Reckoning (2019): Season 1, Episode 1 - California Dreamin' - full transcript

MAN:
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

I've struggled for so long...

[♪♪♪]

to be the man I wanna be,
but I keep failing.

What I do...

who I am...

is hurting the people I love the most.

FATHER MORAN: And God will forgive you
that. - I don't want God's forgiveness.

If there really is a God,

what I want is for him to protect my family

from what I've done.



Can he do that?

Will he do that?

[♪♪♪]

[WOMAN PANTING]

[GASPS]

[MIKE GASPS]

[♪♪♪]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

♪ There is a roadway
Muddy and foxgloved ♪

♪ Whenever I'd had life enough ♪

♪ My heart is screaming out ♪

♪ And in a few days
I would be there, love ♪

♪ Whatever here that's left of me ♪

♪ Is yours just as it was ♪



[PHONE RINGING]

♪ Just as it was, baby ♪

[RINGING STOPS]

♪ Before the otherness came ♪

♪ And I knew its name ♪

♪ The drug, the dark,
the light, the shame ♪

♪ The highs hit the heights of my baby ♪

♪ And its hold had the fight of my baby ♪

♪ And the lights were
as bright as my baby ♪

♪ And the cold cut as sharp as my baby ♪

♪ And the nights were as dark as my baby ♪

♪ And half as beautiful too ♪♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Be yourself, you know?
You're enough as you are.

But hey, it's okay also to be guarded. You
don't have to make friends on your first day.

I already know Caitlin and Todd.

Still, it's a-- It's a big school.

- You got your phone? And it's charged?
- Yeah.

MIKE: Okay, well, don't forget to text me
the moment you get home.

SAM:
Are you gonna be okay, Dad?

MIKE:
Absolutely.

- Yeah?
- Dad, maybe this was a mistake.

- What?
- Changing schools.

- You said it's not too late to return to Willmont.
- Forget what I said.

You've been lobbying me and your mom to
go to public school for two years, right?

I knew you didn't want me to,

that it would make you uncomfortable
and a little...

- Crazier than usual.
- No.

You know what I mean.

Look, you wanna be here
and I want what you want, okay?

I'm fine. I'm fine, sweetheart.

Okay, I'll be fine.
How about that? All right.

- You be safe. Okay.
- Okay.

[TIRES SCREECH]

Whoa.

Bye, Dad.

First day.

- Where are you going?
- I'm parking the car.

No, you have to drop me off.
I'm not coming in there with you.

No, no, you're gonna do great, Pax.

You know, if you need me, I'm right there.

[PAXTON SIGHS]

Look, you gotta look at
this as a new adventure.

You're gonna make friends in no
time, I promise.

Do most...? Do most kids like you or...?
I mean, do they think you're pretty cool?

Yeah, most. I hope.

- Okay, so when they find out I'm your son?
- Just don't worry so much, okay?

Just be yourself.

Hey, it's better than being Brian Shaffer.

You see that big lug of a guy?
He's been held back twice.

Not the brightest bulb.

[CHUCKLES]

Is everybody gonna know
what I did at my old school?

No, of course not.

That's our secret, all right?

Okay.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Oh, she's back. Jackie!

How many weeks you get?

- Sir, it's ridiculous.
- What's up?

Nice board, Andy. I like it.

Excuse me.

WOMAN [OVER PA]: Good morning,
Canaan High School faculty and students.

Welcome back, Coyotes.

At this time, we want to urge
any students with information

regarding the whereabouts
of senior Gretchen McGrath

to please report to
Principal Taft's office.

Also, anyone wishing to try out for this year's
fall play can sign up at the front desk.

[SIREN WAILING]

MIKE: Morning, Marcy.
- Morning, Mike.

Catch your breath.
Chief wants to see you when you have a sec.

MIKE: What about?
MARCY: Too official for me. Heh.

What sort of mother doesn't call the police for
four days to report her daughter missing, hm?

My partner in already?

MARCY: Oh, I think I saw her
heading down to archives.

[♪♪♪]

What are you doing, Ramos?

