Okie (2024) Movie Script
1
[birds chirping]
[pensive music]
[Bridgette on voicemail]
Hey, babe. Um, it's just going
straight to voicemail, so you
must be out of service,
but, um,
I just wanted to see if
you made it to your dad's yet.
Um... look, I know you
didn't wanna talk about this
before you left, but the venue
really needs a deposit,
and, um, we just kind of
have to make a decision,
and I-- I really
love Union Station.
I mean, you liked
Union Station,
right?
I mean, it's beautiful,
and they never have openings,
and I just feel like
we have to, you know, um...
I know you have a lot going on,
but, um, Dr. Martinez said that
we have to start expressing
our needs, um, so...
I just--
I need you to call me, okay?
When you get to
your dad's. Okay.
All right, love you.
[coughs, sniffles]
[exhales]
[chuckles]
[high-pitched ringing]
[grunts]
[ringing fades]
[thud]
[lock clatters]
[distant engine rumbling]
Oh, shit!
[engine rumbling grows louder]
[engine idling]
Hey.
Travis?
Louie! What's up, man?
-Oh, my God.
-My God.
-Hey, can I cut this off?
-Yeah, kill it.
Just go ahead and kill it.
-No, it's not-- it's not there.
-Down?
[Travis] No, no, no.
Down, down, down, down. Down.
-To the right, to the right.
-Oh, got it, got it.
-The switch. Yeah, there you go.
-Got it. Found it.
[laughs]
Didn't know you was back. I seen
the, uh, Prius
and just figured a hipster
got lost leaving the city.
Ha! No, that's mine.
It's actually a Tesla.
Oh, shit. Those are electric,
right? Costs like, 100 grand?
No, no. Well, you know,
they can, but mine's only--
But that doesn't--
Yes. It's electric.
-[distant rooster crowing]
-[Louie clears throat]
You grew.
Yeah.
Hey, this is a nice ATV you got.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, I fished some possums
out of Art Carter's crawl space
and trapped some raccoons
in his barn.
-Got that as payment.
-[Louie] Huh. Cool.
So are you
an exterminator now, or?
Nah, I'm a butcher. Running
the Country Butcher in town.
-So how long you back?
-Uh, I'm not. I just came to--
Well, you know, to get some
of my dad's things for Hillary.
-Yeah. Sorry about that.
-[Louie] Nah, it's all right.
That from the beer safe?
[Louie laughs] No.
-Yeah.
-Remember we'd sneak
the shit that he didn't like,
and we'd head out
onto the river bottom?
-[Louie laughs] That's--
-Drink till we puked.
Didn't take too many
back then, did it?
[Travis] No.
[Louie laughs]
[Louie] Chelsea Shaw.
Meth.
JJ Calhoun.
He's a cop.
[scoffs]
My schoolyard bully
becomes a cop, huh?
Um, Ricky Malowski.
Son of a bitch robbed the ARCO.
-What?
-Yeah!
-Dumb son of a bitch.
-[Louie chuckles]
He managed to put a baby
in Lainey Gambie
before they closed
the bars on him.
Lainey Gambie. Wow.
That girl was
all kinds of messed up
when you left for college.
She held a candle
for quite a while.
Well, if it wasn't for
long distance, who knows?
But I actually just got engaged.
To a great girl.
Her name's Bridgette.
She's amazing.
She does PR for
lifestyle brands, you know?
So...
Lainey's tending bar
down at Moonshiners.
She's here all the time.
Maybe she can wiggle free if
we're trying to get in trouble.
Uh, I gotta be heading back.
I was just supposed to
pick up some stuff for Hill.
You know, ever since Dad passed,
she can't bring herself
to come back.
Shit, you could barely
bring yourself to come back
even when your old man
was alive and well.
Yeah, anyway, long drive back
home, so I should probably...
Come on, man. Just kick it
for a little bit, huh?
You just got here.
County fair's in a couple days.
Yeah, I didn't plan on
this being, like,
an extended trip or anything,
you know?
-So I'll probably--
-Just one night.
What's better than
kicking up the old ones?
Just one text to old girl.
Hmm? See what's up.
All right.
Probably shouldn't drive with
a lot of beer in me anyway.
[twangy music playing on radio]
Hey, why'd you use
all that stuff about me?
What do you mean?
The books.
Just seemed like
you used a lot of my shit.
Dad selling Vicodin, Mom boozing
on sangria, fist fights.
I don't know, it just felt like
you used more of my stories
-than your own.
-[Louie] Right.
You know,
a writer is like a sponge.
I absorb the world
around me, and I--
I filter it through my voice.
Yeah, but you used your name.
Lainey, Steve,
even your Pop Herman.
You used their names.
Pretty near everybody in town.
But there ain't no mention
of Travis in any of those books.
It just felt
like you combined us
and slapped the name "Louie" on.
Well, you know,
"Louie" is an amalgam.
He's-- he's everybody.
He's a symbol of what
it was like growing up here.
Oh. An amalgam.
I get it now.
[high-pitched ringing]
[ringing fades]
[exhales]
[forced chuckle]
Oh!
-What do they call these again?
-Garbage fries.
These are better than some of
the most expensive meals
I've had in the city.
I'll let 'em know they
should change the name.
-[Louie] Yeah, you do that.
-[car approaching]
-[Lainey] 'Sup, losers!
-Whoa! There she is.
-Whoa.
-[Travis chuckles]
[Lainey] Thanks, Mama.
-Wow.
-[Louie laughs]
Is that Lucky Louie? I didn't--
I didn't see any Mercedes
parked anywhere.
No, no, no. He drives a Prius
that cost him 100 grand.
Oh, my God.
-$100,000 car.
-That's not-- Okay.
[exhales] So.
You here for more material, or
you just in town for the fair?
[snickers]
I asked the same damn question.
But no, Lucky Louie
ain't gonna be around for long.
What's with the "Lucky Louie"?
[Lainey] That's what
people here call you.
You know, 'cause you're lucky.
Making it and all.
Oh, my God. Really?
[scoffs] It's a bit reductive,
don't you think?
I mean, the publishing industry
-isn't even that lucrative--
-Oh, my God.
We got it, we got it.
Hey, you working tonight?
No, I got my shift covered.
And Mama's watching Jackson,
-so I am free as a bird.
-All right.
Hey, that's right.
Um, congrats on the kid.
Love the little fucker,
but he is a cash suck, so...
And this is
a great little reunion.
Everything but free time
is precious for a single mama.
So what are we--
what are we getting into here?
Actually, I was thinking
if you guys wanted to,
we could head back to my place.
I've got that app Heads Up,
you know, on my phone.
It's like charades.
It was-- it was
developed by Ellen. That's not--
I mean, I know she's
a divisive figure now, but--
Oh, the races are tonight.
Corey Boyd's driving.
Mmm!
That fucker hits on me
all the time.
All I have to do is
give him the right idea,
-he's gonna get us into it.
-Oh, yeah.
Wait,
you wanna go to the dirt track?
I mean,
don't people get knifed there?
They check pockets now,
it's all good.
You getting pussy on us,
Lucky Louie?
[Louie] Uh...
[phone chimes]
[Travis] Uh-oh. Is that
the future ball and chain?
What's that?
Um... [clears throat]
Should I grab us
some more beers?
-Yes.
-Oh.
-Got some roadies from the bar.
-Hey, I got that.
[Lainey] Ooh! You gotta be
quicker than that here.
-I guess so.
-I don't know if you remember.
I'll go look for Corey
in the pits.
Back in a sec.
[indistinct PA announcement]
[Lainey sighs]
Sorry to hear about your daddy.
Yeah, he was a good man.
Thanks. That's nice to hear.
Especially since
some people feel like I...
wrote him out to be
some kind of monster.
[Lainey] Yeah.
I think you were
a little hard on him.
[scoffs] He was a character.
He was symbolic.
He was an amalgam.
"He encroached
like a barbaric bull.
His blood boiled as he coiled
his fist, ready to strike."
You read my book?
I don't look like a reader?
No-- no, yeah, no, of course.
I'm talking to the sixth grade
spelling bee champ.
Of course you're a reader.
That's not what I--
-Um, and seventh grade.
-That's right.
Plus I was class president
in eighth grade, so.
I just think it's impressive
you were able to
pull that line out of thin air.
Yeah.
Well, some of 'em stuck with me.
Specifically that one,
because I just, like...
I don't really remember him
beating on you.
Well, he didn't.
So why did you write that?
[Louie sighs, scoffs]
Because it's like I said.
It's symbolic.
You know, it's supposed to be...
symbolic of this town, of this
area, how it can be so brutish.
Why-- why are you
so hard on this place?
I mean, it kind of feels
like you just enjoyed
kicking us
while we're on our knees.
No, no! My God, I feel like I'm
getting the third degree here.
It's the opposite of that,
I promise you.
-Mmm.
-I love this place.
I think there's beauty
to its pain.
It's my way of honoring it,
you know?
Kind of seems like
something else to me.
[high-pitched ringing]
[faint whispering]
You know what?
I like dandelions.
What you called me in your book.
Or what you called "Lainey."
My neighbor-- my neighbor
has a shit ton of 'em
in her front yard,
and they, like,
attract all these cottontails,
and I like to look at 'em
in the morning with my coffee.
Just kind of feels like
one of those things you have to
take the time to appreciate.
You know?
Oh!
Corey snuck his cousins in,
-so he's got heat on him.
-[Lainey] Oh, fuck.
But Kevin Miller's
working the ticket booth.
Oh, yeah. He's a little bitch.
He'll let us in.
Well, how much are tickets?
What are they, like, ten bucks?
Twelve if you got a car,
but fuck that. Here, follow me.
Let's do it.
-What's this?
-[Lainey] It's heroin.
You can't smoke heroin.
[laughing] Jesus fucking Christ.
[mellow music]
Oh, no. No!
'Sup, Miller time?
Three VIP passes, por favor.
You can go fuck yourself,
Travis.
Dude, I am lucky to be alive
after you sold my uncle
those bunk shrooms.
Hey, I told Neil to
use them within the week.
That blood ain't on my hands.
If he sees me talking you,
he will whoop my ass.
I'd be more concerned
with the ass whooping
I'ma be putting on you unless
you let me and my friends in.
All right, I'm serious.
If he gets angry, then shit--
Louie? Louie Mulgrin?
Hey, you remember
the Louie Mulgrin fan club, Kev?
[Kevin] Yeah, totally.
Hey, you went to school
with my brother Gil.
Do you remember him?
Gil Miller? Yeah.
Oh, you're that Kevin.
Hey! Yeah, Gil was funny.
What's he doing now?
Uh,
he actually failed a piss test
trying to join
the welder's union.
He's working at Jiffy Lube.
Hey, did you come back
for the fair?
Uh, no.
[Kevin] I dig your books, man.
Thank you. Thank you, Kevin.
That's really nice to hear.
Yeah. No, I just love
the way you just--
you shit all over this place.
I fucking hate it.
It's just a bunch of dumb Okies
with shit for brains.
Okay, thank you. Appreciate it.
-[Kevin] All right.
-Thanks.
[Kevin] For our local celebrity,
quarter midgets first seed
is about to start.
Uh, I'm off in an hour,
so I'll come find you guys.
Go fuck yourself, Kev.
Thank you.
Wow.
[soulful guitar music]
[indistinct PA announcement]
[crowd cheering]
[indistinct PA announcement]
[indistinct PA announcement]
[engines revving]
[man on PA] Apparently we got
a celebrity in our midst.
Local author and son of Herman
and Martha, Louie Mulgrin,
has decided
to take in the races.
I think I see him
down there at concessions.
Let's give him a warm welcome.
[high-pitched ringing]
[faint whispering]
-Fuck!
-[Travis laughs]
They ain't getting you that bad,
are they?
Did you see...
Y'all famous?
Oh, he is. Yeah.
Louie. This is Louie Mulgrin.
He's a writer.
-Louie, tell him about--
-No, no.
-Tell him about the books.
-Yeah, I wrote a book.
Multiple.
No, he wrote multiple books.
He wrote three books.
They're becoming movies.
They're gonna be
on the big screen.
-Right?
-Well, I-- [forced chuckle]
-[engines roaring]
-[tires screeching]
[crowd cheering]
Hey, you guys waited for me!
God, Kevin. Couldn't be
further from the truth.
And unless you have, like,
some illegal drugs, then scram.
-I do.
-[all snickering]
I mean, not illegal drugs,
but I got something illegal.
-Okay?
-[Lainey] And?
No, not-- not here. My uncle
will have me pissin' blood.
Why?
Hey, just meet me
in the parking lot.
It's the black Chevy Spark.
You still drive that turd?
It's not a turd.
-[Lainey imitating fart]
-[Travis & Louie laughing]
Look, you know,
I thought firecrackers
were pretty badass, but...
Fuck you say?
Oh, goddamn it.
What?
These are fireworks.
Not firecrackers.
-[Lainey] Oh, shit.
-What do you mean?
Firecrackers are the ones that,
like, blow off your fingers.
Fireworks are the ones
that you can buy, like,
in the Dollar General
parking lot in June.
No, my cousin Chet
bought these in Montana.
He swore they were bonafide.
There's sparklers in here,
shit for brains.
How much did Chet make you pay?
-200?
-[all snickering]
-[Lainey] Great haul for Chet!
-Fuck.
Okay, well, look,
fireworks are still fun, right?
