The Crowded Room (2023) s01e04 Episode Script

1
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
- Danny! Danny! Fucking shoot him!
- [GUNSHOT]
[FLIGHT ATTENDANT] Sir?
[PILOT SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
Could you please finish your drink
and fasten your seat belt?
- [PILOT] We're just preparing ourselves
- Sorry.
to land, so please finish your drinks,
- sit yourselves upright
- [FLIGHT ATTENDANT] Right.
and we'll do everything we can
to make your touchdown
as smooth as possible.
[SIGHING]
[AIRPLANE ENGINE APPROACHING]
[SOFTLY] Shit. Fuck.
[CASH COUNTER WHIRRING]
[RYA] So after Rockefeller Center,
why London?
[SIGHS] Yitzhak told me to go.
But you
You've never even left the country before.
- How did you get a passport?
- [SIGHS] Yitzhak got me one.
How?
I don't know.
How does Yitzhak do anything?
Yeah, I don't know.
I'm That's why I'm asking.
He's connected, okay?
Okay.
[SWALLOWS] My dad was there.
[LINE BEEPS]
[TRAVEL AGENT] You have reached
the Royal London Travel Agency.
Leave us a message, and we'll get back
to you as soon as we are able.
[VOICE MAIL BEEPS]
[CLEARS THROAT]
Hi, this is Danny Sullivan.
I'm Pete Sullivan's son.
[SWALLOWS] I have this number for him.
Um, I was in the city, so [STAMMERS]
If If Pete could give me
a call back at, uh
You know what? Never mind.
I-I'll just call him back later.
Thank you, bye.
[RYA] You haven't spoken much
about your biological father.
There's not really that much to say.
He wasn't around much,
and [INHALES DEEPLY]
then he was just gone.
When? When was that?
Adam and I were young.
It was before everything.
And that was before you left school?
- I was maybe six or something.
- Hmm.
Did you have any idea that
Yitzhak knew your father?
No, not before then.
I'm just trying to understand.
I was in trouble, and Yitzhak sent me
to my dad for help, but
And where was Ariana?
I told you already.
She bailed on me right when I needed her.
Almost as if on cue.
What is that supposed to mean?
I mean, she left you
when you were vulnerable,
and then Yitzhak stepped in
to provide you exactly what you needed.
Oh, yeah? And what is that?
A passport. [CHUCKLES]
And apparently, salvation.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
[HORNS HONKING]
[DANNY] Excuse me.
We're closed.
I'm looking for Peter Sullivan.
Uh, Pete Sullivan?
Never heard of him.
Uh, I have, um
I have this address for him.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
Boss will be through in a bit.
You can ask him.
Can I wait here?
[TYPEWRITER KEYS CLACKING]
Doreen, Doreen, Doreen.
You remember the Yank
I used to work with, Pete Sullivan?
Well, this handsome, young chap in front
of you is apparently the one and only,
Danny Sullivan. Son of Pete.
Isn't that marvelous?
Ah, yes.
[INHALES SHARPLY] Jack.
The dead spit of your dad.
Come on. This calls for a drink.
Don't let age go before beauty.
Thank you.
[PATRONS CHATTERING, LAUGHING]
There you go. [SIGHS] Bottoms up.
[SLURPS, SMACKS LIPS]
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
So does my dad know that I'm here?
Is he gonna come here?
- How-How do you know
- Slow down, dear boy.
Your father and I are business associates.
- Travel agents.
- No, not [CHUCKLING] exactly.
- Then the travel agency is
- We We work out of the back room.
Well, we we did.
It's just me there now.
Your father's not here.
He's not been in London for some time.
- Okay, well, where is he?
- I don't know.
I haven't spoken to him for years.
[SIGHS] Look, I'm I'm terribly sorry.
So what happened to him? Where'd he go?
We had some business abroad.
It didn't go as we'd hoped,
and [INHALES DEEPLY]
we went our separate ways. [SIGHS]
- Is he dead?
- Good God, no.
No, nothing as dramatic as that.
He He just thought it was wise
to stay away from London.
Why?
Quite the curious one, aren't you? [SIGHS]
What's your story, Danny Boy?
Why have you turned up here?
I needed some help.
