Original subtitles

Andrea, wake up.

Andrea!

Spare my theatrics.

If you're going to kill us, just get over with anyway.

Carl Jung didn't create the idea of individuation. The idea that you must

become your own authentic self in order to find peace, that's not unique to

psychology. That is the basis of storytelling, of myths.

Take the story of Hercules, who was driven mad by the wicked Hera. He seeked

to regain his inner peace through atonement, through his 12 labors. But

remember, atonement, that requires the abandonment of self.

Are the higher powers that you ascribe to, or super ego?

And the baser urges controlling, you called?

Anyone? It's not a trick question.

Very good, Mr. Gibbs.

Very good, Mr. Gibbs.

By slaying both, you, you open yourself up to the truth of the universe,

and you open up...

The truth inside of yourself.

And the truth appears to be that I'm out of time. So thanks for letting me know.

As always, my lecture will be on my YouTube channel. And don't forget your

reading. Chapter 6 in the textbook.

Hey, do you want to grab a smoothie or something?

Um, you go on ahead. I actually have to ask Professor Jackson a few things about

my last essay.

Next time, though.

Okay. Yeah, next time.

I'll see you at the house then.

What are you doing here? I got on the road a little early to surprise you. My

boy, look at you.

I turn around for one second, literally one second, and you grow up just like

that?

And where did these muscles come from? You got full.

What, the kids don't say full anymore?

Nope. Mom.

Did I do that? Yeah, you did.

Look, I've managed to go four years here without being bullied, and I don't want

to screw it up at the finish line, so just try not to get me trending for the

wrong reasons, okay?

Okay, fair. I can do that.

So, uh, should we get out of here before I make it any worse?

Yes. You direct, I drive.

Ethan, this place is huge!

Your scholarship pays for all of this?

I do have a roommate. Okay, but still, it's cute. Like, really cute.

Yeah, maybe lower your expectations just a teeny bit.

So, in my defense, I thought that you were getting here a lot later.

And, yeah, we might have had a small party last night.

Look, I'd love to sit here and lecture you about how me and your dad spend

every night at the library studying, but then I'd be lying.

I'm just happy you're finally making friends.

Yeah, well, um, come on, I'll show you the rest of the place.

Wow.

Thanks.

So, where's your roommate?

She stayed behind to talk to our professor.

Gee, okay there, Casanova. Yeah, please don't ever call me that again. And we're

just friends.

You, uh, sure about that?

Yeah, that was at her birthday party, and it was totally...

Hey, hey, hey.

It's okay. I was just teasing.

Take your time.

Choose your phrase.

I'll wait.

Um,

it was totally... spontaneous and platonic, okay? So, please, please,

don't make this weird.

The last thing I want is for Emma to think that I'm some friend-zoned incel.

I don't know what half of that means, but got it. Message received.

You have barely stuttered since I got here.

Hey, no, I'm serious. You have made such huge strides, Ethan.

And not just with the stutter, with friends and confidence and the muscles.

It feels like you've really come under your shell this year.

You know, I'm trying.

I want to be someone strong and dependable.

Like Dad.

He'd be really proud of you, Ethan.

I know he would.

So, do real men know how to cook?

Oh,

the potatoes look good.

Try this. I don't know. There's something missing.

Well, that is briny.

You thought using less salt?

Okay, one, that is not helpful. And two, that is still not helpful.

Paprika. Mom needs more paprika.

Oh, paprika. It's happening.

It's happening. It's finally happening.

Ethan's mom.

Hi. Sorry.

Hi. I thought you were going to come in later.

Andrea, right?

How was the drive?

It was good.

And you must be the roommate. Nice to meet you. So what's happening exactly?

Right. So, Professor Jackson is having a faculty party at his place tonight.

Only his favorite students get to go, and I snagged us two invites.

No way! Wait, tonight? As in tonight, tonight? As in tonight, tonight.

I can't.

Mom came all this way. I can't abandon her. Hey, hey, no. Don't worry about me.

I survived four years of an empty nest. I think I can deal with a single night.

Well, what if you came with us?

Oh, no.

That's sweet, but I couldn't. Of course you could. I have a spare dress that you

could borrow, and I'm sure Professor Jackson would want to meet the woman who

raised Ethan.

I don't know. I mean... Okay!

Yeah! Let's do this!

Hey! Oh, uh, but first, dinner!

Right. Dinner.

Come in!

Wow, you are rocking that dress.

Sorry, would you mind helping me with the class? I'd ask Ethan, but... He has

total sausage fingers.

Right?

These look a little painful.

Love can be both gentle and firm.

Or at least that's what he says.

Oh. Right.

And while we're on the topic, I just wanted to say, you've raised an amazing

son.

I really care about him a lot.

As a friend.

Let him down gently, okay?

Of course.

I wrote him a letter explaining it all and how much he means to me, but I've

just been too scared to give it to him.

He's a grown-up.

He can take it. Trust me.

Really? Mm-hmm.

Ooh, look at you.

When did you learn to dress like this?

Well, Professor Jackson says that the suit doesn't make the man, but I think

it definitely helps.

Oh, 100% it helps.

So, should we get going then? Uh, yeah. Maybe just give me five minutes. I've

got to take care of something real quick.

