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"After Dark" | Next: "Spinned Off" |
The following is a transcript for the episode, "After Dark".
Greens' house[]
Front yard[]
[The episode title is spelt as various red dots in the sky, which was formed by a pack of drones. As the drones fly off, one prints out a flyer reading "Drōnes Tonight!" before also flying away. We then pan down to the Greens' house while the flyer floats down towards it. Cricket and Remy are in the front yard, chatting.]
Cricket: Learn from my mistake, Remy: Never try to stick your entire head inside a cow's mouth.
[The flyer then lands in Cricket's face, knocking him over.]
Cricket: [yelps; under flyer] It's just like the cow!
[Another flyer comes floating down, which is caught by Remy.]
Remy: [gasps] There's gonna be a drone show at the Big City waterfront tonight!
[Cricket spits the flyer off his face.]
Cricket: What's a drone show?
[Remy shows the poster, which features three drones, coloured red, blue and green, surrounded by thick black clouds with the captions "Drōnes Tonight!" written above.]
Remy: It's an epic aerial display of drones. They work together in a synchronized fleet and light up and create animations in the sky.
Cricket: Wow. I've always wanted to go to one of those, ever since I first heard about what they were just now!
[Of course he has! Tilly then slides out of the chicken coop with a chicken on her head, probably intrigued about the drone show. The chicken clucks.]
Tilly: Tilly wants to go, too.
Remy: Great! [takes out his phone] I'll get us tickets!
Cricket: [while dancing, singy-songy]
♪ We're going to a drone show ♪
♪ We're going to a drone show ♪
Tilly (OS): Hold on, Cricket.
Cricket: [stops dancing] Heh?
[Tilly examines the flyer with a worried look on her face, all while Remy stares at the chicken feathers on her head, before swiping them off.]
Tilly: It looks like the drone show begins pretty late at night. [shaking her head, eyes closed] There's no way Papa would let us attend.
Cricket: [groans] Dad... He never lets me have any fun! [zoom in] I'm gonna go to that drone show and I'm not gonna let Dad stop me!
[Tilly and Remy don't seem fully onboard about this idea...]
Remy: Yeah, I don't know, Cricket. Whenever you break your dad's rules, you end up in huge trouble.
Cricket: Well, what if I don't break his rules? Just outsmart them.
[Cricket shows a mischievous grin towards Tilly and Remy. We then cut to the...]
Interior, Kitchen[]
[...where Bill is peacefully chopping vegetables, until Cricket...]
Cricket: Rules!
[...enters, startling Bill.]
Bill: AAAAHHH!!! [he ends up throwing the knife, which lands perfectly on the chopping board] Cricket!! I'm choppin' vegetables here!
[Cricket steps over to the opposite side of the kitchen.]
Cricket: Rules... They seem black and white, but are they, really?
[Tilly and Remy enter the kitchen, smiling at Cricket's idea.]
Bill: Where is this goin'?
Cricket: Imagine, if you will, a starving child. [pacing around] Surely it would be acceptable to steal some bread and feed them, right?
Bill: [not completely following] Uh...
Cricket: Now let's say your child was starving, [turns around] starving to attend... a drone show? [clears throat] Past his curfew?
[Bill turns back around to his vegetables, as Cricket, Tilly and Remy watch and listen from behind.]
Bill: I have no problem with you going to a drone show. [puts the cucumber into the vegetable bowl] But you can't stay out past your curfew.
[As Bill looks at Cricket with a frown, Cricket frowns back, frustratingly.]
Remy: What time is their curfew, Mr. Green?
Bill: When it gets dark out.
[But what time is that, exactly? Pan down to Cricket, who is looking up at Bill.]
Cricket: But what is "dark"? That's a relative term, is it not?
Bill: When the streetlights turn on, you must be home.
[Bill walks away with his vegetable bowl, still as calm as ever.]
Cricket: But surely one can't just magically teleport into the house, the second the streetlights turn on... So a grace period for the journey home must be granted!
Dining room[]
[Cricket pops up at Bill, who is sat at the dining table with his vegetable salad.]