[SIGHS]

New kid on the block.
Just doing a little homework.

Yeah, don't go making a mess, all right?

Stop, please. I-- I got a system.

Frankly, you're wasting your time.
These are cold.

Quiet too. Five years now.

Still, it's your baby, right?

And what you said yesterday
about our missing girl?

Gretchen's missing, all right? Not a body.

I got a call this morning
from Iris Swan's mother.

Linda called you? Why?

Says she has some information
on her daughter's murder.

Let me handle that, okay?

What's the latest on Gretchen McGrath?

Heard she had an itch to run away.

Well, just because she's a troubled kid
doesn't mean there isn't foul play.

Not a kid. Turned 18 three weeks ago.

But the point is she's a local
high school student.

You know, best for everyone
if we can locate her.

Of course. But I'm worried about you, Mike.

Just being honest.

Promise me you're not starting
to make leaps of logic here.

She's a missing girl, not a body.
Tattoo or no tattoo.

Relax. I just told Ramos the same thing.

Maybe you should check in with Dr. Geller.

There's no shame in asking for help.

- What, so he can show me his creepy inkblots?
- If it helps.

Department can't afford to lose you again.

[♪♪♪]

MIKE:
What's on your mind, Ramos?

RAMOS: Linda mentioned she
hadn't seen you in a while.

She used to you coming around?

Is that your question?

Just wondering...

is there anything to these rumors
about your closeness

to the RRK victims' mothers?

Oh, yeah, yeah, that's all true.

I'm planning on fucking Linda Swan right now,
so it's probably best you stay in the car, huh?

[SCOFFS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

MIKE: Hey.
LINDA: Hey.

[SLIDING DOOR CLOSES]

MIKE: You okay?
- Oh, you know.

You going to your meetings?

My sponsor dragged me to one this morning
at the crack of dawn.

- Where's Tuck?
- He's next door with Cora.

He likes her better than me.

[CHUCKLES]

- I doubt that's true.
- Oh, it is at the moment, I'm afraid.

Because I won't give him a clown
for his birthday party.

He's turning 7 next week, huh?

His new thing is to remind me
that I'm his grandma, not his mother.

Oh, he loves you. And you love him.
He's a lucky little man.

He's a pain in my ass, is what he is.

He's just like his mother was.

My partner tells me that you have some
new information on Iris's case.

Did she?

[♪♪♪]

[SIGHS]

Look, I'm sorry I haven't had the chance
to return your calls.

- That's okay.
- Or stop by lately.

I just saw the news
about that missing girl.

Most likely a runaway.

You don't believe that.

I don't believe that.

What say I come by on the weekend
and I'll bring some groceries...

I don't want your groceries.

I want you to promise me

that what happened to my Iris
doesn't happen to anyone else.

[VOICE BREAKING]
And now it could be happening again.

What do you want from me, Linda?

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

I want you to give me my daughter back.

[LINDA SOBBING]

I can't.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

PLAYER: Let's move. Get back.
You go, Ned! Yeah, Mikey.

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

You don't think I could
get into Occidental?

- Early decision?
- No.

I actually think you
have an excellent chance,

but I tell everyone it's a good idea to
have a few backup schools just to be safe.

Mmm. Safe is boring.
Maybe I like a little risk.

What about USF and LMU?

You expressed interest in both schools
last time we met.

Do it for me?

- Fine. I'll do it for you.
- Mm.

LMU, USF, Seattle U.

But you gotta promise to help me
with the applications.

Lacey, that's what I'm here for.

So, um, how are things with your wife?

I don't think that's an appropriate
question, Lacey. Do you?

I'm gonna get into Occidental.
Early decision. Just watch me.

I'd bet money on it.

MIKE: Answer the question.
Have you seen Gretchen McGrath or not?

This is harassment.
Not the first time either.

A girl goes missing, we check
all registered sex offenders on that list.

That's why we have a list.

Like I said, never seen her before.

Did you use the ATM at QuickPump
on Highway 12 last Friday, around 1 a.m.?

