(inhales)
(Rebecca moans softly)
(grunts)
(gasps)
Rebecca! I need you to wake up.
The house is on fire. Get dressed.
Put some shoes on. Hey, kids!
-The house is on fire! Randall! -RANDALL: Dad, I hear you.
Okay. Stay in your room. Katie girl, wake up!
-Dad! -Close your door, Katie.
-Go back in your room. -(Kate screaming)
Close the door. I'll be right there. I'm coming for you.
-REBECCA: Oh, my God. -I'm going downstairs for Kevin.
No, no, no, Jack. Kevin's not here. He's not here.
-He was with Sophie last night. He was with... -Are you sure?
-I just spoke to him there. -Okay. Go in the bathroom.
-Wet every towel. Strip down the sheets, okay? -Yeah, okay.
Randall! Hey, I'm coming for you.
(coughing)
You got your shoes on? Come on. Stay low.
(coughing)
Come on, let's go.
Rule number one is to stay close.
(coughing)
Kate, keep down. I'm coming back for you.
(coughing)
Bec, the window. Go open the window.
-Okay. Okay. -Give me these. Go open the window.
Okay, okay, okay.
Towel goes under the door the second it closes.
If I'm not back in three minutes, you take your mother
out that window. If she won't go, you drag her out.
-Dad. -Hey.
I love you.
REBECCA: Jack, be careful.
Kate, Dad's coming.
(Jack coughing)
-Kate! (coughing) -KATE: Dad!
I'm coming, Katie girl.
Dad!
-Okay, we got to go. -(Kate crying)
Keep this over you. Hang on to me, okay?
We're just going across the hall.
There's an overhang there. It's too high from here.
-Ready? -No. No, Dad.
(Kate screaming)
-Oh, no, please. Please. -Okay. Stay right there.
(fire crackling)
(Jack panting)
Gonna get us out.
(crying): No. No. I don't want to go like that.
-Please, please, please, please. -Okay.
Hey, look at me. I'm gonna get us out of here, okay?
-Just look at me. Just be calm. -(crying)
'Cause we're gonna get out.
We're gonna get out of here, okay?
-Now, hang on. -(crying): Oh, Daddy.
-Come on. -Please.
I need you to take a deep breath.
Take a deep breath, okay?
(Kate crying, screaming)
-Just stay behind me. -Okay.
Stay behind me. Grab on, grab on to my clothes.
Oh, Dad... (sobbing)
REBECCA: Jack, Kate, where are you?
(gasping, coughing)
-(coughing) -Come on, come on. Let's go.
(coughing, sobbing)
It's okay. You're okay, you're okay.
By the window. Randall, come on, you first.
Let's go. Come on.
Come on, come on, come on. Listen to your dad.
Let's go. We have to go.
JACK: Okay, Randall, come on, you're up first.
RANDALL: No, them first.
JACK: Come on, I need you on the ground
to help them down. Lift your arms up.
Come on, here you go. On your butt.
-Careful, Randall. -Hug the line.
Go, all the way down.
All the way down. You got it?
-Yeah? -Uh-huh.
JACK: Okay, send it up. Kate, come on.
Louie's stuck upstairs. I don't know where he is.
-I'm sure he's gonna be okay. Lift up your arm. -Oh, Dad.
Now, go. Grab onto this.
Go all the way. Help her out, Rand.
-You got her? -Okay. Okay.
JACK: Okay, let go.
-Okay. Come on, Bec. -Oh, God. Oh, my God..
-I love you. -I love you.
Okay. Put your arms up.
Grab onto the sheet. Go!
JACK: You got her?
-Get back! -(Louie barking)
KATE (screaming): Louie!
Louie, please, come out!
I-- Louie, come out, boy!
-Please! -(Louie barking)
I think I hear-- I think I can get to him.
Get down here. No, Jack!
Jack, don't go back inside!
Go back to the street!
Go back to the street right now!
I'll be right out.
Jack! Come on, guys.
REBECCA: Jack!
-Oh! -Jack?!
-Jack! Jack! -No, no, no. No.
Jack!
(audio fading)
Jack!
Jack! Jack!
Oh, my God!
Dad, please!
Dad...
