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01x04 - The Illiterates

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Scenes from a Marriage". Aired: September 12 – October 10, 2021.*
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An adaptation of the 1970s Swedish miniseries focusing on a contemporary American couple.

01x04 - The Illiterates

Post by bunniefuu »

Production,

Jessica's pulling into set

in a minute.

Copy that.

Yeah, I'm walking up

to the house now, okay, Ava?

But I can't find my

There's nothing

to worry about.

No. Nothing's gonna happen

to your dolls.

I've looked everywhere.

Honey, I promise you.

But what if

she's not in the box?

Listen,

if you put Lucy in the box,

then that's where

she still is, honey.

Mm-hmm. That's why we agreed

I apologize for the delay,

but it was a

it was a force majeure.

Uh-huh.

Well, Daddy's here.

It means that my wife had a really

important meeting come up

- that she couldn't cancel.

- And he and I will make sure

But she just arrived.

all of your stuff goes safely

on the truck, okay?

My wife, she just she just got here,

so you guys can come any time.

Okay, but we're not

gonna be there

Okay. I'm going upstairs

right now. Right now.

Wait, wait, wait. What?

Yeah.

I'm gonna check on your dolls.

But first of all, it's the afternoon.

It's not evening right now.

- All right. But I

- Yes, I'm going

No, not your

not your new room.

Your old room, sweetheart.

- Right. Well, what are the evening rates?

- Okay. Oh, sw

Ava, this is so good.

You did such a good job.

There's no way anyone

is ever gonna mix this up,

I promise.

I'm totally happy to compensate you

for the delay, but

No. You know what?

I've got her in my hand.

I'm gonna put this box

in my car,

so it's not even gonna go

in the truck, okay?

No, no, no, not

tomorrow. It has to be today.

I know, sweetheart,

but I promise you that

If you just Are you there?

Ava?

- Honey?

- Fine, but I can't go tomorrow.

- Hey, Mira.

- Oh, hey, Veronica.

Yeah, no. She's really angry.

No, I'll have cash for you

when you get here, okay?

It's good she's expressing it.

I mean, it's healthy,

but it's just,

- I didn't

- Yeah. Yeah. That's good.

Six o'clock is fine, but please

no later than that, all right?

- Do you know when you'll be done?

- I think I'll be done at 8:00?

Yeah. All right.

See you soon. Thank you.

All right.

Thank you for everything. Bye.

Hey.

Everything okay?

Yeah. It's just

this fixation on her things.

I mean, it's normal.

Her therapist warned us

about it.

I just didn't realize

it would be this intense.

Yeah. You know,

I'm sure she's gonna feel

so much better once everything's

unpacked, and

Mm-hmm. You don't think

I could find an Advil by chance?

I've got such a crazy headache.

Um, I don't know.

Let me see, maybe

Oh, God.

Maybe in the bathroom?

Is Tylenol okay?

Uh, it'll have to be.

Okay. Here you go. Here.

- Thanks.

- You got a migraine?

I don't know yet.

It started in the middle

of my meeting with Ackerman.

Hmm.

Well, Ackerman's a migraine

personified.

I don't know about that,

you know?

I think it's the stress of

having to leave in the middle.

We weren't exactly finished.

Uh, yeah. Sorry.

Couldn't cancel the movers.

Okay. But I'm still

just a little unclear

why it had to be today.

Why? Because we agreed

to vacate on the 20th.

But why did we agree

to vacate on the 20th?

Because I'm leaving on a flight

the day after tomorrow.

Yeah, but you're only gone

for a week.

Well, nine days, actually.

Okay. So what's

the big deal, honey?

- What is it?

- Okay, okay, okay.

Let's just

get through this, okay?

Okay. Let's go downstairs.

Well, shouldn't we just

start here since we're already

No, we can do it later.

Okay.

But wait, wasn't it

just supposed to be a week?

I mean, how many lectures

are you doing? Just two, no?

Um, well, two in Berlin,

and then there's

the panel in Vienna.

- I showed you the itinerary.

- Right. Yeah. I just

I better get used to you

traveling so much.

Well, it's not it's only

my second trip this year.

Yeah. Uh,

where are the documents?

- There.

- Okay.

It's just this last paper

really took off, you know.

- Yeah, it's great.

- Yeah, it's crazy.

Yeah. Okay.

Okay, yeah, so

There you go.

So here is the list

of items right here.

Mm-hmm.

And here's

the settlement itself.

Right.

