Watchmen (2019): Season 1, Episode 5 - Little Fear of Lightning - full transcript

Howdy.

It's been a couple weeks
since the last squid fall.

Thirty seconds of life...
and they spend all of it dying.

The goddamned Seventh Kalvary.

Right now...
here is where the war is at.

And I won't be leaving
till it's won.

‐What are these for?
‐They help me get my memory.

Where'd they come from?

Was hoping
you could ask your ex.

I suppose you don't want me
to tell

the FBI lady about these.
Be careful of that one.



Four years
since I was sent here.

In the beginning
I thought it was a paradise...

‐
‐but it's a prison.

So, with your help,
with your lives,

I will escape
this God‐forsaken place.

Newsman: Eastern
Europe tanks amass...

Newswoman: Military
commitment from NATO...

Newswoman 2: nuclear doomsday clock
standing at one minute till midnight.

Brothers. Let us pray.

Dear Father,
hold us in your light

as we prepare to enter
the whore's den.

One minute to midnight,

on the very brink
of extinction.

Please open their hearts
as you opened ours.



‐ln Christ's name, amen.
‐Boys: Amen.

One minute
before midnight. Ticktock, Wade.

Are you ready
to hear the truth?

Are you ready
to hear the truth?

Hello, neighbors.
Are you ready to hear the truth?

The fuck are you
supposed to be?

The doomsday clock just moved
to one minute to midnight.

At this very moment,
the entire nuclear arsenal

of our great country is
ready to launch at the Russians,

and vice versa.

What's up
with the pandas?

In the Kingdom of Heaven,
all God's creations live

‐in peace with each‐‐
‐Can I have your tie?

Leave him alone.

Come on. I want to hear
more about the pandas.

Wade: Huh! Come on!
So where you from?

Uh, Tulsa.

Oklahoma?

What are you
doing in Jersey?

‐This is where the sinners are.
‐I can't argue with you there.

‐You really think it's over?
‐What do you mean?

You heard Nixon on the news.
Is the bomb gonna kill us all?

Wade:
Yes. I believe it is.

Aren't you afraid? No, ma'am.

Are you afraid of me?

Well, what are
you afraid of?

What are you doing?

‐Are you a virgin?
‐What?

Have you ever had
sex with a person? No.

This might be
your last chance, Oklahoma.

You wouldn't want to get nuked
before you get fucked. Do you?

Wait.

It's okay.
Just stand there.

Please, I... I don't want to.

It sure looks to me
like you do.

Fuck you, Bible boy!

‐Oh! Oh...
‐Girl: I got that Okie's clothes!

Oh fuck.

You dummy.

You're pathetic,
and you're a sinner.

You're a filthy dumb sinner,

and now you get
what you deserve!

Aah!

What happened?

What happened?!

What happened?!

What happened?!

We came back for all
the hit Broadway shows.

We came back to hike through Central
Park for hours and not see another soul.

It's so romantic!

Maybe I shouldn't have
come back

'cause if this place gets any
safer, I'm gonna be out of a job.

I came back for Italian food.

You know how we like
our squid now?

‐With lemon and a little marinara.
‐

Announcer:
Come back to New York.

Man:
Desire to visit: 10.

Recommend
to family and friends:

- ‐Ten!
- ‐ Desire to relocate:

- ‐Ten!
- ‐ They despised it.

What?

They despised
your commercial.

No! They‐they all
said they loved it.

You didn't hire me
to tell you what they said.

You hired me
to tell you the truth.

They told you they loved it

because what hot‐blooded
Oklahoma male

is gonna admit he's scared?
I watched them watch,

and what I saw was fear.

People buy things out
of fear all the time.

Not this kind. Sorry, gentlemen,

but all your ad does
is remind folks

that three million people
suffered a horrific,

traumatizing,
and inexplicable death.

That was 30
years ago.

Everybody's over it,
they've moved on.

Well, sir,
in my professional opinion,

they ain't moving
on to New York.

