Minx (2022) s01e03 Episode Script

1
- Wow.
- Quiet, right?
Yeah.
I mean, that's double-paned
glass right there.
You could get murdered in
here, and no one would know.
Ooh. What about Rita's desk over here?
Rita? No, are you crazy?
I'm not wasting that view on Rita.
That's your spot.
Hell, no, I'm getting my
own office and my own Tina.
His name will be Theodore.
Just imagine sitting here
with Philip Morris and
Seagram's over here,
and they're just
tripping over themselves
to give us all their dough.
"Sorry, Mr. Hefner. He's in a meeting.
But sure, you can borrow the jet.
Just make sure you top off the tank "
- Hey!
- "Because last time "
This is an active work
zone. Who let you in?
Michael Schwartz.
You got ten seconds
before I kick your ass.
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
Okay, we're going, we're going!
Leave the hard hats.
You know that your love
Is like a violin
Baby, when you kiss me
You know the music begins
Uh
Hi. Excuse me, Officer.
Hi, is there a problem here?
Are you an employee
of Bottom Dollar, Miss?
Technically, yes.
But I think of myself more as
a creative leader, actually.
I just finished the maiden
issue of my new magazine.
Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- Hey, Kenny.
Help lighten this nice lady's load.
What?
Oh, oh, no, I'm so sorry.
- Ma'am.
- Those are mine.
Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
No okay. Where are
you going with those?
Oh, okay.
Rita. Rita, what is going on?
It's a raid.
- Oh, babes?
- Yeah?
Do me a favor and
stuff this in your bra.
Why is everyone so calm?
We're under siege here.
Oh, it's no big deal. It
happens a few times a year.
The pigs grab our
stuff, Doug pays a fine,
and they return it in a day or two.
I want those tassels back, Wayne.
What are we being charged with?
Aw, it's baby's first raid.
Did you hear what it's for this time?
I think maybe an underage model.
We shoot underage models here?
I'm sure they're of age now.
Listen, every time they come in,
it's for something else.
A zoning violation, harboring a felon.
The charges are always bullshit, okay?
This is just a racket, a shakedown.
This is the dirty part of the business.
- Oh.
- Okay, is this too much?
You look thin but bulgy.
And I guess these are for the cops now.
Mm-hmm.
We talked about this, Pete.
You don't fuck with my space heater.
- Sorry, T.
- Mm-hmm.
Hey, what happened to the heads -up?
New councilwoman, new rules.
I'm just a humble servant of the law.
Oh, don't sell yourself short, Petey.
You're a prince. I'll
save a doughnut for you.
When are we gonna be
done with this bullshit?
Around the time we get that jet.
This is insane
they just come in here,
and they just take whatever they want.
- How do you live like this?
- Oh, it's never stopped us
from getting an issue out
before 19 raids and counting.
That is a weird thing to be proud of.
All right. Happy Monday, everybody.
Okay, seems we got a
new pal at City Hall,
and I haven't paid
her the proper respect.
So we got a spot at
the printer in 36 hours.
We need to hold on to it, okay?
Anybody got a title that's ready to go?
"Rich & Horny," what do you got?
I saved a roll of film,
a three-iron, and a pearl necklace.
I'm assuming not the fun kind.
- Negative.
- "Milky Moms."
They took everything,
man, even the dolls.
- Animals.
- All right.
You know what? Let's
not do this piecemeal.
Everybody, everything you
got. Put it on the table.
What's wrong with you people?
Our magazine is 90% photos.
Did anybody save any negatives?
Well, don't call me a hero,
but I got "Minx" in my pants.
Oh, Richie.
Good stuff.
Hey, kid. Did you, uh, save any boards?
I fought valiantly, but
Oh, my no, wait.
Uh, I do have mimeographs
of the articles.
See, I, um
I implemented a backup
system after Hurricane Donna
scattered my thesis through
the streets of Poughkeepsie.
Well, congrats, kid,
your release date just
got pulled up a month.
All right, Joyce.
- Joyce.
- Hmm?
You have a call.
It wasn't a real raid.
It was a shakedown.
You know, it was
selective use of local
No, uh, no.
Kathy, you know the news
always gets this stuff wrong.
It was please don't
get cold feet, okay?
"Minx" will not be the
same without your piece.
I'm very sorry to hear that.
I lost every single contributor.
"Degendering Children's
Literature," gone.
"The Patriarchal Implications
of Breastfeeding," poof.
"A Manifesto on the
Virtues of Armpit Hair."
Which are?
Unconvincing at best. I will admit that.
But half of my magazine
has just disappeared.
