02x09 - Try, Try

[bunniefuu]

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Dissertation notes... 207,

on indigenous masks.

First of I'm thinking
probably at least three visits

to this particular exhibit.

Uh, following the suggestion
by Professor K

to separate out
the different aspects

to better recombine them later.

I'll be limiting
my observations this time

to the experiential angle
of the masks,

and focus instead on
the masks as objects,

or art, or art objects.

The larger question obviously
being the role

of the experiential
in the overall function

of the masks.

Not just ceremonial,
but expressive, et cetera.

Maybe, honestly, even just
how it makes you feel.

You could stand to let yourself
feel some things again, Claudia.

And, of course,
there's the question of

immortality, infinite lives.

But for now, I'm going to try
not to think in those terms

because of the deliberate
experimental

compartmentalization.

Maybe find a better way
to articulate that concept.

Sidenote.

And then (SIGHS)

Just keep
writing essays forever.

That way you don't have to,
what's the word?

Live. Be a person.

Perfect.

So... masks.

- (GASPS)
- Sorry.

Sorry. Are you okay?

(CHUCKLES)

You saved my life.

I'm sure you would have
been fine.

It's not... that big a truck.

Okay. Still glad I didn't
get run over by it.

Well, I mean, to each his own.
Or her own.

Right?

Well, thank you.

Today was almost a very bad day.

A day is what you make it.
Right?

Sidenote: Almost d*ed.

And met future husband.

Dum-dum.

MAN (OVER P.A.):
Attention, visitors...

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Oh, and, uh, one more for
Evel Knievel here.

What? No. No, no, no, no, no.

- It's too late.
- I can't let you buy my ticket.

Unfortunately, the transaction's
already complete.

If you reverse it now

technically,
you'd be robbing the museum.

You'd rob a museum?

My God, you're a monster.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Enjoy your visit.

Thank you.

CLAUDIA:
The display part interferes

in a way since, of course,
this is far from

the mask's original context.

Is that something
to take into account

or specifically not
take into account?

Possibly already
being too dogmatic

about this
compartmentalization thing.

Are they terrifying,
or are they funny?

And how much of both
of those reactions is

internalized cultural bias?

- Are you writing a book?
- Jesus!

I'm-I'm sorry.
I'm sor... I did it again.

No, no. Thank God for you
sneaking up behind me.

Okay. I think
that's a good thing, or...

Sorry, not sneaking.

Just for the record,
I'm not sure that I... snuck.

Um, I-I don't...
I don't think I said thank you.

I'm pretty sure you did.

- Did I?
- Yeah.

It's so embarrassing,
walking in front of a truck.

And talking into
my dumb phone, too.

I must have looked like
a pretentious idiot.

No, no, you looked like
a very smart

pretentious person.

I mean, who am I to judge?

Hey, look, I probably look
like I'm showing off, right?

Carrying around, like,
half a tree here.

But honestly,
I love this book so much,

I don't care what anyone thinks.

This author's amazing.
He's got this

really unique ability
to make the reader feel like

there's no line between
the rational mind

and the most profound depths
of the heart.

And now I'm doing it.
Look at, you got me doing it.

I'm-I'm out-pretentiousing you.

Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent.

Look, it's just fiction, right?

It's no higher or lower

than any other form
of entertainment.

I mean, people used to think
that the novel was trash.

Yeah, they used to say,
"That's not literature."

Were they wrong,
or are we wrong?

Or is nobody wrong?

Actually... (LAUGHS)

What?

There's a... there's a really
great quote about that

in this book, um...

"What is wrong in the end
which never comes, or..."

There's a-a line break.

"Which comes again and again,
lap-lap-lapping, like waves?"

Wow.

You memorized that, huh?
You're a memorizer?

Yeah.

Hmm, good to know.

Starting to form a picture here.

(CHUCKLES)

Well, since you loved
that one so much,

you want to hear another?

I don't. Specifically not.

Nobody usually lets me
get through one quote,

so I thought I might kind of
press my luck.

Okay, yeah. Go ahead.

Okay, "Absurdity is
the too-true truth.

A truth so true,
we put it in quarantine."

Hold on. Wait a minute.
Yanofsky?

What? Oh, Yanofsky?

Oh, no. What did he do? Did he...

Is he canceled? You know what,
I don't like him anymore.

Retroactively,
I never liked him.

