[recognizing the skeletons of his family members]
Tía Rosita?
Rosita Sí.
He doesn't seem entirely dead.
Rosita He's not quite alive either.
J Julio
We need Mama Imelda. She'll know how to fix this.
[off-screen]
Oye! [runs up to them with his twin brother, Felipe] It's Mama Imelda!
F Felipe
She couldn't cross over!
[Rosita, Victoria, and Julio all gasp]
She's stuck!
F Felipe
On the other side!
Oh. Hey, Miguel. [he and his twin brother both gasp]
I have a feeling this has something to do with you.
Rosita But if Mama Imelda can't come to us…
J Julio
Then we are going to her. Vamanos!
[to a case worker angrily]
I demand to speak to the person in charge!
CW Case Worker
I'm sorry, señora, but it says here no one put up your photo!
My family always, ALWAYS put my photo on the ofrenda. [takes off her boot and smashes the computer with it] That devil box tells you nothing but lies!
J Julio
[as he and the dead Riveras approach nervously]
Mamá Imelda? [Imelda aims her boot at him; he shrieks]
[snapping out]
Oh, mi familia! They wouldn't let me cross the bridge! Tell this woman and her devil box that my photo is on the ofrenda!
J Julio
Well, w-we never made it to the ofrenda.
J Julio
We ran into uh... um...
[sheepishly]
Mama Imelda.
HC Head Clerk
[comes out of the office door]
You the Rivera family? [later… in his office; to Miguel] Well, you're cursed.
[as the deceased Riveras gasp]
What?!
HC Head Clerk
Dia de los Muertos is the night to give to the dead. You stole from the dead!
M Migue
But I wasn't stealing the guitar.
It was my great-great-grandfather's! He would've wanted me to have it.
Ah, ah, ah! We do not speak of that "musician." He is dead to this family.
HC Head Clerk
[sneezes as Dante gets close]
I am sorry, whose alebrije is that?
Rosita He sure doesn't look like an alebrije.
He just looks like a plain old dog...
F Felipe
Or a sausage someone dropped in a barbershop.
HC Head Clerk
Whatever he is, I am [sneezes] terribly allergic.
But Dante doesn't have any hair.
HC Head Clerk
And I don’t have a nose, and yet here we are. [sneezes again]
But none of this explains why I couldn't cross over!
Oh. (I think I know why.) [chuckles nervously as he takes out the photo of Imelda, young Coco and the faceless man from his jacket pocket and holds it up]
[All the deceased Riveras gasp in shock.] [shocked]
You took my photo off the ofrenda?!
HC Head Clerk
[The Head Clerk gives Imelda a marigold petal to start her blessing to send Miguel home]
Now, you look at the living and say his name.
HC Head Clerk
Nailed it! Now say, "I give you my blessing.".
I give you my blessing. [The marigold petal glows; Miguel is amazed] I give you my blessing to go home... [the petal glows brighter] to put my photo back on the ofrenda... [even brighter, Miguel nods] and to never play music again!
What?! She can't do that!
HC Head Clerk
Well, technically, she can add any condition she wants.
HC Head Clerk
Then you hand the petal to Miguel.
[Miguel takes the petal; in a flash, he's back in the mausoleum. He looks out the window.]
No skeletons! [stares smugly at Ernesto's guitar and takes it] Mariachi Plaza, here I come! [Not even 2 steps later, he's back in the Land of the Dead; he is caught by Imelda.]
Two seconds, and you already break your promise!
This isn't fair, it's my life! You already had yours! [takes Imelda's petal] Papá Julio, I ask for your blessing! [Julio cringes nervously; one by one, each dead Rivera resists] Tía Rosita? Oscar? Felipe? Tía Victoria? [Victoria just shakes her head, meaning no]
Don't make this hard, mijo. You go home my way, or no way.
You really hate music that much?!
I will not let you go down the same path he did!
[looks at the photo]
The same path he did... he did.
Listen to your Mamá Imelda.
She's just looking out for you.
Rosita Be reasonable.
[stagey]
Con permiso, I need to visit the restroom. [exits] Be right back!
HC Head Clerk
Uh... should we tell him there are no restrooms in the Land of the Dead?
