All language subtitles for Vengeance (2022)

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Hey, one, two, three.

♪ Now, red Solo cup is
the best receptacle ♪

♪ For barbecues, tailgates,
fairs and festivals ♪

♪ And you, sir, do not
have a pair of testicles ♪

♪ If you prefer drinking
from glass, whoo ♪

- ♪ Red Solo cup ♪
- ♪ Uh-huh ♪

♪ I fill you up ♪

♪ Let's have a party ♪

♪ Let's have a party ♪

♪ I love you, red Solo cup ♪

♪ I lift you up ♪

♪ Proceed to party,
proceed to party ♪

♪ Now, I really love how
you're easy to stack ♪

♪ But I really hate how
you're easy to crack ♪

♪ 'Cause when beer runs
down the front of my back ♪

♪ Well, that, my
friends, is quite yucky ♪

♪ But I have to admit that
the ladies get smitten ♪

♪ Admiring how sharply ♪

♪ My first name is written ♪

♪ On you with a Sharpie
when I get to hitting ♪

♪ On them to help me get lucky ♪

♪ Red Solo cup ♪

♪ I fill you up ♪

♪ Let's have a party ♪

♪ Proceed to party ♪

- ♪ Solo cup ♪
- ♪ Bah, oh, doo ♪

- ♪ Solo cup ♪
- ♪ Oh, bo, doo ♪

- ♪ Solo cup ♪
- ♪ Ah, oh, doo ♪

- ♪ Solo cup ♪
- ♪ Ah, ooh, doodle, da, doo ♪

- ♪ Solo cup ♪
- ♪ Uh-huh, mm ♪

- ♪ Solo cup ♪
- ♪ De, dum, dum ♪

- ♪ Solo cup ♪
- ♪ Ooh, de, da, bah. ♪

The potential in this
room is astounding.

I love the potential.

Hundred percent.

It's a world of
infinite possibilities.

- Infinite.
- Hundred percent.

How many "Y"s do I put in
"Hey" at this time of night?

- Is it before 2:00 a.m.?
- Yeah.

- Two "Y" s.
- Okay.

- Three is thirsty.
- Thirsty.

And one is curt.

You know what I
was thinking about?

Cookie dough became so popular.

It's 'cause it's not finished.
It could still be anything.

Hundred percent.

Making cookies out of cookie
dough is just a suggestion.

- Hundred percent.
- That's what they say

- you could do with it.
- Right.

And the same thing...
Like dating someone

for more than a month.

It's just a serving suggestion.

Hundred percent.

"Kara question mark." That
means I don't remember

- where I met her.
- Okay.

But it's a question mark
with an exclamation point,

which means I should
want to follow up.

-Let's see what the options are first though.
-Yes.

Exactly that. That's the
world that we're living in.

You can just see what the
options are for anything.

Like with travel.

You're not gonna just pick
the first flight you see.

You want to see all the flights.

- That's a good thing.
- Yeah.

You get the best
flight that way.

Why wouldn't you
get the best person

by looking at all
the potential people?

And how could you even
expect to find one person

who could fulfill
all of your needs?

It's easier just to find the
most supportive person here.

- The funniest person here.
- Right.

- The best sex here.
- Right.

The best advice here.

The second-best sex here.

Hundred percent.

I don't ever want to go past

knowing what someone's
parents do for a living.

If I know what someone's
parents do for a living...

- Right. Right.
- I've hung too long.

Or, like, siblings. Like,
why does anyone want to know

about your siblings?
Especially so early.

-Yeah.
-"How many siblings do you have?"

Has that ever changed whether
you want to date somebody?

It's like, "I have two
sisters and a brother."

- Whoa. Hold on.
- Well, I'm out of here.

- I'm out of here.
- You know what I just say?

I only date only children
or the oldest of three.

They say, "Exercise
your options."

It's like a muscle.

- Options are like a muscle.
- Yeah.

Some people are
weak and atrophied,

and they don't understand

- how to exercise their options.
- Yeah.

My options are burly
and strong and turgid.

Hundred percent.

People say guys like us
are afraid of commitment.

No. We're afraid of commitment

to something we
can't get out of.

There's no such thing
as fear of commitment.

Fear of commitment
is fear of regret.

Hundred percent. Or
fear of intimacy.

Please, I'm intimate
with everybody.

Do you ever wonder,

if you did find something
deeper with somebody,

if that would somehow
be more meaningful?

I do sometimes.

Like right now, I'm
casually dating,

like, six or seven
different women.

But I do wonder, deep
down, what it would be like

to seriously date two or three.

Even when I don't
understand you,

I understand you better
than I understand anybody.

- Hundred percent.
- I love when we hang out.

This is like, if someone
were recording this,

that's what my
podcast should be.

There should be, like, the
sound of a stand-up bass

playing under me right now.

Okay, I got one.

"Brunette Random House Party."

"Random House," the publisher?

Or "random house," like
a random house party?

Oh, "Emily Vogue."

Uh, I'm gonna go with
"Kara question mark"

'cause I feel like letting the
universe surprise me tonight.

- What a time to be alive.
- Hundred percent.

- Hundred percent.
- Hundred percent.

Hundred percent.

- Hundred percent.
- Hundred percent.

I figured it out.

Figured what out?

America.

Okay.

I know you're laughing,

but I have a pitch
you're really gonna like.

America is divided,

but it's not for the
reason that we think.

We think that America's
divided by geography:

red state, blue
state, city, country.

We're missing something
far more profound.

America isn't divided by space.

America is divided by time.

-We don't live in the moment anymore.
-Mm.

And why would we, when
we can live in any moment

that's ever been recorded?

And when we experience
something we really love,

our overwhelming instinct

is to somehow file
it away for later.

That's interesting.

We don't watch movies
in the theater.

We don't watch TV when it airs.

We don't even have
conversations at the same time

because we text.

And when you text,
I can say, "Hi,"

and you could say
"Hi" back in a second,

- or a minute.
- Or never.

Or never 'cause it's you

and you're too busy producing
the biggest podcast in America,

which is kind of my point
because we're all living

in our own individualized times.

That's why we're living
in divided times.

That's... I like that. Ooh.

- You like that?
- Yeah.

So, what do you think? Do
you think that's a story?

It's a theory.

- A theory is a story.
- No, a theory is not a story.

Yes, it is when
it's about an idea.

And America is an idea.

That's what makes it so great.

- So, if you're...
- No, America is its people.

That's what makes
it so fucked up.

Hey. Not every white
guy in New York

needs to have a podcast.

You have the
verified check mark.

You got the New Yorker position.

I want something more.

I don't just want
to be a writer.

I... I want to be a voice.

As dorky as it sounds,
I care about America.

And not in that faded
Lana Del Rey way.

And now I see it falling apart,

and we're just
standing in the corner,

like, making fun
of it, you know?

I'd like to try to tell
some story that... connects.

Okay, okay. Well, then...
let me help you connect.

With all your ideas
about America...

Even if they're good, right?

You gotta put 'em in a story

'cause Americans
listen to stories.

'Cause Americans are people.

They're not... ideas.

- You're-you're here.
- Yeah.

You need to be here.

Does that make sense?

Hundred percent.

I'm Robin Dillon,

and this is American Moment.

To the organizers of the
Western Montana fly-fishing...

- Hi.
- Hey.

You changed your hair.

- Yeah, you noticed.
- Of course.

How's the book world?

The what?

Uh, nothing. Uh, can
I get you a drink?

- Yes.
- Great.

Um, what can I make you?

Um, can you do,
like, a white wine?

Um, sure.

I have to open a
bottle for that.

Oh, that's okay. Open it.

I only want, like, one glass.

- Hello?
- Ben?

Yeah. Hello?

This is the worst phone call

you're ever gonna
get in your life.

Oh, my God.

Your girlfriend's dead.

I'm sorry. Wh...
What did you say?

She's dead.

No, no, the first part.

Your girlfriend.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Hey, I don't... I
don't understand.

I know. I know, I know.

We can't make no
sense of it either.

Who is this?

This is Ty Shaw.

Abby's brother.

Um, hey, I don't... I don't
really know what to say.

Oh, I know, I know this
must be so hard to process.

I'm so sorry.

Abby told us so much about you.

Abby.

Oh, my God.

Abby.

Who's Abby?

Uh, some girl. Um...

- Who's that?
- Uh, some...

We definitely hung
out a few times.

