Strange Angel (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Ritual of the Rival Tribes - full transcript
[PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]
[QUIET LAUGHTER, CHATTER]
♪ ♪
I promise you, our life
will never be boring.
The greatest minds.
The most delicious food.
The best wine.
A life bursting with art and music!
[BIG BAND MUSIC PLAYS] [SUSAN WHOOPS]
[SUSAN GIGGLES]
♪ For all we know ♪
- ♪ We may never meet again... ♪
- JACK: We'll make love under the stars.
♪ Before you go... ♪
A love unbound by time,
a love untethered from gravity.
♪ We won't say good night. ♪
Susan, if you'll be my wife,
I promise you this and more.
If the night is clear
when you get this,
go out and look at the Pole star.
Let us make that our star.
Undimmed by time
or any of the little things of Earth.
JACK: Gotcha. [LAUGHS]
You were looking at our star,
weren't you?
What've you got there?
Nothing.
My Susan keeping secrets?
I told you we weren't
gonna need this check.
I know, I...
I found it in my purse.
I wasn't sure what to do with it.
Up to you.
- How's it all going?
- Great.
I was reluctant to bring anyone else
onto the team at first,
but I gotta say,
it's kind of nice having people
working under me for a change.
I'm sure you're a natural at it.
I'm gonna go get ready for bed.
I'm beat.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
[ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS]
Corpus Christi.
Sanguis Christi.
Amen.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
MAN: Vice everywhere you look,
corruption.
I had to go downtown the other
day on an errand,
felt like I was driving through
Babylon itself.
WOMAN: What do you expect
when the so-called
City of Angels is run by
the devil himself?
WOMAN 2: I know what you mean.
Every day I feel like I wake up
to another infuriating headline.
[SIGHS]
Thank you.
I think Mayor Shaw is doing
the best he can.
Those articles are nothing
but salacious gossip.
VIRGIL: My wife is right.
Remember, whoever practices evil
pays attention to wicked speech.
And the liar listens to malicious talk.
- May I?
- PATTY: Hold your horses.
We need to make sure
everyone gets some.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER, LAUGHTER NEARBY]
[RECORD SKIPPING]
The record was skipping.
It's scratched from
being played so much.
I'd be happy to pick up a replacement.
Well, that would be wonderful, Susan.
Janice in the office will make
sure you're reimbursed.
What should I get?
There are some contemporary composers
doing some really interesting things.
- Have you heard of Stravinsky?
- Hmm,
maybe we should get another Haydn.
Same one.
In such uncertain times,
there is a great comfort
to be found in the familiar.
I was, uh, balancing our
accounts the other day
and I noticed that the check
I gave you hasn't cleared.
I was worried you may
have misplaced it.
I haven't.
Well, is there any other
reason for the delay?
If you're worried about how
you're going to pay me back,
you needn't be.
You can work extra hours
and I'll apply your salary to the loan.
Interest-free, of course.
Goodness knows I'm not trying
to profit off my own daughter.
It's not that.
Jack doesn't think
we're going to need it.
What, so his position at Caltech
has come through, then?
Mm-hmm.
Here, for the record.
Uh, Father Shelby said
they'd reimburse me.
I'd just as soon it was a gift.
The collection plate was
a bit light this morning
and I don't want you spending
any money you don't have.
[CAR HORN HONKING]
Are you coming?
It's nice out.
Think I'm going to walk.
[RECORD CRACKLES]
[STRAVINSKY'S
"THE RITE OF SPRING" PLAYS]
[DOOR BELLS JINGLE]
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
[MUSIC FADES]
[GRUNTS] Oh, sorry.
[DOOR BELLS JINGLE]
Oh, my goodness.
Is she okay?
- You all right?
- Yeah.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
We need to account for
the Reynolds number.
No, I'm telling you,
the Reynolds number
- will be relatively small in...
- [LOUD BANG]
...in spite of the speed.
But we must consider
how each variable impacts the whole.
[LOUD BANG]
Sorry. Sorry.
It isn't any better out here.
You know, we could
try closing the door.
I'd worry about him
asphyxiating himself.
[CHUCKLES]
I was hoping his
methodology would change
once we got to campus,
- but perhaps I was being naive.
- [RAPPING]
[LOUD BANG]
Do his methods
at least achieve results?
They seem to,
- though they can be hard to quantify.
- [RAPPING]
[LOUD BANG]
He'll be the reason we all succeed,
or the reason for our untimely death.
[CHUCKLES]
[SPEAKING MANDARIN]
'Kay.
Whatcha got going on here, Jack?
Trying different fuel combinations
and measuring energy release.
Very scientific.
How do you know what you're testing?
Most of this stuff isn't labeled.
Smell that.
[SNIFFS] Ooh.
That's benzene.
[LAUGHS]
Do you know them all by smell or...?
Not all of them.
Some I know by taste.
[LAUGHS]
What are you working on?
Oh, I'm kind of just on the sidelines
until you got the fuel squared away.
How does a guy specialize in
something like fluid dynamics?
Uh, I guess I got my dad to blame.
He's in oil,
so he had me working
on the rigs every summer,
thought it'd make a man out of me.
I hated it.
Calculating hydrostatic pressure?
That got me out of doing
the real grunt work.
That's excellent.
No amount of formal education
can trump real-life experience.
[COUGHING]
You guys might want
to clear out of here.
And try not to breathe,
this stuff's highly toxic.
RICHARD: These tests
have to stop, Jack.
- You're right.
- Wait, what did you say?
[COUGHS]
They're not getting us anywhere.
The nature of combustible
reactions changes
based on volume.