Cricket: ...Right?
[Looks like Bill has come up with a negotiation.]
Bill: Okaaay... [stabs a piece of kale with his fork] When the streetlights turn on, [smiles knowingly] you have five minutes to get inside this house. Or... you'll have to do the dishes for a whole month.
Cricket: A month?!
[He starts to think...]
Cricket: Hmm... So, I don't have to be in the house until five minutes after the streetlights turn on?
Bill: Yep.
Cricket: Deal!
[The two shake hands, before Cricket walks out, leaving Bill to eat his salad. He prepares to take a bite...]
Bill: Ah... ah--?! [...but stops briefly, thinking Cricket is going to deceive him.] Hmm...
[All he'll have to do is wait and see...]
Exterior, front yard[]
[Meanwhile, the kids are back at the front yard, Cricket walking smugly along the sidewalk. Tilly and Remy are questioning this.]
Remy: Why are you so happy, Cricket? It seemed like your dad outsmarted you at every turn.
Cricket: [deviously] Oh, did he, Remy? [stops walking, picks up a rock] Or did I play him like a two-bit tuba and get him to agree to terms favorable to moi?!
[Cricket continuously picks up rocks before throwing them aside. He throws another as Tilly speaks.]
Tilly: But Papa said you must be home within five --
[Tilly holds up her hand; she only shows four fingers! She holds up one finger with her other hand.]
Tilly: ...five minutes of the streetlights turnin' on.
Cricket: Exactly. But if they don't turn on, then technically, I don't have to be home -- so I'm gonna make sure they never turn on!
[Cricket picks up a rather large rock, and throws it up at the streetlight.]
Cricket: Hiyah!
[It ends up bouncing back down, hitting Cricket in the face! Tilly and Remy squint at this sight.]
Cricket: [groans] Ouch...
[Cricket then climbs up the streetlight to try and get it to break. He grunts as he does so.]
Cricket: [grunts] Oh, you're going down, street light!
[Cricket stomps on the streetlight a few times, before accidentally losing his footing, causing him to fall off screaming! His third attempt is to run into the streetlight with a similar destruction helmet to the previous time one was seen.]
Cricket: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
[All he ends up doing is bending it slightly as the helmet presses into it! Cricket then falls out of the helmet groaning and lays flat on the ground as Tilly and Remy run over to check on him.]
Remy: Cricket, stop! No drone show was worth this!
Cricket: Oh, this isn't just about a drone show, Remy! It's about outsmarting my dad! [He hears a mechanical sound.] Huh?
[Cricket and the others look up to see an electrician stood in an orange box that is connected to a van as he moves upwards to tend to the streetlight.]
Cricket: Hey, electricity man! Can you make the streetlights not light the streets?
Electrician: No can dosies! [takes out a screwdriver and tends to the wires] The streetlights automatically turn on at night, [screwdriver in mouth, wires in hands] unless there's a power outage. [spits out screwdriver] Speaking of which, the city has issued a flex alert.
[Those words send an idea into Cricket's head...]
Electrician (OS): So don't run any unnecessary appliances, or we might end up with a total blackout!
[Hearing the words "total" and "blackout" give Cricket a mischievous idea, followed by a mischievous grin to match.]
Cricket: Hmm... [tents his fingers] Total blackout, you say?
Electrician: I do say! [still tending to the wires, laughing; Cricket grabs Remy by the hand and they run off.] Hey, I know I'm sharing a lot of hyper specific info with you kids. [Tilly backs away; electrician turns round] I just love talkin' electricity-- oh, they're gone.
[Indeed they are!]
Remington Manor[]
Exterior[]
[It is now sunset at the Remington Manor, and there's only one thing Cricket could be looking for right now...]
Cricket (OS): Dang, Remy!
Interior, Living room[]
Cricket: You have so many appliances!
[Cricket drops a toaster as we zoom out to see Cricket and Remy surrounded by appliances in the living room. Convenient that there's a lot of them, as it was obviously the thing Cricket was looking for!]
Remy: Yeah. My dad has a debilitating condition known as [air quoting] "sleep shopping".
