Paper Girls (2022) s01e08 Episode Script

1
10-34, over.
That's a 10-34. Over.
Come on. Fuck.
Who are you talking to?
We're ready to go.
Come on.
Lady, we're out of time.
Who are you calling?
Trying to send a distress signal
to my STF contact.
Hold up, you can do that on a walkie?
Yeah, it's, uh
the STF uses paired walkie sets
to communicate across time.
- Shut up.
- The Old Watch can't track
analog signals, so they can't listen in
on what you're saying over these old things.
I can only communicate with
the other walkie in this set.
Durane has the other one.
He recruited me in '94.
But he's not responding.
TRC-218 two-watt three-channel
hand held CB receiver
with Channel 30 crystals.
Heck and Naldo stole the other one in my set
on Hell Day in 1988.
Heck and Naldo have the matching
unit to this one in 1988.
- Are you sure?
- Stole it right off my friend.
- You're sure?
- Mm.
Because if what you're saying is true
10-34.
Anyone out there?
Anyone hear my voice, come back.
10-34.
One four
Oh, shit!
That's them. That's Heck and Naldo.
Yes, yes, I can hear you.
- You're coming through.
- It is them.
Tell them it's us,
the girls they stole the walkie from.
Screw that. Tell them to get
their future butts here already, please.
Guys, we're going home.
Put a team together and get here ASAP.
We can evacuate the civilians and maybe
even get the drop on these bastards.
If these STF freaks win this dumb war,
maybe all of our futures change.
Adult you never gets in that robot.
KJ never gets that perm.
Ah-ha-ha
Tiffany probably still goes to the same
- fancy college, though.
- Mm-hmm.
Future's so bright, right?
Exactly.
Do you read me?
Come on, let's get a move on.
Chop, chop, lady.
Do you read me?
I'm just gonna give them
the 1999 folding coordinates
- and keep repeating.
- Good idea.
Okay. Uh this one right here.
4-1-6-6.
4-1-6-6.
Hey, assclowns,
if you can hear this, get ready,
'cause we're coming to get our shit back.
That was me.
What?
No.
It was you on Hell Day.
We heard you.
It was your voice. We heard your message.
What do you mean?
T-That's impossible. You weren't
This has already happened.
Oh, my God, all of this has already happened
and nothing changed.
Will somebody please tell me
what the fuck is going on?
What the fuck is going on
is that nobody's going anywhere, Larry.
They got our message in '88.
We heard it, too.
Heck and Naldo got the message,
and they still die.
And we can't get home.
It's a time loop.
A predestination paradox.
Events in the future
trigger events in the past
causing them to repeat over and over again.
And everything that's happened
and everything that's going to happen,
there is no changing it.
No.
M-Maybe we can take it back.
Tell Heck and Naldo to abort.
Tell them to find another way.
Tell them it doesn't work.
Please Please, can you hear me?
Please, you're gonna die.
Abort, abort. You're gonna die.
You are going to die.
Hey, look at me. Mac.
We are gonna figure this out.
How?
Mac!
Where's she going?
Maybe just give her a minute.
I'm afraid we don't have a minute.
They're coming.
Mac?
Where are you? They're waiting.
Mac, we got to get out of here.
You all right?
Thanks for being so
I don't know, just thank you
for being how you are, I guess.
You all right?
I'm I'm just gonna
I'm just going to check if there's
any food or stuff or supplies or something,
in the house for us to take.
No, you stay here, take a load off.
- Mac.
- It's fine.
Goddamn it.
Fuck!
I'm sorry about that. Um
I didn't realize you were in here.
Your friend is funny.
I wouldn't.
Hey, we're ready to go.
When I was your age, that silo
was filled to the roof with grain.
Afraid I'm not much of a farmer.
Guess I don't end up being much of anything.
As riveting as that is, Larry,
we have to get out of here right now.
You said so yourself.
I can't. My MeeMaw.
We can't let them catch you.
You know too much.
That's funny, 'cause I feel like
I don't know a fucking thing.
Sorry, but you've seen how MeeMaw is.
She can't be on the run in her condition.
