American Gothic (1995) s01e12 Episode Script

Look at this.
Look, if you're here on some official business, fine but if you're not, the sign is: "Gone fishing.
" These are the coroner's x-rays of Merlyn Ann Temple Caleb's sister.
I know who it is.
Was.
I found the original plates at the hospital.
They blow a hole in the official story.
Now, Dr.
Crower, we've been down this road already.
Merlyn's father hit her in the head with a shovel and she died.
And that's the end of it.
No, Ben even in Trinity, there's no statute of limitations on murder.
You branching out into the legal profession, Doc? I thought you had your hands full with medicine.
I do.
Caleb's mother, Caleb's father, Caleb's sister each one a medical mystery just waiting to be solved.
So, what do these prove, "Sherlock"? That Merlyn died from a lesion at C5 on her spinal cord a trauma that couldn't possibly have been caused by a shovel as you've always claimed.
So Gage Temple hit his daughter in the head with a shovel then broke her neck with his free hands.
As we both said when we arrived.
You were there? Speaking of head trauma, Doc, you still having visions? People are concerned.
I'm over it.
I suggest you get over it, too.
He may be cured, but his personality hasn't improved any.
You do me a favor, Ben.
Call Judge Streeter.
I need to schedule a competency hearing.
Hello, ladies.
Bye-bye.
Drop the gun.
Drop it! No! It's open.
Hi, Dr.
Crower.
Hi, Sarah.
I brought you the test results for the woman in 105.
Does the woman in 105 have a name? Mrs.
Smith.
She could have been a little more imaginative.
Are you gonna report her? Somebody said she tried to shoot the Sheriff.
What would you say if I told you yes, she did? Well, I'd say she committed a mortal sin.
How are you feeling? Like death warmed over.
Who are you? I'm Dr.
Crower.
Just look ahead for me.
Actually, we already met, outside the Sheriff's office.
Oh, yes.
You stopped me.
Yes.
You shouldn't have.
Come on, Mrs.
Smith you didn't really mean to shoot the Sheriff.
Yes, I did.
And how dare you condescend to me? You know nothing about me.
I know you have a tumor the size of a golf ball on the fourth quadrant of your brain.
That's why I have to do it now.
"Do it"? Just like Gary Gilmore? "Let's just do it.
" You tried to kill a man.
Yes.
Why'd you wanna do that? Because he deserves it.
Perhaps but you have no right to take a man's life.
The laws of man don't apply to him.
He's hardly human.
Try and get some rest.
In flu enza is caused by a germ called the What's it called, Dr.
Peele? Billy.
A Billy germ? Caleb, that's not very polite.
Oh, that's okay, Miss Coombs.
When people say "Dr.
Peele," I think they're talking to my dad.
Now, the flu is caused by a virus which It's like this, see.
Now, flu is this nasty little critter that's hitchhiking his way all around the world jumping from person to person.
But what we're gonna do is we're gonna end his road trip right here in Trinity.
So, who wants to be the brave soul to volunteer and go first? You wanna go first, Caleb? No, ma'am.
You guys want me to go first? Yes, Miss Coombs.
All right.
Now, before there was a vaccine thousands of people used to die during a flu epidemic.
I don't believe we want that to happen here in Trinity now, do we? No, sir.
Okay, this is the bad part.
Now that didn't hurt, did it? Not at all.
Kevin's school called, honey.
They said last semester still hasn't been paid.
I know.
Well, send them a check, all right? I don't want the poor kid to feel embarrassed.
I can't.
Well, honey, if the checking account is down just cash a CD and, you know, just cover it.
I can't.
I already cashed all the CDs.
All of them? Charlotte, that's all we have! I'm sorry.
I'll sell my jewelry.
Am I interrupting, Judge? Charlotte, we'll talk about this later.
Take a seat, Sheriff.
Well? We have what I consider to be a medical emergency, in Trinity.
Now, that's not really in my realm.
One of our best primary care people has sad to say gone way out on a limb and is sawing through it, fast as he can.
That's a writ for a power of attorney.
