Balestra (2024) Movie Script
(Heavy breathing)
(Woman): We get one shot.
One chance at true greatness.
(Breathing heavily)
Carve your name into the universe.
(Whispering): The American dream.
(Breathing heavily)
You are the lightest feather.
You are a diamond shard.
(Beeping)
(Blades clinking, whooshing)
This is it.
Your time.
Perfection is all that matters.
Distance, watch your distance.
Don't flinch.
Pick the moment and reel her in.
Strike first.
Fuck!
And she saw it.
Before you made a move,
before you even took your mark.
Milliseconds...
(Exhaling sharply)
Everything that happens
was written eons ago.
(Breathing shakily)
(Gasping softly)
(Birds chirping)
(Man): Jo, are you up?
Jo?
- Good morning.
- Morning!
I cued up some tape for you,
one last-minute run-through can't hurt.
Yeah.
(Audience chatting in video)
(Woman shouting in video)
How'd you sleep?
Fine, I guess.
It was better with the melatonin.
Well, the melatonin makes you slow.
I know.
We could try the valerian root again.
We'll just let it steep
a little longer this time.
You know, insomnia
can be caused by stress.
What?
Are you worried, bijou?
Hmm?
What if it's too soon?
I mean, she's on a tear.
Bangkok put her in the top three.
She can't stop winning.
Mm-hmm.
And who does that remind you of?
Come on! It's a warmup.
I don't want her to be my first,
not after all this time.
Not Audie, not her.
I thought we had a plan.
Ramping up. Denver, division two...
You know, getting back my points.
Yeah, you need to ramp up,
but the end goal is still
the Paris Olympics
with the gold around your neck.
And the road to that podium
is through Audie Zimmer.
It's a friendly match. Come on!
You have ten years on her.
She's like a bug on your windshield.
But, you know, if you don't want to do
it this morning, we don't have to.
We'll do something else.
We'll go for a bike ride.
Let's go kill the kid.
There she is!
(Audience applauding in video)
(Screaming)
I bet anything Owen taught her
how to feint.
Hey, you're gonna attack high.
But watch your blind spot, OK?
She's bouncy, but predictable.
Like, yeah, if I'm down...
I could grid up and win,
but why was I down by nine points?
You like the drama.
I do like the drama.
(Audie laughing)
If I may, you all have
the good fortune today
of seeing a World Cup winner in the flesh.
But we have two more distinguished guests.
Raph Caron, Olympic medalist,
individual men's foil, London 2012.
(Audience applauding)
It was bronze. It was bronze, come on.
And his wife and student, Joanna Bathory.
Hi!
American fencing has had its share
of stars in the last decades.
But few shine as bright as Joanna,
who was once our hope for Olympic gold.
(Audience applauding)
You can't just aim high.
You have to aim for
the top of Mount Everest.
Otherwise, what's the point?
Love of the game?
Love. Love's important.
Love will get you out of bed
in the morning,
but love is not gonna get you a medal.
Not even a brown one.
The mentality of a champion.
Not for the faint of heart.
No, it isn't, but I'm not a champion.
That's not my lot in life.
My real joy comes from helping
other people win.
(Man): You used to coach
more people, though.
We will make time for Q and A later,
but first, we have a surprise for you all.
A 15-touch bout.
Bathory versus Zimmer.
Ladies, if you'd like to make
your way to the armory.
(Audience murmuring, applauding)
(Man): Go get 'em!
Owen, good to see you.
So what made you walk away?
2019, the World Cup in Cairo.
That was the last time you competed.
Was it?
(Audie chuckling)
You were gonna take us to Tokyo.
Let me guess.
You had a kid?
No.
(Chuckling)
So you hurt yourself, then?
No.
Just needed a break, huh?
Yeah, something like that.
I get it.
I remember watching you
do drills at Sheridan.
Seeing you wreck everyone at the NACs.
I was so jealous of you,
your talent.
But Raph always told me in our sessions,
"You're climbing a mountain.
Nothing happens overnight."
Your sessions?
Yeah, he trained me one-on-one.
God, I was so bummed when he sold the gym.
Don't get me wrong.
Owen has been brilliant.
Raph was special, though.
He knew how to push you.
You're so lucky to have him.
Yeah.
- Good luck out there.
- You too.
(Chuckling softly)
(Woman): Here we go.
En garde.
Prtes.
Allez!
(Whistle blowing)
Halt!
1-0.
En garde.
Prtes.
Allez!
Halt!
2-0.
En garde.
Prtes. Allez!
Halt!
1-2.
(Whispering): Fuck.
En garde. Prtes.
Allez!
Halt! 2-2.
Halt!
7-2.
Halt!
7-4.
Halt!
13-4.
Halt!
14-4.
(Audience applauding)
En garde.
(Breathing heavily)
Prtes.
Allez!
Halt!
Match.
Zimmer wins 15-4.
Ladies, thank you very much for your time.
Raph, Owen, always a pleasure.
Hey, it doesn't matter what she said.
You fenced like a fucking amateur.
Where were you? Where was your head?
You trained her on one-on-one?
What does it matter?
I had a lot of students, Jo.
And you were the one I bet on.
Look, we've got Denver in a week,
so lock in.
Let's get to work.
Here.
Come on!
Faster than that.
Let's go! Quick feet!
Look at your arm, extend.
- Good! Again!
- Yeah.
Extend! No, too slow.
Work on that lunge. There it is!
(Sniffling)
25 reps, then we do legs.
All right, let's go.
Point control, Jo!
You're exposed.
Too slow!
Let's go.
Come on, push it! Attack!
(Grunting)
Come on! Hit me!
I want to show you something here.
These are your reaction times
in the drills.
It's flat.
Mm-mmm, it isn't.
But it's not good enough.
Give me numbers.
You want numbers?
You're 34.
And you had your shot 4 years ago.
I know what happened.
You're trying to tell me
this is my last chance?
I know that too.
So...
what do we do?
I don't know.
Chemically, we're doing everything we can.
(Birds chirping)
All right. Let's go.
We did 600 parries.
We'll do 600 more.
(Raph and Joanna grunting,
blades clinking)
OK, again. Let's do it again.
How did it feel to face
a real opponent again?
(Chuckling softly)
Oh, it felt like old times.
You know, we've never really
talked about what happened.
We've only ever talked around it.
It wasn't my first World Cup.
It was just the first one
I had a shot at winning.
I was an inch away from the national team.
The Olympics, a medal.
It was finally my time.
And I got in my head.
It's like I was 16 again,
going to my first NAC.
My intuition stopped working.
And I hesitated.
(Sighing)
A single moment doesn't define you, Jo.
You've made it back.
You're ready.
No...
I'm not. I need more time.
I need a little more time.
But there's not enough hours in the day.
(Joanna sniffling)
(Laughing)
You ever wish you didn't have to sleep?
(Chuckling)
(Door opening)
I just talked to Lambright.
Ah, did I leave my...
I think this could be something.
Something very interesting.
Come on.
Let's go for a drive.
I don't want to spoil it. Just trust me.
(Opera playing on radio )
Here we go!
(Men chatting, indistinct)
(Door beeping)
Oh, hi.
We're looking for Dr. Sutro.
Elena! Civilians.
Hello! You must be Jo.
Hi. I don't know why I'm here.
Oh! How interesting.
Please...
Melanie and I have been friends
since grad school.
I've been updating her on
a study that I'm running,
and she called this morning
and recommended you as a subject.
What's the study?
Have you heard of transcranial
magnetic stimulation?
No.
It's the use of magnetic fields
to induce electrical currents
in targeted regions of the brain.
This is known as a halo coil.
It's a wearable electromagnet.
Now, currents in the lower
gamma band during REM sleep
could push a subject
into a lucid dream state.
We call it "directed dreaming."
So it can help me sleep?
No, Jo, it can help you win.
Imagine if you could train while dreaming.
Imagine if in an 8-hour sleep,
you could perform 100 hours of practice.
This is uncharted territory.
A neural feedback processor
is the only invasive component.
It's implanted behind the ear,
and it communicates wirelessly
with the device.
The controls have safeguards
in place to prevent overuse:
a maximum allowance
of two sessions per week.
Uh, have you noticed any changes
in corticospinal excitability?
Her motor network is world-class.
You can understand that I'd be protective.
You have a background in neuroscience?
I was 6 months from an MD,
before I dropped out to train full-time.
Ah.
We haven't noticed any change.
There's nothing to worry about.
TMS has been FDA approved.
I'll let you think it over.
So?
No one in the world
is doing this right now.
It's an edge. And we need one.
How is this not a PED?
It's not a drug.
It's a training technique.
In 5, 10 years,
everyone is gonna be
running drills on this but you.
You can be the one to change the game.
We can wait. Whatever you want.
(Man): The place where
you train, what is it?
A gym?
It's called a salle.
And you practice with your coach?
My husband, yeah.
Your coach is your husband?
Yeah.
And what's his name?
Raph.
OK, so you're there.
Raph is there. You have your, um...
sword?
My pe.
Sorry, you must think I'm a moron.
No, just a civilian.
Right. OK, close your eyes.
(Exhaling sharply)
Picture the salle.
Picture Raph.
Picture your pe in your hand.
Picture your local supermarket.
Picture the salle.
Picture an airplane cabin.
Picture the salle.
We have a consistent pattern.
I'm encoding.
(Breathing heavily)
(Gasping softly)
(Men and women whispering)
How long was I...
How long did it feel like?
I did a day's worth of drills.
You were asleep for 30 minutes, Jo.
Mmm...
(Woman on PA): Room 312, 213.
You use it too?
Hmm? Oh.
Mm-hmm.
Where do you go?
To my father's cottage.
I lost him some time ago.
What's amazing is that...
he surprises me.
He tells me things that I never knew.
How is that possible?
I'm an expert on the brain.
I know about axons and dendrites
and neurotransmitters, but...
the subconscious?
That's a place we have no maps for.
(Sighing)
(Inhaling deeply, exhaling slowly)
(Blades whooshing)
(Audie): Distance.
(Audie laughing)
Control the tempo.
Look.
Look at his angle.
You see the trap, don't you?
Oh well. You'll get him next time.
I don't want you in here.
Hmm.
(Clicks tongue)
Too bad, babe. I live here.
(Chuckling)
(Humming )
You really think you're special.
Because, what, he chose you?
He told you he saw potential?
He said you could go all the way.
Ask him who he'd choose now.
(Scoffing)
You wanna know what I see?
A waste of a life.
Twenty years trying to make it
to that podium.
But you know you'll never get there.
You've always known.
Some dreams aren't for you, Jo.
Ah!
Ugh...
I hate violence.
But sometimes it's necessary.
Who are you?
I'm Elliot.
You only live twice
(Gasping)
(Beeping)
(Birds chirping)
So, how was it?
Yeah, I see potential.
Come on, Jo, pick up the pace!
Those kids are gonna be fast in Denver.
Let's show them that Bathory is back!
(Classical on stereo )
What is that, hibiscus?
Rooibos.
Maybe you switch to sencha.
Caffeine is not a binary thing.
It's possible a low dose could
amp your motor response
and not make you shaky.
I take it my numbers aren't better.
They are, actually.
You're a shade under your mean.
How much is a shade?
You can't expect instant results.
How much?
Half a millisecond.
It was one night, Jo.
Give it time.
Once every three days is not enough.
It's plenty.
You have one more session before Denver,
you have 10 more before Cincinnati.
That's 1,000 hours of training,
in 30 days.
Hmm?
But tell me.
Am I as good a coach in there
as I am out here?
(Both chuckling)
It's hard to say.
You're right. It was just one night.
And, I don't know, it felt like...
(Chuckling)
Foreplay?
Yeah. Something like that.
Well, I like it.
Can't wait for you to go back in.
(Timer chiming)
(Exhaling slowly)
Wait.
Take off your mask.
Elliot?
I don't know you.
Well, we've only just begun.
Why are you here?
That depends.
What do you want?
You could dream of anything.
Why this?
I want to be better.
Is that all?
I want to be the best.
I have to be.
(Audie): You're so lucky to have him.
Don't worry. I invited her this time.
- Good luck out there.
- Thank you.
Halt!
1-0.
You don't like what you see.
Because I know what happened next.
Do you?
She's pronating?
How did I not see this?
Halt!
Oh, this is good. I can use this.
Let's drill it.
Come on, I don't want to waste more time.
Time is a luxury here.
Why did you lose, Joanna?
Because of tactics? Geometry?
You're up 2-0.
But look.
Look at her.
Look at you.
If you didn't know the score,
who would you think was in control?
She didn't beat you.
You did that to yourself.
If you want to run drills,
then that's what we'll do.
But you told me you want to win.
(Exhaling slowly)
I can't remember
the last time I did this.
(Exhaling sharply)
You're a natural.
At sitting in a tub?
(Laughing)
At what you do.
You always were.
You still are.
All you have to do is hear yourself again.
You remember that, don't you?
What it felt like to follow your body?
You have a gift, Joanna.
Use it.
Who are you?
I'm...
what you need.
(Chuckling softly)
(Birds calling in distance)
Strangers' arms reach out to me
So, what's good here?
I went ahead and ordered you something.
That's a little presumptuous.
Hmm. Trust me.
(Laughing)
I have literally dreamed of this.
Well, you still are.
No. This is... This is real. This...
This is like in real life.
Why is this my guilty pleasure?
It reminds you of being a kid,
what life was like before
you picked up an pe.
Is there anything
you don't know about me?
What are you, Elliot?
Who am I even sitting here with?
It's impossible for a person
to contain all of herself.
Everything you've seen,
everything you've wanted
and tasted and touched.
It's too much to hold...
so you throw most of it overboard.
You have to.
And you become
the story you tell yourself.
The rest goes underwater.
And you're the water?
Maybe.
Maybe I'm more like...
the sound of the waves,
a sketch of the sea foam.
So what you're saying...
is that I am eating fries
with my subconscious?
Not quite.
You haven't offered me any.
Just one.
Thank you.
(Laughing)
You watched him swim around in circles
until his health bar went to zero.
Why was I so cruel?
It's just a video game.
That's what they're for.
