Original subtitles

Are you ready?

I said, "Are you ready, Woodbright High?"

Give it up for the reigning champions of the Work It Dance Competition,

your very own Thunderbirds!

Albert Einstein once said that dancers are the athletes of God.

Kim Kardashian once said, "Lighting is everything."

And as head of the AV club, I had to agree.

Sometimes I wonder,

if Einstein were alive today, would he have even gotten into college?

I mean, sure, he was good at math and science,

but did he have extracurriculars?

These days, great colleges want a little bit of everything,

and I thought I had it all on lock.

I started my mornings with a TED Talk,

because who doesn't love a good life hack?

And that is why cold showers

are empirically more effec...

I ride to school every day with my best friend, Jas.

Come on, hurry up! I have a bio test to fail.

We've been inseparable since kindergarten,

when she gave this kid a wedgie

for making fun of my Bill Nye the Science Guy lunch box.

Jas isn't too worried about grades,

because she's gonna be a professional dancer.

While Jas was twerking up a storm,

I was building an impressive college résumé

with a well-calculated assortment of AP classes,

student government, and I even volunteered at a local nursing home.

Anything to make my application fully rejection-proof.

Okay, so I didn't have a boyfriend or a car or a bustling social calendar,

but it was all gonna pay off when I got into my dream school, Duke University.

I thought I had it all figured out,

until one day, everything kind of spun out of control.

Oh!

Oh my…

That was a great show today, guys.

I thought it was one of our better ones, actually.

There was, like, a couple kinks in there, but,

you know, we'll just work on all that moving forward.

Overall, I-I'm extremely happy.

Brit's hair was singed.

She's probably gonna have to get bangs now,

and she does not have the face for that.

Look, Isaiah, I...

I mean, Juilliard.

I can assure you it was an accident.

You know, the Work It Competition is in five months,

and it is my responsibility to lead our team to a fourth consecutive victory.

Do you understand?

You know, when people hear the name "Woodbright High," they think this.

- The Thunderbirds. - It won't happen again.

Of course it won't, 'cause you're off the light board.

Brit, can you call Chris Chu?

Chris Chu? You can't replace me with Chris Chu.

I taught Chris Chu everything he knows.

- It's ringing. - Juilliard, please, you can't do this.

Look, I'm so sorry.

Honestly, Quinn, I don't accept your apology,

I'd like you to pack your things and clear out your locker.

You can't expel me. We're in the same French class.

Baby, you're canceled.

- What? - You're deleted. You're unsubscribed.

Control, alt, delete.

I don't understand.

You are banished from this room. Do you understand that?

You're probably wondering, why Duke? Why not Yale or Penn

or Harvard?

Although, fun fact, Duke is the Harvard of the South.

Quinn, wake up! Today's the day! Duke interview!

Ow!

My dad went there,

so I grew up going to football games and alumni events,

and… I don't know,

it just feels like home.

You know, if home had less than a six percent acceptance rate.

Strengths?

Intensity, intelligence, drive, compassion.

Weaknesses?

Single-mindedness… which, if you think about it, can be a strength.

This is just the first step. Pretty soon, you'll be premed,

and then you'll be Dr. Quinn.

Okay, all right. I'm gonna focus now.

- Okay. - Okay.

I love ya.

Mom. Mom! What are you doing?

I'm putting you in the zone with my pump-up jam.

This is the jam I put on when I need to get pumped up.

Did you bring this

- just for this moment? - Bet your ass I did.

- That's nice. That's cool. - Mm-hm.

Fun. All right. All right, we're good.

Mom, people... people can see us.

- People are watching. - 'Cause they're jealous.

Now they're looking at me

- Quinn. - Mom.

'Kay, I love you. Love you!

Even though you don't say it,

I know you love me.

I'm first in my class.

I am a National Merit scholar, 4.0 GPA.

I volunteer three afternoons a week at a local nursing home near my house.

I'm also student government treasurer.

- Did I mention head of the AV club? - I'm gonna stop you right there.

Student government. AV club. Volunteering.

- All applicants, nearly identical. - But do they also play the cello?

Yes, everybody plays the cello. And nobody likes playing the cello.

I love the cello.

Can you do for the cello what Lizzo does for the flute?

No.

What are you passionate about? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

TED Talks.

Oh, girl, that's sad. Squirrel friend, are you for real?

Have you read a newspaper lately or even looked at the news?

The world is burning.

I am looking for applicants that are change-makers, risk-takers.

You know what I mean?

Not applicants that just, like, can fill the box.

I want an applicant to blow the box up.

Yeah.

Look, I am just trying to figure out who you are, who you really are.

What's your passion? What are you passionate about?

Passion.

Duke.

That's sad, unless it's a guy named Duke that's really hot, okay?

Because it's just a school.

It's just walls.

It's not passion.

You know what? This was very fun. Thank you so much for coming in.

No, wait, please, Ms. Ramirez…

This is all I've ever wanted.

You see, my dad…

He went here, and he died when I was 12.

And my mom's had to work two jobs just to support us.

What school do you go to?

- Woodbright High. - Woodbright High?

Oh, isn't that the school with the dance team?

With the birds or something that was on Ellen?

Yeah, they…

Yes… we were,

after winning the Work It Dance Competition last year.

Oh!

Well, this is just fascinating.

I had no idea you were part of the dance team.

I'm a... I'm a contributor.

That's excellent. What's your style?

- I'm sorry? - Your style of dance, honey.

Are you a breaker?

Are you a wall climber?

Are you into Zumba? You just put on some neon shorts and just do a grapevine?

What kind of dance do you do?

