Dream Team (2024) Movie Script
1
Retro synth
[Heavy thunderstorm]
(narrator)
ROSARITO, MEXICO
[CD changer closes]
[Recording of rain]
(voice on record)
Relaxing Rain Sounds: Borneo
[Bath faucet]
[Zipper opens]
[Recording of rain]
[Bath running]
[Vibrator turns on]
[Moaning]
[CD glitches]
[CD changer opens]
[Dolphin-like calls]
Loud oceanic rumbling tones
Ominous hissing
[Coughing]
[Crash]
Plaintive horn
[Vibrator wobbles]
Theme begins
Spiraling melodies
[Switchblade echoes]
[Sharp inhaling breath]
(narrator)
ASSES TO ASHES
Chimes and mellow tones
[Dog breathing]
[Waves and distorted howls]
[Waves and distorted howls]
[Big wave]
Chimes and mellow tones
[Crickets singing]
Mellow melody continues
[Aquarium bubblers]
Chimes intensify
[Hissing and oceanic groan]
Screaming distorted guitars
[Peaceful wind]
(narrator)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Ambient music with heartbeats
[Elevator dings]
Haunting woodwinds
[Dial-up modem]
So, how old is this guy?
I think he's 31.
That's so hot. When are
you gonna make your move?
I can't. He's unavailable.
What do you
mean? Like married?
Well, he's engaged.
Oh my god, are you
kidding? He's ripe
I don't know...
[Modem noises]
Look - it's easy.
Get him alone in a small room.
You put one hand
on the wall
the other hand on
his chest - at least
Look him in the eye and say
"I know that you want me.
We can do this right now."
I don't know.
[Computer ringtone]
Hi Chase!
Hello Chase!
Oh, hi ladies.
Chase, we've been
doing some digging
into the transfers of "cabbage."
We're finding some really
interesting patterns of movement
over the last financial
quarter. I made a spreadsheet.
And I drew this map.
That sounds like great
work, ladies. But I need you
to put aside the cabbage
research. Something's come up.
There's been a murder
in Rosarito, Mexico.
No is there investigating.
I'll be joining her tomorrow.
The victim was a brilliant
marine biologist and
mathematician,
specializing in coral reefs.
I'm sending you the dossier.
I need you two to
scour the databases
for everything you can
find on this woman.
We're on it!
Okay, I'll start
searching Lexis.
Got it, I'm on Nexis.
Moody ambient music
I was...a dog.
Not sure the
breed. I don't know dogs.
What color? Did
you have spots?
Well, there was
another dog with me
Black..and I
was black..and tan.
Mhmmm.
We were sniffing around
like crazy for something
God, our sensory
world was so rich.
Let's hold onto
that. Describe the sensations
Were they smells...
or images?
I wanna say...fish.
Fish.
Where are the fish leading
you? Back towards the ocean?
I mean, it's probably
coral. No, I knew the
dream was real. I knew
the smuggler was dead.
But how does this connect
to Theresa Gorgeous?
She's a coral scientist,
sure. But in Mexico!
I mean, can coral
kill two people?
And what would that even mean?
Chase, no wine til it's
time. Right now we are just
talking about the dream -
don't worry where it leads.
What are you wearing?
Um, electric blue silk shirt.
Black pleated
slacks. Belt, no tie.
You need to relax. Loosen
your belt and breathe.
Good.
Now, take off your pants.
[Pants drop]
Much better.
Now tell me about
those chirping sounds you heard.
Moody ambient music
[Breathes deeply]
[Tea kettle boils]
(narrator)
TIJUANA, MEXICO
[Peaceful bird chirping]
[Water pouring]
[Gasp]
Theme begins
Spiraling synth melodies
[Exhaling breath]
(narrator)
FAX ON THE BEACH
Wind chimes, bells and minimal
beat
Wind chimes, bells and minimal
beat
[Dull thud and rumble]
[Dull thud]
[Airplane noise]
Listen, No. There's
been another murder.
We have to go to the beach.
[Guitar noodling]
(narrator)
ROSARITO, MEXICO
[Knocks on desk]
Listen, I'm sorry but I cannot
release those documents to you.
But you told me to
come pick them up!
Oh no, you're mistaken. We are
happy to collaborate if this an
interagency request
but I need a request
from another
police organization.
Good luck!
[Gate slams]
[Birds chirping]
[Schoolbus rumbles]
Tell me about this shirt -
are you with the Zapatistas?
What? No. I mean...
they're amazing but
I got this at Groundworks,
which is a really sick
radical cooperative
bookstore at UC San Diego.
Okay.
So, in the 60s,
there was all this
activism on campus. Legendary.
Angela Davis, Herbert Marcuse,
that guy who set
himself on fire...
And one of the
big campaigns was
to name the new
college they were building
"Lumumba Zapata" to center
Third World consciousness.
Well, that didn't happen
but there's been activism on
campus ever since. Like,
not a lot but like - look.
UCSD was explicitly founded
as a weapons engineering school,
based in no-Blacks,
no-Jews-ass segregated La Jolla.
And these Vietnamese students
came to UCSD in the 70s and
that's like"diversity" - but
such a fucked up situation.
They are like refugees
from the US war and
now they're at a school
to build weapons?
Same with Filipino students
who are here on the GI Bill,
and part of the war machine
against their own homes.
It is crazy how
conservative the
campus is but a
few of us are trying...
Right now, we
are fighting for a
living wage for
custodial workers,
which is a student
issue. They are
the family of many
Hispanic students.
And there's this huge
anti-immigration push in
California.
Anti-affirmative
action too, with bills like
SP-1, SP-2, and Prop
209, which have devastated
the already shitty minority
situations at the UCs.
I guess, in
comparison to the 60s
this stuff seems
kinda trivial.
No, not at all.
You're fighting for
where you live. Bravo.
So, that guy you are
with -- what is he doing?
He's meditating.
Cool. He's hot.
Can I talk to him?
Do you think I'd
be bothering him?
Oh no, go.
[He screams, she screams]
Foreboding music with
heartbeats
Hola! Interpol.
Okay if we look around?
Oh, Interpol. Welcome.
Yes, you can look around
but everyone
is just cleaning up.
-That's better.
-Yeah, less clutter.
Music Fades
[Garbled police radio]
Plaintive melody
He was a professional
bodyboarder.
Very beloved at this beach.
There was only one witness.
[Deep exhale]
All of a sudden,
there were multiple of him.
Many hims.
Time was moving
at different speeds.
The sky sparkled like water.
Sometimes there was no horizon.
The ocean was upside down.
Then he staggered
out of the water... with a
gunshot wound in his
chest. And then he died.
It was crazy.
I think she has
had too much sol.
A large-caliber bullet entered
to the left of his spine.
Punctured his heart and seems to
have exploded inside
the chest cavity.
There was massive
hemorrhaging and organ damage.
The angle of entry is unclear.
I'd almost say the bullet
either came from the ocean
Or the sky.
But that can't be right.
How about we continue
this over dinner some night?
Drum machine and acoustic
guitar
Handclaps and tambourines
Take your time to get here
baby. I'm running a little late
but
All day, I've been
thinking about
all 80 ways I
want to go with you
I could have asked you but
you know
we have the
summer to explore
Could have asked
you from before
I told myself to wait for
more
All 80 ways I wanna see ya'
in my dreams is
where I dream this
in my dreams is
where I dream this.
Music fades
[Fax machine rings]
Way to go, Rico.
What is it?
