The Changeling (2023) s01e08 Episode Script

Battle of the Island

[MICHELLE] By the way,
you should be proud.
You already made two of
those wishes come true.
And I know she ain't wanna
tell you what they were.
Bad luck. But fuck it.
[IN PORTUGUESE] Three wishes,
before these three knots are tied.
A good husband.
[GUESTS CHEERING]
- [CHUCKLES]
- How are you two doing?
A healthy child.
Hey.
- [INHALES SHARPLY] Oh, my God.
- [BABY BRIAN CRYING]
[SIGHS]
But Emma's third wish, it's the
only one that hasn't come true yet.
God, forgive me.
How did I lose her?
It's not a baby.
What happened?
Hey, I'm William.
William Wheeler. [PANTING]
Yeah, I read about your wife
giving birth on the A train.
I found you through all
your social media accounts.
Boom!
- [CHUCKLES]
- [WILLIAM] All those pictures you posted.
Early mornings in the park.
- You're a coder?
- Yeah.
[WILLIAM] You know, a hundred
people with a hundred computers,
they'll work day and night.
They won't quit.
- Can you look? It's gone. It's not here.
- Mm-hmm.
Who's Kinder Garten? Why
would this guy make this?
I just wanted to see the baby.
[BABY BRIAN CRYING]
"Got him."
That's what the text said.
[CAL] None of the women have
ever found their children.
You should go to Brian's grave.
William Webster Wheeler.
Owns a house in Forest Hills.
That area in Queens used
to be called Little Norway.
[MICHELLE] There's a
nude photo of your wife
in an art gallery in Norway.
[WILLIAM] Well, my family's Norwegian.
You know, sailing's just
kind of in our blood.
[VICTOR LAVALLE] Once upon
a time, a specific time,
July 5th, 1825, to be exact,
52 men and women sailed out of Norway
in an undersized sloop they
named Restauration.
These immigrants sought religious
freedom from persecution,
so they fled to America.
Not just an improbable crossing.
An impossible one.
How in the world did they make it?
They had help. That's how.
[WILLIAM] And when my friends
saw my authentic identity,
they gave me my true name.
In fact, Apollo, you know it already.
How do I know?
Dinner plans tonight,
a meal inspired by baby Brian
[ROARING] boiled vegetables.
[INHALES SHAKILY] You're Kinder Garten.
We. We are Kinder Garten.
10,000 men with one name.
[INHALES SHAKILY] You
You killed your daughter.
I made a choice for my family.
I made the hardest choice there is.
No. [BREATHES SHAKILY]
No. What did you do?
[RUMBLING]
[BRANCHES CREAKING]
I called in the cavalry.
Someone's coming.
[WILLIAM] Did you do what I asked?
Do I get my Gretta back? My Grace?
- Where is my family?
- S-Someone's coming.
You were supposed to bring them to me.
Someone's coming! [PANTS]
I asked you for a simple favor, Apollo.
[APOLLO PANTING]
- [WILLIAM] This is on your head, not mine.
- [PANTING]
[WILLIAM] Oh, boy! Oh, boy!
Once upon a time, a man and
a lady wanted to have a baby.
You are in trouble now.
I curse you.
[RUMBLES]
- [GRUNTING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
- [PEOPLE SCREAMING]
Fuck.
[PEOPLE ON ISLAND SCREAMING]
[CREATURE ROARING]
Cal, he's not who we think he is!
[GRUNTS]
- [RUMBLING]
- [CREATURE ROARING]
[YELPS, GRUNTING]
No. No. No. [BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GRUNTING]
[BREATHING HEAVILY] No, no.
Where are you? Where are
Where are you?
No, no, no. No. [COUGHING]
Cal! [COUGHS]
Gayl! [PANTS]
[GRUNTING] Gayl.
Do you mind if I read with you?
[LAUGHING]
[GRUNTS] Gretta.
[GRUNTS]
"The music is playing,
the dancers move quick.
A child in their arms
will never grow sick."
[CRIES]
[GRUNTING]
[OBJECTS CLATTER]
[SIGHS]
I killed her.
Gretta wouldn't be dead if
I hadn't brought her back.
She was helping get the children out.
- [WILLIAM GROWLING]
- [COUGHS] Cal.
Cal! [BREATHES SHARPLY]
[GRUNTS]
[SNIFFS, GRUNTS]
- Do we have everyone?
- Everyone that survived.
- You okay? You good?
- [CAL] You're right. Go with her.
- [WILLIAM] I am not a bad man!
- Motherfuck [GRUNTING]
- No, I know it
- Stop. We cannot risk it.
- [WILLIAM] Just let me explain myself!
- [CAL] We have to get off this island.
[WILLIAM] Oh, pretty please.
[SIGHS] You guys all right?