Look, they're loud and
the colors are pretty and shit.
Let's just--
let's light 'em off. Yeah?
-[Travis sighs]
-Come on, guys,
let's light 'em off right here
in the parking lot, okay?
I'm gonna run to
my uncle's office and make sure
he's not there, and I will
grab us a lighter and some beer.
-Ugh! Fine!
-Okay?
Go! Just go. Hustle it up.
We got shit to do.
Okay, awesome.
This is gonna be sick, I swear.
-We're stealing those, right?
-Fuck yeah.
[Louie] Hmm?
What, really?
Should I--
[lighter flicking]
These wicks are
cheap Mexican bullshit.
I don't know how old they are,
so just give me a minute.
[high-pitched ringing]
-[ringing fades]
-Yep. Those levees, man.
No one will tell you this, but
they're all sand on the inside.
You know who I heard
that from was Dale.
You remember Dale, Louie?
Remember Dale?
[Lainey] You know,
this is the parking lot
that we learned
to ride our bikes.
[Travis] Dale. Yeah,
he works reclamation now...
-Oh, Jesus, that's right.
-[Lainey] Yeah.
-[both chuckling]
-[Travis continuing to speak]
-I didn't realize.
-Yeah.
You remember we used to
sneak into movies?
-[Louie chuckles]
-Do you remember in that
little movie theater
in the mall?
And we would say that we were
brother and sister. [laughs]
-[Louie] My God.
-And then-- and then we'd say
that our parents were, like,
inside just waiting for us.
[Louie laughs] Oh, my God.
And they totally knew, too.
They would talk to you and
you immediately started crying.
[both laughing]
You were always so...
[Travis speaking indistinctly]
-[Lainey] Yeah?
-No, I don't know.
I appreciate you.
You did, huh?
[Louie] Yeah. That's why
I called you "Dandelion."
You know, they're resilient.
You were always
adaptive and tough.
I mean, for God's sakes,
you smoke Reds.
[chuckles]
You spit in public, you cussed.
And I know you've been
here your whole life,
but you're not this place.
You're not like Travis.
What is that supposed to mean?
Nothing, just--
You know. I mean...
I know who you really are.
Deep down,
who you've always been.
Do you remember
my old spot over there?
-[Louie] Oh, yeah.
-[Lainey] I still feel like
I should be able to just,
like, walk in there.
You know?
How does a place
not belong to you anymore?
How about...
a national holiday
where you get to walk around
the house that you grew up in?
And then for the people
who live there now,
-you can make a new friend.
-[Louie chuckles]
And-- and, you know,
you could talk about
what you think
the energy in the house is.
[Louie] Ahh.
That'd be nice, wouldn't it?
Just walk through the past
a little bit.
[tender music]
[fireworks hissing]
Whoo! Whoo.
-[Lainey] You did it!
-[Louie] That's not bad.
-[fireworks popping]
-[exclaiming]
[all cheering]
-Goddamn!
-[Travis] All right!
[cheering, laughing]
Yeah!
[officer]
What the hell's going on here?
[Louie] Oh, no.
[Travis] Hey! What's up, JJ?
How you doing, man?
Travis. Lainey.
Jesus Christ, you guys. Aren't
you a little old for this shit?
-[Lainey] What do you mean?
-Who's your friend?
Louie? Louie Mulgrin?
[Lainey giggles]
The hell are you doing in town?
-Stop, drop, and roll, baby.
-[firework pops]
-[faint whispering]
-[JJ] Cut it out, Lainey.
[indistinct], huh?
Hey!
-[high-pitched ringing]
-Get that shit away from me.
Guys, seriously,
one rogue fire--
-Stop, drop, and roll.
-[Travis] Uh-oh!
-[ringing grows louder]
-This is over.
Come on!
[ringing, whispering stops]
Don't do anything you'll
regret reading in a courtroom,
Lucky Louie.
Oh! I got your torch. Yeah.
-Whee!
-Give that shit back.
[Travis laughing]
What's the matter?
Here you go. You can have it.
Here, go ahead, take--
[Travis laughing]
-Hey, hang on.
-Oh, shit.
-[all exclaiming]
-[Travis] Oh!
-Lainey's got it.
-[JJ] Come on, give it back.
Come and get it.
No, come and get it. Here.
-[JJ] Don't-- Come on!
-Just come here.
-Oh, oh!
-Just give it back to you.
I'll take it.
Come on, Louie. You're not
like these two. Be an adult.
-[faint whispering]
-Give me the goddamn flashlight.
Come on, man.
[laughing] Oh!
All right, come on, man.
Come on, grab it.
Come on, grab it, hurry, hurry!
-[JJ] Ow! Fuck!
-[all laughing]
-You okay, though?
-[JJ] God, fuck!
[Louie] Is he all right?
Is he okay? Are you okay?
[Lainey laughing]
I'm gonna pee my pants.
-[Travis] Come on, man.
-[Louie] All right, all right.
I'm gonna fucking pee my pants.
-[Travis] God.
-[Lainey laughing]
-[Louie] Is he okay?
-Oh, no, I need the ambulance.
[car engine starts]
[Louie] You're going
the wrong way, man!
-You're going the wrong way!
-Here we go,
here we go, here we go!
Whoo!
[all laughing]
Hey, a little souvenir
for you, buddy.
Check it out.
Hey!
[Travis] Oh, my God.
He's gotten really fat, dude.
He just get--
Every time I see him,
-he's getting fatter.
-He's just getting bigger.
He's getting balder.
[distant rooster crowing]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[confused grunt]
Wha--
[groans]
[country music playing]
You're alive.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess.
[Lainey] Well, your fridge
was completely empty.
But your neighbor
still has chickens.
Is scrambled okay?
I don't really know any
other way to make eggs, so.
Yeah, no,
that's-- that's-- Yeah.
[groans]
I must've blacked out
last night.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
By the time we went to bed,
you were sloppy as fuck.
[chuckles]
[cell phone ringing]
Oh, shit.
[door opens]
Hey.
[Bridgette]
Why are you shirtless?
Oh. Uh, it's really hot
out here today. Um...
But, uh, also, I ran into
some old friends, and, um,
we got some, uh--
we got some drinks
and just did some
catching up, you know?
How did you run into friends?
I thought you were just
picking up your stuff
and then heading home.
No, I know. Yeah,
I was-- um, I was gonna--
Well, there's just a lot more
than I thought, you know?
There's really a lot of stuff to
wade through. I didn't really--
I didn't really plan
on it being so much.
[clears throat]
This place, this-- it makes
you do crazy things, you know?
And I just-- I mean,
I'm running into some
familiar faces, and it's just--
it's really, uh--
it's really, you know,
stirring some stuff up in me.
And, um...
Huh. Yeah. I don't know. I...
[sighs]
I have been avoiding you.
I know that I've been
avoiding you. Um...
And, um...
I don't know. It's just...
[chuckles]
All this has kind of put things
into perspective for me,
I think. Um...
And maybe you and I, um,
have been moving too fast
in a direction that I don't--
I don't even know if I can...
[sighs]
-[Bridgette speaking]
-[connection breaking up]
...which is the way I've
been feeling for a while,
and I just need to be sure
that we're on the same page.
So... are we?
Uh-huh. Mm-hmm.
So you agree?
Sure. Yeah. Yeah.
-Are you taking your
medication?
-Yep. On it. I've got 'em.
I've been doing it.
What about your ending?
Isn't that due?
Uh-huh. Yeah, no, I'm good.
I got-- I got everything
covered. I'm good.
Hey, you're not some,
like, pussy vegan, are you?
-Shit.
-Because I found frozen bacon.
-Hmm?
-[call ends]
Frozen bacon.
Oh! Sorry.
-No, no, it's--
-I'll just make it.
[sighs]
She see me?
Uh, it's impossible to know.
I'll have to check her Instagram
Stories for cryptic posts.
[chuckles]
Let's try these eggs.
Mmm. Oh, my God.
You have to, um, whip 'em
alternating hot and cold.
I've seen Gordon Ramsey
do it on YouTube.
He's the best.
Oh! My God.
Mmm!
[laughing]
That good, huh?
[exhales]
I'm such a fuckin' idiot.
[sighs]
Easy to take that personally.
I'm sorry, Lainey.
I really-- I didn't--
I just...
never cease to amaze myself
at my propensity
to torpedo my own life.
You've got company in that one.
[door opens]
[Jackson] Mommy!
[Lainey] Hey, baby!
Hi. Hi! How was Granny's?
Oh, a goddamn war zone.
Little bastard
didn't go down till
half hour north of midnight.
Pretty near ate me
out of house and home.
Mom, if you just
stop feeding him candy,
-he'll just go to sleep.
-I can't keep eyes on him.
The little booger motors through
the house like goddamn tweaker.
You grew.
[chuckles] Yeah.
Nice to see you, Mrs. Gambie.
Yeah.
Right. Adios.
Mama. Mom. Um, they want me
to work college football today.
What the fuck, Lainey?
Why'd you text me
to drop him off here, then?
'Cause they text me right after.
I'm going to the casino
to play cards.
Staff gets pissy
when I bring the kid.
Okay. Eat some bacon, okay?
All the bacon.
Mama, can you just come here?
[sighs]
[hushed argument]
-[Wilma] I know.
-[Lainey] Mama--
Listen, listen.
I have to keep this job.
[hushed argument continues]
Oh. Hey, buddy. I, um...
Hey.
Um...
-Do you like dinosaurs?
-I like beer.
Yeah, I do like beer. Yeah.
-Does your mom know--
-You got a job?
I do have a job. Mm-hmm.
What do you wanna be
when you grow up?
You ever make Mama cry?
Mama. Mama.
Hey. You two getting along?
-He's okay, Mama.
-[gasps] Oh, my goodness.
All right, you little terrorist.
We're gonna hit the pinochle
room at the Hard Rock.
The Hard Rock smells like farts.
[blowing raspberry]
-[Wilma] He ain't wrong.
-Love you. Okay.
-Bye, baby.
-Text me when you're off.
Okay. Thanks, Mama.
Hey, baby, wear your seat belt.
Well,
he's a unique little kid, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah. Thanks.
Yeah, we didn't. Um...
you and me.
Travis just dropped us off,
and, um, and I got you inside,
and, uh, we looked at
the yearbook for a little bit,
and then, uh...
you know, you were fading, so
I just pulled off your clothes
and fell asleep
a few seconds later.
Oh, my God.
Okay. [chuckles]
[chuckling] Okay.
Can you drive me to work?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Is this you here?
[Lainey] Yep.
[exhales]
Taking off from here?
Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
You ain't sticking around
for the fair, huh?
-[both chuckling]
-That damn fair.
Just a bunch of old rusted rides
and cheap beer
and scared farm animals anyway.
Sounds fucking awesome,
don't it?
[laughs]
Travis gonna be upset
that you didn't say goodbye?
He's working over at
the Country Butcher
if you wanna just
give him a holler.
[tender music]
Guess we'll never know, huh?
Scene at the mall.
Fireworks.
Louie gives a big speech.
After dad dies,
new people move into the house.
Wishes for a national holiday
to revisit.
How can a place
not belong to you anymore?
-[car beeping]
-Shit.
Goddamn it.
Fuck.
[groans] What the fuck
is wrong with you?
[sighs]
-[sighs]
-You grew.
Hmm?
Oh, oh. Uh...
Right, yes. It's good
to see you again, um--
Pete. Sims.
We played Peewee together.
I was a grade older
than you, though, so.
Right. Right. Great. Yeah.
Um, so what do we think
the problem here is, Pete?
Uh, well, I googled it,
and it looks like it could be
an issue with
the high voltage, um, system.
So you're using Google
to fix my car?
Isn't that who makes it?
No.
Oh, shit. It was the Apple guy.
Different website.
Okay, so if you don't
know how to fix my car
and I can't drive out of here,
what the hell
am I supposed to do?
How the fuck am I
gonna get home now?
Let's untie the knots in the
panties you're wearing there.
I got some friends
in the city I can call
and see if they got any ideas.
In the city?
How long is that gonna take?
[exhales] Unclear.
Uh, depends on if the fix
requires parts, which I'd have
-to order, so that's extra time.
-Great, great, great, great.
Perfect. Perfect.
Just ideal. Okay, well, just--
Yeah, do whatever
you gotta do to fix it.
-[Pete] Okay.
-[sighs]
All right. Uh,
I just need the key from you.
Right. Yeah.
Oh, you don't need to pay yet.
I just need the key.
No, that is the key.
That's the key to the car.
-This is a card.
-I know. It's--
It just-- You have my number.
Just call me
when it's done, okay?
You could've just
dropped me off at my house
-if you had work to do.
-Don't worry about it.
It'll only take a sec.
You're in good hands with Pete.
Don't worry. Won't let him
put the squeeze on you.
[Louie] Oh, thanks, man.
You wasn't trying to head out
without saying goodbye,
were you?
I would absolutely not.
No, I just was--
I was trying to get a,
you know, early lunch.
[Travis]
I got you covered, boss.
Ribs.
Said you was looking
for an early lunch.
Oh, yeah.
No, thank you, that's--
No, these look really good.
That's...
Oh, um...
Uh...
Mmm! Mmm. Delicious.
-Yeah, you make these?
-Home-grown, buddy.
You best watch your back, Lou.
Steve Harris come by this
morning to pick up some racks.
