02x05 - Better Luck Tomorrow

[bunniefuu]

[R.J.]
Previously on R.J. Decker...

Who's Trudy?

Trudy is this cute CSU tech
Uncle R.J. is trying
to vibe with.

His name's Reggie.
Reggie's not a con man,
but he's close.

MuskMaster Select, gentlemen,
is the next generation
of fish attractant.

I take it you know all this
from a previous investigation?

[sighs] I know all this
because he's my dad.

These last few years,
I almost called you.

Almost, huh?

I care about you, R.J.
Even if I do a lousy job
showing it.

[♪ "Here You Come Again" plays]

♪ Here you come again ♪

♪ Just when I've begun
To get myself together ♪

Dolly. Always Dolly.

[phone ringing]

Your name is Glenn
and you're trying
to reach your niece, right?

Yeah, you got
the wrong number, again.

Have a good one.

♪ Just when I'm about to
Make it work without you ♪

♪ You look into my eyes
And lie... ♪

Oh, geez.

And you must need a signature.

♪ ...how I came to doubt you ♪

♪ All you got to do
Is smile that smile ♪

♪ And there go
All my defenses ♪

Hey, Sam.

-[neighbor]
How're you doing, dear?
-Good morning to ya.

♪ Just leave it up to you
And in a little while ♪

No rain in the forecast, Sammy.

That sprinkler is not
supposed to go off now.

♪ Here you come again ♪

♪ Lookin' better
Than a body has a right to ♪

Burt. Burt, it's me.

You need to get off
that boat, Burt.

I don't wanna watch you
blow up again.

[sighs]
Why don't you ever hear me?

Burt, there's a b*mb!

Lately, Mr. Decker,
it's like certain things
have just

been happening on a loop,
repeating day after day.

Like I live them once,
and then I live them
again and again and again.

And I know... I know how
it sounds, you probably think
I need a psychiatrist,

but trust me,
I already have one.

Because about six years ago,

I started to think

that the whole universe
was, well, malfunctioning.

I was seeing things.

Meteorites, for example,
streaking across the sky,
like, every day.

And I got it in my head that
the simulation was starting
to glitch.

The simulation?

You heard much
about simulation theory?

Well, I've heard of it.
I can't say I've done
all the reading.

All right, well, it's kind of
like the movie The Matrix.

Like nothing's real.

Everything, you, me,
this-this gazebo,

we're all just ones and zeros
in a computer simulation
somewhere.

So this simulation
we're all in, it's glitching?

Well, certain things
keep repeating.

Like, uh...
like the movie Groundhog Day.

Okay. So it's The Matrix meets
Groundhog Day.

Those movies aren't
documentaries.

Last time it got like this,
I had a breakdown,

and I was diagnosed
with schizophrenia.

My parents had
to have me hospitalized.

It-It took some time,
but I've been pretty good
ever since.

Even after my folks died. I...

It was a car crash.
That was hard.

But, you know,
I'm hanging in there.

I'm sorry to hear
about your folks, Sam.
I really am.

They built this place,
and I've been
keeping it running.

I can't tell you how much
it means to have something
you love to focus on.

Okay, so what exactly
is glitching?

[stammers] They start small.

Like a package
gets delivered to me
the same time every day.

I wake up and hear
the same song in the morning.

♪ Here you come again ♪

But the big glitch,
this is why I wanted
to hire you, it's Burt.

He's one of the residents here.

The last four nights,
every night, I've watched him
die in a boat expl*si*n.

-I called the cops
the first time.
-And?

Well, they came,
but Burt and his boat
had already sunk by then,

and the officers thought
I was confused.

Next morning, Burt was back.

He was playing horseshoes
like... like nothing
had happened.

And I'm worried,
what if one day
he doesn't come back?

And I just keep thinking,

if I could save him, just once,
like, maybe everything
would stop repeating

and I wouldn't have to
go back to a hospital,
and Burt doesn't die.

-Sam, I-I gotta tell you--
-Hey, listen, uh,
you can't stand there.

It's almost time
for the meteorite.

What, the meteorite?

Yeah, it's one of the glitches.

Okay, Sam, I-I'm not
the right guy for this, okay?

Is there someone
I can call for you?

-A doctor? A...
-[crashing]

[Sam] Every day.

Like clockwork.

So, will you help me?

Yeah.

[♪ theme music playing]

Excuse me, old buddy.

[chuckles]

Beer 30 somewhere, right? Oh!

-[Wish] Hey, Arj.
-[R.J.] Yeah.

Any idea how long your daddy's
planning on sticking around?

-Yeah.
-It's been what,
a week and a half?

Forty-two beers on the house.
But, hey, who's counting?

Don't get me wrong.
I... I like having him around.

It's just I'm wondering
if I need to raise
my happy hour prices

to better support
my newest nonpaying regular.

It's impossible to predict
his next move.