- Yeah, let's go. Take her hand.
- Okay.
[WILLIAM] Don't you want to play?
Then run, little piggy.
Run away.
Run!
[GROWLING]
[WILLIAM GROWLS, LAUGHS]
- [PEOPLE GRUNTING]
- [APOLLO GRUNTS]
- [BREATHING DEEPLY] Okay. Okay.
- [RUMBLING]
[RUMBLING]
[WHIMPERS]
[SHUSHING] I want you
to hold your breath.
[CREATURE SNARLING]
[CREATURE ROARING]
[WHISPERING] It's all right.
It's all right. It's all right.
[CREATURE RUMBLING]
Come on.
Okay. All right. Now, quietly go.
[RUMBLING]
No way. No fucking way.
This is stupid, Cal. You
want us to all go down there?
There's no way back.
Are you guys ready? All set?
[PEOPLE GRUNTING, PANTING]
[GRUNTING]
Hey. Hey. I'll take her. Okay?
- I can't lose another one.
- I know. I know.
- I can't.
- I know. I know you can't, and you won't.
Okay? Just trust me.
[WILLIAM GROWLS]
[CAL] Hurry, we don't have much time.
[WILLIAM IN DISTANCE]
I'm coming! [LAUGHS]
- Where are you?
- [GRUNTING] All right. [GRUNTS]
Then you're gonna wrap your legs around.
- All right? You ready for an adventure?
- No.
[APOLLO] Oh.
There we go. All right, we're good.
We're going down. Okay, you're ready?
- [GRUNTING] Good, hold tight. [SIGHS]
- [WILLIAM LAUGHING]
Shit. [GRUNTING]
All right. Make sure you're
holding it tight, tight, tight.
Okay. [GRUNTING]
Hold on to me. Good, good. There
we go. Keep holding. Keep holding.
[GRUNTING]
You're doing really
good. Okay. [GRUNTING]
[CAL PANTS] Come on. Keep going.
[GAYL'S PARENT] It's right
here. You're almost there.
[GRUNTS, PANTS] It's coming back.
[GRUNTING, PANTS]
[CREATURE ROARING]
- [GAYL] Mommy! No!
- I got you. I got you.
[GRUNTS, EXCLAIMS]
[GRUNTS] Cal! [GRUNTS]
Go! Go!
- Okay. Down we go. [GROANING]
- [CAL] Keep moving down. Keep going!
[CREATURE ROARING]
- Get to the bottom! Go!
- [CREATURE LAUGHING]
- Whoa. Whoa. [GRUNTING]
- [CAL, GAYL'S PARENT YELLING]
- Apollo!
- [GRUNTING]
Hey!
You! Move!
- You guys have to catch her, okay?
- [SCREAMS]
[GRUNTS] Now, what I need
you to do is trust me, okay?
Close your eyes and trust me. [SHOUTS]
You can fly. You're a superhero!
[GAYL SCREAMS]
[PERSON EXCLAIMS, CRYING]
- [SCREAMING, GRUNTS]
- [CAL SHOUTING]
[GRUNTS] I got you.
[CREATURE ROARS]
[APOLLO, CAL SHOUT]
Emma.
- [SCREAMING]
- [THUDS]
- Wake up. Wake up.
- [WAVES LAPPING]
It's time to wake up now.
It's okay.
- [SIGHING, GRUNTING]
- [GAYL] Wake up. Wake up.
You can do it. You can do it.
You're a superhero.
You don't see. But you will.
[GRUNTS] God.
[INHALES SHARPLY, COUGHING]
- Oh. Oh. [SIGHS]
- [APOLLO GROANING]
[GROANING, PANTING]
- Emma. [GROANS] Shit.
- [CAL GROANS]
- [APOLLO GRUNTS]
- [STAMMERS, GROANS]
[GRUNTS, BREATHING HEAVILY]
I told you we had a navy.
Hurry. We don't have much time.
[GROANING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
[APOLLO GRUNTS]
[CAL GRUNTS]
[SIGHING] He's gone back
to finish off the buildings.
He thinks we're trapped
by the water. Let's go.
[SIGHS] I said let's go!
Hurry, get on board.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
Okay. Let's go. You save me
a seat in there, all right?
You need help? There you go.
[SIGHS] Shit.
Thank you, Apollo.
You're a good man.
[CREATURE GROWLING]
- Cal Cal, we gotta go, now.
- Apollo,
- you're not taking this trip.
- What?
I'm gonna help you get on
the creek boat. Just trust me.
Go now. Don't look back.
[MOTOR WHIRRING]
[PERSON] Thank you, Cal.
Cal, why didn't you get on the boat?
[SCOFFS, BREATHING HEAVILY]
We gotta keep 'em busy,
let the trawler get some distance.
But they're already on the water.
