The Path (2016) s02e10 Episode Script
Restitution
1 SARAH: Previously on "The Path" I blackmailed them.
All of them.
The donors.
What do you want? I've done enough.
They blackmailed you too, didn't they? SARAH: Your mom, she passed.
They said she went peacefully.
I married your sister, Sarah.
Don't you wanna just scream in your family's face, "I exist"? Of course I do, but you can't change other people.
I'm doing 8R.
I'm climbing the rungs with Richard and Felicia.
- Hi.
- Ashley, hi.
- ASHLEY: How's Hawk? - RUSSEL: He's living in the city.
Everything I said up there was about you.
[tense music.]
[suspenseful music.]
[laid-back music.]
[elevator dings.]
Excuse me.
Are you serving breakfast yet? It's just that I'm starving.
Not until 6:00.
Do you know what, hon? They're setting up the buffet.
Why don't you help yourself to something off there? Oh, that's great.
Thank you.
Marshall.
What are you doing here? Hey, this is a funny coincidence.
I deliver meat to this place.
But your meat is Poisoned? I'm sorry we couldn't help you.
At sundown, we start our three-day process of Restitution and you'll be in my prayers.
Little late for that now.
Be sure and try the bacon.
I don't eat meat.
Well, but it's my meat.
It'd mean a lot to me if you did.
I suppose if I try it, I can atone for it later.
You keep my secret, I'll keep yours.
[laughs.]
Mm.
Mm.
[choking.]
[coughing.]
[dark music.]
[coughing.]
[gasps.]
[mellow guitar music.]
ABE: Sarah Lane outright blackmailed at least 15 current and former Meyerists.
Now each one of these people that wrote a check are hiding a secret.
They have that secret on tape.
If I can get a few of them to come forward, we can shut this whole thing down.
This is great.
Yeah.
What? A bunch of immoral, reprehensible people get to walk away scot-free.
Secrets intact.
Must be hard.
Be undercover like you are.
Probably lose track of up from down.
You just hope you're fighting the good fight.
PENETTI: Putting Sarah Lane behind bars so she can't take advantage of people's trust? Sounds like a good fight to me.
[tense music.]
[traffic.]
That's so cool.
You're at NYU.
Yeah, I mean, it's just a summer writing program.
Still.
I have to work, like, four jobs for it, but But next year, you'll get in for real, though, right? Yeah, if I get a boatload of financial aid.
You'll get it.
So that girl from the bus last night is she your girlfriend? No, no, she's just a friend.
Do you have a boyfriend? Nope.
Did you tell her who I am? [laughs.]
How did you find me? Um, your dad came into the diner where I work and I asked where you were.
What was he doing there? Just having coffee.
I haven't talked to him in a while.
Yeah, he said that.
What else did he say? Just that he misses you.
Um I don't have a lot of time today, but would you wanna get breakfast with me or something? Yeah, I'd love to.
It's a cute place.
[chuckles.]
I don't know about that.
For a guy who just got out of a cult.
[laughs.]
Well, thank you, then, I guess.
So my dad thinks you're some kind of messiah now.
[laughs.]
Uh You know, crazy people get what they think is stigmata.
It's totally psychosomatic.
I mean, when I was growing up in The Movement, people left their bodies, they had all sorts of other religious experiences.
Even I did, but obviously, it wasn't real.
No.
I don't know what happened to my back.
You know, it could have just been the wound.
I don't know.
You know, I've been thinking a lot about what you were saying, and I think it's outrageous that no one in my family has looked at me except for my dad in over 20 years.
- It is.
- I don't how can you reject your kids like that? I don't know, but imagine if 20 of us, ten of us, even, walk onto that compound and say, we exist, we are not invisible, we did not disappear.
We are living, breathing human beings with all the pain they have caused to their sons, daughters, mothers - Ex-husbands.
- Yes, ex-husbands.
But at least with me, Sarah was willing to let me see the kids after I left.
You know, she will have our back once we force the change.
You can't.
You can't force the change.
Sarah can.
She's co-Guardian of The Light.
What? Really? Sarah? Yeah, Sarah's the most devout person that I know.
Really? Yes, and she will be the best thing that has happened to The Movement once she gets out from under Cal's influence.
Wow, Mom must love that.
Her own daughter.
They don't know anything, you know.
No one in my family has a clue how two-faced they all are.
- Tessa, slow down - You know, you're right.
I'm gonna go in there.
I should go in there.
And I should force them to look at the pain and the hurt and the suffering.
I should force them to take a look at themselves.
Guardian of the fucking Light! You're right, you're right, you're right.
- But this needs to be done right.
- No.
We need to find others.
We are more powerful as a group because this is about all of us, the future of Meyerism.
We need more time.
Fuck time.
Okay? [solemn music.]
[sighs.]
Fuck me.
Sarah? SARAH: I'll be right there.
We were amazing last night.
On stage, I mean.
[chuckles.]
But the audience liked us, I think.
I felt the doors opening.
The people that will be drawn to us as we leave some of the more religious aspects of Meyerism behind, focus more on individual growth.
[door creaks.]
Hey.
How are you? Tired.
[both chuckle.]
CAL: Sarah.
I feel good about this.
Us.
We should go.
[mellow music.]
It's so god to have her back.
It sure is.
