Life List, The (2025)

[bunniefuu]

I took a plane, I took a train

Ah, who cares?

You always end up in the city

I said to Carl, "Look up for once"

See just how the sun sets in the sky

- How's this?

- Cool.

Sexy. I like it.

I think I'm going to change.

Stop eating the salad.

Come in.

I wanted to let you know

people are starting to arrive.

Great. Is Alex here yet?

Uh, no. But she is gonna be bringing

her bean salad.

Ah. Alex is on Alex time

and there's

never a good time for that bean salad.

But you know what?

Let's Let's give her a break today.

Mom, you are always making excuses

for her. You realize that, right?

It's 'cause she's my favorite child.

- Okay, the truth finally comes out.

- Oh!

-Ouch!

-I'm still your favorite son, right?

Oh, sure.

"Why aren't you married yet?"

"Why do you work in a record store?"

"Why'd you give up teaching?"

"Why didn't you finish college?"

Why didn't you finish college?

I'm a life guy.

I learn by living, you know?

You love that about me.

Right, right.

Right.

Hey, how about this?

What about we go in there,

we say our hellos,

and then you give me the high sign,

we sneak off to your childhood bedroom

and make out

surrounded by the Barbies and Kens.

Mm, you're not getting anywhere

near my Barbies, buster.

Hmm.

-I'm going to take this into the kitchen.

-Okay.

- Hey, Lucas. Hey, Zoe.

- Hey!

Happy baby shower.

-There it is. Looks good.

-Yeah. Famous bean salad.

Yeah.

Super good.

Auntie Allie!

Hi, guys.

This party is so boring, and Dad

won't let us have cake until later.

What is it with parents, huh?

How about one of

our famous scavenger hunts?

Okay, I want six items that I could find

in Harry or Hermione's room.

And bonus points for anything that can

be used to make boring adults disappear.

Got it?

Oh, one second.

You guys need proper nutritional

preparation before we commence.

Okay.

-Zoe, I want you to meet Julia.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Nice to meet you.

Alex! Hi!

Oh, Kelly, wow. Oh my God, look at you.

No, don't. I'm so big.

But so beautiful.

Aw, why, thank you.

I heard you had to give up teaching.

-And you're working for your mother now?

-Yeah.

And your boyfriend

has a job at a record store?

I didn't know

there were record stores anymore.

Uh-huh. There's one left.

The rest of the time,

he's developing a video game called

either American Zombie: Blood Apocalypse

or Playground Armageddon.

And one day,

you'll make your mommy buy it for you.

Yes, you will. Yes, you will!

I've got to go grab Alex for a second.

Elizabeth, I am dying for you

to meet my friend Katie.

She's a huge fan of Rose Cosmetics.

Come meet her. Two seconds, two seconds.

Oh my God.

Thank God you're here.

I thought I was the only woman

under 40 not pregnant or lactating.

Hi. How are you?

Insufferable b*tches.

I hate them all.

Yeah. They're just jealous

because they don't get out anymore.

Yeah.

Except you don't go out anymore either.

Or even call your friends back.

What is going on with you?

Anybody want a gummy?

Yes. Can I have the, uh

-They're five milligrams

-Awesome.

- Times four. You should be good to go.

- Excellent.

- See you in five hours.

- You're not driving home, right?

- Then you're fine.

- Where's Elliot?

- We broke up.

- Sorry.

- I gotta go.

- Yeah. No, it's fine.

I've already gone on two--

Did you give the kids cake?

Uh

Oh yeah.

Oh yeah.

- That was me.

- Definitely.

Julian, relax. I mean, right?

Like, all we're saying is

-Let them eat cake.

-Lots of it.

What could possibly go wrong?

Let's go to Auntie Alex's room.

Maybe she has a fountain pen.

- Slow down!

- Hurry up already!

-Sayin' what you gon' do to me

-Uh-huh

But I ain't seen nothin'

I'm telling you

To loosen up my buttons, babe

Typical ain't hardly

The type I fall for

Finn, you have a really big willy.

Thank you.

-Am I grounded?

-Forever.

-I don't think Julian'll ever forgive you.

-Is that a promise?

- Hi.

- Hi.

Mmm.

Hmm.

Seriously, though.

What is going on with you?

-What do you mean?

-Um

I don't know. I feel like

maybe you're floundering a little bit.

Feeling a little lost.

Lost?

I have a new boyfriend and a great job.

Working for your mother?

Selling makeup to women twice your age?

What a dream.

Yeah, but it's a job.

With a future and security, and a job

I thought I was getting pretty good at.

Yeah, you're good at it.

It's not who you are.

It's not what you're passionate about.

-Passion is overrated.

-What?

It is. It never lasts,

and it's completely exhausting.

Besides, isn't that

what my generation is all about?

Lowering expectations

and letting go of childish dreams?

Alex, you do not believe that.

Besides, I love working for you, Mom.

I do.

You built this incredible business

all by yourself, and

and I want to be a part of it.

And make you proud.

Well, since you put it that way.

-Mom.

-Hmm?

I have some news.

Oh?

Finn officially asked me to move in.

Oh.

Well, at least until I find a new place.

In the meantime, we both save on rent.

How romantic.

Why do you guys all hate him?

Is it because he didn't finish college?

Neither did Steve Jobs.

I do not hate Finn.

I think he is a very sweet boy

who loves video games

and apparently has a large--

Oh my God, Mom. You have to stop.

Okay, I'll stop.

For now.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I have news too.

It's back.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay, so they'll just

have to get rid of it again.

No.

We'll find another doctor, and

And I read about these treatments

they're doing in Germany

that apparently are really effective.

And I will stop working

-Alex.

-And move in.

And I will take care of you

until you get better.

No.

No magic treatments in Germany.

No cure that's ten times worse

than the disease.

It's not going to make a difference.

Not this time.

Come here.

What am I going to do with you?

What am I going to do without you?

Hey, sweetie.

Ready to make an appearance?

Gonna be okay?

-Hi, Sam.

-It's good to see you. Really is.

- Don't you think it's surreal?

- How do you mean?

All of these people here except

the one person who's supposed to be.

I keep expecting her to walk out of

the kitchen and tell me to stop slouching.

I didn't know Dad was gonna be here.

They were married for 20 years,

most of them, happy.

-Of course he was gonna be there.

-Whatever.

I just hate when he talks as if

the divorce was

some kind of mutual decision.

Like, bro, he left her.

I hope your mom was clear

about dividing stuff up.

You don't wanna be like the Nelsons.

They don't talk to each other anymore.

Agreed. As long as I get

the Tamayo painting in the front hall.

God, Mom's barely been gone a week,

and all you can talk about is her stuff?

That's easy for you to say.

You're inheriting the company.

You don't know that.

I've barely worked a year.

Why do you think

Catherine spent so much time training you?

God, you make me sound like a pet.

Stop it, both of you.

Alex is doing great at work.

She's entirely ready for what's ahead.

Hello, everyone. Apologies for being late.

I'd just like to say

how truly sorry I am for your loss.

Uh, who are you exactly?

My name is Brad Ackerman.

I worked with your mother

on the final draft of her will.

-Where's old man Sullivan?

-Mr. Sullivan is in his office.

Um, it's Brad, right?

I'm sorry,

but are you even a partner here?

I'm an associate partner.

Maybe we should ask

to see his law degree.

You must be Alex.

And let me guess,

Julian, Catherine, Lucas, and Zoe.

Congratulations on

the birth of your daughter, Emma.

Thank you.

Your mother was an amazing woman.

Even when she was sick,

she was so strong and funny,

and, I don't know if this makes any sense,

present in everything

that she said and did.

I'm honored she chose me

to be the executor of her estate.

Shall we begin?

"I, Elizabeth Rose,

a resident of Brooklyn, New York,

and a citizen of the United States,

declare this to be my final will."

This is so weird.

"To Julian, I leave

my Loeb edition of Plato's works."

"A gentle reminder that he may not always

be the smartest person in the room."

"The Tamayo painting, an evocative

reminder of the heritage of our family,

I leave to Zoe."

"She can share it with Lucas,

as long as he never leaves her."

I would never.

Next is your mother's house.

"It is my wish that

neither the house nor its contents

be sold or leased for 12 months."

