During "Blankets and Bedding," Janice Mosher informs viewers that the Lions' Club is looking for some toilet paper. A few lines later...
Janice: For the love of God, stop bringing toilet paper to the Lions' Club!
In the same song, after Oz has made multiple supply runs to the local Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy for toiletries, diapers, and formula (with each verse beginning "So I'm back to Shoppers..."):
Beulah: You know, those planes are probably filled with women of childbearing age? Oz: So...? Beat Beulah: So I'm back to Shoppers to pick up as many pads and tampons as they have!
Bonnie determines to go into the plane holds and look for stranded animals, telling Doug her intentions over the phone. Doug tries to dissuade her, telling her there are armed guards swarming the planes already. In what doubles as a Moment of Awesome, Bonnie quips, "Well, then they'll have to shoot me," before hanging up on Doug.
Garth and Claude arguing over the bus drivers' strike, which Claude wants suspended so they have transportation for thousands of stranded passengers:
The Running Gag of the hockey rink, also known as "The World's Largest Walk-in Refrigerator."
Doug finds out that there could be a bomb on the plane that Bonnie is feeding animals on. Cue Doug panicking. Cue Bonnie panicking. Cue the discovery that Bonnie is panicking because she just found a pair of bonobos on the plane.
Doug and Bonnie get another after they have an argument and he states he is going over to the air traffic control room...while all flights to, from, and in North American airspace are grounded.
Janice: There's some people down at the Moose Club that's looking to try some elk. Oh, sorry. That's the Elks Club, looking for moose.
Kevin J. is not a secretary. He's a sexy-tary.
Later, at the bar, Kevin lets this slip.
Townsman: You're... gay?
[The Kevins look horrified]
Townsman: Well, praise be to God! My daughter's gay!
The Kevins are promptly informed of a gay sister, a neighbour that ran off with her best friend, and an old man's sixty-eight-year-old uncle who had just come out as bisexual. Kevin T. jokes that there must be something in the water.
Old Man: That's why I only drink the beer!
Before Kevin J.'s slip-up, Kevin T. informs the audience that they're Flying Under the Gaydar because "you just don't know where the red states are in a foreign country."
When Beulah lists off the various (Christian) religious groups in Gander, she includes "Salvation Army-ist".
The story of Ralph, the cocker spaniel.
Bonnie: Now, I know the night crew ran you to the ground, so I want you to get some sleep on the plane. Okay?
[Ralph barks]
Bonnie: Okay.
In real life, it took Bonnie Harris and the other SPCA workers a little while to figure out why Ralph was acting oddly near the end of the week. He was a puppy at the time, and it turned out that the night crew was keeping him up all night, playing with him, so he was very much exhausted come Sunday.
This gem, while Bonnie is trying to get permission to take the animals off the planes:
Doug: FAA was pretty clear about "No rare chimpanzees on Canadian soil."
The various mayors Bob lists off are all played by Claude, wearing glasses, a hat, a fake mustache Annette holds up to his face...
Later, Bob is instructed to round up all the grills for a community barbecue. Instead of being shot, he's offered a cup of tea at every house, and some people even help him steal their barbecues.
Bob: After that, I stop worrying about my wallet so much.
When it's time to go, Bob says his goodbyes to the mayor of Appleton, who hosted him.
Bob: How can I ever thank you? Mayor: Ah, don't worry about it! You'd have done the same. Bob: I drank all your whiskey. Beat Mayor: I'd've done the same.
Annette's elaborate fantasies involving her interactions with minor male characters, including the gym teacher, one of the pilots, and several cardiologists who were flying to a convention. Beulah keeps trying to point out that's not exactly what happened, only to have Annette shush her.
A lot of the alternating narration can result in funny moments. For example, when the Kevins go out exploring with Nick and Diane:
Kevin T.: Kevin and I are a little wary of telling people we're together.
Kevin J.: I mean you just don't know how redneck people can be.
Diane: This nice gay couple come along with us.
Also this:
Garth: We rarely use them but everyone's dusted off their Salvation Army uniforms to welcome our guests. Muhumuza:(obviously scared) There are soldiers everywhere!
This exchange:
Ali: Miss Beulah? (holds out his dish of food) What is this?
After he returns home, Ali writes to Beulah asking for the recipe.
