01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

♪

- Here's a riddle.

"I am inherently worthless...

- "...but highly prized.

- "I will empty out your bank account.

- "I'm all about love.

- "But I have a heart of stone

"and have been known...

"...to prefer to be owned."

- What?

- It's good.

- I have to go back to the library.

- Okay. I don't.
- Hmm.

- Off you f*ck then.

- Okay, bye.
- Bye.

Have fun.
- Thanks.

♪ I Don't Really Care for You
by CMAT playing ♪

♪

♪ Choking back a Breezer on the patio ♪

♪ Within earshot of that guy we knew ♪

♪ Oh, the Marian Keyes of it all ♪

♪ Babe, you rewriting everything I do ♪

♪

♪ Unh ♪

♪ Out the back it's freezing,
yeah, it's very cold ♪

♪ So I switch it up and head inside ♪

♪ Lock eyes with another adult woman ♪

♪ I can tell is trying not to cry ♪

♪ But I can't ignore it ♪

♪ I can't let it go ♪

♪ I hate that your friends hate me now ♪

♪ I hate me on my own, own, own ♪

♪ I'd have saved you
burning up inside an old gray tavern ♪

♪ Saved you burning up and burning out ♪

♪ I'd have saved you ♪

♪ But you said
that I don't really care for you ♪

♪

♪ Bully, bully, you said ♪

♪ I'm a bully, oh ♪

♪ But I thought I was just helping ♪

- Hey.
- Heya.

- Sorry, it won't be a minute.

- No, no, don't worry.

Do you need to--
- Yeah. Grand.

- Good day?
- Mm-hmm. You?

- Yeah, grand. Grand.

I'm actually-- I'm gonna
head home tomorrow.

My dad's picking me up.

- Oh, okay.

Uh, have a good summer.

Yeah, you too.

And best of luck
with the rest of your exams.

- Thanks.

- Hey, Bobbi.
- He's back.

Yay.

Nailed it.
- Good sh*t.

- I think so.

Hey.

- How do you feel?

Yay. Summer.

That's fair. Surely.

- Yes. Smart.
- Good.

- Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
- Ooh.

More, more, more.

- ...once I start.
- Once you--

- Are you like pressuring me right now?
- No, I'm just--

- Do you feel that I feel--
- ...just showing interest.

♪ light guitar playing ♪

- I should head.
- Okay.

Text me when you're home.

- Always, Frances.

Good night.
- Good night.

FRANCES and BOBBI:
Whip, crack, snap.

An announcement
to the females in the room.

- Although we suspect
the interest will be wider.

- We are now,
thanks to mainstream television.

- Elevated to the status of dominatrix.

Haven't you heard?

- Buckle up, this is the next wave of...

...female empowerment.

You might remember the last one

where we reclaimed the pole

and learned to dance better on it.

Good for exercise.

- I mean, it is...
- ...in theory...

- ...in terms of actual muscles...

- ...being exercised.

But is that the point?

- Hey. Oh. thank you.

Mm-hmm.

- That was really great.

Thanks.

That's... that writer.

- I know.

- That's kind of you to say.

No, I really loved it.

It was very sweet but ruthless.

- Well, that's Frances. She's the writer.

I'm Bobbi. I'm like her muse.

- Well, I want a muse.

- I don't operate exclusively.

- How long has she been musing for you?

- We started in school.

- We were f*cking back then, too,
but we don't do that anymore.

We dropped the f*cking
but kept the poetry.

- That sounds like
the wrong way around.

- I know, right?

Where are you from?
- London.

You sound--
- New York.

- That's a big change.

- Oh, I know. I was like,
"Look at this little baby city."

- I do love living by the sea.

- Do you swim in it?
- Yes.

And you?

You should try it.

- My name is Jules.

I'm running late.

- I have a little poem for you guys.
- Mm--

Um--

- It was lovely meeting you.

We should continue
this conversation sometime.

- Yeah? Put your number in my phone.

...chase clout for me.

