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| Beat | Acts | Action Sequences | Beat Description | Location | Storylines |
| 1 |
1
Introduce all the main characters and give them each a strength, flaw and goal. |
Introduce Will, his friends, his strength, flaw and goal.
Will’s life before the inciting incident |
Will and his friends sit at a bar telling jokes and laughing. | EXT. SOUTH BOSTON ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE – DAY INT. L STREET BAR & GRILLE, SOUTH BOSTON |
Will Chuckie Morgan |
| 2 | Will is reading books at home while waiting to get picked up for work by Chuckie. | INT. WILL’S APARTMENT | Will Chuckie |
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| 3 | Introduce Lambeau Begin Lambeau’s quest to find a genius. Lambeau creates test #1 for Will. Inciting incident to Will’s external quest |
Lambeau challenges his students to solve an advanced math problem. | INT. M.I.T. CLASSROOM | Lambeau (will ) |
|
| 4 | Will and Chuckie get to know each other Inciting incident to Will’s love story. |
Will and Chuckie goof around at their favorite hangout spot and make plans to go to a Harvard bar. | INT. FUNLAND | Will Chuckie (Skylar ) |
|
| 5 | Introduce Sean and show his flaw | Sean sits on his roof looking morose, avoiding going to his college reunion. | EXT. SOUTH BOSTON ROOFTOP | Sean | |
| 6 | Lambeau is given clue #1 Will has passed test #1. Lambeau goes to investigate clue #1. |
At his class reunion, Lambeau’s students tell him someone has solved his math challenge. | EXT. M.I.T. CAMPUS | Lambeau (Will ) |
|
| 7 | Inciting incident to Will’s Act 1 major conflict, which demonstrates his flaw and is a metaphor for his life. Introduce Act 1 major conflict antagonist (one-off conflict character) |
Will and his team goof off and see Bobby Champa, a person who beat up Will in the past. (metaphor for Will’s father) | EXT. TOM FOLEY PARK, S. BOSTON | Will Chuckie Morgan |
|
| 8 | Lambeau investigates clue #1 but hits a dead end. He issues a new, escalated test to Will. | Lambeau tries and fails to find out who solved his math challenge by searching among his students in the hallway of MIT. Then he issues a new challenge. | INT. M.I.T. HALLWAY | Lambeau (Will ) |
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| 9 |
Major Act 1 conflict in Will’s external quest. By using his flaw and chasing his cursed goal, he fights Bobby Champa and wins a phyrric victory, which sets his life back and creates clue # for Lambeau.
|
Will, Chuckie, Morgan and Billy ride in Chuckie’s Cadillac talking about first world poor people’s problems. | INT. CHUCKIE’S CAR | Will Chuckie Morgan |
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| 10 | Chuckie convinces Morgan to backup Will in a fight. | INT. CHUCKIE’S CAR | Chuckie Morgan (Will ) |
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| 11 | Will, Chuckie, Billy and Morgan fight Bobby Champa and his crew, ending with Will being arrested | EXT. SIDEWALK | Will Chuckie Morgan |
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| 12 |
2
The antagonist hunts for the hero while the hero meets his love interest. |
Sean experiences the consequences of using his flaw and failing his quest. | Sean sits morose on his roof having skipped his class reunion. | EXT. SEAN’S ROOF — NIGHT | Sean |
| 13 | Chuckie rescues Will after Will receives judgment from the authorities, who give him a mandatory mission to return to court for further judgment. | Chuckie picks up Will from the courthouse after being arrested. | EXT. COURTHOUSE | Chuckie Will |
|
| 14 |
Lambeau is given clue #2 Will has passed test #2. Then Lambeau creates test #3 for Will. Later, he accidentally finds Will passing test #3. Lambau tries to catch Will, but Will flees and escapes, but leaves behind clue #4, which Lambeau finds.
