“It's a lot safer than out there.”
Why it's great
One comparison keeps her inside without spelling out how bad it is out there.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
It's a lot safer than driving home tonight.
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Drawing Matches to Fetch the Water, Explained
This Is the End · 2013
Chapter 13 of 27 · 3'10"
The group needs water from the basement, so they settle it the old way: "Whoever pulls the burnt match has to go get the water." Craig loses and heads out on a rope. When he asks them to promise to pull him back, they won't commit — "we'll try" is all he gets.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 2:18–2:45
The Promise They Won't Make
27s
Drawing Matches to Fetch the Water, explained
What happens
With the house running low on water, the group first tries to take Emma Watson's drinks, then agrees to draw matches: whoever gets the burnt one goes to the basement for water. Craig draws it and asks for a best-of-three. Before leaving on the rope he wants a promise they'll pull him back, but the others only agree to do their best.
What's really going on
The scene is a survival story that keeps turning into a comedy about fairness. Rather than pick a volunteer, the group resorts to a ritual — "Whoever pulls the burnt match has to go get the water" — and then instantly regrets the outcome, apologizing to the loser and offering to redo it: 'You want to go best two out of three?' The funniest part is the negotiation at the door. He wants a guarantee they'll haul him back if something goes wrong; they refuse to promise anything: 'I just don't think it's smart to make any guarantees.' All he gets is 'We'll try, man, but you're pretty heavy.' The chapter shows a group that wants the comfort of a fair rule but none of the responsibility of a real promise.
Key lines & what they mean
- “It's a lot safer than out there.”
- The pitch to keep Emma Watson inside: whatever danger the house holds, it beats the chaos outside, so she should stay.
- “Whoever pulls the burnt match has to go get the water.”
- The rule for choosing who leaves: draw from the matches, and the person stuck with the burnt one does the dangerous errand.
- “Yeah. We'll try, man, but you're pretty heavy.”
- The honest non-promise: they'll make an effort to pull him back, but they also can't guarantee it because of his size.
- “No, I mean, I'm saying I just don't think it's smart to make any guarantees. Fuck no.”
- The refusal to promise outright: guaranteeing a rescue would be foolish, so he won't — even if it's what his friend wants to hear.
Theme
- Survival — Water runs short, someone has to leave the house on a rope, and the group has to decide who risks it.
- Trust — Asked for a guarantee that they'll pull him back, the others refuse to promise, leaving him to go on 'we'll try.'
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level3/7
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“Whoever pulls the burnt match has to go get the water.”
Why it's great
The whoever clause makes the rule feel fair and impossible to argue with.
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Informal
Use it yourself
Whoever arrives last has to buy the coffee.
“Yeah. We'll try, man, but you're pretty heavy.”
Why it's great
He agrees to help and immediately lists the reason it might fail.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
We'll try to lift it, but that thing is heavy.
“No, I mean, I'm saying I just don't think it's smart to make any guarantees. Fuck no.”
Why it's great
He dresses a refusal as careful reasoning, then a curse drops the mask.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I just don't think it's smart to promise a date yet.
Up next · 14so close but so farThe scene: Something Outside the HouseTakeaways
What you walk away with- Best two out of three means first to two rounds
- Make any guarantees refuses a firm promise
- Go ahead invites someone to start
- A lot safer means much safer
People also search
Questions, then the linesHow do they decide who fetches the water?
They draw matches: whoever pulls the burnt match has to go. Craig draws it, so he heads to the basement door on the side of the house, tied to a rope.
Why won't the others promise to pull him back?
They say it wouldn't be smart to make any guarantees, and admit he's heavy to haul. They offer only 'we'll do our best,' which he isn't happy about.
What are they doing with Emma Watson?
Before the match-drawing, they try to take her drinks; Franco refuses to shoot her, and someone offers her a safer place to stay instead of going back outside.
What is 'the house bitch'?
It's the insult for the person stuck doing everyone's chores, used of whoever loses the draw. It's crude, and the scene plays it as a joke about who ends up powerless.
Does the plan work?
He gets out the door on the rope, but outside is thick with smoke — 'Smoky as fuck out here' — so the errand is clearly dangerous, and the group is left hoping he makes it.