02x08 - Dead Totems

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Mosquito Coast". Aired: April 2021 to present.*
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Based off the best selling Novel, a radical idealist and a brilliant inventor flee the US Government and heads to Mexico.
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02x08 - Dead Totems

Post by bunniefuu »

[DINA] Hey, come on.

What's the rush?

I mean, you don't wanna
get caught, do you?

- By who? [CHUCKLES]
- Isela, for starters.

All of her rules about
staying within the boundaries.

[SIGHS]

[EXHALES DEEPLY] Okay, what now?

[SIGHS]

Not a problem. [CHUCKLES]

[CHUCKLES] Good plan.

Stop dicking me around, okay?

I understand he's
eluded you in the past,

and you need me to catch him
red-handed in the middle of the act.

[MARGOT] I'm searching his house today,

but you're not giving me clear
information on my immunity.

Hey, listen to me.

Full immunity is a big
f*cking ask, Margot.

[MARGOT] Are you speaking for
the entire NSA or just yourself?

Other people need to sign off on this.

[MARGOT] Well, are they?

Are you gonna be straight with me,

or do I need to get
someone else involved?

[CALL DISCONNECTS]

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

Did you speak to Charlie about the g*n?

I will.

[MARGOT] Allie, this is serious.

- I got it.
- He needs to know he's going back.

- I have to go to work.
- [SIGHS] What's going on?

I just gotta go, all right? I'm late.

Even if you get Sandpiper up and
running, is it what they want?

No. Not in a million years. It
was never designed to do that.

I'm stalling for time.

Whoa, whoa. What's happening?

Guillermo is dangerous. All right?

I tracked his smuggling routes.

I found predictable
activity and an anomaly.

Of what?

Something he wants kept
secret. Off the grid.

I need to find out what it is.

- I have to go.
- [CHARLIE] I'm starving.

- Hey, sweetie.
- [CHARLIE] Hey.

You better be quick.
The kitchen closes soon.

Wait, where's Dina? Where'd she go?

[EXHALES SHARPLY] Hunting,
uh, for mushrooms with Adolfo.

Wait, are you guys coming? Dad?

No. I'm good.

See you all later.

[MARGOT SIGHS]

You're the only one who likes my soup.

[IN SPANISH] It's not all that bad.

It's good.

Gracias.

[IN ENGLISH] I come in peace.

You know, you could just
turn it off. Or get a burner.

I need the video function.

[MARGOT] You have a kid?

A son. Otto. [INHALES DEEPLY] He's six.

He lives with his mother in Bristol.

He's beautiful.

Do you see him much?

His mother wanted me to be a
constant presence, or not at all.

And I tried staying put. I
even got a job at Amnesty.

In fact, I did everything
she wanted me to do,

- but it felt...
- Performative.

Fashionable.

- [CHUCKLES]
- Self-congratulatory.

- [INHALES DEEPLY]
- But you have a son.

I mean, didn't that change things?
What if something happened to you?

I made a choice.

And now he has a stepdad, and
I'm relegated to video chats.

Mmm.

You were able to quiet the militant
voice and raise your children.

You're lucky.

You know, I listened to the words
that you said to me yesterday.

They really affected me.

I've been thinking a lot of things
lately, even turning myself in.

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

But yesterday, you reminded
me that I used to care.

I wanna help you.

That's a mighty quick U-turn
from "stay the hell away."

And a very convincing "f*ck off."

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Well, you could have tucked yourself

into a lot of other nearby staging areas

as well, but here you are.

This is not one of those operations

for the idealistic academics
we once were, Margot.

I'm not gonna ruin your life. Not again.

Well, I reached the end of that road.
So there's that. [INHALES DEEPLY]

Do you remember the first
time you came over to my house?

You were so shy. Intimidated.

But I knew, we both knew,
there was something there.

There still is.

Yeah.

But I'm sorry, I can't
help you this time.

See it like, um...
like I'm protecting you.

[CHUCKLES] You have a car?

