The Bisexual (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Episode #1.5 - full transcript

2005: Familiar faces take a young Leila and Gabe on journeys neither could have predicted.

- _
- MUSIC: Let's Lightning by Pull Tiger Tail

♪ I'm addicted to electric pulses ♪

♪ I'm addicted to electric pulses ♪

♪ How? Let's see ♪

♪ All decisions cutting out our voices ♪

♪ All decisions cutting out our voices ♪

♪ Not for me ♪

♪ I'm incapable, I live by habit ♪

♪ Oh, I'm incapable, I live by habit ♪

♪ Not today ♪

♪ Cos life's accountable
if I don't grab it ♪



♪ Oh, life's accountable
if I don't grab it ♪

♪ So I say ♪

♪ Aren't you sick of being automatic? ♪

♪ Don't you want to
have it your way always? ♪

♪ Aren't you sick of being automatic? ♪

♪ Something's wrong with me ♪

♪ I've gotta pull it out ♪

♪ I'm changing, turning corners ♪

♪ This town ain't big enough for me... ♪

_

Four snakebites, please.

I feel your pain, man.

- What?
- Nothing, just like...

We're both here with our
friends who are hot and blonde,



and they're macking on dudes

and we've got to wingman with
whatever guy the dude brought.

I don't understand what you're saying.

You know, wingman,
like you're a sidekick?

Like the nurse in Romeo and Juliet,

like they're trying to dunk ball

and we bring down the hoop a little bit.

Yeah, I'm not a wingman.

O... K.

I've got a boyfriend.

You can have a boyfriend
and still be a wingman.

Whatever, mate.

This girl keeps asking me how to
fake a positive pregnancy test.

You should be sending
out your manuscript.

- Stop talking to strangers online.
- I'm working.

She keeps listing things in
her kitchen. What do I say?

- Do you want a sandwich?
- No, I'm not really hungry.

Hey, can you guys keep your voices down?

I'm trying to get him to sleep.

And if he starts screaming again,

then I'll have to murder the
pair of you and then murder myself

and then there'll be no one
here to look after Philip.

If he starts screaming, I'm out
of here. Last night was miserable.

Yeah, I bet it was difficult for you.

- Don't argue in front of the baby.
- Who, Philip or Gabe?

Hey, Will, read between the lines.

- Hey, Gabe, get a job.
- I have a job.

- What's your job?
- AQA.

People pay to text
questions, I text answers.

How much do they pay?

- Three quid a question.
- Three quid, eh? That's not bad.

They pay three quid a text.
You don't get three quid a text.

- Well, I get some of it.
- How much?

- Look, it's about quantity. You know, it adds up.
- How much, though?

3p a question.

I can make ã5 an hour if I focus.

When Mr Miyagi died, I
made 100 quid in an hour.

- He's dead?
- Yeah, on the 24th November,

he waxed off for the last time.

I came up with that joke later.

- I really wish I'd thought of it at the time.
- Hey, I loved him.

- What was his name?
- Exactly.

Everyone loves him, but they
want to know, what's his name?

Pat Morita. How did he die?

Well, he suffered from
chronic kidney failure

- and was found on his bathroom floor...
- Hey.

This is a computer.

And on a computer, I can look up stuff.

Oh, shit.

Gabe.

What's the Roger Earl Award?

Why?

- Aaagh!
- BABY STARTS CRYING

"You have been selected as
the winner of... " Oh, my God!

ANSWERPHONE: We are not home
right now. Kindly leave a message.

IN PERSIAN: _

_

OK. I love you. Bye.

... Even if he's got a boyfriend,
it doesn't really matter.

You can just say no at the end
of the day, you don't have to...

Hey. So I was wondering,

how come everyone here says "mate"

when they really mean,
"go fuck yourself"?

I don't know what you're
talking about, mate.

- Hey, I'm Leila.
- Jamie.

Deniz.

