01x01 - Pilot Light

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Feed the Beast". Aired June 5 - August 2, 2016.*
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"Feed the Beast" follows two friends, on the brink of losing everything, who try to turn their lives around with a dusty pipe dream of opening up an upscale restaurant in their hometown of the Bronx, but one brilliant chef is in trouble with the Mob and the law.
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01x01 - Pilot Light

Post by bunniefuu »

(BLUES MUSIC PLAYS)

(SIZZLING)

All right. Bon appétit.

Thanks, Chef.

To the chef.

To the chef.

Chef, your lawyer's here.

(STEAM HISSING)

(FOLK MUSIC PLAYS)

What? I'm up. What?

Thanks. Thanks, buddy.

(SIGHS)

Oh! Damn it.

Okay. All right.

Oka... No, you go. Go, go.

(SIGHS)

Ooh, that's right.

Tommy: So, after school, maybe we'll, uh...

We'll stop by the art store and get you a new sketchbook and, um, some of those...

What... what... What were those called?

Charcoal somethings?

Yeah. Worth a sh*t.

(DOOR BUZZES)

You know, I still had eight months.

You're amazing.

Okay. Just...

I didn't actually do...

With all due respect, I wish you'd gotten life.

Maybe you'll lose a few pounds, huh?

Hey, go change. I'll explain your parole terms.

Hey, hey.

Come here.

(SMOOCHES)

All right.

Be good.

(BLUES MUSIC PLAYS)

(SNORTING)

Ahh.

Seriously, I don't know how you did that, but thank you.

We should celebrate tonight.

Well, what's wrong with right now?

Come here.

Hey, Tommy!

Hey, guys.

Hey, Tommy!

What's up, Tommy?

No association with known felons.

No weapons, and of course (MOANS) you can't... vote!

(MOANS)

So when am I gonna see you again?

Well, I got to confess, I'm always getting into trouble.

And when I do, I know where to find a good lawyer.

(SIGHS)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

Do you know how hard it is to get pink peonies this time of year?

Thanks, Jane. They're my wife's favorite.

(DOOR BUZZES)

God damn.

Bye, Chef. Take care, buddy.

It's been a pleasure.

(DOOR BUZZES)

(ENGINE STARTS)

(TIRES SCREECH)

(HORNS BLARING)

(FOLK MUSIC PLAYS)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

What the hell are you doing?!

Hey, I got to be somewhere, pal.

Empty your truck onto the street.

Screw you.

I'd appreciate some civility... and some cooperation.

So sorry, Mr. Woijchik.

I didn't realize it was you.

How's your father?

Getting by. Now, if you'd please.

Yeah, yeah. Sure thing.

(GLASS SHATTERING)

He's not here, boss.

(BLUES MUSIC PLAYS)

(SNIFFS)

(ROCK MUSIC PLAYS)

♪ Fever dreams ♪
♪ Or so it seems ♪
♪ All I see is ♪
♪ What used to be ♪
♪ Fever dreams ♪
♪ I've been around, I'm lost and found ♪
♪ I b*rned it all to the ground ♪
♪ Ashes to ashes, hope that dashes ♪
♪ My own new mystery ♪
♪ And all I see is what I used to be ♪

(SLOW MUSIC PLAYS)

So, can I put you down for the usual 10 cases?

Uh, no. Let's go with four this time.

How's your boy doing?

T.J.? Never better.

Man: T.J...

You don't have to talk, but you do have to listen.

Now do the assignment.

(BELL RINGING)

What, what?

What are you gonna do about it, punk?

You got something to say?

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

(SPEAKS GREEK)

Uncle Stavros!

Hey, the prodigal nephew. Huh?

(LAUGHS)

Smells like a sewer.

Huh? (SNIFFS)

(CLEAR THROAT)

Passport.

Ticket to Paris.

Spending money.

Flight is at noon tomorrow.

Maury Finkelberg? Really?

Could you have given me any less notice?

You're welcome.

Uncle, reminding you I need tomorrow night off.

My daughter's talent show.

Consider me reminded, lovely.

Hi, Dion. Bye, Dion.

Can I stay here tonight?

All of my rooms and all my girls are booked.

I'm telling you, the Bronx is the next damn Gold Rush.

Which is why these lotto machines are working overtime.

Son of a bitch.

Come on. Get out.

(BLUES MUSIC PLAYS)

Going already? Huh? (CHUCKLES)

Patrick. It's not your usual time.

I'm looking for your nephew.

Dion?

