Big Little Lies (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 7 - I Want to Know - full transcript

Detective
Quinlan said with five witnesses...

one of you will finally crack.

-We're not gonna break, right?
-No.

A meteor could hit and you
would say stay calm.

-Whoa.
-You're the one who pushed him.

- What the fuck you say to me?
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I have to confess
something that I'm not so proud of.

When I lunged at him,
I was pushing you.

I hope I can earn back
your trust.

There's nothing I want more
than to trust you.

I can't just wave a wand.



I was promised to be taken
care of.

And what other services?

Stress management.

A fucking nanny?!

There is the risk she could get
full custody.

I'm not settling.

You've been asked to decide

where my boys would be
better off.

That puts in question

the petitioner's fitness
as well.

I would like to question her
myself.

Very well.

I pushed him.

You didn't push him.



And you didn't push him.

Nobody did this.

Nobody.

Help!
Somebody, help!

Help!

Help! Get help!

What, you want me to kiss her?

- Yeah!
- How do you kiss?

Let me teach you.

-Like this?
-Mm-hmm.

This is so...
Oh, I kinda like this.

- Ew, you guys are disgusting.
- Gross.

Let's get
a family photo of this.

How we feelin'?
Are we pumped? Are we excited?

- Yeah.
- First day of school.

- I'm excited.
- Lookin' good.

High intensity.
It's the new workout craze.

Are they gonna get divorced?

No.

He seems mad.

Well, that must mean that
he loves her a lot, right?

But you like him.

Yeah, I do.

Do you love him, though?

I think you do.

I don't really...

know him well enough
to love him.

Love is a really...
big word, you know?

But he makes you happy.

You're like
a whole 'nother person.

Your whole face and stuff
has been different.

Well, I know that the...

three of us can be friends
for a long time.

I want you to be with him.

Ziggy...

And I think you want
to be with him too.

Last one to the bottom
is a rotten egg!

Double Americano.

All right. Double Americano...

Would you like me
to leave room for milk?

Americanos don't have milk.

Some people like milk
in their Americanos.

It's espresso and hot water.

Do I need to come back here
and make it myself?

No, no. It's fine.

- Renata?
- Thank you.

Oh.

How are we today?

How are we?

-We...
-Hi.

...are wrought, Mary Louise.

Oh.

"We" are worried

-about a wonderful mother...
-Hmm.

...who's being put through
an onerous,

if not despicably cruel,
court procedure to, what?

Get to be with her own kids?
We're wrought.

You're a good friend to her.

And... And Celeste is very,
very lucky

to have such a strong
support system.

And I sometimes think

that if she hadn't tried
to take on so much alone,

you know,
she wouldn't have unraveled so.

She hasn't unraveled.

She's a single mom
and a widow with two kids.

-She's done a damn good job.
-I encouraged a housekeeper.

Or a nanny.

She thinks nannies
are too much trouble.

More trouble than they're worth,
sometimes.

- What did you just say?
- Just a mint tea.

-What did you just say?
-A mint tea.

This is exactly what you did

the last time you were
at my house.

Stay-at-home moms
who make me feel like

-I should be locked up?
-No, you shouldn't feel that.

What, for neglect?
Because I have a fucking career?

I have spent every day
of my goddamn life

putting my family
and my child first.

So, don't go there.

- Don't go there, judgie judger!
- I'm...

Keep your eyes on your own
fucking paper, Mary Louise.

Put it in a bag.
I'll take it to her.

'Cause we're going to the same...

With you questioning her,

she can come at you directly.

She can bait you, provoke you...

I've questioned
witnesses before.

-With the stakes this high...
-I'm fine. I'm fine.

- It could backfire.
- I know her.

And she knows that I know her.

So, I have a better chance
of getting to her than you do.

- Celeste...
- It's my turn, Katie.

It's my turn.

It's a very
smart play on her part

'cause she might be up there
in her capacity as a lawyer,

but she'll be presenting herself
again as a person.

As a mother. And this time
without being subject

to cross-examination.

And all the questions
she's asking you,

what she'll really be doing
is showing the judge,

"Look at how stable I am,

look at how reasonable,
how smart."

I even expect her to go gently,
you know?

Putting her compassion
on full display.

- If you see her doing that...
- Sleeping Beauty.

That's how Perry
would describe her to me.

Sleeping Beauty.

