04x04 - Darlene Fades to Black

[bunniefuu]

How long do we
have to stay here?

Just till your dad
gets back.

Why? Do you have
some date with Mark
or something?

No. We're fighting.

What about?

Well, he's a pig.

The whole world
revolves around him.

I swear, mother,
I'm so sick of it.

I'm thinking of
telling him to bug off.

Don't toy with me,
Becky.

[Horn beeps]

Finally.

[Horn beeps]

Hey, look. It's
a little baby bike.

Get off it, honey.
You'll k*ll it.

I thought it was cute,
so I traded it for that
triumph I rebuilt.

That was a $ , bike.

Then what am I
doing with this
$ , check?

Oh!
Oh!

We're not
going to die!

Oh!
Oh!

This is great!
Can I get a car?

No!

But we just got
all this money.

It's for us.

Yeah. Get
your own money, see.

So how much can we get
for this here scooter?

I don't know.
A couple hundred bucks.

Well-built, low mileage.
Good engine.

It's a good
little scooter.

Well, let's haul it out there
to the showroom floor.

No. I don't
want it out there
with the real bikes.

Well, I'll take it.

No way.
Out of the question.

Why not?

[Bell rings]

Don't think
you can't handle it.

You don't know that till
you give me a chance.

Becky, I gotta go
deal with a customer.
The answer's no.

Mom.
He said no.

Becky: this is so hypocritical
of you guys.

Roseanne:
I don't care.

Mom, dad sells
motorcycles.

I mean,
he must think that--

Can I help you?

Yeah. I was thinking about
getting one of these.

You ever ride before?

No.

Well, what we have here is
mainly restored classics,

which is perfect
for the first-timer.

I like that one.

' Norton.
Good choice.

Go ahead.
Sit on it.

Feel it.

Dad, you're being
really unfair.

I'm working now,
honey.

Becky, you get
back in here!

This is great.

Yeah.

Roseanne:
I said no!

Becky:
give me one good reason.

Because bikes k*ll!
Ok, Becky?

I mean, just ask
your aunt Jackie.

When she was a cop,
she used to scrape kids

Like you off the street
all the time.

And don't think
a helmet's gonna help.

All's that does is
catch your brains

After they fall
out of your skull.

[Chime rings,
door shuts]

Don't forget to tell
your friends about us.

Ha ha ha ha ha!

[Telephone rings]

[Ring]

[Ring]

[Ring]

[Ring]

Hi. We're unable to
get to the phone right now,

So leave a message,
and we'll get back to you.

Thanks. Bye. Beep.

Dan: what happened to,
"bikes are dangerous"?

Roseanne:
I used to think that

Till you said
what you said.

What did I say?

"No daughter
of mine is going
to ride a bike."

That is what
you said, Dan.

"No daughter
of mine's going
to ride a bike."

You know, like
it's ok for a boy,
but not for a girl.

No. I meant,
Becky's my daughter,

And no daughter of mine,
such as Becky,

Is going to
ride a motorcycle.

Oh, bull.

It's true.

Oh, yeah? Well, if D.J. Was
and he wanted a bike,

Would you let him
have one?

You really want
Becky risking her life
on a motorcycle?

Well, if the only reason
you're saying no

Is because
she's a girl, then yes.

What?

I'm getting
a motorcycle.

No way.

Uh-huh.

Mom and dad are gonna
let you have a bike?

It's not a matter
of letting me
have it, Darlene.

It's a matter of women
being exploited by men
for centuries.

I don't
believe you, Dan.

You're still,
like, living
in the fifties.

Go on. Risk your child's
life just to spite me.

I don't need
your permission.

Mom, I'm really sorry you had
to have that fight with dad.

It's ok.
I won.

Well, I guess
I shouldn't pick up
the scooter for a couple days,

Huh? You know, let dad
get used to the idea.

You're not
getting any bike.

Well, you
were just saying--

Forget what I said.

They're dangerous.

Oh, for a girl,
is that it?

