On the Verge (2021) s01e01 Episode Script

[gunshot]
- [gunshot]
- [man shouts]
[voices speaking quietly]
[gunshot]
Ow!
- [typing]
- [Justine] It occurred to her
that nothing she'd accepted
as a reality was real.
Nothing.
Maybe there was no house,
no husband, no child, no work.
None of it.
Just a giant hole in her heart.
Ah, no. No, no, no.
Giant hole in her chest.
Nah.
Giant hole in her eye.
A giant hole in her stomach.
A giant hole in her butt.
A giant butthole.
I'm sorry. You're 55 cents short.
It's my friend's birthday.
I'm just, you know
Take these. $9.99.
Really?
They look exactly the same.
Why are they so much cheaper?
Odorless.
Sorry, Mom.
[laughs]
- Anyways
- [phone dings]
once she saw her hole,
she knew she had to cover it
to make it seem like she didn't know
because she was scared
that if the hole got too big,
she'd fall into the nothing.
Into the giant
butthole.
[sighs]
Shit.
[typing]
[tapping]
[hand hits desk]
[classical piano music plays]
[music continues]
[in French] Martin,
I'm going to the birthday.
I have a complete block today anyway.
I don't know what's happening to me,
I can't do it.
[in French] Justine, you're not
Simone de Beauvoir. You do cooking.
Do your recipes
and everything will be fine.
I don't just cook,
I'm a chef, you know, but
They're asking me to do the impossible,
a kind of diary with recipes. I
How do you like my dress?
Uh Ah
The color?
[sighs]
I don't know, put your coat on.
You can take it off when you're seated.
Oh, yeah, yeah, good idea.
I was going to put it on anyway.
Well, everything's ready
for you for dinner tonight, so
By the way, your zombie cat
defecated in the bathtub again.
You know, Justine, I can't take it
anymore, he's getting too old.
We're going to have to make a decision.
I'll clean it up, don't worry.
We're out of Greek yogurt.
The fridge has been empty since yesterday.
Oh, I completely forgot to buy some.
- I'll buy some on my way back.
- Thanks, baby.
[sighs]
[sighs]
[in English] You have one kidney,
brain cancer.
Now it's in your spine.
I mean, how do you keep on living?
What is wrong with you?
[cat purrs]
Huh?
- [cat meows]
- I love you, too.
[women]
Happy birthday to you ♪
Happy birthday to you ♪
Happy birthday, dear Yasmin ♪
Happy birthday to you ♪
Whoo!
- Make a wish. Come on.
- Make a wish.
[cheering]
Here, give me that part.
Can I just say
now that I'm turning 39
Yeah, right.
- give or take a few years.
- A few years.
Seriously, I just wanna say
I am so grateful
for every one of you.
God knows
you can't choose your family,
but at least
you can choose your friends.
And we've been through so much.
But I know no matter what happens,
we've always had each other's backs,
and we always will.
- Aw!
- We love you.
- To Yasmin.
- To Yasmin.
Here's to the second half of your life.
May it be as glorious as the first.
[laughing]
- Isn't it more just one-third left?
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
- Unless she lives to be 100. Right?
First of all, if I live to be 90,
which is entirely possible nowadays,
it's, you know, mid-40's
more like half glass half full.
Girls, did anybody notice
Yasmin's beautiful dress?
Oh.
Yes. An exclusive Annetta Porte.
The Yasmin, the first piece
of my woman's collection.
It's stunning.
You know I love your clothes.
Thank you.
So this super fucked-up
thing happened
with Jerry and I last night.
Can we please not do super fucked up
on my birthday?
I'm sorry, Yasmin.
I shouldn't have said anything.
This is so good.
I mean, I work with Jerry.
I need to know what happened.
- Oh, my God.
- What happened?
Okay, fine. You know what?
I'm slightly intrigued now anyway.
- Go ahead.
- It's nothing big. Really. It's stupid.
It's just, uh,
Jerry and I had dinner last night,
and I hadn't seen him in months,
and then he drove me home,
back to my apartment.
- That's the fucked-up story?
- Yeah. It's nothing.
- That's it?
- Yeah.
Okay. [laughs]
- What happened?
