Based on a True Story (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - The Survivor - full transcript

- If you're a fan of murder...
- And true crime podcasts...

- You've got to be here.

- CrimeCon 2023 Las Vegas.

We have got the most
amazing speakers this year.

Nancy Grace. Kelly
Rawson, daughter of BTK.

And don't miss...
- Our podcast,

"Sisters in Crime."

We're gonna be live podcasting

for our exciting new season

on the Westside Ripper.
- Bundy, Gacy, BTK.

"The Golden Age of
Serial Killers."



If it's serial killers you want,

it's serial killers we got.

Ballroom B, 1:00.

- 20th Century Monsters,
"The Green River Killer,"

now streaming on Splatter.

- And snap!

- Yeah.
- You're free.

Get out of that
van and run home.

- But do you know how to pick...

- Babe, this place
is... It's nuts, okay?

Check... check the numbers
again. Can you check 'em?

Just check 'em one more time.

- Did they go up? Please
tell me they went up.

- Still at 113.



- I can't believe I sold my soul

for 113 downloads.

I mean, that's a
fuckin' disaster.

- Okay, listen,
we're not giving up.

That's why we're
here, all right?

Thousands of crime
freaks just like me

all under one roof?

We're gonna crack this code.

We're gonna figure
this shit out.

We're gonna find out
what these bitches know

that we don't.

- But why did we invite Matt?

- We had to. We had no choice.

- It's crowded, right?

There's more people here

than listened to our podcast.
- I know.

Look, this is our
meal ticket, okay?

We gotta listen. We
gotta take notes.

We're gonna figure
out why we're...

What are you doing? Why
are you looking at that?

- Why does Ruby feel the need

to post her workouts
every single day?

- Uh, because her
body looks like that.

I would do the same. I'd
show the entire world.

I used to do that.

- Welcome,
true crime fans,

to CrimeCon Vegas 2023.
- Here we go.

- And here they are, the hosts

of the world's hottest
true crime podcast,

"Sisters in Crime."

- Hello! Hello!
- Hello!

- Hello, Vegas!

So who's ready to
talk... both: Murder?

- Guys, we are so excited

to have our first live podcast

on the Westside Ripper.

- Whoo! Let 'er rip!

- Whoo!

So let's get into it.

- But first,

please welcome the
mother of Chloe Lake,

the last victim of
the Westside Ripper,

Melissa Lake.

- Thank you so much
for joining us today.

- You know, our one
goal here is to find

the monster that
killed your daughter.

- That's right.
- So...

- While finding Chloe's
killer won't bring her back,

I do think it will help
bring some closure.

- Hey.
- I sure hope so.

- All right. All
right. What'd I miss?

Hey, did you see all
the weirdos out there?

- Shh.
- Sorry.

It is, like, a fucking
murder industry, right?

- I know. That's what
I said. I told you.

- Now, Roch, we have
another surprise guest

who's here to talk to us
for the very first time.

- The only woman to survive

an attack by the
Westside Ripper.

- Please welcome Dahlia Stone.

Wow.
- A survivor?

- Wow, look...
- Did you know about this?

- Of course I knew about her.

I just didn't think
she would be here.

audience: Aww.

- Now, Dahlia, it's been
a little over a year

since you escaped
the Westside Ripper.

How are you doing?

- It's been a... It's
been a journey for sure.

- I can only imagine.
- Mm.

- You talk about the PTSD,

the breakdown, the rehab.

Did you have any worries

about putting all
that out there?

- So brave.

- Um...

I mean, I have zero shame
about what happened to me.

Um, I mean, the
animal who attacked me

should have the shame.

- Let's get into the attack.

It was brutal.
- Literally, chills.

- Yeah, I was... I
was in the kitchen.

And I saw a reflection
in the window...

um...

of someone coming up behind me
raising a knife in his hand,

and... I mean, I just
had a split second

before he lowered that knife.

And I looked him in the
eyes and I thought...

"Not today."

- This is bullshit.