- Might have.
- You did.

Then why are you asking?

Gretchen used the same ATM 40 minutes later.
Happens to be her last known whereabouts.

And how many other people used that ATM
between me and her?

[IN UNISON]
Three.

But you come to my house.

Like I said, we found it interesting
that you're on our list.

And since I'm on your
list, you know my story.

Got a devotion to little
boys, not teenage girls.

[PHONE RINGING]

So go bother someone else who gives a shit.

Serrato.

OFFICER: Detective, we found Gretchen
McGrath's cell phone down by the river.

[♪♪♪]

[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]

MIKE:
Who found the phone?

DINKINS: Edgar Harris.
He said he found it early this morning.

RAMOS:
And he found it somewhere in this area?

DINKINS:
He's not being specific.

Hey! Over here!

[♪♪♪]

We're gonna need shovels.

MIKE: Here, here.
RAMOS: What?

MIKE: I got her. She's here.
- Oh.

[GROANS]

[MIKE PANTING]

RAMOS:
What the hell? Mike, she's not here.

LEO: That's it, guys!
Keep it up! Two more minutes.

Nice, Dino. Nice!

Dino, clean reversal. Toby! Toby, Toby.

You gotta clear your hips. Watch out, Jackson.
Get up, Toby. Watch out, watch out.

Look. Hand through, butt down.

Clear the hips with your shoulder.

[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]

You all right, Carter?

Go, buddy.

- I just got a cramp. I got a cramp.
- I got you. Okay, relax, relax. Breathe.

- Breathe. Breathe.
NATALIE: Leo?

Relax.

Okay, guys, buddy up.
Ten minutes of stretching.

Good first day.

Smile, Natalie. It can't be that bad.

- There's a call for you in the office.
- Okay.

About your father.

- Is he dead?
- No.

Well, you see? It's not that bad.

LEO: Sorry, Steve.
- Don't worry about it.

My grandfather had similar issues.

- Hey, Dad.
- What are you doing here?

Well, uh, Steve gave me a call.

Said you were having, um,
a little bit of trouble.

This is your fault.

I have a practice to maintain,
patients to attend to.

I can't be dealing with your stupid tears
all the time.

- Let me take you home.
- I'm in the middle of my swim.

- Isn't that obvious?
- You're not wearing a suit.

Enough!

You need to stop crying right now.

You're embarrassing me.

I'm, uh-- I'm really sorry about that, Dad.

[♪♪♪]

Is it okay if I get Raul
to take me back to my car?

ARLEN:
That's not his job, is it?

[WATER RUNNING]

LEO:
Candace invited you for dinner.

I'm gonna write it down for you.

- I'll give you a call Saturday to remind you.
- I'll remember just fine.

- Praise the Lord.
- It's important to Candace.

She's not as docile as she seems, is she?

Best keep an eye on that one.

- She's my wife, Dad.
- Even more reason.

We both want you there

and it'll give you a chance to spend
a little time with your grandson.

I know Pax is looking
forward to seeing you.

Are you checking the water?

I don't want it too hot.

Your mother's always making it too hot.

- She's been gone almost 30 years, Dad.
- Who?

WOMAN:
Hello!

Hello?

Hello!

Somebody better get a move on if we're
gonna make our 6:00 reservation.

I don't think
you should be going out tonight, Dad.

But your father promised to take me
to LaSalette. Didn't you, doc?

- Yeah. He isn't feeling very well.
ARLEN: I feel great.

- You forgot where you were this afternoon.
- Where were you this afternoon?

- Swimming at Hudson Pool.
- See?

- He remembers just fine.
- Yeah, he should rest.

He's tired.

Late nights, deep affections.
That's the price of love.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

[SHRIEKS]

[BOTH CHUCKLING]

ARLEN:
What's the matter with you?

DOTTY:
Stop it, doc. Your son is thinking.

ARLEN:
About nonsense, I'm sure.

[♪♪♪]

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

[HORN HONKS]

I should get going.

PAIGE: If you ever need to talk,
BRAD: Yeah.

