Sex/Life (2021) s01e08 Episode Script

- Mazel tov!
- Yeah!
Congratulations, Mrs. Simon.
God, I love my life.
This is crazy.
This is our life.
Wow.
Look at you.
It's the Grammys.
We're not taking the car?
That would make way too much sense.
I can't.
I do know what a life with you
would feel like. We would
It would be incredible.
But it would also mean
giving up all of this.
And this isn't perfect.
And it's
It's really fucking hard, you know?
But I love Cooper.
And I don't want a future without him.
Life is choices.
And this one's mine.
So it's him?
He's the one?
Yes.
Well, you're my one, Billie Mann.
You always will be.
Now, who says elephants have to be gray?
- Hmm?
- Mm!
Mine is pink and purple, and
that's just the way I like it.
- I'm making quesadillas. Is that good?
- Where is Daddy?
He's, um He's still in bed.
It's almost dinner.
I know, honey. He's
He's not feeling well,
you know. And, um
He needs to rest.
- I'm gonna make him a feel-better card.
- That is so nice.
He's gonna love it, I'm sure.
I've brought you some food.
- And a card from Hudson.
- I don't wanna eat.
Look.
- What happened last night
- Don't.
I don't even recognize myself.
- It's like I became a monster.
- You're not a monster.
- I broke our marriage vows.
- Well, that's not exactly how I see it.
It's not cheating if it happens
in front of your wife
at a sex party you both
agreed to be at, is it?
- What I did to Devon
- Honey.
None of that matters.
All I see when I look at you
is my beautiful husband.
That's not who I am anymore.
There's a stain on me
and on our marriage.
We all do bad things. You know,
we all have a darkness inside of us.
No. I didn't.
Not until you put it there.
This is not all my fault.
I tried to become someone else for you
because of him.
Today is a fresh start.
- We need to look forward.
- I don't think I can do that.
There's some damage that's
too hard to come back from.
Cooper.
It's on everything.
That stain, it's on our family.
It's on our friends.
It's on this life that I love so much,
the only life I ever saw for myself.
- We can get it back.
- How?
How am I supposed to look at
those people, at this house,
at you, and not see that stain?
This is so not fair.
If I can somehow get past
what you did with Trina,
why can't you get past
what happened with Brad?
Which was so much less!
- We never kissed!
- You were in love with him!
- You still are!
- Brad is gone.
Forever.
Trust me. He is never coming back.
Brad is ten exits away!
I don't believe he's ever
gonna be out of our lives.
Daddy. Daddy, you're awake.
Hey, buddy.
Come here.
Hudson.
Don't yell at Mommy, okay?
Oh, honey, I'm fine, baby.
I'm fine. We were
We were just talking.
Thanks for staying.
I was gonna clean up.
Then, I figured, maybe I should
just open a bottle of wine.
Listen, I hate to say it, but
so much has happened.
Maybe you and Coop should take a break.
No.
- Just to get perspective.
- I
I have perspective.
I know what I want.
I turned Brad down for a
reason, and that is Cooper.
- Okay. But Coop is
- Is halfway out the door.
I know.
This thing with Trina
- Not to mention his boss.
- I know.
I'm hanging on by a thread.
But I'm not letting go.
I love my husband.
And I'm going to get our life back.
This journal is what almost
destroyed my marriage.
Maybe this time around, it can save it.
October 6th. Said goodbye to Brad.
Forever.
I think it was Betty Friedan who told us
we can have it all, just
not all at the same time.
And there's a freedom in accepting that.
We live so many different
lives in one lifetime.
And when I look at my life as a whole,
all the things I've done,
all the people I've been,
all the pleasure I've received,
I am so damn lucky.
So Cooper can talk about stains
all he wants, but I know
adversity can make us stronger.
And I did not come this
far to lose everything now.
Right after school, we're
going to take you to L.A.
Morning, Caroline.
Billie.
- Bonjour.
- What is he doing?
He's practicing for
the international fair.
We got France, so
Hannah, why don't you go play
with Avery and Isabella instead?
