Perception (2012–2015): Season 2, Episode 2 - Alienation - full transcript
A woman becomes convinced that her husband is no longer really her husband. When it appears she has murdered him she claims she really didn't kill her husband - only his alien impostor.
Subs created by: David Coleman.
Let's talk about love.
How does love rewire the brain?
When we meet somebody new and exciting,
they invade our synapses like a virus,
triggering neurochemicals that feed
into attraction, arousal, even obsession.
We get distracted.
We think about that special
someone all the time,
even in the middle of a
brilliantly stimulating lecture.
But we're not just
thinking about them.
We're building an internal model...
A simulation that helps us predict
what they'll think or how they'll feel.
Of course, relationships get into
trouble when the simulation meets reality.
Which begs the question...
Do we ever really fall in
love with another person,
or just with our idea
of who they are?
2x02
Alienation
Whoa, whoa, Doc.
Where are you going?
You've got a student
conference in 10 minutes.
Cancel all my appointments.
I got a lunch.
"Lunch"?
I do enjoy our "lunches".
Would you like to
see a dessert menu?
I got you something.
What is this?
Oh. Just what I always wanted...
the monolith from "2001".
It's loaded with all
the latest apps, see?
Wow. What's an app?
Max can help you program it.
You got this so that you
could keep tabs on me.
Someone has to.
- How are you feeling?
- Oh, great.
Well, I'm just worried that there
might be a problem with your meds.
Why do you think that?
Because last week I saw
you talking to yourself.
Well, sometimes I'm the most
interesting person in the room.
You were the only
person in the room.
Caroline, I'm not having symptoms,
if that's what you're worried about.
Liar.
If you're gonna have a relationship
with her, you need to be honest.
I'm fine, really.
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.
I just don't want you to
worry about me. That's all.
Okay. I'm gonna have a shower.
Mm. Mm. Mm.
If you're gonna have a relationship
with your real girlfriend,
you're gonna have to stop
seeing your imaginary one.
Shh! I'm gonna tell her.
I'm just...
Waiting for the right time.
You're gonna tell her that
you've gone off your meds?
And you're not worried that
that's gonna scare her off?
Maybe you'd like that.
Then you'd have me all to yourself.
Do you realize how
crazy that sounds?
Huh.
That is a stunning blouse.
Cut the crap, Donnie.
What do you want?
It's my grandmother's
birthday on Saturday.
I'm having a little picnic for her, and
I thought maybe you'd want to join us.
- I don't think that's a good idea.
- Kate.
It'd be nice. How many birthdays
do you think she's got left?
You haven't told her
we're getting divorced.
You really just expect
me to go to this picnic
with you, pretend we're
still happily married?
Not happening.
Finally got the divorce papers
in the mail from your lawyer.
Great. Did you sign them?
I got a really heavy
case load right now, Kate,
so I don't know when I'm
gonna be able to get to them.
Seriously, Donnie? Blackmail?
It's more of a hostage
negotiation, really.
Come on. She'd love to see you.
All right, I will go...
for her, not for you.
And I want those papers signed.
Hey, Moretti. Why don't
you pick up line two?
Who is it?
Perfect case for you
and the nutty Professor.
I've got an abduction
case I could use your help on.
Married white male, 46. Wife claims
she hasn't seen him for a week.
Is there a Neurological or
mental-health angle I'm missing?
You could say that. The wife says
that her husband was abducted by, um...
Aliens from outer space.
I know what you're thinking.
"Why are we wasting our
time looking into this?"
But there could be a real
underlying crime here,
and we're obligated by law to look into
it, no matter how weird it sounds, so...
Don't you think you're
jumping to conclusions?
What do you mean?
Maybe the guy really
was abducted by aliens.
Excuse me?
Oh, come on, Kate. You work
for the federal government.
Don't tell me you don't
know that they've been
whitewashing this sort
of thing for decades.
Roswell? The abductions
of Betty and Barney Hill?
If we look into this, we could blow open
the biggest cover-up in American history.
Had you going there
for a minute, didn't I?
- That is not funny!
- It's a little bit funny... little bit.
Must be the place.
- Ellen Resnick?
- Yes?
Special Agent Moretti.
FBI. This is Dr. Pierce.
- You called us about an abduction?
- Thank God you came.
I wasn't sure anyone
was gonna believe me.
Why don't you tell us how long
your husband's been missing?
He went away on a business trip six
days ago, and I haven't seen him since.
Okay, if he went away on a trip,
what makes you think he's been...
Excuse me.
Who are you people?
- FBI. And you are?
- I'm Preston Resnick. I'm her husband.
No! He is not my husband! That's
what I've been trying to tell you.
He's an alien!
She seemed fine last week
when we talked on the phone.
All this alien nonsense didn't
start till I got home last night.
Does your wife have any history
of drug or alcohol abuse?
No.
I've been trying to get her to
see a doctor all morning, but uh...
She locked herself in the
bathroom and won't talk to me.
It's gonna be all right.
When did you realize that your
husband wasn't really your husband?
Last night. I was asleep
when I heard the bedroom door open.
It was dark, and he sounded just
like Preston, so I thought it was him.
Your husband wrote this?
Yes.
The alien does look a lot like him.
He looks exactly like him.
But I can tell it's not Preston.
What's different about him?
Well, for one thing, my
husband would never hurt me.
The alien hurt you?
You can trust me.
That alien...
Raped me.
You have to believe me. I
would never hurt my wife.
Yeah, well, she says you did, so
why don't you tell us what happened?
I'd just gotten home
from my book-signing tour.
I thought I would surprise Ellen
by coming home a little early.
It's just me.
Hey.
I thought you weren't coming
home till this weekend.
- Yeah, I couldn't wait to see you.
- Really?
She seemed normal until
she turned on the light.
What... where... where's my husband?!
Where's Preston?! Who are you?!
I'm your husband. I'm Preston.
- No, you're not!
- What's going on?!
Stay away from me!
She locked herself in the
bathroom until you guys showed up.
Before you left for your trip, did
she show any other unusual behavior?
Actually, yeah, she's been
a little paranoid lately.
She told me that she... she
thought she was being followed.
I thought she was imagining it because
each time it was a different car.
First it was a Chevy.
Then it was a Ford.
Last time, it was a Hyundai.
She said it got a little too
close to her, ran her off the road,
and she hit a telephone pole.
What the hell is
wrong with my wife?
I think she's suffering from a Neurological
disorder known as Capgras Delusion.
Capgras?
In the '20s, a French
psychiatrist, Jean Marie Capgras,
had a patient who was convinced her friends
and family had been replaced by impostors.
For people living
with the condition,
the pathway between the Visual
Cortex and the Amygdala...
The emotional center of the
brain... has been severed.
When you look at
your wife, you get a
a warm and fuzzy glow because
you have deep feelings for her.
But when Ellen looks at you, she no
longer feels an emotional arousal.
So, to her, you're just a stranger
that happens to look like her husband.
But why does she
think I'm from outer space?
Capgras patients come up with
some pretty bizarre ideas.
They think their loved ones have been
replaced by twins or clones, robots.
You're a science-fiction author.
That's likely why she fixated on aliens.
Yeah, but I climbed
into bed with her.
She certainly didn't
think I was an alien.
Because the lights were off.
The pathway between Ellen's auditory center
and her Amygdala is likely still intact.
So when she only hears your voice,
she still gets that warm
feeling that tells her it's you.
Well, then, why don't
I call her on my phone,
and while we're talking, I just walk into
the room, and she'll see that it's me?
A therapist may want to try that.
But right now we need to
play along with her delusion.
But isn't that just reinforcing
the psychotic belief?
