01x05 - Close Encounters

[bunniefuu]

-[penguins braying]

-[waves splashing]

[birds chirping]

[narrator] It's late afternoon

and penguins from across the colony

return from the hunt.

[pensive music playing]

Mr. Bougainvillea isn't back yet.

[chicks chirping]

His chicks are dying for a meal.

They muster the strength to call for Dad.

[screeching]

But he's not the one listening.

[dramatic music playing]

The Car Park g*ng hears an easy target.

[chicks screeching]

The frustrated hooligans

home in on the cries.

[braying]

Hurry, Mr. B.

Those calls are for you.

[narrator sighs in relief]

The g*ng knows better

than to tangle with Dad.

Mr. B is a hero.

[chicks screeching]

His chicks are safe…

for now.

But he'll have

to leave them again tomorrow…

or they'll starve.

[tense music playing]

And now the g*ng knows they're here.

This is not…

over…

yet.

[opening theme song playing]

Yeah! ♪

Yeah, yeah ♪

Till my breath's all gone

I'll be pushing on so strong ♪

I'll keep pushing on ♪

Till the river runs dry

I've got to try, try, try ♪

I'll keep pushing on ♪

When my soul's burnt through

I won't be feeling blue ♪

I'll keep pushing on ♪

Till my dying day

I won't give it all away ♪

I keep pushing on ♪

Yeah! ♪

[birds squawking]

[crickets chirping]

[peaceful music playing]

[birds chirping]

[narrator] As summer turns the corner,

the colony's first wave of families

approaches a major milestone.

At around two months,

the chicks are nearly ready to fledge.

Their fluffy feathers

will start falling out,

revealing their first waterproof coat.

The last step before they leave the nest.

But not everyone is on the same schedule.

[penguin braying]

[fanfare playing]

At the castle on the hill,

late-nesters Lord and Lady Courtyard,

welcome the heirs to their manor.

[chirping]

[upbeat string music playing]

Two little aristocrats…

to further the bloodline

and strengthen the colony.

They've hatched

into one of the safest nests in town.

But the new chicks

aren't gonna feed themselves.

Mom sets out early

to get them their very first meal.

The quickest way out of the courtyard

is through the castle.

[objects clattering]

[suspenseful music playing]

[machine beeping]

Its doors are always open.

Lady C is a welcome guest,

but she doesn't know that.

So far, she's managed

to avoid whatever lives in here.

[suspenseful music continues]

Wait.

Who's that?

Just go.

And don't look back.

[crickets chirping]

Mr. Bougainvillea doesn't get

much sleep these days.

It's been three long weeks

since his wife left to fish

and never returned.

But Mr. B carries on…

for them.

[peaceful music playing]

Petal and her big brother Twig

have survived their most vulnerable time.

[chirping]

Against the odds, Dad's kept them fed.

And safe from the Car Park g*ng.

[braying]

But he still needs to fish every day.

And now, while Dad's away,

his toddlers are strong enough to explore.

They don't always agree on where to go.

Petal is curious…

"What's outside the bush?"

[braying]

Big brother Twig? Eh, not so much.

[whimsical music playing]

"Dad said to stay put."

[screeching]

Stick together, you two.

You're not ready

for what lies beyond the hedge.

[birds chirping]

At the top of the garden,

the Bougainvilleas' closest neighbors

have a different problem.

Their chicks are a lot less adventurous.

Some might say they're downright spoiled.

[screeching]

[bouncy music playing]

Meet the Wheelbarrows.

These chicks were born early.

So their baby molt is nearly done.

[bouncy music continues]

They should be almost old enough

to set out on their own.

[chuckles] But Dad dotes on them.

They're in no hurry to leave.

Mom has bigger ambitions.

She wants them out ASAP…

so the adults can have some alone time.

[funk-rock music playing]

Every season, a few early nesters

can crank out a second set of eggs.

This supermom is ready to do it all again.

But the chicks

aren't used to being ignored.

[screeching]

Oh, parents can be so embarrassing.

