Inez & Doug & Kira (2019) - full transcript
When a bipolar woman commits suicide, her sister and her sister's fiancé become entangled in an attempt to discover what pushed her to the brink.
Be strong.
There's always
light the next day.
It was so
good to have you here.
So sorry
for your loss.
I appreciate that.
- Thank you.
- You're okay?
Tell Doug to call
me if he needs anything.
I will.
If you need
anything, please let me know.
Just call me
if you need anything.
Thank you.
Just as she
would have wanted it.
I appreciate
it, thank you.
You know, what
you did was illegal.
I'm the executor of her will.
Me.
Not you.
Not Edith, not
your grandparents.
Who survived the Holocaust.
And you wanted to tell them
that their Jewish granddaughter
would be cremated?
That's what she wanted!
She wanted a lot of
things that she shouldn't have.
Whatever happened
to honoring the dead?
Funerals are for the living.
I'm living, aren't I?
Yes, exactly, I am living.
And your grandparents,
as venerable
and as adorable as they may be,
they've got about five years
left between them, tops,
whereas I now have to
live the rest of my life
knowing that I failed her.
Even in something as
basic as cremation,
- I failed her.
- Doug,
it was either deal
with your anger
or do with their anger, and,
terror, just more of them.
Please.
This is hard for me, too.
Oh!
Just kicking.
Oh!
You want me to make
you some tea, huh?
Get you a heating
pad, run you a bath?
It would be much easier if I
knew what was wrong with you.
Yeah, run me a bath.
She just wrote, "Fuck you."
Do you understand
what kind of doghouse
you've put me into?
Yes.
Can you imagine if
you were pregnant,
and your baby daddy
just didn't show
for the anatomy scan?
Yes.
It's a pretty damn
important one, you know.
It's like where they find out
about heart defects and stuff.
Yes, I know what it is.
I guess if I were
more thoughtful,
I would have gone to the ER
at the same hospital
as her OB-GYN
so you could have done both.
Well, at least
tell me what happened...
Forget it.
I shouldn't have listed you
as my emergency contact.
They wouldn't let
me leave by myself.
They actually would if you
sign a bunch more papers.
Great, I'll know
that for next time.
That what?
Next time that what?
It was a kidney stone.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, sorry.
It wasn't a bullet
wound or anything.
No, no, my uncle
had one of those.
They had to, like, jackhammer
it up with a laser.
Okay, well.
It's over.
How do you feel now?
You need me to help?
No.
I'll just, I'll take that bath.
Go.
Look, my flight is at 10, so...
Charter school?
Oh, yeah.
You didn't tell me you got
the charter school story.
Hey, I got the
charter school story.
So, if you start to feel worse,
you promise me you'll
call your sister?
Her baby's fine.
She would have called you.
Look, my
flight is at 10.
You didn't
tell me you got
the charter school story.
Hey, I got the
charter school story.
So if you
start to feel worse...
I'll take that bath.
Go.
I'll take that bath.
Go.
I'll take that bath.
Go.
Go.
Well, this is what happens
when you bury people, Kira.
They can come back to haunt you.
It's in the Bible.
He wasn't buried.
Well, he wasn't
cremated either.
Maybe you should
talk to someone, hm?
I've been talking to
Dr. Levine about it.
It really helps.
I got it.
This looks like
it might be something.
We need to cancel her
accounts and all that stuff.
I'll take credit cards,
you take utilities.
Wait, we
should take a picture
before we touch anything.
The police already did.
Still.
You okay?
Yeah, I
just need a moment.
Here, lie down.
Guess who called me?
Dad?
I know, he called me too.
I didn't answer, obviously.
Well, I didn't
answer either.
But then I did.
He's in Mexico.
- God!
- Yeah.
Yeah, says his
trucking venture went bust.
Let me guess.
The guys he teamed
up with cheated him?
Ran off
with the shipment.
And he needs money.
You got it.
Don't tell me you're
giving it to him.
I don't know.
I'm telling you.
He did share an
interesting factoid with me.
Oh, yeah?
Turns out someone gave
him money back in March.
And you swore you wouldn't.
- And now you're giving me a guilt trip...
- Okay, okay!
for even thinking about it.
Fine!
Shit.
What happened to the
money I gave him in March?
Idunno.
Why didn't
you ask him that?
'Cause I
didn't want him to lie.
Hm, how noble of you.
Anyway,
I already sent it.
Aw, Inez!
I said it was from both of us.
And I said it was the last time.
Fuck!
How much was it?
Five thousand.
You don't have to give me half.
I don't want to give you half.
And you don't have
that kind of money.
I do.
Okay, so you do now, but...
You have to be careful.
I know.
Any interviews?
Any dates?
- There is this one guy.
- Oh, yeah?
He the sharpest
knife in the drawer.
And also...
What?
He was uncircumcised.
So?
Kira, we're Jews.
I don't want to put something
un-kosher in my mouth.
You eat
bacon-wrapped scallops.
Have you ever been with
anyone uncircumcised?
Uh, no.
Okay, well, you go do it
and then get back to me.
You know, most of the
world is uncircumcised.
I'm not planning on sleeping
with most of the world.
I dunno, isn't it supposed
to be better for something?
Like what,
concealing stuff?
Like, for some aspect of sex.
Kira, it's like this.
So, I think that
could be sexy.
Yeah?
Mm-hm.
Hey, baby.
Hm?
Hey.
Hey, baby.
No, don't slap my face.
Don't be like
that, don't be like that.
Just kiss me.
Stop, stop,
oh my god, stop!
Kiss it!
Don't you dare, no!
Kiss my foreskin.
Kiss it.
No, stop it!
Oh, Doug.
This is my sister, Kira.
- Hi.
- Hi.
We were just...
Sure.
Doug is the guy from AA
I told you I was bringing.
Oh, right.
Hey.
Hi.
Hi.
She loaned this to you
for that Great Gatsby
party, remember?
And she made you the
little hair thingy
with the liltle veil?
Kira?
What?
Oh, it's clean.
They cleaned it, see?
And that was the leak?
You can hear Angela in
the downstairs apartment?
Angela found her.
Why does she have wine?
Oh, she started
drinking again, responsibly.
Responsibly?
That was like
months ago, before Louis.
We haven't exactly been
tight, if you haven't noticed.
Yours?
Yeah.
She always kept a stash for me.
You want?
It's 10:00 a.m.
They're non-alcoholic!
Mm.
Louis' stuff.
This is what she did
before killing herself?
Going through old pictures
and packing up
ex-boyfriend's clothes,
instead of writing a note
like a normal person?
Should we give this
stuff back to him?
Fuck him.
He sucks.
You remember him at
your birthday party?
Oh, fuck him.
This scarf, though, is nice.
Mm-hm.
Maybe..?
- It's really super soft though.
- Nope.
Stop, give me the scarf.
Her credit report?
I don't know.
Whoa!
Ugh. George took that.
Mr. Small, our
guidance counselor.
What?
Yeah, they had a thing.
He got fired.
I hope he went to jail!
No, she was 17.
It's legal in New York State.
I did run into him in
the city about 10 years ago.
Turns out he's a psychologist.
Hope he's not
a child psychologist.
Here's a list of therapists
who take our insurance,
organized by patient
satisfaction rating and distance.
You are the most wonderful
human that ever lived.
You're working on that
charter school story tonight?
Yeah.
Can you pick
up some boxes after?
So, Doug, tell me
a bit about why you're here.
Well...
I've been having
trouble sleeping.
It's both insomnia and
um... restless sleep.
Like, like super vivid dreams.
And I know why. Um.
It's because my friend died.
My best friend, actually.
Do grownups even saying stuff
like that, my best friend?
Her.
Cancer?
Razor blades.
Were you together?
No.
I'm, I'm with her sister.
That's right,
she had a sister.
Twins.
We're
actually having a baby.
But such different girls.
Fraternal.
Sororal, I guess.
Is that a real word?
Yes, it's a real word.
- Yeah.
- Yep, it's real.
Believe it or not,
I joined the public school
system to make a difference.
I just wanted to help kids.
You didn't knock.
So?
So, go back outside and knock.
Come in, please.
So, do you know why
you were sent here?
Because I was causing a
disturbance in art history.
And how is that, exactly?
I kept
calling St. Francis a sissy.
- What?
- St. Francis of Assisi?
But I kept saying, "a sissy."
The Caravaggio painting?
"St. Francis in Ecstasy?"
Look, Inez, you're
a bright girl.
Why the constant
acting out in class?
Are you bored in class?
I guess.
Kids are generally
bored because
the work is too challenging
and then they tune out.
Or because they're not being
challenged sufficiently.
So, which one are you?
You know which one you are.
I have your transcript
right in front of me.
Then, why are you asking?
Because I want to know
if you are aware
of your motivation.
What does it matter?
It's an AP class.
That's as high as it goes.
What if I told you
we could sign you up
for a college art history
class next semester?
If someone is too
advanced for the AP class,
and they're motivated and
they're mature enough, we can...
I really don't think
I'm... mature enough.
What, what is
your deal, anyway?
Are you punk?
Are you grunge?