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Lambeau and his students gather in class to learn who solved the second math challenge. They fail to achieve their goal. Lambeau creates a new goal for Will. | INT. M.I.T. CLASSROOM | Lambeau (Will ) |
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| 15 | Lambeau catches Will solving the third math challenge, but Will runs away. | INT. M.I.T. HALLWAY — NIGHT | Lambeau Will |
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| 16 |
Will meets his lover, Skylar. He wins the opportunity for a first date with her by defeating a one-off conflict character in a test of strength.
|
Will, Chuckie, Billy and Morgan go to Casey’s bar as discussed in Beat 4. Will says he lost his job and Chuckie says he can get him a new job. | EXT. BOW AND ARROW PUB, CAMBRIDGE | Will Chuckie Morgan (Skylar ) |
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| 17 | Chuckie hits on Skylar and Lydia at a Harvard bar. | INT. BOW AND ARROW — CONTINUOUS | Chuckie Skylar (Will ) |
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| 18 | Chuckie gets humiliated intellectually by Clark. | INT. BOW AND ARROW — CONTINUOUS | Chuckie Clark Skylar Will |
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| 19 | Will saves Chuckie by humiliating Clark intellectually. | INT. BOW AND ARROW — CONTINUOUS | Will Clark Chuckie Skylar |
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| 20 | Skylar gives Will his prize for beating Act 2 threshold beat-antagonist (Clark) | INT. BOW AND ARROW — CONTINUOUS | Skylar Will |
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| 21 | Will taunts Clark with Skylar’s phone number. | EXT. BOW AND ARROW | Will Clark (Skylar ) |
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| 22 | Chuckie takes Will home from the bar. | EXT. STREET EXT. WILL’S APARTMENT |
Will Chuckie |
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| 23 |
3
The antagonist traps the hero, and the hero fights back. |
Lambeau investigates clue #4 and finds clue #5. | Lambeau looks for Will by talking to Will’s previous employer. | INT. M.I.T. BUILDING AND GROUNDS GARAGE | Lambeau (Will ) |
| 24 |
Will attempts to complete his setback mission to return to court. He uses his strength but fails. In a false failure, he’s rescued by Lambeau, but this is a false victory, because Lambeau gives Will two new missions attend mentoring and therapy sessions. Then Chuckie rescues Will from court, but this is a false victory, because Will can’t tell Chuckie the truth about his release.
|
Will fails to argue his court case before the judge. Lambeau intercedes to save and indebt him. | INT. COURTROOM | Will Lambeau |
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| 25 | Will calls Skylar from jail asking for a date and legal representation. | INT. MIDDLESEX COUNTY JAIL, HOLDING | Will Skylar Lambeau |
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| 26 | Lambeau explains to Will the conditions of his release from jail. (Will wants to meet with Lambeau for math mentoring and see a therapist) | INT. MIDDLESEX COUNTY JAIL, INTERROGATION ROOM | Lambeau Will |
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| 27 | Will tells Chuckie the results of his trial. | INT. FUNLAND | Will Chuckie (Lambeau ) |
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| 28 |
Will prepares for pre-Sean therapy test #1, uses his strength and wins, but it’s a false victory, because he broke the condition of his release.
