Original subtitles

[slide projector clicking and reloading]

[eerie music playing]

[music swelling]

[sighs]

[splattering]

[car door opens]

[car door closes]

[suspenseful music playing]

-[bird cawing] -[wind howling]

[panting]

[music stops abruptly]

[siren blaring]

[group] ♪ …birthday, dear Franny ♪

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

[cheering and applauding]

-[man] Happy birthday. -[woman] Good job, girls.

Oh, I love you, baby, so much!

[girl] Come on!

I'm gonna get you guys some cake.

-Uh, I'll get some wine. [kisses] -Okay.

-Let me do that. -Oh.

-That way, you can actually eat. -Thank you.

You've been looking so thin, you're making us moms look terrible.

[groans, chuckles]

Mmm. Wow.

-Good, right? -Yeah.

[men laugh]

What's the matter, Mom?

It's hot. Your father can't keep his eyes open.

-Oh, I'm fine. -It is a four-hour drive from Worcester.

I know. I'm going to make you guys some coffee.

[indistinct chatter]

Can you make a pot of coffee? And we need another bottle of white wine.

White wine, right. On it. Mom, can you do the coffee?

[woman] I'll be right back.

[distant chattering and laughing]

[gags]

[sighs]

[sniffs]

[sighs]

Everyone, if you all raise your cups. To Dr. George, huh?

[all] Hear, hear!

-It is official, right? -Yeah, it is officially official.

-Yeah, I'm no longer a PhD widow. -[all laugh]

And I have some more good news.

Uh, my dissertation actually landed me a gig upstate.

-[woman 2] Wow, fast. -[man 2] It must be really good.

I haven't read it yet.

-George is very secretive. -No, I am chickenshit.

Catherine was top of the class at art school.

-Oh, is the position at Bard? -No, it's at Saginaw.

It's a small private college upstate.

You're a big city girl now with your dream job.

You thought this through?

George really wants this. He hates the struggle here.

It's gotten worse since his father cut him off.

[indistinct laughing and chattering]

And I had no idea he was even taking money from them.

Apparently, it's been happening since Franny was born.

Moving's expensive, too.

I know, but you can get a lot for a little up there.

-It's supposedly really pretty. -Yeah, I've driven through there.

Rich horsey weekenders and lots of full-time rednecks.

I know, but George has made some big sacrifices for me,

and I-- I owe it to him to at least try.

[somber music playing]

[door bangs shut]

[Catherine] Hey.

[George] Hey.

I think I've found the perfect house for us.

[somber music continues]

-[door opens] -[woman] Oh, there we are. [chuckles]

This lock is a bit tricky.

-[George] Wow, beautiful. -[Catherine sighs]

-[woman] Okay. -[George] Huh?

As I told George last week, it's from the late 1800s.

Mm.

[woman] There's definitely updating that needs to be done.

Yes, certainly could use a paint job.

Yeah, but look at these bones, huh? Amazing!

You have to have a real vision for an old place like this.

Well, my wife is a trained art restorer, so we're in good hands.

Why would someone just leave this here?

This is so beautiful.

[sighs] Dairy farmers everywhere are falling on hard times.

-It's a-- a tough business these days. -[piano notes]

[sighs] So sad.

[plays random piano keys]

It is sad.

[George] We'll make it happy.

You wanna see the rest, don't you? Come on.

Show it to me.

-[Catherine] Show me the upstairs. -[George] Okay, upstairs.

[Catherine] How big is it?

[gentle piano music playing]

[Catherine] Hey. Remember this?

[Catherine] I'm not gonna use all this space for it.

-[Catherine] Here. This is right… -[George] Okay.

[gentle music fades to silence]

[Mozart's "Lacrimosa" echoing faintly]

-[George] Ah! -[Franny giggles]

Hey, uh, George,

I was gonna put your little seascapes, you know, above the piano,

-but I-- I can't find them. -Oh.

-Sorry. I packed them for my office. -Aw.

I love those things.

Yeah, I thought it would show off a relic of my former life. Oh!

You know, maybe this house is going to inspire you to start painting again.

