American Horror Stories (2021) s01e05 Episode Script

1
I'm very sorry.
I know these aren't the
results we're hoping for,
but we're at five cycles now,
and five IVFs is
traditionally the cut-off.
You mean we shouldn't try again?
I'm saying we're at a point
where we should consider
some other options.
- You mean adoption?
- Yes.
Also surrogacy.
I want to be pregnant.
I know it shouldn't
matter, but it it does.
I want to feel our
baby growing inside me.
I want to count the days
until we meet him or her
or them, together.
We'll keep trying, babe.
We can, right?
Of course. Uh, I just
want you to be prepared.
The likelihood of success
decreases with each round
while the cost increases.
I don't care about the cost.
It's my money, and I want to try again.
Okay. We'll start again in eight weeks.
Okay. I'll go get the car.
And I'm serious, all right?
We'll keep trying as long as
you want until it happens for us,
even if it means we hit
every fertility clinic
in Beverly Hills, all right?
- Okay.
- I'll see you out front.
He's a keeper.
- Nice guy and hot.
- Yeah.
I kind of hit the jackpot.
Never thought it'd be so hard
to become what I tried so hard
to avoid during high school.
Anyway, we need to set
up another appointment
two months from now.
Look, I've watched you go
through this for two years now,
and I feel for you.
I cannot imagine how hard it must be.
Tell me that I'm way out of line,
but I want to show you something.
Sure.
It's a fertility totem.
It's very old.
Sumerian or Babylonian.
But either way, you
place it under your bed
during intimacy, and as
strange as it may sound,
you get a baby.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking,
but all I can say is that
it's been in my family
for a very long time.
It's the reason I'm here,
or so I've been told all my life.
I appreciate the thought, but
I can't take this from you.
Sure you can.
I'm not the baby type, so
it's completely wasted on me.
I promise you it works. You can keep it
as long as you'd like.
I'd rather it be with
someone who really needs it.
We've tried everything else.
I guess a little magic couldn't hurt.
Thanks.
Crazy.
You say something?
I finally got an audition
First one in two weeks
And my character actually has a name.
It's not "Drunk Guy" or
"Second Police Officer."
I love you even if you're
Third Police Officer.
Before you know it, you
won't have to read for anyone.
It's gonna happen for you, babe.
It better, or people are gonna think
I married you for your money,
'cause not a lot of Second
Police Officers live like this.
I'd brag, but all I did was inherit it.
Granddad did all the work.
Look, I don't want to
sound like a broken record,
but I'm serious about what I said today.
You stuck with me
with this acting thing,
and I'm gonna stick
with you for the baby.
Whatever you want.
Right now, I only want one thing.
I gave him gripe water ten minutes ago.
Maybe you ate something spicy?
I didn't eat anything, Norma.
I'm okay.
You can go.
- When is Mr. Matt coming home?
- I don't know.
He's shooting tonight NCIS.
Ah. That's my mother's favorite show.
I'll have her look for him.
Tell her not to blink.
You're not being gentle enough. Let me.
Oh.
It's like I don't know
how to operate my own baby.
Mrs. Liv, this takes time.
What if it doesn't?
It's like he doesn't
even want to be around me,
like I'm not his mother.
Don't say that.
Why did I do this?
It was such a fucking mistake!
Forgot about you.
Thanks for everything, you little shit.
Should have just
thrown you in the trash.
Jesus. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
I was being quiet in
case he was sleeping.
What the hell, Matt?
Are you trying to kill me?
Well, they asked me to keep it on
'cause it takes forever to apply, and
I got to report back to set in two hours
to do the big coroner scene.
So why'd you come all the way home?
Well, Norma called me, and she wanted me
- to check in on you.
- That woman.
If she's not barking orders
at me, she's spying on me.
It's like living with my mom,
only we have to fucking pay her.
Look, she's worried
about you, and so am I.
If you were so worried, you
wouldn't disappear all night
just to play a corpse on a table.
That's a little harsh.
Aren't you supposed to leave that on?
Fuck. I'm super uncomfortable.
Look, babe, I know
the timing's not great,
all right, but it's network, and
it could lead to other things.
And I don't want to be that guy
The one that lives off his wife's money.
All right? I want to contribute.
I just wish I didn't feel
like this all the time.
Like I'm losing it.
Yesterday, I was watching
an Expedia commercial
about parents, and I
cried for over an hour.
All I've ever wanted to do is be a mom,
and I fucking suck at it.
Hey, hey, no, you don't.
