Fortunate Son (2020) s01e02 Episode Script

1 (NARRATOR): Previously on Fortunate Son.
These are the three Marines you killed last night.
You will not even think about saying no to me.
- Yes, sir.
- Travis Hunter.
He's going to be at the Lock and Bar - in Blaine at 8:00 tonight.
- Ready to do this? What kind of committee work was Mom doing? We've got a problem.
- What happens now? - Let the committee help you.
- My name's Destiny.
- Destiny.
(CROWD CHANTING): Hey, hey! L.
B.
J.
! (YELLING) - You started a fire! - Stop! ("THE TIME OF THE SEASON" BY THE ZOMBIES) - (HELICOPTER WHIRRING) - Hey, the man is over there.
It's the time of the season - When love runs high - (MAN): Does it hurt? - Take a seat right here.
- You came in from Cam Ranh? - Yeah.
- When did you sleep last? I don't know.
Two days, three days? No one in your unit would give you new clothes? They're gone.
My unit, they're all gone.
Sir.
Have you ever had chlorpromazine before? We'll get you calmed down first, then we'll figure out how to get you back on your feet.
Come on.
Did you talk to Verne Lang? I don't know who that is, son.
He's, uh I don't know for sure.
CIA, maybe? He's supposed to tell me what's going to happen next.
Have you met anyone in this army who could tell you what was gonna happen next? (ECHOING JUKEBOX MUSIC) Hot as hell in this country.
Oh, I see you finally found yourself a beer.
It's a step in the right direction.
Thought you were sending me home? No, you're all messed up.
You need to take some time, get yourself together.
I don't understand what's happening.
The doc said he'd never heard of you.
You got a girl at home, Travis? No, sir.
You know, I did for a while but no, not anymore.
(VIETNAMESE POP MUSIC) (PSYCHEDELIC ROCK MUSIC) (INDISTINCT YELLING) (MUSIC INTENSIFIES) (MUSIC CUTS OUT) (WHIMPERING) - Hey.
- My dad's gonna kill me.
Your dad should be proud of you.
It was a peace march.
It's your democratic right.
Ruby Howard? Come with me.
Miss Howard.
Ross McLeod and William Sullivan.
Please have a seat.
I'd rather stand.
Okay.
Well, good news.
You're being released.
I should never have been arrested to begin with.
We have a right to peacefully protest an unjust war.
Absolutely, except for the fighting thing.
- Your guy started it.
- Well You know what? He kind of did.
But then there's the whole setting fire to the President of the United States thing.
That's not the president.
It's an effigy.
It's a symbol of the oppressive power of the military-industrial complex.
That's what we burn.
Miss Howard, you do realize that the Vietnam War is not really a Canadian thing, right? It's between the Americans and the North Vietnamese.
It's not really our deal up here.
- It's everyone's deal.
- Yeah, okay.
Listen.
Since we have you here, we thought you might want to tell us about what happened at the border the other night.
You went down to Blaine for some toilet paper, there was an incident.
Some border agents got assaulted.
- Was it me? - Hmm, I don't know.
The description fits someone who looks quite a bit like you.
A lot of people look like me.
No, I wouldn't say that.
Would you say that? - No, definitely not.
- Well, you're mistaken.
Okay, how about this? How about we get those two border agents to come down here and identify you and see if they are also mistaken? - That is a swell idea.
- Go ahead.
Look, Mrs.
Howard.
We're really more interested in the guy who did all the You know.
Y'know, maybe he was high on drugs.
You know, some hitchhiker you picked up, he did something unexpected at the border? No blame on the driver in that case.
Really.
If you have a case, I think you should go ahead and charge me.
Okay.
You're free to go.
Oh, I'm not going anywhere until you release everyone who was arrested at that demonstration today.
- Oh, for God's sake.
- So, she refuses to go until everybody else has been released.
We're the police, dammit! It's our jail.
We decide who stays and who goes.
And I thought I told you to stay away from Ruby Howard? Yeah.
When you told us to drop it, we understood that to mean the border thing.