- Well
I don't understand how I ended up
with three children,
with three different dads,
and two of them don't have
a pot to piss in.
- Right.
- And it's just
I don't even think Jason's ever
paid taxes in his whole life, Jerry.
Well, you were crazy about him,
you know.
You had to have him.
I know, but did I have
to procreate with him,
like a hen on steroids?
'Cause that's what I've been doing
my whole life. My whole life.
- It's either been about a man
- Yeah.
or trying to get a man
or trying to get away from the man.
And that's usually the guy
that I was trying to get with,
like, six months before, and I just
I wasted so much time, Jerry.
I wasted so much time,
and I want that time back, Jerry.
I want it back. I mean,
I could've learned Mandarin
or something.
[laughs]
No, I hear you, you know. I
It's just like
Remember when L.A. Weekly raved
about that little expresso bar
I decorated on Highland?
Well, yeah. I mean, but,
you know, you're not really
you're not really doing
the interior design thing anymore.
You're focusing on social work,
on giving back, right?
- No.
- Yeah.
I'm focusing on social work
because nobody wants
to hire me, Jerry.
Ell, I really wanted
to give you that job,
but the investors insisted
on hiring their own people.
I know.
It's just that I'm freaking out, Jerry.
My bank account looks like
a fucking piggy bank, okay?
I'm just I'm freaking out.
Do I look like a raccoon?
Yeah, kind of.
[laughs, sniffles]
Ell, you know, I get it.
I get it. I get it.
Here, let me let me get
Let me
Oh, Ell, wait.
- [pants unzip]
- No, no, no. [grunts]
Ell. Ell.
Okay. Okay.
- I'm sorry.
- No, it's great.
I just I don't know
what came over me.
- It's okay.
- [pants zip]
- It's good.
- I'm gonna go now.
No, wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait, wait.
Here. Here. You know, take it.
Take it for, you know, the
Thank you.
Sorry.
Okay.
Okay.
- Bye.
- Bye.
Here, I'll get it. I'll get it.
Right here. Okay.
[Ell sighs]
[engine starts]
♪♪♪
He paid you for a blow job
with a check?
- Eh
- Oh, my God, Ell.
I didn't know you were that poor.
Yeah, I'm really that poor.
- What?
- This is so wrong.
If old friends are turning their friends
into hookers,
I mean, we're doomed, right?
Say, maybe, you know,
he paid you with a check.
It's sort of old-fashioned.
It's kind of romantic.
- Romantic?
- It's not.
It's insane. It's sex for money.
This is completely illegal
in this country. Is it not?
Can we just table this for a second?
Just saying. Just for a second.
Just for a second.
- Happy birthday.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
- Happy birthday.
How many of these have you
Oh, do you want me to take that?
This is insane.
Ell, I'll lend you money.
- You don't have to do that.
- Seriously.
- What about Rebecca?
- She left him. It's done.
- Again?
- Yeah.
He hasn't told anyone, so don't
No. Okay. Okay.
But how could you do this to him?
You know he has an addiction, right?
Sex. Love.
- I know.
- Why would you do that to him?
I know. I'm not proud
Look, I was really depressed, okay?
And he was so heartbroken,
and then one thing led to the next.
- Yes. Because he was depressed?
- Yeah.
You blew him to make him feel better?
Did he go down on you
to make you feel better?
Oh, God, no. Gross.
And that's not gross?
I mean, come on, that's
What am I gonna do?
I work with him.
Just one thing.
It's a blank check.
How much, in your opinion,
do you think
is the proper amount?
♪♪♪
[kids shouting]
Shut the fuck up!
You're being annoying.
You're supposed to be
doing your homework!
I know you have
a list of assignments!
Shut the fuck up, Kai! Oh, my God!
Go back to your dad!
Do not say that to Kai!
That is Oh, wow. Wow.
That hurt so much.
You're so strong. Wow.
Get
So you keep the steamed vegetables
with the roast
and then you add
the mustard and the gros sel.
- Okay.
- All right?
- I'll place an order for the Guerande.
- Yes.
[phone playing tune]
Hey, Martin, how are you?