Hmm… Hm.

- I'm an i-illuminator. - Sorry?

An illuminator.

Ooh, illuminator. I've never heard of that before.

That must be really something. What do you do?

I just… I-I keep it lit, you know.

I definitely misread you, Ms. Ackerman.

I mean, dance team?

That takes emotion, power, grit. Here I thought you were all just, like,

résumés and transcripts.

You're the most exciting applicant I've seen this week.

I'm so happy. I will see you at the Work It Dance Competition,

- okay? - You're going?

Hell yes! I wouldn't miss it.

So, what did you talk about?

You were in there for such a long time, Quinn.

- Just school and stuff. - School and stuff?

Come on! Give me more than that.

Oh, did you tell her that you wanted to go premed?

- Mm-hm. - Yeah? Was she impressed?

- Yeah. - Yeah? 'Course she was.

I told you she'd be impressed.

Okay, what else? What else did you talk about?

She...

You know, I vaguely remember her saying, uh,

that I would make a great addition to the Duke family

and to keep up the good work.

Oh my God. You're a shoo-in.

You're a shoo-in. I knew it!

- I am so proud of you. - Oh, great.

"Dear Ms. Ramirez,

Winston Churchill once said,

'The price for greatness is responsibility.'

So, I'm taking responsibility for my actions.

I wasn't entirely honest with you when I said I was a Thunderbird.

Hey. Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?

Make it quick, honey.

Okay. So, I've been thinking about the routine for Work It, and…

Well, I was hoping I could be featured.

There's gonna be a lot of recruiters there...

Everybody knows that the recruiters are coming

to see me lead the Thunderbirds to victory.

Okay.

Well, uh…

I actually think I'm just as good as you are.

- Oh, really? - Mmm… maybe better.

Hm.

Let's go then.

Come on! Come on!

Whoo!

Oh!

Sashay away, Jasmine. You won't ever be on my level.

Never.

So, I had to join the dance team. Me.

A girl who couldn't find her own heartbeat,

let alone a four-count.

When I was five, my mom enrolled me in a ballet class,

and I single-handedly ruined our recital.

But if there's one thing I am good at, it's studying.

I just needed the right teacher.

- Hey! - Whoa! Jeez, you scared me. What?

I need to ask you something, and it's gonna sound absurd at first,

- but I just need you to bear with me. - No no. Mm-mm.

I am not helping with your science project again,

- not after you electrocuted me last year. - It was a very low voltage.

Dude, I couldn't feel my pinkie for a week!

Okay, I need you to help me get on the Thunderbirds.

You mean, like, back on the light board?

No, I mean, like, as a dancer.

That's a good one.

Why aren't you laughing? Dude, you don't dance.

- I don't dance yet. - You don't dance at all.

Remember we had a conversation about flossing

and you thought I was talking about oral hygiene?

- We weren't talking about oral hygiene? - No, we weren't!

Look...

I really screwed up my Duke interview,

and I may have led the admissions lady to believe that I'm a Thunderbird.

What? Why would... Why would you do that?

I-I don't know! She-she kept saying that she wanted to shake things up,

and it turns out that I'm a boring robot with no personal context,

and cellos are basic.

- And Duke doesn't want boring people. - Well, screw them, all right? Don't go.

Jas, how are your grades?

Terrible. You know this.

Yes. So, what if New York Dance Academy wouldn't take you unless you had a 4.0?

Probably cry a little bit, and then I'd crack them damn books.

Yeah, exactly, and I would help you.

But guess what? I have the exact opposite problem.

I have a 4.0 GPA, and I need you to teach me how to dance.

Quinn, auditions are in two weeks, and more importantly, Juilliard hates you.

Look, if I'm undeniable, he has no choice but to take me.

Jas, please help me. I know you can do this.

You should've seen my mom's face after the interview.

- How did she look at you? - It was sorta like…

I hate that. Stop that right now. That is terrifying.

- Where are your eyeballs going? Stop. - Not till you say yes.

Quinn, stop! Stop! Stop! Okay, fine!

- Fine, yes. - Yes?

Sorry, takes a second to get out of it. Okay.

Where were you? Were you in the Upside Down?

Whoa!

God, I'm good.

- Yes! - Yeah!

How many of you woke up this morning thinking,

"Today is the day that I become a Bird"?

That was a question. Please raise your hands.

Well, I got some hard news for you.

We only have room in the crew for one of you.

The rest of you are going home.

Whoa. Ew, what are you doing here?

I banished you.

Trinity, can you sage the space?

Um...

Hi.

It's... It's Quinn… Ackerman.

Yes?

You... You banished me from the lighting booth,

but I'm-I'm here to audition.

To dance? You?

Yeah.

Well, Quinn Ackerman…

You're up first, honey.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Seven, eight.

Should I sage the space again?

Okay.

Okay, I know I suck.

But... But I tried.

I couldn't dance at all before, and that... that wasn't my best...

She can't dance at all now.

Please! You don't understand. I really need this.

- Jas... - Don't look at her.

- It's not her team. It's my team. - It wasn't that bad.

Come on. You saw what I saw.

She's got talent. She just needs some nurturing.

Absolutely not.

Look, she really does need this.

Well then, she can start her own damn team for all I care.

Okay.

Fine.

I will start my own damn team then.

Well, best of luck.

Everyone, where were we?

And my team will be all about building people up.

Oh. This is still happening?

And you know what?

Jas is gonna be my captain.

There it is.

Say what?

- Jas? - No.

- Jas! - I'm not gonna...

Quinn, what are you doing?

How much fun did we have dancing together these past two weeks?

