Them (2021) s02e05 Episode Script

1
You ever kill a person before?
The look in their eyes,
the light leaving them.
[So-Young] The man with the red hair.
He's not our guy. He's a washed-up actor.
- Hey, Dad.
- Hey, man. How your mama?
[Kelvin] She's all right.
[Dawn] Ma, is everything okay?
Tell me what's going on.
You were adopted.
- Ma, I can't do this.
- We can talk about this.
[grunting]
Happy birthday, my sweet boy.
What is this?
Make a wish and blow out the candles.
[grunting]
[woman on film] big boy.
Do you like your presents?
- What'd you get?
- [boy] A bicycle.
[screaming]
[gospel singer vocalizing]
[pastor] Jesus was led up by the Spirit
into the wilderness
to be tempted by the devil.
For it is when you are in the wilderness
that he comes to lead you astray.
When you are lost, and when you are
far from your home.
When you feel most unworthy of God's love.
[congregation agreeing]
This is when the devil's temptations
are greatest.
He offers you glory, fame and riches.
But in return, you must turn your back
on God.
Mm, the devil asks you
to forget who you are.
To forget whose child you are.
The devil may lie in wait,
but so does God.
In this place, you may fall
for the devil's temptations.
But if you see through them,
this is the place
where you have a chance at rebirth,
and a chance at redemption.
We may be tempted
to turn our backs on God,
but glory be, God will never
turn his back on any one of us.
[crying, whimpering]
For there is always
- a choice that we have.
- [screaming]
I got a choice! You got a choice!
All God's children, we got a choice.
Please, I want to live.
I'll do anything. Anything.
♪
You don't have to do this.
- [pastor] All God's children
- Anything you want.
we got a choice!
Just just just let me live.
- Please, I want to live.
- Ah!
[LaShun Pace:
"I know I've Been Changed"]
I know I've been changed ♪
[shouting]
Yes, I know I've been changed ♪
The angels in heaven ♪
Done signed ♪
I know I've been changed ♪
I'm sayin' that ♪
I ♪
Know I've been changed ♪
[singer vocalizing]
I ♪
I know ♪
Know I've been changed ♪
I ♪♪
Thought you might want this.
Thanks.
You weren't yourself last night.
I don't remember much.
Already had a lot to drink,
asked for more.
Tried my best to cut you off.
You kept saying stuff like, uh,
"nothing's real, it's all bullshit."
And then you passed out.
Sorry.
You don't have to apologize.
Obviously, you're going through
something heavy.
Hey, what's going on?
Nothing. Um it was a tough day.
Tough day at the office.
You can talk about it.
- I want to be there for you.
- I appreciate that.
I, um
Thanks for letting me stay at your place.
I promise I won't do that to you again.
I should go.
I got something with Kel.
I totally forgot.
Call you later.
I can't do this anymore.
It's been two years.
I still don't really know who you are.
I just want more.
Well, I want you to have that.
I should go.
I'm sorry, Reg.
[door opens, shuts]
[church bell tolling]
[pastor] Bless you. Bless you.
[indistinct chatter]
Talk to me.
It was a terrible thing I did.
I never wanted anybody to know.
I hoped it would just, just go away.
Luke, the eighth chapter,
verse 17 tells you
"There's nothing secret that shall not
be made manifest,
nor anything hid that shall not be known."
It's coming.
For me and my family.
And I'm going to pay for what I did.
It's happening already.
[pastor] It's important to remember
that even in the midst of being crucified,
Jesus called out, "Forgive them, Father.
They do not know what they're doing."
He showed us that any act can be forgiven.
But you must pray for forgiveness.
I'm worried
it's too late.
[mariachi music playing]
Hey.
Hey.
You okay?
Thank you.
Tied one on last night, huh?
You said you had something for me.
Yeah.
Look, um
do you think that maybe you
maybe you should let this case go?
What?
Too much of a personal connection
to the case?
No more than any other case.
So you heard about what went down
with me and McKinney.
What went down with you and McKinney?