Russell's flashback[]
Living room[]
[Over night, Russell is seen purchasing items on his tablet while snoring. A cash register ding is heard for every item he buys. He's already surrounded by a room full of packages so who knows where this could get him!]
Back to reality, Remington Manor[]
Living room[]
Remy: So we end up with a lot of useless junk.
[Remy now has a worried face.]
Cricket: Well, they're useless no more. [Remy's worried expression fades] If we run all your appliances at the same time, it'll drain the city's power and cause a total blackout. [slow zoom in; he looks up with eyes shadowed and smirking deviously] Which means no curfew for Cricky!
[Or so he thinks. This plan does seem quite successful!]
Greens' house[]
Living room[]
[In the living room, Tilly is stroking Dirtbag, just as Bill walks by.]
Bill: Tilly, where's your brother?
Tilly: He walked off mischievously, rubbing his hands together and cackling.
[Yep, he did! Bill is now worried about the situation.]
Bill: Oh, jeez, that's almost always bad. [smiles, relaxed] Well, he'll have to be home soon...
Exterior[]
[The sun is now setting in Big City, meaning it's almost nighttime, and more importantly, Cricket's curfew!]
Bill (OS): It's gettin' dark out.
Remington Manor[]
Living room[]
[Pull back to see Cricket and Remy running around in the living room of the Remington Manor as they keep finding appliances and plugging them in. Cricket runs across the room with a lamp, while Remy keeps plugging in appliances, both aware that they don't have much time left!]
Cricket: Ah, it's getting dark out! HURRY, REMY!!!
Remy: I'm trying, I'm trying!!!
[Remy inserts a fourth plug into the socket. Cricket looks across the room whilst holding some more plugs and a socket to check the power.]
Cricket: We're so close, we just need MORE POWER!!
Remy: But... we've plugged in every major appliance in the house!
Cricket: THEN FIND ME MINOR APPLIANCES!!
[Remy looks around for a smaller appliance, before realising something.]
Remy: [gasps] I have just the thing.
Remy's bedroom[]
[Remy opens one of the draws in his bedroom. Inside is a nightlight shaped like a bug resting on a navy blue pillow.]
Remy (partially OS): My Mr. Snuggie Buggy nightlight!
[Remy takes it out and holds it up, while Cricket admires it from behind with indiscernible noises.]
Remy: It's time for you to fulfill your destiny.
[Remy walks offscreen.]
Cricket: Do it, plug it in!
[He inserts it into the plug socket, and... it does nothing but light up and spark slightly. Cricket and Remy watch in disappointment.]
Cricket: Oh, man. I really thought that'd work.
[Hold that thought, guys! It suddenly explodes with light, blinding Cricket and Remy's eyes, and the entire room! The two scream from the effect.]
Cricket: Iiiiit's wooooorkiiiiiiinnnnnggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[As Cricket starts laughing maniacally, the screen goes white, taking away all the power in Big City, including the at Gloria + Green Café, several high rises, and even the...]
Greens' house[]
Living room[]
[...where Bill and Tilly notice the effect, just as Bill stops looking smugly out of the window, Tilly stops reading her book, and as the electricity crackles.]
Bill: The power went out.
Tilly: Seems so.
Bill: [looking out the window] And the streetlights aren't comin' on. [close-up, zooming in] That's a mighty strong coincidence that the power would go out right befo --
[Bill gasps and realizes everything; Cricket's deceived him after all! The background has been changed to a plain black one as his son's head floats around him.]
Thought Cricket: I don't need to be in the house until five minutes after the streetlights turn on! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!
[Thought Cricket then disappears. He's in for it now!]
Bill: The boy...
[Back to original background; Bill backs up from the window, voice low and serious.]
Bill: He thinks he outsmarted me, [turns around, head down] but he can't outsmart... [lifts head to reveal the same shadowy eyes and devilish smirk as his son's] smart Bill.
[Now Bill has his own scheme set in mind! Tilly watches Bill; after a second, he immediately runs out of the room panting desperately, and the door is heard slamming. And then...]