You don't want to dance for him.

Okay, now you're starting to piss me off. She isn't going with you.

She's staying here.

What side of history do you want to be on?

We have no dancers.

We will find dancers.

I promise you we can do this.

There's never been another dance team at this school.

We can't lose Jas.

She's fire.

No, she's not. She's completely overrated.

Jas doesn't know one thing about fire.

Quinn, you better be serious about this.

My God.

That was the coolest thing I've ever done.

Oh my God. I can't believe that just happened.

Honestly, neither can I.

No, no, no, no. I'm going back in there.

No, you can't. You lost his trust. You can't go back now.

Dude, this may be the dumbest thing I've ever done.

No, what about the sexting incident with that guy Eugene?

Okay, the second dumbest thing I've ever done.

- Why do I feel so nauseous? - Hey, calm down! It's gonna be okay.

No, Quinn, I don't think you understand.

A recruiter from the New York Dance Academy

is going to be at Work It,

which means I need to be there on that stage, killing it.

You will be. I promise.

Okay, can I get that in writing, please?

Listen, you just need to sit back,

relax, and let me do what I do best.

- Which is what? Stress me out? - No.

Research and organization.

Okay, yeah, both of those words stress me out.

I've gathered up the ingredients we need to make an award-winning dance team.

We need an incredible DJ for music,

we need a flipper, someone with really great power moves,

and most importantly, we need an amazing choreographer.

So, I've been looking at the previous competition winners,

and it's this guy, Jake Taylor.

He captained the winning team three years in a row.

Maybe we could get him to choreograph for us.

Yeah, Quinn, everybody knows Jake Taylor, all right?

He was the best dancer in the state until he tore his ACL.

No one has seen or heard from him in, like, two years.

We'd have a better chance at building a time machine

and kidnapping a young Channing Tatum.

- I found him. - What? How?

I checked his old Instagram,

checked all his geo-tags, and from there, it was just a simple mapping.

Well, damn, Nancy Drew.

And now all we have to do is convince him.

Convince this hot stranger you stalked to coach your non-existent dance team.

Yeah, pretty much.

I'm sure Jake Taylor is onto much bigger and better things.

- What was your favorite dance move? - Um, probably the one where…

Yeah.

Are you... Are you Jake Taylor?

Depends on who's asking.

Right. Um, I-I'm Quinn…

Ackerman.

And I'm starting a dance team at Woodbright High.

- I'm not interested. - So I just...

We would like you to be our choreographer for the following reasons.

One. According to my research of every dance movie ever made,

we have a very important ingredient for winning: a can-do spirit.

That's uh… not how dance works.

Well, that's why we would need you.

No, I'm good.

Okay. Number two.

Um, this is your chance to overcome your demons,

due to your… knee injury.

Don't come back here.

Okay, fine. We'll just win the Work It Dance Competition without you, then.

And you won't go insane, you know,

being slowly eaten up by all that unrealized potential.

Wait. Hold up.

- Can-do spirit. - Mm-hm.

What about skill?

- We're extremely skilled. - I can spot a fake anywhere.

Then you must know that I'm the real deal.

You dance? How long?

- Since I was ten. - Influences?

Paul Taylor, Ashley Everett,

- Travis Wall... - Look at you.

The way you carry yourself, your posture.

You're…100% not a dancer.

I still have time to learn.

Why would you enter a competition

- when you don't know how to dance? - Fair question.

So I may have lied to the Duke college admissions officer,

which means now I have to put my money where my mouth is.

Give up.

Go to community college.

I-I can't help you.

I don't give up.

Check it out. I made flyers.

Okay. So, hey, the Thunderbirds have the best dancers at the school, right?

At least the ones who auditioned.

- So we need to find... - The diamonds in the rough.

I was gonna say, "The ones who don't audition."

But yeah, okay.

So there's this girl in my homeroom, all right?

She makes these dance videos

and posts them on Instagram. Check it out.

Um… I don't know, Jas. She seems… intense.

She can dance.

I don't believe in teams.

Did you know that Friedrich Nietzsche was the starting number ten

for the German national football team when he was 18 years old?

Yeah, apparently that experience influenced a lot of his later work.

Hm-mm. I see you. You got some moves.

That's my victory dance.

Okay, see, I didn't wanna be the one to tell you this, but you suck at soccer.

- No, I don't. - Yeah, you do.

Yeah, well, you see, I ran the numbers,

and the odds of the team actually playing you this season

are ten to one, so…

Great practice, man!

- Ouch. - Woof. Yeah, that was painful to watch.

So you should be on a team that really respects your talent.

And first, you should start by doing something you're really good at.

Everybody calls this kid DJ Tapes

because he makes the hottest mix tapes around.

But what they don't know is that he's got some serious moves.

Yeah, this guy is supposed to be the best flipper in town.

He's, like, 50.

No, not him. The one that looks like Conan O'Brien.

The guy can flip.

- It's not true. - Mm… that's not what I heard.

I did one flip one time in eighth grade at Ryan Goodman's pool party.

- I heard it was perfect. - I don't even remember how I did it.

Right, but you did it once, which means you can do it again.

It's still somewhere inside of you. We just have to find it.

You will flip again.

Catch you on the flip side.

Priya and I once did a presentation for physics class.

She skated in circles while I talked about the theory of centrifugal force.

Needless to say, we aced it,

so she totally owes me.

Two, two, three, four, five, six.

- What are you doing here? - I signed up online.

You realize this is a kids' class, right?

Yeah, well, there was no age limit on the website, so…

Great. You do you.

All right, here we go! Six, seven, eight.

