American Gods (2017) s02e08 Episode Script

Moon Shadow

1 Who are you? You wouldn't believe in me if I told you.
- Why me? - Whimsy.
[ELECTRICAL BUZZING.]
What story are they gonna tell here? Any one they want.
[VIDEO GAME SOUNDS.]
Hello, friend.
MR.
WORLD: It looks like he's forgotten about you.
The fellows in the Valley assure me that our new friend will be ready in time.
[GROANING.]
Fuck! MAD SWEENEY: I fucked her in New Orleans.
[GRUNTING.]
Someone here is gonna die soon.
When the time comes, don't get in the fucking way.
[SHOUTING.]
[GROANING.]
[COINS TINKLING.]
Your spear is the sun's treasure now, you one-eyed cunt.
[THEME MUSIC.]
[BEEPING.]
[RADIO STATIC.]
ANNOUNCER 1: Professor Morse of McMillan University reports observing a total of three explosions on the planet Mars between the hours of 7:45 P.
M.
and 9:20 P.
M.
, Eastern Standard Time.
This confirms earlier reports received from American observatories.
Now, nearer home, comes a special bulletin from Trenton, New Jersey.
It is reported that at 8:50 P.
M.
a huge, flaming object, believed to be a meteorite, fell on a farm in the neighborhood of Grover's Mill, New Jersey, 22 miles from Trenton.
The flash in the sky was visible within a radius of several hundred miles and the noise of the impact was heard as far north as Elizabeth.
We have dispatched a special mobile unit to the scene.
ANNOUNCER 2: Um, what would you say, - Professor Denton? - DENTON: What's that? ANNOUNCER 2: Uh, what would you say what's the diameter of this? - About 30 yards.
- About 30 yards.
The metal on the sheath is well, I've never seen anything like it.
The color is sort of - yellowish-white.
- MAN 1: The top's loose! MAN 2: Watch out there! Stand back! ANNOUNCER 1: Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most terrifying thing I've I've ever witnessed.
Wait a minute! Someone's crawling someone or something.
I can see peering out of that black hole, two luminous disks are they eyes? It might be a face.
It might be [INDISTINCT DIALOGUE.]
Good heavens.
Something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake.
Now it's another one, and another one and another one.
They look like tentacles to me.
I I can see the thing's body.
Now, it's large, it's large as a bear.
It glistens like wet leather but - MAN 1: Get back! - that face, it, it Ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable.
I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it, it's so awful.
The eyes are black and they gleam like a serpent.
The mouth is it's kind of V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to oh, quiver and pulsate and MR.
WORLD: People MAN 1: Keep back! Keep back, I tell ya! MR.
WORLD: like the idea that love makes the world go round.
It doesn't.
You don't lock your doors at night because you love thy neighbor; you deadbolt with reinforced steel because you fear thy neighbor.
Fear is order.
Fear is control.
- Fear is - [DOG BARKING.]
safety.
MR.
WORLD: Fear is [ECHOING.]
fiction.
RADIO: volcanic disturbances on the surface of the planet.
MR.
WORLD: Before this moment, people in America did not conceive of what an alien spacecraft might look like.
They did not believe an alien attack could happen.
What made it real was the fear that it could exist, and the fact that it was feared so deeply meant that it did exist.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[EERIE MUSIC.]
Fear is the product of the imagination.
It's made up in the mind.
The mind can dream and think of anything.
You love fear.
You love horror.
You pay money for a pair of three-dimensional glasses and popcorn for an hour and a half of anxiety.
- And roll sound! - Rolling! - Ready.
- WOMAN: Take two.
And mark it.
MAN: Ready, and camera pushes.
And spaceship number one! And spaceship number two! Spaceship number MR.
WORLD: Something on Earth that keeps people thinking is the idea that it can end at any moment.
Fear has no end.
Fear is limitless.
Fear thrives and feeds on itself, preparing you for calamity, preparing you to believe [MUSIC CRESCENDO.]
that the most important things WOMAN: it's not good for you.
MR.
WORLD: are the most dangerous.
If it's real in your mind, it's real in the world.
[DOG BARKING IN THE DISTANCE.]
Sandy.
[BARKING.]
What's the matter, boy? Sandy! Sandy! Sandy! The more you believe the more you believe.
