01x08 - The Future Is Female

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Home Before Dark". Aired: April 3, 2020 – present*
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A young girl moves to a lakeside town where she uncovers a cold case that everyone, including her father, tried to hide.
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01x08 - The Future Is Female

Post by bunniefuu »

Hey. Heard you and Dad talking... finally.

Of course we're talking.

Does that mean you guys love each other again?

You don't love each other?

Okay. Guys, look, your father and I never stopped loving each other.

The big event the other night was just a little stressful, that's all.

So, Hilde disappearing with a fugitive was a "big event"?

You're smiling, but your eye is doing that thing that it does when you're mad.

Are you guys getting a divorce?

What's a divorce?

Okay. Look, parents can be mad at each other and still love each other.

Okay? I'm telling you guys.

We're on the same page.

Which page?

We need to talk.

Mom says you're on the same page.

Look, you put your mom and me through hell the other night.

Yeah, don't forget about me.

I never forget about you, Iz.

Wait, forget about what?

I... I'm joking.

You. You're grounded.

Really? What?

Yeah, I'm serious, Hilde. No more writing articles.

But who's going to write about what happened to Sam?

Yeah, well, not for a while, honey. Whoa, okay. Hold up.

I want you to go out and play and...

No, in fact, I want you to stay in and play computer games or whatever like a normal fourth-grader.

If you wanna write, you can write an apology letter to each and every person who spent the night looking for you. Okay?

The first stop on your apology tour can be giving testimony to help Sam at Frank's suspension hearing.

Wait, won't she miss school?

Yeah, she can go back tomorrow.

And she can still play outside.

Shouldn't we at least talk about this?

We should.

We should've also talked about whether she was grounded and what that might look like.

You said you didn't wanna talk until you were caffeinated, remember?

That wasn't what I didn't wanna talk about.

Cool. You guys seem super on the same page.

Who you texting?

A friend.

Is it that boy from the dance?

His name's Ethan, and no.

But also, please stop whatever this is about to be.

You know, if you like this Ethan guy, I just...

I just wanna make sure that he's treating you in the way you should be treated, okay?

Yeah, well, I'm not texting Ethan.

That's good, then.

Was Ethan there when the whole pot situation went down?

Okay, don't say "went down". It's basically like saying "groovy".

But the point is that I know about the pot thing, okay?

Okay. Am I in trouble?

No. I'm actually pretty proud of you for not doing pot.

The thing about pot is it can...

Okay, now you're just saying "pot" over and over again.

All right. Weed, ganja, the chronic.

Whatever you kids are calling it.

Look, all I'm saying is that sometimes it can make it easier to make bad decisions.

Because you are my favorite teenage human being, who I love with every inch of my soul, I just don't want you to get hurt, okay?

Okay.

Okay, that's it. I'm done.

Are you sure? Yeah, I'm done.

When you were in high school and Principal Collins was your girlfriend, which, ew...

Did she ever, like, you know, disappoint you?

Yeah, of course. Yeah, I'm sure she did.

And I'm sure I disappointed her as well.

I disappoint your mom too.

A lot.

You know, a thing that I'm learning is... is that, uh, people don't usually know what you need unless you tell 'em.

So, you gotta tell 'em.

Like, spell it out?

Yeah, yeah, spell it out.

Yeah. Loudly. About a dozen times.

'Cause trust me, boys are terrible listeners.

Thanks, Dad.

All right, you got it.

Have a good one.

Love you, Iz!

Love you!

Chris, hey. What's up?

Richie's jacket just got here.

I'm gonna put a rush on it.

I've got a meeting with the Bureau in Seattle tomorrow, so you're in luck.

I can return it in person.

All right. Just tell me where to meet you.

Okay, and listen, I know you know this, but I gotta say it anyway for my own sanity.

As evidence, the chain of custody on this thing is for sh*t.

Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure the legal term is "inadmissible".

Maybe it will help us figure out if someone in Richie's life was hurting him.

If the perp isn't already in the system, there's not gonna be a DNA match.

Yeah, I know.

Hey, thanks.

Look, if you've got something to say, just say it, okay? I'm not an idiot.

We're just glad your sister's okay.

Hey, you.

Take one.

JV soccer bottle drive.

The player who passes out the most flyers gets a free pizza.

Yeah? Good luck with that.

You're actually mad at me?

What did I do wrong?

No, what could possibly be wrong?

