Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
A group of ordinary people stumble onto a puzzle hiding just behind the veil of everyday life. They will come to find that the mystery winds far deeper than they ever imagined.
And now that I have
your attention, I'll begin.
Welcome.
As you know, this entertainment
is called
"Dispatches From Elsewhere" --
a title that I assure you
will have more relevance
as the story progresses.
Unless this is
your first experience
with a limited-run episodic,
which our records indicate
it is not,
then you're aware of
the storytelling convention
which dictates
that the filmmakers
spend an unnecessary
amount of time
to introduce you to our
protagonist, his occupation,
the particularities of his life,
and, most importantly,
the obstacles which stand
in the way of his happiness.
As the first of my many gifts
to you, my friends,
I propose we skip
this convention
and get on with what you
came here for -- the story.
I propose I return to you
20 minutes of your life
by reducing
the standard introduction
to a mere two minutes.
[Snaps fingers]
This is Peter.
[Alarm ringing]
Think of him as you.
He is you if you lived alone
and woke every weekday
to your iPhone alarm,
still set to
the default chime "radar."
Peter is you if you walked
to work in the morning,
which he neither enjoys
nor does not enjoy.
He never makes eye contact
with his fellows
and assumes his fellows
never make eye contact
with their fellows, either.
Peter is you
if you worked a reliable job
at a company which offers
on-demand listening
of over two millions songs
for a modest monthly fee.
In addition, the company's
innovative algorithm
conveniently informs you
of songs you will enjoy
based on your prior
listening history,
saving you the hassle
of unpleasant
and unnecessary
musical exploration.
Peter is you if you walked
the same route home
as you did to work, only,
as I'm sure you understand,
in the opposite direction.
He generally stops
into his corner bodega
to procure dinner,
which often consists
of packaged sushi
with a small packet
of brown liquid salt
and spicy green putty.
[Cash register dings]
Peter is you
if you ended your day
in the same place you began it,
with no change.
Every day like the others,
with the exception
of meaningless
and arbitrary deviation.
Burrito instead of sushi,
perhaps.
And this is tragedy in its most
quietly devastating costume.
A life without risk.
A life without real pain.
A life without real joys.
This is existing, not living.
At least that is my philosophy.
And at the end of the day
[Chuckling] that's all I've got.
So, my friends,
I think we've got the idea.
Now you know Peter.
Squint your eyes,
and Peter is you.
Enough so, at least,
that I think we can jump right
into the day something changes.
I should like to confess now
that I lied to you once
and only once
during my introduction.
I can assure you, however, that
I remain a reliable narrator.
♪♪
♪♪
[Alarm ringing]
[Ringing stops,
cellphone clicks]
♪♪
[Indistinct conversations]
Barista: Norman?
♪♪
Normal?
♪♪
Are you Normal?
♪♪
I'm sorry, what?
Are you Norman?
Oh, no. No.
♪♪
Oh, man. Sorry.
[Liquid splashes]
That's okay.
Can I help?
Um, no, it's --
it's an accident.
Okay, sorry again.
I'm sorry.
No, sorry.
[Indistinct conversations]
♪♪
♪♪
[Dolphin chittering]
I understand.
[Thunder rumbles, rain falling]
[Indistinct conversations]
[Buzzing]
[Gunfire]
[Shells clinking]
[Whistle blows]
[Footsteps approach]
[Cannon fires]
♪♪
♪♪
Work stuff, work.
Work.
Work stuff.
Work. Work.
Work stuff.
Okay.
Great.
[Keys clacking]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Flatline]
♪♪
[Vehicle passes]
[Siren wailing in distance]
[Paper rustles]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Indistinct talking on TV]
[Ringing]
[Cellphone clicks]
[Indistinct talking on TV
continues]
[Cellphone ringing]
[Slurps]
[Ringing continues]
[Cellphone clicks]
Hello?
British woman:
[British accent] Peter?
Y-Yes.
Um, how did --
how did you know that?
You called.
Oh, um, well, yes,
I-I saw the -- the man --
the man from the sign.
He was putting up his own
"have you seen this man" flyer.
I'm not surprised.
Thank you for calling
the Jejune Institute,
Pennsylvania Headquarters.
We would like to invite you to
a special orientation session.
I'm sorry,
orientation session?
We are located at 12616
South 7th Street, Suite 1607.
That's so many numbers.
Would you like to procure
a writing implement?
N-No, I'm fine.
Saturday at 2:00 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time.
Oh, I don't think that I can,
actually.
For those Dark Horses with the
Spirit to look up and see...
A recondite family awaits.
[Click]
[Indistinct talking on TV
continues]
♪♪
♪♪
[Indistinct talking on TV
continues]
[Utensils clinking]
Psychiatrist: And how has
this week been, socially?
Have you had lunch
with a co-worker?
Any interesting
conversations?
No.
Try any new
restaurants?
Watch anything new
on TV?
No.
[Chuckles softly]
Peter,
can I ask you a question?
Yes, of course.
Why do you come see me?
Well, it's free,
you know?
It's included
in my medical benefits,
and I've never had medical
benefits until this job,
so I just thought,
"Heck, Peter,
take advantage
of the opportunity
and see what psychiatry's
all about."
And what are your thoughts
so far?
I like it.
I do.
Um, I think our conversations
go pretty well.
I know that you do a lot
of the heavy lifting.
Um...I wish I brought more
to the table.
There are times that
I feel guilty about that
after our visits.
Like...maybe I'm boring to you
or something.
I understand
what you're asking me.
I --
Keep talking.
I'm tal-- I am talking.
Sorry.
Sorry.
I guess I'm just settling
into the idea that this is it,
that this is what life is.
I don't really have anything
to say about that yet.
You feel stuck.
No, I feel nothing,
mostly.
Maybe like a sense of loss,
but I don't know for what.
Don't you think it's time
you found out?
♪♪
♪♪
[Leaves rustling]
[Indistinct conversations]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Where you headed?
Um, I'm not sure.
The Jejune Institute?
[Beep]
The gentleman that we
talked about is here.
[Click]
Peter.
A pleasure indeed.
Oh, thank you.
Answers await
on the floor 16.
♪♪
[Key clatters]
♪♪
Okay.
This way?
[Elevator bell dings]
[Electricity humming]
"Exit the elevator
and head towards the hallway.
Immediately look right.
Look right again.
And a third time.
Head down the hallway."
♪♪
♪♪
Huh.
♪♪
"Bipedal in a forward direction.
♪♪
Continue bearing to the front."
♪♪
♪♪
"At the end of the hallway,
utilize this key
at the double doors
to enter the Induction Center."
♪♪
[Lock clicks]
[Exhales]
♪♪
♪♪
[Electricity buzzing]
British woman: Welcome
to the Jejune Institute,
Philadelphia Induction Center.
Please have a seat
in the armchair
which has been provided
for you.
Orientation will begin in...
[Alarm blaring]
...five, four, three, two, one.
[Blaring stops]
[Tones playing]
♪♪
Hello.
We are the Jejune Institute,
purveyors of Nonchalance and
a myriad of innovative products
designed to fill the void.
Current offerings
include Poliwater,
a more condensed form of water
with astounding
regenerative properties.
