Therapy Done Right (2026) Movie Script
[emcee] It is important to remember
that excellence is not just a destination.
It is an ongoing journey.
It is a journey
that requires passion, curiosity,
and a deep commitment to human well-being.
Tonight's recipient has
fully demonstrated these qualities
through his work and incomparable career.
That is why it is a real honor for myself
and everyone here
at the Baumann Foundation
to present him
with our most prestigious award.
And without further ado,
the award for Excellence in Psychology
goes to Mr. Ulises Vern.
[crowd applauding]
-Congratulations.
-Thank you.
EXCELLENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY AWARD
BAUMANN FOUNDATION - 24TH EDITION
Thank you all. Thank you very much.
Good evening, everyone.
First off, thank you
to the Baumann Foundation.
I'm very honored to receive this award.
And I'm so grateful for my daughter.
She's put up with me as a father
for a long time, and now as her boss, too.
Which couldn't have been easy.
If the world were a bit more fair,
then she'd be receiving an award too.
[audience laughs]
Now, wrapping up the formalities.
I'd like to say that
we've been facing a problem here.
And it's something quite serious.
Argentina is home to more psychoanalysts
than any other country, comparatively.
However, in the last 30 or so years,
the number of people in this country
suffering from some kind of disorder,
be it mental or behavioral,
has practically doubled.
Until very recently, I had a patient
whom many of you certainly may have known.
A well-renowned psychologist
with an illustrious career.
The previous summer, this colleague
abandoned his work,
he abandoned his patients,
and even abandoned his family,
to move to the province of Crdoba,
to be part of a group
that has come to be known over the years
as "The Brotherhood of the Supreme Truth."
And I say "had" a patient
not because he stopped attending sessions
when he decided to be in this group.
On the contrary, we met by phone
for continuous counseling twice a week.
I say "had" because,
around three months ago,
they found him dead.
[audience gasps]
He was hiking Cuesta de la Totora,
in the province of Crdoba,
which is where he would often go
to complete his habitual "energetic
exchanges with the higher planes,"
as he would call them.
The autopsy report said that the cause
of his death was hypothermia.
It was an accident.
I've been reflecting
Could I maybe have done something
as his therapist, to prevent this tragedy?
I don't know. Should I have reached out?
Was there more I could have done?
And what about all of his his patients,
who had put their trust
and their own well-being
in that man's hands?
And I've been left wondering
if they've been given the proper support.
Honestly, I would guess they haven't.
Why did I share all that with you?
As a way to explain why I don't feel
that I can accept
any kind of award for my work.
And to be very clear I'm not expecting you
to be able to answer these questions,
because the truth is
that words can't help us with this.
I need action. We need to be the change.
So tonight,
I'm not going to accept this award.
Instead, I'm asking all of you,
how the hell are we going to fix this?
THERAPY DONE RIGH-Good evening.
-Good evening.
A glass of Cabernet Franc, please.
-Coming right up.
-Thanks.
-Really?
-No, please.
-I'm not sure I believe you.
-No, no, I mean it! You can ask around.
Thank you.
-That's just like a doctor. Be right back.
-Yes, absolutely.
-That's taken.
-Eugenio Tirabosco. Just listen.
I'm Ulises Vern, your wife's therapist.
How are you?
Look, I'll be quick before your girlfriend
comes back here okay?
-She's not.
-Yes, your girlfriend.
It's fine, don't worry.
I'm not judging you.
And Mnica knows about her too.
I'm not sure she knows about this girl
specifically, but she knows.
Look, tomorrow, you're gonna break up
with Mnica and leave your house.
Say again?
Tomorrow, you'll tell Mnica
you wanna separate.
That you've been thinking about it,
and it's finally over.
She's incapable of leaving you,
even though she's been wanting to
for a long time,
even though she knows well
that you're a narcissist
and pathological liar.
Pardon my frankness.
Who do you think you are, fucker?
Leave me alone.
I already told you.
I'm Mnica's therapist,
and I want what's best for her,
which is ultimately what's
in your best interest too, I'm sure.
So I suggest you move out immediately
and into your apartment you have
in Callao and Quintana,
which I know she knows nothing about,
but I do,
and you'll leave her
the duplex in Belgrano.
And right away Monday morning,
meet with your lawyer, Mr. Bremer,
to begin the paperwork for your divorce.
-My lawyer? How do you
-I'm not done yet.
Eugenio, you're 62 years old.
You still have time,
you have plenty of life left.
When will you stop lying to yourself
and everybody else,
out here dating girls
who could be your daughters? Huh?
You also believe
that you're the smartest man in the world
because you're leading a double life,
when in reality you can barely handle one.
You built a cage all around you,
and now you've trapped yourself.
But you know it's all just an act to hide
the painful fact you're miserable too.
You're in anguish, aren't you?
Eugenio, the keys to the cage
are in your hands.
Let yourself out. Only you can do that.
Open the cage, for both your sakes.
You'll be much better off
once you're free. That's all.
Excuse me. I'll leave you both to it.
-Hi there. How're you?
-Hi miss, how are you?
I hope you can make it to the club soon.
The guys are asking about you, okay?
Bye. We'll catch up.
Oh, don't miss out on the merengata here.
It's just incredible. Bye, bye, bye.
Who's that?
Just a friend.
Did you know female orangutans
are only able to give birth
every eight years or so?
No, I didn't know that.
Research even shows
that females visit their mothers
throughout their whole lives,
which is very strange
for an animal, you know?
I'm sure you've decided to share
this zoological research
because you feel that, unlike them,
your mother?
That woman is a fucking bitch!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but it's true!
A monkey in the fucking middle of nowhere
gets along better with her mother
than I do. You gotta be kidding me.
Have you had a moment
to think about my proposal?
Forget about it, please. No.
She'd never agree come here and talk.
Besides, it's not like
I have to do that, right?
A minute ago you said
she's a fucking bitch.
It sounds pretty awful.
It sounds much worse than it is,
but it's not that bad, I swear.
Just talking about it here
makes me feel much better.
That's a big step for us. I'm not sure.
It's not like I'm afraid or anything,
but I'm worried that he could get angry.
Well then, I hope your week goes smoothly.
-You too, thanks.
-Thank you.
I'll walk you out.
-I got you a salad.
-Ah.
-Eat now. You won't have time later.
-Thanks.
The car is on its way
to bring you to the studio.
Oh, by the way,
after I get back from the show,
I just have a session with Mnica,
that's it? Then I'm done today?
No, I booked you
a first-time patient consultation.
-Without my consent?
-I put someone into an open spot.
-What was I supposed to ask you?
-[sighs] It's fine, it's fine.
I'm sure you know him. Martn Bouchard.
-Bouchard? Sounds familiar, yeah.
-The author.
-Ah, yeah. Yes, yes.
-I gave you his latest for Christmas.
-I'm sure you read it.
-I did. I swear.
I read it twice.
I liked it better the second time around.
[man on phone] What are you gonna do now?
Are you gonna sleep in the car? A hotel?
No, no.
I'm going to stay a couple of nights
at my friend's until I figure it out.
Don't worry about me.
Okay. Well, if you need anything,
just let me know.
-Will do. Bye now.
-Take care of yourself, please.
What size bag is it?
Sorry?
From what I could make out, your wife
packed you a bag and told you to get out.
So I asked, is the bag
just big enough to fit all your stuff,
or did she pack a couple shirts and pants?
I don't know. Uh
My sister-in-law is getting it.
You should ask her.
If the bag's little, it's not really over.
I'm not so sure,
I think she's pretty angry.
A person who is pretty angry
doesn't pack your bag, though.
She demands you take all your stuff
and get out,
or she gets your stuff, puts it
in a bag, and she just dumps the shit.
She's sending you a message.
Seems like the door's still open
to make up and go back.
Don't be too worried.
Welcome back to Every Afternoon.
I'm here as always
with the person I consider to be
the best psychologist of our time.
TEXT US ON WHATSAPP
The sensational Mr. Ulises Vern.
How are you, Ulises?
Thanks so much, I'm great.
He'll answer all your questions,
which you can send us through social media
or our WhatsApp number below.
-Shall we begin?
-Certainly.
Great, let's jump right into it
with the first question,
from Mari in Villa Ballester.
"What do I do when my only sister
won't speak to me anymore?"
"If I don't reach out to her, she can
go months without saying a word to me."
"It is torture."
What advice can you give
Mari from Villa Ballester?
Well, to begin with, I must clarify
to Mari from Villa Ballester,
torture is a whole other thing completely.
Torture is when someone purposely inflicts
suffering on another person
with a specific motive,
to produce a result.
That's not the case.
It seems your sister
doesn't want you around, Mari.
She doesn't wanna speak to you.
I'm sorry to tell you,
but she's not interested in you.
Not even the tiniest bit.
Do not send her more messages.
Nothing. Zilch.
Maybe then we'll find out
who begins to break first.
No sugar coating here!
Incredible. Let's move on. Up next,
we have Marcelo from Monte Grande.
And Marcelo asks, "What can I do
when a child is acting in strange ways?"
Some examples.
"He doesn't wanna go to school."
"He punches and kicks his toys."
"We scold him, he screams."
Oh my. Well, he clearly has
a problem on his hands. What do you think?
It's possible that Marcelo has likely
transferred his personal frustrations,
beginning with the most serious, which is
not knowing how to raise his child well.
Mmm.
Marcelo, why is it
that right now at 3:00 p.m.,
you're sitting there on your ass,
messaging a television show
about your parenting problems,
pretending that we can fix
your parenting life?
-Oh, my.
-That's not how it works.
You have to get involved.
You have to be willing
to get your hands a bit dirty.
I don't mean to be so intense. Pardon.
Thanks for your question, Marcelo.
Hope it works out. Let's move on, please.
[doorbell rings]
Bonsoir, mademoiselle.
I'm Martn Bouchard.
[Paula] Hello. Please, come in.
I know you.
I have all of your novels.
Do you just have them,
or have you read them all?
I definitely read them. All of them.
Please, have a seat.
I'm sure you've heard this before,
but your profile reminds me a lot of
the portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni
by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
You probably get that all the time, right?
No. No, I haven't heard that, no.
He'll be with you in a minute.
It was so unexpected.
I couldn't believe it.
And did your husband explain
why he made that decision so abruptly?
"I have to open the cage now."
He kept saying it.
"I have to open the cage."
"But what cage, Eugenio?"
"The cage, you know?"
When he left me, I broke.
I was destroyed completely,
and unable to stop crying.
But that night I fell asleep,
without the help of my pills. Nothing.
Nothing. Just pure exhaustion.
I woke up after being passed out
for nine hours straight.
Truly, I felt like a brand-new person,
almost as if this massive weight
had been lifted off my shoulders.
I woke up with some kind of vigor
I'm unable to explain. Like electricity.
An appetite to try new things.
I had no fear of anything.
I got in my car.
I drove the green wave
on Libertador Avenue,
alone without my music, just my thoughts.
I began to accelerate.
60, 70, 80, and just like that I hit 90!
Then I made a wrong turn
somehow at some point,
so I pulled off to the side
to avoid hitting a motorcycle,
and I barely hit someone's mirror.
"How dare you, you bitch!
You stupid cunt!"
So then I said, "Not my fault your dick's
too small to stay in a coochie!"
[giggles] I couldn't believe it.
The man started laughing,
and he couldn't stop.
And then, well, when I got out of the car
with my insurance papers, that stupid man
he was pretty dang handsome.
And in the end
-I brought him to the house.
-[chuckles]
Well, it seems to me like we're about to
get to know a very different Monica.
I used him like he was a slave boy.
Best sex ever.
MARTN BOUCHARD
WRITER AND LITERARY CRITIC
-Martn?
-Yes.
How are you, sir?
Let's begin.
-Your age?
-I'm 57 years old.
Okay.
-Marital status?
-Happily single.
-Children?
-No.
Occupation?
[laughs sharply]
What's the matter?
Of all the psychologists in Buenos Aires,
I picked the one who doesn't know.
Would you answer the question?
Yes, of course.
I am Martn Bouchard. Author.
I've published several novels.
All of them have been highly praised.
I'd guess that you're not
much of a reader, sir.
-An author. Perfect.
-Mm-hmm.
Why do you think you're here?
Straight to the point.
Yeah. Look, Martn.
In this type of therapy,
what's important above all else is time,
which, as you should be aware,
is in short supply.
So then, I propose, I invite you,
to make smart choices regarding
the precious time that's available.
Are you following?
Beautiful.
Beautiful.
What's this?
I'm writing the beautiful speech
you just did,
and the perfect way you said it.
And you think that writing
in your notebook everything I say
is making smart choices regarding
the precious time that's available?
Okay, okay, okay. I'm sorry.
How about you tell me
what you're doing here?
Why am I here?
Because I have a problem with alcohol.
I'm always drunk while I write.
I once read that Hemingway said it's best
to write while in a drunken stupor,
and then best to edit later
when you're completely sober.
I don't particularly like
to drink socially.
I prefer to drink professionally.
I pretty much only drink
solely and purely when I write.
And judging by my career,
it's worked for me.
And how long ago did that stop working?
Honestly, I don't know.
What I do know is it's been months
since I've written a page
that's even half decent.
So I keep increasing the dose.
Then I write more, and more, and more,
until I fall asleep.
The next day, in the morning I get up
and read what I wrote before.
It's always awful. It's a vicious cycle.
The more drunk I am, the worse I write.
But then what do you believe
your real, genuine problem is?
Your conflict with alcohol?
Or your conflict with your writing?
You haven't been drinking to be drunk.
You've been drinking to write.
And that is what's not working for you.
I mean
How about you stop writing?
If you stop writing, you stop drinking.
But I can't possibly stop writing.
Je sui Martn Bouchard.
I can't just abandon my writing.
There are expectations.
See, prestige is a license
requiring renewal all the time.
This novel should have been done
this past year,
according to the contract with my editors.
I've been paid already, too.
So I'm up against the clock,
you understand.
I understand perfectly, Martn.
Well then.
I don't have any more questions.
