Feedback (2023) s01e01 Episode Script

[slow somber music playing]
[man] My name is Marcin Kania,
and I'm an alcoholic.
The only thing I can remember from
the last night that I saw my son is fear.
[no audible dialogue]
[dishes clattering]
[breathing deeply]
[grunts]
[groaning]
[sighs, panting]
[grunts]
[doorbell chimes]
[knocking at door]
[woman] Piotrek?
Piotrus, are you there?
Open the door.
[knocking continues]
[doorbell chiming]
[Piotr] Hi, this is Piotr Kania.
I can't pick up right now.
Try calling later or leave a mess
[knocking at door]
Hi, Ulcia. Um, have you
spoken to Piotrek today?
[exhales sharply]
We were supposed to meet. I don't know
if he's got headphones on or if he forgot.
[sniffs, exhales]
- Could you go home and pick up the keys?
- [Marcin exhales deeply]
[sniffing]
[woman] I don't know.
I don't know, Ula. Something's wrong.
Alright. Bye, then. Bye, sweetie. Bye.
[sighs deeply]
[footsteps departing]
PETER PAN
[line ringing]
[Piotr] Hi, this is Piotr Kania.
I can't pick up right now.
Try calling later or leave a message.
[line ringing]
Hi, this is Piotr Kania.
I can't pick up right now.
Try calling later or leave a message.
Um, something terrible happened, Dad.
Dad, I did something really terrible.
[Marcin] What did you do, Piotrus?
Help me remember, son.
What happened?
[music intensifies]
[grunting]
FEEDBACK
[woman] Thirteen hundred.
THERE'S ALWAYS
SOME KIND OF TOMORROW
Do I have to call the police?
[Marcin] Jarek.
A dick made out of pure cholesterol.
I wanna hear it.
Marcin, I wanna hear that
you won't be getting into any more fights.
[Marcin] First and foremost,
an alcoholic is a liar.
Lies to everyone, all the time.
Mostly to himself.
Come with me.
Marcin! This is too much.
[Marcin] If you wanna get the truth
out of an alcoholic,
you have to wait for them to slip up.
So in my current state, how the hell am I
supposed to make a promise about anything?
Jarek.
[Jarek] Have you ever played Eurobiznes?
[liquid pouring]
Therapy.
Two years of sobriety.
Poof!
Marcin, you just went back to the start.
Something happened.
So, why don't you tell me what happened?
I'd rather do it in group.
How am I supposed to let you
join the group like this?
Come on.
I'm just looking for
some feedback here, alright?
In this group we refer to ourselves
as "Tomorrow people".
Every single one of us
has cracked into a thousand pieces,
and this place helps us to get
some semblance of our lives back.
[Jarek] C'mon, let's sit down.
[Marcin] We come here
to get support and to stay sober.
Well, apparently,
it didn't work out so well for me.
[Jarek] I'd like to start
with a vote on whether or not we want
Marcin to stay here today.
According to the rules, he can't.
Where's he supposed to go?
He's got nowhere else to go.
He belongs here.
I'm sorry, Marcin,
but you should go to the emergency room,
and I'd be happy to drive you there.
Thanks, Jadzia.
All those in favor of Marcin
leaving today's group, put your hand up.
Alright, now that that's out of the way
Mmm What are you bringing to group today?
Who wants to start? Jadzia?
- Could you?
- [Jadzia clears throat]
Name's Jadzia, and I'm an alcoholic.
[Marcin] Therapy is a little like
buying a run-down building in the slums.
theater the other day
You take that rat-infested shithole,
slap a coat of white paint on the walls,
patch the holes in the ceiling,
assemble the cheapest kitchen from Ikea,
and jack up the asking price.
Then you put up a few dividing walls
and squeeze in five students
or a bunch of immigrant workers.
And that is what alcohol therapy is like.
[Jadzia continues sharing]
So, then, why the hell am I here?
Today of all days?
Thank you for the cake.
I can't say these five years
have been easy.
But because of you all, I can get
through the day without having a drink.
Thank you, that's all.
[phone ringing]
[phone continues ringing]
[phone beeps]
[Marcin] Asia's been calling me non-stop,
and that's gotta mean
she already knows.
Marcin. I think everyone wants to know
what you're bringing to group today.
