Better Things (2016) s02e09 Episode Script

1 (CRYING) Dude, stop crying.
SAM: What's wrong? What happened? This is fake.
She's faking.
She started when she heard your car pull up.
Duke, tell Mommy why you're crying.
Mom, I need to talk to you.
Duke, stop crying or I'm gonna beat the shit out of you.
- Frankie! - MAX: Mom! - What? - Harvey got Paisley pregnant.
What? She thinks she's pregnant and she had sex with Harvey.
- Ew.
- Mom! Harvey.
Bleah.
Mother, You had me But I never had you I wanted you You didn't want me.
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) (PHONE RINGING) Hello? Oh, Sam.
- Hello.
- WOMAN: Who is it? It's Sam.
Hmm? Yes.
All welcome.
Lovely.
Anytime.
Bye, sweetheart.
Bye.
(SQUAWKING) Can anyone carry anything? I mean, I can.
Technically.
Max? Max, you suck.
Ha.
Mom, I'll help you.
No, baby.
You stay.
Fun ride.
Yeah, Duke, when Mom says "Can anyone help," she never means you.
That's right, Frankie.
I don't.
Ooh, totems.
Canada.
- Hello.
- Hi, Uncle Lester.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- DUKE: Hi, Aunt Jarita.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Ah.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Mmm.
Good to see you.
- Come on in.
- Thank you.
Oh.
- I'm gonna cry.
- Oh, no.
Don't be daft.
Oh, come on.
So good to have you here.
Oh, wait, wait, wait.
Can this really be Frankie? (CHUCKLES) I'm me, yeah.
- Oh, you, look at you.
- (GRUNTS) - SAM: Isn't she tall? - Yes.
(LAUGHS) - Max.
Headphones.
- Mom.
No, no, no, let her have her music.
- That's rude.
- Come come on, darling.
- Rude.
- Come on.
MAX: I'm sorry about the headphones.
I'll take 'em off.
Oh, no, don't, darling.
That's your music.
Listen, I grew up in Liverpool, and we used to go see The Beatles twice a week.
- Seriously? - Yes.
I even had a little snog with John, which is none of your business.
Anyway, I used to put on my records, shut my bedroom door against my mother, and if I could have had 'em 'round my head like yourself, I would have.
So good on you.
Thanks.
Listen, you stay here.
I'll fetch you up your supper.
No need to come down.
Have your own time.
Ta-ra, darling.
Wait, what happened with John Lennon? You made all these chairs? Aye.
And the table.
And the roof above your head and the floor beneath your feet.
- You made all of it? - Aye.
- I want to learn to do that.
- Well, come move up here and be my apprentice.
Yes, I would do that in a second.
Well (SOFT CHUCKLE) you, uh, you can't have an apprentice unless you can do it yourself.
My hands won't let me, Frankie.
That's how life goes.
You build it.
And you grow old.
And you die in it.
(LAUGHS) Frankie.
How's Jarita's health? She's all right.
Last year was tough.
- This has been a good one.
- That's good.
- She looks great.
- Mm-hmm.
You look all right.
How's your mum? Um she's okay.
Couldn't she come with you? She, uh Um I didn't tell her I was coming, Lester.
I just didn't tell her.
(LAUGHING) You didn't tell her.
(LAUGHS) That's marvelous.
Oh, Sam.
Had I ever the courage not to tell Phil anything.
Oh, it would have saved me a lot of pain.
(SIGHS) Yeah.
Yeah.
But promise me to put my sister on a plane here before the year is out.
Okay, I-I promise.
No, no promise me, Sam.
Send her up to see me.
Just her.
I can handle her.
But promise me.
I do, Lester.
I-I promise.
I do.
Cool.
Why Why, why, why Oh! Get over here, you little piece of shit! (LAUGHING) Why, why, why, why Do We stay Frankie.
Hey.
Oh! I wish I could live on that beach.
Sad Lady Beach.
What? Sand Lady? Sad Lady Beach.
Sad.
Why do they call it that? The story is that back in the 1800s, there was a lady that went to that beach, she looked out at the water for a long while then she walked right in front of the train, killing herself to death.
- Oh, my God.
- Jesus, is that real? They named the beach after her.
The train cut her right in two.
