01x08 - Abort

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "The Astronaut Wives Club"...

Elliot's jet crashed this morning.

I'm so sorry!

I'm so sorry.

When I was out campaigning, I felt like I had been standing on a darkened stage my whole life, and then, suddenly, someone turned on the light.

More problems with that damn Apollo capsule.

Just promise me that you won't go up unless everything is good and ready.

I know why you're here, but I think I need to hear you say it.

[Dog barking]

[Teakettle whistling]

[Whistling continues]

♪ Look away ♪

What on earth are you doing?

Trying to make you breakfast in bed.

Or at least burnt bacon.

Lucky the whole house didn't go up in flames.

Come on, Bets, it was a joke.

You look nice.

That dress new?

It was on sale. You like it?

I'd like it better if it wasn't black.

You know I hate black.

It's a funeral dress.

I hate funerals, too.

We should play hooky.

From the funeral?

Yeah.

Just, we'll hole up in here, you and me.

♪ My first love ♪

Come on, Betsy.

♪ Was, oh, so perfect ♪
♪ that true love now ♪

Stay with me.

♪ Would seem to be a sin ♪
♪ oh, look away now ♪

Driver: I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Grissom.

I read in the paper the President's gonna be at the funeral.

That's something.

It's a shame it took Gus dying for our president to give him his due.

♪ Come gather 'round, people ♪
♪ wherever you roam ♪
♪ and admit that the waters around you... ♪

Man on TV: Those are the original Mercury seven, now six, honoring their fallen comrade Virgil "Gus" Grissom.

As most viewers know by now, Gus Grissom, along with Ed White and Roger Chaffee perished inside the Apollo spacecraft when a flash fire erupted during a routine launch-pad test at Kennedy Space Center.

What you got there?

♪ ...if you can't lend your hand ♪
♪ for the times they are a-changin' ♪
♪ for the times... ♪

I should have done something.

No one could have seen this coming.

He did.

Three lives were cut short that fateful day, the lives of Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.

And they will be mourned by their families, by their friends, and by their nation.

They may no longer be with us, but they are home.

♪ The line is drawn ♪

[playing "Taps"]

♪ The slow ones now ♪
♪ will later be fast ♪
♪ the present now ♪
♪ will later be past ♪
♪ the order is rapidly fading ♪
♪ and the first one now will ♪
♪ later be last ♪
♪ for the times they are a-changing ♪

Two!

♪ For the times they are a-changin' ♪

What's the President doing?

What happens next?

Oh, Julie, I don't know.

I've never been to a funeral before, either.

You haven't?

Girls, hush.

Your husband was a good man.

Yes, he was.

It was a beautiful service.

Gus would have hated it.

He really would have.

Excuse me, Mrs. Grissom?

I worked with Gus.

I just want to say that I'm so sorry.

Thank you.

There's something they're not telling you about your husband.

Who was that?

I don't know.

Trudy: What do you mean some man stopped you?

He handed me this, and he said he knows something about Gus, something that no one's telling me.

Martha Chaffee's been sent two marriage proposals since Roger d*ed.

Tragedy brings out the crazies.

You and Gus were as close as two people could be.

There's nothing that anyone could tell you about Gus that you didn't already know.

So there's still no word if they're gonna delay?

I'll have another.

There's obviously a problem, a systematic problem.

We need to slow down and analyze.

Come on, Wally, we just came from a funeral.

Yeah, which we wouldn't be at if people had listened to Gus in the first place.

Hey. Keep your voices down.

Besides, we don't even know what happened yet.

It could have been an accident.

Three of our guys are dead, Gordo.

Alan: No, he's right.

We better hope it was an accident.

If there's a problem with that capsule, if the guys who built it made a mistake, we're done.

Done as in we're giving up on the moon?

Done as in done.

You okay?

[Sighs]

You know, my mom, Louise, she's actually my aunt.

My mom d*ed when I was 5, so...

I get it, you know?

Wait, so Julie's actually your cousin?

And my name's not even really Alice.

It's Judy. Louise changed it because it sounded too much like Julie.

You kidding me?

Wait, doesn't Alice sound like Alan?

That's what I always thought.

[Chuckles]

What are you two doing here?

Nothing.

We were just talking.

Well, if you want to talk, you can do it inside with everyone else.

Okay? Alice.

[Sighs]

Thanks for the chat... Judy.

