Nip/Tuck (2003–2010): Season 4, Episode 11 - Conor McNamara, 2026 - full transcript
Twenty years in the future, Connor reveals in his therapy session that he still isn't quite emotionally ready for his final hand operation, which a hurricane prevented being done when he was a baby. He successfully follows advice to use it to bring his bitterly divorced parents, Sean and Julia back together.
Previously on Nip / Tuck...
He's making such a good recovery,
I'm thinking about calling Dr. Mugavi.
Move up the target date
for the operation on his other hand.
Julie and I have an intimacy that goes
beyond just employer and employee.
Are you having an affair with my wife?
You banged the nanny,
now your guilty conscience
is making you think
she's banging the nanny.
Marlowe and I had an affair.
Why would you, with him?
He accepted Conor
before he was even born,
and all you wanted to do was change him!
I had an affair with Monica.
Why now?
The age of consent for your surgery is 18,
that was two years ago.
I don't know.
I wasn't in college yet then and
didn't really know what I wanted to do.
Now, I'm pretty sure I wanna be a doctor.
Surgeon. Like my dad.
And, well, you know.
Anything else?
I went to an all boys' prep school,
and there are a lot of girls at my college.
My mom always told me
that people would love me
for my big green eyes and my good heart.
But I've come to realize girls also like it
when you can unhook their bras
by yourself.
So why come to see me?
You seemed to have it all figured out.
As soon as I scheduled my surgery,
I started having nightmares.
About my parents.
They split up when I was just a baby.
I guess I never really thought about it.
I mean, I just always knew them
as two separate entities,
like Africa and South America.
They were these two huge land masses,
separated by an ocean,
but, one day, someone tells you
that they used to be one big continent,
and you start to see the places
where they...
You know, where they broke apart.
I'm not following.
I was six months old.
What makes a couple that's been married
for almost 20 years break up,
when they have a six-month-old baby?
So you wanna know for sure
why they divorced?
I wanna feel whole and normal
in every way possible and,
surgery or not,
I don't think I can until I know the truth.
You were just a baby then.
Even if you were the focus
for your parents' issues,
you weren't responsible.
But it's still a part of who I am.
It's like another handicap.
Look, all I want is to be able
to walk into a room one day,
hold my hand out proudly and say,
"Hi. I'm Conor McNamara. "
Do you have any memories at all
of your parents splitting up?
Sometimes images or words
can be recalled
from traumatic experiences
that occurred during infancy.
Maybe I blocked it all out.
What about your siblings?
Did your sister or brother
ever tell you what they remember?
Matt wasn't around much.
Ann always says it was one hell of a week.
There was a hurricane or something,
back when they were rare.
She always talks about that hurricane.
With winds already topping
105 miles an hour,
it looks like Lenore is on her way
to becoming a category-three hurricane
before her western edge makes landfall
over the Bahamas
sometime early tomorrow.
And with the warm Gulf Stream waters
in her path,
it's very possible
Lenore could well strengthen
to become a category-four
or maybe even five
before it hits Miami head-on
Thursday morning.
Frankly, this could be one
of the worst storms we've seen
since Hurricane Andrew, folks.
Hurricane Lenore.
Sounds like an old-maid aunt
that's coming to town to kick your ass.
What about Conor's surgery?
It's not until the end of the week.
There could be a power outage
in the middle of the operation.
We have extra generators. We'll be fine.
I've got it under control.
Why haven't you asked me about Monica?
What I did? Why I did it?
I know why you did it.
The same reason
that I had an affair with Marlowe.
- I want to talk about it.
- I already know all the answers.
So do you.
We have to shore up the house tomorrow.
Put on the hurricane shutters.
If it's a category five like they said
and it's a direct hit,
then it's all gone with the wind anyway.
Storms blow over.
Sometimes you get lucky and you ride out
the winds and the terrible damage,
and you survive.
The sun comes out the next day,
and you forget how afraid you were
of losing everything.
It's all just a bad dream.
Florence is all about color and light.
It's what inspired me to become an artist.
How old were you
when you first went there?
I was about Annie's age.
My parents took us on a tour of Italy.
Once we got to Florence,
something happened to me.
Julia, it's where the Renaissance began.
It's the birthplace of humanism in art.
You can't avoid it, the whole city
is infused with beauty and clarity.
I have a feeling even Conor's gonna feel it.
By the way,
we need to buy him some warmer clothes.
The fall can be chilly.
I can shop for him next week.
We're gonna have to meet you there
in a month or so
as soon as Conor's able to fly.
I've decided to let Sean go ahead
and operate on his other hand.
Please, just don't look at me like that.
I mean he's his father. I can't just...
It's his dream for his son.
His dream is misguided and invasive,
you know that!
I know that you're angry with me,
but please,
just try and see it through my eyes.
Julia, yeah, I'm angry,
but mostly I'm disappointed in you.
Conor can't defend himself
from his father's obsession
with creating a perfect son.
It's an illusion. It's an ego trip.
It's harmful.
- The world you people live in, it's just...
- It's what?
Go on, Marlowe, say it. It's what?
If you're not his advocate, he's got no one.
Oh, my God, I am literally torn in pieces.
Everywhere I turn, I'm betraying someone.
I can't bear to torture Conor,
and I cannot bear to hurt Sean.
And I can't bear to lose your respect.
So what am I supposed to do?
Don't you think
you're over-packing a little?
Conor is only going to be
in recovery overnight.
He's not having the surgery, Sean.
He and Annie are coming with me.
You think I'm gonna
let you take my kids away from me?
I'll fight you with everything I have.
And ruin their lives in the process?
Once again I'm the one who has to suffer?
- The burden always has to be on me.
- Sean, stop it.
- You screwed Marlowe!
- You screwed Monica!
And it shouldn't take us
having to hurting each other like that
to realize that
we just don't belong together anymore.
Why him?
I understand you cheating on me.
Did you have to humiliate me, too?