I'm not anything.
This is just my own style.
You honestly think this
getup is in any way original?
I don't see how you're qualified
to be a fashion critic.
It's not about fashion.
- Look, George.
- Mr. Small.
Look, Mr. Small, I
see you're married.
That's irrelevant.
Oh, but it's not.
Because you see, Mr.
Small, I'd like to ask you,
when's the last time
your wife sucked you off?
That long, huh?
I sent her to detention.
But gradually,
day by day...
Kelly, my wife at that
time, was finding herself
Inez's parents were divorcing.
I think her father walked
out, disappeared, so...
How long did it last?
Five months, maybe.
And then?
Oh, and then Kelly came back.
Inez went nuts.
She kept calling our house,
and then she told the principal.
Excuse me.
The principal received
an anonymous letter.
She ran me out of town.
I went back to school,
finished my PhD.
And...
And you're still married?
Oh, not to Kelly, no.
We got divorced, two kids
and four years later.
Guess
what I tried last night?
Drugs?
No.
Anal.
That's disgusting!
You have to keep
an open mind, Kira,
or else, you'll end up
repressed, like George's wife.
Oh, shit.
Our high school reunion.
So you won't go.
I guess I should email an
obit to the alumni newsletter.
Oh, and the Dartmouth
magazine and Yale.
I told the folks
at AA last night.
How did that go over?
I mean, we couldn't
help but wonder
if this would have happened
if she'd stayed in AA.
If I'd made her stay.
So I say I don't want to.
I'm sick today.
And he's like, "Fine.
"Just one beer then."
Can't say no to dad, you know,
especially after he's had a few.
So we cheers and I make like
I'm taking a swig, but I don't.
Actually poured it
into a flower pot
when they weren't looking.
And later, dad's like,
"Why does Elvis keep
sniffing that fern?"
This is the dog, Elvis.
Look, I know I gotta
tell him eventually,
but apparently this
weekend wasn't it.
But I didn't drink.
Thank you, Dennis.
Now, Doug, you also
wanted to share today?
Yeah, yes, I do.
So, I'm Doug, as
most of you know.
And I'm an alcoholic.
Hi, Doug.
I want talk to
you about the moment
when I realized
that I needed help.
I moved to New York
to be a journalist.
I was a copy editor
for New York Magazine.
My drink was Whiskey
single malt, neat.
Neat.
Mmm.
I like that term.
It's like it implies
that ice is messy.
Yeah, well, look
at the Titanic.
Inez, I know it's
your first day here.
But we don't
interrupt when someone
is in the middle of sharing.
- No, it's okay, T.J.
- I'm sorry, Doug.
It's okay, I
thought it was funny.
It doesn't
matter if it's funny.
So, I had a
girlfriend named Laura.
She also worked for
New York Magazine.
And after a couple of
years together, she said,
"Have you ever noticed
that almost everyone else
"in your department has been
promoted and you haven't?"
But that just made
me drink more.
And one day she left.
And I thought, well, fine, good.
There are plenty of
women in this town,
and I just kept it casual.
And time goes by fast, real
fast when you're drinking.
And one day, I ran into
Laura on the street.
I saw her and she had
two kids with her,
and they were big kids,
like tweens or something.
And I thought, "Shit!"
And she said, "Hey."
She teaches at Columbia
School of Journalism now.
She said, "Are you
still at the magazine?"
I said, yes, which was a lie
because they'd fired me
like six months earlier.
And the next morning,
I wake up on the floor.
No watch, no wallet,
scraped knuckles.
But actually, that
had happened before.
But there was this smell.
There was this, like,
sickly sweet smell.
I had myself a
blue-tongued skink.
That's a lizard
with a blue tongue.
It literally looks like
he's been sucking
on a blue lollipop.
And I named him Sergio and
they can live like 20 years.
And he'd been with
me for like 10.
And he was dead in the aquarium.
That was the smell. He was...
He was decomposing.
I hadn't fed him in
probably about a week,
and God knows last time
I'd cleaned his aquarium.
Look, I know Sergio
is just a lizard,
but, unlike Laura,
he couldn't complain
and yell at me and pack
his bags and leave.
'Cause just, I want,
I need to have beings
in my life who
could depend on me.
I want to have a
family, I want kids.
And that's when I
called my friend, Mike,
and said I needed help.
And he brought me here.
Thank you very much
for sharing that with us.
There's a school of
thought that says
alcoholics won't achieve
success with the program
unless we've
experienced rock bottom.
It's a bit of a
controversial theory.
But even if you
subscribe to that theory,
rock bottom can mean different
things for different people.
And now, let's talk about
next month's bake sale.
Yeah, it was harder than
I thought it would be.
You did great.
Hey, Greg,
come on over here.
Hi, sorry again about
that interjection.
Oh, my God, it's
really no problem.
It just seems
like everyone else
takes themselves very seriously.
Yeah, well, I think the
goal is to be sincere.
So, sarcasm is just kind
of at odds with that.
Anyway, since I'm
supposed to pick a sponsor,
I was wondering if
it could be you.
Oh, wow, thanks. Um...
I think you should
have a female sponsor.
Yeah, that's what
T.J. said, too.
But he also said
there's no rule.
So if you wanted to?
I mean, I'm not hitting on
you or anything.
Yeah.
It's just that I'm only
three months sober, so,
I think maybe you
should talk to Martha.
She's two years sober, I think.
She's really nice.
She was homeless.
And we're both black.
I'm Jewish, you know.
My dad was black,
my mom was Jewish.
So I'm Blewish.
Blewish.
Look, I just get
the sense from you,
like you feel safe, you know?
Can we just try it?
If it doesn't work out,
it doesn't work out.
Nineteen.
Thirty-six.
And thirty-four-and-a-half.
So, how exactly
did that thing end
with the guidance counselor?
You think this is like
mid-century or something?
Like, did someone
spot them together or?
Someone tipped
off the principal.
Oh, yeah, who?
Anonymous letter.
And they never figured
out who wrote it?
I don't even really remember.
What does it matter?
George fled, left town.
And then Inez put
her head in the oven.
Wait, what?
She didn't know that oven gas
hadn't been poisonous
since the late 70s.
Do the kitchen table?
Wow, this all looks amazing.
I should've brought more
than just a six pack.
No, no, no, no, no,
that's great, really.
And who's that?
That's Biscuit.
The girl who lives
downstairs is away
and also having her floors done.
So Biscuit has to stay with
me until the fumes die down.
He talks back.
Yikes, I hope I didn't
say anything like,
"Your mother is a whore."
So, step nine.
Amends.
Super long list,
starting with my sister.
Twin sister, not identical.
Do you guys have like a
special twin connection?
A little bit.
There is this one time I
got this super sharp pain
in my side and turned out
she'd broken her rib skiing.
Oh, my God.
I've always wondered,
are twins better people,
because you're born
having to share?
Well, clearly not.
Maybe you'd be even
worse if you weren't a twin.
Well, my sister is definitely
a better person than I am.
How so?
She never caused any
trouble, unlike me.
She always forgave me when
I was an asshole to her.
She never resented that certain
things came easier to me
than to her, you know, like
boys and school and work.
You should just meet her.
Okay.
What are you
doing on the Fourth?
Um...
Great, we'll pencil you in.
Okay.
Oh, hey, by the
way, I sold a story.
- To that nature blog?
- Yup.
Oh, congrats!
Cheers.
It's my first check in a while.
Mm.
So...
So, I wanted to celebrate by...
asking you on a date.
A date?
Yes, so here's the thing.
I really like you and obviously,
I don't want to make
this 13th-Stepping,
or to interfere with any
of the great progress
that you've been making.
So I've already talked to Martha
about transferring over
your sponsorship to her.
And I can start going to
the 79th Street meetings.
That's just as
close to my house.
I thought you were my friend.
I am your friend.
Would
anyone even be my friend
if they didn't want to fuck me?
Oh, my God, I'm sorry.
You were helping me.
I was getting better with you.
Why I fuck up anything good
that ever starts in my life?
No, listen, I'm sorry.
Forget everything I
just said, please.
I'll stay your sponsor.
But that's not what you want.
Yes, it is.
I just want you to
be happy, I swear.
Come on, let's practice.
- Now?
- Yes.
Okay, fine.
Hi, my name is Inez.
Hi, Inez.
Yeah.
So, I'm Inez, and
I'm a drug addict
and an alcoholic, I guess.
And I'm... bipolar.
I was always, I don't know.
Something was always off,
but I did good in school.
I went to Dartmouth undergrad,
Yale Law School, got
a job at a top firm.
The hours were insane, 80, 90.
There was a lot of Ritalin
going around to stay awake.
And then in the few
hours we had off,
we hit it hard: booze,
coke, speed, ecstasy,
to cram 30 hours of
living into three.
I'm not saying this
to get sympathy.
I was making a lot of money.
I was on partner track.
About that time, I was
diagnosed as bipolar.
Initially it was a relief,
because all those mood
swings made sense.
I was given tools
to control them.
But you really
shouldn't mix those meds
with alcohol.
Let alone cocaine.