Fantasies without consequences.
(Chuckling)
That's what we all need
now and then. Right?
A place where you can do
the things that you can't...
in real life.
This isn't right.
Oh, did you...
Did you want something else?
No, I mean, how long have we been here?
Six, seven hours?
I know the time is different here...
but out there, my life
is about milliseconds.
And I haven't shaved any off yet.
Are you sure about that?
You have tons of time to train, Joanna,
oceans of time.
But this time right now is just for you.
You've denied yourself so much,
so much life.
You deserve a little slice of it.
You deserve...
a taste.
(Rumbling)
Do you feel that?
Oh no.
(Dishes rattling)
You're not gonna believe this.
(Raph snoring)
(Sighing)
I forgot to ask, how'd it go last night?
It was short. I got woken up.
Really, by what?
Well, it doesn't matter.
Don't let it get to you.
That thing, it's just the icing.
What we do out here in real life,
me and you every day,
that's the cake.
And I've done the math.
You and I have trained together
for over 10,000 hours.
Well, let's hope it wasn't wasted.
(Thunder rumbling)
Ma'am, some brownies?
No, no. No, thank you.
(Sighing)
What's up?
Nothing. It just brings back memories.
I guess we don't travel
much anymore, do we?
I always hated the road.
You're either somewhere dead,
or you somewhere feeling
guilty for seeing the sights.
I used to like just walking around.
Amsterdam, Lisbon...
Sometimes, I'd forget
why I was actually there.
Hmm. It's a good thing you've matured.
Bathory...
You're unrated.
This is your first NAC?
Uh, no.
My, um, my points have lapsed.
It's been a while.
Ah. Um, well, here is your packet.
Division 2 competes at 10:30.
- Good luck!
- Thanks.
(Women chatting, indistinct)
(Women laughing)
(Man talking on PA, indistinct)
Hey, watch out for her.
Right there, Rebeiro.
She's on her way up.
She's a toddler.
Do you have any idea what
happens to neurons after age 20?
Myelin sheaths wear out,
reflexes slow down. It's entropy.
I know. I get it.
I'm geriatric.
Any other tips?
I'm not trying to make
you nervous right now.
It's Division 2.
I can win it in my sleep.
Yeah. But FYI, you're awake.
(Man on PA): The pool round
begins in one minute.
You should get some nasal strips,
by the way.
- What? Why?
- For your snoring.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
(Beeping)
(Man on PA): The pool round begins now.
Bouts go to 5 points.
Take your marks.
(Whistle blowing)
(Breathing heavily)
En garde.
Ready. Fence.
Halt.
(Breathing heavily)
En garde.
Ready.
Fence.
Halt.
Halt!
En garde.
Halt!
(Whistle blowing)
(Audience applauding)
5-0! Bathory wins.
Next round begins in 5 minutes.
En garde.
(Whistle blowing)
5-0! Bathory wins.
Fence.
Halt!
Yes!
5-0! Bathory.
Halt!
Winner, Bathory.
Halt.
Bathory wins.
Bathory, congratulations!
You're up in five.
Gold medal match against Rebeiro.
Take your time. Don't rush.
Distance, Jo!
Halt!
Point Rebeiro.
One minute break.
It's OK. Take a breath.
No, it's fine. I don't need it.
I'm fine.
I got it.
(Inhaling deeply, exhaling)
Take your marks!
(Exhaling sharply)
En garde!
Ready.
Fence.
Halt!
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Mmm! Mmm.
Well, how does this feel?
Like tinfoil, which is fitting.
How's that?
Oh, come on.
This is play school.
Only to you.
I'm sorry about before.
No, no.
No, no, no, don't be. It was my fault.
You were only trying to help me.
Well, that's all I'm ever trying to do.
I'm just glad it's working so far.
What time is our flight?
7:30.
Good.
Then we have time.
For what?
(Moaning)
Ah!
Oh, wow!
(Laughing)
I forgot about victory sex.
(Both laughing)
Ah!
No, but seriously,
that's, like, the best...
the best we ever had, right?
Might be. Have to check the spreadsheet.
Ha.
Maybe you don't need it after all.
The halo.
After seeing what I saw
from you out there today.
I mean, don't give it up,
obviously, but, um...
it's not why you won.
You know?
You need the bathroom?
No.
(Birds calling in distance)
(Moaning softly)
(Snoring)
(Birds chirping)
Ah...
(Raph snoring softly)
(Your Sweet Love by Lee Hazlewood )
(Birds calling in distance)
What are you thinking?
You mean you don't know?
I can't read your mind.
It feels like you can.
Only when we're thinking the same thing.
I'm thinking...
this isn't enough.
I don't want to go back out there
and have to wait three more days.
I don't want to dream
of anything that isn't this.
Then we are thinking the same thing.
So what do we do?
Well, there's a way out of every box.
There's a way to break every lock.
Are you telling me to do something bad?
I would never.
All right, you ready?
All right, one more time.
(Phone chiming)
Yeah. Same signal, same hex code.
Yeah, I can replicate this, no problem.
Yeah, there's IP traffic too.
It looks like the app's hitting a server.
I don't want it talking to the outside.
I just want it to activate the device
without anyone knowing.
I get it.
How much time do you need?
Uh, I don't know. A week?
Depends on how nice you want it to look.
Make it ugly.
You ready?
Yeah. Suit up. I'll be right there.
(Chiming)
(Computer chiming)
Good.
Good!
Very good!
(Breathing heavily)
(Opera on stereo )
You don't usually spend
three hours on this.
Oh, I'm triple-checking.
Why?
'Cause I don't believe the numbers.
I mean, 15 milliseconds under the mean.
I'd say that's impossible.
Even though, subjectively,
well, you've been...
Something weird is going on.
It's the halo.
It's been helping.
What, are the dreams different?
Yeah. A little.
They've been more...
focused on what I need.
And what is that?
Are you jealous?
You think maybe my coach in there
is better than my coach out here.
Why would I be jealous of myself?
You're improving.
That's all I care about.
I wanna show you something.
Who did this?
I hired a coder.
Jo...
She doesn't know anything.
I never used my real name.
She doesn't even know about the halo.
Do you think that's
what I'm worried about?
There was a lock on here for a reason.
This isn't safe.
The more time I spend in there,
the better I'm going to be.
Let the numbers decide.
Well, look who's early!
Is this what you get up to
when I'm not around?
I'm not sure I exist
when you're not around.
I'm starting to feel the same way.
(Talking, indistinct)
(Laughing)
Yeah!
Ah!
(Both laughing)
(Birds chirping)
It all bleeds together.
All of this, out there.
I mean, the feeling stays.
The rest is haze.
I think it's better that way.
Otherwise...
I'd lose myself.
It's not just you.
Imagine if everybody remembered
their dreams as clearly as life.
We'd all fall apart.
(Sighing)
Is that a sailboat?
I believe it is.
Who's on it?
Maybe it's you.
(Chuckling)
(Birds calling)
No, I... I think it's fun
to think about what I might do
after this is all over.
You told me you imagined coaching.
Yeah. Yeah, maybe.
I mean, there's so much else, right?
Like, I think I want to travel.
Yeah, you know, be in the world.
I feel like I've never really done that.
You seem very at ease, Jo.
More so than I've ever seen.
Could it be the halo?
Does there have to be a reason?
Your goals force you to put
yourself under intense pressure.
It feels like you've found a release.
I'm curious what it is.
You know what I've been thinking?
I think maybe you and I should
switch to once a month.
I mean, you said so yourself.
I'm at ease.
There's a mistake we all make,
Jo, all the time.
When we feel good, we stop
doing the work that got us there.
I promise if I start to slide,
I'll let you know.
I mean, it's my call, right?
Of course.
OK, then. Great!
Oh, and, um, for the future...
I actually prefer Joanna.
Looking good, Jo.
I'm gonna get some air.
(Door closing)
(Opera on stereo )
I'm leveling off?
You're fine. The trend is good.
Not good enough.
You wanna go back in?
No. I'll just, uh, work on it tonight.
Maybe you're hitting a limit.
Maybe it's time to throttle that back.
We said we'd let the numbers decide.
You just said the numbers are good.
Have you changed your mind
since 10 seconds ago?
I'm going to bed.
(Elliot): What are you telling me?
I'm saying I need more.
Whatever it is you're doing to me,
I need more of it.
(Scoffing)
I thought you said drills won't do it.
He was right.
They won't.
Oh, great. You again.
Fuck it.
Mask off.
Have you ever heard of anchoring?
Like autogenic training?
Yeah. Kogler.
He's a quack.
(Scoffing)
Is that what Raph told you?
Kogler is all about the zone.
Your guy doesn't believe in the zone
because he's never been there.
He conquered the strip with brute force.
Not like us.
And what are you? A mystic?
Jesus, Bathory!
(Laughing)
Of course I am.
And so are you.
That voice.
That voice inside.
The voice that tells you
when to thrust and disengage.
It's not you.
It's the universe.
We're kites in the wind.
The thing is, I've got a string.
Whereas you...
Your right hand.
Press your thumb and
your ring finger together.
Hard.
Close your eyes.
(Inhaling deeply)
(Exhaling slowly)
The thing that makes you happiest.
The thing that keeps you safe.
The thing that's only...
only...
only good.
(Gasping)
That's your anchor.
Reinforce it constantly.
And that... that works?
We'll find out.
What's your anchor?
I can tell you it's not a guy I made up.
(Chuckling)
Maybe it's my German Shepherd.
Or maybe, it's an old coach.
(Grunting, sighing)
Good, Jo, come on, let's go! Let's go!
Again! Attack!
Good. Again. Attack!
(Exhaling slowly)
(Grunting)
(Moaning)
(Whispering): Ah, Elliot...
(Moaning)
Jo?
Jo?
Jo!
Time to pack.
(Birds chirping)
Where's my charger?
One of the drawers.
(Engine rumbling)
(Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
by Os Mutantes )
(Woman singing in French )
(Men and woman chatting, indistinct)
(Moaning softly)
(Moaning)
(Snoring)
(Siren wailing in distance)
I got some intel on Crane.
She's got a new favourite move.
It's counterfourth for intention of a...
Intention of a sixth parry bind.
She used it in Denver.
I clocked it in the footage.
OK, good.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
(Turn Around by Charlie Megira )
Maybe God bid that you see
That your love is still for me
If you meet up with her on the strip,
I think you should use
that low-level attack
we've been working on.
We can see how she responds.
OK?
Your head in the game?
You don't have to worry
about where my head is.
(Beeping)
(Inhaling deeply)
Ready?
Fence!
(Blades whooshing, Joanna grunting)
Ah, jeez.
I was afraid of this.
Audie, nice to see you again.
The look on your face says different.
Oh, I have a resting game face.
(Laughing)
You're funny.
No one told me you were funny.
(Man): Zimmer,
you're against Bathory next.
Jo. Forget about Zimmer.
It doesn't matter.
She won, OK?
Who cares?
(Door closing)
It's not a catastrophe, you know.
You landed in the top 16. You're on track.
You just need to stick
to what you do and not flail.
I was not flailing.
Well, I don't know what
you were doing out there,
but it wasn't what I taught you.
What you taught me is useless!
I needed to trust my instincts.
You're the reason that I got spun out.
Hold up, I'm the reason?
- I meant...
- You meant what?
I'm the reason you're here.
I'm the reason you're something
instead of nothing.
I'm the only reason.
Fuck you!
Ah, this is what happens.
You're unraveling again.
She's unraveling!
Shut up!
Oh, that's very nice, Jo.
You know what?
Why don't you stay in there
'till you calm down a bit?
I can't believe this fucking shit.
(Screaming)
(Crying, sniffling)
Mmm...
Mmm.
All I did on the flight
back was watch footage:
every frame of Zimmer I could find.
I had to get it all into my head,
because the idea I had of her,
it wasn't right!
- Joanna...
- What?
Take a breath.
Just breathe.
Why do you want this?
Why do you want any of this?
Do you remember how happy you were?
Before he noticed you?
Before he said you could go all the way?
It's a sickness.
Seeing second best as failure.
Keeping a bronze medal
at the bottom of a junk drawer.
That's how you have to think
if you want to win!
All this rage in you, and for what?
A single moment of euphoria?
Some... some flowers and a trinket?
A trinket?
I have a gift.
How many people get to be great,
really great at something?
It's a sickness.
And he gave it to you.
Do you...
You really think I'd be happier giving up?
I don't know. I'm not sure.
Then why are you pushing me?
Because I want you.
I want you all the time.
I've spent my life on this.
I have a shot at the one thing
that will make it all worth it.
Once I get it...
And what about him?
He won't let you go.
You know that, don't you?
He will once I get a medal.
Keep telling yourself that.
See what happens.
See if he lets his trophy
get up and walk away.
So how?
How do I get free of him?
Well...
You can make it look like an accident.
There are ways.
That's not you. You're not like that.
The first thing you saw me do
was stab Audie Zimmer in the neck.
She wasn't real.
What does that make me?
Get us to Paris.
Get us there...
and then we can have what we both want.
And stop showing me your dark side.
I don't like it.
(Laughing)
Yeah, you do.
(Zaharila by El Michels Affair )
(Joanna inhaling deeply)
(Exhaling slowly)
(Breathing heavily)
(Grunting)
You saw the trap.
Yep, she's a one-trick pony.
- Good.
- Yeah.
- Dubinska.
- I know, long arms.
High tempo. Provoke her.
OK, this seems unfair.
You've got everyone
in the FIE top 16 in here.
What's the matter?
You nervous?
We both know who's better.
I just want a straight fight.
I mean, seriously. Where's my halo?
Sorry, honey.
Some dreams aren't for you.
(Grunting)
So this is how it feels to be a god.
(Elliot): This is how you deserve
to feel.
It's a beautiful thing, Joanna.
There are no rules here, no limits.
You are meant for greatness.
(Joanna scoffing)
Am I?
So long as no one is holding you back.
(Birds calling)
(Buzzing in distance)
Hey. Hey, what is this?
Uh, this... this is a-an invoice
from Dr. Lambright.
She's only billing you
for one session next month?
Whose idea was that?
