Little Fires Everywhere (2020) s01e04 Episode Script

1
- What about April?
- Mom.
What? Is she the one
calling you names at school?
Oh, shit, Ellen's
coming out again.
If they're saying something untrue,
then you should change the story.
- Look at that, sad.
- Oh, my God. Izzy.
You know you don't
need to prove anything.
You know you don't have to be cool
with things if you're not, right?
Why wouldn't I be cool?
She took your counselor story and
wrote it as if it happened to her.
So
A year from now, I'll be at Yaleand you'll be at Princeton,
and I wanted tonight
to be special.
There's a bonfire at Dano's
if you want to come.
You want to go because
Trip and Lexie are going?
Let's just
watch the movie, okay?
So Linda and Mark
had all but given up hope,
and then, they got a call that
there was a two-month-old baby girl
outside a fire
station in Cleveland.
I know where your
mommy is, I do.
That's my baby!
- Get her out of here!
- That's my baby!
Mr. McCullough, it's time.
You're going to be just fine.
You can do this.
I know you can.
Nobody should have to do this.
I know, I know.
I mean, it's just outrageous.
They all come highly recommended.
And I've known Fred and Tina
since U of M.
They offered me my first job when
I left the public defender's office
and they have the best family
law practice in northern Ohio.
- So I trust them.
- Well, so did I,
until they couldn't get us a
hearing with Judge Doyle.
-I just want this adoption over.-Of course.
Did you hear that?
Linda, honey, you
should eat something.
She has been like this
ever since it happened.
Either she's upstairs checking
on the baby every ten minutes
or she's combing over the policereport for the 100th time.
Honestly, I don't know whatwe're paying these lawyers for.
No judge is going to give you
an emergency hearing
without new information.
How about a crazy woman coming
here to try to steal our child?
That's not gonna happen.
We don't even know she's the
birth mother, and the police said
they don't even
have a name, right?
It's her.
I know it's her mother
because I'm her mother.
Well
the smartest thing to do
is what you're doing.
Just lay low until
your original court date,
and then finish that adoption.
And the good news is
she hasn't come back.
Yet.
I mean, this isn't over.
-But Linda, you don't know that.-Yes, I do. Okay?
I think we should
probably go, hon.
- Thank you guys.
- Of course.
Hey, can I take the policereport? -LINDA: Oh, I need that.
Hey, hey, Linda, it's okay, it's
okay. Let him take it.
- What if we need it?
- We, we don't.
- It's okay.
- Linda, I know how you feel.
But reading that over and reliving
that night again and again
is not gonna be helpful.
Elena, you have four healthychildren that came to you easily
that no one can ever
take away, okay?
So just don't tell me
you know how I feel.
Okay? Don't.
So are you gonna tell me
what all this twine is for?
Or is that not part of our deal?
The deal is I let you help meand you don't ask any questions.
I don't even let Pearl in here
without me, Izzy.
Can you hand me
that clear ruler?
Thank you.
So what about you?
What is your process?
Where does the art begin?
I usually just do something
I think will piss off my mom.
Kind of go from there.
So how much of this
"studying at Carl's" bullshit
is your mother gonna believe?
My mom believes
what she wants to believe.
And she wants to
believe I'm with Carl.
- I'll be right back.
- Okay.
Hello? What?
Wait, no.
Okay! Ju
Bebe, no, hold on.
Listen to-listen to me.
Yeah.
Oh, my God. Okay.
I-I'll be right there.
Yes. Okay.
Um
I'm sorry, Izzy, we're gonna
have to pick this up another day.
-Sure. I can come back tomorrow.-Okay.
No, no, I'm going to be
at Lucky Palace tomorrow.
Oh, um, I could let myself in.
- Cut all the twine.
- Yeah, okay, fine.
Great.
I'm telling you, I haven't
gotten, like, a single zit
since Brian and I
started doing it.
Yeah, you know, you
you're really, really glowy.
Yeah.
I mean, you guys don't knowbecause you haven't done it yet.
But like, once you start doing it,
it's, like, all you can think about.
I mean, Brian and I haven't doneit for, like, two days,
and I am, like, literally dying.
Whoa.
I mean, so far,
it's been pretty traditional.
Like, missionary or whatever, 'cause that's, like, what works.