Mm, nah, I think, since my dissertation, I… I really see myself as a writer.

Okay, the cat or the doll?

Which one?

I think she's finally out.

Are you stressed about tomorrow?

Yeah-- No. Should I be?

Well, first day jitters are a normal human reaction.

Are you looking for a reason to de-stress?

-Do I need a reason? -No.

How do you want me to de-stress you?

[kissing, giggling]

[Catherine sighs]

[bugs chirping softly]

[electricity buzzing]

[buzzing]

[buzzing]

[buzzing]

[buzzing]

[moaning, heavy breathing]

What?

What is that smell?

You smell that? It smells like car exhaust fumes.

[George sniffs]

-Right? -Yeah, I… I guess I smell… smell it.

And it's getting stronger.

Do you think ghosts use premium unleaded?

I'm serious, George. Stop.

[buzzing]

[faint screeching]

[loud creak]

-[Franny screams] -[footsteps]

-Mommy, Mommy, I'm scared! -[Catherine] Oh God! It's okay. Oh!

-Come here. -I'm scared!

-Tuck in, baby girl. All right. -[George sighs]

Wait, really?

Mommy, I'm scared. I don't wanna sleep in there.

[somber orchestral music]

[George] America's Rhine.

[inhales deeply] Oh, it is a dream setting for a campus.

Full disclosure, Claire.

Your chapter on how Swedenborg influenced the art of George Inness

is what landed you here.

[chuckles] Swedenborg, really? That's… that's interesting.

It's the part of my dissertation I struggled with the most.

How so?

[inhales sharply] Uh, I-I guess I'm a bit of a cliché, the New York cynic.

That… How a-a painter as brilliant as Inness

could fall for some 18th-century mystic still baffles me.

[chuckles] Well, Swedenborg…

He wasn't just some mystic.

He keenly understood that everything in the natural world

has a counterpart in the spiritual realm.

And Inness painted landscapes with this in mind.

I-I get that.

Oh, this is my office in case you need me.

-Wow, beautiful. -Mh-hm.

My-- my trouble with Swedenborg is his communicating with angels and ghosts.

Glorifying death as this… as this grand passage.

You should know that Swedenborg still has a devoted following

in this neck of the woods, myself included.

We even have séances on occasion. I'll invite you.

[chuckles] I'll-- I will bring my wife.

She is the… the true believer of the family.

Ah, ah.

Well, this is your office right here.

[George chuckles]

[man] I guess I picked the wrong welcome gift.

[George chuckles] Well, I… I can't argue with the cover art.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Ahh, that is George Inness at his best.

Well, you are now officially in Inness territory.

Don't be surprised if you start seeing things his way.

[George chuckles]

Thank you, Floyd.

[George exhales]

-[loud vibrating] -[gasps]

[Catherine gasps]

[breathing heavily]

[knocking on door]

-[Catherine] Hi. -Hello.

Mrs. Claire, right?

Yeah, can I help you?

Uh, yes, ma'am.

Um…

My name's Eddie Lucks, and this here's my younger brother Cole.

We just wanted to introduce ourselves in case you're in need of a hired hand.

We do gardening, carpentry, plumbing.

When it comes to painting, we're regular Leonardos.

[chuckles]

-Best part of all is, we come real cheap. -Hey, like my marble?

Yeah, nice. You want me to show you how to shoot?

[Franny] Mm-hmm.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Cole is the best babysitter in town.

Yeah, I can see that. Where do you boys live?

In town with our uncle.

We got plenty of references if that's what you need.

Okay. Do you have a business card?

-A card? Um… -[Franny and Cole chatting indistinctly]

Let me see.

Oh, I left my business cards at home. [chuckles]

-I got a pen. -[Franny] Yeah!

I think we should just hire them.

Shouldn't we get one more quote?

There's a lot of other groundskeepers in town.

I already did, and they…

run like half the price.

Cath, please don't tell me you're back on the whole salads-only thing.

I ate a big lunch today.

What about the protein shakes the doctor recommended?

I saw you skipped it this morning.

I am doing them at night now because it's easier on my stomach.

