On the Verge (2021) s01e06 Episode Script

[theme music plays]
♪♪♪
The morning light suits you.
[Yasmin]
I told you I'm not interested.
I understand.
Can I ask you a question?
If you must.
What do you do all day?
I make lemon preserves.
[chuckles] Funny.
No, really. The lemons
are delicious this time of year.
I make lemon preserves.
[in Farsi] Idle hands
are the devil's hands.
[in English] That part of my life is over.
I'm married now.
I have a kid.
We're not talking field.
Actually, I'm busy, okay?
I'm writing a book.
You could work from home.
You could do both.
Look, I told them I had
a candidate
with unsurpassed linguistic
and analytical skills.
No, I
[in Farsi] This will break
your father's heart, mine as well.
[in English]
This manipulation thing, it's
it's not gonna work on me anymore.
You know, I'm not just
your naive little cousin.
Yas, you are
a fiercely intelligent woman,
but you're making lemon preserves.
Yeah, I I think we're done here.
Take a little time.
Think about it.
Maybe you will
feel different once
the lemons are not quite
so delicious.
Fuck you, Darien.
[in Farsi] I'm tired.
[in English] I'll just help myself out.
[Darien] Nice house.
♪♪♪
I just don't like raisins
in my cereal, Mama.
Shh, Kai, come on.
Keep it down.
We've gone over this
a million times.
You just pretend they're Skittles.
It's called substitution, remember?
It's what all the great actors do.
[woman] Kai?
- Ah.
- You want to come in with me?
Yeah. I love you.
Love you.
Right this way, buddy.
Can you give that
to her over there?
Thank you.
"Ell Horowitz Management."
Never heard of them.
Is that a law firm?
- Now?
- Now what?
Do I say it now?
Oh, well, stand over there.
You ready?
- [camera beeps]
- Whenever you're ready.
Mmm. Raisin Charms.
Great choice.
I love me those juicy raisins.
That was great.
Let's try it one more time, okay?
But this time, try it like
you would say it in real life.
Like if you were having breakfast
with your family.
My dad doesn't live with us.
- Oh, okay. Well
- Mmm!
Raisin Charms!
Great choice!
I love me those juicy raisins!
- Donut time!
- How did he do?
- Great.
- He's good, right?
His lisp makes it challenging
to understand what he's saying.
Oh, no,
don't worry about that.
He only lisps
when he's nervous.
- So when will we hear?
- In a couple of days.
- And we call you?
- We'll call you.
- Thank you.
- No problem.
Come on, sweetie.
- Come on.
- Hey there. Come on in.
Kai?
Ka Kai?
Has anybody seen my son?
I'm so Kai?
Don't do this to us, baby.
I love you.
Rebecca, she works for a friend.
I barely know her.
Can't you tell how much I love you
when I kiss you?
When I smell your neck?
When I caress your skin?
Okay, I'm sorry.
This is too hard for me right now.
I can't I can't do this.
I gotta call you back
when I'm more calm.
All right, I love you. Bye. Bye.
[sighs]
So what's up?
Uh, no, no, I just want to know
if I can use
the space in the back.
I I need to write.
There's construction
next to my house.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's a little messy right now, but
I just need a space.
I'm suffocating.
- [blows nose]
- I just can't write. I
You want me to close the door?
Why?
[blows nose again]
[sighs]
[Derien] Yas, you are
a fiercely intelligent woman,
and you're making lemon preserves.
[dramatic orchestral music plays]
♪♪♪
Fatima?
[in Arabic] Yes. I'm Fatima.
- Welcome.
- Welcome.
- Sit down.
- Thank you.
[PA announcer, in French]
Mind the gap when stepping off the train.
[in English] Please mind the gap
between the train and the platform.
Sandrine?
[in French] It's me. How are the lemons?
Preserved.
[dramatic music ends]
[sighs]
[Justine]
Some of us have had the good fortune
of eating octopus
near the Aegean Sea.
If you cannot find live octopus
that you are ready
to beat up yourself,
make sure you use frozen octopus
from the Mediterranean.
It will most likely have
been beaten to death
by a beautiful,
hairy Greek fisherman.
[sighs]
[bouzouki music plays]
♪♪♪
[alarm beeping]
[alarm tone holding]
[alarm beeping continues]
- [phone button beeps]
- Hello, it's Martin.
Leave a message. Thanks.
[in French] Hello, Martin, it's me.
I received an alert message
from school, it's an emergency.
I don't know what it is. Call me back.
[woman, in English] Thank you
for calling Grand Oaks Middle School.