Doesn't get out for months.

Find him.

You know, there's a couple of cops up there, maybe a judge.

That's not good for business, yours or mine.

What happens to people who lie to me?

Screw you, Patrick!

I pay your dogs every month for protection.

You call that protection?

You do know why they call me the Tooth Fairy.

Don't you?

He's not here.

(WINE POURING)

(KNOCKS) Mr. Moran, hi.

You missed last week's appointment.

Yeah, sorry.

Uh, work's... Work's been brutal.

I'll call to set something up.

Well, we have about 15 minutes till school lets out.

Come on.

My health insurance only covered 10 sessions with a shrink and 10 sessions with a speech therapist, but now... now it's maxed out, and it's all on me.

It's just a lot to juggle without his mom around.

I can only imagine.

Yeah, you can only imagine.

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking if you had 20 years more experience, what a difference that would make for T.J.

You are totally deflecting.

I am who I am. You are who you are.

So let's... Let's talk about what's real...

T.J. failing, T.J. getting into fights, T.J. not talking. I get it.

You have a lot on your plate as the only parent.

So what, now, I'm... I'm the only single parent whose kid is having trouble in school?

No. You're the only single parent whose son witnessed his own mother get k*lled in a hit-and-run and hasn't said a word since.

(BELL RINGS)

And whose father has a drinking problem.

I smell alcohol on your breath.

That's wine.

I'm a wine rep. That's part...

Yeah, Mr. Moran, if this continues to go downhill, I'm required by law to notify Child Protective Services.

What does that mean, exactly?

You could lose T.J.

I'm not gonna let anyone take you away.

(DOOR BUZZES)

In trouble so soon?

I miss you already.

(CHUCKLES)

Hey, uh, can I come in?

Ooh. (CHUCKLES)

Look, you're a great lay, but I think we should keep this client-attorney business strictly professional.

(LOCK CLICKS)

(CHUCKLES)

(HORN HONKS)

Good behavior?

Oh, I don't know.

My money's on, uh, good cooking.

(LAUGHS)

Glad to see you.

You, too.

Are you gonna crash here?

Yeah.

Yeah, just for one night.

Got to go to Paris tomorrow.

Yeah, I... I got to get away.

That's too bad.

It'd be nice to have you around.

Yeah, I'll be back.

So you were in the one prison without a weight room?

(CHUCKLES)

Nice.

Don't worry, I'll still kick your ass.

How you doing, man? You okay?

T.J., you remember Dion.

Look at you. Huh? What's up, T-Bone?

All right. Come on.

All right.

Oh, you see they turned the methadone clinic into a yoga studio?

Yeah. Got an organic market coming in, too.

I know. It's crazy, right?

It's like I said, you know, the Bronx is the new Brooklyn.

Eh, it's coming up, man.

Yeah, well, parts of it.

Maid called in sick.

Look, how do you live like this, huh?

I had better things back in prison.

Well, I'm sure they'd make room for you again.

Hey, uh, is T.J. all right? You know, he seems a little...

Quiet?

Dented.

Dented, I'll take. It's broken I'm worried about.

He hasn't spoken since she d*ed.

Oh, thanks for coming to the funeral, by the way.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, yeah, well, uh, the county jail was all out of hall passes that day.

Oh, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, you're k*lling me.

You... You got a $20,000 stove, and your fridge is empty.

Well, there's not a lot of time for grocery shopping.

All stocked up on wine, though, I see, huh?

How are you and the bottle getting along these days?

Really well, actually.

Yeah? Yeah, no. We're... We're in love.

How about you and the blow?

We broke up.

'Cause it's so hard to get dr*gs in prison.

Yeah.

Yeah, thanks for coming to visit me, by the way.

I'm sorry. Was I not there for you?

That's funny, uh, 'cause the way I remember it, the one time I really needed you, you know, when my wife was k*lled, you got coked up and b*rned down the restaurant we worked at.

So not only did I lose my wife, I lost my best friend and my job.

So no, no, thank you.

I'm sorry about Rie.

I miss her, too, you know?

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH)

Hey, what's up, T-bone?

You hungry?

(FOLK MUSIC PLAYS)

So, put it down like that.

(SIZZLING)

Ah, j-j-just... Just hold on, champ.

What?

Go on.

Oh, come on, man.

Tommy, what are you doing? The food's getting cold.

Uh, look, I'm really...

I'm really not having this with you.

All right, listen, the kid doesn't eat until you do it.

Tonight, we have, uh, our special...

