The Better Sister (2025) s01e07 Episode Script

1
Previously on The Better Sister
[Willis] Would you mind
reading this for me?
"Off him? I'd do it."
[Sanders] Ethan is in real trouble now.
I need to introduce the possibility
of another suspect.
[Olivero] Get into his office files
and ping me if you find something.
[Chloe] You were in every one
of those Gentry Group meetings.
You think that you could take
the stand for us?
[Jake] It's attorney-client privilege.
- Even though he was murdered?
- Doesn't matter.
- Anything I can do?
- Weed treatment for Gentry. Full spray.
[Chloe] Stop!
- [crowd clamoring]
- [Bowen] Hey, hey, whoa, whoa.
Whoa. Nan. Come on.
- [handcuffs clicking]
- [Clark] Anyone else
gets hit, pushes back gets a nod.
I'm gonna make an appointment
for you for a psych eval.
[Nicky] When they took my son away,
I thought they were saving him from me.
- But I was wrong.
- [Sanders] Is there anybody
who did know Adam was abusing you?
Jake Rodriguez.
We became more than friends.
[panting]
[Sanders] Did you kill
Adam Macintosh?
I refuse to answer
on the grounds that it may incriminate me.
[foreperson] The jury
finds Ethan Macintosh
not guilty.
[gallery gasps]
Why did you take that stuff?
[Ethan] I was protecting you
'cause I thought you did it.
[camera shutter clicking on phone]
[door closes]
[Chloe] You knew.
It was always on the calendar.
[Adam] It was supposed
to just be the morning.
Now it's a reception, a dinner
Well, we had to add meetings after
with the congressional sponsors.
For what?
To create content.
[Adam murmurs]
Ms. Smith Goes to Washington
for Instagram.
God, you're a prick.
And you're relentless. You're piling on
one bullshit event after another.
You don't care how miserable I am
- as long as--
- [Chloe] I know, it's so hard
- for you to stand up for me.
- You don't give a fuck
what's on my mind, what I'm carrying!
[Chloe] Yeah, it's tough being you.
Tell me more about your plight.
I'm talking to you.
You're talking at me.
[Chloe grunts]
- Let go.
- Don't be a child.
Chloe, calm down.
Get the fuck off me!
Just stop!
[gasps]
Now will you fucking listen to me?
No.
You're hurting me.
[Adam grunts]
[intense, dramatic music playing]
There, you happy?
[Chloe] You fucking animal.
Get the fuck off.
[panting]
If you touch me again,
I will fucking kill you!
Do you hear me?
I will fucking kill you!
Yeah.
That explains why
you thought I murdered him.
Yeah.
I was really angry.
You deserved to be.
But I did not do that.
[pensive music playing]
Then who did, Mom?
I don't know.
[Nicky] Just chop the head off.
- [Chloe] All right.
- [Nicky] You are good at that.
Chloe knows her way
around a gutting knife.
Gutting knives are for game.
Oh, see, she once stabbed a giant rabbit.
Ugh. Really?
[Nicky] Oh, well, don't take that
- Oh. [laughs]
- Oh. I saved, saved.
That was a merciful thing to do.
That rabbit was dying.
Okay, now you sound like Hank.
Dad used to take us camping
at this awful Wallace Lake
I liked it there.
and they would fish,
and then they would have to bend the necks
to drain the blood after they hooked them.
- I'm losing my appetite.
- I'm just saying,
you are more outdoorsy than you let on.
I loved the ghost stories and the rituals.
"As I lay me down to sleep"
is not a ghost story, it's a prayer.
Yes. "Now I lay me down to sleep"
[Chloe and Nicky] "I pray
the Lord my soul to keep,
and if I die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take."
- That's pretty good, huh?
- Yeah.
Remember, your soul had a shape?
It was oval.
Yeah, and it was opaque.
- Yeah.
- I can't believe you remember that.
It's based on Psalm 8.
"In peace, I will lay down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety."
[Chloe] Nicky changed the prayer
when we were camping to
"I'll wait for you at Wallace Lake."
Shadow Lake.
- [Chloe] No, Wallace.
- [Nicky] No, I changed it
to Shadow Lake because that's where
I went with my friends to shotgun beer.
- [laughs]
- [Chloe] Okay.
It's it's nice to hear you guys
talk about growing up together,
even if you can't, you know,
agree on the name
of the shadowy Wallace Lake.
