Please Respond (2023) Movie Script
1
(warm synth music)
(dark music)
(distant gun fires)
(eerie tones)
(dark music continues)
This is the third one tonight.
What the fuck is going on?
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
I'm starting to think the
whole world's just gone crazy.
Things ain't right anymore.
(eerie music)
Never have been.
"Respond."
Who needs to respond to him?
Maybe us.
I doubt this guy wants a
couple of pigs responding to him.
Why post a video of his
suicide, but do it off camera?
[Howard] Maybe he's being dramatic.
Dramatic?
They didn't show the money shot.
I don't know what you
want me to say, man.
He's a fucking nut. End of story.
I don't need you to say anything.
Listen.
Nothing else here points to it being
anything other than a suicide.
I can clearly see what
everything points to.
Something's still off here.
[Howard] Like I said. He was in nut job.
Stop looking so damn hard.
Anyone can find flaws,
if they do that enough.
I'm not looking too hard.
I'm doing my job.
(door creaks)
(eerie music continues)
[Howard] What do you reckon that means?
The others didn't have that phrase.
I don't know, but there's
seven words in that sentence
and then "please respond"
is written seven times.
I doubt that's a coincidence.
"Engage le jeu."
What in the world?
It's French.
Might as well be speaking in tongues.
Three suicides. All of
them on video, off screen.
With the "please respond" ending.
It looks serial to me.
[Dispatcher] We've got
another 10-56 on Lon Lane
across from Krah.
Please respond.
There's no rest for the wicked.
Let's go.
(crickets chirp)
(dark piano music)
(door closes)
[Howard] Can we go now?
[Edgar] Can I finish smoking?
(crickets chirp)
(dark music continues)
[Howard] Finally.
[Edgar] Shut up.
(car door slams)
(car door slams)
(car starts)
(engine revs)
[Dispatcher] 4-82.
(muffled police radio chatter)
[Howard] I bet this is another one.
Yeah.
Match the pattern of the evening.
Why tonight of all nights, though?
Doesn't it seem weird to
you that all these kids are
offing themselves simultaneously?
[Howard] It's probably
some weird internet fad shit.
Kids will do anything for attention.
It's too convenient to be a fad.
These kids don't have any
connections with each other other,
than making the videos.
Then they die off screen, but
then come back into frame?
It's just done in editing.
They probably filmed the whole thing
before actually committing the act,
just to give their death
a dash of creativity.
[Edgar] All that, for a
cleverly edited suicide?
[Howard] Why not?
[Edgar] 'Cause that's ridiculous.
[Howard] (laughs) Oh, yeah.
That's the most ridiculous
part of all of this.
[Dispatcher] That's correct.
Apparently a newer model station wagon.
(handbrake clicks)
(keys clink)
Bram and Maitlin at the 10-56. Over.
[Howard] Can you open
the glove compartment?
Jesus. You're a fiend.
I need it.
You need an insulin shot.
(car doors slam)
(crickets chirp)
(door closes)
(Edgar sighs)
Well, this makes four now.
Thanks, Voyant. Didn't
realize I forgot how to count.
Where are the parents?
They're outta town.
They found her.
[Edgar] That's great.
But this one's different.
Yeah. In what way?
It's still a video, but
they didn't shoot themselves.
It was done with a knife.
What kind of masochist
wants to take their own life,
but die slowly?
You're still assuming
they did it themselves.
No. The coroner just said they did.
Just like all the others.
The wounds are
consistent with self harm,
but the way they're holding the knife
is the only thing that seems off.
I mean, look at this.
She's holding the knife, blade-side-out.
As if to cut or stab someone.
Not blade-side-in, like she would,
if she was gonna cut her own throat.
Maybe it could've
shifted as she collapsed.
Yeah, but that's like
playing golf as a rightie,
using left-handed clubs.
I mean, you get the same result
and you still hit the ball,
but it doesn't make any fucking sense.
[Voyant] Look, I agree
it doesn't make any sense,
but I cannot confidently say
there was an outside influence here.
No forced entry.
No other implications of
another party being involved.
It is another suicide
by rational standards.
Exactly. Why are we even
looking into this shit?
They're cut and dry. Literally.
[Edgar] If it was cut and dry,
I wouldn't have any questions.
[Howard] You always have questions.
You know what curiosity did to the cat?
Yeah, well, at least he died
knowing a little bit
more than the rest of us.
They're still dead, smart ass!
I'm calling this. I'm calling it a night.
I am starving. Please,
let's go get some food.
Fine.
We can check back up on this.
I need a cigarette.
(footsteps clack)
(door closes)
(keys clink)
(case clicks)
(lighter flicks)
(suspenseful music)
(flashlight clicks)
(eerie tones)
(suspenseful music continues)
Can we go?
Can we please go?
(footsteps clack)
(dark music)
Really wish you fucking cared.
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(coffee trickles)
[Waiter] There you go, guys.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
This place is dead, this time of night.
Among other things.
[Howard] Look at you, I
never thought I'd see you
get a sense of humor in my lifetime.
You won't see that in your lifetime.
"Engage le jeu que"... (sighs)
What an odd saying.
Just look it up already,
before you give yourself
a brain aneurysm trying to decipher it.
The internet exists for a reason.
(phone clacks)
I already did, wise guy.
It means, "Start the game, so I may win."
[Howard] What the hell
kind of demented game
encourages an outcome like suicide?
I mean, like, Bloody Mary?
[Howard] Do they die?
I think you're supposed
to take your eyes out.
Or what about, like, Russian roulette?
[Howard] People typically
play that against their will.
I'm sure there's some
voluntary participants.
I'm looking at the phrase itself.
(pen scrapes)
Why in French?
Probably 'cause it sounds
cool. Who the fuck knows, man?
(case clacks)
Look at this.
I'm busy.
It's a palindrome.
(hand thuds)
You're inside.
Go outside if you need.
I'm sorry. It's just, look at the words.
The specific letters.
It's the same thing left-to-right
as it is right-to-left.
Doesn't mean anything.
Some wannabe clever kids
thought they were being cute.
No.
No, it's something much more than that.
Come on, man. We gotta go.
- I'm not done eating yet!
- Now!
Pay the man. Let's go.
(case thuds)
(Howard clears his throat)
[Howard] All right.
So, where are we going?
Your place or the station?
[Edgar] The station.
- Station?
- Yeah.
[Dispatcher] 9-21.
(muffled police radio chatter)
[Howard] Why you gotta do that?
[Edgar] Helps me think better.
(muffled police radio chatter)
I think you're overthinking it.
It's all over the place right now.
We got the first girl.
Falls down the stairs in
the abandoned building
where fuckin' tweakers hang out.
Then we got the second guy.
Drowns himself in the bathtub.
It's impossible to drown
yourself like that.
Then we got our boy in the beanie.
Shoots himself directly in the head.
Not through the side. Not under the chin.
Directly in the head.
He's the first one to leave
us that weird fuckin' phrase.
And then we got quatro.
Slices her own throat, with
the knife pointed outward.
You can't slice your throat like that.
It doesn't make any sense right now.
It's not as improbable as
you're making it out to be.
People die in weird
ways, every single day.
[Howard] And it's our
job to make it probable.
It's our job to do our job.
And I'm doing mine. How about you?
[Howard] I'm putting in the
adequate amount of effort.
[Edgar] Nothing seems
off about this to you?