"My children may inhabit the home

during this time,

but for no longer

than 90 consecutive days."

Whoa, sorry to interrupt.

Did our mother explain

why she wanted us to keep the house?

I wish we could keep it forever.

The house is Mom. It's our history.

Yeah, that's sweet, Alex.

Do you know what the taxes are?

Brad, are you sure she understood

how expensive this will be?

In fact, she made provisions

to cover any costs.

Shall we move on to Rose Cosmetics?

"My children's shares

of Rose Cosmetics will stay at 20%."

"The remaining shares and title of CEO

will go to my daughter-in-law,

Catherine Williams Rose."

Wait, what?

Your mother's remaining shares

of Rose Cosmetics

will go to your sister-in-law,

Catherine.

Her last directive is that

Catherine appoint a new head of marketing.

But I'm head of marketing.

Not after today.

So I'm fired?

She's firing me from the grave? What

Aren't there, like,

laws or something against that?

"Finally, my beloved daughter, Alexandra,

is to collect her inheritance

at a later date."

And there is an asterisk here which

I'm meant to explain to you privately.

This is insane.

I mean, how long have you actually

been doing wills and dying?

I've been doing estate planning

at the firm for three years now.

Three years. Wow.

You're basically

a regular Thurgood Marshall.

That's nice, thank you. I appreciate that.

-Please don't talk to me like that.

-Or what? You'll take away my inheritance?

I'd like you to consider that

your mother was a very intelligent woman

whose main concern is what's best for you.

-Right, as in firing me.

-Trust her.

-And disinheriting me.

-She did not disinherit you.

Her only daughter. And I get nothing.

Not even a piece of furniture!

I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking that this is about money

and jewelry and whatever.

But the thing is,

yesterday, the only thing

that I wanted was her bed.

That's it. I just wanted

her old rickety iron bed

so I could just lay in it and curl up

and just pretend

that she was still with me.

I know how close you and your mother were.

She told me many times.

She just had

something else in mind for you.

What is this?

She wanted you to open it

when you were alone.

Do you have a DVD player?

Yeah. It's in the closet

next to the VCR and the butter churn.

My boyfriend has an Xbox.

Yeah, that'll work.

Go home. See what's in the envelope.

Hopefully some of this

will start to make some sense.

My lawyer will be in touch.

I I am your lawyer.

Finn?

Hello?

Hey, Bean.

You must be so pissed off.

It's not funny, Mom, and--

It's not funny, I know.

But I'm gonna explain, okay?

Last week, I was getting

my so-called affairs in order.

Oh my God, the crap

that we hold onto for no apparent reason.

But it was actually

this amazing life flashback. You know?

I mean, it was actually a you flashback.

I got to Look at all this stuff I found.

Look, all your finger paintings,

report cards.

But in the middle of it all,

I found this piece of paper.

A life list.

Your life list.

I love this list.

This list is such a reflection

of who you are.

Who I was. I was 13 when I wrote it.

And I know, obviously, you have changed.

Oh my God,

it's like she's listening to me.

And I think that's my concern,

is that I don't know

that you have replaced this with anything.

I wonder, have you given up

your dreams and your aspirations?

Your goals?

And don't tell me Rose Cosmetics, because

I feel like I gave you this cozy job

that allowed you to run away

from who you really are.

- Thanks a lot.

- So okay, let's look at the list.

"Help people and make a difference."

"Be a great teacher."

Alex, you are a born teacher.

Okay, "learn to drive, get a tattoo."

You can skip those, please, dear God.

My one request

"Find true love."

Why do I have a horrible feeling

you've given up on that too?

That's not fair.

I want you to know how incredible you are.

I want you to live your best life.

You have to get yourself

out of this hole you're in.

I'm not in a hole.

I'm sorry, that's not up for discussion.

I'm not gonna be around to dig you out,

but I can sure as hell leave you a shovel.

I want you to complete this list, Bean.

Hold on.

Mom, you can't just say that and

Okay. Every time

you check off something from the list,

Brad is going to give you

one of these DVDs,

which I am going to record.

And once the list is completely finished,

you will get this envelope.

But the clock is ticking.

The list has to be finished by New Year's.

Otherwise, no envelope.

Oh my God, I can't believe this.

I'm not screwing around, Bean.

This is serious business.

This is your life.

And I love you.

See you on the next DVD.

This is crazy.

"Go all out in a mosh pit."

"Play one-on-one with a New York Knick."

"Do stand-up comedy."

Walk me through that.

Lucas and I once swore that we would do

open mic night at the Comedy Cellar.

And and I still have the jokes I wrote.

-I gonna need to read those.

-"Make peace with Dad."

"Be a great teacher." You can do these.

-Mm-hmm.

-You should do these.

Why? So I can inherit some money?

-Yeah.

-No, it's just gross.

Besides, I swore that I would never

step foot into a classroom ever again.

Oh my God, who cares?

Temp for a couple of weeks.

Roll out one of those rickety TVs,

pop on Land Before Time, and then voil.

Or maybe you enjoy teaching again.

Isn't that the idea here?

Not my idea.

Alex. I've known you for a long time.

You'd never enjoy running that company,

no matter what you tell yourself.

Love when you guys get real.

Hmm, "Find true love."

You love Finn, right?

He's so sweet, so fun.

Apparently has a ginormous willy.

There's been three new iPhones

since you've been together.

You should know by now

if you love the guy.

Yeah, but living together was just

supposed to be like a temporary thing,

and then Mom got sick, and it just seemed,

you know, easier not to find my own place.

Which is exactly what she meant.

You're not dealing with sh*t.

Like not telling Finn about the list?

Do you remember when Lucas and I broke up

before we got engaged?

The whole world remembers.

Didn't Anderson Cooper do a special?

Hilarious.

I asked your mom for advice,

and she told me about her true love test.

Remember that?

Vaguely.

There's four questions

you're supposed to ask yourself?

Or is that Passover?

Yes, four questions.

One, can you tell him

everything in your heart?

Two, is he kind?

Three, does he help you

become the best version of yourself?

Meaning?

Alex in full flight with Finn.

Four, can you imagine him

as the father of your children?

Elizabeth said to ask myself

those questions,

and if Lucas passed, I was on my way.

This is totally crazy. I know.

But I trust your mom.

Besides, what have you got to lose?

Is Finn kind?

Absolutely.

Does he help me

become the best version of myself?

Can I tell him everything in my heart?

I can barely tell myself.

Can I imagine him being

the father of our children?

What the hell are you doing?

-Oh, hey, babe.

-Hi.

I'm just, uh

doing the stoner test of my game.

The what?

The stoner test?

Kids like to play video games stoned,

so you have to make sure

it's still easy enough while you're high,

but still super challenging

when you're not high.

Know what I mean?

I need to talk to you about something.

Like, now?

Yeah.

You know, as a life motivator,

this is kind of genius.

I think you should totally go for it.

I mean, it's your inheritance.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Think about how much freedom

it would give you. Both of us, actually.

I mean, I could finish

designing American Zombie,

you'd run the company instead of teaching.

What company?

The gaming company

I'm always talking about.

You'd be like the the brander

or whatever, and we'd hang 24-7.

Wait, is that how you see me?

Working for you

at your non-existent gaming company?

No, it's our company.

Come on, it'd be fun

working together again.

Remember when

we used to have fun before your whole

death fixation?

Finn, my mother just died.

I know, but I think you should try

having fun again, because fun is so so

-So fun?

-Yeah.

Fun's fun. That's actually See,

that's a great slogan for the company.

And fun's way more fun

with some scratch in your pocket.

Like, say we want to have kids one day.

How are we supposed to afford that?

I'm sorry, now you want to have kids?

Not really, but I know you will.

So what else do we have to do?

Mosh pit? Cool.

Get tattoos?

Why not matching?

Find true love?

Baby, I want to make true love to you

right now on the Crate and Barrel.

Mm-mm.

Alex, come on!

You're totally overreacting!

Come up and let's talk about this!

You don't have to work

at the video game company. I was joking!

It was a joke!

It was a funny joke.

I hope you're happy.

No thanks.

Your mother would be so happy.

Yeah, well, like Zoe said,

what have I got to lose?

I'm single, unemployed,

and I like crossing things off of lists.

