Truth Be Told (2019) s02e02 Episode Script

"We all worship false idols."
That's what my friend, Joshua Keith,
once told me.
He recognized the power of worship.
That unfettered belief
was the holiest form of any ritual.
For Joshua,
the truth was his chosen deity.
But the true believer, the blind follower,
was a creature he could not understand.
The subject of Josh's documentary,
the Sons of Ivar,
claimed him as their own.
But rather than a supposed
men's rights group,
Josh saw only a sea of violent men.
So he disavowed them.
Shunning their leaders, their philosophy,
and any attempts they made
to claim him or his art as their own.
And because of that, he made enemies.
The abrupt closing of Joshua's case
is just too easy.
Too many questions left unanswered.
Questions the San Francisco
Police Department refused to solve.
We will present the known facts.
The information ignored by the media
and the police.
Join me on this season
of Reconsidered: Joshua Keith.
I see the horn of Drengir beckoned you in.
There's easier ways to ingratiate yourself
into our esteem.
Our group is lousy
with disgruntled, alienated cops.
What's one more?
We're alone.
Off.
No, no. Needs to look official.
Don't wanna blow your cover.
Yeah. I wouldn't mind if you did.
Had about all I can take
of this beta male victimhood.
So you find anything on the Keith murder?
Sons of Ivar involved?
Double murder's beyond them.
The guys I know can hardly read
a QAnon post without blushing.
Well, being a pussy
is not a recognized defense.
But an alibi is.
The entire top brass was overseeing
a new member initiation.
Live cameras, witnesses,
whatever you're gonna need.
I thought the case was closed already.
Yeah, that's the official stance
of the department.
So, shouldn't you be back on Intelligence?
Well, Parnell's keeping the story
in the news.
Maybe she's got a point.
So what does Sarge think about this?
No, he doesn't want
any leaks or distractions.
Not after what happened to Owen Cave.
-Well, it's good he trusts you then.
-Yeah.
That or he needs
a fall guy nobody's gonna miss.
Yeah.
Sing it.
That was wonderful.
Just wonderful.
Thank you, Daddy.
Yeah, it was nice to sing again.
I'll tell you what I didn't like.
You heard that new priest?
"Redeemer, Sustainer, Creator."
What happened to
"Father, Son, Holy Spirit"?
The new words include everybody, Daddy.
You will never convince him,
so don't even try.
He's still got us wearing veils, and
those were stopped before I was born.
Hey, don't remind me
how young you are, Elinor.
Well, I've been called a lot of things
but never that.
What?
You called me Elinor.
Girls, come sit down.
Poppy, you come sit next to me.
I got something to say.
When my mama and daddy died,
the family just didn't leave Louisiana.
We left each other.
I want y'all to stay together.
What's going on?
Shreve.
You know
I've been having some difficulties.
It seems it might be something
more serious.
Poppy got me into a medical study
in the city.
And you didn't wanna tell me first?
What kind of problems, Daddy?
I didn't want you to know.
Not Poppy, not any of you.
But you're my family,
and that's what family's for.
Now, the doctors think it's
CTE, a brain disease
from repeated head injuries.
Likely from boxing in the Navy, yeah.
They can't tell for sure until I'm dead
and they cut me open.
I need something out of my purse.
Please don't stop on my account.
I've had plenty of those moments myself.
Not in front of him, I bet.
But maybe that's why we have each other.
You know,
he was more scared of you finding out
and looking at him differently
than he was of the disease.
I'm not tryna lose my man, Poppy.
And I don't wanna lose my daddy.
So we stand strong
against whatever's coming.
And, Lillian.
Lillian.
We never turn on each other.
I will be here every step of the way.
I promise.
I promise.
My source said that Sons of Ivar
are off the suspect list.
You hear that from Aames?
He would never.
The official stance of the department
is that the case is still closed.
What about Drew Turney?
No priors, no notable affiliations.
He was accepted into USC.
Deferred it for a year.
-Wealthy family?
-Not especially.
