The Republic of Sarah (2021) s01e04 Episode Script
In Us We Trust
1
Previously on The Republic of Sarah
A sizable deposit of coltan
has been discovered
right here in Greylock.
This morning, Governor Taggert
signed eminent domain paperwork,
which gives Greylock's public space
to the state of New Hampshire.
They're gonna wipe Greylock off the map.
I know how we can stop the drilling.
This town was never legally claimed
by either of its national neighbors.
(CHUCKLES): Who's in
charge if the mayor quits?
TYLER: Ms. Cooper. She saved us.
She should be the leader.
(SINGING SOLEMN HYMN
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(PIANO PLAYS)
(SINGING CONTINUES)
(SINGING CONTINUES)
♪
(CHOIR JOINS, HARMONIZING)
I couldn't take my eyes
off you during your solo.
I noticed. Hopefully, no one
else did, Mrs. Whitmore.
Nobody worries about us
getting caught more than I do,
but choir practice is safe.
I can stare at you while you sing,
and everyone will just chalk
it up to my godly passions.
- Right.
- CORINNE: Hey.
- Hey.
- So, um, I think it's time
for another round of Fraidy-Cat.
- Mm, mm.
- Sarah's up, so
You want to target the
leader of our country?
- I mean
- Target her for what?
Should I alert the Secret Service?
AJ: We don't have a Secret Service.
We should probably get a Secret Service.
You know, I will put
that on the to-do list,
right underneath another
round of Fraidy-Cat.
- Oh.
- Okay, Fraidy-Cat?
Oh, it's a game we
played in high school.
It's all about the element of surprise.
- (THUD ON PIANO KEYS)
- MAN: What happened?
- Gladys?
- Gladys!
- Gladys? Someone call an ambulance!
- Stay with us, Gladys.
Hey, you on break?
- What's wrong?
- I don't know if you heard,
but my girlfriend's dad
is sending her away
to boarding school at
the end of the week.
Hmm. Well, I don't know if you heard,
but your girlfriend and her
boyfriend actually just decided
they're not going to let boarding school
ruin their last few days together, so
Here. Look.
What's that?
I organized our work, school
and activities to see
when we'd both be free
to video chat every week.
We can definitely make this work.
You're incredible.
(BOTH SCREAM)
- Yes.
- Very funny.
I thought so. I mean, I thought so.
Oh, my
(BOTH SCREAM)
- Oh, my God.
- (LAUGHTER)
Damn it!
No, no. No soup for you, no.
- You lost dinner privileges.
- What about a soda?
- AJ: That's two out of three.
- I know.
If Corinne catches you in 24 hours,
that's five bucks apiece
for the victors.
A, I know how Fraidy-Cat works.
B, it's not gonna happen.
I'm on high alert now.
- (BOTH SCREAM)
- (LAUGHTER)
High alert, huh? Not high enough.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
Inside the fridge?
Where's all the food?
Outside on the porch. Nature's icebox.
GROVER: Let's go.
Whip out that Cash App.
Well, pay up, Madam President.
I'm pretty sure this
qualifies as extortion
of a government official.
- Hmm.
- AJ: Maybe.
Whoa, what's up with all these fees?
GROVER: What fees?
In my bank account.
There's, like, extra charges
- on all my recent activity.
- CORINNE: Ooh, I have 'em, too.
- Same.
- Same.
And we all have different banks, right?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
So these fees have got to be happening
everywhere, to everyone.
If all of Greylock is suddenly
paying extra fees
- on every purchase
- We have a serious problem.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Hey, Josh.
- School play?
- No.
He, uh, just likes wearing it.
So what is the deal with
all those extra fees?
They're foreign transaction fees.
All the banks I called
- said they kicked in yesterday.
- Wait a minute.
I live in Greylock and
I shop in Greylock,
so what part of that counts as foreign?
The part where you're still using
an American bank account,
American credit card.
Greylock is now a sovereign nation.
American banks almost always charge fees
for purchases made in other nations.
Even ones that use the U.S. dollar.
Okay, so everyone who uses a credit card
in Greylock, even our own citizens,
gets charged a penalty
for shopping here?
Mm-hmm.
Okay, is there any way
to avoid the fees?
GROVER: Yep. And it's
only five minutes away.
What are you talking about?
U.S. banks don't charge fees
on purchases made in the U.S.
Which means all it takes to avoid
a three-percent torpedo every
time you swipe your card
is a quick trip down the
road to New Hampshire.
That's an easy choice for most people.
That three percent adds up fast.
Not to mention the local economy.
Take Diego's hardware store.
Why would anyone shop there
when they can get the same
hammer for less, one town over?
My store has been hemorrhaging
cash for weeks.
Same thing goes for all
the shops on Main Street.
And that was before this
foreign transaction fee thing.
Won't be long before we all go under.
Oh, no. We're not losing Greylock.
Burning the midnight oil, I see.
Oh, yeah. I'm not gonna be able to sleep
until we figure out this
transaction fee situation.
I don't want to interrupt your work,
but I want to ask you a favor
before I lose my nerve.
Nerve was never something
you were short on, Mom.
What is it?
AA's not working for me.
Are you sure it's not
the other way around?
- It's only been three weeks.
- I've gone to a meeting
- every night of those three weeks.
- You can't give up, Mom.
I'm not giving up, Sarah.
I'm not giving up.
The nightly meetings,
they aren't enough.
I need more.
I want to try rehab.
Oh, wow, Mom.
That's a great idea.
Okay, what's the favor? Yeah.
The place that I chose
requires that you have
a "sobriety supporter."
You would drive me to the
facility and help me check in,
and then you would exchange
letters with me during the program.
- Would you consider it?
- Yeah, yeah, of course.
Mom I'm really proud of you.
(TV SPORTSCASTER SPEAKING
LOUDLY IN OTHER ROOM)
(SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES)
(KEYS CLACKING)
(SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Grover. Um
- what are you
- Doing here?
Lydon bulldozed my house, remember?
Yeah, they're paying for my room
until I find somewhere new.
Right, right, um sorry about that.
The thing is, uh, I have a,
I have a meeting in the morning,
like, a big meeting, and would you mind
just turning the volume on
the TV down just a little bit?
(SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES LOUDLY)
SPORTSCASTER: And Martin wins the draw,
flips it to Johnson along the boards.
It's a footrace, but Moon gets there
- (SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES)
- (SIGHS)
(TV VOLUME INCREASES)
SPORTSCASTER: He scores! Gabowsky
SARAH: It only gets worse from here.
- Worse how?
- As long as we're tied
to American currency,
our fate is in American hands.
Okay, so how do we get it
back into Greylockian hands?
Greylockian. Is that, is that
what we're going with?
I've been saying Greylockish.
- Greylockese.
- CORINNE: What about Greylench?
Like France, French.
Greylock, Greylench.
Okay, so using American cash screws us.
What other cash is there?
Greylock cash.
Yeah, but we can't just
print our own money.
We can if we have a resource to back it.
The American dollar was
originally backed by gold.
AJ: Yeah, we don't have gold.
No, we have coltan. We could
back our money with that.
Okay, if we tried this, what comes next?
Greylock Mutual becomes
our central bank.
We set an initial exchange rate,
convince people to buy Greylock bucks.
But before any of that,
we get to design our own money.
Think what that will do
for our national identity.
An independent currency
means no more fees.
It builds up Greylock's
economy in the short term.
It guarantees stability
for the long term.
If we really want freedom,
this is how we get it.
If it works.
It has to work.
SARAH: Is it too big? The bulge?
Ms. Cooper, this is John Stark.
Dude led a colonial
militia that took down
Britain's entire northern army
with nothing but hunting
rifles and swag.
He invented the phrase
"Live free or die."
You really think he had a small bulge?
(LAUGHS)
You know you don't gotta
do this all by yourself.
Yeah, that's why you guys are here.
We, not me, right?
Yeah, but you filling the
table with new designs
before Corinne and I show up
makes we feel like you and us.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- But I know you like to be in control
No, no, it's not a control
thing, it's a time thing.
The faster we get this
currency into circulation,
the faster we save the economy.
Hey, what is all this?
SARAH: It's inspiration.
It's different currencies
from around the world.
- CORINNE: These are money?
- SARAH: They were.
In Micronesia.
They're called rai stones.
The more people who died trying
to transport one of the stones,
the more valuable it was.
- Charming.
- Mm.
Do we even need a physical currency?
- Couldn't Greylock's money be Bitcoin?
