03x07 - The Recluse

[bunniefuu]

Hey, Harris,

I got a couple of tickets for
the Jets-Tampa Bay game.

Why?

It was a sale.

Wanna go?

Hey, man. I'm ain't messing
around no sports events.

I mean, ballparks
are the highest-rated

crime areas in the country, man.

Muggings, assaults, mob riots.

There won't be any
mob at this game.

Good morning, gentlemen.
Good morning, Barn.

What's new?

Six murders, robberies,

aggravated assaults.

Is that the good
news or the bad news?

Bad news. What's the good news?

They were all in the Bronx.

I wish they wouldn't print

statistics like
that in the paper.

Liz is talking about
moving out of the city again.

Suburbs?

Maine.

As in maple syrup Maine?

Mm-hm.

She thinks it'll be better
for our health and our sanity.

Hey, it's just as
dangerous there, Barney.

I mean, you're always running
the risk of not being seen.

Want the paper? Uh, no thanks.

Hey, Barney there's a funny
knock-knock joke on Page .

You wanna hear
it? Thank you, no.

But I appreciate it.

Why are you doing this to me?

I'm trying to help you...
Graham... Hey, Graham, Graham.

Just be quiet. Just
a minute, all right?

What's going on here?

This is, uh, Graham
Roberts, Barn.

Disturbing the peace, and, uh...

Uh, that's Captain Miller.

And, uh, whose peace
did Mr. Roberts disturb?

Everybody over on Hudson Street.

He was kneeling down
in the middle of traffic,

trying to start a
prayer meeting.

A cab went by him
about , just missed him.

Please, you must listen to me.

We haven't got
much time. Just...

Just take it easy,
Mr. Roberts. Have a seat.

I'll, uh, call Bellevue.

I mean, it's all
here in the Bible

for everyone to see.

And it's going to
happen, captain.

I give you my word.

The world is coming to an end.

Uh, I'm sure you're
right, Mr. Roberts,

but the question is, when?

Five-thirty.

You mean today?

In Revelation and Jeremiah.

A calamity shall go forth
from nation to nation.

A great tempest
will be roused up

from the remotest
parts of the earth.

Expressions inspired by
demons that perform signs

and they go forth to the kings

of the entire inhabited earth

who gather them together

to the place that is
called Armageddon.

At : ?

I give you my word.

There goes our overtime.

Uh, why don't you give

all this information to
Detective Wojciehowicz?

I can also quote from the book
of Psalms, Genesis and Job.

Excellent. I'm sure
he'd love to hear it.

I don't want to hear it.

Anybody heard from Fish yet?

YEMANA: Not yet. HARRIS: Nah.

It's almost : .

Hey, Barney. Knock-knock.

Let me know when
he comes in, huh?

Knock-knock.

Not now, Nick.

Come on. Knock-knock.

Harris, get that, will you?

L-listen...

[♪♪♪]

Yeah, sure I'll tell him.

Tonight, dinner in town.

Sure. Okay, Bernice. Right.

Fish left the house
this morning at a.m.

Hey, that doesn't sound good.

Maybe you better
put a call out on him.

Have them keep their
eyes open. Right, Barn.

Don't say about his
being missing or anything.

Who's missing? You are.

Where have you been?

Staten Island.

Staten Island? What
for? What happened?

Nothing. I just heard on the
news that they were raising

the fare on the ferry
tomorrow and I don't know...

I... I just felt I
should take a ride.

You... You know, uh,

like... Like it was
the end of an era.

You're absolutely
right, my friend.

And he sayeth among
the trumpets, ha-ha!

How are you?

And he smelleth the
battle from afar off,

the thunder of captains
and the shouting.

Bernice is worried
about you. She just called.

Yeah, it's our monthly
dinner tonight in town.

She wants to remind me.

You needn't worry about dinner.

It will all be over by then.

What is he, a doctor?

He's a - , Fish.

Listen, don't talk like that.

I must.

Then pick a younger man.

Fish, can I see you
in my office a minute?

Certainly.

Hey, this'll cheer you up.

Knock-knock.

What? It's a joke.

Knock-knock.

He will roar,

and from his holy dwelling
place he will give forth his voice.

He will sing out against all
the inhabitants of the earth.

You got a bad attitude.

What's wrong, Fish?
What's bothering you?

It's not like you to just
not show up in the morning.

I'm just trying it out.