He was doing
the 20-something gig job grind
and sharing a place with five roommates
until three months ago.
He quit with no notice
and moved to a luxe studio in the Marina.
None of 'em knew
where the money came from.
But
Joshua's calls to Drew
started six months ago.
No app, no intermediary.
By last month,
the calls were almost daily.
Sometimes lasting as long as an hour.
So this was a full-blown relationship.
A jealous wife is a strong motive,
but she was with you.
Lord.
What role am I supposed to serve here?
Friend,
confidant
or journalist?
I can't bury my friend
without any answers.
You really don't wanna sit?
Micah's fans make me a little nervous.
I don't mind being near the exit.
Thank you all for joining us in today's
celebration of the life of Joshua Keith.
In order to free our grief,
we must release our minds.
Close your eyes.
Center your breathing.
We're really doing this?
Yeah.
Ingram! Ingram!
Grief lines up memories like dominoes.
"This happened," grief tells us.
"Then that."
Until you have a series
of tidy narratives.
And you roll them
backwards and forwards.
Trying to make some sense of the
meaning, the finality
of death.
We've got you, Micah.
Thank you for your uplift.
Any possible answer just brings up
yet another question,
and it's an endless loop.
And there's comfort.
There's comfort in the memories.
There's comfort in the stories.
But there's no way you can prepare
for pain or grief.
Life is the preparation.
I'll take your grief, Micah.
No, no, no.
No scene in front of the investors.
That's not making a fucking scene?
It's okay.
What's your name?
Ruthie.
Have you had to use our grief protocol
for your own journey?
Yes.
For my son.
And when you were taking care of
everyone else, who was taking care of you?
No one.
My family tried,
but they rushed to move past it,
and they didn't realize
they'd left me behind.
I know exactly how you feel.
Joshua
He wasn't perfect, but he was mine.
And I will take the time to mourn his loss
without any judgment.
Though everyone around me wants to judge
his work and his life.
Would you like me to show you
to one of our recovery rooms?
Yes.
Okay.
Micah always says touch is the most
important but ignored sense in grief.
I'm gonna guess she meant
the consensual kind of touching.
She saved me when I lost my son.
Who's gonna save her?
Micah appreciates your offer, she does.
But she's on her own grief
journey at the moment.
But she needs me.
Would you tell her please?
I'm always here for her.
Sure.
What in the world was that?
Oh, my gosh.
Do you need to head into the office?
I know you're in the middle of a case.
Nah, don't worry about that.
I'm fine.
Noa and Markus are here.
I'll call you tonight.
Chanel?
Looks like someone made the right decision
to leave real reporting behind
for podcasting.
I miss doing actual journalism with you.
I was so sorry to hear your book flopped.
Maybe I can blurb the second printing
if it ever gets there.
Sorry, kale makes me bitchy.
This isn't what I thought they meant
by "open bar."
The day's not over.
I'm meeting Bob down at the Baywater.
You know, Joshua loved nothing more
than a tacky tourist bar.
I'd love to join.
Hear your take on the case.
It won't be sanitized.
You'll hear things you wish you hadn't.
I already have.
No, no, no, the Ivar kooks have to be
on top of your investigative list.
No doubt about it. You need
to get one of them on your show.
You know,
on what planet is Micah not involved?
She's creepy.
-Her husband's having an affair.
-Stop.
-I'm just saying--
-I mean it.
You know, aside from the alibi,
Micah's known about Joshua's skirt chasing
from the beginning.
We all have,
except for prim Poppy over here.
He's done this before?
Are you kidding? He called
his indiscretions "road treats."
It's an open secret.
You wouldn't have to dig very much
to find one of his past treats
for your podcast.
Boys are new. Cheating's not.
If you're doing the story, do it right.
Like Joshua would've done
before Micah got her claws into him.
Do not let her kill what's left
of your journalistic integrity.
No, please.
Don't stop on my account, Bobby.
Tell me more about
what I've corrupted and killed.
You can't pretend that
he wasn't diminished in recent years.
Eclipsed by all your fame, success.