No, he's not canceled.
It's just so random for you.

I specifically love that quote.

That specific part of the
speech, the speech he gave...

At the Nobel.

Yeah.

"Because at root, we do know
life's value lies

not in its length
or its depths..."

Ooh, a fellow memorizer.

It is just so weird that
that's the quote

you pulled out of the air.

Exactly that quote.

You know, you've got this
really interesting, um

energy.

- You know?
- Yeah?

Yeah, it's like you're
one day old

and a thousand years old
at the same time.

I don't know.

You, you. You're blowing
my mind right now.

It's funny you should
say that, though.

Um, my dissertation's about...

That-That's why I'm dictating.
I'm writing a dissertation.

Oh, okay, got it.
Indigenous masks?

Yeah. Specifically,
questions of reincarnation.

New lives, old lives.

And what is it about
those ideas that interests you?

I mean, I only ask because
it feels like

it means more to you
than just something you study.

Well, I'm studying it
because I like it.

But...

Mm, lately
I've been feeling like...

You know when you,
you've been really sick,

and then you feel better,

and you look at the sky?

You know, like, the clouds
in the sky, or birds in the sky.

And you get this feeling like...

Like a new beginning?

(LAUGHS SOFTLY)

That's exactly what
I was going to say.

(LAUGHS):
I know the feeling well.

Check this out.

(CHILDREN SHOUTING, LAUGHING)

Masks.

Maybe this could help
with your dissertation.

This guy's name is Bob Johnson.

- Do you know Bob Johnson?
- No.

"Hi, I'm Dan Thompson."

(LAUGHS): So stupid.

- I want you to meet a close,
personal friend of mine.
- (WATCH BEEPS)

This is Karl-Sly
Richterfurchten.

- Hang on.
- (CHUCKLES)

- You almost hit the lady.
- No, I didn't.

- You're gonna be in trouble.
- MOM: Boys!

- What do you think you're doing?
- He started it.

- He said I couldn't...
- I do not care what anybody
said about anything.

You do not throw things.

What have I told you
about horseplay?

You might say that Claudia King
has found herself

on a kind of blind date.

One set up not by friend,
family or coworker.

This is a match neither
made in Heaven nor the Internet,

but in the far darker web
of The Twilight Zone.

(THE TWILIGHT ZONE THEME
PLAYING)

NARRATOR: You're traveling
through another dimension,

a dimension not only of
sight and sound but of mind.

It is the middle ground
between light and shadow,

between science
and superstition.

And it lies between
the pit of one's fears

and the summit
of one's knowledge.

You are now traveling through
a dimension of imagination.

You've just crossed over
into The Twilight Zone.

Don't you love this place?

Only problem is, it makes me
miss New York, you know?

- The Museum of Natural History.
- Oh, man,

that museum was so important
to me growing up.

Wait, are you from New York?

No, but in my head it was like
we went in every weekend.

The squid and the whale.
The dinosaur bones.

Planetarium.

Yeah, but for some weird reason,
my favorite thing was

that giant cross section
of dirt.

Remember? It had, like,
a little earthworm in it.

Oh, my God, that-that dirt
was my favorite

when I was a little girl.

No sh*t?
Are you messing with me?

No. It was. (LAUGHS)

How do you still surprise me?

- Huh?
- Uh, sorry. I interrupted you.

You were saying something about,

um, masks and infinite lives,
and...

Did you? Oh, um, I don't know.

I mean, I could go on for hours
about it, but, um...

Wait, hold on.
I don't even know your name.

What-What's your name?

It's Marc. With a C.

(STIFLED LAUGH) I'm sorry...

Wow. Okay.

I wasn't ready for this level
of unmodulated ridicule.

No, I'm sorry, it's just, um...

(LAUGHS) I-I had a crush
on a boy named Marc

in the seventh grade,
spelled with a C.

- Okay.
- Nothing ever happened.

He-he didn't go to my school.

I don't even think
we ever even met.

But, um, I have this very vivid
memory of telling my girlfriends

that I thought the C was sexy.

- Wow.
- Yeah. Um...

And I can still hear them
laughing at me.

- Oh.
- It was so brutal.

- That is brutal.
- (CHUCKLES)

I love that story.

It's one of those things
where you look back

and it's so embarrassing,

but you also sort of love
yourself for it?