One, two, three.

We found some great new dancers to join our team.

We'd still love to have you choreograph.

- What do you think? - I think you still can't dance.

All right. I didn't want to have to…

Show you everything at once, but…

let's go for it, all right.

Please don't do that.

All right. Well, I still have the animations.

Whoo!

No? Okay. Well, what about this one?

Step… drop, step…

Uh-huh, you love it. You kinda like it.

- No? - Ju...

I'm stepping…

- Then I drop. - Come here.

Stand right there.

Look right here. Okay. Just... Just follow me.

Okay? We're gonna step to the right.

Seven, eight.

Step, drop.

Step, drop.

Step, drop... Make it two movements. Step, then drop.

Kind of.

Just keep doing it.

All right, slow it down. Slow it down.

Do you mind?

Take it from the top.

Seven, eight.

Step, drop. Nice.

Step, drop. You feel that?

Step, drop. That's good.

Step, drop. More power in your arms. Really bring it to you.

Step, drop. Step, drop.

Step, drop. That's good. Step, drop.

Bring it to you, from out to your shoul... There we go!

Nice. Step, drop.

Step, drop. We're gonna ball change, all right?

Drop, ball change.

Okay. Step, drop.

That's good. Step, drop. Back the other way. Step, drop.

And s... Oh!

Shit!

Are you okay?

I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.

May I?

I read about acupressure for your knee injury,

and these points were recommended.

Thanks.

Thank you… for the dance lesson.

Yeah, good. Your foot is comfortable,

and your seat belt is on. Did you check your mirror?

- What do you see? - Uh… a tree?

Good job. Slow down.

So I took on a new extracurricular.

Oh, yeah? What is it?

- Dance team. - Dance team?

That sounds fun. It also sounds very time-consuming.

Well, Einstein said, "Time is an illusion."

Well, Einstein also said, "Worry about your GPA."

- That's a good one. - Okay, slow down.

Yeah, keep it slow. Good job.

So, um, you think I'm ready to leave the parking lot yet?

Definitely not. At least another week.

- You said that last week. - Okay.

You are so lucky you missed. Do it again, though. I dare you.

Eat me.

Kids are disgusting.

Okay, everybody.

You have each been chosen

to be part of a brand-new dance crew.

Name TBD.

What is TBD?

It stands for "to be determined."

- That's not our real name. It's just... - The flyer said there would be snacks.

Which are also TBD as of right now.

Okay. Tapes?

- You're doing our music. - Dope.

Raven, you're doing our costumes.

How do you guys feel about dead cheerleaders?

- Quinn, you're doing our costumes. - I can do that.

It says here "choreographer," and then it's blank.

Okay, um… might as well get into it.

I'm going to get...

Jake Taylor to be our choreographer.

- Didn't he die? - No. Here I am, alive and well.

Look, um, I'm not gonna waste my time and name if you end up sucking,

but I will make you a deal, okay?

If you guys can make it past qualifiers on your own…

I'll choreograph for you.

And if you need a place to rehearse for now, you can come to my studio.

As long as my boss isn't around, then you can do your thing there for free.

Wow, okay. Quick question.

So, you drove all the way here

just to tell us that you weren't going to waste your time on us?

Yeah, well, I-I wasn't doing anything right now. That's why… I could come.

But generally, I stay pretty busy.

We'll just drop it.

Well, I'm gonna go.

But...

uh, yeah, the studio... Just come around back when we close.

I have no clue. Roman left his shoes again, so…

- Figure it out. - Figure that out. Okay, bye.

- Come on! - Sweet!

Oops, my shoe.

What are we doing here?

What?

I need a new mattress.

I think it could add a nice little feng shui.

Oh, that mattress.

- You need to get some game, Quinn. - What do you mean by that?

You think I don't see you staring at Jake like he's a pop quiz?

- Untrue. - You just need to ask him out.

- I don't even know how to do that. - It's easy!

Just play it cool.

Like, check this out.

- Hi. - Oh my God.

I'll circle around and be with you in a few minutes.

All right.

Hey.

Sorry about the wait. H-How can I help you guys?

Hi there. I am uh… looking for a new mattress.

Okay, great.

- Well, you came to the right place. - I did, didn't I?

Must be Mr. Right.

So, what are you thinking about,

- in terms of firmness? - So many things.

Jesus.

Would you mind? I wanna test the spoon-worthiness

- of this mattress. - Um…

My friend here will move out of the way. Quinn?

Why don't you just plop on down?

- Just a tad. - Yeah, okay. Sure, all right.

This is how this works.

- Okay. This is… - This is good.

- The firmness is… - The firmness of the bed is good. Yeah.

Firmness of the bed.

I can't say I've done this before.

This is a full experience.

You know, we still need a name.

I think we should name the team "Jasss," with three S's.

We're not naming the team after you.

It's not after me.

It's like "Yas, queen,"

but like "Jasss Quinn." It's cute, right?

- What about "The Raptures"? - The Raptors are already a team, dummy.

No. Like, the Rapture?

It's like… It's like when people get sucked up into the sky,

and the world's about to end. Like, it's really cool.

And all hell breaks loose on Earth, and, like...

Okay, guys,

we need to perform in front of a live audience before qualifiers.

That's true. The Birds practice all the time at pep rallies.

But who are we gonna perform for?

We have our audience!

So this is it?

They're screening Fifty Shades of Grey in the media room.

But I got Harold.

'Sup, Harold? You didn't wanna watch Fifty Shades of Grey?

- No, he's not allowed to watch it anymore. - Oh.

Not after what happened last time. Right, Harold?