Not even a little bit?
Look, man.
If you wanna bury yourself
in paperwork, go ahead.
But I reserve the right not to join you.
Well, you're with me,
whether you reserve the right or not.
Partner.
Don't temp me.
I need answers, man.
What came first? The chicken or the egg?
I don't like chickens.
They don't think.
It doesn't matter.
There is no right or wrong answer. Okay?
It's just perspective.
Oh!
Oh!
I get it. You're making a point!
How'd I do?
I think you just like making excuses
for not giving a damn.
I can give a damn!
Look.
Damn.
There you go.
(radio static crackles)
Let's just go back to the station.
We got work to do.
(muffled police radio chatter)
(radio static crackles)
(muffled clunks on car)
(muffled police radio chatter)
The fuck was that?
Thumped into our fuckin' car.
(car doors slam)
Jesus Christ. Where did that come from?
I think we just found numero cinco.
(door opens)
Don't
touch a fuckin' thing.
[Howard] Guess they're
getting creative with these.
(flashlight clicks)
(Edgar sighs)
(door closes)
How'd he fall?
You're right. It's another one.
No forced entry.
Nothing out of place.
Young.
Just like all the others.
What part of the puzzle am I missing here?
- He took a plunge.
- That's new.
[Howard] So's the dent
in the top of the car.
[Edgar] That's the least of my worries.
(distant traffic hums)
(distant horns honk)
[Howard] More parents to notify.
That's great.
Glad I don't gotta do it.
(chair scrapes)
[Edgar] No sounds in that video.
Not even a scream.
[Howard] Maybe he did on
purpose so there was no scream.
Or maybe he got scared. Got
the wind knocked out of him.
Didn't have time to scream.
[Howard] Overthink much?
Not enough, actually.
[Howard] I think we
need to call this in.
[Edgar] Not yet. I need a lead.
There is no lead.
(door thuds)
(keys clink)
(Howard sighs)
(chair scrapes)
(object slams)
(drawer clacks)
(hand thumps)
(Edgar chuckles)
(distant horn honks)
Ah. So he was an upstanding uptown boy.
Classic.
And guess who sold it to him.
[Howard] Is it who I think it is?
[Edgar] Our unofficially licensed
pharmacists of the region.
So, you're high as a kite,
you view the video trend that
all the other kids are doing,
something happens and
you fall to your death.
We know what fucking happened.
He jumped and landed on my fucking car!
[Edgar] Stop being dramatic.
It's not like you drive a fucking Audi.
- Are you gonna pay for it?
- (chuckles) God, no.
We have our lead.
Let's go see if he knows
something that we don't.
[Howard] I highly doubt that.
(Howard sighs)
(door slams)
(engine hums)
(car door slams)
Festive.
S'up, scumbag? You all right
to talk to us for a minute?
Don't do it.
(Edgar whistles)
Go around. Try to cut him off.
(car door slams)
(car starts)
(engine revs)
Stop right now!
Fuck off, pig!
Howard!
Stop, man. We just have questions.
(Edgar pants)
Oh, my flashlight went out.
It sounds like he's trying to go north,
towards the empty lot.
Try to cut him off.
Got it.
(engine hums)
(hand slaps)
(Edgar pants)
(Edgar pants)
(engine hums)
Stop!
Fuck.
You're done, you bastard.
(Edgar pants)
Don't make me run.
Don't ever make me run.
Jesus. I need a cigarette.
Seriously? You sound out of breath.
Humidity. The weather.
[Howard] (chuckles) Okay.
What's that?
[Dealer] I don't know. You tell me.
All right, wise guy.
That's it.
(car door slams)
(car doors slam)
So, let's have a talk.
[Dealer] (spits) Fuck off.
Don't spit in the car.
(Edgar chuckles)
We found your address at a
kid's house who was found dead.
You wanna explain yourself?
[Dealer] And? Big fuckin' deal.
Then why run?
[Dealer] I saw a chance and I took it.
I've outrun y'all before.
Might as well try to do it again.
Get away from you bastards.
[Edgar] Yeah, it
worked out great for ya.
[Dealer] Fuck off.
Look. I'm tired of hearing
you waste your breath.
So, how about he bust a rib
and make it harder for you?
You can't do that.
Why not?
Who's to say it didn't
happen when I tackled you
to the ground for running?
All you fuckin' pigs are dirty.
Just tell us what we want to know,
so you can go back to
your miserable existence,
and we can go back to ours.
Come on, man. What do
you know about this kid?
[Dealer] Fine.
A kid that I've never seen before
showed up to buy some stuff.
They didn't stay long, though.
Why not?
[Dealer] I don't...
They were off, and not tweaker
off. It was mentally off.
They started rambling about something
in a different language
and it was creepy as fuck.
So, I told 'em to get the
outta here after I sold to 'em.
Did they say anything else?
Something about desperation,
rituals and words,
and that it needed to be filmed.
I don't know about you guys,
but that's not the kind
of company I like to keep.
No, of course not. You
just sell legal substances.
And now you're being arrested for it.
[Dealer] What? (sighs)
I told you what you needed
to know. I should be let off.
No. You made me run.
And you admitted selling.
[Dealer] You've gotta be shittin' me.
[Edgar] You recognize that?
[Dealer] "Engage le jeu"...
That sound...
That looks like that
weird the kid was sayin'.
[Edgar] Yeah, that's what I thought.
(car door opens)
(car bleeps rhythmically)
(car door slams)
(car lock clicks)
Time to go downtown.
I think that's all we need. Thanks.
(engine hums)
(car door slams)
(engine revs)
(dark synth music)
(dark synth music continues)
Desperation, rituals,
and recording themselves?
[Howard] I know what you're thinking.
Don't go down that rabbit hole.
You don't know what I'm thinking.
You're thinking that
the (indistinct) case
sounds like the occult,
and that the suicides are more than that.
No.
I'm thinking about how
good this cigarette tastes.
Bullshit.
Also, no, no, no. Not the occult.
It's a ritual with specific words.
No, no, no.
We have the words!
We have the crime scenes.
We have the recordings.
This doesn't change my stance
on these kids being fucking nut jobs.
And they could've been nut jobs.
But just because they were
doesn't mean they were nut
jobs that killed themselves.
Please.
Stop with the serial theory.
All roads lead to that, in my mind.
Same setup, same calling cards.
Just different ways of dying.
Look, man. Let's take the
dealer as a win, all right?
We got him off the streets.
It doesn't matter, though.
There's gonna be other dealers.
He's gonna get out. I highly
doubt he'll be reformed.
He told us that he genuinely thought
something was off with that kid.
That tells me something happened.
I'm gonna smoke one more before we leave.
(case clacks)
(lighter flicks)
You know smoking is bad for you?
(plastic bag rustles)
You know sodium's bad for you?
(Howard scoffs)
I don't care.
Alive and breathin'.
It appears so.
Hello, sir.
[Chief] Hello, my boy.
How's the investigation?
Yeah, um...
We actually, um, booked
a pharmacist, finally.
Yeah. It's going good.
[Chief] You don't have
to create a sound bite
for me, my boy.
I'm not a press conference.
Well, he gave us a
little bit of information,
but not that much.
[Chief] Well, there could
always be other things in play.
Sometimes, some things aren't
meant to be understood.
You understand?
What do you mean, sir?
[Chief] We're all insects,
scurrying around the same tiny rock.
