American Gothic (2016): Season 1, Episode 9 - The Oxbow - full transcript

- Previously on American Gothic...
- You think if you come clean,

you get the girl back.

Last chance.

Bye.

Jennifer Windham strikes again.

Where is this woman
getting all these stories?

I'm so sorry.

For sleeping with my husband?

Or for illegally bugging us?

I'm pregnant.

That's the killer
getting back in the car.



That's the passenger door.

Someone else is driving.

Jack, tell me right
now. Where did you get this?

Uncle Garrett's cabin.

I want to toast

my big brother.

To family.

You know what they say.

When you arrest an innocent person,

they freak out.

They're yelling, pacing,
and never sit still.

But when you arrest
someone who's guilty,

they go to sleep.

You've heard that, haven't you?



Funny thing...

is that when we brought you in

and we put you in that cell,

you lay awake all night.

Perfectly still.

But you never slept.

I don't believe you did
any of the actual killing.

I think it was all your dad.

Garrett, look.

If you're willing to come clean,

tell the entire truth

about your role in
the Silver Bells killings,

that would be an incredible
showing of good faith.

But if you don't cooperate, Garrett,

we have the knife.

Your knife.

The bit of ivory
that was found at the site

of the first Silver Bells killing

matches exactly the piece
missing from the knife.

Your knife.

We know, absolutely,

that you're involved.

Just answer the question.

Garrett.

What did you do?

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

How you feeling?

Fine.

No problems with the guards
or other... people?

The other prisoners?

No. No problem.

Have the police questioned you?

Yeah, a little.

And you didn't say anything?

No, not yet.

Not ever.

Now,

I've put a call in to Darcy Campano.

She's brilliant. I've hired her

- to defend you.
- Save your money.

Save it.

You love your money.

She's the best criminal defense
attorney in the city,

worth every p...

Stop!

Stop.

It's over.

All of this was inevitable.

We just postponed it 14 years.

That's all.

It was nice, though.

It was.

Being back in the fold.

Part of... Part of the family again.

That's not over.

I think it is.

No. Listen to me.

I've been thinking about that knife,

and I seem to remember that
your father gave it to you.

Do you remember that?

Do you?

Yeah, I remember a lot of things.

Some more vividly than others.

You're the best guy in the world.

That's the story I'll sell to everybody.

Because the only real
evidence they've got

is the knife from your cabin.

And there is an ocean of time

between when that ivory chip
fell out of the handle

and when they got the knife.

I will rip them to shreds over this.

And I understand from your mother

that it wasn't even your knife.

Your dad gave it to you.

He must have had it on
him during a murder,

left the ivory chip behind,

then gave it to his
nature-loving oldest son,

and that was that.

You're just an innocent bystander

with an unlucky genealogy.

Have you ever read

the writings of Horace Mann?

What?

"If evil is inevitable,

how are the wicked accountable?"

"Why do we call men wicked at all?"

"Evil is inevitable..."

"...but it is also remediable."

Also remediable.

Do you believe that?

Wh... I'm sure you're a
little freaked out in here.

That's understandable.

I mean, it's jail, for God's sakes.

It's a shock to the system.

No one ever expects to wind up here.

Well, actually, I kind of did.

I need you to just
sit tight and keep quiet.

Don't tell anybody anything.

Don't even tell me anything.

Nothing.

You think you can do that?

Of course you can.

Are you sleeping okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, I can sleep anywhere.

You mind telling me why
you're breaking into my cabin?

And just what are you hoping to steal?

Nothing!

I-I wasn't going to steal anything.

I swear.

I just, I just need
a warm place to stay.

How long you been out here?

A while.

Just sleeping in the woods?

No, I-I've been couch surfing.

The hell does that mean?

A lot of the cabins are
empty, so I've just been...

Breaking in and sleeping
in people's cabins.

- Yeah, that's right.
- And eating their food?

Maybe a few times.

Where you come from?

Boston.

You're telling me you came
out here from Boston

with no cabin, no food, and no plan?

I thought I could figure it out.

I've been up here before.

