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[sharp music]

92 Ben, take three.

Mark.

The back of my burlap looks good?

- Oh, yeah. - With the hood?

- OK. - Yup.

Scene 90E, take three.

Mark.

SCOTT: Action, camera.

And here I come.

Now!

WOMAN: Scene 90N, take one, Mark.

I turn.

Give me your line.

But how will we keep pace?

I'll pogo just as slow as I can go.

And you're right on it.

You're right on it.

Mind the wet felt scraps, dear Pogo Man.

Let's do it again.

Action.

This is all my fault.

[mellow rock music]

[signal ticking]

Welcome to Mount Lukens, the highest peak in LA County.

You can look it up if you want, but it's the truth.

That's the trail head over there.

Let's get it.

You been here before?

Brutal.

It's just miles and miles straight up a mountain.

No shade, nowhere to hide, just you and that mountain.

[water dribbling]

When we did this hike all those years ago,

we made a ton of mistakes.

Mistake number one, we got way too late of a start.

We're going up the mountain, everyone else

is coming down the mountain.

Mistake number two, we didn't bring enough food or water.

Where's your water?

That's a rookie mistake.

It's like you're not even listening to my story.

You got to ration your water on a hike like this.

[gulping]

[birds screeching]

Yeah, this is it.

Tommy, this is the spot.

When we were at our lowest point,

we heard this noise off in the distance.

This boing, boing, like a-- like a spring, you know.

It felt like a fever dream.

It was a man on a pogo stick.

Craziest thing I've ever seen in my entire life.

This pogo guy, he bounced right down here, then took a left,

and then it was out of our sight forever.

But that absurd moment, it bonded us for life.

Like, we felt like, after that, we could

get through anything together.

No, I've showed you what I want to.

So we became obsessed with this Pogo Man, right?

Like, who was he?

What was his story?

And they all wanted to make a movie about it.

But I don't know, for me, it just never felt right.

So I refused.

Because it was this incredible, surreal moment we experienced.

And how could I do that justice?

Until now.

I wrote it.

I'm going to bring this group back together to make it.

Yeah, I mean, we were, but then other stuff happened.

They're kind of toxic people.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Let's take a moment here

and catch everyone up to speed.

This is Micah.

At this point, we had just met.

I answered his online ad looking for someone

to shoot behind-the-scenes footage of this short film

out in the desert.

He lied in the ad.

There was a lot more to the job than that.

Never stop filming.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: And he was about to lie to everyone else.

Micah had three inseparable friends from film school,

Maggie, Scott, and Alice.

Micah felt they were on the verge of making it big together.

Micah and Maggie were the writers of the group.

They also worked in front of and behind the camera.

And the relationship on set grew into something

much more intimate.

Scott and Alice were the directors.

Whenever they worked together as a team,

they managed to balance out each other's idiosyncrasies.

[puffing]

[giggling]

[laughs]

SCOTT: Oh.

Scott, did you pass out?

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Micah thought he had found his collaborators

for life, especially after their otherworldly encounter with the

Pogo Man up on the mountain.

But Alice and Scott had an ugly professional

falling out after graduating.

He moved to Brooklyn to find his own way,

and she took a corporate job back home in Minnesota.

And Maggie landed a lucrative book deal soon after that.

Micah didn't take her solo success very well.

[laughs]

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: So she ended things and moved to Chicago.

He was left alone in LA with no friends, no prospects, and

a stack of unproduced scripts.

As far as I could tell, he'd never

actually finished anything.

Reunion.

Who doesn't love a reunion?

If I can frame this whole thing around a reunion

in which we also make a movie, that's

going to help break the ice.

[computer ping]

SCOTT [ON VIDEO]: Micah, this is so exciting.

I booked my flight the second I got your email.

We all need a reunion, right?

I mean, a reunion and a movie.

It's genius.

I know other people may have lost faith in you,

but not me, man.

Have you been talking to Maggie about me?

SCOTT [ON VIDEO]: She's sort of hard to get a hold of,

but I'm constantly shouting around on socials.

Here, look, check this out.

See this?

What is that?

Pull it back.

This is your email.

It's going to be worth a lot of money one day,

like an original Tarantino script.

You framed it.

Yeah, man.

[chuckles] That's great.

So when are you flying in?

I know you might be a little concerned that I haven't

directed much lately, but--

I'm not concerned at all.

- -I've been picking up a lot of tips.

Like, I was working as a PA on this dog food commercial.

You're working as a PA again?

Don't tell Alice.

Is there someone there with you?

No, it's just me.

[computer ping]

Still want to make a movie, huh, Micah?

And it's a reunion.

You're always so adamant about not wanting to.

What made you finally decide to write it?

Just needed some distance, I guess.

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: It's just odd.

So I got the script right here, and I got some notes.

Should we just dive in?

Did you want me to direct it, like old times?

Actually, I thought this would be a good one for Scott.

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: I do have unlimited PTO.

SCOTT [ON VIDEO]: I can also take time off,

and that's what I'm doing.

What's really hot right now is this behind-the-scenes stuff.

So I was thinking, we shoot a ton

of footage of us making the movie, and then we package that.

That sounds awesome.

I'm on it.

On what?

Scott.

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: Can I ask you why you want him to direct this?

Well, you don't really do film anymore,

so I didn't think you'd want to.

All right, well, when Scott falls apart,

I'll be ready to step in and take over.

It's not going to happen.

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: You aren't up to something, are you?

No.

Why-- why would you ask that?

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: Is Maggie not joining this call?

[upbeat music]

Welcome back to the show, Books on Record

with Jesus Castañeda.

I am Jesus Castañeda.

And I am sitting here with Maggie Nowak, author

of the critically acclaimed 2018 novel

Between Yesterday and Tomorrow,a novel

that has been described as glowing with self-confidence

and wild confusion.

Maggie Nowak, the next great American millennial voice.

Welcome to the show.

Thanks for having me.

Maggie, your first novel was a huge hit.

But this was published almost four years ago.

Did the unexpected success of this first book

contribute to the delay in the publication

of your second novel?

Well, I'm a methodical writer.

So the deal that I got was for three books,

and I've been dipping into the subsequent ones

at the same time.

So three more books are coming out in the next few months,

is that right?

Well, that's a question for my agent.

Mm.

Are you ready to jump into the allegations

surrounding your first book?

If we must.

Did you or did you not plagiarize

a large portion of your first novel

from your former colleague Olivia Breck?

The truth is, is that there might

be some superficial similarities between her novel and mine,

but that's truly a function of the fact

that we had shared interests-- JESUS CASTANEDA: Maggie.

- -as friends.

Maggie, your novel was a New York Timesbest seller.

It got Oprah's stamp of approval.

Thank you.

OK?

And yet Olivia's novel was never published.

Well, that's the way it goes sometimes.

It's a brutal business.

You know that.

So just so we're clear here, you're denying these allegations

of plagiarism.

Yes, unequivocally.

- And I've denied them every time. - I find it curious that--

MAGGIE: I would never do something like that.

- -you've yet to release your second book--

MAGGIE: And I'm starting to wonder why we're not--

- -and yet here we are discussing allegations--

- -considering the fact that maybe--

JESUS CASTANEDA: --of plagiarism about a book--

- -Olivia is just jealous of me.

- -that may not even be yours at all.

I didn't agree to this. We're done.

JESUS CASTANEDA: This is-- no, you did agree to it.

Well, I'm-- I'm disagreeing to it now.

Well, that's clearly not how it works.

There's also not-- there's no exit over there.

Please, Maggie.

If you would-- if you wouldn't mind--

Maggie.

Hey.

