Original subtitles

Good evening.

Tonight, I can report to the American people

and to the world that the United States has conducted

an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,

the leader of Al-Qaeda...

NATHAN FIELDER: I've been really trying to take the human mind

really seriously.

The lives of everyone who flies on a plane may depend on it.

♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

...and defeat his network...

OFFICIANT: (ON TV) ...the nation's new princess could look back with such...

NATHAN: But I've become increasingly concerned

about doing so much unproven testing on pilots.

So, I thought it might be wise

to run some of my riskier experiments

on animals first.

After all, we did evolve from them.

- ♪ (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - Let's go.

NATHAN: Several months ago, I met a couple

who had recently cloned their dog.

The original dog's name was Achi... Achilles,

and his clones are named Apollo, Zeus, and Theseus.

Hi, lovelies.

Like, just look at that and, like, look at them,

and you're like, "Oh yeah, that's the same dog."

NATHAN: Apparently, this is an actual science thing

that can be done.

Never, uh, kissed a clone before.

- (MONIQUE LAUGHS) - (CHUCKLES)

MONIQUE: Achilles was our child. He was it.

He was our everything. And so when he passed,

I... I just said, "Let's do this."

Right away, "Let's clone Achilles."

Yeah. And we were blessed with three of him.

Three of the same dog.

NATHAN: But I discovered that dog owners who pay

upwards of 50,000 dollars

for the procedure of cloning a dead pet

are often unsatisfied with the results.

No, no, no.

- (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) - (DOGS SNARLING)

My impression initially was

that there were no similarities, in personality,

uh, between Achilles and these young guys.

- MONIQUE: They all look just like him. - NATHAN: Hmm.

There's just some things they can't control in a lab.

NATHAN: Which makes sense.

The DNA, or the "nature," might be the same,

but the original dog

had a completely different upbringing than the clones.

The "nurture" was very different.

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

- ♪ (DARING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - NATHAN: Present day, Monique and Bogdan

are raising their three clones

in the quiet and spacious town of Lone Tree, Colorado.

But when Achilles was growing up,

the couple lived in a cramped apartment

in the bustling tech mecca of San Jose,

where Bogdan worked for Intel and Monique mostly stayed home.

MONIQUE: So, at the time, I was just a pet mom,

just taking care of Achilles and my cats.

They were, like, my world. They were everything.

Back then, we could not have afforded to clone him.

- Or clone anything... - Clone anything.

...actually, back then. Yeah, not at all.

Sorry. I'm just saying.

So, yeah, this is all...

- What was that? - That was just...

- (CHUCKLES) - Oh, rubbing her?

- Yeah. - NATHAN: Oh.

Now, I'm gone from like 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Like, serious vampire hours.

NATHAN: She now works as a DJ, and Bogdan works from home.

Life is different for them now.

Look. Look at all the hair on Bogdan there.

- Yes. - Is that... what is that, a dartboard?

- MONIQUE: Yeah. (LAUGHS) - (BOGDAN REMARKS INDISTINCTLY)

- You have darts still? - Ah, no,

- I don't have that anymore. - No, we don't.

So, you were playing darts?

(HESITATES) Recreationally.

NATHAN: And this was the perfect opportunity

to experiment with a theory I had.

If you could have the clone of a dog

live the exact life that the original dog had...

Welcome to our stage.

Whoa. (CHUCKLES)

Oh, my gosh, that's exactly the chair I had.

- It is. - MONIQUE: It's the same remote.

Same remote.

NATHAN: ...experiencing the exact same upbringing,

would the personality of the new dog match as well?

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

- ♪ (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - So, this is the set of their apartment

from back then.

All right, guys, I want to introduce you.

- The... These are the actors... - Hi.

- ...that will be portraying you. - Hello.

- NATHAN: Come on in. - (GROUP GREETING)

MONIQUE: Bogdan always gets up at exactly 7:30.

Achilles and I would go for really long walks

'cause it was just quite pleasant.

BOGDAN: I prepared coffee.

One, two scoops. You know how it goes.

We had talked about having children a long time ago,

but he wasn't ready

because he was so new at the company.

And, uh, his ball would be right here with the kibble.

It was like, "Okay, he's not ready."

Okay. So I mean, either I fight it...