- Right?
- (LAUGHS)

Like, you finally
have compassion

for that younger, innocent moron
you used to be.

We don't let ourselves feel
that way too often, do we?

I mean, you know,
compassionate for ourselves.

But it's nice when it happens,

when we slip through
our own defenses.

- My name's Claudia.
- Right.

- (WATCH BEEPING)
- Right... Yeah, no. Right on.

Uh, do you want some gum?

Why? Do I need gum?

No. Just thought that...
you might like some.

No?

- Speaking of the Museum
of Natural History...
- Wait, how did you...?

I used to fantasize about
getting in that giant canoe

at the Museum
of Natural History.

Uh, me-me, too.

Very specifically, that was a
major childhood fantasy of mine.

No way.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Ah, well, then,

we got to do it.

Do what?

Well, get in the canoe.

Yeah, I wish.

Your wish, my command,
and so forth.

- Wait...
- Oh.

- Oh, oh. Oh, oh.
- Marc.

Marc, don't. Dude.

It's not real, it's a replica.

I know it's a replica.

I'd stop you
if it wasn't a replica.

But the guard is right there.

She's not looking.

She could turn around
at any second.

Yeah, but I don't think
she's going to.

Look, if we stay reasonably
quiet and she looks over here

even once in the next
five minutes,

I will personally give you
a thousand dollars. Okay?

- (SPUTTERS) Oh, my... Marc.
- Oh. Oh, oh...

Come on.

You only live
however many times, right?

Come on.

What are you doing? Get down.

- I'm telling you,
she's not gonna look.
- Get down.

CLAUDIA (WHISPERS):
You're crazy.

- This...
- You got to get
outside your head.

Live a little.

Ahoy, matey.

We are in the canoe,
ship to shore...

(BOTH LAUGH)

- All right...
- (SHUSHES)

(WHISPERS):
I want my thousand dollars.

Well, if you want
your thousand dollars,

what are you doing down here?

You should be up there
testing it.

I really did dream of this.

I know. You told me.

Hiding from the guard
in the canoe, with

- a boy.
- Oh.

What boy?

I don't know.

Was it the other
"Marc with a C"?

(LAUGHS)

What are you?

What are you talking about?

There's a trick.

There has to be.

- Oh, yeah?
- How could you possibly know

that the guard
wasn't gonna turn around?

How could you know that the guy
was gonna drop his gum?

You have a secret.

Do I?

You do have a secret.

What's your secret?

- Tell me your secret.
- Ow. (LAUGHS)

You have to tell me,
before any funny business.

Funny business?

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

Okay. But, uh, first,
let's get on dry land.

No. No, no, no.

Marc, tell me your secret.

- (WHISPERS): Marc.
- Oh, is this a rotunda?

No... Marc.

(SOUND EFFECT OF BIRDS CHIRPING)

Want to get naked?
The security camera's broken.

Marc, if you don't tell me
your secret, I swear to God...

What are you gonna do?

I'm-I'm gonna kick your ass.

Oh, sh*t.
Well, I better do what you say.

(CHUCKLES):
Uh, yeah, that's right.

I guess I haven't been
entirely honest with you.

Okay.

(GRUNTS)

You haven't met me, but.

(CHUCKLES) I've met you.

Literally what does that mean?

Exactly what I said.

No, you... No, you can't answer
a question with a riddle.

(LAUGHS): Sorry.

I-I... Like, h-how do you know
all of this, all this stuff?

How did you catch that bottle?

Did you know that I was gonna
get hit by that truck?

Are you magic?

Uh, kind of. Yeah.

The reason I know all this is...
uh, well, I know everything.

Okay.

I know that you and I
are the same.

On a very deep level.

I know that we both
long to be free.

I know, I know.
We live very blessed lives.

Like, the top one percent
luckiest h*m* sapiens ever.

It's literally not
an exaggeration.

Inside

we're caged.

That's why you're so fascinated
with reincarnation, right?

It's another chance
to start over, you know?

Outside the cage.

I know that you're afraid
that you only like assholes.

'Cause a lot of guys
you've liked have been assholes.

And that's a thing, you know?

Women can be attracted
to assholes.

It signals confidence.

But I think that's it, right?
That's what it is.

You're attracted
to the confidence.

You don't like assholes.

You just like people
who know who they are.

You know, I think this
is my favorite work of art.

It really captures something.