You might not understand this,
but I have no choice.
I have to take care of her, okay?
You're not the only one
with a family, Larry.
And if you really care about
your meemaw, get in the car,
survive this, and find a way
to get back to her.
You can't do her much good otherwise.
Mac, look, I'm sorry. Okay? I just, I
KJ Brandman.
What are you going to do with us?
I think maybe we got it wrong, KJ.
I think she just wants to
send us home, believe it or not.
I'm going with not.
If you put us back,
we really won't remember any of this?
- Mac.
- That's the trade-off.
I just need the exact date you came from.
We're not telling you.
November 1st, 1988.
I'm just tired.
I just want to go back home,
have a decent smoke
and sleep in my shitty bed.
And you, you should just
forget about all of this.
Have a fan-fucking-tastic time
at your bat mitzvah.
You'll be back in your bed in no time.
There's just someone
who wants to meet you first.
Hello.
You kids seem a little on edge.
The vibes in here are tense right now.
Is it Prioress?
Eh, she can be a little too much,
but you know what? She means well.
And plus, she got you here
safe and sound, so
we can all relax a little bit, right?
Let's all take a deep breath.
What do you say, huh?
So, I'm not gonna lie.
You have completely fucked
the Stony Stream timeline,
but here's the good news:
we're gonna fix all of that.
No worries at all.
- By killing us?
- What?
Let me guess, this is the one
that killed your brother?
No. No killing.
I was thinking more like
taking you from here,
dropping you back in 1988,
and then erasing any and all memories
of this nightmare ever happening.
Come on. Doesn't that sound good?
- You can really do that?
- Wait,
- can you put us in the future?
- What?
What do you want with the future?
My friend has cancer.
- And maybe in the future, there's a cure.
- Christ, Kaje.
Is there?
That's a dinosaur.
Get in the car.
This feels like our cue, ladies.
Get in!
Did you make this mix?
- No, my brother did.
- Ah.
Well, you got a pretty cool brother.
He's got good taste in music.
Let's, uh, let's listen a little, huh?
Got a permanent disease
Ugh. So good.
I remember when this song came out.
Okay, let's think about your life
like it's your favorite mix tape, right?
And every moment in your life
is like a different song in the mix.
Now, what happens if you, uh,
wanted to change one of the songs
or, in this case, even better,
record over it with a different song?
- Hey, easy with that.
- Hang on, hang on.
I'm trying to make a point. Okay.
Now let's listen.
Hey, easy with that.
It's a little hard
to hear over the headphones,
but believe me when I say
the sound quality has degraded
each and every time
you record over the tape.
Nothing is as good
as the original.
Now,
the STF
Those little rascals they're out there
thinking they're changing
the mix tape of time
for the better by making
all the bad stuff go away.
But in actuality,
what they're doing
is recording over the original track
with all their own songs.
If you keep doing it, over and over
eventually,
the timeline just unravels.
And in its weakened state,
after all the recording
and the rerecording,
guess what happens next?
Now no one can listen.
This, right here,
is the end of the universe.
You fucker.
So, that's why the Old Watch
has to keep the original mix tape playing.
Always.
No exceptions.
Look, I'm sorry, kid.
I'm old enough to remember cancer,
and that's a real cold card to catch,
but, like we say at the Old Watch,
"Your time is your time."
Can I put in an order to have
my brain extra scrubbed?
Look, I don't want to remember any of this.
I like you.
I'm gonna order up the deluxe
platinum rinse just for you.
Promise.
Ha. All right. Great job, everybody.
So, we've got a little bit more
cleanup to do here in '99,
and then we'll drop you guys back at
Wait, what-what was the date again?
November 1st, 1988.
Oh, '88. Are you kidding?
What a great year for music.
Metallica's And Justice for All.
Are you guys heavy metal fans?
Lars Ulrich, probably the best
drummer working right now.
The guy's double bass kicks
are out of control.
Hold on. Slow down, okay? What do you care
if your mind gets wiped?
Are you serious?
You think I want to go back
to my boring life
in fucking Stony Stream with no memory
of time travel or any of this?
Give me a pen.
