Original subtitles

[ Graeme James´ "One Plus One" plays ]

[ Alarm beeping ]

[ Exhales deeply ]

[ Alarm stops ]

♫ One plus one has always made two ♫

♫ But I feel this could be different if I was with you ♫

Arlo, wake up.

First day of term.

Morning.

Morning.

Arlo, school!

-Yes, it is. -Okay.

You get your breakfast. I´ll grab your lunch.

Sorry. You want a cup of tea? Cup of coffee?

-Oh. Coffee, but I can get it. -No, no.

You sit down.

-There´s no food. -There´s plenty.

Is there a lid for this or is there one without the lid?

You can use a plastic bag.

And kill some dolphins while you´re at it.

Oh, wow. A high school dropout with a social conscience.

We have a lid.

Now coffee.

-George, don´t worry about me. -No, no. No trouble.

Do we have any maple syrup?

-What for? -Pancakes.

Pancakes?

Could you do that somewhere else?

The kitchen is where you make pancakes.

I can just get lunch at school.

And I just need you to sign this.

-Arlo! -Shay!

There´s no milk? Did you use all the milk?

-Dad, have you seen the time? -Yes. All right.

I can clean that up.

Uh, no. Shay can do it. She´s got nothing better to do.

Here you go.

-SHAY: I´m going back to bed. -Is that your plan for the day?

Not all day. Possibly.

Dad, come on.

It´s not too late to enroll if you´ve changed your mind.

Have a nice day, nerdy boy.

You too, dreg of society.

Help yourself to everything.

I´m just actually gonna head to work.

Okay. We´ll see you later.

♫ I feel this could be different if I was with you ♫

♫ If I was with you ♫

♫ One plus one has always made two ♫

♫ But I feel this could be different if I was with you ♫

♫ If I was with you ♫

GEORGE: They say he who expects nothing is never disappointed.

But sometimes all your expectations can be exceeded.

You wake up and discover you´re the happiest you´ve been...

-Dad. -Yeah?

Why are you smiling?

Was I?

Oh, I was just writing my column in my head.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

Okay.

TRACEY: Hi. Welcome. Haere mai.

GIRL: Hi.

TRACEY: Haere mai. Welcome.

Haere mai, Braden.

-Haere mai, Aroha. -Hi.

Wait. Why are you coming in?

To say hello to the new principal.

Haere mai, Arlo.

Hi, Ms. Dennis.

Just wanted to wish you luck on your first day.

Not that you need it.

Okay. I´ll see you later, Dad.

I can´t believe it´s his last year at high school.

Only seems like last week he started kindy.

Oh. Was he top of the class there, too?

Well, I don´t want to brag, but...

Haere mai, Lindsay. Jared, lovely to have you back.

Do I have to be in the same class as him?

Well, you didn´t pass last year, Lindsay, so you have to repeat.

We did talk about this.

Still sucks.

Good luck.

Thanks.

Off you go. You have a great day.

Doubt it.

-Haere mai, Billy. -Hello.

Billy not like school?

He likes learning.

He´d just rather learn things they don´t actually teach.

Like?

Uh, the migratory pattern of the bar-tailed godwit.

It´s a bird that flies from Alaska to New Zealand every year

and back.

-Why? -Oh, you´d have to ask Billy.

He´s a star-shaped peg in a hexagonal hole,

as I keep having to remind them.

There is no news, George.

But no news is good news.

Except when you´re trying to produce a newspaper.

They still haven´t filled the pothole outside of the museum.

What if I do a profile piece on the new high school principal...

How she´s feeling,

what are her expectations for the year.

You fill your boots,

and I´ll let you know if any real news comes along.

Someone put a road cone on top of the big pine tree

by the beach access.

-I think I´ll work from home. -Best place for it.

Well, how did it get up there, eh?

You calling it a day already, mate?

I´m working from home.

-What about you? -Oh, yeah. You know.

Not really. Something wrong?

Just feeling a bit, um...

Oh, your girlfriend´s back at work.

That´s exactly right, mate.

-What? You gonna miss her? -What? Miss her?

Mate, that´s the opposite of what I´m gonna do.

What, are you two not good?

No. She´s coiled up like an eastern brown.

Every time I try to help her, she just... kk! strikes.

I just saw her then, and she seems fine.

Yeah. Well, was she greeting every kid by name?

Yes, she was, actually.

Well, let me tell you, she´s not doing that in her sleep, mate.

It´s work, work, work, eat, work, work, work, sleep,

work, work...work...

Is this Tracey?

Yeah.