It's just another beautiful day in Erie Harbor.

It's kind of raining.

Okay, you wanna know what you did wrong?

You were so worried about Hilde writing a story about you being in the same room as someone smoking weed that you didn't even check up on me when she went missing.

Okay, I... I didn't really know she was missing until she was found.

Why didn't you tell me?

I just did.

But I shouldn't have to.

Okay, I-I'm... I'm so confused.

So, wait, you are mad at me?

Oh, my God. Ethan.

Last call or it's another tardy on your record, Ms. Lisko.

Look, I...

Are you here to arrest me?

I'll take a cup of that coffee.

You know, son, it's long been a Briggs family privilege to be Holmes County sheriff.

I'll drop out of the race, okay?

Let me finish.

Our town's very existence depends on its elected officials making its citizens feel safe.

So, when folks tuck in their kids at night, drop them off at school, they can go about their daily lives and not worry that something bad is gonna happen in Erie Harbor.

At least not to them.

Dad...

Continuity equals familiarity equals safety.

What is this? Your stump speech?

I don't need one.

You do.

When this is all over, I'm stepping down.

You're gonna stay in the race for sheriff.

And you're gonna run unopposed.

Are we pretending the other night didn't happen?

I don't see any reason why the disciplinary hearing can't go down in your favor.

You were driving Sam straight back to North field.

You pulled over to let the prisoner relieve himself, and he escaped.

He was later apprehended without incident.

This whole thing'll go away as long as you say the right thing on the stand.

You already talked to the DA.

Smile, sunshine.

You do as I tell ya, and you're gonna Bethe next Sheriff Briggs of Holmes County.

I wanna get put on the visitors list at state as soon as possible.

Yeah, also, uh, could you put that in his canteen, please?

Sam, I'm going to keep fighting for you.

Hang in there, Sam.

Yeah. We're getting close.

Thank you.

All right, let's go.

Watch your head.

Do you know what they're gonna do to him in maximum security with those charges?

If Frank's hearing goes well, maybe I could get the escape charges dropped.

What we discussed.

They say cracking your knuckles is bad for you.

Weakens your grip.

Should I have called it in when Sam ran?

Look, you made a judgment call you thought was right.

Second-guessing isn't gonna do you any good at this point.

If I'd followed protocol, I wouldn't be standing here.

Yeah, and Sam might have been k*lled.

You did the right thing. Say so.

And I'm in this with you.

Looks like I'm not the only one.

Mom, is Frank gonna get fired?

We're here to make sure he doesn't.

And to help Sam.

Hopefully your statement can help them both.

Order in the court.

With the authority of the Holmes County Sheriff's Department, I call to order the suspension hearing of Lieutenant Frank Briggs.

Deputy Johnson, how did you first learn that Sam Gillis had escaped his escorted furlough?

I got a call from Lieutenant Briggs.

And where was Lieutenant Briggs?

At Penny Gillis's house.

And why wasn't he en route to North field prison?

In light of recent reports that Sheriff Briggs concealed evidence in the Richie Fife case...

Deputy Johnson, stick to the question.

Lieutenant Briggs said he wanted to hear Sam's side of the story.

Is that normally part of your job description, to listen to the prisoner's side of the story?

No, but Lieutenant Briggs wanted to because he...

It was a yes or no question.

When you learned that the prisoner had escaped, did you alert the sheriff?

Frank had just discovered the prisoner was gone.

Yes or no?

No.

So, what did you do?

I met Lieutenant Briggs near the Gillis home.

And he ordered you not to tell anyone else. Is that correct?

Yes, but Sheriff Briggs already knew.

In fact, he was there with Frank and Sam earlier that night.

Deputy Johnson, I will remind you again to stick to the question.

The sheriff is the reason Sam ran in the first place.

Sam heard him say that even if exculpatory evidence came to light, he'd see to it that Sam would never go free.

Order in the courtroom. Order!

Deputy Johnson, how did you know that Sheriff Briggs had already been to the Gillis home?

Frank told me.

One second. Last one.

Okay.

That healed well.

Yeah, well, you know me.

I get over things easily.

I gotta say, you're as good as your dad.

I remember when he stitched my knee up when I was a kid.

I can't find the scar.

Well, he trained me well.

You guys must be pretty close.

Yeah. We always have been.

I never really knew how Richie was with his dad.

We never talked about that kind of stuff.

Well, you were 11.