Uh, which is exactly

what we agreed to with Jason.

Remember, he sent us the memo?

He emailed it to us last week?

Right? Okay?

And the only difference

is the amount we got

for the house, split in two,

minus the broker's fee.

In the last draft, it was blank.

Okay.

Uh, what is

What am I supposed to

You'll sign by

the stickers, and then

- you'll initial each page.

- Right.

- Wait, hold on, hold on.

- No, I got it.

Wait, wait. We have to

look through all the items

and make sure everything's okay.

That's why we're doing it here.

- I'm just not up for this right now, so

- We'll do it really quickly.

We'll just go through it quickly, then you'll sign,

and that's it. You'll be done.

You don't even have to wait

for the movers, okay?

No, I do. I promised Ava

I would be here to put

make sure her boxes

got on the truck.

Well, then you have to wait

anyway, right?

So come on. Let's get started.

Okay. Okay. Fine.

- So what do the colors mean?

- Yeah.

Yellow's mine.

Um, red is yours.

- Okay.

- Blue is storage.

So they'll pack everything up,

and, uh,

then they'll unload

at my place first,

then you guys,

then the storage facility.

Okay?

Will Poli be home?

Will he be able

to help you unpack?

I'm not sure.

Uh didn't we say said that

I was gonna get the green couch?

Uh, actually, no, we didn't.

We didn't.

You said that you didn't want

any of the living room furniture

because you got all new stuff

at the tower.

No, I'm pretty sure we talked

about the green couch specifi

- We didn't.

- Okay.

Do you want to?

You wanna talk about it?

I mean, like formally

in the settlement?

It's fine.

It's just furniture.

Okay.

All right. All right. All right.

Okay. There you go.

Happy to do it.

Really. Okay?

How's your headache?

You need to lie down

for a moment?

- No. I'm fine.

- Okay.

You up for doing this?

We'll just go through

the house quickly

- and just get it done?

- No.

I'm not up for it, Jonathan.

But you already wanted

to make an adjustment to the thing.

- I just think it's important

- I know. It's okay. I trust you.

I really do.

Just you do it. I trust you.

Is is something wrong?

No. It's just, um,

it's been a shitty day,

you know?

- Yeah.

- It's really

it's a horrible ending

to just a terrible day.

What's horrible?

Oh, yeah. Well, yeah. Yeah.

No, I mean, it is it's a

It is surprising

how something so formal

can have such an impact, right?

I mean,

it's just a piece of paper,

- just a f*cking gett.

- A "get"?

Yeah. It's, uh,

it's Hebrew for divorce papers.

Oh, yeah.

I think I remember that.

Although "give" would be

more like it.

- Yeah.

- Give up.

It's Aramaic for deed.

- Mm.

- It's basically papers

that when I give them to you,

we're divorced.

- And that's it?

- Yeah.

Yeah. But it's like

it's a crazy,

traumatic ceremony.

- There's three judges.

- Mm-hmm.

And, um,

you have to have witnesses

to testify that you are

who you say you are

and I am who I say I am.

It's humiliating.

- Is it gett with two Ts?

- Yeah.

And then you have to go

into this little room,

- and there's a guy in there

- Uh-huh.

writing calligraphy

on parchment.

And he's writing out the text

of the gett.

- Yeah.

- And it's

it's like a thriller,

because the tiniest mistake

and you have to start

all over again.

And then, uh, and then you go

back in to the judges

- Mm-hmm.

- and the witnesses.

And then I have to hand you

the gett in front of everybody

and yell a few sentences at you,

and then you hold it up high,

and you walk around the room

with it.

And then the judge rips it

to pieces.

- And there's more.

- Jesus.

Yeah, totally.

Why does it have to be

like that?

- Isn't it brutal enough?

- Well, I think there's a

plenty of legal reasons,

but I think it just has to be

absolute and definitive.

That's the you know.

- They don't like any gray areas.

- Mm.

You're either in

or you're out.

And if you're out

there's no going back.

- Right.

- There's some logic to that, no?

So what's it say?

It's like, um

"This is your gett, and with it,

you are divorced from me

and hereby permitted

to all men."

To all men?

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

Does all men include you?

No. No.

I'm not allowed to touch you

anymore

or even be in the same room

alone with you

- from that point on.

- Hmm.

It's over. Clean break.

And like, um

What are are you

allowed to marry me again?

Am I allowed to marry you?

In principle,

but only if you haven't been

with any other men.

- We are f*cked.

- Yeah.