Said he heard a rumor
JJ's on the payback trail.
Oh, shit.
Man, I lost control last night.
I imagine you got
a bit excited when you seen
that you and JJ
was the same size now.
You know, I had this recurring
dream
where he's looming over me and
just throwing punch after punch,
and no matter how hard
I punch back, it's...
You know, it's like
a fly fighting a rhino.
[chuckles] Yeah,
but look at you now.
-You're packing some delts.
-Delts?
Shoulders.
Deltoids.
You got some meat on you.
You know,
growth don't always mean size.
Sometimes one can grow
but remain scrawny.
But not you, man.
You filled out.
Got a nice trapezius there
that connects to the neck.
That means you can take a punch.
Pectorals, solid.
You can give him a hefty shove.
[bone cracks]
You do squats?
Yeah, come on.
Your calves, your thighs?
It means you got some power.
Yeah, you shaped up, buddy.
-[bone cracks]
-Not JJ, though.
He went the other way.
Chubby, depressed,
surrounded by beer.
Nah, if he were an animal,
he'd be no good to nobody.
-[bone cracks]
-Not you.
Lucky Louie.
Blue ribbon boy. Prize hog.
Goddamn.
You've been gone so long you
forgot how to clean your bones.
And you didn't do
four H neither.
If we do not devour
every speck of the creature,
then we dishonor its sacrifice.
[inquisitive music]
Well, I guess I'll just
order an Uber, then.
Nah, we only got one. Tara.
He's got a DUI.
What's your rush?
Thought we were going to
Steve's pool party.
Steve? Harris?
[chuckles]
He's having a pool party today?
Aww, you must've been
real fucked up.
I told you last night
Steve's throwing a pool party.
And you were like,
"Sounds tight."
And I was like, "Shit,
I haven't heard the word 'tight'
-since my tips were frosted."
-[laughs] All right, all right.
-And then you were just like--
-No, please, please.
I don't need to hear the whole
humiliating transcript.
Supposed to be
triple digits today.
Steve's the only one
with a pool.
He's still at the old house?
-Even after his parents--
-Ever since they bit the dust,
he's been clinging to that place
harder than ever.
-Right? Sure like to see you.
-[phone chimes]
Wouldn't believe me when
I said that you were in town.
Uh, I don't even have a--
I don't have a bathing suit
or anything, so I--
I have, like, six bathing suits.
[dance music playing
over speakers]
[partygoers laughing,
chattering]
Hey, buddy. How's it going?
-[Steve] Oh, my God.
-[Louie] Hey. Yeah.
Dude! He's back!
-Dude, come here!
-Hey, Steve. How are you?
-God!
-[Louie chuckles] Hey. Hey.
Travis told me, but I told him
I'd believe it when I see it.
[Steve exhales]
-You get taller?
-Uh, I think it's you.
[shouting]
Lucky Louie's back! Whoo!
[normally] Eh, fuck them.
Welcome back, brother.
Hey, thanks.
You back in town for the fair?
No, no, no. I'm just back to get
some of my dad's things,
you know?
Travis said that
you would have to-- Oh.
-Try as we might...
-[Louie] Mm-hmm.
...we take them for granted,
you know?
[Louie] Mm-hmm.
You know,
there's a special club,
for guys like you and me.
I'm here if you need to talk.
[chuckles awkwardly]
Thanks, man. I appreciate that.
-Uh, where's the bathroom?
-Aw, stop it!
You know where it's at.
You practically lived here.
-Go on.
-Right, right, right.
Okay. That's...
Uh, the other way.
[shouting] Lucky Louie!
[partygoers chuckling]
[exhales]
I miss the way he used to cheer.
[deep voice]
"Stevie, Stevie, Stevie!"
[sighs] Sure, he was a hard-ass.
And, yeah,
he could be tough on me.
I remember him making an example
out of you pretty often.
It's 'cause he saw
so much potential.
In me.
Travis.
You, he...
he thought you were special.
-[chuckles]
-He loved your books.
[chuckles]
Or he loved the way
you talked about 'em.
Made me out to be a GD saint!
Whenever I miss him,
I crack one.
I got all the sentences
about him highlighted.
When I read 'em, it's--
it's like he comes back to life.
-Wow. That is so...
-[Steve exhales shakily]
...hard. That's so hard, man.
Yeah. You know, I was supposed
to be with them in Mexico.
I was supposed to
be on that flight.
The coaches were
riding my ass at U of I.
My folks,
they always wanted to skydive.
Skydiving?
-I thought that-- I thought--
-You know how my dad
liked a deal, right?
"Stevie, we got a great deal.
They're sending us up
for pennies on the dollar."
"Dad, are you sure
it's the type of thing
you should be
getting a deal on?"
-[sighs] He didn't care.
-In Mexico?
-I--
-There's a video.
But I can't watch it.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Long time before I could
pick up a basketball again.
Jesus, Steve. I had no idea.
[exhales] Listen,
I-- I know you're famous,
and I'm sure people ask you this
all the time, but...
can I ask a favor?
Um, yeah. Yeah, of course.
[tearful] Don't kill them.
In the book.
What-- what happens
hasn't happened yet.
And I'm sure it would make
for a really interesting story,
but if you could, uh...
if you could make it
so that they're still alive?
-Yeah. Of course, yeah.
-[exhales]
Yeah, I got you.
Yeah. I'm just glad
that you're here, man.
[Steve laughs, sobs]
Whoo! All right, everybody,
cannonball competition.
Who's ready? Let's go.
[Travis] Kevin,
who the fuck let you in?
I didn't invite you.
Who invited Kevin?
Well, I was driving by
and I saw y'all partying,
so I ran home and I grabbed
my trunks. All right, all right,
so we're gonna do
biggest cannonball wins.
I don't wanna see any
can openers, okay? No cheat--
All right,
cannonball competition.
Here we go.
Let's go. In the pool.
Hey, no can openers! If I see
any can openers, you're--
Whoo!
[splashing]
[high-pitched ringing]
[ringing intensifies]
[Lainey] You okay? Thought
you took a knee to the head.
No. No, I'm good, I'm good.
I thought you were working.
They cut me
on account of the begging.
-[Louie laughs]
-You want a drink?
-Yeah.
-Come on.
-Oh, my God.
-[laughs] I told you!
-I haven't done it long.
-This stuff is awful.
-Long lost time.
-Yeah, [indistinct] for sure.
[rap music playing on stereo]
Aww, yeah! [laughs]
-No, no, no. No, no.
-[Lainey] Oh, my God.
Y'all already remember this.
Recorded by two of this town's
most notorious gangstas.
[laughing] Oh--
Is this the-- I'm sorry.
Is this the famous
local rap group,
-The Glocksmiths?
-The Glocksmiths?
Is that what we're-- [laughs]
Yeah,
what were your names again?
If you remember,
all of the names had
the word "Glock" in it.
So I was Dr. Glocktopus.
-That's right.
-And Louie, he was--
No, no, I want Lou--
Lou, you say the name.
William Glockner.
-[cheering]
-Yes!
That's what you get for that.
Hey, you better watch how you
talk, 'cause I'm
ready to rock
And my only rebuttal, homie,
is the cock of the Glock
My blood is so thick, yeah,
I'm the cock of the walk
So don't ask me who shit,
'cause I got it on lock
[laughing]
I think it's-- it's Louie now.
-No, no, no, no, no.
-It's your verse! Come on.
-Come on. Come on.
-Come on, man.
-Quit being a pussy!
-Do it! Do it!
Spin my lines quick,
you can say my talk hurts
Lock up your daughters,
here comes Billy Glockner
Cocksure, 'cause
I knock you out your socks
And I'll make your
knees shake
like you're Michael J. Fox
Put on the ache,
my lines kill in a blink
Leaving you dreaming like
I slipped a pill
in your drink
Oil spill when I think,
coil builds in the sink
I can make your girl cum
before willing to wink
Opposite of Bruce Wayne
'cause my rhymes got powers
Soak you in the rain,
got in a Glock shower
Pour some shit on my cup
'cause I'm about
to get rotten
And I'm blowing shit up
like I'm Osama Bin Laden
[all cheering, exclaiming]
Whoo!
Hey, everybody, let's go
over to the high school, huh?
Come on, let's go
to the high school.
[all cheering]
[feel-good guitar music]
[indistinct cheering]
[indistinct yelling]
[police siren wailing]
[officer]
That's enough horseplay.
Enough, I said.
Yo, JJ.
We're just hanging.
No harm, no foul.
No, Steve. Harm and foul.
This private property.
Someone so much as breaks
a nail, the school's liable.
And now I see alcohol.
And I smell reefer.
-Ooh!
-Hey, if you never
smoked it before,
how do you know
-what it smells like, JJ?
-I just do, Travis.
What are you bozos doing
out here, anyways?
Reliving Steve's
failed sports dreams?
-[exclaiming, laughing]
-[woman] Holy shit.
That [indistinct] coming from
a Kentucky Fried mall cob.
[exclaiming, laughing]
JJ, we're just playing tag.
You want to play?
No, I don't want to play--
Finally! Someone else is it.
God dammit, Kevin.
I just fucking hurt my knee.
I said I don't want to play.
Hey, check out Louie's torch.
-[laughing] Check it out.
-[Travis] Recognize it?
Give me that shit back. Okay?
-I don't want to do this again.
-[Travis] Come get it.
[JJ] I don't want to
do this again, all right?
-[Travis] Come get it, bud.
-[laughing]
Give me my goddamn flashlight.
[Louie] Game change!
Hide and seek.
-[laughing]
-It's pathetic.
[Steve] Close your eyes
and count to 50, JJ.
-Come on. Let's go!
-I'm not going to count to 50.
-Count to 50-- One, two...
-No!
If I catch you
I'm gonna cuff you.
...four, five-- [laughing]
You're still it.
You gotta count.
One, two--
-[laughing]
-You gotta count to 50.
-[Steven] Count to 50, JJ.
-[panting]
[Travis] Are you already tired?
What happened to your knee?
[JJ] Same thing
happened to your knee.
[Steve indistinct]
[laughing]
[Travis] JJ, what number
are you at? 25? 46?
[JJ] Travis,
you fucking asshole.
-Cut it out.
-[guys laughing]
Guys, come on.
[Louie short-breathing]
Steve, come on, man.
[eerie music,
high-pitch tone building]
[scared, panicked moan]
Ah! [panting]
-[punch landing]
-[JJ grunting]
-[Louie] Oh!
-[JJ] Ow...
Oh! Oh, shit.
-I didn't mean to-- I didn't--
-Game over.
Game over!
Everyone get out of here!
-[Steve indistinct]
-[JJ grunting in pain]
I'm so--
[Steve] ...you are
not getting ahead.
-[Louie panting]
-[Steve] Go! Go!
[grunting]
God dammit.
[eerie ambient music]
-[Travis] Hey, there you are.
-[Louie sighing of relief]
Been driving all over
the goddamn place.
-Where the hell did you guys go?
-Everybody's scattered.
What was I supposed to do?
I figured you two
were all right.
Where's Lainey?
Oh, she had to get
back to Jackson.
I dropped her off at her mom's.
-[Louie exhaling]
-You good?
-No-- I have no fucking idea.
-All right, well, hop in.
FYI, I gotta pick up some work.
[pensive, intriguing music]
[rattling]
[door thuds open]
Doctor Pete down
at the auto shop...
said he's going to need
a bit more time
-with his spaceship car.
-Uh huh.
-[Travis chuckling]
-[pigs grunting]
You know, most people
are uncomfortable with
slaughter in the cities.
[thudding]
Some folks can go their whole
lives eating meat,
but never seen an animal die.
It just don't seem right.
How do you do it? How do you--
How do you kill them?
Electric's stunning.
They're wetted,
and we put them out with a wand.
They still kick and shit,
but it's just nervous system.
And then we bleed them,
hang them, scald, gut.
Split the carcass,
donezo Rapunzel.
-[Travis effort grunting]
-Mhm.
Did you, uh, kill a human with
one of those things?
-[effort grunting]
-[loud thud]
Oh, fuck, yeah, man.
Nobody can get rid of
a body like a butcher.
[imitates gunshot, chuckles]
All right, man. Enough
bullshit and grab Wilbur.
[pigs grunting, snorting]
[wheelbarrow squeaking]
Thanks for the ride.
Woulda done
the same for me, right?
Sure.
Hey, there's this
opening weekend.
What say you and me hit it up?
If I'm around, yeah.
Got a feeling you will be.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means all this has
been too much of a good time
-I'll see you.
-Yeah.
[distant phone ringing]
Shit.
Where is it?
[ringing continues]
-Hello?
-[Lainey] Jesus.
I'm trying to get ahold of you.
I thought the cop snabbed you.
Yeah. No, I-- I think I lost
my phone somewhere.
I-- I ran and fell and...
Doesn't really matter now.
I'm fine.
-[door slams]
-That shit was crazy.
-[distant door closing]
-So, um, well I'm guessing your
-car still ain't working.
-[suspenseful music]
Uh, yeah. Travis said it's gonna
be a little while longer.
Well, um, I've got
the afternoon free,
so, uh, do you want to
get some slushies and
see a haunted school bus?
-A-- A haunted what?
-[Lainey chuckles]
Do you remember the, uh,
the abandoned school bus
in that, like, cornfield?
Becky Burnside
bought the property.
She's turning it
into a spooky maze.
