Bag of Bones (2011): Season 1, Episode 1 - Part 1 - full transcript

Help! Help, I'm drown...

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

- You all right? Yeah?
- Yeah.

Just a bad dream.

Well...

What?

- Your book?
- Done.

Done, done?

Done, done.

Totally done?

Well, not totally done.



We'll still need the grand gesture.

That's all.

For a second, I thought I'd been replaced.

Replace you, my lady?

No, impossible.

Come.

Come, your hand in mine. Come.

Come, come, come, come.

I don't know whose idea it was
to put my office up here,

but anyway, here we go. Keep going.

Too many stairs in this house.

All right, your throne, madam.

Be seated.

Okay.



Right. Ready?

"She smiled, satisfied.

"And then unwrapped the chains

"around her neck.

"She smiled, satisfied.

"And then unwrapped the chains

"from around her neck."

Now, done.

Done.

Done.

What's with the chains around her neck?

You're just going to have to read the book
and find out.

We have ways of making you talk.

Yeah, I bet you do.

Why do you always have me
write the last lines of your books?

Well, because this book,

all of these books,

I couldn't write them without you.

Are you just trying to get laid, Noonan?

I think that's my intention, yes.

Is it working?

Okay. Cheers. Thank you.

I'm your number one fan.

Great.

I'm going to go get some lunch.
I'll see you when you're done.

See you later. Okay.

Have fun with Annie Wilkes here.

Who do I make this out to?

Your best friend, Jimmy. Best friend.

Maybe just underline "best"?

- Hi. What's your name?
- Hi.

-It's Ellen.
- Okay.

Thanks.

Excuse me.

Oh, my goodness.

"Sir?
No, no, no!

- Get off!
- Sir?

Get your hands off me!

- I'm so sorry, Mike.
- Thank you.

Listen, They ALL Fall Down is number four on the Times list.

- Great.
- Another push from marketing

and the right mixture of in-stores and readings,

Scribner thinks we might be able to hit number one.

We haven't done that since "When The Bough Breaks."

Now before you get all high-and-mighty on me

about demanding why I'm talking to you
about this during your wife's funeral,

it's because Jo wouldn't have had it any other way.

She supported your career when you weren't making a dime.

She cared about your books as much as you do,

and she would be thrilled to know that you have written

possibly your most successful novel to date.

You're right.

When you're right, Marty, you're right.

She would have wanted this.

None of this would have happened without her.

To Johanna Beverly Noonan, the best of them all.

Hear, hear, to my dead wife.

Easy, Mike. That beer's not going anywhere.

This is.

Look, I can't imagine how hard this is for you,

but you really got to take it easy, okay, Mikey?

Jo was pregnant when she died.

What?

Turns out she was eight, nine weeks pregnant.

- I thought... I thought the doctors...
- Yeah, yeah, I know.

He told me years ago
I couldn't get her pregnant.

Come on, Mikey.
You don't really think that Jo was...

What? She was cheating?

- Maybe Jo didn't want you to know.
- Exactly.

That's not what I meant, and you know it.

The Noonans weren't exactly the fathering type,

and Dad, God rest his soul, wasn't exactly cuddly.

Well, Dad was a prick.
He was an Irish mick of a prick.

And Jo knew you felt that way,

knew how you felt about being a father because of that!

Just because he was a son of a bitch

didn't mean I was going to be a son of a bitch.

I mean, a couple of years ago, we even decided to have kids.

Yeah, I remember.

Jo told me about it one time at dinner.

She never looked so excited.

We both were.

If it was going to be a little boy,

we were going to call him Mike Junior.

And if it was going to be a little girl, she'd be Kya.

Kya.

Kya Jo Noonan.

That's really pretty.

We tried to get pregnant, but then I, you know,

I want to the doctor, and ha told ma It was this

low sperm count, and that was the end of that.

That was the end.

Jo wasn't cheating on you, Mikey.