- Did you ever read her book?

- Yeah, I got it,
I've just never read it.

- Hmm.
It's good.

You'd hate it.

Night, Frances.

♪ soft rock music playing in distance ♪

♪

♪

Do you do it every day?

- Just about.

- Wow.
- Yeah.

- The Irish Sea.

Who f*cking knew?

♪

I know, I'm like,

what happens if I just was like,
I'm over it?

♪

♪

That was amazing.

- Yeah. Told you.

- Yeah.

♪

♪

Kind of ridiculous.

Yeah.

You'd think I'd know
how to open my own door by now.

Come on in.

And you can just... throw your sh*t there.
That's fine.

I'm gonna throw on some water

and, uh, and then

I'm probably gonna jump
in the shower, if that's alright.

Yeah, of course.

- It takes me ages to get warm.

Um, there's another bathroom
right through there

with some clean towels on the side
if you wanna jump in.

- Yeah, thanks. Is that okay?

Yeah, sure. I'm fine.

- Okay, well, help yourself
to whatever you'd like.

- Um, can I do anything?

- No. No. Just relax.

Oh, Nick should be back soon.

♪

♪

♪

- Hi.

How's it going?
- Hi, I'm Frances.

- Yes. One of the poets.

- Hi.
- How was the swim?

It was good.

- Hi.

- Hey.

- What's for dinner?
- Ah, you'll have to wait and see.

- Your house is very cool.

I love it. You two are such grown-ups.

I know.

- How long have you lived here?

- Um, six years?
- Yeah.

Yeah, I came over when you did, I suppose.

- Yeah.
- Bobbi's from New York.

- Oh. Right.

- Yeah, it was a bit of
a culture shock at first.

There are, um,
a lot of white people here.

- Yes.
- Yeah.

- I feel like it's a bit better
than it used to be, but--

- I mean, it's still

pretty mono... culture.
- What brought you over?

Um, my parents got jobs.

They're academics.
They hate each other.

Obviously.

Nick's the only person I know

whose parents are still in love.

- Mm!
- And quite demonstrative.

- Uh, yeah.

- It's quite uncomfortable
to be around actually.

- I mean, no one
should have to deal with that.

Right.

- So Frances studies English.

Really?

- Nick studied English... and French.

Did you like it?

- Yeah, um... yeah, I loved it.

Do you write other stuff, Frances?

Like other forms, prose?

- No.
- Why not?

Um...

I like the impermanence of this

and, like, the performance thing.

I... feel a bit sick
when I think about it lasting forever.

- That's so funny

because I always thought of writing

as about some
sort of desire for permanence.

I feel like when I'm writing,
I'm trying to get clarity,

and then when I do, I want to keep it.

No, I think I'm trying for that but--

And it... it just doesn't feel possible.

Or maybe I don't want
to package it for people to own.

Frances is a communist.

- Oh.
- Thanks, Bobbi.

Mm-Hmm.

- So, books understood as commodities?

- Maybe, in a sense.

It depends.

I mean, obviously, the really good ones
are more than that.

- The rest of us are just
grinding it out on the production line.

- You mind if I--
- Oh, please.

- Do you need a light?
- Uh, yes, please.

- I'm not great at these things.

- Me too.

- That was really delicious.
Thank you.

Are you, um--

Are you, uh,
in something at the moment?

- Um, yeah.

Uh, doing a play.

- Are you enjoying it?

Um--

I mean, it's, uh...
it's nice to be working.

Hmm.

I know people always say that and--

The play is fine.

It's not a very bold choice.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Do you know it?

- Yeah, I-I, um,
I read it a long time ago.

But I-I haven't seen it.

- Hmm.
- It's melodrama.

Which isn't, you know, it's not a dig.
I'm not--

People say that, don't they,
in a disparaging way?

But, I mean, that's the point.
It's the fun of it.

It's a proper play where stuff happens.

- But, no.

- I should see it.

Uh, like, I liked the play
when I read it.