You can forgive me for sleeping
with your best friend,
but you can't handle the fact
that I made love to a man
who looks different,
who's somehow imperfect.
I can handle imperfection, Julia.
Is that why you're so desperate
to operate on your son?
80% of your day
is spent making people look better,
as if it was gonna somehow
make them feel better, as well.
Yeah, that 80% paid for this house.
God, it did more than pay
for this house, Sean.
It seeped into its foundation,
the furniture, us.
It's a poison.
I know that being
with Marlowe was wrong,
but it opened my eyes
to how consumed I am with appearances.
It has eaten away at me like a cancer.
Julia, you just need
to express your feelings
about Monica,
about how I've neglected you.
Remember when you were so mad at me
that you threw one of these at my head?
Yeah, I was angry at you then, Sean.
But I'm not angry anymore.
I'm just done.
Well, I'm not!
Don't leave me, please. Don't do it.
We only got back together
because I was pregnant.
Conor is a gift,
and this is the price
we have to pay for having him.
Hurricane Lenore has mostly traveled
north ofPuerto Rico
and the southern Caribbean,
just the outer bands crossing those areas,
and they seem
to ha ve survived unscathed.
But she has just been devastating
to the smaller eastern islands.
Honey, did you move all the stuff away
from the windows in your room
like I asked?
What's it matter? I'm not going
to be sleeping in there anymore anyway.
Well, that's not true. I'm not leaving.
This will still be your home.
Your room can stay just the way
you want it.
And the storm is growing
as it heads westward for Miami
at a speed of 15 knots and
the best track has it making a direct hit.
The National Hurricane
Forecasting Center forecasting
that Lenore will become
a category-five within the next hour.
Winds of...
At least you get the day off
from school, huh?
Is this going to be like last time?
When Mom moved out
but you asked her to come back again?
I don't think so, Annie.
- Is it my fault, Dad?
- No.
Absolutely not.
Your mom and I...
We just grew apart.
Then it's because of Conor.
Maybe he can live with Mom
and I can stay here with you.
...storm surge of 15 to 20 feet.
It's time to pack up your essentials,
your prescriptions, and get out.
The mandatory evacuation begins
at 3:00 this afternoon for...
...highway as much as possible
before 3:00.
It's gonna be crowded,
and it's simply not the place
you'll want to get stranded.
Hi.
It is not getting any better out there,
that's for sure.
We should probably get going.
The roads are murder.
Where's your suitcase?
We're not going.
Julia, there's a mandatory evacuation.
Everyone has to go.
I know. And we are, just not with you.
- What are you talking about?
- I'm sorry.
I thought it was the right thing to do,
and it's not,
and I was wrong.
Oh, no, no, no. You're not wrong.
You're just under
a tremendous amount of stress right now.
I mean, I can only imagine
how unsettled you feel.
You just need me to take care of you.
Actually, I need to take care of myself.
And the only way that
I know how to do that is to be on my own.
Julia...
I have spent my whole life
depending on others for security.
Christian, Sean.
I am never going to be strong enough
to survive this moment in my life
if I don't do it on my own.
Is it... Is it Florence?
I mean, we don't have to go Florence.
No, no, no. It's not about Florence.
What is it? Is it my size?
God, you don't have to explain.
It's always like this.
It's fine for a while
and then the novelty wears off.
I thought we loved each other.
I do love you.
And I love you for allowing me
to be this imperfect woman.
But you're not in love with me.
What we have now
is a shared love for Conor.
And that's all we have.
I'm gonna go...
I'm gonna say goodbye to Conor, then go.
Hey, buddy.
It'll pass. It's just weather.
You've already been through a lot worse,
and you were a brave soldier, weren't you?
One day this will all be a distant memory.
You'll have your own life,
and you won't be at the mercy of storms
you don't understand.
It's been an honor to know you.
I've had to say goodbye a lot in this job,
but this one... This one's a bear.
I guess
we're all taking this one kind of hard.
- Thunder scaring him?
- Yeah.
What are you doing here?
I came to say goodbye to Conor.
Well, you better say it and go. The rain's
starting to come down in sheets.
Yeah, well,
I also wanted to apologize to you, Sean.
I'm sorry I lied about Julia and me.
I guess I wanted her to be the one
to tell you, but I shouldn't have lied.
And for what it's worth,
I think you're a good man.
I envy you.
And I'm really gonna miss your son.
Goodbye, Julia.
Goodbye, Conor.
Marlowe.
You've been a great friend to my son.
I'm sure he'll miss you.
I hope you'll feel free down the line
to stay in his life.
What happened to Marlowe?
We're still close, actually.
He took me to my first museum,
gives me advice on girls,
that kind of thing.
I'm close with his son, Zack, too.
He's just a year younger than me.
When I was 10,
I realized
that I didn't have any godparents.
In the midst of the divorce,
they kind of forgot to name them.
So I asked
if Marlowe could be my godfather.
Demanded it, actually.
They said yes.
I'm afraid our time is up.
No! I mean, I don't feel any better.
My operation is just two days away,
and I don't feel that anything is resolved.
Conor, maybe the thing you need to do
is to talk to your family
about how you feel, not just me.
You mean, ask them to sit down
and actually communicate together?
Yeah, that's hilarious.
I told you. My parents hate each other.
They'll never go for that.
How do you know
unless you present them
with the opportunity?
My spirit guides told me
that I'm not in the right place
to start a relationship right now.
Last night, I took a meditation pill.
They told me
I have too much emotional baggage.
What's my baggage? Where do I begin?
Let's start with the fact
that my mother flushed my pet gerbil,
Frisky I, down the toilet.
And did I also tell you
that she shamed me into having a party
to celebrate my first period?
I still get panic attacks
whenever I use a tampon.
Annie, get off the phone.
Pat, I have to go.
Julia beckons. I'll call you later.
Sweetheart, please call me Mom.
I know I don't care
how convenient those phone chips are,
I refuse to get one installed in my ear.
There's no red meat here.