But I told Brian that for prom,
we can do something special.
Wait, like, like how special?
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Let's go to Carmen Electra!
Do you think that Carmen Electrais hotter than Jenny McCarthy
if you, like, didn't have to
listen to her voice?
I think you're vacuous
and destined for manual labor.
I need the room. Get out.
Since when are Lexie and Pearl
even friends?
Since Lexie realized having a black
friend gives her street cred with Brian.
- Give me that.
- No.
She friendzoned you, didn't she? That's why you're being a littlebitch.
Friendzoned?
- I just made it up.
- Yeah, I doubt that.
Mood
do you know what
stop, drop, and roll means?
- Like when you're on fire?
- No.
Like, stop everything that
you've been doing around Pearl,
drop the whole
"I'm smarter than you" shit,
and roll with me tomorrow night.
Roll with you. Cute.
See, that's, that's exactly the
kind of shit I'm talking about.
Fine. Fine.
Then tell me what to do.
This isn't gonna work.
I got a solid two fuck-ups rule,
and this makes two.
You can't fire me
just like this.
I caught you stealing
from the register.
Yeah, but let her explain.
I need help.
My daughter is out there.
I need money.
I need lawyer to fight.
I'm not an ATM.
I'm trying to run a business here.
Well, two businesses, though.
Right, Scott?
Would your parents consider
getting busted for selling cokeout of the kitchen
and then going to jail
as one fuck-up, or two?
All right, fine.
But anything else happens, you're out.
How much money?
The lawyer costs $30,000.
What were you gonna do?
Steal 30 grand out of the register?
Why did you do this to me?
I tried to forget.
But you said you find her.
I'm still her mother.
Now you find her,
I'm still not her mother.
I can't touch her.
I can't hold her.
It's much more worse
to know she's so close.
It's so much worse.
She didn't mean it.
She's just scared.
You know, being gay
is a very rare thing.
I'm glad she's spending
more time with Carl.
I just wish she would
I just wish she would talk to
me. I
feel like the children,
the children have always been able
to confide in me about anything.
Well, at least
she's speaking to one of us.
Could be worse.
We could be Linda and Mark.
I really just can't
imagine it, honey.
Mirabelle belongs to them as much
as, as our children belong to us.
And the idea that somebody
could just come into your life
and take your children away.
It's just upsetting.
Oh, my God.
What's the matter, hon?
Nothing. I, I just
Hmm.
Mom!
Mom?
Mom? Mom!
Pearl?
Pearl, what's going on?
It's the middle of the night.
No, no, don't get,
don't get in that car.
No, Pearl, don't
get in that car.
No, no, no, no.
Don't go with them.
No, they can't take you.
You belong to me!
You're mine!
- Hey.
- Hey.
I figured I should
probably do this now
'cause, you know
I have that party tonight.
You'll have to find a way to
light it, but it
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Who is the party with again?
Oh, it's, um, it's with thatgirl, Serena, that I was tellingyou about.
It looks great.
I'm happy you're starting
to make new friends.
Yeah.
- Hello?
- Hey, Mia. It's Anita.
- Hey, Anita.
- Is this a good time?
Yeah, it is now.
I got your message.
- I don't quite understand.
- So I just
I just want to see
how quickly you can
sell some pieces.
Did something happen?
Are you okay? Is Pearl?
No, she's fine. I'm
We're fine.
Okay, well,
how much money do you need?
That
would be a lot of pieces.
Yeah, I know it's a lot of
money, but you know,
maybe you could sell
some of the bigger pieces.
We have that 30x30 from Laredostill in, and then the Lafayetteseries.
Mi, if you need
that kind of money,
you know the piece you
can sell to get it.
Yeah, I'm not
selling that, Anita.
I know, I know, honey.
Then you have to get
back to work. I
Unless you can think
of something else.
Right.
Okay, I'll give you a call.
Hey, I made chili for the kids
so they'd have something to eatbesides candy tonight.
And there's a salad to go with
it in the fridge.
I'm surprised to see you here.
I
You haven't been
around much lately.
Um
Well, there is something
that I've been torn about.
- Okay.
- Um
I got a call from my gallerist, and apparently,
there is some
interest in my photo.
The one that you
were so taken with.
