Joan of Arcadia s02e02 Episode Script

I saw him again this morning.
God? He's gonna screw my life up all over again.
We've talked about this, Joan These visions are hallucinatory projections.
No, he's real He's back.
I've got a list of things I want you to do, Joan.
Hi, honey.
How's god? What are you talking about? Dr.
Dan called and told us everything.
What? He can't do that.
That was all confidential Maybe god told him to.
Now be nice, boys, your sister's insane.
You can't tell anybody what dr.
Dan said.
You have to promise me you won't tell anybody.
Pss, Hey Joan.
Down here.
Are you ashamed of me, Joan? Joan.
Have a nice day, sweetheart.
Oh, Adam.
I just want to be with you.
Me, too.
You've been staring at it for an hour.
It was growing mould.
Bon appetit.
Can't you at least wait until the caffeine kicks in? Dr.
Dan says it is important for me to let my feelings out.
What happened to the cheery, optimistic Joan? I found no future in optimism.
Honey, when you're at work today, will you pick up those books for me? Oh, and one of those itty bitty light things.
You kept me up all night.
I'm sorry.
I got so wrapped up in that Graham Greene novel.
Sorry, dude.
No, sorry.
You all right? Dude, Abba? Luke, did you actually pay money for that? For science.
Research.
You know, about the optical recording process developed by the Phillips laboratories I'm bored now.
I like Abba.
Dancing queen, the do do do Fernando song.
Honey, you remember that concert? You wore a white jacket with fringe.
Oh, too much information.
So, mom, more recommendations from the surfing nun book club? The first part of the catechism is questioning man's relationship with god.
So, she's giving me novels and essays that talk Mom, she's brainwashing you.
Why would you trust some surfer who settles in arcadia? There's nothing devious about examining spiritual issues Einstein believed there had to be some intelligence behind the design of the universe.
Well, dr.
Dan says relying on some outside force to tell you how to live is actually a way to avoid living.
I don't agree.
And I don't think a doctor should tell you how to live.
So you trust god? Because he really came through for Kevin.
Joan, that's enough.
I think it is pretty hard to believe in god when we're getting sued because of my accident.
There is such a thing as free will.
Us being sued because of you is It's not because of me.
It's because of Andy and his greedy-ass family I know, that's what I'm saying.
What, that god abandons you when you need him most? No! Then god thinks it's ok that the drunk who took my legs can take everything else from us, too? Ok, ok, let's all take a breath.
I didn't mean to start a fight.
I just wanted Joan to pick up some books for me.
Yeah, about god.
I thought after spending summer at crazy camp, I would know how to deal.
But my mom's become all religious.
Dude, my father's a rabbi.
Right.
I just I feel like things are more whacked than when I left.
You know, like Luke listening to an Abba CD? Abba? You're kidding.
I mean I don't care.
How do you deal with your dad being all into god? Sometimes I hide his yarmulke and watch him freak.
Yeah, see, I just see, I hear all this god talk, and it makes me feel all this pressure to be like this perfect person.
And dr.
Dan said that's what made me so dysfunctional.
I'm a kid.
I should be able to be just a kid.
You Know Abba and those little meatballs.
No wonder Sweden's filled with drunks.
Thanks for the support, grace.
Oh, no! What's wrong? Nothing.
See you in class.
I told you I didn't want to see you anymore.
I thought that maybe you would change your mind.
It seemed like we really connected last time.
No, we didn't.
So, you didn't feel anything? Look, it's over, ok? You're just gonna have to adjust to that.
Call up a friend and bitch about me on the phone if you need to, but you have to find someone else.
I just want No, I don't want to hear it! Just keep your eyes open, Joan.
What does that even mean? "Keep your eyes open"? They're already open, see? I know how hard it is being back, reconnecting.
You have choices to make.
Well, I have free will, right? Of course.
And I'm using it right now! I choose a life without you! Emotional damage.
What is that? That's what happens when you live with my ex-wife.
And my lawyer says they have a case.
My kid has wheels for legs and I'm on the defensive.
Just once I'd like someone to do the right thing.
Once.
You're still a dreamer.
It's cute.
Drive by.
Victim's a African-American male about 8 years old caught in the crossfire.
We called his mother.
She's on her way.
Shooters are probably gonna sue because the kid stole their bullets.
Any witnesses? No one's talking.
Hey you're gonna be ok, son.
We're all here to help you.
Now, did you see who did this to you? No one saw a thing here? Not the shooters? A car? You think this is not gonna happen again? You think your kid won't be next? He was selling wrapping paper for his school.
