All language subtitles for The.Year.Of.The.Dog_en

Withdrawal is like dying

and rebirth happening at once.

But with no family

to lovingly send you off

or to greet you with big smiles
and open arms,

a drinker like me...

...is always alone.

Matt, Matt get in.

- Look like you could use
a cup of coffee, huh?

I could use a beer.

It was a joke, you literal
prick, it was a joke.

It's a, it's a seatbelt.

Yeah, I know what it is.

Thanks, Papa Fred.

-Nice.
-Onward, valet. Onward.

Tell me about your,
your big plan.

Punching a bartender, huh?

-Worked, didn't it? It worked.
-Oh.

Oh, 48 hours, Matt. That's it.

Ye-- you, you don't have
no room to get cocky here.

Why are you mocking that?

How am I being cocky?

Come on, Matt.

One day at a time,
one minute at a time,

one second at a time.

Shoot, this car don't move

until the metal's in the groove.

I need you to understand
that this is, this is the time.

-There might not be
another chance.
-No chance.

-Why?
-Because your plans
don't work for me.

They would
if you commit to them.

I've had 20 successful
sponsees, man.

-Twenty.
-I know that because
you've mentioned it a lot.

Go home now
and you'll be drunk in an hour.

Dude, stop.

Or dead in a month.

What the, happened to all
that positive self-talk

you were so good at?

Okay, Matt. What's your plan?

Step one, get sober.

Check.

Step two,
I will finish the hutch.

I'll start that tomorrow.

And then step three, um,

I will stay sober...

...for 30 days...

...so that I can see
my mom, uh...

...before she dies.

Matt, I'm, I'm sorry.
I didn't know it was that bad.

Listen, listen, I've,
I've got that cabin.

-That little cabin
next to our house.
-Yeah.

-You know the one
I'm talking about, right?
-I do.

-Yeah.
-Why don't you come out there
and finish the hutch?

Rachael's not even there.

She's,

she's back East with family,
all right? She's, uh...

I don't wanna live on a farm.

It's not a, it's not a farm.

What do you mean, "It's not
a farm?" You have chickens.

Matt, sobriety is something
that you can't do on your own.

Sobriety is something
that I have to do on my own.

Matt, think big picture.

I am.

I am, I'm just thinking
differently than you.

Oh.

Dear Matt,

well, the doctors finally
hit their last option.

They moved me to hospice.

It's not so bad,
there's a TV in my room.

I haven't seen you in 15 years,

and you'd think by now
I'd give up on my stubbornness

because the idea
of not seeing you

before I kick the bucket
hurts more than all
the surgeries combined.

But I'm holding on
to what I can hold onto,

my final dream.

Get sober

and come say goodbye.

I love you.

Mom.

We're doing this.

Yeah, Matt.

-Thirty days.
-Thirty days.

Thirty days.

- We're gonna talk about
that ugly hat you're wearing.

Deal.

My whole life...

...unable to rest...

...in pursuit of some
unavowed dream...

...masked in this insane
compulsive desire to self-bleed.

Multiple vices brought my way,

but not the kind that
takes one's breath away,

but the kind that tears
one's self away.

Let's get after it.

Morning, morning.

Uh, uh, morning, oh, Oh.

Did I disturb you?

No, no,
the knock did. Okay.

Some leftover benzos.

-Oh, thanks man.
-I got plenty of coffee
in the truck.

I don't really
feel like hearing how big
a piece of shit I am,

right now,
to be honest with you.

Matt, I get it,
you don't like meetings.

Yeah.

I need you to show up.

It's a reasonable request.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is.

It's a reasonable request.

All right, I'll pick you up.

- Wait, you're not coming in?
-I already went.

-That figures.
-All right.

-I got a favor to ask you, man.
-What's that?

I'd like to ask you
not to wear that hat.

Uh, what do you mean?

-I'm Lakota.
-I know.

So basically you're a walking
billboard for a stereotype
about native people.

Matt, we're not Braves
or Redskins,

or-- we're not even Indians.

-We're real people just--
-I, I know.

Just wear this instead, please.

This hat is symbolic of

real players,

and real people,

and a real team
that was part of my childhood.

I'm not, it's not a, a,
a racist thing.

All right. Imagine you're a,
you're a kid...

-Yeah.
-...off the reservation, and
you, and, and you come to a game

and you idolize these people
and you want to be
a professional baseball player,

and, and, and you get there
and, and you see people,

adults, dressed up like,

like what they think...
you're supposed to look like.

What they think, in their mind,
an "Indian" looks like,

and, and, and they're going

act-- acting like idiots.

That affects us.

Like I, I'm not saying
that that's great,

I don't get how
it affects you though.

That affects my self-esteem.

That affects
these kids' self-esteem.

I'm not a mascot.

