01x04 - Ella B.C.

[bunniefuu]

Okay, nothing left but greens.

[Grady] And I left
all my reds for you.

- [Ella] Wait, I-I like the blues.
- Oops.

One day I'm going to
stop falling for that.

And until that day comes,
I'm gonna keep doing it.

Oh, really?

Last one to the door
also has to eat the purples.

Wait, wait, wait. No, no,
no. [Chuckles] Grady, stop.

That's not fair!

Do I smell pizza?

You smell three pizzas
with pepperoni

and garlic knots
also with pepperoni.

And I got the board
set up for game night.

So fill a plate with your
preferred vessel for pepperoni,

- then game on.
- [Carl] Mmm.

Tonight, Grady and I
are taking you guys down.

- Ha!
- Hey, no teams.

Okay, fine.
Guess that means I'm with Dad.

We've got this, honey.

Oh, honey.
That's what's missing. Mmm.

[Grady] Honey on pizza?

How about the three of us
team up against Dad? Please.

Okay.

[cell phone ringing]

Oh, Mom, work's calling.

Oh, let it go to voice mail.

- It's family night.
- Grab... Have a napkin.

- Napkin. Napkin.
- Thank you. Napkin.

Okay, I'm clearly the
youngest, so I go first.

- No. I like being second.
- We destroyed you guys so much last time.

- You did not.
- [both] We did.

[announcer] Oh! She landed it!

- Colleen Ojumadea has landed...
- Yes!

...the first-ever backside


Mom! Mom, Mom, Mom,
you have to see this.

This girl just landed this
absolutely ridiculous move

to get to the finals
of the half-pipe competition.

Oh, I didn't know you
were into extreme sports.

Neither did I. I'm not even
really into moderate sports.

This girl is just amazing.
She's totally fearless.

[door bell rings]

Hey, Ella,
would you get the door?

[singsongy] Congratulations!

So sorry, we're not
interested. [Chuckles]

Ella, that was Mrs. Cutler.

- Right.
- You know, from the League of Sisters?

Just because you say "you
know," doesn't mean I actually know.

The young women's group I was in
when I was your age.

I submitted an application
for you. Honey, open the door.

I am so sorry, Mrs.
Cutler. Please, come in.

Thank you.
No apologies necessary.

Given the confusion

and how many awkward
conversations I've had via doorbell cam,

next year's acceptances are
definitely going out by email.

El, you were accepted.
So exciting!

Wait, really?

[chuckles] Yes. Welcome
to the League of Sisters,

our community of like-minded
young women around the city.

Ah, thank you.
Sorry, I just...

I wasn't really expecting
this, like, at all. [Chuckles]

El, it is so special to me that
you're carrying on this tradition.

You're gonna love it. You are
gonna make lifelong friends.

Do you remember the McKearins
who have that cabin by the lake?

Where we go to spend


Yes. I met Ruth at
the League of Sisters.

Oh, Ruth never told me
she had a cabin.

And I have another surprise.

I told Ximena not to say
anything until it was official.

Wait, she got in too?

Yes, Ximena cannot wait
to get started.

At least I think
that's what she said.

It was hard for me to hear her voice
coming through that doorbell cam.

- I have to go call her.
- [chuckles, clicks tongue] Aw.

Eyes closed. Keep 'em closed.
Keep 'em closed. Keep 'em closed.

- And... ah!
- [toy train whistling]

Notice anything different?

Uh...

You finally got batteries
for the signal switches?

No, I just took those
out of our smoke detectors.

It's the dairy farm.
I put it in.

Look, I got... I got some cows
that are grazing by that lake.

Are you upset because
I put it in without you?

I'm sorry. When the dairy cows
came in the mail, I was so excited.

No. It's just...

[sighs] You know, maybe I'm
just not so into trains anymore.

[whistling stops]

Really?

Yeah. I mean, we've been
doing this since I was four.

Ah, yeah.
No, I g... I get it. [Chuckles]

I get it. You're getting older.

And we... we can be
done with trains.

It's probably a good idea
to get those batteries back

in the smoke detectors
anyway, right?

[sighs]

It's just that we've been
doing this since you were four.

[chuckles] I'm gonna miss
hanging out with you.

No, it's just the trains. I still
wanna hang out with you.

It's just, we have
to find a new thing.

Ooh, like model airplanes?

Maybe we could do something
that doesn't come from toy stores?

Look, quality models
come from hobby shops.

But, no... Yeah,
point taken. Like, yeah.

