Chuckles]

Rocky's working nonstop,
but he never complains.

Hey, if you didn't
order fernet,

I got you one anyway.

All: [chuckle]

Hey...

To sears.

[Chuckling] Oh, sears.

Best place on earth.
[glasses clink]

That was so much fun!

We have to do it again.

[Chuckles] Yes,
and just us next time.

Oh, perfect.
I need a night off

from thinking about wrestlers
and wrestling.

We'll leave all that at home.

We'll be like
500 pounds lighter.

[Both laugh]

And after that,
I never watched another thing

be a Arthur did.
[laughs]

It makes sense.
Makes sense.

- Hey, can I ask you a question?
- Anything, kid.

Could you talk to my dad,

try and convince him
to apologize to Vince

so he can get back
in the wwf?

I bet he'll listen to you.

He'll never do it,
little brother.

You know your dad and his code.

Honestly,
even if he did apologize,

I don't think it would matter.

That chapter is closed.

He's given everything
to wrestling,

and now that he's getting
older, that's it?

I get it.
It's a tough business.

You want stability,
you work at state farm.

Look, have a little faith
in your old man.

He's a fighter.
He'll always end up on a...

[sign rattles]

[Chuckles]

That is what happens when
you wear sunglasses at night.

Ooh yeah!

Talking to macho man
had me questioning

the cost of my dad's code.

Jeff jarrett knows
that's his bad shoulder.

It's like mama said.

Sometimes it "bes" that way.

- [Arm thuds]
- Man,

my dad brings it
every night,

and he has
nothing to show for it.

[Groaning]

I'm going to be
the one to make sure my dad

doesn't retire broke
and crippled.

I bet your daddy
don't regret a second.

And neither do I,

because the wrestling business

is the greatest in the world,
Dewey.

Do you know that I could walk
into a restaurant,

and that entire place
will start booing me?

Last week, I had a little kid,

maybe nine years old,
came up to me,

and he hated me so much,
he spit in my face.

You know how beautiful that is?

To move somebody in that way?

And that,

that is wrestling.

[Rock music playing]

[Groans]

And that's my cue.

Who let this slimeball
in the building?

[Crowd booing]

- [Body thuds]
- [groans]

So that's when you decided

you wanted
to take a different path.

You found football.

That's right, and when
I started playing football,

I realized that, well,
I'm pretty good at this game,

and it became
an opportunity for me

to make money,
possibly make a lot of money,

and most importantly,
take care of my family.

Man, imagine how much better

you would have been
at wrestling

if you didn't waste
all that time on football.

Imagine how much better
you'd be in journalism

had you not wasted
all that time being an actor.

- Touché.
- Touché.

But I'm
a good interviewer, right?

- [Quietly] Nobody's perfect.
- Oh.

Without further ado,
I'd like to ask

Randy "macho man" savage

to do the honors.

[Crowd cheers and applauds]

Yeah!
When I was a macho boy,

I thought that stores
only specialized in one thing.

If you needed hardware,
you went to the hardware store.

You needed books,
you went to the bookstore.

Then I found sears,

and it changed my life!
Yeah!

- That's very nice.
- I freaking love sears, yeah!

- I will come at...
- Let's cut that ribbon.

[laughs]
All right.

Let the savage savings

begin, yeah!

[Crowd cheers]
Whoo!

Ooh yeah!

Welcome to sears!

Hey, congratulations,
you're in sears.

Enjoy your sears experience.

Savings, beckons
the macho man!

Does Randy savage
work here?

No.
No, he does not.

Hey,
come down with that pillow.

Rocky Johnson,
we finally meet.

John Jarvis, promoter.

Jerry lawler
might have mentioned me.

Jerry did say something
about a new guy

- doing big things out here.
- That would be me.

Wondering if you're free
to headline for me this weekend

at the jonesboro coliseum?

I don't know.

I got a couple of things
penciled in...

Pays $200.

Great thing about pencils?

They got erasers.
[both laugh]

I gotta treat
my headliners right.

Yes, indeed.

I'm gonna need half
the money up front.

No problem.
Here's my card.

I'll be in touch
with the details.

He thinks we can see
what he's showing us?

Just smile and wave.

Hey, look at that!
Well, that's great!

