All language subtitles for Strife.2023.S02E07.1080p.WEBRip.x265-PGW

I'm just wondering
if my whole life's

been a series of mistakes.

You only have enough cash flow
for the next three months.

- I'm not good at maths.
- No shit.

The only real relationship
I've ever had is ruined.

I undersold myself,
in the settlement.

If I was to help, I would need
a stake in the business.

I'm just trying
to change things,

and make us better.

A tiny bit closer.

[George] Surrender, and submit.

You know, Simon's an osteopath.

Yeah, I know.
I'm not interested.

I could have
a look at your neck.

I'm guessing it's
all coming from your hips.

[Evelyn] I don't know
how to do it.

Do what?

Be a woman.

[electrical humming]

Pen? Penny!
Can you hear me?

Help me, it's not working.

Just talk.

- What about?
- Your thoughts.

No one wants to hear them.

I don't know.
This was your idea.

[Evelyn] No, I just can't do it.

I should just stay in
my office and write,

by myself.

Okay...

Anyway, it's time
for the morning meeting.

Hop to! You're late, again!

[Paul] These tech bros
treat this like a rumpus room.

This is disgusting! Helen,
we need to get rid of them.

- Morning.
- [Paul] Hey, Ev.

- [Paul] Ah, I'm sorry.
- [Opal] I love these ones!

C'est bon!
This is a fancy patisserie.

[Evelyn] So...

We have a new investor.

[all exclaiming joyfully]

It's not as much
as I was hoping for

but they're willing to
provide private equity

without day-to-day involvement.

Who are they?

They are a business associate.

A person people
have associated with.

Anyway, the additional funds -

I want to set ambitious targets,

and expand on the podcasting.

I mean, how do we
build a new audience?

Well, I've got some ideas.

And how can we monetise it?

Well, we need an actual studio,

or I'm moving into
your office with you.

Or paying off our bills.

Helen, do you have to be
such an accountant?

Have a drink.
[knocking on door]

You guys done?
We need the boardroom back.

So, Champ, I don't remember
the boardroom

being part of
your rental agreement.

[Penny] That's the face
of over-invovled parenting.

The thing about Liam though,
is he's very pretty.

He might be a hunk,
but he's got a rotten spirit.

Get rid of them.
We've got an investor.

Helen, they don't pay rent,
so...

Yeah, the Acqua di Gio
is giving me migraines.

I thought you liked them.

[Penny] Yeah, we like them
in the same way

you like Sweet Jane.

Speaking of, what are we
going to do about her?

Nothing.
She's good for traffic.

- [Paul] She? Definitely a man.
- Yeah, agreed.

A very masculine energy.

[Opal] We've also got
'Tart' stirring the pot.

Their latest - "Is 'Eve Life'
dumbing down women?"

They called out Jeet.

Oh no. Oh, she's going
to do that thing

where she smiles too much
when she's upset.

Uh, where is she?

Late, again.

[Paul] Sorry,
creepy courier alert.

Oh, that's not a creepy courier.

That's our investor.

- [Helen] Him?
- Mm-hm.

Oh, Evelyn, he doesn't
look like he has any money.

He's wearing a tracksuit pants.

[Penny] Yeah, he looks
pretty gormless, Ev.

Are you sure he knows
anything about publishing?

[Paul] Or anything
about sisterhood?

- He has a stupid face.
- I think he's cute.

Sorry to interrupt,
but we really need to go.

Alex is at Viv's and Addy
forgot her science book,

so we have to swing by school.

Should we take your car?

Oh, this is also my ex-husband.

[Evelyn laughs]
Did I mention that? No?

- No.
- Paul, you're in charge.

Clean up the mess.

Bye.

[Evelyn] Thanks for dressing up.

Did you just come
from the gym, or...?

[Evelyn] Look at them.
Why did he stay overnight?

- [Jon] Why do you think?
- [Alex] See ya.

Shit.

- Hello, mate.
- Hey.

I didn't really mean
what I said about her family.

I mean, who am I to...