Come on, the suspense is k*lling
me. I want to see how it looks.

[gasps]

- Well?
- There are no words.

Well, there's one word:
Stunning.

I thought so too, but I should
probably try a couple more, right?

No, this is perfect.
You'll fit right in.

[Ella] Okay, here I come.

So? Isn't it great?

It is great. It is gorgeous.

[sighs]

I'm... I'm just not sure
it's right for this.

Oh. Really?

I just don't want you to
stick out like a sore thumb.

I looked on the website,

and even though that has
lavender, nobody wears patterns.

That's it. Why don't you try on
one of the other dresses you liked?

Uh, do stripes
count as patterns?

[both] Yes.

[sighs]

Hey, Dad.
Our battle robot kit came.

Oh, yeah! We'll be winning
bot battles in no time.

[sighs] Maybe a little
more time than we thought.

But, you know, we can do it because
the instructions are on one page.

So this says we actually have to download
a zip file of all the instructions.

This is just a list of
the tools needed.

"Soldering iron.
Vernier calipers."

- [sighing] Okay.
- Maybe this is too much work.

No, don't be ridiculous.
This is our new thing.

First step, we go to
the hardware store

to get the soldering iron,
the vernier calipers and...

whatever an oscilloscope is.
Let's do it.

All right.

- [birds chirping]
- [Mrs. Cutler] Welcome, ladies.

It's so nice to see you
all in lavender.

Please find your seats
and we'll get started.

This is so exciting.

I know, our first
Sisterhood meeting.

And who knew there were so many
patternless lavender dresses?

[Ximena chuckles] - We are
so excited to begin the process

of welcoming you
into the Sisterhood!

Ooh!

A lavender candle,
a lavender macaron,

and a bag of dried lavender.
[sniffs]

Good thing I don't have
seasonal allergies.

[Mrs. Cutler]
Look around you.

The young women beside you
are your future.

They, along with
our network of alumnae,

will be your support system,
your champions,

and may or may not invite
you to their lake cabins.

Here is our handbook outlining
the guidelines and expectations

for representing the Sisterhood

and to help you in becoming
the best versions of yourselves.

I'm surprised they didn't
print this on lavender paper.

[shushes] El,
I'm trying to listen.

As we say in the sisterhood,
we come in different, but...

- [members] We unite as one.
- [Mrs. Cutler chuckling] Yes!

[Carl] We are almost there,
almost got it.

And... there.

[sighs] Okay, so that
takes us... We just finished...

one through 1.12.

- And how many steps are there?
- I don't know.

Uh, we didn't print it all
because we ran out of toner.

Is this fun for you?

Yeah, you know,
hanging out here with you is...

- Yeah, I hate this stupid robot.
- So glad you said that.

We need to find
a new, new thing.

I'm right there with you, bud.

As long as it doesn't have
anything to do with whatever this is.

Hey, h-how did you know
that little chant thing?

It's the pledge. And it's on
the cover of the handbook.

- You read the handbook?
- I read the cover.

There's a required reading list?

Oh, it's probably just
so we have stuff to talk about.

You're probably right.

Don't worry. We can go to
the library after school this week

and find some books.

Okay.
I-I can't on Wednesday.

I have to go to the
doctor for a check-up.

[sighs]

Are you starting to feel like
this whole thing is kind of a lot?

It is, but it'll be so worth it.

This handbook is going to help us
become the best versions of ourselves.

I don't know. I... I think we
were pretty good already.

Yeah, but imagine us when
we're Sisters. We're gonna be great.

Two lavender lattes, please.

We're drinking lavender now?

[paintball g*ns firing]

I'm thinking paintball
isn't such a good idea.

You said it looked awesome.

It did on the website.
Now I think it's gonna hurt.

I heard it just feels like
being snapped by a rubber band.

Like a thin one?

Or one of the heavy-duty
ones that come on asparagus?

Come on, Dad.
Let's go get that flag.

- [Carl] Here we go.
- On three.

- [Carl] Yep.
- One. Two. Three.

- [Carl shouts]
- [paintball g*ns firing]

[grunts, groans] Asparagus.
It's definitely asparagus.

Ah, it hurts so bad.

Before we get started,

I want to encourage you to
continue writing your speeches

about why you want to be
in the League of Sisters.

Hearing from the new Sisters is
my favorite part of the Pin Ceremony.

I can't wait to get my pin.

I don't know, I'm not
really much of a pin girl.

