High Fidelity (2020) s01e01 Episode Script

1 [QUIETLY EXHALES.]
My desert island "All-Time Top Five Most Memorable Heartbreaks" in chronological order are as follows: Kevin Bannister, Kat Monroe, Simon Miller, - Justin Kitt - MAC: Okay that's everything, I think.
I mean, you don't have to go this second.
I know, but I think it's best if I do, so Just stay for tonight.
No.
Okay, just stay for a drink, then.
No.
I don't think a drink's gonna do it, Rob.
Yeah, how about, how about two drinks? Jesus Christ, can we just make this just a little bit easy, please.
Oh, I'm sorry, is this inconvenient for you? You know what? I'm just gonna go.
All right? Wait, Mac.
- Mac? - What? We're on the wrong side of the rock.
Rob, don't start.
Remember? Remember when we were in the park and we were listening to Talking Book and we were having such a nice day, and that stupid fucking couple on the other side of the rock was just screaming at each other the whole time? Yeah.
I remember.
We we promised.
You know, we promised that if we ever found ourselves on that side of the rock that we would remind each other to come back to our side of the rock, right? Yeah.
Yeah, we did.
So this is me reminding you.
Yeah, whatever.
I remember.
I just, uh, I just can't remember what it felt like, Rob.
Right.
I'm gonna go, 'cause I'll see ya.
Bye.
[SOBBING.]
[EXHALES HEAVILY.]
Congratulations.
You've made it to the Top Five, Mac.
Number five, with a bullet.
Welcome.
You make me sick [HARD ROCK MUSIC PLAYING.]
Hey Baby you've got a lot to learn I've been down and now it's your turn Never guess I'd see through you [TELEPHONE RINGING.]
You make me sick - Hello.
- What up? What's up, Cam, what you doing? Nothin', uh, we're just coming back from Mom and Dad's.
Mom gave us a ton of your old baby shit.
Consider that your shower gift.
Mmm, didn't you hear? There's not gonna be a shower.
We're in full denial that this baby is even coming.
- ROB: Hi, Nicky.
- Hi, boo.
- What's up? - CAM: Uh, so, hey, Mom said she hadn't talked to you in a while.
She wanted me to call and just - see if you're - ROB: Happily married with three kids and a German Shepherd? - Hold on, let me check.
- CAM: [LAUGHS.]
You got jokes.
I get it.
But, seriously, uh, tonight, I'm going for drinks with my buddy Caleb.
I ever introduce you to Caleb? He's cute.
Are you seriously trying to set me up with one of your friends right now, Cam? - CAM: No, I just - 'Cause historically speaking, man, - that shit doesn't go so well.
- CAM: I know.
But it's been like a year.
I just thought maybe it's time to, you know, get back on the horse or whatever.
- Mom, is that you? - Yeah, all right, don't do that.
I tried.
You don't have to try.
I'm totally fine.
I actually have a date tonight, so - No, you don't.
- Yes, I do.
- Cam, I do.
- Wait, do you really have Yeah, I have to go.
I've to go for my get ready for my date.
- Okay, bye.
- CAM: Wait, wait, Rob [SIGHS HEAVILY.]
I could have a date.
If I wanted to.
[SIGHS.]
And I want to.
'Cause I'm fine.
I'm totally fine.
I'm not fine.
I'm not ready.
This is fucked.
CLYDE: Yeah, so then I just drove here from Colorado.
You know? Um, lived out there for a long time.
And, uh, I always wanted to live in New York City, so, uh, here I am.
- Cool, man.
- Yeah.
Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
If you got the time, you can really, like, you can make a thing where you can go to all these, uh, national parks along the way.
Just the change in topography across the country as you drive is remarkable.
- Mm-hmm.
- Badlands and, uh, Zion and Man, it's gorgeous.
It's unbelievable.
What did you do to your hand? Oh, uh, bike messenger on the way here, actually.
What happened? I mean, uh, I'm gonna go to the bathroom.
Okay.
- [ROB CLEARS THROAT.]
- I'll be here.
[MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING ON SPEAKERS.]
[SIGHS HEAVILY.]
I will be here.
[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATIONS.]
Nope.
Look, I know this is a dick move and he seems like a super-nice guy.
I'm just I'm not ready.
You know? It's it's too soon.
It's too soon, and I'm not ready, and I [SIGHS.]
My phone.
Okay.
Okay.
[INDISCERNIBLE CHATTER.]
[CLEARS THROAT.]
- What's up? - CLYDE: Oh, hey.
Oh, man, I was pretty sure for a minute there you were trying to sneak out.
[AWKWARD CHUCKLE.]