That's all for today.
Unless you have
some other questions for me,
or or anything you'd like to add.
Yes. I'd still like to schedule
my upcoming appointments.
Uh, no, no, uh, don't worry about that.
Sometime this week,
Paula, my secretary will call you
to talk about about whether
we are going to move forward or not.
That's too bad.
You know, I've already talked about this
with other psychologists,
and they all seem to have
the same sort of problem.
They don't solve anything.
I've been following you.
I've watched you on the TV.
I was even there when they gave you
that psychology award you rejected.
-Mmm.
-I was blown away by the speech you gave.
And I thought, "This is the one.
He's the perfect person."
"Ulises Vern is my therapist."
But I guess you're no different
than anybody else.
When faced with a problem this serious,
it's nothing more than pretty words.
I don't judge you, okay? Don't worry.
You invented a persona.
I applaud the effort.
It's my fault for having
such expectations.
Thanks for your time, sir.
[quirky music playing]
[door opens, closes]
Did you get any rice?
-Yeah, I think so.
-It's such an easy meal, you know?
-Yeah?
-Really.
When you get home late
and don't feel like cooking,
you can do rice with cheese and bacon.
It's perfect.
-That'll never happen.
-You're almost always out late.
Can you imagine me getting home late
and, like, being tired
and making a whole risotto?
[Paula laughs]
Rice with cheese is not a risotto.
You couldn't make risotto
if your life depended on it.
Okay, thank you
for the vote of confidence.
No, Dad, you know I'm right.
You can't be ordering delivery every day.
You need real, fresh food.
Ever since I moved out,
the dog eats better than you.
I'll be just fine, don't worry.
-Oh, look.
-Huh?
-Martn Bouchard.
-Ah.
-You're gonna accept him as a patient?
-No. He's obviously a major asshole.
Don't major assholes have problems too?
Yes. His problem is he's an asshole,
but I don't think I can help with that.
Can it be? Am I imagining things?
Sensational Mr. Vern admits
there are problems he's not able to solve?
It's truly a historical day.
Uh
[eccentric music playing]
MARTN BOUCHARD
THE IMPERFECT, THE LAST MAN ON THE LIS[door buzzing]
-[Martn] Ulises.
-Yeah?
Sorry. There's no elevator.
Ah. Okay.
-How've you been?
-I'm all right.
Good. I'm glad to hear it.
-How about you?
-Fine, thanks.
-Good.
-It's just one more floor up, okay?
All right.
You know, honestly,
I thought you'd reject me as a patient.
[panting] I'm full of surprises.
-Come on in.
-Thank you.
-This way, please.
-Sure.
You see, usually,
people tend to be intimidated by me.
-It's the curse of being famous.
-Yeah.
I can't complain about women, though.
-In that respect, I've done pretty well.
-Uh-huh.
And that paints an intimidating picture
of me, especially with other men.
Well, I can assure you
there's nothing to worry about here.
Yeah, well, that's good.
Nice house.
Would you like a drink?
No, thank you. I'm good.
Before we continue, I'd like to settle
the matter of the rate of my services.
-Yes, certainly.
-It's 1,000 dollars each session.
Oh wow.
But from what I see, I don't think
that will be a problem for you.
You have a nice view from here, huh?
No, no. It's not a problem, but, uh,
it seems a bit expensive, don't you think?
It depends, it depends, because
Typically, a good psychologist charges
around 50 dollars a session,
and they would have you basically chatting
for five years and nothing changes.
But the conflict resolution rate
is much higher for me.
I mean, the savings both in time
and monetarily are significant, so
What? You don't believe me?
Yes, I'm sorry, I do.
I just can't stop thinking about
how obsessed I am with your approach.
-Mmm.
-The things you say
and the manners in which you say it.
I said that the other day, too.
-Yeah.
-I'm fine with the price.
-So yes, let's go ahead.
-Perfect.
I wanted to have our first meeting
in your home
because I'd like you to guide me
through your whole writing process,
step by step.
This way.
Okay.
This is where the magic happens.
The magic, huh?
-Yes.
-Oh, hello.
When I write, I'm not just putting
one simple word next to the other.
I'm invading the reader's very soul
so they feel emotions
through words designed by me,
I believe it's entirely fitting
to describe it as "magic."
And you perform this magic how?
Describe it.
As a magician, I don't simply write.
You know, I invoke words. Summon them.
But somehow the words never manage
to obey me quite like I want.
Mmm.
Sentences that keep resisting me,
like grouchy little cats.
I was mainly referring to the more
practical aspects of your writing.
Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry.
I I'm a bit old school.
Here's the magic wand.
-Mm-hmm.
-I start writing in these notebooks here,
then I transcribe it on the computer
while I'm editing.
All right, very good.
Well then, we're gonna change that, okay?
Moving forward, no more magic wands.
I want you to write directly and simply
on the computer there.
Why does it matter?
You're subconsciously prioritizing
your methodology
more than the outcome of the product,
and there's nothing more important
than the product, the final result.
Uh-huh. I hadn't thought about that.
Where in the process
do you begin drinking?
Um, normally after I have dinner,
if I eat dinner.
I grab something to drink
and come up here to start the magic.
-Hmm.
-Is that bad or?
No, no, no, no, no, that's perfect.
Keep it that way, keep it that way.
First a drink,
then after, you start writing.
-Mm-hmm.
-Perfect.
For the next session,
we'll meet again here in your home.
I'd like us to meet here around the time
that you typically start to write.
But that'd be quite late.
Yeah, yeah, but as I mentioned,
I wanna be with you step by step
throughout your process,
your your writing.
You know, see your creativity.
Ah.
-How fascinating.
-[cat meows]
I thought people went to therapy
to talk about their parents.
Well, are your parents with you
when you're writing?
No, they passed away.
Then I don't care about that.
[Ulises] Tell me, what does trust
mean to you? In your own words.
Um, it's when you can be sure that
Or at least somewhat sure that, uh
Uh, I think when someone won't do things
that you don't want them to do,
or anything that's bad.
Does that apply to me too, for example?
Yeah, I'd say so.
And you're sure?
Yeah.
[quirky music playing]
Then put this on.
Hey, where are you driving us?
We're almost there. Relax.
Here, follow me. Give me your hand.
Up one step. Almost there.
Where are we?
Don't worry.
That's it.
[quirky, suspenseful music playing]
[Ulises] Trust me.
Just relax.
[woman] Florencia, what's going on?
-Mama?
-What's happening Florencia?
Why are you blindfolded?
You're okay. Hello, good morning, ma'am.
Uh, I'm Ulises Vern,
Florencia's psychologist.
What's this about? What on Earth
do you need a psychologist for?
I'll handle this.
Ma'am, might we speak inside?
I only need a minute, please.
It'll be fast.
-Thank you.
-Certainly.
I just I don't understand. Therapy?
But why? For what?
She seems just fine.
What's your problem now?
Norma, you probably won't like
what I have to say as a mother.
It may be painful for you.
But at the moment, the biggest problem
in Florencia's life is well, you.
Pardon? What's wrong with this man?
[Ulises] Unfortunately, it's true.
See, Florencia could spend many years
talking about it with me,
when in reality she should be
speaking to you instead.
That's why I'm applying
this form of exposure therapy.
Maybe she'll be able to overcome
this, well, entirely irrational fear
of speaking to you directly like this.
Now I'm even more scared.
But why? I'm giving you the opportunity.
We came here just to chat. It's peaceful.
Tell her what you need.
-No, I'm scared.
-This is ridiculous.
She can't speak to her own mother,
so she begs for a psychologist to help?
Well, um, since I figured
this was a possible scenario,
I took, um, a bit of liberty
and wrote a note for you to read.
It's a sort of compilation of things
that you've said during our sessions.
Don't look at me like that.
It's all right. It'll be fine.
Take your time, okay?
"To my mom."
[emotional music playing]
"You see, I've kept these words to myself
for too long, burying them away
almost as one would
with precious crystal glasses,
waiting for the perfect moment
to bring them out,
but knowing that using them can cause them
to shatter into a million pieces."
This is stupid. We're done.
Norma, please.
It's very important
that you let her express herself freely.
Go on, don't be afraid.
"The microaggressions
you disguise as jokes
are as bad as needles
hidden in my clothes,
and I request that you refrain
from using them."
"Although to most, they are invisible,
they hurt me deeply."
"You taught me to be afraid of you
like someone who is terrified of the sea."
"Not because of its depth,
but because of the certainty
that there will always come another wave
that's bigger and more violent,
that will drag me down."
Did I say this in our sessions?
Yeah, yeah.
Uh, I may have enhanced it a bit
with some more poetic words
to portray the ideas, but yes.
In essence, you said that, yes.
"With a condescending smile,
you seem to take great joy
in guessing how badly
my decisions turn out,
as if being right about my pain
made you happy."
"For everything I do, you've already
prepared an alternative you prefer,
but it's one that I can't reach,
because you've done it without asking,
for me and without me,
which has filled me
with insecurity and helplessness."
-Okay, Florencia. Enough of this
-[Ulises] Norma.
"You are pitiless." Why "pitiless"?
Oh my.
She doesn't have pity.
Oh, yes, yes. Yeah.
"You are pitiless, hypocritical,
insulting, narcissistic, jealous,
and a competitive person."
"Our connection has been
as precarious as it's been dangerous,
but that is over now."
"Moving forward,
if you wanna tell me something,
you can do it through my siblings
or through my therapist, Mr. Vern."
"I'm leaving you his phone number
and email address. Sincerely, Florencia."
Uh, and by the way, I'll say this,
because no one else is gonna tell you.
Um, it seems like you have a problem,
like severe halitosis.
You should probably see a dentist
or a doctor or something. I don't know.
Well, I suppose that you may need a
You'll need time to think and reflect
on everything that you heard, so, uh
Thanks for the coffee,
although we weren't able to partake.
Uh, excuse me.
[housekeeper] Here. I'll show you out.
Bye, Mama. I love you.
[melancholy Spanish ballad playing]
-Good evening.
-Hi, welcome. Come in.
-I brought us Chinese. You like Chinese?
-Very nice, thanks.
Yes, absolutely, thank you.
Yeah, I do. Make yourself at home.
Oh, yes. All right.
Is the food included in your hourly fee,
or does it cost extra?
-It's all included, it's all included.
-All-inclusive.
[elegant jazz playing faintly]
[Ulises] Do you always drink wine?
I start with wine to, you know,
loosen up my body.
-But afterwards, I move to tequila.
-Tequila.
What time do you switch?
Uh, more or less, around now.
Even without dinner,
I start with some wine.
After that, tequila.
Why don't we move to tequila?
I mean, we had some food, right?
-Let's move to tequila.
-Okay.
-What's that for?
-I wanna keep track of all of this.
I'd like to know exactly how long
your creative process takes,
but just pretend I'm not here.
So you don't want tequila then?
Yes, yes, I do.
We're experiencing this together. Yeah.
Personally, tequila gives me
a little burst of euphoria.
Just the right amount of enthusiasm I need
to begin working.
Obviously, if I overdo it, I black out.
But to make the motor run well,
there's nothing better.
Cheers.
[Martn] It's a little hot in here.
We could open the windows.
[Ulises] No, no. I'm all right.
So, when do you start writing?
Who said I'm not writing right now?
It happens in here.
It's not like you have to go
clickety-clack-clickety-clack.
Then have you written something yet?
No. It's a manner of speech. Mind's blank.
Well, maybe all you need
is a little push, right?
If we're lucky.
-For that little push.
-Uh-huh.
Another one.
You said a push. This is a tackle.
[both laugh]
["Le Freak" by Chic playing]
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
["Careless Whisper"
by George Michael playing]
[vocalizing]
I feel so unsure
As I take your hand
And lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies
Something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen
And all its sad goodbyes
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
-Aw, come on!
-Yeah, yeah, but take it easy.
Take it easy.
-Come on, give me a hug, come on.
-No, it's okay.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.
We better get back to work, okay?
-We gotta work.
-Right.
It's getting late.
-You're right.
-Come on.
-Let's get back to work.
-Come on.
Easy there. Slowly.
[tense, mysterious music playing]
Right here.
There you go.
There you go, that way. Sit.
That's it. Good.
Come on.
I don't know if I told you.
-What?
-The thing you're doing.
What?
-Thank you.
-Oh. Get to work. Go on.
[quixotic music playing]
Martn.
It's me, it's me.
Oh. You scared me.
Yeah, yeah. It's okay. Don't be scared.
-What time is it?
-It's late.
[Martn coughing]
There you go.
LOCKSMITH
[locksmith] Only this one
or the whole set?
-The whole set, the whole set.
-Okay.
-[Martn] Buongiorno.
-What time is it?
Here. It'll help you feel better.
-Thank you.
-Mmm.
Don't you wanna stay and rest
a little bit more?
Tequila can be treacherous.
-No, no, thank you. I've got a lot to do.
-Mmm.
MARTN BOUCHARD
WHERE LYING STARTS
[Paula] Dad.
Honey, I'm begging, please,
one hour without interruptions.
I need to concentrate, please.
-Mr. Iturbide is waiting for you.
-Iturbide?
Iturbide, yes. It's his second session.
He's been waiting for 10 minutes.
-[Paula] He'll be right with you, okay?
-Thank you.
Paula, who's after this gentleman?
Petersen.
Cancel his appointment, would you?
And don't worry. You can go home now.
What're you talking about?
We're supposed to have lunch.
Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm too busy today. I can't make it.
Should I come in?
Wait a minute, wait a minute, uh
-Claudio is your name right?
-Claudio, yeah.
Look, Claudio, I've been working on
developing a system of workflow
which consists of dividing my patients
into two categories, DPR and NDP.
What is DPR?
"Detected problem and resolution."
On the other hand,
NDP stands for "no detected problems."
And, in your case,
and this should make you
very happy to hear,
you happen to be in the NDP category.
No problems detected, so I'm glad to say,
I don't recommend you undergo
any type of therapy.
-But you only gave me a single session.
-Mmm.
I I wasn't able to explain
what's happening to me.
