Strange Angel (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - The Lovers - full transcript

Jack's breakthrough fuel formula goes missing from his office, and Jack suspects it was stolen by an enemy spy. As he seeks out Ernest's help to deal with the situation, Susan seeks out the...

For all his ambitions,

Frater J.P. is held back
by fear.

Fear of loss, abandonment,
failure, love.

You want to remain in control,

but you need
to let go.

You must keep a watchful eye

on all those around you.

If you sense that anyone at all

is not who they seem,
I want you

to contact me here.

Ask for M. Therion.



Aleister
Crowley's current whereabouts

are unknown. We need to know
if he's still in touch

with his pro-German
contacts in the U.S.

and if they're
planning anything.

I already told you,
I don't know.

Well, then I assume we can
count on you to pass along

any information that
you do find out.

After a long journey,
Frater E.D.

has returned with an
incredible revelation.

He seeks the guidance

of his Magus
and shall receive it.

I've missed you.

There are conditions.

It is the only thing
keeps my anger in check.



You want to remain.

Susan is lost to me,
but Patty could still be saved.

She's young and impressionabl.

I know it must be difficult
keeping up this lie,

but you must
somehow persevere.

You can start by

giving me the names
and personal details

of everyone living there.

Is this the sort of information
you're looking for?

- Extra, extra! Read all about it!
- Weihnachtsmann.

- So schon.
- Oh, dear. So schon indeed.

Oh, y'all ain't lived
till y'all tried her crumble.

It's all hot and gooey.

Gonna be my contribution
to the Feast.

- Wonderful.
- Got any Granny Smith?

We'll just take three dozen
of these then, please.

Would you like ones that
haven't been sullied?

No,

- these ones are fine.
- Extra, extra!

Your eyes
shall be opened.

And you shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil.

Mrs. Parsons,

is that you?

Mrs. Van Buren, hello.

I'll pay for these.

Oh, don't forget,
opera, 7:00.

I won't forget.

I am so glad
to have run into you.

Did you receive my invitation?

To the Preservation Society
Christmas soiree?

Oh, yes, of course.
Um, when-when is it again?

Tomorrow night, dear. I'm out
making final preparations.

I do hope you and
your husband can make it.

Oh, w-we'll do our best.
Jack's been consumed

with his work for
the military these days.

Ugh, well, I'm sure.
This war hangs over us all,

and yet you all seem
to make time to host

your fair share of gatherings.

- Yes.
- From all appearances,

they are quite lively,

and yet no one from the
neighborhood has made the list.

It's never good to get off
on the wrong foot, dear.

Making an appearance
will go a long way

in easing people's minds.

- It's incredible.
- I know.

Combining aniline
with the RFNA makes the fuel

ten times more powerful.

If von Braun had this mixture
in his V-2s,

Hitler would be
pounding London by now.

I'm more interested in when
we can start pounding Tokyo.

I'm going out of my mind.

All I did was to go ask
for his blessing,

and now sh-she says that she
needs time to think things over.

What the hell is there
to think over?

And it's hypergolic.

We're gonna save
at least five pounds

by pulling the
ignition system.

It's torture.
I mean, she's torturing me.

Love is war, Richard. Don't let
Marisol get the upper hand.

Can I have the ratios? I'll need
to get the chemicals sourced.

Sure, I got all
my notes right...

How can I win when
she won't even talk to me?

What?

Patty, can you have Private
Fischer bring in my notebook?

I left it on my desk.

Patty?

Just rewrite the formula from
memory. It's not a big deal.

It's a huge deal.

The information in that
notebook is classified.

You probably just
left it at home.

We're all working too hard,
all the fucking time.

No, I didn't.

I was looking at it
this morning.

Jack, come on.

It doesn't make any sense.
It was in this room.

We're not celebrating Christmas
at home this year.

We're celebrating
Winter Solstice instead.

- What's that?
- Well, it's this feast...

Not something we should be
talking about at work.

Did anyone come into my office
while I was out?

