Russian Doll (2016) - full transcript
Ripped, corrected and synched
by Fingersmaster. Enjoy!
Saul?
Saul, wake up.
Sophia Kaplan,
official business of the Communist Party.
Stall them,
while I get her out the back.
Sophia Kaplan
open this door immediately!
Hello?
Open this door! Now!
I'll be right there.
The darn door is stuck.
Sophia. Hurry.
What are you doing?
I'm not leaving
without The Russian Doll.
Kick it down.
Before you kick,
let me try one more thing.
Now we are getting somewhere.
No, no, no.
Sit, please.
Would you like to know
why I am so good at my job?
All right.
Sophia, you need to leave!
Not with that bag.
I can't look like I'm taking a trip.
A trip?
Where are you going?
It is because I have
this special ability
to see inside people's hearts.
"I have this special ability
to see inside people's hearts."
Listen to me.
I sound like character from comic book.
What I mean to say is this:
I always know when
someone is lying to me.
It's true.
Would you like a demonstration?
That's not necessary.
I insist. I insist.
Let's start with easy one.
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
Shall I ask again?
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
I don't know.
That's was easy.
You told the truth.
Let's try it with your
lovely wife, shall we?
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
I...I don't know.
I'm afraid she is lying to me.
But maybe I am mistaken.
Let me ask again,
just to be sure.
Where is your daughter?
Oh, this.
Don't you hate it?
It's a little bit of too much,
don't you think?
Try not to pay
any attention to it.
Where is your daughter?
I don't know.
Oh my God!
Oh my...
Where is your daughter?
- I don't know!
You want to kill me, too?
Kill me!
I don't know where she is!
Okay, great.
Let's hold there
for just a minute.
That was excellent, everybody.
Before we break,
I just want to take a minute
to take care of something
that feels really overdue.
It is rare,
in small theater productions,
that you come across
the dramatic range and skill
that Aaron Richmond
brings to our company.
But when you put that
together with the fact
that he wrote The Russian Doll,
well, I think we
should all take a moment
and say, "Thank you,
Aaron, for everything."
I love you all.
Back then,
I didn't know anything
about The Russian Doll.
I was just a cop with a
problem that I couldn't solve.
My wife had died
about a year earlier.
But to me, it still
seemed like yesterday.
Hi, Travis. Slow night?
Oh, you know.
Maybe things will pick up.
You don't have to do that,
Detective.
I want to make a request.
That's fine,
but you always
give me too much money.
Well, I want you
to play the one that I like.
You know, I wrote a new one.
-One that's not-
-Okay.
I don't want to hear
a new one, Travis.
I want you
to play the one that I like.
All right.
How 'bout you show me
how you'd look on one
of these tables, naked?
How 'bout you back
the fuck up, right now?
How 'bout that?
I saw what you
were doing, slut.
Excuse me?
Waving your skanky ass
at my boyfriend.
Are you talking about that guy?
There's not enough
tequila in the world.
What did you say?
Look. I'm not interested
in your disgusting, fat-
So, you slapped me.
So what next?
You gonna pull my hair?
You-
And my ass is not skanky,
bitch.
Georgia, can you
see me out here?
Okay.
Uh, you've never been
pregnant, right, Sweetie?
No.
Okay.
Good. Um,
I'm gonna show you something.
Thanks, Kevin.
You see how long that took?
Yeah.
And that's me, hurrying.
So, when Sophia
gets up out of the chair
and crosses to the dresser,
I want you to take
advantage of the fact
that she can't
move quickly, okay?
Added to what
you're already doing,
believe me,
the tension in this scene
is going to give
the audience nightmares.
What is wrong with you?
I'm sorry. I'm trying.
Well I guess you're
not trying hard enough.
You disgust me.
I'm sorry.
Look at me
when I'm talking to you.
Look at me!
You're pathetic.
Do you know that?
So that's it?
You're just gonna
sit there and cry
like some kind
of psycho bitch?
I don't know what you want.
Do you know
who knows what I want?
Jasmine?
Are you home?
Like me,
Darlene Scarano
had never heard of the play
The Russian Doll.
She had no idea that just
a few miles away, every night,
actors were rehearsing it.
But, in a tragic case
of wrong-place-wrong-time,
she stumbled upon
a letter in her apartment
about the playwright,
and a murder.
She called 9-1-1, and her
life was changed, forever.
9-1-1.
What's your emergency?
Well, I'm not sure whether this
is actually a real emergency,
but I just found this letter
about this play
called The Russian Doll,
and a murder.
I guess this guy Aaron Richmond-
Hello? Ma'am, are you there?
Hello?
The playwright,
Aaron Richmond,
was mentioned in the 9-1-1 call.
So my partner and I
went to speak to him first.
I wrote The Russian Doll
nearly thirty years ago.
I've been very lucky
to have made a modest living
performing it almost
the entire time.
The Deer Pond board of directors
rented me this house
for the whole run.
Do you have any idea
why your name came up
in a phone call about a murder?
Well, someone does
get killed in my play.
Do you have a copy
of the script here?
Oh, of course.
If you'll excuse me.
Oh my God.
Do you think he's wearing
anything underneath that robe?
I sincerely hope so.
Well.
You look good.
Don't.
Look. All I'm saying
is that nobody can quite
pull off a hangover like you.
Good God but you
are a lovely creature,
Georgia. Look at you.
Why, Mr. Richmond!
Are you watching me
walk around in my lingerie?
I'm not so sure
that's appropriate.
I signed this for you.
Mr. Richmond,
do you know a woman
named Darlene Scarano?
Oh, I meet so many
people in show business,
you know, but, no, I'm sorry.
Who is she?
She's the woman
who dialed 9-1-1,
and she mentioned you,
specifically.
So you're sure that
you don't know her?
How dramatic.
I'm sorry,
I don't know the woman.
What did she say about me?
Darlene was attacked
before she could
finish the call.
So we're looking
for her right now.
My goodness, when was this?
This morning, around 9:30 a.m.
Can you account for yourself
during that time?
Good God, am I a suspect?
No. Nobody's
suspected of anything,
but we do have to follow
every lead that we have.
So you're sure you weren't
with Ms. Scarano this morning?
As I already told you,
I don't know the woman.
I was here this morning.
All morning?
Oh! Excuse me.
Georgia Bismark.
Detectives...
Ames.
Fiore.
Well, if you'll excuse me,
I'm on my way to work.
Before you go, Georgia.
What time did we have breakfast?
Georgia came over
to run lines this morning.
She's in the show, too.
Uh, around 8:30.
And you were here with
Mr. Richmond from 8:30 on?
That's right.
Okay, thank you very much,
Ms. Bismark.
We won't keep you here any longer.
Oh, wait. Before you go,
do you happen to know
a Miss Darlene Scarano?
No, I'm sorry.
I don't know
anybody by that name.
Look. All I'm saying is if
I showed up to work the next day
in the same clothes as
I was wearing the day before,
I wouldn't be surprised if you
had some questions for me.
Are you done yet?
I kept wondering
how the missing woman
was connected toThe Russian Doll,
and how she got hold of
a letter about the playwright.
So, we went to her apartment
to talk to her roommate, Jasmine.
I thought
she was at work.
No.
She went in to work early,
but she left to go
to a dentist's appointment,
and never made it back.
Does she have a boyfriend?
No.
A few months ago
she broke up with this guy
when he moved away.
Is it unusual for
Darlene to go missing like this?
Missing, as in interrupted
in the middle of a 9-1-1 call
about some stupid play
and suddenly disappearing?
Yeah.
That's unusual for Darlene.
Sorry.
When was the last time
you saw her?
Last night.
I was home when
she got back from work.
Uh, I left after dinner to go
to my boyfriend Mark's house.
So you have no idea
where Darlene might be?
Don't worry, Darlene.
Everything will be fine,
if you don't try to be a hero.
Don't try to call out for help.
Don't try to get away.