OK.

Well, glows with self-confidence and wild confusion is right.

MAGGIE [ON VOICEMAIL]: Micah, I honestly didn't think

I would ever call this number.

I got your message.

And I'm just going to be upfront with you.

I wasn't planning on responding, and I think

a reunion is a terrible idea.

But I don't really want to get into it,

and I really need to get away for a while.

So I'll do the movie, but only if you promise

to be on your best behavior.

She's in.

We're all set.

Well, I thought it'd be better for you to catch that on camera.

[sighs] It's going straight to voicemail.

Why didn't you tell me sooner?

[knocking on door]

Do you think that's her?

[door knock continues]

SCOTT: Micah, it's Scott.

I need help with my bags.

MICAH: Scott, it's 11:00 PM.

You live in New York.

Bring it in.

It feels so good to hug you again,

but I'm not getting enough effort on your part.

Come on, bring it in, really.

Ow.

That was a good squeeze.

Grab a bag.

You didn't think to give me a heads up here?

[chuckles] Hey, look, reunion, baby.

What is all this stuff?

SCOTT: Don't worry about it.

Come on.

What is this?

What, you're filming already?

Yeah, the behind-the-scenes access is sort of all-inclusive.

I-- I don't make the rules.

He kind of looks like Gabe.

I don't see it.

Look at his cheekbones.

What's your name?

Tommy.

You know you look like Gabe's, like, long lost twin.

Can I call you Gabe?

So, how'd you two meet?

Scott, stop talking to Tommy.

All right, fine.

Gabe.

So I got some delivery.

I hope you guys like noodles.

[tv playing]

We're going out into the desert, and it's a reunion.

And I just flew here from New York,

and turbulence that puts your whole life into perspective.

Why aren't you eating?

I'm gonna.

All right.

Oh, let's go shot list.

Oh, I mean--

[tv playing]

[birds chirping]

I don't even know where this stuff came from.

Oh, I gotta get this.

Oh.

Oh, camera meets camera.

[chuckles] Come on out.

Micah, get out here. Come on.

- MICAH: What is all this stuff? - Don't worry about it.

Don't worry about it.

Look, I started an LLC just for the shoot.

Check it out. We got a company credit card.

So I think I can just write all this stuff off.

There's no money in any of this.

Yet. We haven't made the movie yet.

Yeah.

Look, we have an opportunity to make something great, OK?

I took your script, and I'm making it more surprising, more

entertaining, more intriguing.

So when people walk out of the premiere,

they're going to say, my god, I didn't see that coming.

That was amazing.

I loved it, and I can't stop thinking about it.

And then we're going to realize that we made

some true art together, and we made

something that really matters.

How much is this microphone? SCOTT: Don't worry about it.

We don't have the resources for any of this, Scott.

SCOTT: Look, I'm going to show you an example.

You have the pogo man riding a pogo stick, but he's implied.

Like, he's not even there.

We're cheating that?

No.

The pogo is the star, Micah.

And we're going to ride that star all the way to Sundance.

Oh, my god.

Hmm?

- I don't think I ever-- - You want to try it?

[indistinct] with this.

You want to try it?

And I don't think I can do this.

- Come on, what's the matter? - Oh--

- Is it Maggie? - --it's nothing.

- Are you kidding me? - I'm just--

Just because you were crappy to her

doesn't mean she still doesn't care about me and Alice.

Right, because you and Alice are just great.

Yeah.

MICAH: Uh-huh.

Well, you know, it's interesting because you

talk about what happened with Maggie and I like--

[gulping]

MICAH: --I don't know, like you and Alice didn't go

through the exact same thing.

[gulps] Ah.

Look, we're out of coffee.

I'll brew some more.

You know what?

Why don't we just go to the desert right now?

[chill-out music]

RADIO HOST [ON RADIO]: Well, if you're strong of mind

or if you're strong of faith, then you can say,

today is not the day, demon.

Today is not the day.

The world is an overwhelming place if we let it be.

So strap in, because for the next 90 minutes,

I'm going to build you up.

I'm going to center you. I'm going to mold you.

Where did you find this?

RADIO HOST [ON RADIO]: And then I'm

going to throw you to the fire to fend for yourself.

I thought you found it.

RADIO HOST [ON RADIO]: But, dear listeners, fear is--

[laughter]

I don't know.

I don't know-- I don't know who this guy is.

I had this Andysaurus when I was a kid.

MICAH: There's another one over here.

Wow, you can go inside that thing.

What a weird dude.

He doesn't look too happy.

So what's the windiest you've ever seen in here?

MICAH: Well, it gets really windy

because of all the windmills.

SCOTT: Yeah, it's windy.

That's why they put the windmills here.

No, the windmills create the wind.

No, they don't.

It's-- the windmills are here because of the wind.

- It's not-- - But why would the windmills--

This is not a chicken--

Why else would the wind mills be here?

This is not a chicken and the egg situation.

It's definitely a chicken and the egg situation.

SCOTT: [chuckles] They're not fans.

They're windmills.

They capture the wind.

MICAH: And they push-- they push it out.

They create it.

SCOTT: No, they don't.

They capture the wind.

You're just-- you're just Messing with me.

I know you're just messing with me.

MICAH: No, it's a windy spot because there are

thousands of windmills here.

It doesn't mill wind into being.

I think we have to agree to disagree on this one.

[chuckles] Up the hill, let's see how close

we can get to that big one.

[wind breezing]

Hey!

Woo!

Come take a look at this.

Get this shot!

Yeah!

Looking good.

Oh, there's the sign over there.

- I'm on it. - Desert.

MICAH: Palm Desert.

Palm Desert.

This is actually where we're going to be, right in here.

SCOTT: I like how all the houses look the same.

They really like the garages here.

MICAH: They do.

SCOTT: Wow, they really like their garages.

MICAH: It's the giant golf course

in the middle of the desert.

Do you play golf?

No.

SCOTT: This changes things.

This does change things.

This is the futuristic dystopia that the script needed.

It is.

That's what this is, yes.

Oh, yeah.

Yes.

This is it.

Wow.

What is that?

[chill-out music]

"Got here early.

At the pool."

[birds chirping]

Looks like she's relaxing.

We should let her be.

Scott.

Maggie.

Oh my god, you startled me.

Have you seen all the shout-outs I've been posting online?

Every time I see your name, I blast it out to thousands

of followers, hundreds.

You know, Scott, I've been so busy recently

that I must have missed it.

Oh, that's fine.

You know, they stay up there after I post them.

Are you hiding from me?

No.

MAGGIE: Kind of looks like you are.

Yeah?

Kind of looks like your hair's blonde.

It's new.

Do you like it?

I love it, blonde Maggie.

You know, I'm taking a mental note of it.

You know I never liked blonde hair.

- I must have forgotten that. - Mm.

I'm cooked. Let's go.

All right.

Oh, that's fine.

We'll get in later.

[birds chirping]

Welcome to the house.

Let's go.

Let me show you.

I'll show you some things.

So it's actually a pretty roomy house.

You'll see enough room for us all to--

- [door alarm dinging] - -move around.

Here you go.

And here we are.

This is it.

It's a little beige, but it's all right.

[thud]

Watch that step.

Camera right?

All right.

So this is where you'll be editing.

At night, we can review the footage, make sure we have

what we need, anything we need to get.

This couch pulls out.

It's a fairly uncomfortable bed, but, you know,

you're in it to win it.

This is your zone.

This is the Tommy area.

No one else is allowed in.

And we'll make sure that's known.

[chill-out music]

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: There wasn't much happening yet,

so I gave myself a tour.

It was strange.