Get in the car!
Give me one.
You won't remember any of this,
but at least you'll have that.
Now make it real.
Go.
Unbelievable.
Wait!
Wait, hold on!
Ah.
Ladies, meet Tessa.
Tessa, these are our new friends.
They're a little lost, but we're
gonna get them back home.
Hey, I have a question.
- Yeah?
- Those STF guys we watched her execute
are from some time, right?
So why is that allowed?
Why doesn't that fuck up your mix tape?
Look, I don't make the rules.
Really? If you don't, then who does?
You got, like, a boss or something?
I No. No, I don't have a boss.
What? No. Everything
just happens for a reason.
I don't believe that.
I believe that people say that
to absolve themselves of responsibility.
But we make choices.
And if you can stop
bad things from happening,
you have to try.
Look, I get it. You're nervous.
But trust me, it's better this way.
Better for you, maybe.
No. No, see,
better for the timeline.
Look, I know this might be hard for you guys
to wrap your heads around,
but trust me, that is a privilege.
You know what? I changed my mind.
Deal's off.
If you're worried about Ablution,
it doesn't hurt or anything.
You just blink your eyes and
all the burdens you're feeling right now
won't even be a memory.
You're not listening.
We're not fucking doing this, man!
Yeah.
See, I think
you might be laboring under the delusion
that you have a choice.
Aah, get your hands off me,
you fucking creep!
Let these girls go right now
or I shoot your pet right in the neck.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not cool, not cool, man!
You're no killer.
Maybe not.
But I am a proud member
of the STF Underground.
- Oh, here we go.
- Drop it.
Get the hell over here.
You should probably get out of here.
Hurry up, hurry up.
You've been sold a bill of goods, my man.
Bullshit.
What makes you say that, huh?
Because you talked to a couple
of freaky teens with metal pimples?
Come on, think about it.
Let's all just take a deep breath,
relax
you drop that gun.
Come on, what do you say?
I say
at least I've finally done something right.
Fine.
Have it your way.
Larry!
You saw me try and save him, right?
I-I-I-I legit did not want him
to get chomped.
Let's go find the girls.
Did they see where we went?
I don't think so.
That guy had a fucking dinosaur.
Poor Larry.
He didn't deserve that.
He saved us.
For a little while at least.
I'm sick.
- What do you mean?
- What?
You can do this, Mac.
It's cancer.
Dylan told me.
Is that true?
Well
Yeah.
It's true.
Look, in four years,
there's no future me.
I don't understand.
You told me that you grew up
to be some kind of vet,
and that you were okay.
I'm so sorry, Mac.
Me, too.
I'm glad you told us.
So what are we gonna do if they find us?
You mean when they find us.
We'll fight them, I guess.
And if we lose?
Jerry Garcia out there said
that he'd erase our brains,
then send us back home.
Or we could escape them somehow
and wait seven years
for another folding, on the off chance
it actually takes us to where we want to go.
Well, then, I guess I call dibs
on the freaky armored lady
trying to kill us.
Not if I get to her first.
Maybe if we stack you on Erin's shoulders.
Ladies!
We can do this the easy way or the way
where the dinosaur rips the house apart.
You decide.
I already have an expiration date.
They only know about two of us.
So maybe
they'll go without taking you guys
- Not a chance.
- We can't let you do that.
Look, I've only got four more
years to live, so why don't I
- just go outside alone?
- The only reason we're
still standing here right now
is because we've stuck together this far.
We're paper girls.
So we stick together.
Right?
Mm-hmm.
We're not gonna change that now.
Guys, wait, wait.
I'm sorry for what I said
earlier about your bat mitzvah.
I'm sorry for all of it.
I don't want to forget you guys.
We don't want to forget you either, Mac.
Although
let's be honest.
You couldn't even if you tried, right?
Yeah.
You want to come, by the way?
To what, your bat mitzvah?
Yeah.
You're all invited.
If we survive this, that is.
I'm there.
I wouldn't miss it.
Sure thing.
If we make it,
like you said.
But I'm not wearing a fucking dress.
Names.
Erin.
Erin Tieng.