Okay, Daniel Boone.

About eight miles that way

is a road that gets you
back to the highway.

You can thumb a ride back
to Boston. Now start walking.

- No, I'm not going back.
- I ain't asking you, son,

I'm telling you get
the hell out of here.

I'm not going back there!

How come?

I...

couldn't take the people.

Well, that makes two of us.

I don't care where you go.

But you got to go.

And if I catch you
back around my place again...

I know...

you won't miss next time.

I didn't miss this time.

Daniel Boone.

Where's your canteen?

So you won't die of thirst.

There's a call for you.

Come on, you can take it out here.

Hello.

How's jail?

They treating you all right?

Yeah, it's fine.

How's rehab?

It's great. You know,
there's some group time,

some alone time...

it's cool.

Visitors?

Yeah, you know, the fam.

Hey, too bad jail isn't closer to rehab,

they'd only have to park once.

Cam, I want to apologize to you.

What?

You were doing me a favor,

going to talk to
Christina, when you got the drugs...

Hey, look.

I mean, you must be feeling
a lot of guilt over...

I-I don't know and I
don't want to know,

but as far as me using's concerned,

you can let yourself
off the hook for that.

- I mean, I earned my place in here
all by myself. - Yeah, I know.

That goes back a long time.

I wish I'd been there for more of that.

I'm sorry for that, as well.

Hey, man, look. I'm the one's

supposed to be making the amends here.

Listen...

I want you to know something.

I'm proud of you.

I'm in rehab for the fifth time.

No, no.

Not the drugs. Not that. But...

you stayed true to yourself.

I mean, you could have been a...

A spoiled, preppy little jackass.

But-but you're not. You're an artist.

You made a-a career out of being smart

and subversive. And...

I am so proud of you.

Why are you being all
wise and philosophical?

Oh, you know.

Just getting it all out

before I go to the electric chair.

I've been thinking about
a lot of different things.

Honesty.

Transparency.

Somehow, it's-it's liberating.

Maybe I'm finding a whole
new way of living again.

Is this what you were after?

This is good.

Mm-hmm.

So, uh,

you're not still mad at me

for trying to break into your place?

Well, you didn't actually break in.

And the fact that you've
been out here for a year,

all alone...

I get it.

Most people probably wouldn't.

But I do.

Do you, uh,

live out here all the time?

No.

I only come out for about a month.

Always around this time.

So I may see you once a year.

If that feels too often,

we can cut it back to every other year.

I can show you how to catch
a rabbit, if you want.

Yeah, thanks.

I'd-I'd really appreciate that.

Ah, don't be gooey about it.

It ain't no big deal.

Okay.

Ollie Westcott died.

I'm sorry.

Was he a friend of yours?

No. That old bastard

didn't have any friends.

But he also didn't have any relatives.

There won't be no one coming
up here to claim his cabin.

I'll show you where it is tomorrow.

Hmm?

All right.

Well, what do you know?

You're getting better
at catching 'em than me.

I still want you to cook it, though.

Me, too.

Usually, city folks
are a little squeamish

about the killing part.

You used to go hunting with your dad?

A few times.

You and Dad working together?

I don't think so.

Remember the time the two of you
tried to fix the garage door?

I thought you were
gonna have a fistfight.

So I just don't buy this whole

"Garrett is the accomplice" theory.

So, before,

when you thought the Silver Bells Killer

might be just me...

Water under the bridge?

So, well, I just...

I just came by

to tell you that, um...

I'm on your side.

Thank you.

Is there anything I can do for you?

No.

Well, if you think of something,
you let me know.

I'll let you know.

I'm okay.

I've, um, I've-I've got to go.

You got a speech to make somewhere?

No. I'm...

meeting with an employee.

I am a top-notch reporter.

My potential is limitless.

Many people look up to me.

And if I don't do
exactly as Alison says,

I'll end up in jail.

You know, you probably should
start locking your door.

The lock's broken. The super's on it.

What do you want?

I need you to get
me something on Conley.

What? By some miracle,

I seem to only be
trailing him by seven points.

Striking distance.