- Mm-hmm.
- That's what I said.
- I don't want to scare anyone off
by announcing we're switching
to Internet bucks.
This only works if everyone buys in.
CORINNE: They will.
Yeah, they better.
Okay, I have to go buy glitter.
You guys are on design duty.
- Thank you.
- Glitter?
You can mix it in a blender
to make color-changing ink.
Super effective
anti-counterfeiting trick.
Hmm.
Is there any way we can make
the bulge a little bigger?
(CLEARS THROAT)
Hello?
Hello.
Sorry, we're down a
receptionist at the moment.
- Can we help you?
- Yes.
Um, I would like to report a crime.
Vandalism. My mailbox was vandaled.
I've got patrol, but, uh, Johnson!
It's all you, Johnson.
Oh. Okay.
Thank you.
Well, ma'am, as the only
officer in the building,
I suggest you file a statement.
With me.
In my office.
(AJ CHUCKLES)
Ah, that thing with your tongue
That thing with your fingers.
That thing with the
- the handcuffs.
- The handcuffs, yep.
What did you do to that?
Oh, I whacked it with a rolling pin.
How else was I supposed to see you?
Choir is suspended
until Gladys recovers
from her heart attack.
Well, you know, tampering with mail
is a serious offense.
You're gonna have to get
those handcuffs, then.
- Don't tempt me.
- (KNOCK ON DOOR)
One second!
- Yeah?
- Sorry, there's no receptionist,
but I do need a signature.
- It's heavy. You want me to
- Oh, no, it's
- Right there is good.
- Okay.
Thanks.
He's gone.
(SIGHS)
It's safe.
No.
No, none of this is safe.
SARAH: I don't like this place.
You don't have to like it.
You're not the one going.
Sound baths and sweat lodges.
It's supposed to be rehab,
not Burning Man.
My mom needs a normal program
at a normal facility.
Since when have you been
interested in anything normal?
Chakra revival is not one of
the 12 Steps, last I checked.
The 12 Steps were invented
by two old white dudes.
Your mother is a modern woman.
Maybe she needs a modern approach.
Maybe she needs her head examined.
Maybe her daughter needs to
learn that she can't control
every detail of other people's lives.
It's not other people's lives, Corinne.
It's my mother.
Pass me that wing, will you?
Is this Josh's bumblebee costume?
Some little turd in his
class made fun of him
and ripped the wing off,
so I have to fix it
'cause he wants to
wear it to Cub Scouts.
He wants to wear it again even
though he's gonna get teased?
Yeah, he watched the documentary
about how the bees are dying,
so it's his thing now.
Well, it's not the choice
that I would make,
but I can't live his life for him.
Wait, I guess that you could say
I choose to support him
even though I don't
totally agree with him.
I see what you did there.
Um, I would rather wear a
bumblebee costume myself
than let my mom go to some
stupid hippie commune.
I want to find her somewhere
I want to find her somewhere better,
somewhere that will actually work.
Ah, ah, ah ♪
Ah, ah ♪
BELLA: Hey, here's Jen
and Tom's initials.
They still together?
No, he turned out to
be kind of a douche.
You know Danny and Corinne are here?
BELLA: Aw, that's cute.
And they're also not together.
- He's also kind of a douche.
- (LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Aliasuttumik ♪
How many of these relationships
do you think actually, like, made it?
- What do you mean?
- I don't know.
Like, most of these couples I recognize
aren't really couples anymore.
What about you and me?
We're still a couple, aren't we?
Yeah, of course.
Look, and even if all
these relationships failed,
ours will be the first one that doesn't.
Ulapirsauti ♪
Qaujigumagivara. ♪
I'm sorry Lewis made fun
of you again, sweetie,
but at least your wing
stayed on this time, right?
I don't want to talk about it.
Look, I know that it hurts now,
but I love that costume,
and I'm so proud of you
- for giving it another shot.
- I said I don't want to talk.
Wait, Josh.
Josh. Honey? Josh (GASPS)
Josh, sweetie?
Whoa! Slow down there, Mr. Bumblebee.
I, uh, think you dropped something.
Looks like, looks like an antenna.
Very important. You need one of these
to, like, smell and-and feel and
And measure wind speed.
Want to tell me what's
going on, what's wrong?
Josh!
Anyone can wear pants and a T-shirt.
It takes a real superstar
to rock one of these.
(PANTING)
CORINNE: Josh?
Go wait by the car.
Stay on the sidewalk.
What the hell are you doing?
I'm just trying to help.
I don't need your help, Danny.
I've been doing fine without you.
CORINNE: Before you
die, you see the Ring.
Okay, that's actually Harriet E. Wilson,
the first African American
to publish a novel
on this continent. Oh
Yeah, and I'm sure that this is exactly
how she would want to be remembered.
No. Hey. Maya.
Yeah. The ink balance is off.
Ugh. Bailey Pond looks
like the La Brea Tar Pits.
Bella?
Thought we agreed that we were
gonna spend time as a family
before you leave for Cabot.
Well, I would rather be with my friends.
Bella, don't be difficult, okay?
Or what, Dad, you'll ship me
off to boarding school again?
Let's go. Come on.
- Bye, guys.
- Bye, you guys.
- Bye.
- SARAH: Hey, William, cut her some slack.
She's just sad about leaving.
Can't blame her if
she's a little snippy.
Oh, don't worry. When it comes
to my daughter losing her way,
I know exactly who to blame.
Just happy to be getting
her out of Greylock
before your latest scheme implodes.
Oh, "scheme." That's
not patronizing at all.
If you launch a currency and it fails,
the results could be devastating.
- Have you ever heard of Nauru?
- Yes.
Tiny island country in Micronesia,
big on phosphate.
You do know I was a, I was
a teacher before this, right?
Well, Nauru bet its future
on its resources,
and when they were gone,
the whole island imploded in bankruptcy.
Okay, we get it, Debbie Downer.
But for every Nauru there's a Norway,
another place that bet its future
on its natural resources
and has one of the wealthiest,
most stable economies
on Earth because of it.
This is a mistake.
SARAH: I want you to know that I
I support you going to rehab, 100%.
But?
But not this rehab.
It's just not the right path.
There are many different
pathways to sobriety
and many, many different
possible outcomes.
It's not an exact science.
Mom, this isn't science at all.
I did some research. I found
a few places of my own.
(SIGHS)
Okay, we got Green Rapids,
Whispering Ranch, Clear Meadows.
Well, they all sound
like salad dressing.
Mom, these are accredited facilities.
They have impeccable reputations,
they have licensed therapists.
- Wouldn't you be more comfortable
- Yes, I'm sure that I would be.
- Okay, fine
- But the point is to be uncomfortable.
And I believe that my choice
is gonna push me right
out of my comfort zone
and into real change.
- Okay.
- And they're not going to admit me
unless I have you by my side.
Chakra revival.
Sarah, the next session
starts in two days.
Please.
We need to be on the road by tomorrow.
Mom, any rehab in this pile.
Any one of these,
I will get in the car right now.
But I-I can't I'm not taking
you to that other place.
I just don't trust it.
Well, you trust me. Come on.
(WHISPERS): Mom.
You waiting for Godot or something?
(BOTH LAUGH SOFTLY)
Spoiler alert, he's not coming.
I thought I was the only person
who came out here to think.
SARAH: I, um
I just told Mom I wouldn't
take her to the rehab facility
she wants to go to,
which means she can't go.
Why would you do that?
If you saw this place, you'd understand.
It's a joke.
I don't want to set her up for failure.
Look, Mom could get eaten
by a shark tomorrow
and I wouldn't lose any sleep
over it, but I got to ask.
Are you really afraid of her failing?
Or are you afraid that she
might actually succeed?
What the hell are you talking about?
You've been picking her up
off the floor all these years.
It's-it's become who you are.
You're-you're in control.
You're a fixer.
But what happens if Mom
doesn't need fixing anymore?
I picked Mom up because someone had to.
It sure as hell wasn't gonna
be you. You disappeared.
Is there any chance you could
repeat that trick for us now?
(EXHALES)
♪
She saves ♪
Every moment in a picture ♪
Hi, Auntie Sarah.
Hi, Josh.
Wow, looks like you started a trend.
I wore my outfit to school
again this morning.
You don't quit, do you, buddy?
Quitting's for quitters.
When Lewis tried to be
mean to me this time,
I told him how bees can fly
up to 15 miles per hour.
And how they never sleep.
I know the feeling.
So now Lewis likes bees
even more than me.