I bought some.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said.
Did you see who it was? Dude, Abba?! I thought you might like them 'cause everyone hates 'em.
Well, you thought wrong.
Tell me you don't have any Bee Gees in there.
Dude? It's just music.
Just music? Meet me tomorrow night with mix CDs.
If we find no common ground, we're toast.
Dude, I just dropped my pencil to look up Charlene Lister's skirt, it was one of those Culotte things.
Hi.
Hi.
Mmm! Did I miss something? Me.
Oh, ok, yeah.
Let's take off.
Come on, let's skip school.
Let's go up to mercer creek We'll have a picnic.
We'll walk through the woods.
You know, I have a history quiz and an art project.
Who cares? Weren't you the one all into school? That was yesterday.
I'm sick of being the goody shoes girl.
Are you ok? No.
I'm crazy, remember? No, that's not what I meant.
Just forget it.
I'm sorry.
No, no, it's just I come back and I'm supposed to pick my life up exactly the way it was before.
What if I don't want my life to be the same? What if l what if I want it to be different? Are you talking about us? 'Cause a minute ago you seemed pretty happy to see me.
I was.
I am.
I just forget it.
Ok, look, look, look.
I promise that I will do something incredibly irresponsible with you this weekend, ok? Maybe we'll even wind up on cops.
Joan?! Oh, my god.
Oh, my god.
Look at you! I got booted out of Clayton Country day.
After 10 days? Well, I was already on probation and apparently they have this rule about not filling the evil math teacher's car with packing peanuts.
Iook at you.
Oh, my god.
Adam, right? He's just like you said.
I'm Judith Montgomery.
Oh, from camp.
Yeah, Jane told me all about you.
"Jane?" I love it.
People called us Joanith.
We had this instant mind meld thing.
I can't believe you go to my school now.
I have to find AP physics.
That's where we're going.
Same classes? This is outrageous.
This is so cool.
But soft, a new arrival in our happy realm.
May I be thy guide, fair maiden? I didn't know we had to do the questions in the back of the chapter.
Ms.
Lischak wrote the assignment on the board.
Thanks, dad.
Grace, right? Do we know her? This is Judith.
From camp.
She goes here now.
So now I have to get to know another person now.
Hey, it was subtle, but she vibed me, right? Oh! Oh, hey.
Alice in Quantumland is not in children's.
Even simplistic writings on quantum theory would be found in science, which should be obvious, unless, of course, you don't even have a game show's knowledge of basic scientific terminology.
Hey, I take AP physics.
Oh, which explains the outsourcing of jobs to India.
When is Sammy coming back? I am Sammy.
Which is weird, isn't it? Best friends, both Sammy, both like you know how you are.
It's like there should be some mother ship someplace.
Mm-hmm.
The prior Sammy will return when his wife regains her sanity So, I'd get used to me if I were you.
What are you doing here? This Saturday night, the 'rents are going out of town for the weekend for some conference, so it's party time.
They're really leaving you alone for the whole weekend? They're shrinks, remember? They're all about giving me space and letting me learn from my mistakes.
But you just got expelled.
I mean, you really want to risk getting in more trouble? Look, at camp they told us we're supposed to find creative ways to integrate ourselves into our social environment, right? Yeah.
So we're 16.
Isn't this what we're supposed to do? Hold that thought for one second.
I told you I am done with you.
Oh, here's one of the books your mother wanted Thoreau.
Now, he believed that with a keen awareness of the natural world one could find truth.
You just can't stop, can you? Get out.
Out! What are you doing? Ms.
Girardi! She was stealing.
Next time, I'll call the cops! Good work.
Let's party.
Bye.
Hoo.
Hmm.
You're like a human dolly.
Yeah, I have many new uses now.
Ahem.
You know, I didn't mean to rag in you this morning.
I was going for mom, and you just sort of got caught in the crossfire.
It's cool.
I think we're all pretty tightly wound.
So, um, what are you looking for? This.
Cutting out pictures of Andy? I just need to see him.
I need to see who the hell my best friend was.
He was a dork He used to pick me up and spin me around over his head.
I should have ralphed on him.
You loved him.
We all did.
He's a bastard now.
Sure seems that way.
I'm gonna go see him.
What? I need to find out why he's doing this.
Kevin, he's suing us.
You can't go see him.
Who says? Like, every law show on TV.
You won't tell mom and dad, will you? Oh, yeah, I'm dying to get in the middle of this one.
No, no, no.
Hip-hop is supposed to be about defiance and social justice.
This mainstream trash has totally sold out to the corporate rats.