I-I wouldn't have...

Funeral's Sunday.

Oh, my God. I'm, uh...

Can you tell me where
I can send flowers?

Oh, there's no need
to send flowers, Ben.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

I'm absolutely
gonna send flowers.

Just, uh, you tell
me the address.

See if you can text it to me.

If you really want, there's
a flower shop by the airport.

We'll just swing by
there when I pick you up.

When you pick me up?

Uh, hey.

I will be there in spirit.

Spirit Airlines. Right, man.

That's a great choice.

You just let me
know what flight.

Uh, hey, uh, I...

This is just...

I can't do this.

None of us can do this.

Not alone.

Y'all had your whole
future ahead of you.

Okay.

Okay, don't cry.

I mean, no, cry. Cry.

- Um, of course.
- Oh, God.

Be in touch with
your emotions. Um...

I can't believe we have
to go through this.

Okay. All right. Um, hey.

Remind me where you
guys are exactly.

Well, you've been
to Texas before?

Texas.

Okay, are you near Austin?

No, we're not near Austin.

- Dallas?
- Dallas ain't Texas.

- Houston?
- Houston's another country.

Why don't you just
tell me where...

Have you heard of
Abilene? The city.

Never heard of Abilene, no.

Well, Abilene is about
three hours from Dallas.

Okay.

And we're five
hours from Abilene.

Ladies and gentlemen...

Hey. Hi.

And while she could
be quite a handful

when she was a girl...

I can't believe I'm
talking about my daughter

in the past tense.

She was living in New York.

She was finding
her voice in music.

And she finally found love.

Ben Manalowitz.

A successful writer

and a regular contributor
to New York Magazine.

The New Yorker.

But even with all his success,

he always respected our
girl for who she was.

"Mama," she said,

"you know how he has
me saved in his phone?

Texas."

Well, as short as her life was,

she found her voice,

and she found love.

And that's all there is, right?

That's right.

Let's hear from Ben.

- Go ahead.
- Go on, Ben.

No, I couldn't.

- Thank you.
- You got it.

- Brother, come up.
- Please say something.

Get up there.

Father. Sir.

I never expected to be
in a situation like this.

I'm sure none of us did.

I wish I had known her better.

I wish I had spent
more time with her.

I'm sure all of us feel that...

right now.

Yes.

She loved music.

I know that. I know that.

She loved music.

Yeah.

And...

she will always be a
song in our hearts.

"Song in our hearts."

Phew. You damn near
broke me with that one.

♪ It's those
eight-second chances ♪

♪ And cowgirl glances ♪

♪ It's the blood and the glory,
baby, that's why we ride... ♪

Now, I don't know
about you, but...

I know it hasn't been long,
but I feel like me and you,

we got a real bond.

Kind of like family.

Hundred percent.

Wow.

A hundred percent?

Yeah.

Yeah. I felt really
close to you guys today.

Don't just say that to say it.

- Yeah.
- I knew it.

Abilene just didn't die.

She was murdered.

And the two of us are
gonna avenge her death.

What?

You and me, we're gonna
track her killer down

and deliver vengeance.

Okay, nobody said
anything about a killer.

An overdose?

At a party in an oil field?

Yeah. The girl never took so
much as an Advil in her life.

You know that. You know
her better than anybody.

Did you call the
police about this?

In Texas, we don't dial 911.

Not even for, like, a fire?

Fire or ambulance, fine.

Who do you think did it?

I got a couple theories.

Cartels. Mexican gangbanger
I got my eyes on.

I mean, this is
just the beginning.

It goes deep.

And what's this based on?

Gut.

Right. What's
behind that though?

Ain't nothing behind gut.

Gut's behind everything
else. Otherwise, who are you?

I really think this is
something for the police.

Yeah. You talk about the police

like it's just the
same everywhere.

Like the police
is, um, McDonald's

and justice is an Egg McMuffin.

We don't have the police.

We got Mike and Dan.

You and me, we were
the men in her life.

And they fucked with
the wrong two guys.

Okay. Um...

So, as, like, a
personal boundary,

like, everybody's different.

Some people don't
eat certain foods.

You know, everybody...

- I don't avenge deaths.
- Mm-hmm.

It's just who I am.

I... You know, I don't live
in a Liam Neeson movie.

But you kind of look like a guy
from a Liam Neeson movie though.

Okay.

Which one am I thinking about?

It-it was a train.
No, i-it was...

- It was just on TV.
- I don't know.

Schindler's List. Oh, my God.

You look like a lot of
those guys in that movie.

Yeah. Thanks.

You know, that was my least
favorite Liam Neeson movie.

Huge downer.

It was a really sad movie.

Ty, I know that you're
in a lot of pain.

Oh, yes, sir. We both are.

And you have a lot of anger.

Goddamn it, I'm asking
you for your help.

If we don't do this, it's
like leaving her body

out in the middle of that desert
for the rest of our lives.

I know it the minute I saw you.

'Cause heart sees heart.

Stay down here and avenge
Abby's death with me.

Oh, what a story that would be.

Is this a pocket dial?

I have a story.

- Can it wait?
- No.

I'm in Texas. I'm on my
way back from a funeral.

Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.

It's okay. It's not
someone I was close to.

But you flew to Texas for it?

Uh, yes.

Uh, it was a girl I hooked
up with a few times.

You flew to Texas

to attend the funeral
of a random hookup?

Her family thought that we
were more serious than I did.

Do you know what?

This is a story.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

It's you.

The-the... Your
whole way of life.

It's dating, it's
hookup culture.

How it enables disconnectedness.

- The selfishness.
- No.

- The emptiness.
- No.

- The hollowness.
- That's not what I meant.

The lack of self-awareness.

Okay, that's not
what I'm pitching.

It's really how
sad your life is.

Okay, now you're
fucking with me.

Listen, I'm in West Texas

where this family just
lost their daughter

to an opioid overdose.

That is sad but common.

Except, her brother won't
accept it's an overdose.

He says it was a murder.

Based on what?

Nothing.

And that's the story.

This is an existential
crime story.

This is In Cold Blood,
but there are no killers.

This is about a new
American reality

that people can't accept.

So instead, they invent
these myths and conspiracies

so they can cast themselves
as heroes because...

the truth is too hard to accept.

The death of Abilene is about
the death of American identity

and the need to find
someone to blame for it.

This isn't just a
story about vengeance.

It's a story about the
need for vengeance.

The meaning of vengeance.

Dead white girl?

Holy grail of podcasts.

Eloise, I wish my
recorder were already on.

He's saying such
crazy things already.

Her brother?

He is such a character.

And you can get
close to the family?

Can I get close to the family?

They think I was her boyfriend.

I mean...

I went to her funeral,
for God's sake.

That's good.

I mean, it's fucked up, but...

but it's good for this.

So?

Okay, let's give it a shot.

Oh!

Okay, talk to me.
Give me everything.

Stay with the family,

get as close as possible,
record everything.

'Cause you never know
what will be important.

I'll be your editor,
so I'll pull selects

- and see what's there.
- Okay.

I'll have Tracy overnight
you the equipment,

but just use your
phone in the meantime

and get the story, stay safe.

You got it.

- Not in that order.
- In that order.

The dust in West Texas
settles like rain on a lake.

I'm under a West Texas
sky, bright blue Texan sky,

where I've just learned about
the death of Abilene Shaw.

My...

A person...

who lived here.

Hell yeah, brother.

All right.

I'm gonna stay with you
guys for a couple of weeks.

I'm gonna record everything

that you think
happened to Abilene.

- Okay?
- Hell yes. Then we kill him.

No.

I'm gonna put it on a podcast...

and it will be on
podcast platforms.

That's fucking brilliant.

- Yeah.
- You're fucking smart.

All right.

Once people on
Reddit find out...

they'll kill him for us.

All right.

Hey, Mama.

Guess who came back after all.

Ben.

- Hi.
- Oh, my God. You came back.

Ah... Oh. Thank you.

Um, I hope I'm not imposing.

Please.

We have this empty
seat at the table.

We can use all the
distraction we can get.

Can I get you anything?

Um...

Uh, just, uh, what's
the Wi-Fi situation?

Oh, it's a little
temperamental... it'll kick in.

Did you have a chance to
meet everybody before?

Uh, no.

I would love to.

-Uh, this is Abilene's sister, Paris.
-Hi.

- She's 24, fixin' to be 25.
- Yep.