Ah... [SCOFFS] Well, not exactly.

But it's got wheels and an engine.

And it runs.

[CHUCKLING]

Oh. [CHUCKLES] Sorry.

It's, uh, it's Ridley's.

I use it for work, but
sometimes he lets me borrow it.

- Nice.
- Watch out.

So, tell me, where are we going?

No. You'll find out.

- Ju... [CHUCKLES] Just wait.
- [CHUCKLES] Oh, my God.

[PEOPLE SPEAKING SPANISH]

That's where I play football.

[CHILDREN SHOUTING, CHEERING]

I'd say I'm pretty good.

Never got to do stuff like that.
Just be a kid. [SIGHS] You know?

Yeah, I know.

Sucks.

Okay, what if you could
trade lives with someone?

Who would you be?

Sixteen-year-old
girl

who lives in a nice
neighborhood with both parents,

who have normal f*cking
jobs. And they have a dog.

So no one specific?

Nope.

Just a normal girl.

I don't buy it.

[CHUCKLES]

Fine. The f*cking queen of England.

[LAUGHS]

[CHURCH BELL RINGING]

Okay, so that's our church.

Whole town's there on Sunday.

I prayed for us.

What?

Oh, I don't know. It's just weird to me.

I'm not really religious. I'm...

the opposite, actually.

So you don't believe?

- Doesn't it get... lonely?
- [SIGHS]

[DINA] What's going on?

[CHUCKLES] Stop asking questions.

[METAL CLANGING]

[WATER SPLASHING]

[PEOPLE CHATTERING IN SPANISH]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

[WORKERS GRUNTING]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[STICK SNAPS]

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

[BOSS SHOUTS IN SPANISH]

[DINA SIGHS]

Everyone looks so happy.

[CHUCKLES]

[UPBEAT BAND PLAYING]

You dance?

[CHUCKLING]

- No, no. I don't know how.
- It's banda. It doesn't matter.

I'll... I'll teach you. Come on.

- No. No.
- Get up. Come on.

- No. [CHUCKLES]
- Let's go.

Oh, my God.

- [BREATHES DEEPLY]
- Come on. Let's go.

It's all right, I promise.
All right, come on.

[STICKS SNAPPING]

[METAL HITTING STONE]

Jesus Christ.

- Dad, it's... it's me.
- Charlie, what are you doing here?

I followed you.

And why the hell did you do that?

Well, I heard you tell Mom you
were in danger and wanted to help.

You shouldn't have
come. [BREATHES DEEPLY]

Did you see those men back there?

Guillermo's guys run a looting
sideline. This place is so rotten.

Yeah, I've seen them before, though.

Wait, sorry. You've come
this far on your own before?

- Charlie.
- [SIGHS]

Yeah, a few times.

Dad, it's okay, though. I... I
know how to be careful, all right?

I know about those guys.
They're... They're huaqueros.

They're looters. They look
for artifacts and stuff.

Look, I can help you. Let me help.

The guy who owns Casa Roja, he wants
me to use Sandpiper to help him.

I'll explain later.

Hey.

If you're coming, let's go.

[BANDA MUSIC PLAYING]

And then one more and turn.

Okay.

- [LAUGHS]
- Great.

- And then...
- Again?

[CHUCKLES]

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

[SIGHS]

Allie wasn't at the jetty.
And he's not at Casa Roja.

I waited, and I waited.

He stood me up.

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

[CHARLIE] So, uh, you gonna
tell me about Sandpiper?

[ALLIE] It's an
algorithm. It's a program.

It finds order in what
most people think is chaos.

Like what?

Anything.

People, the weather, wind, animals.

Rooster crows every morning,
right? That's a pattern.

Here, look.

Even this.

Order and chaos, all in
the palm of your hand.

I don't get it.

All right. One leaf,
that's order. Right?

Tree, it gets a little more complicated.

But all this, that's chaos, right?

Okay.

Except it's not. It's a pattern.