You know?
The power, the dominance.

The way that bird is crushing
the people beneath his feet.

It's almost exactly
the opposite of that.

The raven's saving them.
Freeing them.

Coaxing them into the world.

Huh.

Well, you know what?

I used to live in a clam,
and in retrospect,

- the birds were
super helpful, so...
- (LAUGHS)

Yeah, you might be
onto something there.

(LAUGHS): So stupid.

Marc. (SIGHS)

Okay.

Almost everything
you're saying, I'm like,

"Yes, totally,
you're speaking my language."

But to be honest,

I mean, you're also
kind of freaking me out.

I'm sorry. sh*t.

You have to tell me
what's going on.

Yeah. Look, I said I'd be honest
with you, so, uh,

here it goes.

(CHUCKLES)

Um

I've been working
on this date for

well, I don't even know
how long.

I've done all this before.

Many times.

I don't really know how many.

I don't know... the number
of tries is probably somewhere

- in the triple digits by now.
- "Tries"?

(EXHALES): Uh...

Look, this is gonna
sound crazy, but

every time I go to sleep,
or... w... die.

I wake up, this morning,
and start all over again.

(LAUGHS) I...

For you, for everyone else in
the world, as far as I can tell,

it's the first time
today's happened.

- But for me...
- You're stuck
in a time loop, yeah.

- Happened to my cousin once.
- (LAUGHS)

Trust me when I say
I knew you wouldn't believe me.

Oh, yeah, sorry,
I-I just have this thing

where whenever somebody tells me
they're stuck in a time loop,

I get all cynical about it.
I don't know why.

- (WATCH BEEPING)
- I guess I just...
- Okay.

Your best friend growing up
was named Sally,

even though she was mean to you.

This guy over here
is about to sneeze.

- (SNEEZES)
- You have a recurring dream
about overflowing toilets.

- Two more sneezes and then the
sun's gonna go behind a cloud.
- (SNEEZING)

One time your dad
kicked a hole in the wall

and it felt like
the end of the world.

You'd never admit it to anyone,

but you used
to call yourself a poet.

You still have a soft spot
for some of those poems.

It's Ned, right?
How's your nephew feeling?

Uh, yeah, much better, thanks.

Looks like he's gonna
be all right.

- Do we know each other?
- No.

Your first kiss was Johnny
Driver at Wataka Summer Camp.

You know all the lyrics
to "We Didn't Start the Fire"

and "Kokomo."

As a kid, you used to secretly
look at your grandpa's Playboys.

You still feel a little
weird about that.

Last night you had a dream
about moving out

of your college dorm,
but you hadn't packed yet.

Okay, dude, what the f*ck?!

I know all of this
because I've had

a thousand conversations
with you over a thousand days.

Or one day
over a thousand times.

I'm the world's foremost
leading expert on today.

I've lived it over
and over again.

I know it inside and out.

But it's not so bad.

I pretty much do
whatever I want.

Not to mention the fact that,
since it keeps resetting

nothing really counts.

So life without consequence.

You know, life...
outside the cage.

But that's the thing, I don't
want to do whatever I want.

There's only one thing I want.

There's only one thing
I care about anymore.

There's a whole universe,
Claudia, right here.

And the only thing
that matters in it

is you and me.

So.

This is the first time
I've met you.

Um, but for you, it

it's like the millionth
in a row?

(WATCH BEEPING)

More or less.

But then, that means...

Sorry, there's gonna be, like,
a noisy helicopter here.

(HELICOPTER PASSES OVERHEAD)

Okay, sorry. You were saying

millionth in a row?

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

Th-The thing I'm having
a little trouble

wrapping my mind around...

You know what,
I wouldn't even try.

Trust me,
I've had plenty of time,

and the best I can
come up with is

there are some puzzles that
weren't meant to be solved.

No. I mean, sure, but th-that's
not what I'm talking about.

I'm-I'm talking about how

you-you've had time to practice.

- Uh, yeah. (CHUCKLES)
- (WATCH BEEPS)

Nothing but. In fact

check it out.

I love this guy. (LAUGHS)

We have this whole, uh,
commedia dell'arte routine

worked out;
You're gonna love this.

What's the deal with the watch?

Uh.

I said I was gonna
tell you the truth.

This hot little number
holds up to

50 separate alarms.