I'm not a goofy cartoon
or a, or a chant,

or, or, we don't do
the Tomahawk chop.

That makes a difference
in how we feel about ourself,

that affects kids' self-esteem.

Okay.

-Thank you.
-Yep, yep.

You win, you win.

Uh, are you picking me up after?

I'll be here.

-Thanks, man.
-I got you.

My father was a violent man.

He was a marine...

...sniper scout,

Pacific Theater during
World War II.

He took Iwo Jima, Saipan,
Tinian, Roi-Namur,

and the Marianas.

And...

...he had this hair trigger
temper when he drank...

...and God forbid,

you were in his line of fire,

'cause that wasn't
gonna be a good day.

When I was a boy,

I had this dog named Caesar...

...and he was my buddy,
you know, my pal.

In a scary world,

he was like my champion.

And then, uh, one day my dad...

...just went into one
of his ragers and...

I was sitting there
with Caesar petting him.

And... he beelines it
right at us, you know?

And I thought, "Oh, he's going,
he's gonna lay into me, man."

And then, you know,
with one hit...

...he snapped his spine in half.

I'll never forget
the sound he made...

...'cause I, I knew that was it,
and he was dying.

So, I put my head...
against his chest and pet him.

You know, that...
was the only thing I could do.

I've done a lot
of forgiving since then,

I'm gonna tell you
that was a hard one.

- All right.
- That was tough, man.

You know, the pulls are
a great community event.

-Meet a lot of good people.
-What are they?

Uh, dog pulls,
train your sled dogs?

So, like mushing and all that?

Yeah, something like that.

It's kind of tough being
the new guy in the group, huh?

It was tough for me too
in the beginning,

but you know, I kind of
stick out around here.

Why? Because you don't drink?

Well, no, I, I'm a guest
from Al-Anon.

So, you're fine.

Well, not fine, but you know,

alcoholism, it's,
it's a family disease.

Not if they're not around.

Listen, I'm in Al-Anon
and I give my number out,

so you know,
if you're interested...

No, I'm good.

All right, well,
I'll let you get back to it
and, uh, it's great meeting you.

-I need this.
-He's a stray.

So am I, and look
how much you like me.

You remember Kevin,
you remember Kevin?

He asked his sponsor
for a little job,

and, and his sponsor sent him
out to the garden

to pick some dandelions,

just a little bit
of light weeding.

He marches through the river,
over the woods,

catches the bus one hour
one way just to drink.

-Sorry, what does that have
to do with me?
-Stress, Matt.

Stress. This dog is stress.

-You don't need
stress right now.
-I'm not asking permission.

-This is my house, man.
-Then I will leave your house.

Do you see what you're doing?

Do you even hear what
you're doing right now?

Matt, if I let him stay
and things go wrong,

you have your excuse, and if...

-I'm listening.
-...if I stand my ground...

...you have your excuse.

He was licking chickens.

- That's not cute.
That's brain damage.

Hmm.

- See?
- Bless you.

That's how
he protests absurdity.

After my dad died...

...my Newfoundland that I had,
his name was Basil...

...was how that I knew
that my world had not ended.

And when he died, the care
that had been in my home
was completely gone.

So, I would scrape my knee
and it wasn't,

"Hey, are you okay?"

It was, "Put a band aid on it
and move on."

I need this.

How about we give it a week?

-One week, Matt.
-Deal.

There's one problem.

What now?

We have to name him.

This, this is your new dog.
You pick.

Okay. Yup'ik.

- Oh, Matt.
- Yeah, yeah.

-Really?
-Yeah, really.

It's a great name,
you named him.

It's great. It's great.

Heartfelt.

That's right. You know,
you know the smells.

Shut up!

- Shut up, shut up. Shut up,
shut up, shut up.

At least you're housebroken.

Come on, let's go.

Yup'ik, let's go.

Hey.

Yeah, yeah. Hey, hey.

I blame my mom for the way
she shut down after my dad died,

- The truth was somehow
too straight forward.

He crashed into a tree
on his way to work.

Broad daylight, no alcohol,
no other cars involved.

Hmm.

- Hey, how is it coming along?
-Great.

It's real great,
real great, real great.

-You're not gonna take him
with you?
-Nope.

Well, he's your dog,
you can't just leave him.

What do you want from me?

I want you to take him with you.

Fine, I'll take him with me
and leave him for the cougars.

Great? Great, great.

Yup'ik!
You're on your own asshole!

Hey, you all right? Good.
All right, here, go ahead,
go ahead, go ahead.

Go ahead, go ahead, okay.

Good, yeah, yeah, good, good.

- Hey.
- Hey.

I have a package for Fred.

Uh, yeah, I'll sign
for it. Uh...

-You can sign here.
-Great, oh.

Wow, you guys got
dumped on out here.

