♪
Uh, excuse me.
Yeah, I-I need a springtime pick-me-up project.
My wife is kind of an "all or none" personality type,
and right now, it seems like she's kind of stuck
-in a "none" mode. [chuckles] -I been there.
It happens, right? Yeah, I mean, but this is
the first time since we've relocated,
and-and I'm-I'm worried, you know?
-[drill whirs] -I mean, she's usually
in full-on "all" mode.
-[chuckles] -Okay.
You two looking to swap or to do group stuff?
I know a lot of swinging couples over in Hinckley.
Aah, gross! No.
I meant home improvement stuff, dude.
Where's gardening?
[chuckles] I don't work here.
I got this Homes-R-Us worker costume
from Halloween Supplies next door.
[Freddie gasps]
My idea!
"Parsh" is not a word.
What?
It's short for "partially."
Silly. "Partially" also isn't a word.
[JimJoe and Todd imitating weapons firing]
-Coming at you. -JimJoe, come on, dude.
You're playing like your dick's in the shop.
I can beat you with my dick tied behind my back.
What are you boys playing?
These are SEAL Team Ninja Rock Band Sixtoys
-from the cartoon. -Uh, hey, Ollie,
where are your good toys?
I impulse buy.
Ooh, I know something you don't.
-What? -That you're stupid.
-What? -[scoffs] Dude.
Shut up, JimJoe.
Come on, she can't even do deferred gratification.
She couldn't even pass a marshmallow test.
What is a marshmallow test?
Oh, I'll have some marshmallow breast.
A marshmallow test
is a socioeconomic pop psych bullshit thing
where a person's projected success in life
can be determined by whether or not
they can delay the gratification of eating one marshmallow now
in order to get two later.
I can pass any marshmallow test
and wait to eat all the marshmallows
when I'm on my deathbed.
Listen, I go all in.
And if there is a mallow, whether marsh or no,
I'm-a eat that mallow.
[exhales, groans]
Stock shares for Halloween stores are through the roof
while other retail CEOs are scared shitless.
-I'm not scared. -I'm not scared.
I'm not scared.
I run my company fast and loose.
Uh, babe, remember, years ago, that idea
of mine that I wanted to patent and sell?
It was a steel earthquake cage to go around beds?
I wanted you to help me design it for real
because you're an engineer
and you know how to develop prototypes?
Remember that?
Uh-huh. But I told you it was a dumb idea.
And I listened to you and moved on.
Now, years later,
turns out someone else in the world did my idea,
and they got hugely rich.
Oh, I could've been on Shark Tank.
[groans] Okay, okay.
I get it, Freddie. Someone else did the dumb idea.
Well, the way I see it is, well, maybe you,
honey, you owe me one.
I mean, look, I have ideas,
and you can ground them in reality.
Babe, honey, e-everyone has fleeting ideas,
and you? You have them all the time.
I love that about you.
You are a fun... dabbler, Freddie.
It's cute and nice.
It'll give us something to do together.
Get you out of this funk.
What funk?
[groans]
Look, Daddie Dan's on vacation,
and he doesn't trust me to be at the awning store alone.
The shop's closed for a week,
and the whole thing has me feeling off, okay?
[groans] I...
will help you draw up the design.
-But that's it, okay? -Yes!
All right, let me get this set up.
Guys, your mom and I are collaborating!
Ah, cool-looking hang. Bye. [chuckles]
Holy shit-dicks.
You know the S.T.N.R.B.S. aircraft carrier toy?
It's finally in stores.
And I can afford it.
-Yeah. -Uh, uh-huh. Yeah.
-How? -I've deferred my gratification.
I've been hoarding my Toys Or Bust gift cards
for a few years' worth of birthdays and Christmases.
Ollie, I bet you used your gift cards right away
-on dumb shit. -I certainly did.
Forget it, Ollie. I'll buy you some candy with my change.
Let's go.
Okay, Joan of Arc candles. She's tied to the stake.
-It's all a candle, and... -I get it. Pass.
All right. Salem witch.
Salem witches tied to the stake.
It's all a candle, but this one...
Pass on all candles.
Well, that's it.
Pass on all of them. So...
All right, I'll get my journals. I got
tons of ideas in them. This is so fun, sweetie.