And I now have a delightful
secret weapon in you.

You're shameless,

morally ambiguous,

but with the appearance of objectivity.

You're the whole package, Jen.

I want you

to take him down.

He's the mayor.

- How am I supposed to get any...?
- You figured out

how to put an illegal
listening device in my mother's house.

Dig deep.

Take his housekeeper out for coffee.

Follow him.

Just get me something I can use.

Or you can start doing
those daily affirmations

from your cell.

Time for dinner.

The rabbit's cooked perfectly.

Need a new knife.

Just needs sharpening is all.

Why are you so attached to that thing?

Sentimental value?

Yeah, something like that.

You never talk about your family.

Neither do you.

They're all dead.

Your turn.

They're all dead.

We're just not very close is all.

Well, I was with my little sister.

Tessa.

I had a niece

named Julie.

It was kind of the same thing, you know?

My family... they were fine, I guess,

but Julie?

She was a good egg.

She played the oboe.

I mean, you can find people all over

who play the piano or the guitar,

but the oboe... that's rare.

After college, I think

she could've played in any orchestra

through the whole damn country.

New York,
Philadelphia, Boston, you name it.

So what happened?

Car wreck.

Drunk driver.

Middle of the day,

drunk out of his mind.

I've lost all the members of my family

through the years.

I hardly even think of 'em.

But Julie...

I think about her a lot.

If I could see her just one more time...

But I can't.

That's that.

You miss Tessa?

We used to come up here
in the summers, camping.

That's how I know the area so well.

I still go back and...

check if they're there, sometimes.

That must've been rich people camping.

'Cause when I met you,

you didn't know a damn thing.

Oh, yeah. Big lake house,

five bedrooms, three bath.

Yeah, that's camping

like grocery shopping is hunting.

Well... here's to family.

The ones we like, anyway.

You know what I just realized?

Someone could've planted
that knife in his old cabin

to frame him.

I mean, think about it.

Right?

The real killer could've
seen Garrett's face

on the television a few weeks ago

when the police were hunting him down,

saw an opportunity,

found out where he
lived in Maine, and...

Tess, stop.

Okay? Just stop.

This loyalty to him, I...

I understand.

And, in a way, it is very touching.

But, Tess, at some point,

you have to face the reality
of what's going on.

You were sure... Everybody was sure...

That the DNA would match him. It didn't.

Why don't you go down there and ask him?

Point-blank.

What?

Go down to the jail,

look him in the eye

and ask him if he was involved.

You would know

if he's telling the truth
more than anyone, right?

You want me to do your bidding?

You want to use me

against my brother?

No, that's not what I'm saying. You do.

Our goal is the same here,
don't you get that?

I'm not the enemy.

We both want the truth.

Don't you need to know for yourself?

Ask him.

Damn, how is that water still so cold?

Come here, Jack-Jack.

You know, Tessa's a natural with kids.

- Mom!
- What?

It's been two months!

Don't freak him out.

So, how did you and Sophie meet?

You know, before I knew who she was,

I kept seeing her around
in different places, like

coffee shop, movies, bookstore.

And then this one day in the park...

That fateful day in the park.

When she just popped up in front of you.

And said, "Hi, I'm Sophie,

and I'm gonna be your girlfriend."

She was right.

Where's Dad?

Oh, uh, he and Tom

- went to get lighter fluid.
- No!

That is cheating! We are
building a bonfire!

Old school, like we used to.

What was that?

I think that's a red-tailed hawk.

Cool.

Anybody want to help me with dinner?

No, I'm good.

I'll come taste things. Okay.

Suck-up.

Come on, Jack, let's go.

Come on.

Dad, can we go see Mommy?

Good-bye, red-tailed hawk.

Hello?

Garrett?

Garrett, is that you?

Hey, Tess.

I found that number in my backpack.

When did you put it there?

I dropped by the lake house.

You were there, where we were?

Why didn't you come find me?

I just saw you and

I wanted you to have a way
of getting in touch with me.

If you need it.

I can't believe

I'm hearing your voice
after all this time.

I miss you so much.

