[man] This is Ben Gross.
He's a 15-year-old boy from Sherman Oaks, California,
and I am American actor, producer, writer,
and fake rapper Andy Samberg.
What can I say? I wear a lot of hats. Now, you may be asking yourself,
"Why is Andy Samberg narrating the story of this particular boy?"
Well, honestly, his dad's my lawyer, and I owe him a favor,
but Ben seems like a good kid, so, happy to do it.
Fresh off a successful wine heist
where his greatest nemesis became an unexpected ally,
Ben felt on top of the world,
or at least on top of Model UN
where in just a few hours, the highly coveted golden gavel
would be safely tucked away in his weird little briefcase.
Equatorial Guinea would like to formally request permission
to nuke the United States.
[Samberg] Unfortunately, for Ben, however,
his new ally decided to go back to being his old nemesis.
What the hell, Devi?
♪ If you want to dance Let it take precedence ♪
-[siren wailing] -♪ 'Cause the floor is watching you ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Ah, ah... ♪
What?
Nothing. You're the one who's looking at me.
[Samberg] Had Ben imagined the nice conversation they had last night?
Had he said something weird while he was drunk on grigio?
And to make matters worse, it was a six-hour drive,
and Ben realized he left his AirPods back in the hotel room.
Hello.
Looks like you could use a seat buddy.
Egg salad? I've got extra spoons.
No, thank you.
♪ Got my belt on tight And the feeling's right ♪
♪ Wanna walk right up to you ♪
Hey, sweetie. No time to talk.
I'm going to a self-actualization retreat in Santa Barbara.
Didn't you just do that?
No, I went to a mindfulness workshop in Santa Clara.
Very different philosophies, but equally important.
Okay, sure. Uh, have fun.
It's not fun, Ben, it's work...
on me...
so I can be a better mom to you.
Gotta run.
Oh! You know what? I almost forgot.
You had a big debate tournament.
Did you get an A?
Actually, it was Model U--
Yeah. Yeah, it was great.
Well, good work.
When I get back, let's celebrate with a mother-son sound bath.
I love you.
[door closes]
Love you too.
[Samberg] Ben's mom and dad had a very unique parenting style
in that they did none of it.
So, contrary to his loud, brash school persona,
at home he was just another quiet, lonely kid.
[Ben] David S. Pumpkins and his Beat Boy Skeletons. LOL.
♪ Just moving in the dark ♪
♪ Cigarettes on the dresser ♪
♪ Juliana's sleeping ♪
♪ And it feels like forever... ♪
Ooh! [giggling]
[Ben] Hey, can we please stop posting lame upvote-thirsty memes
and get back to discussing actual worthwhile Rick and Morty theories?
[Rick] That's the problem when subs get too big.
They become as unruly as the Council of Ricks.
♪ Now you know ♪
♪ This is the last one ♪
♪ Now you know ♪
♪ This is the last one ♪
♪ For a while ♪
[phone chimes]
[Ben] Hey, Dad. All the blogs are saying that Kawhi's looking strong for tomorrow.
♪ 'Cause this will be the last one... ♪
[Ben's dad] Fantastic. Sounds like we're in for a hell of a game, buddy.
♪ ...laugh all the way ♪
♪ Now you know ♪
♪ This is the last day... ♪
[Samberg] As friends go, up through middle school,
Ben had two solid ride-or-dies.
There was Brian Lakestone, who got dropped off at school on a motorcycle,
and Garret Von Kaenel,
who could burp the theme song to Game of Thrones.
But both ended up at different high schools,
so as soon as Ben started dating Shira, her friends became his friends.
Unfortunately, her friends stunk.
It's also body shaming when people say curvy is beautiful.
Because how's that supposed to make us size zeros feel?
Yeah. I mean I even feel that way as a double zero.
Hey, Shirs. Excited for the game tonight?
Oh, my God. Sweetie, I totally forgot.
I told Zoe I'd go with her to a brow sculpting pop-up.
But you told me you'd go to the Clippers game,
like, two months ago.
Do you have to get your brow sculpted tonight?