[Alex] No, we're not back
together, Mum.

Oh, why'd you sleep over?

It was nothing.

[Evelyn] Well, it doesn't
look like nothing.

Last week she destroyed
your primary school photo.

That was my only copy.

I didn't raise you to
treat women like this.

You're leading her on.

You should start thinking
with your head, not your...

- Evelyn, please.
- Mum! Come on.

Alright, let's go.

Go, quick, her mum's coming out!

[Evelyn] Her attention
was more on herself.

[Sylvie] Yeah, and she
set a poor example.

And you need to be
mindful of that

now that Alex
is in a relationship.

- Um, they broke up.
- Oh!

- I'll tell you later.
- Well, how's Addy?

Addy! Yeah well,
I don't know. I...

Ah, anyway, Sylvie,
I've got to go.

- I'm driving.
- Okay, alright.

- Okay. Bye. Bye.
- Bye.

So who's next?
Your accountant?

Sorry, I couldn't cancel.

She charges like a wounded bull.

- Oh.
- [Evelyn sighs]

Do you think Addy's had
her first sexual experience?

Oh, God.

Can you please
just ease me gently

into a question like that
next time?

Not with a boy. With a girl.

Is this about her
wanting to change schools?

She does?

Can't blame her.

You are dating the librarian.

That's got nothing
to do with it, alright?

She just doesn't want to go to a
private all-girls school anymore.

I think she's gay,

and I'm pleased about that.
It's much safer.

If she wants to change schools,
I'll support her.

Me, too. I guess.

[turns radio up]

["Sometimes Always" by
The Jesus and Mary Chain]

♪ I won't get on my knees ♪

♪ Don't make me
do that please ♪

♪ I went away
but now I'm back ♪

♪ Don't be too sure of that ♪

♪ What makes you
sure of that? ♪

♪ You went away
You can't come back ♪

- [instrumental interlude]
- [both humming along]

- [Alex] Please, stop!
- [Evelyn laughs]

[guide] We'll head into
the Reed Building

where your first-year
lectures will be.

[Jon] I got drunk right there
for the first time.

Over there, I shot
a short film. New wave.

Fancy way of saying no budget.

Oh, Cameron Wiles vomited
on that shrub there,

just after professing
his love for me.

So much happened on that lawn.

I don't need to know
any of this, alright?

["Mr. Milk" by You Am I
playing]

Feel free to sign up to a club.

It's a great way
to meet students

who have similar interests.

Communists, vegans,
even metalheads.

Also, there's a special tour
for mature-aged students.

A lot less walking involved.

Oh, we're not
mature-aged students.

We're well-aged alumni.

[guide laughs]

Just try and broaden your mind.

Anything but
the Young Socialists.

[mobile phone ringing]

Hi, Paul.

- Yeah, a few hiccups.
- What's going on?

'Tart' posted
something delightful.

Quick, quick, I'm at uni.

"Is Sweet Jane the troll
we didn't know we needed?"

- [Guy] Sounds like
they know who she is.

- Really?

[Paul] We have to turn
the comments off.

[Guy] Or I moderate.
Or trace her.

- That would be so easy for me.
- Oh, would it, Guy?

So why can't you connect
my laptop to the printer?

I don't know.
Printers are tricky.

Just don't do anything
'til I get back.

Also, I think
Jeet's going to retire.

- Resign.
- [Evelyn] Retire?

Resign. I think Jeet's
going to resign.

Jesus, Paul, I've been
gone for three hours.

[Evelyn scoffs]

[professor] So, in a way,
Heraclitus is the granddaddy

of Greek philosophy in general,

and of, I guess,
what becomes determinism.

He's pre-Socratic, therefore,
character is destiny,

and destiny is not predetermined

and it's not bestowed upon us
by some outside force.

Rather, destiny is determined
by your inner character.

Like Plato, Heraclitus
believed that everything

about our destiny,
everything about our future,

results from the choices
that you make.

Nothing is fixed.
Everything is in constant flux.

