Gortimer: I've lived my whole life on Normal Street.
There's a lake at one end,
and a forest of shady trees at the other.
But what lies in between is anything but normal.
All: Seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one,
happy new year!
[horns blowing]
Gortimer: New Year's Eve.
A time to take stock of the last 12 months.
To think what we've gained...
or what we've lost.
About relationships that have changed.
Or ones that always stay the same.
And it's a time to look forward
to wonder what the year ahead has in store.
Okay, so you have two choices.
My mom's traditional crab puffs,
or the new Ranger Bacon Berry Blaster.
Whoa. Uh--
Whoa. Mm. Mm, this is amazing.
New year's resolution.
12 new recipes, one a month.
This is January. What's your resolution?
I'm still thinking about it.
- Sorry. Hi. - Hi.
It's not "try to date Abigail" is it?
Oh, no, no. No, no. We're back to just being friends.
Gonna keep it that way.
Well, you gotta have some goal for the new year.
What do you want to do?
I resolve to...
come up with a resolution. [chuckles]
♪♪
Gortimer: Hey, Mom, do we have any of those, uh,
berry whatevers that, uh, Ranger made?
No. Sorry.
You snooze, you lose, buddy.
Sorry. They're really good.
How does he come up with this stuff?
Well, he's got a knack just like everybody else.
Claire: What do you mean?
Well, Mel, sciences, and Ranger bakes.
And I, uh--
I help clean up.
That's not true.
You do lots of stuff.
You were a lifeguard.
Um, you-- you won that chili cook off.
- You worked for the mayor. - Mm-hm.
- Boom. - Well, yeah, but...
none of that ever sticks.
I just want to find something that-- that's my thing.
It takes time. I mean, I didn't even discover golf until last year.
Now I'm obsessed.
Hey, what about your magic tricks?
Hm? You haven't done that in a while.
Mom, Ranger, Mel, and Stanley do magic, too.
Look, if you want to find your thing,
it doesn't matter if anyone else does it.
All that matters is that you love it.
Maybe this is the year I learn Mongolian throat singing.
What?
Nah. How about dog grooming?
Or pointillism?
What'd you do last year?
Learned to scuba dive.
And the year before that spelunking.
And the year before that, zip lining in Hawaii.
How about you resolve to take a break?
It sounds like you've done a lot already.
It's all stuff I used to do with my mom.
Every year we'd resolve to challenge ourselves
to do something that pushed our limits.
Then let's do that.
I'll do it with you. I could use some excitement.
Really?
If there's one thing I learned last year,
it's good to get out of your comfort zone once in a while.
All right. Let's do it.
But nothing crowded or on stage.
- [chuckles] No. - Or too loud.
Oh, and no spiders.
Comfort zone.
Okay, one spider. Tops.
I finally settled on a resolution.
I'm gonna find one thing I'm good at,
and be great at it.
But you're already good at magic.
I'm not great at it.
I'm not gonna stop until I'm a master magician.
Ah. Hey, I remember this.
- Uh, got a dollar? - Yeah.
[whooshing] Poof!
And now your dollar is...
...is gone.
That's amazing.
You owe me a dollar.
I don't know how that happened.
Huh.
Okay, mister master magician,
what card do I have?
Jack of spades?
You're blowing my mind.
Not really.
Oh. Lame.
But sturdy, lightweight.
Probably good for throwing.
I've been practicing. Check this out.
[laughing]
"Play a Jack to learn a trade."
"Tear the Joker, all will fade."
What does that mean?
I don't know, learn a trade,
like, learn something.
Uh, I want to--
I want to speak French.
[speaking French]
That's incredible.
Now use one to become a master magician.
Right, but why stop there?
With these, I can be good at anything.
Ranger, I think it's time for a whole new Gortimer.
♪♪
Since when does Gortimer play the guitar?
Since about 10 minutes ago.
Gortimer: Cooking.
Ah?
Oh, wow. Thank you.
You're kind of setting the bar high here for date night, Gortimer.
Gortimer: Acting.
Come for the third, Laertes, you but dally.
I pray you, pass with your best violence.
I am afeared you make a wanton of me.
Ha.
Okay, guys, let's cut.
- [grunting] - Let's cut, all right?
Whoa.
Gortimer: Basketball.
[applause]
[cheering, applause]
Gortimer: Skateboarding. Boxing. Parkour.