Made even funnier with the behind-the-scenes information that Ali was partially based on chef Vikram Garg, who is classically trained in French cuisine in real life. Gratin is a French technique. This makes Ali's "Cod au..." line seems like he's stunned speechless that the Newfoundlanders are putting cheese on fish than confused about what it is.
The excuse that one pilot gives for why the plane is being diverted to Gander (they've been told not to tell people what's going on).
There's a problem with the... cabin lighting system, so we're just gonna touch down.
The incident with the moose, and the fact that it happened to two separate buses.
[They brake suddenly, screeching.]
Micky: Now there’s the reason I drives slow.
Terry: That there in the middle of the road.
Micky and Terry: Yeah. That’s a moose.
[Everyone faces forward, motionless. An incredibly long pause. Even longer than that.]
Micky: She’ll move when she’s good and ready.
When Kevin J has had enough of Delores' entitled protesting when everyone else is also stuck on the plane:
Delores: I don’t understand why they can’t let us off. I mean, just to stretch our legs, I mean really? I need to get some air! Oh my god! I need to get off this plane!
Kevin T: And my boyfriend, Kevin — we’re both named Kevin. It was cute for a while. Anyway, Kevin was not dealing with it well.
Delores: Excuse me?! I would like to get off the plane. I am claustrophobic!
Kevin J: (standing up and getting in her personal space) Excuse me! Would you like some Xanax? Because you are freaking out and it is freaking me out and we are all (clapping)FREAKING! THE! FUCK! OUT!
This incident was based on a French woman who complained of the same thing. The police were summoned and promptly politely informed her that if she felt claustrophobic on the plane, she would certainly feel more claustrophobic in a jail cell. She proceeded to be a model passenger for the rest of her time in Gander and on the plane.
The credits include pictures of the real people. The one with Captain Beverley Bass and Tom Stawicki (her husband) is captioned "I'm fine, Tom." (In real life, he has taken to introducing himself as "I'm Fine, Tom" whenever interviewed for Come From Away media.)
Cast: Nothing to do! Nothing to see! Thank God we stopped at the Duty Free - wherever we are!
It gets a Triumphant Reprise of sorts in "In the Bar", as the Ganderites organize drinks and karaoke night at the Legion. Delores does the same thing again.
Nick:(looks at her, surprised) Don't you...? Yes, you did.
Diane: Oh, good. (extremely suspiciously)Wait.
On the plane home a flight attendant goes around handing out towels to passengers, and offers a different option for Nick and Diane.
Flight Attendant: Hot towel... hot towel... (sees Nick and Diane kissing) ...Cold towel.
Cut material
"Werner Baldessarini".
Les Minion repeatedly freaking out and calling Byron to ask where Gander is, then where Gander Collegiate is. (It's in Gander.)
Byron and the cast singing Werner's name every time they say it. Beulah, on the other hand, butchers it into "Warner Banned-The-Zamboni" and "Wiener Bald-And-Cheesy".
After how much Baldessarini is talked up, the man turns out to be normal and polite, wants to be on a First-Name Basis, and says "dude".
Cut from "Blankets and Bedding". Annette's husband Dwight has a bit of a time entertaining his kids.
Dwight: No, your mom’s helping down at the school. No, there’s nothing good on television today! Who wants more ice cream?
Children: No!
Dwight: No? Do you want to play horsey?
Children: No!
Dwight: No? ...Do you want to play Kick Dad?
Children: Yeah!
[Beat]
Dwight: (resigned) ...Let’s play Kick Dad.
Children: YEAH!!!
From "Let's Go Out" (a proto-"In the Bar"):
The party girls from the plane (28 Hours/Wherever We Are) flashes the entire bar again.
The barkeeper's daughter keeps trying to get into the bar because "The b'ys are the gear. That means they're hot." but keeps getting thrown out by her mother because she's underage. ("I'm almost eighteen!" "You're FIFTEEN." "That's almost eighteen!") Eventually, as the bar becomes overcrowded, she is reluctantly let in as a server, upon which she crows a Big "YES!".
Behind the scenes/Meta
Diane's inability to kiss the fish was based on writer Irene Sankoff's inability to do the same. Claude eventually made a deal with her: she can kiss the fish, or kiss him. She promptly kissed Claude. When writer David Hein was introduced to Mayor Elliott, he opened with, "Hi, I’m David, and you’ve already kissed my wife."