-We could sneak in.
-Um...
[scoffing] Yeah. I-- You know,
I haven't really
had a lot of sleep.
I'm not really feeling...
altogether right now.
Who cares? It's just sleep.
Do it when you're dead.
I'm telling you, you gotta see
what she did with the bus.
-It's fucked up.
-[Louie sighing]
[music fades]
[Lainey] Man.
It's funny how life works out.
[Louie] How do you mean?
Like, specifically.
[Lainey] You know, like...
Like you and me.
What our-- What our
lives would have been like.
[Louie] Yeah, I, uh, I--
I think about that, too,
sometimes.
It's just-- [chuckles]
It's weird, you know.
There's shit that I want
to say to you, and I just...
I just feel like it's just
not fair of me to say it.
You can tell me anything.
What do you mean?
Please say it. It's okay.
Uh-- Um...
[smacks tongue]
We were-- We were pregnant,
me and you.
Right before our graduation.
[chuckles]
I-- I couldn't go to Steve's
graduation party
because I didn't feel well.
Whoa, uh...
[chuckles in disbelief]
Why didn't you say?
Why didn't you tell me anything?
I knew-- I mean,
I knew what I was gonna do.
And, you know, you were
busy with college shit,
and I just-- I didn't want it
getting in your head.
If we made it, I wanted
it to be because we made it.
Uh... [scoffing]
Should I not have told you?
-I'm sorry.
-No, no, no. It's fine.
I'm-- I'm glad--
I'm glad you did, honestly.
It's just...
You know,
that's-- that's a lot to...
Yeah. No, yeah.
Believe me.
I know what you mean, though.
Life does work in
mysterious ways.
Mm-hmm.
Just hearing this, like,
where-- where would we be if...
-Yeah.
-You know, I mean,
if you just...
decided to go the other way.
Due to that decision,
I was able to go off and
live my life, and-- and you...
-You know, you--
-Sure. Yeah.
-Right.
-Yeah.
Do you remember that one, um,
uh, that it was the satanist
who took the bus full of kids
out here and sacrificed
them to the devil?
-Yeah. Yeah. [chuckles]
-Yeah.
God, when was the last time we
were on a school
bus together, huh?
Uh, shit.
Um, maybe our field trip
to the Capitol?
-[chuckles] Oh, yeah.
-I bet you we were sitting
back here just pretending to not
don't be crushing on each other.
[Louie chuckling]
-Let me help you.
-[chuckling]
Let me give you some assistance.
I mean, you-- you
made a decision that...
greatly impacted my life.
I have a career because of it.
I have money because of it.
I have a lot of money.
I can-- I can help you.
Let me help you in
the only way that I can.
It's not a gift, you know?
Think of it like...
like payback.
[chuckles] That's-- Wow. Yeah,
that's-- that's much better.
You know what I mean.
I just...
What do you think?
I-- I think I'm ready to
get the fuck off this bus.
[Louie sighing]
Shit.
Do you want to come
in for a beer?
No.
-Look, I didn't mean to--
-I really-- Can we not?
I'm just trying to help,
that's all.
-I'm not a charity case.
-I-- I never said you were.
-All I want--
-Hey. We're doing fine.
Look, I never
intended to make you
-feel like you were--
-I mean, shit, he's growing up
the way that I grew up,
the same way that you grew up.
I feel like a piece of shit
right now, all right?
I just want to--
Will you let me give
you something, please?
Will you do me that kindness?
Here, just-- I have...
All right? Please.
Lainey, I know you need it.
You know I need it?
You said you have debt
and bills,
and you can use this for school
supplies or lunches or whatever.
Just please take it.
Let me help you.
-Yeah?
-Yeah, if that's what you want.
If that's helping.
Well, like, I-- I have more.
-I can give you more if you--
-No.
I think that's enough payback.
[sighing] That's not
what I meant. I didn't--
No, I mean, it's-- it's
what you were saying before.
I mean, you're right.
You know me.
You know me deep down.
So you must know
what I need, right?
[groaning] Whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa. Hey.
[knocking]
-Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
-Shit.
Honey, wait. Honey, wait--
You know, for someone
who thinks they're as smart as
they are, you sure are
an exceptional idiot.
Listen, it's not
what you think, lady.
I don't know what
to think at the moment.
It was just a gesture of
gratitude, that's all.
And what exactly are
we so grateful for?
He just-- He gave
me some money.
-[Louie] Okay. Okay, that's--
-Money.
It was some financial
assistance.
Oh, wow.
How charitable of you, Louis.
Listen, bitch,
I'm not a fucking charity case.
Well, hold on one second.
Look...
[chuckles]
The pharmacy said you haven't
refilled your prescriptions.
[Lainey] You know, who the fuck
-do you think you are?
-I'm fine.
-Really, I'm great.
-[Lainey] Who the fuck do you
-think you are?
-I called your reps,
they can't reach you.
-Your pages are long overdue.
-I lost my phone, okay?
And I-- There's a lot to
consider here, okay?
I'm-- I'm immersed in this.
This is my process.
Spare me your masterclass, okay?
They have given
you multiple extensions.
-I know.
-And now that you've been here
almost a week,
they're worried you're gonna
-lapse on your agreement.
-Don't do that.
Don't exaggerate.
I've been here three days.
You've been here
five days, Louie.
-Five.
-I haven't been here five--
-They said they're worried.
-No, no, I was--
I was-- I was with
Travis on the first day,
and then the next day...
The next day I was--
We were at Steve's party.
-Pool...
-You don't sound well.
Okay? You look awful.
You are in crisis mode.
So you have a decision to make.
Do you want to come home
to your real life?
-No, no, no.
-Or do you want to stay here...
-Wait, wait, wait, wait.
-...dicking around with a bunch
of rednecks and hookers.
[Louie] Okay, hang on.
-[gasping]
-Call me fucking hooker
-one more time, bitch.
-Whoa, whoa. Wait, wait.
Call me fucking
hooker one more time.
Second thought,
you stay right where you are.
-Wait, just...
-[Lainey] Bye, bitch.
You seem to have
thought this through.
[Louie] I'm sorry.
No, wait. Don't-- Don't--
-No. God-- Wait.
-[Lainey] Bye.
-[engine starts]
-Open the door. Open the door.
-Bridgette!
-[vehicle departs]
[distant rooster cawing]
What the hell just happened?
I almost
just kicked your fiance's
ass on the front lawn.
[Louie] No, I know.
Yeah, you did, but...
I mean...
[Lainey sighing]
How long have I been here?
Louie?
[Louie] Hmm?
I said I'll see ya.
[door opens, closes]
[eerie music building]
[crunching leaves]
[thudding]
[engine rattles]
Dad.
[indistinct]
...fair.
I'll drag you there
if I have to.
[exhaling]
[groaning]
Jesus.
-How did you get in here?
-Heard Lainey got into
a bit of a scuffle
with your soon-to-be wife.
Yeah, well, I think
soon-to-be might
be quite a ways off now.
Sorry news.
Well, how about we drown
those sorrows away
at one of our many
Coors-sponsored
booths at our county fair?
-Oh, Travis--
-Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Don't you go raining on
this parade, partner.
This is a yearly cause
for celebration.
Dressed with twinkly lights,
dangerous rides
and fattened livestock.
It is a New Year's Eve
for the farming
community and tired public.
A magical event.
Plus, I got shrooms.
-No, I'm good.
-Don't be a party-pooper.
No. Hey. Hey, listen, I gotta
get the hell out of here.
That ain't gonna happen.
Doctor Pete says he needs
another bit with your car.
-Another week?
-Yeah, another week.
-Oh, dude--
-You're stranded in paradise.
Enjoy yourself.
Dude, I can't, okay?
I'm dealing with some
stuff right now that I--
Buddy, buddy,
it ain't ecstasy, it ain't meth,
-it's fucking shrooms.
-I know.
And if you are grappling
with some inner storms,
this is the shit
that you want to take.
[chuckling] I'm convincing
you to take drugs.
It's like high school
all over again.
-I don't know, man.
-Buddy. Here.
No. Come on. Come on.
-No. No, that's--
-Here. Just a little bit.
Please don't leave me
tripping on my own.
Ready? One, two, three. Go.
Go. Come on.
Ugh, it's gross.
Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh?
-Eh.
-Eh! Lets go.
-[eerie guitar music]
-[roller coaster rattling]
[muffled cheering, laughter]
-[indistinct]
-It's all right.
Shit.
[muffled cheering]
[music slows down, distorts]
Hey, Travis, you better
[indistinct] cotton candy.
Travis?
[music turns strange,
suspenseful]
[voice on speaker]
Attention. Attention.
[voice becomes distorted]
[indistinct]
[indistinct]
As with livestock,
the opposite is--
What do you want?
[voice] Louie...
The land that births you is
the land that takes you.
-You were the butcher.
-No, that was--
It was an amalgam.
That's what it was
supposed to be.
It was supposed to
be an amalgam.
[strange sounds]
[voice] Careful. Careful, boy.
Psychosis gives people
a funny feeling around here.
The vines tore into
the flesh of his wrist.
Walleyed, he wailed
into the night.
They sought his immolation.
-Careful.
-I didn't write that.
No, you didn't.
But others are
writing it for you.
Beware of the butcher, son
-[groaning]
-Beware of the butcher.
I want to show you something.
Come on.
-[Louie] Where we going?
-[Travis] we go, bud.
What is this? Is this like
a special event or something?
Throw that away.
Hello and welcome.
May I present a celebrity,
both famous and infamous.
Let's hear it for our friend
and local author,
Louie Mulgrain.
-Huh?
-[cheering, applause]
Now, let's get down to business,
shall we?
[man 1] Yeah,
let's get down to business.
-[man 2] Come on, let's go.
-Hey, y'all,
I think he's missing something.
[cheering, applause]
[woman] Hey,
piggy, piggy, piggy.
Easy. [indistinct]
Up you go. Up he goes.
Here he goes.
[cheering, applause]
Get in position.
Can I get a volunteer?
Hey, I see somebody
in the front row.
Fire away in three...
[everyone] Two, one...
-[ding]
-[cheering, laughter]
Whoever wants a shot at
lucky Louie, follow the line.
-Untie me, man.
-[Travis] Up we go.
-[ding]
-[cheering, applause]
[Travis laughing]
[panting]
Travis, untie me.
[Travis] All right,
who's next? Who's next?
[eerie music]
[panting]
Come on, boy.
Here we go. Come on.
That's it.
[crowd laughing]
[indistinct exclaiming]
What is this?
-[Travis] Calm down...
-What is this you guys?
What did you fucking do to me?
Look at me.
Look at me.
-[Travis] Calm down.
-[Louie] You
guys are right where you
fucking belong
in this shithole.
In this fucking shithole,
that's where you belong.
You stupid fucking [indistinct].
[Travis] God. Louie!
Hey!
[panting]
Oh!
Cut the shit, man.
I gave you a fucking opportunity
to make amends, but you go
and you pull that shit.
Look at what you did to me!
Yeah, look at you.
[panting]
What? No, no, no.
No, I was just...
I was just covered in...
[crunching leaves]
[distorted whispering]
[Travis] Now, I can
sneak you out of here
and save you an ass-whooping.
That's more than you deserve,
-but I'm worried.
-God. [sobbing]
[Travis] Mind your business,
old timer.
[panting]
[distorted whispering]
You can see him?
-[Travis] Hey. Hey.
-[sobbing] No, no, no, no.
No, no, no, no!
Hey, you stay where you are!
[distorted whispering]
[Travis] Where are you going?
Louie-- Fuck, man.
Louie!
Louie!
[distorted whispering continues]
[crickets chirping]
[Holter monitor beeping]
[doctor] Ah, good. We're up.
Your dosage.
[muffled distorted whispering]
We'll call in
your prescription, which you can
pick up at the pharmacy
on the second floor.
[tool whirring]
[Pete] Oh, got it.
That's a smudge there.
Here's your key.
How long-- How long
has it been fixed?
Oh, I don't know.
About a day after
you dropped it off.
Oh, it was electrical.
My buddy knew what it was.
I heard you were
around with Travis.
I told him to tell
you it was ready.
I guess he liked
having you around.
Yeah. Thanks for that.
[Pete chuckles]
Hey, I-- I would love to
-buy you a beer--
-We're actually closed.
I mean, it looks--
[chuckles]
Looks pretty open to me.
Yeah, you know,
it's just-- it's just locals.
You ain't local.
Um, Lainey, if I could just...
Yeah, like I said,
it's locals only.
[strange keyboard music]
[police siren wailing]
-[sighing]
-[Tesla chiming]
[window whirring]
License and registration.
-JJ, look, I'm sorry, man. Okay?
-License and registration.
You know I'm a veteran, Louie?
We-- Uh, well, um...
Thank you for your service.
Since your little episode,
we've been getting
a lot of calls.
So for your safety
and the safety of others,
I volunteered to escort
you across county lines.
[JJ bangs on car roof]
[gentle, quirky music]
[calling tone continues]
[calling tone continues]
["Show Me" by
Mikal Cronin plays]
I'm so little in the middle
of a raging storm
Is it settled in the center
like I've always heard so
It's so funny being
lonely in the pouring rain
Yeah, like a movie it's
the scene where I find my way
My thoughts,
my path, my head
I don't want to
know me these days
Set myself afloat
into the water
Feeling like a fool
here alone
Show me where to go
[music fades]
[birds chirping]
[pensive music]
[Bridgette on voicemail]
Hey, babe. Um, it's just going
straight to voicemail, so you
must be out of service,
but, um,
I just wanted to see if
you made it to your dad's yet.
