01x09 - Rage Against the Machine

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

Hey, D.J. What are you doing here?

Geena sent me over 'cause
she doesn't want her

or Mary to get sick.

I guess she figured whatever
germs are living in this couch

would k*ll the intruders.

You're in luck, Deej.

The unlabeled can that was in
the pantry since we were kids?

Chicken soup.

Tastes okay.

Yeah, I figured. The can
was barely swollen.

- Hey.
- Hey.

Oh, don't go near D.J.

He's sick, and I've used up
all my nurturing on him,

so if you guys get sick, I'm
just gonna yell at you.

Sorry, Uncle D.J. I
can't get sick, anyway.

I have a test tomorrow.

I do, too,

so if you want to cough
on my scarf, please do.

[D.J. COUGHS]

Thank you.

So... where's Dan?

Mom wants some shelves put in

above her bed for her bowling trophies.

Why can't you do it?

'Cause if it falls, I'm the
one with the obvious motive.

Dad's covering my
vending-machine route today.

I hope he can handle it.
It's a very complicated job.

[LAUGHS]

[LAUGHING] Isn't it just
like you open a glass door,

and you replace the chips and the candy?

Yeah, and space travel is
just lighting a rocket

and landing on the moon.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Did you just equate space travel

with servicing a vending machine?

[LAUGHS]

Oh, Dan. My God.

What happened?

A vending machine fell over on me.

[GASPS]

I knew it. Are you okay?

Again, a vending machine fell on me.

How? They're bolted to the wall.

This one wasn't.

- Are you sure?
- Yeah, I'm sure!

I had plenty of time
to stare at the wall

while it was crushing me.

Well, how bad is it?

I had to spend four
hours in the emergency.

Nobody has insurance now,

so they use it like a doctor's office.

It's a no-win situation

because the emergency has to take you,

but it costs a fortune.

Oh, I don't know. It was only $ , .

If I'd have had my other pants
on, I'd have paid it right then.

$ , ?

I thought Medicare covered like %.

They did, but they made me take an MRI,

a blood test, an I.V.,

a bone guy, a brain guy.

That's the co-pay.

We can't afford this, and
it's the company's fault.

You know what? They better pay
or we're gonna have to sue.

Wait. Uh, you can't sue
the company I work for.

Eat your old soup and be quiet.

Relax, Deej. I'm not suing anybody.

I'm sure the company
will cover my expenses.

Oh, don't be naive, Dan.

Those vending-machine companies...

they'll nickle and dime ya.

[LAUGHING] Hey, hey!

[LAUGHS]

I didn't even mean to do that.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

"The Conners" is recorded

in front of a live studio audience.

Hey, check out my updated website.

I'm using icons to subliminally suggest

that people use my services.

So, you see, the drum
majorette and the sun?

That implies I can lead you to a life

where nobody rains on your parade!

[LAUGHS]

Yeah, yeah. That's a huge stretch.

You want to hear about my day?

I don't care. I do.

The owner told me I have to stop

flirting with the other employees.

Well, to be fair, you did
have sex with two of them.

Yeah, he lead with that.

Did he single you out?

No. He told everyone there's
gonna be zero tolerance

for fraternizing amongst the employees,

and he's making us all take
boundary-awareness training.

Well, that's not the
worst thing for you.

It's stupid.

Work is where most people meet.

And meeting people at work is perfect

because you know they have jobs.

Um, let me talk to you
not as your Aunt Jackie,

but as Lanford's leading
certified life coach.

Um, maybe you're flirting
too much in general.

For instance, the guy at the Rite Aid.

Paul?

It's just a little game we play.

He asked you to marry him,

and you haven't said no yet.

That's the game.

Okay, well, at least let me help you

get your boundary-awareness certificate.

I'm fully accredited. See?

A wise, old owl is saying it.

I'm sorry to hear you hurt
yourself, Mr. Conner.

- Please call me Dan.
- Okay, Dan.

Um, before we start, how about a snack?

Huh? "Snack time's all the time."

That's our slogan.

Oh. I thought it'd be
something more like,

"We crush you with our
vending machines."

Anyway, we have cheese
puffs, mini pretzels,

and we have cheese and crackers.

You know that little,
red, plastic paddle

in the cheese-and-cr*cker packet?

That was us.

I don't want to take
up a lot of your time.

I'm just asking to get
my medical bills covered

because your machine should
have been bolted to that wall,

and I'll take some
cheese puffs for later.

Well, it's not that simple.

See, first of all, you're not
an authorized technician.