So every time I start over,

I program in a bunch
of different reminders.

Like, uh, at 3:04 p.m. today,
a bunch of school kids

run through here.

I don't want to look at my watch
every 15 seconds,

so when the alarm goes off
at 3:03,

I know that's a minute away.

You don't have to see
the whole clown act,

but my intel on George here
is still good for one thing.

Wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.

What are you doing?

Marc.

(CHUCKLES)

He's not gonna turn around.

Marc, put it back.

You know, we can actually make
a surprising amount of noise.

(VOCALIZING)

Marc, that's an artifact

with meaning to some people;
Put it back.

Whoa, where was this thing
on the canoe, huh?

Old Georgie Porgie's
hard of hearing.

(QUIETLY): Georgie Porgie?

- (GASPS)
- Home run.

See, I knew you wouldn't
mind me doing that.

A lot of people, they wouldn't
get that's a joke, but

I just know you so well.

Plus, I've tried it before.

See, that's what
I'm talking about.

Yeah, that's what
I'm talking about.

No, I mean about practice.

Oh, right.

Well, look, this might sound
a little weird

for me to say, but.

I'm kind of the perfect guy.

I mean, if I ever
make a mistake,

I can just go back
and try it again.

(HORN BLARES)

(OWL HOOTS)

- (TIMER DINGS)
- Practice makes perfect,

so you practice.

Oh, sh*t. Hey. Hey!

Hey.

Did you see that truck?

It almost hit you.

Okay...

It can be a lot of practice.

(HORN BLARES)

(TIMER DINGS)

Oh, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no.

Hey. Hey!

- Watch out!
- (TIRES SCREECHING)

Jesus Christ.

But you practice...

DRIVER:
What the hell's wrong with you?

And you practice.

(HORN BLARES)

(TIMER DINGS)

And eventually.

I got you.

(PEOPLE GASPING)

(TIMER DINGS)

You do make perfect.

So, basically, you've been
tricking me this whole time.

Tricking you?

No, I-I don't think
you understand.

This has all been for you.

Okay, I

I think I do understand.

Look, you have no way of knowing

how much work
I've put into this,

how many iterations.

All the tries.

(TIMER DINGS)

What do you think
this guy's name is?

Uh, John Thompson?

(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)

This guy's name is John Johnson.

Bill Thompson.

Phil Thom-Thompson.

- Bob Johnson.
- (LAUGHS)

(CHUCKLES): Okay.

It's all about you.

That's all it's ever been.

It's about trying
to get this right.

Getting what right?

Like, what are you trying
to get right?

Why are you doing this?

Because... I love you.

You don't know me.

I don't know you?

I know you better than
anyone has ever known anybody.

I've spent years with you.

Even if that's true,
I haven't spent years with you.

Okay, okay, um, look,
you asked me

what I want out of all this.

It's not like I'm trying
to impress you, okay?

I'm not trying to win you over.
I've done that.

We've been together many times.

But I'm sorry, it's just...

It's not enough.
It doesn't cut it.

I won't be satisfied with
anything less than all of you.

You also asked me why
today keeps repeating.

No, I didn't.

Yeah, you did. It was

I said, like, it's a puzzle
that can't be solved.

If I'm really honest
with myself,

I think it's for you
and me to connect.

I mean, really connect.

And not just through trickery,
not temporarily,

but for real.

That's why I'm being
totally honest with you.

I just (SIGHS)

I just want you to love me.

Marc, I-I just met you.

Yeah, but I didn't just
meet you.

Oh, Claudia, look,

you're gonna have to
take my word for it, okay?

We connect.

We do.

We're meant for each other.

And I can carry that
from one day to the next,

even if you can't.

I can learn, I-I can...

You can manipulate me.
You can lie to me.

That's what you're describing.

You can take advantage of me.

What? No.
What... That's not it at all.

Um, excuse me.

What are you gonna do?
You're not gonna make a scene.

You don't have it in you.

What do you want from me?

I just

I want you to love me
beyond the day.

Not just to fall in love
with me.

I want you to be
in love with me.

So when you see me, it's like,
"Oh, right. You!

Hi, soul mate."

That can't happen,
even if I wanted it to.

Which I don't.

- It can happen.
- No.

No. If... if I'm starting over
every time,

- that's literally impossible.
- Claudia.

You're not listening to me.

What we have, it's real, it's

I mean, it's magical.