I just had my annual Billy chat this year with her.

And?

She´s convinced that Gateway is the appropriate path for him.

What´s Gateway?

It means he´s in with the numpties.

-Ah. -Did you just say numpties?

My Scottish grandfather used to call me and my brother that

all the time.

It means stupid.

No. It´s a term of endearment.

Isn´t it?

Uh, it´s a label, George.

A label that says you´re not academic

and you´re never going to uni.

Isn´t that determined by how many credits you get?

The right amount of credits in the right subjects.

And Gateway... They´re not the right subjects, George.

KATIE: It´s like work experience with a fancy title.

How to write a CV and so forth.

Well, that´s good, isn´t it? It´s quite practical, actually.

KATIE: Some parents love it.

My dreams for Billy were a bit higher

than working in a shop like his mother.

Well, the school system here isn´t simple, is it?

No. Apparently my son is, though.

Oh, I´m sure Tracey doesn´t think that.

Sure. Anyway, I´d better get going.

Great. Great.

So my girlfriend´s a stress-cadet workaholic

and now the most hated woman in Weld.

-[ Cellphone ringing ] -Oh, I´m sure she´s not.

Tracey.

George, why on earth did you agree to it?

Agree to what?

To Arlo throwing his life away.

I don´t remember signing this.

But it is your signature?

It is. I-I signed it this morning.

-Yeah. What is it? -You don´t know?

I, uh, I didn´t read it.

You didn´t read it?

Why don´t you tell your father what he´s consented to, Arlo?

Um, me changing subjects.

Not exactly changing subjects. Tell him what you´ve dropped.

Um, maths with stats

and physics and chemistry, but I´ve picked up...

Arlo has moved himself into the STAR program.

Oh, that sounds good.

So what´s the problem? Are his marks not good enough?

STAR stands for "Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource."

Which is where you can do work placement and get credited.

-Work placement? -Like an apprenticeship.

I didn´t think you could do apprenticeships

in medicine or science.

Well, I don´t want to do medicine or science.

For the STAR program, the school selects kids who are eligible.

I need to make this very clear. I was not involved in this.

Penny, in the office,

when Arlo approached her during the holidays,

put his name down without consulting me.

And the program accepted him, and you signed the damn form,

and now here we are.

But this says Gateway.

Are you telling me Arlo´s gonna be a numpty?

We don´t use that term, George. It´s offensive.

-Can I go to class now? -No.

Arlo, the thing is,

your marks put you in the top 3% of the whole country.

You could be earning credits towards a degree this year.

But I don´t need a degree for what I want to do.

Which is what?

I want to be a chef.

I want to own my own restaurant one day,

which is why I need to do food tech and hospitality,

-so I can start... -That´s not gonna happen.

You´re gonna do the subjects we talked about last year.

End of discussion.

Well, I don´t want to.

You know, and I think our form class has started.

-[ Door opens, closes ] -What just happened here?

You signed the damn form, George.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

GEORGE: They say he who expects nothing

is never disappointed.

And maybe they´re right.

Whoever the heck "they" are.

[ Music continues ]

[ Indistinct conversations, laughter ]

[ Talking stops ]

You may have taken a wrong turn.

No. This is where I´m meant to be.

You come to give us crap or something?

Maybe he´s come to be the teacher.

JARED: Yeah, right.

What are you doing here?

Same as you.

Is there no teacher?

Uh, it usually takes them a couple weeks

to find a teacher for the numpties.

You´d know.

Third-year numpty and counting, yo.

BILLY: Fourth.

Oh, I don´t count the last year because, you know,

I was, like, never here, so...

[ Cellphone ringing ]

Are you here because I ended up here?

No.

No. I´m here because I want a career in hospitality.

Yeah, right.

Shouldn´t someone go to the office

and let them know we´re on our own?

JARED: No.

´Cause we´re good here, actually.

[ Cellphone ringing ]

[ Grunts ]

[ Laughter ]

Get lost, d-bag.

[ Laughter ]

You take your life in your hands joining the numpties.

Hey, uh, is your, um, is your sister coming back to school?

No.

Yeah. No. I totally get it.

Like, I´m only here ´cause my dad wanted me to come to school.

Otherwise I have to work at the petrol station full time, so...

Yeah.

You sure you want to be a numpty?

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

GEORGE: In fact, Alexander Pope,

the 18th-century poet, said,

"Blessed is he who expects nothing,

for he is never disappointed."

But did this Alexander Pope guy have kids?

Did he not expect great things for them and from them?

I mean, it´s only natural, isn´t it?