Mr. Resnick, if I tell your wife the
truth, she's not gonna believe me.
She's gonna believe her own feelings, and
they're telling her you are an impostor.
The important thing now is
to get her to a hospital,
so we can figure out the
underlying cause of the disorder.
You want to scan my brain?
It's just a precaution.
Do you think the alien
did something to me?
I've heard they can
implant microchips.
It's not likely, but you
should get a scan just in case.
Dr. Pierce, what's gonna
happen to the alien?
The FBI isn't gonna let him
just walk out of here, are they?
- He might attack someone else.
- I'll talk to Agent Moretti.
Get the FBI to put him in custody.
The alien is not gonna
hurt you anymore.
Dr. Pierce, this is Gerry
and Barbara Bruckner.
They're our closest friends.
Anything you can say to me,
you can say in front of them.
Ellen suffered a ruptured aneurysm.
It was a time bomb waiting to go off.
I'm guessing it burst
in the car accident.
Fortunately, the bleeding
stopped on its own,
but the blood loss damaged
her Occipitotemporal region.
It's probably what
caused the Capgras.
So, that's it? You're telling me that
my wife will never recognize me again?
Well, there are therapies
that show promise.
But in the meantime, if
you want to talk to her,
it's gonna have to be on the phone.
What am I supposed to say, that I'm
being held prisoner on a flying saucer?
I knew I should have taken her to the
hospital as soon as the car accident.
- I knew. But she said she was okay.
- It's not your fault, Preston.
Look, there's no
reason to keep her here.
I've convinced her to stay the
night. But when she does go home...
You can't be there.
Okay. I guess I'll
check into a hotel.
I'll call the
convention organizers, and I'll
tell them you can't
make it tomorrow.
Some publisher you are. It's my most
important appearance of the year.
No, I think it's better that I go.
Believe me, I could
use the distraction.
Dr. Pierce, can we see Ellen?
Is there anything you need?
I can run by the house or...
Maybe if you could
just find me a nurse?
I'd love some cranberry juice.
Sure.
Gerry. Gerry.
Please be careful.
That's not Barbara.
She's an alien, too.
So?
Dr. Pierce...
I don't understand. Gerry and
I have known Ellen for years.
So, why does she think I'm an
impostor but not my husband?
I'm guessing she doesn't have
the same emotional connection
to Gerry here as she
does to you or Preston.
I guess I should be offended.
No, honey, this is good. Ellen trusts you.
She needs someone to look out for her.
I mean, obviously,
Preston and I can't do it.
I'll do whatever I can.
I've never met a patient with Capgras
before, never mind treated one.
Well, if you're not interested...
I didn't say that.
How's the Couscous, Daniel?
Actually, there are some
new behavioral techniques...
First, she buys you a cellphone... then
she makes you Couscous with raisins.
You hate raisins.
She doesn't know you
very well, does she?
- Would you excuse me a minute?
- Is everything all right?
I forgot to wash my hands.
Daniel, are trying to avoid me?
What...
Why are you doing this to me?
I can't see you anymore. I'm seeing her.
If you don't want to see
me, you know what to do.
I can't be on those meds.
They were giving me tremors.
I'll wind up a twitching mess, shuffling
across campus like the local madman.
You don't have Tardive Dyskinesia.
- You don't know that.
- T.D. Is extremely rare in atypical meds.
- Maybe the symptoms are all in your head.
- I'd know the difference.
- Try different meds.
- Daniel?
- Uh huh.
- You have a phone call.
Lewicki?
Hello? What?
Do they know where she went?
- All right.
- What is it?
Ellen checked herself
out of the hospital.
If she goes home and
runs into her husband...
How do you turn this off?
- Can you give me a lift?
- Of course.
- We'll all go!
- No! I mean... now.
We... we got to go now.
Mr. Resnick? Ellen?
- Oh, my God!
- Don't worry, Dr. Pierce.
It's the alien.
It's not my husband!
It almost looks like
human blood, doesn't it?
Ellen, why did you do this?
Why did you leave the hospital?
Because Preston was in danger.
We were talking on the phone when I
realized that something was wrong.
I need to see you.
I know, sweetheart,
but it's not that simple.
- That's our doorbell.
- It's just the TV.
Are... are... are you at our house?
No! No, of course not!
I'm sorry, Sweetie. I have to go.
But I knew what I'd heard.
Preston would never lie to me
unless he was being forced to,
which meant he was in trouble.
I tried calling the FBI, but
Agent Moretti wasn't there,
and I couldn't just wait
around for her to call me back.
I had to make sure my
husband was all right.
So I went home, and I found
the alien on the floor.
He was dead.
It looked like someone
had shot him.
But it didn't make any sense.
What was he doing in my house?
You said that the FBI
was going to arrest him!
I started to worry because the police
were gonna find me with this body,
and they might think
that it was Preston!
I had to show them
that it wasn't him.
I thought if I could expose its
alien organs, then they'd see.
Dr. Pierce... Dr. Pierce.
My husband is still missing.
You have to find him
before the aliens do.
Daniel, I got here as soon
as I could. What's the latest?
The police have this ridiculous
theory that... that...
That Ellen shot her husband in a fit of
rage, left the house to dispose of the gun,
which they haven't found, by the way, and
then came back to perform an alien autopsy.
It doesn't make sense.
They're railroading her!
Huh.
Dr. Newsome.
Agent Moretti, it's
nice to see you again.
- You too.
- Are you okay?
Uh, the Detective
said that I can go.
I need to stay and work with
Kate. You're all right to get home?
I'll be just fine.
Why did you invite your
therapist to a crime scene?
I thought you weren't
seeing her anymore.
I'm not. We were discussing
Ellen's case when the call came in,
and then she was kind
enough to offer a... a ride.
Look, we got to figure out
who killed Preston Resnick
because Chicago P.D.
certainly isn't gonna do it.
Okay, well, if Ellen didn't
kill her husband, then who did?
A writer named A.Z. Weyland.
Another novelist?
Well, it depends on how
you define "novelist".
He wrote an "autobiography" about his
alleged alien-abduction experiences.
The entire thing is fiction,
and Weyland sent that manuscript
to every publisher in town.
Okay, what makes you think
that Weyland killed Preston?
Because last month, he threatened
Preston and me at a book launch.
He was ranting and raving about I
must have given Preston his manuscript
and how Preston ripped him off and
used it as the basis for his novel.
That guy put threatening notes
on my car and at Preston's house.
I had to get a restraining order.
Did Preston plagiarize
the manuscript?
I never gave it to him.
Besides, Preston wouldn't need to steal
ideas from a head case like Weyland.
His fans are gonna
be so devastated.
He was supposed to read a
chapter today at the convention.
So, I guess now I'll have to
arrange a memorial instead.
Do you have any idea where
we could find Mr. Weyland?
It's gonna take forever
to find Weyland's booth.
- I'm gonna try to find us a map.
- Hmm.
Wait.
Hello. And what have we here?
Lewicki? Why the hell
are you dressed like that?
I'm Lando Calrissian,
administrator of Cloud City,
and General in the rebel alliance.
I'm sorry I asked.
You'd better have those Neuro 101 papers
graded and on my desk by 10:00 A.M.
You know, this deal is
getting worse all the time.
Your attention, please. Seven
of Nine is now signing in Alpha room.
Cool costume.
Beg your pardon?
Aren't you supposed to be Doctor
Who? The one with the scarf?
This isn't a costume.
Oh, sorry, dude. I'm
Gorthar from Tau Ceti V.
I'm coming down with
a cold. I better not.
That's okay. Tau Cetians
are immune to human viruses.
All right, I know what you're thinking.
I don't much look like an alien.
