Monsterland (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 8 - Newark, New Jersey - full transcript

A grieving couple struggles to say goodbye.

It was February when the angels came.

They rained from the sky like
comets in a blur of fury and smoke.

Scattering across the town
of Newark, New Jersey.

No one knew exactly what they were
or why they had come to the Garden State

in the dead of an otherwise ordinary winter.

The event became known as The Fall.

Where is the library?

$56.39

Damn.

Sorry, sorry.

Azra was late even though I reminded them



that they were covering
my shift like five times.

It is so annoying.

Hi.

Hi, how was work?

Fine, did you eat?

Not yet.

Liquid dinner, huh?

Well, we can get something after...

but we should probably go in like five minutes.

OK?

Brian? Five minutes.

I'm almost ready.

OK, I'm sorry, I just don't wanna be late.

What are you doing?
Where are your shoes? We gotta go.



Yea.

Um, OK.

OK, just give me a second.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

My stomach.

What's wrong with your stomach?
Are you sick?

I think I may have eaten something bad.

I thought you said you didn't eat anything.

I just think, uh, maybe.

Maybe I should stay.

OK

Sorry.

It's fine. If you're not feeling good.

Ah, I just wish

you would have said something
before I got my shift covered.

It wasn't like the easiest thing...
I said I'm sorry.

It was fine. I just wish I would have known.

Dr. Bird said it would help

you know, if we met some other couples,
that have gone through a similar thing.

It's not the same thing.

Their kids are all dead,
our kid is not dead.

I know, I'm just saying...
Amy, come on, please!

What? Don't pressure me

I'm not pressuring.

Well, I can go by myself.

It's not a big deal.

Um, and you can come with me next
time when you're feeling better.

OK

Fine.

Uh, bye.

There is a light,

a beautiful stream of orange,

that fills you.

From the tips of your toes,

to the ends of your hair.

Like water to a dry sponge.

It seeks to find the hidden
healing truthes inside you.

Do you feel it?

Yes.

Good.

Now that you are filled to the brim,

I'm going to ask you,

to walk back in time,

to the day your daughter went missing.

Do you remember the day?

Yes.

November 3rd.

Good, are you there now?

We are walking.

I just picked Tabitha up from ballet
and we're going to get ice cream.

Keep going.

I'm inside the store.

I'm paying for the cones and
there's a dog outside.

She's been begging for a dog.

And she wants to go and pet it.

And you say?

Go on honey.

Just stay on the sidewalk.

Don't go far, OK?

Good, and then?

I know it's hard.

Push into the fear.

And the light will shield you.

Then...

she was gone.

I go outside and scan the street.

Keep going.

Her ice cream is on the ground.

The woman with an umbrella.
I ask her... Have you seen my daughter?

She's wearing a pink tutu.

Good.

Push Brian, what else do you see?

There's...

There's a car.

A minivan.

I've never seen it before.

Go to the car, walk toward it.

There is a license plate, but,

I can't see it. I can't read it.

You can, it's there inside your mind.

Follow the light, reach for truth.

Brian.

Hey.

Hey, how you doin' buddy?

I'm great, thanks.

Um, but is Barnes here?
Because I called him.

Oh yea, I was just about to say
Barnes is a little tied up.

He's doing 'Dog and Pony' for CID, so.

But he's interested to
hear what you've found.

He said you have a new lead?
Yea, here it is.

It's, um, a license plate.

It was there on the day so I
thought maybe you'd want to run it.

See what comes up.

Oh yea, this is, ah, this is great.

Say, how did you come by this again?

I just remembered it.

In therapy,

it just sorta came back to me.

In therapy?

Hypnotherapy, yea.

It's not cold, is it? Our case?

Because I know that you spent 16 months,
but there are still some avenues...

Hey hey, don't worry.

Barnes, he's old school.

And these unsolved ones, they uh,

they need a guy like him
until they get theselves solved.

OK? Yea, sure.

It was February when the angels came.

Some folks thought they'd
come to save humanity.

While others wondered if
they were even angels at all.

