The Politician (2019) s01e07 Episode Script

[sighs.]
When is he gonna wake up? We've put him in a medically induced coma.
We still haven't been able to diagnose what's causing Payton's fever and symptoms.
I want to slow down blood flow to the brain so we can perform some other tests.
Is all this necessary? Yes! It's necessary.
For God's sake, they're just some shiny stones.
The last thing Payton said to me was he thought someone might've poisoned him.
Yes, that would've been two poisonings in one week, but he's a very polarizing figure.
This is not playing out like any poison I've ever seen.
What about one of those fancy Russian ones? [doctor.]
Do you have reason to believe the GRU would be targeting him? The problem is here.
Hello.
Everybody not related to me, please leave.
[Georgina.]
Well so pleased you finally found the time to come visit your son in the hospital.
You told me you would love him as much as the others.
Both of us have said things we didn't mean, it seems.
I got a phone call earlier today.
[phone ringing.]
- Yes? - Now you listen to me, you son of a bitch.
She told him everything.
How you two did it in every room of the house.
[Luther.]
Planning on running away together.
And then I found your packed suitcase in your closet.
Do you deny it? No.
- It's all true.
- [Luther.]
Yes! - Congrats, dude! - Hear that, you lil' squib? You're out! You have broken your promise and I am betrayed, humiliated.
But I refuse to be cruel, so I will, of course, continue to send the funds necessary for Payton to recover from his latest illness, but if and when he does recover, it will be a rude awakening for him.
It will be the last dollar either of you will ever receive from me.
You're out of the will, and so is Payton.
Other than that, I wish you the best.
And I mean that sincerely.
[Sufjan Stevens' "Chicago" playing.]
I fell in love again All things go, all things go Drove to Chicago All things know, all things know You came to take us All things go, all things go To recreate us All things grow, all things grow We had our mindset All things know All things know You had to find it All things go, all things go Why me? - Why - [knocking at door.]
[sighs.]
What? It's me.
Can I please come in? No.
I'll keep it professional.
I swear.
I heard the news.
[door shuts.]
It's awful.
You know, for the first time, I thought my life was gonna be normal.
I got away from my nana.
It felt so great to be single.
No offense.
And now this, it's just Who just ends up in a coma anymore? Do you know what even happened? Yeah.
Actually, I do.
You do? - Can I have one of those? - Yeah.
Have you ever heard of Philoctetes? Well, Payton's gonna die the same way.
Except not because of a Hydra, 'cause those aren't real, but because I shot him with a BB that I soaked in possum guts.
You You shot Payton? And if they don't get him antibiotics, like, right away, he's gonna die of sepsis.
- Just like Philoctetes.
- Oh, no! Why did you do that? Why did you do that? Because Nana told me I had to kill him! Of course she did.
And I wanted to.
- He's the reason why we broke up! - I can't be here with you.
Infinity! Don't leave! I can't live without you! I'll die! [security chain rattling.]
[slow beeping.]
We've reached a consensus.
Thank God.
We need to keep him under sedation for further observation.
Further observation? [stammers.]
My son is dying! You say your son thought he was poisoned, but that doesn't happen.
He was vomiting blood.
Now we just want to get his fever down.
Then we can run more tests to find out what's going on here, because his jaundice might mean that we are seeing the first signs of liver failure.
- Oh, my God! - Have you guys heard of Philoctetes? I forget the word that he used, but my boyfriend, he wanted to kill Payton, so he soaked a BB in possum guts and he shot him in the butt with it.
- What are you talking about? - He just told me.
I came straight here.
- Did you say possum guts? - What are you If that really happened, Payton would be suffering from sepsis.
Sepsis! That's the word he used.
That's what he has.
- That's it.
- [Georgina.]
Are you shitting me? - We've got a code blue! - Let's get some antibiotics in the IV bag.
Five thousand mill of Ceftriaxone-Vancomycin.
You've never given him antibiotics? You stay right there! - How did you not catch this? - [doctor.]
You said he was poisoned.
We don't treat poisoning with antibiotics.
[Georgina.]
Oh, my God.
You didn't do a blood panel? [doctor 2.]
We did do a blood panel, which showed elevated white cell count, but we didn't consider a bacterial infection.
Also, this is California, okay? We don't just give everyone antibiotics the second they walk in.
What kind of hospital is this? Did you say your name was Infinity [soft music playing.]
[Dusty.]
The Superior Suite, that does have an ocean view, right? A partial view? What does that mean? That if I lean out ten feet over the balcony I might see a sliver of ocean? Never mind.
Let's just book it.
- But you do know this is - [music stops.]