I cannot go to the printer's tomorrow.
Oh, you'll figure it out.
Oh, that you're done?
That's it? There's no more advice?
Well, look, you've been
working on this magazine
since seventh grade,
so find some old gems,
do a little Joyce-y update,
and, wham bam, you're done.
Yeah, yeah, I suppose I
could dip into the archives.
I can't put my name on
every single article, though.
That's not professional.
- So change them.
- What to?
Norman Mailer. Samantha Shortcake.
It doesn't matter. You're the editor.
Edit the magazine.
Councilwoman Westbury.
Oh, you must be Mr. Renetti.
You were due ten minutes ago.
Well, I didn't want to
show up empty-handed.
- Aw.
- Congratulations
on the landslide victory.
Oh, thank you I don't
accept gifts from constituents.
Also, I grow my own,
blue-ribbon winners
Crown of Thorns, three years running.
Very nice.
Well, what's the secret?
- Love.
- Oh, that's nice.
Would you mind grabbing that
other brown file up there?
- It's a little high for me.
- It'd be my pleasure.
So I'm assuming that
you're here about the raid
conducted on your premises this morning?
Yeah.
The list of citations was very creative.
Mm.
Improper ventilation, um,
expired darkroom materials,
and, uh, what was my favorite?
Access to egress. What
does that even mean?
Well, safety is job number one.
Yeah, I agree, absolutely.
You see, in the past,
uh, after I paid my fines, of course,
I've been able to expedite
the release of my materials
by making a personal donation
to the charity of the
councilman's choice.
- Ah.
- So
Wow, yes, some of my predecessors
were colorful characters.
I found a gun in my
desk on my first day.
I kept it.
Well, maybe a donation to the NRA, then?
Oh, Mr. Renetti, are you
aware that in the Valley,
there are more pornographers
than there are pediatricians?
I was not aware.
But if you need a doctor,
I got a cousin named
- That won't be necessary.
- Okay.
You know, I was elected to restore
the values of this
community, so, you know,
that's gonna mean pulling
the weeds up by the roots.
Companies that exploit young girls
and drive down property values
and lead good men to
stumble in their faith.
The Dirty Dozen
Adulty's Bookstore, Romantix Saloon,
The Tickle Corner.
Mm.
What are you what are
you trying to do here,
cut out the Valley's heart?
Or its tumor.
Well, Councilwoman,
there's nothing illegal
about any of these businesses.
Despite how distasteful
you might find them,
this is still a free country.
The job of government
is to protect its
citizens from bad actors.
If those actors find my
oversight too onerous,
they are free to set up shop elsewhere.
I heard Oxnard is lovely,
and it's by the water.
Come on.
So if you'll excuse me, I have a tea
with the Daughters of
the American Revolution.
And trust me, you don't want
to keep those gals waiting.
You can see yourself out.
- This sucks.
- Zip it.
Auntie Joyce, I've never seen
Hey, what did I tell you in the car?
Eyes down, mouth shut.
Tommy, I was not
expecting to see you here.
And I was not expecting someone
to light his classmate's
buttocks on fire.
It wasn't his butt. It was his fart.
Eugene is in the burn ward, Thomas.
I can't even look at you right now.
Rest of the boxes, chop-chop.
My God, Joycie, this place
is quite an operation.
Well, trust me, it's held
together with masking tape.
Aw, you ever read this article?
"Out for Blood: The Fight
for Menstrual Reckoning."
Oh, of course, it challenged everything
I thought I knew about
menstrual reckonings.
- Okay.
- Oh, that reminds me.
I got to pick up ketchup.
It's meatloaf Monday.
- Yay, Shelly's here!
- Hi.
- Do you want a tour?
It's kind of my thing.
Yeah, I want to see everything.
Wait, do I, or
Yes, you do. Maybe not that corner.
Oh, that's so much fun.
But, um, could you just wait on that,
and instead, could you just
help me go through these boxes
and pick out the best
you know, the best articles?
- Oh.
- Okay.
I mean, I guess I could
be here for an hour.
Oh, great.
Where should I park this little pyro?
- Um, the lobby should be fine.
- Follow me, cutie.
Oh, uh, just know that any
of the women you see here
appear in our photos voluntarily
and are appropriately compensated, okay?
Oh, but you should also
not expect the girls
that you're romantic with to
be as open with their sexuality.
'Cause oh, but if they are
- Joyce.
- Yeah.
- He's 13.
- Oh, okay.
You took scout sashes, why?
Don't know, it was the
closest thing to the door.
You know what? You take
my stuff, I'm taking yours.