- Hey.

- Hmm?

Come here.

Come here.

So basically, this is forbidden?

Well,

we're not divorced yet.

Not yet.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, my

Okay.

No.

- Just

- No, don't.

Don't go yet. Don't go yet.

Please.

Stay here.

Penny for your thoughts?

It'll cost you a lot more

than that.

Are you hungry?

Yeah.

I'm always hungry.

Let's go out.

- What?

- Yeah.

- Really?

- Yeah.

The movers are gonna be here

in 20 minutes.

We'll go to The Grille,

all right?

Back in 20 minutes.

I want a steak.

Okay. Okay. Great. Let's do it.

- Okay.

- I'm just gonna

Sure. Do your thing.

What?

Nothing.

I should probably

Just give me a second, okay?

Mm-hmm.

I'll be right back.

Right, so

Okay.

Let's get these stupid papers

signed,

and we'll go get a bite to eat.

Pay tribute to a long

and happy marriage.

You can go home

straight from there, yeah?

Um, I think

I'm gonna take these home

and take a minute to go over it.

What do you mean?

We went over it a hundred times.

Yeah, but you have to read

a contract before you sign it.

Uh, no. Actually, you don't,

'cause that's the exact

same document

that we approved already.

All right. So what's

Why does it have to be today?

Mira. Come on. We agreed, today.

- We agreed we'd do it today.

- It'll be tomorrow, I promise.

- No, I c

- What's the big deal?

I cannot do it tomorrow

- because I'm getting ready for my trip

- Okay.

- and I won't have time to go down to the courthouse.

- That's fine.

- So let's do it now.

- So it it'll be, um,

- when you get back.

- Oh, my God. I

No. Okay. Okay.

Okay, here.

Sit down right here, okay?

Right now.

- Babe, I'm not

- Just listen.

Go over it. Go over it.

Take all the time you need.

I'm gonna get out of your way.

Just for f*ck's sake,

get it over with.

Why are you talking to me

like that? What is wrong?

- What's wrong is

- Yeah?

we went over it

a hundred times!

We spent months hashing it out,

- so what is your latest whim?

- Okay. Whoa. Okay.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- You can't, like

We're here. We're

We were just having

a really good time.

- Yeah.

- And we're about to go get something to eat.

I don't think so.

I'm not going to, okay? No.

- Jonathan. Hey.

- No. Mira. Mira.

Please, get it over with.

I don't understand

what the big deal is.

What could be more rational

than wanting to take it

and go over it quietly at home?

So

Mm-hmm.

- Okay.

- Yeah?

Yeah. Fine.

Fine. That's okay.

Forget about it, okay?

Just take it home.

Go over it quietly with Poli.

He's nobody's sucker,

that's for sure, right?

- Just make sure, you guys can look through it

- Jonathan.

that I haven't, you know,

f*cked you over

in some secret clause

or something

that I've put in there.

Go ahead. Just take it.

- Don't do this.

- f*cking forget it.

It's fine. I don't care.

It's fine.

I don't understand what

We were just so close

to each other.

Yup. Exactly.

Just so you know, if we're talking

about renegotiating, it's a two-way street,

and there's plenty of stuff in there

that I'm not crazy about either.

I'm not saying that I wanna renegotiate.

I'm just saying I wanna read it.

- Okay.

- Okay?

- Just saying. I'm just saying.

- Okay.

Jesus.

By the way,

since we're talking, um,

you haven't paid your half

of Ava's dance classes,

and they're bugging me about it.

All right.

I'll pay you right now.

No. Don't pay me.

Pay them what you owe them.

Your half. That's how it works.

Right. I will pay them.

How much is it?

I don't know.

Check with them.

Okay.

It's 2,500 dollars.

- What?

- Yeah.

What?

We moved her

into the intermediate group.

That's twice a week,

ballet and jazz.

Yeah. I know it's twice a week.

It was my idea.

Okay, well,

that's how much it costs.

I don't know what you want me to tell you.

You asked me to take care of it.

You didn't think

it was a little exorbitant or

If I can afford it,

Mira, you can afford it too.

Okay. It's not about

whether or not I can afford it.

- It's just

- Okay.

It's outrageous, so

Well, I guess

if that's what it costs,

then we'll just, you know,

we'll cut her back down

- to once a week.

- Okay. That's fine. Go for it.

Tell her that she can only go

once a week

and she's gotta choose

between ballet and jazz.

I'm fine with that.

Can't can you tell her that?