Tilly: [closes book, stands up] When the Papa is away, Tilly shall play.
[... she gets her own ideas, by leaving the house all with a backflip through the window!]
Big City[]
[Meanwhile in Big City, Cricket and Remy are on their way to the drone show, thinking their plan has worked. But has it...?]
Both: [singsong]
♪ We're going to a drone show ♪
♪ We're going to a drone show ♪
[The two pass the Paint n' Snack as they sing.]
Cricket:
♪ Dad tried to set a rule, but we found a loophole ♪
Remy: Wow, I can't believe we actually pulled it off!
Cricket: I know, right? A perfect plan with absolutely no consequence!
[The two walk away to reveal that there is indeed consequences. People are running all over the place, screaming about darkness, as well as the sight of a car on fire. Various sirens are heard, and general chaos is just occuring everywhere possible!]
Male 1: It's so dark!
[A yellow car smashes into a shop, grabbing a woman's attention. A man runs on-screen, trying to see through the darkness.]
Male 2: I can't see!
[He runs off just as a woman screams. Unknown to them, another consequence is happening elsewhere...]
Elsewhere[]
[Bill is on the chase to find Cricket, but also get an understanding of what exactly has happened. He runs by a man crawling and a woman with her hands out as she walks around slowly.]
Bill: Power's out in the whole city? I gotta figure out what's goin' on! Hmm?
Big City Power Plant[]
[He reaches a sign which reads "Big City Power Plant. ⚠️Danger⚠️". At the side is the electrician from earlier, who is now tending to a power box. Bill runs over to him.]
Bill: Excuse me, sir! Sir!? Any idea when the power and the streetlights will be back on?
[The electrician slides down his ladder.]
Electrician: Well, the breaker blew, and repairin' it will take all night [takes out wrench] unless that wind turbine starts turning again.
[He points to it with his wrench; Bill looks at it]
Electrician (partially OS): Unfortunately, there's no wind. [on-screen] If only there was some other way to get it to move.
[As the electrician moves aside, we zoom in on Bill, who has got a slightly less mischievous idea, but with a mischievous grin, just like Cricket's.]
Bill: [tents his fingers the same way Cricket did] Some other way, you say...?
Electrician: There I go again, just blabbing about electricity. [He's gone.] And you're gone too.
[Unfortunately, he is, but oh well.]
Big City Waterfront[]
[Cricket and Remy have arrived at the waterfront, where crowds of people are waiting for the drone show to start in just five minutes, judging by the sign that reads "Drone Show! In 5 Minutes".]
Cricket: We made it, Remy! Ooh! Looks like the show's about to start! Come on, let's go!
[Cricket and Remy go off to find somewhere to watch. We then pan over to Bill, who is climbing the ladder of the windmill, in attempt to power it back up.]
Bill: All right, Bill... Time to get these street lights turned back on!
[He inhales, and... blows, which does absolutely nothing!]
Bill: [sighs] Of course that wouldn't work.
[Bill climbs even higher!]
Bill: Come on, use your brain: Hmm. You want to be stubborn, huh? [Bill grunts, getting it to work...] Ah-ha!
[...but it goes a bit too far...]
Bill: Uh-oh, woah! AAAAHHHH!!!
[...making him fall off, causing him to splash into the river! The wind turbine then stops spinning as Bill gets out of the river, breathing heavily in the soggy state he's in.]
Bill: Is this really happening, Bill? Are you really gonna let your son outsmart you?
Male 3 (OS): My son outsmarted me once,...
[Bill looks up at the man, who is revealed to be a drone show operator, piloting a few drones this very second!]
Drone show operator: ...and now he treats me like I'm a moron! "You're just a drone show operator, Dad! All you gotta do is hit a few buttons!" [presses a button on the console] "Any idiot could do that!" [crying]
[Bill then gets a second slightly less mischievous idea with that mischievous grin like his son's, but even meaner.]
Bill: [tents his fingers as before] Any idiot, you say...?
[Now with his own foolproof plan in mind, it's time to outwit Cricket and teach him a lesson he won't forget!]
