A Man on the Inside (2024) s01e08 Episode Script

1
[gentle intriguing music]
Let's go.
They're ready for us.
I'll go in alone.
The rest of you can wait here.
If you want to ask Julie any questions
about this "operation," do it now.
Didi.
What?
I should go with you.
Are you out of your mind?
I think things will go better
if I'm there.
A friendly face.
[sighs]
He might be right, Didi.
Not a word unless I say so.
[music stops]
[beeping]
[eerie music]
Come on.
[solemn music]
[door opens]
[man] Morning.
- [woman] I'll take care of that.
- [Didi] Thank you.
[poignant music]
[Didi] Morning, Gladys.
Good morning.
[Didi] I'm Didi. I work here.
I wanted to check in and see
how you're adjusting to your new room.
It's very quiet,
and the eggs never have enough salt.
Oh, we can fix that.
I'll talk to the chef.
Hey. I wanted to ask you a question
I know you. You're an actor.
That's right. I'm Charles.
[Gladys] Charles.
Of course, Charles.
Guys and Dolls.
Guys and Dolls.
Gladys, we came to see you
because we need your help.
You have such an eye for fashion.
I thought maybe you could find
something for me.
A new suit, right?
This one's a little dated.
No. No, it's it's not for me.
I'm looking for a woman's necklace,
and I thought you might have something
in your collection.
- Oh, necklaces I've got.
- Ah.
[Gladys] Ah.
Oh.
This is from The King and I,
if you're looking
for a Siamese royalty kind of thing.
Actually, I was thinking
of something with rubies.
[Gladys] Rubies.
Rubies.
Oh.
This is from Cabaret.
It's costume, of course,
but the design is so beautiful.
[Charles] Oh.
It's exactly what I'm looking for.
Could I borrow this?
Take it.
I really have to get rid of all this junk.
Well, I am very, very grateful.
Actually, I have something
that you might like.
[Gladys] Oh.
That looks just like my dog, Bunchy.
Well, that's perfect.
Because I want you to have this.
Are you sure?
Yeah, I'm sure.
He belongs with you.
[poignant music continues]
[Didi] She had the necklace,
Grant's Princeton pin,
Susan's gavel, and about 30 salt shakers.
I'll check the logs, see what else
anyone's reported missing.
My wife did things
like this toward the end.
Just took stuff, thinking it was hers.
None of it was malice. Just confusion.
Last night, I suddenly realized
nothing else had been reported stolen
since Gladys moved into memory care.
And I remembered, in her sketchbook,
she drew the residents
alongside her costume designs.
Figured maybe she was mixing
them up in real life too.
Nobody thought to suspect her,
because everyone was pulling away.
So Gladys had nothing to do
with Elliott's watch?
No, she did. I mean,
she must have taken it,
then heard all the chatter
about the Rolex that Julie gave me
and got confused.
She brought Elliott's watch
back to my room,
thinking it was my watch.
I thought that was the thief
letting us know they were onto us,
so I put it on the patio, trying
to deflect attention away from Charles.
Okay, well,
this has been a very long week.
I will type this up and get you a copy.
Thanks.
Well, you were right.
Congratulations.
What happens now?
You vacate the premises in under an hour,
or you'll be assisted
by the San Francisco Police.
Did you tell anybody else about me?
No.
But you know
how word travels in this place.
Well, thank you for everything.
Look, I was just doing my job.
You lied to get into my building.
You accused my staff of a serious crime.
My staff puts up with more shit in one day
than you do in a month of tailing
adulterers and tax cheats.
Okay, I am way too old for lectures.
Listen, some stuff was missing,
and now it's not.
You didn't find it, my guy did.
You're welcome.
Now we don't need to see
each other anymore.
So, goodbye.
Morning, Chaz.
Morning, Cal.
Where were you?
I got up early.
You inspired me to explore a bit.
And look what I found.
[Charles laughs]
- My book.
- Yes, sir.
And I'll need it signed.
This'll increase the resale value.
Gonna put that sucker on eBay
and make a cool four bucks.
