01x03 - Second Line

[bunniefuu]

♪♪

CORTLAND: It's not right,

they way she kept you like that.

DEIRDRE: My daughter's alive.

Lasher's seen her.

- Where is he?
- After all this time,

I still never know.

ROWAN: Rowan Fielding, checking in.

You understand that if
I'm awake now, so is he.

Please, I-I will explain everything.

I'll be in the lobby at the Pontchartrain
in five minutes.

- I'll be there.
- You are not keeping me from my daughter.

[GRUNTS]

♪

[SCREAMS]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪

[GRUNTING]

[MOANING, WHIMPERING]

[DARK GRUNGY ROCK MUSIC]

[DARK GRUNGY ROCK MUSIC]

♪

[ELEVATOR CHIMES]

[NO SOUND]

So you saw that her neck was mostly severed,

then you walked toward her
into the elevator?

I was trying to help. I'm a doctor.

And to confirm, you've never seen

this lady before in your life?

No.

Okay, Dr. Fielding, we'll call you

if we need to speak again.

Rowan Fielding?

I'm your great aunt, Carlotta Mayfair.

Was that my...?

Deirdre Mayfair.

Your mother.

[CLEARS THROAT] Mr. Mayfair is on his way.

- He'd like to speak with you.
- Tell him she's with me.

He would eat you alive. Come with me.

We'll go to the house.
You'll be safer there.

I have to go.

What's that, dear? Go where?

Rowan, I need to speak with you!

[CAR HORN HONKS]

[CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING]

[EERIE MUSIC]

[VOICES WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

♪

[VOCALIZING]

♪

- [KEYPAD BEEPS]
- This is your place?

Yeah.

I know, the security is a little intense.

I've used it as a safe house before.

I am so sorry for the loss of your mother.

I know it must be such a difficult...

So help me understand this.

I was gathering information about you,

your life, your routines,
so I could protect you.

The Talamasca exists
to document and investigate

the, um... unexplained.

And when we see that someone
could be at risk,

we offer protection.

We've been around since the Middle Ages.

- I mean, not me...
- "Unexplained"?

Seriously? Are you kidding me?

- No.
- Okay.

Whose house is this?

The Mayfair house on First Street.

Your aunt lives there.

It goes way back in your family.

Your mother lived there too.

Who is that?

Please.

There is something, a being.

He used to visit Deirdre.

Ellie was afraid that he might
start to visit you.

Has he?

"Being"? What is that?

What is... what does that even mean?

We don't really know.

He's connected with your family.

- They call him Lasher.
- Oh, my God.

I can't believe this sh*t. This is crazy.

Um, you must want
to clean up, take a shower?

And are you hungry? I'll order some takeout.

[DOORBELL BUZZING] Um...

I need to go and deal
with something real quick.

Excuse me.

Um...

make yourself at home.

Please, whatever you need.

Before you say anything,
I'm not gonna apologize.

I did what I felt I had to do.

She's here. She's safe.

Fine.

This isn't about a slap on the wrist.

I'm just here to help.

I've got the team
with me to apply protections

to your place.

But last chance... you sure
you want to keep her here?

- You feel safe?
- I'm good.

She's the one in danger.

Okay.

[SOFT CONSPIRATORIAL MUSIC]

♪

[SOFT ETHEREAL WHOOSHING]

That's a terrible way to die.

I failed her.

I failed our family.

- I failed God.
- No.

You have been his servant always.

[WIND WHISTLING, BRANCHES RATTLING]

He's rattling the trees again,

looking for his whore.

Christ.

years, and he's on to the next one

like it was a minute,

like it was nothing.

What's she like, Deirdre's daughter?

I...

I think she's made of sterner stuff

than her mother,

but she needs our protection.

What about a wake?

She'd come to us
if we held her mother's wake

here at the house.

Better she come to us than Cortland.

A wake?

Yes.

Yes.

- Where's the necklace?
- I took it off Deirdre.

What are you gonna do?

The only thing worth trying.

The only thing that has ever worked.

Binding him to someone.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

What's with all the gloves?

What, a man can't accessorize?

No, it's, um, my gift.

When I touch something with my hands,

I see its past, some moment
connected to the object.

I can't turn it off.

I wear the gloves to keep the noise out,

keep from going crazy.

But at the beach, you had the gloves on.

It didn't seem to keep anything out then.

You're an exception.

Your gift is the strongest
thing I've ever felt.

Do all the Mayfairs have... gifts?

Well, from what I've read,
some do, some don't.

Your mother did. Deirdre, I mean.

- But not Carlotta?
- No.

At the hotel, the bellboy said Mr. Mayfair.

That's Cortland, your great uncle.

As far as I know, he doesn't either.

I mean, he has a lot
of the normal kind of power,

wealth-and-influence variety.