In fact, don't do anything,
or it's gonna get real bad.
Are you kidding me?
What did I tell you?
Don't do anything dumb!
Do you understand?
Open your hand.
Do you want me to get angry?
No.
Open your hand.
I really don't want to hurt you.
But if you make me, I will.
We didn't have
much else to go on,
so we went to the garage where
Jasmine's boyfriend worked.
You know, I always wanted to
write a book about being a cop.
Maybe I should
turn it into a play.
What do you think?
I never thought
of you as the writer type.
You must be the detectives.
I'm Jasmine's boyfriend, Mark.
She told me about Darlene.
How can I help?
Gosh, I haven't seen Darlene...
I think it was
sometime last week.
You think she's in real danger?
Okay. Well,
if you think of anything,
or obviously if you hear
from Darlene, give us a call.
Yeah.
Oh wait. You know what?
Shit. I'll be right back.
I think I forgot
the script inside.
Goddammit, Darlene!
I told you not to be an idiot!
Now I have to hurt you.
I told you.
This is actually really good.
Mom!
What are you doing here?
-Your Honor.
-Oh, EJ, sit.
We're not in court.
How's Frank?
And the twins?
Oh,
everybody's really good.
Mom?
Well, I couldn't
reach you by phone.
So I asked EJ where
you'd be having lunch today.
I wanted to let you know that
when I bring dinner by tonight,
Bernadette Lowry
and her daughter Faith
will be joining us.
Mom, please don't do this.
Look, I know this is hard,
but I really think it's time
for you to start meeting people.
How many ...
How many times do I have to tell
you I don't want to get set up?
Okay?
Wendy died a year ago.
Almost two.
Whatever!
It doesn't matter.
I'm not ... I'm just ...
I'm not ready to start dating.
This isn't a date,
for heaven's sakes.
I have known you
your entire life, Viola.
You might be
fooling everyone else,
but I know you're still
very hurt, and very angry.
And when you're not working,
or acting out in some
dive bar somewhere,
you're hiding from
the rest of the world
at that lake house
that Wendy built.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Really?
Yeah. Really.
First of all, I'm not angry!
Honey, look at yourself.
And second, I'm not
hiding from anybody.
Well great!
Then Bernadette, Faith and I
will see you at 6:30.
Thanks a lot, partner.
What?
So then I meet Ricky's parents,
and they proudly announce
that their goal is to make
sure he gets into Harvard.
I had no idea that college
was such a high priority
for first graders.
Oh yeah.
It's right up there with
meeting the tooth fairy.
So, what did you
tell Ricky's parents?
Well, I told them
that my goal was
to get him prepared
for second grade.
And to stop picking his nose.
And what did they say?
Well, they tried to have him
assigned to a different class.
And the principal said
he'll take it under advisement.
And four months later,
the school year ended,
and we all survived.
Well, I am really
sorry about this,
but I actually
have to get going.
I have to go back to work.
Right now?
Yeah. I have to
interview some people
at a rehearsal
down at Deer Pond.
For The Russian Doll?
Yeah.
I studied that play in college.
I have tickets to opening night.
Did you know that
there was a scandal
back when it first opened?
This Russian woman
filed a lawsuit
right here in Massachusetts.
She said the playwright
stole her life's story.
Well, that is a very unhappy
memory of a miserable ordeal.
What happened?
Good Lord, it was
nearly 30 years ago now.
There was a woman
named Sylvia Adler
with whom I was involved with
for several months.
But, it happens she was unwell,
and after we split up,
she actually sued me,
claiming that I had
somehow stolen
the play from her.
She lost the case of course.
Is everything alright, Aaron?
Everything's fine,
Oliver, thank you.
And who are you?
Attorney Charles Oliver Bridges.
I'm a cast mate
of Mr. Richmond's,
and I'm also a criminal lawyer.
Is there anything I can
help you with, detectives?
If we need your help,
Mr. Bridges, we'll ask for it.
But meanwhile, we need
to speak to Mr. Richmond
privately, please.
Are you sure you don't
need me for anything, Aaron?
Everything's fine, Oliver, yes.
Thank you.
Okay.
All right, well safe flight.
No, we'll be fine.
Okay.
Take care.
Looks like we lost Kevin
for the week.
A week?
Who's Kevin?
Kevin Quarrels,
our stage manager.
His mom suffered a stroke
and is in ICU in Chicago.
He's flying out tonight.
I should tell
the rest of the cast.
Oh, um, Mr. Richmond,
is The Russian Doll
a work of fiction?
I don't believe ...
You know,
the story of a young
Jewish woman from Russia
emigrating to the United States
might have come to me from
the result of meeting Sylvia,
who was, actually,
originally from Moscow.
But aside from that, the
story is entirely fictional.
It is not based upon her life,
or on the life of anyone else.
Okay. So then,
Ms. Adler's plagiarism
claim, that was a lie?
Absolutely.
Please believe me, detectives.
This is not the case
of the big, bad American
threatening the young
immigrant woman.
Sylvia Adler was a nutcase.
Life with her and her daughter
was far from an erotic fantasy.
I wasn't expecting you.
I like it here.
I wouldn't be surprised if
you have some questions for me.
Because I really
want to kiss you.
But first...
Wait.
We forgot something.
Well I'll tell you one thing.
They sure as hell
didn't have detectives
that looked like the two of you
back when I was working
in the D.A.'s office.
Do you know
anything about this?
Yeah.
That deposition
took place right here.
It must have been
25 years ago.
How'd you get
a hold of a copy of this?
These transcripts don't usually
make it into the public record.
Yeah, well, I have connections
at the courthouse.
You heard of Judge Ames?
Oh yeah.
She's a tough one.
Yeah, well that's her mother.
So.
Have you had
a chance to read it?
Every word.
Your claim is that the story
of The Russian Doll is,
in fact, the story
of your escape from Russia.
Is that correct?
Yes.
And you also say
that you wrote the play.
I did write the play.
But you have no proof.
My diary is proof.
You mean the diary you wrote
after you heard Mr. Richmond
was producing the play.
The other lawyer
was kind of a jerk.
But it really didn't matter,
because in a few minutes,
it was all over.
So, you have
no proof you wrote the play.
No notes, nothing.
He took everything.
Well did you tell anyone
that you had written the play?
No.
No, wait. My daughter.
My daughter Lena.
I told her when I was finished.
How old is Lena?
She is seven years old.
Will she
be testifying at the trial?
Absolutely not.
I would never
put her through that.
Miss Adler.
If I choose, I can subpoena
your daughter to testify.
No!
You can't make her!
I assure you I can.
Well, then I will
end this right now!
She committed
suicide that same summer.
Sure could have used
the money from that case.
I had my accident a month later.
Bad year.
What happened to Lena?
Who?
Sylvia's daughter.
What happened
to Sylvia's daughter
after she killed herself?
I don't
understand why that matters.
I was under the impression that
you were looking for some girl
that disappeared yesterday.
Right.
A girl that we believe is in danger.
So why don't you quit
jerking us around
and tell us where
Sylvia's daughter is?
I - I refuse to answer for
fear of incriminating myself.
This case just
keeps getting better.
What did you do
to Sylvia's daughter?
I didn't do anything to her!
Well then, why won't
you tell us where she is?
Am I missing something here?
What's the problem here exactly?
I thought you got disbarred
for taking your clients' money.
I was never disbarred, okay?
Only suspended!
And that had nothing
to do with the adoption.
Oh, okay. Adoption.
So, what?
You were afraid to tell us
about this because
you ripped off some desperate
couple who wanted a kid?
That sound about right?
No.
Listen carefully, counselor.
I don't care
what you did 25 years ago.
I don't care
what you did yesterday.
Start cooperating, or this shit
show you call your law practice
is over by the end of the week.
I hope you like
the new place.
I think it's kind of charming.
Oh, and I had to handcuff you
because of what you did before.
I doubt you're
gonna cut them off.