And he told everybody how cool bees are.
Now everyone has their own bee outfit.
And now look at you,
leader of a whole hive.
Auntie Sarah, a group of bees
is called a swarm, not a hive.
Thank you, Josh.
GROVER: There they are.
We pulled out all the stops
for Bella's last meal.
BELLA: I'm gonna miss Sweetie Pie.
GROVER: And Sweetie Pie's
gonna miss you, too.
But don't worry, we're gonna send
plenty of cupcakes to Connecticut.
Oh. Have fun at school, Bella.
I'm sure you're gonna make
a lot of new friends.
I doubt it. I'm coming in in
the middle of the semester.
Everyone there already knows each other.
Yeah, well, I'm sure they're
gonna be fighting to know you.
I mean, come on. The badass
rebel that got deported
by the National Guard?
Instant street cred.
We should eat. Bella
still has packing to do.
Okay. Let's go, sweetheart.
Okay.
I'll be your sobriety support person.
I'll drive you to rehab in the morning.
What made you change your mind?
A swarm of bees.
I'm not gonna stand in
the way of your choice
just because it isn't
the one I would make.
Thank you. Thank you.
Yes!
That's what I'm talking about.
(EXHALES)
Thanks again for coming over, man.
Especially after I was kind
of a dick the other night.
It's all good.
Yeah, I really needed this after
the last couple of days I had.
Mm. What'd you do?
Nothing, but that didn't stop
Corinne from biting my head off.
Man, you probably deserved it.
Okay, look,
I get what I did back then was wrong,
but she's-she's married.
She's a mom. I just
I figured she was over it by now.
Over it?
(STAMMERS)
Do you have any idea what
you put that girl through?
After you disappeared,
she didn't eat, didn't sleep,
wouldn't talk to anyone.
We weren't sure that
she'd ever get over it.
I don't know what was
going through your head
when you took off, and I'm
sure you had your reasons,
but I've never seen anything
like what you put Corinne through.
So, like I said, if she tried
to rip your head off,
you probably deserved it.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Hi!
- Has it been like this all day?
- Yeah.
This is great.
We're gonna sell out in no time.
- Sarah.
- Hi!
- Hi, Diego.
- Sarah.
- Yeah.
- They're not here to buy Greylock money.
They're here to take their
American money out.
- What?
- Everyone's worried about losing their money
if our currency fails and if
Greylock's economy tanks.
No, for this to work,
everyone needs to buy in.
If they're pulling their money out,
our economy's doomed.
So is Greylock.
This new currency is a solution
to all of our problems.
Why didn't people buy in?
What are they afraid of?
CORINNE: It's a big change, Sarah.
Money is life. It puts
food on the table.
It keeps a roof over your head.
And for the folks in this town,
it's green and it has
U.S. presidents on it.
I mean, giving that up to
invest in something so new
- and so unproven is
- Scary.
Not as scary as what's
gonna happen to Greylock
if they don't get on board.
I need to reframe the conversation,
help people get over their fears.
I'm gonna host
an open meeting tomorrow
morning at town hall.
- No, you're not.
- You're taking your mom
- to rehab in the morning.
- No, guys, this is a crisis.
AJ: That we can handle
until you get back.
It's a three-day trip.
I can't be gone that long.
What kind of a leader does that make me?
Type of leader that shows
up for their family.
And the kind that has friends
she can trust to step up for her.
I do trust you guys, but I-I
think I have to be here for this.
No.
- What if I call the rehab place?
- OTHERS: No!
- Maybe they can make an exception.
- Nice try.
This crisis could be an
extinction-level event
for Greylock's economy.
And your mom missing the check-in window
could be an extinction-level
event for her sobriety.
Yeah, it's a hard decision,
which is why we made it for you.
GROVER: Sarah, we got you.
That dinner was like a two-hour
customer service call.
(CHUCKLES) My dad always
defaults to bank talk
when he gets anxious.
TYLER: On the plus side,
I learned a lot about index funds.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
Tomorrow night will be just you and me.
I promise it won't be boring.
You still want to go to Phoebe's party?
Her parents are out of town.
Sounds like the whole
school's going to show up.
Hey, I'm gonna have to call you back.
Okay, bye.
Sorry to interrupt.
I know that you and Tyler want
to make the most of every minute
before you go.
Have you guys talked about
how things will change
when you get to school?
Who says things have to change?
I just think
it might be hard to
live two lives at once.
It's been seven solid days ♪
My school's in Connecticut
and my boyfriend's here.
That's not two lives,
Alexis. It's two towns.
Bella, you trying to convince me
or yourself?
I just want to know
you're unimpaired ♪
ELLEN: Still no reception?
SARAH: Nothing.
I have no way to know
how Greylock is doing.
- Can't even send a text.
- (CHUCKLING)
I fail to see what's so funny.
I'm just remembering
that papier-mâché volcano
you made in sixth grade.
And how the night before
you turned it in, it collapsed.
If you're about to draw
some ham-fisted parallel
between the collapse
of my country's economy
and a science fair volcano,
I swear to God I will
push you into traffic.
Don't you remember what
happened after it collapsed?
- Mm-mm.
- Corinne, she came over.
She spent all night helping
you build a new one.
And then there was the time when AJ,
she drove your laptop to Dartmouth
because you forgot it
during Christmas break.
And then I think Grover cooked dinner
for your entire field hockey team
before you left for state finals.
Yeah, I'm not great at letting go.
No kidding.
But if you have to,
you could do a whole lot worse
than handing the wheel
over to your friends.
AJ: This is a dumpster fire.
We've been sitting here for seven
hours and we still have no clue
how to get people to buy into the money.
There are some good ideas up there.
Corinne, "call Lin-Manuel
Miranda" is not a good idea.
Of course it's a good idea. I was
in the room where it happened.
What about incentives?
Everybody likes free stuff.
Ooh, my gym gave me a free toaster
when I bought a membership.
Where are we supposed
to find 2,000 toasters?
It doesn't have to be actual toasters.
Air fryer on the other hand.
- Oh, I need an air fryer.
- Right?
- GROVER: Yeah.
- I need a break.
CORINNE: Okay, well, with
Gladys down for a while,
I told people that I would
unlock the choir cabinets,
so they can grab their
music if they want.
I'll come with you.
I'll keep thinking.
Being a world leader sucks.
How does Sarah deal with all the stress?
Two words mosh pit.
(CHUCKLES)
- Hey, Alexis.
- Hey, thanks for this.
I've been meaning to come get my stuff.
Yeah. Um
I'm just gonna bring this to Gladys
and then check on Josh.
Be back at Sweetie Pie in an hour?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Great.
- Bye.
- See you.
Hey.
Oh, so you can see me now?
Based on last night,
I thought I was invisible.
- Look, I'm sorry. I just
- Before now,
when I would see you on the street,
you'd at least say hello.
Make eye contact. Come on.
We're not secret agents, Lex.
We're in the choir together,
people know we're friends.
There's no reason for you to
treat me like I don't exist.
It's just, since what
happened at the station,
almost getting caught?
I can't help feeling like
everyone's looking at me.
Like they know about us,
like they know what we're doing
when we're not at choir.
I saw you at Sweetie Pie and I just
I froze.
I'm not trying to blow
up your life, Alexis.
I know there are limits to us.
But is it really so much to ask for you
to acknowledge my existence?
To treat me like I'm more
than just a warm body.
Guess that's my answer.
You know
of all the things you made me feel
I never thought cheap
would be one of them.
-
- No. Say it ain't so.
I wish I could.
Diego, man.
I never would have finished my house
if it wasn't for your store,
your expertise.
You're the heart and soul of Greylock.
We should be putting you on the flag.
It's like my dad used to say
when he was going bald.
You don't know what
you got till it's gone.
(LOCKS DOOR)
CORINNE: Hear me out.
Trading in 1,000 American
dollars for Greylock bucks
gets you a two-slot toaster.
5,000 gets you four slots.
10,000 gets you one of those
fancy conveyor belt things
like they have in college dining halls.
What's with you and the toast, like ?
GROVER: I got a plan.
We're gonna need wood and paint.
A lot of paint.
Oh, I can smell the patchouli from here.
You coming?
What if I can't? What if I fail?
You might.
You've given better pep talks.
You also might succeed, Mom.
The only way you're
gonna find out is to try.
You've taken a really big step
in getting to this moment.
You owe it to yourself
to see it through.
So you support this place?
(WOMAN CHANTING)
Um
yeah
I support you.