Yeah.

Okay, come on guys! Let's do this.

What happened last time?

Did he just fall asleep to Big Freedia?

No… No, he's... Harold?

Harold, did you... Did you like it?

Pretty sure the key to a live audience is keeping them alive.

Poor Harold.

Why? Death comes to us all.

You know, it could have been completely unrelated to our performance.

Quinn, our terrible dancing just killed a man.

All right? The sooner we face that fact,

the sooner we can ask for forgiveness and move on with our lives.

Well, then we need to work harder.

Come on. Let's go.

Whoo!

Okay. Hey, Tapes? Would you mind playing a beat?

Why don't we get up and try a freestyle? We loosen up a little bit.

- Yeah, okay. Cool. - We unbutton a button. Yeah.

- All right. - Let's try this. Hit it, Tapes.

Come on. Come on, Robby.

Go, Robby. Go, Robby. Go, Robby.

Me? Yeah!

Okay.

Hey, hey.

Okay, got it.

- You know, feel free to just get loose. - Yep.

Yeah. Come on.

Okay, um…

Yeah. Yeah okay.

- Quinn, you just gotta dance how you feel. - This is how I feel!

All right.

Hey, good rehearsal, everybody.

Freestyling is about getting out of our heads,

and that's what we have to do at qualifiers this weekend.

Keep working on it.

I'm… gonna go pray.

Ever since my interview,

I'd been hoping I'd get into Duke early admission,

but the night before qualifiers,

I got an e-mail saying

that there would be no decision on my application until the spring.

Ms. Ramirez was nice enough to include a personal note.

"Can't wait to see you dance at Work It!"

Yay.

Hello.

We signed up online.

Name?

TBD.

It's just temporary.

Changing rooms are in the back.

Thank you very much.

All right. Let's go, guys. Come on.

What was that? Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll tell him. You go ahead.

Hey, there, again. Uh, group consensus.

Our new name is "Jasss Quinn."

- That is J-A-S-S-S Quinn... - TBD. Thank you.

"Jasss Quinn."

Why do we look like a bunch of dental hygienists?

What? They're uniforms. I borrowed them from the nursing home.

We look like we're about to go run a blood drive.

Remind me to never to put you in charge of costumes ever again.

- Never worn a color before. - For the record, they were free.

Oh… oof.

Nice costumes. Scrubs, very appropriate.

What are you guys doing here?

Yeah, what? Returning champions don't have to qualify.

Riri's on an Instagram break, so I thought I'd come and watch a train wreck.

And pretty soon, we're gonna have two things to celebrate.

One being your elimination.

And Juilliard's auditioning for Juilliard

this weekend.

- Trinity, I told you not to say anything. - You literally told me to say that.

Anyway, yes, my presence has been requested.

I guess they just want to see what all the fuss is about.

Anyway, break your legs.

Next up, we have a new dance team from Woodbright High:

TBD.

Well, this should be interesting.

- They'll never make it. - No.

That was TBD from Woodbright High.

And now for the judges' scores.

We have a six, a five, and a five.

Seems a little high for that.

At least nobody died this time.

Five, five, six. Is that good?

Um, it's between us and the next crew performing,

so… if we beat them, then we're in.

- Raven are you... Are you crying? - No!

Oh God, please suck, please suck, please suck. Good luck!

Next up from Big Bend High School,

please welcome Rock Solid.

They're really good.

Are... A-Are you seeing what I'm seeing?

Boner.

Oh my God.

I think I made direct eye contact.

- Wait. He's not wearing a dance belt. - Yeah, no shit, honey.

No, I mean the Work It code of conduct states

that all male team member are required

- to wear a dance belt during performances. - Wait. So this means…?

It means we're in.

We're in.

I sucked at qualifiers.

I'm not kidding. When the judge held up his scorecard,

this one was just looking into my soul.

- Just directly into my soul. It was bad. - Come on, I'm sure it wasn't that bad.

- You guys made it through, though. - On a technicality.

Well, technically, that counts.

Maybe you can just hide me in the back for Work It.

I could never hide you in the back.

Come on. I want to show you this thing Jas told me about.

So, what did you think?

It was amazing.

It was amazing. I just…

What?

I miss dancing.

So why'd you give it up?

'Cause I wanted to be the best…

And I wasn't any more, so…

What?

You're so good. I can't dance at all.

That's because you can't learn to dance by reading a book, Quinn.

Why is Duke so important to you that you would do all of this?

I mean, it's just a school.

My dad went there.

He loved it.

Like, really, really loved it.

I don't... It wasn't always my plan to go.

But after he died,

I felt like being there would make me connected to him somehow.

I don't know. Maybe it sounds stupid.

No, it's not stupid, Quinn.

Plus, it's close to home.

You know, my mom wouldn't have to be all by herself. And…

The more that I wanted it, the more that she wanted it.

Now she's done everything to help me get this far.

I feel like I can't let her down.

So are you doing this for her or for you?

Honestly, I don't really know.

It's just kind of taken on a life of its own now, but…

I have to do it.

I think I know how to fix your freestyle problem.

I wanna try something. Give me your jacket.

O-Okay.

I wanna see if you can just…

React to what I do.

Oh, I don't remember signing up for a dance lesson tonight.

You're really gonna turn down a free lesson

from the best dancer in the state?

Oh, I would never.

- Do you know him? Is he coming? - Okay.

You don't have to be in control all the time.

You're not studying for a midterm, all right?

You can't think your way through this.

Quinn, you gotta…

let your body drive you.

Okay.

Show me what to do.

So how's your knee? I read this article in The New England...