Okay, Mom, please stop petting me.
- Ha.
- I missed you.
I'm allowed to miss you.
Hey, kiddo! Oh! How'd it go? It was good.
- Mm-hmm? - Mm-hmm.
Mommy! I missed you.
- Oh! - How was the conference? - Great.
- Did they like you guys? How could they not? Your mom is an inspiration.
- I want details.
- I'll tell you later.
- Where's your brother? - I don't know.
Hey, Noa, where's Hawk? He said he had to do something in the city.
He'll be here by sundown.
I painted this for you.
- Oh! - For your Transgress.
Beautiful.
Thank you.
- Can you paint mine? - Yeah.
Me too.
I hear the two of you were on fire at the Faith Conference.
- It was okay.
- Oh, it was more than okay.
I think the audience really responded.
Well, that's good to hear.
We need to get our message out there.
How lovely.
Summer painted it.
She's very talented.
CAL: Yeah.
[sniffs.]
Mm.
Fresh pine.
It's too bad we burn them.
[tense music.]
WENDY: No one owns you.
You own you.
I know.
I know.
Are you allowed to talk to people on the outside? Yeah, of course.
We talk to people on the outside all the time.
So they wouldn't have a problem that your mom is in town visiting? A lot of Meyerists choose to cut off from their families, okay? I have not chosen to do that.
- So why are you so worried? - I'm not.
WENDY: You keep looking out the window.
Yeah, 'cause we're talking about me leaving.
Are you not allowed to leave? I can do whatever I want.
Is that so? Yeah, I'm concerned about Mary, okay? She doesn't know I'm talking about all this.
KAREN: Your dad and I want both of you to come home.
We'll help in every way we can to take care of Mary and our grandchild.
Yes, but this is about you, Sean.
What you want.
You can't make another person do something.
Same way that the Meyerists can't make you stay.
No one has that power over another human being.
Can you find a way to get Mary to sit down with Wendy this afternoon? No, we have to be at the compound by sundown.
Why? What will happen if you're not there by sundown? [laughs softly.]
[solemn music.]
ASHLEY: So then when he's about to take the poison that transforms him into a beast, she breaks up with him.
Why? So he doesn't have to live as a beast.
She knows that being a beast sucks and he'd probably be happier living in the world he was born into, in the human world.
That's sad.
Well, yeah, the assignment was to write a tragedy.
It's kind of like the story of us.
Except you're not a beast.
You kinda saw me as one.
And you didn't break up with me to save me from the wild world of beastdom.
- No.
- Why did you? I don't know.
Things were really hard.
God, this view is incredible.
[sighs.]
Restitution! Um, I God, this always happens when I'm with you.
- What? - I lose track of time.
I'm supposed to be at the compound by sundown.
- I-I have to go.
- I mean, you're not gonna make it now.
Wait, am I gonna see you again? [sighs.]
You know what? I just watched my mom on stage at the World Faith Conference say all these things about self-love, and they had nothing to do with Meyerism.
Okay I don't know what that means.
Wait, are you sure? Yeah.
SARAH: The most important three days of our calendar year.
CAL: We reflect, we re-act, and we relinquish.
Cleansing our spirits and our consciences for the contemplative months of fall and winter ahead.
As we go into the dark of night, we meditate on our Transgressions.
CAL: We locate our transgressive actions for the past year that haunt us.
FELICIA: We locate those we have hurt.
We leave these vessels, our bodies, and take the vessel of the one we have caused pain.
We live in the pain that we have inflicted.
We suffer as the sufferer does.
My family.
Yes.
With my doubt.
Yes.
Take that on.
[poignant music.]
[crying.]
[sniffles.]
Rest.
Tomorrow we act.
[The Blind Boys of Alabama's "Amazing Grace".]
Mrs.
Small, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this.
It's all right.
I tried to reach Marshall on the phone.
There was a service message.
It was disconnected.
He passed.
Two weeks ago.
Felt like he was sick forever, but then, when it came It came so quick.
MAN: Amazing grace How sweet the sound That saved a wretch Like me I once was lost Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr.
Roberts.
MAN: But now am found Was blind First, please allow me to express my deepest condolences for the loss of your mother.
Unfortunately, the state requires us to fill out certain forms.
I'll need your signature in those places and I'll need to see a form of ID.
Driver's license is fine.
It's purely a formality.
Thank you, sir.
MAN: Was grace That taught My heart to fear Grace My fears relieved How precious Did that grace Grace appear The hour I first believed Daddy! Hey, kiddo! Oh! Oh, wow, you're so big.
- I lost two molars.
- What? - I swallowed one of them.
- Let me see.
Oh, wow, that is disgusting.
[laughs.]
- I hope you didn't look for it.
- I didn't.
EDDIE: Hey.
Want to talk to you, Summer.
Just wanna say that I'm sorry.
For not being there every morning, every night, every tooth.
I want you know that I think about you all the time.
What do you think about? How much I miss you.
How much I love you.
Fiercely and forever? [laughs softly.]
Fiercely and forever.
Mm.
When are we gonna be a family again? I don't know.
I don't know.
HAWK: How's your roommate? She's not gonna walk in on us, is she? ASHLEY: No, she's never here.
Parents have some big apartment and she always goes to the Hamptons.
[chuckles.]
Why does she have all those dolls? Um, she's a puppetry major.