You just have to unlock what it
is. Why it's arranged the way it is.

And for that, you need data, lots of it.

[CHARLIE] So, um, why
is this even important?

You understand the pattern,
then you can control it.

Like, predict the future?

Yeah, kinda. I mean, it's
not perfect, but it can.

Yeah, but some things
just happen, right?

Randomly. Like an accident.

Yeah, politicians. [CHUCKLES]

Dad, I'm serious. Come on.

Like, there are some things
that you can't predict.

That... That don't
have a pattern. Right?

Right.

Look, you see that bird?

Now, if it were possible to give
me every piece of data on that bird,

mating patterns, life span,
weather, a-absolutely everything,

then I could tell you exactly
where that bird's gonna fly next.

Even how it might die,
or what's gonna k*ll it.

[INHALES DEEPLY, EXHALES SHARPLY]
That's kinda depressing.

[ALLIE] Uh-huh.

But I might also be able
to tell you how to save it.

I don't know.

I mean, didn't you tell me that, like...

that if someone has an answer
that they can apply to everything,

then i-it isn't a real answer.
It's-It's like a cult. Right?

And what do you believe?

I believe that...

that the bird just flies
wherever the f*ck it wants to.

Well, you've always been a
little chaotic. [CHUCKLES]

- [SIGHS]
- That's your pattern. Like your mom.

- [VENDOR SPEAKING SPANISH] Gracias.
- [ADOLFO SPEAKS SPANISH]

[VENDOR SPEAKS SPANISH] Gracias.

- [SPEAKING SPANISH]
- [SPEAKING SPANISH]

- Here. I'll go get us something to drink.
- Okay.

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS] Uh, where are we?

[VENDOR] El zocalo.

Uh, yeah. But, um, what town?

San Pasqual... [SPEAKS SPANISH]

Is there an airport nearby?

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

- Who are these guys?
- I don't f*cking know. Guillermo's men.

[SIGHS]

Where's your team?

[SIGHS] He turned them away.
He insists I use his people.

[ISELA] His people are traffickers.

They're voracious, and
they know no bounds.

You'll keep their visit short.

What's wrong with that guy?

He's so f*cking weird.

He wasn't always like this.

He had a car accident driving drunk.

His mom was with him, and she d*ed.

Family has never forgiven him.

[INHALES SHARPLY]

So, is, uh, Margot part of your plan,

- or any of your plans?
- No. [EXHALES SHARPLY]

What's been going on with her and Allie?

[ISELA CHUCKLES]

Well, I can tell you that he sank a
boat to keep her from running away.

Really?

That should tell you how
she feels about Allie.

That, however, doesn't answer her
sincerity or motives toward you.

- [RICHARD] See you later.
- Yeah.

Okay.

[SIGHS] Jesus Christ.

Hi.

[ALLIE] Oh.

- Take a look at this.
- Whoa.

Damn, this must have been amazing.

Exactly. Must've. Once.

Before some assh*le sawed off

all the glyphs and
hauled them out of here.

How would you even do that?

I mean, it would've been
nice to just leave it here.

Let someone come
actually see it for real.

[ALLIE] What good are they gonna
do here, losing money in the jungle?

Put 'em in a museum. You know,
charge bucks for a T-shirt.

- Right.
- You hack 'em up.

Send 'em to a whole bunch of
museums. Quadruple your money.

[CHUCKLES] Right.

'Cause, uh, car parts are worth more
than an actually good car, right?

Turns out you do listen to things I say.

People won't respect
anything they can't monetize.

They have to steal it and then sell it.

Bingo.

Even worse, when people
get their history stolen,

their soul goes right along
with it, Colonialism .

Kind of like with us. [SIGHS]

- What does that mean?
- [STAMMERS] No, no, not, like...

Not, like, in a bad way. I just mean,

like, we don't really have a history.

Or not one that we talk about, at least.

But that's probably a good
thing, right? I mean...

It just means, like, we're free, right?

We can do whatever the f*ck we want.