Clone-free
human-replication systems
designed to create
an external ambassador
with one's sovereign form.
And our most exciting
development yet --
Jejune's THE IDEA,
patent pending.
And now a word
from our founder,
Octavio Coleman, Esquire.
Hello, and welcome home.
I truly hope that
our introductory video
has provided you with
at least some context
for where you
find yourself now.
Nod if you agree.
Then perhaps I can offer you
a simple explanation.
For often, in my experience,
it is only through
the greatest simplicity
that we find understanding and,
from understanding, truth.
Nod if you agree.
♪♪
[Chuckles]
My name is
Octavio Coleman, Esquire,
and for more than 40 years, I
have given my life, my spirit,
and my vital energy in pursuit
of one endeavor --
to illuminate the oneness which
lays hidden in plain sight
right before your eyes
and under your nose.
To highlight the illusion
of separateness
which permeates our thinking
and is responsible
for all forms of human strife.
♪♪
This has been a long road,
my friend,
and there have been many times
along the way
that we as a collective
and I as a leader
have questioned
the fruitfulness
of this undertaking.
Dark nights
where voices whispered
that I had indeed been laboring
under a delusion
and that my vision-quest was,
in fact, a fool's errand.
But I've proved myself wrong
by proving I was right.
And you are a key
to unlocking our vision.
You see, my friend, it is
a very unique person indeed
who finds themselves
in the chair in which you sit.
It is a rare soul who pulls
the tab from the flyer.
A rarer soul
who calls the number.
A rarer soul still who reports
to our humble headquarters
as directed,
and the rarest of souls
who sits before me
prepared to answer
my future call.
Know it or not,
my friend, you...
contain something.
Perhaps something hibernating,
perhaps something not yet born,
but something that
I promise you is unique,
vital, and essential.
♪♪
We all share one common wish.
A secret.
One rarely uttered
but more universal
than any hope ever hoped.
That one day
it will be revealed
that there's been a mistake.
That one day you will learn
that you are meant for more.
That one day
someone will arrive
from the mundane nothingness
and say the words,
"No, my friend, not you.
You don't belong here.
Come with me.
You belong with
the special ones."
[Crying]
I am here,
and that day is upon you.
♪♪
No, my friend, not you.
You don't belong here.
Come with me.
You belong with
the special ones.
[Crying]
What is happening?
♪♪
[Static]
♪♪
I do believe that this moment
of emotional revelation
is quite enough for one day.
In the drawer beside you, you
will find an induction card.
Should you desire to explore
this relationship further,
simply provide us with
the requisite information,
and we will gladly find you
when your moment has come.
Thank you, my friend.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
"Do not return to reception.
Head through the fire door.
Alarm has been disabled."
♪♪
[Door closes]
"Take the stairs to level one.
Do not run,
but do not go too slowly."
♪♪
"By now they will
be coming for you."
♪♪
[Siren wailing,
cellphone ringing]
"Abandon this card
and answer your phone."
Shit.
[Cellphone clicks]
Hello?
Commander 14:
This is Commander 14,
fearless Skipper
of the Elsewhere Society
and mortal enemy
of The Jejune Institute.
Peter, you don't know what
you've gotten yourself into,
not yet, but you will.
For now, don't talk,
don't think, don't worry.
Just report to
the South Street location.
The exact address will arrive
on your phone
via end-to-end encrypted
multimedia message.
Okay, but --
[Click]
Hello?
Hello?
277.77 South Street?
♪♪
♪♪
Divine Nonchalance?
What the hell does that mean?
[Tires screech]
Sorry!
Come on, man.
That's --
That's my fault.
[Tires screech]
♪♪
♪♪
[Rattling]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Door creaks]
♪♪
Touch me, and I'll kill you.
You hear me?
Yeah, real tough, now,
aren't you?
You ass-sucking
piece of shit.
Jesus.
No one tricks me, assface!
I'm -- I'm not trying to trick
you, and I'm not an assface.
Oh, you're an assface.
I'm not an assface.
You're an assface!
I'm not!
I'm just me -- I'm me.
Are you not part
of the thing?
Wha-- No.
I'm really confused
about what's going on.
Oh.
Oh, you're like me.
You saw the video?
Yes.
It's crazy, right?
I don't know what's going on,
either, but it's freakin' fun!
Well, I'm very confused
and scared.
Uh, yeah.
Sorry.
I was just...role-playing.
[Chuckles]
Oh, okay.
That was good.
Um, you're very authentically
threatening.
Thanks. It's a little skill
I've developed.
Yeah, that's cool.
Um, I still don't understand
what's happening.
Me neither, but I think
it's some kind of, like,
new ad campaign
or something.
Like, any minute now
someone's gonna pop out
and try
and sell us something.
Like, "Surprise!
This experience brought to you
by Bender Elmore."
[Chuckles]
Bender Elmore?
It's got to be
something like that.
Some kind
of major corporation.
Whatever this thing is,
it is not cheap.
And people
don't spend money
unless they're trying
to make money.
Actually, um,
I sometimes spend money
on things that don't
make me money.
Like -- Like
cable television.
I guess you're right.
Somebody could be trying
to entertain themselves.
Are you watching me,
you sons of bitches?
I'll shove that Institute right
up your tight corporate asses.
You say "ass" so much.
Do you want to do the next part
together?
Next part?
♪♪
Oh.
♪♪
"The -- The power
is within you.
Find her."
[Chuckles lightly]
♪♪
[Sighs]
Honor system.
♪♪
You can only get away with that
in a hidden alley.
[Chuckles]
Oh, right.
Yeah.
Do you see anything you want,
uh, before we go?
♪♪
This place
has lots of things
that are new to me
that I would like to touch.
♪♪
Yeah, no kidding.
♪♪
"Elsewhere."
It says, um --
It says "elsewhere" on that --
on the brick.
I don't know
how they did that.
They probably had to get
a special mold made,
um, which isn't
easy to do.
I'm not in construction,
but I do -- I have --
Who knows.
[Chuckles]
Are you ready?
Um...
Are you sure
that it's allowed?
Allowed?
To do the next part
together.
I don't -- I don't know
if there are rules or...
I mean,
you're an adult.
You can think for yourself,
right?
I've never really thought
about that as a concept.
Yes, of course.
Yes, yes.
Whatever --
Whatever you think.
Yes.
Uh, here.
[Zipper opens]
Try this.
It'll calm you down.
Uh, I-I'm afraid of drugs,
sorry.
This is a good drug.
♪♪
Look, this thing, whatever
it is, it's supposed to be fun.
And things like this don't
just happen, so don't waste it.
You can't
post-enjoy things.
That's why people who film
concerts on their iPhones
are morons.
[Chuckles] Right.
Okay.
It's, uh --
It's in there snugly.
♪♪
Just please don't
mess this up for me.
Of course.
♪♪
Oh, wow.
[Laughs]
Huh, that's so neat.
I've seen people
wear these.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
I felt like
how I felt a few times
when I went to the movie theater
and saw a beautiful film.
♪♪
How, when it ended
and I went outside,
colors seemed brighter.
The world seemed like
a better place.
I wanted to keep
feeling that way.
I guess for the first time
in my life
I was walking around
looking at the world
through a new pair of glasses.
Up until then,
life had been this series
of unfulfilled promises.