It was mutual.
We're in this together, Jo.
It's my mind.
We don't make decisions
without consulting each other.
We don't hide things
from each other. We never...
OK, time for a change.
Pause in our little experiment.
Because I'm worried about
your mental health right now.
That's...
(Clears throat)
You know, that's fair.
I haven't been here.
Not really.
I'm sorry.
These dreams, they're more than I let on.
I've made a whole world in there.
And what's that like?
It doesn't matter.
Reality is where the podium is.
So I... I'll ease back,
stick to the original schedule.
Once every three nights.
The game isn't played on the strip.
It's played up here.
It was the first thing you ever taught me.
- It's a compromise.
- Mmm.
It was either that
or lose you completely.
The halo doesn't belong to him.
I know, but he can take it away from me.
He'll tell them I broke the lock.
That I'm losing my grip on reality.
How long are you going to
keep giving him what he wants?
Until I have what I want.
Catch!
There's something I want to practice:
balestra.
Balestra?
What? You think it's archaic?
Well, what even
is a balestra post Harmenberg?
It's a bounce and a lunge.
It's just part of the froth.
Old techniques can still mean something.
Balestra is about disruption.
Short-circuiting the tempo.
Forget the mechanics.
Think about the idea of it.
Sometimes, you'll get
an opponent who's aggressive,
overbearing,
someone who keeps gaining control
until you've lost all of yours.
But like I always say,
there's a way out of every box.
You'll know.
When the weapon's in your hand
and the world is tipping sideways...
you'll know what to do.
Too slow! Come on.
No. Come on, faster than that.
Form, Jo.
No! Stop anticipating.
Come on!
(Breathing heavily)
What's going on with you?
You seem distracted.
I don't know these sequences.
That's because they're new.
I designed them for you.
I am useful, you know.
I appreciate all the work.
I... I mean...
I am grateful.
Are you?
Of course.
Where would I be if I hadn't
walked into your salle 15 years ago?
It's funny. I've been thinking
about that a lot.
You when you were 19.
I was a different person.
Yes, you were.
I want to see that girl.
I want to see that fire.
If you can't see it, you're not looking.
I told you to put away your toy.
You didn't even put up a fight.
You wanted a fight?
I want the real you.
I miss her.
I'm right here.
(Breathing heavily)
You know what made me certain about you?
What erased all doubt?
It was Cairo.
(Scoffing)
Oh. Is that something
you'd rather not talk about?
Why are you doing this?
Because you've been taking
a break from reality.
So consider this your refresher.
I didn't flinch.
I sold my life's work.
I wrote a check,
and I kept it out of the light.
I made sure that no one knew what you did.
I made you my life!
And what?
Now you're regretting it?
No.
No, not yet.
I'm just wondering
what happened to that girl.
You know, maybe she doesn't
need you anymore.
Audie Zimmer would say different.
(Grunting)
(Raph coughing)
Raph...
I'm...
I'm fine.
Ah!
Maybe we should just take a beat
and, uh, reconvene.
An hour?
Maybe a few.
(Raph grunting)
We're both, um...
off kilter.
Saying things we don't mean.
Yeah.
(Raph coughing)
Before we draw
My dear, dear friend
(Sighing)
I promise you my word
If we should part
My dear, dear love
You know you're in my heart
(Breathing shakily)
Don't worry, Jo. You'll be back.
You're a prodigy, right?
Little orphan Jojo.
(Screaming)
(Crying)
(Sighing)
(Birds calling)
(Sighing)
She signed it.
Nondisclosure agreement.
If she talks about what happened,
she forfeits the settlement.
How much did you give her?
No, don't you worry about that.
There's plenty left over for us.
Raph, aren't you gonna miss this place?
Well, of course I am.
But all I care about is you.
I'm not finished. I'm coming back.
Paris.
We've got four years.
All right, let's go build you a salle.
Look who's right on time.
(Laughing)
Cassoulet? Wait till you try the sauce.
It's amazing.
What's the matter?
Oh, I see what's going on here.
What?
You killed my husband.
And you're wearing his skin as a suit.
Are there more of you?
Is this an invasion?
Will you go, sit down?
Get ready.
What do you want to listen to?
(Baby by Donnie and
Joe Emerson on stereo )
Ooh, baby
It's not even made out of gold, you know.
I know. It's just the outside.
Six grams of coating,
over a pound and a half of silver.
A pawn shop wouldn't even
give you a few hundred for it.
But the bronze...
Five bucks worth of zinc and copper.
It's an oversized penny.
I was proud of you.
Oh, baby
You know that, right?
That just shows you got a lot to learn.
Yes, oh, baby
You know the worst part of it is?
The people.
They're not like us.
They don't understand.
They actually thought I won something.
(Sniffling)
Is it healthy, you think,
to be this way, to live like this?
Healthy?
Definitely not.
But do you know how else to live?
We could drive around in a camper van.
Watch the sunset. We could do
some shrooms under the stars.
Oh, is that what normal people do?
I have no idea what people do.
Fucking barbecues or some ballgame.
(Laughing)
Yes, oh, baby
Believe me, Raph.
I want those six grams
of gold just as much as you did.
You're gonna have to want
it so much more than that.
I do.
Good.
Because I've been thinking about the halo.
And I'm thinking you don't
have to taper off.
There's a better approach.
OK, like what?
Cold turkey.
Just can't wait until tomorrow night
Hey, baby, let's shake it
Don't bother looking for it.
Where is it?
What, you think I hid it?
I put it under a sofa cushion like
an 8-year-old?
Raph...
Oh, baby
Raph!
I gave it back, Jo.
You had no right.
Yes, oh, baby
I need it.
Am I a fucking idiot?
You think I don't know?
I don't wake up hearing
you moaning his name?
"Oh, Elliot. Oh, Elliot, Elliot..."
Shut up.
Who's Elliot?
"Elliot, oh! Fucking Elli..."
Shut up!
That's it right there. That's the rage.
That's what I've been looking for.
You can't muster it on the strip,
but the moment I take away your boyfriend,
oh, look at that.
- He's more than that.
- Mmm.
He's more than you ever were.
I don't really care
about your fantasies, Jo.
I only care about one thing.
And that's not letting you lose again.
Fine. I'll get there, without you.
And I will win, because of him.
And you know where you'll be?
You'll be here, across the ocean,
watching me on TV,
hearing them play
The Star-Spangled Banner.
And you will watch them
put gold around my neck,
and you will know that none
of it belongs to you.
(Raph coughing)
I just told you I don't
care about your fantasies.
You want to leave?
Go right ahead.
Leave.
I'll tell everyone what happened
four years ago.
USA Fencing will expel you,
and you'll get nowhere near Paris.
Listen, Jo, you should be happy.
Because when you're standing
on that podium,
and you look out in the crowd,
I'm gonna be staring right back at you,
and you are gonna be so grateful
this happened today.
I could have had a life.
Instead, I got you.
Darling, come on, let's face it.
It's not like you'd be curing cancer.
I gave your life meaning.
You know what?
Go, go get your shit together.
Go figure it out.
And when you're ready,
you come back to me, and we'll train.
(Crying)
(Raph coughing)
(Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
by Os Mutantes on stereo )
Raph?
(Coughing, retching)
Raph!
Raph!
(Coughing)
Raph!
(Breathing shakily)
(Phone clattering)
(Breathing heavily)
(Me and My Shadow by Peggy Lee )
Me
And my
Shadow
Strolling down the
Avenue
Me
And my
Shadow
So, what's new?
(Birds calling in distance)
I killed Raph.
How'd that happen?
He made it easy for me.
All those years he spent training.
The body needs more oxygen,
so it makes more red blood cells.
Sometimes, it makes too many.
And you end up having to take
300 milligrams of Pradaxa every day.
It's a... a blood thinner.
Prevents clotting.
What are you telling me, Jo?
I knew exactly what to do.
And I didn't even know that I was doing it
until it was done.
A jab to the neck.
A little coagulation.
And...
(Clicks tongue)
...pulmonary embolism.
You gotta admit, it's elegant.
Oh, I should have asked.
This doesn't leave the room, right?
(Phone clicking)
We have it.
She just confessed.
(Door slamming)
No!
Ah, ah, ah, no!
It's gonna be OK, Jo.
No! No!
(Gasping, breathing heavily)
I've just been under a lot of...
(Mumbling)
Come on in.
Hello, Joanna.
Hi.
Thanks for seeing me.
Look, I don't know
exactly what he told you.
But I can guess.
May we see your phone?
What are you looking for?
The safeguards were there for a reason.
Risking your health like this...
I'm sorry, I... I don't know
what you're talking about.
Oh, 80% chance of rain?
Is that what you wanted to know?
Let's talk about Elliot.
(Sighing)
Elliot was an ex-boyfriend of mine.
You've never mentioned him.
You've always said Raph
was your first serious relationship.
He was.
Elliot was barely a relationship.
It was brief, but intense.
Raph and I, we have been at odds lately.
And I guess my mind,
it's been going back to... to happier times.
Why would Raph assume this man
is a figment of your imagination?
Because he's jealous.
- Of Elliot?
- No.
Of the halo.
Of what it's done for me.
Let me tell you a story.
A man puts himself in charge of a woman.
Of her body, of her life.
But one day, the woman,
she starts to express her own will...
her own desires.
And the man,
oh, well, he decides she's lost her mind.
The halo is giving me back
something I haven't had in a long time.
It is giving me control.
That's why he took it away.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
(Gasping softly)
It's OK.
I didn't want this.
I know.
I should have called 911.
You did everything right.
And now you know what you have to do.
You think I should run?
No.
You can't run from this.
I can.
There are... there are countries.
I'm not talking about laws.
I'm talking about you.
This can't be your story.
This can't be how it ends.
There's only one thing
that can weigh as much
as what you've done.
And it's what you've wanted all along.
And you need it now more than ever.
I don't think I can.
Yes, you can.
- No...
- It's OK.
Look at me.
I don't care about the world.
I don't care what they think of you.
I want you to know what you are.
What you really are.
There is something inside of me.
It's fire.
It's why you win.
So, what am I supposed to do?
Well, first...
we have some housekeeping to take care of.
Yeah.
(Phone buzzing)
Hey, this is Raph.
Leave a message, and I'll get back to you.
(Voicemail beeping)
Hello, Raph. It's Dr. Sutro.
Joanna came to the lab,
and I'd like to talk to you about it.
Please call me back
as soon as you can. Thanks.
Hope you're well.
(Joanna breathing heavily)
(Elliot): We don't know
what we're capable of.
Not until we do it.
You're a champion, Joanna.
It's what you are.
I haven't proved it yet.
You will.
There aren't more than
10 women in the world
that can beat you right now.
But all 10 of them are doing
the same thing to you
that you've been doing to them.
That's how Zimmer won in Cincinnati.
You have patterns.
You can't fence and not have patterns.
Well, we're going to build
a new way to fence.
You're a murderer.
You're an angel from heaven.
You're a feather.
You're a diamond shard.
You're not one person.
You're a hundred people.
You're the one who stopped his heart.
You're the one who cried his name.
I get it.
Not one pattern.
A thousand.
Channel surfing.
Do what you were born to do.
Break the game.
(Epes clinking)
(Both grunting)
Ah!
(Grunting)
(Elliot): His parents are gone.
No siblings. Cousins he never sees.
Who are his friends?
Who will miss him?
Our world was small.
And he saw to that.
(Sighing)
To forget you is to hide
There's still so much left to recover
(Announcer): With
the Paris Olympics only months away,
these next few World Cups are crucial.
One fencer to keep an eye on:
Joanna Bathory, a name
some of you may remember.
On guard.
(Audience applauding)
Americans Zimmer and Bathory
have both made it to
the podium here in Athens.
I could not come back the same
This city's changed
You've got a new problem.
You're too good, suspiciously good.
And scrutiny is not what
you want right now.
Ease up. Take a few hits.
Well, that's gonna hurt.
Not as much as handcuffs will.
Hiding out inside my head
It's me again
(Audience applauding)
It's no surprise
(Announcer): Not
the performance we were hoping
to see from her tonight.
It does make one wonder:
Does Bathory have the stamina
to compete with
the new generation of fencers?
Every time I turn to you
I see the past
It's all that lasts
Ready? Fence!
Despite her disappointment
in Gothenburg,
Bathory has continued
to rise through the rankings.
It looks like we haven't seen
the last of her quite yet.
Tonight, though, all eyes are on Zimmer.
It's me you're facing
(Voicemail beeping)
Hey, bud, you haven't
responded to any of my texts.
Weird.
But looks like our girls are neck and neck
in the World Cup circuits.
Give me a ring back.
(Announcer): Only two World Cups remain
to determine this year's Olympic hopefuls.
And Bathory moves up once again.
(Voicemail beeping)
Hi, Raph. It's Dr. Sutro again.
Please give me a call back.
(Announcer): This is
the final competition
before Olympic team selection.
(Audience cheering)
And it's Bathory!
A nail-biter of a match as she takes gold
here in Mexico City.
She will be one to watch in Paris.
I couldn't help it.
I was there and I held him
You couldn't help it.
I was there and he put it all on me
That's you.
Always giving in.
I was there and I held him
Follow every impulse.
Took me into his arms
Like an animal.
Told me that I was the reason
Told me that I was the woman
He'd always be losing
Always...
(Knocking on door)
It's Audie!
- Hey!
- Hi.
- Bad time?
- No.
Thank you.
You were magic today.
There were times I didn't even understand
what I was looking at.
Thank you.
Listen, I know we've been adversaries.
When we see each other,
it's usually through the mask,
and you're a private person.
I get that.
(Chuckling)
How's Raph?
The last time I saw him was in Cincinnati.
Ah, he's fine.
He's, um, taking care
of some family stuff.
What kind of stuff?
His aunt Cecile has a cancer.
So he's taking care of her.
(Audie scoffing)
He doesn't have an aunt.
His dad was an only child,
and his mom didn't have any sisters.
Except, um, Vronique,
but she died when she was a baby.
If memory serves.
Cecile was a neighbor.
He grew up calling her Tata.
You know, "Aunt."
