In Treatment (2008–2010): Season 3, Episode 15 - Jesse: Week Four - full transcript

Paul breaks through with Jesse about his desire to connect with his birth parents.

She came...

Just like you wanted.

So Jesse...
What happened?

He got beat up at school.

Was it Nate?

He was like...
"Meet me in the men's room".

Just kept hitting me
and hitting me.

They said maybe if he talked
to a professional person...

Don't sweat it. I'll be out your
head long before all that.

- Where is your royal highness going?
- To Westchester.

- Why not Paris?
- Because Karen doesn't



- live in Paris.
- Who is Karen?

My birth mother!

She called me and
she wants me back!

I think you're terriffyied that
they are gonna pull away...

You saw her leave.

Where do you imagine she went?

I bet she's at church's.

She's like begging the priest
to take her back as we speak.

( Sneezes )

( Theme music playing )

So how was your week?

Kind of weird.

- Are you looking
for something?
- Yeah.

I got a letter this week...



in the mail.

That hasn't happened to me
since my grandparents
were alive.

Can I ask you who it from?

My birth father.

( Sneezes )

Are you okay?

I'm sorry.

It's... it's an allergy.

( Chuckles )

( Clears throat )

I'm sorry.
So this...

( sniffles )

This letter.

- Yeah.
- When did it arrive?

A few days ago.

Well, I'd love
to know what it says.

He says he married
my birth mother.

That's a bit of a shock.

Uh, yeah, tell me about it.

He says

they got pregnant with me
when they were, like, 17.

17.

They split up for a while

and then they got back
together after college

and now they're married.

Wow.

Um...

It says

he's writing
on her behalf...
Karen's.

Says she doesn't
know about it.

He says she's really
depressed right now

because I haven't
responded to her
phone call

and it's almost my birthday

and she always gets
really depressed
around my birthday.

Blah blah blah.

Anyway, he wants me
to write back

and say, like, yes,
I'll be in contact
with you

or no, go fuck yourselves.

I'm paraphrasing.

He says he loves me.

What a fucking retard.

I think they might be kind
of assholes, these people.

Guess what else?

I'm getting a "b" in algebra.

A "b"?
That's... that's great.

A "b" is a fucking miracle.

We have to take these
multiple-choice tests

because my teacher
Mr. Nelson

is, like, too lazy
to grade a fucking...

anyway, it doesn't matter.
The point is,

he puts the answer sheets
through these machines

and they come out
the other end.

Usually if there are
a lot of mistakes it takes
a really long time

and the machine makes
all these beeping noises.

Mine just kind of
zipped out the other end.

( Laughs )

Mr. Nelson looked shocked.

Did you study
for this test?

Yeah, why?

Then not such a miracle really.

Roberto helped me.

Oh.

He helped you study?

So you must have told him
about being suspended.

What?
Oh yeah.

- And how did he take that?
- It was no big deal.

Hmm.

Last week you seemed really
nervous about telling him.

You were afraid that he
might become violent.

That was a joke.
Jesus, why am I
the only one

with a sense of humor
around here?

Okay, but I still think
that you were nervous about
how he would react.

Fine.
I was, I guess.

But he was cool.

He can be cool.

( Distant siren wailing )

Hmm.

Did you talk to him about
what happened at the Whitney?

- Yup.
- And about Nate?

I told him that Nate
kicked the shit
out of me, yes.

- And did you tell him why?
- 'Cause I'm gay.

Did you tell him
that you and Nate were...

that Nate was, um...

did you tell him that
Nate was fellating you?

What?
Um...

Do you have
a merriam-Webster
dictionary around here?

I'm sorry, I just...
I don't know what
that word means.

Oh, come on, Jesse.
You know very well
what the word means.

No, Paul, I did not
tell my father that Nate
was sucking my dick.

- Why not?
- Why would I?

Do you think he wants to know?

I mean, would you want
to know if your kid...

you had no problem
telling your mother.

- That's different.
- And why is that?

Can't you just leave it alone?

Can't it just be a nice thing

that my dad helped me
study and I got
a "b"?

It is a nice thing, Jesse.
Yes.

He's really good
at math, my dad.