The guy I rent a room off told me I
should come to London to find my dad.
And who is this mystery man?
[SWALLOWS] His name is Yitzhak.
Safdie? Yitzhak Safdie?
Wait, you know him too?
Bugger me.
Good for him. [SLURPS, SMACKS LIPS]
He kept his promise.
What promise?
So can I stop you for a second?
I want you to consider
what you're asking me to believe,
which is that
your father's business associate,
and the man
who lived down the block from you,
from whom you rented a room,
knew each other by coincidence?
No. [STAMMERS] You're not listening to me.
Okay. [INHALES DEEPLY]
Jack said they'd worked together
and that my dad always talked about
retiring and moving back to New York.
And Yitzhak bought into it.
Some The-The American dream bullshit.
And that He said that if he came back
to America before my dad,
then he would keep an eye on me.
Hmm.
Look, I'm just telling you what he said.
I'm not saying that
what he said was all true.
Okay, but you believed him.
Yes, we kept drinking, and I believed him.
He's running alongside the plane,
waving his arms.
"Stop this bloody plane!
It's my five-year-old's birthday party!"
- [CHUCKLING]
- [JACK] And they did.
[PATRON 1] Who's this fucking guy?
He climbed up on a rope ladder, I think.
They let him in,
and he came home to see you.
Yeah, he he really missed you, Danny.
Yeah, I miss him too.
[CHUCKLES]
So, Danny, are you ever going to tell me
why you're on the run?
Or do you always travel halfway round
the world with just
a shirt on your back?
Nah, don't worry.
It's all right. S I'll ask you no
questions, and you tell me no lies.
But if you do need help, as you said,
then perhaps I can
offer some. All right?
Well, to friends, old and new.
- [CHUCKLING]
- [SWALLOWS, SIGHS]
Right. Do you have somewhere to stay?
Hmm? I'm presuming
this place is slightly out of your budget.
[MIMICS BRITISH ACCENT]
You would assume correctly.
- [CHUCKLES, GASPS]
- [CHUCKLES]
- Oh, shit. Sorry. I'm sorry.
- Some napkins over here, please.
- The beer seems like it's stronger here.
- [PATRONS CHUCKLING]
No, it's just that you're American.
Over there, when you order beer,
they serve you carbonated urine.
- [CHUCKLES]
- I think it's time you get yourself home.
Wanker.
[PATRON 2] Fucking septic.
[CHUCKLES] Jesus.
[INHALES DEEPLY, CLICKS TONGUE]
[CLEARS THROAT] What'd you say?
I didn't hear you. What did you say?
Because my friend over there
is visiting from across the pond,
and I know that you don't want
to come across as uncourteous, do you?
Is there a problem, gentlemen?
No, there won't be a problem,
once this fucking cretin has apologized.
Sorry.
No, I'm sorry.
Didn't quite catch that.
One more time? Loud enough
for everybody here to hear you.
[CHATTERING STOPS]
I'm sorry.
I don't think he can
hear you. One more time.
I can't hear you.
- [PATRONS WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]
- [PATRON 1] I'm sorry.
There you go. Wasn't that hard, was it?
I simply can't abide rudeness.
[BARTENDER]
I think it's time for you to leave.
- [COINS RATTLE]
- [JACK] Come along, Danny.
I just don't understand.
What was the truth?
[DANNY] I guess the truth was
that Jack, my dad and Yitzhak
had worked together
and that they did have a plan.
It's just that that plan
was not to protect me.
I mean, how many times can you think
that somebody is gonna
come and save you,
until you realize that no one is?
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]
[JACK] Wanna see the real London?
Here it is. Come on.
Hmm.
[PEDESTRIAN LAUGHS] Fucking wanker.
- Hello, Red. You miss me?
- [PERSON] No.
How about I pop in this week?
Shower you with oodles of affection.
Piss off.
Still bitter about her sister.
[DANNY] Who was that?
Never you mind, Danny Boy.
Never you mind.
Let's find you somewhere to stay
that befits your station, shall we?
[LINE RINGING]
[LINE CONNECTS]
- [YITZHAK] Yeah?
- I put the boy to bed.
Out cold. Bit of a lightweight.
[YITZHAK]
It's a bad idea drinking before the job.
