Birdland (2018) Movie Script
(whooshing)
(introspective music)
(train rattling)
(intense music)
(woman screams)
(indistinct radio chatter)
Okay.
You want to show us where
the rest of the cameras are?
What do you have to hide?
Test.
You're watching a detective.
Yeah, that's right.
I see you.
Yeah, I mean you.
What?
I need your badge.
Off the record, how long you
been taking police equipment?
I'm sorry, Hood, they asked
me to take your badge.
It wasn't my idea.
(pats chair)
(breathing heavily)
That's interesting.
Don't really know what to say.
- You know that we're
here to talk about Tom,
and why he is in jail under
suspicion of two murders,
Merle James and Ray Starling.
(man grunts)
- I know when it comes to
murder, everyone is a suspect.
- When did things start
to go off the rails, Hood?
- My life is
perfect, isn't yours?
Tom.
Hi.
What'd you get up to today?
(woman moaning)
(introspective music)
(footsteps echoing)
(ladder rattles)
- When you put in master
cameras at your husband's work
and your own home, I mean
you must have some idea
what you were chasing
after in all this.
- At first, it was
just an awful feeling
in the pit of my stomach.
- So why didn't you just
confront Tom about Merle?
- Until then, I'd
never heard of Merle.
At the time, I really didn't
know what I was looking for.
(footsteps echoing)
(man laughs)
Now I think you all can see
how this will benefit
the entire community.
- You're destroying
everything I care about!
Starling.
Merle, come on, let's go.
Merle, please, come on.
- Starling, will you talk
some sense into your girl?
I'm nobody's girl.
- [Calvin] What was
the most striking thing
you learned about her?
- She was blonde, is that
what you want to know?
You claim.
- She was very
different from me.
How so?
- I guess I admired her
strong moral principles.
- And that's why she
slept with your husband.
Maybe.
Don't feel so bad.
Most marriages are
based in denial.
(introspective music)
Was working for Merle's dad
the first time you
started moonlighting?
[Sheila] Guess so.
You have a thing for
the Medieval era?
- Give me back the
Knights of the Round Table
and the search of the San Graal.
Sounds so noble.
What would we women
do without you?
Hmm.
Who are they?
- This is my daughter Merle
and my daughter Hazel.
Have you ever tried
archery, Miss Hood?
- It's not exactly
my weapon of choice.
- Of course Merle's the
crack shot in the family.
You must try it sometime.
- I always worry
when I see my dad
alone with a beautiful woman.
This is my daughter Hazel.
This is Sheila Hood.
Hi.
Be nice to my father now.
- Your father
strikes me as a man
who knows how to
look after himself.
(Hazel chuckles)
(inaudible whispering)
- So, how can I
help you, Miss Hood?
- I'd like to help
you, Mr. James.
- Oh really, well how
are you going to help me?
- I'd like to get to the bottom
of your sabotage problem.
And what's in it for you?
Are you in debt, or something?
Or is this personal?
Of course I deal with
a lot of people but,
I've a hunch this is something
to do with my daughter Merle.
You see Merle is
one of those people
who blames everything in
the world on global warming.
- You're too
beautiful to be a cop.
So, what gives?
By the way, what do you think
of my father, the silver fox?
- I'm not really sure what
to think of your father.
- Hmm, he's a man of grand
appetites and passions.
Merle inherited
his stubbornness.
You're lucky he likes you.
Watch out for Starling, though,
he's a pretty dangerous guy.
How so?
He's not the kind of guy who's
particularly interested
in your nice ass.
He's more interested in taking
advantage of your wounds.
So what do you like about him?
He lets me sing at his bar,
and he likes to touch
women inappropriately.
(chuckles)
Aren't you going to
ask me about my sister?
Of course.
If I could say anything,
I admire her sense of purpose.
How she became so different
remains a mystery to me.
How do you mean?
She believes in something.
Compared to Merle,
I'm pretty crass
and materialistic.
("Lullaby of Birdland")
Ladies and gentlemen, my sister,
Merle James.
Lullaby of Birdland,
that's what I
Always hear when you say
Never in my wordland could
there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
Have you ever heard
two turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love
That's the kind of magic
music we make with our lips
When we kiss
No peeking.
(inhaling deeply)
Smells like Cubans.
Mm hmm.
That's part of the story.
Louisiana whiskey, no less.
You can open your eyes now.
The ivory-billed woodpecker.
How?
This is a museum piece.
The cigar box is antique.
It's made from the trees
they cut down in Louisiana.
The cigar is from Cuba
where they did the same.
I remember you telling me
that's why the
ivory-bill went extinct.
Don't you like it?
That was
very touching, Hood.
I mean, I thought you'd be
angry enough to kill a guy
and you, you just
give him a present?
- It was like if I could
just create something
that I knew he loved,
maybe I could still
somehow hold onto what we had.
Do you have any evidence
yet that it is sabotage?
None.
Other than damage
from the fires.
But I also have this.
Life is full of
inexplicable things.
Someone sent these to you?
- Now I should tell you
Merle was having an affair
which led to her breaking
off her engagement
with Raymond Starling.
(woman breathing heavily)
Go ahead, shoot me.
(dramatic music)
(introspective music)
Now point it up just a little.
Good.
Now release the arrow.
Let it go.
Not bad for a first try.
Only with your help.
- I'm just gonna go
make a phone call,
why don't you go get the
arrows, I'll be right back.
(crossbow fires)
(Sheila gasps)
(introspective music)
(shutter clicks)
(shutter clicks)
[Sheila] Poor thing.
Ah, he looks so peaceful,
but he died so violently.
Mm hmm, mm hmm.
Yeah?
Yeah, it's good.
What?
Let's go.
What?
Nothing, it's...
(sighs)
Your pictures, it's like
you're photographic a
crime scene, you know?
(shutter clicks)
Oh, for real then?
Hey, come here.
This one's still breathing.
- (sighs) Birds don't
understand windows.
We should put it
out of its misery.
No!
No, we need to take him
to the wildlife center.
- [Calvin] What
was going on with
this whole dead bird thing?
- We were bird
rescue volunteers,
looking for stunned
or injured birds
that had collided
with buildings.
I tagged along, documenting
the deaths because
it was something we
could do together.
Hmm, sounds intimate.
(unsettled music)
- They say the spirit
of King Arthur is alive
in any old crow that flies back.
- [Calvin] You always get that
worked up over dead birds?
Thought that was
more of a Tom thing.
- I was brought up to believe
in the sanctity of life.
If you say so.
So what was going
on in your marriage
before all this
started to happen?
(Tom breathing heavily)
(Tom shushing)
What's wrong?
Wait.
What's that noise?
(introspective music)
(intense music)
(gasping and breathing heavily)
(intense music)
[Sheila] Tom?
Yeah.
[Sheila] Baby?
I'm in the kitchen.
Hey.
Hey hey hey hey hey.
You gotta see this.
Check it out.
Oh my God, you're bleeding.
No (shushing).