It means a lot to Betty that you came.

It means a lot to everyone.

How's the column going?

Good. It's really good.

I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to read it.

Well, it's probably hard to get the "Waco Ledger News" when you're underwater.

Listen, uh, I have a few days' leave, and I was thinking about swinging through Houston, spend some time with the kids.

I can stay with John and Annie or...

Scott, don't be silly. We're still married.

It's your home.

Yeah.

Share a cab back to the hotel?

I'd love to.

We have the gas company, Boy Scouts of America, bowling league.

You can cancel that.

Now that I don't have a partner.

No way.

You're the only one that throws more gutter balls than Marge.

We'll pay for your membership for the good of our marriage.

[Laughs]

Um...

Foley Brothers Jewelry.

Eagle Supermarket.

Jewelry? What on earth?

$75?

Maybe for your anniversary.

Gus got us the tickets to Paris.

Not that we got a chance to use them.

Listen, Betty, you don't need to worry about every single penny.

Between the life insurance policy and Gus' m*llitary benefits, you and the boys will be well taken care of.

And according to this, you'll even have a little left over for a rainy day.

Every day's a rainy day without Gus.

Go to the jewelry store.

That $75 something or other, my guess is it's for you.

A diamond pin?

Jo: For your 20th, it's meant to be China.

Men should never pick out jewelry alone.

Gus already has something kind of like this.

Wally does, too.

All the guys do.

They get them when they go up.

Why on earth would he get one for me?

Hasn't he ever heard of a nice tennis bracelet?

Oh, speaking of tennis, let me show you the new skirt I got... well, it's a skirt and it's shorts... and it's adorable!

I'll go get the catalog.

[Pop music playing]

W...

♪ there's something on my mind ♪
♪ I gotta say love ♪
♪ so you know how I feel ♪
♪ when I'm away, love ♪

Gus.

♪ I'm glad I... ♪

What are you doing out here?

Playing our records?

Since when?

You know a lot about me, Bets, but you don't know everything.

♪ I'm glad I knew you awhile ♪

What are you talking about?

Come on. I'm playing this for you.

♪ These words I'm saying ♪

Gus, tell me. What else don't I know?

Jo: Betty?

[Gasps]

♪ Come back, Karen ♪
♪ please, don't stay away ♪
♪ come back... ♪
♪ Come back ♪

Thank you so much for meeting me.

I was afraid you weren't going to call.

I almost didn't.

So you say that you worked with Gus?

You know something about him.

Are you with NASA?

North American, actually, the company that NASA contracted to build the Apollo capsule.

I know who North American is.

And I know many of the men my husband worked with.

What did you say your name was?

Uh... I can't tell you that.

This was a mistake.

Look, your husband talked about you all the time.

He said you were the best thing that ever happened to him... you and the boys.

You were robbed. You all were.

Gus wasn't happy with the capsule, I knew it... everyone knew it.

I decided to inspect it on my off hours, top to bottom.

And when I finished, I wrote a memo.

The memo laid out the issues, and Gus was right, there were a lot of them.

But the biggest issue was flammability.

Urelane 577-1 was being used throughout the capsule.

Urelane?

It's a type of foam, and it combusts if it gets too hot.

It explodes.

My memo said that Urelane wasn't safe in a 100% oxygen environment where the risk of fire is so high.

So what did they do?

What do you think?

Betty: We have to tell someone.

Betty, hold on a minute, take a deep breath. Slow down.

There was a memo. It says everything.

They used something, I don't remember the word now, but it was a foam.

Do you have the memo?

I don't have it, I was told about it... by an engineer who worked in the capsule.

Okay, do you have his name?

He didn't want to say.

He doesn't want to lose his job.

[Sighs] Betty, I hear everything you're saying.

And trust me, Alan and I are on your side.

There's a review board, and they're looking into the fire as we speak.

Once they get their findings, they're gonna testify in front of congress, and the truth will come out.

And I promise you, if North American's culpable, they will pay.

I know nothing is gonna bring Gus and the boys back.

But if someone's responsible, they need to be held to it.

Why don't I take you down the hallway to Gus' office?

I'm sure there's some things you want to hold onto.

You think there's actually something to this?

We'll find out soon enough.

Pat?

Pat?

[Clears throat] Louise.

I... I remembered how much Bonnie loved my spaghetti bake.

We had it at Ed's birthday last year.