Plus, it's the only way

that I get to see my mom's DVDs, right?

Yes, there's another one waiting for you

every time you do an item on the list.

-Can I ask you something?

-Yep.

DVDs? Seriously?

Your mother wanted you to have something

tangible, you know, that you could keep.

Is that your girlfriend?

Nina. She lives in Chicago.

-May I?

-Yeah.

Wow.

-She's, like, really beautiful.

-You say that like it's a big surprise.

Well, she has amazing cheekbones and

what appears to be a perfect body. And

And you have lunch on your tie.

That's funny.

You should let me know

when you do the stand-up.

I will put Nina back.

Is this what it's going to be like

with us the whole time?

I'm just doing what your mom asked me to.

That's it.

I'm sorry.

And in the meantime

How hard can it be to read a book?

sh*t.

Look at, look at, look at

I can see everything

Babies double-dutching

Singing their names

Counting off time doing their thing

Look at, look at, look at

I can see everything

Babies double-dutching

Singing their names

Counting off time doing their thing

I keep losing friends too.

I'm like the Marie Kondo of friendships

if Marie Kondo

was the one getting thrown out.

First time?

I ran into a friend

the other day, and

It'll be fine.

She looked great. She had a baby bump.

Even if you b*mb, you look amazing.

- "Didn't know you were expecting."

- Like your T-shirt. It's really hot.

I'd totally bang your T-shirt.

I slept with him.

This is all the time I have. Thank you.

Give it up for your host. Good night.

I'm Jackson.

-Hey. Alex.

-Hey.

Our next victim

- You want to hang later?

- I mean guest, is first-timer

-Not really.

-Alex Rose. So, let's give him a hand.

Hello, everyone.

Hi.

You were probably expecting a guy

when you heard the name Alex.

I get that a lot.

I mean, it wasn't easy

growing up with a guy's name.

I'd come home crying

after all the kids teased me,

and I'd beg my brother Joanne

to beat them up.

You're not funny!

But I'd still make out with you.

Uh

So, where were we?

So, when I was 15, I had this big crush

on my brother's friend, Jeremy,

and he'd come home after school, and I'd

sidle up next to him, all cool and sexy,

and I'd say, "What's up?" And he'd say

Blow me!

What is wrong with you, bro?

This is Jackson, everyone.

He tried to hit on me backstage

and said he wanted to bang my T-shirt.

Thought about it for a second,

but I really like this T-shirt.

And honestly, micropenises are so Gen X.

Really, that's all it takes?

Just one d*ck joke?

I would've brought my entire folder.

It's like this big.

Goodnight, New York.

Great. And three minutes under time.

That's perfect.

- Hey.

- Hey.

-What are you doing here?

-Uh, you invited me.

Did I? I hope you enjoyed the train wreck.

That wasn't a train wreck.

You got that that laugh. At the end.

And you get one of these.

One down, 11 to go.

I knew I accidentally invited you

for a reason.

Hi, Bean.

I would've given anything

to have seen you on that stage.

Scared shitless, I bet.

Yeah.

But alive, am I right?

You were such a a fearless kid.

What do you think happened to that?

I don't know what happened.

Life.

I think you suffered some real setbacks.

And I get it.

But I watched you gradually start to

settle for what was safe and less painful.

But, honey, settling is never gonna make

the fear and the pain go away.

And I can tell you that from experience.

So I want you to try something for me.

For the next week, I want you to do

something every day that scares you.

One thing that makes you feel nauseous

in the pit of your stomach.

That's how I felt after your dad left

and I started my business.

Terrifying.

But life-changing.

-Got it?

-Got it.

I will see you on the next one.

Over and out.

You know what, I don't know if I can

handle doing something scary every day

on top of everything else.

I could maybe do it twice a week

if I got some Xanax from my assistant.

What would you do first?

That's easy. I would go straight

into old man Sullivan's office

-and ask why I'm not a full partner yet.

-Mm.

It's crazy. Every time I tell myself

I'm gonna do it, I literally feel sick.

It's ridiculous. I'm a grown man.

With ketchup on his tie?

Who once had ketchup on his tie.

Who's too afraid to ask

for what I know I deserve.

Okay, so go into Sullivan's office

tomorrow and ask for what's yours.

I mean, who cares if he's the scariest,

wrinkliest old dude in New York, right?

Yeah. Yeah, right.

-Yeah, I'll do that tomorrow.

-Mm.

Or maybe the next day.

What about you?

Well, that's a no-brainer.

Make peace with my dad.

We just never really connected.

And because my brothers

are so damn perfect,

he always acts like I'm the screw-up.

But you're not a screw-up.

Really?

Then how come I can't get through

a single chapter of Moby d*ck

without falling asleep?

And I still don't have one job interview.

Oh, that reminds me.

I do pro bono work for a women's shelter

on the Lower East Side.

They have a classroom--

I'm sorry, you do free work

for a women's shelter?

Uh, yeah.

So modest, Bradley.

The point is they have a classroom

for the high school kids that live there,

and they need a teacher

to finish out the rest of the semester.

Any interest?

Maybe.

Yeah.

Why are you being so nice to me?

Do you get, like, a bonus

if I actually get my inheritance?

Wow. Okay, now you've hurt my feelings.

I don't know why.

Actually, I just feel like

you'd be a good fit.

Hmm.

I know what you're thinking.

What's a girl like me

doing with a book like this?

You're already doing better than me.

I only got to the first chapter.

Same. In high school,

and then in college too.

Then the other night I was on TikTok,

feeling a record-breaking level of

self-loathing, and I decided to try again.

Something just clicked,

and I got into the rhythm of it,

and now I I can't put it down.

So you're saying

I should finally get myself a TikTok?

Stand clear of the closing doors, please.

Our regular teacher, Mrs. Monnell,

went into labor a month early,

-so we're grateful you could fill in.

-I'm grateful you asked me.

Now, the goal is

to keep the kids on an even keel

and up to speed on core subjects

while they're living here.

-Which could be weeks, sometimes months.

-Right.

Lesson plans and files for each child.

Later you'll meet with Dr. Taylor,

one of our consulting therapists.

Anything else you need, just ask.

Then I'll tell you

why you probably can't have it.

Good luck.

Good morning.

I'm Miss Rose.

Hey, guys, can we just please

quiet down so we can get started?

- Whoa!

- Aaron!

Aaron, come on. Give me my sweater.

-Can you please give her the sweater?

-It's not even funny.

Aaron, come on, man.

Pink's not even your color.

-Thank you, Your Majesty.

-Thanks.

Some people think

Hamlet is a play about indecision.

You know, the feeling when

you can't decide between Edward and Jacob,

or whoever the hot vampires are

these days.

Miss Rose,

you gotta update your references.

So I want everyone

to write about a time

when they had

something really important to do.

But like Hamlet,

you couldn't quite

find a way to take action.

You have 30 minutes.

Wow, that's really beautiful.

Thank you.

But it's not the assignment we're doing,

is it, Ezra?

Whatever.

You know, that's not a bad word

for thinking about Hamlet.

-Why not use it as a starting point?

-Maybe 'cause I don't care.

Maybe because "to be or not to be"

is a stupid question.

Hmm. Maybe.

Or maybe it's the most important question.

And hey, if you don't agree with me,

then maybe you can write about that.

In the meantime, I will take a deeper

dive into your beautiful art.

Hey, give that back!

Absolutely, the second you're done.

Ah! Ow!

-Ezra, what do you think you're doing?

-Taking action.

Oh my God.

He wouldn't do the assignment,

and then he gave me the finger.

Only after you took away

his prized possession.

-Right, but I didn't know that.

-It was in the folder I asked you to read.

Ten minutes before class.

Alex, these children

are in a very vulnerable place.

Before anything else, you have to

understand that if this is gonna work.

Ms. Howard, I can teach these kids. I want

to teach them. Please don't fire me.

Who's getting fired?

Nobody. Yet.

This is Alex Rose, the teacher

recommended by Brad Ackerman.

And it's her first day,

and it's not going particularly well.

Well, I remember your first day, Carol.

Actually, I remember the whole week.

Very funny.

Maybe you can help Alex

get the hang of how things work?

Yeah, I'd be delighted.

Girl with Moby d*ck.

