01x03 - Free Pass

[bunniefuu]

[CAR HORN HONKS]

[WHISTLE BLOWS]

♪♪♪

LIBBY: Many thoughts had crossed

Toby's mind in the hours

since he was informed

that his missing wife

was, in fact, napping in the park.

But only one of them stuck.

It was How did he get here?

Literally, he had no memory

of the end of the conversation

he had with Rachel's friends.

He had, apparently, purchased

rotted watermelon

in his attempt to not appear so crazy,

and he had, apparently,

somehow gotten home.

How did he get here?

How did he get back to his apartment?

But also, how did he get here?

It was a good question.

The story of the end of Toby

and Rachel's marriage

starts with the beginning of it.

It starts with Toby,

right at the beginning

of medical school,

being dragged to a party

he didn't want to attend.

- LIBBY: Hey.

- Hey.

It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be fun.

Yes.

[NAUGHTY BY NATURE'S

"HIP HOP HOORAY" PLAYING]

SETH: Are you kidding?

I spent an entire year at Hebrew U.

Lo ichpat li.

Uh, ayn li savla. Lo todah.

[BRITISH ACCENT] Young Judea's

hottest alumnus st*lks his prey.

Mah ha sha-ah, baby.

We are compadres.

We are comrades.

Using a terrible accent, he lures

the hot Israeli law student

in her native habitat.

[BRITISH ACCENT]

His absent foreskin as bait,

the American draws her in closer.

Did you do time in the army?

LIBBY: She's entering his orbit.

She's in the danger zone.

Contact! And now, she is dinner.

[NORMAL VOICE] I thought

that they taught Israelis

defense skills in the m*llitary.

[NORMAL VOICE] I don't think

they trained them against Seth.

We were fast friends by then.

After our program in Israel ended,

we visited each other in college.

There could have been something

between Toby and me,

I don't know, but my weirdness

about relationships

and Toby's sense of himself

as unlucky in the romantic arts

had followed him home through customs.

- Alright, I'll find you.

- Alright.

By the time we all ended up

at the business school party

at Columbia, Toby had just

started medical school at NYU.

We're gonna meet up later.

She was in Sayeret Egoz.

That's guerilla warfare.

She told me something

I really shouldn't say.

She knows who k*lled Rabin.

Yeah, everybody knows who k*lled Rabin.

She extra knows. I can't say more.

Well, maybe you shouldn't.

God, it's like you have

a scent or something.

You just need to relax.

Is that really how it goes for you?

Like, women, they're just so attracted

to how relaxed you are?

You know, I would be very

relaxed too if I had your luck.

Meaning if I was ejaculating

as often as he

- No, I think we understood what you

- Yeah.

- It's not luck.

- I know it's not.

I was just trying to, like,

preserve my dignity here.

Did I tell you I bumped into

Jennifer Alkon the other day?

- Ugh. Really?

- Yes.

We made up for lost time.

Ew. What I'm saying is fifth base.

- Oh, no.

- One, two, three, four, five!

That's exactly

That's, like, her thing.

So Ugh.

May you preserve your dignity

- Okay.

- upon your intrepid exploration

of the anus of Jennifer Alkon.

May you find yourself migrating

onward from her perineum.

I will. I will.

God, he's, like, re-having sex

with people and I'm what?

You're making a**l sex jokes.

Shouldn't I have met somebody in

college? Isn't that where people meet?

Yes. No, not me. I

I'm a good listener.

You know, I exercise.

I'm in medical school.

I thought girls wanted doctors.

No, girls want to want doctors.

That's like

That's our mothers' dream.

I personally want to free myself

from every Jewish girl cliche.

- Really?

- Yeah.

So, what do you want?

- A lawyer.

- [LAUGHING] Okay.

- God, I have to go. I'm tired, and

- No.

I have to study, and

I know how this ends.

Why don't we get another drink?

Why are your cups empty?

Because I was having a Diet Coke.

You're having a That's

not fun. Have the punch.

Do you have any idea

what's in that punch?

- Yeah.

- Fun.

Really? Okay.

- Yeah.

- Okay. Come on.

It really was that easy with us.

But then, our friendships

were never the problem.

It was the longing and pining

for romantic relationships

that preoccupied us and maybe allowed us

to think that friends like

this were easy to come by.

Lookit. He really does have a scent.

I know. I gotta go to the bathroom.

Okay.

[THE SMASHING PUMPKINS'

"TONIGHT, TONIGHT" PLAYS]

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[GAGS]

[LAUGHS]

Um, yes, I noticed that, like,

you don't have any, uh, punch,

and I, um, I highly recommend it.

You threw yours out pretty fast.

Well, yeah, because I-I think the host

is actually trying to roofie me.

Oh. Yeah.

People used to make

roofie jokes in the '90s.