- Are we saying the same thing?
- Yeah.
We need to start running
full-scale chemical tests.
Goddamn it, Jack. That's not
what I'm saying at all.
Mesulam said that we had
to present a written proposal
before we did anything dangerous.
Come on, Samson.
You know the value
of seeing things in action.
Back me up.
Guys.
How can I map new territory
if I'm not allowed to explore?
We aren't moving fast enough!
[COUGHING]
[RHYTHMIC CHOPPING]
[STRAVINSKY'S THE RITES
OF SPRING PLAYS IN DISTANCE]
[CHATTER AND LAUGHTER]
[MUSIC AND CHATTER CONTINUE]
♪ ♪
Hey!
What do you think?
The music.
I was in the store looking
for something to play tonight.
This here's an odd bunch.
Never know what they're gonna like.
And what do you know? Who do I see?
That was just a coincidence?
My teacher says
there are no coincidences.
After you left,
I slipped into the booth,
ended up listening
to the whole damn thing.
Never heard anything like it.
Yeah, it's a rare pressing from France.
The only copy I've found.
Well, if you like it so much,
why didn't you buy it yourself?
WOMAN: Ernest, come on. It's your turn.
Yeah. I got to get back.
You should join.
We have plenty of food, plenty of wine.
- I can't.
- Jack's not home.
What do you got to go back for?
You know what?
It's none of my business.
I'm sure you have plenty
to be getting along with.
- Thank you again.
- For what?
For showing me something I never
would have found on my own.
This became a proper
little dance party, huh?
[LAUGHTER]
[LIVELY CHATTER, LAUGHTER]
All around, I'd say.
[WOMAN SHRIEKING, MUSIC PLAYING LOUDLY]
Is it always like that?
Loud parties are the least of it.
Do you want me to go
and tell him to turn it down?
No, it's okay.
- It's good to see you, Richard.
- Mm.
I can hardly remember the last time.
Believe me, the novelty'll wear off.
- Be nice.
- I'm always nice.
He's the one giving me a hard time.
He's just upset
because he has to follow
the rules occasionally.
Well, I hope he's thanked you.
For what?
The position.
At Caltech.
She's talking about
the research associate position
I'm getting
once our funding comes through.
[COUGHS] Right, of course.
I remember the last time
Richard came over for dinner.
We tried to set him up with
that secretary from your office.
- Oh, my God.
- [GIGGLES]
That woman was the worst
bridge player I have ever seen.
[LAUGHS] It wasn't about
winning at bridge.
It was about getting her in the sack.
- Jack!
- What?
I'm sure Richard is just saving
himself for the right girl.
What the hell was that about?
- Thanks for backing me up.
- Did you tell her
that you got an offer for a job?
You all have stipends, Richard.
After the funding's approved,
I assumed we'd address
bringing me onto the team full time.
Or did you think I wanted to work
in a chemical plant
for the rest of my life?
So you just lied to her?
It's not a lie if it's gonna
come true eventually.
No wonder you were in such a
hurry to finish the proposal.
I'm in a hurry
to push the work forward.
Proposal's more of an impediment.
Then I am glad I had an ulterior
motive in coming here tonight.
[SIGHS]
What is that?
I thought maybe we could work together
on the fuel section on paper.
[SCOFFS] Are you serious?
I am, if you're serious
about getting funded.
Hey, um... [CLEARS THROAT]
If you're looking for us,
we're gonna be in the garage.
Banging our heads against the wall.
SUSAN: Okay.
[LOUD CHATTER OUTSIDE]
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS]
[DISTANT MUSIC AND CHATTER]
[WOMAN LAUGHS IN DISTANCE]
[WOMEN WHOOP]
[WOMAN HOWLS]
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS, FEATURING GUITAR]
[WOMAN WHOOPS]
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CHATTER, LAUGHTER CONTINUE]
[MUSIC CONTINUES IN DISTANCE]
[CHATTER, LAUGHTER CONTINUES]
Once we determine the
internal energy of the reaction,
we can calculate
the theoretical temperature
and the chamber pressure.
[SCOFFS]
It's exhausting just
to hear you say it.
Of course, the exit velocity
and mass flow rate are
important variables for thrust.
[CHEERING]
So this is where you build the rockets!
JACK: What the hell are
you all doing out there?
Building a bonfire.
I just cut down a tree
in my front yard, cannot get
the damn wood to light.
Figured you'd have something
to help me. Who's your buddy?
Richard.
ERNEST: Pleased to meet you.
So, which one of these here's
gonna get my fire to start?
Put that down. It's dangerous.
Exactly what I'm looking for.
Um, we're kind of in the
middle of something.
Ammonium nitrate?
[SNIFFS] Whew!
- [GIGGLES]
- It's an oxidizer.
And when you combine a
fuel and an oxidizer,
all you need is a light.
[RUMBLING WHOOSH]
[CHUCKLES]
See? Dangerous.
- Can I borrow that?
- No!
This stuff should only
be handled by someone
who knows what he's doing.
Guess I'll... get some gasoline
from my bike, then.
I told you he was off his rocker.
Him? Jesus, Jack,
- you nearly burnt his face to a crisp.
- Please.
I know these chemicals
like the back of my hand.
They speak to me, and
this is not the fucking
- language they speak.
- We can figure it out this way.
You just need to be patient.
At this rate,
my marriage is gonna be over
before our first rocket
leaves the ground.
You want that on your head?
I'm not asking you as a colleague.
I'm asking you as a friend.
Um... do you even have a way to...
get the kind of chemicals
that we're talking about?