She got picked up at the peace rally.
For fighting with police officers.
Right.
A completely different circumstance.
Get her out of here.
- Is that clear? - Absolutely.
Fine.
The thing is, if we get physical and she resists, then we'd have to charge her with I don't know, - what would we charge her with? - Resisting release? Look, I want her out of here, please! So just do it! This is a violation of my rights.
Hey, hey! All of those demonstrators must be released immediately.
Have a nice day, Mrs.
Howard.
(PHONE RINGING) You need to sign.
I'm not signing anything.
Does that hurt? (SOFTLY): Yes.
They were going after Ralph.
I had to step in.
He would have fought with them.
And you didn't? Ted.
They questioned me about the border.
- I think they know it was me.
- And they let you go anyway? Yeah, it was It was weird.
They just sort of backed off, but they were very interested in Travis.
Do they know who he is? I don't think so, as far as I can tell.
- They think it was about drugs.
- That's good.
- We have to try to get those kids out.
- No, no, no.
Not tonight, okay? - (HONKING) - (EXCITED YELLING) Woo! That was so crazy! Yes! I mean, my mom is in jail! That was awesome! I love your mom.
Don't worry.
- We're going to get her out.
- Really, how? I met this guy, this amazing guy.
- Oh, okay.
- No, not like that.
I mean, not that it matters, right? Monogamy is so bourgeois.
But not like that.
He gave me something amazing.
I have a surprise for you.
What is it? (GIGGLING) Chimes of freedom, baby! You'll see.
Come on, let's go! Okay.
(MECHANICAL WHIRRING) Hey, hey, warrior mom returns! All hail! - Hey.
- Hey! - What is this? Come on, Mom.
- That's what happens when you fight with the police.
It's nothing.
Where's Ralph? Oh, he went to go find Destiny.
You let him go? I said everyone stays home.
What do you want me to do, tie him up? Look, I'm glad you're home but I have work tomorrow.
So, Dennis is driving back from Pemberton tomorrow and he has agreed to be the group's defence attorney.
- (TOGETHER): Nice.
- You know, we have to keep pressure on the police until they release the rest.
Yes.
Phone train is in motion, and I got a crowd of people showing up at the police station tomorrow.
Terrific, that's good to hear.
Everyone, please, enough for one day.
- See you guys tomorrow.
- Yeah, you bet.
- Have a good night, Ruby.
- Ted.
'Night, guys.
Ted, I need to go to the cabin and make sure Travis is okay.
Yeah, I'll go with you.
- (KNOCKING) - (RUBY): Travis? (TED): Hello? Oh, dammit.
He's probably out getting high somewhere.
His stuff is still here.
What are you doing? Ted, you can't just rifle through his things.
Actually, yeah, I can.
We don't know anything about this guy.
I just want to make sure he doesn't have a gun - or something.
- What's that? It's a Bronze Star.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING) Ralph.
- What are you doing? - Come on.
(FENCE RATTLING) - Where are you taking me? - Come on! - You'll see.
- Sorry.
- (SOFTLY): Come on, come on! - Yeah.
What is this place? Huh? - It's locked.
- That's what the key's for.
- Okay.
- (GIGGLING) - You ready? - Yeah.
- Oh, my God - I know, right? (OMINOUS MUSIC) - Holy shit.
- Don't drop that.
(OMINOUS MUSIC BUILDING) Move, jerk face.
- Hey.
- Barbie robot.
Hey! I thought we agreed not to set Lyndon Johnson on fire.
It's an effigy.
You kind of have to set it on fire.
Anyway, where were you last night? Uh I was with Destiny.
It's not like I was in jail or anything.
I wanna see some real progress on your correspondence courses today.
- Seriously? - Seriously.
- That's how you want me to spend my time? - Mm-hmm.
The pigs are holding dozens of innocent protestors - in jail right now.
- Eight.
Eight, whatever.
How can you treat this like it's a normal day? A demo is being organized at the police station.
People will be there to represent our side.
But not you.
