Aftertaste (2021) s01e02 Episode Script

1 Pull your fingers out of your fucking arses and get to work! VIV: Do you really want to take a running jump off the only bridge that you haven't burnt in this industry? - If I'm in the wrong place, I can - I'm Diana! Your niece, dude.
Yeah.
I wanted to spend time with family.
Spend it with fucking Dad.
Is nobody in this place just a little bit happy to see me? Happy to see the back of you.
Find a new narrative, or something, 'cause people are over the angry-white-guy schtick.
DIANA: We deserve so much more than just selling our desserts out of a gutter.
What you need is someone to partner up with.
- And that someone is you? - We open in a month.
(DIGITAL CAMERA CLICKS) Don't slouch.
I had scoliosis in year 8.
Don't shame me.
MAN: Uh, maybe try thumbs up.
So, have you settled on a headline? I was thinking, and I'm just riffing here, "A Legend Gives Back.
" How about, "Hot Buns, Hotter Arse"? - (CHUCKLES) - Okay.
I think we're good for this shot.
- I'll just check.
- Yeah.
We've gotta get these two out of here before Jim sees them.
A double homicide is bad PR.
Hmm.
I'm sure you'd find a way to spin it.
I should have waited till we could access the new space.
- What space? - I found a space.
Oh, cool.
Where is it? Well the partners are yet to make any formal decisions It's just down the road.
Uraidla.
We open in a month.
- You'll love it.
Trust me.
- Mmm.
Okay.
Well, look, the insert shot looks great.
We just need a portrait of Di for the main image and we're done.
Uh, okay.
When you say, "Main image," you Well, we need an image of Di that speaks to your quote where you call her, "Australia's most exciting new culinary voice.
" Yeah.
Okay.
Um I think you might find that I also mentioned that I'm a Michelin-starred chef, returning to his home town.
Oh, I don't think our readers are too concerned with stars, but they'll be dropped in there somewhere.
- You're this rag's food writer? - Food and fashion.
And you want to play down the return of one of the most renowned chefs this country's ever produced? Well, after what happened in Shanghai If you mention that in this article, - I will ram that camera so far up your - It's called Diana.
The restaurant is called Diana.
Easton named it.
Chef stepping out of the limelight, championing new female voices.
Yes.
Yes, this partnership with Diana is a way for me to - Fuck off! - I'm sorry? I'm so Don't write that! I'll be back in a second.
Put the gun away, you fuckin' lunatic! - All right.
Let's do this! - Cool.
- JIM: Don't you come near my gun! - Get get out of here! - I'll do whatever I please - Yeah.
Great.
Look, look, there's a rabbit over there.
Go.
Go! Rabbit! (LAUGHS) SONG: Hi! Hi! Yeah ♪ Hi, hi, yeah ♪ Hi! Hi! Yeah ♪ Hi, hi, yeah ♪ Ah, ah ♪ Hi, hi, hi, hi! ♪ Ah, ah ♪ Having a truly world-class chef in the neighbourhood would really help put Uraidla on the map.
We've already got people like Ben Zhao putting us on the map.
Yeah, well, I'm talking the world map, not the local street directory.
Now, our industry needs needs revitalising.
Imagine what someone like me could do with a space like this.
Yeah.
Well, I've outgrown this space, but I am looking for a long-term tenant.
- Well - What's your vision for this space? Diana? It says here you are quite the wunderkind.
Oh! (CHUCKLES) I don't know.
I don't refer to myself as a wunderkind.
I'm not that arrogant, that's more his style.
But, yeah, my vision I guess family, really, is the key.
Like, I use my grandma June's recipes as inspo, which are the same ones that Easton grew up with - Yeah.
Well, when I was a kid - so my vision really is, like, about, like, super-personal, super-now food-porn.
Think, like, pastry queen Christina Tosi banging barbecue king Francis Mallmann Yeah, oh, and obviously, this is all in the context of of a fine-dining establishment.
What I'm suggesting is us partnering up.
- (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) - Uh, you provide the space, we provide the talent and we can yeah, we can negotiate profit share.
You want free rent? Oh, no, what I want is an investor with the smarts and the brains to see what a no-brainer this is.
I mean Uh, I mean, Diana's gonna be the next big thing.
I'm working on the vines tomorrow and we stop for lunch at 1:00.
- Bring a dessert.
- Done.
And your business plan.
Thanks for your time, Ms Duplass.
It's Margot.
Why do I feel like I've just been to see the headmistress? Yeah, a headmistress you want to get spanked by, I bet, you naughty boy.