When you sold me your share of Granddad's lake house...

- Yeah.
- I mean, Jo spent a lot of time there.

Yeah, of course she did.

I mean, the place was e dump.
It wee e total fixer.

Yeah, I know, I mean, I was really wrapped up
in the book and everything like that.

I went there a couple of times with her.

I haven't been there for two, three years.

You and Jo were the best couple
lever met, Mike.

So don't beat yourself up
over the little things, okay?

I just hope she wasn't too lonely out there

on Dark Score Lake, you know?

Hope she didn't need somebody
who might have kept her company.

That's all.

'Hi, this is Jo Noonan.

Leave me a message and I'll call you back

if you're very, very good.

'Hi, this is Jo Noonan.

Leave me a message and I'll call you back'

if you're very, very good.

'Hi, this is Jo Noonan.

Leave me a message and I'll call you back'

if you're very, very good.

Jo!

Jo!

"Driving home..."

Sorry.

Shut off the phone. So...

"Driving home, I thought of an old saying about

"how one person can never really truly know another.

"It's easy to give that idea lip service,

"but it's a jolt as horrible and unexpected

"as severe air turbulence

"on a previously calm airline flight

"to discover it's a literal fact in one's own life."

And I can't do this. It's... I'm sorry.

I always said I couldn't write without you.

Jo, are you there?

Can you give me a sign?

Once for "yes," twice for "no."

Jo...

Jo, is that you?

Hey.

Once for "yes," twice for "no."

- Hello?
- Mike. Mike!

I'm sorry about that.
I'm going through the tunnel.

Marty.

Hey. What's up?

We just got our hands on the spring fiction list.

And?

And it's looking a little bit crowded.

What do you mean? How crowded?

Like, with some unexpected names.

- Names like who?
- Patterson. Grisham.

There's even talk of a newly
discovered Bachman book.

All those authors,
they don't publish In the spring.

I mean, they... Those are summer, fall guys.

What can I tell ya?

Maybe they got some extra ideas this year.

Some might've stockpiled novels
like squirrels.

Hey, what did you used to call
those books you used to write

when you were young and hungry,

and were writing books faster
than they could print them?

Trunk novels.

That's right. Trunk novels..

Maybe those guys dug up a few trunk novels
and dusted them off.

Figured, what the hell, right?

What are you asking me, Marty?

Scribner wants to publish a novel late winter.

What does that mean?

Pages with your name on them
by the end of the summer.

You're asking me to write
a novel in three months, Marty?

No, no, no.
You wouldn't have to turn in the manuscript

until end of September or early October.

'Course that means they'd really
have to crash their production,

but they can do It..

The question Is whether or not you can do It..

So, what do you say?

Can you write your next novel
on this ridiculous schedule?

- I can do it, Marty.
- Attaboy, Mike.

Well, you get clickety-clacking
on the next Noonan blockbuster,

and I'm going to get to gouging these guys
for every penny they have,

for breaking your balls and making you rush
your next novel like this.

Okay, Marty, that sounds good.

All right.

Oh, and do me favor, will ya?

- Yeah?
- Take it easy on the drinking, will ya?

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You're not disappointed in me, are you?

Once for "yes," twice for "no."

Last night I dreamt I went
to Dark Score Lake again.

Yeah?

Mr. Noonan.

Yeah?

My name is Bill Dean,
from down on Dark Score Lake.

I was helping your wife renovate the property
you inherited a couple years back?

Okay.

The local kids are getting wilder and wilder every year.

A bunch of them snuck into your house the other night.

At least that's the only thing I can think of happening.

Why? Why is that?

Well, it's the windows.

They're all broken from the inside out.

New I just wanted to make sun'

you'll approve the expenses of getting them fixed.

This goes a little beyond the normal
caretaking your wife hired me for.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.

Well, do whatever it takes. Of course.

Listen, Mr. Dean, how is the lake house?

I mean, apart from the windows, of course..

