[regal music]
♪
- This place is
beautiful. Look at that.
- Mm. When I transition
from airplanes to cars,
I can't look out of
a window for days.
♪
- Man, that's
really unfortunate,
but I'm glad you made it.
Everything good with your show?
You told them you
were on a hiatus?
- Yeah. "Chatterbox" will
have a guest host for a week,
either Mario Lopez
or an AI influencer,
while I get back
to hard journalism:
an in-depth article
on Dwayne Johnson's
goodwill ambassador
trip to Gjelgjiughm
with a secret agenda of
getting Prime Minister Honig
to agree on a trade deal.
- I'd read that.
But only that. I think
if it went any longer,
I'd just skim it.
- Hmm.
[phone chimes]
I knew I was dealing
with a reluctant
subject for my piece,
but his barbs were
nothing new to me.
[phone chimes]
[birds singing]
[flowing orchestral music]
[pinball machine jangling]
[bell rings]
♪
- Welcome to Gjelgjiughm.
- [laughing] Oh,
this is amazing.
- The prime minister
is very excited
to meet you, Mr. Johnson.
And unexpected friend.
- Oh, um, I'm Randall Park.
I... I was in "Ant-Man
and the Wasp."
- She's just
finishing up a call,
but she thought it might be fun
for you to wait in
the memorabilia room.
My name's Reid if
you need anything.
It's a pleasure to have you
at the Gjelgjiughm Estate.
- Thank you, Reid.
- Yeah, thank you. [chuckles]
Oh, my God, look at this.
- Look at this.
[both laugh] Wow.
- If you smell...
- What the Randall is cookin'!
[chuckling] Oh, my God.
"WrestleFest."
I can't believe
she has this game.
Oh, man. This
takes me way back.
I remember the last time
I played this. [chuckles]
[soft upbeat music]
It was the summer after
I graduated high school.
I was just a few weeks away
from heading off to
Miami to play football.
- Morning, Dewey.
How'd you sleep?
- Terrible. There
was a drunk dude
arguing with a trash
can outside my window.
He kept banging
on it and yelling
for Oscar the Grouch to pop
out and fight him like a man.
- So detailed.
Breakfast is ready.
- What's this?
- This is a, uh...
A hash brown shaped
like a stegosaurus.
- How am I supposed to
bulk up for football
with this very tiny,
very cute hashbrown?
- Do some push-ups?
I'm sorry. It was on sale.
We have to tighten
our belts this month.
- I promise you, Mom,
when I make it to the NFL,
we're never gonna have to
worry about money again.
- I know, baby. Okay.
I gotta go to work.
I have five houses to clean,
and I'd like to make
it to my second house
in time to catch the mailman.
Turns out the post
office is dramatic,
and he has all the best gossip.
[smooches]
- The age of the
dinosaurs is over.
[door opens]
- [sighing] Whew! I'm b*at.
[chuckles] Hope your
mama didn't make the bed,
'cause I'm just gonna
mess it up again.
- Have you been out all night?
- Mr. Questions over here.
Yes, I was out with the guys.
- My mom was k*lling
herself working
and he was out all night?
- That must have been upsetting.
- I was pissed, man...
[suspenseful funky music]
So when I found out later
he was going out again,
I followed him so I could
give him a piece of my mind.
Chi-Chi's?
I'm eating baby hash browns
and he's ordering
all-you-can-eat fajitas?
Hell no.
- Chi-Chi's? That
Tex-Mex chain?
- Oh, yeah. Best and only
chimichangas in Pennsylvania.
[light music playing over PA]
♪
Yo, Dad. Enjoying
some chimichangas?
- Dewey. What are
you doing here?
- I followed you.
- You followed me?
Son, what I do is none
of your damn business.
- I'm making it my business.
You're staying out all night
then treating yourself
to some hangover nachos
while Mom is working all day.
- Fine, fine!
You wanna know what's going on,
I'll tell you what's going on.
It all started the other
day at this gas station.
[upbeat music]
- Hey.
Hey! Hey, you Rocky Johnson?
- The one and only.
- [laughs] Oh, man.
I thought that was you, Soulman.
Look, I used to watch you
wrestle on TV all the time.
Oh, man. You were the best.
- Still am the best.
- Oh, that's right, Soulman.
That's right. [laughs]
Hey, hey, can I
get your autograph?