Don't fuck this up.
"Please, Miss, I've been a naughty boy! Spank me!" Will you just grow up? Margot is going to cream her jocks over this.
So, what are you going to call it? Grandma June's Moon Shines Over the Black Forest.
- Ooh, pretentious! - I know, right? Oh, wow! Oh, yeah, the 'Moon Shines' is Pop's actual moonshine.
Nasty on its own, magic in me pud.
Diana, if we don't get baking by tomorrow, we'll be selling bags of self-raising flour and instruction manuals.
It's just a quick lunch meet.
You keep going and when I get back, we'll just smash out the rest, yeah? (SIGHS) Fine.
But I'm supposed to meet Dad at 4:00, so I'll have to Crap! Does my breath smell of booze? You've had one spoonful, dude.
Diana, when were you planning on telling me about this? The internet? - - This.
Ooh.
What on earth are you thinking?! You told a newspaper before asking me! And with my brother! I don't really need to ask your permish, Mum.
You know, and Easton's a changed man.
He's turning over a new leaf.
"'I'm a changed man,' West says.
"'I'm turning over a new leaf, etcetera, etcetera.
'" (LAUGHS) Did he seriously say the word 'etcetera' out loud? See? This is why I didn't tell you.
Brett! I need that for today.
Diana, he is using you.
Nobody wanted my body-positive arse ballooning out of their morning paper before he came along, Mum.
As long as you are living in this house, you will not be associating with that man.
Is that a threat? - Yes.
- No.
No, it's just parenting.
I've gotta go.
Di, do you (SIGHS) Okay? Okay.
Here.
- Mum! Wait, I need the car! - Shit! Wait.
Wait! Oh, come on! Mum! This isn't fair! - Sorry.
(PANTS) - (CAR LOCK BEEPS) (BEEPING CONTINUES) Mum! I have a business meeting! - (ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO) - (SIGHS) Mum Mum! Brett! I Uh (GROANS) At least Easton can make his own pasta sauce, you freak! (MUSIC CONTINUES) Maybe we just get back to work, then? Please tell me you drove.
(PHONE RINGS) Oh, no.
I'm coming! I'm coming! (RINGING CONTINUES) EASTON: Glad to see you dressed up for it.
- Where's your car? - It's Mum's car.
And she's not happy about the article or us.
- She was born unhappy.
- She threatened to kick me out.
My first night in London, I slept under a bridge.
It's character-building.
That does explain your character.
Oh, don't touch that stuff! It's organised! Well, how, exactly? From pretty useless - to completely fuckin' useless? - What are you looking for? The keys to my ute, unless you're gonna dinky me on your handlebars.
Can't you just apologise? I'm sorry I had the keys the whole time! To Mum, you dingus! Otherwise she's not gonna let me do the restaurant with you.
Apologise to Denise? For what? For whatever it is you did to mess her up! I don't know.
It can be a fake apology.
You're good at those.
I'm not the one who owes her an apology.
He's the one who raised her on a burial ground.
He's the one who turned her into a nut job, not me.
Well, what do you mean, 'burial ground'? What do you mean, 'burial ground'? No.
No, he did not.
The final resting place of your Grandma June.
Romantic, huh? And after that, Jim checked out of fatherhood to drink and race greyhounds.
I cooked for Denise, I took her to school, so what part of that should I apologise for? Yeesh, Pops.
There's eccentric and then there's illegal.
You really want this restaurant? Of course.
Then be prepared to sacrifice anything to achieve that dream, friends, phones, parkour, whatever dumb-fuck shit you kids are obsessed with these days, it's gone.
That 'dumb-fuck shit' is my mum, dude.
What'd you make? Black Forest moonshine cake that'll kick you square in the nuts.
- But can we please just - That'll do.
Wait! Easton, I need to put deodorant on.
I smell like backyard grave! You're a mess! I'm better off on my own.
Just you stay here and try and grow a pair before I get back.
Easton! We're partners! (SLAMS CAR DOOR) I have a pair, you fuck-knuckle! They're just all up inside me! (STARTS ENGINE) Sorry, Gran.
Quite a spot.
Hello.
Where's your niece? Diana wanted to let her work speak for itself.
Right.
Come on, then.
It's lunch, folks! I foraged in these hills as a kid.
And hunted and fished.
Grew up on this stuff.
You can taste the earth in the food right here.
There's plenty of mushrooms around at the moment, actually.
There's pine, lawyer's wig magic.
I'd suggest we go get some, but, um your shoes seem so perfectly shiny.