[ Indistinct conversations, laughter ]

[ Up-tempo music playing ]

You almost got me.

SHAY: Hey, Dad.

-Ike bought milk. -Hey, George.

Isn´t it a bit late for breakfast?

We´re calling it brunch.

What are you actually doing, Shay?

Making pancakes.

Don´t worry. I´ll clean up after.

I mean with your day and then with tomorrow

and the day after that and the day after that.

I mean, is it too much to expect that at least one of my kids

will actually do something with their life?

I´m sorry. I´m having a...

Arlo´s become a numpty.

What, a school numpty?

-No. No way. -Yeah.

He´s quit his actual classes to do Gateway

because now he wants to have a career in hospitality.

Wow.

-That´s a bit unexpected. -You´re telling me.

But Gateway is awesome for kids that aren´t that academic.

But, of course, Arlo is completely academic,

which makes this an odd decision.

Yeah. I mean, what do they actually do?

They could spend the whole year watering pot plants

for all I know.

Actually, there was this numpty

who had a pretty big career in pot plants,

if you know what I´m...

No.

Okay. That´s a story for another time. Cool.

Pancake, George?

Look, when you´ve finished your brunch,

could you go and do something?

I don´t know. Go out and stop climate change.

Anything.

Actually, I´ve got something I can be working on

at the gallery...

Since you´re so worried you raised a numpty and a beach bum.

Tidy up before you leave.

[ Door closes ]

[ Cellphone ringing ]

Hi.

Hey. Did Arlo get to school okay?

He got to school, yes.

So you´re free to meet me for a coffee or lunch later?

Sure.

Is everything okay, George?

I´ll tell you when I see you.

Just come on in whenever you´re taking a break.

I will.

GEORGE: Here´s what you expect...

That your kids will always love you,

always need you, and always do...

what you thought they were going to do.

Maybe.

Maybe that´s stupid.

Did you know in food tech

we get credits for knife maintenance?

Well, knives are a chef´s most valuable tool.

[ Mockingly ] "Knives are a chef´s most valuable tool."

You´re the tool.

We should let Ms. Dennis know that no form teacher showed up.

Think about it, dummy.

If we don´t have a teacher, then we can do whatever we want.

Yeah, during form class.

Yeah.

Which is 15 minutes at the beginning of the day,

before we have to go to all our other classes.

So? What´s your point?

Isn´t it kind of insulting to the numpties

that everyone else gets a form teacher except us?

Yeah. Just ´cause we´re crap students.

We are still students, though.

We´re not crap students.

In fact, it could be argued that we´re the bright ones.

´Cause when it comes to getting a job,

we´ll be the ones with the skills, literally.

Yeah. Numpties rule.

ARLO: Just saying.

Yeah, Jared. Shut up.

Don´t tell me to shut up just ´cause you got the hots for him.

I do not. Shut up.

Actually, Lindsay, Arlo has a girlfriend.

You still seeing that Emma girl?

She´s in Stafford, but we talk every day.

Nice.

Dork love.

Works for me.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

Don´t. I want to finish this.

No. Finish it later.

I´m working.

This isn´t just a hobby for me, you know.

I never said it was.

Dad thinks it is.

Hey, your dad is a writer.

He can´t criticize you for wanting to be an artist.

Yeah, but he gets paid to write, so it´s a real job.

Okay. Hang on.

It´s really good, except maybe...

Maybe what?

It´s too small.

-You´re kidding, right? -No.

No, no, no. Okay.

I have an idea how this...

[ Shutter clicks ]

can be a real job, too.

Like, how cool would that be,

right there, covering the whole wall?

Like a mural?

Well, Weld can be pretty beige at times.

And it would brighten things up a bit.

IKE: Exactly.

Go for it.

You´re serious?

I live in a house full of velvet Elvis hangings.

This is probably the closest to a masterpiece I´ll ever get.

Oh, my God. Yes.

As long as it doesn´t cost me anything, the wall is yours.

Thanks. Wow.

Okay.

How am I gonna pay for this?

I mean, paints, rollers, ladders.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Details.

Don´t worry. It´ll be sweet.

A real job means I get paid, not where I pay.

You get that, right?

Yeah.

Okay. Okay.

Let´s do some numbers and we´ll see what we´re up against, eh?

He´s obviously been planning this for a while.

Since he started working here?

No. It has its roots elsewhere.

A few weeks ago, he did mention hospo as a career.

And I said to him, "If you´re serious about this,

here´s what you need to do."

You told Arlo to take Gateway?

No. I told him to ditch school completely.