That's right.

Who knew it would be his last one?

I'm just gonna... I'm gonna...

I'm gonna put this in the freezer.

Leave it out.

The kids will eat it.

Oh, okay, um...

H-how are they doing, the kids?

[Sighs]

Um...

As well as to be expected, I guess.

Yeah, I spoke with Ed junior for a little bit after the funeral.

Yeah, I was concerned because he seemed...

Well, he...

He... he seemed a little bit as if, um...

Alan: It's worse than I thought.

If that memo pans out, we have to start over with a whole new company, build a whole new capsule.

[Telephone ringing]

Ah! No phone calls at dinner.

It's probably Ed junior again.

[Ringing continues]

You know what came in the mail today?

An invitation.

Apparently, there's going to be a big celebration...

Of the anniversary of your father's Mercury flight.

Wasn't that six years ago?

Who's ever heard of a six-year anniversary party?

Exactly.

[Ringing continues]

Ed, let me explain the rules of this house to you...

Turn on the TV.

Yeah. Okay.

Dunk: Sorry for the late hour.

Thank you to everyone who's able to join us for this announcement.

This is it.

Deke and Alan got them to listen.

They're delaying the program. They have to be.

Gus Grissom believed that reaching the moon wasn't an ending, but a beginning.

And in light of our recent tragedy, we have decided that the best way to honor Gus and Ed White and Roger Chaffee is to continue the work that they began...

On schedule.

Jim: Work that Apollo I started will go on.

And we will continue our mission exactly as planned.

They're not slowing down. Not at all.

And Wally's next.

Isn't the point of a hearing to actually hear what people have to say?

They need to wait for the findings.

I don't know. I don't make the decisions.

Right, you just carry them out.

How can you even think of bowling at a time like this?

Look around. Look at the country.

People are rioting, protesting the w*r.

If those hearings show that something's wrong, then we'll fix it.

But in the meantime, we just gotta be positive, get on with it...

Make people think we can still do this.

One of your best friends just d*ed.

Maybe there are things more important than going to the moon.

Do you think I don't know that?

If we give up on the moon, then Gus will have d*ed for nothing.

You're the one who always says to trust NASA, so trust 'em.

Chicken's done.

N-n-noodles.

Those Grissom boys can eat.

Make sure you give 'em extra chicken and extra king.

Don't forget, Bonnie's allergic to peanuts.

Heard your charter business is going well.

If well means slow, then, yeah, it's going great.

We flew Beverly Davis a couple of times, but since then, nothing.

Well, if careers were easy, we probably wouldn't be the only ones trying to have them.

Trudy, could you help me, please?

So, Rene, we've been working for hours.

Are you gonna tell us what's happening with Scott?

Well, he fixed a leaky faucet and he cleaned out the gutters.

And he fried us up some very tasty steaks for dinner last night.

And he's sleeping in the den.

Trudy: Wait, you're serious?

You just changed her name?

From Judy to Alice?

Please, keep your voice down.

Well, loud, soft... it's all bad.

Trudy, they were the same age, in the same grade.

It was confusing.

So is calculus, but you don't just start calling it algebra.

I asked for your advice.

And you want her to listen to you?

Try calling her Judy.

You know what I found helpful after Elliot d*ed?

Getting away.

There was just something about being in my house.

Every room, every corner was some memory.

Ah! Here it is.

The congressional hearings. They started yesterday.

I just had to create one memory without Elliot so I could start to imagine a life without him.

I know it's hard.

Believe me, but it helps.

Just think about a trip.

I could even go with you.

You'd do that?

Yes.

It would be great.

I went to Mexico, but we could go anywhere.

D.C.

We're going to those hearings in D.C.

Hmm.

Louise: Pat?

[Sighs]

[Groans]

Pat, everyone is here to help you.

But you have to find a way to help yourself.

I can't.

Yes, you can.

Please no. No, I can't.

Now, pat, you have been a wonderful wife.

But you're also a mother.

Look at me.

Come on.

[Sobbing softly]

Come here.

Mrs. Grissom, Mrs. See, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming.

Us, neither. But here we are.

Well, okay, they're in the middle of things.

It's probably best you don't walk in right now.

If anyone belongs in there, it's me.

Uh...

I'm not asking.

Man: All we need is a suit for re-entry stored on board somewhere.

Man #2: Roger, we copy.

