03x03 - Locusts

[bunniefuu]

Previously, on "The Path":

I have decided to leave the gates open so that anyone can enter as they please.

Since when does an IS know more than we do?

This doesn't feel like change.

It feels like it's the beginning of the end.

You're Hawk Lane, huh?

I was just expecting some bearded old hippie dude.

You saved me.

You did that.

Say it.

I did that.

Here, in case you want to talk some more.

Yeah, I don't.

No, about... your religion.

It's easy to be punished.

It's harder to forgive yourself.

Meyerism... doesn't work for me anymore.

I think something bad happened to me when I was a child.

The son is here.

It begins.

Is anybody out here?

♪

♪

♪ Uh, I'm Sarah Lane.

So tell me what brought you in here today.

I'm scared.

Feels like we're headed towards World w*r III.

What brought you here today?

I have to lose a hundred pounds.

What brought you here today?

I have a drinking problem.

I broke up with my girlfriend.

If it wasn't for my kids, I wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning anymore.

Nuclear w*r, the environment...

World's falling apart.

What have you tried?

Weight Watchers, paleo, no carbs, gastric bypass...

I had to explain to my kindergartener what a school sh**t is.

We can help you.

Everyone looks so happy here.

Hypnotism, aversion therapy...

We can help you.

I can't watch the news anymore.

I feel like I'm wasting my life.

We can help you.

What are you looking for?

Love.

Community.

Guidance.

Safety.

Peace.

How did you get here?

Where are you from?

What's your name?

Look, kid...

I really want to help you out, but you got to give me something.

Logan.

All right.

Where are you supposed to be right now?

School?

Where are your parents?

Dead.

Okay, where do you stay when you're not hiding out in our woods?

My brother's place.

Who b*at you up?

Couple of his friends.

What's the deal with that?

My brother gave it to me.

Helped me get by in juvie.

So you've been to juvie?

Twice.

Do you believe in it?

The tattoo? - Yeah.

Doesn't mean anything.

Listen, Logan, this is a community full of love and acceptance.

We do not tolerate hate.

I don't hate anybody.

What?

I don't hate anybody.

Why did you k*ll those rabbits?

♪ Because I hadn't eaten anything in four days, and I was f*cking hungry.

♪

It's so pretty here.

Yep.

Uh, I have to get out of here.

What do you mean?

I just can't be here. Just, um... we have to go.

Where? - I don't know.

We don't have much money saved.

We need a place to stay, money for diapers...

Mary, you don't understand. I'm suffocating.

I can't be this person anymore.

I... this-this servant.

Okay. Yeah, of course.

Wait, you mean... you mean leave right now?

Yeah, I'm gonna talk to Harold, we'll get our things together...

Is he gonna let us?

We're not prisoners.

Why don't we sneak out when he's asleep?

God, no, no, this is exactly why we have to go, because I can't be somewhere where... where we're trapped.

And what about the contract?

I'll talk to him.

All right?

Uh, he can't force us to stay.

♪

American religion is a private, personal experience.

Bloom argues that almost all American religious groups...

Uh, Seventh-Day Adventism, Mormonism, Southern Baptists, Pentecostalism...

Believe that salvation cannot be achieved by engaging with a community, but rather by an intense inward solitude, that you must experience some kind of direct confrontation with God in order to be saved.

Now, since we have our friendly resident fringe movement representative here with us, Sarah...

Tell us.

Is that how you understand Meyerism?

No.

I mean, confrontation is such a negative... word.

Experiencing The Light is a... positive, profound experience.

Has it always been that way?

I mean, Steve Meyer, didn't he... find darkness and destruction at the top of that Ladder?

I mean, he only saw that so he could lead the rest of us to The Light.

To the Truth.

Sorry, I have to go.

Tell you what, guys: class dismissed.

sh*t.

At least you weren't towed.

I'm sorry.

Was I pissing you off back there?

Uh, no, not at all.