We're sorry no one is available
to take your call at the moment.
Shit!
[line ringing]
[Anne] Please leave
a message after the tone.
- [beep]
- Anne, it's me.
I received an emergency,
like, an alert
on my phone about the school.
Can you please call me back?
[alarm beeps again]
Yasmin, it's me!
There's an alert from
I know, shit! Orion's out of town!
I forgot! Shit!
I was inspired
by the house in Le Mepris.
when I designed,
uh, this staircase here
leading to the upper terrace.
Uh, the vibe is very much
end of the '60s, South of France.
And, um, for the kitchen,
the light will pierce through
a small waterfall,
allowing the space to have
this unique feeling
of both being rainy and sunny
at the same time,
because who doesn't miss
the rain in Los Angeles?
- [cell phone rings]
- Uh
[phone rings]
[sighs]
I mean, uh, who isn't sick of
this beautiful endless sunshine?
Right?
Cool. [chuckles]
Thank you for coming in
and doing all this work.
Uh, we're really still
in the preliminary stages,
so we'll keep
this conversation going
and, uh, we'll let you know
when we know more.
Sounds good.
All right.
Thank you for having me.
Yeah, of course.
Anything for Jerry.
- Right.
- Hey, speaking of which,
it's my wife's 35th birthday
on Sunday.
I was gonna call Jerry,
but now that you're here,
we'd love to get a table.
Sure. Yeah.
You don't mind, do you?
No, no, no.
No, no, of course.
I'll, uh, text Justine right now.
All right, I'll text her
as soon as I
get outta here.
- Great.
- All right?
Thank you for your attention.
- Thank you so much.
- Have a good one.
- Goodbye.
- All right.
So how's the family?
Everybody good?
- Everybody's great.
- That's what I like to hear.
All good with the pool.
Yes. Finally.
That did take forever.
And it ended up costing twice as much
as you thought it would, right?
Well, yeah. Something to do
with the soil in Venice.
Venice. Geez.
When your mother told me
how much she paid for that house
- Mm-hmm.
- I just and I hear you guys
have a homeless problem
there, too.
Yeah, well, they need
somewhere to live, right?
Well, they picked
some prime real estate.
[both chuckle]
So I've, um
I've started to design
some styles for women,
and the response
has been amazing.
Which led me to think that now
would be a great time
to expand.
Did you get a chance to look
at the numbers
that I I sent over?
Looking now.
Wow, you've got a really nice thing
going on here.
[sighs] Thank you.
You know,
we set off your business losses
against your dividend income
and you end up
with a significantly reduced tax bill.
Um, I'm sorry, I
- The more money you lose
- Mm-hmm.
the less you pay in taxes.
So, as your business manager,
I say yes.
Expand and expense
as much as you want.
And thank Trump.
- Mmm.
- Oh, no.
See, I know your crowd.
You like to hate on the guy,
but[inhales]
what he has done for our economy.
Wow, I really thought
I was doing well.
Oh, yeah, you just gotta stop
thinking of this
as a as a "business," you know.
And just have fun with it.
You know, just be creative.
You can afford it.
[fast bouzouki music resumes]
What's going on?
Where's my son? Is he okay?
Where is he?
- Please, please, calm down!
- Tell me the truth!
- Who is your child?
- Albert! Albert!
- Albert! Albert!
- Oh, hi.
I'm Duncan the PE teacher.
We're doing the moulage drill.
But that was two weeks ago!
It got cancelled
and moved to today.
- [school bell rings]
- I sent out a bunch of emails.
The emergency test you got
was a test.
Why do you send so many emails?
Shit. They're fine.
I can't believe I just showed up
like that, like an idiot.
If Albert finds out, he's gonna be
so embarrassed.
He's not gonna find out.
Even if he did, he's a great kid.
He'll understand.
- [sighs]
- He's special.
You know that.
Yes.
Every time a little argument
breaks out in the yard,
he is the peacemaker.
[chuckles] That's nice.
You're doing a great job.
- Thanks.
- Personally
I adore the kid.
[ominous music plays]
♪♪♪
- So, how was that moulage drill?
- It was strange.
I didn't like having to play
one of the victims.
You played a victim?
- How how do they pick the parts?
- Random.
Like if it happened
in real life.
Uh, your coach, you know,
Duncan?
He told me that
you're very nice other kids.
I just don't like it when people
are mean to each other.
Um
you know, you should never go
to the bathroom with a grown-up.
Like, alone, you know.
When you're in the bathroom,
you should
not be alone with a grown-up.
