The Wonder Years - Transcript

Episode 115: 'Independence Day'

The cleared songs included in THE WONDER YEARS COMPLETE SERIES are as follows: SEASON 1 “Pilot” – With a Little Help from My Friends—Joe Cocker – Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)—The Byrds – Both Sides Now—Joni Mitchell – Crystal Blue Persuasion—Tommy James and the Shondells – When a Man Loves a Woman. The fifth season of The Wonder Years aired on ABC from October 2, 1991 to May 13, 1992. In this season many changes were made to the show. For example, Kevin and Paul go to a new school and Kevin's voice changes. 'The Wonder Years' Poker (TV Episode 1993) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The Wonder Years (1988–93) was American television series that was aired on ABC. The series depicts the social and family life of an adolescent boy growing up in a suburban middle-class family, and takes place from 1968–1973. The sixth and final season of The Wonder Years aired on ABC from September 23, 1992 to May 12, 1993. This season took place during Kevin Arnold's 1972–73 school year. This season took place during Kevin Arnold's 1972–73 school year.

Written by Bob Brush
Transcribed by Lambert Luong
Corrected by Peter Reynders

INT. DAY. BEDROOM AT THE RESORT.

[KEVIN lies on the bed while his colleagues at the resort aretalking.]

MICKEY: I doubt it. I seriously doubt it.

HOWIE: It's true, ask Nick.

NICK: The girl did not wash her hair for six months. This bigtick buried it's way through her skull into her brain.

KEVIN: Hey, would you guys knock it off? I'm trying to rest here.

MICKEY: What's wrong with him?

KEVIN: Nothing.

HOWIE: Girlfriend trouble. [laughs]

KEVIN: [irritated] Hey, would you mind your own business!

HOWIE: She's hanging out with king Eric.

NICK AND MICKEY: [lauging] Oohh.

[JACKenters the room unexpectedly]

JACK: Kev?

KEVIN: [surprised] Dad?

JACK: They...eh...said at the front desk that I'd find you backhere.

NICK: We were just leaving.

MICKEY: Yeah, we were just leaving.

HOWIE: [toJACK] Nice to meet ya.

[HOWIEtripples over some garbage cans as he walks outside]

KEVIN: The guys.

JACK: Aha.

KEVIN: So what are you doing here?

NARRATOR: Of course, it was obvious. Theold man had seen the light. About me, about him.

JACK: Your mother asked me to come. To give you these. [handsa paperbag toKEVIN] She was afraid you didn't pack enough underwear.

KEVIN: Underwear?

JACK: Yeah. And, eh, she also packed some cookies.

KEVIN: Well, that's great.

JACK: So, this is where you're living hah?

KEVIN: Why? What's wrong with it? It's comfortable.

[KEVINtaps the bed and dust whirls up]

JACK: What are they paying you?

KEVIN: They're paying me enough. You know with tips...

JACK: Look Kevin, I've been giving this a lot of thought, aboutwhat happened to us the other day and eh...

NARRATOR: Okay, here it came. A full andabject apology. The man was gonna crawl.

JACK: I think you made a BIG mistake.

KEVIN: What?

JACK: You flew off the handle. You said some things, that happens.Anyway I want you to know that if...you wanna come back and work for me...

KEVIN: Yeah?

JACK: It'd make your mother happy.

NARRATOR: And that about ripped it.

KEVIN: Look dad, I don't need you, I don't need your job andI DON'T need your stupid underwear. [gives the paperbag back toJACK]Got it? I'm doing fine here on my own okay?

JACK: Suit yourself. [gives the paperbag back toKEVIN]I gotta be going.

KEVIN: Uhh...

[JACKleaves andHOWIEcomes back]

HOWIE: So how was that?

KEVIN: Great. I'm going swimming.

EXT. DAY. SWIMMING POOL.

NARRATOR: Screw the rules. My life was a shamblesand it wasn't just JACK, it was WINNIE. [KEVINlooksatERIC, who's sitting across the pool] Myonly hope was, I hadn't seen what I'd seen.

WINNIE: Kevin?

NARRATOR: Even though I knew I had.

KEVIN: Oh, hey.

[WINNIElooks atKEVIN's shirt, which has abig tomato face on it]

KEVIN: Yeah I know. I figured I'd masquerade as one of the guests.[smiles] Think we could...you know...maybe find some place to talk?

WINNIE: About what?

KEVIN: Well, eh...

[ERICwhistles and beckonsWINNIE]

WINNIE: Kevin, I can't. I'm on duty.

KEVIN: Yeah, you've been on duty ever since I got here.

WINNIE: I can't help it. It's my job.

KEVIN: I bet.

WINNIE: What was that?