No, I have to admit,
I think she's right about this one.
What?
Mark the date.
Let's make a plaque to commemorate.
- It hurts me to say it. She's right.
- [Nicky laughs]
This is how it's supposed to be,
just the three of us.
[quiet, dramatic music playing]
I got to head into the city today.
I was wondering if maybe
you wanted to come with
- and get some clothes?
- Oh.
Um, we
we told school that,
uh, we're just gonna be
- taking a little break until
- Yeah.
we can figure everything out.
Yeah, that-that makes sense.
I just got to run out really quickly
and then we can go.
Ooh, yum.
- Yeah, take this.
- Thanks. Oh, yeah.
Mmm, it's so good.
Came out of nowhere,
the widow's love affair.
We ran DNA on Rodriguez's coffee cup.
- Nothing on the crime scene.
- And he had an alibi.
How did you miss
the text messages between them?
I fucked up.
[Clark] Hmm.
- [knocking on door]
- Yeah, come in.
Lieutenant, there's a reporter
from CBS News on the phone.
- Yeah, tell them no.
- Okay.
Oh, and Officer Han?
I, uh, I apologize
if my comments about your hair
made you feel uncomfortable.
We're, uh, we're learning
every day over here.
Thank you, sir.
So, instead of being out on my boat,
celebrating a win,
I'm kissing brass ass every day and night.
We don't bring a collar in on this one,
we are all fucked.
Okay, we can recheck the alibis.
Phone records, see what we missed.
Yeah, we're not gonna let you down.
- Fuck the phone records. Bring me scalps.
- [Guidry] You got it, sir.
Yeah, I-I don't think we can say that
about the scalps thing.
- Yeah, yeah. Hit the trail, kemosabe.
- All right.
[Guidry] Oof.
- Hey, Nan.
- Yeah?
I know you have this, uh, "Little League
Commission" thing, you know.
Oh, the psych eval.
Yeah. Well, me failing at euphemisms.
[chuckles]
Listen, knock that
out of the park, will you?
After that, 24-7 on this.
You got it, boss. Thank you.
He misses the mustache, too.
I agreed to be on the witness list.
Why didn't you just warn me
that that was coming?
Was I obligated to do so?
Well, no, but I thought
since we're friends
Since we're friends, yeah.
Like you were obligated to tell me
that you were in love
with the defendant's mother?
[laughing] Come on.
- You never would've taken the case.
- Well
- You wouldn't have.
- No.
Y'all meant for each other.
You're all a bunch of liars.
But you're not dark like they are,
those fucked-up white people.
[both chuckle]
- No.
- Oh, my God.
You know, maybe just
distance yourself from that family.
[Jake] Yeah, I know.
I got to get back on track, huh?
[Sanders] Yeah, back on track.
And this sleeping around
with other people's wives
[Jake] Please,
- no lectures.
- I'm just saying,
I thought you would have
learned the last time.
- Did we?
- [chuckles]
Hi.
Chloe.
Well, look what the tide dragged in.
- I tried the front door, but
- [Sanders] I got to go.
I got a date with a prosecutor
so I can gloat.
[laughs]
You need me, I'm here.
I've been thinking about Ethan.
Give him a hug for me.
Will do.
[exhales]
If this isn't a good time, I can
Uh [chuckles]
It's the Braddock HR department.
They want to put me on leave
until further notice.
Thank you for what you did in court.
I did it for Ethan, not you.
Sorry I wasn't able
to tell you our strategy,
I just thought it would unravel
the whole thing.
You don't really care
about me at all, do you?
Stop it, that's not true.
Well, you came over here, we had sex
after all the games you've been playing,
knowing how much I
I would have done anything for you.
Anything except the thing I needed most.
I should have fucking known.
Why-why-why can't it, it both be true?
Why can't this have been real
and I also used it to bring my son home?
[tense music playing]
I have no idea who you are,
and it's it's pretty scary.
Ask. Whatever you want
to know, I'll tell you.
Did you kill him?
No. Why would--
I saw bruises on your chest, like,
two days after Adam was murdered.
I told you, he shoved me.
Don't you remember?
Don't you remember how upset you were?
How angry you were?
Wait, Chloe, are you
are you trying to frame me for this?
I wouldn't do that.
I would never do that.
Jake, I am so sorry that I hurt you.
What can I do?
- Hmm?
- Go home, Chloe.