I don't think so.

You sit right outside my door.
It shouldn't be that hard.

Well, if you haven't noticed,

Alice and I have been
a bit busy today.

It's not easy stringing
popcorn, Mr. Parsons.

Do you like it?

Who said you could
get a tree?

I thought the place
could use some holiday cheer,

so I followed
my true will.

Jack, we need to get back to it.

Prototype isn't going to
launch itself.

Patty, stop what you're doing
and search every inch

of this office
till you find my notebook.

Okay?

Thank you, Private Fischer.

Gentlemen.

Everything okay, Mr. Parsons?

Kanebgik.

Ernest? Ernest?

No!

Shh.

You're okay.
It's just me.

We use this at the hospital.

When you come down too fast,
it can lead to dark thoughts.

These'll give you just enough
light to pull you through.

No, I'm confronting
my pain head-on,

as the Magus instructed.

But you don't have
to do it alone.

I don't need it.

The Magus would like to know if
your intention remains the same.

You still wish
to see the angel?

I have never wavered.

Oh.

Your will is more
potent than ever.

But I fear that
you have lost touch

with the most important
part of our faith... love.

Sofort! American spy!

Informationen. Jetz.

Jetzt!

You're speaking
of this man you work with?

Why are you feeding
this infatuation

if it could get you
into trouble?

Because it's fun.

Do you enjoy
toying with the forbidden?

Doesn't everyone?

When we're alone,

I want him so badly.

I just think about him
touching me, and I can feel

my heart beat faster,
like a drum.

I would do anything for him.

I would let him do anything
to me.

Might it have something
to do with your father?

It's no wonder you would
associate sexual desire

with the breaking of taboos.

I'm not going
to talk about this.

Well, that's the reason
for these sessions... so you can

- talk about things you normally keep hidden.
- Everyone else might be

stupid enough to reveal
that stuff, but I'm not.

The last time

I saw Carmen was

at the Royal Opera House right
before it was requisitioned

as a furniture repository
for the Great War.

Hmm.

Well, I'm afraid there were
a few useless footstools

on that stage
tonight, as well.

Pasadena has many virtues,

but, uh, sopranos
are not one of them.

Did it at least take
your mind off tomorrow's

unfortunate obligation?

A story about a
free-spirited gypsy

being killed by a
wealthy lieutenant?

Oh, come now.
It won't be that bad.

It's just a Christmas party.

Ah, correction.
Christmas soiree.

Oh, how silly of me.

Soiree.

I should probably
head to bed.

Jack's car was
in the driveway.

So what if it was?

Thank you for a
wonderful night.

She keeps bringing
up this Christmas soiree.

I really don't want
to go by myself.

Then don't.

We have to make
at least some effort

- to get to know the neighbors.
- Why?

Because they could make
our lives unpleasant.

I grew up around these people.

Believe me, their bark
is much worse than their bite.

Jack, please?

I can't make any promises.

There have been some
troubling developments at work.

What?

I know how crazy
things have been,

but it's nice for us to have
a moment alone together.

One advantage of you having
to get up so early.

What we're doing is
making me appreciate

what we have all the more.

How so?

Choosing someone not
because you have to,

but because you want to.

Good morning.
I'll go get your tea.

Oh, thank you.
I need it.

Barely slept a wink
last night.

Haunted by dreams
of Carmen.

I take it you enjoyed the opera?

Oh, not as much
as your wife.

It's a shame
you had to work.

You know, just because Susan and
I have chosen to love in freedom

doesn't mean there won't be
consequences to our choices.

And some choices will have
bigger consequences than others.

Here you go.

No sugar and just
a drop of lemon.

- Bless you.
- I should go.

See you tonight?

We need to
leave by 7:00.

I'll do my best to be there.

I want to file a report about
a possible security breach.

I'm listening, Mr. Parsons.

Some notes went missing
from my office

containing valuable information
about the project.

And I have evidence
that Private Fischer

was in my office
at the time they disappeared.