Don't worry so much.
We're having to pull the videos down.
I'm...
I'm not following.
[Chief] The last thing
we need is something
more sinister than that
for that headlines.
It's not the end of the world, Detective.
I'll leave you with this.
When was the last time you thought about
the death of an insect?
Thank you, sir.
(phone bleeps)
(distant traffic hums)
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(door slams)
(ominous music)
(gun cocks)
(gun fires)
(Edgar pants)
(Edgar sighs)
Something's wrong here.
Why isn't this case gonna be solved?
It's almost sunrise.
Just let it go, man.
I still feel like
there's something here.
Someone who's responsible.
Someone to blame.
To stop.
You can't stop kids
for wanting attention.
[Edgar] People don't
commit suicide for attention.
(Howard sighs)
Why don't you just go look
at the back of your eyelids
for a while?
[Edgar] I'll sleep when I'm dead.
One of us has to solve this case.
(car door opens)
What's that supposed to mean?
You wanna get into this right now?
Into what? You got something to say?
(car door slams)
Go on, say it.
[Edgar] Why'd you wanna be a detective?
Gets me out of the house. A job's a job.
You've done absolutely
nothing for this case, Howard.
I mean, you can't even
stand to be on a crime scene
for more than a couple of minutes.
Because I see it as it is!
And honestly, I think you're
blowing this whole case
into something that is not.
Pig. Literal fucking pig.
I mean, you got the fuckin'
chocolate bars in the glove box.
Like, are you serious, man?
How long have I known you?
How long have we worked together?
And I have to do the
legwork, every fucking time.
I'm not like you, man!
- No, you're not like me!
- Okay?
'Cause if you were, we would've
already solved this case.
You know I used to wanna
be a private investigator?
[Howard] No. I didn't know that.
Yeah.
Had the dream, you know?
I wanted to have an office downtown.
Secretary.
The whole thing.
Solving cases for people.
Not
police chiefs.
[Howard] Yeah? And why didn't you do it?
Decided I wanted to
be a part of something?
Join a group of guys that
would always have each other's backs?
Thought that seemed a lot nicer.
Now, I'm here, and seeing
it from the inside out.
We're worse than the fucking crooks.
And I went down this path,
all because I wanted to be
a part of something larger.
Just like these victims.
They wanna say they did it.
They wanna say that they
beat "please respond"
so they can get more likes,
more love, more clicks.
They want to be a part
of something bigger.
[Howard] Again, man.
They're killing themselves.
How are we supposed to stop that?
[Edgar] Look past the obvious!
Something else is happening here.
[Howard] Why can't you let it go?
That's the problem here.
Just let it fucking go!
A slew of suicides, inspired
by some moron on the internet.
Sure, we might be missing
a piece of the puzzle,
but we can assume what the
rest of the picture is.
[Edgar] All the cases we've solved.
So simple.
Motivation, cause of death, prime suspect.
Easy. So fucking easy, but this?
This is the one, and we can solve it,
if you just work with me, man.
Someone puts a puzzle down in front of me,
I don't get up until it's fuckin' solved.
[Howard] Not everything is
a puzzle that you can solve.
(Howard sighs)
But...
I'll try.
I'll try to help.
And...
I'm sorry
for not getting it.
[Edgar] Thank you.
I think, um...
I think, after this, I'm done.
I think I'm gonna quit.
Go back to
chasing that dream.
(car door opens)
Hey.
You think I can join you?
(Edgar chuckles)
Let's solve this case first. (chuckles)
(car door slams)
(car starts)
(door closes)
(lock clicks)
(fridge door slams)
(milk splashes)
(glass clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(folder slams)
(laptop clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(button clicks)
Evelyn Rodriguez.
Benjamin Baruli.
Mia Carter.
Juan Blanc.
Tristan Watkins.
Who killed you?
(button clicks)
(button clicks)
"What is the meaning when
people say, 'please respond'?"
When we respond, we
evaluate with a calm mind
and do whatever is most appropriate.
We are in control of our action.
When we react, we're still doing
what the other person wants us to do.
For example, there was
once a newspaper vendor
who had a rude customer.
Every morning, the customer would walk by,
refuse to return the greeting,
grab the paper off the shelf,
and throw the money at the vendor.
The vendor would pick up
the money, smile politely,
and say, 'Thank you, sir.'
One day, when the vendor's
assistant asked him,
'Why are you always polite with him
when he's so rude to you?
Why don't you throw your newspaper at him
when he comes tomorrow?'
The vendor smiled and replied,
'He can't help being rude and
I can't help being polite.
"Why should I let his rude
behavior dictate my politeness?'"
(buttons clicks)
(dark rhythmic music)
(Edgar sighs)
(dark synth music)
(folder slams)
(keyboard clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(laptop lid slams)
"Please respond. Please respond."
(tape whirs)
(button clicks)
(dark music continues)
(Edgar sighs)
(case clacks)
(case clicks)
Welcome back today, guys.
Here's another short video.
Cursed games you should
never play, part three.
Please Respond.
Please Respond as a game
where all you need is a pen,
a paper, and a camera.
You write the phrase "please
respond" on the piece of paper,
turn on the camera.
You then walk into a dimly
lit room with the camera
and say, "please respond" seven times.
Supposedly, an entity or a vision of sorts
comes and kills the player.
Before disappearing, no one actually knows
or has any idea what it looks like,
due to no one ever surviving.
There are a few common names online
that have supposedly
survived Please Respond
but they won't release the footage, so,
who are we to ever know
what is right or wrong?
Thanks for watching again, guys.
If you want to hit the
like and subscribe button,
it helps me out a ton.
Comment as well. Helps the algorithm.
I'll see you next time.
(button clicks)
(dark music)
(door slams)
(lighter flicks)
(laptop lid clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(phone vibrates)
(phone vibrates)
(Edgar sighs)
(ominous synth music)
(door slams)
I just don't get it.
I don't think we're meant to get it.
You said it.
Come with me.
(door creaks)
(door closes)
All right, so here's the deal.
I don't know what you guys have got.
(car approaches)
What the hell is this?
You told him?
I, I thought he should know.
Shit.
(car door opens)
(car door slams)
(footsteps approach)
It was single gunshot wound to the head.
Cause of death was most likely the same.
Thanks.
I can manage from here.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I'm Tomas Kafka and I know.
I've done a lot of work here.
I know who you are.
I could care less right now.
This is my partner.
This is my case.
You have a good rest, partner.
I could use the same.
What're you doing here, man?
What I damn well please.
You need to leave.
This doesn't need to be more
difficult than it already is.
"Difficult"?
How would you know how
fuckin' difficult this is?
The fuck outta here, trying
to tell me what I need to do
and what's best right now.
Go ahead. Give me a sympathy card.
Play the world's smallest fuckin' violin.
My partner is dead.
Can you leave me the fuck alone?
Look, I lost my partner
too. Shot in the line of duty.
That's why I'm here by myself today,
'cause I haven't been assigned a new one.
Stop acting like the
world revolves around you.
I'm sorry for your loss, but fuck off.
I'm trying to solve a case here.
This doesn't need to
be this complicated.
[Edgar] I'm trying to simplify it.
[Tomas] You're not simplifying anything.
You're just getting in my way.
Let me guess. You
gonna rule it a suicide?
There's no forced entry, Edgar.
Only his fingerprints are on
anything in the house, so far,
and he made a video,
just like all the others.