[laughs.]
Everybody here is so rich.
God, this city.
Not the part I see.
Yeah, but you're, like, a saint, right? We just see so much need everywhere.
In my 2R work, just the lack of access to just basic Wait, 2R? Yeah, I'm climbing the second rung.
Cal's my guide.
Oh.
You know, you kinda look like him now.
Is that part of it? Was it your initiation or something? No.
I just I was ready for a change.
Do you miss it? Your hair? No.
I like it.
I can see you better.
How mad do you think your mom would be right now I-I don't Sorry, I don't wanna talk about my mom right now.
- Sorry.
- [laughs.]
It's just she's not in charge of me anymore.
Yeah, but Cal is.
[mellow guitar music.]
We should go explore the city together or something.
HAWK: Yeah.
ALL: La-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la [text message whooshes.]
You're my heart Baby, spread your wings and fly You're my heart I'll be right here Oh.
Hawk is sick.
- Stomach virus.
- Oh, no.
He must be devastated.
This will be the first break fast without him.
And without Steve.
And without Daddy.
Honey, I know how hard it is when things change.
Hey.
What's going on? Can I got to my room? But you love break fast.
Are you not feeling well? Dad.
Was she all right today? Yeah, we had a fun time at the park, right, kiddo? We played a lot at the park.
Maybe she's tired.
Are you tired? What else can I help with? Bring in the rest of the salad and we should be ready.
Everything okay? Hawk's sick.
Oh, no.
I'll call over to the center, get someone to look in on him.
I'll wait until you're ready to tell me.
Honey, you wanna help me light the candles? You and Cal aren't ALL: La-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la La-la-la [laughs.]
What's going on, Mom? What? You seem weird.
Doesn't she seem weird, Dad? Are you weird, babe? No.
Just hungry.
Low blood sugar.
HANK: Dinner's on the table.
Dinner.
Come on, kids, time to eat.
[knocking at door.]
Is that knocking? Joy, do you mind grabbing that? - [knocking continues.]
- Hello? I SARAH: Who is it? [tense music.]
- Hello, Sarah.
- What are you doing here, Tess? Restitution, right, Dad? Thought I'd stop by and remind you all that I still exist.
Well, isn't anyone gonna say hello? Hello, Tessa.
Hello, Cal.
Who is she? Tessa.
Wow, Russel.
You know my name.
You got old.
It's really not a good time, Tessa.
Why don't we do this when the kids aren't around? Your ex said you'd have my back.
Eddie? Yeah, we were having coffee the other day.
SARAH: Why did you get in touch with Eddie? TESSA: He got in touch with me.
You know my dad? NICOLE: Hey, come on upstairs, Summer.
Let's let's all go upstairs.
Come on.
What did Eddie want with you? I don't know.
Guess he's sad and mad 'cause he's not used to how fucked up this whole situation is.
Why don't we step outside, Tessa? I'm sorry, Cal.
Are you part of this family now? Because I'm trying to talk to my family.
- Hello, Mom.
- Hey, let me walk you - Leave me alone.
- You're worse than all of them.
Mom, please, look at me.
Look at me, Mom.
Look at me.
I need you to go.
Now.
Please.
We can talk later privately.
And I would like that very much, to talk to you, but this is not the way to do it.
Do they know you were gonna come with me? Did they? Did you guys all know your great Guardian of the Light had her fucking bags packed? Did you? I waited for you in Grand Central for three hours, but you didn't come.
I was a kid.
Do you know the things I had to do to get by? - Look at me, do you? - I was a kid.
But I did them.
I did them, and I got out.
And I have a great life now.
I have a great life.
Do you hear me? I have a great life.
Your ex said if we forced you to see us, you would.
He was wrong.
He was wrong.
[door slams.]
[somber music.]
NICOLE: I wonder what my parents would do if I walked into their house.
You okay, Mom? - Gab - No.
How long? How long what? 15 years.
I I need to be alone.
What? What's going on? What's 15 years? Dad, what's 15 years? God, Russel.
He's been seeing your sister for 15 years.
She's my daughter.
Let's get the kids.
Go home.
You'd do the same if one of yours took off.
Maybe.
But I wouldn't lie about it.
Come on, let's go! CHILDREN: I don't wanna go! RUSSEL: Well, too bad.
Get in the car! [solemn music.]
I love you.
You had your bags packed? I was a kid.
And I wanted to be free.
We would stay up all night planning our escape.
But I couldn't do it.
And then as I got older, I was grateful I stayed.
I started to believe that The Light saved me from walking out of my life.
I just don't understand why Eddie would do this.
He's angry.
He's acting viciously.
He was probably hoping Hawk would be here and Hawk would find out that you tried to leave the same age that he was when he tried to leave.
You know, I deserve what just happened in there.
- No - No, I deserve it.
No, no, you don't, Sarah.
Marshall Small died.
From Clarksville? I'm so sorry to hear that.
And there's nothing.
There's no action that I can take to make things right.
Mm.
You will find a way to do something for Marshal, you will.
But as long as you hold on to guilt about Eddie, you'll never be free to live the life, to have the love that you deserve.
I need to put Summer to bed.
Relinquish it tomorrow, Sarah.
I-I don't want to be your sin.
[Case Studies' "Dagger".]