Yeah, yeah. Take your time.

Hey, thank you.

Well, he is a best-selling author. Plus, I heard his wife is from some serious

old money, like Summers in the Hamptons money.

Yeah, no kidding.

Okay, let's do this.

Hi. Hi.

So glad to meet you.

My son, Ethan, has been talking about you nonstop.

Alan Jackson, right?

The cloakroom attendant, ma'am. Can I take your cloak?

If I ever embarrass myself like that again, I want you to put me out of my

misery on the spot. We'll call it a mercy kill.

I will make it painless.

You're a good son.

Ethan! Emma! You made it!

Thanks for inviting us. We're really happy to be here.

Um, Professor Jackson, this is my mom, Andrea.

Alan! It's a pleasure. Hi! You have such a lovely home.

Ethan! Emma! Get over here and help settle the debate.

You've been summoned.

Go on, we'll be fine.

Um, I wanted to thank you for looking after Ethan this year.

I know he absolutely adores you.

Personally, I don't think he needed to be looked after at all.

In the wild, for example, male chimpanzees, when they're overly

attached to their mothers, they become nervous, even neurotic adults.

And often...

These disabilities result in them being ostracized by their tribe or even

killed.

You're aware that his stutter is a neurological disorder, right?

He developed it when he was three.

I'm just making an analogy.

Well, since we're bringing up random animal facts that have no bearing on

humans, did you know that the lowest-ranking female hyena is still

above the highest-ranking male?

Fascinating, right?

Great party, Alan.

Well, I know the cut of a Stanford woman when I see one. Tell me, my dear, what

is your alma mater?

Plot twist, I dropped out.

That was amazing.

I would pay money to watch you shoot down Professor Reinhardt again.

Shoot him down? Was that a come on?

Yeah. Okay, but he's married.

And when has that ever stopped a creepy man before?

I'm Kate.

I'm Alan Jackson's TA. And Andrea.

Ethan's mom.

Which isn't nearly as impressive as a PhD.

Oh, please.

Don't feel bad that your name doesn't have a bunch of letters after it.

These people can't function outside of their ivory towers.

Of course, it must seem like that from the outside.

But those ivory towers serve a purpose.

They offer a platform.

Legitimacy.

Without his tower, my husband would be a no-one.

And how could he live like that?

I will get us some extra champagne glasses.

Thank you, dear.

Don't talk to me like I'm a child. I can't. I won't. This is our future.

I don't know.

It sounded like Emma was having an argument with someone at the top of the

stairs. Okay, right.

Why don't you tell me more about the victim, then? Was she well-liked? Yeah,

yeah. So, no grudges, no enemies, no one who would wish her any harm?

Well, I can't say for sure.

Ethan?

No,

no. Everyone loved her.

And where was the professor during all this?

Jackson?

Why? Is he a suspect?

No, we're just trying to account for everyone. That's all.

You know, in cases like this, it's almost always an accident.

Hey, I made pancakes.

Uh, I don't, um, I don't think I'm handling this well.

Like, at all.

I just... I just... Still can't believe that she's

gone.

I know how it feels.

Believe me, I do.

When your dad died in college, I thought I was losing my mind.

I didn't sleep.

I didn't eat.

I dropped out.

But... You have to believe me when I say this.

It gets easier.

But you need to give it time.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, uh... I should probably get some food in my system.

You think the pancakes are still warm?

Dude, I will make you a whole new batch if they're not.

Are you sure you want to go to class today?

A weekend isn't very much time to grieve.

You could even take the semester off if you want.

Yeah, I'm not doing that.

What? I'm not?

I'm a psych major, and Professor Jackson's classes are the last credits

that I need to graduate.

Trust me, once you drop one of his classes, he never lets you back in.

Yeah, honey, I think Jackson, of all people, will understand.

What is it?

Her parents texted me.

They said they'll let me know about the arrangements.

All right, of course.

They must be going through so much right now.

Oh, shoot.

I gotta go soon. Class is starting.

Hey, you want me to drive you?

Trust me, you shouldn't be alone with your thoughts right now.

Okay, yeah.

Yeah, I'd like that.

to be okay no but i'll manage there's no bigger disgrace than your mind giving up

when your body is still willing is that something your professor says or markets

release i'll get through this mom i'm not a kid anymore let's get

i want to apologize for the way i behaved the other night despite all the

lectures and the talks that i give i'm not always the most in-depth

conversation i often overstep and for that i'm sorry

You're referring to what you said about Ethan's stutter.

I'm a psychologist, not a speech pathologist, and I didn't realize that

fluency disorders, they're more of a product of nature than nurture.

And I was wrong to insult your parenting.

Clearly, you're an intelligent and capable woman who raised an excellent

son.

Thank you.

Really, I mean that.

I'm going to...

Say a few words about Emma.

Would you like to stay?

Yeah.

Sure.

Now, as many of you have heard, one of our own has passed away.

Emma McKee.

It was a tragedy.

But death always is when it comes to us.

But hers was a singular intellect.

I think bright would be an understatement.

She was incandescent.

And the world is darker for her passing.

But when confronted by darkness, we must learn to turn back to the light.