Albert, I'm not kidding.
You can't go to the bathroom
with, like, someone's dad.
Or, you know, or like a a coach.
Or a priest or a movie producer or
Mom?
Coach Duncan has three kids.
He's not a pedophile.
Okay?
[stammers]
You can have three kids,
- and still
- Mom!
How can I end up
going to the bathroom
with a movie producer
or a priest?
Okay, you're right.
[Martin]
So, what do you think?
Oh, I think it's really great.
What an amazing design.
Oh, it's such a cool design.
Oh, and did you see the waterfall?
Oh yeah, the waterfall is beautiful.
I think it's cool.
But it's not cool enough for us.
Let's just go stuff our faces
at the wife's restaurant!
[yells]
[sighs]
- There's water bottles in there.
- Okay, great.
- Have a great time. Love you.
- Thank you!
- Love you!
- Oh, I'm so sorry
I didn't pick up my phone.
I had a brutal meeting
with my mom's henchman.
You got my text, though, right?
Yeah, ten minutes
after I showed up at the school
and made a fool of myself.
- Oh, no.
- I called you like ten times!
You couldn't pick up?
Imagine something serious
was happening?
- Sorry.
- Yeah, you know what you are?
A pervert narcissist.
- [laughs] Thank you.
- Yeah. That's it.
- Like Trump. Yeah.
- Even better.
Well, maybe you should
just check your emails.
- You know, I'm not your assistant.
- Okay, that's nice.
- Roger, wait up, dude!
- Go get 'em, tiger!
Hi, guys.
What's going on?
- Okay, you guys fighting?
- No.
Okay, great, 'cause
I have some great news,
and I don't
want anything to ruin it.
You are looking at the new CEO
of Ell Horowitz
Youth Talent Management.
Mm-hmm.
And check this out.
You're incorporated
in Delaware?
- [laughs] Yes. I am.
- Where is that?
Del-a-ware.
Two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies
are incorporated in Delaware,
so I'm not kidding around.
I'm doing this the real way.
I'm doing this legit.
- Wow. Impressive.
- Anne, if you saw
the way these agents treat these kids,
it's just horrific.
And I'm like you, I'm not gonna
stand back and watch child abuse
and child labor. I just can't.
- Good. You shouldn't.
- Thank you.
So I have this great plan,
and I want to start small
in the beginning,
and, you know,
really build my clientele.
But I was thinking
on the way over here
that Albert's look, his whole, like,
romantic, poetic, you know,
Rimbaud vibe,
that would be a great sell,
- especially in the international market.
- Wait
And then Seb, you know his whole,
you know, his whole "thing."
You know,
that's very current right now.
- All the kids are doing that, like
- What do you mean by his "thing"?
I don't mean anything
by his "thing."
I mean, that he's a really cool kid
and I would love to represent him.
- Oh. [chuckles]
- Okay, and I'm gonna talk to Yas
about Orion, because you cannot
take a bad picture of that kid.
- Right? Isn't that right?
- So basically,
the good news is that you're
gonna pimp your kids.
- No.
- And then you're asking us
to pimp our kids, too.
You're so mean!
I'm not pimping my kids.
My kids are super happy
about doing this, okay?
- Uh-huh.
- I'll have you know.
Hey, kid, can you play
a little further away, please?
- Thanks.
- Come on, please.
- What?
- I just I need you.
I can't just have my kids' pictures
on the website.
It's not gonna look legit.
- I have to ask Martin.
- No, you don't,
not if I'm not sending him out, man.
Of course I need to ask him.
It's his he's his son.
- What am I gonna do?
- You don't.
Wait, so what do
your kids' dads think
about
your new business enterprise?
- Yeah, what do they think about it?
- Yeah, what do they think?
Okay, guys.
I'll be right back.
I gotta make a call.
She didn't ask them.
Ow!
What?! What?!
You you hit me in the eye!
What are you doing, you little
Yeah, yeah, you're running away
without apologizing.
I mean, where are your manners,
you little pigs?
- Oh, huh? Who raised you?
- [Anne] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You cannot talk to kids like that
in this country.
- Oh, really?
- I mean, maybe in France, but
- Incredible!
- Oh, my God.
- You just need to sit down.
- I'm blind from one eye, you know?
I can't even see
from this one anymore.
- Oh.
- It's so blurry now.
Hey.
I'm the one raising that little pig.
That one right over there.
You got a problem with his manners?
- Well, good job.
- Okay, no, no, no, no, no.
No, no, good job.
Because you know what?