You think I'm why you're
stuck in this time loop?

No. I... Or yeah, maybe.
I don't know.

It doesn't matter.
The point is, Claudia,

whether I'm in a loop
or out of it.

I want to spend forever
with you.

Okay, dude, no.

I-I get that this is
a whole romantic

thing for you, but for me,

this whole thing feels
super f*cked-up,

to be honest.

I'm sorry if that's not
what you want to hear,

but I need you to know I don't
feel comfortable right now,

like, at all.

Wow. (CHUCKLES)

There's no romantic moment
that you can't ruin,

is there?

You know, this isn't the first
time I told you I loved you,

but it's the first time
I did it right.

I told you the whole truth,
and look,

you still won't let me in.

(LAUGHS): It doesn't matter
what I do, does it?

- Listen, dude...
- You're lucky I'm nice.

What's that supposed to mean?

Nothing. I'm kidding.
Just kidding.

So, uh, what should we do?

Where you going? Okay.

Okay. I wish you could just see
how much effort I put into it.

(SIGHS) You don't even know.

Like, my name is Mark.

But just regular Mark, with a K.

I knew if I threw
that C action in there,

you'd think of that lame story
from seventh grade.

Do you honestly not see
how f*cked-up that is?

"f*cked-up"? What... I mean,
what does that mean?

What are you saying?
Like, "bad"?

As opposed to "good"?
Let me tell you something.

You live one day a thousand
times, your whole perspective

on the concept of good...
"Look at me, I'm good"...

Isn't that just me selfishly
trying to look

like I'm doing the right thing?

Except if you're trying
to manipulate someone.

Then you're wielding
some kind of power?

You're tricking someone
either way.

And-and who even came up with
the whole "all power is evil"?

If you think about it, I mean,
what even is evil? (SCOFFS)

No, you're just so caught up in
this whole worn-out value system

of good and bad,
you can't really see...

Okay, enough
with the freshman philosophy.

This isn't about a value system.

All we are is what we do,

so stop acting
like a f*cking creep.

Claudia, Claudia, Claudia,
listen to me.

I know you can see through this
to the truth, to the freedom

- that we both want.
- No, no, no, no.

We-we want different freedoms.

You want the freedom to do

whatever you want
without feeling judged.

I want freedom to not be
harassed and-and menaced.

(CHUCKLES): Menaced? What?

I-I know you're not
trying to hurt me.

But if you could just take
a step back and-and see it

- from my perspective.
- What about from my perspective?

- Your perspective?
- Yeah, what about all the days,

what about all the tries,
all the effort?

I mean, I've learned things,
Claudia.

I've changed... for you.

This is what I was trying to say
earlier, about practice.

I wasn't, I wasn't there.

Not me. "Me" me, this me.

So you weren't
practicing with me,

like in sports
or play rehearsals.

You were practicing
to do something to me,

like... a t*rror1st.

If you care about me
like you say you care about me,

what am I missing?

Not philosophically. Personally.

I know for a fact
that you've loved me.

That's it?

That's your whole thing?
I-I've loved you?

- Yeah, you even said it once.
- Even if I did,

y-you, you think
you're owed it now?

- Come on...
- No, really.

Y-You think, you-you managed
to get a yes out of me once,

then, what,
it-it's "no backsies" forever

from that point forward?

Obviously not what I'm saying.

I'm another human being, Mark.

- Well, sort of.
- What does that mean?

Well, it's...
Basically, you aren't even real.

I-I mean, you're real, but after
today's over, I'll just have

another try and then another,
and then everything

that happened here
didn't happen here anymore.

So I guess you could say, in
the realest sense, you aren't.

Think about what you're saying.

Claudia, do you think
there's anything

that I haven't thought about?

If I'm not real,

then... I don't matter.

That could justify anything.

It could, couldn't it?

(CHUCKLES) Here I was,
getting all bent out of shape

because you rejected me again,

even though
I did everything right.

But when I think about it,
it's kind of a net win.

I mean, I've never
gotten this far.

I gained a valuable insight
to the whole thing.

You know, we don't have to waste
the rest of this try.

Don't do anything stupid.

Okay. (LAUGHS)

I mean, think about it.
What does it even matter?

I've lived this day
a thousand times.

I mean, I'm probably
never gonna stop living it.

So whatever I do to you, I mean,
even if I k*lled you...

