Guilty Party (2021) s01e09 Episode Script

1
I feel like you only call
when you need something.
You're the only one I can trust.
You could give me a tour
of your boat.
You're always doing shit like
this. You keep me over here,
and the rest of your life
over here.
I am working a story.
- Classic Susan.
- I am nothing like Susan.
It's a tropical
red swordtail, Beth.
I want my fish back.
I didn't take your fish.
I am not this guy-- the jackass
that gets wasted
and cheats on his wife.
I didn't
kill Wallace because
I found out
I was gonna have a baby.
- That isn't Laila.
- What?
It's my niece. Ellie.
You were making a mistake
going with Tessa,
- and I couldn't let that happen.
- You have lost the right
to talk to me.
You don't have that anymore.
Plimpton! Visitor.
Look, I-I messed up.
I-I really, really messed up,
and I'm-I'm sorry.
And I-I know "sorry"
probably isn't enough.
I mean, you can still be upset.
You have every right to be.
I I had
to show you something.
That's Laila.
Well, you don't trust me,
which I-I I get it.
But it is her.
And, um, um, I also have this.
Um
I think there's enough in here
to prove that you didn't do it.
Which is
We need to get people talking,
and to shame them
into reopening the case,
and get all the attention
and resources we need
to hire the best lawyers
and get you out of here.
Look, I understand if you never
want to see me again,
but I've never stopped working,
and I won't.
Can I read it?
Yeah, of course. Go for it.
You know,
I used to think this was a,
like a like a whodunnit, but
no one person did all of this.
But somebody killed Wallace,
but
America's to blame,
and that means
we're all to blame.
Not you, obviously, but me--
I'm to blame.
You-you were right about me.
Everything you said.
I am all those things,
and I'm sorry.
Yeah, it's really hard
to read this with you talking.
No. Of course. I'm sorry.
It's good.
Right? I really feel like
I hit my stride
- on page two.
- I'm not done yet.
Right, right. No. Of course.
You can keep that copy.
Marco?
Hey. I just came home to get
another copy of my thing,
because, of course,
I gave it to Toni,
who loved it, by the way.
What are you doing?
Nothing.
Are you drinking?
It's 11:00 a.m.
You okay?
How-how was your
how was your weekend?
Well the fish is dead.
- What?!
- Yeah.
Did you feed her? Because
I distinctly remember saying,
"Please feed the fish."
Yeah, Beth, I-I fed her.
Well, did you overfeed her?
You know,
sometimes
things just die.
Hey, um,
you've been so patient with me
this year,
propping me up
when I could barely stand.
You've really
you've-you've kept me alive.
And then this story
comes along, and it's bigger
and harder than anything
I've ever done before,
and I let it push you
push usout of the way.
And I let that George thing get
completely out of hand.
I mean, I don't know
what I'd have done
if I'd found something like that
on on your phone.
I wouldn't have handled it
as maturely as you did.
- That's for sure, so
- Yeah.
Just thank you for
being the bigger person.
Yeah.
Um
I'm-I'm sorry, too.
For what?
What? What's happened?
For-for for, uh, saying
you're like Susan.
I-I know you don't like that.
Well, I mean,
I am like her, I guess.
Wait.
Are you saying I'm right?
Well, no.
Hey, you're supposed
to be apologizing.
We'll get through this, okay?
We do need to talk, though,
really talk.
All right? The Tetons,
they-they need an answer
from me.
Honey, I-I want to,
I really, really do.
I just
I'm at the one-yard line here.
I've got to get this to Amber,
like, now.
Uh, uh, of course,
yeah, go ahead. Go.
- And for myself.
- You can
Oh, good. You're both here.
Read this.
Unbelievable.
Oh, quick turnaround? I know.
The secret is,
I checked into a hotel, so,
total focus, no distractions.
Days. No one heard a peep.
You didn't get my email?
And now here you are, back.
With a story.
Burdening me with your energy.
Uh, I'm sorry. Did I
did I miss something?
You can do this.
Beth?
- You're fired.
- What?
Excuse me?
You were right.