Nothing is permanent.

Now, at the other end of the
spectrum, we have Parmenides.

Parmenides.
P-A-R-M-E-N-I-D-E-S.

Parmenides is the bloke
who asserted

that the one true
statement is...

Anyone do the reading?

"It is."

Right, now, if I say that
this is a stool,

what I'm actually asserting
is that it is not a table.

-This stool exists,
-[stool bangs]

and it cannot also
not exist as it is not,

because that is what we call
a philosophical contradict...

[mobile phone rings]

[students whispering
and snickering]

I kind of wish that mobile
phones did not exist.

- Hello?
- Hello.

[professor] Hi. Say hello.

How long have you been here?

Oh, wow. What a question.

Ha, ha, ha, ha.

I mean, how long
have you been sitting in

on my riveting,
stool-based lecture?

No, no, no,
I was just walking by,

and I love all that
Parmenides "it is" stuff.

Oh thanks.
That's very flattering.

And, and out of interest,

do you think that it is
ethical to gate crash

a lecture where everyone else
is a full-fee paying student?

Don't they get Austudy
or something?

Austudy?
These guys are about 12.

- What are you, 12?
- [students laughing]

Austudy is for over 25s.

You could probably scrape into
Austudy - at a pinch.

- [Evelyn laughs] - Not that I'm
making any assumptions about your age.

Yeah, can, do I have to leave?

I think we can probably briefly
pretend that you "is not."

So, Parmenides,
easy to remember,

because Parmenides
is permanent...

[engine rumbling]
[tyres crunching]

So what do you think, darling?

I like it, Mum, but,
I just don't think...

Well, if you don't like
the idea of dorms,

you can always live
off-campus, like I did.

But on-campus is better for
making friends in first year.

[Evelyn scoffs]

Name two friends
from first year.

Whatever, huh...

Anyway, if you all
live here as students,

it's like you run the town.

It's very
"Children of the Corn."

But with a lot less murder.

It's exciting,
I agree, but I just don't...

It's perfect for you.

Because the city unis
are privilege factories.

[mobile phone ringing]

Oh, hi. How's it going?

[Ginny] Great.
But we're having sushi.

Sushi? I made a casserole.

Addy says
she has a meat allergy.

And I've been a vegetarian
from way back.

Thanks, Kym.
Can you put her on?

- Hi, Mum.
- [Evelyn] Hi, darling.

You're about as allergic to
meat as Ginny is to wine.

I heard that.

Mum, did you know that
Kym used to be a model?

[Ginny] He used to be on the
catwalk, all those years ago.

I find that hard to believe.

And he used to live on
the streets in Melbourne.

Oh, that, I can believe.

- Hey, I heard that, Evelyn.
- Hang on, don't be rude.

[Addy] He was addicted to drugs
and he lived in,

- like, a squat in St Kilda.
- Jesus.

Yeah. No, he's, um,
he's recovered now, I think.

- [Ginny and Addy laughing] -
Kym's an ex-junkie, by the way.

- Oh.

- Well, he hasn't touched
it in years, darling.

[Ginny laughing]

Good. Darling, Dad said
you want to change schools?

Yeah, Kym was telling me about

this really fancy school
in the bush.

You learn maths
and how to start a fire.

It's a humbling experience

to spend time
isolated in nature.

Humbling?
Didn't Prince Charles go there?

- I love nature.
- Since when?

Anyway, darling,
let's talk about this tomorrow.

- Alright, good night.
- [Ginny laughing]

- Bon nuit.
- Bon nuit, Mum.

'Night!

[Kym] That's "good night"
in French.

I can't work out whether
Kym's a compulsive liar,

or a gold digger.

Ginny doesn't have
any money, so...

Maybe he's just
a really good human?

I guess that's possible?

Hi.

[sniffs]
Kitchen's about to close.

Oh, it's only 7:00 PM.

Anyway, I'll have
the veggie pasta, please.

[Jon] And two chicken parmas.

[waitress] Something to drink?

[Jon] Hmm...

