The Affair (2014–…): Season 5, Episode 8 - Episode #5.8 - full transcript

Previously on The Affair...

[Noah]
She was sex.

The very definition of it.

She was the reason
the word was invented.

[Alison] You were gonna say
this book is true.

And then you make out that
I'm some kind of cold‐hearted,

‐drug‐dealing psychopath.
‐Okay, calm down, Alison.

No. Nothing is sacred to you.
Nothing.

‐[Eden] Helen Solloway?
‐Hi.

Eden Ellery.
I‐I was Noah's publicist.

Bad idea.



We're working
together.

[Helen] I think
they were sleeping together.

[Sasha]
When?

On his book tour.

[Sasha] Didn't seem
to end too well.

I'm really excited
about this piece.

People love
a comeback story.

When will they run it?
Do you know?

I hear that they want to time it
with the release of the movie.

[Petra]
Eden claims you pressured her

into sleeping with you
on the book tour.

This is fucking shit! What?!

I think you had the world
a little bit too much

at your fingertips,
didn't you?



Damn, Ariel. You really
were paying attention.

There's a chapter
in your last book, Descent,

where you have sex with
your wife against a tree.

Was that
supposed to be

‐a rape?
‐No, I did not

consider it to be
a‐a scene of rape.

Are you fucking kidding me?!

Can I help you?

You must be Helen.
I'm Christianna.

I'm sorry. Should I know you?

‐I'm his daughter.
‐[Sasha] Well, that's hardly

‐accurate, is it?
‐No.

Not now that it's
inconvenient for you.

‐How much?!
‐$25,000.

She shows up, pretends
she wants a... relationship.

‐Oh, my God.
‐So do you like it?

Are you kidding me?!

‐You're a genius.
‐Oh.

To new friends and
new beginnings.

‐Cheers.
‐Cheers. [laughs]

The Maze 3 is a go.

What about Barry's movie?

I can't make it work.

I'm sorry.

Hello, little love.

Hi, Mom.

[Sierra]
Can you watch him for me?

My mom was supposed to do it,
but she just cancelled.

She has the flu
or something.

Oh, I'd love to,
but I have a work thing.

‐What do you need?
‐[Eddie crying]

What do you need, bud?
You got to help me out.

♪ I was screaming
into the canyon ♪

♪ At the moment of my death ♪

♪ The echo I created ♪

♪ Outlasted my last breath ♪

♪ My voice it made
an avalanche ♪

♪ And buried a man
I never knew ♪

♪ And when he died,
his widowed bride ♪

♪ Met your daddy
and they made you ♪

♪ I have only one thing to do ♪

♪ And that's be the wave
that I am, and then ♪

♪ Sink back into the ocean ♪

♪ I have only one thing to do ♪

♪ And that's be the wave
that I am, and then ♪

♪ Sink back into the ocean ♪

♪ I have only one thing to do ♪

♪ And that's be the wave
that I am, and then ♪

♪ Sink back into the ocean,
sink back into the ocean ♪

♪ Sink back into the o... ♪

♪ Sink back into the ocean ♪

♪ Sink back into the o... ♪

♪ Sink back into the ocean ♪

♪ Sink back
into the ocean ♪

[phone ringing]

[Rebecca]
Amy is an absolute

design prophet. She's
totally omniscient.

She has her hands in every
aspect of her business.

She expects everyone
to be operating at 100

at all times.

So what do you think
you'd be able to...

contribute to the firm?

Um... I know I don't
have a design degree,

or an, um, NCIDQ certification,

but I've been putting houses
together my entire life.

And since I've started
doing it professionally,

my client list has grown
pretty quickly.

I started off with one client,
and since‐‐

I don't know‐‐
in the past few months,

I've already done
five other homes.

All on my own, so...

Well, and who are some
of your other clients?

Well...

Sasha Mann,

Carolina Wineman.

Look, my son, uh,
just put together this

Instagram... page for me.

I... I held off on social media

for as long as I could,
but I had to bite the bullet.

You only have
four followers.

Yeah, my kids.

You have four children?

‐Why?
‐Uh...

‐[tablet buzzes]
‐Oh.

There's one more follower.

[Hailey] Oh. Bringing your
grand total up to five.

I can't see who it is, though.

They're probably private.
You have to follow them back.

Okay. Anyway, um, getting back

to what I think I could
contribute to the firm...

[Rebecca]
Amy

is actually very good friends

with Barry and Carolina Wineman.

[Hailey] The competition for
the open designer position

is pretty fierce.

A recommendation from Carolina
would go a long way

in moving your résumé

to the top of the huge
stack on Amy's desk.

Why don't you call Carolina
right now?

That is a great idea.

[chuckles softly]

I think she's on vacation.

Yeah.

Far away.

Like, unreachable, really.

So...

[woman]
Who's unreachable?

‐Amy!
‐You're back early!

Hi.

Hi. I'm Helen.

We were just talking
about Carolina Wineman.

‐Mm.
‐She's in town.

They were supposed to leave
to shoot Barry's new movie,

but the funding fell out
at the last minute,

poor bastard.
I'll tell you this, though.

I was just at his 60th
birthday party about a month

or so ago, and whoever
redid their house

did a hell of a job.

Helen claims that
was her work.

I'm sorry. What did
you say your name was?

Helen Butler.

Oh, God.

Carolina told me all about you.

She did?

She said you're a genius.

She's a great lady.

[car alarm system chirps]

[sighs heavily]

[phone buzzes]

‐[phone buzzes]
‐Oh.

Hi.

[Whitney]
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birthday! ♪

Okay, all right.
Great. Don't remind me.

Mom, come on. I know this
isn't your favorite day ever,

but can we try
to be a little happy?

Yes, I am happy.

I just got that job.

Oh, my God! Congratulations!

Thank you.

I'm really just relieved.

I mean, hopefully,
this will cover

Stacey and Trevor's tuitions,

and I won't have
to sell the house.

Uh, anyway, I'm sorry that I
couldn't go out there with you.