He must have been
proud of that "b."

Yeah. I mean, he would
have rather it was an "a,"

but sure.

So can we go back

to your birth father's
letter for a moment?

If you want.

So... so what's his name?

Um, Kevin.

( Chuckles )

Kevin and Karen.

God, that's pathetic, right?

Last week you told Marisa
that you were gonna
live with Karen.

This week your attitude
towards her seems
to have changed.

Uh...

I just think
it's really inappropriate
of him to contact me.

- Inappropriate?
- Yeah. I mean,
what the fuck?

I'm a minor, for Christ's sake.

What they're doing is illegal.

I mean, they gave me up.

They didn't want me.

And, like, now that
somebody else has raised me

for 17 years and, like,
fed me and clothed me

and kept me alive
and everything...

now suddenly they want back in?

No, sorry.
That is not how it works.

And how do you think it works?

People have
one set of parents.
One.

Not two.
And I've already got mine.

But do you think Karen
and Kevin really want
to be your parents?

Isn't it possible that
they might be looking

for some other kind
of relationship?

- Like what?
- Like friendship.

Maybe they just want
to get to know you.

( Thunder rumbles )

Do your parents know that you
got a letter from Kevin?

I wrote a response.

- Do you want to hear it?
- Sure.

"Dear Kevin,

thank you for contacting me
regarding my origins.

I apologize for
causing Karen pain

and I understand your request.

However, I think
you should know

that Karen's call caused
significant distress

to my adoptive parents

who have taken
the trouble to care for me

for the last 17 years.

I hope therefore
that you understand that
at the present time

I do not wish to be
in contact with you.

I respectfully request
that you do not
reinitiate contact

with my current place
of residence out of respect
for its inhabitants.

Sincerely,
Jesse Saul D'amato."

I took an Adderall to write it.

I think it came out
pretty well.

Thank you for reading it to me.

It's, um...
( Clears throat )

It's pretty formal.

Yeah, but I mean,
why not, right?

I'm smart and they
should know that.

- Do you want
them to know that?
- It's a fact, right?

What, you don't
think I'm smart?

- I didn't say that, Jesse.
- Look, I don't really care.
I just...

So you don't like the letter?

( Thunder rumbles )

When you came in today,

I asked you how
the past week had been

and you said it was weird.

Yeah, so?

So apart from
this letter arriving,

did anything else
happen during the week

that was weird?

I don't know, man.

Marisa.

Marisa was fucking weird.

- What do you mean?
- What do you think I mean?

What, she turned green?
She was speaking in tongues?

No, she won't get
out of bed, okay?

Is that weird enough for you?

Okay, I can see why you
would think that was weird.

And then when I asked her
if everything was okay

she just told me she was sick

and asked me to close the door.

You don't think
she's sick though.

I don't know.
I don't know what's
the matter with her.

And you haven't spoken at all
about Karen's phone call?

No. It's like the whole
conversation never happened.

You said in the letter
that Karen's phone call

caused
"significant distress"
to your parents.

- Yup.
- Your parents.

Marisa told Roberto.

( Huffs ) He blew a gasket.

He said it was totally
inappropriate

of them to do
something like that.

He said it was
probably illegal.

I mean, he said he was
gonna call the cops.

He didn't, but...

God, I have never
seen him that mad.

He's really not an angry guy.

I was kidding about all
that stuff I said last week.

I mean, he's Italian, you know,

so he obviously has a temper.

But it takes a lot
to set him off.

- I used to try
when I was a kid.
- Why?

I don't know.
Just to, like, see where
his breaking point was.

You said earlier on
that you were a lot closer
to your father

-and that something changed;
-That he became more distant.

Yeah, but I mean, I understand.

He was building his business.

I mean, my grandfather
was dying.

He had to start taking
more jobs out of town.

Sounds like you've missed him.

This sudden
display of emotion,
him getting angry

when he heard
about Karen's call...

- I mean,
that must have felt...
- What?

Well, why don't you tell me?

( Thunder rumbling )

It felt...
Fucking awesome.

Why?

Because he gave a fucking shit.

Do you think it's possible
then that his reaction

has influenced your response
to Kevin's letter?