- Dennis?
- Deniz.

- Dennis.
- Den-iz.

- Den-nis.
- Don't worry about it.

- Are you from Texas?
- No, why?

All the Americans say
they're from Texas.

No, I go to a small women's
college in Massachusetts.

Are there a lot of lesbians there?

Yeah, actually, there are
a lot of lesbians there.

We call them lugs,
Lesbians Until Graduation.

Are you a lug?

You should ask my ex-girlfriend.

- Ex-girlfriend, yeah?
- I've got to go.

Right. Yeah, I'll see you in a bit.

What the fuck is her problem?

Deniz? No, she's a sweetheart.

Right, look, I'm going to get off, yeah?

OK. Well, I hang out here a lot

and I'm going to be here
tomorrow late afternoon,

- so if you want to get a drink, I'll be here.
- All right.

I don't believe an unsold manuscript
has ever won the Roger Earl award.

It must be a real whirlwind.

Is everything just starting
to blur together into one

amorphous blob of shite?

No, not at all. I'm just
so glad people have read it.

The last guy I met said I
had a very singular voice

and the book reminded
him a lot of Zadie Smith.

A singular voice
that's like Zadie Smith?

No, he said like her, but more relevant.

Yeah, no, that whole female black
narrative was not relevant at all.

What we really need are
more white male voices.

I'm so sorry, I
shouldn't have said that.

I do that, I act
insulting when I'm nervous.

It's just verbal diarrhoea.

I have all these ideas
for your book and I'm like,

"When do I tell you?" So I think
the title should be Test(icular).

Like, you isolate the word "test"
because it's so much about the test,

and then you have
"icular" in parenthesis.

I'm so sorry, forget that, that
was stupid. It was just a thought.

I have others, or I could have none.

That title's a really good idea.

Look, I really love your book.

I think that there is this,

this sense of irony
and self-hatred and fear

in this world that
you've created that just

speaks to me in a way that

nothing really has in
a very, very long time.

And I think you should
rewrite the ending.

OK.

I can't stop thinking about Deniz.

It's like she's wired
into my brain or something.

- You know what it's like with women.
- Yeah, totally.

Ladies. I love lezzing out.

I look at beautiful women,
just two feminine bodies,

like something out
of a Penthouse letter.

You like me, right?

I'm not a total piece of shit, am I?

You'd go out with me, wouldn't
you, if you weren't a lesbian?

I am so sorry, I don't
know what's wrong with me.

- Don't be, I kissed you.
- No, you're drunk.

I'm not drunk.

Do you think Deniz saw us?

No.

OK. Cool.

Are you wearing that to your
interview with the journalist?

- Yeah, what's wrong with it?
- It's not very flattering.

I like that it's big and
comfy and hides my belly.

Darling, it doesn't hide your belly.

- Kind of makes it look bigger.
- Oh,

- great, you think I'm big?
- No, I didn't say that.

Why don't you wear one of Will's shirts?

- Hmm.
- Yeah.

- It doesn't really...
- No.

Look at the sleeves.
It's like Diane Keaton.

They are, yeah. No, that's not doing
what I thought it was going to do.

We'll try another.

I just think me and Will are,

you know, we're different body types.

This is a slimline
fit. You are slimline.

It's a slimline fit.

Whoa, quite tight.

That's because you're
wearing a T-shirt under it.

- Why do you do that?
- I need a T-shirt. I sweat an awful lot.

- I just need it there.
- This one, I know,

will be the one that fits you.

- I'm feeling it in the arms, very tight.
- Oh, tight.

- Yeah...
- Look at your face.

I was wrong. I made a mistake.

You were right. You were right because

you pick your own clothes
because you're a big boy.

Put that jumper back on.

I don't know what I was thinking.

Were your parents
gutted when you came out?

- What's gutted?
- Were they upset?

Yeah.

Are they still talking to you?

Yeah, they're talking to
me, but they're different.