Not so diminished that you didn't approach
him about partnering on a documentary.
I was trying to help.
There wasn't a hard news outlet
that would touch him anymore.
Yeah, is that what he told you
or what you assumed?
I'm starting to understand why you're
the only one here without a Pulitzer.
Let's get outta here.
He's always been such a prick.
Damn it.
Oh, shit.
Come on.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
We need to talk about what I can
and cannot air on the podcast.
Air it all.
I've spent an entire career encouraging
radical acceptance and transparency.
Can't change the rules now.
Look what I got back today.
The Victorians had mourning jewelry.
Is that why you asked
for a lock of his hair?
Yeah.
I wanted the white over black
indicating that he was unmarried
at the time of his death.
Micah.
Seems appropriate, right?
Dying in the arms of another man.
But the jeweler talked me out of it.
Did you know about his cheating?
Three late-stage miscarriages
takes its toll.
I was proud of the idea of being strong.
It was very seductive.
You know, being the woman who could
bear all the weight.
But
I couldn't.
We grew apart.
He strayed.
And I turned a blind eye.
It hurt for a long time,
and then it didn't.
And when we finally came up for air,
we were both in a very different place.
Why didn't you leave?
I did not want to.
I loved him.
And I knew he'd be back.
One day.
Hey, Frank.
You still need relief on your shift?
Route C on Piedmont.
All right. I'm on my way.
You sure about doing this story?
I'm fine. I'm fine.
What about you?
You gonna be able to handle Daddy?
I just got called into work.
You're the baby.
Used to being taken care of.
Just tell me if it's too much.
It's too much.
Okay.
So why don't we sit down
with Desiree and Lillian
and find out what you can do?
I knew there was something wrong.
We all did.
Even when he said there wasn't.
I can't be crying before work.
I got a long shift today.
Okay.
What?
Noa let me listen to some of the segments
for this week's episode.
About getting Joshua's case reopened.
-And?
-That boy killed with Joshua,
he had a life and a story too.
Why aren't you talking about him?
Because I don't know
how he fits into the motive yet.
And why expose his family
other than what's absolutely necessary?
Like you did to me.
That weighs on me every day, Cydie.
Still gives me nightmares.
But don't erase that boy.
Get in. Watch your head.
Gotta take these out.
Hold still. Put your hand flat.
Look at me. To the right.
Mrs. Parnell.
I am so sorry for your loss.
These were my mother's favorite.
And I still get them when I miss her.
That's sweet.
Thank you.
Inspector Aames told us
not to cooperate with you.
What changed your mind?
He started ignoring us.
Said the case was closed,
and we just couldn't accept the result.
Our son may not have been a celebrity,
but he mattered.
I watched a program last night where
they talked about the case for 20 minutes,
they didn't say Drew's name once.
You know, he deferred a year
at USC to do a fellowship.
Said he wanted practical experience
working with a real artist.
Joshua's associates
weren't aware of any fellowships.
Why would he tell us that then?
Mr. and Mrs. Turney,
thank you for being
so generous with your time.
This is a great start.
-May I call with follow-ups?
-Please.
Of course. Thank you.
Hey, you two.
Hi.
Is that evidence?
Micah asked me to stop by
and grab a few things
before her livestream tonight.
Did she ask you to attend
Drew's shiva too?
That's what I do.
That's what we all do at Shelter.
We take care of things for her,
so she can continue to dazzle.
Build her castle into the sky.
Brick by brick.
You sound angry.
At Shelter, we prefer grief-struck.
What were you doing?
-Hello?
-Esta. Yes.
Poppy Parnell again. Do you have a minute?
Did you find something?
Something promising.
But it may be a little painful to discuss.
Was Drew adopted?
Did he ever try to find
his biological parents?
No.
He knew that would devastate Arthur.
He was our son.
No, no one is questioning that.
Thanks, Esta.
-I'll be back in touch soon, okay?
-Thank you.
How do we bottle and sell
that gut of yours?
So the blood types
at the crime scene match?
Both Joshua and Drew were AB negative.