Look, I'm gonna rule it as I see fit.
And right now, that's what fits.
Why would he take his own life?
You know that's suspect.
Check his pantry.
I know his fat ass just
about enough junk food
to last him two weeks.
What? Do you have a theory, Detective?
I'm all ears.
Don't ask me to give a name to something
that doesn't have one.
It's these videos.
It's Please Respond.
It, it's something else.
You're too far gone. You're so far out.
You can't even see the shoreline anymore.
I see what I need to see.
Get out.
No.
I've been working on this case, not you.
Mate, you're outta line. Get out.
This is a conflict of interest for you.
You've got to go and you can either leave,
or be on suspension, that's up to you.
I'm not leaving.
Would you rather me
stamp a termination letter?
All right, fuck it! I quit.
Don't be a child.
(door slams)
(door slams)
(Tomas sighs)
[Voyant] Edgar, come
on, man. Eat something.
- What is this?
- It's chicken.
(door slams)
Voyant.
Why don't you head inside?
Need to talk to Maitlin.
(door slams)
(footsteps approach)
Your partner had no family.
He inherited a trust and
lived lavishly on it.
Why would he work for the force?
Go bark up another tree.
I'm not doing this shit.
I'm just doing my job.
No. You're going through the motions.
I'm asking questions.
Like why would he take his own life,
with no one to inherit the trust?
You know...
I keep trying to quit,
but for some reason, there's
always a reason not to.
(sighs) Yeah, we're in agreement there.
I guess.
Look. I'm not trying to
step on your toes here.
I know what you're going
through, in one way or another.
Then don't get involved.
You know I can't do that.
That's not up to me. You know that, too.
Yeah. Just following orders, right?
That's the job.
(Edgar chuckles)
I've already asked Voyant
for all the paperwork on
everything you and your partner
have already investigated.
I can handle this from here.
That doesn't change a thing.
This isn't procedural.
I don't care what I have to do,
but I'm gonna get to the bottom of this,
whether I work for this
fuckin' department or not.
You're just too close to it.
And that's why I'll solve it.
It's not detachment that helps
solves cases. It's angst.
It's that feeling in your
chest that makes you just wanna
fix everything wrong with the world.
That's what solves cases.
And I'm gonna get to
the bottom of this one.
We're not repairmen here.
We're janitors.
We just clean up the pieces
of whatever wreckage we find that day,
and if we're lucky, we find out
what broke it in the first place.
Jesus. You sound like Howard.
How do you live, being so fuckin' cynical?
I live in a vacuum. We all do.
I don't hold my breath on hope.
(chuckles) You're such a cop-out, man.
Like, are you serious?
What do you need?
What are you looking for here?
Answers.
Hell, the truth.
Someone has to care about this case.
It's not...
It's not suicides.
And you're gonna rule it to suicide,
and go onto the next fuckin' thing.
But that's not what this is.
You really think there's
closure in this business?
I think there is, if
we do our job right.
The truth, closure, and
everything in between,
it's just an added bonus, if we find it.
You're missing the point.
The truth is not a bonus.
That's why we do our job.
That's what we're working for.
And I'm gonna do everything
I can for this case
to try to figure that out.
Just remember, whatever
truth comes to light,
that's something that
you have to sit with.
Whether you like it or not,
you're the one who has to
look in the mirror at
night and live with that.
I'll manage.
You're arrogant.
If arrogance is what
helps me solve this case,
then that's a compliment to me.
It helps me.
Well, let me know how
that works out for you.
When all this is said
and done, you'll see.
(footsteps recede)
(dark music)
(door slams)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(door chimes)
(lock clicks)
(door creaks)
(door closes)
(suspenseful music)
(eerie music)
(door clacks)
(knocks on door)
(knocks on door)
(door clacks)
(eerie music continues)
(knocks on door)
(door clacks)
(crickets chirp)
(knocks on door)
(knocks on door)
(eerie music continues)
(footsteps approach)
(eerie music continues)
(Edgar groans)
(lighter flicks)
(lighter clacks)
(phone thuds)
(liquor trickles)
(Edgar gulps)
(Edgar sighs)
(Edgar breathes heavily)
Why did you do it?
(tape recorder clacks)
What am I missing?
Letters.
Letters, check. Words, check.
Video, check. "Respond".
Respond to fuckin' what?
How'd you do it, Howard?
(radio bleeps)
[Dispatcher] We've got
a 2-45 at Lester's Church.
A boy tried to kill a preacher
out an act of desperation.
He thought was damned to hell?
(Edgar sighs)
(button clicks)
Desperation.
Desperation.
Each one of these victims
was desperate for something.
Desperate.
Kids.
Desperate for attention.
You don't kill yourself for attention.
I knew it, I knew it. No fucking point.
(Edgar sighs)
"Engage le jeu que
je gagne"?
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
What the fuck?
(Edgar sighs)
See? It doesn't work.
(Edgar sighs)
I knew it. (chuckles)
I fucking knew it.
(ominous music)
(Edgar scoffs)
(Edgar scoffs)
Kill yourself to win.
All of 'em.
It's been you.
Well, I've started the game
and you're not gonna win this time.
Kill yourself to win.
That's how you did it.
You sneaky bastard. That's how you did it.
You tricked them.
You tricked them all
into killing themselves.
Kill yourself to win.
But did you alter the crime scenes,
to make it look like they
didn't do it to themselves?
(button clicks)
Kill yourself to win.
All right.
Let's do it.
(ominous music continues)
(liquor trickles)
That's what you want.
That's what you want.
It's all just some fuckin' mind game.
"Kill yourself to win."
Well, you're me, aren't you?
Right?
(chuckles) Is that what I need to do?
This is what needs to be done. (chuckles)
Right?
That's how I win.
(Edgar chuckles)
Then so be it.
(gun clicks)
(bullet clacks)
(bullet clacks)
One for each victim.
From each person that you've taken.
(bullet clacks)
This one's for Howard.
(gun clicks)
(Edgar breathes heavily)
(gun cocks)
(Edgar breathes heavily)
(ominous music continues)
(Edgar pants)
(gun rattles)
(gun fires)
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
[Voyant] He's been dead for
12 to 24 hours, give or take.
I won't know for sure, until
we get him back to the lab.
[Tomas] Damn it, Maitland.
Why'd you have to pull this shit?
He died the same way as Howard.
(Tomas sighs)
(Tomas mumbles)
Sorry. Trying to quit.
Good. You'll live longer.
Who said I wanted that?
So, let me guess.
No forced entry. No other fingerprints.
The usual nada?
Yep. (sighs)
(Tomas sighs)
Fantastic.
(Voyant sighs)
[Voyant] I think Howard
sent him to the edge.
Yeah, and the booze sent him over it.
Straight into oblivion.
The whole world's gone mad.
It's always been mad.
It's just people have to
pay attention to it now,
'cause they see more of it.
You know, speaking of mad.
I had a dream the other night
and it just made me think
about the fact that humans are
the only self-aware creatures
on this planet.
I mean, an animal could have
a dream or a hallucination
and not even be able to distinguish it
from their own reality, whereas
humans overthink everything
and we have to create these
rational boundaries just to
make sure that we don't
lose our minds in it.
I don't know if anything was ever right,
or just a marble,
in a sea of black.
What?
Nothin'.
It was nothin'.
I need a cigarette.
