72, 72, $72!
$72, 72 bid, 72 bid,
75, 75, 75!Oh, boy.
Is it already the first day of livestock auction season again?
It's the same day every year, Mitchell...
A fortnight after the first ripe tomato comes in.
And seriously? Thisis what passes for auction calling these days?
Is it possible you're being a tad harsh?
You know, when you've beenat the top of your field...
Greater Bug CountyAuction-Calling Champ
three years running...
It's hard to see anythingbut the inadequacies.
It's why Baryshnikovcouldn't watch others dance.
What? He was the Artistic Director of...
How long have you lived in this house?!
It's gonna wind up being some pig named Baryshnikov
or some damn thing.
So, how wasyour trumpet lesson?
It was amazing. Yeah.
Oh, these sessions just have really changed my life.
Technically, uh, not a lie.
Uh, I started taking trumpet lessons two years ago.
But then I noticed the place next door
was offering massages for the same price, so...
you know.
And I felt bad relaxing while Cam was...
solo-parenting Lily.
But... Butwe were both spending time
with an Asian woman who walked all over us.
You always smell like lavender
when you come back from that place.
Uh, yeah, it's the... It's the valve oil
for the, um... you know,
the t... the tooting buttons.Oh.
We should probably, uh, hit the road soon.
High school graduation'sin an hour.
It's so humiliating
being the Vice Principal at these things.
It's just a ceremonial position
where you have to sit behind Principal Brown,
politely clapping
while hegets to set the course of history.
Well, it could be funwith my dad giving
the commencement address, though.
I got a peek at his note cards,
and I don't want to give anything away,
but the young kid who boarded the bus
with the hair full of Brylcreem
and a cardboard suitcasefull of dreams...
It was him.
Oh, I have to take this. It's Superintendent Pierce.
Hello, good sir. To what do I owe this honor?
Oh, no.
That's horrible.
Principal Brown got into a car accident!
W-Which means, as next in the line of succession,
I get to preside over today's graduation.
You know, this is why senior administration officials
never travel together.
Your glee at another man'smisfortune should trouble me,
but there's also somethingsort of sexy about it.
Well, power is an aphrodisiac. Oh.
Maybe lateryou could be the principal
and I could be the studentwho's a few credits short.
Hmm. A bad, bad boy
who needs to be taughtright from wrong.
'Cause I grew up in a broken home,
where social workersand constant fights about money
were just...
Okay, well, now I'm just sad.
Captions by VITAC...
Captioning Provided by 20th Century Fox Television and ABC, Inc.
And brought to you by Ford. Going further, so you can.
Yah! Yah!
Can we switch seats?
I'm right under a vent.
This is not good for my instrument.
Oh, so nice that you're taking this speech so seriously.
When you did Mitch and Cam's wedding toast,
you had your mouth full of cashews.
Yah! Yah! Yah!
Hey, pay attention to your brother.
You got him into karate.
Not on purpose.
I just showed hima few "Pink Panther" movies.
Joe?
I-I-I don't want to play
this Inspector Clouseau and Cato game anymore.
It's not that I'm scared.
It's just, I-I'm a little busy...
Aah! Aah!
He's a little psycho.
Which we must never show him, by the way.
And sorry if I'm distracted.
It's cut day at CalArts.
Half of the classisn't being asked back.
Manny, my mother's intuition
tells me that you have nothing to worry about.
It's just so cruel.
I'm halfwayto a playwriting degree
and a minor in mask-making
and they're just gonnathrow me out on the street
with no way to support myself?
As a wise man will say in about two hours...
"Be grateful for the rocks life rolls in your path,
for one day, you'll see them as stepping stones."
I had that in my "maybe" pile.
Trust yourself, Jay.
Oh, God. It's an e-mail from school.
I don't think I can read thisin front of people.
Yah!
Let's go, Joe!
Ay!
I did it!
I did it! Yes!