Hello?

Bronwyn Armstrong.

Yeah. Yeah, you look familiar.

Yeah. Communications - print.

Ah. You never finished.

No. Well, I, ah -
Evelyn Jones,

I was offered an internship
at a women's mag,

and then two years later
I became...

Any drinks?

What can you recommend
from the wine list?

Uh, I like red.

Perfect.

And a Coke.

We just took Alex to open day.

He's going to do print and also
a political science minor.

Hmm. I'll let the kitchen know.

[Alex] So, what? Addy just
wants to change schools

and you guys are like, "Cool,
you can go wherever you want,"

but I can't make my own
decisions or just like,

leave anything to fate?

Oh, no, fate doesn't exist.
I learned that today.

Listen to this.

"It's our decisions that
determine our future.

"Everything is in a constant
state of fuck." No, "Flux."

I can't read my own writing,
I need glasses.

"Nothing is permanent".

[Bronwyn] There you go.
Bon appetit.

Do you remember that gender
studies lecturer, Jane Day?

Yep. She got fired
for fondling a student.

Women don't fondle, do they?

Why not? Guy parts are
fondle-able, aren't they?

[Jon laughs]

Don't come here, mate.

If you're half-smart,
and you look half-smart,

then you'll get sucked in.

You'll stay on,
and do your honours,

and then maybe your masters

because you've lost
all sense of the outside world,

and then you'll be stuck here,
overqualified,

and doing shitty jobs
like pulling beers, phone sex,

waitressing in a dump like this.

All to pay off
your monstrous HECS debt

while your friends are
out there in the real world,

living a life.

- [Evelyn] Thanks, Bronwyn.
- Good.

Oh, also,

there's a terrible meth problem
ripping through the town.

Well, maybe we should tell Kym.

She was doing phone sex
way before we finished uni.

She was.

He's happy. He's watching
'Big Trouble in Little China'.

[Jon groans]

[Jon sighs]

This was such a magical time
for us, wasn't it?

Country air
still smells the same.

Or is that the abattoir?

All I can smell
is your cigarette,

which is definitely nostalgic.

Remember, we were just in limbo,

waiting for
the internet age to erupt.

You were always
more into it than I was.

- Uni?
- No, the internet.

We met in the computer lab.

You got me to do that
terrible film noir.

I got a high distinction
for that script.

It was well-formatted.

- I couldn't act.
- I had a crush on you.

[Evelyn scoffs]

I don't know why.

'Cause you were shiny
and I wanted some.

I'd peaked. I was plateauing,
and you were running.

You were just a baby, Jon.

You always had to
talk yourself down.

You weren't shiny

because you were doing
that whole Ethan Hawke thing.

It was sexy, just not shiny.

[Evelyn exhales]

Let's raid the mini-bar.

Yeah. You might find some
long-life milk in there.

[exhales]

Look, six-pack. Scored!
[Evelyn laughing]

And it's the full-strength
uni beer.

Students?
They'll be back, for sure.

Oh, it's ours now.
[bottles clinking]

- [beer fizzes]
- [bottle cap clatters]

I sat in that uni lecture today,

thinking about all the ways
I'd failed myself.

Uni, Fontaine... our marriage.

Sylvie thinks that I can't
sit in the discomfort.

She says that every time I feel
excluded, I exclude myself.

I get in there first.

She's right.

The Greeks were always right.

Should we have tried harder?

At uni? In our marriage?

Why would you say that?

Because I don't think
our kids know how to love.

Alex doesn't know
how to treat women.

Addy's first crush is
with a 75-year-old vagabond.

[sighs]

Everything about me
irritated you.

Uh!

No, it's true. Everything.
Like, my driving.

- Beard shavings in the sink.
- Yeah.

The way I start a story
and never finish it,

the way I talk in movies,
clear my throat.

- [Jon clears throat]
- Don't do it.

You didn't want to be with me.

You had needs I could
never satisfy. You said that.

- I didn't say it out loud.
- You said it. You texted it.

