01x07 - Seek and Ye Shall

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Staircase". Aired: May 5 –; June 9, 2022.*
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Exploring the life of Michael Peterson, his sprawling N.C. family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson; based on a true story.
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01x07 - Seek and Ye Shall

Post by bunniefuu »

Come on.

Oh.

Man: f*ck, I'm
forgetting things.

Tyrone? What the...

Ow!

It's horseshit.

I'm not taking the g*dd*mn plea.

So... what,

you want a retrial? Hmm?

It's not what I want.
It's what I need.

I am not going to say
I k*lled Kathleen.

Jesus, Michael.

Michael, think of the money,

the years you'll waste
fighting for this.

I am not a moron. I
know the implications.

- If we say these words...
- If I say them...

If you say them, no more prison.

You want me to get up and say I'm
responsible for the worst night of my life,

that I'm responsible for
Kathleen's suffering?

Did you listen to what I read?

We're saying you didn't
do anything wrong.

Not until the very
end where I say

I did everything wrong.

I'm not going to say I'm guilty.

I can't.

I want to avoid anything

that puts your freedom at risk.

I want your kids
to stop worrying.

They'll understand.
They, they'll support me.

Mike, look around.

This is all the support you got.

I told them not to come!

Not to bother hearing their
father perjure himself!

David Rudolf: You could
be found guilty. Again.

Michael Peterson: Yeah,
with what evidence?

Everything the DA had is
inadmissible or compromised.

Except for your lies, Michael.

Your character.

Those are still in play.

You can't walk back from deceit.

From how people see you.

I'm not taking the plea.

I won't do it.

Class is going well.

Um, the students
seem more attuned.

I'm sorry, Sophie.

My days don't provide
much inspiration.

I'm, uh, returning to Paris.

- Jean needs his muse.

We're having trouble
with the third act.

- Hmm.
- So...

So when do you come back?

I'm not, I'm not sure.

We're hoping to
finish the film soon,

but I don't know.

It's hard to say when.

Penny for your thoughts?

Thoughts about what?

Come on. About me.

- Us.

This.

Well, I'll go back to Paris,

and then I'll... I come back

and then, uh...

That's all.

Right. You come
home to Durham.

I don't think Durham will
ever be home, Michael.

You-you-you're the
only reason I'm here.

Well, we'll figure it out.

It'll be okay.

Michael: " Through her hand.
I feel the pulse of life,

"of passion.

"And I want all of her.

"Her lips, her hair,

"the skin I've yet to see.

"But the fates have
denied the carnal.

"Leaving me to be tempted and
contented by the spiritual,

"the ethereal, the simple purity

"of her words and mind.

But is that enough?"

Came to me last night.

Thoughts?

To Margie, my sister.

I'm proud of you.

I am almost 30. I'm divorced.

I'm using a cardboard
box as a table.

I'm proud of you
for leaving him.

I know Lucas was a,
he was a good guy.

He was the best guy.

I hope he's okay.

Yeah, see, you've got to

take all of that energy
that you're putting

on other people and
focus it on yourself.

What do you mean?

Well, when you finally start

paying attention to yourself,

you can't hide anymore.

Okay. So what am
I ignoring here?

Lucas used to say the same sh*t.

We've been through a lot,

and you've never
really talked about it.

You know, we've never...

You can either let
the past haunt you

or you move on.

I can't change what
happened. You can't either.

True. But I can try
to understand it.

Why I felt like
something was wrong

even before that night.

And that's why, you
know, I'm going to,

I'm going to go back home.

What do you mean go home?

Just tell me what
you're talking about.

I've saved up almost enough
money to go to Germany.

I've been talking to Patty,

and she still lives in
the same apartment complex

that we grew up in.

She says she can take
me to Mom's house

and bring Agnes over to talk.

- You're going to Germany?
- Oh, Margie.

I knew you would be
pissed. I knew it.

And I don't want to
hide things from you.

Well, then, next
time, just keep quiet

about your bullshit
self-exploration.

You know, you're supposed
to be helping me.

And now I have to
worry about you again.

f*ck! I always have
to keep an eye on you,

and it's so f*cking tiring

because I'm always,
for years, worrying

if you're high somewhere
or if you have a job

or if you're going to do
something to yourself.

