Eric (2024) s01e04 Episode Script

Meet me in the morning ♪
56th and Wabasha ♪
Meet me in the morning ♪
56th and Wabasha ♪
Honey, we could be in Kansas ♪
By time the snow begins to thaw ♪
They say the darkest hour ♪
Is right before the dawn ♪
They say the darkest hour ♪
Is right before the dawn ♪
- But you wouldn't know it by me ♪
- Hi.
Every day's been darkness
Since you've been gone ♪
Why didn't you
wake me up, Lennie? I gotta get going.
Fuck. You're not going to work today, man.
Fuck you talking about?
The amount of time
constructing that frame is gonna take.
The head alone is gonna take,
what, ten hours?
Fuck. Jerry has
fired you.
He can't fire me.
- It's my fucking show.
- It's our show.
Yeah, sure, sure, sure, sure.
Yeah, but, you know, Bug, Mush, me. It's
It's a 60/40 split my way.
So you have no say.
The pitch went great. They love Eric.
They want Eric on the show. He's a hit.
Yeah. They love him.
They want Eric.
They don't want you anymore.
Huh. 'Cause you're a piece of shit
that can't even hold onto your kid.
I'm gonna talk to them and make sure
that you get a great severance package
and just keep all the health benefits
and the dental and everything.
Great. I chipped a fucking veneer.
Great. Use it. Go to therapy, man.
Screw that. Do me a favor.
Go to rehab, man.
Fuck you, you spineless
little piece of fucking treacherous shit.
I tried, okay? I'm sorry about Edgar,
but you keep destroying yourself.
You're sorry about Edgar,
but fuck decency? Loyalty?
Fuck friendship?
You fucking lowlife,
fake, bloodsucking parasite.
You call yourself an artist?
You hadn't even heard of Peckinpah
or Kubrick until you met me.
And that time we met Henson,
the great god that's Henson,
you were practically jerking off
with how much you suddenly found
a mutual appreciation of Burr Tillstrom.
But I was embarrassed for you.
He was embarrassed for you too.
'Cause we knew you are
a passionless, fake artist
that should have stayed behind
entertaining his grandma
with his little sock puppet
in that back and beyond
hell-yeah hicksville that spawned you.
I guess we can't all come
from money, eh, Vinny?
Well, at least
I don't have to pay to get laid.
Spoken to Cassie?
She's had about enough of you
as well, huh?
- Fuck you.
- He kind of has a point.
Fuck you too. You fucking time suck.
You can both fucking burn in hell.
- Hi.
- Hi.
We met at the police station.
- Thank you.
- Welcome.
Have a little one?
Marlon's sister, Anita.
- I have my grandbaby two days a week.
- Mm.
What are you doing here, Mrs. Anderson?
Well, I wanted to give you something.
I
Maybe you've seen her on television.
She's a lawyer. I
I have.
I thought you could call her.
Okay.
I, uh guess
I just needed someone to talk to.
Hmm.
Edgar's father and I had a a fight,
a loud, awful fight,
the night before Edgar disappeared.
And I'm just thinking
maybe he was running away from us.
I don't think
I was a very good mother all the time.
Did your son have food? A bed? Love?
Yes.
Then you try to keep your child
safe and warm
when you don't know when your home
is gonna be taken away from you.
You try to keep your child out of trouble
when you got boys, barely men,
dealing crack outside your front door.
You tell me how you keep your son safe,
and I'll tell you
if he had it good or not.
- Uh I don't know.
- If you want comfort, don't come to me.
No.
No, I don't.
I'm angry.
Anger? I know anger.
I'm holding on to mine so tight, it's, um
it's burnt a hole in my heart.
But it ain't that you feel it.
It's what you do with it.
You wanna do something with it?
Yes.
Then I'm listening.
Look, like Mayor Lindsay,
I'm gonna be part of the solution,
not the problem.
A raise in federal funding
that goes direct
into enhancing police-community relations
and lowering crime.
By taking people off the streets
and into housing
they can neither afford or apply for?
Closing shelters
in favor of gentrification?
And how do you plan to fund
your proposed cleanup of the city?
How about we stick to the agenda?
That's what we're doing in city hall.
