Counterpart (2018) s01e07 Episode Script

1 EMILY PRIME: There was a flu epidemic.
In the early '90s.
Seven percent of the population was wiped out.
- That's, like, half a billion people.
- LAMBERT: We know that your world had no part in the pandemic that decimated our cities.
- Okay, Claude - Was the topic off-limits, Fancher? I wonder if there'll ever come a reckoning, for what they did to us.
You know anything about this group Pope is working with? - Lambert's part of it, too.
- They're fanatics.
ALICE: It's a black operation.
They're called Indigo.
- A network of some kind? - ALICE: School.
They're chosen, trained, soldiers for their side.
And are placed here, as sleeper agents.
After all the work that they did to place you here, would you really risk this mission when we're so close to the big day? These documents were stolen from my department? Whoever is getting information from your floor, they're getting it from you.
ALDRICH: It's Quayle.
He's the perfect spy.
[BABY CRYING IN DISTANCE.]
How was your day, birthday boy? MAN: This is your mother? Is this her? Yes.
And is this your father? I'm sorry, I have to ask.
Do you know how to sign your name, Clare? Or your initials? Right here.
[BELL RINGING.]
MIRA: Listen up, everyone.
We have a new addition to our family today.
She's a very brave little girl, just like every one of you.
And I'm sure you all remember your first day here, so I expect you to extend her the same kindness you were shown.
Take a seat, Clare, over there.
MIRA: Now, I would like for you to open your books to page 12.
Spencer.
Please read the first sentence of number one.
[BELL RINGING.]
[CHILDREN SHOUTING, CLAMORING.]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.]
How come you're not outside with the others? I want to go home.
I'm afraid that's not possible.
I miss my mom and dad.
I wish I could tell you they're coming back.
But you're old enough now to understand death.
Its finality.
The world is not a nice place, Clare.
You should know this by now.
It's time to shed the skin of your past.
Grow a new one.
Thick with anger.
I don't know how.
I watched a nature program recently.
It was very sad.
It was about a gazelle who stayed on the fringes of his pack, who was the first to be eaten when the lion attacked.
But the gazelle in the center, who blended in, she lived the longest.
And we need you, Clare, to live a good, long life.
You're it! [CHILDREN LAUGHING.]
SPENCER [WHISPERING.]
: Shut that off.
They'll never find us back here.
[CHILDREN LAUGHING IN DISTANCE.]
I'm Spencer.
[WHISPERING.]
I like your braces.
Really? Yeah, they're shiny and cool.
I don't even need braces.
My teeth aren't so crooked.
So why do you wear them? Because my shadow wears them.
What's a shadow? They haven't told you? GIRL: You're it.
Come on, Clare.
STUDENTS [RECITING.]
: On the other side of the door, I can be a different me.
As smart and as brave, as funny or as strong, - as a person could want to be.
- [KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
Clare? Come with me, please.
[HEAVY DOOR CLOSES.]
Where are you taking me? You'll be all right.
[BEEPING.]
[LOCK CLICKS.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
Prep the anesthesia.
MIRA: No.
She must be kept conscious.
What's happening? [MEDICAL INSTRUMENT CLATTERS.]
Listen to me, dear.
There's no easy way to say this, but we're going to have to break your legs, and it will hurt.
Badly.
Is it because I wrote in that library book? The hard part will be over quickly.
I promise.
[CLARE CRYING IN DISTANCE.]
[CLARE SCREAMS.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
How do you feel? I can't move my legs.
You'll need to eat something.
I'm not hungry.
It's not about being hungry, dear.
I don't understand this.
I don't know what you're doing to me.
Tell me what you see here.
Me.
My father.
I've never been skiing before.
How come I don't remember this? Because that girl in these photos is not you.
Of course it is, look at me.
Ten years ago, something happened to the world.
And very few people know about it.
It copied itself.
Split in two.
Think of it like a door you can walk through, and on the other side is another world.
With another me, another you.
That's impossible.
I'm not stupid.
You said it yourself.
You've never been skiing.
The people on the other side look like us, act like us, sound like us, but do not mistake any of them for the people you love.
These people are the reason your parents are dead.
They died from the flu.
They created that virus to destroy us.
[MIRA SIGHS.]
Now, Clare The reason we had to break your legs is because the other Clare broke them, too.
And from this day forward, it's very important that everything you do is very much the same as everything she does.
Why? Because someday, Clare, I don't know when, but someday in your future, you will go to their world, and you are going to hurt them for everything they did to your parents, and for everything they did to us.
CLARE: I laid out your clothes on the bed.
You should get in the shower.
Is everything okay? You know how I feel about birthdays.