Germany's going to help.

Why do you care?
Why are you so mad?

I mean, every time I talk
about when we were kids,

you shut down, just like Dad.

Don't go.

For me.

Please.

I'm sorry. I have to.

f*ck you.

Hey, John, I want you
to come here a sec.

Woman: SBI is dirty.

Given more time, I can prove

that consequential evidence was
withheld and misrepresented.

I mean, test
results were hidden.

Now, this man is
serving a life sentence,

missing valuable time
with people he loves.

Man: So would Durham
be the focus here?

- Definitely.
- Man: Let's get you down there.

We need evidence of
misconduct and motive.

You got to see this.

Body's already in the morgue.

Dr. Deborah Radisch: My god.

It's unbelievable.

Michael:
Darling. How's Paris?

Everything's good here.

Michael: Fantastic.
How's the old man?

Uh, Jean?

Uh, stressed but surviving.

Michael: Tell
Jean I said hello.

I'd love to see
him here sometime.

Michael, I've got to go.

Speak soon.

Bye.

Sophie Brussard: I was
surprised to get your email.

What email?

About the homicide.

Hmm?

Injuries are congruent
with a b*ating.

Radisch: Okay. I don't
know who sent that to you,

but it wasn't me.

You have something on your...

Oh!

So, a man was k*lled.

Police are pursuing a suspect.

The newspaper's
writing about it.

Seems like there's clear motive.

And the m*rder w*apon
is a heavy flashlight.

So what's the connection?

Cause of death is blunt
force trauma to the head.

- It's a homicide.
- Okay.

And there were no skull
fractures, which means...

- No.
- the nature of Kathleen Peterson's death

is no longer an anomaly.

But all those autopsy reports.

Every other b*ating case,

they all had skull fractures.

Until now.

You said there was motive.

Officially, robbery gone wrong.

But Detective Holland thinks
the men knew each other.

Sorry. Dr. Radisch, can
I show you something?

Excuse me.

Rowe?

Dr. Radisch: Let's
get ahead of it...

It was Dennis Rowe?

Ron Guerette:
Dennis Rowe. R-O-W-E.

My sources say he has a limp.

A limp?

Ron: Says you had sex with
him four or five times.

Oh, you're sh1tting me.

- That's what he's claiming.
- Oh my god!

Ron: Rather know
now than later.

Michael: Did he indicate where

this great love
affair took place?

- Jean: Hello?
- Jean.

Jean: Wow. Okay.

Kathleen Peterson:
I will take them.

And, uh, I'll split
it on these two.

You got it.

So, uh, are you excited
for the holidays?

Well, I was,

but my boyfriend and I broke up,

and now I'm devastated.

Oh! Before the holidays?

God, some people are strange.

I guess it can be stressful.

Well, apparently
he was so stressed,

he had to f*ck other people.

- It's complicated.
- Look up, please.

My first husband, Fred,

he used to lie all the time,

and I was like, "Never again.

"Never again.
Give me the truth.

The good, the bad,
and the ugly."

You know what?

The stories I make
up in my own head

are far worse than reality.

Makeup artist: But
you're married again?

Yup. To a real piece of work.

Yeah. He's the strangest,

most exciting person
I've ever met.

That sounds great.

- And impossible.
- That's it.

It's always two
things with Michael.

- Michael. That's his name?
- Yeah.

Unless he's pulling a long con.

- Yeah.

So this watch is $300 more?

Yes. The diamonds
make it special.

Yeah.

Uh...

Okay, well, I'm going to have
to go with the cheaper one,

and I would love
it gift wrapped.

Of course.

Oh, you're sh1tting me.

Hello?

Man: M.P.
What is up, man?

I'm sorry. Who is this?

Simon: Simon.

- Your agent.
- Oh, Simon.

Yes!

Simon: "Charlie Two Shoes."

- Remember that old horse?
- Sure. I wrote it.

Simon: Yeah, right.

Sorry. Anyways,

I just got off the phone

and I got some really good news.

Hey, Patty.

Hello, Martha baby.
You've arrived.

Oh, I trust you traveled well.

Airplanes are so fast.

Thank you again for having me.