I was dating this
guy in banking,
and he, well... it
didn't work out.
And that crushed me.
I was at my firm's
holiday party.
I locked myself in the bathroom,
and I did more coke
than I'd ever done.
I woke up in the hospital,
handcuffed to the bed.
You know...
I also want to be
able to have a kid.
I want to be a good mom.
Anyway, the charges were dropped
and I did three months
in rehab, and here I am.
And we welcome you.
Were you her one phone call?
I was arrested, too.
Oh, she didn't tell
you about that part?
Mm-mm.
I had started a counsel
position with her firm
in September of that year,
so we went to the
holiday party together.
I knew she was upset,
but I had no idea...
But why did you get arrested?
There was cocaine
in both purses.
My arrest was expunged, but
I lost that job, obviously.
Well, you're better
off in-house anyway.
Yeah.
I mean, those
hours are insane.
Yeah.
She kind of did you a favor.
Hi.
Nah, I'll just wait
till Sean gets here.
Check this out.
- Oh, no.
- No, no, no, it feels good.
I don't know,
it's just numb.
Oh, shit, be right back.
Hi.
I'm Valerie.
I'm taking Sean's shift tonight.
He should have texted you.
Oh.
Please.
Yes, he did.
Okay.
Well.
It's good to know that his
business is in good hands.
Hey, do you private parties?
It would really depend.
How about New Year's?
I imagine that's a
busy time for you.
I'll have to
check my schedule.
What was that?
That was the new Sean.
Yeah, I get that.
You said you were gonna be
in Geneva through New Year's?
Look, I don't ask you
about your personal life.
You are my personal life.
I don't think
this is a good time
to have a relationship convo.
Have you been
seeing other women?
Really?
Have you been
seeing other women?
You and I never had a
conversation about exclusivity.
Well, it was
certainly implied.
Implied is not stated.
As a lawyer, I think
you'd know the difference.
How many are there?
When do you even do it?
I met your mother!
Please
don't flip out on me.
We've been
dating for six months.
- Yes.
- Six months.
Doesn't that mean anything?
Yes, it does.
It means that we
work well together,
because you share my hours.
But we've talked about our
dreams and settling down.
No, dear.
You talked about your dreams,
and I listened to you,
which is something
most men don't do.
But don't you want to
slow down, start a family?
I don't want to start a
family with my coke buddy.
Shit.
Please don't do this.
Okay, I'm sorry.
I'm out.
No, you can't.
Tonight's important.
- Inez, I'm...
- No, John.
Please, listen to me.
I'm going to introduce
you to Peter.
I've told him all about you.
He's gonna be there with
his stick-up-her-ass wife.
- Peter, what Peter?
- Peter Cole.
As in, senior partner Peter.
As in, my partnership hinges
on his perception of me, Peter.
Then you don't want
to ruin your makeup.
John, please don't leave me.
I need to appear normal, okay?
The other minority woman in
partner track has two kids,
and I'm not even engaged.
I think that's my final cue.
Here.
This was supposed to be for us.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- You ready?
- Yeah.
You've been crying?
Oh, come on, no.
Hey, come on.
Breathe.
Okay?
Yeah, okay, okay, I'm okay.
You still want to go?
Yeah, totally.
It's going to be
great, so great.
I really, I'm totally ready.
I'm so ready.
- Are you sure you're okay?
- Yeah.
Can you tell?
No.
Seriously?
No, you look great.
I promise.
Hey!
How do I look?
Oh, you look so great!
Oh, that purse, though.
What?
It's nice.
Why?
Yeah?
So much better.
Mm-hmm.
I think we need to take
another look at all these.
Like, what's this one?
Oh, that was camp.
And what
happened there?
I dunno.
We tried archery.
Did something
significant happen?
Doug, I don't know.
What about this one?
This was law school, probably.
And?
Doug, I don't know.
I didn't go to Yale
fucking law school.
Okay, stop.
This is weird.
And you know, she can
hear everything now, so.
Oh, is she kicking?
Why doesn't she
ever do it for me?
Because you're
weirding her out.
We're going home.
Oh, don't cry.
Oh, my God.
What?
Kidney stones, what?
Why did she lie to me?
Huh?
Pelvic
ultrasound and misoprostol
aren't for kidney stones.
That's what she
told me, I swear.
She had a miscarriage.
I knew it.
I knew we were going to
get pregnant together
so that our daughters would be
as close to twins as possible.
We've got to tell Louis.
No. If she wanted him to
know, she would have told him.
Or maybe she didn't tell him,
but then at the last minute,
she decided that she
did want him to know.
That's why she packed
all this stuff up
for us to give to him
and for us to tell him.
There's meaning behind
everything here.
Don't you see that?
I mean, this is her note.
She's trying to
communicate with us.
Like she's trying to
communicate through your dreams?
Okay, look, why
don't we just return
his stuff to him and
suss out what he knows?
And then we can make the
call whether to tell him.
Damn, this guy sure has a
thing for cashmere, huh?
I hope she didn't induce it.
Like, throw herself
down the stairs or...
drink something.
Why would she have done that?
I don't know.
I don't know why I said that.
I'm gonna start
packing the kitchen.
I'll take that bath.
Go.
Fuck charter schools.
Inez?
What did you do?
- Just the table.
- Oh, that's fine.
That's fine, too.
Oh, this is my boyfriend, Doug.
- Hi there.
- Hey.
As I was saying, there's
just, if you want to look,
there's a little scratch
there on the leg, that's it.
It's just so much darker.
It's just a lot darker
than on the photographs.
Sorry, I was the photographer.
Oh, it's just we have
these Danish chairs and...
Yeah, but they're
a lot lighter.
- Sorry.
- No problem.
- I'll show you out.
- Okay, thank you.
Bye.
I didn't know you're
going to be here.
Well, I didn't know you're
going to be here either.
I thought you had that interview
with the teachers union lady.
Um, she rescheduled.
I was going to meet Louis.
Really?
We agreed.
We didn't.
Okay, well.
It's happening.
Okay.
And Kira, I just don't
think that it's right
to be bringing
people by here yet.
You know we need to
clear this place up
by the 31st, right?
Yeah, but I just think it's...
It's like a little, I
don't know, sacrilegious
to be hawking furniture
while she's still...
while there's still
unfinished business.
And when will this
business be finished?
After Louis, will
it be finished?
I can't tell if this is...
normal grief or something else.
Well, you know, I could
just as easily accuse you
of being a little
too good at coping.
And Dr. Levine must be
one hell of a shrink
because you're totally
Zen about this.
Okay, Doug, what you
don't seem to understand
is I have had my entire
lifetime to prepare for this.
I remember her crying
at night, growing up,
hours and hours,
night after night.
And our parents would be in
there trying to console her.
I think that's what
finally drove our dad away.
Come on, that's a
shitty thing to say.
That's what happened.
She had a talent for driving
people apart, didn't she?
I don't want to be
here when he shows up.
No, no, no way.
No, no, no, I'm not going to.
I'm just turning off the ringer.
See?
No, just...
What if it's an emergency?
What are the chances
of it being an emergency?
Well, if they're so
low, just take the call
so I can stop worrying
and get hard again.
What?!
Is she okay?
It's midnight, Inez.
No, that's where you're wrong.
I don't want to be disturbed,
but I can't turn my ringer off
because one never knows
when you're having an
actual emergency, so.
No, you can't talk
to him, he's busy.
Goodbye.
Jesus.
Well, what was it?
She had an epiphany.
She might be manic,
I should go over there.
No, Doug, no.
You're a good man and
that's why I love you.
But people take advantage.
Last week, it was a spider.
Tuesday, her cable went out.
I mean, Doug, this is my
last day in the cycle.
Next month, I'm
at the conference.
We're going to blow two cycles.
Okay, now don't be
upset, but I quit AA.
Now, I never actually had
a problem with drinking.
It was the coke mainly,
and I haven't touched drugs
since I got out of
rehab, not even pot.
But I have to be able
to drink with dinner.
I mean, first of all,
first of all, it's fun.
People are so boring without it,
and I'm so boring without it.
Secondly, if I don't
drink with dinner,
he's gonna know
something's wrong with me
and he definitely
wouldn't date someone
with a substance abuse problem.
He's got a lot to deal breakers.
Who?
Louis.
Who's Louis?
He's my epiphany.
I had this total breakthrough.
Why have none of my
relationships ever worked?
Because I go for
guys who leave me.
But this time, get this,
this time, I'm going
for someone I never
in a million years
would ever get with.
This guy, Louis, he was in
love with me in college.
He's like this nerd,
this little nerdlet.
And I found him on Facebook.
I wasn't even looking for him.
He just popped up through
that wonderful algorithm.
Then I met him, and now
we're going to date.
Great.
See, I'm so
far out of his league,
he could never leave me.
Do you
even like this guy?
This guy
wants to settle down.
This is my last
chance to have a kid.
You have time.
Oh, right, how's
it going for Kira?
Is she on her 20th round of IVF?
You don't have to be
with a man to have a child.
You want my kid to have a
single mom who is bipolar?
I've been through that,
I wouldn't recommend it.