- BOTH AT ONCE: How are they different?
- What's lesbian sex like?

Um, well, now they treat me like
a mentally unstable homeless guy

that they're housing
for the holiday season.

Like, they're super polite, but
also quite distant and scared.

What's the sex like?

Good.

No, I didn't mean it like
that. I meant more like...

What is it you actually do?

Well, um, so, like, there's kissing...

She's not answering that.

Yeah, thank you, I'm not answering that.

Well, you can't blame me for trying.

Anyway, I desperately need a
piss, so you, do not go anywhere.

Be back in a sec.

Hey.

I think he's into you.

I think I might be gay.

Are you fucking with me?

You're the only lesbian
that I've ever met.

Do you want to get out
of here? This place sucks.

I read in my guidebook that
London is the hottest spot

for all LGBT invite
spots in all of the UK.

So how does it feel to be the
new voice of Irish literature?

Good, yeah, thank you.

So go on, the parallels to Zadie
Smith, are they intentional?

What's her take on it?

What's her take?

Um...

I don't know. Ask Zadie Smith.

She's Zadie Smith.

Well, I have her number.
We could call her.

Are you fucking with me?

Why would I be fucking
with you? I'm a massive fan.

OK, how about your parents?

- The book is clearly autobiographical.
- No, it's not.

OK, there are parallels.

How do they feel about
your portrayal of them?

- It's not exactly flattering.
- They're dead.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Yeah, my father had testicular cancer.

- Like in the book.
- Yeah.

Yeah. I moved to London
to be with my sister.

Now that I think of it,

the book feels almost
like a love letter to them.

The inner workings of
the codependent family

that's too enmeshed for their own good.

Yeah, maybe, I don't know.

Yeah, OK, David,
everything up to this point

is going to have to
remain off the record.

Why do I humiliate myself and my
family by writing these things?

What kind of fucking sociopath
exposes themselves like this?

I know it's a fucking dream come true,

but I feel like more of
a failure and a loser now

than I did when I was sitting on
my sister's couch in my underwear

answering questions
about Mr Miyagi all day.

If it makes you feel any better,
I was at a party with him once

and he fell into a massive K hole

and kept saying the word
"scaffolding" over and over

until someone had to
put him in the bathroom.

That does make me
feel better. Thank you.

It was fucking tough and it still is

and I'm 100% aware that I'm
making everyone's life miserable.

Yeah, this doesn't sound great.

Yeah, but it's temporary discomfort.

Like, they can either
disown me or get over it.

I hate what I'm doing.

I keep thinking if I can just
avoid acting on the gay thing

and waiting till I find
a guy I actually fancy...

- Have you ever been attracted to a guy?
- Not yet.

What about you?

Uh-uh.

When we first met, I
thought you were pretending

to be gay just to impress Jamie.

Jamie? Ugh.

Jamie, the guy who's obsessed with you

and two drinks away from date rape?

No, I am not attracted to Jamie. Gross.

I'm so relieved.

I've never met someone
who was like me before,

who doesn't like boys.

Ugh. Breeders.

Straight people.

Are you sure we're on the right street?

I've never heard of a party
taking place in Canary Wharf.

Yeah, it's definitely this street.

I googled lesbian events
and this was what I found.

In New York, the coolest parties
happen at the lamest locations.

- Hey.
- Are you a member?

No.

OK, we can go ahead and start
the registration process.

I'm going to assume you
don't want VIP membership.

Yes, that would be a safe assumption.

These British lesbians
are fucking thorough.

That's a lot of information.

Yeah, I'm not giving my name and
address. I live with my parents.

Are you not out?

Discretion is paramount here,

but so is self-acceptance.

Look, we can do fake identities.

I'm going to write Amanda
Hugandkiss. Who are you?

- I'm leaving.
- No, come on.