That is a very serious
insinuation.

If I file a report
and it has no merit,

it could blow back onto you,
and you're the one

- who lost the classified material.
- I didn't lose it, Wallace,

it was stolen.

Mr. Parsons,
I'm going to do us both a favor,

and pretend we
never had this conversation.

Wait, wait, wait.

Hello. Huntington Hotel, please.

- Thank you.
- See you later.

Huntington Hotel.

Hello, I'd like to leave
a message

for the guest in room 156.

Name, M. Therion.

"Stop thinking and
follow me," cried Hitler.

"I will make you masters
of the world."

- And the people answered "Heil."
- Come. Act natural, boy.

I could go over Wallace,
straight to Braxton.

Based on a missing notebook
and a loose secretary?

She's my sister-in-law.

She is a whore.

Every aspect of this story
reflects badly.

You did well to come to me.

However, the people
who I work for,

they're going to
need more to go on.

More? He might be
a goddamn spy.

Why don't you broadcast it
to all of Los Angeles?

The information
that was stolen from me

might turn the tide of the war.

A breakthrough
fuel mixture.

It'd be catastrophic

if it got into the wrong hands.

Tell you what.

Why don't you tell this
MP of your suspicion?

If he really is a mole,
first thing he'll do

is contact his handler.

Then you follow him

wherever that leads

and you might be able to
ascertain who he's working for.

Now, that's the sort
of information my associates

can act upon.

Who are these associates,
exactly?

I do love a good
propaganda film.

Everything is so
black and white.

If only life were so simple.

Suffice to say that I
am not alone in this.

And you shouldn't be, either.

We're both up against
a very dangerous enemy.

They follow blindly the dictator

and continue to chant the
hypnotic scream, "Sieg heil!"

- Sieg heil!
- Sieg heil!

- Sieg heil!
- Sieg heil!

Grobritannien? Italy?

Marokko? Was hast du an al
diesen Orten gemach?

I'm not an American spy.

- I was visiting those places.
- Why?

To find the truth.

Bist du OSS?

Hey, bist du?

Bist du MI6?

Bist du resistance?

Who are you?!

I'm no one.

- Who are you?!
- Ernest.

Looks like you chopped enough
for the whole neighborhood.

Thanks for keeping quiet about
what you saw the other night.

We all think
the Magus serves us,

but he'll take the thing
that brings you peace

in the blink of a damn eye.

Since you kept one secret,
I'm hoping you can keep another.

- I think I've been infiltrated.
- By who?

By the enemy.

Which enemy?

We're at war.
Take your pick.

Could be the Japs.

Most likely the Nazis.

What do you need me to do?

We did our best
to follow the specifications.

Little hard without knowing
what the hell it is.

Operating in the dark
is difficult,

but such is the world
these days.

Don't you need to talk
to Lieutenant Atencio

about pulling
the ignition system?

Jack's self-combusting
fuel, remember?

Oh. Right.

I can take you to him.

You coming?

I want to check
the regenerative cooling.

See if we can shave
some weight there as well.

Patty.

Stop distracting
Private Fischer

from his very
important work.

I wasn't distracting him.

He's got no one
to talk to back here.

Is there something
I can help you with, sir?

I think you left
this in my office.

I'm on to you.

Hey. What are you doing
with that thing?

Sorry, that's classified.

Who are you with?

The Aerojet Corporation.

Never heard of it.

That's because
our work here is classified.

Anyone tell you
to move, Nip?

I thought you people were
supposed to report to the camps.

I'm trying to get my wallet
and identification. I'm not...

You'll move
when I say you move.

What's going on here?

Please explain to this man
that we are here

on behalf
of the U.S. Army Air Force.

Show him your credentials.

As you can see,
I am a Chinese national

and chief engineer
of a very real corporation.

We're on high alert
for Jap spies.

You can't expect normal
Americans to tell y'all apart.

Certainly not Americans
with the IQs of chimpanzees.