One of the first things we learn as children

is how to tie our shoes.

But did you know that over the course of an 85-year lifespan,

you'll spend 517 hours dealing with your shoelaces?

So, we did a study. We gave a group of 100 people clogs to wear, and...

Oh, oh. Are you okay? Oh, you're good. Get back up.

Yeah, you're good. It's okay. That's okay.

Yes!

You're different.

You're glowing.

She's glowing!

Okay, everybody. Let's do this.

Why are we meeting here?

Jake's studio was booked,

and this store is actually equidistant from the studio and the school.

And it's very… very central to all of our homes.

- You're welcome. - I think there's a coffee shop

- down the street. Should we just... - You know what, Raven, Miss Helpful?

There is actually a pot of coffee and a water cooler by the memory foam.

Okay, I think we're getting a little off topic,

so I'm gonna let Jake take the floor now.

Okay. Hi, everybody. Hello. Listen up.

There's less than two months until the competition,

so we're already behind.

And we're going on a technicality.

Bottom line, we have to be better.

If you wanna be your best, you have to follow your...

Pecs.

…heart.

- Is she good? Are we good? - Yeah.

- She seems... Okay. - Keep going. Hey, you.

We're gonna reel it in.

For me?

Look, it's no secret that you guys aren't the most…

Technically skilled dancers out there,

but that's what we're up against.

Okay? The Work It stage, it's different. It's-It's-It's huge.

It's gonna be hard. Very, very hard.

- Hey. - Hey.

Hey, so my manager told me that you guys gotta leave.

Oh. Okay, yeah.

He also told me that you can't come back here anymore

if you're not gonna buy anything.

- Personally, like, I don't care, but... - No, it's okay. I get it.

Thank you for letting us be here, though.

On the other hand, if you ever need anything, you just call me.

That's my card, my personal number.

- I will. It'll be mattress-related. - All right. I'll hold you to that.

I will use this.

Let's roll out.

- I'm gonna sit here for a second. - That was weird.

"Dear Ms. Ramirez, thank you for the update on my application.

I have a confession to make. I am not a Thunderbird.

I have started my own dance team,

led by award-winning choreographer Jake Taylor.

We'll be performing at the Work It Dance Competition in a few weeks.

See you there, and hopefully again in the fall at Duke.

Sincerely, Quinn Ackerman."

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Is it just me or have you grown, like, two inches in the last two weeks?

I think it's just posture, Mom.

So, I was thinking, who do we know that went to Duke that could help us?

I don't need anyone's help.

I just don't understand why they're taking so long.

Didn't she say you were like a shoo-in?

No, you said I was a shoo-in.

She said I would make an excellent addition.

Either way, they should not lead you on like that.

- I've got it covered. Don't worry. - Why are you so chill about this?

I just realized I have to go. I'll see you later.

Bye. Oh, you know what?

My gynecologist is a Dukie.

Jake Taylor?

It's definitely him.

So hot.

Great.

So Jas is dancing to Jake Taylor's choreography.

God, this is exactly what I needed today.

What happened with your Juilliard audition?

Oh, I don't know, Britney. Why don't you mind your damn business?

Sorry, it's just that they said conservatory dancing is different,

and if I want to be taken seriously,

I would need to learn to control my fire.

Oh, it's okay.

I'm so sorry.

Wait. What? Don't be sorry for me. Be sorry for them.

Yeah, I would die before I extinguish my flames for some stuffy-ass school.

You don't want this? You don't want that?

You don't want this fire? Your loss.

Their loss.

You know who else didn't go to Juilliard? Cardi B.

Bruno Mars, Jamiroquai, Janelle Monáe, Janet Jackson, Oprah, Obama.

Lots of people.

So I'm fine.

Do we still call him Juilliard?

Quinn, you can do better than this.

Dude!

Robby can flip!

He flipped!

Yeah!

Robby! Whoo!

Come on! Come on!

All right. Now that we've saged the space,

let's try to adjust this terrible lighting.

Brit, Trinity, can you help me find the switches, please?

Where's Jake?

What are you doing here?

- We booked the studio. - What?

You know you have to actually pay to use a dance studio, right?

Otherwise, people get fired.

Jake!

Are you kidding me?

- Jake, everything's gonna be okay. - How?

How is it gonna be okay?

Quinn, I just got fired.

I need this job. How am I gonna pay my rent?

Shit.

Is that how you want to play this, you little psychopath?

Your outburst is really eating into our rehearsal time, sweetie.

You seriously felt so threatened by us that you had to sabotage our team?

I didn't do anything. You do that all on your own.

See, I still remember when we were freshmen,

and you didn't make the Birds.

But you begged,

and you did the seniors' homework and washed their cars.

Flank me. Flank me, flank me.

You know, a lot's changed, Jas. Now everyone washes my car.

It's so clean, you could eat sushi off it.

I did it once.

Well, enjoy your poke off your Prius while you can.

This is not over.

And you look like a tampon commercial.

Let's go.

Oh, ho, it's on now.

- Oh, we're taking him down. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh yes.

Hey.

Where's Jake?

Over the next few days, I reached out to Jake a bunch of times,

and I waited for him to text me back, but he never did.

Meanwhile, all the time I had put into the dance team had wrecked my GPA.

And that's when I got the e-mail.

"As of January 22nd, I will no longer be working

in the Duke University admissions department.

If this is in regards to an application, please contact our office directly."

What?

No.

- Hello? - Thank God. Hi!

Ms. Ramirez, it is... It's Quinn Ackerman from Woodbright High.

Uh, you probably don't remember me. I'm the dancer.