MAN: Last night I tried to find my demon He was gone My hand stretched out to hold him And he slipped right through my fingers Never in my life I've been living a double life for too long.
It's exhausting.
You start to lose sight of everything.
Who you are, what you want.
And now that they're blackmailing me, making it worse, I think this is the moment that you blow it up, and come clean.
We'd lose everything.
Everyone.
Not necessarily.
You know, maybe we can get the Feds to cut us a deal, help us keep it quiet.
I don't know.
Well, you have to decide for yourself.
But me, I'm not about to start letting these people control me, judge me, tell me how to live my life.
I'm putting a stop to these motherfuckers who promised me I could unburden without any repercussions.
[tense music.]
[distant dog barking.]
Hey, you know the woman who gave you "The Wizard of Oz" book? She wasn't a friend of my mom's from college.
Who was she? She's a counselor.
My parents, they hired her to get me back home.
And you knew who she was when you asked me to go to the baby shower? You lied to me.
Why? Because I'm thinking of going home.
And I want you to come with me.
Look, just talk to Wendy one more time, okay? She can help you see.
We can have a life somewhere else, a life we make together.
And if I don't wanna go, will you go without me? The only thing that's keeping me here is you.
[traffic and commotion.]
ASHLEY: You asked why I broke up with you? I know things were difficult with your family and everything.
[commotion continues.]
Yeah, but it was more than that.
Cal offered us a house if I broke up with you.
What? My family needed it.
And I [sighs.]
I couldn't I wish I had the strength to say no to him, but That doesn't make any sense.
Why would Cal do that? Because he didn't want to lose you.
He and your mom.
He's not the amazing man that you think he is.
Your dad, he would have never done that to you, Hawk.
You don't know a fucking thing about my dad or Cal or any of it.
I have hated myself for what I did to you.
- And I'm telling you now - You should have told me then.
Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry.
- This is this is - Look, I really, really wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how.
Great.
[Ari Hest's "Set in Stone".]
ASHLEY: Hawk.
Hawk! HEST: Stranded by this Open window All my debts unfold [knocking at door.]
- Sarah.
- SARAH: Why? Are you trying to hurt me? My family? - Sarah.
- Tessa.
She comes over to the house.
Summer is there, and she's shouting at me.
She's shouting at my mother.
I didn't know she was gonna do that.
Why are you even talking to her? Look, I can talk to people, Sarah.
I can reach out.
This is my experience too.
I'm just trying to figure things out.
No, no.
But you made it about us.
You made it about hurting my mother, my dad, my brother.
- That, I apologize - No, and you hurt me.
Will you let me go, please? You have to let me go.
- I can't do that.
- You have to.
HEST: As I let them go Water cries from my soul Sarah.
HEST: Stripping me down to the bone Stripping me down to the bone Stripping me down to the bone [tense music.]
EDDIE: I am not a leader.
- RICHARD: Eddie.
- No, I fucked up.
Okay? I hurt people.
You can't mend a 20-year practice on a whim.
It wasn't a whim, Felicia.
Faith requires sacrifice.
Steve knew that.
He knew we must let go of those who didn't stand with us.
Otherwise the temptation was too great.
Well, I can't be a part of that, all right? - I won't.
- Maybe it could be changed.
But it has to be done carefully, once you're ensconced as The Guardian and the people feel safe.
Look, I am not cut out for this, Richard.
I don't want the responsibility of other people's lives.
I can barely deal with my own, okay? I don't want to bring any more pain.
But you have to replace her.
Sarah is not the rightful Guardian.
I won't do that.
I can't.
We can't lose him! It's not for us to choose.
It's for The Light.
If he's meant to be the one, then he will be it.
[upbeat music.]
For all those who aspire To climb up even higher From the muck of desire Look to the Eye of Meyer For those that don't break even When they heard the word of Steven From the saints down to the heathens With every breath he's breathing To take shelter from the wrath For unto you he hath Already done the math And put you on the path There's a serpent and an adder There's a wind that fails to scatter All the things that make up matter It's high up on the ladder And he reaches up a hand Each rung reveals a plan To the only one who can Seal up the fate of man And his hands they don't burn As he climbs from stem from stern And the truth for which we earn He'll come back to return So take shelter 'neath the lath For unto you he hath Already done the math And you put on the path CAL: On the final day of Restitution, we relinquish.
We relinquish.
We cleanse our Transgress so we can burn the sins of last year.
So we can go into the fall free of our ill actions.
[light music.]
Hey.
You leaving? Oh, I'll be back soon.
I, uh I need more than this for my restitution.
I'll talk to her.
The counselor.
Hey.
How you feeling? Better? I wasn't sick.
What's going on? I willingly missed Restitution.
I need to cleanse.
DON: Let's blow it up.
End this charade.
I want to see her.
Our daughter.
I want to see her.
[dark music.]
[breathing deeply.]
[Amen Dunes' "Baba Yaga".]
[exhales.]
MAN: You stay dumb, won't you save it on my heart You say that I'm negative But you know it's all made up You know that a song is a sign Let it be soft Thank God that I find To think at all You know that I I lie Forgive me.
MAN: You know that I I lie With high girls in motion They're light And they're bright SARAH: "I relinquish my guilt for being with Cal.
" "Everything else I've done that is horrible this year, I'll hold onto.