|
Will reads Henry Limpkin’s book. | INT. WILL’S APARTMENT | Will (Lipkin ) (Lambeau ) |
|
| 29 | Will meets with Henry Lipkin, who states the stakes and conditions of Quest chain 1, and Will rejects both Henry Lipkin and the message. | INT. PSYCHOLOGIST’S OFFICE | Will (Lipkin ) (Lambeau ) |
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| 30 | Lipkin storms out of his session with Will, embarrassing Lambeau. | INT. PSYCHOLOGIST’S OFFICE | Will Lipkin (Lambeau ) |
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| 31 |
4
The antagonist recruits a mentor for the hero, whom the hero rejects while getting closer to his love interest. |
Lambeau gives Will mentoring test #1, which Will uses his strength and passes. Lambaue states Will’s flaw and warns of the consequence of using it. |
Will and Lambeau work on a theorem. Lambeau states Will’s flaw and gives him advice on how to fix it. Lambeau sets up Will’s next conflict. | INT. HALLWAY | Will Lambeau |
| 32 | Lambeau gives Will pre-Sean therapy test #2, which Will uses his strength and passes (to him), but it’s a false failure, because he broke the condition of his parole. | Will insults and drives off a hypnotist in Lambeau’s office/presence. | INT. LAMBEAU’S OFFICE | Will Hypnotist Lambeau |
|
| 33 | We see a metaphor for Sean’s life, followed by Lambeau arriving, which is the inciting incident to Sean’s quest to help Will. | Sean lectures a bored class about the importance of therapists gaining their client’s trust, and Lambeau interrupts his class to talk about Will. | INT. BUNKER HILL CAMPUS — DAY | Sean Lambeau |
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| 34 | Will and Skylar go on date #1 and get to know each other. | Will and Skylar go on their first date. | EXT. HARVARD SQUARE — NIGHT | Will Skylar |
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| 35 | Sean and Lambeau get to know each other | Sean and Lambeau make small talk and reminisce at a diner. | INT. LOCKOBER RESTAURANT — NIGHT | Sean Lambeau (Will ) |
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| 36 | While still on date #2, Will and Skylar continue getting to know each other. | Will and Skylar make small talk at a diner and kiss. | INT. HARVARD SQ. DINER: “THE TASTY” — NIGHT | Will Skylar |
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| 37 | Lambeau offers Sean the quest to help Will. After refusing the call, Sean accepts the quest. | Lambeau convinces Sean to be Will’s therapist. | INT. LOCKOBER RESTAURANT — SAME | Lambeau Sean (Will ) |
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| 38 |
Meeting Sean is Will’s therapy test #3. Will uses his strength and wins, but it’s a false victory, because Sean decides to continue his quest.
Will and Sean get to know each other. |
Will meets with Sean for their first session. Will attempts to insult Sean repeatedly until he finds one that gets under Sean’s skin. He insult’s Sean’s wife, and Sean chokes/threatens Will. | EXT. BUNKER HILL CAMPUS — MORNING INT. SEAN’S OFFICE — DAY |
Will Sean (Lambeau ) |
|
| 39 | Sean tells Lambeau he wants to continue seeing Will. | INT. SEAN’S OFFICE — DAY | Sean Lambeau (Will ) |
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| 40 |
5
The hero pulls away from the quest he should be on, but he’s no longer satisfied with his old life. |
Will and Skylar go on date #2 and get to know each other. Will uses his flaw. | Will and Skylar go on their second date, and Will lies that he has a big, happy family. | EXT. WONDERLAND RACETRACK — DAY | Will Skylar |
| 41 |
Sean experiences the consequence of failing his therapy test #1. He debates continuing his quest to help Will.
Will and Sean get to know each other. |
Sean sits at his small, dirty apartment alone drinking and thinking. | INT. SEAN’S APARTMENT — NIGHT | Sean | |
| 42 | Sean lectures Will about being an inexperienced boy and needing to talk about his past. | EXT. BOSTON COMMON — MINUTES LATER | Sean Will (Skylar ) |
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| 43 | Will refuses the call to setup date #3 with Sklar and continue getting to know her. | Will tries to call Skylar but hangs up. | Will Skylar |
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| 44 | Will attempts Sean’s therapy test #2 and passes (to him) by using his strength and his flaw, which results in a false victory because Lambeau decides to continue his quest to help Will. | Will meets with Sean and doesn’t say anything during their session. Afterwards, Sean debriefs with Lambeau. | INT. SEAN’S OFFICE — DAY | Will Sean Lambeau |
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| 45 |
Will experiences the consequences of his false victory. His life is going nowhere, which he is starting to not want.
|
Chuckie drops Will off from work at night, picks Will up in the morning for work and mentors Will at work doing demolition. It’s a dreary life. | INT. CONSTRUCTION SITE — DAY | Chuckie Will |
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| 46 | Will, Chuckie and their friends joke at a South Boston bar about women. Will sees his future with his friends and decides to go home early despite protests from his friends to keep living this way. | EXT. SOUTH BOSTON STREET — NIGHT INT. SKYLAR’S ROOM — NIGHT |
Will Chuckie |
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| 47 | Will takes mentoring test #2, which he passes by using his strength. | Will and Lambeau enjoy solving a math problem together. | INT. SEAN’S OFFICE — DAY | Will Lambeau |
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| 48 | Will takes Sean therapy test #3, which he passes by facing his fear. Will and Sean get to know each other. |
Will opens up in his session with Sean. | Will Sean (Lambeau ) |
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| 49 |
6
The hero applies himself to his quest but pulls away again when he starts to make progress. |
Empowered by passing his test and facing his fears, he applies the same strategy to his love quest with Skylar. He asks her to go on date #3, but Skylar refuses the call, but Will uses his strength to convince her. Skylar agrees to go on date #3.