It felt so good to say.
I feel better, too.
- You're seriously firing me?
- Yeah, from the day
I met you,
I-I kept trying to find her,
the little girl
I fell in love with
in Acts of Devotion.
That little Baby Bat.
Until I realized, it's fiction.
Your mom made you up.
You're firing me be-because
I'm not more like myself?
Not officially.
Officially, it's for endangering
your coworker.
Fiona?
Okay, I-I'm pretty nervous,
so I'm just gonna read it
if that's okay?
- Totally fine.
- Okay.
- What is this?
- "I, Fiona Majumdar,
"confirm that Beth Burgess
coopted my interview
"with Charles 'Tuna' Billingham,
losing him as a source,
- and has"
- You had already botched
the interview.
- She had already botched it.
- "And has repeatedly
"put my physical and emotional
well-being at risk.
"One such time resulted in me
killing someone
and giving another person
a hand job to near-completion."
Well, that's the first
I'm hearing about a hand job.
Well, it happened almost.
Okay, fine. Fire me,
but please take the story.
No.
Amber, be reasonable.
There's a human life
hanging in the balance.
You have ten minutes
to leave the premises.
Okay, this is this is how
you're gonna play it?
Okay. You are everything
that is wrong in the world.
You wouldn't recognize
quality journalism
if it smacked you in your
stupid, dumb, little baby face!
Give me the story.
- Oh, thank you.
- Give it to me.
I know if you read it,
I think you're gonna love it.
You're gonna just feel
so differently about it.
I hate you.
I hateyou!
I hate you!
Get the fuck out!
Get her the fuck
out of my sight!
- Uh-huh, you got to go,
and you should go right now.
- Okay.
- Ooh. Wow.
- Get the fuck out.
- Who's endangering who?
- Okay.
- Get the fuck out.
Jesus!
- How did you get up here?
- Oh.
- Michaela let me in.
- Oh.
Why are you here?
I wanted
to bring back your fish.
It was childish and stupid of me
to take her in the first place,
and, uh, I'm sorry.
What do you need, Beth?
- No. No.
- It's an incredible story.
I just I just want a read.
You know I can't.
Ravi,
The Chronicleis your paper.
- You can do whatever you want.
- Beth, please.
I didn't falsify that quote,
and you know it.
Look, it doesn't matter.
I'd be exposing myself
to all kinds of liability issues
if I ran your byline.
Okay, well,
t-take my name off it.
Give it to Denise or take it
yourself, I don't care.
This story needs
to see the light of day.
Let me see it.
Don't you smile at me, Beth.
This isn't Eleanor.
What? It is.
Okay, you're right, but that was
my last lie, my only lie.
Oh, you're unbelievable.
Ravi, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I'm such a jerk. I
don't know who else to turn to.
Oh, I don't know, Beth.
Um, try your mom.
Maybe she'll believe you.
Baby bat!
- Hi, Mom.
- Oh.
Um, do you?
Is this a bad time?
Oh, no, no, no.
I'm just having a little
- going-away thing for Shane.
- Oh, okay.
I just
I thought we'd agreed
that you'd talk to me
about my article.
Of course we will,
but business can always wait.
Come meet the tribe.
- Everyone, this is my daughter!
- Really?
My baby bat flew home.
Do I have to do this?
- Who are all these people?
- So grown up.
Oh, come meet Andre.
How late do you expect
this is gonna go?
- 'Cause I-I really
do want to talk.
- No, I understand that.
But Shane is having
too much fun.
Which one is Shane?
Oh.
Oh.
Tristram, you're clairvoyant!
That was our song.
Right, baby bat?
My God. I'll never forget it.
It was, like, the end of 1984,
and Beth's poor father
was freshly underground,
and it was just the two of us.
We were living in a hovel
above a laundromat on Sunset.
Every day, I'd go
to my copywriting job
for the Cipollone Brothers.
But then, go home at night
and plunk away on my typewriter.
But it was everything
we could do
not to be overwhelmed
with grief.
But you know,
every time this baby bat heard
that song on the radio,
she wanted me
to sing it with her.