He was her prince.

- And she killed him.
- Mary Louise...

only answer the questions
that are asked.

Oh, um, yeah.
No... No problem.

Okay. Let's go.

And she kept repeating...

over and over again...

Look what you made me do.

Look what you made me do!

All rise.

Case number CV-04111,

the matter
of Joshua and Maxwell Wright.

This court is now in session,

the Honorable Judge
Marylin Cipriani presiding.

Be seated.

Mrs.
Wright, please take the stand.

Mrs. Wright?

Please raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?

- I do.
- Be seated.

Okay. You're up.

Mary Louise.

- Celeste.
- Clears throat.

Your attorney made me out
to be quite the bad mother.

He was just asking questions.

You answered them.

Is it your observation
that I am a bad mother?

As I... as you heard me
tell Judge Cipriani

when we were in chambers,

I consider you to be
a wonderfully committed parent.

-That's not the impression... -MARY
LOUISE: As to my observations, yes.

I have observed you
being violent... with the boys.

I witnessed you throwing Max
to the ground and...

shaking him.

I saw you drive off, wearing
nothing but your jammies,

under the influence
of who knows what.

You say Ambien.

And you crashed the car,
in fact.

So, you're not okay.

That's my observation,

which we can all accept
after all you have been through.

But I cannot accept
these children being placed

in such imminent peril.

Did you ever report
to Child Services

that you believed my children
to be in danger?

I probably should have.

So, the answer is "no."

Yeah, it's... it's "no."

Did you ever report
to any other agency

that you believed my boys
to be in "imminent peril"?

No.

You suggested that
I got violent with my sons.

Is it your testimony that I am
routinely violent with them?

- No. Not routinely. But...
- Is it your testimony

that I am often violent
with them?

N... No.

But who knows
what I haven't seen.

So, now you're basing
your opinions

on what you haven't seen?

I'm not a trained lawyer,
so the semantics...

Please, would you...
would you direct your responses

to me? I'm asking the questions.

Now, the truth of it is,

you saw me
lose my temper with my son...

once.

Where I overreacted,
I pushed him to the ground...

once.

- All it takes is once.
- Well...

you would know that better
than anyone, wouldn't you?

As a young mother,

did you ever lose your temper
with your boys?

Well, this isn't simply
about temper or temperament...

Did you ever
lose your temper

while you were driving
an automobile

and cause the car to crash?

Would you like me
to repeat the question?

No, I... I heard the question.
It was obscene.

Your son Raymond died, in part,
because you lost your temper.

- Isn't that true?
- Objection.

This witness has testified

that I put my sons in peril.

It is relevant
to this proceeding

as to whether or not she has
ever killed a child in her care.

Mrs. Wright, please sit.

Please.

Why are you doing this?
Why are you doing this?

I am simply trying
to protect my children.

Now, the idea of you driving

with my children
in the backseat of your car

while you lose your temper...

that is terrifying to me.

Your Honor,
this is indecent.

Are you suggesting
this cross-examination

should be limited
to decency, Mr. Farber?

Mrs. Wright,
you don't get to go at him.

Indecent or not,
this case is about mothering,

which puts your parenting
strategies in issue.

Now, I cannot imagine the trauma

of losing your child
in an automobile crash.

It must have been
unspeakably devastating

for both you and for Perry.

-It was.
-How old was Perry at the time?

He was... five.

He... He was five.

- Five years old.
- Mm-hmm.

To witness
his... his brother die...

his only brother.

Did you put him into,
um, therapy?

To deal with the trauma?

In those days, we were
less inclined to...

- outsource our children's pain.
- So, you assumed

that role, did you?
Attending to Perry's trauma?

Yes, I did. Mm-hmm.

And you talked to him?
You consoled him?

Yes.

Held him?

All of the... All of the above.
Yes. Mm-hmm.

Blamed him?

Did you ever blame him
for causing the car to crash?

I most certainly did not!

Did you ever accuse him
of distracting you?

Did you ever say to him,

"Look what you made me do"?

No.

No? So, if Perry were to have
told me that you blamed him

- for his brother's death...
- Objection, hearsay.

Overruled.

If Perry were to have told me
that you punished him,

you even emotionally
battered him...

I never, ever "battered" him!

If he told me
that you said to him,

"This is your fault.

It is your fault
that your brother was killed."