|
Will sneaks into Skylar’s dorm and asks for another date. Skylar reluctantly refuses, saying she has homework to do. | Will Skylar |
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| 50 | Will does Skylar’s homework for her. | Will (Skylar ) |
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| 51 | Will gives Skylar her completed homework, and she agrees to go on a date with him. | Will Skylar |
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| 52 | Will teakes Sean’s therapy test #4 and wins by facing his fears. Will and Sean get to know each other. |
Will and Sean open up to each other in session, and Sean gives Will advice about relationships, missed opportunities, regret and the cost of living. | Will Sean (Lambeau ) |
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| 53 | Will takes Lambeau’s mentoring test #3 and passes by using his strength. | Will improves on a famous mathematician’s theory in his session with Lambeau. | Will Lambeau |
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| 54 |
Will and Skylar go on date #3, have sex and get to know each other. Skylar gives Will a new condition to continue getting to know her He must introduce her to his friends.
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Will and Skylar are in a post-coital embrace. Skylar demands to meet Will’s friends and/or family. | Will Skylar |
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| 55 | Skylar goes out drinking with Will and his friends | Skylar Will Chuckie Morgan |
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| 56 | After leaving the bar, Will takes Chuckie’s car to drive Skylar home and lies about having 12 brothers again. | Will Skylar (Chuckie ) |
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| 57 |
7
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Against Sean’s warning, Lambeau gives Will, interview test #1. Chuckie takes Will’s test in his place and passes (to them), but it’s a false victory, because it violates the conditions of Will’s parole.
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Lambeau makes arrangements at a party to pimp out Will to his colleagues | Lambeau Interviewer #1 (Will ) |
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| 58 | Lambeau tells Sean he’s arranged job interviews for Will, and they argue whether he’s ready or not. | Lambeau Sean (Will ) |
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| 59 | Chuckie impersonates Will at a job interview and hustles the interviewers for cash. | Chuckie Interviewer #2 (Will ) (Lambeau ) |
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| 60 |
Will and Skylar go on date #4 and get to know each other. Skylar gives him an ultimatum to get closer to her. Will uses his flaw and refuses the call. Skylar can’t get through to Will. So she asks Chuckie for help. He confirms Will loves her.
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On a study date on the Harvard lawn, Skylar states Will’s flaw and implies he should move to California with her in two months. | Skylar Will |
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| 61 | Skylar visits Chuckie at his house and asks why Will is so distant. Chuckie says Will have never liked a girl the way he likes Skylar. | Skylar Chuckie (Will ) |
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| 62 | Lambeau gives Will, mentoring test #4. Will passes using his strength, but he uses his flaw and forces Lambeau to face his fear. | Will humiliates Lambeau by out-mathing him, and Lambeau gets mad at will for embarrassing him at the interview. They both demonstrate and state how their flaws conflict and affect each other | Will Lambeau (Interviewer #2) |
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| 63 |
8
With pressure mounting, the hero rides the fence and is even less satisfied with his old life. His allies finally help him overcome his signature flaw. |
Will and Skylar go on date #5 and have sex. Skylar gives him the ultimatum again. Will uses his flaw and tells Skylar he doesn’t love her. | While sleeping at Skylar’s dorm, Skylar asks Will to move to California with her, and Will blows up on her, admitting his past and telling her he doesn’t lover her. | Skylar Will |
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| 64 | Will goes on interview test #2 and passes (to him) by using his strength, but it’s a false victory, because he refused the call to leave his old life. | Will goes to a job interview with the NSA and insults the interviewers. . | Will Interviewer #3 (Lambeau ) |
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| 65 | Will experiences the consequences of his false victory and wants his old life even less. | Will hangs out with Chuckie and Morgan at Chuckie/his mom’s house and takes little joy in his normal routine. | Will Chuckie Morgan |
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| 66 |
Will’s experience emboldens him to ask Skylar on date #6, but he uses his flaw and fails to aggree to her ultimatum or say he loves her.