Where I come from, when you kick a ball
in a lady's face,
you apologize.
Is that too much to ask?
Oh, okay. Lady. What lady?
- I don't see no lady.
- [mocking laugh]
Okay, lady, let me get this
out of the way for you.
You do not have the right
to scream at children
- under any circumstances, okay?
- Really?
I can't say anything?
Even when they kick me in the face?
In fact, if you don't go over
and apologize to these kids,
I'm gonna report you to the AYSO.
Well, go ahead.
Do you think you scare me
with your big voice
and your big whatever?
Threats? You know what,
I'm not scared of you,
and I'm not scared of any man.
I'm not scared of any man.
Mm-hmm.
I cannot believe
you are someone's mother.
Oh, that's you want to fight?
- You want to fight me?
- Okay.
- Yeah, you want to fight me?
- All right, you're out of control.
[Justine] You're scared!
Yeah, go away.
Look at him run away.
He was scared.
- [scoffs] Oh, my God.
- He was scared.
- That was scary.
- 50/50 on anything.
I'll see you in
September for school supplies.
- What an asshole!
- What a bunch of cheap jerks.
They all want a piece of their kid.
- What's going on? What's going on?
- Jesus Christ, I am so stressed out.
I wish I could take a baseball bat
and hit him in the head
until his brain
comes out of his nose.
- What happened?
- Major drama
- with that dad over there.
- Which one?
Oh, my God!
That's where I recognize him.
- He goes to our school, Justine.
- The bald guy?
Yes!
I don't care.
[Anne] This is not good.
Come on. You okay?
[voice breaking]
I have a lot on my mind lately.
That's why I told you,
you should call that shrink.
- [groans]
- I gave you the number, right?
Yeah. I'll call.
- I'll tell you my secrets.
- [Ell] Watch.
Watch him. Look how
he's doing almost nothing
and how that makes
his performance so intense.
It's all in his eyes
in this moment.
KAI: Why is he so white?
I want to be so white like that.
Don't worry, it's just make up.
Just focus on his performance, Kai.
Come on.
He's about to reveal
that he sees ghosts.
[gasps] Ghosts?
[Lynn, in movie]
ghosts, Cole?
- [cell phone ringing]
- They want me to do things for them.
Mom, please pick up
or mute your phone.
- This is a critical moment.
- What? You're right.
Jeez, I didn't think of it.
It could be casting.
Sorry, sorry.
Do you think I'm a freak?
[phone ringing]
Oh. Kai, I think it's casting.
Fingers crossed.
Ell Horowitz Management.
Ell, it's Linda Sherman.
How are you?
Oh, hi. Hi, Linda.
How are you?
I hear Kai just auditioned for
a Raisin Charms commercial?
[Ell]
How did you hear that?
It's a very small business, Ell.
It is? Okay. [chuckles]
You know, Ell,
I wanted to remind you
that you signed a contract
with the agency.
No, actually, Linda.
I didn't sign anything.
- [sent text notification]
- I just texted you.
[cell phone chimes]
That's from the sign-in sheet,
actually.
There was fine print on the bottom,
stating that if the agency
chooses to move forward,
we are entitled to 20% of all
and any monies
earned by the client.
Linda I have to call you back.
Can I call you back, Linda?
- [slams phone on table]
- Damn.
- Shit!
- [loud thump]
[sighs] Oh, my God.
Uh Mom?
- Yeah?
- You okay?
Yeah, yeah, I'm just having
a shitty day.
Tomorrow will be better.
No worries. What's up?
Okay, but you always say that.
I mean, maybe you would have
less shitty days
if you, I don't know,
got a boyfriend.
Amy's mom just got one,
and I think you should get one, too.
I mean, you're not that old.
Okay, you know what?
I'm really happy for Amy's mom.
That's fantastic, but, you know,
what I'm trying to do right now,
Sarah, is focus on my career.
Okay? And you know what?
Nothing good in my life's ever come
from having a boyfriend, anyway.
- So there's that.
- Weren't all our dads your boyfriends?
Obviously I'm not talking
about your dads.
You guys are the best thing
that's ever happened to me.
You know that.
Can I ask you a question?
Why would you have
three different kids
with three different color dads?
I mean, every single time
we're out as a family,
everyone thinks we're adopted,
except Oliver.
Your clone.
Your favorite.
That's bullshit, okay?
I love you all equally.
- I have no favorites.
- I think
that you just wanted
a dysfunctional family
because you're dysfunctional
and you wanted
your kids to be just like you.