[Dusty gasps, hangs up phone.]
Oh! [laughs.]
- You came back! - No, I'm not staying.
I just came to say goodbye.
- Goodbye.
Yeah.
- No.
I'm on my way to the airport.
I'm going to Paris.
[laughs.]
And I called the police, Nana.
I told them what you did.
- What? When? - Just a few minutes ago.
I mean, I kept having to tell them over and over and over again because they thought that I was pranking them, but I'm gonna get all the proof that I need from that dickweed, Ray.
And then you are going downtown, Nana.
[whispering.]
Are you wearing a wire? Hmm? [whispers.]
Am I being recorded? No.
[louder.]
Well, then, I have something to say.
- Okay.
- And I will say it just to you.
I had nothing to do with that boy trying to kill the - Payton? - Yeah, whatever.
And I will never admit to hurtin' your mama.
But what happened to you, yes, I did it.
And I am sorry, I know that is not enough.
But those are the only words I have.
Oh, I love you, Infinity.
I do.
I love you.
And I never meant to hurt you, but I guess I did.
A little.
And then, you know, I've been thinking and I might have some psychological problems, you know? And I I think I probably need to get some help.
- But - Nana! [Dusty sobs.]
It's really, really great to hear you say that.
Yes, and that's why I've just booked a spa vacation.
- Huh? - [Dusty stammers.]
Ten whole days of, like, facials and massage.
- I think it's gonna do me a - You booked a spa vacation? I need help! Christ, I've been trying to tell ya I am sorry! Sorry I'm a person who needs attention and adulation, but I've been that way since the day I was born.
I had dreams, honey.
I am sorry.
I am so sorry! That's not enough, Nana.
[exhales.]
Just not gonna cut it.
Now, wait, I am all you've got! Nana Wait a minute, you need me, Infinity.
You need me to - No, I don't need you.
- Yes, you - No - [Ricardo.]
Infinity! [Dusty.]
Jesus H.
Christ! - [Infinity groans.]
- Can't you knock? - Nana.
- Did you call the police? - Did you call the police on me? - Uh No.
Oh, yes, she did.
Yes.
Yes, she did! - No, she didn't.
She didn't.
- And she told them everything, dumbass! Then they're probably on their way over here right now.
Why did you do that, Infinity? Now I have to kill myself! What is that, lighter fluid? That's right! - You know how John Wilkes Booth died? - Uh He got trapped in a barn, he had a broken leg, and he got burned to death.
And that's how I'm going out, except for the broken leg.
Ricardo, don't.
Please stop.
[Dusty.]
No, go ahead, do it.
Come on, let's have a Buddhist barbecue.
I won't go to prison, Infinity.
I won't share you with another man! I love you.
I love you too, Ricardo.
Okay? I love you.
Just Nana, is that a gun? Put that down.
Please put that down.
When did you get that? Oh, I got it 30 years ago, when I was working in a used car lot.
It was the '80s.
Crack was just beginning.
Put the gun away, Nana! No, I don't want to live anymore.
Nana, don't.
Infinity, it was an accident.
I loved your mama and I thought the hospital would save her.
- [sobs.]
- I can see that now.
Put the gun down, please.
- Please.
- Put the gun down, bitch! No, I don't want to know what they're gonna say about me! Nana, no, no.
Please, please, please, no, no.
- [clicks.]
- Nana, no! What the hell? Oh! Put that down, Nana.
Oh! Oh, my God, Nana! You shot Ricardo! - Oh, my God! Oh, my God! - [Ricardo gasping.]
You shot me! Oh, wow, I'm sorry.
No Wow, I didn't mean to do that.
Somebody call an ambulance! [sirens wailing.]
Agh.
Am I dead? Is this Heaven? No, wait, it's it's not Well, actually, I don't I don't know why you'd be here if it was.
Maybe this is just a dream, or actually, you know what it is? It's the synapses in my brain misfiring or shutting down, they say that happens when you have a near-death experience.
All you ever do is think, think, think.
Even now.
Well, I think about you a lot.
I think about why you did it.
Why didn't you get help? Oh, I got plenty of help.
Therapists and medications and EMDR and - hypnosis and transcendental meditation.
- Ah.
Nothing made me feel better.
Why, though? What was so bad about your life? I mean you look like Superman, and you speak Chinese, and you had money, and hugging you is like hugging a steel shipping crate.
I mean, everyone adored you.
You crossed home plate just by walking in the door and smiling.
I don't It makes no sense.
I feel everything.
There just wasn't enough positive emotion to balance me out.
So it wasn't because of me? No.
You were my only relief.