Micah's parents' house felt curated and abandoned all at

once, like an unpopular Airbnb.

Anytime I saw someone walk into this bathroom,

they'd immediately walk right out.

[door alarm dinging]

Micah, you were not a cool-looking kid.

MICAH: Well-- well, I don't know.

[vase breaking] Scott?

That's all right.

That won't happen again.

Maggie, you got to let me read a little excerpt.

Come on.

Just a taste.

No, the book's not finished yet.

I bet it's even better than the first.

You know, book of the year or bust, right?

You know, we should probably get Alice from the airport.

I can't go.

I got a lot to do.

I got a shot list.

And now, I got to fix that vase.

MAGGIE: There's no fixing that vase.

SCOTT: I can fix that.

I can fix anything with a little work.

Micah, you go to the airport.

I'll stay.

You two go catch up.

RADIO HOST [ON RADIO]: We were centered together,

and that's when I felt it, this movement in my pants.

Now, we've been married 20 years,

and the passion is still there.

But this was different.

I could feel the passion swelling, pressing

up, hard behind the zipper.

This was something that needed to be addressed.

I think my male listeners know exactly what I'm talking about.

So we rushed home.

We burst through the door, and within minutes, we were nude.

Now, as she ushered me into her deep and sturdy vagi--

MAGGIE: Hold on, hold on.

I got a text from her.

She says, "I'm at the fountain."

MICAH: Fountain?

What fountain?

Well, there's got to be a fountain

if she says she's at it. She says, "I'm at the fountain.

It's more efficient here."

What does that mean?

Well, she just-- she's standing next to a fountain.

I don't know. So she's not here.

Why would she be at the fountain?

Why wouldn't she just be right here?

She says it's efficient, OK?

She says, "I'm at the fountain.

- This is more efficient." - Efficient?

That's what she said.

I don't see a fountain anywhere.

I don't think there's a fountain here.

MAGGIE: There's got to be.

I'm sure we can find it. MICAH: She always does this.

MAGGIE: We're not idiots.

MICAH: She should just be at the terminal.

[cars whooshing]

Just so you know, I've got this virtual conference

happening tomorrow.

It's like an industry-wide thing.

They invited me to be on a panel.

It's only a couple of hours, but I'm

going to need a quiet room with a desk

and ideally, like, a really nice looking background.

Like, something straight out of Crate & Barrel.

Mm-hmm.

That shouldn't be an issue, right?

Um--

I don't know.

Scott's pretty deep into rewrites right now.

What?

[laughs] You're letting Scott rewrite?

Yeah.

Well, I mean, it's still my script.

Scott's just adding his own flourishes.

All right.

That's very unlike you, Micah.

MICAH: It's not true.

I'm collaborative.

Maggie, what was Micah's line?

What did he used to say?

[laughs] "This is my script.

These are my words."

"This is my script.

These are my words."

[SARCASTICALLY] Ha ha ha.

[chill-out music]

How much you want to bet that Scott doesn't even say hi to me?

I was extremely productive while you were gone.

I got halfway through our prop list, and I prepped dinner.

And the best part of all, check it out.

Huh?

Good as new.

ALICE: What happened?

SCOTT: Oh, you know, production issues.

You know, it happens on every shoot.

Come on inside.

Let me show you more.

[door bangs]

MICAH: Not there are more towels.

You're good with just one?

I'm one person.

One towel is fine.

Why haven't I seen the script yet?

It's not like it's just you.

I haven't either.

You know I haven't forgiven you yet, right?

Come on, you're living in the past.

I'm a new, better Micah.

And you're not just saying that because there's

a camera filming you?

It's gonna be a blast working together again.

No pressure.

It's just for fun.

Does Scott know that?

SCOTT: All right, dinner's up.

Hope that's gluten-free lasagna.

Oh, part of it is.

I-- I forget which side, though.

I still can't believe you're not related to Gabe.

Oh, my god, he does look like Gabe.

You just want to see Gabe in Tommy.

He's all Tommy.

Oh, that sounds like something someone

who doesn't want us to know this is secretly Gabe would say.

[glass clinking]

This is a toast.

But it is also a reminder.

Tomorrow, we're going to be in the desert.

It's going to be hot, so we all need to stay hydrated.

Yes, Mr. Director.

I think we know how to handle ourselves in the desert.

Isn't that what we learned on that hike?

What we learned is that when your back is against the wall,

you lay down and die.

MAGGIE: Just a little overheated.

We should have left you behind.

We could have died because of your actions.

Positive headspace.

I need you all to stay in a positive headspace

for the duration of the shoot.

I wasn't being serious.

Yeah, just no talk about leaving other people for dead,

OK?

What I find so fascinating about that hike

was that it's probably the worst day of my life.

But at the same time, it felt really exciting, like we could

get through anything together.

Is that the message of the movie?

It's a work in progress.

Let's now talk about the movie tonight.

Tonight, let's stay hydrated.

Tomorrow, let's dive in fresh.

How about we get this thing started?

MAGGIE: Gimme, gimme.

ALICE: Hydration.

Slow down.

Slow down.

That's expensive.

I got it from a work thing.

You can't get that unless you know a guy.

But if I did find it, what kind of price point

would I be looking at?

ALICE: I'm saying you'd never find it.

I'd find it.

ALICE: No.

So I've decided not to drink for the duration of the shoot.

But I can still play Other Side of the Room!

MICAH: Yeah!

SCOTT: Huh?

[music beat]

Hot plate, hot plate, hot plate.

[upbeat music]

OK, here we go.

Here we go.

Good, good, good.

Ladies and babies, the game is the Other Side of the Room,

and the rules are simple.

Get to the other side of the room!

We better be playing with questions.

Question rule granted.

Any others?

Paddle points in play.

Paddle points in play!

Tommy, give us a countdown from 6 and 1/2.

6 and 1/2, 6, 5 and 3/4.

Hey, hey.

No, no, no.

Manipulative math.

1, 2, 3, time freeze.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: And that's how the game began.

A game that apparently had started

years ago back in film school.

Ready.

Hoop.

[giggling] Oh, shit.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: It didn't seem

like anyone was in a rush to get to the other side of the room

- and win. - Ooh.

Oh!

3 plus 2.

3 plus 2.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Instead, the game

broke down into challenges and tasks

and the occasional dance break.

[upbeat music]

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: What was Micah thinking?

If he was having any second thoughts about his plan,

he didn't show them now.

He even convinced me to have a few too many beers.

[laughter]

SCOTT: Tommy!

ALICE: Oh, Tommy.

MICAH: Tommy.

Tada!

[cheering]

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Eventually, the game

spilled out of the house and turned into second dinner.

[upbeat music]

It was amazing to see.

Micah had reconstructed what he lost all those years ago.

And I was here to help him tear it down again.

[music stops, button clicks]

I better go back and explain before we go any further.

[rewind whirring]

Right about here.

[button clicks]

Other stuff happened.

They're kind of toxic people.

Well, that's the thing.

They're going to think we're making this movie, this pogo man

movie.

But the reality is that you and me,

we're going to make a documentary

about how bad things get.

I mean, yeah, it's irrelevant though.

We're never going to make it anyway.

It's going to be far more entertaining for an audience

to watch the whole thing gloriously--

[popping sound] [scoffs] Man, I'm sick and tired

of doing things the right way.

[signal ticking]

Micah was setting up his closest friends for failure.

It may have been my own masochistic side rearing

its ugly head, but by this point,

I was fully committed to capturing it all go--

[popping sound]

SCOTT: OK, bedtime.

Call is 7:00 AM sharp.

I needed this.

MAGGIE: I think we all did.