[WORK WHISTLE BLOWING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
You're gonna be late, Professor.
Come on, man.
[CHUCKLING] This guy...
VERNON: Professor?
You remember that fancy new job
he's always keep talking about?
Oh, that's right.
He keeps saying he's
quitting any day now.
Just keeps showing up.
- How are you doing?
- Good, good.
All right.
- No.
- I haven't even...
I said no.
You know I'm right, Chiang.
Energy release is not
a linear progression.
We need to start running
full-scale tests.
Look what you did with even a
small amount of chemicals.
And I learned more
from that one mistake
than if I'd spent weeks
at that chalkboard.
While you might not
care, or even be aware,
there's a war on the
other side of the Pacific.
My father, my brother...
They all fight the Japanese.
If I'm forced to go back, I will, too,
which would be a tragic
waste of my abilities.
Why would you be forced to go back?
I need the faculty to approve
an extension of my visa.
What do you think will
happen if I'm caught
bringing restricted
chemicals onto campus?
Who said anything about getting caught?
[SCOFFS]
[MUTTERS IN MANDARIN]
Okay, listen, fellas,
out of solidarity with Chiang,
I'm gonna have
to sit this one out, too, okay?
JACK: Are you gonna spend your
whole life on the sidelines?
The real Samson slayed a thousand men
and destroyed a temple
with his bare hands.
I'm giving you a chance
to live up to the name
your father gave you.
Well, we ran it past them.
I guess it's just you and me.
As always.
[DOOR CREAKING]
[INSECTS TRILL OUTSIDE]
[STRAVINSKY'S THE RITE OF SPRING PLAYS]
Pueblo's really just
donating this stuff to us?
Yeah.
They asked me to discard it.
We're just discarding
it somewhere else, okay?
Let's go.
Jesus, how much are we taking?
Just a barrel of nitric acid
and a cylinder of dinitrogen tetroxide.
Not much.
[LOUD THUD, LIQUID SLOSHES]
You gonna help me
get them in the truck?
[GRUNTING]
- Jesus Christ.
- Careful.
Oh!
Oh.
[LIQUID SLOSHING]
All right, one more.
Okay. You got it?
One, two, three...
[GRUNTS] Okay.
[STAMMERING]
[LAUGHS]
Admit it, you're having fun.
Sure, what's not to love
about grand larceny?
Richard...
Richard...
[CHUCKLES]
There's the Richard I know and love.
Glad to see Caltech hasn't
completely stamped him out.
You sure that's a good idea?
[SNIFFLES]
Fair point.
Genius chemist over here.
[TRUCK STARTS]
RICHARD: Jesus Christ.
Look what the cat dragged in.
I thought about what you said.
Can't contribute a damn thing
until you got the fuel figured out,
and I'm sick of being on the sidelines.
Boy's a hero after all.
Too bad you already
missed the fun part.
Now we just need help unloading.
[SCOFFS] You're just going
to drive restricted chemicals
right onto campus?
Yeah. You got a better idea?
Matter of fact, I do.
[CHUCKLES]
SAMSON: So, Jack, there are four
resident houses at Caltech.
I happen to reside at Blacker.
They call them mole people
because, supposedly,
they have the keys to the steam tunnels
that run under the campus.
[LAUGHS] Not supposedly, definitively.
- [LAUGHTER]
- SAMSON: Shall we?
[GRUNTING]
[GRUNTING]
Jack... how combustible is this stuff?
Without fuel?
Not at all.
[GRUNTING]
Of course...
if it were to rupture...
Shit.
[LOUD CLATTERING]
SAMSON: Uh... what did
you say would happen
if that thing ruptured?
It'd burn like a son of a bitch.
SAMSON: Okay, well,
the way out is up that way.
Last one there is a rotten turd.
[UPBEAT BIG BAND MUSIC PLAYS]
It's clear.
Ready?
♪ ♪
Yes. Yes.
JACK: Shut the door.
Whew.
That couldn't have gone any better.
[LAUGHS]
- CHIANG: Smoke.
- Whoa.
[LAUGHS]
Sure.
Anyone else want
a celebratory cigarette?
No, idiot, smoke.
I do not expect you boys to recall
the drought of 1929.
It was a terrible time.
Every blade of grass turned brown.
The branches of the trees sagged
under the weight of the dust.
Luckily for us,
the maintenance of the lawns
has since been endowed
by an affluent alumnus.
They are the face of this university.
The fabric that ties the buildings
of this institution
of science together.
Walk us through the science
involved in rolling
dinitrogen tetroxide across it.
Or was it merely an act of vandalism?
It is true that we have undertaken
extraordinary measures,
but it is the limitations imposed on us
by this institution that
made those measures necessary.
What limitations is he referring to?
Based on their behavior,
seems to me there haven't been enough.
Professor Mesulam is the one who
brought our project onto campus.
Are you questioning his judgment
in thinking
our work had merit?
Mr. Parsons, you are
a guest on this campus,
which means your presence here
is far more tenuous
than your peers'.
As the so-called
"chemist" of the group,
not to mention its mouthpiece,
I assume this whole thing
was your idea.
It was my idea, sir.
Uh... Really, Mr. Onsted?
You decided to bring in
outside chemicals
from Mr. Parsons' place of employment?
Yes, sir. It was our only choice.
Running full-volume
tests was the only way
to get the data that we needed
for the proposal.
SAMSON: It's true.
My work on the project
was at a standstill without it.
And you, Mr. Gui?
You were willing to sacrifice
your standing in this university
by agreeing to take part
in these shenanigans?
I did not take part.
But I understood the necessity of it.
