01x01 - Pilot

[bunniefuu]

[NAOMI] We all look at the
world through our own lens.

But looking isn't
the same thing as seeing.

What if everything you
believed about the world

turned out to be wrong?

If we truly opened up our eyes,
what would we see?

Every superhero has an
origin story, and this is mine.

["SHOOK" BY TKAY MAIDZA PLAYING]

- [MAN] Hey, Naomi!
- [WOMAN ] Hey!

[WOMAN ] Naomi!

Hey, Naomi, thanks for the AP
Lit notes. Girl, you saved my life.

- Anytime, lady. Dostoevsky is no joke.
- Right.

[TREVOR] Oh!

Damn, Naomi.

Nice reflexes. You want
to join the team?

Will we finally win a game? [LAUGHS]

- [TREVOR LAUGHS]
- Yo, cameo time.

You guys, check this out.

Naomi runs the number three
Superman fan site in the world.

Not for long. Brazil site is number one,

and the Philippines is number
two, but I'm coming for them.

For someone so fly, you sure
are into some nerdy stuff.

Mmm-hmm. I'm just saying.

Superman? The guy
wears a cape and spandex.

One or the other, acceptable.

Both together? I mean, come on.

- Not the coolest.
- Incorrect.

The very coolest.

Who can sh**t laser beams from
his frickin' eyes? His eyes, man.

But the best part? He's adopted,

which means he's extra-special,

'cause adopted kids are
chosen, just like me.

- But also, he's not real. Mmm-hmm.
- Mmm!

So? Einstein said,
"Reality is merely an illusion,

albeit a persistent one".

It was in our AP reading.

Do you actually take the class, Nathan,

or you just sit there and look pretty?

You think I'm pretty?

- Annabelle.
- OMG.

Babe, you're like, four hours
late. Where have you been?

You know my parents and their
firm stance on family dinner.

- I thought this was ginger ale.
- I'm on it, hon.

- [NAOMI LAUGHS]
- Nathan sure knows how to throw a party,

and look damn, damn good while doing it.

Damn good.

I hadn't noticed.

Right, because you broke up
with that fine specimen of a man

after five dates?

I don't know what you're talking about.

This is my jam.

["SHIMMY" BY LIL WAYNE PLAYING]

[MAN] Yeah, Naomi!

[GREG] ... ready for the delegation,

but we're only one stop on their
tour and he's making us crazy.

Hey. Morning, pumpkin.

- Morning.
- Honestly, it's only two lines.

Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you.

How hard is that?

- I am a linguist, not a miracle worker.
- Bonjour.

[SPEAKING IN FRENCH]

[SPEAKING IN JAPANESE]

[SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN]

Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you.

That... That's my girl. Up top.

Dad.

What?

Now high fives are out?

[LAUGHS] Yes, like ten years ago.

- I like that better anyway.
- [NAOMI LAUGHS]

I didn't hear you come in last night.
What time did you get home?

I don't know. Midnight.

[GREG] Hmm, midnight.

Yeah, I haven't stayed out
that late since .

We drove to Portland, we saw Coldplay.

- Remember, Jen?
- Gosh. I sure do.

- We got our groove on.
- [NAOMI GIGGLES]

Yeah. Yeah, we did.
You still got your groove on.

Oh, you know I do.

It's a little early
for all of that, folks.

[BOTH LAUGH]

Better hurry. Bell rings in .

If you let me get a car,

you wouldn't have to worry
about me being late.

Nice try. No driving until graduation.

Then these are the only wheels I've got.

["ICON" BY JADEN SMITH PLAYING]

[NAOMI] Anthony? Hey.

Missed you last night. I thought
you were coming to the party.

Your boy gave me the wrong address.

That's not how you treat people.

I'm sure it was a mistake.

Come on. Why would Nathan
give you the wrong address?

m*llitary brats like him, they
hate townies like me. It's...

- They always have.
- It's a two-way street.

Most townies aren't
so welcoming to new kids.

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

Also, I'm a m*llitary brat
and I don't hate you.

Yeah, but you're... you.

- So...
- I'll see you in debate club after school.

Okay, so here's
how this is going to work.

Commander's giving us minutes...

That's not enough time
for a real debate.

Well, it's not a real debate.

Our club has been chosen
to represent the school

by presenting to the visiting
m*llitary delegation.

Now, are we ready to begin?

[CELL PHONE BUZZING]

[CELL PHONE DINGS]

[CELL PHONES BUZZING AND DINGING]

What's going on?

[NAOMI] Annabelle says there's
a stunt happening in the square.

[CELL PHONE BUZZING AND DINGING]

Something to do with... Superman.