What... I mean, what do I do?

NATHAN: The clone we selected to experiment on, Zeus,

was still an impressionable puppy.

So, with actors working round-the-clock shifts,

the hope was that with enough time

living the life Achilles did at his age,

Zeus would basically become the same dog.

♪ (UPLIFTING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: For Zeus's experience,

setting this all in LA was helpful

because unlike the mountainous Colorado,

the altitude here was nearly an exact match

to Achilles's original home in San Jose.

- MONIQUE: Achilles! Oh! - (ACHILLES BARKING)

NATHAN: The only difference would be the smell of the city,

which was easy to match

by regularly collecting San Jose air using a compressor

and transporting it 350 miles via truck to LA.

That way, on Zeus's daily walks,

he'd smell the same thing Achilles did

- back in 2011. - (AIR BLOWING)

NATHAN: And with period-appropriate cars

and actors portraying tech moguls,

it was your average San Jose morning but in LA.

Oh, I'm so sad about Steve Jobs.

- He was a legend, huh? - Yeah, I know.

I had to miss the funeral, 'cause I overslept.

FAKE SAN JOSE PEDESTRIAN: Oh, that's right,

your IPO was at midnight. How'd it go?

NATHAN: I had planned to have Monique check in every week

- to see if Zeus was becoming more like Achilles. - I love you!

NATHAN: Her method of doing this

was to have a fake diabetic attack...

- (SIGHS) - ...because she said

that Achilles had a unique reaction

when she had a real one.

He barked and he barked and he licked at me

and he tried to wake me up.

(SIGHS) Come here. Call Daddy.

(SMACKS LIPS)

NATHAN: But no matter how many times

she pretended to die...

(SIGHS)

...Zeus didn't seem to care at all.

(WHISPERING) You're not paying attention to Mommy.

NATHAN: And when I tried to have the actors do the same thing

during the simulation, he cared even less.

♪ (MUSIC ENDS ABRUPTLY) ♪

- ♪ (MUSIC RESUMES) ♪ - NATHAN: We were several weeks in

with no results,

and I was starting to lose hope in this experiment.

Theoretically, if everything was identical,

this should work.

Maybe I was missing something.

FAKE BOGDAN: All right, good night.

NATHAN: That's when I started to notice tension brewing

- in the fake relationships. - ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

I told you not to leave your cups like this.

FAKE BOGDAN: (SIGHS) I... Yes.

NATHAN: Which I assumed was based

on what the actors had observed from the real couple.

You need my help?

(PASSIVE AGGRESSIVELY) No, it's okay. I got it.

Just enjoy the movie. (SCOFFS)

NATHAN: It seemed like certain subject matters

were charged for Monique and Bogdan

when Achilles was young.

MONIQUE: Back then, I was ready to have kids,

but he wasn't ready to do that.

So I was like, "I'm getting a dog."

I just knew that I needed to step back

until he was ready,

'cause I wasn't gonna just have a baby by myself.

♪ (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

Well, I have to admit, I was...

absolutely just devoted to work.

NATHAN: And knowing how sensitive dogs are to emotions,

- I encouraged the actors to lean into their instincts... - ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

...to better capture the atmosphere in the house.

FAKE MONIQUE: Is this gonna be a regular thing?

You coming home this late?

FAKE BOGDAN: Don't start, Monique. I'm tired.

FAKE MONIQUE: You're tired?

(VOICE BREAKING) I'm lonely.

We're working on a new microprocessor.

It's a big project.

I would tell you something,

but you wouldn't even understand.

I want a baby.

FAKE BOGDAN: Ah, this again? Mm.

You need to get a job.

(FAKE MONIQUE SOBS)

You have no structure. Your... your brain is going crazy.

FAKE MONIQUE: I'm a human being.

(SIGHING, SNIFFLING)

I don't want to fight.

Me neither.

(SIGHS)

♪ (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: It's hard to know what, if any of this,

had an effect on Achilles's development.

Come.

NATHAN: But it seemed like Zeus was registering something.

No, wait. We're out of condoms.

Oh my God.

I don't have time for this anyway.

Me and the guys from Intel

have tickets to see The Hangover Part II tonight.

FAKE MONIQUE: Whatever.

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

- Hey. Not too much water. - Hmm?