And what's worse
For two years, I complained
about not having a baby,
and now, all I do is
complain about having one.
How can you stand to be with me?
Baby, listen to me.
A year ago, I had a
very hot night of sex,
all right, and then my
job was pretty much done.
Right? You grew a human
being inside of you.
Your body went through hell,
and everything that I know
from that What to Expect book
that you made me read,
everything you're experiencing
is completely normal.
Just don't call it
the "baby blues," okay?
It's more like
baby hell.
Call it whatever you want, okay, but
You should talk to someone.
I'm not seeing a therapist, Matt.
She's not a therapist.
She's an M. D. in hormone
and postpartum disorders.
- Who told you about this woman?
- My agent.
His wife had postpartum,
and this doctor really helped them out.
So you're officially diagnosing me now?
Look, just consider it.
Okay? That's-that's all I'm asking.
Please, God, don't do this to me.
I just got to bed.
Oh, that's a scary one.
That hour, having just woken up,
you can see anything
in those baby monitors.
When I had my first, I swear I saw him
climbing out of the
crib and up the curtains.
But he hadn't moved.
I'll admit, it's really
nice talking to someone
who's been through this.
Sure. What else?
I don't think it's a
question I should even ask.
I feel crazy just thinking about it.
I can't make a full diagnosis
unless I know what's
going on in your mind.
Is it possible for a
baby to hate its mother?
You think your baby hates you?
He'll be crying for hours,
and no matter what I do,
I can't get him to settle down.
But then Norma or my husband
holds him for a few seconds,
and he falls asleep instantly.
I think you're talking about
the pickle jar syndrome.
I don't know that one.
You spent two hours
loosening the pickle jar,
and then Norma and your husband step in
and pop it right open.
- You see what I mean?
- Yeah, but it's more.
It's a feeling I get from him.
He's tired and stressed out, like you.
Maybe even because of you.
Babies can pick up on stress, you know,
which is maybe why he's even so fussy.
But to answer you,
no, a baby cannot hate its mother.
Okay.
But it's not crazy to
sometimes get that feeling.
Do you have anyone helping you at night?
My husband's on a shoot.
- What about a night nurse?
- I don't want
anyone else raising my baby.
I can barely deal with my housekeeper.
Just for a few weeks until
you find some balance,
until your hormones level out.
I'm sorry, Dr. Berger, but no.
And I don't want any pills, either.
We don't have to jump
into any medications
- if you don't want to.
- Okay.
We can just start off
with some strategies
to help you and your baby.
- Okay.
- Now, some might seem a little new agey.
But that doesn't mean they don't work.
Okay.
Hey, Aaron. You like that?
Oh, that's a nice temperature.
It's very cozy in here.
You like your little
baby spa, don't you?
Yeah.
Oh, ready? I'll get your shoulder
and your elbows
and then your other shoulder
and your other elbow.
What do you think about it?
Oh, yeah.
It's fun in here.
Yeah. Oh.
Shh. Shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh
Shh. Shh, shh, shh. Shh.
- Hey.
- Listen.
I I-I don't I don't hear anything.
Exactly. Those detox baths
Berger recommended are
making all the difference.
And the podcast she turned
me onto Soothing Waves
It's like heaven with
earbuds, total decompression.
- That's great, hon, but I, um
- Mm-hmm.
I got to run. I want to get
some coffee before my audition.
I already made you one.
What?
Oh. That is so sweet, baby.
I I don't know what to say.
I'm the one who needs to say something.
Thank you.
Dr. Berger made all the difference.
Even Norma's impressed. She didn't try
- to school me once today.
- Now, that's a miracle.
- Um
- Don't worry.
I got this. Go on.
- Okay.
- Break a leg.
Thank you. Mmm.
- I love you.
- I love you.
You got this, Liv.
Shh. Shh.
How did you get here?
And why do you look different?
Did you put this in Aaron's crib?
Why do you have something like that?
That's my business,
Norma. I just need to know.
- I can't work here.
- Where are you going?
Norma!
I don't blame Norma for leaving. I mean,
I wouldn't want to be
around one of these, either.
It looks fucking satanic.
It didn't look like that when I got it.
I I-I don't even
know what to say to that.
I mean, what are you saying
That it's-it's changing?
Where'd you get that, anyways?
Just some new age store.
It's just like a
talisman, good luck thing.
It's no big deal.
I just want to know how
it ended up in Aaron's crib.
Well, I-I sure as hell
didn't put it there.
I'm not saying you did.
Then what about the basement?
I told you. It seems like a
raccoon got trapped down there.