I just couldn't
turn down this interview.

Mom, it's okay.

Dad and I have the wedding
thing totally covered.

You do?

Yeah, he's actually
been amazing.

We‐we got a tent, the rentals,
we found a DJ, we have flowers.

Wow. Okay, um...

[laughing]
Great.

I guess when you get back,

we'll find you
the perfect dress.

Oh, no, we found a dress.

You did?

Yeah. It's yours!

Grandma showed you my dress?
She hated that dress.

No, no, no, it was
Dad's idea. Oh, shit.

I should go. We're heading
back to the city.

I love you so much!
Happy birthday!

B‐‐ Love you, too.

♪ quiet, atmospheric music ♪

♪♪♪

[phone buzzes]

Uh... Oh.

Christianna.

[car horn honks]

Ooh.

Sorry!

[NPR meteorologist]
Now going into the fifth week

of this record‐breaking
heat wave, local officials are

closely monitoring all areas
affected by the drought.

With reservoirs
at an all‐time low...

Are you Helen Butler?

I am. Can I help you?

My name's Mariel Rodriguez.

I'm a social worker
from the Los Angeles Department

of Children and Family Services.

I'd like to ask you some
questions about your neighbor,

‐Sierra James.
‐Is Sierra okay?

It's standard procedure

to speak with friends
and neighbors

of the subject
of an open investigation.

Okay. Do we need
to go inside, or...?

This won't take that long.

When was the last time
you saw Ms. James

with her child,
and how did they appear?

Mm, I‐I haven't seen them

for a couple weeks,
but she seemed... fine.

Can you be more specific?

A little tired, maybe,
but she's a new mother.

That's to be expected.

Anything else?
Aberrant behavior?

Drugs and alcohol?
Poor decision‐making?

Nope. Just tired.

Uh, can I ask what
she's being investigated for?

I'm not at liberty to say.
Thank you for your time.

‐[knocking]
‐[meditative music playing]

Sierra?

[Eddie crying]

Sierra?

[Eddie crying]

Sierra, what is going on?
Where's Eddie?

‐He's... upstairs.
‐[music shuts off]

I'm letting him cry it out.

That's for nighttime,
not the middle of the day.

I'm just really stressed
out right now, okay?

Oh. Okay. Well, are you aware

you're being investigated
by Child Protective Services?

It's not a big deal.
I got into

a minor accident
a couple weeks back.

Nobody was hurt.
Just, I hit a dumpster.

But why are social services
investigating a car accident?

Because the car was totaled.

And Eddie was in it.

Sierra, this is... serious.

You could lose him!

I know.

I'm handling it.

Okay. Yeah.

[scoffs]

Look, I have to go pick up
Stacey and Trevor, but you need

to get up and get dressed
and clean the fucking house.

Okay? You are not the first
woman on Earth to have a child.

You need to grow up
and figure out how

to take care of that baby!

[Eddie wailing]

Since when do you care
about him?

I... What?

The night that
I crashed the car,

I came over to your house,
and I asked you for help.

You said you were too busy.

[Eddie wailing]

And now, suddenly, you care
about what happens to us?

Please.

Can I have my weed back?

♪ gentle music ♪

♪♪♪

[Eddie wailing]

How about you get
the fuck off the couch

and go comfort your kid?

[Eddie continues crying]

[phone buzzes]

♪♪♪

[indistinct chatter]

♪♪♪

‐Sure.
‐[phone chimes]

[Christianna]
Thanks for coming all this way.

I hope you like iced lattes.

Thank you.

I am so sorry for
the cryptic messages. I just...

I really needed
to talk to you.

Look, I could just tell

that you're not like all
of Sasha's other girlfriends.

You're like a real
human being.

You're not just trying
to get close to him

because he's famous.

And I can tell he's really crazy
about you, so...

Has he told you
about my mother at all?

Um, a little. Yeah.

He told you
she was an addict, right?

Has he told you that
he's the one who got her hooked?

No.

Or how about the fact
that she was the one

who supported the two of them
for an entire decade

at the beginning of his career?

Did he tell you that?

No, um, I don't know,
but I'm sorry. I didn't...

What‐what does this have
to do with me exactly?

She left me money.

My grandparents were rich,

and Sasha's in charge of it.

He's supposed
to pay me an income every year,

but he never does.

I mean, I have
to practically squat

at his house
to get him to pay me.

That money that you were
asking for is your money?

Well, why would he do that?

I had a bad couple of years.

I fucked up a bit.

I... tried committing suicide.

I mean, my mom had just died,
for fuck's sake.

But all of that
is behind me now.

I have

an apartment, I have two jobs.

I'm writing a book.

That's great.
I mean, it sounds

‐really great.
‐I want to terminate the trust.

And I need your help

getting Sasha
to listen to reason.

I'll be 21 next month.

I should be able
to control my own money.

Why would he keep
your mother's money?

He doesn't need it.

[laughs softly]

It's not about the money, Helen.

It's about control.

I mean, control me, and
he controls the story I tell.

It's all about his image.

That's the only thing
he actually cares about.

[knocking on window]

Oh, fuck. I've got to get back.

I can't lose this job.

Look, can you just
talk to him for me?

Please?

Will you help me?

I don't know.

I'll think about it.

♪ gentle music ♪

♪♪♪

Hey. You look great.
Do you feel better?

‐Uh, Mariel's here.
‐Who?

Mariel, my social worker.

Oh.

‐Come in.
‐Oh, okay.

Can I get you anything, Mariel?

Tea or biscuits or...?

No, thanks.

I'm all right.

There...

we go. Okay.

Where are you from?

Los Angeles,
born and raised.

Oh, me, too!
California girls!

Do you have any relatives
close by that you can rely on?

Uh, yes.
My‐my mother is close by.

Would you like some cheese?

[Mariel] Uh, what is
your mother's name?

Her name is, um, Adeline Taylor.

[Mariel] And your mother
lives in Los Angeles?