[CELL PHONE BUZZING AND DINGING]

I need this for my site.

Bathroom break. Ten minutes.

I'll be right back.

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

[CRASHING]

[CREATURE ROARING]

[BUZZING]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[BUZZING CONTINUES]

[SIRENS BLARING]

[NAOMI] What happened? Where did he go?

It was like a scene out of a movie.

[WOMAN] Sixty-five years on this Earth,

I've never seen anything like it.

I dropped my phone. The
Superman dude was right there

and I dropped my phone,

- Annabelle!
- Naomi!

Can you believe it?
Did you know about this?

Because if you knew about this
and you didn't tell me,

- I'm going to be so mad.
- I missed it.

What do you mean, you missed it?

All I heard was the buzzing.

I didn't hear anything like that.

Can you just tell me what you saw?

Okay, so I was walking down the
street on my way home from school,

and all of a sudden, I look up
and there's this light in the sky.

So I run out of my store to see
where this light was coming from.

- I look up and I see...
- Superman.

This guy was legit.
He had a cape and everything.

He was fighting someone
from, like, the movies.

The bad guy? He was blue.
Like, literally, blue.

Blue guy throws Superman
onto a car, wham!

And then they just keep
fighting until, pow, pow.

Superman knocks him out cold.

So Superman grabs him
and then flies off.

And then it's over.

People are doing the most
these days for likes and clicks.

True, true. But best stunt ever.

Best stunt ever.

Best stunt ever.

[CELL PHONE BEEPS]

[NAOMI] Was it a projection?
Was it wires?

Lourdes, I have nothing to post about
what happened in my own town.

[LOURDES] I'm sorry.
I wish I could help,

but I have no idea who did this.

You're the only other person in town

who hardcore knows the comics world.

No way something like this happens
without you knowing about it.

I'm flattered, but I was going
to say the same thing to you.

What do you mean?

You always know what's going on,

especially if it's about Superman.

I figured you had something
to do with it or knew who did.

Kind of a sore subject.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

_

[LAUGHS] I got to go.

Text me if you hear anything?

Yeah.

Or even if you don't.

Oh.

[THERMOMETER BEEPING]

You're sure it wasn't the m*llitary?

Like an exercise or a flight
experiment or something?

No, I'm positive.

But with the dignitaries
arriving tomorrow,

and the presentation the day after that,

it's all hands on deck to prepare.

No one at the base planned this.

Temp's normal. No fever.

Sure you're okay, kid? You've
never been one to just faint.

I'm fine.

It was just... so weird.

[GREG] Dinner is served, ladies.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

Hey, you know the rules.

Time to put it away.

Lourdes keeps texting me
about the Superman thing.

Wait, Lourdes?

Wait. Which one is she again?

Purple hair. She has a crush on Naomi.

Mom.

Does that mean no more Nathan?

[JENNIFER] They broke up last month.

I thought you were dating Anthony.

Can we please not talk about this?

You're dating multiple people now.

They're all my friends. I like
them for different reasons.

You know, eventually,
you're gonna have to choose.

I'm . You really want me
to settle down?

[LAUGHS] I'm your father.

I want you to live in that bedroom

with your stuffed animals
until you're .

[JENNIFER LAUGHS]

It's not about who you're dating.

It's about making a choice.

Is this turning into a talk? Feels
like this is turning into a talk.

No, no, we want you to be happy.

[GREG CHUCKLES]

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

_

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

[CELL PHONE SHUTTER CLICKING]

[RUSTLING]

What the hell?

The camera's broken.

[CRASHING]

[DOG BARKING]

Hello?

They broke my camera, right there.

[NAOMI] What's up,
fellow Superman Stans?

Naomi McDuffie here
on the streets of Port Oswego.

Short post today because
I'm in deep investigation mode.

Getting answers to your questions

about the Superman stunt
that went down yesterday.

I've read your comments,
I see all your questions,

and I've read what people
on other sites are saying.

Just know, those are
all assumptions. Guesses.

And I don't guess,
I deal with the facts.

I do the work, and you know me.

I always find the answers.

I've already uncovered some information
about the blatant tampering

and the cut wires on Main Street.

[SCOFFS] I never thought
I'd be writing that.

I mean, this is a Superman fan site.

We usually share a love of comics.

But I'm on the case to find out
exactly who pulled this stunt,

why they did it, and how they did it.

This is my town,

and I'm going to get
to the bottom of this,

and figure everything out. I promise.

Babe, I say this with
all the love of my heart.

You gotta get a grip.

- I've never seen you like this.
- I need those videos, Anna.