I suspect
the calamari didn't help.

Blake: All right,
ladies and gentlemen.

You gathered up
the usual suspects,

beat the shit out of them
at your little black site,

stuck them in Mirror Guy's
interrogation pod,

and you've got absolutely
fucking nothing to show for it.

So now we're gonna do
things my way.

We can't see who they are,
but we can see where they are.

You find this church,
maybe we find the Kavalry.

I want units checking
every house of worship

within 50 miles of Tulsa.

There can't be less than
four or 5,000 of them, right?

Okay. That'll do it, folks.
Go get me some religion.

Red Scare: How do you
tell difference between

Catholic Church
and Baptist Church?

Panda: They're
basically all the same.

This one,
might be Episcopalian.

Hey, Glass.
You grew up around here.

You, uh, you religious guy?

Is that lettuce
on your sandwich? Yeah? So?

Did you get it
out of this?

Oh, shit. Is that from truck?

If by truck, you mean
the one filled with lettuce

driven by a Kavalry member
who shot a cop, yes, Red.

It was gonna go bad.

‐Sister Night: Hey.
‐Howdy.

What did your ex say
about the pills?

Nothing as of yet.

Did you tell her that
it was important?

I communicated that, yes.

How about you pick up the phone
and communicate it again?

Because she's doing a favor,

and when someone's doing you a
favor, you don't lean on 'em.

Oh, so this is you
doing me a favor, man?

Because it looks like
you're doing nothing.

Hey, Mirror Guy!
Hey, got a minute?

Have a seat.

Wade, you can take the mask off.
I know what you look like.

Regs say to keep them
on inside the precinct.

Why? We're all on the same side.

The concealment of identity
is critical to our safety.

Wade, do you think I'm a
member of the 7th Kavalry?

No, ma'am.

Then just, why don't
you roll that baby up

and let me see those
sad green eyes of yours?

So, you're
from Tulsa? Close enough.

‐Town called Hugo down by the
Texas border‐‐ ‐Oh, Jesus.

You were in New York
on 11/2, huh?

New Jersey, actually.
You still scared shitless?

‐Excuse me?
‐I've heard that people

who were in
the psychic blast zone

still wake up in the middle
of the night, screaming.

I sleep great. Cool.

I see you joined the force
right after the White Night.

Justice needed
to be applied.

And once they let you
yahoos put masks on,

you had an excuse to wrap your
entire head in Reflectatine.

Implying what?

Guaranteed protection
from psychic blasts.

Ergo, you sleep great.

- ‐Market research.
- ‐ Is that your cover?

So, you watch a bunch of idiots,
and they tell you

what they hate about
the new flavor of Pringles,

so no one knows you're
secretly Mirror Guy?

I know you know
it's Looking Glass.

But you can have
Mirror Guy if you want. Hmm?

Okay. Thanks for coming by.
That's it? That's it.

Oh shit, wait.

There was one other thing
I wanted to ask you about.

Um, what pills? I'm sorry?

Well, I bugged
the cactus on your desk,

and Angela Abar‐‐ Sorry.

Sister Night was just
asking about some pills.

You bugged my cactus?

Well, don't take it personally.
I'm FBI, we bug shit. So...

What pills?

That's a personal issue
between Sister Night and me.

It would be a violation of her
medical privacy to divulge it.

May I go?
You surely may, Mirror Guy.

Man:
Oh yeah.

Why not?

I know you're
beautiful under there.

Just take it off.
Let me see your face.

You're never
gonna see my face.

‐
‐

Motherfuck.

Did I do it right?
What does that mean?

It's not brain surgery.

You just hit the big
button in the shelter,

‐and the goddamn siren shuts off.
‐Man: Of course, sir.

I'm happy to schedule
a technician

to provide
an in‐home tutorial‐‐

I do not need a tutorial.

I've conducted over
500 drills on this unit.

It's your machine that's
malfunctioning, not me,

so you need to replace it!