If D.J. Was
and he wanted a bike,
you'd let him.

No, I would not.

But I would let Darlene,
so figure that one out.

You know,
you're worse than dad,

Because you're a woman,
and you should know better.

Hey, Becky,
if you want a car,

Then you
can just go get a job
and buy yourself a car,

but you're not
getting a bike!

And you...
What is it with you?

All you do is just lay
here on the couch staring
at that stupid TV.

One dumb rerun
after another.

And I do it
as well as any man.

[Door slams]

Sorry I'm late.

Sorry. I got tied up
at trucking school.

I am really
enjoying it,

And my teacher told me
that he thought I was
doing really good.

Only he's not sure
that I can handle
the solitude

That a trucker's got
to live with, right,

So he dares me to sit
in one one of the rigs

For three hours, alone,
no one to talk to,

No one's talking to me.

For three hours...alone.

And I did it,
and I feel great.

Hip-hip-hooray, huh?

Hello.

You guys, you're just
screwing with me, right?

We have had a fight,

And we're not
speaking to each other.

Oh.

Well, what was
the fight about?

Maybe I can
take a side.

D.J., what did you do
in school today?

Nothing.

Oh, well...

That must have been
really fun for you.

Becky,
you going to, uh...

You gonna run
for student council
again this year?

Oh, I can't.
I got to get a job.

Sure, student
council will help me
get into college,

But hey,
who needs a future?

Good.

Good.

Darlene, how's
that first year

of high school
treating you?

Oh, don't
drag me into this.

You answer her, Darlene.

Why?

Because if you don't,
she will come after me next.

High school's
very educational,
aunt Jackie.

You make
the basketball team?

Of course she made it.

I didn't make first string.

Give it time.
You're only a freshman.

When's your
first game?

I don't know.

What do you mean
you don't know?

I mean, I don't know.

I quit the team.

What are you
talking about?

I am no longer
on the basketball team.

You didn't
talk to me first?

Well, it's
my decision, isn't it?

What happened?
You didn't make
first string,

So you're just
bailing out?

Look, I got
other stuff to do.

What other stuff?

Hey, it's not like it
was gonna be my career.

Stop putting
this jock label on me.

See, there you
go again, Dan.
You're doing it again.

Oh, god, here we go.
Roseanne,

This has nothing
to do with Becky
or the scooter

Or with women's lib.

Oh, it's just
so easy for you,
isn't it, Dan?

Darlene is the jock,
and Becky's the brain.

What am I?

We don't know yet.

Darlene's got a lot
of talent, Roseanne.

She doesn't want to
be your little jock, Dan,

So stop using her to fulfill
some of your fantasies

About being some great
girl basketball player.

Fine. Darlene,
you want to be
a quitter, be a quitter.

I give up.

Quitter.

You know, I thought
that was a really
good point--

Shut up, Jackie.

Mother, there are
absolutely no jobs

Out there
that are right for me.

I mean, I need
something that'll
leave me time to study

And help around
the house.

I mean, you know,
what if you really
need me here

And I'm off
at some stupid job?

You know, you're right, Becky.

You should forget
about the stupid job,

Because you know what?
Your father and I have decided

That we're just going
to get you your very own
little convertible.

Really?

Yes, and you're gonna
be able to drive it

Right up to your palatial
four-bedroom condo

Overlooking
beautiful lake not!

[Telephone rings]

Hello.

Yeah. Darlene,
it's for you.

Who is it?

Who is it?

It's Marcy.

What does she want?

I don't know
what she--

She wants you to
pick up the phone.

How'd that kid
get so damn rude?

She must
get it from dad.

Hello.

Oh, nothing.

Nah.

Ok. Bye.

Oh, gee, Darlene.

I wish you could
open up to me like that.

What did Marcy want?

Nothing.

She called for nothing?

She wanted to
do something.
I didn't feel like it.

Yeah, well, so what
are you going to do?

Nothing.

That's what
you did last weekend.

Yeah, well,
I'm not finished.

Come on, Darlene.

