Better Things (2016) s01e05 Episode Script

1 (birds chirping) MAN: Hey, Sam.
Mother, you had me But I never had you I wanted you You didn't want me Frankie.
Soccer.
Frankie.
- Hi, baby.
- I'm sick.
Oh, no.
100.
1.
That's barely a thing.
Mom, we're not supposed to go to soccer over 100.
Children's Tylenol is gonna knock that right down.
Mom, that's not a cure.
That's just a mask of the symptoms.
I could still get other kids sick.
I'm like patient zero.
Dude, you're gonna be running around a field, not kissing everybody.
Mom, I really don't feel good.
But it's my day for snack.
(sighs) I got cuties and this shit.
(groans) - Hey, Sam.
Hey.
- Hey.
- Where's-where's Frankie? - Uh, well, she's sick.
- Aw.
- Or she says.
- But I have snacks, so great.
- I know.
Yeah, I Well, I hate when that happens, you know? I had to chaperone this school field trip when Flo was sick, you know? - Ugh.
- This, uh, museum God Museum of something or something.
I can't - Yeah.
- Hi, Sam.
Hi.
Hi, Francis.
How you doing with all this? Uh, all of what? Thera's mom, her surgery.
Are you okay? Yeah, I-I'm okay.
Is she okay? She's really nervous about the surgery.
You know, as we all are.
I didn't want to put this in the e-mail.
Oh, it's, uh worse than in the e-mail? They're opening up her stomach.
There could be blockage, infections.
They might have to remove part of her intestine.
I mean, she could wind up with a colostomy bag.
- Ooh.
- Ooh.
But still, it'll be worth it.
For who? I mean, sure, yes.
Will you just pray for her tomorrow? Oh, did she ask for that the praying? Okay, but it can't hurt.
No, I mean, it's just that she's really not a God person.
You know, she got upset when the new people tried to do the team circle prayer thing.
Well, it's not about that.
It's about the power of group consciousness helping her heal.
Yeah, is there another thing I can do besides praying? Oh, you know what? You should sign up to play with her cat.
Mm.
Mm, yeah.
- Excuse me.
Flo? - Yeah.
Do you have a living will? Good evening to you.
Seriously, do you have a plan? Because I think I should know it.
Well, your grandfather, my father, was diabetic, and you can lose your legs to diabetes, which would be devastating.
My best feature are my legs.
And I think if somebody told me I was gonna lose my legs to diabetes, I would probably just pay the piper.
You mean kill yourself? I think that's the way to do it.
Because I don't want you to have to look after me, and I never want to be a burden.
You don't want to be a burden? Oh, never.
In fact, after Felicia had her stroke - Oh - no one could find her PIN numbers, and all her money's locked up, so you must - have my PIN numbers.
- Okay.
So my bank PIN number is - 3-9-6-7.
- Mom, Mom Mom, stop.
Well, we have to be prepared.
Okay, bye.
Jesus.
103.
Did Nan give you medicine? No.
(faucet running) The grape kind.
I know.
Mm.
That feel good? - Do I have to drink all of it? - Yes.
- Why? - Drink it all.
You need even more than that, too.
(groans) Good job.
- Baby - Mom, it's gross.
I know.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I wish I could take it out of you and put it into me.
I'm sorry.
But then it wouldn't help me.
'Cause I'd be sick, and you'd be like, "Mom, get up.
" Oh, I thought you meant the medicine.
No.
- (soft music playing) - And one.
Hold there.
Two.
Up, three.
Four.
Let me see you arch back lightly.
Five.
Nice, pretty line.
Six.
And nice straight back.
Two.
Scoot.
And three.
Look up.
Four.
Arch back, and five.
Six and seven.
Tendu, second, and eight.
So there's, like, me before I've had an IPA, and then there's me seconds after.
And they're distinct versions.
One is just so much more at peace with himself, you know? 'Cause, like, I'm-I'm a stressed-out guy.
You know, it's-it's a hard racket I'm in.
And just after that sweet kiss of an IPA, I just kind of - (exhales) Smooth sailing, right? - Max, psst, - you know what that is? - Yeah, so my buddy and I That's a first date.
And it's bad.
Why are you listening to them? God, you are so intrusive.
Because you're on your phone.
Mom, don't.