Hear, hear.

Thanks for getting us all back together, Micah.

My pleasure.

I think I'll go to bed as well.

[door closes]

[fountain sprinkling]

SCOTT: Wheels up in 10.

Ugh, I brushed my teeth three times this morning,

and all I smell is garlic.

You wanted to prove that they tasted just as good, raw.

How much should I eat?

I don't know.

Like, 5, 6 cloves?

I hope you didn't do anything that stupid, too.

Morning.

Oh.

That Scott's bag over there?

He's sleeping on the patio?

Let's go make a movie!

Yeah!

[music playing on radio]

MICAH: Everyone good?

SCOTT: OK.

MICAH: Maggie?

SCOTT: All right.

Everybody listen up.

This script, this is out.

This script is in.

Don't worry about it.

It's a lot less dialogue.

The story sort of takes place in an alternate reality,

possibly the future, but it's not as important as the mood.

Micah and Maggie are about to meet long-lost Oracle

Alice in the desert.

At this point, there's only been faint hints of the pogo man.

I haven't felt this focused in years.

Uh, I thought this was a short.

SCOTT: We have 10 hours of daylight,

and we have 17 hours of content to capture.

It's go time!

Why aren't you more excited, Micah?

I'm driving.

[car door closes]

I'm not sure who's going to hold that,

but we'll get to that.

OK, do I have everything that I need?

I think I do.

Good, good, good.

All right, so I got my lavs.

Everyone's got their lavs, right?

Everyone's got their lavs? MICAH: Yeah.

- Everyone's got their lavs. - Yup.

SCOTT: I got the mixture on my belt.

I'm going to roll the camera when we're ready.

Leave the bounce.

I don't want to fake any light today.

I'm on camera, handheld, lean and mean.

That's how we roll today.

You're not even going to be in this anymore?

I am going to be in it.

I am the director and DP and Pogo Man.

But there's no pogo today.

Like I already told you, today's all about setting the mood.

Wait, why would you play the pogo man and not yourself?

You were with us when it happened.

Maggie, I'm directing.

You're taking direction.

It's a valid question.

What are we even doing here?

SCOTT: Here, just put this on.

- [poof] - Christ.

MICAH: It's burlap, Alice. Burlap it up.

- Come on. - All right, let's head out.

This is like just-- SCOTT: Come on, let's head out.

Let's frame this puppy.

ALICE: I'll be right there.

[chill-out music]

Who are the cactus senate?

They're the ones that sent the pogo man into exile.

You are the ones that found this camp of pogo followers

and convinced them to take a spot on the rightful throne.

After a space battle?

It's a moon battle.

So Palm Desert's like this dystopian society out here?

Yeah, the Palm [indistinct] is the place that

- Micah and Maggie escaped from-- - Can you hear me?

Dammit.

- -with the help of Oracle Alice to find hope and love.

Of course.

But these trails up here, we got

to do something to be able to frame

out all these hikers over here.

What is this?

Then we got to find a way to be able to frame

out all these houses and these stores over here.

I thought you said it was in the middle of nowhere, Micah.

MICAH: It is.

This is a huge problem.

I need to get somewhere with better reception.

SCOTT: No, you need to get somewhere with less reception.

Yeah, you were supposed to be off for this, Alice.

I can take time off, but I can't be offline.

No, you have to be offline for this.

Look, I have too much at stake here, OK?

ALICE: What are you even talking about?

Look, I'm talking about true art,

and I'm talking about something that matters here.

This is arts and crafts.

Like, you didn't even do any planning.

- It's called pre-production. - Did you look at the script?

Everything is on the page.

And the vision is in my head, Alice.

I can do this.

We can actually do this.

Totally. Makes sense to me.

I'm with you.

Look, why don't you just go to the top of the hill up here

and see if you can get some better reception?

Take your call, and we get this shot.

- ALICE: I will do that. - All right.

And then just stay in character, and then I'll kill you.

- ALICE: Cool, thanks. - Hey, don't worry about her.

You're doing great.

[sighs] I hope you two are ready to get emotional.

[grunting]

[growling]

[growling]

[growling]

No, no.

Wait, wait.

No, it's fram, ah, eh.

Not fram, eh, eh.

ALICE: Hello?

Just do it in the order of the script, OK?

The order matters. ALICE: Can you hear me?

Back to one. Back to one.

This is horrible.

ALICE: Hello? Shit!

Ugh.

Alice, stay in character.

Uh!

Yeah, good, good, good.

I think I'm going to go take a walk.

Oh, come on.

We got, like, a half a good take.

We got this.

Wait, no.

Wait, no, I was pressing pause.

We don't have anything yet.

ALICE: Stop filming!

I need to get back to the house now!

Ugh.

I need my Zoom background.

I just-- I need it somewhere with reception.

Let's just go, now.

[vomits, coughs]

Oh.

Oh.

Where are you going?

Get back here. Come on.

Let's keep going.

MICAH: Maggie. Maggie.

Stop.

No, I don't want this.

It's not good for us.

I disagree.

We were drunk, and that's all it was.

I was barely drunk by the end of it.

Now, see, with us, it's the same thing every time.

I feel used.

Oh, no, you don't.

This is exactly why I didn't want to come.

When, last night?

[chuckles] Why is he filming this?

This isn't part of the movie.

I-- I have no idea.

Wait, Mag-- Tommy, come on.

This is serious.

Maggie.

I didn't know.

[car whooshing]

So far, so good.

Did you catch Scott throwing up?

There's no Wi-Fi in my room.

Get out.

Get out.

That means you, too.

[bird cawing]

[pen scratching]

[phone buzzing]

[sighs]

[yawns]

[phone buzzing]

I was there.

I just-- you must have signed on late

because my-- my internet dropped out,

like, halfway through the panel.

Yep, I can--

OK.

Yep.

Uh, yeah.

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.

I will send that email.

[door opens and closes]

[phone buzzing]

Oh, shit.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: I couldn't be everywhere all at once.

So Micah and I planted secret microphones

all over the property in order to not miss anything.

Sometimes the mics picked up things they

probably shouldn't have heard.

MICAH: Maggie, put-- no, push your leg up.

No, it's too far.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: But other times, what

they recorded was essential.

OLIVIA [ON PHONE]: So I saw your little interview.

MAGGIE: Oh, did that air?

OLIVIA [ON PHONE]: Stop playing so innocent.

Everyone can see through your lying.

I think it would be best if we just put all of this behind us.

OLIVIA [ON PHONE]: Great.

So whenever you're ready to admit

to everyone that you ripped off my book, we can do that.

Is that really what happened?

OLIVIA [ON PHONE]: You weren't even smart about it.

You're so cocky, you wouldn't get caught.

What do you want me to say?

OLIVIA [ON PHONE]: I want you to say the truth.

Your book wouldn't exist if you didn't ripped nearly all of it

for mine.

And so what if I did?

What's done is done.

OLIVIA [ON PHONE]: Then I'm coming for you.

What?

OLIVIA [ON PHONE]: I'm coming for you, Maggie.

I'm going to fuck up your whole shit.

[busy line tone]

[chill-out music]

[distant chatter]

Sure could've parked closer, Scott.

Today, we are going to seriously

break down that script.

Uh, it's barely a script.

Oh, it is a script.

It is a new script.

It is a real script.

Look, I get it.

Yesterday was tough, and we bit off way

more than we could chew safely.

So today, we are going to take, let's say,

some antacid in the form of prep and rehearsal

for tomorrow's scene.

Welcome to Pogopolis.

[micah claps]

It's scene 54.

OK. SCOTT: Scene 54, yeah.