Tiffany Quilkin.
And I'm Ben Dover
and this here is Buck Naked.
Now let's get on with this,
you freaky bitch.
I wonder if this is what really happened
to the people who think
they were abducted by aliens.
If there's aliens in addition to this,
I really don't want to know.
So if we see each other on the street
or the mall
you know, after this
do you think we'll recognize each other?
I don't know.
Maybe some of it will stay.
You know?
Not the whole thing, but
maybe we might remember stuff like
Erin's cool T-shirt.
Or Mac's nasty smoker's breath.
Hey! I quit already.
You smoked a cigarette on Tiff's roof
last night.
One, it was a clove, so it doesn't count.
And two that was only last night?
How long have we been gone?
I don't know.
But I feel much, much older,
I'll tell you that.
Tiffany Quilkin.
Come with me.
Oh, hell no.
What are you gonna do with her?
This doesn't concern the rest of you.
If it's about Tiffany, it does.
Maybe you think I'm asking.
Maybe if you were gonna do something to us,
you'd have done it already.
Fine.
Come with me.
All of you.
I was your age, maybe younger
when I joined the Watch.
The STF terrorists invaded
on the Fourth of July.
To them, we were all guilty.
Guilty of creating
the godforsaken future they came from.
A new kind of war.
Made singularly possible
by the discoveries of a team
lead by Dr. Joan Braunstein.
A team of which you will be part.
The Quilkin Institute.
Why are you telling us this?
I'm offering you an opportunity.
Do you still want to save your sick friend?
What is this place?
Come on, ladies.
A folding.
But controlled.
Is it, like, permanent or what?
Are those ships?
They are.
Like you, I didn't choose to be
part of this war, it chose me.
My generation, my timeline.
For years, I have tried to put out its fire,
only to watch it
endlessly reemerge and mutate.
This is our last, best chance
to make sure it never happens.
Whether Grand Father can admit it or not.
Tell Dr. Quilkin what you've seen.
Sit.
There.
And if we do what you're saying,
does that mean my older self won't die?
She was piloting that big robot
and didn't survive.
I don't know.
But I believe the future can be
what we make it.
Get in the ship.
Yeah, let's get the hell out of here!
Stop!
Prioress, what causes this?
Are these travelers escaped?
This one tried to deliver them.
- He initiated launch.
- No!
- But why do the travelers still
- She lies!
Folding entry in two minutes.
They're coming. Go!
KJ, come on!
Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go!
Whoa. These were real.
- Come on, KJ, get in here!
- I'm so sorry.
- If I can undo this, I promise I will.
- Go.
- I'll see to it that you get
- Don't!
No! No
No, KJ, get out of there, now!
Fuck, what's he doing?
- Grounding us, what do you think?
- We have to stop him.
Don't
Folding entry in one minute.
- One minute.
- Erin!
Erin!
- Erin, come on, come on!
- Erin!
- Come on!
- Come on!
KJ, Erin, just get in here!
She's gonna get left behind
if she doesn't move her ass!
Come on, guys! Come on!
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
Okay, just rest. Thank you.
- We have to go! Now!
- Come on!
Ten, nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four, three, two,
one.
Launch sequence initiated.
Vessel away.
No!
Quickly.
What the fuck?
Ten,
- nine
- Get them out of there.
eight, seven
- Shut this down right now!
- six, five,
four,
three, two,
one.
Vessel away.
Fuck!
Where did they go?
What the fuck were you thinking?
This is the only way
there can truly be peace.
She's
she's Dr. Quilkin.
- What?
- The Dr. Quilkin.
She'll make a different choice.
- And all this
- Oh, P.
I'm gonna stop you right there, because
I'm afraid
it's your time.
Let's go!
Looks the same.
I don't know what I was expecting.
Flying cars, maybe?
I don't see another capsule, do you?
Wait.
Do you hear that?
Gold whop whop whop don't let me hear
And you're gonna play quarterback.
Taking you nowhere angel
I can't do that.
- Oh, why not?
- 'Cause they're
They're semi-pro, you said so yourself.
Once I'm begging you
save her little soul
Holy shit.