I used to think there was
only one way to do that,
my way, but it's your
recovery, Mom, not mine.
If you feel like this is the place
where you belong, then this
is the place where you belong
and I'm gonna be right
here when it's over.
Okay. I'm ready.
Okay. Let's go get you healthy.
- It's about time.
- (LAUGHS)
CORINNE: Me again.
Leaving another message like it's 1998.
How are you still out of cell range?
Should I send a raven or a ?
(GROANS) I got to go.
(FENWAY GROWLING)
(BARKING)
Good dog.
(FENWAY GROWLING)
("WILDFLOWERS" BY HAIVA RU PLAYING)
I'm sorry about the other day.
I overstepped.
You had every right
to tell me to piss off.
And I know you're doing fine without me.
And I'm glad.
But if I'm honest, it does
make it hard to be around you.
What, what does?
How happy you are without me.
A lot goes through my head
when I look at you, and
the more we run into each
other, the harder it gets.
Wonder which one you might be ♪
Because I still see my Corinne.
I see the girl who saved me.
The one who made me feel
safe when nothing else was.
The one bright spot
in all the darkness.
I had no idea how bad it
was for you after I left.
After everything you did for
me, you didn't deserve that.
You were my whole world, Danny.
What we had was
And then you, you know,
you threw it all away and-and
then you disappeared.
I had to leave.
- Mom's drinking was, um
- I know
I know why you had to leave Greylock.
Why ?
Why did you leave me?
Wildflowers ♪
I never knew. I still don't know, I
Could you just, could ?
Could you give me that?
What happened that night
that you left, that you disappeared?
I wish I could explain, but I can't.
You mean you won't.
You know, thank you, uh, Danny.
For a second there, I forgot
why I hate you so much.
♪
- I think we should have sex.
- Sex, like sex-sex?
I'm ready if you are.
Why?
What do you mean, why?
Why now?
Just where is this coming from?
I thought that maybe this
would be a good idea
to do this before I leave.
But apparently
that's kind of crazy
It's not crazy, I just don't know
why we have to do it right here
Be-Because you don't, you
don't want to stay with me?
Because you don't think
this is gonna work?
No, I Bella
This is a stupid idea and I'm sorry.
- Bella?
- I just want to go home.
Can you please just drive me home?
- Can we talk about this?
- I don't want to talk about it.
I don't I want to go home.
I just want to go back home.
(TIRES SCREECH)
("LUCKY" BY GANSER PLAYING)
-
- Thought you'd be more ♪
Thought you'd be okay ♪
Hell of a day, kid ♪
Hell of a day ♪
This can't be happening.
You should be so lucky. ♪
-
- Grover! Grover!
Open up. I can see lights on in there.
Grover.
What the hell is wrong with your phone?
- We've been trying to call you.
- What's wrong with my phone?!
What's wrong with my country?
What's happened?
Okay. (SIGHS)
Have a seat.
Two days ago, Diego's
store went out of business.
Everyone took his hardware
store for granted,
just like they took
Greylock for granted.
You don't know what
you got till it's gone.
In order to get people
to buy into the currency,
we had to make them believe,
if they didn't, Greylock
would disappear.
We had to make 'em feel it.
So we made Greylock disappear.
AJ, Corinne and I talked to
every business on Main Street.
We got a bunch of signs and
boarded up all the windows,
and voilà.
It's all fake?
I prefer the term "counterfeit."
Do you really think this plan will work?
It already has.
When people woke up and
realized what not buying
into the currency would
actually cost them,
they headed straight to the bank.
They reopened their accounts?
And they bought out the entire
first run of Greylock's currency.
- You did it?
- No, we did it.
(LAUGHING)
- All of us did it.
- Thank you.
Thank you for having my back
when I needed to let go.
Well, you didn't let go.
We removed your stubborn ass by force.
(CHUCKLES)
You reminded people how lucky
they are to have Greylock.
Reminded me how lucky I am to have you.
You should've seen your
face when you came in.
We basically pulled
off the biggest scare
in the history of Fraidy-Cat.
- I am gonna get you back.
- Oh.
Don't worry.
Okay.
ALEXIS: Today's the day.
How you feeling?
This is a good chance for a fresh start.
I'm glad to hear that.
♪
ALEXIS: Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Let it go.
- Let it go. Let it go.
- Yeah, I was just
I know, just give her a minute.
What do you want?
About last night, with, um
the sex thing.
"The sex thing," Tyler? Wow.
- That makes it sound really romantic.
- I'm sorry.
Seems like the harder I
try to say the right thing,
the wrong thing just comes
right out of my mouth.
Well, I got to go.
So bye, Tyler.
I love you.
I didn't mean to hurt you and
I don't want to break up.
Of course I want to have sex with you.
Just not in the back of my car.
At least not the first time.
I wanted it to feel special
because you're special and
I love you, too.
- (HONKS HORN)
- William!
(KISSES)
(LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Okay, I'll, um, I'll call
you when I get there.
(LAUGHING)
Bye.
Bye! (LAUGHS)
Why are you sitting at
the receptionist desk?
That's where the receptionist sits.
You were clearly understaffed,
and with Bella off to school,
I have more free time, so I applied.
What does this mean?
It means I'm sorry.
This whole thing has made me realize
how important you are to me,
which scared me at first, but
losing you scares me more.
And I know that this job isn't
gonna solve all of our problems,
but it's the way that I can make sure
we still get to spend time together,
and I can prove to you
that you are way more than
just a warm body to me.
Welcome aboard.
Your messages, Officer.
Thank you.
♪
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Ooh, hatching another scheme, are we?
We were prepping the second printing
when we realized our bills
don't have to look the same.
Yeah, America has a different
quarter for each state.
Other countries put, like,
historical figures on their money
heroes from the past.
But what about the people
living here today?
We're building this country together
and our money should reflect that.
And everyone should get
a say in how it looks.
Yeah, so we're running a contest
to take ideas from people in town.
- Anything good yet?
- Yes.
A first grader I know submitted a
very compelling bumblebee design.
CORINNE (SQUEALS):
Oh, God, that's my baby.
Oh, he's so talented.
(BABY TALK): You see the
eyes? The little mouth?
- Hi.
- Hi.
Another new design?
Turn it over.
That's my house.
Two homes were lost in the
name of Greylock's future.
I want to memorialize
each with their own bill.
But only if it's okay with you.
"In us we trust."
Greylock's new motto.
This country belongs to us.
It will succeed because of us.
What do you think?
(CHUCKLES): I think it's perfect.
(SIGHS)
Oh, long day?
I swear, Mrs. Nowlan's cat gets
stuck higher in that tree every day.
You ask me, just build it a tree
house and let it live up there.
- (CHUCKLES)
- Mm. So
how long have you been
sleeping with Alexis Whitmore?
- (WIND WHISTLING)
- (BIRD SQUAWKING)
♪
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
What are you doing here?
Saw your car in the driveway.
I was gonna ask you the same thing.
I came to turn off Mom's water and gas
while she's at rehab.
She actually went, huh?
Dropped her off myself,
because I do want her to
get sober, believe it or not.
I believe it, Sarah.
I'm sorry about what I said before.
I think some of my own feelings
might have got in the way there.
The sky is a mess ♪
You weren't completely wrong.
I am a control freak.
I am a fixer.
Which is why, as much
as I hate to admit it,
(SIGHS) I think some part of me
Is gonna miss Mom while she's gone.
All night and through the dawn ♪
So all their nests
broke on the ground ♪
Their little chests
and whispering hearts ♪
And tiny breaths ♪
The way she treated you, Danny
(SPUTTERS) I want to bounce
her head off the pavement.
To hurt you like that.
Her own son. It's unforgivable.
But then I think (SIGHS)
I think of seeing her face in
the audience at my school plays.
And on the sidelines at
at my field hockey games and
Dad was gone.
And then you left. (SNIFFLES)
But she was here.
(SOBBING)
(SIGHS)
I hate myself for not hating her.
But she was, she was
the only family I had.
I know she was a monster.
The big ones hunt ♪
I'm sorry.
And the little ones run ♪
But she was, she was also a mother.
The big ones hunt the little ones ♪
She was a mother to me.
How can those two things
exist in the same person?
- Little one, run, run, run ♪
- Run, run, run ♪
She's not the only family
you have, Sarah.
Not anymore.
- Little one, run, run, run ♪
- Run, run, run ♪
The big ones hunt
and the little ones run ♪
- Little one, run, run, run ♪
- Run, run, run. ♪
Previously on The Republic of Sarah
A sizable deposit of coltan
has been discovered
right here in Greylock.