But Arlo didn´t ditch school.

He´s still there. That´s a good thing.

And now he´s a numpty,

which is apparently an offensive term around these parts.

To some of us, yes.

Because "numpty" means the same as "stupid."

But that was okay, because we got out and worked

and made money instead of wasting our time studying.

So the rest of them can suck on that.

Hannah, could you grab us some flat whites, please?

Mm.

Sorry.

Don´t worry about her. She´s fine.

Arlo´s the important one here.

He knew I´d hate the idea, which is why he lied and deceived me.

That´s not who he is.

You know, my son doesn´t lie to me.

God, he´s too bright and got too much going on

to waste his life at a bloody restaurant.

I might just grab us some water.

Oh, shoot.

Sorry, Fiona. That´s not what I meant.

I know.

It´s just that what I imagined for my kids wasn´t...

I don´t know.

It´s one of the reasons you have kids, right?

So they can be a better version of you?

I don´t know, George.

I might be out of my depth there.

Sorry.

I´m gonna nip this in the bud.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

I am very sorry

if I was rude about the Gateway students this morning.

We just don´t call them numpties because it has connotations.

And it really is an excellent program.

I´m sure it is, but not for my son.

-Do you agree? -Look, George.

Weld District High School has never had

what you´d call an outstanding or even acceptable pass rate

when it comes to NCEA.

So when a student as bright as Arlo comes along...

Yeah, I know.

And I´m sorry for signing the form.

That didn´t help matters.

Well, he seemed pretty determined, so...

Yes. Well, so am I.

I´m gonna fix this.

And I just wanted you to know that by tomorrow,

we will both have our star pupil back.

-[ Cellphone rings ] -Fiona, hi.

I have decided what you need.

Dinner for two. My house.

I just picked up this really delicious steak, which...

I´m sorry.

Oh. You´re not able to?

I need to have dinner with Arlo and Shay tonight,

sort this school thing out.

[ Sighs ] Of course you do.

God. Sorry. I didn´t even think...

Do you want me to come over and cook for you?

Thanks, but I think it should just be us.

I´m gonna put my foot down, and it could get ugly.

Oh. This doesn´t sound good.

-Well, good luck. -Thanks.

Talk soon.

GEORGE: You can sit around expecting something to happen

all you want.

But when it comes down to it,

the only way to guarantee it happening

is to stop expecting and start doing.

I don´t know about this.

Let´s go. Let´s do it.

-Can we help you? -Yes. Um...

MONTY: Looking to buy, are we?

Young couple. First home.

[ Chuckles ] No.

But...

"But."

But we have an opportunity for you.

SHAY: Okay.

So I´m painting the side of the Super Store

with one of my artworks.

Uh, a Shay Turner original.

Except...I need a sponsor.

IKE: Her paintings are gonna be worth a lot of money one day.

Before or after she´s dead?

It´s very colorful. I like it.

So you´ll sponsor me?

No. Sorry.

If I said yes to everyone coming in here asking for money, I´d...

You gave money to the blind-dog people.

Guide-dog people. That´s a good cause.

And the surf lifesavers. Remember?

Yes. They were selling little pins.

So now you want us to give you money for your graffiti?

This is a community project

showcasing the work of one of Weld´s young artists.

And consider this an opportunity to make up for past grievances.

By me giving you money?

Come on.

You got a budget?

Yeah.

Whack a McNamara Realty logo on it somewhere,

you´ve got yourselves a deal.

-Are you serious? -I believe in second chances.

Right. Yep.

He means you.

You really want to give us money?

Anything that brightens up this town,

I´m willing to back that horse.

Thank you so much.

I have an idea for a mural.

No, Siouxsie. There are limits.

Hey. So you´re never gonna believe this.

Tell me while you´re setting the table.

So, Ike had this brilliant idea

that my work shouldn´t be limited to a canvas.

Just us tonight. Set it for three.

Oh.

Is this a compulsory family dinner I smell... about Arlo?

Okay.

Anyway, so we went down to the Super Store

and pitched this idea to Brenda, and she was in.

And Big Mac is even paying me to do it.

-Arlo, get back here. -I´ve got stuff to do.

What, a 1,000-word essay on the best deep fryer for hot chips?

Or is it a maths assignment

on the best way to divide up the contents of a tip jar?

You always say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit,

and I don´t really want to talk about anything now.

Fine. Fine.

But we will talk about it at dinner.

-I´m not really hungry. -CFD, Arlo.

[ Doors close ]

[ Cellphone rings ]

Yes, Gloria?

Did you do the profile piece on Tracey?