I mean, I could maybe do
brooches, but also probably not.

I mean, they're just fancy pins,
so... [chuckles]

I thought we could practice
the art of conversation.

Remember, the key to
building a connection

is all about
finding common ground.

So, has anyone tried the
lavender latte at Caroline's?

- So good.
- Obsessed.

Ella, you liked it, didn't you?

Yeah.

It smelled like
my grandma's socks. [Chuckles]

'Cause the lavender.

She used to put little lavender
packets in her sock drawer. [Chuckles]

N-Never mind.

I get my lattes with oat milk.

Oat milk? I didn't even
know they had oat milk.

It's not on the menu.

You have to ask for it,
but it's my go-to milk now.

I'm really into the nut milks.

I was all about almond,
but now I moved on

- to cashew.
- [both] Cashew?

Yes. [Chuckles]

Ella, care to share
your favorite type of milk?

Uh...

Cow?

- Cool.
- Classic.

I always forget about
that one. [Chuckles]

Well, Ella, maybe you'd
like to introduce a new topic.

An interest of yours that,
perhaps, the other girls might share.

Okay.

Have you guys ever heard about
this girl, Colleen Ojumadea?

She's, uh, this amazing girl

who totally revolutionized
snowboarding in the You Games.

You Games?

Yeah, they're this
extreme sports competition.

Sounds kind of dangerous.

Exactly.

It's terrifying, but that's
what makes it so thrilling.

I mean, these people,
they're totally fearless.

Uh, sounds cool.

Yeah. I mean,
not my thing, but cool.

Sorry, I guess that wasn't
really common ground.

[sighs]

Man, that Girl Scout troop
really did a number on you.

At least they hooked us up
with some sympathy cookies.

-Mm-hmm
-Chocolate mint me.

[both sigh]

Finding our new thing is
harder than I thought.

- Yeah. Peanut butter me.
- Mmm.

- Argh.
- [both laugh]

[sighs] You know what
I like doing with you?

- [Carl] Hmm?
- This.

Catching cookies in our mouths?
'Cause we're not very good at it.

No, I mean just hanging out,
doing nothing. You know?

Maybe that's our new thing.

I mean, I like the idea.

I mean, as y... As your
father, I cannot allow us

to just hang out and do
nothing in the living room, so...

[sighs]

What if we go camping?

Then we could sit around
doing nothing in nature.

That I can allow.

- You know what this means?
- I think I do.

- We found our new thing.
- Air five.

Okay, one more time.
Loft it.

[groans] Almost.

The doctor will see us
in a minute.

There's a toddler with
a tongue depressor situation.

What happened with
a tongue depressor?

Let's not ask questions
we don't want answers to.

[Ella chuckles]

You know, Mom, I've been thinking
about the whole Sisterhood thing and I...

[gasps] Me too. I am so
excited for the Pin Ceremony.

We're gonna be mother-daughter
and Sisters.

- Kind of weird. [Chuckles]
- You know what I mean.

[sighs] I just...

I'm not sure I fit in.

Of course you do.

You are intelligent,
you're sweet, you're funny.

They don't find me funny.

Look, I get that you're worried
about what the other girls think,

but that is exactly what the
Sisterhood is going to help you with.

Building self-confidence. That's
why they have you give a speech.

I'm... I'm telling you, the moment
they put that pin on my lapel,

I felt so proud of myself.

And I know you will too.

- I don't know, Mom. I just, I c...
- Ah, they're ready for us.

Joining the League of Sisters
would be such an honor.

The wonderful young women
that I've met so far are...

[groans] ...nothing like me.

[sighs]

Oh. Sorry, I didn't think
anyone would be in here.

I booked this room to practice,
but I can go someplace else.

I didn't know
that you had to book it.

I just wanted a place
to practice this speech

without letting anyone
see me cry.

Why would you...

Never mind.
Not my business.

Because I'm being forced to do
this League of Sisters thing.

Oh. You're one of those?

No, no. I'm... I'm not.
That's the problem.

They say they wanna turn me
into the best version of myself,

but what they really want to do
is make me someone that I'm not.

Someone who's obsessed
with lavender and nondairy milk.

Ooh, have you tried cashew?

We'll circle back.

My mom and my best friend think
that this is the greatest thing ever,

but I... I just don't get it.

And now I have to
write this speech

about why I wanna be a part
of the League of Sisters, and...

I don't even know
what I wanna be.

But I... I know it's not this.

[groans] What is wrong with me?