I'm just, um, late for a meeting. Right. And if, uh, you're late, then they make you scrub the bathroom floors with a toothbrush.

What if they found out you were here?

They'd be fine.

Yeah.

You have this narrative in your head about Meyerism, and it's...

It's not like that.

We have free will.

Good, because I wanted to ask you a question.

Uh, would you like to have dinner with me?

No.

That's not... No.

Because you're not... allowed, or because you don't want to?

Whatever makes you feel better about yourself.

This kid was me, 20 years ago.

You didn't have a swastika tattooed to your arm.

No, but I had other sh*t.

We all did.

That is how we got here.

Okay? He is just a kid.

We can help him.

He's not a kid.

He had a Kn*fe. We're open, but we can't be fools about it.

Look, in our community, we accept people for who they are.

Without judgement.

That's always been the way.

These are different times.

We can't afford to be naive.

Religious communities are targets.

We're getting more... More Possibles than ever.

I'm doing a dozen intake sessions a day.

People don't feel safe in their communities, and they are coming to us.

Does this boy want to live in The Light, or does he want free room and board?

Look, it is our job to show him The Light and hope that he makes that choice for himself.

Vera can help communicate what we're doing to the community. - Vera... isn't one of us.

She has no part in this conversation.

We need to assess the boy's Damage.

Assess the boy's Damage.

What, by doing the ODE?

We don't do that anymore.

Because we haven't had to.

We haven't had anyone like him come through.

The ODE is the only way to determine whether or not he can truly receive The Light.

Sarah, will you administer?

I'll set it up.

If he fails, he has to go.

Are we in agreement?

♪ Yeah.

Let's do the test.

♪

Wow. This is an embarrassment.

Okay, Mom, please, breathe.

So, what do you think?

What the hell have you been doing the last two weeks?

Uh, we made a lot of progress.

Sorry, I'm Tom.

Vera. - Wow, I've heard so much about you... No, no, okay, don't shake his hand. You should kiss her feet.

Do you understand what he's been doing for us?

We need Meyerism to spread to all four corners of the Earth, and it's well on its way because of her.

New members every day, college kids drinking that dumbass juice, and their leader can't take a piss without asking her first, but meanwhile, you can't even install a fan.

Lilith, this type of work takes time. I had to design...

It's not a f*cking tea party.

It has to be finished.

You can't be setting the table when the end comes.

Work faster.

Do you realize how little time we have?

Dear, can you tell him what happens if they don't finish in time?

Yeah. You'll die like the rest of them.

♪

Nobody has anything to unburden?

♪

Then let me offer strength and community to us all as we continue our journey to enlightenment in climbing...

The Ladder of Truth.

Joy... Yeah?

What was that?

I didn't say anything.

Yeah, I know. Nobody did.

That's what I'm talking about.

Honestly, a lot of people are really freaked out by that n*zi kid.

He's not a n*zi. It goes against everything we believe, not to mention it puts us at risk every time we step on the compound.

Okay, well, why didn't anybody say anything?

That's the entire point of unburdening.

Because it's your dad's decision, and you're like your dad's good little foot soldier.

Okay, that is not true at all.

Okay, so if people had said something, you what?

Go and ask your dad, and he... No, I...

Kicks the kid out?

I would sit with him and I would ask... - Okay, Hawk.

You're white.

Maybe you can afford to assume that you're safe, but some of us can't.

Anyway, whatever. I need your help with something.

Okay. - I need you to go bowling with me.

Okay, what?

Caleb and some of the Musa kids are going and he asked us if we could go.

Well, why... why c... Why do I have to go?

Why can't you just go with Caleb?

Because, I'm pretty sure they can't date outside their religion, so it's probably, like, a group date thing.

I have a girlfriend...

Yeah, who's doing 2R in Haiti.

Hawk, come on.

You've had a little bit of a stick up your ass since your dad became leader.

You don't have to be the son of God all the time.

Bowling might be good for you.

♪

Are you ready to begin?

♪

Where am I?