This morning, Governor Taggert
signed eminent domain paperwork,
which gives Greylock's public space
to the state of New Hampshire.
They're gonna wipe Greylock off the map.
I know how we can stop the drilling.
This town was never legally claimed
by either of its national neighbors.
(CHUCKLES): Who's in
charge if the mayor quits?
TYLER: Ms. Cooper. She saved us.
She should be the leader.
(SINGING SOLEMN HYMN
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(PIANO PLAYS)
(SINGING CONTINUES)
(SINGING CONTINUES)
♪
(CHOIR JOINS, HARMONIZING)
I couldn't take my eyes
off you during your solo.
I noticed. Hopefully, no one
else did, Mrs. Whitmore.
Nobody worries about us
getting caught more than I do,
but choir practice is safe.
I can stare at you while you sing,
and everyone will just chalk
it up to my godly passions.
- Right.
- CORINNE: Hey.
- Hey.
- So, um, I think it's time
for another round of Fraidy-Cat.
- Mm, mm.
- Sarah's up, so
You want to target the
leader of our country?
- I mean
- Target her for what?
Should I alert the Secret Service?
AJ: We don't have a Secret Service.
We should probably get a Secret Service.
You know, I will put
that on the to-do list,
right underneath another
round of Fraidy-Cat.
- Oh.
- Okay, Fraidy-Cat?
Oh, it's a game we
played in high school.
It's all about the element of surprise.
- (THUD ON PIANO KEYS)
- MAN: What happened?
- Gladys?
- Gladys!
- Gladys? Someone call an ambulance!
- Stay with us, Gladys.
Hey, you on break?
- What's wrong?
- I don't know if you heard,
but my girlfriend's dad
is sending her away
to boarding school at
the end of the week.
Hmm. Well, I don't know if you heard,
but your girlfriend and her
boyfriend actually just decided
they're not going to let boarding school
ruin their last few days together, so
Here. Look.
What's that?
I organized our work, school
and activities to see
when we'd both be free
to video chat every week.
We can definitely make this work.
You're incredible.
(BOTH SCREAM)
- Yes.
- Very funny.
I thought so. I mean, I thought so.
Oh, my
(BOTH SCREAM)
- Oh, my God.
- (LAUGHTER)
Damn it!
No, no. No soup for you, no.
- You lost dinner privileges.
- What about a soda?
- AJ: That's two out of three.
- I know.
If Corinne catches you in 24 hours,
that's five bucks apiece
for the victors.
A, I know how Fraidy-Cat works.
B, it's not gonna happen.
I'm on high alert now.
- (BOTH SCREAM)
- (LAUGHTER)
High alert, huh? Not high enough.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
Inside the fridge?
Where's all the food?
Outside on the porch. Nature's icebox.
GROVER: Let's go.
Whip out that Cash App.
Well, pay up, Madam President.
I'm pretty sure this
qualifies as extortion
of a government official.
- Hmm.
- AJ: Maybe.
Whoa, what's up with all these fees?
GROVER: What fees?
In my bank account.
There's, like, extra charges
- on all my recent activity.
- CORINNE: Ooh, I have 'em, too.
- Same.
- Same.
And we all have different banks, right?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
So these fees have got to be happening
everywhere, to everyone.
If all of Greylock is suddenly
paying extra fees
- on every purchase
- We have a serious problem.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Hey, Josh.
- School play?
- No.
He, uh, just likes wearing it.
So what is the deal with
all those extra fees?
They're foreign transaction fees.
All the banks I called
- said they kicked in yesterday.
- Wait a minute.
I live in Greylock and
I shop in Greylock,
so what part of that counts as foreign?
The part where you're still using
an American bank account,
American credit card.
Greylock is now a sovereign nation.
American banks almost always charge fees
for purchases made in other nations.
Even ones that use the U.S. dollar.
Okay, so everyone who uses a credit card
in Greylock, even our own citizens,
gets charged a penalty
for shopping here?
Mm-hmm.
Okay, is there any way
to avoid the fees?
GROVER: Yep. And it's
only five minutes away.
What are you talking about?
U.S. banks don't charge fees
on purchases made in the U.S.
Which means all it takes to avoid
a three-percent torpedo every
time you swipe your card
is a quick trip down the
road to New Hampshire.
That's an easy choice for most people.
That three percent adds up fast.
Not to mention the local economy.
Take Diego's hardware store.
Why would anyone shop there
when they can get the same
hammer for less, one town over?
My store has been hemorrhaging
cash for weeks.
Same thing goes for all
the shops on Main Street.
And that was before this
foreign transaction fee thing.
Won't be long before we all go under.
Oh, no. We're not losing Greylock.
Burning the midnight oil, I see.
Oh, yeah. I'm not gonna be able to sleep
until we figure out this
transaction fee situation.
I don't want to interrupt your work,
but I want to ask you a favor
before I lose my nerve.
Nerve was never something
you were short on, Mom.
What is it?
AA's not working for me.
Are you sure it's not
the other way around?
- It's only been three weeks.
- I've gone to a meeting
- every night of those three weeks.
- You can't give up, Mom.
I'm not giving up, Sarah.
I'm not giving up.
The nightly meetings,
they aren't enough.
I need more.
I want to try rehab.
Oh, wow, Mom.
That's a great idea.
Okay, what's the favor? Yeah.
The place that I chose
requires that you have
a "sobriety supporter."
You would drive me to the
facility and help me check in,
and then you would exchange
letters with me during the program.
- Would you consider it?
- Yeah, yeah, of course.
Mom I'm really proud of you.
(TV SPORTSCASTER SPEAKING
LOUDLY IN OTHER ROOM)
(SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES)
(KEYS CLACKING)
(SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Grover. Um
- what are you
- Doing here?
Lydon bulldozed my house, remember?
Yeah, they're paying for my room
until I find somewhere new.
Right, right, um sorry about that.
The thing is, uh, I have a,
I have a meeting in the morning,
like, a big meeting, and would you mind
just turning the volume on
the TV down just a little bit?
(SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES LOUDLY)
SPORTSCASTER: And Martin wins the draw,
flips it to Johnson along the boards.
It's a footrace, but Moon gets there
- (SPORTSCASTER CONTINUES)
- (SIGHS)
(TV VOLUME INCREASES)
SPORTSCASTER: He scores! Gabowsky
SARAH: It only gets worse from here.
- Worse how?
- As long as we're tied
to American currency,
our fate is in American hands.
Okay, so how do we get it
back into Greylockian hands?
Greylockian. Is that, is that
what we're going with?
I've been saying Greylockish.
- Greylockese.
- CORINNE: What about Greylench?
Like France, French.
Greylock, Greylench.
Okay, so using American cash screws us.
What other cash is there?
Greylock cash.
Yeah, but we can't just
print our own money.
We can if we have a resource to back it.
The American dollar was
originally backed by gold.
AJ: Yeah, we don't have gold.
No, we have coltan. We could
back our money with that.
Okay, if we tried this, what comes next?
Greylock Mutual becomes
our central bank.
We set an initial exchange rate,
convince people to buy Greylock bucks.
But before any of that,
we get to design our own money.
Think what that will do
for our national identity.
An independent currency
means no more fees.
It builds up Greylock's
economy in the short term.
It guarantees stability
for the long term.
If we really want freedom,
this is how we get it.
If it works.
It has to work.
SARAH: Is it too big? The bulge?
Ms. Cooper, this is John Stark.
Dude led a colonial
militia that took down
Britain's entire northern army
with nothing but hunting
rifles and swag.
He invented the phrase
"Live free or die."
You really think he had a small bulge?
(LAUGHS)
You know you don't gotta
do this all by yourself.
Yeah, that's why you guys are here.
We, not me, right?
Yeah, but you filling the
table with new designs
before Corinne and I show up
makes we feel like you and us.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- But I know you like to be in control
No, no, it's not a control
thing, it's a time thing.
The faster we get this
currency into circulation,
the faster we save the economy.
Hey, what is all this?
SARAH: It's inspiration.
It's different currencies
from around the world.
- CORINNE: These are money?
- SARAH: They were.
In Micronesia.
They're called rai stones.
The more people who died trying
to transport one of the stones,
the more valuable it was.
- Charming.
- Mm.
Do we even need a physical currency?
- Couldn't Greylock's money be Bitcoin?
- Mm-hmm.