They were wingless creatures,
with bony fingers, and hollow eyes.

They looked more like monsters,
than anything holy.

They made even churchgoers wonder.

Did these things come to save the world?

Or to destroy it?

Hi, I've been coming for

a little bit, just to listen.

So, uh, sorry, I'm Amy.

Hi Amy.

Welcome.

I don't really know where to start.

Anywhere is good.

It doesn't even have to make sense.

Uh, Tabitha, my daughter.

Uh, she really wanted to be a ballerina.

She was only eight years old,
but she was very serious.

She loved it.

And she really wanted a pair
of those brown ballet shoes.

That those girls in Alvin Ailey would wear.

But our dance store, they only carried pink.

So my husband,

He would take a brown Sharpie and he would,

sort of color them in. Kinda janky.

But she loved it.

She wore them everywhere.

Outside, in the snow.

And the marker would rub off.

And, so he would color them
in over and over,

And now I have all these markers.

And like, what am I supposed to do with,

a hundred brown Sharpies?

It's just stuff like that you know.

Like it's all there, but she's still missing.

And I feel like I'm a bad... Wait.

So your daughter's missing?

I'm sorry?

I don't understand.

You want your daughter to be dead?

No, that's not...

Right, this is a safe place...
That's not what I meant.

I really don't think that's
what she's saying.

Amy? No, it's OK, I'm done.

Hello?

Amy? Officer Clayton from Newark PD.

I'm just callin' with the news.

Amy, are you there?

You found her.

What? Ah, no. Sorry, no, it's nothing big.

I'm just following up on the
license plate to let you know

unfortunately, it was a dead end.

What license plate?

Brian brought it in from the, uh, hypnotherapist.

Right.

Between us, it felt kinda like a goose chase,

but you never know.

Anyway, I left him a message
and I thought I'd try you too.

Thank you for letting me know.

Sure thing, take care Amy.

Tabitha?

Tabitha?

Tabitha

Tabitha

Tabitha

Tabitha.

Sweetie? It's me. It's mommy.

Hey.

Where are the markers?

Amy?

She's dead.

What?

Who called? Did Detective Barnes call?
No, no one called.

What?

Amy, honey.

I'm gonna need you to tell me
exactly what it is you're saying,

because you're just about
to give me a heart attack.

It's a feeling.

A feeling.

So you got rid of the markers?

I've been thinking for a while,

and tonight I realized.

I know, I feel it.

Babe, she's gone.

I feel she's gone in the air,

and I can't feel her anymore.

I know you know it too. I do not.

You do, you do. I don't know anything.

And you can't just give up on her. I'm not.

That's not what I'm saying. It's our kid.

I'm just trying to survive.

But you can't just throw her away.

Don't, that's not...
You can't put that on me.

Don't put that on me. I see her everywhere.

I'm dying, see her on every corner.

Waiting for her to come to the door.

But she's, she's coming back.

Yes.

When she does, she'll have
everything waiting for her.

So she knows that we never gave up.

She never even had a Christmas.

One percent.

That's how may come home.
But those are just statistics.

But there are other places
that say different.

I am not having this conversation.

Hello? Mr. Cook?

I'm Jim, the guy from over at Secure Solutions.

We got a 20 on the plate you sent.

It belongs to a Bill Decker over in Harrison.

Mr. Cook? Yea, I'm here.

Did you, ah...

Is there an address?

Baldwin Street, 142

Baldwin, 142.

Listen, if you need anything
else just let us know.

We're happy to dig a little deeper.
All right?

Right.

Thank you.

You got it.

The good news is that the
charges have been dropped.

So other than the impound fees,
he's good to go.

What were the charges? Trespassing.

I guess he went over to
Harrison to snoop around.

The neighbor saw him, got nervous,
that's when we got the call.

I don't understand,
I thought the plate was a dead end.

Yes, it was.

The guy, Bill Decker? He wasn't
even in town when Tabs went missing.

He was off on some gay cruise
or some shit, I don't know.

So what was he doin'
going to some guy's house?