She's gonna be a
famous filmmaker.

It is a pleasure
to meet you, Paris.

Pleasure. I've heard
so much about you.

I've-I've heard... Yeah.

And this is Kansas City.

She's 17, fixin' to be 18.

And she's gonna be a famous...

Just famous.

KC, I told you.

Those are not our values.

You have to be a
famous something.

A famous...

celebrity.

These are really your daughters?

I mean, you all
could be sisters.

Oh. You are so sweet.

You think that I look
this fucking old?

And this is El Stupido.

- Sorry?
- This is El Stupido.

That's what you call him?

Oh. It's okay, Ben.

He don't speak Spanish.

And, uh, and how old are you?

Nine.

Fixin' to be ten?

Yes, sir.

Boys, come on.

- Ben, come take a seat.
- Thank you.

You have a lovely
home, by the way.

- Thank you.
- It's really nice.

- This is Granny Carole.
- Yeah.

Granny for short.

- Um, nice to meet you, Granny.
- Yeah.

Thank you. Um...

So, Ben, tell us about yourself.

Do you come from a close family?

Yes. Um, we're very close.

We don't see each other
much, but we're very close.

You from Texas?

Oh. No, I'm not.

Oh, I'm sorry.

That you're not from Texas.

-Have you been to Texas before, Ben?
-Yes, actually.

I've been to Austin,
uh, for South By.

For what?

Uh, oh, South by Southwest
is an annual festiv...

No, for what band?

You don't just go to South By.

You go see a band, don't you?

Uh, well, true.

I was part of a journalism panel

about the future of new media.

- Amazing.
- That's so cool.

- Mm. -Thank you.
- You're welcome.

Um, speaking of.

Would you mind if I
recorded this dinner?

- Oh.
- Record us now?

- Yeah.
- Hell yeah.

Would we mind?

- I love being recorded.
- Great. Fantastic.

Oh, my God.

- Hey, smile. Okay?
- Great.

Well, would you want to hear

the story of Texas?

- Absolutely. -Huh?
- Go, Granny.

All right. Right here.

- My goodness.
- Mm. Okay.

1836.

Texas is part of Mexico,

made up of settlers and
English-speaking white folk.

And, uh, they didn't
like the government.

What else is new?

Them Texans wanted to
do things their own way.

What else is new?

So, you take everybody's
two favorite things,

government and Mexicans.

And guess what happens.

- Huh?
- Go on.

- Guess.
- You should... In your words.

All right. All right.

Well, Generalissimo Santa Anna

brung up 7,000 Mexican soldiers

to fight against
186 Texan rebels

at a place called the Alamo.

And the Texans won.

That's very inspiring.

Say what?

The Texans didn't win, Ben.

Mm.

They teach math where you from?

186.7,000.

Um...

7,000 is more, Ben.

It was a massacre.

It was unspeakable cruelty.

Unspeakable cruelty.

I'm sorry. I had no idea
you didn't win the Alamo.

Um...

I feel like you guys
talk about it a lot.

Who's "Equinox Girl Cute"?

Um, a friend.

Who's "Paris Review
Party Asian"?

- Excuse me. Um...
- Very good reading.

Let me, uh... The Wi-Fi
must have just kicked on.

Who's "Natalie Bumble"?

- Um, let-let me just...
- Who's "Katie Raya"?

- Let me put that on...
- Raya?

Let me put that
on airplane mode.

I thought Raya was
supposed to be exclusive.

So what do you think
of this place, Ben?

I love it.

- Are you joking?
- Are you serious? You love it?

You're from New York City.

-Literally nothing happens here.
-Yeah.

Well, um... I mean,
it is a little...

- Hmm?
- You know.

-Bleak.
-Come on, that's not fair.

- We just got a Target.
- Excuse me? How dare you?

Do you know how fucking
good our football team is?

-This is our town.
-Okay, look, I don't know where to...

where to land here. Um...

Ben, there's probably
something you should know

- about this place.
- Yeah.

This is the most, uh, wretched,

godforsaken stretch of land
on the face of the earth.

And I'd never leave.

You know what I mean?

Yeah. That's how I
feel about Twitter.

- Mm.
- See, Ben's a journalist.

One of the finest there is.

He writes for the
New York Magazine.

New Yorker. Yep.

And he's gonna help us find out

what really happened to Abilene.

I was saying we go out
and settle with a .45,

but Ben gives a whole new
perspective to the situation.

Ty, you can't solve something
like this with a .45.

It's not as simple
as one person.

It's a whole system, son.

Tell us what you mean, Granny.

It's the breakdown of
society, is what it is.

It's the breakdown
of the school system,

- the government.
- Mm.

It's the pharmaceutical
companies.

It's the breakdown of the family

and tradition.

Oh, there's a whole lot
of people responsible

- for what happened to Abilene.
- That's true.

- Yes, ma'am.
- Amen.

I think that's very wise.

You're gonna need a
12-gauge, couple of ARs.

- No. -Yep.
- A Wesson automatic.

- No, no, no.
- And a sidearm for safety.

- Yep. Exactly.
- We're not doing that.

Oh, we're not? Yeah.

I didn't think
you had the balls.

Are you gonna help us, Ben?

You know, um...

There's some things I'm good at.

I'm good at asking
the right questions.

I'm good at getting
people to talk.

And I'm especially good at
drawing thematic connections

between seemingly
disparate elements

and using that to illustrate

a larger point or theory.

So, whoever or whatever

is responsible for what
happened to Abilene,

I will find this person

or this generalized
societal force,

and I will define it.

I'll define it.

Bless your heart.

I guess we have
a guest room now.

Ty.

Well, rest up good.

We'll meet in the morning
and start to solve this.

Yeah.

See you in the morning.

- Good night, Ty.
- Good night.

Good morning.

Yeah, that's it. What else...?

- Can I say it proves a lot?
- Yeah.

I'm gonna take a
short break here,

and during this break,
I hope you'll call

and support this station
during this long, important

- membership drive.
- Thanks.

We have some great free
gifts to offer you,

and I'm not just
talking coffee mugs.

Well, Ben, there's really two
versions of life out here.

Boom times, everybody's
rich and busy.

It's like one big
party out here.

And then the bust comes.

It's really like two
different places out here.

It's always boom or bust.

Which is it right now?

Kinda in between.

Yeah.

Kinda in between, to
tell you the truth.

Okay.

You son of a...

- Get off.
- Crawl. There's our worm.

Oh, you like being on top.

- Get off. Yeah.
- Whoo!

This the guy?

Yep.

Hmm.

Let me save you
some time: Sancholo.

Sancholo. Sancholo.

What's Sancholo?

The guy who killed Abilene.

A Mexican drug dealer.

Evil motherfucker.

You name it, he's got it.

Not crazy about
his prices though.

So, you know who killed Abilene?

Yes, sir.

Did you call the
police about it?

Mike and Dan?

Those lazy fucktards.

Everything's an accident.

Gun accident.

Uh, driving accident.

I've known Abilene

since we were knee-high
to a grasshopper.

She never touched
so much as an Advil,

and-and then, out of the blue,

they find this
angel, this angel,

dead of an oxy OD
at a party he threw!

Ooh, you're getting
me warmed up.

He's been obsessed with
her since middle school.

Yep. He'd call the
house every night.

They used to be on
the phone for hours.

He's just a piece of it anyway.

It's too big to understand.

You got deep state in
bed with pill pushers,

- cartels, pedos.
- Uh-huh.

- The law.
- How, wha...

Hey, shh. Hey.

And you're a piece of it, too.

So, um, I'd love to talk

to some of the
characters you mentioned.

Mike and Dan? Sancholo?

Oh, he's gotta be at
the rodeo in Holliston.

No doubt.

There and the honky-tonk,
too, afterwards.

-That's where a drug dealer can do their best business.
-Mm.

'Cause everybody
goes to the rodeo.

White, Mexicans.

You really want to
avenge her with him?

I'm like a brother to you.

Well, he's like
a brother-in-law.

Oh, come on.

Ben, you ever been in a fight?

You mean like a physical fight

or like an online skirmish?

I got him.

Crawl wouldn't hurt a
fly, would you, Crawl?

I never understood that
expression about flies.

Yeah, I'd kill a fly,

but what kind of sick
fuck would hurt a fly?

Make it feel pain? Hmm?

You don't have any idea
where you are, do you?

Hmm?

Want me to show you a map?

Welcome to Texas.