I'm actually just concerned about,

um, whatever the ingredient is

that turns it that

particular shade of purple.

- Really?

- Yeah.

To me, it's the only reason

to drink the stuff.

Well, I don't know. I just don't

want any future kids to, you know,

turn out smelling like purple.

[LAUGHS]

What, are you Are you, like,

in the artificial color

racket or something?

[CHUCKLES] Uh, no.

Um, I'm a business major.

Ah. Interesting. Are you, uh, finance?

No, I Marketing, maybe?

- Huh.

- I don't know.

I-I just, uh, finished

this symposium on negotiating.

I loved it. That's cool.

Uh, negotiate with me.

I can't. It wouldn't be fair.

You'd You'd never win.

[CHUCKLES] Really?

Ah, come on. Try me.

Um, I'd like four for the price of two.

I'm sorry, ma'am, you're gonna

have to pay for all four.

I'll only be paying for two.

Hey, no deal.

What kind of Middle Eastern

open-air market do you think this is?

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

I'll give you six,

and you don't have to pay

for any of them.

In the resolute urgency of now ♪

And if you believe

there's not a chance ♪

Tonight ♪

Tonight ♪

Tonight, so bright ♪

For Toby, it was the first time

sex wasn't about sex.

♪♪♪

Believe in me as I believe in you ♪

It was about her.

Tonight

And that was that.

Tonight, tonight ♪

Tonight ♪

Tonight ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

Hi.

You found the bathroom.

- [LAUGHING] Yeah.

- Hi.

I got you food. I got you food.

Toby showed her his stuff.

NARRATOR ON TV: the physical

phenomenon produced

by the motion of electric charge

"Creates an attraction

that is beyond will."

I love this part.

Look, the magnet just, like

[CHUCKLES] It, like, can't.

It has to. It can't, like, stop itself.

LIBBY: They spent two days alone

in their own private universe.

Sorry. [LAUGHS]

Just, like That's what magnets do.

♪♪♪

They walked together,

miles and miles that weekend.

One of the things he loved most

about New York was walking.

All he'd ever wanted

was someone to walk with him.

She was everything he thought

a girl should be,

even if he'd never known

to pray quite so specifically.

- You're, like, so exotic to me.

- I am?

Yeah, you are.

I have blonde hair and green eyes.

I'm the opposite of exotic.

Well, you didn't go

to my Jewish Day School.

That's all I know.

Everyone there looked like

- my mother or my sister.

- I am Jewish.

My father wasn't, but my mother was.

- Aren't those the rules?

- I don't know.

I-I don't have any rules.

♪♪♪

Hey, okay.

What?

Listen to this.

Okay. [CHUCKLES]

Thank you.

[ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC PLAYS]

Wait, sorry. Is this

N N-No. No?

- Don't laugh.

- Okay.

If you laugh, you're a cynic.

- I am, a little bit.

- Just Just listen.

She was morning ♪

And I was nighttime ♪

I one day woke up ♪

To find her lying beside my bed ♪

And she taught him her things.

I softly said ♪

- RACHEL: You're doing great.

- TOBY: A little Okay.

[LAUGHS] It's just like walking, but

impossible.

You're doing amazingly well.

Feeling less and less comfortable.

- It's brilliant.

- Okay.

You know, I can't believe

how much I like you.

- Aww. Thanks.

- No, really.

Like, I-I never get sick of you.

sh*t. sh**t.

Sorry.

What I was going to say is that,

like, I never get sick of you.

Really. Like, I'm nostalgic

for this moment already.

[LAUGHS] It's crazy. Really.

I don't know where come lately ♪

[LAUGHS]

What do you say we not

go back out there?

We stay here?

You are the sun, I am the moon ♪

You are the words, I am the tune ♪

Play me ♪

Yeah. [LAUGHS]

Okay, so, you see

So, my septum is crooked

but if I sleep with

my finger on my nose,

then my pathways are clear

and I don't snore.

- Really?

- Mm-hmm.

That's an amazing plan.

It occurred to him that

if this was how long

he'd had to wait to find love

[SNORING]

he regretted nothing.

At night, they whispered

their pasts to each other.

But of course, she moved to Israel,

and, you know, she took it way too far

and now she's, like, Orthodox

and she's gonna have

like a million babies.

You're so lucky to have family.

I only have one memory of my mom.

Just this image of a woman on a couch.

But I think she loved me a lot.

Like, I c I can't remember

a scene of it, but

but I remember it.

Or maybe what I actually remember

is that my grandmother didn't love me.

I mean, not Not that she didn't.

It's just

she can't really love.

And I remember pining

for my mother, which

which I guess means

I felt loved by her.

How could anybody not love you?

[PRAYING IN HEBREW]

Toby took Rachel to Los Angeles

to meet his family.

Amen ♪

- Amen.

- Amen.

You do this every week?

Yeah. Every week.