Be that as it may, Mr. Parsons,
your influence on your colleagues
has not gone unnoticed.
JACK: I don't see what
the big fuss is about,
it's just grass.
Didn't you hear them?
SAMSON: The lawn has
better funding than we do.
I guess they'll never
let us in the Athenaeum now.
Is that really what
you're worried about?
Thank you, for what you did back there.
And you... you could've
hung me out to dry.
Yes, but you're
an invaluable member to the team.
CHIANG: We need at least one
person who's not scared
of blowing themselves up.
The committee has decided not
to terminate the project.
On my request, they are
giving you probation instead.
Mr. Parsons put me
in a difficult position.
Admit I was idiot
to bring you onto campus,
or justify decision by giving you
more time to prove yourself.
Now, everything depends
on written proposal.
If it fails to impress,
you three will be reassigned
to other projects.
What about me?
I don't know, Mr. Parsons.
Just tell her the truth.
She'll understand.
Oh, you're leaving?
Yes, it's after 5:00.
There's still some outgoing calls.
Do they need to be dealt with tonight?
Well, they don't need to, but
I believe I made myself clear.
About the terms of the loan?
Mr. Gilroy called to inform me
that my check had been deposited.
Your check.
As I said, you will need
to start working overtime
until the principal's paid off.
I'm proud of you, Susan.
I'm sure Jack was
resistant, but good sense prevailed.
Now, I know it is close to dinner,
but by making the calls now,
you have a better chance of
catching our clients at home.
♪ ♪
JACK: Hey.
I was wondering
when you'd be getting back.
I knew you'd kept some of them,
but I didn't know you'd held
onto all these letters.
Why, Jack?
The check.
You said we wouldn't need it.
We suffered a minor setback at Caltech.
Things are going to take a
little longer than expected.
I know you've been worried.
Worried?
Yeah, about the mortgage.
Is that what you think
I've been worried about?
I'm going to put these back.
I thought this is what you wanted.
Let go.
[CRYING]
How could you deposit it
without even talking to me?
I thought there was
nothing to talk about.
Nothing to talk about?
I thought you'd be relieved.
Susan.
I was hoping you'd tell me
to rip the damn thing up.
If you really have a position
- lined up at Caltech, like...
- I will, I will.
I just need more time.
You will, or you do?
The only way I can stomach
working for that man
is knowing that someday
I won't have to.
That you'll... that you'll take me away
from all this like you promised.
Every penny we take from him
only sinks me in deeper.
But the house.
It's not the house I'm worried about.
It's whether this dream
of yours... of-of ours...
Is really going to come true.
What's all this?
Nothing.
Did you get the gift I left you?
Uh... yes.
Thank you, you didn't have to do that.
No, I wanted to.
You want something bad enough,
the world finds
a way to give it to you.
Ernest, can you just give us a minute?
My group is having
a gathering this evening,
and I think maybe you two should come.
[EXHALES]
What is it, exactly?
Come see for yourself.
What are you more scared of?
Trying something new, or that this
is all there is?
Look, come or don't come, that's it.
I'm not gonna ask you again.
Oh, I have made a secret door
in the house of Ra and Tum.
What? [ENGINE STARTS]
I have made a secret door
into the house of Ra and Tum.
Remember.
Do you want to go?
Do you?
JACK: I'm just surprised, that's all.
Last time we talked about Ernest,
you were calling the cops on him.
[ENGINE STOPS]
Who knows? Maybe he's right.
Maybe it'll help us.
How?
I don't know.
But at least we'll find out together.
Just know what you're walking into.
These people are strange.
They didn't seem so bad.
They just seemed free.
Yeah, that's one word for it.
[DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE]
[STATIC CRACKLING]
Anybody there?
[STATIC CRACKLING]
We're here for the gathering.
I have made a secret door
into the house of Ra and Tum?
We were invited by Ernest.
[CLOCK TICKING]
The Parsons.
So, should we just wait here?
[FOOTFALLS OVERHEAD]
I wouldn't.
Where is everyone?
Save your breath.
He's not gonna answer you.
[CLOCK CHIMING]
Do you want us to follow you?
Are you sure about this?
Who is that?
No idea.
[CHANTING IN DISTANCE]
CONGREGATION: ♪ A ka dua ♪
♪ Tuf ur ♪
♪ Biu ♪
♪ Bi a'a ♪
♪ Chefu ♪
♪ A ka dua ♪
♪ Tuf ur ♪
♪ Biu ♪
♪ Bi a'a chefu. ♪
Come.
We have a place for you.
Don't worry.
She'll be taken care of.
May you be granted the accomplishment
of your true will.
Welcome.
Let the rituals rightly be
performed with joy and beauty.
[GROANS]
ALFRED: Infinite space.
Before whom,
time is ashamed.
The mind, bewildered.
The understanding, dark.
I am alone.
There is no God where I am.
My name is chaos.
I am the flame that burns
in every heart of man.
I am life, the giver of life,
therefore the knowledge of me
is the knowledge of death.
Do what thou wilt
shall be the whole of the law.
MEN: Love is the law.
WOMEN: Love under will.
Be still.
I, who am all pleasure, desire you.
ALFRED: Inside us all
is a star.
They will divide and persecute us
in order to conceal our light.
But the man of will breaks
all boundaries.
[PANTING]
Hey.
You all right?
[CRYING]
Can we just go home?
I tried to warn you.
That wasn't just strange, it was sick.
We left before we even got
to find out what it is.
If I hadn't left,
would you have stayed?
Susan.