Ah, come on!
We are relocating those without housing
and establishing shelters
in alternative locations.
There are concerns
that there is corruption in city hall,
in our police department,
in in public housing
All due respect, Mike,
if there was corruption,
it's been rooted out
a long time ago.
Or maybe
you just don't brag about it anymore.
Yo, Raya! I know you in here!
Yo, you seen Raya?
Raya, it's Tracks!
- You seen this bitch Raya?
- Get the fuck out of my place!
- She owe me money.
- Raya ain't here. Go look for her.
I am fucking looking for her.
I ain't going nowhere
till she fucking get here.
What the fuck you got going on in here?
- I just want my money.
- Get the fuck out of my house.
- I want my money.
- Get the fuck out of my
I ain't going no-fucking-where!
I'm Tracks, bro!
Give me my fucking money! Motherfucker!
Give me my money!
Motherfucker!
- You can't hide from Tracks, bitch!
- It's okay. It's okay.
It's fine. Go back to sleep.
I want my mom.
It's okay. He's gone now.
You often keep trash you find?
Not everyone would have kept
a bloodied T-shirt.
Boss don't like it,
but, uh, if it's good quality,
like an old TV or a good chair,
one of us might take it and use it.
You said you found it in the dumpster.
We have CCTV of you
clearly picking it up behind the dumpster,
looking at it,
and then you you pocket it.
I picked it up
'cause, uh, it had a cute picture on it,
but then I saw the blood,
and it got me thinking.
- Got you thinking what?
- I wanted to do something right, but
Right by who?
You sure
you didn't see the kid that day?
Hmm?
No?
And this kid?
Marlon Rochelle. You seen him?
Sorry, boss. I need the boy back.
You dropped something else by the dumpster
just before you picked up the T-shirt.
It's the laundry bundles.
They dump it for the guys
working through the night shift.
Clean overalls. Saves them
coming all the way back to the plant.
Mm. Your truck is shipping out.
Hey! What did you do?
Fuck a dog again?
Okay if I look around?
Okay, if you got a warrant.
Do I know you?
Yeah. Yeah, I do.
You kind of look like Eddie Murphy.
Taillight's busted.
Get it fixed.
I'm not hungry.
Got to eat, little man.
Get off me!
I'll kick your ass!
Whatcha doing down here, man?
I've seen you following me.
Did you follow me?
Through the grill.
Don't you know it's dangerous down here?
You walked into hell.
That's where you are, little man.
Hey! Get the fuck away from me!
Hey! Shut the fuck up!
It's all right.
Like to draw, huh?
Who's the scary guy?
Got some big teeth on him.
I'm gonna get you some real food.
Lock the door behind me. Hide real quiet.
Don't let in anyone but me,
you understand?
All right, I'll be back.
Do not go out there.
It's dangerous.
- Do you have a reservation?
- No.
I gotta find
something for her. I
- Vincent.
- Jerry.
Ah, fuck it!
I'll have the cheeseburger
followed by the lobster tail.
- You're gonna want to get us more wine.
- Yes, sir.
You remember Benji K and Artie.
This guy with a mouth like a cat's ass
and Herman Munster there? No, I don't.
How do they get a free pass, Jerry?
They giving you more pussy and tail
than Hefner does?
I hear he's a man who bears a grudge.
You might wanna keep that quiet.
If you'll excuse me, gentlemen.
Do.
Do excuse us, please, gentlemen.
You've spoken to Lennie?
Every day for the last 15 years
of my working life.
It's not personal.
It's nothing if not personal, Gerald.
This is why
this is not sustainable anymore.
"Fuck you, Vincent.
We'll take your ideas."
"While we do,
do you mind if we fuck you up the ass?"
- You're shouting, Vincent.
- You're goddamn right I am.
I should be fucking screaming!
Is it not enough
is it not enough that my son
is gone, and you wanna take away
the one remaining thing that's mine?
- Eric
- Is not for sale, Jerry.
A puppet is just a bag of glue and fur
until someone sticks their hand
up its ass.
- Vincent! Vincent!
- My hand!
Stop this right now.
Right on cue! Hey, Dad.
You're going to stand up
and walk out of here right now.
Put it down.
