Culprits (2023) s01e02 Episode Script

1
DIANNE: I'm planning a job, David.
And I'd like for you to
come and work with me on it.
It would require you to leave
your current life behind.
New identity. No coming back.
We're all blank canvases here now.
I'm Brain. That is Right Hand.
Soldier. Officer. Muscle. Driver.
DIANNE: We exist only for this job.
And then we cease to exist afterwards.
You're turning Bill's store into a bar.
- A bistro.
- Bistro?
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
(LOUD CRASH)
JOE: Hey! Hey!
OFFICER HALLIDAY:
A hit-and-run is serious.
Are you sure about that license plate?
JOE: Why? Who's it belong to?
I can't say, but you better be sure.
- BUD: Taylor's dad's in jail.
- He's not in jail. He just got arrested.
- JOE: What's Taylor's last name again?
- FRANKIE: It's Taylor Bedrosian.
JOE: You said risky. How risky?
DIANNE: We're going to be fucking
with some very serious people.
(CHILLING MUSIC)
(GRUNTING)
- (WHIMPERS)
- (GUNMEN YELLING)
GUNMAN: Go! Go!
(SCREAMING IN PAIN)
(GUNSHOTS)
GUNMAN: Stop!
(GUNMEN SHOUTING)
GUNMAN: Take them down!
(MOANING IN PAIN)
(GUNMEN SHOUTING)
(CRIES)
OFFICER: Jesus. Let me out!
I'm going to die. I'm
begging you, please!
Don't take me with you.
I need to go to the hospital! I
need to go to a real hospital! Fuck!
Just pull over. Just drop
me on the side of the street.
I won't say anything.
I won't say anything!
- No.
- I won't say anything.
No.
Fuck!
(DISRUPTED SCREAM)
(CAR HISSING)
(COUGHING)
(GRUNTING)
Hey! Open the back door.
Open the fucking door! Move back.
Keys.
Run.
Officer.
Officer, talk to me!
Fuck.
She's in the back of the car.
Fuck.
- Bring her right through.
- Okay.
Okay.
Well, okay.
Is she gonna live?
I don't know.
She definitely needs more work,
but this will probably help her
stop from bleeding out for now.
There's some bags back there.
Two have your names on them.
There's clean clothes inside.
You two should get going.
I'll help you get her dressed.
Is it okay to move her?
Probably not.
But neither of you can stay here.
Good luck.
Thanks, Doctor.
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
Very good.
You hungry?
Okay, good.
(SOFT JAZZ MUSIC IN BACKGROUND)
(OMINOUS STING)
(GASPS)
(BABY CRYING)
(GRUNTING)
(SHUSHING)
(CRYING)
(DISTANT BABY CRYING)
This was you.
You know this woman.
You worked for this woman.
- Please, please.
- Now, Doctor,
you're going to tell
me where this woman is.
You're going to tell me
everything I want to know.
Please, wait.
DOCTOR: Please!
NEWSWOMAN: Since his career ended,
Barry lived as a recluse
in Northern Italy.
He was found dead this morning
with multiple gunshot wounds.
Police have yet to comment on his death
and no suspects have been named.
(ALARM BEEPING)
(SIGHS)
(PHONE RINGS)
- Hello?
- MOLLY: Joe.
It's Molly Farber. Are you here?
I'm at the property.
- I know I'm a bit early, but
- Molly, hi.
I'm really sorry. I just,
I just lost track of time.
I will be right there, okay?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Like I said in my email,
if we lose this wall here,
it will completely open
the whole bar area up.
That will push the budget up a little.
- Gonna be a problem?
- I really love it. It's great.
I just need to take one
more measurement. Can I
I sure.
Saw your planning notice in the window.
It's all getting real, huh?
Yeah.
Oh
- Do you smell that?
- Smell what?
Definitely worse over here.
Oh, Molly? Um
You know what? I got it.
Yes, I'll figure it out.
- Thank you.
- Okay.
You probably have a dead
animal under the floor here.
You got to get rid of that.