Look, my wife is gonna go nuts
when I tell her I met you.
- Anything for a fan.
- [laughs] Uh, make that
out to Gennifer with a G.
- Hmm. You don't come across
that spelling too often.
- Yeah.
[laughs]
- Dad, where is
this story going?
- I'm gettin' there.
- So um, what you
been up to these days?
- Oh, pfft, brother,
I am here and there.
[laughs] You know, this
and that, just hustlin'.
- Okay, all right. Hey,
you wanna make $ ?
- Oh, whoa, whoa, brother.
I ain't that kinda hustler.
- Oh, no. [laughs] No, no, no.
What I'm sayin' is
I got a job for you,
if you want one.
You ever been to Chi-Chi's?
- 'Course I have.
Love Chi-Chi's.
[both laugh]
Remind me what that is again.
- Tex-Mex joint down at
the Lehigh Valley Mall.
Go by there tomorrow
evening, talk to the manager.
Tell him Don sent you, huh?
- Don sent you?
That piece of [bleep]
hasn't shown up to
work in three weeks,
and now he's sending people over
like he's doing me a favor?
Where is he? Because I am
gonna run him over with my car!
- Hey, hey.
Let's take a breather.
- [exhales deeply] I'm sorry.
I anger quickly.
It's in my blood
from my mama's side.
- Sure.
But, hey, forget about Don.
You got Rocky Johnson here.
So whatever you hired Don to do,
I can do.
- Do you know how to
deep clean a restaurant?
- Of course I didn't know.
I ain't know a damn thing.
[sucks teeth] Of course I do.
- [sighs]
All right.
Well, Don has left me
in a bind here, so...
I'm gonna give you a sh*t.
- [sighs and chuckles]
That's great.
Pays bucks?
- Yeah, a week, yeah.
If you do a good job.
Now, it also takes all night.
Okay, so I'm gonna have to
lock you inside the building
until morning so you
can't steal anything.
- What would I steal
from Chi-Chi's?
- We have some
fine artwork here.
- Uh... wait, wait, wait.
[chuckles]
Is it even legal
to lock someone in a
building like this?
- See you in the morning!
[suspenseful funky music]
- Uh... [lock clanks]
♪
So I stayed and cleaned
through the night,
which is why I came
home looking all ragged.
- Hey, hey, hey. Who's this?
- This is my son. Got
an extra set of hands.
- Okay, well, see
you in the morning.
- All right. Have
a good night.
[lock clanks]
- I don't know what
your face looks like
when you're locked in
a Chi-Chi's all night,
but that's what
mine looked like.
.
[buttons clacking]
- One, two,
three!
- Oh! My joystick got stuck.
- [mocking] Oh, my
joystick got stuck.
Come on, losers have been
saying that since ' .
- Ah, I shouldn't have
lotioned my hands.
- Should I get
back to the story?
- Oh, uh, right, so, uh,
you're locked in a
Chi-Chi's with your dad.
- Yes, and I am
not happy about it.
[door rattling]
[sighs]
I can't believe he
actually locked us in.
- You got to earn the keys
to Chi-Chi's. [chuckles]
I earned 'em day one.
Then lost 'em that afternoon.
Literally in a rain gutter.
Now I gotta earn 'em again.
- Great.
Now I'm locked in
here all night.
- What's with you?
Why you so angry?
All I'm trying to do
is help pay the bills.
- I'm not gonna give you a medal
for doing what you're
supposed to do.
And why'd you lie about
being out with the guys?
Were you embarrassed
about working here?
- No. It would just
take too much to convey.
You heard my
long-ass explanation.
- Come on, Dad.
You could've easily shaved
five minutes off that.
- Don't tell a storyteller
how to tell a story.
People love long stories.
You should remember that.
[laughs]
[gasps] [suspenseful music]
Oh, no.
Oh, my claustrophobia
is setting in.
Son, come on. Help
me to the bar.
I need a drink.
- Wait, how could your
dad be claustrophobic
in a large space like that?
- He was genuinely
claustrophobic,
and it would flare
up at odd times.
But I shared your skepticism.
Dad, this place is literally
three times the size
of our apartment.
- Hey, Dwayne,
everything's three times
the size of our apartment.
[can hisses and
snaps] [Rocky sighs]
[sighs] That's better.