Those claw marks were huge.
I mean, babe, what are
you actually saying here?
That we have, what, a-a ghost?
I mean, come on.
I don't know.
Personally, I'm a little
weirded out that you think
this ugly-ass thing is
responsible for our baby.
And I am very weirded out
that I've had to sleep
over it all this time.
But
what I think is actually happening is
that you're just very, very tired,
and your imagination's in-in overdrive.
I I thought you were feeling better.
I thought Berger made a difference.
- She did.
- Doesn't sound like it.
I mean, look at you.
I'm getting worried, baby.
You don't need to be.
Liv
NCIS wants me back, okay?
There's this flashback
episode for my character.
You know, an actual part, not
just a stand-in with lines.
And I'll be in scenes with real actors.
That's great, honey.
Yeah, but we're shooting nights,
and I cannot do it if
you're gonna be freaking out
over raccoons and weird fucking statues.
Please let me know that we're
not going backwards, all right?
You got to give me a
reason not to worry, please.
I'm okay.
Really.
Oh.
I
It's static. It's-it's
like there's interference
- or something.
- That's what I thought at first,
but then I tried something.
Baby how long have you been up
messing around with
this? You were supposed
to be getting some sleep.
Just listen.
This is it sped up five times.
Hear that?
Listen. Just listen, Matt. Please.
"I" "want" "him."
"I want him."
"I want him."
Don't tell me those aren't words!
I-I don't know what I'm hearing, okay?
I got to try and get this clearer.
I
- Fuck!
- want him.
Please don't be mad.
I asked her to come over.
Hi, Liv.
Let me listen.
Just-just listen again, please.
I don't have to.
I know what isn't there.
- But it's so clear.
- Liv,
the human brain has
evolved to find connections.
- No.
- Yeah.
"Pareidolia" is what it's called.
When the mind sees patterns and faces
in nature, like faces on Mars,
or the Virgin Mary in
a piece of burnt toast.
And there are also auditory pareidolia,
like when fans hear, "Paul is
a dead man" in one
of the Beatles' songs.
- So I'm delusional.
- No. You're human.
You're human.
Your hormones are on
a roller-coaster ride.
You're stressed out and sleep-deprived.
Very few people understand
just how debilitating
the lack of sleep can be.
I don't think this is
about my lack of sleep.
It's exactly what this is about.
You're not thinking clearly.
The sooner you accept that,
the sooner we can move forward.
I'm prescribing Zoloft,
50 milligrams per day.
To Matt the first
one of us to make it.
Yay.
Proud of you, buddy.
All right, that's,
like, the ninth toast.
I think you're just using
me as an excuse to drink.
Ah, just kissing your butt, man,
so you don't forget about
your old college buddies
- from the film department.
- Mm.
- Yeah.
- Just remember.
The world needs tall,
geek character actors.
And great set decs.
Or editors/sound designers
with their own equipment, hmm?
All right, I think you guys
are getting carried away.
It's only seven lines.
- All right?
- Oh, that's it?
Oh, wow. Haven't seen one
of these since I was a kid.
You find this in a flea market?
Oh, yeah. We used to love game nights.
I always wanted to try one,
- and tonight's the perfect night for it.
- Yeah.
I don't think that's such a good idea.
- Maybe another time.
- No. Matt, it's okay.
We call on the spirits.
Speak to us
we beseech you.
If anyone is there,
please communicate with us.
Beseech.
Shut up and focus.
Give us a sign.
We've played this a million times.
It's never worked.
- Hey.
- It moved.
All right, who did that?
- Not me.
- Me, either.
Don't look at me.
Talk to us.
Who are you?
"J."
"A."
"C."
"Jack." It's a name.
Holy shit.
"M."
"E."
"H."
"O."
"F." "F."
"Jack me off."
- Assholes!
- Are you kidding me?
If you had any money,
I'd divorce you right
now and take it all.
The look on your faces.
- Ha, ha.
- Ugh.
Whoa. You feel that?
All right, dude. Come on. We're not
I-I'm serious. It moved.
I swear, I'm not doing this.
Is someone present?
Is there something
you want to say to us?
"H."
"E."
"I."
"S."
"M."
"I."
"N."
Fuck.
"E."
Fuck.
"He is mine. He
"He is mine.
He is mine."
- What-what does that mean?
- "He is mine" means Aaron.
Liv, come on.
- Fucking thing out!
- Oh, what's wrong?
Honey, calm down.
Don't tell me to calm down.
"I want him." "He is mine."
The voices.
The scratches in the cellar.