K, k.

Um, this is the scene where Micah, Maggie, and Oracle Alice

arrive at Pogo Camp.

No, Pogopolis.

Paint me a picture. ALICE: They arrive.

SCOTT: Right, right.

And there's pogo trials going on.

- SCOTT: Everywhere. - And there's bonfires.

- SCOTT: Yeah. - And the pogo man is there.

Yeah, Yeah.

ALICE: And then the pogo--

Yeah.

ALICE: --star cycle begins.

Yes!

Until the moon squad shows up and kidnaps everyone.

Yes, they're lunar lords.

But yeah, that's the whole scene.

See, that's not that hard to follow.

Pogopolis is the land of triangles.

And every single extra out here is

going to be bringing their own homemade

flag with them, just like this.

Well, not quite like this.

Everyone's going to make their own.

But we'll get to that.

[tape ripping]

[car whooshing]

Let's say we get 100 extras tomorrow.

I'm fine with that.

I can make that look like 10,000 people.

It's easy as long as we get the lighting right.

You know what I'm talking about, right, Gabe?

Yeah, well, I got enough of these to cover everything.

[balls bouncing off]

SCOTT: Ready? ALICE: Yeah.

SCOTT: Here we go.

[metal clanging]

I got it.

- Yes, you do. - Oh, I don't--

I don't have it yet.

This is where the lunar lords meet

the pogo army for the climactic battle scene right here.

MAGGIE: And are you going to hire

a visual effects house to add all that action unimposed?

SCOTT: Well, I could see us enhancing what

we shoot with CGI, but I don't want to have

to fix anything in post.

You know what I'm talking about.

You know how I storyboard.

You know how I frame shots.

Frame what, though?

There's nothing out here.

[mellow guitar music]

[metal clanging]

MAGGIE: All right.

SCOTT: Maggie, you're on flag duty.

Micah, you and I are on portal duty, OK?

[metal clanging]

I go like this.

[mellow guitar music]

You're over here.

Lower, lower, lower.

Ready?

Stick your butt out, come on.

No, no.

No, no, no, no.

- Straighten out, yeah. - Straighten out.

Deep breath.

Got it straightened up.

We'll try to compensate. MICAH: Touch it.

SCOTT: As long as you don't touch the metal.

It burns like fire.

It's like the wind up plastic.

The thing is that we don't want people just roaming

through the portal by accident.

Good, good.

Mah!

[growling] Marh!

Marh!

Come on!

Rah!

All right, does everyone have their power objects?

Does everyone have their power objects?

Yes, sir.

Great, OK.

1, 2, 3, forwards.

One step, one, left, towards me, right.

1, 2, 4.

1, 2, 4.

1, 2, 4.

This is 12 o'clock. This is 4 o'clock.

Ready? Up.

4 o'clock.

Can you count us in?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1, 2, 3, and up, and oh.

1, 2, 3, and up, and oh.

Five more times.

1, 2, 3 and up.

Everyone!

And oh.

Oh.

My head hurts.

MAGGIE: Well, you're slapping yourself.

Let's try something out with Micah.

Micah, let's get set up.

Let's-- let's plan the shot.

[metal clicking]

Nice and steady.

Got it. Got it.

- Got it. - I got you.

Oh, my god.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

SCOTT: Tommy's good.

Look at this thing.

This is going to be tough.

Yeah, because you never take the easy way.

Well, so tell me straight.

Do you think we're actually going to be

able to use this out here?

[laughs] I mean, I don't know.

This is kind of ridiculous.

Like, I mean, I'm trying to get into it.

Yeah.

You know, I'm trying to go with the flow.

I think we all are trying to make the best of it.

But it doesn't really make much sense, Scott.

So is that why you were making your own storyboards?

See, I thought you were busy at night making really--

really, like, important work phone calls and stuff.

Yeah, work's not very happy with me right now.

I can help if you want to actually make

something that's watchable at the time and resources

- that we have. - I know you can help.

I just don't want your help with that.

Well, you need it.

So where were you on Flash Bang, hmm?

So why'd you leave me alone on that shoot?

Do you have any idea how much that hurt me?

Because this is what you do.

You don't pay attention to what's going on with me.

What are you talking about? I listen to you.

Scott, Janey was in the ICU at the time.

What are you talking about?

My sister was fatally ill.

You didn't say anything about that.

Of course, I did.

[laughs]

So that's why you cut me off?

No.

You left for New York without me.

You're the one who bailed.

I'm listening now.

Is it too late for that?

I don't know.

What is the one thing that you think

that we can do with our limited resources

here on this shoot that would make this a win?

Don't try to direct, shoot, and pogo.

Let's find someone who actually knows what

they're doing with this thing.

[sinister music]

[toy squeaking]

Someday I'm going to have a son,

and he's going to love this stuffy.

I wish I didn't have to steal it at all,

but times is tough in my life.

[light clicks on]

[woman screaming]

Oh, man, I've been caught.

Are you robbing me? [baby crying]

ROBBER: What does it look like?

My mother's struggling, and I have to provide

for her and my family.

I'll call the cops.

Don't make me use this.

I've used this before.

Beat a man's skull in.

He was skull-less. [baby crying]

I remember the day like it was yesterday.

There was dew in the air all day long.

It was all day dew and not the morning stuff.

And I beat him.

[siren wailing]

I beat him, and I beat him.

And I can't stress enough, there was dew, like at 3:00 PM.

And I'll do it again.

So I beg you not to call the cops

because I have used this bat, and I will use it again.

This man is a poet, and he doesn't even realize it.

Just like pogo man.

This is our guy.

Him?

You know who this is, right?

No.

It's Nicky Fried.

Nicky Fried?

No.

Tommy, you know who Nicky Fried is, right?

Oh, come on, Nicky Fried.

He guest starred as a kid on Dharma & Greg,

Ally McBeal, Party of Five.

He hasn't been in anything in, like, 10 years.

Even better. We'll put him back on the map.

He does have a lot of passion.

That man is crazy.

Whatever he's doing in that scene,

that's what he's like in real life.

Look, the movie's evolving.

It's getting bigger.

And we need a charismatic pogo man, or there is no movie.

Alice said so.

She told me to find a new PM, and I found him.

You're going to send that guy down a mountain on a pogo stick?

He's gonna nail it.

It'd probably be fine.

No, he's going to die, and we're going to be murderers.

And Tommy's going to have it all on camera.

There's going to be motive.

I do not need this on top of everything else in my life.

What do you mean by that?

She is so negative.

You know what, I'm just going to message him.

He's not going to respond anyway.

[message notification tone]

He just responded.

"I can do anything, so I can pogo.

Just make sure there's a chicken parm with my name on it."

Nicky Fried?

Where can we get a really, really

good chicken parm around here?

Anybody know where we can get a good chicken parm?

Anybody know where we can get a real good chicken parm out here?

I think anywhere, Scott.

[car engine roaring]

[music playing on radio]

Oh.

[laughs] It's so good to see you.

How are things going?

Is everyone excited to see me?

Well, I didn't tell anyone you were coming.

Time for Carlo to shake shit up, then.

All right.

[grunting]

Yeah, yeah.

[grunting]

- Yeah. - No, come on.

Rubah!

[growling]

Come on, passion, Maggie. Passion!

Come on, you know what passion is.

Be back with you and Micah used to make love.

- Come on. - Both of you, stop using that--

[loud thud]

SCOTT: Oh, my god.

That was incredible.

I'm all right. Just missed the stuff.

You didn't tell us Carlo was coming.

Who the hell is Carlo?

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Micah claimed to be

a heavy smoker, but this was the only time I

ever saw him smoke a cigarette.