Look, I was, uh,
I was following some leads.
It went down a road with McKinney.
Might be some repercussions. I hope not.
What happened, Dawn?
That's all I can say for now.
I know I-I pulled you into this,
and I don't want you to be responsible
for any blowback.
So I'm telling you now you can walk away.
Do you want to walk away?
'Cause if you do, I'll understand.
I am talking about you, not me.
Well, then, I'm with you.
[sighs]
You said you had leads on a redhead perp.
Right.
Yeah, yeah.
That's Gary Trent.
He lives in Pomona.
Two assaults with a deadly weapon,
one attempted murder charge.
His only alibi for the nights
of the murders
is his current girlfriend.
She's an unreliable witness.
Two possession charges in the past year.
Evidence of connection
to any of the victims?
Uh-uh. Currently unemployed.
- Any B&Es?
- Nope.
Admit to spending time in L.A.
in the past few months?
Anything else?
Yeah, well
- it's out there.
- Go ahead.
Officers were called out to a spot
in Lincoln Heights a couple nights ago.
Seems there was an, um
an exorcism being performed.
An exorcism?
Yeah, yeah, I know.
That was my first reaction.
The boy, Benny Alvarez, who was having
the exorcism performed on him,
the grandma thinks
it's a demon or something.
The boy, apparently, he keeps saying
he's seeing a red-haired man
standing outside of his window at night.
Watching.
[dog barking nearby]
[Dawn] Hi, Miss Alvarez.
Detective Reeve, Detective Diaz, LAPD.
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
[Ernestina and Diaz continue
conversing in Spanish]
Hi, Benito.
I'm Dawn. I'm a police officer.
Look, I'm here to help.
You want to tell me what's going on?
You want to tell me who you're afraid of?
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
Listen, even if it's someone in
your family you're afraid of, it's okay.
You can be honest with me.
I'm here to protect you.
He wants to kill me.
- Who?
- The man.
What man? What does he look like?
- Is he a big man or a small man?
- Big.
- What color is his hair?
- Red.
Where have you seen him?
Right where I'm standing.
I think so.
I only saw him in my mirror at night.
- You mean your window.
- No, in my mirror.
[speaking Spanish]
I just want my brother.
Where is your brother?
He's not here anymore.
Ask her what happened to Benito's brother.
[both conversing in Spanish]
Tell her we want to look inside the house.
[Diaz speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
What'd she say?
She says it's a matter for the Church,
not for the police.
[Ernestina speaking Spanish]
[Dawn] Tell her we'll get a warrant
if we have to.
[Diaz] Senora
Thank you, Benito.
I got you, okay?
Benito!
What'd she say about the brother?
She said Benny and his brother
came down from Mexico
to live with her.
I guess the older brother had
a harder time assimilating.
He was getting into some trouble.
She sent him back to be with his parents.
Kept Benny here with her.
What are you thinking?
Benny said he only saw the man
in his mirror.
You think he's imagining things?
Maybe.
But when I was in Curtis Maynard's
apartment the day before he died,
all the mirrors were covered with sheets.
The Kwon sisters had
their mirrors covered, too.
It's probably a dead end, but
we come back tonight.
Just in case.
Mm-hmm.
See you tonight.
[panting]
[muttering indistinctly]
[ominous music playing]
♪
[phone ringing]
[agent over phone] Hello?
This is the Department of Child
and Family Services calling.
Is this Edmund Gaines?
Yes.
We were able to track down
that information you requested
about your sister.
It took some time,
but I have her information.
Do you have a pen and paper?
Uh
[quietly stammers]
Hold ho
[crying, hyperventilating]
[disorienting music playing]
♪
[engine shuts off]
[doorbell rings]
[sighs]
[doorbell rings]
Coming.
I forgot my key.
You want some breakfast?
Nope.
Hey, how can I help you?
Hi. I just came to say hello.
You're the new neighbor.
You got the old Reynolds place, right?
Yeah. I'm Edmund. Edmund Gaines.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
Want to come inside?