[chuckling]
Calbert, you're gonna hear
this eventually,
and I want you to hear it from me.
I'm moving out soon.
Today, actually.
Why?
The woman you know as my daughter
is actually a private investigator.
She hired me to come here
and look into a theft.
Helen's necklace.
I was never meant to stay.
This was fake?
The whole time? All of it?
Yes.
But it was also real.
I swear. I mean, I am
me.
I wrote that book.
And you and I went to a baseball game.
And my wife, Victoria,
died one year ago from complications
related to Alzheimer's disease.
That's That's all true.
I [sighs]
I have to leave now.
But if you could meet me sometime
for lunch or dinner,
I would love to explain all of this.
I think I've heard enough.
[melancholic music]
Do you need to say goodbye to anyone?
It's easier if I just go.
[woman] Oh, there he is.
Word travels fast around here.
I'm sure everybody knows.
Ah, good morning, Charles.
Join me tomorrow for dinner.
Most people know.
[woman] He can go to hell.
Thanks for the help.
Yeah, of course.
Joel has the kids
if you want to grab a bite or something.
Actually, if you have the time,
I was thinking
maybe we could do a little more
packing and unpacking.
["Time to Move On" by Tom Petty]
It's time to move on
It's time to get going ♪
What lies ahead
I have no way of knowing ♪
But under my feet, baby
Grass is growing ♪
It's time to move on
Time to get going ♪
That's from that boat trip we took
in Lake Shasta.
Yeah. I remember you fell in.
Then you had to buy this
to have a dry shirt.
Fell in? I seem to recall
that somebody threw in
her new stuffed fish
to see if it could swim
and discovered that it could not.
- I did?
- [Charles chuckles]
And you went in and got it?
I went in and got it.
'Cause that's what dads do.
Let me see that.
Yeah, your mom liked that
'cause it was so soft.
Mm. So keep or donate?
Keep.
Dad, the point of this is
to clear the decks.
I mean, when's
the last time you wore this?
You're right.
Donate.
But under my feet, baby
Grass is growing ♪
It's time to move on
Time to get going ♪
Yeah, it's time to move on
Time to get going ♪
[Emily] And then Oh.
[Charles] That's Bobby's son, Ray,
on my shoulders.
That's '78 or '79.
- Know I made out with Ray in high school?
- Yuck.
[Charles] All right, now,
there, that was '79.
Your mom got that skirt in Santa Fe.
We actually lived
out of her van that whole summer.
- Wait, Mom had a van?
- Yeah.
You lived in a van
the year before I was born?
Well, about nine months before.
Ew.
[laughing]
I heard he was hiding in the walls
and peeking through the vents.
What did he see?
Did he like it?
His fake daughter's last name
was Kovalenko.
She's a Soviet.
He was working for Russia.
Okay, he was not spying for Russia
or any other foreign power.
He was spying, though.
Kind of, yes.
I told you
there was something off about that guy.
Every person
in this room owes me an apology.
Didi, you start.
Okay. Here's what we're gonna do.
I'm gonna meet with anyone who wants
to talk this out in my office.
I will tell you everything I know.
You can ask me any questions you want.
I'm first.
Obviously.
Obviously.
Granted, this whole debacle has
highlighted my safety concerns.
But I trusted Charles.
I installed him as my vice president.
And he betrayed me.
Just like Gerald Ford.
I don't care if he did find my necklace.
I never want to speak to that man again.
Well, good news, Helen. He's already gone.
He didn't say goodbye?
Rude.
He made me a drink that very first night.
He tempted me into sin.
Oh, I'm having impure thoughts
about him right now.
Well, of course, in the mid-'80s,
junk bonds were all the rage.
And I was at Sullivan Brothers
Grant, I'd really like
to focus on Charles.
I'm just giving you the background context
of my perspective.
So, in 1985, I'm at the Ritz-Carlton
in Naples, Florida,
and who should walk in but Cyndi Lauper.
[Charles] Oh, I found it!
Hey, I found it.
Oh, wow! I've never seen that one.