[phone ringing]
Go home.
Sí, Mama.
No, everything's fine.
[Chloe exhales]
Ms. Taylor.
Detective Bowen,
please don't lurk on the road.
The neighbors don't like that.
Oh, I was trying to be respectful.
Oh. Well, what's up?
We're still looking for
your husband's killer, so you know.
[sighs] One would hope.
And seeing how you've been
meeting with the FBI,
you're obviously trying, too.
- You've been following me.
- Yes.
I-I was outside the diner when
you met with Agents Olivero and Younger.
Okay, is that a crime?
Any evidence pertaining
to your husband's murder
that you might be withholding
that could implicate you,
and that would be a crime.
Agent Olivero is psycho.
And he's useless.
Yeah, because he has
other things on his mind.
Meaning?
You.
Um, I-I think you're confusing him
with you.
Uh, okay. Just be careful.
There's still a killer out there.
Appreciate the concern.
I'm definitely gonna
set the alarm. Thanks.
Oh.
And Ethan and I are going into the city,
in case you're interested
in my schedule for today.
Ethan, you ready?
[Ethan] Coming.
- [Chloe] Nicky?
- [Nicky] Yeah.
Detective Bowen was just here.
And I'm sure he was
following me in the city, too.
- Bye, Nicky. See you.
- Bye, honey.
- Okay. I'll see you later.
- Yeah.
- I'll be right out.
- Okay.
I would not be surprised
if the other one was following you, too.
Well, yeah, the gays love me.
- Just don't do anything dumb.
- [laughs] Okay.
- Hey. No funny business.
- Listen.
I was only doing that for Ethan.
Who cares if they're following us?
We got nothing to hide, right?
- Right.
- Right.
All right. See you soon.
Oh, can I borrow Adam's car?
- I-I turned in my rental.
- Yeah.
Just watch the grass on your way out.
Oh, Jesus. Uh-huh.
And where you going?
Gonna go see your boyfriend?
[chuckles] What?
- Hemingway-lite, from the courthouse.
- Okay, he's not--
I bet he smells like the pages
of a vintage dictionary.
Uh-huh. No, get in the fucking car.
- A boatman's bookcase
- I am going to a meeting, thank you.
Bet he loves Moby Dick.
Uh-huh. Ooh, what's on your mind?
Dick, that's what.
Knew the kid couldn't have done it.
He had computer hands,
all soft and uncallused.
Too slippery to hold a knife.
Arty Bello, the doorman
who worked for the Macintosh family,
he drove Ethan out this way
the night of the incident.
Mr. Bello said he came here after
to meet a friend.
Sure did.
- So you know him?
- Oh, yeah.
Do you recall how long
he was here that night?
Couldn't have been
more than a couple hours.
[chuckles] Didn't stop him
from getting good and fucked up.
Mm. So he wasn't here all night?
I asked him to leave around 7:00, maybe.
Afraid he was gonna come to blows.
Him and that fella, that poor soul.
And who's that?
- [music playing]
- [loud chatter]
[sighs]
Hey, can I get a double bourbon, please?
Gotcha.
- Want to open a tab?
- Nah.
Keep it.
Mm. Thank you.
Emptied now, Ron.
[Irish accent] Space for another
before I depart.
[Ron] Sure.
There you go, Arty.
[Arty] Thank you.
- Adam.
- [Adam chuckles] Hey, Arty.
- Good to see you. Hey.
- Oh, how are you?
Yeah, I had a--
I had a work thing before this.
It was a lot of traffic, so thought
I needed one of these before heading home.
Sure. All right.
Uh, Ethan is, uh?
He's at your house. I dropped him off.
Yeah, couldn't take another dinner
with those people, so
Oh, your wife's friends?
I-I appreciate you keeping
this little pit stop between us.
I told Chloe
I wasn't gonna be able to make it.
Well, maybe you should try.
Excuse me?
A woman like that
I'd be wherever she asked
ten minutes early.
[chuckles]
Yeah? Maybe you should get
back to your game.
Maybe you should
stand the fuck up
and be a husband to your wife.
[tense music playing]
You gonna hit me now, tough guy?
Okay, you don't know
what the fuck you're talking about.
I hear you screaming at her
through the fucking trash chute!
[Arty panting]
You make her cry one more fucking time
and I swear to God,
I'll make it my business to make it stop.
Not if you're out of a job.
