Maniac (2018) s01e03 Episode Script

Having a Day

1 [DISQUIETING CLASSICAL MUSIC.]
[AZUMI.]
Ten seconds until reentry, people.
[MAN.]
Here they come.
[AZUMI.]
Welcome back, subjects.
Welcome back.
[D'NAIL.]
Huh? What was that? It was fucking unethical.
You waived ethics in your consent form.
Talk to me.
Are we liking what we're seeing on the neuromatrices? [MAN.]
Clean narrative data from all but Subject One.
[WOMAN.]
I'm not positive he was actually down.
- [AZUMI.]
What about Nine? - [WOMAN.]
I don't know what to tell you.
Brain structure tells me she's been there many times before.
[MAN.]
She's already got the grooves of this narrative.
That was, uh overwhelming.
- Wait till you take the second one.
- [AZUMI.]
Friendly reminder, please do not discuss your experience with any other subjects.
Post-phase evaluations will occur in ascending order, so please settle in and wait comfortably in the commons until your number is called.
[MURAMOTO.]
Mr.
One, please report to the post-exam test room.
Thank you.
Please describe your emotional state upon waking from the pill.
Um Fragile.
Maybe sad.
[MURAMOTO.]
Mm-hmm.
Also hungry.
You need snack? Bleeding.
[MURAMOTO.]
Emotional state.
Emotions.
Bleeding.
Internally.
You look tired.
I'm exhausted.
And devastated.
But satisfied.
I want to know more about the second pill.
[MURAMOTO.]
Why? I just do.
Um S I'm speechless.
Anything else? [INHALES DEEPLY.]
I'm speechless.
I'll trust you too.
I won't count it.
[LAUGHING.]
[AMELIA.]
For me, it was a hurricane.
Horrible.
It took my Herbert.
You like the complicated ones, I see.
- [ANNIE.]
I'm so sorry to hear that.
- [AMELIA.]
It wasn't the best of marriages.
- I don't even know her.
- [ANNIE.]
Are any of them? - Nothing to be ashamed of.
- [AMELIA.]
Don't say that.
These places all end up like camp.
Everyone falls in love in two hours.
It can get silly.
- [ANNIE.]
You haven't remarried? - [AMELIA.]
I would never.
I was on a Phase I of a GI treatment in Houston, one of the rats proposed on the second day.
Of course, by that time we all had the radioactive shits.
You know what was odd though? What the pill made me see was not like I remember it.
Was that a memory, or was it something else? [CARL.]
One, Five, Nine.
Dr.
Muramoto wants to see you in his office.
- [RAYMOND.]
We've been red-flagged.
- What does that mean? I do 20, 30 of these a year all over the country.
It's good money if you can work the system.
When they call you in right away, that means they caught something.
What do they usually do? Enhanced interrogation? Enhanced interrogation? No.
They red flag you, they mark your file, they ask you a bunch of questions.
They're gonna document the case so they don't have to pay.
- Then they kick you out.
- I didn't do anything wrong.
Every time, it doesn't matter what you say.
Mr.
Five, come in.
[MOUTHING.]
We're fucked.
I didn't take the pill in case you needed to activate me.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Owen I'm sorry about what I said earlier.
I sort of I kind of lied to get into the study, and it seemed like you might be a problem, so I just said what you needed to hear.
But you knew my name.
I saw you in the ads.
You said there was a larger pattern.
Well, I knew your name because they said it on the intercom at reception.
And the ads, I sold my face to a stock service four years ago, so it's And as far as I can tell, there is no plan or pattern to the universe.
It's just chaos.
I'm sorry.
Why are you here? Your turn.
Yo, can I get my condoms back? - [CARL.]
You don't get those condoms back.
- [RAYMOND CHUCKLES.]
Really sorry for the confusion.
There are inconsistencies with your participation in this study.
Oh, okay.
[MURAMOTO.]
And I'm gonna need you to recount what happened in your mind after taking the pill, and verify your experience of your core trauma.
It's supposed to be the worst day of your life, right? [MURAMOTO.]
Is that what you experienced? It was intense.
Describe intense with details.
Well, when I took the "A" pill the light changed [JAZZ PIANO PLAYS.]
and I was standing in my parents' house.
Gimlet? Oh, what's that? It's a gimlet.
Thanks.
[OWEN.]
It was seven months ago, my brother's engagement party, and I had just switched to a new medication.
You like her, don't you? Yeah, Adelaide's great.
[JED.]
I mean, you really like her.