You know I need my iron.
There is iron in fish, sweetheart,
and Conor needs his omega-threes
so that he can heal faster
after his surgery.
Oh, and, of course, his surgery
is more important than my anemia.
Just like his hands were more important
than my bulimia or my agoraphobia or...
Ann, can we please have just one dinner
without talking
about your damn agoraphobia?
You refused to get off the couch
for a week because that guy dumped you.
That's not agoraphobia.
It's not all about you.
Why are we sitting alone
at this huge table?
Is it a metaphor for the chasm
that separates our family?
No, I was just saving seats
for your spirit guides.
Oh, my God.
- What is she doing here?
- I'm sorry, Dad.
I knew neither of you would come
if you knew the other one
was gonna be here.
You were right.
That's right, Sean. Walk out.
It's what you do best.
I never left you, Annie.
The fact is your mother walked out
on me, twice.
Dad, please, listen.
I know this is hard, but stay, for me.
I want you all
to meet my surgeon together.
So, how's your wife?
I'd rather not discuss my personal life,
thank you.
Look, we stopped trying to be friends
15 years ago.
Why start again now?
Why hasn't your surgeon called me?
I practically invented this surgery.
The New England Journal ofMedicine
did no less than three articles
on the microsurgery techniques
I used to fix your other hand.
He said he wanted
to discuss it with you personally.
He's very impressed with you, Dad.
Impressed?
He must not know him very well.
Oh, look at you. Look at you!
Hey.
Hey.
- Conor.
- Hey.
Seanie.
Who are your friends?
This is Delara and Nastran.
We met a month ago in Dubai.
Can't speak a word of English,
and they only love me for my money,
but they don't quit
until the Super Viagra wears off,
so who gives a shit?
Pee-pee.
- Pee-pee?
- Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go pee-pee.
Oh, my beautiful little dolly.
Well, thank God
for the polygamy amendment.
You can marry them both.
I don't think I'll ever
go down that road again.
Just doesn't seem right, you know?
Besides, this way I don't feel guilty
when I'm cheating.
You know, I think it's shameful
that you can marry two women,
but two gay men
still can't get married in this country.
The gays should
consider themselves lucky.
This is bullshit.
Okay, your son invited you here
to make nice.
Now you two make nice.
Your hair looks pretty.
It's nice that you're not coloring it.
Julia, your turn.
- Are you still jogging?
- Yeah.
I had a synovial replacement.
It shows. You look good, you know, fit.
So, Conor, we're all here, we made nice.
Now what?
I don't know.
We haven't all been together
in the same room since I was five.
I'm kind of just taking it all in.
Just so you all know,
I had an abortion last week.
- Hey, everybody.
- Mattie!
- Hey!
- Get over here!
- You look good.
- Thanks.
I thought you were still in Lhasa
with Doctors Without Borders.
Yeah, I was, but I came home early.
Hey.
Home early.
- How come?
- What? Conor didn't tell you?
I'm performing his surgery.
You need to go.
The storm's gonna hit within the hour.
You heard the TV.
- It's too late, Dad.
- It's not too late.
Your mother and the kids
went with Kimber to the shelter.
You go be with them.
They closed the roads, Dad.
Dad, look, please, just stop drinking.
Go to hell.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn't go.
There's a leak here, you see, God damn it?
I worked too hard to build this house.
I'm not going to let it...
The only thing I have left
just blow away with the winds!
- Hey, hey, hey.
- I gotta...
Look, we will weather this out together.
But we need to get into a room
with no windows.
- I gotta get this.
- No, Dad, we need to go now.
No, you get out of my house!
You go, be with your family!
Hold them, protect them!
Don't screw it up like I did.
- Dad.
- No, go, get out, leave!
- Go!
- I'm not leaving you alone.
I'm never gonna leave you.
I'm never gonna leave you.
So nerves on the fourth digit
look slightly more radial.
Just make sure we're prepared.
And you've done
the transdermal digital nerve mapping?
Yes, Dad, everything seems normal.
All right, thanks, Janet.
Sorry, just trying to help.
I won't be around
once you get into surgery.
I'm on call back at the office.
They paged me with an emergency.
Wait a minute. You're leaving?
How long are you planning on staying?
Looks like you're moving in.
These make it feel more like home.
- Oh, look it.
- Oh, yeah.
That's the only photo I have
where we're all together.
Why didn't you ask your father
to do the surgery?
I thought it would upset you.
Don't be so upset, Matt.
You're running out on him again.
On all of us.
I'm on call.
Why don't you just admit
what's really going on?
You want to leave because
Conor didn't ask you to do the surgery.
I would have been fine
if your father had done the surgery.
Why wouldn't I be?
Because, Mom, look, even though
you've always wanted me to,
I've never accepted my own handicap.
And so by asking Dad to do the surgery,
it would've looked like I was
choosing him over you now and it's...
Is that what you think?
Conor's never forgiven me for the divorce.
And I understand.
If I had kept the marriage together,
I could have fixed both his hands
the first time.
Maybe if I was born
with two perfect hands,
you and Dad would have stayed together.
Oh, honey.
Your father and I had our problems
long before you were born.
What happened 20 years ago,
it had nothing to do with you.
This has nothing to do with you.
Don't turn it into that.
I wish I would've heard
you say that earlier, Mom.
Mom, Conor.
I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Ahmet.
Just so you know, Ahmet's bisexual.
Does anyone have any credits
for the vending machine?
I'm getting a headache
from a lack of sugar.
Well, maybe you should
eat some protein first, honey.
Why don't we go across the street
and grab something to eat?
- You stay here and rest.
- Yeah.
I have to say I admire Julia's decision
not to have any work done.
I agree. Looking real suits some women.
Hey, what did the cardiologist say?
No tatertots or any fried foams.
- Stop it.
- Christian!
I'm not ready to lose my partner
to heart disease.
I'm not going anywhere, pal.
Speaking of which,
did you book your flight to Beijing
for the opening of
the new McNamara/Troy?