The people who are still with us today.

As I always say, love must be both.

Gentle and firm.

So over the coming days, I want you to tell the people in your life that you

love them.

And remember to hold them firmly.

Do you mind if I get in there?

Yeah, no, please.

Go ahead.

I know this is really random, but can I actually get a few minutes of your time?

Uh, yeah, yeah, of course.

Why don't we take it in my office?

So how are you doing?

After the other night?

It was pretty... Well, it was horrific.

I've had nonstop nightmares about it.

Yeah.

We're getting through it.

Ethan hasn't exactly processed it all yet.

He's more worried about Jackson's approval than taking the time to

actually grieve.

Which is what I wanted to talk to you about.

Jackson.

This is gonna sound crazy.

But I heard him say a few things and it just made me wonder.

Has he ever been inappropriate with any of his students?

You are going to need to keep your voice down.

Because those kind of accusations have ruined careers around here, and I cannot

be caught in that crossfire.

Jackson is my boss, and I have spent the better part of six years under him.

If I give him any reason to fire me, then that's me and my research just

done.

What if I told you he was seeing Emma McKee?

And that my gut tells me there's more to her death than meets the eye.

Okay.

There have been rumors.

Jackson wasn't always a public figure.

He was just a brilliant Jungian psychologist, but the podcasts and the

TV shows, they allowed him to help a lot of people, but the fame, it changed him.

He's become more extreme in his views and in his relationship with his

students.

What does that mean? What happened?

Andrea, please.

Can I at least get a name?

I'm begging you.

My son idolizes that man.

And if he's in danger, then I need to know.

Fine.

A few years ago, a student got mixed up with Jackson and...

And got hurt.

Pretty bad.

But if anybody asks, I did not give you this address.

And I don't want any part in it.

Got it?

Thank you.

Really.

Thank you.

Oh, and Andrea.

Please don't come into this office again.

And yes, reading is mandatory.

Education is a gift. Don't squander it away on chat GPT.

Mr. Gibbs, a word.

I'm surprised to see you today.

I understand that you and Emma were close.

Yeah, we were roommates and best friends.

But I told myself if I didn't...

If I didn't begin my day now, then I might never get out of bed again. So

here I am.

I know how heavy grief can be.

But many men of myth, they've been made stronger by carrying that burden.

You know, I run this little boxing gym on the side. And we're all getting

together tonight.

We're going to play some pool.

Why don't you come along?

Uh, yeah.

Yeah, I'd like that.

Thanks. Yeah.

You free your dogs? No. Well, you should be. That's why I got the damn ready. Go

on. Inside.

Go on.

It's not... I'm sorry. Are you Lynn Thomas?

I am.

Who's asking?

I'm Andrea Gibbs.

I was wondering if I could talk to you about your son.

No. Please, please, please.

Please. Just hear me out.

My son, he's a student under Jackson.

And last week, one of his friends died.

A girl.

And I think she was having an affair with Jackson.

And I'm worried that... I'm worried that Jackson might have killed her.

And have you made any of these allegations public yet?

Okay, then do yourself a favor and don't.

Because he'll set his fans on you, and believe me, they are rapid.

They will run you out of town just like they did me.

We'll talk in broken windows, threatening calls, arson.

You name it.

I'm sorry, are you saying that Jackson's fans are violent?

You're damn right I am.

Now, I went to the police.

And they didn't catch any of the boys in the act.

And they didn't dare bring any charges up against Jackson and risk kicking

things off at the college.

So you want my advice?

Take care of your own.

It's the last mother you can do.

And your son?

What happened to him?

Don't you be coming back here any day soon.

That dog can still bite.

Sorry, I was longer than expected. I was thinking we could order out tonight,

maybe watch a movie.

As much as I would love to hang out with my mom tonight.

You're going out.

Hence the sarcasm.

And the shirt.

It's just that thing with Professor Jackson.

He's inviting me out to play if you're around the pool with him. I think he

just wants me to get my mind off things. Yeah, yeah, of course.

Look, Ethan.

You're an adult now, and I'm not going to sugarcoat this.

But I'm not sure Jackson is exactly mentor material, you know?

Yeah, it sounds like you're trying to sugarcoat things to me.

Okay, fair point.

I just heard he's been inappropriate with students.

Whoa, Mom. I'm just repeating what I heard. Right, exactly. Okay, so you're

repeating based off of a rumor when you could be doing your own research and

then basing it off of facts.

The fact is that Professor Jackson is a really good teacher, and Dad would have

liked him.

Okay. I think I know the person Dad would have liked, and trust me, Jackson

isn't it.

Cool. And I know who I want to hang out with, so enjoy the rest of your night by

yourself. Ethan!

Hi.

What can I get for you?

Do you have any sour beers?

Oh, honey, we are old school here.

We have two choices.

Lager or ale.

Uh, I'll take a lager, please.

That'll be 60.

I'm ready.

Thanks.

Cheers, Josie.

You got it, bro.

You're Ethan, right?

Uh, yeah.

And you are?

Brock, I was a psych major just like you. Wrote my final paper on Becker and

the denial of death.

No way. I'm writing on Becker, too. He's dense, right?

But anything worth learning is always hard.