- You want to say that again?
- Nope, nope.

It's fine.

Gentlemen, we all need
to get back to work.

Jesus.

We've started acting
like the goddamn enemy.

He was only
doing his job.

Pull up over here.

I don't think he saw us.

I set the hook.
Let's see who reels him in.

Thanks for coming with me.

I would not want
to be doing this alone.

Who the hell are you
meeting, Private Fischer?

Come in.

Looks like I've been stood up.

Could you zip me up?

I can't seem
to do it alone.

I'm not looking
forward to this.

You'll be fine.

Well, if all else fails,
I'm bringing Jack's checkbook.

I have a feeling he'll be
extra generous tonight,

given his
last-minute absence.

Do you have any plans
this evening?

Just... study
and respite.

Well, wish me luck.

Thou shalt be learned
in the things of love,

and mighty in the
things of war.

Evening, ma'am.

Mrs. Parsons,
we've been expecting you.

Please,
help yourself to libations

- and hors d'oeuvres.
- Thank you.

Oh.

Is that Susan Parsons?

Is that Mrs. Parsons?

Oh, good, you came.

Ladies, look
who decided to join us.

Where is your better half?

Duty calls, I'm afraid.

Oh, well,
that is unfortunate.

Allow me to introduce
Susan Parsons.

She and her husband are the new
occupants of the Fleming estate.

- Mm.
- Parsons?

As in Jack Parsons?

I haven't seen him since
he was a child stealing fruit

- from my trees.
- Well,

he's a lot taller now but, uh,
still causing plenty of trouble.

So we've heard.

Uh, well,
lovely to meet you both.

I'm sorry, sir.

- This is a private function.
- Don't worry.

I'm a guest of
Susan Parsons.

Hello, dear!

Oh, be-be a love.

Fetch me a martini.

I felt terrible

leaving you to
fend for yourself.

Allow me to introduce...

Alfred Miller.

Uh, i-is this meant
to be a Christmas costume?

No, not in the slightest.

Perhaps we should make our way

into the library
so we can get started.

Started?

Thank you for coming.

Though I might've chosen
something a little more subdued.

We don't have to hide ourselves
from these people.

Let them bask
in our splendor.

Here's where the members
of the Preservation Society

have decided
to ensconce themselves.

Hello.

Your drink, sir.

Oh, thank you.
Good man.

Chin-chin.

Do I detect an accent?

How perspicacious. Yes.

Raised in Burma,
schooled in Cambridge.

I take it you are
the leader of the group?

Pardon?

Well, you haven't
exactly tried to hide it.

People coming
and going

at all hours.

What is it you all are doing,

exactly?

Whatever we will.

It's a-a social club.

A salon, really,

of, uh, intellectuals,
artists,

- freethinkers.
- Come now, Susan.

Don't lie to these good people.

What is he doing here?

Mr. Byrne has become one
of the Preservation Society's

most ardent supporters.

We should go.

No, you can't
keep running away.

These people have
the right to know,

they deserve to know
who is living next to them.

I've heard the Parsons have

at least ten people living
inside of that home,

including
two Negro jazz musicians,

multiple homosexuals
and deviants,

even a German cross-dresser.

Where... How did you get that information?

What does it matter
where I got

the information?
Is it true?

Do you have all these tenants
living under your roof?

Yes, they live with us,
but they're not tenants.

- They don't pay rent.
- Well, they pay

one way or another...
either with money

or with flesh.

Mrs. Parsons,
it sounds to me

like you are running
an unlicensed boarding house,

at the very least,

not to mention violating
the restrictive covenant

which prevents Negro occupants
in the Fleming estate

unless they're the help.

Are your Negroes
the help, Susan?

Of course not.

These are the
very sort of people

that we have fought so hard
to keep out of our community.

We need to make sure
that these tenants,

or whatever you
want to call them,

vacate your
house posthaste.

Or else the zoning commission
will have no choice...

Oh, enough!

Oh, the charlatan speaks!