Look, and maybe after we land on the hit idea,
we can do sex stuff to truly make this a top-shelf day.
Had to bring the wagon
for my future swaggin' aircraft carrier.
[Shauna and JimJoe gasp]
Wait, what? Toys Or Bust is gone?
And it's already a Halloween store?
But it's spring.
[laughs]
I ate all my marshmallows,
and now Todd only has IOUs for extinct marshmallows.
[laughs] My short game
beat your long game. Ha ha, ha ha.
I eat your marshmallows!
[chuckles]: Oh, I'll prove you wrong.
I vow: I will use my gift cards.
Aha! DivaCup.
-It's been done. -Diva s-saucer?
-It's what you put it on when you take it out. -Pass.
Sidesaddle toilets.
And then there's, uh, the Cough Keeper.
-Wait. Wait, wait. What's that one? -Well, you know
how I hate hearing someone cough, right?
Yes. It's-it's-it's...
It's a little soundproof face mask
one can bring up to their mouth for a cough.
Or-or-or one could just wear it all the time
so as not to annoy others with their nagging cough.
Yes!
Now, this one I can work with. Yeah!
All right, get me casting polymer,
resin, and clear this table
so we can have sex on it.
And then I'm gonna start on this Cough Keeper idea.
All right! [whoops]
All right, I'll get your activation juice:
triple espresso, French vanilla creamer,
a shot of Fireball and a towel to put down for the sex.
Okay, Freddie, do you really want
to activate this side of me?
'Cause I will go fast and loose, and I'll push it through.
I am "all or none," buddy, and I am ready to go all in.
Go all in, baby.
♪
[thunder rumbles]
[Debbie grunts]
[smacking]
-Try it out, babe. -[coughs]
[coughs inaudibly]
-[whoops] Yes! We did it! -Yes! We did it!
Okay, babe, the next steps are crucial.
Got to slow down a bit,
secure that patent and do safety testing,
all parts of the plan to get us on Shark Tank.
Mom, I got these gift cards...
No!
Mommy is busy making inventions.
See? Right?
-Don't bother Mommy. [chuckles] -Ugh.
Looks like Mom is in the "all in" mode again.
Better back off.
[chuckles] Listen, kids,
your mom is, uh, really busy right now,
and I-I got to be her model and her Igor
and chef and masseuse, so just-just stay together.
[thunder rumbling]
Wipe down, monkey dick,
and use your "Galaxy Nut Book"
to find me an open Toys Or Bust.
Oh, uh, supposedly, there's a Toys Or Bust
-that hasn't closed in the next town over. -[phone chimes]
-In Hinckley. -Hinckley?
That town has more perverts and serial killers
per square mile than anywhere else.
Oh, are you scared?
Yes. It's smart to be scared of scary things, JimJoe.
I'm going. Todd promised me candy,
and I want to see these cereal killers
killing up some cereal.
-I'll go just to hang with Ollie. -Rad.
Let's see who's right about this marshmallow test thing.
[thunder rumbling]
My bike seat is making my butt so mad.
Are you fucking shitting me?!
These Halloween stores are like a zombie pandemic
for businesses. What's it take
-to get an aircraft carrier? -[motorcycle approaching]
Kids, is that our principal?
[Ollie grunts]
[tires screech]
[tires squeal]
By chance, are you kids students at my school?
KIDS: Yes.
Right. Right, right. Right.
Say, um, how about I give you kids
just a smattering of things from my wallet,
and-and you don't have to mention my little transaction
to your teachers or parents.
What was your little transaction?
If I tell you, then you're part of it.
So... do I tell you?
KIDS: No.
[thunder rumbling]
[tires squeal]
These are all gift cards. Masseuse.
Florist. Stationery store.
Greyhound breeder. Tailor.
Florist. Playstuff?
Oh, I have heard of Playstuff.
Yes. It is a toy store on the other side of Hinckley.
Maybe it's just not registered on phones yet.
Could be, like, a Toys Or Bust offshoot?
Like babyGap?
Fine.
-[mutters, laughs] -Uh, hey, babe?
Maybe we should think about taking breaks,
slowing down. You know, sleeping.
-[chuckles] -"We."