Well, Judge, if need be, before that branch falls and harms anyone I need to know I can get me a butterfly net at a moment's notice.
Why don't you just drop the metaphors, Sheriff, and spit it out? Okay, I will.
Dr.
Crower was running around all last week like a lunatic and we had to lock him up for his own good.
That's what they used to do in Russia.
You got a dissident making trouble, and then you have him declared insane and then you cart him off to an asylum.
Is that a problem for you, Judge? Yes, it is.
If that nice young wife of yours needs any help with lady luck don't be too proud to ask.
What are you doing? You really shouldn't be up.
Up, down, what difference does it make? I'm going to die anyway.
A bit fatalistic, isn't it? No, it is practical, Doctor.
The longer you stay in bed, the weaker you become.
First it's physical, then intellectual atrophy and I won't let that happen to me.
Well, you need to get some rest.
It's 1928.
You meet this bohemian student in a cafe and he tries to sell you one of his third-rate watercolors.
You refuse.
He gets furious.
You can see the evil in his eyes.
And then someone tells you that this impudent little twit will one day exterminate six million Jews.
What do you do? Lucas is corrupt.
He's manipulative, he's probably psychopathic Would you just save me that psychobabble, Doctor? Your psychology does not explain a Hitler, or Charlie Manson and it doesn't explain Lucas Buck.
Then what does? Evil.
Pure, otherworldly evil.
How do you know? I'm his mother.
Hello, Dr.
Matt.
Why Hawthorne? Reading Hawthorne is like reading the human heart.
What does he have to say about evil? Evil.
You don't have to go to him for that, just look around you.
I know.
I have this patient who's disturbed.
There's nothing in here for you, Dr.
Matt.
I'm sure you have psychoanalytical texts in your office.
I do, but I don't think Freud is going to shed any light on this.
This what? What's the man's problem? It's not a man.
It's a woman.
She seems to have an abnormal interest in the occult.
She seems almost possessed.
Or maybe she's just obsessed.
Obsession, they say, is the first step before possession.
'Course, possession's not something to be explained by your medical books.
You might find some answers in this or at least the questions.
Thanks.
Doctor, be careful.
Once that door is opened it takes more than the intellect to control the outcome.
I'll take my chances.
Matt.
Never forget the Devil's cleverest ploy is to persuade you he doesn't exist.
Never underestimate the power of the unholy to deceive.
Are you in or are you out, Charlotte? Give me a minute.
You said that five minutes ago.
I'm in.
Three 10s.
Yeah.
Come to mama.
You think I could pull up a chair and join you good people? Lucas if you sat in, anybody with diddly for a brain would be out of here.
I'll take that as a compliment.
Is there something you need here, Sheriff? Just for you to win.
Why? Why not? I like you.
Like your husband, too.
How many? One.
I'm gonna be up front with y'all.
I'm gonna take this hand, and then I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead.
Can you match this? Yes! Well, I'll be damned.
Yes! You're on a roll, darling.
I think I feel a hot streak coming on.
No.
That's it.
Hey, everybody.
Are you in or you out, honey? In.
How many? Two, please.
$5,000? That's egg money, Charlotte.
You'll be at the bank next week stealing from Peter to pay Paul.
What do you suggest? Add a zero, go for glory.
I could pay for Kevin's college with this one hand.
I think you just might.
I'm in.
I'll see you.
Look at my boat.
Well, I think I just sunk it.
Not so fast.
Well, looks like I'm the winner tonight.
I can't believe it.
Pure, otherworldly evil.
Dr.
Crower? Yes, Sarah? Poor Mrs.
Smith's freezing to death.
Then turn up the heat.
She's in 105.
So? Well, it's not the heating system.
We've had that checked a dozen times.
Then what is it? Ever since that woman jumped out of the window we can't keep it warm in there.
You don't know about the curse? What curse? Well, you know, Caleb Temple.
His mother had the longest, most difficult pregnancy this hospital has ever seen and by the time the baby was finally born, she was hallucinating saying all kinds of crazy things.