I gave up trying to do that
after about 30 years.

But you can put
those beers on my tab.

Oh, good.

My original nonpaying regular
is gonna take care of it.
All right.

No, I will. And trust me,
some new get-rich-quick scheme
will catch his eye,

he'll be out of your hair.

-Mine too.
-[whirring]

Hey, hey, would you be
careful up there, would you?

That thing's... It's expensive.

What do you
need it for anyways?

Somebody's been gaslighting
my new client,

which is especially cruel
since he's had some trouble

with his mental health.

They keep playing
the same pranks
on him every day.

So now he thinks
he's stuck in some time loop.

Well, my grandpa used to say
the most fiendish thing

you can steal from a man
is his peace of mind.

Later he said it was
his catalytic converter,

but I think he was right
the first time.

You sure the kid's not
putting one over on you?

Is scam always
your first instinct?

It's not
a cotton candy world, Son.
You gotta stay on your toes.

No, my client,
he's a sweet kid.

Someone's definitely
messing with his head.

Well, in that case,
you need a hand?

I'm one for one on
these investigations of yours.

I think I got this one.

I just got to put
this camera in the right spot
and I'll catch him in the act.

-But the camera--
-Hey, have you ever told Wish

about the time you met
Tim Conway?

[chuckles] Oh, yeah,
that is a tale. [laughs]

The year was 1978...

So if I'm right,
someone's been setting

small expl*sive charges
in a rock out here every night.

They wait for you
to show up in the morning,
boom, meteorite.

But when they come
to set it up tonight,
we'll get 'em on camera.

Is there anybody else
you can think of

that might have a reason
to-to mess with you like this?

You know, it's funny.

Hoping you're right,
hoping someone
is messing with me.

But it would be a lot better
than having to go back
to the hospital.

And what would happen
to this place if you did
end up back at the hospital?

-Well, my sister Lila
would take over.
-Mmm.

Our folks left it to both of us
but it's written into the trust

that I get to stay here
and run it.

They knew the routine
was good for me.

If I have to be committed
again, I guess she'd have
to run it herself or sell it.

And you and Lila,
are you guys close?

-Not especially.
-Hmm.

Wait, you're not thinking
Lila would...

Just making sure
I got all the facts.

So it'd be nice if Burt
would come join us
to watch his own boat blow up,

but since he's not answering
his phone,

I thought maybe
you and I should drive
down to the dock for showtime.

Maybe we catch
the gaslighter that way.

All right, Burt's boat
usually comes from
that direction.

It should be any minute now.

Lila, over here.

-It's my sister.
I asked her to come.
-What?

-Why?
-[Lila] Sam.

What is so top secret
I gotta come
all the way out here?

-Lila, this is R.J.
-[R.J.] Hey.

He's a private investigator.

Last couple of weeks,
a package gets delivered
to me every day,

and the box is always empty,

but the return address is
for that vacant lot over there.

And the other night,
I went there to see
if I could deliver it myself,

and I saw Burt Landry out
on his sailboat.

It exploded.

-Wait, Burt Landry is dead?
-No, no, no, no, he's not dead.

He just keeps blowing up.

That's why I asked you
to come here.

I wanted to see
if you had anything
to do with it.

You wanted to know
if I blew up Burt Landry?

It's happening again, isn't it?
You're getting confused?

Actually,
I-I don't think he is.

He thinks that it isn't really
Burt that I've been seeing,
just a dummy.

But either way, the boat's
gonna show up any second
and it's gonna explode.

So would you mind
just putting your hands
where I can see them?

It's a pen, Sam, not
a detonator. Are you telling
him I'm messing with him?

-No, no, no.
I mean, not exactly--
-Hey, look, there he is!

There he is.

[camera clicking]

Yeah, Sam,

-that's not your friend Burt.
-[Sam] Yeah, but that's
his boat.

Sam, look at him.
That's a dummy.
He's stiff as a board.

-[Sam] It's his flag.
-[Lila] Sam.

Sammy, why would I do
these things to you?

Well, I told R.J.
that if I had to

go back to the hospital,
you'd end up with Pelican Bend.

Wait, you thought
I'd use your illness
to steal your inheritance?

Lila, nobody knows
my history better than you.

You have posted
a zillion videos

about your battle
with schizophrenia on Facebook.

Everyone knows your history.

If we could just table this
for one second...

I told you
I wasn't imagining it.

Whatever this is, I really hope
you guys figure it out.

And, Sammy, I really hope
you're not heading back
to the hospital,

but it kind of looks
to me like you are.

Well, that did not go
how I wanted it to.

At least there's, you know,
infinity more chances.

Better luck tomorrow.

[♪ upbeat music plays]

I told that sweet dope.

I told him, "Sam,
I have never exploded
into a thousand pieces.

Not once in my life."

Well, I can see that, Burt.