You gotta see this.
You're bleeding.
Wait wait wait.
Look at this, I
got it right here.
Look at me, look at me.
- Wait, wait.
- Look at me!
- Just hang on,
you gotta see this.
Okay.
See this riot cop
hits me with his baton.
- What the fuck are you
doing hitting a cop?
You should have been there.
We were protesting
Futron Energy.
The same assholes
sponsoring your exhibit
produce the oil equivalent of
a quarter of a million tons
of carbon dioxide a day.
Baby, we've been living
with our heads in the sand.
You're blonde.
- At first she seemed to be
strictly interested in Starling.
Maybe the word
stalker is too strong?
But she had a pretty
unhealthy preoccupation
with my sister, Merle.
- I have no idea what
she wanted from me.
But to be honest,
I think she may have
wanted to blackmail me.
They're lying.
We'll get to that later.
When did you first come across
the guy in the cowboy
hat, what's his name?
Bob McIntyre.
- So as part of your
investigation for Mr. James,
he had you follow Tom and Merle
to his fracking
operations, right?
Yeah.
(introspective music)
- [Calvin] And the
guy in the cowboy hat,
that, that's Bob McIntyre?
[Sheila] Bob McIntyre.
Right.
What do you think?
Do you think Tom and Merle
were doing the sabotaging?
(tense music)
(liquid sloshing)
(sniffing deeply)
You know when that was taken?
Sure.
Yeah, not really.
I don't know, obviously
before Merle died.
You know, you just
always seem like
you're enjoying your job.
- Do you know they
say that men and women
think about sex
every seven seconds,
it's just like (tongue popping).
12,000 times a day.
- What is that, your new
favorite pickup line?
No, just,
an interesting statistic.
(breathing heavily)
(woman moaning)
Everyone has a breaking point.
Me for instance,
I don't think I could
handle watching my wife
do lines off some
naked dude in my bed.
Get the fuck out of here.
- Tom is suspected of
committing two murders,
but if I didn't know you,
I'd say you'd be
a prime suspect.
(intense music)
Did you ever meet her?
No.
I just surveilled her.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Top up?
Hmm, yeah.
What are you looking at?
Is this a new ring?
No.
No, it was my great-aunt's.
I don't usually wear it,
but are you sure you've
never seen it before?
Aren't we supposed
to be married?
- It was familiar, I
just didn't recognize it.
- I guess there's a lot we
don't know about each other.
Sorry, what?
Hmm?
What?
- See, you're not
even listening.
Always busy working late with
your dinosaurs and your birds.
I heard you.
It's your great-aunt's ring.
I like it.
Thank you.
(introspective music)
(ring clattering)
"Forget me not."
- Maybe this is all a
case of cherchez la femme.
Look, you know Tom.
He's a mild-mannered
ornithologist.
- Yeah, but I think
that maybe Tom started
to feel protective over Merle.
Maybe it was a
jealous rage, or a,
a sudden dose of
testosterone just kicking in.
[Tom] Hey!
- His motive, if you can
categorize it as such,
was self-defense.
- If Tom killed Starling
in self-defense,
why wouldn't you just call
the police right away?
I don't know!
Panic?
Embarrassment?
Maybe we just needed a
little time to process
what had just happened.
We?
You know what I mean.
- This is more like a
case of I will repay you.
- You know that the average
person is caught on camera
over 300 times a day.
It doesn't mean the whole truth
about their lives is exposed.
- Doesn't explain
Tom's behavior.
I'm gonna fucking kill him!
Baby.
- It's like watching the
hour a dog turns into a wolf.
This isn't a black hole, Hood.
If that isn't motivation,
I don't know what is.
This is over.
You know, I'm mystified
as to how you can defend
somebody who betrayed
you so deeply.
If it was me, I'd be
calling my lawyer right now.
- I'm not sure it's
really possible
for you to fully understand
what happened here.
- Remind me again why you
have all this weird creepy
dead stuff in your house.
(Sheila laughs)
You'd have to ask Tom.
Tom, babe, why do
we have so much
creepy dead stuff in our house?
[Tom] It's my job, asshole.
- I don't know, when we
first started dating,
we spent oh half our time
looking at dead things.
Now we have a freezer
full of birds.
Here you go.
Hey guys, give me a
second, I forgot something.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
You guys ready?
The piece de resistance.
(murmurs of admiration)
What are those?
These
are roasted beetle larvae.
Right?
- Yeah, you know I hear
that beetle protein
is going to save the world.
Yeah.
Sheila?
Come on, you gotta try one.
Aw, you two should have kids.
(Tom laughs)
- No, I would
never bring a child
into the world in
its current state.
Uh, okay.
You've never said that before.
- I've certainly voiced my
reservations, my reluctance.
- Yeah, I know, but
you've never said it
like that before, like
you'd never do it.
- Well, I just
don't to bring kids
for not doing what
I want in life.
Okay, you know what?
(dance club music)
Come on.
- No, no, I don't dance.
- Dance with me, come on.
I don't dance.
Oh, God.
- Come on, detective,
on your feet.
See?
Check this out.
(Sheila laughs)
- [Calvin] Oh,
what are you doing?
Shh.
Why are you up there?
(Sheila shushing)
What are you doing?
- Let's see what
these puppies can do.
You can rewind and pause it.
Sorry you gotta see this.
I was just so,
showing him some new cameras.
See?
Bird's eye view.
(dance club music)
(introspective music)
(woman breathing heavily)
(tense music)
Hmm.
Your wife, yes?
You remember me, don't you Tom?
John James.
Yes of course, Mr. James.
How can I help you?
- I hear my daughter has been
speaking with you lately, Tom.
Don't worry, I understand.
I was married once myself.
You know, Futron Energy has a
lot invested in this exhibit.
- I'm just an
ornithologist, doing my job.
Are you sure ornithology
is all you've been
doing lately, Tom?
- Bet some weird things
just started to appear
when you turned on
that camera of yours.
End of times, I guess.
Did Tom ever make mention of
Mr. James coming to visit him?
Yeah.
He was upset, shaken really.
What did he say exactly?
- I remember he went on
about how the oil industry
represented the end
of civilization,
how we should all just leave
fossil fuels in the ground.
And he talked about
pulling the plug
on Mr. James' sponsorship.
- Well, Merle must have
had a lot of faith in Tom.
I mean, do you think Tom had
that kind of power
at the museum?
- Oh, he was
well-regarded there.
And they had to be seen as not
sanitizing dirty oil money.
- I can't help but think it's
something more than that.
What makes you say that?
The body count.
(whipping)
When did you first have a hunch
she was hiding things from you?
I have to ask this.
Were you guys into any
kinky S and M types stuff?
Because there are
pictures that suggest...
[Sheila] No.
- How do you just
keep it to yourself?
I mean, how does a happily
married man like Tom
succumb to a woman like Merle?
I don't know.
Why do birds sing?
I guess they found
a common cause.
- I know, we are the fucking
world, I get it, thanks.