Oh yeah, the illuminator. How ya doin'? You keeping it lit?

Yeah. Um, so, I saw the e-mail that you sent.

What's that about? What's happening over there?

Yeah. I'll tell you what's happening here… Nothing.

What happened to… shaking things up?

Yeah. You know what? They really weren't into that.

What can I say? I tried.

You tried?

I learned how to dance.

I'm sorry. Wait. What did you say?

I started a dance team for you.

Good for you, girl. You blew up the box.

No, I blew up my life.

You didn't blow up your life. You blew up your box.

What does that mean?

I gotta go.

- It's turning into a whole thing. - No, you don't have to...

Hello?

No.

Shit! Shit!

A half-day suspension?

What if Duke finds out?

I know. I had a bad day, and the dance team...

Ever since you started dancing, you have been completely off-balance.

Your grades have been dropping. You're home late. I...

I don't understand why you felt the need to have this whole other hobby

that has nothing to do

with what we've been working towards this whole time.

Mom, I lied to you.

- What? - I lied because

the Duke interview was not going as well as I said it was,

and the admissions lady brought up the Thunderbirds,

so I made her think I was on the team…

- What are you talking about? - …though I only do lighting.

So then Jas and I decided to make our own team…

- Stop. - …then today I found out

the admissions lady doesn't work there anymore.

I don't understand. So is it over? Is it done?

I still have another month to resubmit my grades,

but they've gotten…

Pretty bad, and the suspension is…

Not good.

I'm really sorry, Mom.

Oh, man.

Okay.

It's okay.

We're gonna figure this out.

You're gonna buckle down and focus on your school work,

and you're gonna pull those grades up.

You know what this means, though?

So you're just gonna quit on us? Just like that?

I really need to get my grades up.

Plus, I'm the worst dancer on the team. You guys don't really need me. And…

I'm holding you guys back. I'm the weak link.

Yeah.

And we stuck by you.

Jas…

I did all of this for you, Quinn.

I quit the Birds for you. You begged me to.

And what? Just 'cause your mom says you have to, you're gonna bail on us?

I'm really sorry.

Wow.

For a second, I thought you cared, and you weren't just using all of us.

I do care. I still care.

You know, I really hope you get into Duke, Quinn.

And I hope it was worth losing your only friend over.

Ja... Jas?

Jas?

Jas!

Guys, wh...

You don't hate me?

No, I do. I just need to update my Instagram story.

Are you filming me right now?

You've been filming this whole time?

Stop that.

That's it. It's over.

Priya Singh, signing off.

Quinn, I saw Priya's Instagram. You can't quit.

You can't ghost me and then tell me what to do.

You're right. I was upset, and that's no excuse,

but you have to listen. Don't walk away from this.

They'll be better off without me, okay?

Everyone is counting on you. You can't bail on them.

You're lecturing me about quitting?

Look...

I made a promise to my mom.

I don't have time for dance anymore.

And I... I really don't have time for a boyfriend.

Still waiting?

This show's garbage. I like Queer Eye. I love Queer Eye.

It makes me cry every time. I wish they'd come here.

Give me a makeover.

So what's all that, honey?

Um… it's just chemistry, biology.

You shouldn't be spending Friday night in this funeral home reading textbooks.

You should be out with your friends, getting into trouble.

Yeah, well, I've got plenty of trouble and no friends.

And the only chance I have now at getting into a decent college is…

By reading these textbooks.

Look at me. You see that guy over there?

Max Berman. Harvard Law School.

- Argued two cases to the Supreme Court. - Wow.

And Penny Kitz ran the cardiology department at UNC.

And look at them now.

We all end up in the same place…

In a nursing home,

falling asleep in front of crappy TV.

And the only memories we have are the ones that were, like, really fun.

You know, the times we spent with our friends,

not the schoolwork or the textbooks.

I talk too much.

I felt it! The thing you were talking about,

about getting out of my head and dancing.

I literally was, like, stamping books, and it just started happening,

and I got out of my head, and I can dance.

Quinn, whoa, slow down.

And I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry if I hurt you.

- It's okay. - No, it's not, 'cause I…

I thought that dancing would get me into Duke,

and Duke was gonna make me happy.

But dancing makes me really happy.

And so do you.

What are the odds of...

getting the TBDs back together?

Hm.

I'm gonna have to see you dance first.

- Yeah. Ready? Start with a little… - Yeah. Go for it.

- Okay, all right. - Just a little…

- And then… - Just a little…

You got a little swimming something happening here.

That's actually really nice.

All right. Come on, guys. Come on in.

Welcome to your new rehearsal space.

Wow.

I can feel Harold's ghost in here.

What about all the old people?

Everyone here is usually in bed by 7:00,

so as long as we keep the noise down and don't disturb any of the residents,

we can rehearse here in the evenings.

- Seriously? - Yeah.

And guys, I know I said I was quitting, but I...

Nobody believed that.

Yeah. After I heard you crying in the bathroom last week,

I texted Priya to start stretching again.

- That's right. She did. - Oh, mm… That's funny. I wasn't crying.

It kinda sounded like you.

You know what? Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter.

Let's get started.

Okay, uh, here's the plan.

In the next few weeks,

you're all gonna be learning each other's styles, all right?

Five, six, seven, eight.

Shh shh shh…

Turn that shit up!

Hey.

Quinn, I am on the toilet!

I know, but this is the only place I could talk to you alone.

Listen, I've made a lot of mistakes over the past few months.

Can we please talk about this later?

But the mistake I regret most of all is hurting you.

I'm drowning you out with my pee.