The Theresa Gorgeous
toxicology report.
Finally! And?
Nothing. They are
calling it a stroke.
Stroke my ass.
Music rises again
[Oceanic alien
clicks and wooshes]
[Large wave crashes]
Theme begins
Rhythmic breathing
Spiraling synth melodies
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
CORAL ME BAD
Sparse bells and chimes
Dreamy melodic tones
Bells and chimes rise
Bells, chimes and synths
resonate
Stately tuba melody
Music fades
(narrator)
ACAPULCO, MEXICO
[Fax starts]
[Fax prints]
Sexy minimal music
[Paper rips]
[Fax prints]
Music fades
Chase, we've got that meeting.
Mhmm.
What have you got there?
Nothing.
Okay.
Mysterious music rises
[Heels clicking]
Hi. I'm Dr. Veronica Beef.
So, what can I tell
you about coral?
Everything.
[Keys jangle]
So, coral is a very,
very simple animal.
They are really closely
related to jellyfish
If you want to picture them,
they are basically just sacks
with arms on them. And the sack
is where everything happens.
It's both their stomach, their
mouth and...the butt.
And the arms are how they
capture food out of the water.
Coral famously have this
amazing symbiotic relationship
with algae.
The corals give algae a home
and in return,
algae gives them excess
sugars from photosynthesis.
This gives corals their
lavish colors, and the extra
energy to fight other organisms
and dominate the ecosystem.
But what's much more
amazing, and totally
unique about coral
- is their clonality.
It's like the real individual
is the colony.
There is no quote "I."
And this is one of the really
important things about corals.
They live together but
they die alone.
I mean that individual
deaths don't really matter.
Just because half
a coral colony dies
doesn't mean anything
about the half.
The coral polyps that
are still alive
can in fact regenerate the
dead parts of a colony.
You know how a lizard
can regrow its tail?
Imagine - it's like the tail
can regrow the lizard.
Damn.
Yeah, it's funny actually.
Coral reef science started
as a geologic discipline.
Basically began because the
clipper ship trade started up.
The Europeans were
going from the northern to
the southern hemisphere,
and they were really,
really worried about
these things growing up
to the surface and
blocking their trade routes.
So they sent some nerds out
there and they were like
"Hey nerds, are these coral
reefs gonna take over the
world?"
And isn't it ironic,
that now we are
worried they are
going to disappear.
Like the whole
reason this started was
to stop them taking
over the world.
[Rhythmic electronic pulse]
Jamaica - sounds nice!
Jamaica is like a Graceland
for coral reef scientists.
It's like this case study for
interactions between humans and
coral.
I mean, there is a long
history of land pressures.
Overfishing, agriculture,
the plantations.
But in the last
ten years or so
it's really gone to shit.
We're taking all of the
fish out of the water,
we're polluting the
water, we're changing
the sediment cycle.
And all of this stuff
is killing the corals.
Are you worried about
the corals going extinct?
Hey, we all go
extinct eventually.
One species goes away,
another takes over.
What matters just depends
on your personal perspective.
[Heels echo]
I have a question, but I am
almost embarrassed to ask.
Chase, you can
ask me...anything.
Can corals emit
some kind of poison gas?
Chase, you have such
an imagination!
I have never heard
of a gas. But who knows?
We're always discovering
new things about coral.
Like some species of coral,
their larvae has a little
tail. And they can find their
reef by following its sound.
They can somehow
feel its vibrations
They're attracted to it.
It's really wild, the
sound of the reefs.
Have you ever heard the
sound of snapping shrimp?
Yeah.
Is there any way
that coral can
communicate or
even send signals?
Within a colony, for sure.
There's a thin, thin layer
of tissue across the
surface of the entire coral.
And the polyps can kind of
use these tubes underneath
to sort of shuttle resources
back and forth to one another.
But they only do
that within the colony
What about communication between
colonies? Or across distances?
I'm sorry, I'm not sure
what you are driving at.
Can corals conspire
to commit a murder?
The issue is not communication,
it's consciousness.
And coral are cool but
they have no intelligence.
And philosophy or whatever is
beyond my pay grade. But I mean
we are always learning more
about non-human intelligence.
Whales can communicate with
their songs across
entire oceans.
Dolphins have..."culture."
They teach each other new
hunting tactics and pass
those on.
It's not just mammals...
octopuses are crazy intelligent.
But all that said, there's like
two necessary things to develop
intelligence.
The first is some kind of
complicated nervous system.
And the second is evolutionary
pressure towards intelligence.
Corals don't have nervous
systems
and they've thrived for so
long -- in their current
state for 26 million
years -- without them.
So, to develop
them, that would be
evolutionarily expensive.
They're basically just sacks
with arms and they dominate
the ocean.
Why would they
need consciousness?
[Distant waves]
I'm sorry,
I'm not sure any of this will
help you catch your criminal.
We're not trying
to catch anyone,
we should be clear
-- we're not cops.
You're not trying
to solve a mystery?
Not exactly, we're more
trying learn the mystery.
Like --be with the mystery.
Yeah, something like that.
I totally misunderstood.
I thought you were Interpol.
Interpol aren't cops. It's
inter-police.
We do coordination,
administration,
and lately in
our case, deep research.
So you don't have guns?
Handcuffs?
Well, you can borrow mine.
[Hot tub bubbling]
[Dolphin-like calls]
(narrator)
Next...TEMPORARY EROGENOUS ZONES
Theme begins
Propulsive synths
Spiraling melodies
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
TIJUANA, MEXICO
[Peaceful birds chirping]
[Clippers]
[Water pours]
[Clang]
Ow! Damn it.
[Heavy breathing]
[Groan]
Nice.
[Invisible Man
singing to himself]
[Water pours]
Darkwave dance music rises
The beat intensifies
Experimental bongo music
Your face is like a tape I
erased.
Long gone, can't be replaced.
Can't go back and fix my
mistakes.
Experimental string music
You parked the car in someone
else's space.
The Moon, the stars, the
galaxies.
The lights of L.A.
Experimental string music
Darkwave dance music
Rhythmic chimes
Reggaeton riddim
Rapping in Spanish
Sings in Spanish
Rapping in Spanish
Dubby chill out music
Oh, hey.
What are you thinking?
Something...but I can't
quite put it in words.
I think I can. I think--
--it's wonderful that
science is studying
the minds of
other animals, I do.
But they are
defining terms like
"consciousness" and
"intelligence"
and assigning levels before
we know what those things are,
even for ourselves.
There is no way of knowing
how much we don't know.
We're surrounded by all
these mysterious beings,
which when you realize...
It's like
hearing a chorus of bells.
Distorted swish
(narrator)
Next...DOPPELGNGBANG
[Rhythmic electronic pulses]
[pulses intensify]
Theme Music
Sparse drums and piano
Spiraling synths
[Sharp inhale]
Hey!
(narrator)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
I can't decide, you go.
Hi, I'll have a
Citrus Slam please.
And I'll get a Cool Breeze
and a wheatgrass shot.
Oh, I'll have a
wheatgrass shot too.
That'll be three dollars each.
You have your gym card?
[Electronic ding]
Oh, that's cute.
Mysterious whistling
I was eating...something.
Sweet or salty?
Salty.
Okay, let's talk about
mouthfeel. Hard or soft?
It was...definitely soft.
It was eggs.
Scrambled.
Oh my god, it's working.
That's why we do
our training! Okay...
You were eating
scrambled eggs, then what?
And then I finished eating
the eggs and...