Wait, Edith was bipolar?
Mm-hm, never diagnosed,
but most definitely.
Why do you think my dad left?
Hm.
This guy Louis is
so uptight about sex.
He was like raised religious.
He's only been with
like five girls
and he's got such a huge chip
on his shoulder about it.
Doesn't sound like
you really like him.
I like the idea of him.
I'm thinking long-term.
I'm thinking about
what matters.
I'm not really attracted to him,
if that's what you mean.
But, you know, bottle of wine
and I can just close my
eyes and think of England.
'Cause who cares about
physical attraction?
You know, that's good
for six months, tops.
It fades, that
initial lust fades.
It's overrated.
Good looks are a smoke screen.
Good-looking guys can't be nice.
They don't need to be.
Can good-looking
girls be nice
and not call in the
middle of the night?
I just wanted
to run it by you.
Look, I'm on thin
ice with your sister.
I really love her.
Please don't fuck
this up for me.
Fine.
I've reordered for
you, but you've got
to put it in your
calendar for next month
cause if you don't, your nerdlet
will definitely realize
that you have issues.
Thank you.
You're my savior.
Mm-hm.
I'm gonna be so normal,
I'm gonna land this guy.
I'm sorry for your loss.
There should have
been a blue scarf?
Nope, no, no scarf.
But she did put
her credit report
in there for some reason.
Do you know why she'd
want you to have that?
Uh, actually, I gave her this.
You're early.
You got the test!
It's my credit score.
Citibank, Amex, student loans,
why do you have
my credit report?
It's a full background check.
I see.
I didn't think anybody
could just do that.
I didn't do this.
My dad did this.
Asked his friend at the Bureau.
Why?
Because I was thinking of...
A future together.
Why are you using
the past tense, Louis?
You were arrested
for possession
of a Schedule Two narcotic!
Everyone has a past.
I don't.
I got a parking ticket once,
because the meter was broken.
I'm running for
public office, Inez.
You're running for Democratic
Precinct Committee Member.
It's a stepping stone.
You know, non-convicts don't
show up after seven years,
so pretty soon, that'll be gone.
That's not even
the main point.
The main point is that you
don't respect your body!
I haven't touched
drugs since then.
It's not just about that.
I, for example, have
only been with six women.
How many men have you been with?
Your dad didn't tell you?
You're not even remorseful.
Come here.
Come here.
You feel bad about
it, don't you?
Don't you?
Yes.
I need your medical history.
You just saw my
blood test last week.
Your full medical history.
Ashkenazi test
panel, everything.
Well.
I will save you the trouble.
I'm bipolar.
That's it, just like that?
Would you marry
someone with mental illness?
She called me totally
hysterical after you left.
I ran over here, and
Kira kicked me out.
I'm sorry.
You said that she thought that
that was some kind
of a test result?
We, uh....
We took blood tests
to stop using condoms.
Her results came back; we
were still waiting on mine.
So you...
You always used
condoms with her?
Obviously.
Why?
Was she pregnant?
Well, it must have
been another guy.
As you may know, she had many.
You know, Inez thought
you were too unattractive
to ever reject her.
Maybe she should
have tried you!
What took you so long?
Well, I did take a moment
to get broken up with.
What, no.
Didn't you tell
her Louis left me?
Mm-hm.
Shit, I'm sorry.
I'll talk to her.
I'll make everything okay.
No, Inez, you don't
make anything okay.
You just fuck things up.
God, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Sorry.
Wait.
Was this full?
Shit.
If Kira can kick you
out for helping a friend
in a desperate situation,
then she doesn't deserve you.
And who does
deserve me, Inez, hm?
Nobody.
Certainly not me.
Come on.
Come on.
You're not so bad.
- Yes, I am.
- No, you're not.
Yes, I am.
Everybody has always left me.
- I never left you.
- You should have.
- No.
- Yes, you should.
Stop it.
Why would you stay with me?
I fuck everything up.
'Cause you're...
You're Blewish.
And you really know
how to insult a cat.
And you...
You're, you're interesting.
Like, when I'm with you,
it's just not going
to be an average day.
Whoa, no.
You're drunk.
I need you.
Please, I really need you.
I need you more than she does.
Damn, don't
sneak up on me.
You
need help lathering up?
No.
I think you do.
Stop it, you
gotta give me some space.
Don't you
want some of this?
No, I just want
to wash my ass in peace.
How
about some of this?
I mean, I want some of that.
What the fuck?
Who said that?
It's
coming from that leak.
Yo, who's up there?
You're just going to speak
to my woman like that?
Oh, you lost your
voice all of a sudden.
Speak up.
I'm coming up there.
- Joe, don't.
- I'm coming.
Joe!
Joe, Joe, stop.
Joe, please!
So, you're the big man here.
Eavesdropping, dirty-talking,
leaking her ceiling?
Look, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, Angela.
I didn't mean anything by it.
I was not trying to
eavesdrop on purpose
and I didn't leak her ceiling.
Joe, this is where
that lady died.
Yeah, she leaked her ceiling.
So what are you doing here?
You know what, I don't know.
To be honest, I don't
know why I'm here.
I thought I was trying
to get some clarity,
but everything's
gotten a lot murkier.
You better step on a super
finish fixing the hole.
Absolutely, I will.
I will talk to him again.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Hey, Angela.
Sorry, we have to
vacate by the 31st.
I'm gonna need your set of keys.
I never had keys
to her apartment.
But you
found her that night.
The door was open.
Fuck charter schools.
Inez?
You can't go in in there.
Why, what's in there?
How long
have you been here?
Huh?
When did you come here?
I don't know.
It was probably
3:00 or 4:00 a.m.
Some guy named Vijay called.
Said he hasn't heard
from you in 10 days.
That you're a week
behind on that draft
for the charter school thing.
Why aren't you
answering your phone?
I guess I just didn't hear it.
Doug, did you
ever go see the therapist?
Yeah, as a matter
of fact, I did.
So?
Wasn't a good fit.
Doug, I want you to
come home with me now.
No.
Why?
I don't know.
She's dead.
She's dead.
There is nothing
anyone could have done.
We all love her, we miss
her, but she's dead!
Okay?!
You're glad she's dead.
I'm not glad she's dead!
I understand why she's dead.
And you refuse to understand it,
even though she is trying
to explain it to you.
It is a permanent solution
to a temporary problem.
It's a permanent problem.
The way she saw the world
was a permanent problem.
She couldn't deal
with... with it.
So, what?
So, some guy broke her heart.
So what?
It happens to everyone.
Everyone moves on.
People move on, from rape,
from divorce, from
being paralyzed.
She couldn't deal with anything
that ever happened to
her, so she just suffered.
And she made others
suffer with her.
Well, she's done
suffering now.
Yeah, that's what she wanted.
She wanted to stop suffering.
You don't have to keep your
phone on at night anymore.
You won't have to worry
whether she went off
of her meds or not.
You don't have to share my...
Attention.
Doug, please.
Please, you have
to get out of here.
Please come home.
We need you.
Don't use
the pregnant "we."
That's not fair.
Fine.
Fine.
I have to get out of here.
And I am bringing somebody
to look at the bed tomorrow.
And don't ever, ever
walk out on a woman
when she's sleeping,
especially when she's pregnant.
I don't want to see you.
Give me those.
Seriously, only Doug
should have a set.
I'm pregnant.
Go, Doug.
Inez!
You've never done IVF,
but it's fucking hell.
The first two batches
didn't stick.
And I'm so scared
about this one.
Doug and I were
trying to work it out,
but, you know, we're
both so volatile and,
yeah, I'm really sorry,
but I asked him not to see you.
Just until it's born.
Just let us have
this baby.
Thanks, thank you.
Are you pregnant?
Why did you say that?
I don't
know, it's just...
Well, I'm not.
Because if you are,
you can come to me
to discuss your options.
My options?
Well, I'm not.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Don't go.
Inez?
Inez?
Please stay.
Just stay.
Stay with me.
Why didn't you tell me?
- I would have...
- You would have what?
Held my hand during
the abortion?
I would have helped you
do whatever you wanted.
Of course, I would.
I swear I would have
been there for you.
Please, believe me.
What do I have to do
to make you believe me?
You can come with me now.
Come up to heaven with me.
We can live in heaven
with our little girl.
Be there for me now.
Be there for her.
I don't think you
can be in heaven.
You killed yourself.
No.
Judaism is really
chill about that.
Don't go.
Don't go.
No, Inez, wait.
I'm coming.
Kira, she's...
Inez, I know you
were with Doug today.
He missed our NT scan.
You gotta stop her.
Baby's healthy,
if anyone cares.
I don't care if
you're in the bath.
We need to talk.
Inez.
9-1-1,
what's your emergency?
Hello, this is 9-1-1.
What's your emergency?
Can you hear me?
What do you want?
I want
some more hot water.
You thought I'd be a bad mom.
Kids turn out
how they turn out.
Yo, who said
you could use my perfume?
A big bubble.
Right there.
Right in here.
Right up these stairs.
Come on in.
What did you do?
Kira, were
you here that night?
What night?
That night.
Were you here the night
that she got pregnant?