And, uh, yeah, I know that I
said it wasn't for sale, but
They're offering a lot of money.
I mean, it would be a
lot of money for me.
So I, um
You know, it's killing me, the idea
of-of selling it to a stranger.
I'd much rather
sell it to a friend.
Are we?
Friends?
- Of course.
- Because I, I
got a look at the police report
the night of that party and, um
Huh.
It seems like that Chinese woman
arrived at the McCulloughs
in a blue Chevy hatchback.
Don't you drive a
a Chevy hatchback?
I do.
Like every other
broke ass in America.
With a Shaker bumper sticker.
How is Linda?
She's been on my mind.
Really?
Because you haven't asked about
her. Not once.
Well, I'm asking about her now.
I wasn't sure that you
wanted to talk about it.
Why wouldn't I
want to talk about it?
Something terrible, awful
happened to my friend.
I wouldn't want to talk about
that with my other friend?
I don't know, but I've been herealmost every day,
and you haven't
brought it up, so
Well because for
the past couple of weeks,
the minute I get home,
it seems like you're out the door.
It's almost like
you're avoiding me.
Well, I'm standing
here right now.
So, Elena, if you want to talk, let's talk.
Okay, uh, well,
I have to get to my other job.
- All right.
- Here you go.
Here you go.
- Good night, Mr. Yang.
- Good night, Pearl.
- Don't even fucking say it.
- We know.
I can't believe we're both Posh.
You should have been
slutty Michelle Kwan.
- Whoa, this is sick.
- Oh, my God.
- Hey.
- What's up? Hey, hey.
- Wait, what are you?
- I'm Bill Clinton.
"The first black President?"
- Hey, you.
- Want a drink?
Okay. Got it.
- She's here. Now what?
- Okay.
Um
first things first.
- What the hell?
- Look, listen.
Phase one, okay?
Ignore her.
No eye contact, no nothing.
And then, phase two.
Right, right as you're leaving, say hi to her.
But like, real cold, you know?
You got to treat
her kind of shitty.
Make her think
that she did something wrong.
That's your great advice?
She's not gonna fall for that shit.
Right, you, you got to make her fall for it.
I can't believeI am taking advice from someone
who thought Forrest
Gumpwas a true story.
Well, then don't listen.
But I've done it
with every Jen in my grade,
and there's, like, fucking five, so I know what I'm doing.
Yeah, not with Pearl.
You couldn't get a girl like
Pearl in a million years.
You know what? Just, uh,
keep being yourself, then, Mood.
See how far that gets you.
Hello?
Anyone home?
- Trick or treat!
- Oh, my goodness!
You look so cute.
You're a hobo, I guess.
Okay. Woody, for you.
Hey, there it is, okay.
- Pocahontas.
- That's the siren, you guys.
Oh, wow.
You guys look great.
- Don't they look great, hon?
- Yes, they do.
Now, buddy, it is
your lucky day.
- Oh, my goodness.
- There you go.
- Share that with all of your
friends. -Yep, on the way home.
All right, bye, bye,
bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
What do you want to do?
Should we order some takeout?
Maybe skip the takeout
and just go straight upstairs?
She's beentreating me differently lately.
- Who has?
- Mia.
- Oh, come on, Elena.
- No, she has.
I, I tried to talk to her today, and-and she was acting like
we were in some
sort of weird fight.
Hon, I just don't understand
this, this weird obsession.
It's not an obsession
I'm just concerned.
No, you're fixated.
I have an instinct, Bill.
And my instincts
are always right.
There's something about thesituation with Linda and Mark
What if she has
something to do with it?
- Mia?
- Yes.
You think Mia's in cahoots
with a random Chinese lady?
Really? How would they
even know each other?
I need you to place an order
at Lucky Palace.
All right, yeah.
I'm just gonna, I'm gonna go.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I didn't even know
that you were here.
That's probably 'cause I know,
like, a lot of people here.
- Uh, I'm pretty much leaving,
but -Okay.
Spice Girls, huh?
Yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm Scary.
Seems kind of racist for them
to make you be Scary.
It was my idea to be Scary.
Uh
I wanted to give you this.
Um, for your poetry.
I noticed yours looked
kind of beat up.
Pearl, we need you.
Jim just got hit in the nuts.
Yeah, or whatever is down there.