- Yeah, which is the
title of my new book,

um, "Not Today,"

which I'm signing
at 7:30 today.

- This is bullshit.
- Okay. Shh.

- "Not Today."
- How about later?

- Do you know what that's from?

"Game of Thrones," season eight.

- And can you please tell us

what you did next?

I mean, I did the
only thing I could.

I mean, I kicked him so
hard in the fucking balls...

He squealed like a
little baby and ran off.

- Yes, queen!
- Whoo!

Kicked him so hard!
- Yes!

- And I'm gonna ask you
what we all wanna know.

- Yep.

- Did you see his face?

- When someone
attacks you like that,

you don't forget his face.

I'd recognize him in an instant.

- It's fucking bullshit.

I've never seen her
before in my life.

- Oh, really, or you just mad

she kicked you in the
balls and then escaped?

- Do I look like
the kind of person

that leaves mistakes behind?

- No. No.
- Do I?

Both: No.
- She's a nobody

riding on my coattails.

- Okay, listen, we said
no one else gets hurt.

- Why would I hurt her?
- Keep it down.

- Look, she has
no idea who I am.

All we need to worry
about is our brand.

- Our brand?

- Mysterious serial killer
who leaves no witnesses,

not serial killer who gets
kicked in his fucking balls

and runs away.

We need to expose her,

discredit that fucking book,

or our brand, it's dead.

- Okay, but...

- This is way too much.

I have a knot in my stomach.

I believe every
word that she said,

and I think he got sloppy.

- Maybe the
Kubrick of serial killers

isn't as perfect as he thinks.

- Yeah, exactly.

- We used to love Vegas.
- I know.

Every time we came, it was like,

sex, buffet, sex,
buffet, sex, buffet.

- We had sex everywhere.
- I know.

We had sex, remember,
on that plane ride here.

- Back of the limo?

- Or the spa at the Luxor?

- Oh.
- We were all oiled up.

- Yeah.
- How about at the bathroom

after Penn and Teller?

- That was weird.
- I found a card in my ass.

- Those
guys are great.

- They are so good.
- Ace of spades.

- Pulled it right out.

- MGM?
- Oh, yeah, on...

both: The roof.
- Yeah.

Oh, it was just, like,
all sparkly and beautiful.

I loved that.
- It was beautiful.

- God, those were
really the good days.

- We could do it again.
- What? Us?

No. Come on. We're
too married for that.

- The High Roller is available.

- The what? The Ferris wheel?

- Yeah, Michael and
Vanessa did it there.

- They fucked on
the Ferris wheel?

- Yeah. So did
Brandon and Nicky.

- Really?

Oh, we are so doing that.

- Well, that
deserves a cocktail.

- Aww.

- I love you.
- I love you too.

- Hey.

Look at this shit.
- What?

- This "survivor,"

she's charging $100 to
sign her fake-ass book.

100 bucks on my name

to raise money for
some trauma therapy?

Ooh. May I?
- Yeah.

- You know what?

She is just a scam artist

taking advantage of the
true crime community.

- Yeah, well, unless
she's telling the truth.

Then she does deserve
every penny she's making.

- You know what? You're
right. She would, yeah.

But she didn't get attacked.
- Okay, you know what?

She has a lot of
evidence in this book.

- Yeah, and that's exactly...
- Police report...

- What I'd do if I
wanted to fake an attack

and Smollett myself
into a fortune.

- Would you do my back?

- Absolutely fucking not.

- Holy shit.

Both: Hi!

- Hi, girlfriend!

- Hi.
- Oh, my God.

- Hi.
- Why didn't you tell me

you were here?

- I'm s...
- You knew we were coming.

- I know. Sorry. I forgot.

- Say hi to Carlos. Hi, baby.

- Hey, guys.
- Oh, you brought Carlos.

- Where's Nate?
- Hey, I'm Matt.

- Hi, Matt.
- Oh.

- It is so nice
to meet you, Matt.

- Oh, no. Oh, my God, no, no.

He's our... He's
a friend of ours.