Yeah. Thanks.
Make yourself at home.
[soft sigh]
[hypnotic music playing]
[Dawn] Babe, who you talking to?
[Corey] It's our new neighbor.
Hi, I'm Dawn.
I'm Edmund.
It's nice to meet you.
[gentle music playing]
You have a really big home.
It's really nice.
Yeah, you, too.
I've been down to the Reynolds place
a couple times; that's a great house.
Was that your daughter I saw playing
on the front lawn yesterday?
[Corey] She's a pretty little girl.
What ten, 11?
Twelve. I have twins, actually.
- Twins?
- Yeah. A-A girl and a boy.
- They gotta be a handful, right?
- [Dawn] Mm-hmm.
[Corey] They get along?
Oh, yes. They're inseparable.
My girl Daisy,
she has such a big personality.
Everyone loves her.
My son, he's more shy.
Has a harder time making friends.
Girls are usually more mature,
especially at that age.
He'll be a'ight.
- Oh, there he is.
- [Dawn] Oh. [chuckles]
[Corey laughs]
Hey, son, meet our new neighbor,
Mr. Gaines.
- Say hello.
- Hello.
- You have a son, too.
- Mm-hmm.
He got friends all over the neighborhood.
They play basketball at one house,
Nintendo at the other.
[Dawn] They started playing music.
See, Kel, he-he getting into drumming.
So we building him a little
rehearsal space out in the garage.
You're building him a studio.
That's incredible, to do for a kid.
[Corey] He just don't know
how good he got it.
And he can just walk over
to his friends' houses?
It's safe. The houses are
really close together.
All the parents are good parents.
And, uh, Dawn here, she's a cop.
- You're a cop?
- LAPD.
Like your dad. I saw the photo.
I I just assumed that
that was your dad.
- Or is it
- No, it's my dad.
Is he still around?
No. No, he died when I was young.
[Edmund] Mm.
I lost my dad at an early age, too.
It was really hard on me.
- Do you have siblings?
- No.
No.
Me, neither. [chuckles]
It's really hard when you're alone,
going through that stuff, huh?
Whose house you say you buy again?
- I-I told you.
- I'm not asking you, I'm asking Edmund.
- Who I bought the house from?
- Yeah.
Gosh, I-I don't remember
the family's name.
He bought the Reynolds place.
You don't even have to be grilling him.
[Dawn] Why are you not listening to me?
I need to ask Edmund some questions
without you interfering.
You work with your hands?
Please answer the question.
My hands? No.
Uh, I'm an actor.
Then why the scraped knuckles?
Uh, I-I scraped 'em moving boxes.
Why?
You gotta excuse my wife, Edmund.
- She's a detective 24/7.
- Are you
- She doesn't know when to stop.
- Are you serious?
- You're not helping right now.
- I just don't think you should be doing this.
It's really creative, what you've done.
Putting all the pictures of the family
together in one place.
It's just it's nice.
What do you mean?
Whose birthday is it?
Kel, go to your room now.
Give me this, son. Go ahead.
[Dawn] You're not really
our new neighbor, are you?
You seem like you had
such a good time growing up.
Take your hands out of your pockets.
Turn around and put your hands
on the wall.
Your mother seems real nice.
Hands out of your pockets.
Turn around, put your hands on the wall.
I'm not gonna ask you again.
[chuckles softly]
Edmund Gaines the name he gave you?
Yeah, that's it.
Mr. Gaines, what you doing
in this neighborhood?
I'm Edmund.
I know that. What are you doing here?
[stammering]
- I thought
- You thought what?
I don't know. I-I made a mistake.
I made a mistake.
[haunting, distorted music playing]
Hey.
I need you to listen to me carefully.
If I ever see you in this neighborhood,
I will arrest you. Do you understand?
Don't you ever come back here.
I'm really happy for you.
♪
[car door opens]
[car door closes]
[engine starts]
[soft, electronic buzzing]
[crying quietly]
You're normal.
You've got your job.
Your family.