What do you want, Jed? Listen, I I wanted to I wanted to ask you directly, you know, because sometimes You're gonna help me out, right? So long as you didn't do it.
I did I didn't do it.
God [MAN.]
Nice to meet you.
It really doesn't matter what happened, right? You of all people would understand that.
Of course it matters.
It's the only thing that matters.
- Oh, what's real matters? - Yes.
Okay.
Hilarious.
Hilarious, but okay.
[EXHALES.]
Can I ask you something? Can you imagine what Mom and Dad would do if they found out you had another incident? Maybe write threatening letters to very powerful people.
The mayor, the head of the FBI, Secret Service.
Tell them how you see a pattern in the universe, and how you have to take 'em down before it's too late.
Maybe sprinkle a little anthrax in there.
You can't do that.
I'm joking.
I'm joking.
Jesus, lighten up.
Who said I'd do that, right? But seriously someone could do that to you, right? With your history, you'll end up in the fuckin' loony bin.
It's like someone making up whatever they want about me, and I end up humiliated.
And it didn't even happen.
We're in the same boat.
You see that, right? Anyway, I love you.
Yeah.
I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone in our family.
I gotta go make a speech.
Yikes! Wish me luck.
Dad.
Oh, there he is.
Um, listen.
Hey, everyone, thank you for Where are you hid ? Don't hide.
Come here.
Thank you everyone for coming.
Um, I would like to make a toast to Adelaide, my Hempstead hamster.
- That's in the bedroom, right? - Okay, stop.
[LAUGHTER.]
But, um, I don't know if you guys heard, she's engaged to be my my bride.
- [GASPING.]
- [WHISTLING.]
I don't deserve her, that's for sure.
She doesn't deserve this, but I'm gonna do it anyway.
- What are you gonna do? - Dad, you're the man.
Start it up.
Every breath you take And every move you make Every bond you break Every step you take I'll be watching you [LAUGHTER.]
Every single day And every word you say Every game you play Every night you stay I'll be watching you [ADELAIDE LAUGHS.]
Oh can't you see? You belong to me How my poor heart aches With every step you take Every move you make [CONTINUES FAINTLY IN DISTANCE.]
And every vow you break Every smile you fake Every claim you stake I'll be watching you Since you've been gone I've been lost without a trace I dream at night I can only see your face I look around And it's you I can't replace I feel so cold And I long for your embrace I keep crying baby, baby Please - [THUD.]
- [CROWD GASPS.]
[PORTER.]
Owen.
[ANGELICA, SCREAMING.]
Owen! Owen! Owen! So Sting was at this party? No, he was singing Sting.
[MURAMOTO.]
Did you make up that story? No, I did not.
[MURAMOTO.]
According to our readings, you were conscious, Mr.
One.
You did not take the pill.
No, that's that's not possible.
[EXHALES.]
[KEYS JINGLE.]
[MURAMOTO.]
Now, you are going to take that.
- I already took it.
- [MURAMOTO.]
Don't lie.
If you don't take it, I'll have security escort you from this facility, with no money, no honor, just shame.
No.
- [MURAMOTO.]
Take it now.
- No.
I said take it.
No.
[IN JAPANESE.]
Drink.
[YELLS ANGRILY IN JAPANESE.]
Swallow! [DOOR OPENS.]
[ANNIE.]
Why were you in there so long? What'd he say? [MURAMOTO.]
Could you tell Miss Nine to come in, Mr.
One? He wants you to go in there.
[MURAMOTO.]
I don't know how you had access to the pill, but analysis of the biodata indicates that you have been using it compulsively.
I haven't.
I sympathize with you.
The "A" experience, on its own, can be a seductive demon.
What are you talking about? [MURAMOTO.]
Most people wouldn't understand why someone wants to revisit a trauma again and again, even take pleasure from it.
Most people, wouldn't.
But you do.
[INHALES DEEPLY.]
People like that don't want to move forward.
I don't deserve to.
[MURAMOTO.]
Don't you? I want to move forward.
I want to know what the second pill does.
People who feel they deserve loss might try to move forward.
They might taste recovery but they always end up going back.
Why? [INHALES DEEPLY.]
Be [MOROMOTO BREATHES RAGGEDLY.]
Dr.
Muramoto? Is Is this part of ? Is this a test? [TELEPHONE RINGS.]
Or is that the test? You wanna see if I'll answer it? [TELEPHONE CONTINUES RINGING.]
I can wait.
I'll wait forever.
Are you actually dead? Fuck! [WHISPERS.]