- Guess that's coming
off the paycheck.
- Listen, I don't have any
more time for your guff.
- My guff?
[Rocky sighs]
We got work to do.
You sweep in here.
I'll mop the kitchen.
[Dwayne sighs]
- So I got to work...
until I realized...
What the hell am I doing?
[broom clatters]
[arcade game music playing]
- Already taking a break, huh?
You better be playing
as your old man.
- I'm sorry to say you are not
a character in "WrestleFest."
- Yes, I am. A
secret character!
You gotta unlock me.
And you can play me
in jeans or trunks.
- Dad, come on.
- I'm serious.
- Why are you always
working the gimmick?
- [laughs] What
you talkin' 'bout?
I'm not always
working the gimmick.
Ah, that's my boy.
- [laughs]
- Hey, and after, I promise
we'll get some ice cream.
- Okay.
- And when I get back,
I'm gonna get us a place
before she even gets here.
Don't worry about that.
- Do you know how to
deep clean a restaurant?
- Of course I do.
Okay, enough. I get it.
But I swear there
is a cheat code.
Here. Move, move, move.
All right, it's,
uh, up, up... no.
Up, down, left,
right, punch, punch...
Where's the start
button? Uh...
- Dad, can you please
just be honest?
- [scoffing chuckle] What
kind of question is that?
- You're like that
wooden puppet boy.
You know, what's his name.
- Pinochilo.
- It is definitely
not Pinochilo.
- All right, you
want some honesty?
I'll give you some honesty.
Ask me anything.
- Your dad really said you
could ask him anything?
Nothing off-limits?
- Nothing.
But I wasn't sure if
I could trust him,
so I set a little trap
and I asked him a question
that I already
knew the answer to.
What caused your career
to end in the WWF?
- [inhales deeply]
Vince let me go
because I almost agreed
to wrestle with another
promoter in Saudi Arabia,
even though I was
excusive with the WWF.
And let's face it: my run
was just coming to an end.
But you already knew
that, didn't you?
- Yeah. Bam Bam Bigelow
told me back in Nashville.
- And that's the last
time I trust a man
with a flame tattoo on his head.
But, hey, I told the
truth. You happy?
- I'm more surprised you didn't
take an hour to explain it.
- Oh, I can give you
that version, too, Son.
- Dad, it's okay.
I got the gist.
- Well, all right, then. We
got a restaurant to clean.
- [sighs softly]
- And if you help me...
I'll answer any
question you got.
Honestly.
Deal?
- Game on.
.
- So all those times
you swore off drinking,
did you ever actually quit?
- Sure did.
Back in ' , I quit
for a few months.
[chuckles] Weeks.
Three days?
- When I was in second grade,
you said you couldn't help me
with my solar system diorama
because of arthritis.
Was that true?
- Nope.
I just don't believe in
Jupiter's rings, Son.
And I didn't wanna get
into that with a kid.
[toilet flushes]
- Have you ever stolen anything?
- Besides a few girl's hearts?
[chuckles]
Yes. Yes, I have.
I remember the
first time I stole.
It was a bottle of Tums that
I stuffed down my pants.
But I got caught by
the store employee.
Damn things made too much noise.
- Who steals Tums?
- I was six, Son. I
thought they was candy.
- My dad was finally
opening up, so I did, too.
- Hiding the goods
in your pants.
That's amateur hour, Dad.
- Eh, what do you know?
- I know shoplifters are
always trying to hide
what they're stealing, which
makes 'em seem more suspicious.
- When I steal stuff, I just
act like I already own it.
- You steal?
- How do you think I got
all those nice clothes?
- I don't know. I don't
think about your clothes.
But that being said,
you're grounded for a week.
- [laughs] Mom already
punished me for that.
Took all my nice
clothes to Goodwill.
- Mom did?
Oh, she didn't even tell me.
Look at her protecting you.
Ooh, speaking of your mom,
you know her favorite
earrings she's always wearing?
- The corn ones.
- What woman's gonna
wear corn earrings?
Those are pineapples, Son.
Anyway, I lifted those
from Montgomery Ward's.
Shoved 'em down my pants.
- What?
Wait, and Mom knows this?
- Oh, hell no.
This was early in
our relationship.
Boy, I really wanted
to impress her.
- I guess it worked.
- You bet your ass, it did.