Please.
You love being center of attention.
[FOOTSTEPS MOVING AWAY.]
[HUMIDOR CREAKS, CLOSES.]
- Darling? - Hmm? I just my-my humidor is completely empty.
Oh, uh, - you have more in the basement.
- No.
Not the Montecristo No.
2s, t-the ones your dad likes.
- Peter, I just put on the sauce.
- I'm sorry.
I just have all this work to finish.
Would you-would you mind? [SIGHS.]
If she wakes up, she's your problem.
Absolutely.
Thank you, darling.
CLARE: Take the sauce off in 30 minutes.
Maybe someone's been breaking in and stealing the documents at night.
Could be.
QUAYLE: Could be the maids.
Could be You know, it could be the childcare.
I mean, th-the-the leak could be from there's a number of different people who could You C-Could you be a bit careful, please? Look, we haven't got time for this.
She could be back within the hour.
- Bathroom in here? - Yeah.
This hers? QUAYLE: Yeah, it's fish oil.
She's into that.
Smells like almonds.
Cyanide, Peter.
It's time we had a talk about your wife.
MAN: On the 21st of August, she lost her last baby to it.
Mr.
and Mrs.
Fancher placed a silver heart necklace under her pillow in place of a coin.
Mrs.
Fancher makes Clare's lunch every morning.
During her lunch period, Clare often trades her potato crisp for candy or sweets.
Her favorite subject in school is art.
More specifically, watercolors.
Her favorite color is pink.
NEWSWOMAN: Villages on the plateau were repeatedly assured there was little risk of infection at their line of longitude, but today's tragedy is another sign of the Munchen Virus' growing strength.
What's alarming about the spread into the Balkan territories, despite German border quarantines, is that every attempt at containment thus far has failed.
The death toll is rising and continues to rise amid fear and panic.
Meanwhile, the chancellor is travelling back from the Cologne Conference.
ALDUS: Her father is next in line to run Diplomacy.
She's not ready.
We still have time.
[SIGHS.]
If we make waste of this opportunity, it's on us, not the girl.
We'll do it right.
ALDUS: Can you tell me something about her first week back at school? I ran two kilometers in 11 minutes, but then I ate too many pretzels, so I threw up.
Jaco gave me his soda because he felt bad.
And do you remember Jaco's last name? Abelo? That's right.
Very good.
She doesn't do that.
Very nice.
Watch the line.
Your Os are dipping.
MIRA: Clare.
What can I do for you? Do you know where Spencer is? Come.
Sit.
He has been called up, sent to the other side on a journey much like the one you will take someday.
When am I gonna see him again? You miss him.
Those feelings are not yours to have.
Do you understand me? You're not some stupid, little girl who gets to make friends and boyfriends and hopes and dreams.
You are a soldier.
If that makes you angry, think of who took it from you and focus on that.
Congratulations.
For what? You're truly suffering now.
It's beautiful.
It means you are growing.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
BOY: Hey, look what I got, Terri.
I found it in the yard.
GIRL: Good night.
Good night.
- [GIRLS LAUGHING.]
- Good night.
Can I borrow a copy of Pride and Prejudice? [INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
GIRL 2: Does your shadow have a brother and a sister? Does your shadow have a brother and a sister? Does your shadow have a brother and a sister? WOMAN: Lights out, girls.
[GIRLS LAUGHING.]
PRIME: Where'd she go to college? Berlin University of the Arts.
She studied architecture.
What year did she graduate? Um uh, 2006, 2007? Peter, come on.
Focus.
Details matter.
Um all right, she, um, she was 24 when we met.
My friend Toby introduced us.
H-h-he was in Diplomacy.
He used to work for her father.
He could he be? Anything's possible.
I'm sorry.
It's ju You don't know Clare.
She's not like, she's She wears cashmere.
[LAUGHING.]
: She's She cooked poached salmon for dinner.
I mean, look at this place.
This-this is her.
This whole thing.
This is Okay.
If she is this spy that we've been looking for then she was raised on the other side Yeah.
Inserted into this life.
So what happened to my real wife? They might have been swapped out years before you met.
How-how do I know which one I married? I guess you don't.
Not for now.
Does she know about your work? You think I breached my security clearance? You think I've read her in? You bring paperwork home.
Paperwork that every night I put in my safe.
What? The access code to my safe is the same as the password to my mobile.
If she has access to the safe, she has access to my phone.
Fuck.
God.
She knows everywhere you've been.
That's how they found the butcher.
Yeah.
Makes perfect sense why they'd go to her.
I'm fucked.
I've had this job for years.
We've been compromised the entire time because of me.
Listen.