(sirens approaching)
*
(Louie barking)
(dialogue inaudible)
*
(indistinct radio chatter)
(indistinct voices)
This is second-degree. I can't treat this here.
Your vitals are okay, but I still think
that you need to get to a hospital
-and get properly checked out. -Yeah.
You took in a lot of smoke.
We'll go to the hospital. We just gotta
-drop our kids off first. -Hey.
-(coughs) -(sighs)
Hey, give me that.
What's all this?
-I got... -Oh...
I got the important stuff.
(sighs)
You are... something else.
I try.
Hey, I called Sophie's and woke her mom.
She said they snuck out to a party.
-I'm gonna kill him. -I will be your alibi.
(coughing)
-Okay, you know what, you know what? -I'm fine.
Take a breather, Superman.
We are gonna drop the kids off at Miguel's,
and then I'm gonna take you to the ER,
and then we'll figure out a plan from there.
Yeah, okay.
Hey...
it's just a house.
It's just a house.
It was a good house, though.
Yeah, that it was.
What's all that?
Your father...
got everything.
*
(gasps) Dad, ho...
Thank you.
-(no audio from TV) -*
(indistinct singing)
How's everybody doing in here?
Huh? There you are.
KATE (singing in video): * Gonna break away, break away... *
You been watching this for a while?
You wanna take a little breather?
This is what I do on Super Bowl Sunday, Tobe.
It's cathartic for me, and it's the 20th anniversary.
Okay? So I'm going for the catharsis jugular.
-Okay. -Just...
I will let you... cathart.
Thank you.
That's a pretty song. I don't know it.
I wrote it.
-(Kate singing in video) -You did?
How come I've never heard you, like, sing it?
Because this is the day that my house burned down
and that my father died.
Gotcha. I will shush now.
(Kate sniffles)
(tape stops, machine grinding)
Toby. Toby, what is this noise coming from the VCR?
Okay, okay, whoa, whoa, whoa.
-Oh, no, no ,no. -(machine grinding)
Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't touch it, don't touch it.
-Let me see. -Toby...
Okay, okay, we just stop it.
-(machine grinding) -Do you hear that?
Just give me a second.
Toby, please, this is the only one that I...
-Okay, yeah. -Oh, my God.
Yeah, um... I have a guy who can help us.
We should get it unplugged.
Where's Miguel?
Oh, he's out running errands.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
Then he's gonna watch the game with some friends.
He typically gives me space today.
What do you normally do on the Super Bowl?
Can I be honest with you?
-Yeah. Always. -Okay.
Uh, well, typically I will get blackout drunk,
and then I will try to sleep
with the hottest model that'll have me.
-What about you? -Same.
(laughter)
Ehh, I don't-- I don't want to tell you,
'cause you'll make fun of me.
Make fun? I'm a 37-year-old
former sitcom star staying with his mother
in New Jersey, post-rehab stint.
I think I've-I've lost the high ground
on making fun of anything at this point.
All right, um...
Well, every year, at some point,
I go to the grocery store and I buy all the ingredients
to make your dad's favorite lasagna.
And then I come home and I make it, and I eat it,
and I watch the game.
-I mean, that is intensely sad, Mom.
-No. -It is...
It's not, because every year,
on my saddest day,
your father finds a way to send me some sign
that literally makes me belly laugh.
Like, the very first year, I'll never forget, I got
in the car, and "You Can Call Me Al" came on the radio.
And then I changed the station,
and it was on the next station, too.
KEVIN: Get out of here.
REBECCA (laughing): I swear to you.
(laughs)
-(laughs) -I don't know.
Maybe I, uh, just see what I want to see,
or what I need to see, but...
every year,
your father finds a way to send me some laugh.
(chuckles)
Hmm.
Why don't you join me today?
Yeah?
No, I'm-I'm gonna...
I'm gonna try to remain the only family member
that doesn't get intensely sad today.
Not the only one.
* You know we're just struttin' for fun *
* Struttin' our stuff for everyone *
* We're not here to start no trouble *
* We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle *
* Well, they call me Sweetness, and I like to dance... *
-Baby? -Sí, senorita.
Objectively speaking, this is not a sexy look for you.
-That's 'cause I didn't know you were there. -Hmm.