This, uh, never would have happened

had you been trained for the job.

It fell on him.

Are you saying if my dad was trained

that gravity would have
behaved differently?

My company has a heart,

and I have been authorized to...

offer to pay half your medical bills.

Half? Are you kidding me?

Relax, Darlene. We've just
started talking about this.

No, they're trying to screw us.
I knew they would do this.

I guess we're just gonna have
to get ourselves a lawyer.

How do you like our new business, Dad?

Of course, we're gonna have to
get rid of Old Man Grayson.

[EXHALES DEEPLY]

Okay, we're done.

Once you say "lawyer," I'm no
longer allowed to talk to you.

Oh, I'd like to take this opportunity

to dismiss my counsel.

I'll be representing myself.

You're selling out your daughter?

And how.

Oh, I like that.

But, no, we can't keep talking.

They'll validate your
parking at the front desk.

Fine, but just so you know,

your red, plastic paddle is dumb.

You've got to make the cheese
softer or the paddle harder.

Jerk.

♪ ♪

I can't believe those phones are
more interesting than I am.

Sorry about that. We were being rude.

Don't take this the wrong
way, but you're way too hot

to be working in a place like this.

You're gonna let him leave
you in the dust like that?

I figured you knew you were hot,

so I didn't have to say anything.

Good job.

I'll get your waitress for
you. This isn't my section.

Hey, hey. Can I talk
to you for a second?

- Sure.
- Have you seen this?

That's your picture on
my rival's website,

Rita Silver.

How could you go to her
for your certificate?

Look what she wrote...
"I am now coaching

the niece of Jackie Harris,

Lanford's number-two life coach."

Look, I'm gonna be honest with you.

I didn't know whether you
were a life coach or not.

I've never seen you with a client.

Of course I have clients!

You don't see them because
I fix their lives so quick!

We...

And Rita Silver is a certificate mill,

and if you'd come to me,
you'd have your certificate

and a little bit of knowledge
about what's going on in there!

Sorry, but I think this
whole thing is bogus,

so why not just go to somebody
who's gonna rubber-stamp it?

I have enough to deal with right now.

All right. I'll let it go.

But [SNIFFS] after what Rita said,

I might have to put a little
something on my website

that destroys your reputation.

♪ ♪

Okay. We just did minutes
of physical activity.

Can we have our game controllers back?

Uh, I said minutes.

It's below zero. The
ball almost shattered.

Back in my day, we
called that shatterball,

and we loved it.

[RECEIVER SLAMS]

That was the ambulance company.

I just went two blocks for $ .

You want to meet with them and
get it up to an even thousand?

I-I told you I'd handle the bills.

Like you handled the guy at
the vending-machine company?

We were negotiating.

We need somebody to fight for us,

which is why I called a lawyer,

and he should be here any
minute, and you're welcome.

[GROWLING] I don't want a lawyer!

[NORMAL VOICE] I'll go back
and talk to the guy alone.

Oh, and do what?

Get five bucks more and a
packet of mini pretzels?

Just hear this guy out.

He's obviously very successful.

I saw his commercial on a
screen at the gas pump.

Oh, well, if the gas
station recommends him...

Why are you pushing this so hard?

Because we were already up against it,

and if you can't work for a
long time, it'll break us.

We don't have any savings.

If you're worried about me,
I can take care of myself.

Well, what if you can't?

I mean, there's barely any
good-paying jobs out there.

My kids might be living
with us until their s,

and if you're not working,

I don't know how I'm gonna
take care of everybody.

I will not be a burden.

I'll sell my organs to science...

... slowly.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Just play nice.

- Don't attack him.
- I'll try,

but there's a reason there's never
been a lawyer in this house.

Or a teacher or a senator

or anyone with a master's degree.

Let's see what happens.

Darlene? Brian Foster.

Oh, thank you so much for coming.

This is my dad, Dan Conner.

Nice to meet you, Mr. Conner.

Hey. Sorry. I got a bad wing.

Also I think all lawyers
should be thrown into the sea.

[CHUCKLES]

He was very pleasant before the injury.

We should be compensated for that.

Look, I'm sure you must be worrying

not just about the injury,

but how you're gonna pay those bills.

That's what I'm here for.

I am really gonna fight for
you to get a fair shake.

Uh, I was just telling him we
need someone to fight for us.

Remember I was just telling you that?

Yeah, I do.

I have the uncanny ability

to remember things from seconds ago.

[CHUCKLES]

Look, I'm not looking
to win the lottery.

All I want is my hospital bills paid.

Dan, you've already done the hard work.