This Superman thing is
getting weirder by the day.

The security cameras on
Main Street are all disabled.

Like cut wires, blatant tampering.

There's something bigger going on here.

Like what?

That's what I want to find out.

[ANNABELLE] Babe, I know
you care about your site.

[NAOMI] That's not what this is about.

What do you mean?

I remember when my dad
bought me my first comic.

We were living in Japan. I was
having trouble making friends.

Those comics have always
made me happy and free.

But ever since the stunt
in the Square, I feel off.

Off how?

This whole thing, it has me feeling...

I don't know...

Strange. Not bad, just different.

I don't even recognize the feeling.

I have to figure out what's happening.

It's almost ready.

Yeah, the sound just needs
a minute to sync.

Thanks for this.

I have all these pieces of video,

but none of them makes
sense on their own.

Anything for you.

Even though you, uh, dumped me.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

It doesn't change
the way I feel about you.

And how do you feel about me?

I feel a lot of things. But mostly...

I feel like you're a good person,

with a beautiful heart,

which makes the whole thing with Anthony

and the party invite gone
wrong really weird to me.

[NATHAN LAUGHS] I...

- It totally was an accident.
- He's a townie.

You don't like him.

No, I don't.

Maybe because you do.

[COMPUTER BEEPING]

- Is it ready?
- [INHALES] Ready.

[CRASHING]

[PEOPLE SHOUTING]

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

[CRASHING]

[WOMAN] Oh, my God!

Wow.

I knew it was cool,
but seeing it like that?

It looks so real.

How'd they do it?

Who's they and how did they do what?

We don't even know
what we're looking at.

Well, let's look again.

Slower this time.

[MOUSE CLICKS]

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

Hang on. Pause it.

Is that Dee from the tattoo shop?

- What the hell?
- [NAOMI GASPS]

[NAOMI] It looks like
they know each other.

[MOUSE CLICKS]

It feels weird that Dee
would be involved in this.

Sometimes people aren't
who you think they are.

Come on.

Not a Zumbado fan?

He's a bad person.

You've seen what happens when businesses

like that pop up around m*llitary bases.

They take advantage of folks who
are just trying to do their best.

You do have to be a special kind of
awful to rip off service members.

[FEMALE REPORTER] ... don't know
how or what was happening.

- Naomi.
- Dee, uh, hi.

Hey, you wear glasses.

Um, yeah.

I like your designs.

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Art has been a valuable tool

on my journey to live a more
centered and, uh, intentional life.

Right. So, um...

Dee, you and I haven't
talked much or ever,

and you're probably
wondering why I'm here.

Uh, I'm guessing it's not for a tattoo.

Maybe when I turn .

Okay, deal.

March th, right?

That's the day I was adopted.

- How do you know that?
- Social media.

What can I do for you, Naomi?

We're trying to find out who's
behind the whole Superman thing.

In the video we saw,

it looked like you knew
the guy who was playing him.

I don't.

[NAOMI SCOFFS] You didn't
seem very surprised.

I was. I was very surprised.

No disrespect, but it feels like
you're leaving something out.

Oh, I'm... I'm not lying.

Naomi, I think maybe we should go.

Yeah, I think you should.

I'm sorry. [SPUTTERS] This is
just not good for my anxiety.

Please, can you just
give us some answers?

I can't give you answers when you're
not asking the right questions.

What does that mean?

Um... it was me, okay?

I did it. I planned
the fight on Main Street.

You planned it?

Why?

For publicity.

Business has been slow,
and I thought it would help.

So I hired an actor with a jet pack.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I really
should be getting back to work.

[NAOMI] What's up, guys?

I've been reading your
comments, and it's true.

Dee confessed to
the whole Superman stunt.

[LAUGHS] He said that
it was for publicity,

and that he hired a guy with a jet pack.

I didn't see that coming.

I know it's not the answer
we were expecting.

No one had "guy from the tattoo
shop" on their list of suspects.

I guess, sometimes, people
aren't who you think they are.

[JENNIFER] Being chosen to debate

in front of the dignitaries
is a big deal.

So we got you something to celebrate.

[BOTH] Surprise.

I don't get it.

- [GREG] That's your set.
- You're letting me drive?

Naomi, you are a great
student, a great kid.

We're really proud of you.

[GREG CHUCKLES]

[GREG LAUGHS] I got to say,

we thought there'd be
a lot more screaming

and jumping and general excitement.

I am excited, really. It's just...

Do you guys know Dee? The guy
who owns the tattoo parlor?

Are you guys friends with him?

'Cause he acted like he knew me.