Why should I tell her that?

Because I can't

You know why.

I'm She's furious at me.

I'm walking a delicate line

with her.

Okay. Well, you know what?

Not giving her boundaries,

that's not gonna make it

any better.

Fine. Jonathan, I know

I'm a failure as a mother,

- but that's not really helping.

- You know what, instead of acting like a martyr,

- why don't you just try

- Oh, my God.

having an honest

conversation with her?

- She's seven years old.

- Give me a break!

- She's not a toddler anymore.

- You know things are shitty between her and I right now,

- and your lecture isn't helping.

- Well, you have to Okay.

- Will you tell her or not?

- What do you want me to tell her?

That her mother ran away

with some guy one day

and now she has to choose

between ballet and jazz?

Wow.

I hoped I'd never hear that

again.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't

That was unnecessary.

I'm sorry about that.

I'm sorry.

Is that what you tell her?

Is that the story

you tell her about me?

No. No. I don't

I don't talk to her about that.

I don't ever talk to her

about the separation.

Okay.

Why, do you talk to her

about it?

No.

It's f*cked up.

I mean, I don't

like, it's hard.

Where do we even begin to

I know, I wish we

We don't even know

what's going on.

We just all grow up

illiterate about it.

Maybe we should've been

more prepared for it.

It's a fact that it doesn't

always end up that way.

I mean, it doesn't even

usually end up that way.

So how do you prepare

someone for that?

I don't know.

I think we should teach kids

that, yeah, love ends.

It's, uh

Yeah, relationships end

and people leave

and they break up

and they divorce.

- And that's just a part of life.

- Yeah.

And then maybe

it just wouldn't be so painful

and, uh, you know,

all the suffering.

I think the real suffering

is the in-between.

You know, the limbo,

neither here nor there, just

I think that's way harder

than a breakup.

That's much more traumatic

for the kids

and for the parents.

At least,

that's how it is for me.

Mira, let's get this over with,

okay?

I'll

I promise you that if you find

something in the document,

or if there's a mistake

in the settlement,

I won't contest it.

I'll write something right now

guaranteeing you that.

All right?

I don't understand.

I mean, what

This isn't about

the money, right?

So what is

I got fired.

What?

Or I was I was invited

to resign.

Anyway, it's it's over.

I don't understand.

What do you mean?

That's what my meeting

with Ackerman today was about.

Oh.

Yeah.

I mean, it was kind of obvious

something like this could happen

ever since I didn't take

the London job. I mean, I was

You were never gonna take

the London job.

No, that's

Okay, that's not accurate.

- And there were various options to that.

- Mira. No, there

There was no option, so

Come on. I'm not blaming you.

That's not what this is about.

It's just like, you know,

when I didn't take the job,

then

yeah, they didn't know

what to do with me.

Couldn't relocate. I couldn't

travel because of Ava.

And, you know, going, uh,

back to running

a product management team,

it just

it seemed like a demotion.

So they started shopping me

around the company,

to find me a position.

- Nothing clicked.

- Yeah.

So this morning, uh,

he asked me for a meeting,

which he began by saying,

"Mira, I would like to set you

free for a new adventure."

as*h*le.

I'm like,

"I'm 43 and half years old.

I'm one-half of a single parent.

What kind of new adventure

do you have in mind?

I mean, tell me the truth.

Tell me that you're firing me

because I no longer live

for this company,

I'm not at your beck and call

120 percent of the time

like I used to be.

You can't ask me to,

you know, go out,

entertain the clients anymore

because I'd rather be at home

with my kid.

And you know what,

maybe the new, young,

ambitious product manager

should take them out anyway,

because she's much more fun."

I guess the weird I was, uh

You know, I was sitting

across from him and, um,

I could see in his eyes,

they were just like

switched off, you know?

I was invisible to him.

I used to have all this power

over him.

I could steer him

in whatever direction

I wanted him to go,

and now I was nothing.

And then I realized

that I, um

I've lost that power

over everything.

You know, that power that comes

from, um, being desirous.

I sat at the table and I just

I felt so disposable

and, uh yeah,

so I really, I felt old.

So, that's it.

Yeah, I'm, uh

There's a hearing in two weeks.

I have a severance, there'll be

stock options, and

But that's it. That's

You know, it's done.

I'm really sorry

that happened to you.

You're sorry

that happened to me?

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. You don't need

to be polite.

No. No. I'm not.

I, uh

But, uh, I, uh, it's

What?

You know, it's weird.