You got hurt.

Now let me do my job.

Darlene faxed me all the info.

I see six figures.

Whoa! Six figures?!
I'm not hurt that bad!

Never say that again.

You have no idea what kind of problems

you're gonna have in the future,

and this is pennies to these people.

And the fact is, they were negligent.

You were helping out your sick kid,

which I know will make
every woman on that jury

want to have sex with you.

I'd rather not.

If they can just bring me a
beer in front of the TV,

that'd be fine.

They'll settle this long
before they go to trial.

You deserve this money.

Wouldn't it be nice to put
a few bucks in the bank

for your family?

Oh, he'll do it. Right? You'll do it?

He'll do it.

I'll do it.

Now all you got to do is
get my daughter on board.

♪ ♪

Here's to Dad retiring before he dies.

So, Grandpa, how much
money are you gonna get?

We're not getting rich,

but we ought to see a
few bucks out of this,

and if we do, it'll be
good for all of us.

[SIGHS] Can you imagine?

We could get the house
down to one mortgage

and get a new water heater

so we can shower like it's not
a pit stop at a NASCAR race.

Do I dare dream about a
college with a campus

instead of an office building
next to the freeway?

You can certainly start
thinking about it.

Thanks, Grandpa!

I love you more than Mom.

The Art Institute is offering
five kids from our school

a chance to take classes
with Tony Fitzpatrick.

He's amazing.

I sent in some of my art from
class, and they picked me.

Wow. I didn't know you did that.

It costs a lot of money, and I
didn't think we could afford it.

It's $ .

- Is it important to you?
- Yeah.

Let them know you're coming.

I love you more than Mom, too!

[JACKIE LAUGHS]

Darlene, what do you want?

Well, the love of my
children would be nice.

So, another toast to Dan
for making it all possible

by doing something as stupid

as pulling a vending
machine over on himself.

[CLEARS THROAT]

All right. You guys can go ahead.

I'm gonna make Becky bring
me dessert, eat half of it,

and then send it back.

Can I get a daiquiri, please?

- Sure.
- Thanks, Becky.

I'm sorry. Do we know each other?

No, but you know my boyfriend, Gil.

You've been texting him.

Huh.

I didn't know that Gil had a girlfriend.

Also I don't know who Gil is.

Really? [SCOFFS]

Oh, yeah.

I know that guy.

He never told me he had a girlfriend.

Would you have cared if he did?

Hey, if he's in a relationship,

that's on him.

One daiquiri.

But you're the one who's sending him

pictures of you in a short
skirt and cowboy boots.

Stop it. Look, I know
what you're doing, okay?

I've met trash before.

[PITCHER THUDS]

- You need to leave.
- Oh, I intend to.

Oops. [SIGHS]

I guess you'll probably try
to drink that up, right?

Because you seem to like
stuff I've already had.

Watch your men, ladies!

'Cause this little slut
will come after them!

Why did you stop me?

Because she wasn't totally wrong.

She called me a slut!

Okay, she was wrong about that,

but what do you think that you would do

if somebody was texting your
boyfriend like you're doing?

I don't know, but I wouldn't knock over

a perfectly good daiquiri.

Becky, you're looking for all
of your validation in men.

I know what it's like.

I used to look for a lot of
my self-worth in bars...

biker bars, trucker bars, cop bars,

and one gay bar, which may or
may not have been an accident.

But that's you, not me.

I admit that I flirt too much,

but you're making it into a
bigger problem than it is.

[CELLPHONE CHIMES]

- Is that a guy?
- Yeah, it's a guy.

- Which one is this?
- [INHALES DEEPLY]

I don't know. He didn't
include his face.

Is that the direction you
want to keep going in?

- No, not really.
- Okay, well, then step one

is you have to erase
everything on that phone

that has anything to do
with flirting with guys.

Okay.

Might as well just do a factory reset.

♪ ♪

You know, this whole lawsuit
thing is really bad for D.J.

Oh, well, I'm sure
he'll get another job.

He's got experience handling change.

The coin-operated industry's his oyster.

I know you guys use humor
to deal with things,

but D.J. was really
happy about this job,

and now he's depressed about the
possibility of getting fired.

Oh, he's getting fired.

I'm... I'm sorry. Humor.

Yeah, you're right. It's wrong.

Did you know he's been
seeing a therapist at the VA

for the last two years?

- No.
- [DOORBELL RINGS]

Look, please don't tell him I told you.

He's so proud, he wouldn't even tell you

what that chicken soup did to him.

You can't take off the tray
table and answer the door?