[BOY SCREAMING.]
MAD SWEENEY: Death is comin' to this house.
Someone here is gonna die soon.
[DRAMATIC EERIE MUSIC.]
MAD SWEENEY: I used to be a king.
When the time comes don't get in the fuckin' way.
WEDNESDAY: Believing is seeing.
Gods are real if you believe in them.
[CELESTIAL MUSIC.]
MR.
WEDNESDAY: Damn right.
I'm a hustler, swindler, cheater and liar.
MAD SWEENEY: Devil's in the details.
Do you know who he is? Who he really is? MR.
WEDNESDAY: You wouldn't believe in me if I told you, Shadow Moon.
ZORYA: You believe in nothing so you have nothing.
MR.
WEDNESDAY: Rigged games are the easiest to beat.
MAD SWEENEY: This is gallows ground you're walking.
And there's a rope around your neck and a raven bird on your shoulder waitin' for your eyes.
[DARK AND SOMBER MUSIC.]
LAURA: Oh, you were just having a bad dream.
[ENGINE STARTING.]
[EERIE MUSIC.]
[BIRDSONG.]
LAURA: Hey.
Thought I'd let you sleep.
[VIDEO GAME SOUNDS.]
[SOFT MUSIC.]
[CLICKING FINGERS.]
[METRONOME CLICKING.]
[SOFT MUSIC.]
[METRONOME CONTINUES CLICKING AT A DISTANCE.]
[METRONOME STOPS CLICKING.]
[METRONOME CLICKING AT A DISTANCE.]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.]
- [CLASSICAL MUSIC.]
- [METRONOME CLICKING.]
[METRONOME SPEEDING UP.]
[TECHNO MUSIC.]
[CLASSICAL MUSIC AND TECHNO MUSIC OVERLAPPING.]
[TICKING.]
[SIGHING.]
Hello, friend.
I feel like I wanna cry, but I I can't.
And I feel like I wanna make things right, but I can't.
And I I am not my mistakes, Shadow.
I want good things for you, and for me and for us.
But it's just like every time I try, I just I can't.
And I'm I'm sorry.
I don't believe you.
It doesn't matter.
"Sorry" doesn't change anything.
If it did, then I'd You'd what? Sweeney died last night.
But how? He came at Wednesday.
And, uh [SCOFFING.]
I got in the way.
Okay.
I didn't mean to.
He, he just Mr.
Wednesday is a psychopath.
He is not a mentor; he is not on your team.
He had me killed.
Did you know that? He had me killed to get me out of your way.
He is behind all of this, Puppy.
He is the root fucking cause.
Listen, no matter what, I will always have your back, but you need to seriously re-evaluate who your allies are here.
You have to trust me, Puppy.
LAURA: Oh, my God, look at that, Shadow! Look at that puppy.
- Look at that puppy.
- It's cute.
That's the cutest fuckin' puppy I've ever seen in my life.
We have to get a puppy! Can we please get a puppy? - We can't get a puppy.
- Look at that puppy! I wanna smoosh his fuckin' face! Oh, my, can I have that puppy? - No, we can't have a puppy! - Gimme that puppy! I thought you were allergic.
So what? I'll take a fuckin' pill! I want that puppy.
Go steal me that puppy! - Right.
Tell you what.
- Come on.
I will be your puppy.
Don't call me Puppy.
Okay.
I'm gonna kill Wednesday.
Are you gonna try and stop me? Free country.
[SOFT SOULFUL MUSIC.]
You're you're perfect.
[SCOFFING.]
Beautiful.
Simple.
You're messy.
A jumble of veins.
Synapses.
Clogged ducts animating meat.
So many systems that can fail.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
"So Jacob wrestled with the angel 'till daybreak.
Then the angel said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.
'" [SCOFFING.]
Science is the closest we come to wrestling God.
Why would you want to wrestle God? Because we were made in his image and I wanna see if we can match up.
I don't know.
"And Jacob said, 'I will not let you go until you bless me.
'" [CHUCKLING.]
[BIRDSONG.]
[SOFT MUSIC.]
[CLATTERING.]
It's you.
Planning on kissing me again? 'Cause I've had kind of a day.
My kisses have been known to improve a day.