Well, no, I didn't pick him up,
you know, Fridays can be a little
It's very
No, no, I'll go get him, I'll go get him.
No, no,
I'll bring him to the restaurant, then.
You can come get him after dinner.
I'll feed him. Okay.
Yeah, yeah, no, no.
Thanks. Well, not really.
You started back
on Bill Clinton's campaign.
My God.
You must have been just a kid.
Literally. I was 18.
- [laughs]
- Politics has always been my calling.
My mom's practically
a Black Panther.
My father's Iranian, Muslim.
I have Latinx relatives.
Basically, if you've been banned
or persecuted in this country,
- you're probably related to me.
- Oh, God.
- Actually, yesterday was my birthday.
- No way.
- Yesterday was your birthday?
- Yeah.
- It was my birthday, too.
- What?
- That is so weird.
- Oh, my goodness.
It's you, me, Joan of Arc.
- Right.
- Different years, of course.
Right.
Well, happy birthday.
- Happy birthday to you.
- Thanks.
Actually, birthdays,
they're always a time
of real self-reflection, right?
And I realized I have
to get more involved, especially now.
That's why I'm so excited
about this position.
Well, Yasmin, the truth is,
if anything,
you're overqualified for this job.
[laughs]
I mean, it's fundraising.
No. Not at all.
First of all, the part-time thing
is perfect for my schedule.
And I took a few years off
to focus on my son.
And, you know,
he's in sixth grade now,
but I am so ready to jump back in.
Yasmin, can I be honest?
I also fear that you might find
your coworkers to be a little
juvenile.
♪♪♪
I see.
So, what was
your son's name again?
Uh, Orion.
Like the constellation.
I love that.
[exhales] Yeah. No.
Like the greatest hunter
in Greek mythology.
- [exhales]
- Are you okay?
[breathing heavily]
Yes. I just
I'm realizing I need
to get back to my son now.
Okay. Uh, what's going on?
Are you having a heart attack?
God, I'm 46, not 96.
I'm having a panic attack.
[breathing heavily] Hi, honey.
Hi. I missed you. Are you okay?
[kisses] Are you okay?
I'm fine.
Why shouldn't I be?
I just I had a bad feeling.
Ah.
- Why?
- I don't know. I just You know.
What are you working on?
Orion. Come on.
You're gonna be late for karate.
- Coming.
- Hi, Maria.
- Bye.
- Have fun, honey.
Okay.
I wish he was that excited
about schoolwork.
Hmm.
So, how was the interview?
[exhales]
[exhales]
First, can I just say thank you
for being the most amazing
husband and father.
You're the best.
You're the best.
And I
I didn't actually, um
I didn't end up going, so
Why?
You know, I
I felt overqualified actually.
That's okay,
because I want you to be happy.
- Mm-hmm.
- Right?
I want Orion to get to know
the wonderful, independent woman
I fell in love with.
Okay. Thank you for that.
Yeah.
Did you ever think, though,
what if this wonderful,
independent woman
you fell in love with
didn't want carrot?
Carrot.
Carrot cake? For her birthday.
Oh.
Oh. Uh, carrot.
I thought
I thought carrot was your favorite.
Am I Did I get that wrong?
I haven't touched gluten
in months, Will.
Not that you would notice,
you know.
I mean, you don't
you don't ask me anything.
You don't
You just assume, you know.
I mean, that's really That's what's
wrong with this relationship.
Uh, I wish that were the only thing.
What?
The only thing that's wrong? Will.
- No.
- Sorry. What are you saying?
Um, Yasmin,
you you come home
in a whirlwind of panic,
and it scares Orion sometimes.
Now you're telling me
I scare my own child,
which is, like, basically the worst thing
you could ever say to me.
Hey, hey, hey, all I'm saying
is that sometimes it's too hard.
Too hard to what?
Hard to love me?
Oh, my God, Will.
[door opens, closes]
♪♪♪
[in French] Repeat after me, Albert.
"The house is small."
[in French] "The house is snail."
[phone playing tune]
- Yes?
- [Martin] Are you with Albert right now?
Yes, I've just picked him up.
Take me off the speaker, please.
- So, they've celebrated
- Wait, wait.