Yeah, exactly.

Come on.

Professor's waiting for you in the back.

Ethan, you made it. Have a seat.

Sit.

These men, they're all part of the gym. Some of them work there.

Some of them just like to throw a punch.

But they're all good men.

If you ever need someone to talk to, if you ever need a roof over your head, you

come see us, okay? You come see me.

Yeah, thanks. That means a lot, especially after Emma.

Good man.

It's Ethan.

All right.

Let's get a game started.

Sex, violence, and Alan Jackson.

Why I dropped out of KPI.

You were seeing it, Emma.

Let's chat.

If you want to know more, come to the X parking lot.

Tonight, 10 p.m.

Bring the phone.

We're sorry, Ethan, but it's going to be a small family-only service in Vermont.

You understand, right? Yeah, no, I get it. We'll come down at the end of the

month to pick up...

Right, of course. Thank you.

Derrick Smith!

It's a brand new Tim! It was an accident. I'm sorry. I didn't see you.

You're freaking dumb as well as blind, man!

Say that again.

I didn't... Say that to my face.

You're a tough guy now.

Yeah, yeah, I'm tougher than you.

We'll see about that.

Help him up.

Now I get you. Knock it off!

Now, I like this place.

And I think the couple who runs it are good, hard-working people.

And I don't want an inconvenience there.

You understand what I'm telling you?

Then get out!

Took your first punch before we even got into the ring.

That deserves a drink.

Hello?

Hello?

Get the phone. Don't let it get away.

Robin, you certainly wasn't a brody if you still have your bag.

Is that supposed to be a consolation prize?

Now, are you going to open an investigation into Jackson or not? Let's

go over this one more time, shall we?

You go through Emma McKee's room, grab a flip phone that was on the desk, and

text the only contact that was in it. That I knew was Jackson, and I knew they

were having an affair.

And did the person on the other side confirm any of this?

What? No. And did either of those men tonight look like Jackson?

You really think it's a coincidence that I accuse Jackson of sleeping with a dead

student and then nearly get abducted as a result?

There are many reasons people get a burner phone.

Illegal reasons that make them just as desperate, if not more, to get the phone

back. Are you saying that because you believe it?

Or are you too scared to investigate Jackson?

Maybe. Just maybe.

You could try looking at this from my perspective, huh?

This here is a college town.

They pay for everything here, from fire trucks to ambulances.

And if I were to announce an investigation into a student's death at

their star professor's house, well, I better have the facts to back that up.

And did you not have the facts when Lynn Thomas came to you?

Good to know you're on the case, Sheriff.

Ethan? What?

Sorry, you left the front door open. And what happened to your face?

I'm fine, Mom, really. I just got into a little fight, that's all.

Did Jackson do this?

Did my professor punch me in the face?

Obviously not. He helped me.

Where were you at midnight?

Oh, sorry. I was at the police station and... Wait, what? Why?

Well, it was this whole thing. I found a phone in Emma's desk.

Well, okay, what?

And I texted it, and then I had a run-in with these guys who tried to rob me.

But I'm okay.

It's really, it's fine. I'm okay.

Wait, does any of that make sense?

You break into a dead girl's room, my best friend's room, and for what?

To be mugged? Ethan, please calm down. No, no, don't tell me to calm down.

I need... I need space.

I hate this.

Don't you see? I hate being like this. I hate not being in control.

I hate Big Wig!

Miss Gibbs, my lecture doesn't start for another hour, but you can join us if

you'd like.

And is the topic on drinking with vulnerable students?

You're lucky I was there to pull him out of that mess.

Really? Because I feel like you were the one who put him there in the first

place. Or do you really think it was a good idea to invite a grieving 22-year

-old out to a bar?

You're lashing out at me, and it's called displacement, but I'm not the

reason you're angry. Please.

I am angry because my son looks up to you.

A man who has a history of bullying and harassment.

A man who, if I'm being perfectly honest, was probably sleeping with

Ethan's roommate and was willing to send mass men after me to make sure I didn't

tell anyone.

Intro to American fiction is down the hall.

And you can take your claims there.

Can we talk?

Andrea, I told you not to come here again. So unless it's an emergency.

Someone tried to abduct me last night. So yeah, I think that counts.

Okay. Okay, follow me.

After that, they got in the van and they sped off.

I called the police right after.

Okay, this is bad.

This is like really, really bad.

I know it's not the same, but I feel like what happened to Lynn is now

happening to me. Yeah.

And it's probably the same people, too.

Jackson has this club or gym outside of the college.

And the boys who work and train there, they have a reputation for doing stupid

stuff.

Dangerous stuff.

Okay, well, who are they? Let's go get them. Andrea, Andrea.

I don't know.

We're not exactly close, Jackson and I.

If anything, it's more of a relationship of convenience at this point.

Okay, but...

Where does that leave me? What am I supposed to do?

Jackson is a serial manipulator.

If he wants to cover up the affair, that means he's going to go after Ethan.

He's going to try and get him on his side.

He'll get Ethan to give him whatever evidence is left inside the house. And

in order to do that, he'll need to isolate Ethan from friends, family, and

you. Andrea, that's not going to work.

ethan and i are close we always were i think he already

is he posted this lecture earlier what is a good

mother a good mother is one who can let go she is willing

to sacrifice her son so that he can go up in the world

and grow up

And so that he can be reborn.

