All through history, countries go to war.
That's what we normally study in here.
But today, we're going to talk about peace and forgiveness
and how we get there.
Every once in a while, I come up with a good idea.
What could it possibly be that I haven't already thought of?
Farkle, I forgive you.
-What did I do? -I forgive you too.
-What did I do? -You know what you do.
I feel better now that I've forgiven you. How do you feel?
I'm sorry for every time I've hurt you! What did I do?
Ladies and gentlemen, today we're going to begin the forgiveness project.
Our history isn't just about what we've done.
How we grow comes from the repair of what we've done
and how we forgive what was done to us.
Hmm. We're in. What do we do?
Everyone take out a piece of paper.
So this isn't your laptop or your cell phone.
You've got unlimited characters here.
As many words as you want.
The impact will last longer than six seconds.
And I guarantee you, it's never going to disappear.
So pick up a pen. Express feelings.
This is one of the most important things you're ever going to do.
You're about to forgive someone.
What's this got to do with history, Matthews?
It gives you a chance to change it.
Like when I forgave Auggie for biting the face
off my Beary-the-Bear bear.
That wasn't forgiveness, honey.
-Why not? -Because you haven't gotten over it.
This is the first thing I see every day.
So is there anyone in your life
that you want to forgive? Change your history. Go.
"Dear Auggie the murderer..."
Maya, no one in your life you want to forgive?
No.
Don't you think now would be a good time?
You and your mom are in a good place.
You're strong, Maya.
Don't you want to forgive him one day? Why not now?
Hmm.
-(Maya laughs) -(chuckling)
Ahem.
"Riley,
"butt out.
"I am serious. Butt your butt out."
I forgive you.
(theme music playing)
♪ I've been waiting ♪
♪ For a day like this to come ♪
♪ Struck like lightning ♪
♪ My heart's beating like a drum ♪
♪ On the edge of something ♪
♪ Wonderful ♪
♪ Face to face with changes ♪
♪ What's it all about? ♪
♪ Life is crazy ♪
♪ But I know I can work it out ♪
♪ 'Cause I got you to live it with me ♪
♪ I feel all right, I'm gonna take on the world ♪
♪ Light up the stars, I've got some pages to turn ♪
♪ I'm singing, "Oh oh oh ♪
♪ "Oh oh oh oh" ♪
♪ Take on the world, take on the world ♪
♪ Take on the world, take on the world. ♪
(locker slams)
You know, you try to do your best by people.
You try to be the best friend you could be.
And what do you get?
-What did I do? -Read 'em.
"Dear Farkle, I forgive you
"for ruining every single movie we've ever seen together."
How do I ruin every single movie?
Ah, read mine. Read mine.
"I forgive you for figuring out the end of every movie
"and shouting it out before it happens."
Because, see, we don't want to know.
I just want to share my abilities with my friends.
We don't want your abilities.
Your abilities make us want to hurt you.
Riley, Maya, movie with me?
-Are you crazy? -Never again.
-"She dies!" -"He blows up!"
-"She's the killer." -"Nobody gets out of Monkey Town."
-Are you crazy? -Hurt you.
Well, thank you for forgiving me.
Do you think we could still go to the movies
if I stop telling you what happens next?
Do you think you can?
Of course I can. "Oh, let's give him one more chance."
"Hey!" Then you chase me, and then I scream.
-Let's give him one more chance. -Hey!
It's just too much fun! Ahh!
Go on, open it.
Read it. Go on. Open it, read it, go on!
Open it, read it.
I'll read it.
"Dear August,
"remember when you bit the face off of my Beary-the-Bear bear?
"Well, I forgive you."
Ha! Now what are going to do?
Didn't I do that when I was, like, three years old? STYLE ::cue(.speaker) ::cue(.speakerTop)
Well, now I forgive you. Your move.
Don't you think a normal person would have gotten over this by now?
Auggie, this isn't about me.
This is about you thanking me for forgiving you.
So thank me.
What is the matter with you?
This is the matter with me.
It doesn't sound like you're trying to forgive me.
It sounds like you just want me to be sorry.
You should be.
Well, I'm not, Riley. So do you still forgive me
for something I'm not sorry for?
Forgive you with no return apology?
No, I do not.
Then good day.
Good day to you, unforgiven.
Good day to you... not!
Really, Topanga, please don't worry about this.
No, I told you that I would come
and help out when I can, and I can today.
Yeah. No.
This is gonna be good.
I can't take my eyes off it.
You don't think I can do this, do you?
I think that you are Topanga Matthews,
attorney at law, and that might perhaps
color the way that you deal with customers,
who I don't even think will believe that you're a waitress.
I could be a fine waitress.
And what will you have, sir?
Yeah, give me the cheesecake.
You want to try that a different way, chief?
-No! -Okay. Hey, Howie.
Oh, there you go.
You know what comes with our biggest piece of cheesecake?
Our biggest smile.
Ha! Don't ever leave me again.
-Aw, thanks, Howie. -I was talking to the cheesecake.
Okay, one more.
-No more ever. -No.
I'm gonna try that guy, right over there.
