So, I guess I'm a sleepwalker now.
Yay.
Mmm. Think it's about the dance?
I don't know. It's just-- I still don't have a dress.
I-I don't wanna go with a date.
I kinda just don't wanna go to the dance.
Well, it's your first one though. And Bree and Grace are gonna go, right?
I know. I don't know what to do.
I'll tell you what, why don't you just sleep on it tonight, okay?
Yeah, okay.
Everybody, listen up.
In light of the near death of Riley,
I've decided to make your jobs easier, 'kay?
Scripts are now locked.
- No. Wait a minute. - Seriously? What the--
You will not deviate from the written word.
No changes. No flourishes. You are to direct scripts as is.
Oh, come on. This is easy, folks.
Look, here's an example.
Gigi, what were you directing tonight?
I-It was called Spiders for Dinner. It was my spookiest--
Wrong! You're now directing what the writers give you.
See how easy that is?
We've even cast a new star, drawn by Riley herself.
Teen Riley is cooler than most of you in this room.
Which is not hard.
She's gonna add a hip edge to your locked scripts.
And these scripts will now be what tweens want.
Dramatic, mature.
Dreams she will remember.
And don't thank me for the leash you're all on. Thank Paula.
Excuse me, is my order even ready?
Uh, hey, Xeni?
Yes, what is it, Jacob?
Hi.
So, uh, we have all these orders to fill,
and I see you're still… not working.
No, I am working, Jacob. On my first script.
So I'm quite busy, as you can plainly see.
- Well, I-- - And if you must ask, I'll tell you.
This is a script so horrific,
it will haunt anyone unlucky enough to direct it.
Uh-huh. Wh-Why would you then?
Oh, it's not for me.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a director to sabotage.
I'll be taking my break now.
Huh?
Hey! You can't walk through here.
Ooh. I see nothing.
Sorry. The writers do not take unsolicited scripts.
They'll love it. I'm telling you!
- Please! - Step aside for the coffee, please.
So hack, Sanjay.
You wanna put Riley to sleep while she's sleep--
Coffee.
Stop!
- Coffee! - I want that one.
- What? No! Hmm. Not bad.
Let's see Paula direct this.
So, uh, the-the script came in. No spiders in it,
but there are penguins.
- Maybe they're flesh-eating penguins. - Normally,
I'd make a dream that would help Riley, no matter what the script said.
I just know she wants to go to the dance.
Hopefully, this will help.
Yeah.
Thank you. Thank you. Bye now.
Goodbye, Riley.
Huh? Oh, not Farewell My Paci.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
"Interior. Riley's room. Night.
Riley's dominant paradigm shifts as maturity beckons."
Who wrote this junk?
"Riley wakes up into the dream from her own bed.
She hears music coming from the other side of her door."
"Inside, the throng of youth dance as if possessed of their own potential."
I have no idea what this means.
"Riley walks through the celebration looking for her cohorts,
Bree and Grace.
There, Riley is faced with her teenage self.
Everything Riley wants to grow into. Mature, aspirational."
Hey, Riley. Come dance with us.
Oh, is that what you're wearing?
Uh.
It's vintage.
You need to let childish things go, Riley.
What?
"Riley wakes up into the dream again and goes to the door."
Dance with us, Riley.
- Over here, Riley! - Oh, did they come with you?
Uh, who?
Sweet deejay, eh?
I feel like you're not paying attention to me, Riley.
- Riley, could you look at me for a sec? - I just find you so fascinating.
Imaginary boyfriends, Riley? Really?
And again with the dress?
Wait, what?
Dance with us, Riley.
And now Riley's special surprise for everyone!
♪ It's Mermaid Unicorn ♪
Riley, is that your toy?
♪ It's Mermaid Unicorn ♪
♪ It's Mermaid Unicorn Mermaid Unicorn ♪
What kind of monster wrote this?
The dream was so easy to write, you know.
I simply forced Paula to face her own irrelevance.
It will torment her!
Yes. Yes. Um, true. Uh. The script sounds pretty bad.
Well, Paula ruined my career. I will ruin hers.
Yeah. Yeah, that dream will be pretty bad for Riley too though, right?