It's a beautiful day.

I want you to go out
there and do something.

I don't want
to do something.

Well, I want you to.

Now come on, go on.

What should I do,
mother?

Well...ok.

You need some
school clothes, right?

I'm gonna give you my
Rodbell's charge card,

And I want you to
go down to the mall

And pick yourself
out something.

What?

I don't need
any clothes, mom.

Here's the card.
Just do it.

What should I buy?

I don't know.

Go try to find something
to blend in with the couch.

Oh, so that's
the way it works
around here?

You lie around
like a hairball,

And you get
free clothes?

Maybe if I lapse
into a coma,

I'll get that car.

Okey dokey,
here we go.

Now, that is espresso.

Am I right, Roseanne?

Eew, I hate it. Blah.

Well, it is generally
enjoyed by those of us

With a more refined palate.

I realize it'll never be
the beverage of choice

Down at the harvest hoedown.

Well, golly gee,
Bonnie mae.

This coffee does
taste right good,

But how am I supposed
to dip my doughnut

into this teensy weensy
little glass?

Little help here.

Just push the espresso.

Hi, Walter.

How's everything up
in the electronics department?

TVs,

And my boss wants
them all tuned
to MTV and sports.

Not news,
not the real world.

No. The real world's
depressing.

The real world
doesn't sell TVs.

Sex sells. Right?

Sex is all
anybody wants, right?

If the tropical
rain forest

Looked like
a big pair of breasts,

We'd take
better care of it.

Uh, you want
some espresso, Walter?

Fine.

No espresso
for Walter.

He might explode.

Oh, come on, Leon.
It'll be fun.

All right,
but take away
his silverware.

Hi. Here.

Bye.
Thanks.

Aren't you going to
say hi to Bonnie?

Hello, Bonnie.

Hi, Darlene.

Let's see
what you bought.

Ok, I'll miss the bus.

Here,
knock yourself out.

Ok, let's
check it out here.

Wow.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

You didn't happen to
accidentally pick up

Zorro's bag by mistake?

Are you making some sort
of a statement here?

No, I just like them.

What's the matter?

Nothing. Bye.

No. You hang out a while.
I'll give you a ride home.

Well, how long's
it gonna be?

Leon, how much longer
till I'm off?

Well, you're
on the schedule for one
more hour, Roseanne.

I'll just get my coat.

No. I'll walk.

Boy.

I don't know what's with her.
She's been like this
for a couple of weeks now.

She just isn't
into anything.

You know what?

Maybe she's having
a hard time adjusting
to high school.

Maybe. I don't know.

Well...

I don't know what
to tell you, Roseanne,

Except if it's a boy...

No. 'Cause remember
that Barry kid?

Valentine's day Dance?

Yeah. Well, she's like,
really mental over him
there for a while, right?

So he drops by
the other day,

And she spends
the whole time just watching TV
and totally ignoring him.

I mean, ok, I used to watch TV
and ignore Dan, too,

But only when
we were making out.

What about her friends?

What if
she's hanging around
with a bad influence.

No. Darlene always
was the bad influence.

Hey.

Hey.

Watching basketball.

Mm-hmm.

Mind if I join you?

Sure.

I love pre-season
basketball.

You get a chance
to watch guys

that'll be on
the next plane

to the italian league
in about minutes.

Oh, and he misses
the easy lay-up.

Buon giorno.

Look at this guy.

Cut it out.
What?

I quit because I didn't
want to play, all right?

I didn't say anything.

Come on, dad.
Just do it.

Quitters never win,
winners never quit.

I let go of that
two weeks ago, Darlene.

Yeah, right.
I did.

Yeah? Well, then how come
you just sat down

And started talking
about basketball?

It was on TV.

That's not it. All we ever
talk about is basketball.

No, any time I try
to talk to you
about anything,

You turn it
into basketball,
and you run away.

Face it, dad. All we ever used
to do is talk about sports.

Well, I'm a big girl--

Right, right,
and I label you.

Well, that's crap.