The big one can swim.
People call us witches.
Maybe what they really mean is
we're women who did things
that seemed impossible.
When you have to save the one you
love, you become something else.
[SIGHS] You will transform.
You know, the only real magic, Apollo,
is in the things you'll
do for the ones you love.
You know, the last time I saw Emma,
she was paddling out across
the river to find your son.
And I tell you, out on
that water, that woman,
she glowed.
Mama's coming for you.
[CAL] Let's get you out of here.
- [APOLLO] Come on. Get in.
- [CAL] Do you know the myth of Callisto?
Yeah, it's, uh
[SIGHS] Zeus turns, uh,
her and her son into, uh
[STAMMERS] constellations,
Ursa Major, Ursa Minor.
[GROANING]
It's about as happy an ending
as those Greek stories ever get.
[BREATHES HEAVILY] Callisto
gets to spend eternity
up there with her child.
[SIGHS] She can always see him.
She always knows he's safe
under her watchful gaze.
I'm tired, and I wanna
see my little boy again.
- What?
- And you [BREATHES SHAKILY]
Apollo, you must find your
wife, so you'll finally believe.
Yeah. Okay. But how am I gonna find her?
"Brian is in the forest."
That's what she said.
There's only one forest
in all of New York City.
[WILLIAM] Apollo!
Could that be you?
Don't tell me the
bitches left you behind.
There, there!
[TREE CRACKING]
[GASPS]
[WILLIAM] Again. Again.
[GUNSHOTS FIRING]
- [GRUNTS]
- [THUDS]
[CAL] Go, Apollo.
Cal, what are you gonna do?
[CAL] Buy you more time.
- [APOLLO STRAINING] How?
- [COCKS]
I'm gonna show them my claws.
[STRAINS, GROANING]
[PANTING]
[GRUNTING, GROANS]
[GRUNTING]
[PANTING]
[PANTING, GRUNTING]
[GRUNTING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GRUNTING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
[CREATURE ROARS]
[TREES CRACKING]
[BREATHING HEAVILY] Okay.
[GRUNTS] Cal, come on. Come on, Cal.
[CREATURE ROARS]
[WILLIAM] She's mine.
- [GROANING]
- [CAL SCREAMS]
[BOTH GRUNTING]
[WILLIAM GROWLING]
[GRUNTING CONTINUES]
- [GRUNTING]
- [GROWLING]
- [CHOKING]
- [GROWLING]
- [BITES, GROANS]
- [SHOUTING]
- [GROANING, SHOUTING]
- [GRUNTING]
You're trapped, little piggy.
[GRUNTING]
[GROANING]
[PANTING]
[GRUNTING]
- [GRUNTING, GROANING]
- [GROANING]
- [PANTING]
- [CREATURE SNARLS]
She's gonna kill you.
[PANTS] I won't give
her the satisfaction.
[GRUNTS]
[PANTING]
- [SHOUTS]
- [CREATURE ROARS]
[PANTING]
[BREATHING HEAVILY, CHUCKLES]
[CREATURE ROARING]
[THUDS]
[CREATURE RUMBLES]
[LAVALLE] "A baby is a dream made real.
But dreams are the
fairies' favorite meal."
[GROANING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
"There at the window, they
watch while it sleeps."
[GROANING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
"The child so beautiful,
the fairies all weep."
"We want it. We need it.
- It's ours for the taking."
- [CRIES]
"A tap at the latch and
the window is shaking."
"Mother and father asleep in their bed.
Fit for the grave, they
rest like the dead."
I am the god Apollo.
[GROANS] I'm the god Apollo.
[INHALES SHARPLY, GRUNTS]
I'm the god Apollo.
[LAVALLE] "The young one is
gone, but they'll never know
in its place a thing without life,
- hard and cold."
- [SNARLS]
"Now for the fun. In the
woods, there's a party.
In the dark, past the horses,
the guests are dressed smartly.
The music is playing.
The dancers move quick.
The child in their arms
will never grow sick,
- or old, or weak, or ever unloved."
- [GROANING]
"Not as long as the
stars shine up above.
The fairies will hold it
close to their breast."
[BABY CRYING]
"They won't give it back."
[GRUNTING] Shit.
[LAVALLE] "They love it the best."
I'm coming for you.
[GRUNTS] I'm coming for you. [PANTING]
[LAVALLE] "They bathe it at dusk.
They hide it with guile.
At home in the forest
forever lost in the wild."
[WILLIAM] We We are Kinder Garten.
10,000 men with one name.
[BABY COOING]
- [CREATURE GROWLS]
- [GRUNTS]
[BREATHING HEAVILY, GRUNTING]
[LAVALLE] Tell me your
journey, each of you.
Tell me your life's voyage,
and I will tell you who you are.
[SNARLING]
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