What's happening, Claudio?
What's happening?
Is it the same thing
you told me about last week? Hmm?
That you wanna quit your job
to become a drummer in a band,
because time waits for no one
and it has to be now or never?
That's just not true. That's a clich,
and it makes no sense at all.
Think about it.
Our lives would be pointless if we only
acted on the assumption of "now or never."
Your life happens every single day,
all of the time,
and only you get to decide
how to spend your days.
And you know what?
You're a man with some intelligence,
and you know that there is a reason
you've spent more than half your life
in an office
and haven't become a musician yet,
even though it's frustrating.
See, frustration can't be eradicated.
But that's what frustration is.
It's just how things go.
But Uh But
I won't charge you anything
for today's session, okay?
You don't have to come back anymore.
Thanks. Thank you, I mean it.
I wish you nothing but the best in life.
You've already won.
I applaud you, Claudio.
Be strong, okay? Be strong.
Don't let yourself give up.
[enigmatic music playing]
[clanging]
[enigmatic music playing]
[Paula] Hi, Dad.
I wasn't gonna mention anything
because you canceled out of the blue,
so you probably don't care
about what I have to say.
But I've learned not to get mad at you
for being who you are.
That said,
what I was gonna tell you today is that
there's someone I'd like you to meet.
His name is Thiago,
and I don't wanna put a label on us,
but he's someone I care about enough
to send you this really awkward message.
And that's it.
I just want you to meet him. Okay, bye.
Hey, honey.
I'm just about to go to sleep
after a long, exhausting day.
And I already walked Amanda,
so, uh, I'm in bed.
Uh, yes, of course I'm okay with you
introducing me to someone.
You know my schedule
much better than I do,
so we can make something work out.
You choose a time.
We can have a meal at home if you want.
All right, talk soon.
I love you. Good night, honey.
[mysterious, eccentric music playing]
CHAPTER I
-[Ulises] Come on, hit me.
-[child grunting]
[Ulises] Hit me hard, it doesn't hurt.
I'm ready. Hit me!
Come on, hit me! Harder, harder!
It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt at all!
Hit me as much as you want!
Go for it! That's it, that's it!
Ah! That's enough.
-It's only for self defense, never for
-[child] Attacking.
[Ulises] Perfect.
Great. He's doing incredibly.
-[parent] Thank you.
-[Ulises] See you next time. Bye, buddy.
Martn.
[Martn] To be honest,
I can't believe it. I'm surprised.
I remember, like usual,
I was completely stuck.
Bad writers' block.
I got frustrated, I drank way too much,
and I don't recall much more.
It seemed like a normal night,
like the one you witnessed.
But then the next day,
I looked at the computer and read back
what I had written.
My jaw dropped.
You wrote something good?
No, quite the contrary.
I barely recognized it.
Do you know what I wrote?
It's about a man who decides
to abandon his whole life
and goes to live
in the middle of the jungle,
with only his thoughts
to keep him company.
The idea was high-brow, rambling,
hyper-intellectual, lacking momentum.
Slow, boring, old-fashioned. It was awful.
Really, who could possibly be interested
in something like that?
I would.
That is, from the little bit
you've shared,
it seems interesting.
Fine, but you're not really a reader,
obviously, and it shows.
But why are you making a big deal
of shooting down an idea
that naturally came to you,
that could be the beginning of an idea
that's, I dunno, powerful?
But what the hell makes me care about
a man living alone in the jungle?
You have to write about
things that you know about.
I know why I'm like this.
I'm aware I'm always my own worst critic.
But I have to focus on what I know.
You know?
That's how the best ideas are born.
[quirky music playing]
"I know that I'm my own worst critic,"
huh?
Who the hell do you think you are,
Bouchard?
You know, honestly,
It's been a really long time
since I've come across something
that's really and truly worth it.
Obviously it's merely a first draft.
It still needs plenty of polishing,
but the foundation's solid.
An authentic Bouchard.
Do you know what I wrote about?
No. What's it about?
It's the story of a psychologist,
but not just a regular psychologist.
This guy decides to take it upon himself
to solve the problems of his patients
while being undercover.
For example, he has a patient who wouldn't
dare to leave her husband,
so this psychologist starts stalking
and following the husband around.
The psychologist finds him
and blackmails him
to make the guy leave his wife, huh?
Believing it's the best thing
for them both.
How interesting.
A psychopath. Textbook example.
I would caution you
to use that term lightly.
Psychopathy is a true disorder
that's complex, very complex.
Don't be diagnosing it
in such a flippant manner.
You get what I'm trying to say.
This man puts all his energy
into problem-solving.
He has no partner, he has no friends.
He has no hobbies.
A madman, completely obsessed
with solving his patients problems!
Evidently, I'm inspired by this type
of therapy in one way or another.
Well, I'm glad to hear it.
If you'd like my opinion, I'd be happy
to read some of your writing to help out.
-That's not a bad idea.
-Hmm?
Especially when it comes down
to the question of verisimilitude.
-Professionally.
-Mmm.
Though I don't expect you to know much
about writing fiction, of course.
Certainly not.
We can stop here.
But I still have 20 minutes.
Yes, but you've already shared
everything with me you wanted to.
And besides, you had a huge breakthrough.
Give yourself a break, hmm?
Next time, then?
-Yeah, yeah.
-See you next time.
All right.
[funky pop-rock song playing]
Wanna go for a walk? Outside. Come on.
Let's go, come on, come on.
[funky pop-rock song continuing]
[host] You're not pulling any punches.
You gotta really mean it.
That's it! Come on!
"Exhausted,
his hands still soaked in blood,
he let himself fall onto the couch
where so many others had laid bare
pieces of their intimate lives,
growing small before his eyes."
"A sharp pain stabbed his chest
and he begged,
yet he remained silent, motionless,
waiting for the sun to stream through
the windows of his office
to remind him that a new day had begun,
and that there was still much to do."
THE END
-[disconnect tone chimes]
-[Paula] Dad!
Hmm?
-I didn't hear you!
-Are you smoking?
Just one every now and then. No big deal.
Did you forget?
Huh?
I just told you this morning.
Dinner with Thiago?
Yes! Yeah.
Okay, well, do you want me to reschedule?
This is the second time.
No, no, no, honey, no.
I was waiting for you.
I just thought it might be better
if we maybe go out and eat.
Fine.
Hello, sir. How are you?
[chuckles] Thiago.
Ah.
[indistinct chatter]
How long have you known each other?
-Six months, about.
-That's a while.
Sure. Yup.
What kind of work do you do?
-[Paula] They'll seat us pretty soon.
-Great.
-What were you talking about?
-Nothing. I asked what he does for work.
Oh. He's a student.
-Really? What do you study?
-Psychology.
Oh, really?
[waiter] Paula, table for three.
-[Ulises] Yes.
-[Paula] Let's go.
[Ulises] So you're a future psychologist?
-We're in short supply of those, right?
-[laughing] Yeah. Yeah.
I know you believe that there are
too many psychologists in Buenos Aires.
Mmm?
Yeah, because I saw the video
the other day from the Baumann Foundation,
where you gave a speech about it
and you refused the award.
What do you think about what I said?
Dad, stop quizzing him.
No, no, I'm not quizzing him.
No, no. Not at all. I'm curious. Go ahead.
Well, there are a ton of psychologists.
So, uh, I agree with you there.
The thing is, what I can't imagine is
being in a world where psychologists grab
the reins in the lives of their patients,
as if human beings weren't
delicate enough, you know?
So what I think is that any decision
we choose to make for our patients,
or maybe convince them to make,
might have consequences unexpectedly.
You said "we," but one of us is missing
a degree and experience, though, right?
How about we talk about
something else now?
Why? What's the problem? Listen.
An open heart surgery can have
extreme complications.
You never know what could happen.
Yet it doesn't stop doctors from doing it.
I mean, sure. I just, I don't know
Well, I guess you, uh
All other therapists, at some point,
especially you with your age
Um, with your I mean, your experience.
They start doubting if therapy can really
help their patients. You know?
Yeah, it happens.
The difference is that I'm choosing
to take action despite having doubts.
I'm proactive.
And how exactly?
By getting my hands a bit dirty.
Fine. Why don't I get my hands
a bit dirty then?
[Ulises] Hmm.
Because, well, Thiago and I have been
talking quite a lot about you.
Oh, yeah?
Yes, because you think you have
a mission in life
that that somehow puts you above
the rest of us.
And you, what did you call it again?
-No
-A messiah complex?
-Yes, but I wasn't the one who said it.
-No, that's what you told me.
No, I didn't say he had that.
I just helped you find the term.
I didn't say
You made it sound like I said, "Your dad
probably has a messiah complex."
I didn't say that. In the words of Lacan,
"You may know what you said,
but never what the other heard."
Mmm. Lacan was quite lucky.
At least people heard him.
Here's your stuffed fugazzeta.
-Mmm.
-Thanks.
[mysterious, eccentric music playing]
CHAPTER XXVII
-[meows]
-No! Go away!
[suspenseful music intensifying]
No, come on.
Let's go to sleep, huh?
Let me get some sleep, okay?
It's bedtime. Don't be difficult.
[mysterious, eccentric music continuing]
MARTN BOUCHARD
PRESENTS THE PRAGMATIS[interviewer] Martn, you know this,
but it is a great honor to have you here
and to hear you share the writing process
behind The Pragmatist.
How was this novel born?
Well, I'm not able
to answer you precisely.
I think that writers already carry
a wide range of stories inside them,
and that the process
that every artist has to undergo
is to dig these stories out
and bring them to light.
As Michelangelo once said,
uh, a sculptor's job consists of
simply standing oneself
in front of a block of marble
and removing with the chisel
everything that was not sculpture.
Not that I mean to compare myself
with Michelangelo,
but I believe it's a valid analogy.
It's a beautiful metaphor.
Now, we'll take some questions
from the audience,
since we have the wonderful
Martn Bouchard with us today.
[elegant jazz music playing faintly]
[man] Congratulations, Mr. Bouchard.
-I'm glad you could make it.
-Ah!
I wouldn't miss it,
after all that hard work.
Would you like me to sign it?
Oh, please.
-There you are.
-Perfect. Thank you very much.
I'll be seeing you at the office
on Tuesday, then.
-No. What for?
-What do you mean?
Yeah, well, you did it. It's done.
You had a specific problem,
and we solved it.
No point in prolonging
your therapy, right?
You could be using that time
on more useful things,
like spending it writing more,
which you do very well.
Okay.
I must confess I'm bit surprised
that you're ending the treatment here,
but if that's what's best
-Yes, I think it's best, yeah.
-[woman] Martn!
Go talk to your fans.
Don't Don't worry about me, Martn.
-Gentlemen, would you like a canap?
-No, no. Thank you.
Certainly.
Thank you for signing my copy.
FOR MR. ULISES VERN.
THANK YOU!
THIS BOOK IS THE RESULOF WELL-KEPT SECRETS. M. BOUCHARD
-[woman] Excuse me, Mr. Vern?
-Yes?
-I can't believe you're here.
-Huh?
I watch your show every day,
and I love your style.
I've sent in lots of messages,
but they never read them.
I have a little issue I'd like to discuss
with you, if you have a minute.
Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[mysterious music playing]
Calm down.
We're almost there. We're almost there.
-There you go, easy. That's it.
-[barks]
We're almost there.
THIRD EDITION
-[barking]
-I know, I know, I know. Okay. Come on.
You said they've been giving you
the silent treatment?
What do you mean? I don't understand.
They refuse to talk to me.
They haven't said a word to me in months.
We have a family WhatsApp group
where we would share memes every day,
and now, nothing.
I'm guessing they created
another group without me,
because I don't get any memes,
or any GIFs,
or any of those stickers with glitter
that say things like blessings
or have flowers.
I'd get those from my mom a lot.
At first, it was just her
who stopped, right?
Uh, but then she must have told
the whole family what happened,
because now my mom won't speak to me,
or my father, or my siblings, or my aunts.
I've got nobody.
Don't you feel liberated?
-No, I'm all alone.
-Of course.
You probably aren't in a good enough place
to know what the best outcome is
for you, even if it's obvious.
Uh, my suggestion is,
in our upcoming session together,
how about we try to
Let's try to see how we can face
what you've just just mentioned, okay?
How about that?
No. Um, you know
I've been thinking about it
almost every day,
and I believe that it's for the best
if we stop here.
[indistinct arguing in distance]
-Give me a minute, please.
-Sure.
Be right back.
-You have to call for appointments.
-Martn.
-Ah! Oh, Ulises!
-Are you okay?
What happened?
Yeah. I don't know. Uh, sure.
What are you doing here?
Did something happen?
-No.
-No?
No, I came to to see you.
Oh no, but, wait Is it too late?
It has nothing to do with the time, no
-I think I'll head out, okay?
-Just a minute. I'll come back.
No, it's fine, I already said everything
I needed to, okay? Thanks.
-Bye. Bye-bye.
-I'm so sorry.
I told him he can't burst in like this,
right, Martn?
I said you need to call and schedule?
What? Call you? Come on.
Uh-uh, just give me a minute.
I just need a minute please.
I want to tell him
that the book is a smash hit.
Yeah.
I've even lost count
of how many editions have sold out.
A huge success. I'm thrilled.
-Yeah.
-Congratulations.
-Who, me?
-Yes.
No, to you! And the critics? Wow!
They're obsessed with it.
"The best book of his whole career.
Yay, Martn Bouchard." Those assholes.
It seems there's always a jerk or two
who doesn't like it. Ha!
But this time, it was unanimous.
I met with Uh, I met with the publishers.
It seems that the book caused a huge stir
among your colleagues.
How much have you had to drink, Martn?
Only a bit, to celebrate.
-Only a bit?
-Just a cup, yeah.
You said you never drank for fun,
that you only did so to help you write.
Ah, well.
Maybe I drank a little too much.
I came here to tell you thank you.
The last time I saw you
I felt bad.
Do you wanna sit, Martn?
You can tell me a little bit
about what's happening to you.
