03x10 - The Strongest Souls

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "The Path"...

Sarah and I've decided that she will no longer be a part of The Movement.

I talked to your Dad about it, and we're in agreement.

I will not let you not leave The Movement.

It's conversion therapy.

This cannot be the only way.

I'm sorry, man.

I want to take the ODE. That test is outdated.

You don't know the things I've done, and the people I come from.

There's a tree, and there's a boy.

He's chasing me, and has a head of sandy hair.

And then my father calls for me to come inside.

And it's over.

You are full of light.

Does he have to die?

Yes. Eddie has to die so we can live.

I never saw a Garden.

I can show you what I saw.

♪

♪

Easy. Easy. The enucleation went well.

You're gonna be fine... I saw it.

The end... and finally I know.

I know how it's going to happen.

Are you sure? You've been heavily sedated.

I know The Light's message.

It is coming.

Any questions?

You know my people can read, right?

But you will find most won't. Or don't.

Frankly, I'm surprised that you even did.

Well, I care about them.

I have no interest in challenging that assertion, Mr. Lane.

Well, it's important to me that you know it.

Okay. - Look, I hired you to make sure that we don't get hit with bogus lawsuits, but this basically says that you have to sign your life away to walk through the door.

You are a growing corporate entity which means... - No. No.

We are a group of people that are coming together to seek a better life...

Fine. A growing, faith-based, corporate entity then.

These people.

My people.

They trust me with their spiritual well-being, their families, their best interests.

This document does not service those interests.

You hired us to keep you protected.

This keeps you protected.

Well, at the very least, I think we can remove clauses 15 through 21, 23...

Do you want to know how the Scientologists avoid scandal every other week?

Better lawyers.

Or the ever regenerating Catholic Church?

Better lawyers.

Have your people sign it or don't, but this is why you hired me.

We're the better lawyers.

My next appointment is waiting.

The world is full of crap.

Crap you buy, crap you eat, crap you breathe.

We're gonna release all that.

All that toxic Damage... let it out!

Now hold it. Hold it!

Breathe out. Light-headed, dizzy.

Making yourself completely empty for one last refreshing breath in.

Gather it, good, pure, clean air.

And... Yeah.

Hey.

Mind if I walk with you? - Sure.

Vera. Vera Asan.

Stephens. Right, right, right.

What's going on?

Follow me. - Why?

Did something happen?

No, no, no.

Just I have something to show you.

Recognize it?

Yeah, you were running.

Being chased.

Laughing like you rarely laughed.

Around a tree.

The only tree in an open field.

And, uh, the light came through the leaves making a kaleidoscope of patterns.

Here... that was here?

I didn't know where it was.

I didn't even know if it was real.

Most of my early childhood is just a blank.

Yeah.

But there was a boy, boy with sandy hair chasing you.

Boy who rarely laughed.

You.

Then your father... - Vera!

Called for you to come inside.

Steve is your father.

Who are you?

Steve's daughter.

Why are you here?

I was here the same reason you are.

Dad.

Are you gonna tell him?

It's a door.

Eddie walks through it, he starts to know who Steve is, questions are asked, and maybe they come round to me, what happened with Steve.

Eddie will end this.

The Movement.

And it's going so well.

For me. For Mary.

It can't end, not yet.

No.

No... yes, you're right.

I don't want it to end either.

I should go.

But Vera.

I have so many questions.

Who's your mother?

Is she here?

She d*ed.

A long time ago.

♪

I have a daughter.

Where is she?

We had a falling out. She doesn't speak to me.

I'm sorry. What happened?

It's none of my business. You must be exhausted.

I wasn't the easiest mother.

I'm sure my kids feel the same.

Thank you for coming to get me.

I deeply appreciate it.

It's selfish on my part. I still have questions.

Go on. What I saw during the ritual.

The...

The black rain, the darkness, the despair, is that where we're headed?

It is.

Steve told us about The Future, but seeing it...

I'd like to show you something else.

You're preparing...