What happens if you have

to be somewhere else?

Where else would you have to be?

SHARON: Here you go, honey.

Oh. Thank you.

- Take a piece.

- TOBY: No, thank you.

Take a piece. You're too skinny.

- You look old.

- Yeah, I know.

I have an eating disorder face, from

Y-You see? You see how he punishes me?

You were happier fat?

Oh, listen, it's my favorite song.

I hadn't heard it since you moved.

[QUIETLY] I want this.

And suddenly, even the ways he

felt his mother ruined his life

didn't matter to him,

for he was no longer hers.

He was Rachel's.

This is really good.

For Fleishman was in love.

What do you think? [LAUGHS]

- I think you're great.

- Yeah.

I probably couldn't represent

a a country, but

This was it for Toby. This was the end.

His story had a happy ending.

Oh. Oh!

Um

"In magnetism, the physical phenomenon

produced by the motion

of electric charge

"creates an attraction

that is beyond"

- Yes!

- Really?

Yes! Oh! Oh!

Things had worked out

for Toby Fleishman.

It was all settled.

Now his life would be great.

And so it was ♪

And it was. For a long time, it was.

Plastics, you get to choose

your hours, though.

Yeah. I don't know.

I'm not getting into this

to make, like, sad women

look younger, you know?

Like, and sadder.

Well, you could make them look happier.

- Yeah?

- Sew their faces into a smile.

Ooh. Ooh, that's actually really good.

Yeah, that could be like my niche.

- Hey.

- Hmm?

Look at that. That's

That's kind of perfect.

Yes, yes. Yes, it is.

Yes, this is great. Here.

Oh. Wait. Okay.

- You okay?

- Yeah, perfect.

And we have, yeah,

different flavors of gum.

Ew, it's gross. It's fine.

- Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- We'll make it less gross.

Alright. Uh

I was gonna make it more gross.

[LAUGHS] Okay. Okay?

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

Oh, no. Okay. Yeah. yeah, got it.

Grocery bag. Grocery bag.

- Alright.

- Okay.

You could help fix cleft palates in

the summers in underserved regions.

TOBY: Yeah, I don't want to,

like, spend my summers

living in apology for my life.

Uh, being a doctor is a good thing.

It's like a it's a

righteous thing in the world.

Now, tell me again, please,

about the righteous work of medicine.

I put these glasses on so

I could listen very carefully.

Oh, that's really nice.

That's really nice.

Yeah.

No, I-I-I just think you should

think about the future

and what it's gonna look

like in a few years.

Interesting point. Just one second.

Okay, sorry, go on.

No, no, please. [BOTH LAUGH]

No, tell me the future

of the healthcare industry.

[LAUGHS]

Even then, she was trying to steer him

towards something

he never claimed to want.

[CELLPHONE RINGING] She,

however, needed no steering.

He watched her ascend

through the agency hierarchy.

He watched her enjoy the performative

assholery of the work.

Rachel Fleishman. No, no, no, no, no.

Matt will come to the phone

never if you keep that up.

Oh, sh*t, man. You are nuts.

This is Rachel Fleishman

from Matt Klein's office.

I'm calling to set up a

Toby still felt erectile stirrings

hearing his name on the back of hers.

I said he would circle back when

he was ready to get into it.

But now, they were combined

with real feelings of neglect.

Uh, yes.

And at night, he joined her

as she prowled the city

for some unseen, unspoken-for artist.

She's a gas station attendant

who taught herself opera from a book.

Really? Well, if we make it

out of here alive,

you can make her a star.

How did you even hear of this?

There's a newspaper, the

Canarsie Courier, and it had listings.

She was looking for someone

to do the music.

Hmm. So, that that's how

you find someone to do music?

Well, apparently not.

[CHUCKLING] Yeah.

It's about suffrage.

We can suffrage through it together.

Shh. It's about to start.

The New York Times

called us the suffragettes,

even though the real word

is "suffragist."

"Suffragette," of course,

makes us into the light,

low-fat version of a person.

"Suffragettes" puts us back

in the kitchenette,

like we were just womenette

or sisterettes.

Toby never understood

what Rachel saw in things

that he didn't find

very compelling or moving,

but that was her gift.

She had a deep understanding

of what people wanted,

and sometimes, she weaponized it.

And sometimes, she ignored it.

But she also used it

in service of her game.

She looked at Alejandra Lopez

and she knew she would be a star.

A vindictive bitch,

a silly little slattern.

Well, which is which?

Rachel brought her boss,

Matt Klein, to the show.

Matt was a different creature than Toby.

This is good.

You got lucky in this life,

but don't forget, you're just the wife.

Matt took Alejandra on, and

The Suffrage Monologues

played 20 sold-out shows at The Public.

Then 20 more.

- Where are you?

- TOBY: Yeah, I'm so sorry.

We lost a patient.