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(warm synth music)
(dark music)
(distant gun fires)
(eerie tones)
(dark music continues)
This is the third one tonight.
What the fuck is going on?
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
I'm starting to think the
whole world's just gone crazy.
Things ain't right anymore.
(eerie music)
Never have been.
"Respond."
Who needs to respond to him?
Maybe us.
I doubt this guy wants a
couple of pigs responding to him.
Why post a video of his
suicide, but do it off camera?
[Howard] Maybe he's being dramatic.
Dramatic?
They didn't show the money shot.
I don't know what you
want me to say, man.
He's a fucking nut. End of story.
I don't need you to say anything.
Listen.
Nothing else here points to it being
anything other than a suicide.
I can clearly see what
everything points to.
Something's still off here.
[Howard] Like I said. He was in nut job.
Stop looking so damn hard.
Anyone can find flaws,
if they do that enough.
I'm not looking too hard.
I'm doing my job.
(door creaks)
(eerie music continues)
[Howard] What do you reckon that means?
The others didn't have that phrase.
I don't know, but there's
seven words in that sentence
and then "please respond"
is written seven times.
I doubt that's a coincidence.
"Engage le jeu."
What in the world?
It's French.
Might as well be speaking in tongues.
Three suicides. All of
them on video, off screen.
With the "please respond" ending.
It looks serial to me.
[Dispatcher] We've got
another 10-56 on Lon Lane
across from Krah.
Please respond.
There's no rest for the wicked.
Let's go.
(crickets chirp)
(dark piano music)
(door closes)
[Howard] Can we go now?
[Edgar] Can I finish smoking?
(crickets chirp)
(dark music continues)
[Howard] Finally.
[Edgar] Shut up.
(car door slams)
(car door slams)
(car starts)
(engine revs)
[Dispatcher] 4-82.
(muffled police radio chatter)
[Howard] I bet this is another one.
Yeah.
Match the pattern of the evening.
Why tonight of all nights, though?
Doesn't it seem weird to
you that all these kids are
offing themselves simultaneously?
[Howard] It's probably
some weird internet fad shit.
Kids will do anything for attention.
It's too convenient to be a fad.
These kids don't have any
connections with each other other,
than making the videos.
Then they die off screen, but
then come back into frame?
It's just done in editing.
They probably filmed the whole thing
before actually committing the act,
just to give their death
a dash of creativity.
[Edgar] All that, for a
cleverly edited suicide?
[Howard] Why not?
[Edgar] 'Cause that's ridiculous.
[Howard] (laughs) Oh, yeah.
That's the most ridiculous
part of all of this.
[Dispatcher] That's correct.
Apparently a newer model station wagon.
(handbrake clicks)
(keys clink)
Bram and Maitlin at the 10-56. Over.
[Howard] Can you open
the glove compartment?
Jesus. You're a fiend.
I need it.
You need an insulin shot.
(car doors slam)
(crickets chirp)
(door closes)
(Edgar sighs)
Well, this makes four now.
Thanks, Voyant. Didn't
realize I forgot how to count.
Where are the parents?
They're outta town.
They found her.
[Edgar] That's great.
But this one's different.
Yeah. In what way?
It's still a video, but
they didn't shoot themselves.
It was done with a knife.
What kind of masochist
wants to take their own life,
but die slowly?
You're still assuming
they did it themselves.
No. The coroner just said they did.
Just like all the others.
The wounds are
consistent with self harm,
but the way they're holding the knife
is the only thing that seems off.
I mean, look at this.
She's holding the knife, blade-side-out.
As if to cut or stab someone.
Not blade-side-in, like she would,
if she was gonna cut her own throat.
Maybe it could've
shifted as she collapsed.
Yeah, but that's like
playing golf as a rightie,
using left-handed clubs.
I mean, you get the same result
and you still hit the ball,
but it doesn't make any fucking sense.
[Voyant] Look, I agree
it doesn't make any sense,
but I cannot confidently say
there was an outside influence here.
No forced entry.
No other implications of
another party being involved.
It is another suicide
by rational standards.
Exactly. Why are we even
looking into this shit?
They're cut and dry. Literally.
[Edgar] If it was cut and dry,
I wouldn't have any questions.
[Howard] You always have questions.
You know what curiosity did to the cat?
Yeah, well, at least he died
knowing a little bit
more than the rest of us.
They're still dead, smart ass!
I'm calling this. I'm calling it a night.
I am starving. Please,
let's go get some food.
Fine.
We can check back up on this.
I need a cigarette.
(footsteps clack)
(door closes)
(keys clink)
(case clicks)
(lighter flicks)
(suspenseful music)
(flashlight clicks)
(eerie tones)
(suspenseful music continues)
Can we go?
Can we please go?
(footsteps clack)
(dark music)
Really wish you fucking cared.
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(coffee trickles)
[Waiter] There you go, guys.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
This place is dead, this time of night.
Among other things.
[Howard] Look at you, I
never thought I'd see you
get a sense of humor in my lifetime.
You won't see that in your lifetime.
"Engage le jeu que"... (sighs)
What an odd saying.
Just look it up already,
before you give yourself
a brain aneurysm trying to decipher it.
The internet exists for a reason.
(phone clacks)
I already did, wise guy.
It means, "Start the game, so I may win."
[Howard] What the hell
kind of demented game
encourages an outcome like suicide?
I mean, like, Bloody Mary?
[Howard] Do they die?
I think you're supposed
to take your eyes out.
Or what about, like, Russian roulette?
[Howard] People typically
play that against their will.
I'm sure there's some
voluntary participants.
I'm looking at the phrase itself.
(pen scrapes)
Why in French?
Probably 'cause it sounds
cool. Who the fuck knows, man?
(case clacks)
Look at this.
I'm busy.
It's a palindrome.
(hand thuds)
You're inside.
Go outside if you need.
I'm sorry. It's just, look at the words.
The specific letters.
It's the same thing left-to-right
as it is right-to-left.
Doesn't mean anything.
Some wannabe clever kids
thought they were being cute.
No.
No, it's something much more than that.
Come on, man. We gotta go.
- I'm not done eating yet!
- Now!
Pay the man. Let's go.
(case thuds)
(Howard clears his throat)
[Howard] All right.
So, where are we going?
Your place or the station?
[Edgar] The station.
- Station?
- Yeah.
[Dispatcher] 9-21.
(muffled police radio chatter)
[Howard] Why you gotta do that?
[Edgar] Helps me think better.
(muffled police radio chatter)
I think you're overthinking it.
It's all over the place right now.
We got the first girl.
Falls down the stairs in
the abandoned building
where fuckin' tweakers hang out.
Then we got the second guy.
Drowns himself in the bathtub.
It's impossible to drown
yourself like that.
Then we got our boy in the beanie.
Shoots himself directly in the head.
Not through the side. Not under the chin.
Directly in the head.
He's the first one to leave
us that weird fuckin' phrase.
And then we got quatro.
Slices her own throat, with
the knife pointed outward.
You can't slice your throat like that.
It doesn't make any sense right now.
It's not as improbable as
you're making it out to be.
People die in weird
ways, every single day.
[Howard] And it's our
job to make it probable.
It's our job to do our job.
And I'm doing mine. How about you?
[Howard] I'm putting in the
adequate amount of effort.
[Edgar] Nothing seems
off about this to you?
Not even a little bit?
Look, man.
If you wanna bury yourself
in paperwork, go ahead.