- LESTER: Oh, shut up, Jarita.
- SAM: No, I want to hear about Sad Lady.
Why did she do it? No one knows.
No one knew her name.
No one knew where she came from.
- Wow.
- That's crazy.
I should say so.
Aunt Jarita knew John Lennon.
What?! Serious? Well, a little.
I think everyone in Liverpool knew a Beatle back then.
What was Liverpool like? Well, it was a miserable, gray place.
- And it was loads of fun for kids.
- (LAUGHS) You know, I remember one day we all were taken out on a trip.
It was me, your gran, Phyllis, my late brother Donal and Marion.
And we were taken Wait, who's Marion? Marion.
My sister Marion.
What sister Marion? My sister Marion, dear.
There was me, your mum, Donal, and Marion, the youngest.
I don't understand, Lester.
My mom had you and her other brother.
No, darling.
There was Marion.
We were four.
Two girls, two boys.
Until Donal died.
- Lester, Lester.
- I don't understand.
Oh.
Oh, Christ.
Uh did I just shoot the Pope at supper? Sam.
Your mum and I have a sister.
Where? Well, when she was 17, they put Well, she was mentally unstable, as they say.
You know.
No, I don't.
Anyway, I haven't heard anything about her since they put her there.
(SAM SIGHS) What's going on? Your mum has an Auntie Marion that she never knew about because her mum didn't tell her.
She lived her whole adult life in a mental institution.
- LESTER: Jarita.
- Well, we better tell them.
Phyllis never told her, and look at her now.
Goddamn family secrets.
They're poison.
Let them have it.
Mommy.
(SAM SIGHS) JARITA: She'll be all right in a minute.
Eat up.
- Don't let it get cold.
- LESTER: Come on.
Eat up.
Now you've done it.
All this niceness It's a half-life Let me see it Hi.
Frankie.
I'm so mad.
I'm mad at my mom.
Why? Because I just found out I have an aunt who I never even knew existed, who's probably 80 if she's even alive.
So? Guess what.
I have an uncle, your brother Marion? Yeah, I never see him.
I never see my cousin Dormin.
Families fall apart, Mom.
It's what happens.
How often do I even see my own dad, Mom? How do you think that makes me feel? Frankie, your father is I don't care, Mom.
Yeah, I get it.
I mean, I'm just saying.
Family's just kind of bullshit.
Everybody ends up alone, anyway.
You know as well as I do that there's plenty of families where the parents stayed together and everyone's miserable.
Yeah, well, you guys didn't and we're all miserable.
Is that how you feel? You think we're all miserable? Not all the time, Mom.
Don't make a thing out of it.
It's all fine.
I'm just saying, if you're gonna get mad at your mom, it leads to this.
So just chill.
It's a half-life.
MAX: Mom.
No offense, but it's kind of your fault that Harvey's sleeping with Paisley.
'Cause you don't let him sleep in my room, and Paisley's mom lets him.
(SIGHS) - Hi.
- (WHISPERING): Hi.
(WHISPERING): Oh, I'm sorry.
(WHISPERING): It's okay.
Come on in.
Um Now This is everything I could find.
There's your mum.
And here's Marion and Da.
She's about five there.
And Marion, she's 16 in this picture.
And, uh, this is the name and the number of the place.
Now, I don't expect the number will work now, but it's something to go on.
Yeah.
I I guess I could Google it.
Oh, I'm sorry, Sam.
I just thought your mum might have told you.
Hmm.
Do you ever think about her? (SIGHS) You never met your grandparents, did you? No.
- They died so young.
- Aye, they did.
(SIGHS) After Donal died, we never said his name again.
And when Marion couldn't be managed any longer, they sent her away.
And then your mum married a Jewish man, and she was shut out.
I suppose I got used to it.
I'll, uh, I'll leave this here.
See you in the morning.
You sleep well, okay? (SIGHS) (SIGHS) Why do we have to go to an effing museum? Because you should learn about the places you visit.
And also, when you visit older people, it's nice to give them a break the day after you arrive.
Because we're a lot.
I was just transferred to you.
Do you know about the thing? Or do I have to Okay.
I would like to be able to call England, but my phone says I don't have international calling, but I'm in Canada, and my phone's American.