You are here.

Morning, KC.

Hey.

Uh, would you like some coffee?

- Sure.
- How do you take it?

In the mouth?

All right, tell me something

that you love about
where you live.

- Whataburger!
- Whoo.

- Oh. -Yeah.
- Okay, great.

Um, tell me about it.

- You want to go right now?
- Yeah, let's go.

- Uh... Uh...
- I'm ready.

-You want...
-Just, no, just, uh, tell me about it.

You're gonna love
Whataburger, Ben.

- Oh, it's the best.
- What makes it the best?

Wherever you are,
there's a Whataburger.

Yeah. It's always right there.

Okay. And then
when you get there,

what do you like about
it? What do you get?

- Whatever you want.
- It's always right there.

You could order
whatever you want, Ben.

Right, but there are a
lot of places like that.

So, let's say there
is a McDonald's,

a Burger King, a Sonic
and a Whataburger

all lined up.

Which one do you go to?

Whataburger!

Right, right. Why?

Because it's right there!

Yes, but they're
all right there.

In this scenario,
they're all right there.

So, what do you get
out of Whataburger?

What makes it better to you?

- What are you getting...
- Ben.

Asking why you love Whataburger

is like asking why
you love Christmas

or a summer night or
why you love your dog.

I mean, you could
point to the reasons,

but the reasons aren't
really the point.

You just love it, and
that's how love works.

I'm on my way to get

what could be some
good local color.

It's the place Abilene
recorded some demos.

I'm heading towards the
Quentin Sellers Music Factory.

A place in Marfa, the
arts town, where...

people pursue their
dreams of musical stardom.

His motto is "making dreams
come true since 2018."

Eloise, if you have, um... if
you can play a clip of that,

um, Rebecca Black
song, "Friday,"

that would be really funny here.

I bet it's cheap to play.

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

Okay.

- Hi.
- Hi.

What is music?

Like, singing and stuff.

Yeah, that's right.

Let's take a step back.

I want to share
an idea with you.

There's no argument
more profound

than how the universe
came into existence.

- Oh, God.
- Are we here because of God

or science?

I mean, it is, by
its very nature,

the most fundamental question.

But there's one thing
that everyone agrees on.

And that is whether
it was God declaring,

"Let there be light,"

or an infinite
particle of energy

bursting forth in the big bang.

Everyone,

and I mean everyone,

agrees that the universe

started with a sound.

Why do I call myself
a record producer?

I don't know.

Yeah, I mean, we don't
even make records anymore.

What we're recording
here isn't your record.

It's your sound...

on the record that started

with the very first
moment in time.

So when you sing this song...

I want you to think about
how what you're making

is the record of your
time here on this earth.

It's the sound that you scratch

with your life...

on the record of the universe.

- Okay?
- Okay.

♪ I finished my
shift at Claire's ♪

♪ Climbed up those
steep mall stairs ♪

♪ And the pain of
having nowhere to go ♪

♪ Pierced the skin of my soul ♪

♪ As I sat on the steps ♪

♪ And waited and waited ♪

♪ For no one to take me home. ♪

Yeah.

Thank you.

I call this place the Factory.

-You know, after Andy Warhol's Factory.
-Hmm.

Most people around here
think it's a reference

to C+C Music Factory.

Which, honestly, I-I think
Warhol would've loved, but...

Yeah, actually. Yeah.

I'm from out here.

I went to college in New Haven.

Oh, I went to school in Boston.

Yeah, I thought
about staying there,

but this is the place that
needs something like this.

The problem isn't that
people aren't smart.

The problem is that they are.

If the landscape is like this,

a-and people were just boring,
you wouldn't have this problem.

The problem is, you get all
these bright, creative lights

and nowhere to plug
in their energy.

And so it gets channeled
into conspiracy theories

and drugs and violence.

Who are your favorite
music artists right now?

Um...

- Can I take a guess?
- Yeah.

You're a playlist guy.

What does that mean?

When some computer recommends
you a bunch of songs

based on your favorites,
and a bunch more

-based on your favorites of those.
-Right.

So you're listening to
a bunch of music that,

- I mean, you genuinely like...
- Yeah.

But you have no
idea who sings it.

Now, these playlists, it's
like the dating app for music.

You're not hearing
other people's voices.

You're just hearing your
voice get played back at you.

How are you supposed
to fall in love?

Art used to be in charge of us.

You used to buy a whole album

not even knowing what
songs would be on it.

Now we have
everything on demand.

At your fingertips.

In pieces.

You think half the people
that are posting quotes

from Oscar Wilde have ever
actually read one of his plays?

No.

Or posting photos
of Audrey Hepburn

have actually seen the
film that it's from?

- No.
- Not a chance, right?

What is that about, huh?

It's the same in culture
as it is in archaeology.

When a civilization collapses,

only the tiniest
fragments remain.

But we can build it back again.

How?

Make recordings.

Real people.

Not what people think
that they already know

and want to hear.

Real people.

Not some generic
stereotype or generic song.

Real people.

What's this podcast
about anyway?

Well, um, it's about America.

Okay.

It's about the myths
that we tell ourselves.

Who is it about?

All of us.

Every story we tell is
ultimately about a person.

Abilene Shaw.

Abilene.

Yeah.

You're making a
podcast about Abilene.

Well, it's a little
about Abilene.

-I'm trying to make it more about...
-No.

It's about Abilene.

The person.

That's all you need.

What did you think
about her music?

I haven't really heard it.

Shut the front door.

- I mean, I have...
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on.

Come with me.

Here it is.

Everything we ever recorded.

- Thank you so much.
- You're in for a treat.

Doesn't she have a sister
who wants to be a singer?

Wants to be famous.

Means she knows she's somebody.

Just doesn't know who yet.

She needs to find her voice.

What about my voice?

I'll put you in the studio.

What do you want to do?

I-I, you know...

If I came here for advice
about my voice, my...

you know, my
writing, my podcast,

what would you tell me?

I'd probably say that
nobody writes anything.

All we do is translate.

So if you ever get stuck and
you don't know what to say...

just listen.

Even to the silences.

Listen as hard as you can to
the world around you and...

repeat back what you hear.

That translation,

that's your voice.

I gotta say, this
is not anything

like what I expected to find.

You came here to make
fun of me, didn't you?

- No, no. No.
- No, I get it's...

It's... I get it.

Record producer in
the middle of nowhere.

You thought I'd be
sillier, smaller.

I get it.

Hey, look.

It's already working.

You listened.

You learned.

Welcome to Texas.

Thank you.

The setting sun sets
Texas afire with a glow.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

It's fucking beautiful.

Well, hi.

Thank you.

Uh, when I told my mama that
I was gonna move to New York

and try and make it in music,

she looked at me and she just
said, "Bless your heart."

Which is Texas for, "Fuck you."

Love you, Mama.

♪ True love will
find you in the end ♪

♪ You'll find out just
who is your friend ♪

♪ Don't be sad, I
know you will... ♪

Ah...

Will you help me unjam my gun?

I don't know how to do that.

They ought to call
you El Stupido.

Can I sleep on your floor?

Yeah.

Of course.

Thank you.

♪ I'm still drivin' ♪

♪ When's this break gon' come? ♪

♪ You back my pickin' ♪

♪ With a big ol'
timpani drum... ♪

Vengeance is a
unique phenomenon.

Texas invented vengeance.

It makes no sense if
you think about it.

Every other primal
human instinct

leads to a clear
evolutionary reward.

But vengeance is different.

It's not about the future.

It's only about the past.

When that massacre
happened, we didn't retreat.

We didn't say, "Let's all make
sure we don't get Mexiphobia."

We said, "Remember the Alamo."

It's not about hope.

It's about regret.

Abby was always
creatively minded.

She would make movies
with her sisters.

Music, of course.

Oh, she had such
a beautiful voice.

I really wish more
people could've heard it.

You're a writer.

Anything I'd know?

None of this.

The desperation that
you see around here,

it's not from a lack of
intelligence or creativity.

It's an excess.

We're not really a gun family.

We have a few rifles
for shooting targets,

a couple handguns
for safety, and...

- And that doesn't concern you?
- Why would it concern me?

There's this playwright,
Anton Chekhov,

and he says that if there's
a gun in act one of a play...

There's no guns in any one
of his plays I can think of.

Cherry Orchard, no.
Uncle Vanya, no.

I'm not actually that
familiar with his plays.