- Caroline.
- Hudson can go play with some blocks
or whatever.
Have a great day.
Hudson, it's okay, honey.
Your French is so good.
I love you. I'll see you
after lunch. Go play.
Caroline.
Caroline, wait.
What are you doing?
Trina told me what happened.
You took her and Devon to a sex party?
What? No. Trina took me.
Oh, please.
Trina would never. You're the one
who was cheating on your husband.
- I didn't cheat.
- Really?
You admitted in the middle of SoHo
that you've been fantasizing
about your ex.
And Trina told me that he called
you when you were at my house,
and you snuck out into
my backyard to answer it.
You know what, Caroline?
I never judged you for hating sex.
Maybe don't judge me for liking it.
I saw Devon's face. What Cooper did
- Cooper feels terrible.
- I don't blame him.
I blame you. You have dragged
your husband through the mud.
If you two are still together
at Christmas, I'll eat my shirt.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Cooper, thanks for joining.
Have a seat.
Brutal, right?
Told me he was jumped
in Greenwich. Who knew?
What's going on?
Devon here is trying to sell me on
his residential hydropower idea.
Again.
I think it's risky.
It's a crowded field, and I don't
think the numbers are there,
but according to Devon,
you think it's a winner.
And since you're the golden boy
around here after Nanogenics,
if you think there's something in it,
then I need to reconsider.
You know we have limited resources.
Is this how you think we
should we spending them?
Yes.
Yes, it is.
Well, all right, then.
Now, it is a crowded field,
so maybe not the full investment
that Devon's talking about.
No. If this is gonna work,
we need to go all in.
Double what you put into Nanogenics.
I'll set up the pitch.
So that's your plan, huh?
Gonna blackmail me into
supporting your shitty ideas?
I haven't decided what I'm
gonna do, but it's a good start.
And you should be grateful.
If I went to the cops, you go to jail.
Or I can go to HR and
hashtag-something your ass.
Instead, we're going deep into
residential hydropower, Cooper.
You smell that? Smells like a
partnership with my name on it.
Well, well, you got a lot of nerve
showing up without even a muffin basket.
Cut the shit. I talked to Caroline.
You turned this whole thing around.
Did I? The details are a little fuzzy.
You knew Cooper and I
were in a fragile place,
and you made a move on my husband
without even checking with me.
You asked for my help. You came
to that party of your own accord.
Your husband told me to do what
I did. It tasted like he enjoyed it.
That was a onetime mistake.
Don't you ever touch my husband again.
I thought you wanted
something more, Billie.
All your talk of sex and freedom.
Instead, you made a very public
problem at a very private party.
I know, and I'm sorry, but that's
what it took for me to realize
I don't want what you and Devon have.
I don't want my husband
fantasizing about somebody else,
let alone acting on those fantasies.
So you're gonna go back to being
Little Miss Happy Homemaker?
No. In fact, I probably
should get back to work.
Right, to keep you distracted
from the fact that your
deepest feminine desires
are utterly unfulfilled.
That's not true.
There are a lot of ways to be feminine,
a lot of different desires.
Fine. You can tell yourself
that'll be enough.
But I know it won't be.
Guess what. Your husband knows too.
Cooper and I are working things out.
You might be trying to,
but I'm not sure Cooper is.
He seemed pretty done with you to me.
- Can I talk to you for a sec?
- Yeah, sure.
I lied before. I'm not into
residential hydropower.
And let me guess. Devon didn't
get jumped in Greenwich.
No.
That was me.
What are you talking about?
Billie and I were trying
to spice things up.
And so we
We let Devon and Trina take us to, um
to a party, and things
got out of control.
I
I did things with Trina
and Devon tried to get with Billie
and I lost it.
I cannot imagine you doing any of this.
That's not the Cooper Connelly I know.
It's not the Cooper Connelly
that I know either.
Um
I have to take this to HR.
Despite the fact that the incident
occurred outside of work,
it was still a physical altercation
between two employees.
I know.
I can't let my feelings get in the way.
I understand that, and I'm
I'm so sorry.
