- "Blood doesn't make family, love makes family."
- —Sylvester
"Sly and the Family Stone" is the eighth episode of the third season of Scorpion, and the fifty fourth of the series overall. It aired November 14, 2016.
Synopsis[]
When Team Scorpion travels to Ireland for Megan’s one-year memorial, Walter discovers that a nearby lake’s natural disaster has created a poisonous cloud that could kill everyone in the village. Also, Cabe and Toby try to alleviate the tension between Tim and Walter.
Plot[]
The episode begins in the garage with Sylvester calling out family members in one of Walter's family photos.
Ralph asks Toby about the psychiatric's rule of 3. Toby cites Walter's recent inventions - the U-Dog (concern), lead helmet (problem), and __ algorithm (confirmation of a pattern). He states that Walter is so perturbed by Paige's decision to date a regular guy that he sets out to solve "regular guy" problems to prove he is regular also, and failing miserably. Cabe suggests that if Walter realizes how nice of a guy Tim is, then he will relax. Toby seconds this and decides to handle [], leaving [] for Cabe.
The team arrives at [a house in the village] where Sean and Louise O'Brien are waiting amongst other villagers. Sly embraces
Tim heads after Walter and finds him skipping stones on the lake. He compliments Walter, noting that he is really good at it. Walter responds with the relevant physics of stone skipping. Tim tries to console Walter about his childhood bullies. He says he'll have Walter's back for the rest of the trip. Walter doesn't respond to Tim's effort to reach out. Tim looks over and sees Walter intently focused on something in the distance.
When asked what he is staring at, Walter replies dryly that there are dead fish. [Tim jokes about the fish being friends of Walter's]. Walter points out more dead fish in other areas and the bubbling of the water further offshore. Walter also notices a cooler temperature nearer to the lake and concludes that CO2 is being released.
At [the village house/gathering site], Sean is preparing the villagers to embark on the ceremonial journey to Megan's cenotaph is to be dedicated. Walter interrupts their [readying] to leave and tells them that the lake is about to explode. This is met with laughter from the crowd and jeering from [Thomas or Connor]. Cabe asks Walter to explain further, so he elaborates on the lake water's temperature disparity, collection of CO2, and the effects of the resulting gas cloud on humans. Walter says the cloud is the size of a football field, and [neighbor again] asks mockingly if that would be an American Football field or a "proper football pitch", drawing more laughs. Paige asks when this would be happening, to which Walter replies (more or less certainly - soon)
As the procession makes its way past the house, Sylvester looks out at them longingly through the window. Paige calls him over and shows him a video of a lake in Tanzania places that erupted.
Happy tells Toby that her divorce has been finalized and they can be married by the end of the day. Toby reacts less enthusiastically than expected, but the ringing of his cell phone on the other side of the garage saves him from the awkwardness of the situation.
Sylvester meets [Father _] at the front of the line to persuade him to change course. [Father] responds that he won't change tradition, especially for "some American's first Pattern Day." Sylvester reports to Paige. She suggests he appeal to the crowd. Sylvester brings up his anxiety about public speaking. Paige asks how he will run for office if he can't address a crowd.
- Toby suggests that leaving Paige off of the guest list might make her feel slighted. Happy agrees and says that it will push their plans back a day. ... Happy cuts him off to alert the lake crew that they reached the hot zone. Tim sets to work deploying the (tube) with protests from Walter. Walter clarifies that they are in the "hot" zone, not the "drop" zone. Tim says in the military, the hot zone means go. Walter retorts that they aren't in the military - just in a lake.
Since they can't get the tube back, they have to start de-gassing. Tim jumps on the bladder to create suction, creating a whoopee cushion effect that can be heard all the way from the procession. [Wheelchair-bound Uncle] tells Sylvester not to worry - the soda bread gets to everyone, drawing a confused expression from Sylvester. Walter reviews the basics of the plan and acknowledges the possibility that he might be wrong, like with the forecasting debacles of his youth. Cabe consoles him, but Walter laments that the straw wasn't dropped in the correct part of the lake. Tim can't take any more of Walter's griping.
The straw starts gyrating, and soon a [flow] of water bursts through and dislodges it from the metal tube. Toby tells them not to celebrate yet, as the temperature readings have gone up, not down. Happy infers that they must be draining the lake too fast
Cabe, Walter and Tim make it to the shore. Cabe confirms that he won't be getting his deposit back.
Happy and Toby notice that the winds have changed direction and are now heading __. The adjustment has put them in path of the noxious cloud. The winds will carry the gas to the cemetery, trapping [] at a dead end.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Elyes Gabel as Walter O'Brien
- Katharine McPhee as Paige Dineen
- Robert Patrick as Cabe Gallo
- Eddie Kaye Thomas as Toby Curtis
- Jadyn Wong as Happy Quinn
- Ari Stidham as Sylvester Dodd
Recurring[]
Guest[]
Trivia[]
- The title is a reference to a popular band.
- Walter and Happy's divorce was finalized.