02x09 - White Rock

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Better Things". Aired September 2016 - current.*
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"Better Things" revolves around a divorced actress who raises her three daughters by herself.
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02x09 - White Rock

Post by bunniefuu »

(CRYING)

Dude, stop crying.

SAM: What's wrong?

What happened?

This is fake. She's faking.

She started when she
heard your car pull up.

Duke, tell Mommy why you're crying.

Mom, I need to talk to you.

Duke, stop crying or I'm gonna
b*at the sh*t out of you.

- Frankie!
- MAX: Mom!

- What?
- Harvey got Paisley pregnant.

What?

She thinks she's pregnant

and she had sex with Harvey.

- Ew.
- Mom!

Harvey. Bleah.

♪ Mother, ♪

♪ You had me ♪

♪ But I never had you ♪

♪♪

♪ I wanted you ♪

♪ You didn't want me. ♪

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello?

Oh, Sam.

- Hello.
- WOMAN: Who is it?

It's Sam.

Hmm?

Yes.

All welcome.

Lovely.

Anytime.

Bye, sweetheart.

Bye.

(SQUAWKING)

Can anyone carry anything?

I mean, I can. Technically.

Max? Max, you suck.

Ha.

Mom, I'll help you.

No, baby. You stay. Fun ride.

Yeah, Duke, when Mom
says "Can anyone help,"

she never means you.

That's right, Frankie. I don't.

Ooh, totems. Canada.

- Hello.
- Hi, Uncle Lester.

- Hi.
- Hello.

- DUKE: Hi, Aunt Jarita.
- Hello.

- Hi.
- Ah.

- Hello.
- Hello. Mmm.

Good to see you.

- Come on in.
- Thank you.

Oh.

- I'm gonna cry.
- Oh, no. Don't be daft.

Oh, come on.

So good to have you here.

Oh, wait, wait, wait.

Can this really be Frankie?

(CHUCKLES) I'm me, yeah.

- Oh, you, look at you.
- (GRUNTS)

- SAM: Isn't she tall?
- Yes. (LAUGHS)

- Max. Headphones.
- Mom.

No, no, no, let her have her music.

- That's rude.
- Come... come on, darling.

- Rude.
- Come on.

MAX: I'm sorry about the
headphones. I'll take 'em off.

Oh, no, don't, darling.
That's your music.

Listen, I grew up in Liverpool,

and we used to go see The
Beatles twice a week.

- Seriously?
- Yes. I even had

a little snog with John,

which is none of your business.

Anyway, I used to put on my records,

shut my bedroom door against my mother,

and if I could have had 'em
'round my head like yourself,

I would have. So good on you.

Thanks.

Listen, you stay here.

I'll fetch you up your supper.

No need to come down.

Have your own time.

Ta-ra, darling.

Wait, what happened with John Lennon?

You made all these chairs?

Aye. And the table.

And the roof above your head and
the floor beneath your feet.

- You made all of it?
- Aye.

- I want to learn to do that.
- Well,

come move up here and be my apprentice.

Yes, I would do that in a second.

Well... (SOFT CHUCKLE)

...you, uh, you can't have an apprentice

unless you can do it yourself.

My hands won't let me, Frankie.

That's how life goes.

You build it.

And you grow old.

And you die in it.

(LAUGHS)

Frankie.

How's Jarita's health?

She's all right.

Last year was tough.

- This has been a good one.
- That's good.

- She looks great.
- Mm-hmm.

You look... all right.

How's your mum?

Um... she's okay.

Couldn't she come with you?

She, uh...

Um...

I didn't tell her I was coming, Lester.

I just...

didn't tell her.

(LAUGHING)

You didn't tell her.

(LAUGHS)

That's marvelous.

Oh, Sam.

Had I ever the courage not
to tell Phil anything.

Oh, it would have saved
me a lot of pain.

(SIGHS) Yeah.

Yeah.

But promise me to put my
sister on a plane here

before the year is out.

Okay, I-I promise.

No, no... promise me, Sam.

Send her up to see me.

Just her. I can handle her.

But promise me.

I do, Lester.

I-I promise.

I do.

Cool.

♪♪

♪ Why ♪
♪ Why, why, why ♪

Oh! Get over here,

you little piece of sh*t!

(LAUGHING)

♪ Why, why, why, why ♪

♪ Do ♪

♪ We stay... ♪

Frankie.

Hey.

Oh!

I wish I could live on that beach.

Sad Lady Beach.

What? Sand Lady?

Sad Lady Beach. Sad.

Why do they call it that?