House-made malfatti with vine-ripened Roma tomatoes, Parmesan, and basil.

Pairs perfectly with this 2010 Chianti Classico, an old-world Sangiovese, aged in traditional botti.

That's large-format barrels, neutral oak.

Look for dried red fruits, a medium body, and a bright, mouthwatering acidity.

And he's back.

(CHUCKLES LIGHTLY)

Can we eat already?

(SNIFFS)

(TRAIN SQUEALING)

Okay, so I'm a little out of practice cooking Italian.

What do you mean?

That meal was perfectly mediocre.

(CHUCKLES)

I still want to do Greek.

Yeah, well, it's gonna be hard if you're moving to Paris.

Oh, why don't you come to Paris with me?

(CHUCKLES)

Seriously.

We could do the restaurant there.

Great idea.

Yeah, T.J.'s old enough to live here on his own.

Oh, no, no. T.J.'s already coming.

We... We just wanted to know if you wanted to come.

Oh, yeah? (LAUGHS)

You're out of your mind.

Seriously, though. I mean, think about it.

You know, you, me, Teej...

Three bachelors letting loose in the city of love.

Come on, man, we... we would have the best Greek restaurant in all of Paris.

I can't uproot T.J. like that.

He's been through enough change.

Seems he needs a fresh start almost as much as you do.

It's not that simple.

Besides, I-I-I can't handle that whole French scene without you.

Who's gonna make fun of it with me? Huh?

Come on, seriously. I-I-I won't survive.

You always survive.

(CHUCKLES)

All right.

All right, look at that.

Tell me... What do you see?

Uh, a plate?

No.

You see black orzo in a spicy seafood broth and a celeriac puree.

(SNIFFS)

Topped with, uh, grilled octopus and slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, perfectly finished with micro bronzed fennel.

Mmm!

Classic Mediterranean, with a very specific and dare I say very personal Hellenic influence.

Dude, I helped you come up with this whole menu.

You don't have to walk me through it.

You know, uh, in prison, all anyone's ever thinking about is escaping.

You know what I was thinking about?

I was thinking about Thirio.

Who do you think you're talking to?

Downstairs, all I see are Rie's unfinished designs.

That giant espresso machine from Italy, Rie put that together herself.

I look up to the ceiling, I see... I see pine beams.

Cypress.

The whole... What?

Cypress beams.

It's a Mediterranean restaurant.

There is no pine in the Mediterranean.

I'm pretty sure it's pine.

Well, where's the "Bible"? Forget it.

Come on, take a look.

Wow.

It was a long time ago.

It was a lifetime ago.

Yeah.

Wow.

Uh-oh. Boom.

Bite me.

Come on, imagine it.

Thirio in Paris.

With the two of us, man, we could totally pull it off.

It was the three of us that were gonna pull it off.

I could never do it any other way.

First, the Chinks come in.

Then the Mighty Irish push them out, until the Wops and the Jews take over.

And, then, whoops, here come the Coloreds and the sp*cs and... bam... now the Vietnamese or Cambodians, whatever the hell they are.

So basically, it's Chink to Chink, circle of life.

My father, rest his soul, used to say a neighborhood is like an organism, a living thing, always changing, always needing something.

And a good businessman finds out what that need is and fills it.

No offense to my old man, but what he didn't know...

The real money is in filling that need even when it don't need filling.

Ah, come on.

(GRUNTS)

(WATER FIZZES)

(SIGHS)

(SNIFFS, SIGHS)

(SNORTING)

(EXHALES HEAVILY)
All right, buddy.

Hey, I'm taking Teej to school.

You can stay until your flight, I guess.

Just don't burn the place down.

(CHUCKLES)

Yeah, well, take care, man.

Yep. You too.

Hey, thanks.

And you...

You might want to keep it down a little bit, huh?

All right.

(SIGHS)

(SNIFFS)



(BELL DINGS)

(MAN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

Dion: Table 33.

All right, let's go. Come on, let's go.

(SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYS)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

Is this the grief group?

Yeah.

I'm... I'm Tommy Moran. Welcome.

Thanks.

It's my first time.

It's a little overwhelming.

I remember.

I'm Pilar Herrera.

My husband, Oscar, d*ed in my arms... of a heart att*ck.

You?

My wife, Rie, car accident.

I'm sorry.

Me too you.

So, um, what do you do?

One day at a time, I guess.

I meant for a living. (CHUCKLES)

Oh, I'm a sommelier, but I'm between restaurants, so, uh, I rep wines.