[HAYDN'S SYMPHONY NO. 101 PLAYING]
[DOOR CLOSES]
♪ ♪
[QUIET LAUGHTER, CHATTER]
♪ ♪
I promise you, our life
will never be boring.
The greatest minds.
The most delicious food.
The best wine.
A life bursting with art and music!
[BIG BAND MUSIC PLAYS] [SUSAN WHOOPS]
[SUSAN GIGGLES]
♪ For all we know ♪
- ♪ We may never meet again... ♪
- JACK: We'll make love under the stars.
♪ Before you go... ♪
A love unbound by time,
a love untethered from gravity.
♪ We won't say good night. ♪
Susan, if you'll be my wife,
I promise you this and more.
If the night is clear
when you get this,
go out and look at the Pole star.
Let us make that our star.
Undimmed by time
or any of the little things of Earth.
JACK: Gotcha. [LAUGHS]
You were looking at our star,
weren't you?
What've you got there?
Nothing.
My Susan keeping secrets?
I told you we weren't
gonna need this check.
I know, I...
I found it in my purse.
I wasn't sure what to do with it.
Up to you.
- How's it all going?
- Great.
I was reluctant to bring anyone else
onto the team at first,
but I gotta say,
it's kind of nice having people
working under me for a change.
I'm sure you're a natural at it.
I'm gonna go get ready for bed.
I'm beat.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
[ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS]
Corpus Christi.
Sanguis Christi.
Amen.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
MAN: Vice everywhere you look,
corruption.
I had to go downtown the other
day on an errand,
felt like I was driving through
Babylon itself.
WOMAN: What do you expect
when the so-called
City of Angels is run by
the devil himself?
WOMAN 2: I know what you mean.
Every day I feel like I wake up
to another infuriating headline.
[SIGHS]
Thank you.
I think Mayor Shaw is doing
the best he can.
Those articles are nothing
but salacious gossip.
VIRGIL: My wife is right.
Remember, whoever practices evil
pays attention to wicked speech.
And the liar listens to malicious talk.
- May I?
- PATTY: Hold your horses.
We need to make sure
everyone gets some.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER, LAUGHTER NEARBY]
[RECORD SKIPPING]
The record was skipping.
It's scratched from
being played so much.
I'd be happy to pick up a replacement.
Well, that would be wonderful, Susan.
Janice in the office will make
sure you're reimbursed.
What should I get?
There are some contemporary composers
doing some really interesting things.
- Have you heard of Stravinsky?
- Hmm,
maybe we should get another Haydn.
Same one.
In such uncertain times,
there is a great comfort
to be found in the familiar.
I was, uh, balancing our
accounts the other day
and I noticed that the check
I gave you hasn't cleared.
I was worried you may
have misplaced it.
I haven't.
Well, is there any other
reason for the delay?
If you're worried about how
you're going to pay me back,
you needn't be.
You can work extra hours
and I'll apply your salary to the loan.
Interest-free, of course.
Goodness knows I'm not trying
to profit off my own daughter.
It's not that.
Jack doesn't think
we're going to need it.
What, so his position at Caltech
has come through, then?
Mm-hmm.
Here, for the record.
Uh, Father Shelby said
they'd reimburse me.
I'd just as soon it was a gift.
The collection plate was
a bit light this morning
and I don't want you spending
any money you don't have.
[CAR HORN HONKING]
Are you coming?
It's nice out.
Think I'm going to walk.
[RECORD CRACKLES]
[STRAVINSKY'S
"THE RITE OF SPRING" PLAYS]
[DOOR BELLS JINGLE]
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
[MUSIC FADES]
[GRUNTS] Oh, sorry.
[DOOR BELLS JINGLE]
Oh, my goodness.
Is she okay?
- You all right?
- Yeah.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
We need to account for
the Reynolds number.
No, I'm telling you,
the Reynolds number
- will be relatively small in...
- [LOUD BANG]
...in spite of the speed.
But we must consider
how each variable impacts the whole.
[LOUD BANG]
Sorry. Sorry.
It isn't any better out here.
You know, we could
try closing the door.
I'd worry about him
asphyxiating himself.
[CHUCKLES]
I was hoping his
methodology would change
once we got to campus,
- but perhaps I was being naive.
- [RAPPING]
[LOUD BANG]
Do his methods
at least achieve results?
They seem to,
- though they can be hard to quantify.
- [RAPPING]
[LOUD BANG]
He'll be the reason we all succeed,
or the reason for our untimely death.
[CHUCKLES]
[SPEAKING MANDARIN]
'Kay.
Whatcha got going on here, Jack?
Trying different fuel combinations
and measuring energy release.
Very scientific.
How do you know what you're testing?
Most of this stuff isn't labeled.
Smell that.
[SNIFFS] Ooh.
That's benzene.
[LAUGHS]
Do you know them all by smell or...?
Not all of them.
Some I know by taste.
[LAUGHS]
What are you working on?
Oh, I'm kind of just on the sidelines
until you got the fuel squared away.
How does a guy specialize in
something like fluid dynamics?
Uh, I guess I got my dad to blame.
He's in oil,
so he had me working
on the rigs every summer,
thought it'd make a man out of me.
I hated it.
Calculating hydrostatic pressure?
That got me out of doing
the real grunt work.
That's excellent.
No amount of formal education
can trump real-life experience.
[COUGHING]
You guys might want
to clear out of here.
And try not to breathe,
this stuff's highly toxic.
RICHARD: These tests
have to stop, Jack.
- You're right.
- Wait, what did you say?
[COUGHS]
They're not getting us anywhere.
The nature of combustible
reactions changes
based on volume.
- Are we saying the same thing?