See, these women, they stand in contrast to the bad mother.

And trust me, I've been dealing with one of yours lately.

And she puts all the other mothers to shame.

She's often in the fairy tale.

She's the archetypal stepmom who would rather lock her child up in the tower

than to let him risk the open world.

Some of the students are...

What are they talking about, Ethan?

They're... One of him.

What?

That's Ethan's address.

Someone posted Ethan's address in the comments.

I'm sorry, I have to go. Wait, wait, Andrea.

That's my number.

Call me if you need me, okay?

Ethan? I'm busy.

This is serious.

Someone posted your address on Jackson's video, and there are kids dropping

literal garbage on your doorstep.

Oh, wow. How will we ever survive?

I'm sorry. Are you going through a second puberty right now?

Or do you not care that your hero's army of fans have just doxxed you?

And yes, I know what that word means.

Cool. And just curious, who was it who Professor Jackson mentioned in that

video?

Who embarrassed me in front of the entire lecture hall?

You think I'm in any way to blame?

What are you doing with those? Those are Emma's.

Professor Jackson wants to review some of her writing.

He's going to make a video commemorating her.

Ethan, do not give him those notebooks.

Why? What does it matter to you?

Okay, you want to know what really happened to me last night? I wasn't

robbed. I was almost abducted. What? What are you talking about? All because

I grabbed a phone from Emma's desk and accused the person on the other line of

having an affair with her, and I think that person is Jackson. You're lying.

They would never do that. He would never do that. You're a liar. Ethan! Get out!

Get out of my house!

Everything broke once you got here.

So I want you gone.

Ethan, I am your mom.

And I'm not going anywhere until I know you're safe.

And I am.

A real man doesn't make way for anger or discontent.

Marcus Aurelius, if you were wondering.

Right. Because who can't relate to a dead Roman emperor?

You know, me and some of the boys from the club are meeting up later.

If you're interested.

Unless you've really got it out for that sign.

What are we doing?

We're going to do a little work for the club.

Get hyped, boys.

We're on a mission tonight.

What does this have to do with the gym exactly?

Think about it like two sides of the same coin.

The professor's on one side and the gym, huh?

We're on the other.

But sometimes the other side needs help. The gym needs money and equipment.

The professor needs a problem to go away with a bat.

Speak softly.

Carry a big stick.

How's FDR?

Especially the wrong Roosevelt you got there. Teddy Roosevelt, his cousin.

Look, all we're gonna do, all we have to do is talk. Nothing else.

But it's a free country, okay?

So...

You can either stay by the truck or you can come with us and man them.

Okay.

All right, let's do this.

Mr.

Stevens, good evening.

Good evening.

What's this all about? We're here to talk about a recent complaint to the

college regarding Professor Jackson.

What about it? We'd like you to withdraw it.

Withdraw it?

Is that it yet?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll withdraw it.

That's great to hear, sir.

That's your boy, though. Excuse me.

Mr. Steve.

Yeah.

Don't make us come back tomorrow.

Right.

Okay. You take care, sir. Take care.

Hey,

out of the garden. Let's be respectful now.

I'm in. Let's go.

You had the coolest time. That's good.

What does Jezebel even mean?

In the historic sense, she was a queen who probably rubbed people the wrong way

for having too much control over her husband and sons.

And in the non-historic sense?

It's a word men yell when women won't put out.

Oh, right. I think I'm getting the picture now.

Now... Are you going to do something about this, or are you going to tell me

that you still need more facts?

I'll speak with the professor.

That's not good enough, and you know it.

Look, you took an oath to protect the people, not the college.

So why won't you do your job?

Thanks for all your hope.

Lynn Thomas?

She drank pretty heavily back in the day.

What did that have to do with anything?

That's why we didn't bring any charges on Jackson.

I needed a witness.

And I only had two choices.

Lynn or her son.

But her son, Dan, he refused to speak out against the professor.

And Lynn?

She could blow a .25 on the best of days.

Any defense lawyer would tear to bits on the stand.

That and considering the pressure the college was putting us under, it just

made more sense not to press charges.

Sorry, charges for what exactly?

Officially nothing.

Between you and me, Jackson left that boy with nine stitches and a concussion.

Look, I'll post a squad card to your neighborhood.

Try to keep you and your son safe.

And I'll start looking into Jackson discreetly.

But I don't think he had anything to do with Emma McKee's death.

But this?

This right here is exactly what his fans would do.

Right.

Thank you, Sheriff.

Really?

Andrea.

I'm not your enemy here.

So what do you say?

Truce?

Truce.

I'll give that to you.

Back it up, guys.

You sure you want me to drop you off here?

Yeah, it should be fine. Professor Jackson said that if I ever needed a

roof over my head, I could come to him.

Yeah, that sounds like him.

You know, when I was in college, I wasn't. Well, I wasn't like I am now.

I was overweight and angry.

No one wanted to be around me, especially girls.

When the professor invited me to work at his boxing club, I thought he was crazy.

But the blood, the sweat I shed there, the dedication, I learned how to be a

man.