She's fine. How come?

I was just thinking of getting away for a while, that's all.

You want me to get it ready for an extended stay?

Yes.

Yes, let's... Let's do that, Bill.

That would be great. I appreciate it.
Thank you.

She'll be ready for you, Mr. Noonan.

I think it's a good idea, don't you, Jo?

Once for "yes," twice for "no."

All right, let's go.

New arriving at Dark Scorn Lake..

Wake up, Jo.

Last night I dreamt I went to Dark Score Lake again.

Hello?

Mr. Noonan.

Bill Dean.

Good evening, Bill.

Yeah, please call me Mike.

I didn't mean to scare you.

I just thought you'd like someone here
to greet you when you arrived.

Thanks very much. I appreciate it.

You look just like your granddad, Harold.

I do?
Yup.

Can I help you with your luggage?

Yeah, sure, sure.
I don't have much, but thank you.

Yeah, just put that over there, Bill. Thanks.

Jo really did a lot of work to the place, didn't she?

Yeah, she sure did.

Bunter. Jo named him.

It's the first thing we bought when we inherited the place.

Got it in a little antique store outside of town.

When we got frisky here,

she said we were ringing Bunter's bell.

- Look, I better be off.
- Okay.

I left my number on the fridge,

along with the number of the local cleaning lady

your wife hired Brenda Meserve.

Told her she ought to come by tomorrow,

If that's okay with you.

Great, great. Good night, now.

You bet.

Mr. Noonan.

I was awful sorry to hear of Jo's passing.

Right.

We all were.

People around here, they really liked her.
Didn't they?

They did.

Well, good night, Mr. Noonan.

Good night, Bill.

Good night, now.

Come to me.

I have so much to show you, Mike.

Let's fire it up.

Come on now, something, something, anything.

Something! Come on!
Just give it to me! Something!

Okay, Jo.

Tell me how to write.

Just tell me how to write.

Bunter?

Okay.

Okay, Bunter. That's enough of that.

Greetings, my dear lady.

Greetings, my green lady.

Jo?

Is that you?

Once for "yes."

Twice for "no."

You're here, aren't you, Jo?

We're not alone, are we, Jo?

Jo, are you there?

Hi. Who are you?

I'm sorry, Mr. Noonan.
Name's Brenda Meserve.

Your housekeeper?

I used the key to let myself in.

Yes. Yes. Of course.

Oh, good. Nice to meet you, Brenda.
How are you?

Bill said he told you I'd be coming by today
to clean the place up for you.

I can come back at a better time if you’d like.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. It's all fine.

I was just going to head into town
and get something to eat.

- You're sure?
- Absolutely.

Any... Any suggestions?

Buddy Jellison's cafe, right there on Main Street.

You can't go wrong ordering the village burger.

Good. Thank you very much.
Thanks for coming.

Hey! Hey! Come on! Get out of the road!

Quick, get out of here! Come on, come on!

What are you doing out here?

Ky!

Ky? Is that your name?

Like Kya?

That's my mommy.

Sweetheart, what were you thinking?

I wanted to go swimming.

Her name's Kya?

Kyra, but sometimes I call her Ky.

- I'm Mattie Devore.
- Hi, Mattie.

- I'm not a bad mother. I swear to God.
- No, I didn't say you were.

Please don't mention this to anybody.

We're, we're going through a little bit of a hard time.

Yeah, well, I think it's a little late for that.

Yeah.

Well, thanks for saving my little girl.
I guess God sent you here at the right time.

God's got nothing to do with it.

I was just going to Buddy Jellison's
for a hamburger.

This is a little bit weird for me,
but you're one of my favorite writers.

And I can't believe you just
showed up out of nowhere

and saved my little girl!

Thank you. And you know who I am?

Of course. You inherited that house
on the lake,

but you haven't been back since...

Yeah, since my wife died.

Yeah.

Well, you take care of yourself now, okay?