Oh, my God. Did you not see my Snapchat?
It'll be good for my Insta.
Well, sitting courtside at an NBA game is also pretty Gram-worthy, so...
Maybe if it were a Lakers game,
but my followers don't want to see Billy Crystal eating nachos or whatever.
The Clippers have been better than the Lakers for years.
Never mind.
Anybody else want Shira's ticket?
-No. -No.
Awesome.
[girls chuckle]
Oh!
Again? Dude.
Hey, guys. How's it going?
So, uh, listen, you two are into sports, right?
Either of you wanna sit courtside at the Clippers game tonight?
I have an extra ticket.
To go with you, or to just, like, sit alone?
No. You'd go with me and my dad.
So, like, only one of us could go? We couldn't both go?
Like I said, it's a single ticket.
But wouldn't that be weird?
'Cause, like, we're not really friends with you.
Come on. I mean I've known you since kindergarten.
Maybe if we'd all hung out before. Worked up to the game.
I thought maybe this would be that bridge.
But... yeah, never mind. Forget about it.
[Trent] That was weird, right?
[Marcus] Yeah, bro. He never talks to us.
Oh, but if you don't go,
we'll just take two of the tickets and go with your dad.
-Why didn't I think of that? -I know.
I was so proud when I thought of that idea in this moment.
So, uh, how was your day?
Or the first half of it at least.
Babe?
-What-- What's happening? -Just do it. It's cute.
-Mmm. -[forced chuckle]
Be smilier.
Oh, uh, okay. [chuckles]
-[camera clicks] -[giggles]
Ew. You have a zit.
Do you want me to pop that for you?
I don't want that.
Mmm.
Okay, fine.
It's okay if I film it, right?
-Well, I-- -Smile.
-Ooh. -Aah!
[Samberg] Unfortunately, Shira had gotten a text mid pop
and had left Ben Gross's face looking pretty gross.
[teacher] Guess what, guys? You're in luck.
Today we're doing a real live chemistry experiment.
We're gonna be breaking good.
[chuckles]
What is it, Eric?
Can I go to the nurse's office?
I think I drank some bad milk.
How do you know it was bad milk, Eric?
Well, when I smelled it, it smelled bad,
and then when I was drinking it, it got way worse.
I could barely finish my second glass.
David, guess whose dad is taking them to the Clippers game tonight?
Courtside seats.
You know, I have an extra ticket, but only for someone who apologizes for nuking--
Stop talking to me. Don't you get that I'm mad at you?
No. Okay, I don't get it.
What did I even do that was so terrible?
Let's see.
I don't know. Maybe you running your mouth about me sleeping with Paxton.
Now he's pissed at me.
-What? Why would that make him pissed? -It doesn't matter.
Just keep your nose out of my business
and up the teacher's butt where it usually is.
[teacher] Quiet please. No one should be boiling over
except this beaker of potassium permanganate.
Mrs. Paloma, that's gonna be me
if I can't go to the nurse's office. Please!
[Samberg] Why wouldn't Devi want everyone to know
she was hooking up with someone out of her league?
Paxton Hall-Yoshida made every other dude in school feel bad about himself.
He'd gotten pit hair in fourth grade!
Had Paxton said or done something to hurt Devi?
And why did Ben even care?
You need something, bro?
What?
Why are you looking at me?
-Well-- [scoffs] I wasn't. -Yeah, you were. You were staring at me.
It's okay. Happens to me a lot.
-What-- I wasn't stirring... staring. -Then what were you doing?
Um...
Do you like the Clippers?
What?
Nothing.
Forget about it. [chuckles]
[Samberg] Yikes!
The usually slick-talking Ben Gross was for real off his game.
But no worries, the only game that mattered
was the one he was seeing with his dad in a few hours,
and that was gonna be awesome.
[phone chimes]
[Ben's dad] Hey, buddy. I'm so sorry. I don't think I'm gonna make it tonight.
This Kanye deal is really complicated.
You and Shannon should go to the game without me.
[Samberg] In his dad's defense, Kanye's deal was complicated.
He wanted to trademark the word "music."