But when I do it like this.
-Oh, no. -Mm-hmm.
-(laughs) -You're so sexy.
I don't know why you want to have a Super Bowl party
for 20 little girls
to watch a game that they don't understand or care about.
It's important to me that the girls love the day.
Watch out now. Hot dad.
-Hot dad. -Yeah, but you know we're in the middle
-of trying to start a business, and then... -Hot dad.
Any minute now, we could get paired up with a new foster kid.
-Ah. -It doesn't feel like this is...
-Try this. -...the... right...
Huh? Oh, damn.
Mm-hmm. Okay, that's good.
-Hot dad. Hot dad. -Mmm.
-Oh, baby? -Uh-huh.
-Honey, look at me. -Yeah.
I know that this is a big anniversary for you guys,
you know, with your father having passed away 20...
Kate wallows, Kevin avoids.
But this was my dad's favorite day,
so I celebrate him.
That's how Randall rolls!
Oh, so Third Person Randall's coming to the party, too, today?
-Yeah. He got here early. -Mm.
You know what, babe? I think this party's a little bit more
-emotional... -Daddy, I think Mr. McGiggles smiled.
That's 'cause it's the Super Bowl, baby girl.
-He's happy! -Uh,
Annie, you got to put him back in the cage, okay?
The pet store said to let him get acclimated.
And, honey, got to hang up the phone.
I know you like to play office, but you got to put it back.
I did.
(sighs) My God, no one even uses landlines anymore.
Why do we have to have a party anyway, actually?
Our friends only care about the halftime show.
Listen, Annie, Mr. McGiggles in his cage.
Miss McFrownie, go get some clothes on, smile.
It's the Super Bowl!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
-We need some boys in this house. -Hmm?
WOMAN: So, are the other kids
in the group home being nice to you?
Yeah, they're okay.
I hear you are very popular.
All the little girls love them some Jordan.
They're too loud.
Jordan?
I think we found you a foster family.
*
-(children shouting) -RANDALL: Come on, guys.
You're missing the pregame show.
The ex-players are telling us everything we need to know
about what we can expect to see in a few hours.
His dad died on Super Bowl.
Yeah, so, it's a whole thing.
-Okay, now... Yeah? -ANNIE: Daddy!
-Mr. McGiggles is gone. -What?
I took him out to pet him, and now he's gone.
He's crawling around somewhere.
(screaming)
Hey, hey! Everybody, calm down!
Stop! Stop!
Okay, look.
It's a teeny-tiny lizard, it's not gonna hurt you.
I need you to calmly get down on the ground, okay?
Start looking.
Don't step on him.
-Don't step on him. -(phone ringing)
I'm gonna go in the kitchen and get that.
And I'm never coming back.
What do you... come...
RANDALL: Go slow, guys.
Come on, Mr. McGiggles.
Hello?
No, we've already canceled our subscription.
Yes, please take us off the list.
Okay.
(squishes)
Oh, snap.
-BETH: Uh, baby? -Mm?
Mr. McGiggles is in the kitchen.
-Oh, thank God. -Mm-mm.
What?
He ain't giggling now.
Oh, snap.
DOCTOR: I want you applying the cream every 12 hours, okay?
Yeah.
ANNOUNCER (over TV): ...sideline, and it is...
Mr. Pearson?
Oh. (clears throat) Sorry.
Um...
We didn't get a chance to...
watch the end of the game.
Oh, oh. Well, you missed a good one.
-Elway finally got his ring. -(blows raspberry)
-Elway. -(doctor chuckles)
DOCTOR: I see.
Well, you took in a tremendous amount of smoke.
(Jack clearing throat)
I'd like for your heart rate to come down.
There's soot in your airways, so I have to run some tests.
-Okay. -But...
the swelling-- open, please--
it's, uh, it's-it's minor.
Which is a miracle, considering how long you were in there.
-(clears throat) -Yeah, he went back in for the dog.
Must really love that dog.
Really love the girl that loves the dog.
-I see. -Yeah.
And, uh, how's the pain there?
It's fine. It's tolerable.
Would you like something for that pain?
Uh, no.
No, I...
I can't.
Okay.
All right.