I have to help her.
No.
Mom, I will kill you.
Do not get up.
Then you have to talk to me.
Mom, I'm in a group chat.
It's a big thing, and there's, like, a potentially bullying thing.
Dakota is just having the worst Mom, don't! Excuse me.
Hi.
Can we use your salt? - What? - Hi.
You're so cute.
You two don't know each other very well, do you? I met him at the gym.
This is our first date.
I know.
How do you know? Well, I can tell.
And he's gross.
And he hasn't stopped talking.
Well, we're just getting to know each other.
I know all about him.
You know, the real estate thing, commercial real estate, selling office space, the printer guy who wouldn't move out.
And I'm sorry about his sister.
That's the one thing.
That was bad.
That was really bad.
But, I mean, give you a second, I have heard nothing about you.
Mom, that (sighs) - Is that your daughter? - Yeah.
Yes.
I'm so sorry she's bothering you.
Mom, I'll talk to you now.
She's not bothering me.
Oh, he's coming back.
(clears throat) Hi.
You know what? You should sit over there, because you both don't listen, and I will sit here with your lovely date, who you don't notice.
Mom? Hi.
- Ew.
- Ew.
- Ew.
WOMAN: Okay, so the categories are, uh, state schools, private universities.
Then you have the Ivy League schools, but you needed to be thinking about that a couple of years ago.
Uh, what you need to do is start focusing on what you're going to study.
And you need to start taking the test prep right away.
Now, there are some schools that put more weight on the interview and your extracurricular, but most of these schools won't even consider you if you are not testing in at least the top 90%, so you need to get these scores up.
Might I suggest to you junior college? Trevor got back from college, and, uh, he has a girlfriend over there, but he's still scamming on Lizzy.
- It's so gross.
- Yeah.
He wants to take her to Tahoe this summer with his family.
Whatever.
You know what we should do this summer? Get a cabin at Joshua Tree.
(chuckles) There's this resort there that's stripped down, but you can just go squat in the cabins.
We could spend the whole summer there.
Just tell our moms that we're like, at camp or something, and just do mushrooms the whole summer at Joshua Tree.
- God.
- (people laughing) - Jesus Christ.
Jesus.
- MAN: Did that really happen? - Yes, yes, that happened.
So, what did he actually say? I mean, you were up in the stirrups I'm in the stirrups, I'm literally seconds away from my first abortion.
- Your first abortion? - Yes.
- Jesus, you painted woman.
- No need to comment further.
And, - um, the doctor, um - (people laughing) turns and says that there's a problem, and I'm like, "Oh, God, what?" And he says, "Um, I can't do the abortion because you are not pregnant.
" - Oh, just perfect.
- I'm gonna go to my room.
- I love you, baby.
- I don't know how it happened.
- I felt a kick, I tell you.
- Night-night.
(guests laughing) Oh, Bubba.
Oh, good, that's given me fodder for the next year.
SAM: Jesus, Macy, you're so stupid.
I'm not stupid.
That's not a word - that I would have chosen to use.
- Oh, honey.
"Oh, honey.
" That's a friend.
That's what you'd say.
- (Sam laughs) - Um - Night.
- Good night, honey.
MACY: I don't know, anyway.
Anyway, that's the thing.
- I love you.
- Good night, Poppy.
- Good night.
- Sleep well.
Okay, I have a question.
How many abortions in this room? - Tressa, Tressa? - Oh, I am not telling.
I I went with my mom when she got an abortion.
- SAM: What? - What? Yeah, I did.
- You never told me that.
- I did.
- You did? - Yes, I did.
How old were you - when it happened? - I was 16.
And my mom got pregnant, and she couldn't tell my dad.
- Yeah.
- Oh.
So it wasn't his.
Was it his? You know, I I don't even know.
But she trusted me and we-we went - to abort my brother or whatever, so - (gasps) - Right? - Whoa.
- Wow.
- I know.
- Wow.
- That's amazing.
- Isn't it crazy? - That should be a play.
- SAM: Yeah.
- You need to write that.
I I tried.
I can never write real things, you know? So I don't know.
Can I use it? - Wow.
- (laughing) - I knew you were gonna say that.
- What? - SAM: Unbelievable.
What? It's good.
Oh, my God, Nora Ephron.
