S01E20 - Mandated Joy
"Mandated Joy" is the twentieth episode of Season 1 of We Can Fix Pawbert.
Synopsis
With the investigation complete and the RICO trial starting in two days, Chief Bogo orders a mandatory forty-eight-hour stand-down. The pack spends the day in normalcy, and the evening brings Pawbert and Luther's first full intimacy and their first exchange of "I love you."
Plot
The evidence board at Site Two stands nearly empty. Where photographs, red strings, and handwritten notes once traced fifty names and decades of Lynxley corruption, only cork and pushpins remain. Judy Hopps confirms via phone that the final target, Marsh, is in custody. The investigation is officially complete—fifty names, forty takedowns, zero fatalities on the pack's side. Chief Bogo orders a mandatory forty-eight-hour stand-down before the trial begins. Dr. Fuzzby's clinical recommendation accompanies the directive: the witness must arrive at trial emotionally rested, not depleted.
Nick Wilde refuses to let the pack spend two days staring at walls. He proposes an outing to Canyonlands—a cinema matinee, low crowd, easy exits. When Pawbert cannot remember the last time he saw a movie in an actual theater, Nick's point is made. Luther agrees to drive. The streets of Canyonlands are busy with ordinary life—mammals pushing strollers, carrying shopping bags, chatting on corners. Pawbert steps out of the vehicle and simply stops, feeling wind on his face and open sky above him for the first time in months. He has become just another mammal in a crowd: anonymous, invisible, ordinary.
They watch "Wonclaw," a film about a wolverine chocolatier who keeps choosing to build something beautiful despite sabotage and theft. The film's flashback to Wonclaw's mother—warm, loving, speaking of dreams—resonates deeply. Pawbert's paw finds Luther's in the darkness and squeezes hard. By the credits, Pawbert's face hurts from smiling, but there is wetness on his cheeks as well. Nick, for once, drops the sarcasm and simply acknowledges what the afternoon meant.
Back at the safehouse, the afternoon fades into evening. Pawbert makes hot cocoa while processing what looms ahead: in two days he testifies, and regardless of outcome, prison follows. He tells Luther this is the last normal time—and asks why tonight feels like it matters more than everything before. Luther's answer is simple: Pawbert is choosing to be present instead of dissociating. That is different than before. Pawbert admits fear, then voices what he truly wants. He wants everything, before he loses the chance.
Their first full intimacy follows. Luther is patient, attentive, and careful—checking in constantly, ensuring Pawbert never feels pressured. Pawbert experiences vulnerability on a level he has never allowed himself. Afterward, tangled together in the moonlit bedroom, the words come before Pawbert can stop them. He says he loves Luther. For a terrible moment he fears he has made a mistake—then Luther tells him he has loved Pawbert for weeks, but did not want to add that weight to everything Pawbert was already carrying.
Morning brings consequences. Nick has been waiting outside the bedroom door for seven minutes. The safehouse walls, he informs them, are very thin. He has already composed a dramatic retelling of the previous night, titled "The Ballad of Safehouse Passion." Judy admits she put her pillow over her head. It did not help. The mortification is acute, but Nick's teasing carries genuine happiness for them underneath.
The day continues in domesticity. Nick attempts to teach Pawbert cards and cheats transparently. Luther reads in the corner and watches Pawbert with a softer posture than usual. Judy remains determinedly unable to make eye contact. In the evening, Dr. Fuzzby appears via video call for a final session before trial. She notes Pawbert's growth—his ability to want without immediately catastrophizing, his recognition that pleasure is allowed even on the eve of difficulty. She delivers her clinical assessment: Pawbert has already proven he can choose to stay. Now he must prove he can speak the truth.
On the final night before trial, Pawbert stands at the window looking at city lights in the distance. He names what is coming: tomorrow he testifies against his family, and then he goes to prison regardless of outcome. Luther promises to visit every day they allow, to wait however long it takes, to be there when Pawbert gets out. They exchange the anchor phrase one final time—Pawbert affirming his choice, Luther affirming his. In Luther's room, they hold each other through the final hours. Pawbert whispers into the darkness: he is glad he stayed.
Key Moments
- Investigation complete: 50 names, 40 takedowns, zero fatalities
- Chief Bogo orders mandatory 48-hour stand-down before the trial
- Dr. Fuzzby frames rest as a clinical directive
- Pack ventures out for a cinema outing to Canyonlands
- First full intimacy between Luther and Pawbert
- First exchange of "I love you" between Pawbert and Luther
- Nick reveals the safehouse walls are thin—he heard everything
- Nick teaches Pawbert cards while transparently cheating
- Dr. Fuzzby delivers her clinical assessment that Pawbert is ready for trial
- Pawbert affirms he is glad he stayed
Key Lines
| Line | Speaker | Context |
|---|---|---|
| "I want everything. Before I lose the chance." | Pawbert | Initiating intimacy with Luther |
| "You matter. That makes it different." | Luther | Explaining his care during intimacy |
| "I choose to stay." / "You choose to stay." | Luther / Pawbert | Exchange before trial |
| "You've already proven you can choose to stay. Now you prove you can speak the truth." | Dr. Fuzzby | Pre-trial encouragement |
| "I'm glad I stayed." | Pawbert | Final affirmation before trial |
Locations
| Location | Description |
|---|---|
| Site Two | Safehouse; evening intimacy and morning-after scenes |
| Canyonlands Cinema | Cinema outing; the pack watches "Wonclaw" |
Items
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Evidence board (nearly empty) | Visual marker that the investigation is complete |
| Fairy lights | Safehouse decoration |
| Green sweater | Worn by Pawbert |
End Credit Song
"For a Moment" (From 'Wonka'), Calah Lane & Timothée Chalamet
"For a Moment" is a gentle duet about finding peace and connection in the midst of uncertainty, about stealing a moment of joy when the world offers no guarantees. The song's quiet intimacy matches the tender heart of this episode, which follows the pack's mandatory stand-down before the trial. Pawbert sees a movie for the first time in months, exchanges his first declarations of love with Luther, and experiences full intimacy. The film within the episode—Wonclaw's story of choosing joy even when everything is taken from you—becomes a mirror for Pawbert's own journey. The episode's final scene finds Pawbert and Luther holding each other in the dark, knowing the trial starts tomorrow, knowing prison waits beyond it, but choosing to be present in this moment anyway. The song's repeated refrain captures exactly what they're doing: taking what the world offers and holding it close. Joy before the storm.