Who's the puppet now?
- Jerry.
- Robert.
Vincent.
I appreciate how difficult a time this is,
but I've been in close contact
with Commissioner Nelson,
and he reassures me
that the NYPD are doing all they can.
Call off the cavalry.
The great Robert Anderson
has looked through his Rolodex,
and all is good.
I've long tired of your acerbic wit
and your revised narrative
that your childhood was so difficult.
I You you really wanna do this now?
- You were always on your own.
- I was.
Do you ever ask yourself
the reason for that?
Uh, yeah.
Uh, long work trips. Low sperm count.
You know, the hallmarks
of a lonely, only child.
Emotional fragility of Anne Anderson,
my mother, your wife,
which, combined
with your aching lack of interest
in knowing either me or her,
is kind of, you know
Ah, I'm glad to see your sessions
with Dr. Mason weren't wasted.
Ah, yeah, no. Dear Dr. Mason.
No, he gave great prescriptions.
- The view from his office was spectacular.
- Stop it!
Your mother thinks
you would be best served back in rehab.
I I I don't have a problem.
- You smell of alcohol, Vincent.
- I've lost my son.
Mm. You've smelled of alcohol
for a long time.
I presume that's not
the only substance you're ingesting?
Well, you know, weed.
Vodka. A little bit of coke.
I heard it's great,
but I'm holding off on crack, so
If you go into rehab now,
your mother and I will support you.
If you don't
If I if I don't?
Why are you shaking?
'Cause you're scary.
Dad.
Oh, Mush, where you going?
No! Oh!
Oh, Bug, I'm really going up now.
Don't worry! It's great!
Can you see the Statue of Liberty?
Is she waving?
Say bonjour!
It's higher than I expected. Bug?
- Bug?
- I've got a plan.
I haven't watched it
in a long time.
What happened to Bug?
His hair used to be long, right?
Yeah, but all the kids
are wearing it shorter now, so
If you're looking for booze,
I threw away all the bottles.
You called the police on me?
You lied to me, Vincent.
What did you expect me to do?
Yeah, well, I don't know.
Support me. Back me up.
Do you seriously think
that I would fucking do that?
You think I would kill our son?
You know, Vincent, I don't know.
I don't know anymore.
I do. I sure as hell do.
If you're looking for your vodka,
you're not gonna find it.
I met a woman today
whose son has been gone since June.
- His name is Marlon Rochelle.
- What does that have to do with anything?
I realized how angry I am at you.
You're angry with me.
That's fucking beautiful.
I want you to move out.
I've packed you a bag.
There's there's pants, some shirts.
You need a new winter coat.
You've got gum in your ski jacket.
- Cassie.
- It's not that I don't love you anymore.
It's that I can't.
I'm just stripped inside. Empty.
I think I gotta just
I think I gotta just
- Look, he's coming back. Okay?
- Okay. Okay.
If he is, if he does,
then I've gotta be the best parent to him,
and I can't do that with you.
And neither can you, okay?
Because there is this thing between us.
I don't know when it happened,
but we have let go of each other,
and we let go of our son.
You're fucking someone else.
Yeah.
Who is it?
Who's the lucky guy
getting all the cream? Fuck!
- I met him at school.
- That fucking Spanish dude? That child?
He's Portuguese.
Oh, just great.
He's a wonderful man, actually.
He's sweet.
- He works at the Sunshine Truck. He's
- The best!
The Sunshine Truck? So I pay his salary.
No, I don't pay because it's a charity.
- He's doing it for nothing. A great guy.
- He is a great guy!
He spent all night in the streets with me,
handing out flyers.
Did he come here?
Has he been in this apartment?
Did he meet Edgar? Does he know Edgar?
Yes, he's met Edgar a couple of times.
And, yes, he was here
that morning after you left.
He came to make sure I was okay
because we'd had another one
of our fucked-up,
miserable nights together!
Maybe he took him.
What? He's stealing my fucking wife.
Maybe he's stealing my child too.
Vincent, give me a fucking break!
How many months No.
Fuck that. How many years
have I stood by and watched
while you fuck everything in sight?
Wake up. Okay? Wake up.
This is happening. This is real.
Look at you, huh?