-Franny, you want some more rice? -No, I want a pony ride.

[Catherine laughs]

-[Franny] Go, pony, go! -[George] I am.

[Franny] Go, pony, go!

[George] You are terrorizing.

Oh, look, there's another pony.

Okay. Ready?

-One, two, three. -Horsey.

[mimicking flying noises]

[George laughing]

-[Franny] Pony! -[George] Gosh.

-You coming? -Yeah, in a second. I have to do dishes.

Oh, can you get that pot for me, please?

-Thank you. I'll be up soon. -Okay.

Don't be long. I'm pretty tired.

[uneasy music playing]

[book thuds]

"Damned."

George.

Hey, George.

George.

[George moans]

I'm a-- I'm asleep.

[water running]

[ghostly echo]

[eerie music playing]

[Catherine grunting]

[grunts]

[gasps]

[gasps]

[breathing shakily]

-[woman 1] Where? -[woman 2] Eight.

-[woman 1] Three pounds is a lot. -You've got to be telling--

Company.

Hi. Are you the Historical Society?

Indeed we are.

Um, I don't know if you need volunteers,

but I'm new in town, and I would love to meet people

and possibly learn more about the area.

Write your information down.

Okay.

[blind woman] We'll send you a schedule.

And also, I was curious

if you had any information on some of the older homes in the area,

being that I just bought one.

Oh.

Actually, there's a picture of your house hanging up.

-Really? Where? -Yeah.

In the other room. The couple who built it is in it, too.

The original ones,

long before the Vayle family.

I… I'm going to go take a look. Thanks.

[women whisper indistinctly]

[suspenseful music playing]

-[Franny] He doesn't look like a cat. -[George] He does.

-[Franny] His ears are so little. -[George] It's called Cat in the Hat.

-And his nose and stuff like that. -He's got a normal nose.

[Franny giggles] But it's so little!

You know he killed someone?

Over a game of tennis.

Who?

Caravaggio.

Oh, well, I'm not surprised.

People get away with all kinds of horrible things.

Are you speaking from personal experience?

[chuckles]

So are you studying art? I-I teach over at Saginaw.

Oh God. No.

No, I was just…

looking for T-shirt ideas.

I'm all about literature in school.

Which school?

Cornell.

Oh, that's quite a commute.

Just taking a little hiatus.

Riding for rich folk at Crow Hill Stables.

Yeah, I know that place.

It's right next to the tennis club. I play there sometimes.

Oh. Well, uh…

I hope you're a better loser than Caravaggio.

George Claire.

Right.

Right. Claire.

Yeah, my friend Eddie does your yard work.

I think your wife hired him.

Is that your little girl?

Yeah, that's Franny.

Oh…

Hi there, Franny.

How's that book?

What does this say?

Let's see.

Okay, it says…

"He should not be here. He should not be about."

"He should not be here when your mother is out."

It's nice to meet you, Franny.

[Franny] Mm-hmm.

[George] Okay, ready to go?

George?

George?

[music playing on TV]

George, you're not going to believe the picture I just saw.

[water running]

[faint grunting]

[reflective orchestral music playing]

[Cole and Franny chatting indistinctly]

-[Eddie] Wanna go to the pond? -[Franny] Yeah!

[Eddie] You wanna go swim?

-[Cole] Come on, Franny. Gonna catch you! -[Franny] No!

-[Cole] I'm gonna throw you in! -[Franny] No!

[Eddie] Hey Franny, watch out for the snapping turtles, okay?

All right? It's down my butt! It's got my butt!

-[Franny laughs] -Didn't they say summer's officially over?

Our seasons play by their own rules up here.

Who knows? It could snow tomorrow.

Well, I brought some lemonade to help you guys cool off,

but it looks like you're way ahead of me.

You should come on in. The water's great.

Believe me,

it looks very tempting.

You know what they say about temptation.

Easiest way to kill it's just to give in.

[Catherine] So what does your uncle do?

He's a hearse driver.

I guess every town needs one of those.

Can I ask about your parents?

Um… both dead. Car accident.