No one can tell us otherwise, right?

Sit down for a second.

[MARGOT] Have a seat.

I found some wine and opened it.

I found your bag and opened it too.

Do I really seem like a "Judi" to you?

Were you gonna kidnap me?

First off...

screw you for invading my space
and rummaging through my things.

Oh, we're way, way, way,
way past that, Richard.

I've spent the last ten years
looking at four walls around me.

When the self-pity starts,

I remind myself they aren't four
walls of an actual prison cell.

And that's why I don't want
you involved with this one.

Let me finish, please.

I have no choices available to me

and no position or situation better

than the one that I am in right now.

And then you show up.

You come here wanting
me to go away with you?

I didn't know how you'd react.

Turns out, not so good. [SIGHS]

I want a partner, Richard.

I've been missing that ever since
you drove away and abandoned me

- all those f*cking years ago.
- Look, here's the thing.

You've asked a couple of
times, gently but persistently.

Don't ask.

Don't pry.

I do not want you involved with
this one. Do you understand?

- [EXHALES SHARPLY]
- I don't want you to get hurt.

This is my first mission, not on
my own, being paid by someone else,

and it's turning out
to be quite complicated.

Guillermo.

It's too dangerous.

I'm doing this on my own.

Here's a passport.

Come and meet me.

I don't know who I am anymore.

I'm lost.

So, either I'm all in,
as a partner, or I'm out.

I'm tired of paying for
a mistake I made years ago

and how I've spent my life since.

The judgment. The condescension.

So, this is it.

Either you trust me, or you
don't. You include me, or I'm out.

Don't forget I protected
you all those years.

[SIGHS]

I found these detonators
with the passports.

Partners?

I'll take you to the
target in the morning.

[WHISPERS] Okay.

[ALLIE] So, you think that's what we do?

We just do whatever the f*ck we want?

N-No. No, I...

I mean, kinda. Yeah.

No. We don't.

We do whatever is right.

And sometimes, what's right in
the moment isn't even what we want.

But we have to do it anyway.

[SIGHS]

Is that why you pulled
the g*n on that guy?

'Cause you just think we can
do whatever the f*ck we want?

No. I did that because I don't like him.

And why is that?

Because he's f*cking with us.

Hey, I'm not a fan either. But
I'm never gonna hurt the guy.

- I didn't hurt him. I w... I wasn't...
- Ever.

Ever. Do you understand?

Yeah.

[EXHALES DEEPLY]

And why?

Why wouldn't I hurt him?

I don't know.

I mean, he f*cked up our lives.

So, if... if you ask me, I
think you have every right.

Wrong.

I wouldn't hurt him because
that would f*ck up my life,

my plan.

My plan for you, my plan for Dina.

So, why did you do it?

Just sometimes I...

[SIGHS] ... I just get
so... so angry and so scared.

Like...

Like, I feel like-like every
part of me is-is-is screaming,

and... [BREATHES
SHAKILY] ... I can't stop.

So, is that about him,
or is that about you?

I k*lled that guy.

And you never said anything.

Not once. None of this.

Why?

Because...

Because you did that for us.

You had to.

Right?

So, I did the right thing?

That wasn't Colonialism ?

It's like I said.

Sometimes, what's right in
the moment isn't what we want.

But we have to do it anyway.

- Okay.
- Come on.

Let's walk.

[BANDA MUSIC PLAYING]

Has anyone, I don't know, taken
you on a date like this ever before?

[CHUCKLES] Hardly.

There was this guy back home named Josh.

I used to think it was
such a big deal but...

I look at it now, and it was nothing.

Nothing happened.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

- I'm fine.
- Um...

Would you like to go to my place?

Yeah.

Okay.

[BANDA MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING]

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[ALLIE] I know where it is.
I just don't know what it is.

It's in the general area, at least.

Couldn't it be, like,
underground or something?

Yeah but why bother when the
jungle lets you hide in plain sight?

[COW MOOING]

[MOOS]

Is that what they're hiding? Cows?