Yeah, but the chorus has this addictive bass that's like Next.
You're very intolerant.
High musical standards does not make me intolerant, dude.
Ok, um, let's delve into come classical selections What are you trying to do, kill me? Why don't we just start speaking in Latin? Ok, that's it.
I'm gonna listen to some of yours.
Ok, ok, chill with the caveman act.
Indie group, totally downloadable.
The people's music.
Sophomoric lyrics, stultifying melody.
They sound like they recorded it over a telephone.
They deserve their obscurity.
Olatunji: African drums.
Pretentious attempt to co-opt another culture in order to hide your middle class roots.
You are going to be bleeding soon.
Feel the power of Metallica, master of puppets: The anthem of thrash metal.
Metallica? That sounds like a band with no hands.
Ok, you know what? I have a deep psychic connection with metallica, so tread lightly.
Look, dude, we tried, but music is vibrations, and my music is a representation of my inner vibrations.
And if we don't share a common rate of vibration, what do we have? At least you didn't bring that.
A shared experience of dissonance creates its own harmony.
What? Harmonic resonance.
It's one of the basic laws of physics.
Our mutual hatred for kool and the gang has formed a harmonic union between us.
I think I feel it.
Grace this is our song.
This little kid, 8 years old, caught a bullet meant for some gangbanger.
Someone had to see They're probably terrified So, they'll just let it happen again? You really think it's that simple? Making the right moral choice in a world filled with violence and intimidation? Is that from one of your books? Yeah.
Sorry.
It's Graham Greene again.
He writes about god in a world of moral relativism.
"Interesting," he said begrudgingly.
Lot of books.
Lot of questions.
Hey, you got the itty-bitty light.
Because I'm a wonderful woman, even though I believe in god.
What? I got the itty-bitty light.
We thought we were on top of things, but look at us Kevin's lawsuit, Joan's a new person every day.
I feel like the people on that block.
I can see everything happening, but I can't seem to do anything about it.
Joan's a teenager.
We're supposed to be powerless.
There should be answers in here.
Hey, there's dirty stuff in here.
Moral issues.
This is bait.
I hope so.
Will grapples with his moral quandary: What to do next? Mmm, what to do? I have everything we need at the house already chips, soda, beer, wine, some billion-proof tequila.
Bail money? Hmm? Don't worry.
I do this a lot.
Hey.
So I take it, you heard about the party? What time are you picking me up? Oh, uh, I'm not sure I'm gonna make it.
What?! Adam, what? Do you have to work or something? No.
Well, what? Anhedonia.
What? It's a psychological condition.
The inability to gain pleasure from normally pleasurable experiences.
No.
No, no, no, no.
It's just, if the party gets busted, and my father finds out he's been through a lot lately.
Adam, when was the last time we actually hung out and had fun? You've been gone all summer.
Look, can we just not talk about this here? I'm just saying, you know? It's always something.
Maybe your relationship is based in crisis.
You know, like, if you don't have a problem to deal with, you have no real connection.
I really feel weird talking about this with someone I've only known for a day, ok? Sorry.
My parents are shrinks.
You know, maybe she's right.
Fine.
I'll talk to you about it later, ok? You, ok? Yeah.
It's his problem, right? What do we know? Still nothing.
No one's talking.
Funny how so many people can go blind at the same time.
Yeah.
Peanut cluster? It's a real rush.
You ever consider actual food? Will? Woman to see you.
Nice to see you again.
This is who you want.
These are kids.
It's the only picture I had, when they were 10.
They still look the same.
The bigger one's Ruben Holloway.
The other's Deshawn Wallace.
My nephew.
Your nephew? Yeah.
I'm Mary Wallace.
He was a sweet boy until his mama died.
Went into foster care.
I would've taken him in, but I had my own problems.
Third street all-stars, they run corners on the east side.
Heroin, crack, crystal whatever you want, whenever you want it.
Did you see them shoot the boy? Right in front of my house.
You did the right thing, ms.
Wallace.
If I had done the right thing, I'd have taken that boy in years ago, and none of us would be here right now.
Dr.
Dan, I was supposed to come home feeling like I was enough, remember? Joan, you aught to know not to expect immediate results.
You said I didn't need to see You know who Wait a second.
Does that mean you're seeing à No, I'm not saying that I have.
What about your journal? Yeah, well, keeping a journal isn't helping.
Maybe you haven't given it enough time.
What? No.
I'll keep writing about it.
Now remember Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I know.
I'm good enough.
I gotta go.
Why can't you understand that you are screwing up my life? I just want to be like everyone else.
