THE FRANCHISE Recap: Scene 16: Eric's Hospital Scene

DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Franchise Season 1 Episode 5, “Scene 16: Eric’s Hospital Scene,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.

What’s the best way to keep the emotional hospital scene in your comic book movie? If your answer is “Be James Gunn,” you’re wrong, and that’s okay. Tecto: Eye of the Storm saves Eric’s hospital scene by adding a tractor. Let’s be real: more sci-fi movies set in deep space should include farming machinery. “Scene 16: Eric’s Hospital Scene” is a hilarious meditation on product placement in big-budget flicks and how one man’s unexpected rant almost sets a war against a global nuclear superpower in motion.

The Franchise, “Scene 16: Eric’s Hospital Scene”

We open with Adam (Billy Magnussen) using resistance bands to pass time on set. Peter (Richard E. Grant) reads the paper behind him. Pat (Darren Goldstein) approaches Peter with a request — Centurios 2 needs him for the day. Why? Apparently, the film has a continuity problem, and they need someone (his character, Eye) who can see the future. Sorry, Adam; Centurios doesn’t need a hero with an earthquake-causing glove and moderate strength.

Pat informs Anita (Aya Cash), Daniel (Himesh Patel) and Dag (Lolly Adefope) about stealing Peter to shoot a scene. It’s his pound of flesh after Eric (Daniel Brühl) 9/11-ed himself on a golf cart into the Centurios 2 set and besmirched the good name of mango cups everywhere.

Peter, in a superhero costume, puts his hand on Adam's shoulder. Adam also wears his superhero costume. Both stand on a film set in The Franchise Season 1 Episode 5, "Scene 16: Eric's Hospital Scene." — THE FRANCHISE Season 1 Episode 5, “Scene 16: Eric’s Hospital Scene.” Photo credit: Colin Hutton/HBO.

Screw John Deere

However, that’s not all. Tecto: Eye of the Storm is on Pat’s sh*tlist. Shane isn’t happy with Anita, either. Pat informs her that they need to insert some product placement into Tecto. Chinese farming machinery. In order to show Maximum Studios’ films in China, the propaganda committee asks that the movie advertise their farming equipment as the best. Screw John Deere! Bryson (Isaac Powell) is there as a hype man, essentially. He gives Anita a manual containing a multiverse of Chinese farming machinery.

Later, Adam films Eric’s hospital scene. Steph (Jessica Hynes) weeps beside Eric as everyone watches the take. After he yells, “Cut!” Daniel tells Dag that Maximum will undoubtedly cut this scene from the final edit. They’re mostly filming it to stroke Eric’s ego. Eric giddily informs Daniel and Dag that the crew now calls him the “Badass Wes Anderson” after the golf cart incident.

Eric also expresses irritation regarding Milo (John Cummins), the sound guy. He’s been giving Eric the stink eye the whole day. On top of that, he’s wearing a scarf indoors, which Eric thought was exclusively a director thing. Daniel vows to hide Milo (and remove his scarf) so Eric feels more comfortable.

Medieval Haircuts and Tractors

Then, the gang looks at an LED display of the cargo bay of a spaceship. Unfortunately, the display craps out, instead revealing a giant professional photo of Darren’s family and their creepy Medieval haircuts. Anita pulls Daniel, Dag and Bryson aside to show them the tractor that’ll be inserted into Tecto: Eye of the Storm to appease Maximum Studios and China. Daniel reveals he once incorporated Paprika Popchips into Thunderon’s funeral.

However, a tractor in space will undoubtedly be a challenge. Anita urges Daniel to persuade Eric to accept this, and she’ll give him anything. Well, “anything” regarding Daniel’s director ambitions. Meanwhile, Dag gives Adam his chicken. He’s down in the dumps. Peter is more in demand than he is. Also, some kid on Reddit claims he doesn’t blink enough. Adam demonstrates what he believes is an acceptable amount of blinking.

Dag discloses her true opinion of Adam. She thinks he’s a sexless potato. Adam is equal parts bewildered by her blatant confession and impressed by her courage to express it. He asks her to have second lunch with him (sorry, Hobbits, we’re past second breakfast now).

The crew gathers around Eric, who sits in the director's chair, on a dimly lit film set as they shoot a commercial on The Franchise Season 1 Episode 5, "Scene 16: Eric's Hospital Scene." — THE FRANCHISE Season 1 Episode 5, “Scene 16: Eric’s Hospital Scene.” Photo credit: Colin Hutton/HBO.

Reliable, Buyable, Undeniable

Then, the gang tries to figure out how to incorporate a tractor into the narrative. They start by driving it across the mirror-esque realm we saw with the Lilac Ghost. Naturally, it looks out of place. After this, they add the tractor to the spaceship cargo bay. Perhaps they’re going to a farm convention in the quadrant. Eric doesn’t like it, though. Bryson reads off a line the propaganda committee wants the crew to add as part of the product placement: “Reliable, buyable, undeniable — It’s the best tractor in the galaxy.” Catchy.