I don't know. Stay low.

Dad.

Looks like some kind of hand off.

What do you think?

That we've come to the right place.

[GATE CHAIN CLANGING]

Wait here. You got it?

Why? There's nobody here.

Because I said so, okay?

Dad, if it's not safe for me,
then it's not safe for you.

Charlie, I mean it. Stay right here.

I thought I told you to stay.

Hold that.

Okay. [GRUNTS]

- It just looks like farm stuff.
- [ALLIE SIGHS]

Nope.

It's not farm stuff.

Hurry. They might be back soon.

[HEN CLUCKS]

[FARM ANIMALS VOCALIZING]

[CHAIN CLANGS, RATTLES]

[HEN SQUAWKS]

[CHARLIE] Dad, come here.

We should go, right?

I mean, if they're hiding this here,

we're probably on camera or something.

No.

It's the last place they want cameras.

Too much evidence.

Move your hands.

[SHUTTER CLICKING]

Here, help me out.

[GROANS]

Yeah.

[SIGHS] He's skimming off the top.

He's cutting it with caffeine.

He's stealing dr*gs from the
cartels in transit and reselling it.

No cameras, no evidence.

Our landlord is not quite as
invulnerable as he'd like to think.

I'd say we're in a position
to make an ask or two.

[SHUTTER CLICKS]

- Gotcha.
- [SHUTTER CLICKS]

[DINA SIGHS]

It's not much.

It's all I can afford right now.

You know, f*ck that. Neither
of us had many choices.

I'm working on it.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

[CHUCKLES]

Um, would you like
some water, or some...

- I have a kitchen, so...
- Okay.

Okay, um, I'll be right back.

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

[DINA BREATHES HEAVILY]

[ENGINE STARTS]

Christ.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[TIRES SCREECH]

Okay.

[ADOLFO] Dina!

Dina, hey, stop! Stop!

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

You're gonna have to take
me out if you want to leave.

[ENGINE TURNS OFF]

What the hell?

So that's what this has
all been about? [SCOFFS]

No, no, no, I... I had no choice, okay?

- [SCOFFS]
- I'm leaving. This was my only chance.

Did you even think
what would happen to me

if you stole my boss's truck?

Did you?

- No!
- Jesus Christ, Dina!

Jes... I'd go to jail.

I'll spend the rest of my f*cking
life working to replace it.

- I'm sorry, okay?
- [SCOFFS]

It's not what you think.

I'm not some fricking
normal person, okay?

I mean, am I honestly just supposed
to think you were gonna help me?

Will you?

[CHUCKLES]

[SIGHS]

Where were you going?

Where's Mom?

[ALLIE] I don't know.

Hungry?

Yeah, actually.

We could go to the mess hall.
Get... Do you want soup or something?

Yeah, soup sounds good.

Okay. Today was fun.

Yeah.

Hey.

- Where have you been?
- Been with me.

Oh, yeah? Guillermo's?

No, I'll fill you in later.

Where are you going?

I was gonna go check if Dina's
back and then go to the mess hall.

Okay, well, be careful.
Silvia's got an eye out for you.

[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]

Did you talk to him?

Yeah. Talked a lot.

Good. Is he happy to go back?

We didn't get to that.

What?

f*ck, Allie, we have one window.
They need to be ready to go.

I'm-I'm this close to
Richard. I can feel it.

[DINA] Dear Mom, Dad, and Charlie.

From the time I was little,

we'd pick up and move
suddenly without explanation.

I didn't complain
because I was just a kid.

And where would I have gone instead?

[SNIFFLES]

[DINA] Well, now I'm leaving.

I don't trust either of you anymore.

You never really cared
if I was happy or not.

[SIGHS]

[DINA] Frankly, I
don't know what to write

that I haven't said a
hundred times before.

I do love you.

Don't worry. The one
thing you taught me, Dad,

is how to take care of myself.

Charlie, I love you so much.

I'm so sorry.
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