I still have the texts.

I never bought you
the right birthday present.

Oh, not the trowel again.

I thought gardening
would be good for you.

I never told you enough
how beautiful you were.

Are. How beautiful you are.

You make me sound
like a nightmare.

Oh, I don't,
I don't mean to. I...

You were right,
about all of it, okay?

You say you stopped paying
attention. Well, I did too.

And worse than that,
I took you for granted.

- [door rattles]
- [Evelyn] Were we wrong?

[Jon] Hey, I'm pissing here!
Out.

- [toilet flushing]
- Did we...

Did we break up
over a garden trowel?

Why are you doing this to me?

I just never questioned
my intuition - until today.

I've always done
everything through feeling.

I've always felt everything,

and the thing is
fate doesn't exist.

Instincts are just instincts.

Please stop, Ev.

It's not going
to last with Erika.

You know what? You're right.

Everything you've ever done
is through feelings.

Your feelings, not mine.

Just tell me... tell me we
broke up for the right reasons.

Oh my, God.
You just need to stop.

Why won't you just fucking stop?

- Just tell me.
- Stop!

Whatever reason our marriage
ended, it ended alright?

So it was right. It's over.
Okay?

How do you know?

How do I know?
How do I know?

How do you know?
How do we know?

We need to talk about...

Okay, I'll tell you how I know,

because I had an affair
when we were still married.

Alright? I slept with someone.

I fucked another woman...

because we were already broken.

[Evelyn laughs]
You are joking.

- No, I'm not.
- You don't have that in you.

You're not the type.
You, you...

- I had an affair.
- You don't have the guts.

I'm sorry.
It happened years ago.

It only happened once.
I still feel sick about it.

Ev...

I'm sorry.

- [door slams]
- Fuck.

[Jon sighs]

You remember when you
wanted us to go on date night?

And so you, you signed us up
to that local book club.

But then you never came.

It was just me and six women.

You were always working late.

She was going through a divorce.

We stayed back one night,
drank, talked about it.

Then she started messaging me,
texts and emails.

At first I didn't respond,
but it didn't matter.

She kept messaging.

She said she liked me,
said I was handsome.

It felt good. You know,
it gave me a buzz.

You know I've always had issues
around this kind of stuff.

I didn't lose my virginity
until uni, until you.

Women never went for me.

They never flirted with me.
I never felt wanted.

And, and she wanted me.

When you didn't.

[Jon sighs]
Say something.

Please?

What was the book?

I can't remember.
It doesn't matter...

[Evelyn] What was
the fucking book?

- "Open".
- What?

[Jon] "Open" by Andre Agassi.

[door thuds]

A fucking autobiography
that he didn't even write?

You know, through
that whole speech,

you just blamed everyone
but yourself.

She was persistent.
I'm too ambitious.

[Evelyn scoffs]

I worked too hard.
You felt rejected.

Okay, well, maybe I didn't want
to make the school lunches

every day while you were
working 12-hour days...

Why not?

I didn't want to book
the dental appointments

- and the violin lessons.
- Fuck off.

You know, when we
were here at uni,

I wanted to be a filmmaker.

I sacrificed my own work
to support yours.

Everything you didn't do
is your fault.

You rely on others
to do the work.

You wanted to catch me? So I
could help you? Make you shiny?

Well, you couldn't keep up.

Because you never slowed down.

You never waited for me.
You didn't need me.

When are you going to
fucking slow down?

Why are you making this
about me?

You had an affair
during our marriage!

You were leaving us anyway.

You! I was leaving you!

Not the children. You.

I loved you so much.

- Shut up!
- [shoe thuds]

[shoe thuds]

- I loved you.
- [Evelyn sobbing]

I did. I'm sorry.

I loved you so much.
[Jon sobbing]

[Evelyn sobbing]

[gentle music]

- [door knocking]
- [Alex] Mum?

[Evelyn] Hmm...

No, darling. What?

[Alex] Mum!

Oh, shit, shit, shit. Jon!

Wake up.