But I invited you here
because I was
with Sam last night,

and he says
this is your boat.

Huh! Look,
I can't explain that,
but that can't be my boat.

The real Got Booty is
in for repairs.

Well, Sam swears he's seen
this explode five nights
in a row.

Yeah, so he keeps telling me,
but I figured the poor guy's
been backsliding.

He's had some, uh,
mental health challenges.

Yeah, I know.

And I think
whoever's gaslighting him,
I think he knows it too.

Considering
your tragic accident
is their main attraction,

Burt, I gotta ask,
are you a part of this?

[chuckles] What?

Well, the gaslighter
knows you.

He knows your boat.

And lately when
Sam's been trying to find you,
you're nowhere to be seen.

I've been seeing a woman
named Cecilia in Boca Raton.

Well, she's really hot to trot,

as long as I spring
for appetizers,
we end up back at hers.

So that's why
I haven't been around.

I'll tell you one thing though,

I have not sat up that straight
since Catholic school.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure
there are five mannequins

at the bottom of this inlet
along with five replica
Got Bootys

Someone's spending
a pretty penny to t*rture
this poor Sam fella.

Maybe you ought
to put up a camera, try
to catch the SOB in the act.

Yeah, I tried that yesterday,
but he must have seen it,

climbed up in the camera's
blind spot and destroyed it.

He did what now?

Listen, Burt,
would you do me a favor?

Would you let us keep
an eye on you today
until we figure this out?

It's safe here and my friend,
Wish, will offer you
free drinks until closing.

Sorry, boys, but, uh...

Uh, I got another hot date
with Cecilia.

There will be
unlimited breadsticks,

and there will be,
uh, certain particulars
which Mr. Wish cannot provide.

I wish you the best of luck
with your fabric of
the universe problem.

[sighs]

I guess somebody needs
my help after all.

[chuckles]

Come on. I'll drive.

First mystery solved.

Anyone can hop on your speaker.

The Wi-Fi password is posted up
all over Pelican Bend.

Well, I never said I mind
waking up to Dolly Parton
every day.

Of course not. Who would?

So we're gonna need
a list of everything that
is bothering you, okay?

So we're gonna take them
one by one.

If we can figure out
how this person
is pranking you,

maybe we can figure out who.

There's no glitch
in the matrix, kiddo,

just someone who knows
a thing or two about
smoke and mirrors.

Lucky for you,
bit of an expert.

[chuckles]

Barcode was generated online.

Sender used
a prepaid credit card.

Was there a name on the order?

-"Your mom."
-Oh.

No, actually,
that's what it says.

Should she be on the list?

She was doing
the same thing yesterday.

Oh, that's just Birdie.

Her cardiologist
has her doing that
to improve her circulation.

Oh!

They screwed
with your timer. Simple.

All righty.
Either someone was kind enough

to fix the roof
after yesterday's meteorite,

or they put a charge
in this new board.

And this meteorite
usually arrives...

Oh, yeah. Right about now.
Step back, please.

Okay.

[Reggie] Smoke and mirrors.

[R.J.] This didn't come
from outer space, Sam.
Somebody put this here.

It's not a glitch.
It's a trick.

I guess. It's just... [sighs]

It's hard to accept.

The problem with schizophrenia
is my brain's always trying
to connect dots

that don't really connect.

I just hope we can find
whoever's doing this
before Burt dies tonight.

Even if some
of these things are fake,
it doesn't mean they all are.

What's next on the list?

[Reggie] Sam's car is not gonna
start this afternoon.

Problem with the spark plugs.

And you said you make

-a grocery store run
every morning.
-Mm-hmm.

That's good because it means
they probably haven't messed
with your engine yet.

We can catch them in the act.

[crunching]

[sighs]

You want some? I got plenty.

Did you steal those
from the senior rec room?

[chuckles] What? I'm a senior.

Oh, geez.

[sighs]

I've been wondering
about your plans.

How long are you gonna stay
in Fort Lauderdale?

Oh. As long
as it takes, I guess.
I'm getting close now.

Almost ready.

Ready for what?

My next chapter.

I'm gonna be
a PI just like my boy.

[chuckles]

Yeah, where do you think
you got all your instincts
for this stuff?

-Your mother?
-Wait. I'm sorry.

Is that why
you've been sticking around?
So you can shadow me?

Oh, if you're
worried we're gonna be
in competition, don't be.

You know, I'm taking
my show on the road.

Tampa. Maybe Orlando.

Is that how you think it works?

You just hang a shingle,
you buy a camera,
you start solving stuff?

Well, isn't that
how you did it?

What, you don't think
I can do it?

-Dad.
-[chuckles]

Uh, let me ask you.

If I'm so hopeless,
how come I'm the one
who just spotted our guy?

[camera clicking]

Yeah, I missed his approach.
Now, I didn't get his face.

Well, you don't need
the perfect shot.