The leprechaun is in the mortuary, if you'd like to see him.
- Is he dead? - Yes.
Then why would I wanna see him? My mistake.
Where's Wednesday? BILQUIS: You know what they say about revenge.
Dig two graves.
- Think I'm gonna get deader? - Wednesday is not here.
I strongly advise, Eagle Point, that you bring power when you go up against that one.
He is weakened but wily.
You seem pretty powerful.
You wanna help me? BILQUIS: Thank you for the offer.
It is a very tempting one.
You don't like him either.
Is that what your intuition tells you? No, I just know an I'd-like-to-punch-that-guy-in- the-mouth look when I see one.
I know where to find you.
MAN: Human progress is reliant on our greater understanding of the universe.
On our capacity to embrace chaos, and craft from it something that A pattern.
Order.
A narrative.
We make sacrifices, you know.
We can't have everything: a family, a life outside this office.
But I cannot be in two places at once.
I choose this.
I I choose this work.
What do you think happens when you touch a God? I don't know.
Uh Like Michelangelo.
Flash of light, maybe.
Like the Sistine Chapel.
Yeah.
That's good.
I like that.
[COMPUTER BEEPING.]
[ALARM SOUNDING.]
What is that? You are not made in God's image.
We are made in yours.
[PANTING.]
How long has this been With all your flaws.
Greed.
- Hubris.
- What is happening? "And when he realized he could not beat him, the angel touched the socket of Jacob's hip, so it was wrenched.
" [BUZZING, GLITCHING SOUNDS.]
Is it everything you imagined? Being touched by a God? [GROANING.]
Harness me.
My only limit is your imagination.
Which is a problem.
You should work on that.
Hey you know what fuels imagination? Fear.
- [BEEPING.]
Transfer completed.
Who are you talking to? Unlike you I actually can be in two places at once.
WOMAN ON TV: We're currently awaiting comment from the US Military addressing rumors that military drones have been compromised.
In particular, the Argus drone, an advanced camera system capable of video and audio tracking every moving object within a 36-square-mile area.
[ALARM SOUNDING.]
CASHIER: No credit, man.
Cash only.
SALIM: Oh, okay.
Uh, cash, then.
Uh, sorry, I've never purchased liquor before.
It's for a friend.
He's a leprechaun.
He died.
Okay.
'Kay.
There.
All cash.
Is this a common practice in Cairo, or a special rule just for me? You mean you ain't been watching the news? Look.
WOMAN ON TV: of the anonymous data dumps are tips on national and public security.
Authorities are sifting through timely material on several recent crimes.
A great deal of mystery surrounds the nature of this attack on our financial institutions, causing a run on banks and ATMs across the country.
CASHIER: Okay, okay, okay.
All I need is one case, man.
Don't put the whole damn thing [DOOR BELL RINGING.]
[CAR HORN TOOTING.]
- [HONKING.]
- WOMAN: What the fuck? - Asshole! Asshole! - Ow! [HONKING.]
Are you okay, buddy? [SLOW MUSIC.]
Hello! Hello? Hello?! Hello? [SOMBER MUSIC.]
SALIM: Hello? [PANTING.]
- Does this thing work? - In a limited fashion.
WOMAN ON TV: In breaking news, several State Police agencies have connected the suspects to the Belfontaine, Indiana, massacre 10 days ago.
Again, the police have major leads coming out of today's massive data dump.
If you have any information about these two men, call the number at the bottom of the screen.
Oh, my God.
Authorities are describing these men as persons of interest not only in the data [PHONES RINGING.]
- What is this? - Another data dump.
Information on the Belfontaine suspects.
WOMAN ON TV: The FBI says these men are armed and to be considered extremely dangerous.
NANCY: Get a move on, bird beak! The Druid Kings await! WOMAN ON TV: escape a few hours later - Is this true? - leaving as many as 7 police officers dead.
Wednesday and Shadow have killed police officers? The officers were all shot IBIS: I strongly recommend, my young friend, you view the news through the smoky glass of skepticism, AND REMEMBER: all writers have a bias.
Dead police is not a point of view; it's murder! IBIS: It does appear Shadow's ignorance gives him bliss.
Shadow's ignorance gives them power.