I'm the-the charlatan?

You are here
celebrating a holiday

based on the greatest lie
ever told.

Babies are not the result
of immaculate conception.

They are the result of love.

And love

is the only law we obey.

Perhaps, Mr. Miller.

But you are in
Pasadena now.

You must obey
our laws as well.

Well, then, when you come
for us, you'd better bring more

than the police
and your local covenants,

because, truth is,

we're not running
a boarding house.

We are...

a church.

And, as such,
we are afforded full protection

against this type of...

religious persecution.

You should know that both Patty
and I now practice Thelema

in order to rid ourselves
of your sin.

If you keep up
this crusade,

we will find a way to
make you suffer for it.

Maybe whoever he was supposed
to meet saw us and got spooked.

You want to find out
the truth, don't you?

I do, but...

- The hell are you doing?
- People will admit

anything when they're scared.

Ernest.

Ernest, no.

Ernest.

Who are you?

Who the fuck are you?

Tell me! Tell me!

Who you working for?!

Tell me!

No one! I'm not!

- Tell me.
- Informationen.

- Omar...
- Jetzt!

You choose.

Talk or he dies.

- Talk or die!
- I can't!

They'd ruin me!

What the fuck
are you doing?!

I saw into his soul, Jack!

He's a goddamn Nazi!

Not a word
of this to anyone.

I know I saw
it here somewhere.

I saw it
just recently.

I know
you're probably angry.

So, I take it you
didn't enjoy the party?

It wasn't a party at all.

It was an inquisition.

Fortunately,
the Magus came with me,

so I didn't have
to face it alone.

Didn't have to
face what alone?

Virgil was there.

He had detailed information
about everyone living here.

How?

God only knows.

He uses P.I.s for his business.

Maybe he's using them
against us.

We need to build
our walls so high,

he can't get at us anymore.

I'm sorry I wasn't there.

Where were you?

No. Let me guess.

You can't say.

No, but it was important.

It always is.

That's right.

I'm fighting a war, Susan.

So are we.

If we can get the IRS to
recognize Thelema as a religion,

officially, then our house
would become a church,

like you said.

We'd have
the full protection

- of the First Amendment.
- Yes.

It's been a long day.

Go ahead without me.

I'm not gonna be able
to sleep anytime soon.

He claimed he was assaulted
and that you may have been

a part of it.

Did you take matters
into your own hands?

You didn't leave me much choice.

You think this man
was a spy?

When he was confronted
about it, he didn't deny it.

Actually,

he seemed scared of what
his own people might do.

If you don't
believe me, fine.

Reassign him
wherever you want.

But this is my company,

and I don't want him here.

I think what my colleague
is saying here is,

whether or not Private Fischer
stole information from us,

he crossed other lines.

I get it. Pretty thing like that

sitting right outside
your office.

- Agent Wallace...
- Either you got possessive

or you got jealous.

- We're getting off track.
- Did anyone ask you?

What is that you're wearing?

Is that a Chinese
Nationalist flag?

Is anyone
in this office on our side?!

I am wearing it to avoid
being confused for the enemy.

I don't have time
for this bullshit.

We have real battles to fight.

You will not be seeing
any more of Private Fischer.

General Braxton...

Whether or not these more
serious accusations are true,

his dalliance with Mr. Parsons'
secretary was unbefitting.

But whatever intel
was lost

needs to be reported
to CIC.

And, going forward,

if you feel there may be
any sort of a breach,

let Agent Wallace
and his department handle it.

Am I clear?

- Yes, sir.
- Yes, sir.

My will is being tested.

The devil we have fought
so hard against

has gotten his claws
into Patty, too.

They're claiming to be
a real religion.

Can you imagine that?

Every false prophet draws power
from somewhere.

In this case, Mr. Parsons.

He seems to be the cult's
lone benefactor.

We need to move quickly if
I have any chance of saving Patty.

What do you want me to do?

Finish what we've started.

You want more information?

No.