Of course.

Once you're settled in
here, we can head over

to your mother's
house this afternoon.

Okay.

It is so good to see you.

Let's get you cleaned up.

You lit this match.

Freda Black: Son of a
bitch can't stop cheating.

Now it's gonna burn.

Hi. Freda Black?

My name's Evelyn Ivins.

You got something
that needs cleaning?

My partners and I, we're,

we're filming
follow-up interviews

for a documentary

to, uh, investigate

what we've learned
over the years.

- Sure.
- Do you mind putting it in?

The, the wire.

That's it.

Fire away.

Thanks so much for coming here.

I'd like to know more
about your past employer.

Honey, I've had
several past employers.

Yeah, the Durham
District Attorney.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm not one
to kiss and tell.

Even though you're the one
working at a dry cleaner

and Jim Harden's a judge?

Art Holland: I'm sure
the case was complicated,

but, you know, at
the end of the day,

everything pointed to m*rder.

Kathleen Peterson was k*lled

at the bottom of that staircase.

Did you ever consider
the alternatives?

Honestly, not much.

I don't ignore facts.

You had debt, work stress,

empty nest, infidelity,

and the discovery of a lie.

I wish m*rder
wasn't predictable,

but it is.

So... what if it was m*rder?

Okay.

Go on.

Michael sleeps with a man.

- Dennis.

So you heard about Dennis Rowe?

What-what-what's this
interview really about?

I'd like to know more
about the relationship

between the Durham DA

and the State Bureau
of Investigation.

- SBI.
- Well, the SBI is an independent agency,

uh, arriving at
objective conclusions

based on the evidence in hand.

There is no relationship.

Well, what I found suggests

that isn't really
what's going on.

The DA's office,

they write the year-end
performance reviews

for all SBI analysts.

What are you suggesting?

That it's pretty hard
to stay objective

when your raise is
being determined

by the prosecution.

No.

Honey, the Durham DA

and the SBI aren't
hiding anything.

It's no secret.

I mean, it may be problematic,

but it's not illegal.

Until the problematic
relationship encourages SBI

to shade evidence or hide
it to suit the DA's needs.

Okay. Alright,
well, uh, go on.

Dennis tells someone he
knows about a rich man

with a big house

and... accidentally

puts an idea into
a bad man's head.

And that bad man
goes to 1810 Cedar,

ends up k*lling Kathleen.

Kathleen and Dennis
had the same injuries.

So the same man could
have k*lled them both.

Art: So what you're saying is

Rowe tells Tyrone
Lacour about Peterson.

Tyrone Lacour?

Uh, I'm sorry, who's this?

Well, he, he k*lled Rowe.

Career criminal...

Oh, I'm sorry. Your
mic. I can't...

- Wait.
- What?

You know, I started
as a defense attorney.

My family, they had
run-ins with the law,

and I thought when
I get the chance,

why not help those in need?

But then I met the needy.

Men,

mostly men,

doing... horrible
things to women.

And as a defense attorney,

I had to do my best
to get 'em off.

But you know what? When it
came to the wife beaters,

I didn't even really have
to try all that hard.

You know, hit a woman
and give her a little...

If you're unlucky, you get

three months max in county.

But steal a man's car?

No, now we're
talking real crime.

Art: Say Lacour's,
he's late on rent.

Sorry.

So he goes to Peterson's

to steal some stuff
that he could sell.

He surprises Kathleen.

One thing leads to
another, and, uh,

you've got yourself
a crime scene

worth making a movie about.

- Exactly.
- Yeah, but we,

we didn't find any
signs of an intruder.

Maybe you missed the signs.

No, we didn't, we didn't miss
any 'cause there weren't any.

Because, because Lacour,

he knew Peterson...

in the same way
Dennis knew Peterson.

Michael knew Lacour?

Oh yeah. When we
questioned Rowe, he folded.

Told us that
Peterson was getting

a piece of Lacour too.

Lacour didn't need to break in

because he'd been there before.

With Michael.

Michael slept with both of them?

Uh, Michael Peterson
f*cked a lot of people.

But this Lacour thing,
it's good, Sophie.

It's real good.

I'm going to follow up on this.