That did not come out right.

Ezra's mom died last year,

and he and his aunt are here

while she sorts out

a complicated family situation.

My mother died recently.

I'm so sorry.

Thank you. Uh, but I'm thinking

maybe it's something

I could connect with him about.

Yeah, it's not a bad idea. It's

I'd just wait a little bit

before trying it out.

-But I--

-Kids like Ezra are a bit like cats.

-Like cats?

-You have to wait for them to come to you.

Even when everything in your body

is screaming out

to scratch them behind their ears.

-Patience--

-is a virtue.

-Right.

-Yeah, the one that

I'm still getting acquainted with.

Thank you, Dr. Taylor.

Anytime, Miss Rose.

Alex.

Garrett.

Should we do the rest of these files?

Sure.

Yeah. Oh sh*t, I mean, I-I can't.

I I thought we'd be done at six,

and I have a dinner date to get

With my dad.

I have dinner with with my dad.

But can we maybe try again?

Yeah, I'm here Mondays and Thursdays.

Or you can call me anytime.

Hey, Dad!

Hey.

Sorry, there was a problem on the train.

Well, always leave a little extra time,

then there won't be--

be any problems, I know.

But a life without problems

would be kind of boring, wouldn't it?

Yeah.

I'll take that under consideration.

Come on. How are you doing?

Good.

A women's shelter. That's different.

But good. Good.

I'm happy you're teaching again.

Thanks. Now if I could just manage

not getting fired.

-Well, don't do that, Alex. Come on.

-What did I do?

That self-deprecating. It's not funny

or charming. You're an adult now.

Did you ever think it was funny?

-Not really.

-Yeah.

But as your mother used to say,

my sense of humor's a little Hm.

You know, she really wanted us

to get along better.

Not be so angry with each other.

I'm all for it.

And and I'm not angry with you.

Okay, sometimes a little frustrated.

Thing is, Dad, I'm really trying

to make this new path for myself,

and I'd just like to feel that

you could, you know, support me.

Lucas told me about the will.

And of course, anything that you need.

No, not money.

Emotional support, Dad. Jesus.

What?

-It seems you're the angry one, not me.

-I'm not angry.

Okay, fine, maybe a little.

About what?

At some basic level,

I always feel like I'm letting you down.

Do you remember when I told you

I was gonna quit teaching?

Yeah.

You literally told me

that you weren't surprised.

-No.

-Yeah.

No, I said I was disappointed.

Look, you had a few bumps along the way,

and you gave up on a career

that you cared deeply about.

Like, what was I to do,

lie and give you a hug?

Come on, no disrespect,

but your mother had that covered.

Right, 'cause who in their right mind

would hug their kid

after they've just been unfairly fired?

Also, Mom never lied to me.

Oh, come on!

Whatever, this was her idea

of working things out.

-You think your mom was so damn perfect.

-She was pretty awesome.

Yeah, God forbid anyone should say a word

that would knock her off her majestic

pedestal, but I promise you, Alex,

she was not perfect,

and she was not a saint.

Oh really? What?

What did she do that was so terrible?

What, she let the dog eat

your Eddie Bauer slippers?

-That's not funny.

-Didn't pay her library fines?

Oh, she cheated on her taxes.

No, wait, cheated on you.

Dad?

Excuse me, can I get the check, please?

Dad.

She cheated on you,

that's what you're saying, isn't it?

Dad, you can't just drop a b*mb

like that and walk away.

I was 15 when you got divorced,

is that when it happened?

Why are you running away from me? Stop!

Things happen in a marriage, Alex.

But we got through it, and we managed

to have some pretty good years together,

so can we please just leave it at that?

No, we can't.

Please, I need to know.

It was before you were born.

It wasn't just a fling. Something

Something else happened.

Oh.

Why don't we go for a walk, sweetheart?

Are you kidding me?

Let me get this straight.

You're saying that Dad

is not actually my father.

Mom had an affair

with a musician named Johnny Alvarez.

Apparently he played at a club

they'd go to in the Village.

Um, that's just

I don't know what to say.

Johnny Alvarez?

Sounds like Mom had a type.

Lucas.

She ended the relationship

when she got pregnant,

and she and Dad made this agreement

not to tell me. Or any of us.

Like that was the way

that they could save their marriage.

Alex, I can't imagine how difficult

it must be to make sense of this.

I'm somewhere between numb

and completely furious.

Like, who am I?

And why didn't anyone,

namely Mom, bother to tell me?

It definitely explains

a lot about me and Dad.

Why he never could love me

the same as you guys.

-No.

-Hey, that is not true, okay?

And he's still your father.

He's the man who raised you.

I don't know.

I think I need to find him.

I'm not sure that's a good idea.

Julian, how can you say that?

Alex should know

who her biological father is.

I know, but the company is

a trusted family brand

going through What?

It's going through a big transition

right now, and if the story gets out--

The story? Are you kidding me?

Alex, we are all going to do whatever

we have to do to help you with this.

Okay, that's not what I meant.

-Jesus, why am I always the bad guy?

-Because you're so f*cking good at it.

Julian didn't mean that.

He's just been having

a really hard time lately.

With what?

Raising two wonderful children?

Being married to the perfect woman

who took the perfect job

that I was apparently unfit to handle?

A hard time that his mother died.

You're not the only one missing her.

I'm here to see Brad Ackerman.

I'm Alex Rose.

Is he expecting you?

- No, but I'm sure if you--

- Alex!

-Hey!

-Did we have an appointment?

I-I was just about to go shopping.

Nina's coming into town next week,

and I thought it was time for a new tie.

-Because of what I said?

-Yep.

You know, I always hoped, if only

I could change just one person's life.

Why are you here?

Uh, I finished Moby d*ck.

Thought I'd pick up my DVD, and, um,

I wanted to ask

for your help with something.

Sure I think.

The thing I keep obsessing about

is why she didn't tell me.

We told each other everything.

Was she afraid or ashamed?

Did she ever give you

a hint about any of it?

No, no, she never said a word.

Honestly, the whole thing

seems really just unlikely.

Maybe it's a part of who she really was,

and it's one of the reasons she sent me

on this crazy "Alex in Wonderland" journey

to find out for myself.

-No, way too boring.

-What?

Make an effort here, Bradley.

So

Will you help me find Johnny Alvarez?

Yeah, yeah, of course.

We could start by googling him.

Wow, you really do think of everything.

Okay, smarty-pants,

what did you come up with?

A bandleader named Johnny Alvarez,

except he was born in 1918.

Uh, I tried John, Juan, Jonathan

There's, like, a thousand entries.

Perfect

for your middle school graduation.

Come on, this is

the amazing Tina we're talking about.

Nina, actually.

Um, there is someone that I use

on divorce cases, but she's not cheap.

-If the money's a problem, I can talk--

-No, it's not the money. It's

It's like I've fallen down

this weird rabbit hole.

Old family secrets, private detectives,

becoming friends with a lawyer.

Nothing makes sense anymore.

So we're friends now?

Looks good.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Now all you need is a suit to go with it.

I was actually just--

Shh.

-Get a new suit.

-Yeah.

Hiya, Bean.

You like my new tripod stick thingy

I got for the camera?

It's not bad, just a little shaky.

Our chair.

Hmm. Needs a little love.

Well, I'll have to get that

taken care of before I

Before I Why is it so hard to say "die"?

I'm gonna die.

How does that line go?

"What dreams may come

when we shuffle off the mortal coil must"

-"must give us pause."

-"give us pause."

"must give us pause."

Ah, that's got a nice ring to it.

Like I could stick around,

but in some cool dream state

without pain or suffering.

Speaking of suffering,

how friggin' long is this book?

I just kept looking for

some sort of inspiring connection

between the book and the list.

But the best I could come up with was,

I'm Ahab, you're my whale,

and I've set you off

on this hopeless quest.

I mean, I got a lot of nerve.

-No, Mom, you have--

-Right?

What am I doing? Playing God?

As if I'm some kind of paragon of

wisdom and virtue, which I can

assure you, my darling, that I am not.

Yeah, so, um,

Dad told me.

The truth is, I

I

Truth is, I woke up this morning,

and I was convinced

that I should release you

from this lunatic mission.