You're in an evaluation room.

We're getting ready to start Observable Damage Evaluation.

How did you get me here?

We moved you.

You drugged me.

No, we gave you a safe herbal sleep aid so we can start with your mind perfectly clear.

What's on my arm?

ODE works best when you're at complete resting state heart rate, below 60.

Are you present?

I guess.

What's your full name?

Logan Dodd.

Are you a spiritual person?

No.

Do you believe in God?

Definitely not.

Do you believe in the afterlife?

No.

Do you have control over your dreams?

I don't know.

Do you like being alone? Yes.

Do you feel sorry for others who have less than you?

Yes.

Do you feel sorry for yourself?

No.

In general, do you believe bad things that happen are your fault?

No.

Have other done bad things to you?

Yes.

What would you change about yourself?

I wish I could change what other people see about me.

Are your harder on yourself or on others?

I don't know. - Go deeper.

Other people are harder on me.

What do you mean?

I don't know. Nothing.

Nobody gives me a chance.

Everybody just assumes I'm a piece of sh*t.

Why is that?

Probably 'cause my parents are both pieces of sh*t, and my brother's a piece of sh*t.

Usually runs in the family, I guess.

You told Eddie that your parents were dead.

My dad is.

And your mom?

Didn't want me.

Who are you closest to?

In the world, right now?

Who are you closest to?

Nobody.

Do you remember the last time you felt joy?

I don't know.

Go deeper.

When I was 12, my brother got me a pet chicken.

What did you name it?

Captain.

He was really smart.

He was my best friend for, like, two years.

What happened?

♪ Cockfight.

My brother made me do it.

Captain was really sweet. He didn't stand a chance.

Got the sh*t kicked out of him by a bigger bird.

Razors on his spurs.

♪ Bled out in a couple minutes.

♪ Thank you.

♪

He scored a 28.

All right.

Well, give him another sh*t.

Okay, maybe he was nervous.

No, that's not how it works. Steve was a psychiatrist.

He worked with a lot of people that had Damage.

He knew how to find darkness.

All right, well, let me work with him for a couple of weeks.

Okay? I mean, he's so young.

And he didn't have a choice. I mean...

Dead dad, his mom...

Look, maybe I can get to him.

Doesn't matter.

It does matter.

I refuse to believe that some people are beyond help.

You promised the Council.

What if you guys turned your backs on me?

You scored a 97 on the ODE.

How do you know that? Because people talked about it. You were...

Damaged, but you were full of Light.

This kid is beyond the capacity to help.

Where is he supposed to go?

His brother is his legal guardian.

He's not going back there.

Well, then, I'll make some calls.

I'll connect with child services.

I am not sending him to child services.

They can help him.

We can't.

And if you can't do it, I will.

No.

I brought him in. I'll do it.

Been two days.

I still feel like sh*t.

Thanks, boss.

Pickled ume. It'll, uh, replace your electrolytes.

Here. Under your tongue.

Um...

Harold, I need to apologize.

Um... The other night, I... I let you down.

We both f*cked up. Yeah, but I'm supposed to be stronger, and I let my own Damage get in the way of our progress together.

It's okay. - No, it's not, which is why I need to go away and do some work on myself.

Yeah, because I'm not in the condition, right now, to help someone else.

What? - I... I can't afford to inflict any more harm onto you.

Mary and I need to leave.

You can't. No, well, I understand we had an agreement. We signed a contract.

We can't stay here anymore.

That's not how it works. You don't break contracts.

That's the point of a f*cking contract.

Look it up. Look it up on your phone.

No, I'm not going to do that.

Saul!

"A written or spoken agreement, enforceable by law."

"By law." You're breaking the law!

You can't do this.

Sorry, you can't leave.

Harold, Harold, I firmly believe that you have the tools to climb The Ladder.

I don't. I need you!

No, you are all you need.

Okay.

Okay, I get...

At least let me make you a good-bye dinner or something.

I want to give you guys a proper send-off.