- Yeah, yeah it's Montana. It'll
probably be gone tomorrow with.

-Oh, I love your husky.
-Uh, he's a pound puppy.

He's an Alaskan Husky
with some Siberian in him.

Seriously?

Yep, third generation
dog musher right here.

People still do that?

Well, sure I mean,
I don't anymore,

but there are a lot of them
out there.

-Yeah.
-Well, huskies can look
kind of muddy

'cause they're not really
a "breed" breed,

but they're
kind of a special dog,

bred for power, speed,
and endurance.

Not for looks. Right?

-Definitely not.
-Yeah.

But this guy's an epic athlete.

-Wait.
-Um, what's the name?

Uh, Yup'ik.

-Yeah.
-Your name is Yup'ik?

- No, I'm Matt, he's Yup'ik.
- Oh.

I, what kind of parent would
name a kid Yup'ik, right?

Yeah, that's a good question,
Uh, I'm Julie.

-Hi.
-They're great sled dogs,
but they're also,

they love to pull.
There's nothing in the world

an Alaskan Husky loves
more than pulling.

I, I don't know. Is that what
those signs are around town with
like the... big prize money...

-Yeah. Oh.
-...thing?

Where are you from?

Uh, I grew up
in Whitefish mostly...

-and then I was in, uh,
Glendive for a bit...
-Hmm.

- ...and Miles City.
- Yeah, fancy boy.

Yeah that's, that's me,
that's me.

Um... well, hey, I, I gotta go.

Hey, uh, what do I do,

uh, if I want to have him
pull like you're saying?

Uh, harness him up.

I don't, actually--
Uh, what does that mean?

It means fancy boy,
put a harness on him.

Uh, I work at Murdochs
this weekend. Come by.
I'll hook this guy up.

Okay.

All right. Come on,

we'll try this. All right.

Okay, okay.
What's happening here?

So we, like this.

Come on, come on,
come on, you're good.

I'm just gonna take
this off of you.

Okay, ready, okay?

Good boy, it's okay, it's okay.

Yeah, here we go, here we go.

Good job. Here we go.

More weight!

-Come here.
-Come on, Yup'ik.

- Come on.
- Atta boy.

What was that?

He almost pulled it.

-Wow, good job. Good job,
good job buddy.
-What? Good boy!

- Ugh.
- Good Yup'ik, yeah, yeah.

Are you getting cold?
Hm? Are you getting cold?

-Matt, the parking brake was on.
-Wait, what?

The parking break was on.

No. What, what, what?

Yeah! Woo-hoo.

Okay, yeah, we--

Sorry, we can't afford it buddy.

Let's see.

Yup'ik!

You made it.

I'm gonna give you a treat.

I just need to ask you
about the, the dog pulling.

-Weight pulling. Uh...
-Weight pulling.

...mushing's more my specialty,

but you should talk to this guy.

He's the best.
He, his dogs are legend,

and he's lived here a long time.
A native guy from Alaska.

-Okay.
-Uh, he's got
really good stories.

-You should ask him
about Nugget.
-Nugget, okay, Nugget.

Did you hook him up?

- Yeah.
- I told you.

-Right.
-Hey also, the weight pull's
just outside.

Um, give it a go. If he pulls
weight, you qualify for state.

-Cash or card?
-Uh, let's do card please.

Also, uh, make sure that you mix
it with water when you feed him,
it prevents bloat.

Okay.

Yeah.

Your total is $71.37.

Okay.

I'm sorry. It didn't go through.

Just gimme my card back,
it's, it's like an old card.

I think the stripe
is actually bad on it.

-How much do you have?
-I have money,

I'm just finishing up
a project right now, so...

Mm, 42 bucks, perfect.

I told you I'd hook you up.

Don't worry about it,
employee discount.

Um, gimme Greg's card.

I can show you our dogs.

I've just been out
of the game a while.

Good boy.

I'm sorry, we're finished.

Uh, can I just
get my dog out there?

-Come to our next pull.
-Wh-- when is that?

Qualifier's in Butte next week.

Could we just practice?

Not today.

You're taking this kind
of seriously, aren't you?

I am?

Yeah, I'm just asking
to see what my dog can do.

I'll spare you the suspense.

- Excuse me?
- It's a little dog.

I'm sorry.

-Greg said I should stop by.
-Greg sent you?

-Yeah, Greg Peters.
-Mm-hmm.

Hey,Greg-ums, guy here
says you sent him over.

-Hey, Matt, right?
-Yeah.

- Good to see you again.
- Yeah, you too.

Yeah, I think he's worth
checking out.

- He ever pulled?
- Sure.

Yeah, he's young.

He's got feet like clown shoes.

-Let's get a rig on him,
see what he can do.
-Are you serious?