No, I got him.
Okay. I'll learn from you.
You're going to want to watch what happens next very carefully.
Why? Your mother's great at this, Maya. What could happen?
Hello, sir. How are you today?
-You a little hungry, are you? -I'm--
Is that why you've come here? Are you a little hungry?
-Is that-- -What do you recommend?
I recommend the first thing that I can get my hands on.
-Give me something. -Okay.
You should have said please!
-That's what I recommend! -(Topanga gasping)
You can do that?
I didn't know you could do that.
I would love to do that.
Oh, my gosh. Is that him?
Is he him? Did you do it? Did you do the assignment?
I wrote something, and I mailed it.
-Tell me it was a good move. -It was a bad move.
-Why? -Tried it. It doesn't work.
They don't apologize. Forgiveness is for jerks.
I'm glad you told me in time.
Oh, I don't understand.
Is this guy our millionth customer?
-No! -Sir, why are you okay with this?
I kind of expected it.
Katy, who is this guy?
Hi, Maya.
Hi, Dad.
Hi.
I'm Riley.
I've heard a lot about you.
Hi, Riley. You a good friend of Maya's?
I'm sorry, and please don't take this the wrong way,
but what?
Riley is my best friend.
But you wouldn't know much about her.
Or me.
Thank you for being Maya's best friend.
It's easy because Maya's great.
She's the best person I know.
Then I'm happy she found you.
I was picturing a monster. He doesn't seem like a monster.
He seems like Frosty the snow-guy.
What are you doing here, Kermit?
I was invited.
What?
This is all my dad's fault.
-Your father had an idea? -Uh-huh.
I apologize immediately. Your food is on the house.
That's very nice of you because I wouldn't have been able to afford all of this.
May I please borrow a towel and your sink?
And I'll take this to go.
You said you were going out for a walk and you'd be back in an hour.
You're nine years late.
-Thank you, Katy. -For what?
I know that in those nine years, you protected me with Maya.
You never once sold me out.
Yeah, well, a girl should think well of her father. STYLE ::cue(.speaker) ::cue(.speakerTop)
I was real happy to get your letter, Maya.
And that you've got a friend like Riley.
This girl here is more of a father to me than you.
Yeah, I raised Maya since she was a pup.
Looks like you did a bang-up job.
So... you left.
Why were Mom and I not good enough?
No, no, no. Maya.
That was a long time ago. We're over it.
Why were we not good enough?
Ah! I think you know that wasn't it.
Ha. You know,
I should really go anywhere but here.
Nope, you're gonna stay with me.
You're my family.
Oh, how's your other family?
Everyone is fine.
Riley, do you care to explain to me
your father's idea here?
Our assignment was to forgive somebody.
-What does that have to do-- -It changes our history.
Oh. That's pretty good.
So Maya wrote to him and he showed up.
To forgive him?
Yeah, that was the assignment.
But I haven't decided if I'm going to pass or fail.
Maya, whatever you decide,
thank you for reaching out to me.
You know, this would be so much easier for me
if he was a monster.
Do you remember that night the thunder shook the apartment?
I was five and I thought--
the lightning was so bright, I thought the world was on fire.
Why bring this up?
I'm all under my covers crying and you come flying into the room
and peek under the covers and decide to make it a game.
We were in Alaska looking for gold.
And you said the lightning was the Northern Lights.
The Aurora Borealis.
Is this the reason the only thing you know is the Aurora Borealis?
You made that entire night an adventure
until the storm passed.
And I woke up the next morning
and it was a sunny day. Don't you remember that?
No, Maya, I don't.
That's because it never happened.
The storm happened
but you didn't.
So how do you know the Aurora Borealis, Maya?
Mom.
It was Mom that came in.
She made it Alaska and I wasn't scared at all.
Hmm. I was petrified.
Greatest performance of my life.
Where were you?
I wasn't home.
How could you not be home?
Because kids bite teddy bears' faces off,
friends ruin movies and fathers leave.
You know, sometimes you can let it go, sometimes you can't.
Your dad was wrong about this one, Riley.
-Riley. -Yeah.
How's the forgiveness project going?
-You killed us, Matthews. -I gotta say, Matthews,
I don't know what you were thinking.
You think forgiveness leads to peace?
It leads to war in a movie theater.
Lights go down, the movie starts,
I make Farkle sit in the other corner of the theater
-so he can't ruin anything. -Sounds like good strategy.
Yeah. Then a cowboy comes on the screen.
-Farkle yells-- -"Dead!"
-An old prospector comes on the screen. -"Alien
"looking for a time portal."
Next comes a cheerleader.
How is there a cheerleader in this movie?
No kidding.
Well, I'm sure some of you had a better experience.
Forgiveness doesn't work, Dad.
I forgave Auggie and he didn't thank me.
Riley, did you really forgive Auggie?
No!
-Maya, did you forgive your father? -No.
And we didn't forgive Farkle. Ow.
Well, it sounds to me like forgiveness is harder than it looks.
I tried. Made it real clear.
Want to hear it?
If you're all right with it.
"In school, I'm learning about forgiveness.