For life after the end.

Yes. For those who know The Truth.

How many are there? - Enough.

All over the world.

And the weapons?

In case we need to protect ourselves.

What happens to everybody else? Those who... aren't ready to believe?

They die.

Who'd want to survive? Outlive everybody they love?

It's a difficult choice...

Shouldn't you be telling more people?

Everyone knows that the Earth is a ticking time b*mb.

We're lucky if there's a handful of centuries before the ice caps melt or the asteroids strike.

That's if the next world w*r doesn't get us first.

And many choose to turn their backs on The Truth.

When the fire comes, those despicable forces that sicken and darken the thoughts of the men of our planet will be consumed.

And the new world will be one we wish our children would be born into.

It's a world without pain or suffering, without w*r, without fear... That's what happens next.

That's the choice all of your followers make.

Yes. There may not be a Garden of eternity in the sky, but there will be one here, on Earth, and we will build it.

Read it and then sign here that you're cool.

It's a liability thing, everyone has to sign it.

It's just like the thing you sign when you go to a new yoga or pilates studio.

Oh, okay.

Wait, this is like 25 pages of stuff you have to sign away.

Anything we write "in the building or on the compound, is property of The Meyerist Movement?"

Eddie wouldn't ask us to sign something like that.

Would he?

Hey. What's going on?

Thank you for meeting me. I know this isn't ideal.

I don't understand what couldn't have waited until later.

I found her.

I found Lilith.

Sarah. What are you doing?

You're not even a Meyerist anymore.

But I... I am in a way.

Of The Movement, before Steve went and changed and modernized things.

Look, is that what you're doing here? Huh?

Tell me that I'm not doing things right?

You made that pretty clear in France.

No, I'm here to ask you to see her, to talk with her.

I've grown to believe that she is our earliest and deepest roots.

Okay. Look, if she wants to meet with me, the door to my office is always open.

No, she won't. She's scared.

Steve threatened her.

Okay. No.

Okay, I'm not doing this.

Okay, Steve would never thr*aten anyone.

Look, I'm just asking you to sit down with her and talk with her.

She has a different story of the beginning.

And the end.

And you believe her?

I don't know. Yes.

Enough to want to hear more.

To know more.

Well I know what I need to know.

You chose to leave.

You shouldn't even be here.

This is a place for believers.

Our only doctrine is to love your neighbor like you love yourself.

For many of you folks, that is... a lot.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither sl*ve nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28.

Let us keep this in our hearts as we approach our fellow man.

Welcome home.

Peace.

Thank you.

I haven't seen you here before.

It's my first time.

Well, welcome.

It's always good to see a fresh face.

I'm on the new members committee.

Can I ask you what brought you to Unity Church today?

Google. - Okay. Cool.

I'm curious. What terms did you put in your search?

Um, Christian.

Gay. Accepting.

Loud and clear.

We resemble all of those.

I think you'll like it here. Oh, it's not for me.

I know how that sounds, "It's for a friend," but in this case it is.

He's a Christian, and he's been struggling, trying to find a place where he can belong, and...

I think if I don't find him one then...

I might lose him, so...

Sorry.

You know, my whole childhood I went to a church that preached the gospel of sin and punishment.

And I thought, when I grow up I'm gonna find a way to preach what I see in the Bible, create a sacred space for those who want God and Jesus but don't want the whole burning in hell for all eternity thing.

And hey, we've got donuts.

So... would you like a donut?

Uh, no, no. I mean I should probably...

Go. - Hey, you know, I know that God is love.

And God sees his reflection in us when we truly love ourselves.

Authentically.

Don't let anybody tell you or your friend any different.

Thank you.

I want to thank you, Cal.

We managed to avoid paying out millions of dollars in that lawsuit and hopefully made ourselves less vulnerable for the future.

Well, I wish I could say I was responsible.

Well, you know, I couldn't have done it without your support. And Vera's Rolodex.

Rolodex?

What? Isn't that what you called it in the olden days?