Work hard,
and you will be happy.
Do the right thing, and good
things will come your way.
So, naturally, we kept
expecting someone to show up
and take it from us,
but the Institute never came.
♪♪
For the first time since
I was very young, I felt...
I don't know
if this sounds stupid.
Actually, I do know
it sounds stupid.
I-I don't care.
I felt like there was magic.
I felt like there was
real magic.
♪♪
Maybe I could be a part of that.
♪♪
Because suddenly
all the signs around me
that I had allowed
to dictate my life...
they lost their power.
♪♪
Psychiatrist:
And what happened?
♪♪
It lasted a few days or so,
and then...
much more easily than I would've
hoped, it just drifted away.
Is there anything you took
from the experience
that has stayed
with you?
I guess how differently
life must feel to her.
I was so scared.
She was having so much fun.
And what does that
make you feel?
That I wish
I was more like her.
[Indistinct talking on TV]
♪♪
[Thunder crashes]
♪♪
[Telephone ringing]
[Thunder rumbling]
[TV shuts off]
[Ringing continues]
[Thunder crashes]
[Beep]
Hello?
Commander 14: Peter!
This is Commander 14
of the Elsewhere Society.
You are needed now!
Commander?
Hi. It's me.
It's Peter.
I'm here.
Um, I'm just in the middle
of my dinner.
Commander 14:
Dinner can wait, Peter.
The human body can survive
weeks without food
and days without water.
Okay.
I need to know now --
are you in or are you out?
I'm --
Now, Peter!
I'm in!
Your location
will be transmitted
via end-to-end encrypted
multimedia message.
Your help is required
posthaste!
[Click]
Okay, I -- Hello? Hello?
♪♪
[Thunder rumbling]
♪♪
[Telephone rings]
Hello?
Commander 14:
The time is nigh.
Listen very carefully.
Dance.
I said dance!
The only way to proceed
is through rigorous
physical jamming.
So dance!
Dance,
you lanky son of a bitch!
Dance!
[Feet tapping]
Excellent.
Keep dancing.
Hang up this phone
and dance.
Dance, motherlover!
Dance!
Okay, but just --
[Click]
[Dial tone]
Hello?
[Thunder crashing]
♪ Punk rock, new wave,
and soul ♪
♪ Pop music, salsa,
rock 'n' roll ♪
♪ Calypso, reggae,
rhythm and blues ♪
♪ Master mix those
number-one tunes ♪
♪ Play that favorite song
of mine ♪
♪ And accept my calls
on the request line ♪
♪ Deejay will play
just for you ♪
♪ But I gotta get down
and show I know how to ♪
♪♪
♪ A favorite song to sing ♪
♪ And when I'm in the mood
to hear good music play ♪
♪ I'm entertained
by my favorite deejay ♪
♪ I wanna dance
and think of romance ♪
♪ I wanna get down
on my favorite sound ♪
♪ Play it, kick it,
play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Play it, kick it,
play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Play it, kick it,
play that beat ♪
♪♪
♪ Play it on your lunch break ♪
♪♪
♪ The beat that makes
your body shake ♪
♪♪
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Play it, kick it ♪
[Howls]
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Switch the mix,
mister deejay ♪
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Switch the mix,
mister deejay ♪
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Switch the mix,
mister deejay ♪
[Echoing]
♪ Play that beat ♪
[Thunder rumbling]
[Breathing heavily]
[Phosphorescent's
"Song For Zula" plays]
♪♪
♪♪
♪ Some say love ♪
♪ Is a burning thing ♪
♪ That it makes a fiery ring ♪
Simone!
Peter.
[Chuckles]
What the hell, dude?
Hi.
I don't know
if that was Bigfoot
or Yeti or Sasquatch,
but that thing can dance.
Oh. Yeah.
It was Bigfoot.
Oh.
Yes.
Yeah. Thought so.
[Chuckles]
We have to, um...
Yeah. Yeah.
Uh, you having fun yet?
Um, I have so much anxiety
but in a really good way.
[Laughs] I think
that's called excitement.
Right.
Okay.
[Click, static squealing]
Three, two, one.
[Frequency warbles]
Commander 14:
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to Radio Nonchalance --
Dispatches from Elsewhere.
As we begin our live broadcast,
there remains a task at hand
to be completed
while simultaneously
absorbing the message
and meaning
of our transmission.
Within your envelopes
resides a colored paddle.
These will serve as identifiers
for your immediate family.
Please remove your paddles now
and find those with whom you
shall proceed on this journey.
♪♪
Take moment to look around you
at the faces
of the other intrepid souls
you can now call family.
You've all been selected
as Agents of Nonchalance.
And now cryptic radio brings
you the secret of Nonchalance.
What is the secret?
What is Nonchalance, and who
are its hidden followers?
Are they friendly,
or are they a menace?
What does their existence
portend to today's world
of political, economic,
and spiritual bedlam?
[Indistinct conversations]
Listen carefully,
and we will tell you.
This is your announcer,
Commander 14,
trusted servant and head honcho
of the Elsewhere Society,
broadcasting for a limited time
on this special frequency.
♪♪
Like Saint Peter in prison,
the keys to your cell
rest at your feet.
Reach down and unlock the door.
Emerge as free men and women.
♪♪
[Speaking indistinctly]
♪♪
-Hey.
-Hi.
Okay, you find the others.
I'll wait here.
♪♪
Are you s-- You don't want
to come with us?
No. I don't want
to be distracted.
Every piece of evidence
is essential.
But first, a warning.
Okay.
Beware of false Nonchalance.
[Chuckles]
The false prophets are even now
consolidating their forces
as they endeavor to find her,
Clara, the special one,
keeper of Divine Nonchalance.
Beware especially
the one the world calls
Octavio Coleman, Esquire,
for he is, in the present era,
the main opponent
of The Elsewhere Society
and a cynical and fiendishly
inspired deviser
of false Nonchalance,
founder of the evil
Jejune Institute,
CIA operative and informant,
saboteur and provocateur.
Octavio Coleman, Esquire...
Excuse me.
...is the man who is behind all
of the monitoring,
subversion...
Oh.
Excuse me. Can I -- Can I see
your -- your -- your --
-Oh.
-Oh!
Oh, we match.
Do we match?
-We do, yeah.
-We match.
-Yeah.
-Oh, I'm so glad.
I-I thought I was alone.
I'm not alone.
Couldn't find anybody.
All alone.
So glad.
I'm Peter.
Peter.
I can hardly hear you.
I'm Peter.
Peter.
Simone.
I'm -- I'm Janice.
Hi. Hello, Janice.
Hi. Hello.
I can hear now.
I-I took it out.
Oh.
We have another one.
Oh, okay.
Come on.
Okay, great.
Oh, I'm just -- Oh.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah. I'm in.
My friends, there is a world
behind this world
which has been hidden from you.
No longer.
The power is within you.
It always has been.
Now, listen closely,
my friends,
as I exit the realm
of obfuscation
and make your assignment
abundantly clear.
You must find Clara!
She is the harbinger
of great things to come,
the bringer
of Divine Nonchalance.
Find her before the evil forces
of Octavio
and his wretched Institute,
and rewards will abound.
Find Clara, and we will
change this world!