- Do you know everything
that's going on
inside of your
wife's head, Calvin?
- I know that if you put
a piece of raw sirloin
in front of my dog,
he can't resist it.
Fuck you.
- [Calvin] When were you first
made aware of Merle's death?
- We were at home
when the phone rang.
(phone ringing)
Is everything okay?
What?
He told me an
ex-girlfriend had died.
- [Calvin] I guess by
then Tom was accustomed
to avoiding the truth.
(introspective music)
Listen to this.
Look what I found.
(bird calling)
This is a definitive recording
of an ivory-billed woodpecker
take at close range
in 1935 in Louisiana.
(imitating bird call)
You should record me.
If I died, wouldn't
you go to my funeral?
You're not her.
I don't care about her.
It's like I said, I
don't want the past
tainting our marriage.
Right.
- Is this really why
you're saying it like that?
No, just I
really don't understand
why you wouldn't go.
[Tom] It's embarrassing.
It's embarrassing?
What, what's
embarrassing, I am?
Death is embarrassing.
(introspective music)
You know what these are?
These are tiny bits
of Merle's body
found at one of
the crime scenes.
In this case, the museum.
- Tom always says our
DNA is like a scrapbook
of our history as a species.
We've got everything from avian
flu and ancient sex viruses,
non-human beings, even bug
shit, right in our blood stream.
Is that what Tom says?
- Four billion years of
death product in our DNA.
Our mortality is mapped out.
We're programmed to die.
- Welcome to the
human race, hon.
- I think sometime soon
we'll be able to change
our physical makeup
and live a lot longer,
you know, like God does in the
Bible with his hands in clay.
- Well, I sure the
fuck hope you're right
and that one day you get
to come back as a sponge
or some blue fucking
algae and live to be
a thousand years
old, but right now,
I'm interested in knowing
if we're to scan Tom's DNA,
will we be able to
tell future generations
that he killed someone
in a fit of rage?
I mean, the jury is still
out on Starling's murder but
Tom is implicated in
Merle's death as well.
God.
Oh fuck.
- I don't get how you
can still cover for him.
(ring clatters to floor)
Did Tom say anything
when he came home
from dinner that night like
"don't worry your
pretty little head, hon,
"but I stuck my
mistress in a freezer
"with a bunch of
dead fucking birds."
(Sheila laughs)
Hey.
For fuck's sake, Hood,
come on, we're cops.
How the fuck do you explain
part of Merle's body
ending up in Tom's
fridge at work?
Can you at least explain to me
these fucking flesh eating bugs?
- They're called
dermestid beetles.
They're useful in cleaning bones
in full skeletons for
scientific preparations.
- Well, that's good for
getting rid of evidence, right?
You went to an archery
range with Hazel.
Not bad for a first try.
- [Calvin] Why do they
call it a bull's eye?
- [Sheila] If you hit a
charging bull in the eye,
the arrow goes right
through the eye socket
and into the brain
without hitting bone.
- You put Merle in
the golden bullseye.
How many points do
you get for that?
- I still think it's obvious
someone had it in for Tom.
- Now you're starting to sound
like a conspiracy theorist.
No, I believe Oswald did it.
- [Calvin] Where were you
the night that Merle died?
- I was at home
watching TV, detective.
- Oh, good, so you
have someone who can
corroborate your alibi.
So, we got this footage
from Starling's camera.
You didn't tell us that
this was the last night
you saw Merle before she died.
- I tracked down images of
Merle's movements that day.
It seemed like just another
fairly ordinary day
in someone's life.
- [PA] Arriving at
Flosdale, Flosdale station.
(loud thump and scream)
- [Calvin] When did Starling
come into the picture?
- I first really noticed
him at Merle's memorial.
(smooth jazz music)
- Aren't you going to
sing Lullaby of Birdland?
[Hazel] You're drunk.
Aw, come on, Hazel.
Sing it for Merle!
Who the hell invited you here?
You're dead.
Roy, get him out of here.
Oh please.
Don't touch me.
Don't touch me!
Stop it.
I see you!
I'll have a whiskey neat.
(slow jazz music)
- You look familiar, have I
seen you somewhere before?
I don't think so.
Keep your voice down.
Why?
You think we're being watched.
- Well, I learned how
to spot a cop in a crowd
when I was very young.
Oh, is that right?
What's the secret?
- The olive stripes
in their pants.
Who's your friend?
- I'm not sure,
we only just met.
Sheila Hood.
My husband knew
your sister Merle.
How did you know Merle?
- Well, I didn't
really know Merle,
but like I said my husband did.
And who's your husband?
Tom Kale.
He used to go out with her.
- Don't worry, he doesn't
know our little secret.
You've have to excuse her.
She's not deal with
Merle's death very well.
So tell me, um,
what would an attractive
woman like you
be doing with a guy with
a name like Tom Kale?
- You know what, I
think I gotta go.
No.
You stay.
Another time.
- [Calvin] As a cop,
why do you get involved
with a known criminal
like Starling?
- I thought he would
lead me to a solution.
Starling did have an unhealthy
preoccupation with Tom.
- Make sure you wear that
kimono when you see Tom.
- Starling hired you,
right, to do what?
Investigate Merle's death.
- Okay, but don't
you find that crazy,
because what Mr. James
had already hired you.
Did Starling know that?
- Starling never really
mentioned Mr. James.
I think
I was trying to see
where all this was going.
I think he just wanted to
use me to fuck with Tom.
How so?
- Maybe he thought that Tom
and Merle shared something
that he and she never did.
Maybe he felt like he
lost control over her.
- I'm sorry, I shouldn't
drop in on you like this.
You were one of the few
people Merle ever trusted.
- Merle never really
trusted anyone.
- So this is what all
the fuss was about.
Yeah.
I'm trying to show that
birds didn't descent directly
from the theropod dinosaurs
but likely the small,
reptilian thecodonts
that roamed the earth
250 million years ago.
Wow, is that like the,
arc,
archaeopteryx?
Archaeopteryx.
- That's all I can remember
from my natural science class.
That's not bad.
- I think my sister's
intentions were good.
My dad as much as he loved Merle
thought she had lost
her way and perhaps
was a bad influence on you.
He really likes you, by the way.
He thinks you're doing
important work here.
(sensuous music)
Hmm.
Are you an actress?
- Well, that's a
tawdry pickup line.
- I only meant there's
something superficial
and insincere about you.
Oh.
You're not who you seem to be.
- Well, you already
know I'm a cop
but sometimes I like to
moonlight as a private eye.
- You know, I never guessed
you'd be back so soon.
Hazel exudes a certain
seductive quality,
wouldn't you agree?
She is a very beautiful girl.
You got that right.
("Lullaby of Birdland")
Lullaby by birdland
that's what I
Always hear, when you sigh
Never in my wordland could
there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
- How did you get into the
crime fighting business?
- To be perfectly
honest, crime bores me.
I'd rather be
photographing nature.
When we kiss
And there's
a weepy old willow
Crime is nature.