No, you're absolutely right. You know what?

To Vera's Rolodex.

Thank you. - But I told Eddie that you only want to use a lawyer like that as last resort.

Don't want to get into the habit of making bad choices just because you can get out of it.

I heard Sarah stopped by today.

Sarah was at the center?

What's the gossip? Heated showdown.

What did she want?

There's this woman, Lilith, that, uh, you know the person that I asked you to help me find, well...

Sarah found her and she wants me to sit down with her.

Who is she?

Sarah believes that she wrote The Ladder with Steve.

Whoa. That's a big claim.

Do you know anything about her?

No. No, I don't remember a Lilith.

Are you... are you going to meet her?

I don't know. Why wouldn't you?

Now, that's exactly what Sarah said.

Right.

Honestly, I don't know if I'm not meeting with her because I'm just so pissed at Sarah, or it's because it's just so outlandish.

Sure, but I mean, aren't you interested?

Well, the more The Movement grows, the more crazy people are gonna come out of the woodwork and with these kind of stories too.

I think you should shut it down.

Look, you don't have to do this.

Here, I'll help. I'll help.

Can you bring more vino, please?

Thank you, you guys.

I was hoping we could talk more.

I don't think it's a good idea.

Here.

Maybe we can help each other.

I don't want to remember anything.

Why? Why? Did... Did Steve...

No.

No.

But you didn't remember the tree so how can you be sure?

Well, I think I would remember something like that.

I didn't.

It's just, um...

There's so much that I've lost.

Steve had a place with painted flowers... Does that sound familiar?

I can't talk about this.

Neither can you.

But if you really want to keep this whole damn thing from falling apart, don't let him meet Lilith.

♪ Wait, wait, stop right there.

She's saying that she wrote The Ladder in 1973, but he didn't have the visions till '74.

You guys still talking about this?

Yeah.

Yeah, but that changes everything.

I mean, you have to meet with her.

What if he ripped the whole thing off?

You know what? f*ck that.

Look, the past is the past.

Do what you want, but what I admire about you, Eddie, is you look forward.

Maybe it's time to put Steve and... all the infighting and everyone who came with him behind us.

The generation that's coming to The Movement is coming for you.

This is not Sarah's Movement, or Steven Meyer's anymore.

It's yours.

Cal.

Cal.

Forest was fussing.

What was that about last night at dinner?

Huh, what? - With Eddie.

About saying that you think he's the future.

Um... I was just buttering him up.

It's what he wanted to hear.

Well, it sounded like you meant it.

Like you believed in him.

No, I was trying to get you to stop talking about Lilith.

There's stuff that you don't know.

The last thing we need is for Eddie to find out that Steve isn't who he thinks he is.

We need this to keep going, at least a little while longer.

What do you know about Lilith?

I don't. But if... I'm being cautious.

What are you writing? Oh, nothing, just, uh, doing an exercise. What kind of exercise?

Um...

Have you ever found yourself remembering things that you've blocked out?

It's awful.

Well, I've been researching how the brain works, and did you know that almost every memory you've ever had in your whole life is available to you.

It's just a matter of learning to access it.

And, you know, there are techniques.

Projected drawing, recognition and recall, some people recommend light therapy.

I think that if the brain has forgotten something, then it's probably for a good reason.

Maybe we should go to therapy.

And what? Some 4R straps us to the Meyer Machine...

Not... not Meyerist therapy. Real therapy.

For real couples in the real world.

We don't believe in that.

Are we Meyerists?

Or not? Because, you know, I'm having trouble keeping up.

What are you doing here? This isn't a good idea.

Is it a family celebration?

Kind of. Yeah.

It's a going away party, isn't it?

Please, Hawk.

Please, I... Look, I promise that I'll call you later.

I'm not... I'm not trying to get you in trouble.

Honestly, I'm not.

I just want you to reconsider this, going away.

What if there's another way? There isn't.

I told you there is no other way.

Look, my whole family is here supporting me on this.

You can't just, like, come in and expect...