- That's what I said.
- I don't want to scare anyone off
by announcing we're switching
to Internet bucks.
This only works if everyone buys in.
CORINNE: They will.
Yeah, they better.
Okay, I have to go buy glitter.
You guys are on design duty.
- Thank you.
- Glitter?
You can mix it in a blender
to make color-changing ink.
Super effective
anti-counterfeiting trick.
Hmm.
Is there any way we can make
the bulge a little bigger?
(CLEARS THROAT)
Hello?
Hello.
Sorry, we're down a
receptionist at the moment.
- Can we help you?
- Yes.
Um, I would like to report a crime.
Vandalism. My mailbox was vandaled.
I've got patrol, but, uh, Johnson!
It's all you, Johnson.
Oh. Okay.
Thank you.
Well, ma'am, as the only
officer in the building,
I suggest you file a statement.
With me.
In my office.
(AJ CHUCKLES)
Ah, that thing with your tongue
That thing with your fingers.
That thing with the
- the handcuffs.
- The handcuffs, yep.
What did you do to that?
Oh, I whacked it with a rolling pin.
How else was I supposed to see you?
Choir is suspended
until Gladys recovers
from her heart attack.
Well, you know, tampering with mail
is a serious offense.
You're gonna have to get
those handcuffs, then.
- Don't tempt me.
- (KNOCK ON DOOR)
One second!
- Yeah?
- Sorry, there's no receptionist,
but I do need a signature.
- It's heavy. You want me to
- Oh, no, it's
- Right there is good.
- Okay.
Thanks.
He's gone.
(SIGHS)
It's safe.
No.
No, none of this is safe.
SARAH: I don't like this place.
You don't have to like it.
You're not the one going.
Sound baths and sweat lodges.
It's supposed to be rehab,
not Burning Man.
My mom needs a normal program
at a normal facility.
Since when have you been
interested in anything normal?
Chakra revival is not one of
the 12 Steps, last I checked.
The 12 Steps were invented
by two old white dudes.
Your mother is a modern woman.
Maybe she needs a modern approach.
Maybe she needs her head examined.
Maybe her daughter needs to
learn that she can't control
every detail of other people's lives.
It's not other people's lives, Corinne.
It's my mother.
Pass me that wing, will you?
Is this Josh's bumblebee costume?
Some little turd in his
class made fun of him
and ripped the wing off,
so I have to fix it
'cause he wants to
wear it to Cub Scouts.
He wants to wear it again even
though he's gonna get teased?
Yeah, he watched the documentary
about how the bees are dying,
so it's his thing now.
Well, it's not the choice
that I would make,
but I can't live his life for him.
Wait, I guess that you could say
I choose to support him
even though I don't
totally agree with him.
I see what you did there.
Um, I would rather wear a
bumblebee costume myself
than let my mom go to some
stupid hippie commune.
I want to find her somewhere
I want to find her somewhere better,
somewhere that will actually work.
Ah, ah, ah ♪
Ah, ah ♪
BELLA: Hey, here's Jen
and Tom's initials.
They still together?
No, he turned out to
be kind of a douche.
You know Danny and Corinne are here?
BELLA: Aw, that's cute.
And they're also not together.
- He's also kind of a douche.
- (LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Aliasuttumik ♪
How many of these relationships
do you think actually, like, made it?
- What do you mean?
- I don't know.
Like, most of these couples I recognize
aren't really couples anymore.
What about you and me?
We're still a couple, aren't we?
Yeah, of course.
Look, and even if all
these relationships failed,
ours will be the first one that doesn't.
Ulapirsauti ♪
Qaujigumagivara. ♪
I'm sorry Lewis made fun
of you again, sweetie,
but at least your wing
stayed on this time, right?
I don't want to talk about it.
Look, I know that it hurts now,
but I love that costume,
and I'm so proud of you
- for giving it another shot.
- I said I don't want to talk.
Wait, Josh.
Josh. Honey? Josh (GASPS)
Josh, sweetie?
Whoa! Slow down there, Mr. Bumblebee.
I, uh, think you dropped something.
Looks like, looks like an antenna.
Very important. You need one of these
to, like, smell and-and feel and
And measure wind speed.
Want to tell me what's
going on, what's wrong?
Josh!
Anyone can wear pants and a T-shirt.
It takes a real superstar
to rock one of these.
(PANTING)
CORINNE: Josh?
Go wait by the car.
Stay on the sidewalk.
What the hell are you doing?
I'm just trying to help.
I don't need your help, Danny.
I've been doing fine without you.
CORINNE: Before you
die, you see the Ring.
Okay, that's actually Harriet E. Wilson,
the first African American
to publish a novel
on this continent. Oh
Yeah, and I'm sure that this is exactly
how she would want to be remembered.
No. Hey. Maya.
Yeah. The ink balance is off.
Ugh. Bailey Pond looks
like the La Brea Tar Pits.
Bella?
Thought we agreed that we were
gonna spend time as a family
before you leave for Cabot.
Well, I would rather be with my friends.
Bella, don't be difficult, okay?
Or what, Dad, you'll ship me
off to boarding school again?
Let's go. Come on.
- Bye, guys.
- Bye, you guys.
- Bye.
- SARAH: Hey, William, cut her some slack.
She's just sad about leaving.
Can't blame her if
she's a little snippy.
Oh, don't worry. When it comes
to my daughter losing her way,
I know exactly who to blame.
Just happy to be getting
her out of Greylock
before your latest scheme implodes.
Oh, "scheme." That's
not patronizing at all.
If you launch a currency and it fails,
the results could be devastating.
- Have you ever heard of Nauru?
- Yes.
Tiny island country in Micronesia,
big on phosphate.
You do know I was a, I was
a teacher before this, right?
Well, Nauru bet its future
on its resources,
and when they were gone,
the whole island imploded in bankruptcy.
Okay, we get it, Debbie Downer.
But for every Nauru there's a Norway,
another place that bet its future
on its natural resources
and has one of the wealthiest,
most stable economies
on Earth because of it.
This is a mistake.
SARAH: I want you to know that I
I support you going to rehab, 100%.
But?
But not this rehab.
It's just not the right path.
There are many different
pathways to sobriety
and many, many different
possible outcomes.
It's not an exact science.
Mom, this isn't science at all.
I did some research. I found
a few places of my own.
(SIGHS)
Okay, we got Green Rapids,
Whispering Ranch, Clear Meadows.
Well, they all sound
like salad dressing.
Mom, these are accredited facilities.
They have impeccable reputations,
they have licensed therapists.
- Wouldn't you be more comfortable
- Yes, I'm sure that I would be.
- Okay, fine
- But the point is to be uncomfortable.
And I believe that my choice
is gonna push me right
out of my comfort zone
and into real change.
- Okay.
- And they're not going to admit me
unless I have you by my side.
Chakra revival.
Sarah, the next session
starts in two days.
Please.
We need to be on the road by tomorrow.
Mom, any rehab in this pile.
Any one of these,
I will get in the car right now.
But I-I can't I'm not taking
you to that other place.
I just don't trust it.
Well, you trust me. Come on.
(WHISPERS): Mom.
You waiting for Godot or something?
(BOTH LAUGH SOFTLY)
Spoiler alert, he's not coming.
I thought I was the only person
who came out here to think.
SARAH: I, um
I just told Mom I wouldn't
take her to the rehab facility
she wants to go to,
which means she can't go.
Why would you do that?
If you saw this place, you'd understand.
It's a joke.
I don't want to set her up for failure.
Look, Mom could get eaten
by a shark tomorrow
and I wouldn't lose any sleep
over it, but I got to ask.
Are you really afraid of her failing?
Or are you afraid that she
might actually succeed?
What the hell are you talking about?
You've been picking her up
off the floor all these years.
It's-it's become who you are.
You're-you're in control.
You're a fixer.
But what happens if Mom
doesn't need fixing anymore?
I picked Mom up because someone had to.
It sure as hell wasn't gonna
be you. You disappeared.
Is there any chance you could
repeat that trick for us now?
(EXHALES)
♪
She saves ♪
Every moment in a picture ♪
Hi, Auntie Sarah.
Hi, Josh.
Wow, looks like you started a trend.
I wore my outfit to school
again this morning.
You don't quit, do you, buddy?
Quitting's for quitters.
When Lewis tried to be
mean to me this time,
I told him how bees can fly
up to 15 miles per hour.
And how they never sleep.
I know the feeling.
So now Lewis likes bees
even more than me.