Not this time.
Well, don't start in on me next.
This is how I'm expected to dress at the bank.
Ellen Ellen! Honey It's not the clothes, I just I feel like we're not on the same team anymore.
Like you just watch what goes on here - like it doesn't concern you.
- And that's a surprise to you? Yes.
I didn't wanna come to Canada in the first place.
Well, you've made that pretty clear.
- But I guess what I'm saying - I don't wanna spend every Saturday with a picked sign in my hand.
I know that that feels like the good old days to you, but not to me.
You used to join in like it wasn't a chore to you.
I don't wanna live like this anymore.
I don't wanna worry about who's getting arrested or how to end the war or how to vote out a corrupt administration.
This is the stuff - that really matters, Ellen.
- No, it's not! What really matters is passing my courses.
And getting a decent job.
And somehow getting a real life.
This is real life! I don't know why you can't see that.
(ELLEN GRUNTS) (SIGH) (RECEDING FOOTSTEPS) (SEAGULL CALLING) (WATER RUSHING) (LOW, FAST-PACED MUSIC) (LOW, FAST-PACED MUSIC) What are you doing out here, Travis? You gotta go back to that house.
Are you listening to me? You gotta let Ruby help you.
You're all messed up, Travis, and she's gonna want to fix you.
(MUMBLING) What do you want from her? Her committee is bringing draft dodgers and deserters like you across the border.
They are hiding enemies of the United States.
Ruby Howard was an agitator in Princeton.
And she is deep in the thick of it here.
I want you to get contact names for everybody on both sides of the borders.
Who's coming across, who's helping them and where the safe houses are.
And Ruby'll have an address book too.
And I want all those names and numbers.
- You understand? - Names and numbers.
Names and numbers.
Come on.
Come on, buddy.
You gotta get to know everyone in her family.
Alright? Earn their trust, and then they'll talk.
It's time to give up the drugs, Travis.
You got work to do.
What do you want? We're gonna get the others out of jail.
Mom doesn't know about it, but we have a plan.
That's fantastic, Ralph.
You know, the best part about having a secret plan is you don't tell your sister, 'cause she really doesn't give a rat's ass.
Man, what the hell happened to you? Ellen, you used to care about the real stuff, not just how you look - and the money.
- I grew up.
No.
You sold out.
Oh, yeah.
That's what happened, I sold out.
Only I didn't get a very good price, did I? Mom's disappointed in you.
There's a war going on right now, and you just checked out on us.
Ellen, we used to have family solidarity.
Remember? You think I ruined family solidarity? You ever ask yourself why we moved to Canada? Dad's job.
Dad had a job.
A good job.
What do you think Mom was doing on all those out of town trips? I don't know.
And neither do you.
You're so full of shit.
You are.
(DISTANT MACHINE GUN FIRE) (HELICOPTER WHIRRING) (HONK) - (WOMAN): Are you lost? - (ENGINE STOPS) You could get killed walking in the middle of the road, - you know.
- Sorry.
You must be the guy from the cabin.
It's okay, I know who you are.
I'm Ruby's daughter, Ellen.
Travis.
You shouldn't be out wandering around.
The cops could pick you up and that'd be bad for everybody.
So, were you in school before you went to Vietanm? Stanford.
Junior year, electrical engineering.
So what, you couldn't get a student exemption? I didn't try.
I volunteered.
Why? My father's a veteran.
Korea.
Felt like it was my duty.
Wow.
Well, if you're such a patriot, what're you doing here? Sorry.
That was rude.
I was in Vietnam for 18 months and I watched my best friend die in front of me.
I stopped believing there was a good reason to be over there.
You asked why I was here For all the trouble I'm causing your family, you deserve an answer.
Get in.
I'll drive you back.
(ENGINE STARTS) (KNOCKING) Wow, it's so cool to meet you, man.
Come in.
I really, really admire what you did at the border.
- (DOOR SHUTS) - You know, you totally took control when the pigs tried to strong-arm Ralph, will you give us a few minutes, please? - Yeah, sure.