She had this delusion that somebody was trying to take Caleb away from her.
That was no delusion.
I brought you another blanket.
I'm sorry it's so cold in here.
It doesn't matter.
If you like, we can move you to another room.
No, it's all right.
This room, it has presence.
Comforts me.
You seem a bit more upbeat.
You think it's been the tumor talking, don't you? No, I think a lot of what you've said makes sense.
Only you can't commit to it, can you? The doctor, the scientist in you it just has to cling to the hope that there's a rational explanation for everything.
Actually, you're wrong about that.
Now, Lucas has put me through some things here that Well, I don't know what the rationale is.
He's threatened by you.
He's a channel for demonic evil, and you are in his way.
Come on this isn't the Middle Ages, there aren't demons roaming the Carolinas.
Oh, but there are, and you can't ignore them.
If you ignore them then you are committing the ultimate act of selfishness and cowardice.
I don't care.
Yes, you do! For the boy's sake! Caleb? Dr.
Crower, he will destroy Caleb like he destroyed Caleb's sister, like he tried to destroy me.
Killing Lucas would be an act of evil.
No, Doctor, it would be an act of love.
Billy.
Selena? Where are you? I'm hiding.
Well, come on down here.
I want to see you.
You do? Yeah, I do.
I just wanted to thank you for coming by school.
Yeah, that was one of the most interesting vaccinations I've ever given.
Well, any time you want to come by and play doctor you can just whistle.
You know, Selena I don't like to play games.
Okay, we won't play, then.
No, that's not exactly what I meant either.
See, it's just, this is kind of a strange town, you know.
I mean, I don't know what it is, but ever since I got here the little hairs on the back of my neck have been standing on edge, you know.
Yup.
You gotta watch your step in this town.
People will break your heart faster than you can say "smiling faces.
" Or maybe even faster than you could say "Lucas Buck.
" Can I take you somewhere? You know, Selena, as much as I would like that that is a really fast car you drive and if you don't mind, I'd kind of like to take it nice and easy.
Okay.
Good night, then.
Well, well.
Feels like you might be coming down with a fever.
Maybe we should slide in a thermometer and take a reading.
Mind your own damn business, Lucas.
Oh, this is my business, darling.
Not because of you, because of him.
Oh, I don't know I think he's got an awful lot of backbone.
Meaning what? Meaning I do believe he's gonna give you a run for your money.
We'll see.
And from what he tells me, it ain't just backbone he's got a lot of.
Oh, I doubt he's told you anything.
Oh, men talk to each other, darling and "Dr.
Romeo," he talks more than most.
He told me that, other than nurses, the How did he put it? "Easiest pickings" are teachers.
Do a little doctorly show and tell, and they're eating out of your hands.
Lucas, honey get out of my car.
Hey, enjoy the ride.
But you'll be back next heat spell that hits this county.
I think I'll hang on to my thermometer.
You know where you can put it, Sheriff.
Charlotte? Oh, Charlotte.
I'll grant you oblivion.
Oblivion.
Matt? Yeah, yeah.
Hold on a sec.
Hey.
Hi.
I haven't see you in awhile.
I've been thinking about you, though.
I'd invite you in, but it's a mess.
Caleb and I are going to go for a walk on the pier.
You wanna join us? I have to get this book back to Miss Holt and I have an appointment to talk with her.
I'll see you later.
Someone's at the door.
Killing Lucas would be an act of evil.
No, Doctor, it would be an act of love.
Sheriff, I thought about what you said.
And? Thought about it long and hard, what you said and about all the implications.
Take those papers out of your armpit, Judge.
The ink's starting to run.
I know with a good conscience that this is the correct thing to do as long as my Charlotte is in the clear with you now and forever.
Forever's a long time, Judge.
I'd just be grateful your Charlotte's still alive.
But since you've come to the right decision Where's your signature? Cat got your pen? Well, I drew up the papers, Lucas.
I thought that you would want to sign them.
I'm not a judge.
My signature doesn't carry the weight yours does.
A man of unimpeachable character occupying an office which represents what is best about our system of justice.