Freda: I got worn out
helping the wrong people,

so I decided to switch teams.

I could make a difference
in the DA's office.

And it felt good, mostly.

Sometimes it didn't.

Because you weren't
playing fair.

Life's not fair.

And the law reflects that.

If I think someone's
done something wrong,

how am I going to
live with myself

if I don't do
everything in my power

to stop 'em from
doing it again, huh?

Freda, there are three
men from around the state

who have been ex*cuted
on faulty SBI evidence.

They were k*lled for
crimes they didn't commit.

That true?

Evelyn Ivins: I'm working
on a specific case.

There's a man sitting in prison

who shouldn't be there.

I got an order of
napkins I need to press.

Will you testify to
the quid pro quo nature

of the SBI/DA relationship?

You know where to
find me, sweetie.

I can't really remember her.

Your mom was an angel.

She treasured you girls.

What was she like
after my dad d*ed?

Oh, Liz was a mess.

She couldn't understand

why something like this
would happen to her.

To you girls.

After she d*ed, your
emotions were so big.

You had tantrums.

That's what made Michael so mad.

He couldn't control you.
He didn't like that.

So he did bad things.

Did you see him hit me?

No.

I only saw what happened
after he hit you.

Bruises on your arms, your face.

It was unbearable.

You were too young to
remember, but Margaret.

She could tell you.

- She knows.
- No. That's not right.

Aunt Blair could tell you

how horrible Michael
was bouncing you

from home to home.

Michael and Patty kept
giving you away to people.

Giving us away?

There was a German
couple who wanted

to adopt you and Margaret.

It didn't work out with them,

so you went to Texas.

Then Memphis. Then Aunt Blair.

Wait, what are
you talking about?

Then Michael wanted
to keep Margaret

and give you away.

Your mama and papa
were already gone.

Could you imagine taking
your sister from you?

What was so wrong with me?

Patty Peterson: Oh, Martha.

You were simply acting

like a child who
had lost her father

and then her dear mother.

Lightning struck twice, and
it just made you a nightmare.

That's all.

- I was three.
- You had fits and tantrums.

You hurt yourself. You
were bruised all the time.

We, we could not assuage
your inner turmoil.

Michael and I loved you,

but it seemed we could
not love you enough.

So you tried to give me away?

Jesus, Patty.

I live my life trying my best

and also believing

that everyone else
is trying their best.

And that is all people can do.

That's all we can
expect from them.

I extend this philosophy
to all my children.

And even to Michael.

When I feel disappointed, I
know it's simply my belief

in a reality that
never truly existed.

Are you disappointed, Martha?

I just wonder

if all of this
hadn't happened...

who would I be?

If things had been different,

you would be different.

For what it's worth...

I really love who you are.

And I look forward to knowing
the Martha you will become.

You look beautiful.

Beautiful women
deserve good news.

- Hmm. We do?
- Mm-hmm.

Simon called.

- Simon?
- My agent.

Right.

Remember "Charlie Two Shoes"?

Oh yeah, I loved that book.

Well, that book just got
optioned by some producer

who wants to turn
it into a movie.

- Big one.
- Really?

- Yeah.
- Michael.

You're not just telling me
something I want to hear

to make me feel better, are you?

Check my phone.

Simon called. The
option's guaranteed.

What happens then,
I have no idea,

but it seems promising.

Wow.

- How much?
- $10,000.

Okay.

Well, tomorrow we'll celebrate,

have a fun dinner.

I'll go and buy that
watch for Caitlin

that she really wants.

She's got such good taste,

just like her mother.

Oh sh*t.

We gotta light the
candles and leave.

- Something happening at Nortel you're not telling me about?
- I know!

Devon: Kathleen.

Excuse me.

Hey, Devon.

Isn't this pretty crazy?

- Maybe a little much.
- Yeah.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

Remember CommTech? The
company Nortel bought?

Yeah, of course.

Well, they just sold it.

- Who?
- They, as in, we.

Nortel sold it
for, like, nothing.

Who told you that?

Amber, Ethan's assistant.

She saw something on his desk.

What does this mean?

Why would we sell a
company we just bought

for less than we bought it?

I don't know, whatever it means,

we can't do anything
about it tonight.

So just...