We used to
talk about everything.

We could talk
about anything.
I still want to.

Come on. Pick a topic.
I'll yak all night.

Yak away.
Just leave me out of it.

And there she goes.
She's off.

Around the couch
and up the stairs
right into her room,

Where she'll
hide out like
she always does.

Well, let me tell you
something, little missy.

I don't need to
stand here

And have you
not talk to me.

I got a wife
and two other kids

That are perfectly happy
not to talk to me!

What?

Where the hell
you been?

What's with you?

Darlene's turning
into a zombie,

And you're
doing nothing.

I'm doing the best I can, Dan.

Why's this about me?

I didn't raise her alone,
buddy.

Yeah, well, you
let her do whatever
the hell she wants.

If it was up to me,
Darlene would still
be playing basketball.

Basketball is not
her problem, Dan.

I know that! You think
I don't know that?!

What do you think I am,
stupid?

What are you
yelling at me for?

Because I'm angry,
and I need to yell,

And you're standing
in front of me,
and she's not!

Oh, ok.

Well, you keep yelling, honey,

and when it's
my turn to yell,
you just point at me.

What are we
going to do?

Well, we'll just talk to her
calmly and rationally

and sensitively
until she cracks.

Darlene!

I already tried it.
It's your turn.

Darlene!

What?

Hi, honey.
Sit down.

Jeez. I just did this
with dad.

Oh, right, like that
counts for anything.

Here. Sit down
and talk to mommy.

Can we just
get this over with, please?

Ok. Well,
I'm really worried
about you, Darlene.

You're like, withdrawn
and distant and...

I just wondered
if there's anything
you want to talk about.

No.

Oh, come on, Darlene.
You know how impressed
your dad would be

If you'd tell me
what the problem is
and I could fix it?

Why is everyone
so sure that there's
some problem?

Well, because you
don't go anyplace,
you don't do anything.

You know, at least
when you had
basketball--

Basketball.
Here we go again.

Oh, come on, Darlene.

Come on back.

I'm not telling you
to play basketball.

I think it's about
the stupidest sport
in the world anyway.

And I spent all years
of high school pretending
like I had cramps

So I didn't
have to play it,

But I don't know.

It seemed like
when you had basketball,

You cared
about something,
you know?

What do you
care about now?

I care about
being left alone.

Are you
doing dr*gs, Darlene?

No!

Would you tell me
if you were?

If I was,
no, I wouldn't
tell you,

But since I'm not,
the answer is no.

Why should I believe you?

Because I'm saying it.

You can search my room,
give me a blood test,

Do whatever you want.

So what is it, Darlene?

Is it school?

It's school,
it's my friends,
it's the way I look,

It's you, it's dad,
it's everything.

Well, ok.

I mean, I can
really relate to that,
'cause when I was--

Please, mom.

I don't want
you to help me.

I just want you
to leave me alone,
please.

Dad, what did you do
to the meatloaf?

Well, I guess
I burned it, didn't I?

But you can
scrape off the outside
and still eat the inside.

I don't like it.

You didn't even taste it.

I want peanut butter
and jelly.

Hey, I'm not a restaurant, ok?

You eat what I cook,
or you don't eat at all.

Jeez.

[Scraping]

I want peanut butter
and jelly.

Uh, I'm going
to go see if Darlene
wants to come down.

I really should
talk to her.

Dan, just
leave her alone.

Ok.

Tv: thank you very much.

Welcome to a brand-new season
on the $ , pyramid.

[Continues indistinctly]

Ohh.

Ohh.

I'm depressed.

You're not getting
the scooter, Becky.

Damn it!

What a dweeb.

Yeah.

Points in the game.
the bulls lead is .

: Left to go in the half.

Michael Jordan into
the front court, outside left.

Paxson between the circles
plays it right side to Grant.

Horace speeds it
back left to Jordan.

Michael steps in the lane.

Hangs the ball
off to Paxson right side.

Now Cliff with a -footer
out front right through.

Cliff Levingston...

Just checking.