Do I really have to give you the snowflake speech? I just want to go to Judith's party.
So go.
"Go?" Sure.
What "Go.
" "Go," he says.
Hey, who were you talking to?? God.
He's big into Marilyn Manson.
It's a joke.
Oh.
Uh l I didn't I didn't come to argue.
L I just I love you, Jane.
Let's go let's go have some fun.
Ok? Why do you dudes always hassle the small businessman? That's why I vote republican.
Dick Cheney, he knows what time it is.
I thought convicted felons didn't get to vote.
We got you as an accessory to murder, Deshawn unless maybe you didn't know what old Ruben here had planned.
Maybe he surprised you.
Look, ain't nobody singing.
Not d, not me.
You sure? 'Cause we got an eyewitness, that puts you both at the scene of the shooting in a shiny red 1964 impala convertible, shooting a glock 9.
Which we recovered 2 blocks from the scene.
You think it's over 'cause you grabbed us? Have you sniffed around here, seen what your people do? Shut your ass, D.
What does that mean, d? You got something to say, say it.
The only thing we got to say is "lawyer.
" Lawyer, lawyer, lawyer, lawyer.
I hope you fell.
I'm o a break.
Mmm, in the self-help section.
You are the poster child for the intellectual decline of America.
Co-dependent no more it's very good.
In order to find yourself, you have to sever connection with the people you allow to control you.
Mmm.
All I heard was, um, "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
" Hi.
Did you fall, honey? No, I'm fine.
Mom, what are you what are you doing here? I need a book.
This is a bookstore.
Oh, well, I assume you're looking for something in this section? Oh, no, um I'd like Immanuel Kant's the metaphysics of ethics.
Yes, Emmanuel kant.
Uh, right away.
Oh, yes You don't have to do it alone.
If you need to talk Mom, I'm fine, really.
I have to go to work.
So, why don't we all go to Maria's for dinner? Chicken parmesan.
It'll be fun.
Me and some friends are going to Judith's.
Well, maybe we'll go to Maria's next week.
Yeah, maybe next week What? Nothing.
I was just remembering pushing you on a swing.
Silly, isn't it? You're not supposed to be here, man.
I called you.
Why wouldn't you talk to me? They said I wasn't allowed Me, too.
So why'd you drive 4 hours to see me? I read the suit.
Said you were in bad shape.
I wanted to see if there was anything I could do.
I have nightmares.
I'm a damn window washer.
You want to trade places? I got to work.
Are you gonna ask how I'm doin'? Why the hell are you doing this to me, man? Because you were my best friend, and now you want to ruin my family? My parents said it was just insurance.
That's all.
You're blaming your parents? You're 20, dude! Dude, I'm messed up, Kev! Ok? You don't think there's a day that goes by that I don't see you lying in blood all broken?! And a big screen and a trip to the Bahamas is gonna make that all go away? I gotta try that.
I was wasted off my ass, dude! You weren't! You should've taken the keys, kev! You could have! Why do I have to live with all the guilt, huh? You should've taken those keys, kev! Ow! Joanith in the hisouse! Comin' through! Joanith comin' through! Whoo! Ah.
Come on, Adam, shake that booty.
I'm so happy we're all together.
I mean, we've got this connection.
Don't you feel it? Like we've known each other forever.
Yeah.
God, my old friends, the creeps at my old school were such poseurs.
Why are you crashin' my party? They're just using me! Poseurs! Poseurs! Poseurs! Poseurs! Joan, Joan, Joan What? You guys I love you guys! Does that include my, my sweet? Jon Cryer! Pretty in pink! I've always love you, Duckie.
Hey, don't you think you should just pace yourself just a little bit? You're tryin' to kill my buzz, dude.
It's only 8:00! All right.
Party on.
You have got to tell me everything about you and jo-jo.
Uh the Friedman? High school house party a primordial soup of hormonally charged organisms just longing for a lightning bolt and a little innocent mitosis.
Dude, article 3, paragraph 2: Parties, no contact or communication.
Yee-ha! Yee-ha! Come on, now! Yee-ha! Yee-ha! Come on, now! Come on! If she had an off switch, I'd use it Hi.
What? It's just a you know, it's just not private.
Come on.
Can you please stop? Please.
You're makin' me jealous.
Would you get off me, please? What's your problem, Adam? Why can't you just loosen up for once? Is this what you want, or is this just the official Joanith party line? I knew you didn't like her.
That's not true.
L l I You don't know what she means to me.
This summer, I didn't know if I was insane or what.
I would just lie there on my stupid, saggy bed and cry, and she was the only one who cared.