Alright.
- Thanks.
Nice to meet you, man.
You disappeared last night.
Were you out looking for drugs? Yeah.
I'm not gonna lie to you.
I went to get high.
You made a commitment to me to get off the drugs.
I know and I'm sorry.
I was arrested at the peace march yesterday, and they questioned me about the border incident.
They let me go, but they are definitely still looking for you, so it is not safe for you to be here anymore.
And with the drugs, I just can't have it.
I understand.
I messed up, it's my fault.
It turns out this wasn't as easy as I thought.
Well, I won't abandon you.
The committee will take over from here.
You can stay at the church.
I should get my things out of the cabin.
I'll go with you.
Do you want me to wait 'til it's dark before I go to the church? I should call Sandro and give him some warning.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) You know, maybe you should just stay here tonight, until the committee can decide what to do with you.
Yeah, whatever you want.
- I think it's best.
- Okay.
Do you have enough food? I'm not real hungry.
You should try to eat.
Look, I didn't mean to put your family at risk.
You know, I never wanted that.
Love is But a song to sing Fear's the way we die So, the guy said it won't go off unless you wire it up.
Yeah, but how does he know? You don't even know his name.
Well, he works for the demolition company, - that's how he had the key.
- Right.
He knows all about Che Guevara and the people's movement.
I mean, Ralph, this is how it started in Cuba.
You know, acts of defiance, blows against the system - that build momentum.
- Yeah yeah.
It's so inspiring to hear him talk about it.
It's And you may not know why So what are we gonna do with it, huh? We're gonna free the people.
Smile on your brother Everybody get together try to love one another Right now What's that? This is purple dome.
Oh Come on, Ralphie.
Let's take a little trip.
Smile on your brother everybody get together Try to love one another right now 5, 10 and 3 is 15.
Have a nice day.
My feet are killing me.
I know, mine too.
Oh, she's coming.
Thank you and have a great day.
I find a slight head tilt when you say it makes it that much warmer, especially for the male customers.
Yes, okay.
Uh, Mrs.
Montgomery, I was wondering, um would it be possible to sit in on one of the investment review meetings with the assistant managers? Just to listen at the back of the room kind of thing.
Well, aren't you the go-getter.
Say, I was wondering, that woman who was arrested at the riot, - not one of the kids - The peace march, you mean? Riot is what it was.
Anyway, her name was Howard, I think.
That's not, uh - No.
No, I don't know her.
- Well, that's good.
People are acting so crazily these days.
Good afternoon.
How can I help you? (HONK) (INDISTINCT CHATTER) Dear Lord.
What did we do to deserve hippies? - (HONK) - You know, we should be fighting this war right alongside the Americans, not protesting it.
It makes me sick.
Ooh, I see Mrs.
Howard is back.
She must really love this place.
Better keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't try to sneak back in.
Get out of here.
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES) There.
That's where the pigs come in and out.
I'm guessing the cells are here.
How much should we use? (DESTINY): Enough to blow a hole in the wall.
Like how much is that? I mean, we don't really know.
- Right? - Well, let's use it all.
There's no use doing it if we don't do something big.
Yes, I will call you when I know something.
Yeah.
Okay.
That was the border guys.
They wanna know why we haven't made an arrest.
(SIGH) Kelly's making us look bad.
We could try and force his hand.
We could try and ID the guy.
I mean, he's gotta be at the Howard house, right? Beats hanging around here.
- (DOOR CLOSES) - Come on.
- - Hey! - Hello?! - (GIGGLING) Don't do that here! - It's public property, pig.
- What did you say to me? Um, I said, uh, pig! Oink, oink! - Come on! - Oink, oink, piggy! Can you believe that? It's not public property! It's police property! Easy, big fella.
Blood pressure.
There's a park around the corner! Yeah.
Come on.
- (DOOR SLAMS SHUT) - You were young once too, right? - Uh, I wanted to - Dr.
Howard.
Dr.
Howard.
Give us a moment, Quinn.
- Page 12.