No, I'm sorry for you.
When are you gonna leave her?
- Francesca
- She's destroying you.
I told you how you rescued
me. Now it's my turn.
This is a key to my apartment.
It's a safe haven. Maybe a fresh start.
You don't ever have to go home again.
Mommy?
Hi, honey.
Oh, look at you!
What's a divorce?
Where'd you hear that word?
Hannah said her mom said you
and Daddy are getting a divorce.
That's not happening. Okay? It's
It's not true. I promise.
Hey, hey. Aunty Sasha's back.
- Almost time for you guys to go, right?
- Daddy's not home.
Oh, he's coming.
I'm sure he's on his way.
We can't make France without Daddy.
We're gonna be fine, honey. We've got
We have passports, we have brie.
Everything's gonna be great.
Hey, Huddy.
Why don't we go check on Ellary?
What do you say? Yeah? Okay.
Go, go, go. I'll race you.
You've reached Cooper Connelly.
Sorry I'm not available
to take your call.
Leave a message.
I'll speak with you soon.
Cooper, where are you?
I know you're angry, but it's
Hudson's International Fair.
Don't do this to him.
Don't do this to us.
Just Just call me. Please.
Thanks for seeing me.
You want a drink?
Yeah. Sure.
So this is, uh
your place, huh?
This is where you lived
together.
- Yeah.
- Look
I know there's something
going on between you.
She's in love with you.
Always has been, always will be.
- Cooper
- Just stop.
I just need to know
Is this real for you too?
Okay, if I walk away,
will you take care of her?
It's not just her.
Okay? It's my kids too.
They'll be a part of your
life, they'll have to be.
And I will not walk away
unless I know that
they're all gonna be okay.
It is real.
I am undeniably in love with your wife.
And I would do anything
lay down my life
to be the father of her
children and yours.
But she won't have me.
Oh, bullshit.
She said no.
And trust me, I tried.
I even brought her a ring,
asked her to marry me.
She said no this whole time.
'Cause that's who she is.
That's who you're married to.
Is it?
'Cause I'm not sure that I
even know who I'm married to.
You know, you were right.
At dinner.
There is a reason why
she never mentioned you.
'Cause she was hiding herself because
I think, deep down, she
does want a life that is
That is That is wilder and bigger
than just me.
Wrong, mate.
- She's all about you.
- Yeah, yeah, for now.
Maybe.
But we both know
whatever I can offer
It's everything she's ever wanted.
Kids, a husband who
would never run away.
Everything I was too
chickenshit to give her.
You can only run around having
crazy adventures for so long.
At the end of the day, Billie
really wanted me to be
you.
So the real question isn't,
"Am I gonna take care of her?"
The question is, "Are you?"
Oh, nope. Nope.
No one wants it.
That's okay, honey. You know, um
Maybe they're just full.
Why don't you go check out Japan?
They have salmon sushi.
Your favorite, right? Yeah? Go on.
Hannah, why don't you
go find your father?
All the daddies are
bringing in the drinks.
At least, all the daddies who came.
Okay, that's enough.
Whatever your inner nun is telling you,
dissing a 4-year-old is not
the appropriate response.
Billie, you need to back off.
Caroline is not your problem.
Yeah. It's not her fault
your husband isn't here.
- Cooper got tied up at work.
- Devon said he left two hours ago.
Look, Billie, I'm sorry
about what's happening.
You have no idea what's happening.
I know that you're questioning
a lot of things
that most women here
simply accept as canon,
and honestly, a part of
me admires you for that.
Not sure what there is to admire.
But it's also scaring people
because it's making them wonder
what they might be settling for too.
I'm not settling, Judy.
I love my life!
Do you? Then why are you
so afraid to question it?
Maybe it's okay to admit
that the happily-ever-after
never turned out to be so
deliriously happy after all.
I am! Deliriously happy. Seriously.
It's not like Trina's the
first married woman
who ever wanted to go to a sex party.
Excuse me?
What do you think would have happened
if your old boyfriend hadn't
turned out to be bald,
fat and in the concrete business?
