01x06 - The Uncanny

[bunniefuu]

Father God, I just ask that you would watch over our daughter, Mia, as she willingly and willfully goes to New York City to get a degree in fine art.

‐ They had 1,800 homicides, up from last year.

Protect Mia, sweet Jesus in that Big Apple of sin.

‐ And we pray for our son, Warren. ‐ Mm.

And get him to the NFL.

If it be thy will.

That one of our children might honor us with a successful career.

‐ Amen. Amen. Thank you, Daddy and Mama, for that beautiful prayer.

You're lying. She didn't say that.

No, no, she literally asked the whole deaconess board to pray that you don’t come back a hooker.

Or worse, a lesbian.

‐ All I'm coming back as is a better artist.

I hope.

‐ Here. Don't... don't open it until you get to your dorm.

Mia, I said wait.

‐ Wren...

No! You’ve been saving for a car forever.

Aw, come on. By next year, I’ll‐I’ll have some scholarship to some big ass school.

Come on, Mi, just take it. New York’s expensive.

‐ No way.

‐ At least take this.

‐ Mace? ‐ You gonna need it.

‐ You ready?

Then sit.

What is beauty?

How do we recognize it?

Is it in the extraordinary?

The mundane?

Or in D as Unheimlich?

The uncanny.

Wow.

Consider Sigmund Freud’s definition. ‐ That the uncanny is in that class of the terrifying which leads back to something long known to us, once very familiar.

This is fine.

Where's the stuff I saw in your portfolio?

The re‐purposed materials, the collages.

‐ I‐I was just trying to do the assignment.

‐ Oh, and you say those kids are your subjects?

But are they?

‐ Uh, I thought so.

‐ That stuff is you.

Don't abandon that.

This semester, we'll explore how your familiar heimlich, or home, can become uncanny, repulsive.

Or even terrifying.

That’s the point of what we’re doing here.

Either put something new into the world or use what you have to show me what is terrifying, repulsive, and uncanny about you.

‐ So you were right.

Those kids weren't my subject. Not technically, I mean.

It's‐it's really about me and... this new place, this city that is so terrifying, in some ways, but also familiar.

‐ How did you get this layering here?

‐ I exposed two negatives together repeatedly.

‐ But what about those darker spots?

‐ I used a flame to singe some areas away.

‐ Come to my opening.

It's at my friend's gallery in the East Village.

Next weekend.

‐ Back the f*ck up. ‐ No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I've been watching you, trying to get up the nerve.

Okay, you look so much like my wife. You look like her.

You look just like her, and I thought like, maybe it was a sign.

‐ A sign for what? What do you want?

‐ Okay. My wife and I, um... can't have children, and we're looking for a surrogate who looks like her.

Um, so that‐that could carry our baby.

And I realize that sounds completely bizarre.

I know that, and I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to scare you. You don't have to say anything.

Okay, I don't even know if you would consider this.

If you could even use the money.

Can I just...just...

That's me, okay. I'm‐‐ I'm Joe.

My wife's Madeline, Maddie.

We just...

You could just think about it.

Please.

‐ Mia.

There she is. Anita, come here.

My student I was bragging about. Mia Wright.

‐ It's nice to meet you.

‐ Hi.

‐ Thanks again for letting me stay.

And‐and for this.

‐ My friend, Andrew, crashed with me for a bit.

He left some clothes behind. ‐ He moved out?

‐ No, he's been in the hospital with pneumonia for weeks.

This is his piece.

Always losing people, aren't we?

‐ Not me. I'm staying.

‐ Good.

‐ I can't leave, Wren. I can't.

They said it's all budget cuts and f*cking Reagan.

And how am I supposed to come up with $12,000 for next year?

‐ I don't know, Mi. Mom‐Mom and Dad will be back from church soon.

‐ They'll just tell me to go to a real school so I can get a real job.

They don't understand.

This is where I have to be.

This is what I have to do.

‐ You listen to me. Just find a way.

Okay? Do what you have to do.

Just find a way. There's always a way.