All right, make sure it's snug.

We had a big malamute in there

last run of the day.

Sampson, you may have seen him.

Your dog's a little smaller.

- It's funny, that's,
that's real funny, yeah.

-So what'd you name him?
-Uh, his name's Yup'ik.

- Really?
- Hey, come here, here.

And how'd you come about that?

That's kind of a joke.

I gotta see this,
don't wanna jinx the next pull.

Uh, he's superstitious.

Into the Zodiac
and stuff like that.

Yeah, that seems
pretty on brand for him.

Come on, Yup'ik.
Come on, come on. Go, go, go.

Hey Greg, just so this
kid doesn't kill his dog,

we should probably take
the weight down a little bit.

How much is on there?

Uh, Sampson's original 2100.

Oh, let's knock it down to 500,

just to give him a feel for it.

Yeah, well he almost
pulled a car earlier.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

You never set your dog

up to fail, it shames him.

This guy's a total amateur.

We were all amateurs once.

That trust is a difficult
thing to earn back.

Yeah, and I know something
about that.

Oh, okay.

-Yeah.
-Well, here's how it works,

Each of those bricks
is 50 pounds.

After each successful pull,
the weight goes up 100 pounds.

You are starting at 2100 pounds.
All right?

- Okay.
-So you're gonna go down to the end of the lane, that's 16 feet.

Your time starts when you call
your dog or when your dog makes
a move off the line.

-Thirty seconds for him to get--
-You've got 30 seconds to get
the front of the sled

- across that line.
- Okay, got it.

You're on, Sparky.

Okay. Yup'ik, come.

You're right.
He's really strong.

Prick.

Yup'ik, come.

He's not interested.

The dog just won't listen, man.

Yup'ik, not "the dog".

"Not the dog,"
does that really matter?

Yes. When you call Yup'ik,
mean it.

I do mean it.

Remember a time
when you had fun with him.

- Remember a time when I had fun with him?
- -Yes.

Breathe into that,
it's very simple.

Stay in that place.

When you're ready, call him.

Yup'ik, come.

-Wait, wait, wait, wait.
-When he puts his head
down, you leave him.

Wh-- Sorry, why are you
yelling at me?

Because you are a moron.

You work at a doggy
weight pull, man.

How often do you think
your wife brags about you?

Oh, yeah?

Oh shit. Quick, quick, come,
come, yep, good, good.

Nine seconds.

-Not bad.
-Yeah.

Yeah, you know?

Hey, so, I, I just wanted to say
that I'm going through kind of
a, a rough patch.

Yeah, I get it.

Yeah, look...

...bring this with you
to the qualifier.

It'll get you in for free.

It's got my name on it.

Right, so you think
he can qualify?

I wouldn't get too excited
just 'cause you got him
to cross the line once,

- doesn't mean you can do it again.
- Good luck, champ.

Matthew...

...Yup'ik is a very
special name.

It's a Yup'ik word,
spelled Y-U-P-I-K,

and it's sacred.

He's a sensitive dog...

...and you will have
to become sensitive, too.

Lean into that connection, okay?

You're doing a good job.

Okay, Yup'ik come.

I thought we had a deal,
I lean in and you respond.

What's the problem?

I'm sorry
about the car earlier, okay?

I didn't mean
to shame you with it.

So, you wanna make sure
and make eye contact with him.

And go very slowly.

Make sure that
he's following the treat.

-Okay, you try.
-Okay.

-So, I make eye contact.
-With Yup'ik.

With Yup'ik, right,
right, and go slowly.

Yes.

Okay, slow.

Okay, just toss it to him now.

Just toss it to him?

Yeah, just pop it up in the air.

Just pop it up in the air,
all right.

-What if I hit him?
-He'll catch it. It's a treat.

So, just like baseball,
it's all about the fundamentals.

So, sit.

Dang, how much bacon can he eat?

I'm pretty sure he's bottomless.

So, you all race ready?

About as ready we're ever
gonna be, I guess.

Wait, your mom was a musher?

She trained
with Susan Butcher for years.

I don't know who that is.

It's just a four time
Iditarod winner.

-She's pretty.
-Well, that's where I get it.

-What's with the hat?
-It's called an ushanka,

and it's Prada for mushers.

Do you have one?

Nah, it's for serious mushers.

And, and you're not
a serious musher?

I love it. I don't know,
it, it's kind of my mom's
thing, hard to live up to.

Well, yeah,
especially without a...

- ...u-- U--
- Ushanka.

Ushanka, ushanka, okay.

What about your dad?

Carpenter, technically.

Which is a noble profession.

In my dad's case,
he was mostly an unemployed
and resentful house husband.

My mom had this dream and
she was living it and he didn't.

He did manage to keep
the dogs alive though.

I'd come out here
occasionally to help out.