I want your John Hancock, and I want it now.
It's my bowling night.
I've committed my life to preventing death.
But you'd kill the malignant cells in my brain to save me, wouldn't you? Even that's an act of faith.
You're equivocating, Doctor.
Death has nothing to do with it.
Hitler had to be stopped, and so does Lucas Buck.
If I pull the trigger on Lucas, I'm no better than he is.
If you don't make a stand, you're worse.
That was a cheap shot about Hitler, Angie.
I've been expecting you.
I imagine you have.
Well, here I am.
You look good, Angela.
So do you.
I guess screwing people over is one way to eternal youth.
I deserved that.
I never should have left you.
But you did and I still hate you for it.
So? You came here to kill me? Okay.
Go for it.
I can't! You gave a 16-year-old the most precious gift a woman can give and you gave it all.
Everybody wanted to break us up.
That's how cruel they were.
What? What is it, true love? I don't know, I It's just Well, we were Of course we were.
We were soul mates.
Like that.
Tell me, Angela all that bull you fed the doctor about being my mother what was that about? I needed to have Dr.
Crower kill you.
A mother sacrificing her only son for humanity is a lot more convincing than an ex-lover.
There never was one like you, Angie.
We were magic.
And we can't let that magic die now, can we? No.
And you know what we have to do? Don't we? Yes.
Yes.
It's better to burn twice as bright and half as far.
But don't you worry.
We'll always be together.
Is Matt here? Matt? If he is, he's in his room.
Why? I just have some papers for him.
What kind of papers? Well, they're just papers.
Excuse me.
Dr.
Crower? It's Ben.
He's probably at the hospital.
Dr.
Crower? Oh, my God.
He's going after Lucas.
Good girl.
Nurse, can you get this? Mind finishing up? Hey, Buck let me ask you something.
You always go around telling lies? "Always" is a pretty sweeping generality, Doc.
You thinking about one particular lie? Yeah, about me.
To Selena.
Don't get all dewy-eyed about her.
Let me tell you something about Selena.
I tell her what to think and she thinks it.
Tell me, Lucas what am I thinking now? Hey, man.
Hey, are you all right? I'm fine.
Hey, Doc.
You can't kill me with that thing.
We'll see if you're mortal, just like me.
Never said I wasn't.
But that's a.
38.
Lady's gun.
Have you seen Dr.
Crower? Is Dr.
Matt here? Yeah, he's here somewhere.
I'll shoot you three places I know are instantly fatal.
You'll get off one shot, Kevorkian.
Make it count.
Matt.
What are you doing? It's not going to change anything.
What are you talking about, Gail? A single bullet has altered history many times.
This one frees Trinity.
No! No! Hey, Deputy you know what you got to do, don't you? Dr.
Matt what happened? So, this is it, huh? Bullet in the back of the head.
Lackey does the dirty work and the guilty go free.
Just another day in Trinity.
You gonna shoot me in the back? Say I escaped? You did escape.
I'm setting you free.
Free? Yeah.
As a bird.
Just go on, get out of here.
Go on back up to them people you came from.
I can't do that, Ben! Why the hell not? Because I came here to make a difference.
And I can't run away again! Well, all right, then.
Then you get back in the damn car.
And you keep your damn mouth shut till we get back to Juniper House.
This is not any easier for me than it is for you.
You're a coward, Ben.
Shut up! How are you feeling, Doc? I don't blame you for being sore.
I just hope this ordeal strengthens you.
Go to hell.
Been there.
And you know what? It ain't half bad.
Maybe if you'd have just lightened up you might have gotten with the program around here.
You know, just lain back, relaxed, and enjoyed it.
What are you going to do about Caleb? Caleb's destiny is in his own hands but you can rest assured, it won't have anything to do with you.
I'm not the only one, you know.
There'll be others out there.
And you'll be stopped.
You will, they'll get you.
"They?" There's no such thing as "they" in Trinity.
I'm gonna miss you, "Harvard.
" People will turn their backs on you.
They'll resist.
You'll be stopped!