I found a place. Okay? I found this place.

It's a Christian church where you can have your faith and you can be yourself, your true self.

Excuse me. Young man.

Pastor Billy.

I don't believe we've had the pleasure.

I know you know who I am already.

Skip the niceties, then.

What are you doing on my property?

I want you to reconsider sending Caleb to some therapy that's illegal and completely wrong.

I respect your religion, I...

Caleb, are we sending you away?

Or are you making a choice?

For the good of your family and your soul?

I'm making a choice.

Why?

Why would you choose a religion that would never choose you to begin with.

That makes no sense when you can have all of it...

Young man, I don't need... I'm not talking to you!

I'm talking to your son.

It's not just about the religion, Hawk.

It's about my family.

It's everything. I will lose everything.

You shouldn't have come here.

Look, just try it, okay?

It's on Thursday nights. Unity Church.

All are welcome, all are loved for who you are, not for who he wants you to be.

I'll be there.

He will not be joining you.

Because Caleb has decided to follow the path of righteousness, through Christian therapy.

Your son has a beautiful soul, and you will never see it!

You're the one that's going to Hell, not him.

Are you okay, babe?

Need some help?

It's my dad, I got it.

Should we begin?

Hey, Hank, just, um, I want you to know that we miss you a ton down here.

That's not how it goes.

Look, I know how it goes, okay?

I'm just getting started. We've been doing this for 40 years. You don't just make it up as you go along... Honestly, Russel?

This is the first time I'm doing the Transmutation, okay? And it's for someone I loved deeply.

Okay? It's emotional. Love deeply.

He's right here.

If you have a problem with the way I'm doing things...

The Light asks us to do what's right, not what's easy.

Here.

We thank The Light for the gift of this Transmutation.

On this day your body unites with your soul in The Garden, and this tree replaces your earthly form.

We thank The Light for showing you the path to The Garden where we will be reunited in ultimate and everlasting joy.

See you soon, my love.

Hey, Hank.

I'm sure you're keeping things lively up in The Garden.

I'll see you up there.

We all will.

See you, Dad.

Sorry for...

It's just so hard here without you.

You were a father to me when my own disowned me.

I miss you.

Be well, Hank.

We are thankful for this living organism that will provide food and shelter until the end.

We thank you for your earthly sacrifice so that those who remain may continue to do our work on Earth.

As you bled for us, we will bleed for you.

Sarah, what the f*ck are you doing?

Hey, what the... Jesus.

It's a ritual from Lilith's book.

I'm trying it.

I can see how conflicted you are.

It's hard leading The Movement.

I know 'cause I did it, and it made me blind to so much.

I also know you want to do it right, so I am begging you to see where we came from, to meet Lilith.

Vera. - Mom.

What... what happened?

I had it... I had to have it removed.

Are you okay?

They say I can have it replaced with a glass one.

They're so well made now that it's almost impossible to tell the difference.

And the cancer?

I'll have a follow-up MRI, make sure it's all gone.

I hope so.

I hope it's over.

Thank you. Me too.

So...

I hear you befriended Sarah Lane.

She wanted to hear the message.

And you told her?

Yes. - Everything?

Not everything.

So she doesn't know that Eddie dies?

I've missed you so... Mm-mm, no, Mom.

No, I'm not here for that. For you.

I've become a Meyerist.

And I'm doing my 1R now.

Is this because of the burn on your back?

I told you that I... Yeah, you were sick.

They made you sick. I know.

You're my daughter.

I wanted you to know the truth.

To see it for yourself, Vera... I was six!

I didn't ask to know anything. Everything I did it's been to guide you, to love you, keep you safe.

You scarred me, and you left me at the compound with my father.

And if I could take that away, believe me...

He was good to me.

I remember things.

He wouldn't have had anything to do with you if I had been in the picture.

What is this? Did you wish that I had let you live him?

I don't want to talk about the past anymore.

I don't care about the past.

In fact, I want to move forward, okay?