‐ This must feel like a lot.

But we are just so grateful that you called.

We know how crazy this sounds.

And there is... no real road map for this.

We're just really trying to figure this out for ourselves.

So there's absolutely no pressure, there's no rush.

‐ How much would you pay?

And‐and how soon would I get it?

‐ We thought $10,000, if that seems...

‐ I‐I can't do it for less than 12.

‐ I think we can make 12 work.

‐ You think, or... or you can? ‐ We can.

We can, we can draw official paperwork.

We can figure out a payment‐‐ ‐ Anything... to make you feel comfortable.

‐ I'm comfortable.

I'm in.

‐ She's in.

She's in.

Thank you.

‐ Hi! Happy Monday. Come in, come in.

‐ Wow, good morning. ‐ Good morning.

Oh, so this guy's going to need a bottle soon and probably a diaper change.

‐ I'll get him all cleaned up and ready for world domination.

‐ Aw. Lexie's already eaten. She'll give you no trouble.

And Trip's kind of a grazer.

Emergency contacts.

While my mother is at the top of the list, you definitely do not want to call her after 3:30 p. m., at which time she turns into a pumpkin.

A boozy, unreliable pumpkin.

‐ I get it, I have an aunt with, um, pumpkin tendencies.

Hi, it's Rachel, right? ‐ Oh.

Nice to meet you. ‐ Nice to meet you. Bill.

And hi to you.

Last night was really fun. ‐ Oh!

‐ Big boy. Oh.

You gonna take care of your brother and sister?

Hold down the fort? Oh, I could just‐‐ I want to eat you. Okay.

Honey, have a great first day back. ‐ I will.

I'm right behind you. Okay, bye, guys.

Okay, Mommy's going. Mommy loves you.

‐ Oh!

Don't be nervous.

Moms always have a hard time going back to work, but you have nothing to feel guilty about.

Seriously.

Ooh! Okay, let's go find your brother and sister.

‐ Hi. ‐ Woo‐hoo!

‐ Oh, thank you.

‐ Elena. ‐ Hi.

You look amazing. ‐ Oh, thanks.

‐ I could k*ll you.

Come on, let us see the little guy.

‐ Well, look who finally decided to put down the babies.

‐ Oh!

His name's not really Moody, is it? Not that I'm judging.

‐ It's Michael.

‐ I can't believe you have three now.

‐ I know. ‐ Please tell me you're done.

‐ So done. Uh, in fact, I wanted to talk to you.

I heard Danny left for The Plain Dealer, and I'd really love to take on more.

‐ Yeah, absolutely, let's talk.

There's been a lot of changes since you've been gone.

Sandra actually got promoted to Danny's position, so you will be reporting to her.

‐ Wow. Congratulations.

I definitely need something. Anything that works.

I'm not opposed to the pill. Uh, I've read about the sponge.

But is it messy?

I was thinking of something more long‐term.

What do you think of an IUD?

‐ This is actually a bigger conversation between you and Bill.

‐ Does, uh, tubal ligation have a lengthy recovery?

‐ Elena.

You can't have birth control right now. You're pregnant.

‐ No.

‐ Yes.

‐ So I go to watch the game, and someone has taped the g*dd*mn royal wedding over it.

‐ No. Someone.

‐ Okay, I know, I know, it was bad, but it was so good.

‐ Still none for you. Right, Linda?

‐ Uh, yeah, none for me.

Thank you. Honey?

‐ Definitely.

And that's when I realized the doll was covered in Trip's actual sh*t.

Oh. ‐ Oh, my God.

Poor Lexie. Well, that girl needs her own room.

Mm‐hmm. ‐ How's the search going?

‐ It'd be a lot quicker if Bill would take my mom up on her offer.

‐ Hey, if my in‐laws wanted to give me a free house, I'd take it.

Down payment free, but‐‐ ‐ I'd be afraid to turn into my mother.

‐ That would take a lot of gin.

‐ And with the upkeep alone, I’d have to kiss the PD’s office goodbye.

Which isn't a terrible thing.