No, I was - Oh! No.
No, no, no.
You're good.
- Shit! I'm so sorry.
No, it's fine.
It's fine.
- Dammit.
Sorry.
- Don't even worry about it.
- Yeah, hey.
- [SIGHS.]
I'm sorry.
Look, - these things are tricky.
- [GLASS THUDS.]
Right? It's ju It's hard.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
That was very nice of you.
Do you want another round? Yeah.
- [BOTH LAUGHING.]
- [DREAMS BY FLEETWOOD MAC PLAYING.]
So you own a record shop? - Yes, I do.
- Oh, that's cool.
It's, uh, it's not as glamorous as it sounds.
It sounds really cool.
It sounds cool.
Uh, question.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Answer.
If I were to admit out loud to you right now that I truly, no joke, love this song, would you get up and leave? Hell, I love this song.
- All right.
- This is a great song.
- CLYDE: Yeah.
- Yeah.
I don't love Rumours as a whole.
Okay.
I prefer Tusk.
Controversial, I know.
Yeah, no doubt.
No, Rumours is cool, Rumours is cool.
I mean, The Chain, which is sick.
Don't Stop's more like no, stop, please, stop.
Sure.
Second Hand News, yes.
Go Your Own Way, - yes.
- Yes.
Okay.
To me, this band's more about the drama.
You know what I mean? Like, you can hear it when you listen to the music.
You have all that shit with Stevie and Lindsey and John and Christine and Bob Weston and Mick Fleetwood's wife.
Lindsey that other chick, I can't remember her name, Christine, and the fucking sound engineer.
I mean, it's fucking bonkers.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- ROB: You know? You can hear it.
When you listen to it.
- I'm still talking.
I'm so sorry.
- [BOTH LAUGHING.]
Um, to answer your very simple question, yes, I enjoy this song.
Oh, good.
Good, good, good.
I'm sorry, I blacked out for a second.
CLYDE: No, man, that was great.
- Yeah.
- CLYDE: Um - follow-up question.
- ROB: Mm-hmm.
Um, are you gonna get up and leave now 'cause I don't know enough about Fleetwood Mac? - Yes.
- Oh, come on, I thought this was good.
- I'm gonna go.
Yeah, I'm gonna go.
- CLYDE: Really? - I'm gonna jet.
I'm gonna jet.
- CLYDE: Oh no.
This was great.
No, seriously, though, I think I'm gonna, um, I'm gonna go.
Oh, for real? Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Uh, this was fun.
Do you, um, do you wanna give me a ride? Yeah.
ROB: [CHUCKLES.]
It's, uh, this one on the right.
Hey, am I okay here? Uh-huh.
Come on.
My love for you baby Is like a roller-coaster [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
It goes up Up Down Down Anyway you want it, baby Up Down I haven't had sex for a year.
Oh, shit.
My love for you, baby Is like a merry-go-round It goes up Up Down Down And all around, baby Are you hungry? [SUCKS ON LIPS.]
Ish.
We, uh, we got anything good? It does not appear so, no.
Ever go to Raul's? That place is near here.
They got a great breakfast.
Don't you live in Astoria? Yeah.
Yeah, I like their French toast.
Plus it's next to my climbing gym.
So So, what? You want to go to breakfast now? Or in the morning.
Okay.
Maybe.
Cool.
I was trying to sneak out.
Yeah, I know.
Good night.
Hey.
Come here.
[CAR HONKING, MAN SHOUTING OUTSIDE.]
[MOANS.]
Hello? You gotta be fuckin' kidding me.
Of course it was the nice guy.
It's always the nice guy.
[SCOFFS.]
Fuckin' breakfast.
[PUNK ROCK MUSIC PLAYING.]
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you don't get back on the fucking horse.
Not that I needed another reminder.
I have all the reminders I need.
Like Kevin Bannister, Kat Monroe, Simon Miller, Justin Kitt.
Russell McCormack.
Number one.
Hey there, people, I'm Bobby Brown They say I'm the cutest boy in town! - ROB: Kevin Bannister.
- Hey.
- Hi.
- What you listening to? Weezer.
ROB: I lied.
It was Frank Zappa.
- Cool.
- ROB: All white guys love Weezer.
Our relationship lasted exactly six hours.
For two hours after school before Xena: Warrior Princess for three days in a row.
But on the fourth day, fucking Hannah Shepherd.
What a slut.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING.]
Whatever it is, wherever we go Whatever we do, whoever we know Need a pack? - Dude, I quit.
- Right.
Thanks, Carlos.
Number two on the "Top Five, All-Time Heartbreak" List is Kat Monroe.
[ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC PLAYING.]