I've hit bottom.
I need help.
I'll help you.
I need help.
I need help!
There's always
light the next day.
It was so
good to have you here.
So sorry
for your loss.
I appreciate that.
- Thank you.
- You're okay?
Tell Doug to call
me if he needs anything.
I will.
If you need
anything, please let me know.
Just call me
if you need anything.
Thank you.
Just as she
would have wanted it.
I appreciate
it, thank you.
You know, what
you did was illegal.
I'm the executor of her will.
Me.
Not you.
Not Edith, not
your grandparents.
Who survived the Holocaust.
And you wanted to tell them
that their Jewish granddaughter
would be cremated?
That's what she wanted!
She wanted a lot of
things that she shouldn't have.
Whatever happened
to honoring the dead?
Funerals are for the living.
I'm living, aren't I?
Yes, exactly, I am living.
And your grandparents,
as venerable
and as adorable as they may be,
they've got about five years
left between them, tops,
whereas I now have to
live the rest of my life
knowing that I failed her.
Even in something as
basic as cremation,
- I failed her.
- Doug,
it was either deal
with your anger
or do with their anger, and,
terror, just more of them.
Please.
This is hard for me, too.
Oh!
Just kicking.
Oh!
You want me to make
you some tea, huh?
Get you a heating
pad, run you a bath?
It would be much easier if I
knew what was wrong with you.
Yeah, run me a bath.
She just wrote, "Fuck you."
Do you understand
what kind of doghouse
you've put me into?
Yes.
Can you imagine if
you were pregnant,
and your baby daddy
just didn't show
for the anatomy scan?
Yes.
It's a pretty damn
important one, you know.
It's like where they find out
about heart defects and stuff.
Yes, I know what it is.
I guess if I were
more thoughtful,
I would have gone to the ER
at the same hospital
as her OB-GYN
so you could have done both.
Well, at least
tell me what happened...
Forget it.
I shouldn't have listed you
as my emergency contact.
They wouldn't let
me leave by myself.
They actually would if you
sign a bunch more papers.
Great, I'll know
that for next time.
That what?
Next time that what?
It was a kidney stone.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, sorry.
It wasn't a bullet
wound or anything.
No, no, my uncle
had one of those.
They had to, like, jackhammer
it up with a laser.
Okay, well.
It's over.
How do you feel now?
You need me to help?
No.
I'll just, I'll take that bath.
Go.
Look, my flight is at 10, so...
Charter school?
Oh, yeah.
You didn't tell me you got
the charter school story.
Hey, I got the
charter school story.
So, if you start to feel worse,
you promise me you'll
call your sister?
Her baby's fine.
She would have called you.
Look, my
flight is at 10.
You didn't
tell me you got
the charter school story.
Hey, I got the
charter school story.
So if you
start to feel worse...
I'll take that bath.
Go.
I'll take that bath.
Go.
I'll take that bath.
Go.
Go.
Well, this is what happens
when you bury people, Kira.
They can come back to haunt you.
It's in the Bible.
He wasn't buried.
Well, he wasn't
cremated either.
Maybe you should
talk to someone, hm?
I've been talking to
Dr. Levine about it.
It really helps.
I got it.
This looks like
it might be something.
We need to cancel her
accounts and all that stuff.
I'll take credit cards,
you take utilities.
Wait, we
should take a picture
before we touch anything.
The police already did.
Still.
You okay?
Yeah, I
just need a moment.
Here, lie down.
Guess who called me?
Dad?
I know, he called me too.
I didn't answer, obviously.
Well, I didn't
answer either.
But then I did.
He's in Mexico.
- God!
- Yeah.
Yeah, says his
trucking venture went bust.
Let me guess.
The guys he teamed
up with cheated him?
Ran off
with the shipment.
And he needs money.
You got it.
Don't tell me you're
giving it to him.
I don't know.
I'm telling you.
He did share an
interesting factoid with me.
Oh, yeah?
Turns out someone gave
him money back in March.
And you swore you wouldn't.
- And now you're giving me a guilt trip...
- Okay, okay!
for even thinking about it.
Fine!
Shit.
What happened to the
money I gave him in March?
Idunno.
Why didn't
you ask him that?
'Cause I
didn't want him to lie.
Hm, how noble of you.
Anyway,
I already sent it.
Aw, Inez!
I said it was from both of us.
And I said it was the last time.
Fuck!
How much was it?
Five thousand.
You don't have to give me half.
I don't want to give you half.
And you don't have
that kind of money.
I do.
Okay, so you do now, but...
You have to be careful.
I know.
Any interviews?
Any dates?
- There is this one guy.
- Oh, yeah?
He the sharpest
knife in the drawer.
And also...
What?
He was uncircumcised.
So?
Kira, we're Jews.
I don't want to put something
un-kosher in my mouth.
You eat
bacon-wrapped scallops.
Have you ever been with
anyone uncircumcised?
Uh, no.
Okay, well, you go do it
and then get back to me.
You know, most of the
world is uncircumcised.
I'm not planning on sleeping
with most of the world.
I dunno, isn't it supposed
to be better for something?
Like what,
concealing stuff?
Like, for some aspect of sex.
Kira, it's like this.
So, I think that
could be sexy.
Yeah?
Mm-hm.
Hey, baby.
Hm?
Hey.
Hey, baby.
No, don't slap my face.
Don't be like
that, don't be like that.
Just kiss me.
Stop, stop,
oh my god, stop!
Kiss it!
Don't you dare, no!
Kiss my foreskin.
Kiss it.
No, stop it!
Oh, Doug.
This is my sister, Kira.
- Hi.
- Hi.
We were just...
Sure.
Doug is the guy from AA
I told you I was bringing.
Oh, right.
Hey.
Hi.
Hi.
She loaned this to you
for that Great Gatsby
party, remember?
And she made you the
little hair thingy
with the liltle veil?
Kira?
What?
Oh, it's clean.
They cleaned it, see?
And that was the leak?
You can hear Angela in
the downstairs apartment?
Angela found her.
Why does she have wine?
Oh, she started
drinking again, responsibly.
Responsibly?
That was like
months ago, before Louis.
We haven't exactly been
tight, if you haven't noticed.
Yours?
Yeah.
She always kept a stash for me.
You want?
It's 10:00 a.m.
They're non-alcoholic!
Mm.
Louis' stuff.
This is what she did
before killing herself?
Going through old pictures
and packing up
ex-boyfriend's clothes,
instead of writing a note
like a normal person?
Should we give this
stuff back to him?
Fuck him.
He sucks.
You remember him at
your birthday party?
Oh, fuck him.
This scarf, though, is nice.
Mm-hm.
Maybe..?
- It's really super soft though.
- Nope.
Stop, give me the scarf.
Her credit report?
I don't know.
Whoa!
Ugh. George took that.
Mr. Small, our
guidance counselor.
What?
Yeah, they had a thing.
He got fired.
I hope he went to jail!
No, she was 17.
It's legal in New York State.
I did run into him in
the city about 10 years ago.
Turns out he's a psychologist.
Hope he's not
a child psychologist.
Here's a list of therapists
who take our insurance,
organized by patient
satisfaction rating and distance.
You are the most wonderful
human that ever lived.
You're working on that
charter school story tonight?
Yeah.
Can you pick
up some boxes after?
So, Doug, tell me
a bit about why you're here.
Well...
I've been having
trouble sleeping.
It's both insomnia and
um... restless sleep.
Like, like super vivid dreams.
And I know why. Um.
It's because my friend died.
My best friend, actually.
Do grownups even saying stuff
like that, my best friend?
Her.
Cancer?
Razor blades.
Were you together?
No.
I'm, I'm with her sister.
That's right,
she had a sister.
Twins.
We're
actually having a baby.
But such different girls.
Fraternal.
Sororal, I guess.
Is that a real word?
Yes, it's a real word.
- Yeah.
- Yep, it's real.
Believe it or not,
I joined the public school
system to make a difference.
I just wanted to help kids.
You didn't knock.
So?
So, go back outside and knock.
Come in, please.
So, do you know why
you were sent here?
Because I was causing a
disturbance in art history.
And how is that, exactly?
I kept
calling St. Francis a sissy.
- What?
- St. Francis of Assisi?
But I kept saying, "a sissy."
The Caravaggio painting?
"St. Francis in Ecstasy?"
Look, Inez, you're
a bright girl.
Why the constant
acting out in class?
Are you bored in class?
I guess.
Kids are generally
bored because
the work is too challenging
and then they tune out.
Or because they're not being
challenged sufficiently.
So, which one are you?
You know which one you are.
I have your transcript
right in front of me.
Then, why are you asking?
Because I want to know
if you are aware
of your motivation.
What does it matter?
It's an AP class.
That's as high as it goes.
What if I told you
we could sign you up
for a college art history
class next semester?
If someone is too
advanced for the AP class,
and they're motivated and
they're mature enough, we can...
I really don't think
I'm... mature enough.
What, what is
your deal, anyway?
Are you punk?
Are you grunge?
I'm not anything.
This is just my own style.
You honestly think this
getup is in any way original?