MICAH: He's going to catch on to us.

And he'll tell Alice right away that the movie is fake.

Now?

Are you kidding me?

We just need to keep an eye on him.

He just arrives unannounced?

He's not a good guest.

And I've been a great host.

I think Alice is plotting something.

It's weird.

It's all weird, man.

[door creaking]

Did you hear all that?

I did.

Look, it sounds worse than it is.

It sounds like you two are up to something,

and the movie's not real.

We're making a documentary about the making of the movie.

Why?

That sounds boring.

Boring?

You just don't get it because you don't do film.

It's going to be great.

But you can't tell Alice.

Why would I not tell her?

Because then that's the end of it.

She's happy being with us again.

I know you're looking after her, but you're new on the scene.

And I know her better than you do.

[door creaking]

[pen scratching]

I just heard something I need to tell you.

ALICE: Can it wait?

Trying to salvage this Pogopolis scene here.

I think this works.

It's about Micah.

ALICE: Don't worry about him.

- He's an asshole. - I know.

That's what I'm trying to tell you.

ALICE: I'm really glad you're here, but I need to work.

[pen scratching]

Why didn't you tell anybody that I was coming?

I don't know.

Maybe I was thinking about a potential getaway.

Well, your boss called.

He said you're missing deadlines, and he's worried.

Carlo, I can't do this right now, OK?

I just-- I need to work.

My leg is fine, by the way.

[door closes]

[utensils clinking]

SCOTT: Dinner's up. [thud]

Ow!

All good!

So you drove out from Minnesota?

You betcha.

How long are you staying?

Open-ended?

What were you and Tommy talking about--

So, Alice, how's prep for tomorrow going?

Looking forward to the day.

Thank you, Alice.

This production may be more challenging than I anticipated.

It's a reunion.

Ah, a reunion, and a reunion is all about bonding.

And you know how you bond?

You bond by being in the trenches together.

We need to get in the trenches even deeper.

That's how we fix everything.

Do you have a point?

I do have a point.

I propose that we get up bright and early tomorrow

morning, head out, and do a series of group warm-up improvs

together.

Right before a full day of production?

That sounds brutal.

I think it would be really good for us.

I'm in if Maggie's in.

Shut up.

But, yeah, I'm in, too.

OK, I'm in.

I need some Scott time.

Good night.

[door opens and closes]

I swear he's not sleeping in there.

I keep finding blankets on the patio.

Anyone need some Carlo time?

[chill-out music]

ALICE: Yeah, I found this.

No scoring, yeah.

MICAH: Out.

Where do you pee around here?

Go anywhere.

Piss on a palm tree, it's no big deal.

[wooden racket drops]

I want to be with you again.

[chuckles] You're relentless.

We're the best versions of ourselves when we're together.

You're only saying that because you're high.

No.

I'm seeing it clearly because I'm high.

Wait.

Was this movie just a ploy to get us back together?

No, of course not.

You promise not to get mad?

No.

Do you promise not to get annoyed?

No.

This whole movie, it was never the real plan.

The behind-the-scenes that Tommy's shooting,

that's the real movie.

I asked Scott to direct it because I

knew he was incapable of making it small and doable.

So I've encouraged all of his ideas.

But now, I have this fear that it's all going to end with him

dead, falling off a mountain.

But if he pulls it off, it might have the ability

to heal us as a group.

So that's what we're doing here, healing?

I mean, it did bring us back together.

[distant chatter]

CARLO: Yours goes all over the place.

Mine goes--

What if I told them right now?

Carlo figured it out in, like, two minutes.

But don't tell Alice.

She'll blow up everything.

Let's just finish this.

For once, let's finish something.

You know I can't do that.

I'm a terrible liar.

You mean like how you plagiarized your first book,

and now you got nothing?

You tipped your hand earlier when

we talked about Nicky Fried.

Tommy's filming everything.

There are mics hidden everywhere.

So I went back and listened.

And I heard your phone call.

Are you blackmailing me?

No, it's a secret for a secret.

It's really complicated.

I'm sure it is.

You're a piece of shit, Micah.

I know.

CARLO: Ice cream.

ALICE: Ice cream.

Ice cream.

Who wants to go?

- Ice cream! - Ice cream!

Ice cream, ice cream.

Every day, I do not say the pogo may come this way.

Pogo may what comes this way.

Hip, hip, hooray.

And that is why I say--

[laughs] [coughs] Whoa.

[sniffles]

[SINGING] And they say, Dombery Bay

Hey, Dombery Bay.

And then we say, hip, hip, hooray

Every day, every day, Bombery Bay

[SPEAKING] That's what it is.

[SINGING] Beyond the Bombery Bay, a pogo man is what I say

Hey, hey, hey, Bombery Bay.

And what would he say?

Told you.

[chill-out music]

All right, everybody take a card.

Everybody take a card.

Come on, Alice. Here you go.

Why am I baker?

No, you're not supposed to say your profession out loud.

Here, take another card.

Butcher?

Are we all food professionals?

I'm a juggler.

See, Carlo's a juggler.

You're not all food professionals.

But now, you both need new cards.

For my own sanity, please do not read your cards out loud.

Imagine the four of you are being held hostage in a bank,

and you have to use the information on your cards

to work together to escape.

And go.

Maybe it'll help if you all get down on the ground

because you're all tied up. ALICE: Where's the rope?

SCOTT: No, the rope is in your mind.

I think we'd be able to get into the scene

better if we had some rope.

No, come on.

Somebody else, throw out an idea.

If I had a ball, I could throw it, like, really far.

- CARLO: Micah's a quarterback. - Yeah.

No.

No, no.

The point is not to guess each other's professions.

- MICAH: I need another one. - Here.

Does anybody have a knife?

I do.

No.

No real props.

Please put that away, OK?

Jeez, I'm trying--

I got one, too.

No knives!

I'm trying to team-build.

You don't want a team-build?

ALICE: We're burning time.

We should be making the movie now.

If only you knew, Alice. ALICE: What's that mean?

She's just angry because she's in love with me again.

Oh, shut up, Micah.

Fine, I will.

And then we'll all just die in this bank.

Robbers, come and get me!

Bang, bang!

OK, I'm dead.

Scene over.

Let's go make a movie.

Where's Scott?

You know, call time was 15 minutes ago.

Where is everybody?

No one reads fliers anymore, man.

You know, I at least thought this part of the day

was going to be an easy win.

I can fix this.

Now, all we need is just to figure out how to frame

out all the empty space, right?

You know how to frame out negative space, right?

Look, all we need is just one person, somebody, anybody here.

Then we can just kind of cheat this out,

make all this stuff feel bigger.

[metal clattering]

[screaming]

I give the chicken an 8.

Sauce is a 6, but cheese is a 7.

Overall, I'm satisfied.

[scott screaming]

Where's my director?

[screaming] This way is everywhere!

All of it!

I love his energy.

He's just re-imagining the scene.

We were expecting more extras by now.

See, that's your first mistake.

Never rely on anyone.

They'll kill you.

Unless they're me.

[scott continues screaming]

Blondie knows what I'm talking about.

Oh, god.

Let's get you ready.

One last delicious bite.

SCOTT: [screaming] Everything!

Hmm.

SCOTT: No!

[metal clanging]

All right, everyone's settled.

All right, we're in it, in it to win it.

All right.

OK, this is the moment in the film

that you're going to be coming down the mountain,

towards Pogopolis.

Look, eye line, hundreds of thousands of people.

I want you to get set up in your first position.

So I want you to kind of step forward a little bit like this,

and I want you to stand up on that rock

and look past me over here.