NATHAN: And then, three days later,

I witnessed something fascinating.

- ♪ (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - NATHAN: Monique had mentioned

that because Achilles had lived with two cats,

he would end up mimicking their behavior.

He learned by doing pretty much everything that they did.

And like, he would just run along the top of the couch

like the cats would.

NATHAN: Which was something Zeus would watch

our actor cats do, but had never done himself.

But then, this happened.

What if I did something with music?

I've always loved it.

FAKE BOGDAN: (CHUCKLES) You don't play instruments.

FAKE MONIQUE: I know, I... I know, but like a DJ.

Come... Come see, come see.

Okay, so I would start with this song...

(FAKE MONIQUE SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

NATHAN: I didn't think it meant much,

but then when I showed Monique, she got sort of emotional.

MONIQUE: Oh my goodness. (CHUCKLES)

This is almost like watching Achilles at home.

- Thank you. - Aw.

- Yes, this is amazing. - (CHOKING UP) Thank you.

- You okay? - Yeah, I'm good.

♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: If something scientific was actually happening here,

it could be important.

Because I had a theory

about how all this could be applied

to the pilot's mind.

I've been banned from Tinder, Hinge, Bumble...

NATHAN: Ever since I spent time with Jeff,

I've been thinking more about airline captains

and how they might be contributing

to communication issues in the cockpit.

I think part of the reason why I was banned

was 'cause I... in my bio,

(HESITATING) I had "No T-girls."

No what?

T-girls? Like transsexuals?

- In your wh... what? - JEFF: Because... In my bio.

Like, I've been fooled

multiple times by girls that were born men.

NATHAN: It was hard to say if what I had experienced

with Jeff was typical of airline captains.

But in most of these crashes

where communication was a factor,

the captain had created an atmosphere

where the first officer's opinion was unwelcome.

Why are you holding power levers?

I am pilot flying, idiot. I should be holding.

NATHAN: But there was one captain I knew of

that seemed different.

CAPTAIN SULLY: (OVER RADIO)

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:

CAPTAIN SULLY:

♪ (INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NEWS ANCHOR: US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing,

uh, this afternoon in the Hudson River...

NATHAN: In 2009, US Airways Captain Sully Sullenberger

safely landed a plane in New York's Hudson River,

saving all 150 people on board

after it was struck by a flock of birds.

- FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: Birds. - (CLATTERING)

- Shit. - Yeah.

NATHAN: But something else happened in that cockpit

before impact that is less talked about,

but perhaps more relevant to my interests.

We've got both of them rolling back.

- My aircraft. - Your aircraft.

NATHAN: Captain Sully asked his first officer

if he had any ideas on how to solve the problem.

- Got any ideas? - AUTOMATED VOICE: (OVER SPEAKER) Caution, terrain.

- Actually, not. - AUTOMATED VOICE: Terrain.

NATHAN: Here, the first officer didn't need

- to overrule the captain... - AUTOMATED VOICE: Pull up.

...because Sully invited feedback at a critical moment.

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: If other captains could have the instincts of Sully...

- WORKER: Right there is good. - ...his personality,

it's possible

the entire aviation issue I've been obsessed with

would vanish overnight.

- WORKER: Going up. - (SCISSOR LIFT WHIRRING)

NATHAN: In Sully's memoir, he writes,

"I've come to realize my journey to the Hudson River

didn't begin at LaGuardia Airport.

It began decades before, in my childhood home.

My entire life led me safely to that river."

What made him the captain he was wasn't his pilot training.

It was living his entire life.

- (TRIMMER BUZZING) - ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

NATHAN: Look, what you're about to witness

is going to seem weird.

♪ (MUSIC TURNS DRAMATIC) ♪

NATHAN: Which is why I'm putting myself through it

before I invite any real pilots to participate.

But if a personality transfer can work on a dog,

then maybe, just maybe...

♪ (MUSIC SWELLS) ♪

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

...it could work on a human being.

♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Living someone's entire life,

from baby until present day...

If even just the tiniest bit of Sully

could become a part of me,

- it would all be worth it. - ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

♪ (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Sully was born in 1951

in the small town of Denison, Texas.

PAULINE: (FROM PUPPET) Chesley! There's my baby boy.