Well, I hope it was at least a big manly dog.
(both laugh)
I don't want to talk about it.
I will see you shortly.
-Okay. -REBECCA: Okay. Thanks.
(exhales)
I never got batteries, for the smoke detectors.
That... you asked me three times, and I just... I forgot.
And I was more than capable of getting those batteries myself.
Okay, so then, why'd you keep asking me?
-(chuckles softly) -How could you possibly joke right now?
Well, it's because I still got the only thing
that I've ever really needed.
You are good.
I try.
(exhaling): Oh...
This hospital, huh?
Yeah.
Wait, what was the thing that he said?
Something about... life resembling...
-The sourest lemons life has to offer. -That's right.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
I am gonna go make us hotel reservations,
I'm gonna call the kids and, uh,
I'm gonna go to the vending machine to get us something.
Do you have any requests?
-No chocolate. -And nothing grape,
-All right. -I know.
Hey, Bec?
Huh?
(chuckles softly)
You're in front of the TV.
(both laugh)
(announcer speaking over radio softly)
RANDALL: I know we all loved Mr. McGiggles.
He was a good, solid lizard.
A rock solid lizard.
So I'm told.
We only got him yesterday. Um...
But for many of us, he was the first lizard we ever knew.
And we didn't know that we'd never see him again.
Um...
When you lose someone...
...when you lose someone suddenly, and unexpectedly,
it hurts... differently.
I had a tooth that got infected once.
Woke me from the dead of sleep, middle of the night.
It was this dull, throbbing, excruciating pain, it was awful.
But then, the pain changed.
It became sharper.
Like sudden, direct bursts of pain that came out of nowhere.
Boom, boom,
like a lightning strike.
That's what unexpected loss is like.
(sniffles) It's like, uh, a lightning bolt
you can't even see reaching inside of you and tearing out
-your guts and... -Hey, so, you know what?
-It is so sad, and we're gonna miss... -It is.
-...Mr. McGiggles terribly. -We are.
You know? But...
Now, who wants to watch the Puppy Bowl for a few minutes?
(cheering)
Come on, let's do it!
Yeah!
*
(speaking indistinctly)
Well, he's got the machine apart.
He said he can, uh, uh, cut the tape, splice it back together.
And, uh, maybe even put it in the cloud for us.
I don't want it on the cloud.
It's, uh... in the cloud.
Hey, I've got a camera right here.
We can go home, we can make a new video.
-New memories... -Thank you, but no.
I think it would be...
No, I think you should stop.
He died because of me.
Because in the scariest moment of our lives...
(shouting indistinctly)
...he couldn't bear to disappoint me.
So, if for once, once a year,
I want to beat myself up for it,
please just let me.
Just let me sit in that.
Okay?
Okay.
(clears throat) Hi. I fixed it.
-You fixed the tape? -There you go.
-(squeals) -Oh. (laughs)
-TOBY: I told you I had a guy. -Oh, my, oh, my God.
-Yeah. Okay. (laughs) -(Kate squeals)
-This thing... -No!
-I'm kidding. I was kidding, I was kidding. -Oh, my God.
-I'm sorry. I was joking. -That's a little...
Thank you so much.
How many times do I have to confirm this with you?
I need two rooms, ideally on the same floor,
and the second room needs to have a cot, if possible.
Yeah.
Indefinitely, mm-hmm.
MAN (over PA system): Code two, code two.
Well, uh, our house just burned down, so...
Thank you. Okay.
Bye-bye.
(sighs)
-MIGUEL (on phone): Hey. -Hi, Miguel.
Are you guys headed back?
Yeah, I think we're gonna be done here soon.
How's Jack?
He's okay. Yeah, he's hanging in there.
-Hey, can you put the kids on? -Yeah, of course.
-Thanks. -KATE: Hey, Mom.
Hey, have you heard anything from Kevin yet?
No. I've tried everyone, even the nerds he never talked to.
I mean, there is a rumor about a party in the woods,
-but I haven't heard where. -Oh, wow.
How's everybody over there?
Allison came and she brought some clothes for everyone,
so now her and Randall are just re-enacting the end of Ghost
without the pottery or sex appeal.
(laughs) Okay, well, please, just keep trying everybody
and we're gonna be back there soon, all right?