He's on the board of everything.

He owns that hotel
through the Mayfair Trust.

For such a prominent family, the Mayfairs

are very private people.

I used to walk by that house
on my way to school,

and I always wondered what went on inside.

I saw something there once that
scared me so much that I ran,

but the next day, there I was,
walking home the same way.

- So you grow up nearby?
- Did you know my mom?

Is that why she had your number?

No, no, I first spoke to her when she called

about what happened with your boss.

She had been in touch with
my predecessor years before

about a playground incident.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

She told me that that was all in my head...

But she knew it was real.

She knew the whole time.

♪

I know how you're feeling.

Alone. Ashamed.

Afraid of yourself.

You have no idea how I'm feeling.

I felt it when I touched you.

You don't have to hide that from me.

You have pairs of gloves.

You're the one who can't handle your sh*t.

You don't know anything about me!

I'm sorry.

You're right.

I don't know you.

Um, I have to get back to the hotel

before any more time passes.

I'll find out who did this.

Don't leave the apartment.

Until we know more, it's not
safe for you out there, okay?

I need your okay on that.

Okay.

♪

[MOODY MUSIC]

♪

[WINDOW RATTLING]

[HEAVY THUMP]

- [GLASS CRACKS]
- Oh! [GROANS]

[EERIE MUSIC]

♪

You're heartbroken, I know.

I loved her too.

But now your time has come.

The th witch.

She's different from the others,

closed to me somehow.

I'm sure you'll find a way in.

♪

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪

[DOOR CLANKING]

Who the hell are you?

- I'm a friend of Ciprien's.
- Who the hell are you?

I'm Odette, Sip's sister.

I'm just here to grab something.

[MURMURS] I knew it.

Well, I'll leave you to it.

Late for my shift.

- Are you seeing my brother?
- No.

No, no, no. Uh, it's just, um...

It's a work thing.

Ah. Okay.

Hush-hush CIA, FBI sh*t?

Oh, I'll never tell.

When are you due?

A couple of weeks.

- Congratulations.
- Oh, it's not mine.

Um, I'm a surrogate.

Yeah, this little girl is going to a couple

of nice daddies uptown.

- Have you done that before?
- First time.

- Do you feel connected to her?
- Not really.

I feel connected to the heartburn,

that's for sure.

I bet she does, though.

I'm sorry?

I bet she feels connected to you.

She'll wonder about you her whole life

and dream about you.

[SMOKE ALARM BLARING]

♪

This could be hours.

I have to get to work, so...

Yeah, no worries.

I have an aunt that lives
nearby here, I think.

Which way is First Street?

Like, a -minute walk that way.

- Just straight down?
- Yeah, yeah, you'll find it.

- Okay. Thank you.
- Bye.

♪

[SIRENS WAILING]

years.

- plus some.
- Mm.

You were still married
when you came to this house.

He was no good for you.

I remember that much.

Do you remember when she was a little girl,

how you'd sing her to sleep?

Yes, ma'am, of course I do.

There was a time she
wouldn't have anyone but you.

Mm.

She left you this.

- Put it on.
- Oh, no, I couldn't.

- It's an heirloom.
- Put it on.

She was so attached to it.

That must be why she left it to you.

Thank you.

Now, come.

I need your help with something.

Was it the damask or
shantung curtains you wanted?

Oh, Delphine.

I left you in charge of her.

[DEEP RUMBLING]

[EERIE GROWLING]

May God forgive you.

[EERIE MUSIC]

♪

- Oh, no.
- [SOBS SOFTLY]

[INSECTS CHIRPING]

[VOICES WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

♪

What's up? You lost?

Hey. Where you going?

- [LAUGHS]
- Over here, baby.

Come back.

SINGER: ♪ We are the North side

[UPBEAT PERCUSSIVE MUSIC]

♪ We stomp to rise you

♪ Before you die

♪ You scared of death, though ♪

♪ You'll ride together

♪ Next time you see us

♪ Be too late to cry

[CONTINUING INDISTINCTLY]

♪

How did you know him?

I'm crying for somebody else tonight.

I'm sorry.

I lost someone too.

We'll meet again.

He's still here.

They all are, if you know where to look.

No one is ever gone.

Only separated for a minute.

It must be nice to see it that way.

It is.

You can too. This will help.

Oh, no, I'm okay. Thank you.

One for my friend here.

That one.

- I... no, uh, thank you.
- It's paid for.

Take it.

[EERIE BASS WHOOSHING]

Have a nice night.

Well?

Well what?

Now we dance.

- Oh, no, I...
- It's not for you.

It's for them.

But I have to go.

Now we dance.

♪

[ZIPPER SOUND]

Don says the security feed
is working fine now, sir.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪

The system's been operating perfectly.

