Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches (2023) s02e04 Episode Script

1
ROWAN: Lasher's out there
hunting Mayfair women.
If you want to bring your
mother's killer to justice,
you need to work with us.
This should all be over
by tomorrow morning.
You know what? Flight canceled.
What makes you so sure it's
going to be over by tomorrow?
The second Lasher
walks through those doors,
I'm gonna kill him.
I'm calling for Albrecht Escher.
Do not connect him. He's done.
He's a dead wire.
Do it.
- Please.
- No!
♪
[MICHAEL NAU'S "LOVE SURVIVE"]
This is my conquering song ♪
[SEAGULLS CAWING]
Played on a wave so strong ♪
[SAW BUZZING]
♪
Ah!
Lark?
[GRUNTS]
Are you OK?
What happened?
Splinter.
Oh, my God.
I thought you'd chopped
your finger off.
Aw, look at that.
Hold on.
Where's the OK.
Surgery time.
OK. Don't move.
[INHALES SHARPLY]
All good.
We can both add splinter
surgeons to our CVs
when we're done restoring
the "Sweet Christine" here.
Oh, thanks.
You know, I was thinking we could
add some built-ins to the
bedroom wall for your 800
pounds of art books.
Ro, I got an email from the
Keplinger Institute last night.
They offered me a job.
You applied for a job in New York?
We have residency next year.
I should have told you.
Yeah, you should have told me.
What are you talking about?
I'm not like you.
My times, my success rates,
I wasn't born a surgeon.
I'm a researcher, Ro.
You should have told
me you were dropping out.
I think this job is right for me.
And you think what's right for me
is knowing nothing about it?
I should have told you.
I should have. I'm sorry.
I just I wasn't sure.
And if I'm being honest,
I wasn't even going
to tell you I applied if
they didn't offer me the job
because I knew it was going
to ruin all of this, and
and I wanted this so much.
I still want this.
There must be genetics
jobs in San Francisco.
It's the Keplinger Institute.
And I know you can't come with me.
I would never ask.
Your mom's here.
When did you apply?
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
January.
What?
Are you kidding me?
How could you keep that a secret?
You have, like, a whole life that I
don't know anything about.
Did you think that I would
try to make you stay?
No, no.
Or maybe you didn't
tell me because you
just don't care about how
I feel or what I think.
Of course I care, Ro.
I care so much I couldn't
stand to tell you
because I knew you
were going to shut down
like you're doing right now.
Please, can you talk to me?
There's nothing to talk about.
You've made that really, really clear.
[SIGHS]
♪
Rowan.
Rowan.
Rowan, wake up. [CLAPPING]
Jesus. Finally.
Hi. You were out cold.
Get up and clean up your mess.
Oh, my God.
Yeah. What did you do to them?
I was trying to stop them
from leaving the house.
Oh, bravo.
Great job with that.
- It's stuck.
- Here, I'll try.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Did everyone leave?
Obviously.
What are you doing?
I'm going to pull them out.
Yeah, it's working.
It's working.
No, keep keep going. Hey!
Hey! Keep going!
It was working.
I don't have the power
to fix this without Lasher.
You don't have much
without him, do you?
♪
[PHONE BUZZING]
You gave me your word.
You said that you would kill him.
I wasn't lying.
I mean, I really meant to.
I really did.
That does not inspire
much confidence, Rowan.
Well, if I had killed him,
then where would we be?
There'd be no hope of getting
them out of there ever.
Besides, if you hadn't
tipped off the Talamasca,
Lasher would still be here.
And then I'd have the the power
The only reason I actually
tipped off the Talamasca
was because I didn't trust
you to follow through with it.
Shh. Shut up for one second.
Hey, Lark.
Jesus. There you are.
I woke up to all your
texts and I got worried.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
I'm fine, totally fine.
I just drank too much
at my family thing, so
Is everything OK?
I can I can be over
there in a couple minutes.
No, no. Don't do that.
I I'm already dressed.
So I'll come to you.
Yeah, yeah, I'll see you soon.
Bye.