To a night
with no wrestling talk.

Amen.

[Both chuckle]

Have you seen
any good movies lately?

Oh, Randy and I just saw
this movie

called "the highlander."

These guys, called highlanders,

get powers when they k*ll
other highlanders.

- Uh-huh.
- By the end,

there's this one highlander
who kills off

all the other highlanders
and takes all their powers.

I do know this movie.

My nephew Sam
is actually in it.

No way.

Yeah, I think there was
a scene

in Madison square garden

where Sam wrestles
as the Tonga kid.

And I'm talking
about wrestling again.

- [Both laugh]
- Okay,

there has to be consequences
when we do that.

How about
any time we mention it,

we take a drink?

- Mention what?
- Wrestling.

Drink.
[both laugh]

Okay, it's like that.

200 bucks?

That's almost double
what I was getting with lawler.

I get in good
with this Jarvis guy,

boy...
[chuckles]

Hold on.

Just passed a sign that said,
"population 514."

- Duck.
- Here?

Under a 1,000
is a duck town.

They're not friendly
to black people.

But we can't both duck.

Why don't I drive?
I'm half-Samoan.

Do you think
it'd make a difference

that you're half-Samoan?

You think this place
is pro-Samoan?

Ghost car.

So my friend
was dating a guy

who wanted her to dress up
like George Washington.

Like on the fourth of July?

- Like in the bedroom.
- [laughs]

Powdered wig,
stockings, black shoes

with the big buckle,
the whole thing.

Imagine if Randy came home,

and you were dressed
as sexy George Washington.

He might like it if I played
his ring walk music.

[laughing]
The graduation song?

Oh, we're talking
about wrestling again.

- [Both laugh]
- Cheers.

I'm just gonna leave
the bottle.

[Both continue laughing]

Whoa, this place is sold out?

I told you
it was gonna be big.

Hey, check it out.

This must be what
Sylvester Stallone feels like

all the time.

[laughs]

[Chuckles]
There's my headliner.

- It's going to be big tonight.
- Hey, Mr. Jarvis.

Yeah, I saw that marquee.

Hey, hold out your hand.

Uh-oh.

Bam! I have the money
up front, right?

Deal's a deal.

Come on, let me show you
the green room.

This is
your private dressing room.

Private?

Nice.

Got its own bathroom, too.

A man needs
solitude on the throne.

- Rip, Elvis Presley.
- [chuckles]

We're just gonna cut
a little promo first,

- if that's all right?
- Yeah, sure, of course.

Hey, Craig!

I like giving
the audience the feeling

they're getting a sneak peek
behind the scenes.

I like that.

My wife was working
on a similar idea

out in Hawaii
a few years ago.

So, yeah,
here's what I'm thinking.

You'll be over there...

Eating your chicken
and your watermelon,

and you're pumped
for the match.

You're feeling cocky,
like, you know, talking street

- to your opponent...
- Hey, stop. Stop.

No.

I won't do
that r*cist garbage.

r*cist?

This isn't r*cist.

Other guys got
no problem with it.

That wasn't the first time
that my dad had been asked

to work a gimmick
like that.

And that kind of overt racism

may seem shocking these days,

but there were certain parts
of pro wrestling

back then, in the early '80s,
where that wasn't uncommon.

Mm, I believe it.

I was always really proud
of my dad,

because regardless of how badly
he needed that money,

and we needed
that money, man...

He just wouldn't do it.

He'd call that
part of his code.

Hey, man, I don't care
what other guys do.

Not me.

It's part of the deal, rocky.

Not gonna happen.
Come on, Dwayne.

[Upbeat music]

Oh, I'm keeping this.

r*cist tax.

I don't know
how you stayed so calm.

We should have b*at his ass.

Son, there's gonna
always be folks like that.

Always.

And they're gonna ask you to do
things you don't wanna do,

no matter how big
you think you are,

or what line of work you're in.

It's gonna happen.

Just promise me one thing.

Don't let anyone change
who you are.

You hear me?

You make your own code,
and don't let anyone

force you to break it.

- Deal?
- Deal.

Well, I guess we got
a free night now.

- Mmm.
- Oh, these are delicious.

- Fluffy as hell.
- [chuckles lightly]

How about we hit
the gym early tomorrow?