When did she do that?
- [Charles] Years ago. I love this one.
- Yeah.
What's this bag?
It's, like, full of candy.
Your mom packed that.
She saw me packing and tried to help.
But you packed all of this stuff
after she died.
For a while, in those last months,
there were good days,
and there were bad days.
You remember.
Yeah.
Eventually, there were only bad days.
I was in over my head.
The nurses said
the house wasn't safe for her anymore.
So I
I made a decision.
Oh.
Dad you were gonna
She was going to memory care.
A place in Berkeley
a colleague told me about.
They came and they packed everything up.
I told her we were going on a trip.
And I told myself
that it was kind of true.
She was supposed to check in on a Monday,
but that night before she left
was her last night.
I promised her
she would never have to go.
I promised
she would never leave her house.
I broke that promise.
Yeah. But the person that you made
that promise to wasn't here anymore.
You gave her
the best life that you possibly could.
You loved her every day.
You did the best that you could.
- [crying]
- It's okay, Dad.
[crying]
[Emily] It's okay.
It's okay.
Everything's better since he left.
Good riddance.
What's wrong with you?
If it weren't for Charles, you and I
wouldn't have gotten back together.
And he found your watch.
I guess.
[chuckles lightly]
And it was fun to punch him.
I mean, punching anyone's fun.
I'd punch everyone. I don't care.
He was nice to me.
And Flo.
Flo loved him.
I don't care what he did.
I'm sad he's gone.
You knew him better than anyone.
Where do you stand with all this?
Charles was a liar and a fraud.
He made fools out of us.
I'm glad he's gone.
[waves lapping]
[waves stop]
Remember when I said I wasn't sure
what our relationship should look like,
but we'd know when we saw it?
This is it.
Something like this.
Yeah. Yeah.
This is good.
Okay. Well, we will be back next weekend
for Father's Day.
All five of us.
And Joel can help us clear
the rest of the stuff out more quickly.
So don't forget to schedule
the donation pickup.
You might want to call a mold guy
'cause it smells musty in there.
I love you too.
[chuckles]
["Touch of Grey" by Grateful Dead]
It must be getting early ♪
Clocks are running late ♪
Paint by number morning sky ♪
Looks so phony ♪
Dawn is breaking everywhere ♪
Light a candle, curse the glare ♪
Draw the curtains, I don't care ♪
'Cause it's alright ♪
- I will get by ♪
- [laughing]
Hey!
I will get by ♪
I will get by ♪
I will survive ♪
We will get by ♪
[music fades out]
What you working on now?
Got any hot new cases?
One, actually.
I'm looking into a former employee
who keeps sticking his nose
where it doesn't belong.
Do you mean the employee
who saved your bacon,
who snatched victory
from the jaws of defeat?
Don't you think
maybe you owe him something?
You got paid, right?
- Mm.
- [Julie] Mm.
Fine. I do owe you one.
So call me if you ever need a favor.
[knocking on door]
Mr. Cubbler is here.
Welcome.
You remember Charles,
our man on the inside?
Indeed. I would've been here sooner,
but I've been very busy.
- I have your check.
- Thank you.
And here is your full report,
including Charles's notes.
You really have him to thank.
He's the one who solved it.
Well done, I suppose.
I was hoping someone would get fired
or go to jail, but c'est la vie.
So, you've got that old lady locked up?
Gladys? She's in memory care,
if that's what you mean.
Whatever. As long as Mother is safe.
I still don't trust Pacific View.
Every email she sends,
every voicemail, it's a new complaint.
Something about that place is rotten.
I'm sorry to hear that Helen is unhappy.
Have you visited her recently?
Talked to her about her experiences?
- Again, I'm very busy.
- [Charles] Well, you must be.
'Cause in all the time I was there,
I didn't see you once.
Not for lunch, not on her birthday.
See, I think the problem your mother has
with Pacific View is that
you're never there.
I hired you to find a necklace,
not play armchair therapist.
[chuckles softly]
It's just that Didi She's the director.
She told me that for most seniors,
the biggest threat to their well-being
was not an illness or an accident.