What?

I'm just I'm

- I'm listening to everything that you're saying

- Uh-huh.

and it's just

it's not, uh

You're right.

If circumstances were different,

I'd be f*cking losing my mind

right now.

I'd be telling you

I was gonna m*rder Ackerman

- and

- Mm-hmm.

be going crazy

with revenge fantasies.

- Right.

- Yeah.

And I'm listening to you

right now,

and I don't I don't feel

anything.

Oh, wow.

Well, congratulations.

- I'm sorry.

- No.

I don't I'm not trying

to be callous. I'm not.

I know that you're going through

a really hard time right now,

- but you asked, and that's

- Yeah.

I'm sharing how I feel.

Well, how you don't feel.

Half an hour

after you were inside me.

- Yeah. It's a

- Yeah.

That was

That's the weird part.

Uh-huh.

But, honestly,

even when we were having sex,

- which was great. It was.

- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

- It really was, right?

- Yeah.

And there was a part

of me that was observing myself

from the outside, checking in

to see like how I felt,

how I was feeling.

What if this was the last time?

What if I never even

see you again?

- Mm-hmm.

- How do I feel?

Would it be so unbearable?

And no,

I realized I could do

without it.

- You didn't feel that way?

- Mm-mm. No.

Okay, it's just like,

I think about it a lot,

- you know?

- Mm-hmm.

Because I do

I do think that my

extreme dependence on you,

that that's really what ruined

everything for us beyond repair

because that paralyzed me.

Hmm.

The thought of losing you,

the fear of losing you,

because that would mean

losing everything.

So I'm just saying that,

like when we were in the middle

- of that

- Mm-hmm.

I realized that that fear

wasn't there anymore.

That I was free from you

at last

Okay. I don't wanna

I don't wanna hear anymore.

I mean, it's not really

the right time

for a therapy session.

You don't have to blurt out

- whatever pops in your head.

- Shut the f*ck up.

Just shut up.

Like, what what is this?

What is this sarcasm

and this f*cking toxic sh*t?

Who are you to say when the time is right

and when the time is wrong?

- Why do you get to decide that?

- While you tell me you just f*cked me

in order to prove yourself

that you don't love me anymore?

I'm trying to talk to you.

I'm trying to talk to you.

I'm trying to tell you something

about

No. You're a f*cking narcissist.

This isn't sharing.

This is you vomiting your stream

of consciousness all over me.

You don't give a f*ck

how it makes me feel.

That is such bullshit.

I Mira, there

I have never had an inch

of emotional space

- to share about my feelings with you.

- Oh, my God.

If I hear one more word

of this psychobabble,

- I'm gonna scream.

- Well, go ahead, scream.

Scream. You've always been

much better at that

than actually communicating,

- than actually having a conversation.

- Right.

And you're surprised

they fired you?

It's a miracle they kept you

this long

- when you never learned

- Shut up!

how to actually

communicate.

I f*cking hate you.

Wow. Okay.

I hate f*cking you too,

so everything you said just

Well, you know what,

it didn't seem like that

- a second ago, but

- Oh, my God, you moron.

You think because you

f*cked me like that one time,

- it suddenly makes you

- Mira, just stop it.

Oh, what? Oh, sorry.

God, I said f*cked.

I forgot I'm not allowed

to say that.

- What are you talking about?

- Oh, is it allowed now?

Am I allowed to say c*ck,

p*ssy, and c*m,

and all those bad words

without you, you know,

running out of the room?

You are so out of touch

with my life.

It's actually really sad.

- Oh, really?

- Yeah.

So all of your religious

hang-ups are just like gone?

- What?

- 'Cause a minute ago, you

you sprinted to the shower after

'cause, you know, bodily fluids

gross you out.

So what's different?

It's actually none

of your business.

But why?

We're sharing, right?

So now I'm gonna share with you

how shitty it felt

to pretend

like I wasn't a sexual person,

because for you,

I knew it would turn you off.

Feeling depraved every time

I wanted to f*ck you

because for you

it was "complicated."

And I tried not to

take it personally.

I did. I said,

"Okay. It's not about me.

It's who you are.

It has to do with you,

- where you're from."

- You know what amazes me,

is that I actually

really bought it.

I believed you. I believed that

I was hopelessly screwed up.

Right.

And I could've lived

my entire life not realizing

that everything

that you've despised me for

Mm-hmm.

everything that you hated

about me,

somebody else would love me

for exactly the same thing.

They would accept me

for exactly who I am.