[exhales deeply]
Marcin. I'm an alcoholic.
[sighs]
Alright, then.
My son
[exhales]
[grunts softly]
Can't do it.
I just can't.
I'm sorry.
- Marcin!
- Hold on.
Marcin.
[Marcin] Beer.
It's best when you down it in one gulp,
even if it's from a warm can.
Then two beers.
Hey, maybe everything's actually alright.
Maybe we just got into an argument.
I can't remember.
Maybe Piotrek is just
with his buddies or some girl.
Or maybe I just got drunk,
and that's it. [chuckles]
And all is right with the world.
[phone ringing]
[exhales deeply]
[phone beeps]
Yeah, hi.
Asia, sorry. Um, I was in group and
Did something happen?
[muffled indistinct conversation]
[door opens]
[muffled indistinct conversation]
You just couldn't resist, could you?
Did you have to get shit-faced again?
Does your being drunk have anything to do
with your son's disappearance?
Were you both drinking?
How many times do I have to tell you
my son doesn't drink?
Besides, he practically has
no contact with my husband.
Excuse me, could you please call someone
who can actually find out what happened?
Is it too much to ask you to do your jobs?
[officer] Would you like to file
a missing persons report?
Yes! I want to fucking file a report!
Hey, Kinga. Yes, I called you. Has Piotrek
been in touch with you, by any chance?
Uh Yeah, yeah. We're at your place.
We haven't heard from him since yesterday,
and there are traces of blood here.
Mom called the police and
Uh, wait. Let me put you on speaker.
Go ahead.
[Kinga] He called yesterday and said
he was meeting his father in the evening,
but I didn't hear from him after that.
Hello? Ula?
Ula, you there?
Ula!
[spits vomit]
[vomiting]
[coughing]
[Asia] Where is he?
I don't know.
Where is my son?
[toilet flushing]
We'll take you to the station.
[water running]
[Marcin breathing heavily]
He called me for the first time in
I don't know how long.
He wanted to tell me something.
What did he want to tell you?
He told me
something terrible had happened.
What?
I don't actually remember what.
Asia, I don't remember who did this to me.
I just know that at some point
I had a drink, and I woke up here.
In the kitchen. The blood could be mine.
- [Marcin groans]
- [sighs]
[knocking at door]
[Ula] Mom, is everything alright?
Hold on, Ula. Mom and I are talking.
[Ula] I wasn't talking to you.
I was talking to Mom!
[Asia] What is this?
[tense music builds]
[camera clicking]
[officer] What time did you meet your son?
I don't know.
Last night. Around ten, eleven p.m.
[officer] Were you drunk
when you showed up?
I'd been sober for two years.
But I have absolutely no clue when or why
I started drinking again.
How did you get into the apartment?
[camera clicking]
I bought the place for Piotrek as a gift.
If he hasn't changed the locks,
I probably still have the keys.
[officer] What do you
actually do for a living?
I'm in real estate.
But I used to be a musician.
In a band, The Puppet Theatre.
''I Love You Like Russia''?
Yeah.
I wrote that song.
He's laughing at me.
There's something people love about
an expensive shirt covered in blood stains
or cracked glass on an expensive watch
or pricey shoes covered in shit.
Makes them happy. Like they got justice.
That goes for cops most of all.
Have you and your son ever had
any financial disagreements?
Has he borrowed money from you?
Answer the question, please.
I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?
[officer] I asked if your husband
was violent at home.
I can see a couple of interventions,
and every time you were the one
who called the police.
Are you asking me
if my dad could've hurt Piotrek?
You mean uh
Like beat him up or maybe
[officer] I'm just trying
to understand their relationship.
There's nothing to understand.
They don't have a relationship.
[Marcin] Help me remember, Piotrus.
Remind me what happened.
You called me yesterday morning.
Eight years ago, the entire building
underwent a general renovation.
If you're worried
about the appliances, for instance,
everything is in perfect working order.
Are you smokers?
Do you have any pets?
Do you, uh, listen to loud music?
And by the way, I am not the kind
of landlord who drops by unannounced
just to see how things are going. No, no.
I think everything's fine within reason.
Am I right?
- [woman] Of course.
- [phone buzzing]
- Go on. Take a look around.
- [woman] Thanks.
[Marcin] You never call me
or pick up when I call you.