Look at you! What are you doing?!
Our son is gone,
and all you're doing is getting wasted
and building fucking puppets.
Eric is gonna help me find Edgar.
Vincent, the police can't find Edgar.
The police can't find Edgar.
You're talking about a puppet!
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Talking about a fucking puppet.
Oh my God. That's who you're talking to.
- Yeah, well, you got a better idea?
- Oh my God.
The flyers aren't working, and fucking
some dude who's 20 years younger
Vincent, I'm pregnant.
What
And and and it's his, right?
Yes, it's his.
- I know, I didn't think
- Wow.
it would happen after Edgar.
We never
Well, hopefully, I won't be
the oldest mom on the playground.
- It's wild, huh?
- Yeah, yeah. Pretty pretty wild. Uh
No, you're you're you're a good mom.
You're you're a great mom.
Any kid should be so lucky to
Look, I'm gonna go out,
and I'm gonna find our kid,
and I'm
I'm gonna bring him back alive, so
Yeah.
You should go down
and see his drawings on George's wall.
They're so They're beautiful!
I don't know how we made
such a gorgeous child when you and I are
Ssh
Fuck you.
Crazy fuck!
On the blue moon, I saw you ♪
So soon you'll take me ♪
Up in your arms, too late to beg you ♪
Or cancel it, though I know it must be ♪
The killing time ♪
Unwillingly mine ♪
Hey, you got it?
- Don't take it all at once, okay?
- Thank you.
Raya, get over here.
You got my money yet?
Yeah. It's coming. It's coming.
You got till the end of the week,
so find a way to pay.
'Cause your ho days are over.
Don't worry, I'm working on it.
Yeah, I heard you like 'em young?
What?
Now I got you interested.
What do you got for me, Raya?
You'll see.
You gotta stop taking
double portions, all right?
I'm just hungry, man.
Driving your bargains again, Raya? Hmm?
Deal with the devil.
Devil always wants paying back.
What do you care, you fucking wino?
Look at yourself.
Every day. That's why I know.
Only thing you'll find at the bottom
is yourself.
Commissioner Nelson,
I'll see what I can do.
Bye.
What the fuck?
Fucking Costello takes a grilling
on TV this morning,
and somehow, the NYPD
are pulled into city hall shit.
I got Nelson drilling down hard.
And now Renata's joining in
on the fucking action.
Spouting off to the press.
You talk to the garbage guy?
Yeah.
He said he could've got confused.
You know, I don't know, there's something.
Just a a feeling he was being squeezed.
- He might break if I bring him in.
- I can't do much with a feeling.
You still trawling through that list?
- We pulled in a couple of guys.
- Yeah, what?
You got a retired senator,
a handful of deadbeat salesmen
from Wyoming,
and a C-list actor
whose career was already on the wane?
And I said this before. I'll say it again.
You are wasting time and resources
putting Marlon Rochelle on that board.
- It's my case, Cripp.
- Yes, it is.
But you start trawling
back through the past,
pulling up long-past raids.
Look, I admire your diligence. I do.
But we did our job
closing down the Sierra nightclub.
But I defer to you
'cause I'm just captain of the ship.
And Missing Persons
is all my problem, huh?
Yes, it is.
Tina, you keep him up late last night?
Something's got his blood up.
Mm, not too late.
Missing Persons. It
Renata on the line.
For fuck's sake.
Do what you like, Ledroit,
but time is ticking.
Renata. Twice in two days.
Okay. Thank you.
Fucking bitch.
She's had a call
from Marlon Rochelle's mother.
I spoke to Dana.
10:00 tonight. Right after her shift.
You can ride the subway with her.
Thank you, Tina. I appreciate that.
I got a cousin who's queer.
Sierra files on your desk, Mikey.
Someone sent 'em back to Archive,
but I pulled them again for you.
"Promoting prostitution."
This is gonna be a long night.
Press is whipping up a storm.
Just a reaction
to a negative interview.
You have to show
you are giving as well as taking.
- Counteract the shit they print.
- I know.
I know you're right,
and that's why,
with your much-appreciated support,
city hall has made a large donation
to the Good Day Sunshine Charity.
I'm speaking at their event next week
and hoping to build a little more support.