Uh... Let me at least do that.

Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Small Saul!

We've got to clean this place up!

Hey.

Hey, what the hell are you doing?

Sorry.

I was just trying to fix it.

Fix it?

Your irrigation's broke. See?

Those plants are getting drowned. I just...

I wanted to get them out of the ground.

I really like plants and stuff.

I lived on a farm for a while.

One of the group homes.

♪ I was just trying to help.

You said everybody here contributes.

I appreciate that.

I'm sorry. I thought you were... ♪ Thank you.

All right.

Let's get these out of the ground.

♪

Hello, Meadow. Gavin.

Katrina.

Can't believe he's still here, right?

You all right?

I'm used to it.

It's not gonna be like that here.

Okay?

Hello, everybody. Um...

I want you to meet Logan.

He's going to be staying with us for a little while, so please, make him feel welcome.

Okay?

Thank you.

All right, so the food is right here.

Drinks right behind it.

Take whatever you want, all right?

Can I talk to you for a sec?

Not if it's about the kid.

Sarah said he failed.

Bad.

Look, the ODE doesn't always tell the full story.

Since when?

Look, I know you've got this new open doors policy... - Mm-hm.

But my husband's away and I need to keep my family safe.

Did you hear there was a b*mb thr*at at a mosque in Spring Valley yesterday? The kid is not building a b*mb.

How do you know?

Look, he is a good kid who's had a shitty life.

Not all kids grow up like your kids.

Okay?

Some people need a second chance.

Oh, don't pull that sh*t on me.

I have seen hundreds of people come here and change their lives, but they didn't have a deep, ingrained hatred in their hearts.

Neither does Logan.

Okay?

You're sure of that?

Look, it doesn't matter.

He's staying.

Logan.

Hey, I, uh, want you to meet Nicole.

Nicole, this is Logan.

Do you have two extra seats at your table?

Thank you.

Yes!

That was awesome. - Thank you.

So, are you guys allowed to date outside the religion, or are you, like, breaking the rules?

I mean, it's not rules that we have, but, yes, technically, we're supposed to date other Christians.

'Cause we'll corrupt you or something?

No, no.

Uh, according to the Bible, we're just... unequally yoked.

What the hell does that mean?

It's Corinthians:

"Do not be bound together with unbelievers.

"What partnership has righteousness and lawlessness?

What fellowship has light with darkness?"

Mm. So we're just lawless, dark, unbelievers?

I'm not my dad.

What do you believe?

I'm... attracted to people who have a deep faith.

Who believe in something.

Totally.

Me too.

What?

You have a girlfriend, Hawk?

Yeah, um, she's doing service in Haiti.

And it's not that serious.

What are you talking about?

I mean, she's not, like, the one.

You actually have no idea.

Hawk used to be really in love with this girl who was an IS, like you.

Not one of us.

You're drunk.

He's a little bit of a romantic.

Still kinda heartbroken.

f*ck off, Joy.

Sorry.

Hawk's dad became Jesus, and he became sort of a buzzkill.

Sorry. - No, I...

I get it. You do not have to explain yourself, dude.

I get it all.

More than you know.

Toast.

We have to toast.

A lovely sparkling cider.

♪ Come on, Cal.

We're toasting.

Cal?

♪

To you guys.

For everything you've done.

You've changed my life.

You know that, right? No, you changed your life.

♪ But that's good as gold ♪ I'm gonna miss you guys.

Don't know how I'm gonna do it without you.

You'll be okay. - Will I?

Yeah-huh. Yeah. - Nah.

Don't worry about it.

Not your problem anymore.

Out of sight, out of mind, right?

That's what everyone does to me, anyways.

Takes what they want and then leaves.

No, no, no. Uh, that's not what we're doing.

Cal just needs to work on himself.

It's cool.

I get it.

You know how many buddies from home I've had mooch off me?

Act like we're best friends and then get the f*ck out when sh*t gets dark?

It's cool. How you want your steak cooked?