♪♪
♪ Life could be a dream,
life could be a dream ♪
That was
batshit crazy.
It was quite
an elaborate hoax.
It's thrilling.
[Laughs]
I'm sorry.
What do you mean, "hoax"?
You think this is some type
of prank or something?
No, no, no, not --
not a prank.
A lovely charade, you know,
wonderful evening out.
Lev is gonna --
Lev is -- is my husband.
He is gonna --
He is gonna have quite a laugh
when he hears about this.
I'll tell you that
right now.
There's something
far more meaningful
than a laugh
being had here.
There is?
This is
a government operation.
What was
your name again?
Jani-- Mrs. Foster.
Well, no. Janice.
Okay. Janice.
Mrs. Fo--
Janice. Yes.
Janice.
I've been keeping track of
every clue, major or minor,
since the moment
of induction.
There's code
in that broadcast.
And more importantly,
more infuriatingly,
they're keeping track
of all of our personal data --
cellphones, e-mails,
et cetera.
This is clearly some type of
high-level social experiment.
Oh, my.
I don't want
to be rude,
and I really mean this
as a sincere question,
but are you
a crazy person?
Hmm.
They say crazy people don't
always know they're crazy,
but in my experience,
that's not always the case.
Oh.
I scored 1590 on the SAT
when I was 13 years old.
I missed one question,
which I still dispute.
I'm not crazy.
Okay.
I'm acutely aware
of patterns,
and I feel like one
is operating here.
All of this -- All of this
is funneling towards something.
Janice:
It's certainly an, uh --
uh, an out-there story
they've concocted.
I'm still trying to wrap
my brain around all of it,
the missing girl --
Clara.
Divine Nonchalance?
What?
[Chuckles]
Simone: Look, I think you guys
are burying the lede here.
The -- The radio guy,
he said that if we find Clara,
then rewards abound.
I bet whoever finds her
probably ends up on TV.
Oh, I hope not.
That's not what
he meant at all.
Okay. I'm sorry.
What was your name again?
Fredwynn.
Excuse me?
Fredwynn.
F-Fred Win?
Yes. That's the correct
pronunciation,
but I feel like if you wrote
it out, you'd spell it wrong.
It's one word --
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn?
Fredwynn.
Yeah.
It's not -- It's not that hard.
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn. Fredwynn.
Yes.
Fredwynn.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, Fredwynn,
I feel like it's gonna help
if we just talk about
everybody's theories for a bit
and not just yours
over and over again.
-You know what I'm saying?
-Yeah, I understand.
-I understand.
-Great. [Chuckles]
How about you, Peter?
You've been pretty quiet.
Well, anything that I might say
is something I already know,
so I'm not gonna learn anything
by talking.
I thought I would just listen
to all of you
and gather information
to process.
That sounds enlightened,
but it's selfish.
You're like
a-a selfish Buddha.
I'm gonna call you SB,
Selfish Buddha.
Well, I mean,
I'd prefer you didn't.
Well, share your thoughts
with the group.
Okay. Um...
well, what if it's real?
I don't want to sound stupid.
I don't want to sound naive.
But he -- he -- he says
it's a conspiracy,
you say that it's a prank,
you say that it's a game,
but what if -- well,
what if it's something real?
[Chuckling]
Hey. Hey, don't laugh
at that, okay?
-Oh...
-That is not funny.
That is beautiful.
It was a question,
not a theory.
I-I said I didn't want
to sound stupid.
That's why I said that,
which is why --
No, you didn't --
I didn't think
it was stupid.
No, I know,
but he -- he especially was
asking me to say something.
He was like, "Say it now.
Say it now. Say it now."
I really liked
your question.
"Say it now."
It's alright. It's alright.
"Say it now,"
he kept saying.
It's alright.
You didn't --
Maybe we should
get some pie...
because it tastes so good.
And sometimes diners
like this have pie.
Yeah. Good.
Is there pie, ma'am?
Do you have --
Do you have pie?
Fredwynn: Pie?
Waitress: Strawberry
or coconut cream?
Strawberry
or coconut cream?
Oh, my God.
Just bring them both.
Bring them both.
Pie was a really,
really good idea.
Thanks.
I like -- I like to eat it --
eat it.
Well, yeah.
Waitress: Two of each.
On the house.
That's very kind.
No, it's not kind.
I think it'll be amazing
to watch you all decide
who gets what.
Janice: Oh.
[Footsteps depart]
[Chuckles]
Here.
You can have mine.
Oh, you don't
have to do that.
No, no.
I, uh --
Oh. Oh. Sorry.
I got to get going.
I don't want to walk home
too late.
I could walk you.
No. Stay.
Uh...enjoy the pie.
Tell me which one's better.
Bye. It was very nice
to meet you.
Mrs. Foster.
Uh, Janice.
Janice.
And you're...
Simone.
Simone.
[Both chuckle]
Fredwynn.
[Clicks tongue]
One word.
Simone.
Peter.
I, uh --
I don't know when,
but I have a hunch I'll be
seeing you all again soon.
Oh, I hope so.
Yeah.
Till then, follow your
Divine Nonchalance...
[Chuckles]
...whatever that means.
♪♪
[Bells jingle]
♪♪
♪♪
And just what do we mean by
"Divine Nonchalance" anyway?
[Violin playing]
A casual way of sauntering
down the street?
A kind of cool, perhaps?
Or something more?
♪♪
Divine Nonchalance
cannot be bought or sold,
packaged or purveyed.
It is a power that can
only be found within.
[Indistinct shouting]
I can tell
you're still confused.
Perhaps I can help
illuminate further.
Let's take a look
at this again.
[Tape rewinding]
You like cartoons, don't you?
Of course you do.
Everyone likes cartoons.
Picture in your mind
a cartoon character,
any cartoon character.
Watch as she saunters
down the street,
seemingly unaware
of impending danger
lurking around every corner.
Some may mistake her ease
for ignorance.
Others may marvel
at her naiveté.
But Divine Nonchalance
is something different,
my friends.
It is a perpetual quietness
of heart
when all around you
is seeming chaos.
Yo!
[Indistinct shouting]
It is an unspoken understanding
that somehow, through
the trials and tribulations,
fears and foes...
[Glass shatters]
...you are protected
by some timeless innocence,
some eternal joy,
some universal love
that need not be named.
But life is not a cartoon,
is it, my friends?
So what, then?
[Siren wailing in distance]
Do not mess with me.
I am not
playing around.
Game or no game, this is gonna
burn your goddamn eyeballs out.
[Chuckles]
[Spray hissing]
Aah!
Aah!
[Spray hissing]
Aah!
Aah! Aah!
-Ohh!
-[Coughing]
[Spray hissing]
Why do you have to
ruin everything?!
[Dog barking]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Nana:
Simone, is that you?
Yes. I'm home, Nana.
Go back to sleep.
Did you have
a good night?
Overall, yes.
Good night.
Night, sweetie.
♪♪
[Keys clatter]
♪♪
♪♪
[Light switch clicks]
♪♪
[Sighs]
♪♪
[Sighs]
♪♪
[Breathing heavily]
[Glass shatters]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
You're okay.
♪♪
You're okay.
♪♪
Octavio: This is Simone.