We're gonna have him
dead to rights because of this.

I sprayed my miracle fish
attractant on the spark plugs
before we settled in.

Pictures or no, poncho man
won't be able to deny it.

-He'll be caught stink-handed.
-Okay.

You're forgetting about
the part where I actually have
to catch him. Stay here.

[car door shuts]

-[R.J.] Dad!
-Sorry!

[♪ "Crank That [Soulja Boy]"
playing]

-♪ Soulja Boy off in it ♪
-♪ Oh ♪

- ♪ Watch me crank it
Watch me ♪
- ♪ Roll ♪

♪ Watch me crank that
Soulja Boy ♪

-♪ Then Superman that ♪
- ♪ Oh ♪

♪ Now watch me, you ♪

♪ Crank that Soulja Boy
Now watch me, you ♪

♪ Crank that Soulja Boy
Now watch me, you ♪

♪ Crank that Soulja Boy
Now watch me, you ♪

♪ Crank that Soulja Boy
Now watch ♪

-♪ Soulja Boy off in it ♪
- ♪ Oh ♪

-♪ Watch me crank it
Watch me ♪
- ♪ Roll ♪

♪ Watch me crank that
Soulja Boy ♪

-♪ Then Superman that ♪
- ♪ Oh ♪

[panting]

-♪ Ah, you ♪
-[♪ song ends]

-[crackling]
-[groans]

[groaning]

-[Reggie] Uh, there's my boy.
-[groans]

[Reggie] You okay, Son?

I am so sorry
I zapped you.

I... I was in the shower.
I heard my patio door
get smashed.

I thought you were an intruder.
Your dad explained everything.

Guy you were chasing
must have run out the front.

-You let him go?
-I didn't let him do
anything, Dad.

I called the police.
They're on their way.

-Here. Can you get up?
-[grunting]

Oh, boy. Wardrobe
malfunction. [chuckles]

-Whoops. Yeah.
-All good. All good.

R.J., he almost...

I'm sorry, R.J. I never wanted
anybody to get hurt.

-I didn't... I didn't--
-Sam, it's okay.
Really, I'm okay.

How are you doing?

Mack, I gotta apologize
to you too.

I'm sorry about your door.
I'll pay for it.

Sam, none of this
is your fault.

I'm not taking your money.

My mom would never forgive me.

[Sam] Mack and I,
we're not just neighbors.

His mom is one of
my residents, and he works
in community theater,

and she's always
giving me tickets
to see his shows.

She loves this guy.
They all do.

And not just because
you don't charge
enough for rent.

Well, that's not true.

I told her we're not having
money troubles.

I never listed Pelican Bend.

Those people just showed up.

She doesn't have to worry.
I'm never selling.

Whoa, hold up.
Someone's trying
to buy Pelican Bend?

Yeah.

This company offered
way more than it's worth,

but like I told you,
I need the place.

It helps me, so I said no.

Why?

[R.J.] Hey.

Mel heard some white guy
in a Hawaiian shirt
got tased by a naked dude.

She bet me a week
of doing the dishes it was you.

-Good to see you, sweetie.
-[chuckles]

Yeah, thanks for keeping
an eye on my boy.

I told you I'm fine. I just...

I need someplace
to work, that's all.

Don't listen to him.

Paramedics said
somebody ought to watch
for concussion symptoms,

but I am under
the distinct impression he'd
like his old man to skedaddle.

Well, don't worry.
I've got him.

-What do you think?
-Mmm?

Cerulean Mist.

Is it different than
the last color?

Either you really are concussed
or you're cranky

because you spent too much time
with your dad today.

He told me he figured out
his next line of work.

Oh, yeah?

He's gonna become a PI.

Shut up.

[laughs] Yeah, I know.

I mean, at first
it ticked me off, but now
it's just making me sad.

I mean, you know.
He's been doing this kind
of thing since I was a kid.

Every couple of years,
it's a new dream.
It's a new job.

I wish there was
some other track
I could put him on.

Like something real.
Something that would
finally make him happy.

Let him stop searching.

[Catherine] The last 80 years
sort of suggests your dad
likes bouncing around.

If he ever does stop,

it'll probably be
because he found exactly
what he was looking for,

not just some
age-appropriate gig.

What, are you thinking
of going on vacation?

No, my client,
the one who's being gaslit,
I found out today

this hotel company, Sunlux,
out of the blue,

offered to buy his property.

He turned 'em down,
but the thing is,

if he ends up
back at the hospital,
his sister inherits the place.

-You think she knows
about the offer?
-I do.

When I met her yesterday,
she had a pen.

It had the Sunlux logo on it.

So she met with them,
and now they're
all working together

to make her brother
think that he's having
another breakdown.

He seems pretty convinced
she would never do that to him.

But say he's right. I guess
Sunlux could be messing
with him all on their own.