KEVIN: Listen...Winnie, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Imean coming up here. Even though I know I encouraged it, but...when youget down to it...

WINNIE: Maybe you're right. Maybe it wasn't a good idea.

KEVIN: What do you mean?

WINNIE: Maybe you should go.

NARRATOR: I felt like I'd been shot rightthrough the tomato.

KEVIN: Well...that's, that's not what I meant.

WINNIE: Kevin, you said yourself that it was time to find ourselves,right? You said we should give each other space!

KEVIN: Yeah, but...

ERIC: Winnie! Whatta you say babe?

NARRATOR: And that's when I knew. For sure.

[WINNIEwalks away]

KEVIN: Winnie!

[KEVINgrabs ontoWINNIE's arm]

WINNIE: What, let go!

KEVIN: I saw you. Last night, at the party. I SAW you. I camelooking for you and they told me you were with them again. When I foundyou...you were kissing him.

NARRATOR: The thing is, I didn't mean toaccuse her. I just wanted her back.

WINNIE: You saw me?

KEVIN: So I...

WINNIE: I don't believe that you're spying on me?

KEVIN: What?

WINNIE: How dare you?

[WINNIEpushesKEVINinto the pool and runsaway]

INT. EVENING. KITCHEN.

KEVINis playing poker with the band.

NARRATOR: By that evening I'd come up witha plan: win enough money to buy out the resort and fire all the life-guards.After that: suicide.

BAND LEADER: It's your bet, amigo.

[KEVINlooks at his cards: 3 queens]

NARRATOR: Not that I was going down withoutone last moment of glory.

KEVIN: I'm in for twenty.

BAND MEMBER #2: Call.

BAND MEMBER #3: I'm in.

NARRATOR: Yeah, here they came.

BAND MEMBER #4: See ya.

NARRATOR: The lambs to the slaughter.

BAND LEADER: I'll raise ya fifty.

KEVIN: Fifty? I don't have fifty.

BAND LEADER: No pay, no play. What's it gonna be?

[KEVINtakes out his car keys]

KEVIN: My car. Worth: couple hundreds at least.

NARRATOR: Well, 75 anyway.

[All of the band members are in again]

BAND MEMBER #4: Si Señor.

[KEVINputs his cards down]

KEVIN: Read them and weep. [Transcribers note: This phraseis common in American poker and also used in episode 112 by Jeff Billings. When you show a hand that you think will win, you lay it on the table andinvite your opponents to 'read' them and weep because they have lost money.]

NARRATOR: It felt good. It felt like revengeagainst the world that had turned against me.

BAND MEMBER #2: Three kings.

BAND MEMBER #3: Straight.

BAND MEMBER #4: Full house.

BAND LEADER: Four jacks.

BAND MEMBER #4: Ooyooyooy.

[All of the band members laugh]

BAND LEADER: Well, whatta you know. The pot is mine, ha?

INT. MORNING. RESTAURANT.

HOWIE: Kevin, something's wrong?

KEVIN: Beat it!

Mr. DEXTER: Young man, where's your uniform?

KEVIN: Stick it!

[KEVINwalks up toWINNIEandERIC,who are sitting at a table]

NARRATOR: The next morning I'd made up my mind

KEVIN: Winnie?

[ERICstands up]

ERIC Hey.

NARRATOR: I had all night to decide whatto do.

KEVIN: [toWINNIE] I just want you to know...

[KEVINpunchesERICandERICfallsover the table]

NARRATOR: And there you had it.

KEVIN: [toWINNIE] I'll be leaving now.

[KEVINpicks up his bag and leaves]

The following scene was only shown in the original airing and replace in the syndicated version by the line shown below:

EXT. DAY. OUTSIDE CASCADES RESORT.

<<Note: this scene is shot from the same camera angle as the scene when Kevin is driving up to the resort in Episode 114.>>

[KEVIN is walking away from the front entrance of the resort.]

NARRATOR: And there ya had it...lock, stock, and barrel. I'd set out to find myself and ended up losing everything.

[The BAND drives by in Kevin's car as the following line is yelled out the window at KEVIN.]

BAND LEADER: Well whatta you know, the pot is mine, eh?
<<NOTE: Similar to the line that was said previously when the BAND LEADER won the poker game.>>

NARRATOR: Not that I was down or anything. Hell, tomorrow was the Fourth of July...so call it macaroni.

NARRATOR: I'd set out to find myself and ended up losing everything.

EXT. DAY. SOMEWHERE ON A ROAD.

NARRATOR: I walked for a long time. Didn'thave a destination, just a lot on my mind: heartbreak, loss, betrayal...Most of all one thought kept coming back to me. Again and again like anold song.

KEVIN: Great, now I get hungry.