- Yeah, um--

I can get you some tickets.

It's nothing groundbreaking, but--

You're being polite.

- No, I just would really like to see it.

- Yeah, if I take your email,
I can sort it out.

What, um, what do you write about?

That's a terrible question.
- The worst.

- I'll think of another one.
Something lighter.

So are you committed communist?

Not really. No.

Um, I mean, I don't
do anything about it at all, uh--

which must make me sound--

- No, not at all.

It's, uh, it's good,
I think, in whatever way.

You know, most of us
just kind of swim around

in a pretty aimless, comfortable--

um--

I'm not making any sense.

Um, not at all.

Uh, I mean, you are, I think.

♪ light guitar playing ♪

- ...I know!
- That's horrible.

♪

♪

Don't you think
it's weird they're married?

Weird how?

You think they're not, like...
well-suited?

- Not really.

But, I mean, more like,
"Why the f*ck would you get married?"

- People get married.

- Obviously, Frances.

- People grow up, get married,
have babies.

- Yeah, boring people.

Boring people
who then get a f*cking divorce.

But she is interesting.

Conscious, smart.

Like, I can't picture them
having a wedding

with a dress
and those little people on a cake.

Right?
- Maybe they didn't.

Maybe she wore a jumpsuit
and they had a cheese board.

I don't know.

- It's still f*cking marriage.

- You have a crush on her.

- Obviously, I have a crush on her.

- I thought he was funny.

- He barely opened his mouth.

Can you actually imagine them
on their own... f*cking.

Holding a conversation
that lasts longer than two minutes?

- I mean, who knows what happens

between two people
when they're alone, Bobbi.

- So I will leave you

in Philip's capable hands.

- Really happy to have you with us
for the summer, Frances.

- Thanks.

- See you later.
- Thanks, honey.

Great. Uh, you can kinda sit wherever.

Hmm.
Where do you sit?

Um, here.

Kind of a hot-desking thing.

Oh. So I can read to you?

- Um, no. You read to yourself...
in your head.

- Ah.
- And then you write a report.

- So I-I sit here and I make an assessment

on someone's abilities
when I'm not qualified.

And I'm fundamentally opposed
to the whole notion.

- You said you wanted this job, Frances.

- What happens if I have a sh*t morning?

Do I just make arbitrary decisions

and we use that as a test
of cultural excellence?

- Don't get excited.
You write it. I read it.

And if you happen to have
an undiscovered genius in that pile...

there may be someone more important
who might get to hear about it.

- Alright, then.

♪ She comes ♪

♪ And take you out ♪

♪ Savor your lips ♪

♪ Till the sun goes down ♪

- Lean on me.

- No. Just give me my crutch.

- Lean on my shoulder.

- I don't wanna
lean on your shoulder, Maggie.

I want my crutch.

Are you gonna give me my crutch

or do I have to get down
on my knees on the floor and crawl?

- Here, take it!

Take it.

♪ So you don't drift away ♪

♪ While we are bound ♪

♪

♪ Let it all go ♪

♪ Let it all go wrong ♪

♪

♪

♪ Let it all go ♪

♪ Let it all go wrong ♪

♪ Oh, let it all go ♪

♪ Let it all go wrong ♪

♪

♪

...before, but it was disgusting.

So how was the play?

- He was good.

Um... yeah, the play was--

- Yeah.
- Awkward.

- Can't believe you went
without me with me.

Was Melissa there?

- Um, I didn't see her.

- Makes sense.

She thinks
Tennessee Williams is mannered.

- Yeah, I mean, that's the point,
though, isn't it?

Like... like it's not like
it's accidentally mannered.

Like, I feel like that's pretty obvious.

- Okay, Frances,
now you're being annoying.

Yeah. Sorry.

Oh, I think our food's ready.

♪

♪

- f*ck.

Frances?

Are you okay?

- Yeah, just period pain.

Have you got any painkillers in there?

Um, no.

Okay, hang on.

Do you need anything else?