I mean, I think it would have been pretty weird if you psychoanalyzed your relationships with your parents.

Yeah.

Yeah, you're right.

Ca... Can you remember what they were like together?

You know, Richie and your dad?

Uh, not really.

I mean, I was so little.

Sometimes I think I'm lucky.

Because I don't remember as much about him, so there's not as much to miss.

Yeah.

I'll see you around, Matt.

All right. Yeah. Thanks.

You ready?

You look like crap.

Yeah, you too, Pop.

You need a pep talk?

No, I need a minute.

Mm.

To psych yourself up and tell the truth?

You'll just be digging yourself a deeper hole.

Maybe there's room for the both of us.

This has nothing to do with me.

You knew I took Sam to Penny's house.

I don't remember that.

Lieutenant Briggs, can you detail the protocols that you were expected to follow as Mr. Gillis's furlough escort?

It was my job to return Mr. Gillis to the North field Corrections Center.

And would it be within protocol to take Mr. Gillis anywhere else?

No.

Then did you, as Deputy Johnson just stated, break protocol and stop at Penny Gillis's home on the way back to North field Corrections Center?

Breathe.

Lieutenant, did you or did you not break protocol?

No, I did not.

You never stopped at the Gillis's home?

Mom, he's lying.

He's under oath. He...

He has to tell the truth, right?

I headed straight for North field.

Under what circumstances did the prisoner escape?

I pulled over to the side of the road so Mr. Gillis could relieve himself, and he hit me over the head and escaped.

And Deputy Johnson's claim that Mr. Gillis overheard Sheriff Briggs threatening him?

It's impossible. Sheriff Briggs wasn't there.

Are you saying that Deputy Johnson falsified her testimony?

Johnson... may have been confused.

It's a yes or no question, Lieutenant Briggs.

Yes. Deputy Johnson lied.

I have a sworn statement from Mr. Gillis disputing everything Lieutenant Briggs just said.

And I was with Mr. Gillis.

He told me the same thing Trip said.

The sheriff threatened him.

A criminal is not a credible witness.

And I have no idea who this child is.

I move that Lieutenant Briggs retain his status within the Holmes County Sheriff's Department.

Pending an internal review, granted.

Hearing is adjourned.

I'm not waiting on some bogus review where you lie for your kid.

I get it. I'm fired.

No.

You're gonna ride a desk for the rest of your career.

You can't force me to stay.

Finding a job in neighboring communities will be very hard.

This is so unfair.

I have to write about it. No one else will.

You're right, you know.

People need to know. But...

Look, I still think that you've got...

Gotta get ready, Matty.

Championship's tonight.

What?

No, Pop.

There's no one playing tonight.

Get your head in the game.

That Erie Hills pitcher is a weenie.

First pitch, he's gonna try and bean you, if he thinks he can get away with it.

Dad, that...

That was... That was when I was in high school.

Hey, Pop-Pop, don't worry.

If he gets beaned, he'll just walk straight to first and then he'll steal second.

Yes.

Hilde, does your paper take guest columnists?

Like who?

Me.

You're hired.

But I can't pay you.

Aw.

I can't pay you, really.

Okay.

Dad?

Where are you going?

Look, Hilde, after the other night, I...

I just need you to lay low for a minute.

Let me drive.

Please.

Hey, can I ask you something?

Sure.

How do you do that thing with Pop-Pop? What thing?

Talk to him. Connect.

I just talk about whatever he wants to talk about.

And I don't correct him.

Can I ask you something?

No.

And you're grounded, remember?

No reporting.

Hey. I was hoping we could talk, but you've been ignoring my phone calls all day.

It's been a long day, Matt.

Maybe we could talk tomorrow. No, look, this is important.

It's about Richie.

Oh. It's a party.

What do you got there, Matty?

Oh, I, uh... I got medical files.

Yeah, I got all the Fifes.

Got yours. I got Lucy's.

Uh, your ex-wife, your current wife.

Even your, uh, your great-uncle who d*ed, what, ten... ten years ago?

Where'd you get that?

Funny thing is, there's no file on Richie.

Wh-Why is that?

I don't know what you're getting at, Matt, but I think you should stop.

You know, Sam Gillis told Hilde about the bruises on Richie's arm.

And the day that Richie was... that he disappeared, Sam was saying much the same thing.

Is this what you want, Matt?

My confession?

That the last day that I saw my kid was my worst?