- Yeah.
We need to start running
full-scale chemical tests.
Goddamn it, Jack. That's not
what I'm saying at all.
Mesulam said that we had
to present a written proposal
before we did anything dangerous.
Come on, Samson.
You know the value
of seeing things in action.
Back me up.
Guys.
How can I map new territory
if I'm not allowed to explore?
We aren't moving fast enough!
[COUGHING]
[RHYTHMIC CHOPPING]
[STRAVINSKY'S THE RITES
OF SPRING PLAYS IN DISTANCE]
[CHATTER AND LAUGHTER]
[MUSIC AND CHATTER CONTINUE]
♪ ♪
Hey!
What do you think?
The music.
I was in the store looking
for something to play tonight.
This here's an odd bunch.
Never know what they're gonna like.
And what do you know? Who do I see?
That was just a coincidence?
My teacher says
there are no coincidences.
After you left,
I slipped into the booth,
ended up listening
to the whole damn thing.
Never heard anything like it.
Yeah, it's a rare pressing from France.
The only copy I've found.
Well, if you like it so much,
why didn't you buy it yourself?
WOMAN: Ernest, come on. It's your turn.
Yeah. I got to get back.
You should join.
We have plenty of food, plenty of wine.
- I can't.
- Jack's not home.
What do you got to go back for?
You know what?
It's none of my business.
I'm sure you have plenty
to be getting along with.
- Thank you again.
- For what?
For showing me something I never
would have found on my own.
This became a proper
little dance party, huh?
[LAUGHTER]
[LIVELY CHATTER, LAUGHTER]
All around, I'd say.
[WOMAN SHRIEKING, MUSIC PLAYING LOUDLY]
Is it always like that?
Loud parties are the least of it.
Do you want me to go
and tell him to turn it down?
No, it's okay.
- It's good to see you, Richard.
- Mm.
I can hardly remember the last time.
Believe me, the novelty'll wear off.
- Be nice.
- I'm always nice.
He's the one giving me a hard time.
He's just upset
because he has to follow
the rules occasionally.
Well, I hope he's thanked you.
For what?
The position.
At Caltech.
She's talking about
the research associate position
I'm getting
once our funding comes through.
[COUGHS] Right, of course.
I remember the last time
Richard came over for dinner.
We tried to set him up with
that secretary from your office.
- Oh, my God.
- [GIGGLES]
That woman was the worst
bridge player I have ever seen.
[LAUGHS] It wasn't about
winning at bridge.
It was about getting her in the sack.
- Jack!
- What?
I'm sure Richard is just saving
himself for the right girl.
What the hell was that about?
- Thanks for backing me up.
- Did you tell her
that you got an offer for a job?
You all have stipends, Richard.
After the funding's approved,
I assumed we'd address
bringing me onto the team full time.
Or did you think I wanted to work
in a chemical plant
for the rest of my life?
So you just lied to her?
It's not a lie if it's gonna
come true eventually.
No wonder you were in such a
hurry to finish the proposal.
I'm in a hurry
to push the work forward.
Proposal's more of an impediment.
Then I am glad I had an ulterior
motive in coming here tonight.
[SIGHS]
What is that?
I thought maybe we could work together
on the fuel section on paper.
[SCOFFS] Are you serious?
I am, if you're serious
about getting funded.
Hey, um... [CLEARS THROAT]
If you're looking for us,
we're gonna be in the garage.
Banging our heads against the wall.
SUSAN: Okay.
[LOUD CHATTER OUTSIDE]
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS]
[DISTANT MUSIC AND CHATTER]
[WOMAN LAUGHS IN DISTANCE]
[WOMEN WHOOP]
[WOMAN HOWLS]
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS, FEATURING GUITAR]
[WOMAN WHOOPS]
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CHATTER, LAUGHTER CONTINUE]
[MUSIC CONTINUES IN DISTANCE]
[CHATTER, LAUGHTER CONTINUES]
Once we determine the
internal energy of the reaction,
we can calculate
the theoretical temperature
and the chamber pressure.
[SCOFFS]
It's exhausting just
to hear you say it.
Of course, the exit velocity
and mass flow rate are
important variables for thrust.
[CHEERING]
So this is where you build the rockets!
JACK: What the hell are
you all doing out there?
Building a bonfire.
I just cut down a tree
in my front yard, cannot get
the damn wood to light.
Figured you'd have something
to help me. Who's your buddy?
Richard.
ERNEST: Pleased to meet you.
So, which one of these here's
gonna get my fire to start?
Put that down. It's dangerous.
Exactly what I'm looking for.
Um, we're kind of in the
middle of something.
Ammonium nitrate?
[SNIFFS] Whew!
- [GIGGLES]
- It's an oxidizer.
And when you combine a
fuel and an oxidizer,
all you need is a light.
[RUMBLING WHOOSH]
[CHUCKLES]
See? Dangerous.
- Can I borrow that?
- No!
This stuff should only
be handled by someone
who knows what he's doing.
Guess I'll... get some gasoline
from my bike, then.
I told you he was off his rocker.
Him? Jesus, Jack,
- you nearly burnt his face to a crisp.
- Please.
I know these chemicals
like the back of my hand.
They speak to me, and
this is not the fucking
- language they speak.
- We can figure it out this way.
You just need to be patient.
At this rate,
my marriage is gonna be over
before our first rocket
leaves the ground.
You want that on your head?
I'm not asking you as a colleague.
I'm asking you as a friend.
Um... do you even have a way to...
get the kind of chemicals
that we're talking about?
[WORK WHISTLE BLOWING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
You're gonna be late, Professor.