Oh God, I'm so sorry.

Yeah, I mean, it was something.

It makes a kid grow up fast.

Cole's on good track for college, though.

And what about you?

Nah, that stuff's not really in my cards.

I mean, I did want to study music…

-Really? What instruments do you play? -…but…

All kinds. I-- I have a beat-up guitar right now.

We have a piano at the house. I just got it tuned.

It'd be nice to have someone who can actually play it. I'm pathetic.

[chuckles] All right. Well, thanks, Mrs. Claire.

-Catherine. Sorry. -It's okay.

You'll get used to it.

-[students laughing] -Yeah. Please do not tell him I said that.

All right.

Okay, so, the Hudson River School painters.

Landscapes as the realm of the soul.

If you keep reading around the subject, you'll find it really rewarding. Really.

-Keep going, okay? -Thank you so much.

-We will. -Bye!

George Claire?

Yes. Hello. Can I help you?

Justine Sokolov. Adjunct weaving instructor.

You play tennis with my husband Bram.

Bram?

Oh, Bram, of course. Yes. He mentioned that his wife teaches here.

I hear you've developed a cult-like following already in our department.

So I… Oh, this you?

I thought I'd invite you and your wife over

and see what all the fuss is about.

Oh, uh…

That sounds really nice. [chuckles]

You know, it'd be nice for my wife to meet a few more Saginaw folk, too, so yeah.

Excellent. I have your number in the registry,

so I'll give the missus a call.

-Fantastic. -George Claire.

Wow. You painted these?

Yeah, a long time ago.

I gave up the whole fine arts thing to focus on theory.

Realized I wasn't really up to snuff.

[chuckles]

I disagree.

These are confidently executed, and they are…

quite unique.

Thank you.

Uh, you should see my wife's stuff. She's the real artist of the family.

Okay, I look forward to it.

I'll be in touch, George Claire.

[bugs chirping]

[sighs]

[groans] What's wrong?

That smell. It's-- it's getting stronger.

Yeah, I figured it out. It's 'cause we're above the garage.

I'll get some fans and air it out in the morning.

[exhales]

But why does it come and go?

Cath, please stop with the ghost stuff.

I'm not gonna let you put a negative spin on this house.

[ghostly echo]

[eerie music playing]

[door creaking]

[sniffing]

[sniffing]

[electricity buzzing]

[buzzing]

[echoing piano playing Mozart's "Lacrimosa"]

[piano playing grows louder]

[piano playing stops suddenly]

[Catherine gasps]

-[buzzing] -[faint ghostly echo]

-[Franny screams] Mommy, where are you? -[gasps]

Mommy, I'm scared, I'm scared!

-Mommy! -Hey, hey! Shh.

-What happened? -What is going on? Where were you?

-What happened? Tell me. -I saw the lady, Mommy. I'm scared.

It's okay, it's okay. Don't worry.

-Mommy's here. You can sleep with us. -Oh God. Cath, again?

If we filled out her sedative prescription like the pediatrician said,

this wouldn't keep happening.

I said to you ten times I don't feel good giving her unnecessary medications.

It's this house.

Oh God. You two sleep in there. I'll take Franny's room.

Hey. Hey.

Daddy's mad at me.

[gasps] No! No, no, no, he's not.

[door closes]

No, sweetheart. Not at you.

-[rock music playing on radio] -[girl laughs]

[Eddie] It's gotta feel good.

I guess, yeah.

[laughs]

Uh, guess who I ran into the other day?

Who?

Your boss, George Claire.

-Oh, yeah? -Yeah.

I haven't met the guy officially yet.

What's he like?

Dishonest.

Deceitful.

[chuckles] How would you know that?

Because I found him attractive.

[deep sighing]

[Cole] Here we go!

Whee!

You wanna watch Eddie chop wood?

[Franny] Yeah!

[unsettling music playing]

[Eddie grunts]

Chop.

Chop.

[ax thuds]

Chop.

[mysterious music playing]

"All of us on Earth are associated

with those in the spiritual world who are like ourselves."

"We are, in a sense, united to them."