Well, maybe you went too far that day.

Maybe you didn't want him to snitch on you.

Maybe it was something like that.

Are you accusing me of k*lling my son?

Look, leave the files here, and we'll write this off as a mistake.

No, no, no. That's not a mistake.

No, there's something here. I know it.

I know, I know it. You hearing yourself? Let's go outside.

Damn it, Matty. What the hell's the matter with you?

No, what the hell's the matter with you?

What, you gotta sell your soul just to become sheriff?

I did what I had to do to shut this thing down.

And Trip's gonna get a slap on the wrist at most.

All right, tell me, Frank.

What happens at night when you turn off the lights and you close your eyes?

What do you see?

You wanna tell me about nightmares?

You went to New York. You left.

I've been here living 'em.

Swiss cheese and sardines?

Hey! How was the prom?

You and Kim have fun?

No, Dad, it...

Uh, you know what? Actually, yeah, it was, it was pretty fun.

And you know what? I, uh...

I broke up with Kim, Dad.


What happened?

Well, you know, I'm leaving for New York after graduation.

And, you know, she wants to stay here.

The right girl is worth fighting for, Matty.

Yeah.

Yeah, I know.

I...

I don't want you to go to the East Coast.

I'd miss you.

And it'll just be too lonely.

Any chance you... you'll reconsider?

Yeah, okay, Pop.

Yeah, I'll think about it.

Flashlight off or the book's mine.

As soon as I finish this chapter.

No.

You're keeping me up.

Hey.

Thought you were reading All the President's Men.

Thirteen times seemed excessive.

I wanted to try something new.

You know, I actually like To k*ll a Mockingbird.

Do you think this book's why Dad calls me "Scout"?

Yeah, probably.

Oh, have you gotten to the courtroom part yet?

There's a courtroom part?

Well, yeah. I thought that's why you were reading it.

You know, 'cause of the hearing today.

Yeah.

We really needed Atticus Finch at that thing.

I don't think this town will ever change unless we get a new sheriff.

But who do you think could do it?

Me.

Yeah. Sheriff Hilde with her cowboy hat and silver star.

Lights out, Scout.

You get your book back in the morning.

Hey, Iz. How'd it go yesterday?

It's way too early for another heart-to-heart, Dad.

And where are you headed?

To school. Home by dark. No writing. Rinse, repeat.

But, Mom, you're on a deadline.

Hey, you got a word count?

The Internet has no limits, Bridget.

My name is...

When I get all in my head like this, I miss our weird couples therapist in Brooklyn.

The one who told me to buy you a Diet Coke and a doughnut when you're upset and not ask you if you're okay?

Yeah. That was terrible advice.

But she did have that one good idea.

I hate the sheriff.

Frank effin' Briggs!

Frank's a piece of work!

I hate the way everyone looks at me here!

I hate the way people look at us!

I hate I can't talk to you.

I hate that Hilde thinks she needs to fix you.

Wait. What?

I hate that you didn't know that.

I hate I didn't know that too.

I hate Miriam!

I hate what she did to us.

I know I'm supposed to be past that.

But I'm... I'm just not.

I don't talk to her anymore, Bridge.

I really don't. I mean that.

The thing that sucks is, is I get why she would understand you better.

Because of what happened to the both of you, but...

you didn't even give me a chance.

Yeah, I know.

But you gotta understand, I just wanted to build a life, you know?

Just far away from here.

You know, and we did, all right? We did that.

We made a good life.

Yeah, and you were the best part of it.

And then a girl disappeared in Montauk.

And you started losing it.

No, I... I never let Richie go.

I guess I didn't know that until I started talking to that girl's mother, you know?

sh*t, Bridge. I am...

I am so, so, so sorry I didn't tell you sooner about what happened with Richie.

You know, I didn't wanna bring all this... all of this to us.

I'm not gonna lie and say it's okay.

But I'm in this with you.

I'm not going anywhere.

Yeah. Well, me neither.

Hey.

I love you.

I love you too.

Another round?

Hell yes.

Let's do it.

Hey.

I'm picking up the results from the jacket this afternoon.

Can you meet me at 4:00?

Excuse me, ma'am.

Can I have the paperwork to run for sheriff, please?

You need law enforcement training. About a year, at least.

You also need to be at least 18 years old.

And you need to gather 100 signatures by the end of the business day.

Today.

Great.

May I have the forms, please?

Thank you.