[Ron] Hey, hey. Hey.
- Man to man now, pussy.
- [Ron] Let's go, Arty.
- Come on.
- [Ron] Let's go.
Let's go. Let's go.
I want this asshole
to pay for my fucking tab.
[Ron] No problem.
Try to fuck with my job.
Try it.
By the skin of your fucking teeth,
you motherfucker.
Nan. Ding on the doorman alibi.
Owner of the bar says he dipped out
earlier than he claims.
Had words with Adam,
who, uh, stopped by for a bourbon
before heading home to get killed.
Pay him a visit, will you?
The "aw, shucks,
I'm just a regular guy" doorman.
Not a woman comes through that door
doesn't question
whether she's a monster or not.
- And the men?
- Know they are. Some take pride in that.
This job means everything to me.
- And I don't want to fuck up, again.
- Ah, I get it.
Much as you love your family, nothing
lights you up like going on an arrest.
You been reading my diary, Doc? [chuckles]
[sighs] We'd been looking for this guy
for months and
the things he'd done to this
little girl and
pictures that he'd sold of her.
- Those images don't leave you.
- Thing was, wrong guy.
Right place.
But he ran when you showed up anyway,
the wrong guy.
As they do, when they're guilty
of all kinds of other stuff.
- You chased?
- Yeah.
I'm not fast, but I could just go forever.
And when I finally caught up with him,
it was just him and me.
My guys were like a block away and he
looked over his shoulder,
saw it was just me, and
beat the shit out of me.
Ripped my gun right off,
half my pants with it.
Then my guys got there and took him down.
What were you doing when they found you?
Trying not to die.
Tragic mistake, taking it where I did.
Was your violence warranted?
If it'd been the right guy.
I don't know.
You seen him since?
I think about him.
Especially lately.
You have a support system at home?
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Children that rely on you?
Two of those kind, yeah.
- What do they think of their mother?
- Which one?
[chuckles] You.
[quiet, contemplative music playing]
Uh
I don't know, really.
They may never know you, Nancy.
No.
You got to live with that.
[quietly] Yeah.
[sniffles]
You find people that do.
Yeah.
[quiet chatter]
Oh, hey, I-I'll call you back. Okay.
Whoa. Hey.
This is a good day.
- [laughter]
- Hi, Arty.
- Hi.
- Hey.
How are you?
You know, we're-- we're okay, right?
[exhales heavily] It's--
It's good to see you.
I missed you around here.
- Us, too.
- Yeah.
- Hey, I got a whole bunch of mail for you.
- [Chloe] Bet you do.
- And I got that box for you.
- Oh.
Well, what is it?
It's from the funeral home.
[Arty] Yeah.
Uh I'll take it.
[heartfelt music playing]
It was so kind of you,
to come all the way out there to testify.
It was nothing.
Everything you said, all the ways
you saw Ethan all those years
I-I didn't know you were looking.
Just a little token, my appreciation.
Means a lot.
It must've been hard
hearing all you went through,
uh, especially for that fella Jake.
Having to hide his real feelings,
you know.
It was hard all around.
See you.
Hey, uh
He, uh, he's still got
your key to your place.
You want me to get it back?
No, I'll handle it.
- You sure?
- Yeah, I'll handle it.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
[atmospheric music playing]
[slow, sad music playing]
Ow.
[Chloe sighs] Oh, come on.
Fucking Bill.
[sighs]
[heartfelt music playing]
[sniffles]
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
I hope you're free from all the
things that made you so unhappy.
Dad, I'm sorry
for all the things that I didn't do.
You know what I mean by that.
- So
- [helicopter whirring in distance]
[chuckles]
There's a helicopter, Dad.
Remember how mad you'd get
when the NYPD choppers would circle,
and you'd just run around
slamming all the windows.
It made you so angry.
You know, I used to think
it was cool, just
imagining who they were chasing.
It just seemed like
everything pissed you off.
I was always kind of scared of you,
even when you were laughing.
Oh!
I can bench-press a lot now.
[Radiohead plays "Codex"]
[chuckling] I bet
I could even outrun you, too.
Slide your hand ♪
I guess you know everything now.
So
Jump off the end ♪
you must also know that
I loved you.
A lot.
And innocent
Okay.
Yeah.
[sniffles]
♪
[sniffling]
[muffled crying]
[sobbing]
[sniffles]
[birds calling]
Did you accept the things
you cannot change in there?