The rarest type.
Are we really about to top
murderous twins?
We're not using this in the podcast.
She's barely holding it together.
This is humiliating enough to break her.
Are you joking? Micah gave
her permission, no limitations.
It blows the official murder-suicide
theory of the case out of the water.
Someone else will use it if we don't.
So let them live with the repercussions
of their recklessness.
What?
You don't have ownership over guilt.
So, why won't you back me?
Because I don't believe in half measures.
Either we do this, or we don't.
It's my show, Noa.
What's our status?
The feed is ready.
We'll be live in 57 countries.
No big deal.
You think she's got this?
Just curious.
-Hey.
-Hi.
Inversions. It's just lymphatic drainage.
Mental reinvigoration.
Circulation.
So, how does it feel
to be back in the office?
Is literally being upside down
a potent enough metaphor?
It's too soon for you to be doing events.
Yeah, well, my virtual fans
can't wait a week for me to grieve.
We've been promoting
and hyping this event.
If I cancel, I'll lose my investors.
I went to Drew's shiva.
And then I went to the studio.
Joshua and Drew
had a slew of identical genetic features.
I don't think Drew was his lover.
I think he was his son.
I'm so sorry. I--
I'm not using any of this in the podcast,
and we can suspend it entirely
if you prefer.
Micah.
Micah's talk is about to begin.
May I show you outside?
Not just yet. Thank you.
Sons of Ivar had nothing to do
with Drew and Josh's death,
like I said the first time.
You trying to convince me or yourself?
But it got me thinking.
Shelter, there's a lot of parallels,
lot of similarities.
That's a stretch.
Immunity blaster? No, you don't want one?
Or you don't believe
in its restorative powers?
A lot of people here do.
Is there a purpose for this visit?
Because if not, you know, I
You know Jasper Gaines?
My daddy's old running buddy?
What do you remember about him?
He was family, around all the time.
He was at all of our birthdays growing up.
Why?
Well, he killed seven people
from 1984 to 1989.
For years, I was part of a task force
studying cults and fringe groups.
Yeah, he's what we call
in the cult world, a follower.
See, the thing about these groups
is that its members,
they usually fall into two categories.
The loyal followers
and the charismatic, narcissistic leaders.
Shreve, Micah.
They fit the profile.
-You're so full of shit.
-Maybe,
but as long as you're
poking around my case,
making a mockery of detective work
Reopen the case.
These are pieces
of what I once called home.
They like to tell us, us women,
to keep our house in order.
But how in the hell are we supposed
to keep it in order
when we were dealt a bum house?
The first brick of any house
is trust.
Trust in what you are building
and what you can withstand.
For me, that represented my bedroom.
The second brick
Keep your house in order.
Keep your house in order.
Maybe someone
should have told my husband that.
I kept him solvent.
I stood by him when his work
defied everything I stand for.
And for what?
So he could hide a son from me?
So I could stand up here
and explain to everybody
why my husband was murdered
protecting his child?
What kind of safe shelter is that?
At least when I was on the street,
I could--
I knew better than to expect
anything from anyone!
Micah. Micah.
Micah.
Cut the feed.
It's quitting time.
Make sure you sweep for lost items.
I don't want that woman calling
and harassing me again.
Patricia will find her excuse
to talk to a supervisor, believe that.
A bitch is getting old.
Okay.
Where is that
You scared the shit outta me!
You can't be in here.
The depot is private property.
I'm sorry, I dozed off in the back here.
I missed my stop.
You do give a smooth ride.
Not if I can't get off.
That an invitation?
Step off the bus.
There was a guy on my bus.
What's the description?
Blue hoodie, blue jeans.
Like, he's trying to scare me.
This dude is tall as fuck.
We'll search the terminal.
Jesus.
You staying strong, baby girl?
Well, you still standing.
If you go online, don't scroll down.
Yeah.
What's going on?
Are you Poppy Parnell?
Who's asking?
I am.
You've been served.
Alana Cave is suing me
for the wrongful death of Owen Cave.