[laughing]: Okay.
All right.
Wego fast. Okay?
We push these Cough Keepers through into manufacturing.
I've lined up a few factories to start pumping 'em out.
[chuckles]: Really? Wow.
Uh, yeah, okay, but maybe we should, uh, talk
about doing the safety tests first?
Already blasted through some of those
with computer simulations. Take a look.
[coughs]
[coughs inaudibly]
That-that seems a little oversimplified, no?
We go ahead with production.
I got to get some inventory fast
because I've already advertised the product on Instagram.
Boom! 1,000 orders!
See? I can't wait for the gratification
of seeing these in the market.
Uh, but maybe we should delay
-that gratification a little. -No!
Look,
I'm just trying to stress test this thing, babe.
But you're rushing like you always kind of do.
Sweetie, look, th-this part of the process
may just be a little outside of your expertise.
You know, even at the appliance factory,
you were the genius engineer who fixed conveyor belts
and designed assembly robots.
You were not the people who invented
the actual appliances that were tested and sold, right?
Uh...
[laughs] This coming from a guy
who tries different careers every six months.
You get excited. Get involved.
Get in over your head,
so you cry and quit. Over and over.
You overthink things to death.
You delay too long, and the moment passes.
And I console you.
Then, after a while, you find something else.
Always crashing and burning.
And you want to give up like you always do?
[chuckles]: Well, you can, but I'm not.
Babe, I mean... [sighs]
All-all that mean stuff is so true about me,
but you're not listening.
I-I don't want to give up. I just want to slow down.
You're fired.
This is for adult toys, Joshathon.
Oh, like a body whistle shop?
The only toy stores left in America are for adults.
Now, Todd, they do have cool toys
at Halloween Supplies, man.
You are such a fucking idiot, Ollie.
Whoa, man. No. That's too far.
[chuckles softly] JimJoe, can I talk to you for a sec?
Listen, I know you're smart,
and you've known me for a long-ass time,
so I know that you know that I'm serious as hell
when I say if you insult my friend Ollie again,
I'm gonna fuck your ass all the way up
in a way that ruins the rest of your life.
Physically, financially and socially.
You hear me, boy?
I-I hear you, Ms. Shauna.
[chuckles] I thought you would.
Glad we could have this talk, Jimmy-Joseph.
Hand me that gift card to Playstuff.
We might at least cash it in.
Hey! Hey, mister?
Hey. We won this gift card on the radio,
but we're kids, so it's worthless to us.
It says it's for 69 bucks.
Would you like it for $40?
Yeah, all right. Cool.
This is my $40 for riding over here in the rain
-for nothing. -JOE: Hey!
There's only two bucks left on that card.
I want my money back.
[kids grunting, panting]
[grunts, groans]
[sighs] We're down to our nuclear option.
Let's go back and ask Mom to help.
[thunder rumbling]
Dad, where's Mom?
I need her to help prove to Ollie
that I was right to hoard my gift cards.
Nope. She'll help me prove
you're just a big, old stick in the mud.
Debbie? Oh, no.
You don't want her right now.
When she's in the "all in" mode,
she can't stop it. Can't control it.
She goes into a mania.
Oh, she says she'll dazzle us.
And sometimes, well, she's right.
And it's glorious.
And you're like a moth to her flame.
[chuckles]: Oh.
But you're dancing on a knife blade.
Could be all good, or could be all of us
get taken down with her in a fast and loose crash.
So, do you know where we can cash in Todd's gift cards
or not? God.
-[door opens] -DEBBIE: If it can be done...
[thunder rumbles]
...I can do it.
[JimJoe whimpers]
So, you kids help me distribute these to local shops,
and I'll force Toys Or Bust to redeem your cards.
[thunder rumbles]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
[line rings]
Hello. Who's this?
Yeah, is this the CEO of Toys Or Bust?
Ex-CEO of Toys Or Bust, actually.
Listen up, pal. I got...
four gift cards to your store.
What am I supposed to do with them?
Well, I can't do anything about the gift cards.
I don't have a company anymore.
I don't have any stores.
They've all been morphed into Halloween stores,
pretty much, overnight.
Listen, my kid wants the goddamn...