ROB: Kat was gorgeous and interesting and just just cool.
Like, real cool.
True cool.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING.]
ROB: Kat talked a lot, and she would say these remarkably interesting things.
KAT: some fucking negative space.
I mean, how much longer can we take this brutalist masculinity? ROB: We went out for a year, and I never got comfortable.
Looking back, I didn't stand a fuckin' chance.
[THUNDER RUMBLING.]
Kat! You fucking bitch! Let's work it out! It wasn't just that I wasn't glamorous or interesting enough for Kat.
Which I wasn't.
The real issue is that Kat had a type.
Tall, blonde, white.
[THUNDER RUMBLING.]
Kat! MAN: Shut the fuck up! Okay, so, here's how not to plan a career.
One, split up with girlfriend.
Two, ditch college.
Three, go to work in struggling record shop.
Four, become owner of said record shop and stay there for rest of life.
And five Well, there is no five.
Anyway, Kat and I, we never really matched.
But number three on the list, Simon Miller, phew.
We matched.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS.]
- Hey.
- No requests, dude.
No, no, is this Radio Stars? - What? - It's Radio Stars, right? Yeah.
Fuckin' love these guys.
Yeah, me too.
[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATION.]
ROB: We were both alone in the city, and we felt that way, lonely.
We liked all the same things.
Whiskey neat, pretentious films.
But, most importantly, music.
Simon had a theory.
The things that you like are as important no, no, no, more important than what you are like.
- Yes.
Yes! - See what I'm saying? - Movies, TV, film, literature, poetry - Shit matters.
It matters, right? And it's no good in just pretending some relationship is gonna fucking magically work if you don't like most of the same things.
Yeah, call me shallow.
It's the fucking truth.
Sorry.
ROB: Turns out, we liked even more of the same things than we thought.
I guess I'm gay.
Come here.
And that was the end of that.
We've got a bit of everything: rock, electronic, hip-hop, pop.
To quote our lone Yelp review, "Decently curated cuts, unpretentious location, owner's a little rude.
" Two-and-a-half stars.
Half the neighborhood thinks we're washed-up relics, the other half thinks we're nostalgic hipsters.
They're both kinda right.
(DOORBELL CHIMES) - Hey, Rob.
- Hey, Simon.
He needed the cash.
So I hire him a few days a week.
And he just starts showing up every day.
That was three years ago.
- You have a good night? - Oh yeah.
Yeah.
I found the original pressing of Gallop.
Lena Platonos.
Dope.
Dope, dope, dope.
Yeah.
Remember how I said I was just gonna go ahead and buy the reissue 'cause the original was just like, nowhere? - Mm-hmm.
- Well, I found the original.
Very cool.
Beautiful condition.
[ELECTRONICA MUSIC PLAYING.]
[SINGING IN GREEK.]
What happened to your hand? - Oh, nothing.
- What'd you do last night? Uh went on a date.
A date? What up, babies? Unh-unh.
What the fuck is this? - What is this? What is this? - Lena Platonos.
- What? - Original pressing.
[COUGHS MOCKINGLY.]
Oh, my God.
I don't care.
Put on some real music.
Shall we? [MUSIC STOPS.]
- Hit me.
- (DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS' COME ON EILEEN PLAYING) Woo-wee! Yo, you know what's so fucking crazy? I had a fucking dream about this shit last night.
- Were you wearing the overalls? - Yeah.
It was so crazy, I had a dream about it and then Yeah, man.
And then I was like, yo, I gotta listen to this song.
And I had to I had to listen to it and see if I really like it.
And I forgot, this song is dope as shit! Come on, come on, come on.
[SINGING ALONG.]
Come on, Eileen Come on, Eileen Good morning, Rob! Oh! Forget you then.
Mm, mm, mm.
Sounded sad upon the radio But he moved a million hearts in mono Turn it off, Cherise! Huh? Turn this shit off, man! No, it won't go up any higher! I already tried! - ROB: Turn this shit - What is she saying? I can't hear her.
No, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Hold up.
- Simon, move.
- Ow.
Stop.
What the fuck! Yo! That song was on the "Monday Morning Playlist.
" I made it special for you all! Special! Yeah? Well, it's fuckin' Tuesday, dude.
No shit.
Today's fuckin' Tuesday? - Yeah, it's Tuesday.
- Oh shit.
Well, Simon Simon? - Simon? - What? Simon, do you wanna know what the next song is? - I'm gonna play a - What's the next song? - Can't Take My Eyes off of You.
- Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons? Come on, Rob.
Why is he starting? - No! Lauryn Hill! - Oh.
- Oh? - Oh God.