Sometimes you answer my texts
after a few days.
Then you apologize,
say you're always busy.
Hello, Peter Pan!
How's it going there, stranger?
[Piotr] Hey, Dad. Are you free tonight?
[Marcin] Fear.
It was already in your voice.
But I didn't hear it.
[tense music builds slowly]
What did you wanna tell me?
Whatever it was, whatever happened,
whatever I did,
please remind me.
[horn honks]
You said that he did
something terrible, right?
[Marcin exhales slowly]
So, I'm asking you what it was.
- And what does it have to do with you?
- Asia. I told you already.
And I'm telling you now,
I need you to fucking remember.
We've gotta be somewhere. Let's go.
[car door shuts]
[exhales deeply]
[lo-fi music playing]
Lolus, you're his best friend.
He must have told you something.
- You had to have noticed something.
- You know what Piotrek's like.
He'll always ask you how you're doing,
but never says anything about himself.
Lolus, we need help. Please, try to think.
Anything could be important right now.
[Marcin] Do you know
if he had any trouble at work?
- I don't think so.
- Don't think so?
So you're saying he might've had some,
but you just don't know.
Is that the kind of best friend you are?
Look, we work on different teams,
and on different floors even.
Maybe we'll pass by each other.
And when we do get together,
it's mostly just to have
a couple of beers, pizza, video games.
I don't know what else to tell you guys.
How 'bout you tell us
what Piotrek does at that company?
He was writing code.
Is writing.
Is writing.
For Dead Sun Ballads.
He's an amazing coder and problem solver.
One of the best in Poland.
If not the best.
[Marcin] Piotrek is amazing at something.
And I didn't even know it.
We always worried too much about him.
All that worrying made him weak,
afraid of girls and the rest of the world.
His peers treated him like an alien.
Listen to me, gentlemen, this is crazy.
Uh Just look at this kid.
How is he supposed to
break into the Ministry's servers
when he can't even
break into his own pants.
Know what I'm sayin'?
Hmm? [chuckles]
[sighs]
Eh
Maybe he was just hiding
from us inside the computer.
What are you looking for
outside that window, Piotrus?
Huh? Is it Tinkerbell?
[laughs]
You wanna go to Neverland?
[chuckling] Live among the fairies?
[Marcin laughs]
[chuckling]
Hey, how about a ''Goodbye''?
[door shuts]
[Asia] Piotrek, go to your sister.
Piotrek.
[keys clacks]
[key clacks]
No.
[keys clacking]
He has to be smiling.
A picture where he's smiling will send
positive energy and bring him back to us.
You believe in that bullshit, do you?
Marcin, no one's asking you to help.
You can go back to your place,
and we can deal with this.
Asia, if you're hoping to find
a picture where Piotrek is smiling,
you're gonna have to Photoshop it.
- There's no such picture.
- Okay.
Thanks.
So, what, you're pissed off now?
Asia.
All I did was state a fact.
Piotrek doesn't smile in pictures.
Know what?
Why don't you go back to your place?
I'm sure there's a bottle there
with your name on it.
Wow, really? Yeah, you really know how
to talk to an alcoholic, don't you? Nice!
Go on. Keep playing the victim.
- I'm not playing the victim.
- You are playing a victim!
You're making me out to be the enemy.
I don't know what you're
trying to achieve by doing that.
You made yourself into the enemy, Marcin.
A long time ago.
If it makes you feel better,
go ahead and take it out on me!
I'm taking it out on you?
- [indistinct shouting]
- [chaotic soundscape escalates]
Stop it!
- [panting]
- [normal soundscape resumes]
[scoffs]
[sobbing softly]
[gentle music playing]
- Hey. Hey.
- Get away.
[Marcin] Ula. The apple of my eye.
She always knew how to calm us down.
Maybe we should have named her Serena.
Every family has a few good moments.
Marcin, it would be better
if you went back to your place.
[lo-fi music builds slowly]
[Marcin] In other words, fuck off, Marcin.
Go sleep on the street
and leave everything to us.
Go eat the scraps out of garbage cans.
You did your part.
You're done.
[Piotr] Second star to the right
and straight on 'til morning, Dad.
Dad!
Dad, I don't have the lost boys
to help me. I need you, Dad.
- Dad.