- Stop it.
- If you were to have said that,

-did you ever...
-No, you stop it...

- Objection, Your Honor. Objection.
- Objection. -Did you ever, ever hit him?

- Did you ever kick Perry?
- I... I never...

- Mrs. Wright.
- That's a lie! That's a lie!

Mrs. Wright, we do seem to be

drifting beyond the scope
of the inquiry here.

My husband physically
and emotionally abused me.

Your Honor well knows
that abusers don't just happen.

They are more than likely to be
victims of abuse themselves.

Whether or not
this witness is an abuser

is certainly, certainly not

beyond the scope
of this inquiry.

You're a liar.

And the fact that violence

may have been a part
of your sexual relationship...

He was not an abuser.

Not for one second.

And is Jane Chapman a liar?

Is this woman sitting here lying

when she says
that your son raped her?

- She's mistaken.
- She is mistaken?

Is that something a woman
is likely to get wrong?

Whether or not
she's being raped?

Well, he perhaps got too vi...
physical with her...

as a result of thinking
that women sometimes like that,

the way you enjoyed it.

And now you're trying to cover
over your sickness

with these disgusting
fabrications.

Max and Josh need to believe
in their dad.

How do they get to do that
with you walking around

calling him a rapist
and an abuser?

The way you assassinate him...
his memory...

he's not here.

He's not here to defend himself.

He's the victim here.

- Oh, my God.
- Not you.

I just wanna go...
You're hurting my arm.

You don't wanna do this, okay?

I'm talking...

Get off!

Oh, my...

Are you going
to ask more questions?

Come on, get up.

Stop it, stop it, stop it...

- Please...
- You're bleeding.

- No! Ow!
- Okay. Okay.

My sons took that video.

Your concerns
that I am making up stories

about their father
are unfounded.

Mary Louise, look at me.

This was your son.

You were so incredible.

I'm just sorry that...

I didn't know he was doing that
to you.

That he was hurting you
like that.

It's 'cause I didn't tell you.

No, I should've known, Celeste.
I'm your best friend.

I should have felt something.

- You're gonna win, right?
- No, not necessarily.

That just spoke to Perry's evil,
but it didn't...

It didn't go so much
to my fitness as a mother.

I mean, how could I let them
live in that house?

How could I let them
see those things?

And they saw
so much more than I ever knew.

Maybe I'm not a good mother.

Maybe I'm not fit.

Don't ever say that.

Don't even think that.

You are an incredible mother.

Are you perfect?

No. Am I perfect? No.

There's no such thing.

But you... Celeste,
look how far you've come.

And look at how strong you are.

You can't falter here.
Do you hear me?

Those boys belong with you.

Okay?

How's it going?

Not great.

I'm sorry.

I don't want you to think
that I don't like you.

It's not fair to...

put all this on you.

You know... You should be out
there having fun,

not dealing with me.

What is fun?

Is that getting drunk
and going to some bar

and ending up with a girl
I have no connection to?

This is fun.

Okay, first, nothing is perfect.

Nothing's even... best.

But if you can find better,
nice...

even good is good.

Secondly, no matter how good
something is,

you can ruin it
by overthinking it.

Just your two cents.

- Kill it!
- Ten more minutes.

- Stop it.
- And then all the killing stops.

- I got it, I got it!
- Okay, there you go.

Hey!

Did court go good?

Yeah. I think it did.

Were you a superhero?

Oh, I was like Wonder Woman
and the Incredible Hulk...

combined.

- Did you beat her up?
- What? No.

Nobody beat anybody up.

Oh...

-Why did you lie?
-I didn't lie.

You said that I hit him,
that I kicked him.

Perry told me what you did.

That never happened!

So, you're saying
Perry's a liar?

No, I...

I brought him up to be good.

A good boy. A good man.

That... That... person that we saw
on the videotape,

-I don't know who that is...
-Okay...

I hope that you don't live
to bury your children, Celeste,

because you would not even
be standing.

You lost your boys.
You don't get to take mine.

But... Don't... Don't lie!

Don't lie about me!

Don't lie about me!
It's not fair.

It's not fair.

My turn, Dad.

You can go.

You go.

Um, if you don't mind, I'd...
I'd like to stay by myself.

I've been really enjoying
this time with her, you know?

She's, um...
She's a good listener now.

Okay.

So, you wanna go, huh?