Come on, man.
[CHUCKLING] This guy...
VERNON: Professor?
You remember that fancy new job
he's always keep talking about?
Oh, that's right.
He keeps saying he's
quitting any day now.
Just keeps showing up.
- How are you doing?
- Good, good.
All right.
- No.
- I haven't even...
I said no.
You know I'm right, Chiang.
Energy release is not
a linear progression.
We need to start running
full-scale tests.
Look what you did with even a
small amount of chemicals.
And I learned more
from that one mistake
than if I'd spent weeks
at that chalkboard.
While you might not
care, or even be aware,
there's a war on the
other side of the Pacific.
My father, my brother...
They all fight the Japanese.
If I'm forced to go back, I will, too,
which would be a tragic
waste of my abilities.
Why would you be forced to go back?
I need the faculty to approve
an extension of my visa.
What do you think will
happen if I'm caught
bringing restricted
chemicals onto campus?
Who said anything about getting caught?
[SCOFFS]
[MUTTERS IN MANDARIN]
Okay, listen, fellas,
out of solidarity with Chiang,
I'm gonna have
to sit this one out, too, okay?
JACK: Are you gonna spend your
whole life on the sidelines?
The real Samson slayed a thousand men
and destroyed a temple
with his bare hands.
I'm giving you a chance
to live up to the name
your father gave you.
Well, we ran it past them.
I guess it's just you and me.
As always.
[DOOR CREAKING]
[INSECTS TRILL OUTSIDE]
[STRAVINSKY'S THE RITE OF SPRING PLAYS]
Pueblo's really just
donating this stuff to us?
Yeah.
They asked me to discard it.
We're just discarding
it somewhere else, okay?
Let's go.
Jesus, how much are we taking?
Just a barrel of nitric acid
and a cylinder of dinitrogen tetroxide.
Not much.
[LOUD THUD, LIQUID SLOSHES]
You gonna help me
get them in the truck?
[GRUNTING]
- Jesus Christ.
- Careful.
Oh!
Oh.
[LIQUID SLOSHING]
All right, one more.
Okay. You got it?
One, two, three...
[GRUNTS] Okay.
[STAMMERING]
[LAUGHS]
Admit it, you're having fun.
Sure, what's not to love
about grand larceny?
Richard...
Richard...
[CHUCKLES]
There's the Richard I know and love.
Glad to see Caltech hasn't
completely stamped him out.
You sure that's a good idea?
[SNIFFLES]
Fair point.
Genius chemist over here.
[TRUCK STARTS]
RICHARD: Jesus Christ.
Look what the cat dragged in.
I thought about what you said.
Can't contribute a damn thing
until you got the fuel figured out,
and I'm sick of being on the sidelines.
Boy's a hero after all.
Too bad you already
missed the fun part.
Now we just need help unloading.
[SCOFFS] You're just going
to drive restricted chemicals
right onto campus?
Yeah. You got a better idea?
Matter of fact, I do.
[CHUCKLES]
SAMSON: So, Jack, there are four
resident houses at Caltech.
I happen to reside at Blacker.
They call them mole people
because, supposedly,
they have the keys to the steam tunnels
that run under the campus.
[LAUGHS] Not supposedly, definitively.
- [LAUGHTER]
- SAMSON: Shall we?
[GRUNTING]
[GRUNTING]
Jack... how combustible is this stuff?
Without fuel?
Not at all.
[GRUNTING]
Of course...
if it were to rupture...
Shit.
[LOUD CLATTERING]
SAMSON: Uh... what did
you say would happen
if that thing ruptured?
It'd burn like a son of a bitch.
SAMSON: Okay, well,
the way out is up that way.
Last one there is a rotten turd.
[UPBEAT BIG BAND MUSIC PLAYS]
It's clear.
Ready?
♪ ♪
Yes. Yes.
JACK: Shut the door.
Whew.
That couldn't have gone any better.
[LAUGHS]
- CHIANG: Smoke.
- Whoa.
[LAUGHS]
Sure.
Anyone else want
a celebratory cigarette?
No, idiot, smoke.
I do not expect you boys to recall
the drought of 1929.
It was a terrible time.
Every blade of grass turned brown.
The branches of the trees sagged
under the weight of the dust.
Luckily for us,
the maintenance of the lawns
has since been endowed
by an affluent alumnus.
They are the face of this university.
The fabric that ties the buildings
of this institution
of science together.
Walk us through the science
involved in rolling
dinitrogen tetroxide across it.
Or was it merely an act of vandalism?
It is true that we have undertaken
extraordinary measures,
but it is the limitations imposed on us
by this institution that
made those measures necessary.
What limitations is he referring to?
Based on their behavior,
seems to me there haven't been enough.
Professor Mesulam is the one who
brought our project onto campus.
Are you questioning his judgment
in thinking
our work had merit?
Mr. Parsons, you are
a guest on this campus,
which means your presence here
is far more tenuous
than your peers'.
As the so-called
"chemist" of the group,
not to mention its mouthpiece,
I assume this whole thing
was your idea.
It was my idea, sir.
Uh... Really, Mr. Onsted?
You decided to bring in
outside chemicals
from Mr. Parsons' place of employment?
Yes, sir. It was our only choice.
Running full-volume
tests was the only way
to get the data that we needed
for the proposal.
SAMSON: It's true.
My work on the project
was at a standstill without it.
And you, Mr. Gui?
You were willing to sacrifice
your standing in this university
by agreeing to take part
in these shenanigans?
I did not take part.
But I understood the necessity of it.
