S05E22 - Complacency
"Complacency" is the twenty-second episode of Season 5 of We Can Fix Pawbert.
Synopsis
In the aftermath of the assault on The Root, Luther undergoes emergency surgery after coding twice on the operating table. As the city recovers, parallel funerals honor Shaw and Mr. Big, Chief Bogo returns to command Precinct 1, and Nick is promoted to Detective. The pack reunites at the healing mansion.
Plot
The ambulance carrying Luther screams into Zootopia General Hospital's emergency bay with the Station 118 crew working to keep him alive. Hen reads off his injuries to the trauma team—a through-and-through gunshot wound to the right thigh, at least three rib fractures, facial lacerations, strangulation contusions, and signs of internal bleeding. He coded once in the field and they brought him back. Eddie performs compressions as they run, Buck steadies the stretcher, and Chimney manages the IV from atop the gurney. Behind them, Pawbert follows in the same torn, bloodstained clothes from the lighthouse, flanked by Nick and Judy in tactical gear. Dr. Miranda Bailey—the same honey badger surgeon who treated Luther after the building collapse years earlier—takes command and rushes Luther into surgery. Pawbert presses his paws and forehead against the surgical suite window and watches. Nick and Judy stand on either side of him, close enough to catch him if he falls. No one speaks.
Five hours pass in the waiting room. Hen stays past the end of her shift, telling Nick and Judy that Luther fought the whole way, his vitals crashing and pulling back repeatedly. She invokes Bobby Nash's memory, telling them that pack takes care of pack. When Bailey finally emerges, she delivers the full damage report—four broken ribs, not three; the gunshot missed the femoral artery by centimeters; internal bleeding repaired; and he coded twice on the operating table. She brought him back both times. He's going to make it. Pawbert freezes, unable to process good news, then asks to see him.
At dawn, Pawbert sits at Luther's bedside holding his paw, with Nick and Judy asleep in the corner. Alone with Luther's unconscious form, Pawbert breaks down. He confesses the full weight of what happened in The Root—that Luther told him to let him die, and that Pawbert refused to give Icener the codes even as Luther was beaten, knowing refusal might cost Luther's life. He grapples with what kind of mammal watches the person they love being hurt and says no, then acknowledges that Luther taught him some things are worth more than survival. He found Agnes's failsafe only after he refused, meaning when he said no, he believed they would both die. He fiercely tells Luther never to ask him to let go again. Luther's eyes flutter open—he fought through sedation and heard everything. His first words are barely a whisper: that Pawbert is not a monster for saying no, but the strongest mammal he knows. He apologizes for asking Pawbert to let him go, explaining he was trying to spare Pawbert from having to make that choice. Pawbert rests his head on Luther's chest, and Luther's arm comes around him as the sun rises.
Three days later, the city begins to breathe again. Engineers in ZSI-branded coveralls restore climate stations across the districts—fourteen of seventeen back online, with the Rainforest District's humidity-plagued relays proving stubborn. In Tundratown, the weather wall hums with renewed power, the failsafe having performed exactly as Agnes designed it. At City Hall, Mayor Winddancer addresses the press, acknowledging the unprecedented attack on Zootopia's climate infrastructure and the bravery of first responders. He names the losses and delivers the episode's thesis: the city endures, but they will remember what complacency costs. At Precinct 1, Chief Bogo returns to the bullpen with his permanent cane. The precinct goes silent, then Clawhauser starts clapping, and the entire bullpen follows. Captain Hoggbottom formally returns command, and Bogo tells his officers to get back to work—his gruffness masking the emotion in his eyes.
Five days after the assault, split-screen parallel funerals unfold. At the ZSI Memorial Cemetery, Director Costa delivers Shaw's eulogy with his arm still in a sling, honoring the agent who served four years without ever becoming cynical and deserved more time. Bauer and O'Brian attend despite their injuries. Pawbert approaches the casket, places a single white flower, and whispers his thanks for keeping them alive. At the Tundratown cemetery, Fru Fru stands before her father's enormous ornate casket—carved from Tundratown oak with silver inlay, sized for a polar bear despite the tiny mammal inside—and delivers a eulogy honoring Mr. Big as a protector who loved the city more than anyone knew. Koslov stands behind her. Nick and Judy attend, and Fru Fru tells them they will always have a friend in Tundratown before climbing onto Koslov's paw to join the waiting cars. The eulogies intercut with mirrored language: both gave everything to protect what they loved, and because of their sacrifice, others will live.