Uh, sir, I'm sorry. How often
have you been running drills?

As often as I deem necessary.

Right. It's just,
the Alert Pro manual recommends

that you program
an EDI simulation

no more than once
every six weeks.

I don't give two brown turds
about the manual!

‐All right, sir.
‐When can you get me a new unit?

We can ship one out to you
by next Thursday.

No, no, no!
Uh‐uh. No way!

No good.
I'm gonna need it sooner.

‐Post haste, soon as you can.
‐We can do an overnight rush,

but that's gonna cost
as much as the unit itself.

No problem. That's great.
Overnight, do that.

‐Yes, sir.
‐And throw in another roll

‐of Reflectatine while you're at it.
‐Yes, sir.

And thank you for
being a valued customer

of ExtraDimensional Security‐‐

Man:
Okay, guys!

What do you think
of the cereal?

It tastes like... nothing.

Okay. Could you be
a little more specific?

‐ ‐I mean,
everything tastes like something.

Girl:
Well, this doesn't.

Man: Huh.
What about the crunch?

Raise your hand if you
like the way it crunches.

Announcer: Here, at Forever Pet,
we offer the splice of life.

Taking your beloved
animal's unique DNA

and making an exact replica,

so that you never have
to say goodbye again.

‐Our patented process...
‐Wade: Hi.

I'm here to see
Cynthia Tillman.

Bennett. Sorry,
Cynthia Bennett.

Howdy. Howdy yourself.

Got some of your
mail at the house.

Damn post office.

Three times
I filled out that form.

Naked eye, be honest.

Do these dogs look
exactly the same to you?

That one's just
a little smaller. Shit.

‐
‐You want her?

What am I gonna do
with a dog?

‐
‐

I see the hat is back.

Didn't have time
to comb my hair.

It's okay to admit that
you're anxious, Wade.

I'm fine.
Just a little squidfall.

Happens all the time.

I was talking about your
chief getting murdered.

You want to tell me
about the pills?

It's Nostalgia. Nostalgia?
You sure?

Yeah,
I'm sure.

Also sure they
outlawed those

'cause it turns out
putting memories

into pill form
led to psychosis.

So, I highly
recommend you tell

your lady friend
not to take them.

I never said I got
them from a lady.

Did you get them
from a lady?

You have your pick
of good women,

so why do you keep getting
mixed up with the ones

that are just gonna
kick you in the balls?

I picked you.
You're a good woman.

And for seven years,
I tried to convince you

that I wasn't gonna run off
with your clothes

and leave you naked
all by yourself. Uh‐huh.

Seven years of bad luck.

Man: My mom was in fucking
Brooklyn when it happened,

so she caught
the psychic blast full‐on.

I mean, full‐fucking‐on.

You know what it's like
to be raised by someone

who's always just waiting
for the next big one?

Squids, man.
Fucking squids.

I read an article.
There's this thing...

genetic trauma.

Basically, if something really
bad happens to your parents,

it gets locked into their DNA.

So, when my mom got
hit by the blast,

even though
I wasn't born until...

10 years after 11/2,
it's like I inherited her pain.

Friend of Nemo's?

Welcome aboard.

Man:
Anyway,

I keep calling EDS,
but I always hang up.

I don't want to end up
one of those fucking nutters

with my head wrapped
in that magic tin foil.

One day at a time, right?

Just sometimes, it feels
like it's never gonna end.

I was where you are.

I thought about that
one‐eyed fucker all the time

and it terrified me,
but I am no longer afraid.

On 11/2,
the Soviet Union

was on the verge
of annihilating us,

and we were more than
prepared to return the favor.

Then that enormous,
tentacled abomination

teleported into New York.

If it hadn't arrived
when it did, we would all be ash.

It united us against
a common threat.

Does it ever end?
Of course it does,

because we are all in a tunnel,
and every tunnel ends.

It ends with light.
And if you trust me,

I will do my best
to show you to it. Hands.