Linear algebra. Juggling. Tango.
Let's do this.
[exhales]
You coming?
If I can do it, you can do it.
I can't.
Mel, wait.
[sighs] I can't do it. It's too high.
What if something goes wrong?
Nothing will go wrong.
There's ropes. It's perfectly safe.
I know, I just--
[sighs] This stuff was easier when my mom was around.
[speaking French]
I was gonna ask you something,
but I forgot because...
Hey, Mel.
I'm making a paper zoo.
And I'm making a paper air force.
Who do you think's gonna win?
- And this is fun? - Yeah.
Kind of.
I mean... no.
Not really.
So, how'd rock climbing go?
I couldn't do it. It was too high.
Oh, do you want me to show you how?
Are you really sure you should be using so many of those cards?
People are gonna start getting suspicious.
Gortimer, it is a little strange
that you're suddenly good at everything.
Well, you guys are already good at lots of stuff,
I'm just-- I'm trying to catch up.
But you're kind of wasting them.
She's right. I mean, what if you need a card later
to pilot a submarine or perform an alien autopsy?
Or, in the real world, fix your mom's car,
or learn computer coding.
Relax. I still have 19 cards left.
19?
What happened to pick one thing and get really good at it?
Well, yeah, that-- that's still the plan.
I'm just trying lots of stuff.
How else am I gonna know what I'm passionate about.
Well, was there anything you really enjoyed?
Well, I did like doing Shakespeare in the park.
Acting. Perfect.
Actually, I was more into the sword fighting part of it.
♪♪
Have you fenced before?
Just started, but I'm a fast learner.
Well, let's see what you got.
Fencing.
En garde.
Begin.
[sword clattering]
Impressive, but a little raw.
Let's start with your footwork.
So he's trying to push me back,
but at the last second I twist.
His tip goes right past me. He's fully exposed.
Point: Gortimer.
I knew we'd find something you'd love to do.
Plus, sword fighting's gotta come in handy at some point.
I mean, this town was founded by pirates.
Now you can put away the rest of those cards until you need them,
and focus on this.
Oh, no, no, no, no, I-- I still need the cards.
I'm good but I want to be great.
So after practice I used a few more,
you know, honing my skills. [chuckles]
How many is a few?
Uh, parrying, riposting, footwork, lunging, feinting.
Wait. The whole point of this
was for you to focus on one thing.
I am.
Fencing.
Yeah, but you're...
cheating.
No, no, I'm not.
I'm just using the cards to get past
the frustrating stuff at the beginning.
The stuff that makes me quit before I get good.
And now that I know what I'm doing,
I'm just like everyone else.
I finally have something that's mine.
Besides, I'm not hurting anyone.
Just come to the match tomorrow,
see what I can do.
Then we'll talk about it, okay?
Reflexes.
It's probably quicker if you use bigger dots.
[chuckles] It's a New Year's resolution.
- It's really boring. - Huh.
What happened to rock climbing?
You were so excited about it.
I chickened out.
[scoffs] That doesn't sound like you.
You always had so much fun doing that crazy kind of stuff.
I remember when you did white water rafting.
You couldn't stop smiling for a week.
That's because I went with Mom.
Now I can't even climb a fake wall
with a harness and a safety rope.
[sighs] She was the brave one.
[chuckles]
It's not funny.
Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you.
You know, before we had you,
your mother wasn't much of a daredevil.
- [scoffs] - No, it's true.
She didn't rock climb or snowboard or anything.
She didn't even have a passport.
She did all of that to...
inspire you.
We were a little afraid you might end up like me.
Have you ever seen me ride a rollercoaster,
or... climb up on the roof?
Actually... no.
No, 'cause I can't do that kind of stuff.
Never could.
But your mother, she didn't want you to play it safe all the time,
so she threw herself into all those wild adventures
to show you what was possible.
So you inspired her.
And the braver you got...
the braver she got.
What about you?
Oh, I'm happy with a good book.
At sea level.
[chuckles]
I love you, Dad.
I love you, too.
Even if you are a scaredy cat.
♪♪
Mel: That's last year's champ.
Impressive.
Hi. I'm Jessica.
Gortimer. I saw you warming up over there.
You're-- you're really good.
Thanks. I was coming over to say the same thing about you.
So, where are you from?
Normal Street. Born and raised.