I don't see how you're qualified
to be a fashion critic.
It's not about fashion.
- Look, George.
- Mr. Small.
Look, Mr. Small, I
see you're married.
That's irrelevant.
Oh, but it's not.
Because you see, Mr.
Small, I'd like to ask you,
when's the last time
your wife sucked you off?
That long, huh?
I sent her to detention.
But gradually,
day by day...
Kelly, my wife at that
time, was finding herself
Inez's parents were divorcing.
I think her father walked
out, disappeared, so...
How long did it last?
Five months, maybe.
And then?
Oh, and then Kelly came back.
Inez went nuts.
She kept calling our house,
and then she told the principal.
Excuse me.
The principal received
an anonymous letter.
She ran me out of town.
I went back to school,
finished my PhD.
And...
And you're still married?
Oh, not to Kelly, no.
We got divorced, two kids
and four years later.
Guess
what I tried last night?
Drugs?
No.
Anal.
That's disgusting!
You have to keep
an open mind, Kira,
or else, you'll end up
repressed, like George's wife.
Oh, shit.
Our high school reunion.
So you won't go.
I guess I should email an
obit to the alumni newsletter.
Oh, and the Dartmouth
magazine and Yale.
I told the folks
at AA last night.
How did that go over?
I mean, we couldn't
help but wonder
if this would have happened
if she'd stayed in AA.
If I'd made her stay.
So I say I don't want to.
I'm sick today.
And he's like, "Fine.
"Just one beer then."
Can't say no to dad, you know,
especially after he's had a few.
So we cheers and I make like
I'm taking a swig, but I don't.
Actually poured it
into a flower pot
when they weren't looking.
And later, dad's like,
"Why does Elvis keep
sniffing that fern?"
This is the dog, Elvis.
Look, I know I gotta
tell him eventually,
but apparently this
weekend wasn't it.
But I didn't drink.
Thank you, Dennis.
Now, Doug, you also
wanted to share today?
Yeah, yes, I do.
So, I'm Doug, as
most of you know.
And I'm an alcoholic.
Hi, Doug.
I want talk to
you about the moment
when I realized
that I needed help.
I moved to New York
to be a journalist.
I was a copy editor
for New York Magazine.
My drink was Whiskey
single malt, neat.
Neat.
Mmm.
I like that term.
It's like it implies
that ice is messy.
Yeah, well, look
at the Titanic.
Inez, I know it's
your first day here.
But we don't
interrupt when someone
is in the middle of sharing.
- No, it's okay, T.J.
- I'm sorry, Doug.
It's okay, I
thought it was funny.
It doesn't
matter if it's funny.
So, I had a
girlfriend named Laura.
She also worked for
New York Magazine.
And after a couple of
years together, she said,
"Have you ever noticed
that almost everyone else
"in your department has been
promoted and you haven't?"
But that just made
me drink more.
And one day she left.
And I thought, well, fine, good.
There are plenty of
women in this town,
and I just kept it casual.
And time goes by fast, real
fast when you're drinking.
And one day, I ran into
Laura on the street.
I saw her and she had
two kids with her,
and they were big kids,
like tweens or something.
And I thought, "Shit!"
And she said, "Hey."
She teaches at Columbia
School of Journalism now.
She said, "Are you
still at the magazine?"
I said, yes, which was a lie
because they'd fired me
like six months earlier.
And the next morning,
I wake up on the floor.
No watch, no wallet,
scraped knuckles.
But actually, that
had happened before.
But there was this smell.
There was this, like,
sickly sweet smell.
I had myself a
blue-tongued skink.
That's a lizard
with a blue tongue.
It literally looks like
he's been sucking
on a blue lollipop.
And I named him Sergio and
they can live like 20 years.
And he'd been with
me for like 10.
And he was dead in the aquarium.
That was the smell. He was...
He was decomposing.
I hadn't fed him in
probably about a week,
and God knows last time
I'd cleaned his aquarium.
Look, I know Sergio
is just a lizard,
but, unlike Laura,
he couldn't complain
and yell at me and pack
his bags and leave.
'Cause just, I want,
I need to have beings
in my life who
could depend on me.
I want to have a
family, I want kids.
And that's when I
called my friend, Mike,
and said I needed help.
And he brought me here.
Thank you very much
for sharing that with us.
There's a school of
thought that says
alcoholics won't achieve
success with the program
unless we've
experienced rock bottom.
It's a bit of a
controversial theory.
But even if you
subscribe to that theory,
rock bottom can mean different
things for different people.
And now, let's talk about
next month's bake sale.
Yeah, it was harder than
I thought it would be.
You did great.
Hey, Greg,
come on over here.
Hi, sorry again about
that interjection.
Oh, my God, it's
really no problem.
It just seems
like everyone else
takes themselves very seriously.
Yeah, well, I think the
goal is to be sincere.
So, sarcasm is just kind
of at odds with that.
Anyway, since I'm
supposed to pick a sponsor,
I was wondering if
it could be you.
Oh, wow, thanks. Um...
I think you should
have a female sponsor.
Yeah, that's what
T.J. said, too.
But he also said
there's no rule.
So if you wanted to?
I mean, I'm not hitting on
you or anything.
Yeah.
It's just that I'm only
three months sober, so,
I think maybe you
should talk to Martha.
She's two years sober, I think.
She's really nice.
She was homeless.
And we're both black.
I'm Jewish, you know.
My dad was black,
my mom was Jewish.
So I'm Blewish.
Blewish.
Look, I just get
the sense from you,
like you feel safe, you know?
Can we just try it?
If it doesn't work out,
it doesn't work out.
Nineteen.
Thirty-six.
And thirty-four-and-a-half.
So, how exactly
did that thing end
with the guidance counselor?
You think this is like
mid-century or something?
Like, did someone
spot them together or?
Someone tipped
off the principal.
Oh, yeah, who?
Anonymous letter.
And they never figured
out who wrote it?
I don't even really remember.
What does it matter?
George fled, left town.
And then Inez put
her head in the oven.
Wait, what?
She didn't know that oven gas
hadn't been poisonous
since the late 70s.
Do the kitchen table?
Wow, this all looks amazing.
I should've brought more
than just a six pack.
No, no, no, no, no,
that's great, really.
And who's that?
That's Biscuit.
The girl who lives
downstairs is away
and also having her floors done.
So Biscuit has to stay with
me until the fumes die down.
He talks back.
Yikes, I hope I didn't
say anything like,
"Your mother is a whore."
So, step nine.
Amends.
Super long list,
starting with my sister.
Twin sister, not identical.
Do you guys have like a
special twin connection?
A little bit.
There is this one time I
got this super sharp pain
in my side and turned out
she'd broken her rib skiing.
Oh, my God.
I've always wondered,
are twins better people,
because you're born
having to share?
Well, clearly not.
Maybe you'd be even
worse if you weren't a twin.
Well, my sister is definitely
a better person than I am.
How so?
She never caused any
trouble, unlike me.
She always forgave me when
I was an asshole to her.
She never resented that certain
things came easier to me
than to her, you know, like
boys and school and work.
You should just meet her.
Okay.
What are you
doing on the Fourth?
Um...
Great, we'll pencil you in.
Okay.
Oh, hey, by the
way, I sold a story.
- To that nature blog?
- Yup.
Oh, congrats!
Cheers.
It's my first check in a while.
Mm.
So...
So, I wanted to celebrate by...
asking you on a date.
A date?
Yes, so here's the thing.
I really like you and obviously,
I don't want to make
this 13th-Stepping,
or to interfere with any
of the great progress
that you've been making.
So I've already talked to Martha
about transferring over
your sponsorship to her.
And I can start going to
the 79th Street meetings.
That's just as
close to my house.
I thought you were my friend.
I am your friend.
Would
anyone even be my friend
if they didn't want to fuck me?
Oh, my God, I'm sorry.
You were helping me.
I was getting better with you.
Why I fuck up anything good
that ever starts in my life?
No, listen, I'm sorry.
Forget everything I
just said, please.
I'll stay your sponsor.
But that's not what you want.
Yes, it is.
I just want you to
be happy, I swear.
Come on, let's practice.
- Now?
- Yes.
Okay, fine.
Hi, my name is Inez.
Hi, Inez.
Yeah.
So, I'm Inez, and
I'm a drug addict
and an alcoholic, I guess.
And I'm... bipolar.
I was always, I don't know.
Something was always off,
but I did good in school.
I went to Dartmouth undergrad,
Yale Law School, got
a job at a top firm.
The hours were insane, 80, 90.
There was a lot of Ritalin
going around to stay awake.
And then in the few
hours we had off,
we hit it hard: booze,
coke, speed, ecstasy,
to cram 30 hours of
living into three.
I'm not saying this
to get sympathy.
I was making a lot of money.
I was on partner track.
About that time, I was
diagnosed as bipolar.
Initially it was a relief,
because all those mood
swings made sense.
I was given tools
to control them.
But you really
shouldn't mix those meds
with alcohol.
Let alone cocaine.
I was dating this
guy in banking,
and he, well... it
didn't work out.
And that crushed me.
I was at my firm's
holiday party.