That's how I'd
cry in my pillow
If you should tell
me farewell and goodbye
So,
you get off watching
people's deep dark secrets.
Watching is my line of work.
What do you see?
'Cause um,
you know what I think?
I think you been thinking about
me a lot since we last met.
Touch my dick.
(Sheila scoffs)
Seriously.
Touch my dick.
(laughs)
Relax, I just wanted to
see we could work together.
Now.
Let's find out who killed Merle.
- You never told me
you'd been to Japan.
Were you in love with her?
She's very beautiful.
- It's really not
that important, it
It's before I met you.
Where'd you find this?
I went to her memorial.
I thought someone should
represent the family.
I thought we talked about
not having secrets
in this marriage.
What's worse than anything is
you've been keeping
yourself secret.
(smooth jazz music)
[Woman] Come on.
- [Ray] What is his
fucking problem?
Who?
Bird boy.
- Don't worry about it,
I'm taking care of him.
I fucking hope so.
If it wasn't for him,
Merle would still be alive.
Do you like to tango, Tom?
I can show you the secret.
All the mystery that
lives below our waists.
- I feel like I need
to tell you that
I have to turn down your
father's sponsorship offer.
- Mm, babe, is that the only
reason you came to see me?
In a way,
I feel like I'm honoring
Merle's last wishes,
but I think it's even
bigger than Merle.
I know what you did, you know.
Boom.
You've been a bad boy, Tom.
I can make you feel better.
I did nothing.
I know.
I know.
I know.
- I think this is what
you're looking for.
Next time you should just ask.
Now nothing happens
for 48 minutes.
Which is a little
bit impressive,
I didn't think he had it in him.
See, the next thing you
know, Merle is dead.
- [Calvin] What else did you
find out about the cowboy?
- Bob McIntyre either had
scruples, or he was just dumb.
Other ranchers had been
bribed into allowing
Futron Energy to
frack on their land.
The cowboy was under
considerable pressure.
Tom and Merle had
convinced him it was wrong.
Then Starling threw in
Hazel to sweeten the deal,
and she turned out to be
an even bigger influence.
Oh, and I found out that
fracking causes earthquakes.
(explosion)
(introspective music)
Geez, what do you get out
of such a ideological
rigid agenda?
Have you ever heard
of ethical oil?
People need oil,
they demand oil.
I tell you, I hate
to see my daughters
living under some repressive
regime in the Middle East.
No, I can't quite
picture you in burkas.
- [Calvin] What
was Mr. James like?
- He was a captain
of industry type.
- You're destroying
everything I care about.
- [Sheila] Inscrutable,
Machiavellian, philanthropist.
Merle, come on, let's go.
Merle please.
- It was obvious that he
and Merle had had some
professional disagreements,
but he seemed to adore her,
and Hazel.
- My dear, those who
provide are the anointed.
And those who don't appreciate
it can go fuck themselves.
- Sabotage is just
the beginning.
- I think it's time
to do a little tally
on the old mental
scorecard here.
So, Tom's resume, his
biography if you will,
he is an ornithologist
who works at
the natural history museum, who
at the time of Merle's
death claims he was working
on his dino-bird exhibit, right?
Did you ever see that
show, What's My Line?
Kind of.
- So, on your episode
here, let's call it that,
you decide not to ask
any questions at all.
Instead, detective,
you suspect your husband
of having an affair
and you begin to
surveil your marriage.
So Tom's mistress
Merle, she just,
she falls from a bridge
and just gets hit
by an oncoming train and
her body just magically
ends up in Tom's possession
in a fridge at the museum.
Not to mention Tom
also bashes in the head
of Merle's boyfriend Starling,
and this is my favorite part,
Tom uses Hazel, Merle's sister,
for his blue kimono fetish.
- Did you come here
to see me, or Merle?
- Tom's motivation
for murdering Starling
was all spelled out.
Jealous rage, revenge.
Not to mention his
connection to Merle's death.
And what is your
part in all this?
By the way, does Tom
own a gray sports coat?
(bird cawing)
(uneasy music)
(bottle pops open)
(whip cracking)
- Don't you just love
to fuck tragic women?
Makes me kind of hard
just thinking about it.
So what do you
think makes people
stick together in
marriage like swans?
'Cause personally I
don't want people to read
in my obituary that
I snapped my neck
tripping on some
fucking baby toy.
(Hazel chuckles)
(Hazel chuckles)
Go on.
The boy's an old hand.
(dramatic music)
Where's your Tom?
(tense music)
(Ray sighs)
- You have had
too much to drink.
Why don't you go
upstairs to my suite.
Take her with you
and straighten out.
(snorting)
I like you.
You do?
What do you like about me?
You're smart.
You're stunning.
Just like me.
(both breathing heavily)
(uneasy music)
Say goodbye to Merle.
What about your husband?
Tom, does he uh, like
to fuck other women?
Oh wait, this is
payback sex, isn't it?
Sauce for the
goose and all that.
Fuck you and your
murdering husband.
Where's Merle's ring,
you rotten cunt?
(Sheila grunts)
Tom is a dead man.
(intense music)
I'm gonna fucking kill him!
- We finally tracked down
Starling's cameraman.
No, no!
Merle, wait, come here.
Come here!
(indistinct shouting)
(intense music)
(Merle screams)
(loud thump)
(woman yells)
(bell ringing)
(zipper opens)
(tense music)
- Do you have
something to tell me?
- She came to the
museum a few months ago.
How many months?
How many months?
I don't know.
A while.
She came to convince me to
convince the museum
to withdraw from her
father's sponsorship.
And she had some coke.
What happened next?
You started fucking her.
How awkward, I
can't even imagine
how your parts got
stuck together.
Just stop it.
Why?
Tom, why
did you?
[Tom] Sheila.
I was stoned.
Why didn't you stop it?
What did you do to stop it?
I,
I couldn't.
I couldn't.
You couldn't.
You couldn't, you couldn't,
you couldn't what?
What, were you fucking
her to save the planet?
(rock music)
When I first started
filming Tom I felt like,
by filming my marriage, I
could somehow protect it.
But the more I capture the
things that were going on,
the more things
appeared that I feared,
that I couldn't control.
(dramatic music)
No!
(Ray groans)
(Tom grunting)
(dramatic music)
We're asleep
throughout our lives
and it's only in
death that we wake up,
just like we wake up
from sleep every morning.
This is a wake.
For Merle,
Starling,
and anyone and anything who
ever has died or ever will die.
Death is not the end.
Wakes are for the living.
(dramatic music)
("Until I Run Dry"
by Laura Barrett)
You've loved me forever
Until I ran dry
Then you said
goodbye for another
You held me so tightly
Until I asked why
Then you said
goodbye for another
And another
Goodbye
For another
When no other would do
Goodbye
For another
But no other
Came through
Goodbye
For another
When no other
Would do
Goodbye
For another
But no other
Came through
You've loved me forever
Until I ran dry
Then you said
goodbye for another
And another
Before I ran dry
(introspective music)
(train rattling)
(intense music)
(woman screams)
(indistinct radio chatter)
Okay.