Okay.

Devon: I'm sorry
to ruin your night.

Why don't you go
flirt with someone

you shouldn't be flirting with.

Okay.

Oh.

Your cocktail.

You see that line?

I had to butter up the
bartender just to cut in front.

He's cute.

I could get his number.

For whom?

Hey, Sophie.

You have bad news?

The Lacour theory
was good, Sophie.

It was really good.

How do you know it wasn't him?

Tyrone's got the perfect alibi.

Check again.

The night Kathleen
d*ed, he was in jail.

That man wasn't at 1810 Cedar.

At least not in December 2001.

You came around.

You know Kathleen didn't fall.

No.

We don't know
that. Not for sure.

In my experience, a woman
either has an accident

or she doesn't.

But, hey, that's just,
that's just my experience.

Well, in my experience,
I've always found life

to be far more complicated

than yes or no, black or white.

An owl, or something
you've never thought about.

Sophie, sometimes life
isn't complicated.

The answers, they're sitting
right there in front of you

just waiting for you to see 'em.

I don't need you here anymore.

Take care, Sophie.

I didn't know you were back.

Is everything okay?
Are the kids...

I never left Durham.

Hmm.

Well...

you didn't have to lie to me.

- Why did you?
- Dennis Rowe.

You slept with him.

Dennis was k*lled.

Okay.

Blunt force trauma to the
head with no skull fractures.

No.

That's unbelievable.

Oddly, that's not the part
that's hard to believe.

The man who k*lled him was
another man you... knew.

Tyrone Lacour.

You slept with him, too.

Michael...

you know, I thought maybe
I finally got the answer

that if this guy
had k*lled Kathleen,

that it was all a
horrible mistake.

But all I did was
open Pandora's box.

This is crazy.

Michael!

Don't you have anything to say?


I-I-I lied about Dennis.

I don't know Tyrone.

At least, I don't think I do.

I mean, sure, it's possible.

Sophie, I don't want
to be the reason

you can't get the life you want.

If you need something more,

if you need something
different than this,

than me,

I understand.

But you're what I want.

I'm not her.

I'm not Kathleen.

No, I know you're not.

I want the truth,
just like she did.

And...

I won't share you,
not in that way.

No, you don't. And you won't.

You know, I'll give
you everything.

So what do you want to do here?

I need more time.

- Sophie: Jean.

Sophie.

Sophie, Sophie, Sophie...

Um...

sh*t.

David: Is
there anyone in the room

who thinks she didn't know?

Mike said Kathleen knew.

So she must have known, right?

Right?

Has anyone in this room
ever successfully hidden

anything from their wives?

Moving on.

Evelyn: With Freda's
help, we can prove

that they didn't have the
results to convict him,

and they buried
exculpatory evidence.

Man: Before we go
public, you're 100 percent sure

this guy didn't do it.

Evelyn: He's innocent.

But there's more.

It seems to be a systemic issue.

I can't tell you how
widespread the corruption goes,

but I can say for sure

this isn't just a one-off thing.

He's not the only victim here.

Man: Alright. Do
we have motive?

Motive?

I think I got that too.

I'm not sure there's
anything to find.

Keep looking.

Case 432. What's shaking
with that lawnmower?

- Sir, what's going on?
- Officer: On your knees, sir.

On your knees. On your knees.

- On your knees.
- What's going on?

Keep your eyes to the front.

Newsreader: Evidence
now shows that

the North Carolina State
Bureau of Investigation

has failed to
perform their duty.

Findings by the Innocence
Project revealed

that SBI frequently
withheld test results

that contradicted the DA's case.

And this is how Greg Taylor
spent 19 years in prison

for a crime he did not commit.

Taylor was convicted in 1993

in the b*ating death
of Jacquetta Thomas.

The only physical evidence
was a spot of blood

found near the wheel of his SUV.

But further testing by
SBI revealed the substance

was inconsistent
with human blood.

This second test was never
shared with the court

or with Taylor's defense.

Evelyn Ivins, an attorney

for the North Carolina
Innocence Project,

led the investigation into SBI.

Our findings in the
Greg Taylor case suggest

SBI labs intentionally
hid exculpatory evidence

that would have exonerated him.