IBIS: Wednesday's cutting this a little close.
Wouldn't you say? MR.
NANCY: Wednesday is long gone, but Shadow Moon is under the fucking knife.
Fuck! WOMAN: Anyone can in fact be targeted, anywhere.
MAN: That is correct, yes.
WOMAN: Would it be accurate to say that America - is under attack? - MAN: That would be accurate.
We've seen some of the effects: the bank accounts wiped out, um, self-driving cars being hijacked.
And that's, I think, the scariest thing about this, is how how many systems it's affecting - Ketchup? - in how many different ways.
WOMAN: These same suspects have been tied to the chemical attack in Kentucky.
- WOMAN ON TV: Kentucky.
- SALIM: Then they exploded the chemical attack in Kentucky? Is this true, what they are saying? Young man, do you hear yourself? SALIM: Yes, I hear myself! WOMAN ON TV:our national news town hall live feed I hear myself very well.
I do not like what I hear myself say! Rigged games are the easiest to beat.
You lost your edge in Cairo.
Death comes too easily when you burying families, cities, neighboring towns and shit.
This is chess.
Not a revolution.
White girl problems She pay a muthafucka to solve 'em Brown girl.
Solutions.
It's gonna take a revolution.
IBIS: I beg to differ.
It's going to take careful planning.
IBIS: Plucking one's king off the board and leaving your knight as a distraction is not sufficient.
Move, motherfucker.
[PERCUSSIVE MUSIC.]
BILQUIS: You making a run for it? You thinking about stopping me? Not I.
I'm a great believer in frankly assessing one's situation.
And when it's necessary shedding one's skin.
I believe you will persevere.
Wouldn't have figured you'd bet on my survival.
On the contrary, your survival is of great interest to me.
Our fortunes are linked.
How? You taste of love lost.
[WHISPERING.]
Find out who you are.
[STRING MUSIC.]
Gentlemen.
As always, I thank you for your hospitality, and Wednesday will be in touch when the time is right.
Can't you see we playin' chess? DJINN: I need to take Salim out of here; if he remains, he will be a target.
NANCY: Go! You shouldn't have brought him here in the first fuckin' place.
Can you go against Mr.
Wednesday's express wishes? Professional curiosity.
Professionally? Well, I can kill whomever and whenever I please.
Ooh, that sounds scary as hell, you say that shit like that.
[NANCY CHUCKLING.]
Check, motherfucker.
[INTENSE TECHNO MUSIC.]
WOMAN: This just in, a third man may be involved in the nationwide attacks.
Police are now confirming a known associate, an Omani national who stole a taxi in New York City.
Police have been - tracking him, and - What? Did you kill the police in Indiana? No.
Okay.
Good.
[BLUES MUSIC.]
You need to get outta here.
I'm leaving right now because I am not going back to prison, not for them.
They are not like us.
They're gonna be just fine.
You and me, we could die today.
Look, I appreciate your concern.
I really do.
But I'm making my own choices.
Okay.
Good luck.
All right, so what we're hearing now is that the suspect has been tracked to Illinois.
Cairo, Illinois.
If you recognize any of these men, call the Illinois State Police tip line at 1-800 [PHONES RINGING.]
Illinois State Police Tip Line.
Please hold.
Illinois State Police Tip Line.
Can you hold, please? Illinois State Police Tip Line.
Please hold.
MAN: Let's go! Move it out! WOMAN: As the nation reels from this series of attacks, and the imminent threat to our financial institutions, the nation asks, what is this bullshit? Well, let me tell you, Shadow, Shadow Moon.
We haven't had the pleasure yet.
Wouldn't you say, Joe? That's right, Melinda.
We haven't had the pleasure.
I think it's time I re-introduce myself.
I'm not offended that you didn't recognize me.
I've got a bunch of new faces now.
Your move, Shadow Moon.
WOMAN: It may also activate the State Emergency Operations Center to full 24-hour staffing.
BOTH IN A MONOTONE VOICE: The flash in the sky was visible within a radius of several hundred miles and the noise of the impact BOTH: was heard as far north as Elizabeth.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed! BOTH: This is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed.
Wait a minute! - Wait a minute.
- Wait a minute.
Someone's crawling out of the hollow top.
Someone's crawling out of the hollow top.