GEORGE: No. Tracey and I had other things to discuss.

Good, because I´ve got an actual story for you.

Something´s happened, George.

Brace yourself.

The Golden Seahorse-Shoe is closing down.

-The Chinese place? -Yep.

Because of its strangely incomprehensible name?

Mainly due to the continually underwhelming food,

but I don´t think the name helped.

It´s a play on words.

Horseshoes being lucky, Weld being by the sea,

where seahorses live, hence Seahorse-Shoe.

And this is our big breaking news?

Some dodgy restaurant is... is closing down?

GLORIA: Well, you didn´t know until I told you,

so it was news to you,

and it will be news to our readers, George.

Yes. Well, thank you, Gloria, for the heads-up.

But I´ve got to go.

TOM: It´s the male seahorse

who carries and gives birth to the young.

Did you know that?

No good?

Yeah. No. It´s not happening.

-Yeah. -Should´ve stayed in bed.

Now you´re talking.

Tell Tracey to write herself a sick note and join you.

Yeah. Good luck with that.

I have to practically make an appointment just to see her

now that she´s Principal Dennis.

-Must be hard, eh? -Tell me about it.

This new job, Hannah, it´s getting all of her.

There´s nothing left for me.

I meant for her, not for you.

Oh.

George was in today,

having a fit because Tracey let Arlo join the numpties.

You know, and from what I hear at work,

most of the parents only complain about the school.

-What, to Trace? -Sometimes.

But mainly behind her back.

Ugh.

Who´d want to be a principal, eh?

Well, she would. She was looking forward to it.

Yeah.

She´s probably looking forward to getting home to her bloke.

So make sure you treat her nice, eh?

Yeah.

[ Door opens, closes ]

TRACEY: Why is it so dark in here?

Oh.

[ Gasps ] Oh, wow.

Welcome home, beautiful.

Oh, my God.

You have no idea how much I need this.

It has been one hell of a day.

Well, then make yourself comfy and let me give you a foot rub.

-Seriously? -Yeah, seriously.

All right.

-Oh, that is amazing. -It´s good, yeah?

This conversation that I had today

with the chairman of the board of trustees was hideous.

He kept calling me "love."

I´ve got to get some allies on that board.

That is heaven.

Well, after this, dinner.

Then I´m gonna run you a bath,

and you aren´t even going to think about work.

[ Sighs ] I have to, Woody.

I was planning to work through dinner,

eat while I read this lot.

I´ve got to sort out some KPIs for the teaching staff.

And then, honestly, the parents I have had to deal with today.

-Seriously. -Yeah, I get it.

I get it.

I´m so sorry.

No. It´s fine.

Do you mind if I just clear this?

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Billy wants to know if he can practice his knife sharpening.

It´s for school.

Fine by me. Just ask Norman in the kitchen.

This morning, it was a disaster that he´d ended up in Gateway.

And now he can´t wait to go to school tomorrow.

-That´s good. -Arlo´s got him all inspired.

He wants to do hospo, like his best mate.

If only George were as pleased.

Oh, he´s not?

That´s funny.

How?

This morning, he was defending Gateway.

It´s different when it´s your own kid, though, right?

I wouldn´t know.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

The Turners are having a family dinner,

and I wasn´t invited.

And I know that I shouldn´t feel upset, but...

You do. I get that.

It can´t be easy for George

dealing with all this stuff without Laura.

Do you think that she was the one

that did all of the school stuff?

It´s usually the mums. We are stroppier.

But this family-dinner thing sounds like a calm

and sensible way to sort it out.

Hopefully.

You deliberately deceived me.

You wouldn´t have signed the form if you knew what it was.

-Damn right I wouldn´t have. -Maybe we could lower the...

Giving you permission to throw your life away.

-That is not what I am doing! -Well, I disagree!

I´m not him, Dad.

-Not who? -You know.

You think because he´s a screw-up,

all chefs are screw-ups.

My brother has nothing to do with it.

Well, why are you going so crazy?

Because your mum and I had plans for you!

How do you think she would´ve felt if she knew...

N-No. No way!

You do not tell me what she would´ve thought,

because I know!

She would´ve wanted me to be happy

and to do what makes me happy.

She wouldn´t be sitting there, telling...

[ Door closes ]

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

[ Birds chirping, rooster crowing in distance ]

-Morning. -Hey.

-Arlo up? -And away.

What, to school already?

I believe fleeing was the plan.

Dad, does it really matter

that he wants to do something he loves?

And your personal experience with further education

makes you an expert how exactly, Shay?