And I'm glad she was there for you, but why does that mean you have to turn into someone else? I mean, what happened to Jane? I'm not Jane, ok? The name is Joan! I just want to be who I am, and not who everyone else wants me to be! Fine.
Fine, then don't let me get in the way, ok? Hey.
Where'd beautiful boy go? Who cares? Whoa! Did you really drink that whole bottle? Last shot, all jo-jo's.
No.
No, I'm cool.
Whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Ok, do you really think you should be drinking this much? Um buzz kill.
Go.
Jo-jo find boy-boy.
One of us should get some lovin'.
Go, go.
You put it on repeat in an attempt to circumvent our 5-minute make-out rule.
Free will between the amorous parties supersedes contractual duty, rendering our agreement void ab bi nitio.
You're impaired, dude.
Caveat emptor.
I have grounds to renegotiate.
Adam, I'm sorry! Adam.
Glynis! Have you seen Adam? Just Sean.
We spent the summer doing cellular research at Stanford.
Judith? Judith! Judith, hey! Judith! Hey, Judith! Judith! Back off, Marge.
She's mine.
Did she finish this whole bottle in an hour? Is that even possible? Yeah, if you want to die! Judith! Judith! Call 911! Do it, freak.
Judith! Judith! Adam? Adam! She's in here! Wait, who? What's going on? What's happening? Judith.
Oh, my god.
Why are you letting this happen? Do something! Keep your eyes open.
That's all I asked.
Oh, you're blaming me for this? No way are you blaming me! Ew, that's gross.
It is.
Can I have some? Sure.
I hear you and Luke are grounded.
Yep.
Dad seemed almost relieved that Luke did something so normal-bad-kid-like.
What did he say about me? Oh, they just think you're nuts.
So, uh that girl's gonna be ok.
Yep.
She almost died, though.
Did you talk to Andy? Oh yeah! We had a lovely chat that mom and dad will never hear about.
I know.
I know.
Remember how I thought it was crazy for him to sue us? Yeah.
Now I don't know.
Hilarious, huh? I mean, I always thought Andy was the moron for driving that night.
He was.
You don't drive drunk.
Sure.
But I could have stopped him.
Would have been easy Kevin, it's not your fault, ok? Andy has to take responsibility for what he did.
You shouldn't have gone to see him.
Carlisle, come in.
They said not to bother you on your day off, but I thought you'd What? What is it? There's been some trouble, Will.
Neighbours say Ms.
Wallace had lived in the neighbourhood for over 30 years The cause of the fire is suspicious, and sources told reporters that Ms.
Wallace had agreed to testify in a drive-by no! Damn it, no! What happened? A woman your father was working with, a witness to a murder, was killed.
And I pushed her to get involved.
It was the right thing to do.
She's dead, Helen.
Joanith in the hisouse.
Where are your parents? M Um uh my father's giving a speech tonight at Shrinkapalooza.
Oh, what? You look worse than me.
I should have taken that bottle away from you This is my thing not yours.
No, it doesn't work like that It doesn't work if everyone is alone, you know? I was supposed to keep my eyes open.
I didn't know what that meant, even though everything was right there in front of me, and Kevin and Andy and you and the party, and I almost let you die anyway.
And Adam dumped me, and then dad and the lady who did what she was supposed to do and got killed, and even though I see now I probably sent the cosmos spinning off course, and we're all gonna end up sucked into a black hole, and there'll be no more world, and I'm just really, really I'm really sorry, Judith.
Hey.
What are you doing here? I was just on my way to work.
I figured you'd be here, checking in on her.
Yeah, she's sleeping.
The doctor said she'd be out in a couple of days, so just glad you didn't like the taste.
Yeah.
Me, too.
You know, I thought when you left that you had left me.
Nothing's ever been that easy with us, Joan.
Jane.
Look I didn't really want you to shake your booty.
That would have been ugly.
I was just trying to figure out who I wanted to be.
You know, like what kind of person.
I didn't want anyone else to tell me.
I know.
Do you know who you are? You know, I don't try to figure it out really.
Maybe it's not important, you know? It's about what we do for each other, isn't it? Jane.
Maybe, uh maybe I can call in sick.
We can take off to mercer creek.
No, I, um she's alone.
I should just stay here until she wakes up.
But we'll have plenty of time to spend together, right? Yeah.
Lots.
Ok.
You should go.
I don't want you to be late.
Ok.
You should have been more specific.
You could have made me.
I can only point things out, give you choices.
But what if I mess up again? I don't want to mess up again.
Come here.
I know, I know.
I know that.
I know.