NATHAN: His mother, Pauline, was a first grade teacher.

They had an extremely strong bond

and some of his earliest memories

were with her.

PAULINE: "'Charlotte?' he said softly.

'Yes, Wilbur?'

'I don't want to die.'

'Of course you don't,' said Charlotte."

NATHAN: Experiencing the genesis of this bond was essential,

as her influence on Sully

factored into so much of the man he would become.

She would be his very first passenger

when he started flying,

and they built a foundation of mutual trust

that sustained a lifetime.

PAULINE: Oh! A little boo-boo.

NATHAN: It was difficult at first

to inhabit the mind of a baby.

I know so much more than babies do,

and it can be hard to forget all that stuff.

♪ (SERENE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

NATHAN: So, I tried not to think about the fact

that I was a 41-year-old man,

and just did my best to be present in the moment.

(CHOKES)

(GURGLES)

(CHOKES, GASPS)

I was playing the long game here,

and I just had to trust the process.

After all, this did work on a dog.

- ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ - (NATHAN GASPS)

Oh, fuck.

NATHAN: I obviously couldn't live

Sully's entire life in real time,

so I focused on the areas

he considered formative in his memoir.

- ♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - NATHAN: Sully writes...

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: (NARRATING) I wasn't always the perfect older brother.

When I was five and Mary was three,

I once took her out to play in the gravel on Hanna Drive.

Some of the stones were smaller than a pea,

and I thought it'd be fun to feed

these tiny stones to my sister.

You should know better than that, Chesley.

You're her protector. She needs you.

You need to take care of people in life,

not hurt them.

What happened out here?

PAULINE: Chesley put rocks in his sister's mouth.

What the hell is wrong with you, son?

♪ (MUSIC TURNS MELANCHOLIC) ♪

PAULINE: Why don't you just talk to him?

SULLY'S FATHER: I don't know what to say.

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: My father and I were affectionate,

and we were close in our own somewhat stiff way.

(SULLY'S FATHER SIGHS)

♪ (MUSIC TURNS UPLIFTING) ♪

Here.

Play with this instead.

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: We never shared a lot of personal feelings.

We kept a lot to ourselves.

PAULINE: Sweet baby. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

(MIMICS AIRPLANE ENGINES RUMBLING)

NATHAN: When Sully was 16, he learned how to fly.

♪ (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: He paid for the lessons with a job

working as a janitor at his church,

where his high school crush Carole sang in the choir.

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: She was quiet, similar to me in that way.

And so it was often difficult

keeping conversations going with her.

- ♪ (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - Hi, Sully.

(IN SOUTHERN ACCENT) Hi, Carole.

I like your dress.

Thank you. (CHUCKLES)

You been to the movies lately?

I don't like movies much.

NATHAN: Sully writes that he took a flight with Carole

that turned out to be a pivotal moment

in his development.

Here's your seatbelt.

Safety first.

NATHAN: So it was critical I experienced

the exact same feelings he did.

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: Picture me, 17 years old,

with this pretty girl next to me,

her leg touching mine for two hours,

my arm rubbing against her arm.

I could smell her perfume, or maybe it was her shampoo.

- (SNIFFS) - Look.

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: Once in a while she'd lean over me,

her hair brushing against my arm.

It was a new experience for me,

realizing that flying could be such a sensual experience.

NATHAN: The way Sully writes about this flight,

it was clear he was aroused.

But he says this experience taught him

an essential skill for a pilot,

how to compartmentalize.

He had to balance his sexual desires

with the safety of the flight.

The problem was I was too uncomfortable

to actually get aroused

with a professional actress right beside me.

After all,

this wasn't a performance for you, the viewer.

It was an experience for me.

Okay. I think you should leave now

for that thing we talked about.

NATHAN: So, at a key moment in the flight,

I had the actress exit the plane

and swapped her with a robot version of Carole.

Then, I had my crew mount all the cameras on tripods

and exit the warehouse completely

to avoid any legal issues that may stem

from what I was about to do.

♪ (SERENE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

NATHAN: I'm not gonna show you everything,

but I basically just masturbated in the plane

while trying to fly it.