And he told everybody how cool bees are.
Now everyone has their own bee outfit.
And now look at you,
leader of a whole hive.
Auntie Sarah, a group of bees
is called a swarm, not a hive.
Thank you, Josh.
GROVER: There they are.
We pulled out all the stops
for Bella's last meal.
BELLA: I'm gonna miss Sweetie Pie.
GROVER: And Sweetie Pie's
gonna miss you, too.
But don't worry, we're gonna send
plenty of cupcakes to Connecticut.
Oh. Have fun at school, Bella.
I'm sure you're gonna make
a lot of new friends.
I doubt it. I'm coming in in
the middle of the semester.
Everyone there already knows each other.
Yeah, well, I'm sure they're
gonna be fighting to know you.
I mean, come on. The badass
rebel that got deported
by the National Guard?
Instant street cred.
We should eat. Bella
still has packing to do.
Okay. Let's go, sweetheart.
Okay.
I'll be your sobriety support person.
I'll drive you to rehab in the morning.
What made you change your mind?
A swarm of bees.
I'm not gonna stand in
the way of your choice
just because it isn't
the one I would make.
Thank you. Thank you.
Yes!
That's what I'm talking about.
(EXHALES)
Thanks again for coming over, man.
Especially after I was kind
of a dick the other night.
It's all good.
Yeah, I really needed this after
the last couple of days I had.
Mm. What'd you do?
Nothing, but that didn't stop
Corinne from biting my head off.
Man, you probably deserved it.
Okay, look,
I get what I did back then was wrong,
but she's-she's married.
She's a mom. I just
I figured she was over it by now.
Over it?
(STAMMERS)
Do you have any idea what
you put that girl through?
After you disappeared,
she didn't eat, didn't sleep,
wouldn't talk to anyone.
We weren't sure that
she'd ever get over it.
I don't know what was
going through your head
when you took off, and I'm
sure you had your reasons,
but I've never seen anything
like what you put Corinne through.
So, like I said, if she tried
to rip your head off,
you probably deserved it.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Hi!
- Has it been like this all day?
- Yeah.
This is great.
We're gonna sell out in no time.
- Sarah.
- Hi!
- Hi, Diego.
- Sarah.
- Yeah.
- They're not here to buy Greylock money.
They're here to take their
American money out.
- What?
- Everyone's worried about losing their money
if our currency fails and if
Greylock's economy tanks.
No, for this to work,
everyone needs to buy in.
If they're pulling their money out,
our economy's doomed.
So is Greylock.
This new currency is a solution
to all of our problems.
Why didn't people buy in?
What are they afraid of?
CORINNE: It's a big change, Sarah.
Money is life. It puts
food on the table.
It keeps a roof over your head.
And for the folks in this town,
it's green and it has
U.S. presidents on it.
I mean, giving that up to
invest in something so new
- and so unproven is
- Scary.
Not as scary as what's
gonna happen to Greylock
if they don't get on board.
I need to reframe the conversation,
help people get over their fears.
I'm gonna host
an open meeting tomorrow
morning at town hall.
- No, you're not.
- You're taking your mom
- to rehab in the morning.
- No, guys, this is a crisis.
AJ: That we can handle
until you get back.
It's a three-day trip.
I can't be gone that long.
What kind of a leader does that make me?
Type of leader that shows
up for their family.
And the kind that has friends
she can trust to step up for her.
I do trust you guys, but I-I
think I have to be here for this.
No.
- What if I call the rehab place?
- OTHERS: No!
- Maybe they can make an exception.
- Nice try.
This crisis could be an
extinction-level event
for Greylock's economy.
And your mom missing the check-in window
could be an extinction-level
event for her sobriety.
Yeah, it's a hard decision,
which is why we made it for you.
GROVER: Sarah, we got you.
That dinner was like a two-hour
customer service call.
(CHUCKLES) My dad always
defaults to bank talk
when he gets anxious.
TYLER: On the plus side,
I learned a lot about index funds.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
Tomorrow night will be just you and me.
I promise it won't be boring.
You still want to go to Phoebe's party?
Her parents are out of town.
Sounds like the whole
school's going to show up.
Hey, I'm gonna have to call you back.
Okay, bye.
Sorry to interrupt.
I know that you and Tyler want
to make the most of every minute
before you go.
Have you guys talked about
how things will change
when you get to school?
Who says things have to change?
I just think
it might be hard to
live two lives at once.
It's been seven solid days ♪
My school's in Connecticut
and my boyfriend's here.
That's not two lives,
Alexis. It's two towns.
Bella, you trying to convince me
or yourself?
I just want to know
you're unimpaired ♪
ELLEN: Still no reception?
SARAH: Nothing.
I have no way to know
how Greylock is doing.
- Can't even send a text.
- (CHUCKLING)
I fail to see what's so funny.
I'm just remembering
that papier-mâché volcano
you made in sixth grade.
And how the night before
you turned it in, it collapsed.
If you're about to draw
some ham-fisted parallel
between the collapse
of my country's economy
and a science fair volcano,
I swear to God I will
push you into traffic.
Don't you remember what
happened after it collapsed?
- Mm-mm.
- Corinne, she came over.
She spent all night helping
you build a new one.
And then there was the time when AJ,
she drove your laptop to Dartmouth
because you forgot it
during Christmas break.
And then I think Grover cooked dinner
for your entire field hockey team
before you left for state finals.
Yeah, I'm not great at letting go.
No kidding.
But if you have to,
you could do a whole lot worse
than handing the wheel
over to your friends.
AJ: This is a dumpster fire.
We've been sitting here for seven
hours and we still have no clue
how to get people to buy into the money.
There are some good ideas up there.
Corinne, "call Lin-Manuel
Miranda" is not a good idea.
Of course it's a good idea. I was
in the room where it happened.
What about incentives?
Everybody likes free stuff.
Ooh, my gym gave me a free toaster
when I bought a membership.
Where are we supposed
to find 2,000 toasters?
It doesn't have to be actual toasters.
Air fryer on the other hand.
- Oh, I need an air fryer.
- Right?
- GROVER: Yeah.
- I need a break.
CORINNE: Okay, well, with
Gladys down for a while,
I told people that I would
unlock the choir cabinets,
so they can grab their
music if they want.
I'll come with you.
I'll keep thinking.
Being a world leader sucks.
How does Sarah deal with all the stress?
Two words mosh pit.
(CHUCKLES)
- Hey, Alexis.
- Hey, thanks for this.
I've been meaning to come get my stuff.
Yeah. Um
I'm just gonna bring this to Gladys
and then check on Josh.
Be back at Sweetie Pie in an hour?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Great.
- Bye.
- See you.
Hey.
Oh, so you can see me now?
Based on last night,
I thought I was invisible.
- Look, I'm sorry. I just
- Before now,
when I would see you on the street,
you'd at least say hello.
Make eye contact. Come on.
We're not secret agents, Lex.
We're in the choir together,
people know we're friends.
There's no reason for you to
treat me like I don't exist.
It's just, since what
happened at the station,
almost getting caught?
I can't help feeling like
everyone's looking at me.
Like they know about us,
like they know what we're doing
when we're not at choir.
I saw you at Sweetie Pie and I just
I froze.
I'm not trying to blow
up your life, Alexis.
I know there are limits to us.
But is it really so much to ask for you
to acknowledge my existence?
To treat me like I'm more
than just a warm body.
Guess that's my answer.
You know
of all the things you made me feel
I never thought cheap
would be one of them.
-
- No. Say it ain't so.
I wish I could.
Diego, man.
I never would have finished my house
if it wasn't for your store,
your expertise.
You're the heart and soul of Greylock.
We should be putting you on the flag.
It's like my dad used to say
when he was going bald.
You don't know what
you got till it's gone.
(LOCKS DOOR)
CORINNE: Hear me out.
Trading in 1,000 American
dollars for Greylock bucks
gets you a two-slot toaster.
5,000 gets you four slots.
10,000 gets you one of those
fancy conveyor belt things
like they have in college dining halls.
What's with you and the toast, like ?
GROVER: I got a plan.
We're gonna need wood and paint.
A lot of paint.
Oh, I can smell the patchouli from here.
You coming?
What if I can't? What if I fail?
You might.
You've given better pep talks.
You also might succeed, Mom.
The only way you're
gonna find out is to try.
You've taken a really big step
in getting to this moment.
You owe it to yourself
to see it through.
So you support this place?
(WOMAN CHANTING)
Um
yeah
I support you.