Riley? Of course it'll be bad for Riley, Jacob,
because she'll be the one who's dreaming it.
Oh, I hear it now.
Excuse me!
Oh, no.
I don't know, Riley.
It sort of sounds like you don't want to go.
- No! I want to go, but-- - Well, we're doing this cool group dance,
but if you aren't coming, maybe Whitney can do it.
Uh… Oh, you know, my mom is calling me,
so I-I'll just text you tomorrow if I'm gonna go, okay?
Riley, what's the mat--
Riley will never go to the dance if I direct that dream.
So, I quit.
They can go with someone else's dream tonight.
And maybe it's my time to go.
Let's face it. I haven't known what to say to Riley in a long time.
Paula! Paula! Paula, wait!
Oh, Xeni. Hey.
Look, I owe you a big apology. I'm sorry that I--
- I don't want your apology. - What? Why?
Because I'm apologizing.
- No, you are not apologizing. I am. - No. You will accept my apology.
Okay, but I'm the one who got you demoted.
Paula, we don't have time for your long, boring, drawn-out, self-serving apology.
I wrote a terrible script, and it's all your fault.
What script?
That script? You wrote that script?
Yes. To force you to direct something you'd hate.
Oh, now that script makes so much sense.
Well, I've quit. So now you're absolved.
They'll go with someone else's dream instead.
No, Paula, they're going to shoot that script. It was just reassigned.
- To who? - To Janelle.
I gotta stop Janelle!
What can I do? I-I'll do anything.
You go to your aunt, and you tell her what you did.
Uh, what else could I do?
Just go!
That's fine. Let's have Jess direct second unit.
- Maybe we should give-- - Janelle!
Oh, hi, Paula. I'm a little busy.
You can't do this dream. It's hard to explain…
- Make sure we have clearance up there. - …but you just can't.
Paula, I haven't had a chance to even finish reading the script.
I'm still trying to build the set.
Oh, it's bad, Janelle. Trust me. Really bad.
So, let me guess, you want to take over.
Maybe add Bubblegum Fairy or the Cupcake Twins?
No! What?
Do you even see me as a director?
Janelle, I'm trying to tell you--
I thought you'd be happy for me.
Of course I'm happy for you.
- But you just can't-- - Hey there!
There's my star director.
How about the weekend? Man…
- She sees me. - …we are busy when Riley
- sleeps in on Sunday, huh? - Hey, Jean.
So, my nephew opened my eyes to this script you're all shooting.
Oh, good.
It's brilliant!
Oh, not good.
This is the sort of dream I'm talking about, people.
Dramatic, mature.
One that says it's time to let go of childish things.
And who better to tell that to Riley than her teenage self?
Hey.
Nephew, you're a genius!
You, you're fired.
Jean, we can't do this!
Oh, Paula. I thought you quit.
- You did? - I did.
Because we can't make this dream.
This won't make Riley grow up, it'll devastate her.
Yes. Please, Auntie. This dream will be terrible for Riley.
That-That's right. This is a nightmare, Jean.
Nightmare? No. This is drama. This is what teens want, right?
Yeah. Wait, what?
I can't do this.
You can't? Or you won't?
I-- I won't.
- This dream is terrible, Jean. - Then you're fired.
I'll direct it. How hard can it be?
Security!
Rough day.
All right, Dream Productions. It's up to you.
I still somehow feel this is all your fault.
Hey, uh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I said you weren't ready.
You were. You're a great director, Janelle.
Oh, Paula. Thank you.
Oh. Mmm.
Huh?
Listen up, everyone! I want the actors acting.
Anyone holding a tool should be using it, 'kay?
Excuse me.
Thank you, but I'll be handling Riley.
Okay. What do we do?
I wish Riley could see it's all just a bad dream.
Then let's just remove the reality distortion filter.
- What? Are you nuts? - No way!
- We don't know what that will do. - That's never done! No.
The plan is we gotta make sure that dance is great.
Hey! Here we go. Chop-chop.
Oh! Hey, Riley! Oh! That's what you're wearing?
Wow!
Uh, Jean, is that supposed to look bad?
- Because I love it! - What?
Oh, no!
Janelle!
Reset the stage!