- Yes?
- They've celebrated the New Year
in school and they gave them candy.
He can't have any at all.
But it's just a few. They're organic.
I don't give a damn
about their belated New Year's party.
Halloween, Valetine's Day, they always
have excuses to get them hooked on sugar.
Yeah, yeah, okay, okay. So Hello?
[line beeping]
[in English] Why is Daddy
always so angry at you?
He's not angry at me, sweetie.
He's angry at sugar.
Why?
Because sugar's
very bad for you, sweetie.
I mean,
you can end up with diabetes.
What does diabetes do to you?
It can make you very sick and have
Your toes can fall out.
Isn't that leprosy?
- Okay, just give me the candy.
- But, Mom
Albert, just give me the two bags.
Diabetes makes your toes fall off, too.
Fine. Fine.
Sir. Hi. Happy New Year.
They're organic.
The world is fucked.
Is the world really fucked, Mom?
No. I mean, it's I mean, yes, it is.
No, it's not. It's not. Not for us.
Why not for us?
Well, because we're the happy ones,
lucky ones
that live together as a family
and we eat healthy food
every day, you know.
The poor homeless,
they don't have a kitchen.
They can't cook.
Well, that's why we're
gonna distribute meals
at a homeless shelter next month.
The school says that we need
to be agents of change in the world.
Isn't that a bit dangerous
for a school trip?
I mean,
homeless people are crazy now.
I mean, they're angry, not crazy.
They're angry.
I mean, this one was angry and crazy.
Mom, please make sure you don't say that
in front of anyone at my school.
Okay.
Oh. Next week at school,
we're gonna practice for the drill,
so you know what to do in case
there's an earthquake,
fire, a human-made emergency.
What's that?
You know. Like [imitating gunshots]
Okay. Stop, stop, stop.
Get Just eat candy.
Just Just don't tell your dad.
Just eat the-the-the chocolate ones.
Thank you, Mom.
[exhales]
Mom, do you think
if John Lennon had not been shot,
the world would be a better place?
Oh, I don't know.
Maybe.
I think it would.
♪♪♪
My tags say,
"Made in L.A. fair and safe."
Okay, I cannot have children
making children's clothes.
Should I put, "Made for children
by children" on the label?
Catchy. But she's over 20.
Is she?
[in Mandarin]
[in Mandarin]
See?
- She's 28?
- Mm-hmm.
Well, I really can't
even tell if it's her.
I'm sure it's a bad picture.
It's fine. It's totally fine.
Totally fine.
- Okay.
- Okay.
[playing tune]
Hey, Yas.
Can I call you back?
- I think Will might be leaving me.
- What?
What am I supposed to do?
Rent an apartment?
Oh, no.
No one wants a terrorist
in their building.
- What?
- Everyone knows
all Muslims are terrorists.
Oh, honey.
I don't even have
any money of my own.
I just You know what?
I'm just
I'm gonna go walk to the ocean.
Just be at the beach, be in nature.
I don't know.
Something bigger than all of this shit.
I'll come I'll come
I'll come meet you, okay? Wait.
I can't live like this anymore.
Yasmin?
I can't live like this anymore.
What do you mean?
You have so much to live for.
It's too late.
Too late? You're 30 years old.
I'm 27.
Exactly.
No, but, I mean, I just
I feel like something really bad
is gonna happen.
Like, in the world.
Honey, you're beautiful.
You're smart.
You're fucked up.
You're gonna be fine.
I swear.
- You don't even know me.
- I know, but I like you already.
Guys. Guys.
- Guys!
- What?
I just made out with this guy,
and I think that he was toothless.
- [laughing]
- What?
[laughing]
He had no teeth.
- I just bit my tongue.
- Toothless.
It's so weird.
It's true. It's so weird.
I'm trying to save somebody here.
- Shh.
- What, babe?
Don't jump.
Don't jump.
- What?
- Don't jump.
Jump? I'm trying to light my cigarette.
I just
You guys What?
- Seriously, you guys.
- What?
- What?
- Seriously,
I think something really bad
is gonna happen in the world.
- But, no, I mean, like, worse than Y2K.
- No.
- Wow.