But I reserve the right not to join you.
Well, you're with me,
whether you reserve the right or not.
Partner.
Don't temp me.
I need answers, man.
What came first? The chicken or the egg?
I don't like chickens.
They don't think.
It doesn't matter.
There is no right or wrong answer. Okay?
It's just perspective.
Oh!
Oh!
I get it. You're making a point!
How'd I do?
I think you just like making excuses
for not giving a damn.
I can give a damn!
Look.
Damn.
There you go.
(radio static crackles)
Let's just go back to the station.
We got work to do.
(muffled police radio chatter)
(radio static crackles)
(muffled clunks on car)
(muffled police radio chatter)
The fuck was that?
Thumped into our fuckin' car.
(car doors slam)
Jesus Christ. Where did that come from?
I think we just found numero cinco.
(door opens)
Don't
touch a fuckin' thing.
[Howard] Guess they're
getting creative with these.
(flashlight clicks)
(Edgar sighs)
(door closes)
How'd he fall?
You're right. It's another one.
No forced entry.
Nothing out of place.
Young.
Just like all the others.
What part of the puzzle am I missing here?
- He took a plunge.
- That's new.
[Howard] So's the dent
in the top of the car.
[Edgar] That's the least of my worries.
(distant traffic hums)
(distant horns honk)
[Howard] More parents to notify.
That's great.
Glad I don't gotta do it.
(chair scrapes)
[Edgar] No sounds in that video.
Not even a scream.
[Howard] Maybe he did on
purpose so there was no scream.
Or maybe he got scared. Got
the wind knocked out of him.
Didn't have time to scream.
[Howard] Overthink much?
Not enough, actually.
[Howard] I think we
need to call this in.
[Edgar] Not yet. I need a lead.
There is no lead.
(door thuds)
(keys clink)
(Howard sighs)
(chair scrapes)
(object slams)
(drawer clacks)
(hand thumps)
(Edgar chuckles)
(distant horn honks)
Ah. So he was an upstanding uptown boy.
Classic.
And guess who sold it to him.
[Howard] Is it who I think it is?
[Edgar] Our unofficially licensed
pharmacists of the region.
So, you're high as a kite,
you view the video trend that
all the other kids are doing,
something happens and
you fall to your death.
We know what fucking happened.
He jumped and landed on my fucking car!
[Edgar] Stop being dramatic.
It's not like you drive a fucking Audi.
- Are you gonna pay for it?
- (chuckles) God, no.
We have our lead.
Let's go see if he knows
something that we don't.
[Howard] I highly doubt that.
(Howard sighs)
(door slams)
(engine hums)
(car door slams)
Festive.
S'up, scumbag? You all right
to talk to us for a minute?
Don't do it.
(Edgar whistles)
Go around. Try to cut him off.
(car door slams)
(car starts)
(engine revs)
Stop right now!
Fuck off, pig!
Howard!
Stop, man. We just have questions.
(Edgar pants)
Oh, my flashlight went out.
It sounds like he's trying to go north,
towards the empty lot.
Try to cut him off.
Got it.
(engine hums)
(hand slaps)
(Edgar pants)
(Edgar pants)
(engine hums)
Stop!
Fuck.
You're done, you bastard.
(Edgar pants)
Don't make me run.
Don't ever make me run.
Jesus. I need a cigarette.
Seriously? You sound out of breath.
Humidity. The weather.
[Howard] (chuckles) Okay.
What's that?
[Dealer] I don't know. You tell me.
All right, wise guy.
That's it.
(car door slams)
(car doors slam)
So, let's have a talk.
[Dealer] (spits) Fuck off.
Don't spit in the car.
(Edgar chuckles)
We found your address at a
kid's house who was found dead.
You wanna explain yourself?
[Dealer] And? Big fuckin' deal.
Then why run?
[Dealer] I saw a chance and I took it.
I've outrun y'all before.
Might as well try to do it again.
Get away from you bastards.
[Edgar] Yeah, it
worked out great for ya.
[Dealer] Fuck off.
Look. I'm tired of hearing
you waste your breath.
So, how about he bust a rib
and make it harder for you?
You can't do that.
Why not?
Who's to say it didn't
happen when I tackled you
to the ground for running?
All you fuckin' pigs are dirty.
Just tell us what we want to know,
so you can go back to
your miserable existence,
and we can go back to ours.
Come on, man. What do
you know about this kid?
[Dealer] Fine.
A kid that I've never seen before
showed up to buy some stuff.
They didn't stay long, though.
Why not?
[Dealer] I don't...
They were off, and not tweaker
off. It was mentally off.
They started rambling about something
in a different language
and it was creepy as fuck.
So, I told 'em to get the
outta here after I sold to 'em.
Did they say anything else?
Something about desperation,
rituals and words,
and that it needed to be filmed.
I don't know about you guys,
but that's not the kind
of company I like to keep.
No, of course not. You
just sell legal substances.
And now you're being arrested for it.
[Dealer] What? (sighs)
I told you what you needed
to know. I should be let off.
No. You made me run.
And you admitted selling.
[Dealer] You've gotta be shittin' me.
[Edgar] You recognize that?
[Dealer] "Engage le jeu"...
That sound...
That looks like that
weird the kid was sayin'.
[Edgar] Yeah, that's what I thought.
(car door opens)
(car bleeps rhythmically)
(car door slams)
(car lock clicks)
Time to go downtown.
I think that's all we need. Thanks.
(engine hums)
(car door slams)
(engine revs)
(dark synth music)
(dark synth music continues)
Desperation, rituals,
and recording themselves?
[Howard] I know what you're thinking.
Don't go down that rabbit hole.
You don't know what I'm thinking.
You're thinking that
the (indistinct) case
sounds like the occult,
and that the suicides are more than that.
No.
I'm thinking about how
good this cigarette tastes.
Bullshit.
Also, no, no, no. Not the occult.
It's a ritual with specific words.
No, no, no.
We have the words!
We have the crime scenes.
We have the recordings.
This doesn't change my stance
on these kids being fucking nut jobs.
And they could've been nut jobs.
But just because they were
doesn't mean they were nut
jobs that killed themselves.
Please.
Stop with the serial theory.
All roads lead to that, in my mind.
Same setup, same calling cards.
Just different ways of dying.
Look, man. Let's take the
dealer as a win, all right?
We got him off the streets.
It doesn't matter, though.
There's gonna be other dealers.
He's gonna get out. I highly
doubt he'll be reformed.
He told us that he genuinely thought
something was off with that kid.
That tells me something happened.
I'm gonna smoke one more before we leave.
(case clacks)
(lighter flicks)
You know smoking is bad for you?
(plastic bag rustles)
You know sodium's bad for you?
(Howard scoffs)
I don't care.
Alive and breathin'.
It appears so.
Hello, sir.
[Chief] Hello, my boy.
How's the investigation?
Yeah, um...
We actually, um, booked
a pharmacist, finally.
Yeah. It's going good.
[Chief] You don't have
to create a sound bite
for me, my boy.
I'm not a press conference.
Well, he gave us a
little bit of information,
but not that much.
[Chief] Well, there could
always be other things in play.
Sometimes, some things aren't
meant to be understood.
You understand?
What do you mean, sir?
[Chief] We're all insects,
scurrying around the same tiny rock.
Don't worry so much.
We're having to pull the videos down.
I'm...