Ever since I left your house
all I see is blood.
[upbeat intro
to children's song plays on TV]
In a Raggedy Ann and Andy world,
it's a wonderful place to be ♪
You learn to live by what you feel
and not just what you see ♪
In a Raggedy Ann and Andy world,
it's a marvelous place to start ♪
You learn to listen with your ears
and also with your heart ♪
In a Raggedy Ann and Andy world,
friends are meant for caring ♪
Gifts are meant for sharing ♪
- It's much more fun that way ♪
- [crying]
In a Raggedy Ann and Andy world,
there's no problem that can't be solved ♪
Everybody gets involved,
and they've just done that way
- [dramatic, sinister music playing]
- [panting]
[male voice] She rejected you.
Your flesh and blood.
- [song continues faintly on TV]
- [panting]
Your precious sister.
[eerie, sinister music playing]
[screams]
You're nothing.
[loud grunting]
You're fucking
nothing.
[cries]
[indistinct chatter]
I've seen a lot in my time on the force.
I ain't never seen nothing like this.
[Diaz] Yeah.
I mean, it's still a thing
in Mexican culture.
Mexico's the most Catholic country
in the world, has the most exorcisms.
- But in East L.A.?
- You religious?
Well, I'm not in church every Sunday,
but, uh, yeah, I grew up with it.
You believe in God?
Yeah, of course.
Even with everything we've seen?
You believe
there's an all-powerful, all-loving God?
- [Diaz] Well, I believe in the Devil, too.
- [crowd speaking Spanish]
Some people go that way
and do terrible things in this world.
[slow, somber music playing]
[crowd speaking in Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
[loud thudding]
[screaming]
[overlapping chatter in Spanish]
[screaming]
[priest shouting in Spanish]
- [Dawn] LAPD!
- [overlapping crowd chatter]
[Diaz speaking Spanish]
Get back! LAPD!
- Get back!
- [Diaz speaking Spanish]
- Excuse me.
- [priest and Ernestina speaking Spanish]
[Benito groaning softly]
[shouting in Spanish]
- [speaking Spanish]
- Call an ambulance!
[priest and others speaking Spanish]
Yeah. 3545 Manitou.
Please. I-I have a boy.
Subject is unconscious, barely breathing.
Having a seizure.
I-I need an ambulance right away.
[speaks Spanish] Back up! Back up!
[yelling in Spanish]
- Benito?
- [muffled groaning and gurgling]
- Where's the ambulance?!
- It's on the way. ETA seven minutes!
Back up! Back up! Back up!
Benito. Benito, stay with me.
Stay with me!
It's Detective Reeve. It's Dawn.
[gurgling, groaning]
[priest speaking Spanish]
- [shouting in Spanish]
- We're losing him.
Uh, you know what? Clear a path.
- I'm taking him to the hospital.
- [Diaz] What?!
[speaking Spanish]
We-we got to wait for the ambulance!
He will be dead by the time
they get here! Clear a path.
Shit! [speaking Spanish]
[Diaz continues speaking Spanish]
You sure?
You sure this is the right call?!
- Shit!
- [crowd speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
[muffled chatter]
[tires squeaking, engine revving]
I'm en route
with a ten-year-old boy, Benito Alvarez.
My partner, Santiago Diaz, called in.
He's having seizures, trouble breathing.
- Have triage ready.
- [man over radio] Roger that.
Don't you ever feel like
you can't breathe?
[cries]
Like your heart is just gonna s-stop?
- [Benito grunting]
- [bones breaking]
You want to yell,
but you know no one will hear you?
Almost there, almost there, almost there.
[engine revving, tires squealing]
I want to scream.
[yells]
But I-I can't get enough air in.
- [yelling]
- [tires squealing]
[yells]
[panting]
[dramatic, sinister music playing]
Ever since I left your house
all I see is blood.
Over and over and over in my mind.
I'm breaking up all your favorite toys.
[tape squeals, static, click]
[eerie, pulsing music plays]
♪
♪
♪
[music fades]