[Sierra] Uh, her‐her primary
residence is Los Angeles, yes.

‐Um, but she's an actress...
‐[Eddie crying]

...so she moves around a lot‐‐
Hey, hey, hey.

[Mariel]
"Primary residence."

Does that mean
she has multiple homes?

It's okay. Yes.

Yeah. Oh, my gosh.

I'm so sorry about the racket.

I totally forgot about
Eddie's sweet potatoes.

I make all of his food
from scratch.

It's okay. Just one sec.

Okay. Okay...

Ooh. Ooh, ooh, ooh.

‐Whoa.
‐Hi.

You have the instincts
of a panther, Helen.

Lucky you were there.

A‐Are you leaving already?

Yes, I‐I think I have
everything I need.

You don't want to ask me
some more questions, or...

Have a nice day.

♪ slow, somber music ♪

[Eddie cries]

Um...

‐It's okay. Ooh.
‐Whoopsie.

H‐Hang on, hang on one second.

Uh, excuse me.

Ma'am, um, you're, uh...

Mariel, um, can you tell me
what the next steps are?

I'm sorry, I can't share that
with anyone but Ms. James.

Okay, but hypothetically,
if it was an investigation

like Sierra's, what‐what‐what
would the next...

Hypothetically, if the subject
of an investigation is found

to be an unfit parent, the
subject's child would be removed

from the home
and placed with the next of kin.

Like her mother?

I really can't talk
about this anymore.

[car door opens, closes]

[engine starts]

‐[crying]
‐[Helen] Sierra.

‐Sierra, it's okay.
‐It's not. It's not.

It's not.
I can't do anything right.

‐I'm gonna end up killing him.
‐Oh, no, you're not.

No, you're not.

It was one mistake. I mean,
this‐this period is‐is...

it's an adjustment.

And all mothers
make mistakes.

No, you don't understand.

I‐I can't get out of bed
in the morning.

I just lay there
staring at the ceiling and I...

I can't stop thinking,
I can't stop thinking about...

hurting myself, and I just
want to leave him somewhere

so that somebody
will find him and,

and I think they should just
take him away from me now

so that he doesn't
have to remember me.

Oh, no.
[Helen shushes]

Oh, God. Sierra.

Listen to me.

‐Will you listen to me?
‐Mm‐hmm.

I think that you need
some help, okay?

[sniffles]

All right? You're not equipped
to do this on your own.

How come everybody
can do this but me?

I don't think that you should
be alone right now. Hmm?

So why don't you and Eddie come
stay with me for a while? Hmm?

‐Okay.
‐Okay.

Thank you.

We'll get you
some help.

[babbles]

[suitcase wheels rolling]

Surprise!

Oh, Jesus Christ, wow.

‐Hey. [laughs]
‐Hey. How you doing?

I thought you were
in the Sahara?

‐Or something...
‐Well, production got shut down.

I mean, uh,
civil unrest

in Chad or something.

Don't know. Whatever.
Doesn't matter.

Can you pack a quick bag?

Uh, we've got a jet waiting
for us at Van Nuys

and a reservation at
the French Laundry in two hours.

Hi. How are you?

Hi.

I‐I can't go to San Francisco.

I mean, my kids are in there.
They're making me dinner.

What the fuck do you mean?

Helen, I flew 15 hours
to surprise you.

Have you got any idea how hard
it is to get a‐a charter

out of Chad during civil war?

‐No.
‐Well, it's hard.

I'm sorry, I can't.
I mean, I just...

I can't. Sorry.

[sighs]
Well, whatever.

You just take these, then.

Uh, it was supposed to say
"happy birthday,"

but, uh, somehow
my assistant fucked up.

I mean, you're‐you're welcome

to come in and join us.

Um, I mean, it's
no French Laundry,

and‐and we'll be
with my kids and...

But...

[Sasha]
Yeah.

Love to.

Yeah.

Okay, cool.

[Sasha]
Um, you know, I picked up

a few tricks when I played
a chef some years back.

‐Do you want me to take over?
‐I'm good.

This is my dad's recipe.

Oh. Your dad's.

Mmm. Stacey, that's an awful lot
of sauce, isn't it?

Nope, it's just right.

[Helen]
Sasha.

Let her do it.

Yeah, sure.

Sorry. Just trying to help.

Are you sure you're all right?

[Trevor]
Oh, uh, Mom hates her birthday.

Yep, even when we were kids,

she wouldn't let us get her

a cake.

My dad would make
a lasagna,

stick a candle in it,
and that'd be it.

Birthday finito.

What a shock you left him.

I didn't, actually. He left me.

[Sierra]
Hello again.

[Sasha]
Hi.

How's your baby?

Uh, he's asleep. Thank God.

[Sasha] See,
that's why I never had kids.

I'm just absolutely useless
without my sleep.

[Stacey]
So,

it's set in the future.

Two astronauts meet by chance

on the International
Space Station.

They fall desperately in love,
but their love is doomed

because they're being sent off
on two different missions

in opposite directions
deep in the bowels of space.

Ooh.

Quite the little tragedian,
isn't she?

I wasn't finished.

Anyways, they try
to forget each other.

They build
completely new lives

with new people.
But it hurts, you know?

Because deep down, they
secretly still love each other.

Until one day,
they run into each other again

on the opposite side
of the galaxy.

Out in space?

That's very convenient,
isn't it?

[Stacey]
Because all this time

they thought they were
moving away from each other,

they were actually in orbit.

They were always meant
to meet again.

♪ slow, gentle music ♪

I need more wine.

I think it's
a very beautiful story, Stacey.

Thanks.

[knocking at door]

‐Hi.
‐Hi.

‐Is Sierra here?
‐Um...

‐Hi, babe.
‐[Sierra] Mom?

I'm so sorry
to just come over like this,

but you're not answering
your phone,

and this Mariel woman
keeps calling me.

She says she's
your social worker?

Hi, I'm Helen.

‐I'm her neighbor.
‐Oh, you're the neighbor.