[ghostly voice] United to them…

-[chopping wood continues] -[Catherine] What do you want?

[pensive music playing]

[horse neighs]

[horses neighing and grunting]

[George scoffs]

What are you looking for here?

[pants]

[chuckling] I… I don't really know.

You're a presumptuous fucker, aren't you?

-[door squeaks] -[horse neighs]

[pensive music continues]

If you're coming in, shut the door behind you.

He's got a social life at that school, and I'm isolated.

[woman] Something's wrong. I can hear it in your voice.

I…

I'm starting… to see things.

And I'm scared to tell George about it.

-Catherine, have you been eating? -[sighs]

What's the church like up there? Have you prayed on any of this?

Try to remember how he did right by marrying--

Oh, I gotta go. Thanks a lot for the pep talk, Mom. I love you.

[Catherine] That was some run.

Yeah, I guess I went pretty far. I don't know what came over me.

And then I-I got distracted by these wildflowers.

Thanks, but now you're going to be late for class.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I-I'd better hustle.

Whoo!

[running upstairs]

[pensive music playing]

[Cole] Look who's home.

Hey.

-[Cole] What are you doing? -One sec.

Mr. Claire, right?

It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Eddie.

-My brother and I are about to get-- -The Vayle boys, aren't you?

Not anymore, sir.

We go by Lucks now. Took our uncle's last name.

Do me a favor. My… my wife doesn't know that you lived here.

Uh, or what happened.

I think it would be better if we kept it that way.

Uh, she's a nervous woman and, uh…

well, she wouldn't want you around if she found out.

[chuckles softly]

Sure, Mr. Claire.

My brother and I are only here for honest work.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

It seems a…

little odd, no?

That you'd want to be here at all.

Taking care of this house comes second nature to us.

Right.

Did you meet your husband in art school?

Yeah, we were undergrads together.

That's cool.

[Catherine] Were your parents supportive of you studying music?

Yeah, my mom was the one who taught me.

But when my father found my application, he, uh… he beat me with a two-by-four.

Are you serious?

Yeah.

Yeah, he actually bloodied me up pretty good.

Well, if you decide to reapply to music school,

I will personally write you a check for your application.

Wow.

You really got me.

["Someday You'll Be Sorry" by Louis Armstrong playing on piano]

-Hey, George. -[music stops]

Eddie-- Eddie was just playing his favorite Louis Armstrong song for me.

-Called-- What's it called? -"Someday You'll Be Sorry."

[chuckling] That's right. That's the story of my life.

[chuckles]

What a surprise.

Eddie was telling me earlier how he was here for honest work.

I-- I didn't realize that it included

entertainment.

We finished painting, sir,

and, uh, Mrs. Claire asked me to play something before I left.

-So-- -Wait, Eddie, Eddie.

Come on, please. Don't stop on my account.

I've been called many things before, but never a party pooper.

Well, the man of the house has spoken,

so finish the goddamn song, Eddie.

Yeah, please.

[exhales]

[piano playing resumes]

[piano music fades to silence]

Shit.

[sighs]

[uneasy music playing]

Oh God.

[grunting]

[gasps]

-[ghostly voice] Catherine. -[gasps, gags]

[gasps]

[breathing heavily]

[electricity buzzing]

[eerie music playing]

[indistinct ghostly whispering]

[birds chirping]

[Catherine groans]

[raven screeches]

[George and girl panting]

[George] What you do to me, you do not know.

My God.

I've never done anything like this before, you know.

[exhales loudly]

What's wrong?

What? I'm just talking.

-Sharing. -What the fuck is wrong with me?

-Why do I keep doing this? -Hey, Willis, I'm being serious.

It'd be nice to know you a bit better.

Some ordinary, regular things.

That's not what this is about.

Ow! What the hell?

You think because I fuck you, I'm fooled by you?

I've been around guys like you my whole life.

-What the hell are you talking about? -My dad made a fortune defending them.

Thieves, con men, psychopaths.

And they all got off because that's the way the world works for men.

Okay, look, I see that you have some pretty awful ideas about men.

I have awful ideas about everything.