The challenge of focusing on a task

when your body is indulging in its most primal urges

- was really tough. - (ROBOTIC CAROLE DUMMY CREAKING)

NATHAN: But I eventually got there,

and just like I assumed Sully had done,

I was able to ignore my erection

in order to fly.

Stand up straight!

Suck your gut in!

Push your chest out!

Get those shoulders back and down!

You think you've done a good job polishing your shoes?

- Sir, yes, sir. - (SHOUTS) Both shoes?

(IN TEXAS ACCENT) Sir, the right and the layuft, sir.

(MOCKING ACCENT) The layuft?

(NORMAL VOICE) Looks like we got ourselves a Southern boy here.

(CADETS LAUGHING)

♪ (MUSIC TURNS MELANCHOLIC) ♪

UPPERCLASS CADET: Dirks!

What is your thumb doing in your pocket?

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: I noticed that accomplished people on TV,

especially newscasters, enunciated perfectly

and seemed to have no real accents.

(ON TV) British Field Marshal Lord Montgomery said,

"I am very distressed. I want to be left alone now."

(CHET HUNTLEY CONTINUES SPEAKING)

"I waunt to be layft alone now."

(ACCENT FADING) "I want to be leyft alone now."

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: I tried to sound more like them

and less like some of the people in my town

who had thick Texas accents.

"Left."

"Left."

NATHAN: But the more of Sully's life I experienced,

the more I wondered why he included

some of these moments in his book,

and why certain things would be left out.

♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: There was a near complete omission

of his first marriage,

and for some reason,

he jumped straight to the second one.

- I, Lorrie... - Take you, Chesley...

FAKE LORRIE: Take you, Chesley...

FAKE PASTOR: To be my husband...

NATHAN: But I had no choice but to stick to what he wrote,

because this was the only guide I had

to what his life was actually like.

FAKE PASTOR: ...and of the Holy Spirit.

It would be so nice if they gave you

your schedule months in advance. Can you imagine?

We could plan a vacation.

NATHAN: At times, I felt trapped in scenarios

that seemed deliberately incomplete.

Any time with you is fun. (CHUCKLES)

Lorrie, if something's not a problem,

why do we need to talk about it so much?

Right. (SCOFFS)

I'm just sharing my thoughts with you.

NATHAN: It seemed as though he was trying

to present himself as someone

with challenges that were relatable,

but never more than he could handle.

Just remember, life isn't a checklist.

I'm just trying to be efficient.

- NATHAN: But I kept going. - (FAKE LORRIE LAUGHING)

NATHAN: And as I lived through heavier moments in his life,

I felt something happening within me.

When did you want to do the memorial?

There are some things I wanna say about Dad.

♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

I had a chance

to say everything I needed to say to him

when he was alive.

We don't need a memorial.

♪ (MUSIC SWELLS) ♪

NATHAN: As Sully,

I wanted to talk about my feelings.

But everything I knew was telling me I couldn't.

♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

♪ (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: In his writings, Sully was careful to stop short

of implying his emotions ever got the best of him.

He suggests he's never cried,

even in the most emotional moments of his life.

He keeps using phrases like

"I found ways to cope" without getting into specifics.

The words "cope" and "deal with"

actually show up over 15 times in his book

without referring to a method of how.

And I had a suspicion as to why.

One of the nights when the pilots were at my bar,

a captain shared with me

that when a pilot talks about their feelings,

they need to be very careful.

Pilots are genuine... genuinely intimidated

to talk to anybody,

healthcare professional,

in any... any way that it could get to the FAA about,

"Hey, I've been feeling this,"

or especially like mental health stuff.

Like, "I've been struggling with this."

Because historically,

if you put something on a medical application

or if you talk to a doctor

or the FAA finds out about things,

they can just revoke your medical certificate.

And as soon as your medical certificate

is revoked, you are grounded.

NATHAN: Could this be why Sully was always talking

around his feelings?

He didn't want to publish anything

that could get him in trouble with the FAA.

He was forced to portray himself as a man

who could magically cope with everything.

And I found myself starting to read his writings

as a code of sorts.

So to get closer to the truth, I began inventing situations

that he probably experienced but never actually claimed to.

Hey. Thanks, Doc.

I feel so much better.

THERAPY DOCTOR: See you next week.

♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

THERAPY DOCTOR: Sir?