- Yes.
I'm sorry, I still don't have the proton stabilizer results yet.
I'm still struggling with contaminant issues.
As you are aware, we have made commitments.
I understand.
Still working on it.
By the way, I saw your wife on the news.
Our sponsors are very sensitive to controversy.
You are a very talented physicist, Dr.
Howard, but you are not irreplaceable.
Your wife needs to find a less public hobby.
Understood.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER) (HEAVY SIGH) (PSYCHEDELIC ROCK MUSIC) Imagine me and you I do I think about you day and night It's only right to think about the girl you love And hold her tight So happy together - (THUD) - (DESTINY GIGGLING) If I should call you up Invest a dime And you say you belong to me And ease my mind Give me that.
So, the guy said that you kinda just stick it in the end like this.
Hey don't freak me out like that.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERING) (MUFFLED SPEAKING) It's quite nice.
(GIGGLING) Just pop it in there and - Where did you get that stuff? - (LAUGHING) (RALPH): Travis! Come, come.
For all my life Me and you And you and me - What are you gonna do with it? - A jail with three walls - isn't a jail anymore.
- Sh, Ralph! Sh! The guy said not to say anything to anyone.
- Okay.
- (DESTINY LAUGHING) Look, you don't wanna mess with this stuff if you're tripping, seriously.
Maybe you could help us? Yeah, sure.
Yeah, I can take this to the cabin with me.
No, this is this is our blow to strike.
Okay.
Wait, wait.
You'll help us, right? Yeah.
Sure.
When you come down.
(INSECTS CHIRPING) - Hey, look.
- What? Oh.
- (CAMERA CLICKS AND WINDS) - (ROSS): Is that him? Well, it fits the description we got.
Kelly will have to give us a search warrant now.
They've got C-4 explosives and caps.
- They could do some real damage.
- Okay.
Well, what do you want me to do? - Help them.
- They wanna set it off at the police station.
Let 'em make a big noise.
The bigger, the better.
Why?! What good does it do? You don't ask me why questions, son.
You just help them make a big noise.
You got that? (TENSE MUSIC) (THUD) (MUFFLED JAZZ MUSIC) Hey.
(CHUCKLING) - Ever been here before? - No, no.
It's kind of, it's kind of hard to find.
(CHUCKLING): It's a little out of the way.
There's a room in the back, gentlemen's club.
But we could just have a drink here, if you'd like? Or You don't have to stay if you don't want.
Uh Well, maybe just a drink here.
- Sure.
- Okay.
- A drink here is perfect.
- Alright.
And don't worry, there's no floor show.
Okay.
(DOOR SLAMS) It's late.
Just had some drinks with colleagues.
Oh, by the way, Parker threatened to fire me today - unless you find a new hobby.
- Hobby? That's what he called it, yeah.
Parker doesn't get to tell me how to live my life.
(SCOFFING) I guess I don't need to remind you what it would mean for this family if I couldn't work anymore? Parker's a failed scientist, a jumped-up administrator, he shouldn't be telling anyone what to do.
It's called having a job.
You do remember that, right? I mean, we had careers other than smuggling deserters at one point.
I told Travis he had to leave, if that's what this is about No, no! What this is about is that I like my job, I'd like to keep it and I actually do important work at Browning.
I'm not just bringing home a paycheque! You know what? I'm sick of being undermined in my own house.
It's our house and the committee work is important too.
Yeah, yeah.
I know, I know.
It's just so hard to argue with peace.
How many did you have tonight? Not enough.
(CAR HONKING) (MAN): Just go! There's tons of room.
Hey.
Two pounds of pressure on the cap, and the whole thing goes up.
Hey, where are the other two? I thought there were six.
Yeah.
Yeah, we wanted to save some for later.
What are you going to do with them? I don't know, there's always another reason to blow something up, right? So, how do you set it off? Timer.
You got to walk it over, then keep going.
Don't run.
Just walk away.
You have 15 minutes to get clear.
- They're dropping the charges! - What? - Yeah.