- [gasps]
[breathing shakily]
[heavy metal music playing on stereo]
[volume increases]
MISSING
PIOTR KANIA
[phone chimes]
IF YOU NEED HELP, I'M FREE ALL DAY.
HUGS, JADZIA
MISSING SINCE JULY 10, 2022
LAST KNOWN LOCATION: WARSAW
THAI RESTAURAN
She told me to get out. I tried to explain
that collaborating wasn't a good idea.
That I'd broken it off and that
I have nothing to do with them anymore.
[tense music builds slowly]
[man] Excuse me.
I'm sorry, sir, we only open in an hour.
I was here two days ago.
That's right, you were.
[wood scraping]
[Piotr, distant] I can't sleep.
I keep having nightmares.
And you just fucking sit there!
[dishes clattering]
[man] Are you looking for something?
I was here with my son.
He hasn't returned home since then.
We were arguing.
- Yes. There was lots of emotion.
- About what?
What were we arguing about?
I'm sorry. I don't know.
I was not sitting with you.
And you didn't hear anything?
Tell me anything. It's important.
I suppose you don't remember,
but I asked you
not to come back in here ever again.
Fine. Just tell me this, alright?
Did we leave together?
Your son just got up and left.
You followed him out.
And I'm afraid I can't tell you
anything more than that.
You're telling me
you can't fucking remember anything else?
Focus! Was I drunk?
Please leave now, sir.
[scoffs]
[exhales]
[somber music playing]
[tense music builds slowly]
Piotrek, wait a minute! Just listen to me.
Piotrek!
- Hey! What's going on?
- Piotrek!
Piotrek! Piotrek!
[music intensifies]
Piotrek!
[music fades out]
[lo-fi music playing]
[grunts] Sorry.
[no audible dialogue]
[doctor] He was aggressive towards
the police officers and staff.
We had to sedate him.
[Ula] Look, I get it. But I don't agree
to any psychiatric observation.
[doctor] It's important that you know,
if this ever happens again,
he can become dangerous
to himself or to you.
[Ula chuckles] Thank you for your concern,
but I've been dealing with this
for 20 years now.
Grab your stuff. We're gettin' outta here.
[hard rock music playing]
[inaudible dialogue]
[music stops]
If you wanna talk about music, then
go to some I don't know, Internet forum.
Write a comment or whatever.
Maybe someone'll actually
give a shit about your story.
You know, thanks to my story,
you've got a roof over your head
and food on the table.
And you can go out and get
just about anything you want.
Thanks to your story,
I have diagnosed PTSD.
But who cares about that, right?
At least I can buy myself
a new pair of shoes when I feel like it.
[Marcin] Therapy made me realize
that Ula is a product of an alcoholic.
And that's probably why she still dresses
like a kid in bright, pretty colors.
So I can see her through the haze.
I'm sorry.
I think it's great
you're taking care of your mom like that.
Someone has to.
But I just want you to know that you can
move out any time you feel like it.
I don't mean right now,
but when we find Piotrek,
when everything's settled,
when we can all calm down.
You know I have an apartment for you?
There's a place where I feel happy ♪
[exhales]
There's the place ♪
YOU CAN'T BURN US ALL
TENANTS' STRIKE
[Marcin] Kinga. I don't remember much
about her and Piotrek's wedding.
- Hey.
- Hi.
But I do remember I never liked her.
So, they've got
an experienced detective working the case.
Hi, Kinga.
- Let me.
- No, I got it.
So, uh Nobody knows anything?
[Ula] Not yet.
[Marcin] For her,
Piotrek is an afterthought.
She was ordering him around
right from the start.
And even now
she doesn't really care about him.
The only reason
she's showing any emotion at all
is because she's been
tanning her ass off in Spain
and she's pissed off
that we've ruined her vacation.
- Thanks.
- [grunts softly]
POLICE
Hello, everyone.
I'm Cezary Karlowicz.
Hello.
You're here about Piotr Kania. Hmm?
Is there any progress
at all in the search?
Excuse me, who are you
to the missing person?
His mother.
Father, his sister, and Piotrek's wife.
Please, sit down.
There are two types of missing people.
Category one are people
who went missing in circumstances
which point to some sort of danger
in their lives, health or freedom.
Like kidnappings, or killings, God forbid.
Or suicides, sadly enough.
