Tiny Beautiful Things (2023) s01e04 Episode Script

Under the Stars

Careful.
You're drunk.
Okay.
- Come on.
- No.
Okay, here's good.
- Let's get out of here.
- Okay. Go, go. Come on.
Is that the Little Dipper?
That's the Big Dipper, doofus.
Actually, you're both wrong.
- Can I go back now?
- Nope.
Be patient, sweet peas.
I'm tired. It's too hot.
You said you wanted air.
Conditioning. I want air-conditioning.
Well, we would need electricity for that.
And a bathroom inside.
Everyone I know gets to poop inside.
And you will have all those things someday.
But this This is better
than any of those things.
I promise.
Okay. It's time.
Close your eyes.
And be really quiet.
And I'll say when you can open them.
What's that noise?
Okay. Now.
Do they belong to us, Mommy?
I wish they did.
Hi, Lady.
You sweet, sweet girl.
What the fuck?
"Due to your pending investigation,
you are required to complete
an online ethics and boundaries course."
Oh, fuck you, boundaries.
Mm.
Clare! Clare, come here!
Why is she on a surfboard?
I don't know. I just came
outside and she was
Rae, are you okay?
Are you hurt? What Uh What Uh,
who left you here?
No one. I'm f I'm fine.
Frankie Rae, are you drunk?
Have you guys ever had a White Russian?
- Since when do you drink, Rae?
- Oh, my God.
- I know.
- Rae, I need you to get up
right now and come inside the house.
I don't really wanna go inside.
Frankie Rae, I want you to look at me
and talk to me right now.
Who left you here like this?
Was it those awful threesome
people? Is that who did this?
Are they the same ones
who made you eat that cucumber?
- What?
- I saw that.
Did they make you eat that cucumber?
Who made you eat that cucumber?
I love what you
did with the Peterson case.
You know, a massage can make
a stressful day seem better.
That sounds great,
but I actually have to get home.
So we see here that Bob is not only
being suggestive to Rhonda,
he's violating her personal space.
And that's the thing about personal space.
It's personal.
All right, come on. Let's wake up.
Now!
We're gonna be
Now! Let's get up. Let's go!
I hate those stars.
What? You named your first
hamster Cassiopeia.
Yeah, well, I'm taking them down.
Your dad is playing today.
You need to be there early.
And having a hangover
does not qualify as a reason to skip church.
Why do you even care?
You don't even believe in God.
It's Easter, and it is time to resurrect.
Let's go.
You skip every Sunday.
Su Sundays are my time to write.
Yeah, except you never do.
Do you realize that you could've
been assaulted last night?
Or worse.
And your so-called friends
just left you on our lawn
to choke on your own barf.
- So who was that? Was that Montana?
- It wasn't Montana.
Wh Wh Why can't you
make some just nice new friends?
Like, what happened to Bethany
- from dance?
- Can you just stop?
Do you know if something happened to you,
I would not be able to survive?
Do you realize that? I would die!
My life would be over!
I would not be able to go on.
Then I guess you shouldn't have had me!
Why are you mad at me?
Frankie?
Frankie?
Stop calling me that!
When is this bullshit gonna end?
The White Russians, and the surfboards,
and the giving a shit about a person that is
so clearly beneath you?
And rejecting your own grandmother's name?
She was never my grandmother!
Well, can you talk to her?
Because she fucking hates me.
Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna do
a lot more than talk to her.
I'm gonna ground her ass.
Really? An Easter basket?
Oh, it's tradition.
Tradition as well?
Oh, my God.
Was that pickle flavored?
Happy Easter.
Let's go.
So I'll just meet you at brunch then?
Oh, so you're coming to brunch?
Unless it's going to feel weird.
I mean, why wouldn't I
No, no. I mean, it won't be weird
if we don't make it weird.
I just don't want anyone
to think anything is wrong.
Okay, um
If you don't want to go, then don't go.
I'll just make an excuse then, you know?
Uh, you can stay here.
I'll tell them that you're
That you're writing.
That wouldn't be an excuse. I do write.
I'll take this just in case
she changes her mind.
Danny, I haven't even said
that I'm not gonna
- I I'm coming. I can bring the basket.
- No, look, I think
Look, I, uh, I think you're right.
You know, we don't want 'em to know that
things aren't normal.
Happy writing.
- Hello?
- Hi, honey.
Hi. Hey, Mom.
Um, sorry, can I call you back?
I'm working on that essay
competition for Pleiades.
I need you to come home.
- Why? What's wrong?
- Today.
Today? No, I can't, Mom.
I have work, then class tonight.
You need to come home right now.
Okay.
Okay. Yeah.
Sure.
Dear Sugar,
I'm writing this from
my little bed in the
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
My husband and I just found out
that our six-month-old daughter
has a brain tumor
and she's having brain surgery tomorrow.
People have poured
all their thoughts and prayers
into us right now.
I want to believe the prayers are working,
but I don't know.
I've never been super religious
but now I find myself
doubting God's existence
more than ever.
I'm so scared that I'll lose
my sweet baby girl.
If there was a God,
why would He let this happen to us?