No, I'm sorry.
I don't recognize her.
Is she a member here?
No, she's actually a roommate
of one of your trainers here.
Jasmine Perrot.
Oh, Jasmine.
I love her.
The girl is intense.
If by intense you mean scary.
Jasmine's training style
isn't for everybody.
No shit.
Is she here?
Uh, no, actually.
She's off today.
Was she working yesterday?
Um, yeah.
I think I remember seeing her.
She was here in the morning
for a while,
and then she came back
in the afternoon.
Let me check.
Yes, uh, she had clients that
morning from 10:30 to 1:30,
and then she came back
for a couple of sessions
beginning at 5
in the afternoon-
Wait. Are you - are you
sure about those times?
Her first appointment
was at 10:30?
Uh, well she had
a reschedule of the 10,
and it was rescheduled for
this Sunday at noon.
So I never asked you
how your date went last night.
Oh, Jesus Christ, EJ.
You too?
What? So not good?
Look.
It wasn't a date, okay?
Okay. Not a date.
10-4.
Come on in.
Any news on Darlene?
Not yet.
No, we just need to go over
your work schedule
the day that Darlene got taken.
You said that you were
working from 10:00 to 1:00?
Yeah.
And then I went back
later in the afternoon.
Right.
But we just talked to Philip
at the health club,
and he said that your... um,
uh... Sorry. He said that, um,
your 10:00 got
rescheduled that morning--
Sorry.
Yeah. Uh, I got to work
a few minutes before ten.
Um, my client didn't show
so I called her,
five after ten,
something like that.
She said she'd spaced, so we
rescheduled for this Sunday.
Hang on.
We'd asked
the play's director to text us
a picture of her
missing stage manager.
It was our first
real break in the case.
Holy shit.
When was the last time
you saw your boyfriend?
Um, last night.
Mark and I had dinner together.
Then he went to class.
He's going to night school
to be a paralegal.
How many nights a week?
Tuesday through Saturday.
And then he's got a
Sunday afternoon study group.
Are you aware
that while he was
supposed to be at night school
he was actually
stage managing a play?
What?
Oh my God.
Every guy... every boyfriend
I've ever had is an asshole.
Every single one.
All this time he was lying?
Is that even his real name?
Mark?
Well, he was going
by Kevin at the theater.
And he never mentioned anything
to you about The Russian Doll?
I only heard
about the stupid thing
from the woman
at the health club.
Did Mark know Darlene?
Yeah, he knew her.
She was my roommate.
Oh my God.
Oh my God.
You think he took Darlene?
Motherfucker!
Help me!
As soon as Jasmine's boyfriend
became a real suspect,
EJ and I went back to the garage
to confront him.
But he had disappeared.
It wasn't until later that day
that we got our
next break in the case,
from an unexpected source.
-Faith!
-Hi!
Looks like I'm catching you
at a bad time.
No. You know what? I was just
going to go out for a quick run,
but come on in.
Sorry I'm
barging in on you like this.
No, it's um
it gives me... It's good.
It gives me a chance
to apologize for my mom,
for pulling you into
that dinner last night.
Are you kidding?
If I hadn't come willingly,
my mom would have
dragged me here by my hair. So.
By the way, I don't remember
if I mentioned it last night,
but your place is gorgeous.
Yeah, Wendy built
a lot of this herself,
so, it was kind of
her dream house.
Uh, well, listen.
I don't want to
hold you up much longer.
I just came over
to give this to you.
I got curious,
and did some research
on The Russian Doll.
Oh, you know what?
We already looked into
that Russian woman
who said that she
had written the play, so...
Oh. Did you find the diary?
Diary?
Where did you find this?
On line.
It took some digging,
but I'm pretty good
at that kind of stuff.
This is...
I totally owe you a beer.
Make it a glass of wine
and you've got a date.
I remembered something today
which is both terribly
depressing and yet,
somehow freeing.
I could have proven
that Aaron stole my play.
It's now too late, but still,
it makes me feel
a little better.
July thirtieth.
I was never satisfied
with the play's ending.
It saddens me to know it
will be performed with a flaw.
I should have
concluded with a speech
explaining all people
are like Russian dolls,
and that we all discover
what we are truly like
when we shed our coverings,
and expose what is within us.
August tenth.
It ends today.
I have found that deep within
me is a naiïve and weak child -
someone who cannot
live as an adult.
The pain is too great.
You never fucking learn!
God!
Ah, fuck!
We need to talk.
Yeah.
I finished reading the play.
I loved it.
There's just one
small problem, though.
The writer's name is wrong.
It should have said,
"Sylvia Adler."
What?
Yeah, you were threatened
because you plagiarized
The Russian Doll.
This is an outrage.
I'd go with felony.
See, the secret would
have died with Sylvia,
except someone found
the proof in her diary,
and then put it on line.
What proof?
Well, what's the name of the
main character in your play?
Sophia Kaplan.
And what do you suppose is
the name of Sylvia's best friend
-in real life?
-Oh, I... I think I know.
Yeah?
Sophia Kaplan!
Interesting coincidence.
Do you want to hear another one?
Sophia's neighbors in real life
have the same exact names
as the neighbors in your play!
You didn't make up the names
because you
didn't write the play.
Sylvia did.
I assure you she did not.
Yeah, and your fans are really
going to be behind you
100 percent when
they read Sylvia's diary.
Legally,
The Russian Dollis yours.
The statute of limitations
is long past.
We just wanted you
to know that we understand
why somebody would
want to kill you.
You're a lying douche bag.
Has anyone seen Oliver?
-There you are!
-Sorry, Georgia.
I need to talk to you
about something.
We think we know
who might be behind the threat.
Kevin wrote the letter?
Well we think so.
Did you know him
before this production?
Mm-mm. I've never
set eyes on him before.
Well what about you,
Ms. Sullivan?
I met him here at the theater
a couple of months ago
at the beginning of rehearsals.
He was a volunteer.
What is wrong with you?
I'm sorry. I'm trying.
Well I guess you're
not trying hard enough.
- You disgust me.
- I'm sorry.
Look at me
when I'm talking to you.
Look at me!
You're pathetic.
Do you know that?
So that's it?
You're just gonna
sit there and cry
like some kind of psycho bitch?
I don't know what you want.
Do you know
who knows what I want?
Don't try to hide from me!
Please - don't stop.
Let me.
You don't have to apologize.
No, I... I do.
Look, I really
didn't mean anything
-when I said that...
-And I wanted...
I wanted to show you something.
That's my wife, Wendy.
That's a...
a beautiful picture.
Yeah. That was, um,
taken on her birthday.
She died a year...
well, two years ago.
You guys look very happy.
My mother told me.
She said you were still grieving.
Well, no, not really.
I mean, it took me months
to get over it,
but it's in the past.
It's just...
I have become...
I'm not a good person
to be around.
Look at me, I'm...
I'm about to break that cup
into a million pieces.
I am just... I'm...
I am so, so
angry.
I thought you were going to say
you were...
so sad.
Ames.
Wait, who is this?
I haven't thought about
Lena's birth mother in years.
I assumed that was all behind us.
Yeah, but when Mr. Oslo called us
and explained the situation,
Tom and I decided
we should call you.
Do you know where Lena is?
Uh, yeah.
She moved to the west coast
after graduating from college.
And she teaches theater
out in Washington state,
near Seattle.
And when was the last
time you spoke with her?
Oh, she called just yesterday.
No, actually, I think it was
the day before yesterday.
-Let me check.
-Oh, that's right!
She caught us
on our way to the movies.
Yep.
Day before yesterday.
And when you spoke with her,
did anything seem unusual,
or did she seem okay?
Uh, she was fine.
Just calling to say hi.
Nothing special.
Do you have her phone number?
Of course.
Okay.
All her contact information
is right there.
That's her, by the way.
She hates that picture.
You spoke with her two days ago?
Yes. That's right.
And right there,
the case was broken wide open.