I stopped letting my anger control me, and I learned to control it.

And I think you can too.

Are you inviting me to join your club?

Hey, I just work there. It's not up to me.

But I'll put in a good word.

You better get out there. We don't want them to think we're about to pull a B in

you. Right, yeah.

Thanks, man.

Anytime, brother.

Hi, Nora.

I know it's really late, but I'm going to be honest. I don't have anywhere else

to go.

You poor, poor thing.

To end up here, of all places.

Nora.

Let him in.

Thanks.

Professor, I'm really sorry to barge in. I just got into this huge fight with my

mom, and I... Sorry.

I thorned out.

You don't have to explain, okay? You're a guest here, and you

can stay as long as you'd like.

Thanks. Now!

Should we get started on that commemoration? Did you bring any of

Emma's writing?

Yeah. No book, yeah.

Look, I know you don't want to get involved, but I wouldn't call you if I

had a choice.

How bad has it gotten?

Someone tried to light Ethan's house on fire, so pretty bad.

Okay, that's an understatement. Look, I haven't heard from Ethan since last

night, and I'm getting worried.

I'm thinking of going to Lynn's to talk today.

Lynn would be ready to finally talk. Andrea.

Please, at some point, silence becomes complicity.

And I'm asking you to speak.

Okay, can you pick me up in ten minutes?

I'll be there in five. Perfect.

I like the hair.

Yes, thanks.

I assume you slept well.

Yeah. No, thank you for letting me crash here. It means a lot.

You left you a note, by the way.

Come to the warehouse on the 6th.

It's time to join us.

He doesn't care about you.

My husband.

He doesn't care about any of you.

Certainly not the last one.

Uh, who was the last one?

That is a conversation you should have with my husband.

There are croissants in the pantry if you're hungry.

No matter what my husband says, you're a boy, not a man.

And you're still growing.

Are you afraid of dogs?

Uh, no. Why?

That's why.

Go on. Go on, boy. Go on.

Sit back.

You again?

Please, wait.

What happened to you is now happening to me.

How about we talk?

Well, we're up to kidnapping and arson now, so, yeah, pretty bad.

Look at you.

You must have really rattled his cage.

Yeah, apparently.

And I know you don't want to get involved in any of this, but my son

Ethan didn't come home last night.

And at the rate all of this is going, I'm worried something seriously bad will

happen to him.

What do you want from me?

Let us talk with your son.

Just five minutes.

That's all.

So that I can make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to Ethan.

I... I want to help you, I do.

The answer is no.

I gotta protect my son.

But your son isn't the only one that was hurt here.

You're Jackson's TA, are you?

My name's Kate Harmon.

She's hurt me too.

Tried to make a pass on me.

Several passes.

And when I denied him, you know what he did?

He took it out on me.

He sold my research.

Denied me funding.

I've been a PhD student for ten years.

And I spent six years living under Jackson's thumb, surviving off of food

stamps. Because he's mad that I said no.

And at this rate, I don't think my thesis will even see the light of day.

Let them in.

Mom, I want to talk.

Come on in.

If it gets to be too much for you, I'll jump in.

I guess I should start by saying that Jackson, well, he has his favorites.

They're usually people who are useful to him.

You know, boys that'll big him up, and girls he finds, uh... You

want to be in that inner circle so badly, and he knows that.

He creates this atmosphere of, uh, competition.

Survival of the fittest.

What type of things does he make you compete over?

It starts small.

You compete for grades, for his attention.

And then once you have it, once he's got you in his sights, that's when he breaks

you down.

First, mentally, by making you believe all these crazy things about women,

about society.

And once you believe that Jackson is the only one that cares about you, It's when

he breaks you down.

Physically.

A baptism of pain.

That's what he calls it.

By physically, you mean? Dan kept coming home with all these injuries.

A few cuts here, a few bruises there. It started out small, and it got bigger.

We're talking black eyes, split lips.

Then one day, he didn't come home at all.

And I found him in the hospital with a concussion and nine stitches.

And Jackson did that?

Or his followers did that?

You can see for yourself.

There's a warehouse on 6th.

They meet there every Thursday night.

If you want to see what Jackson's really like, if you want to save your son, go

there.

I just, I don't get it, you know?

Like, why Dan?

Why Ethan? Or any of us?

Jackson has millions of dollars, a best-selling book, top-of-the-charts

podcast.

What does he want with any of these young people?

Honestly, I used to think it was because he was lonely.

They were the only ones who saw him the way he wanted to be seen.

Then when he tried to, well, that's when I learned the truth.

Some men just think that everything is theirs to take.

Even if you say no.

I am so, so sorry, Kate.

This whole time, I had no idea what he did to you.

It's not your fault.

I never told the college. I never told anyone before today.

When it all happened, I had this choice.

I could either continue to work for one of the most respected Jungian

psychologists in the field and just pray he never retaliated.

Or I could go public.

Say goodbye to my research.

Forever known as the woman that Jackson tried it on with.

The victim.

I couldn't do that.

You want to know what the most messed up part about it all is?

I think he knew that.

All along.

It is so thick what he's done to you.

And I can't believe you've been fighting this battle alone for so long.

