♪ Demons come from every side ♪
♪ In the darkness is the light ♪
♪ Out of the shadows of my life ♪
♪ In the darkness is the light ♪
♪ Surrender will win the fight ♪
♪ This girl's walked on fire and ice ♪
♪ But I come out ♪
♪ On the other side of paradise ♪
♪ Paradise ♪
[Annie] They say curiosity killed the cat,
but humans have Incredible curiosity themselves,
especially when it comes to other living things.
We watch them, chart their movements,
try to figure out what makes, say, a rabbit, a rabbit.
Of course, we just assume that we're the only ones doing the watching,
But what if somebody else,
or something else,
was keeping track of us,
studying us,
trying to figure out what makes a person,
well, a person?
Man, this is the life.
Picked up at my dorm for Thanksgiving
and driven home by my own personal chauffeur.
And when we get there,
You can personally help your "chauffeur" wash the limo. [chuckles]
Okay, okay. We'll see you soon. Bye.
Well, Fi and Aunt Melinda picked up Irene and Carey
at the airport yesterday and they've been working like crazy.
The turkey's thawed, the corn is shucked...
The television's warmed up for football.
Whoo, hoo, hoo!
Food, football, family. The only thing missing is us.
Ninety-eight miles and counting down.
[inhales] I can smell the stuffing already.
You know, this is the longest we've ever gone without seeing Fiona.
You're right.
[Molly] And now she's only two hours away.
Two hours...
Come on, let's go.
[Ned] Relax, Molly. We've got plenty of time.
[computer noises]
[whooshing sound]
[man] That's all right.
Keep the change. Have a good one, buddy.
[whooshing sound]
-Come on, come on, let's go. -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Excellent.
We've found our subjects.
Tagged and ready.
Now what?
Now we separate them from the herd,
track their movement.
The female was particularly anxious to continue the migration.
Hmm, we've made a good choice to test our hypothesis.
That'll be $3.00.
There you go.
Thank you.
Have a good one now, buddy.
Don't you people want your change?
I remember Fiona's first Thanksgiving.
She was barely on solid foods and you tried to feed her a drumstick.
Huh, knowing Fi, I'll bet she took a bite.
[chuckles]
[Molly] Honey, what's wrong?
This is the first Thanksgiving I've spent away from my mom and dad.
Ever.
I have a surprise for you.
What?
Well, this evening, at six o'clock on the dot,
your mother and father are going to call from Pakistan.
-They are? -Yes.
But they don't have a phone In the village where they work.
-The nearest phone is like-- -A long, long way away,
which is why they're making a special trip to the next big town.
They are?
They're probably on their way right about now.
This is so exciting!
Okay, here they come.
Uh-oh. We've got a little problem.
Detour?
The main highway has a detour on Thanksgiving weekend?
It looks that way.
[Molly] But what about getting home in time?
Not to worry. We're close enough now.
We'll still be home in time to baste the turkey.
Yeah, Dad's right, Mrs. P.
Besides, it evokes a kinder, less-rushed part of our past
to travel these "blue highways."
You can almost imagine the pilgrims of old wandering through the woods.
Pilgrims? In the Rocky Mountains?
Could've happened.
[woman?] Test subjects isolated for further study.
[man?] Prepare for phase two, interaction with subjects.
What do you think of this observation spot?
It's fine,
But don't you think they'll wonder how we got here?
Hmm, you're right.
We'll need one of those Earth vehicles to make it look more realistic.
[whoosh, clang]
Look out.
Whoa.
Thank you for stopping.
I didn't have much choice.
Engine trouble or a flat tire?
Yes, that's what we have.
Which one? A flat tire or...
It died.
The car died.
Is there an ocean around here I don't know about?
Pardon me?
The surfboard.
Nice aerodynamic application, don't you think?
You know, we haven't seen anyone else on this road for, like, 30 minutes.
You guys are lucky we came by.