[both laugh]
- So do you really work
the whole time you're here?
- Chimichangas up!
[laughs]
- Guess that's coming out
of your paycheck, too.
- No. Manager said I
could eat whatever I want
while I'm working.
- [blowing]
Oh, wow!
That's really good!
Hey, you should try
fried ice cream.
[upbeat percussive music]
- You can fry ice cream?
- You can deep
fry anything, Son.
Watch this.
How about some fried salad?
- Mm-hmm.
- [chuckles]
♪
[oil bubbling loudly]
Oh, ooh! The oil's angry!
- Ah! It burns!
- Add more stuff!
That'll calm it down!
♪
[laughter]
[crunching]
- Mm.
This is definitely proof that
you can't deep fry everything.
- It tastes delicious to me.
That fried coating adds a nice
pork flavor to the lettuce.
I told the manager
about it last week.
He putting it on the menu.
- See, there you go
again with the lies.
- Oh, take it easy.
I'm not lying. It's just spin.
- Here we go.
- Listen.
There are various
degrees of lying,
and they should not
be treated the same.
Haven't you ever heard
of the lie pyramid?
At the bottom, there's spin.
That's just like
working a gimmick.
Then, we have a white lie,
inconsequential lie,
lie of omission,
and at the tippy
top of that bad boy
is a bald-faced lie.
- [scoffs]
- Me, I'm mostly spinning.
- Seems like you've put a
lot of thought into this.
- Eh, lotta downtime
on the road.
[laughs]
But hey, sometimes a lie
makes life a little easier.
- Yeah, for you.
- No, everybody.
Remember your
ex-girlfriend Karen?
You told me you
broke up with her.
But you didn't, did you?
- Yeah, she dumped me.
- Ah, see?
But it was easier to tell people
it was the other way around.
- Okay. Maybe
you have a point.
- Mm.
- But how'd you know
I lied about that?
- I'm an emotionally
intelligent person.
Also, Karen was way
outta your league,
and that's the truth.
[both laugh]
[upbeat music]
- I'm just sayin',
sparkling water
should cost less
because it's half air.
- I like your thinking, Son.
♪
Hey, now let me
ask you a question.
- sh**t.
- When'd you stop
looking up to your pops?
- What?
- You used to be my biggest fan.
- I'm still your biggest fan.
- Eh.
We both know it's not the same.
Was it when I started
wrestling in flea markets?
Hey, we're being
honest tonight, right?
- I have always loved
watching you wrestle.
Still do.
Doesn't matter where or for who.
- Oh, no.
It's because you saw me cry
when we watched "The Fly."
- That was surprising.
- That poor baboon
got turned inside out.
- Look, it wasn't
just one thing, okay?
It was a slow build over time.
- Come on, Son.
When did it start?
- All right. Want the truth?
- Yeah.
- I don't know.
I guess when I realized
that you weren't, like,
the superhero.
You're just a guy.
- Just a guy cleaning
a restaurant, huh?
You're embarrassed by that?
- I'm not saying that, but...
- But what?
[scoffs]
.
[somber music]
♪
- You just gonna
ignore me all night?
♪
I know you're upset, but
how am I supposed to feel?
We can barely make
rent, and I'm eating
discount dinosaur hash
browns for breakfast.
♪
Look, at the end of the day,
I know you're trying
to make things better.
I appreciate you doing what
you can do to support us,
including this job at Chi-Chi's.
- You don't have
to spin this, Son.
- I'm not spinning.
- Yes, you are.
You're spinning it to
make me feel better.
- What do you mean?
- I've made more than
a few mistakes, Dewey.
What happened in Saudi
Arabia, Nashville.
I put our family
in this position.
I looked out for myself
and hurt the people I
was supposed to protect.
♪
- So was this the first time
your dad was real
with you like that?
- Honestly, I think
this was the first time
he had been truly
real with himself.
[buttons clicking]
I waited years to
have a moment like that.
And that really meant
something to me.
It meant that maybe
I could trust him.
- Mm. Good for Rocky.
- Eh. It only lasted a second.
[laughs]
- You gonna say something or
just look at me all bug-eyed?
- No. I think you said it all.
- Good.
And, hey...
you're welcome.
- For what?
- If I didn't create
these challenges for you,
you wouldn't have that
huge chip on your shoulder.