Okay, I'm done.

Look, I'm really sorry...

I said I'm so...

Okay, I'm sorry. Ew, how are your hands still wet?

- God, I miss paper towels. - Okay, listen,

the TBDs are in, Jake is in,

and we're still training for the competition.

Look, I understand if you don't wanna come back, 'cause…

After the way I acted, I don't blame you.

But I just want you to know that you deserve to dance

with a group of people that actually care about you.

I'm gonna use the bathroom. I've had to pee this whole time.

I do not know what to say. Absolutely everything you did was a fail.

Trinity, your levels, they were all over the place.

What was with that thing you did after the third count?

I thought I'd put a little extra stank on it.

Oh… Well, if you could please refrain from stanking up the place,

that would be lovely.

Well, I thought it looked dope.

Well, thankfully you're not the captain of this team.

Everyone, you can go. And practice, please.

Work on yourselves.

Jas, stay.

Um…

Your shoes.

Thank you. I like 'em too.

I took you back because you're good.

But we do have corporate sponsorships to uphold.

It's just a rehearsal.

Well, birds of a feather flock together.

Yeah.

You can go.

Thank you, sir.

Okay, then. Seems like we have costumes figured out.

Now we just need to figure out this name thing.

- I kinda like TBDs. - Yeah, it's grown on me.

What does it stand for again?

To be determined...

which I think really describes us.

- You quit the Birds? - Wait. So you're rejoining?

You think I was gonna let you guys win Work It without me? Yeah, I'm back.

TBD! TBD!

- TBD! - You say what?

Beyoncé…

Queen Bey…

I pray that you make my feet swift tomorrow.

May my flow be precise and may my moves have swagger.

In the name of the "Single Ladies" video,

the Lemonade short film, and the Netflix special Homecoming…

I pray.

The next morning I could feel Queen Bey's light shining down on me.

I didn't know if I would completely humiliate myself onstage,

but for the first time, I didn't care.

I felt ready.

No.

No. We need to talk.

I can't talk right now. I have to go to study group.

I found this.

- What's that? - Are you kidding me?

I also found this.

Who is… "A-Dollar-Sign-A-P Rocky"?

That's not how you say it...

I'll pronounce it how I wanna pronounce it, thank you.

What are you wearing?

These are clothes. I'm going to st... Library.

Oh, since when do you dress like Shakira when you go to the library?

Am I an idiot to you? 'Cause I know you're dancing.

- I know you're doing it behind my back. - I understand you're mad.

You have every right to be, but I have to be somewhere in 30 minutes,

- so if you could just... - Mad?

You know what? I am upset,

because we had a deal, and you're not going anywhere right now.

You are grounded.

Quinn, you lied to me. You blew off your schoolwork.

And I don't care what kind of personal breakthrough

you're having right now. You are not leaving this house.

- Mom? - Yes?

- I'm leaving this house. - No, you're not!

Wh... Quinn!

What the hell?

No! Whoa! What are you doing? You don't know how to drive a car.

I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

I'm really happy, so I think this has to be a good thing, right?

Wrong. Nuh-uh. Get out of the car.

I can't. I have to go dance.

I am going to kill you.

Okay, great! Bye!

Get out of that car. You don't know how to drive. You're wrong!

Quinn!

It's a one-way street!

You're going the wrong way!

No!

Oh, I gotta call an Uber.

Okay, everybody,

please welcome three-time returning champions

from Woodbright High, the Thunderbirds!

Holy shit!

It's like the Rapture.

Quinn, where are you?

I'm coming, everybody!

Okay, I can't text and drive. I can barely drive.

Oh no! Oh my God!

Pyrotechnics.

Nice touch.

Wow! What a performance from our returning champions.

And now for the judges' scores…

9.0! Putting the Thunderbirds in the lead!

Up next, our final team: TBD.

Quinn's not here. What do we do?

Hey.

You ready?

Whoo!

Whoo!

TBD!

Are you Jasmine Hale?

Yeah. Yeah, I am.

I'm with the New York Dance Academy.

I'd love to speak with you about joining our program in the fall.

- I would love to speak with you. - Fantastic.

I've been waiting my entire life.

- Quinn Ackerman. - Ms. Ramirez! You came.

Of course I came. You were so good.

You… You illuminated the shit out of this place.

Thank you very much.

- Yeah, you did. You did that, honey. - Thanks.

I gotta tell you, I just got a new position at NYU.

Here's my card. I think you might like it there.

Call me.

So good!

How does she keep getting jobs?

Are you Juilliard?

Juilliard? Uh… I don't know her.

My name is Isaiah.

Robby, keep her safe.

Big Apple, baby.

I knew you'd get in!

You did? Why didn't you tell me?

Looks like we'll be seeing

a lot of each other next fall.

Yay.

Your performance today…

Was actually not bad.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

I'm really happy for you guys.

I'm so bored of winning all the time, right?

Anyway, I just thought I'd come over here and say congrats.

I've changed.

Well…

That was interesting.

- Hm. - So whatcha up to now?

Mm… Well, Mama's

getting a new mattress today.

Yeah!

And it is extra spoon-worthy.

Hi.

I'm pretty sure that we illegally won,

since rule 85 in the Work It code of conduct

says you can't compete if you've already graduated.

Aw, look at that! Love is happening all around us, honey.

We just have to look for it.

Play me something, boo.

In the end, Einstein was right.

Dancers are the athletes of God.

And, as it turns out, I'm one of them,

because it's actually not that hard to find a four-count

or the beat of your own heart.

All you have to do is listen to it.

That's all I've got figured out.

The rest is TBD.