You love that word
"dysfunctional," "dysfunctional."
I want to tell you something
I didn't choose anything.
I fell in love with
three different-colored men,
and I think that we have
a beautiful family, okay?
We're like M&Ms or Skittles,
you know?
We're, like, different on the outside.
We're like a different shell,
different color, but inside,
we're all the same.
We're all this yummy, delicious,
yummy candy.
- Just tell Kai that, not me.
- Okay.
Do you even know
what it's like to be me?
- To be half black?
- You're also half white,
and I don't understand
why you have to choose.
Why can't you just be both?
Of course you don't understand,
because you've never understood.
You literally sent me to school
with ashy knees once.
Oh, my God, are you ever
gonna let me live that down?
- You think this is funny?
- No, I just
I'm trying my best, you know?
I was trying my
Mom, it's finished.
Can we watch something else?
Oliver, can you please put on Scooby Doo
for your brother?
- Yeah.
- All I'm saying Sarah
[Kai]
No, I want you to do it, Mama.
Come on.
One minute, Kai.
[Kai] Mom!!
- I'm coming!
- Just go. Just go.
- Your captor is calling you anyways.
- Okay!
What, Kai?
[sighs heavily]
[mutters in French]
[in French] Hey,
why didn't you call me back yesterday?
I left you a bunch of messages.
I was worried
with the emergency at school.
[in French] It was the drill.
We got 25 emails about that.
Plus, I was in a meeting.
I know it was the drill,
but still, you could have
I would like for us
to see someone, Martin.
See someone for what?
For our problems. You know. Our problems
Our relationship problems.
There you go again with that stuff.
Okay, if you want.
Let's do that, let's go see someone.
Thanks, Martin.
What's wrong?
Nobody understands my work.
What do you mean?
Nobody understands my work.
Actually, I'm not working.
I can't find work, I'm just going
round and round. I feel like shit.
I don't feel like a man.
Yes, you are a man, Martin. You're my man.
A man who doesn't work, isn't a man.
It's not true, that's nonsense.
We're in 2020, Martin.
Martin. I'm so sorry. Martin.
It's so unfair.
I'm so much more talented than you.
♪♪♪
Ah, excuse me.
Do you have the, uh,
Green Amazon?
We are actually
out of Green Amazon,
but we still have the Green Beauty.
It's pretty much the same,
just without the sweetness.
- All right, thanks.
- You got it.
[man] I was looking
for the Green Amazon, too.
So frustrating.
They always run out.
Yeah. Must be
their zero-waste policy.
Which I totally respect,
though I think
that's more about their packaging.
I'm Adam.
Um, I'm Anne.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Do you mind if I ask you
an odd question?
No. No, go ahead.
What scent do you have on?
Um[sniffs]
I don't think I'm wearing
anything, really.
Okay, well, whatever you got going,
you should bottle it.
- It's intoxicating.
- [chuckles]
- Gotta go.
- Okay.
Uh, wait. Do you, um
do you have an email?
Who doesn't have an email?
Yeah, there's a couple of
gallery openings coming up
that I'm going to and
you look like you appreciate art.
Are you in the art world?
Yeah, I'm in many worlds.
But yeah, that's one of them.
Well, why don't you give me
your number
and I'll text you and, um
Yeah, I really don't have
an easy email to remember.
I don't have a phone.
I don't believe in phones.
It takes me away from living
in the present.
Do you mind?
That's really cool.
All right.
Can you read that?
Yeah. I can.
Okay, great.
Don't be a stranger.
- All right.
- See you soon, Anne.
- Bye, Adam.
- Bye.
[suspenseful music plays]
♪♪♪
[man] Come in.
So, how was your flight?
Good.
First time in LA?
I'm here to ask the questions.
Right, of course. Sorry.
Is your maiden name
Yasmin Diana Sharifi?
It is.
How would you describe
your family life?
Stable.
Do you keep secrets
from your husband?
Of course.
Does he know about your past?
He knows I worked
as a translator.
You ever had
an extramarital affair?
No.
Do you have close friends?
A few.
But they don't know anything.
Do you have enemies?
None that I know of.
You certain about that?
Hi.
Yes.
How do you handle challenges?
With equanimity.
- You came here alone?
- Of course.
- Anybody know you're here?
- No.
How do you respond to danger?
I assess the situation
before I engage,
and then I act quickly.
Yet you came here without knowing
what this was really about.
I trust my cousin.
- Unequivocally?
- Yes.
How would you describe
your mental health?
Pristine.
[suspenseful music plays]
♪♪♪