Did my mom bribe Sensei Ron?
I knew you could do it, Joe!
My mother's intuitiontold me
that you hadnothing to worry about.
And if she bribed Sensei Ron, who else did she bribe?
Did I even deserve this?
Do you remember whengrocery shopping was boring?
I really don't.
As a parent, you don't get
a lot of good, clean, guilt-free victories.
That's why it's hard not to feel
pretty damn good about ourselves today.
Because this afternoon,
we are going to watchour daughter Alex graduate...
With honors!
From the world-renownedCaltech.
Their best minds weren't focusedon the fight song.
Yeah.
I just can't stop smiling
at this picture of Alexin her cap and gown.
It's so surreal that one of ourkids
could do something so amazing.
I love you both.
So, you two, grab champagne and flowers for Alex.
We'll, uh... We'll get some cigars to give to Jay.
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
It's Skip Woosnam. Have you seen him since he fired you?
Once, at a listing.
I tried to pretendl was a 3D cutout of myself
to avoid talking to him.
But you know what? Today I want to talk to him.
I thinkl'll let ol' Skip know
I have a daughtergraduating from Caltech.
No, honey, we are not the kind of parents
who make ourselves look good by bragging about our kids.
Then why did weeven have them, Claire?
Are we really not gonna crow about it
when one of our kidsfinally does somethingwe can be proud of?
I love you both very much.
I'm comfortablebeing the hot one.
Another record month?
Well, thank you!
You're the greatest butler on Earth.
Ohp! I got to run.
Phil? Skip!
You son of a gun. How the hell are you?
Great, great. Business is better than ever.
How about you?
Did you, uh, finally get real cutouts?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Mine are so realistic and 3D,
you must have been laughing at one of them like an idiot.
How crazy is it we ran into each other shopping, huh?
Say, how are your kids?
Terrific. Yeah.
June just, uh, took a jobat the Container Store.
Impressive. I have a kid that's interested in space, as well.Yeah.
Considering a job at, uh... at NASA, actually. Oh.
Yeah, he, uh, looks likehe's got the right stuff.
No, I... it's... I was talking about my daughter.
Oh. Hey, Dad. Dad, guess what.
The twins started kicking the second I picked up booze.
They're my kids, right?
My otherdaughter.
Okay, I'm doing a little thing about
following your dreams in mine.
Do you have anything like that in yours?
I say "follow your passions."
Okay, yeah. That's different enough.
Okay.
Something fishy's going on over here.
I'm gonna go shake some trees, see what falls.
Looking lovely today, Vice Principal Tucker.
Cut the choirboy act, Pitkowski.
Oh, you don't like the way I'm talking to you?
Well, who are you gonna complain to?
No one!
Because I'mthe acting principal,
clothed in immense power!
Wait, what is... Nope!
I bend faster.
"Jay Pritchett, Owl Killer"?!
What the hell is this?
The year was 1972.
I landed a whale...
Every closet on a Carnival Cruise ship.
To make the numbers work,
I needed a lot of cedar fast and cheap.
I ended up cutting down a forestthat happened to be
the last habitat of the Golden Speckled Owl.
You know, nobody talks about all the mice I saved.
Nope!
Just the owls.
Are you all planning some sort of protest?
Well, that ain't happening on my watch.
Now go take your seats!
"Owl Hitler"?!
What the hell is this picture? I never strangled an owl!
Is it too much for Dylan to let me know where he is?
My water could literally break any minute.
Am I okay sitting here,
or am I in a SeaWorld splash zone situation?
Claire, your old high school nemesis Ashley Walls,
did she have a daughter?
Uh, I don't think so. Why?
Well, that woman over there looks just like Ashley, but it can't be.
She looks half your... beauty.
Ashley Walls.
She outdid me at everything.
Homecoming Queen, Field Hockey Captain,
and the summer before we went away to college,
she beat me out for an internship
at Pritchett's closets.
Claire?