The story is that back in the s,

there was a lady that
went to that beach,

she looked out at the
water for a long while...

then she walked right
in front of the train,

k*lling herself to death.

- Oh, my God.
- Jesus, is that real?

They named the beach after her.

The train cut her right in two.

- LESTER: Oh, shut up, Jarita.
- SAM: No, I want to hear

about Sad Lady. Why did she do it?

No one knows.

No one knew her name.

No one knew where she came from.

- Wow.
- That's crazy.

I should say so.

Aunt Jarita knew John Lennon.

What?!

Serious?

Well, a little.

I think everyone in Liverpool
knew a Beatle back then.

What was Liverpool like?

Well, it was a miserable,

gray place.

- And it was loads of fun for kids.
- (LAUGHS)

You know, I remember one day we
all were taken out on a trip.

It was me, your gran, Phyllis,

my late brother Donal

and Marion. And we were taken...

Wait, who's Marion?

Marion. My sister Marion.

What sister Marion?

My sister Marion, dear.

There was me, your mum,

Donal, and Marion, the youngest.

I don't understand, Lester.

My mom had you and her other brother.

No, darling. There was Marion.

We were four. Two girls, two boys.

Until Donal d*ed.

- Lester, Lester.
- I don't understand.

Oh. Oh, Christ.

Uh... did I just sh**t
the Pope at supper?

Sam.

Your mum and I have a sister.

Where?

Well, when she was , they put...

Well, she was...

mentally unstable,

as they say.

You know.

No, I don't.

Anyway, I haven't heard anything
about her since they...

put her there.

(SAM SIGHS)

What's going on?

Your mum

has an Auntie Marion that
she never knew about

because her mum didn't tell her.

She lived her whole adult life

in a mental institution.

- LESTER: Jarita.
- Well, we better tell them.

Phyllis never told her,

and look at her now.
g*dd*mn family secrets.

They're poison.

Let them have it.

Mommy.

(SAM SIGHS)

JARITA: She'll be all right in a minute.

Eat up.

- Don't let it get cold.
- LESTER: Come on.

Eat up.

Now you've done it.

♪ All this niceness ♪

♪ It's a half-life ♪

♪ Let me see it ♪

Hi.

Frankie. I'm so mad.

I'm mad at my mom.

Why?

Because I just found out I have an aunt

who I never even knew existed,

who's probably if she's even alive.

So?

Guess what.

I have an uncle, your brother Marion?

Yeah, I never see him.

I never see my cousin Dormin.

Families fall apart, Mom.

It's what happens.

How often do I even see my own dad, Mom?

How do you think that makes me feel?

Frankie, your father is...

I don't care, Mom.

Yeah, I get it. I mean, I'm just saying.

Family's just kind of bullshit.

Everybody ends up alone, anyway.

You know as well as I do

that there's plenty of families

where the parents stayed together

and everyone's miserable.

Yeah, well, you guys didn't
and we're all miserable.

Is that how you feel?

You think we're all miserable?

Not all the time, Mom.

Don't make a thing out of it.
It's all fine.

I'm just saying, if you're
gonna get mad at your mom,

it leads to this.

So just chill.

♪ It's a half-life. ♪

MAX: Mom.

No offense,

but it's kind of your fault that
Harvey's sleeping with Paisley.

'Cause you don't let
him sleep in my room,

and Paisley's mom lets him.

(SIGHS)

- Hi.
- (WHISPERING): Hi.

(WHISPERING): Oh, I'm sorry.

(WHISPERING): It's okay.

Come on in.

Um...

Now...

This is everything I could find.

There's your mum.

And here's Marion and Da.

She's about...

five there.

And Marion,

she's in this picture.

And, uh, this is the name

and the number of the place.

Now, I don't expect the
number will work now,

but it's something to go on.

Yeah. I...

I guess I could Google it.

Oh, I'm sorry, Sam.

I just thought your mum
might have told you.

Hmm.

Do you...

ever think about her?

(SIGHS)

You never met your
grandparents, did you?

No.

- They d*ed so young.
- Aye, they did.

(SIGHS)

After Donal d*ed,

we never said his name again.

And when Marion

couldn't be managed any longer,

they sent her away.

And then your mum married a Jewish man,

and she was shut out.

I suppose I got used to it.

I'll, uh, I'll leave this here.

See you in the morning.

You sleep well, okay?

(SIGHS)

(SIGHS)

Why do we have to go
to an effing museum?

Because

you should learn about
the places you visit.

And also, when you visit older people,

it's nice to give them a break
the day after you arrive.

Because we're a lot.

I was just transferred to you.
Do you know about the thing?