No, it's pointless. Didn't you say that
you prefer not to spend years
on pointless talk therapy?
I did, but this is different.
No, it's not.
There's really no point.
I mean, whatever you could've done
you already did.
Now the rest of it is up to me.
To act like a real man
and handle the rest.
I would talk to you
but you're not my psychologist anymore.
Hmm?
You might try to stop me.
[suspenseful music playing]
Martn
Thanks again.
Bonsoir.
What happened?
I don't know.
[phone buzzing]
[suspenseful music playing]
-Martn?
-Ulises.
-Hi, Martn, what happened today?
-I've had enough.
-I'm I'm sorry, what?
-I'm done.
What do you mean? Uh
Martn. Talk to me, please, Martn.
Martn?
You got here fast.
Well, you you called me,
and the call dropped out.
I didn't understand what happened.
I was worried about you.
How'd you open the door?
Give me the keys.
-I don't know what you're talking about.
-Yes, you do.
Give me the keys you used to break into
my house and write my novel.
Did you really think I wouldn't notice,
you prick?
Give me the keys, damn it!
Just let me explain.
What's there to explain?
It might seem a little
a bit, uh, invasive, but it was
a completely therapeutic decision.
Therapeutic?
I can't believe you, how can you say that?
A medic who's trying to save your life
doesn't stop and ask you how to do it,
he just does it, period.
And that's exactly how I operate as well.
You're completely mad, aren't you?
I took the pressure off you, Martn.
You had to finish that book,
and you finished it.
And you're not less of a writer.
You're insane. You used me,
like all your patients with your method.
No. Calm down.
Let's, let's talk about this
Don't fucking touch me,
you son of a bitch.
I'm gonna kill you, man.
I mean, you wrote my best novel.
Do you know what that means to me,
that my best novel was written by you?
You ruined my life, you son of a bitch!
-We can't talk while you're in this state.
-Oh, we can't? Talk to me.
-You ruined my fucking life
-Let go, man! I said, let go!
so I'm going to ruin yours!
I'm going to show everyone who you are!
[Ulises] Let go of me!
No
Martn?
Come on. I just
Martn?
-Hey!
-[meows]
Hey! Hey!
Stop it! Go. Go!
[distressing music playing]
[phone buzzing]
[door closing]
[banging at door]
[delivery person] Damn it.
[engine revving]
[suspenseful music playing]
MARTIN BOUCHARD NEWS
[reporter 1] In a surprising turn,
he claimed that benefit for himself.
The prosecutor handling the case warned
that a court of appeal
could order their re-arrest.
We'll have more on this after the break.
[reporter 2] Look at this fire.
Look at the amount of smoke. It's huge.
[reporter 3]
Channel 5445, where we're working and
[reporters chattering on radio]
[reporter 4] It seems we have
a terrible storm rolling in later today,
so waste no time
and get those errands done now.
-[Paula] Dad! Hi.
-Hey, honey.
-Morning. What's wrong?
-Why? I'm fine.
-You look exhausted.
-No, no, no.
Did you go out last night?
No, I wasn't able to sleep very much.
I don't know, I got an upset stomach.
Hmm. Should I clear your schedule?
No, no, no, no. I'm fine.
-Okay, I'll make you tea.
-Okay, thanks.
[Mnica] I know I was excited at first,
but deep down I can't stop asking,
"What am I doing with a guy like this?"
If I hadn't bumped into his mirror,
we wouldn't have even talked.
-Are you listening to me?
-Huh?
-Did you hear what I said?
-Of course.
-You're telling me about your boyfriend.
-What? Boyfriend? He's not my boyfriend.
He's someone I barely know.
We have nothing in common,
no shared interests.
He's someone who's only interested in sex.
[echoing] Sex, sex, sex.
And I don't know if I wanna have sex
all the time, every day, every week.
And he's at my place all the time now,
and I don't know what I should do
to make him leave.
[chilling music playing]
Am I boring you?
No, no, no. No. Go ahead. I'm listening.
[Mnica] I kind of miss Eugenio.
But he was a major asshole.
I was thinking about
what you said earlier. You were right.
Maybe we should cancel
the rest of the appointments, okay?
Why? Are you sick?
No, no, no I'm not sick. I'm fine.
I didn't sleep well. I'm too tired.
I I can't concentrate.
But the car is waiting downstairs.
You have a show.
-Today?
-Yes.
[driver] It's good to see you, again, sir.
It's been a while since I drove you.
[Ulises] Mmm.
So, um, things with your wife,
did they get any better?
No.
She filed a harassment complaint
against me and got a restraining order.
I guess she really didn't want me around,
unlike what you told me.
[host] Thank you for joining us again
on Every Afternoon.
-Sir, let's go. Almost ready for you.
-Ah, yes.
[host] Once again, we have renowned
psychologist, Mr. Ulises Vern, here.
[applause]
[host] He's here to help
with all your problems.
So are we ready to start
with the first question?
-[Ulises] Please.
-Great.
Lorena from Parque Patricios says,
"I feel like I'm my own worst enemy."
"I have such negative thoughts
that everything I do goes wrong."
"I don't feel capable of being happy."
"Is there something quick I might do
to make the sadness go away?"
"Because I can't take it anymore."
Anything she can do?
-Should I read it again?
-No, no, no. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm just Um
One One second.
Of course, yes. You're okay.
All right.
Well, Patricio, what do I--
It's Lorena. Lorena from Parque Patricios.
-Right, Lorena, I'm sorry.
-Don't worry about it.
Um This situation sounds complex.
Hmm.
To just, well, uh To give an opinion,
-I'd I'd like to legitimately, uh
-Of course.
profoundly understand
what could possibly be causing it.
I understand completely, but I believe
that what Lorena, who's watching us,
needs right now is a tip.
Just a quick piece of advice
to help her out,
like the ones you always give to us,
you know, with your unique perspective.
[chilling music plays]
-[Ulises] Oh! Sorry.
-[host] No, no, no.
-Mr. Vern, please, it's not a problem.
-I'm so sorry.
We're live. These things happen.
Meanwhile, I have great news!
If you're hoping to sell
some of your gold, watches, or jewelry
at prices that are out of this world,
Rinoldi Jewelry offers you
the best deal without the hassle.
They're located in Recoleta.
Rinoldi Jewelry, the only jewelers
who respect the value of your memories.
All right, we're back now. Let's continue.
Oh, we have to interrupt the show.
BREAKING NEWS
URGENT!
We have some breaking news. Is it urgent?
It's urgent. Has it been confirmed?
-[producer] Confirmed.
-It has, right?
[producer] Yeah.
Well then.
BREAKING NEWS
According to our sources,
early this morning,
renowned author Martn Bouchard
had an accident.
His housekeeper discovered him at noon
and immediately called 911.
She described a truly harrowing scene.
His body was surrounded by blood.
The house was trashed and there were
multiple traces of alcohol.
As of now, it appears
that Mr. Bouchard was home alone
at the time the incident occurred.
I can imagine this is is hard for you
to take in, right?
I understand he was a patient of yours.
Yes, yes, he was my patient.
I'm truly concerned, I
-I'm in shock. I just can't believe it.
-Oh yes. This is a major shock.
He's a writer. of such importance.
Such a brilliant person, right? Tragic.
Let's hope he can recover from this.
Although I'm told
he's in a very delicate state.
He was rushed to the hospital
and they're doing
their absolute best to save him.
-Let's all wish him well, yeah?
-Certainly, certainly. Of course.
BOUCHARD IN CRITICAL CONDITION
-Right. Well, we will keep you updated
-[Claudio] Let me talk to him!
What's happening?
Let me talk to that motherfucker!
I'm a former patient of that fraud Vern!
I want him to apologize to me.
I'm sorry.
The challenge of recording live TV.
Apologize to me! You spat in my face!
You didn't give a shit about my problems!
You know I'm on antidepressants,
you bastard! Escitalopram, fluoxetine.
-Do you?
-Yes, I know him.
-NDP, my fucking ass! Apologize to me!
-I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry.
You owe me an apology
for saying I was okay!
Apologize, you criminal!
Who are you calling a criminal,
you son of a bitch?
The only criminal here is
the one who overmedicated you.
There's no pill to take for stupidity,
and you, you, sir,
are about as stupid as a man can get.
Come on, sir, let's go.
-Please leave. You can't be here.
-How dare you?
-[producer] You need to leave now.
-On this show? What the hell?
-Where are we?
-[teleprompter] Here, read this.
[host] Oh. Does your kid have lice?
We have just what you've been looking for.
[suspenseful music playing]
One second, honey.
-Hey.
-Hello, hello. You okay?
Yeah. Uh, I'm sorry I didn't call
before coming.
No, no. It's okay, it's okay.
Please. Come in, come in.
-Can we talk for a second?
-Yes, of course.
Are you okay?
I don't know. I I heard you got into
a fight with a patient on the show today.
No, no, no, no. Not with a patient.
No, he's not my patient.
He came in right after I found
out what happened to Bouchard,
and I don't know, I reacted poorly.
Okay, sure.
But there's something I need to ask.
What is it?
-What?
-You wrote this, didn't you?
-Oh, come on.
-Don't give me that, Dad. Please.
-I can hear your voice as I read it.
-No.
Yes, it sounds exactly like you.
The main character is obviously you.
Well, or the idea, the illusion you have
of yourself or something.
I don't understand
what you're talking about.
Let me read you something.
You don't need to.
Will you please listen?
Just a second. Listen.
"Dazed by the blows, after the many"
"The decisions he makes for his patients
may have consequences unexpectedly,
but an open-heart surgery might also
bring about consequences unexpectedly."
"But that doesn't stop people
from doing it."
That's almost exactly
the same thing you said.
Remember, at the restaurant
when you met Thiago?
I
I probably discussed that concept
with Martn, and he just liked it.
I don't get what the problem is here.
I think you're the problem here, Dad.
Don't act like you don't know.
I know you said that you
"get you hands a bit dirty" and all.
This is more than a bit of dirt.
We're both stuck knee-deep in this shit.
Of all the patients
who pass through the office,
the person who needs the most help is you.
You still haven't realized it.
You'll end up alone.
Just like your patient who froze to death.
Tell me the truth.
Tell me what's happening.
Let's talk about it
and figure out how to fix this together.
What happened to Bouchard?
[tense music playing]
I swear I don't have any idea.
Just tell me one thing.
Would he be injured like he is now
if he was never your patient?
What's gonna happen when he wakes up
and tells everybody?
You're going to lose everything.
24-HOUR PHARMACY
Good evening.
I'm looking for this.
EMERGENCY
No. Shh. No, don't try to speak.
Just listen to me carefully.
I put a bit of a stimulant
in your IV to wake you,
because I need you
to listen to me very closely.
If you're listening right now,
move your index finger.
No, no.
Don't you know the names of the fingers?
-Hey, I'm trying.
-There's only five.
Fine. Blink two times if you can hear me.
Like this.
Good, good.
Do you remember what you told me
the last time we spoke?
That you'd been planning
to expose me and all that?
Do you remember or not?
Blink twice if you do.
You remember.
But, if I were you,
I'd probably reconsider.
Because if you if you tell anyone
what happened, I could be
be put in jail, lose my certification,
and my practice. I don't know.
But you'd be losing something too.
You'd be losing.
See, prestige
is a license requiring renewal
all the time.
Do you remember saying that?
Yes, of course you do. All that prestige
that you got for your novel,
I assure you, it'll vanish.
Like this.
All right.
So?
Will you renew it?
Or won't you?
[chilling music playing]
What's your choice?
That's taken.
Hello, Emilio. I'll be quick.
My name is Bruno Alarcn.
I'm rica's psychologist.
Uh-huh. How are you?
I'm fine, thank you.
I'll get right to the point
so you can get back to your lover, okay?
-No, she's not my lover.
-She's your lover.
I'm not judging you.
I'm gonna ask you a favor,
and please forgive my directness.
Tomorrow morning, when the sun comes up,
you're gonna leave your house.
Excuse me?
You're gonna tell rica
that you wanna divorce her.
She can't ask for it
as much as she wants to,
she can't bring herself to,
even though she absolutely knows
you're a narcissistic son of a bitch.
Who the hell do you think you are?
I already told you
that I'm rica's psychologist.
Huh?
rica's psychologist.
Sorry.
Sorry, I blanked. I blanked, I'm sorry.
Can we cut?
Yeah, yeah, let's cut.
Let's pause for lunch break, guys.
I'm sorry everyone. I'm sorry about that.
I dunno what happened.
Something's wrong with me. Hmm.
It's okay. Try to relax a little bit.
You're good, okay?
I'm sorry.
I'm just stuck, you know.
I dunno what happened.
You know I love your book.
I've read it twice.
I'm just going through
a pretty rough patch, like I said.
Yes, yes, I know, I know. Uh You're fine.
You don't have to apologize to me.
I've been stuck once before, too.
I know perfectly well what it feels like.
Try not to worry. Try to relax.
Take some downtime. You'll feel better.
-Don't worry.
-I'm gonna have some coffee.
Sure.
Fuck my life, motherfucker.
That man is going to screw up our movie.
This fucking tastes like shit.
Is this necessary, though?
Let the guy work.
I wouldn't be here today
if it wasn't for him.
To me, your problem is very simple.
Even though you're at
the peak of your career,
it seems somehow
that your self-esteem is at rock bottom.
I mean, it's not that low.
Yes, it is.
It's precisely why you're unable to act.
So what I propose is a radical exercise
to help you climb out of
the abysmal state you're trapped in.
What do you mean?
I wouldn't call my state abysmal.
[Ulises] I wouldn't be so sure about that.
No. [tuts] I've read this before.
No, no, no. No peeking.
What are you gonna do?
Are you gonna make me talk about my mom?
Is your mom with you when you act?
-No, she passed away.
-Then I don't care about that.
[Martn] This does seems a bit risky.
[Ulises] Don't worry.
This exercise may seem a bit unorthodox,
but I think it will give you the outcome.
Now, are you typically a calm man
or are you not so calm?
What about when you act?