So, that's my sob story,
what about you?

How many days sober?

I can be a bit much.

Yeah, I don't really
like to talk about it.

You got it.

So, I was thinking

I'd like to take you
and Yup'ik dog sledding.

I think you'd love it.

-Um...
-If not, I understand.

I appreciate your help
with him so far.

Like, really.

-I'm not--
-Hey, this doesn't have
to be a thing.

Thought you could use a friend.

It's just a dog sled ride.

Hola, amigo.

Dang, the hutch's looking
pretty good.

Yeah, she's coming along,
coming along.

Got you something.

-What's this?
-Just a small,

-small present.
-Got me a bowling ball?

- It's a necklace.
- Yes.

-Heavy.
-It's a sweater.

You opened it?

I had to, man,
I had to look at it.

A sweater, it's a sweater.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Two days away.

It makes no damn sense to me
why they're your favorite team.

- I think I got the font
as close as I could get it.

We didn't have
a team in Montana...

...and my dad loved them.

And it was my thing with him.

-Whew.
-That's why, huh? Your dad.

-Okay, now I understand.
-Oh.

I just couldn't put the team
name on there 'cause I--

-Well, you know.
-I know. I do know.

- But I got a baseball on there.
That's the symbol.

That relationship between
you and your dad, Matt,

-that's what's important.
-Yeah.

I just don't wanna miss
the chance to get it to you
before the big race.

I'd like to register
my dog, please.

You have to have
your pull dog with you.

Can I just have my bib please?

- You're quite rude.
-It's okay, Tina, he's an acquired taste.

Yeah, some people
just weren't raised right.

You have a problem
with authority, kid.

Come on, let's go.

- Hey. Hey.
- Hey,
rat pull's next week, bud.

Rat pull's in your pants, buddy.

Crowd can get a little rowdy
at these things,

don't take it personal.

Let's get one thing straight...

-Mm.
-...I don't need your help.

Oh, whatever you say.

Here, here, here.

-Number?
-Uh, 88.

-You're up next.
-Okay.

Eighty-eight. It's a lucky
number, astrologically.

The stars are
in your favor, pal.

Stop, stop, stop. I can't
do this zodiac astrological
bullshit, okay?

I'm trying to concentrate and
you're just yapping in my ear.

Accept the help or don't,
but stop complaining.

You sound like a little bitch.

Our defending champion,
weighing in at a robust

- One hundred
and forty-two pounds.
- Yeah.

Malamute, Alaskan freight dog.

He has size, heart, pure will.

That's your competition.

He's won state the last three
years and beat last year's
national record.

-You're up.
-Okay, Yup'ik, come on.
Come on.

Dog goes on the scale, not you.

Hey, get up here, come on.

Next up, we have Yup'ik
weighing in at

a svelte, featherweight
44 pounds.

All right, guys,
thank you all for coming.

We got a really
quick event today.

Each dog has 30 seconds

to pull 1500 pounds
across the line.

Cross the line,
they qualify for state.

Come on, Sampson.

Sampson, let's go, let's go.

You got this, come on!

Sampson, hey, come on.

Let's go, let's go.

That's seven seconds,
that's a new qualifying record.

Come on, good boy, good boy.

Yeah! Woo.

Yup'ik, Yup'ik, come, come here.

Yup'ik, come here.

Yup'ik, come.

Yup'ik.

Ah, Yup'ik, come.

Come. Ah!

Come! Come!

You do that shit at state,
I'm gonna kick your ass.

So, we're not gonna
be carpooling together,
is that what you're saying?

Hey.

That was disgusting.

-Another lecture, okay.
-The-- Hmm,

-the only reason
you're not disqualified...
-Mm-hmm.

-Hmm-mm.
-...is 'cause your friend was
going around telling everyone

how stupid you are,
and I happen to agree with him.

Pull that at state
and you're disqualified.

Great.

Hi, it's me, leave a message.

Hey, Mom, it's Matt. Um,

What do you say after 15 years?

Oh.

I made it.

I'd like to see you. Uh...

Oh, uh, call me back?

Good, good, good.
Stay here, stay here.

Hey, hey.

- Hi, this is Matt.
- Hi Matt, I'm Denise,

I'm one of your mom's
hospice nurses.

-Hey, champ--
-Hey, did you get a letter
from my mom?

Um...

-...oh, uh, yeah. Hey.
-Where is it?

-Where is it? Where is it?
-Sit down!

-Sit down.
-Get your hands off me.

I've had enough of this.

-Get your ass down.
-So have I.

Where, oh, fuck, where is it?

-Where is it?
-It's on top of the hutch.

You're so close
to 30 days, Matt.

I understand why you're upset.

And it's just that
you were doing so, so good.

I asked you to be my sponsor,

because you had a willpower
that I didn't have

And I trusted you man.