-KIDS: S.T.N.R.B.S. aircraft carrier toy. -...aircraft carrier toy.
[sighs] Why not just buy that
at Walmart or Target or Amazon, for Christ's sake,
like a normal human being?
Okay, let me ask you something.
Why did you get into the toy business
in the beginning?
To make kids happy, I guess.
Know what makes kids unhappy?
No one will redeem these cards.
It is a racket. A scam. A crime.
Tons of kids like Todd have been cheated out of birthday gifts
and holiday gifts by you, dude.
You failed.
You have hurt kids all over this country.
And if you want to go out the right way,
you are gonna go buy an aircraft carrier from Amazon,
express ship that bitch and meet me
in a Halloween Supplies parking lot
to make a final exchange for my boy's goddamn gift cards!
Okay, you're right. Okay. Okay.
Wow. Your mom is a super dick.
[tires screech]
I told you my long game is better than your short game.
I waited, and you played fast and loose. [laughs]
You were impulsive.
You didn't pass this marshmallow test.
You laughed in my face before.
Now I'm laughing in yours.
[laughs] I'm smart, and you're...
[crying]: Stupid?
You think I'm stupid?
Maybe you're right.
Maybe I am.
[grunts]
Wait, Ollie, I only meant about the gift cards.
[Ollie crying]
Todd, that was too far.
You gonna fuck him up, Shauna?
I'm gonna let this one play itself out.
It's a sibling thing.
Oh, Ollie.
Lady, you're a real piece of work.
Well, don't you feel better?
Little bit?
I don't think so.
I lost my company
because I went fast, went all in.
I guess I didn't pass the marshmallow test either, son.
I hope you enjoy
your SEAL Team Ninja Rock Band Sixaircraft carrier.
That S.T.N.R.B.S....
is a damn fine show.
Ollie?
-Freddie? -[phone chimes]
Oh.
I'm Marion Bronch, scientific health lawyer,
and I'm putting together a class action case
for anyone harmed by the Cough Keeper.
Turns out this very new product
has harmed consumers very quickly.
See, the soundproof material is porous,
so it's like a petri dish that collects mucus.
It gives people respiratory infections, okay?
And those people have all returned the Cough Keepers,
and now there's a probable lawsuit pending.
I feel really bad about what I said to Ollie.
Yeah. I think I, uh...
Oh, man.
I-I made your dad feel really terrible, too.
What do we do?
We do what we always do when we've been awful.
We turn awesome.
[door closes]
Freddie.
Babe, I apologize.
I was wrong.
Do you think I'm stupid?
Oh, no, honey.
I got thrown into my "off" mode
when Dad didn't trust me to run the shop while he was gone.
And then the thought of wowing the world with your idea
threw me back into the "all in" mode,
and when I'm in my "all in" mode,
you know, babe, I go fast,
and I don't value anyone's opinion. Right?
[chuckles] It's the mode talking.
But I apologize for the mode, too.
Well, tell the mode thanks.
Freddie, it is okay that you go slow
and that you try things out
and drop them if they don't feel right.
You're never gonna drop being who you are,
and that's the only thing that matters.
And I should not try to hurt the ones I love
by insulting the things that I love about them.
[Freddie crying]
Okay.
Okay. Thank you.
-[sniffles] -[sighs] Come on.
[sighs] Aw.
You think I'm stupid?
No, Ollie. You're not stupid. I-If anything,
I am for making you feel that way.
We're just opposites.
I know I should be more like you.
I disagree. I should be more like you.
More in the moment.
We should eat some marshmallows in the present,
and we can save some for later.
It's all about balance, right?
Oh, that is good advice, Toddie.
And you know what? I'm gonna try not to be so "all or none."
I'm gonna try to collaborate and work well with others. Huh?
Starting right now. Because we got a lawsuit,
and thanks to me, we got to find a way to break even.
♪
-[kids imitating weapons firing] -Die! Die!
[chuckles] Die! Die!
-JOSHATHON: Pew, pew. -In other news,
stocks continue to soar for Halloween stores,
who are now selling a new version
of a COVID costume mask.
We were sold a few of these,
and with a little safety testing,
they were good to mass manufacture.
It's a great idea.
What?
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org
Chirp.