I can, but evidently I don't have to.

Hey, Brian.

Are you guys eating dinner or anything?

- I don't want to interrupt.
- No, no. Come on in.

I was gonna call you, but I...

I really needed to
talk to you in person.

Oh, I know what you're doing here.

You're coming in all sad-looking

and then you're gonna
give us a big, old check.

Not exactly. I talked to the
company's lawyers today.

And?

They decided they're gonna
fight this out in court.

Wait. But w-we'll still win, right?

Here's how their lawyer put it to me.

You know how you put a
coin in a vending machine

and that cinnamon bun
you're craving gets stuck?

Yeah.

And then you're at the point
where you have to decide,

are you gonna put more money in,

hoping it will be pushed
further and drop,

or do you just go for the Life Savers

'cause you know they'll roll out easy?

Could you simplify this?
I'm about to throw up.

They're offering a settlement.

It's not as much as we'd hoped for.

How much is it?

No pain and suffering.

Just money for medical bills,
and after my fees come out,

you'll be just a little short.

We're gonna be short? You
promised us six figures.

Oh, I was hoping for six figures,

but these guys are threatening
to drag this out.

It could take years.

I recommend you take the settlement.

God, this sucks. You know what?

You're the last person I
ever hire off a gas pump.

We'll take the offer.

No.

You know what? If we're taking this,

then D.J. has to keep his job.

That's the deal.

- I can do that.
- Thanks.

Let me walk you out.

You know, I just want you to
know, I had every intention

of sticking it to those guys for you.

No, you didn't.

You were looking for a fat
settlement and a quick payout.

They offered you half,
and I got you more.

In my book, that's a win.

That's no win. You set us up.

You made my family think that

things were gonna work out for once,

and then you bailed on us.

I should have known better.

No other lawyer would have
done anything different.

That's the first honest
thing you've said to me.

Hey. You took a shot.

If you'd lost the arm,

I think you'd be in much better shape.

I have to go inside now

and tell my grandkids why
I have to let them down.

If I ever see you again,
I will kick your ass,

and then I will throw you into the sea.

And there's no point in suing me.

As you know, we ain't got no money.

Hey, buddy.

Hey, Grandpa. You don't have to tell me.

I heard.

People don't always come through, pal.

I didn't really want to go
to that art class anyway.

It's gonna be in the summer,

and there's other stuff I'd rather do.

Oh, that's too bad, 'cause you're going.

Really? But we can't afford it.

You have to pay your doctor bills.

That's my business, not yours.

Thanks, Grandpa.

What about me?

You said I could think about
going to a real college.

Yeah, fair is fair. You can
keep thinking about it.

So, one of the reasons you
may have been looking

for external validation from men

is because you don't feel good

about what you've
accomplished in your life.

How can you say that?

Look around you.

So, we're gonna come up with a plan

that helps you get a career

so you can feel good about something

more than just your pretty face.

You think I'm pretty?

Kidding. I know I'm pretty.

So, what is your dream job?

Okay, but don't laugh.

I've always wanted to
work at the Field Museum.

You know, in that room
where they clean off

the fossils and the artifacts?

I saw that on a field trip once,

and I've never stopped
thinking about it.

Wow, archaeologist. Uncovering history.

Bringing the past to life.

I brought materials on paralegal
and dental technician,

but let's roll with this.

I don't even know where to start.

Well, Jackie's jewel number one...

Find somebody who's doing
it and talk to them.

Here's the Field Museum website.

Maybe we make a few calls.
Maybe you could intern.

Here's the manager of
the docent volunteers.

He's cute.

Oh, great.

We can work on two things.

♪ ♪

DARLENE: Oh, Dad. I called the hospital.

We qualify for an assistance program.

Technically, we're indigent.

- [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
- Ow!

Yeah!

After paying off all
of the medical bills

and Mark's art class,

we have $ left.

Which part of Europe are
we gonna see first?

We can go to Santa's Village!

Oh, you remember how much fun that was?

We would go in the petting zoo,
and then all those animals

would jump up on us with
crap all over their feet,

and then we'd go get gingerbread cookies

without washing our
hands, and Dad would say,

"You guys are gonna all get
sick," and then we did?

[LAUGHTER]

I want to go!

All right, all right.

I say, though, it's Grandpa's
money, and he gets to decide.

I've always been a fan of
the mail-order steaks.

How about we order of them?

I will eat one filet a night

for consecutive nights.

It will be known as the
"month of mignon."

Oh. Wow. You're a good dad.
You're not gonna linger.