Um... look, I know you
didn't wanna talk about this
before you left, but the venue
really needs a deposit,
and, um, we just kind of
have to make a decision,
and I-- I really
love Union Station.
I mean, you liked
Union Station,
right?
I mean, it's beautiful,
and they never have openings,
and I just feel like
we have to, you know, um...
I know you have a lot going on,
but, um, Dr. Martinez said that
we have to start expressing
our needs, um, so...
I just--
I need you to call me, okay?
When you get to
your dad's. Okay.
All right, love you.
[coughs, sniffles]
[exhales]
[chuckles]
[high-pitched ringing]
[grunts]
[ringing fades]
[thud]
[lock clatters]
[distant engine rumbling]
Oh, shit!
[engine rumbling grows louder]
[engine idling]
Hey.
Travis?
Louie! What's up, man?
-Oh, my God.
-My God.
-Hey, can I cut this off?
-Yeah, kill it.
Just go ahead and kill it.
-No, it's not-- it's not there.
-Down?
[Travis] No, no, no.
Down, down, down, down. Down.
-To the right, to the right.
-Oh, got it, got it.
-The switch. Yeah, there you go.
-Got it. Found it.
[laughs]
Didn't know you was back. I seen
the, uh, Prius
and just figured a hipster
got lost leaving the city.
Ha! No, that's mine.
It's actually a Tesla.
Oh, shit. Those are electric,
right? Costs like, 100 grand?
No, no. Well, you know,
they can, but mine's only--
But that doesn't--
Yes. It's electric.
-[distant rooster crowing]
-[Louie clears throat]
You grew.
Yeah.
Hey, this is a nice ATV you got.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, I fished some possums
out of Art Carter's crawl space
and trapped some raccoons
in his barn.
-Got that as payment.
-[Louie] Huh. Cool.
So are you
an exterminator now, or?
Nah, I'm a butcher. Running
the Country Butcher in town.
-So how long you back?
-Uh, I'm not. I just came to--
Well, you know, to get some
of my dad's things for Hillary.
-Yeah. Sorry about that.
-[Louie] Nah, it's all right.
That from the beer safe?
[Louie laughs] No.
-Yeah.
-Remember we'd sneak
the shit that he didn't like,
and we'd head out
onto the river bottom?
-[Louie laughs] That's--
-Drink till we puked.
Didn't take too many
back then, did it?
[Travis] No.
[Louie laughs]
[Louie] Chelsea Shaw.
Meth.
JJ Calhoun.
He's a cop.
[scoffs]
My schoolyard bully
becomes a cop, huh?
Um, Ricky Malowski.
Son of a bitch robbed the ARCO.
-What?
-Yeah!
-Dumb son of a bitch.
-[Louie chuckles]
He managed to put a baby
in Lainey Gambie
before they closed
the bars on him.
Lainey Gambie. Wow.
That girl was
all kinds of messed up
when you left for college.
She held a candle
for quite a while.
Well, if it wasn't for
long distance, who knows?
But I actually just got engaged.
To a great girl.
Her name's Bridgette.
She's amazing.
She does PR for
lifestyle brands, you know?
So...
Lainey's tending bar
down at Moonshiners.
She's here all the time.
Maybe she can wiggle free if
we're trying to get in trouble.
Uh, I gotta be heading back.
I was just supposed to
pick up some stuff for Hill.
You know, ever since Dad passed,
she can't bring herself
to come back.
Shit, you could barely
bring yourself to come back
even when your old man
was alive and well.
Yeah, anyway, long drive back
home, so I should probably...
Come on, man. Just kick it
for a little bit, huh?
You just got here.
County fair's in a couple days.
Yeah, I didn't plan on
this being, like,
an extended trip or anything,
you know?
-So I'll probably--
-Just one night.
What's better than
kicking up the old ones?
Just one text to old girl.
Hmm? See what's up.
All right.
Probably shouldn't drive with
a lot of beer in me anyway.
[twangy music playing on radio]
Hey, why'd you use
all that stuff about me?
What do you mean?
The books.
Just seemed like
you used a lot of my shit.
Dad selling Vicodin, Mom boozing
on sangria, fist fights.
I don't know, it just felt like
you used more of my stories
-than your own.
-[Louie] Right.
You know,
a writer is like a sponge.
I absorb the world
around me, and I--
I filter it through my voice.
Yeah, but you used your name.
Lainey, Steve,
even your Pop Herman.
You used their names.
Pretty near everybody in town.
But there ain't no mention
of Travis in any of those books.
It just felt
like you combined us
and slapped the name "Louie" on.
Well, you know,
"Louie" is an amalgam.
He's-- he's everybody.
He's a symbol of what
it was like growing up here.
Oh. An amalgam.
I get it now.
[high-pitched ringing]
[ringing fades]
[exhales]
[forced chuckle]
Oh!
-What do they call these again?
-Garbage fries.
These are better than some of
the most expensive meals
I've had in the city.
I'll let 'em know they
should change the name.
-[Louie] Yeah, you do that.
-[car approaching]
-[Lainey] 'Sup, losers!
-Whoa! There she is.
-Whoa.
-[Travis chuckles]
[Lainey] Thanks, Mama.
-Wow.
-[Louie laughs]
Is that Lucky Louie? I didn't--
I didn't see any Mercedes
parked anywhere.
No, no, no. He drives a Prius
that cost him 100 grand.
Oh, my God.
-$100,000 car.
-That's not-- Okay.
[exhales] So.
You here for more material, or
you just in town for the fair?
[snickers]
I asked the same damn question.
But no, Lucky Louie
ain't gonna be around for long.
What's with the "Lucky Louie"?
[Lainey] That's what
people here call you.
You know, 'cause you're lucky.
Making it and all.
Oh, my God. Really?
[scoffs] It's a bit reductive,
don't you think?
I mean, the publishing industry
-isn't even that lucrative--
-Oh, my God.
We got it, we got it.
Hey, you working tonight?
No, I got my shift covered.
And Mama's watching Jackson,
-so I am free as a bird.
-All right.
Hey, that's right.
Um, congrats on the kid.
Love the little fucker,
but he is a cash suck, so...
And this is
a great little reunion.
Everything but free time
is precious for a single mama.
So what are we--
what are we getting into here?
Actually, I was thinking
if you guys wanted to,
we could head back to my place.
I've got that app Heads Up,
you know, on my phone.
It's like charades.
It was-- it was
developed by Ellen. That's not--
I mean, I know she's
a divisive figure now, but--
Oh, the races are tonight.
Corey Boyd's driving.
Mmm!
That fucker hits on me
all the time.
All I have to do is
give him the right idea,
-he's gonna get us into it.
-Oh, yeah.
Wait,
you wanna go to the dirt track?
I mean,
don't people get knifed there?
They check pockets now,
it's all good.
You getting pussy on us,
Lucky Louie?
[Louie] Uh...
[phone chimes]
[Travis] Uh-oh. Is that
the future ball and chain?
What's that?
Um... [clears throat]
Should I grab us
some more beers?
-Yes.
-Oh.
-Got some roadies from the bar.
-Hey, I got that.
[Lainey] Ooh! You gotta be
quicker than that here.
-I guess so.
-I don't know if you remember.
I'll go look for Corey
in the pits.
Back in a sec.
[indistinct PA announcement]
[Lainey sighs]
Sorry to hear about your daddy.
Yeah, he was a good man.
Thanks. That's nice to hear.
Especially since
some people feel like I...
wrote him out to be
some kind of monster.
[Lainey] Yeah.
I think you were
a little hard on him.
[scoffs] He was a character.
He was symbolic.
He was an amalgam.
"He encroached
like a barbaric bull.
His blood boiled as he coiled
his fist, ready to strike."
You read my book?
I don't look like a reader?
No-- no, yeah, no, of course.
I'm talking to the sixth grade
spelling bee champ.
Of course you're a reader.
That's not what I--
-Um, and seventh grade.
-That's right.
Plus I was class president
in eighth grade, so.
I just think it's impressive
you were able to
pull that line out of thin air.
Yeah.
Well, some of 'em stuck with me.
Specifically that one,
because I just, like...
I don't really remember him
beating on you.
Well, he didn't.
So why did you write that?
[Louie sighs, scoffs]
Because it's like I said.
It's symbolic.
You know, it's supposed to be...
symbolic of this town, of this
area, how it can be so brutish.
Why-- why are you
so hard on this place?
I mean, it kind of feels
like you just enjoyed
kicking us
while we're on our knees.
No, no! My God, I feel like I'm
getting the third degree here.
It's the opposite of that,
I promise you.
-Mmm.
-I love this place.
I think there's beauty
to its pain.
It's my way of honoring it,
you know?
Kind of seems like
something else to me.
[high-pitched ringing]
[faint whispering]
You know what?
I like dandelions.
What you called me in your book.
Or what you called "Lainey."
My neighbor-- my neighbor
has a shit ton of 'em
in her front yard,
and they, like,
attract all these cottontails,
and I like to look at 'em
in the morning with my coffee.
Just kind of feels like
one of those things you have to
take the time to appreciate.
You know?
Oh!
Corey snuck his cousins in,
-so he's got heat on him.
-[Lainey] Oh, fuck.
But Kevin Miller's
working the ticket booth.
Oh, yeah. He's a little bitch.
He'll let us in.
Well, how much are tickets?
What are they, like, ten bucks?
Twelve if you got a car,
but fuck that. Here, follow me.
Let's do it.
-What's this?
-[Lainey] It's heroin.
You can't smoke heroin.
[laughing] Jesus fucking Christ.
[mellow music]
Oh, no. No!
'Sup, Miller time?
Three VIP passes, por favor.
You can go fuck yourself,
Travis.
Dude, I am lucky to be alive
after you sold my uncle
those bunk shrooms.
Hey, I told Neil to
use them within the week.
That blood ain't on my hands.
If he sees me talking you,
he will whoop my ass.
I'd be more concerned
with the ass whooping
I'ma be putting on you unless
you let me and my friends in.
All right, I'm serious.
If he gets angry, then shit--
Louie? Louie Mulgrin?
Hey, you remember
the Louie Mulgrin fan club, Kev?
[Kevin] Yeah, totally.
Hey, you went to school
with my brother Gil.
Do you remember him?
Gil Miller? Yeah.
Oh, you're that Kevin.
Hey! Yeah, Gil was funny.
What's he doing now?
Uh,
he actually failed a piss test
trying to join
the welder's union.
He's working at Jiffy Lube.
Hey, did you come back
for the fair?
Uh, no.
[Kevin] I dig your books, man.
Thank you. Thank you, Kevin.
That's really nice to hear.
Yeah. No, I just love
the way you just--
you shit all over this place.
I fucking hate it.
It's just a bunch of dumb Okies
with shit for brains.
Okay, thank you. Appreciate it.
-[Kevin] All right.
-Thanks.
[Kevin] For our local celebrity,
quarter midgets first seed
is about to start.
Uh, I'm off in an hour,
so I'll come find you guys.
Go fuck yourself, Kev.
Thank you.
Wow.
[soulful guitar music]
[indistinct PA announcement]
[crowd cheering]
[indistinct PA announcement]
[indistinct PA announcement]
[engines revving]
[man on PA] Apparently we got
a celebrity in our midst.
Local author and son of Herman
and Martha, Louie Mulgrin,
has decided
to take in the races.
I think I see him
down there at concessions.
Let's give him a warm welcome.
[high-pitched ringing]
[faint whispering]
-Fuck!
-[Travis laughs]
They ain't getting you that bad,
are they?
Did you see...
Y'all famous?
Oh, he is. Yeah.
Louie. This is Louie Mulgrin.
He's a writer.
-Louie, tell him about--
-No, no.
-Tell him about the books.
-Yeah, I wrote a book.
Multiple.
No, he wrote multiple books.
He wrote three books.
They're becoming movies.
They're gonna be
on the big screen.
-Right?
-Well, I-- [forced chuckle]
-[engines roaring]
-[tires screeching]
[crowd cheering]
Hey, you guys waited for me!
God, Kevin. Couldn't be
further from the truth.
And unless you have, like,
some illegal drugs, then scram.
-I do.
-[all snickering]
I mean, not illegal drugs,
but I got something illegal.
-Okay?
-[Lainey] And?
No, not-- not here. My uncle
will have me pissin' blood.
Why?
Hey, just meet me
in the parking lot.
It's the black Chevy Spark.
You still drive that turd?
It's not a turd.
-[Lainey imitating fart]
-[Travis & Louie laughing]
Look, you know,
I thought firecrackers
were pretty badass, but...
Fuck you say?
Oh, goddamn it.
What?
These are fireworks.
Not firecrackers.
-[Lainey] Oh, shit.
-What do you mean?
Firecrackers are the ones that,
like, blow off your fingers.
Fireworks are the ones
that you can buy, like,
in the Dollar General
parking lot in June.
No, my cousin Chet
bought these in Montana.
He swore they were bonafide.
There's sparklers in here,
shit for brains.
How much did Chet make you pay?
-200?
-[all snickering]
-[Lainey] Great haul for Chet!
-Fuck.
Okay, well, look,
fireworks are still fun, right?