[SIGHS]
Call your friends at the Talamasca
and tell them to get
Lasher here right now.
They don't even need
to get him out of the car.
The street's close enough.
Text me an ETA.
So what if they won't bring him in?
I don't know, Moira.
Just figure it out, OK?
Where the hell are you going?
If I don't go deal with this,
then my friend's
going to come knock on the door,
and we don't need that right now.
Right, sure, no more
witnesses to your crimes.
Fuck you.
Just do what I said, OK?
♪
Morning, Hans.
[SIGHS]
Why is last night's
captive not on the list?
You're going to have to be
way more specific than that.
Male, about 6 feet, dark hair,
accompanied by Division
Chief Albrecht Escher.
Nope.
No one matching that description here.
That's not possible.
He must be here.
Check again, please.
[SIGHS] Your captive isn't here.
Check again.
[SLAMS BOOK]
OK, boss.
Why don't you have
a look for yourself?
Go on.
Be my guest.
[MUFFLED SPEECH]
[SNARLS]
If he's not here, where is he?
[EERIE MUSIC]
[VOICES WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]
♪
[VOCALIZING]
♪
Any idea where Albrecht is?
Hasn't come in yet, probably
waiting on his slow drip.
He's not answering my calls.
I'm afraid he might have
run into some trouble.
We managed to apprehend a pretty
powerful being last night, and
I haven't heard from him since.
Last transmission was
just after midnight.
He was outside of the
Mayfair house on First Street.
[PHONE BUZZING]
The tracker on his car
I need you to get
the coordinates for me.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Spread out.
Bag anything that might
be relevant, big or small.
♪
Come on. No, no, no.
Come on. Come on.
Damn it.
♪
[KNOCKING]
- Hey.
- Hey.
Welcome to my new home.
Great. Thanks.
Just want to step into the kitchen.
I took the liberty
of ordering for you.
They make an omelet called a
hangover cure, which I thought
was appropriate.
Thanks.
Who knew that a couple mint
juleps could pack such a punch?
So there are people
trapped in your house?
No.
Oh, my God.
No, that's crazy.
No, I think I was just like venting
about being trapped
in the house with too
many people or something.
Used to be able to handle
your liquor, Fielding.
Well, it's been
a really stressful time.
So I figured it out
your deep, dark secret, the reason
you keep stopping me from
coming over to your house.
It's poorly decorated, isn't it?
Am I right? Hey, hey.
It's not your fault.
Everything you know about decorating
you learned in grad school housing
with your laminated band posters
and your tacky string lights.
That's OK.
You have to allow yourself
to be horrible at something.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[PHONE BUZZING]
Hello?
Moira, it's Ryan.
Hey, Ryan.
We're all gathering
at my place to talk.
I'd like it if you could come join us.
Oh, I'm sorry.
To talk about what?
About the future
of this family, frankly.
The idea of an interim
designee is on the table.
An interim designee?
Is that a legal term?
Call it what you will.
All we know is the current
one not only lied to us,
but put us all in danger.
We're not going to sit around
and wait for her to toy with
us again.
Do you need the address?
No, I can't.
I have to stay here with Daphne.
Well, you be careful in that house.
We don't know what she might do next.
Uh-huh. Bye.
[GLASS SHATTERING] Oh!
[PANTING]
♪
Don't bother.
Father fortified the doors
with one of his spells.
I guess you're just going to
have to sit there and think
about what you've done.
Leave me alone, Millie.
Anyone? Hey, hey!
They've all forgotten about you.
Let me out of here.
That must be a novel sensation.
Anyone out there?
She needed you to
make some phone calls,
but that's about it.
I think that would
make you her secretary.
Wouldn't Father be proud?
[METAL CLANKING]
Ha!
I mean, I don't see
how I could get her here.
Like, I'd have to, what?
Like sail her through the Panama Canal
or pull her out of the water
and ship her across the desert.
Either.
She belongs with you,
and you belong with her.
That was another life.
Now I have the house
the band poster,
string light covered house.
Remember when you used to take her out
in the middle of the ocean, cut
the engines and just jump in?