♪♪
Think of her as you.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
your attention, I'll begin.
Welcome.
As you know, this entertainment
is called
"Dispatches From Elsewhere" --
a title that I assure you
will have more relevance
as the story progresses.
Unless this is
your first experience
with a limited-run episodic,
which our records indicate
it is not,
then you're aware of
the storytelling convention
which dictates
that the filmmakers
spend an unnecessary
amount of time
to introduce you to our
protagonist, his occupation,
the particularities of his life,
and, most importantly,
the obstacles which stand
in the way of his happiness.
As the first of my many gifts
to you, my friends,
I propose we skip
this convention
and get on with what you
came here for -- the story.
I propose I return to you
20 minutes of your life
by reducing
the standard introduction
to a mere two minutes.
[Snaps fingers]
This is Peter.
[Alarm ringing]
Think of him as you.
He is you if you lived alone
and woke every weekday
to your iPhone alarm,
still set to
the default chime "radar."
Peter is you if you walked
to work in the morning,
which he neither enjoys
nor does not enjoy.
He never makes eye contact
with his fellows
and assumes his fellows
never make eye contact
with their fellows, either.
Peter is you
if you worked a reliable job
at a company which offers
on-demand listening
of over two millions songs
for a modest monthly fee.
In addition, the company's
innovative algorithm
conveniently informs you
of songs you will enjoy
based on your prior
listening history,
saving you the hassle
of unpleasant
and unnecessary
musical exploration.
Peter is you if you walked
the same route home
as you did to work, only,
as I'm sure you understand,
in the opposite direction.
He generally stops
into his corner bodega
to procure dinner,
which often consists
of packaged sushi
with a small packet
of brown liquid salt
and spicy green putty.
[Cash register dings]
Peter is you
if you ended your day
in the same place you began it,
with no change.
Every day like the others,
with the exception
of meaningless
and arbitrary deviation.
Burrito instead of sushi,
perhaps.
And this is tragedy in its most
quietly devastating costume.
A life without risk.
A life without real pain.
A life without real joys.
This is existing, not living.
At least that is my philosophy.
And at the end of the day
[Chuckling] that's all I've got.
So, my friends,
I think we've got the idea.
Now you know Peter.
Squint your eyes,
and Peter is you.
Enough so, at least,
that I think we can jump right
into the day something changes.
I should like to confess now
that I lied to you once
and only once
during my introduction.
I can assure you, however, that
I remain a reliable narrator.
♪♪
♪♪
[Alarm ringing]
[Ringing stops,
cellphone clicks]
♪♪
[Indistinct conversations]
Barista: Norman?
♪♪
Normal?
♪♪
Are you Normal?
♪♪
I'm sorry, what?
Are you Norman?
Oh, no. No.
♪♪
Oh, man. Sorry.
[Liquid splashes]
That's okay.
Can I help?
Um, no, it's --
it's an accident.
Okay, sorry again.
I'm sorry.
No, sorry.
[Indistinct conversations]
♪♪
♪♪
[Dolphin chittering]
I understand.
[Thunder rumbles, rain falling]
[Indistinct conversations]
[Buzzing]
[Gunfire]
[Shells clinking]
[Whistle blows]
[Footsteps approach]
[Cannon fires]
♪♪
♪♪
Work stuff, work.
Work.
Work stuff.
Work. Work.
Work stuff.
Okay.
Great.
[Keys clacking]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Flatline]
♪♪
[Vehicle passes]
[Siren wailing in distance]
[Paper rustles]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Indistinct talking on TV]
[Ringing]
[Cellphone clicks]
[Indistinct talking on TV
continues]
[Cellphone ringing]
[Slurps]
[Ringing continues]
[Cellphone clicks]
Hello?
British woman:
[British accent] Peter?
Y-Yes.
Um, how did --
how did you know that?
You called.
Oh, um, well, yes,
I-I saw the -- the man --
the man from the sign.
He was putting up his own
"have you seen this man" flyer.
I'm not surprised.
Thank you for calling
the Jejune Institute,
Pennsylvania Headquarters.
We would like to invite you to
a special orientation session.
I'm sorry,
orientation session?
We are located at 12616
South 7th Street, Suite 1607.
That's so many numbers.
Would you like to procure
a writing implement?
N-No, I'm fine.
Saturday at 2:00 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time.
Oh, I don't think that I can,
actually.
For those Dark Horses with the
Spirit to look up and see...
A recondite family awaits.
[Click]
[Indistinct talking on TV
continues]
♪♪
♪♪
[Indistinct talking on TV
continues]
[Utensils clinking]
Psychiatrist: And how has
this week been, socially?
Have you had lunch
with a co-worker?
Any interesting
conversations?
No.
Try any new
restaurants?
Watch anything new
on TV?
No.
[Chuckles softly]
Peter,
can I ask you a question?
Yes, of course.
Why do you come see me?
Well, it's free,
you know?
It's included
in my medical benefits,
and I've never had medical
benefits until this job,
so I just thought,
"Heck, Peter,
take advantage
of the opportunity
and see what psychiatry's
all about."
And what are your thoughts
so far?
I like it.
I do.
Um, I think our conversations
go pretty well.
I know that you do a lot
of the heavy lifting.
Um...I wish I brought more
to the table.
There are times that
I feel guilty about that
after our visits.
Like...maybe I'm boring to you
or something.
I understand
what you're asking me.
I --
Keep talking.
I'm tal-- I am talking.
Sorry.
Sorry.
I guess I'm just settling
into the idea that this is it,
that this is what life is.
I don't really have anything
to say about that yet.
You feel stuck.
No, I feel nothing,
mostly.
Maybe like a sense of loss,
but I don't know for what.
Don't you think it's time
you found out?
♪♪
♪♪
[Leaves rustling]
[Indistinct conversations]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Where you headed?
Um, I'm not sure.
The Jejune Institute?
[Beep]
The gentleman that we
talked about is here.
[Click]
Peter.
A pleasure indeed.
Oh, thank you.
Answers await
on the floor 16.
♪♪
[Key clatters]
♪♪
Okay.
This way?
[Elevator bell dings]
[Electricity humming]
"Exit the elevator
and head towards the hallway.
Immediately look right.
Look right again.
And a third time.
Head down the hallway."
♪♪
♪♪
Huh.
♪♪
"Bipedal in a forward direction.
♪♪
Continue bearing to the front."
♪♪
♪♪
"At the end of the hallway,
utilize this key
at the double doors
to enter the Induction Center."
♪♪
[Lock clicks]
[Exhales]
♪♪
♪♪
[Electricity buzzing]
British woman: Welcome
to the Jejune Institute,
Philadelphia Induction Center.
Please have a seat
in the armchair
which has been provided
for you.
Orientation will begin in...
[Alarm blaring]
...five, four, three, two, one.
[Blaring stops]
[Tones playing]
♪♪
Hello.
We are the Jejune Institute,
purveyors of Nonchalance and
a myriad of innovative products
designed to fill the void.
Current offerings
include Poliwater,
a more condensed form of water
with astounding
regenerative properties.
Clone-free
human-replication systems
designed to create
an external ambassador
with one's sovereign form.
And our most exciting
development yet --
Jejune's THE IDEA,
patent pending.