Right.

Your children are tragic disappointments,

complete failures, and terrible people.

I didn´t mean it like that.

[ Cellphone ringing ]

Tracey.

How´d we go? Getting staunch?

I may have made things worse.

No "may" about it.

I see.

I´m not sure what to do next.

Leave it to me.

Time for the big guns.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

[ Crane beeping ]

BRENDA: At it already?

Thanks to McNamara Realty.

What´s happening here?

They´re making Weld a little less beige, Sean.

Not without a permit, they´re not.

Get down here, please.

You had better be joking. Stay right where you are.

About needing a permit to paint public property?

I don´t joke about things like that, Brenda.

-Come on. Down you come. -BRENDA: This is my car park.

On land that´s leased from the council.

This is about the toilet-roll holder my mother gave us.

-No, it´s not. -It´s a toilet-roll holder.

-Get over it. -It´s shaped like a ballerina.

You leave my artists alone,

or I´ll get her to make a matching seat cover.

The council will not be threatened.

I´m calling her now.

You´ll need to come to the council office, fill out a form.

-And then can we paint? -Then a delegated council rep

will either approve it or not.

And who´s the delegated council rep?

I am.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Are you the teacher?

Course not. I´m the principal.

Has the reliever not...

I´m working on it.

Then there´s the state of the building,

and the furniture is falling to pieces.

Arlo, can you come with me, please?

I just mean, you know, we shouldn´t be treated

like second-class citizens just because...

It´s not something that you have to worry about anymore.

I´m taking you out of Gateway.

-OLLIE: What? -Why?

The school selects eligible students,

and you are not eligible.

-You can´t do this. -My office. Let´s go.

No.

-Ooh! -Go, Arlo.

Move it, or this whole class is on detention

for the rest of the week.

-Now, that´s not fair. -Are you serious?

-That sucks. -It was him. It wasn´t us.

Kia kaha, Arlo.

That means stay strong, Arlo.

JARED: Yeah. Kia kaha, geek boy.

-LINDSAY: Nice one, Arlo. -OLLIE: Keep cool, man.

Morning.

Hey.

Oh, are you working? I should´ve called you.

Well, I´m trying to.

The only news story in town is not actually a news story.

And then there´s my column.

I don´t know how you think about things to write every week.

I´m doing expectations

and how the kids you make grow up and shatter them.

Family dinner didn´t work?

Well, Shay giving me trouble, that´s to be expected.

You know, girls can be tricky.

Whereas Arlo, I just never expected...

I guess Laura was the one that used to deal with this stuff.

Why? Because she was the woman?

She was a lawyer, working all the time.

She certainly wasn´t doing the school drop-offs,

the teacher interviews, the parent fundraising committees.

I get it. Sorry.

Lately I just feel like I can´t say anything right to you.

There is no subtext here, Fiona.

This isn´t about me missing Laura or not coping.

I just don´t want my son wasting his life in hospitality.

Okay.

Then there´s no subtext here either, George.

I´ve been trying so hard to support you,

to not offend you, but you know what?

Bugger it.

I´m in hospitality, and I love it.

And your son was in his element at the Boat Club over summer.

[ Cellphone ringing ]

It´s Tracey.

You´d better answer it.

Can I call you later?

Just do what you need to do, George.

Tracey.

Please tell me the big guns worked.

ARLO: You can´t force me to study something I don´t want to.

TRACEY: Gateway is no longer an option for you.

What? ´Cause I´m not eligible.

-Did you make her do this? -Do what?

You can´t trick your way into getting what you want, Arlo.

Not without properly obtained parental consent.

No Gateway for you.

And I support the principal wholeheartedly in that.

You know, I´m 17.

I can actually leave school.

You wouldn´t.

-He wouldn´t. -I can.

And I will.

I do the course I want or I drop out altogether.

Oh, so now you´re blackmailing us?

-Let´s call it an ultimatum. -Let´s call it

I´m standing you down for two days effective immediately.

Fine.

[ Door opens, closes ]

[ Up-tempo music plays ]

-It´s packed up, mate. -Aw, great.

Oh. Board tossing.

-What´s up? -Can´t say.

Does it involve my missus?

George.

It does! It does!

Oh. She´s the most hated woman in Weld.

Nobody hates Tracey.

And I know the problem is my own,

but let´s just say I don´t think she´s entirely helped matters.

I´m sorry.

And it´s only her second day.

Sounds like your girl needs some stress relief...

The type only a boyfriend can provide.

Well, I would, except she´s too busy.

Okay, yeah.