But that didn't matter to Ben,
who was surprisingly sad for someone who should have seen this coming.
[Ben] That sucks. Can you reschedule?
Typical. And her name is Shira.
We will. Good luck with work.
[phone chimes]
-Hey, Patty. -Oh! Yes, my sweet prince.
Oh! I just ironed your socks for the big game.
Nice and warm.
Actually, I just realized that I got a lot of homework to do,
so I don't think I'm gonna go to the game.
And on an unrelated note,
my dad also has too much work to do.
So I guess being a workaholic runs in the family.
-[laughs] Anyway, do you want the tickets? -Why don't we go together?
I can bring a Ziploc bag with frozen grapes in it, huh?
Nah. I gotta write a thing,
and, uh, do some, uh... some-- some science and other stuff.
Then I will stay here with you.
Why don't we build a pillow fort, and watch a scary movie like Shrek?
It's okay, Patty.
You should just go to the game. Take your sons.
Oh.
You're a sweet boy.
I will place my body in front of t-shirt cannon
to bring you home souvenir.
Thanks.
[exhales heavily]
Do you think Billy Crystal will be there?
I better go put on makeup.
[Shira] #eyebrows #selfcare
#thefutureisfemale
[phone dings]
[announcer] Billy Crystal sharing nachos with his neighbor,
and she seems to be reciprocating
with a bag of frozen grapes from her purse.
Wow. Even a city slicker can't resist a healthy game-time treat.
[Ben] I know her. That's my housekeeper.
When Billy met Patty.
[Rick] Hey, aren't you on the Rick and Morty subreddit?
You live in LA?
[Ben] Born and raised. LOL.
[Rick] LMAO. Same.
Yo, I'm hitting up North End Pizza in Burbank to watch the game
if you want to come through.
[Ben] I'm there, dude. Let's get schwifty.
[Samberg] Ben entered North End Pizza excited at the prospect
of hanging with another teenage comedy fan.
AreolaGrande007?
Areola. Hey.
It's me, TheRealPickleRick69... from Reddit...
you know, the link aggregator.
[Ben] Okay. That is not a teenager.
Uh... Hi.
Hey, man. It is so great to meet ya. [chuckles]
Oh, my name actually is Rick.
Sit down. Get your slice on.
Uh... Yeah, I'm gonna withhold my name for a moment. [chuckles]
Really thought you were gonna be younger. Your username has a 69 in it.
Oh, that's because I was born in 1969.
But I'm young at heart, fam.
I watch mad cartoons. Just like you.
Oh, I wonder what else we have in common.
Probably a lot.
I gotta be honest, this setup feels sort of sketchy to me,
so I'm gonna go.
Look, I get it. I'm a 50-year-old insurance adjuster from Tarzana.
But I'm also a Rick and Morty fan,
and I don't have anyone to talk to about it.
I joked about getting a Mr. Meeseeks for the office,
and my co-workers looked at me like I was a total Jerry.
It'd just be nice to talk to someone who gets me,
but I understand if you want to go.
[Samberg] Ben found himself strangely moved.
I mean, who was he to judge this guy?
He was just as lonely,
and honestly, Rick and Morty themselves have a huge age gap,
-and look at the fun they have. -[sighs]
You know what? You're right.
I'm sorry if I was being rude.
We're just two fans eating pizza and talking about cartoons.
-It's totally normal. -I know, right?
Oh, careful, buddy. That pizza is hot.
You might want to blow on it first.
Slower.
Yeah, that's it.
[Samberg] Yeah, that's not normal.
He doesn't want to just talk toons. Get out of there!
-Yeah, I'm definitely gonna go. -Oh, come on, man.
It's not weird unless you make it weird.
[mumbles] Let's go, Clippers.
Oof! Ooh!
[upbeat music]
[Samberg] Ben was a resilient kid.
Whenever he experienced a setback, and last night was a real doozy,
he always bounced back stronger than before.
Whoops! He pulled his drawer out.
-[growls] -Yeah, he's sad.