" MAN: Eager in my den [shouting.]
All of them.
The donors.
What do you want? I've done enough.
They blackmailed you too, didn't they? SARAH: Your mom, she passed.
They said she went peacefully.
I married your sister, Sarah.
Don't you wanna just scream in your family's face, "I exist"? Of course I do, but you can't change other people.
I'm doing 8R.
I'm climbing the rungs with Richard and Felicia.
- Hi.
- Ashley, hi.
- ASHLEY: How's Hawk? - RUSSEL: He's living in the city.
Everything I said up there was about you.
[tense music.]
[suspenseful music.]
[laid-back music.]
[elevator dings.]
Excuse me.
Are you serving breakfast yet? It's just that I'm starving.
Not until 6:00.
Do you know what, hon? They're setting up the buffet.
Why don't you help yourself to something off there? Oh, that's great.
Thank you.
Marshall.
What are you doing here? Hey, this is a funny coincidence.
I deliver meat to this place.
But your meat is Poisoned? I'm sorry we couldn't help you.
At sundown, we start our three-day process of Restitution and you'll be in my prayers.
Little late for that now.
Be sure and try the bacon.
I don't eat meat.
Well, but it's my meat.
It'd mean a lot to me if you did.
I suppose if I try it, I can atone for it later.
You keep my secret, I'll keep yours.
[laughs.]
Mm.
Mm.
[choking.]
[coughing.]
[dark music.]
[coughing.]
[gasps.]
[mellow guitar music.]
ABE: Sarah Lane outright blackmailed at least 15 current and former Meyerists.
Now each one of these people that wrote a check are hiding a secret.
They have that secret on tape.
If I can get a few of them to come forward, we can shut this whole thing down.
This is great.
Yeah.
What? A bunch of immoral, reprehensible people get to walk away scot-free.
Secrets intact.
Must be hard.
Be undercover like you are.
Probably lose track of up from down.
You just hope you're fighting the good fight.
PENETTI: Putting Sarah Lane behind bars so she can't take advantage of people's trust? Sounds like a good fight to me.
[tense music.]
[traffic.]
That's so cool.
You're at NYU.
Yeah, I mean, it's just a summer writing program.
Still.
I have to work, like, four jobs for it, but But next year, you'll get in for real, though, right? Yeah, if I get a boatload of financial aid.
You'll get it.
So that girl from the bus last night is she your girlfriend? No, no, she's just a friend.
Do you have a boyfriend? Nope.
Did you tell her who I am? [laughs.]
How did you find me? Um, your dad came into the diner where I work and I asked where you were.
What was he doing there? Just having coffee.
I haven't talked to him in a while.
Yeah, he said that.
What else did he say? Just that he misses you.
Um I don't have a lot of time today, but would you wanna get breakfast with me or something? Yeah, I'd love to.
It's a cute place.
[chuckles.]
I don't know about that.
For a guy who just got out of a cult.
[laughs.]
Well, thank you, then, I guess.
So my dad thinks you're some kind of messiah now.
[laughs.]
Uh You know, crazy people get what they think is stigmata.
It's totally psychosomatic.
I mean, when I was growing up in The Movement, people left their bodies, they had all sorts of other religious experiences.
Even I did, but obviously, it wasn't real.
No.
I don't know what happened to my back.
You know, it could have just been the wound.
I don't know.
You know, I've been thinking a lot about what you were saying, and I think it's outrageous that no one in my family has looked at me except for my dad in over 20 years.
- It is.
- I don't how can you reject your kids like that? I don't know, but imagine if 20 of us, ten of us, even, walk onto that compound and say, we exist, we are not invisible, we did not disappear.
We are living, breathing human beings with all the pain they have caused to their sons, daughters, mothers - Ex-husbands.
- Yes, ex-husbands.
But at least with me, Sarah was willing to let me see the kids after I left.
You know, she will have our back once we force the change.
You can't.
You can't force the change.
Sarah can.
She's co-Guardian of The Light.
What? Really? Sarah? Yeah, Sarah's the most devout person that I know.
Really? Yes, and she will be the best thing that has happened to The Movement once she gets out from under Cal's influence.
Wow, Mom must love that.
Her own daughter.
They don't know anything, you know.
No one in my family has a clue how two-faced they all are.
- Tessa, slow down - You know, you're right.
I'm gonna go in there.
I should go in there.
And I should force them to look at the pain and the hurt and the suffering.
I should force them to take a look at themselves.
Guardian of the fucking Light! You're right, you're right, you're right.
- But this needs to be done right.
- No.
We need to find others.
We are more powerful as a group because this is about all of us, the future of Meyerism.
We need more time.
Fuck time.
Okay? [solemn music.]
[sighs.]
Fuck me.
Sarah? SARAH: I'll be right there.
We were amazing last night.
On stage, I mean.
[chuckles.]
But the audience liked us, I think.
I felt the doors opening.
The people that will be drawn to us as we leave some of the more religious aspects of Meyerism behind, focus more on individual growth.
[door creaks.]
Hey.
How are you? Tired.
[both chuckle.]
CAL: Sarah.
I feel good about this.
Us.
We should go.
[mellow music.]
It's so god to have her back.
It sure is.
Okay, Mom, please stop petting me.
- Ha.
- I missed you.