[funky outro music playing]
that excellence is not just a destination.
It is an ongoing journey.
It is a journey
that requires passion, curiosity,
and a deep commitment to human well-being.
Tonight's recipient has
fully demonstrated these qualities
through his work and incomparable career.
That is why it is a real honor for myself
and everyone here
at the Baumann Foundation
to present him
with our most prestigious award.
And without further ado,
the award for Excellence in Psychology
goes to Mr. Ulises Vern.
[crowd applauding]
-Congratulations.
-Thank you.
EXCELLENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY AWARD
BAUMANN FOUNDATION - 24TH EDITION
Thank you all. Thank you very much.
Good evening, everyone.
First off, thank you
to the Baumann Foundation.
I'm very honored to receive this award.
And I'm so grateful for my daughter.
She's put up with me as a father
for a long time, and now as her boss, too.
Which couldn't have been easy.
If the world were a bit more fair,
then she'd be receiving an award too.
[audience laughs]
Now, wrapping up the formalities.
I'd like to say that
we've been facing a problem here.
And it's something quite serious.
Argentina is home to more psychoanalysts
than any other country, comparatively.
However, in the last 30 or so years,
the number of people in this country
suffering from some kind of disorder,
be it mental or behavioral,
has practically doubled.
Until very recently, I had a patient
whom many of you certainly may have known.
A well-renowned psychologist
with an illustrious career.
The previous summer, this colleague
abandoned his work,
he abandoned his patients,
and even abandoned his family,
to move to the province of Crdoba,
to be part of a group
that has come to be known over the years
as "The Brotherhood of the Supreme Truth."
And I say "had" a patient
not because he stopped attending sessions
when he decided to be in this group.
On the contrary, we met by phone
for continuous counseling twice a week.
I say "had" because,
around three months ago,
they found him dead.
[audience gasps]
He was hiking Cuesta de la Totora,
in the province of Crdoba,
which is where he would often go
to complete his habitual "energetic
exchanges with the higher planes,"
as he would call them.
The autopsy report said that the cause
of his death was hypothermia.
It was an accident.
I've been reflecting
Could I maybe have done something
as his therapist, to prevent this tragedy?
I don't know. Should I have reached out?
Was there more I could have done?
And what about all of his his patients,
who had put their trust
and their own well-being
in that man's hands?
And I've been left wondering
if they've been given the proper support.
Honestly, I would guess they haven't.
Why did I share all that with you?
As a way to explain why I don't feel
that I can accept
any kind of award for my work.
And to be very clear I'm not expecting you
to be able to answer these questions,
because the truth is
that words can't help us with this.
I need action. We need to be the change.
So tonight,
I'm not going to accept this award.
Instead, I'm asking all of you,
how the hell are we going to fix this?
THERAPY DONE RIGH-Good evening.
-Good evening.
A glass of Cabernet Franc, please.
-Coming right up.
-Thanks.
-Really?
-No, please.
-I'm not sure I believe you.
-No, no, I mean it! You can ask around.
Thank you.
-That's just like a doctor. Be right back.
-Yes, absolutely.
-That's taken.
-Eugenio Tirabosco. Just listen.
I'm Ulises Vern, your wife's therapist.
How are you?
Look, I'll be quick before your girlfriend
comes back here okay?
-She's not.
-Yes, your girlfriend.
It's fine, don't worry.
I'm not judging you.
And Mnica knows about her too.
I'm not sure she knows about this girl
specifically, but she knows.
Look, tomorrow, you're gonna break up
with Mnica and leave your house.
Say again?
Tomorrow, you'll tell Mnica
you wanna separate.
That you've been thinking about it,
and it's finally over.
She's incapable of leaving you,
even though she's been wanting to
for a long time,
even though she knows well
that you're a narcissist
and pathological liar.
Pardon my frankness.
Who do you think you are, fucker?
Leave me alone.
I already told you.
I'm Mnica's therapist,
and I want what's best for her,
which is ultimately what's
in your best interest too, I'm sure.
So I suggest you move out immediately
and into your apartment you have
in Callao and Quintana,
which I know she knows nothing about,
but I do,
and you'll leave her
the duplex in Belgrano.
And right away Monday morning,
meet with your lawyer, Mr. Bremer,
to begin the paperwork for your divorce.
-My lawyer? How do you
-I'm not done yet.
Eugenio, you're 62 years old.
You still have time,
you have plenty of life left.
When will you stop lying to yourself
and everybody else,
out here dating girls
who could be your daughters? Huh?
You also believe
that you're the smartest man in the world
because you're leading a double life,
when in reality you can barely handle one.
You built a cage all around you,
and now you've trapped yourself.
But you know it's all just an act to hide
the painful fact you're miserable too.
You're in anguish, aren't you?
Eugenio, the keys to the cage
are in your hands.
Let yourself out. Only you can do that.
Open the cage, for both your sakes.
You'll be much better off
once you're free. That's all.
Excuse me. I'll leave you both to it.
-Hi there. How're you?
-Hi miss, how are you?
I hope you can make it to the club soon.
The guys are asking about you, okay?
Bye. We'll catch up.
Oh, don't miss out on the merengata here.
It's just incredible. Bye, bye, bye.
Who's that?
Just a friend.
Did you know female orangutans
are only able to give birth
every eight years or so?
No, I didn't know that.
Research even shows
that females visit their mothers
throughout their whole lives,
which is very strange
for an animal, you know?
I'm sure you've decided to share
this zoological research
because you feel that, unlike them,
your mother?
That woman is a fucking bitch!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but it's true!
A monkey in the fucking middle of nowhere
gets along better with her mother
than I do. You gotta be kidding me.
Have you had a moment
to think about my proposal?
Forget about it, please. No.
She'd never agree come here and talk.
Besides, it's not like
I have to do that, right?
A minute ago you said
she's a fucking bitch.
It sounds pretty awful.
It sounds much worse than it is,
but it's not that bad, I swear.
Just talking about it here
makes me feel much better.
That's a big step for us. I'm not sure.
It's not like I'm afraid or anything,
but I'm worried that he could get angry.
Well then, I hope your week goes smoothly.
-You too, thanks.
-Thank you.
I'll walk you out.
-I got you a salad.
-Ah.
-Eat now. You won't have time later.
-Thanks.
The car is on its way
to bring you to the studio.
Oh, by the way,
after I get back from the show,
I just have a session with Mnica,
that's it? Then I'm done today?
No, I booked you
a first-time patient consultation.
-Without my consent?
-I put someone into an open spot.
-What was I supposed to ask you?
-[sighs] It's fine, it's fine.
I'm sure you know him. Martn Bouchard.
-Bouchard? Sounds familiar, yeah.
-The author.
-Ah, yeah. Yes, yes.
-I gave you his latest for Christmas.
-I'm sure you read it.
-I did. I swear.
I read it twice.
I liked it better the second time around.
[man on phone] What are you gonna do now?
Are you gonna sleep in the car? A hotel?
No, no.
I'm going to stay a couple of nights
at my friend's until I figure it out.
Don't worry about me.
Okay. Well, if you need anything,
just let me know.
-Will do. Bye now.
-Take care of yourself, please.
What size bag is it?
Sorry?
From what I could make out, your wife
packed you a bag and told you to get out.
So I asked, is the bag
just big enough to fit all your stuff,
or did she pack a couple shirts and pants?
I don't know. Uh
My sister-in-law is getting it.
You should ask her.
If the bag's little, it's not really over.
I'm not so sure,
I think she's pretty angry.
A person who is pretty angry
doesn't pack your bag, though.
She demands you take all your stuff
and get out,
or she gets your stuff, puts it
in a bag, and she just dumps the shit.
She's sending you a message.
Seems like the door's still open
to make up and go back.
Don't be too worried.
Welcome back to Every Afternoon.
I'm here as always
with the person I consider to be
the best psychologist of our time.
TEXT US ON WHATSAPP
The sensational Mr. Ulises Vern.
How are you, Ulises?
Thanks so much, I'm great.
He'll answer all your questions,
which you can send us through social media
or our WhatsApp number below.
-Shall we begin?
-Certainly.
Great, let's jump right into it
with the first question,
from Mari in Villa Ballester.
"What do I do when my only sister
won't speak to me anymore?"
"If I don't reach out to her, she can
go months without saying a word to me."
"It is torture."
What advice can you give
Mari from Villa Ballester?
Well, to begin with, I must clarify
to Mari from Villa Ballester,
torture is a whole other thing completely.
Torture is when someone purposely inflicts
suffering on another person
with a specific motive,
to produce a result.
That's not the case.
It seems your sister
doesn't want you around, Mari.
She doesn't wanna speak to you.
I'm sorry to tell you,
but she's not interested in you.
Not even the tiniest bit.
Do not send her more messages.
Nothing. Zilch.
Maybe then we'll find out
who begins to break first.
No sugar coating here!
Incredible. Let's move on. Up next,
we have Marcelo from Monte Grande.
And Marcelo asks, "What can I do
when a child is acting in strange ways?"
Some examples.
"He doesn't wanna go to school."
"He punches and kicks his toys."
"We scold him, he screams."
Oh my. Well, he clearly has
a problem on his hands. What do you think?
It's possible that Marcelo has likely
transferred his personal frustrations,
beginning with the most serious, which is
not knowing how to raise his child well.
Mmm.
Marcelo, why is it
that right now at 3:00 p.m.,
you're sitting there on your ass,
messaging a television show
about your parenting problems,
pretending that we can fix
your parenting life?
-Oh, my.
-That's not how it works.
You have to get involved.
You have to be willing
to get your hands a bit dirty.
I don't mean to be so intense. Pardon.
Thanks for your question, Marcelo.
Hope it works out. Let's move on, please.
[doorbell rings]
Bonsoir, mademoiselle.
I'm Martn Bouchard.
[Paula] Hello. Please, come in.
I know you.
I have all of your novels.
Do you just have them,
or have you read them all?
I definitely read them. All of them.
Please, have a seat.
I'm sure you've heard this before,
but your profile reminds me a lot of
the portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni
by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
You probably get that all the time, right?
No. No, I haven't heard that, no.
He'll be with you in a minute.
It was so unexpected.
I couldn't believe it.
And did your husband explain
why he made that decision so abruptly?
"I have to open the cage now."
He kept saying it.
"I have to open the cage."
"But what cage, Eugenio?"
"The cage, you know?"
When he left me, I broke.
I was destroyed completely,
and unable to stop crying.
But that night I fell asleep,
without the help of my pills. Nothing.
Nothing. Just pure exhaustion.
I woke up after being passed out
for nine hours straight.
Truly, I felt like a brand-new person,
almost as if this massive weight
had been lifted off my shoulders.
I woke up with some kind of vigor
I'm unable to explain. Like electricity.
An appetite to try new things.
I had no fear of anything.
I got in my car.
I drove the green wave
on Libertador Avenue,
alone without my music, just my thoughts.
I began to accelerate.
60, 70, 80, and just like that I hit 90!
Then I made a wrong turn
somehow at some point,
so I pulled off to the side
to avoid hitting a motorcycle,
and I barely hit someone's mirror.
"How dare you, you bitch!
You stupid cunt!"
So then I said, "Not my fault your dick's
too small to stay in a coochie!"
[giggles] I couldn't believe it.
The man started laughing,
and he couldn't stop.
And then, well, when I got out of the car
with my insurance papers, that stupid man
he was pretty dang handsome.
And in the end
-I brought him to the house.
-[chuckles]
Well, it seems to me like we're about to
get to know a very different Monica.
I used him like he was a slave boy.
Best sex ever.
MARTN BOUCHARD
WRITER AND LITERARY CRITIC
-Martn?
-Yes.
How are you, sir?
Let's begin.
-Your age?
-I'm 57 years old.
Okay.
-Marital status?
-Happily single.
-Children?
-No.
Occupation?
[laughs sharply]
What's the matter?
Of all the psychologists in Buenos Aires,
I picked the one who doesn't know.
Would you answer the question?
Yes, of course.
I am Martn Bouchard. Author.
I've published several novels.
All of them have been highly praised.
I'd guess that you're not
much of a reader, sir.
-An author. Perfect.
-Mm-hmm.
Why do you think you're here?
Straight to the point.
Yeah. Look, Martn.
In this type of therapy,
what's important above all else is time,
which, as you should be aware,
is in short supply.
So then, I propose, I invite you,
to make smart choices regarding
the precious time that's available.
Are you following?
Beautiful.
Beautiful.
What's this?
I'm writing the beautiful speech
you just did,
and the perfect way you said it.
And you think that writing
in your notebook everything I say
is making smart choices regarding
the precious time that's available?
Okay, okay, okay. I'm sorry.
How about you tell me
what you're doing here?
Why am I here?
Because I have a problem with alcohol.
I'm always drunk while I write.
I once read that Hemingway said it's best
to write while in a drunken stupor,
and then best to edit later
when you're completely sober.
I don't particularly like
to drink socially.
I prefer to drink professionally.
I pretty much only drink
solely and purely when I write.
And judging by my career,
it's worked for me.
And how long ago did that stop working?
Honestly, I don't know.
What I do know is it's been months
since I've written a page
that's even half decent.
So I keep increasing the dose.
Then I write more, and more, and more,
until I fall asleep.
The next day, in the morning I get up
and read what I wrote before.
It's always awful. It's a vicious cycle.
The more drunk I am, the worse I write.
But then what do you believe
your real, genuine problem is?
Your conflict with alcohol?
Or your conflict with your writing?
You haven't been drinking to be drunk.
You've been drinking to write.
And that is what's not working for you.
I mean
How about you stop writing?
If you stop writing, you stop drinking.
But I can't possibly stop writing.
Je sui Martn Bouchard.
I can't just abandon my writing.
There are expectations.
See, prestige is a license
requiring renewal all the time.
This novel should have been done
this past year,
according to the contract with my editors.
I've been paid already, too.
So I'm up against the clock,
you understand.
I understand perfectly, Martn.
Well then.
I don't have any more questions.
That's all for today.
Unless you have
some other questions for me,
or or anything you'd like to add.