They came out of me.
Unscrambled.
Like a whole egg. Hardboiled.
It came out of where?
Your mouth?
Vagina? Wait...do eggs
come out of vaginas?
K, please, I
need your help.
The egg was just
there, in my hands.
Alright, how did you
feel? Happy? Sad?
I was listening, like
the egg was a message.
That's why the dream was so
important -- there was a message
for me!
What was the message?
Sorry. Was the
message in English?
[Machines clank]
Ready? 1...2...3...
--Moon!
--Horsefly!
1...2...3...
--Hamster!
--Chainsaw!
1...2...3...
--Rain!
--Snow!
Okay, okay. We almost
have it. 1...2...3...
Mysterious whistling and tones
[Beep]
Hey Agent St. Aubergine,
it's Dr. Veronica Beef.
Listen, I've been thinking a lot
about your whole
coral conspiracy theory,
and I really think you're
sipping out the wrong straw.
There are nine
hundred species of coral,
and they do not get along.
Like if you take different
individuals from the same
species,
they won't fight exactly
but they won't necessarily
share resources either.
Take different individuals from
within a genus and they'll
fight a bit.
But if you take individuals from
different families, it's like...
all out war.
They will digest each other,
like literally eat each other.
So the idea of a network of
coral cooperating around
the world
just doesn't make any sense.
Plus of course, coral can't
even make poison gas.
Hold on...
[Adjusting electronic tones]
[Droning oceanic sound]
Anyways, you've got my number.
If you need anything else,
definitely give me a call.
Bye.
[Deep breaths]
Distorted chimes and breaths
[Echoing tennis ball hit]
What's that?
The Theresa Gorgeous papers that
Chase asked us about.
I'm sure there's some connection
to the coral smuggler we've been
missing.
Venice, NO!
C'mon.
But we have to be thinking
about the case!
You're not thinking, you're
spinning.
Come here.
Notice your breath,
notice your body.
Your mind and
body are intertwined,
though neither side
is totally in control.
There are feedback loops.
When your mind is spinning,
it changes your heart rate,
your neurotransmitters, the
actual chemicals in your sweat.
Body stress is
perceived by the mind,
it is received in
the somatosensory cortices and
insular regions of the brain.
Brain activity slows and
creativity becomes impaired.
You're stuck.
But there is an escape --
you return back to your body.
You become aware of things
that aren't stress.
Thigs like the pleasure of
relaxation and of movement.
Like when an athlete's in the
zone.
Then coordination, spatial
awareness, balance,
and creativity are all
working together,
making novel connections
at incredible speeds.
And there is no separation
between mind and body and
the world.
That's why we came here, Venice.
I want to get you in the zone.
I'm getting there.
[Eerie wind]
[Creaking machine]
[Machine creaks]
Unsettling ambient music rises
[Paper flaps]
[Dumbells rolling]
[Machine wobbles]
[Heels scrape sand]
Music intensifies
[Panicked breathing]
Hey, K!
What?
I've been thinking.
You know that guy whose
emails we've been tracking?
Mr. Cabbage?
Yeah, the one who is
always bragging about
smuggling cabbage
across the border.
Right, "cabbage" means cash.
Yeah, but what if "cabbage"
doesn't mean cash.
What if "cabbage" means coral?
[Shower turns off]
[Thunder]
(narrator)
ROSARITO, MEXICO
Have you heard anything
from your interns?
I got a voicemail from them
today but it didn't make
any sense.
-It was scrambled.
-Bad connection?
Maybe. I should
go back to Canada,
but then I feel like we're not
done here yet.
Chase, you can't be
in two places at once.
[Chase sighs]
Hey, look.
That couple is watching us.
Yeah, they are probably
waiting for us to go.
Maybe. Or maybe
they want company.
You feel free. My
bad knee is acting up.
Oh, your old football injury?
Not football, baby.
Soccer.
[Rhythmic electronic pulses]
[Crackling glitches]
[Error noise]
Catchy synch loop
Seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one
And work it, push
it. Work your dream.
You are yourself. And touch
your dream. And connect
yourself.
Join the team! C'mon, work
it! Push it! Be it! Become it!
Eight, seven, six, five,
one more time! And eight
seven, six, five, four,
three and one more time!
And wake up in the morning
and you're in your dream.
And eight, and
seven, and six, and
five and connect!
Connect! Connect!
Theme Music
Rhythmic breaths and
percussive noises
Spiraling synths
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
THE BIGGEST ORGAN
(narrator)
MAJORCA, SPAIN
[Birds chirping]
[Water sloshes]
[Loud oceanic tone]
[hissing]
[Coughing and splashing]
Oceanic tones continue
Plaintive horn
[Birds chirping]
[Fast electronic pulses]
[Pulses increase]
What we have is a slightly more
troublesome experiment,
this is Schrdinger--
[Tape rewinds]
To make the paradox more
evident, I am going to make sure
I'm not gonna spoil this by
putting up the wrong
slide first.
Oop, it doesn't matter.
Here we are.
What we have is a slightly
more troublesome experiment.
This is Schrdinger's
idea, not mine.
I should add that he is
a very humane person,
and he would never actually
do an experiment like this.
This is a thought
cat. So it's alright.
As far as I can make out,
he was saying, "Yes,
that's what the equation tells
you. But that's not what
happens."
There is some...
Mystery that goes
beyond his equation.
Yes, I think that's correct,
that there is a mystery that
goes beyond
the Schrdinger equation.
Personally, I consider that
the key issue is consciousness
and I believe
that human consciousness
is based on
the ability to understand.
What about animal consciousness?
I've been talking
about this poor cat...
Well, it's only a thought cat
so it's not so poor, but anyway
I was talking with a belief
that a cat is conscious.
And I certainly believe that.
And I believe it goes down.
What about life generally?
That's more of a question.
But the thing I wanted to
say here is that
there is something
non-computational
going on in understanding.
So, for physical reasons,
we need a new theory anyway.
Then of course you think,
"Well, how do our brains work?"
And well there's neurons and
synapses...
These are all mechanical.
There's no more reason to
think this would generate
consciousness
any more than
a computer program would
-- which it can't!
So I was a bit stuck.
But then, Andre Ahnhammer,
an anesthesiologist
in Ann Arbor,
he wrote to me, and said,
"I don't think you know about
these things...
Microtubules.
I was so ignorant, I hadn't
ever heard of such things.
You see maybe these things
act as a computer in some sense
but whatever it is that controls
the synapse s trengths
may involve elements that are
non-computational.
And I rather like these tubes,
not just because they're nice,
symmetrical arrangements,
but at this structure, at this
extraordinarily small scale
there's a genuine chance
there could be
quantum effects
associated with these things.
All the structures
that make the brain,
the nervous system,
first emerged underwater.
The mind evolved in the sea.
Our skulls are like aquariums.
I like to do this sometimes,
it's a picture I've
used in some of my books.
It's my only comment on
philosophy. You see,
if I can draw a picture of it
then I'm happy making
a philosophical statement.
It's The Three Worlds
And The Three Mysteries
which contain them.
You see, why are these
separate spheres in
an interlocking dance?
And I think it's a mystery.
And there are
perhaps different connections
but the one I think is most
intriguing, most mysterious...
is beauty.
And not just platonic
beauty, but physical beauty,
which only becomes beauty
when it is
perceived by consciousness.
[Distant waves]
I'm from the States originally.
I went to
the University of Florida.
Oh, you're a Gator!
That's right. I came down to
Mexico to do my residency.