Seven away, Capcom.

Hey, uh, fire.

We got a fire in the cockpit!

Fighting it!

[Static]

It's a bad fire! Let's get out!

I'm burning up!

Oh!

Mom?

Mom?

And the coast is clear.

You know, your mom may be mean, but at least she got mine out of the house.

Mom?

Ed Jr.: Mom?!

Mom, wake up!

Call for help.

[Gasps]

Mom, please wake up!

Look at me.

Alice: Mom, it's Mrs. White.

I think she took some pills.

Congressman: It was well-documented that Gus Grissom had complaints about the capsule your company, North American, built.

Well, he was vocal about certain things, yes.

He felt there were certain technical issues, equipment problems.

He even went so far as to hang a lemon on the simulator.

We all loved Gus' sense of humor.

What about his concerns?

Did you understand them?

Understand them, yes.

Did I share them? No.

Roudebush: The board listed the probable cause of the fire as insulation that was scraped off the wire.

This is, uh, a possibility, but not a certainty.

Davis: Do you have another possibility to suggest?

It has been theorized that one of the astronauts could have kicked the wire attached to the gas chromatograph.

And that's what ignited the fire.

And which astronaut would that be?

The chromatograph was on the floor by the left foot of Gus Grissom.

[Crowd murmuring]

Your mom's gonna be okay.

The ipecac worked. She's awake.

Thank goodness.

Harriet, thank you for coming.

I knew I could count on you.

I'm always happy to use my nursing skills, but not like this.

I did what I could, but she's refusing to go to a doctor.

She doesn't want anyone to read about it in the paper.

Dunk will be happy to hear about that.

I'm gonna stay here.

But it's been a long day.

You and Alice should go, get some rest.

No, I'm not... I'm not leaving.

Let's let the Whites have some peace and quiet.

That's rich.

Now you want to give them peace and quiet.

That's it. You're grounded.

How am I grounded?

Ed told me you came over here.

You tried to make her act the way you would.

I'm surprised you didn't tell her to act like Mr. White never existed and started calling Mrs. White "Marcia."

[Sighs]

[Rock music plays]

♪ Uh ♪

You're up, Jo.

♪ Good God ♪
♪ there's a funky little night club ♪
♪ on a rough and bumpy street ♪

Hey, hey, you want to line your feet up a little better.

That shoe goes on the middle dot, aim for the second arrow on the right.

Deke?

You're up next.

They're blaming Gus for the fire.

It's gonna be in every newspaper tomorrow.

It's happening again.

And there was no mention of that memo.

You said the truth would come out, you said that someone would be held responsible.

I want what you want, but...

But what? It's out of your hands?

Then whose hands is it in?

When you were down, Gus fought for you.

Who's fighting for him now?

Wally's up next.

What are you doing?

Packing.

We're leaving Houston tonight.

Stop that.

Wally, don't.

Just wait a minute.

I've been waiting.

Waiting for that review board to figure out why that capsule exploded.

Waiting for somebody to postpone your flight.

Or waiting for you to say something so that I don't have to bury you like Betty buried Gus.

Jo, when push came to shove, Gus was gunning as hard as everyone else.

The pressure, the deadlines, it's like a freight train barreling down a hill, weighing on all of us.

No one can stop it.

You can.

If they're moving too fast, then make them slow down.

That's the only way Gus' death won't have been for nothing.

[Door slams]

Who's ever heard of a sixth-anniversary party anyway?

Honestly, I'd wear a giant middle finger if I could.

I'm catching up... On your columns.

And?

And I get it now.

All this time apart, I wondered if maybe this whole writing thing was just an excuse.

But it had nothing to do with me.

This...

All this is just...

So you.

[Slurring] Alan? It's Deke.

Deke?

Oh, I'm...

Sorry to come by so late.

Is... is Alan around?

Alan's working.

But he'll be home soon if you want to wait...

Um...

At least come in for a cup of coffee.

I blew it.

It was a routine test.

You've all done them before.

Everything had been delayed.

All the guys were tired.

Gus was pissed because of the communications snafu.

And I was right there in the blockhouse.

I could have told them to call it.

But I knew he didn't want another delay.

I mean, the moon is right there.

We can all taste it.

But we... we were family.

[Sobbing]

I'm... I'm sorry.

I... I should probably go.

No, don't.

You can't go back and save Gus.