- No, go crazy.
You're in Vegas.

- Oh, my God, no.

This is actually
our friend Matt.

We're, um...
- Oh.

- He's our...
- Friend.

- Funny enough,
he's our plumber.

- Really? He's
your... your plumber?

You got a pizza guy too?

- It's really not
like that at all.

Think you have the wrong
idea of what's actually...

- Holy shit, it's
the three of you?

- Uh...
- Ruby.

- Nathan!
- Hi.

- Hi! Oh, my goodness.

- Oh, I didn't
know you'd be here.

- I didn't know
you'd be here either.

So good to see you.
- It's good to see you.

Um, here, babe.
- All right, thanks.

- Did you, uh...
- Oh, is this for me?

- Did you meet Matt?
- Thank you so much.

- Everyone met.
- Oh, yeah.

We're old friends, right?

She thought we were
having a three-way.

- I did. I do.
- What? She's pregnant.

- Yeah?
- Really?

That's the reason why we're not?

Otherwise we'd all be fucking?

- Did you guys catch the
new "Sisters in Crime"?

- Of course. Yes.
- Oh, my God.

Westside Ripper is
totally screwed.

I mean, he let
that girl get away.

Like, what an idiot, right?

She is totally gonna get
his ass, I'm telling you.

- You know, I
wouldn't be so sure.

- Uh, uh...

Ruby, I saw your Insta
story this morning.

You're lookin' fit.
- You saw my what?

- Your Instagram.

Yeah, you're hittin'
the gym hard.

You look great.

- That's weird. Creeper.

Um, anyways...
- What?

- She was saying that she
grabbed him by the balls

and then he squealed.
- I know.

Cannot believe I forgot
she was gonna be here.

- And why's she goin' off on me?

I mean, she puts her workouts
on Instagram for one reason,

so the entire world can see
how great she looks, right?

It's totally deliberate.
So I saw it, as intended.

I make one innocent comment,
and now I'm the creeper? Me?

- Okay, you don't
talk about shit

people post on Instagram.
Everyone knows that.

- But that's why she puts it up.

- Babe, you don't
make your friends

talk about their fake lives.

It's awkward.

- You think Simon
knows they're here?

- He's
probably watching them

fuck on his iPhone.

- Would you tell me if
you were having an affair?

- Of course I would.

Especially if you found
out, I would tell you 100%.

- Nice.

Listen, I know... I
know you're stressed

and you feel like you sold
your soul for this whole thing

and you're freaking
out, but guess what.

I'm freaking out
too. All right?

Can we please just
stick together here

and keep our eyes on the prize?

- Really? 'Cause Ruby
thinks we're having

a three-way with
the Westside Ripper.

Tell me, how's that
gonna play out?

Whatever.
- Okay.

- Well, I mean, I don't know.

He was our plumber and
now he's our friend.

Is that really so weird?

- But you guys travel together,

like, the three of you?

- No. He...

- He wanted to come
to CrimeCon like us.

- Oh.
- What's wrong with that?

- No, it's cool.
I mean, go crazy.

Wait, Carlos and
I, we do this thing

where my car just broke
down and he works for AAA.

And, oh, I just... I forgot...
- Okay.

- My wallet today and...
- Stop talking. We're good.

I'm done with your story now.
- I'll see you at dinner.

- Bye.
- Bye.

- Wait, Ava?

- Hey. Ryan.

Hey.

- Hey. How are you?

- Good. Uh, you're
into true crime?

I had no idea.
- Yes. Big time.

- Yeah.
- You're a Zodiac guy?

- Oh, right. Uh, who isn't?

- Wow. Do you think
it was Gary Poste?

- I don't know, my
money used to be

on Arthur Leigh Allen,

but lately I have
this little soft spot

for Richard Gaikowski.

- Gaikowski, yes. No one
talks about him, right?

- The cipher, right?
For sure it's him.

It's gotta be him.
- Absolutely.

- Yeah. We just solved
the Zodiac case.