I know I brought you to a
lesbian networking event,

but there is booze and there are dykes,

- so the ingredients are there for fun.
- I'm leaving in ten minutes.

This is going to be so good.

No peeking.

OK, open 'em.

Oh, my God.

It's a fucking brilliant title.

Well, the brackets really make it.

I don't work there any more.

I'm sorry but we've already
printed the nametags.

But I don't work there any more

and I don't want the
name associated with me.

Hey, I'm so sorry to interrupt,
but can I try something?

You've ruined it.

No, she hasn't. That's much better.

- Thank you.
- Any time.

I'm not following you.

I need a drink too.

- Gin and tonic.
- Me too.

What's your story?

Coder. I just quit my job.

That's about it.

Congratulations?

I worked for this dick piece-of-shit

18-year-old innovator
who lucked onto an idea.

Everywhere he went he
wore this little beret.

I should have taken that hat
and stuck it up his frigid arse.

What does it take to be an innovator?

I think I'd be really good at it.

Like, I'm having ideas
for shit all the time.

I have this one idea for a window

that you can have all the way
down to the floor and walk through.

Like a door.

No, it's a window cos
you can see through it.

Like some doors.

You seem really miserable.
Why are you even here?

Because somebody made me sign up.

She's not my girlfriend but

we're together and we're exclusive.

- So your girlfriend.
- I don't like labels,

girlfriend or partner,
but, yeah, Esther.

- She's a woman in my life.
- She's really pretty.

So, what's your story?

Well, I am a businesswoman.

Thanks. Named Amanda.

And, I don't know, I just
love business. Networking.

Getting to know people in
my industry. Talking shop.

Buying low and selling high.

So, the Irish and the
Scottish, I trust those dudes.

Super fun, super easy. I'm down.

But the English, they play mind games.

I don't trust that shit.

They all think they're Hugh
Grant in Notting Hill, like really

humble and repressed but really
they're Billy Zane in Titanic.

Opposed to Americans, who are
too stupid to play mind games.

I'm not American though, I'm Iranian.

We have the best mind games
of all cos we do taarof.

Taarof?

So, taarof is when you say the
opposite of what you actually mean,

and it's our basic
form of communication.

Like, when you go to
pay a cab driver in Iran,

he won't accept your money.

He'll say, like, "I can't take
that. You're like a daughter to me."

And you'll go back and forth
three times until finally

you shove a tenner in his fist and
he's like, "Nah, that's not enough."

So, how do you know when
people are telling the truth?

Yeah, that's a good question.
I don't think any Iranian

is ever telling the truth, to be honest.

Oh. So now I know never to trust you.

- Hi, I'm Esther.
- Hi.

Baby, I've got burlesque,

but I want to introduce you
to these people before I go.

Well, best do some networking at this

- networking event.
- Fair enough.

- Bye.
- Bye.

- ♪ Just no telling what the plates may bring... ♪
- HE COUGHS

Sorry!

- All right?
- Yeah, yeah.

♪ Like the love that's
burning in my heart for you ♪

♪ There's just no telling
what I'm gonna do ♪

♪ Hey! Come on down! ♪

♪ Come on, baby ♪

♪ Come on down ♪

♪ I got a feeling ♪

♪ In my feeling ♪

♪ A feeling that I can't stop ♪

♪ A feeling that I won't stop... ♪

Kindly remove yourself
from the VIP section.

- What?
- So you're telling me

this lot are all part
of the glamorous world

of elite lesbian networkers?

I mean, you're more than welcome
to sign up to VIP membership.

Fuck do I do to become a lesbian VIP?

- Fist Sue Perkins?
- Right, come on.

Step away from the cordoned
area and return your name badge.

Please don't make me.
I was going to bronze it

and turn it into a nipple ring.

- You're causing a scene.
- Oh, fuck you.

- Dude, stop.
- Fuck off!

- Well fuck you!
- THEY GASP

- I'm so sorry.
- I can't believe you just did that!