As Will works with Lambeau, Skylar moves farther away from Will. Will fails to attempt to catch her, and he loses her. |
Will calls Skylar and says he’s looking for a real job to impress Skylar, but he won’t tell her he loves her or move to California with her. | Will Skylar |
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| 67 | Over several scenes spliced between cuts to and from Beat 68, Will works with Lambeau in Sean’s office.. | Will Lambeau |
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| 68 | Over several scenes spliced between cuts to and from Beat 67, Skylar slowly boards an airplane to California.. | Skylar Will |
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| 69 | Will takes Sean’s therapy test #5 while experiencing the consequence of losing Skylar. Will uses his flaw and fails the test. Sean and Will get to know each other. |
During their therapy session, Sean gets under Will’s skin by throwing his flaws in his face. Will lashes back, throwing Sean’s flaws in his face. Sean is the victor in the power play. | Will Sean (Skylar ) |
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| 70 |
9
Will refuses the call to heal and then accepts, neutralizing his flaw. |
Will experiences the consequences of his failure and wants his old life even less. | While working demolition with Chuckie, Will takes his anger out on a wall with a hammer. | Will Chuckie |
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| 71 | Will fails to take mentoring test #5, but it’s a false failure. Even though it violates the conditions of his parole, Lambeau decides to give Will another chance. | Will doesn’t show up for his mentoring session with Lambeau. Lambeau threatens Sean that he’ll revoke Will’s parole, but secretly he lies on his probation report and says Will attended the session. . | Lambeau Sean (Will ) |
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| 72 | Will and Skylar go on date #7 and get to know each other. Skylar gives will another opportunity ultimatum to stay with her, which Will fails to accept. | On a study date on the Harvard lawn, Skylar states Will’s flaw and implies he should move to California with her in two months. | Skylar Will |
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| 73 |
Will takes therapy test #6 and succeeds by facing his fears.
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Lambeau shows up at Will’s meeting with Sean before Will arrives and argues with Sean about pushing Will too hard. | Lambeau Sean (Will ) |
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| 74 | Will shows up to his last meeting with Sean. Lambeau leaves. Will opens up completely to Sean, and Sean neutralizes Will’s flaw with a hug and telling him his child abuse wasn’t his fault. | Will Sean Lambeau |
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| 75 |
10
Will prepares to enter his new life and says his goodbyes as Lambeau and Sean reunite over Will’s success. |
Will experiences the repercussions of his success. Chuckie gies him a prize that will allow Will to chase Skylar. Sean and Lambeau give him an opportunity to refuse the call, but Will decides to accept the call.
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Will walks around town with new eyes. He goes into a business and applies for a job seriously. | Will (Skylar ) |
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| 76 | Chuckie gives Will a POS car for his birthday. | Chuckie Will (Skylar ) |
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| 77 | Will says goodbye to Sean, who tells him to only take the job if he really wants it. | Will Sean (Lambeau ) |
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| 78 | Will runs into Lambeau leaving Sean’s office. Lambeau tells Will he’s free and to only take the job if he really wants it. | Will Lambeau |
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| 79 | Lambeau and Sean reconcile. | Lambeau and Sean resolve their differences and become friends. | Lambeau Sean |
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| 80 | Will debates chasing Skylar and decides to continue the quest. | Will sits alone thinking next to a river, then gets up and walks away. | Will (Skylar ) |
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| 81 |
11
Denoument |
Will leaves, and his friends show their emotional reaction.
|
With his car packed up to move to California, Will leaves a letter in Sean’s mailbox as Sean packs his things to go to India. | Will (Skylar ) |
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| 82 | Chuckie goes to pick up Will for work in the morning and finds he isn’t there, which pleases Chuckie. | Chuckie Morgan |
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| 83 | Will drives off into the sunset. | Will |
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