This is the job, Yitzhak.
I'm earning his trust.
[YITZHAK] This isn't the job.
It's been one day. I'll deliver.
- [YITZHAK] It's not you. He must deliver.
- [LINE CLICKS]
Wait, you saw him
out the window on the phone?
No, I saw the booth.
So how could you know who he called,
let alone what he was saying?
I don't know. Maybe he told me later.
Look, I had had a lot to drink that night,
and [STUTTERS]
there's a high chance
that I'm getting things out of order.
It's all a bit of a blur.
So what happened the day after?
[CAR HORNS HONKING]
[SIGHS]
["GUNS ON THE ROOF" PLAYING]
[DANNY] Oh, shit.
[PANTS]
Oh, Danny. Right on time. Feeling hungry?
[PANTS] Yeah. Sure.
Nothing cures a hangover
like fish and chips.
Large cod and chips with salt and vinegar.
Do you want a pickled egg to go with it?
Ooh.
Uh, no, I'm okay. Thank you.
Thank you, darling. Keep the change.
Are you sure?
Absolutely.
So, Danny, you want my help.
Then let me ask you something.
If you were hit in the chest
by an arrow, figure it'd hurt?
- [DANNY] What?
- [JACK] An arrow hits you in the chest.
Simple question. Does it hurt? Yes or no?
Yes. Yes, sure.
All right. Second one hits you
in exactly the same spot.
- What do you think, hurts more or less?
- More.
[JACK] See, Buddha says
the first arrow you can't avoid.
It's pain.
It's the shit that life throws at you.
But the second one,
it's fear, it's anxiety.
It's the story we tell ourselves
about the first arrow.
It hurts as much as you let it,
or it doesn't exist at all.
Understand?
[DANNY] Why are there two arrows?
I don't know why I bother.
If you don't mind, you're rather lacking
in the confidence department.
You must stand up straight. That's it.
Put your shoulders back,
lift your head up, face the world.
There you go. Feels better, doesn't it?
No, not really. [CHUCKLES]
Well, it looks better.
One should always appear proud of oneself.
[PATROL OFFICER 1 SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
it goes up by a half.
[PATROL OFFICER 2] All right then.
How bad is this jam you're in? Here.
That bad, eh? I want to help you, Danny.
I think your dad would do exactly the
same if the situation
were reversed and
And you were my boy.
But you're going
to have to help yourself, yes?
What if I can't?
Screw your courage to the sticking place,
and we'll not fail.
Do you always speak in riddles?
It's iambic pentameter. Shakespeare.
I can see why you trusted him, Danny.
I really I can.
He was everything you needed
in that moment.
Kindness. Guidance.
A way out of what happened in New York.
But I can say the same thing about
Yitzhak when he came into your life.
And Ariana.
But that's my point.
They're all in this together.
An Israeli expat, a British businessman,
an American girl. Oh, and your father.
Well, Ariana probably got roped in later.
They used her to get to me.
[SIGHS]
Well, you have a better theory?
Wait, do you think that
I'm the one pulling the strings?
[CLICKS TONGUE] What if I said I do?
I'm not.
But what if you are? Just not in the way
I'm not!
[SCOFFS]
[SIGHS] Danny.
I needed help.
I needed someone to help me.
But there are people in this world that,
when they see someone in need,
all they see is an opportunity.
[LINE RINGING]
- [JACK] Yitzhak?
- [YITZHAK] Is it done, Jack?
- One more day.
- [YITZHAK] Get it done.
- [LINE CLICKS]
- [SIGHS]
What if there was a way your dad
could help you, Danny?
[DANNY] I thought you said
you didn't know where my dad was.
I don't.
When you're in a bind,
what do you need more than anything else?
Money, right?
Sure.
Play your cards right, you could walk away
from this with 3,000 quid.
But it's not going to be easy.
Okay. Well, what is it?
The man who got into the Rolls-Royce
last night, his name's Reggie Silver.
[INHALES DEEPLY] He happens to owe
your father an awful lot of cash.
That business abroad
your father was involved in,
it was an illegal import job for Reggie.
Your dad, Yitzhak and I were supposed
to meet and split up the takings.
Due to an unfortunate series of
events, which I won't
bore you with now
[INHALES DEEPLY] your father
attracted the attention
of the authorities.