- No, no, no.

You go home.

♪

- Um, Frances.

♪

♪

- You stayed.

- You suffer.

♪

I'll make you some tea.

- Thank you.

How you feelin'?

- Better.

- Stop staring at yourself.
- Yeah.

Sorry.

Hey.

Come on.

Ready?

- This poem is called Diamonds.

Here's a riddle.

- My best friend...

- ...is inherently worthless...

- ...but highly prized...

- ...who'll empty out your bank account.

But what they did do,
and we'll quote from their report here,

which is much better than
anything we could ever make up.

All of these lectures
revolve around the diamond engagement ring

and are reaching thousands of girls

in their assemblies, classes,
and informal meetings

in our leading educational institutions.

They spread the word, they said,

using wives and daughters
of political leaders.

- Any woman who can make the grocer's wife

and the mechanic's sweetheart say...

"I wish I had what she has."

- Do you get a feeling
that we are still kneeling

under the heavy midst we've been told

so stones can be sold.

- And if a diamond's a thing,
put it on a ring,

but don't sing to me
about love being enshrined in its class.

I won't be your audience.
I'm out of your grasp.

- Hey. That was brilliant.

- Thank you.
- Hey.

Well done.

- Thanks.
- You wanna buy me a drink?

Yeah, of course. Be my pleasure.

- After you.
- Thank you.

♪ pop music playing ♪

- So what did you think
of the play the other night?

- Yeah, it was good.

I thought you were very good.

Thanks.

- Don't you feel a bit conflicted?

- Generally or--

- You're playing a g*y character
and you're a straight man.

- Is Brick g*y?

Bisexual, maybe.

- You make it sound like
g*y is the destination

and bisexual is like a stop on the way.

Not quite there.

- Hmm.
- I mean, Frances is bisexual.

- Jesus Christ, Bobbi.

- You've probably totally offended her.

- I promise, I feel
very conflicted, Bobbi.

- Okay.
- And I apologize.

Well, as long as you're self-flagellating
and having an awful time.

- Melissa, I need you to meet someone.
- Okay.

Philip, Melissa. Melissa, Philip.

Hi.

- I'm sorry I was late.

- Thanks for coming.

- I really liked it.

Yeah.

I don't really know how to be articulate
about it beyond that.

But--

I liked it.

I think it would have been better
if I'd said nothing.

I'll craft you an email.

It'll be full of compliments and--

be in complete sentences.

- But won't require us
to make eye contact.

- Right.

♪ Used by Wyvern Lingo playing ♪

- We could try, though.

♪ I don't need you to love me ♪

♪ I can't be broken twice ♪

♪ Just tell me I'm beautiful ♪

♪ As we lie down ♪

♪ That will suffice ♪

♪ Don't look so guilty ♪

♪ As though you've done me wrong ♪

♪ I'm not your victim to be pitied ♪

♪ I'm not yours at all ♪

♪ For long ♪

♪ Oh, with your hands you cheapened me ♪

♪ And I'll never let another weaken me ♪

♪ vocalizing ♪

♪ But you kissed me too softly ♪

♪ And then I felt used ♪

Good to see you!

- This is... amazing.

-Hey, Frances.
-Hey.

♪ ♪

- People think in couples.

You have to work
really hard to resist it.

He's clearly into you.

- He's nice actually.

I'm just not sure what to do yet.

I kissed Melissa.

♪ ♪

- I've never had sex with a man before.

- It's important you know
how happy you make me.

- We only know him because he's
married to someone interesting.

- Melissa's not that interesting.

- There's nothing else that
I should know about with Nick, is there?

When did you stop being in love?

- I don't think I did stop.

- You're saying you still love her?

♪ ♪

- Were you going to tell me?

Frances.
I want to keep seeing you.

- I'm in love with you
and you obviously don't feel the same.

I don't really know
how to do this anymore.

I thought that maybe
I wasn't capable of love.

♪ ♪

That isn't true.

♪ ♪