See what not coming to
work every day feels like.

Sooner or later we all retire.

Sure.

You've earned your rest.

Of course, the stud gets old,

they put him out to pasture.

That's a fair analogy.

I enjoyed it.

Will you please...?

Jilly, these are cops
and we're persons.

Persons and cops don't mix.

I'm telling you.

We got a relationship.

Well, well, well, look
who we've got here.

Ms. Papalardo, isn't it?

Yeah, and, uh, this is
my friend Victor Kroitzer.

Mr. Kroitzer, my pleasure.

Sure.

Uh, what can we do for you?

We'd like to see Mr. Fish.

No, he's in with the
captain right now.

You want to take a seat? Thanks.

[KNOCK AT DOOR] Yeah?

Yeah, uh, excuse me, Barn,

but the DA's office wants us to
go over and pick up some guy

who refuses to go on jury duty.

He barricaded
himself in his house.

[SIGHS]

You ever get the feeling

the Democratic
system is going under?

Yeah.

I better call Bernice.

Uh, Wojo, take Harris with you.

Okay.

Uh, Fish. FISH: Yeah.

You've got visitors here.

Hey, Harris, we got work to do.

All right, Wojo.

You want to see me?

Mr. Fish, it's me, Jilly.

Yeah, yeah, what
are you doing here?

I came to see you about
something very important.

Uh, this is my
friend Victor Kroitzer.

How are you? Hangin' in.

What'd he do? Nothin', nothin'.

I didn't do nothin'.

I just came in here with her.

Ask the colored guy.

I wasn't paying attention.

Not you, him.

He's black. I'm colored.

Everybody else is blank.

You have no sophistication.

I didn't do nothin'. FISH:
All right, take it easy.

What'd you want to see me about?

Well, we need a loan.

You mean money?

About a hundred bucks.
A hundred dollars?

Are you crazy? A
hundred dollars? What for?

We're gonna leave New York.

We're gonna go someplace
and start life all over again.

Yeah, someplace out west,

like Montana or Pittsburgh.

I thought you said you
lived in a group home.

It didn't work out and we're
back in Children's Centre.

Yeah, and you gotta hang around

until somebody comes
in and looks you over,

and then maybe adoption.

What's wrong with that?

Forget it. I've been waiting
since I was and a half,

and I ain't even cute no more.

Please, Mr. Fish. We'll
pay you back, I swear.

How?

Hey, uh, I could work.

I'm pretty strong. Feel that.

Don't be disgusting.

Listen, if we don't
get it from you,

we'll get it from somebody else.

Good.

But we don't know anybody else

with a hundred bucks.

[SIGHS]

Here's a dollar.
Get some ice cream

and get back to
the center. Forget it.

We don't want any ice cream
and we're not going back.

Take the buck.

I thought maybe you
cared something about me.

I thought I could come to
you if I was really in trouble.

Well, forget it. Take the buck.

Come on, Victor. We
can get along without him.

Women, huh?

[DOOR CLOSES]

Do you have the time?

It's a quarter after .

And there were
flashes of lightning,

loud noises, peals of thunder

and a great earthquake

such as never had been
since men were on the earth.

You have seven hours
and minutes left.

I think I can just make it.

Bernice, I don't want to go
to a Japanese restaurant.

The food's all raw

and you have to
take off your shoes

and sit like an Indian.

It's not fun. It hurts.

No, Bernice, Mexican
food hurts too.

Nick, you know a good
Chinese restaurant?

Yeah, Yamamoto's.

Bernice, Nick says
Yamamoto's is good.

Okay, meet me
here at a quarter to .

Yet a little while and the
wicked will be no more.

Though ye look
well at his place,

he will not be there.

Better make it : .

Goodbye, Bernice.

Okay, come on in, Mr. Unger.

Why don't you take a
seat right over here, huh?

[UNGER COUGHING]

Hey, Fish. Fish.

This... This old
guy Mr. Unger...

He hasn't left his
apartment for years.

It's not just the jury notices.

I mean, Mr. Unger's been out
of touch with the entire world.

Yeah, uh, his apartment's
like a big hothouse, Barn.

He's got fruits,
vegetables, all these plants.

Yeah, that's what Harris said.

And... And he hasn't
seen a woman for years.

Mr. Unger, I'm sorry we
had to inv*de your privacy,

but, uh, refusing jury
duty is against the law.