Uh, I'm more familiar
with his theory.

But the stakes of these
feelings aren't hypothetical.

They're all too real.

I'm your host, Ben Manalowitz,
from American Radio Collective.

This is Dead White Girl.

Hey.

So, this is great.

Really?

Yeah.

I'm, like, dorking
out over this family.

Their family's like my family.

Great. Great.

Do you have any notes?

Yeah. I got a couple.

Thought you said you loved it.

You asked if I had
notes, and I got notes,

okay, first-timer?

Okay. All right, all
right, what do you got?

Okay, you're stepping
on people's lines,

- and we need it clean, so...
- Yep, yep.

Just like what you're doing
right now. Don't do that.

Right.

Don't talk while
they're talking.

Just listen... or
pretend to listen.

Okay. What else?

And you know what
would help some people?

If you... if you... if you
do, like, a silent laugh

to egg them on.

You know, like, um...

Like what? I lost you.

Like... No, I'm doing it.

Right, okay.

Where are you going to
next, the... the rodeo?

Yep, my first rodeo.

I'm really excited.

Apparently, it's a real
socioeconomic cross section.

Yeah, and horses
and bulls and stuff.

You're doing it?

Yeah, could you tell?

Good luck.

All right, Ben.

- You're gonna love this place.
- Yeah.

A whole lot to see,
lot to take in.

"Fourth Annual Bull
Bash Cowboy Protection."

Cowboy protection
for, uh, bullfighting

- in Oyster Creek, Texas.
- Cool. Excellent.

And, uh, you're a pitmaster.

Yes, sir.

And what is the secret
to your success?

Time and more time.

Bingo!
- Ten points!

Oh, hell yes!

- Ben, you're gonna love this.
- All right.

Deep-fried Twinkies.

Ben, you gotta try one of these.

- Hello, beautiful.
- Oh! Hi.

Can I get, uh, one,
two, three, four, five

deep-fried Twinkies?

Uh, can we get one
of those grilled?

It's fucking good.

- Fucking good.
- Yeah.

Just keep a low profile, Ben.

We'll find our man. No doubt.

Hundred percent.

Ladies and gentlemen,
boys and girls,

welcome to the Holliston Rodeo.

We say a special hello to
our sponsors, Stetson Energy,

McGuane Energy,
Trailways Energy Company,

Rawson Energy, the
T&B Energy Company,

Panhandle Energy,
Andrew & Sons Hardware,

an Energy Corporation,

Anderton Energy
Transport, Donahue Energy,

and the Quentin
Sellers Music Factory,

making dreams come
true since 2018.

Now, carrying the six
beautiful flags of Texas,

welcome our beautiful riders.

All right, Ben.

The six flags of Texas

-are the six countries that Texas has belonged to.
-Okay.

- Can you name all six?
- Uh, the United States.

Uh, France, Louisiana
Purchase, Spain,

Mexico. Uh...

Um, uh... Republic of Texas!

What's that, five?

Not bad, brother. Not bad.

Nobody ever gets five.

Right.

So Six Flags, the theme park...

Exactly.

- Is a Texas company.
- Right.

Very interesting.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

if you're a real Texan,

you know what to do
when this song plays.

Did you really
just try to Shazam

- "Deep in the Heart of Texas"?
- Uh...

No.

Now, ladies and gentlemen,
who here is a die-hard fan

of the University of Texas?

Whoo!

And who here is a
fan of Texas Tech?

Okay, let's hear
from both sides.

Can we have the
UT fan come down?

- Good luck, buddy.
- Give them hell, Ben.

Is this for real?
Are you seriou...

Do you think we're joking?

And let's get a Texas Tech fan.

Okay, let's start with
Mr. University of Texas.

Now, what's your name, son?

Ben Manalowitz.

What the whosit?

And what do you do, son?

I'm a writer.

A rider?

You don't look like a rider.

What do you ride, son?

Huh?

Well, there's lots
of kinds of riding.

You can ride horses,
steer, tractors.

No.

I'm not a rider. I'm a writer.

I'm a writer.

So, like, you know, uh...

when... when you come across
a book or a magazine...

or even an article
that you read online.

Somebody has to...

has to actually think
about what those words...

I know what a writer is,
you condescending asshole.

Well, tell me, Shakespeare,

what do you like so much
about the University of Texas?

Well, I like that
it's a state school.

So, it gives financial
opportunities

to local people who
could use the help.

And I know that it has a
very good film department.

Some of the graduates include,

I believe, Richard Linklater.

Uh-huh. Okay.

And what do you like
about Texas Tech?

Quarterback Matt Harris!

Guns up!

Repping Tech!

♪ Shake that thang,
make that thang ♪

♪ Bend until you think it's
gonna break that thang... ♪

Don't worry about it.

- Nobody's thinking about it.
- Yeah.

Erase it from your mind.

Enjoy.

♪ When she moves that
thang, grooves that thang ♪

♪ Swing to the rhythm of
the groove that thang... ♪

Whoo! Shake it, girls!

♪ Nobody else does
what she does to me ♪

Not you, KC.

♪ Shake that thang... ♪

How do they all...

know how to do the same...?

Collective consciousness.

♪ Every song is such
a sight to see ♪

♪ When she moves that
thang, grooves that thang ♪

♪ Swing to the rhythm of
the groove that thang ♪

♪ Speaks for itself ♪

♪ Nobody else does
what she does to me ♪

♪ When she shakes
that thang... ♪

Sancholo.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

- You going over there?
- Yeah.

You want my gun?

You brought a gun?

Didn't I? Phone,
keys, wallet, gun.

- Yeah.
- No. No.

♪ Nobody else does
what she does to me ♪

♪ When she shakes that thang ♪

♪ Swinging like an
old screen door ♪

♪ Lord, she makes
that thang... ♪

Excuse me, are you Sancholo?

I was hoping to talk
to you for a second.

You a cop?

Not a cop.

Cop don't have to
say he's a cop.

Then why did you ask?

- Right?
- 'Cause you're wasting my time.

Figured I might as
well waste yours.

Look, I'm a journalist.

I'm doing a story.

I was really only hoping to
ask you a couple of questions.

- I'm just trying to...
- Just trying to what?

- Fucking killer!
- Hey, Ty. Relax!

Guys, guys, guys, guys.
Guys, guys, guys, guys, guys.

Go easy on him. He
just lost his sister.

Most beautiful girl in Texas.

So what I heard was that
you were at the party

where she died.

Lucky me.

She took her last breath

on my shoulder.

My name is Ben Manalowitz.

I'm doing a podcast
about Abilene.

I would love to hear
your side of the story.

Hey.

We got a regular Joe Rogan here.

Joe Rogan meets Seth Rogen.

Just you.

When I was in middle school,

my mom wouldn't let
me read Harry Potter

because of church stuff.

So I would call
Abby every night.

She would read it to me.

I don't know what made
her care about me.

I was like, "Why me?

I'm just an effing
dropout drug dealer."

She'd say, "Heart sees heart."

Right.

She used to text that to me

every day on that dumbass
little Razr phone.

- You remember those?
- Yeah.

5-4-5.

Heart sees heart.

It was, like, her little code.

I miss her so much.

You told me that her last
breath was on your shoulder.

And other people told me

that you threw the
party where she died.

I wasn't even there.

Okay.

Where were you?

Look at the date.

Where is this?

Tulsa. I went to see Adele.

I was there with my niece.

She... She loves her.

Adele?

Obviously, I'm gonna
have to kill you

if you tell anyone about that.

No, it's...

Yeah.

I'm a fan.

So...

you have an alibi,

but you want people to
think you killed her?

These fucking cartels, man.

They're gonna control
everything pretty soon.

- You're the cartels.
- No, sir.

It kills me to claim her,

but I don't know.

If they don't actually
think I killed someone,

then I might have
to kill someone...

to prove myself.

That's not really
how it works, is it?

It's what I heard.

Go on Snopes. It's
not a real thing.

Excuse me?

So, let me piece this
together. She OD'd...

The fuck? This is Abby we're
talking about here, okay?

She wouldn't touch the stuff.

Girl wouldn't touch an Advil.

Listen, they found her two and
a half miles from the party,

at a spot where all
the deaths happen

called "the Afterparty."

You don't just wander off
like that by yourself.

Someone takes you there.

This was no OD.

No fucking way.

Who goes to these parties?

Everybody.

- Everybody goes. Nobody went.
- Yeah.