Be that as it may, Mr. Parsons,
your influence on your colleagues
has not gone unnoticed.
JACK: I don't see what
the big fuss is about,
it's just grass.
Didn't you hear them?
SAMSON: The lawn has
better funding than we do.
I guess they'll never
let us in the Athenaeum now.
Is that really what
you're worried about?
Thank you, for what you did back there.
And you... you could've
hung me out to dry.
Yes, but you're
an invaluable member to the team.
CHIANG: We need at least one
person who's not scared
of blowing themselves up.
The committee has decided not
to terminate the project.
On my request, they are
giving you probation instead.
Mr. Parsons put me
in a difficult position.
Admit I was idiot
to bring you onto campus,
or justify decision by giving you
more time to prove yourself.
Now, everything depends
on written proposal.
If it fails to impress,
you three will be reassigned
to other projects.
What about me?
I don't know, Mr. Parsons.
Just tell her the truth.
She'll understand.
Oh, you're leaving?
Yes, it's after 5:00.
There's still some outgoing calls.
Do they need to be dealt with tonight?
Well, they don't need to, but
I believe I made myself clear.
About the terms of the loan?
Mr. Gilroy called to inform me
that my check had been deposited.
Your check.
As I said, you will need
to start working overtime
until the principal's paid off.
I'm proud of you, Susan.
I'm sure Jack was
resistant, but good sense prevailed.
Now, I know it is close to dinner,
but by making the calls now,
you have a better chance of
catching our clients at home.
♪ ♪
JACK: Hey.
I was wondering
when you'd be getting back.
I knew you'd kept some of them,
but I didn't know you'd held
onto all these letters.
Why, Jack?
The check.
You said we wouldn't need it.
We suffered a minor setback at Caltech.
Things are going to take a
little longer than expected.
I know you've been worried.
Worried?
Yeah, about the mortgage.
Is that what you think
I've been worried about?
I'm going to put these back.
I thought this is what you wanted.
Let go.
[CRYING]
How could you deposit it
without even talking to me?
I thought there was
nothing to talk about.
Nothing to talk about?
I thought you'd be relieved.
Susan.
I was hoping you'd tell me
to rip the damn thing up.
If you really have a position
- lined up at Caltech, like...
- I will, I will.
I just need more time.
You will, or you do?
The only way I can stomach
working for that man
is knowing that someday
I won't have to.
That you'll... that you'll take me away
from all this like you promised.
Every penny we take from him
only sinks me in deeper.
But the house.
It's not the house I'm worried about.
It's whether this dream
of yours... of-of ours...
Is really going to come true.
What's all this?
Nothing.
Did you get the gift I left you?
Uh... yes.
Thank you, you didn't have to do that.
No, I wanted to.
You want something bad enough,
the world finds
a way to give it to you.
Ernest, can you just give us a minute?
My group is having
a gathering this evening,
and I think maybe you two should come.
[EXHALES]
What is it, exactly?
Come see for yourself.
What are you more scared of?
Trying something new, or that this
is all there is?
Look, come or don't come, that's it.
I'm not gonna ask you again.
Oh, I have made a secret door
in the house of Ra and Tum.
What? [ENGINE STARTS]
I have made a secret door
into the house of Ra and Tum.
Remember.
Do you want to go?
Do you?
JACK: I'm just surprised, that's all.
Last time we talked about Ernest,
you were calling the cops on him.
[ENGINE STOPS]
Who knows? Maybe he's right.
Maybe it'll help us.
How?
I don't know.
But at least we'll find out together.
Just know what you're walking into.
These people are strange.
They didn't seem so bad.
They just seemed free.
Yeah, that's one word for it.
[DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE]
[STATIC CRACKLING]
Anybody there?
[STATIC CRACKLING]
We're here for the gathering.
I have made a secret door
into the house of Ra and Tum?
We were invited by Ernest.
[CLOCK TICKING]
The Parsons.
So, should we just wait here?
[FOOTFALLS OVERHEAD]
I wouldn't.
Where is everyone?
Save your breath.
He's not gonna answer you.
[CLOCK CHIMING]
Do you want us to follow you?
Are you sure about this?
Who is that?
No idea.
[CHANTING IN DISTANCE]
CONGREGATION: ♪ A ka dua ♪
♪ Tuf ur ♪
♪ Biu ♪
♪ Bi a'a ♪
♪ Chefu ♪
♪ A ka dua ♪
♪ Tuf ur ♪
♪ Biu ♪
♪ Bi a'a chefu. ♪
Come.
We have a place for you.
Don't worry.
She'll be taken care of.
May you be granted the accomplishment
of your true will.
Welcome.
Let the rituals rightly be
performed with joy and beauty.
[GROANS]
ALFRED: Infinite space.
Before whom,
time is ashamed.
The mind, bewildered.
The understanding, dark.
I am alone.
There is no God where I am.
My name is chaos.
I am the flame that burns
in every heart of man.
I am life, the giver of life,
therefore the knowledge of me
is the knowledge of death.
Do what thou wilt
shall be the whole of the law.
MEN: Love is the law.
WOMEN: Love under will.
Be still.
I, who am all pleasure, desire you.
ALFRED: Inside us all
is a star.
They will divide and persecute us
in order to conceal our light.
But the man of will breaks
all boundaries.
[PANTING]
Hey.
You all right?
[CRYING]
Can we just go home?
I tried to warn you.
That wasn't just strange, it was sick.
We left before we even got
to find out what it is.
If I hadn't left,
would you have stayed?
Susan.
[HAYDN'S SYMPHONY NO. 101 PLAYING]
[DOOR CLOSES]
♪ ♪