But then I looked at the list again,

and I'm telling you, I know

you were only 13 when you wrote it

but it is a map

toward your best self.

You know what I mean?

I just I wanna say, if you're struggling,

or if you're feeling like a failure,

it's okay.

There's no shame in asking for help.

I'm learning that now

more and more every day.

"Call me Ishmael."

One of the best first lines ever.

Yeah.

Remember how I used to say,

"Call me Mommy."

"But just be sure to call."

All right, my Bean.

Till next time.

I love ya. Over and out.

I remember

you were a very talented student.

You had a lot of heart,

but maybe not so much discipline.

Hmm. I wanted to play Green Day

and Fiona Apple,

and you made me do scales and Bach.

So why "Clair de Lune"?

It was my mom's favorite.

Your mother was a special lady.

And I was sad to hear about her passing.

I know you don't take on

many students, Ms. Wyman,

but it would have meant so much to her

if she knew I was doing this with you.

All right, three conditions.

-You arrive on time

-Mm.

you practice every day, including scales,

and you perform in the June recital.

So I was at the library, and I I saw

some books I thought would interest you.

So now you're trying to buy my respect?

More like loan it.

They have to be back in two weeks.

I know you're interested in art,

so, um, I found a couple of books,

including this amazing biography

of Egon Schiele.

-He's this--

-I know who he was.

Oh, and this DVD.

It's based in New York, present day.

It's about 90 minutes, and the actor

who plays Hamlet is, like, really hot,

so maybe give it a shot.

Hey, Miss Rose!

Yeah.

Okay, so I didn't pretend that Ezra

was a cat, and yes, it totally backfired

Yeah, truly.

You look nice.

No, no, no, that's fine.

Just say hi to Theo from me. Okay, bye.

-Hi.

-Sorry.

-You were saying?

-I didn't pretend Ezra was a cat.

No, no, after that.

Oh. Uh, I think I said, you look nice.

That was it. Thank you. You look--

Wet, angry, and frustrated.

I need your help.

You never called me.

I know, I meant to.

But then all this messed up

family stuff happened--

That's a coincidence.

Messed-up family stuff is my speciality,

and I really would love to help.

It's just, I'm late for a meeting

and I have this thing later, hence,

monkey suit.

Hey, why don't you come with me?

My date canceled,

and we can talk about Ezra

or anything you want to talk about.

Oh, I don't know.

I'm not really the kind of person

you want to take to a fancy event.

Says who?

- This is fantastic.

- Pretty great, isn't it?

Holy sh*t, is that Patrick Ewing?

Wait, you're into basketball?

I was the point guard

at the Ditmas Park Middle School team.

I loved the Knicks,

and I need to talk to him.

It's kind of a long story.

Which I will tell you if you're very good.

Well, if you're very good,

I might just introduce you to him.

You know him?

I'm just gonna check my coat.

I'll be right back.

Patrick Ewing.

-Yeah. Thank you.

-You're welcome.

Aren't you supposed to wear a tux?

Aren't you supposed

to be wearing a fancy gown?

Oh, don't be so gender normative.

At least you got yourself a nice tie.

You look damn good, counselor.

He does, doesn't he?

Alex, this is Nina Keller.

-Ah!

-Nina, this is my client, Alex Rose.

It's so nice to meet you, Nina.

I've heard so much about you.

Yeah, you too. I think

you may be Brad's favorite client.

Nina just got offered a job

heading the Mayor's

Sustained Manhattan Initiative.

-Wow.

-Looks like she's moving back to New York.

"Just when I thought I was out,

they pulled me back in."

Well, congrats.

What are you doing here? This is

the last place I'd think to find you.

She's with me.

Hey.

Garrett.

- Nina.

- Dr. Taylor.

- You know each other.

- know each other.

That makes perfect sense.

Garrett knows everyone.

And I thought I was special.

And you are special. Nina and I had

a disastrous date a long time ago.

It's impossible to have

two alphas in a relationship.

Someone always has to be

the beta.

I guess that's where I come in.

Oh, that's not what I meant.

You have all the alpha a girl needs.

Oh, did you hear that?

I have all of the alpha

Cheers to your alpha.

- To Brad's alpha.

- Cheers.

- Wow. That's Cheers.

- I love this so much.

I will have, uh, the 16-year-old scotch.

Thank you.

it's quite the turnout we got here.

Hey, yeah. Yeah, we did good, right?

Partly thanks to you persuading

the firm to buy, what, three tables?

Yeah, it was a bit cheaper

than making me partner, so

So, you and Nina?

Yeah. So, you and Alex.

Oh, she was kind enough

to step in last minute.

Yeah, no, that makes sense.

She doesn't seem like your usual type.

What's my usual type?

- Oh, I don't know. Someone a little less

- Tips in the rebound for the win!

And then the crowd goes nuts.

whatever that is.

Whoa! And it was just epic.

Exactly. The thing

I didn't know I was missing.

The best Knick ever!

You know, I can't believe

you got Patrick Ewing's email.

I think he was just trying

to get rid of me.

No.

You totally charmed him.

Like you totally charmed me.

You know, I really like talking to you.

And I really like listening to you talk.

Well, I really like talking to you too.

And listening.

And sometimes,

I like to look really deep into your eyes.

Are we having a staring competition?

Wow.

Well, don't let me distract you, 'cause

I'm determined to win fair and square, but

how about a proper date?

Well, what about the fact that we--

Work together?

Technically, I'm a mere consultant.

There's nothing mere about you.

I've been wanting to do that

ever since I saw you on the A Train.

So, how about that date?

What do you think

we've been doing all night?

Oh, okay.

So, Lucas is my bud, always has been.

His wife is Zoe, and we became best

friends the minute they started dating.

And, uh, Julian is the number one son

and teaches law at Columbia.

Wow, I'm impressed.

Yeah, so is he.

sh*t, I really didn't want

to be late today.

Look, we're not late.

You don't have anything to prove

to your brothers or your dad or anyone.

Thank you.

- Sorry. I'm

- If he says lecture

- Garrett's a hit.

- It's fascinating.

Yeah.

Can I say something?

You look different. In a really good way.

I feel different.

I mean, Garrett has

something to do with it, but

-It's also this life list thing.

-Yeah?

Yeah. Who knows if I'll do it all, but

I don't know, I wonder

if that's even the point, you know?

What about make peace with Dad?

I think he just wants

to find a way forward.

I know, I know, but

I need to find out about Johnny first, and

we haven't had any luck finding him, so

- Hi, guys, your table is ready.

- Come on up.

Speaking of the list,

you will never in a million years

believe what I'm doing tomorrow.

That was a wonderful,

original interpretation.

Next up, Alexandra Rose,

playing "Clair de Lune."

Excuse me. Sorry.

Remember the summer

when you and your brothers

did the combination

car wash and lemonade stand,

and your brothers just assumed the money

would go to their video game fund

Education is an important part of how we

support our families while they live here.

But you hung these everywhere

until they finally had to relent,

and all the money

went to the Humane Society.

Oh, you're the one?

- It's me.

- It's you?

-It's you and me.

-Oh my goodness.

-Ready?

-I'm ready for you, girl!

What you got, hotshot?

Yeah!

Oh my God! Are you okay?

I thought I said

mosh pits were out of the question.

-Yeah!

-Yeah!

Just don't go anywhere near

a tattoo parlor or any vehicle whatsoever.

I'm trying.

- I know you're trying, but

- Got it?

I want you to write a letter

from you to yourself.

So here we are.

Be a great teacher.

I watched that movie that you gave me.

I always knew you were.

And if you are

actually watching this right now

Alex, I'm so proud of you.

-Hi.

-Hey.

Alex?

Alex!

-Hey!

-Dad.

What are you doing

in this neck of the woods?

I was just getting coffee

with a a work friend.

How about you?

I just had a meeting nearby.

I'm kind of waiting for my Uber now.

I'm sorry I haven't been in touch.

No, I-I understand.

I mean, I think I understand.

I just need a little more time.

I know.

It's good to see you.

Hey, sorry I'm late.

You're not. I'm early.

Uh," Clair de Lune."

Nine down, three to go.

Jinx.

I want to put the detective back on.

I know, I know you're gonna say she hit

a dead end and that it's a lot of money--

I already did it.