- That's great.
Hey! Dennis said the police work was so bad, the prosecutor could not proceed.
(LAUGHING) So, are they out yet? No, they're being processed right now.
- Great.
- Um We thought it would be a good idea to make a statement to the media.
- Yeah.
- And they asked for you specifically.
No.
No way.
That's okay.
I'll do it.
- Is everything alright? - Yeah.
- Takes a toll sometimes.
- Hmm.
- Hey! - Hey! - Awesome.
- Yeah! Are you sure you want to do this? Yeah, absolutely.
You too? You in? Yeah.
Yeah, I'm in.
Here, give me the bag.
I'll do it.
No, wait.
They might recognize you from yesterday.
I'll do it.
We all go in different directions, alright? You ready? - Yeah.
- Go.
There's a man with a gun over there Telling me I've got to beware It's time we stop, children What's that sound Everybody look what's going down Stop, children, what's that sound Everybody look what's going down Stop, children, what's that sound Everybody look what's going down What's going down (INDISTINCT CHATTER) Destiny.
Hey, Destiny! Hi.
Is Ralph with you? I don't know.
Stay away from the back of the building, okay? Why? Just tell everyone to stay away.
(EERIE MUSIC) (PHONE RINGING) Detective Sullivan.
There's a bomb by the back door.
Brown leather bag.
It won't go off.
The caps aren't hooked up.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER) He's right, it's not connected.
We're all clear.
Shit.
That bag came from our house.
Oh, no.
Tell me it wasn't Ralph.
Non-violence, Miss Howard? We took you at your word.
This was not us.
We don't know who did this.
Well, my partner and I will find out who it is.
And if either of you are connected, I'll be very disappointed.
I'm going to kill him.
(PSYCHEDELIC POP MUSIC) (MEN LAUGHING) Hey, hey! Just give me a second.
Hey! Look, something went wrong, it didn't go off! I wired it just like you said.
I even got help - and everything! - Hey, hey, hey.
Be cool.
Well, do you want me to do it again? - I've got four left.
- Hey.
Meet me tonight at River Park, alright? - Yeah.
- Go.
I said no.
She wanted too much money for a quickie.
(MEN LAUGHING) How did you get those explosives? - Was it Travis? - No! - Destiny? - Oh my God.
It was Destiny, wasn't it? Ralph, do you have any idea what could have happened? Innocent people could have been killed! We were trying to do something meaningful.
- Meaningful? - Ralph, there is no meaning in violence.
It does nothing but create more violence.
I will not let you be that person! Why would you get to decide who I am? Hmm? The world needs revolution, Mom! Revolution that I want to do.
Like Che, like Mao! I need to do it! Like us.
Ralph.
You have no idea what you just did.
You have single-handedly discredited everything we have been working toward.
Did Travis help you? - Did Travis help you!? - Yes! You, out.
Come here.
Come here.
What are you doing? Let go.
Do you want to go to prison? Because maybe you should, then maybe you'd learn something about the worth of a human life.
Have you ever seen an explosion where people get hurt? Because it is not like cartoons, where people come stumbling out with their hair sticking out in funny directions.
I don't know, was that was that what you thought you were gonna see? No, of course not.
Because people come out in pieces! They have body parts missing.
A bomb is not a political statement.
A bomb that hurts people is an act of pure evil.
Who convinced you that this would be a good idea? Did you help my son with that bomb? Did you? Yeah.
So why didn't it go off? You're a Marine Corporal.
You know ordnance.
If you helped them set that bomb, it should have gone off.
So why didn't it? They didn't know what they were doing.
They were going to kill someone, maybe themselves.
This way they hand the C-4 back to the police, no one gets hurt.
My God.
What were they thinking? Well, they're kids.
They got high, they got excited.
And they wanted to do something to make a difference.
You know, the real question is, who told them how to get the C-4? You saved my son's life.
Thank you.
- (CHATTERING) - (ECHOING BOOM) (ENGINE IDLING) (PSYCHEDELIC ROCK MUSIC)