One week later, Luther's recovery becomes a battle of wills. Bailey finds him halfway out of bed attempting to escape, with Pawbert physically pushing him back. Nick and Judy arrive with coffee and a new creation: THE CHART 2.0, subtitled "BECAUSE SOME WOLVES NEVER LEARN," tracking Luther's escape attempts, Bailey's sedation threats, and Pawbert's physical restraints. Luther declares he hates all of them; Nick marks it on the Chart. Judy reveals she has been coordinating mansion repairs with contractors, spreadsheets, and color-coded schedules that Nick insists is a Gantt chart despite her protests. Pawbert notes she made one contractor cry over an insulting tile estimate. Luther's frustration softens into quiet gratitude. The pack settles into the hospital room, exchanging banter—the familiar rhythm restored despite everything that tried to break it.
Two weeks after the assault, Chief Bogo summons Nick to his office. He reflects on Nick's six years with the department—how he arrived as a con artist playing at being a cop and grew into an officer Bogo could rely on, the partner Hopps deserved, and a mammal who runs toward danger. Bogo admits he kept finding reasons to delay the promotion Judy received at the start of the year, and acknowledges he was wrong. He promotes Nick to Detective, effective immediately. Nick shakes Bogo's hoof, his voice rough with emotion. Back in the bullpen, Nick announces it casually, and the precinct erupts—Clawhauser squealing, Delgato pounding his desk, Grizzoli howling. Judy catches Nick's eye through the crowd, crying and failing to hide it.
Three weeks later, the pack gathers in the mansion's living room. Luther sits upright on the couch, cleared for light activity, with Pawbert beside him. Nick and Judy share the armchair. THE CHART 2.0 hangs framed on the wall with final tallies: twelve escape attempts, four sedation threats, fourteen hate declarations. A cooking competition plays on television. Judy reports that Fru Fru has settled into leading the family. Luther confirms The Root has been permanently sealed with concrete. Pawbert says Agnes would approve. When Nick asks what comes next now that the crisis is over, Pawbert answers simply: they live, they work, they come home, they argue about small things that don't matter until they matter more than anything. They be pack. That's what they do. The camera pulls back through the window—four mammals in warm light, a mansion healing, scaffolding on the east wing, weather walls humming against the darkening sky. Life continues.
Key Moments
- Luther arrives at Zootopia General with the 118 crew performing life-saving measures in transit
- Dr. Bailey takes command of Luther's surgery, the same surgeon who saved him before
- Pawbert watches through the surgical suite window while Nick and Judy stand vigil
- Bailey delivers the news that Luther coded twice on the table but will survive
- Pawbert breaks down at Luther's bedside, confessing his guilt over refusing Icener's demands
- Luther wakes through sedation and tells Pawbert he is the strongest mammal he knows
- Engineers restore climate stations across the city's districts
- Mayor Winddancer addresses the press, naming the cost of complacency
- Chief Bogo returns to Precinct 1 with his permanent cane to a standing ovation
- Captain Hoggbottom formally returns command to Bogo
- Costa delivers Shaw's eulogy at the ZSI Memorial Cemetery
- Fru Fru delivers her father's eulogy and assumes leadership of the organization
- Pawbert places a flower on Shaw's casket and whispers his thanks
- Nick creates THE CHART 2.0 to document Luther's hospital escape attempts
- Judy manages mansion repairs with a Gantt chart and makes a contractor cry
- Bogo promotes Nick to Detective after reflecting on his growth
- The precinct erupts in celebration at Nick's promotion
- The Root is permanently sealed with concrete
- The pack watches television together in the healing mansion
Key Lines
| Line | Speaker | Context |
|---|---|---|
| "He coded twice on the table. We brought him back." | Bailey | Delivering Luther's surgical report |
| "He's going to make it." | Bailey | The news Pawbert has been waiting five hours to hear |
| "Pack takes care of pack." | Hen | Echoing Bobby Nash while staying past her shift |
| "You told me to let you go. You looked at me and told me to let you die. Like it was nothing." | Pawbert | Bedside breakdown confronting Luther's request |
| "I told Icener I wouldn't give him the codes... I MEANT it, Lute." | Pawbert | Confession using Luther's nickname |
| "Because you taught me that some things are worth more than survival." | Pawbert | Acknowledging Luther's influence on his philosophy |
| "So don't you EVER ask me to let you go again. Do you understand? Not ever." | Pawbert | Fierce declaration at Luther's bedside |
| "...heard you." / "...stubborn." | Luther | First words after waking through sedation |