- Worse than if George W. Bush wins.
[laughing]
- Where are you getting this stuff?
- Seriously.
She's really cool.
I think we're gonna be
best friends. I do.
- What's your name again?
- You don't remember my name?
- Shaharzan. Shaharzan.
- No.
- No?
- It's Yasmin.
Come on.
Let's get a drink. Come on.
Let's go. Come on.
The 21st century warriors.
Let's go!
[dance music playing]
Yasmin?
- [line clicks, beeps]
- Yasmin?
- [dialing]
- [line ringing]
Hi. This is Yasmin.
Please leave a message.
[phone beeps]
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Gretchen, I really need you
to watch Sebastian, okay?
Yeah, I already did 35 hours
for this week, Anne. You know that.
Yasmin needs me.
How about I give you
an extra $40 this week, okay?
It's not just about the money, Anne.
It's about my quality of life.
Okay. 45.
I'll give you 75. Okay?
- Yeah.
- Okay. Thank you so much.
Appreciate it.
Okay. Bye, sweetie.
Bye, Mommy.
[upbeat music playing]
[Jerry] I didn't do anything.
I was just sitting there.
Yeah, and and
her head fell in your lap
and then it slipped in her mouth?
No. She deliberately gave me
a banana job.
Ha.
She was crying. She was lonely.
She was drunk.
Even better.
And then you paid her for it.
What?
I didn't pay her for a banana.
I gave her a check to help her out.
You know, Jerry, this is not
a good moment in time for this.
People go to jail now.
Justine.
This is a struggle for me
with my situation.
I cried afterwards.
This is This is a disease,
for Christ's sake.
I know, Jerry, but even a friend?
Especially friends. Yes.
Even a friend. It's that bad.
But I'm a friend.
Yeah, but you're, you know
uh, you have a beautiful family,
you know.
Okay, can we switch gears for a second?
Let's Let's, uh
Let's talk about the book.
How's that coming along?
It's, uh, going great.
So all they're looking for
is something French and charming
with a little bit of you thrown in.
And if you want, Evan can take over
the kitchen for a few days a week.
Oh, no, he can't do that.
Yes, he can.
Just until you finish the first draft.
No. The restaurant
will fall apart without me.
- No, it won't.
- Jerry, you
- No, it won't. No, it won't.
- Jerry
Ooh.
Are you okay?
Yeah. No.
Because my acid reflux is kicking in.
This conversation
made me very nervous.
- About the book?
- No, not about the book.
Aren't you supposed
to take only two?
My doctor says I'm good
for up to 30 a day.
Oh.
Justine, as my friend,
can can you, uh,
just keep your mouth shut about this?
Yes, I think it's best
we all keep our mouths shut
around you.
[laughs] That's funny.
Mm-hmm. Very.
[Jerry] Okay.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
The kittens. Don't touch.
- [phone playing tune]
- Don't ever do that again.
[Justine] Hey, what's going on?
Justine,
will you meet me at the beach?
Why?
Yasmin is going there,
and she just sounds worse than usual.
You know, like very, very stressed.
- Really?
- Oh, shit.
And now her phone's off.
But I'm at work.
Your restaurant is five minutes
from the beach. Come on.
Okay, but how am I gonna find her?
She'll probably be around the playground.
Just look for her.
Okay, I'll leave Albert at the restaurant
and meet you there.
Thank you.
[phone playing tune]
Hello.
- [Anne] Hey, Ell, it's me.
- Hi.
- Yasmin is having a crisis.
- What do you mean?
She turned off her phone.
Well, if she turned off her phone,
she probably
just wants to be alone.
She's going to the beach.
Okay, we need to find her.
- What?
- Justine's already on her way over there.
What do you mean,
Justine's on her way over there?
She needs us, Ell. Come on.
Okay, okay.
Sarah, sweetheart,
I need you to babysit your brothers.
I have an emergency.
- I don't need a babysitter.
- Me neither!
Yes, you do.
You better pay me well.
Really?
- [door closes]
- Yeah!
Don't do anything stupid.
I have no responsibility over you.
♪♪♪
[sighs]
Oh, God.
I've been looking everywhere for you.