- Otherwise
- JOE: Mm-hm.
that stink is gonna seep
into these walls forever.
JOE: Thank you. It's
looking great. Very excited.
- Okay, see you.
- Thank you, Molly. Take care.
Drive safe.
Oh, shit.
Yeah, an animal crawled under and
died, so I'm gonna be home late.
JULES: Oh, my God, that's gross.
Yeah, I know. I'm sorry.
Remember, the kids have
after-school clubs today
- Mm-hm.
- so don't pick them up until 3:45.
Oh, okay.
Oh! (COUGHS)
(BUZZING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
FRANKIE: When you and Daddy get
married, do we still call you Joe?
Uh
If you want to. Or y'all can call
me something else if you want.
- Like what?
- I don't know. Um
Like Pop or
Poppa, maybe?
Poppa Joe?
- Joppa Poe?
- No.
BUD: You said Joppa Poe.
I said Poppa Joe.
BUD: No, you didn't.
Poppa Joppa.
- I like it.
- Yeah, I like that.
- Yeah, Poppa Joppa.
- Yeah.
BUD: Yeah, Poppa Joppa. I like it too.
- BUD: No, it isn't.
- FRANKIE: Yeah, it does.
Poppa Joppa.
What's so funny? You're
like cracking up by yourself.
Can I just
BUD: Joe, I have to go pee.
Joe, I have to go pee.
- Joe, I said I need to go pee.
- You could've gone at home.
Oh, shut up!
- You shut up!
- Hey, hey, hey! Stop, stop, stop.
Bud, we're about 15 minutes. Okay, Bud?
Can you hold it?
I don't think so.
- Hold it.
- Okay, okay. Don't worry.
We'll find we'll find you somewhere.
Okay?
Come on, Bud.
Okay, come on.
Frankie. Frankie.
Joe, I really got to go right now.
Okay. This way.
- Shit.
- No, I can't go in there.
- Frankie, please.
- FRANKIE: No, it's gross.
There's men with their things out.
Well, I can't go into
the ladies, so come on.
- I'll wait in the food court.
- No, just hang on.
There must be someone
with the key for this.
- Let me find someone with the key.
- BUD: No, I can go in on my own.
I can't let you do that, kiddo. Come on.
Oh, excuse me.
My kid needs to use the disabled
bathroom. Do you have a key?
Can you unlock it for us?
Is he disabled?
No, but I can't take
her in the men's room,
and I can't go in the ladies' so
Oh, geez. Fine, come on.
Thank you. Come on, Frankie.
JOE: Bud?
You okay?
Hang on.
- Thought you were busting?
- BUD: Shut up!
Shh.
(TRICKLING)
Hallelujah.
Okay. Hands, hands, hands.
- Thank you.
- Sure.
Whoa, Frankie, Frankie, Frankie.
(PHONE RINGING)
- Hello?
- Mr. Petrus?
This is Amanda from the planning office.
Mr. Metcalf was wondering if
you can stop by later today?
Uh, today? Is everything okay?
There is an issue with your application
that he would like to discuss with you.
Is 5:00 okay for you?
Uh, uh, yeah, yeah, um I, I guess so.
Okay, great. We'll see you then.
Oh Okay, bye.
FRANKIE: You okay, Joe?
Yeah, yeah, I'm
Come on. Let's get you guys home.
DIANNE: All right,
listen up. Settle down.
Pay attention.
This is Titus Wainwright.
He was a mill owner, an
extremely wealthy one.
About a hundred or so years ago,
Titus hired this man, Ernest Morello,
to design and build him a vault.
Titus wanted to hide his money
from his workers and the tax man.
Morello was a genius.
His vaults were way ahead of their time.
Unbreakable.
So Morello built Titus a vault,
and they hid that vault in
the depths of a building.
This building.
One of Titus's mills.
Hidden in plain sight.
And for years, Titus
squirreled his wealth inside it.
But as the industrial boom ended,
Titus's star waned. He liquidated.
And so the vault was
cleared out and abandoned.
It was sealed up and forgotten.
For much of the 20th century,
the property above it was
used for offices and retail
with nobody knowing
what was hidden below.