I'm allowed to miss you.
Hey, kiddo! Oh! How'd it go? It was good.
- Mm-hmm? - Mm-hmm.
Mommy! I missed you.
- Oh! - How was the conference? - Great.
- Did they like you guys? How could they not? Your mom is an inspiration.
- I want details.
- I'll tell you later.
- Where's your brother? - I don't know.
Hey, Noa, where's Hawk? He said he had to do something in the city.
He'll be here by sundown.
I painted this for you.
- Oh! - For your Transgress.
Beautiful.
Thank you.
- Can you paint mine? - Yeah.
Me too.
I hear the two of you were on fire at the Faith Conference.
- It was okay.
- Oh, it was more than okay.
I think the audience really responded.
Well, that's good to hear.
We need to get our message out there.
How lovely.
Summer painted it.
She's very talented.
CAL: Yeah.
[sniffs.]
Mm.
Fresh pine.
It's too bad we burn them.
[tense music.]
WENDY: No one owns you.
You own you.
I know.
I know.
Are you allowed to talk to people on the outside? Yeah, of course.
We talk to people on the outside all the time.
So they wouldn't have a problem that your mom is in town visiting? A lot of Meyerists choose to cut off from their families, okay? I have not chosen to do that.
- So why are you so worried? - I'm not.
WENDY: You keep looking out the window.
Yeah, 'cause we're talking about me leaving.
Are you not allowed to leave? I can do whatever I want.
Is that so? Yeah, I'm concerned about Mary, okay? She doesn't know I'm talking about all this.
KAREN: Your dad and I want both of you to come home.
We'll help in every way we can to take care of Mary and our grandchild.
Yes, but this is about you, Sean.
What you want.
You can't make another person do something.
Same way that the Meyerists can't make you stay.
No one has that power over another human being.
Can you find a way to get Mary to sit down with Wendy this afternoon? No, we have to be at the compound by sundown.
Why? What will happen if you're not there by sundown? [laughs softly.]
[solemn music.]
ASHLEY: So then when he's about to take the poison that transforms him into a beast, she breaks up with him.
Why? So he doesn't have to live as a beast.
She knows that being a beast sucks and he'd probably be happier living in the world he was born into, in the human world.
That's sad.
Well, yeah, the assignment was to write a tragedy.
It's kind of like the story of us.
Except you're not a beast.
You kinda saw me as one.
And you didn't break up with me to save me from the wild world of beastdom.
- No.
- Why did you? I don't know.
Things were really hard.
God, this view is incredible.
[sighs.]
Restitution! Um, I God, this always happens when I'm with you.
- What? - I lose track of time.
I'm supposed to be at the compound by sundown.
- I-I have to go.
- I mean, you're not gonna make it now.
Wait, am I gonna see you again? [sighs.]
You know what? I just watched my mom on stage at the World Faith Conference say all these things about self-love, and they had nothing to do with Meyerism.
Okay I don't know what that means.
Wait, are you sure? Yeah.
SARAH: The most important three days of our calendar year.
CAL: We reflect, we re-act, and we relinquish.
Cleansing our spirits and our consciences for the contemplative months of fall and winter ahead.
As we go into the dark of night, we meditate on our Transgressions.
CAL: We locate our transgressive actions for the past year that haunt us.
FELICIA: We locate those we have hurt.
We leave these vessels, our bodies, and take the vessel of the one we have caused pain.
We live in the pain that we have inflicted.
We suffer as the sufferer does.
My family.
Yes.
With my doubt.
Yes.
Take that on.
[poignant music.]
[crying.]
[sniffles.]
Rest.
Tomorrow we act.
[The Blind Boys of Alabama's "Amazing Grace".]
Mrs.
Small, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this.
It's all right.
I tried to reach Marshall on the phone.
There was a service message.
It was disconnected.
He passed.
Two weeks ago.
Felt like he was sick forever, but then, when it came It came so quick.
MAN: Amazing grace How sweet the sound That saved a wretch Like me I once was lost Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr.
Roberts.
MAN: But now am found Was blind First, please allow me to express my deepest condolences for the loss of your mother.
Unfortunately, the state requires us to fill out certain forms.
I'll need your signature in those places and I'll need to see a form of ID.
Driver's license is fine.
It's purely a formality.
Thank you, sir.
MAN: Was grace That taught My heart to fear Grace My fears relieved How precious Did that grace Grace appear The hour I first believed Daddy! Hey, kiddo! Oh! Oh, wow, you're so big.
- I lost two molars.
- What? - I swallowed one of them.
- Let me see.
Oh, wow, that is disgusting.
[laughs.]
- I hope you didn't look for it.
- I didn't.
EDDIE: Hey.
Want to talk to you, Summer.
Just wanna say that I'm sorry.
For not being there every morning, every night, every tooth.
I want you know that I think about you all the time.
What do you think about? How much I miss you.
How much I love you.
Fiercely and forever? [laughs softly.]
Fiercely and forever.
Mm.
When are we gonna be a family again? I don't know.
I don't know.
HAWK: How's your roommate? She's not gonna walk in on us, is she? ASHLEY: No, she's never here.
Parents have some big apartment and she always goes to the Hamptons.
[chuckles.]
Why does she have all those dolls? Um, she's a puppetry major.
[laughs.]