Further investigation
leads us to believe

that the corruption
between state DA

and the supposedly independent
investigative unit,

it's a complex web of lies,

which is why we are thrilled

to announce audits of
all SBI cases to date

to ensure other
wrongly convicted men

and women get
their day in court.

What the f*ck?

- Woman: Sir.
- Bill Peterson: No, I'm going in.

- Woman: You can't go in there.
- Bill: Yes. Call security.

- Woman: Sir!
- Bill: We're very good friends.

Trust me. He's going to
be very happy to see me.

My money was on tomorrow,

but tonight works.

David, this SBI thing

is just absolute insanity.

Those, those m*therf*ckers!

Okay, settle down, Bill.

We always knew they
were full of sh*t.

Now we have proof. You,

you should have known
how corrupt they were.

- Jesus Christ!
- Of course, I knew.

They were all corrupt.

Which was why we
ran our own tests.

It's why I cost so much.

But when the state
audits our case,

they aren't going to
find any SBI wrongdoing.

We kept our eyes on things.

You think Tom
Maher's going to let

some bullshit like this fly?

We can't give up.

Hey, nobody said
anything about giving up.

You did.

Three years ago.

You left my brother
to rot in there.

David: Come on,
sit. Please, sit.

Bill, hey.

Come on. Please, sit.

Sit.

I don't keep this
because I'm in it.

I keep it 'cause I'm not.

It reminds me of Michael.
The mistakes I made.

The ones you only
see in hindsight.

I don't like to lose.

And I really don't like
seeing my clients in prison,

especially when
they're innocent.

But we already did some digging.

SBI didn't f*ck us.

Yes, David, but?

An SBI agent did.

A Mr. Duane Deaver lied
about his experience.

He lied on the
stand, under oath.

He said he was an expert.

That he had overseen, what,

500 blood spatter cases.

At the time Deaver testified,

he'd only been to
fifty-f*cking-four.

- Deaver perjured himself?
- Yeah.

W-what does that get us?

Well, we've been here before

with the computers.

We need to prove that
Deaver's testimony swayed

the jury enough

that had it not been included,

the verdict could
have gone another way.

- And then?
- And then maybe,

maybe by the grace
of a reasonable God,

we get a hearing for a retrial.

Not a retrial, but...
a hearing for one.

If that goes the
way we want it to,

he will be out.

- That's good.
- Yeah.

- That's good.
- It's really good.

I don't care what it
takes or how long.

You're going to make
up for these mistakes.

You're going to figure out
how this helps my brother.

And you're going
to do it for free.

He's not listening to reason.

You, uh, you may want to rethink

your tickets for tomorrow.

He's not taking the plea?

I'll speak with him.

Okay. Be my guest.

Tell him he's
being a fool. Okay?

A moron. This has been
years in the making.

He is lucky to be here today.

He could go back to prison.

That is a very real reality.

Just let me talk to him, David.

I know this wasn't
our plan. I'm sorry.

Sophie: We've
talked about this.

You'd have to lie
about that night.

To get what you want.

What we want.

But I can't lie anymore.

I'm not perfect.
Jesus, no man is.

But I'm not this. Mm-mm.

And the kids,

the money.

But if I don't sign,
it all starts again.

- Sophie: Mm-hmm.
- Mm-hmm.

And if you take this plea,

you can leave Durham tomorrow.

And finally... be done.

Whatever you decide.
I'll be here.

But I must say one thing.

The DA doesn't care about
what really happened.

People who believe
you're guilty,

they do not care
about other truths.

The table's crooked, Michael.

No matter the circumstance,
they'll never say they were wrong.

Why the f*ck not?

Why can't they just see
that's what happened?

They made a mistake.

We get to go back
and correct it.

We get to fix the past,
and that's never an option.

But today...

today it is.

I need to speak with Jean alone.

Kathleen Peterson's office.

Sure.

Kathleen.

Kathleen.

They want to see you.

Remember you have Mike's
celebration dinner tonight.

Man 1: This one was done.

Man 2: Yeah, it's
gonna be a long day.

Man 1: Yeah, it's brutal,

but what can we do?

Thank you for joining
us on such short notice.

- Of course.
- Man 2: Sit.