The Drone show[]
[The drone show has now begun, and a drone structure of a spaceship with an alien in it is shown.]
Cricket (OS): Oh, those glorious lights illuminate the beauty of besting my father!
[Followed by a structure of Saturn with stars around it. Cricket, Remy and the other members of the audience are seen enjoying the show.]
Cricket: And I didn't even have to break his rules because I outsmarted-ed him!
[Now a structure of three planets is shown. But suddenly the caption "Did You?" is seen in the sky.]
All: Did you?
[Followed by "Turn Around", which is formed with more drones.]
All (OS): Turn around.
[Everyone turns around. The drones then adjust to spell "No, just Cricket".]
All (OS): No, just Cricket.
[Confused by that one, Cricket turns around. Remy also watches confused. The drones adjust once more to spell "Just halfway".]
All (OS): Just halfway.
Cricket: Uh, this is just starting to get ridiculous.
[As the people start moving along, Cricket turns around halfway to find the one, the only...]
Cricket: Dad?!
[Bill comes out from the shadows to reveal he's the one who was controlling the drones!]
Bill: [very smug] Hello, my clever, clever son.
[Bill will continue to speak in this manner unless indicated; Remy's expression has gone from confused to nervous.]
Cricket: Uh, what are you doing here? I haven't broken my curfew; You said I didn't have to be home until five minutes after the streetlights came on and they never came on! That was the deal!
Bill: Interesting you say that, [steps forward, the drones fly beside him] because I was thinking I'd give Big City a hand with its power problems.
[He pushes a button on the remote, causing the drones to fly off.]
Cricket: What are you doing...?!
[The drones fly to the wind turbine and form a structure of a giant hand, which gives the vanes a slap, causing it to spin rapidly and give complete power back to Big City. Even a streetlight comes on, blinding Cricket and signifying his curfew! He's in deep trouble now!]
Cricket: AAhh!!!
Bill: Would you look at that, [puts his hands behind his back] streetlights are on.
[He slaps a wristwatch onto Cricket's arm with a timer set for 5:00.]
Cricket: Huh?!
Bill (OS): You've got exactly five minutes to make it inside our house, [The timer starts ticking.] or you'll be washing dishes for a month! [onscreen] Tick tock, Cricket.
[Back to Cricket, staring at the watch and knowing his loophole is turning on him...]
Bill (OS): Tick. Tock.
[That line sounds quite similar to another one at a similar time.]
Remy: [shakes Cricket frantically] TICK TOCK, CRICKET!!
Cricket: Ah! Oh, you're right! Oh, okay!!
[And off he goes!]
The race back home![]
[As Cricket runs while panting, the chase home is seen in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio with Cricket's time length written in red. It currently reads "4:51" and will continue to go down from there! Bill gets in the Kludge, a smile on his face, and sets off after Cricket -- his plan is working! The timer reaches "4:08" as Cricket goes down an aisle... and stops outside the other side.]
[Zoom out as we go back to the regular aspect ratio, when Cricket finds himself next to a pile of injured citizens, a lot of them walking through various walls!]
Cricket: Huh? What the...?
Male 3: It was so dark! We walked into so many walls!
[The people grunt as Cricket runs over them. We then return to the 2.35:1 aspect ratio as we zoom to the watch, camera focused on it as Cricket sprints in the background, the timer now being "3:50". Bill drives next to Cricket, who is still running and panting in exhaustion; he still has that smug tone in his voice.]
Bill: Three minutes, Cricket! Better hurry up!
Cricket: [looks up ahead] Speak for yourself!
[Quite right! The green light on the traffic light in front of Bill goes up from yellow to red, forcing Bill to stop.]
Bill: Ah!
[Cricket is now able to just run away from Bill! He's got this in the bag!]
Cricket: Hey, good thing to turn the power back on! See you at home, Dad!
Bill: [to himself, mockingly] "See you at home, Dad!"
[Still going strong, the timer is now at "2:27", with Cricket being confident that he can reach home before Bill. A few seconds later, it is now "2:10", and Cricket is lost, but he finds a fence to climb over, and gets back on track! Though not for long.]