And I shouldn't have,

because you are scared shitless

of being out of control.

And you lied to me.

And for as long as
I've known you,

you have taken the easy way out.

Hey, that's what makes these
last 30 days so exceptional.

There's no shortcuts
to sobriety, Matt,

'cause believe me,
you would've found them by now.

Your mom's death
isn't your fault.

And where's your wife, Fred?

No, don't do this.

You talk about your life
like it's Eden.

So where is she?

Did she leave you for some
guy who'd let her choose

what day of the week she wanted
to wash her underwear?

You keep talking to me like
this, you can't stay here.

We'll be gone tomorrow.

Great.

Great.

Fuck. Get in there.

Come here, come.

Surprise!
Fred invited me for pizza.

I thought, well,
we thought we'd celebrate.

I get that you're lonely,
but I don't want this.

What is it
that you don't want, Matt?

My friendship,
a human connection,

this card that I brought?

-Let's be specific.
-I don't want any of it.

I'm going through shit
right now.

I don't have anybody.

I just drove an hour here
to celebrate with you.

Get out.

Get out.

Matt, Matt, I think
something's wrong.

Get out.

- Seriously.
- Seriously, get out!

Hey.

When I was ten,
a storm destroyed our deck.

And my dad was excited.

He couldn't wait to tear it out
and rebuild the damn thing.

He made me get up early
for weeks to help him,

he was even whistling
while we worked.

Man, I was so mad at him
for being so cheerful

about building the stupid deck.

I hated every hammer swing
and every nail

and every board we replaced.

We finished on a Sunday right
before he got paged into work,

and I was mad about that too,
him leaving.

And I hated that beeper noise.

And that was the last time
I saw him.

It's ruined.

No, Matt,
nothing's beyond repair.

Um, so, this is
a peace offering.

Here.

- He's gonna be okay, right?
- -We're gonna do everything we can for him.

Well, it's not the antifreeze.

Wait what? So,
so what's wrong with him?

We're unsure at this time,

but as soon as we
can figure it out,

we'll let you guys know.

You were right.

You needed him.

I'd give anything
to have the fun you two do.

He's my buddy, man,
he's my buddy.

Matt, I need to tell you
something.

I don't know, know if I can
do another talk right now.

I need this.

Okay.

Matt, I drank.

That's why Rachael
went to her sister's.

Thank you for telling me.

Matt, I don't wanna
be your sponsor anymore.

Oh.

I just wanna be your friend.

I, I could use both.

It's gonna be a while,
we need you to go home.

I, I would like to stay here.

Go home and get some rest,

we'll call you
as soon as he's up.

Let's go get some coffee.

I, I can't believe this,
but I want to go somewhere else.

Uh, I'm Matt,
and I'm an alcoholic.

- Hey, Matt.
- Hey.

About a month ago after, uh,
a short bender, um...

...I, uh, found out

from a doctor that

I was throwing up my stomach.

And that if I didn't stop
drinking, I would die.

I went from the appointment
to the bar...

...uh, ready to drink
the place dry.

A couple of drinks in,
I opened up a letter that...

...I had received that day,
and I found out that my mom...

...was going into hospice.

She'd refused to see me
until I was 30 days sober,

um, it'd been 15 years.

So, I, uh, really smartly, um,
decided to punch a bartender...

...so I could get thrown into
jail, um, 'cause I know that,

knew that that's the only chance
I had...

... to get sober.
That was my sobriety plan.

After my, uh,
after my dad had died,

I had a teacher who encouraged
me to write poetry

as a way to process my feelings.

So I'm gonna read
something I wrote.

Um, I'm not really
good at this kind of thing.

Um, it's called Broken Soul.

"My whole life, unable to rest,

in pursuit of some
unavowed dream,

masked in this insane
compulsive desire to self-bleed.

Multiple vices brought my way,
but not the kind that
takes one's breath away,

but the kind that tears
one's self away."

"My dad died and left me with
no life coming through my eyes

and my mom's gone now too.

In those moments
when I realize this,

my mind goes one way, but then
my body refuses to own it,

and my insides are rupturing
on the brink about to explode."

"But it's not what you think.
It's pain and it's old.

A broken heart in a broken soul,

trying to escape."

"But my mind's a square peg
and my body's a round hole.

If I had a broken bone
or something visible,

I think people
would be less critical.

But you have a broken spirit
and the support, it's minimal.

And now I see the illusion,

an unexpected sunrise
unraveled the confusion.

Wholeness happens in a flash

and it's not extraordinary
because it lasts.

The beauty,

lives in that moment of
accepting the past is the past."

Thanks, Matt. Thanks, Matt.

Thanks, Matt.

Hey, how are you?

You're okay.

It's okay.