Hi.
I... want to say...
Ashley?
Yes!
How are you? Good.
Hi.Ashley Walls-Carnegie.
Phillip Humphrey Dunphy.
So, what have you been up to, Ashley?
Uh, well, I'm a personal injury lawyer.
Mm.I have a buddy that makes bank from that.
Oh? He's not a lawyer.
He just tries to get nice cars to hit him.
Yeah, he's just kidding.
No, I'm not, Mom.
In fact, I've ac... Here, have a candy. Hmm?
That was rude.
I just ran into my old health teacher,
and she said she always expected
to see me pregnant at graduation.
Congratulations.
Oh, thanks. Twins.
Sorry, I'd be a lot happier about it
if I could track their father down.
Candy.
Oh, look... it's your brother, Mitch.
Now, he was alwaysa little uptight, wasn't he?
Well, he was in high school, but now he's just the most...
Okay, you have one job today, young lady,
okay, to be supportive.
If your dad makes a joke, you will laugh.
If he makes a speech, you will what? Applaud.
Right. I-I-I'm gonnago find my seat.
But it was greatcatching up with you, Claire.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
No one would blame you if you mentioned
you had a daughter graduating from Caltech today.
Yeah. Honey, the moment has passed.
I'd need a pretty good reason to just go waltzing over there...
Oh! She dropped her program!
Yes!
Hey, Claire, you knowhow you're my go-to gal...
Busy. Hey, Phil.
You know howyou're my go-to guy on stuff?
Huh.
I suppose against all odds, we've become best friends.
Sure.
So, apparently, some of the students are angry
that I'm givingthe commencement address.
Why? Who knows whytheir sick minds do anything?
Gotta say though, it feels goodto be hating hippies again.
Anyway, would you mindgiving this place a sweep?
See if you noticesomething suspicious.
Consider it done.
Hey. What do you got there?
You kids got something underthose robes you want to show me?
Manny, you passed the cuts,
so why aren't you in a better mood?
You bribed my dean to get mepast the cut, didn't you?
I would never do something like that.
Oh, bravo!
If Lisa Wagner pulled outthat performance,
maybe she wouldn't be drivingback to her parents' house
with a trunkfull of handmade puppets
and a suddenlyvery uncertain future.
I didn't bribe anyone. I don't know why you're talking such crazy things.
Because I saw you bribeSensei Ron.
Wait.
You bribed Sensei Ron?!
So this is just a lie?!
Are there others?
Who the hell even am I?!
Oh!
Oops.
Oh, my God!
Nice try, kemosabes.
Oh!
Mm! Mm!
Hey. Ash. I think you left your program.
Oh. Thank you.
Wow, it's wild to think
where all these kids are gonna end up, right?
I mean, there's so many great schools.
In fact, our...
Oh.
Is something wrong?
Our daughter joined ISIS.
Oh, God!
The government said she's not an American anymore.
There's a van always parked in front of our house.
Oh, God. I'm so sorry...
Did Claire tell youour daughter's a genius?
And so, graduates, look to your left
and to your right.
It's a simple key chain with a tiny cowboy hat charm on it.
If you see it, please pass it forward.
All right, and now on to our commencement speaker.
He is a pillar of the community,
an entrepreneur and closeteer... Mr. Jay Pritchett.
Commencement.
"C" for "courage,."
"O" for "opportunity,"
the first "M"...
Disaster had struck.
But did I panic?
No.
No one chooses to be a wartime principal.
But we're the ones history remembers.
Pick one, they all said...
Closets orblinds.
Mitchell, he's tanking my graduation.
I'm cutting him off and moving right to the in-memoriam section.
Well, that wouldbe less depressing.
Yeah, the problem is, the band just walked out in solidarity.
Here. W-What?
Mitchell, you can't have an in memoriam without music.
That's just a bummer.
Take it! Oh.
Hoot all you want, but that Brylcreem kid was me!