Yes. I'd still like to schedule
my upcoming appointments.
Uh, no, no, uh, don't worry about that.
Sometime this week,
Paula, my secretary will call you
to talk about about whether
we are going to move forward or not.
That's too bad.
You know, I've already talked about this
with other psychologists,
and they all seem to have
the same sort of problem.
They don't solve anything.
I've been following you.
I've watched you on the TV.
I was even there when they gave you
that psychology award you rejected.
-Mmm.
-I was blown away by the speech you gave.
And I thought, "This is the one.
He's the perfect person."
"Ulises Vern is my therapist."
But I guess you're no different
than anybody else.
When faced with a problem this serious,
it's nothing more than pretty words.
I don't judge you, okay? Don't worry.
You invented a persona.
I applaud the effort.
It's my fault for having
such expectations.
Thanks for your time, sir.
[quirky music playing]
[door opens, closes]
Did you get any rice?
-Yeah, I think so.
-It's such an easy meal, you know?
-Yeah?
-Really.
When you get home late
and don't feel like cooking,
you can do rice with cheese and bacon.
It's perfect.
-That'll never happen.
-You're almost always out late.
Can you imagine me getting home late
and, like, being tired
and making a whole risotto?
[Paula laughs]
Rice with cheese is not a risotto.
You couldn't make risotto
if your life depended on it.
Okay, thank you
for the vote of confidence.
No, Dad, you know I'm right.
You can't be ordering delivery every day.
You need real, fresh food.
Ever since I moved out,
the dog eats better than you.
I'll be just fine, don't worry.
-Oh, look.
-Huh?
-Martn Bouchard.
-Ah.
-You're gonna accept him as a patient?
-No. He's obviously a major asshole.
Don't major assholes have problems too?
Yes. His problem is he's an asshole,
but I don't think I can help with that.
Can it be? Am I imagining things?
Sensational Mr. Vern admits
there are problems he's not able to solve?
It's truly a historical day.
Uh
[eccentric music playing]
MARTN BOUCHARD
THE IMPERFECT, THE LAST MAN ON THE LIS[door buzzing]
-[Martn] Ulises.
-Yeah?
Sorry. There's no elevator.
Ah. Okay.
-How've you been?
-I'm all right.
Good. I'm glad to hear it.
-How about you?
-Fine, thanks.
-Good.
-It's just one more floor up, okay?
All right.
You know, honestly,
I thought you'd reject me as a patient.
[panting] I'm full of surprises.
-Come on in.
-Thank you.
-This way, please.
-Sure.
You see, usually,
people tend to be intimidated by me.
-It's the curse of being famous.
-Yeah.
I can't complain about women, though.
-In that respect, I've done pretty well.
-Uh-huh.
And that paints an intimidating picture
of me, especially with other men.
Well, I can assure you
there's nothing to worry about here.
Yeah, well, that's good.
Nice house.
Would you like a drink?
No, thank you. I'm good.
Before we continue, I'd like to settle
the matter of the rate of my services.
-Yes, certainly.
-It's 1,000 dollars each session.
Oh wow.
But from what I see, I don't think
that will be a problem for you.
You have a nice view from here, huh?
No, no. It's not a problem, but, uh,
it seems a bit expensive, don't you think?
It depends, it depends, because
Typically, a good psychologist charges
around 50 dollars a session,
and they would have you basically chatting
for five years and nothing changes.
But the conflict resolution rate
is much higher for me.
I mean, the savings both in time
and monetarily are significant, so
What? You don't believe me?
Yes, I'm sorry, I do.
I just can't stop thinking about
how obsessed I am with your approach.
-Mmm.
-The things you say
and the manners in which you say it.
I said that the other day, too.
-Yeah.
-I'm fine with the price.
-So yes, let's go ahead.
-Perfect.
I wanted to have our first meeting
in your home
because I'd like you to guide me
through your whole writing process,
step by step.
This way.
Okay.
This is where the magic happens.
The magic, huh?
-Yes.
-Oh, hello.
When I write, I'm not just putting
one simple word next to the other.
I'm invading the reader's very soul
so they feel emotions
through words designed by me,
I believe it's entirely fitting
to describe it as "magic."
And you perform this magic how?
Describe it.
As a magician, I don't simply write.
You know, I invoke words. Summon them.
But somehow the words never manage
to obey me quite like I want.
Mmm.
Sentences that keep resisting me,
like grouchy little cats.
I was mainly referring to the more
practical aspects of your writing.
Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry.
I I'm a bit old school.
Here's the magic wand.
-Mm-hmm.
-I start writing in these notebooks here,
then I transcribe it on the computer
while I'm editing.
All right, very good.
Well then, we're gonna change that, okay?
Moving forward, no more magic wands.
I want you to write directly and simply
on the computer there.
Why does it matter?
You're subconsciously prioritizing
your methodology
more than the outcome of the product,
and there's nothing more important
than the product, the final result.
Uh-huh. I hadn't thought about that.
Where in the process
do you begin drinking?
Um, normally after I have dinner,
if I eat dinner.
I grab something to drink
and come up here to start the magic.
-Hmm.
-Is that bad or?
No, no, no, no, no, that's perfect.
Keep it that way, keep it that way.
First a drink,
then after, you start writing.
-Mm-hmm.
-Perfect.
For the next session,
we'll meet again here in your home.
I'd like us to meet here around the time
that you typically start to write.
But that'd be quite late.
Yeah, yeah, but as I mentioned,
I wanna be with you step by step
throughout your process,
your your writing.
You know, see your creativity.
Ah.
-How fascinating.
-[cat meows]
I thought people went to therapy
to talk about their parents.
Well, are your parents with you
when you're writing?
No, they passed away.
Then I don't care about that.
[Ulises] Tell me, what does trust
mean to you? In your own words.
Um, it's when you can be sure that
Or at least somewhat sure that, uh
Uh, I think when someone won't do things
that you don't want them to do,
or anything that's bad.
Does that apply to me too, for example?
Yeah, I'd say so.
And you're sure?
Yeah.
[quirky music playing]
Then put this on.
Hey, where are you driving us?
We're almost there. Relax.
Here, follow me. Give me your hand.
Up one step. Almost there.
Where are we?
Don't worry.
That's it.
[quirky, suspenseful music playing]
[Ulises] Trust me.
Just relax.
[woman] Florencia, what's going on?
-Mama?
-What's happening Florencia?
Why are you blindfolded?
You're okay. Hello, good morning, ma'am.
Uh, I'm Ulises Vern,
Florencia's psychologist.
What's this about? What on Earth
do you need a psychologist for?
I'll handle this.
Ma'am, might we speak inside?
I only need a minute, please.
It'll be fast.
-Thank you.
-Certainly.
I just I don't understand. Therapy?
But why? For what?
She seems just fine.
What's your problem now?
Norma, you probably won't like
what I have to say as a mother.
It may be painful for you.
But at the moment, the biggest problem
in Florencia's life is well, you.
Pardon? What's wrong with this man?
[Ulises] Unfortunately, it's true.
See, Florencia could spend many years
talking about it with me,
when in reality she should be
speaking to you instead.
That's why I'm applying
this form of exposure therapy.
Maybe she'll be able to overcome
this, well, entirely irrational fear
of speaking to you directly like this.
Now I'm even more scared.
But why? I'm giving you the opportunity.
We came here just to chat. It's peaceful.
Tell her what you need.
-No, I'm scared.
-This is ridiculous.
She can't speak to her own mother,
so she begs for a psychologist to help?
Well, um, since I figured
this was a possible scenario,
I took, um, a bit of liberty
and wrote a note for you to read.
It's a sort of compilation of things
that you've said during our sessions.
Don't look at me like that.
It's all right. It'll be fine.
Take your time, okay?
"To my mom."
[emotional music playing]
"You see, I've kept these words to myself
for too long, burying them away
almost as one would
with precious crystal glasses,
waiting for the perfect moment
to bring them out,
but knowing that using them can cause them
to shatter into a million pieces."
This is stupid. We're done.
Norma, please.
It's very important
that you let her express herself freely.
Go on, don't be afraid.
"The microaggressions
you disguise as jokes
are as bad as needles
hidden in my clothes,
and I request that you refrain
from using them."
"Although to most, they are invisible,
they hurt me deeply."
"You taught me to be afraid of you
like someone who is terrified of the sea."
"Not because of its depth,
but because of the certainty
that there will always come another wave
that's bigger and more violent,
that will drag me down."
Did I say this in our sessions?
Yeah, yeah.
Uh, I may have enhanced it a bit
with some more poetic words
to portray the ideas, but yes.
In essence, you said that, yes.
"With a condescending smile,
you seem to take great joy
in guessing how badly
my decisions turn out,
as if being right about my pain
made you happy."
"For everything I do, you've already
prepared an alternative you prefer,
but it's one that I can't reach,
because you've done it without asking,
for me and without me,
which has filled me
with insecurity and helplessness."
-Okay, Florencia. Enough of this
-[Ulises] Norma.
"You are pitiless." Why "pitiless"?
Oh my.
She doesn't have pity.
Oh, yes, yes. Yeah.
"You are pitiless, hypocritical,
insulting, narcissistic, jealous,
and a competitive person."
"Our connection has been
as precarious as it's been dangerous,
but that is over now."
"Moving forward,
if you wanna tell me something,
you can do it through my siblings
or through my therapist, Mr. Vern."
"I'm leaving you his phone number
and email address. Sincerely, Florencia."
Uh, and by the way, I'll say this,
because no one else is gonna tell you.
Um, it seems like you have a problem,
like severe halitosis.
You should probably see a dentist
or a doctor or something. I don't know.
Well, I suppose that you may need a
You'll need time to think and reflect
on everything that you heard, so, uh
Thanks for the coffee,
although we weren't able to partake.
Uh, excuse me.
[housekeeper] Here. I'll show you out.
Bye, Mama. I love you.
[melancholy Spanish ballad playing]
-Good evening.
-Hi, welcome. Come in.
-I brought us Chinese. You like Chinese?
-Very nice, thanks.
Yes, absolutely, thank you.
Yeah, I do. Make yourself at home.
Oh, yes. All right.
Is the food included in your hourly fee,
or does it cost extra?
-It's all included, it's all included.
-All-inclusive.
[elegant jazz playing faintly]
[Ulises] Do you always drink wine?
I start with wine to, you know,
loosen up my body.
-But afterwards, I move to tequila.
-Tequila.
What time do you switch?
Uh, more or less, around now.
Even without dinner,
I start with some wine.
After that, tequila.
Why don't we move to tequila?
I mean, we had some food, right?
-Let's move to tequila.
-Okay.
-What's that for?
-I wanna keep track of all of this.
I'd like to know exactly how long
your creative process takes,
but just pretend I'm not here.
So you don't want tequila then?
Yes, yes, I do.
We're experiencing this together. Yeah.
Personally, tequila gives me
a little burst of euphoria.
Just the right amount of enthusiasm I need
to begin working.
Obviously, if I overdo it, I black out.
But to make the motor run well,
there's nothing better.
Cheers.
[Martn] It's a little hot in here.
We could open the windows.
[Ulises] No, no. I'm all right.
So, when do you start writing?
Who said I'm not writing right now?
It happens in here.
It's not like you have to go
clickety-clack-clickety-clack.
Then have you written something yet?
No. It's a manner of speech. Mind's blank.
Well, maybe all you need
is a little push, right?
If we're lucky.
-For that little push.
-Uh-huh.
Another one.
You said a push. This is a tackle.
[both laugh]
["Le Freak" by Chic playing]
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
Ah, freak out
Le freak, c'est Chic
Freak out
["Careless Whisper"
by George Michael playing]
[vocalizing]
I feel so unsure
As I take your hand
And lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies
Something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen
And all its sad goodbyes
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
-Aw, come on!
-Yeah, yeah, but take it easy.
Take it easy.
-Come on, give me a hug, come on.
-No, it's okay.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.
We better get back to work, okay?
-We gotta work.
-Right.
It's getting late.
-You're right.
-Come on.
-Let's get back to work.
-Come on.
Easy there. Slowly.
[tense, mysterious music playing]
Right here.
There you go.
There you go, that way. Sit.
That's it. Good.
Come on.
I don't know if I told you.
-What?
-The thing you're doing.
What?
-Thank you.
-Oh. Get to work. Go on.
[quixotic music playing]
Martn.
It's me, it's me.
Oh. You scared me.
Yeah, yeah. It's okay. Don't be scared.
-What time is it?
-It's late.
[Martn coughing]
There you go.
LOCKSMITH
[locksmith] Only this one
or the whole set?
-The whole set, the whole set.
-Okay.
-[Martn] Buongiorno.
-What time is it?
Here. It'll help you feel better.
-Thank you.
-Mmm.
Don't you wanna stay and rest
a little bit more?
Tequila can be treacherous.
-No, no, thank you. I've got a lot to do.
-Mmm.
MARTN BOUCHARD
WHERE LYING STARTS
[Paula] Dad.
Honey, I'm begging, please,
one hour without interruptions.
I need to concentrate, please.
-Mr. Iturbide is waiting for you.
-Iturbide?
Iturbide, yes. It's his second session.
He's been waiting for 10 minutes.
-[Paula] He'll be right with you, okay?
-Thank you.
Paula, who's after this gentleman?
Petersen.
Cancel his appointment, would you?
And don't worry. You can go home now.
What're you talking about?
We're supposed to have lunch.
Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm too busy today. I can't make it.
Should I come in?
Wait a minute, wait a minute, uh
-Claudio is your name right?
-Claudio, yeah.
Look, Claudio, I've been working on
developing a system of workflow
which consists of dividing my patients
into two categories, DPR and NDP.
What is DPR?
"Detected problem and resolution."
On the other hand,
NDP stands for "no detected problems."
And, in your case,
and this should make you
very happy to hear,
you happen to be in the NDP category.
No problems detected, so I'm glad to say,
I don't recommend you undergo
any type of therapy.
-But you only gave me a single session.
-Mmm.
I I wasn't able to explain
what's happening to me.