- So, is the vault still there?
- DIANNE: Yes.
- But it's empty now?
- No, it's not empty.
A whole new generation
of fat cats unearthed it,
resurrected it and repurposed it.
- To hide their wealth?
- Exactly.
And you brought us together to rob it?
I did.
That vault is our target.
I have it on good authority.
There's at least 30 million in there.
So we need the designs,
the plans to work out how to get
in, crack it, and get out again.
We need the original blueprints
for the building and for the vault.
And where are the blueprints?
Phillip Wainwright,
great-grandson of Titus.
He has them in his house.
So let's go and get them.
OFFICER: Mid six figures, right?
Is that what she said
to you too? Mid six?
What are you gonna do with the money?
We're not supposed to talk about it.
Oh, okay.
Oh, you like sticking
to the rules? I get it.
Rules can be comforting.
They make things simpler.
Take the stress out of,
you know free agency.
Look, Brain might be impressed by
you, but I don't know you at all.
I don't like putting my life and freedom
in the hands of someone I just met.
Especially someone so
- So what?
- Chatty.
Chatty is my superpower.
I once got a man to give
me 10,000 euros in cash
after talking to him
for just four minutes.
Four minutes.
- Ten grand.
- For what?
He wanted to help me.
It was a damsel in distress bit.
Ten thousand euros for nothing?
Well, I gave him some collateral,
so he knew I wasn't ripping him off.
What did you give him?
- Fake Rolex I got off eBay for 20 quid.
- Oh, bullshit.
(LAUGHS) All right. Look.
Actually, that's pretty convincing.
It should be.
This is the real deal.
I bought it with the 10
grand the guy gave me.
God, you're not meant to tell
me anything about your past.
(CHUCKLES)
Muscle.
You will never know if anything
I tell you is true or a lie.
So I can tell you anything I like.
Truth, lie.
It's all just noise.
- Do you want to know my name?
- No.
- It's Nisha.
- Oh, for fuck
- Really?
- Could be.
Except it's not, it's actually Melanie.
- Melanie?
- Mm
It sounds plausible, right?
(LAUGHS)
(SUCKS TEETH) Or maybe it's Rosanna.
- What do you think?
- I think it's gonna be a long afternoon.
- What's your name?
- Muscle.
Ah, your real name.
All right. Tell me a fake name.
Calling you Muscle sounds so dumb.
(SCOFFS)
Oh, okay. I Okay, how about this?
Think of ten names,
including your real name,
then look at me and
list them off one by one.
I don't want to play this game.
I'm like a human lie detector.
I bet you a thousand pounds
I can guess the right one.
No.
- What are you scared of?
- It's against the rules.
No, see, it's not
because you're not actually
telling me anything.
You're just saying a bunch of names.
If it makes me feel better, I won't
even say which one I think it is.
Come on.
Humor me.
Ten names.
Oh, fine. (CLEARS THROAT)
Mark, Robert, Russell, Lee, David,
Steve, Keith, Saul, Jay, Richard.
I know your name.
- I know which is your real name.
- No, you don't.
You did about 50 microexpressions
that totally gave you away.
Okay, so what's my name then?
Oh, sorry, I can't. I made a promise.
- You don't know.
- I do.
I know your name, I swear to God.
You're so full of shit.
You're so full of shit.
Yeah, maybe.
Maybe not.
That's my cue.
See you in the funny pages.
(DOORBELL RINGS)
Hi, um
Excuse me, do you speak English?
Oh
Yes, of course, I speak English.
Thank God.
The last few people
couldn't understand me.
I was wondering if you could help me.
My car broke down somewhere
down the road, and I
My phone is completely dead.
- I'm so sorry to do this
- Listen, why don't you come in?
Can I? Oh, my God.
That's so kind of you.
- Thank you so much.
- No, not at all. Not at all.
Oh, how lovely.
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
Mr. Petrus, will you come in, please?
Mr. Petrus,
I'm afraid we've had some
pushback on your application.
A lot of local people have
real concerns about your plans.