- Well, at least she made it home.
- Mm. Mm.
How many shit bunkers
did we happen to wake up in?
- Remember Burger?
- Oh, God.
With the van?
And the trash bag
that was just full of mushrooms?
What? What?
Do you remember that he would
just play Free Bird on repeat?
And also, P.S. vans.
- Vans.
- Terrifying!
Vans. Ugh.
It's kind of a miracle
that we're alive, really.
- When you think about it.
- Yeah.
Hi. Can you just keep these coming?
- Sure.
- Thank you.
Wow. Come on, Frankie,
well, she's a good girl.
Rae!
Whatever she would like to be called.
She's She's way smarter
than we ever were.
Okay?
Oh, she has to be careful. She does.
I got something.
You'll think I'm brilliant.
Here, take these.
Is that a What is that?
Those are fentanyl strips.
And they're like the free condoms now.
I keep 'em at the bar.
Uh, just give 'em to her.
She can test everything that she's taking.
I know. You wouldn't really think it,
but that shit is just everywhere.
- Are you kidding me?
- No.
Now I have to worry about fentanyl
on top of everything else?
Yeah, you do.
Good Bloody Mary?
Thanks for the help, Sugar.
Are you okay?
Are you okay?
Yo!
Oh, God. Spin-city.
I mean, it's basically like
Um
Are you okay?
I I
- I'm sorry. I have to go.
- You gotta go?
- We haven't gotten
- I know.
to the bottom of our bottomless, please.
Listen, I'm gonna Venmo you
for all of this. It's on me.
What are you doing?
- Love you.
- If it's the fentanyl strips,
- I'm sorry.
- No, it's not the fentanyl strips.
- I love you.
- I'm sorry No, 'cause you're spinning.
- I'm not spinning. I love you.
- All right.
Hi, Mom.
Thanks for coming, sweet pea.
Yeah, what's going on?
Why are you all dressed up?
I made spinach lasagne.
For lunch?
What is happening?
And there's an apple crisp
and ice cream for dessert.
Was this just some ploy
to get me to come home?
Don't ask me.
No, it wasn't a ploy.
Okay, well, I had to call in sick.
And I still didn't finish that
essay that's due Monday.
I can't just come home
just because you miss me.
No one misses you.
Yeah? That's why you keep
begging me to come visit?
Sit down, everything's ready.
No, I'm not gonna sit down
until you tell me what was so important
that I drop everything and come home.
Well, it turns out that
this cold that I seem to have had for months
is, um
It isn't a cold.
Okay. Well, what is it?
Mom?
Honey, what are you doing?
We're gonna need everything we have.
Lucas, help me.
- I don't think
- Lucas, just help me!
Well, will you at least
have something to eat?
You still need to eat.
Piles of four.
We're gonna see every doctor we can.
There's a cancer center in San Francisco,
and we're going to get a second opinion
and a third and fourth opinion.
And I'm gonna call Jess.
Jess' parents can help.
I'm gonna call him tonight so that
- So that he can call them.
- Honey,
there are no more opinions to get.
- That's $5
- The whole team of doctors
looked at the scan.
I have stage IV terminal
- lung cancer.
- Please stop.
It's not treatable.
We aren't going to treat it.
Stop saying that!
Jesus, Clare. You think that's helping?
I was thinking
if you want to reach out to your dad
Why are you bringing him up?
Because he's your father.
And people can change.
And it's okay to love him
even when I'm gone.
Well, you're not gonna be gone.
You two may have given up, but I haven't.
Okay.
Wait, I don't get it.
That's what the kids
are into, James.
You're watching
someone on the Internet, eating?
Oh, but have you seen
the girl that does her hair
and tells you about women
who just snap and kill people?
Oh, that's quality right there.
Rae, grab your basket and come out here
help your cousin find eggs.
Some of those eggs, they got 20s in 'em.
You know what I used to do for $20?
- Oh, Lord.
- Yes.
Mommy!
What're you doing here?
Uh
I've I've brought pastries.
Clare, can I get you something to eat?
- Oh.
- I'm gonna fix you something to eat.
Danny said you weren't coming
or I would've left lunch out.
Oh, I never said I wasn't
Hey, Clare. No chicken salad today?
Uh, I didn't have time to make the ch
I just can't with those raisins.
They're currants.
- I put currants in the chicken.
- Even better.
Ignore her.
Wouldn't be Easter without you,
- all right?
- Aw, thank you.
And hey, don't worry about Rae.
Danny ever come home on a surfboard?
- I was talking about college.
- Hmm.
If you all need help, we got you.
Let me tell you,
if I gave away
my kid's college fund,
I'd be somewhere way worse
than in the basement, okay?
Here, Clare. Have something to eat.
You want some ham?
Okay.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Okay. It It It came up.
What the fuck do you mean, "It came up"?
- Clare
- 'Cause clearly you told them!
Clare, you gave your brother
$15,000 of our money.
It's a big fucking deal!
I told my dad. So what?
You know how much of our money
we give to your family every fucking year?
- What are you talking about?
- This whole city is
- crawling with your relatives.
- Okay?