- How is that a good thing?
- It pushed you to work
your ass off, didn't it?
And now you're going
to Miami, baby,
so yeah, you're welcome.
- Are you seriously
trying to take credit
for me playing
football for the Canes?
- Hell yeah, I am.
[both laugh]
- I thought we weren't
spinning anymore.
- I know, I know.
[buttons clicking]
You gotta admit, this
game would be a lot better
if I was in it.
- [scoffs]
You say that about every game.
You even said that about chess.
- Why shouldn't Rocky
Johnson be a knight?
[chuckles]
Oh, sh**t. The boss is here!
Quick, get the ice cream!
- You said we could
eat whatever we want,
as long as it...
That was a lie, wasn't it?
- Of course it was a lie!
You think Chi-Chi's is
just giving away free food?
Come on! I thought you
was going to college.
- Okay, everything looks good.
My beautiful paintings
are still here.
You did a good job, guys.
- Thank you.
- Make sure to let me know
you got the paycheck, okay?
I put it in the mail.
- Appreciate that.
Come on, Dewey. Let's go.
- You know, you shouldn't
be locking people
in this restaurant.
- I said let's go.
- That painting is ugly.
- Kid's nuts.
- Hey, babe. Before Dad
tries to spin anything,
we were at Chi-Chi's
all night cleaning.
- She knows that, Son.
- I don't know what you said.
- We got your first
paycheck from Chi-chi's,
but I think something's wrong.
- Oh, this can't be right.
- Don't tell me they took
out the drinks and the food.
- This is a check for $ , .
[dial tone buzzing]
- Dad, what are you doing?
[dialing tones chiming]
- Don't tell the manager. He's
gonna take the money back.
- Hey, I did honest
work. I want honest pay.
[line trilling] Hey,
it's Rocky Johnson.
I got my check,
and I think you
have a sticky zero
on your keyboard over there.
- Yeah, well, I included
all of Don's backpay.
That piece of [bleep]
never showed up
to pick up his checks,
so I am happy you're
getting his money.
- Oh, okay. Hey, I'm more
than happy to take it.
Thank you.
- I'll bet you are. Enjoy.
Carlos!
- It's real! It's our money!
- Oh, my God!
[laughter]
Oh, it's a miracle.
- Oh.
Look who's taking care
of the family now!
[laughs] This is
why you always
talk to strangers
at gas stations.
- That really happened?
- It did.
And that money
really saved us, man.
Do you know, in
a way, that night
that my dad and I
spent in Chi-Chi's,
it might've saved us, too.
- Huh.
That's an amazing story, Dwayne.
I can't believe your dad... ooh!
I just pinned your ass!
- Come on!
- Yes, yes, yes!
I did it! Me and
Mr. Perfect did it.
- I was trying to tell a story.
- And it was a great one.
- [laughs] Hey, Prime Minister.
- I am so sorry to listen in,
but I just didn't
want to interrupt.
- Not at all. It's a real
pleasure to meet you.
- Oh, it is a pleasure
to meet you, as well.
I really am a fan.
- It's an honor. Thank you.
- You know, you can tell
the makeup of a person
not only by how they handle
life's tough moments,
but also how they
handle the victories.
- Is that a line from "Jumanji"?
- Man, come on.
- No, I just said that now
because you weren't a
very gracious winner.
- Not very gracious.
- Oh... [stammers]
Well, he was b*ating me all day.
- [scoffs]
- Prime Minister, we were
just admiring the room.
It's very impressive.
- Thank you.
And I am looking forward
to talking with you
about that and so much more
at tonight's welcome dinner.
- Can't wait.
- Okay.
I had them place my name
placard right next to yours.
- Hey, side by side.
[laughter]
- Um, do I get a placard?
- I have no idea.
If you like, I can
request our chefs
to make you some fried ice cream
just like at Chi-Chi's.
- Wow!
- Oh. What ever
happened to Chi-Chi's?
That chain used
to be so popular.
- Yeah.
- Oh.
- You know, I don't know.
- Hmm.
[somber mandolin music]
♪
- I think that's a good idea.
03x04 - "Young Rock" Night of the Chi-Chi's
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Sitcom based upon the life of professional wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson, also known by his ring name "The Rock".
Sitcom based upon the life of professional wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson, also known by his ring name "The Rock".