Really? Because
everyone I've spoken to in
the area seems very supportive.
Well, people are often scared
to be honest face-to-face.
So they write letters.
We've had a lot of letters.
Can I see them?
- See what?
- The letters. Concerns.
Well
Oh, no. I don't think
that would be appropriate.
Oh, um Well, then
maybe you can tell me
their concerns, and I can address them.
METCALF: Well, I wouldn't want to risk
the confidentiality of those people
who came forward by
divulging any details.
That wouldn't be fair.
Fair to who?
On the concerned citizens.
What about me?
METCALF: I'm sorry?
- How is that fair to me?
- METCALF: I don't follow.
Well, you're not giving
me any right of reply here.
I feel like I'm being judged
without any chance of
No one's judging you here, Mr. Petrus.
This is just the process.
An official process
- that we must abide.
- How many letters?
How many do you receive
pushing back against my plans?
METCALF: Quite a few.
How many exactly?
Mr. Petrus, we'll make our
decision in the coming days.
But with the sheer number
of complaints we've received,
I think we all know what
the outcome would be.
(SCOFFS)
Yeah, I see what's happening here.
METCALF: Goodbye, Mr. Petrus.
NEWSMAN: Councilman Kyle Bedrosian
was again interviewed by police today
in connection with a
hit-and-run incident
in Starling earlier this week.
Police say the female victim of
the incident remains in a coma
and that Mr. Bedrosian
is cooperating fully
with their investigation.
Students at the
(POP-ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
(HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING)
Don't get me, don't get me ♪
(SINGS ALONG)
Don'tget, get, get, get me ♪
Out on the block
hustling at the spot ♪
GOT, this is how you get ♪
Got ♪
At the gambling spot ♪
And your hand is mad hot ♪
GOT, this is how you get ♪
Got ♪
Out in Brooklyn late night ♪
Flashing all of your rocks ♪
GOT, this is how you get ♪
Got ♪
Some girl from pink house
said I like you a lot ♪
GOT, this is how you get ♪
Got ♪
This one goes to all
them Big Will cats ♪
With ice on they limbs
and big rims on they Ac ♪
You goin' around town
with your system bump ♪
And you ♪
Fuck.
Now, this would seem
to be clear common sense ♪
But cats be livin'
off sheer confidence ♪
Like "Fuck that, picture
them tellin' me run that" ♪
But acting invincible,
just ain't sensible ♪
It's nineteen ninety-now and
there's certain individuals ♪
Swear they rollin' hard
and get robbed on principle ♪
Five-star general ♪
Wit' nothing you can do
but bust back and cop ♪
Don't get me, don't get me ♪
Don't get, get, get,
get, get, get, me ♪
Don't get me, don't get me ♪
Don't get, get, get, get, get, get me ♪
Come on ya'll now, let's ♪
(TIRES SCREECH)
(CHOKES)
Why are you following me?
What? What?
- Fuck. Let me go.
- Seen you following me
- I'm not
- following my kids.
- What the fuck do you want?
- No, no. You're making a mistake.
I'm not Jesus, no! Okay, okay.
You're right. You're right.
Please! Fuck. I'm an investigator.
A private investigator.
I was just hired to follow you.
Get some dirt on you, get some leverage.
A PI?
Who hired you?
Fuck.
Kyle Bedrosian.
Bedrosian?
Why? What does he want?
I don't know. I didn't ask.
Usually, it's revenge or blackmail
or I assumed that you
were boning his wife?
(YELPS)
I know how to hurt you.
I know how to hurt you in
a way that will never heal,
and it will never stop
hurting until you die.
So don't follow me.
Leave me alone.
- Okay?
- Yes. Yes, sir.
(GROANS)
Fuck.
Oh, God.
(R&B MUSIC PLAYING)
Here you go.
I think it works.
Thank you, Phillip. You are a lifesaver.
Would you like me to call
the man who does my car?
No. That is so kind, but
I've already paid for the membership,
I may as well use the
breakdown coverage.
Uh, would you like some more tea?
Actually, um
is that Scotch?