Yeah, I'm really not
thinking about it.
See, that's the point exactly...
to blend in among humans.
Us Tau Cetians,
we're shape shifters.
We can look like any one of you.
If you saw my true form, your
brain would probably explode!
Brains only explode in
bad science-fiction movies.
You'd know. You're the
brain expert, right?
How did you know that?
I know a whole lot
about you, Dr. Pierce.
- Who are you?
- Daniel.
Uh...
Are you having an episode?
No, no, no. I just... this... this...
this place just overstimulated me a little.
- Do you need me to get you out of here?
- No. I'm fine.
- Really.
- Okay.
Well, I know where to find Weyland.
I really can't wait to read
this. I love stories about aliens.
This isn't fiction. I lived this.
Next!
- Who do I make it out to?
- Special Agent Moretti. FBI.
That's Moretti with two "T" 's.
I wondered how long it would
take the government to show up.
I need to talk to you about
the murder of Preston Resnick.
- Resnick is dead?
- Shot to death.
I'd like to know where
you were last night.
That's none of your business.
You see?! The
military-entertainment complex
did everything they could to
prevent my story from getting out.
And now the FBI wants to frame me to
stop you from learning the truth!
Mr. Weyland...
FBI! Stop!
Thanks, boys.
I'll put in a good
word with Lord Vader.
Come with me.
"A heroing account
of an ordinary man".
"Tormented by visitors
from another world,
and the toll it takes on
his career and family".
That sounds like a compelling read.
Only this isn't your book.
It's Preston Resnick's.
You think he stole your
alien fairy tale, don't you?
Sorry... your "autobiography".
You think I don't know
how all this sounds?
The first time they came for me,
I thought I was losing my mind.
But then it happened again, and I couldn't
deny the reality of what was going on.
You must have been plenty pissed when
Preston's novel became a best seller,
and you didn't make a dime.
In my line of work, that's
what we call a "motive".
- I didn't write this to make money.
- Why did you write it?
As a public service,
to help other abductees.
Where were you last night
between 10:00 P.M. and 1:00 A.M.?
You won't believe me
even if I tell you.
I'm pretty gullible.
I was tired.
So I went to bed early.
But I wish I had
never shut my eyes.
There were three of them.
They didn't talk, but I
could hear their thoughts.
They had me in their
paralysis beam.
I just wanted it to be over.
I really owe
this guy an apology.
I'm the one who probed him.
Trust me, I didn't want to. Ugh.
Would you please just beam
up or whatever it is you do?
Come on, dude. Maybe you don't believe
Weyland was abducted. But he believes it.
Just look at him.
The slumped shoulders,
the drooping head.
Listen to how he's
slurring his words.
Well, maybe he had a fifth
of Jack Daniel's for lunch.
I thought you were the
brilliant brain guy.
Help me out here.
Pardon me.
What?
- Weyland didn't do it.
- He doesn't have an alibi.
Yeah, he does... the aliens.
Oh, no, Daniel, we're not
going down that road again.
Wait, wait, wait. Listen, listen, listen.
He's exhausted. He's slurring his words.
So?
I think Weyland has narcolepsy, and
half the patients with narcolepsy,
also suffer from sleep paralysis.
Now, hear me out.
In a normal rem cycle,
the body disconnects
from the brain so we
don't act out our dreams.
But with sleep paralysis, the brain
wakes up in a highly suggestible state.
It's terrifying. People imagine they're
being attacked by strange creatures.
It used to be ghosts and witches, but
nowadays, more commonly, it's aliens.
It's also possible that his
story is complete bullshit.
No, I don't... from his perspective,
his... his nightmares are real.
I'm telling you, when
Resnick was murdered,
this guy was probably at
home immobilized in his bed.
Moretti?
What is it?
We executed a warrant on
Weyland's apartment and found this.
Ballistics matched it to the bullets
that they pulled out of Preston Resnick.
I'll call C.P.D. and tell them
to cut Ellen Resnick loose.
Nice job, Moretti.
It's a fascinating theory, Daniel,
but it looks like we've got our guy.
Ellen's on her way down.
She's just signing some papers.
Here's Dr. Newsome's address.
Okay, I'll make sure she gets
to her appointment on time.
Don't mention your wife or
what happened to Preston.
It'll only upset and confuse her.
Thank you.
- Hey.
- Hey, Gerry.
- Thanks so much for doing this.
- Yeah. The car's right out here.
Okay.
Oh, um, Dr. Pierce, the police said that
a man named Weyland killed the alien.
- Why did he do it?
- I wish I knew.
If you see Mr. Weyland,
thank him for me.
Why would you want to thank him?
Because, Gerry...
Now that alien can't hurt
me or my husband ever again.
I don't know
why you're so upset.
Ellen's out of jail, and she's
gonna get the treatment she needs.
I'm upset because an innocent
man is going away for murder.
You said they found a
gun in the apartment.
The gun was a plant. The question
is, who wanted to frame him?
The publisher.
The publisher.
Uh... uh... Barbara.
Wasn't the victim her
best-selling author?
Yes, but she was the one
that put us on to Weyland.
Okay, assume for a minute that...
That Barbara did give Weyland's book to
Preston, and maybe he did plagiarize it.
Maybe he had... maybe he
had a pang of conscience.
He goes to Barbara, says
he wants to come clean.
That would expose her, maybe even end her
career and his, so she has to silence him!
I don't think this is good for you.
- What's not good for me?
- These cases.
I don't think you should do them
anymore. This one's making you manic.
No, no. Don't you see? It's the opposite!
It gives me something to focus on.
- It keeps the voices away.
- You're hearing voices?
No, no, that's not
what I meant, I just...
I just need you to
work with me a little.
Daniel, you don't want
me to be your shrink.
And I don't want to
be your Natalie.
Well, then I guess you're
lucky that I'm still here.
Here.
You better put this on.
Oh, I don't think so. Mnh-mnh.
Nothing gets past my grandmother.
She's going to notice
if you're not wearing it.
Nobody makes a better hot
dog than Wiener Heaven.
You sure you should be
eating this stuff, though, grandma?
My doctor used to tell me
to watch my Cholesterol.
But then he died.
Isn't this fun?
Oh. It's getting a little chilly.
Would you run inside
and fetch my blanket?
Sure, grandma.
You're getting
divorced, aren't you?
Uh, is it that obvious?
Well, you don't look at
him the same way anymore.
Oh.
Well, um...
He really hurt me.
And I am so sorry about that.
The Ryan men, they can be
selfish and shortsighted.
Did you know that Donnie was all
set to drop out of high school?
Yeah, he wanted to fix hot
rods or some such thing.
Oh, I read him the riot act.
He stayed in school.
And look at him now...
Mr. Big Shot U.S. Attorney.
- Right.
- I wouldn't make it easy on him.
But if you still want
him, he can change.
It's hard to say anything about Preston
Resnick and not sound pretentious.
So I'll just tell you that his books
meant as much to me as my own religion.
Preston was already a writer of
epic proportions by the time I...
Surprised to see you back here.
Yeah, well, I'm kind of
surprised to be here myself.
Grasping at straws, huh?
Interstellar Union of planets...
Looks like you're not
the only unexpected guest.
What's Ellen doing here?
Whoa. If she thinks her husband's
alive, then why the waterworks?
Doesn't add up, dude.
Enlarge our horizons by giving us
a better understanding of ourselves.
Ellen? I have nothing
to say to you.
- What's the matter?
- No. You are no better than the FBI.
I know you're part
of this cover-up.
- What cover up?
- Stay away from me!
Did either one of
you speak to Ellen?
Gerry tried, and she freaked out.
Why?