She was young.

People around here

are taking it pretty hard.

Y-You couldn't have called?

Yeah. No, I'm so sorry.

I just totally lost track of time.

This wasn't like a small complaint

She was under a lot of pressure.

♪♪♪

Why is there no food in here?

Well, we just had dinner.

So, what couple doesn't fight?

We had steamed chicken. Again.

I'm looking for something

with caloric content.

So I can live.

Yeah, well, I can make you

something else.

I'm really happy to.

God, you have no idea

how hard I was working today.

All I wanted was to come home to dinner.

- And you did?

- Well, did I?

Rachel, we live in Manhattan.

I can get you, like, whatever you want.

So, maybe Rachel was a little

more vicious than she needed to be.

Forget it. I don't have time.

I'll eat more chicken.

How did I end up married

to a man with the food issues

of a teen pageant queen?

Ugh.

[SCOFFS]

What couple doesn't fight?

And then there was this

Rachel simply didn't like us.

When it came to our friendship,

Rachel was like an organ

transplant that didn't take.

Great, okay, so he's always had

these, like, themed parties, right?

- Like a frat boy?

- Well, yeah.

He's had toga parties before,

yes, but also, sometimes,

he'll have, like, you know,

some professor from MI

give a lecture on calculus.

And that's fun for you?

Yes. Really.

SETH: Hey! You two, you made it.

Hi. Nice to see you.

Are you supposed to be Hugh Hefner?

- That's offensive.

- I'm sorry.

I'm Larry Flynt.

Oh. I-I'm sorry.

But Hugh Hefner, I guess.

g*ng's all here! Hey.

Wait, you guys, you didn't dress up.

Eh, neither did you.

Oh! Nice one.

RACHEL: We just came from work.

We We can't stay long.

Oh. Wait, um

Wait, what am I forgetting?

Uh, that thing for my client.

Yeah.

[FATBOY SLIM'S "THE ROCKAFELLER

SKANK" PLAYING]

♪♪♪

I made your favorite.

- Ah! Hey!

- That's funny.

Oh, that's not nice.

Well, it's a little nice.

Yeah. I was starving.

[CHUCKLES]

I'm sorry, where's the bathroom?

I'll show you. Come here.

- Uh, I'll be right back.

- Okay.

♪♪♪

I haven't seen you in like four months.

I got married.

It gets busy when you get married.

Oh, it's busy when you get married.

Yeah. You got to make decisions.

You have to choose what your life is.

You wouldn't understand.

We got to the theater all the time,

and then you get out and it's 11:00

and the only place that's open

is this place, uh, Joe Allen,

so we go there and all

of her colleagues are there,

and, I don't know, I want to be

a good spouse, you know?

If I have to choose, I want

to choose to make her happy.

I want to Yeah, I want to choose her.

Why I mean, why do you have

to choose in the first place?

Like, why are you choosing at all?

RACHEL: That line is way too long.

Actually, I realized

the thing's at 7:00.

- It's not at 8:00.

- Oh, no.

The thing's at 7:00.

Um Are you ready?

Yeah. Yeah.

- So, um, I will see you soon.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Do you want my plate of

Right. Bye.

Sorry. It was really nice

to see you, Libby.

So good to see you.

♪♪♪

The last time Toby and I

were alone before this summer

was almost 13 years ago,

when I'd published an essay

in a small anthology.

"It hadn't been that long since I

had asked that question myself,

but let me tell you, in the

interest of self-preservation,

I recommend not asking more than once."

He came to my first ever reading.

Whoo!

You know, I always remember

hoping you would get

out of your own way.

I was just worried you were

too crazy to truly do it.

- Really?

- Yes, yes.

I'm proud of you.

Here's to late bloomers.

Do you ever hear yourself?

What? What's wrong?

[SIGHS] My God.

Jesus, Elizabeth. Who smokes anymore?

Um, can I have one?

You mind if I Can I borrow this?

- Thank you.

- What are you doing?

Oh, just so Rachel

doesn't smell the smoke.

Wow.

- What?

- What a man you are.

Excuse me, that is sexual harassment.

BOTH: And I don't have to

take it anymore.

That's right. I just

Be careful.

You're changing faster

than the rest of us.

[CHUCKLES] Excuse me?

What does that mean?

It means I miss you, is what it means.

Oh. It means don't be an assh*le.

Libby was smoking.

What's wrong?

[LAUGHS]

Rachel.

Oh, Rachel.

[RACHEL LAUGHS, SOBS]

This is amazing. I can't believe it.

We just, like, started trying.

I know. I know.

Oh, come here.

I think it's twins.

[LAUGHS] Oh, no. No, it's just one.

[RAIN PATTERS, THUNDER RUMBLES]

The baby was all Toby thought about.

He wanted to play classical music

for her so she'd come out a cellist.