This whole experience has
shaken me up a little bit.
Oh, of course. Um
No, no, that's okay.
I can serve myself. You've
already done so much for me.
(BOTH CHUCKLING)
Join me?
Why not?
(GIGGLES)
I, um love your house.
You been here long?
It's been in my family
for over 200 years.
(GASPS) Goodness.
Well lucky you.
Cin-cin.
- Mm
- Mm.
PHILLIP: Now, this is a new blend.
It's the kind of drink you need
- on a day like today.
- Glad that is.
- (CHUCKLES)
- It really is.
(DIAL CLICKING)
(DIAL TICKS)
(CLICKING CONTINUES)
- (TICKS)
- (PHONE BUZZES)
My gift to you.
No help?
You're the muscle
Muscle.
(SAFE BEEPS)
(BEEPING)
(SCANNER BEEPS)
Ah
(GROANS)
PHILLIP: Who the fuck are you?
Get out of my house.
Oh!
(BOTH PANTING)
WOMAN: Don't do it.
Put it down.
Now, stand up.
Both of you.
Right into the garage.
You too, Muscle.
Please.
Get on the hood of your car.
And turn around now, please.
Take a step forward.
What? No, wait. (GRUNTS)
(CHOKING)
Who the fuck are you?
DIANNE: Muscle. This is Specialist.
She's on our side.
Come with me upstairs.
We're not done here yet.
Oi.
You know who that is, right?
- Brain called her Specialist.
- More like Psycho.
That's Inga Beatrice. She's famous.
Like fucking ice-cold killer famous.
Look, you messed up.
You didn't dose him right. He woke up.
I did not mess up.
I gave him exactly what
Dianne told me to give him.
Hey, your name's David.
Am I right?
Am I?
You wanted him to wake up?
You told Officer to half dose
him. You were testing me again.
That Psycho put a gun to my head.
She killed an innocent man.
Trust me, Muscle, he
wasn't that innocent.
I didn't sign up to kill civilians.
If that's the deal, I'm done.
Be careful, Muscle.
You know you can't walk
away once you're inside.
Try it.
You won't last long.
I don't leave loose threads.
You know, I have high
hopes for you, David.
But you never question me again.
Okay?
Good.
Back to work.
Oh, hey, Taylor. Um
Is your dad in?
Dad?
I'm not here for trouble.
I just want to talk.
Come in.
KYLE: Why did you come here?
Did you lean on Harry Metcalf to
refuse my planning application?
There were no complaint letters.
Just you.
Right?
You need to withdraw the
statement you gave to the police.
- I can't do that.
- Why not?
Because I told the truth.
Let me tell you something.
Nobody gives a shit about the truth.
People only care about the weight
of the voice that is speaking,
and in this town
my voice is like heavy
metal raining from the sky.
It's a fucking explosion.
Your voice isn't shit. In
fact, it's less than shit.
When I say something, it's believed.
When you say something, it's nothing.
If that's true, then why all
the effort to mess with me?
Do you have any idea who I am?
Who I really am?
The friends I have?
Someone like you should be
very scared of someone like me.
So stop being a fucking idiot.
Retract your statement, take the hit
and get out of my life.
You know, it wasn't your fault.
Right?
The accident,
that woman in a coma,
it wasn't your fault.
She was on her cell phone. She
ran a stop sign. That's on her.
You ran right into that intersection
because your stop sign was broken.
That's the town's fault.
Not yours.
It wasn't your fault,
but you still ran away.
Why?
I mean, I understand.
We're human.
We do bad things, and we get
scared we'll get in trouble.
So we run
and we lie to cover our asses.
We're doing it since
we were little kids.
We tell lie after lie to
try and hide the truth.
- We dig deeper and deeper
- What's your point?
My point is, you can
try and get in my life
you can ruin my plans,
but it won't save you.
With or without me,
the thing that you did
will come back and burn you.
You can run and hide,
but it will find you.
You have something huge
in your favor, Kyle.
You're white
you're male, and you're rich.
If you go to the police,
tell them the truth.
Tell them you just
panicked in the moment.