Well, either they're lying

or they're very inexperienced.

You're so f*cking twisted.

You are the most twisted person

that I have ever known.

And not a day goes by

that I don't thank God

- Sure.

- that I realized

- how amazing sex can be

- Oh, my God.

and I didn't have

to waste my life.

You are the most asexual person

I ever met,

and you made a thousand

theories to justify it.

It's true!

And you know what, it turns out

all I needed was a woman

who actually wanted me as I am.

And I had to teach you

everything about sex.

That's exactly right!

That's exactly the problem.

You taught me,

and you managed me,

and you told me how we would

do it and when would do it,

- and everything about it.

- Oh, my God.

- That's so unreal.

- And you'd scold me.

You would scold me

like a f*cking child.

You know, I think of all the mistakes

we've made in our life.

The biggest, that we got

together in the first place.

Okay. Well then,

let's fix our mistake.

Let's sign these papers so

we can get the f*ck out of here.

- Bring them to me. I will.

- Happy to.

Here you go.

Initial on each page.

Sign by the stickers.

Yeah, I heard

I heard you the first time.

Great.

Stop staring at me.

I can't concentrate.

Okay. Whatever you need.

Okay.

You don't wanna sign it.

I'm trying to skim it.

You're doing everything you can

to distract

Mira, you've read it

a hundred times.

- You don't wanna sign it.

- f*ck off.

You don't want to get a divorce.

That's what this is about.

What I'm trying to figure out

is if you already knew that

before you got here today.

Jonathan, please.

My head's pounding. Just

Will you just say it?

Will you just say it, please?

Say it. You don't want to.

- Just say it.

- I just can't.

I wanna come home.

God, don't look at me like that.

I know. I'm just

I know what this looks like.

Oh, man.

I don't, like

You can think

whatever you want about me.

I guess there's nothing

more pathetic

- than what I'm doing now.

- Just like how do you

What wh wh what

How are you not ashamed?

I've never been more ashamed

in my whole life.

I don't like

So

I don't know.

So should I be expecting

another surprise call from Poli?

Does he know that you're here?

Just help me.

Help me understand

what your thinking is here.

So if I said, "Okay. Yeah.

Great. Let's forget it.

Let's get back together."

You what?

You'll go back home to Poli

and tell him what exactly?

There's no Poli.

We broke up two weeks ago.

It's over. And he's in Tel Aviv.

Okay.

I haven't told Ava yet,

so please don't say anything to her.

He's gonna come back next week

to say goodbye.

I'm gonna, um, pick her up

on Wednesday

and we'll tell her together.

Please, please don't do that

unless you're absolutely sure

that it's over, okay?

It's over.

Um, you know,

for a long time now,

we've been having these really,

uh, vicious fights.

After the last time I was here,

he gave me an ultimatum.

He said, uh,

either we're having a kid or,

um, we're breaking up.

Well, kids, plural. It was not

it wasn't just one.

And I guess I agreed.

Eventually, I gave in

and we tried for six months,

and nothing happened.

Then we went

to Dr. Varona, and

she said that, uh,

I should start IVF as soon as

sooner rather than later

'cause of my age.

And, uh

somehow I just I kept delaying

picking up the prescription.

And, eventually, Poli,

he was like, um

"You don't want this.

It's not happening,

and it isn't gonna happen

because, um,

you don't wanna have my kid

'cause you'll always see me

as the guy

who broke up your family."

And we went to counseling

and on the first session,

the, um, therapist, she

you know, she asked me

if I thought that, um

I could ever give up on you.

You know, if I could, um,

accept that it was over.

I didn't say anything.

And, um, I just

was just silent.

And in the second session,

it was obvious

that the relationship was done,

but it took Poli another week

to accept that.

I don't know if you care.

And, yeah, I'm sure you think

this is probably

another manipulation.

I'm too tired to try to convince

you otherwise, so just

- do with it what you want.

- Do with it what I want?

What what

What do you expect me

to do with it?

I don't know.

- Uh-huh.

- I'm not trying to

I'm not trying to

talk you into it,

'cause you've made yourself

pretty clear.

I'm just saying that, um

I mean, I know it would be

different this time.

Right.

We both have so much more

self-knowledge now and, um,

that has to make a difference,

don't you think?

No, I don't think.

Why not?

Like how can you be so sure?

Because, Mira,

you don't want me.

You got fired and you got

dumped, and so you just

No, I didn't

I didn't get dumped. I just

You're not listening to me.