So if you really care about me like the way you keep saying you do, then just let this whole thing with Sarah go.

I can't control what other people want.

Of course you can!

We both know you can.

Now if Eddie comes to you, you turn him away.

You and Eddie.

He's gonna die soon.

I saw it.

The end. It is upon us.

I don't want to listen to your poison anymore.

I saw it. - I don't care!

I don't care what you think you saw.

I don't care what you think about me, about Eddie, about us.

He doesn't even know who you are.

You can't keep that hidden forever.

'Cause you're gonna tell Sarah everything, right?

Because he is a smart man, and he deserves to know.

And if he finds out on his own, he will despise you for lying to him.

You will despise yourself.

The only thing that might save you is if the end comes first...

And if it does, so what?

I'll be in The Garden. With Eddie.

When he does come, and he will, the fact that you're my daughter will be the least of his problems.

When he finds out what he's selling, and for whom, the end has already begun.

♪

I read the contract, the one Russel was upset about.

Yes, okay, have a seat.

I can't begin to understand what it is to be you or Steve, someone who has to lead the way, but I do understand this faith in my bones.

"Anyone who says anything disparaging about The Movement

"can be removed at any time, "and their personal property may be withheld for as long as The GOL deems necessary?"

This is not what I believe in.

I know that this seems extreme, okay?

But with a growing Movement, these measures are necessary.

I have been so up in arms about Sarah's behavior I haven't been listening to a word she's been saying.

Maybe she's right.

Maybe things are headed in the wrong direction.

We're losing ourselves. No, Gaby.

This is progress.

Okay? I know that change can be hard.

You call it progress, I call it loss.

All I know is Hank, my husband, the guy you care about so much?

He would never have signed this. And neither will I.

Gaby, can we...

I need you to know I don't believe in any of this.

Freudian analysis, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, EMDR, they don't work.

Have you ever experience any of those types of therapies?

No, but I've done a great deal of study, and I'm not interested. I don't want to be "shrunk."

What are you hoping to accomplish in our work together?

Right. I'm realizing that I've forgotten... blocked out a lot of my life.

So I thought you could help me with that.

But this is not... I'm not interested in a long-term relationship.

I want the tools, and then I'm capable of doing it on my own.

My wife doesn't know I'm here.

I won't be able to come often.

Is there a reason you didn't share this with your wife?

No, she's actually not my wife.

She's the mother of my son. How old is your son?

He's 13 months, but he's not... we don't need to talk about him here.

Um... my partner, I do love her.

It's complicated.

She's annoyed with me because we work together and we were planning to branch out on our own.

May I ask what you do?

We're in the personal coaching business.

We work for a well-established organization.

And you were planning to branch out on your own, but...?

Now I think I belong where I am.

You know, I've had some recent news.

Um, the thing I remembered about the past.

And Mary... I haven't told her what I remembered.

Would you like to tell me?

Yeah, I have a sister.

Who I didn't know about.

But actually I realize I did know about her.

And she's not really a sister, not by blood.

It just feels as if she is because the man who adopted me was her biological father.

Sorry. Are you writing this down?

I'd very much prefer you didn't.

It's just for me.

But if you feel strongly, I don't have to.

So are you familiar with any projective techniques?

Say in drawing, to unlock the unconscious?

If you feel that would be of value.

Well, the point is...

The point is please just tell me if you can help me or not.

Because if you can't, let's not waste our time.

We can work together.

But there isn't a quick fix.

Delving into your past takes hard work, and it can be painful. I'm prepared for that.

So how do I... how do I do it?

How do I remember what I've forgotten?

We can talk about your past, and your sister, your current job, Mary, whatever else you like.

But I think it might help us to explore why you blocked so much of your history.

Any idea? - Um...

You okay?

You didn't make it to Grandpa's Transmutation.

I went to Caleb's house. I thought I could be an adult.

But I just... I completely lost my sh*t, and...

How can... how can someone who preaches love as the answer to everything be so hateful?