Tell them you fucked up and you know it.
My bet is you won't even do any time.
Because people like
you have a superpower.
The law doesn't see you.
It only protects you.
So if it catches you in its net
it just throws you right back.
Trust the system, Kyle.
It was made for people like you.
Now you listen to me.
I could destroy you
with very little effort.
Never think of you again.
I am an important man.
A big man and you, well
you're not.
I think we're done.
Please get out of my house.
Where have you been?
What's going on, Joe?
I was worried about you.
I don't need to know every little thing,
but please don't keep secrets from me.
- I'm not.
- Okay, but, Joe
If you get hurt in a
hit-and-run, you call me.
If you get in trouble, you
call me. That's how this works.
We share problems. We fix them together.
We're a team.
Joe, I know you're
keeping things from me.
I'm not stupid.
Is there someone else?
What?
- No.
- Because if this isn't what you want
It is, Jules.
It is.
We've been through a lot, Joe.
The kids lost a mother.
I lost a wife.
It took a long time
to not be under that.
It took a long time.
So if you're not fully into this
Jules. Jules.
I am.
I know they talk about me.
About us.
The mothers at school, our
friends, I know what they say.
- Who cares what they say?
- They don't think this is real.
Or if it is real, that
what I had with Laura
must have been fake.
Jules.
I wasn't straight enough for Laura,
now maybe I'm not gay enough for you.
- That's bullshit.
- Is it?
We barely have any other gay friends.
- I don't care about that.
- For now.
But what if we get married,
and in two years you realize
Jules, Jules. Stop, stop.
Come here.
It's not going to happen.
Okay? What I want is what we've got.
I want this.
I want you.
Okay?
So, what is it, Joe?
What are you not telling me?
I think they're gonna
reject my application.
Said they got a lot of pushback
from locals against the plans.
No.
- You're kidding.
- No.
JULES: Fuck.
I just wanted some time
alone to think it over and
to process it.
Well, to be honest, I was I
was kind of scared to tell you.
I didn't want it
I didn't want to disappoint you.
(SIGHS) Hey, come here.
I'm sorry.
And that's it?
The application, that's
what this is all about?
I just wish you'd tell me these things
without me having to
force them out of you.
I know. I know. I know.
I just don't find it easy.
You coming to bed?
- You look exhausted.
- (CHUCKLES)
No, I'm
I think I'll
I need to wind down a little first.
All right.
Don't stay up too late.
(FOREBODING MUSIC)
Joe?
Oh, hey
Hey, sweetheart.
JOE: You okay?
We were watching The Blue Planet,
and they had an anglerfish on it.
Now, every time I close
my eyes, I see one.
I hate fish.
I hate the ocean.
- It's just full of things that scare me.
- Oh, it's okay. It's okay.
Why am I so scared of everything?
Can I tell you something?
Most things in this world
are way more scared of
you than you are of them.
Because we're apex predators.
It means we kill
everything.
So you are way more
scary than an anglerfish.
You just got to push the bad image away.
Concentrate on a happy thought instead.
Okay?
Like what?
Well
sometimes when I get scared, I
think about a time when I was a kid.
Out in the woods with my mom,
we'd gone out of the
city for the day and
and we got to this place
where there are all these
wildflowers growing between the trees.
And as we walked through,
these butterflies suddenly
rose up all around us like a
like a cloud.
It was amazing.
Do you miss your mom?
Yeah.
Yeah, I do.
Okay. Back to bed.
Can you come with me?
Come on.
All right.
Good night.
I love you.
- I love you too.
- Poppa Joppa.
(JOE LAUGHS)
Good night.
Think happy thoughts. Okay?
Joe, our wedding venue!
(GENTLE MUSIC)
(PHONE VIBRATES)
OFFICER: David.
- Who is this?
- It's me, Officer.
(OFFICER SIGHS)
Driver's dead, David.
Soldier's dead.
Doctor's dead.
Somebody is killing us, David.
Someone's coming.
It's happening.
(OMINOUS MUSIC)
(CLOSING THEME MUSIC)