‐Yeah. Hi.
‐Right, right. Hi.

Adeline Taylor.

‐It's so nice to meet you.
‐Nice to meet you.

Sweetie, we got to go.
Can you get Eddie?

Um, where are we going?

Um, well,

first, we're gonna
go back to my house.

And I got a terrific
baby nurse for Eddie.

And Dr. Miller says
he can take you tonight.

No. Mom, please, I
don't want to go there.

Honey, he's doing us
a tremendous favor,

and it's all gonna be
very private, which is good,

because if the press
gets ahold of this,

they will have a field day.

[Sierra]
Mom, nobody even knows who I am.

[Adeline] Of course they do,
sweetheart, because they know

who I am.

But if we get ahead of this,
we can control it.

All right?
But we need to go tonight.

Adeline?

‐Sasha Mann?
‐What the fuck

are you doing here?

Sierra's my daughter.

[Sasha]
Fuck, no way.

You're, like, you're 35.

[Adeline]
I love you.

Oh, what are you
doing here?

Well, I'm, um...
Hey, I'm, uh...

‐I'm with, um...
‐Helen.

‐I'm with Helen.
‐Oh, thank God.

For a second,
thought you were... [laughs]

Well, okay, Cupid.

Your style's changing a bit.

[Sasha] Hey, I haven't
seen you since, like...

Well, that press junket in
Budapest, for fuck's sake.

What are... What is
she talking about?

Um, she wants
to institutionalize me.

‐What?
‐Yeah, Dr. Miller is, um...

He works at a psych ward.

She, um, she put me in there

when I was a teenager.

[Sasha] [bad accent]
"The sun is rising.

You have no dreams.
Your life is over.

Action!"

‐It's so good to see you.
‐[Sasha] So good to see you.

Sierra, honey,
we really got to go.

♪ quiet, tense music ♪

Honey?

Yeah, I think...

I know you've been away
for a few months,

but I live next
door, and we spend

quite a bit of time
together, and I think...

Sierra is suffering
from postpartum depression.

Are you a doctor?

No.

[chuckles]
That's funny,

because you sounded
like a doctor.

Yeah, I just think
she needs some childcare.

And a therapist.

I don't think she needs
to be institutionalized.

[Adeline]
Institutionalized? I mean,

it's called rehab.

If she's clean, we'll leave.

If she's not,
it's the best place for her.

Helen, perhaps we should
stay out of this. I mean,

let the ladies sort it
themselves. It's not really...

It's none
of our business, is it?

Perhaps you should
stay out of this.

Um...
[clicks tongue]

Do you mind if I just talk to my
daughter privately for a moment?

[Sasha]
Look,

all I'm saying
is that this is

kind of your Achilles'
heel, isn't it?

I wish you would stop trying

to turn me wanting
to help people into a pathology.

Helen, her mother
is a movie star.

She's got all the money
and resources in the world.

Well, I know this might be hard
for you to believe,

but sometimes people
need more than money

‐thrown at their problems.
‐I just think you fill your life

with other people's
problems in order to avoid

addressing your own.
That's all I'm saying.

Do you think this is fun for me?

Spending all this time
with the woman

my boyfriend cheated on me with
and their baby?

Then why do you do it?

Because she needs help.

She's barely hanging on.

Her mother is a psychopath.

I've tried to hate her.
Believe me.

But I c... I can't.

She's just... She's too...

pathetic to hate.

Perhaps you do it

because you hate her.

What?

Helen, people will go
to crazy lengths

to avoid feeling that feeling.

All right, well...

Speaking of people you hate,

guess who
I had coffee with today.

Christianna.

Christianna. Why?

She reached out to me.

But how'd she find you?

‐What does it matter?
‐Well,

you're kind of hard
to track down.

You're not on social media
or anything.

Why don't you want me
to talk to her?

Because why would you?

She asked me for help
getting through to you.

She says the money's hers.

Oh. She told you
about Lily's trust, did she?

‐Yeah.
‐Mm‐hmm.

Did she tell you
she's writing a book?

I think so.

Book about me?

No.

Mm‐hmm.

Listen, I know
she can be very convincing,

but she's lying.

She's full of
horseshit. I mean,

Lily and I loved each other,
Helen.

I met her
when Christianna was five,

and I helped raise her.

We were a family.

But when Christianna
became a teenager,

she got this
asshole boyfriend

that convinced her
to break into Lily's phone

and steal these photos
of me and Lily naked,

and Christianna went
and sold them.

After that, Lily
put a stipulation

in Christianna's trust

that if she wanted

her grandparents' money
when she was an adult,

she could not disparage
me or Lily publicly.

‐And has she?
‐No, not yet.

But she's written
this tell‐all book,

and she wants to publish it.

She gets her inheritance in full
when she's 25,

which gives me four years
to change her mind.

I mean, why...

why did Lily put you
in charge of her trust?

Because she trusted me, Helen.

Christianna says
you never send the checks.

Mm‐hmm, because I don't
know where she lives.

She's a grifter.

She moves around
every six months.

You know, why don't you
just give her the money

and let her publish the book
if you have nothing to hide?

For fuck's sake!

That would ruin my career.

I've worked too hard
for too long

to throw my whole life away

just because Christianna
is angry that her mother died

and wants to blame it
on somebody.

She says you got her mother
hooked on drugs.

Are you f...

Are you fucking kidding me?

♪ slow, somber music ♪

♪♪♪

[exhales]

Your ex‐husband did a truly
amazing job of fucking you over.

But if you don't
trust me by now,

I don't know
what the fuck to tell you.

[door slides open]

[door slides closed]

[Adeline]
Sierra, honey,

go get Eddie.
We're really late.

What's going on?

I'm gonna go
and see Dr. Miller,

and my mom is gonna
take, uh, care of Eddie

while I get some help.

Oh, Sierra, there has to be
some other option.

No, I don't think so.

What if I take him?

Helen.

What?

You can stay here
as long as you like,

and I'll try to find someone
to come here and help you.