I wish we could say
we called you here

with better news, but, um...

it seems we won't be giving

end-of-year bonuses.

Oh.

Okay. That-that...
Yes, that is...

that is bad news.

Man 1: None of us will
be receiving bonuses.

The third and fourth
quarters were, uh...

challenging.

So, no year... No,
no year-end bonuses.

Man 2: Correct.

See, I was just
sitting at my desk,

and I watched our stock drop

27 percent in
under four minutes.

Um... I mean, it has
not stopped going down.

So, I mean, who
cares about bonuses?

I just lost my retirement.

All of it.

Nearly a million dollars.

Ohh!

Oh my...

Sorry I'm late.

Did you come straight
from the gym?

Indeed.

Here.

- Have you been home?
- Busy day.

Someone gave me a list
of Christmas chores.

What should we order?

Oh, I, uh, I already did.

I ordered, I ordered a lot.

Celebration.

But seriously, this book option

could lead to some real money.

And then you can rest, not
worry so much about Nortel.

That's great. I
mean, it's really...

That's great, Michael. Um...

I have to tell you something.

sh**t.

I, I thought you would have
already known, but, um,

our stocks...

Nortel.

It's all gone.
Everything's gone.

What are you talking about?

Retirement account. Moving
to Paris in ten years.

I mean, all our dreams, they're,
they're... they're dead.

It's all gone.

The bubble burst.

You're sh1tting
me. We're poor?

All those hours and work trips

and... sacrifices.

I mean, I have...

wasted...

wasted years of my life.

And now I'm sitting here in
this f*cking Chinese restaurant,

and I don't even know if I
can afford this stupid meal.

Michael: Hey, no.

The movie's going
to work out, huh?

What?

Do you think some
Hollywood producer's

going to come along and
make you a millionaire?

Are you kidding?

You're f*cking
kidding me, Michael?

We'll figure it
out. It'll be okay.

The only way this will be okay

is if I make it okay,

and I am way too
f*cking exhausted.

You're not alone here.

Well, sometimes I think it
would be easier if I was.

Oh, I see.

What? What do you see?

- Joan of Arc burning before me.

- What?
- You know, you used to be fun.

Your eyes, they used to
have a light behind them.

And now all I see is,
is this stress case.

You forgot what it is
to smile, to be alive.

f*ck you, Michael.

You know, you, you used
to take care of yourself.

You used to be a
really good time.

A good time?

I am too busy to be
anyone's good time.

I am busy working.

I am busy raising your children.

I mean, Margaret and Martha,
they were a mess before me.

And the boys. Your boys.

I am the one who supports them.

I am the one who visited
Clayton in prison.

And Todd, god, he is so lost
looking for your approval,

I don't think he'll
ever find his way home.

And you just wander through
life, going to the gym

and yelling at the dogs
and spending my money,

promising these big,
beautiful dreams like Paris,

and then you don't do a g*dd*mn
thing to make them happen.

I mean, I thought
I married a man.

It turns out all I got was a boy

who is only good

for getting drinks at the bar.

Say something.

Michael.

Are you even here?!

Of course, I am.

I'm here for you,

for the kids,

for my parents,

for my men in combat.

I've always been here.

Maybe you're the one
who's disappeared.

Maybe the problem is that the life
you have isn't the life you want.

And I am damned, Kathleen, if I'm going
to continue to be your whipping boy.

So figure it out!

Or move on.

Congratulations.

You're upset.

You shouldn't drive.

I'm gonna finish the song.

f*ck!

This is it!

Yes!

Woman: I'm sorry.
Can I help you?

Woman: Hey, Margie.

- Todd: Hey, stranger.
- Hey.

- Ahhh!

Margaret: Look how
strong your dad is!

Baby, come here.

Becky: Want to give
Aunt Margie a hug?

Hi, Aunt Margie.

Todd: Hey, Clay.

- How are you?
- Yeah, good.

- Don't you wanna go say hi?
- Hi!

Oh my god. You girls
are getting so big!

Okay, come on. Let's go in.

Margaret: How are you?

I'm fine. How are you?

- Nervous.
- Yeah.

- It's gonna be good.
- Todd: Hey, Clay, grab my bag.
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