Ah, guess he never told me about her.
Yeah, I guess not.
- So he's in France?
- Yeah.
That's convenient.
Why is it convenient?
(Chuckling)
Have you been asleep or something?
The rankings are up.
You went from a U rating to a spot
on the national team
faster than anyone
in the history of the sport.
Tell Raph you'll meet him in Paris.
(Pop playing on
stereo, lyrics indistinct )
(Doorbell ringing)
Joanna Bathory?
I'm Detective Fiorino.
This is Detective Tran.
State Police. May we come in?
You're not in any trouble.
We just need to talk.
- Sure.
- Yeah.
So you're a professional fencer.
Is that right?
- I fence.
- Mmm.
No one really makes a living from it,
unless they teach.
You just made the Olympic team.
Well, technically,
we haven't qualified yet.
No one has.
Oh, come on. We've seen your stats.
World Cup winner! You're gonna be a star.
(Chuckling)
What did you wanna talk about?
When's the last time
you saw your husband?
Um...
about four months ago.
That's quite a while.
Yeah.
Why so long?
We had a fight, a bad one.
And he just walked out.
I haven't heard from him.
And to be honest, I, um,
I haven't wanted to.
Hmm. That does sound bad.
Are you here because
you know where he is?
We're here because we don't.
Raph has been reported missing.
By who?
Someone who misses him.
Would you say you have
a history of violence, Joanna?
(Chuckling)
(Papers rustling)
Do you know when
that image was captured?
Can you tell us what's in the white jugs?
I'd like a lawyer present.
You bet.
But, listen, you'll find this interesting.
Alkaline hydrosis can dissolve a body.
Skin, bones, everything.
You end up with just a brown goop.
Looks like maple syrup.
You know this.
Here's the thing:
Raph had a filling.
And do you know what lye does to silver?
Absolutely nothing.
So let's say our forensic geomorphologist
finds some overturned
topsoil in your backyard
or out by Coal Creek
or way out in Okanagan.
Let's say, hypothetically,
we find a bag underneath that soil,
and in it, there's some brown goop
and exactly 800 milligrams
of silver amalgam.
What kind of day would that be for you?
Bad?
Or very bad?
See?
Jell-O.
Oh, fucking hell.
Enough of this shit.
One of these days, it won't be a drill.
You can go now.
Joanna...
Get the fuck out of my house!
(Door opening, closing)
Is that even true?
The filling?
Mmm... It could be.
It could...
I can't.
I... I don't know how to get out of here.
I've never wanted to before.
What is it you want out there?
(Slapping)
Just let me out!
Joanna...
I'm not in control here.
Then who is?
(Gasping)
(Screaming)
(Gasping)
(Crying)
(Gasping)
(Breathing heavily)
Think it through.
I have.
I shouldn't be here.
They'll know where to find you.
You can run.
But understand what that means.
I just need...
Don't walk out that door.
Am I still dreaming?
No.
I'm not doing this.
You are.
You want it, in your body.
You want it in every cell.
It's always been inside you.
It's what you are.
(Breathing heavily)
(Lark by Angel Olsen )
Told me that I was the reason
(Sighing)
Told me that I was the woman
He'd always be losing
Always
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
(Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
by Os Mutantes )
(Woman singing in French )
Hey.
A fruit stand?
This is your fantasy?
You never learned how to live.
Life was for other people.
Water and lye...
Where'd you learn that? Google?
I hope you used incognito mode.
What do you want?
Nothing. I'm all set.
I can't believe you poked me to death.
No, no...
Don't feel bad, darling.
Had to happen.
A sacrifice to the gods.
Fuel for the fire.
He's good for you.
I see that now.
And you're gonna look so good
standing on that podium.
The bouquet in your arms.
My little jewel...
Au revoir, bijou!
(Sighing)
(Traffic, horn honking in distance)
(Phone chiming)
(Voicemail beeping)
(Man): Raph, I'm in Paris!
We did it! Congratulations, man.
All right, uh, I hope to see you out here.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
- It's got less protein.
- I'm lactose intolerant.
And you're in France! It's tragic.
- Hi.
- JB!
There she is.
Un caf, merci.
You sleep well?
Yeah, I slept fine.
I was up all night watching tape.
Sasha Viazovska.
Oh, that's Akiyoshi.
I should say hi.
JB!
You seem chill.
Well, Misha, I just, um...
I just woke up in Paris, so...
I should go too.
I got a masseuse coming.
Show her a picture of Jo
and say you wanna be this relaxed.
Yeah. See you all at noon.
- Bye!
- Bye.
Does Raph know you drink coffee now?
I showed up to class with a latte once,
and he yelled at me until I cried.
I guess he'll be there today, huh?
(Sighing)
Audie...
I lied to you, about Raph.
He's not taking care of his aunt Cecile.
We had a fight.
Months ago.
A lot of stuff had been
building up, and it all...
came out.
We're separated.
And I think we're gonna stay that way.
God, um...
I'm so sorry.
I'm all right. I'm OK, mostly.
Was he cheating?
Not that I know of.
Were you?
Uh, sorry.
I'm... I'm nosy.
There's no one in my life right now.
There's just the piste, and you guys.
I had a dream last night.
I made it to the last round,
the gold medal match.
I walked onto the strip,
I looked at my opponent,
and it was you.
Who won?
(Chuckling)
You were so zen about a minute ago.
Relax, it was just a dream.
(Chuckling)
Hey, what's up?
Nothing.
I... I just thought I saw someone
I haven't seen in a while.
Friend or an enemy?
(Chuckling softly)
(Woman speaking French on PA)
(Woman on PA): Round 1 begins
in 5 minutes.
- Hey, you good?
- Yeah.
You know, I have to admit,
I didn't think you were a killer.
But Raph sure did, didn't he?
Guess so.
Is he all right?
I tried calling him this morning, but...
Hey, Owen.
I just wanted to say that I think
you're a phenomenal coach.
You know when to prod
and when to step back.
(Chuckling)
You're right.
I'll stop talking.
You don't need me, Jo.
Just do what you do.
(Men and woman chatting, indistinct)
(Elliot): This is it, Joanna, your time.
Liao, China's top fencer.
Relentless attacker.
She leans on feints.
Pull her in and crush her.
En garde!
Prtes. Allez.
(Exhaling sharply)
(Grunting)
Touch to the left.
Bathory, USA, advances
to the table of 16.
En garde. Prtes. Allez.
- (Elliot): Fournier. Be soft.
Find your way in.
(Grunting)
Halt! Touch to the left.
Bathory, USA, advances
to the quarterfinal.
(Epes clinking)
(Elliot): Zimmer. She's on her way up.
Halt! Touch to the left.
Watch her.
Zimmer, USA, advances
to the quarterfinal.
Tanaka, third in the world right now.
She likes distance.
Close the gap. Now.
(Grunting)
Halt!
Bathory, USA,
advances to the semifinal.
(Audience cheering, men and women talking)
Hi! Thank you.
You want me to sign?
(Man talking on PA, indistinct)
- There you go.
- Joanna!
(Screaming)
(Man): Joanna!
Thank you.
(Siren wailing in distance)
(Line ringing, voicemail beeping)
(Audie on voicemail): Raph...
You don't pick up much these days.
(Audie giggling)
I miss seeing you coach
from the sidelines.
But I must admit,
I've enjoyed watching Jo sweat.
(Audie giggling)
When you gonna pop your head out?
Don't be a stranger. Call me back.
How long has it been?
A little while.
I stopped using it.
Until today.
You're almost there.
Almost.
One more match,
then one more after that.
And then I'm done.
I'm here because of you.
Everything happens
the way it's supposed to.
(Both breathing heavily)
(Moaning)
(Phone ringing)
Hello?
(Woman): Sorry to wake you up.
Who is this?
We met through our friend Craig.
Do they have payphones there?
(Coins clinking)
(Siren wailing in distance)
(Line ringing)
(Man shouting in distance)
(Woman): Hello, Joanna.
It's nice to finally know your name.
Neera?
It's 2:00 a.m.
It's kind of a big day tomorrow.
So tell me, why am I at
a payphone in my pajamas?
Someone's been poking
around my dev box.
They seem interested
in the code I wrote for you.
What are you talking about?
Who's they?
I don't know. You tell me.
How did you find out who I am?
Tell me, why would an Olympic fencer
need a secret app
that activates a mysterious little gadget
she can't even show me?
It's complicated.
Then I will simplify it for you:
Am I in trouble?
No! You haven't...
You haven't done anything wrong.
What about you?
Neera, I have to go.
Don't call me again.
You're fine.
She doesn't know anything.
Someone knows something.
Come back to bed.
(Whispering): Something
doesn't feel right.
I've gotta get out of here.
Can't sleep either, huh?
Yeah, you caught me.
You OK?
Yeah, yeah.
Just, uh, thinking about tomorrow.
So she does get nervous.
What can I say? I'm human.
(Giggling)
Don't worry, Jo.
It's gonna be a great day.
One for the books.
Thanks.
- Sleep tight.
- Mm-hmm.
(Zipper closing)
(Elliot): What do you make of her?
Doesn't matter.
'Cause tomorrow...
I'll kill her.
Good. Follow your instincts.
(Bird calling)
(Audience applauding)
Viazovska...
Number one in Europe.
From a long line of fencing royalty.
She's old school.
En garde! Prtes.
- Be bouncy.
- Allez!
Attack quick.
(Breathing heavily)
(Grunting)
Now.
(Audience cheering)
Bathory, USA, advances to the final.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
USA! USA! USA!
I guess some dreams do come true.
I love a mystery.
And that's what you were, Jo.
I had heard the stories
about your intensity.
But then when I saw you again,
you were so...
fragile.
And you were jealous of me.
That tripped me out.
You...
jealous of me.
(Laughing)
You were the one Raph chose.
He abandoned me. He left all of us.
All so he could bet his life
on Joanna Bathory.
I wanted the truth.
And when I start chasing something,
I don't stop.
How did the shaky little leaf I beat 15-4
turn into the stone-cold assassin
I saw in Leipzig and Athens...
and Mexico City?
You weren't just good.
You were holding back.
(Chuckling softly)
Turned out you had more
secrets than I thought.
Technology's amazing.
(Laughing)
This thing can clone
a hard drive in four minutes.
Even the shit you think you deleted.
One conversation at the front desk
gets me a spare key
to my teammate's hotel room.
And then it's just like an pe.
Waiting for an opening.
The right moment to attack.
Interesting, what I found
in your search history.
Marrakesh.
Caracas.
Moscow.
Raph drops off the face of the earth,
and suddenly, you're looking up flights
to countries without extradition treaties.
I've never had a dead guy
block my number, by the way.
That hurt.
You're crazy.
I'm fine, actually.
How are you, though?
It can't be healthy,
wearing a magnet every night
so you can cheat your way to gold.
(Audie chuckling)
Yeah.
I know about that too.
And now so do some other people.
Why would I care what people think?
You might care what these people think.
Homicide is sort of an interest of theirs.
I waited as long as I could.
We were on the same team.
I wanted to ride you to the Olympics.
Or maybe I waited too long.
I want to beat you on the strip.
I want to earn it,
because otherwise, it's just...
a paperweight.
(Man speaking French on PA)
(Chuckling softly)
Women's fencing final
begins in one minute.
You might win.
You have the odds.
Maybe I'll surprise everyone.
But whatever happens, I can tell you this:
When you look back
at the time you were in Paris,
the feeling will be bittersweet.
Good luck, Jo.
The passport is clean.
You covered your tracks.
Down the hallway, the fire exit.
Taxi to the airport.
No.
This only ends one way.
(Man speaking French on PA)
Ladies and gentlemen,
please be seated
for the women's fencing final.
(Fanfare on PA )
(Audience cheering)
(Audience cheering and applauding)
(Man speaking French on PA)
Competing for gold...
from the United States, Joanna Bathory.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
(Man speaking French on PA)
Competing for gold...
from the United States,
Audie Zimmer.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Just so you know,
I've been holding back too.
(Elliot): Lock it out. Focus.
En garde.
Prt. Allez!
(Grunting)
Halt! Touch to the right.
(Audience applauding)
(Grunting)
- Halte!
- Yes!
Double touch.
(Audience applauding)
(Both grunting)
Touch to the left.
- Halt! Double touch.
- No! Come on!
(Grunting)
- Halt!
- Yeah!
Touch to the right.
(Grunting)
Halt!
- Yes!
- Touch to the left.
(Audience applauding)
Halt. Touch to the right.
- No!
- Yes!
- No!
- Yeah.
(Audience cheering)
(Exhaling slowly)
En garde. Prt.
Allez.
Yes!
Touch to the left.
Priority, Zimmer.
Une minute.
She's chaos.
Her patterns are gone. I can't read her.
Forget her patterns. Forget everything.
Just feel it.
You'll know what to do.
You've always known.
En garde!
Prt.
Allez!
Yeah!
Halt!
(Whimpering)
Touch to the right.
Bathory!
Yeah!
Championne Olympique.
Winner, Bathory, Olympic champion.
Yeah!
Yeah! Yes!
(Laughing)
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Yes!
(Audience chanting):
Bathory! Bathory! Bathory!
Representing Ukraine,
Sasha Viazovska.
(Audience applauding)
Representing
the United States of America,
Audie Zimmer.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Gold medalist and Olympic champion...
representing the United States of America,
Joanna Bathory.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
(Woman speaking French on PA)
Please stand for the national anthem
of the United States.
(The Star-Spangled Banner
playing on PA )
O say can you see
By the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hail'd
At the twilight's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watch'd
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
O say
Does that star-spangled banner
Yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?
(Chance by Angel Olsen )
What is it you think I need?
Maybe it's too hard to see
I don't want it all
I've had enough
I don't want it all
I've had a love
Worst feeling I've had
Is gone
It's gone
I know how it all comes back
I know too well
Now I'm done
I'm leaving once again
Makin' my own plan
I'm not looking
For the answer
Or anything that
Lasts
I just want to see
Some beauty
Try
And understand
If we got to know
Each other
How rare is that?
All that space in between
Where we stand
Could be our chance
Could be our chance...