Look, they're loud and
the colors are pretty and shit.
Let's just--
let's light 'em off. Yeah?
-[Travis sighs]
-Come on, guys,
let's light 'em off right here
in the parking lot, okay?
I'm gonna run to
my uncle's office and make sure
he's not there, and I will
grab us a lighter and some beer.
-Ugh! Fine!
-Okay?
Go! Just go. Hustle it up.
We got shit to do.
Okay, awesome.
This is gonna be sick, I swear.
-We're stealing those, right?
-Fuck yeah.
[Louie] Hmm?
What, really?
Should I--
[lighter flicking]
These wicks are
cheap Mexican bullshit.
I don't know how old they are,
so just give me a minute.
[high-pitched ringing]
-[ringing fades]
-Yep. Those levees, man.
No one will tell you this, but
they're all sand on the inside.
You know who I heard
that from was Dale.
You remember Dale, Louie?
Remember Dale?
[Lainey] You know,
this is the parking lot
that we learned
to ride our bikes.
[Travis] Dale. Yeah,
he works reclamation now...
-Oh, Jesus, that's right.
-[Lainey] Yeah.
-[both chuckling]
-[Travis continuing to speak]
-I didn't realize.
-Yeah.
You remember we used to
sneak into movies?
-[Louie chuckles]
-Do you remember in that
little movie theater
in the mall?
And we would say that we were
brother and sister. [laughs]
-[Louie] My God.
-And then-- and then we'd say
that our parents were, like,
inside just waiting for us.
[Louie laughs] Oh, my God.
And they totally knew, too.
They would talk to you and
you immediately started crying.
[both laughing]
You were always so...
[Travis speaking indistinctly]
-[Lainey] Yeah?
-No, I don't know.
I appreciate you.
You did, huh?
[Louie] Yeah. That's why
I called you "Dandelion."
You know, they're resilient.
You were always
adaptive and tough.
I mean, for God's sakes,
you smoke Reds.
[chuckles]
You spit in public, you cussed.
And I know you've been
here your whole life,
but you're not this place.
You're not like Travis.
What is that supposed to mean?
Nothing, just--
You know. I mean...
I know who you really are.
Deep down,
who you've always been.
Do you remember
my old spot over there?
-[Louie] Oh, yeah.
-[Lainey] I still feel like
I should be able to just,
like, walk in there.
You know?
How does a place
not belong to you anymore?
How about...
a national holiday
where you get to walk around
the house that you grew up in?
And then for the people
who live there now,
-you can make a new friend.
-[Louie chuckles]
And-- and, you know,
you could talk about
what you think
the energy in the house is.
[Louie] Ahh.
That'd be nice, wouldn't it?
Just walk through the past
a little bit.
[tender music]
[fireworks hissing]
Whoo! Whoo.
-[Lainey] You did it!
-[Louie] That's not bad.
-[fireworks popping]
-[exclaiming]
[all cheering]
-Goddamn!
-[Travis] All right!
[cheering, laughing]
Yeah!
[officer]
What the hell's going on here?
[Louie] Oh, no.
[Travis] Hey! What's up, JJ?
How you doing, man?
Travis. Lainey.
Jesus Christ, you guys. Aren't
you a little old for this shit?
-[Lainey] What do you mean?
-Who's your friend?
Louie? Louie Mulgrin?
[Lainey giggles]
The hell are you doing in town?
-Stop, drop, and roll, baby.
-[firework pops]
-[faint whispering]
-[JJ] Cut it out, Lainey.
[indistinct], huh?
Hey!
-[high-pitched ringing]
-Get that shit away from me.
Guys, seriously,
one rogue fire--
-Stop, drop, and roll.
-[Travis] Uh-oh!
-[ringing grows louder]
-This is over.
Come on!
[ringing, whispering stops]
Don't do anything you'll
regret reading in a courtroom,
Lucky Louie.
Oh! I got your torch. Yeah.
-Whee!
-Give that shit back.
[Travis laughing]
What's the matter?
Here you go. You can have it.
Here, go ahead, take--
[Travis laughing]
-Hey, hang on.
-Oh, shit.
-[all exclaiming]
-[Travis] Oh!
-Lainey's got it.
-[JJ] Come on, give it back.
Come and get it.
No, come and get it. Here.
-[JJ] Don't-- Come on!
-Just come here.
-Oh, oh!
-Just give it back to you.
I'll take it.
Come on, Louie. You're not
like these two. Be an adult.
-[faint whispering]
-Give me the goddamn flashlight.
Come on, man.
[laughing] Oh!
All right, come on, man.
Come on, grab it.
Come on, grab it, hurry, hurry!
-[JJ] Ow! Fuck!
-[all laughing]
-You okay, though?
-[JJ] God, fuck!
[Louie] Is he all right?
Is he okay? Are you okay?
[Lainey laughing]
I'm gonna pee my pants.
-[Travis] Come on, man.
-[Louie] All right, all right.
I'm gonna fucking pee my pants.
-[Travis] God.
-[Lainey laughing]
-[Louie] Is he okay?
-Oh, no, I need the ambulance.
[car engine starts]
[Louie] You're going
the wrong way, man!
-You're going the wrong way!
-Here we go,
here we go, here we go!
Whoo!
[all laughing]
Hey, a little souvenir
for you, buddy.
Check it out.
Hey!
[Travis] Oh, my God.
He's gotten really fat, dude.
He just get--
Every time I see him,
-he's getting fatter.
-He's just getting bigger.
He's getting balder.
[distant rooster crowing]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[confused grunt]
Wha--
[groans]
[country music playing]
You're alive.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess.
[Lainey] Well, your fridge
was completely empty.
But your neighbor
still has chickens.
Is scrambled okay?
I don't really know any
other way to make eggs, so.
Yeah, no,
that's-- that's-- Yeah.
[groans]
I must've blacked out
last night.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
By the time we went to bed,
you were sloppy as fuck.
[chuckles]
[cell phone ringing]
Oh, shit.
[door opens]
Hey.
[Bridgette]
Why are you shirtless?
Oh. Uh, it's really hot
out here today. Um...
But, uh, also, I ran into
some old friends, and, um,
we got some, uh--
we got some drinks
and just did some
catching up, you know?
How did you run into friends?
I thought you were just
picking up your stuff
and then heading home.
No, I know. Yeah,
I was-- um, I was gonna--
Well, there's just a lot more
than I thought, you know?
There's really a lot of stuff to
wade through. I didn't really--
I didn't really plan
on it being so much.
[clears throat]
This place, this-- it makes
you do crazy things, you know?
And I just-- I mean,
I'm running into some
familiar faces, and it's just--
it's really, uh--
it's really, you know,
stirring some stuff up in me.
And, um...
Huh. Yeah. I don't know. I...
[sighs]
I have been avoiding you.
I know that I've been
avoiding you. Um...
And, um...
I don't know. It's just...
[chuckles]
All this has kind of put things
into perspective for me,
I think. Um...
And maybe you and I, um,
have been moving too fast
in a direction that I don't--
I don't even know if I can...
[sighs]
-[Bridgette speaking]
-[connection breaking up]
...which is the way I've
been feeling for a while,
and I just need to be sure
that we're on the same page.
So... are we?
Uh-huh. Mm-hmm.
So you agree?
Sure. Yeah. Yeah.
-Are you taking your
medication?
-Yep. On it. I've got 'em.
I've been doing it.
What about your ending?
Isn't that due?
Uh-huh. Yeah, no, I'm good.
I got-- I got everything
covered. I'm good.
Hey, you're not some,
like, pussy vegan, are you?
-Shit.
-Because I found frozen bacon.
-Hmm?
-[call ends]
Frozen bacon.
Oh! Sorry.
-No, no, it's--
-I'll just make it.
[sighs]
She see me?
Uh, it's impossible to know.
I'll have to check her Instagram
Stories for cryptic posts.
[chuckles]
Let's try these eggs.
Mmm. Oh, my God.
You have to, um, whip 'em
alternating hot and cold.
I've seen Gordon Ramsey
do it on YouTube.
He's the best.
Oh! My God.
Mmm!
[laughing]
That good, huh?
[exhales]
I'm such a fuckin' idiot.
[sighs]
Easy to take that personally.
I'm sorry, Lainey.
I really-- I didn't--
I just...
never cease to amaze myself
at my propensity
to torpedo my own life.
You've got company in that one.
[door opens]
[Jackson] Mommy!
[Lainey] Hey, baby!
Hi. Hi! How was Granny's?
Oh, a goddamn war zone.
Little bastard
didn't go down till
half hour north of midnight.
Pretty near ate me
out of house and home.
Mom, if you just
stop feeding him candy,
-he'll just go to sleep.
-I can't keep eyes on him.
The little booger motors through
the house like goddamn tweaker.
You grew.
[chuckles] Yeah.
Nice to see you, Mrs. Gambie.
Yeah.
Right. Adios.
Mama. Mom. Um, they want me
to work college football today.
What the fuck, Lainey?
Why'd you text me
to drop him off here, then?
'Cause they text me right after.
I'm going to the casino
to play cards.
Staff gets pissy
when I bring the kid.
Okay. Eat some bacon, okay?
All the bacon.
Mama, can you just come here?
[sighs]
[hushed argument]
-[Wilma] I know.
-[Lainey] Mama--
Listen, listen.
I have to keep this job.
[hushed argument continues]
Oh. Hey, buddy. I, um...
Hey.
Um...
-Do you like dinosaurs?
-I like beer.
Yeah, I do like beer. Yeah.
-Does your mom know--
-You got a job?
I do have a job. Mm-hmm.
What do you wanna be
when you grow up?
You ever make Mama cry?
Mama. Mama.
Hey. You two getting along?
-He's okay, Mama.
-[gasps] Oh, my goodness.
All right, you little terrorist.
We're gonna hit the pinochle
room at the Hard Rock.
The Hard Rock smells like farts.
[blowing raspberry]
-[Wilma] He ain't wrong.
-Love you. Okay.
-Bye, baby.
-Text me when you're off.
Okay. Thanks, Mama.
Hey, baby, wear your seat belt.
Well,
he's a unique little kid, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah. Thanks.
Yeah, we didn't. Um...
you and me.
Travis just dropped us off,
and, um, and I got you inside,
and, uh, we looked at
the yearbook for a little bit,
and then, uh...
you know, you were fading, so
I just pulled off your clothes
and fell asleep
a few seconds later.
Oh, my God.
Okay. [chuckles]
[chuckling] Okay.
Can you drive me to work?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Is this you here?
[Lainey] Yep.
[exhales]
Taking off from here?
Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
You ain't sticking around
for the fair, huh?
-[both chuckling]
-That damn fair.
Just a bunch of old rusted rides
and cheap beer
and scared farm animals anyway.
Sounds fucking awesome,
don't it?
[laughs]
Travis gonna be upset
that you didn't say goodbye?
He's working over at
the Country Butcher
if you wanna just
give him a holler.
[tender music]
Guess we'll never know, huh?
Scene at the mall.
Fireworks.
Louie gives a big speech.
After dad dies,
new people move into the house.
Wishes for a national holiday
to revisit.
How can a place
not belong to you anymore?
-[car beeping]
-Shit.
Goddamn it.
Fuck.
[groans] What the fuck
is wrong with you?
[sighs]
-[sighs]
-You grew.
Hmm?
Oh, oh. Uh...
Right, yes. It's good
to see you again, um--
Pete. Sims.
We played Peewee together.
I was a grade older
than you, though, so.
Right. Right. Great. Yeah.
Um, so what do we think
the problem here is, Pete?
Uh, well, I googled it,
and it looks like it could be
an issue with
the high voltage, um, system.
So you're using Google
to fix my car?
Isn't that who makes it?
No.
Oh, shit. It was the Apple guy.
Different website.
Okay, so if you don't
know how to fix my car
and I can't drive out of here,
what the hell
am I supposed to do?
How the fuck am I
gonna get home now?
Let's untie the knots in the
panties you're wearing there.
I got some friends
in the city I can call
and see if they got any ideas.
In the city?
How long is that gonna take?
[exhales] Unclear.
Uh, depends on if the fix
requires parts, which I'd have
-to order, so that's extra time.
-Great, great, great, great.
Perfect. Perfect.
Just ideal. Okay, well, just--
Yeah, do whatever
you gotta do to fix it.
-[Pete] Okay.
-[sighs]
All right. Uh,
I just need the key from you.
Right. Yeah.
Oh, you don't need to pay yet.
I just need the key.
No, that is the key.
That's the key to the car.
-This is a card.
-I know. It's--
It just-- You have my number.
Just call me
when it's done, okay?
You could've just
dropped me off at my house
-if you had work to do.
-Don't worry about it.
It'll only take a sec.
You're in good hands with Pete.
Don't worry. Won't let him
put the squeeze on you.
[Louie] Oh, thanks, man.
You wasn't trying to head out
without saying goodbye,
were you?
I would absolutely not.
No, I just was--
I was trying to get a,
you know, early lunch.
[Travis]
I got you covered, boss.
Ribs.
Said you was looking
for an early lunch.
Oh, yeah.
No, thank you, that's--
No, these look really good.
That's...
Oh, um...
Uh...
Mmm! Mmm. Delicious.
-Yeah, you make these?
-Home-grown, buddy.
You best watch your back, Lou.
Steve Harris come by this
morning to pick up some racks.