Everybody here is so rich.
God, this city.
Not the part I see.
Yeah, but you're, like, a saint, right? We just see so much need everywhere.
In my 2R work, just the lack of access to just basic Wait, 2R? Yeah, I'm climbing the second rung.
Cal's my guide.
Oh.
You know, you kinda look like him now.
Is that part of it? Was it your initiation or something? No.
I just I was ready for a change.
Do you miss it? Your hair? No.
I like it.
I can see you better.
How mad do you think your mom would be right now I-I don't Sorry, I don't wanna talk about my mom right now.
- Sorry.
- [laughs.]
It's just she's not in charge of me anymore.
Yeah, but Cal is.
[mellow guitar music.]
We should go explore the city together or something.
HAWK: Yeah.
ALL: La-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la [text message whooshes.]
You're my heart Baby, spread your wings and fly You're my heart I'll be right here Oh.
Hawk is sick.
- Stomach virus.
- Oh, no.
He must be devastated.
This will be the first break fast without him.
And without Steve.
And without Daddy.
Honey, I know how hard it is when things change.
Hey.
What's going on? Can I got to my room? But you love break fast.
Are you not feeling well? Dad.
Was she all right today? Yeah, we had a fun time at the park, right, kiddo? We played a lot at the park.
Maybe she's tired.
Are you tired? What else can I help with? Bring in the rest of the salad and we should be ready.
Everything okay? Hawk's sick.
Oh, no.
I'll call over to the center, get someone to look in on him.
I'll wait until you're ready to tell me.
Honey, you wanna help me light the candles? You and Cal aren't ALL: La-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la La-la-la [laughs.]
What's going on, Mom? What? You seem weird.
Doesn't she seem weird, Dad? Are you weird, babe? No.
Just hungry.
Low blood sugar.
HANK: Dinner's on the table.
Dinner.
Come on, kids, time to eat.
[knocking at door.]
Is that knocking? Joy, do you mind grabbing that? - [knocking continues.]
- Hello? I SARAH: Who is it? [tense music.]
- Hello, Sarah.
- What are you doing here, Tess? Restitution, right, Dad? Thought I'd stop by and remind you all that I still exist.
Well, isn't anyone gonna say hello? Hello, Tessa.
Hello, Cal.
Who is she? Tessa.
Wow, Russel.
You know my name.
You got old.
It's really not a good time, Tessa.
Why don't we do this when the kids aren't around? Your ex said you'd have my back.
Eddie? Yeah, we were having coffee the other day.
SARAH: Why did you get in touch with Eddie? TESSA: He got in touch with me.
You know my dad? NICOLE: Hey, come on upstairs, Summer.
Let's let's all go upstairs.
Come on.
What did Eddie want with you? I don't know.
Guess he's sad and mad 'cause he's not used to how fucked up this whole situation is.
Why don't we step outside, Tessa? I'm sorry, Cal.
Are you part of this family now? Because I'm trying to talk to my family.
- Hello, Mom.
- Hey, let me walk you - Leave me alone.
- You're worse than all of them.
Mom, please, look at me.
Look at me, Mom.
Look at me.
I need you to go.
Now.
Please.
We can talk later privately.
And I would like that very much, to talk to you, but this is not the way to do it.
Do they know you were gonna come with me? Did they? Did you guys all know your great Guardian of the Light had her fucking bags packed? Did you? I waited for you in Grand Central for three hours, but you didn't come.
I was a kid.
Do you know the things I had to do to get by? - Look at me, do you? - I was a kid.
But I did them.
I did them, and I got out.
And I have a great life now.
I have a great life.
Do you hear me? I have a great life.
Your ex said if we forced you to see us, you would.
He was wrong.
He was wrong.
[door slams.]
[somber music.]
NICOLE: I wonder what my parents would do if I walked into their house.
You okay, Mom? - Gab - No.
How long? How long what? 15 years.
I I need to be alone.
What? What's going on? What's 15 years? Dad, what's 15 years? God, Russel.
He's been seeing your sister for 15 years.
She's my daughter.
Let's get the kids.
Go home.
You'd do the same if one of yours took off.
Maybe.
But I wouldn't lie about it.
Come on, let's go! CHILDREN: I don't wanna go! RUSSEL: Well, too bad.
Get in the car! [solemn music.]
I love you.
You had your bags packed? I was a kid.
And I wanted to be free.
We would stay up all night planning our escape.
But I couldn't do it.
And then as I got older, I was grateful I stayed.
I started to believe that The Light saved me from walking out of my life.
I just don't understand why Eddie would do this.
He's angry.
He's acting viciously.
He was probably hoping Hawk would be here and Hawk would find out that you tried to leave the same age that he was when he tried to leave.
You know, I deserve what just happened in there.
- No - No, I deserve it.
No, no, you don't, Sarah.
Marshall Small died.
From Clarksville? I'm so sorry to hear that.
And there's nothing.
There's no action that I can take to make things right.
Mm.
You will find a way to do something for Marshal, you will.
But as long as you hold on to guilt about Eddie, you'll never be free to live the life, to have the love that you deserve.
I need to put Summer to bed.
Relinquish it tomorrow, Sarah.
I-I don't want to be your sin.
[Case Studies' "Dagger".]