I locked myself in the bathroom,
and I did more coke
than I'd ever done.
I woke up in the hospital,
handcuffed to the bed.
You know...
I also want to be
able to have a kid.
I want to be a good mom.
Anyway, the charges were dropped
and I did three months
in rehab, and here I am.
And we welcome you.
Were you her one phone call?
I was arrested, too.
Oh, she didn't tell
you about that part?
Mm-mm.
I had started a counsel
position with her firm
in September of that year,
so we went to the
holiday party together.
I knew she was upset,
but I had no idea...
But why did you get arrested?
There was cocaine
in both purses.
My arrest was expunged, but
I lost that job, obviously.
Well, you're better
off in-house anyway.
Yeah.
I mean, those
hours are insane.
Yeah.
She kind of did you a favor.
Hi.
Nah, I'll just wait
till Sean gets here.
Check this out.
- Oh, no.
- No, no, no, it feels good.
I don't know,
it's just numb.
Oh, shit, be right back.
Hi.
I'm Valerie.
I'm taking Sean's shift tonight.
He should have texted you.
Oh.
Please.
Yes, he did.
Okay.
Well.
It's good to know that his
business is in good hands.
Hey, do you private parties?
It would really depend.
How about New Year's?
I imagine that's a
busy time for you.
I'll have to
check my schedule.
What was that?
That was the new Sean.
Yeah, I get that.
You said you were gonna be
in Geneva through New Year's?
Look, I don't ask you
about your personal life.
You are my personal life.
I don't think
this is a good time
to have a relationship convo.
Have you been
seeing other women?
Really?
Have you been
seeing other women?
You and I never had a
conversation about exclusivity.
Well, it was
certainly implied.
Implied is not stated.
As a lawyer, I think
you'd know the difference.
How many are there?
When do you even do it?
I met your mother!
Please
don't flip out on me.
We've been
dating for six months.
- Yes.
- Six months.
Doesn't that mean anything?
Yes, it does.
It means that we
work well together,
because you share my hours.
But we've talked about our
dreams and settling down.
No, dear.
You talked about your dreams,
and I listened to you,
which is something
most men don't do.
But don't you want to
slow down, start a family?
I don't want to start a
family with my coke buddy.
Shit.
Please don't do this.
Okay, I'm sorry.
I'm out.
No, you can't.
Tonight's important.
- Inez, I'm...
- No, John.
Please, listen to me.
I'm going to introduce
you to Peter.
I've told him all about you.
He's gonna be there with
his stick-up-her-ass wife.
- Peter, what Peter?
- Peter Cole.
As in, senior partner Peter.
As in, my partnership hinges
on his perception of me, Peter.
Then you don't want
to ruin your makeup.
John, please don't leave me.
I need to appear normal, okay?
The other minority woman in
partner track has two kids,
and I'm not even engaged.
I think that's my final cue.
Here.
This was supposed to be for us.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- You ready?
- Yeah.
You've been crying?
Oh, come on, no.
Hey, come on.
Breathe.
Okay?
Yeah, okay, okay, I'm okay.
You still want to go?
Yeah, totally.
It's going to be
great, so great.
I really, I'm totally ready.
I'm so ready.
- Are you sure you're okay?
- Yeah.
Can you tell?
No.
Seriously?
No, you look great.
I promise.
Hey!
How do I look?
Oh, you look so great!
Oh, that purse, though.
What?
It's nice.
Why?
Yeah?
So much better.
Mm-hmm.
I think we need to take
another look at all these.
Like, what's this one?
Oh, that was camp.
And what
happened there?
I dunno.
We tried archery.
Did something
significant happen?
Doug, I don't know.
What about this one?
This was law school, probably.
And?
Doug, I don't know.
I didn't go to Yale
fucking law school.
Okay, stop.
This is weird.
And you know, she can
hear everything now, so.
Oh, is she kicking?
Why doesn't she
ever do it for me?
Because you're
weirding her out.
We're going home.
Oh, don't cry.
Oh, my God.
What?
Kidney stones, what?
Why did she lie to me?
Huh?
Pelvic
ultrasound and misoprostol
aren't for kidney stones.
That's what she
told me, I swear.
She had a miscarriage.
I knew it.
I knew we were going to
get pregnant together
so that our daughters would be
as close to twins as possible.
We've got to tell Louis.
No. If she wanted him to
know, she would have told him.
Or maybe she didn't tell him,
but then at the last minute,
she decided that she
did want him to know.
That's why she packed
all this stuff up
for us to give to him
and for us to tell him.
There's meaning behind
everything here.
Don't you see that?
I mean, this is her note.
She's trying to
communicate with us.
Like she's trying to
communicate through your dreams?
Okay, look, why
don't we just return
his stuff to him and
suss out what he knows?
And then we can make the
call whether to tell him.
Damn, this guy sure has a
thing for cashmere, huh?
I hope she didn't induce it.
Like, throw herself
down the stairs or...
drink something.
Why would she have done that?
I don't know.
I don't know why I said that.
I'm gonna start
packing the kitchen.
I'll take that bath.
Go.
Fuck charter schools.
Inez?
What did you do?
- Just the table.
- Oh, that's fine.
That's fine, too.
Oh, this is my boyfriend, Doug.
- Hi there.
- Hey.
As I was saying, there's
just, if you want to look,
there's a little scratch
there on the leg, that's it.
It's just so much darker.
It's just a lot darker
than on the photographs.
Sorry, I was the photographer.
Oh, it's just we have
these Danish chairs and...
Yeah, but they're
a lot lighter.
- Sorry.
- No problem.
- I'll show you out.
- Okay, thank you.
Bye.
I didn't know you're
going to be here.
Well, I didn't know you're
going to be here either.
I thought you had that interview
with the teachers union lady.
Um, she rescheduled.
I was going to meet Louis.
Really?
We agreed.
We didn't.
Okay, well.
It's happening.
Okay.
And Kira, I just don't
think that it's right
to be bringing
people by here yet.
You know we need to
clear this place up
by the 31st, right?
Yeah, but I just think it's...
It's like a little, I
don't know, sacrilegious
to be hawking furniture
while she's still...
while there's still
unfinished business.
And when will this
business be finished?
After Louis, will
it be finished?
I can't tell if this is...
normal grief or something else.
Well, you know, I could
just as easily accuse you
of being a little
too good at coping.
And Dr. Levine must be
one hell of a shrink
because you're totally
Zen about this.
Okay, Doug, what you
don't seem to understand
is I have had my entire
lifetime to prepare for this.
I remember her crying
at night, growing up,
hours and hours,
night after night.
And our parents would be in
there trying to console her.
I think that's what
finally drove our dad away.
Come on, that's a
shitty thing to say.
That's what happened.
She had a talent for driving
people apart, didn't she?
I don't want to be
here when he shows up.
No, no, no way.
No, no, no, I'm not going to.
I'm just turning off the ringer.
See?
No, just...
What if it's an emergency?
What are the chances
of it being an emergency?
Well, if they're so
low, just take the call
so I can stop worrying
and get hard again.
What?!
Is she okay?
It's midnight, Inez.
No, that's where you're wrong.
I don't want to be disturbed,
but I can't turn my ringer off
because one never knows
when you're having an
actual emergency, so.
No, you can't talk
to him, he's busy.
Goodbye.
Jesus.
Well, what was it?
She had an epiphany.
She might be manic,
I should go over there.
No, Doug, no.
You're a good man and
that's why I love you.
But people take advantage.
Last week, it was a spider.
Tuesday, her cable went out.
I mean, Doug, this is my
last day in the cycle.
Next month, I'm
at the conference.
We're going to blow two cycles.
Okay, now don't be
upset, but I quit AA.
Now, I never actually had
a problem with drinking.
It was the coke mainly,
and I haven't touched drugs
since I got out of
rehab, not even pot.
But I have to be able
to drink with dinner.
I mean, first of all,
first of all, it's fun.
People are so boring without it,
and I'm so boring without it.
Secondly, if I don't
drink with dinner,
he's gonna know
something's wrong with me
and he definitely
wouldn't date someone
with a substance abuse problem.
He's got a lot to deal breakers.
Who?
Louis.
Who's Louis?
He's my epiphany.
I had this total breakthrough.
Why have none of my
relationships ever worked?
Because I go for
guys who leave me.
But this time, get this,
this time, I'm going
for someone I never
in a million years
would ever get with.
This guy, Louis, he was in
love with me in college.
He's like this nerd,
this little nerdlet.
And I found him on Facebook.
I wasn't even looking for him.
He just popped up through
that wonderful algorithm.
Then I met him, and now
we're going to date.
Great.
See, I'm so
far out of his league,
he could never leave me.
Do you
even like this guy?
This guy
wants to settle down.
This is my last
chance to have a kid.
You have time.
Oh, right, how's
it going for Kira?
Is she on her 20th round of IVF?
You don't have to be
with a man to have a child.
You want my kid to have a
single mom who is bipolar?
I've been through that,
I wouldn't recommend it.
Wait, Edith was bipolar?
Mm-hm, never diagnosed,
but most definitely.
Why do you think my dad left?