- Same people every time?
- Yes.

When's the next one?

Whenever I want.

You're at 11%, bro.

You might want to switch
to low power mode.

Thank you.

Hello?

What if she was murdered?

What?

We dismissed the
first theory presented

without even thinking about it.

What if we're not
taking them seriously?

Wait, so are you saying the
Mexican drug dealer did it?

Definitely not that.

But that was the first
theory presented.

I'm just sure it wasn't that.

Why are you so sure?

Gut.

- Gut?
- Look,

I know we liked
what we had before.

Something about America
and fantasy and regret

and the meaning of vengeance.

No, no. This... this is better.

This just keeps getting
bigger and bigger.

Right?

Okay.

Stay safe.

Get the story.

Not in that order.

No. In that order.

What are you watching?

Um, videos of Abilene.

Do you see my phone?

How it's, like, cracked.

Yeah.

It makes me look
the way that I feel.

Um...

Where do I know you from?

Rodeo.

It's the Longhorns fan.

Indeed it is,
Mike. Indeed it is.

Actually, that was
a misunderstanding.

I'm sorry. I'm not
even a football fan.

Um, I was just trying to fit in.

Funny way to fit in around here.

Point taken.

I didn't know there was
gonna be another team.

I was cheering for Texas.

Um...

I'd love to ask you
a couple questions

about the death of Abilene Shaw.

- OD'd.
- Accident.

I know that was the
official report.

I was wondering, were you
able to talk to anyone

who was there the
night she died?

You ever go to a party
out by the pump jacks?

Everybody goes and
nobody was there.

I wasn't there.

I wasn't there.

Why are you so
interested anyway?

You her, uh, boyfriend
or something?

Uh, we hung out.

Yeah. Yeah, I was her boyfriend.

Well, you know, 90% of the time
it's the boyfriend who did it.

Okay, I wasn't... I wasn't
really her boyfriend.

His story's starting to
sound a little inconsistent.

Swiss cheese.

Yeah, um, I'm not trying
to cause any problems here.

I'm really just trying
to help the family.

You know, this isn't even
our jurisdiction anyways.

Party happened
outside city limits.

- Mm.
- That's county, not city.

- County sheriff.
- Sheriff'll talk.

Sheriff's a politician.

Ain't that a fact.

I'd love to help you, son, but
our policy is we can't comment

on our process or cases.

Well, I was interviewing
people for a podcast

that could be heard
by millions of people.

But I guess that's
not a possibility.

These are oxy sticks.

See how the pills
are squared off?

That way, they can pack
'em in boxes to the corners

- without wasting any space.
- Mm-hmm.

That's how big this business is.

We don't know who's shipping it.

All we know is they're
coming along the interstate

right along the border.

And that route cuts
right by the oil field

where the party was.

The most common overdose
spot in the county.

We call it "the Afterparty."

Very common thing, sad to say.

What's this right here?

Looks like two pairs of prints.

Cowboy boots.

Calling out an APB to find
two men wearing cowboy boots.

- Okay.
- What the fuck?

Stand down.

Son, I wish you
well, I really do.

And bless your little heart,

but this ain't even our
jurisdiction, though.

- It's not?
- No, sir.

This was along the highway.

You want to talk
to highway patrol.

Well, ain't that just like a
sheriff to puff his hot air

and blow you straight
into my office.

If there's a drug
overdose at a party

in some fucking field off 29,

I'm sorry, but we
got shit to do.

We're not a bunch
of Army rejects

just gazing at the Rio Grande.

- I never said that you were.
- I wasn't talking about us.

Oh, is that what they told
you over at highway patrol?

Well, you can go
tell Junior Brown

and the rest of them
glorified meter maids

that if they spent more
time with their real guns

and less with their radar guns,

we might not have to chase
the goddamn Texas syndicate

up and down the Trans-Pecos!

Got it?

Yes. If I find a natural way

to work that into the
conversation with them,

I will do that.

- DRT.
- DRT.

- DRT.
- Dead right there.

Law enforcement
was no help at all.

You're learning a lot
down there, aren't you?

The murder or overdose
happened where a lot

of these things happen.

At the intersection of four
overlapping jurisdictions.

So they all kicked
it to each other.

What are the odds?

What are the odds?

Okay, I'm gonna kick this around

with the team for a little
bit, shake up the Boggle board,

and then I'm gonna hit up
Robin to get her thoughts.

All right. Thanks,
Eloise. Thanks, everybody.

- Bye, Ben.
- Bye, Ben.

Um, you're probably not
even gonna watch this,

but I'm back home in
Texas, and I'm bored.

This is my little
brother, Mason.

He sleeps on my floor

because he's afraid of ghosts.

And I tried to tell him

there's no such thing
as ghosts, but whatever.

It keeps him close to me.

So I guess it's not
all bad being here.

That's, um...

Well, that's it.

Mason.

Yes, sir?

Just saying good night.

You woke me up just
to say good night?

Yes, sir.

I love you mucho.

Collective consciousness.

If everyone believes
the same thing...

but without any
facts to support it,

do we listen to that
intuition or dismiss it?

An overdose?

Girl never took so much
as an Advil in her life.

She never touched
so much as an Advil.

You ever go to a party
out by the pump jacks?

Everybody goes. Nobody went.

I wasn't there.

The problem is you
get all these bright,

creative lights and nowhere
to plug in their energy.

And so it gets channeled
into conspiracy theories

and drugs and violence.

I came here to find
out why people in grief

would choose to believe a myth.

I don't know shit about
how this all connects,

but you bet your ass it does.

MS-13? La Línea?

Yeah, I'm familiar
with La Línea.

They actually murdered
41 journalists last year.

Oh, they've done
bad things, too.

But now I find myself wondering

how much truth might be
embedded in that intuition.

You don't happen to know
her phone password, do you?

Took it to every Geek
Squad in the state.

It's impossible to crack.

- This ain't us.
- You got the wrong department.

- Highway patrol. -Mike and Dan.
- Border patrol.

- Sheriff's department.
- You want county.

Everything's bigger in Texas,

including your expectations
and its reality.

I'm your host, Ben Manalowitz,

and from American
Radio Collective,

this is Abilene.

Hey.

Guess who's on the line.

Hey. It's Robin.

I produce American Moment.

Yeah. I-I know who you are.

It's-it's, um... It's
great to meet you, Robin.

- How are you?
- Great to talk to you.

I love what you're doing
with Dead White Girl.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Eloise pitched that we
use some of the story

as a segment on American Moment,

and that would help
promote your series.

Wow. So it'd be on
American Moment.

Everything you're
getting is great.

The characters are amazing.

Yeah. No, I mean, the
characters are unbelievable.

Ty is just a total firecracker.

And Granny deserves
her own show.

And then Abilene, I mean...

The more people hear her voice,

the more they're gonna
fall in love with her.

So if you think you can
tighten up what you have,

we can work it into
Sunday's episode.

Yeah. I... Absolutely.

I'd love to.

Wow. Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.

Can I ask what you're eating?

This is, um, Frito pie.

It's great sound.

What is that?

Uh, Frito pie

is when they cut
open a bag of Fritos

and they pour chili in it.

Then you eat it out of
the bag with a fork.

Ugh. That is disgusting.

Yeah, in a good way.

Ben, are you there?

Ben, did I lose you?

What happened to you, son?

My Prius exploded.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, thank heavens.
Are you all right?

Hey.

- Yeah.
- Oh, look at that.

- Oh, hey.
- What happened?

- I'm fine.
- His car blew up, Mom!

Oh, it's so fucked up! This...

- Tyler Clayton!
- Sorry.

We're just so grateful
you're all right.

Oh, my God. What if you
were driving a real car

with gas and stuff?

Yeah.

Ben, this is a message
that we're getting close.

Or it's kids fucking around
for no reason with Tannerite.

I can't believe you're all here.

Well, where else would we be?

Come on. The girls are
waiting in the car.

Let's go.

- Hey, are you limping?
- No.

You sure about that?

- Come on, Mama.
- Yeah. His face looks all right.

- He's gonna be all right.
- Yeah, I seen worse.

Come on, buddy.

- How is everything?
- So good.

This is our friend Ben.

And this is his first
time at Whataburger.

- Let's have a toast.
- Thank you.

- To Ben. -Come on, to Ben.
- To Ben.

- Whataburger, Whataburger.
- To a good milkshake.

- Whoopah.
- Over there.