Um, you have a good rest
of your night, Moody, okay?
Yeah.
- Dad.
- Mm-hmm.
- Dad. -Yeah, I'm in here.
What's wrong?
- When did you even get home?
- This was on my pillow.
From Mom.
I'm sorry, honey.
It just came up.
How?
How does that just come up?
This doesn't change
how she feels about you.
No, it fucking cements it.
Izz.
Order for Bill?
Right?
Hello, yes, this is Elena Richardson.
I'm a reporter with The Shaker Times
and I'm writing a storyabout the immigrant experience.
I was wondering if I could
interview some of your employees.
We hire local.
In particular, there's a young
Chinese woman who works there.
I saw her last time I was there, and she's in her mid-20's, it
seems like.
Uh, yeah.
I'm not sure
I also know that you posed as a
reference for another employee.
Mia Warren.
I'm gonna need her name,
her history, her address.
Everything.
Will you bite the spoon?
- Oh, hi, honey.
- Hey.
Here, let me help you.
You must be exhausted.
- I'm fine.
- How could you be fine, honey?
- After everything.
- I just don't understand.
I don't understand
how the social worker
searched for months
for the birth mother.
And then, out of nowhere,
she just shows up at my house.
I mean, it was all supposed
to be confidential, right?
-How did she know where we live?-I don't know.
How did she even find us?
I don't know.
Should I get her?
No, I got her, I got her.
Oh, come here. Oh, mama.
Okay, here.
You want to see Lamby?
You want to see your little
Lamby? Say hi.
I mean
I feel like I'm in a nightmare
and I can't wake up.
I can't lose her.
I mean, she's my world.
She's my whole world.
I know.
Look, I got a name.
I, I think I,
I think I found Mirabelle's
- What? How?
- It took a lot of digging,
but it seems like she's been
in Ohio for a couple of years
and she's almost certainly
in this country illegally.
She got caught recentlytrying to steal money from work.
Honey, I
I think you were right.
I think she's trying to hire a lawyer.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
- I know.
- Oh, my God.
But we can't give her timeto prepare for a custody battle.
We have to go to court now?
I'm gonna have to go to court?
- I mean, I don't know.
- And fight for my own child?
- I
- This is crazy.
What world are we living in
where this is even a question?
I know, I know, Linda.
But I have her address
and I think that you should gothere and talk to her, mother tomother.
Oh, no, she's not her mother!
She is an illegal alien
who left her baby
in the fucking cold to die.
She chose that.
She made that choice.
Not me.
She doesn't get to be
Mirabelle's mother anymore.
I know.
No, you know, I will, I will, I
will. I will go talk to her.
I'm gonna tell her to stay
the fuck away from my family
and the fuck away from my baby
I'm so sorry.
- Oh, God, I can't do this.
- No, I don't think you should.
- I can't do this.
- It's too much for you, Linda.
And we have to talk to her calmly
and, and rationally and explain to her
that you and Mark can just provide
a better life for Mirabelle.
I can make her understand that.
What if it doesn't work?
Then
Then what?
Then what, I
I lose my baby?
Again?
I lose another baby?
They're gonna take my baby.
No.
Do, do you have
Mark's checkbook?
Yeah.
This is why it'’s calleda practice quiz, people.
You have two days to
get these grades up.
I suggest youuse the time to your advantage.
Mr. Bailey.
Stop doodling in your notebook.
Could be worse, right?
Let's try
a little harder next time.
I could help.
If you want. Or not.
It's, you know, it's whatever.
So in this problem,
we have to solve for sine.
Right, uh, what,
what exactly is a sine?
It's just the
measurement of an angle.
Sine is the ratio of the
opposite side of the triangle
over the hypotenuse.
I'll show you.
You smell like, um
something.
I don't know.
VO-5, maybe.
Right, maybe.
Isn't that, like, tomato juice?
That's V8.
Right, right.
Lot of V's.
- I'm sorry.
- No, no, it's, it's okay.
Should we, like,
do this in my room?
Do, do what?
Do you have, like, you know?
Yeah. Yeah.
Hi, um
I'm Elena Richardson.
Thank you.
This must be incredibly
hard for you.
Yes.
Very hard.
I really admire you.
You cared for your daughter
with so little support
and very few resources
all by yourself.