I guess it depends
what kind of creeps
are running Sunlux.

[♪ lively music playing]

[assistant]
The investors want to meet
tomorrow at 1:30, and I was--

Milia, come on. 1:30?

That's my sauna time.
That's sacrosanct.

It's a good thing I didn't come
during sauna time.
How you doing?

-Excuse you.
-Terry Washburn?

I'm here on behalf
of Sam Ellery.

I'm here to talk
about your offer to buy
Pelican Bend Senior Villas.

Milia, why don't you
give us a minute?

[Milia] Lowlife.

I assume you're here
in some kind of
a negotiating capacity?

Yeah, you can say that.

-Do you have a counteroffer?
-[chuckles]

Yeah, I guess
you could say that too.
But I'm not in real estate.

I'm a private investigator.

See, Sam hired me because
someone's been harassing him,
messing with his head.

That's unfortunate.

I'm aware
he's had some struggles
in that department,

but you're coming
to see me because...

'Cause I think you might be
the one who's behind it.

Ordinarily,
I'd ask Sam for more time.

Let me find something
to bring to the cops.

Get the person responsible
arrested, but...

see, the thing is Sam's...
he's struggling.

So if I'm right,
and you are the person
I'm looking for,

I'd like to take
this opportunity to just
ask you to stop.

Coming here
and saying this to me,

you might be as crazy as him.

Anthony.

This man bothering you,
Mr. Washburn?

I'm not bothering anybody.
I'm on my way out.

Is this the one I chased
this morning, or was it
one of your other g*ons?

Whoever you're sending tonight,

you might wanna let them know
I'll be watching.

[R.J.] All right, fellas,

tonight's version
of the Got Booty's
gonna be here any minute.

You guys see
anything suspicious?

I'm not seeing anybody, period.

Yeah, me neither.

Wait! There, out on the water.

[camera clicking]

You see where that came from?

No, sorry.

-[R.J.] Huh.
-[Wish] Huh, what?

Yeah, the dummy. I don't...
It's not sitting up
straight this time.

Yeah, I don't think
that's a mannequin.

-What?
-I actually think
it's Burt this time.

Hey, Burt!

Burt, you gotta get
off the boat!

Burt!

-[Wish] I'll call the police.
-[Reggie] Oh, my goodness.

Burt, there's a b*mb!
You gotta get off the boat!

Burt, get off the--

[sighs]

-R.J.? Hey.
-Oh, hey.

I heard you were here
and that you were wet.

So I thought maybe you would
want some dry clothes,
you know, from the lab.

-Oh!
-They're not, like,
evidence or anything.

No bodily fluids,
just some stuff I borrowed
from a couple lockers.

Well, no bodily fluids
that I'm aware of.
Yeah. [chuckles]

No, it's very nice. Thank you.

I'm in here. I'm-I'm waiting
for my friend and my dad.

They're giving their statements
about... what happened tonight.

-Yeah, I actually
just met your dad.
-You did?

[Trudy] Yeah,
I was looking for you,

and the desk sergeant
said R. Decker's
in interview room two,

and in I went,
and, yeah, it wasn't you.

It was him. [chuckles]

He was bragging
to me, you know,
about, uh, his hero son.

And then he asked me
if I was single.

-[chuckles]
-A couple of times.

-That sounds like him.
-[both chuckle]

Well, I'm really glad that
you didn't blow up tonight.

Because then you never
would have asked me out

and we never
would have gone out and, God,
that would have been so stupid.

-Sorry.
-No, it's okay.

I know that somebody died
and you could have died.

It all just... makes you think.

You know the guy
that died, uh, Burt, actually,
I saw him this morning.

I told him he was
in danger, but he just...

he went out on his boat anyway.

I don't... I don't get it.

Hey, just heard from the ME.
He's got Burt Landry's
cause of death.

What, he's just figured out
it was a b*mb to the face?

No, they just figured out
it wasn't a b*mb to the face.

There were two deep gashes
at the back of Burt's head,

but the expl*si*n hit him
from the front.

Well, according to
his liver temp, he was m*rder*d
sometime around midday.

R.J., you couldn't have saved
this guy tonight.

He was already dead.

[radio announcer]
WLQL-FM Fort Lauderdale, Miami.

Classic rock,
all day, every day.

Turn it up
and get loud with us.

It's WLQL-FM, 107.8.

[radio presenter]
It's 7:00 a.m., g*ng,
and let me tell you,

-it's gonna be a hot one...
- [crowd clamoring]

-Huh?
-We got the classics
in the queue...

[police radio chatter]

Sam, have you heard
about Burt? It's so sad.

No. He's really gone this time?

[phone ringing]

-Hey.
-[Sam] R.J., we're too late.

It's Burt. He's...
He's really dead this time.

I'm really sorry, Sam.
I tried calling you.

I had so many chances, R.J.

I had so many,
just over and over and over.