I'm not following.
[Chief] The last thing
we need is something
more sinister than that
for that headlines.
It's not the end of the world, Detective.
I'll leave you with this.
When was the last time you thought about
the death of an insect?
Thank you, sir.
(phone bleeps)
(distant traffic hums)
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(door slams)
(ominous music)
(gun cocks)
(gun fires)
(Edgar pants)
(Edgar sighs)
Something's wrong here.
Why isn't this case gonna be solved?
It's almost sunrise.
Just let it go, man.
I still feel like
there's something here.
Someone who's responsible.
Someone to blame.
To stop.
You can't stop kids
for wanting attention.
[Edgar] People don't
commit suicide for attention.
(Howard sighs)
Why don't you just go look
at the back of your eyelids
for a while?
[Edgar] I'll sleep when I'm dead.
One of us has to solve this case.
(car door opens)
What's that supposed to mean?
You wanna get into this right now?
Into what? You got something to say?
(car door slams)
Go on, say it.
[Edgar] Why'd you wanna be a detective?
Gets me out of the house. A job's a job.
You've done absolutely
nothing for this case, Howard.
I mean, you can't even
stand to be on a crime scene
for more than a couple of minutes.
Because I see it as it is!
And honestly, I think you're
blowing this whole case
into something that is not.
Pig. Literal fucking pig.
I mean, you got the fuckin'
chocolate bars in the glove box.
Like, are you serious, man?
How long have I known you?
How long have we worked together?
And I have to do the
legwork, every fucking time.
I'm not like you, man!
- No, you're not like me!
- Okay?
'Cause if you were, we would've
already solved this case.
You know I used to wanna
be a private investigator?
[Howard] No. I didn't know that.
Yeah.
Had the dream, you know?
I wanted to have an office downtown.
Secretary.
The whole thing.
Solving cases for people.
Not
police chiefs.
[Howard] Yeah? And why didn't you do it?
Decided I wanted to
be a part of something?
Join a group of guys that
would always have each other's backs?
Thought that seemed a lot nicer.
Now, I'm here, and seeing
it from the inside out.
We're worse than the fucking crooks.
And I went down this path,
all because I wanted to be
a part of something larger.
Just like these victims.
They wanna say they did it.
They wanna say that they
beat "please respond"
so they can get more likes,
more love, more clicks.
They want to be a part
of something bigger.
[Howard] Again, man.
They're killing themselves.
How are we supposed to stop that?
[Edgar] Look past the obvious!
Something else is happening here.
[Howard] Why can't you let it go?
That's the problem here.
Just let it fucking go!
A slew of suicides, inspired
by some moron on the internet.
Sure, we might be missing
a piece of the puzzle,
but we can assume what the
rest of the picture is.
[Edgar] All the cases we've solved.
So simple.
Motivation, cause of death, prime suspect.
Easy. So fucking easy, but this?
This is the one, and we can solve it,
if you just work with me, man.
Someone puts a puzzle down in front of me,
I don't get up until it's fuckin' solved.
[Howard] Not everything is
a puzzle that you can solve.
(Howard sighs)
But...
I'll try.
I'll try to help.
And...
I'm sorry
for not getting it.
[Edgar] Thank you.
I think, um...
I think, after this, I'm done.
I think I'm gonna quit.
Go back to
chasing that dream.
(car door opens)
Hey.
You think I can join you?
(Edgar chuckles)
Let's solve this case first. (chuckles)
(car door slams)
(car starts)
(door closes)
(lock clicks)
(fridge door slams)
(milk splashes)
(glass clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(folder slams)
(laptop clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(button clicks)
Evelyn Rodriguez.
Benjamin Baruli.
Mia Carter.
Juan Blanc.
Tristan Watkins.
Who killed you?
(button clicks)
(button clicks)
"What is the meaning when
people say, 'please respond'?"
When we respond, we
evaluate with a calm mind
and do whatever is most appropriate.
We are in control of our action.
When we react, we're still doing
what the other person wants us to do.
For example, there was
once a newspaper vendor
who had a rude customer.
Every morning, the customer would walk by,
refuse to return the greeting,
grab the paper off the shelf,
and throw the money at the vendor.
The vendor would pick up
the money, smile politely,
and say, 'Thank you, sir.'
One day, when the vendor's
assistant asked him,
'Why are you always polite with him
when he's so rude to you?
Why don't you throw your newspaper at him
when he comes tomorrow?'
The vendor smiled and replied,
'He can't help being rude and
I can't help being polite.
"Why should I let his rude
behavior dictate my politeness?'"
(buttons clicks)
(dark rhythmic music)
(Edgar sighs)
(dark synth music)
(folder slams)
(keyboard clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(laptop lid slams)
"Please respond. Please respond."
(tape whirs)
(button clicks)
(dark music continues)
(Edgar sighs)
(case clacks)
(case clicks)
Welcome back today, guys.
Here's another short video.
Cursed games you should
never play, part three.
Please Respond.
Please Respond as a game
where all you need is a pen,
a paper, and a camera.
You write the phrase "please
respond" on the piece of paper,
turn on the camera.
You then walk into a dimly
lit room with the camera
and say, "please respond" seven times.
Supposedly, an entity or a vision of sorts
comes and kills the player.
Before disappearing, no one actually knows
or has any idea what it looks like,
due to no one ever surviving.
There are a few common names online
that have supposedly
survived Please Respond
but they won't release the footage, so,
who are we to ever know
what is right or wrong?
Thanks for watching again, guys.
If you want to hit the
like and subscribe button,
it helps me out a ton.
Comment as well. Helps the algorithm.
I'll see you next time.
(button clicks)
(dark music)
(door slams)
(lighter flicks)
(laptop lid clacks)
(Edgar sighs)
(phone vibrates)
(phone vibrates)
(Edgar sighs)
(ominous synth music)
(door slams)
I just don't get it.
I don't think we're meant to get it.
You said it.
Come with me.
(door creaks)
(door closes)
All right, so here's the deal.
I don't know what you guys have got.
(car approaches)
What the hell is this?
You told him?
I, I thought he should know.
Shit.
(car door opens)
(car door slams)
(footsteps approach)
It was single gunshot wound to the head.
Cause of death was most likely the same.
Thanks.
I can manage from here.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I'm Tomas Kafka and I know.
I've done a lot of work here.
I know who you are.
I could care less right now.
This is my partner.
This is my case.
You have a good rest, partner.
I could use the same.
What're you doing here, man?
What I damn well please.
You need to leave.
This doesn't need to be more
difficult than it already is.
"Difficult"?
How would you know how
fuckin' difficult this is?
The fuck outta here, trying
to tell me what I need to do
and what's best right now.
Go ahead. Give me a sympathy card.
Play the world's smallest fuckin' violin.
My partner is dead.
Can you leave me the fuck alone?
Look, I lost my partner
too. Shot in the line of duty.
That's why I'm here by myself today,
'cause I haven't been assigned a new one.
Stop acting like the
world revolves around you.
I'm sorry for your loss, but fuck off.
I'm trying to solve a case here.
This doesn't need to
be this complicated.
[Edgar] I'm trying to simplify it.
[Tomas] You're not simplifying anything.
You're just getting in my way.
Let me guess. You
gonna rule it a suicide?
There's no forced entry, Edgar.
Only his fingerprints are on
anything in the house, so far,
and he made a video,
just like all the others.