You missed your calling.
I left you a couple of messages.
[exhales] I do not listen to those.
Much as y'all have mixed feelings
about the deceased,
justice still needs to be served.
Yes. There is a growing list
of people who wanted him dead.
- You're gonna be busy.
- Your sister's lover, yeah.
Something tells me he's not capable.
You got other leads?
- We partners now?
- Hi.
This is that detective
I was telling you about.
I talk about her at home, too.
You here for a meeting?
No, no, she is not respecting
the anonymity of our program.
Now, did I go inside
and listen to your shares? No.
I stood out here "having the wisdom
to know the difference."
Um
- I see what you mean about her.
- Mm-hmm.
I do have a lot of respect for people
who find companionship in dark times.
- Why were you calling?
- Assuming I can speak in front of
- I didn't get your name.
- Uh, it's Ken Winick.
- Mr. Winick. Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
Firm handshake. I love it.
- Just get to it, Nan.
- Call's a courtesy.
Investigation's ongoing, which means
we're starting from square one.
So you're gonna see us buzzing around.
Well, thank you for that courtesy.
We'll be as helpful
as we can be, of course.
It was a pleasure to meet you.
You and your sister stay safe.
Okay?
You too, Mr. Winick.
See what I mean? It's like she takes
it's like a glee in it, right?
- She's enjoying it too much.
- [sighs]
They love the hunt,
it's what drives them like this.
- [sighs] Hunt
- [car door closes]
Maybe we should do
some hunting of our own.
Hmm?
- Come on. Come on.
- Um, okay.
- [laughs] It's a great idea.
- Is it?
[Nicky sighs]
All right, Cagney, let's see where you go.
[soft, suspenseful music playing]
[soft, meditative music playing]
Feels very peaceful in here.
Mm-hmm.
Catherine, now that Ethan is home,
I want to get back to our work.
- I'm ready.
- Why?
You aren't the person you were before.
Job doesn't even suit you anymore.
[chuckles]
Uh, I think it suits me even better now.
Oh. I'm so freaking thirsty.
She told me
these mushrooms would do that, but man.
Mushrooms? Like like drugs?
Uh-uh.
Microdosing. Different.
And it's okay with your sobriety?
- It is.
- Why?
- It's medicinal.
- Oh.
- [Catherine laughs]
- [Chloe chuckles softly]
You and I met
during my journeying last night.
[sighs] So many thoughts about you.
Laying it out
like you did on the stand.
- The abuse.
- [exhales]
Then admitting how hypocritical you felt.
It's just so
so specific.
Courageous.
And you always suspected?
If I'd known for sure, I would have killed
that motherfucker myself.
Are you high still?
I don't think so. [laughs]
[both laughing]
[Catherine sniffles]
Tell me why you did
what you did to your sister.
Don't give me that bullshit you gave Sid.
Was it even about Ethan?
It was always about Ethan.
The-the Adam thing was a surprise.
And I fought it for as long as I could.
[Chloe inhales deeply, exhales]
I didn't want to be a mother.
That scared the shit out of me.
Yeah.
- Now you know what real fear is.
- [slow, eerie music playing]
[scoffs]
Yeah, but the one thing
I didn't count on is
how much pain
I would feel to lose my sister.
'Cause when we were leaving her
out of our story,
it was practical.
And also for survival.
But every time I thought
about what I did to her
[sighs]
it made me want to die.
Erasing her was the only way I could live.
Then that's the story you need to tell.
How it happened,
how it unfolded.
No secret-- didn't go great.
It'll be a healing moment for you both.
[laughs]
Catherine, when is anything
healing, really? Ever?
- Money.
- Oh.
Give her a life she's never had,
one with freedom, agency.
- I don't think she cares about money.
- What?
Only people with money
say stupid shit like that.
- Come on. [chuckles]
- [laughs]
[slow, contemplative music playing]
Scares you, doesn't it?
Giving her a voice,
letting her into our our little world?
What are we talking about here?
Are we talking about writing a book?
Yup. With your sister.
- [laughing]
- Come on. Think about it.
You can use the magazine
to tease the idea,
then publish a piece together,
which becomes an excerpt from the book.
The board will love that.
Puts us right back on track.
[phone buzzing]
[sighs]
[Catherine chuckles]
Bill again.
- Trying to reach you.
- [sighs]
I know, I know.
A little advice, my love.