We need to be seen
as working on behalf of the whole city.
Working for the benefit
of all New Yorkers, of course.
The Hudson Sanitation Company
will orchestrate the cleanup program,
but Richie's concerned.
It's a handful of journalists
throwing their toys out of the crib.
I know.
You gotta take the heat out of this.
Align the aspirations of the few
with the aspirations of the many.
Decent people
don't feel safe on our streets.
That's what I'm talking about,
Richie. Show me one New Yorker
who's not gonna thank you
for moving crackheads off their stoop.
We move in
and flush these hobos out
and bring the neighborhood up again.
We need to move quick.
What are you waiting around for?
My men are ready.
Let's do it tomorrow night.
You don't got any problem
with that, do you?
Plus, when those storm drains fill up,
those slum dwellings are
a fucking death trap.
There'll be hundreds of dead bodies
on the streets of New York.
The public will be screaming for us
to clean 'em up.
Cleanup is perhaps the wrong word.
I'd go with restore.
Key is, you bus these people out.
Commissioner Nelson wants this done now.
Keep them from public view.
Mr. Di Bari,
you have a call. Line four.
Yeah.
The shipment's come in, and
we have got a problem.
Cops have been down asking questions.
Then deal with it.
Shut it down.
Everyone's working late!
This goes out tonight!
Everything all right?
All good.
You locked out again?
Hmm.
You have kids?
Mm, older than you now.
One lives in Jackson.
The other in Atlanta.
You see 'em?
No.
- I prays for 'em though.
- Oh.
Do you mind if I
Sorry, I'll get you some more.
Been in pretty dark places myself.
I was locked up inside
for a crime I did not commit.
That's me and every other bunkmate I had
for 16 years.
You gotta manage it.
The darkness.
Don't let it take you.
I know nothing about you, George.
Hmm.
Never even been down here.
Yet, Edgar
Life is, uh,
three-quarters curiosity.
Your boy, he had that and some.
I used to see y'all race up them stairs.
He wanted to win so bad,
but you'd always beat him.
Same as my daddy.
He always had to win.
Can you show me Edgar's drawings, please?
Pretty, ain't it?
Hmm?
Wait, wait.
I know this.
I know what this is.
It's a map. It's a map.
Mr. Wilson.
Hey.
You caught me.
I was doing a month's worth of work
in a week.
I'm afraid that Vincent's not here, so
I didn't come for Vincent.
Uh
We've actually met before.
Yeah? Yeah.
The other night?
The Sierra nightclub.
'79.
They let me off with a warning.
- People don't know about that around here.
- I just wanna ask a few questions.
O okay.
You've known Edgar for a few years, yeah?
His whole life. Yes.
- Mm.
- I built a corner over there for his crib.
Were you ever alone with him?
No! No, no!
I mean, yes.
From time to time.
Holy shit.
You think Oh.
Uh, uh, uh.
Oh my God. You think that I'm
Listen to me right now.
I I love kids, okay?
I love Edgar, okay?
Okay, that's, um Oh, wow.
I can't. I have to
I gotta get this puppet done
in a few days.
Okay.
Uh, I've seen you down at The Lux.
Yeah, great. I've seen you there too.
Do you recognize him?
Marlon Rochelle?
- He lived a few blocks from there.
- He's young.
Fourteen.
No. I don't know. I don't
No.
You like it there?
At The Lux?
Yeah, it's really fun.
Lots of fun people there.
You think any of those people
will recognize him?
No. I I don't know.
Think harder.
I just need a name.
Just a name.
Ricardo.
He's always down
by the basketball courts near The Lux.
- Okay.
- He's there most mornings.
Thank you.
Hey! Another bottle.
Hello? Another bottle.
Table five. Is Ricardo in?
I don't know.
Think he's with someone.
Hey!
Want some fun tonight?
Misha, I'm going to buy
the boys beer after a long night.
Wanna tag along?
Gotta feed my dog.
You sure about that?
One beer.
Okay, one beer.
Thank you for meeting me, Mrs. Nokes.
Dana.
I know you pulled him and Cal in
at some club.
I know that.
'Cause he was angry about it
when he got home.
He gets like that, you know?