It's okay, it's okay,
it's okay.

Yeah, it's okay.

Uh, ooh, it's okay,
it's okay. Oh.

Oh, buddy.

All right, let's get
the patient over here.

See what we're working with.

Come here.

Yeah, that's it, come here.

Come here. You know me.
Come here. Come on.

Hi.

-See what we got here.
-Yeah.

Whoa, buddy, what kind of voodoo
doctor put this together?

I mean, it was the best
I could do.

-You did this?
-Yeah.

-Wow.
-Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, I'll show you
what we got here.

-What is that?
-It's the real deal, buddy.

-Yup'ik version
of Neosporin and--
-Looks like pomade.

-Okay.
-Yeah, it's the good stuff, man.

What exactly did the vet say?

Uh, he told me that, uh,
he had gas get into his stomach
and it flipped.

Yeah. That usually happens
to big horses,

and... dogs about his size

and... pull dogs.

But, listen here,
let's get you over here

'cause you need to learn
how to do this.

Call him.

And you're sure this is okay?

Yes, he will let you know
what he needs

and what he doesn't need.

Unlike you, he's not conditioned
to hide the way he truly feels.

Okay.

-Yup'ik come.
-Argh.

I need you to be here.

Here. Look around you.

I need you to be here
with the mountains,

be here with the snow.

The relationship between human
being and dog is ancient.

The pathway is there, he's just
waiting for you to use it.

Yup'ik come.

-Here, take this.
-All right.

Ah, see what you just did?

-Oh.
-That is reflex.

I need you to be here.

Be here in this moment
with this.

Now, I'm gonna do it again
at the same tension,
but just go with it.

- Stop staring at the lead,
look at me.

Just go with it, be here.

Very good.

It needs to be from here.

Everything you do
needs to be from here.

This is what your life
is missing.

Try it again.

Yup'ik, come.

Good boy, hi, hi. Good boy.

Okay. That's so good.

Hey...

...come here. Come here. Slow,

gentle, gentle, gentle.

You knucklehead.

All right. Yeah, okay. Sit.

Good, good. Okay.

Okay, good. Yeah.
Just watch yourself.

Okay, and what about this?

I'll need your signature.

Hey.

Hey, Yup'ik,
I brought you something.

- Can I give him a treat?
- Yeah.

I heard about your mom,
I'm sorry.

Yeah, that was rough, um,
thank you, thank you.

Uh, I'm, uh, sorry.

Um...

I was hurting a lot
and I was so focused on me

and I, I don't know, I, I didn't
listen to you... about the food.

I didn't listen to you
about him.

That night, he got sick.

I just didn't listen
and... I didn't care.

And I went after you.

You know, we're all just trying.

Yeah.

Look...

...I'm sorry that I pushed.

I've never been great
at boundaries.

I, I don't want boundaries.
I, I, I know boundaries
are good for us, but...

...the truth is I don't
know what's good for me.

But I think you are.

And I actually got this
for... you.

For me? Mm.

So, you didn't reply to my text
messages, which is fine, uh,

like I understand. Um,

I needed a way
to apologize in person

and so this was my, my plan.

I thought it might
inspire you in some way.

Can I give you a hug?

Definitely.

Mm.

I'm going home for a bit.

Because you have a ushanka now?

No, I miss the dogs.

But they'll love my new look.

Uh, Julie?

Yeah?

If, if...

...if I come out sometime
can we go dog sledding?

Yeah, I'd like that.

Me too, me too.

Yeah, yeah.

-What's this?
-It's everything I borrowed.

My one year of community college
included a finance class,

so interest is included.

-Are you gonna have
enough to live off of?
-We'll make it work.

You use this for the pull.

Matt, I don't need it right now.

-I'm not gonna have him pull.
-Why?

He's healed,
I saw him out there.

He is, but I'm not.

And I was reckless with him
before. I was an idiot.

And I'm overwhelmed.

Uh, you know what they say?

One day at a time.

Music to my ears.

The Pull's the day after
the memorial, um anyway, so.

You need support at the service?

We're okay.

My, uh, mom and I had
a complicated relationship,

This was the last letter
that she wrote me...

...the day that she passed away.

"Dear Matt...

...I want you to know

it is so hard

to say what I have to say
to you now...

...knowing this may be
my last chance to do so.

I know it is hard for you
to believe...

...but I love you...

...and have always loved you.

I remember
when you were born..."

"...they brought you to me.

"I looked into your sparkling,
weird little eyes

while I held you
for the first time."

"They were overbrimming
with light and life.

I love that line by
Leonard Cohen, where he says...

...'Ring the bell
that still can ring.

Forget your perfect offering.

There is a crack,

a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in.'

You and your sister came
to your father and me

miraculously to give us life.

And that will always remain
somewhere where everything
that matters happen."