So to confirm, I am a god, right?

SCOTT: Yeah, in the context of this scene, yes, you're a god.

Yes.

Solid casting.

You are a god to the desert tribes, not the lunar lords, OK?

- It's important-- - Can we discuss that, though?

Because I don't think the desert tribes would be praising me

- after I turned my back on them. - Oh.

No, that's not-- no.

No, Nicky.

Kind of like you wrote the script,

but you didn't actually write the script.

SCOTT: You're wrong, Nicky.

I'm secretly a lunar lord.

[huffs] You were exiled by the cactus senate.

They are the ones that betrayed the desert tribes, not you.

Mm-mm, no.

Listen.

The lunar lords, they don't even invade

- Pogopolis until the midpoint. - That's-- no.

SCOTT: So how could you be a lunar lord?

NICKY: Dude, this is the part that you don't get,

is that I'm a lunar lord--

SCOTT: What are you talking about?

- -and an assassin.

SCOTT: That's not how this works.

The Pogo Man is just a front, man.

That's not how this works, Nicky.

NICKY: The Pogo Man isn't even real.

I don't want to write the script for you--

SCOTT: No, listen. NICKY: --but I will--

SCOTT: What are you talking about?

- -because you're in over your head, amigo.

You think you know my script better than I do?

I know I'm a lunar lord.

You think you know my script better than I do?

I'm a lunar lord, end of discussion.

- Is that what it is? - Come on, hey.

- You think you know my script? - I'm a lunar lord!

OK, come on.

Did you hear what he just said?

NICKY: I'm a lunar lord.

How could he think he knows my script better than I do?

- You OK? - God!

I'm a lunar lord.

SCOTT: I need one shot in the can.

Just let me get one shot in the can--

Focus, focus.

- -and everything is going to be fine.

He's toying with you.

It's going to be smooth sailing after that.

I just need one shot in the can, and then everything's good.

- Let me direct this scene. - No.

No, I can fix this.

I can fix this.

Let me direct or I'm leaving.

Don't do this to me, Alice.

Please don't do this to me.

[phone ringing] All right?

What is this?

What are you doing?

One second.

Seriously?

Hello?

Um, no.

That is not what's going on here.

I'm a failure.

NICKY: [SINGING] Lunar lord.

Lunar.

I mean, yeah, the whole thing's

going to fall apart without me.

Well, I'm sorry you feel that way.

Shit.

[animal howling]

I think I just got fired.

Holy shit.

It was a blessing in disguise.

No more distractions now.

I'm in this.

Let's get a shot in the can.

I can't do this, Alice.

I said let's get a shot in the can!

- OK. - All right.

- OK, all right. - You got a good frame?

- OK, I'm working on it. - OK, so--

[grunts]

ALICE: We're still shooting scene 67.

- This-- - All right.

- Are we rolling, guys? - No.

Oh, Nicky, wait for my cue. Just let--

- I'm actually feeling it now. - Hey.

- Sound speed. - Hey.

Camera roll.

ALICE: Focus, Nicky.

And everyone settle.

SCOTT: No, no.

ALICE: Come on.

NICKY: And action.

We're not rolling.

ALICE: Come on, dude.

Anyone can ride a pogo stick.

Only a god can make a pogo stick ride him.

Take note, sweet lips.

[metal clatters]

Woo!

Oh, shit.

Yeah, she likes me.

MAGGIE: Ugh.

All right, who wants to be my new pogo stick?

Yeah, Nicky, you're wrapped.

Just go.

We said $30,000, yeah?

Get off our set.

I'm out.

Lunar lord!

[thud]

CARLO: We have an extra.

Hi.

Lunar lord!

I think the movie's dead.

I just don't care anymore.

We'll figure this out.

We're not done yet.

What's going on there, Maggie?

I'm a fake.

[sighs] I feel the same way.

Maggie, you've been lying to us all these years?

What is this?

This is like a Micah move, not a Maggie move.

It's not my book.

It's Olivia's characters.

It's her plot.

She called me the other day and recorded

the entire conversation.

And now, it's up on the internet.

And I'm pretty sure I'm finished.

Any other secret conversations floating around?

SCOTT: What do you mean?

What?

Micah's has been lying to us this whole time.

Why do you think Tommy's filming this?

Behind-the-scenes.

[chuckles] Yeah, he played us all for fools.

This movie's about us, the for-real us.

And he hired Tommy to shoot it.

Tell him, Micah.

It's all true.

SCOTT: What?

It was so easy.

Carlo figured it out.

You knew about this?

Yeah, I tried telling you.

You didn't try hard enough.

What are you doing taking his side over mine?

Whatever, man. I'm out of here.

ALICE: You're leaving?

MICAH: Bye.

Take your stupid swirly clown sweater with you.

That was his brother's sweater.

MICAH: Who gives a shit?

He died serving in Iraq.

SCOTT: Oh, god.

Yeah, I can't catch a break.

[chuckles]

[scoffs] You can't catch a break.

Micah, you never believed that I could direct this movie?

MICAH: You can't be serious.

Of course, I didn't believe you could direct this movie.

It's been a disaster from day one.

Have you watched any of this crap?

It doesn't make any sense.

You made everything way too big, as always.

And, Alice, you're a control freak.

Maggie, you slept with me again.

I did.

Oh, keep it in your pants, Maggie.

I think we can all get past this with a little forgiveness.

Hey, fuck you, Micah.

I cannot believe I let you horrible people back in my life.

SCOTT: [screams]

So, is that a wrap?

GPS VOICE [ON PHONE]: Time to destination, 1 hour.

One more hour, and we're all free from each other.

The pogo man has spoken.

Yeah.

What's it like being unemployed, Alice?

What's it like being a failure, Scott?

SCOTT: Get off me.

Stop it!

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: I always knew we would

end up at a place like this.

It was inevitable.

Still, this didn't feel right.

The movie I was cutting together told a different story.

Why did you let me do this?

I just fully destroyed my three most important relationships.

Well, you hired me to do this, but--

There's no "but" in that situation.

Here, watch this.

[clapping]

ALICE: No more distractions now.

I'm in this.

Let's get a shot in the can.

I can't do this, Alice.

I said let's get a shot in the can!

- OK. - All right.

OK. All right.

All right, everyone, we're going to get a shot in the can.

Lunar lord.

You mean the world to me, Alice.

Come here.

I'm really worried about him.

I know how he is when he gets like this.

It's not your job to look after Scott, especially

not after what he did to you.

I don't think he's grown at all.

He's the same person he was when he moved to New York.

[chuckles] Yeah, like someone else we know.

I do really miss when you two were together,

but you can't do that again.

He's only gonna hurt you.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Did you see that?

Every part of my being is telling me not to trust you.

Maggie, you can trust me.

- Are you ready? - Ready.

Now.

Hey!

[laughs]

MICAH: Yeah.

No, listen.

I love that shot.

MICAH: Oh, yeah.

[laughs]

Wow.

- That is so wet. - Very nice.

I know.

Oh!

[laughs]

How about a sauce packet?

[laughs] What?

Well, OK.

Oh.

OK.

[grunts]

I got it.

I got it. I got it.

Look out! [laughs]

MAGGIE: Oh, my god.

Are you OK?

Oh, I'm so burst.

Move up.

You know, I've missed you.

The only way this is going to work

is if we always have the camera going to catch

people when they're unaware.

And they'll let their guard down, it'll happen.

What I'm saying is, never stop filming.

Never.

[metal clanging]

TOMMY: Micah, this is honest stuff.

You need to keep your reunion going

so we can finish this movie.