[whimsical music playing]

Down on the beach,

Lady Courtyard survives

her half-mile commute to shore.

Only to discover…

danger has many faces.

Sometimes you storm the beach.

Sometimes, the beach storms you.

In the water, the real trials begin.

To reach the sardines,

Lady C and her crew

must pass through the kelp forests…

with a k*ller on the loose.

A rogue Cape fur seal

has terrorized the colony all summer.

[sinister music playing]

Today…

he strikes again.

[dramatic music playing]

This time, it's not a penguin…

but an octopus.

[light upbeat music playing]

One of the fur seal's favorite meals.

Lady C makes it back safe.

But she'll have

to run this gauntlet again…

and again…

and again…

until her babies can feed themselves.

At the top of the garden,

Mrs. Wheelbarrow is preparing for a move.

Their old nest served them well,

but after three months

with two boys and no plumbing,

-it's pretty nasty.

-[flies buzzing]

Their next brood will need a fresh nest.

Plus, this place has a terrifying amenity.

[wind blowing]

[eerie music playing]

When the wind picks up,

this strange tree becomes possessed.

[metal screeching]

They really need a new home.

Hey! What about that thing?

Sturdy.

Quiet.

And a bulletproof roof?

And far enough away from that demon tree.

[penguin braying]

For Mr. and Mrs. Wheelbarrow,

this place fits

like a flipper in a mitten.

But their new plans

don't include the kids.

[chicks screeching]

Sorry, guys. You are not invited.

Now, Mom and Dad need some privacy.

[romantic music playing]

Some kids really know

how to spoil the mood.

At the bottom of the garden,

the Wheelbarrows' neighbors,

Petal and Twig,

embrace their independence.

They use their freedom

to search for answers.

What is on the other side of the hedge?

And where does Dad go all day?

[whimsical music playing]

Petal is on the case.

They've only gone 20 feet…

but Twig is ready to head back.

[birds chirping]

Uh-oh.

Uh… okay.

Uh, not sure that's the right way?

It's easy to lose track

of what side of the fence you're on.

What neither of them realize…

not everyone thinks they're cute.

[sinister music playing]

The Car Park g*ng has been watching.

They know Dad is out fishing.

[screeching]

There's nowhere to hide.

[ominous music playing]

They're surrounded.

[braying]

[chirping]

[braying continues]

It's a trap!

Run!

[dramatic music playing]

[chicks screeching]

[braying]

[screeching]

Twig makes a break for the nest.

Dad's not there to help.

[chick screeching]

[braying]

[chick screeching]

When the g*ng

gets bored of beating on Twig…

they turn their attention…

to his little sister.

But Petal… is gone.

[penguin braying]

A few blocks away,

Lady Courtyard returns

from another long, hard hunt.

[birds chirping]

She arrives home to a big surprise.

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct chatter and laughter]

[whimsical music playing]

[narrator] There are giants in the castle!

A whole colony of 'em.

Playing with fire.

Drinking blood?

That doesn't look kosher.

Don't they know about sardines?

Her nest is through this hot mess.

She has to crash this party

if her kids are gonna eat.

[sighs in relief] Made it. Like a ninja.

They never even saw her.

[crickets chirping]

Down the hill,

Mr. Bougainvillea arrives home

to an eerily quiet bush.

[braying]

[sad music playing]

He finds his son, Twig.

[chirping]

Beaten but alive.

His daughter is nowhere to be found.

[sinister music playing]

Petal is lost in the dark.

There's danger in every direction.

[crickets chirping]

This genet would love

to eat a baby penguin.

[eerie music playing]

[whispering] Stay put, Petal.

Don't… make… a sound.

It's only six hours to daylight.

[dramatic music playing]

["We Own the Night"

by Cut Throat Logic playing]

We own the night

We own the night ♪

We own the night

The night, the night ♪

We own the night

We own the night ♪

We own the night

The night, the night ♪

We own the night

We own the night ♪

We own the night

The night, the night ♪

We own the night ♪