[KEVINthrows his bag on the ground]

NARRATOR: I'd forgotten to eat lunch. [KEVIN opens his bag] So I was forced to fall back on the oldest survival technique known to alienated man: mom's cookies.

[A cow moos.]

KEVIN: [to the cow] Beat it!

NARRATOR: I examined my options. I hadno car, no money and no place to go. It was clear, what I needed here wasa new philosophy. The philosophy of the loner. [KEVINholdshis collar up.] The philisophy of the road.

[A car drives up from the distance.]

KEVIN: Hey!

[KEVINpacks his stuff and stands up]

KEVIN: Hey!

NARRATOR: So much for philosophy. WhatI needed was a ride.

KEVIN: Hey, stop! Hey! Hey!

[The car stops. There's an old couple sitting in front and one personin the back.]

OLD MAN: Need a lift?

KEVIN: Yeah actually. Listen, is there a bus station around here?

WOMAN: Yes, hop in.

KEVIN: Thanks.

[KEVINgets in the car.]

KEVIN: Oh no!

[The person in the back of the car turns out to beWINNIE.]

WOMAN: You two know each other?

KEVIN AND WINNIE: NO!

INT. DAY. CAR.

The car starts driving.

NARRATOR: Great. All the Chevies in allthe world, she has to walk into mine.

KEVIN: Winnie, would you mind moving your stuff over?

WINNIE: Yes, I'd mind.

KEVIN: Fine. Fine, I don't care.

WOMAN: Lovely afternoon, isn't it? Would anybody like some music?

KEVIN: Sure.

WINNIE: No thank you.

[TheWOMANshrugs her shoulders]

KEVIN: [sarcastic] So, what happened? You ran out of bathingsuits?

WINNIE: Can it.

KEVIN: Or did mister Muscles find himself a new squeeze?

WINNIE: I got fired.

KEVIN: What, did they fire you?

WINNIE: Because of you.

KEVIN: Well, congratulations. Who would have ever thought littlemiss two-time would get a dose of her own...

WINNIE: Oh, you're really something, you know that? You are absolutelycontemptible.

KEVIN: Me? What about you?

WINNIE: Rat.

KEVIN: Tramp.

WINNIE: That's it. Stop the car, I'm getting out.

KEVIN: Oh no. No, I'M getting out.

WINNIE: Fine, then get out!

KEVIN: No. No, YOU get out. I'm staying here.

EXT. DAY. SOMEWHERE ON A ROAD.

The car drives away, leavingKEVINandWINNIEbehind.

NARRATOR: So we both got out. Thrown out.

KEVIN: So, you're happy now?

WINNIE: I'm not speaking to you.

KEVIN: I don't care. No skin off my nose.

[WINNIEstarts to cry]

KEVIN: Oh man, do you have to do that?

WINNIE: Do what?

KEVIN: Do you have to cry like that?

WINNIE: I'm not crying. [pause] And I'm not a tramp.

KEVIN: Hey, if the shoe fits, right?

WINNIE: Oh, like you never looked at somebody else?

KEVIN: What are you talking about?

WINNIE: How about that girl last summer? At the lake.

NARRATOR: Wait a minute. Low blow.

KEVIN: Who told you about that?

WINNIE: You are so transparent.

KEVIN: Oh, so this is some kind of a jealousy thing? Is thatit?

WINNIE: You're worse than transparent. [walks over toKEVIN]You're a snake!

KEVIN: Oh yeah?

[WINNIEthrowsKEVIN's bag on the road. ThenKEVINthrowsWINNIE's suit case on the road. And then a truckdrives up from the distance and runs the bags over.]

NARRATOR: And that about said it all.

[WINNIEwalks away.]

WINNIE: Goodbye Kevin Arnold.

Wonder Years Portraits Promo Code

KEVIN: Yeah, have a nice life. WINNIE: I hate you.

KEVIN: The feeling is mutual.

[It starts to storm.KEVINandWINNIErun.]

INT. NIGHT. BARN.

KEVINandWINNIEare sheltering in a barn.KEVINlights an oil-lamp.

NARRATOR: So thanks to thirty billion kilowattsof un-metered electricity and about a ton of rain...we ended up sharingthe same barn.

[WINNIEsneezes,KEVINdoesn't say anything.]

WINNIE: Thank you.

KEVIN: Don't mention it. [pause] You know this is really,really great, you know that? It's almost funny.

WINNIE: You think this is funny?

KEVIN: Yeah. [pause] No. [pause] I mean, you growup next door to someone and you figure you really know him. And then like...overnight,you find out you...you don't know him at all.

WINNIE: Yeah, well looks who's talking.

KEVIN: Me? Hey, I'm not the one who changed.