She's burned, all right? But she does not know she's been burned.
We have the upper hand right now, okay? We can use this to our advantage.
We can find out about her-her contacts, - her network.
- You-you-you-you want me, you want me to play along with this? That's exactly what we need to do, yeah.
Like nothing's changed.
Howard, I've got, I've got guests about to come over.
I've got people from the office You want me to knowingly expose them to this? She's your wife, Peter.
Just put on a smile and play the game.
Can anyone tell me why this year was most important? Ethel? How should I know? I wasn't even born.
The Crossing was first discovered around 1987.
But for years, our worlds were almost identical.
It wasn't until 1996, when their flu killed millions of our people, that everything became different.
Now, who can tell me some of these differences? Isabel.
- Cigarettes.
- CLARE: Good.
European countries outlawed the sale of tobacco in 1999.
Their phones are better.
Yes, they've made certain advancements we've been unable to make.
And they still eat pork.
STUDENTS: Ew.
That's true.
Their side didn't suffer the virus that was passed through our swine.
In their world, pigs still roam free.
Anything else? [BELL RINGS.]
Ethel, stay behind, please.
How are you? Like a Little fucking Orphan Annie.
I remember my first week here.
- I didn't think I'd make it.
- Yeah.
And look at you now.
Let me give you a survival tip.
Your attitude's gonna drive people away.
There's this documentary about zebras.
The ones protected by the pack survive the migration, but the ones who hang out alone, they're eaten first.
Zebras? What the fuck are you talking about? [SIGHS.]
They're not always easy.
Give me some time with her.
What's wrong? MIRA: Apparently, he sprung it on her during a vacation.
She's marrying him? Her father put him on the Director track in Strategy.
Didn't want his daughter marrying down.
But they hardly know each other.
Clare, I don't think you realize what a gift we've been handed.
A husband in Strategy.
We've never placed an operative that high.
This has to happen now.
Once he's been promoted, he'll be vetted and monitored.
It'll be harder to place you then.
You are going to be the one who changes everything.
There's a close friend of ours.
He handles all matters of transition on the other side.
Hello, dear.
I've heard so much about you.
Mira tells me you've been well prepared.
We've manufactured an identity for you under the name of Claudia Amin.
You will be part of a diplomatic envoy.
Our people will get you to the Crossing, but once inside, you'll be on your own.
Purpose of trip, Ms.
Amin? Embassy diplomatic support.
[LOCK BUZZES.]
[WOMAN SPEAKING GERMAN OVER P.
A.
.]
POPE: Once you've made it to their side, walk across the bridge, follow the Spree River west to the safe house.
There, you will meet your contact.
The man who will be your sole lifeline during the time you're there.
His name is Claude Lambert.
Bit of a cad, but you can trust him.
How was your journey? Uh, when am I being inserted? My dear.
Let us be clear about something.
Your friends and I, we have a special arrangement.
But to you, I'm just a messenger.
Understood? Good.
How do I reach you? If I need you.
Well, we don't need people.
We want them.
Oh.
Uh Here we are.
Hold onto this.
It needs to be replaced every 12 months.
If you're found out, consider it your means of escape.
No, just just hear me out.
Okay, I know the weather's not great, but just grab your camera and we'll go to the Spree.
We'll go on a lovely boat ride.
No, it's perfect; there are no tourists this time of year.
Yes, we'll have a bite afterwards.
Just meet me there, okay? [LAUGHS.]
: All right.
See you soon.
[DOG BARKS IN DISTANCE.]
[COMPUTER BEEPING.]
[BEEPING CONTINUES.]
Oh, crap.
I forgot milk.
Crap.
I forgot milk.
Crap, I forgot milk.
[CLICKS MOUSE.]
[PHONE RINGS.]
Hi, baby.
No, I'm just getting ready to sleep now.
You too, Peter.
Sweet dreams.
You too, Peter.
WOMAN: I ran into him at the bank yesterday CLARE: Well, make yourself at home.
- Joel.
- Thanks for the invitation.
Glad you could make it.
Welcome.
It's been such a long time.
Mariel, Friedrich.
- Clare.
- Hello.
- Where's the birthday boy? - Right there.
- And he'll be very excited to see you.
- Thank you.
- Hey.
- Hi.
Love your necklace.
- Thank you.
- It's from Croatia.
Hello, mate.
Happy birthday, mate.
What can I get you? I'll just have one of these.
- Got your name on it.
- Thank you.
- Cheers.
- CLARE: Daddy.
Give me your coat, darling.
Thank you, sweetie.
- Hey, darling.
- There he is.
- AVA: You look so beautiful.