Richard Gaikowski.
What do you know?

- We make a very good team.

- Killer team.
- That was very fast.

- That was very fast.

- Hey, you know... you
know, they're actually doing

a Zodiac display.

Opens tomorrow.
- Ooh.

- Wanna go sneak in?

- Right now?
- Right now.

Come on. Yeah.

Whoa.
- Yeah.

- This is amazing.
- I know, right?

- I mean, it's... it's
creepy, but it's amazing.

- Yeah.

- Wow.

- And there is our guy.

- Oh, yeah.

Gaikowski, huh?
- Gaikowski, yeah.

- Wow, we, uh, have him

right where we
want him, don't we?

- Uh-huh. We're a
killer team, right?

Hmm.

- You know, you
seem like you, uh...

You always get your
man, don't you?

- Yeah, I guess I do.
- Yeah.

- Oh, you're so wet.

- I know, right?

- Oh, you're gonna drown.

- I'm gonna what?

Yeah?
- Hey, you ready?

- I'll be out in a second.

- Okay, we're gonna be
late, so put a move on.

- Yeah, I know. I just...

I'm almost finished in here.

Oh, my gosh.

- Hi, guys.

- Hey, Nate, you know
what we should do?

We should find a place
to throw in Vegas.

- Tonight?
- Yeah.

- No, I can't tonight.

I have, uh...

I have dinner plans.

- Oh, yeah.

Okay, yeah.

Sure. Another time.

- Yeah, another time.

- Going down, right?
- Mm-hmm.

- Hey, I just wanted to say
I'm really looking forward

to reading your book.

- Oh, thank you. Yeah, wow.

Thank you.

- No point selling my
soul for nothing, right?

- Thank you.

Oh, thank you so much.

Thank you, Hi, what's your name?

Thank you so much.

- Boy or girl?

- Sorry?
- Boy or girl?

- Oh.

We... we actually
don't know yet.

- I didn't find out
till the big day either.

Not many surprises in
life like that, right?

- Yeah.

- Uh, good luck.

I hope it's a girl.

- Quite a view, huh?

You, uh, enjoying the con?

- Yeah.

- Um, I know you.

Yeah, "Sisters in Crime," right?

You're the survivor.

That must've been...

I can't even imagine.

You are so brave and so gutsy.

- Did what I had to.

- You know, I, um, actually work

with victims of crime.

- Mm.
- The trauma. PTSD.

I mean, it can take
years to process.

Not that I need to
tell you, right?

Hey, you know, I
actually donated

to your GoFundMe.

Yeah, I really hope it helps.

- Thank you.

- I heard it... it helps
fund... What was it?

Don't tell me.

A crack team of
private investigators

to expose the Westside Ripper.
- Mm-hmm.

- I hope you find that fucker.

- Me too. Me too.
We're working hard.

- Yeah.

You know, I...

I would love to see him fry.

- Well, California...

he won't fry.

Um, but, you know,
life in prison will do,

you know, as long as we stop him

before he hurts anyone else.

- Totally, yeah, of course.

- Well... it was very
nice to meet you.

Thanks again.

- Hey, you know what I think?

I think your only trauma

is figuring out how
you're gonna spend

all that shit-ton of money
that you're stealing.

- Sorry, what the fuck?

- You're not a survivor,

and we both know it.

You spend all the "find
the real killer" money

on your veneers, your
mom's Fendi purse,

your idiot boyfriend's
Maserati he posts on Instagram,

that beautiful
house in Lake Havasu

in your dad's name.

You see,

it's not just you that's
gonna go away for this.

It is your whole family.

- I had a knife at my throat.

I am a victim.

- Mm, no, you're not a victim.

Well, not yet.

- Who are you?

- Tell me,

when you looked into the
eyes of the Westside Ripper

and said, "Not today,"

what color eyes did he have?

Yeah.

I'll see you soon.

- Hey.
- Hi, you okay?

- Yeah, I'm doing great.
- What's wrong?

- Nothing.

- Nice shot, Dad.