I've never seen you at any matches before.
How long have you been fencing?
He just started.
Competing.
Oh, you gotta give me the name of your trainer.
Hoping to go out for the Junior Olympics,
so any edge will help.
Wow, you're really serious.
Yeah. Three hours a day, four days a week for five years straight.
That's dedication.
You must be great putting in all that hard work.
Yeah, but I love it. I'd do more if I had more time.
You probably know what I mean.
You probably practice every day.
Yeah, yeah. I haven't missed a day since I started.
Well, that's what it takes.
Hope to see you in the finals.
It looks like you're probably gonna give me a run for my money.
- Good luck. - Gortimer: You, too.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
What are you gonna do?
The only thing I can.
Coach: I don't like quitters.
And before the match even starts.
What's goin' on, Gibbon?
I-- I don't think I can compete.
I-- I'm just not feeling well.
Well, that's just pre-match butterflies.
Once the ref says fence, you'll be fine.
- But-- - No buts.
This isn't just about you. You're part of a team.
You quit on them,
you can forget showing up to practice.
[sighs] So much for that plan.
You could always lose on purpose.
I'll try.
Just don't be obvious about it.
Okay.
♪♪
[blades tapping]
- [buzzer] - [beep]
[applause]
[blades tapping]
- [buzzer] - [beep]
[applause]
Ah.
Well, I tried. I can't not be good.
I used a card for quicker reflexes.
And another one for better instincts.
I've forgotten how to lose.
Wait. What about the joker?
Yeah, yeah, "tear the joker, all will fade."
All will fade. Perfect.
You'll forget everything that you just learned,
including fencing.
But I don't want to lose fencing.
I don't care about origami or-- or French or any of that,
but-- but this.
This is something I love.
Then just learn it like everybody else.
What if I don't have what it takes?
What if I train and I train and I never get any good?
That's worse than having nothing.
That won't happen.
You don't understand.
Everything comes easy to you, Mel.
You're an actual science genius.
You're probably gonna win the Nobel Prize some day.
And you, you-- you're an expert
in baking and explosives and chess and so much weird stuff.
But me--
I'm basically just a nice guy.
You're so much more than that.
You're the best friend in the world.
Maybe that's not enough for me.
This is the first time I've been the best at something cool.
Something I love.
You're not the only one.
Joker's in my room.
"White Hat," 27, page 14.
On it.
Mel, can you find a way to stall?
Piece of cake.
I'll be back in a minute.
Almost done. Again, really sorry.
I should have it working in just a few minutes.
You said that five minutes ago.
Uh, it's more complicated than it looks.
You're holding up an entire match.
Put it back together now.
Gibbon. Get in there and show 'em what Normal Street can do.
Sorry about this.
♪♪
27, 27...
- [buzzer] - [beep]
- [groans] - [applause]
A-ha.
Ha.
[blades tapping]
- [buzzer] - [beep]
[applause]
[sighs] Bad luck.
Thanks.
I'm sorry if I'm too good.
What?
It's not fair that I'm this good. I'm sorry.
Oh, it's on, hotshot.
♪♪
[blades tapping]
[metal scraping]
[blades tapping]
- [buzzer] - [applause]
[beep]
[blades tapping]
You're doing really well.
Thanks.
[grunting]
- [buzzer] - [beep]
[applause]
She's good.
Lucky for me.
Where's Ranger?
[panting] Thank you.
[blades tapping]
Gortimer. Heads up!
[blades tapping]
- [buzzer] - [beep]
[applause]
[exhales]
Good bout.
Nice overhead. You're good.
No. No, no, no, I-- I just got lucky for a bit.
You deserve to win.
Thanks.
See you at the next match?
Better believe it.
[sighs]
Good job, Gortimer. You lost like a real champ.
Thanks.
Back to being ordinary Gortimer.
Or as they say in French...
- I have no idea. - [chuckles]
You were never ordinary.
You just needed something to focus on.
Something involving swords.
You can't give that up.
Oh, no. I'm just starting from scratch.
Like everyone else did.
Gortimer: When it comes to resolutions,
there's one that should always win out.
Be true to yourself.
Whether that's bringing out your inner strength...
[camera shutter clicking]
...or finding a part of you that was always there.
The important thing is, deep down,
there's so much more to you than you believe.
♪♪ much more to you than you believe.