Oh, because she thinks
Gerry's an alien now, too.
She's getting worse, Dr.
Pierce. You have to help her.
- Hey, Rich.
- Caroline.
I just wanted to check in about a patient
that I referred last year... Daniel Pierce.
I was just curious how he
was doing on his drug regimen.
Come on, Caroline, really?
You know I can't say anything
without permission from the patient.
I know.
It's just that I have a schizophrenic case
that I'd like to put on the same meds and,
I was just wondering
how Pierce was coping.
To tell you the truth,
I have no idea.
He hasn't shown up for his
last three or four sessions.
Ellen doesn't
trust me anymore,
and she's shedding tears for a
husband she thinks is still alive.
Why? Why is she
suddenly in mourning?
You're not asking
the right question.
Which is? Why does Ellen think Gerry's an
alien when yesterday he was just Gerry?
Come on, Daniel. What do you
know about Capgras Delusion?
Who does Ellen see as an alien?
Someone she has an emotional
connection to, Barbara or her husband.
- And now Gerry.
- But she's known Gerry for years.
How did she develop
feelings for him overnight?
She fell in love with him.
What could Gerry have possibly
said or done in the last 24 hours,
that made Ellen love him?
I love you, Natalie Vincent!
- We have to talk.
- I can't. I got... I got to find Kate.
I just figured out who
killed Preston Resnick.
You and your wife have known the Resnick's
for a long time, haven't you, Mr. Bruckner?
Maybe 15 years?
Ah. I, uh... here.
I got these off Facebook.
It seems like you've all spent a
lot of time together, haven't you?
Looks like you took
trips... Bali, Venice.
Yeah, we're good friends.
But you didn't bring me over here
to look at old vacation photos.
Mr. Bruckner, when you heard Ellen's
diagnosis, you said you were "offended".
That she didn't see you as an
alien. What did you mean by that?
Ahem, just a... it was a bad joke.
Are you sure?
Because it seemed to me you were a little
upset that she didn't have the same,
feelings for you as she did for
her husband, or even your wife.
You know, maybe she was closer to my
wife than she was to me, but so what?
Well, that must have stung,
at least a little bit.
Well, maybe a little.
You've been renting
a lot of cars lately.
Six in the last two months.
So?
It says here that you
rented a Hyundai Sonata...
From Glenview Rentals
on August 30th.
The same day Ellen drove off the road
after she was distracted by a Hyundai.
Oh, come on. There's got to be a
million of those cars on the road.
I mean, what are you saying?
I'm hoping you can tell us why someone
who owns two luxury German sedans
would bother paying for run-of-the-mill
rentals in his own town.
You were stalking Ellen Resnick.
You couldn't follow her in your
own car. She'd recognize you.
And one day, you
followed her too closely,
and she got spooked, and
she hit a telephone pole.
Um, I am not saying anything
else until I talk to my lawyer.
A woman who you
obviously cared about,
suffered a debilitating brain
injury all because of you.
Doesn't that make you feel
the slightest bit guilty?
Wait Kate, that's not fair, I
mean, Gerry couldn't have known
about Ellen's aneurysm. That
wasn't your fault, right?
- It wasn't.
- No. It was her husband's, really.
- If he'd only taken her to the hospital.
- They'd have given her a C.T. scan.
The doctors might have been
able to stop the bleed in time.
How could a husband
neglect his wife like that?
She deserved someone who
would take care of her.
But first you had to get
Preston out of the way.
What? No. What...
No, no, no, that's not, you didn't
mean to hurt Preston, did you?
No! I just wanted him to go away!
I went over there to tell him there
was no point in them being married.
I mean, they couldn't be together anymore,
now that she thought he was an alien.
And Preston just wouldn't listen!
He... he told me he thought I was crazy.
And that's when I realized that there
was no way he was ever gonna leave Ellen.
There was only one way to make
sure that he never saw her again.
But you needed to pin
the crime on someone.
You knew that Weyland had threatened
both Preston and your wife.
No one would question that
Weyland was the killer.
So you planted the gun
in his apartment.
Yeah, but then at the convention,
Ellen thought you were an alien, too.
It didn't make sense until I remembered
what she said at the police station.
Well, if you see Mr.
Weyland, thank him for me.
She was expressing gratitude
to the wrong person.
So you had to set the
record straight.
That nut job did not help her.
I did! I told her the truth!
You killed the alien?
- I did.
- Why?
I did it to protect you, Ellen.
Look, I don't know if you want to hear
this, but I have loved you for so long.
Gerry, I'm married.
I know. I know. But
Preston's not coming home.
Wait. What are...
what are you saying?
Look, the FBI and Dr. Pierce
didn't want me to tell you,
but you deserve the truth, Ellen.
What truth?
Preston's dead, Ellen.
- I'm sorry.
- No.
And she cried for hours.
I understand why Ellen would be
grateful to you for killing the impostor.
But she felt more than
that, didn't she?
How did you make her
love you, Gerry?
I went to check on her.
She invited me in.
And, uh...
It just happened.
It was the most wonderful
moment of my life.
She was grieving, and
she reached out to you.
But it didn't last long, did it?
- No.
- What happened, Gerry?
The sun came up.
What have you done with
Gerry?! Where's Gerry?!
- It's... it's me!
- No, no, no, no!
You're one of them! Get out!
I just wanted her to love me.
And for one night, she did.
Human emotions are such
a mystery, aren't they?
Affirmative, Captain.
It's been fun.
Next time I'm on your
planet, I'll look you up.
It's rare that my hallucinations
are more delusional than I am.
Oh, come on, you know you're
not really from another planet.
That's what you're
supposed to think.
Forgot to give that back to you.
- Keep it.
- Donnie, I'm not keeping it.
I gave it to you. It's yours.
Sell it if you don't want it.
Hang on.
Your papers.
As promised.
Thanks.
I guess that's that.
Kate. Kate.
I screwed this up.
I cheated, and I lied.
And I'm still not being
honest with you.
I told you that I was transferred
back here, but the truth is...
I asked for this transfer.
Because I missed you.
File those if you want.
But I'm hoping you won't.
Oh, hey. Hey. I've been...
Trying to call you.
I know. I thought it was
better that we talk in person.
Well look, before you say anything, there's
something I need to say to you I uh...
I haven't been completely
honest with you.
I am off my meds. I should
have told you sooner. I'm sorry.
Daniel, I already knew.
You did?
I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard
you in your office talking to Natalie.
- Oh, that... that doesn't mean...
- I heard you say that you loved her.
You don't understand.
I have a completely different
relationship with her than I have with you.
Daniel, please.
Do you hear yourself?
It was wrong of me to go off my
meds and not tell you. I'm sorry.
No. This whole thing is my fault.
You came to me as a patient.
But when you told me that you saw me once
25 years ago and that you'd fallen in
love with me at first sight, I guess I
was taken by how romantic that sounded.
And then you went on your meds,
and you started getting better,
and I was so attracted to you.
But I guess I was the one that was
delusional to convince myself...
That there was a world
in which this relationship
could be healthy for either of us.
- But it was a mistake.
- Caroline, please.
Daniel, I can't see you anymore.
I'm sorry.
Go after her. Tell
her that you'll get help.
Tell her that you'll
go back on your meds.
Tell her that she means
more to you than I do.
No.
I can't lie to her anymore.
Why do we bother
with relationships?
Neuropsychiatrists say that we're
hardwired to crave intimate connections.
We long for love.
Of course, the reality is it
usually it ends in heartache.
Leaving our delicate psyches bruised
if not completely shattered.
Why do we even bother
playing those odds?
I guess because we only
have to get it right once.
And when it's right, we know it.