There'd just be another you
here tomorrow

who doesn't even know about it.

Oh... just h-hold on. Um...

What about this me?

I mean, what we do is happening.

Just because you move on from it
doesn't mean that it's not real.

Look, I don't want
to talk about this anymore.

No, Mark, I ju

I said I don't want to have
this conversation anymore, okay?

Can we change the subject?

Yeah. Know what?

Let's try something
a little different this time.

Help!

- Help! Is anybody there?
- MARK: Claudia...

Come on. No one can
hear you back here.

- Help!
- Ah, this place is like a maze.

- Help!
- Boo.

(PANTING)

(LAUGHS)

You're so predictable.

Funny thing is,
we've never done this before.

I just know you so well.

Whoa! No, no, no, no. (LAUGHS)

We've never gotten
physical before.

Well, not like this.

- (GRUNTS)
- assh*le!

Oh, no. Not my magical watch.

(LAUGHS)

That's just my cheat sheet.
What else you got?

Mark, you know this is wrong.

Yeah. I probably will feel
pretty bad about this,

for about a hundred days or so.

What? You gonna run?

Run. But just know,

I'm gonna be chasing you down
every single time.

(EXHALES) Well, then

I'm just gonna have to kick
your ass every single time.

(WATCH CLATTERS)

What do you think
you're gonna do?

I mean, I'm not saying
I'm a god, necessarily,

but I've lived this day
so many times

and in so many different ways,
I'm pretty much

the puppe-f*cking-teer
of the universe.

I know you better
than you know yourself.

So I guess the real question is,

what do you think
you're gonna do?

I think I'm...

(EXHALES)

I'm gonna kick your ass
back into yesterday.

Oh, okay. Well, you sound
super confident about that.

(LAUGHS): Look, are you sure
you don't want to just give up?

Right now?
We could have a little fun?

- I mean, this doesn't
have to be a fight.
- f*ck you.

Yeah, I know, that's kind of
what I was thinking.

Look, I'm a man, okay?

I know I'm not supposed
to feel that, right?

I mean, I'm certainly not
supposed to say it.

But the fact of the matter is,
I am a man.

Men dominate. That's what we do.

We always have. Oh, my gosh.

I hope that doesn't trigger you
or whatever.

But I guess you'll just be
untriggered before you know it,

so, you know,
I'm just gonna start doing

whatever the f*ck I want, okay?

Who am I?

I'm the bad guy!

(CACKLES)

Ooh. (CHUCKLES)

God, it's the only way
you'll have me.

(EXHALES)
You don't have to do this.

Oh, I don't? Oh, thank God!

(CHUCKLES)

Look, this is what we're doing.

Tomorrow I'm gonna go back
to being nice again.

But today?

(À LA BRUCE LEE): Wah... wah...

We're doing this. (HOOTING)

Come on, this is exciting.

This is my first time
doing this, too.

I... it's unfair.
I know you so well.

Tell you what,
we'll make it interesting.

It you can land even one punch,

I will personally
give you a thous...

(SHOUTS)

(CHUCKLES)

Well, that's never gonna work...

(YELLS)

Oh...

- f*ck!
- Yeah. You done?

- Oh, God.
- Took you how long
to become a god?

- Oh, f*ck...
- Puppe-f*cking-teer
of the universe?

- (WHIMPERING)
- 'Cause I just kicked your ass

on the first try, m*therf*cker.

Oh, sh*t.

- (PANTING)
- Oh, f*ck.

- Are you okay?
- Yeah, I'm okay.

GUARD: Okay,
we got him. Let's get him out of here.

- (LAUGHS)
- Come on.

Get up.

What do you think you achieved?

Besides the obvious?

You're not gonna remember
what happened here today.

But I will.

Look, as soon as I go
to sleep tonight,

I'll be right back here
with other yous.

Yous who don't know
what you know now.

Yous who think that the...

Mes who what?

Yeah.

I think they're gonna be able
to handle themselves.

(EXHALES)

(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

(CHUCKLES)

(SIGHS)

Claudia King will,
like most of us,

proceed directly
to a lifetime of tomorrows,

leaving Mark Wheeler
to spend an eternity

in a prison of his own design:

The inability, no matter
how many tries he's given,

to see beyond himself.

An endless loop
of solitary confinement here

in The Twilight Zone.