Look, I'm going to drop you off before heading to the warehouse.

No, Adrienne, it's okay. I can come with you. No, it's not.

It's time to let someone else do the fighting now.

You scared?

What if I was?

Well, I'd say don't. If not death, a man should feel, but never live in profit.

More marks to release.

I'll take it.

What? Something on your mind?

No, I just... I'm on the key.

You all right?

Doesn't ring a bell?

Speaking of which, we should get you out there. Brock.

What was it like to, uh... Um... What was it like walking into the ring for

the first time?

It was hell.

But hey, look, just keep your hands up, chin tucked, and elbows tucked, all

right? Work the jab on them and watch the center line. You got it?

Showtime! Okay.

One of our own.

When we first met, you could barely get a word out.

Let alone throw a punch.

But seriously, joke aside, look at you now.

Tonight, you proved that you're more than just a man.

You're a warrior poet.

Do it!

Ethan tonight?

He's out with Brock.

Oh my, what capable hands you've left the poor boy in.

Look, Ethan, he shows promise and Brock is going to bring it out of him.

Promise? As what?

One of your online keyboard warriors?

Or do you plan to turn Ethan into another one of your hoodlums?

Have him harass the people who dare to see you for who you really are?

That's enough, daughter.

Why? It's not like you care about him.

No. The only ones you really care about are the girls you can bet. That's

enough!

I loved her.

So please, enough.

Just enough.

I thought that the girl dying for your so-called love would be enough.

But even then...

I still stood by you like your dutiful wife and told the police that I was

right by your side when it happened.

But where were you really, Alan?

My family.

My inheritance. My name.

I gave up everything to marry you.

You, the kind, quiet, academic lost in his books.

But that man is gone now. And what's left is this brute standing before me.

I'd divorce you if it didn't leave me penniless.

Nora?

Nora, wait!

Ethan, I wanted to tell you this for a long time, but I've always been too

scared to say it to you in person, so this is me trying to do it in writing.

The truth is, I don't feel the same way about you as you feel about me.

To me, you are the most amazing friend I could have ever asked for.

You're kind, you're smart, and you're really funny.

You cook amazing food, and you make watching even the worst movies fun.

And I'm not telling you all of this just so you feel better.

I'm telling you this because I never want you to change, Ethan.

Not even for me.

You are such an amazing person, and I know that one day someone will fall in

love with you for who you are.

And I'll be there to support you, too, every step of the way.

Your best friend, Emma.

In his desk?

I can't wait to share our love.

Emma wanted to go public with their relationship.

And in order to stop her, he jacked and pushed her.

Okay, what do we do?

Can we give this photo to the police?

I don't think we can.

Illegally obtained evidence can't be used in court, so... So we have to catch

him out.

He likes to think he's all calm and collected, but he's got a temper.

We've both seen it.

I just need to use it against him.

We need to use it against him.

I'm not letting you do this alone. Not this time.

Okay.

Ethan, I'm so happy to see you.

Someone did it last night. I tried to put it out as fast as I could.

What's with the suitcase?

Are you going somewhere?

Yeah, going to stay with a friend for a while.

You don't have to go, Ethan.

You were right. This is your home, and after tomorrow, I'll leave.

I'm sorry, okay?

Come on, Ethan. You're holding on too tightly.

You're an adult now, and I shouldn't try to protect you from everything. I can't.

But still...

I love you for who you are and anyone who doesn't.

Anyone who wants you to be anything other than who you are. Be careful of

them.

I'll love you forever, Ethan.

No matter what.

Andrea. I want to speak with you. How did you get this number? Be at the

lecture hall.

8 p.m. tonight.

And if you're not there, then this little photo of you and Emma goes

public. Andrea!

Hey, I'm the Nashville Hot. Right here, thank you.

And can I just say you have the prettiest eyes, honestly.

Thank you, I think.

Let me know if you need anything, okay?

Thank you.

Well, she definitely didn't like that.

Shut up, man. I don't see you exactly getting the chicks.

You don't exactly seem to check me out either.

At least I'm not stuttering like an idiot.

I'm joking.

Okay, it's a joke. I don't even know what your type is, man. Do you even have

one? Vons, redhead.

Yeah, I don't know.

Come on.

You know, I guess I just want someone to see me for who I really am.

So you want a lot of personality.

Come on, boys.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

The jog's coming in.

We might need to get this to go.

Whoa, whoa.

What, I can't go now?

Yeah, I get it.

You want to be part of the group?

But unlike the rest of us, the gym's not paying your bills.

So until you graduate...

Until the professor hires you for a few shifts, you're on an invite-only basis.

Right now, you're not invited.

And don't embarrass yourself with the waitress the way I did, all right? I'll

see you around.

Well.

Let's get this over with.

Alan Jackson, you've been hiding in the shadows for far too long.

If this is supposed to be a metaphor, it's a little too on the nose. I wonder

what people would say if they knew you like I do.

You don't know anything about me. Oh, I know who you are.

You're a bully.

No. A predator!

No! A brute!

And now the whole world is gonna see what I see. No!

I loved Emma. I loved her more than anything.

Stop.

Kate.

Why am I not surprised?

Any last words to say to the camera before we call the police?