You're right. I don't know
where Cooper is.
I don't know where we are,
but I do know that I am
trying to live my life
with open eyes and an open
heart, and it is messy,
and it's joyful, and it is soul-crushing
and necessary.
Oh, please. Spare us the
lecture and just admit
that you're dying to go back
to spreading your legs
on the Lower East Side.
Hey. You leave her alone, okay?
You are in no position to judge.
Back off, Boy Scout.
I am so sick of Good Guy Connelly.
You're no saint, buddy.
At least I'm willing to take
responsibility for what I did.
To everyone.
If you're gonna hand out
apologies, start with me.
No. She deserves it. And a
whole hell of a lot more.
Spoken like the pussy-whipped
pussy you are.
You're really gonna do this here?
- You let her run all over you
- Real classy, Dev.
and you're too weak
to shut that crazy down.
Don't talk about Billie like that.
Yes, we've had our problems.
We're working it out.
That's called marriage.
This right here, this is the real world.
Okay? I don't know what
world you all are living in.
You say what you want,
but Billie's a good woman.
And she is a great mother.
And I love her with
everything that I got.
Daddy. Italy has gelato.
That's ice cream, right?
Hey, buddy, guess what.
I know where they got the
best ice cream in town.
Come here.
Let's get out of here.
I lost the partnership.
I may lose my job.
HR still needs to speak with Devon.
After what just went down,
I'm sure he'll do his worst.
Oh, honey.
I am so sorry.
I know you worked so hard.
I went to see him.
Brad.
I know he was at the house.
He showed up.
I sent him away.
I didn't mention it because
there was no reason to.
I was never going back to him.
If I'd have told you
that he came, that he
proposed to me
- you'd have left, and you know it.
- I don't know anything.
All I do know is that if we
have any chance of making it,
we have gotta be honest with
each other. Starting now.
You're right.
I'm so sorry.
For all of it.
Stains come out.
They wash away.
This one will. I know it.
This is delicious.
Come here. You're delicious.
- Yes!
- Ooh, babe, hold on. Just
Yeah. Right there.
Hey.
We're gonna be okay.
You got a chocolate beard,
mister. You know that?
There are a lot of things
that can give you butterflies.
And what that is
changes over a lifetime.
Good morning.
Okay. There you go, honey.
- I love you.
- All right. I love you.
- Thank you, Olga.
- Have a great day.
- You're really doing it.
- Yeah.
- We are totally getting lunch.
- Yes. Yes.
You coming in?
Okay, Olga's gonna pick you up.
But I should be home by dinner. Okay?
Hi, Hudson.
Thank you.
I talked to HR.
Told them the whole thing was a
misunderstanding, which it was.
And they bought that?
Fuck, no. But no plaintiff,
no complaint.
Thanks, buddy.
You and Billie
you've really got something.
I know.
I'm a lucky man.
Wow.
- Sasha has quite the following.
- Yeah.
She's a rock star.
It's called code-switching.
Something we, in the Black
community, know all too well.
When you change the way you talk
based on who you're talking to.
Usually because the way you
have traditionally spoken
is considered unacceptable
by some other group.
In this case, mainstream white America.
You abandon your authentic
self in an attempt to fit in.
But you know who else code-switches?
Women. We fall into line.
Fall into language and behavior
which fits expectations
men have dictated.
We make ourselves smaller.
Less intimidating. Less dangerous.
For some women, this is what
happens during marriage.
Many others feel this is the only way
to make themselves marriage-worthy.
Repressing who we are is
classic unhealthy behavior.
The rage that comes as
a result of it is real.
As is the desperate need for a release.
Assimilation.
Fitting in has always been a key
strategy for survival in America.
But is it really behavior
Women need to honor those feelings.
And respect their validity.
The goal, of course,
is to return to that one true self.
Regardless of how uncomfortable
it makes others feel.
That is the third way.
That is what we all need to find.
- She's incredible.
- I know.
Connelly fam. You made it.
Are you kidding? We wouldn't
miss this for the world.