That thing on the monitor.
There's something in this house,
- and it's after our son.
- Hey.
Liv, that's crazy, all
right? Just please.
There's too much going on, Matt.
It's a demon, and it's real.
And we need to do
something about it now!
Liv, where are you going?
Liv?
Liv, you embarrassed the shit out of me!
Hey, come here.
Those are my best friends, all right?
People I've known since college,
and now they think you're fucking crazy.
I don't care what they think!
All right, I've fucking had it!
I've been patient and understanding
and all the things you're
supposed to do when your wife
is having postpartum events, but
I can't fucking do it anymore!
Years of-of hormones and-and IVFs
and doctor appointments,
and now this demon shit!
You have got to figure your shit out.
Do what you have to do.
Just fucking figure it out, please.
Fuck you, Matt.
Fuck you.
It's just a little storm.
It's just a little storm.
It's just a little storm.
I know.
I know.
Bitch.
You'll never get my baby!
I won't let you!
This thing
It gave me a baby.
But now it wants it back.
I don't understand.
It's Ba'al. It's a demon,
and you're going to tell
me how to get rid of it.
It doesn't make any sense.
Ba'al is fertility
god. He isn't a demon.
Well, he's sure as hell acting like one.
One of these contains
a banishment ritual,
- but these grimoires
- Grim what?
Grimoires. They're
compendiums of black magic.
I only have them for historical reasons.
They were all written by old white men
who bought into the whole
anti-pagan demonic thing.
Demons taking souls.
It's all church branding,
fairy tale stuff, Hollywood.
Well, maybe you don't know
as much about it as you think.
My parents dabbled in the sacred arts,
but I have been hardcore
into magic since high school.
Magic it saved my life.
I was on drugs, abusing
my body, but paganism
It opened up a whole new world for me,
a new universe that
turned everything around.
- You okay?
- I'm just tired.
Believe me, when I gave you that totem,
I was only trying to help.
Just help me now.
Okay.
This is it.
This is the summary of the ritual.
My husband's on a night shoot.
I could do it tonight.
"A ritual dagger."
I'm gonna want this back, okay?
It was three weeks salary
at a Wiccan convention.
It's consecrated and really, really old.
Just follow the ritual.
Consecro et benedico
circulum meum.
Effluxisse meo sanguine mala
praesentia corporis et.
Sacrificium meum,
loquor ad te,
oro, qui
favorem
He is mine.
Exaudi preces
- meas
- Meas
LIV and EERIE MALE
VOICE: et adiuva me
in tribulatione mea.
Exaudi me Daemonium.
Fove Diabole.
Fove Diabole.
Fove Diabole!
Ego diabolis.
He is mine.
Oh, my God.
No!
Hey.
Matt.
I can't stop seeing it.
I can't stop seeing the knife.
I'm so sorry, Matt.
I'm so sorry.
Come here.
I thought I was gonna lose you.
Hey, don't think about it anymore, okay?
You weren't thinking straight,
and you didn't mean to do it.
Okay? And it's over, it's in the past.
How's
how's Aaron?
He's good.
Honey, listen to me.
You don't have to do this.
You don't have to stay here
all locked up like this.
I almost killed you.
I put Aaron in danger.
I'm not coming home until
Dr. Berger says I can.
Until it's safe.
I signed all the forms.
I hate seeing you in a place like this.
I don't like it, either,
but I can't leave.
I won't.
Not until I get a handle on everything.
Okay.
Whatever you need,
I'm here.
I love you.
I love you so much, Matt.
So much.
Aah.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- Fuck.
That crazy bitch really fucking got me.
I still can't believe you let her do it.
Yeah, well, great actors are committed
to their roles, babe.
Does this mean
I can get all that occult
shit out of my apartment now?
Oh, your pagan days are over.
Once my lawyers get through with her,
she will be committed indefinitely.
Thank God. That stuff
really creeps me out,
especially those spell books I
got from the spiritualist place.
I'm gonna have to burn
sage and hire a Reiki master
to clean the place out.
Oh. Boo-hoo. At least
you're not in fucking agony.
Oh, cheer up.
I'm gonna be the best nurse
you've ever had in your life.
Ah, fuck.
Yeah!
Best damn production
I've ever been a part of.
You all brought your A
game. Cheers to you guys.
Cheers.
- Mmm.
- If it were a series,
it'd run for eight seasons.
Gaslighters.
Every week, we drive a new person crazy.
This week, a school teacher thinks
he's being probed by aliens.
- Ew.