Yeah, I miss you, too.

Oh, my God, I have a million questions.

Uh, why did you leave home
and when are you coming back?

And do you have a job
and do you have a girlfriend?

Are you happy?

I got to go, Tess.

Wait. We'll talk again soon.

I... I promise.

Okay.

You know the bird you heard?

That wasn't a red-tailed hawk,

that was a red-shouldered hawk.

They're the noisy ones.

The red-tailed hawks...

are mostly quiet.

I love you, Garrett.

Yeah, you, too.

Thanks.

Hey.

Hey.

How are you doing?

So?

Did you hear a heartbeat?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah?

Everything's good.

It is?

How are you holding up?

I'm fine.

How did that knife wind up
in your old cabin, Garrett?

Tess...

Garrett...

Don't.

Please talk to me.

I don't think you're a killer.

But for my own peace of mind...

I need to hear you say it.

I know you're not saying
anything to the police,

I understand that.

It's just me, Garrett.

This isn't hard.

Just tell me you never killed anyone.

I can't do that.

- Hey.
- Hey.

You were right.

What do you mean?

I've been naive.

In denial.

Garrett put this beside my
bed the night that he left.

I know you've been
re-canvassing the neighborhoods

where the murders happened.

Looking for witnesses.

Somebody who maybe saw
something without realizing it.

This was taken at
the height of the panic.

Maybe it'll jog somebody's memory.

I'll do anything I can to help.

You know,

when you're canvassing the crime scene

and you ask people,
"Did you see anybody?",

a lot of the time it's
hard for them to remember.

But when you can hold up
a photograph and say,

"Did you see this guy?",

well,

sometimes that jogs the memory.

I like you.

What?

I like you.

I do.

I think you're a good person.

I think you're good for my sister.

So I'm happy.

Happy that she married a good cop.

And congrats on the baby.

That's really great.

I don't know what kind
of bizarre mind games

you're trying to play with me...

I'm not.

But here's what
you need to understand...

She believed in you.

She defended you.

And now you lost even her, Garrett.

Your last true supporter in the world.

So if the D.A. comes at you

with any kind of a deal,

you take it.

Because we're re-canvassing.

And we will find a witness.

Because somewhere along
the line, you slipped up.

There is no way

you could've done everything

that you did without being seen.

Nobody saw you?

Man, you've got some creep to you.

So, how was it?

Was great.

My little sister's all grown up.

Tessa, she's...

she's got a boyfriend.

And my other sister Alison,
she's out here.

She's pregnant.

Uh, my little brother is, he's married.

With a kid.

My little brother's got a kid.

I'm an uncle.

That's how that works.

I'm the oldest, so I-I always
thought it would be me.

Getting married first and having kids.

Well, maybe somebody
will come along for you.

That's not in the cards for me anymore.

Listen.

You just never know how
things are gonna turn out.

You never knew you were
gonna spend all these years

out here in the woods
eating rabbits with me.

That cough's getting worse, huh?

You okay?

No.

It's congestive heart failure.

Pretty far along, too.

Aren't you a little young for that?

You're just now

figuring out that life ain't fair?

It'll probably kill
me one of these days.

But don't you worry about it.

I can still kick the crap
out of you if I have to.

Our special correspondent
Jennifer Windham

is on assignment, so the Channel 12

Undercover Report will
not be seen at this time.

So I've been following Mayor Conley,

which has not been easy.

Don't care.

And at first, I didn't think

I was gonna find anything worthwhile.

Well, I can see that.

And then this happened.

That's the lead detective
in the SBK case.

They know each other.

Why meet in secret?

I don't know.

But I'm digging.

And if I get anything good,
it'll be on my 5:00 report.

Brought you a book.

Oh, great. Put it in the...

Escape from Alcatraz.

I thought it might be helpful.

Yeah, it might be.

Thanks.

I brought you this, too.

Wow.

What is that... is that
a made-up creature or...?

No.

It's Yersinia pestis.

Uh-huh.

It's the bacterium
that causes bubonic plague.

It killed 25 million people

between the years of 1347 and 1352.