♪ We break hearts like bones And take the Tyrone ♪
-♪ We want everything... ♪ -[girls giggling]
♪ Are made of the same stuff The fire we're made of ♪
♪ We're never in love ♪
♪ Enough as the cows Come drink me all out ♪
♪ Get drunk on my wine ♪
♪ For kicks and for pleasure... ♪
Whoa!
Oh! What the hell?
Oh, no. My bad.
I thought there was like a roach on your face, man.
'Cause there's mad roaches in this school.
But it's just like a huge zit.
Yeah, it's cool.
You should get that looked at.
I heard that if a zit gets too big,
it can, like, leak into your brain and kill you.
Yeah, sure. I'll do that.
All right. I guess it's good that I slapped you
so I can give you this helpful info.
Sure. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Oh, wait. That Clippers game was valid, brah.
It must've been tight to sit courtside.
[door opens]
Benjamin, so good to see you.
I heard we had an uninvited guest on your chin.
Yeah, I don't normally get zits.
I guess this one's probably just an ingrown hair from my beard.
No. It looks like a normal pimple.
I actually don't see much of a beard.
Well, I'm pretty good shaving. So that's probably why.
Yes, I'm sure.
I am going to prepare a cortisone shot for you.
You know, Benjamin, I really have to thank you.
You keep my Devi on her toes.
-Well, she keeps me on my toes too. -[chuckles]
Every night at dinner, I have to hear about this rivalry of yours.
"Ben Gross aced a math test. Ben Gross aced a history test.
Prescribe me Adderall so I can beat Ben Gross."
She's obsessed with me.
Wait. You guys have dinner together every night?
Of course. We're family.
All that to say,
you're a very smart boy with a very bright future.
Your parents must be so proud.
[Samberg] After a pretty bleak 24 hours,
this small platitude was more than Ben could handle.
Here comes a little pinch.
There we go.
Dammit.
I knew we shouldn't have bought generic numbing cream.
From now on, name brand only.
Are you okay, sweetie?
[voice breaks] I'm fine. Uh...
I just... I haven't eaten dinner with anyone in a long time.
Oh, you poor thing.
I'm fine. You know, my life is totally awesome.
[stammers] I don't even know why I cried. Uh...
Oh, maybe I was allergic to the shot.
Or, uh... Or something. Was there bee pollen in it?
There was not.
[chuckles, whimpers]
[upbeat music]
I like to put just one chili. Otherwise, it kind of overpowers the taste.
Everybody, we have a very special guest for dinner tonight.
Kamala, please lower the spice level accordingly.
Oh, hell no.
[Samberg] As he stood in his sworn enemy's kitchen
awaiting the pity dinner to come,
Ben's embarrassment had reached a fever pitch.
[Nalini] How can you be so rude to that boy?
[Devi] Because he sucks.
It's bad enough I have see him every day at school.
Now we're just letting him into our home?
So, Ben...
what are you hobbies and interests?
[stammers] Oh, well, I really am into--
[Nalini] That young man is a human being, and he's very sad.
Do you know he cried in my office today?
So many tears, I had to wipe down the chair after he left.
[Devi] That's not my problem!
We just had the vents cleaned.
It's crazy how well the sound carries.
[Nalini] He's going through a hard time with his family and girlfriend,
and he had one of the nastiest pimples I've ever seen in my career.
-[pan clatters] -Oops! Dropped my pan.
I thought that would be loud for longer.
[Nalini] You complain you want your friends to come over more.
-[Devi] Ben Gross is not my friend. -[Nalini] Why not?
He is nice, and smart, and he could never buy drugs
because he looks like a narc.
Can't you be polite for just one evening?
At least she said "nice" and "smart."
Those are some of the best adjectives there are.
She also called me a narc.
You should be proud of that.
The police won't work with just anyone.
Ben, it's so good to have you in my home,
a place I usually consider a safe haven from my nemeses.
Devi, you promised you'd be polite.
I said it was good to have him in our home.
If you want to stay on the family cell phone plan,
you're going to have to be better behaved than that.
Now, why don't you tell us one thing you learned today at school.
Fine.
I learned that the tangent of theta
is equal to the sine of theta divided by the cosine of theta. Happy?