Rain, wind, giant waves be damned.
I always had a rope
hanging off the stern.
I wasn't crazy.
Maybe you were a tiny bit crazy.
You loved it.
You jumped first.
Did I?
Rowan, I know something
is going on with you.
And I think you want
to tell me what it is.
Um
There have been a few
deaths in my family.
I'm sorry.
That's what I'm trying to figure out.
That's why I sent you the sample.
You think it's something hereditary?
Wait, that blood came
from someone in your family?
No.
So, listen, you know
I can't talk about it.
But I really, really,
really appreciate your help.
Of course. Yeah.
Do everything yourself.
Trust no one, right?
People can let you down.
[SOFT MUSIC]
[PHONE BUZZING]
Sorry, one sec.
Yeah?
You need to get back here right now.
Something is happening to the house.
OK.
OK, I'll be right there.
I'm sorry.
I think maybe you should
go back to New York.
And maybe I'll get a flight up there,
and we can finish this conversation.
Wait, hold on.
Thank you.
Rowan.
Something is clearly going on.
Look, it's the ceilings.
It's the curtains, the lamps.
Look, look, look at the wallpaper.
Yeah, that's weird. I don't know.
I guess it's like an old house.
Oh, my God.
This is in every room?
It's in every room.
Is this because Lasher is gone?
I don't know.
I mean but if
the house falls apart,
what happens to Daphne and Jojo?
Have you spoken to Sip?
No, I think you're
going to have to call him.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Now, don't you worry.
I'm not here to hurt you.
I'm here to help.
Please take me home to Rowan.
Rowan is not your home.
She doesn't know what
you are, but I do.
And I know where you belong.
No, no, no, no!
[PANTING]
[PHONE LINE TRILLING]
Hello?
Hey, Sip.
It's me.
Yeah, I saw that.
How are you?
Why are you calling, Rowan?
I know you're not looking
to do me any favors,
but it's not for me.
Jojo and Daphne are trapped
in a thrall like we were.
And I know how to get them out.
But to do it, I need
to have Lasher nearby.
So if you could just like
bring him by the house.
He doesn't need to get out of the car.
Please.
I can't help you.
Can we just put our personal
stuff aside for one minute?
I mean, Moira's here.
Like, it's for her, too.
I can't because I don't have him.
We don't have him.
What do you mean, you don't have him?
Put Moira on.
He wants to talk to you.
Hey.
Albrecht took Lasher.
I'm trying to find out where.
If I can track him down,
I'll do what you're asking.
But in order to do that,
I need your help.
My help?
With what?
What, did you forget he was up there?
Maybe a little.
But it's good.
He'll be desperate.
We can use that.
We don't need to play games.
I can read his mind.
What?
How do I know I can
trust what you say?
We want the same thing here, Rowan.
I will tell you what he says.
OK.
Just ask the right questions.
If he's thinking about
how he's mad at you
or how his shoes don't fit,
then that's all I'm going to get.
That's the shit that people
think about most of the time
- anyway.
- Really?
Yeah.
- Cortland.
- Rowan?
Ro, let me out of here.
Your friend Albrecht took
Lasher and disappeared.
Where would he take him?
Well, you let me out of here,
I'll be happy to tell you.
Why don't you tell me,
and then I'll let you out?
He doesn't know.
Come on, now. Open the door.
And I'll do you one better.
I'll get in touch with Albrecht,
and we can ask him whatever you like.
Don't try to play me, Cortland.
I can tell you don't know.
Honestly, how is it possible
that you and Albrecht spent
all those years planning to
bring Lasher into the world,
but you have no idea what he
was going to do after that?
It's not him and Albrecht.
Moira?
Moira, is that you?
Now, come on, now.
You know it's rude to enter
where you're not invited.
It's not Cortland and Albrecht.
It's Julien and Albrecht.
Albrecht was Julien's man.
And then when he died,
Cortland took over that relationship.
Yeah, the thing is, he's my man now.
- And I can connect you.
- No, you can't.
Well, what about Julien?
What if I wanted to talk to him?