But I don't want
to be on a jury.

I don't want to be on anything.

I'm perfectly happy being alone.

I just want to stay that way.

I'm afraid you're
not allowed to resign

from the human race, Mr. Unger.

But I... I... I don't know
what's going on... On out here

and I... I don't want to know.

I... I never understood the law.

I'm not an expert
on human behavior.

You'd make a perfect juror.

[COUGHS] All
right, take it easy.

Uh, he started to choke, Barney,

as soon as we brought
him out of the apartment.

We've got a second-stage
smog alert today.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Are we still at w*r?

I beg your pardon.

I haven't heard a thing
since Pearl Harbor.

I just assumed we won.

We did.

[PHONE RINGS]

Twelfth Precinct, Wojciehowicz.

Yeah, he's here, just a second.

Hey, Fish.

Yeah? WOJO: New
Jersey State Police,

Line .

Yeah, Sergeant Fish.

You're holding who?

My grandchildren?

Is one of them
named Jilly Papalardo?

The other one is
Victor something.

I don't... I'm not sure.

Well, uh, we're...
We're not that close.

Will you send them
back? I'd appreciate it.

They could have
at least said "father."

Repent.

You who have turned away
and walk in the shadow.

Repent and stand in the light

if you are to be saved
when the city falls

into three pieces and
sinks into the bottomless pit.

No, man, would you
hold it down, please?

I want to pray.

You don't have to holler,
man. He can hear you.

I want to be saved.

What was that? What was what?

Didn't you feel it?

The earth moved.

It groaned and moved.

Look, man, this building groans

and moves every
time a truck passes by.

Now, would you be cool?

Oh, God, help us all.

That was a truck, wasn't it?

I hope so. Me too.

[COUGHING]

Mr. Unger. Mr. Unger,
are you all right?

I gotta get back to my plants.

We need each other.

Well, I bet you anything they
aren't gonna keep you, so...

Uh, I admire what
you're doing, Mr. Unger.

Coughing?

No, no. Doing your own thing.

You know, surviving alone.

That takes guts.

What time is it?

About : .

Ten minutes to . Ten
to for pete's sake.

Hello, everybody.

Oh, hi, Bernice.

Mwah.

Don't kiss me on the head.

Why not?

Because that's where you
kiss a person when he's senile.

I'll kiss you anywhere you want.

Just say hello.

Hello, Fish.

What are you doing here anyway?

I said : .

But I'm only minutes early.

It's five after .

Save us, oh, God. Lord of hosts.

Lord of Israel.

Who arrested the rabbi?

Bernice, sit down over here.

I have some work to finish.

[COUGHING]

Would you care for
some coffee, Mr. Unger?

Huh?

Coffee?

Oh.

I'd almost forgotten it existed.

I ran out in .

Then you're in for a treat.

It's funny,

I don't remember
it tasting like this.

Progress, Mr. Unger.

[COUGHING]

Hey, Barn, uh, Mr. Unger's...

I think he's getting worse.

Yeah, maybe we'd better
get him over to the hospital.

Mr. Unger, uh,
how are you feeling?

Who is that woman?

Oh, hello, Bernice.

This is Bernice Fish,
Sergeant Fish's wife.

Mr. Unger, uh,

Detective Wojciehowicz is
gonna take you to a hospital.

What for?

Because I don't
think you look too well.

I think I'm just
getting excited.

Um, why don't you go with
Detective Wojciehowicz?

Everything will be okay.

Because they won't be able

to do anything for
me at the hospital.

I'm allergic to sulfur dr*gs.

You'd be surprised
at the progress

medical science has
made in the last years.

You mean like the coffee?

I'll take him down
the back stairs

right to the garage. Good idea.

You can smell her perfume.

It is a little close
in here, yeah.

Uh, would...? Would...? Would
you say goodbye to her for me

and tell her I appreciate it?

I'll do that, Mr. Unger.

Here we go.

Bernice? Bernice, right.

[COUGHS]

[CHILDREN CHATTERING]

Hey, sarge, I got your
grandchildren here.

Grandchildren?
What grandchildren?

I wanted to surprise you.

Uh, I'll take them, DeLuca.

Thanks. I'd like to
give you somethin',

but I'm all tapped out.

You can only stretch a
buck so far these days.

All right, get over there. Now!

I thought you said
he was impotent.

I guess I was wrong.