But maybe you can honor his memory by protecting and helping the people who are still here.

♪ Lovin' you must be a sin ♪
♪ for you've hurt me more than... ♪

We're closing up, Mrs. Grissom.

Oh, no, no, no. Drinks are on the house.

No.

The Grissoms always pay their own way.

I'm not taking it.

Good night.

Suit yourself.

[Register dings]

[Gus clears throat]

♪ Three-legged dog ♪

I should have known you'd be here.

It's Thursday.

I'm always here on Thursdays.

You're up.

Oh.

♪ always been alone ♪
♪ April is a fine time ♪
♪ just thought you'd be around for June ♪
♪ though we never really promised ♪
♪ I'll see you on the moon ♪

[laughs]

♪ See you on the moon it's okay. ♪

No, it's not. I'm terrible.

You're just squeezing the ball too hard.

You gotta let go.

I'm trying, I just... Just...

♪ Got this story to tell ♪
♪ way deep down inside ♪

I can't.

Yes, you can, Bets.

♪ When you're flying all around ♪

Let go.

♪ up there on the moon ♪

For me.

But if I don't fight for you, who will?

Maybe you gotta let go to find out.

♪ When you're flying all around ♪
♪ up there on the moon ♪

Why don't you fix your little problem and light this candle?

[Martial music playing]

This is Freedom 7, I'm getting ready to come back.

President Kennedy: I want to express the great pleasure we have in welcoming Commander Shepard and Mrs. Shepard here today.

We're very proud of him as the first United States astronaut...

[Cheering]

[Applause]

Dunk: Remember, your job is to remind people why we're doing this.

Get them excited about the moon again.

I think I have a new client for you.

Really? Who?

Me.

[Applause]

Thanks, everyone, for coming out tonight.

A lot's changed over the last six years.

One thing that hasn't is the bond we original seven share, even if one of us isn't here tonight.

And because Gus isn't here, I'd like to invite Deke Slayton up to say a few words with me.

[Applause]

Thanks, Al.

[Camera shutters clicking]

[Clears throat]

As many of you know, Gus Grissom was one of a kind.

He was the best damn engineer this program had ever seen.

The best friend any of us ever had...

Or lost.

Now, there's been a lot of talk, a lot of speculation as to who's to blame for his death.

But the truth is...

We all are.

North American's to blame.

NASA's to blame.

Anyone ever caught up in go-fever is to blame.

Anyone so set on b*ating the Russians that they lose sight of who and what we could lose at home is to blame.

We're all to blame.

And the only people that aren't to blame...

Are Roger Chaffee, Ed White...

And Gus Grissom.

If this night is about honoring what I did, what we all did six years ago, then I'll tell you how to honor us now... slow the hell down.

[Applause]

Okay, Deke.

See you in the morning.

Deke: Mm-hmm.

Hey.

It's for you.

Not me.

What?

Gus got that for you.

No, Betty, I... I didn't earn it.

Yes, you did.

[Sniffles]

[Teakettle whistling]

You girls are too much!

It was supposed to be a surprise.

We wanted to give you a proper send-off.

And... and this.

F-f-for your trip.

Oh! I love it.

Thank you.

And there's something else.

The greatest gift of all.

They pushed. NASA pushed Apollo.

It's delayed indefinitely so they can make changes in the capsule, adjust their testing.

Betty, you won.

Thanks to you, we all won.

Oh!

[Laughter]

Rene: Oh, no.

What is it, Rene?

We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Russian cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov, whose parachute failed to deploy upon re-entry.

It's losses like this that put what we're trying to do into perspective.

To Komarov's wife, their children, and fellow cosmonauts, we send our deepest sympathies.

And to the Russian people, our victories are your victories, and your losses are our losses.

Where is it?

It's beneath that big tree.

This was your mother's favorite spot.

And when we were kids...

Your mom would ride her bike down here.

It was the tallest tree she could find.

It always had to be the tallest.

She would zip right up.

And I would stand at the bottom, skinny and knock-kneed, shaking.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I remember everything.

I promise, I'll tell you anything you need to know.

[Sighs]

Was she a good sister?

She was the best.

[Chuckles]

The thing about sisters is they challenge you.

They make you braver than you ever could be without them.

Sisters stand by you when no one else does.

They help you overcome things you never imagined you could.

And even when they're gone...

They're always with you.

[Sniffling]