Jasmine was Lena,
Sylvia's daughter.
The only person with a motive
to harm Aaron Richmond.
"Every boyfriend
I've ever had is an asshole."
-That lying sack of...
-Don't beat yourself up.
She fooled me too.
Now she's not answering.
Of course.
Try her boss at the health club.
Hey - see you tomorrow.
Uh, yeah.
She's here on the treadmill.
Excuse me?
Of course.
I understand.
Girl, you better get yourself
right with Jesus.
Oh, don't worry.
I'll be done in a minute,
and then you can try it out, okay?
No, no please, no, no!
That's her!
This way. Come on!
-Shit.
-Hey!
She's right there!
Stop! Stop!
Stop!
It's not her.
Help!
- Did you hear that?
In the bathroom!
-Oh.
-Oh, my God.
Are you okay?
Where are you bleeding from?
Shit!
-And I walked right by her.
-Yeah, yeah.
But if I had checked her
alibi like I was supposed to,
we wouldn't be standing here
with our dicks in our fucking hands.
Okay.
So Jasmine and Mark
are in on this together.
Which means that?
It must have, what,
gone down at their house.
Right. And Darlene
somehow gets her hands on the letter,
calls the cops...
And then Jasmine hears it,
and that's the end of that.
Right.
So now we know everything
about everybody.
Except where anybody is.
Fuck!
Oh this?
Try not to pay
any attention to it.
Excuse me, sir.
May I see that pistol, please?
If you have a warrant.
Hey!
Is there a problem?
Oh, don't feel bad.
She does that to every fool
who waves a weapon around like that.
It actually feels heavier
than I'd imagined.
It's almost like the real thing.
Trigger really works.
The weighted ones are better.
You'd be surprised
how an audience can tell
whether a gun
is plastic or metal,
whether the trigger moves,
that kind of thing.
So how does this
stunt thing work, exactly?
Oh, it's really
just a timing trick.
Oliver points the gun,
squeezes the trigger.
At that moment,
someone in the sound booth
cues the sound
for a gunshot.
Bam!
Oliver fakes the recoil,
Aaron just simply
reacts to the sound,
triggering a little
packet of blood to explode.
Sounds simple enough.
So do you think we're
safe to open tonight?
Well, we're gonna have a couple
of plain clothes guys outside.
Besides, I think that
Jasmine and her boyfriend
are probably halfway
to Canada by now.
They know we're on to them.
Yeah. We still haven't
found Darlene yet, though.
You made me do this.
Stop moving!
Technically,
I'm not gonna kill you.
You'll kill yourself
when you use up all the air.
What's the occasion?
EJ, do not be an idiot.
I'm just trying to blend in.
Okay.
Hey! Viola!
-Hey!
-I didn't know you'd be here.
Yeah, no,
it's just a precaution.
Faith, this is my partner,
Detective Fiore.
Oh! You're Faith.
It's nice to meet you.
I'm EJ.
Nice to meet you, too.
Are you staying
for the performance?
Yeah.
That's the plan.
Then I'll see you
at intermission.
Okay.
-Enjoy the show.
-Thanks.
All right. So A, shut up.
And B, I'm going downstairs
for one last check.
Okay.
I distinctly remember asking
you for two bottles of water,
not one.
Would you like to know
how I remember this?
Because I require one bottle of
water for each act of the play,
and the play has two acts!
If I'm not mistaken,
three-quarters of the earth's surface
is covered with water.
So I don't think
it is asking too much,
it is not overly greedy or selfish,
to request two bottles of water.
Not one, not three.
Two!
I'm sorry, sir.
I'll go get you one.
Madam Director!
Thank you.
Thank you all.
This is a very special play.
Because in this world of theater,
in this world of make-believe,
this play challenges us
to really see ourselves.
It challenges us to look inside.
To look within,
and discover
who we really are-
Russian dolls.
Every one of us.
And you know what?
Everything you need,
everything you need
for your performance tonight,
and everything you need
for far more than tonight,
is already inside of you.
Inside the doll.
Everything you need
is inside the doll.
Carry that with you tonight,
and you'll make me proud.
And you'll make
yourselves proud.
And you'll make everyone
in that theater tonight proud.
My love is with all of you.
Even though I thought that
Jasmine and her boyfriend
were nowhere near the theater,
I still felt like we
were missing something.
Oh! I'm sorry.
- I didn't know you were here.
- Okay. It's all right.
Just keep moving.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
Everything okay?
Looks good.
Are you okay?
Contractions.
Been having them for
a couple of days now.
Too far apart to worry about.
-Let me get the door for you.
-Thank you.
There is a promise
contained in every sunrise.
A promise of hope, and rebirth.
A promise that this new day
can be a better one
than the last.
Hey.
What do y'all think so far?
-It's good.
-I really like it.
Fingers crossed for act two.
Where is that girl?
What is her name?
Mother of God,
how am I supposed
to get ready for act two?
I'm sorry.
As you should be.
Did it take you the entire
first act to drill a well
for the precious liquid?
My God, did you think
I was kidding when I said
I needed a bottle
of water for each act.
I assure you, young lady,
I was not!
Thank you, so, so much.
That was quite refreshing.
Oh my God!
Are you okay?
-Her water just broke.
-Oh no. You know what?
I'll call for a cruiser.
It's fine.
I just called my sister.
She lives two blocks away.
Are you sure?
This is what you get
when you direct a play
in your ninth month.
That's her.
Let me know how it goes.
Okay.
Well, good luck.
Let's do it.
Let's try it with
your lovely wife, shall we?
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
I don't know.
I'm afraid she is lying to me.
-No.
-But maybe I am mistaken.
Let me ask again,
just to be sure.
Where is your daughter?
Oh, this.
Don't you hate it?
It's a little bit of too much,
don't you think?
Try not to pay
any attention to it.
Where is your daughter?
I don't know.
So that's it?
You're just gonna
sit there and cry
like some kind of psycho bitch?
I don't know
what you want.
Do you know
who knows what I want?
Don't try to hide from me!
EJ and I talked
to the people in the cast,
but we got
nothing useful from them.
None of them believed that
Oliver knew the gun was real.
Neither did I.
And then I remembered something
that Rachel had said
earlier that night.
Everything you need
is inside the doll.
The letter was from Lena.
It was the same letter that
had led Darlene to call 9-1-1.
It read: "I'm sure by now you
know that I was the one
who switched a real gun
for the stunt gun.
Oliver knew nothing about it.
It was my decision
to kill Aaron Richmond.
Mine alone.
He had to pay,
for abusing my mother and me
when I was a little girl."
Lena left an address
where we could find Darlene.
But we weren't in time
to save the kidnapped woman.
Luckily, it didn't matter.
Because by the time
we reached her,
Darlene had kicked
the end of the box out.
She'd saved herself.
Lena made sure to tell us
how she got away with it,
and why it was so important
for Rachel to leave
at the end of intermission.
Because thanks to the personas
of Rachel and Jasmine,
Lena, the daughter
of the true playwright,
had become
a real life Russian doll.
And, with the help
of special makeup,
her theater training,
and her sadistic boyfriend,
Lena had hidden
in plain sight for weeks...
sometimes disguised
as a pregnant woman
directing a play...
...and sometimes as a
short-tempered personal trainer.
But when I think of her,
I think of the words her
mother wanted spoken
at the end of her play.
We all wear masks and disguises,
whether to hide the scars
of our damaged souls,
or the shame of our deceit.
For in a world often marred
by cruelty and judgment,
it is truly an act of bravery
to live a life
unguarded, and open.
And so, in the end,
many of us become Russian dolls.
Choosing to hide our
real selves from the world.
But some have found another path.
They embrace honesty and sincerity,
and choose to accept
the risks of living
without pretense or façade.
Because they believe that life
becomes infinitely rewarding
when you find the courage
to share the deepest part
of yourself with another.
Someone with whom you can be fearless,
and true.