-I love you, Bug. -Love you.
All right. Bye.
Oof.
-Sorry, babe. -MAN: Ma'am.
MAN 2: Mrs. Pearson.
Oh.
You caught me red-handed.
Mrs. Pearson, can we sit?
Yeah. Sure.
Uh, he's a recovering alcoholic.
That's why he doesn't want to take any pain medication.
Do you mind if I have some of this?
-I'm so hungry. -Mrs. Pearson.
One of the complications of smoke inhalation
is that it puts a terrible stress on the lungs
and therefore, the heart.
Your husband went into cardiac arrest.
It was catastrophic and...
...I-I'm afraid we've lost him.
Mrs. Pearson, your husband has died.
Well, I'm sorry.
Uh, you know, we were just here for a burn on his arm.
-Yes. I know. -Do you...
you really don't remember talking to me just a minute ago?
No, I remember, Mrs. Pearson.
Is there someone we can call for you?
Are you out of your mind?
-No, Mrs. Pearson, I just... -I... okay.
-I think you're mistaking me. -I just need to...
No, no, can you, can you just, can you back up
and can you leave me alone?
Can somebody get this person to just give me some space, please?
Jack?
(scoffs)
Babe.
You w... Jack.
(quietly): Jack.
Oh, my... I can...
(exhales)
DOCTOR (distantly): Mrs. Pearson, we're so sorry.
Jack.
(crying): Jack.
(quietly): Jack...
*
MIGUEL: You okay?
W-Where's Jack?
Are the kids inside?
Oh, okay. Thank you. Thank you so much.
All right. Okay, bye.
(sighs) He's at the lookout with Sophie.
Rebecca... what's wrong?
What's wrong?
(whispering): Something awful.
MIGUEL (softly): What?
Jack died.
What?
He had a heart attack at the hospital.
Um, a-a widowmaker's heart attack is what they call it,
from the smoke.
And he died.
What?
(stammers) No. No.
-No, no, no, no. -Oh, my God.
No, no, no, no, we're not, we're not gonna,
we're not gonna do that right now, Miguel.
No, because I have to go in
and I have to talk to my kids
and I have to ruin the rest of their life.
So I'm gonna be strong for them.
God help me, I'm gonna be strong for them
and if you can't be strong either,
then you need to take a walk around the block until you can.
MIGUEL: Okay.
'Cause I have to go talk to my kids.
*
Hey, Dad.
Man, I haven't been here since the funeral. You know.
Uh, usually I try to avoid you today,
which is ironic, 'cause, man,
I could really use you about right now.
So, I figured what the heck, I would just come here,
you know, and try to, you know, just...
say some of the things that I never got a chance to.
I'm sorry, Dad, that I wasn't there that night
and I'm sorry the last thing I ever said to you was... awful.
(sighs loudly) I have had a really...
(sniffles) ...a really bad year.
I had a bad couple of decades, actually, you know, and...
(sighs)
I haven't turned out to be even close to the man that you...
I just think you'd be really disappointed in me.
You know? (sniffles)
And now I'm going through some stuff that you went through
and I just, I'm not doing it nearly as well
as you did it, you know, I'm just...
really struggling. (groans)
So, I wanted to come here.
I wanted to stop avoiding you
and I wanted to just talk to you.
And just talk to you and just...
tell you that I'm sorry...
(sniffles) ...and tell you that I'm gonna do better.
Okay? I'm gonna be a man and I'm gonna do better for you.
And if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna make you proud of me.
All right? I swear it.
I'm gonna make you proud of me.
(sniffles)
It might take me another couple of decades to get there,
but I will get there. (sniffles)
I promise you that.
You got to bear with me, though, okay?
Can you do that for me, please?
Can you just, just... bear with me?
(groans) Enough of that, right?
Man, come on, like, uh...
Oh, on a brighter note, I, uh, you'll love this.
You'll get a kick out of this one.
I did a movie with Rocky.
Did a movie with Rocky.
That was pretty cool. (sniffles)
*
(sighs) You guys, I just need two minutes, okay?
I'm gonna step outside for two minutes.
(crying): I have to tell Kevin.
He needs to hear it from me.