Thanks.

Well, what do you think?

I love this.

You do?

And it's always right there.

- Excuse me, Mama.
- Ooh.

Mm.

It's a Texas thing.

You're not supposed to do it,
but you're supposed to do it.

You're supposed to
take your lucky number,

but we figure every
number's lucky to somebody,

so we take all of 'em.

I won't tell Mike and Dan.

Like they'd do anything.

They'd say it was an accident.

Party tonight.

- Oh, what's the dress code?
- Ugh.

Broncos and buckle bunnies.

Ugh. You know, they're
seriously phoning it in

with the themes nowadays.

You want to come tonight?

You can borrow something
from my closet.

You're okay to go?

It doesn't stir up too
many feelings for you?

You gotta keep living life.

Like Catherine the Great said,

"You gotta get right
back under the horse."

Tyler Clayton.
- What?

I-I listened to that history
podcast you recommended.

I've got a question for you.

Have you got family in Texas?

No.

You do now.

- Isn't that right, everybody?
- Yes, ma'am.

Careful what you wish for, Ben.

One second.

Who's got a honey
thing over there?

- Um, I got some right here.
- Anybody? Mmm, mmm, mmm.

- Hey. What's up?
- Hey.

Your car blew up?

Are you okay?

Yeah. Yes.

I mean, I wish I got that
extra rental insurance

that no one ever
gets, but I'm fine.

Good. Well, listen,
I finished it,

and everyone loves it.

Thanks. What do you
mean "finished it"?

You're clearly in danger,

and you've already got
everything you need.

Well, I didn't solve the murder.

It's better this way.

You know, an ambiguous
ending without resolution.

That's... that's the secret
weapon with a story like this.

It gnaws at you.

It haunts you forever.

You never let it go.

No, there's more to it, Eloise.

I-I'm getting so close.

As much as we'd love to see you

- blown up for a story...
- No, no.

My conscience tells me

I have to choose a
person over a story.

No.

No, no.

Otherwise, it would take,
like, two years of therapy

to justify it, and...

I can't afford that on my plan.

Look, you're gonna
be huge from this.

Okay?

Come home.

- You remember?
- Hey, you.

Hey. Sorry about that.

Who was that?

Friend.

Was it Equinox Girl Cute?

Or was it Natalie Bumble?

Uh, it was, uh, my
podcast producer.

Uh, and everything's on track.

You're very sweet to ask.

I love you mucho.

We're so lucky
you found Abilene.

I really don't know
what she saw in me.

I do.

I get it. I totally get it.

- Heart sees heart.
- Oh.

You know, when I came down here
to spend time with Abby's...

"Crazy Texan family," right?

Yeah.

Uh, I never thought
it would be like this.

People can surprise you.

Yeah.

Like Abilene.

I mean, she was
full of surprises.

- Like Abilene.
- Mm-hmm.

Great reputation, but
a huge pill-popper.

What?

What'd you just say?

Mm. Put that in
your podcast, maybe.

Where'd you hear that?

The girls told me.

Ty told us not to say anything.

Are you fucking serious?

I thought you wouldn't
do this with me

if you knew that she was using.

You think?

Drugs was something Abilene did.

It's not who she was.

But it is how she died,

which is what we
were investigating.

I thought there
was more to this.

I thought that you and I
would get to know each other,

and that would be cool.

I... Maybe it was part
of the grieving process.

Denial?

Isn't that one of the
12 steps of grief?

It's five stages of grief,
12 steps to recovery,

but I understand
that everyone here

is more familiar
with the latter.

It's complicated.

It's not. It's
actually very simple.

Everything here is
actually really simple,

and maybe that's why
it took me so long

to understand it.

Well, I was following my heart,

and that's what
we do around here.

You follow your heart.

Yeah.

Well, maybe it's
time to look around

and ask yourselves how
that's working out for you.

Maybe you should try following
your brain for a change.

Because when you
follow your heart,

the Earth is flat,

climate change is a hoax,

vaccines contain microchips,

and Mexican drug dealers
killed your sister.

You invent these insane
fucking narratives

to explain why your
lives are such shit shows

because the truth is too
scary for you to face,

which is that you
did it to yourselves.

Do you know what people say
about you guys where I'm from?

- Let me guess. Bad things.
- No. Worse.

We say good things.

"We took them seriously

when we should've
taken them literally."

You're neither.

You're not serious people.

And maybe it's time for you all

to take us seriously
and literally

because where I'm from
is fun and interesting.

And the people are
rich and diverse,

and, meanwhile, your
town looks like this!

Bless your heart.

Oh, and I know what that means.

So you know what?
Bless your heart.

Bless your heart.
Bless all your hearts.

All your hearts can
go bless themselves.

Who are you to talk to us?

I had to drag you to
her fucking funeral!

Who are you?

If your car would've
blown up in Brooklyn,

would anyone... Anyone
come to help you?

First of all, I wouldn't have
needed a car in Brooklyn.

Second, if I had one, I doubt
it would've been blown up

by God knows who.

I don't understand you people.

"You people" is a
microaggression.

My apologies. Y'all.

"Y'all" is a cultural
appropriation.

Paris...

you accusing someone of
cultural appropriation

is cultural appropriation.

Why wouldn't you look after her?

Check in on her?

You wouldn't do anything
for her, would you?

That's right. I wouldn't.

I was hooking up with
different people,

and I assumed she was, too,

because I live in
the real world,

and that's what everybody does.

I tried to tell you
this when you called.

She wasn't my girlfriend.

She was just a girl in my phone.

Now you've been in a fight.

I don't know the whole story...

but life is complicated.

Even around here, if
you can believe that.

I'll tell you what I think.

I think people don't
do drugs for no reason.

They do drugs because
they're in pain.

Pain like...

like maybe caring for someone
who hardly knows your name.

So, I don't know, Ben.

But if you're still looking
for someone to blame

for what happened...

you may not have needed
to come all this way.

Bless your heart.

You were right, Eloise.

I was the story.

A self-absorbed know-it-all

thinks he's gonna figure
out the meaning of America,

and all he learns
is how empty he is.

I was the one living a myth.

They say you regret the
things you don't do.

I didn't love.

I have no story.

I guess that's the story.

I am the story, and
the story sucks.

The story is nothing.

I'm coming home.

I'm scared.

What are you scared of?

Ghosts.

Ghosts aren't real.

If they're not real, how come
everyone knows what they are?

They're real as an idea,
but they're not real, real.

That's what's scary about
ghosts, that they aren't real.

If ghosts were real,

they wouldn't be
scary at all, right?

We would just smile
and say, "Hi, ghosts."

Hi, ghosts.

Hi, ghost.

Wouldn't that be cool?

If when someone
wasn't there anymore,

there was still a
little piece of them

that could surprise
you sometimes?

Yeah.

But there's not,
there's nothing.

And that's what's
scary about ghosts.

That the little piece of someone

that feels like it
might still be there

isn't there at all.

Do you feel better?

No.

Me neither.

Thanks for listening.

I'm leaving tomorrow, Mason.

I love you mucho.

1-4-3-5.

What?

1-4-3-5.

It's what Abby
used to say to me.

She used to say,
"I love you mucho,"

but then she shortened it.

So it was kind of
like a secret code

'cause that's the
number of letters

in "I love you mucho."

1-4-3-5.

Hello?

This is beautiful.

What is?

What you just recorded.

Your concluding piece.

It's what we talked
about from the beginning.

It's disconnection, myth...

Uh, stories are always
personal, but...

this is you.

You know, it's so you.

It's kind of... everyone.

You didn't lock
that yet, did you?

No, not till the morning.

It's on the server if
you want to check it out.

Great, great. Uh, just-just
don't touch it tonight.

There's, uh... It's not 100%.

There's a tiny
piece I'm gonna add.

No, don't touch it. It's great.

You're only gonna
fuck it up. Don't.

Where are you right now?

Uh, I'm in an Uber.

Well, anyway, good job.

People are gonna love this.

I didn't know you had it in you.

Or maybe I did.

Heart sees heart, right?

Okay, all right.

All right, just wait till
the morning, okay? Okay, bye.

♪ I won't be your chosen one ♪

♪ I'll just be your fire ♪

♪ I won't be your favored son ♪

♪ I'll just be what you desire ♪

♪ I won't be your superman ♪

♪ But I'll be your fear ♪

♪ I won't be your
promised land ♪

♪ I'll just be the
voice you hear ♪

♪ Ooh, shot, better
run and hide ♪

♪ Ooh, shot, got
an evil eye... ♪

- Don't go anywhere.
- Yes, sir.