It's so beautiful,
what can I say?
I fell in love.
So, I gotta ask...
What's the story with
you and your partner?
Chase?
Yeah.
Chase is my best friend.
He's saved my butt about a
thousand times.
And I've saved his butt too.
I know whatever's going on in my
life, with my relationships...
or him with his... I know
there's always someone out there
I can totally trust.
He keeps me focused
and honest and brave.
Darkwave slow jam
Nice.
Hey babe, meet me in the shower.
[Door closes]
[Shower on]
Downstairs.
Make this quick, I am in
the middle of something.
I'm in the middle of
something too.
Where've you been, the beach?
You smell like the beach.
How long have
you been here, Karl?
A few days.
But don't worry.
I tended your garden.
I have something very
important to tell you.
Can I have a cigarette?
I was speaking with some of my
Canadian friends,
and I heard an interesting
bit of information.
A name. It relates to your
beach business.
No, can boy get a light?
You're not going to like it.
It involves a dark, wet corner
of Chase's past.
Do you want me to tell you?
Yes, obviously.
I need to whisper it to you.
Why do you need to
whisper it to me?
Okay, fine.
[Electronic beeps]
Hey bitch, it's No.
I know you've been hired to
steal coral
from Dr. Beef's lab, but you do
not know what you're fucking
with.
This is not normal
coral, or maybe it is,
but this is not
a normal time for coral.
Listen, I'm talking about killer
shit.
And trust me, babe.
You can't handle it.
I'm calling Dr. Beef right
now -- as soon as I find
her number -- so
there's no point. Alright?
Call me. Do not
call Chase! Call me.
[Voicemail alert]
[Voicemail alert]
You coming up, babe?
Yeah! You're doing great.
Ominous synths with heartbeat
[Pager beeping]
What's 999?
Karl.
Disquieting flutes
Disquieting flutes
Synth music intensifies
Music slowly fades
[Car rumbles]
[Car drives by]
Theme Music
Spiraling synths
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
ASHES TO ASSES
[Birds chirping]
[Echoing glasses clinking]
Chimes play
(narrator) VALLE DE GUADALUPE,
MEXICAN WINE COUNTRY
[Cups rolling]
Nobody saw this
coming and honestly,
we don't even
know where to start.
Aggressive synth jingle
[Basketball
broadcast in Spanish]
Dr. Cleo! Hey, I'm Tab, the
assistant coach.
Hi Tab. Please call me Anessa.
When did you get in?
Late last night.
I am just seeing this place
in the daylight, it's beautiful.
Me and the team
got in last night.
I'm so excited to meet them!
Excuse me,
could I please get a...
Sunrise Slam? And
what are you having?
Otra Vicky, por favor.
I've gotta say, at first the
players were pretty wary
of meeting
a sports psychologist.
But this wine tasting
has scored you major points.
Oh great. You know wine tasting,
when done in a peaceful
environment,
attunes you to the here
and now of your senses.
And through describing
your experience you connect with
your teammates.
It's like a group
meditation...but even
more communal...and fun.
I knew this was a new team,
and they may not have a lot
in common.
So I pitched
the idea to the coach.
Well, he loved the idea.
He is a genius.
Man, it'll be interesting to see
these guys at a wine tasting.
If you saw them last night,
you'd be pretty sure
some of them were
married to Bud Lite.
So, this league was founded
on some pretty radical ideas.
Can I ask -- are you a true
believer?
The commissioner is
a man of great vision.
You know this is
one of his properties.
Who's that?
I don't know.
Is he an agent?
[Glasses clink]
[Buzzing]
[Fountain splashing]
Chimes playing
Chimes continue
Hello. Are you...on the team?
Oh --no. Are you?
You're charming.
No, I wouldn't be caught dead
wearing those long shorts.
I mean, maybe in the 70s.
I'm Amanda Weinclub,
private investigator.
And you are an Interpol Agent,
codename Midnight Shadow.
Um, how did you --
It's all over your face, my
dear!
I'm joking! I recognize you
from the ancient past.
You see, I used to be
married to Chase National.
Yes! We're separated now,
but we used to be quite...
...passionate, quite in sync.
So Amanda, what brings you here?
Same as you, I guess.
Trying to get away from it all.
[Muffled conversations]
Petit Sirah, Granache--
--is that they are
authentic to this terroir
this characteristic that
we have in the valley.
[Sipping]
It's light, it almost
reminds me of grape juice.
Yo, he did not just say that
wine reminds him of grapes
No, I said grape juice.
It's a specific flavor.
There's a foggy aroma, with a
hint
of cherry. Almost a pinot noir.
Yes, very good.
How do you know that?
I spent three years
playing for Olimpia Milano.
Lot of wine out there.
I've played in Croatia, New
Zealand, Poland and Argentina.
Only thing I can
do is order pizzas.
[Laughter]
Do you guys notice
a note of tobacco?
For sure.
I think I did this wrong,
I need some more.
Salud! Yes!
[Friendly chatter]
Beachy acoustic guitar softly
plays
Check out the
legs on this one.
Mhmm. Athletic.
See, Sniff, Swirl, Sip, Spit.
Swish!
Swish! Yo!
Music rises with ethereal
synths
Oceans
Oceans
Low fi drum machine party
music
Killin' time
Still out here havin fun
Y'know lately I
Just feel it in the sun
Make our day
We'll make ya glow
Man, I don't know much about
this league.
All I heard is I can play closer
to home, and there's no
drug testing.
That's good enough for me.
One thing I don't get -- who
owns this team?
What? You really don't
know much about the league!
What?
We own it! Co-ed, Co-op.
Yeah took the trip
Now we're swimmin in the zone
Make our day
We'll make ya glow
In your dreams
Goin outta control
Whoa ah oh
Coach whistle
Music fades out
[Beep]
Oh no, do you feel badly?
Well, not too badly I hope.
Well, I'm on a new mission:
to even out my tan.
Oh it's a long story.
You'd probably love it actually.
I'll send Polaroids. Mmm-hmm.
It's really beautiful out here,
it's like a...
Mexican Wine Country.
What else? Oh,
I'm on a new case!
But I can't tell you much about
it --
corporate clients.
It's very dry, very...
firm.
Have any of y'all seen Essence?
I don't think he's here yet?
Why not?
No idea. I can't think of the
last time I saw him actually.
I can. It was crazy.
We were in Miami,
walking on our way
to lunch, just talking.
And we cross under this palm
tree, and he slows wayyyyy down.
There's this palm frond that's
softly brushing the tops of
his hair,
and he keeps walking in little
circles to make it happen.
Looking peaceful.
And I was like -- Essence!
But nothing, for I bet a solid
minute --
it was like he was
in a trance or something.
And then just like that,
he snaps out of it,
acting totally normal again.
We go to lunch and
have some fantastic medianoches.
Did you ask him about it?
No.
[Computer ringtone]
[Keyboard tap]
Mysterious woodwinds and
percussion
No way.
Music rises
Whoosh
Lively synths and drums
Spiraling woodwinds
Music fades
(narrator) Next
Season...NOCTURNAL E-MISSIONS
Warm New Wave synths
Dance beat drops
Your face is like a tape I
erased.
Long gone, can't be replaced.
Can't go back and fix my
mistakes.
The Sun and Moon, always out
of phase.
We've gone too far to make
our escape.
You parked the car in someone
else's space.
The Moon, the stars, the
galaxies.
The lights of L.A. at the end
of day.