Owen, I need your help.
- What? - Just get the fuck in here! Do not let anyone come in this door.
- Did you kill him? - No, I didn't fuckin' kill him.
He just died.
Sometimes people just die.
He made me take a pill.
What'd you see? Olivia.
- We were studying.
- Is that your girlfriend? [OWEN.]
No.
It's a girl I liked.
She asked me to help her with her, uh, history finals.
I, like, wanted to talk to her all semester.
And I was on my way to the library, and I saw him.
Grimsson.
That was the first time he ever came to me.
And he told me to watch out for Olivia, and I just realized she was a plant.
My parents had paid her to pretend to like me.
They were listening in.
My brothers were listening in.
They were just laughing at me.
My mind kept racing.
Like, someone had given her information on me.
How she was getting paid for every minute she made me happy and that my parents paid her to marry me and grow old with me and have a family and seven kids.
I started asking her if her name was even Olivia.
And she's like, "Are you okay?" I said, "No, I'm not okay.
None of this is real.
None of this is real.
None of this is real.
" Sounds like you were having a day.
What? That's what my mom used to call it when she got her wires crossed.
[OWEN.]
Doctors called it a BLIP.
Brief and limited psychosis.
I didn't know that.
I I just started screaming at her.
I just yelled some fucked up things at her.
And other people started looking at me, and I started throwing books at them and screaming at them.
And I knew I was right.
I was so sure I was right.
Have you ever just felt unbelievably sure that you were right and everyone else was wrong? [ANNIE.]
All the time.
I'll do yours.
Where did you end up? Strapped to a gurney in a little room by myself screaming for my mom.
[EXHALES.]
That's rough.
Let's go back out there and pretend nothing fucked up happened.
[CARL.]
The food cubes being distributed during Meal Time deliver a specific amount of nutrients and calories to the body.
That means that your plates at the end of Meal Time need to be happy plates.
Does everyone know what a happy plate is? A happy plate is a clean plate.
I can't eat.
[CARL.]
You have to.
It's not to make me happy, but to make science happy.
[WOMAN.]
Tastes like the inside of my cat's uterus.
Stay out of your cat's uterus.
[MAN.]
Is this food? Tell me why the pill was so important to you that you lied to get in here and you tricked me.
I never would have messed with you if I knew all that stuff had happened.
The BLIP.
It's okay.
It's not your fault.
[INHALES DEEPLY.]
My sister and I were in a car crash five years ago.
The driver passed out behind the wheel of a semi-truck.
He had been driving for 30 hours.
He was high on NoDoze.
His name was Greg F.
U.
N.
Nazlund.
His middle name was "fun.
" It was his fucking fault if we're talking about fault.
Every time I take that pill, I have to live through the worst day of my life, just like you did.
I have to hear myself say the worst ugliest things I've ever said to anyone.
And it ends with the worst thing that ever happened.
I fucking love it.
Why? Because I get to be with her.
Oh, they found him.
[CARL.]
I thought he was napping when I first came in.
Poor Robert.
It's a catastrophe.
[CARL.]
Want me to bring in a team, get him out of here? No.
Leave him.
I have to go up to the 77th floor.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[SNIFFLES.]
[YODA IN JAPANESE.]
[AZUMI IN JAPANESE.]
[YODA.]
[YODA.]
[YODA.]
[YODA.]
[AZUMI.]
It was a past life.
An old life.
Lies forced us apart and now we can't remember.
No I remember.
We were lovers.
Now we're gonna be together forever.
High Priestess of Atlantis can you feel that? My energy in your chest? I can feel it.
Good.
- Now, put your hands on me.
- Okay.
[MOANS.]
- That's excellent.
- [PRIESTESS MOANS.]
- [MAN.]
See what she does with a ping-pong.
- [MAN 2.]
She shot them [WOMAN.]
It was cute, but I wasn't into it, y'know? - [MAN.]
Why weren't you into it? - [WOMAN.]
It was weird.
- [MANTLERAY.]
Fabulous.
- [MOANS.]
[PRIESTESS MOANS.]
That's good.
That's good.
- [PRIESTESS MOANS.]
- That's good.
Oh, that's excellent.
[AZUMI.]
James.
- [PRIESTESS.]
Oh, my God.
- That's excellent.
[PRIESTESS MOANS.]
- Oh, that's excellent.
- [AZUMI.]
James! [PRIESTESS MOANS.]
[SUCKTUBE POWERS OFF.]
[AZUMI.]
I'm sorry to to walk in on you like this, but I still have my key.