Then how come you were always trying to make me feel more, if me doing that would've hurt you? Because that's what you needed.
I mean, isn't that what you do? Help people, even if it puts you at risk of being hurt? No.
No, I help people because it serves me.
Feeds my ego my quest for power and and validation.
You're a politician.
Well, I'm scared that that's all I am.
I only do this with you.
I mean, you're like this magnet, just pulling all my feelings out of me.
So how am I supposed to survive without you? You need to go back and bring balance back to the world.
That's the purpose of the power you're craving.
No, I wanna stay here with you.
You can't.
[heart monitor beep echoing.]
[monitor continues steadily.]
[gasps.]
My darling! Oh, my darling boy! So you and Mrs.
Jackson Sr.
were both gonna kill yourselves? Like a suicide pact.
No.
So it's just a coincidence that you were both gonna kill yourselves in the same place at the same time? Do you have any idea what it's like out there for working people? Our info says Mrs.
Jackson doesn't work, and that you got fired from your job at the arcade two weeks ago for taking four days off without asking.
I got nothing! Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you? I'm surprised people like me aren't showing up places and killing themselves all the time! All Infinity's grandma and me have that means anything the only sunbeam in our lives was Infinity.
We were both losing her.
So you shot yourself? No, her grandma shot me.
She's a monster.
Not because she shot me either, I deserve to be punished.
But because of what she's done to Infinity.
Wait, she shot Infinity too? No.
But everything Infinity told you about her Nana making her sick is true.
And, if you get me two Filet-O-Fishes with fries and a vanilla shake, I'll tell you everything you need to know about Dusty Jackson and the deeds she's done.
[grunting.]
[father.]
My father was a Golden Gloves boxer.
He was set to compete in the '68 Olympics, but he lost his leg below the knee to a Bouncing Betty mine in Van Tuong in '66.
[panting.]
He still sparred with me though.
Starting around when I was 11.
He said he said I was old enough to take a beating.
And he beat the living crap outta me.
Even without a half a leg, he had 150 pounds on me and a foot of reach.
And he never once went easy on me.
God bless that man.
Why are you telling me this? I've been soft on you.
Too easy.
You would've won that election and you quit! I didn't wanna win.
I didn't care.
So win! And blow off governing! It's all just evidence that you're a winner or a loser! Which is why it matters if I'm thin and pretty and winning elections? 'Cause if I don't, you're a loser? You're my child.
How you live reflects on me, don't you get that? Then take a good look at me, Daddy.
At me, at the house, at the car and furniture that you're leasing because your credit sucks? It's all a mirage.
We're not winners, Dad.
We're a family of fakes.
Don't know what you're talking about.
You know, Mom's usually a pretty typical drunk pill-head, till she mixes Xanax and Pinot and then it's like she's on truth serum.
And she talks.
About everything.
Neighborhood gossip, sex, how you make your money.
I have no shame about how I made my way in this world.
The only shame I feel is when I look at you.
You're a quitter and a loser.
And the greatest disappointment of my life.
[door shuts.]
[vehicle brakes squeak.]
[car doors slamming.]
Okay.
Here we go.
[knocking at door.]
Hello, gentlemen.
Mrs.
Jackson.
Do you mind if we come in? So let me guess, he sang like a canary.
Ma'am, you're under arrest for the murder of Dina Jackson and the attempted murder of Infinity Jackson.
Murder.
[chuckles.]
And attempted murder.
Wow, that sounds so ominous when you say it out loud.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say - can and will be used against you in a - No, please.
Don't even start.
- You gonna handcuff me? - We don't have to cuff you, ma'am, but we do have to read you your rights.
- You have the right to an attorney.
- No, just stop.
Okay? I did it.
I did it all.
I won't even need a lawyer.
Now I know how this is going to go.
I am gonna spend the rest of my life in prison, and I deserve it.
And I don't even care.
And just so you know, Payton Hobart knew.
He knew every goddamn thing, that rich little son of a bitch.
He knew the whole time, so you better go after him too.
Um, excuse me, you have to sign in! Young man! They know.
It's out.
Everyone knows.
- Whoa, hold on.
Who? - The police.
Everyone, they know.
What do they know, James? Everything! Everyone knows everything! [Elliott Smith's "Between The Bars" plays.]
[students chattering.]
Drink up, baby, stay up all night With the things you could do You won't but you might The potential you'll be That you'll never see The promises you'll only make Drink up with me now And forget all about The pressure of days Do what I say And I'll make you okay [teacher.]
Okay, guys, again, and I feel like a broken record here, the derivative of one with respect to T is - [student.]