- Right?
- Yeah.
- Come on! Come on!
- Oh, no, no, no.
Mom, please don't.
- No, please don't.
- We're gonna do it.
We're gonna do it.
- Come on. It's a tradition.
- No, I really don't want to.
Come on! I'll play Dolly.
It's gonna be great.
- Take it away, Kenny!
- Duet.
How great!
- Oh, my God!
- Susan
Oh, come on.
It's gonna be fun. F-U-N.
Sing the song.
Ah
Ah, my little sweet potato.
Wasn't that fun?
I was offkey.
But you had gusto. That's all
that matters.
Um, honey,
are you all right?
Yeah, I've-I've been better.
What's wrong?
Well, it's the
the story that I've been writing
that I was telling you about.
- Mm.
- It's probably the best work
I've ever done,
but I-I I can't get anybody
to run it.
- Mm-hmm.
- So I was hoping
that you could ask Pima
or-or Colton or-- I don't know--
whoever Shane is-- um
Oh, my God.
Guys, come here.
Sorry. We're just
in the middle of something.
It's the same table!
- Same pose.
- Fucking dead and deceased.
Don't move. Don't move.
I'm sorry. You guys,
- could you just stop
for a second?
- All right, pretend
we're not here, act natural.
Yeah, Beth,
can you look at your mom
with, like,
a little more hopeful gaze?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Like when you were a child.
Mm-hmm.
Oh, so close. Come on.
- I'm sorry about them.
- Oh, this is adorable.
- No, you're not.
- No, no.
- No, come back. Beth.
- Wait! Stop! You're ruining it!
Yeah, just-just sit.
I'm just reframing.
I got one. Come see.
Was it something that we did?
Oh, God, no.
She's done this
since she was little.
- Mm.
- Back then, if she wasn't
the center of attention,
then she'd run off
and spend the night roaming
the streets like some
average,
run-of-the-mill teenager.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's just so disappointing.
Do you do it to hurt me?
Wander off like that
and cause a scene?
Not everything is about you.
Honey, it's been proven
time and again,
everything is about the mother.
Okay, fine, it's all about you.
You happy?
I'll be happy when you're happy.
Oh, drop the act.
Your friends aren't even here.
Give me one of those.
I thought smoking disgusted you.
Yeah, it does.
It does disgust me.
By the way, I was never roaming
the streets back then, okay?
I was I was sitting
under your window,
or sitting on the porch,
or I was standing here
in this exact spot,
smoking your cigarettes,
for hours.
Wishing you'd find me.
Willing you to find me.
But you never even looked.
You'd just pour yourself a glass
of wine and run a bath.
I know.
You know?
Well, then why didn't you come
find me?
Honey, all I did was
kick doors open
for you, and you chose to sit
on the porch like a child.
Because I wasa child.
We all have to live
with our choices.
I disappoint you, don't I?
I embarrass you.
- That's ridiculous.
- No, no, no. The great
Susan Burgess has a daughter
who failed?
Susan Burgess, the patron saint
of modern motherhood
has a daughter
who's a loser.
Well, you know what, Mom?
You were a super shitty mom.
- Keep your voice down.
- No. The books
and the stories--
it's all bullshit, it's a scam.
You're a big, fat phony.
You're a fraud.
That's funny,
you calling me a fraud.
What's that supposed to mean?
You don't think I did it?
You don't think
I made up that quote?
I wasn't embarrassed
that you lied
or even that you got caught.
Mom, I was set up!
I was embarrassed
that you let it ruin you.
Great talk.
Okay, so,
here-here's the thing.
Um, Beth and I--
we're-we're gonna work it out.
Um, things are gonna
get back to normal.
Um, she-she's promised
to recommit.
Is that why you called?
To tell me you're recommitting
with your wife?
No, no.
Tessa, this is over.
I I'm sorry.
I-I just thought that, you know,
you deserved
an in-person explanation.
Where is she, by the way?
- Huh?
- Your wife.
Where is she?
Um, she-she's in California
for the night visiting her mom.
Mm-hmm.
You could've done this
on the phone.