We don't eat meat. And you don't either.

You've been doing really good.

We all break the rules sometimes, right?

You want some?

Cal? Mary?

No, no, no.

And if you're gonna drink alcohol, we're gonna leave.

All right?

Not before I give you your bonus.

That's what you want, right?

My money?

As much as you can get?

♪ Here. - No.

Take it!

Harold... I won't take your money.

Mary. Do you want Cal to take my money?

Harold, Harold, Harold, Harold...

Put the money down.

What? No, Harold, are you insane?

It's just f*cking money, right?

Statistically, I'm gonna be dead by 45 anyway.

So who cares? - I f*cking care.

I grew up in a f*cking trailer park.

I mean, you could feed forty homeless people with that money.

That's bullshit!

I made Mary mad.

♪ I don't want Mary to be mad at me.

♪ Don't you touch her!

We're gonna play chicken.

Let's see how long Mary can hold her breath underwater.

Get off of her!

♪ Speed of evolution ♪ Is getting slower You are a f*cking lunatic!

It was just a joke.

You can't go!

I'll k*ll myself! You can't go.

Then, God, just f*cking do it!

I am officially done with your self-pity!

So I'm gonna need you to sit your ass in this chair for the next ten minutes, while my wife and my son and I get out of here, and then you can do whatever the hell you want.

Good luck!

♪

Okay, you have everything?

Mm-hm.

Who's Jackson?

Uh, a Possible.

What's sushi?

Uh, something an IS eats.

Don't worry about it.

Daddy!

Hey, honey!

What is he still doing here?

Decided to let him stay.

Who?

A bad kid. He failed the ODE.

Look, I know that Steve really believed in that test, but I am thinking of phasing it out.

Okay? We shouldn't judge people for their past.

You, of all people, should believe in that.

But you promised that you would do what that test said.

I changed my mind.

Well, you just do whatever you want, now, Eddie?

You just want to be the guy on the billboard?

You wanna be a cult leader? Is that it?

Sarah, Sarah, just think about it.

When Eddie opened the gates, he opened them to everyone.

It wouldn't look good for him to kick someone out.

Vera... It would be bad press. Is that it?

I'm sorry, what is your role here?

I understand that you want to sell green juice, but our movement is founded on sacred practices and rituals that you will never understand.

I'm just here to help Eddie deliver his message. That's it.

And what is his message?

That you're in charge here? That nobody else has a voice?

That nobody can disagree with you?

Got it.

But as a mother, I do have a voice, and as long as he is here, your daughter won't be.

Sarah...

♪

I forgot his bag.

♪

What made you change your mind? Uh, my daughter wanted to stay with her grandparents, so, um...

I found myself with a free night.

'Cause I'm free.

To do whatever I want.

Hm.

Yes, you are.

Cheers.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Here we go.

Uh...

Mm.

You need a minute alone with the...

Oh, I'm sorry. - Yellowtail?

You were telling me about Kentucky.

That's where I grew up.

Heart of the Bible Belt.

Uh, Cuban mom, devout Catholic, Southern Methodist dad.

There was a sign across the street from my elementary school.

"Go to church, or the Devil will find you."

♪ Did he find you?

Yeah. Kind of.

I was a real f*ck-up in high school.

Anyway, do you want some more?

Uh, please.

My parents wanted me to be a priest, so...

I went to seminary.

Really? - Mm-hm. I know.

The thing is, the more that I learned, the more it kind of... just collapsed in on itself.

I don't know. That's what happens when you look too deep at this stuff, you know?

No.

Actually, I've been...

I have been going a bit back, and the further I go, the more I find... pure.

Mm? - Fulfilling.

Really? Like what?

Uh, just... rituals and practices, ways to reach a higher state of being.

Ah, yes, the elusive

"higher state of being," whatever the f*ck that means.

Well, obviously, you've never been there.

So tell me, then: how do I get there?

Never mind. - I mean it.

How do I get there?

