Hype 1.3 - Slippery Slope

Hype - Slippery Slope

Genre: Crime / Dark Comedy

Director: Stephen Merchant

Writer: Dominic Wilkins

Cast: Seth Green, Charles Baker, Nick Swardson, Alicia Silverstone, Stephen Merchant, David Cross, Daniel Stern and Sarah Polley

Plot:

Following their payday last week, our rag-tag group of rookie mascots led by Sarah Bernard (Alicia Silverstone) is making the bag, week after week, in a different city. They celebrate together and often close the bars together following what they call a “win”. Sarah doesn’t bother to keep an eye on them. She chose to delegate that task to David Brady (Seth Green), his long-time employee, which wasn’t the best idea. His addiction to alcohol gets the better of him most of the time and his nights usually end either vomiting, or passed out on his couch as his wife Jessie (Sarah Polley) looks on discouraged, often telling to herself that she also predicted that. Following another successful robbery, David ‘s night ends on his sofa, once again. 

David is forced by Dr. Stewart (Stephen Merchant) to sit in the rotating chair of shame. Chuck (Charles Baker), well on his way to recovery, told on him to Stewart after his latest mishap with his poison. Stewart tries to dig deep into David’s brain to find the source of alcoholism, but David, who doesn’t believe in therapy is evasive with his answers. Once the session ends, Stewart takes Brady apart and he says they should meet up privately sometimes soon. He feels like David has issues that he has difficulties to deal with and talk about in front of others. David assures him that he’s fine. He leaves the post-meeting chat snack and he goes to the bar, where he sees Julian (Daveed Diggs). Julian asks him what he’s doing here tonight again, he was on his way to recovery. He tells Julian that he has some demons he wants to banish from his head. He thinks it’s understandable and shares a drink with him. 

The following day, Sarah welcomes everyone back at the stadium where it all began and they go through their basic training. David approaches her and he confides in her that he’s afraid what they’re doing his illegal. She tells him yet another time that he doesn’t need to think about it and he should focus on his job instead. She has to leave out of nowhere and offers no explanation. When she comes back, she’s with Dennis Cholowski (Daniel Stern). She asks Dennis to explain to everyone what his important job is for all the operation, in other words, to tell them how they get the money. While they are doing whatever they’re doing on the field or in the stands, Dennis heads out and makes the food court stands to sign a contract stating they are willing to give all the money they earn today to a made-up foundation against addiction that is run by Sarah Bernard herself. There’s nothing illegal about that, or so he was told. Steve (Nick Swardson) can’t believe she sent Dennis to make them sign the contract when she could’ve send his adorable face instead. Chuck offers a better input, she should have sent David, he’s so small, nobody would’ve refused him. He doesn’t think that’s funny and leaves out of frustration. Chuck follows him. He asks him to think about all the good it has done to Steve, Dennis and himself. If he can’t appreciate that, he should at least do it for the others. He’s their leader and they couldn’t do it without him. David looks at him intensely and walks away.

David finds himself at the bar, again. His friend and morale compass Julian is also there. Julian is surprised to see him here again and David says the same thing. It’s weird to always see him here when he always campaigns against the dangers of alcoholism, it negates the effects a little bit. Julian confides he has some flaws too before ordering another drink. Julian asks him what’s his excuse today and David asks Julian if he can keep a secret whatever it is and Julian answers that of course he can. David tells his friend about what’s going on in the mascot organization and Julian listens with interest. He tells David that it’s disturbing, but he shouldn’t drop his mascot gig, that’s all he has in life and besides, the paycheck suddenly got bigger, wink, wink. 

The night has come and David is once again in his rabid rabbit costume for a little league baseball game. He tries to find superfan Wilson through the crowd to have a little chat in the increasingly boring game, but he can’t find him anywhere. It’s showtime for the boys and today, they organised a paintball match through the crowd. Steve is in a hamburger outfit and Chuck is a coloring pencil. David hides in the crowd and emerges victorious in a glorious finale. The crowd is on its feet for the local team mascot and Sarah gives David the thumbs up, they’ll have their money. David continues to celebrate his win, but he’s not entirely focused. He slips in the stairs giving him a concussion.

Following the game, everyone is gathered around David and they all agree that the entirety of tonight’s jackpot will go towards helping David pay for his medical bill. Chuck wants to drive David to the hospital, but Sarah insists they stay here for a moment. Their act is more and more popular and she got them the gig of a lifetime, the Little League World Series, starting next week! The guys are happy about that, but worried that David isn’t going to make thanks to his concussion, but he tells them that he worked with worst than that. Chuck leaves with David for the hospital. 

Jessie comes in David’s room running, saying she felt him get injured and came here as fast as she could. She told a woman her future before coming though, she paid well. She starts to tell David what the woman’s future will be and Chuck says he’ll leave them alone. He reminds him that he needs to rest before the World Series. Jessie screams that she felt he was going to work in the World Series this morning, before a doctor comes in and tells her to keep it down. She screams that she felt that too, before Chuck tells her nobody believes in her “powers”.