One.
- [teacher.]
No, not one.
Zero.
This is not rocket science, guys.
- Payton? - Yes? The principal wants to see you.
[students.]
Ooh [teacher.]
Do an "ah" when you get one of these right.
Number six I'll keep them still I want your resignation as president on my desk by the end of the day.
- The only thing I can say - Oh, no.
No.
You shut your mouth, you little psychopath.
A crime has been committed that you are party to.
You aided and abetted an attempted murder.
And if you don't want me filing a brief with the court at your jury trial telling them that you should spend the next 20 years behind bars, you're gonna say, "Yes, ma'am.
Whatever you say, ma'am.
" And walk out of this office and never so much make eye contact with me again.
Do I make myself clear? No, I admit it.
That's all I was gonna say.
I I screwed up, and I do not deserve to be the president.
You will have my resignation on your desk in an hour.
[sighs.]
I, um I did tell her.
Infinity.
I told her what her Nana was doing to her, that she was being poisoned.
Um I didn't tell her right away and that was wrong, but I did I did tell her.
But I don't understand.
Why didn't you just go to the police? Because if we went to the police, then we lose control of the story, right? And if it got out, it would affect the campaign and it could cost us the election.
And if it cost us this election, then it could cost us every election.
Okay? I'm not a good person, all right? I'm I try to do good things, right? But I'm not a good person.
That's my flaw.
I'm ambitious.
I am political.
I'm conniving.
I was willing to help Infinity up to the point of harming myself and no further.
And And you don't like those parts of me and I don't either, but that might be what I'm stuck with.
So that might just be who I am.
You were wrong about one thing though.
I really I did wanna help people.
You'd never believe that, but I really did want to make this school a better place.
So, I might not be a good person, but I wanted to do good things.
I I still do.
[door opens, shuts.]
[line ringing.]
Hello? Is this the FBI? I have a crime to report.
Okay, I'm gonna ask a question now that I think I know the answer to.
But I want your honest opinion.
Do we think I can come back from this? Recent history has taught us that candidates can recover from transgressions that occurred when they were young.
Obama did coke, Dubya had a DUI, Laura Bush drove through a stop sign and she killed someone.
But this is worse.
This was willful and deliberate and baldly political with a sympathetic victim at its center.
It's salacious and bizarre, and it'll follow you forever.
This isn't your "I didn't inhale," this is your Chappaquiddick.
And I warned you.
I said this is gonna destroy everything we've been working for.
But you didn't listen.
So I'm sorry, Payton.
I truly am.
But I'm out.
I'm out.
[door opens, shuts.]
What do you think? I think the dream is over.
- [upbeat music playing.]
- [phones ringing.]
[overlapping murmurs.]
I don't know whether I should feel more angry or sad.
I mean, you were married to a man with hands and a heart as cold as ice for almost 20 years, you bore him two sons, made him a home, and now he just sends you off with nothing but your precious jewels and some caftans.
They're not really mine.
Nothing is.
Nothing is permanent.
[sighs.]
Not what you own, not what you love, not even the things that you think will break you forever.
They're gonna start the bidding.
Lot number 3335, emerald earrings with pavé diamonds.
One of a kind.
We will start the bidding at three million Ten million! [auctioneer.]
Mr.
Hobart, I was saying we'll start the bidding - at three million - Twelve million! [auctioneer.]
Going once, going twice Sold.
Number 44, 12 million dollars.
[gavel strikes.]
Keaton, what are you doing? I'm going to buy every lot.
I won't be outbid.
- [auctioneer.]
Lot 3319.
- You have to let go.
He's not keeping them.
No, he's going to destroy them with a steam roller.
[Keaton.]
Nine million! [auctioneer.]
Nine million.
Going once, going twice, sold for nine million.
- Next, lot number - At least you're rich again.
24-karat gold I've already donated all the proceeds from this auction to charities that help victims of Munchausen by proxy.
- In your name.
- [auctioneer.]
Thirteen point five Thought it might be time for a little reputation rehabilitation.
[auctioneer.]
number 44.
Do I hear 16.
5? - Sixteen point five, on the phone.
- [sighs.]
It really is time to let all of this go.
- Twenty-five million! - [gavel strikes.]
[Andrew.]
Two years ago, I presented Principal Vaughn with information suggesting that Infinity Jackson was being Munchausen by proxied.
Now she's saying that never happened.
Well, guess what, Principal Vaughn? - I have the receipts! - [students cheer.]
- [Andrew.]
I recorded the conversation.
- Yes, that's fine.
Thank you very much.
I'll meet you at the entrance.