The girls and I are leaving early
so we can spend a few days
in the Forbidden City Spa.
You want to join us?
- You go and enjoy.
- Oh, come on!
No, you're better
at these franchise openings than I am.
You had a ball in Caracas.
I just had jet lag.
- Hey.
- Conor, come on, grab a seat.
Dad, there's something I want to ask you.
I spoke with Matt and both of us would
like it if you joined him in the surgery.
I'm fine with Mattie doing the surgery,
you know.
There's no ego here,
if that's what you're thinking.
What he's trying to say
is that he'd love to.
He just wants to make sure that
you're doing exactly what you wanna do.
Thank you, Christian,
for putting words in my mouth.
You're welcome.
What does your mother think about it?
She wants it as much as we all do.
It was her idea, in fact.
- You ready, little brother?
- I think so.
Yeah, well, don't worry,
I'll keep these two old men in line.
Count back from 10 for me, okay, kiddo?
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five...
- Ten laser-blade.
- Ten laser-blade.
- Are you sure, Dad?
- Absolutely.
I'll never get used to the lack of blood.
Mattie, how much
do you want me to elongate?
Two sonimeters.
TGF Growth Factor.
I'm gonna close.
What?
You did an excellent job, Doctor.
Conor's doing great.
Oh, thank God.
He should have full usage of his new hand,
and it's gonna be far more articulate
than the one I operated on 20 years ago.
Very impressed with Matt's work.
He's a top-notch surgeon.
You should be very proud.
We both should be.
Excuse me.
- Are you the parents of Annie McNamara?
- Yes.
- Could you come with me, please?
- What's going on?
Your daughter has been arrested
for stealing painkillers
from the hospital pharmacy.
- Annie...
- Save it, okay?
I'll get my own lawyer,
he'll get me probation again,
and don't worry about the bail money.
I'll pay you back.
No, you won't.
I can't believe you would say that
to your own daughter.
- It's true.
- Sean.
She's 30 years old, Julia.
- We don't have to protect her anymore.
- Yeah, like you've ever done it in the past.
What are you talking about?
- You don't care about me. You never have.
- That's ridiculous.
You know, I barely have any memories
of us being together as a family.
And when we were,
you were always yelling.
Like that time I cut up my doll's hands
to look like Conor
because I was trying to process,
and you went all psycho?
I was 10. What kind of parenting was that?
I still feel awful about that.
Well, imagine that pain I feel, Julia.
That's why I had to steal the pills today,
because my pain never goes away.
Sorry you were awful parents,
so this is what you get.
Deal.
You're right.
We were pretty awful sometimes.
I did my best, sweetheart.
I mean, I may not have always been right,
but I did try.
And your father and I, we have a lot of
regrets about our parenting.
Absolutely,
but we've never stopped loving you.
And whatever pain that I caused,
and whatever hurt that I did,
I am really, truly sorry.
Me, too. I can't apologize enough.
Baby. Sweetie.
Okay.
- Why are you being so mean?
- Mean?
We're agreeing with you.
I know. I hate it.
It's pretty funny, actually.
Christian is still chasing the skirts
like he's 30.
Well, I guess it's good to see that his ego
hasn't been bruised by old age.
Yeah, he keeps saying 62 is the new 26.
What about you and your new hand?
I know, you always taught me
that being different has never stopped me
from doing everything I wanted in life,
Marlowe, but...
You don't have to explain, Conor.
This decision was yours and nobody else's.
It's a completely different thing
if the operation is done on an infant.
Uh-oh.
- Don't slug him, Dad.
- Annie.
- Hi, Marlowe.
- Sean, Julia. Good to see you both.
- How's the family?
- Good, good. Sally's good,
and Zack hit the game-winning shot
against Georgia last night.
Yeah, I read about it in the papers.
Congrats.
- How you feeling, tiger?
- I'm good. Thanks for being here.
Where else would I be? I love hospitals.
I practically grew up in them.
How's my patient doing?
I... Just a little weirded out by all this.
Janet, his vitals haven't been checked
since 10:00.
Oh, lay off her, Mattie.
She was just giving me a quick tour
of the new cancer wing.
I'm fine, okay?
Janet can redeem herself
by taking a photo of everyone for me.
- Yes. Let's! Come on!
- Photo.
You better mark the occasion.
This is probably the last time
this group will be together
until we're all at Christian's funeral.
My funeral? Why am I going first?
Just keep eating those ribs,
Uncle Butterball.
Mom and Dad. Come over here.
Look at you. All right.
- Cancer wing, huh?
- Yes, yes.
- Good man, I'm very impressed with you.
- I'm impressed with you.
Yeah.
Okay, say cheese.
Cheese!
It looks like a normal hand.
It's extraordinary, Conor.
Your brother's clearly a gifted surgeon.
My dad was there, too. And Christian.
It was...
God, it was amazing.
Just having them all there.
All for me.
And my mom was so supportive, too.
Even my dad.
You know, all my life
I felt like I was this curse on the family.
I'm the one who tore them apart.
Maybe that's why
I didn't do the surgery any sooner.
I needed to wait
until it could bring us all together.
I must've known it couldn't have happened
any sooner than it did.
It's a gift, Conor.
You chose the perfect moment
to erase this so-called curse.
And in return,
you get to move on with your life.
What's going on?
At dinner one night,
Christian said that once upon a time,
they loved each other.
My mom and dad.
I've never known anything between them
but bitterness and anger.
I always imagined the night
that I was conceived was some sort of
random, lonely hook-up
after they'd already given up completely.
I wish I felt like my parents
really loved each other. That's all.
Tampa's supposedly a disaster area.
Gainesville, too.
Are the buildings downtown still there?
Miami actually got the least of it.
The city's like our house.
A little beat up, but still standing.
How are people gonna
clean up all this mess?
People rebuild. That's what we do.
I wrote down all my mother's numbers.
It's on the fridge.
How long are we going to be in New York?
A while, honey.