But when you knew that
she needed a life
that you couldn't give her,
you made the biggest sacrifice
a mother can make.
You did what was best for her.
And you're such a good mother.
I know you would never do anything
that would hurt your daughter.
And taking her
away from her home,
that would harm her more
than you can possibly imagine.
She's my daughter.
I just want her here with me.
I know, I know.
It's-it's very hard to do what is best,
and especially when
life is not easy.
But we, we want to
make your life easier.
What do you mean?
We have lawyers
who can have papers drawn
that will grand Linda and Mark
full custody.
But they are good and
reasonable people,
and I'm sure they would grant visitation
if you wanted to still see Mirabelle.
May Ling.
Her name is May Ling.
And we want to get you
an immigration attorney
who would make it possiblefor you to stay in this country
and, and be here legally.
So that if you had
more children that
they could grow up
knowing May Ling.
Is it the amount?
Because I'm sure
we can come to an agreement.
What would be the amount?
You have children, Miss?
Yes, I do.
I have four children.
How much you sell them for?
You know, you should have goneto jail for what you did to thatbaby.
- I just want my baby.
- She's not your baby!
A mother is a mother.
I'm always her mother.
Don't fight them, Bebe.
You're gonna lose.
You should take the money.
It's that or nothing.
Did-did I do something?
What's wrong? What happened?
Nothing, I just
I just-I have to go.
But we did it, right? I mean, like, we were doing it.
- That was it, right?
- Yeah.
We were doing it.
And I just, I couldn't keep
I mean, was it, was it me?
Did I do something wrong?
I don't know.
Maybe you did, Pearl.
Okay, this has never happened
to me before, ever.
And, and
my brother, he
fucking likes you.
And, and you go and you kiss me?
What am I supposed to do?
I'm human.
And I don't know
what you're trying to do,
but it's really,
really fucked up.
Wait, Trip.
I'm sorry, um,
why are you still here?
It's my job to be here,
unless you'd rather I not be.
Did you think you were just
going to waltz into my house
and pretend like
nothing ever happened?
Elena, this isn't about you.
It's not about me.
It's about a child
who belongs with her mother.
Exactly.
Her mother is Linda.
You and I are never gonna agree on this
because we are very different people.
I agree.
You're manipulative
and deceitful,
with no sense of the rules
or consequences.
Just like your friend, Bebe.
Okay, Elena, sure.
I'm sorry, but someone
has to say this to you.
You know what else you have
in common with your friend?
You're both terrible mothers.
I mean, honestly, it's a miracle
that Pearl is as lovely
and wonderful as she is.
It's not a miracle.
She is mine.
And I am a good mother.
Oh, really?
Because in my book, a good mother
puts her daughter's
needs before her own.
A good mother
makes good choices.
And she doesn't drag a child from
town to town, school to school.
She doesn't smoke marijuana
and just leave her daughter
to fend for herself.
And she really doesn't leave a
baby alone in the cold
in front of a fire station.
You didn't make good choices.
You had good choices.
Options that being rich and
white and entitled gave you.
Again, that's the difference
between you and me.
I would never make
this about race.
Elena, you made this about race when
you stood out there in the street
and begged me to be your maid.
This is not working out.
I think this is gonna be your last day.
You think?
Was this all just a plan
with you and Bebe
to worm your way into our livesto get to Mirabelle?
Why did you even take this job?
I took this job
to protect my kid.
- From what?
- From you.
I thought we were friends.
White women always want to
be friends with their maid.
I was not your maid, Elena.
And I was never your friend.
Really, Isabelle?
You barely know this woman.
Moody's the one
who was friends with Pearl.
If anyone should be upset,
it should be him.
What? Why?
Well, who knows if Mia will everallow her to come here again.
Pearl should be able
to do what she wants.
What, like you're
hanging out with her anyways?
I mean, I'm the one
who should be upset.
And your
friendship is so genuine.
It's not at all self-serving
in the least bit.
Moody, your sister is allowed
to be upset.
But I'm not?
Apparently, the only reason
that Mia was even here
was to protect Pearl from us.
From us?
Are you kidding?
- Yes.
- That's insane.
After she lied on
her application
and then sent that lunatic
Chinese person
to go and harass Mark and Linda.
She's not a lunatic.