It was loneliness.
Hm. Well, if Didi is so wise and caring,
then why is she quitting?
- You must be mistaken.
- I'm not.
She put in her notice
right after you left.
At least one person
faced some consequences.
I'm leaving.
Well, take it easy, Charles.
Wait, what? We're not done here.
Didi clearly resigned
because of what we did.
Now, we have to help her
change her mind. We
Mm, no. No, I think we've caused
enough trouble at Pacific View. I'll pass.
Okay.
No problem. Um
- Give me a sec, though, will you?
- Sure.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Hi, Julie. It's Charles Nieuwendyk.
I'm calling in my favor.
[relaxing music]
- How'd you know I was here?
- [Charles] Simple detective work.
Every day, at exactly 2:30,
you left on a break,
and you came back carrying a coffee cup
with this café's logo.
Also, we called and Jaylen told us.
Oh, damn it, Julie.
My thing was also true.
[scoffs] Didi, this was our fault.
You can't resign.
I already did.
I'm only staying on
until they find my replacement.
And it wasn't all your fault.
It happened on my watch.
My job was to keep the residents safe,
and I put them at risk. So, time to go.
No. No, you belong at Pacific View.
You were there for a month.
What do you know?
I didn't need a month.
I knew it as soon as I got there.
[Charles on recorder] Julie, it's Charles.
Afternoon of day five.
Sunny, 68. Light winds from the southwest.
Barometric pressure is dropping.
Yeah, he did that every day.
[Charles] Our biggest obstacle
might be Didi.
She does not miss a thing around here.
Knows all, sees all.
Revered by staff and residents alike,
she has an uncanny ability
to know exactly what the residents need,
and provides it with dignity and grace.
She's kind of a marvel, really.
It's gonna be hard
to sneak anything past her,
which leads me to my next idea.
Now, bear with me.
I check in again as my twin brother,
Bernard Nieuwendyk
- Okay, that
- We have to hear this.
Fake mustache, different wardrobe
[in British accent] and he grew up
in foggy London Town.
Okay. All right. That's Look, we just
Let's just focus on the first part.
I was there under false pretenses, yes.
But I really was lonely.
And you saw that.
You sent Virginia and Florence
to my room on that first day.
You talked me off a ledge
that night in the library.
You helped give me my life back.
What's gonna happen
when the next lonely person checks in
if you're gone?
Okay, look, I'm sure
you don't want to hear from me.
That's correct.
But I recognize a fellow workaholic.
I know what it's like
to live and breathe your job.
You know, and I've seen
every kind of fraud and negligence
and just straight-up
half-assery imaginable,
so when I see someone who actually cares
I mean, you caught me.
That has never happened before.
Because most people clock in, clock out,
and they don't give a shit.
But you do.
And it's admirable.
[gentle music]
I think I'd like the champagne fountain
closer to me.
Salmon? Our wedding color is salmon.
It's the color of a healthy prostate.
Is it?
Probably. I don't know.
So, uh, we can put the champagne fountain
next to the main table,
but that does move the cheese station
over into the bar area.
A cheese station? Classy.
Better remind the med techs
to get Grant some LACTAID.
Didi said she'd handle it.
Didi? Won't she be gone by then?
What, you haven't heard? She's staying.
Wha
[Calbert] Hey, Didi.
You're sticking around.
I've been meaning to talk to you.
Say no more.
Your leaving wasn't going to fix anything.
Charles was the bad guy here.
Actually, Charles is the one
who convinced me to stay.
He came and talked to me.
He gave me a whole speech about how
lonely he was before he came here.
How much it changed him.
The friends he made.
I don't know, I wanna hate the guy,
but, at the end of the day
[melancholy music]
[Charles] "For Calbert, a new friend.
Which feels like a miracle."
That ultimately is
what distinguishes great engineering
from merely useful engineering.
Does the form match the function?
Does the soul of the thing matter
to those who use it?
Is there a beating heart
inside the utility?
In this case, the answer, clearly, is yes.