♪ 'Cause, ooh, shot,
got an evil eye, yeah ♪

Look at him!

Fuck yeah. Texas Tech
fireworks, bitch.

Red and black, baby.

Are you shitting me?

I told you black fireworks
ain't gonna show, you jackass.

I can see 'em.

Oh. Hey.

It's the Longhorns fan.

How's your car, man?

You like what we did to it?

That was about football?

Jesus Christ.

What the fuck are
you doing here?

I got an invite.

- Oh, you're wearing my shit.
- Yeah.

What the fuck?

Okay, well, it's his hat, so...

You better be careful.

That's a loaded gun.

You keep your gun loaded?

You keep your phone charged?

- How'd you even get here?
- Mason drove me.

Who in the fuck is Mason?

Mason's your fucking brother.

I'd watch your back.

You don't have friends here.

Look who it is.

Look who it is.

- My friend.
- Look at you, bud.

How you doing?

How's that podcast coming?

I sent it in last night.

You're still here?

Still here.

Texas has a pull, doesn't it?

Kinda gets under your skin.

Hundred percent.

Why don't you turn
that thing on?

Got a story for you.

Fellas.

First drug law in the United
States passed in 1875.

The Chinese rail workers

- brought in the opium den.
- Mm.

And this country was
so anti-immigrant

that they banned the opium den.

- Not the opium.
- Hmm.

Right?

You ever hear anything
more American than that?

I mean, now we got
an opium epidemic

breaking out across
the heartland

with all the ceremony,
majesty, glamour

and fun's removed.

And-and that's what
people yearn for.

You see what I'm saying?

Do you think Gary Webb
would've won a Pulitzer today?

You know, I think you were
smart for staying here.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

That story about
Abilene, it's nice.

I think you were meant
to tell a bigger story.

Ask yourself, what part
of the country today

is it in certain
people's interest

to keep devastated, demoralized,

dependent and divided?

You got the opioid crisis,

nation in divide, civic unrest.

Why are all these things
happening at the same time?

What do you really
think is going on here?

Told you I had a story for you.

So what are you saying?

That it all connects?

That the conspiracy
theories are true?

What I'm saying is

people can sense the truth,

but they're grasping
for the facts.

See, a myth is just a
truth without facts.

That's why it comes out
all abstract, gnarled,

wrong.

Easy to dismiss and ridicule.

Nobody listens to them

because they don't
have the facts.

But I do.

And you, Ben...

Yeah.

The whole damn world
will listen to you.

Where are they going?

Afterparty.

The Afterparty.

Tell me about that.

I mean, people overdose a
hundred times a day, Ben.

That's a fact.

But they can't do it in a
place where it's gonna be

a problem for people
like you and I. Hmm?

That's what happened to Abilene.

Abilene?

I mean, she died at
a party like this.

I thought you
finished that story.

Oh.

This is just for us.

Well, it's not a very
good story anyway.

Oh, she was a drug addict.

She OD'd.

Then she tried to call 911.

Oh. In Texas, we don't call 911.

Yeah, I've heard that.

They record all those calls.

We gotta be very careful
about what gets recorded.

Yeah. You do.

It's all that's left of us.

The recordings.

And people like
you and I, Abilene,

everybody posting photos
of every part of their day,

we trade in our entire lives

for the tiny pieces
that get recorded of us.

Abilene tried to call 911.

You didn't let her. Then what?

Oh, boy.

Don't get distracted.

You gotta admit, that's
a hell of a distraction.

That is... That's kind of like

the very definition
of distraction.

- Abilene.
- ♪ Abilene. ♪

- Abilene.
- ♪ Abilene. ♪

What happened to Abilene?

Do you believe in ghosts, Ben?

I got a call from
a ghost earlier.

Kind of thought I'd
be seeing you today.

What happened to her?

Why do you care so much?

Why do you care so little?

She overdosed.

Instead of helping her,

you dragged her
to the Afterparty,

which is a spot with
no cell reception

at the exact intersection

of four overlapping
law jurisdictions

where you knew her death

would just become an
anonymous statistic.

Hmm.

It's well said.

Very succinct.

Yes. That's exactly
what happened.

Brilliant.

You got it.

You got it all.

That's a story about America.

Let me know if you need
me to rerecord anything.

Or, like, rephrase things.

I can do that, too.

What?

Oh, come...

You and I are gonna
be sitting on a panel

talking about this. I
want it to be great.

We both know how
this works. Right?

Yeah, I-I mean, at first,

everyone's gonna think
you got your bad guy.

Nobody's gonna let
it be that simple.

Everyone's gonna have
to have their take

'cause that's how it works now.

Everyone has a take.

See, if you don't have a
take, you don't have a voice.

If you don't have a
voice, you don't exist.

So yeah, at first,
everyone's gonna blame me.

But then someone's gonna
say, "Wait a second."

There's a big difference
between leaving somebody to die

and killing somebody.

Then they're gonna turn to you.

What were you doing
here in the first place?

What was your
relationship with her?

Why would you exploit
her grieving family?

Those...

Those characters.

I mean... I mean, that's
what they're gonna be.

Famous characters.

Not famous people.

And then they're gonna
blame the family.

Oh, I hope they're
ready for that.

They'll blame the president.

The last president.

And then they'll start in
with the conspiracy theories.

You know, and someone will
refute the conspiracy theories,

and then one side will make
their version like their cause.

And the other side will
take the other side

just to take the other
side and on, and on.

Until your story proves

the defining truth of our time.

Which is what?

Everything means everything.

So nothing means anything.

Some things mean something.

Yeah?

Like what?

Abilene?

You didn't care about her.

You came here for yourself.

For recording.

And then you heard her music.

And you saw her photos.

The record of her.

And that's what you care for.

A recording.

Not a person.

We are all...

just inspirations

for the record of ourselves.

You and I both know it.

You got your opus.

And that's what matters.

But Abilene?

The person?

Come on.

She was just some girl.

That's the truth, Ben.

Hundred percent.

♪ Drive fast ♪

♪ I can almost taste it now ♪

♪ L.A. ♪

♪ I don't even have
to fake it now ♪

♪ You were like so sick ♪

♪ Everybody said it ♪

♪ You were way ahead of
the trend, ge-get it ♪

♪ "Elvis is the
best, hell yes" ♪

♪ "Honey, put on
that party dress" ♪

♪ Like ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, ah ♪

♪ You make me crazy ♪

♪ You make me wild ♪

♪ Just like a baby, spin
me round like a child ♪

♪ Your skin so ♪

♪ Golden brown ♪

♪ Be young ♪

♪ Be dope, be proud ♪

♪ Like an American ♪

♪ Ooh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Like an American ♪

♪ Ooh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Everybody wants to go fast ♪

♪ But they can't compare ♪

♪ I don't really want the rest ♪

♪ Only you can take me there ♪

♪ I don't even know
what I'm saying ♪

♪ But I'm praying for you... ♪

We got a report of
a possible overdose.

4940, Afterparty.

Ambulance en route.

A 911 on a Saturday night?

Bullshit.

People.

Got a report.

Quentin Sellers
shot in the head.

Q?

I never thought of that
guy as accident-prone.

♪ Let's get wild tonight,
check your heart at the door ♪

♪ That ain't what
tonight is for ♪

♪ It's an old times,
good times... ♪

♪ Gonna send you this
text when I get signal ♪

♪ I'll know just the words
to say when I do... ♪

I heard that y'all made up.

Yeah.

And I understand that was
quite a party last night.

I wasn't there.

That's right, you weren't.

But...

I heard it was a
pretty good party.

I've... very much enjoyed
being in your home.

You're gonna need a ride.

That's true.

My car is, uh...

What are your plans
when you get back?

Guess I have to
find a new story.

After all that?

What about all that
stuff with Abby?

I think that
story's just for us.

Oh.

That's nice, too.

No regrets.

I never understood that.

No regrets.

I mean, how do you...

In my life, everything
starts with a regret,

ends with a regret.

In between, regrets.

It's all regrets.

You run as fast as you
can from the last regret

and, of course,
you're just running

straight into the next one.

That's life.

It's all regrets.

That's what they should say.

No other way to be alive.

It's all regrets.

Make 'em count.

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