Uh, in the second category
we're dealing with
people who may have packed up
and left for whatever reason.
In circumstances
where there was no personal danger.
Meaning?
Um, meaning that someone
may have decided to up and leave
without any forewarning to anyone.
You understand.
My wife and I have
already given a statement.
Our son went missing at night and
never told anyone he'd be going anywhere.
He just disappeared.
And you should know all that already.
You stated that you had an argument.
No. What I stated is
we probably had an argument.
But I don't remember because
I was drunk at the time.
I'm a recovering alcoholic.
Going missing as a result
of a family argument
would fall into category two, I'm afraid.
[scoffs]
Um, excuse me a moment.
[pensive instrumental music plays]
[Ula] Look.
Here.
It says something about his computers.
It looks like the memory has been wiped.
[phone ringing]
There doesn't seem to be any data left.
[ringing continues]
Excuse me. What do you think you're doing?
I'll take that.
Smoking isn't allowed either.
It says right here that the blood
on the sheets belonged to my son.
Please, move aside.
Please. Now have a seat.
But those look like tests from the lab.
Is this some fucking joke to you?
Ma'am, raising your voice won't help you.
I wanna know what's going on.
And what you found out.
And knock it off with this bullshit
about family arguments.
Asia, let me talk to him alone. Please.
Just gimme a minute.
Why don't you let me talk to Mr. Marcin
about his statement from yesterday,
and then I'll call you ladies back in.
[sighs softly]
Come on.
[Marcin] You recognized me after all.
[Cezary] Yesterday,
my wife bought a bunch of
I don't know, some sort of
colorful fuckin' vegetable peelers online.
[scoffs] I lost my shit.
Cops are prone to being wife beaters.
I promised myself I wouldn't be
another one of those assholes, but
[sobs softly]
[voice breaking] And now
Marysia is in the hospital with a
broken jaw because of me.
[breathing shakily]
You haven't been around for quite a while.
About two years, right?
[Marcin] Mm-hmm.
You know, I never liked those AA meetings.
I couldn't do it anymore.
I go to a private center now.
It's a nice small group.
You know.
It's alright.
When did you fall off the wagon?
[sighs] I was clean for two weeks.
[Marcin] Mm-hmm.
They gave me some epilepsy meds.
[Marcin] Mm-hmm.
[scoffs] And you?
I guess it's 48 hours.
But before that it was over two years.
[breathes deeply]
[Cezary sighs]
[sighs] Well, I gotta tell you,
it doesn't look good.
It's really his blood
on all that stuff that was in the washer?
[Cezary] Seems like it.
But most of all [exhales]
it's not looking good
at all for you, Marcin.
I had a look at your police record.
You've been booked.
There were interventions.
You were violent at home.
I have no idea if I did anything to him.
I don't know, I don't fucking remember.
Listen, Marcin.
I believe you don't remember.
But this isn't an AA group,
and no one's gonna believe that.
[Marcin sniffs]
Look, I didn't wanna
say anything around the girls
because I don't wanna worry them
any more than they already are.
Besides, I don't fucking
know what's real anymore.
[sighs] I think that Piotrek
might've been kidnapped.
Yeah. I saw him get pulled
into a car in front of the restaurant,
and I chased them to the train station.
Doesn't your son have a job in IT?
[scoffs] Look, you don't have to tell me
how crazy this all sounds. I know!
I fucking know nothing makes sense here.
Nothing. But the way I see it,
either my memory is playing tricks on me
or he really was assaulted.
I ran after them and tried to stop them
and got the shit kicked outta me.
Marcin. We're doing what we can.
But it might turn out that
during the investigation
I'll have to bring you in for questioning,
and interrogate you pretty hard.
I'll be asking you pointed questions
about where your son is.
Maybe even slap you around a bit.
Look. Uh go to hypnosis.
- Anything!
- [scoffs]
But you gotta remember what happened,
no matter how bad it might be.
'Cause soon you'll be
asked about it over and over.
[man] Hey, Kania.
[Marcin] Zbychu.
So, you don't return your calls anymore?
Is that it?
I'm glad Aska called me to put up a post
on the band's fan page about Piotrek.
Come on, bring it in.
You're looking really fucking old, buddy.
But the fans still love you.
[laughs]
Alright. You gonna invite me in,
or we gonna stand here fucking around?