I thought we had agreed that you wouldn't bother me while I was working.
I need your help.
The very fact that you braved the outside world for me tells me this is an emergency.
Let me guess.
You're having trouble dampening the reality test when it drops to NREM 3.
Now Dr.
Muramoto has begged you to come and beg me - to come help him.
- [AZUMI.]
He's dead.
He was freebasing an A/C mixture.
Uh-huh.
And who's going to replace him? You.
- Don't fuck with me, Azumi.
- [AZUMI.]
I'm not, James.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
We need your help to finish.
Of course I'll need several minutes to get my affairs in order, but yes.
I'll be right outside.
[RUSTLING.]
[SNIFFING.]
- - [SIGHS.]
When is this fucking horse gonna die? I don't have my security card.
Thank you for braving the outside world for me.
Thank you for inventing this treatment.
Does Gertie know I'm here? I haven't had a chance to tell her yet.
[INHALES DEEPLY.]
Hello.
It's excellent to see you again.
[GRTA.]
James.
What a nice surprise! Are you gonna show your face? All right.
Oh By the way, I thought you should hear it from me first that Dr.
Muramoto is dead.
[GRTA.]
Oh! And I'm once again at the helm of this project.
[GRTA.]
I see.
Thank you for telling me.
Did Muramoto have access to a beta headset? Yes.
Sometimes he used it when they were red flags.
Why? I'll address the subjects tomorrow myself.
They can't be spooked by a death.
And sometimes the arrival of a new authority figure could be equally upsetting.
Either is a data taint.
Last thing we want is a data taint.
Yeah.
We need all the data we can get.
Number Five he just brought rubbers, so he can stay, right? Azumi.
[AZUMI.]
Yes.
When an addict dies, do you think it's suicide? I believe Robert was optimistic.
I think he just made a mistake.
I'm sorry about Robert.
How are you feeling? [GRTA.]
I feel I have all the feels.
Behavioral tomorrow.
What do you think they'll all see in themselves? [GRTA.]
I don't know.
Get some rest.
[SIGHS.]
Good night, Azumi.
Good night, James.
[GRTA CRIES.]
[COMPUTERIZED ROOSTER CROWS.]
[COMPUTERIZED BIRDS CHIRPING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
- What's wrong with fish sauce? - There's nothing wrong with fish sauce.
[AZUMI.]
Good morning.
Could I have everyone's attention for a moment? My name [CLEARS THROAT.]
is Dr.
James K.
Mantleray.
Unfortunately, Dr.
Muramoto has had a family emergency, so I will personally be assuming oversight duties of this iteration of the ULP.
Uh, I believe in this treatment.
And I believe in the idea that we can all be uh fixed.
Pain uh, can be destroyed.
But it can't without trials like this, so I guess I want to thank you all for being the brave explorers that you are.
Uh, great adventurers on the precipice of mankind's last, great, hidden frontier: Mindlantis.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
[COMPUTER PLAYS MELODY.]
[WOMAN.]
I'm seeing soothing from the white.
Good.
They're settling in.
And there's no reason for any of them to be nervous.
Exposure elements stacked and loaded? [MAN.]
Affirmative.
[AZUMI.]
Safety Net confirm.
[MAN.]
Gertie is present and caring.
Okay, people, let's illuminate some blind spots.
[MANTLERAY.]
Azumi.
I'd like to administer the behavioral pill.
It's been a while.
Be my guest, Dr.
Mantleray.
Subjects, please ingest the pill.
[COMPUTER POWERS UP.]
[MAN.]
All clear.
Going to green.
[WOMAN ON TV.]
comes down to the butter.
- Everyone will tell you to bake - [LINDA.]
Bruce? with unsalted butter, - but I tend to disagree - [LINDA.]
Brucie? because using salted butter in the mix [LINDA.]
Bruce? You fell asleep in front of the TV again.
You got to get up.
[WOMAN ON TV.]
Okay, and Well, I know we're all worried about our cholesterol these days, but if you truly are ["ILLEGAL SMILE" PLAYS.]
Hey.
Hey.
Is there any coffee? [LINDA.]
Yeah, I just made some.
Big day today.
[BRUCE.]
You say that every morning.
Well, today I mean it.
Toss? Keep? Keep.
Ah, but fortunately [LINDA.]
I'm saving it.
I have the key to escape reality And you may see me tonight With an illegal smile It don't cost very much But it lasts a long while Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone No I'm just tryin' to have me some fun Well done Hot dog bun My sister's a nun
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