Hm.
This guy Louis is
so uptight about sex.
He was like raised religious.
He's only been with
like five girls
and he's got such a huge chip
on his shoulder about it.
Doesn't sound like
you really like him.
I like the idea of him.
I'm thinking long-term.
I'm thinking about
what matters.
I'm not really attracted to him,
if that's what you mean.
But, you know, bottle of wine
and I can just close my
eyes and think of England.
'Cause who cares about
physical attraction?
You know, that's good
for six months, tops.
It fades, that
initial lust fades.
It's overrated.
Good looks are a smoke screen.
Good-looking guys can't be nice.
They don't need to be.
Can good-looking
girls be nice
and not call in the
middle of the night?
I just wanted
to run it by you.
Look, I'm on thin
ice with your sister.
I really love her.
Please don't fuck
this up for me.
Fine.
I've reordered for
you, but you've got
to put it in your
calendar for next month
cause if you don't, your nerdlet
will definitely realize
that you have issues.
Thank you.
You're my savior.
Mm-hm.
I'm gonna be so normal,
I'm gonna land this guy.
I'm sorry for your loss.
There should have
been a blue scarf?
Nope, no, no scarf.
But she did put
her credit report
in there for some reason.
Do you know why she'd
want you to have that?
Uh, actually, I gave her this.
You're early.
You got the test!
It's my credit score.
Citibank, Amex, student loans,
why do you have
my credit report?
It's a full background check.
I see.
I didn't think anybody
could just do that.
I didn't do this.
My dad did this.
Asked his friend at the Bureau.
Why?
Because I was thinking of...
A future together.
Why are you using
the past tense, Louis?
You were arrested
for possession
of a Schedule Two narcotic!
Everyone has a past.
I don't.
I got a parking ticket once,
because the meter was broken.
I'm running for
public office, Inez.
You're running for Democratic
Precinct Committee Member.
It's a stepping stone.
You know, non-convicts don't
show up after seven years,
so pretty soon, that'll be gone.
That's not even
the main point.
The main point is that you
don't respect your body!
I haven't touched
drugs since then.
It's not just about that.
I, for example, have
only been with six women.
How many men have you been with?
Your dad didn't tell you?
You're not even remorseful.
Come here.
Come here.
You feel bad about
it, don't you?
Don't you?
Yes.
I need your medical history.
You just saw my
blood test last week.
Your full medical history.
Ashkenazi test
panel, everything.
Well.
I will save you the trouble.
I'm bipolar.
That's it, just like that?
Would you marry
someone with mental illness?
She called me totally
hysterical after you left.
I ran over here, and
Kira kicked me out.
I'm sorry.
You said that she thought that
that was some kind
of a test result?
We, uh....
We took blood tests
to stop using condoms.
Her results came back; we
were still waiting on mine.
So you...
You always used
condoms with her?
Obviously.
Why?
Was she pregnant?
Well, it must have
been another guy.
As you may know, she had many.
You know, Inez thought
you were too unattractive
to ever reject her.
Maybe she should
have tried you!
What took you so long?
Well, I did take a moment
to get broken up with.
What, no.
Didn't you tell
her Louis left me?
Mm-hm.
Shit, I'm sorry.
I'll talk to her.
I'll make everything okay.
No, Inez, you don't
make anything okay.
You just fuck things up.
God, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Sorry.
Wait.
Was this full?
Shit.
If Kira can kick you
out for helping a friend
in a desperate situation,
then she doesn't deserve you.
And who does
deserve me, Inez, hm?
Nobody.
Certainly not me.
Come on.
Come on.
You're not so bad.
- Yes, I am.
- No, you're not.
Yes, I am.
Everybody has always left me.
- I never left you.
- You should have.
- No.
- Yes, you should.
Stop it.
Why would you stay with me?
I fuck everything up.
'Cause you're...
You're Blewish.
And you really know
how to insult a cat.
And you...
You're, you're interesting.
Like, when I'm with you,
it's just not going
to be an average day.
Whoa, no.
You're drunk.
I need you.
Please, I really need you.
I need you more than she does.
Damn, don't
sneak up on me.
You
need help lathering up?
No.
I think you do.
Stop it, you
gotta give me some space.
Don't you
want some of this?
No, I just want
to wash my ass in peace.
How
about some of this?
I mean, I want some of that.
What the fuck?
Who said that?
It's
coming from that leak.
Yo, who's up there?
You're just going to speak
to my woman like that?
Oh, you lost your
voice all of a sudden.
Speak up.
I'm coming up there.
- Joe, don't.
- I'm coming.
Joe!
Joe, Joe, stop.
Joe, please!
So, you're the big man here.
Eavesdropping, dirty-talking,
leaking her ceiling?
Look, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, Angela.
I didn't mean anything by it.
I was not trying to
eavesdrop on purpose
and I didn't leak her ceiling.
Joe, this is where
that lady died.
Yeah, she leaked her ceiling.
So what are you doing here?
You know what, I don't know.
To be honest, I don't
know why I'm here.
I thought I was trying
to get some clarity,
but everything's
gotten a lot murkier.
You better step on a super
finish fixing the hole.
Absolutely, I will.
I will talk to him again.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Hey, Angela.
Sorry, we have to
vacate by the 31st.
I'm gonna need your set of keys.
I never had keys
to her apartment.
But you
found her that night.
The door was open.
Fuck charter schools.
Inez?
You can't go in in there.
Why, what's in there?
How long
have you been here?
Huh?
When did you come here?
I don't know.
It was probably
3:00 or 4:00 a.m.
Some guy named Vijay called.
Said he hasn't heard
from you in 10 days.
That you're a week
behind on that draft
for the charter school thing.
Why aren't you
answering your phone?
I guess I just didn't hear it.
Doug, did you
ever go see the therapist?
Yeah, as a matter
of fact, I did.
So?
Wasn't a good fit.
Doug, I want you to
come home with me now.
No.
Why?
I don't know.
She's dead.
She's dead.
There is nothing
anyone could have done.
We all love her, we miss
her, but she's dead!
Okay?!
You're glad she's dead.
I'm not glad she's dead!
I understand why she's dead.
And you refuse to understand it,
even though she is trying
to explain it to you.
It is a permanent solution
to a temporary problem.
It's a permanent problem.
The way she saw the world
was a permanent problem.
She couldn't deal
with... with it.
So, what?
So, some guy broke her heart.
So what?
It happens to everyone.
Everyone moves on.
People move on, from rape,
from divorce, from
being paralyzed.
She couldn't deal with anything
that ever happened to
her, so she just suffered.
And she made others
suffer with her.
Well, she's done
suffering now.
Yeah, that's what she wanted.
She wanted to stop suffering.
You don't have to keep your
phone on at night anymore.
You won't have to worry
whether she went off
of her meds or not.
You don't have to share my...
Attention.
Doug, please.
Please, you have
to get out of here.
Please come home.
We need you.
Don't use
the pregnant "we."
That's not fair.
Fine.
Fine.
I have to get out of here.
And I am bringing somebody
to look at the bed tomorrow.
And don't ever, ever
walk out on a woman
when she's sleeping,
especially when she's pregnant.
I don't want to see you.
Give me those.
Seriously, only Doug
should have a set.
I'm pregnant.
Go, Doug.
Inez!
You've never done IVF,
but it's fucking hell.
The first two batches
didn't stick.
And I'm so scared
about this one.
Doug and I were
trying to work it out,
but, you know, we're
both so volatile and,
yeah, I'm really sorry,
but I asked him not to see you.
Just until it's born.
Just let us have
this baby.
Thanks, thank you.
Are you pregnant?
Why did you say that?
I don't
know, it's just...
Well, I'm not.
Because if you are,
you can come to me
to discuss your options.
My options?
Well, I'm not.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Don't go.
Inez?
Inez?
Please stay.
Just stay.
Stay with me.
Why didn't you tell me?
- I would have...
- You would have what?
Held my hand during
the abortion?
I would have helped you
do whatever you wanted.
Of course, I would.
I swear I would have
been there for you.
Please, believe me.
What do I have to do
to make you believe me?
You can come with me now.
Come up to heaven with me.
We can live in heaven
with our little girl.
Be there for me now.
Be there for her.
I don't think you
can be in heaven.
You killed yourself.
No.
Judaism is really
chill about that.
Don't go.
Don't go.
No, Inez, wait.
I'm coming.
Kira, she's...
Inez, I know you
were with Doug today.
He missed our NT scan.
You gotta stop her.
Baby's healthy,
if anyone cares.
I don't care if
you're in the bath.
We need to talk.
Inez.
9-1-1,
what's your emergency?
Hello, this is 9-1-1.
What's your emergency?
Can you hear me?
What do you want?
I want
some more hot water.
You thought I'd be a bad mom.
Kids turn out
how they turn out.
Yo, who said
you could use my perfume?
A big bubble.
Right there.
Right in here.
Right up these stairs.
Come on in.
What did you do?
Kira, were
you here that night?
What night?
That night.
Were you here the night
that she got pregnant?
I've hit bottom.
I need help.
I'll help you.
I need help.
I need help!