[R.J.] You gotta slow down.
You gotta take
a deep breath, okay?

None of what
happened is your fault.
You get that, right?

It doesn't feel like that,
R.J. It doesn't feel
like that at all.

Sam, would you call
your therapist for me?
Would you do that?

Okay. Uh, he's really gone
and he's not coming back.

No, he isn't, but it's not
because of some glitch.

None of this was a glitch.
Somebody did
these things, right?

Sam, you just hang on.

The police are involved now.

My friend is interviewing
Burt's girlfriend as we speak,

and we're gonna
get to the bottom
of this, okay?

[exhales sharply] Okay.

Well, Burt was such a good man.

I don't understand
how something
like this happens. [sniffles]

It's complicated,
but we have reason to believe

Burt's m*rder was part
of a campaign of
let's call it harassment

against the man
who manages the villas
where Burt lived, Sam Ellery.

-Do you know him?
-I'm sorry, no.

These last few weeks
when you and Burt
were together,

did you notice
anything unusual?

Well, a few days ago,
I overheard him on the phone,

and Burt was asking
if he could go back
to his villa that night,

and whoever
he was talking to said no.

Well, I figured
some repairs were getting done,

but then Burt said
he was getting paid
to make himself scarce.

I-I thought it was a joke,
some cheesy line
so I'd let him stay over again.

This person he said
was paying him,
did he mention a name?

No.

Just that he was getting paid
with gift cards,

mostly to nice restaurants.

The Oyster Room.

Biscayne Grill.

[chuckles] Burt loved to eat.

Oh. Oh, and then yesterday,
when we talked on the phone,

he sounded a little nervous.

He said that he was done
with the guy who gave
him the gift cards.

Does any of that help?

Case like this,
I'll take anything I can get.

[♪ rock music playing]

Hey, no Reggie?

Nah, I think last night
really wiped him out.

Yeah, well,
I'd chalk it up to age

if I myself
wasn't so tuckered out. [sighs]

Yeah, it's not every night
you get to see a guy blown
into a human jigsaw puzzle.

Good news is some of the pieces
may be falling into place.

Of the case, not, uh, Burt.

So Mel talked to his girlfriend
a little while ago.

Turns out he was
being paid to stay away
from Pelican Bend every night.

That makes sense.

Can't have the real Burt around
when the fake Burt's
getting exploded.

She also says he called
the gaslighter yesterday,

told him he was out.

I assume it's after
we confronted him,
made him nervous.

Oh.

Gaslighter decided
Burt had to go.

He was getting paid
in gift cards.

One of them was to this place,
the Oyster Room.

It's a new restaurant
inside the Marisol Hotel.

The same hotel
you were at yesterday, right?

Yeah. It's a Sunlux property.

Same company that's trying
to buy Pelican Bend.

-That can't be a coincidence.
-No, but it ain't
proof either, so...

[phone ringing]

sh**t. Excuse me.

-Hey, Sam, how are you?
-[Sam] R.J.,
I'm sorry. I just...

I wanted you to know,
it's really bad and I can't
take it anymore.

-Okay. Where are you right now?
-[Sam] St. Barnes Psychiatric.

-I called my therapist.
She got me in.
-I'll be right there.

And they need
your signature. Here.

You made the right choice, Sam.

I'm gonna talk
to a couple of doctors,
and then we'll get you settled.

Thank you.

You don't need to look so sad.

The simulation didn't warn you
about Burt. It warned me.

Burt, he didn't die because
we're in a simulation, Sam.

-Somebody k*lled him.
-No, I had a responsibility,
and I failed.

No matter what I do,
the glitches always come back.

-Sam.
-I can't go through this again.

I can't keep watching
the people I care about die.

It's gonna keep happening
again and again,

and there won't be anything
I can do to stop it.

It is okay. We are gonna
get your meds dialed in.
You are gonna get some sleep.

And things are gonna be
a whole lot more clear
in the morning.

-[sighs]
-Hey. You okay?

I mean...

I always knew this day
was coming, but...

I mean, taking care of
someone in his condition,
it's not cheap.

My parents, they poured
everything they had into him.

They had this big happy dream

that Sam would be able
to run Pelican Bend,
that he would be okay.

But he was okay, right?
I mean, he was okay for years.

He was. You saw him.

Do you really think
he can be out there on his own?

Last time he was in
a place like this, how long
did he have to stay for?

Months.

And it was expensive.

I mean, my parents,
they figured out a way, but...

everything they left me
is tied up in Pelican Bend.

If I'm gonna help
my brother, I...

I have to sell it.

If you do have to sell,
does it have to be to Sunlux?

If I'm right, they're the ones
that did this to Sam.

They want him
in a place like this.
They want you to have to sell.

I don't want to sell
Pelican Bend, not to anyone.

I know just how much
Sam loves it, but what
am I supposed to do?