No one ever put it in jail.

Good point.

I hope you get out soon.

Yeah, me, too, buddy.

Oh, and I saw your girlfriend
the other day.

"Girlfriend"?

The lady who stabbed you.

Christina?

Yeah.

Where'd you see her?

When Aunt Tessa took me
to do her ultrasound.

She must have a new job.

Oh, she wasn't there as a doctor.

She was a patient.

I got to go.

Bye.

Christina, it's Garrett.

Please don't hang up.

Listen.

My nephew, he came to see me.

And he sa...

Oh, you saw him, too, huh?

Uh, look, I-I'm wondering...

I got to know.

Really?

No, wait-wait, Christina.

Wrap it up.

Just-just one minute.

I got to call my lawyer.

- Got to go.
- Please?

Darcy, it's Garrett.

Listen, I need to get out of here now.

What's changed?

Uh...

If I tell you, then-then that's covered

by the lawyer/client privilege
thing, right?

Okay.

I'm gonna be a father.

Garrett's lawyer has
been in there all day.

She's been taking
meticulous inventory of the evidence.

Trying to get him off on a technicality.

She's been intent on independently

testing everything.

Dana?

This is unnecessary.

I never make mistakes.

Speaking in absolutes is a mistake.

Fine.

You want to waste
your time, waste your time.

Find anything on the cuff link

from the David Morales crime scene?

I never processed a cuff link.

Because it vanished
before you got the chance.

Well, it's probably just been misplaced.

It's gonna turn up.

Or not. It doesn't matter.

I now have proof this department

doesn't track evidence correctly.

Things are getting lost.

Maybe mislabeled, maybe on purpose.

It'll be a full-scale police conspiracy

before I finish my opening statement.

Apparently Darcy
Campano already has something.

So she's taking care of everything

on the legal side to get me out.

What I need you to do

is... whatever

inside political thing that you do.

Wow, this place got to you in a hurry.

Yeah, sure, b-but, Ali,

can you help me?

Sure, I'll meet

with the D.A. and see if
there's anything I can do...

Tonight at 5:00, our special
correspondent Jennifer Windham

has an exclusive story
with new information

about the SBK accomplice.

Tune in for our
special report tonight at 5:00.

I've got to go.

But I think things are about to
get a lot better for both of us.

Trust me, okay?

I'll handle it.

Okay.

Ali, wait.

I need you to give
Tess a message for me.

Just tell her that I couldn't give her

the answer she wanted, but...

Tell her I need a chance to explain.

Okay.

Jenkins!

Let's go. I caught it, you cook it.

Where's your medicine?

Where's your medicine?

Too late for it!

Let's get you to a hospital,
come on, come on!

No!

This is it.

End stage.

I came up here to die.

I need help.

Come on, I'll help you up.

Not like that.

Help me, please.

Help me.

Help me die.

Please.

I can't.

Damn it, help me.

I can't!

Help me.

I can't.

I can't.

I'm begging you.

Okay, okay.

Okay.

Hey.

Uh, your sister Tessa called.

Your dad's in the hospital.

We told you earlier today
that our special correspondent

Jennifer Windham has made
a shocking discovery

in the Silver Bells case.

We go live to her now

for that exclusive report.

Jennifer?

Uh, we seem to be having

a little trouble with our live feed.

Okay, here we go.

Hello, I'm Jennifer Windham.

And I do have new information

in the Silver Bells case.

I've been told to read the following,

"The police believe
the Silver Bells Killer

had an accomplice.

He did.

It was me.

And I would've stayed quiet,

but you wouldn't
leave well enough alone.

You kept digging.

And now I'm back.

But if you forget about me,

I will forget about all of you.

Continue to pursue me
and people will die."

No! No! You're...

Jennifer.

Uh, Jennifer?

I'm not sure what we just witnessed.

And, my God, it appears that, uh,

our correspondent
Jennifer Windham was assaulted,

uh, perhaps fatally.

Well, I apologize.

I thought you were a killer.

Garrett?

What did you do?

He tried to kill me.

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.