It's a partner track at a big firm.

You know, you guys should buy in Ludlow.

You hear about those new loans?

They’re practically paying white people to stay.

My mother is on the committee that‐that pushed for those.

The loans are‐‐ they're not really for people like us.

Yeah.

Oh, and Cynthia gave me a recommendation for book club.

It's a good red. ‐ Yeah, good wine.

She said it's a romantic story with a twist.

‐ I'm so sorry.

So sorry. One second.

‐ Oh, my God, Mark.

No.

No, she can't be. Not again.

Not after I‐‐ ‐ Look, I think we should tell them.

They'd want to know.

Miscarriages, I mean, they happen to people all the time.

‐ Not to Elena.

Mm.

Mom.

I'm so sorry about the sitter. ‐ It's fine.

I canceled bridge.

Moody here just cried himself to sleep.

And those other two, do you even discipline them?

Oh, this place. It's a disaster.

I don't know why you would rather live in a shoebox than a beautiful family home.

‐ I'm pregnant again.

I, I just got back, and‐and now I'm gonna be derailed again.

And f*cking Sandra got promoted to editor. Sandra.

‐ Sweetheart, I mean, it's impressive that you've worked for as long as you have.

This obsession that your generation has.

It is okay to just be a woman and let men be men.

‐ You... you don't know what it means to love your work.

‐ This paper that you're working for, no one even reads it.

And‐and Bill told me that your job barely even pays for your help.

‐ Bill said that?

‐ You should be trying to make things easier on yourself.

‐ Things would be easier without another baby.

‐ I mean, you're acting as if it's a choice.

‐ It is.

We've held up signs that said so.

‐ You have money and resources, and there is no reason that you can't have another baby.

‐ Is not wanting another one a reason?

‐ Not for people like us.

‐ Look at me. This is a good thing.

This is‐this is a good thing. We're gonna have another baby.

I can't believe it.

‐ Four.

‐ Yeah, four, and I promise it's not gonna be much different than three.

Okay, come here, come here, come here.

‐ How am I supposed to tell work?

‐ You can...maybe you can drop back to part‐time.

Or you can‐‐ you can just drop it all together.

Honey, I think that you're gonna have a lot on your plate with the move.

Was this fourth baby all part of some elaborate plan you had?

To get me to say yes to the parent's house?

Come here.

I hope it's a girl.

What was that name we loved?

Isabelle. ‐ Yeah, right.

Isabelle. ‐ Yeah.

No, no way.

His Marlboro ads are not art. They're derivative.

He's basically stealing. ‐ You mean appropriating?

Don't we all do some version of that in our own art?

I mean, look what you're doing.

You take things that don't technically belong to you and put them in your art.

I manipulate, I curate.

What Richard Prince is doing is something completely different.

‐ What about Grandmaster Flash?

Is that art, or is he stealing from The Tom Tom Club?

‐ I'm not saying you can't appropriate.

Duchamp, or Warhol, they all appropriate.

But you just can’t only appropriate.

Like Richard Prince, it’s‐it’s totally f*cking boring.

I've never even used a tampon before.

I've never...

‐ Are you...

Are you a virgin?

Do you want me to help you?

It's like you said.

The art should either bring something new into the world or‐or something strange and familiar and terrifying, or at the very least, uncomfortable.

It should give us the uncanny.

So you were listening that first day.

‐ You really think Richard Prince is boring?

‐ Totally f*cking boring.

‐ Yeah, then you wouldn't want your work at a show with him here.

Hmm.

‐ Uh, what?

I'm gonna be in a show with Richard Prince!

Oh!

Wow.

Oh.

‐ This.

This one we can work with. I love this.

I don't know. I'm not sure it works.

‐ The assignment's to do a self‐portrait.

So stop avoiding it.

‐ Avoiding what?

‐ Feeling it.

When are you gonna tell me what you've done?

‐ He's here.

Wren!

‐ What the hell?

‐ Told you there was a good reason why I didn't come home this summer.

‐ Look, are we really not gonna talk about how crazy this is?