Music fades
Retro synth
[Heavy thunderstorm]
(narrator)
ROSARITO, MEXICO
[CD changer closes]
[Recording of rain]
(voice on record)
Relaxing Rain Sounds: Borneo
[Bath faucet]
[Zipper opens]
[Recording of rain]
[Bath running]
[Vibrator turns on]
[Moaning]
[CD glitches]
[CD changer opens]
[Dolphin-like calls]
Loud oceanic rumbling tones
Ominous hissing
[Coughing]
[Crash]
Plaintive horn
[Vibrator wobbles]
Theme begins
Spiraling melodies
[Switchblade echoes]
[Sharp inhaling breath]
(narrator)
ASSES TO ASHES
Chimes and mellow tones
[Dog breathing]
[Waves and distorted howls]
[Waves and distorted howls]
[Big wave]
Chimes and mellow tones
[Crickets singing]
Mellow melody continues
[Aquarium bubblers]
Chimes intensify
[Hissing and oceanic groan]
Screaming distorted guitars
[Peaceful wind]
(narrator)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Ambient music with heartbeats
[Elevator dings]
Haunting woodwinds
[Dial-up modem]
So, how old is this guy?
I think he's 31.
That's so hot. When are
you gonna make your move?
I can't. He's unavailable.
What do you
mean? Like married?
Well, he's engaged.
Oh my god, are you
kidding? He's ripe
I don't know...
[Modem noises]
Look - it's easy.
Get him alone in a small room.
You put one hand
on the wall
the other hand on
his chest - at least
Look him in the eye and say
"I know that you want me.
We can do this right now."
I don't know.
[Computer ringtone]
Hi Chase!
Hello Chase!
Oh, hi ladies.
Chase, we've been
doing some digging
into the transfers of "cabbage."
We're finding some really
interesting patterns of movement
over the last financial
quarter. I made a spreadsheet.
And I drew this map.
That sounds like great
work, ladies. But I need you
to put aside the cabbage
research. Something's come up.
There's been a murder
in Rosarito, Mexico.
No is there investigating.
I'll be joining her tomorrow.
The victim was a brilliant
marine biologist and
mathematician,
specializing in coral reefs.
I'm sending you the dossier.
I need you two to
scour the databases
for everything you can
find on this woman.
We're on it!
Okay, I'll start
searching Lexis.
Got it, I'm on Nexis.
Moody ambient music
I was...a dog.
Not sure the
breed. I don't know dogs.
What color? Did
you have spots?
Well, there was
another dog with me
Black..and I
was black..and tan.
Mhmmm.
We were sniffing around
like crazy for something
God, our sensory
world was so rich.
Let's hold onto
that. Describe the sensations
Were they smells...
or images?
I wanna say...fish.
Fish.
Where are the fish leading
you? Back towards the ocean?
I mean, it's probably
coral. No, I knew the
dream was real. I knew
the smuggler was dead.
But how does this connect
to Theresa Gorgeous?
She's a coral scientist,
sure. But in Mexico!
I mean, can coral
kill two people?
And what would that even mean?
Chase, no wine til it's
time. Right now we are just
talking about the dream -
don't worry where it leads.
What are you wearing?
Um, electric blue silk shirt.
Black pleated
slacks. Belt, no tie.
You need to relax. Loosen
your belt and breathe.
Good.
Now, take off your pants.
[Pants drop]
Much better.
Now tell me about
those chirping sounds you heard.
Moody ambient music
[Breathes deeply]
[Tea kettle boils]
(narrator)
TIJUANA, MEXICO
[Peaceful bird chirping]
[Water pouring]
[Gasp]
Theme begins
Spiraling synth melodies
[Exhaling breath]
(narrator)
FAX ON THE BEACH
Wind chimes, bells and minimal
beat
Wind chimes, bells and minimal
beat
[Dull thud and rumble]
[Dull thud]
[Airplane noise]
Listen, No. There's
been another murder.
We have to go to the beach.
[Guitar noodling]
(narrator)
ROSARITO, MEXICO
[Knocks on desk]
Listen, I'm sorry but I cannot
release those documents to you.
But you told me to
come pick them up!
Oh no, you're mistaken. We are
happy to collaborate if this an
interagency request
but I need a request
from another
police organization.
Good luck!
[Gate slams]
[Birds chirping]
[Schoolbus rumbles]
Tell me about this shirt -
are you with the Zapatistas?
What? No. I mean...
they're amazing but
I got this at Groundworks,
which is a really sick
radical cooperative
bookstore at UC San Diego.
Okay.
So, in the 60s,
there was all this
activism on campus. Legendary.
Angela Davis, Herbert Marcuse,
that guy who set
himself on fire...
And one of the
big campaigns was
to name the new
college they were building
"Lumumba Zapata" to center
Third World consciousness.
Well, that didn't happen
but there's been activism on
campus ever since. Like,
not a lot but like - look.
UCSD was explicitly founded
as a weapons engineering school,
based in no-Blacks,
no-Jews-ass segregated La Jolla.
And these Vietnamese students
came to UCSD in the 70s and
that's like"diversity" - but
such a fucked up situation.
They are like refugees
from the US war and
now they're at a school
to build weapons?
Same with Filipino students
who are here on the GI Bill,
and part of the war machine
against their own homes.
It is crazy how
conservative the
campus is but a
few of us are trying...
Right now, we
are fighting for a
living wage for
custodial workers,
which is a student
issue. They are
the family of many
Hispanic students.
And there's this huge
anti-immigration push in
California.
Anti-affirmative
action too, with bills like
SP-1, SP-2, and Prop
209, which have devastated
the already shitty minority
situations at the UCs.
I guess, in
comparison to the 60s
this stuff seems
kinda trivial.
No, not at all.
You're fighting for
where you live. Bravo.
So, that guy you are
with -- what is he doing?
He's meditating.
Cool. He's hot.
Can I talk to him?
Do you think I'd
be bothering him?
Oh no, go.
[He screams, she screams]
Foreboding music with
heartbeats
Hola! Interpol.
Okay if we look around?
Oh, Interpol. Welcome.
Yes, you can look around
but everyone
is just cleaning up.
-That's better.
-Yeah, less clutter.
Music Fades
[Garbled police radio]
Plaintive melody
He was a professional
bodyboarder.
Very beloved at this beach.
There was only one witness.
[Deep exhale]
All of a sudden,
there were multiple of him.
Many hims.
Time was moving
at different speeds.
The sky sparkled like water.
Sometimes there was no horizon.
The ocean was upside down.
Then he staggered
out of the water... with a
gunshot wound in his
chest. And then he died.
It was crazy.
I think she has
had too much sol.
A large-caliber bullet entered
to the left of his spine.
Punctured his heart and seems to
have exploded inside
the chest cavity.
There was massive
hemorrhaging and organ damage.
The angle of entry is unclear.
I'd almost say the bullet
either came from the ocean
Or the sky.
But that can't be right.
How about we continue
this over dinner some night?
Drum machine and acoustic
guitar
Handclaps and tambourines
Take your time to get here
baby. I'm running a little late
but
All day, I've been
thinking about
all 80 ways I
want to go with you
I could have asked you but
you know
we have the
summer to explore
Could have asked
you from before
I told myself to wait for
more
All 80 ways I wanna see ya'
in my dreams is
where I dream this
in my dreams is
where I dream this.
Music fades
[Fax machine rings]
Way to go, Rico.
What is it?
The Theresa Gorgeous
toxicology report.