He wanted to feed Rachel

folic-acid-rich foods

so the baby would come out

a junior at Stanford.

[DOOR OPENS]

Hi, where have you been?

What are you, the Gestapo?

What? No.

I just I tried you a few times.

I couldn't get a cab in the rain.

Oh, my God. Look at you.

You're soaking wet.

Wait, wait, wait. Hey.

Okay, come on in.

[THUNDER RUMBLES]

Honey, do you want

to tell me what happened?

I was passed over.

Sorry, what? Who? Who got it?

Harry, of course.

No. Stop it. You deserved it.

Hey, come here.

Okay. Here.

- Here, come on.

- What are you doing?

- I'm not a baby, Toby.

- You're soaking. Come on.

- I can undress myself.

- Okay.

Okay.

It's not about deserving it.

I'm being punished.

What do you mean?

Matt Klein hit on me two years ago.

What? Matt Klein, your boss?

Yes, the only Matt Klein I know.

Ech. Oh.

God. When? How?

It was that party two years ago.

What party?

The Christmas party.

Eh With the ice sculptures.

Oh.

Really? Oh, God.

I was there for that.

I was there for that.

No, it's It's his thing.

Oh, it's his thing? Of course.

No, it's his thing, like

Like like rollerblading

can be your thing,

or French pastry making.

Of course. It's a hobby. W-W

Whatever.

But I-I said no,

and I was worried

it was gonna be awkward,

but then I thought things were normal,

and I-I respected him

for that, you know?

Really? Are you Are you

I-I can't believe I was there for that.

Of course, I remember we were

standing by Harry's office,

and he came over and he said,

"Hey, do you mind

if I borrow our girl here?"

Our girl. Like you're ours.

- It's how people talk, Toby.

- No, it's not.

It's how people sexually harass you.

God, of course. I remember.

He put his hand on

the small of your back,

and I remember thinking it was so crazy,

but I didn't want to say

anything 'cause I didn't want

to sound patriarchal. I'm an idiot.

He was playing the long game.

He He was promoting me

just enough so I wouldn't sue.

Jesus, Harry Sacks

hasn't closed a deal in months.

And he knows you have a husband,

and here I am at home,

making soup like an assh*le,

not expecting any of this.

It was retribution, all of it.

He was angry I hadn't told him

I was pregnant.

He was angry I didn't want to f*ck him.

Yeah, did you remind Matt

that you have a husband?

That's he's met me? That

he knows me? Remind him.

Can we deal with how this

is all about you later?

I'm still focused on the

"this happened to me" thing.

Yeah. Yeah, no, I'm sorry.

I'm just, like

I'm just, like, in shock.

Sorry.

Yeah, let me get you some soup.

No, I don't want soup. I-I want Tony's.

I want linguini in clam sauce.

No, you're not supposed to have clams.

But you can, if you want to.

Hi. Um

Uh, we're going to 82nd and 2nd.

Thanks.

[SIGHS] You know, it stopped raining.

- We could've walked.

- I didn't want to walk.

Oh. No, I get it.

I mean, it's been a-a rough night.

No, I'm saying for good.

I'm tired of long walks.

I don't like them.

It's a waste of my time.

The Fleishmans never went

on a long walk again.

Five months later, Rachel

was admitted to the hospital

with high blood pressure.

She was given Pitocin for an induction,

but 14 hours in,

she hadn't progressed

beyond two centimeters.

Just try to picture dilation, okay?

Open waters. Open fields.

- Sunrise.

- Shut up.

Please, just shut up.

Uh, who is he? Who

Sorry, who are you? Who are you?

I'm Dr. Romalino.

Sorry, where's Where's Dr. Goldberg?

Dr. Goldberg is in Hawaii for the week.

No. No. I-I want my regular doctor.

Yeah, it's okay. Hi, I'm Dr. Fleishman.

I'm a I'm a resident up on gastro.

Nice to meet you. I'm who you got.

Can I see her chart?

Do you have absolutely no pull here?

You work here.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

We heard you were here.

- [QUIETLY] Away.

- Yeah. Yeah. Sure.

Hey. Guys, hi.

Thank you so much for coming.

Um, yeah, here. Come over here.

This is not exactly the laugh riot

- that they promised us.

- RESIDENT 2: This is how it goes.

You remember the OB, with the, uh

Husband who was the dancer?

Oh, yes. Uh, "and all that jazz."

Listen I gotta go,

but hey, listen, really,

thank you so much for this.

Good luck. Thank you.

Bye.

- Get him away from me.

- What What What happened?

He did something! Get him out!

Okay, I think we might need

to get psych in here.

What What did you do? What happened?

Are you planning on being

a baby, or delivering a baby?

Hold on a minute. That's

not how you talk to a patient.

What? A patient? What

Toby later found out what had happened.

The doctor had intentionally

ruptured her membrane

and broken her water

without her consent.