What's happening, Claudio?
What's happening?
Is it the same thing
you told me about last week? Hmm?
That you wanna quit your job
to become a drummer in a band,
because time waits for no one
and it has to be now or never?
That's just not true. That's a clich,
and it makes no sense at all.
Think about it.
Our lives would be pointless if we only
acted on the assumption of "now or never."
Your life happens every single day,
all of the time,
and only you get to decide
how to spend your days.
And you know what?
You're a man with some intelligence,
and you know that there is a reason
you've spent more than half your life
in an office
and haven't become a musician yet,
even though it's frustrating.
See, frustration can't be eradicated.
But that's what frustration is.
It's just how things go.
But Uh But
I won't charge you anything
for today's session, okay?
You don't have to come back anymore.
Thanks. Thank you, I mean it.
I wish you nothing but the best in life.
You've already won.
I applaud you, Claudio.
Be strong, okay? Be strong.
Don't let yourself give up.
[enigmatic music playing]
[clanging]
[enigmatic music playing]
[Paula] Hi, Dad.
I wasn't gonna mention anything
because you canceled out of the blue,
so you probably don't care
about what I have to say.
But I've learned not to get mad at you
for being who you are.
That said,
what I was gonna tell you today is that
there's someone I'd like you to meet.
His name is Thiago,
and I don't wanna put a label on us,
but he's someone I care about enough
to send you this really awkward message.
And that's it.
I just want you to meet him. Okay, bye.
Hey, honey.
I'm just about to go to sleep
after a long, exhausting day.
And I already walked Amanda,
so, uh, I'm in bed.
Uh, yes, of course I'm okay with you
introducing me to someone.
You know my schedule
much better than I do,
so we can make something work out.
You choose a time.
We can have a meal at home if you want.
All right, talk soon.
I love you. Good night, honey.
[mysterious, eccentric music playing]
CHAPTER I
-[Ulises] Come on, hit me.
-[child grunting]
[Ulises] Hit me hard, it doesn't hurt.
I'm ready. Hit me!
Come on, hit me! Harder, harder!
It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt at all!
Hit me as much as you want!
Go for it! That's it, that's it!
Ah! That's enough.
-It's only for self defense, never for
-[child] Attacking.
[Ulises] Perfect.
Great. He's doing incredibly.
-[parent] Thank you.
-[Ulises] See you next time. Bye, buddy.
Martn.
[Martn] To be honest,
I can't believe it. I'm surprised.
I remember, like usual,
I was completely stuck.
Bad writers' block.
I got frustrated, I drank way too much,
and I don't recall much more.
It seemed like a normal night,
like the one you witnessed.
But then the next day,
I looked at the computer and read back
what I had written.
My jaw dropped.
You wrote something good?
No, quite the contrary.
I barely recognized it.
Do you know what I wrote?
It's about a man who decides
to abandon his whole life
and goes to live
in the middle of the jungle,
with only his thoughts
to keep him company.
The idea was high-brow, rambling,
hyper-intellectual, lacking momentum.
Slow, boring, old-fashioned. It was awful.
Really, who could possibly be interested
in something like that?
I would.
That is, from the little bit
you've shared,
it seems interesting.
Fine, but you're not really a reader,
obviously, and it shows.
But why are you making a big deal
of shooting down an idea
that naturally came to you,
that could be the beginning of an idea
that's, I dunno, powerful?
But what the hell makes me care about
a man living alone in the jungle?
You have to write about
things that you know about.
I know why I'm like this.
I'm aware I'm always my own worst critic.
But I have to focus on what I know.
You know?
That's how the best ideas are born.
[quirky music playing]
"I know that I'm my own worst critic,"
huh?
Who the hell do you think you are,
Bouchard?
You know, honestly,
It's been a really long time
since I've come across something
that's really and truly worth it.
Obviously it's merely a first draft.
It still needs plenty of polishing,
but the foundation's solid.
An authentic Bouchard.
Do you know what I wrote about?
No. What's it about?
It's the story of a psychologist,
but not just a regular psychologist.
This guy decides to take it upon himself
to solve the problems of his patients
while being undercover.
For example, he has a patient who wouldn't
dare to leave her husband,
so this psychologist starts stalking
and following the husband around.
The psychologist finds him
and blackmails him
to make the guy leave his wife, huh?
Believing it's the best thing
for them both.
How interesting.
A psychopath. Textbook example.
I would caution you
to use that term lightly.
Psychopathy is a true disorder
that's complex, very complex.
Don't be diagnosing it
in such a flippant manner.
You get what I'm trying to say.
This man puts all his energy
into problem-solving.
He has no partner, he has no friends.
He has no hobbies.
A madman, completely obsessed
with solving his patients problems!
Evidently, I'm inspired by this type
of therapy in one way or another.
Well, I'm glad to hear it.
If you'd like my opinion, I'd be happy
to read some of your writing to help out.
-That's not a bad idea.
-Hmm?
Especially when it comes down
to the question of verisimilitude.
-Professionally.
-Mmm.
Though I don't expect you to know much
about writing fiction, of course.
Certainly not.
We can stop here.
But I still have 20 minutes.
Yes, but you've already shared
everything with me you wanted to.
And besides, you had a huge breakthrough.
Give yourself a break, hmm?
Next time, then?
-Yeah, yeah.
-See you next time.
All right.
[funky pop-rock song playing]
Wanna go for a walk? Outside. Come on.
Let's go, come on, come on.
[funky pop-rock song continuing]
[host] You're not pulling any punches.
You gotta really mean it.
That's it! Come on!
"Exhausted,
his hands still soaked in blood,
he let himself fall onto the couch
where so many others had laid bare
pieces of their intimate lives,
growing small before his eyes."
"A sharp pain stabbed his chest
and he begged,
yet he remained silent, motionless,
waiting for the sun to stream through
the windows of his office
to remind him that a new day had begun,
and that there was still much to do."
THE END
-[disconnect tone chimes]
-[Paula] Dad!
Hmm?
-I didn't hear you!
-Are you smoking?
Just one every now and then. No big deal.
Did you forget?
Huh?
I just told you this morning.
Dinner with Thiago?
Yes! Yeah.
Okay, well, do you want me to reschedule?
This is the second time.
No, no, no, honey, no.
I was waiting for you.
I just thought it might be better
if we maybe go out and eat.
Fine.
Hello, sir. How are you?
[chuckles] Thiago.
Ah.
[indistinct chatter]
How long have you known each other?
-Six months, about.
-That's a while.
Sure. Yup.
What kind of work do you do?
-[Paula] They'll seat us pretty soon.
-Great.
-What were you talking about?
-Nothing. I asked what he does for work.
Oh. He's a student.
-Really? What do you study?
-Psychology.
Oh, really?
[waiter] Paula, table for three.
-[Ulises] Yes.
-[Paula] Let's go.
[Ulises] So you're a future psychologist?
-We're in short supply of those, right?
-[laughing] Yeah. Yeah.
I know you believe that there are
too many psychologists in Buenos Aires.
Mmm?
Yeah, because I saw the video
the other day from the Baumann Foundation,
where you gave a speech about it
and you refused the award.
What do you think about what I said?
Dad, stop quizzing him.
No, no, I'm not quizzing him.
No, no. Not at all. I'm curious. Go ahead.
Well, there are a ton of psychologists.
So, uh, I agree with you there.
The thing is, what I can't imagine is
being in a world where psychologists grab
the reins in the lives of their patients,
as if human beings weren't
delicate enough, you know?
So what I think is that any decision
we choose to make for our patients,
or maybe convince them to make,
might have consequences unexpectedly.
You said "we," but one of us is missing
a degree and experience, though, right?
How about we talk about
something else now?
Why? What's the problem? Listen.
An open heart surgery can have
extreme complications.
You never know what could happen.
Yet it doesn't stop doctors from doing it.
I mean, sure. I just, I don't know
Well, I guess you, uh
All other therapists, at some point,
especially you with your age
Um, with your I mean, your experience.
They start doubting if therapy can really
help their patients. You know?
Yeah, it happens.
The difference is that I'm choosing
to take action despite having doubts.
I'm proactive.
And how exactly?
By getting my hands a bit dirty.
Fine. Why don't I get my hands
a bit dirty then?
[Ulises] Hmm.
Because, well, Thiago and I have been
talking quite a lot about you.
Oh, yeah?
Yes, because you think you have
a mission in life
that that somehow puts you above
the rest of us.
And you, what did you call it again?
-No
-A messiah complex?
-Yes, but I wasn't the one who said it.
-No, that's what you told me.
No, I didn't say he had that.
I just helped you find the term.
I didn't say
You made it sound like I said, "Your dad
probably has a messiah complex."
I didn't say that. In the words of Lacan,
"You may know what you said,
but never what the other heard."
Mmm. Lacan was quite lucky.
At least people heard him.
Here's your stuffed fugazzeta.
-Mmm.
-Thanks.
[mysterious, eccentric music playing]
CHAPTER XXVII
-[meows]
-No! Go away!
[suspenseful music intensifying]
No, come on.
Let's go to sleep, huh?
Let me get some sleep, okay?
It's bedtime. Don't be difficult.
[mysterious, eccentric music continuing]
MARTN BOUCHARD
PRESENTS THE PRAGMATIS[interviewer] Martn, you know this,
but it is a great honor to have you here
and to hear you share the writing process
behind The Pragmatist.
How was this novel born?
Well, I'm not able
to answer you precisely.
I think that writers already carry
a wide range of stories inside them,
and that the process
that every artist has to undergo
is to dig these stories out
and bring them to light.
As Michelangelo once said,
uh, a sculptor's job consists of
simply standing oneself
in front of a block of marble
and removing with the chisel
everything that was not sculpture.
Not that I mean to compare myself
with Michelangelo,
but I believe it's a valid analogy.
It's a beautiful metaphor.
Now, we'll take some questions
from the audience,
since we have the wonderful
Martn Bouchard with us today.
[elegant jazz music playing faintly]
[man] Congratulations, Mr. Bouchard.
-I'm glad you could make it.
-Ah!
I wouldn't miss it,
after all that hard work.
Would you like me to sign it?
Oh, please.
-There you are.
-Perfect. Thank you very much.
I'll be seeing you at the office
on Tuesday, then.
-No. What for?
-What do you mean?
Yeah, well, you did it. It's done.
You had a specific problem,
and we solved it.
No point in prolonging
your therapy, right?
You could be using that time
on more useful things,
like spending it writing more,
which you do very well.
Okay.
I must confess I'm bit surprised
that you're ending the treatment here,
but if that's what's best
-Yes, I think it's best, yeah.
-[woman] Martn!
Go talk to your fans.
Don't Don't worry about me, Martn.
-Gentlemen, would you like a canap?
-No, no. Thank you.
Certainly.
Thank you for signing my copy.
FOR MR. ULISES VERN.
THANK YOU!
THIS BOOK IS THE RESULOF WELL-KEPT SECRETS. M. BOUCHARD
-[woman] Excuse me, Mr. Vern?
-Yes?
-I can't believe you're here.
-Huh?
I watch your show every day,
and I love your style.
I've sent in lots of messages,
but they never read them.
I have a little issue I'd like to discuss
with you, if you have a minute.
Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[mysterious music playing]
Calm down.
We're almost there. We're almost there.
-There you go, easy. That's it.
-[barks]
We're almost there.
THIRD EDITION
-[barking]
-I know, I know, I know. Okay. Come on.
You said they've been giving you
the silent treatment?
What do you mean? I don't understand.
They refuse to talk to me.
They haven't said a word to me in months.
We have a family WhatsApp group
where we would share memes every day,
and now, nothing.
I'm guessing they created
another group without me,
because I don't get any memes,
or any GIFs,
or any of those stickers with glitter
that say things like blessings
or have flowers.
I'd get those from my mom a lot.
At first, it was just her
who stopped, right?
Uh, but then she must have told
the whole family what happened,
because now my mom won't speak to me,
or my father, or my siblings, or my aunts.
I've got nobody.
Don't you feel liberated?
-No, I'm all alone.
-Of course.
You probably aren't in a good enough place
to know what the best outcome is
for you, even if it's obvious.
Uh, my suggestion is,
in our upcoming session together,
how about we try to
Let's try to see how we can face
what you've just just mentioned, okay?
How about that?
No. Um, you know
I've been thinking about it
almost every day,
and I believe that it's for the best
if we stop here.
[indistinct arguing in distance]
-Give me a minute, please.
-Sure.
Be right back.
-You have to call for appointments.
-Martn.
-Ah! Oh, Ulises!
-Are you okay?
What happened?
Yeah. I don't know. Uh, sure.
What are you doing here?
Did something happen?
-No.
-No?
No, I came to to see you.
Oh no, but, wait Is it too late?
It has nothing to do with the time, no
-I think I'll head out, okay?
-Just a minute. I'll come back.
No, it's fine, I already said everything
I needed to, okay? Thanks.
-Bye. Bye-bye.
-I'm so sorry.
I told him he can't burst in like this,
right, Martn?
I said you need to call and schedule?
What? Call you? Come on.
Uh-uh, just give me a minute.
I just need a minute please.
I want to tell him
that the book is a smash hit.
Yeah.
I've even lost count
of how many editions have sold out.
A huge success. I'm thrilled.
-Yeah.
-Congratulations.
-Who, me?
-Yes.
No, to you! And the critics? Wow!
They're obsessed with it.
"The best book of his whole career.
Yay, Martn Bouchard." Those assholes.
It seems there's always a jerk or two
who doesn't like it. Ha!
But this time, it was unanimous.
I met with Uh, I met with the publishers.
It seems that the book caused a huge stir
among your colleagues.
How much have you had to drink, Martn?
Only a bit, to celebrate.
-Only a bit?
-Just a cup, yeah.
You said you never drank for fun,
that you only did so to help you write.
Ah, well.
Maybe I drank a little too much.
I came here to tell you thank you.
The last time I saw you
I felt bad.
Do you wanna sit, Martn?
You can tell me a little bit
about what's happening to you.