You want to show us where
the rest of the cameras are?
What do you have to hide?
Test.
You're watching a detective.
Yeah, that's right.
I see you.
Yeah, I mean you.
What?
I need your badge.
Off the record, how long you
been taking police equipment?
I'm sorry, Hood, they asked
me to take your badge.
It wasn't my idea.
(pats chair)
(breathing heavily)
That's interesting.
Don't really know what to say.
- You know that we're
here to talk about Tom,
and why he is in jail under
suspicion of two murders,
Merle James and Ray Starling.
(man grunts)
- I know when it comes to
murder, everyone is a suspect.
- When did things start
to go off the rails, Hood?
- My life is
perfect, isn't yours?
Tom.
Hi.
What'd you get up to today?
(woman moaning)
(introspective music)
(footsteps echoing)
(ladder rattles)
- When you put in master
cameras at your husband's work
and your own home, I mean
you must have some idea
what you were chasing
after in all this.
- At first, it was
just an awful feeling
in the pit of my stomach.
- So why didn't you just
confront Tom about Merle?
- Until then, I'd
never heard of Merle.
At the time, I really didn't
know what I was looking for.
(footsteps echoing)
(man laughs)
Now I think you all can see
how this will benefit
the entire community.
- You're destroying
everything I care about!
Starling.
Merle, come on, let's go.
Merle, please, come on.
- Starling, will you talk
some sense into your girl?
I'm nobody's girl.
- [Calvin] What was
the most striking thing
you learned about her?
- She was blonde, is that
what you want to know?
You claim.
- She was very
different from me.
How so?
- I guess I admired her
strong moral principles.
- And that's why she
slept with your husband.
Maybe.
Don't feel so bad.
Most marriages are
based in denial.
(introspective music)
Was working for Merle's dad
the first time you
started moonlighting?
[Sheila] Guess so.
You have a thing for
the Medieval era?
- Give me back the
Knights of the Round Table
and the search of the San Graal.
Sounds so noble.
What would we women
do without you?
Hmm.
Who are they?
- This is my daughter Merle
and my daughter Hazel.
Have you ever tried
archery, Miss Hood?
- It's not exactly
my weapon of choice.
- Of course Merle's the
crack shot in the family.
You must try it sometime.
- I always worry
when I see my dad
alone with a beautiful woman.
This is my daughter Hazel.
This is Sheila Hood.
Hi.
Be nice to my father now.
- Your father
strikes me as a man
who knows how to
look after himself.
(Hazel chuckles)
(inaudible whispering)
- So, how can I
help you, Miss Hood?
- I'd like to help
you, Mr. James.
- Oh really, well how
are you going to help me?
- I'd like to get to the bottom
of your sabotage problem.
And what's in it for you?
Are you in debt, or something?
Or is this personal?
Of course I deal with
a lot of people but,
I've a hunch this is something
to do with my daughter Merle.
You see Merle is
one of those people
who blames everything in
the world on global warming.
- You're too
beautiful to be a cop.
So, what gives?
By the way, what do you think
of my father, the silver fox?
- I'm not really sure what
to think of your father.
- Hmm, he's a man of grand
appetites and passions.
Merle inherited
his stubbornness.
You're lucky he likes you.
Watch out for Starling, though,
he's a pretty dangerous guy.
How so?
He's not the kind of guy who's
particularly interested
in your nice ass.
He's more interested in taking
advantage of your wounds.
So what do you like about him?
He lets me sing at his bar,
and he likes to touch
women inappropriately.
(chuckles)
Aren't you going to
ask me about my sister?
Of course.
If I could say anything,
I admire her sense of purpose.
How she became so different
remains a mystery to me.
How do you mean?
She believes in something.
Compared to Merle,
I'm pretty crass
and materialistic.
("Lullaby of Birdland")
Ladies and gentlemen, my sister,
Merle James.
Lullaby of Birdland,
that's what I
Always hear when you say
Never in my wordland could
there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
Have you ever heard
two turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love
That's the kind of magic
music we make with our lips
When we kiss
No peeking.
(inhaling deeply)
Smells like Cubans.
Mm hmm.
That's part of the story.
Louisiana whiskey, no less.
You can open your eyes now.
The ivory-billed woodpecker.
How?
This is a museum piece.
The cigar box is antique.
It's made from the trees
they cut down in Louisiana.
The cigar is from Cuba
where they did the same.
I remember you telling me
that's why the
ivory-bill went extinct.
Don't you like it?
That was
very touching, Hood.
I mean, I thought you'd be
angry enough to kill a guy
and you, you just
give him a present?
- It was like if I could
just create something
that I knew he loved,
maybe I could still
somehow hold onto what we had.
Do you have any evidence
yet that it is sabotage?
None.
Other than damage
from the fires.
But I also have this.
Life is full of
inexplicable things.
Someone sent these to you?
- Now I should tell you
Merle was having an affair
which led to her breaking
off her engagement
with Raymond Starling.
(woman breathing heavily)
Go ahead, shoot me.
(dramatic music)
(introspective music)
Now point it up just a little.
Good.
Now release the arrow.
Let it go.
Not bad for a first try.
Only with your help.
- I'm just gonna go
make a phone call,
why don't you go get the
arrows, I'll be right back.
(crossbow fires)
(Sheila gasps)
(introspective music)
(shutter clicks)
(shutter clicks)
[Sheila] Poor thing.
Ah, he looks so peaceful,
but he died so violently.
Mm hmm, mm hmm.
Yeah?
Yeah, it's good.
What?
Let's go.
What?
Nothing, it's...
(sighs)
Your pictures, it's like
you're photographic a
crime scene, you know?
(shutter clicks)
Oh, for real then?
Hey, come here.
This one's still breathing.
- (sighs) Birds don't
understand windows.
We should put it
out of its misery.
No!
No, we need to take him
to the wildlife center.
- [Calvin] What
was going on with
this whole dead bird thing?
- We were bird
rescue volunteers,
looking for stunned
or injured birds
that had collided
with buildings.
I tagged along, documenting
the deaths because
it was something we
could do together.
Hmm, sounds intimate.
(unsettled music)
- They say the spirit
of King Arthur is alive
in any old crow that flies back.
- [Calvin] You always get that
worked up over dead birds?
Thought that was
more of a Tom thing.
- I was brought up to believe
in the sanctity of life.
If you say so.
So what was going
on in your marriage
before all this
started to happen?
(Tom breathing heavily)
(Tom shushing)
What's wrong?
Wait.
What's that noise?
(introspective music)
(intense music)
(gasping and breathing heavily)
(intense music)
[Sheila] Tom?
Yeah.
[Sheila] Baby?
I'm in the kitchen.
Hey.
Hey hey hey hey hey.
You gotta see this.
Check it out.
Oh my God, you're bleeding.
No (shushing).
You gotta see this.