-- English --
by Fingersmaster. Enjoy!
Saul?
Saul, wake up.
Sophia Kaplan,
official business of the Communist Party.
Stall them,
while I get her out the back.
Sophia Kaplan
open this door immediately!
Hello?
Open this door! Now!
I'll be right there.
The darn door is stuck.
Sophia. Hurry.
What are you doing?
I'm not leaving
without The Russian Doll.
Kick it down.
Before you kick,
let me try one more thing.
Now we are getting somewhere.
No, no, no.
Sit, please.
Would you like to know
why I am so good at my job?
All right.
Sophia, you need to leave!
Not with that bag.
I can't look like I'm taking a trip.
A trip?
Where are you going?
It is because I have
this special ability
to see inside people's hearts.
"I have this special ability
to see inside people's hearts."
Listen to me.
I sound like character from comic book.
What I mean to say is this:
I always know when
someone is lying to me.
It's true.
Would you like a demonstration?
That's not necessary.
I insist. I insist.
Let's start with easy one.
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
Shall I ask again?
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
I don't know.
That's was easy.
You told the truth.
Let's try it with your
lovely wife, shall we?
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
I...I don't know.
I'm afraid she is lying to me.
But maybe I am mistaken.
Let me ask again,
just to be sure.
Where is your daughter?
Oh, this.
Don't you hate it?
It's a little bit of too much,
don't you think?
Try not to pay
any attention to it.
Where is your daughter?
I don't know.
Oh my God!
Oh my...
Where is your daughter?
- I don't know!
You want to kill me, too?
Kill me!
I don't know where she is!
Okay, great.
Let's hold there
for just a minute.
That was excellent, everybody.
Before we break,
I just want to take a minute
to take care of something
that feels really overdue.
It is rare,
in small theater productions,
that you come across
the dramatic range and skill
that Aaron Richmond
brings to our company.
But when you put that
together with the fact
that he wrote The Russian Doll,
well, I think we
should all take a moment
and say, "Thank you,
Aaron, for everything."
I love you all.
Back then,
I didn't know anything
about The Russian Doll.
I was just a cop with a
problem that I couldn't solve.
My wife had died
about a year earlier.
But to me, it still
seemed like yesterday.
Hi, Travis. Slow night?
Oh, you know.
Maybe things will pick up.
You don't have to do that,
Detective.
I want to make a request.
That's fine,
but you always
give me too much money.
Well, I want you
to play the one that I like.
You know, I wrote a new one.
-One that's not-
-Okay.
I don't want to hear
a new one, Travis.
I want you
to play the one that I like.
All right.
How 'bout you show me
how you'd look on one
of these tables, naked?
How 'bout you back
the fuck up, right now?
How 'bout that?
I saw what you
were doing, slut.
Excuse me?
Waving your skanky ass
at my boyfriend.
Are you talking about that guy?
There's not enough
tequila in the world.
What did you say?
Look. I'm not interested
in your disgusting, fat-
So, you slapped me.
So what next?
You gonna pull my hair?
You-
And my ass is not skanky,
bitch.
Georgia, can you
see me out here?
Okay.
Uh, you've never been
pregnant, right, Sweetie?
No.
Okay.
Good. Um,
I'm gonna show you something.
Thanks, Kevin.
You see how long that took?
Yeah.
And that's me, hurrying.
So, when Sophia
gets up out of the chair
and crosses to the dresser,
I want you to take
advantage of the fact
that she can't
move quickly, okay?
Added to what
you're already doing,
believe me,
the tension in this scene
is going to give
the audience nightmares.
What is wrong with you?
I'm sorry. I'm trying.
Well I guess you're
not trying hard enough.
You disgust me.
I'm sorry.
Look at me
when I'm talking to you.
Look at me!
You're pathetic.
Do you know that?
So that's it?
You're just gonna
sit there and cry
like some kind
of psycho bitch?
I don't know what you want.
Do you know
who knows what I want?
Jasmine?
Are you home?
Like me,
Darlene Scarano
had never heard of the play
The Russian Doll.
She had no idea that just
a few miles away, every night,
actors were rehearsing it.
But, in a tragic case
of wrong-place-wrong-time,
she stumbled upon
a letter in her apartment
about the playwright,
and a murder.
She called 9-1-1, and her
life was changed, forever.
9-1-1.
What's your emergency?
Well, I'm not sure whether this
is actually a real emergency,
but I just found this letter
about this play
called The Russian Doll,
and a murder.
I guess this guy Aaron Richmond-
Hello? Ma'am, are you there?
Hello?
The playwright,
Aaron Richmond,
was mentioned in the 9-1-1 call.
So my partner and I
went to speak to him first.
I wrote The Russian Doll
nearly thirty years ago.
I've been very lucky
to have made a modest living
performing it almost
the entire time.
The Deer Pond board of directors
rented me this house
for the whole run.
Do you have any idea
why your name came up
in a phone call about a murder?
Well, someone does
get killed in my play.
Do you have a copy
of the script here?
Oh, of course.
If you'll excuse me.
Oh my God.
Do you think he's wearing
anything underneath that robe?
I sincerely hope so.
Well.
You look good.
Don't.
Look. All I'm saying
is that nobody can quite
pull off a hangover like you.
Good God but you
are a lovely creature,
Georgia. Look at you.
Why, Mr. Richmond!
Are you watching me
walk around in my lingerie?
I'm not so sure
that's appropriate.
I signed this for you.
Mr. Richmond,
do you know a woman
named Darlene Scarano?
Oh, I meet so many
people in show business,
you know, but, no, I'm sorry.
Who is she?
She's the woman
who dialed 9-1-1,
and she mentioned you,
specifically.
So you're sure that
you don't know her?
How dramatic.
I'm sorry,
I don't know the woman.
What did she say about me?
Darlene was attacked
before she could
finish the call.
So we're looking
for her right now.
My goodness, when was this?
This morning, around 9:30 a.m.
Can you account for yourself
during that time?
Good God, am I a suspect?
No. Nobody's
suspected of anything,
but we do have to follow
every lead that we have.
So you're sure you weren't
with Ms. Scarano this morning?
As I already told you,
I don't know the woman.
I was here this morning.
All morning?
Oh! Excuse me.
Georgia Bismark.
Detectives...
Ames.
Fiore.
Well, if you'll excuse me,
I'm on my way to work.
Before you go, Georgia.
What time did we have breakfast?
Georgia came over
to run lines this morning.
She's in the show, too.
Uh, around 8:30.
And you were here with
Mr. Richmond from 8:30 on?
That's right.
Okay, thank you very much,
Ms. Bismark.
We won't keep you here any longer.
Oh, wait. Before you go,
do you happen to know
a Miss Darlene Scarano?
No, I'm sorry.
I don't know
anybody by that name.
Look. All I'm saying is if
I showed up to work the next day
in the same clothes as
I was wearing the day before,
I wouldn't be surprised if you
had some questions for me.
Are you done yet?
I kept wondering
how the missing woman
was connected toThe Russian Doll,
and how she got hold of
a letter about the playwright.
So, we went to her apartment
to talk to her roommate, Jasmine.
I thought
she was at work.
No.
She went in to work early,
but she left to go
to a dentist's appointment,
and never made it back.
Does she have a boyfriend?
No.
A few months ago
she broke up with this guy
when he moved away.
Is it unusual for
Darlene to go missing like this?
Missing, as in interrupted
in the middle of a 9-1-1 call
about some stupid play
and suddenly disappearing?
Yeah.
That's unusual for Darlene.
Sorry.
When was the last time
you saw her?
Last night.
I was home when
she got back from work.
Uh, I left after dinner to go
to my boyfriend Mark's house.
So you have no idea
where Darlene might be?
Don't worry, Darlene.
Everything will be fine,
if you don't try to be a hero.
Don't try to call out for help.
Don't try to get away.
In fact, don't do anything,
or it's gonna get real bad.