Even the memory of a fulfilling
relationship can sustain us.
And remind us that, although we may be
feeling down at this particular moment...
We're never truly alone.
Let's talk about love.
How does love rewire the brain?
When we meet somebody new and exciting,
they invade our synapses like a virus,
triggering neurochemicals that feed
into attraction, arousal, even obsession.
We get distracted.
We think about that special
someone all the time,
even in the middle of a
brilliantly stimulating lecture.
But we're not just
thinking about them.
We're building an internal model...
A simulation that helps us predict
what they'll think or how they'll feel.
Of course, relationships get into
trouble when the simulation meets reality.
Which begs the question...
Do we ever really fall in
love with another person,
or just with our idea
of who they are?
2x02
Alienation
Whoa, whoa, Doc.
Where are you going?
You've got a student
conference in 10 minutes.
Cancel all my appointments.
I got a lunch.
"Lunch"?
I do enjoy our "lunches".
Would you like to
see a dessert menu?
I got you something.
What is this?
Oh. Just what I always wanted...
the monolith from "2001".
It's loaded with all
the latest apps, see?
Wow. What's an app?
Max can help you program it.
You got this so that you
could keep tabs on me.
Someone has to.
- How are you feeling?
- Oh, great.
Well, I'm just worried that there
might be a problem with your meds.
Why do you think that?
Because last week I saw
you talking to yourself.
Well, sometimes I'm the most
interesting person in the room.
You were the only
person in the room.
Caroline, I'm not having symptoms,
if that's what you're worried about.
Liar.
If you're gonna have a relationship
with her, you need to be honest.
I'm fine, really.
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.
I just don't want you to
worry about me. That's all.
Okay. I'm gonna have a shower.
Mm. Mm. Mm.
If you're gonna have a relationship
with your real girlfriend,
you're gonna have to stop
seeing your imaginary one.
Shh! I'm gonna tell her.
I'm just...
Waiting for the right time.
You're gonna tell her that
you've gone off your meds?
And you're not worried that
that's gonna scare her off?
Maybe you'd like that.
Then you'd have me all to yourself.
Do you realize how
crazy that sounds?
Huh.
That is a stunning blouse.
Cut the crap, Donnie.
What do you want?
It's my grandmother's
birthday on Saturday.
I'm having a little picnic for her, and
I thought maybe you'd want to join us.
- I don't think that's a good idea.
- Kate.
It'd be nice. How many birthdays
do you think she's got left?
You haven't told her
we're getting divorced.
You really just expect
me to go to this picnic
with you, pretend we're
still happily married?
Not happening.
Finally got the divorce papers
in the mail from your lawyer.
Great. Did you sign them?
I got a really heavy
case load right now, Kate,
so I don't know when I'm
gonna be able to get to them.
Seriously, Donnie? Blackmail?
It's more of a hostage
negotiation, really.
Come on. She'd love to see you.
All right, I will go...
for her, not for you.
And I want those papers signed.
Hey, Moretti. Why don't
you pick up line two?
Who is it?
Perfect case for you
and the nutty Professor.
I've got an abduction
case I could use your help on.
Married white male, 46. Wife claims
she hasn't seen him for a week.
Is there a Neurological or
mental-health angle I'm missing?
You could say that. The wife says
that her husband was abducted by, um...
Aliens from outer space.
I know what you're thinking.
"Why are we wasting our
time looking into this?"
But there could be a real
underlying crime here,
and we're obligated by law to look into
it, no matter how weird it sounds, so...
Don't you think you're
jumping to conclusions?
What do you mean?
Maybe the guy really
was abducted by aliens.
Excuse me?
Oh, come on, Kate. You work
for the federal government.
Don't tell me you don't
know that they've been
whitewashing this sort
of thing for decades.
Roswell? The abductions
of Betty and Barney Hill?
If we look into this, we could blow open
the biggest cover-up in American history.
Had you going there
for a minute, didn't I?
- That is not funny!
- It's a little bit funny... little bit.
Must be the place.
- Ellen Resnick?
- Yes?
Special Agent Moretti.
FBI. This is Dr. Pierce.
- You called us about an abduction?
- Thank God you came.
I wasn't sure anyone
was gonna believe me.
Why don't you tell us how long
your husband's been missing?
He went away on a business trip six
days ago, and I haven't seen him since.
Okay, if he went away on a trip,
what makes you think he's been...
Excuse me.
Who are you people?
- FBI. And you are?
- I'm Preston Resnick. I'm her husband.
No! He is not my husband! That's
what I've been trying to tell you.
He's an alien!
She seemed fine last week
when we talked on the phone.
All this alien nonsense didn't
start till I got home last night.
Does your wife have any history
of drug or alcohol abuse?
No.
I've been trying to get her to
see a doctor all morning, but uh...
She locked herself in the
bathroom and won't talk to me.
It's gonna be all right.
When did you realize that your
husband wasn't really your husband?
Last night. I was asleep
when I heard the bedroom door open.
It was dark, and he sounded just
like Preston, so I thought it was him.
Your husband wrote this?
Yes.
The alien does look a lot like him.
He looks exactly like him.
But I can tell it's not Preston.
What's different about him?
Well, for one thing, my
husband would never hurt me.
The alien hurt you?
You can trust me.
That alien...
Raped me.
You have to believe me. I
would never hurt my wife.
Yeah, well, she says you did, so
why don't you tell us what happened?
I'd just gotten home
from my book-signing tour.
I thought I would surprise Ellen
by coming home a little early.
It's just me.
Hey.
I thought you weren't coming
home till this weekend.
- Yeah, I couldn't wait to see you.
- Really?
She seemed normal until
she turned on the light.
What... where... where's my husband?!
Where's Preston?! Who are you?!
I'm your husband. I'm Preston.
- No, you're not!
- What's going on?!
Stay away from me!
She locked herself in the
bathroom until you guys showed up.
Before you left for your trip, did
she show any other unusual behavior?
Actually, yeah, she's been
a little paranoid lately.
She told me that she... she
thought she was being followed.
I thought she was imagining it because
each time it was a different car.
First it was a Chevy.
Then it was a Ford.
Last time, it was a Hyundai.
She said it got a little too
close to her, ran her off the road,
and she hit a telephone pole.
What the hell is
wrong with my wife?
I think she's suffering from a Neurological
disorder known as Capgras Delusion.
Capgras?
In the '20s, a French
psychiatrist, Jean Marie Capgras,
had a patient who was convinced her friends
and family had been replaced by impostors.
For people living
with the condition,
the pathway between the Visual
Cortex and the Amygdala...
The emotional center of the
brain... has been severed.
When you look at
your wife, you get a
a warm and fuzzy glow because
you have deep feelings for her.
But when Ellen looks at you, she no
longer feels an emotional arousal.
So, to her, you're just a stranger
that happens to look like her husband.
But why does she
think I'm from outer space?
Capgras patients come up with
some pretty bizarre ideas.
They think their loved ones have been
replaced by twins or clones, robots.
You're a science-fiction author.
That's likely why she fixated on aliens.
Yeah, but I climbed
into bed with her.
She certainly didn't
think I was an alien.
Because the lights were off.
The pathway between Ellen's auditory center
and her Amygdala is likely still intact.
So when she only hears your voice,
she still gets that warm
feeling that tells her it's you.
Well, then, why don't
I call her on my phone,
and while we're talking, I just walk into
the room, and she'll see that it's me?
A therapist may want to try that.
But right now we need to
play along with her delusion.
But isn't that just reinforcing
the psychotic belief?
Mr. Resnick, if I tell your wife the
truth, she's not gonna believe me.
She's gonna believe her own feelings, and
they're telling her you are an impostor.