Yes.
I would like you to be able to help me, please, let my phone call England.
No, no, no.
Not from home, from here.
Unless you want me to give you the number of the place and you can call and find out if my crazy auntie is dead or not, and then let me know.
No? Now, these artifacts are great examples of household items that were used amongst the different coastal tribes.
Here we have a totem pole.
(TRADITIONAL AMERICAN MUSIC PLAYS) Now, totem poles are used for different things, but mostly to mark homes, to let you know which family lived in what house, and their family stories.
This family here represents the chief of the seas, which means wealth and prosperity.
Which means this was a very wealthy house to visit.
You took this from my people.
All of this belongs to my family! That chair belonged to my grandmother.
DOCENT: This particular mask Our grandmothers are vanishing.
This is our legacy.
DOCENT: Let's move on, shall we? (SINGING CONTINUES) SAM: Duke.
Come on.
We're leaving.
LESTER: The trick is, put the net where he wants to go.
They're too clever to be caught.
The only way to catch them is to tell their future.
Now, you see him? Wait, wait.
Wait, wait.
Now, there you go.
There you go Oh.
Oh, nearly, Frankie.
- Damn it.
I had that one.
- (LAUGHS) Come.
Let's do it again.
Last night I stumbled onto heaven Oh.
I just caught some very nice seaweed.
Ooh, we should keep that.
The worst part is seeing all my friends get smarter.
I'm so stupid.
Oh, listen.
If there's one thing stupid people are good at, is recognizing other stupid people.
And take it from me, you're not one of them.
I feel stupid.
That's because you're aware.
And you're starting to catch a glimpse of what a big world you're in and you feel small.
That's all right, you'll get used to it.
Yes.
Do you see him? There you go.
There you go.
- Ooh.
Oh, almost, Frankie.
- (PHONE BEEPS) WOMAN: Mann Institute.
Can I help you? Hi.
Yes.
I'm calling (EXHALES) I'm sorry.
I'm nervous.
Whew.
I don't know why.
Huh.
Um, I have an aunt, Marion Darby, who was put in your place, which was then called Rosewood, back when she was 17, back, like, in the '40s, by my grandparents.
(SIGHS) And I just found out she even existed, which I never knew.
I'm just trying to find her.
For what reason are you inquiring? What are you after? Look, uh, what's your name, please? I'm Letty.
I'm Sam.
Listen, Letty.
I don't want anything.
I just didn't know I had an aunt.
Huh.
My mom didn't tell me.
I guess they just shut her away, and put her there, and left her there, and forgot her.
Honestly, I don't know why I'm calling.
I mean, I got three kids, I work, I have a mom who's a full-time job just to listen to.
(SIGHS) I just, uh, I would like to know if someone over there needs me.
Or something, I think.
I don't know, Letty.
Should I just hang up now? Tell you what, love.
Call me back tomorrow, and I'll have something for you, all right? Okay.
Great.
Thank you so much, Letty.
What was it like? He was a lousy kisser, and he never stopped talking.
A real bore.
(LAUGHING): Oh, my God.
Duke! Come on over here.
That's enough with being on your own.
Okay, they go that way.
Go, go, Frankie.
Yeah, you got him! You got him! Well done.
(LAUGHS) Oh.
Look, they've caught a fish.
Mom! I caught a fucking fish! Oh! (LAUGHING): Frankie! (LAUGHING): Supper! Frankie caught supper.
Amazing.
Oh, my God.
FRANKIE: I touched it.
Oh, shit.
That smells amazing.
Mmm.
I'm gonna eat it out of the pan.
Off it.
It's nothing now.
It needs another 20 minutes at least.
No way! I'm gonna eat it right now.
Off.
(GRUNTING) - Oh.
Those.
- Mm-hmm? I've seen those somewhere.
Right here.
Mm.
"Colitiamite daisy.
" They get the name from the mineral in the soil, which gives them that color.
Those were once all over the bay, bushes of them growing wild.
But there are none left.
These are the last ones I ever saw.
(CHUCKLES): They've been dead in that vase for two years.
Where did they all go? Well the bees.
There are no more bees, so the daisies go.
Once those turn to dust that'll be it.