- Is is that okay? - Yeah, it's fine.
- (indistinct chatter) - I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life.
Oh? I'm really confused.
And I'm never getting into college.
Oh, honey, yes you are.
All you need to do is all the - Mom.
- Sam.
I had to start trying to be that kind of smart a long time go.
And I've wasted so much time just being social.
It's such a waste.
And I look back at the last I-I don't know, three years? I have just been a loser.
Getting high.
Just drama with my friends.
And I am just now starting to realize that I am going to be, like, 18 in two years.
And it's like I already blew it.
That's how it feels.
You know, honey, I felt exactly like that when I was your age.
And when I was 20.
And this morning.
Right? And now she runs her own company, so MACY: I'm gonna let you in on a big, fat secret that we all know about life.
And that is that you don't ever figure it out, and you're always behind, and it's kind of always unfair, frankly.
right? - Mm-hmm.
- So You know? - Yeah.
- You're on schedule.
- Yeah.
- That's right.
Oh, Sam, don't cry.
TESSA: Oh, no! - Oh, Jesus, Mom.
- Look what you did to your mother.
It's all right, - yeah? - MACY: Gonna make it right, your mum.
PHYLLIS: That's my wine! You stole it out of my garage.
(all laughing) SAM: You What are you doing? Come here.
Are you cold? - No.
- Come and sit.
I was quite looking forward to a nightcap.
- SAM: Is this your nightie now? - Well, I forgot where my pajamas were.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Of course.
Um, so this is a sort of party going on without me.
L'Chaim.
MACY: It's not a party without you, Phyl.
- Yeah.
- No.
- MAN: You know what? - PHYLLIS: Mm-hmm? - MAN: You look good.
- PHYLLIS: Oh! MAN: You do.
You look good, yeah.
How much am I gonna get, do you think? Well, honey, you can start counting it.
N No, don't count.
I want to find out once she gives us the money.
Okay, okay.
Is this all the nickels? Uh, yes.
Nice piggy bank.
Oh, well, this is Martin Luther King bank.
That's what she calls it, even though it's a pig.
- Oh.
- (chuckles) How old are you? Can I ask? I'm 25.
So how did you get this job? When did you start going down this road? I did the training program when I was 22.
Did you go to college? No.
GED.
- Really? - Yeah.
And that is 20, 40, 65, and 75 cents left over.
How much? $65.
75, son.
- Yes! - (whoops) - Yes! - Okay.
- I got it.
Did you bring a wallet? No.
Left it at home.
- You told me you would.
- I can just Your responsibility for money.
DUKE: I will hold this.
Don't forget Martin Luther King.
DUKE: Oh! - Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Hello.
What did you guys get? String candy and earrings with my money.
- Well, that's not fair.
- Max.
Maxie.
Max? Max.
Max.
- Max.
- What? Get your shoes.
Come down, I'm taking you somewhere.
- Where? - Just come down.
FRANKIE: Wait, why does she get to go? Because she gets to.
- You're staying with Duke.
- FRANKIE: What? It's okay.
(clicks tongue) Mm.
- Uh - Mm-mmm.
Mom! Mom! Hey, so why'd you bring me to go shopping for your clothes? Come on.
- Come on, let me see.
- Mom.
Just come on, let me see.
Come here.
Listen, baby.
Your future is yours.
You could be anything you want.
You know those people that you see every day? That look like they have their shit together and they made all the right choices? And how impossible it seems just to get to that place? Well, look.
Look at you.
You look like one of those people.
And all they did was put on the clothes.
And honey, you can be anything you want to be.
Seriously.
But also, if you just get a job and get by, you're still gonna love your life.
Because life is good.
Even at its worst.
You came here just to say that to me? Why? Was it shitty? I thought it was gonna be good.
It wasn't shitty, you liked it.
- Mm-hmm.
- I love you.
- I love you, too.
- I love you, too.
I love you.
Don't worry.
I love you.
Your ass looks good in these.
Look.
Though I am nothing big to offer I watch the birds how they dive in then gone It's like nothing In this world's ever still And I'm just a shadow of your thoughts in me But sun is setting, shadows growing A long cast figure will turn into night It's like nothing In this world ever sleeps Oh, sometimes the blues Is just a passing bird And why can't (record needle skipping)