- Could I?
- My father is dead.
Well, that hardly seems
to matter in this family.
OK, then there is a way.
Just let me out of here,
and I'll tell you what it is.
[HUMMING]
This is him blocking me.
He's going to run out
of air sooner or later.
Dance by the light of the moon ♪
Buffalo gals,
won't you come out tonight? ♪
Come out tonight,
come out tonight? ♪
Buffalo gals, won't
you come out tonight? ♪
Dance by the light of the ♪
Breakfast?
Can I tell you over breakfast?
Maybe some steak and eggs?
You're lucky there's milk.
You know, there is a way
for me to speak to my father.
And I'm willing to do it,
but it's not very pleasant.
He's willing to be
turned back to stone.
Mm-hmm.
I spent some time with my father
while I was in that form.
And he was talking about
great work to be carried out
By others carried out by others.
That's right.
I don't know who he was talking about.
But, um, that's what
I would ferret out
of him if I went back there.
Perhaps he was talking about
Albrecht.
- Albrecht.
- Well, others.
Not another?
So who's Albrecht working with?
Sip?
[VOICES WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]
Is that Jojo?
Josephine!
What
what's happening?
They're trapped she and Daphne.
What?
Why else do you think I'm helping her?
I can't pull them out without
Lasher, just like I can't
turn you back into stone.
But maybe you already knew
that, which is why you offered.
No, no, I didn't know.
Yes, you did.
Actually [CHUCKLES]
He was very afraid
that you would find a way.
What did your father do to you?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Music.
I need music.
I want you out of my head.
Where's the Victrola?
Dolly Jean took it last night.
She took it? Why?
I don't know.
She just put it in that
big trolley of hers.
Did the Victrola
belong to your father?
Yes. So?
Because I used to sit and
read old family journals.
And the Victrola would
suddenly start playing whenever
I would read about him.
What exactly have you been reading?
So it's Julien's Victrola.
Then why would Dolly Jean take it?
Let's go find out.
Well, I think we better.
No, no, no. No, not you, just us.
You did nothing
but undermine me last night.
You just stay in here.
No, that's not true.
I sang your praises.
Just stay here with
Daphne and Jojo, OK?
All right, fine.
I'll do some digging
through father's papers
in case you don't achieve
our primary objective.
Hm.
Shocking as it seems,
he genuinely intends
to help us for Jojo's sake.
It's true.
Great.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
Hey, Jordie.
Does the institute have
any contacts with the lab
at Lavelle University?
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
You've done a fine job, Ciprien.
Thank you.
And now, it's time for you to relax.
Have a drink, put your feet up.
Your future with the
Talamasca is bright.
I've made sure of it.
I've sang your praises to the elders.
Of course, I'm not sure what they'll
think of my recommendation
now, but let's
hope for the best, Ciprien.
♪
[PHONE LINE TRILLING]
Hey, this is Moira.
Say what you want.
You get anything yet?
Call me back.
What's that you found?
Polina Vilkov, Amsterdam.
And you are Ciprien Grieve.
What is there in the ashes?
I've got no idea.
Looks like some papers were burned.
By Albert Escher.
I assume that's unusual
behavior for him.
Otherwise, you wouldn't
be compromising
the knees of your pants.
Where is he?
That's what I'd like to know.
What's your business
in New Orleans, Polina?
I was sent from the Motherhouse
to escort Lasher to his confinement.
But Lasher isn't here, is he?
No.
Albrecht took him somewhere.
I don't know where.
Do you know why?
Whatever he's doing, he obviously
believes it's worth
jeopardizing his entire career.
He knows something about
Lasher that we don't know.
Last night, 12:27, was the
last time he had contacted any
Talamasca entity officially.
You were there with him
I was.
And you were his right
hand on the case.
What was your last
communication from him?
You interrogating me?
No, no, no.
They'll do that in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam?
Uh-uh.
I have no knowledge of
Albrecht's plans or intentions.
I'm just as shocked as anybody.
Hm.
That's good.
I believe you.
Now, say it just like
that to them in Amsterdam.