- [clapping]
- Thank you. Thank you.
[indistinct chattering]
Hey. Thank you for this, Professor.
- My pleasure, Charles. Oh, that was great.
- [Charles] Oh good.
- Hm.
- A little rusty.
[woman] Hm. Couldn't tell.
Who's your friend?
[melancholy music]
You sure do love to talk.
I've been accused of that, yes.
Teaching again.
Well, this is just a guest lecture,
but I might try to do some more.
How are you, Calbert?
Busy. Been getting out a little,
seeing the city.
That's good.
How's C.J. doing in Singapore?
Funny story.
After our day out, we chatted, he and I.
Most honest we've ever been
with each other.
He told his bosses he couldn't go
that far away from his old man.
Good for him. And good for you.
I take the BAR
to his office sometimes for lunch.
You know they give them free food all day?
They don't call it a cafeteria, though.
It's a culinary center.
Well, we have a cafeteria here
if you want a cup of coffee.
- I can't stay long.
- All right.
I'll take a rain check, though.
What are you doing this Saturday?
["Since I Found You Girl"
by Charles Mintz]
I'm the happiest guy in the world
Ooh baby ♪
Wow. I guess
there really is someone for everyone.
What do you think, Grant?
I think the Roquefort is a triumph.
Mm.
Oh, look who's here.
Probably to steal half the registry.
Really? You brought Nieuwendyk.
You gave me a plus-one, and he's my date.
I'm happy you're here, Professor.
Some small part of me was hoping
you'd rush into the ceremony and object.
[chuckles] But you missed your chance.
I think everything turned out
the way it was supposed to.
So do I.
[Charles] You guys going on a honeymoon?
Well, I'm pushing for Boca,
but it's up to the lady.
Oh, I forgot to tell you. I decided.
I've always wanted to go to Paris.
We're going to Paris.
[chuckling]
This is going to be one
of the best honeymoons of my life.
["Some Enchanted Evening" by Perry Como]
Some enchanted evening ♪
You may see a stranger ♪
You may see a stranger ♪
Across a crowded room ♪
And somehow you know ♪
You know even then ♪
That somewhere you'll see her again ♪
And again ♪
Sorry to bother you, but someone
left all the paints uncovered overnight,
so we don't have paints
for tomorrow's class.
- Okay, I'm on it.
- [sighs]
Oh.
This is so moving, isn't it?
The way people here find each other.
Did you see Charles is back?
[gasps] Charles Nieuwendyk!
[chuckling] Oh, my goodness gracious.
Across a crowded room ♪
And night after night ♪
As strange as it seems ♪
The sound of her laughter ♪
Will sing in your dreams ♪
["Two of Us"
by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn]
[dice clatter]
God darn it!
You have never once gotten a four
when you need it.
Not once.
- I'm gonna risk it.
- Bad idea.
No, good idea because there's no way
you're gonna roll a
Oh! Come on!
That's insane.
These dice are rigged.
Nope, I'm just that good.
- Oh, well
- [laughing]
We're on our way home ♪
We're on our way home ♪
We're going home ♪
- [Julie] Okay, we'll be in touch.
- [man on phone] Thank you.
What do you think?
That it's impossible.
We have to pass.
It's a juicy case,
and they're offering a lot of money.
I know, but we don't know anyone
who can pull it off.
Yes, we do.
Who? Oh, crap.
No. It wouldn't work, because Crap.
Crap.
It's Julie.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but
I have another job for you.
Say no more.
["The Opera House"
by The Olivia Tremor Control]
[music stops abruptly]
Hey, sorry. I do need you to say more.
But whatever it is, I'm in.
[song resumes]
We're at the movies ♪
Watching some people move their mouths ♪
And a religious figure ♪
Who's not really a religious figure ♪
'Cause he's an actor ♪
We feel okay ♪
Which is how we feel
Most of the time now ♪
Nothing can be done
Without the willingness to succeed ♪
Let's go to the opera since ♪
All of our favorite memories
Have failed us ♪
You make the choice ♪
You make the choice ♪
[music fades out]