- Are you coming in?
- No. I think it would kill me.
- Oh, baby.
- Bye, Daddy.
I love you, sweetie.
See you, Jules.
- I love you, you know.
- I love you, too.
English
He's making such a good recovery,
I'm thinking about calling Dr. Mugavi.
Move up the target date
for the operation on his other hand.
Julie and I have an intimacy that goes
beyond just employer and employee.
Are you having an affair with my wife?
You banged the nanny,
now your guilty conscience
is making you think
she's banging the nanny.
Marlowe and I had an affair.
Why would you, with him?
He accepted Conor
before he was even born,
and all you wanted to do was change him!
I had an affair with Monica.
Why now?
The age of consent for your surgery is 18,
that was two years ago.
I don't know.
I wasn't in college yet then and
didn't really know what I wanted to do.
Now, I'm pretty sure I wanna be a doctor.
Surgeon. Like my dad.
And, well, you know.
Anything else?
I went to an all boys' prep school,
and there are a lot of girls at my college.
My mom always told me
that people would love me
for my big green eyes and my good heart.
But I've come to realize girls also like it
when you can unhook their bras
by yourself.
So why come to see me?
You seemed to have it all figured out.
As soon as I scheduled my surgery,
I started having nightmares.
About my parents.
They split up when I was just a baby.
I guess I never really thought about it.
I mean, I just always knew them
as two separate entities,
like Africa and South America.
They were these two huge land masses,
separated by an ocean,
but, one day, someone tells you
that they used to be one big continent,
and you start to see the places
where they...
You know, where they broke apart.
I'm not following.
I was six months old.
What makes a couple that's been married
for almost 20 years break up,
when they have a six-month-old baby?
So you wanna know for sure
why they divorced?
I wanna feel whole and normal
in every way possible and,
surgery or not,
I don't think I can until I know the truth.
You were just a baby then.
Even if you were the focus
for your parents' issues,
you weren't responsible.
But it's still a part of who I am.
It's like another handicap.
Look, all I want is to be able
to walk into a room one day,
hold my hand out proudly and say,
"Hi. I'm Conor McNamara. "
Do you have any memories at all
of your parents splitting up?
Sometimes images or words
can be recalled
from traumatic experiences
that occurred during infancy.
Maybe I blocked it all out.
What about your siblings?
Did your sister or brother
ever tell you what they remember?
Matt wasn't around much.
Ann always says it was one hell of a week.
There was a hurricane or something,
back when they were rare.
She always talks about that hurricane.
With winds already topping
105 miles an hour,
it looks like Lenore is on her way
to becoming a category-three hurricane
before her western edge makes landfall
over the Bahamas
sometime early tomorrow.
And with the warm Gulf Stream waters
in her path,
it's very possible
Lenore could well strengthen
to become a category-four
or maybe even five
before it hits Miami head-on
Thursday morning.
Frankly, this could be one
of the worst storms we've seen
since Hurricane Andrew, folks.
Hurricane Lenore.
Sounds like an old-maid aunt
that's coming to town to kick your ass.
What about Conor's surgery?
It's not until the end of the week.
There could be a power outage
in the middle of the operation.
We have extra generators. We'll be fine.
I've got it under control.
Why haven't you asked me about Monica?
What I did? Why I did it?
I know why you did it.
The same reason
that I had an affair with Marlowe.
- I want to talk about it.
- I already know all the answers.
So do you.
We have to shore up the house tomorrow.
Put on the hurricane shutters.
If it's a category five like they said
and it's a direct hit,
then it's all gone with the wind anyway.
Storms blow over.
Sometimes you get lucky and you ride out
the winds and the terrible damage,
and you survive.
The sun comes out the next day,
and you forget how afraid you were
of losing everything.
It's all just a bad dream.
Florence is all about color and light.
It's what inspired me to become an artist.
How old were you
when you first went there?
I was about Annie's age.
My parents took us on a tour of Italy.
Once we got to Florence,
something happened to me.
Julia, it's where the Renaissance began.
It's the birthplace of humanism in art.
You can't avoid it, the whole city
is infused with beauty and clarity.
I have a feeling even Conor's gonna feel it.
By the way,
we need to buy him some warmer clothes.
The fall can be chilly.
I can shop for him next week.
We're gonna have to meet you there
in a month or so
as soon as Conor's able to fly.
I've decided to let Sean go ahead
and operate on his other hand.
Please, just don't look at me like that.
I mean he's his father. I can't just...
It's his dream for his son.
His dream is misguided and invasive,
you know that!
I know that you're angry with me,
but please,
just try and see it through my eyes.
Julia, yeah, I'm angry,
but mostly I'm disappointed in you.
Conor can't defend himself
from his father's obsession
with creating a perfect son.
It's an illusion. It's an ego trip.
It's harmful.
- The world you people live in, it's just...
- It's what?
Go on, Marlowe, say it. It's what?
If you're not his advocate, he's got no one.
Oh, my God, I am literally torn in pieces.
Everywhere I turn, I'm betraying someone.
I can't bear to torture Conor,
and I cannot bear to hurt Sean.
And I can't bear to lose your respect.
So what am I supposed to do?
Don't you think
you're over-packing a little?
Conor is only going to be
in recovery overnight.
He's not having the surgery, Sean.
He and Annie are coming with me.
You think I'm gonna
let you take my kids away from me?
I'll fight you with everything I have.
And ruin their lives in the process?
Once again I'm the one who has to suffer?
- The burden always has to be on me.
- Sean, stop it.
- You screwed Marlowe!
- You screwed Monica!
And it shouldn't take us
having to hurting each other like that
to realize that
we just don't belong together anymore.
Why him?
I understand you cheating on me.
Did you have to humiliate me, too?
You can forgive me for sleeping
with your best friend,
but you can't handle the fact
that I made love to a man
who looks different,
who's somehow imperfect.
I can handle imperfection, Julia.
Is that why you're so desperate
to operate on your son?