I don't have the money
to give him the support
he's gonna need.

Can you prove that they're
the ones behind all this?

Not yet.

But give me one day,

and then you can do
whatever you need to do.

One day.

And then I'm taking
their offer.

[♪ jazz playing]

[sighs]

[sighs]

Looks like I got here
just in time.

Sweet potato biscuits,
breakfast of champions.
[chuckles]

I stayed up for hours
last night.

But if there's a way
to prove that Sunlux is behind

what's been happening with Sam,
not to mention the m*rder
of Burt Landry...

Yeah, I don't know.
I'm not seeing it.

-[chuckles] These are insane,
by the way.
-Yeah.

They were your mom's favorite
when she was pregnant with you.

-Really?
-Yeah, her,
what do you call it, cravings,

uh, they changed
with each of you boys.

As she was cooking up Tommy,
she had me cooking up
Canadian bacon.

[both laugh]

I don't think I knew that.

Yeah, it was nice this morning,
having somebody
to cook for again.

Can I talk to you
about this whole PI thing?

Oh, save your breath.

Last couple of days,
it's become pretty damn clear

your job is not for me,

even if we both know
I'd look better
in your pretty shirts.

[both laugh]

Hey, don't you worry
about old Reggie Decker.

I've already got my head
back in a swivel, you know.

Only a matter of time
before I find some work
that does fit, okay?

[grunts] Let me clean
these up for you.

Hey, Dad, have you ever thought
maybe a new profession isn't
really what you're looking for?

-Huh?
-And when was the last time
you saw Tommy?

Oh, gosh, it's been a while.

His youngest was
in diapers. Kid's got to be
five or six now.

Yeah, I mean,
I don't know if you know this,

but Tommy and his wife,
they both work.

I bet you they could use
some help around the house.

You know,
playing with the kids,

cooking the occasional
sweet potato biscuit.

Son, are you suggesting
that my next gig is
a grandpa job?

I'm sure
the pay's not very good,
but the company...

These last couple of weeks...

they have been, um... special.

Tommy was so much younger
than you were when I took
my sabbatical.

What if I show up and, uh,
it doesn't go, uh...

you know, like... like this?

What if it does?

[chuckles]

-[knocks on table]
-Close up for me.

Yeah.

Where are you off to?

I'm gonna go by
the Sunlux offices.

There's gotta be
some paperwork back there
that implicates them.

Oh, well, say there is.
Why would they let you
anywhere near it?

If I'm right,
they've been messing
with Sam's head for weeks.

I think it's time I mess
with theirs. Do a little
gaslighting of my own.

[door opens, closes]

Hey. [sighs]

Hey.

-You.
-Yeah.

Who let you back here?

Uh, no one let me back here.
No one stopped me either.

I think it was the water jug.

Yeah, well, you're not
meeting with Terry again.
He is unavailable.

No, I know
it's sauna time, right?
Sauna time is, uh, sacrosanct.

I'm just here
to observe the search.
Guess I beat the police.

What are you talking about?

[R.J.] There was
a m*rder the other day.
Your boss, he's a suspect.

[stammers] What?

I don't think
you're in any kind of trouble.

I mean, I don't think,

but we can talk to the cops
when they get here.

Terry doesn't even need
to be here.

Let him enjoy his shvitz.
You can sign
the warrant for him.

Oh, I'm not signing
the freaking warrant.

-Well, I'm certainly
not gonna sign it.
-How much time do I have?

-Before the police get here.
-Right, of course.

Yeah, you got,
like, five, ten minutes, I bet.

Okay, you wait here.
I'm gonna get Terry.

[exhales] Okay.

[R.J.] Last couple of days,
I've been coming at
this case all wrong.

As much as I wanted it
to be Sunlux, I don't think
they k*lled Burt Landry.

Sunlux needs
more than Pelican Bend
to build their hotel.

They need
these four houses right here.

Any holdouts like Sam,
that's it.

Hotel can't fit, they can't get
their zoning permits.

The whole project falls apart,
which means...

They weren't the only ones
with a reason to want
Sam committed.

So Lila told me
Sunlux offered her and Sam
almost double market value.

It was the same
for these homeowners,

but I think one of them
needed the money
more than the others.

-Mack Reddington?
-He's the guy that
hit me with a stun g*n

the other day.

And before that,
I think he smashed
his way into his own home.

[grunts]

[R.J.] And then threw open
his front door to make it
look like he escaped.

[Mel] Instead,
he ran down the hall
and threw on a towel.

You know, he's listed
and unlisted his home four
times in the last few years.

I talked to a Realtor he fired.
She says he's underwater
on his mortgage.

Meaning selling
to Sunlux would be
the answer to his prayers.

-Well, that's motive.
-He has the means too.

He works as a stagehand
at a local theater company.

Last play they put on?

Wizard of Oz.