Cricket: Huh?
[Cricket turns around to see that Bill has caught up, honking his horn, and laughing as he drives by, which is in slow motion. Cricket panics as Bill leaves, but then...]
Cricket: [gasps] Ah-ha!
[...he finds a similar van with a top compartment from earlier, so he gets in it, starts it up, and ends up using it to his advantage...]
Bill: Huh?
Cricket: Tick tock, Dad!
[...such as towering over the Kludge, and even overtaking it!, but it then becomes a neck & neck race between father and son!]
Bill: Hope you're ready to wash some dishes! I'm thinkin' burnt sloppy Joes and baked-on mac and cheese!
[Cricket checks his watch and then grunts as he speeds up, once again overtaking Bill.]
Elkins Street[]
[Bill has made it back first...]
Bill (OS): You're gonna miss your curfew!
Cricket: NUH-UH!
[...but knowing he's almost safe, Cricket jumps from the van and climbs down a streetlight, and runs on home.]
Greens' house[]
Almost made it but it was too late[]
[As Cricket runs towards the front porch, Bill parks up the Kludge...]
Cricket: [grunting] I've still got 15 seconds!
[The timer is now at "0:13", and Cricket is at the porch! As he reaches his arm out for the door handle, Cricket prepares to celebrate his victory... but all is a different matter when Bill suddenly slides in front of the door to cover it completely with arms and legs spread out as Cricket's hand hits his belly instead, blocking Cricket's way of entering! The aspect ratio goes back to normal and the onscreen timer disappears as Cricket recoils, the camera pulling back to reveal Bill with the same scheming smile as him as he does not move from his position one inch, thus not letting his son in on purpose! It's all over now...]
Cricket: What are you doing?!! I've still got a few seconds left!
[Cricket tries going around Bill, who presses his back to cover the door entirely and still does not retract; he folds his arms smugly and triumphantly as he speaks.]
Bill: Our agreement was that you had to be in the house within five minutes [closes legs, smashing Cricket's hand] of the streetlights turning on... [close-up] but I never said I had to let'cha in.
[OH NO!!!]
Cricket: Huh?!
[With no way to get past him, he glances down at his watch, down to 2 seconds...1...0. It sounds off "Shave and a haircut", and Cricket cringes; it's too late. Now he has seen what it's like to be outsmarted by his own dad! Cut to the overview of the powered up city and zoom out quickly as we hear him scream in defeat...]
Cricket (OS): NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
[That did not go well.]
Cricket's punishment[]
[Inside the kitchen, Cricket has started his month-long punishment: washing the dishes while Bill eats the leftovers from his vegetable salad. The sink is very overflowed with soap, some bubbles have gathered in his hair!]
Cricket: You know, you never specified how clean the dishes need to be. So, technically, I could just do a terrible job washing them.
[The smug tone is finally gone from Bill's voice, but he does not fall for it.]
Bill: Uh-huh.
Cricket: Also, you said I had to do the dishes, but you didn't say I had to do all of them. So again, technically, I could just wash two dishes and be done.
Bill: Clever.
[Bill walks over to the sink and drops his bowl into it, splashing Cricket in the face!]
Cricket: Eh!
[He shakes himself dry.]
Bill: Now keep scrubbin'.
[Bill watches Cricket as he shakes off the soap and continues. Now Bill comes up with the same thoughts...]
Bill: You know, I said you had to wash the dishes for a month, but I never specified which month. You could have argued to do them in, say, a hundred years?
[Looks like Cricket's not alone!]
Cricket: [smiling] Heyyyy-he-he-hey... not bad! You really know your stuff!
Bill: When you get as old as me, ya don't miss much.
[And with that, Cricket has learned his lesson and goes back to his punishment. Unseen by either of them, Tilly then walks by down the hall with a collection of drone show merchandise, ranging from shirts, hats, shoes, you name it!]
Tilly: Night-night, Papa!
Bill: Good night, my sweet little angel.
[And yet she still missed her curfew! On a related note, she had a good time! The end.]