And now a word
from our founder,
Octavio Coleman, Esquire.
Hello, and welcome home.
I truly hope that
our introductory video
has provided you with
at least some context
for where you
find yourself now.
Nod if you agree.
Then perhaps I can offer you
a simple explanation.
For often, in my experience,
it is only through
the greatest simplicity
that we find understanding and,
from understanding, truth.
Nod if you agree.
♪♪
[Chuckles]
My name is
Octavio Coleman, Esquire,
and for more than 40 years, I
have given my life, my spirit,
and my vital energy in pursuit
of one endeavor --
to illuminate the oneness which
lays hidden in plain sight
right before your eyes
and under your nose.
To highlight the illusion
of separateness
which permeates our thinking
and is responsible
for all forms of human strife.
♪♪
This has been a long road,
my friend,
and there have been many times
along the way
that we as a collective
and I as a leader
have questioned
the fruitfulness
of this undertaking.
Dark nights
where voices whispered
that I had indeed been laboring
under a delusion
and that my vision-quest was,
in fact, a fool's errand.
But I've proved myself wrong
by proving I was right.
And you are a key
to unlocking our vision.
You see, my friend, it is
a very unique person indeed
who finds themselves
in the chair in which you sit.
It is a rare soul who pulls
the tab from the flyer.
A rarer soul
who calls the number.
A rarer soul still who reports
to our humble headquarters
as directed,
and the rarest of souls
who sits before me
prepared to answer
my future call.
Know it or not,
my friend, you...
contain something.
Perhaps something hibernating,
perhaps something not yet born,
but something that
I promise you is unique,
vital, and essential.
♪♪
We all share one common wish.
A secret.
One rarely uttered
but more universal
than any hope ever hoped.
That one day
it will be revealed
that there's been a mistake.
That one day you will learn
that you are meant for more.
That one day
someone will arrive
from the mundane nothingness
and say the words,
"No, my friend, not you.
You don't belong here.
Come with me.
You belong with
the special ones."
[Crying]
I am here,
and that day is upon you.
♪♪
No, my friend, not you.
You don't belong here.
Come with me.
You belong with
the special ones.
[Crying]
What is happening?
♪♪
[Static]
♪♪
I do believe that this moment
of emotional revelation
is quite enough for one day.
In the drawer beside you, you
will find an induction card.
Should you desire to explore
this relationship further,
simply provide us with
the requisite information,
and we will gladly find you
when your moment has come.
Thank you, my friend.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
"Do not return to reception.
Head through the fire door.
Alarm has been disabled."
♪♪
[Door closes]
"Take the stairs to level one.
Do not run,
but do not go too slowly."
♪♪
"By now they will
be coming for you."
♪♪
[Siren wailing,
cellphone ringing]
"Abandon this card
and answer your phone."
Shit.
[Cellphone clicks]
Hello?
Commander 14:
This is Commander 14,
fearless Skipper
of the Elsewhere Society
and mortal enemy
of The Jejune Institute.
Peter, you don't know what
you've gotten yourself into,
not yet, but you will.
For now, don't talk,
don't think, don't worry.
Just report to
the South Street location.
The exact address will arrive
on your phone
via end-to-end encrypted
multimedia message.
Okay, but --
[Click]
Hello?
Hello?
277.77 South Street?
♪♪
♪♪
Divine Nonchalance?
What the hell does that mean?
[Tires screech]
Sorry!
Come on, man.
That's --
That's my fault.
[Tires screech]
♪♪
♪♪
[Rattling]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Door creaks]
♪♪
Touch me, and I'll kill you.
You hear me?
Yeah, real tough, now,
aren't you?
You ass-sucking
piece of shit.
Jesus.
No one tricks me, assface!
I'm -- I'm not trying to trick
you, and I'm not an assface.
Oh, you're an assface.
I'm not an assface.
You're an assface!
I'm not!
I'm just me -- I'm me.
Are you not part
of the thing?
Wha-- No.
I'm really confused
about what's going on.
Oh.
Oh, you're like me.
You saw the video?
Yes.
It's crazy, right?
I don't know what's going on,
either, but it's freakin' fun!
Well, I'm very confused
and scared.
Uh, yeah.
Sorry.
I was just...role-playing.
[Chuckles]
Oh, okay.
That was good.
Um, you're very authentically
threatening.
Thanks. It's a little skill
I've developed.
Yeah, that's cool.
Um, I still don't understand
what's happening.
Me neither, but I think
it's some kind of, like,
new ad campaign
or something.
Like, any minute now
someone's gonna pop out
and try
and sell us something.
Like, "Surprise!
This experience brought to you
by Bender Elmore."
[Chuckles]
Bender Elmore?
It's got to be
something like that.
Some kind
of major corporation.
Whatever this thing is,
it is not cheap.
And people
don't spend money
unless they're trying
to make money.
Actually, um,
I sometimes spend money
on things that don't
make me money.
Like -- Like
cable television.
I guess you're right.
Somebody could be trying
to entertain themselves.
Are you watching me,
you sons of bitches?
I'll shove that Institute right
up your tight corporate asses.
You say "ass" so much.
Do you want to do the next part
together?
Next part?
♪♪
Oh.
♪♪
"The -- The power
is within you.
Find her."
[Chuckles lightly]
♪♪
[Sighs]
Honor system.
♪♪
You can only get away with that
in a hidden alley.
[Chuckles]
Oh, right.
Yeah.
Do you see anything you want,
uh, before we go?
♪♪
This place
has lots of things
that are new to me
that I would like to touch.
♪♪
Yeah, no kidding.
♪♪
"Elsewhere."
It says, um --
It says "elsewhere" on that --
on the brick.
I don't know
how they did that.
They probably had to get
a special mold made,
um, which isn't
easy to do.
I'm not in construction,
but I do -- I have --
Who knows.
[Chuckles]
Are you ready?
Um...
Are you sure
that it's allowed?
Allowed?
To do the next part
together.
I don't -- I don't know
if there are rules or...
I mean,
you're an adult.
You can think for yourself,
right?
I've never really thought
about that as a concept.
Yes, of course.
Yes, yes.
Whatever --
Whatever you think.
Yes.
Uh, here.
[Zipper opens]
Try this.
It'll calm you down.
Uh, I-I'm afraid of drugs,
sorry.
This is a good drug.
♪♪
Look, this thing, whatever
it is, it's supposed to be fun.
And things like this don't
just happen, so don't waste it.
You can't
post-enjoy things.
That's why people who film
concerts on their iPhones
are morons.
[Chuckles] Right.
Okay.
It's, uh --
It's in there snugly.
♪♪
Just please don't
mess this up for me.
Of course.
♪♪
Oh, wow.
[Laughs]
Huh, that's so neat.
I've seen people
wear these.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
I felt like
how I felt a few times
when I went to the movie theater
and saw a beautiful film.
♪♪
How, when it ended
and I went outside,
colors seemed brighter.
The world seemed like
a better place.
I wanted to keep
feeling that way.
I guess for the first time
in my life
I was walking around
looking at the world
through a new pair of glasses.
Up until then,
life had been this series
of unfulfilled promises.
Work hard,
and you will be happy.
Do the right thing, and good
things will come your way.