That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard.
- We got a real problem here.
- I know.
I looked in that woman's
eyes. She wants to end us.
Look, we got to get those boards back,
show her that we got friends
in this community, too.
And how are we supposed to do that?
I don't know. Beg, borrow, or steal.
She thinks she's the Valley.
Mm-mm, I'm the Valley.
Okay, slow down, Capone.
It was one thing to do that stuff
back in the day when
we had nothing to lose.
Got real assets to protect now.
Got to follow some rules.
Yeah, not exactly why I got into porn.
I can call some people,
find out who's got her ear,
you know, aboveboard political stuff.
Play the long game.
Come out clean, get so big
she can't fuck with us anymore.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
Let's try it your way.
All right.
Uh, okay, so, um, which
ones were your favorites?
All of them.
Guys, it's okay.
I'm not married to anything, all right?
Although I am a little in love
with that article on marital rape.
Oh, yeah. That one was neat.
You think marital rape is neat?
You didn't read it. Okay.
Uh, we tried really hard.
There just wasn't much to latch on to.
- Yeah.
- All right, all right.
Uh, Shelly, you must have
liked "Home Economics:
The Contretemps on Domestic Expiation"?
I'm so sorry, Joycie. I
couldn't get through it.
But I literally wrote it for you.
It debates whether wives
should be compensated
for their housework.
How was I supposed to know that?
"The Contretemps on Domestic Expiation."
I don't know how I could be any clearer.
Well, uh, what if you called it
"Kids Get Paid For
Chores, Shouldn't Moms?"
- Mm.
- I would read that.
Well, yeah, if we want to
go for the low-hanging fruit.
For me, it was more,
like, an energy thing.
It's like the articles
didn't want to be read.
Oh, my gosh. You put that so well.
It's like they were angry
at me for even trying.
Joyce, this is one
paragraph. I feel attacked.
- Yeah.
- All right, okay.
I guess the gloves are off.
Go ahead, I can take it.
- Crabby.
- Lifeless.
Pedantic.
Yeah, I looked it up.
I looked all these up.
I guess I mostly read the dictionary.
All right, well, um, thank
you for your suggestions.
I will definitely
give them some thought.
- Oh.
- Uh, Jo
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Understood.
No, thank you.
Okay.
Can I help you with something?
Oh, I'm just here with my mother.
She a Horny Housewife or Milky Mom?
Neither, I hope. Um, my
aunt is an editor here.
And I got kicked out of summer school.
Oh, been there.
I'm in a lot of trouble.
Well, let's see if we
can brighten your day.
Oh, there she is,
the Valley's most eligible bachelorette.
It's going to take an honest man
to make an honest
woman out of me, Dougie.
That rules you out.
This never happened.
I don't even know what
you're talking about.
I will be in and out in no time.
Thank you.
Mr. Renetti, after our
little meeting today,
I asked around about you.
Ooh, you are quite the rapscallion.
Okay, listen, lady,
my employees are your constituents, too.
What happens to them
if I lose my business?
Well, I've found Valley folk
to be tremendously resilient.
And with the dynamic
economy that we're building,
there's gonna be plenty of opportunity
for people to pursue respectable work.
When are you up for reelection?
I'm certain I will have your vote
before that day arrives.
By the way, there was
a bag in my office.
It grew feet and scurried off
right about the time you popped by.
Troop 17 has their pictures tonight,
and the girls cannot
pose without their sashes.
That is so unfortunate.
Well, it seems like we both
need something back, don't we?
Hmm.
- Keep 'em, Carole.
- She won't let me.
- Hi.
- Hi, Joyce, you okay?
There were 32 different
boas stuffed in the corner,
so I have organized them now
into color, length, and species.
- Oh.
- Oh, looks a lot better.
- Mm-hmm.
- It does, mm-hmm.
Hey, babes.
So we were thinking, you know,
maybe it wasn't very helpful of us
to criticize your magazine
and not have any ideas of our own.
- So we came up with some stuff.
- Oh.
Since we need to fill more pages,
I tweaked the layout of some
of the existing material.
I created a jazzy infographic
based on the birth-control article.
I added a whole page.
And I changed the headline
from "Eisenstadt v. Baird:
Reproductive Justice Granted"
to "Hooray, Now Single
Gals Can Get the Pill."
See? It's catchy.
Hmm. That, uh that is a change.
And last but hopefully not least,
I used the reject Polaroids
from the centerfold
casting and made this.
- What am I looking at?
- It's a game.
You match the man with the penis.
It's cute.
- Why?