What are you doing?

She's his mother.
I don't think

they should be
separated right now.

[exhales]

Hey, I'm beat.

I've been awake for 24 hours,

so if you'll excuse me.

‐Um, Adeline,
wonderful to see you.
‐[Adeline] Mwah!

‐Call me.
‐I will.

‐We'll have lunch or something.
‐We will. Bye.

[Adeline sighs]

I‐I can tell you care
about my daughter.

Many people do.

She has a knack
for finding those people

who want to save her,

but then they just end up
enabling her addictions

and laziness

and her refusal
to accept any responsibility

for her life.

Excuse me?

Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm not saying you're...

one of those people.

I‐I don't know you.

But I do know my daughter.

She's sweet and beautiful,

but she's also a fuckup,
and she needs professional help.

She doesn't need another...

well‐intentioned hanger‐on.

What the fuck is wrong with you?

Why do you think
I'm such a fuckup, Mom?

Did you know
that until I met Helen,

I didn't even realize
there were people in the world

who loved their kids
just for being alive?

Just because
they fucking existed?

You should see her
with her kids.

She's amazing.

She loves them.

She just fucking loves them.

They can fuck up or,
or say something stupid

and it's like
she doesn't even notice.

If I ever had
a‐a pimple on my face,

you would tell me
you couldn't even look at me.

I stopped eating
because you said

you'd rather have
a dead daughter than a fat one.

I was kidding.

It wasn't fucking funny.

You didn't want
a daughter.

You just wanted a doll

that you could dress up
and parade around

and bring to interviews
when you needed

‐to seem more human.
‐Oh, my God, oh, my God,

oh, my God.
I tried so hard.

My parents were useless.

Rich and famous

‐and useless.
‐Oh, my God.

They had their assistant

take me to get my tonsils out
when I was five.

I did not want that
to be your childhood.

I wanted you with me.

I‐I‐I wanted us to be
in this together.

You know, but I guess
I fucked up.

I‐I pushed you too hard
or I protected you too much.

I don't know.

I think I was just so afraid

of the scrutiny
you were gonna be under

because you were my kid.

It's a scary world,
Sierra.

The only thing
that I'm scared of, Mom,

in the whole world,

the whole entire world...

is you.

How do you two
know each other again?

Don't do that, Mom.

Oh. [sighs] Right.

She...

fucked your dying husband

and then got pregnant
and had his baby?

Well, technically,
he wasn't my husband.

Mm‐hmm.

And you really feel you have
her best interests at heart.

Life is short, Adeline.

Okay.

Sierra, I'll see you tomorrow.

[footsteps retreating]

[exhales]

‐[sighs]
‐[door closes]

Um...

Do you mind if I just go to bed?

I'm... very tired.

Of course.

Happy birthday.

Thank you.

[knocking at door]

Happy birthday.

[Noah] Well, I kind of like
the cover art they chose.

It's, like,

bare trees
in a winter wood.

It's kind of haunting.

It's a beautiful book, Noah.

‐It really is.
‐Thanks.

Thank you. And thank
you for your blurb.

‐I'm really grateful.
‐Ah, I loved reading it.

[sighs] I'm sorry about
your mom, by the way.

That part was true,
wasn't it?

Mm‐hmm.

I had no idea
back at school.

Well, nobody did.

You know what I find
sort of interesting,

now that I'm getting older?

All those people I thought were
so cool back when I was young?

‐Mm‐hmm.
‐Just effortlessly cool...

Those people were
in so much pain.

‐You think?
‐Ah.

To a person.

There's no such thing
as being cool when you're young.

‐[laughs]
‐There's just different degrees

of terrified and how adept
you are at hiding it.

Which is inversely proportional,
in my opinion.

I love you, Ariel.

I love you, too, Noah.

It feels like
things are finally

coming back together
for you, huh?

Hey, you want to get a coffee?

I'm buying.

Sure.

Can I ask you something?

I got a call a couple
of days ago

from a reporter who's doing
this long‐form story

about me and my "resurrection."

Where? For what?

Vanity Fair.

‐Wow.
‐Mm.

No, it's great, but...

she asked me about this, uh,

publicist I had
on the Descent tour...

who, apparently,
has said that I...

I don't know, tried
to seduce her or something.

Tried to seduce her?

Pressured her
into sleeping with me.

That's different.

I know... I know.

I mean, I‐I don't know
what she meant,

but, I mean,
she kind of blindsided me.

What did you say?

Well, I told her it wasn't true.

Which it wasn't.

The opposite, in fact.

I mean, she was throwing herself
at me the whole time.

[chuckles]
What, you don't believe me?

[chuckles]
I didn't say that.

But you don't.

I'm telling you, she was,
she was pretty aggressive.

Okay, so what
are you worried about?

Well, I don't know.
Nothing, I guess.

It's probably fine.

The reporter didn't seem
that interested, actually.

She was probably
just doing due diligence, but...

I mean, this publicist, Eden,

she can't just make shit up
about me, right?

You know you don't have
the best reputation

around this stuff, right?

Ariel, that was in college,
that was 30 years ago.

That's not what
I'm talking about.

I'm talking about
your current reputation, Noah.

In the community.

What community?

The publishing world.

You're seen as something
of a loose cannon.

What?

Why?

Well, you've had a storied past.

You went to prison, after all.

Well, that's just
fucking ridiculous.

I went to prison for my...

For what?

Never mind.

I don't deserve that.

I‐I‐I have
the most boring fucking life.

I work, I write, I see my kids,

and I try to be
a good person, that's it.

I know you do.

But, look...
when you got out of prison,

you were a little bit angry,
right?

A little bit bitter?

Sure. Prison sucks.

Right, well...

Do you remember teaching a class

with a student named Audrey
in it?

Audrey Nelson?

Uh... yeah.

Were you not very nice
to her?

Well, I was as nice
to her as I was

to anyone else
in that class. Why?

She's written a book.

Good for her.

Apparently, you're in it.

Really?