I guess I kinda get the feeling
he was lookin' for someone to blame.

Look, no judgements.

I mean, you guys have
been through hell and back.

I mean, I'd be tearing down walls
looking for this guy if it were me.

I'll give you a call you about the car, OK?

Thank you. Brian.

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

Good, let's go. Tommy's waiting.

Who?

The guy from grief group.
That you never fucking go to.

So you guys just coming from group, or?

What were you thinking?
Goin' to some guys house to snoop around?

I had a lead. A lead?

What are you now, Encyclopedia Brown?

Well, at least I'm tryin'.

It's not your job to try. That's their job.

Who? The cops?

Every time I go over there they look at me

like I'm ruining their lunch break.

You think they give a shit
about a missing black kid?

But the man was innocent,
it wasn't even a real lead.

I know, but...

Just forget it.

What? Forget it? You don't understand, OK.

The make me understand.

I want so badly to understand,
Brian, but you gotta talk to me.

I wasn't even doing anything.

I was observing.

I mean, Jesus, they got nothing better to do

than arrest me in my
own fucking neighborhood?

It could have been so much worse.
And you know it.

Snooping around a strangers house?

I would be thanking my
lucky stars if I were you.

You're right.

My daughter's been gone 16 months,

and my wife wants to bury her quick.

So she can get back to life, as usual.

So, so, lucky.

What are you doing?

I'm on your side.

I don't point fingers when
you drink yourself to sleep.

Or spend a fortune on Christmas gifts.

When you were too torn up
to go to work, I said OK,

I'll go to work for the both of us.

But I can't keep doing all the
work, alone, forever.

I'm having an affair.

With the grief guy? He's a good person.

Oh, oh, good! That's good.

I didn't mean for it to happen.
I didn't plan it.

Is this for real?

Jesus.

Haven't we been through enough?

I've been trying to tell you,
I'm not doing great.

You're not doing great.
So you go fuck some guy?

This is it, Brian.

The moment where you lose me.

Please stop me before I'm gone all the way.

Fight for me.

I can't.

Why?

Because if I do...

she's dead.

I'm going to bed.

Hello?

Hey, you want a menu?

We've got everything.

I'm just, a little thirsty

and, nothing else is open, so.

We got beer.

You got anything better?

My manager, Ricky, he's got
a secret stash in his office.

Someone made a copy of his keys.

So.

Clink to us.

What's wrong?

Just, ah...

it's not quite hitting the spot.

Well, we got pie, if you want that.

I'm good.

Or I guess we could fuck.

Don't worry, I'm legal.

I'm not, worried.

But, I am, married.

So, is that why you're doing
tequila shots alone in a diner at 2 am?

Drink.

Touche.

Aren't you kinda young to be so jaded?

I'm not jaded, I'm wise.

Oh, is that so? Um hmm.

I recently had, uh,

What do you call it?

An epiphany.

Wanna hear it?

So, it happened last week.

There was this baby in the
diner that wouldn't stop cryin'.

The kid sounded like a fuckin' fire engine.

Own mother couldn't get it to shut up.

Toni, wake up, you got a table.

So I go outside to get some fresh air.

And that's when I see him.

He's out there every day on my break
with his fuckin' boozoo dreads

givin' me the stink eye.

And for whatever reason that day I thought...

what the hell?

So I go over to him and I say...

What you got?

Angel blood.

Completely pure.

What's angel blood?

Magic shit.

From those, freaky things
that fell out of the sky.

It'll make you whole.

I guess they been callin' them angels.

And some sick asshole
figured out if you eat 'em,

it get you real fucked up.

So people been choppin' 'em up, to sell for parts.

I thought it was probably full of shit,

but, I still had a headache from the screamer.

And besides, I'd already paid for it.

Bottoms up.

It worked.

And it opened my eyes to the truth.

You know what it showed me?

I'm a monster.

You and me both.

Gimme that.

Oh, I got it. Let's play a game.

Who is the worst person?

So what do you want to talk about?
The weather?

Come on, I'll go first.