So, naturally, we kept
expecting someone to show up
and take it from us,
but the Institute never came.
♪♪
For the first time since
I was very young, I felt...
I don't know
if this sounds stupid.
Actually, I do know
it sounds stupid.
I-I don't care.
I felt like there was magic.
I felt like there was
real magic.
♪♪
Maybe I could be a part of that.
♪♪
Because suddenly
all the signs around me
that I had allowed
to dictate my life...
they lost their power.
♪♪
Psychiatrist:
And what happened?
♪♪
It lasted a few days or so,
and then...
much more easily than I would've
hoped, it just drifted away.
Is there anything you took
from the experience
that has stayed
with you?
I guess how differently
life must feel to her.
I was so scared.
She was having so much fun.
And what does that
make you feel?
That I wish
I was more like her.
[Indistinct talking on TV]
♪♪
[Thunder crashes]
♪♪
[Telephone ringing]
[Thunder rumbling]
[TV shuts off]
[Ringing continues]
[Thunder crashes]
[Beep]
Hello?
Commander 14: Peter!
This is Commander 14
of the Elsewhere Society.
You are needed now!
Commander?
Hi. It's me.
It's Peter.
I'm here.
Um, I'm just in the middle
of my dinner.
Commander 14:
Dinner can wait, Peter.
The human body can survive
weeks without food
and days without water.
Okay.
I need to know now --
are you in or are you out?
I'm --
Now, Peter!
I'm in!
Your location
will be transmitted
via end-to-end encrypted
multimedia message.
Your help is required
posthaste!
[Click]
Okay, I -- Hello? Hello?
♪♪
[Thunder rumbling]
♪♪
[Telephone rings]
Hello?
Commander 14:
The time is nigh.
Listen very carefully.
Dance.
I said dance!
The only way to proceed
is through rigorous
physical jamming.
So dance!
Dance,
you lanky son of a bitch!
Dance!
[Feet tapping]
Excellent.
Keep dancing.
Hang up this phone
and dance.
Dance, motherlover!
Dance!
Okay, but just --
[Click]
[Dial tone]
Hello?
[Thunder crashing]
♪ Punk rock, new wave,
and soul ♪
♪ Pop music, salsa,
rock 'n' roll ♪
♪ Calypso, reggae,
rhythm and blues ♪
♪ Master mix those
number-one tunes ♪
♪ Play that favorite song
of mine ♪
♪ And accept my calls
on the request line ♪
♪ Deejay will play
just for you ♪
♪ But I gotta get down
and show I know how to ♪
♪♪
♪ A favorite song to sing ♪
♪ And when I'm in the mood
to hear good music play ♪
♪ I'm entertained
by my favorite deejay ♪
♪ I wanna dance
and think of romance ♪
♪ I wanna get down
on my favorite sound ♪
♪ Play it, kick it,
play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Play it, kick it,
play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Play it, kick it,
play that beat ♪
♪♪
♪ Play it on your lunch break ♪
♪♪
♪ The beat that makes
your body shake ♪
♪♪
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Play it, kick it ♪
[Howls]
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Switch the mix,
mister deejay ♪
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Switch the mix,
mister deejay ♪
♪ Play that beat ♪
♪ Why don't you
play it for me? ♪
♪ Switch the mix,
mister deejay ♪
[Echoing]
♪ Play that beat ♪
[Thunder rumbling]
[Breathing heavily]
[Phosphorescent's
"Song For Zula" plays]
♪♪
♪♪
♪ Some say love ♪
♪ Is a burning thing ♪
♪ That it makes a fiery ring ♪
Simone!
Peter.
[Chuckles]
What the hell, dude?
Hi.
I don't know
if that was Bigfoot
or Yeti or Sasquatch,
but that thing can dance.
Oh. Yeah.
It was Bigfoot.
Oh.
Yes.
Yeah. Thought so.
[Chuckles]
We have to, um...
Yeah. Yeah.
Uh, you having fun yet?
Um, I have so much anxiety
but in a really good way.
[Laughs] I think
that's called excitement.
Right.
Okay.
[Click, static squealing]
Three, two, one.
[Frequency warbles]
Commander 14:
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to Radio Nonchalance --
Dispatches from Elsewhere.
As we begin our live broadcast,
there remains a task at hand
to be completed
while simultaneously
absorbing the message
and meaning
of our transmission.
Within your envelopes
resides a colored paddle.
These will serve as identifiers
for your immediate family.
Please remove your paddles now
and find those with whom you
shall proceed on this journey.
♪♪
Take moment to look around you
at the faces
of the other intrepid souls
you can now call family.
You've all been selected
as Agents of Nonchalance.
And now cryptic radio brings
you the secret of Nonchalance.
What is the secret?
What is Nonchalance, and who
are its hidden followers?
Are they friendly,
or are they a menace?
What does their existence
portend to today's world
of political, economic,
and spiritual bedlam?
[Indistinct conversations]
Listen carefully,
and we will tell you.
This is your announcer,
Commander 14,
trusted servant and head honcho
of the Elsewhere Society,
broadcasting for a limited time
on this special frequency.
♪♪
Like Saint Peter in prison,
the keys to your cell
rest at your feet.
Reach down and unlock the door.
Emerge as free men and women.
♪♪
[Speaking indistinctly]
♪♪
-Hey.
-Hi.
Okay, you find the others.
I'll wait here.
♪♪
Are you s-- You don't want
to come with us?
No. I don't want
to be distracted.
Every piece of evidence
is essential.
But first, a warning.
Okay.
Beware of false Nonchalance.
[Chuckles]
The false prophets are even now
consolidating their forces
as they endeavor to find her,
Clara, the special one,
keeper of Divine Nonchalance.
Beware especially
the one the world calls
Octavio Coleman, Esquire,
for he is, in the present era,
the main opponent
of The Elsewhere Society
and a cynical and fiendishly
inspired deviser
of false Nonchalance,
founder of the evil
Jejune Institute,
CIA operative and informant,
saboteur and provocateur.
Octavio Coleman, Esquire...
Excuse me.
...is the man who is behind all
of the monitoring,
subversion...
Oh.
Excuse me. Can I -- Can I see
your -- your -- your --
-Oh.
-Oh!
Oh, we match.
Do we match?
-We do, yeah.
-We match.
-Yeah.
-Oh, I'm so glad.
I-I thought I was alone.
I'm not alone.
Couldn't find anybody.
All alone.
So glad.
I'm Peter.
Peter.
I can hardly hear you.
I'm Peter.
Peter.
Simone.
I'm -- I'm Janice.
Hi. Hello, Janice.
Hi. Hello.
I can hear now.
I-I took it out.
Oh.
We have another one.
Oh, okay.
Come on.
Okay, great.
Oh, I'm just -- Oh.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah. I'm in.
My friends, there is a world
behind this world
which has been hidden from you.
No longer.
The power is within you.
It always has been.
Now, listen closely,
my friends,
as I exit the realm
of obfuscation
and make your assignment
abundantly clear.
You must find Clara!
She is the harbinger
of great things to come,
the bringer
of Divine Nonchalance.
Find her before the evil forces
of Octavio
and his wretched Institute,
and rewards will abound.
Find Clara, and we will
change this world!