PAIGE: I'm here. Right next door.
BRAD: Yeah. Yeah.

PAIGE:
Okay.

- Hey, Mike.
- Bye.

Brad.

[PAIGE SIGHS]

Did I scare him off?

PAIGE:
I don't know why you do that.

MIKE: Charmers like him are
always hiding something.

PAIGE: He's really not that charming.
MIKE: Oh?

It's hard for him since Eileen went back to
work. It's just he's home alone with the baby.

He's just looking for a
sympathetic ear, is all.

Tell him to call the office,
make an appointment, pay your hourly rate

like any other needy person.

What? Am I being an ass?

No more than usual.

Although, maybe I should feel flattered.

How's that?

Well, this passive-aggressive behavior,
it could be seen as jealousy.

Don't you do that.
Don't you play your shrink games with me.

- Hmm. Jealousy.
- That is not jealousy.

I'm not jealous.

Of him?

[LAUGHS]

You...

[♪♪♪]

BOY:
Yo, yo, Mr. D!

[HORNETS BUZZING]

[BOYS SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

BOY: Tight.
- Hey, hey, hey!

- Yo, Mr. D! What's up?
LEO: Let me see that. Thanks.

- This the same stuff you sold me last week?
- Yeah, Dr. Kush. Primo, huh?

My mom bought some legit shit
at this fancy dispensary.

[PHONE CHIMES]

Totally tepid. It's like smoking ash.

Oh, whoa.

Check it out.

Yo, this guy I sell to, he's been fucking around with
this "good girl till she knew me" Willmont bitch.

- Totally hot piece.
KYLE: Gotta tap that ass!

NOAH:
Oh, you'd be lucky to wipe that ass.

CANDACE:
Leo?

Leo?

PAXTON:
What's in there?

Oh, hey. How was your first day?

PAXTON:
Uh, it was fine.

Why do you keep that locked?

Neighbors had a bunch of break-ins.

Tell me about school.
Did you make any friends?

- Uh, no.
- No?

What about that, uh,
that girl you were talking to?

- When?
- Before homeroom bell.

- Thought she was kind of cute.
- Were you spying on me?

No, I just-- I just saw you.

Okay, well, she wasn't very nice, so...

Well, she seemed nice.

- You guys were laughing.
- We were.

Until I told her that I got kicked out
of my old school

for bringing a loaded gun to class.
Oh, and that I hated most people.

Especially stupid high school
girls like her.

You didn't tell her that, did you?

Hi. How was school?

Where have you been?

I thought you were coming home
after wrestling practice.

I am sorry, baby. First-day paperwork.

[CANDACE CHUCKLES]

[PLAYING OFF-KEY]

Come on. Here.

PAIGE: Hi, Mom. Hi.
- That there, all right?

Yeah, we're just sitting down to dinner.

I'll call you back, all right?
Hold on. Hold on.

Hey, Sam, Sam. Enough, honey.

We lied. Practice doesn't always
make perfect.

JAKE:
Stop it!

Forks on the left,
knives on the right.

JAKE:
It's Jake's turn to set the table.

I'm trying to teach you
the proper way.

Does Jake wanna learn
how to do it the proper way

or does Jake wanna do it
his way?

JAKE:
His way.

You asked.

[MIKE SIGHS]

Fair enough. Jake's table.

[♪♪♪]

- You expect me to eat that?
- Yes, I expect you to eat it.

And I expect you to like it
or at least pretend to.

MIKE:
Hey, what's the rule?

Nobody eats until Mom lifts her fork.

Come on.

[PAIGE CHUCKLES]

PAIGE:
All right.

What did I do now?

MIKE:
Can't a father look at his daughter?

- I'd prefer if you didn't.
- Then stop being so beautiful.

- Oh, my God, what a complete asshat.
PAIGE: Ha-ha-ha.

Fine, then I'll look at your sister,
who is equally beautiful.

Somebody's had too many beers.

PAIGE: Why don't you tell your dad and me
what you're looking forward to at school.