Look, I'm gonna rule it as I see fit.
And right now, that's what fits.
Why would he take his own life?
You know that's suspect.
Check his pantry.
I know his fat ass just
about enough junk food
to last him two weeks.
What? Do you have a theory, Detective?
I'm all ears.
Don't ask me to give a name to something
that doesn't have one.
It's these videos.
It's Please Respond.
It, it's something else.
You're too far gone. You're so far out.
You can't even see the shoreline anymore.
I see what I need to see.
Get out.
No.
I've been working on this case, not you.
Mate, you're outta line. Get out.
This is a conflict of interest for you.
You've got to go and you can either leave,
or be on suspension, that's up to you.
I'm not leaving.
Would you rather me
stamp a termination letter?
All right, fuck it! I quit.
Don't be a child.
(door slams)
(door slams)
(Tomas sighs)
[Voyant] Edgar, come
on, man. Eat something.
- What is this?
- It's chicken.
(door slams)
Voyant.
Why don't you head inside?
Need to talk to Maitlin.
(door slams)
(footsteps approach)
Your partner had no family.
He inherited a trust and
lived lavishly on it.
Why would he work for the force?
Go bark up another tree.
I'm not doing this shit.
I'm just doing my job.
No. You're going through the motions.
I'm asking questions.
Like why would he take his own life,
with no one to inherit the trust?
You know...
I keep trying to quit,
but for some reason, there's
always a reason not to.
(sighs) Yeah, we're in agreement there.
I guess.
Look. I'm not trying to
step on your toes here.
I know what you're going
through, in one way or another.
Then don't get involved.
You know I can't do that.
That's not up to me. You know that, too.
Yeah. Just following orders, right?
That's the job.
(Edgar chuckles)
I've already asked Voyant
for all the paperwork on
everything you and your partner
have already investigated.
I can handle this from here.
That doesn't change a thing.
This isn't procedural.
I don't care what I have to do,
but I'm gonna get to the bottom of this,
whether I work for this
fuckin' department or not.
You're just too close to it.
And that's why I'll solve it.
It's not detachment that helps
solves cases. It's angst.
It's that feeling in your
chest that makes you just wanna
fix everything wrong with the world.
That's what solves cases.
And I'm gonna get to
the bottom of this one.
We're not repairmen here.
We're janitors.
We just clean up the pieces
of whatever wreckage we find that day,
and if we're lucky, we find out
what broke it in the first place.
Jesus. You sound like Howard.
How do you live, being so fuckin' cynical?
I live in a vacuum. We all do.
I don't hold my breath on hope.
(chuckles) You're such a cop-out, man.
Like, are you serious?
What do you need?
What are you looking for here?
Answers.
Hell, the truth.
Someone has to care about this case.
It's not...
It's not suicides.
And you're gonna rule it to suicide,
and go onto the next fuckin' thing.
But that's not what this is.
You really think there's
closure in this business?
I think there is, if
we do our job right.
The truth, closure, and
everything in between,
it's just an added bonus, if we find it.
You're missing the point.
The truth is not a bonus.
That's why we do our job.
That's what we're working for.
And I'm gonna do everything
I can for this case
to try to figure that out.
Just remember, whatever
truth comes to light,
that's something that
you have to sit with.
Whether you like it or not,
you're the one who has to
look in the mirror at
night and live with that.
I'll manage.
You're arrogant.
If arrogance is what
helps me solve this case,
then that's a compliment to me.
It helps me.
Well, let me know how
that works out for you.
When all this is said
and done, you'll see.
(footsteps recede)
(dark music)
(door slams)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(door chimes)
(lock clicks)
(door creaks)
(door closes)
(suspenseful music)
(eerie music)
(door clacks)
(knocks on door)
(knocks on door)
(door clacks)
(eerie music continues)
(knocks on door)
(door clacks)
(crickets chirp)
(knocks on door)
(knocks on door)
(eerie music continues)
(footsteps approach)
(eerie music continues)
(Edgar groans)
(lighter flicks)
(lighter clacks)
(phone thuds)
(liquor trickles)
(Edgar gulps)
(Edgar sighs)
(Edgar breathes heavily)
Why did you do it?
(tape recorder clacks)
What am I missing?
Letters.
Letters, check. Words, check.
Video, check. "Respond".
Respond to fuckin' what?
How'd you do it, Howard?
(radio bleeps)
[Dispatcher] We've got
a 2-45 at Lester's Church.
A boy tried to kill a preacher
out an act of desperation.
He thought was damned to hell?
(Edgar sighs)
(button clicks)
Desperation.
Desperation.
Each one of these victims
was desperate for something.
Desperate.
Kids.
Desperate for attention.
You don't kill yourself for attention.
I knew it, I knew it. No fucking point.
(Edgar sighs)
"Engage le jeu que
je gagne"?
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
Please respond.
What the fuck?
(Edgar sighs)
See? It doesn't work.
(Edgar sighs)
I knew it. (chuckles)
I fucking knew it.
(ominous music)
(Edgar scoffs)
(Edgar scoffs)
Kill yourself to win.
All of 'em.
It's been you.
Well, I've started the game
and you're not gonna win this time.
Kill yourself to win.
That's how you did it.
You sneaky bastard. That's how you did it.
You tricked them.
You tricked them all
into killing themselves.
Kill yourself to win.
But did you alter the crime scenes,
to make it look like they
didn't do it to themselves?
(button clicks)
Kill yourself to win.
All right.
Let's do it.
(ominous music continues)
(liquor trickles)
That's what you want.
That's what you want.
It's all just some fuckin' mind game.
"Kill yourself to win."
Well, you're me, aren't you?
Right?
(chuckles) Is that what I need to do?
This is what needs to be done. (chuckles)
Right?
That's how I win.
(Edgar chuckles)
Then so be it.
(gun clicks)
(bullet clacks)
(bullet clacks)
One for each victim.
From each person that you've taken.
(bullet clacks)
This one's for Howard.
(gun clicks)
(Edgar breathes heavily)
(gun cocks)
(Edgar breathes heavily)
(ominous music continues)
(Edgar pants)
(gun rattles)
(gun fires)
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
[Voyant] He's been dead for
12 to 24 hours, give or take.
I won't know for sure, until
we get him back to the lab.
[Tomas] Damn it, Maitland.
Why'd you have to pull this shit?
He died the same way as Howard.
(Tomas sighs)
(Tomas mumbles)
Sorry. Trying to quit.
Good. You'll live longer.
Who said I wanted that?
So, let me guess.
No forced entry. No other fingerprints.
The usual nada?
Yep. (sighs)
(Tomas sighs)
Fantastic.
(Voyant sighs)
[Voyant] I think Howard
sent him to the edge.
Yeah, and the booze sent him over it.
Straight into oblivion.
The whole world's gone mad.
It's always been mad.
It's just people have to
pay attention to it now,
'cause they see more of it.
You know, speaking of mad.
I had a dream the other night
and it just made me think
about the fact that humans are
the only self-aware creatures
on this planet.
I mean, an animal could have
a dream or a hallucination
and not even be able to distinguish it
from their own reality, whereas
humans overthink everything
and we have to create these
rational boundaries just to
make sure that we don't
lose our minds in it.
I don't know if anything was ever right,
or just a marble,
in a sea of black.
What?
Nothin'.
It was nothin'.
I need a cigarette.
(dark music)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)
(dark music continues)