You're bleeding.
Wait wait wait.
Look at this, I
got it right here.
Look at me, look at me.
- Wait, wait.
- Look at me!
- Just hang on,
you gotta see this.
Okay.
See this riot cop
hits me with his baton.
- What the fuck are you
doing hitting a cop?
You should have been there.
We were protesting
Futron Energy.
The same assholes
sponsoring your exhibit
produce the oil equivalent of
a quarter of a million tons
of carbon dioxide a day.
Baby, we've been living
with our heads in the sand.
You're blonde.
- At first she seemed to be
strictly interested in Starling.
Maybe the word
stalker is too strong?
But she had a pretty
unhealthy preoccupation
with my sister, Merle.
- I have no idea what
she wanted from me.
But to be honest,
I think she may have
wanted to blackmail me.
They're lying.
We'll get to that later.
When did you first come across
the guy in the cowboy
hat, what's his name?
Bob McIntyre.
- So as part of your
investigation for Mr. James,
he had you follow Tom and Merle
to his fracking
operations, right?
Yeah.
(introspective music)
- [Calvin] And the
guy in the cowboy hat,
that, that's Bob McIntyre?
[Sheila] Bob McIntyre.
Right.
What do you think?
Do you think Tom and Merle
were doing the sabotaging?
(tense music)
(liquid sloshing)
(sniffing deeply)
You know when that was taken?
Sure.
Yeah, not really.
I don't know, obviously
before Merle died.
You know, you just
always seem like
you're enjoying your job.
- Do you know they
say that men and women
think about sex
every seven seconds,
it's just like (tongue popping).
12,000 times a day.
- What is that, your new
favorite pickup line?
No, just,
an interesting statistic.
(breathing heavily)
(woman moaning)
Everyone has a breaking point.
Me for instance,
I don't think I could
handle watching my wife
do lines off some
naked dude in my bed.
Get the fuck out of here.
- Tom is suspected of
committing two murders,
but if I didn't know you,
I'd say you'd be
a prime suspect.
(intense music)
Did you ever meet her?
No.
I just surveilled her.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Top up?
Hmm, yeah.
What are you looking at?
Is this a new ring?
No.
No, it was my great-aunt's.
I don't usually wear it,
but are you sure you've
never seen it before?
Aren't we supposed
to be married?
- It was familiar, I
just didn't recognize it.
- I guess there's a lot we
don't know about each other.
Sorry, what?
Hmm?
What?
- See, you're not
even listening.
Always busy working late with
your dinosaurs and your birds.
I heard you.
It's your great-aunt's ring.
I like it.
Thank you.
(introspective music)
(ring clattering)
"Forget me not."
- Maybe this is all a
case of cherchez la femme.
Look, you know Tom.
He's a mild-mannered
ornithologist.
- Yeah, but I think
that maybe Tom started
to feel protective over Merle.
Maybe it was a
jealous rage, or a,
a sudden dose of
testosterone just kicking in.
[Tom] Hey!
- His motive, if you can
categorize it as such,
was self-defense.
- If Tom killed Starling
in self-defense,
why wouldn't you just call
the police right away?
I don't know!
Panic?
Embarrassment?
Maybe we just needed a
little time to process
what had just happened.
We?
You know what I mean.
- This is more like a
case of I will repay you.
- You know that the average
person is caught on camera
over 300 times a day.
It doesn't mean the whole truth
about their lives is exposed.
- Doesn't explain
Tom's behavior.
I'm gonna fucking kill him!
Baby.
- It's like watching the
hour a dog turns into a wolf.
This isn't a black hole, Hood.
If that isn't motivation,
I don't know what is.
This is over.
You know, I'm mystified
as to how you can defend
somebody who betrayed
you so deeply.
If it was me, I'd be
calling my lawyer right now.
- I'm not sure it's
really possible
for you to fully understand
what happened here.
- Remind me again why you
have all this weird creepy
dead stuff in your house.
(Sheila laughs)
You'd have to ask Tom.
Tom, babe, why do
we have so much
creepy dead stuff in our house?
[Tom] It's my job, asshole.
- I don't know, when we
first started dating,
we spent oh half our time
looking at dead things.
Now we have a freezer
full of birds.
Here you go.
Hey guys, give me a
second, I forgot something.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
You guys ready?
The piece de resistance.
(murmurs of admiration)
What are those?
These
are roasted beetle larvae.
Right?
- Yeah, you know I hear
that beetle protein
is going to save the world.
Yeah.
Sheila?
Come on, you gotta try one.
Aw, you two should have kids.
(Tom laughs)
- No, I would
never bring a child
into the world in
its current state.
Uh, okay.
You've never said that before.
- I've certainly voiced my
reservations, my reluctance.
- Yeah, I know, but
you've never said it
like that before, like
you'd never do it.
- Well, I just
don't to bring kids
for not doing what
I want in life.
Okay, you know what?
(dance club music)
Come on.
- No, no, I don't dance.
- Dance with me, come on.
I don't dance.
Oh, God.
- Come on, detective,
on your feet.
See?
Check this out.
(Sheila laughs)
- [Calvin] Oh,
what are you doing?
Shh.
Why are you up there?
(Sheila shushing)
What are you doing?
- Let's see what
these puppies can do.
You can rewind and pause it.
Sorry you gotta see this.
I was just so,
showing him some new cameras.
See?
Bird's eye view.
(dance club music)
(introspective music)
(woman breathing heavily)
(tense music)
Hmm.
Your wife, yes?
You remember me, don't you Tom?
John James.
Yes of course, Mr. James.
How can I help you?
- I hear my daughter has been
speaking with you lately, Tom.
Don't worry, I understand.
I was married once myself.
You know, Futron Energy has a
lot invested in this exhibit.
- I'm just an
ornithologist, doing my job.
Are you sure ornithology
is all you've been
doing lately, Tom?
- Bet some weird things
just started to appear
when you turned on
that camera of yours.
End of times, I guess.
Did Tom ever make mention of
Mr. James coming to visit him?
Yeah.
He was upset, shaken really.
What did he say exactly?
- I remember he went on
about how the oil industry
represented the end
of civilization,
how we should all just leave
fossil fuels in the ground.
And he talked about
pulling the plug
on Mr. James' sponsorship.
- Well, Merle must have
had a lot of faith in Tom.
I mean, do you think Tom had
that kind of power
at the museum?
- Oh, he was
well-regarded there.
And they had to be seen as not
sanitizing dirty oil money.
- I can't help but think it's
something more than that.
What makes you say that?
The body count.
(whipping)
When did you first have a hunch
she was hiding things from you?
I have to ask this.
Were you guys into any
kinky S and M types stuff?
Because there are
pictures that suggest...
[Sheila] No.
- How do you just
keep it to yourself?
I mean, how does a happily
married man like Tom
succumb to a woman like Merle?
I don't know.
Why do birds sing?
I guess they found
a common cause.
- I know, we are the fucking
world, I get it, thanks.