Are you kidding me?
What did I tell you?
Don't do anything dumb!
Do you understand?
Open your hand.
Do you want me to get angry?
No.
Open your hand.
I really don't want to hurt you.
But if you make me, I will.
We didn't have
much else to go on,
so we went to the garage where
Jasmine's boyfriend worked.
You know, I always wanted to
write a book about being a cop.
Maybe I should
turn it into a play.
What do you think?
I never thought
of you as the writer type.
You must be the detectives.
I'm Jasmine's boyfriend, Mark.
She told me about Darlene.
How can I help?
Gosh, I haven't seen Darlene...
I think it was
sometime last week.
You think she's in real danger?
Okay. Well,
if you think of anything,
or obviously if you hear
from Darlene, give us a call.
Yeah.
Oh wait. You know what?
Shit. I'll be right back.
I think I forgot
the script inside.
Goddammit, Darlene!
I told you not to be an idiot!
Now I have to hurt you.
I told you.
This is actually really good.
Mom!
What are you doing here?
-Your Honor.
-Oh, EJ, sit.
We're not in court.
How's Frank?
And the twins?
Oh,
everybody's really good.
Mom?
Well, I couldn't
reach you by phone.
So I asked EJ where
you'd be having lunch today.
I wanted to let you know that
when I bring dinner by tonight,
Bernadette Lowry
and her daughter Faith
will be joining us.
Mom, please don't do this.
Look, I know this is hard,
but I really think it's time
for you to start meeting people.
How many ...
How many times do I have to tell
you I don't want to get set up?
Okay?
Wendy died a year ago.
Almost two.
Whatever!
It doesn't matter.
I'm not ... I'm just ...
I'm not ready to start dating.
This isn't a date,
for heaven's sakes.
I have known you
your entire life, Viola.
You might be
fooling everyone else,
but I know you're still
very hurt, and very angry.
And when you're not working,
or acting out in some
dive bar somewhere,
you're hiding from
the rest of the world
at that lake house
that Wendy built.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Really?
Yeah. Really.
First of all, I'm not angry!
Honey, look at yourself.
And second, I'm not
hiding from anybody.
Well great!
Then Bernadette, Faith and I
will see you at 6:30.
Thanks a lot, partner.
What?
So then I meet Ricky's parents,
and they proudly announce
that their goal is to make
sure he gets into Harvard.
I had no idea that college
was such a high priority
for first graders.
Oh yeah.
It's right up there with
meeting the tooth fairy.
So, what did you
tell Ricky's parents?
Well, I told them
that my goal was
to get him prepared
for second grade.
And to stop picking his nose.
And what did they say?
Well, they tried to have him
assigned to a different class.
And the principal said
he'll take it under advisement.
And four months later,
the school year ended,
and we all survived.
Well, I am really
sorry about this,
but I actually
have to get going.
I have to go back to work.
Right now?
Yeah. I have to
interview some people
at a rehearsal
down at Deer Pond.
For The Russian Doll?
Yeah.
I studied that play in college.
I have tickets to opening night.
Did you know that
there was a scandal
back when it first opened?
This Russian woman
filed a lawsuit
right here in Massachusetts.
She said the playwright
stole her life's story.
Well, that is a very unhappy
memory of a miserable ordeal.
What happened?
Good Lord, it was
nearly 30 years ago now.
There was a woman
named Sylvia Adler
with whom I was involved with
for several months.
But, it happens she was unwell,
and after we split up,
she actually sued me,
claiming that I had
somehow stolen
the play from her.
She lost the case of course.
Is everything alright, Aaron?
Everything's fine,
Oliver, thank you.
And who are you?
Attorney Charles Oliver Bridges.
I'm a cast mate
of Mr. Richmond's,
and I'm also a criminal lawyer.
Is there anything I can
help you with, detectives?
If we need your help,
Mr. Bridges, we'll ask for it.
But meanwhile, we need
to speak to Mr. Richmond
privately, please.
Are you sure you don't
need me for anything, Aaron?
Everything's fine, Oliver, yes.
Thank you.
Okay.
All right, well safe flight.
No, we'll be fine.
Okay.
Take care.
Looks like we lost Kevin
for the week.
A week?
Who's Kevin?
Kevin Quarrels,
our stage manager.
His mom suffered a stroke
and is in ICU in Chicago.
He's flying out tonight.
I should tell
the rest of the cast.
Oh, um, Mr. Richmond,
is The Russian Doll
a work of fiction?
I don't believe ...
You know,
the story of a young
Jewish woman from Russia
emigrating to the United States
might have come to me from
the result of meeting Sylvia,
who was, actually,
originally from Moscow.
But aside from that, the
story is entirely fictional.
It is not based upon her life,
or on the life of anyone else.
Okay. So then,
Ms. Adler's plagiarism
claim, that was a lie?
Absolutely.
Please believe me, detectives.
This is not the case
of the big, bad American
threatening the young
immigrant woman.
Sylvia Adler was a nutcase.
Life with her and her daughter
was far from an erotic fantasy.
I wasn't expecting you.
I like it here.
I wouldn't be surprised if
you have some questions for me.
Because I really
want to kiss you.
But first...
Wait.
We forgot something.
Well I'll tell you one thing.
They sure as hell
didn't have detectives
that looked like the two of you
back when I was working
in the D.A.'s office.
Do you know
anything about this?
Yeah.
That deposition
took place right here.
It must have been
25 years ago.
How'd you get
a hold of a copy of this?
These transcripts don't usually
make it into the public record.
Yeah, well, I have connections
at the courthouse.
You heard of Judge Ames?
Oh yeah.
She's a tough one.
Yeah, well that's her mother.
So.
Have you had
a chance to read it?
Every word.
Your claim is that the story
of The Russian Doll is,
in fact, the story
of your escape from Russia.
Is that correct?
Yes.
And you also say
that you wrote the play.
I did write the play.
But you have no proof.
My diary is proof.
You mean the diary you wrote
after you heard Mr. Richmond
was producing the play.
The other lawyer
was kind of a jerk.
But it really didn't matter,
because in a few minutes,
it was all over.
So, you have
no proof you wrote the play.
No notes, nothing.
He took everything.
Well did you tell anyone
that you had written the play?
No.
No, wait. My daughter.
My daughter Lena.
I told her when I was finished.
How old is Lena?
She is seven years old.
Will she
be testifying at the trial?
Absolutely not.
I would never
put her through that.
Miss Adler.
If I choose, I can subpoena
your daughter to testify.
No!
You can't make her!
I assure you I can.
Well, then I will
end this right now!
She committed
suicide that same summer.
Sure could have used
the money from that case.
I had my accident a month later.
Bad year.
What happened to Lena?
Who?
Sylvia's daughter.
What happened
to Sylvia's daughter
after she killed herself?
I don't
understand why that matters.
I was under the impression that
you were looking for some girl
that disappeared yesterday.
Right.
A girl that we believe is in danger.
So why don't you quit
jerking us around
and tell us where
Sylvia's daughter is?
I - I refuse to answer for
fear of incriminating myself.
This case just
keeps getting better.
What did you do
to Sylvia's daughter?
I didn't do anything to her!
Well then, why won't
you tell us where she is?
Am I missing something here?
What's the problem here exactly?
I thought you got disbarred
for taking your clients' money.
I was never disbarred, okay?
Only suspended!
And that had nothing
to do with the adoption.
Oh, okay. Adoption.
So, what?
You were afraid to tell us
about this because
you ripped off some desperate
couple who wanted a kid?
That sound about right?
No.
Listen carefully, counselor.
I don't care
what you did 25 years ago.
I don't care
what you did yesterday.
Start cooperating, or this shit
show you call your law practice
is over by the end of the week.
I hope you like
the new place.
I think it's kind of charming.
Oh, and I had to handcuff you
because of what you did before.
I doubt you're
gonna cut them off.
No, I'm sorry.
I don't recognize her.