Instead, you invite me over,
at night,
while your wife
is out of town.
Hey, it's okay.
It's okay.
- Yeah?
- Yeah, it's okay.
- Yeah.
- Come here. Mmm.
Yeah. You got it?
Yeah.
My daughter is the prettiest
girl in the world!
Yo, it's true.
She takes after her mama.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Y'all be quiet now
with your ugly asses.
I got bigness.
Hey, B.
Hey, yo, listen, listen, listen.
I can't get this story
out of my head.
Like, I've just been dreaming
about it all day, you know?
Thinking about what
I'm gonna get Laila
when I'm out.
Like, maybe, um, like, a doll
or, like, some clothes,
or, like, uh, uh, uh, uh,
one of them big old
stuffed giraffes, you know?
But then I realized, I'm gonna
let her get whatever she wants.
Anything. If she wants it,
she gets it, huh?
Hello?
Beth?!
I'm sorry.
What? Hey, what happened? What?
I'm having a hard time
getting the story out there.
Well, what do you mean?
What do you mean?
No one will run it.
Amber, Ravi, my mom.
So, Susan said "no"?
I'm gonna figure it out.
I'm gonna
post it online,
and somebody will pick it up.
And I have a few
freelance contacts
I can call tomorrow.
So you're gonna do this
to me again?
I can't believe
you're doing this to me again.
No, no, no, no, Toni,
I'm gonna I'm gonna fix it.
Okay? I can fix this.
No. No.
No!
Shit.
Damn it.
You're right.
This was a bad idea.
- What?
- Look at you.
You're acting all tense
and weird.
- Again.
- No, no, I'm-I'm not.
Okay, whatever.
I'll see you later.
- Are you serious?
- Uh-huh.
I was the one
who was trying to break up
with you earlier,
and you wouldn't let me.
Marco, you've got to learn
to stand up for yourself.
If you want something,
you just
you-you go out, and you get it.
It's not that hard.
- Haven't I been doing that?
- Uh-huh.
Bye, hon. We had fun.
Boop.
You got a light out in here.
You should fix it.
Fun?
It's just up here
on your right.
Sir, could you keep driving,
please?
Did you hear?
I'm out in three weeks.
Have fun dying in here, lifer.
Only way out of here is
in a body bag.
Hi.
Hey, hey, hey.
Hey, it's all right.
Listen, everything's gonna
be all right.
Okay?
What you thinking about?
Nothing.
Do you feel bad
'cause you're married?
No.
No, it's not that.
Well, then
What is it?
Everything I have is gone.
Do you know that feeling?
Yeah, kind of.
I thought
I had all these things,
but it turns out,
I have nothing.
It's all it's all vanished.
Just poof, just like that.
And it's all my fault.
Hey, hey, hey, no, man.
That ranger dude had it coming.
Can I tell you something?
Anything.
I used to work for
this newspaper, The Chronicle,
and I was
I was writing a story.
Big tainted water scandal
over at Fort Collins.
And it was a good story.
It was a really,
really good story.
The only problem was,
I knew who was responsible, but
I couldn't get anybody
to go on the record.
And Ravi-- my old boss--
he kept saying
that without that final nail,
he wouldn't run it.
So
I, um
I made up the quote.
And I I told myself
it was in the name of justice,
and the-the good outweighed
the bad, but
that was bullshit.
I did it for me.
To win, to be right.
But, George, I did it.
All along, it was me.
I'm a liar and a fraud.
And-and I've
I've ruined my life
and everybody's life
that I care about.
And I'm a piece of shit.
"Fear not,
"for I have redeemed thee.
"I have called thee
by thy name,
"thou art mine.
"When thou passest
through the waters,
"I will be with thee;
"and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee."
Thanks, Mom.
I love you.
"When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned,
neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee."
Can I tell you something?
Will it make me feel better?
I killed Wallace.
- What?
- It was me.
I killed Wallace.
Oh.
Oh, that feels so good to say.
"For I am the Lord thy God,
"the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior."
"Since thou wast precious
in my sight
I have loved thee."