The important thing now is
to get her to a hospital,
so we can figure out the
underlying cause of the disorder.
You want to scan my brain?
It's just a precaution.
Do you think the alien
did something to me?
I've heard they can
implant microchips.
It's not likely, but you
should get a scan just in case.
Dr. Pierce, what's gonna
happen to the alien?
The FBI isn't gonna let him
just walk out of here, are they?
- He might attack someone else.
- I'll talk to Agent Moretti.
Get the FBI to put him in custody.
The alien is not gonna
hurt you anymore.
Dr. Pierce, this is Gerry
and Barbara Bruckner.
They're our closest friends.
Anything you can say to me,
you can say in front of them.
Ellen suffered a ruptured aneurysm.
It was a time bomb waiting to go off.
I'm guessing it burst
in the car accident.
Fortunately, the bleeding
stopped on its own,
but the blood loss damaged
her Occipitotemporal region.
It's probably what
caused the Capgras.
So, that's it? You're telling me that
my wife will never recognize me again?
Well, there are therapies
that show promise.
But in the meantime, if
you want to talk to her,
it's gonna have to be on the phone.
What am I supposed to say, that I'm
being held prisoner on a flying saucer?
I knew I should have taken her to the
hospital as soon as the car accident.
- I knew. But she said she was okay.
- It's not your fault, Preston.
Look, there's no
reason to keep her here.
I've convinced her to stay the
night. But when she does go home...
You can't be there.
Okay. I guess I'll
check into a hotel.
I'll call the
convention organizers, and I'll
tell them you can't
make it tomorrow.
Some publisher you are. It's my most
important appearance of the year.
No, I think it's better that I go.
Believe me, I could
use the distraction.
Dr. Pierce, can we see Ellen?
Is there anything you need?
I can run by the house or...
Maybe if you could
just find me a nurse?
I'd love some cranberry juice.
Sure.
Gerry. Gerry.
Please be careful.
That's not Barbara.
She's an alien, too.
So?
Dr. Pierce...
I don't understand. Gerry and
I have known Ellen for years.
So, why does she think I'm an
impostor but not my husband?
I'm guessing she doesn't have
the same emotional connection
to Gerry here as she
does to you or Preston.
I guess I should be offended.
No, honey, this is good. Ellen trusts you.
She needs someone to look out for her.
I mean, obviously,
Preston and I can't do it.
I'll do whatever I can.
I've never met a patient with Capgras
before, never mind treated one.
Well, if you're not interested...
I didn't say that.
How's the Couscous, Daniel?
Actually, there are some
new behavioral techniques...
First, she buys you a cellphone... then
she makes you Couscous with raisins.
You hate raisins.
She doesn't know you
very well, does she?
- Would you excuse me a minute?
- Is everything all right?
I forgot to wash my hands.
Daniel, are trying to avoid me?
What...
Why are you doing this to me?
I can't see you anymore. I'm seeing her.
If you don't want to see
me, you know what to do.
I can't be on those meds.
They were giving me tremors.
I'll wind up a twitching mess, shuffling
across campus like the local madman.
You don't have Tardive Dyskinesia.
- You don't know that.
- T.D. Is extremely rare in atypical meds.
- Maybe the symptoms are all in your head.
- I'd know the difference.
- Try different meds.
- Daniel?
- Uh huh.
- You have a phone call.
Lewicki?
Hello? What?
Do they know where she went?
- All right.
- What is it?
Ellen checked herself
out of the hospital.
If she goes home and
runs into her husband...
How do you turn this off?
- Can you give me a lift?
- Of course.
- We'll all go!
- No! I mean... now.
We... we got to go now.
Mr. Resnick? Ellen?
- Oh, my God!
- Don't worry, Dr. Pierce.
It's the alien.
It's not my husband!
It almost looks like
human blood, doesn't it?
Ellen, why did you do this?
Why did you leave the hospital?
Because Preston was in danger.
We were talking on the phone when I
realized that something was wrong.
I need to see you.
I know, sweetheart,
but it's not that simple.
- That's our doorbell.
- It's just the TV.
Are... are... are you at our house?
No! No, of course not!
I'm sorry, Sweetie. I have to go.
But I knew what I'd heard.
Preston would never lie to me
unless he was being forced to,
which meant he was in trouble.
I tried calling the FBI, but
Agent Moretti wasn't there,
and I couldn't just wait
around for her to call me back.
I had to make sure my
husband was all right.
So I went home, and I found
the alien on the floor.
He was dead.
It looked like someone
had shot him.
But it didn't make any sense.
What was he doing in my house?
You said that the FBI
was going to arrest him!
I started to worry because the police
were gonna find me with this body,
and they might think
that it was Preston!
I had to show them
that it wasn't him.
I thought if I could expose its
alien organs, then they'd see.
Dr. Pierce... Dr. Pierce.
My husband is still missing.
You have to find him
before the aliens do.
Daniel, I got here as soon
as I could. What's the latest?
The police have this ridiculous
theory that... that...
That Ellen shot her husband in a fit of
rage, left the house to dispose of the gun,
which they haven't found, by the way, and
then came back to perform an alien autopsy.
It doesn't make sense.
They're railroading her!
Huh.
Dr. Newsome.
Agent Moretti, it's
nice to see you again.
- You too.
- Are you okay?
Uh, the Detective
said that I can go.
I need to stay and work with
Kate. You're all right to get home?
I'll be just fine.
Why did you invite your
therapist to a crime scene?
I thought you weren't
seeing her anymore.
I'm not. We were discussing
Ellen's case when the call came in,
and then she was kind
enough to offer a... a ride.
Look, we got to figure out
who killed Preston Resnick
because Chicago P.D.
certainly isn't gonna do it.
Okay, well, if Ellen didn't
kill her husband, then who did?
A writer named A.Z. Weyland.
Another novelist?
Well, it depends on how
you define "novelist".
He wrote an "autobiography" about his
alleged alien-abduction experiences.
The entire thing is fiction,
and Weyland sent that manuscript
to every publisher in town.
Okay, what makes you think
that Weyland killed Preston?
Because last month, he threatened
Preston and me at a book launch.
He was ranting and raving about I
must have given Preston his manuscript
and how Preston ripped him off and
used it as the basis for his novel.
That guy put threatening notes
on my car and at Preston's house.
I had to get a restraining order.
Did Preston plagiarize
the manuscript?
I never gave it to him.
Besides, Preston wouldn't need to steal
ideas from a head case like Weyland.
His fans are gonna
be so devastated.
He was supposed to read a
chapter today at the convention.
So, I guess now I'll have to
arrange a memorial instead.
Do you have any idea where
we could find Mr. Weyland?
It's gonna take forever
to find Weyland's booth.
- I'm gonna try to find us a map.
- Hmm.
Wait.
Hello. And what have we here?
Lewicki? Why the hell
are you dressed like that?
I'm Lando Calrissian,
administrator of Cloud City,
and General in the rebel alliance.
I'm sorry I asked.
You'd better have those Neuro 101 papers
graded and on my desk by 10:00 A.M.
You know, this deal is
getting worse all the time.
Your attention, please. Seven
of Nine is now signing in Alpha room.
Cool costume.
Beg your pardon?
Aren't you supposed to be Doctor
Who? The one with the scarf?
This isn't a costume.
Oh, sorry, dude. I'm
Gorthar from Tau Ceti V.
I'm coming down with
a cold. I better not.
That's okay. Tau Cetians
are immune to human viruses.
All right, I know what you're thinking.
I don't much look like an alien.
Yeah, I'm really not
thinking about it.
See, that's the point exactly...
to blend in among humans.
Us Tau Cetians,
we're shape shifters.