[beeps, buzzes]
Yeah, alright. So, he knows computers.
So fucking what?
You're trying to tell me that, uh
someone kidnapped him
to get him to reveal some dark secret
about a stupid fucking video game?
Do you hear yourself?
You got a beer around here at least?
I don't drink.
- Yeah?
- [glass thumps]
You don't keep a bottle stashed away
somewhere just to take the edge off?
Like I said, I don't drink.
And you may not believe it,
but I've been sober for two years now.
Fuck.
Good for you, man. May I?
Vegetables.
Hey, Kania.
Tell me something.
When it's all over
When Piotrek is found safe and sound,
and he will be, I know it,
what do you think
about going back on tour?
Don't you still have that bassist asshole?
He's around. You know,
he's totally out of shape.
Brother, the guy
doesn't even drink at work.
But the worst thing is,
he can't even play.
- I'll make sure the money's good.
- Mmm!
Hmm? What do you say? Fifteen a show.
Zbychu, what is this? Tell me.
Hmm?
I'll tell you what it is, Kania.
It's about the fact that we can
still cut a nice deal here, brother.
Like those apartments. Remember?
What's the matter? What's with that face?
Why you looking at me like that?
Didn't that turn out well for you?
Hmm? Didn't it?
[Marcin] As far as Zbyszek is concerned,
people are like satellites.
Their only purpose is to absorb
or reflect the excess light he emits.
- [Zbychu continues muffled]
- [Marcin scoffs]
Zbyszek doesn't do small talk,
and even if he asks how you're doing,
he doesn't give a rat's ass
about the answer.
The only important thing
to Zbyszek is Zbyszek.
I used to admire him for that.
Because I'm talking about 15 grand a show.
Zbychu, my son is missing,
and you're actually asking me
to come back to the band?
Fucking serious? For what?
To play for a few students,
a seniors' home,
some kind of I don't know
power plant workers?
- Really?
- Kania.
[Marcin breathes deeply]
Brother, you're making
yourself crazy here.
The kid found a hot chick,
and he's hiding from his wife.
It's nothing more than that,
I'm telling you.
When he comes back,
call me.
Stay in touch, brother.
[door shuts]
The kid's father doesn't know anything.
Yeah.
[hard rock music playing]
[Marcin] In the cabinet over the sink,
a cloudy, bitter Golden Loch point seven.
In the bathroom between the cosmetics,
three little bottles of red Grant's
from the duty-free shop
and a liter of bourbon in the laundry bin.
Stashed in the fridge,
behind cans of Coke, Wyborowa.
Miracle cures for thirst, convulsions,
headaches, guilty conscience,
and any other urges.
That's what it was like back then.
I was ready for a hangover
like a doomsday sayer
for the end of the world.
[music ends]
One time, at an AA meeting,
a guy said that he likes
to stop drinking for a year.
That way, when he goes
back to the liquor store,
there's a bunch of new stuff
for him to try.
They asked him to leave
during the break, but he was right.
[Jarek] Alcohol is not a cure.
Alcohol is the reason.
Alcohol was first.
[Marcin] No, Jarek.
First was weakness and doubt.
And any cure has side effects.
It doesn't matter
if you're drinking camping fuel,
perfume, or 12-year-old single malt.
Alcohol is alcohol.
[Marcin] Fuck off, Jarek.
[hard rock music resumes]
[music ends]
[inhales deeply]
[exhales deeply]
[liquid pouring]
[ice chipping]
[exhales sharply]
[ring clinking]
[Marcin] You were afraid, Piotrus.
What were you so afraid of?
[breathes deeply]
[keys jangling]
[tense music builds]
Piotrek!
Piotrek!
[grunting]
[Marcin groaning softly]
Excuse me.
I'm sorry. We're closed.
I was beaten up here two days ago
looking for my son.
[man] You were beaten up
on these premises?
[Marcin] Alright, listen.
My son's name is Piotr Kania.
Where'd you get this?
[man] She found it, behind the shutter,
when she was opening up.
[Marcin] You were afraid, Piotrus.
You wanted to see me
because you needed help.
I did something terrible, Dad.
You have no idea
what kind of people they are.
You have no idea what they're capable of.
[lo-fi music playing]
BASED ON THE NOVEL
BY JAKUB ŻULCZYK