Don't run from Bill.
He likes the chase.
[announcer] And they're off.
Motherfucker!
[announcer] and Day's Time
on the outside.
[Guidry] Hey, Eddie.
What are you doing here?
Good to see to you, too.
[announcer] Maiden Fair.
Maiden Fair, ladies and gentlemen
[Guidry grunts softly]
[announcer] only her second time
out to the track.
And about to turn the first corner.
You sit, I'm rolling over your foot.
Oh. Don't fib. You got your locks on.
[announcer] but Maiden Fair
staying close
- May I?
- Go ahead.
[TV plays quietly in the background]
My mama was the baby of eight.
Seven brothers.
Never learned to cut her own meat.
Never had to.
Hope she choked on a bag of dicks.
Emphysema, but same difference.
This all right?
With mashed potato.
[Guidry sighs]
Mm. Mm.
Goddamn toothache on this side.
- I like sweets, too.
- Mm.
Prone to cavities.
I had to get an implant over here.
You know, they really load you up good
before they put 'em in.
Expensive as shit.
Well, city set you up pretty well.
[laughs softly]
Deserved more, what you did to me.
You almost killed me.
[slow, solemn music playing]
Asshole.
[Guidry sighs]
My cousin's got a dental practice,
you know?
Probably set you up with the family rate,
which generally means on the house.
- She a cunt like you?
- Yes, sir,
from a long line of cunts.
♪
[chuckles]
[Nicky] Your guess is as good as mine.
[Ken] No idea.
I could make something up.
Wait a second.
- Oh.
- So sorry.
Oh, no, you're good.
[sighs] It was a hard visit with Dad.
I get it.
Her dad was playing canasta with that
that guy last week.
He's a nice guy.
Can't remember his name.
Eddie. Lives on four.
- Is that his wife?
- Not exactly.
She's the one that put him here.
[door closes]
So, uh, you're my brother now?
It's too weird?
Ah, it's kind of kinky.
[jazzy music playing]
[clears throat] Ah.
You've surfaced.
- [chuckles softly]
- Mm-hmm.
That was a heavy day in court.
You must be all wrung out.
[Chloe] Hmm.
- Sit.
- Bill, you can't fire Jake.
He's been through so much.
It's just a temporary leave.
As soon as this blows over,
we'll all be back at it.
Jake knows that I'm a loyal man.
Loyalty is very important to him.
Is it to you?
Mm. When earned.
Hi, Chloe.
Hi.
But now that the trial's over,
I was hoping that we all could
go back to being
rich and powerful people again.
You know, put all this behind us.
Fresh start.
Oh, is that why you deleted
all of the Gentry Group files
on Adam's computer, for a
fresh start?
I did no such thing.
Bryce, did you?
No.
[Chloe] Hmm.
What were you looking for?
Just the truth
about what happened to Adam.
Mm-hmm.
Well
we may never know.
You know, I did find
a card of an FBI agent
in Adam's things.
Might just give him a call.
Maybe it's better that you don't.
What's important now is your family.
Your safety.
And you've got your son back.
I'd focus on that.
Ah.
That's good advice.
Thank you for always
looking out for me, Bill.
Anything I can do, anytime, you know that.
Of course I do.
Get Gentry on the phone.
Now.
Hey, what's up, kid?
Hey.
Uh
Do you know--
Does metal like this go in recycling?
Or is it bulk?
Oh, yeah. I'll take care of it. Mm.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
Thanks.
- You see that couch?
- Yeah.
3R.
They get a new one every year.
I post it on Craigslist,
boom, somebody comes
and picks it up in two hours.
How long's a couch supposed to last?
Well, decades, I think.
You grow out of the costume?
Yeah.
You mind if I sell it?
No, no, go ahead.
You know, uh, my old man
used to take his teeth out
when he mowed the lawn.
That was the only time
I ever saw him smile.
[gentle music playing]
I did love shoveling the walk with you.
Best days of every winter.
Thanks.
All right.
Thanks for the suit.
[Ethan] Yeah.
Jesus!
[mouthing]
What the fuck?
How'd you get up here?
There's not a lot of security.
[chuckles]
You set us up.
Yeah, look, man.
I-I'm dealing with a lot of shit, okay?
Trim like that?
Might be worth the trouble.
Okay, uh
Get the fuck off of my property.
[both speaking Spanish]
We're not amigos.