He knew my adoption day.
No one knows that.

And he seemed surprised
that I wore glasses.

And why do I wear glasses?

Sometimes it seems like
they make my vision worse.

Honey, just take a deep breath.

[GREG] You know why you wear glasses.

You have a condition called Leber
optic neuropathy. It's degenerative.

The glasses help slow
the damage to your eyes.

Okay, but what about Dee?

Do you guys think
he knew my birth parents,

and that's how he knows when
I was adopted or something?

Pumpkin, they d*ed in that
crash far, far away from here.

You know that.

I don't see how Dee
could have known them.

This is a small town. People talk.

Okay, yeah. [LAUGHS] Sorry.

Never be sorry for needing
to talk things through.

- Okay? We're here.
- Always.

Now, how would you like to have
your first practice session

and drive your folks to the base?

- You ready?
- The question is, "Are you ready?"

'Cause you've never seen
driving like this before.

[JENNIFER] How about
just regular driving?

[NAOMI] We should discuss my soundtrack.

[MR. VILLAREAL] "Is our behavior

controlled only by our genes?"

Miss Brooks, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. Villarreal.

We all know that both nature and nurture

play a factor in our development,

but which matters more?

Many philosophers,
including Plato himself,

argued that genetics
play a much bigger role.

That is what I intend
to demonstrate today.

[AUDIENCE CLAPPING]

[MR. VILLAREAL] Miss McDuffie?

The floor is yours.

There's a reason why people have been

debating about this
for such a long time.

It's because there's no easy answer,

which is a hard thing to accept.

If genetics are everything, yes,

that does give us an answer.

But maybe it keeps us from having
to do the hardest thing of all...

decide who it is we want to be,

and understand...

that what made you feel happy

and free in one point
of your life may change,

and that's okay.

We have to be willing to keep striving,

keep searching and asking questions,

even when it's hard,

even when we're afraid of the answers.

Even when the answers don't make sense.

In the end, all we can
control is our choices,

and it's our choices that
determine our destiny.

[AUDIENCE CLAPPING]

[MR. VILLAREAL] Many argue that all
of our behaviors and characteristics

are a result of evolution.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

What would you say to those people?

First of all, I would say that...

[BUZZING]

First of all, I would say
to those people...

[BUZZING CONTINUES]

Um, I would tell them that...

What I would tell them is...

Shall I repeat the question?

No, I... I heard you. I can't...

I need a moment, please.

[NAOMI GASPS]

[GIRL] Naomi!

[JENNIFER] Dr. Riley said he can't
be sure without running tests,

- but he thinks it was a panic att*ck.
- [ANNABELLE] Oh, okay.

[ANNABELLE] That is way better
than what the Internet said.

By the way, very bad idea
to check symptoms online.

We have an appointment tomorrow.

But what if it's something else?

[JENNIFER] Like what?

I don't know.

This all started the day
of the Superman thing.

Maybe it's somehow connected,
like the same trick or device.

Yeah, but pumpkin, why would it
happen again here, on the base?

[CELL PHONE BEEPING]

[JENNIFER] Greg, it's the doctor.

Good. They're gone.

Now we can talk about
what's really important.

You drive now?

[LAUGHS] Can you believe that?

I literally cannot. I thought Jen
and Greg would never cave.

- I know.
- [ANNABELLE] I mean, now we just have to get a car.

Obviously, you can't buy it
because you don't have a job,

and obviously, I can't buy it
because I also don't have a job.

But let's face it,
I don't want to drive.

I want to be driven.

I was thinking that...

[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]

[NAOMI] I can see that.

"Superman landing, Red River Forest".

[NAOMI GASPING]

[CELL PHONE SHUTTER CLICKS]

[CELL PHONE SHUTTER CLICKS]

What...

- [CELL PHONE RINGS]
- [NAOMI SIGHS]

Okay, before you say anything,

I know I said I was coming to
your house, but I'm in the woods.

[ANNABELLE] Naomi,
what are you... Woods?

- Annabelle?
- Naomi...

- [STATIC BUZZING ON CELL PHONE]
- Anna, I can't hear you.

- Anna, are you there?
- Naomi...

- Hello?
- [MAN] Not that much service out here, is there?

[NAOMI GASPS] Zumbado.

What are you doing here?

It's a beautiful day. I'm hiking.

What are you doing out here?

- [STAMMERS] I was, um...
- You were taking pictures.

I'm guessing for that
Superman website of yours?

How do you know about my site?

You know what I find interesting, Naomi?

Out of all the comic book
characters in the world,

you chose Superman.

Why is that?