Said he heard a rumor
JJ's on the payback trail.
Oh, shit.
Man, I lost control last night.
I imagine you got
a bit excited when you seen
that you and JJ
was the same size now.
You know, I had this recurring
dream
where he's looming over me and
just throwing punch after punch,
and no matter how hard
I punch back, it's...
You know, it's like
a fly fighting a rhino.
[chuckles] Yeah,
but look at you now.
-You're packing some delts.
-Delts?
Shoulders.
Deltoids.
You got some meat on you.
You know,
growth don't always mean size.
Sometimes one can grow
but remain scrawny.
But not you, man.
You filled out.
Got a nice trapezius there
that connects to the neck.
That means you can take a punch.
Pectorals, solid.
You can give him a hefty shove.
[bone cracks]
You do squats?
Yeah, come on.
Your calves, your thighs?
It means you got some power.
Yeah, you shaped up, buddy.
-[bone cracks]
-Not JJ, though.
He went the other way.
Chubby, depressed,
surrounded by beer.
Nah, if he were an animal,
he'd be no good to nobody.
-[bone cracks]
-Not you.
Lucky Louie.
Blue ribbon boy. Prize hog.
Goddamn.
You've been gone so long you
forgot how to clean your bones.
And you didn't do
four H neither.
If we do not devour
every speck of the creature,
then we dishonor its sacrifice.
[inquisitive music]
Well, I guess I'll just
order an Uber, then.
Nah, we only got one. Tara.
He's got a DUI.
What's your rush?
Thought we were going to
Steve's pool party.
Steve? Harris?
[chuckles]
He's having a pool party today?
Aww, you must've been
real fucked up.
I told you last night
Steve's throwing a pool party.
And you were like,
"Sounds tight."
And I was like, "Shit,
I haven't heard the word 'tight'
-since my tips were frosted."
-[laughs] All right, all right.
-And then you were just like--
-No, please, please.
I don't need to hear the whole
humiliating transcript.
Supposed to be
triple digits today.
Steve's the only one
with a pool.
He's still at the old house?
-Even after his parents--
-Ever since they bit the dust,
he's been clinging to that place
harder than ever.
-Right? Sure like to see you.
-[phone chimes]
Wouldn't believe me when
I said that you were in town.
Uh, I don't even have a--
I don't have a bathing suit
or anything, so I--
I have, like, six bathing suits.
[dance music playing
over speakers]
[partygoers laughing,
chattering]
Hey, buddy. How's it going?
-[Steve] Oh, my God.
-[Louie] Hey. Yeah.
Dude! He's back!
-Dude, come here!
-Hey, Steve. How are you?
-God!
-[Louie chuckles] Hey. Hey.
Travis told me, but I told him
I'd believe it when I see it.
[Steve exhales]
-You get taller?
-Uh, I think it's you.
[shouting]
Lucky Louie's back! Whoo!
[normally] Eh, fuck them.
Welcome back, brother.
Hey, thanks.
You back in town for the fair?
No, no, no. I'm just back to get
some of my dad's things,
you know?
Travis said that
you would have to-- Oh.
-Try as we might...
-[Louie] Mm-hmm.
...we take them for granted,
you know?
[Louie] Mm-hmm.
You know,
there's a special club,
for guys like you and me.
I'm here if you need to talk.
[chuckles awkwardly]
Thanks, man. I appreciate that.
-Uh, where's the bathroom?
-Aw, stop it!
You know where it's at.
You practically lived here.
-Go on.
-Right, right, right.
Okay. That's...
Uh, the other way.
[shouting] Lucky Louie!
[partygoers chuckling]
[exhales]
I miss the way he used to cheer.
[deep voice]
"Stevie, Stevie, Stevie!"
[sighs] Sure, he was a hard-ass.
And, yeah,
he could be tough on me.
I remember him making an example
out of you pretty often.
It's 'cause he saw
so much potential.
In me.
Travis.
You, he...
he thought you were special.
-[chuckles]
-He loved your books.
[chuckles]
Or he loved the way
you talked about 'em.
Made me out to be a GD saint!
Whenever I miss him,
I crack one.
I got all the sentences
about him highlighted.
When I read 'em, it's--
it's like he comes back to life.
-Wow. That is so...
-[Steve exhales shakily]
...hard. That's so hard, man.
Yeah. You know, I was supposed
to be with them in Mexico.
I was supposed to
be on that flight.
The coaches were
riding my ass at U of I.
My folks,
they always wanted to skydive.
Skydiving?
-I thought that-- I thought--
-You know how my dad
liked a deal, right?
"Stevie, we got a great deal.
They're sending us up
for pennies on the dollar."
"Dad, are you sure
it's the type of thing
you should be
getting a deal on?"
-[sighs] He didn't care.
-In Mexico?
-I--
-There's a video.
But I can't watch it.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Long time before I could
pick up a basketball again.
Jesus, Steve. I had no idea.
[exhales] Listen,
I-- I know you're famous,
and I'm sure people ask you this
all the time, but...
can I ask a favor?
Um, yeah. Yeah, of course.
[tearful] Don't kill them.
In the book.
What-- what happens
hasn't happened yet.
And I'm sure it would make
for a really interesting story,
but if you could, uh...
if you could make it
so that they're still alive?
-Yeah. Of course, yeah.
-[exhales]
Yeah, I got you.
Yeah. I'm just glad
that you're here, man.
[Steve laughs, sobs]
Whoo! All right, everybody,
cannonball competition.
Who's ready? Let's go.
[Travis] Kevin,
who the fuck let you in?
I didn't invite you.
Who invited Kevin?
Well, I was driving by
and I saw y'all partying,
so I ran home and I grabbed
my trunks. All right, all right,
so we're gonna do
biggest cannonball wins.
I don't wanna see any
can openers, okay? No cheat--
All right,
cannonball competition.
Here we go.
Let's go. In the pool.
Hey, no can openers! If I see
any can openers, you're--
Whoo!
[splashing]
[high-pitched ringing]
[ringing intensifies]
[Lainey] You okay? Thought
you took a knee to the head.
No. No, I'm good, I'm good.
I thought you were working.
They cut me
on account of the begging.
-[Louie laughs]
-You want a drink?
-Yeah.
-Come on.
-Oh, my God.
-[laughs] I told you!
-I haven't done it long.
-This stuff is awful.
-Long lost time.
-Yeah, [indistinct] for sure.
[rap music playing on stereo]
Aww, yeah! [laughs]
-No, no, no. No, no.
-[Lainey] Oh, my God.
Y'all already remember this.
Recorded by two of this town's
most notorious gangstas.
[laughing] Oh--
Is this the-- I'm sorry.
Is this the famous
local rap group,
-The Glocksmiths?
-The Glocksmiths?
Is that what we're-- [laughs]
Yeah,
what were your names again?
If you remember,
all of the names had
the word "Glock" in it.
So I was Dr. Glocktopus.
-That's right.
-And Louie, he was--
No, no, I want Lou--
Lou, you say the name.
William Glockner.
-[cheering]
-Yes!
That's what you get for that.
Hey, you better watch how you
talk, 'cause I'm
ready to rock
And my only rebuttal, homie,
is the cock of the Glock
My blood is so thick, yeah,
I'm the cock of the walk
So don't ask me who shit,
'cause I got it on lock
[laughing]
I think it's-- it's Louie now.
-No, no, no, no, no.
-It's your verse! Come on.
-Come on. Come on.
-Come on, man.
-Quit being a pussy!
-Do it! Do it!
Spin my lines quick,
you can say my talk hurts
Lock up your daughters,
here comes Billy Glockner
Cocksure, 'cause
I knock you out your socks
And I'll make your
knees shake
like you're Michael J. Fox
Put on the ache,
my lines kill in a blink
Leaving you dreaming like
I slipped a pill
in your drink
Oil spill when I think,
coil builds in the sink
I can make your girl cum
before willing to wink
Opposite of Bruce Wayne
'cause my rhymes got powers
Soak you in the rain,
got in a Glock shower
Pour some shit on my cup
'cause I'm about
to get rotten
And I'm blowing shit up
like I'm Osama Bin Laden
[all cheering, exclaiming]
Whoo!
Hey, everybody, let's go
over to the high school, huh?
Come on, let's go
to the high school.
[all cheering]
[feel-good guitar music]
[indistinct cheering]
[indistinct yelling]
[police siren wailing]
[officer]
That's enough horseplay.
Enough, I said.
Yo, JJ.
We're just hanging.
No harm, no foul.
No, Steve. Harm and foul.
This private property.
Someone so much as breaks
a nail, the school's liable.
And now I see alcohol.
And I smell reefer.
-Ooh!
-Hey, if you never
smoked it before,
how do you know
-what it smells like, JJ?
-I just do, Travis.
What are you bozos doing
out here, anyways?
Reliving Steve's
failed sports dreams?
-[exclaiming, laughing]
-[woman] Holy shit.
That [indistinct] coming from
a Kentucky Fried mall cob.
[exclaiming, laughing]
JJ, we're just playing tag.
You want to play?
No, I don't want to play--
Finally! Someone else is it.
God dammit, Kevin.
I just fucking hurt my knee.
I said I don't want to play.
Hey, check out Louie's torch.
-[laughing] Check it out.
-[Travis] Recognize it?
Give me that shit back. Okay?
-I don't want to do this again.
-[Travis] Come get it.
[JJ] I don't want to
do this again, all right?
-[Travis] Come get it, bud.
-[laughing]
Give me my goddamn flashlight.
[Louie] Game change!
Hide and seek.
-[laughing]
-It's pathetic.
[Steve] Close your eyes
and count to 50, JJ.
-Come on. Let's go!
-I'm not going to count to 50.
-Count to 50-- One, two...
-No!
If I catch you
I'm gonna cuff you.
...four, five-- [laughing]
You're still it.
You gotta count.
One, two--
-[laughing]
-You gotta count to 50.
-[Steven] Count to 50, JJ.
-[panting]
[Travis] Are you already tired?
What happened to your knee?
[JJ] Same thing
happened to your knee.
[Steve indistinct]
[laughing]
[Travis] JJ, what number
are you at? 25? 46?
[JJ] Travis,
you fucking asshole.
-Cut it out.
-[guys laughing]
Guys, come on.
[Louie short-breathing]
Steve, come on, man.
[eerie music,
high-pitch tone building]
[scared, panicked moan]
Ah! [panting]
-[punch landing]
-[JJ grunting]
-[Louie] Oh!
-[JJ] Ow...
Oh! Oh, shit.
-I didn't mean to-- I didn't--
-Game over.
Game over!
Everyone get out of here!
-[Steve indistinct]
-[JJ grunting in pain]
I'm so--
[Steve] ...you are
not getting ahead.
-[Louie panting]
-[Steve] Go! Go!
[grunting]
God dammit.
[eerie ambient music]
-[Travis] Hey, there you are.
-[Louie sighing of relief]
Been driving all over
the goddamn place.
-Where the hell did you guys go?
-Everybody's scattered.
What was I supposed to do?
I figured you two
were all right.
Where's Lainey?
Oh, she had to get
back to Jackson.
I dropped her off at her mom's.
-[Louie exhaling]
-You good?
-No-- I have no fucking idea.
-All right, well, hop in.
FYI, I gotta pick up some work.
[pensive, intriguing music]
[rattling]
[door thuds open]
Doctor Pete down
at the auto shop...
said he's going to need
a bit more time
-with his spaceship car.
-Uh huh.
-[Travis chuckling]
-[pigs grunting]
You know, most people
are uncomfortable with
slaughter in the cities.
[thudding]
Some folks can go their whole
lives eating meat,
but never seen an animal die.
It just don't seem right.
How do you do it? How do you--
How do you kill them?
Electric's stunning.
They're wetted,
and we put them out with a wand.
They still kick and shit,
but it's just nervous system.
And then we bleed them,
hang them, scald, gut.
Split the carcass,
donezo Rapunzel.
-[Travis effort grunting]
-Mhm.
Did you, uh, kill a human with
one of those things?
-[effort grunting]
-[loud thud]
Oh, fuck, yeah, man.
Nobody can get rid of
a body like a butcher.
[imitates gunshot, chuckles]
All right, man. Enough
bullshit and grab Wilbur.
[pigs grunting, snorting]
[wheelbarrow squeaking]
Thanks for the ride.
Woulda done
the same for me, right?
Sure.
Hey, there's this
opening weekend.
What say you and me hit it up?
If I'm around, yeah.
Got a feeling you will be.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means all this has
been too much of a good time
-I'll see you.
-Yeah.
[distant phone ringing]
Shit.
Where is it?
[ringing continues]
-Hello?
-[Lainey] Jesus.
I'm trying to get ahold of you.
I thought the cop snabbed you.
Yeah. No, I-- I think I lost
my phone somewhere.
I-- I ran and fell and...
Doesn't really matter now.
I'm fine.
-[door slams]
-That shit was crazy.
-[distant door closing]
-So, um, well I'm guessing your
-car still ain't working.
-[suspenseful music]
Uh, yeah. Travis said it's gonna
be a little while longer.
Well, um, I've got
the afternoon free,
so, uh, do you want to
get some slushies and
see a haunted school bus?
-A-- A haunted what?
-[Lainey chuckles]
Do you remember the, uh,
the abandoned school bus
in that, like, cornfield?
Becky Burnside
bought the property.
She's turning it
into a spooky maze.
-We could sneak in.