Stay out of the road. Nice to meet you, Mattie.

- Nice to meet you.
- Yeah.

- Bye.
- Bye!

Bye. Kyra!

- Hey.
- Hey, you want a menu?

I was told to order a village burger.

One village burger coming right up.
What do you want on it?

Everything. And a local brew.

- Grab a seat. We'll bring it to you.
- Thank you.

Village burger, Aud!
And drag it through the garden.

See you made a new friend this afternoon.

Yeah, yeah. Two, actually.

I hear that Mattie Devore can be
quite a dear in the right position.

Yeah.

You hear a lot, old-timer?

More than you know, son.

Old don't mean dead.

Thank you.

You'd do well to keep your distance
from Mattie Devore, Mr. Noonan.

How do you know my name?

We don't see a celebrity here every day.

Yes, well, I'm hardly
what you'd call a celebrity.

Well, we take what we can get.

I'm really sorry to hear about
what happened to your wife.

She was a doll.

So when she'd come in here and eat would she be alone?

I guess so.

Or sometimes with Bill Dean and his wife,

sometimes with Brenda Meserve,

and maybe another friend or two.

"Another friend or two," huh? Yeah.

Maybe. Yeah.

Why are you so interested in who
your wife was eating with, Mr. Noonan?

Mike. Mike. Just, just call me Mike.

I don't know, I guess I'd just like to know

what life was like for her here on Dark Score.

You know, all those years that I couldn't make it up here.

So...

Anyway-

Mattie Devore, she's a nice enough girl,
only she can be trouble.

That ain't fair, Buddy.

Mattie Devore's in trouble
and with the wrong people.

- Person.
- And who's that person?

Max Devore.

He's a mean old son of a buck.

I mean, he owns that big computer company.
Multi-millionaire.

Yeah, I think I may have seen him
yesterday afternoon

in the window of that old resort up there.

- Warrington's.
- Yeah.

Yeah, that's the fella. Mean old cuss.

He wants custody of the little girl, Kyra.

And why would he want to take
his daughter's little girl away?

Daughter-in-law.
Mattie married Devore's only son.

Devore had the boy when he was 60-something

with some Vegas showgirl
who's no longer in the picture, of course.

Okay.

And so about a year ago, Lance, that's Devore's son,

he goes a little Dark Score crazy.

- What does that mean?
- He tried to drown the little girl.

His own flesh and blood.

And Mattie ended up killing Lance
just to protect the little girl,

and ever since then,

Devore's made it his mission
to take Kyra away from her.

And what Max Devore wants,
Max Devore gets.

Hello?

Mr. Noonan?

Yes?

I understand you met
my daughter-in-law today.

This must be Mr. Devore.

Yes, well, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir.

I'm concerned about my granddaughter.

I was told there was an incident
in the road today.

How did you get my number?

You were seen talking to them.

Yeah, I met a woman and a little girl
on the road this morning, yes.

I stopped to ask directions
to Buddy Jellison's cafe.

Don't lie to me, Mr. Noonan.

Why are you protecting my daughter-in-law?

Did she promise you something?

Listen to me, Mr. Devore!

I don't like your tone of voice,
and I don't know how you got my number,

but you can shove it up
your ass, you understand?

Sometimes I feel'

Like a motherless child'

Sometimes I feel'

Like a motherless child'

Sometimes I feel'

Like a motherless child'

A long way from home'

A long way from home'

Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone'

Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone'

Sometimes I feel'

Like I'm almost gone'

A long way from home'

What in God's name...

A long way from home'

Sara Tidwell.

A long Way

From home'

Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts

Oh, what a couple in love

Oh, what a couple in love

Swore to be true to each other

True as the stars above'

He was her man

But he done her wrong'

Frankie went down to the corner
for a bucket of beer to buy

The bartender told her'

That Johnny was making love

To Hallie Bly!