Is she a member here?
No, she's actually a roommate
of one of your trainers here.
Jasmine Perrot.
Oh, Jasmine.
I love her.
The girl is intense.
If by intense you mean scary.
Jasmine's training style
isn't for everybody.
No shit.
Is she here?
Uh, no, actually.
She's off today.
Was she working yesterday?
Um, yeah.
I think I remember seeing her.
She was here in the morning
for a while,
and then she came back
in the afternoon.
Let me check.
Yes, uh, she had clients that
morning from 10:30 to 1:30,
and then she came back
for a couple of sessions
beginning at 5
in the afternoon-
Wait. Are you - are you
sure about those times?
Her first appointment
was at 10:30?
Uh, well she had
a reschedule of the 10,
and it was rescheduled for
this Sunday at noon.
So I never asked you
how your date went last night.
Oh, Jesus Christ, EJ.
You too?
What? So not good?
Look.
It wasn't a date, okay?
Okay. Not a date.
10-4.
Come on in.
Any news on Darlene?
Not yet.
No, we just need to go over
your work schedule
the day that Darlene got taken.
You said that you were
working from 10:00 to 1:00?
Yeah.
And then I went back
later in the afternoon.
Right.
But we just talked to Philip
at the health club,
and he said that your... um,
uh... Sorry. He said that, um,
your 10:00 got
rescheduled that morning--
Sorry.
Yeah. Uh, I got to work
a few minutes before ten.
Um, my client didn't show
so I called her,
five after ten,
something like that.
She said she'd spaced, so we
rescheduled for this Sunday.
Hang on.
We'd asked
the play's director to text us
a picture of her
missing stage manager.
It was our first
real break in the case.
Holy shit.
When was the last time
you saw your boyfriend?
Um, last night.
Mark and I had dinner together.
Then he went to class.
He's going to night school
to be a paralegal.
How many nights a week?
Tuesday through Saturday.
And then he's got a
Sunday afternoon study group.
Are you aware
that while he was
supposed to be at night school
he was actually
stage managing a play?
What?
Oh my God.
Every guy... every boyfriend
I've ever had is an asshole.
Every single one.
All this time he was lying?
Is that even his real name?
Mark?
Well, he was going
by Kevin at the theater.
And he never mentioned anything
to you about The Russian Doll?
I only heard
about the stupid thing
from the woman
at the health club.
Did Mark know Darlene?
Yeah, he knew her.
She was my roommate.
Oh my God.
Oh my God.
You think he took Darlene?
Motherfucker!
Help me!
As soon as Jasmine's boyfriend
became a real suspect,
EJ and I went back to the garage
to confront him.
But he had disappeared.
It wasn't until later that day
that we got our
next break in the case,
from an unexpected source.
-Faith!
-Hi!
Looks like I'm catching you
at a bad time.
No. You know what? I was just
going to go out for a quick run,
but come on in.
Sorry I'm
barging in on you like this.
No, it's um
it gives me... It's good.
It gives me a chance
to apologize for my mom,
for pulling you into
that dinner last night.
Are you kidding?
If I hadn't come willingly,
my mom would have
dragged me here by my hair. So.
By the way, I don't remember
if I mentioned it last night,
but your place is gorgeous.
Yeah, Wendy built
a lot of this herself,
so, it was kind of
her dream house.
Uh, well, listen.
I don't want to
hold you up much longer.
I just came over
to give this to you.
I got curious,
and did some research
on The Russian Doll.
Oh, you know what?
We already looked into
that Russian woman
who said that she
had written the play, so...
Oh. Did you find the diary?
Diary?
Where did you find this?
On line.
It took some digging,
but I'm pretty good
at that kind of stuff.
This is...
I totally owe you a beer.
Make it a glass of wine
and you've got a date.
I remembered something today
which is both terribly
depressing and yet,
somehow freeing.
I could have proven
that Aaron stole my play.
It's now too late, but still,
it makes me feel
a little better.
July thirtieth.
I was never satisfied
with the play's ending.
It saddens me to know it
will be performed with a flaw.
I should have
concluded with a speech
explaining all people
are like Russian dolls,
and that we all discover
what we are truly like
when we shed our coverings,
and expose what is within us.
August tenth.
It ends today.
I have found that deep within
me is a naiïve and weak child -
someone who cannot
live as an adult.
The pain is too great.
You never fucking learn!
God!
Ah, fuck!
We need to talk.
Yeah.
I finished reading the play.
I loved it.
There's just one
small problem, though.
The writer's name is wrong.
It should have said,
"Sylvia Adler."
What?
Yeah, you were threatened
because you plagiarized
The Russian Doll.
This is an outrage.
I'd go with felony.
See, the secret would
have died with Sylvia,
except someone found
the proof in her diary,
and then put it on line.
What proof?
Well, what's the name of the
main character in your play?
Sophia Kaplan.
And what do you suppose is
the name of Sylvia's best friend
-in real life?
-Oh, I... I think I know.
Yeah?
Sophia Kaplan!
Interesting coincidence.
Do you want to hear another one?
Sophia's neighbors in real life
have the same exact names
as the neighbors in your play!
You didn't make up the names
because you
didn't write the play.
Sylvia did.
I assure you she did not.
Yeah, and your fans are really
going to be behind you
100 percent when
they read Sylvia's diary.
Legally,
The Russian Dollis yours.
The statute of limitations
is long past.
We just wanted you
to know that we understand
why somebody would
want to kill you.
You're a lying douche bag.
Has anyone seen Oliver?
-There you are!
-Sorry, Georgia.
I need to talk to you
about something.
We think we know
who might be behind the threat.
Kevin wrote the letter?
Well we think so.
Did you know him
before this production?
Mm-mm. I've never
set eyes on him before.
Well what about you,
Ms. Sullivan?
I met him here at the theater
a couple of months ago
at the beginning of rehearsals.
He was a volunteer.
What is wrong with you?
I'm sorry. I'm trying.
Well I guess you're
not trying hard enough.
- You disgust me.
- I'm sorry.
Look at me
when I'm talking to you.
Look at me!
You're pathetic.
Do you know that?
So that's it?
You're just gonna
sit there and cry
like some kind of psycho bitch?
I don't know what you want.
Do you know
who knows what I want?
Don't try to hide from me!
Please - don't stop.
Let me.
You don't have to apologize.
No, I... I do.
Look, I really
didn't mean anything
-when I said that...
-And I wanted...
I wanted to show you something.
That's my wife, Wendy.
That's a...
a beautiful picture.
Yeah. That was, um,
taken on her birthday.
She died a year...
well, two years ago.
You guys look very happy.
My mother told me.
She said you were still grieving.
Well, no, not really.
I mean, it took me months
to get over it,
but it's in the past.
It's just...
I have become...
I'm not a good person
to be around.
Look at me, I'm...
I'm about to break that cup
into a million pieces.
I am just... I'm...
I am so, so
angry.
I thought you were going to say
you were...
so sad.
Ames.
Wait, who is this?
I haven't thought about
Lena's birth mother in years.
I assumed that was all behind us.
Yeah, but when Mr. Oslo called us
and explained the situation,
Tom and I decided
we should call you.
Do you know where Lena is?
Uh, yeah.
She moved to the west coast
after graduating from college.
And she teaches theater
out in Washington state,
near Seattle.
And when was the last
time you spoke with her?
Oh, she called just yesterday.
No, actually, I think it was
the day before yesterday.
-Let me check.
-Oh, that's right!
She caught us
on our way to the movies.
Yep.
Day before yesterday.
And when you spoke with her,
did anything seem unusual,
or did she seem okay?
Uh, she was fine.
Just calling to say hi.
Nothing special.
Do you have her phone number?
Of course.
Okay.
All her contact information
is right there.
That's her, by the way.
She hates that picture.
You spoke with her two days ago?
Yes. That's right.
And right there,
the case was broken wide open.
Jasmine was Lena,
Sylvia's daughter.