Anyone could have predicted the rest.

♪♪♪

[BABY FUSSES]

Okay. Thank you.

Okay.

Is it okay?

The head. Yes, of course. Yeah.

Thank you so much.

Hi, honey.

He understood then that this

wasn't just a bad delivery.

She was hurt.

That night, he wanted to k*ll the doctor

for what he'd done to Rachel,

but someone had to watch the baby.

You should hold her.

How can I hold the baby

when I can't feel my legs?

You really should hold her now.

Okay. Give her to me.

Okay.

Okay.

Toby waited for things

to get back to normal.

His family visited,

excited to meet the new baby,

but Rachel felt compelled

to tell each visitor about the birth.

Well, our usual doctor

was in Hawaii, of course.

And so, I'm propped there,

I'm writhing in pain,

when this guy He takes his hands

and he tells me he's only

gonna examine me, but the minute

Toby leaves the room,

he starts to examine me,

but he's not

He's not really examining me.

Like, he's doing something.

Like, it Like, it hurts, you know?

Don't tell me he was

removing the membrane.

Yes! And then he broke my water.

Not Not a word to me.

- Nothing.

- Terrible. That's terrible.

No, it was. It was terrible.

And then, while his hands

were up inside me,

I kicked the doctor, and he went

flying across the room to the wall.

It wasn't true.

Toby wanted to ask her why she said it,

but she seemed too delicate.

She was wearing the same

pair of sweatpants

since she'd gotten home,

so he let it be.

TOBY: Here you go.

Hi, honey. Mm!

God, what a nice thing to see you two

in the middle of the day.

They were in my prenatal yoga.

You want to go over?

Where'd they learn to play

with their babies like that?

They didn't teach us that in the class.

Something was very wrong.

[BABY FUSSING]

She's not smiling yet, and the

The book said that at six weeks

Well, smiling's an imitative behavior.

So, you have to be smiled at

in order to smile back.

Are you smiling at her?

Yeah. Yeah.

[MUFFLED SOB]

Have you talked to someone?

Yeah, I know. I keep telling her.

You have to take care

of yourself here, Rachel.

It's like they say on the airplane

In an emergency, you secure

your own oxygen mask

before you secure the children's.

You can't help them

if you can't breathe yourself.

Hey. [SOBBING] I ruined her.

No. Stop that. Stop that.

Don't Honey, don't say that.

Seriously. This is normal.

Like, a lot of mothers go through this.

You know, you a

You actually should go.

- You know how I feel about therapy.

- I do know.

Rachel, that is like

It's so archaic, honey.

It's for rich people

BOTH: who don't even realize

they don't have problems.

Yes, I know. I know.

But you Can you just try it?

God.

Fine. Fine. I'll go, okay?

God, you're like the Gestapo.

No, I'm I'm not.

That's not really how

the Gestapo worked, honey.

He knew what was happening

to her wasn't in her control,

and he didn't blame her.

But she was really missing out.

Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.

Shh, shh, shh.

Hey.

How was it?

Fine.

I don't love sharing in groups,

but yeah, it was fine.

Whatever. [SIGHS]

No, I-I'm not talking about it.

If you're gonna make me go there

and talk about it

and then I have to talk to you

about talking about it,

you can k*ll me now.

Hm. Okay. Well, I'm just

happy to hear it worked.

You can go again Thursday.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[DOOR OPENS]

TOBY: Hello? Rachel?

[DOOR CLOSES]

Have you been out at all today?

Have I?

No.

I thought you were doing better.

No, I am. I'm just I'm

I'm so tired.

And I feel like I don't know.

I feel like I'm in the

the wrong gear or something.

Hey, listen, I have to say this.

I think you should see someone.

A therapist.

Not Not a support group, okay?

But a person, and maybe

even a psychiatrist.

- They have medications

- No, enough about therapy.

Toby, I don't need therapy.

What I need is help with this baby.

Oh.

Well, then, that's okay. That's great.

Let's get us a nanny.

[BABY CRIES]

So, uh, Raya Edelman

said you're just great.

Mm-hmm. Her children are beautiful.

But they're older now.

Well, it's really nice that you

get to help out. Right, Rach?

It's an amazing thing

to see children grow.

- It's a privilege.

- Mm.

Ooh. May I hold her?

It's okay. It's okay.

Sorry, that is amazing.

How did you do that?

I have a calm energy.

Huh.

Well, I think you're hired.

♪♪♪

And things seemed to get

better from there.

And then, just over a month later

Mona.

MONA: Hello, Mr. Toby.

Where's Rachel?

She went out.

Huh.

Is that formula?

Yes, Mr. Toby.

Okay.

Alright.

I got her. Yeah. Thank you so much.

Okay, well, have a good night, okay?

It turned out, earlier that morning,

after Toby left for work,

Rachel had decided that

her maternity leave was over.