"Love, Mom."

I never wanna do that again.

Well, a tree could fall

or we could have an earthquake.

-And there's no final success,
so you can forget that.
-Dad.

Argh, I gotta go to work.

Here's the thing...

...we don't leave things broken.

Matty.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen,

it's our first pull of the day
and it's a great one.

Fifteen hundred pounds from
our pit bull terrier, Sebastian,

let's add on another
hundred pounds.

Next up, we have Yup'ik,
our very own chihuahua.

Ladies and gentlemen,
here we go.

Let's see what
this little guy can do.

Okay, all right.

Come.

Yup'ik, come.

Good, good, yeah, yeah,
come, come.

Mighty Mouse has done it, okay.

And it looks like our trio
is down to two.

Up next, we have
the Alaskan Assassin,

the Mighty, Mighty Mouse
coming up.

If he pulls this off,
he will be the first dog

under 50 pounds in our history
to pull off 2,500 pounds.

Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik,
Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik.

Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik,

Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik.

- Come on.
- Yup'ik, Yup'ik, Yup'ik.

Okay, we have
Sampson up, attempting
a monstrous 2,600 pounds.

If he succeeds,

this will be the most weight
pulled by a dog

in a competition
in the last two years.

He is attempting to pull
a walrus across the ice, folks.

Come on Sampson, good boy,
good boy.

Come on, good boy.
Come on, good boy.

Good boy. Come on, Sampson.

I don't believe it folks.

If Toothpick can pull
2,600 pounds,

he will be our new champion
and record holder for the year.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, baby!

Ahh!

-Oh.
-Thank you.

-I'm proud of you guys.
-Thanks, man.

Woo-hoo, and you, Yup'ik,
you did so good.

-You did so good.
-He's a little diva now.

So, you gotta be,
you gotta show respect.
You know, when you see him.

- I didn't have a chicken
to lick for him, but--
- Yeah, funny.

I'll see you guys
back at the ranch?

Yeah, yeah, we--

It's a farm.

-It's not a farm bro.
-You have chickens, man.
What the fuck?

So, how does it feel?

Uh, pretty hard to describe.

You know, Yup'ik...

...means "Real person,
one who comes into themselves."

Well, he, uh...
he did that today.

So did you.

Julie, uh, told me to ask you
about Nugget a while ago.

Oh, she did, huh?

Well... Emmett Peters,

his lead dog
in the second Iditarod,

was a Siberian named Nugget.

She was 12 years old,
pregnant, had cancer.

They broke the Iditarod
record by six days.

She was the greatest
sled dog ever.

And Emmett,
that was my grandfather.

Well, Sampson,
that dog you just beat,

he's Nugget's great,
great, great grandson.

That's pretty epic, my friend.

Come on.

Come on.

Let's go.

Matt,

I wanted to catch you

to say congratulations,
in person.

-Yeah.
-I'm sorry for what?

I, I need to tell you that,

that you were right about me.

-Stop.
-No, you were.

We've all been through
hard times.

We've all needed a break, man.

Yeah, and I also thought you
should know

since you gave me so much shit

for my love of the metaphysical.

- It's weird, man.
- Hey, hey.

I, I just wanted
your ungrateful ass to know

that according
to the Chinese Zodiac,

this is the year of the dog.

Wait, what?
Wait are you serious?

If there is a cure
for addiction,

it is someone you care for
saying, "You're not alone...

...I love you."

The opposite of addiction
is not sobriety.

The opposite of addiction,

and maybe any suffering,

is connection...

...to yourself...

...to a passion...

...to a partner...

...or to a scrawny dog

with a sacred name.

Good, this is all in
the realm of fun and games.

Sorry, guys, this is
my first time hazing.

You did great.

One drunk away from, uh,

-losing that--
-One, one drink,

-one drink away from a drunk.
-What?

- One--
- One drink

One drink away from a drunk.

Oh, excuse me, sorry.

Uh, why don't you have
a drink with us?

-I'll just...
-No, no, come have a drink.

-That's really a good-looking
dog, like is, is-- yeah.
-Yeah, he's so cute.

-Mm.
-Mm.

-What, wha-- what's his name?
Oh, my God.
-Oh, my God.

That's a cute dog. My God.

- It's Yup'ik.
- Yup'ik?

- Yeah.
- Like toothpick?

You pick that yourself?

- That's okay, sit.
- Then, he walks off.

-Okay, look now.
-You're so good.

I'll take the plates and,
and if you would like,

-I'll, I'll wrap them up here
and, and, we'll--
-I'll help you clear.

Um, at this time I'd like to...

...offer the podium to anyone
who'd like to come share?

- Yeah, lay down in the grass.
-That's so good.

That's so good, you're so good.
You're so good.

Yeah, yeah. I know.