The only person with a motive
to harm Aaron Richmond.
"Every boyfriend
I've ever had is an asshole."
-That lying sack of...
-Don't beat yourself up.
She fooled me too.
Now she's not answering.
Of course.
Try her boss at the health club.
Hey - see you tomorrow.
Uh, yeah.
She's here on the treadmill.
Excuse me?
Of course.
I understand.
Girl, you better get yourself
right with Jesus.
Oh, don't worry.
I'll be done in a minute,
and then you can try it out, okay?
No, no please, no, no!
That's her!
This way. Come on!
-Shit.
-Hey!
She's right there!
Stop! Stop!
Stop!
It's not her.
Help!
- Did you hear that?
In the bathroom!
-Oh.
-Oh, my God.
Are you okay?
Where are you bleeding from?
Shit!
-And I walked right by her.
-Yeah, yeah.
But if I had checked her
alibi like I was supposed to,
we wouldn't be standing here
with our dicks in our fucking hands.
Okay.
So Jasmine and Mark
are in on this together.
Which means that?
It must have, what,
gone down at their house.
Right. And Darlene
somehow gets her hands on the letter,
calls the cops...
And then Jasmine hears it,
and that's the end of that.
Right.
So now we know everything
about everybody.
Except where anybody is.
Fuck!
Oh this?
Try not to pay
any attention to it.
Excuse me, sir.
May I see that pistol, please?
If you have a warrant.
Hey!
Is there a problem?
Oh, don't feel bad.
She does that to every fool
who waves a weapon around like that.
It actually feels heavier
than I'd imagined.
It's almost like the real thing.
Trigger really works.
The weighted ones are better.
You'd be surprised
how an audience can tell
whether a gun
is plastic or metal,
whether the trigger moves,
that kind of thing.
So how does this
stunt thing work, exactly?
Oh, it's really
just a timing trick.
Oliver points the gun,
squeezes the trigger.
At that moment,
someone in the sound booth
cues the sound
for a gunshot.
Bam!
Oliver fakes the recoil,
Aaron just simply
reacts to the sound,
triggering a little
packet of blood to explode.
Sounds simple enough.
So do you think we're
safe to open tonight?
Well, we're gonna have a couple
of plain clothes guys outside.
Besides, I think that
Jasmine and her boyfriend
are probably halfway
to Canada by now.
They know we're on to them.
Yeah. We still haven't
found Darlene yet, though.
You made me do this.
Stop moving!
Technically,
I'm not gonna kill you.
You'll kill yourself
when you use up all the air.
What's the occasion?
EJ, do not be an idiot.
I'm just trying to blend in.
Okay.
Hey! Viola!
-Hey!
-I didn't know you'd be here.
Yeah, no,
it's just a precaution.
Faith, this is my partner,
Detective Fiore.
Oh! You're Faith.
It's nice to meet you.
I'm EJ.
Nice to meet you, too.
Are you staying
for the performance?
Yeah.
That's the plan.
Then I'll see you
at intermission.
Okay.
-Enjoy the show.
-Thanks.
All right. So A, shut up.
And B, I'm going downstairs
for one last check.
Okay.
I distinctly remember asking
you for two bottles of water,
not one.
Would you like to know
how I remember this?
Because I require one bottle of
water for each act of the play,
and the play has two acts!
If I'm not mistaken,
three-quarters of the earth's surface
is covered with water.
So I don't think
it is asking too much,
it is not overly greedy or selfish,
to request two bottles of water.
Not one, not three.
Two!
I'm sorry, sir.
I'll go get you one.
Madam Director!
Thank you.
Thank you all.
This is a very special play.
Because in this world of theater,
in this world of make-believe,
this play challenges us
to really see ourselves.
It challenges us to look inside.
To look within,
and discover
who we really are-
Russian dolls.
Every one of us.
And you know what?
Everything you need,
everything you need
for your performance tonight,
and everything you need
for far more than tonight,
is already inside of you.
Inside the doll.
Everything you need
is inside the doll.
Carry that with you tonight,
and you'll make me proud.
And you'll make
yourselves proud.
And you'll make everyone
in that theater tonight proud.
My love is with all of you.
Even though I thought that
Jasmine and her boyfriend
were nowhere near the theater,
I still felt like we
were missing something.
Oh! I'm sorry.
- I didn't know you were here.
- Okay. It's all right.
Just keep moving.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
Everything okay?
Looks good.
Are you okay?
Contractions.
Been having them for
a couple of days now.
Too far apart to worry about.
-Let me get the door for you.
-Thank you.
There is a promise
contained in every sunrise.
A promise of hope, and rebirth.
A promise that this new day
can be a better one
than the last.
Hey.
What do y'all think so far?
-It's good.
-I really like it.
Fingers crossed for act two.
Where is that girl?
What is her name?
Mother of God,
how am I supposed
to get ready for act two?
I'm sorry.
As you should be.
Did it take you the entire
first act to drill a well
for the precious liquid?
My God, did you think
I was kidding when I said
I needed a bottle
of water for each act.
I assure you, young lady,
I was not!
Thank you, so, so much.
That was quite refreshing.
Oh my God!
Are you okay?
-Her water just broke.
-Oh no. You know what?
I'll call for a cruiser.
It's fine.
I just called my sister.
She lives two blocks away.
Are you sure?
This is what you get
when you direct a play
in your ninth month.
That's her.
Let me know how it goes.
Okay.
Well, good luck.
Let's do it.
Let's try it with
your lovely wife, shall we?
Where is your daughter, Sophia?
I don't know.
I'm afraid she is lying to me.
-No.
-But maybe I am mistaken.
Let me ask again,
just to be sure.
Where is your daughter?
Oh, this.
Don't you hate it?
It's a little bit of too much,
don't you think?
Try not to pay
any attention to it.
Where is your daughter?
I don't know.
So that's it?
You're just gonna
sit there and cry
like some kind of psycho bitch?
I don't know
what you want.
Do you know
who knows what I want?
Don't try to hide from me!
EJ and I talked
to the people in the cast,
but we got
nothing useful from them.
None of them believed that
Oliver knew the gun was real.
Neither did I.
And then I remembered something
that Rachel had said
earlier that night.
Everything you need
is inside the doll.
The letter was from Lena.
It was the same letter that
had led Darlene to call 9-1-1.
It read: "I'm sure by now you
know that I was the one
who switched a real gun
for the stunt gun.
Oliver knew nothing about it.
It was my decision
to kill Aaron Richmond.
Mine alone.
He had to pay,
for abusing my mother and me
when I was a little girl."
Lena left an address
where we could find Darlene.
But we weren't in time
to save the kidnapped woman.
Luckily, it didn't matter.
Because by the time
we reached her,
Darlene had kicked
the end of the box out.
She'd saved herself.
Lena made sure to tell us
how she got away with it,
and why it was so important
for Rachel to leave
at the end of intermission.
Because thanks to the personas
of Rachel and Jasmine,
Lena, the daughter
of the true playwright,
had become
a real life Russian doll.
And, with the help
of special makeup,
her theater training,
and her sadistic boyfriend,
Lena had hidden
in plain sight for weeks...
sometimes disguised
as a pregnant woman
directing a play...
...and sometimes as a
short-tempered personal trainer.
But when I think of her,
I think of the words her
mother wanted spoken
at the end of her play.
We all wear masks and disguises,
whether to hide the scars
of our damaged souls,
or the shame of our deceit.
For in a world often marred
by cruelty and judgment,
it is truly an act of bravery
to live a life
unguarded, and open.
And so, in the end,
many of us become Russian dolls.
Choosing to hide our
real selves from the world.
But some have found another path.
They embrace honesty and sincerity,
and choose to accept
the risks of living
without pretense or façade.
Because they believe that life
becomes infinitely rewarding
when you find the courage
to share the deepest part
of yourself with another.
Someone with whom you can be fearless,
and true.
-- English --