All: We know there are other
dimensions than this one,

but this is the dimension
where we live,

and we will not live in fear.

Wade:
Good night. Night.

I don't know
if anybody told you,

but we meet on Tuesdays, too.
Eight o'clock. Great.

I don't believe you. Sorry?
There's no light.

You're still
in the tunnel.

I bet you're just as
batshit as the rest of us.

Bats do shit in tunnels.

Sadly, there's no way
to settle that bet

until we can assess your
trauma relative to mine.

Maybe you can share
when you come back Tuesday.

I'm not coming back Tuesday.
Okay. Fair enough.

Follow me.

Of course they hated it.

Can't call a cereal Smiley‐O's
and not put sugar in it.

All that sugar
causes tooth decay,

‐hyperactivity, and the big C.
‐Come on.

We used to eat buckets of
sugar and we won Vietnam.

Technically,
Dr. Manhattan won Vietnam,

but I concede the point.

So if all the kids say is
whether they like the cereal

or hate it,
what do they need you for?

Focus groups are rife
with bullshit.

They need me to determine truth.

You can tell
when people are lying?

Indeed, I can.

There's a skill I could've
used two husbands ago.

So, what do you do?
I'm a waitress.

Nah. Try again. Okay.
I work in foreclosures.

No, ma'am, you do not.
I'm a radiologist.

Indeed you are.

So, now that
we've established

our... respective occupations,

should we settle
our bet? Our bet?

As to our relative
batshitedness.

Is that all you want
out of me, Wade? My squid story?

No pressure, but yes.
Well, it's fucking stupid.

I mean, you were there on 11/2.

‐You're gonna be mad when I say it.
‐I promise I will not.

Pale Horse.

The movie.

Pale Horse.
It came out in '92.

Steven Spielberg?

Won, like,
a gazillion Oscars?

Right, right. Sure.
I haven't seen it.

Well, I've seen it
a thousand times,

at least that's when
I stopped counting.

I know everything
about that movie.

It's called Pale Horse because
that's the name of the band

that was playing Madison Square
Garden when the squid hit.

Anyway...

there's this one scene with
this little girl in a red coat.

The movie's black and white,
so the red really pops, you know?

Um...

And the girl's stumbling
around Herald Square,

walking under the tentacles,

and through
all the dead bodies...

and she's scared.

And she's calling out
for her mom.

That just really stuck
with me, you know?

I mean, I know it's stupid.
Being obsessed with a movie,

but watching it just
makes me feel better.

Face your fears thing.

'Cause I'm scared
all the time, you know? I mean...

There's a squidfall,

and people just pull their cars
over and turn their wipers on

like aliens aren't falling
from the fucking sky?

Why isn't everybody petrified?

The only time
I'm not losing my mind

is when I'm watching
that film or fucking. What?

You know, fucking?

And I'm drunk.

I'm gonna call a friend
for a ride home.

I can take you home.
You are also drunk. Cute...

but drunk.

Maybe you should
call a friend, too.

I don't have any friends.

No thanks. I don't partake.
It's just tobacco.

A controlled substance
nonetheless.

‐Where'd you get it?
‐Why, you gonna call the cops?

Used my last quarter
calling the cab.

It does smell awful good.
Does it?

You were right.
I'm not out of the tunnel.

At least we're in it together.

There's my ride.

See you Tuesday.

See you Tuesday.

Shit!

Dispatch, this is Glass.

Did we ever recover the truck
from the guy that shot Sutton?

Man:
Please repeat that.

The truck,
the lettuce truck,

the goddamn Kavalry was driving.
Did we ever recover it?

That's a negative. Why?
Call you back.

Way to go, dummy.
You sure can pick 'em.

Another kick in
the balls coming up.

Dispatch, this is Glass.

I have positively
ID'd 7K suspects.

Requesting backup.

I'm at that abandoned
department store

out on Rural Route 9,
do you copy?