She's her mother.
Who basically threw
away her child.
No one should have babiesif they can't take care of them.
- Exactly.
- Mm-hmm.
What are we going to do about Windsor?
Clearly, they can't keep living there.
- Why not?
- Can I be excused?
You barely ate anything.
You can't just kick them out.
It's not Pearl's fault.
No, it's not her fault, honey.
Pearl is a wonderful girl and
her mother is a terrible mother.
Maybe you're a terrible mother.
- Excuse me? What?
- Yeah, I'm going.
Why would you do this to me?
It's not even your business.
Is it yours?
This is about some coworker
you barely even know.
You don't know anything.
You don't even know these people.
How do you know that
Mirabelle isn't better off
-It's May Ling.-Whatever, May Ling, Mirabelle.
- You know what I mean.
- Watch your mouth, Pearl.
They're just like the Richardsons.
I mean, is there even a question?
Of course they can give her
a better life than Bebe can.
- You are not to go back there
again. -Wait, no, Mom.
- I mean it, Pearl.
- No, you can't just do that.
I just did. Clear your plate.
Bebe.
What
What is it?
Are you okay?
Okay, I'm sorry.
Come, come in.
Get some get you
Hi, honey. Um, Moody's at Carl'sand-and Lexie and Trip are out.
I didn't come here for them.
Come here, come here.
They can't just
throw money at you.
The McCulloughs cannot.
Elena Richardson cannot.
They don't get to have your child just
because they can easily afford to.
It's true.
She's safe there.
She grow big there.
She will be happy
when she's with you.
I don't care how big their houseis or how much money they have.
I don't even care how much
they think they love her.
May Ling is your
child, and right now,
she needs you to fight for her.
Because that's
what a mother does.
I want to fight for her.
- Then fight.
- She's my daughter.
But how can I fight
without any money?
We'll get the money.
How?
How can we get the money?
I'll get the money.
-Are you sure this is all okay?-Oh, yes, of course.
It seems like Lexie is always
at Serena's lately.
- There you go, honey.
- Thank you.
I'm sorry about everything.
My mom and, and what she didand what she said and is doing.
Listen to me.
You are not your mother.
Okay?
- Are you okay with just
one pillow? - Yeah.
My kids never let me do this.
- Are you sure? Thank you.
- Yeah, of course.
Pearl.
Pearl?
Get in the car!
I'll be right here
when school lets out.
Great. Because this car isn't
embarrassing at all.
Hey, you are never to set foot
in that house again.
Do you understand?
Hi. Sorry to make
you wait, Ms. Chow.
Hey.
I know this is a lot, but you're gonna do this, okay?
They're gonna say
all kinds of things.
But we're gonna say the truth,
and we're gonna say it first.
All right?
That wasn't
so bad, right?
We did it, huh, baby Belle?
We did it.
Ms. McCullough, do
you have a statement
on the recent developmentsregarding your pending adoption?
- No. -REPORTER: Can
we get a few words?
Are you aware that
the baby's biological mother
intends to fight for custody?
Are you going to keep May Ling
away from her mother?
- And that
- I'm her mother!
I'm sorry, baby girl.
And up next, what happens
when an American dream
becomes an American nightmare?
Well, one woman
is fighting back.
Alone
and unable to work,
Bebe Chow struggled
to provide for her daughter.
What little she had went to the
baby she named May Ling.
And when she could no longer feed
or take care of her daughter,
she left her
at this fire station behind me
in the hopes that someone
would protect her only child.
And this is the baby card.
What Bebe Chow did not know was
that the state placed little May Ling
in the temporary custody of a local Shaker Heights family
who'’d been trying
to adopt for years
and was finally in the process
of adopting her daughter,
the daughter they'’d
renamed Mirabelle.
Are you aware the baby's biological
mother intends to fight for custody?
Are you going to keep May Ling
away from her mother?
I'm her mother!
They tried to buy my baby.
To make me not fight.
They paid $10,000
to me to go away.
We are looking into the legal ramifications
- They offered her money?
- They were trying to help.
In search of a better life.
She's taking steps to become a
proper citizen of this great country.
A country that is not in the business of
separating children from their mothers.
And she will remain here as long
as it takes to get May Ling back.
We will take this fight to
court. And we will win.
Best day ever!