There's no way they're going to want to finish it.

You should just delete all of it.

No way.

You just have to be OK with being honest with yourself.

You're the villain.

You're always going to be the villain.

No one's going to trust you after this.

But you'd be an idiot to walk away from it now.

You really think so?

Let me pitch it to them.

[cicadas chirping]

[laughter]

MAGGIE [ON VIDEO]: Wow, very nice.

MICAH [ON VIDEO]: That is so wet.

SCOTT [ON VIDEO]: I know.

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: [laughs]

MAGGIE [ON VIDEO]: How about a sauce packet?

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: Oh, OK.

[grunts]

SCOTT [ON VIDEO]: I got it. MICAH [ON VIDEO]: Watch out.

ALICE [ON VIDEO]: Look out!

I thought this TV was broken the whole time we were here.

There was a mic hidden behind it.

Of course, there was.

That was really good.

Alice, no.

It was really painful to watch ourselves, but Alice is right.

I felt it.

I can delete all the footage, and we can go our separate ways

and just be done with it.

Imagine if we had just stuck with the original plan

and just made a short.

That's actually not the worst idea.

Alice, where's the big script?

It's right here.

Here, here, here, here, here, here.

Look, we take everything out of the script that we don't need,

right?

And we focus on the hike and the big reveal,

which is what Micah's original script

was about in the first place.

Exactly, how the hike changed our friendships forever.

Yeah, see, that is deep.

So you're really going to cut down your celestial pogo

odyssey into a short?

Yeah.

Look, I will rewrite this tonight if you

help me direct this tomorrow.

Really?

I was a jerk, and I was selfish.

And I really need to learn how to listen.

And I could start by taking some of your direction.

ALICE: OK, let's direct this together.

All right.

I miss filmmaking, and I hated my job.

I knew it, busted.

Hey, you are fully a plagiarist and a liar,

but I still support you.

And I believe in you.

Thanks, Scott.

And I believe in her, too.

What you did was worse, but it did bring us back together.

MICAH: So then you all accept my apology?

You never apologized.

I'll get the shutters.

I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

- Pfft! - Uh-uh.

- No. - Nope.

Not quite.

Again, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I was an asshole.

I was a liar.

I was being hurtful.

Mm, no, not buying it.

OK.

Nah. Uh-uh.

Sorry.

Pfft.

Uh-uh.

MICAH: I was being a dick.

I was only thinking about myself.

I hurt everyone I care about.

Nothing? SCOTT: Nothing.

Pfft. Uh-uh.

I was being deceitful.

I was being dishonest.

I was being opportunistic.

I just feel like no matter what I do,

nothing's ever going to be good enough.

But this felt like something different, something real.

I'm just sorry it had to come at such a steep cost.

I've always been the villain.

And I'm ready to accept that now.

What does that even mean?

Tommy said it.

Oh, it's stupid.

But let's do the short.

And what about us?

No.

OK.

Keeping this going, it's time to let everything out.

Alice?

MAGGIE: Oh, my god.

I have always loved you.

Will you marry me?

[laughs] I'm sorry, Scott, but I don't feel that way about you.

All good, all good.

Everything in its time.

We're finishing this.

I need to prep.

Did that actually just happen?

I think it did, yeah.

Hey, Alice, wouldn't it be funny if I also proposed to you?

ALICE: No! MICAH: Fine.

Ugh.

Wasn't going to anyway.

Tommy, this is your movie now.

Do whatever you want with it.

[button clicks]

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Long story short--

[rewind whirring]

- -Scott revised his entire script in one night,

and we worked together as a team to make the pogo movie.

Somehow, the four of them had managed

to have that wild filmmaking reunion that Micah had

pitched in the first place, even if he

didn't mean it at the time.

[button clicks]

ALICE: Oh, all right.

Hey, look who's filming again.

There he is, hey.

Tommy!

Tommy!

Yay!

[indistinct]!

[laughs]

Scott!

Scott!

Scott!

Scott!

Who's ready for one of these?

Let's do it.

- You're gonna finally try this? - Yeah.

All right.

You're gonna do it?

- All right, all right. - Cheers?

All right, cheers. Ready?

- All right, I'm losing it. - OK.

1, 2, 3, cheers.

Cheers.

Hey!

Great work, Tommy.

Great work.

[laughter]

ALICE: You know what time it is?

MICAH: Everyone?

ALL: Other Side of the Room!

All right, all right, let's do it.

Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it.

All right.

Wait, so where's the other side?

[sighs] Let's just play until we're ready to go home.

[chill-out music]

[chanting] Hey!

This is it.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Inspired by his brief role as the pogo man,

Scott took a hard left turn career-wise

and got into the acting game back in New York.

I've actually caught him in his own commercial or two.

WOMAN [VOICEOVER]: Do not take Linvetropitor If you

are pregnant or overweight.

Side effects may include drowsiness,

dizziness, shortness of breath.

ALICE: [babbling]

[chuckles]

SCOTT: You really got to push it down.

I don't-- ALICE: This is like gale force.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Maggie went back to Chicago.

She admitted her wrongdoing, was dropped by her publisher,

and settled with Olivia Breck out of court

for an undisclosed sum.

MAGGIE: My career was going nowhere.

And when I met Olivia, I could tell she had something I didn't.

I never assumed that the book would

blow up the way that it did, but by that point I was in too deep.

Uh, what now?

Well, my new book is about a female plagiarist coming to

terms with her own plagiarism.

So it's a comedy?

Not really.

SCOTT: Go!

Go!

MAGGIE: We're gonna pogo through.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: Alice moved back to Minnesota

and reconciled with Carlo.

She left the corporate world behind and started

her own production company.

Alice ended up right where she needed to be,

as her own boss and her only employee.

Oh, god, don't push yourself.

Looking sharp.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: As for Micah, he listened to my advice

and embraced being the villain, which

is why he's now a successful Hollywood producer.

[chill-out music]

Steps right now.

Tommy.

TOMMY [VOICEOVER]: The next morning,

they each left the house one by one until only Micah remained.

The movie had managed to heal them as a group.

It was the last time the four of them

would ever be all together again.

Maybe Scott was right.

Maybe Micah's email would be worth something one day.

But was the pogo movie true art?

The jury may still be out on that one.

You decide.

[sweeping music]

Since the end of one journey approaching

and another beginning.

No more riddles.

I'm tired of this.

Blasphemy.

Let her speak.

[speaking gibberish]

[speaking gibberish]

Hope and love.

Hope and love.

Thank you, Oracle.

Don't thank me.

ALL: In the eyes of my eye, I see my time fly before my eyes.

To my eye, and I know I will cry.

The eyes of my eyes, I see my time fly.

In my eyes, in my eyes, and I know I will cry.

And I cry till I die, and I don't know why.

Imagine as far as you could think of.

I've journeyed twice that distance to return.

Hope and love is right, my dear companions.

Our days of isolation are over.

We will go to Pogopolis together and rebuild

what has been taken away.

You are saving me just as I save you.

MICAH: But how will we keep pace?

I'll pogo just as slow as I can go.

Mind the wet felt scraps, dear pogo man.

[metal rattles]

[wind breezing]

[birds chirping]

This is all my fault.

It's as much your fault as it is mine.

Not at all.

He wasn't what I expected.

I feel relief.

How so, Oracle?

[birds chirping]

Our lives are no longer tethered to the hope

of the pogo man's return.

It's liberating.

It's devastating.

It's the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

Pogopolis can't be too far away.

What's the point?

Let's journey elsewhere.

I guess this is what it's like to be on the opposite side

of the same coin.

[woman vocalizing]

[chill-out music]