So, I go to these like, groups.

Like for parents that lost their kids.

Only thing is, my kid's not dead.

I left it in some burger place
somewhere outside La Rose.

Drove away as far as I could get.

But, I tell stories about her like she's dead.

Good ones, too.

Makes me feel better.

Least it used to it, kinda
wearing off now, but.

Shots it is.

Where is she now?

Your daughter?

I don't know.

Isn't that nuts?

Don't you want to know?

I couldn't get her back anyway.

I'm unfit.

You can still try.

She's your kid.

Yea.

The thing is...

even if I could go back and get her,

I don't want to.

I'd go back.

Yea, well too bad you're not me.

Now it's your turn.

My daughter.

She did ballet.

But she was kinda shy.

So I promised her.

I said, ah.

I'll watch you.

And I did.

Every class she ever went to I'd watch her,

so she'd be brave enough to go inside.

After then, one time,

We went to get ice cream after class and, uh,

the cashier dropped my change.

So, I bent down to pick it up.

Bam! Someone takes her.

I said I'd watch her.

And I didn't.

I took my eyes off her for two seconds.

I lost her for 48 cents.

Cheers.

To the worst people in the world.

Shit.

Stay here.

I'm stayin'.

I gotcha'!

OK

Tabbs?

Tabitha.

Tabbs.

No one knew why the angels
had come to the Garden State,

in the dead of an otherwise ordinary winter.

Some folks thought they'd
come to save the world.

But maybe, the angels
hadn't come to save anyone.

Maybe, we were here to save them.

Put it on the bed.

I'm not gonna hurt you.

Sorry.

I'll get a washcloth.

It's OK.

It's OK.

It's OK, sweetie.

It's OK.

What should we do with it?

Should we call Clayton?

No, no cops.

They'll just take her away.

I heard they've been calling them angels.

That sounds right.

Makes sense.

A bunch of angels fall from the sky.

We chop them up, drain them of their blood,

turn them into capital.

People are fucking animals.

Why do you think they came here?

I don't know.

Maybe God threw them out of the sky.

Maybe Heaven's a dark place.

Maybe.

I think it's here for us.

What's wrong with her?

I don't know, maybe it's hungry?

OK. OK.

Let's say she is dead.

I feel so strange. Do you feel this?

If Tabbs is dead, then what?

I'm 41 years old.

That's what, fifty years I got left?

I can't go five minutes without her.

But 50 years?

What does that even look like?

It looks like me.

We're a family, Brian. We can still be...

I know it won't be the same
but at least it will be.

I don't know how.

Who are we even without her?

Who I am?

I never even wanted to be a dad.

But now I am.

And I got no kid.

What do I do Amy?

Tell me.

I don't know, I feel so strange.

What do I do Amy?

Fuck.

I want you to take that tree down.

No...

It stinks, it smells like
death and mildew in here,

and I want you to take it down.

Take it down!

It's my fault. I lost her.

I lost her.

It is. It was.

It was my fault.

Was he a good fuck?

Where?

Here?

Floating gossamer, baby, bouncing on my knee.

Now you're asleep eternally.

And when I wake, and see you gone...

Brian, hey.

You all right?

Sorry.

I'm OK, I'm OK.

Where did you go?

Grief Group.

Does this hurt?

Remember when we saw Galaxy Quest?

Who could forget Tony Shaloub
and the Octopus Lady?

That must have been...

20 years ago?

No, it was more.

We'd been friends for like a hundred years,

but, um, that night it was different.

I remember, I looked down at your
hand on the armrest in between us.

And I thought...

Mmm, I want him to hold my hand.

And then...

like magic, you did.

I was thinking the same thing too.

Ames.

I loved you from the start.

It was February when the angels came.

No one knew why they had come,

in the dead of an otherwise ordinary winter.

One couple had their own theory.

They had lost a daughter 16 months earlier.

And in the height of their grief,

an encounter with an angel
mended their broken hearts.

Though they knew their daughter was gone,

the angel gave them a chance to say goodbye.