Just where did you
think you were going?

We were wingin' it.

You didn't have to
worry. We were doin' fine.

You could have wound
up in prison in New Jersey.

You know what it's
like to be locked up

in a primitive country?

We was just passin' through.

And now they'll probably toss
you back into the Youth House.

You're fugitives.
Fish, don't yell at them.

Bernice, stay
out of this, please.

This your daughter?

I'll give you... Fish.

Shame on you.

I'm Mrs. Fish. How do you do?

Likewise. I'm Victor Kroitzer.

And this here is my, uh,
fiancée, Miss Papalardo.

I'm Jilly. Mr. Fish has
spoken about you many times.

Don't let him scare you.

He barks a lot,
but he doesn't bite.

[CHUCKLES] Yeah,
we found that out.

Barney, what am I supposed
to do with those kids?

You'll think of something.

You want to talk to
them? No, no, no.

I guess somebody ought to take
them back to Children's Center.

Good idea. See
you tomorrow, Fish.

Harris? Harris, the
kids have to go back

to the Children's
Center. Could you...?

I'm sorry, man. I got a
date in another direction.

Nick? Nick, could
you take the kids...?

I'm going to the
Jets-Tampa Bay game.

That's not till Sunday.

I don't care.

Those children don't
have any parents.

The too old for parents.

Barney, they've been discarded.

They live in Children's
Center like prisoners.

Bernice, they get
food, they get clothing,

they get an education.

But no love.

They get no love.

Can't you see their
eyes? They look haunted.

It's the light by my desk.

Don't I look haunted
when I'm over there?

All the time.

Fish, can't we do
something for them?

Yes, we have to take them
back to the Children's Center.

Do we have to?

Bernice they're
wards of the court.

It's not our business.

Well, can't we at least

take them to dinner with us?

No. Why not?

Because they're not
allowed to eat exotic foods.

We're allowed to eat
anything we can scrounge up.

Yeah, and if we
don't eat at the Center

then there's more garbage
for the rest of the kids.

Fish, please.

I couldn't enjoy myself now.

Know how to use
a Kn*fe and fork?

Hey, no sweat.

One's for cuttin', right?

And the other one's
for it don't move around.

Oh, my God.

Where are we gonna eat?
Oh, you're gonna love it.

It's called Yamamoto's.

I never ate
Japanese food before.

They all look alike to me.

Isn't that great?

Those are places
where you get...

You get to sit on the
floor and eat in your socks.

Save us.

Cleanse us, we are ready.

Ready to stand in the
light... All right, Mr. Roberts.

Will you keep it
down for God's s...?

Mr. Roberts, look:

It is minutes to ,
do you understand that?

Five-forty.

And we're still here.

You're still here,
I'm still here,

the city is still functioning

and, uh, the world,
such as it is, goes on.

And you didn't think
prayer would help.

Did you get Unger
to the hospital?

Oh, yeah. I did. How is he?

He's dead.

What happened?

[SIGHS] I don't know.

They... They said, uh,
he just stopped breathing.

Something about "no
tolerance," they said.

I guess that's the way the
world's gonna end, huh, Barn?

Just quietly, little by little.

Wojo.

Wojo, the secret to
sustaining life is adapting.

Now, you cannot live in
a hothouse for years

and expect to walk
out and live out here.

I guess not.

We have learned to
breathe this poison.

We have learned to deal
with... With the noise and...

And... And the pressures
and... And the... The fear.

We have learned to adapt.

So we're lucky, huh?

I'm not sure.

Uh, Barney,

the, uh, Good Humor boys
are here for Mr. Roberts.

Oh, okay. Why don't you take
him down on your way out?

Okay, Barn.

BARNEY: Nick, you can
go too. YEMANA: Okay.

All right, Mr. Roberts,
if you'll come with me.

You've got some, uh, people
downstairs who want to see you.

Are they believers?

Oh, yeah, they've seen it all.

Wonderful.

Isn't it, uh, remarkable
that we're all still here?

It's a miracle.

Aren't you going to thank
me? Thank you, Mr. Roberts.

Thanks, Mr. Roberts. Thank you.

Wojo, why don't you go home too?

What for? It ain't : yet.

Big deal, : .

I'll see you tomorrow, Barn.

That would be nice.

Good night, Barn.
Good night, Wojo.

Six, five, four,
three, two, one...

Thank you.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]