Now get the fuck up.

-Come on, Willis. -No.

I'm done with this.

Willis!

Willis!

[horse neighs]

Willis!

[ethereal music playing]

-[Justine] Hi! -Trick or treat?

[all chuckle]

-Come in, come in. -Hello, I'm Catherine.

-Oh, of course you are. Mmm. -Oh.

[chuckles] George, hi.

-Hi. For you. -Oh, thank you.

Bram, where are you? The Claires have arrived.

-Wow. -[Bram] I'm here.

[George] Amazing.

-[Justine] Thanks. -Hello.

-I'm Catherine. -Hey, Bram.

-Thanks for having us. -Look what they brought us.

-Thank you. How are you? -Very well.

-Come on in. -Beautiful.

-Thank you. -I love your artwork.

Ah. Well, yes. We're just enjoying our tenure here while it lasts.

-Oh, do you rent? -No, no, no.

[laughing] He just means how these old Hudson Valley homes are.

We think we own them, we're just caretakers.

[laughing] They outlive us all.

My wife thinks ours is haunted.

-Well, she's probably right. -[laughs]

They're all haunted a bit.

After all, we're in Headless Horseman country.

[laughs] Let me take your coats.

Oh, actually, we should go outside and look at the alpacas before they nap.

-Oh, yes. -This way.

-You'll love it. -Alpacas nap?

[George] Tell me, Bram. [blows]

Where does one buy such quality weed up here?

-[Bram] Buy? I grow it. -[George] Nice.

You know, I came up here to write the Great American Novel, but…

I spend most of my time tending to my garden, if you get my drift.

Mm-hmm.

I love your setup. It's amazing.

-Aww, thank you. -And your work is so unique.

Thanks. It's gonna sound a little strange,

but it's a spiritual thing for me, weaving.

I tap into something cosmic when I'm working.

-Its patterns, you know? -Yeah.

Sometimes I feel guilty taking credit for it.

Why? You shouldn't.

I would love for you to make something for my Franny.

-I'd pay you, naturally. -Don't be silly. I'll do it for cost.

Oh, actually, George already asked for a scarf for his mother,

so I'll just add it to that order.

Okay.

Wow.

-You guys just have the one child? -Yeah. Yes.

She's four. And you and Bram? Do you guys have kids?

No.

No.

Bram and I were conflicted about that for a while,

and then Mother Nature made the final decision.

And she made the right one.

It all worked out perfectly.

I was conflicted, too, but just like that, it…

It happened.

And then we got married, which I was also conflicted about.

I guess you could say I'm a conflicted Catholic girl at heart,

dutifully going through the motions.

You know,

the first few years of our marriage

were a complete blur because of the baby and school.

We're really still trying to catch our breath up here.

You know, I attend this women's group.

It's an Arts Club… thing.

We meet once a month up in Albany,

and there are so many creative ladies to meet, Catherine.

I think you should come with me.

I would love something like that.

I don't know anybody up here.

Well, you do now.

It must be so nice

to inherit a fortune

and then spend all day not writing a book.

I really like them, especially her. She's so interesting.

She's so free with herself and her body.

She can certainly put away some lasagna.

-That's a nasty thing to say. -Come on, I'm kidding.

I like them, too.

I especially like…

[sniffs] …Bram's weed.

[sniffs] Mmm.

Are you sure you're okay to drive after smoking so much?

Yeah.

-I'm fine. I'm more than okay. -Really?

-Watch this. -[engine accelerating]

George, slow down.

-Slow down, George. -Really?

-Really? -George, slow down!

[yelling] Slow down!

-[Catherine] Stop, George! -[George] Whoo!

[tires screeching]

God, what the hell are you doing?

What? What, I'm just having a little fun.

You remember what that was like, Cath, huh?

-That's not funny! -[laughing] Come on.

Oh, come on, Cath. Cath!

Catherine!

Cath, where are you going? Come on, get back in the car.

-Cath! -Get your hands off me!

God, we are two smart people.

-We should've known better. -Known what?

That I'm only here for the imaginary book jacket bio

that you have in your fucking head.