How can I help... you?

Donny and Spoon are helping me get signatures.

All you have to do is decide to run for sheriff.

Mm, look, I don't need savin', lady.

Yeah. But we do.

Me, my friends, my family... this whole frickin' town.

Did you rehearse that?

So, it's a "yes"?

It's definitely a "maybe".

We can split up after lunch, and we'll get everyone to sign.

It'll be easy.

Yeah, a little problem with that. They have to be 18 or older.

Then there's only one place to go.

You first. No. You first.

Come on, guys. It can't be that bad.

Would you like to sign a petition to change your future?

Would you like to sign for Mackenzie "Trip" Johnson so she can be...

Ah! Whoa!

Ow! Clipboards.

What? Wha...

W-Where's Spoon?

Whoa!

Oh, Spoon. I'm okay.

I told you so.

Let's try the other seniors' lounge. After school.

Do you see any of your old friends, Pop-Pop?

This looks like it's almost enough people.

Why is everyone ignoring your grandpa?

I thought he used to live here.

Maybe they're just jealous that he doesn't live here anymore.

Can you blame them? This place is worse than middle school.

We need to warm it up.

Put people in the mood to sign our petition.

Pop-Pop.

Remember what we used to do every Christmas when I was little?

Don't worry. You will.

Okay.

You go this way. And I'll go here.

... a hundred by 6:00 tonight.

... and protect us at all cost.

Thank you so much, sir. She's trying to run for Sheriff.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas, Pop-Pop.

Ooh.

... 48, 49, 50.

Half? All that work and we still only have half the signatures?

We have until 6:00.

It's a long sh*t.

I love being the underdog.

I know who we can talk to.

Basically, we just need your permission to bother your customers real quick.

Uh, no. You can't bother them.

But you can help.

What? Just ask your customers to sign our petition when you ring them up.

Which will help save Erie Harbor from the evil forces within.

Okay.

Uh, how many signatures are you guys hoping to get?

Fifty.

When do you need it by? 6:00.

Tonight?

Is that a problem?

Well, look around.

I mean, it usually takes three weeks to get

50 customers in here.

But I am going somewhere when I close up that has lots of people.

For too long, nothing in this town has changed.

The old guard is becoming the new guard.

In ten years as a public defender in New York, I never saw as much corruption in law enforcement as I've seen here in Erie Harbor.

Holmes County's elected officials watched as Lieutenant Frank Briggs lied at his disciplinary hearing yesterday with encouragement from his father and his cohorts.

Sheriff Briggs let down my husband when he was a child.

He let down Mayor Fife.

He let down Richie.

And they'll all continue to let down our own children if we don't insist on change.

The future can be different if we decide that it must be different.

And if we're not going to get it done, then we have to follow the lead of our children or get the hell out of their way.

Oh, look.

Oh, look at all... Yeah. Yeah. She looks, like, promising.

Hi.

Hi. Um, would you like to sign our petition?

I think there are some people over there that wanna sign.

Thank you.

Thanks for helping Hilde.

I wanted to help.

And Trip.

Well, you're helping all of us.

Look, I'm... I'm sorry I was a jerk.

Well...

You're a jerk that just did a really awesome thing.

Hey. Hey.

Hey, look. They've almost done it.

We just need...

... one... ... last...

... signature.

Yes, yes, yes, yes!

Yes! Whoo! Yes!

Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop!

Can you believe we made them?

May the best woman win!

I did what I had to do, Trip.

So did I.

Did what you had to do, huh? Stop it.

She's an annoyance, not a thr*at.

You'll still win once the town finds out what happened at the hearing.

I'm out.

You've proven yourself, son.

This campaign is all yours.

It's your privilege.

Your legacy.

It's in your blood.

Chris.

I got here as fast as I could.

All right, so, what do you got? It's like we expected.

Lots of DNA evidence on this jacket, including Richie's.

But the blood, it's not Richie's.

It matches an adult in the system.

Well, then whose is it?

I'm worried about you, Matty.

What do you mean?

Last time we worked together. You know.

With the Levin case in Montauk.

Look, I don't want this to take over your life again.

Well, then why are you doing it?

I'll say it again. This isn't admissible.

You'll need a confession.

But there might be something here.

Matt. Leave me and my family alone.

I think I know who k*lled Richie.

Ran a DNA test on it.

I got a name.

Oh, my God.

Who is he?

It's a she.
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