Yes. Very lucky.
[Ned] The engine is gone.
[Annie] No engine?
[Molly] No engine?
[Jack] I've got to see this.
[man?] Yes. As we said, the engine died.
Would it be possible for you to stay here and help us fix it?
You're not understanding this.
There is no engine to fix.
Oh. So that means you'll be continuing your journey?
Absolutely.
But, I mean, you can ride with us to the next town to get help,
if you'd like. The thing is, we have to get going.
-We can't let them go! -I know.
No, that's all right. We have somebody coming for us.
Are you sure?
Oh, yes.
Okay.
Let's go, guys.
Now?
Now.
[whooshing]
I don't believe it.
[coughing]
You think you're going to be able to fix it?
I'll take a look.
Hey. I don't know about those two.
They are sort of weird, aren't they?
[gasps]
He is intending to repair the vehicle and continue with the migration pattern!
What persistence!
You know...
Maybe this seasonal migrating pattern among humans
is connected to that thing they cook.
The turkey?
Why not?
Professor Ak-Ballen's hypothesis 171.b
states that one of the constants in this migration ceremony is the turkey.
Mashed potatoes and other ceremonial food items
are simply there to enhance the turkey.
It is true that they rub it and wrap it with string
and stuff it with sacred food items.
Maybe we should try it.
[whooshing]
What in the world?
Where did these come from?
It's working. Look at them.
You were right about it being the turkey!
Okay, do you think this is, like, government inspected food?
Yeah, the government of Mars.
Okay, you guys, this is really, really weird,
but we don't have time for weird right now. Let's get back to the bus.
Mrs. P., I mean, can't we have just one tiny, teeny--
No!
These turkeys aren't ours.
We have our own turkey waiting for us right over the hill.
Let's do it!
They rejected the sacred turkey.
Okay, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but what's going on here?
Hey, wait a minute.
You're studying them, too, aren't you?
Excuse me?
The humans. You're studying them.
Is your planet in trouble too?
My planet?
We won't tell anybody.
Shh.
Perhaps we should interview the subjects.
There's always leftovers.
Not after Carey's finished.
Oh, man, the game's going to start in two hours,
and we're not going to see it!
Ahem. Can we come in?
Uh, yeah, sure.
Pull up a seat.
[ripping]
I can't believe this is happening.
I don't care if I have to pay a thousand dollars
and take a taxi the rest of the way. I am not missing this Thanksgiving.
She's summoning aid.
Not anymore.
[whooshing]
The integrity of the experiment is preserved.
I am not missing this Thanksgiving!
I am not!
Remarkable.
Notable.
We offered the sacred turkey and it still hasn't made any difference.
So, just for the fun of it,
say you two are from another planet,
and you are here to...
Find out why humans In this part of the planet
rush off to different places at this time every year.
More importantly, this ritualistic migration pattern
seems to culminate in a sense of
exceptional peace and goodwill.
People here are happy.
Our planet is experiencing a period of unhappiness.
We are on a mission to try and find out why this migration of humans
results in a feeling of love and friendship.
It's Thanksgiving.
Why is there Thanksgiving?
Because we've just established
that the turkey is not the migratory focal point.
And it's not for the challenge of travel itself.
It's not about food or travel.
It's about family.
Family?
You know, family.
Brothers, sisters, moms, dads, grandparents. Family.
We have such things on our planet, but we do not have a word for "family."
Okay, well, family is when they all get put together.
What else could it be, Heather?
If not the turkey, then it surely wouldn't be a less sacred foodstuff
like mashed potatoes, either.
Well, the popcorn-eating subject on the bus
just spoke of a sporting event.
Our data shows us that on this day
the males often watch a spectacle sport called "football"
on an electron-bombarded vacuum tube.
On a television.
Only the males?
The occasional female will watch,
but it would appear to be an aberration.
Worth a try.
[whooshing]
[football noises]
[commentator] There's the throw.