She doesn't name you directly,
but it's a memoir

about her abusive relationship
with an older male professor.

She's going around town,
telling people

that the character
is based on you.

The book is getting
a lot of buzz.

♪ ominous piano music ♪

♪♪♪

[horn honks]

[Harry]
Look, Noah, I can't say

that I am entirely
surprised.

Nowadays, you can't
be too careful.

These accusations are
coming from anywhere.

Luckily, we are prepared.

You're gonna really love Joyce.

She's like the MVP
of our firm these days.

So, how you been otherwise?

Excited for
the Descent premiere?

We are gonna do a rerelease

with Sasha Mann's face
on the cover

to coincide with the opening.

Get you some more moola.

Want to see the cover art?

Not really.

Uh, I'm sure it's fine.

Sit, sit.

‐I'm Joyce.
‐Hey.

I'm Noah.

So...

Harry filled me in
on most of the details.

The reporter is Petra Ranes
from Vanity Fair.

‐Mm‐hmm.
‐And this woman,

uh, Eden Ellery, she used
to work with us, right?

Right, she was our in‐house
publicist about ten years ago.

She left a few years
before you arrived.

Okay.

And this alleged incident
happened over ten years ago?

"Alleged incident"?

‐Nothing happened.
‐[Harry] That's right.

It seems a little convenient,
doesn't it?

Just when he's got a movie

and a new book coming out,
suddenly she remembers

‐being harassed?
‐No, I didn't harass her.

Noah, it's okay.
We're on your side.

[Joyce]
And so you want to know

what to give her as a statement?

He already gave her a statement.

Without talking to anyone?

I didn't know I was supposed to.

Well, what did you say?

Uh, basically, I said no.

Mm. Do you remember
exactly what you said?

Uh...

But you denied it?

‐Yeah.
‐[Harry] Well, we can call

and we can find out
exactly what he said, can't we?

I don't know. We can try,
but she may not give it to us.

Guys, there's no truth
to this story.

None at all?

No. I mean...

I remember
Eden was very flirtatious,

and I think maybe I kissed her

in my hotel room, but...

it was totally consensual.

And you weren't married
at the time.

No, I‐I was married.

I was married to Alison,

but, look, I know I wasn't
the best guy at that time.

I know that.
Everybody knows that.

I mean, so much of what
the Jack Hunter book is about

is me wrestling with who I was
and what I did and why.

But there's a difference
between poor judgment

and being a criminal, right?

[scoffs]
Well...

For fuck's sake,
of course there is.

All I'm saying is that
the court of public opinion

isn't as... rigorous

as the court of law these days.

But, unfortunately,
that's where many

of these cases are being tried.

Do we have any way of getting
to Eden at this point?

Surely we‐we have her contact
information somewhere.

That would leave us
incredibly exposed.

God forbid she turns that around
and gives it to the reporter.

Oh, fuck,
I didn't think of that‐‐

Guys, this is idiotic.

I misspoke.

I should just call up Petra
and tell her, okay, yes,

there was a flirtation,

but it was
completely consensual.

‐That's the truth.
‐What do you think?

I think it's risky,
reopening the subject.

She might potentially interpret
that as an admission of guilt.

We could try to kill
the piece completely.

‐What?
‐I‐I'd rather we didn't, Joyce.

This is a very important moment
for Noah and his career.

Not to mention, such great PR
for the book.

Look, if we do go back to Petra,

we need to arm you with
some very specific language.

I need you to talk about
how much you admire Eden‐‐

actually, no, Ms. Ellery‐‐
for stepping forward.

How you respect women

and support
the #MeToo movement

as a long‐overdue correction
of the wrongs in our society.

How you assumed
that your interactions

with Ms. Ellery were consensual,

but if you misread
her intentions,

you truly apologize

‐for any‐‐
‐I‐I'm not apologizing.

Eh, that's not what I'm saying‐‐

You literally
just said "apologize."

I'm just trying to help you
get ahead of this.

‐If she's going to accuse you‐‐
‐She can't accuse me

if I did nothing wrong.

We're both adults,
we had a flirtation.

That's just the fucking truth.

Harry, you know me.
Come on, back me up here.

[exhales]

I think you should do
just what Joyce says.

Look, she's handled a few of
these scandals for us already.

She knows what she
is talking about.

You can't just invent reality.

Certain things happen,
other things don't.

The reason it's called "truth"
is 'cause you can prove it.

If you can't prove it,

then it's just
your fucking opinion.

Okay. I will set a call

with you, me and Petra,
and I will explain

that you would like
to clarify your comment.

No, ple... no,
I can do that on my own.

We should do this call together.

Yeah, with all due respect,

that's gonna look like
I‐I have something to hide.

Look, I'm in town,
maybe I just go see her.

‐Is that a good idea?
‐No.

Oh, for fuck's sake, Harry,
you ask her

when you want to wipe
your own ass?

Is she running this place now?

Noah. These are very precarious
times, and men like you

have a target
on their backs.

Okay, fine. Sorry.

Look, I‐I gave an answer
that was glib.

I just want to go back
and correct it.

Can't I do that?

Noah, let us handle this.

♪ tense, ominous music ♪

♪♪♪

So, thanks for letting me
drop in on you like this.

Are you kidding?
I'm delighted.

It's nice
to see you again.

I, uh, I just happened
to be down here

in the neighborhood,
and it occurred to me

that your office was
around here somewhere, so...

Please.

‐It's such a great building.
‐It really is.

Where were your offices
before the,

before the Towers came down?

You know, um, I wasn't here.

I was still in school.

Of course.
[chuckles]

‐Oh, God, I'm so sorry.
‐Don't be.

Where were you?

I was in Brooklyn.

My daughter was, uh,

I had just dropped her
at preschool

and, uh, I was walking back
to the subway

and I heard the news.

Now she's getting married.

In fact, that's why
I'm over here.

I'm helping her plan
the wedding.

Wow. Time flies.

It really does.