But we did have a deal.
You would provide us with information
to strengthen our case
against the Gentry Group,
and we don't arrest you
for your involvement.
Is that clear enough?
Yeah, it's blackmail.
It's not a deal.
Well, we got more on you from your work
with those scumbags than you know.
Paper trails that you signed off on
to cover their asses.
Well, I know that you got
someone planted on the inside at Gentry.
Because they confirmed a meeting
that never even took place.
No, hey, it's slick.
By the way, detectives bought it.
Braddock bought it, too.
So just
use your plant, okay?
I'm fucking out.
You know, Adam was out, too.
Last time we saw him.
And there's your pending murder charge.
[scoffs]
I'm not being charged with anything,
okay, asshole?
And Braddock deactivated my access cards.
I can't get into my own fucking office.
You're a smart guy,
why don't you fucking figure it out?
Or?
Or we file a grievance against you
with the New York State Supreme Court.
And you lose your license to practice law.
[shouting in Spanish]
Fuck.
- [grunts]
- I will bury you
under this fucking deck!
Bury you!
Okay, okay.
[speaks Spanish]
And get me what you fucking owe me!
[suspenseful music playing]
Guys in front said I'd find you out here.
Yeah, I was waiting for the guys
to come and pick up the couch.
Is this yours?
Yeah, it's
one of my favorite pleasures.
Hey, everything okay, Detective?
You tell me.
Come on, Arty, alibi was bullshit.
Bar owner told us a different tale.
One that involved you and Adam.
Be more comfortable
talking down at the station?
Out of earshot?
It's not what you think.
It never is.
I was with someone.
A woman.
Where I went after the bar.
Assuming not your wife?
Once every two years, maybe, we meet.
Same hotel, same room.
I saw that movie.
Yeah.
Tell me what the argument
with you and Adam was about.
He needed to hear some things
from another man.
I lost my temper.
True.
Then off you went to the affair?
Give me your lover's number.
Please, please.
Be discreet.
My wife don't deserve that.
And Janice'll tell you
everything you need to know.
She was with me all night.
You have any interaction with that sister?
- What, Nicky?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
She comes out here and smokes.
Makes private calls.
And still takes care of the mother
after all the shit she's been through.
Whose mother?
Adam's, the one that lives in Ohio.
Huh.
Doorman's alibi checks out.
He crashed on his cousin Tommy's couch.
I guess he's been fibbing
to his wife about the number
of beers he puts away any given weekend.
Also said that Nicole Macintosh
and Adam's mother are close back in Ohio.
I thought she was dead.
May as well have been.
She didn't surface when her own son died.
You got a hunch?
Tell you tomorrow.
How about you?
Not quite yet.
Thanks for reaching out.
Well, luck had it, I was out this way.
Doing what?
I'm thinking maybe I could use your help.
For fuck's sake.
Hey.
Something came for you from Ohio.
It's police records.
What happened that, um,
day in the pool when I was little.
I requested them a while ago.
Before everything happened. I just
I didn't want you to go through it again.
I just wanted to know on my own.
Absolutely, it's your life.
- Hey.
- Hey.
[chuckling] Oh.
Fan club's growing, I see.
Well, mostly bills.
And then there's that.
[laughs]
This is funny to you?
I mean, it
it's gross.
- Yeah.
- Disgusting.
- Where'd you get it?
- Somebody sent this to our place
in the city and then Arty gave it to me.
- Maybe it's from him.
- Ew!
- No! I'm giving it to the cops.
- What?
So they can jack off to it?
Detective Dildo showed up
at my meeting today.
- Fucking shameless.
- Mm-hmm.
- So I followed her back.
- Online?
Online-- No.
In real life-- God!
I-- Like, I tailed her.
This is exactly what I was saying
when I meant
fucking funny business, Nicky.
- What'd you find out?
- She visited a Black guy
in a wheelchair
at an assisted living facility.
And I'm not sure if it's personal
- or professional.
- Wait, what does that mean?
There's definitely something there, though.
Although there's not much
about her online.
God, this fucking country act of hers.
I am so over it with the, like,
[Southern accent] mouth banjo
and her, you know, her drawl
- that comes and goes.
- [Chloe laughing]
Don't get unhealthily obsessed, okay?
Me? She's obsessed with me.
- I mean--
- [Ethan] Um
This this doesn't make any sense.
What is that?
- Well, let's see.