Flips a switch and then he just
Did you ever hear him talk about 8?
No. Got the call from Kimberly,
Cal's wife, late the next night.
I just knew.
The way he was talking, comforting her.
Saying the right words.
Saying his heart was broken, but
he was relieved.
"Relieved"?
- What?
- Relieved he was dead.
Worked together the last ten years.
Then puts the phone down
and goes back to watching TV.
Like
That's why I asked him about the car.
It's, um, a new car.
Only now it's got a dent in the bumper
and scuffed paint.
That's, um that's all I can say.
But I know he didn't like it,
whatever Cal said.
Is that enough to put him away?
Police car. Okay, Edgar.
Number plate. What is it? 338
Vincent?
Yeah?
It's a map.
Edgar's drawing in the basement,
it's a map.
Look, can't you see? It's obvious.
Okay.
Vincent, you don't look so good.
Life gives you lemons.
What can you do?
I'm gonna find him using this map.
Yes.
Come on upstairs.
I'll make you some coffee.
- Come on.
- I don't want coffee.
You think I've gone mad.
Well, that's fine.
That's just That's fine.
Those who close their eyes
are truly blind. You'll see.
- Vincent.
- I'll make you see.
Gonna make this happen. Got a new plan.
New plan!
Tina, go on home.
- It's late.
- How'd it go with Dana?
Yeah, fine.
Tina, where are my tapes?
I left 'em
Cripp was asking for 'em.
I said they'd already gone to Archives.
You might wanna keep 'em at home.
Missing Persons. Detective Ledroit.
I
William Elliot.
Are you family?
No.
Mm-hmm.
Elliot.
He's dead.
His sister is here. Room 517.
They won't let me touch him.
They say I can't touch him.
Next time you talk to the cops,
your dog dies!
Hey! Out of the way.
Attaboy.
Hey, bozo, are you ignoring me?
Fired you already?
Those assholes. Artistic differences.
I could've told you that'd happen.
Where'd that guy go?
Fire extinguisher.
It's on Edgar's map.
Fuck 'em. Prove 'em wrong.
Yeah.
Yuusuf. Yuusuf, come on.
We split everything. That's what we do.
Not anymore.
And quit doing your shit around the kid.
You think they'll give you
the money even if you take him back?
They don't give rewards to people like us.
Not listening, Raya.
The cops will cuff you
as soon as you get there.
My plan works.
Yeah, your plan. Right.
Yuusuf! Come on!
Go pay your debts off some other way.
Fuck you! Might just do that.
Not bad, little man.
Who's that?
That's your dad?
Y'all fight?
Used to fight with my dad
all the time, man.
- He hits you?
- No.
Words are just as bad.
That your mom?
- What's she like?
- She's nice.
She has brown eyes and thick brown hair.
- Your mom and dad fight?
- A lot.
Man, if you wanna get away from trouble,
why you come down here?
I like the way you tag.
That's why you followed me down?
Huh?
Crazy little man.
Where's the wino?
Making mischief somewhere.
We're working on a project.
Project? What?
You guys hustling on Wall Street now?
I got a kid for all your deviants
in your little black book.
A promise made is a debt unpaid.
Just you wait.
You know they love fresh meat.
Looka yonder! ♪
Looka yonder! ♪
Looka yonder! ♪
A big, black cloud come ♪
A big, black cloud come ♪
Yeah, come to Tupelo ♪
Come to Tupelo ♪
Yonder on the horizon ♪
Yonder on the horizon ♪
Stopped at the mighty river ♪
Stopped at the mighty river ♪
Sucked the damn thing dry ♪
Sucked the damn thing dry ♪
Tupelo ♪
Oh, Tupelo ♪
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo ♪
Distant thunder rumble ♪
Distant thunder rumble ♪
Rumble hungry like the Beast ♪
The Beast, it cometh, cometh down ♪
The Beast, it cometh, cometh down ♪
The Beast, it cometh, cometh down ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
- Tupelo bound ♪
- Tupelo ♪
Yeah ♪
Oh, Tupelo ♪
The Beast, it cometh Tupelo bound ♪
Oh ♪
Oh ♪
Yeah ♪
Oh, Tupelo ♪