I mean, I'd‐I'd be this kid's uncle.

Not this kid. Your kid.

‐ It's not my kid.

This is wrong.

And twisted, Mi. God has a plan for you.

‐ Don't parrot them.

‐ And I'm pretty sure that's not what this is.

‐ What about my plan?

Does that matter?

‐ Do you realize that your sister is one of the most talented artists I have ever met?

Anyone can be a mother.

Few can do what your sister does.

In fact... no one can.

‐ So, do I look like a New Yorker?

‐ Mm... ‐ Eh?

Mm.

Uh... Come on.

Yeah? ‐ Uh...

Yeah, it's, uh...

Yeah, not touristy at all.

I love it, by the way.

It's so you.

‐ Yeah, the door fills up with water when it rains, but...

‐ Gives it character.

To open when you're home.

‐ Come on.

‐ Okay. ‐ I'll open this thing.

Aw. Come on.

Look, Mi, I... I want us to be cool.

The last thing I want to do is fight in front of the baby.

I mean, she's already gonna have a hard enough time going through life with that big‐ass forehead of yours.

‐ She?

‐ It's a gut feeling.

Do me a favor. Play her some Marvin Gaye while you can.

If she can’t grow up with her Uncle Warren, at least she can have some good taste in music.

‐ I love you so much.

‐ I love you, too.

So, uh... you gonna break it to Mom and Dad that their prayers didn't work?

Well, at least you're not a hooker, I guess.

‐ What? ‐ Come on.

The‐the whole Pauline thing.

‐ Oh.

No, no, it's‐it's not like that. It's...

‐ Oh. ‐ My professor, my mentor.

‐ Mm‐hmm. Right.

‐ Well, whoever she is, she don't know you like I do.

Never let anyone tell you who you are.

Not even me.

Hm?

You say you want to create something that will change the world.

What if it's her?

‐ Did you mean what you said to Warren?

Am I making the right choice?

‐ Look at this.

What do you see?

‐ A monster.

‐ I see... power.

Beauty.

Ugliness. Gods and mothers.

Virgins.

I see the monsters, too.

And I love them. Fiercely.

‐ What are we?

I mean, to each other.

‐ What do you feel?

‐ Everything.

‐ My turn.

‐ Isabelle, come on. You have to eat, please.

Damn it.

‐ Okay, Isabelle, sweetie, it's coming. Just, just hold on.

Moody, just watch your sister, all right?

Okay?

It's coming, all right? Just everybody, calm down.

Lexie, would you take care of Moody, please?

Just give your brother a hug or something. Just...

They must have turned the water off. I don't know. I don't know.

You call him! You were the one who wanted this renovation.

Jesus!

I don’t‐I don’t give a damn about your partners, Bill.

I need you. I need you to do actual things.

Where is the f*cking pacifier?

Jesus Christ. Elena, what the hell?

Hi, sweetie.

‐ Four is different than three.

What are you doing? Elena, where are you going?

‐ To get a god damn pacifier.

‐ It's okay, sweetie. It's okay.

Manager, aisle four.

‐ Yes. Um, Manhattan. What city?

What name, please?

‐ Uh, Jamie Caplan.

Hello?

‐ Jamie?

Yes, who's this?

‐ It‐it's me. It's Elena.

So, you‐‐ you good? How's life?

‐ Okay, you can't do that. You can't call me sobbing hysterically out of the blue and...

What's wrong? Is it Bill?

The kids? What?

‐ I'll have another.

‐ You can't not tell me.

Okay, I crossed the George Washington Bridge in Friday night traffic for this.

I drove to Rochester.

Uh, I don't want to talk about Bill or the, the kids.

I just want to... hear about you.

How is New York?

It's, uh, it's loud.

And, uh... expensive.

And I can't imagine being anywhere else.

I just got a job.

At The Times.

‐ You're writing for The New York Times?

‐ I'm an editorial assistant.

But...

Yeah, that'd be the goal, yeah.

I'm in business now, but... hopefully foreign correspondent, eventually.