I forgot to tell you something.

Or maybe I said it.
I don't remember. But...

It looks like now's the time.

I love you, Mama.

It took me my whole life
to say that.

I've been thinking a lot

about something you said
a while back.

About the lie.

And that it was...

It had a shelf life.

I think you're right.

And I've been feeling really,
really bad that I started it.

-You didn't start it...
-Yes, I did.

And you didn't have
to follow suit,

but you did,
but I started it.

And... I can just see the damage
that it's done,

and it's eroding all of us.
Every single one of us.

Including me.

It's unraveling
all of our friendships.

Madeline, you and I
have a friendship, and Jane.

That... That's...

the Monterey Five,
whatever we call ourselves...

The lie is the friendship.

- Hi, baby.
- Hi, Mama.

Hi, Grandma.

Mmm. Mmm.

My God.

What's happened?

She woke up
saying she was hungry.

Are you hungry, baby?

Will you
run out and get a bottle of wine?

- Yeah. Okay.
- Thank you.

Do we really
have to wear ties?

Yes. I think it's a good idea.

You're so handsome.

Your daddy always looked
so good in ties.

If he was here, he wouldn't let
Grandma do this.

No.

Now...
I don't think it's likely,

but if the judge asks you
any questions,

you just answer honestly
and you be polite, all right?

Tell her that we wanna stay
with you?

Yeah. If that's what you want.
Yeah. You tell her that.

Are you scared?

A little bit. Are you?

Mm... kind of, yeah.

- Mm-hmm.
- Me too.

We're in it together, okay?

Hey. What'd I say about sugar?

What doesn't kill you...

No.
How did you even get that stuff?

I have connections.

Uh, you should pack up
your things, though.

We have to go.

So, is that...

me? That punching bag?

It's not you.

Ed, I just need to know
what you're thinking.

I honestly don't know if we are
apart, or together, or...

getting better,
or we're getting worse.

I just need to know
what's in your head

before my own fucking head
explodes.

Okay, come on.

Sit down.

Chloe, please.

You know, uh, I've been thinking
about our wedding day.

Maybe because you were, like,
prancing around in your veil.

Do you remember that day,
Madeline?

Yeah. I remember
it was really joyous.

Yeah, it was joyous
for me, too.

But... delusional.

We did not know
what we were getting into.

And you were married before,
maybe you had a better idea,

but... most weddings are just
like this blind leap of faith.

All the vows we take, I mean...

we can't even know
what the fuck that means.

I really don't like
where this is going.

Look, you are not
who you were then.

And neither am I.
People change.

We need to renew our vows.

What?

This time,
committing to live up to them.

-Do you think you can do that?
-With all my heart.

Fully informed
as to what we're getting into.

Truly, truly, yes.
Committing to better or worse...

No, no. Your worst
is off the table.

- Okay, yeah.
- Got it?

Absolutely.
Do you really mean it?

Look...

This is not some, like...

"put a tidy ribbon on it,
bygones be bygones" ending.

Okay? This is a shot
at a new beginning.

Which, like, if you really feel
that you're up to it...

I am. I am.

Then, so am I.

- I love you.
- I love you too.

-This is gonna be really good.
-Yeah.

Oh, my God.
We can do it on the beach.

We can have a tent,
and a big party, and...

- No, no, no.
- ...we can do like a seafood...

No party.

Just you, me, Abigail, Chloe.
The family.

That sounds perfect.

Okay.

It's going to be okay.

What's going on?

There's been a setback.

What kind of setback?

Another stroke, most likely.

We're taking her
into radiology now

to see what we're dealing with.

Mama...

Mama... Has she been sedated?

No, she's just unconscious.

- Jesus.
- Will she wake up?

We have to look
at the pictures

to know what's going on.

She's too young.
This doesn't make any sense.

We'll get her back
as soon as we can.

All rise.

Case number CV-04111,

the matter of Joshua
and Maxwell Wright.

This court is now in session,

the Honorable Judge
Marylin Cipriani presiding.

Be seated.

This is a difficult decision,

one made more so
by the cumulative wash

of the child psychiatrists'
reports.

These reports, which conclude...

If I may be heard, Your Honor.

All right.

What I saw...
on that video...

I simply had no idea.

I'm so sorry. I...

I don't know what to say
to make you forgive me.

I had no idea.