I know, you can pay me back later or not.

You could just keep being my stylist. Um

The point is,

we have to find Johnny, right?

Thanks.

Yeah, of course.

Ooh, sandwiches.

So how are things with Garrett?

Good. Really good.

Okay.

Why are you looking at me like that?

It's probably nothing, it's just

Do you think it's strange

he never wants to stay at my place?

Like, he always picks the movie

or the restaurant.

I don't know, it's kind of like

we live entirely in his world

and only occasionally will he visit mine.

Yep.

What?

It doesn't sound like nothing, right?

Like, how do you really know someone

unless you've seen their bookshelves

or, like, the crazy sh*t

they keep in their fridge?

How come every time we talk about Garrett,

you get all weird?

I thought you guys were friends.

We are friends. Of a certain kind.

The kind that

don't really like each other?

The point is that you should

talk to him about it before it festers.

Okay.

Sakina grew up here

but works in Mumbai doing microfinancing,

and Russell is the president

of the Psychiatric Institute.

Hey, can I ask you a favor?

-Uh-huh.

-Can we not talk about the list tonight?

Why? Everyone loves that story.

It's not a story, it's my life,

and I'm starting to feel

like a favorite pet trick.

Yeah, no, of course, sure. No life list.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Alex?

It's nothing, it's just

How come we never stay at my place?

Like, make dinner at my place.

Because you love my apartment.

I do, it's amazing, it's just

It's yours.

It's your life and your friends and

I don't know, I thought maybe you'd want

to be a bigger part of my life too.

Yeah, yeah, and we've hung out

with your family. We--

We had brunch once.

You always say that I should work harder

at unraveling my feelings, so

Here they are, unraveled.

Thank you, and I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, you're right, I'm just

I'm a really bad guest

'cause I'm a bit of a control freak.

I'm a lot of a control freak.

Maybe you should see a shrink.

Well, maybe I should

just stay at your place.

Really?

Really.

Oh, just give me one second.

Hello, Bradley.

Yeah, what's up?

Oh my God.

-Baby?

-They found my dad!

They found Johnny.

He lives in Vermont, and he's still

a musician, just under a different name.

-Which is why we couldn't find him.

-Incredible.

Your father was missing?

No. Yes.

It's kind of a long story,

which I guess now I have to tell you.

Which is fine because I didn't get

a chance to read your New Yorker article,

and Garrett says that

we can't talk about Meghan Markle.

Hi, I'm Alex.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Hi.

So, what have you decided?

Uh, well, Garrett and I are driving up

to Burlington tomorrow.

I'm gonna show up at the club where

Johnny's band plays and see what happens.

Are you sure that's not,

like, too in his face?

Maybe, but if I call him out of the blue

and he blows me off,

I don't know if I can handle that,

you know?

I gotta go.

My first dinner guest has arrived.

-I'll keep you posted.

-Good luck.

Thanks. Coming!

-Ta-da! Hey!

-Hey!

-How are you?

-Mwah. Come on in.

Place looks fantastic

with all the new furniture. It feels so

Small?

It feels so you. So adorable.

You're sweet.

Okay, let me take this to the kitchen

and I'll go get changed.

Make yourself at home, okay?

Thank you. Yeah.

Oh, don't sit in the armchair.

I have to get the springs fixed.

Okay.

Can you get that, please?

Hi.

Wow. You're even hotter than Alex said.

-I'm Megan.

-I'm--

Garrett, duh. This is my girlfriend,

Nell. Alex, we're here.

Be right there.

Hey. What's up?

- Hi.

- Wow, this place is tiny.

I wonder what she's paying.

Oh. My. God.

Alex, you got a tattoo?

-Is that the Yeah.

-The list!

I can't believe how much

she's already done.

Oh, except that one

still isn't crossed off.

Get with the program, Garrett.

She's only got till New Year's.

I got it.

Love her, she's getting the door

in somebody else's house.

Hello.

- Hi. I'm Zoe.

- Hey.

-Nell. Nice to meet you.

-Oh, I've heard so much about you.

Lucas. Nice to meet you.

Okay, wait.

Shh. I have a good one. I have a good one.

Would you rather time travel

100 years into the past or the future?

The future, obviously.

I'm thinking jet packs,

cure for cancer, and we'll live forever.

That's all well and good,

but at the end of the day

Who wants to live forever? I mean,

most weeks I can barely make it to Friday.

- Or Wednesday.

- Yeah. Exactly.

- I'm serious.

- I want to live in the present.

- Have you read The Power of Now?

- My God.

Of course.

My ick is to ask somebody

to Venmo you. Like, I'm not

- Oh my God! It's so uncomfortable.

- Don't do it.

You're thinking about this too hard.

What's your ick?

You're putting a lot of Cilantro.

What? That's how I find out

you don't like cilantro?

Sandals with socks. Sorry, Grandpa.

- So problematic.

- What's the point of this?

What? Oh, it's like a thing

I'll explain later. You guys, I can't

No, I need to know what hers is,

because she has a million.

I do have a question for Garrett.

And no judging.

Have you ever had an affair

with one of your patients?

Seriously?

Why, Megan? Have you ever

slept with one of your doctors?

Does my dermatologist count?

Huzzah!

-Huzzah!

-Huzzah!

Have you ever slept with

One of your doctors?

Have you ever slept with

One of your doctors?

Is that really how I come across?

Like some kind of creep

who would sleep with his own patient?

No, it was just a game.

We were just having a good time.

Admit it, it was a fun night.

Yep, maybe not for everyone.

Can I ask you,

when you organized this dinner,

did you put any thought whatsoever

into bringing together a group of people

who had something, anything in common?

You mean besides me? Because I was

kind of hoping that would cover it.

Hey.

I'm sorry if you were feeling left out

and I didn't I didn't clock it.

I was just really excited for you

to spend some time with my friends.

Having inane conversation

about absolutely nothing.

Do you know

what your friend Megan told me?

She said I'd better get my sh*t together

so you can check true love off your list.

-She did not.

-Yeah, I dunno what was more insulting,

the fact that you hadn't checked it off,

or that in some unconscious way

you're only with me

to get your inheritance.

I'm going to give you a moment

to reconsider what you just said.

I don't give a sh*t about the money,

Garrett. Is that what you think of me?

I honestly don't know what to think

about tonight, or about

where we are in our relationship.

We're in my apartment for the first time

since the week I moved in,

with my ridiculous friends

who say inane things.

Well, maybe I should go.

Sounds like a plan.

See you later.

Garrett, wait.

How am I supposed to get to Vermont?

- Pringle?

- Yes.

Thank you.

You okay?

Yeah.

No.

He won't answer any of my calls or texts,

which is just great.

You guys are amazing for doing this.

I really appreciate it.

It's an adventure.

If I was meeting my father

for the first time, I'd want some backup.

What?

I'm trying to put on some weight.

I'm getting way too good-looking.

People are starting to think

I'm superficial.

You see? She never laughs at my jokes.

-You told her that?

-Because you don't.

Maybe I was laughing on the inside.

I don't know.

Well, laugh louder on the inside.

Oh my God.

- No way.

- She laughed.

- Let's go.

- What?

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Hm.

Hey, can we listen to something else?

Yeah, sure.

They call me Stacey

They call me Her

They call me Jane

That's not my name

That's not my name

That's not my name

That's not my name

They call me quiet

But I'm a riot

Mary-Jo-Lisa

Always the same

That's not my name

That's not my name

That's not my name

-Hey.

-Hmm.

What if my dad doesn't like me?

What if you don't like him?

Is that you being reassuring?

What if he doesn't like me and I don't

like him? I already have one of those.

God, Nina's so beautiful.

She has a neck like Audrey Hepburn.

You should check out her ears.

-Really?

-I'm serious, yeah.

Wow!

It's like a golden orb

designed by a sun god.

And her skin.

Yeah.

Is the sex amazing?

I mean, even if it wasn't,

I'd be so impressed with myself,

I would just feel like it was amazing.

Hm.

Just so you know,

I can hear every word you're saying.

The only annoying thing about her

is that she talks in her sleep.

Mm.

We are checking in

for Alexandra Rose.

- And Bradley Ackerman.

- Bradley Ackerman.

The Acker Man?