It was why he'd be arrested if he
came back to England.
So he did not go and claim his stake.
Reggie still has it.
Okay, so you
So, Reggie is a mean bastard,
but he's a family man.
Blood before business, all that.
If you turned up, dead spit of Pete,
asked for his share,
I think he might feel honor bound
to pay up.
Well, why can't you just ask him?
It's not for me to ask, is it?
Also, Reggie and I are not exactly
seeing eye to eye at the moment.
But the only person who can ask
for your father's money is you, Danny.
Is that why we walked
past there last night?
It's an awful lot of money.
[SNIFFS] £6,000.
You said £3,000. Wha [STAMMERS]
Well, it's my commission.
Don't look like that.
It's just the price of doing business.
I want to help you.
£3,000, Danny,
will allow you to lie low for a while
or [INHALES DEEPLY]
look for your dad.
You could start in Paris.
3,000 quid, Danny Boy, gives you options.
And options are what you need right now.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
[STAMMERING] I get it.
Reggie's a dangerous individual,
and it would take a lot of balls.
Perfectly well, I understand.
- I wouldn't blame you if you
- I'll do it.
There you go.
[INHALES DEEPLY] Good lad.
Your dad would be proud of you.
All right, none of this
hunched shoulders,
victim of the world bollocks, all right?
Men like Reggie don't respond well to it.
You march in there
with a straight fucking back
and a clear fucking voice.
And you demand what's yours.
Yes?
All right.
Show 'em what you're made of.
Go on. Fuck off.
I'll be here.
[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
[DANNY] Excuse me.
[REGGIE]
Mop and bucket's under the bar, mate.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
[PATRONS LAUGHING]
[BREATHES HEAVILY]
Excuse me. [BREATHES DEEPLY]
I'm Danny Sullivan. Pete Sullivan's son.
He was a friend of yours.
Never heard of him. Piss off.
He did a job for you.
He went into hiding.
I'm just here to collect his takings.
[SCOFFS]
What job?
Who sent you?
Jack.
[REGGIE] Oh, Jack.
Listen to this, boys.
Apparently, Jack sent him.
Go on then.
Jack who?
- I don't know his last name.
- [REGGIE CHUCKLES]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
I'm just asking you to give me
what you owe my father.
- Don't touch me!
- No, no, no, no, no, no.
Let him say his piece.
[DANNY] It's a matter of principle.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
I'm the only family he has left,
and I can't see him anymore
because of you.
Because of what he did for you.
So just give me the money,
and I'll leave you alone.
Get him out of here.
No Get off of me. Hey!
I know you know my dad!
Stop. Get off!
I know you know my dad.
[GRUNTS]
[GRUNTING]
[BOUNCER 1] Piss off.
[GRUNTS, PANTING]
Jack?
["MOTHER SKY" PLAYING]
Jack?
Jack?
Hi, could I Could
you connect me to the,
uh, Royal London Travel Agency, please?
Doreen, hi. It's-It's Danny Sullivan.
Is-Is Jack there?
[LINE CLICKS]
Hi, excuse me,
I'm looking for my friend Jack.
I think he's a regular here.
You, get out.
- But I-I'm just looking for my
- Get out. Get out now,
or I'll call the police.
[DANNY STAMMERS]
Hi, the guy that I was with earlier.
The guy that tipped you, have you s
- Uh, I'm not giving it back.
- I'm not fucking asking for it back.
- I just
- Oi, don't talk to her like that.
Sorry. I didn't mean I'm sorry.
Um, excuse me.
Wouldn't happen to have the number
of the guy I was with
last night, do you?
People come to this venue for discretion.
Okay, well, I can I can pay you.
I have, um
[CLERK] Fuck off.
[MUMBLES] You lied to me.
Fucking [GRUNTS]
- I understand you've been looking for me.
- [BREATHING HEAVILY]
Where the hell did you go?
Oh, I thought I'd give you a little time
for self-reflection.
[BREATHES DEEPLY] Please stop pretending
like you give a shit about me
when this has been about
the money the whole time.
I find your attitude rather disappointing,
Danny, if I may say.
[DOOR CLOSES]
As soon as you saw that I blew it,
you ditched me.