He was her man

He was doing her wrong

Frankie went home In a hurry'

She didn't go there for fun

Frankie went home just to'

Get a hold of her old 44'

He was her man

But he done her wrong'

And Frankie peeked in on the party

She got a surprise when she saw

Nellie and Johnny were making love

Sipping something through a straw
She caught her man

He was doing her wrong

Johnny In a panic
mounted the staircase

Screaming, oh, Frankie
please don't do it

She pulled that trigger'

And rooty toot toot'

Three times she did shoot

He was her man

But he done her wrong'

Now this story has no moral'

And this story has got no end

This story just goes to show you women

That there ain't no good in men'

He was her man

But he done her wrong'

- Mr. Michael Noonan?
- That's me.

This is for you.

Just take it.

What is it? A subpoena?

To appear in the offices of Elmer Durgin,

attorney-at-law and guardian ad litem
of Kyra Devore.

And it's my duty to remind you of the penalty

-should you fail to...
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'll be there.

Let me give you a piece of advice.

Don't mess with Mr. Devore.

Or he'll squash me like a bug?

I believe the script says,
"Let me give you a piece of advice."

"Don't mess with Mr. Devore,
or he'll squash you like a bug."

That's right, you can say stuff like that
because you're the hotshot book writer.

That it?

- I’ll see you at the deposition, Noonan.
- Sounds good.

"Help R."

Help her?

Is that what you're trying to say, Jo?

Help Mattie Devore?

What?

Sara Tidwell?

Is that you?

Sara?

Is that you?

I think we might have company, Jo.

Lullaby and good night'

With roses bedight

Creep Into thy bed'

Then pillow thy head'

If God's will thou shalt wake'

When the morning doth break

If God's will thou shalt wake'

When morning doth break

If God's will thou shalt wake'

Lullaby and good night'

For the sandman Is coming'

'Bright angels are near'

So sleep without fear'

Lay thee down now and rest'

may thy slumber be blessed'

Lay thee down now and rest'

may thy slumber be blessed'

Lay thee down now and rest'

Lullaby and good night'

For the sandman Is coming'

'Bright angels are near'

So sleep without fear'

Lay thee down now and rest'

may thy slumber be blessed'

Lay thee down now and rest...

You didn't think you and your wife
were alone, did you, baby?

You want me, just like all them boys.

What boys?

You'll see, baby.

You'll see.

We have ways of making you talk.

Help her.

Who? Mattie?

And write.

You have to write.

I can't.

I can't write without you, Jo.

I'll help you now.

I promise.

There's only death out there.

Meet me tonight'

In dreamland

I still love my wife.

Then you should do what she says.

Didn't she tell you to help me?

That's not what she meant.

You have no idea what Jo meant.

No idea.

Meet me In dreamland...

All will be revealed.

State your name for the record.

Michael Noonan.

As you know, I'm Kyra Devore's guardian ad litem.

You know what that means, Mr. Noonan?

You've been appointed by the judge
to decide what's best for Kyra,

should a custody trial become necessary.

Very good.

And the judge would not, In such a case,

be required to base his decision
on my conclusions.

But that's usually what happens.

Sorry to be late, Elmer.

George had trouble getting here.

Let's turn to your first meeting

with Mattie and Kyra Devore
on the highway, shall we?

Sure.

Kyra Devore was all alone.

Her mother wasn't with her, right?

That's a poorly-phrased question,
but I suppose the answer is yes.

I'm flattered to have my grammar corrected
by a best-selling author.

Is this a better-phrased question?

You could have run Kyra Devore over

'cause she was playing
in the middle of the road, correct?

The phrasing isn't better, no.

And my answer is absolutely not.

I was driving the speed limit.

I saw Kyra in plenty of time.

So it's your experience
that most people obey

the speed limit on that stretch of the road?

I haven't spent that much time
on Dark Score Lake. I can't say.

Even in your limited experience,

do you think that most people obey
the speed limit on that road, Mr. Noonan?