- Why are you oh'ing? - No reason.
No, there's a reason why you're oh'ing.
Look at me in my eyes and tell me what the fuck is wrong with Lauryn Hill.
- Why are you oh'ing? - SIMON: Nothing.
I just - Nothing is wrong.
- I know there's nothing wrong with her.
I mean, she shows up late to her concerts, but other than that - [CHERISE GASPS.]
- I prefer the original! That's bullshit! How can it be bullshit to state a preference? It's bullshit because it's a bullshit preference! No, that doesn't work.
You don't I don't care.
You can slap your hands.
I can slap my hands.
I [DOOR SLAMS.]
Well, why is she why's she slammin' doors? What's wrong with her? She went on a date last night.
Well Number Four on the "Top Five Heartbreak" List is Justin Kitt.
Justin was an odd choice.
His top five recording artists were Jay-Z, Eminem, Linkin Park, Aerosmith, and The Dave Matthews Band.
So Yeah, he was kind of an asshole.
I took a test to see if I have a digital addiction the other day.
I took the test online first of all, so hello! ROB: He was also a stand-up comedian.
Which at the time seemed, I don't know, vaguely intriguing.
But Justin had a thing.
You know, some qualities that made being around him exciting.
Qualities like confidence and magnetism and a girlfriend.
I suppose my mid-20s felt a little short on intrigue.
We met in secret and talked on the phone in secret, had sex in secret, and we dreamt about how cool it would be when we didn't have to do things in secret [INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATIONS.]
And then one day, we weren't doing things in secret anymore Are you fuckin' kidding me? - Sorry.
Sorry.
- MORGAN: Don't you fuckin' touch me! - I'll see you later.
- Okay.
ROB: Which was significantly less exciting.
So, naturally, I decided to have his name tattooed on my arm.
[EXHALES HEAVILY.]
In retrospect, we were both kind of assholes.
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING.]
[HUMMING ALONG.]
Excuse me.
May I help you? No, I'm good.
Thanks.
You do know there's an actual person standing right here in front of you.
You aware? I'm here.
She's right there.
I'm sorry, I just thought Shazam would be easier.
Oh, okay, so you thought Shazam would be easier.
So, it's so hard for you to open up your fine-ass motherfuckin' mouth and say to me, "Hey, Miss, I think this song is fly as shit.
Do you by chance know who sings it?" At which point, I would say to you, "Yes, you motherfuckin' fine-ass Italian Stallion.
I do know.
It's Lescop.
They are French, and it's located right" - Right over here.
- Right over here.
How much is it, Johnny? - It's twenty bucks.
- Twenty dollars! The motherfuckin' shit's on sale.
This place blows.
You better be glad you find the shit.
(GRUNTS) Nice work, you two.
Just fuckin' quality, quality work.
Scare away our only fuckin' customer.
And sexually harass him.
Yo, what the fuck I'm supposed to do.
The boy is fine and dumb, okay? Shit, it's my fault I'm the asshole in this situation? No.
No, the guy was a tool.
Exactly! You know, that's what I've been tryin' to tell these kids.
You need to fuckin' earn something.
You know, buy something.
Have some goddamn respect.
See, the problem with these kids is that the generation is completely fucked off.
Their generation.
Which generation are you a part of, Cherise? None! Because I have opted out.
All right, kids.
Let's shut this shit down.
(COME ON, EILEEN RESUMES) Oh, yeah! Come on, Rob.
Get it, girl, get it! Ha ha! Y'all sexy Too-ra-loo-ra Too-ra-loo-rye, ay And we can sing just like our fathers Come on, Eileen Oh, I swear What he means At this moment You mean everything [SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
All right, fuck it, let's do this.
Number five on the "Top Five All-Time Heartbreak" List is Russell McCormack.
Yeah.
AKA Mac.
[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATION.]
- ROB: Hi.
- Russell.
Rob.
Nice to meet you.
[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATION.]
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
[FUNKY SOUL MUSIC PLAYING.]
My brother wasn't exactly trying to set us up.
But he didn't exactly have to.
It just happened.
(DARONDO'S DIDN'T I PLAYING) Didn't I treat you right, now? Didn't I? What you got? ROB: Oh, man.
This was the real fuckin' deal.
Didn't I give you everything Lightning bolts, fireworks, electricity, magic, the whole thing.
I tried my best just to be a man We stayed in and made love all the time.
Didn't I do it, baby? We went out and had fun.
Didn't I do right? We just got each other.
- Burn going down.
- Achh! Yeah, yeah, yeah.
All right, go ahead.
Your go.
Okay.
My turn.
Let's see.
We built a life together.