| "I heard everything. Every word." | Luther | Confirming he heard Pawbert's confession |
| "You're not a monster for saying no. You're the strongest mammal I know." | Luther | Comforting Pawbert about refusing Icener |
| "And I'm sorry I asked you to let me go." | Luther | Apologizing for his request in The Root |
| "I was trying to save YOU. From having to make that choice." | Luther | Explaining his motivation |
| "Because you're brilliant. Because you don't give up. Because you're PAWBERT." | Luther | Affirming Pawbert's identity |
| "But Zootopia endures." / "We will remember what complacency costs." | Winddancer | Press address delivering the episode's thesis |
| "She gave everything—" / "—to protect what he loved." | Costa / Fru Fru | Intercut eulogies for Shaw and Mr. Big |
| "Thank you. For keeping us alive." | Pawbert | Whispered at Shaw's casket |
| "THE CHART 2.0 - BECAUSE SOME WOLVES NEVER LEARN" | Nick | Header on the new recovery chart |
| "I stopped counting at seven." | Pawbert | On Luther's escape attempts |
| "I hate all of you." / "Already on the Chart." | Luther / Nick | Running gag exchange |
| "I don't know when it changed. When you stopped being the fox who hustled his way into uniform and started being the officer I could rely on." | Bogo | Recognizing Nick's growth |
| "I'm promoting you to Detective. Effective immediately." | Bogo | Nick's promotion |
| "You've earned this. You've more than earned this." | Bogo | Affirmation |
| "Detective Wilde. That sounds..." / "Right. It sounds right." | Nick / Judy | Reacting to the promotion together |
| "Agnes would approve." | Pawbert | On The Root being sealed |
| "We live. We work. We come home. We be pack. That's what we do." | Pawbert | The episode's closing philosophy |
| "When did you get wise?" / "I had good teachers." | Luther / Pawbert | Tag closing exchange |
Characters Introduced
| Character | Species | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Miranda Bailey | Honey badger | Surgeon; saves Luther's life (second time) |
Locations
- Zootopia General Hospital - Emergency bay, surgical suite, waiting room, recovery room, Luther's room
- Pawthorne Mansion - Living room; east wing under repair with scaffolding
- City Hall - Press room; Winddancer's address
- ZPD Precinct 1 - Bullpen; Bogo's office; Nick's promotion
- ZSI Memorial Cemetery - Shaw's funeral
- Tundratown Private Cemetery - Mr. Big's funeral
Items
- THE CHART 2.0 — "BECAUSE SOME WOLVES NEVER LEARN"; framed poster tracking Luther's recovery misadventures (12 escape attempts, 4 sedation threats, 14 hate declarations)
- Judy's Gantt chart — Color-coded mansion repair project management with spreadsheets and timelines
- Shaw's casket — ZSI standard issue, covered in the city-state flag
- Mr. Big's casket — Massive, carved from Tundratown oak with silver inlay, polar bear-sized despite its occupant
End Credit Song
"Le Festin - English Version" (From 'Ratatouille'), Annapantsu
The song plays diegetically—from a cooking competition on TV featuring Remy and Lionguini, a callback to the Z2 Easter egg where protagonists discovered the rat-controlled lion chef during the Lynxley Manor chase. The song's structure mirrors the pack's journey: dreams that came with sorrow, bitterness and struggle, defiance against everyone who said "never," and finally celebration and rest. The lyrics—"cheers to the end of the sorrow, the sadness, all the strife we've endured"—land directly on the tag, where the pack sits together watching television while repairs continue on the mansion. Luther survived surgery, Shaw and Mr. Big have been buried, Nick has been promoted to Detective, and the Root has been sealed with concrete. The song's invitation to "sit down and enjoy what's served" captures the episode's thesis: after everything, they've earned this moment of peace.
Notes
- Dr. Bailey previously treated Luther after the building collapse, making this her second time saving his life.
- The Chart 2.0 continues the running gag established during Luther's recovery, providing comedy relief after the intensity of the preceding episodes. The original Chart is framed in Luther's office.
- Nick's promotion to Detective marks the culmination of his professional arc across the series. Bogo admits he deliberately delayed the promotion despite Judy receiving hers earlier in the year.
- The dual funeral sequence uses split-screen to draw parallels between Shaw and Mr. Big—two mammals from different worlds who both died protecting something larger than themselves.
- Hen uses a RapidVet-H test to determine Luther's blood type as DEA 4-Positive. DEA 4 (Dog Erythrocyte Antigen 4) positive blood functions as a universal donor type for canines, meaning it can be safely transfused to any canine recipient regardless of their blood type. RapidVet-H is a real point-of-care blood typing system used in veterinary emergency medicine.