No, it's pointless. Didn't you say that
you prefer not to spend years
on pointless talk therapy?
I did, but this is different.
No, it's not.
There's really no point.
I mean, whatever you could've done
you already did.
Now the rest of it is up to me.
To act like a real man
and handle the rest.
I would talk to you
but you're not my psychologist anymore.
Hmm?
You might try to stop me.
[suspenseful music playing]
Martn
Thanks again.
Bonsoir.
What happened?
I don't know.
[phone buzzing]
[suspenseful music playing]
-Martn?
-Ulises.
-Hi, Martn, what happened today?
-I've had enough.
-I'm I'm sorry, what?
-I'm done.
What do you mean? Uh
Martn. Talk to me, please, Martn.
Martn?
You got here fast.
Well, you you called me,
and the call dropped out.
I didn't understand what happened.
I was worried about you.
How'd you open the door?
Give me the keys.
-I don't know what you're talking about.
-Yes, you do.
Give me the keys you used to break into
my house and write my novel.
Did you really think I wouldn't notice,
you prick?
Give me the keys, damn it!
Just let me explain.
What's there to explain?
It might seem a little
a bit, uh, invasive, but it was
a completely therapeutic decision.
Therapeutic?
I can't believe you, how can you say that?
A medic who's trying to save your life
doesn't stop and ask you how to do it,
he just does it, period.
And that's exactly how I operate as well.
You're completely mad, aren't you?
I took the pressure off you, Martn.
You had to finish that book,
and you finished it.
And you're not less of a writer.
You're insane. You used me,
like all your patients with your method.
No. Calm down.
Let's, let's talk about this
Don't fucking touch me,
you son of a bitch.
I'm gonna kill you, man.
I mean, you wrote my best novel.
Do you know what that means to me,
that my best novel was written by you?
You ruined my life, you son of a bitch!
-We can't talk while you're in this state.
-Oh, we can't? Talk to me.
-You ruined my fucking life
-Let go, man! I said, let go!
so I'm going to ruin yours!
I'm going to show everyone who you are!
[Ulises] Let go of me!
No
Martn?
Come on. I just
Martn?
-Hey!
-[meows]
Hey! Hey!
Stop it! Go. Go!
[distressing music playing]
[phone buzzing]
[door closing]
[banging at door]
[delivery person] Damn it.
[engine revving]
[suspenseful music playing]
MARTIN BOUCHARD NEWS
[reporter 1] In a surprising turn,
he claimed that benefit for himself.
The prosecutor handling the case warned
that a court of appeal
could order their re-arrest.
We'll have more on this after the break.
[reporter 2] Look at this fire.
Look at the amount of smoke. It's huge.
[reporter 3]
Channel 5445, where we're working and
[reporters chattering on radio]
[reporter 4] It seems we have
a terrible storm rolling in later today,
so waste no time
and get those errands done now.
-[Paula] Dad! Hi.
-Hey, honey.
-Morning. What's wrong?
-Why? I'm fine.
-You look exhausted.
-No, no, no.
Did you go out last night?
No, I wasn't able to sleep very much.
I don't know, I got an upset stomach.
Hmm. Should I clear your schedule?
No, no, no, no. I'm fine.
-Okay, I'll make you tea.
-Okay, thanks.
[Mnica] I know I was excited at first,
but deep down I can't stop asking,
"What am I doing with a guy like this?"
If I hadn't bumped into his mirror,
we wouldn't have even talked.
-Are you listening to me?
-Huh?
-Did you hear what I said?
-Of course.
-You're telling me about your boyfriend.
-What? Boyfriend? He's not my boyfriend.
He's someone I barely know.
We have nothing in common,
no shared interests.
He's someone who's only interested in sex.
[echoing] Sex, sex, sex.
And I don't know if I wanna have sex
all the time, every day, every week.
And he's at my place all the time now,
and I don't know what I should do
to make him leave.
[chilling music playing]
Am I boring you?
No, no, no. No. Go ahead. I'm listening.
[Mnica] I kind of miss Eugenio.
But he was a major asshole.
I was thinking about
what you said earlier. You were right.
Maybe we should cancel
the rest of the appointments, okay?
Why? Are you sick?
No, no, no I'm not sick. I'm fine.
I didn't sleep well. I'm too tired.
I I can't concentrate.
But the car is waiting downstairs.
You have a show.
-Today?
-Yes.
[driver] It's good to see you, again, sir.
It's been a while since I drove you.
[Ulises] Mmm.
So, um, things with your wife,
did they get any better?
No.
She filed a harassment complaint
against me and got a restraining order.
I guess she really didn't want me around,
unlike what you told me.
[host] Thank you for joining us again
on Every Afternoon.
-Sir, let's go. Almost ready for you.
-Ah, yes.
[host] Once again, we have renowned
psychologist, Mr. Ulises Vern, here.
[applause]
[host] He's here to help
with all your problems.
So are we ready to start
with the first question?
-[Ulises] Please.
-Great.
Lorena from Parque Patricios says,
"I feel like I'm my own worst enemy."
"I have such negative thoughts
that everything I do goes wrong."
"I don't feel capable of being happy."
"Is there something quick I might do
to make the sadness go away?"
"Because I can't take it anymore."
Anything she can do?
-Should I read it again?
-No, no, no. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm just Um
One One second.
Of course, yes. You're okay.
All right.
Well, Patricio, what do I--
It's Lorena. Lorena from Parque Patricios.
-Right, Lorena, I'm sorry.
-Don't worry about it.
Um This situation sounds complex.
Hmm.
To just, well, uh To give an opinion,
-I'd I'd like to legitimately, uh
-Of course.
profoundly understand
what could possibly be causing it.
I understand completely, but I believe
that what Lorena, who's watching us,
needs right now is a tip.
Just a quick piece of advice
to help her out,
like the ones you always give to us,
you know, with your unique perspective.
[chilling music plays]
-[Ulises] Oh! Sorry.
-[host] No, no, no.
-Mr. Vern, please, it's not a problem.
-I'm so sorry.
We're live. These things happen.
Meanwhile, I have great news!
If you're hoping to sell
some of your gold, watches, or jewelry
at prices that are out of this world,
Rinoldi Jewelry offers you
the best deal without the hassle.
They're located in Recoleta.
Rinoldi Jewelry, the only jewelers
who respect the value of your memories.
All right, we're back now. Let's continue.
Oh, we have to interrupt the show.
BREAKING NEWS
URGENT!
We have some breaking news. Is it urgent?
It's urgent. Has it been confirmed?
-[producer] Confirmed.
-It has, right?
[producer] Yeah.
Well then.
BREAKING NEWS
According to our sources,
early this morning,
renowned author Martn Bouchard
had an accident.
His housekeeper discovered him at noon
and immediately called 911.
She described a truly harrowing scene.
His body was surrounded by blood.
The house was trashed and there were
multiple traces of alcohol.
As of now, it appears
that Mr. Bouchard was home alone
at the time the incident occurred.
I can imagine this is is hard for you
to take in, right?
I understand he was a patient of yours.
Yes, yes, he was my patient.
I'm truly concerned, I
-I'm in shock. I just can't believe it.
-Oh yes. This is a major shock.
He's a writer. of such importance.
Such a brilliant person, right? Tragic.
Let's hope he can recover from this.
Although I'm told
he's in a very delicate state.
He was rushed to the hospital
and they're doing
their absolute best to save him.
-Let's all wish him well, yeah?
-Certainly, certainly. Of course.
BOUCHARD IN CRITICAL CONDITION
-Right. Well, we will keep you updated
-[Claudio] Let me talk to him!
What's happening?
Let me talk to that motherfucker!
I'm a former patient of that fraud Vern!
I want him to apologize to me.
I'm sorry.
The challenge of recording live TV.
Apologize to me! You spat in my face!
You didn't give a shit about my problems!
You know I'm on antidepressants,
you bastard! Escitalopram, fluoxetine.
-Do you?
-Yes, I know him.
-NDP, my fucking ass! Apologize to me!
-I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry.
You owe me an apology
for saying I was okay!
Apologize, you criminal!
Who are you calling a criminal,
you son of a bitch?
The only criminal here is
the one who overmedicated you.
There's no pill to take for stupidity,
and you, you, sir,
are about as stupid as a man can get.
Come on, sir, let's go.
-Please leave. You can't be here.
-How dare you?
-[producer] You need to leave now.
-On this show? What the hell?
-Where are we?
-[teleprompter] Here, read this.
[host] Oh. Does your kid have lice?
We have just what you've been looking for.
[suspenseful music playing]
One second, honey.
-Hey.
-Hello, hello. You okay?
Yeah. Uh, I'm sorry I didn't call
before coming.
No, no. It's okay, it's okay.
Please. Come in, come in.
-Can we talk for a second?
-Yes, of course.
Are you okay?
I don't know. I I heard you got into
a fight with a patient on the show today.
No, no, no, no. Not with a patient.
No, he's not my patient.
He came in right after I found
out what happened to Bouchard,
and I don't know, I reacted poorly.
Okay, sure.
But there's something I need to ask.
What is it?
-What?
-You wrote this, didn't you?
-Oh, come on.
-Don't give me that, Dad. Please.
-I can hear your voice as I read it.
-No.
Yes, it sounds exactly like you.
The main character is obviously you.
Well, or the idea, the illusion you have
of yourself or something.
I don't understand
what you're talking about.
Let me read you something.
You don't need to.
Will you please listen?
Just a second. Listen.
"Dazed by the blows, after the many"
"The decisions he makes for his patients
may have consequences unexpectedly,
but an open-heart surgery might also
bring about consequences unexpectedly."
"But that doesn't stop people
from doing it."
That's almost exactly
the same thing you said.
Remember, at the restaurant
when you met Thiago?
I
I probably discussed that concept
with Martn, and he just liked it.
I don't get what the problem is here.
I think you're the problem here, Dad.
Don't act like you don't know.
I know you said that you
"get you hands a bit dirty" and all.
This is more than a bit of dirt.
We're both stuck knee-deep in this shit.
Of all the patients
who pass through the office,
the person who needs the most help is you.
You still haven't realized it.
You'll end up alone.
Just like your patient who froze to death.
Tell me the truth.
Tell me what's happening.
Let's talk about it
and figure out how to fix this together.
What happened to Bouchard?
[tense music playing]
I swear I don't have any idea.
Just tell me one thing.
Would he be injured like he is now
if he was never your patient?
What's gonna happen when he wakes up
and tells everybody?
You're going to lose everything.
24-HOUR PHARMACY
Good evening.
I'm looking for this.
EMERGENCY
No. Shh. No, don't try to speak.
Just listen to me carefully.
I put a bit of a stimulant
in your IV to wake you,
because I need you
to listen to me very closely.
If you're listening right now,
move your index finger.
No, no.
Don't you know the names of the fingers?
-Hey, I'm trying.
-There's only five.
Fine. Blink two times if you can hear me.
Like this.
Good, good.
Do you remember what you told me
the last time we spoke?
That you'd been planning
to expose me and all that?
Do you remember or not?
Blink twice if you do.
You remember.
But, if I were you,
I'd probably reconsider.
Because if you if you tell anyone
what happened, I could be
be put in jail, lose my certification,
and my practice. I don't know.
But you'd be losing something too.
You'd be losing.
See, prestige
is a license requiring renewal
all the time.
Do you remember saying that?
Yes, of course you do. All that prestige
that you got for your novel,
I assure you, it'll vanish.
Like this.
All right.
So?
Will you renew it?
Or won't you?
[chilling music playing]
What's your choice?
That's taken.
Hello, Emilio. I'll be quick.
My name is Bruno Alarcn.
I'm rica's psychologist.
Uh-huh. How are you?
I'm fine, thank you.
I'll get right to the point
so you can get back to your lover, okay?
-No, she's not my lover.
-She's your lover.
I'm not judging you.
I'm gonna ask you a favor,
and please forgive my directness.
Tomorrow morning, when the sun comes up,
you're gonna leave your house.
Excuse me?
You're gonna tell rica
that you wanna divorce her.
She can't ask for it
as much as she wants to,
she can't bring herself to,
even though she absolutely knows
you're a narcissistic son of a bitch.
Who the hell do you think you are?
I already told you
that I'm rica's psychologist.
Huh?
rica's psychologist.
Sorry.
Sorry, I blanked. I blanked, I'm sorry.
Can we cut?
Yeah, yeah, let's cut.
Let's pause for lunch break, guys.
I'm sorry everyone. I'm sorry about that.
I dunno what happened.
Something's wrong with me. Hmm.
It's okay. Try to relax a little bit.
You're good, okay?
I'm sorry.
I'm just stuck, you know.
I dunno what happened.
You know I love your book.
I've read it twice.
I'm just going through
a pretty rough patch, like I said.
Yes, yes, I know, I know. Uh You're fine.
You don't have to apologize to me.
I've been stuck once before, too.
I know perfectly well what it feels like.
Try not to worry. Try to relax.
Take some downtime. You'll feel better.
-Don't worry.
-I'm gonna have some coffee.
Sure.
Fuck my life, motherfucker.
That man is going to screw up our movie.
This fucking tastes like shit.
Is this necessary, though?
Let the guy work.
I wouldn't be here today
if it wasn't for him.
To me, your problem is very simple.
Even though you're at
the peak of your career,
it seems somehow
that your self-esteem is at rock bottom.
I mean, it's not that low.
Yes, it is.
It's precisely why you're unable to act.
So what I propose is a radical exercise
to help you climb out of
the abysmal state you're trapped in.
What do you mean?
I wouldn't call my state abysmal.
[Ulises] I wouldn't be so sure about that.
No. [tuts] I've read this before.
No, no, no. No peeking.
What are you gonna do?
Are you gonna make me talk about my mom?
Is your mom with you when you act?
-No, she passed away.
-Then I don't care about that.
[Martn] This does seems a bit risky.
[Ulises] Don't worry.
This exercise may seem a bit unorthodox,
but I think it will give you the outcome.
Now, are you typically a calm man
or are you not so calm?
What about when you act?
[funky outro music playing]