[sighs] Well,
as far as I know...

nothing?

I'm sorry for dumping
all of this on you. I...

I-I've tried to talk about it,
but no one will listen.

You don't need to apologize.

That's a lot.

Ella, right?
I'm Kai.

I know. [Chuckles]
We have English together.

And PE.

But you might not know that,
because I don't always participate.

[chuckles, sighs]

Thank you for listening to me.

[sniffles]

Not that I gave you
much of a choice.

Happy to. And good
luck on your speech.

You know, maybe just say
what you said to me.

Be honest.
Show them the real you.

Is that what you would do?

No. I'd want to,
but I'd chicken out

and then replay
that moment every night

as I lie in bed not sleeping.

But I don't recommend that.
[chuckles]

Well, maybe I'll see you around.

Looking good, Grade.

Soon as this luncheon is over,
you and I are headed to nature.

- Just you and me.
- Doing a whole lot of nothin'.

Ugh, why are there
cookie crumbs everywhere?

[both] Um...

Uh, come on, El.
We don't wanna be late!

[sighs] Sorry, Mom.
I just...

I had to make some last
minute changes to my speech.

Can't wait to hear it. Ooh, I
can't believe this is the big day.

You look beautiful, El.

- I want a picture with the Sisters.
- Yes.

You know, Mom, I-I think
we should probably just go.

Like you said,
we don't wanna be late.

Oh, someone's a little
nervous for her speech.

[Mrs. Cutler]
Thank you for your support.

[sighs] Oh, you must be so proud
that Ella's joining our Sisterhood.

I couldn't be prouder.

[cell phone ringing]

- Oh, hey, honey, can you take this?
- Yeah.

Hello?

Sorry, what?

What does that mean?

[applause]

Thank you again for
joining us this afternoon.

I think we can all agree that this is
an amazing group of young women.

[cheers, applause]

And though we come in
different...

- [members] We unite as one.
- [Mrs. Cutler] As one.

Before they receive their pins,

we have the pleasure
of getting to know them

through their own words.

[Ximena] Joining the Sisterhood
has always been a dream of mine.

But what makes it
even more special

is that I'm sharing this
journey with my best friend.

I love you Ella. And
whatever the future brings,

I know we will
go through it together.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ximena. Well done.

Next up, Ella McCaffrey.

Hey, Jo. We need to, um...

Oh, hang on. Ella's up.

[sighs]

I've been thinking a lot about why I
wanna be a part of the Sisterhood.

And I realized that I...

[sighs]

[sighs] I, uh...

I realized that the sisterhood
represents everything that I wanna be.

I'm truly on my way to becoming
the best version of myself.

[breathes deeply]

Hey, Dad, let's hit the
road. Nothing awaits.

[sighs] We can't, bud.

But it's over.

Oh, I'm afraid we have to
cancel the camping trip.

What? But...

You aren't going camping?
You were so looking forward to it.

But... [stammers] ...we finally
found our thing. It's not fair.

[smacks lips] I know. I'm sorry.

- Carl, what's going on?
- Mm-mmm.

Yeah, Dad, what's up?

[sniffles, sighs]

We got our pins.
I'm so proud of us.

Yeah, I'm... I'm proud too.

You know, I should
probably go find my family.

- [Joanne sniffles]
- I'm ready to go.

[Carl sighs]

- What... What's wrong?
- [Carl whispers] It's okay.

Uh, we'll talk about it
when we get home.

Talk... Talk about what?

Uh, this really isn't the place.

[sighs] Not...
Not the place for what?

You all know.
Uh, tell me.

Uh, the pediatrician called.

[breathes shakily]

- [knocks]
- [Joanne] Ella.

Mom? How'd you find me here?

Gavin called me.

He said we needed to talk,

and he went to the cafeteria
to give us some privacy.

I'm so sorry about what
happened at my office.

I never meant to
hide your cancer.

Honey, I just... [sighs]

I couldn't wrap my head around
something so horrible happening

to my sweet, little girl.

That little girl never existed.

That little girl
that you thought was sweet,

she was just afraid
to be herself.

- Ella.
- Y-You know what was scarier?

Cancer.

And going through that
made me realize

what a waste of time it was
not being myself.

Honey, when were you
not yourself?

The Sisterhood.
I hated every moment of it.

But I was too afraid to
tell you that I didn't fit in.

And too afraid that
I would disappoint you

if I told you
I never wanted to fit in.

But I am not afraid now.

And I'll never be afraid again.