| Isolation | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode 10 | |
| |
| Air Date | August 18, 2011 |
| Written By | Steve Baldikoski & Bryan Behar |
| Directed By | Victor Nelli, Jr. |
| Episode Guide | |
| Previous Compassion |
Next Doubt |
- "Isolation is a self-defeating dream."
- ―Carlos Salinas de Gortari
Isolation is the tenth episode of the US series.
Synopsis[]
Wilfred uses Ryan's unhealthy habit of isolating as a means to rid himself of a neighborhood pest.
Plot[]
Jenna comes by Ryan's house welcoming him back from his "trip" which she assumed he was on since he's been stuck in his house with the curtains drawn for a long period of time. She asks if he will come to the "planning meeting" informing him that some of the neighbors see him as a recluse. He asks Jenna what they're planning but Jenna laughs it off before leaving. Wilfred shows up at his house and Ryan asks him the same question but Wilfred doesn't answer him either.
Wilfred and Ryan are on a walk and Wilfred is talking to him about how the neighborhood is beginning to see Ryan as weird due to his isolation. He then walks into an alley to pee on a homeless man named Trashface. A little boy comes and taunts Wilfred with a tennis ball, pretending to throw it and sticking it behind his back.
The two return to Ryan's house and Ryan admits he's not planning on going to the planning meeting before remembering that the annual block party is coming up and that's what the meeting is for. Wilfred tells Ryan that if he continues to turn his back on the pack, then the pack will turn on him.
The police arrive in front of Ryan's house as Wilfred tries to lead an angry mob against him
Ryan is introducing himself to his neighbors at the party who seem excited to finally meet him. When asked what his career is Ryan states, "I was a lawyer." They ask what happened and he tries to come up with something to say before having a nervous breakdown causing his tongue to fall out of his mouth. He wakes up to find that it was all a dream. He opens his door to see Jenna and several police cars outside of his house. Jenna clues him in on what's happening: a bunch of cars got broken into during the planning meeting and seeing as the Ryan was the only one not there and his car wasn't broken into, he is the #1 suspect. Ryan raises his hand to deny the accusations but there is a bloody bandage on his palm.
Ryan is freaking out because he can't remember what happened after blacking out that night but Wilfred's laughter leads him to unwrap the bandage to find that there is only the drawing of a penis on his palm; Wilfred had set the whole thing up to convince Ryan to go to the block party.
At the party, the neighbors are angry and distant from Ryan whom they still believe to be the culprit. Wilfred is explaining to Ryan how to befriend the neighbors when the same little kid from earlier comes by and gives Wilfred a balled up napkin under the false pretense that it's food. Ryan walks to the back of the house to find Trashface going through his garbage.
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Ryan and Trashface
Trashface tells Ryan that he reminds him of his old self. He recalls how his loneliness and depression took a toll on him before he became homeless. He tells Ryan that his life doesn't have to be the same if he just reaches out and makes connections. The cops arrive at the party to take the boy, Andy, as they have found everyone's stolen goods in his playhouse.
After the new discovery, the neighbors are all repentant over their previous negative behavior towards Ryan. Although happy about his new relationships, he feels uneasy about the break-ins being blamed on a little boy. He walks outside and tries to confess but is interrupted by Jenna screaming over Trashface's dead body. WiIfred calls attention to Mr. Patel's stolen laptop which he placed in Trashface's cart after anonymously giving Trashface $20 for drugs which he seemingly overdosed on.
Ryan places flowers on Trashface's grave and Wilfred pees on it to show his respects. Ryan joins in and pees on it as well.
Ryan is congratulating Wilfred on making up with Andy and decides to take a break from smoking.
Cast[]
Starring[]
Guest Starring[]
- Peter Stormare as Trashface
- Gerry Bednob as Mr. Patel
- George Coe as Gene
- Kari Coleman as Suzy
- Wayne Wilderson as Charlie
Co-Starring[]
- Sally Ann Brooks as Mrs. Stevenson
- Maxim Knight as Adam
- Chad Morgan as Maggie
Uncredited[]
- Eric Stoltz as Doug
Continuity[]
- This is the first time we see Ryan have interaction with neighbors that aren't Jenna. It was also revealed in the first episode "Happiness" that Ryan had avoided talking to Jenna along with his other neighbors until she approached him.
- Wilfred has gotten Ryan in trouble for committing a crime in "Fear" when he dropped Ryan's wallet after breaking into the neighbor's house with him.
- Ryan's decision to give up smoking is explored in the next episode.
Notes[]
- Gene is introduced. He is the main focus of the episode "Intuition".
- Ryan claims that the wine is "Fatty Arbuckle's favorite" which is a reference to famous silent film actor Roscoe Arbuckle who supposedly sexually assaulted a coworker with a bottle of wine.
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 and Wilfred go for a walk.
- Wilfred pees on a homeless man to mark him then later pees on his grave to commemorate him.
- Wilfred thinks Andy is a warlock because he fake throws the tennis ball and Wilfred doesn't understand how it gets back into his hand.
- Andy tricks Wilfred into eating a balled up napkin by saying it's food.