No way. I'm in the restaurant business, too.

My sister has a place, La Cubana Loca, in Harlem.

Actually, I'm, like, the manager.

We're always looking for wines.

We should exchange numbers.

I kept looking at the door, thinking Rie was gonna walk in at any second, but she never did.

She never will.

All right, let's... we're gonna try a little role-play, okay?

I want you to tell your wife what it is you're going through.

Gloria, you... You be his wife, okay?

(SOBBING) No.

All right, um, uh...

Pilar, is it? Pilar?

Y-You... Can you do that? Will that be okay?

So, Tommy, tell Pilar how you're feeling.

It's okay.

(VOICE BREAKING) I miss you... all day long.

We were supposed to do this together...

Raise our son, start a restaurant.

I can't...

I need you.

We need you.

(FOLK MUSIC PLAYS)

You're like a phantom limb.

I love you.



Dion.

(SIREN WAILING)

What? What the...

Mm.

Ah, travel.

So good for the soul.

(SIGHS)

Maury Finkelberg?

Short notice.

Not only... do you burn down our restaurant... you get caught.

An employee of ours committing arson, so no insurance.

My father might be in prison.

That doesn't change the fact that you owe us 600 grand.

Look, I'm gonna pay it back.

From Paris?

I'm going on a...

Was going on a... On a sourcing trip.

My new restaurant needs top-of-the-line equipment.

Dion, Dion, Dion.

Come and take a look. I'll show you.

(TENSE MUSIC PLAYS)

Obviously, we're still, uh, you know, in the process of setting up, but, you know, we got...

Got a Jade freestanding range over here, the Belle Epoque, brass and copper espresso machine we had specially shipped in from Italy.

We have a, uh... A walk-in fridge that's gonna go over there.

Now, the prep and, uh, cooking stations are...

They're gonna go here, here, there.

Yeah, we're, uh... We're looking into...

To cypress pillars for the dining room.

Plus, uh, we're gonna be growing our own herbs in the greenhouse we're gonna build up on the roof.

I mean, we could be up and running within, uh...

Within two months.

Well, you know me and kitchens.

When you're not burning them down.

Yeah. That never gets old.

You were the one who made me executive chef at Ottavio's.

The profit we were making there, I can double that.

I can pay you back.

You could be eating braised lamb with a wild-mushroom ragout while this place becomes a laundromat for your money.

People are gonna come.

Okay.

But you try and skip town again, these two will die.

So will your favorite and only uncle.

Oh, and that lady lawyer friend of yours.

But you, Dion... I'll let you live so you'll always remember what you caused.

Look, uh, I'm not going anywhere.

Good, 'cause I'll be collecting on your debt every week.

(BREATHES HEAVILY)

I hope this restaurant's a success.

Be a shame if I went through all the effort of getting you out of prison early just to k*ll everyone who means something to you.

Come on! What are you doing? No, no!

What are you doing?! Come on, I can pay you back!

Smile. I'll pay you back!

It will make it so much easier for the both of us.

Please, Patrick!

(SCREAMING) No! Please, not the teeth, no!

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

Maybe we try something different?

Oh, God. Oh, God.

Say, a little finger?

No, no! No!

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

Oh, God, no!

(SCREAMING) Oh, God!

(GROANING)

See you soon, Dion.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

(BLUES MUSIC PLAYS)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

Yo. Yo, yo, Manny. Manny.

I need you to do me a solid.

Thanks, bro.

Shouldn't you be halfway to Paris by now?

What is that? What are you doing?

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

What happened to your finger?

Uh, cab door.

Is that why you're not in Paris...

'cause... 'cause of your boo-boo?

No.

No.

This is why.

(BLUES MUSIC PLAYS)

(SIZZLING)

All right. Go... Go ahead.

Hold on. I-I have to get some A.1.

If you don't mind, go ahead.

Words would be nice.

It's astonishing, maybe even perfect.

No, no, no. It's never perfect.

Dude, just take the compliment. Go ahead, try. Try some.

Come on, try it.

It's good, right?

Now, this...

This is gonna be the signature dish of Thirio.

Look, I didn't go to Paris 'cause our dream was to open a restaurant right here, man.

We are so doing this!

You got any homework?

All right. Now is a good time.

I told you, I'm not doing a restaurant without Rie.

If you could see yourself right now, living in this place.

I'm the one who's been in prison this last year, and you're the one who's messed up.

I mean, y-you're stuck, man, bad.

You drink too much. You work a demeaning job.