I'm looking forward to getting it over with
and torching this uniform.

What she's looking forward to
is showing off her new bra size.

AMANDA: Shut up.
- Yeah, and her new tattoo.

Tell me you don't have a tattoo.

Big deal. So do you.

Where?

Show me.

Look, it's my body.

Yeah, and right now, I own it.

I-- I clothe it, I feed it, I house it.

So that thing comes off
first appointment we can get.

- No.
- Yes!

Jeez, chill out, will you? It's fake.

Duh.

Ow.

Mike, ju--

AMANDA: Dad, it hurts.
- Stop it.

AMANDA: Ow, Dad.
PAIGE: Stop it.

Mike, stop it!

[♪♪♪]

[SAM SIGHS]

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight.

[DOOR OPENS]

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.

What's going on, Mike?

Look, it's, um... It's under control.

It's that missing girl, isn't it?

You think it might be him again.

Who?

PAIGE:
Mike.

[♪♪♪]

[BOTH PANTING]

CANDACE:
I can't stand that Paxton hates me.

LEO:
No, he doesn't hate you.

It doesn't help that his mother
thinks I'm a whore.

Why do you always do that?

It's not my fault he came to live with us.
She sent him.

Nicole misses him. It's hard for her.

You're a beautiful younger woman
taking her place, raising her kid.

- I'm not taking her place.
- I know.

I mean, it just feels that way to her.

It's still not fair that
she puts him in the middle.

You're right.

[CANDACE LAUGHS]

That is why I love you.

You're a very caring person.

[GIGGLES]

Well, I know what it's like
to have a fucked-up childhood.

Sometimes that is the only way
to describe it.

[CHUCKLES]

- I'll go to confession.
- Ow.

[LAUGHS]

[LEO CHUCKLES]

By the way, I talked to your dad
this morning.

Reminded him about dinner.

Told him Dotty was welcome.

I also invited him to join us for church.

Baby-- Baby, I wish you'd stop doing that.

- It's not gonna happen.
- You might be surprised.

People are more open to God's grace
in times of crisis.

His memory issue isn't a crisis.
He forgets sometimes.

Trust me, he'll never forget
he doesn't believe in God.

He forgot all about dinner.

And I don't think he even knew
who I was at first.

He called me Beth.

- Wasn't Beth your mother's name?
- Jesus Christ, Candace! Just--

Just leave the old man alone, okay?

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[INSECTS CHIRPING]

[WOMEN LAUGHING]

WOMAN:
Oh, my God. I'm totally drenched.

Look, I got the munchies.
You want anything?

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Okay, I'll be right back.

[♪♪♪]

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

[MUFFLED GRUNTING]

WOMAN:
No!

No!

[WOMAN GASPING AND CHOKING]

[♪♪♪]

[GASPS]

[GRUNTS]

[BIRDS CAWING]

[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]

RAMOS:
That's great.

Well, thanks.
We appreciate you calling. Bye.

[RAMOS SCOFFS]

Gretchen turned up.

What? Where?

That was the high school.
She showed up this morning.

RAMOS: When did you get home?
- Last night.

RAMOS:
Your mother couldn't call to let us know?

She was sleeping.

RAMOS: And where have you been?
GRETCHEN: That's my business, isn't it?

I met this guy at a bonfire
up at Spring Lake,

this shaman.

You spent a week up at the lake

with somebody who called
themselves a shaman.

You didn't think to contact anybody?

What's the big deal? I'm 18.
I can take care of myself.

Yeah, but if you couldn't
and you needed help,

how would you have called?

- We have your phone.
- Yeah, somebody stole it.

Can I get it back?

Come by the station.

GRETCHEN:
So can I go now?

Look, you might be 18,
but you're still a kid.

Somebody ought to tell you the truth.

There's plenty of bad guys out there
just looking for stupid girls like you.

Fuck you, Dad.

Cute, but if you were my daughter,

I'd shake some sense into you.

Lucky for me, I'm not.

Now, can I go?

Don't wanna miss any more school.
So much to learn.

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

Whoa, Gretchen!