I want you to cut the head
off the snake.

What are you doing?

Taking my sensitive
materials home.

They clearly
aren't safe here.

Wallace wouldn't approve.

Especially with all those
people at your house.

I know everything
about those people.

Here, even the ones they sent
to protect us can't be trusted.

Ready to go?

No. I'm going out with
some of the girls.

What's the matter?
You steamed

about me getting rid
of your boyfriend?

He wasn't my boyfriend.

Right. He was just
your forbidden tryst.

You listened to my
purge session, didn't you?

So what if I did?

I'm the one who showed you
those recordings.

Did it ever occur to you
that maybe I wanted you to hear?

I wasn't talking
about Hank.

You weren't?

I had to do something
to get your attention.

I was trying to manifest
my true will.

We can't.

We can do anything.

Love is the law.

This is not about love.

Yes, it is.

I've loved you since
I was a little girl.

You're still a little girl.

- Oh, Mr. Parsons.
- What?

Someone left this by the
front door of the building.

No return address
or anything.

With all the restrictions going
on, I didn't want to open it.

Thank you, Alice.

I prepared for you duck,

which was meine Mutter's recipe.

She gave me my mein nose,

mein tender heart,
before she broke it.

Love is the law.

Love under will.

I made homemade muscadine wine.

Wine so fine, mmm,
people ought to stand in line.

It takes time.

It costs a dime.

Tell us what it means.

Uh, I guess it's just
s-something my Uncle Dex made

to make the day
go down easier.

So he could feel the way
we feel all the time.

Love is the law.

Love under will.

I made really,

really burnt bread.

Sorry, guys.

I made deviled eggs.

My mom and I used to make them
in the kitchen.

It was the only time "devil"
was allowed in our house.

Devil was a crazy man.
Love is the law.

Love under will.

I made
chocolate-covered cherries.

Uh, my mother...

My dear, it is mandatory

to have fun on the solstice.

I have other things
on my mind.

Like fortifying ourselves
against our enemies?

These tax laws
we're using...

...they were written by men
in power for men like him.

Mm, perhaps.

But we have something even
more powerful on our side.

Magick.

At ease, soldier.

Parsons had nothing
to back up his claims.

His friend almost killed me.

You do understand why
I couldn't intervene, right?

The whole operation
would've been exposed.

Do you have it?

You're being transferred
to Huntsville.

Redstone Arsenal.

Alabama?

Might not seem like
much of a posting now,

but, trust me, it will be.

Ernest?

Did you take my notebook?

It's not about
your fucking notebook.

Powerful forces
keep pushing us together.

The universe must want us
to collide.

What are you talking about?

Time to make an offering, Jack,

so I can be free
to see my angel.

See, I've been where
you are before,

except they didn't give me
a choice.

What do I have to choose,
Ernest?

Who lives and who dies.

You choose. Talk or he dies.

Why does somebody have to die?

'Cause the angel demands blood.

No, no, no, no, no spies...

Amor. Amor.

What? Amor?

Amor.

Love.

Love?

Arschficker?

Arschficker.

No!

That's what happened right
before he appeared to me.

A great sacrifice.

So whose is it gonna be,
yours or mine?

This is insane.

"And he shall cast
lots upon two goats,

"and one lot shall go
to the Lord

and one lot shall go to Azazel."

I'm not gonna fucking kill you,
Ernest.

Then you made your choice.

No. Don't-don't do this.

Ernest, don't do this.

I brought you
into my house.

I forgave you.

Yours is not
the forgiveness I need.

Tighter.

Tell me what you want.

To vanquish my enemies.

Just you and me, Jack.

You can't do this!
I'm your elemental!

No, I found my elemental
nearly halfway around the world.

The Fascists took him from me.

Now I have to cut the
head off the snake.

Tell me what you want.

To vanquish my enemies.

Thee I invoke, the Bornless one.

Thee that didst create the Earth

and the Heavens.

I am He!

The Bornless Spirit!

I am He!

The Truth!