Later, Daniel breaks the bad news to Eric re: the hospital scene. The studio wants to cut it. However, if they somehow insert the tractor into the scene, the studio will have no choice but to keep it. Everybody wins. Meanwhile, the crew places a divider between Milo and Eric to alleviate the latter’s discomfort. They even remove Milo’s scarf, which is for his tonsilitis. When this doesn’t work, Eric suggests they move Milo to his own trailer.

Oh, and remember the massive pic of Darren’s family? That’s now morphed into a slideshow of Darren’s shirtless dressing room photos as he poses for various selfies in some chinos. Might as well give Darren an acting credit at this point.

Sexless Potato and Fecal Producer

After this, Dag has second lunch with the sexless potato. Adam asks Dag to poop for him. He recently learned about fecal transplants. He believes the nutrients from Dag’s poo will make him more confident. Perhaps he’ll care less about Redditors’ opinions. Dag agrees to be his fecal producer. This is what happens when you say “Yes” in life — rich opportunities fall into your lap.

Next, Adam recites the line about tractors in the emotional hospital scene where Tecto loses his wife. Eric quickly ditches said line. Oh, look, we finally have a dead wife. Instead, we see the blinds of the hospital room open as the tractor rolls by behind Adam. It’s perfect.

Then, Jaz (Ruaridh Mollica) pulls Daniel and Steph aside to show them Peter, who’s returned from his day on the Centurios 2 set. Peter’s skin boasts a bluish-gray tint. Apparently, scrubbing it from Peter’s skin runs the risk of, well, removing his skin. Daniel sends Peter home, who’s more than happy to leave set for a spell. He was rattling off too many innuendos about rubbing anyway.

Eric, a director, gestures wildly with his hands outstretched while standing on a studio lot as a massive door opens behind him. — THE FRANCHISE Season 1 Episode 5, “Scene 16: Eric’s Hospital Scene.” Photo credit: Colin Hutton/HBO.

Badass Wes Anderson Digs His Grave

Steph chats up Rufus (Justin Edwards), who reveals that all is not well on the marriage front. His wife won’t talk to him since he had to skip the honeymoon. Hey, at least his eyebrows are growing back in. Steph admits that she’s also experiencing turbulence with Eric.

Suddenly, another tractor arrives on set. Apparently, it’s from Centurios 2. Centurios noticed how Tecto seamlessly incorporated the tractor into their film, so why not have two tractors? Eric orders both tractors to be sent to Centurios 2. Bryson admits the Centurios director is about to go public with his opinions on China, and they aren’t great.

So, Eric decides to do one ~~better~~ worse. He grabs a microphone and broadcasts anti-Chinese sentiments. He even tells the pandas to f*ck off. Uh-oh. Then, he sends both tractors to Centurios 2. Pat is gonna have a field day.

It’s Gone Viral

Meanwhile, Dag pulls Adam aside to reveal she’s done the deed. She produced fecal matter in his trailer. Adam is shocked; he has someone on hand to contain the sample and ask Dag questions. Steph learns about Dag sh*tting in Adam’s trailer and pushes Dag to apologize.

Then, Daniel, Anita and Bryson inform the aforementioned trio (plus Eric) about Eric’s comments getting the spotlight in a Variety piece. Eric’s rant is out in the world now. Initially, Dag believes that Variety has reported on her defecating in Adam’s trailer. Hey, that’s newsworthy, too. Apparently, the media has interpreted Eric’s statements to be an act of war against China. So, there’s that. Anita is furious. She orders Eric to draft an apology now.

Eric puts on a mask for his burgeoning migraine and sits in the corner as Pat, with the aid of Bryson, appears on the big screen to ream out the crew. The propaganda committee has a clean-up assignment for the Tecto gang. They want them to shoot a commercial to advertise a baby milk brand that underwent a scandal of its own. Said scandal alleged that the baby milk was tainted with mercury.

Anita stands in front of Rufus, Steph and Daniel on a film set as they watch something out of frame with shocked faces. — THE FRANCHISE Season 1 Episode 5, “Scene 16: Eric’s Hospital Scene.” Photo credit: Colin Hutton/HBO.

Mercury Milk

Next, Pat offers Rufus a part in the commercial. After this, he’s on the commercial set, dressed as an alien. Rufus breezes through the scene, although he develops a bit of a diva complex. Steph is mesmerized. Pat watches via screen (he’s in Cleveland blowing up a freeway). He orders them to do another take. Eric looks dejected. Rufus wonders if he’ll get mercury poisoning from the potentially tainted baby milk.

Daniel, Anita and Dag discuss how Pat plans to Clockwork Orange Eric and make the latter watch as he f*cks Tecto: Eye of the Storm. They’re all in trouble. Meanwhile, Milo is escorted off set despite having his own trailer now. He demands to have his scarf back. We return to the commercial shoot. Everyone looks so defeated as they do another take per Pat’s demand.

During the credits, we see Eric apologize for his rant against China (it reminds me of John Cena’s apology video in Mandarin). Peter also apologizes for a film he made in 1991 called Sweet ‘n Sour. His apology starts as self-aware contrition … until Peter’s trademark ego takes the wheel.

The Franchise drops new episodes every Sunday at 10 pm EST on HBO and Max.

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Melody McCune

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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.

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