(Woman): We get one shot.
One chance at true greatness.
(Breathing heavily)
Carve your name into the universe.
(Whispering): The American dream.
(Breathing heavily)
You are the lightest feather.
You are a diamond shard.
(Beeping)
(Blades clinking, whooshing)
This is it.
Your time.
Perfection is all that matters.
Distance, watch your distance.
Don't flinch.
Pick the moment and reel her in.
Strike first.
Fuck!
And she saw it.
Before you made a move,
before you even took your mark.
Milliseconds...
(Exhaling sharply)
Everything that happens
was written eons ago.
(Breathing shakily)
(Gasping softly)
(Birds chirping)
(Man): Jo, are you up?
Jo?
- Good morning.
- Morning!
I cued up some tape for you,
one last-minute run-through can't hurt.
Yeah.
(Audience chatting in video)
(Woman shouting in video)
How'd you sleep?
Fine, I guess.
It was better with the melatonin.
Well, the melatonin makes you slow.
I know.
We could try the valerian root again.
We'll just let it steep
a little longer this time.
You know, insomnia
can be caused by stress.
What?
Are you worried, bijou?
Hmm?
What if it's too soon?
I mean, she's on a tear.
Bangkok put her in the top three.
She can't stop winning.
Mm-hmm.
And who does that remind you of?
Come on! It's a warmup.
I don't want her to be my first,
not after all this time.
Not Audie, not her.
I thought we had a plan.
Ramping up. Denver, division two...
You know, getting back my points.
Yeah, you need to ramp up,
but the end goal is still
the Paris Olympics
with the gold around your neck.
And the road to that podium
is through Audie Zimmer.
It's a friendly match. Come on!
You have ten years on her.
She's like a bug on your windshield.
But, you know, if you don't want to do
it this morning, we don't have to.
We'll do something else.
We'll go for a bike ride.
Let's go kill the kid.
There she is!
(Audience applauding in video)
(Screaming)
I bet anything Owen taught her
how to feint.
Hey, you're gonna attack high.
But watch your blind spot, OK?
She's bouncy, but predictable.
Like, yeah, if I'm down...
I could grid up and win,
but why was I down by nine points?
You like the drama.
I do like the drama.
(Audie laughing)
If I may, you all have
the good fortune today
of seeing a World Cup winner in the flesh.
But we have two more distinguished guests.
Raph Caron, Olympic medalist,
individual men's foil, London 2012.
(Audience applauding)
It was bronze. It was bronze, come on.
And his wife and student, Joanna Bathory.
Hi!
American fencing has had its share
of stars in the last decades.
But few shine as bright as Joanna,
who was once our hope for Olympic gold.
(Audience applauding)
You can't just aim high.
You have to aim for
the top of Mount Everest.
Otherwise, what's the point?
Love of the game?
Love. Love's important.
Love will get you out of bed
in the morning,
but love is not gonna get you a medal.
Not even a brown one.
The mentality of a champion.
Not for the faint of heart.
No, it isn't, but I'm not a champion.
That's not my lot in life.
My real joy comes from helping
other people win.
(Man): You used to coach
more people, though.
We will make time for Q and A later,
but first, we have a surprise for you all.
A 15-touch bout.
Bathory versus Zimmer.
Ladies, if you'd like to make
your way to the armory.
(Audience murmuring, applauding)
(Man): Go get 'em!
Owen, good to see you.
So what made you walk away?
2019, the World Cup in Cairo.
That was the last time you competed.
Was it?
(Audie chuckling)
You were gonna take us to Tokyo.
Let me guess.
You had a kid?
No.
(Chuckling)
So you hurt yourself, then?
No.
Just needed a break, huh?
Yeah, something like that.
I get it.
I remember watching you
do drills at Sheridan.
Seeing you wreck everyone at the NACs.
I was so jealous of you,
your talent.
But Raph always told me in our sessions,
"You're climbing a mountain.
Nothing happens overnight."
Your sessions?
Yeah, he trained me one-on-one.
God, I was so bummed when he sold the gym.
Don't get me wrong.
Owen has been brilliant.
Raph was special, though.
He knew how to push you.
You're so lucky to have him.
Yeah.
- Good luck out there.
- You too.
(Chuckling softly)
(Woman): Here we go.
En garde.
Prtes.
Allez!
(Whistle blowing)
Halt!
1-0.
En garde.
Prtes.
Allez!
Halt!
2-0.
En garde.
Prtes. Allez!
Halt!
1-2.
(Whispering): Fuck.
En garde. Prtes.
Allez!
Halt! 2-2.
Halt!
7-2.
Halt!
7-4.
Halt!
13-4.
Halt!
14-4.
(Audience applauding)
En garde.
(Breathing heavily)
Prtes.
Allez!
Halt!
Match.
Zimmer wins 15-4.
Ladies, thank you very much for your time.
Raph, Owen, always a pleasure.
Hey, it doesn't matter what she said.
You fenced like a fucking amateur.
Where were you? Where was your head?
You trained her on one-on-one?
What does it matter?
I had a lot of students, Jo.
And you were the one I bet on.
Look, we've got Denver in a week,
so lock in.
Let's get to work.
Here.
Come on!
Faster than that.
Let's go! Quick feet!
Look at your arm, extend.
- Good! Again!
- Yeah.
Extend! No, too slow.
Work on that lunge. There it is!
(Sniffling)
25 reps, then we do legs.
All right, let's go.
Point control, Jo!
You're exposed.
Too slow!
Let's go.
Come on, push it! Attack!
(Grunting)
Come on! Hit me!
I want to show you something here.
These are your reaction times
in the drills.
It's flat.
Mm-mmm, it isn't.
But it's not good enough.
Give me numbers.
You want numbers?
You're 34.
And you had your shot 4 years ago.
I know what happened.
You're trying to tell me
this is my last chance?
I know that too.
So...
what do we do?
I don't know.
Chemically, we're doing everything we can.
(Birds chirping)
All right. Let's go.
We did 600 parries.
We'll do 600 more.
(Raph and Joanna grunting,
blades clinking)
OK, again. Let's do it again.
How did it feel to face
a real opponent again?
(Chuckling softly)
Oh, it felt like old times.
You know, we've never really
talked about what happened.
We've only ever talked around it.
It wasn't my first World Cup.
It was just the first one
I had a shot at winning.
I was an inch away from the national team.
The Olympics, a medal.
It was finally my time.
And I got in my head.
It's like I was 16 again,
going to my first NAC.
My intuition stopped working.
And I hesitated.
(Sighing)
A single moment doesn't define you, Jo.
You've made it back.
You're ready.
No...
I'm not. I need more time.
I need a little more time.
But there's not enough hours in the day.
(Joanna sniffling)
(Laughing)
You ever wish you didn't have to sleep?
(Chuckling)
(Door opening)
I just talked to Lambright.
Ah, did I leave my...
I think this could be something.
Something very interesting.
Come on.
Let's go for a drive.
I don't want to spoil it. Just trust me.
(Opera playing on radio )
Here we go!
(Men chatting, indistinct)
(Door beeping)
Oh, hi.
We're looking for Dr. Sutro.
Elena! Civilians.
Hello! You must be Jo.
Hi. I don't know why I'm here.
Oh! How interesting.
Please...
Melanie and I have been friends
since grad school.
I've been updating her on
a study that I'm running,
and she called this morning
and recommended you as a subject.
What's the study?
Have you heard of transcranial
magnetic stimulation?
No.
It's the use of magnetic fields
to induce electrical currents
in targeted regions of the brain.
This is known as a halo coil.
It's a wearable electromagnet.
Now, currents in the lower
gamma band during REM sleep
could push a subject
into a lucid dream state.
We call it "directed dreaming."
So it can help me sleep?
No, Jo, it can help you win.
Imagine if you could train while dreaming.
Imagine if in an 8-hour sleep,
you could perform 100 hours of practice.
This is uncharted territory.
A neural feedback processor
is the only invasive component.
It's implanted behind the ear,
and it communicates wirelessly
with the device.
The controls have safeguards
in place to prevent overuse:
a maximum allowance
of two sessions per week.
Uh, have you noticed any changes
in corticospinal excitability?
Her motor network is world-class.
You can understand that I'd be protective.
You have a background in neuroscience?
I was 6 months from an MD,
before I dropped out to train full-time.
Ah.
We haven't noticed any change.
There's nothing to worry about.
TMS has been FDA approved.
I'll let you think it over.
So?
No one in the world
is doing this right now.
It's an edge. And we need one.
How is this not a PED?
It's not a drug.
It's a training technique.
In 5, 10 years,
everyone is gonna be
running drills on this but you.
You can be the one to change the game.
We can wait. Whatever you want.
(Man): The place where
you train, what is it?
A gym?
It's called a salle.
And you practice with your coach?
My husband, yeah.
Your coach is your husband?
Yeah.
And what's his name?
Raph.
OK, so you're there.
Raph is there. You have your, um...
sword?
My pe.
Sorry, you must think I'm a moron.
No, just a civilian.
Right. OK, close your eyes.
(Exhaling sharply)
Picture the salle.
Picture Raph.
Picture your pe in your hand.
Picture your local supermarket.
Picture the salle.
Picture an airplane cabin.
Picture the salle.
We have a consistent pattern.
I'm encoding.
(Breathing heavily)
(Gasping softly)
(Men and women whispering)
How long was I...
How long did it feel like?
I did a day's worth of drills.
You were asleep for 30 minutes, Jo.
Mmm...
(Woman on PA): Room 312, 213.
You use it too?
Hmm? Oh.
Mm-hmm.
Where do you go?
To my father's cottage.
I lost him some time ago.
What's amazing is that...
he surprises me.
He tells me things that I never knew.
How is that possible?
I'm an expert on the brain.
I know about axons and dendrites
and neurotransmitters, but...
the subconscious?
That's a place we have no maps for.
(Sighing)
(Inhaling deeply, exhaling slowly)
(Blades whooshing)
(Audie): Distance.
(Audie laughing)
Control the tempo.
Look.
Look at his angle.
You see the trap, don't you?
Oh well. You'll get him next time.
I don't want you in here.
Hmm.
(Clicks tongue)
Too bad, babe. I live here.
(Chuckling)
(Humming )
You really think you're special.
Because, what, he chose you?
He told you he saw potential?
He said you could go all the way.
Ask him who he'd choose now.
(Scoffing)
You wanna know what I see?
A waste of a life.
Twenty years trying to make it
to that podium.
But you know you'll never get there.
You've always known.
Some dreams aren't for you, Jo.
Ah!
Ugh...
I hate violence.
But sometimes it's necessary.
Who are you?
I'm Elliot.
You only live twice
(Gasping)
(Beeping)
(Birds chirping)
So, how was it?
Yeah, I see potential.
Come on, Jo, pick up the pace!
Those kids are gonna be fast in Denver.
Let's show them that Bathory is back!
(Classical on stereo )
What is that, hibiscus?
Rooibos.
Maybe you switch to sencha.
Caffeine is not a binary thing.
It's possible a low dose could
amp your motor response
and not make you shaky.
I take it my numbers aren't better.
They are, actually.
You're a shade under your mean.
How much is a shade?
You can't expect instant results.
How much?
Half a millisecond.
It was one night, Jo.
Give it time.
Once every three days is not enough.
It's plenty.
You have one more session before Denver,
you have 10 more before Cincinnati.
That's 1,000 hours of training,
in 30 days.
Hmm?
But tell me.
Am I as good a coach in there
as I am out here?
(Both chuckling)
It's hard to say.
You're right. It was just one night.
And, I don't know, it felt like...
(Chuckling)
Foreplay?
Yeah. Something like that.
Well, I like it.
Can't wait for you to go back in.
(Timer chiming)
(Exhaling slowly)
Wait.
Take off your mask.
Elliot?
I don't know you.
Well, we've only just begun.
Why are you here?
That depends.
What do you want?
You could dream of anything.
Why this?
I want to be better.
Is that all?
I want to be the best.
I have to be.
(Audie): You're so lucky to have him.
Don't worry. I invited her this time.
- Good luck out there.
- Thank you.
Halt!
1-0.
You don't like what you see.
Because I know what happened next.
Do you?
She's pronating?
How did I not see this?
Halt!
Oh, this is good. I can use this.
Let's drill it.
Come on, I don't want to waste more time.
Time is a luxury here.
Why did you lose, Joanna?
Because of tactics? Geometry?
You're up 2-0.
But look.
Look at her.
Look at you.
If you didn't know the score,
who would you think was in control?
She didn't beat you.
You did that to yourself.
If you want to run drills,
then that's what we'll do.
But you told me you want to win.
(Exhaling slowly)
I can't remember
the last time I did this.
(Exhaling sharply)
You're a natural.
At sitting in a tub?
(Laughing)
At what you do.
You always were.
You still are.
All you have to do is hear yourself again.
You remember that, don't you?
What it felt like to follow your body?
You have a gift, Joanna.
Use it.
Who are you?
I'm...
what you need.
(Chuckling softly)
(Birds calling in distance)
Strangers' arms reach out to me
So, what's good here?
I went ahead and ordered you something.
That's a little presumptuous.
Hmm. Trust me.
(Laughing)
I have literally dreamed of this.
Well, you still are.
No. This is... This is real. This...
This is like in real life.
Why is this my guilty pleasure?
It reminds you of being a kid,
what life was like before
you picked up an pe.
Is there anything
you don't know about me?
What are you, Elliot?
Who am I even sitting here with?
It's impossible for a person
to contain all of herself.
Everything you've seen,
everything you've wanted
and tasted and touched.
It's too much to hold...
so you throw most of it overboard.
You have to.
And you become
the story you tell yourself.
The rest goes underwater.
And you're the water?
Maybe.
Maybe I'm more like...
the sound of the waves,
a sketch of the sea foam.
So what you're saying...
is that I am eating fries
with my subconscious?
Not quite.
You haven't offered me any.
Just one.
Thank you.
(Laughing)
You watched him swim around in circles
until his health bar went to zero.
Why was I so cruel?
It's just a video game.
That's what they're for.
Fantasies without consequences.
(Chuckling)
That's what we all need
now and then. Right?