- I'm sorry, honey.
- Why didn't you pick up your phone?
My battery died.
Thanks for coming to find me.
Of course.
Anne, I'm so confused lately.
I just
I feel like
I made this decision
to be with Will when I was 25,
and now it's colored
the entire rest of my life.
I mean, no pun intended.
But I live in a completely white world.
- No offense.
- It's okay.
But, you know, I'm Black.
I'm Persian.
I'm an out-of-work feminist
whose husband pays
for her laser hair removal.
Who the fuck am I? You know.
You are a Black, Persian feminist
who married a white guy
who's possibly on the spectrum,
and you are my best friend.
And you're mine.
But I gotta tell you,
sometimes I don't call you, Anne,
because you're high all the time.
Call me before noon.
Oh, my gosh. You're so
Wait. Are you high right now?
No. [laughs]
- Anne.
- The sun is going down.
Oh, my God.
She texted me
"south of the police station."
Well, this whole beach
is south of the police station.
Oh, man.
I'm kind of excited.
I feel like I'm a superhero
on a mission
to rescue someone. You know?
[laughs]
Can you imagine a movie,
a superhero movie,
with the protagonist
being this middle-aged woman?
She puts on At night,
she puts on, like, a Lycra costume.
Spanx. With Spanx.
And then she goes and rescues
another middle-aged woman
about to have a breakdown.
Oh, my God. That could be a hit.
[sighs] I have to go back in 20 minutes
at the restaurant.
I mean, if Martin finds out that
I left Albert there by himself, I'm
Why? He loves it there.
All the pretty waitresses
flirt with him.
Albert is like a fish in water
at the restaurant.
You know what? I spoke to Jerry,
and he told me that the check
and the blow job
are completely unrelated.
So why did you make this up?
I blew him because I'm lonely,
and he wrote me a check
because I'm broke.
So there you have it.
Well, yeah. Keep the "check for
the blow job," you know, story.
It's much less depressing.
- Yeah.
- Stick to that one.
- My life's depress
- Oh, it's them.
- Where?
- There!
- Yeah. It's them.
- What are they doing?
Are they hugging?
Are they making out? Ugh!
- I'm so glad you're recovered.
- Oh, my God! Hi!
I'm fine. I'm fine.
You know how you have
one of those days,
and it just feels like everything
is collapsing all around you?
And then all of a sudden,
it's just fine again.
Guys, do you love me?
What?
I mean, friends never ask friends,
"Do you love me?"
Okay, I just dropped my kids.
I left them home alone
to come and find you.
- I know.
- We would drop everything
to come and find you.
I think we might just have
to prove it to her, girls.
- Uh-huh.
- You ready?
- No.
- Yes.
- No.
- One, two, three!
[squealing]
- [Yasmin] Oh, my God!
- [kissing]
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
- You'll love me to death.
- I thought we were gonna kill you.
Did you like that?
No.
[birds squawking]
[Justine] Look at those birds
all lined up.
Every morning I hear them sing.
And really I believe that they believe
that their song is making the sun rise.
You know?
It's like everything and everyone
needs to find a purpose
to their existence.
Even if it's complete bullshit.
[laughs] Yeah.
I love that.
Yeah. That's really beautiful.
[Anne] This is one
of those perfect moments in life.
[Yasmine] Amazing.
[Ell] Yeah. Look at it.
[Justine] Gorgeous.
[Yasmin] Oh.
[all laughing]
[birds squawking]
[in French] How are you, kiddo?
Did you celebrate New Year's at school?
- [in French] Yes.
- Did you eat the candy they gave you?
No.
Mommy didn't give you any candy?
She didn't feed you candy?
Okay.
And how are you? Do you miss your mom?
She's been working a lot lately.
- No, I'm fine.
- You're okay?
Yes.
What is it? Satie?
[Justine, in English] So if the hole,
the nothing,
is actually everywhere,
how do you manage not to fall into it?
That said,
let's go back to our recipe.
Once the roast is cooked,
you can start on the mushroom gravy
by adding a touch of soda water
and Maizena.
Don't forget to scrape
the brown bits vigorously.
The darker the bits,
the more flavor it will give.
♪♪♪