- Are you serious?
- Go! Quick!

What? Oh, shit. Shit, shit.

[bodies thudding]

[Alex] Ah, where's Dad?

[Evelyn] Uh, I don't know.
Gone for a run?

- [Jon] I'm in here, mate.
- Fuck!

Why's he in there?

Um, because he,

he got really sick last night

and he didn't want to throw up
in your room, so he, um...

So he came in here, and then
he vomited and fell asleep.

He fell asleep.

Why is he in his underwear?

He was having night sweats.

Must have been the chicken
parma. How are you feeling?

Do you want to vomit?

Oh, I do now. Gross, Mum.

- [birds twittering]
- [engine rumbling]

[Alex] I don't want
to go to that uni.

I want to make my own decisions.

I don't want to retread your
steps or relive your memories.

This is my life.

It's not a chance for you
to relive your stories.

Yeah, fair enough, mate.

But, I didn't get to
finish my story, Alex.

You see, I quit uni.
I never finished.

That lecturer, Jane,
the fondler, she bullied me.

I had to see a therapist.
I couldn't sleep.

I stopped eating.
I developed bulimia.

[sombre music]

She really destroyed
my confidence,

made me feel insignificant.

Picked on me
for wearing lipstick.

Said that I was part of
the problem, not the solution.

She was a real cunt.

So I left,
but I really wish I hadn't.

I wish I had stayed
and worked it out,

because ever since then,

I've been trying
to prove myself,

and that sense of self has
come through accomplishments

and external validations.

I was so scared
of making mistakes.

I really betrayed myself.

Does that make sense? Al?

Hmm? What'd you say?

Nevermind.

- [Evelyn] Bye, sweetie.
- [Alex] Bye, Mum.

[car door slams]
[birds twittering]

You know, I've been thinking,

ever since we stopped
at McDonald's,

that my career is the only thing

that I've ever had
that's truly mine.

And I'm not
willing to let that go.

So, I don't want you to invest,
I don't want your money.

I'll sign the divorce papers
and I'll lodge them.

Promise.

Soon as I can find them.

You know, I didn't know
about the bulimia.

If I had, I would've
tried to get you some help.

Held your hair back,
or something.

[engine revs]

[keyboard clacking]

[mobile phone rings]

- Jeet?
- [Jeet] Hi, Evelyn.

- Hi.
- Um...

I'm so grateful for everything
that you've taught me.

- I've learned so much here.
- But?

[Jeet] I just don't
recognise myself anymore.

I find myself drifting away
from the stories that matter,

just so I can be number one
on the leaderboard.

And I don't want to compete
with dumb reality TV stories.

I want to write in-depth
stories that matter.

Jeet, sorry. Where are you?
I can hear reverb.

- I'm in the office.
- I'm in the office.

Your position on the leaderboard

doesn't reflect your writing.

There are stories
that have mass appeal

and some that don't.

It's usually
the wrong way around,

but the mass appeal ones
pay the bills,

the wages, the snacks,
the organic tampons.

[Jeet laughs]
I'm not a good cultural fit.

And I don't want to be.

I know that.

I just don't think I get
the recognition I deserve.

I think I'm leaving 'Eve Life'.

[sombre music]

["Guilty Party"
by The National playing]

Promise me that you won't
exclude yourself by giving up.

Don't quit journalism

just because
it's not as idealistic

as you imagined it to be.

You're not going to yell at me?
Or try to make me stay?

- I want to yell at you.
- [both laughing]

But I know
it won't make you stay.

I'll miss you.

I'll miss you, too.

[Evelyn sighs]

- Evelyn.
- Hi. Hi.

Sorry about the other night.
I was, I was acting weird.

And it's just, it's been
a long time since, you know?

I'm just going through a bit
of stuff though, at the moment,

I'm, I'm trying to work through.

I just, I must seem crazy,
but I'm not.

I'm doing really well.

[elevator doors rumbling]

Do you, want to get a drink?

Yes.

["Guilty Party" by
The National continues playing]