Are you sure you want to talk to the pariah about this?

The pariah is the only person I want to talk to about this.

I found this place called Unity Church, and I just think if he saw it, he would see that he could have his beliefs and just live his life.

So what about you? Are you a Meyerist?

In some ways...

No. And in some ways... more than I ever was.

That makes no sense.

I know.

I owe you an apology.

What Caleb's dad is doing to him is what I did with you, didn't I?

With Ashley.

I wish somebody would have told me when I was younger that you didn't have to be one way or the other.

I know.

I mean, I didn't expect myself to fall in love with...

Someone like Caleb.

So you're already one step ahead.

I just hope he gives it a sh*t.

Unity.

It's a really special place, and...

I want him to know...

That he's perfect the way he is.

♪ You think he'll show up?

I really hope so.

Hey.

How was your day?

Yeah. It was good.

You okay?

Lilith's diary.

Yeah.

It doesn't make any sense.

You know, Sarah was right.

There is a relationship in here.

It was deep and intense.

It started in '73.

And then Steve wrote a little later about heartbreak.

"I have to let her go, "even though it means letting go of the child forever, I turn my prayers to the son."

I don't know.

All of this, it's... It's my fault.

What? Hey.

What are you talking about?

If I never told her that Sarah was looking for her and if Sarah had never found her, she'd be out of our lives.

Eddie.

Lilith is my mother.

Wha... what?

She's my mother.

She's also very sick and obsessed.

She's why Steve had to let her go.

♪

"I have to let her go, even though it means letting go of the child."

She was convinced my father stole her dreams.

Wait, wait. Your father?

Wait.

You're telling me that Steve is your father?

I didn't know much about my childhood except what she told me until I came here.

Why did you come here?

I didn't mean to lie to you.

Just help me understand.

What I feel for you... - Stop!

Just help me understand.

What the hell are you doing here?

Who the f*ck are you?

Answer me.

My... my mother Lilith, she sent me here to help destroy what Steve stole from her.

No. No, no, no, no, no.

No, that doesn't make any sense.

You helped me. You helped us grow!

Meyerism is bigger, stronger than ever.

The higher Meyerism climbs, the greater the fall.

Oh, you've got to be f*cking kidding me.

Eddie, you have to understand, my entire life she told me how evil Steve was.

Evil?

She... she told me that over and over again.

How Steve's bastardized religion would bring about the end of the world.

It's all I ever knew and I ever heard until I came here and...

And? What?

That woman, my... she's f*cking crazy.

She b*rned me, she scarred me, and she told me things, things that I believed until I came here and I met you.

Why are you telling me all of this now?

Why now?

♪ Oh...

Because I'm... I'm going to meet her.

And then she's going to tell me everything.

That's why.

Because... Because I want you to know me.

No one ever has.

And...

To beg you to please not see her.

She will ruin you.

Cal was right. Just look forward to the future.

I'm telling you this because I know it.

And because...

And just do with me whatever you want.

Please don't see her.

What's going on here?

All the memories are in there.

In the cave with the painted flowers.

I just need to find it.

♪ Wade in the water ♪ In the water

♪ Wade in the water, children ♪

♪ Wade in the water

♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪

♪ Wade in the water - ♪ In the water

♪ Wade in the water

♪ Wade in the water ♪ Wade in the water

♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪

♪ Oh, wade in the water

♪ Wade in the water ♪ Wade in the water

♪ Wade in the water

♪ Children wade in the water ♪

♪

♪ Take your things and file away ♪

♪ Cannot follow something I can't see ♪ Eddie.

Hey. Where is she?

I just tried calling her. She's not picking up.

She came out of surgery, and I'm...

I'm worried something's happened.

Look, tell her I want to talk to her immediately.

Thank you, Eddie.

I'm not doing this for you.

I'm doing this for me.

Whenever she can, I will come to her.

♪ Hopes are falling slowly to my chin ♪

♪ And now ♪ I open up my eyes

♪ The dream is changing and I'm not surprised ♪