So, anyway, I was, uh,
I was thinking about

the conversation
we had the other day,

and, uh, uh,
while I was driving,

and I just wanted to clarify
my answer to you,

‐if that's okay with you.
‐Of course.

Would you mind if we,
if we talked without the‐‐

Off the record?

Yeah, that's...
yeah, that's the term.

Of course.

Thank you.

So I think I was just surprised
by your question, uh,

because it's been
so long since, uh,

Ms. Ellery and I had any,

had any, uh, involvement
with each other, and...

So much has happened since then,
I‐I guess I needed more time

to‐to really, truly remember
what‐what happened between us

on that book tour
all those years ago.

And the truth is that, uh,

Ms. Ellery and I, we did engage
in some flirtation.

But it never went beyond that.

I see.

Thanks for the clarification.

Do you mind
if I ask

some follow‐up questions?

Of course.
Yeah, that's why I'm here.

I want to be
completely transparent.

So, then you never had sex?

Uh, no. No.

No. I mean,
I, I respected Eden‐‐

Ms. Ellery.
I‐I...

And she was a colleague
doing a, doing a job,

and I‐I supported that.

Ms. Ellery, when we spoke,

mentioned a party
in the Hamptons

at the home of a producer
named Rodney Callahan.

Okay.

You didn't pressure her
into sex that night?

Absolutely not.

Are you sure?

Yeah, I'm sure.

I‐I remember the night
very well.

It was... it was the night
my second wife went into labor.

And there was a giant hurricane,
which was flooding the roads,

and I‐I was...
doing everything in my power

to try and make it home to her.

That sounds dramatic.

Yeah... well, it all worked out.

Okay.

Well, I...

appreciate your candor.

Thank you.

[exhales]
Thank you.

Thank you.

Actually, Noah,

do you mind if I ask
a few more questions?

I was gonna have someone
call you to fact‐check,

but as long
as I've got you here...

Of course.

Do you mind if we...
go on the record?

Sure.

[exhales]

Okay, so I wanted
to go back

to the origins of Descent.

I found out, from other
interviews you gave at the time,

that much of it was written
in a rubber room

where you were sent on probation
from your teaching job

at Kings Science
and Tech.

That's right.

Why were you there?

Uh, I'd recently split
with my wife,

and I'd had a, uh...

completely consensual liaison
with another teacher.

"Liaison"?

I can't think
of any other way to describe it.

Zoe Sobler, right?

She was a student teacher
at the time.

So, under
your supervision?

No, no, she wasn't...

[stammers]
She‐she was a student teacher,

but she wasn't
under my supervis...

I mean, she‐she never...

she didn't teach
in my classroom.

She didn't report directly
to you‐‐

is that what you're saying?

No. I mean, yes.

That‐that is what I'm saying.

She didn't report to me.

Okay. So I had that wrong.

Well, I'm sure there are records
that could prove‐‐

Likewise,
do you remember a student

from your seminar at Livingston?

Audrey Nelson.

Uh, yes. Yeah.

I understand she has
a new memoir coming out.

I'm so proud
of her, it's...

Yeah, I read it.

It's very good.

But, uh,
most of it centers

around the main character's
relationship

with her seminar
professor,

an aging white novelist

who is verbally
and emotionally abusive.

At one point
he literally tells her

that she can't be a writer
because she has no inner life.

She also describes
a conversation

in which the professor claims

that sex doesn't need
to be consensual

in order for a woman
to enjoy it.

Noah,

are you the professor
in that book?

[sighs]

I, I mean, possibly, I...

But if so, then she has taken
a few very nuanced

and complicated conversations,

uh, completely out of context.

I spoke to Audrey.

Oh, okay.

So that question was rhetorical.

She paints you as a rather
unapologetic misogynist.

A misogynist? I...

For fuck's sake, Petra,
I‐I‐I was...

I'd just gotten out of jail when
I was teaching that seminar.

I‐I had even attempted suicide,
so, yes,

in my state of mind
at that time of my life,

I was probably...

not the greatest kind
of instructor.

But...

to tell her I wasn't responding
to her material

is not a criminal act.

She's obviously trying to...

conflate
the current political climate

with my very brief association
with her

in order to direct attention
to her book.

I mean...

[sighs] Come on,
you're an intelligent woman.

Isn't that obvious
to you?

Audrey told me that much
of Descent was autobiographical.

Your second wife, Alison Bailey,

committed suicide.

Could that be,
in any way,

related to your depiction
of her in that book?

[sighs]

Noah.

♪ intense, dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

Mm‐hmm.

Yeah. I understand.

We will.

Well, you've been so helpful.

Yes.
[clears throat]

Thank you for your time.

You're fucked.

[exhales]

I am having déjà vu.

Yeah, right.

How in the flying fuck

did we end up
back here again, Noah?

I don't know.

What can I do, Jon?

[chuckles]

Well...
[clears throat]

...normally,
in a case like this,

we would go
after your accuser.

What's her name?
Emily.

Eden.

I mean, with a name like that,

no wonder she fucked you.

Standard procedure

would be to try to discredit
this Eden character,

try to establish a history
of sexual promiscuity.

Better yet,
mental illness.

Then we may have
a fighting chance.

Did she ever
mention anything

about sleeping
with other clients?

What? No.

Oh. I'll have a...

an intern scour
her social media accounts.

Maybe we'll find something.

Worst comes to worst,

we'll hire
a private investigator.

Well, how's that gonna help?

Well, if we can discredit
Miss Eden,

we may be able
to threaten Vanity Fair

with a character
defamation lawsuit.

Though just because
she fucked around

doesn't mean
she wanted to fuck you.

I didn't fuck her, Jon.

And, honestly,
in this day and age,

they'll probably tell us
to go fuck ourselves

and go publish
it anyway.

[sighs]

Shit.

Now that I'm thinking about it,

the smarter play here...

We got to get to the girl.

Convince her
to retract.

What do you know about her?

Does she need money?
Can she be bought?

‐What does she have to lose?
‐I don't know.