- CLARE: Thank you.
Another year, huh? Another year closer to death.
Okay, that's, uh, one way to look at it.
Where's my grandchild? Uh, we, uh, we had to put her down, didn't we? No, I asked you to keep her awake for me.
Daddy, it's past her bedtime.
I just always hiding her from me.
You're always hiding I'm gonna just take a little peek.
- Take one little peek.
- Okay, go.
Just a little.
How many is that? QUAYLE: So, what are we drinking to? To new beginnings.
How about getting out of this dump? - Cheeky.
- Cheers.
Mmm.
I'm gonna miss this place.
- Yeah? - Even Mrs.
Kupferberg.
QUAYLE: Hmm.
Have to say, I, for one, will be pretty happy to never see that cranky old bitch again.
[SCOFFS.]
She's a Holocaust survivor.
She's allowed to be as cranky as she wants.
QUAYLE: What's her first name? CLARE ALPHA: Lillian.
Lilly.
CLARE ALPHA: But she prefers to be a missus.
QUAYLE: You'll be a missus soon.
CLARE ALPHA: Mrs.
Quayle.
QUAYLE: Mrs.
Quayle.
CLARE ALPHA: Peter, I think I'm ready.
Ready? Yeah, I don't want to wait anymore.
QUAYLE: Are you sure? CLARE ALPHA: I'm sure.
[QUAYLE MOANS SOFTLY.]
Is that is that okay? I I think so.
Do you want to try getting on top of me? CLARE ALPHA: Yeah.
QUAYLE: Okay.
[QUAYLE MOANS SOFTLY.]
Are you all right? CLARE ALPHA: Yes, I promise.
QUAYLE: How does it feel? CLARE ALPHA: It feels good.
[BOTH MOANING SOFTLY.]
How anyone agrees to spend their life with someone they've never fucked, I'll never know.
It's like buying a dress you've never tried on.
What am I supposed to do? Are you a virgin? Huh.
Well, that'll have to change.
Uh, if you want your replacement to be authentic, that is.
One cannot have their cherry popped twice.
It's a crude phrase, I know, but it's quite illustrative.
I could be of service.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING.]
[POOL BALLS BREAK.]
Whiskey.
[SPEAKS GERMAN.]
[SPEAKING GERMAN.]
Danke.
[GRUNTING RHYTHMICALLY.]
I want to be on top.
Okay.
[GLASS CLINKING.]
Call me Good evening, everybody.
I'd like to thank you all very much indeed for coming.
I know how we all enjoy our time spent apart, so for you to come and pay honor to my fast-approaching selinity Fucking senility.
- [ALL LAUGH.]
- Jesus.
[CHUCKLES.]
I'd like to thank my wonderful wife Clare for organizing this party.
- [CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
- Hear, hear! ALL: Hear, hear! Wine is divine, dear.
And so is the whiskey.
Speaking of alcohol - Could use some? - Yeah.
Not done yet, actually.
Sorry, not-not-not quite done.
Almost there.
Almost.
How many birthdays have we shared together, Clare? [CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Far too many.
[CHUCKLES.]
I remember that first one.
Food's getting cold, Peter.
Come on.
You wore that red dress.
CLARE: Your favorite one.
Your 26th.
25th, actually.
But it was before then, actually, that I knew that Clare was the one for me.
Remember that rugby match, darling? The mighty Saracens.
No? Wait, who-who were we playing again? [SIGHS.]
I drank too much.
[CHUCKLES.]
You don't remember? But you were so into it.
Harlequins.
We won, 23-13, right? And you spilled your pint on that very angry fan in the row - in the row below ours.
- No, no, no, no.
That was you.
I just took the blame 'cause he was, like, four times your size.
[LAUGHTER.]
That's the thing about my wife Always thinking on her feet.
[CHUCKLES.]
To the one I fell in love with.
ALL: To Clare! [INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
CLARE: Elizabeth.
Lizzy.
Family friend.
Works for the Bundestag.
Dating civil engineer Gerard Andrès.
And Laura.
Laura Fancher.
Laura.
Third cousin.
Recently divorced.
No date.
[BEEPING.]
- QUAYLE: Wait! - CLARE ALPHA: Stop following me.
QUAYLE: Clare.
Clare, just don't do this.
- CLARE ALPHA: Get out! - Clare.
Okay, Clare.
Just give me one minute.
Just give me one minute CLARE ALPHA: Why should I believe a word you say? You promised me you'd stop talking to her.
Months ago.
She's a friend.
Oh, really? Is that something you text all your friends? "Thinking about your legs and everything between"? That doesn't mean anything.