- Put these carbs to work.
- Well, if we're doing that,

I'm getting some whipped cream.

- Get it, dad.
- I'm getting it, son.

[Both chuckle]

- [Trimmer whirs]
- Ooh yeah!

- [Chuckles]
- I'll take it.

Oh, good choice.
Lane three's wide open.

Michelle will help you, yeah.

[Chuckles]

- Hey, Randy.
- Boss man.

I didn't expect
to see you back tonight.

Oh, you know,
I thought I would come

and soak up some
of that new store energy.

[Inhales deeply]
Ooh yeah.

I wanna be clear,

I can't pay you for the time
you've spent helping customers.

This is not work
for the macho man.

No, this is
an absolute pleasure, yeah.

To be honest,
it's against company policy

to act as an employee

without attending
the trainee program.

[Sighs]

In lieu of payment,

why don't you take one
of these party cans

of slim Jims?

Token of our appreciation.

Mm-hmm.

Smoked beef snack.

Spicy.

You know, I never did have
a slim Jim before, but hey,

if they sell them at sears,
I know I'm gonna love 'em.

Ooh yeah.

[Chuckles]

- Get in here. Yeah.
- [grunts]

[glasses clink]
[both laugh]

I haven't laughed
like this in a long time.

Well, from my recollection,
we had a lot of laughs

together back in Hawaii.

Oh, god.

I miss those days.

Our friends,
my family.

I feel so isolated here.

You know,
you can always come and stay

with me and Randy in Florida if
you want to get away for a bit.

[Sighs] Thanks,
but Dewey and rocky...

I can't just leave them.
They need me.

Just make sure you're
getting what you need, too.

Well, I need more nights
like this once in a while.

- [Chuckles lightly]
- Reminds me of the good times.

The wrestling business
is up and down.

I know we'll get back up again.

I'll drink to that.

Well, good,
because technically, we have to

since I brought up
wrestling again.

[Both laugh]
[glasses clink]

Cheers.

Oh, no, Mr. Johnson,
your money's no good here.

I'm a huge fan.
The food's on the house.

Well, thank you,
my friend.

[Chuckles]
You know what?

Why don't you take
that for yourself, then?

What?
No, I...

I insist.

Just keep on cheering for me,
all right?

Absolutely.

Thank you,
Mr. Johnson.

Gotta launder
that r*cist money,

make it clean again.

So even though
he wasn't a superhero anymore,

my dad could still be my hero.

Mm.
You know, I have to admit,

I had doubts
about your father's code,

but now I am
fully on board.

Well, I could tell you
a thousand stories

that'll make you change
your mind back again.

[Both chuckle]

All right.
Well, I'm sorry, my friend.

This is where I leave you.

- Wha...
- It's a private lunch.

Well, I won't say anything.
I'll just sit in the corner.

- No, not this time.
- But I'm your friend, too.

Come on.

- Sorry, I...
- You are my friend.

- I am, right?
- I'm gonna eat lunch.

- Okay, let's go.
- No, no, no.

- I'm going to eat lunch.
- You know what, I...

- No, no, no.
- No, yeah.

[Heavy music]

[Plane whines]

So I was up ten points
in the polls,

and this kid who I went
to school with, Julien,

starts spreading
all these lies about me.

And now the whole thing
is a coin toss.

It could go either way.

All this hard work I've put in,
this entire campaign,

and now I'm back to square one.

What do I do, forest?

Dwayne,
the point of this yearly lunch

is to always be 100% honest
with each other, right?

Always, yes.

Like I was honest with you
last year, when I told you

I didn't like the smell
of your Cologne.

- [Both chuckle]
- And I changed it.

I listened to you,
and I changed it.

Back to the matter at hand.

I don't think that being back
at square one

is actually
what's bothering you.

It's like
this beautiful barbaresco.

Its grapes are grown
in northern Italy,

alongside its brother,
barolo.

Same region,

different varietal.

Look, I guess, forest.

I'm a Tequila man.
You know that.

You can't be fully you

if you're dealing
with unfinished business.

You have to address
this Julien problem

at the heart of the problem.

[♪]

- What do you mean?
- I'm gonna help you.

I got numbers, baby.

[Chuckles]

I got numbers.