I have an opening right now

if you'd like to try a session out.

I'm all right.

NATHAN: What would a guy like Sully do to cope?

PILOT 1: Here we go.

- PILOT 2: Whoo, whoo, whoo. - PILOT 1: Yeah.

Come on, man. My man, on it, my man.

- (LAUGHTER) - (LIVELY CHATTER)

(PILOT 1 CLEARS THROAT)

Hey, Sully. Forget airplanes.

You want something that's gonna help you really fly?

I can't do that.

And I'm gonna have to report you guys for violating

FAR 91.17 Alcohol and Drug regulations.

So now you're gonna rat us out? What about the pilot's code?

My only code is safety.

Fuck you, Sully.

(PILOTS LAUGHING)

PILOT: Well, more for me. (SNORTS)

NATHAN: But I kept thinking about something Sully wrote.

After his father's death,

he started referencing bands and songs he liked

for the first time.

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: I think of my father when I hear Sheryl Crow sing

"Soak Up the Sun."

NATHAN: It was an odd connection to make

since Sully's dad died well before

that song was even released.

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

NATHAN: But I noticed a pattern forming.

Sully never referenced popular music once in his book

until 2002,

when he was 51 years old,

- and coincidentally... - ♪ ("ARE YOU GONNA BE MY GIRL" BY JET PLAYS ON TV) ♪

...just months after the iPod was released.

♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN-SULLY: It fits a thousand songs?

I don't even think I can name five songs.

Well, maybe it's time to increase your dosage.

There's no medicine more powerful than music.

A lot of people into music these days, huh?

Yeah, it's everything, man.

All right, what the heck. I'll take one.

♪ (SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

NATHAN: After his father's death,

the word "iPod" began showing up constantly in his book.

With unlimited access to music,

it felt to me that for the first time,

he had a way to understand his feelings through lyrics.

("SOAK UP THE SUN" BY SHERYL CROW PLAYING)

♪ I'm gonna soak up the sun ♪

FAKE CAPTAIN SULLY: My dad lived a line from that Sheryl Crow song.

"It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got."

♪ ("BRING ME TO LIFE" BY EVANESCENCE PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: But the one band he mentions more than any other

is Evanescence.

And living as him, I could understand why.

♪ How can you see into my eyes ♪

The lyrics to their hit song, "Bring Me to Life,"

was described by the songwriter as a cry for help.

It was about no longer hiding your true self,

as imperfect as it may be.

♪ I've become so numb ♪

♪ Wake me up ♪

- ♪ Wake me up inside ♪ - ♪ I can't wake up ♪

- ♪ Wake me up inside ♪ - ♪ Save me ♪

♪ Call my name And save me from the dark ♪

- ♪ Wake me up ♪ - ♪ Bid my blood to run ♪

- ♪ I can't wake up ♪ - ♪ Before I come undone ♪

♪ Save me ♪

♪ Save me From the nothing I've become ♪

- ♪ (SONG FADES) ♪ - Birds.

- Whoa. Oh shit. - (CLATTERING)

- ♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - NATHAN: Is it possible

that Evanescence taught Sully

that it's okay not to be perfect and ask for help

just in time for his fateful flight?

CAPTAIN SULLY: (RECORDING) Cactus 1539. Hit birds.

We lost thrust in both engines.

We're turning back towards LaGuardia.

NATHAN: When you listen to the cockpit audio

from Sully's crash,

there's one long stretch of silence

I find particularly interesting.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: (RECORDING) Okay, which runway would you like at Teterboro?

We're gonna be in the Hudson.

NATHAN: At 28 seconds past 3:29 p.m.,

Sully announces the decision

to attempt a landing in the Hudson River.

Okay, let's get the flaps out. Put the flaps out.

Flaps out?

NATHAN: But when the co-pilot tries to confirm the direction

to put the flaps out, Sully doesn't respond.

The co-pilot proceeds

- to put out the flaps anyways... - AUTOMATED VOICE: Terrain.

...which create drag

- to slow down the plane. - AUTOMATED VOICE: Pull up.

This is the beginning

of a 23-second stretch of silence

where Sully doesn't say a word.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: You also got Newark Airport...

NATHAN: Even though air traffic control and his co-pilot

are both trying to talk to him.