Dispatch: Copy that.
We're on our way.

Man: I heard it
come out over here!

The church!

Forty degrees south, southwest.

‐
‐

‐Wade!
‐Nobody move! Hey, he's here!

Tulsa Police! Everybody,
down on the ground.

You! Turn that
fucking thing off.

Just be cool, okay?

Are you opening portals?
Are you?!

Let's just talk
about this.

Answer me or I will shoot!

What the hell is
going on here?!

What's going on
here Wade is that

I went to a lot of
trouble to bring you in.

We even rigged the lettuce
to fall off the damn truck.

But if you're just
gonna keep yelling,

I'm not gonna be
able to tell you why.

Can you lower
the gun, please?

Blanks, Wade.
Just to be safe.

Oh, and that was us
on your walkie, too.

We boosted your signal.
What is this?

This is the only way
to show you the truth, Wade.

I really am a radiologist.

Reflectatine, huh?

You put that
in all your hats?

Gotta protect the gray matter
from psychic blasts, man.

I hear that stuff
does the trick.

Is that why you made
your mask out of it?

The one you wear to work?

I know who you are,
Looking Glass.

Are you even trying to disguise
your voice, Senator?

Shit, am I still
wearing my mask? Sorry.

That is just
incredibly rude.

This is just
for them.

‐You're gonna kill me.
‐What?

Wade, buddy,
why would I kill you?

You're a cop killer.

Keene:
You mean the White Night?

Come on. I'm not a murderer.
I'm a politician.

I came down here and assumed
leadership of these idiots

to prevent that shit
from happening again.

And my buddy Judd did
the same as chief of police.

Each of us managing
our respective team

so that we could
maintain the peace.

That's not true.
Is anything true, Wade?

Lord Jesus!

But you don't really
care about any of this

'cause all you really care
about is what you saw us

throwing those
basketballs into.

You know what it was?

It was a CX‐924
teleportation window.

Just like the one they
were playing around with

at the Institute
for Transdimensional Studies

in Herald Square on 11/2.
That is correct.

You want to guess
what that bad boy is for?

You're gonna open up
a portal in Tulsa.

Drop another squid on us.
Come on.

Where's the originality
in that? No.

No, we're gonna do
something new. Wade.

I'm gonna show
you something,

and after you see it,
you're gonna walk out of here

and you're never
gonna be afraid

of big teleporting
aliens ever again.

Because I'm gonna
set you free. In return,

I'm gonna ask you
to do me a favor.

Call it a squid pro quo.
This Angela Abar?

She either killed Judd Crawford
or she knows who did.

Either way,
she threatens to disrupt

the aforementioned peace.

I know Agent Blake
already suspects her,

so how about you
just help that along?

Angela trusts you.
Serve her up, and that way,

I don't have to ask these
racist Okies to go to her house

and kill her and her
entire fucking family.

I just need to get her off
the board for a couple days

while I wrap things up.
Your call, Wade.

Either way works for me.
All right.

Couple weeks after
I was elected senator

of the great
state of Oklahoma,

I was appointed to
the Appropriations Committee,

which sucked because
I wanted something sexy,

like Intelligence or Judiciary,
but you get what you get.

You don't get upset,
so I accepted.

In my very first day,
they brought me into a little room,

and they showed me
what I'm about to show you.

Took me a couple years
to pirate a copy for myself.

So, Wade,

you can tell your cop buddies
I'm running the Kavalry

and then I'll convince
them all you're crazy,

which will not be difficult
given your secret shiny hats.

Or you can press play,
and finally be free.

I leave it entirely
in your hands.

Hello, Robert.
Adrian Veidt here.

Assuming my instructions have
been followed to the letter,

today is January 21st, 1993,
and you were just inaugurated.

Allow me to be amongst
the very first to say

congratulations,
President Redford.

Sir, I am recording
this message on

November 1st, 1985,
seven years in your past.

How could I predict that you
would be elected president

with such incredible accuracy?
Because I didn't predict it.