Hey, Mr. D.

Did you miss me?

As a matter of fact,
it's no fun seeing a student of mine

on a missing persons billboard,
especially someone like you.

You all right, Mr. D?

No offense, but you look like
your aura's whacked or something.

- My "aura," huh?
- Shut up.

LEO: Have you given any thought to what
we talked about in terms of art school?

Yeah, I worked on my portfolio
over the summer.

Oh, God.

[INHALES SHARPLY]

Oh, boy. Now I'm in trouble.

[SOFTLY] I can't seem to get that woman
to like me no matter how hard I try.

Why would you want to?

If you ask me,
Principal Taft is a royal bitch.

[LEO LAUGHS]

Guess I'd better get to class.

[IN NORMAL VOICE]
One more year, you're free.

There's a whole big world out
there, Gretchen.

GRETCHEN:
Hmm.

[GRETCHEN CHUCKLES]

[♪♪♪]

Thank you so much.
That means the world.

DOTTY:
Oh, no, it just takes me back home.

CANDACE: I'm sure you cook
some good food yourself.

I just love it. I just have it
for breakfast, for lunch.

I need to stop.

Would you like some more salad?

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[WOMAN SHRIEKING]

[♪♪♪]

[WOMAN GASPS]

[CHOKING]

[EARRINGS JINGLING]

[COYOTES BARKING AND HOWLING]

- Been a while.
LEO: Not long enough.

Ain't that life?

The darkness creeps back in
when you ain't looking.

Same as before?

Careful, five or six drops
will do the trick.

You wanna kill the beast, not the rest.

[♪♪♪]

[SNIFFS THEN SIGHS]

[GRUNTS SOFTLY]

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

[SIGHS]

[VOMITING]

[YELLS]

[GRUNTING]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[GROANING]

You all right?

No. Can I get a ride?

Yeah.

- Yeah. Come on in.
- Yeah? Thank you.

Thanks.

Would you believe it's the second time
I've run out of gas this month?

[LEO LAUGHS]

- So stupid.
- Yeah.

Then my phone died.

Well, happens to the best of us.

[CHUCKLES]

So where do you work?

- Diamond Joe's, over on Bodega Avenue.
- Mm.

Kind of a dump,
but the tips are pretty decent.

Yeah, don't they...? Don't they close at 2?

Ah, inventory.
At least that's what the boss calls it.

Touched a girl's ass once, so she said.

But I just think he brushed up
against her behind the bar.

He's kind of fat, so he's always
squeezing by us, you know?

LEO:
Mm.

Like I said, the tips are good.

And I've got a baby girl at home, so...

[♪♪♪]

Spent last summer in Las Vegas.

Thought I wanted to be a dealer.

Work the roulette table. Something.

Pay can be pretty good.

But Vegas wasn't for me.

Is something wrong?

I can probably just walk the rest--

[HANDLE CLICKS]

Is this some kind of joke?
Because it's not funny, mister.

- You're kind of scaring--
- Get out!

[SHRIEKS]

Creep!

[ERIN GASPS]

FATHER MORAN: Leave all the fears,
the anger and the past behind.

Begin to live again.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,

forgive us our sins,

and bring us to everlasting life.

- Amen.
ALL: Amen.

I want to take a moment now
to thank all of you who prayed

for the safe return of local
high school student Gretchen McGrath.

Our prayers were mercifully answered.

[ORGAN PLAYING HYMN]

♪ All the leaves are brown ♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

♪ And the sky is gray ♪

♪ I went for a walk ♪

♪ On a winter's day ♪

♪ I'd be safe and warm ♪

♪ If I was in L.A. ♪

♪ California dreamin' ♪

- Hi.
LEO: Hi.

- Oh, this is my truck, sorry.
- Oh!

Heh. Sorry.

♪ Went to a church
Yes, I did ♪

♪ I stopped along the way ♪

♪ Well, I got down on my bended knees ♪

♪ And I began to pray ♪

♪ You know, California dreamin' ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

♪ Somebody help me ♪♪

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