The-- the-- the professor with the wife and the country home.

I gave up everything for you!

Oh God, I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry I fucked up both of our lives!

And the worst part is this is all I have.

Cath, you know what you do have? Is the crying drunks.

You are a person who should not drink alcohol,

especially when you do not fucking eat anything!

Oh my God. I am so sick of everybody blaming everything

in my fucking life on me not eating!

Please, get back in the goddamn car!

-Get off of me! -[cries out] Ow!

Fuck!

-[groans] -Oh my God. Cath?

[Catherine whimpering]

Oh my God. Cath…

I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Was that…

Did I… Did I…

Cath?

Cath, are you okay?

[car door opens]

[car door slams]

[door opens]

[door closes]

Come on, Cole. Get up. I'll drive you home.

[door closes]

[footsteps]

[George] Hey, Cath?

I didn't mean to hurt you.

[sighs]

I would never hurt you.

But I also…

I have not been sensitive to your needs for some time.

And for that, I owe you an apology.

More than an apology.

[electricity buzzing]

One thing I do know…

[voice breaks] …is I love you.

-[buzzing] -[Franny screams]

-[glass shatters] -[Franny] What was that?

Oh God. Jesus. What?

[Catherine] It's okay, baby.

[whispering] Nothing happened. It's okay. It's okay.

[ethereal music playing]

[woman] "We look at each other, and we are not ashamed."

"I wearing the face of the proper marriage,

you the face of the independent woman."

"We cleaved to each other across that space."

[door opens and closes]

[George] You're back later than I thought.

Am I?

The fridge is empty.

I can go out, pick up some food for us.

-What do you feel like? -I, uh… I ate with Justine.

-[keys jangle] -[door closes]

[car engine idling]

[George] Brilliant setting for a faculty meeting, Floyd.

[Floyd] Yes. I take her out alone a lot, which would seem selfish.

[George chuckles]

I used to sail a bit myself. Grew up on the Connecticut coast.

Oh, that's right. Do your family own a boat?

I inherited my cousin's. The Lost Horizon.

[Floyd] Ah.

He actually drowned while sailing it.

Oh, how sad.

Yeah.

Only 19.

-Mm. -Already so sophisticated.

[Floyd sighs]

I remember when he died.

I stole his diary after the funeral. Read it repeatedly.

I know it's-- it's an awful thing to do,

but I… I think I needed some sort of…

connection.

Did you learn anything from it?

Yeah, a little.

He was gay, unhappy.

Typical tortured artist.

And then all that angst

one unfortunate moment vanishes forever.

We're all so inconsequential, Floyd.

Swedenborg would suggest otherwise.

He'd say death is only the beginning.

Have you read the book yet?

[chuckles]

[George] It's on the top of my list.

[door opens]

-[George] Come, come in. -Ahh.

Cath?

Let me get that.

Hello.

Oh, Catherine, this is Floyd DeBeers, head of our department.

He also took me on this magnificent boat ride.

So good to meet you.

So, in return, I invited him to our house, a very unfair trade.

-I've heard wonderful things about you. -As I have you.

[Catherine chuckles]

George, is this some kind of setup?

[Catherine chuckles] What?

[chuckling] I-- I swear to God, I didn't even tell her you were coming.

You see, George? You see? There are no coincidences.

I'm sorry. I-- I was taken by the artwork and just started reading it.

[George] Nothing to be sorry for.

You do know what this is, don't you? The cover art?

It's a soul transitioning into the afterlife.

[Catherine] Really?

[Floyd] The painter followed Swedenborg,

so he believed that death is parallel to birth, but divine.

[George] Floyd, believe me.

You do not want to get my wife started on all that, uh, stuff.

[chuckles awkwardly] Uh, Cath, please show Floyd around.

Um, I'm gonna fix us some cocktails.

May I show you around?

-I can't wait. -Great.

[both chuckle]

My daughter's asleep already,

but you can-- we can peek in her room.

We actually have four bedrooms, but we only use two of them.

A young couple can't have too many bed--

You okay?

Shh.

[whispering] We're not alone, are we?