- Well, first of all,
it's a lot tougher than
you think I mean, try it.
Yeah, and we thought it
might be a little bit shocking
to flip from your article
on female genital mutilation
straight into a two-page spread
of that fireman's dingle dong.
Yeah, you you need a
transition, kind of, like,
a scoop of sorbet in between courses.
- Yeah.
- That's good.
So this is what you've
been working on all day?
- And Shelly's hair.
- Yes.
- And my makeup.
- Doesn't she look gorgeous?
- Stop it.
- I don't know how to do this.
I don't know how to make you understand
that this magazine is not a joke.
You know, we don't do bubble letters
or dumbed-down headlines
or penis games with no
redeeming social value.
My God, Doug is making me
do something that is impossible here,
and he is giving me
absolutely no support.
Joycie, w-we're your
support. We're trying to help.
Yeah, but you can't,
because a real magazine has
real writers and real editors,
and it's not cobbled together
at the last minute like
it's Meatloaf Monday.
You're right. I don't
know what we were thinking.
Good luck, Joyce.
Wow, I've never seen
one this big before.
Tommy, you're so good with your hands.
Wow. What is going on in here?
No, sir.
No, uh, he just told us about
what happened with Eugene.
- Yeah.
- Tough break.
- It's so sad.
- Just awful.
You know, kids make mistakes.
Mm-hmm.
Um
Thank you.
Sure.
- Okay, let's go.
- So good.
- Excuse me.
- Okay.
Bye, Nikki, Jade, Lola,
Amber, Roxy, Cherry.
- Bye, Tommy.
- Bye.
You got to be kidding me.
Okay, Westbury comes out
of her house, you know.
Obviously there's your car.
Later in the day, fancy
lunch, Antonio's maybe?
There's your car again.
When do we go in her house?
We're not breaking in.
This is intimidation.
We're just trying to get in her head.
It would be easier,
though, just to kill her.
Arkady, please, this is a
simple plan, no improvising.
We're just trying to intimidate her
Oh, what the fuck? Excuse me, gentlemen.
- Joyce.
- Hi.
If you finished early
and you're coming in here
to tie one on, boy,
have I misjudged you.
- No, I I can't finish.
- Of course you can finish.
Okay, this is what it means to
be a boss you're just fine.
Well, maybe I'm not cut out
for leadership because
I'm not getting
- Who are those guys?
- Ah, they're associates.
Nothing to worry about.
Why are they staring at me, then?
I don't know. They're curious gentlemen.
What were you saying? What do you need?
Are you plotting something?
No, I'm not plotting anything.
Joyce, you handle editorial.
I'll handle the business, okay?
- This is business?
- Yes, this is business.
I've been dealing with
politicians for 15 years.
They come, and they go. I'm still here.
Yeah, which is a miracle, frankly.
What, are you gonna kidnap some scouts
or steal their cookies?
So you heard about that?
- Yes.
- Look, I don't steal, Joyce
From people who don't deserve it, okay?
What I'm trying to do is real,
and it's hard, and
there are no shortcuts.
I can see I came to the
wrong place for any help.
That's enough, okay?
How about this?
Do your fucking job, and I'll do mine.
Okay, we'll see about that.
- We're good, gentlemen.
- Spasibo.
My Svetlana will love these.
Pozhaluysta.
Okay, girls. Your attention, please.
I know these aren't real,
but if there's one thing
scouts know how to do, it's
improvise and stay chaste.
Councilwoman Westbury.
Hello. Hi, I am Joyce Prigger.
I am a big admirer of yours,
ever since you ran for
school board in '65.
Oh, well, I couldn't just
sit back and watch them
teach our kids Salinger, now, could I?
Certainly not, no.
Um, but you, you're an inspiration
the way you've been able
to balance raising a
family with a career.
I mean, the first city councilwoman
in all of Southern California.
You're a pioneer.
Oh, well, I have a bottomless can
of Folgers and a
crackerjack all-female staff.
Are you looking to get into politics?
Oh, uh, no, um, no, I'm
just I'm actually here
to, um, return these
with apologies from Doug Renetti.
Okay, well, it seems like you
two got off on the wrong foot.
Mm-hmm. Marian, be a lamb
and, um, distribute these
and, uh, organize the girls.
Ja, fraulein.
Apologies for my daughter.
She has a unique sense of humor.
Yeah.
Um, I think you got the wrong
impression of Bottom Dollar,
and even of Doug Renetti,
actually, because,
look, I know he can be a
little rough around the edges,
but you know what?
He was the only one
who would take a chance
on publishing my magazine.