I-I could suggest that we put aside some time to, you know...

"Put aside some time"? Oh.

How unsexy is that?

What am I supposed to do, Hannah?

Just walk up to her office,

sweep everything off the desk, and what, just...

IKE: But this is an artwork for the community.

It´s also an advertisement. Therefore needs a permit.

No, it´s not.

In that case, remove the McNamara Realty logo.

But then they won´t pay for the paint.

Yeah, or the cherry picker.

Such are the struggles of the modern artist.

But rules, young people, are rules.

Petty fascist.

I heard that.

Because I´ve got both my ears... Unlike van Gogh

and all those other artists your sort look up to.

All right. No arguments.

What are you doing here?

I am taking you to lunch.

Woody, I can´t.

I´ve got a numpty rebellion on my hands.

Okay. Well, then I´m taking you for a walk.

Woody, I can´t just leave school any time I want.

Okay, then. I´m taking you.

On that desk. Right now.

What? Are you insane?

If there´s a lock on that door.

´Cause if there´s not, that... that could be awkward.

Is this all just a big joke to you?

What?

I am working 24/7 being the witch.

I´ve got to stand people down.

And all I... all I want more than anything in this w-world,

is to just go and lie on my favorite beach in the sand...

I get... Trace. Trace. Babe. Babe.

Hey. It´s all right.

I´m gonna pick you up after work,

I´m gonna take you to your favorite nudie beach...

You don´t get it. I can´t.

Not anymore.

Because it´s too cold?

Because I´m the principal.

Right.

Principals don´t go to nudist beaches.

Um...

Can you please just go?

Yeah.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

Hi. Is your dad in?

Uh, at work. Sorry.

No. It´s fine. I just left my glasses.

How come you´re not at school?

I got stood down.

Yikes. Is this about Gateway?

I´m pretty sure Tracey only cares about her NCEA pass rates.

We didn´t have NCEA when I was at school.

Just School C, Sixth Form Certificate.

How´d you learn to do that?

Watching Norman at the Boat Club.

You know, there´s more than one way to skin a possum, Arlo.

We actually like possums where I come from.

Look, I get I´m not a parent.

I´m especially not your parent.

And every time I open my mouth, I seem to get it all wrong,

so you´d think I´d learn.

But...can I give you a suggestion?

Sure.

I don´t know what your dad´s problem is

with what you´ve chosen to do.

It involves family history between Dad and his brother.

Longtime bad blood.

Okay.

Well, is there any way that you could compromise on this?

Just meet him somewhere in the middle?

Because in my experience, to get a win-win situation,

generally both parties have to lose something.

You can tell me to butt out now.

No. I hear you.

Perfect.

Thanks.

"The local Chinese restaurant, the Golden Seahorse-Shoe,

is closing down, as its owners, Debbie and Gary Fong,

are returning to their hometown of Hamilton."

Hardly a surprise.

Their sweet and sour pork was neither one nor the other.

And it´s a total nonstory, but it´s the best I´ve got.

Mind you, Arlo could´ve done his apprenticeship there.

-Not ready to joke about it yet. -Oh, come on, George.

Why are you so surprised Arlo wants to be a chef?

Your whole family are foodies.

Is this is about your brother?

That accusation has been leveled... with some validity.

Arlo is nothing... Nothing like Terry.

Terry wasn´t like Terry

till he fell in with the hospitality crowd.

Yes, he was, and you know it.

Terry just happened to find his spiritual home in the world

of drink, drugs, crazy women, late nights, and cooking.

How is he, by the way?

He must be relatively clean by now,

´cause you can´t get into any of his restaurants

for love or money.

I have no idea.

I haven´t actually spoken to him since the funeral.

I see. Still not great, then.

I´ve got to go, so give Arlo a big hug and a kiss from me.

And, George, remember, he´s a good boy.

Yep.

So this is the great artwork that´s also a job?

I thought you weren´t listening when I told you that.

I´m a parent. We can multitask.

How´s it going?

Not well.

Sean from the council is making it impossible.

IKE: Petty bureaucracy, George.

You should write an editorial about it.

GEORGE: Beats what I wrote today.

I´ll give you a lift home.

-Bye. -Yeah.

So, are you gonna do something about it?

The wall.

Do you care?

I know it´s not a proper job

and my career isn´t as important as Arlo´s,

but to me, it is.

-Is that what you really think? -You do.

Shay, I sit in front of a blank screen,

putting words on it,

hoping that people will actually read them,

and I call that a job.

[ Turn signal clicking ]

[ Birds squawking ]

Okay. Here´s the thing.