I used to think there was
only one way to do that,
my way, but it's your
recovery, Mom, not mine.
If you feel like this is the place
where you belong, then this
is the place where you belong
and I'm gonna be right
here when it's over.
Okay. I'm ready.
Okay. Let's go get you healthy.
- It's about time.
- (LAUGHS)
CORINNE: Me again.
Leaving another message like it's 1998.
How are you still out of cell range?
Should I send a raven or a ?
(GROANS) I got to go.
(FENWAY GROWLING)
(BARKING)
Good dog.
(FENWAY GROWLING)
("WILDFLOWERS" BY HAIVA RU PLAYING)
I'm sorry about the other day.
I overstepped.
You had every right
to tell me to piss off.
And I know you're doing fine without me.
And I'm glad.
But if I'm honest, it does
make it hard to be around you.
What, what does?
How happy you are without me.
A lot goes through my head
when I look at you, and
the more we run into each
other, the harder it gets.
Wonder which one you might be ♪
Because I still see my Corinne.
I see the girl who saved me.
The one who made me feel
safe when nothing else was.
The one bright spot
in all the darkness.
I had no idea how bad it
was for you after I left.
After everything you did for
me, you didn't deserve that.
You were my whole world, Danny.
What we had was
And then you, you know,
you threw it all away and-and
then you disappeared.
I had to leave.
- Mom's drinking was, um
- I know
I know why you had to leave Greylock.
Why ?
Why did you leave me?
Wildflowers ♪
I never knew. I still don't know, I
Could you just, could ?
Could you give me that?
What happened that night
that you left, that you disappeared?
I wish I could explain, but I can't.
You mean you won't.
You know, thank you, uh, Danny.
For a second there, I forgot
why I hate you so much.
♪
- I think we should have sex.
- Sex, like sex-sex?
I'm ready if you are.
Why?
What do you mean, why?
Why now?
Just where is this coming from?
I thought that maybe this
would be a good idea
to do this before I leave.
But apparently
that's kind of crazy
It's not crazy, I just don't know
why we have to do it right here
Be-Because you don't, you
don't want to stay with me?
Because you don't think
this is gonna work?
No, I Bella
This is a stupid idea and I'm sorry.
- Bella?
- I just want to go home.
Can you please just drive me home?
- Can we talk about this?
- I don't want to talk about it.
I don't I want to go home.
I just want to go back home.
(TIRES SCREECH)
("LUCKY" BY GANSER PLAYING)
-
- Thought you'd be more ♪
Thought you'd be okay ♪
Hell of a day, kid ♪
Hell of a day ♪
This can't be happening.
You should be so lucky. ♪
-
- Grover! Grover!
Open up. I can see lights on in there.
Grover.
What the hell is wrong with your phone?
- We've been trying to call you.
- What's wrong with my phone?!
What's wrong with my country?
What's happened?
Okay. (SIGHS)
Have a seat.
Two days ago, Diego's
store went out of business.
Everyone took his hardware
store for granted,
just like they took
Greylock for granted.
You don't know what
you got till it's gone.
In order to get people
to buy into the currency,
we had to make them believe,
if they didn't, Greylock
would disappear.
We had to make 'em feel it.
So we made Greylock disappear.
AJ, Corinne and I talked to
every business on Main Street.
We got a bunch of signs and
boarded up all the windows,
and voilà.
It's all fake?
I prefer the term "counterfeit."
Do you really think this plan will work?
It already has.
When people woke up and
realized what not buying
into the currency would
actually cost them,
they headed straight to the bank.
They reopened their accounts?
And they bought out the entire
first run of Greylock's currency.
- You did it?
- No, we did it.
(LAUGHING)
- All of us did it.
- Thank you.
Thank you for having my back
when I needed to let go.
Well, you didn't let go.
We removed your stubborn ass by force.
(CHUCKLES)
You reminded people how lucky
they are to have Greylock.
Reminded me how lucky I am to have you.
You should've seen your
face when you came in.
We basically pulled
off the biggest scare
in the history of Fraidy-Cat.
- I am gonna get you back.
- Oh.
Don't worry.
Okay.
ALEXIS: Today's the day.
How you feeling?
This is a good chance for a fresh start.
I'm glad to hear that.
♪
ALEXIS: Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Let it go.
- Let it go. Let it go.
- Yeah, I was just
I know, just give her a minute.
What do you want?
About last night, with, um
the sex thing.
"The sex thing," Tyler? Wow.
- That makes it sound really romantic.
- I'm sorry.
Seems like the harder I
try to say the right thing,
the wrong thing just comes
right out of my mouth.
Well, I got to go.
So bye, Tyler.
I love you.
I didn't mean to hurt you and
I don't want to break up.
Of course I want to have sex with you.
Just not in the back of my car.
At least not the first time.
I wanted it to feel special
because you're special and
I love you, too.
- (HONKS HORN)
- William!
(KISSES)
(LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Okay, I'll, um, I'll call
you when I get there.
(LAUGHING)
Bye.
Bye! (LAUGHS)
Why are you sitting at
the receptionist desk?
That's where the receptionist sits.
You were clearly understaffed,
and with Bella off to school,
I have more free time, so I applied.
What does this mean?
It means I'm sorry.
This whole thing has made me realize
how important you are to me,
which scared me at first, but
losing you scares me more.
And I know that this job isn't
gonna solve all of our problems,
but it's the way that I can make sure
we still get to spend time together,
and I can prove to you
that you are way more than
just a warm body to me.
Welcome aboard.
Your messages, Officer.
Thank you.
♪
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Ooh, hatching another scheme, are we?
We were prepping the second printing
when we realized our bills
don't have to look the same.
Yeah, America has a different
quarter for each state.
Other countries put, like,
historical figures on their money
heroes from the past.
But what about the people
living here today?
We're building this country together
and our money should reflect that.
And everyone should get
a say in how it looks.
Yeah, so we're running a contest
to take ideas from people in town.
- Anything good yet?
- Yes.
A first grader I know submitted a
very compelling bumblebee design.
CORINNE (SQUEALS):
Oh, God, that's my baby.
Oh, he's so talented.
(BABY TALK): You see the
eyes? The little mouth?
- Hi.
- Hi.
Another new design?
Turn it over.
That's my house.
Two homes were lost in the
name of Greylock's future.
I want to memorialize
each with their own bill.
But only if it's okay with you.
"In us we trust."
Greylock's new motto.
This country belongs to us.
It will succeed because of us.
What do you think?
(CHUCKLES): I think it's perfect.
(SIGHS)
Oh, long day?
I swear, Mrs. Nowlan's cat gets
stuck higher in that tree every day.
You ask me, just build it a tree
house and let it live up there.
- (CHUCKLES)
- Mm. So
how long have you been
sleeping with Alexis Whitmore?
- (WIND WHISTLING)
- (BIRD SQUAWKING)
♪
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
What are you doing here?
Saw your car in the driveway.
I was gonna ask you the same thing.
I came to turn off Mom's water and gas
while she's at rehab.
She actually went, huh?
Dropped her off myself,
because I do want her to
get sober, believe it or not.
I believe it, Sarah.
I'm sorry about what I said before.
I think some of my own feelings
might have got in the way there.
The sky is a mess ♪
You weren't completely wrong.
I am a control freak.
I am a fixer.
Which is why, as much
as I hate to admit it,
(SIGHS) I think some part of me
Is gonna miss Mom while she's gone.
All night and through the dawn ♪
So all their nests
broke on the ground ♪
Their little chests
and whispering hearts ♪
And tiny breaths ♪
The way she treated you, Danny
(SPUTTERS) I want to bounce
her head off the pavement.
To hurt you like that.
Her own son. It's unforgivable.
But then I think (SIGHS)
I think of seeing her face in
the audience at my school plays.
And on the sidelines at
at my field hockey games and
Dad was gone.
And then you left. (SNIFFLES)
But she was here.
(SOBBING)
(SIGHS)
I hate myself for not hating her.
But she was, she was
the only family I had.
I know she was a monster.
The big ones hunt ♪
I'm sorry.
And the little ones run ♪
But she was, she was also a mother.
The big ones hunt the little ones ♪
She was a mother to me.
How can those two things
exist in the same person?
- Little one, run, run, run ♪
- Run, run, run ♪
She's not the only family
you have, Sarah.
Not anymore.
- Little one, run, run, run ♪
- Run, run, run ♪
The big ones hunt
and the little ones run ♪
- Little one, run, run, run ♪
- Run, run, run. ♪