And I'm sure they'll believe you, too.
Come on, now.
You have to pack a bag.
[KNOCKING]
Dolly Jean!
It's Rowan and Moira.
Still not answering.
Oh, maybe she's at Ryan's.
Shit.
Why would she be at Ryan's?
Um, no, it's some of the
family is gathering there.
Who?
Everybody.
What do you expect?
You lie to people.
You use them as live bait.
They don't like that.
[SOFT MUSIC]
Wait.
Do you hear that?
Maybe she is in there.
There it is.
- Look.
- What is going on?
I don't know.
[KNOCKING]
Why can't she hear us?
Dolly Jean?
- Follow me.
- What?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey, Dolly Jean?
Don't don't touch her.
Hey, Dolly Jean, it's Rowan.
Can you hear me?
What is happening?
What's wrong with her?
Her heart rate is elevated.
- Can you read her?
- Let me try.
Moira Mayfair.
What are you doing in here?
I'm sorry.
Look, the door was open.
We just we were trying to help.
She doesn't need your help or yours.
Rowan, this is Aunt Evelyn.
Evelyn is Dolly Jean's sister.
Evelyn, this is Rowan.
Evelyn, hi.
Look, I'm so sorry if we intruded.
We saw her through the window.
We thought that
something might be wrong.
What's wrong is you
breaking into people's houses
to meddle with things
you know nothing about.
I understand, but
[TENSE MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES]
What is this?
What is she doing?
She's in there with Julien.
Yes, he bound himself
to it before his death,
so that our passion could
continue indefinitely.
You and him or him and Dolly Jean?
We take turns.
Oh, shit.
I have to pull her out.
Why? What happens
if that thing runs out?
I don't know.
And I don't want to find out.
He hates when we leave.
The dead are greedy for our time.
Don't interrupt me, whatever you see.
I'm going to need all
my strength for this.
♪
That's her true shape.
She's Dolly Jean's older sister.
Dulcis soror, mortua terra redi.
Veni in corpus mortale tuum.
Esto hic mecum, qui te amat.
Girls, help me.
Here. Dolly Jean.
There we go.
She'll be all right.
You can't leave the land
of the dead on your own.
You need someone to throw you a rope.
I'm her rope, and she's mine.
[SOFT MUSIC]
Rowan, you shouldn't be here.
And, Moira, what are they doing here?
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
More secretarial work?
[SIGHS] Must you harangue me, Millie?
There's no one here to impress.
I'm just trying to help my daughter.
And how will Father's
old papers do that?
Hm?
Love letters.
[SCOFFS]
As if that man could ever love.
Actually, I think he could,
just not his children.
Now, that's true.
Anyway, the apple did not fall far.
Oh, my.
Does your daughter hate you.
You can see her?
Can you talk to her?
If I want to.
Please, Millie, go to her and
tell her I'm going to fix this,
or at least tell her I'm trying.
Why should I do that for you?
What did you ever,
and I mean ever, do for me?
Well, all this happening now
I mean, our father set
all this in motion.
And I know that you
learned the hard way not
to trust that father has
our best interests at heart,
didn't you?
[SIGHS]
Carlotta had it in that
house for years, years we
didn't get to spend with her.
Harridan.
No love story of her own, so
she had to take the ax to ours.
You could have taken
the Victrola before.
Why did you take it last night?
I had questions for him,
the same questions, I think,
brought you here today.
About his plans for Lasher?
Yes.
If there's anybody who knows
Lasher's heart,
it's Julien.
Lasher has been his whole life's work.
But now that Albrecht has betrayed us,
Julien is in a state.
He has no way of knowing
what's going to happen next,
no more than the rest of us.
Um, I I
- No.
- I don't think that's true.
I asked him directly,
and that's what he said.
I think he was lying to you.
I need to go in there
and speak with him.
I would ask you why, but I know
I'd only get half the truth.
It's not even possible.
He lets in who he wants to let in.
Well, maybe he wants to let me in.
I mean, I am the designee.
Right, but what happens if he doesn't?