Finally! And?
Nothing. They are
calling it a stroke.
Stroke my ass.
Music rises again
[Oceanic alien
clicks and wooshes]
[Large wave crashes]
Theme begins
Rhythmic breathing
Spiraling synth melodies
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
CORAL ME BAD
Sparse bells and chimes
Dreamy melodic tones
Bells and chimes rise
Bells, chimes and synths
resonate
Stately tuba melody
Music fades
(narrator)
ACAPULCO, MEXICO
[Fax starts]
[Fax prints]
Sexy minimal music
[Paper rips]
[Fax prints]
Music fades
Chase, we've got that meeting.
Mhmm.
What have you got there?
Nothing.
Okay.
Mysterious music rises
[Heels clicking]
Hi. I'm Dr. Veronica Beef.
So, what can I tell
you about coral?
Everything.
[Keys jangle]
So, coral is a very,
very simple animal.
They are really closely
related to jellyfish
If you want to picture them,
they are basically just sacks
with arms on them. And the sack
is where everything happens.
It's both their stomach, their
mouth and...the butt.
And the arms are how they
capture food out of the water.
Coral famously have this
amazing symbiotic relationship
with algae.
The corals give algae a home
and in return,
algae gives them excess
sugars from photosynthesis.
This gives corals their
lavish colors, and the extra
energy to fight other organisms
and dominate the ecosystem.
But what's much more
amazing, and totally
unique about coral
- is their clonality.
It's like the real individual
is the colony.
There is no quote "I."
And this is one of the really
important things about corals.
They live together but
they die alone.
I mean that individual
deaths don't really matter.
Just because half
a coral colony dies
doesn't mean anything
about the half.
The coral polyps that
are still alive
can in fact regenerate the
dead parts of a colony.
You know how a lizard
can regrow its tail?
Imagine - it's like the tail
can regrow the lizard.
Damn.
Yeah, it's funny actually.
Coral reef science started
as a geologic discipline.
Basically began because the
clipper ship trade started up.
The Europeans were
going from the northern to
the southern hemisphere,
and they were really,
really worried about
these things growing up
to the surface and
blocking their trade routes.
So they sent some nerds out
there and they were like
"Hey nerds, are these coral
reefs gonna take over the
world?"
And isn't it ironic,
that now we are
worried they are
going to disappear.
Like the whole
reason this started was
to stop them taking
over the world.
[Rhythmic electronic pulse]
Jamaica - sounds nice!
Jamaica is like a Graceland
for coral reef scientists.
It's like this case study for
interactions between humans and
coral.
I mean, there is a long
history of land pressures.
Overfishing, agriculture,
the plantations.
But in the last
ten years or so
it's really gone to shit.
We're taking all of the
fish out of the water,
we're polluting the
water, we're changing
the sediment cycle.
And all of this stuff
is killing the corals.
Are you worried about
the corals going extinct?
Hey, we all go
extinct eventually.
One species goes away,
another takes over.
What matters just depends
on your personal perspective.
[Heels echo]
I have a question, but I am
almost embarrassed to ask.
Chase, you can
ask me...anything.
Can corals emit
some kind of poison gas?
Chase, you have such
an imagination!
I have never heard
of a gas. But who knows?
We're always discovering
new things about coral.
Like some species of coral,
their larvae has a little
tail. And they can find their
reef by following its sound.
They can somehow
feel its vibrations
They're attracted to it.
It's really wild, the
sound of the reefs.
Have you ever heard the
sound of snapping shrimp?
Yeah.
Is there any way
that coral can
communicate or
even send signals?
Within a colony, for sure.
There's a thin, thin layer
of tissue across the
surface of the entire coral.
And the polyps can kind of
use these tubes underneath
to sort of shuttle resources
back and forth to one another.
But they only do
that within the colony
What about communication between
colonies? Or across distances?
I'm sorry, I'm not sure
what you are driving at.
Can corals conspire
to commit a murder?
The issue is not communication,
it's consciousness.
And coral are cool but
they have no intelligence.
And philosophy or whatever is
beyond my pay grade. But I mean
we are always learning more
about non-human intelligence.
Whales can communicate with
their songs across
entire oceans.
Dolphins have..."culture."
They teach each other new
hunting tactics and pass
those on.
It's not just mammals...
octopuses are crazy intelligent.
But all that said, there's like
two necessary things to develop
intelligence.
The first is some kind of
complicated nervous system.
And the second is evolutionary
pressure towards intelligence.
Corals don't have nervous
systems
and they've thrived for so
long -- in their current
state for 26 million
years -- without them.
So, to develop
them, that would be
evolutionarily expensive.
They're basically just sacks
with arms and they dominate
the ocean.
Why would they
need consciousness?
[Distant waves]
I'm sorry,
I'm not sure any of this will
help you catch your criminal.
We're not trying
to catch anyone,
we should be clear
-- we're not cops.
You're not trying
to solve a mystery?
Not exactly, we're more
trying learn the mystery.
Like --be with the mystery.
Yeah, something like that.
I totally misunderstood.
I thought you were Interpol.
Interpol aren't cops. It's
inter-police.
We do coordination,
administration,
and lately in
our case, deep research.
So you don't have guns?
Handcuffs?
Well, you can borrow mine.
[Hot tub bubbling]
[Dolphin-like calls]
(narrator)
Next...TEMPORARY EROGENOUS ZONES
Theme begins
Propulsive synths
Spiraling melodies
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
TIJUANA, MEXICO
[Peaceful birds chirping]
[Clippers]
[Water pours]
[Clang]
Ow! Damn it.
[Heavy breathing]
[Groan]
Nice.
[Invisible Man
singing to himself]
[Water pours]
Darkwave dance music rises
The beat intensifies
Experimental bongo music
Your face is like a tape I
erased.
Long gone, can't be replaced.
Can't go back and fix my
mistakes.
Experimental string music
You parked the car in someone
else's space.
The Moon, the stars, the
galaxies.
The lights of L.A.
Experimental string music
Darkwave dance music
Rhythmic chimes
Reggaeton riddim
Rapping in Spanish
Sings in Spanish
Rapping in Spanish
Dubby chill out music
Oh, hey.
What are you thinking?
Something...but I can't
quite put it in words.
I think I can. I think--
--it's wonderful that
science is studying
the minds of
other animals, I do.
But they are
defining terms like
"consciousness" and
"intelligence"
and assigning levels before
we know what those things are,
even for ourselves.
There is no way of knowing
how much we don't know.
We're surrounded by all
these mysterious beings,
which when you realize...
It's like
hearing a chorus of bells.
Distorted swish
(narrator)
Next...DOPPELGNGBANG
[Rhythmic electronic pulses]
[pulses intensify]
Theme Music
Sparse drums and piano
Spiraling synths
[Sharp inhale]
Hey!
(narrator)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
I can't decide, you go.
Hi, I'll have a
Citrus Slam please.
And I'll get a Cool Breeze
and a wheatgrass shot.
Oh, I'll have a
wheatgrass shot too.
That'll be three dollars each.
You have your gym card?
[Electronic ding]
Oh, that's cute.
Mysterious whistling
I was eating...something.
Sweet or salty?
Salty.
Okay, let's talk about
mouthfeel. Hard or soft?
It was...definitely soft.
It was eggs.
Scrambled.
Oh my god, it's working.
That's why we do
our training! Okay...
You were eating
scrambled eggs, then what?
And then I finished eating
the eggs and...
They came out of me.
Unscrambled.