Handmade Italian leather.
My one vice.
Wow.
(CLEARS THROAT) That's got some bite.
Our wines are 100% natural.
No pesticides, no preservatives, just the taste of the grape.
You're one of those.
What does that mean? Nothing.
Nothing.
So, what brings you home, Easton West, celebrity chef? I'm here to support my niece.
God, I hope your food's easier to swallow than your bullshit.
(PHONE RINGS) VOICEMAIL: It's Easton West.
You know what to do.
(GRUNTS IN FRUSTRATION) (FLY BUZZES) - Homemade pasta sauce? - Yeah.
Um, you know if you just pierce the tomato and drop it in boiling water, the skin comes right off? Oh, no, no.
I'm doing it this the proper way, Nayani.
That sounds like cheating.
It's not, though.
(SIGHS) Only takes a minute.
Just don't tell anyone that I I took a short cut.
Your secret's safe with me.
Uh, what kind of pasta were you gonna make? Napolitana.
No, I mean, like, what kind of pasta, fettuccine, penne ? I haven't decided yet, so (PHONE BUZZES, BLEEPS) Guess she's not coming back after all.
Oh, she has my bike! Well, I can give you a lift.
I'm going to the shops anyway.
I need to get yeast.
For the pasta? Oh.
Mmm! She's good, right? Why isn't she here again? I just thought we should talk.
Just the grown-ups.
Diana's talented.
Well, she's a West.
But she's got a lot to learn about what it takes, the sacrifice, the commitment, the ethics of the business (LAUGHS) Are you gonna teach her about ethics? I'm a man of many talents.
So this is where all the magic happens, eh? Yep.
All my sins happen right here.
Look, I know people think I'm a loose cannon, or whatever.
But you know what I can do in the kitchen and you've tasted Diana's talent, so, you know, we could Take your pants off.
Don't be scared.
I'll show you mine.
(GROANS) Unless you're too shy.
No.
No, I'm good.
(GLASS CLINKS) What the shitting shit happened here? Pop, are you okay? What have you done?! Oh, come on, you old bastard.
It was just junk.
We are having a family roast! I figure, you know, if Easton's gonna leave me here, I'm gonna get this family talking to each other again.
So! We can cook Grandma June's recipes and You'll not touch another damn thing in this house! This is my fucking house and I like it exactly the way it presently fucking is! Pop, I'm sorry.
I didn't realise.
(PHONE BUZZES) - - (SIGHS) A bunch of psychos, all of you.
And don't touch my fucking pigeons! (DOOR SLAMS WITHIN) So did we just seal the deal? Wow.
You're a real poet, aren't you? Hit the spot.
Not sure it sealed the deal.
What? Well, what did we just do, then? I mean, I know what it was.
Done it before, but (LAUGHS INCREDULOUSLY) Where are you going? Just wait! We need to talk about the space! Look, you've tried Diana's cake.
People are lapping up the story.
- I came all the way out here - Alone.
That cake can't speak for Diana.
Neither can you.
Well, she's 19 years old! What are you going to talk about? Selfies and neon hair extensions? Do you have any capital? Any cash reserves? Where's the business plan I asked for? I am the business plan! I'm Easton-fucking-West! And what's Easton West gonna do in a month's time when he can't pay his vendors and this all falls apart? You know old white guys don't get too many second chances these days.
I'm sorry, Easton.
I can't help you.
No pay, no play.
Starfucker, just like the rest of them.
What? You think you're the only woman who wants to fuck a famous chef? It's a cliché to fuck me! It's a good cliché, 'cause it means I get fucked a lot! (LAUGHS) Tell Diana I loved her cake.
(CHUCKLES) Oh, good.
You're still here.
- Oh! - Ow! Watch it.
You cleaned up.
Sort of.
Haven't seen the place this clean since I thought it might be nice to have a family roast, you know, clear the air.
But seeing as every one of you is an emotional dumpster fire, we can't actually do that.
Well, you'll be pleased to know you didn't miss out on much.
That woman is not someone we'll be doing business with.
- I knew you'd fuck it up.
- I didn't fuck it up! She's a whack job! She makes natural wine, it tastes like tinea and sheep's piss.
This was never gonna work, was it? Diana? (EXHALES EXASPERATEDLY) Fuck! (CHUCKLES) Ooh! Ah, bellissimo, Brett Fraser.
Bellissimo.
Hey, baby.
Look at that.
Very good, Brett.
Very Italian.
Very (SIGHS) authentic.
I can give you a few lessons if you're lucky.