Reviews were mixed,

but one critic
wasn't a fan of the show's
"alarming use of pyrotechnics."

In other words,
a guy who can blow up
a few little boats.

This is our guy.
This is the guy that's
been tormenting Sam Ellery.

Okay, we hope.

I can see why you like
this guy, but we don't have
anything on him.

Actually,
thanks to my dad, we might.

Literally.

Depends on how well
he washes his hands.

[door opens]

-Oh, hey.
-[R.J.] Hey.

I didn't know you'd be here.
How's your head?

It's good, thanks.

Of course, I'll feel better
when I catch the guy

that I chased
through your house.

Right. Yeah.
I heard the police
needed help with that.

Just a few questions,
Mr. Reddington.

Can you recall
how many times you've tried
to sell your house?

Uh...

I've tested the market
once or twice. Why?

Realtor we talked to said four,
which sounded weird.

But I guess that's because
every offer came in below

what you owe
on your mortgage, right?

Uh, at least
until Sunlux came along.

I'm sorry, I... I'm confused.

I thought we were here talking
about the person pranking Sam.

Oh, we're way past
pranks now. Yeah.

The person we're looking for,
he k*lled someone
the other day.

We think it's because of
Sunlux's interest in buying
your property and a few others.

It's our understanding
they offered you
a million over asking,

contingent on the sale
of Pelican Bend Senior Villas.

Uh...

Yeah, it was
something like that.

I'm gonna cut
to the chase here, Mack.

We know you're the guy
who was trying to make
Sam lose his mind.

You were hoping Pelican Bend
would end up with his sister.

You thought she would finally
agree to sell to Sunlux.

What?

No, no, I would never do that
to Sam. He's a friend.

Well, he's more than
just a friend, isn't he?
He's a neighbor.

You knew his routine.
You had access to his property.

You started small, right?

You hopped on his Wi-Fi
to make sure he woke up
to the same song every day.

Then you started messing
with the sprinklers.

The daily meteorite,
that was downright inspired.

I'm guessing you thought
of that after you saw
the videos he posted

about living
with schizophrenia?

Unfortunately,
Sam wasn't unraveling
fast enough, so you hired Burt.

Started blowing up him
and his boat every night.

Paying him with
Sunlux gift cards was cute.

Your neighbors told us
Sunlux was handing
them out like candy

-when they were making
their offers.
-[scoffs]

That's... crazy,
and it's not true.

And you can't prove any of it.

You ever heard of, um,
UV-enhanced fish oil?

Fish see a different spectrum
of light than we do.

Fishermen use it to make sure
their lures stand out
in murky waters.

It's really hard
to wash off your hands.

My dad coated
the spark plugs in Sam's car
with some the other day.

It's invisible
to the naked eye,
but under a black light...

Your son really is something.

-[chuckles]
He really is, isn't he?
-Mm-hmm.

-Well, it's my turn now.
Wish me luck.
-All right.

[Mel]
This warrant's pretty limited.

It just entitles us
to collect your nail clippings

and compare any residue
to the MuskMaster
on Sam's spark plugs.

After that, it'll be a warrant
to search your house,

then your financials.

Kind of curious to see exactly
how many tiny sailboats
you bought.

Give her your hands.

Or, you know,
you could just confess.

[R.J.] It's okay.
You can be in denial.

Some breakthroughs
take years of therapy.

You'll have time in prison.

The people at St. Barnes
are really great.
The food, not so much.

I think they're
doing something right.
You look good, Sam.

Oh, and I have
some good news too.
Mack just got charged.

Police found Burt's blood
in his house,

and they think they found
the m*rder weapon too.

Well, it helps knowing Mack
was behind everything.

It makes sense.

Even to me.

[laughs]

So no more Matrix,
no more Groundhog Day?

A wise man once told me,
"They're not documentaries."

[chuckles]

I feel like
I'm still, you know,
getting my bearings,

but my therapist thinks
I'll be ready to go home
in a few days.

Wherever home will be.

Well, what's
that supposed to mean?

Well, I just... I figured
after everything that happened
you would sell Pelican Bend.

No.

No, Sam, that's your home.

I told Sunlux
we are not selling.

Hey. It's okay
to need some help
every now and then.

That's why you have family.

Catherine put some sandwiches
and waters in here for you.

Oh!

-A lot of sweet folks
in your life, Son.
-Yeah.

[Reggie] You got
a good thing going here.

Yeah.

Hey.

[Reggie chuckles]

You're gonna have
a good thing with Tommy too.

His house doesn't have wheels,
but it's not a competition.

-Mmm.
-Hey, Dad.
Don't be a stranger, okay?

Oh, I almost forgot.

I met your friend Trudy
the other day. Uh, CPU?

-CSU.
-Well, whatever.

Ask that girl out.
She likes you.

-[chuckles]
All right. I'm on it.
-[engine starts]