A place where you can do
the things that you can't...
in real life.
This isn't right.
Oh, did you...
Did you want something else?
No, I mean, how long have we been here?
Six, seven hours?
I know the time is different here...
but out there, my life
is about milliseconds.
And I haven't shaved any off yet.
Are you sure about that?
You have tons of time to train, Joanna,
oceans of time.
But this time right now is just for you.
You've denied yourself so much,
so much life.
You deserve a little slice of it.
You deserve...
a taste.
(Rumbling)
Do you feel that?
Oh no.
(Dishes rattling)
You're not gonna believe this.
(Raph snoring)
(Sighing)
I forgot to ask, how'd it go last night?
It was short. I got woken up.
Really, by what?
Well, it doesn't matter.
Don't let it get to you.
That thing, it's just the icing.
What we do out here in real life,
me and you every day,
that's the cake.
And I've done the math.
You and I have trained together
for over 10,000 hours.
Well, let's hope it wasn't wasted.
(Thunder rumbling)
Ma'am, some brownies?
No, no. No, thank you.
(Sighing)
What's up?
Nothing. It just brings back memories.
I guess we don't travel
much anymore, do we?
I always hated the road.
You're either somewhere dead,
or you somewhere feeling
guilty for seeing the sights.
I used to like just walking around.
Amsterdam, Lisbon...
Sometimes, I'd forget
why I was actually there.
Hmm. It's a good thing you've matured.
Bathory...
You're unrated.
This is your first NAC?
Uh, no.
My, um, my points have lapsed.
It's been a while.
Ah. Um, well, here is your packet.
Division 2 competes at 10:30.
- Good luck!
- Thanks.
(Women chatting, indistinct)
(Women laughing)
(Man talking on PA, indistinct)
Hey, watch out for her.
Right there, Rebeiro.
She's on her way up.
She's a toddler.
Do you have any idea what
happens to neurons after age 20?
Myelin sheaths wear out,
reflexes slow down. It's entropy.
I know. I get it.
I'm geriatric.
Any other tips?
I'm not trying to make
you nervous right now.
It's Division 2.
I can win it in my sleep.
Yeah. But FYI, you're awake.
(Man on PA): The pool round
begins in one minute.
You should get some nasal strips,
by the way.
- What? Why?
- For your snoring.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
(Beeping)
(Man on PA): The pool round begins now.
Bouts go to 5 points.
Take your marks.
(Whistle blowing)
(Breathing heavily)
En garde.
Ready. Fence.
Halt.
(Breathing heavily)
En garde.
Ready.
Fence.
Halt.
Halt!
En garde.
Halt!
(Whistle blowing)
(Audience applauding)
5-0! Bathory wins.
Next round begins in 5 minutes.
En garde.
(Whistle blowing)
5-0! Bathory wins.
Fence.
Halt!
Yes!
5-0! Bathory.
Halt!
Winner, Bathory.
Halt.
Bathory wins.
Bathory, congratulations!
You're up in five.
Gold medal match against Rebeiro.
Take your time. Don't rush.
Distance, Jo!
Halt!
Point Rebeiro.
One minute break.
It's OK. Take a breath.
No, it's fine. I don't need it.
I'm fine.
I got it.
(Inhaling deeply, exhaling)
Take your marks!
(Exhaling sharply)
En garde!
Ready.
Fence.
Halt!
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Mmm! Mmm.
Well, how does this feel?
Like tinfoil, which is fitting.
How's that?
Oh, come on.
This is play school.
Only to you.
I'm sorry about before.
No, no.
No, no, no, don't be. It was my fault.
You were only trying to help me.
Well, that's all I'm ever trying to do.
I'm just glad it's working so far.
What time is our flight?
7:30.
Good.
Then we have time.
For what?
(Moaning)
Ah!
Oh, wow!
(Laughing)
I forgot about victory sex.
(Both laughing)
Ah!
No, but seriously,
that's, like, the best...
the best we ever had, right?
Might be. Have to check the spreadsheet.
Ha.
Maybe you don't need it after all.
The halo.
After seeing what I saw
from you out there today.
I mean, don't give it up,
obviously, but, um...
it's not why you won.
You know?
You need the bathroom?
No.
(Birds calling in distance)
(Moaning softly)
(Snoring)
(Birds chirping)
Ah...
(Raph snoring softly)
(Your Sweet Love by Lee Hazlewood )
(Birds calling in distance)
What are you thinking?
You mean you don't know?
I can't read your mind.
It feels like you can.
Only when we're thinking the same thing.
I'm thinking...
this isn't enough.
I don't want to go back out there
and have to wait three more days.
I don't want to dream
of anything that isn't this.
Then we are thinking the same thing.
So what do we do?
Well, there's a way out of every box.
There's a way to break every lock.
Are you telling me to do something bad?
I would never.
All right, you ready?
All right, one more time.
(Phone chiming)
Yeah. Same signal, same hex code.
Yeah, I can replicate this, no problem.
Yeah, there's IP traffic too.
It looks like the app's hitting a server.
I don't want it talking to the outside.
I just want it to activate the device
without anyone knowing.
I get it.
How much time do you need?
Uh, I don't know. A week?
Depends on how nice you want it to look.
Make it ugly.
You ready?
Yeah. Suit up. I'll be right there.
(Chiming)
(Computer chiming)
Good.
Good!
Very good!
(Breathing heavily)
(Opera on stereo )
You don't usually spend
three hours on this.
Oh, I'm triple-checking.
Why?
'Cause I don't believe the numbers.
I mean, 15 milliseconds under the mean.
I'd say that's impossible.
Even though, subjectively,
well, you've been...
Something weird is going on.
It's the halo.
It's been helping.
What, are the dreams different?
Yeah. A little.
They've been more...
focused on what I need.
And what is that?
Are you jealous?
You think maybe my coach in there
is better than my coach out here.
Why would I be jealous of myself?
You're improving.
That's all I care about.
I wanna show you something.
Who did this?
I hired a coder.
Jo...
She doesn't know anything.
I never used my real name.
She doesn't even know about the halo.
Do you think that's
what I'm worried about?
There was a lock on here for a reason.
This isn't safe.
The more time I spend in there,
the better I'm going to be.
Let the numbers decide.
Well, look who's early!
Is this what you get up to
when I'm not around?
I'm not sure I exist
when you're not around.
I'm starting to feel the same way.
(Talking, indistinct)
(Laughing)
Yeah!
Ah!
(Both laughing)
(Birds chirping)
It all bleeds together.
All of this, out there.
I mean, the feeling stays.
The rest is haze.
I think it's better that way.
Otherwise...
I'd lose myself.
It's not just you.
Imagine if everybody remembered
their dreams as clearly as life.
We'd all fall apart.
(Sighing)
Is that a sailboat?
I believe it is.
Who's on it?
Maybe it's you.
(Chuckling)
(Birds calling)
No, I... I think it's fun
to think about what I might do
after this is all over.
You told me you imagined coaching.
Yeah. Yeah, maybe.
I mean, there's so much else, right?
Like, I think I want to travel.
Yeah, you know, be in the world.
I feel like I've never really done that.
You seem very at ease, Jo.
More so than I've ever seen.
Could it be the halo?
Does there have to be a reason?
Your goals force you to put
yourself under intense pressure.
It feels like you've found a release.
I'm curious what it is.
You know what I've been thinking?
I think maybe you and I should
switch to once a month.
I mean, you said so yourself.
I'm at ease.
There's a mistake we all make,
Jo, all the time.
When we feel good, we stop
doing the work that got us there.
I promise if I start to slide,
I'll let you know.
I mean, it's my call, right?
Of course.
OK, then. Great!
Oh, and, um, for the future...
I actually prefer Joanna.
Looking good, Jo.
I'm gonna get some air.
(Door closing)
(Opera on stereo )
I'm leveling off?
You're fine. The trend is good.
Not good enough.
You wanna go back in?
No. I'll just, uh, work on it tonight.
Maybe you're hitting a limit.
Maybe it's time to throttle that back.
We said we'd let the numbers decide.
You just said the numbers are good.
Have you changed your mind
since 10 seconds ago?
I'm going to bed.
(Elliot): What are you telling me?
I'm saying I need more.
Whatever it is you're doing to me,
I need more of it.
(Scoffing)
I thought you said drills won't do it.
He was right.
They won't.
Oh, great. You again.
Fuck it.
Mask off.
Have you ever heard of anchoring?
Like autogenic training?
Yeah. Kogler.
He's a quack.
(Scoffing)
Is that what Raph told you?
Kogler is all about the zone.
Your guy doesn't believe in the zone
because he's never been there.
He conquered the strip with brute force.
Not like us.
And what are you? A mystic?
Jesus, Bathory!
(Laughing)
Of course I am.
And so are you.
That voice.
That voice inside.
The voice that tells you
when to thrust and disengage.
It's not you.
It's the universe.
We're kites in the wind.
The thing is, I've got a string.
Whereas you...
Your right hand.
Press your thumb and
your ring finger together.
Hard.
Close your eyes.
(Inhaling deeply)
(Exhaling slowly)
The thing that makes you happiest.
The thing that keeps you safe.
The thing that's only...
only...
only good.
(Gasping)
That's your anchor.
Reinforce it constantly.
And that... that works?
We'll find out.
What's your anchor?
I can tell you it's not a guy I made up.
(Chuckling)
Maybe it's my German Shepherd.
Or maybe, it's an old coach.
(Grunting, sighing)
Good, Jo, come on, let's go! Let's go!
Again! Attack!
Good. Again. Attack!
(Exhaling slowly)
(Grunting)
(Moaning)
(Whispering): Ah, Elliot...
(Moaning)
Jo?
Jo?
Jo!
Time to pack.
(Birds chirping)
Where's my charger?
One of the drawers.
(Engine rumbling)
(Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
by Os Mutantes )
(Woman singing in French )
(Men and woman chatting, indistinct)
(Moaning softly)
(Moaning)
(Snoring)
(Siren wailing in distance)
I got some intel on Crane.
She's got a new favourite move.
It's counterfourth for intention of a...
Intention of a sixth parry bind.
She used it in Denver.
I clocked it in the footage.
OK, good.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
(Turn Around by Charlie Megira )
Maybe God bid that you see
That your love is still for me
If you meet up with her on the strip,
I think you should use
that low-level attack
we've been working on.
We can see how she responds.
OK?
Your head in the game?
You don't have to worry
about where my head is.
(Beeping)
(Inhaling deeply)
Ready?
Fence!
(Blades whooshing, Joanna grunting)
Ah, jeez.
I was afraid of this.
Audie, nice to see you again.
The look on your face says different.
Oh, I have a resting game face.
(Laughing)
You're funny.
No one told me you were funny.
(Man): Zimmer,
you're against Bathory next.
Jo. Forget about Zimmer.
It doesn't matter.
She won, OK?
Who cares?
(Door closing)
It's not a catastrophe, you know.
You landed in the top 16. You're on track.
You just need to stick
to what you do and not flail.
I was not flailing.
Well, I don't know what
you were doing out there,
but it wasn't what I taught you.
What you taught me is useless!
I needed to trust my instincts.
You're the reason that I got spun out.
Hold up, I'm the reason?
- I meant...
- You meant what?
I'm the reason you're here.
I'm the reason you're something
instead of nothing.
I'm the only reason.
Fuck you!
Ah, this is what happens.
You're unraveling again.
She's unraveling!
Shut up!
Oh, that's very nice, Jo.
You know what?
Why don't you stay in there
'till you calm down a bit?
I can't believe this fucking shit.
(Screaming)
(Crying, sniffling)
Mmm...
Mmm.
All I did on the flight
back was watch footage:
every frame of Zimmer I could find.
I had to get it all into my head,
because the idea I had of her,
it wasn't right!
- Joanna...
- What?
Take a breath.
Just breathe.
Why do you want this?
Why do you want any of this?
Do you remember how happy you were?
Before he noticed you?
Before he said you could go all the way?
It's a sickness.
Seeing second best as failure.
Keeping a bronze medal
at the bottom of a junk drawer.
That's how you have to think
if you want to win!
All this rage in you, and for what?
A single moment of euphoria?
Some... some flowers and a trinket?
A trinket?
I have a gift.
How many people get to be great,
really great at something?
It's a sickness.
And he gave it to you.
Do you...
You really think I'd be happier giving up?
I don't know. I'm not sure.
Then why are you pushing me?
Because I want you.
I want you all the time.
I've spent my life on this.
I have a shot at the one thing
that will make it all worth it.
Once I get it...
And what about him?
He won't let you go.
You know that, don't you?
He will once I get a medal.
Keep telling yourself that.
See what happens.
See if he lets his trophy
get up and walk away.
So how?
How do I get free of him?
Well...
You can make it look like an accident.
There are ways.
That's not you. You're not like that.
The first thing you saw me do
was stab Audie Zimmer in the neck.
She wasn't real.
What does that make me?
Get us to Paris.
Get us there...
and then we can have what we both want.
And stop showing me your dark side.
I don't like it.
(Laughing)
Yeah, you do.
(Zaharila by El Michels Affair )
(Joanna inhaling deeply)
(Exhaling slowly)
(Breathing heavily)
(Grunting)
You saw the trap.
Yep, she's a one-trick pony.
- Good.
- Yeah.
- Dubinska.
- I know, long arms.
High tempo. Provoke her.
OK, this seems unfair.
You've got everyone
in the FIE top 16 in here.
What's the matter?
You nervous?
We both know who's better.
I just want a straight fight.
I mean, seriously. Where's my halo?
Sorry, honey.
Some dreams aren't for you.
(Grunting)
So this is how it feels to be a god.
(Elliot): This is how you deserve
to feel.
It's a beautiful thing, Joanna.
There are no rules here, no limits.
You are meant for greatness.
(Joanna scoffing)
Am I?
So long as no one is holding you back.
(Birds calling)
(Buzzing in distance)
Hey. Hey, what is this?
Uh, this... this is a-an invoice
from Dr. Lambright.
She's only billing you
for one session next month?
Whose idea was that?
It was mutual.
We're in this together, Jo.