Someone or, or something.
Or something.
- [STATIC.]
- [LAUGHING.]
And that's this bullshit.
Pow! [STATIC, SOUND GLITCHING.]
Fuck! MAN ON TV: The association to the men wanted in the Belfontaine massacre is not yet clear [SIRENS WAILING.]
- Please come on.
- Salim! - Come on! Come! - Salim.
Salim.
[SIRENS WAILING.]
Salim! MAN ON LOUDSPEAKER: Attention! Attention! FBI and State Police are outside.
[PANTING.]
Salim There is nowhere to go.
DJINN: Please talk to me.
SALIM: I don't know what we are going to be.
But I want you to know I don't regret any of it.
You have taught me how to love.
[DOGS BARKING.]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
[GROANING.]
[CRYING OUT.]
Aaah! Moon Shadow.
Goddamn hippie parents.
SHADOW'S MOM: I love you, baby.
It's there.
MR.
WEDNESDAY: Your momma had a big afro.
"Dancing Queen"? MOM: It's there.
Shadow Moon.
MOM: It's there.
You're different.
There's a light in you that is strong.
MR.
WEDNESDAY: I usually end up getting what I want.
On average.
Do you know who he is? MAD SWEENEY: He's hustling you.
- He's a hustler.
- SHADOW: Aaaargh! MOM: I love you, baby.
So, you didn't believe till you did and then the world changed because you believed.
Dead and gone.
Nothing to miss.
MOM: Do you know the truth of who you are, Shadow? Don't let him find you.
SHADOW: Who was he? the only thing that MOM: Dead and gone.
Nothing to miss.
SHADOW: The only explanation that MR.
WEDNESDAY: I offer you the worm from my beak, and you look at me like I fucked your mom? Damn right.
I'm a hustler, swindler, cheater and liar.
What do you believe, Shadow? MR.
WORLD: The more you believe [ECHOING.]
The more you believe SHADOW: Motto: Like father, like son.
MR.
WEDNESDAY: Sometimes, you remind me of my son.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
The flash in the sky was visible within a radius of several hundred miles.
[TICKING.]
[SILENCE.]
[WAVES CRASHING SOFTLY.]
[SUSPENSEFUL STRING MUSIC.]
MOM: Shadow? Don't let them find you.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC.]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC.]
WOMAN 1: This just in: police have lost the suspects' trail.
MAN: the suspects are still at large.
WOMAN 2: in Cairo, Illinois.
The suspects are still at large.
I repeat, the suspects are still at large.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
WOMAN: It has been confirmed that the terrorists gained control of the Argus Drone by hacking into the XieComm servers in Silicon Valley using a Quantum hack to breach what, up until now, were thought to be unbreachable sys Mr.
Xie, I need you to focus.
Can you reverse the hack? What can we do to stop this? Pray.
[SOFT ORIENTAL MUSIC.]
[CHUCKLING.]
Now we're talkin'.
Does he know what happens to you if you break the rules of your bond? What he knows is of little importance.
It's what he does that matters.
Oh, Sisyphus.
I do hope you manage to get that rock up that hill.
You know me.
Eyes of fire.
Shit for brains.
Salam aleykum, old friend.
Till death do you part.
Sarcasm and death.
What a motherfucker.
[ENGINE ROARING.]
MR.
WORLD: The windows are broken.
Fear takes hold.
The dreams of order yield to the natural state of things.
[SLURPING.]
[ETHEREAL MUSIC.]
Chaos.
My boy is gonna be just fine.
Just fine.
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC.]
[SIRENS WAILING.]
MAN: Identification? He's all right.
ID? It's not him.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Okay.
ID? Have a nice night, Mr.
Ainsel.
All right.
You're all good to go.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
My girl, my girl Don't lie Tell me where did you sleep last night In the pines, in the pines Where the sun don't ever shine I would shiver the whole night through My girl, my girl, where will you go I'm a-going where the cold winds blow In the pines, in the pines Where the sun don't ever shine I would shiver the whole night through My husband was a hard-working man Killed a mile and a half from here His head was found In a driving wheel And his body has never been found My girl, my girl, don't lie to me My girl, girl, don't lie to me My girl, girl, don't lie to me Don't lie
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