I don't know what could've
caused that kind of gap

in the footage.

♪

- Evening.
- Bonswa.

Uh...

[SPEAKING CREOLE]

[SPEAKING CREOLE]

Merci.

♪

[HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING]

[HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING]

[HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING]

[UPBEAT PERCUSSIVE MUSIC]

♪

[PERCUSSIVE MUSIC CONTINUES]

♪

- Hi.
- Hi.

- That's an interesting mask.
- Thank you.

Do you wear masks?

No.

No?

No, why would you?

What's your name?

Adonis.

That's your real name?

It's my name tonight.

Okay.

♪

San Francisco.

I'm sorry, I thought
you asked where I was from.

See, I was just about to.

You read my mind.

Be careful what you think.

Oh, I don't like to be careful.

♪

Don't be afraid.

The dead are with us always.

[JAUNTY, HAUNTING TUNE]

♪

You remind me of her.

You know you're special, don't you?

♪

You're exactly where
you're meant to be right now.

Can you feel it?

Yes.

♪

[CROWD NOISE, MOODY MUSIC]

[NEON BUZZING]

- You get used to it.
- [LIGHT LAUGH]

Although this is some crazy first-day sh*t.

Deirdre Mayfair.

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]

What was wrong with the photos

the girl took before?

- They were a little blurry.
- [LENS SNAPS]

- Typical.
- [CHUCKLES]

You just started the forensics rotation?

Yeah.

Don't y'all usually rotate at once?

I feel like I usually see
all the newbs at the same time.

It's just me. Do you have her clothes?

[CHUCKLES] They're in evidence, man.

- It's a m*rder investigation.
- Right.

And you better hurry up too.

Lonigan's picking her up
for embalming, like, stat.

- That's a quick turnaround.
- Yeah, well,

the rules don't apply when you're a Mayfair.

They want fast, they get fast.

Screw waiting in line like the rest of us.

Sounds nice, right?

No! No!

Bring her back! No! [SCREAMING]

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Please!

♪

[UPBEAT PERCUSSIVE MUSIC]

♪

Wait!

[EERIE MUSIC]

♪

You're dead.

I held your body.

[OWL HOOTS]

Am I dead?

No.

You're very much alive.

You're perfect.

It's just how I imagined you'd be.

Oh, my little girl.

- This can't be happening.
- But it is.

You know it is.

They told me you were dead.

I would never, never give you up.

You're not dead.

You're not dreaming.

You're awake,

and you're just beginning to
see the world behind the world.

Isn't it beautiful?

You can have this all the time.

If you open your mind,
you can be transformed.

I don't want to be transformed.

I just want to be me.

But you aren't that yet, not without us.

You've felt alone, haven't you?

Because you're disconnected.

From your blood,

from me,

your grandmother, your great-grandmother,

on back to the beginning.

This is where we are connected.

This is where we find each other.

Through him.

[DARK MUSIC]

♪

You're not her.

[VOICES WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

Miss, you need some help?

Are you okay?

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- Yeah?
- Sorry. Yeah.

All right.

Did you get the drawing I sent?

- Yep, that's him?
- Uh-huh, I saw it.

He stopped the elevator and got in with her.

And then?

That's all I saw.

- That's great, that's plenty.
- I'll send it around.

- We'll get him.
- Yes, we will.

Wait!

I wanted to give you this.

It's next week. It's a rally.

- What for?
- Brotherhood.

I know you're not a medical student, man.

Come on.

You heard the rumors about the family.

You came here to see for yourself.

I don't know what you're talking about.

She's a witch.

You just touched the body
of a real g*dd*mn witch.

A witch?

Come on.

[CHUCKLES] Listen to yourself, man.

There's no such thing.

My mistake.

[SIRENS BLARING]

♪

[BUZZING]

[FIRE CRACKLING]

Rowan.

Are you okay?

I don't know.

I think so.

Let's get you inside.

[MUFFLED THUDDING]

He doesn't like her wearing it.

If it traps him down there
with her, it'll be worth it.

[THUDDING CONTINUES]

I have no doubt that
all three of them were him.

He can take different forms.

I really miss the world making sense.

It never made sense.

Most people just can't see that.

So what'd you find out?

First, I found out
that someone doesn't want me

to find anything out.

Elevator's been wiped of memories.

I touched the walls, and I got nothing.

That's never happened before.

But then I went to the morgue,
I touched the body,

and I saw a guy stop the elevator

and get in with her.

I sent his likeness to the team.

They're out looking for him.

Whatever else Lasher can do,

I see he has the power to dehydrate you.

Yeah, Jesus.

So you touched the body?

I saw your birth.

She didn't give you away.

You were taken from her.

[SOLEMN MUSIC]

I felt her heart break.