We can look like any one of you.
If you saw my true form, your
brain would probably explode!
Brains only explode in
bad science-fiction movies.
You'd know. You're the
brain expert, right?
How did you know that?
I know a whole lot
about you, Dr. Pierce.
- Who are you?
- Daniel.
Uh...
Are you having an episode?
No, no, no. I just... this... this...
this place just overstimulated me a little.
- Do you need me to get you out of here?
- No. I'm fine.
- Really.
- Okay.
Well, I know where to find Weyland.
I really can't wait to read
this. I love stories about aliens.
This isn't fiction. I lived this.
Next!
- Who do I make it out to?
- Special Agent Moretti. FBI.
That's Moretti with two "T" 's.
I wondered how long it would
take the government to show up.
I need to talk to you about
the murder of Preston Resnick.
- Resnick is dead?
- Shot to death.
I'd like to know where
you were last night.
That's none of your business.
You see?! The
military-entertainment complex
did everything they could to
prevent my story from getting out.
And now the FBI wants to frame me to
stop you from learning the truth!
Mr. Weyland...
FBI! Stop!
Thanks, boys.
I'll put in a good
word with Lord Vader.
Come with me.
"A heroing account
of an ordinary man".
"Tormented by visitors
from another world,
and the toll it takes on
his career and family".
That sounds like a compelling read.
Only this isn't your book.
It's Preston Resnick's.
You think he stole your
alien fairy tale, don't you?
Sorry... your "autobiography".
You think I don't know
how all this sounds?
The first time they came for me,
I thought I was losing my mind.
But then it happened again, and I couldn't
deny the reality of what was going on.
You must have been plenty pissed when
Preston's novel became a best seller,
and you didn't make a dime.
In my line of work, that's
what we call a "motive".
- I didn't write this to make money.
- Why did you write it?
As a public service,
to help other abductees.
Where were you last night
between 10:00 P.M. and 1:00 A.M.?
You won't believe me
even if I tell you.
I'm pretty gullible.
I was tired.
So I went to bed early.
But I wish I had
never shut my eyes.
There were three of them.
They didn't talk, but I
could hear their thoughts.
They had me in their
paralysis beam.
I just wanted it to be over.
I really owe
this guy an apology.
I'm the one who probed him.
Trust me, I didn't want to. Ugh.
Would you please just beam
up or whatever it is you do?
Come on, dude. Maybe you don't believe
Weyland was abducted. But he believes it.
Just look at him.
The slumped shoulders,
the drooping head.
Listen to how he's
slurring his words.
Well, maybe he had a fifth
of Jack Daniel's for lunch.
I thought you were the
brilliant brain guy.
Help me out here.
Pardon me.
What?
- Weyland didn't do it.
- He doesn't have an alibi.
Yeah, he does... the aliens.
Oh, no, Daniel, we're not
going down that road again.
Wait, wait, wait. Listen, listen, listen.
He's exhausted. He's slurring his words.
So?
I think Weyland has narcolepsy, and
half the patients with narcolepsy,
also suffer from sleep paralysis.
Now, hear me out.
In a normal rem cycle,
the body disconnects
from the brain so we
don't act out our dreams.
But with sleep paralysis, the brain
wakes up in a highly suggestible state.
It's terrifying. People imagine they're
being attacked by strange creatures.
It used to be ghosts and witches, but
nowadays, more commonly, it's aliens.
It's also possible that his
story is complete bullshit.
No, I don't... from his perspective,
his... his nightmares are real.
I'm telling you, when
Resnick was murdered,
this guy was probably at
home immobilized in his bed.
Moretti?
What is it?
We executed a warrant on
Weyland's apartment and found this.
Ballistics matched it to the bullets
that they pulled out of Preston Resnick.
I'll call C.P.D. and tell them
to cut Ellen Resnick loose.
Nice job, Moretti.
It's a fascinating theory, Daniel,
but it looks like we've got our guy.
Ellen's on her way down.
She's just signing some papers.
Here's Dr. Newsome's address.
Okay, I'll make sure she gets
to her appointment on time.
Don't mention your wife or
what happened to Preston.
It'll only upset and confuse her.
Thank you.
- Hey.
- Hey, Gerry.
- Thanks so much for doing this.
- Yeah. The car's right out here.
Okay.
Oh, um, Dr. Pierce, the police said that
a man named Weyland killed the alien.
- Why did he do it?
- I wish I knew.
If you see Mr. Weyland,
thank him for me.
Why would you want to thank him?
Because, Gerry...
Now that alien can't hurt
me or my husband ever again.
I don't know
why you're so upset.
Ellen's out of jail, and she's
gonna get the treatment she needs.
I'm upset because an innocent
man is going away for murder.
You said they found a
gun in the apartment.
The gun was a plant. The question
is, who wanted to frame him?
The publisher.
The publisher.
Uh... uh... Barbara.
Wasn't the victim her
best-selling author?
Yes, but she was the one
that put us on to Weyland.
Okay, assume for a minute that...
That Barbara did give Weyland's book to
Preston, and maybe he did plagiarize it.
Maybe he had... maybe he
had a pang of conscience.
He goes to Barbara, says
he wants to come clean.
That would expose her, maybe even end her
career and his, so she has to silence him!
I don't think this is good for you.
- What's not good for me?
- These cases.
I don't think you should do them
anymore. This one's making you manic.
No, no. Don't you see? It's the opposite!
It gives me something to focus on.
- It keeps the voices away.
- You're hearing voices?
No, no, that's not
what I meant, I just...
I just need you to
work with me a little.
Daniel, you don't want
me to be your shrink.
And I don't want to
be your Natalie.
Well, then I guess you're
lucky that I'm still here.
Here.
You better put this on.
Oh, I don't think so. Mnh-mnh.
Nothing gets past my grandmother.
She's going to notice
if you're not wearing it.
Nobody makes a better hot
dog than Wiener Heaven.
You sure you should be
eating this stuff, though, grandma?
My doctor used to tell me
to watch my Cholesterol.
But then he died.
Isn't this fun?
Oh. It's getting a little chilly.
Would you run inside
and fetch my blanket?
Sure, grandma.
You're getting
divorced, aren't you?
Uh, is it that obvious?
Well, you don't look at
him the same way anymore.
Oh.
Well, um...
He really hurt me.
And I am so sorry about that.
The Ryan men, they can be
selfish and shortsighted.
Did you know that Donnie was all
set to drop out of high school?
Yeah, he wanted to fix hot
rods or some such thing.
Oh, I read him the riot act.
He stayed in school.
And look at him now...
Mr. Big Shot U.S. Attorney.
- Right.
- I wouldn't make it easy on him.
But if you still want
him, he can change.
It's hard to say anything about Preston
Resnick and not sound pretentious.
So I'll just tell you that his books
meant as much to me as my own religion.
Preston was already a writer of
epic proportions by the time I...
Surprised to see you back here.
Yeah, well, I'm kind of
surprised to be here myself.
Grasping at straws, huh?
Interstellar Union of planets...
Looks like you're not
the only unexpected guest.
What's Ellen doing here?
Whoa. If she thinks her husband's
alive, then why the waterworks?
Doesn't add up, dude.
Enlarge our horizons by giving us
a better understanding of ourselves.
Ellen? I have nothing
to say to you.
- What's the matter?
- No. You are no better than the FBI.
I know you're part
of this cover-up.
- What cover up?
- Stay away from me!
Did either one of
you speak to Ellen?
Gerry tried, and she freaked out.
Why?
Oh, because she thinks
Gerry's an alien now, too.
She's getting worse, Dr.
Pierce. You have to help her.
- Hey, Rich.