- No.
- No?

What part of that word
don't you understand?

Look, Jesse, you realized
that Karen's phone call

was causing your mother
and your father pain.

So it's understandable
if you felt responsible...

- I don't.
- Okay.

Look, they raised me.

They wiped my ass.
They taught me to read.

I mean, they changed
my sheets every time
I wet the bed,

which I did until
I was 10, by the way.

So it is completely
ridiculous for these people...

strangers... to think
that they can just waltz
back into my life

after they gave me up
for dead and have
a relationship with me.

Relationships have to be earnt.

- That is true.
- I know.

- Gave you up for dead?
- ( Scoffs )

It's a figure
of fucking speech.

Is it your figure of speech?

Do you feel that you
were difficult to raise?

- ( Laughs )
Come on, man.
- Is that a yes?

I have a.D.D.
And I'm a slut.

Would you have wanted
a kid like me?

Yes.

Well...

Give your son
another year or two

and maybe you'll get your wish.

So how did your father
react to Kevin's letter?

Jesse?

He didn't.

- He didn't have any reaction?
- No. I didn't tell him.

- Why didn't you tell him?
- I just didn't feel like it.

I mean, he got so angry
about Karen's phone call.

I mean, it's not really
any of his business anyway.

What is it, Jesse?

Nothing.

Why are you
shaking your head?

I don't know.

You must be feeling

an incredible amount
of pressure right now.

How is the static?

It's fucking loud, man.

I think he's
left-handed like me.

Kevin?

Yeah.

There's smudge marks
on his letter,

like what happens to me
when I write.

Look.

And, um...

Here's mine.

Fuck.

They do...

they do kind of look alike.

Fuck!

What am I supposed to do
with that information?

Oh, let me guess.
You want me to tell you.

Yes, I would.
It's a unique
experience, Jesse.

Not many people have
gone through this.

I want to know
how it feels.

So yes, I would like
you to tell me.

Do you think he looks,
like, exactly like me?

No.

But he's probably pretty
similar looking, right?

Maybe you look more like Karen.

Karen.

Jesus.

I think there's a part of you
that's still interested

in a private relationship
with Kevin and Karen

independent of your parents.

In- I think that worries you.
Wi- why would it worry me?

Because I just think
that ever since your father

found out about Karen's
phone call he's been

paying much more attention
to you.

He got angry,

but his anger seems
to have comforted you.

It seems that this reaction
is what you've been looking
for since you were a kid.

Because to you
it's a sign that he cares.

And it might seem right now
that the way to gain

and keep his love is to just
reject Kevin and Karen.

And the way to lose
his love perhaps

is to reach out to them.

You know that little
theory you had last week?

The one where Marisa
gave up on catholicism

because the church didn't
support my sexual identity?

- Mm-hmm.
- It's horseshit.

Yeah, I went
into her room today

to see if she needed anything

because she hasn't
left the bed in a week.

She wasn't in there
but the closet door
was a little open.

And she was in there

on her knees praying.

( Chuckles ) God.

Can you believe it?

In the fucking closet.

I come out and she goes in.

Why do you think
she's doing that?

I guess she doesn't
want me to interrupt

her little tete-a-tete
with Jesus.

I think your mother is
really scared right now.

- What the hell does she
have to be scared of?
- Losing you.

Maybe she feels
you're slipping away from her.

And it's possible
that she might be
turning to religion,

to her relationship with God,

because that provides her
with some kind of comfort

and a sense of control.

She doesn't want you
to see her praying

because she's afraid
you'll think she's choosing

the church over you.

( Thunder rumbles )

I can't believe
they married each other.

Yeah.

I can't believe I have
a whole other set

of parents out there somewhere.

What do you think
their house is like?

I don't know.

Anyway, I think
that we should...

we should talk about it
next week.

Let's both think about
how you want to respond

to your birth parent's letter,

if that's what
you decide to do.

Okay.

You know,

I kind of feel like it's all
gonna be okay for some reason.

I don't know why.

Good.

Oh wait...
your letters.

Um, will you keep them for me?

Sometimes Marisa
goes through my bag.

Okay.

Thanks.

( Theme music playing )