SHE LAUGHS

You can dry off with this, and

I swear to god this is clean.

Erm, I'm really good
at getting out stains.

Like, this one time it
was New Year's Eve and

I got sick down my own shirt

and I totally got the stain out,

even though my mom
said I wouldn't. Thanks.

I love what you've done with the place.

Thank you so much. I got
that at Camden this week.

No shit.

No! Did I wake you?

Just keep your voice
down, you'll wake the baby.

- I see you had a good night.
- Oh, God, it was better than good.

It was amazing.

- Glad to hear it.
- It's just Jill is incredible.

Like, she's just so
fucking good at her job.

- You fancy her.
- No. I mean, yes.

She's lovely and clever and did you
know, the brackets were her idea.

- Yeah, you told me that.
- And we're going to New York.

- What? On holiday?
- On LIFE! Sorry.

Their publishing company

is transferring her
to the New York office

and she wants me to come with her.

She spoke to her friend
who runs a literary magazine

and he wants me on the staff.

A full-time writing gig
in New York city, baby!

Sorry, I just got
carried away. HE GIGGLES

No.

What do you mean, no?

No.

Move, be independent, experience
life but be reasonable.

You can't go that far.

- I'll visit loads.
- No. You'll have no-one.

You only have me and I can't...

- I...
- That's too far!

- I won't have no-one. I'll have Jill.
- Who the fuck is Jill?

I mean, did she let you boke in her bag

in the lift in Debenhams
when you were 13?

- BABY CRIES
- You need me.

And I can't be there for you if
you're there and I'm here and...

Hackney, I can handle.

New York?

- No, I'm sorry.
- I don't need you. I'm a grown man.

We're the only people

that knew Mum and Dad.

SHE SOBS

I'm sorry.

Please don't cry.

Of course I won't go.

Yeah?

Yeah, of course. I just got
caught up in the excitement.

Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

- Thank you.
- I'm sorry.

Sorry.

Drink some water before you go to bed.

Right, a watch that it tells you

how many steps you've taken in that day.

I think that's the worst
idea you've had so far.

So, what made you want to
come over here and study?

Are you familiar with an
artist named Lily Allen?

The MySpace singer?

Yeah.

I really like her.

She says the things that people think

and don't say out loud.

And has London lived
up to a Lily Allen song?

Right now it does.

What about you take a
picture of people's clothes

and it tells you where
the clothes are from?

What does?

The camera?

You should call your girlfriend
your girlfriend. You know.

You're a grown ass woman.
She's your girlfriend.

And you shouldn't get so angry
about stupid shit like nametags.

Is Trainspotting good?

You've never seen Trainspotting?

How can you have lived this many
years and not have seen Trainspotting?

It's the story of your people.

Oh, you think I'm from Edinburgh?

Yeah, that's why I
said that thing I said

about the Irish being
better than the English.

I'm from Burnley.

I don't know what that is.

It's in England.

Well, now I know.

- You're an idiot.
- I know.

So, shall we watch it?

Literally nothing
would give me more joy.

_

_

All right. Bring your
awareness now to the space

between your navel and your spine.

Anchor the navel down as you
scoop the tail bone up, so, again,

you can take a look at the video.

Here I'm going from here...

We're alive.

Right now some bitch in Reading

is buying a cardigan she
doesn't need because of us.

Hi.

I'm sorry.

I should wash my hands.

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Said I didn't need you, baby ♪

♪ I said ♪

♪ I said I'll get along ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Said I can make it without you, baby ♪

♪ But I found out ♪

♪ I'm not that strong ♪

♪ And I didn't know
I could miss you so ♪

♪ Until you were gone ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ I said I'd get over you, baby ♪

♪ I said I said I'll be all right ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Just when I stop remembering ♪

♪ That old spark would come in the night ♪

♪ And I didn't know ♪

♪ I could miss you so ♪

♪ Until you were gone ♪