80% of your day
is spent making people look better,
as if it was gonna somehow
make them feel better, as well.
Yeah, that 80% paid for this house.
God, it did more than pay
for this house, Sean.
It seeped into its foundation,
the furniture, us.
It's a poison.
I know that being
with Marlowe was wrong,
but it opened my eyes
to how consumed I am with appearances.
It has eaten away at me like a cancer.
Julia, you just need
to express your feelings
about Monica,
about how I've neglected you.
Remember when you were so mad at me
that you threw one of these at my head?
Yeah, I was angry at you then, Sean.
But I'm not angry anymore.
I'm just done.
Well, I'm not!
Don't leave me, please. Don't do it.
We only got back together
because I was pregnant.
Conor is a gift,
and this is the price
we have to pay for having him.
Hurricane Lenore has mostly traveled
north ofPuerto Rico
and the southern Caribbean,
just the outer bands crossing those areas,
and they seem
to ha ve survived unscathed.
But she has just been devastating
to the smaller eastern islands.
Honey, did you move all the stuff away
from the windows in your room
like I asked?
What's it matter? I'm not going
to be sleeping in there anymore anyway.
Well, that's not true. I'm not leaving.
This will still be your home.
Your room can stay just the way
you want it.
And the storm is growing
as it heads westward for Miami
at a speed of 15 knots and
the best track has it making a direct hit.
The National Hurricane
Forecasting Center forecasting
that Lenore will become
a category-five within the next hour.
Winds of...
At least you get the day off
from school, huh?
Is this going to be like last time?
When Mom moved out
but you asked her to come back again?
I don't think so, Annie.
- Is it my fault, Dad?
- No.
Absolutely not.
Your mom and I...
We just grew apart.
Then it's because of Conor.
Maybe he can live with Mom
and I can stay here with you.
...storm surge of 15 to 20 feet.
It's time to pack up your essentials,
your prescriptions, and get out.
The mandatory evacuation begins
at 3:00 this afternoon for...
...highway as much as possible
before 3:00.
It's gonna be crowded,
and it's simply not the place
you'll want to get stranded.
Hi.
It is not getting any better out there,
that's for sure.
We should probably get going.
The roads are murder.
Where's your suitcase?
We're not going.
Julia, there's a mandatory evacuation.
Everyone has to go.
I know. And we are, just not with you.
- What are you talking about?
- I'm sorry.
I thought it was the right thing to do,
and it's not,
and I was wrong.
Oh, no, no, no. You're not wrong.
You're just under
a tremendous amount of stress right now.
I mean, I can only imagine
how unsettled you feel.
You just need me to take care of you.
Actually, I need to take care of myself.
And the only way that
I know how to do that is to be on my own.
Julia...
I have spent my whole life
depending on others for security.
Christian, Sean.
I am never going to be strong enough
to survive this moment in my life
if I don't do it on my own.
Is it... Is it Florence?
I mean, we don't have to go Florence.
No, no, no. It's not about Florence.
What is it? Is it my size?
God, you don't have to explain.
It's always like this.
It's fine for a while
and then the novelty wears off.
I thought we loved each other.
I do love you.
And I love you for allowing me
to be this imperfect woman.
But you're not in love with me.
What we have now
is a shared love for Conor.
And that's all we have.
I'm gonna go...
I'm gonna say goodbye to Conor, then go.
Hey, buddy.
It'll pass. It's just weather.
You've already been through a lot worse,
and you were a brave soldier, weren't you?
One day this will all be a distant memory.
You'll have your own life,
and you won't be at the mercy of storms
you don't understand.
It's been an honor to know you.
I've had to say goodbye a lot in this job,
but this one... This one's a bear.
I guess
we're all taking this one kind of hard.
- Thunder scaring him?
- Yeah.
What are you doing here?
I came to say goodbye to Conor.
Well, you better say it and go. The rain's
starting to come down in sheets.
Yeah, well,
I also wanted to apologize to you, Sean.
I'm sorry I lied about Julia and me.
I guess I wanted her to be the one
to tell you, but I shouldn't have lied.
And for what it's worth,
I think you're a good man.
I envy you.
And I'm really gonna miss your son.
Goodbye, Julia.
Goodbye, Conor.
Marlowe.
You've been a great friend to my son.
I'm sure he'll miss you.
I hope you'll feel free down the line
to stay in his life.
What happened to Marlowe?
We're still close, actually.
He took me to my first museum,
gives me advice on girls,
that kind of thing.
I'm close with his son, Zack, too.
He's just a year younger than me.
When I was 10,
I realized
that I didn't have any godparents.
In the midst of the divorce,
they kind of forgot to name them.
So I asked
if Marlowe could be my godfather.
Demanded it, actually.
They said yes.
I'm afraid our time is up.
No! I mean, I don't feel any better.
My operation is just two days away,
and I don't feel that anything is resolved.
Conor, maybe the thing you need to do
is to talk to your family
about how you feel, not just me.
You mean, ask them to sit down
and actually communicate together?
Yeah, that's hilarious.
I told you. My parents hate each other.
They'll never go for that.
How do you know
unless you present them
with the opportunity?
My spirit guides told me
that I'm not in the right place
to start a relationship right now.
Last night, I took a meditation pill.
They told me
I have too much emotional baggage.
What's my baggage? Where do I begin?
Let's start with the fact
that my mother flushed my pet gerbil,
Frisky I, down the toilet.
And did I also tell you
that she shamed me into having a party
to celebrate my first period?
I still get panic attacks
whenever I use a tampon.
Annie, get off the phone.
Pat, I have to go.
Julia beckons. I'll call you later.
Sweetheart, please call me Mom.
I know I don't care
how convenient those phone chips are,
I refuse to get one installed in my ear.
There's no red meat here.
You know I need my iron.
There is iron in fish, sweetheart,
and Conor needs his omega-threes
so that he can heal faster
after his surgery.
Oh, and, of course, his surgery
is more important than my anemia.