Jesus, Peter, how stupid do you think I am? - You're obviously not stupid - Have you slept with her? Since you slept with me, after I gave myself to you.
- No.
No, I would never do that.
- But before? - Please, listen, I love you - I waited my entire life to have sex, because it means something to me.
Nowadays, everyone fucks like animals, - like nothing's special anymore.
- You are You're full of shit! This is over.
I want you out.
[DOOR OPENS ONSCREEN.]
[DOOR SHUTS ONSCREEN.]
[THUNDER RUMBLING.]
They want to go through with it.
Patch it up, they said.
The wedding's been called off.
Patch it up quickly, before it gets out of hand.
The girl was about to marry a deputy director.
I don't suppose you're naive enough to assume you'll have any worth to your operation if she doesn't.
You have enough operating cash.
Hire a team, and you get to work.
Now.
[CLACKING, RUSTLING.]
CLARE: It needs to look like a break-in.
Should it be painful? Just sayin', whoever this chick is, you want to send her a message, we can make it painful.
Did I say to send her a message? [MAN SCOFFS.]
All right.
[CLARE ALPHA YELLS.]
- What do you want?! - Be quiet, woman! [MUFFLED SHOUTING.]
- [GRUNTING.]
- [MUFFLED SHOUTING CONTINUES.]
[MAN SCREAMS.]
You okay? MAN [OVER COMM.]
: She's got away.
[PANTING.]
Running downstairs.
The neighbor lady, I think she saw us.
[DOOR OPENS.]
- [DOOR SHUTS.]
- [PANTING.]
- [KEYS JANGLING.]
- [GASPS.]
[GRUNTING.]
[PANTING.]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.]
You two related or something? Get rid of the body.
No means of identification.
We'll lift her wallet.
Teeth and fingers.
And there's one more thing.
I need you to hurt me.
Badly.
["I'LL MAKE IT EASY" BY THE INCREDIBLES PLAYING.]
You okay? For me To run around [SHUDDERING BREATH.]
I'm sorry.
No.
No, I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
It was easy for me [SNIFFLES.]
To cheat and lie 'Cause I thought you'd never say good-bye I love you so much.
Girl [CRYING.]
But now that you're gone And I'm all alone My nights AVA: Roland, please, skip the gory part.
ROLAND: She broke both of her legs.
Couldn't walk for six months.
My little girl was miserable.
- He loves telling this story.
- [CHUCKLES.]
I do.
I do.
Because I am so proud could have ever imagined.
Thanks, Daddy.
Living without you My days are dark as night It's hard Is he all right? Yeah.
I don't think he likes remembering his own mortality.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, who does? Swear I'll make things right Good night.
I'll make it easy [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS IN OTHER ROOM.]
- CLARE: Mariel.
- Thank you for having us.
Take care.
Would you like to keep me company while I I think we should let the happy couple get - a good night's rest tonight, hmm? - Okay.
I suppose I could forgo this for one night.
Yes, you really should.
Give this back to Peter and tell him thanks anyway and happy birthday.
Good night, sweetheart.
CLARE: Good night.
Love you.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING.]
[CAR STARTS IN DISTANCE.]
[DRAWER SHUTS.]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING.]
[WATER RUNNING.]
[WATER STOPS.]
I think Mariel and Friedrich are fighting.
Barely said a word to her all night.
That was some toast you gave.
Yeah, I was feeling nostalgic.
I could see that.
You ever like to look back, Clare? You like to reflect on your life? Your family? You're drunk.
But you're always very composed.
Aren't you? [SIGHS.]
I go to all this trouble, slave away to throw you the perfect night Perfect night in a perfect life.
You know everything about her, don't you? You know every little detail.
Or has it been you, just playing me this whole time? [SCOFFS.]
Tell me Clare.
Where did she end and you begin? Hmm? Did I ever even fuck my real wife? You want to fuck me? I said "my wife"! [YELPS, GRUNTS.]
[BABY CRYING IN DISTANCE.]
This your way out, Clare? Hmm? You ever get caught, one little swallow, it all goes away? - Fuck you! - Take it, you fucking spy! I'm giving you a way out.
Take it! [CRYING CONTINUES IN DISTANCE.]
It won't do anything, Peter.
I let it go bad.
It expired.
Don't you understand? [SNIFFLES.]
All my life, I never had anything of my own.
But things are different now.
How? [CRYING CONTINUES IN DISTANCE.]
[FUSSING.]
[FUSSING STOPS.]
NURSE: Just give her a minute.
[FUSSING SOFTLY.]
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
How'd she know how to 'Cause, dear, she's yours.
What will you call her? For the register.
Spencer.
Call her Spencer.