| Respect | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode 5 | |
| |
| Air Date | July 21, 2011 |
| Written By | Michael Glouberman |
| Directed By | Randall Einhorn |
| Episode Guide | |
| Previous Acceptance |
Next Conscience |
- "Seek respect mainly from thyself, for it comes first from within."
- ―Steven H. Coogler
Respect is the fifth episode of the US Series.
Synopsis[]
Ryan and Wilfred volunteer at a hospice and discover Wilfred may have a remarkable secret talent.
Plot[]
Jenna is sharing lunch with Ryan by the beach when an old friend of her’s named Nick recognizes her. Nick is a successful man who was profiled by Jenna for spending a year in Africa building houses for the poor. Nick asks what Ryan does as a career and Ryan doesn’t quite know how to respond leaving everyone staring at each other in an awkward silence. Wilfred wanders off so Ryan chases after him.
Wilfred is angry at Ryan for not letting him eat cheese because he’s sick of Ryan telling him how to live his life. Ryan is embarrassed at having Jenna cover for him with his career and is only further ashamed when a woman who believes Ryan to be homeless asks him to sign a petition of hers.
Ryan tricks Wilfred into going to an elderly day care center because he wants to do something with his life. They enter the place and introduce themselves to Lisa, a worker at the center. She immediately berates Ryan for giving a pep talk to an old man who wants to die. Another volunteer, Ruby, tries to kick Wilfred out of the place saying that something about him bothers her but Ryan lies that Wilfred is allowed there because he’s a service dog.
On the roof of the building, Wilfred is trying to back out of the volunteer work and decides to take a nap when Ryan denies him. Ryan is talking to a patient who believes that he is some woman who used to sexually pleasure him. Just then, the nurses are alerted by the sounds of a man dying and they run in to discover that the man’s bed is where Wilfred decided to take his nap. Believing that Wilfred has a gift of detecting who is ready to die, Lisa begins to finally show the two respect.
Jenna is proud of the newfound gift of Wilfred's though Ryan remains skeptical though glad to have more attention. Wilfred doesn’t want to go back to the hospice and Ryan has to bribe him with cheese to get him to go back.
Wilfred's "gift" attracts attention
Wilfred is back at the center where elderly woman are flocking around the new "hero". Ruby comes back and tries to get Wilfred to leave once again. Wilfred finds a random woman and begins to hang around her so Ruby, believing the woman will pass soon, leaves to call her family.
The woman’s family comes over to see her before she dies but she remains alive and well causing Lisa to begin to doubt that Wilfred had any ability to begin with. Wilfred leaves the room to steal some drugs from the place’s supply closet before returning to the woman’s room. Her family is about to leave and Ryan tells Wilfred that they have to go before they make fools of themselves. When he leaves the room, Wilfred smothers the woman with a pillow so that he can continue to get his cheese.
An angry and shocked Ryan yells at Wilfred back at his house for killing a woman but Jenna runs in excited to tape Ryan and Wilfred for the hero segment on the news.
Wilfred threatens Ryan
Jenna is at the care center but Ryan remains unsure about going along with the segment. Wilfred who has now developed a god complex won’t let him back out. Ruby demands that Ryan leave telling him she knows that he is using Wilfred to distract everyone while he steals drugs from the closet but seeing as her key card is the one being used, she is forced to abandon her accusations. Wilfred says he’ll take care of it and not before long Ruby comes falling down from the roof.
Ryan runs up to the rooftop to dramatically inform Wilfred that he is not God. Still convince of his divine powers, Wilfred threatens Ryan's life. Ryan goes to confess about all the lies they told but Lisa found a suicide note left by Ruby. Jenna decides to change her new story to one about Ruby’s suicide rather than Wilfred and Ryan’s hero story.
A relieved Ryan is happy that Wilfred didn’t actually kill anyone but Wilfred jokingly confesses several times that he did in fact kill the old lady leaving Ryan to ponder whether or not he did.
Wilfred is telling Ryan about all of his magical powers which include making Ryan disappear. Ryan wants proof so Wilfred farts and Ryan has to leave the room.
Cast[]
Starring[]
Guest Starring[]
- Rashida Jones as Lisa
- Charles Esten as Nick
- Ellia English as Ruby
- E.J. Callahan as Mr. Helms
Co-Starring[]
- Irene Choi as Young Woman
Featuring[]
- Richard Denni as Mr. Gordon
- Roger Vernon Burton as Patient #1
- Gwen Van Dam as Patient #2
Notes[]
- This is the first episode after Drew is introduced that shows Ryan actively trying to impress Jenna in some way, this carries on throughout the series.
- Ruby, the hospice volunteer, is the first person who can tell something is different about Wilfred
Wilfred's "Dogisms"[]
Every episode contains dogisms, or actions that Wilfred performs as a human that parallel him actually being a dog, in this episode there is:
- Ryan won't let Wilfred eat cheese because it makes him gassy so Wilfred blackmails him for it.
- Wilfred says the grass tastes bad.
- Wilfred pees on a tree.
- Wilfred calls Ryan a Golden Retriever for caring about what other people think.
- Ryan tricks Wilfred to going to a hospice center by telling him they're going on a walk.
- Wilfred tries to pee on a wall in the hospice.
- Ruby tries to kick Wilfred out but Ryan says he's a service dog.
- Lisa thinks that Wilfred can sense when a person is about to die.
- Wilfred gains popularity at the hospice for being a dog with special senses.
- The elderly woman's family member tries to pet Wilfred.
- Ryan suggests that he and Wilfred go for a walk.
- Ryan tricks Wilfred into returning home by saying they're going for pizza.