Is that what you think? That you failed?
- No, no.
- But where am I supposed to go?
- I don't have any money.
- Okay, calm down.
- I don't wanna calm down!
- Calm down. Hey!
- [BREATHING SHAKILY]
- Now, look.
I know life hasn't been easy for you.
It's unfortunate.
But the past is the past.
What's done is done.
Now you have to find a way
to stop feeling sorry for yourself.
[DANNY SNIFFLES]
Second arrow's of your making, remember?
Come on. Sit.
[DANNY BREATHES HEAVILY]
What this has been about is
a lesson in courage.
A lesson you sorely needed.
Why are you still here, Danny? Hmm?
What do you mean? [BREATHES SHAKILY]
Why don't you go home?
Well, because they'll arrest me.
Yes, and?
- What's the worst that can happen?
- [BREATHING HEAVILY]
You were scared to face Reggie,
weren't you? You did it anyway.
- [DANNY] I got the shit kicked out of me.
- You survived.
Stood there with your shoulders back.
You asked for what was yours.
Now, okay,
it didn't yield the results you wanted.
But it's still a victory.
You were scared.
You did it. You faced the consequences.
[BREATHES HEAVILY, SNIFFS]
Don't keep running.
Your dad ran.
Didn't he?
Ran from you, ran from your brother.
The fuck do you care?
[CLEARS THROAT]
Danny.
[DANNY BREATHING HEAVILY]
Be the man your father never was.
Look life straight in the fucking eye.
I know you can do it.
Danny, get rid of your passport.
Any connection to me.
And go home.
[JACK SIGHS]
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[SNIFFLES]
[RYA]
And that was the last time you saw Jack?
And then when you got back,
there was no sign of Ariana?
No.
[RYA] And Yitzhak?
[DANNY] No.
They were both just gone when I got back.
[RYA] Why do you think
they would disappear
and just leave everything that they owned?
[DANNY] I don't know.
[SIRENS WAILING IN DISTANCE]
[SIRENS APPROACHING]
[OFFICER 1] Police! Anyone in the house,
come out with your hands up!
[TIRES SCREECHING]
- Coming out the front.
- [OFFICER 2] Get out here!
[OFFICER 3] Keep moving!
Get your hands in the air now!
- [OFFICER 2] Keep moving forward!
- [OFFICER 3] Walk slow!
- [OFFICER 4] Come forward. Slowly.
- [OFFICER 2] Keep moving forward!
- [OFFICER 1] On the ground!
- [OFFICER 2, 3] Get down on the ground!
[OFFICER 4] Get down now!
[OFFICERS CONTINUE SHOUTING, DISTANT]
I'm gonna ask you again.
Why do you think that they would do that?
Just vanish
and leave all of their things behind.
Do you really think that I killed her?
That I killed both of them?
Why would I do that? I loved her.
- Past tense.
- Love. Loved.
What fucking difference does it make?
She's gone, isn't she?
I know what you're thinking.
Why don't you tell me?
[INHALES DEEPLY]
You think that I killed them both.
That I came home
and I killed Yitzhak and Ariana
out of revenge for,
I don't know, conning me.
Or sending me to Jack.
Only, I didn't do any of those things.
And why would anyone do that anyway?
Invest the years. Move to my block.
Look out for me.
Pretend to defend me. Care for me.
For what, £3,000?
And a lesson about courage?
It doesn't make any sense.
No, it doesn't.
Unless it wasn't for just £3,000.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
Unless there was a lot more at stake.
Danny, what happened to Adam?
We spoke about Adam.
Not really. We didn't.
He died.
How did he die?
I'm done.
I'm done.
- [DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
- [SIGHS]
["KISS YOU ALL OVER" PLAYING]
[SONG FADES]
Sorry,
I was running a little late this morning.
I really don't appreciate having
to come in here like this. [SIGHS]
It's nice to see you again, Jack.
Is it?
Your reluctance
to being here notwithstanding,
Danny is clearly in a lot of trouble.
And I'm hoping that you can help me.
Well, I made him come back, didn't I?
Told him he had to face the music.
I think it's time he knows the truth.
I think that is a catastrophic idea.
Is it?
What if that's his only way out?
What then?