Or do I have to...

Okay. I would like to be
able to call England,

but my phone says I don't
have international calling,

but I'm in Canada,

and my phone's American.

Yes. I would like you

to be able to help me,

please, let my phone call England.

No, no, no. Not from home, from here.

Unless you want me to
give you the number

of the place and you
can call and find out

if my crazy auntie is dead or not,
and then let me know.

No?

Now, these artifacts

are great examples of household items

that were used amongst the
different coastal tribes.

Here we have a totem pole.
(TRADITIONAL AMERICAN MUSIC PLAYS)

Now, totem poles

are used for different things,

but mostly to mark homes,

to let you know which
family lived in what house,

and their family stories.

This family here represents

the chief of the seas,

which means wealth and prosperity.

Which means this was a very

wealthy house to visit.

You took this from my people.

All of this belongs to my family!

That chair belonged to my grandmother.

DOCENT: This particular mask...

Our grandmothers are vanishing.

This is our legacy.

DOCENT: Let's move on, shall we?

(SINGING CONTINUES)

SAM: Duke. Come on. We're leaving.

LESTER: The trick is,

put the net where he wants to go.

They're too clever to be caught.

The only way to catch them
is to tell their future.

Now, you see him?

Wait, wait. Wait, wait.

Now, there you go. There you go... Oh.

Oh, nearly, Frankie.

- Damn it. I had that one.
- (LAUGHS)

Come. Let's do it again.

♪ Last night ♪

♪ I stumbled onto heaven... ♪

Oh.

I just caught some very nice seaweed.

Ooh, we should keep that.

The worst part is seeing
all my friends get smarter.

I'm so stupid.

Oh, listen.

If there's one thing
stupid people are good at,

is recognizing other stupid people.

And take it from me,
you're not one of them.

I feel stupid.

That's because you're aware.

And you're starting to catch a glimpse

of what a big world you're
in and you feel small.

That's all right, you'll get used to it.

Yes. Do you see him?

There you go. There you go.

- Ooh. Oh, almost, Frankie.
- (PHONE BEEPS)

WOMAN: Mann Institute. Can I help you?

Hi. Yes. I'm calling...

(EXHALES)

I'm sorry.

I'm nervous. Whew.

I don't know why. Huh.

Um, I have an aunt, Marion Darby,

who was put in your place,

which was then called Rosewood,

back when she was ,

back, like, in the ' s,

by my grandparents.

(SIGHS) And I just found
out she even existed,

which I never knew.

I'm just trying to find her.

For what reason are you inquiring?

What are you after?

Look, uh, what's your name, please?

I'm Letty.

I'm Sam.


Listen, Letty. I don't want anything.

I just didn't know I had an aunt.

Huh. My mom didn't tell me.

I guess they just shut her away,
and put her there,

and left her there, and forgot her.

Honestly, I don't know why I'm calling.

I mean, I got three kids,
I work, I have a mom

who's a full-time job just
to listen to. (SIGHS)

I just, uh, I would like to know

if someone over there needs me.

Or something, I think.
I don't know, Letty.

Should I just hang up now?

Tell you what, love.
Call me back tomorrow,

and I'll have something
for you, all right?

Okay. Great.

Thank you so much, Letty.

What was it like?

He was a lousy kisser,

and he never stopped talking.

A real bore.

(LAUGHING): Oh, my God.

♪♪

Duke!

Come on over here.

That's enough with being on your own.

Okay, they go that way. Go, go, Frankie.

Yeah, you got him! You got him!

Well done. (LAUGHS)

Oh. Look, they've caught a fish.

Mom! I caught a f*cking fish!

Oh!

(LAUGHING): Frankie!

(LAUGHING): Supper!
Frankie caught supper.

Amazing.

Oh, my God.

FRANKIE: I touched it.

Oh, sh*t. That smells amazing.

Mmm.

I'm gonna eat it out of the pan.

Off it.

It's nothing now.

It needs another minutes at least.

No way! I'm gonna eat it right now.

Off. (GRUNTING)

- Oh. Those.
- Mm-hmm?

I've seen those... somewhere.

Right here.

Mm. "Colitiamite daisy."

They get the name from
the mineral in the soil,

which gives them that color.

Those were once all over the bay,

bushes of them growing wild.

But there are none left.

These are the last ones I ever saw.

(CHUCKLES): They've been dead
in that vase for two years.

Where did they all go?

Well...

the bees.

There are no more bees,
so the daisies go.

Once those turn to dust...

that'll be it.