So what do you think?
I like it on the cloud.
In the cloud.
(whispering): It's in the cloud... Yeah.
He's a handsome fella.
There was this window in my bedroom
that would always leak every time it rained.
And my dad would always fix it.
And... it would happen again, and then he'd fix it.
Then it'd happen again...
He was so patient,
and he was just-just steady.
He never gave up on that damn window.
The night that my dad died, I thought to myself,
"We're done."
Like, we won't come back from this.
And then I thought,
"Okay, maybe, maybe they can."
(wailing)
KATE: Maybe one day, not because they-they needed him less,
but because they were built of stronger stuff than I was.
And for 20 years,
I thought very little of myself.
And then this big, old guy with this big, old heart
-came walking into my support group. -Me?
And then, when I would break,
he never gave up on me, over and over again,
never gave up on me and made me believe in me.
Do you know that you...
do you know that you changed my life, that you saved my life?
And, oh, my God, he would've loved you.
My God, I love you.
I love you, too.
(sighing): Oh.
I'm always crying.
(chuckles)
*
(phone ringing)
Hm.
Hi.
Hey, I was just calling to check on you.
Did Dad ever send you that laugh?
No. No. He must've gotten busy.
But I bet he'll send me two next year.
(Rebecca chuckles)
Yeah.
You know, Mom, you were really strong for us when it happened.
I can't even imagine what that must've been like for you.
I...
I did what I could, you know?
I tried to wrap myself
around you guys and protect you.
But you were all so big already.
But I tried.
Your dad never had to try.
Well, I have to try, too.
I was getting a candy bar when the doctor told me.
He told me, and I took a bite.
I didn't even realize that I had done it,
but it's something that haunts me to this day.
That's one of the first things I think about
when I think about that night, is that stupid candy bar.
Isn't that so strange?
Where are you?
I'm at Dad's tree.
Came down to talk with him.
Wow. How is that?
Can I be honest?
REBECCA: Always.
It was really good.
I didn't realize how bad I needed that talk.
REBECCA: That's great.
-Can I be really honest? -Yeah.
I'm not sure I'm at the right tree.
(laughs)
(both laugh)
Do you see?
Do you see what I mean? This year...
This year, he sent me you.
(Kevin laughs)
(knocking on door)
Come in.
You okay, my princess?
(Randall exhales)
Sorry about earlier.
It's a weird day for Daddy.
I know.
I've been taking the landline off the hook.
Why?
'Cause the social workers only call the landline.
-You don't want us to foster again? -No.
No. I, uh...
I don't mind that.
You found Grandpa.
And... but then you found Deja.
Then you found a new job.
It's like you want a new life.
Tess.
You are my entire world.
-You know that, right? -I guess.
You guess?
Hey, you never knew my dad, Jack.
But, oh, man, he was the best dad ever.
All I ever wanted to do with my life
was be half the dad he was.
And I was so scared about that.
That I wouldn't be good when the time came.
And then you were born.
And my life flipped.
It did a somersault, you know?
And, uh, I realized...
I don't even have to try at this.
I'm gonna be the best dad ever
because I love this little girl so much
that I don't even have a choice.
You're my number one, baby girl.
You're the little girl that made my life somersault.
So...
even if we get another foster kid,
even if we get one tomorrow...
(phone ringing)
* Watch me when you call my name... *
Hello?
Oh, hi.
No, no, no. I was just surprised to hear from you is all.
* See me flame
You look very handsome.
Thanks.
...you will always be my number one.
And you will live with me till you're 25.
And even after you move out,
you will have dinner with me once a week
near your fancy office, and you will tell me everything.
Okay?
Okay.
I like fostering.
Yeah?
Yeah. I think it's a cool thing to do.
* Watch me when you look my way *
* Feel me smiling
* Be my night and day
Your dad is here for dinner.
-Thank you. -Thank you, young lady.
-Hi, Daddy. -Mwah. How you doing, Tess?
-Good. I'm good. -Good.
* You take my words away
No, right now is fine. Do you need us to come get you?
Wait, you're here?
* Watch me when I'm on my own
*
* See me falling
* Like the snow
* Come and be
* The things you are
* I'm still falling
* But not quite so far...