It's my mind.
We don't make decisions
without consulting each other.
We don't hide things
from each other. We never...
OK, time for a change.
Pause in our little experiment.
Because I'm worried about
your mental health right now.
That's...
(Clears throat)
You know, that's fair.
I haven't been here.
Not really.
I'm sorry.
These dreams, they're more than I let on.
I've made a whole world in there.
And what's that like?
It doesn't matter.
Reality is where the podium is.
So I... I'll ease back,
stick to the original schedule.
Once every three nights.
The game isn't played on the strip.
It's played up here.
It was the first thing you ever taught me.
- It's a compromise.
- Mmm.
It was either that
or lose you completely.
The halo doesn't belong to him.
I know, but he can take it away from me.
He'll tell them I broke the lock.
That I'm losing my grip on reality.
How long are you going to
keep giving him what he wants?
Until I have what I want.
Catch!
There's something I want to practice:
balestra.
Balestra?
What? You think it's archaic?
Well, what even
is a balestra post Harmenberg?
It's a bounce and a lunge.
It's just part of the froth.
Old techniques can still mean something.
Balestra is about disruption.
Short-circuiting the tempo.
Forget the mechanics.
Think about the idea of it.
Sometimes, you'll get
an opponent who's aggressive,
overbearing,
someone who keeps gaining control
until you've lost all of yours.
But like I always say,
there's a way out of every box.
You'll know.
When the weapon's in your hand
and the world is tipping sideways...
you'll know what to do.
Too slow! Come on.
No. Come on, faster than that.
Form, Jo.
No! Stop anticipating.
Come on!
(Breathing heavily)
What's going on with you?
You seem distracted.
I don't know these sequences.
That's because they're new.
I designed them for you.
I am useful, you know.
I appreciate all the work.
I... I mean...
I am grateful.
Are you?
Of course.
Where would I be if I hadn't
walked into your salle 15 years ago?
It's funny. I've been thinking
about that a lot.
You when you were 19.
I was a different person.
Yes, you were.
I want to see that girl.
I want to see that fire.
If you can't see it, you're not looking.
I told you to put away your toy.
You didn't even put up a fight.
You wanted a fight?
I want the real you.
I miss her.
I'm right here.
(Breathing heavily)
You know what made me certain about you?
What erased all doubt?
It was Cairo.
(Scoffing)
Oh. Is that something
you'd rather not talk about?
Why are you doing this?
Because you've been taking
a break from reality.
So consider this your refresher.
I didn't flinch.
I sold my life's work.
I wrote a check,
and I kept it out of the light.
I made sure that no one knew what you did.
I made you my life!
And what?
Now you're regretting it?
No.
No, not yet.
I'm just wondering
what happened to that girl.
You know, maybe she doesn't
need you anymore.
Audie Zimmer would say different.
(Grunting)
(Raph coughing)
Raph...
I'm...
I'm fine.
Ah!
Maybe we should just take a beat
and, uh, reconvene.
An hour?
Maybe a few.
(Raph grunting)
We're both, um...
off kilter.
Saying things we don't mean.
Yeah.
(Raph coughing)
Before we draw
My dear, dear friend
(Sighing)
I promise you my word
If we should part
My dear, dear love
You know you're in my heart
(Breathing shakily)
Don't worry, Jo. You'll be back.
You're a prodigy, right?
Little orphan Jojo.
(Screaming)
(Crying)
(Sighing)
(Birds calling)
(Sighing)
She signed it.
Nondisclosure agreement.
If she talks about what happened,
she forfeits the settlement.
How much did you give her?
No, don't you worry about that.
There's plenty left over for us.
Raph, aren't you gonna miss this place?
Well, of course I am.
But all I care about is you.
I'm not finished. I'm coming back.
Paris.
We've got four years.
All right, let's go build you a salle.
Look who's right on time.
(Laughing)
Cassoulet? Wait till you try the sauce.
It's amazing.
What's the matter?
Oh, I see what's going on here.
What?
You killed my husband.
And you're wearing his skin as a suit.
Are there more of you?
Is this an invasion?
Will you go, sit down?
Get ready.
What do you want to listen to?
(Baby by Donnie and
Joe Emerson on stereo )
Ooh, baby
It's not even made out of gold, you know.
I know. It's just the outside.
Six grams of coating,
over a pound and a half of silver.
A pawn shop wouldn't even
give you a few hundred for it.
But the bronze...
Five bucks worth of zinc and copper.
It's an oversized penny.
I was proud of you.
Oh, baby
You know that, right?
That just shows you got a lot to learn.
Yes, oh, baby
You know the worst part of it is?
The people.
They're not like us.
They don't understand.
They actually thought I won something.
(Sniffling)
Is it healthy, you think,
to be this way, to live like this?
Healthy?
Definitely not.
But do you know how else to live?
We could drive around in a camper van.
Watch the sunset. We could do
some shrooms under the stars.
Oh, is that what normal people do?
I have no idea what people do.
Fucking barbecues or some ballgame.
(Laughing)
Yes, oh, baby
Believe me, Raph.
I want those six grams
of gold just as much as you did.
You're gonna have to want
it so much more than that.
I do.
Good.
Because I've been thinking about the halo.
And I'm thinking you don't
have to taper off.
There's a better approach.
OK, like what?
Cold turkey.
Just can't wait until tomorrow night
Hey, baby, let's shake it
Don't bother looking for it.
Where is it?
What, you think I hid it?
I put it under a sofa cushion like
an 8-year-old?
Raph...
Oh, baby
Raph!
I gave it back, Jo.
You had no right.
Yes, oh, baby
I need it.
Am I a fucking idiot?
You think I don't know?
I don't wake up hearing
you moaning his name?
"Oh, Elliot. Oh, Elliot, Elliot..."
Shut up.
Who's Elliot?
"Elliot, oh! Fucking Elli..."
Shut up!
That's it right there. That's the rage.
That's what I've been looking for.
You can't muster it on the strip,
but the moment I take away your boyfriend,
oh, look at that.
- He's more than that.
- Mmm.
He's more than you ever were.
I don't really care
about your fantasies, Jo.
I only care about one thing.
And that's not letting you lose again.
Fine. I'll get there, without you.
And I will win, because of him.
And you know where you'll be?
You'll be here, across the ocean,
watching me on TV,
hearing them play
The Star-Spangled Banner.
And you will watch them
put gold around my neck,
and you will know that none
of it belongs to you.
(Raph coughing)
I just told you I don't
care about your fantasies.
You want to leave?
Go right ahead.
Leave.
I'll tell everyone what happened
four years ago.
USA Fencing will expel you,
and you'll get nowhere near Paris.
Listen, Jo, you should be happy.
Because when you're standing
on that podium,
and you look out in the crowd,
I'm gonna be staring right back at you,
and you are gonna be so grateful
this happened today.
I could have had a life.
Instead, I got you.
Darling, come on, let's face it.
It's not like you'd be curing cancer.
I gave your life meaning.
You know what?
Go, go get your shit together.
Go figure it out.
And when you're ready,
you come back to me, and we'll train.
(Crying)
(Raph coughing)
(Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
by Os Mutantes on stereo )
Raph?
(Coughing, retching)
Raph!
Raph!
(Coughing)
Raph!
(Breathing shakily)
(Phone clattering)
(Breathing heavily)
(Me and My Shadow by Peggy Lee )
Me
And my
Shadow
Strolling down the
Avenue
Me
And my
Shadow
So, what's new?
(Birds calling in distance)
I killed Raph.
How'd that happen?
He made it easy for me.
All those years he spent training.
The body needs more oxygen,
so it makes more red blood cells.
Sometimes, it makes too many.
And you end up having to take
300 milligrams of Pradaxa every day.
It's a... a blood thinner.
Prevents clotting.
What are you telling me, Jo?
I knew exactly what to do.
And I didn't even know that I was doing it
until it was done.
A jab to the neck.
A little coagulation.
And...
(Clicks tongue)
...pulmonary embolism.
You gotta admit, it's elegant.
Oh, I should have asked.
This doesn't leave the room, right?
(Phone clicking)
We have it.
She just confessed.
(Door slamming)
No!
Ah, ah, ah, no!
It's gonna be OK, Jo.
No! No!
(Gasping, breathing heavily)
I've just been under a lot of...
(Mumbling)
Come on in.
Hello, Joanna.
Hi.
Thanks for seeing me.
Look, I don't know
exactly what he told you.
But I can guess.
May we see your phone?
What are you looking for?
The safeguards were there for a reason.
Risking your health like this...
I'm sorry, I... I don't know
what you're talking about.
Oh, 80% chance of rain?
Is that what you wanted to know?
Let's talk about Elliot.
(Sighing)
Elliot was an ex-boyfriend of mine.
You've never mentioned him.
You've always said Raph
was your first serious relationship.
He was.
Elliot was barely a relationship.
It was brief, but intense.
Raph and I, we have been at odds lately.
And I guess my mind,
it's been going back to... to happier times.
Why would Raph assume this man
is a figment of your imagination?
Because he's jealous.
- Of Elliot?
- No.
Of the halo.
Of what it's done for me.
Let me tell you a story.
A man puts himself in charge of a woman.
Of her body, of her life.
But one day, the woman,
she starts to express her own will...
her own desires.
And the man,
oh, well, he decides she's lost her mind.
The halo is giving me back
something I haven't had in a long time.
It is giving me control.
That's why he took it away.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
(Gasping softly)
It's OK.
I didn't want this.
I know.
I should have called 911.
You did everything right.
And now you know what you have to do.
You think I should run?
No.
You can't run from this.
I can.
There are... there are countries.
I'm not talking about laws.
I'm talking about you.
This can't be your story.
This can't be how it ends.
There's only one thing
that can weigh as much
as what you've done.
And it's what you've wanted all along.
And you need it now more than ever.
I don't think I can.
Yes, you can.
- No...
- It's OK.
Look at me.
I don't care about the world.
I don't care what they think of you.
I want you to know what you are.
What you really are.
There is something inside of me.
It's fire.
It's why you win.
So, what am I supposed to do?
Well, first...
we have some housekeeping to take care of.
Yeah.
(Phone buzzing)
Hey, this is Raph.
Leave a message, and I'll get back to you.
(Voicemail beeping)
Hello, Raph. It's Dr. Sutro.
Joanna came to the lab,
and I'd like to talk to you about it.
Please call me back
as soon as you can. Thanks.
Hope you're well.
(Joanna breathing heavily)
(Elliot): We don't know
what we're capable of.
Not until we do it.
You're a champion, Joanna.
It's what you are.
I haven't proved it yet.
You will.
There aren't more than
10 women in the world
that can beat you right now.
But all 10 of them are doing
the same thing to you
that you've been doing to them.
That's how Zimmer won in Cincinnati.
You have patterns.
You can't fence and not have patterns.
Well, we're going to build
a new way to fence.
You're a murderer.
You're an angel from heaven.
You're a feather.
You're a diamond shard.
You're not one person.
You're a hundred people.
You're the one who stopped his heart.
You're the one who cried his name.
I get it.
Not one pattern.
A thousand.
Channel surfing.
Do what you were born to do.
Break the game.
(Epes clinking)
(Both grunting)
Ah!
(Grunting)
(Elliot): His parents are gone.
No siblings. Cousins he never sees.
Who are his friends?
Who will miss him?
Our world was small.
And he saw to that.
(Sighing)
To forget you is to hide
There's still so much left to recover
(Announcer): With
the Paris Olympics only months away,
these next few World Cups are crucial.
One fencer to keep an eye on:
Joanna Bathory, a name
some of you may remember.
On guard.
(Audience applauding)
Americans Zimmer and Bathory
have both made it to
the podium here in Athens.
I could not come back the same
This city's changed
You've got a new problem.
You're too good, suspiciously good.
And scrutiny is not what
you want right now.
Ease up. Take a few hits.
Well, that's gonna hurt.
Not as much as handcuffs will.
Hiding out inside my head
It's me again
(Audience applauding)
It's no surprise
(Announcer): Not
the performance we were hoping
to see from her tonight.
It does make one wonder:
Does Bathory have the stamina
to compete with
the new generation of fencers?
Every time I turn to you
I see the past
It's all that lasts
Ready? Fence!
Despite her disappointment
in Gothenburg,
Bathory has continued
to rise through the rankings.
It looks like we haven't seen
the last of her quite yet.
Tonight, though, all eyes are on Zimmer.
It's me you're facing
(Voicemail beeping)
Hey, bud, you haven't
responded to any of my texts.
Weird.
But looks like our girls are neck and neck
in the World Cup circuits.
Give me a ring back.
(Announcer): Only two World Cups remain
to determine this year's Olympic hopefuls.
And Bathory moves up once again.
(Voicemail beeping)
Hi, Raph. It's Dr. Sutro again.
Please give me a call back.
(Announcer): This is
the final competition
before Olympic team selection.
(Audience cheering)
And it's Bathory!
A nail-biter of a match as she takes gold
here in Mexico City.
She will be one to watch in Paris.
I couldn't help it.
I was there and I held him
You couldn't help it.
I was there and he put it all on me
That's you.
Always giving in.
I was there and I held him
Follow every impulse.
Took me into his arms
Like an animal.
Told me that I was the reason
Told me that I was the woman
He'd always be losing
Always...
(Knocking on door)
It's Audie!
- Hey!
- Hi.
- Bad time?
- No.
Thank you.
You were magic today.
There were times I didn't even understand
what I was looking at.
Thank you.
Listen, I know we've been adversaries.
When we see each other,
it's usually through the mask,
and you're a private person.
I get that.
(Chuckling)
How's Raph?
The last time I saw him was in Cincinnati.
Ah, he's fine.
He's, um, taking care
of some family stuff.
What kind of stuff?
His aunt Cecile has a cancer.
So he's taking care of her.
(Audie scoffing)
He doesn't have an aunt.
His dad was an only child,
and his mom didn't have any sisters.
Except, um, Vronique,
but she died when she was a baby.
If memory serves.
Cecile was a neighbor.
He grew up calling her Tata.
You know, "Aunt."
Ah, guess he never told me about her.
Yeah, I guess not.