Okay.
Do you, do you know that Albert Brooks, the actor - Mm-hmm.
- His real name is Albert Einstein? What? No way.
Come on.
- You didn't know that? - That can't be true.
- I know.
Isn't that insane? - What? - Drink.
- Ugh.
Okay.
Oh, my God.
I am crushing this game right now.
- Okay.
Okay.
- I'm crushing.
- Okay.
My go.
- Okay.
Do you, do you know, - Rob - Mm-hmm.
Sock it to me.
that I am completely in love with you? I wanna come back home, baby And I No, no, baby Ah Come back home, baby You know I love you My turn.
Mm-hmm.
Do you, do you know, Mac, that I that I love you too? You do? [MAC CHUCKLES.]
You cocky bitch.
[LAUGHS.]
He was gonna show me Thailand and Sydney and all those kinds of places.
And when we had enough money, we were gonna move to London.
So, what went wrong? He moved to London after all.
Just not with me.
[CRYING.]
Truth is, I had been completely out of my depth.
[EXHALES FORCEFULLY.]
And after that, I was determined to never get out of my depth again.
So for the last year, I've basically just been paddling around in the shallow end.
[DOORBELL BUZZES.]
[BUZZING CONTINUES.]
Hello? [OVER INTERCOM.]
Hey, it's Clyde.
Uh what's up? CLYDE: Uh, I'm sorry I didn't call.
I think I left my phone in your apartment.
I think it's in the bedroom? Hey, how's it going? - Here you go.
- Oh.
Awesome.
Thanks.
Little suckers really get in the way of sneaking out of places, don't they? What? No, I didn't Okay, I know that's what this looks like, but They towed my car.
- Right.
- No, no, no, no, no.
Look, seriously, I got up to go to the bathroom and I look outside, and they're towing my car.
I literally chased a tow truck down your street, and then I had to go to work, so I didn't realize I didn't have my phone until I got on the subway.
And then I couldn't figure out the subway, so, that was pretty comical.
Cool story, bro.
- Hey.
Yo.
- Yeah.
Yes.
I thought we had a good time.
I I really thought - Yeah.
Yeah, we had a good time.
- Yeah.
So, can I just come in and we can, like, talk or Yeah, I just I don't, I don't think that's a good idea.
You don't think that's a good idea or you know it's not a good idea? I don't know if I think it's a good idea.
- Okay.
- Okay.
All right.
This is for you.
It's French toast.
Okay, so he was a nice guy.
Like, [SIGHS.]
an actual nice guy.
So, why did I just act like such a dick? (NICK DRAKE'S PINK MOON PLAYING) I saw it written and I saw it say Maybe there's something I forgot to mention.
- Rob! Rob! - ROB: The other night before my, um, date with Clyde.
Mac.
- Um - [SONG CONTINUES OVER HEADPHONE.]
What are you doing here? I moved back a couple of weeks ago.
Like, um, like, like back-back? Yeah, uh I was I've been meaning to - you know.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
Mmm.
So, uh, you still in the neighborhood? Uh, yeah, yeah.
Got the shop, you know.
Well, we should talk.
Sometime.
I've been, uh - Ah! - Whoa! Whoa! Dude.
Man, what the hell! Fuck! - You okay.
- [ROB GRUNTS.]
- MAC: You okay? - Shit.
Yeah, I'm fine.
- You're bleeding.
- I'm fine.
- You sure? - Yeah, I'm good.
I'm fine.
Um, I'll It's good Uh, I'll see you around.
All right.
Bye, Rob.
[HORN HONKING.]
[PINK MOON RESUMES.]
I saw it written and I saw it say Pink moon is on its way [INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATIONS.]
Hey, Jeff.
Do you have anything for, um this? JEFF: Yeah, sure.
Hey, it's a pink moon Pink, pink, pink Thanks.
[SIGHS.]
[THUNDER RUMBLING.]
The ugly truth of the matter is this: if we suddenly heard that the world was going to end in 24 hours people I would call in the first hour would be the obvious: my parents, my brother, Simon, Cherise, I guess.
And I would be calling them all to apologize for the fact that I would be choosing to spend the next 23 hours with Mac.
Who's back.
It's messed up, I know.
[EXHALES.]
[RAIN FALLING.]
Thank you, Ann Peebles.
(ANN PEEBLES' I CAN' STAND THE RAIN PLAYING) I can't stand the rain Against my window Bringing back sweet memories Hey, windowpane Do you remember How sweet it used to be? When we was together Everything was so grand Now that we've parted There's just one sound That I just can't stand I can't stand the rain Against my window Bringing back sweet memories Hey, rain Get off my window