- Hey, and you, buddy boy,
deserve a special creative arts Emmy.
- Well
- The baby monitors,
the hidden sound system
for Ba'al, and the raccoon
scratches truly inspiring, beautiful.
Well, nothing inspires
like cold, hard cash.
Ah. Here we thought you
were all about the craft.
Anyone gonna say anything
about the three different
totems I had to carve?
And what about my awesome
- mist?
- Babe, no one
can whip up a ground fog like you can.
- Mm-hmm.
- At least you didn't have
to wear horns on your head.
Those wings kind of
screwed up my rotator cuffs.
Though, I must admit,
switching out the medicine
probably sealed the deal.
Not coming for me ♪
What'd you give her, man?
A little psychoactive cocktail.
- My secret recipe.
- So, now that we've aired,
when do we see residuals?
- I joined this show for the back end.
- Mm-hmm.
Well, legal stuff's
gonna take a few months.
- Dude.
- But hey, listen, listen.
When all this is mine, we
are gonna be set for life.
- Okay?
- Yeah.
And we are never gonna
have to work again
unless we fucking want to.
- Yeah!
- Right?
Right? Cheers to that.
Come on!
Which reminds me,
I got to figure out
the daycare situation,
and you know, it's never too early
to start thinking
about boarding schools.
- Ooh, you're cold.
- Mm-mm.
I'm an actor in a role
that he never signed up for, all right?
I mean, I put my body through hell
to have a low sperm count.
Long hot tubs, tight underwear.
My idea.
Hmm. You know,
I even fucking took steroids,
but these little fuckers
still swam through.
- Ah.
- It's it's ridiculous.
Okay. Okay, okay.
All right. Shh, shh, shh.
Shh. Shh. Shh.
Aw, great. An explosion.
Universe hates me. Oh, my God.
- Yes. Fill it up! Fill it up!
- Yeah!
- Ooh.
- Okay, okay. Not too much.
There you go. You're the
life of the party, baby.
- Cheers.
- Not coming for me ♪
Now coming for me ♪
I took out the speaker system.
Sure you did.
No, I swear, I don't know what that is.
What's with these lights? Huh?
Look.
That's not possible.
I took the dry ice machine
back to the rental house.
Come on, you guys. Really?
Show's over. If somebody else
walks in and sees this, we're screwed.
- I'm not doing this!
- I told you, it's not me!
You are mine.
No!
Oh, shit!
Shh, it's okay. Shh.
No
No!
I didn't think you'd come.
I don't know why I did.
I shouldn't have.
You're a bastard, Matt.
I told the police everything,
what we did to you.
Why don't you tell me why you did it?
We're married.
Everything I have is yours.
I didn't want kids, Liv.
I told you that, but you didn't listen.
After a while, I
I didn't want you, either.
But you wanted my money.
So what happened?
You didn't want to share
it with your friends?
Did they get greedy?
That's what the police think,
but I-I didn't kill them.
I know what it looks like, but
I could never do that, Liv.
It was the demon.
Hmm.
It was Ba'al. He's-he's real, and-and
he killed everybody, and he
left me to take the blame for it.
I don't know why.
Wait, wait. Wait, wait. Wait.
Do you think I'm gonna listen to this
from you?
It's crazy. I-I-I know it
sounds crazy, but it's true.
I saw it with my own eyes.
What he did to Rory and Emma.
And Bernadette.
I need your help.
- My help?
- I need money
for an attorney, please.
I don't know what's more unbelievable
Your story, or that you really think
I would ever help you.
I will get slaughtered
with a public defender.
'Cause I-I need I need
somebody who will fight this,
who could put together
an insanity plea or
You don't need an expensive attorney
to prove that you're crazy, Matt.
As the father of our son.
Aaron doesn't have a father.
Liv!
Hey, don't walk away from me! Liv!
Liv, don't go back to
the house! Liv, he's real!
He's real! Liv!
It's you and me now.
You and me against the world.
Face me.
I killed them.
Release me.
I guess I owe you that.
It's amazing, isn't it?
That stupid bitch Bernadette.
She thought she gave me
a fake banishing spell.
If I hadn't been so crazy
thinking I'd never get
out of that hospital,
I probably wouldn't have tried it again.
Exaudi preces meas,
et adiuva me
tribulatione meas.
Exaudi me daemonium.
Exaudi me daemonium.
Exaudi me
daemonium.
Exaudi me daemonium.
Exaudi me
daemonium.
But what she didn't realize
is that she gave me a
real life summoning spell.
Release me.
Only on one condition.
You give me another baby.