Hundred and seventy knots.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Too low, terrain...

No power on either one.

NATHAN: Without cockpit video,

we can't be sure what Sully was doing

during those mysterious 23 seconds

before he asked his first officer for help.

Got any ideas?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Caution, terrain.

Actually, not.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Terrain, terrain...

NATHAN: But after the crash,

Sully's iPod was discovered

submerged in the flooded cockpit,

which he confirms in his book.

♪ (MUSIC SWELLS, TURNS DRAMATIC) ♪

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Okay, which runway would you like at Teterboro?

We're gonna be in the Hudson.

NATHAN: It might be nothing, or just a hunch I have

from living as him for so long...

Okay, flaps out, put the flaps out.

FAKE FIRST OFFICER SKILES: Flaps out?

NATHAN: But the chorus to Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life"

just happens to be exactly 23 seconds long.

- ♪ ("BRING ME TO LIFE" BY EVANESCENCE PLAYING) ♪ - AUTOMATED VOICE: Pull...

♪ Wake me up ♪

- ♪ Wake me up inside ♪ - ♪ I can't wake up ♪

- ♪ Wake me up inside ♪ - AUTOMATED VOICE: Too low...

♪ Save me ♪

Two hundred and fifty feet in the air.

♪ Call my name And save me from the dark ♪

- ♪ Wake me up ♪ - ♪ Bid my blood to run ♪

Got no power on either one.

- AUTOMATED VOICE: Too low... - ♪ Before I come undone ♪

♪ Save me ♪

♪ Save me from the nothing I've become... ♪

AUTOMATED VOICE: Caution, terrain. Caution, terrain.

♪ (SONG FADES) ♪

AUTOMATED VOICE: Caution, terrain. Caution, terrain.

Got any ideas?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Caution, terrain.

Actually, not.

- AUTOMATED VOICE: Terrain, terrain. - (ALERT BEEPING)

- AUTOMATED VOICE: Pull up... - (BREATHES HEAVILY)

♪ (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

- (TAXI HONKING) - (SIRENS WAILING IN DISTANCE)

(HELICOPTER WHIRRING NEARBY)

Nice landing, Cap.

Hey.

When they ask us about what happened,

maybe don't mention, uh...

Pilot's code.

Pilot's code.

EMT 1: Clear!

- Blood pressure? - EMT 2: 122 over 78.

NATHAN: We all want pilots to be perfect,

but maybe in some instances,

we actually want them to know that they're not.

♪ (MUSIC SWELLS) ♪

NATHAN: It doesn't mean you're a failure

just because you can't get a dog to react to a diabetic attack

after four straight months of trying.

It's okay to admit that you can't do everything.

♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

♪ (SOFT PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Maybe every captain

needs to find their own Evanescence,

whatever form that takes.

When the FAA eliminates so many options,

there's no easy path.

Out of any group of real people we've reached out to

to be on one of my shows,

to my surprise, we had the highest response rate

from professional pilots.

It is a lonely life on the road.

NATHAN: And more often than not,

they were less interested in talking about aviation

and more about themselves.

I spent a lot of time this year trying to like...

figure out why I was so...

stressed all the time.

Yeah, she was, um...

I've been doing a lot of reading,

the typical narcissist mother type of thing...

I've kind of always known

there was something wrong with me, even as a kid.

The divorce was really tough, and I lost everything.

Was I too hard-headed?

Was I trying too hard to be the drill sergeant?

I... I've gotten really good at compartmentalizing.

And... and, you know...

NATHAN: After the interviews ended,

many kept following up and wanted to talk again.

You're like my therapist now.

Even just talking about this stuff,

it's like... it's nice, you know?

NATHAN: I'm not sure what it means,

but it's interesting.

♪ (SOFT PENSIVE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

♪ ("SOAK UP THE SUN" BY SHERYL CROW PLAYING) ♪

♪ I don't have digital ♪

♪ I don't have diddly-squat ♪

♪ It's not having What you want ♪

♪ It's wanting what you've got ♪

♪ I'm gonna soak up the sun ♪

♪ I'm gonna tell everyone ♪

♪ To lighten up ♪

♪ I'm gonna tell 'em that ♪

♪ I've got no one to blame ♪

♪ (SONG FADES) ♪