"What you did makes me have a lot of angry feelings inside of me.
"I don't want to be angry anymore.
"Why did you leave?
"Did I do something?
"Make me understand what I did.
"Your daughter, Maya."
Did he help you to understand what happened?
No.
Why not?
I mean, I guess I never gave him the chance to explain.
Riley, why did Auggie bite your bear's face off?
-I don't know. -Why not?
I never asked him.
Lucas? Zay?
Farkle, why do you tell us the end of the movies?
Well, because you're good at everything you do.
You got that class-clown thing going.
All I've got is my mind,
so I try to impress you with it any way I can.
"Oh, Farkle, you don't need to impress us.
"We love you just the way you are."
Farkle, we are never going to the movies with you again.
Ever.
Guess you missed that one. Huh, Farkle?
No, I didn't.
Oh, Farkle, you don't need to impress us. STYLE ::cue(.speaker) ::cue(.speakerTop)
We love you just the way you are.
-Movie? -Both: Anytime.
We gotta get better minds, man.
Yeah, we do.
All of you do.
Better minds know that sometimes to really forgive someone,
it helps to understand them first.
It gives the other person a chance to be heard too.
Why can't you just admit that you're wrong about this?
Because forgiveness is one of our finest qualities
as human beings, Maya.
You have to understand each other
before you can even begin to know what comes next.
Go understand each other.
See what happens.
Your assignment hasn't even begun until you do.
Why am I here, Riley?
In all the time I've been mad at you,
I don't think I actually asked you why you did it.
And now I'll probably never know,
'cause it was so long ago, you don't even remember.
How do I forgive you?
It's for the same reason I always make you mad.
It's for the same reason you get mad at me
when I bother you when you're with Maya.
If she wasn't so much stronger than me,
I would have bitten her face off a long time ago.
Why, Auggie?
Because if it wasn't for the bear and Maya,
maybe you would spend more time with me.
Auggie.
I'm so sorry.
How will you forgive me?
I forgive you, Riley.
Oh.
Good.
Now thank me.
Thank you.
Forgiveness does work, Maya.
You just have to do it right.
-Can I go play with my friends now? -No!
All you have to do is listen to the other person.
Can I at least go to the bathroom, Riley?
Quiet. I'm talking.
Auggie is there every day, Riley.
My dad couldn't get out of here fast enough.
I mean, he's halfway home by now.
Forgiveness doesn't work for everybody.
I am not hungry, so please don't throw anything at me.
I thought you left.
I did. I did. I was in the car on the way back.
And then I looked at this thing again
and it says you don't want to be angry anymore.
I know what you all are to Maya.
Thank you. I just need to borrow her for one second,
if it's okay.
This wasn't you, Maya.
This was all me.
I couldn't provide comfort for you in a lightning storm.
And I was no good for you on a sunny day, either.
I blew every paycheck instead of providing food for the refrigerator.
And when you know you're not good for people,
you start not showing up
and then you don't show up enough times,
and it begins to feel like leaving
until you do.
You're there for your new family, aren't you?
What did they do that I didn't do?
You never did anything, Maya.
You were just a little girl.
I was who I was.
And there is nothing you did or could have done.
I just-- I wasn't ready for you
or anyone.
But I think I've changed.
These people believe that I am capable of something.
They don't know who I was.
They believe in who I am now.
Who are you?
I found a job.
And I've managed to keep it.
I came back to tell you that I am grateful
for what you wrote.
And I am sorry for what I did.
I'm glad you're okay.
You found a job?
I did.
Your job was to stay.
Thank you for telling me your side.
My teacher thinks if I forgive you,
it'll bring me peace.
And he's usually right about these things,
but I don't see how he's right about this one.
And I can't.
Your job was to stay.
You don't think I had it in me
to allow my father to grow?
I'm happy I wrote to you
and heard what you had to say.
And it makes me feel better STYLE ::cue(.speaker) ::cue(.speakerTop)
knowing that I had nothing to do with what you did.
I always thought that this was my fault somehow,
but it's not.
I didn't do anything.
I'm sorry
I wasn't there.
You-- you turned out great.
Wow.
What?
I've been angry for so long.
I'm not angry anymore.
Thank you for coming. And I hope you get home okay.
I'm sorry.
I failed.
I know you wanted me to forgive him,
but I didn't.
I couldn't do it.
You were wrong about this one, Mr. Matthews.
I never expected that, Maya.
That kind of forgiveness,
it doesn't come so easy.
But life is a long time.
And I hope you get there someday.
But that's never what I was looking for right now.
What did you want from me?
Maya,
did you forgive yourself?
I am begging you to let me go.
If you don't let me go, I swear I will eat your face off.
Oh, sweet freedom.
The forgiveness was wonderful, Dad.
Once you start, you just don't want to stop.
Here.
Me?
What did I do?
"Dear Dad, I forgive you for everything."
I do.
Wait a minute, wait a minute. What did I do?
Oh, you know what you do.
Uh, I think a person should only be forgiven, Topanga,
if that person has actually done something wrong.
Really?
Oh, come on!
Okay, I know what that one is.