- Do you know everything
that's going on
inside of your
wife's head, Calvin?
- I know that if you put
a piece of raw sirloin
in front of my dog,
he can't resist it.
Fuck you.
- [Calvin] When were you first
made aware of Merle's death?
- We were at home
when the phone rang.
(phone ringing)
Is everything okay?
What?
He told me an
ex-girlfriend had died.
- [Calvin] I guess by
then Tom was accustomed
to avoiding the truth.
(introspective music)
Listen to this.
Look what I found.
(bird calling)
This is a definitive recording
of an ivory-billed woodpecker
take at close range
in 1935 in Louisiana.
(imitating bird call)
You should record me.
If I died, wouldn't
you go to my funeral?
You're not her.
I don't care about her.
It's like I said, I
don't want the past
tainting our marriage.
Right.
- Is this really why
you're saying it like that?
No, just I
really don't understand
why you wouldn't go.
[Tom] It's embarrassing.
It's embarrassing?
What, what's
embarrassing, I am?
Death is embarrassing.
(introspective music)
You know what these are?
These are tiny bits
of Merle's body
found at one of
the crime scenes.
In this case, the museum.
- Tom always says our
DNA is like a scrapbook
of our history as a species.
We've got everything from avian
flu and ancient sex viruses,
non-human beings, even bug
shit, right in our blood stream.
Is that what Tom says?
- Four billion years of
death product in our DNA.
Our mortality is mapped out.
We're programmed to die.
- Welcome to the
human race, hon.
- I think sometime soon
we'll be able to change
our physical makeup
and live a lot longer,
you know, like God does in the
Bible with his hands in clay.
- Well, I sure the
fuck hope you're right
and that one day you get
to come back as a sponge
or some blue fucking
algae and live to be
a thousand years
old, but right now,
I'm interested in knowing
if we're to scan Tom's DNA,
will we be able to
tell future generations
that he killed someone
in a fit of rage?
I mean, the jury is still
out on Starling's murder but
Tom is implicated in
Merle's death as well.
God.
Oh fuck.
- I don't get how you
can still cover for him.
(ring clatters to floor)
Did Tom say anything
when he came home
from dinner that night like
"don't worry your
pretty little head, hon,
"but I stuck my
mistress in a freezer
"with a bunch of
dead fucking birds."
(Sheila laughs)
Hey.
For fuck's sake, Hood,
come on, we're cops.
How the fuck do you explain
part of Merle's body
ending up in Tom's
fridge at work?
Can you at least explain to me
these fucking flesh eating bugs?
- They're called
dermestid beetles.
They're useful in cleaning bones
in full skeletons for
scientific preparations.
- Well, that's good for
getting rid of evidence, right?
You went to an archery
range with Hazel.
Not bad for a first try.
- [Calvin] Why do they
call it a bull's eye?
- [Sheila] If you hit a
charging bull in the eye,
the arrow goes right
through the eye socket
and into the brain
without hitting bone.
- You put Merle in
the golden bullseye.
How many points do
you get for that?
- I still think it's obvious
someone had it in for Tom.
- Now you're starting to sound
like a conspiracy theorist.
No, I believe Oswald did it.
- [Calvin] Where were you
the night that Merle died?
- I was at home
watching TV, detective.
- Oh, good, so you
have someone who can
corroborate your alibi.
So, we got this footage
from Starling's camera.
You didn't tell us that
this was the last night
you saw Merle before she died.
- I tracked down images of
Merle's movements that day.
It seemed like just another
fairly ordinary day
in someone's life.
- [PA] Arriving at
Flosdale, Flosdale station.
(loud thump and scream)
- [Calvin] When did Starling
come into the picture?
- I first really noticed
him at Merle's memorial.
(smooth jazz music)
- Aren't you going to
sing Lullaby of Birdland?
[Hazel] You're drunk.
Aw, come on, Hazel.
Sing it for Merle!
Who the hell invited you here?
You're dead.
Roy, get him out of here.
Oh please.
Don't touch me.
Don't touch me!
Stop it.
I see you!
I'll have a whiskey neat.
(slow jazz music)
- You look familiar, have I
seen you somewhere before?
I don't think so.
Keep your voice down.
Why?
You think we're being watched.
- Well, I learned how
to spot a cop in a crowd
when I was very young.
Oh, is that right?
What's the secret?
- The olive stripes
in their pants.
Who's your friend?
- I'm not sure,
we only just met.
Sheila Hood.
My husband knew
your sister Merle.
How did you know Merle?
- Well, I didn't
really know Merle,
but like I said my husband did.
And who's your husband?
Tom Kale.
He used to go out with her.
- Don't worry, he doesn't
know our little secret.
You've have to excuse her.
She's not deal with
Merle's death very well.
So tell me, um,
what would an attractive
woman like you
be doing with a guy with
a name like Tom Kale?
- You know what, I
think I gotta go.
No.
You stay.
Another time.
- [Calvin] As a cop,
why do you get involved
with a known criminal
like Starling?
- I thought he would
lead me to a solution.
Starling did have an unhealthy
preoccupation with Tom.
- Make sure you wear that
kimono when you see Tom.
- Starling hired you,
right, to do what?
Investigate Merle's death.
- Okay, but don't
you find that crazy,
because what Mr. James
had already hired you.
Did Starling know that?
- Starling never really
mentioned Mr. James.
I think
I was trying to see
where all this was going.
I think he just wanted to
use me to fuck with Tom.
How so?
- Maybe he thought that Tom
and Merle shared something
that he and she never did.
Maybe he felt like he
lost control over her.
- I'm sorry, I shouldn't
drop in on you like this.
You were one of the few
people Merle ever trusted.
- Merle never really
trusted anyone.
- So this is what all
the fuss was about.
Yeah.
I'm trying to show that
birds didn't descent directly
from the theropod dinosaurs
but likely the small,
reptilian thecodonts
that roamed the earth
250 million years ago.
Wow, is that like the,
arc,
archaeopteryx?
Archaeopteryx.
- That's all I can remember
from my natural science class.
That's not bad.
- I think my sister's
intentions were good.
My dad as much as he loved Merle
thought she had lost
her way and perhaps
was a bad influence on you.
He really likes you, by the way.
He thinks you're doing
important work here.
(sensuous music)
Hmm.
Are you an actress?
- Well, that's a
tawdry pickup line.
- I only meant there's
something superficial
and insincere about you.
Oh.
You're not who you seem to be.
- Well, you already
know I'm a cop
but sometimes I like to
moonlight as a private eye.
- You know, I never guessed
you'd be back so soon.
Hazel exudes a certain
seductive quality,
wouldn't you agree?
She is a very beautiful girl.
You got that right.
("Lullaby of Birdland")
Lullaby by birdland
that's what I
Always hear, when you sigh
Never in my wordland could
there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
- How did you get into the
crime fighting business?
- To be perfectly
honest, crime bores me.
I'd rather be
photographing nature.
When we kiss
And there's
a weepy old willow
Crime is nature.