-Um...
[scoffing] Yeah. I-- You know,
I haven't really
had a lot of sleep.
I'm not really feeling...
altogether right now.
Who cares? It's just sleep.
Do it when you're dead.
I'm telling you, you gotta see
what she did with the bus.
-It's fucked up.
-[Louie sighing]
[music fades]
[Lainey] Man.
It's funny how life works out.
[Louie] How do you mean?
Like, specifically.
[Lainey] You know, like...
Like you and me.
What our-- What our
lives would have been like.
[Louie] Yeah, I, uh, I--
I think about that, too,
sometimes.
It's just-- [chuckles]
It's weird, you know.
There's shit that I want
to say to you, and I just...
I just feel like it's just
not fair of me to say it.
You can tell me anything.
What do you mean?
Please say it. It's okay.
Uh-- Um...
[smacks tongue]
We were-- We were pregnant,
me and you.
Right before our graduation.
[chuckles]
I-- I couldn't go to Steve's
graduation party
because I didn't feel well.
Whoa, uh...
[chuckles in disbelief]
Why didn't you say?
Why didn't you tell me anything?
I knew-- I mean,
I knew what I was gonna do.
And, you know, you were
busy with college shit,
and I just-- I didn't want it
getting in your head.
If we made it, I wanted
it to be because we made it.
Uh... [scoffing]
Should I not have told you?
-I'm sorry.
-No, no, no. It's fine.
I'm-- I'm glad--
I'm glad you did, honestly.
It's just...
You know,
that's-- that's a lot to...
Yeah. No, yeah.
Believe me.
I know what you mean, though.
Life does work in
mysterious ways.
Mm-hmm.
Just hearing this, like,
where-- where would we be if...
-Yeah.
-You know, I mean,
if you just...
decided to go the other way.
Due to that decision,
I was able to go off and
live my life, and-- and you...
-You know, you--
-Sure. Yeah.
-Right.
-Yeah.
Do you remember that one, um,
uh, that it was the satanist
who took the bus full of kids
out here and sacrificed
them to the devil?
-Yeah. Yeah. [chuckles]
-Yeah.
God, when was the last time we
were on a school
bus together, huh?
Uh, shit.
Um, maybe our field trip
to the Capitol?
-[chuckles] Oh, yeah.
-I bet you we were sitting
back here just pretending to not
don't be crushing on each other.
[Louie chuckling]
-Let me help you.
-[chuckling]
Let me give you some assistance.
I mean, you-- you
made a decision that...
greatly impacted my life.
I have a career because of it.
I have money because of it.
I have a lot of money.
I can-- I can help you.
Let me help you in
the only way that I can.
It's not a gift, you know?
Think of it like...
like payback.
[chuckles] That's-- Wow. Yeah,
that's-- that's much better.
You know what I mean.
I just...
What do you think?
I-- I think I'm ready to
get the fuck off this bus.
[Louie sighing]
Shit.
Do you want to come
in for a beer?
No.
-Look, I didn't mean to--
-I really-- Can we not?
I'm just trying to help,
that's all.
-I'm not a charity case.
-I-- I never said you were.
-All I want--
-Hey. We're doing fine.
Look, I never
intended to make you
-feel like you were--
-I mean, shit, he's growing up
the way that I grew up,
the same way that you grew up.
I feel like a piece of shit
right now, all right?
I just want to--
Will you let me give
you something, please?
Will you do me that kindness?
Here, just-- I have...
All right? Please.
Lainey, I know you need it.
You know I need it?
You said you have debt
and bills,
and you can use this for school
supplies or lunches or whatever.
Just please take it.
Let me help you.
-Yeah?
-Yeah, if that's what you want.
If that's helping.
Well, like, I-- I have more.
-I can give you more if you--
-No.
I think that's enough payback.
[sighing] That's not
what I meant. I didn't--
No, I mean, it's-- it's
what you were saying before.
I mean, you're right.
You know me.
You know me deep down.
So you must know
what I need, right?
[groaning] Whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa. Hey.
[knocking]
-Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
-Shit.
Honey, wait. Honey, wait--
You know, for someone
who thinks they're as smart as
they are, you sure are
an exceptional idiot.
Listen, it's not
what you think, lady.
I don't know what
to think at the moment.
It was just a gesture of
gratitude, that's all.
And what exactly are
we so grateful for?
He just-- He gave
me some money.
-[Louie] Okay. Okay, that's--
-Money.
It was some financial
assistance.
Oh, wow.
How charitable of you, Louis.
Listen, bitch,
I'm not a fucking charity case.
Well, hold on one second.
Look...
[chuckles]
The pharmacy said you haven't
refilled your prescriptions.
[Lainey] You know, who the fuck
-do you think you are?
-I'm fine.
-Really, I'm great.
-[Lainey] Who the fuck do you
-think you are?
-I called your reps,
they can't reach you.
-Your pages are long overdue.
-I lost my phone, okay?
And I-- There's a lot to
consider here, okay?
I'm-- I'm immersed in this.
This is my process.
Spare me your masterclass, okay?
They have given
you multiple extensions.
-I know.
-And now that you've been here
almost a week,
they're worried you're gonna
-lapse on your agreement.
-Don't do that.
Don't exaggerate.
I've been here three days.
You've been here
five days, Louie.
-Five.
-I haven't been here five--
-They said they're worried.
-No, no, I was--
I was-- I was with
Travis on the first day,
and then the next day...
The next day I was--
We were at Steve's party.
-Pool...
-You don't sound well.
Okay? You look awful.
You are in crisis mode.
So you have a decision to make.
Do you want to come home
to your real life?
-No, no, no.
-Or do you want to stay here...
-Wait, wait, wait, wait.
-...dicking around with a bunch
of rednecks and hookers.
[Louie] Okay, hang on.
-[gasping]
-Call me fucking hooker
-one more time, bitch.
-Whoa, whoa. Wait, wait.
Call me fucking
hooker one more time.
Second thought,
you stay right where you are.
-Wait, just...
-[Lainey] Bye, bitch.
You seem to have
thought this through.
[Louie] I'm sorry.
No, wait. Don't-- Don't--
-No. God-- Wait.
-[Lainey] Bye.
-[engine starts]
-Open the door. Open the door.
-Bridgette!
-[vehicle departs]
[distant rooster cawing]
What the hell just happened?
I almost
just kicked your fiance's
ass on the front lawn.
[Louie] No, I know.
Yeah, you did, but...
I mean...
[Lainey sighing]
How long have I been here?
Louie?
[Louie] Hmm?
I said I'll see ya.
[door opens, closes]
[eerie music building]
[crunching leaves]
[thudding]
[engine rattles]
Dad.
[indistinct]
...fair.
I'll drag you there
if I have to.
[exhaling]
[groaning]
Jesus.
-How did you get in here?
-Heard Lainey got into
a bit of a scuffle
with your soon-to-be wife.
Yeah, well, I think
soon-to-be might
be quite a ways off now.
Sorry news.
Well, how about we drown
those sorrows away
at one of our many
Coors-sponsored
booths at our county fair?
-Oh, Travis--
-Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Don't you go raining on
this parade, partner.
This is a yearly cause
for celebration.
Dressed with twinkly lights,
dangerous rides
and fattened livestock.
It is a New Year's Eve
for the farming
community and tired public.
A magical event.
Plus, I got shrooms.
-No, I'm good.
-Don't be a party-pooper.
No. Hey. Hey, listen, I gotta
get the hell out of here.
That ain't gonna happen.
Doctor Pete says he needs
another bit with your car.
-Another week?
-Yeah, another week.
-Oh, dude--
-You're stranded in paradise.
Enjoy yourself.
Dude, I can't, okay?
I'm dealing with some
stuff right now that I--
Buddy, buddy,
it ain't ecstasy, it ain't meth,
-it's fucking shrooms.
-I know.
And if you are grappling
with some inner storms,
this is the shit
that you want to take.
[chuckling] I'm convincing
you to take drugs.
It's like high school
all over again.
-I don't know, man.
-Buddy. Here.
No. Come on. Come on.
-No. No, that's--
-Here. Just a little bit.
Please don't leave me
tripping on my own.
Ready? One, two, three. Go.
Go. Come on.
Ugh, it's gross.
Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh?
-Eh.
-Eh! Lets go.
-[eerie guitar music]
-[roller coaster rattling]
[muffled cheering, laughter]
-[indistinct]
-It's all right.
Shit.
[muffled cheering]
[music slows down, distorts]
Hey, Travis, you better
[indistinct] cotton candy.
Travis?
[music turns strange,
suspenseful]
[voice on speaker]
Attention. Attention.
[voice becomes distorted]
[indistinct]
[indistinct]
As with livestock,
the opposite is--
What do you want?
[voice] Louie...
The land that births you is
the land that takes you.
-You were the butcher.
-No, that was--
It was an amalgam.
That's what it was
supposed to be.
It was supposed to
be an amalgam.
[strange sounds]
[voice] Careful. Careful, boy.
Psychosis gives people
a funny feeling around here.
The vines tore into
the flesh of his wrist.
Walleyed, he wailed
into the night.
They sought his immolation.
-Careful.
-I didn't write that.
No, you didn't.
But others are
writing it for you.
Beware of the butcher, son
-[groaning]
-Beware of the butcher.
I want to show you something.
Come on.
-[Louie] Where we going?
-[Travis] we go, bud.
What is this? Is this like
a special event or something?
Throw that away.
Hello and welcome.
May I present a celebrity,
both famous and infamous.
Let's hear it for our friend
and local author,
Louie Mulgrain.
-Huh?
-[cheering, applause]
Now, let's get down to business,
shall we?
[man 1] Yeah,
let's get down to business.
-[man 2] Come on, let's go.
-Hey, y'all,
I think he's missing something.
[cheering, applause]
[woman] Hey,
piggy, piggy, piggy.
Easy. [indistinct]
Up you go. Up he goes.
Here he goes.
[cheering, applause]
Get in position.
Can I get a volunteer?
Hey, I see somebody
in the front row.
Fire away in three...
[everyone] Two, one...
-[ding]
-[cheering, laughter]
Whoever wants a shot at
lucky Louie, follow the line.
-Untie me, man.
-[Travis] Up we go.
-[ding]
-[cheering, applause]
[Travis laughing]
[panting]
Travis, untie me.
[Travis] All right,
who's next? Who's next?
[eerie music]
[panting]
Come on, boy.
Here we go. Come on.
That's it.
[crowd laughing]
[indistinct exclaiming]
What is this?
-[Travis] Calm down...
-What is this you guys?
What did you fucking do to me?
Look at me.
Look at me.
-[Travis] Calm down.
-[Louie] You
guys are right where you
fucking belong
in this shithole.
In this fucking shithole,
that's where you belong.
You stupid fucking [indistinct].
[Travis] God. Louie!
Hey!
[panting]
Oh!
Cut the shit, man.
I gave you a fucking opportunity
to make amends, but you go
and you pull that shit.
Look at what you did to me!
Yeah, look at you.
[panting]
What? No, no, no.
No, I was just...
I was just covered in...
[crunching leaves]
[distorted whispering]
[Travis] Now, I can
sneak you out of here
and save you an ass-whooping.
That's more than you deserve,
-but I'm worried.
-God. [sobbing]
[Travis] Mind your business,
old timer.
[panting]
[distorted whispering]
You can see him?
-[Travis] Hey. Hey.
-[sobbing] No, no, no, no.
No, no, no, no!
Hey, you stay where you are!
[distorted whispering]
[Travis] Where are you going?
Louie-- Fuck, man.
Louie!
Louie!
[distorted whispering continues]
[crickets chirping]
[Holter monitor beeping]
[doctor] Ah, good. We're up.
Your dosage.
[muffled distorted whispering]
We'll call in
your prescription, which you can
pick up at the pharmacy
on the second floor.
[tool whirring]
[Pete] Oh, got it.
That's a smudge there.
Here's your key.
How long-- How long
has it been fixed?
Oh, I don't know.
About a day after
you dropped it off.
Oh, it was electrical.
My buddy knew what it was.
I heard you were
around with Travis.
I told him to tell
you it was ready.
I guess he liked
having you around.
Yeah. Thanks for that.
[Pete chuckles]
Hey, I-- I would love to
-buy you a beer--
-We're actually closed.
I mean, it looks--
[chuckles]
Looks pretty open to me.
Yeah, you know,
it's just-- it's just locals.
You ain't local.
Um, Lainey, if I could just...
Yeah, like I said,
it's locals only.
[strange keyboard music]
[police siren wailing]
-[sighing]
-[Tesla chiming]
[window whirring]
License and registration.
-JJ, look, I'm sorry, man. Okay?
-License and registration.
You know I'm a veteran, Louie?
We-- Uh, well, um...
Thank you for your service.
Since your little episode,
we've been getting
a lot of calls.
So for your safety
and the safety of others,
I volunteered to escort
you across county lines.
[JJ bangs on car roof]
[gentle, quirky music]
[calling tone continues]
[calling tone continues]
["Show Me" by
Mikal Cronin plays]
I'm so little in the middle
of a raging storm
Is it settled in the center
like I've always heard so
It's so funny being
lonely in the pouring rain
Yeah, like a movie it's
the scene where I find my way
My thoughts,
my path, my head
I don't want to
know me these days
Set myself afloat
into the water
Feeling like a fool
here alone
Show me where to go
[music fades]