You okay?
Yeah. I'm just
I'm just so happy for you.
Incredible stuff, Sash.
It's a lot to think about.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You remember Alex?
Alex, hey.
- Cooper. Great to meet you.
- Likewise.
Choking guy.
- Yes. Hi.
- Hi.
- How are you?
- Good. How are you?
Good. Good.
I'll call you later.
I have news.
- Ready to go?
- Yeah, sure, sure.
Buddy, grab your book
for me. Here we go.
Your one true self.
It's hard to know which one of
the voices in your head that is.
Hey.
How's my New York Times-
best-selling best friend?
Pretty good actually.
What the hell is that?
You're the one who said
erotic asphyxiation
is what it takes to get Sasha
Snow to settle down.
I'd say I'm seriously considering.
That's from choking guy?
Alex.
I told him I needed 48 hours.
Which wasn't exactly the response
he wanted to hear, but
You're wearing the ring.
'Cause it's gorgeous.
But I still gotta figure
out what I'm gonna do.
So, what do you say?
Me, marriage, you think I could hack it?
Oh, my God. Now I'm the one
giving you marriage advice?
Girl, come on. You and
Coop are doing so well.
You're finding your third way.
Right?
Yeah, yeah. We are.
And you fought so hard
for your marriage, B.
There's gotta be something in it.
Oh, there is. So much.
You know it's the one time
in life where reality is even
better than you imagined.
Mmm, I don't know.
My Denzel in a T-string fantasy
has stood the test of time.
That's true.
But how do I know Alex is the one?
Or that there even is such a thing?
That there is one man
who can make the day-to-day
sameness of marriage
not feel like some boring
patriarchal sacrifice?
You don't.
B?
You know there's, um
There's always gonna be some
other guy who's hotter, sexier
who has that spark.
But that's nothing compared
to having a real partner.
A teammate.
For anything that life throws at you.
You sure?
All that matters is
if you think you can wake up every day
for the rest of your life next to him
and be happy
then you should do it.
Shit.
I didn't wanna have to give it back.
You're a lucky lady, Billie Connelly.
I really am.
- Hey, guys.
- Hey, Judy.
Billie, you promised you'd
be on the clean-up crew.
Oh, I remember.
Hey, I'm gonna go grab us some seats.
Oh, yeah, and get some extra
programs for Dev and Sash.
- Got it.
- Yeah.
Oh, my God, Caroline.
Those look amazing.
Now I have brownie shame.
Believe it or not, they are 100% vegan.
Try eating one. You'll believe it.
- Where'd you put the cups?
- Oh, I'll show you.
You happy?
This is your life now.
Apparently it's mine too.
- What are you talking about?
- Devon says he was inspired by Cooper.
No more parties. So
Thanks?
My world just got a little bit
smaller and a lot less fun.
Trina.
It's just not possible to
live outside the lines here.
So let's hope you're right.
Let's hope it's enough.
Okay, everyone, break a leg.
Hey.
Friends and family,
please take your seats,
our show is about to begin.
"Hope springs eternal."
It's adorable, right?
Ms. Brenda wouldn't tell us
what part anyone got, so
Ten bucks says, no matter
what, Hudson's the cutest one.
The joys of spring.
April is a rainbow month.
Of sudden springtime showers.
I'm a tree.
I'm a flower.
I'm a grasshopper.
- Oh!
- I told you, he is the cutest one.
Spring is here.
There are a lot of different desires.
A lot of ways to be feminine.
I do wake up next to him
every day and I am happy.
But
Oh, God.
It's not enough.
Keep going, bud.
Two minutes.
It's not what a woman
is supposed to want
it's the self we're supposed
to enjoy while we're young
and then leave behind to become
a responsible grown-up.
We're supposed to simply accept
that we must give up parts
of ourselves along the way.
Hey.
You okay?
I don't know.
But the true freedom and
power is in saying it out loud,
and announcing ourselves,
letting our desire be known.
I do want it all.
And I want it right now.
I'm not leaving my husband.
This changes nothing.
Now fuck me.