She decided to leave

Alfooz & Lichtenstein,

raid its staff,

poach its most bankable client,

and start a whole new agency.

She stayed out until 4:00 AM that night

with her new employees at 8-1/2,

celebrating the creation

of Fleishman & Company,

a new theater-focused agency

that was small enough

to give its clients

the attention they needed

to be able to thrive.

ANNOUNCER ON TV: This product,

whether you wipe in circles

or in streaks, what have you,

it will stake off any streaks,

any smudges,

any dirt that you have,

and it does it with ease.

Does not even require

You changed.

LIBBY: And that was that.

Meanwhile, Toby's career

was continuing apace,

but his support of his wife's

ambition was costing him.

He couldn't take the lead on research.

He couldn't have drinks with

the other doctors after work,

so that he could go home

and relieve Mona.

It felt like everyone around him was

catapulting somehow higher and faster.

He'd heard his old med school

rival, Aaron Schwartz,

had made subdivision head at Methodist.

But Aaron Schwartz didn't have a wife

who saw three new

Broadway shows premiere

the same year

she delivered a second child.

Aaron Schwartz didn't get to take pride

in watching someone he loved

build something massive and important.

Toby felt lucky.

Not because of the money.

That wasn't important to him.

But because he got to spend

this time with his kids.

They had these great kids.

He worried Rachel would look

back on this time and regret it.

[LAUGHTER] TOBY: Oh, my God!

Can you guys keep it down?

[KIDS CHATTERING]

Maybe.

It's a preschool interview.

Why does this have to be a bloodsport

like everything else that you touch?

It's a kindergarten interview.

It's serious.

This is where her future

gets determined.

Okay. You have to be someone. You

have to show you come from somewhere.

Mm. So, uh, what's our story?

Our story? I don't know.

That we're good people?

That we'll pay their ridiculous tuition?

Oh, come on. Really.

I mean it. Be serious.

Okay.

[CELLPHONE BUZZES]

[SIGHS]

Uh, yes, yes.

No, no, no. I'm I'm I'm here.

You have to go with your gut,

Alex. You just do.

I mean, look what your gut

has given the world so far.

Hey, we're in the middle of something.

Okay.

Uh, no, no.

No, let's let's figure it out.

Okay, so, you've got you've

got these two characters

who are not only trying

to overcome this

Alright, I'm going to the gym.

They're They're inside a world

that's changing faster

than they want it to, right?

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

So, did you go to school in New York?

Uh, just for college.

I grew up in Baltimore.

Baltimore? [CHUCKLES]

Hi.

Hi. Is this Toby?

TOBY: This is Toby.

Rachel tells me you're a doctor.

- Mm-hmm.

- Good for you.

Hi. Oh, thanks.

This is Rachel's husband, Toby.

He's a doctor.

Oh, a doctor. Good for you.

So, we're gonna go upstairs.

We'll start with refreshments.

God, does a 5-year-old

really need all this?

Just look around here. Like

Hi.

This is a place where they'll thrive.

- Look at this place.

- Yeah. Yeah, I know.

I keep thinking, like,

what would have happened to me

if I had gone to a school like this?

I-I would have had a place in the world.

Yeah, I know.

I just don't know if they need

to be in such an elitist world.

You came from nothing.

Look at what an ambition

monster you are.

Maybe you're only successful

because you came from nothing.

I don't know.

Did you ever think of that?

That's what you want for our kids?

To be forced into my Great

Expectations upbringing

in order to give them character?

No, thanks.

I don't need all this character.

Who would you be in Great Expectations?

Sorry, would you be Pip?

Would you be the street urchin, Pip?

Toby, how can you argue with me

wanting for them to have everything?

Yeah, this isn't everything.

Look, okay, I know you want

them to have roots,

and if you think this would

I just I just want them

to be safe in the world.

I want them to not have

such a hard time.

Rachel, how much safer can they get?

Don't you see this

is why I do all of this?

I do what I do so they

can have all this.

I feel like you're not even

trying to convince me anymore.

I feel like you're just

telling me how it is.

No, that's not true.

Okay, I believe in public school

as a value.

You're trying to make me say that

I don't, and I'm not falling for it.

Alright.

Alright, whatever you want, Rachel.

Really.

Thank you.

Really. Okay.

Um Oh.

♪♪♪

I'm, uh, Rachel Fleishman.

We have, uh

We have two kids who I think

would just be so happy here.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

Rachel couldn't compete with donations

or her name on classrooms,

and she hadn't gone

to the same country clubs

and tennis camps

that all the other parents

seemed to have gone to together

when they were children.

But that didn't stop her from

using what she could to climb.

She bought their friendship,

one house seat at a time.

[ALL SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Then it was 10 years of small moments

that added up to a lot.