- So he's in France?
- Yeah.
That's convenient.
Why is it convenient?
(Chuckling)
Have you been asleep or something?
The rankings are up.
You went from a U rating to a spot
on the national team
faster than anyone
in the history of the sport.
Tell Raph you'll meet him in Paris.
(Pop playing on
stereo, lyrics indistinct )
(Doorbell ringing)
Joanna Bathory?
I'm Detective Fiorino.
This is Detective Tran.
State Police. May we come in?
You're not in any trouble.
We just need to talk.
- Sure.
- Yeah.
So you're a professional fencer.
Is that right?
- I fence.
- Mmm.
No one really makes a living from it,
unless they teach.
You just made the Olympic team.
Well, technically,
we haven't qualified yet.
No one has.
Oh, come on. We've seen your stats.
World Cup winner! You're gonna be a star.
(Chuckling)
What did you wanna talk about?
When's the last time
you saw your husband?
Um...
about four months ago.
That's quite a while.
Yeah.
Why so long?
We had a fight, a bad one.
And he just walked out.
I haven't heard from him.
And to be honest, I, um,
I haven't wanted to.
Hmm. That does sound bad.
Are you here because
you know where he is?
We're here because we don't.
Raph has been reported missing.
By who?
Someone who misses him.
Would you say you have
a history of violence, Joanna?
(Chuckling)
(Papers rustling)
Do you know when
that image was captured?
Can you tell us what's in the white jugs?
I'd like a lawyer present.
You bet.
But, listen, you'll find this interesting.
Alkaline hydrosis can dissolve a body.
Skin, bones, everything.
You end up with just a brown goop.
Looks like maple syrup.
You know this.
Here's the thing:
Raph had a filling.
And do you know what lye does to silver?
Absolutely nothing.
So let's say our forensic geomorphologist
finds some overturned
topsoil in your backyard
or out by Coal Creek
or way out in Okanagan.
Let's say, hypothetically,
we find a bag underneath that soil,
and in it, there's some brown goop
and exactly 800 milligrams
of silver amalgam.
What kind of day would that be for you?
Bad?
Or very bad?
See?
Jell-O.
Oh, fucking hell.
Enough of this shit.
One of these days, it won't be a drill.
You can go now.
Joanna...
Get the fuck out of my house!
(Door opening, closing)
Is that even true?
The filling?
Mmm... It could be.
It could...
I can't.
I... I don't know how to get out of here.
I've never wanted to before.
What is it you want out there?
(Slapping)
Just let me out!
Joanna...
I'm not in control here.
Then who is?
(Gasping)
(Screaming)
(Gasping)
(Crying)
(Gasping)
(Breathing heavily)
Think it through.
I have.
I shouldn't be here.
They'll know where to find you.
You can run.
But understand what that means.
I just need...
Don't walk out that door.
Am I still dreaming?
No.
I'm not doing this.
You are.
You want it, in your body.
You want it in every cell.
It's always been inside you.
It's what you are.
(Breathing heavily)
(Lark by Angel Olsen )
Told me that I was the reason
(Sighing)
Told me that I was the woman
He'd always be losing
Always
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
(Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
by Os Mutantes )
(Woman singing in French )
Hey.
A fruit stand?
This is your fantasy?
You never learned how to live.
Life was for other people.
Water and lye...
Where'd you learn that? Google?
I hope you used incognito mode.
What do you want?
Nothing. I'm all set.
I can't believe you poked me to death.
No, no...
Don't feel bad, darling.
Had to happen.
A sacrifice to the gods.
Fuel for the fire.
He's good for you.
I see that now.
And you're gonna look so good
standing on that podium.
The bouquet in your arms.
My little jewel...
Au revoir, bijou!
(Sighing)
(Traffic, horn honking in distance)
(Phone chiming)
(Voicemail beeping)
(Man): Raph, I'm in Paris!
We did it! Congratulations, man.
All right, uh, I hope to see you out here.
(Men and women chatting, indistinct)
- It's got less protein.
- I'm lactose intolerant.
And you're in France! It's tragic.
- Hi.
- JB!
There she is.
Un caf, merci.
You sleep well?
Yeah, I slept fine.
I was up all night watching tape.
Sasha Viazovska.
Oh, that's Akiyoshi.
I should say hi.
JB!
You seem chill.
Well, Misha, I just, um...
I just woke up in Paris, so...
I should go too.
I got a masseuse coming.
Show her a picture of Jo
and say you wanna be this relaxed.
Yeah. See you all at noon.
- Bye!
- Bye.
Does Raph know you drink coffee now?
I showed up to class with a latte once,
and he yelled at me until I cried.
I guess he'll be there today, huh?
(Sighing)
Audie...
I lied to you, about Raph.
He's not taking care of his aunt Cecile.
We had a fight.
Months ago.
A lot of stuff had been
building up, and it all...
came out.
We're separated.
And I think we're gonna stay that way.
God, um...
I'm so sorry.
I'm all right. I'm OK, mostly.
Was he cheating?
Not that I know of.
Were you?
Uh, sorry.
I'm... I'm nosy.
There's no one in my life right now.
There's just the piste, and you guys.
I had a dream last night.
I made it to the last round,
the gold medal match.
I walked onto the strip,
I looked at my opponent,
and it was you.
Who won?
(Chuckling)
You were so zen about a minute ago.
Relax, it was just a dream.
(Chuckling)
Hey, what's up?
Nothing.
I... I just thought I saw someone
I haven't seen in a while.
Friend or an enemy?
(Chuckling softly)
(Woman speaking French on PA)
(Woman on PA): Round 1 begins
in 5 minutes.
- Hey, you good?
- Yeah.
You know, I have to admit,
I didn't think you were a killer.
But Raph sure did, didn't he?
Guess so.
Is he all right?
I tried calling him this morning, but...
Hey, Owen.
I just wanted to say that I think
you're a phenomenal coach.
You know when to prod
and when to step back.
(Chuckling)
You're right.
I'll stop talking.
You don't need me, Jo.
Just do what you do.
(Men and woman chatting, indistinct)
(Elliot): This is it, Joanna, your time.
Liao, China's top fencer.
Relentless attacker.
She leans on feints.
Pull her in and crush her.
En garde!
Prtes. Allez.
(Exhaling sharply)
(Grunting)
Touch to the left.
Bathory, USA, advances
to the table of 16.
En garde. Prtes. Allez.
- (Elliot): Fournier. Be soft.
Find your way in.
(Grunting)
Halt! Touch to the left.
Bathory, USA, advances
to the quarterfinal.
(Epes clinking)
(Elliot): Zimmer. She's on her way up.
Halt! Touch to the left.
Watch her.
Zimmer, USA, advances
to the quarterfinal.
Tanaka, third in the world right now.
She likes distance.
Close the gap. Now.
(Grunting)
Halt!
Bathory, USA,
advances to the semifinal.
(Audience cheering, men and women talking)
Hi! Thank you.
You want me to sign?
(Man talking on PA, indistinct)
- There you go.
- Joanna!
(Screaming)
(Man): Joanna!
Thank you.
(Siren wailing in distance)
(Line ringing, voicemail beeping)
(Audie on voicemail): Raph...
You don't pick up much these days.
(Audie giggling)
I miss seeing you coach
from the sidelines.
But I must admit,
I've enjoyed watching Jo sweat.
(Audie giggling)
When you gonna pop your head out?
Don't be a stranger. Call me back.
How long has it been?
A little while.
I stopped using it.
Until today.
You're almost there.
Almost.
One more match,
then one more after that.
And then I'm done.
I'm here because of you.
Everything happens
the way it's supposed to.
(Both breathing heavily)
(Moaning)
(Phone ringing)
Hello?
(Woman): Sorry to wake you up.
Who is this?
We met through our friend Craig.
Do they have payphones there?
(Coins clinking)
(Siren wailing in distance)
(Line ringing)
(Man shouting in distance)
(Woman): Hello, Joanna.
It's nice to finally know your name.
Neera?
It's 2:00 a.m.
It's kind of a big day tomorrow.
So tell me, why am I at
a payphone in my pajamas?
Someone's been poking
around my dev box.
They seem interested
in the code I wrote for you.
What are you talking about?
Who's they?
I don't know. You tell me.
How did you find out who I am?
Tell me, why would an Olympic fencer
need a secret app
that activates a mysterious little gadget
she can't even show me?
It's complicated.
Then I will simplify it for you:
Am I in trouble?
No! You haven't...
You haven't done anything wrong.
What about you?
Neera, I have to go.
Don't call me again.
You're fine.
She doesn't know anything.
Someone knows something.
Come back to bed.
(Whispering): Something
doesn't feel right.
I've gotta get out of here.
Can't sleep either, huh?
Yeah, you caught me.
You OK?
Yeah, yeah.
Just, uh, thinking about tomorrow.
So she does get nervous.
What can I say? I'm human.
(Giggling)
Don't worry, Jo.
It's gonna be a great day.
One for the books.
Thanks.
- Sleep tight.
- Mm-hmm.
(Zipper closing)
(Elliot): What do you make of her?
Doesn't matter.
'Cause tomorrow...
I'll kill her.
Good. Follow your instincts.
(Bird calling)
(Audience applauding)
Viazovska...
Number one in Europe.
From a long line of fencing royalty.
She's old school.
En garde! Prtes.
- Be bouncy.
- Allez!
Attack quick.
(Breathing heavily)
(Grunting)
Now.
(Audience cheering)
Bathory, USA, advances to the final.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
USA! USA! USA!
I guess some dreams do come true.
I love a mystery.
And that's what you were, Jo.
I had heard the stories
about your intensity.
But then when I saw you again,
you were so...
fragile.
And you were jealous of me.
That tripped me out.
You...
jealous of me.
(Laughing)
You were the one Raph chose.
He abandoned me. He left all of us.
All so he could bet his life
on Joanna Bathory.
I wanted the truth.
And when I start chasing something,
I don't stop.
How did the shaky little leaf I beat 15-4
turn into the stone-cold assassin
I saw in Leipzig and Athens...
and Mexico City?
You weren't just good.
You were holding back.
(Chuckling softly)
Turned out you had more
secrets than I thought.
Technology's amazing.
(Laughing)
This thing can clone
a hard drive in four minutes.
Even the shit you think you deleted.
One conversation at the front desk
gets me a spare key
to my teammate's hotel room.
And then it's just like an pe.
Waiting for an opening.
The right moment to attack.
Interesting, what I found
in your search history.
Marrakesh.
Caracas.
Moscow.
Raph drops off the face of the earth,
and suddenly, you're looking up flights
to countries without extradition treaties.
I've never had a dead guy
block my number, by the way.
That hurt.
You're crazy.
I'm fine, actually.
How are you, though?
It can't be healthy,
wearing a magnet every night
so you can cheat your way to gold.
(Audie chuckling)
Yeah.
I know about that too.
And now so do some other people.
Why would I care what people think?
You might care what these people think.
Homicide is sort of an interest of theirs.
I waited as long as I could.
We were on the same team.
I wanted to ride you to the Olympics.
Or maybe I waited too long.
I want to beat you on the strip.
I want to earn it,
because otherwise, it's just...
a paperweight.
(Man speaking French on PA)
(Chuckling softly)
Women's fencing final
begins in one minute.
You might win.
You have the odds.
Maybe I'll surprise everyone.
But whatever happens, I can tell you this:
When you look back
at the time you were in Paris,
the feeling will be bittersweet.
Good luck, Jo.
The passport is clean.
You covered your tracks.
Down the hallway, the fire exit.
Taxi to the airport.
No.
This only ends one way.
(Man speaking French on PA)
Ladies and gentlemen,
please be seated
for the women's fencing final.
(Fanfare on PA )
(Audience cheering)
(Audience cheering and applauding)
(Man speaking French on PA)
Competing for gold...
from the United States, Joanna Bathory.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
(Man speaking French on PA)
Competing for gold...
from the United States,
Audie Zimmer.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Just so you know,
I've been holding back too.
(Elliot): Lock it out. Focus.
En garde.
Prt. Allez!
(Grunting)
Halt! Touch to the right.
(Audience applauding)
(Grunting)
- Halte!
- Yes!
Double touch.
(Audience applauding)
(Both grunting)
Touch to the left.
- Halt! Double touch.
- No! Come on!
(Grunting)
- Halt!
- Yeah!
Touch to the right.
(Grunting)
Halt!
- Yes!
- Touch to the left.
(Audience applauding)
Halt. Touch to the right.
- No!
- Yes!
- No!
- Yeah.
(Audience cheering)
(Exhaling slowly)
En garde. Prt.
Allez.
Yes!
Touch to the left.
Priority, Zimmer.
Une minute.
She's chaos.
Her patterns are gone. I can't read her.
Forget her patterns. Forget everything.
Just feel it.
You'll know what to do.
You've always known.
En garde!
Prt.
Allez!
Yeah!
Halt!
(Whimpering)
Touch to the right.
Bathory!
Yeah!
Championne Olympique.
Winner, Bathory, Olympic champion.
Yeah!
Yeah! Yes!
(Laughing)
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Yes!
(Audience chanting):
Bathory! Bathory! Bathory!
Representing Ukraine,
Sasha Viazovska.
(Audience applauding)
Representing
the United States of America,
Audie Zimmer.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
Gold medalist and Olympic champion...
representing the United States of America,
Joanna Bathory.
(Audience cheering and applauding)
(Woman speaking French on PA)
Please stand for the national anthem
of the United States.
(The Star-Spangled Banner
playing on PA )
O say can you see
By the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hail'd
At the twilight's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watch'd
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
O say
Does that star-spangled banner
Yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?
(Chance by Angel Olsen )
What is it you think I need?
Maybe it's too hard to see
I don't want it all
I've had enough
I don't want it all
I've had a love
Worst feeling I've had
Is gone
It's gone
I know how it all comes back
I know too well
Now I'm done
I'm leaving once again
Makin' my own plan
I'm not looking
For the answer
Or anything that
Lasts
I just want to see
Some beauty
Try
And understand
If we got to know
Each other
How rare is that?
All that space in between
Where we stand
Could be our chance
Could be our chance...