MAN: Last night I tried to find my demon He was gone My hand stretched out to hold him And he slipped right through my fingers Never in my life I've been living a double life for too long.
It's exhausting.
You start to lose sight of everything.
Who you are, what you want.
And now that they're blackmailing me, making it worse, I think this is the moment that you blow it up, and come clean.
We'd lose everything.
Everyone.
Not necessarily.
You know, maybe we can get the Feds to cut us a deal, help us keep it quiet.
I don't know.
Well, you have to decide for yourself.
But me, I'm not about to start letting these people control me, judge me, tell me how to live my life.
I'm putting a stop to these motherfuckers who promised me I could unburden without any repercussions.
[tense music.]
[distant dog barking.]
Hey, you know the woman who gave you "The Wizard of Oz" book? She wasn't a friend of my mom's from college.
Who was she? She's a counselor.
My parents, they hired her to get me back home.
And you knew who she was when you asked me to go to the baby shower? You lied to me.
Why? Because I'm thinking of going home.
And I want you to come with me.
Look, just talk to Wendy one more time, okay? She can help you see.
We can have a life somewhere else, a life we make together.
And if I don't wanna go, will you go without me? The only thing that's keeping me here is you.
[traffic and commotion.]
ASHLEY: You asked why I broke up with you? I know things were difficult with your family and everything.
[commotion continues.]
Yeah, but it was more than that.
Cal offered us a house if I broke up with you.
What? My family needed it.
And I [sighs.]
I couldn't I wish I had the strength to say no to him, but That doesn't make any sense.
Why would Cal do that? Because he didn't want to lose you.
He and your mom.
He's not the amazing man that you think he is.
Your dad, he would have never done that to you, Hawk.
You don't know a fucking thing about my dad or Cal or any of it.
I have hated myself for what I did to you.
- And I'm telling you now - You should have told me then.
Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry.
- This is this is - Look, I really, really wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how.
Great.
[Ari Hest's "Set in Stone".]
ASHLEY: Hawk.
Hawk! HEST: Stranded by this Open window All my debts unfold [knocking at door.]
- Sarah.
- SARAH: Why? Are you trying to hurt me? My family? - Sarah.
- Tessa.
She comes over to the house.
Summer is there, and she's shouting at me.
She's shouting at my mother.
I didn't know she was gonna do that.
Why are you even talking to her? Look, I can talk to people, Sarah.
I can reach out.
This is my experience too.
I'm just trying to figure things out.
No, no.
But you made it about us.
You made it about hurting my mother, my dad, my brother.
- That, I apologize - No, and you hurt me.
Will you let me go, please? You have to let me go.
- I can't do that.
- You have to.
HEST: As I let them go Water cries from my soul Sarah.
HEST: Stripping me down to the bone Stripping me down to the bone Stripping me down to the bone [tense music.]
EDDIE: I am not a leader.
- RICHARD: Eddie.
- No, I fucked up.
Okay? I hurt people.
You can't mend a 20-year practice on a whim.
It wasn't a whim, Felicia.
Faith requires sacrifice.
Steve knew that.
He knew we must let go of those who didn't stand with us.
Otherwise the temptation was too great.
Well, I can't be a part of that, all right? - I won't.
- Maybe it could be changed.
But it has to be done carefully, once you're ensconced as The Guardian and the people feel safe.
Look, I am not cut out for this, Richard.
I don't want the responsibility of other people's lives.
I can barely deal with my own, okay? I don't want to bring any more pain.
But you have to replace her.
Sarah is not the rightful Guardian.
I won't do that.
I can't.
We can't lose him! It's not for us to choose.
It's for The Light.
If he's meant to be the one, then he will be it.
[upbeat music.]
For all those who aspire To climb up even higher From the muck of desire Look to the Eye of Meyer For those that don't break even When they heard the word of Steven From the saints down to the heathens With every breath he's breathing To take shelter from the wrath For unto you he hath Already done the math And put you on the path There's a serpent and an adder There's a wind that fails to scatter All the things that make up matter It's high up on the ladder And he reaches up a hand Each rung reveals a plan To the only one who can Seal up the fate of man And his hands they don't burn As he climbs from stem from stern And the truth for which we earn He'll come back to return So take shelter 'neath the lath For unto you he hath Already done the math And you put on the path CAL: On the final day of Restitution, we relinquish.
We relinquish.
We cleanse our Transgress so we can burn the sins of last year.
So we can go into the fall free of our ill actions.
[light music.]
Hey.
You leaving? Oh, I'll be back soon.
I, uh I need more than this for my restitution.
I'll talk to her.
The counselor.
Hey.
How you feeling? Better? I wasn't sick.
What's going on? I willingly missed Restitution.
I need to cleanse.
DON: Let's blow it up.
End this charade.
I want to see her.
Our daughter.
I want to see her.
[dark music.]
[breathing deeply.]
[Amen Dunes' "Baba Yaga".]
[exhales.]
MAN: You stay dumb, won't you save it on my heart You say that I'm negative But you know it's all made up You know that a song is a sign Let it be soft Thank God that I find To think at all You know that I I lie Forgive me.
MAN: You know that I I lie With high girls in motion They're light And they're bright SARAH: "I relinquish my guilt for being with Cal.
" "Everything else I've done that is horrible this year, I'll hold onto.
" MAN: Eager in my den [shouting.]