- Caroline.
I just wanted to check in about a patient
that I referred last year... Daniel Pierce.
I was just curious how he
was doing on his drug regimen.
Come on, Caroline, really?
You know I can't say anything
without permission from the patient.
I know.
It's just that I have a schizophrenic case
that I'd like to put on the same meds and,
I was just wondering
how Pierce was coping.
To tell you the truth,
I have no idea.
He hasn't shown up for his
last three or four sessions.
Ellen doesn't
trust me anymore,
and she's shedding tears for a
husband she thinks is still alive.
Why? Why is she
suddenly in mourning?
You're not asking
the right question.
Which is? Why does Ellen think Gerry's an
alien when yesterday he was just Gerry?
Come on, Daniel. What do you
know about Capgras Delusion?
Who does Ellen see as an alien?
Someone she has an emotional
connection to, Barbara or her husband.
- And now Gerry.
- But she's known Gerry for years.
How did she develop
feelings for him overnight?
She fell in love with him.
What could Gerry have possibly
said or done in the last 24 hours,
that made Ellen love him?
I love you, Natalie Vincent!
- We have to talk.
- I can't. I got... I got to find Kate.
I just figured out who
killed Preston Resnick.
You and your wife have known the Resnick's
for a long time, haven't you, Mr. Bruckner?
Maybe 15 years?
Ah. I, uh... here.
I got these off Facebook.
It seems like you've all spent a
lot of time together, haven't you?
Looks like you took
trips... Bali, Venice.
Yeah, we're good friends.
But you didn't bring me over here
to look at old vacation photos.
Mr. Bruckner, when you heard Ellen's
diagnosis, you said you were "offended".
That she didn't see you as an
alien. What did you mean by that?
Ahem, just a... it was a bad joke.
Are you sure?
Because it seemed to me you were a little
upset that she didn't have the same,
feelings for you as she did for
her husband, or even your wife.
You know, maybe she was closer to my
wife than she was to me, but so what?
Well, that must have stung,
at least a little bit.
Well, maybe a little.
You've been renting
a lot of cars lately.
Six in the last two months.
So?
It says here that you
rented a Hyundai Sonata...
From Glenview Rentals
on August 30th.
The same day Ellen drove off the road
after she was distracted by a Hyundai.
Oh, come on. There's got to be a
million of those cars on the road.
I mean, what are you saying?
I'm hoping you can tell us why someone
who owns two luxury German sedans
would bother paying for run-of-the-mill
rentals in his own town.
You were stalking Ellen Resnick.
You couldn't follow her in your
own car. She'd recognize you.
And one day, you
followed her too closely,
and she got spooked, and
she hit a telephone pole.
Um, I am not saying anything
else until I talk to my lawyer.
A woman who you
obviously cared about,
suffered a debilitating brain
injury all because of you.
Doesn't that make you feel
the slightest bit guilty?
Wait Kate, that's not fair, I
mean, Gerry couldn't have known
about Ellen's aneurysm. That
wasn't your fault, right?
- It wasn't.
- No. It was her husband's, really.
- If he'd only taken her to the hospital.
- They'd have given her a C.T. scan.
The doctors might have been
able to stop the bleed in time.
How could a husband
neglect his wife like that?
She deserved someone who
would take care of her.
But first you had to get
Preston out of the way.
What? No. What...
No, no, no, that's not, you didn't
mean to hurt Preston, did you?
No! I just wanted him to go away!
I went over there to tell him there
was no point in them being married.
I mean, they couldn't be together anymore,
now that she thought he was an alien.
And Preston just wouldn't listen!
He... he told me he thought I was crazy.
And that's when I realized that there
was no way he was ever gonna leave Ellen.
There was only one way to make
sure that he never saw her again.
But you needed to pin
the crime on someone.
You knew that Weyland had threatened
both Preston and your wife.
No one would question that
Weyland was the killer.
So you planted the gun
in his apartment.
Yeah, but then at the convention,
Ellen thought you were an alien, too.
It didn't make sense until I remembered
what she said at the police station.
Well, if you see Mr.
Weyland, thank him for me.
She was expressing gratitude
to the wrong person.
So you had to set the
record straight.
That nut job did not help her.
I did! I told her the truth!
You killed the alien?
- I did.
- Why?
I did it to protect you, Ellen.
Look, I don't know if you want to hear
this, but I have loved you for so long.
Gerry, I'm married.
I know. I know. But
Preston's not coming home.
Wait. What are...
what are you saying?
Look, the FBI and Dr. Pierce
didn't want me to tell you,
but you deserve the truth, Ellen.
What truth?
Preston's dead, Ellen.
- I'm sorry.
- No.
And she cried for hours.
I understand why Ellen would be
grateful to you for killing the impostor.
But she felt more than
that, didn't she?
How did you make her
love you, Gerry?
I went to check on her.
She invited me in.
And, uh...
It just happened.
It was the most wonderful
moment of my life.
She was grieving, and
she reached out to you.
But it didn't last long, did it?
- No.
- What happened, Gerry?
The sun came up.
What have you done with
Gerry?! Where's Gerry?!
- It's... it's me!
- No, no, no, no!
You're one of them! Get out!
I just wanted her to love me.
And for one night, she did.
Human emotions are such
a mystery, aren't they?
Affirmative, Captain.
It's been fun.
Next time I'm on your
planet, I'll look you up.
It's rare that my hallucinations
are more delusional than I am.
Oh, come on, you know you're
not really from another planet.
That's what you're
supposed to think.
Forgot to give that back to you.
- Keep it.
- Donnie, I'm not keeping it.
I gave it to you. It's yours.
Sell it if you don't want it.
Hang on.
Your papers.
As promised.
Thanks.
I guess that's that.
Kate. Kate.
I screwed this up.
I cheated, and I lied.
And I'm still not being
honest with you.
I told you that I was transferred
back here, but the truth is...
I asked for this transfer.
Because I missed you.
File those if you want.
But I'm hoping you won't.
Oh, hey. Hey. I've been...
Trying to call you.
I know. I thought it was
better that we talk in person.
Well look, before you say anything, there's
something I need to say to you I uh...
I haven't been completely
honest with you.
I am off my meds. I should
have told you sooner. I'm sorry.
Daniel, I already knew.
You did?
I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard
you in your office talking to Natalie.
- Oh, that... that doesn't mean...
- I heard you say that you loved her.
You don't understand.
I have a completely different
relationship with her than I have with you.
Daniel, please.
Do you hear yourself?
It was wrong of me to go off my
meds and not tell you. I'm sorry.
No. This whole thing is my fault.
You came to me as a patient.
But when you told me that you saw me once
25 years ago and that you'd fallen in
love with me at first sight, I guess I
was taken by how romantic that sounded.
And then you went on your meds,
and you started getting better,
and I was so attracted to you.
But I guess I was the one that was
delusional to convince myself...
That there was a world
in which this relationship
could be healthy for either of us.
- But it was a mistake.
- Caroline, please.
Daniel, I can't see you anymore.
I'm sorry.
Go after her. Tell
her that you'll get help.
Tell her that you'll
go back on your meds.
Tell her that she means
more to you than I do.
No.
I can't lie to her anymore.
Why do we bother
with relationships?
Neuropsychiatrists say that we're
hardwired to crave intimate connections.
We long for love.
Of course, the reality is it
usually it ends in heartache.
Leaving our delicate psyches bruised
if not completely shattered.
Why do we even bother
playing those odds?
I guess because we only
have to get it right once.
And when it's right, we know it.
Even the memory of a fulfilling
relationship can sustain us.
And remind us that, although we may be
feeling down at this particular moment...
We're never truly alone.