No way...
[commentator] And it's caught by Dobson, Brian Dobson with an excellent grab...
This is impossible.
Who's playing?
There's no outlet.
Wow. This thing must have, like, the largest battery pack in the world.
Hey, we probably shouldn't tell dad about this.
We'll never get the bus fixed, you know.
[commentator] Fourth and inches. Here's the snap.
Fourth and inches! They're going for it.
Oh, oh...
Mrs. P., they were going for it!
No, guys.
We're going for it.
"It" being home!
She's right, Clu.
I mean, think about it. We've got family right over the mountains,
just waiting for us.
Come on.
They rejected the sporting ritual.
I don't know what else is left.
You know... Maybe the girl from the other planet
is onto something with this business about... family.
Family.
Okay, Clu. Fire it up.
All right, here she goes.
Come on, come on. Oh...
Mom, it's all right.
No, Jack, it's not all right.
Yeah, sure it is, Mrs. P.
I mean, we, we can always just whip up a little Thanksgiving feast
out of whatever is left in the mini-fridge, right?
We're too close to give up now, you guys. Fi's just over that hill.
Mom, that "hill" Is, like, 12,000 feet high and 50 miles away.
I don't care.
We planned this.
I promised Fiona we would be with her for Thanksgiving
And we're going to get there any way we can.
I promised.
Mom, what're you doing?
I'm going to go have Thanksgiving dinner with my daughter.
I'll send help and you can meet us there.
Mom, I want to see Fi as much as you do.
Extremely resourceful. Do you think she can make it all the way?
Impossible. Humans are unable to dematerialize and transport.
[man?] We'd better be sure.
-[whooshing] -[clang]
Mom, are you okay?
[crying] Jack, I promised.
-I know, I know. -I promised her.
Is she crying because her vehicle is broken?
Because of a stupid bike?
She's crying because she can't get to her daughter!
Daughter...
Which is a component of the "family" you talk about?
Family is everything!
Why do you think we're going home for Thanksgiving?
This has nothing to do with sacred turkeys and cranberry sauce,
and football on the television.
It's about...
reuniting the family unit!
A simple enough equation.
Thanksgiving equals family.
Which equals love and happiness.
Maybe we should have Thanksgiving on our planet.
I think we've found the key to our planet's problem.
[whooshing]
You guys...
He got it running! Come on.
-You fixed it! -I guess.
Let's get out of here before the bus changes its mind again.
Yeah. Come on, let's go, you guys.
So you guys need a ride?
Actually, that would be very nice.
But only to the next town.
Okay.
[laughing]
-You made it! -Barely.
And all this time, I thought I was going to score both drumsticks!
In your dreams, bro.
Hey, give me a hand with the baggage, would you?
-Yeah, no problem. -Guys...
Fiona!
Mom!
Wow.
I've never seen Molly run that fast.
Are you kidding me, man?
She was ready to haul her bike over the mountain to get here.
-What? -Yeah.
[Ned] Hey, Carey? How's my favorite oldest son?
Your favorite oldest son recorded your favorite football game for you.
Was that good?
[Ned] Good? That's great.
Oh, and guess who won?
Wait! Don't tell me, don't tell me!
[chuckles]
Joking.
We dropped you off...
I know.
But we didn't want to miss this.
Migration concluded. Family reunited.
[man?] And our mission is complete.
With this information, our planet should soon be a happier place.
Earlier, you said I was different.
You wondered what planet I came from.
That's correct.
But why?
The animal that walks with you.
The what?
We perceive a panther traveling with you all the time,
Yet you exhibit no fear.
Odd for a human. Most of your kind are afraid of nearly everything.
You mean the panther is real?
It's not just a dream?
The panther is most certainly real.
Absolutely.
-Here... -[whooshing]
A souvenir.
The panther is real.
Six o'clock?
[growling]
[telephone ringing]
[Carey] Annie! It's for you.