I mean, clearly you feel some type
of connection to that character.

We're both adopted.

[SCOFFS]

You're either clueless,
full of yourself,

or you're just not ready
to face the truth.

Probably all three.

I'm gonna need that disk.

- What?
- Don't play dumb, Naomi.

I know you've been looking for it.

First on Main Street, and now here.

I don't even know what it is.

Wait. How did you know
that I was on Main Street?

You... You were following me.

Did you disable the cameras too?

The disk.

Stay back!

Can be hard once you realize
you're not like everyone else.

It was for me.

People start to look at you differently.

But the trick is learning
to control your powers.

I used to be ashamed of who I was.

Thought something was wrong
with me, but there's not.

World's full of sheep.
I was meant for more.

I finally realized...

Why be a sheep when you can be a wolf?

Stay back!

[NAOMI GRUNTS]

What was that? What did you do?

[SCOFFS] You think that I did that?

Don't believe everything
that you think, Naomi.

It's dangerous.

Okay, okay.

So instead of coming over to my
house, you went into the woods,

alone, by the way,

which we are definitely going
to be talking about later.

And then, in the woods,
you had what sounds like

a truly terrifying encounter,

which included the trees coming alive

in a real horror movie kind of way,

which makes you think that Zumbado
is the one behind the stunt

and all this weirdness and not Dee,

even though Dee confessed.

Did I miss anything?

- No.
- Okay.

Okay?

- You believe me?
- Of course I believe you.

I know how crazy it all sounds.

You're not crazy, babe.

Look, when you've eliminated
the impossible,

whatever remains, however
improbable, must be the truth.

I've been bingeing Sherlock.

Look, I don't understand how
Zumbado is involved in all this.

I mean, the guy sells crappy cars.

I don't know, but he really
wanted that disk.

[NAOMI SIGHS] It must be valuable.

Okay, well, what are we going to do?

It's not like we can walk into
Zumbado's shop and just look for it.

Oh, no. That's your plan, isn't it?

We'll be in and out. He'll never
know that we were there.

Naomi, breaking and entering,
that's, like, serious stuff.

Not breaking and entering. More like...

inviting-ourselves-
in-through-the-window-

while-Zumbado's-not-there and entering.

We won't break anything.

Fine, but we're gonna need help.

[SIGHS]

[JACOB] I feel like we're in a movie.

Can we have code names? I call Elrond.

From Lord of the Rings.

Sorry I'm late.

What's he doing here?

- Awkward.
- Did you bring them?

Ponies.

- Cute.
- [NATHAN] Ha-ha.

It's my sister's. It's all I could find.

Okay, here's the plan.

Two people will stay outside
and be lookouts.

Elrond to Aragorn,

we're good to go for the Precious.

Dude, no one knows that means.

Philistines.

[NAOMI] The rest of us
will jump the fence...

then sneak inside.

- [WALKIE TALKIE BEEPS]
- Annabelle?

- How does it look?
- All clear.

I think. I've never
actually done this before.

What the hell?

[NAOMI] March th, .

Is that Dee? He looks exactly the same.

The mysterious...

[ANTHONY] Naomi, I think
we found something.

Maybe he keeps cash in there?

[NAOMI] What I need is in that safe.

We have to open it.

Zumbado's coming.

You need to get out of there now.

[LOURDES] Let's go, come on.

- [NATHAN] Come on.
- [NAOMI] Let's split up.

[ANTHONY] Yeah.

You told me I wasn't asking
the right questions.

What did you mean by that?

I shouldn't have said that.

The Superman thing wasn't you, was it?

No.

Why did you lie?

[DEE] You were upset.

I'm... I'm not comfortable
with confrontation.

Then how about a conversation?

Please talk to me.

I need answers.

I'm not the guy who's got them.

I'm nobody.

But I'll try.

This happened here before,

on the day I was adopted.

You were there.

Yes, I was there.

Something happened to me
during the Superman thing,

and then again at the m*llitary base.

I heard all this buzzing.

And then I went to the woods

and found some kind of disk,

- with all this weird writing on it...
- Wait.

Go back to the buzzing.

I've never heard
or felt anything like it.

It made me dizzy and weak.

No one else seemed to be affected.

Do you know what it was?

No.

But it may have something to do

with people like us.

People like us.
What are you talking about?

You know, it wasn't
supposed to happen like this.

It wasn't time yet.

But I guess things have changed.

Time for what?

The truth.

[SPUTTERS] Who are you?

Still the wrong question.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Dee, what's happening?

[LIGHT BULBS EXPLODE]

What is the question?

What is the question, Naomi?

The question is...

Who am I?