Just like his hands were more important
than my bulimia or my agoraphobia or...
Ann, can we please have just one dinner
without talking
about your damn agoraphobia?
You refused to get off the couch
for a week because that guy dumped you.
That's not agoraphobia.
It's not all about you.
Why are we sitting alone
at this huge table?
Is it a metaphor for the chasm
that separates our family?
No, I was just saving seats
for your spirit guides.
Oh, my God.
- What is she doing here?
- I'm sorry, Dad.
I knew neither of you would come
if you knew the other one
was gonna be here.
You were right.
That's right, Sean. Walk out.
It's what you do best.
I never left you, Annie.
The fact is your mother walked out
on me, twice.
Dad, please, listen.
I know this is hard, but stay, for me.
I want you all
to meet my surgeon together.
So, how's your wife?
I'd rather not discuss my personal life,
thank you.
Look, we stopped trying to be friends
15 years ago.
Why start again now?
Why hasn't your surgeon called me?
I practically invented this surgery.
The New England Journal ofMedicine
did no less than three articles
on the microsurgery techniques
I used to fix your other hand.
He said he wanted
to discuss it with you personally.
He's very impressed with you, Dad.
Impressed?
He must not know him very well.
Oh, look at you. Look at you!
Hey.
Hey.
- Conor.
- Hey.
Seanie.
Who are your friends?
This is Delara and Nastran.
We met a month ago in Dubai.
Can't speak a word of English,
and they only love me for my money,
but they don't quit
until the Super Viagra wears off,
so who gives a shit?
Pee-pee.
- Pee-pee?
- Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go pee-pee.
Oh, my beautiful little dolly.
Well, thank God
for the polygamy amendment.
You can marry them both.
I don't think I'll ever
go down that road again.
Just doesn't seem right, you know?
Besides, this way I don't feel guilty
when I'm cheating.
You know, I think it's shameful
that you can marry two women,
but two gay men
still can't get married in this country.
The gays should
consider themselves lucky.
This is bullshit.
Okay, your son invited you here
to make nice.
Now you two make nice.
Your hair looks pretty.
It's nice that you're not coloring it.
Julia, your turn.
- Are you still jogging?
- Yeah.
I had a synovial replacement.
It shows. You look good, you know, fit.
So, Conor, we're all here, we made nice.
Now what?
I don't know.
We haven't all been together
in the same room since I was five.
I'm kind of just taking it all in.
Just so you all know,
I had an abortion last week.
- Hey, everybody.
- Mattie!
- Hey!
- Get over here!
- You look good.
- Thanks.
I thought you were still in Lhasa
with Doctors Without Borders.
Yeah, I was, but I came home early.
Hey.
Home early.
- How come?
- What? Conor didn't tell you?
I'm performing his surgery.
You need to go.
The storm's gonna hit within the hour.
You heard the TV.
- It's too late, Dad.
- It's not too late.
Your mother and the kids
went with Kimber to the shelter.
You go be with them.
They closed the roads, Dad.
Dad, look, please, just stop drinking.
Go to hell.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn't go.
There's a leak here, you see, God damn it?
I worked too hard to build this house.
I'm not going to let it...
The only thing I have left
just blow away with the winds!
- Hey, hey, hey.
- I gotta...
Look, we will weather this out together.
But we need to get into a room
with no windows.
- I gotta get this.
- No, Dad, we need to go now.
No, you get out of my house!
You go, be with your family!
Hold them, protect them!
Don't screw it up like I did.
- Dad.
- No, go, get out, leave!
- Go!
- I'm not leaving you alone.
I'm never gonna leave you.
I'm never gonna leave you.
So nerves on the fourth digit
look slightly more radial.
Just make sure we're prepared.
And you've done
the transdermal digital nerve mapping?
Yes, Dad, everything seems normal.
All right, thanks, Janet.
Sorry, just trying to help.
I won't be around
once you get into surgery.
I'm on call back at the office.
They paged me with an emergency.
Wait a minute. You're leaving?
How long are you planning on staying?
Looks like you're moving in.
These make it feel more like home.
- Oh, look it.
- Oh, yeah.
That's the only photo I have
where we're all together.
Why didn't you ask your father
to do the surgery?
I thought it would upset you.
Don't be so upset, Matt.
You're running out on him again.
On all of us.
I'm on call.
Why don't you just admit
what's really going on?
You want to leave because
Conor didn't ask you to do the surgery.
I would have been fine
if your father had done the surgery.
Why wouldn't I be?
Because, Mom, look, even though
you've always wanted me to,
I've never accepted my own handicap.
And so by asking Dad to do the surgery,
it would've looked like I was
choosing him over you now and it's...
Is that what you think?
Conor's never forgiven me for the divorce.
And I understand.
If I had kept the marriage together,
I could have fixed both his hands
the first time.
Maybe if I was born
with two perfect hands,
you and Dad would have stayed together.
Oh, honey.
Your father and I had our problems
long before you were born.
What happened 20 years ago,
it had nothing to do with you.
This has nothing to do with you.
Don't turn it into that.
I wish I would've heard
you say that earlier, Mom.
Mom, Conor.
I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Ahmet.
Just so you know, Ahmet's bisexual.
Does anyone have any credits
for the vending machine?
I'm getting a headache
from a lack of sugar.
Well, maybe you should
eat some protein first, honey.
Why don't we go across the street
and grab something to eat?
- You stay here and rest.
- Yeah.
I have to say I admire Julia's decision
not to have any work done.
I agree. Looking real suits some women.
Hey, what did the cardiologist say?
No tatertots or any fried foams.
- Stop it.
- Christian!
I'm not ready to lose my partner
to heart disease.
I'm not going anywhere, pal.
Speaking of which,
did you book your flight to Beijing
for the opening of
the new McNamara/Troy?
The girls and I are leaving early
so we can spend a few days
in the Forbidden City Spa.
You want to join us?
- You go and enjoy.
- Oh, come on!
No, you're better
at these franchise openings than I am.