I just told you what happened.

It doesn't matter.

It really doesn't matter.

But why?

Why doesn't it matter?

I'm trying to tell you

something about how I feel

and about how I felt for you

this whole time.

- Mm-hmm.

- Like, why doesn't that matter?

And I know that you feel it too.

- I know you do.

- Okay.

- And maybe the fact that we haven't been able to

- You don't you don't, like

extricate ourselves from each

other's lives all this time,

I mean, that means

it means something.

You didn't absorb a single word

that I said to you before,

and I don't know

how to get it through to you

that I don't have feelings

for you anymore.

I don't. I'm sober.

I'm inoculated. That's it.

I know you're angry.

And, um

- Oh, my God

- I'm just like asking that,

you know, you just take

a second to think about it.

- And I'm not saying it's immediately gonna

- Mira, what the f*ck?

But like maybe you

when you're in Europe.

What do you think?

You think I'm just gonna

throw away all the progress

that I made

over the last two years

just 'cause you I mean

You know

do you wanna something?

You know that there was a period

where I started praying?

Like actually praying to God

for you to come back?

After you came over to the house

that one time and you just

Yeah!

I was laying right over there

with Ava

waiting for her go to sleep,

so that I could talk to you,

try to convince you.

And I heard the door slam

and I wanted to k*ll you

all over again.

And somehow I found myself

right here

in the middle of this kitchen,

just like with my eyes closed

swaying, praying to God

that you would come back to me.

So you got me to pray again.

That was unexpected.

Can I have some?

It's pineapple vodka.

It's revolting.

I don't know

who brought it here.

I can take it.

Thanks.

Can I have more?

Look

You should be happy for me.

You really should.

That I'm finally rid

of this dybbuk, you know?

It's better that I'm over it,

for both of us.

And I know you're gonna

get through too, honestly.

- No.

- Yes. I do know that.

And it can be a new chapter

for you.

You can start a whole new life.

It could be a really

exciting time for you.

Yeah.

Let me tell you one thing.

I have zero interest

in my new life. I mean, zero.

I have no curiosity about it,

and I

I have no motivation

to start anew.

You're saying that

from where you are right now

after just getting fired

and everything that's happening.

No. It's not about now.

It's like all the time.

Yeah.

- All I want is what I what I used to have.

I don't want anything new.

Please. Don't. Don't. Don't.

- Why?

- Mira.

Look, you know me better than

anybody else on this planet,

so I'm not gonna try to hide

from you the fact

that I do have that urge, okay?

I have that urge to say,

"f*ck it. Let's just"

- Yeah.

- "tear up these papers.

Let's do it.

Let's start again," right?

I mean, I have been waiting

two years for this very moment.

- Right.

- But I have to fight it.

- We both have to fight it.

- No, we don't.

Yes, we do, because

it's never going to work.

I'm not in that place anymore,

and you're not in that place.

But, but we can find

our way back,

I think that's

what we're doing right now.

No, that's not

what we're doing.

Look, just because there's

this thing that happens

whenever we see each other,

that doesn't mean anything.

- It's a mirage.

- No, no.

And I know that after a day passed,

after the excitement passes,

we would look at each other

and we'd think,

- "What the f*ck did we do?"

- No.

We can't live

in the same house together.

And by then it'd be too late

because we

- It's not gonna happen again.

- Listen. Listen to me, please.

I've never been more sure

of anything in my life.

Just trust my instincts

for once.

Okay? Okay?

- But

- I'm sorry. Hold on.

I have to just check this

'cause I think

I think there's, um

Oh, f*ck. The movers just

They're running late.

And you have to call Veronica.

She's been trying to call you.

Oh.

Hey, Veronica.

No, no. It's ok

It's no problem.

Just, you know, let me

talk to her.

- Hi, Mommy!

- Hey, Ava.

Sweetheart,

if you made a mistake

with the boxes, you know,

that's easy to fix.

We can just, you know

But, honey, you and Daddy

can like

you can make

that decision tomorrow

when you see the new house.

Because, uh,

tomorrow's Wednesday, honey.

You're you know,

you're with me today.

Yeah, I know you were, but, um,

Tuesday switches every week.

So, yeah, just check your chart,

okay?

I know, but, you know,

that's what we decided on, so

- Please.

- Oh, Ava.

- Mira

- Oh, hey, Veronica.

No, no, no, no. She doesn't

if she doesn't wanna talk to me,

so that's okay.

Um, I think

maybe an hour or so.