Like a whole egg. Hardboiled.
It came out of where?
Your mouth?
Vagina? Wait...do eggs
come out of vaginas?
K, please, I
need your help.
The egg was just
there, in my hands.
Alright, how did you
feel? Happy? Sad?
I was listening, like
the egg was a message.
That's why the dream was so
important -- there was a message
for me!
What was the message?
Sorry. Was the
message in English?
[Machines clank]
Ready? 1...2...3...
--Moon!
--Horsefly!
1...2...3...
--Hamster!
--Chainsaw!
1...2...3...
--Rain!
--Snow!
Okay, okay. We almost
have it. 1...2...3...
Mysterious whistling and tones
[Beep]
Hey Agent St. Aubergine,
it's Dr. Veronica Beef.
Listen, I've been thinking a lot
about your whole
coral conspiracy theory,
and I really think you're
sipping out the wrong straw.
There are nine
hundred species of coral,
and they do not get along.
Like if you take different
individuals from the same
species,
they won't fight exactly
but they won't necessarily
share resources either.
Take different individuals from
within a genus and they'll
fight a bit.
But if you take individuals from
different families, it's like...
all out war.
They will digest each other,
like literally eat each other.
So the idea of a network of
coral cooperating around
the world
just doesn't make any sense.
Plus of course, coral can't
even make poison gas.
Hold on...
[Adjusting electronic tones]
[Droning oceanic sound]
Anyways, you've got my number.
If you need anything else,
definitely give me a call.
Bye.
[Deep breaths]
Distorted chimes and breaths
[Echoing tennis ball hit]
What's that?
The Theresa Gorgeous papers that
Chase asked us about.
I'm sure there's some connection
to the coral smuggler we've been
missing.
Venice, NO!
C'mon.
But we have to be thinking
about the case!
You're not thinking, you're
spinning.
Come here.
Notice your breath,
notice your body.
Your mind and
body are intertwined,
though neither side
is totally in control.
There are feedback loops.
When your mind is spinning,
it changes your heart rate,
your neurotransmitters, the
actual chemicals in your sweat.
Body stress is
perceived by the mind,
it is received in
the somatosensory cortices and
insular regions of the brain.
Brain activity slows and
creativity becomes impaired.
You're stuck.
But there is an escape --
you return back to your body.
You become aware of things
that aren't stress.
Thigs like the pleasure of
relaxation and of movement.
Like when an athlete's in the
zone.
Then coordination, spatial
awareness, balance,
and creativity are all
working together,
making novel connections
at incredible speeds.
And there is no separation
between mind and body and
the world.
That's why we came here, Venice.
I want to get you in the zone.
I'm getting there.
[Eerie wind]
[Creaking machine]
[Machine creaks]
Unsettling ambient music rises
[Paper flaps]
[Dumbells rolling]
[Machine wobbles]
[Heels scrape sand]
Music intensifies
[Panicked breathing]
Hey, K!
What?
I've been thinking.
You know that guy whose
emails we've been tracking?
Mr. Cabbage?
Yeah, the one who is
always bragging about
smuggling cabbage
across the border.
Right, "cabbage" means cash.
Yeah, but what if "cabbage"
doesn't mean cash.
What if "cabbage" means coral?
[Shower turns off]
[Thunder]
(narrator)
ROSARITO, MEXICO
Have you heard anything
from your interns?
I got a voicemail from them
today but it didn't make
any sense.
-It was scrambled.
-Bad connection?
Maybe. I should
go back to Canada,
but then I feel like we're not
done here yet.
Chase, you can't be
in two places at once.
[Chase sighs]
Hey, look.
That couple is watching us.
Yeah, they are probably
waiting for us to go.
Maybe. Or maybe
they want company.
You feel free. My
bad knee is acting up.
Oh, your old football injury?
Not football, baby.
Soccer.
[Rhythmic electronic pulses]
[Crackling glitches]
[Error noise]
Catchy synch loop
Seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one
And work it, push
it. Work your dream.
You are yourself. And touch
your dream. And connect
yourself.
Join the team! C'mon, work
it! Push it! Be it! Become it!
Eight, seven, six, five,
one more time! And eight
seven, six, five, four,
three and one more time!
And wake up in the morning
and you're in your dream.
And eight, and
seven, and six, and
five and connect!
Connect! Connect!
Theme Music
Rhythmic breaths and
percussive noises
Spiraling synths
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
THE BIGGEST ORGAN
(narrator)
MAJORCA, SPAIN
[Birds chirping]
[Water sloshes]
[Loud oceanic tone]
[hissing]
[Coughing and splashing]
Oceanic tones continue
Plaintive horn
[Birds chirping]
[Fast electronic pulses]
[Pulses increase]
What we have is a slightly more
troublesome experiment,
this is Schrdinger--
[Tape rewinds]
To make the paradox more
evident, I am going to make sure
I'm not gonna spoil this by
putting up the wrong
slide first.
Oop, it doesn't matter.
Here we are.
What we have is a slightly
more troublesome experiment.
This is Schrdinger's
idea, not mine.
I should add that he is
a very humane person,
and he would never actually
do an experiment like this.
This is a thought
cat. So it's alright.
As far as I can make out,
he was saying, "Yes,
that's what the equation tells
you. But that's not what
happens."
There is some...
Mystery that goes
beyond his equation.
Yes, I think that's correct,
that there is a mystery that
goes beyond
the Schrdinger equation.
Personally, I consider that
the key issue is consciousness
and I believe
that human consciousness
is based on
the ability to understand.
What about animal consciousness?
I've been talking
about this poor cat...
Well, it's only a thought cat
so it's not so poor, but anyway
I was talking with a belief
that a cat is conscious.
And I certainly believe that.
And I believe it goes down.
What about life generally?
That's more of a question.
But the thing I wanted to
say here is that
there is something
non-computational
going on in understanding.
So, for physical reasons,
we need a new theory anyway.
Then of course you think,
"Well, how do our brains work?"
And well there's neurons and
synapses...
These are all mechanical.
There's no more reason to
think this would generate
consciousness
any more than
a computer program would
-- which it can't!
So I was a bit stuck.
But then, Andre Ahnhammer,
an anesthesiologist
in Ann Arbor,
he wrote to me, and said,
"I don't think you know about
these things...
Microtubules.
I was so ignorant, I hadn't
ever heard of such things.
You see maybe these things
act as a computer in some sense
but whatever it is that controls
the synapse s trengths
may involve elements that are
non-computational.
And I rather like these tubes,
not just because they're nice,
symmetrical arrangements,
but at this structure, at this
extraordinarily small scale
there's a genuine chance
there could be
quantum effects
associated with these things.
All the structures
that make the brain,
the nervous system,
first emerged underwater.
The mind evolved in the sea.
Our skulls are like aquariums.
I like to do this sometimes,
it's a picture I've
used in some of my books.
It's my only comment on
philosophy. You see,
if I can draw a picture of it
then I'm happy making
a philosophical statement.
It's The Three Worlds
And The Three Mysteries
which contain them.
You see, why are these
separate spheres in
an interlocking dance?
And I think it's a mystery.
And there are
perhaps different connections
but the one I think is most
intriguing, most mysterious...
is beauty.
And not just platonic
beauty, but physical beauty,
which only becomes beauty
when it is
perceived by consciousness.
[Distant waves]
I'm from the States originally.
I went to
the University of Florida.
Oh, you're a Gator!
That's right. I came down to
Mexico to do my residency.