- Is there a movie star

- No.

Come on.

- Thank you, that's fine.

- Okay.

Is there a Bradley Ackerman?

No. That's something

my dad used to say all the time.

Next undiscovered

Oh.

- We're getting upgraded.

- Of course.

Hey! They're upgrading us to a suite.

Great.

- Yes, perfect.

- Okay, cool. Thank you.

Perfect.

Hello.

Hey, you ready?

Yep.

Where's Nina?

Oh, uh, she had a work emergency.

Luckily she was able to get

a flight back to New York.

You good?

How do I look? Is this

You look great.

Yeah?

Thanks.

And for being here.

Here we go.

This is gonna be great.

Yeah.

It's gonna be great.

Let's just go. This is

This is a terrible idea.

Hey, wait. Just, hey.

Look at me.

Take a breath.

Now, just go over there and talk to him.

Remember, I am right here.

Okay.

Oh sh*t.

Oh sh*t.

Hey.

Do you have a cell phone?

Uh, yeah.

Yeah? Hand it over.

What?

I want to take a selfie.

It will last way longer than you two

staring a hole through my head.

I'm sorry, we--

Are you from the revenue?

It's Uh

We're not from the IRS.

Actually, my name is Brad,

and this is Alex.

Alexandra, actually.

Rose.

Hi.

Alexandra.

Surprise.

Alexandra Carolina Rose.

You know my full name.

Of course.

I wrote a song when you were born.

It was called

Una Rosa Con El Nombre De Otra.

A sad love song.

About Elizabeth and you.

Did you ever record that?

No. No, no. It was just a way

of dealing with life in the moment.

So, I'm curious,

what kind of music do you like?

All kinds.

Lately, I've been listening to

this Mexican singer I really like,

Natalia Lafourcade.

Uh-huh.

Oh, and I've been taking

piano lessons for a while now.

It's a lot of work

to get good at an instrument.

Or anything.

Yeah. Life, for instance.

To the memory of your beautiful mother.

Cheers.

Can I ask you something?

Were you ever curious about me?

Of course.

I played a gig in New York

a long time ago.

And while we were in town, I

I drove out to Brooklyn and

I parked my car in front of your house.

I saw your brothers

coming back from school

and Sam honking his horn

as he pulled into the driveway.

And then the front door opens and

a little girl comes out to greet her dad.

No, I don't think I ever did that.

He swings you round and round, and then

the two of you go back into the house.

No, that

That's just not something

that Samuel would do with me.

Maybe because the fact is

he isn't my real father.

You are.

There are facts, and there's what's true.

And a person needs to make room for both.

What's his name?

-Brad.

-Brad.

Brad seems like a cool guy.

Is he your your boyfriend?

-No.

-No?

No, he's, um

He's just a really great friend.

- Hey, Johnny.

- Yeah?

You ready?

Yeah. Back to work.

Right, yeah. Of course.

Um

Can we maybe talk some more after the set?

Uh, that's going to be tricky, but we can

meet tomorrow morning if you want.

-Where are you staying?

-At the Marriott on Cherry.

Uh-huh. Yeah, they make a pretty good

corned beef hash there, yeah.

Ten in the morning.

That would be wonderful.

I'll see you in the morning.

Bye, Alexandra.

Hey. How'd it go?

I mean, it was awkward,

but at the same time, it felt so real.

-Yeah.

-Intimate.

I don't know.

And he has this really cool way

of saying things like,

"There's facts, and there's what's true."

What about when he asked

if we were from "the revenue"?

-Yeah.

-He's such a man's man.

I know!

By the way,

he asked if you're my boyfriend.

-No way.

-Yeah.

I think he liked you.

So what you're saying is

you're moving to Vermont.

Mm-hmm. I mean, why not? It's beautiful.

-Okay.

-And there's cows, and I love cows.

And there's ice cream.

And my dad lives here.

No, you're a city girl.

You milking cows?

Are you kidding? That's not--

I wouldn't be milking the cows.

Are you nuts?

There's the facts,

and then there's the truth.

No. No, he said there is facts,

and then there's what's true.

What's true?

Okay. Fact, this is a glass.

-Uh-huh.

-Truth

We need another drink.

- We already played three by Sinad.

- We have to play Sinad.

-Just have some variety in our evening

-No. No.

You just pressed every single button.

Now we have no--

Yo! What? You pressed random numbers!

They call me hell

They call me Stacey

They call me Her

They call me Jane

That's not my name

That's not my name

That's not my name

That's not my name

I can't believe our song came on.

Your shushing was louder

than you were talking.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh, come on.

This is my room.

Sorry.

Good night.

-Good night.

-Good night.

Yep.

Jinx.

-This is crazy.

-Should we stop?

No.

You're a really good kisser.

Thanks. You too.

Maybe just a little less tongue.

Just tickles a little.

Yeah, okay.

Sorry, I just have a big tongue,

and it's really drunk.

It's okay.

-You know what they say about big tongues.

-What?

Bradley Ackerman.

Yeah?

Come here.

Hey.

Part of me knew he wasn't coming.

Yeah.

But I'm not gonna cry.

Well, you can if you want to.

The truth is I'm an idiot.

Expecting a total stranger

to make everything right in my life.

Thank you for coming.

You always talk like

there's something wrong with you.

It's bullshit.

You're so smart and beautiful

and full of life and

Every time I see you, you dazzle me.

And if Garrett and your dad are too blind

to see it, then it is their loss,

but it does not have to be ours.

Except it does.

Last night was wonderful.

But it was a mistake.

-You have this amazing girlfriend--

-Nina didn't go back because of work.

We got in a fight and broke up.

What was the fight about?

You.

Okay. Why didn't you tell me this

before you got into bed with me?

I know I should have.

-Yeah.

-Everything just happened so fast, and

Ugh

Yeah.

Sorry.

Don't go. Please, Alex.

Look, Garrett is an amazing guy.

I get it. He's

sophisticated and accomplished, and he I

I don't believe you love him.

I don't even really think you like him.

-You like how you feel about yourself

-You need to stop talking.

-When you're with him.

-Wow.

You need validation

even after everything you've done

-You're full of sh*t.

-since your mom died.

Telling me what I want

and how to live my life.

Right, 'cause that would be Garrett's job.

Wow.

It's okay.

The other night wasn't about the list.

I was just freaking out about the broken

armchair, and your friends were

And the book I gave you

that you didn't read.

But then

I have just spent the whole weekend

missing you.

I spent the whole weekend

missing your smile

and missing all your goofy stuff.

And I realized that we can do this.

That I can do this.

You didn't ask me how it went with Johnny.

I'm so- I'm sorry. How How did it go?

Not great.

The thing is,

my messy place,

my friends, the books I read

They're me, Garrett.

They're all me.

Hey.

Hey.

Shall we?

Yeah.

I don't understand why

Lucas wants us to meet with a broker.

We can't put the house on the market

until the new year.

If you don't mind me asking, how are you?

Good. How are you? How are the kids?

They miss you.

Yeah, me too.

When is Lucas getting here?

I have stuff to do.

I'm here! Hey!

Hi, what's up?

-Where's the broker?

-Broker's not coming.

What?

Yeah, I've got something

I want to show you.

Just, it's gonna be all right, just

Whoa, what? I don't understand.

Camping out under a full moon.

Number seven on the list.

Bingo.

-This is sweet but

-No, Chloe--

Guys, just stop. Just shut up.

Both of you shut up, okay?

We are gonna do this so, uh

Let's crack open the wine, get started.

Yeah?

Yeah.

So I got there at 10, and

half an hour went by, and then an hour.

And Johnny never showed up,

and you're just sitting there waiting.

Must've been so tough, Alex.

I'm sorry.

I wasn't totally surprised.

I liked him.

But even though he told me stuff,

it kind of felt like he was

- holding something back, you know?

- Mm-hmm.

Have you called Dad?

Since you-you got back?

I mean, I-I get it.

You're not You're not ready, but

All he does is ask about you.

Remember when you said

that finding out about Johnny

explained a lot about

your relationship with Dad?

I felt the same way.

Except for me, it was you and Mom.

Your bond.

Your little secrets

and your private jokes.

Like a club the rest of us

weren't allowed into.

Maybe for a moment think about

what that was like for Dad.