I haven't done a traffic survey. Sorry.

Okay, Mr. Noonan. Then answer me this.

If you hadn't carried Kyra Devore to safety,

isn't it possible that she could've been hit
by another car?

Just wait.

You know what?

I left my crystal ball at home.

I really can't say.

I'd like to remind you
you're under oath, Mr. Noonan.

I'd like to remind you that
I answered your question, leading as it was.

Under oath.

Let me ask you a question, Mr. Durgin.

If you’re on Kyra Devore's side,

why does it actually seem that
you're working for Max Devore?

This meeting is adjourned.

This isn't over yet, Noonan.

Oh, thank God, Max.

It's just starting to get fun.

I couldn't agree more.

Mike!

Hi.

Thank you!

Yeah. It's my pleasure. Really.

I have to pick up Kyra from day care.

Would you like to walk me to my car?

Sure.

Why not?

So are you working on a new book?

Yeah.

Oh, my God, I'm so lame.

That must be the most annoying question,

right up there with,
"Where do you get your ideas from?"

That is an annoying question.

The one about working on a new book?

- Well, thats just...
- Writer's block?

Yeah.

My next book,
the one that's coming out this winter...

Yeah, I know about it. Red-Shirt Man, right?

Yeah.

I wrote that book over a decade ago.

It's a trunk novel,

a book I never thought
should see the light of day.

I passed it off to my agent as a new novel
just to keep my little...

...dilemma a secret.

Nobody knows it's an old book?

Nobody but you.

Well, your secrets safe with me, sir.

My agent, my little agent Marty,

after he read the first couple of pages,
he called me up and...

You know what he...

- You know what he said?
- What?

This is the best thing I've written in years.

Well, call it classic Michael Noonan.

Yeah, you could do.

Marty would, you know. But Marty lies.

All the time.

He always wants to say the right thing,
but says the wrong thing.

Thomas Hardy said that,

"Compared to the dullest human being
walking on the earth,

"the most brilliantly drawn character
in any novel

"is nothing more than a bag of bones."

The only problem is that sometimes I feel like
nothing more than a bag of bones myself.

A bag of bones
without the energy or the talent

to do what I thought I was born to do.

Hi!

I don't think I can write anymore.

You miss her a lot, don't you?

Yeah.

I saw her once. She was very beautiful.

- Where did you see her?
- At Warrington's.

I was a waitress there.

And I was working a shift
with my friend Laurie Wilton,

and I saw her, and I said,

"There's Mrs. Noonan, the writer's wife.
Isn't she pretty?"

I think Laurie was more interested
in the guy your wife was sitting with.

- What guy?
- He was just a guy.

Did I say something wrong?

Yeah, I mean, who was the guy
having dinner with my wife?

I'm... I'm sorry. I...

No, it's okay. It's okay, it's okay.

It's just... I'm sorry.

It's just...

After Jo died,

I found out she was pregnant.

Oh, my God, I'm such an idiot.

No, no. It's not your fault.

It's just messy. Complicated.

Plus the fact I keep thinking that Jo...

That she brought me here.
Jo brought me here.

After she died, she brought you here?

- For a reason.
- Like what?

I don't know...

Yet.

Crazy, right?

Not to me.

Yeah, well, maybe she did bring me here
so she could finally tell me what...

...she was doing here.

Or maybe it's to get you to write again.

Yeah.

Maybe you're right.

Okay.

There you are.

Look at you.

Just look at you.

All right.

Let's just move that there.

There you go.

There you go.

"She lit a cigarette

"and took a long drag.

"What I saw made me

"feel like screaming."

It made me feel like screaming.

It made me feel like screaming.

Thank you, Jo.

I always said I couldn't write without you.

I just had to find you.

I just had to find you.

Yeah.

Twenty-nine pages. Holy shit!

God, I'm good.

Oh, yeah.

Thank you, Jo.

What the...

Help! Help, I'm drown...

Help, I'm drown...