It's so beautiful,
what can I say?
I fell in love.
So, I gotta ask...
What's the story with
you and your partner?
Chase?
Yeah.
Chase is my best friend.
He's saved my butt about a
thousand times.
And I've saved his butt too.
I know whatever's going on in my
life, with my relationships...
or him with his... I know
there's always someone out there
I can totally trust.
He keeps me focused
and honest and brave.
Darkwave slow jam
Nice.
Hey babe, meet me in the shower.
[Door closes]
[Shower on]
Downstairs.
Make this quick, I am in
the middle of something.
I'm in the middle of
something too.
Where've you been, the beach?
You smell like the beach.
How long have
you been here, Karl?
A few days.
But don't worry.
I tended your garden.
I have something very
important to tell you.
Can I have a cigarette?
I was speaking with some of my
Canadian friends,
and I heard an interesting
bit of information.
A name. It relates to your
beach business.
No, can boy get a light?
You're not going to like it.
It involves a dark, wet corner
of Chase's past.
Do you want me to tell you?
Yes, obviously.
I need to whisper it to you.
Why do you need to
whisper it to me?
Okay, fine.
[Electronic beeps]
Hey bitch, it's No.
I know you've been hired to
steal coral
from Dr. Beef's lab, but you do
not know what you're fucking
with.
This is not normal
coral, or maybe it is,
but this is not
a normal time for coral.
Listen, I'm talking about killer
shit.
And trust me, babe.
You can't handle it.
I'm calling Dr. Beef right
now -- as soon as I find
her number -- so
there's no point. Alright?
Call me. Do not
call Chase! Call me.
[Voicemail alert]
[Voicemail alert]
You coming up, babe?
Yeah! You're doing great.
Ominous synths with heartbeat
[Pager beeping]
What's 999?
Karl.
Disquieting flutes
Disquieting flutes
Synth music intensifies
Music slowly fades
[Car rumbles]
[Car drives by]
Theme Music
Spiraling synths
[Sharp inhale]
(narrator)
ASHES TO ASSES
[Birds chirping]
[Echoing glasses clinking]
Chimes play
(narrator) VALLE DE GUADALUPE,
MEXICAN WINE COUNTRY
[Cups rolling]
Nobody saw this
coming and honestly,
we don't even
know where to start.
Aggressive synth jingle
[Basketball
broadcast in Spanish]
Dr. Cleo! Hey, I'm Tab, the
assistant coach.
Hi Tab. Please call me Anessa.
When did you get in?
Late last night.
I am just seeing this place
in the daylight, it's beautiful.
Me and the team
got in last night.
I'm so excited to meet them!
Excuse me,
could I please get a...
Sunrise Slam? And
what are you having?
Otra Vicky, por favor.
I've gotta say, at first the
players were pretty wary
of meeting
a sports psychologist.
But this wine tasting
has scored you major points.
Oh great. You know wine tasting,
when done in a peaceful
environment,
attunes you to the here
and now of your senses.
And through describing
your experience you connect with
your teammates.
It's like a group
meditation...but even
more communal...and fun.
I knew this was a new team,
and they may not have a lot
in common.
So I pitched
the idea to the coach.
Well, he loved the idea.
He is a genius.
Man, it'll be interesting to see
these guys at a wine tasting.
If you saw them last night,
you'd be pretty sure
some of them were
married to Bud Lite.
So, this league was founded
on some pretty radical ideas.
Can I ask -- are you a true
believer?
The commissioner is
a man of great vision.
You know this is
one of his properties.
Who's that?
I don't know.
Is he an agent?
[Glasses clink]
[Buzzing]
[Fountain splashing]
Chimes playing
Chimes continue
Hello. Are you...on the team?
Oh --no. Are you?
You're charming.
No, I wouldn't be caught dead
wearing those long shorts.
I mean, maybe in the 70s.
I'm Amanda Weinclub,
private investigator.
And you are an Interpol Agent,
codename Midnight Shadow.
Um, how did you --
It's all over your face, my
dear!
I'm joking! I recognize you
from the ancient past.
You see, I used to be
married to Chase National.
Yes! We're separated now,
but we used to be quite...
...passionate, quite in sync.
So Amanda, what brings you here?
Same as you, I guess.
Trying to get away from it all.
[Muffled conversations]
Petit Sirah, Granache--
--is that they are
authentic to this terroir
this characteristic that
we have in the valley.
[Sipping]
It's light, it almost
reminds me of grape juice.
Yo, he did not just say that
wine reminds him of grapes
No, I said grape juice.
It's a specific flavor.
There's a foggy aroma, with a
hint
of cherry. Almost a pinot noir.
Yes, very good.
How do you know that?
I spent three years
playing for Olimpia Milano.
Lot of wine out there.
I've played in Croatia, New
Zealand, Poland and Argentina.
Only thing I can
do is order pizzas.
[Laughter]
Do you guys notice
a note of tobacco?
For sure.
I think I did this wrong,
I need some more.
Salud! Yes!
[Friendly chatter]
Beachy acoustic guitar softly
plays
Check out the
legs on this one.
Mhmm. Athletic.
See, Sniff, Swirl, Sip, Spit.
Swish!
Swish! Yo!
Music rises with ethereal
synths
Oceans
Oceans
Low fi drum machine party
music
Killin' time
Still out here havin fun
Y'know lately I
Just feel it in the sun
Make our day
We'll make ya glow
Man, I don't know much about
this league.
All I heard is I can play closer
to home, and there's no
drug testing.
That's good enough for me.
One thing I don't get -- who
owns this team?
What? You really don't
know much about the league!
What?
We own it! Co-ed, Co-op.
Yeah took the trip
Now we're swimmin in the zone
Make our day
We'll make ya glow
In your dreams
Goin outta control
Whoa ah oh
Coach whistle
Music fades out
[Beep]
Oh no, do you feel badly?
Well, not too badly I hope.
Well, I'm on a new mission:
to even out my tan.
Oh it's a long story.
You'd probably love it actually.
I'll send Polaroids. Mmm-hmm.
It's really beautiful out here,
it's like a...
Mexican Wine Country.
What else? Oh,
I'm on a new case!
But I can't tell you much about
it --
corporate clients.
It's very dry, very...
firm.
Have any of y'all seen Essence?
I don't think he's here yet?
Why not?
No idea. I can't think of the
last time I saw him actually.
I can. It was crazy.
We were in Miami,
walking on our way
to lunch, just talking.
And we cross under this palm
tree, and he slows wayyyyy down.
There's this palm frond that's
softly brushing the tops of
his hair,
and he keeps walking in little
circles to make it happen.
Looking peaceful.
And I was like -- Essence!
But nothing, for I bet a solid
minute --
it was like he was
in a trance or something.
And then just like that,
he snaps out of it,
acting totally normal again.
We go to lunch and
have some fantastic medianoches.
Did you ask him about it?
No.
[Computer ringtone]
[Keyboard tap]
Mysterious woodwinds and
percussion
No way.
Music rises
Whoosh
Lively synths and drums
Spiraling woodwinds
Music fades
(narrator) Next
Season...NOCTURNAL E-MISSIONS
Warm New Wave synths
Dance beat drops
Your face is like a tape I
erased.
Long gone, can't be replaced.
Can't go back and fix my
mistakes.
The Sun and Moon, always out
of phase.
We've gone too far to make
our escape.
You parked the car in someone
else's space.
The Moon, the stars, the
galaxies.
The lights of L.A. at the end
of day.
Music fades