- Then
- Whatever he wants.
You go in there, you're at his mercy.
Our Julien was a clever and
loving man, but merciless
utterly merciless to his enemies.
Well, I'm not his enemy.
Are you sure?
We'll find out.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Take it with you.
If you're going to do it,
do it in your own house
where you are most powerful.
- No.
- What are you saying?
We'll lose him.
Sister, it's for the
good of the family.
I don't give a shit about the family
[CHOKING]
The slaughter of innocents
- She's mind reading.
- Whose mind?
We will drink the draught of
the favorite children of God.
You can't interrupt her.
Taltos!
It's hurting her.
Taltos!
Taltos!
[CHOKING]
You shouldn't have stopped her.
Call 911.
Can't you heal her?
Call 911!
How topsy-turvy this is
was supposed to be Lasher
back there, not you.
Yeah, hilarious situation.
Too bad Amsterdam does
not have a sense of humor.
They only have grave
concerns about what
this means for the security
of the entire organization.
I told them not to worry.
You will explain everything.
You know where Albrecht has gone.
- But I don't know.
- You'll remember.
I'm sure of it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Did you talk to Josephine?
She said she doesn't want your help.
If she were dying in the desert
and you offered her water,
she'd spit on you.
I'm sure those weren't her words.
The truth about me
did break her heart.
I know that.
Well, that's what happens
with fathers in this family.
I'm sorry, Millie.
I know you were in love.
And what he did to that boy, I
He didn't think Philip was
good enough for me, but he was.
He would have made a good husband.
I'm sure Philip was lovely.
You know, Father always said he
did those things to protect us.
That was horse manure.
All he wanted to protect
was the family pet.
Sounds a little bit like you.
No, I'm not at all like him.
I love Josephine.
Well, I may have made the mistake
once in a while of prioritizing
other interests over hers.
But now, I'm determined to help her,
whether it serves me
or sends me to hell.
Good for you.
You cannot go in there.
Why?
What did you see?
I don't remember anything
after I put it down.
It's just like it's a feeling.
It felt like you were channeling him.
It was scary.
You were saying some
pretty freaky stuff.
There was this word you kept using
Taltos. Do you know what that is?
No.
He knows exactly what's going on.
I have to go in there.
Then I'll be your rope.
- No.
- Yes.
Are you kidding me?
You're in no shape for that.
[GRUNTS] I am.
I'm feeling better every minute.
Mm.
You need to rest.
Oh.
You don't trust me.
I actually do trust you.
I do. I trust you.
Hm.
You know, I told you
before that I didn't
know why I protected Lasher.
I do know why.
Because you love him?
In a fucked up, complicated
way, he's part of you.
And you love the
power that he gives you.
Thought it was too
painful to read my mind.
[CHUCKLES]
I don't need to read your
mind to understand that.
It's a very normal human
response to the situation
that he put you in.
That's nice to be called normal
normal and human.
[LAUGHTER]
- I haven't heard that in a long time.
- No.
Do you think that you would have
made the same decisions I have
made if you were the designee?
Probably.
Let's go.
Let's get out of here.
Dolly Jean will be waiting.
Hey, hold on. Don't do that.
I'll do that.
- You'll hurt yourself.
- Thank you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[VOCALIZING]
Are you sure?
Yes.
♪
Moira, grab me that vial
of liquid in my purse.
Let me go for you, cher.
No.
I'm doing this.
I have to do this.
Thank you.
He's been in here a long time.
He's built many rooms.
And they all have their
own magic, their own rules.
Be on your guard.
He's a honey-tongued devil.
Don't believe anything he says.
It's best in one gulp.
Are you ready?
Yes.
♪
[SOFT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]
♪
Hey, I'm still in here!
MAN: [LAUGHING EVILLY]
Why have you brought me here?
Everyone is here to serve you.
I need you to pull it together for me.
- Alright?
- Why am I so afraid?
Julien, can you help me?
Family is all I care about.
So then let me out.
[GASPS]
[VOICES OVERLAPPING]
Forty some minutes, I'd say.
Until what?
Until you die.