For the travel.

And my love of w*r‐torn architecture.

‐ You always were fond of destruction.

‐ You know that's not what I wanted.

I still think about how things would’ve been different if you just said yes.

If you’d stayed in Paris.

Do you think about it?

‐ I had a life to start. A plan.

I mean, it’s most peoples’ plan, right?

Graduate college, get a job, get married, have kids, and you’re happy ‘til death.

‐ Are you happy?

Are you?

Happy?

Did you do this? ‐ What? No, I didn't.

I didn't, I swear.

‐ Get up. ‐ No.

‐ Come on, dance with me.

‐ Oh, oh.

I'm sorry, I just...

I just need a minute.

sh*t.

Ugh.

Elena, you okay?

‐ f*ck.

I need to go. ‐ Why?

What's wrong?

Hey, hold on a second. Can we talk about this?

Look, I, I want this. And I know you do, too.

‐ What? A fling at a motel in Rochester?

‐ I still love you.

I...

I never stopped. I...

I just didn't want your plan.

And by the sounds of it, you don't want it, either.

But you don't have to settle.

And you do not have to be miserable.

‐ I never said either of those things.

‐ No, no, you just...

Call me out of nowhere and ask me to drive six hours in the middle of the night to see you.

‐ I called you because I needed a friend.

Not someone to take advantage of me in a hard moment.

‐ Take advantage of you? Are you f*cking kidding me?

‐ I'm married, Jamie.

I have four children with the man I love.

I like my life.

I chose my life.

I, I just‐‐oh, I needed...

I don't know. I don't know what I needed.

But it wasn't‐‐ it wasn't this.

‐ Elena. Jesus Christ, thank God.

Are you okay? What happened? Where have you been?

‐ We called the hospitals and your friends.

Your mom is worried sick. ‐ I just needed a minute.

‐ Okay.

Okay, well, I'm glad you took one.

‐ I'm gonna go. You should get some sleep.

Okay, I'll call you later.

Oh, and um, you should probably be careful in there.

There may still be some pieces of china on the floor.

‐ Okay. Okay.

‐ Where's Isabelle?

‐ Um, she's sleeping, finally. ‐ Good.

‐ Do you want me to go get her?

‐ No.

I've got it.

‐ Hello? Mia.

It's awful. It's so awful.

‐ Mom? He's gone. He's gone.

Your brother's gone.

‐ Mama, can‐can you please slow down?

‐ There's been an accident.

Warren, he was with his friends.

They couldn't save him. He's dead.

My baby is dead.

Thanks.

It's not what you think.

Is this okay?

‐ Can we talk?

Your daddy and I...

We may not understand you.

But we love you.

We all make our choices. You...

You made yours.

But people see you today, there'll be a lot of questions.

Today's about honoring Warren.

Let's let it be about him.

‐ You don't want me to come to my own brother's funeral?

‐ I know you'll find another way to honor him on your own.

‐ I think me being here is really helping, so...

I just...

I‐I need to stay a little while longer.

Of course.

It's the right thing to do.

But, uh, listen.

I love you, okay?

‐ I love you, too.

Hello? ‐ Pauline?

It's me. ‐ Mia?

‐ Wait, who, who is this? ‐ Honey.

It's Anita, from the gallery.

‐ What‐what's wrong? What happened?

‐ Pauline passed away.

She was sick.

She was diagnosed two months ago.

Diagnosed with what?

‐ Ovarian cancer.

‐ What? It was too debilitating to treat.

She just...she wanted to tell you in person when you were back, but...

I'm‐I'm here, I'm cleaning up her place, and‐and putting her stuff in order.

Your stuff is, um, all packed up.

And along with something she asked me to send to you.

It's a photo of you that she loved.

She wanted you to have.

In case you needed to sell it.

For you, or for your baby.

I mean, you kept the baby, right? Pauline assumed.

And, honey, they've been calling here.

The Ryans. The want to talk to you.

I loved Pauline and Pauline loved you, so whatever you need, I'm here.

‐ I don't know where we'll end up.