Yes, hi, thank you.
Thank you, Jay Pritchett, everyone!
Wow, I don't know about you, but I feel like
getting out thereand taking on the world, huh?
That's a... And now, let's remember
those Dolphins we lost this year.
Mitchell, play something. Play anything.
Something with the most gravitas.
You know, for a person who lasttouched a trumpet two years ago,
I think I sounded pretty good.
I'm done. I'm done.
All right! Wow!
That is a lot of deceased for one year.
We should probably have the police check into that.
And now, before, uh, passing out diplomas,
I would like to make sort of a...
A personal gesture to this graduating class.
As these balloons fill the sky, know that each one of them
represents a student who has personally inspired me
and filled me with hope for a better tomorrow.
What?
Psst! Acting Principal!
Protesters hacked intoour sprinkler system.
It's set to go off in five minutes.
We have to postpone the graduation.
And miss my chance of becoming principal?
Not a chance!
Well, no one can read400 names in five minutes.
Oh, really?
All that training, all those parties missed,
all those auctions attended
were for this moment right here, right now.
Students, hi! When you hear your name,
please proceed to the stage and grab your diploma.
Nelly Abrishami, Allison Acosta, Frieda Alafary,
Scott "The Skunk" Albanese, Jessica Alenick,
Richard Thompson Allen, Lavaria Aminu, Larry Annecone,
Darla Arleto, Daniel Dey Aronson...
I was gonna make it!
And then...
I hit the Polish names.
Czeslaw Wlodaryzack-ck-kowsky.
Wladyslaw Wlod...
nisky? Yeah.
Uh... Oh!
Myra Zarinsky...
Okay, if we steer clear of Dad and Cam, we've got a chance
of blending into the mob when they turn violent.
What the hell is this?
Okay, well, apparently, when those owls
hacked into the sprinkler system, it was school-wide.
They're not letting anyone into the parking structure.
Oh, no!
I hope this doesn't mean we're gonna have to miss
the secondgraduation of the day.
How lucky is that?
Me cruising by with an Uber fareright when you called.
So lucky. Very lucky. Very good.
Well, this is you, Gerald.
Let's have today be the day
you stop playing for your dad
and start playing for Gerald.
That... That kind of reminds me...
I'm sorry I lied about the trumpet lessons.
Oh, please. Not the worst part of my day.
I'm realizing now that Principal Brown set me up to fail.
There wasno car crash,
just like there was no moon landing.
Cam... Flags can't wave in space, Mitchell.
Hey, hey, hey, I was humiliated much worse than you.
It was so unfair.
A lifetime of service out the window.
You think I don't see the faces of owls
every night I close my eyes?
At least you've accomplishedsomething they can tear down.
I'm a fraud!
You see what you did to your brother?
Look at those sad, hurt eyes.
Like a sad little owl.
Well, maybe if you believed in your sons
instead of giving everyoneColombian handshakes.
What?!
I've never sanded down a man's fingers
in front of his family!
Oh, you mean the bribes?
You can't deny it anymore.
Look at this photoon my dean's Instagram.
He's wearing the same watchyou gave Sensei Ron.
The superintendent was wearing that same watch.
I-I noticed it when he shook my hand at the end of the ceremony
and said I was a "horrifying disgrace."
You bribed him?!
Is thathow I got my speech?
Okay, enough!
I'm sure you would have gotten all these things on your own,
but the world sometimes is very unfair!
And the watches are like an insurance.
Why do you even have so many?
Sometimes I do a little bit of Ambien shopping
and I buy too much of one thing.
Didn't you all wonder
when you got the same fun socks for Christmas?
- Oh, samesies. - I'll be damned!
- I don't have those. - They're fun!
I'm sorry, okay?
But I love you guys so much
to leave your dreams to chance.
I suppose where you grew up,
bending the rules was just a part of life.
It's what you had to do to get by.
Why wouldn't you do that to help the people you love?