♪♪
♪ Life could be a dream,
life could be a dream ♪
That was
batshit crazy.
It was quite
an elaborate hoax.
It's thrilling.
[Laughs]
I'm sorry.
What do you mean, "hoax"?
You think this is some type
of prank or something?
No, no, no, not --
not a prank.
A lovely charade, you know,
wonderful evening out.
Lev is gonna --
Lev is -- is my husband.
He is gonna --
He is gonna have quite a laugh
when he hears about this.
I'll tell you that
right now.
There's something
far more meaningful
than a laugh
being had here.
There is?
This is
a government operation.
What was
your name again?
Jani-- Mrs. Foster.
Well, no. Janice.
Okay. Janice.
Mrs. Fo--
Janice. Yes.
Janice.
I've been keeping track of
every clue, major or minor,
since the moment
of induction.
There's code
in that broadcast.
And more importantly,
more infuriatingly,
they're keeping track
of all of our personal data --
cellphones, e-mails,
et cetera.
This is clearly some type of
high-level social experiment.
Oh, my.
I don't want
to be rude,
and I really mean this
as a sincere question,
but are you
a crazy person?
Hmm.
They say crazy people don't
always know they're crazy,
but in my experience,
that's not always the case.
Oh.
I scored 1590 on the SAT
when I was 13 years old.
I missed one question,
which I still dispute.
I'm not crazy.
Okay.
I'm acutely aware
of patterns,
and I feel like one
is operating here.
All of this -- All of this
is funneling towards something.
Janice:
It's certainly an, uh --
uh, an out-there story
they've concocted.
I'm still trying to wrap
my brain around all of it,
the missing girl --
Clara.
Divine Nonchalance?
What?
[Chuckles]
Simone: Look, I think you guys
are burying the lede here.
The -- The radio guy,
he said that if we find Clara,
then rewards abound.
I bet whoever finds her
probably ends up on TV.
Oh, I hope not.
That's not what
he meant at all.
Okay. I'm sorry.
What was your name again?
Fredwynn.
Excuse me?
Fredwynn.
F-Fred Win?
Yes. That's the correct
pronunciation,
but I feel like if you wrote
it out, you'd spell it wrong.
It's one word --
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn?
Fredwynn.
Yeah.
It's not -- It's not that hard.
Fredwynn.
Fredwynn. Fredwynn.
Yes.
Fredwynn.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, Fredwynn,
I feel like it's gonna help
if we just talk about
everybody's theories for a bit
and not just yours
over and over again.
-You know what I'm saying?
-Yeah, I understand.
-I understand.
-Great. [Chuckles]
How about you, Peter?
You've been pretty quiet.
Well, anything that I might say
is something I already know,
so I'm not gonna learn anything
by talking.
I thought I would just listen
to all of you
and gather information
to process.
That sounds enlightened,
but it's selfish.
You're like
a-a selfish Buddha.
I'm gonna call you SB,
Selfish Buddha.
Well, I mean,
I'd prefer you didn't.
Well, share your thoughts
with the group.
Okay. Um...
well, what if it's real?
I don't want to sound stupid.
I don't want to sound naive.
But he -- he -- he says
it's a conspiracy,
you say that it's a prank,
you say that it's a game,
but what if -- well,
what if it's something real?
[Chuckling]
Hey. Hey, don't laugh
at that, okay?
-Oh...
-That is not funny.
That is beautiful.
It was a question,
not a theory.
I-I said I didn't want
to sound stupid.
That's why I said that,
which is why --
No, you didn't --
I didn't think
it was stupid.
No, I know,
but he -- he especially was
asking me to say something.
He was like, "Say it now.
Say it now. Say it now."
I really liked
your question.
"Say it now."
It's alright. It's alright.
"Say it now,"
he kept saying.
It's alright.
You didn't --
Maybe we should
get some pie...
because it tastes so good.
And sometimes diners
like this have pie.
Yeah. Good.
Is there pie, ma'am?
Do you have --
Do you have pie?
Fredwynn: Pie?
Waitress: Strawberry
or coconut cream?
Strawberry
or coconut cream?
Oh, my God.
Just bring them both.
Bring them both.
Pie was a really,
really good idea.
Thanks.
I like -- I like to eat it --
eat it.
Well, yeah.
Waitress: Two of each.
On the house.
That's very kind.
No, it's not kind.
I think it'll be amazing
to watch you all decide
who gets what.
Janice: Oh.
[Footsteps depart]
[Chuckles]
Here.
You can have mine.
Oh, you don't
have to do that.
No, no.
I, uh --
Oh. Oh. Sorry.
I got to get going.
I don't want to walk home
too late.
I could walk you.
No. Stay.
Uh...enjoy the pie.
Tell me which one's better.
Bye. It was very nice
to meet you.
Mrs. Foster.
Uh, Janice.
Janice.
And you're...
Simone.
Simone.
[Both chuckle]
Fredwynn.
[Clicks tongue]
One word.
Simone.
Peter.
I, uh --
I don't know when,
but I have a hunch I'll be
seeing you all again soon.
Oh, I hope so.
Yeah.
Till then, follow your
Divine Nonchalance...
[Chuckles]
...whatever that means.
♪♪
[Bells jingle]
♪♪
♪♪
And just what do we mean by
"Divine Nonchalance" anyway?
[Violin playing]
A casual way of sauntering
down the street?
A kind of cool, perhaps?
Or something more?
♪♪
Divine Nonchalance
cannot be bought or sold,
packaged or purveyed.
It is a power that can
only be found within.
[Indistinct shouting]
I can tell
you're still confused.
Perhaps I can help
illuminate further.
Let's take a look
at this again.
[Tape rewinding]
You like cartoons, don't you?
Of course you do.
Everyone likes cartoons.
Picture in your mind
a cartoon character,
any cartoon character.
Watch as she saunters
down the street,
seemingly unaware
of impending danger
lurking around every corner.
Some may mistake her ease
for ignorance.
Others may marvel
at her naiveté.
But Divine Nonchalance
is something different,
my friends.
It is a perpetual quietness
of heart
when all around you
is seeming chaos.
Yo!
[Indistinct shouting]
It is an unspoken understanding
that somehow, through
the trials and tribulations,
fears and foes...
[Glass shatters]
...you are protected
by some timeless innocence,
some eternal joy,
some universal love
that need not be named.
But life is not a cartoon,
is it, my friends?
So what, then?
[Siren wailing in distance]
Do not mess with me.
I am not
playing around.
Game or no game, this is gonna
burn your goddamn eyeballs out.
[Chuckles]
[Spray hissing]
Aah!
Aah!
[Spray hissing]
Aah!
Aah! Aah!
-Ohh!
-[Coughing]
[Spray hissing]
Why do you have to
ruin everything?!
[Dog barking]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Nana:
Simone, is that you?
Yes. I'm home, Nana.
Go back to sleep.
Did you have
a good night?
Overall, yes.
Good night.
Night, sweetie.
♪♪
[Keys clatter]
♪♪
♪♪
[Light switch clicks]
♪♪
[Sighs]
♪♪
[Sighs]
♪♪
[Breathing heavily]
[Glass shatters]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
You're okay.
♪♪
You're okay.
♪♪
Octavio: This is Simone.
♪♪
Think of her as you.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