(SIGHS) Wheat fields - Begin to sway, and - (LINE RINGING) Slow tears falling Letty speaking.
Hi, Letty.
This is Sam from yesterday.
Hi, Sam.
Hi.
Sam, I want to apologize for being cagey when you called.
Understand that people are often left here for years, and sometimes when distant family comes sniffing around, it's for bad reasons.
- You understand? - Sure.
Sure.
- Well, I - Sam, your Aunt Marion died in 1983.
Huh.
Hmm.
I was in high school.
I'm sorry, Sam.
(SIGHS) Well, is there anything else you can tell me about her? I'm afraid I didn't know her, and a lot of the staff that were there then are gone now.
I asked this fellow who cleans here, who's been here for ages, but he couldn't recall her.
So, then everyone forgot her.
Well, you didn't, did you? (SIGHS) How can you forget someone you never knew? I'm sorry, Sam.
Would you like me to send you her file folder? No.
No, you should keep it there.
Someone else might come looking for her.
Well, we are going digital, so we're likely to throw it away.
- Okay, throw it away, then.
- But if you give me your address, I can pop it in the post.
No.
It's fine.
Toss it.
And, um thanks, Letty.
Just thank you very much.
All right, love.
Hey, hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey, hey.
There you go, sweetie.
MAX: Thanks.
Find anything out? Yeah.
Your sister's dead.
Mom.
Well, I thought everyone tells everybody everything now.
What? Let him have it.
Right, Jarita? (CHUCKLING) (SNICKERS) LESTER (LAUGHING): Oh, Sam.
Oh, Sam.
You're gonna give me another five years.
(JARITA LAUGHING) You're a delight.
(LAUGHING) Oh, my goodness, why am I laughing? Oh, my God.
Thank God.
(LAUGHTER CONTINUES) LESTER: Why am I laughing? You have to.
Because you have to.
You have to.
(LAUGHTER CONTINUES) - (LAUGHTER STOPS) - Ah.
So, when did she die, Sam? 1983, apparently.
'83? That's the year we moved here.
Aye.
Oh, my goodness, you don't suppose No, no, chut-chut-chut-chut-chut.
What? When we first moved here, Lester used to think he saw a ghost now and again.
Perhaps it was old Marion haunting me.
- Maybe.
Maybe.
- Mm-hmm.
Creepy.
Serves me right, I suppose.
SAM: Yes, Lester, serves you right.
Mom, can we please come back here in the summer? Really? Yeah.
I love it here.
- Oh, baby - Mom, don't.
Okay.
Do you guys have a living will by any chance? No reason.
- My God, Mom.
- JARITA: Yes.
- You do? - LESTER AND JARITA: Mm-hmm.
Do tell.
LESTER: You might have to wait - Tu-tu-tuy.
- JARITA: Tu-tu-tuy-tuy, indeed.
- Cheers.
- Cheers, cheers, everyone.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Next time you come, there will be a small charge.
(LAUGHTER) Girl, you know it's fine JARITA: Don't forget to write us.
Do you have e-mail? No.
I'm afraid you're gonna have to learn - to use a pencil.
- LESTER: Frankie.
Now These are the chairs.
I wanted to make a set, so this is the only time I made a blueprint.
Now, if you can teach yourself to work with wood, you can use these, and you can make exactly the same chairs as we have here.
It's like a recipe.
(SOBBING) Oh Duke? (CLEARS THROAT) If what they're holding's Too heavy now, baby (SOBS) You can lay it on me I can't wait until you Believe Hi.
Um I don't know if you're here right now or if you're real or if I made you up or if you're dead or if you're the sad lady or if you're Aunt Marion, but I brought you these flowers.
And I wanted to just say that I hope you're okay and that you can not be sad and that you feel better.
And I'm not scared of you.
Thanks.
SAM: Duke? Come on.
We're leaving.
Come on.
(CAR DOOR CLOSES) (CAR DOOR CLOSES) No, Mom, I got it.
- Really? - Uh-huh.
Thank you.
Uh (SIGHS) Hello.
Hi.
Hello? Hi, Mom.
Hi.
Where have you all been? Where have you all just come from? Um W-We went to White Rock to see Lester and Jarita.
You went to see my brother? Yeah, Mom.
We were there for three days.
It was amazing.