If I had... But...

this is not about forgiveness
or blame.

This, today, is about
the wellbeing

of these two splendid young men,

Josh and Max.

Your Honor, I told you
from the outset,

I bear no contempt
for my daughter-in-law.

In fact, I... I love her.

How could I not?

She made my son so happy.
And the boys.

But, Celeste,
you are ill.

What we saw on that video
was repugnant.

It was grotesque.

I'm so ashamed of my son.

But you... were a part of it.

You were complicit in it.

You have admitted to me,
to yourself, to this court,

that you were a part
of this sickness

that you exposed
your children to,

that they may have been
infected by,

that they recorded
on their smartphone

to stick in their memory book.

It's a sickness

that, given your most recent...

...social adventures
with strangers,

it seems that you are
unable to resist.

So...

Your Honor, I have no doubt
that she will get herself well.

But in the meantime,
right now,

we just need
to safeguard the boys.

She wants what's best
for her grandchildren,

as she did for her son, Perry.

That man that you saw
on that tape,

that was because of
your parenting,

your caregiving.

It's one thing to be asked
to turn your children over.

It's quite another...

to be asked to give them to you.

These are my babies.

I am their mother.

And I have protected them

against the most formidable
of odds.

I kept them alive.
I kept myself alive.

And on this I agree with you,
Mary Louise,

You had no... no idea.

And that is the problem.

My sons are...
they're good boys.

And I will raise them
to be good men.

They will be good men.

I have a list
of conditions and compliances,

which will be entered
together with my judgment.

They are self-evident
and they are to be followed.

As for the judgment itself,
as it's been noted by all,

these boys have been through
an unimaginable ordeal.

They face great challenges
ahead with their healing,

their development.

It won't be easy.

I'm not going to make it
any harder

by taking them away
from their mother.

The petition to appoint
guardianship is denied.

Full custody shall reside with
Celeste Wright. We're adjourned.

Oh, my God.

I'm sorry.

I need you to do something
for me.

-Here.
-Thanks.

I'm so sorry, honey.

Nathan.

You're a good man...

and a wonderful father.

Skye adores you,
and she should.

And I know you love me.

But you've been right to think

that something's
been going on with me.

So, I'm gonna be truthful.

I'm sorry I couldn't tell you
this sooner.

I'm not in love with you.

I know this isn't the best time
to tell you, but I...

I don't think I've ever been.

I just can't lie anymore.

I'm sorry.

What the fuck is this?

Well, hi.

Why is this still here?

Funny you should ask.

- I sold it all today...
- Oh.

...to Ted Farrell.

-Ugh.
-The guy gave me a check for 410

for the whole kit and caboodle.

-Nice. Well, Celeste...
-And the best part is,

we get to keep it all!

Mm...

What do you mean,
we get to keep it all?

We get to keep it all!
Ted's just a collector,

only cares whether it
appreciates or not.

And he knows there's no better
steward for it than me, so...

we get to keep it all.

So, basically, you're saying
you get to keep your toys?

Perfect, huh?

No.

No, it's not perfect.

- It's far from fucking perfect.
- Oh, God.

- All my stuff is gone.
- Look. Come on. Please.

We got money for this,
all right?

-Calm the fuck down.
-Calm down?

Yes, calm down,
all right?

-You lost all our money.
-Oh, my God, here we go.

You have plunged us
into bankruptcy.

-Yeah...
-We are selling our home!

Our daughter's home!

And all the while,
you've been fucking the nanny?

Well, now she's gone, I need
something to play with, don't I?

Oh, my God.

That was too much.

I'm so... Hey!

What the fuck are you doing?

We don't own any of this!

Goddammit!

Renata! Fucking hell!

Come on now... No... Not that!

No, come on, don't...

Is that
your favorite fucking baby?

No!

No!

Oh, my God.

Maybe you should've
shown a woman

a little respect!

I'm done.

No more bullshit.

No more lies.

Do you, Ed,
take Madeline to be your wife?

To love her, to comfort her,
honor and protect her,

as long as you both shall live?

I do.

Do you, Mom, take Ed
to be your husband,

to love and comfort him,
honor and protect him,

as long as you both shall live?

I do.

Okay, I therefore
proclaim that you are husband and wife!

- You may now kiss the bride!
- Whoo!

Gonna be okay.

Let me go with you.

Just let me drive you.