For Lucas and me.

Is that how you felt?

Wow.

I had

I had no idea.

I think I need another drink.

Ah.

I just remembered something.

- Uh

- Julian, what are we doing up here?

Uh Oh yeah.

It's over here.

When's the last time

we were all up here together?

Ages.

Incredible.

It's still here.

Oh my God, dude. What?

Julian, you little devil. This whole time

you never said anything?

Look, even a**l brainiacs

need to unwind sometimes. Okay?

Think it's any good?

It's been here for, like, 15 years.

Well, there's only one way to find out.

So, Julian came up here

for his secret stash.

What about you, Lucas?

What shenanigans did you get up to?

I-I lost my virginity

in that corner, on that mattress,

with Valerie Hoffman.

- Wow!

- Valerie Hoffman?

Yes.

Dude, she was so out of your league.

Dude, I know.

Uh

-I don't know, it was a one-time thing.

-I bet.

It was like, all I remember

is hearing Oprah

on the TV downstairs the whole time.

What about you, little sister?

Any secrets we should know about?

I used to have these really elaborate

sleepovers with my friends.

And there was one night

that we each wrote down

all the things that

we wanted to accomplish in life.

Like, the list?

Yeah.

Wow.

And here we are.

Alex?

Yeah?

What are they like?

The DVDs Mom left you.

-Ready?

-Yes.

Remember the summer

when you and your brothers

did the combination

car wash and lemonade stand,

and your brothers assumed that the money

would go to their video game fund,

but you hung these everywhere

until they finally had to relent,

and all the money

went to the Humane Society.

What? I thought I said

mosh pits were out of the question.

Fine.

Just don't go anywhere near

a tattoo parlor or any vehicle whatsoever.

I want you to live your best life.

You have to get yourself

out of this hole that you're in.

I'm not gonna be around to dig you out,

but I can sure as hell leave you a shovel.

Do you remember

the cottage we rented upstate?

And at night, we would all go sit out

on the porch together

and just look at the moon and the stars.

And it seemed like the only time that

we didn't have to talk or tease or argue.

And sometimes you'd curl up

in your father's lap,

and it was just quiet.

Just a moment

to experience that sense of wonder

and reflect and be grateful

for all that we have.

And most of all, for each other.

Hi.

Hey, Dad.

So happy to see you.

I would pull up in the driveway,

home from work

run out of the house,

and I'd pick you up and spin you around.

Mr. Sullivan!

Alexandra. Wonderful to see you.

Even if you don't exactly

seem thrilled to see me.

Sorry, it's just,

I thought Mr. Ackerman would be here.

Bradley sends his regrets.

Now that he's a full partner,

his schedule is more complicated.

I'm sorry. Did you say he's a partner?

He marched into my office

and gave me an ultimatum.

I couldn't decide

whether to rap him on the knuckles

or ask what took him so long.

I assume that's for him.

Oh. It's nothing. It's just a tie.

-Mm.

-And a bib, just a little joke between us.

I'll make sure he gets it.

So, when Elizabeth proposed

this little scheme,

I told her she was off her rocker.

That's when we agreed it'd be wise

to have someone like Bradley

handle the particulars.

In any case, I hope you haven't

suffered too much this last year.

I had my moments. But, um

I guess that was partly the point.

The thing is, Mr. Sullivan, um

I didn't finish the list.

Seems true love continues to elude me.

True love is a b*tch.

Ask any of my ex-wives.

Is there like a consolation prize?

A week at Club Med?

-I'm afraid not.

-Yeah.

Just this.

Your mother didn't think it was fair

to expect you to find true love

with a ticking clock.

And I quote,

"I just hope she won't settle for less."

Your inheritance, my dear.

The house?

Her wish from the start.

Why we had to go through the theatrics

There's a small trust

to help cover taxes and maintenance,

and if you're not ready to move in,

you can rent it out until you are.

Entirely up to you.

Oh dear. You're crying.

I'm not good at crying.

Let me get my assistant.

Okay.

Alex, my darling.

Mom.

Here we are. You did it.

Barely.

I never doubted you.

I want to say that being your mom

has been the joy of my life.

And now you're at a new beginning.

And I will not be haunting you anymore.

No more lists and ultimatums.

You got this.

So there may be just one more thing.

Life is beautiful

and messy and complicated,

and sometimes it doesn't look

the way you think it's supposed to look,

and that is okay.

Keep going and always be brave.

I will.

And as for true love,

I'll admit I never really

figured that one out.

But I do know this.

Love is worth fighting for.

Understood?

- Hey, Mom.

- Hi!

I made you some tea.

Oh honey. Thank you.

Of course.

-What are you doing with that?

-I am doing a little project.

You'll see.

I love you so much, Bean.

Forever and always.

Don't forget it.

I love you too, Mom.

Bye.

Oh sh*t!

Are you callin' me bird?

Zoe, what are

the four true love questions?

They call me hell

sh*t.

They call me--

What are you doing?

What does it look like I'm doing?

Why didn't you answer any of my calls?

I was trying to apologize to you.

Okay, well, apology accepted,

and I'm sorry too,

but you didn't have to hit my car.

-Can we go inside? Please, I need to talk.

-I don't think that's a good idea.

-But--

-I really don't think it's a good idea

with everything that's happened

between us. I'm sorry, but

making up and being friends again?

It's not gonna happen.

But I didn't say

that I wanted us to be friends.

Okay, that settles that.

Goodnight.

I want us to be more.

Like, a lot more.

You didn't the last time I saw you.

Maybe I did,

but I was just too confused to know,

and maybe I just needed to ask myself

a few important questions.

Um, four, to be exact.

You wrote them down?

"One. Is he kind?" Meaning you.

No question. You're like a puppy dog.

You might as well be a Labrador Retriever.

I had a lab when I was a kid.

"Two, can I tell him

everything in my heart?"

Well, duh.

I've been telling you everything pretty

much uncensored since the day we met.

"Three. Does he help me

become the best version of myself?"

Well, that's a no-brainer.

I mean, do you think

that there's any chance that

I would have gotten through

the last year without you?

Done any of it

without you?

And the fourth one?

Oh. Um

Doesn't matter.

The important thing is

the answer is yes, so there.

Four for four.

So what happens now?

Wow.

It's true what they say.

Senior partners really do kiss better.

-We do everything better.

-Everything?

Five, four,

three, two, one. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Bradley Ackerman.

Who would've thought?

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year.

Cheers. Love of your life?

Don't embarrass me.

Happy New Year, Zoe.

Happy New Year, my love.

Love you.

Ezra.

-Miss Rose.

-Happy New Year.

Happy New Year.

Parsons, this one.

-No way!

-Can you believe it?

- Yeah.

- You didn't tell me that part.

- Yeah.

- That's amazing!

Hi, Kelly.

Happy New Year. How's the baby?

Oh, big.

Hi, Dad.

-Happy New Year.

-Happy New Year, sweetheart.

- I'm really happy you're here.

- Good to be here.

Oh God, Ms. Howard and Dad.

- Keeping an eye on you.

- No plotting against me.

Oh, we will. You're toast, you're done.

-That's not a thing.

-your point. You're done.

-Giving you a hard time?

-They're inventing

You didn't tell me that your ex-boyfriend

made American Zombie: Blood Apocalypse.

-That game is so unoriginal and boring.

-Good save.

That's what it felt like

after playing it for 36 hours.

Okay. Hey, everyone.

Hey, gather around, you beautiful

revelers. Come on, come inside.

I wanted to make a toast. Um

It is so incredible to be in this house,

this house that Lucas

and Alex and I grew up in.

As you all know, this wasn't

the easiest year.

It tested us.

So thank you to old friends,

to new friends, and finally,

to our lovely dear mother.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Cheers.

Our house

Is a very, very, very fine house

With two cats in the yard

Life used to be so hard

Now everything is easy

Cheers.

And now

Come to me now

And rest your head

For just five minutes

Everything is done

Such a cozy room

The windows are illuminated

By the evening sunshine through them

Fiery gems for you

And only for you

Our house

Is a very, very, very fine house

With two cats in the yard

Life used to be so hard

Now everything is easy 'cause of you

And now

I'll light the fire

You place the flowers

In the vase that you bought

Today