- Are you okay?
- I j--
- Tell her.
I wanted to know the truth,
so, um
I sent away for the police records
that day in the pool.
The night they took you away.
Oh. Oh.
It's It's right-right here.
Okay, uh, "Father reported finding son
face down in the water,
turning blue,
but son showed no injuries,
no signs of water intake."
I thought I nearly drowned.
"Nicole Macintosh,
blood level alcohol .30.
Also found in her system
were Ambien, Xanax."
Um "Husband said she was mumbling
a family prayer over and over.
'I'll wait for you at Wallace Lake'"?
Why would you have said Wallace Lake?
I wouldn't have.
- Why would he say it?
- Because I told him.
I told your dad
about the Wallace Lake prayer.
That was me. I
We were speaking a lot at that time.
[Ethan] What does that
what does that mean?
It means that he lied.
He lied.
[tense music playing]
[Adam] I had to.
Hi, baby. How was your day?
- All right. [sighs]
- Oh, good.
- Hi. Mwah.
- Mwah.
- Where's Ethan?
- Look.
I got him a floatie. He loves the pool.
He's so happy.
I got hot dogs for the grill.
I got the grill going, so
- Dinner soon, yeah?
- Good. Good. Yeah, I'm starving.
Good.
Um, I'm gonna make myself one.
Do you want me to top you off?
Oh, fun. Yeah, thanks.
Ethan, Daddy's home.
[Nicky talking indistinctly outside]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[intense, ominous music playing]
♪
[Ethan fussing]
[Nicky laughs]
- Cheers.
- Thank you. Cheers.
Let me take care of that.
- You, uh, you get in there with him.
- Okay.
Who's my little guy? Who's my little guy?
♪
[Nicky] Show Daddy your kick.
Huh? Right here.
[babbling]
[phone dials]
[fast exhales]
[operator over phone] 911.
What's your emergency?
Uh, my, uh, my wife and my son--
our-our, uh, infant son
are in the pool, uh,
they're not breathing.
She would've killed him eventually.
If it hadn't been then,
it would've been another time.
And if I'd divorced her,
we would've shared custody,
and that would've been
more dangerous for Ethan.
[tense music playing]
You destroyed her life.
And you stole
all those years with Ethan.
I did what I thought was best.
Who the fuck are you to make
that decision for all of us?
You wish I hadn't? What about your life?
What about your years with Ethan?
Who would you be if I hadn't done it?
Certainly not a mother.
Shut up!
Shut up.
[crying] Shut up.
[crying]
[door opens]
[sighs]
[sniffles, sighs]
Oh
What did I do to you?
[sighs, crying]
What did I do to all of us? [sighs]
You took the good,
but you took the bad, too, Chlo,
and thank fucking Christ,
'cause I would not have survived him.
[Chloe sniffles]
You didn't lie to the police, okay?
Fuck. I put you in that involuntary hold.
He fucking lied.
He lied to you, too.
I don't want your-- I don't want--
don't want your absolution.
When I thought about you two together
I thought, "Yeah,
she's better, stronger.
She'll bring out the best version of him."
Fuck him.
And when I found out the truth
How long have you known?
Couple of years.
That townie lawyer I had, remember?
He died, and
they cleaned out his office,
sent me my files.
- [sniffles]
- I felt this way, too.
Just enraged and
insane.
Vindicated.
I mean, I had always wondered.
Like, I had these memories,
they weren't
Why didn't you say anything?
Well, who was it gonna help?
Blowing up our whole world again?
Ethan was almost out of the house,
you and Adam had given him
a picture-perfect life.
Ugh, God.
[sniffles]
When Ethan and I started talking,
he told me
it wasn't.
That wasn't the case.
It destroyed me, Chlo.
The idea that Adam was gonna
take both of our lives.
I couldn't stand it.
[ominous music playing]
That's why I came.
I had to.
I had to protect you.
Nicky
What are you saying?
[RY X plays "A Thousand Knives"]
I lay you down ♪
right here in the shadows ♪
I watched over you ♪
I prayed for your breath ♪
right here in the shallows ♪
I watched over you ♪
Like a thousand knives ♪
Like a thousand knives ♪
Like a thousand knives ♪
Like a thousand knives ♪
I begin to move in slow ♪
Better fall ♪
To make you float ♪
Heighten me, a quarter low ♪
Nights in circle ♪
Days are cold ♪