It was the strongest memory
left in that body.

She loved you.

Yeah, she said that, too,
but it was just him

telling me whatever I wanted to hear.

It was all lies.

Not that part.

Do you think it was the drink?

Or can he just get
in my head whenever he wants?

I don't know.

I do know he can't get to you in here.

He lit that fire to get you
out of the apartment.

I saw that much.

I didn't even feel it starting.

I was just in it.

Like, I just felt like I was swept away.

And I don't know how to stop it.

I mean, if that's how this works,

how he works.

Well, that's why you need to understand

the full extent of your power
so you can defend yourself.

I can help you with that.

I can go into those moments,
slow things down

so we can see how it works,
what's really happening.

You mean touch me again?

You're not afraid I'll hurt you?

No.

Last time, I was a stranger.

Now I think you trust me a little.

Maybe a little.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Let's do it.

- I'm ready.
- Okay.

♪

[ENERGY HUMMING]

[INHALES SHARPLY]

[RHYTHMIC ELECTRONIC MUSIC]

♪

♪

No wonder everyone's looking
at me like I'm a ghost.

WOMAN: The Mayfair matriarchs,

years of women handing down
everything to their daughters.

How many families can say that?

[WIND WHISTLES]

He's coming for her.

What even is he?

Ask him.

[GASPS]

♪

♪

[ELEVATOR DINGS]

Rowan in that elevator
is in shock and trauma.

The camerawork, the beautiful
cinematography is meant

to suggest the state that Rowan's in,

the way in which she's not really tracking

what's happening.

But she does see this face
that she will come to know,

that's the face of her Aunt Carlotta.

♪

Rowan Fielding, I'm your great-aunt

Carlotta Mayfair.

Is that my... Deirdre Mayfair, your mother.

Rowan is in such a state of shock and trauma

she does not know who to trust.

Mr. Mayfair's on his way,
he'd like to speak with you.

Tell him she's with me.

He would eat you alive.

ESTA: She sees Cip, and this is the person

who has said to her, "I can tell
you who you are.

I can help you understand."

I have to go.

What's that, dear?

So that is who she trusts in this moment

and who she goes to. [CAR HORN HONKS]

I was gathering information about you,

your life, your routine
so I could protect you.

The Talamasca exists
to document and investigate

the, um, unexplained.

Unexplained?

Seriously?

Are you kidding me?

No.She is a scientist.

All of those years of training
have not allowed her

to believe in anything like
what Ciprien's telling her.

Something... a being,
he used to visit Dierdre.

Ellie was afraid that he might
start to visit you.

She just cannot believe it.

"Being"?

What is that? What it's...

What does that even mean?

We don't really know.

He's connected with your family.

I think that Cip understands
more than anyone

what a potent and powerful,
magical being Rowan is,

and he needs to help her sort through that.

[DOOR OPENS, SHUTS]

Both Lasher and Rowan are grieving Dierdre,

and are going through this kind of grieving

and funeral process together.

They meet in the midst
of this second line parade.

And the way he finds to connect with her

is through this mutual experience of grief

that brings them together
in the second line,

and then, you know, this magical concoction

that he gives her that makes her
sort of open herself up

in some ways.

You remind me of her.

♪

You know you're special, don't you?

And then, of course,
the last way that he uses

to try to open and connect with her is

he embodies the form of Dierdre.

My little girl.

This can't be happening.

But it is.

But Rowan, even in that moment,
is so guarded.

You're not her.

She's onto it. She knows that it is Lasher

trying to manipulate her.

Miss, do you need some help?

Are you okay?

I didn't even feel it starting.

I was just in it.

Like, I just felt like I was swept away.

And I don't know how to stop it.

That's why you need to
understand the full extent

of your powers so you can defend yourself.

I can help you with that.

You mean touch me again?

You're not afraid I'll hurt you?

No.

Last time, I was a stranger.

And, well, I think you trust me a little.

Incredibly deep, really,
for Rowan in this moment

with Cip, that she has decided

to trust someone.

Let's do it.

Decided to put aside her rational mind

for a moment and open up to what
might really be going on.

This felt like the first time
we really get to see Rowan

let down her guard and relax
and connect with someone.

In some ways, this is more
profound than seeing a sex scene

between these two characters.

It's more profound for someone
as guarded as Rowan

to open up herself to someone else,

knowing all of her memories,
all of her past,

and asking that person
to help her understand

this new force within herself
that she has no idea about.

♪

♪ We are the North side

♪ The Skull and Bones g*ng

♪ We stomp to rise you

♪ Before you die

♪ You scared of death, though ♪

♪ You'll ride together

♪ Next time you see us

♪ Be too late to cry

North side

Skull and Bones g*ng! [CHEERING]