I planned it.
Here, in '85,

the end is nigh.

Nuclear holocaust
between the United States

and Russia is imminent.

Fortunately,
I planned for this, too.

And the only way to stave
off mankind's extinction

is with a weapon more powerful
than any atomic device.

That weapon is fear,
and I, Mr. President,

am its architect.
In 24 hours time,

that's seven years ago for you,

an extra‐dimensional monster
will materialize in Manhattan,

unleashing a psychic
blast that kills

half the city's population,
and traumatizes millions more.

Yet the monster
will not have come

from another dimension at all.
It will have come from me.

A hoax, Mr. President.

An elaborate, meticulously
engineered hoax

to save the world.

Now, the hard part.
What's next.

The transition won't
start immediately.

The world will
need time to heal,

and, of course, I'll have
to maintain the peace

with additional small‐scale
extra‐dimensional events.

But now, I am sure
as you watch this,

mankind is ready for change.
I envision a stronger,

loving world committed
to caring for the weak,

reversing environmental ruin,
and cultivating true equality.

I know you share these values.
That's why I'll do all I can,

and why I did all I could,
to get you elected.

But this will only work

if you willingly become
my partner, Mr. President.

My partner
in building a utopia.

But first,

I'll need to earn
your trust, and you,

undoubtedly, have questions.

If you'll indulge me
for the next few hours,

I think I have
some answers. So,

let's dive in, shall we?

Chop‐chop, everyone! Come on!
Time is of the essence!

Where's the‐‐
Oh, there we are.

That's good. Yep.

Ready, Mr. Philips?

Safe travels, Master. Three, two,
one!

Aha. There you are.

I did it! I did it! Whoa!

Was I not clear in my letter?
I warned you.

Time and time
and time again.

Yet you continue
to defy the laws

of this land and those
of us who serve it.

And what do you serve,
you wrinkled, piteous

‐husk of a man?
‐

You serve only yourself!

And for that,
you must bare the consequence.

‐
‐

Master Adrian Veidt,

by the power vested in me
as warden of these lands,

I place you under arrest.
May God have mercy on your soul.

God? Your God's abandoned you!

Why wouldn't he?
You're pathetic!

Every one of you!

Alas, Master Veidt is correct.

‐
‐Our God has left us,

and it is unlikely he'll return.
No mercy it is.

Take a minute.

Soak it in before
you say anything,

- ‐and just tell us...
- ‐

in your own words
what Mercy smells like to you.

Bullshit.
Hooded Justice was around in '40s.

Dr. Manhattan
didn't exist till 1960.

Panda: So what?
He could time travel.

Red Scare: He cannot
fucking time travel.

Panda: I've watched every
episode, man,

and I'm telling you,
Hooded Justice is Dr. Manhattan.

Yeah?

Sister Night:
Well? Well, what?

Do you have the pills?
Is anything true?

What are you
talking about, man? Just tell me.

Is anything true?

Better stop playing around.

Nostalgia.

These are memories.
Whose memories?

I want to help.

They're my grandfather's.

He was at the tree.
He said he killed Crawford,

but he's 100 years old.
It's not possible.

So, I covered it up.

I'm sorry. Sorry for what?

‐
‐Blake: Hands!

Hands! Show me
your hands! Do not fucking move!

I had to, Angela.

‐What did you fucking do?
‐Blake: Fucking cuff her.

I said cuff her, now. Now!
Get the fuck off me!

Why?

Angela,
you're not supposed

to take someone else's
nostalgia.

That's very bad.

(DRUM ROLL

Is it starting? Is it starting?

Angela, you may be confused
as to who you are right now.

You are an angry man,
William Reeves. I'm not angry.

‐
‐

name is Angela Abar,
I'm your husband, Calvin.

You have three children.

- ‐Trust in the law.
- Trust in the law.

You don't know what's really
happening here.

Angela.

You need to come home,
you need to wake up.