[garbled audio echoes over microphone.]
[Principal Vaughn.]
Leave my office at once! [Andrew.]
Now, I'll admit the recording is a little garbled because one of the people speaking is legally deaf and the phone was in the front pocket of my jeans, but this is proof that Principal Vaughn knew what was going on and she did nothing.
[Andrew chanting.]
Hey, hey, ho, ho Principal Vaughn has got to go! - [students.]
Hey, hey, ho, ho - Can I talk to you in private? That's funny.
I was just talking about you.
We got what we wanted.
- Payton is out of the way now.
- That's what you wanted.
Come on.
I'm giving you an opportunity here.
And what's the opportunity? I'm president now.
I'm offering you the vice presidency right here and right now, and together we can accomplish all the stuff we talked about.
Taking a Title IX case all the way to the Supreme Court.
Exactly.
And enacting a gender, non-binary history curriculum, and making every bathroom and locker room at the school unisex, and staging a school-wide sit-in until they abolish Columbus Day.
I don't believe in you, Skye.
- Excuse me? - I believe in him.
In Payton.
Um, news flash: Payton is over.
Maybe that's true, but he has something that you don't have.
The only thing he has is a complete lack of empathy.
- He's a sociopath.
- I don't know what makes him tick, and I don't think he does either, but that kid spends every waking moment trying to make this world better than it is right now, and I'm sorry, you don't have that.
And I'd be real careful who you call a sociopath because you've done things that you should be very ashamed of, - and I don't see an ounce of remorse.
- What are you talkin' about? I know you tried to poison him, Skye.
I went through your trash.
I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, but there was no other way Payton could have gotten so sick.
Zinc phosphide, difethialone, warfarin.
- All those things were found in his blood.
- So? That's just a weird coincidence.
You can't prove I did anything.
That's not up to me.
That's going to be up to the prosecutors.
But I'd find myself a lawyer if I were you.
Skye Leighton, gonna ask you to put your hands on your head.
Okay, this is crazy.
You know that, right? You're under arrest pursuant to section 347-A of the California Penal Code.
[man.]
I've got an emergency grand jury indictment charging you with wire and tax fraud, insider trading, money laundering, and running an illegal underground bare-knuckles fighting club.
- Let go of me.
- Pretty bad look as a father - to have your daughter turn you in.
- [father.]
You kidding? - I've never been prouder.
- Okay.
Uppercut to my jaw, sweetheart! - It's exactly what I was talkin' about! - Let's go.
That's my girl! - [mother.]
What the hell is going on? - [father.]
Honey, call the lawyers.
I'm proud of you, you hear me? I'm proud of you, baby! [car door slams, engine starts.]
[police siren wails.]
Where are you going? New York, I think.
I was happy there.
Maybe I'll just get a job at Bubba Gump's.
And school? With the summer school Dad made me take I have enough credit to graduate.
I'll just take my GED test when I get around to it.
I'm sorry about Dad.
It was only a matter of time.
I'm more shocked it took this long, so Do you need any money? No, I don't want anything.
The happiest I've been in my life was when I was in New York with nothing.
Money just makes the important stuff easy, so that we try and make the unimportant stuff hard just to make it feel like we're not coasting, but I have been and I don't want to coast anymore.
Take me with you.
No.
[Sufjan Stevens' "Chicago" plays over stereo.]
I fell in love again All things go, all things go Drove to Chicago All things know, all things know We sold our clothes to the state I don't mind, I don't mind I made a lot of mistakes In my mind, in my mind You came to take us All things go, all things go To recreate us All things grow, all things grow We had our mindset All things know, all things know You had to find it All things go, all things go [Payton.]
I'm worried about you.
[Georgina.]
Darling, I'm going to an ashram.
Maybe I could come with you.
No.
- You need to be on your own with this.
- [sighs.]
I'm totally lost.
Everybody hates me.
Harvard pulled its admissions offer.
They said that my behavior wasn't in line with what they considered to be "a Harvard man.
" I have had everything planned out since I was a child, every move on a rail, and now it's all gone to hell.
Finally.
Your life going off the rails is the best thing that could happen to you.
Life isn't a train.
It's a shit tornado full of gold.
You don't have to have a plan.
You have to try to stay clean and grab every gold bar you can.
How can you stay clean in a shit tornado? Well, you can't.
And that's the point.
This isn't the end.
This is the beginning.
For me, for your father, even though he doesn't feel that way right now, and especially for you.
This emptiness is a gift.
You finally know what it's like to lose.
Do yourself a favor and let yourself cry as I walk away.
[gasping softly.]
[theme music playing.]