There's graduation. There's weddings.
- There's baby showers. There's holidays.
- Yeah.
All I'm doing is making chicken salad
that just goes wasted!
Yeah, because no one likes raisins!
They're currants!
And they're fucking expensive,
so just add that to the tab!
Tab? So So we're keeping tally on who
No, I'm just making a point!
You give me so much shit
- about Lucas
- Yeah.
when all I do is shit for your family!
Our family, Clare.
Okay, the same family
that love us and care for us
and took you in.
And And
You know what? At the end of the day,
it's not even just about the money.
You gave that away without
even talking to me about it.
- I'm your husband.
- So just take my side.
Just be on my side.
And stop giving your aunt a fucking excuse
to make that fucking face at me
every time she fucking sees me!
Enough!
Oh. A A different aunt.
Oh, my God, what is wrong with you?
You can't keep trapping people
in tiny spaces just to yell at them!
None of this is okay.
Sneaking out.
Getting drunk.
Being so mean to me!
Why are you so mean to me? Huh?
- No
- Just stop!
Do you know what's going on out there?
It is a war zone!
There are condoms laced with fentanyl.
You don't even know what you're
talking about. That's not a thing.
All I'm saying is that
you need to be careful.
You need to be smart.
You need to find friends
that have your back.
I have friends.
What What about Bethany?
- Bethany? Bethany?
- Yes. She was so sweet.
You know Bethany had anal sex
on a Greyhound going to Reno?
- What?
- Yeah.
Why would she want to take a bus to Reno?
I don't know, maybe she was hoping
it would crash just to annoy her mother.
Okay.
I'ma pray for that Bethany.
Thank you.
Our Father
who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy
Hallowed be thy
Fuck Fathers!
Fuck you! Fuck you!
Didn't you ever hear
you catch more flies
with honey than vinegar?
That's what your mama always says to me.
She's gonna die.
It's lung cancer.
She just found out.
Uh I'm s
I'm so sorry.
That, uh
Oh, hon.
Anything I can do, -
Liv and me, we're just up the road.
Lady.
Sell me Lady.
Oh, darlin', she's
I've I've got, um
I've got $386 right now.
And after that, I can
I can give you monthly payments.
And, and however much you need,
I'll pay it. I just, uh
A horse would save her life.
And I I just I really
I need to save her life.
Clare.
Go home.
Be with your mom.
I'll be praying for y'all.
Oh, my God.
Shhh.
I'm sorry.
I didn't know what to write.
I didn't have the words.
Clare?
I'm glad you're here.
I was afraid you went home.
- I
- This isn't about the currants, is it?
Oh, psh.
I I'm just failing at
everything right now.
I just feel like
Sorry.
Danny and I are are fighting,
but I know you know that.
And, uh, Frankie can't stand me.
Rae.
I have such a hard time calling her that.
I just feel like there's a wall between us.
And I'm so afraid that something
bad is gonna happen.
You're not gonna lose her.
There was a reason
that I that I named her after my mom.
Must be hard sometimes coming here.
Oh, no! I'm just so grateful to you.
For all of you. So grateful.
It can be both.
All that
strength and courage
and love you had to find inside yourself
after your mom died,
you poured right into Rae.
You became the amazing mom you are
because you were forced
to learn to mother yourself.
I am not amazing.
Here. I'm gonna do something.
Oh, no, no. I'm I don't
This is not my
Dear Heavenly Father.
We come before you humbly,
requesting that you look out
for our dear, sweet baby girl,
Frankie Rae.
And that we all accept
who she is telling us she wants to be.
We ask that you wrap
your loving arms around
our precious Rae
and Clare.
Protect them from harm, Lord.
And we pray
that Clare feels us, her family
holding her in your divine love
just like you held her before.
Mom.
Dear Terrified,
I can't tell you how sorry I am
for what you and your family
are going through.
I'm sorry.
When I learned
my mom was gonna die of cancer,
she was only 45.
And I was terrified too.
I was also angry.
If God wasn't gonna save my mom,
then I thought
God was either a ruthless bitch
or more likely, just didn't exist.
But if He does,
I know He's not some spirit man
who may or may not hear our prayers
and swoop in to save us
when the going gets rough.
- I mean, she could have texted.
- Yeah.
So what if we thought
about God differently?
- Just call me, okay?
- Okay.
And realize that God
isn't in the answers to our prayers,
but in the people praying for us.
What if, together, those people form a raft?
Oh, my God.
That will hold your
weight and keep you afloat
by the human love given to you
when you needed it the most.
She's yours as long as
you'd like to keep her.
If I believed in God,
I'd see evidence of his existence in that.
So, Terrified,
what if you didn't worry
about everyone's God
Okay, I got it. I got it.
and allowed your God to exist
in the simple words
of compassion others offer you?
She was the reason I got up in the morning.
Montana.
What if faith
is the way it feels to lay your hand
on your daughter's sacred body,
Under the same big sky
where your mother held you?
What if in your darkest hour,
amidst your greatest fears
and your deepest losses,
you saw the miracle in that?
Yours,
Sugar.
Best day ever.
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