I‐I don't understand
why she's doing this to me.

I really don't.

We got along great.

We were friends.

[sighs] Maybe if I could
just reach out to her

and ask her what she wants‐‐

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
No, for Christ's sake, Noah,

under no circumstances
are you to contact this woman.

But nothing happened between us.

I don't care if you fucked her,
if she fucked you,

if you shoved carrots up
each other's asses and ate them,

do not reach out to this woman.

Jon, I went to prison
for three years

for a crime I didn't commit.

Eh, don't remind me.

It was the nadir
of my professional career.

I know I'm not guilty here.

How can it be possible
there's nothing else I can do?

I'm sorry, Solloway,
it's like the French Revolution

out there right now.

The best I can offer is
we hire a private investigator,

we see if she's
retained a lawyer,

and we float some
under‐the‐table settlement

for her silence.

I don't have the money to pay
for a private investigator.

Or Eden. Or you.

I'm putting
my daughter's wedding on credit.

Been banking on this book
and this movie to...

put me back in the black.

I should call my crisis
PR girl right away.

She's the best.
Anthony Weiner.

Eliot Spitzer. Weinstein.

But she fired him.

Oh, God.
[exhales]

All right.

I'll set up a call
for all of us tomorrow.

We'll discuss next steps
in case the worst happens.

In the meantime, go home.

Cancel all public appearances.

And, for crying out loud,

keep your hands to yourself.

And circle your wagons.

Meaning what?

Tell your family.

[jazz playing]

[sighs]

[woman over P. A.]
Flight 117 to Tel Aviv

will now be departing
from Gate 45.

Flight 117 to Tel Aviv will
now be departing from Gate 45.

[quietly]
Fuck, that's tonight.

[woman over P. A.]
Good afternoon, passengers.

This is a pre‐boarding
announcement for Flight 1537

to Los Angeles.

We are now inviting those
passengers with small children

and passengers requiring
special assistance

to begin boarding at this time.

Please have your boarding pass
and identification ready.

Regular boarding
will begin in ten minutes.

Thank you.

♪ ominous piano music ♪

♪♪♪

[indistinct chatter]

[MC] ...of the Art Seidenbaum
Award for First Fiction,

Armando Solis.

[applause]

[Armando] Thank you.
Thank you, L. A. Times.

English wasn't
my first language,

but it was the language
I chose to...

give voice to this first piece
of fiction,

this first
declaration

of self.

And I think
it was the only choice,

because English

makes no sense.

I‐In a wonderful way.

Really. It has
less of a road map,

less...

internal logic.

[continues indistinctly]

♪♪♪

[applause]

Eden,

I just want to talk to you.

Noah,
I'm a publicist,

and I'm gonna give you some
professional advice for free.

Walk away.

Right now.

Did you say all those things
about me to Petra?

I talked to Petra, yes.

Okay, now, I have
a very different memory

of what happened
between us that night.

Uh, we‐we were friends,
weren't we?

We‐we were having fun.

‐I worked for you.
‐But‐‐

It was my job
to keep you happy.

Even as your demands got
more and more ridiculous.

What demands?

That I come to your hotel room.

When you were drunk.

Oh, come on.
Eden, that's not what happened.

That I do drugs
with you.

[quietly]
That I have sex with you.

Eden, that was your idea.

‐[stammering]
‐[scoffs]

At Rodney's party?

I was just trying
to get home to my wife!

Oh, my God.

At least be honest
with yourself.

No, you be honest with yourself.
You remember...

you remember how you
were dressed that night?

You remember
how you were dancing with me?

You were coming on to me.

Excuse me.
I've got to get back to my job.

No, Eden.

You wanted
to fuck me,

and I walked away.

Now, I don't know if that
pissed you off, and this is

some kind of sick revenge.
But I have a family.

I have two daughters.

And you're gonna ruin my life.

So, please, this is not a game.

♪ dramatic, tense music ♪

♪♪♪

I'm not afraid
of you anymore, Noah.

Afraid of me?

I didn't go looking
for this moment.

A reporter called me, and...

I decided to tell the truth.

She called you? Why?

Noah, I'm doing you a favor.

I won't tell anybody
you stalked me here.

But you need to leave now.

Or everyone's gonna know
about this.

[indistinct chatter]

♪♪♪

Seriously.

[crowd murmuring]

[siren wailing]

[horn honking]

♪♪♪

Hi.

‐Hi.
‐What a nice surprise.

I thought
you were still in Montauk.

No, I‐I just got home.

I just came by to...

wish you a happy birthday.

I brought dinner.

‐I don't know if you guys have‐‐
‐Oh, that's so sweet.

I mean, we ate already,
but the kids made cake.

Do you want to come in?

Sure.

[Stacey]
Dad!

Hey. Hey, Stacey.

[music playing faintly]

Perfect timing.
We were just about

to sing "Happy Birthday."

[chuckles]
Great.

‐Hey, Dad.
‐Hey, Trev.

Nice cake.

Thank you.

Lasagna for my birthday.

Thank you.

How's Whitney?

Uh, she's good.
She's‐she's great.

[Helen] Thank you again
for doing that.

No, no. It was my pleasure.

And Martin called today.

He says he made
the dean's list.

‐You're kidding me.
‐Nope.

[exhales]
We did good, Solloway, somehow.

Uh, do you want some?

The kids and I
are about to have a toast.

What, even Stacey?

‐She can have a little.
‐[phone ringing]

Sure.

That's so weird.
This New York number

has been calling me all day, and
they won't leave a voice mail.

Hello.

Yeah, this is Helen Solloway.

I'm sorry,
from what magazine?

[quietly]
Vanity Fair.

‐Helen‐‐
‐Uh, okay. I need two minutes.

Can we start drinking
without you?

[whispers]
It's just two minutes.

‐Helen‐‐
‐Okay, Petra,

what can I do for you?

♪ dramatic, tense music ♪

[balloon inflating]

♪ atmospheric music ♪

♪♪♪