I recently came across something that Steve used to use in the early days of the religion.

Something that was written out that he referred to as the

"Hypoxian Cleanse."

Hypoxian Cleanse. Where he'd bind himself.

And take his breath.

Autoerotic asphyxiation.

No, it was punishment.

♪ But it was quite transcendent.

♪ You've tried it?

No.

So...

What else have you not tried recently?

Nothing.

Okay. - Why?

I... just... I'm curious.

Listen, if the Hypoxian Cleanse is in there, who knows what else there is?

This is awesome!

See? 20 minutes outside the city, different world. You were right.

You actually were right. Mm-hm.

This is so beautiful.

I have never seen this much sky.

Like, ever.

Hey, what's up?

This is where you're from, huh?

Uh... My house is just down the street, uh, but yeah.

Yeah. - No wonder.

No wonder what?

I wanna sing.

Hey.

I wanna sing. - Okay.

We should start a Musa-Meyerist band.

No, no. - Yes, yes!

Dee plays the drums! Come on! That's a terrible idea.

♪ From the top of Huayna Picchu ♪

♪ I grate my...

♪ The people in this world that ♪

♪ He promised to be mine What do you want?

Hey.

Logan, right?

I'm, uh, I'm Hawk.

Eddie's son.

Welcome.

Can you guys keep it down a little bit?

You're right outside my room.

Yes, of course. Sorry.

Sorry about that.

Seriously? - Joy, shut up.

No. He's a n*zi, and he's gonna get mad at us for singing?

He is not a n*zi.

What's the deal with your tattoo, then?

Nothing. It doesn't mean anything.

Well, it's not nothing, right? Last time I checked, it was a symbol of hatred.

Whatever you say. Jesus.

Like the opposite of everything we stand for.

All right. Okay. Okay.

Just leave him alone. Yeah?

Look, I'll make sure they stay quiet.

Why don't you just go back to your dorm?

But I wasn't doing anything... I know, but they're... they're drunk, they're being idiots, I'll talk to my dad tomorrow.

Hawk Lane, foot soldier, reporting for duty.

I didn't do anything wrong.

Yeah, except he's a f*cking r*cist!

I didn't do anything!

Good? You okay? - I'm fine.

He's not worth it.

Never were, were you?

Hey!

Hey, oh my god!

Hey, hey, hey!

Get off of him!

Hey, hey, come on! - Stop it!

Argh!

Get the f*ck off of him!

Hey, stop!

Are you okay?

♪

You okay?

Yep.

Look, Hawk, I never meant for any of this to happen, all right?

Especially to you.

I'm not supposed to matter more than anyone else.

Dad, don't...

Don't do this just because of me.

It's not just because of you, Hawk.

All right? This is his one f*cking chance.

♪ It's that one.

♪

Do you want me to go in with you?

♪ Look, I'm sorry that this happened.

♪ I told you.

♪ Logan, look.

You can be loved.

You can.

You have it in you.

♪

Sarah!

Sweetie, can you bring us the other bag of peas?

Sarah?

♪

You should call a plumber.

We don't call people for help.

We fix things ourselves.

I taught you how to change a tire, I taught you how to fix the sink.

The way people waste money in this country...

I can't get it to work!

Try again.

This is a waste of time.

You have a super. You have people to do things for you. I can't come running to you every time you have a paper cut.

It's not my job.

Nobody does anything right anymore.

You saw Bridgeport. They'll never finish in time, and it's their own fault.

I told them, the martyrdom is coming.

Sooner than expected.

Just try it again.

It's fixed.

See? We don't need help.

Does he have to die?

Yes.

Eddie has to die so we can live.

♪ What you said to Harold... Yeah.

You called me your wife.

Right. Um... Well...

That's how I think about you.

Where are we going?

New York.

Back to the compound?

It's mine.

They owe me.

Steve owes me.

So... - So I'm taking it back.

'Cause I earned it.

Shh. It's okay.

Yeah?

Hello?

Hello...

♪