[ Engine shuts off ]

I was the arty one and Laura the sensible lawyer.

And then you two came along.

Arlo... swotty, brainy, your mother´s son.

And then you.

Your father´s daughter.

So you´re saying I´m dumb like you?

I have absolute belief, Shay, that whatever you do,

you will be brilliant at it.

And if it is art, you will be a great artist...

Even if you never sell a painting

and I have to support you for the rest of your life.

Thank you, Dad.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

So how come you don´t cut Arlo the same slack?

Because that´s different.

Not really.

TRACEY: I´m sorry about today.

No. Don´t apologize. I-It´s cool.

They say be careful what you wish for.

Um, turns out being the boss is not how I thought it would be.

Yeah. Well, in my experience... nothing ever is.

So I got you a present.

Here.

It´s the nudie beach jigsaw.

Well, it´s a beach that looks a lot like it.

It´s just a beach.

[ Chuckles ]

This is so sweet and thoughtful.

You like it?

But when will I ever get the time?

If you want to use this table for paperwork,

then now would be good.

I´ll leave you to it.

I´ll see you at dinnertime.

So are you gonna do anything about that?

Based on my experience over the past few days,

the best thing I can do is keep my mouth shut.

[ Graeme James´ "Home" plays ]

♫ I´m headed home, home ♫

♫ Home, home ♫

♫ I´m headed home, home ♫

♫ Home, home ♫

♫ I´m headed ho-ho-ho-home ♫

Oh, my God!

I´m... I´m so sorry.

Don´t worry. These things happen.

What was it?

Curried sausages with pineapple.

I got the recipe from Ike.

-Can we rescue it? -Do we want to?

-Rude. -Grab some paper towels.

But what about dinner?

We have hardly anything left

because, like, no one has been shopping this week.

Well, we could do puttanesca.

Yeah. We do have tinned tomatoes and olives and capers.

Is that the one with the, uh, the little fish?

Anchovies, Shay.

And we have anchovies.

I like the putty-thingy one.

-Puttanesca. -Puttanesca.

And it won´t take long.

I´ll do the pasta. You do the sauce.

-Do we have any chili peppers? -In the planter.

Oh, I´ll go.

I´d say we had a lucky escape.

I´d say we did.

[ Down-tempo music plays ]

So...I´ve been thinking about school.

And as well as Gateway,

I can do some Level 3 Scholarship subjects.

-Scholarship. -Yeah.

I can work them around my core subjects.

I´m sure Ms. Dennis would be into it.

I´m sure she would.

Fiona thought that chemistry might be useful

in case I ever wanted to be, as she put it, "one of those chefs

that does weird science stuff in the kitchen."

-Did she? -Yeah.

And with English, I could get enough credits to go to uni...

if I wanted to.

Sounds like a plan.

So I can do Gateway?

Can I stop you?

Thank you, Dad.

Now, look.

I know it was your mother

that said that she wanted you to be happy.

But I do too.

I really do.

I know.

Come here.

Okay.

Let´s create some magic.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ]

Hang on a minute.

Hey.

Chinese place is closed down for good.

Did you know about this?

News to me, Woody.

Crazy.

Hey, babe.

Had to get fish and chips

´cause the Golden Seahorse-Shoe...

Hey there.

You want to do the sky?

Too right.

Oi. You know the rules.

Right.

[ Music continues ]

It´s no excuse,

but the Arlo thing, it really hurt.

My little boy acting like I was his enemy.

I´m not gonna say anything ´cause I...

I don´t know what to say.

We´re... We´re good now.

Arlo´s decided to do some uni courses.

But you knew that already.

I wasn´t interfering. I promise.

But you got us there, and I´m very grateful.

You´ve done an amazing job with those kids, George.

And Arlo´s gonna make you proud. I know it.

So do I.

There´s dinner at our place if you´re interested.

Oh, I was just gonna pick up some Chinese takeaway.

Oh, dear.

Because I have some very sad news

about the Golden Seahorse-Shoe.

GEORGE: The best thing you can do with big expectations...

is let them go.

Not exactly what I had in mind when I became principal.

But for the time being, I will be your form teacher.

And the first order of business

is getting you lot some decent furniture.

-Whoo-hoo! -Whoo!

Because if all our expectations were met every day,

how boring would life be?

The unexpected...

Now, that´s what makes life interesting.

So bring it on.

Hi, Terry. It´s me.

No. No reason.

Just calling to see how my little brother´s going.

Any arrests, affairs?

Stints in rehab?

[ Up-tempo music plays ]