Mike & Molly

All right, people, this test is called

the "Standardized City-Wide Academic Review."

Which the Chicago Board of Education,

in its infinite wisdom,

has dubbed "The SCAR."

Not to put too much pressure on you,

but this is the first exam of many

that will determine...

well, whether you win or lose at life.

I mean, not that acing it

is any guarantee, because...

well, you know, I...

I crushed this thing when I was your age.

I crushed it.

But I pretty much crushed

whatever they put in front of me:

A.C.T.s,

S.A.T.s,

G.R.E.s.

Not sure what I have to show for it.

Maybe S.Q.U.A.T.

Squat.

I mean, I still drive a beat up old car

and live in my mom's basement,

and I'm suffocating under a mountain of debt.

Sometimes, there are mornings

I wake up and I just think,

"Why are you even gonna get out of bed?"

The bed which I'm still making payments on,

by the way.

Okay...

Let's, uh, pick up our pencils.

You have one hour to complete this test...

...and begin.

You know what? I'm just gonna

stop you for one second.

Um, do you ever just kind of

stand back and look at your life

and think, "This is not where I ought to be"?

You know? Or...

just think, "Do I have the courage to change?

"Or am I gonna just keep

"doing this over and over

and over again until you die?"

You know, or you die,

or you're... you're gonna die, too.

We're all gonna die.

'Cause you'll... you guys only have fourth grade once.

I have...

I have all this

for 30 more years.

Okay.

Listen up, 'cause this might be

the best lesson I ever teach you.

Okay, don't settle!

Follow your dreams...

wherever they may take you!

Kids... can somebody please hand me my purse?

And my bag.

Molly!

Mol, what the hell are you doing?

I'm following my dream!

The school called and said you just kind of left.

Had to.

My dream's that away!

Well, okay. Get in the car

and let us take you that away. No, thanks.

Having kind of a baptism thing here.

Stop the car.

Aw...

There's a big puddle here.

Back up.

Seriously?

Well, at least you didn't get your feet wet, Princess.

Oh, how's she doing?

She's worn out, the poor thing.

Yeah, I feel for her.

I am not paying for that door.

That's not my priority right now, Carl.

But for the record, I said, "Back up,"

not, "Hit the hydrant."

This is just so weird.

I have never seen Molly act like this.

Mom, maybe you should tell him.

Tell me what?

Nothing.

We shouldn't jump to conclusions.

Joyce, what's going on?

Ah, boy... I don't know how to say it.

Well, just say it.

There's a history of mental illness in our family.

Wow.

Nothing real bad.

Just barking, eating your own hair...

...holding an imaginary baby.

Wow.

Well, hang on, now.

Let's-let's not go to crazy so fast.

I mean, all she did

was flip out in front of a bunch of nine-year-olds,

climb out a window

and walk six miles in the rain.

Wow.

Mol?

Yeah?

You okay?

Been better.

I made you some soup.

Is it turkey noodle?

Yeah, but you gotta come out

if you're gonna eat it.

There she is.

There you go, honey.

Thanks.

Sorry about your car door.

Oh, it's all right.

It's not the first time.

So, uh...

you want to tell me what happened today?

I'm not sure. You know?

I just... started feeling

overwhelmed by everything and...

I don't know, leaving just seemed

like the right thing to do.

Through the window?

You know, anybody can leave through a door.

True.

Uh, the-the school called.

They're a little curious about your intentions.

I get that.

I'm a little curious, too.

Well...

whatever you need,

just know... I'm here for you.

Thanks for being so understanding.

Hey, you're my wife.

I love you.

Thanks.

Hang on, let me just...

There you go.

Oh, I hope that's soup I'm tasting.

I haven't had any yet.

Yeah.

Don't worry.

I've been a union rep for years.

I've gotten teachers off

for doing a whole lot worse than you did.

Really?

Oh, yeah.

Horrible, horrible things.

Keep you up at night.

And they're still teaching the little ones.

To be honest,

I-I don't have a very good excuse for what I did.

You don't need a good excuse.

You're in a union.

Showtime.

Mr. Wisney, would you like to begin?

Ladies and gentlemen of the board,

I'm not gonna waste your time

by rehashing the so-called "incident"

that may or may not have occurred with Ms. Flynn.

But what I will discuss, though,

is a woman who has been a model teacher

for ten long years.

A decade.

A third of her life.

Year after year, day after day,

for low pay

and even less respect,

this noble woman

gave up her dreams

to give the children of Chicago theirs.

I don't want to teach anymore. Shh.

No, I just... I don't want to do it. No, y-y-you...

you don't... you don't have to.

Just show up, play 'em a movie

and cash your check.

You're in a union.

Mr. Wisney?

Sorry, sir.

As I was saying, Ms. Flynn represents

all that is right with our school system.

Really?

I jumped out a window.

Sure, she's feisty and outspoken.

But do you know what else is?

America.

All right, all right.

I can't... I can't listen to any more of this.

Just park it.

Okay, the...

kids of Chicago deserve teachers

that care about them, who...

who want to be there for them.

And that...

that may have been me at one point,

but it's not me now.

I... something's changed in me,

something's broken,