It's a road map for the
next generation of women,
for girls like yours who
will redefine what's possible.
Really?
What kind of articles are
in this magazine of yours?
Oh, well, important topics, you know
uh, Title IX, ERA.
Mm, mm-hmm. Annabelle!
What do you think of the ERA?
I don't want to get
drafted and die in Vietnam.
- Hmm.
- Oh.
Julie, would you like to weigh in?
If I get divorced,
I don't want to pay my husband alimony.
Even if he raises the kids
while you attend medical school?
All right, well, what about the right
to join a male scout group
if you want to learn about wood carving
and wilderness survival, instead of
Do you carve a lot of wood?
No, but I do believe that
I should have the right to.
- This one has a turtleneck.
- I just I don't know.
It's a lot harder than it looks.
Oh, my God.
- Where's the answer key?
- Give that to me!
- Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, it
Is this your road map?
I'm fairly certain that
leads straight to hell.
Oh, for Pete's sake,
they're just penises,
minding their own business
it's silly, and it's fun.
And there's something to be said
for not taking oneself so seriously.
Ah, well, we clearly
have very different ideas
about how to shape the
minds of young women.
And if you've already aligned yourself
with the likes of Mr. Renetti,
I can assure you that your days
in the San Fernando Valley are numbered.
Okay, girls, enough monkey business.
Form up! Don't dawdle. Let's go.
Now, I want big smiles, straight spines,
and flat tummies.
Suck it in, Ruth.
Oh, thank God you're still here.
Okay. We have a magazine to make.
Oh, we?
Look I am so, so sorry
about today, okay?
You came in with enthusiasm and ideas,
and I just stole your joie de vivre.
The truth is, I am in way over my head
but I have to figure it out.
We have to figure it out,
if not for us, then for
the girls who come next,
because I have seen the
future, and it is terrifying.
Like you at 4:00 p.m.?
Oh, scarier.
- Let's get to work, boss.
- Oh, okay.
Oh, my God.
- This layout, was it Curt?
- Richie.
It's not just photography.
He has a real eye for design.
Great. The game is new.
It's fun. Bambi's fun.
She loves her mix and match.
Look, I don't know how you did it,
but this is the best version
of this rag I've seen so far.
Right?
Yeah, it really came together.
Ah, even Samantha
Shortcake got a piece in it.
Samantha Short is a nom de plume
I will use very proudly.
Great, good stuff.
You know, Doug, in your own way
you're actually a really good boss.
I just I want to say thank
you for giving "Minx" a chance.
Are you trying to get
in my pants, Prigger?
'Cause I don't put out
in the office anymore.
Okay.
I learned that lesson many times.
Oh, by the way, I
love the new headlines.
They're punchy and understandable,
which I didn't know you could be.
Good work.
Tommy!
- It was Bobby.
- Yeah, was it?
That was my grandmother's owl!
Turn it down!
Okay, the Hendersons have their own TV.
They don't want to hear ours.
Jesus Christ!
Do you know why babies come
out looking like the dad?
It's some, like, evolutionary thing,
so men won't eat their young.
But was does biology
do for the moms, Joyce?
I have kind of a crazy idea.
Oh, no. I already tried Quaaludes.
No, what if you came to work for "Minx"?
I mean, mornings or a few times a week,
whatever's good for you.
What, because yesterday went so well?
Okay. I know I was not at my best.
You know, just because
people can't do what you do
doesn't mean they can't do something.
See, yeah, that right
there, that's what I need.
You're so good with
Bambi and Tina and Richie.
It's and you've always
been funnier than me.
- Low bar.
- Okay, thank you.
I mean, when you think about it,
making a magazine
isn't entirely different
from making a meatloaf.
Oh, my God. Jesus, Tommy!
Oh, no, that's Bobby.
His anus is bluer.
Okay, you really, really
need to get out of your house.
Hey, Barb.
Yeah, give me a Maker's
and a banana daiquiri.
- Sure thing, baby cakes.
- Thanks.
You seen "Minx"?
Looks good, bumpy ride.
Yeah, kid pulled it off. It's great.
Barely. But bought us 24 to 36 hours.
Well, it looks like we
won't be getting that jet
until next year, huh?
Yep, seems our new councilwoman
has a few secrets of her own.
I mean, we show her this,
she moves on to someone else right away.
Mm-hmm.
Man
How'd you get this?
I had a favor to call in, and I used it.
That's all you need to know.
Great.
Put that somewhere where I can't get it.
Here you go, hon.
Hey, do me a favor.
Stay straight. That's how this works.
One, two.