♪♪♪

Rachel became more consumed

by her drive for wealth and success

until he didn't recognize her anymore.

Or himself.

Toby liked to say that the end

of his marriage

happened like the fall of Rome.

Slowly, then all at once.

This was the night of "all at once."

And so it was ♪

That I came to travel ♪

Upon a road ♪

That was thorned and narrow ♪

Another place ♪

Another grace ♪

- RACHEL: Philadelphia?

- TOBY: Yes.

The head of the department. The top.

What happened to "patient interface"?

It would mean a lot more money for me.

You know, you're always saying

you want me to make more money.

Well, we would live

like kings in Philly.

Just outside Philadelphia.

Doing what exactly?

I'm a talent agent. For theater.

It might be the change we need.

I mean, this is too

You're working too much, Rach.

I have an agency. I have employees.

Well, something has to change.

You're never here.

The kids don't see you.

Last week, when Solly

had the state report

No, no, do not bring up

the state report. Please.

I love my work.

I've built something I love.

Do you understand that?

To take that away from me

because you want what?

- More attention?

- What? No. Excuse me.

- I want what's best for us, okay?

- Oh, what a coincidence.

That means choosing what's best for you.

Alright.

I'm I'm happy.

We finally have a real apartment.

Our kids are in a feeder school.

My My job is infinitely

more rewarding

than being sexually harassed

by a middle-management dipshit.

I run the largest small theater

agency in all of New York.

[LAUGHS] No, you couldn't

You couldn't understand how

How rare and important that is

because your entire life

has been laid out for you.

- Ah. The greatest hits.

- No.

Med school, intern, resident

BOTH: fellow, attending.

Yeah.

You don't have to strategize

or plan or make connections.

The system does that for you.

I don't have that luxury.

Everything I have, I've had to

scratch for. I mean, even now.

No, I'm not moving anywhere, Toby.

I couldn't earn this much anywhere.

Yeah, well, money

doesn't buy you happiness.

Oh, Toby, of course it does!

What, are you crazy?

[CELLPHONE RINGS]

He prayed she wouldn't answer it.

He said, "Please, God,

don't let her answer it.

Please, God, let her find

this more important.

Please, God, let her

find us more important.

Please, God, let her find me

more important."

Rachel Fleishman.

God damn it.

CYNDI: Amazing.

- Is that oregano?

- Um

- TOBY: Uh, marjoram.

- CYNDI: Oh!

With a-a touch of tarragon.

I'd love to see you make a meal.

Well, it is so good.

Hey, did anyone figure out

if the USY summer thing is still bad?

I thought you might have

a little more self-respect

than making sure everybdy knows

you cooked the meal.

Yeah, but I did cook the meal.

I could cook a meal if I didn't

have to work day and night.

I cooked to impress your stupid friends

and you're still disappointed.

You know, I just realized,

you don't even know

you're trying to humiliate me.

Do you guys need help in there?

No, thanks. Almost got it.

You know what? Why don't you

put the dessert out,

because you worked

so f*cking hard on it?

Mine is George Stephanopoulos.

His is Naomi Campbell.

[LAUGHTER] TODD: Whoa. Still?

She must be, what, in her 50s?

- ROXANE: 40s.

- RICH: 60s!

[LAUGHTER]

- Well, mine is Mark Wahlberg.

- Gross.

TODD: You see what I have

to deal with here?

No, there is something

about him. I could save him.

Guy's a fast-food billionaire.

He doesn't need to be saved.

Okay. No.

Mine used to be Ariana Grande.

- Okay.

- Hmm.

I just like someone who looks

like she's a little too good

for me, you know?

Like my beautiful wifey here.

Mm, you're just saying that so

I'll forget your free pass

is an actual child.

Do you have anyone

who is of a normal age?

She's in her 20s.

She just looks younger.

Is that supposed to be better?

Ooh.

Who's your free pass, Rachel?

- RACHEL: What do you mean?

- Free pass.

Who you would sleep with

if Toby turned a blind eye.

Oh, God. This is what

we're talking about?

Come on. We've all answered.

Sam Rothberg.

Oh.

What? What? What did I say that's wrong?

[LAUGHING] Ah!

Okay, you're supposed

to pick a celebrity.

You're not supposed

to pick someone you know.

RICH: Suddenly, Ariana Grande

doesn't seem so bad, huh?

CYNDI: It's fine.

So, uh, what should we discuss next?

Politics or religion?

[LAUGHTER] Stop. Stop.

This looks fabulous, you guys.

Absolutely. And that was that.

- Mm-hmm.

- Mm-hmm.

And that's when it hit him.

♪♪♪

Sam Rothberg.

Sam f*cking Rothberg.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

Rachel wasn't gone.

She wasn't in danger.

She was with the one person

who represented

everything Toby hated

on the Upper East Side.

In the whole world! She was with

Sam Rothberg.

♪♪♪