It's been almost a year since Rie d*ed.

And what? Come on, what? You're still wallowing?

Right, right! "Get on with it, Tommy!

Shake it off, Tommy. Move on, Tommy," right?

All right, look, I'm not saying...

You have no idea what you're talking about.

You don't know what it's like to be in love, to be married, to raise a son with... With the woman you love.

And you have no idea what it's like to lose her.

Man, I had to clean out her closet, clean out her bathroom, throw her mouth guard in the trash.

Do not tell me how to grieve, and don't tell me to open a restaurant without her.

We're not doing it without her.

We're doing it with her.

She will live through this restaurant.

No, she won't.



I love you more than anything in the world.

You know that, right?

All right.

(SMOOCHES)

Sweet dreams. See you in the morning.

(METAL CLANGING)

Dion: (SCREAMS) Stay in bed.

(GRUNTING)

(SHOUTS)

Hey!

What the hell are you doing?!

Look, if you're not gonna do a restaurant, then you don't deserve this!

Hey, let go.

Give it back.

Let go!

Get your hands off it!

Hey, hey, hey!

You're not worthy of it.

You're not worthy!

Get off, get off!

(CLATTERING)

You know what?! You don't deserve any of this!

Oh. (PLATE SHATTERS)

Oh, oh! Throwing plates!

No, none of this!

You must be Greek.

All right, would you stop?!

Hey! Stop! Hey!

You want this just as much as I do.

You're just too much of a drunk to realize it!

(LAUGHS) The coke head speaks.

This is so you.

I let you crash here, within 24 hours, you're trashing the place.

Oh, trashing the place? What, this sh*t hole?

What are you even doing here?! Just go!

Oh, I'm so sorry!

Get out. Go on.

Take your massive ego with you...

Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt your downward spiral, you self-loathing, self-pitying... you selfish, narcissistic... shell of your former self!

Selfish son of a... (CELLPHONE RINGING)

(CELLPHONE CONTINUES RINGING)

He's calling to hear Rie's voice on the outgoing message.

Yeah, well, he's not doing so good, T.

Tell me about it.

Yeah, well, then why do you make him live like this?

This place, the way it is, it's like a...

Like a tomb of Rie's dream that can never come true.

The way I see it, you either burn it down or you build it up!

Oh, man, y-you got to stop.

No, I don't.

Look, when we were doing the restaurant, when we were coming up with plans for Thirio, you were so amped, man.

You were so alive.

Yeah, I also had a wife.

This isn't about you! Wake up!

This is about your son!

Look, if we do this restaurant and you get that fire back in your belly, you have a purpose again.

And you know how quickly T.J.'s gonna turn around.

He lost his mom.

He doesn't need to lose his dad, too.

(SCOFFS) We're broke.

Where would we even get the money?

What? No. No way.

No way.

It's the only way. Tommy, he owes you.

I haven't talked to him in 10 years.

(BLUES MUSIC PLAYS)

(SIREN WAILING)

(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)

(NEON SIGN BUZZING)



You b*rned down a restaurant owned by Ziggy Woijchik and his psycho son, and you not only live, but you get out of prison early?

You must be in really tight with those scumbags.

Eh, you don't know what you're talking about.

(GROANING)

(COUGHING)

Aw, come on!

Oh, and what's this?

If you don't want to go back to prison for 100 years, you better get me some intel on the Tooth Fairy.

Why do you care about him so much?

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

You already put his father away.

And the Tooth Fairy steps right in, nothing changes, and I get a net gain of zero.

Oh, I'm sorry about that. I really am.

I wish there was something I could do.

(GROANING)

Let me be perfectly clear.

No, no, no! (SCREAMING) Oh, God!

(GRUNTS)

What the hell is wrong with you!

(SCREAMS)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

I am Ahab.

And the Tooth Fairy, that fat piece of sh*t, is my white whale.

And you are gonna deliver him to me, Chef.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(GROANS)

(CAR DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)

(ENGINE STARTS)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(SIREN WAILING)

(BREATHING HEAVILY) How'd it go with your dad?

He wasn't home.

Oh, you're kidding.

You sure we can do this?

Yeah, we can do this.

We have to.

sh*t.

Yeah, no sh*t, sh*t. (CHUCKLES)

(SIREN WAILING)

(GLASS SHATTERS)

(SIRENS WAILING, MAN LAUGHING)

A restaurant in the Bronx.

Living the dream.

(LAUGHS)

(FOLK MUSIC PLAYS)

(SIREN WAILING)
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