Okay. Bye.

Okay. Bye.

Why don't you go home, honey?

I've got everything

under control here, okay?

Calm down. Get going, okay?

What about the settlement?

- Forget about the settlement.

- Let's just toss it.

- But wh

- It's not important. I

It's not worth it.

It was it was important, but

to get it done today,

but, uh, not at this cost.

But why was it so important

to you?

Doesn't matter now.

Just tell me. Please.

Just say it. Why?

Well, I thought that maybe

I wanted to have another kid.

Suddenly I realized

that it's the thing

that brings me the most joy

in my life.

I'm good at it.

I want Ava to have a sibling.

And I'm not willing to wait

for the love of my life

or whatever.

And in therapy,

it came up, actually,

that having another kid

was more important to me

than having another partner.

And I was having lunch

with, uh, Celia Patterson,

- from my department?

- Mm.

Her and her girlfriend

just split up and, uh

Well, it came up

that she was in the process

of looking for a partner,

a man, for, um

What's it called? Um

Elective co-parenting,

which yeah.

And kind of

as a joke, she was like,

"You'd be perfect.

What about you?"

So you're gonna have a kid

with Celia Patterson?

I don't know. Maybe.

I mean, not necessarily her.

But it's a

it's a cleaner situation

to go into that arrangement

officially divorced.

But I'm not gonna put

that stress on you right now.

- No.

- No. I mean

it's not really

I'm just asking, you know?

All this thinking, you know,

you've been doing

about having a kid

with whoever

Um

Even occur to you

to have it with me?

With you?

Honestly, it never occurred

to me that you would want to.

Why not?

- Why not?

- Yeah.

Are you punishing me

for the ab*rtion?

Mira, what? No.

What are you talking about? I

There's nothing

that would make me believe

- that you would want to.

- But I would.

I mean, I'm not gonna

I'm not gonna say that

we made a mistake back then.

I didn't think

we could handle it,

you know, back then.

I didn't think our marriage

could survive another kid.

I know. Joke's on me.

But that's the truth, so

I believe you.

And we're in a different

place now.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

We're in a different place.

We're not the same people.

You know, we're not, uh,

young anymore. We're not

You mean, I'm not young anymore?

- No. That's not what I said.

- That's what you meant.

- No. No. That's not

- Yeah.

No, that's

it's not about you at all, Mira.

- Okay.

- What I'm trying to do is see

if there's a way to undo

this paradigm

where having a kid is bound

to having a romantic partner

because then maybe I'd be free

to think about

Free to keep f*cking around

and still get to have a kid?

Is that the idea? No?

'Cause it's wrapped up in

so much psychological bullshit,

I'm still trying

I'm just trying to understand

what you're actually saying.

Is it that your successful therapy

has turned you

into an egocentric as*h*le

who, you know, just does

whatever the f*ck he feels like

- Okay. We're done.

- and then doesn't even

What do you mean?

Here's the tip for the movers.

No. You're not leaving.

- What's the balance?

- Come on.

They should know the route,

but if there's any problems,

just have them call me.

Jonathan.

Otherwise,

I'm sure you can handle it.

Okay.

Just hold on a second.

Let's talk for a minute, okay?

About what?

Haven't you had enough?

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I lashed out.

I'm really strung out, okay?

It's okay.

I understand.

Okay. We can't end it like this.

I mean, you can't just leave,

okay?

Jonathan, listen,

you can't drop a b*mb like that

and just leave.

- Okay, we'll do it another time.

- No. No.

- We're gonna talk about it right now. Right now.

- Mira, you need to calm down.

- Mira, let me go.

- Because this affects all of our lives.

- It affects Ava's life.

- I'm done. I'm done, okay?

Okay. Um, okay.

Just I'm not gonna let it end

like this, okay?

Please. I'm really sorry.

- I said something really nasty.

- Okay. Okay.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.

I got that.

I got that, okay? Okay.

- All right. Let me go now.

- Okay. Okay.

So no, no, no. Just take

a second to take a breath.

- Just a breath! For a second, just take a breath!

- You need to let me go. Stop.

Give me the key.

No. Just, you know

like just take a second,

- just like

- Mira

I mean, let's talk

for a little bit.

- Like, what's your problem?

- Can you just

- No!

- Give me the key. Mira, stop.

Stop.

Give me the key.

No.

No. Stop it.

Stop. Stop it. Stop. Stop it.

Wait. Wait.

We should have done that

a long time ago.