Everyone can make pasta! Children can make pasta! Six-year-olds can make pasta! There's probably a a labrador on YouTube hand-making gnocchi! - - (PHONE BUZZES, BLEEPS) Oh.
Oh, Diana doesn't care if you can make pasta or not.
Can you just Yes? Sorry.
Yes? It's me.
What do you want? You have to come over for dinner.
I'm sorry, okay, for just turning up the other night.
Brett and I are making fettuccine Napolitana.
Sorry.
Oh, come on, Denise! You probably don't even know how to skin a tomato.
Pierce the skin and drop it in boiling water.
Goodbye.
If you don't go, you're gonna lead her right to him.
Just sayin'.
(UPBEAT DRUM RHYTHM) BRETT: Yeah, real nice up here, Jim.
I see you let them clean the kitchen, Dad.
Didn't have any bloody choice, did I? Just like Mum used to have it, hey, sis? Ahh.
Ooh, something smells nice.
Madam? BRETT: Ooh, yes, please.
Has he been cooking like this every day for you, Dad? The least he can do for a free room.
- It's my room.
- It was our room.
Why can't he live with you lot? He's not my responsibility.
- He's your stinking brother.
- He's your stinking son! Ahem! Hi.
So, we have Easton's re-creation of Grandma June's coq au vin, with a pigeon twist, thanks, Pop, paired with a pear vinaigrette salad and I have a very special dessert for you West kids, comin' right up.
Well, don't just sit there like a bunch of frigid bitches, chow down, fam.
(BRETT CHUCKLES) Ooh, that's good.
Yes.
Grandma June's lemon tart with a Diana West bourbon anglaise to kick you up your cooch.
(CHUCKLES) Ooh! I want a kick up the cooch.
It's delicious, Diana.
Mmm.
So, I know Easton coming home has been a surprise for us all, um and I should have told you before we did that article.
Sorry.
But like it or not, we're stuck with each other until we're dead, so we'd better just deal with it.
I'm pretty sure that Easton is stuck here because he got extradited by the Chinese government.
Just trying to help your daughter.
Help, exploit, etc.
, etc.
And I know Grandma June's death still hurts for all of you.
I mean, Pop still sleeps with her buried outside his window, which is a bit hectic, no judgement.
So, what if this restaurant was a way to honour her memory? To celebrate her.
Easton and I were thinking, if Pop will have us, that we could have the restaurant here.
In this house.
It would be the ultimate family story and a story that we're all a part of and we could call it June.
- So, you're gonna steal my daughter - Over my dead body! - and you're gonna make a buck - I'm not having - some fancy pansy set-up in my house.
- out of our family's tragic past.
- Wow.
You really are a piece of work! - No fucking way! - Jesus! I'm not stealing anyone! - Find your own house! - Leave me out of it! - I'm loving June's tart.
Don't blame Easton, Mum.
These are my ideas.
That's what those Manson girls thought before they murdered those people.
All right.
Now I'm Charles Manson! I can think for myself.
I am an adult.
No, you are a naive, ridiculous, deluded child.
Diana.
As long as you are living under my roof You know what? Keep your roof.
Okay? 'Cause this deluded child is just gonna live here.
With her business partner.
- You can't trust him.
- What is your problem?! He told me everything! What happened after Grandma died.
He told me that he took care of you and he fed you And then he left! I thought the food tonight was excellent.
You are not using this house and calling it 'June'.
Do you know how insulting, how ridiculous that is? She was my mum too! You don't get to own being sad just because you stayed here and got pickled in despair like a an emotionally stunted cornichon! Oh! Poor woman's probably rolling in her grave out there, listening to all this.
Oh.
You really still think that she's buried out in the backyard, don't you? Well this is awkward.
(LAUGHS) What's she talking about? Where's she going? (LOUD CLATTERING) Your little family story is a lie, just like everything else about you, Easton West.
God, that name! Did it take you all of four minutes to come up with that? Brett, we're going! - BRETT: Yep.
- And once you're done, just keep on digging and take yourself back to China.
(SLAMS DOOR) (SIGHS) (SIGHS HEAVILY) (CRUNCH!) Oh, I'm sorry.
Sorry, Mum.
Sorry, Mum.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Daaaaad! Now that you can pay with more than your rugged charm and your moderately impressive penis - JIM: Hey! - I'm taking the shed.
Put the ladder back! You are just like your father and brother.
I am not like them! EASTON: You're a lying old bastard! I didn't kill her! (YELLS) That's right.
You can't cook, you cockwomble.