That's how I'd
cry in my pillow
If you should tell
me farewell and goodbye
So,
you get off watching
people's deep dark secrets.
Watching is my line of work.
What do you see?
'Cause um,
you know what I think?
I think you been thinking about
me a lot since we last met.
Touch my dick.
(Sheila scoffs)
Seriously.
Touch my dick.
(laughs)
Relax, I just wanted to
see we could work together.
Now.
Let's find out who killed Merle.
- You never told me
you'd been to Japan.
Were you in love with her?
She's very beautiful.
- It's really not
that important, it
It's before I met you.
Where'd you find this?
I went to her memorial.
I thought someone should
represent the family.
I thought we talked about
not having secrets
in this marriage.
What's worse than anything is
you've been keeping
yourself secret.
(smooth jazz music)
[Woman] Come on.
- [Ray] What is his
fucking problem?
Who?
Bird boy.
- Don't worry about it,
I'm taking care of him.
I fucking hope so.
If it wasn't for him,
Merle would still be alive.
Do you like to tango, Tom?
I can show you the secret.
All the mystery that
lives below our waists.
- I feel like I need
to tell you that
I have to turn down your
father's sponsorship offer.
- Mm, babe, is that the only
reason you came to see me?
In a way,
I feel like I'm honoring
Merle's last wishes,
but I think it's even
bigger than Merle.
I know what you did, you know.
Boom.
You've been a bad boy, Tom.
I can make you feel better.
I did nothing.
I know.
I know.
I know.
- I think this is what
you're looking for.
Next time you should just ask.
Now nothing happens
for 48 minutes.
Which is a little
bit impressive,
I didn't think he had it in him.
See, the next thing you
know, Merle is dead.
- [Calvin] What else did you
find out about the cowboy?
- Bob McIntyre either had
scruples, or he was just dumb.
Other ranchers had been
bribed into allowing
Futron Energy to
frack on their land.
The cowboy was under
considerable pressure.
Tom and Merle had
convinced him it was wrong.
Then Starling threw in
Hazel to sweeten the deal,
and she turned out to be
an even bigger influence.
Oh, and I found out that
fracking causes earthquakes.
(explosion)
(introspective music)
Geez, what do you get out
of such a ideological
rigid agenda?
Have you ever heard
of ethical oil?
People need oil,
they demand oil.
I tell you, I hate
to see my daughters
living under some repressive
regime in the Middle East.
No, I can't quite
picture you in burkas.
- [Calvin] What
was Mr. James like?
- He was a captain
of industry type.
- You're destroying
everything I care about.
- [Sheila] Inscrutable,
Machiavellian, philanthropist.
Merle, come on, let's go.
Merle please.
- It was obvious that he
and Merle had had some
professional disagreements,
but he seemed to adore her,
and Hazel.
- My dear, those who
provide are the anointed.
And those who don't appreciate
it can go fuck themselves.
- Sabotage is just
the beginning.
- I think it's time
to do a little tally
on the old mental
scorecard here.
So, Tom's resume, his
biography if you will,
he is an ornithologist
who works at
the natural history museum, who
at the time of Merle's
death claims he was working
on his dino-bird exhibit, right?
Did you ever see that
show, What's My Line?
Kind of.
- So, on your episode
here, let's call it that,
you decide not to ask
any questions at all.
Instead, detective,
you suspect your husband
of having an affair
and you begin to
surveil your marriage.
So Tom's mistress
Merle, she just,
she falls from a bridge
and just gets hit
by an oncoming train and
her body just magically
ends up in Tom's possession
in a fridge at the museum.
Not to mention Tom
also bashes in the head
of Merle's boyfriend Starling,
and this is my favorite part,
Tom uses Hazel, Merle's sister,
for his blue kimono fetish.
- Did you come here
to see me, or Merle?
- Tom's motivation
for murdering Starling
was all spelled out.
Jealous rage, revenge.
Not to mention his
connection to Merle's death.
And what is your
part in all this?
By the way, does Tom
own a gray sports coat?
(bird cawing)
(uneasy music)
(bottle pops open)
(whip cracking)
- Don't you just love
to fuck tragic women?
Makes me kind of hard
just thinking about it.
So what do you
think makes people
stick together in
marriage like swans?
'Cause personally I
don't want people to read
in my obituary that
I snapped my neck
tripping on some
fucking baby toy.
(Hazel chuckles)
(Hazel chuckles)
Go on.
The boy's an old hand.
(dramatic music)
Where's your Tom?
(tense music)
(Ray sighs)
- You have had
too much to drink.
Why don't you go
upstairs to my suite.
Take her with you
and straighten out.
(snorting)
I like you.
You do?
What do you like about me?
You're smart.
You're stunning.
Just like me.
(both breathing heavily)
(uneasy music)
Say goodbye to Merle.
What about your husband?
Tom, does he uh, like
to fuck other women?
Oh wait, this is
payback sex, isn't it?
Sauce for the
goose and all that.
Fuck you and your
murdering husband.
Where's Merle's ring,
you rotten cunt?
(Sheila grunts)
Tom is a dead man.
(intense music)
I'm gonna fucking kill him!
- We finally tracked down
Starling's cameraman.
No, no!
Merle, wait, come here.
Come here!
(indistinct shouting)
(intense music)
(Merle screams)
(loud thump)
(woman yells)
(bell ringing)
(zipper opens)
(tense music)
- Do you have
something to tell me?
- She came to the
museum a few months ago.
How many months?
How many months?
I don't know.
A while.
She came to convince me to
convince the museum
to withdraw from her
father's sponsorship.
And she had some coke.
What happened next?
You started fucking her.
How awkward, I
can't even imagine
how your parts got
stuck together.
Just stop it.
Why?
Tom, why
did you?
[Tom] Sheila.
I was stoned.
Why didn't you stop it?
What did you do to stop it?
I,
I couldn't.
I couldn't.
You couldn't.
You couldn't, you couldn't,
you couldn't what?
What, were you fucking
her to save the planet?
(rock music)
When I first started
filming Tom I felt like,
by filming my marriage, I
could somehow protect it.
But the more I capture the
things that were going on,
the more things
appeared that I feared,
that I couldn't control.
(dramatic music)
No!
(Ray groans)
(Tom grunting)
(dramatic music)
We're asleep
throughout our lives
and it's only in
death that we wake up,
just like we wake up
from sleep every morning.
This is a wake.
For Merle,
Starling,
and anyone and anything who
ever has died or ever will die.
Death is not the end.
Wakes are for the living.
(dramatic music)
("Until I Run Dry"
by Laura Barrett)
You've loved me forever
Until I ran dry
Then you said
goodbye for another
You held me so tightly
Until I asked why
Then you said
goodbye for another
And another
Goodbye
For another
When no other would do
Goodbye
For another
But no other
Came through
Goodbye
For another
When no other
Would do
Goodbye
For another
But no other
Came through
You've loved me forever
Until I ran dry
Then you said
goodbye for another
And another
Before I ran dry