Ready the boyfriends.
Let's party!
Ooh, we should practice our improv'ing.
Yes, and great idea!
Yes, and to friendship.
Ah! It's improv maestro Xeni!
My pupils, you have advanced to the next level.
Instead of saying, "Yes, and," we will now say, "No, but."
- Get off me! - No, but I'm dancing with Riley.
No, but I am.
No, but your dance moves are not fresh.
- No, but your mom! - No, but your face!
Come on, eh?
All too easy.
What is happening with this shoot, people?
That's it! Just drop the clam!
Pilar! Camila! Stop! Stop!
Oh, no. Do not drop the clam! Stop!
Do not drop it! Cloister the oyster!
Ah, there she is!
Come on.
You can't do this, Jean. Riley will never go to the dance.
Then she'll go to the next one when she's more mature and ready.
This is not what Riley wants!
How do you know? Look at your dreams, Paula.
Riley literally walked out of your last one.
Riley!
Forget the lights! Speed up that clam!
Dance with us, Riley.
♪ …Mermaid Unicorn Mermaid Unicorn ♪
♪ It's Mermaid Unicorn ♪
The filter. Mel!
Hey! What are you doing?
She needs to see that this is just a dream.
Is everyone okay?
Are we in the dream?
Riley?
What… What's happening?
It's called a lucid dream.
♪ Mermaid under the sea ♪
♪ Mermaid Unicorn ♪
♪ She's swimming next to me ♪
♪ Mermaid Unicorn ♪
♪ Who's that under the sea ♪
♪ She's swimming next to me She's swimming next to me ♪
Wait. This is a dream.
Whoa.
How did she do that?
Hey.
How you doing?
Well, I really wanna dance, but…
…I honestly hate this dress.
Is this dream saying I shouldn't go to the dance?
Well, I-- I can't say.
But I do know one thing. This is your dream.
Yeah.
Okay. Okay. Wait a minute.
Yes!
Right! This is my dream!
- Who wants to dance? - Yes!
Music! Lights! Balloons!
- Oh! - That's what I'm talking about!
And lots of glitter!
Yeah! Whoo-hoo!
It's your show.
Okay, people, we are in full improv mode.
- We say yes to everything! - Ah, yeah!
Whatever Riley wants. Let's go! Let's go!
Ooh, uh, just one more thing. Can Rainbow Unicorn come?
A flawless idea! Janelle.
♪ Hit the floor Till we fall through the ceiling ♪
♪ You know what it is We can move like this ♪
You drew me. I know. This is crazy.
Rainbow!
It's Rainbow Unicorn!
♪ All night Everybody let go ♪
Yeah!
♪ Dance like we can set the tempo ♪
This was pretty great.
Oh, good. I'm really glad.
You know, I have this school dance coming up.
Oh. You gonna go?
I don't know. Maybe.
Oh. I think I'm waking up.
Hey. Will my dreams always be this weird?
Oh, yeah. They will.
Okay. Guess we should say goodbye?
Let's just say, "Good morning."
We make dreams to be remembered.
Did Riley remember that dream?
No. But I'll never forget it.
What's changed? Uh, well, a lot.
And some things haven't.
They optimized the executive department
by making some personnel moves.
Not sure how that happened.
We put a new director into rotation immediately.
People! Let's tear down this set!
And, well, I got yet another office.
But our work never stops.
Riley dreams every night. And it's really made us think.
What sort of dreams should we be making anyway?
Should they be magical ones that let Riley escape reality?
Yeah! Sometimes.
Or they could be a rehearsal for whatever tomorrow brings.
♪ Put your hands up Higher ♪
And they don't even need to be remembered.
Sometimes they just need to be felt.
♪ There ain't no changing my mind Yeah ♪
♪ We'll get a little crazy ♪
♪ Life is sweeter when you're dancing Dancing ♪
♪ So don't go wasting your time ♪
♪ Life is sweeter when you're dancing Dancing ♪
♪ Just move your body tonight ♪
Ooh, yeah!
♪ Put your hands up higher ♪
♪ Higher ♪
♪ Life is sweeter when you're dancing ♪
♪ Don't stop Put your hands up higher ♪
♪ Higher ♪