You had a ball in Caracas.
I just had jet lag.
- Hey.
- Conor, come on, grab a seat.
Dad, there's something I want to ask you.
I spoke with Matt and both of us would
like it if you joined him in the surgery.
I'm fine with Mattie doing the surgery,
you know.
There's no ego here,
if that's what you're thinking.
What he's trying to say
is that he'd love to.
He just wants to make sure that
you're doing exactly what you wanna do.
Thank you, Christian,
for putting words in my mouth.
You're welcome.
What does your mother think about it?
She wants it as much as we all do.
It was her idea, in fact.
- You ready, little brother?
- I think so.
Yeah, well, don't worry,
I'll keep these two old men in line.
Count back from 10 for me, okay, kiddo?
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five...
- Ten laser-blade.
- Ten laser-blade.
- Are you sure, Dad?
- Absolutely.
I'll never get used to the lack of blood.
Mattie, how much
do you want me to elongate?
Two sonimeters.
TGF Growth Factor.
I'm gonna close.
What?
You did an excellent job, Doctor.
Conor's doing great.
Oh, thank God.
He should have full usage of his new hand,
and it's gonna be far more articulate
than the one I operated on 20 years ago.
Very impressed with Matt's work.
He's a top-notch surgeon.
You should be very proud.
We both should be.
Excuse me.
- Are you the parents of Annie McNamara?
- Yes.
- Could you come with me, please?
- What's going on?
Your daughter has been arrested
for stealing painkillers
from the hospital pharmacy.
- Annie...
- Save it, okay?
I'll get my own lawyer,
he'll get me probation again,
and don't worry about the bail money.
I'll pay you back.
No, you won't.
I can't believe you would say that
to your own daughter.
- It's true.
- Sean.
She's 30 years old, Julia.
- We don't have to protect her anymore.
- Yeah, like you've ever done it in the past.
What are you talking about?
- You don't care about me. You never have.
- That's ridiculous.
You know, I barely have any memories
of us being together as a family.
And when we were,
you were always yelling.
Like that time I cut up my doll's hands
to look like Conor
because I was trying to process,
and you went all psycho?
I was 10. What kind of parenting was that?
I still feel awful about that.
Well, imagine that pain I feel, Julia.
That's why I had to steal the pills today,
because my pain never goes away.
Sorry you were awful parents,
so this is what you get.
Deal.
You're right.
We were pretty awful sometimes.
I did my best, sweetheart.
I mean, I may not have always been right,
but I did try.
And your father and I, we have a lot of
regrets about our parenting.
Absolutely,
but we've never stopped loving you.
And whatever pain that I caused,
and whatever hurt that I did,
I am really, truly sorry.
Me, too. I can't apologize enough.
Baby. Sweetie.
Okay.
- Why are you being so mean?
- Mean?
We're agreeing with you.
I know. I hate it.
It's pretty funny, actually.
Christian is still chasing the skirts
like he's 30.
Well, I guess it's good to see that his ego
hasn't been bruised by old age.
Yeah, he keeps saying 62 is the new 26.
What about you and your new hand?
I know, you always taught me
that being different has never stopped me
from doing everything I wanted in life,
Marlowe, but...
You don't have to explain, Conor.
This decision was yours and nobody else's.
It's a completely different thing
if the operation is done on an infant.
Uh-oh.
- Don't slug him, Dad.
- Annie.
- Hi, Marlowe.
- Sean, Julia. Good to see you both.
- How's the family?
- Good, good. Sally's good,
and Zack hit the game-winning shot
against Georgia last night.
Yeah, I read about it in the papers.
Congrats.
- How you feeling, tiger?
- I'm good. Thanks for being here.
Where else would I be? I love hospitals.
I practically grew up in them.
How's my patient doing?
I... Just a little weirded out by all this.
Janet, his vitals haven't been checked
since 10:00.
Oh, lay off her, Mattie.
She was just giving me a quick tour
of the new cancer wing.
I'm fine, okay?
Janet can redeem herself
by taking a photo of everyone for me.
- Yes. Let's! Come on!
- Photo.
You better mark the occasion.
This is probably the last time
this group will be together
until we're all at Christian's funeral.
My funeral? Why am I going first?
Just keep eating those ribs,
Uncle Butterball.
Mom and Dad. Come over here.
Look at you. All right.
- Cancer wing, huh?
- Yes, yes.
- Good man, I'm very impressed with you.
- I'm impressed with you.
Yeah.
Okay, say cheese.
Cheese!
It looks like a normal hand.
It's extraordinary, Conor.
Your brother's clearly a gifted surgeon.
My dad was there, too. And Christian.
It was...
God, it was amazing.
Just having them all there.
All for me.
And my mom was so supportive, too.
Even my dad.
You know, all my life
I felt like I was this curse on the family.
I'm the one who tore them apart.
Maybe that's why
I didn't do the surgery any sooner.
I needed to wait
until it could bring us all together.
I must've known it couldn't have happened
any sooner than it did.
It's a gift, Conor.
You chose the perfect moment
to erase this so-called curse.
And in return,
you get to move on with your life.
What's going on?
At dinner one night,
Christian said that once upon a time,
they loved each other.
My mom and dad.
I've never known anything between them
but bitterness and anger.
I always imagined the night
that I was conceived was some sort of
random, lonely hook-up
after they'd already given up completely.
I wish I felt like my parents
really loved each other. That's all.
Tampa's supposedly a disaster area.
Gainesville, too.
Are the buildings downtown still there?
Miami actually got the least of it.
The city's like our house.
A little beat up, but still standing.
How are people gonna
clean up all this mess?
People rebuild. That's what we do.
I wrote down all my mother's numbers.
It's on the fridge.
How long are we going to be in New York?
A while, honey.
- Are you coming in?
- No. I think it would kill me.
- Oh, baby.
- Bye, Daddy.
I love you, sweetie.
See you, Jules.
- I love you, you know.
- I love you, too.
English