Thank you, Manny.
You're not welcome. That's not how I feel.
I-It's a speech from a play I was in.
Right after that line,
I light up a cigarette and put my clothes back on.
Yeah, I'm good, but...
now I'll never knowif that's why I made the cut.
Okay, stop. Look.
We've all had a terrible day today...
Not me.
Tons of great fares, amazing yoga class...
I-I was building to something, buddy.
But that's one of the great things about being in a family.
We get to share in each other's victories.
And Alex has a huge victory today
that can make us all feel better.
So let's...
turn around this crap day with a nice, feel-good...
Hey, is that Alex?
Oh, my God. Pull over!
Back up!
Alex! Honey, what happened? Are you okay?
What day is it?
Not that time is anything but a flat circle.
So... we were done with classes, done with finals,
and, like college seniors since the beginning of time,
we decided to get a little nuts.
Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!
Our classmate Ashish Chug...
I did it!
Hacked his key card to get us access
to the restricted section of the library.
We decided to read Alister's Last Theorem.
Gottlob Alister wrote a proof showing that zero equals 1.
This rendered mathematics meaningless
and drove him insane.
According to legend, the same fate befalls anyone
who reads and understands the proof.
Good God.
If mathematics doesn't matter,
then no one can be certain of anything,
and I've just wasted the last four...
No, 16 years of my life,
and there's no point in me graduating!
Okay, I can tellthat you're very upset,
and you're probablyreally overtired from finals.
But you are gonna regret itif you don't go to graduation.
Look, I promise... whatever is bothering you,
figure it outafter the ceremony...
After?! Yes.
"After" implies "before"!
But if one minute agois the same as zero minutes ago,
then before is now and now is after!
Usually when I hear people talking like this,
we're walking through a Taco Bell drive-through.
Sweetie, half your life is having your mind blown.
I remember when I heard there were more stars in the galaxy
than grains of rice in a box of Uncle Ben's.
No, there are more galaxies
than grains of sand on all the world's beaches.
Okay, I can't lose 'em both!
I got this! Alex... Somebody?
"I never knew true strength until..."
"I met a man with no feet."
Wait. No.These cards are not in order.
Wait. Nobody help her right now...
Alex, you're a smart, confident girl.
I know that you're gonna makethe right decision.
Did you just put this watch on me?
I have a problem.
I say if Alex doesn't want to go to her graduation,
that's herdecision.
Thank you, Luke.
As long as you know
that whatever's going on here isn't about math.
Yeah, I think maybe you're afraid to leave school.
What? Your whole life,
you've always known exactly what you're supposed to do...
Study, get good grades, repeat.
Now that's over, and it's scary.
Kind of like if zero equalled 1.
But lucky for you, your dummy brother and sister
have spent time in the real world.
And if wecan handle it, you're gonna do just fine.
You think?
Trust us.
Come on. Let's go get you graduated.
Oh, hold on. That door gets jammed.
I have to open it from the inside.Okay.
I got it!
Hyah!
Ohhh! Ohhh! Ohhh! Ohhh!
Legend Danner.
I still can't get over that commencement speech.
Not a single laugh.
I'll tell you oneelementhe didn't discover... hilarium.
Oh! Oh, oh!
Alex Dunphy.
Congratulations.
Hey!
We don't want to brag, but, uh...
Our kids did that.
Yeah.
Ay, no! No more watches!
When did I order these ones?!
Hey, Mom, guess what!
What, Papi?
My friend Carlygot cut from my program,
and her dads fundedour new costume department.
I guess bribes don'twork.
I got through on my own merit.
Yay! That calls for a reward.
What is this?
Ay, Manny, please don't tell Jay.
Oatmeal raisin?
You know what... a true artist
doesn't close himself off to new experiences,
even vile, ill-leavened cookies.
That's the path I have chosen,
to experienceand observe everything
in this beautiful pageant we call life.
Aah!