I nearly replaced you once. I'm going to relish in the chance to do it again.

You're not going to have a chance to do anything.

They're going to lock you away for a long time.

I'm not going anywhere.

Is that being live streamed?

Huh? I thought not.

Take care of them.

No. Leave me alone. Leave me alone.

You didn't think I came unprepared, did you?

You're not going to get away with that. Let's finish this conversation somewhere

more hospitable.

Wakey, wakey.

I ran the theatrics.

If you're going to kill us, just get on with it already.

Boys, you can leave. I appreciate the hard work.

Don't worry.

I can take care of these two. Get out of here.

Now, to elicit of my demands, I want you to destroy

all physical and digital evidence.

My association with Emma McKay.

Association?

She was a child. She was a consenting adult.

And you killed her!

If I knew she was going to die that night, if I knew that my love was going

to kill her, I wouldn't have approached her in the first place.

But as a man, her death would be my burden to bear. Something neither of you

will ever understand.

Which brings me to my second demand.

I want peace.

And in order for me to have that, both of you have to leave this college and

this town and never come back.

You expect me to just abandon my research?

I don't expect anything, Kate.

I'm demanding it. Then what if we don't do what you want?

Then I do this.

Let go of my mom.

Mom's free.

Ethan, Ethan, call the police.

You better think about that, okay?

Ethan, think about what you're doing.

Not just about me, but all the young men out there, okay?

If you call the police, this movement ends with me. Do you expect me to not

call the cops after you pointed a gun at my own mom?

All they want is for crueler heads to prevail.

I heard what you said about Emma, about your relationship with her.

Why didn't you invite me out after she died?

Were you actually interested in me? Or did you just want to get me on your good

side because you were scared that Emma told me about your relationship?

Ethan! Ethan!

Ethan, wait!

I'm sorry, would you mind giving me a minute?

Yes.

I'm sorry. I tried to follow up on the campus. I tried to stop them before they

grabbed me, but I couldn't.

It's okay.

Everything's fine.

Just glad you're safe.

Glad you're safe, too.

So he'll go away for a long time because of this?

And we're going to add the assault of Dan Thomas to the list of charges.

This time we're pretty sure they'll stick.

They'll finally get justice.

That's the intention anyway.

This is a list of all the charges we plan to bring, along with the suggested

sentencing times.

There are no murder charges here.

Not even a single mention of Emma McKee. Look.

I know your interest.

You know, this started with Emma McKee's death, but all the evidence points to

their relationship being consensual.

I want to show you something.

Even though Jackson was able to destroy the burner phone, we were able to

retrieve some deleted messages from his own device.

He and Emma would meet regularly in the guest suite in Jackson's apartment.

And the moment she died,

That's exactly where he was.

Two floors down, waiting.

He even sent her a message, but I made him bring the phone with her that night.

He texted her, I'm waiting.

Which means there's no way you could have pushed her.

I know this isn't the answer you wanted, but it's the truth you need.

Thank you, Sheriff.

Please.

Time to go.

Hey.

How'd it go?

Yeah, it was, um, weird.

It didn't go down the way I thought it would.

Your makeup looks nice. Are you going somewhere?

The college called me in for a last-minute meeting, but I have a few

minutes. Do you want to come in?

Come on.

I can't believe you actually saw it.

Yeah, that makes two of us.

And did you seem, like, guilty?

No, which is the worst part.

It wasn't just about Ethan, you know?

I wanted Emma to have justice.

I wanted all the girls he hurt to get justice.

And now, I don't know if they will.

But maybe that's just life.

Sometimes people fall.

Okay, I have to go do my hair, but I'll be like five minutes. So just relax,

make yourself comfortable.

Yeah, no, take your time.

Why did they call you?

The college wants to fast track my PhD after last night.

Huh, I wonder why.

Right? But I'm not complaining if killing the self in Jungian psychology

finally sees the light of day.

Oh, good title.

Thank you.

It was an accident.

What happened? It was an accident.

We got into an argument at the top of the stairs.

Don't talk to me like I'm a child. I can't. I won't. This is our future.

I found out that our research topics were identical.

And Jackson, he was going to replace me.

I was angry and so I shoved her, but I didn't mean for her to fall down the

stairs.

let this go?

We did the world a favor.

Jackson ruined the lives. He ruined my life.

He deserved to rot in jail.

And did Emma deserve to die?

I'm sorry, Andrea.

Kate, no, no, no.

Kate, you don't have to do this.

Killing me will not solve your problems.

But it'll solve the biggest one.

This is the last one.

Maybe I should be the one doing the heavy lifting here.

Yeah, you are the one with the muscles.

What? I didn't say it.

So, should we do one last week before we go?

No, I think we're good.

You know, I'm going to miss this place and all the memories I made here.

Yeah.

You'll make more memories.

I know you will.

And I'm super proud of you for taking the semester off.

Doing the right thing.

You know, it feels right.

The college is willing to bend over backwards to accommodate me.

Yeah, well, they are super scared of a lawsuit right now.

So, should we go then?

Yep.

Where do you want to go for lunch? Are we doing Mickey D's?

Anywhere's good, really.

As long as I can get my protein.

I am trying to get yoked.