WINNIE: You really believe that?

KEVIN: You bet. [pause] I mean, changed a little but eh...notreally, no.

NARRATOR: But I guess I knew better. Iguess we both knew better.

WINNIE: Kevin?

NARRATOR: It just took Winnie to say it.

WINNIE: Here's what I think: I think this had to happen...today...tomorrow...someday. I mean it's not like we're kids anymore. Everybody grows up. It'snot like Peter Pan or something...

The Wonder Years Poker

KEVIN: No, it's not like Peter Pan. It's just...somehow I'd thoughtwe'd be together, you know.

WINNIE: Yeah. Together forever.

[KEVINsmiles.]

KEVIN: It's not gonna happen, is it?

WINNIE: No.

[SuddenlyKEVINhears something]

KEVIN: What was that? Hello?

[KEVINcrawls over to the fench and stands up. He hears asound and frightened of it, he jumps over the fench, whereWINNIE'ssitting]

KEVIN: Did you see that? It's a horse! God, it practically scaredme to death. Can you believe that?

[KEVINlooks atWINNIE, who's crying now.]

KEVIN: Winnie?

WINNIE: I don't want it to end.

[KEVINandWINNIEstart kissing each other tenderly.]

NARRATOR: Once upon a time there was agirl I knew, who lived across the street. Brown hair, brown eyes. Whenshe smiled, I smiled. When she cried, I cried. Every single thing thatever happened to me that mattered, in some way had to do with her. Thatday Winnie and I promised each other that no matter what, that we'd alwaysbe together. It was a promise full of passion and truth and wisdom. Itwas the kind of promiss that can only come from the hearts of the veryyoung.

EXT. DAY. MAIN STREET IN KEVIN'S HOMETOWN.

The town was in a festive mood. People were celebrating IndependenceDay.

NARRATOR: The next day Winnie and I camehome. Back to where we'd started. It was the 4th of July in that littlesuburban town. Somehow though, things were different. Our past was here,but our future was somewhere else. And we both knew, sooner or later, wehad to go. It was the last July I ever spent in that town. The next year,after graduation, I was on my way.

[KEVINandWINNIEare holding hands and walkover toPAUL.]

KEVIN: Paul! Hey, Paul.

WINNIE: Hi.

NARRATOR: So was Paul. He went to Harvard,of course. Studied law. [PAULsneezes] He's still allergicto everything.

JACK: [buys a flag from a salesman] Thanks a lot.

KEVIN: [toPAULandWINNIE] Listen,I'll be right back. Hang on for one second.

[KEVINwalks toJACK]

NARRATOR: As for my father...well.

JACK: How are you doing?

KEVIN: Good.

JACK: Welcome home.

NARRATOR: We patched things up.

JACK: Norma!

[NORMA, WAYNEandKAREN, who is pregnant now,walk over toKEVIN]

NARRATOR: Hey, we were family. For betteror worse.

KEVIN: Hey, sis.

NARRATOR: One for all...and all for one.

KEVIN: [touchingKAREN's stomach] Gosh.

WAYNE: [points atKAREN's stomach] LittleKevin.

KEVIN: I'm gonna be uncle?

NARRATOR: Karen's son was born in thatSeptember. I gotta say, I think he looks like me. Poor kid. Mom, she didwell: business woman, board chairman, grandmother...cooker of mashed potatoes.Wayne stayed on in furniture. Wood seemed to suit him. In fact he tookover the factory two years later, when dad past away. Winnie left the nextsummer to study art history in Paris. Still we never forgot our promiss.We wrote to each other once a week for the next eight years. I was thereto meet her, when she came home, with my wife and my first son, eight monthsold.

INT. EVENING. THE ARNOLD HOUSE.

KEVINandJACKsit at the table, drinking.

NARRATOR: Like I said, things never turnout exactly the way you planned.

JACK: It was good. It was a good fourth.

KEVIN: Yeah. So you're gonna be a grandpa huh?

JACK: Not bad.

KEVIN: Grey hair and everything.

JACK: Yeah, soon enough.

[KEVINandJACKsmile.]

NARRATOR:

Growing up happens in a hartbeat.
One day you're in diapers; next day you're gone.
But the memories of childhood stay with you
For the long haul.

EXT. EVENING. KEVIN'S STREET.

NARRATOR: I remember a place...a town...a house
like a lot of other houses...
A yard like a lot of other yards...
On a street like a lot of other streets.
And the thing is...After all these years,
I still look back...with WONDER.

[Fireworks in the background]

[Fade to closing titles]

YOUNG BOY: [voiceover] Hey dad, wanna play catch?

NARRATOR: [voiceover] I'll be rightthere.

CLOSING TITLES

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