Extremely.
Today I learned that if you forget your wallet at the grocery store,
the cashier will pay for your items personally,
and even give you his phone number to make sure you get home okay.
Benjamin, I hear you were on that last-minute Model UN trip to Davis.
Oh, it wasn't so last-minute for everyone.
Some of us spent months preparing for that trip.
But Devi came in with no preparation and still became the talk of the weekend.
Oh. Really? Why was that?
No reason.
[Samberg] If there had ever been a perfect opportunity to nuke Devi back,
this was it.
Well, you know Devi. She's a real firecracker.
Oh, no. What did she do?
[Samberg] Instead, he decided to stand down.
Nothing bad.
She just brought a lot of passion to her role as Equatorial Guinea.
I mean, as a first timer, I don't think anyone's ever made such a big impact.
She, uh, truly obliterated the competition.
Mmm, Devi, sounds like you are quite the little diplomat.
Good for you.
You know, when I was in school, my only extracurricular activity
was bathing my senile grandmother.
She fought me every time.
-[laughing] Really? -What? No.
[Samberg] Ben couldn't remember the last family dinner he'd had.
Probably May 2018, when his dad's flight
to the Billboard Music Awards got canceled.
And even though this family dinner featured humiliation, bickering, threats,
and food that was far too spicy,
it was still a family dinner.
And that was pretty cool.
Hey.
Um...
Thanks for not ratting me out about Model UN.
I've kinda been a dick to you lately, so...
I honestly would've deserved it.
Yeah, well, sometimes it's fun to make other people's days as shitty as yours,
but today I didn't have it in me.
What happened to you?
And why did you cry at my mom's office?
Was it just about the giant herpe on your face?
It wasn't a big deal. I was... kinda feeling bummed.
Why? Did you butler quit?
Hey, I'm trying to be vulnerable here. Also, we don't have butlers anymore.
-We call them house managers now. -Okay, okay. Sorry.
Why are you feeling bummed?
I don't know.
I guess sometimes I feel like I'm an NBA player, but...
no matter how many points I score, my dad always ignores me,
and my girlfriend only likes me for my money.
I wish your metaphor had been something more in my wheelhouse,
like celebrity gossip or YouTube promposals,
but I think I understand what you're getting at.
Also, I'm sorry if I messed things up for you and Paxton.
Oh, you didn't.
Well, maybe if I kept my mouth shut, then you guys would've had a chance.
I never had sex with Paxton.
What?
I never had sex with Paxton.
I just let everyone believe that I did.
Oh! So he's mad at you for lying about having sex with him.
That makes way more sense.
I mean, we got close to hooking up.
Well, as close as you can get without kissing.
He took off his shirt, and I freaked out.
-I know. I'm a loser. -Oh, you think you're a loser?
I was so lonely, I got catfished by a middle-aged man yesterday.
Ben, you don't have to make up something sadder to make me feel better.
For real.
He was a 50-year-old insurance adjuster from Tarzana,
and he asked me to blow on some pizza.
-No. -Yes. It was messed up.
[Samberg] Ben guarded his sadness the same way I guard my Emmy award,
by burying it deep.
I put all of my awards in an underground bunker
with my Garbage Pail Kids,
but letting it all hang out there left Ben feeling a little lighter
and ready to face a new day.
Give me your mechanical pencil.
I need more photos of me looking smart.
Oh. Sure. Yeah.
[phone dings]
[Devi] So you never have to accept food from a pedo again.
[Samberg] Although on the surface it didn't seem like much had changed,
today was the least lonely Ben had felt in a long time.
Anyways, that about does it for me.
On behalf of Ben, Devi,
and the whole gang at Sherman Oaks High School,
I'm Andy Samberg.
McEnroe, back to you.
♪ Baby ♪
♪ Who you wanna be? ♪
♪ I'm the one that holds you ♪
♪ In the middle of the night ♪
♪ I'm the one that holds you ♪
♪ Forever till we die ♪
♪ So it's time we take ♪
♪ All the memories away ♪
♪ I'm the one that holds you ♪
♪ In the middle night ♪