♪♪

(SIGHS)

♪ Wheat fields ♪

- ♪ Begin to sway, and ♪
- (LINE RINGING)

♪ Slow tears falling... ♪

Letty speaking.

Hi, Letty. This is Sam from yesterday.

Hi, Sam.

Hi.

Sam, I want to apologize for
being cagey when you called.

Understand that people are
often left here for years,

and sometimes when distant
family comes sniffing around,

it's for bad reasons.

- You understand?
- Sure.

Sure.

- Well, I...
- Sam,

your Aunt Marion d*ed in .

Huh.

Hmm.

I was in high school.

I'm sorry, Sam.

(SIGHS)

Well, is there anything else
you can tell me about her?

I'm afraid I didn't know her,

and a lot of the staff that
were there then are gone now.

I asked this fellow who cleans here,

who's been here for ages,
but he couldn't recall her.

So, then...

everyone forgot her.

Well, you didn't, did you?

(SIGHS)

How can you forget
someone you never knew?

I'm sorry, Sam.

Would you like me to send
you her file folder?

No. No, you should keep it there.

Someone else might come looking for her.

Well, we are going digital,
so we're likely to throw it away.

- Okay, throw it away, then.
- But if you give me

your address, I can pop it in the post.

No. It's fine. Toss it.

And, um...

thanks, Letty.

Just... thank you very much.

All right, love.

♪♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey ♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey. ♪

There you go, sweetie.

MAX: Thanks.

Find anything out?

Yeah.

Your sister's dead.

Mom.

Well, I thought

everyone tells everybody
everything now. What?

Let him have it. Right, Jarita?

(CHUCKLING)

(SNICKERS)

LESTER (LAUGHING): Oh, Sam. Oh, Sam.

You're gonna give me another five years.

(JARITA LAUGHING)

You're a delight.

(LAUGHING)

Oh, my goodness, why am I laughing?

Oh, my God.

Thank God.

(LAUGHTER CONTINUES)

LESTER: Why am I laughing?

You have to.

Because you have to.

You have to.

(LAUGHTER CONTINUES)

- (LAUGHTER STOPS)
- Ah.

So, when did she die, Sam?

, apparently.

' ?

That's the year we moved here.

Aye.

Oh, my goodness, you don't suppose...

No, no, chut-chut-chut-chut-chut.

What?

When we first moved here,

Lester used to think he saw a ghost

now and again.

Perhaps it was old Marion haunting me.

- Maybe. Maybe.
- Mm-hmm.

Creepy.

Serves me right, I suppose.

SAM: Yes, Lester, serves you right.

Mom, can we please come
back here in the summer?

Really?

Yeah. I love it here.

- Oh, baby...
- Mom, don't.

Okay.

Do you guys have a living will
by any chance? No reason.

- My God, Mom.
- JARITA: Yes.

- You do?
- LESTER AND JARITA: Mm-hmm.

Do tell.

LESTER: You might have to wait...

- Tu-tu-tuy.
- JARITA: Tu-tu-tuy-tuy, indeed.

- Cheers.
- Cheers, cheers, everyone.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

Next time you come,
there will be a small charge.

(LAUGHTER)

♪♪

♪ Girl, you know it's fine... ♪

JARITA: Don't forget to write us.

Do you have e-mail?

No. I'm afraid you're
gonna have to learn

- to use a pencil.
- LESTER: Frankie.

Now...

These...

are the chairs.

I wanted to make a set,

so this is the only time
I made a blueprint.

Now, if you can teach
yourself to work with wood,

you can use these,

and you can make exactly the same chairs

as we have here.

It's like a recipe.

(SOBBING)

Oh...

Duke?

(CLEARS THROAT)

♪ If what they're holding's ♪

♪ Too heavy now, baby ♪

(SOBS)

♪ You can lay it on me ♪

♪ I can't wait until you ♪

♪ Believe ♪

Hi.

Um...

I don't know if you're here right now

or if you're real

or if I made you up

or if you're dead

or if you're the sad lady

or if you're Aunt Marion,

but I brought you these flowers.

And I wanted to just say
that I hope you're okay

and that you can not be sad

and that you feel better.

♪♪

And I'm not scared of you.

Thanks.

SAM: Duke?

Come on.

We're leaving.

Come on.

♪♪

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

No, Mom, I got it.

- Really?
- Uh-huh.

Thank you.

Uh...

(SIGHS)

Hello.

Hi.

Hello?

Hi, Mom.

Hi.

Where have you all been?

Where have you all just come from?

Um...

W-We went to White Rock

to see Lester and Jarita.

You went to see my brother?

Yeah, Mom.

We were there for three days.

It was amazing.
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