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[dramatic music]

[Alice] Oh, God, there must be a better way.

There must be a better way to describe things,

to arrange words in a new way,

to use words

to take you to a place beyond words.

There must be.

[Karen] I'm so glad that we could finally sit down together.

I know we haven't had a chance to do that since

-Sonia retired. -[Alice] Mmm-hmm.

[Karen] I know that she is...

She is very sad to go,

-understandably, but, um... -Mmm.

-It's just such a shame. -Mmm.

-Retiring at, what, 70? -Mmm.

-Why? -Well--

I mean, it doesn't make any sense to me.

Well, I know that... That her husband obviously hasn't been--

-The husband is ill. -Yeah.

The children are needy.

-The children are 40... -Mmm.

...but are more needy than ever.

So that's confusing.

And how long have you been at the agency?

I know we've spoken on the phone...

Mmm.

...for a couple of years.

Well, I've been...

I think it's been eight years I've been at the agency now,

and I've been assisting Sonia for the last seven.

So, actually, I... I know it may seem that I'm... I'm new,

-but I've been... -Gosh.

...working on your account

and working on your sales,

and I should say that there is a lot of excitement

at the agency, uh, regarding your new manuscript,

and... and without wanting to... to pry too much,

is there... is there anything you might be able to...

to share with us?

Not really. Not at this point, no.

I'm sorry to be so blunt,

but, um, Sonia never invaded

my process in any way,

and she always gave me free rein.

She gave me the dignity and... and the, uh, respect

of complete autonomy.

[clears throat]

Well, um, everyone's very excited.

-Um... -Great.

What do you like about my writing?

I mean, what... what pulls you to the material?

Well, um...

I have to say, I...

The first book of yours that I read was

You Always, You Never.

-Mmm. -And I was--

Did you ever read A Function of the Body?

Was that one of the ones that you liked?

Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm. Yes.

That was a much, much better book...

-Uh-huh. -Quite frankly.

You Always, You Never, yes, it has a residual impact.

Uh, it won the Pulitzer,

but it's a... it's a completely different thing

than the... than the Footling Prize.

Mmm...

Oh, yes, I... I meant to bring that up, actually.

They are... [inhales sharply]

They are asking for... for an answer.

They're... they're... obviously, they're... they're hoping

that you'll be able to make it, and... and it is...

Do you realize that they don't give the Footling Prize

in fiction every year?

It's... it's something that other writers confer on writers.

Mmm-hmm. Well--

I'm so proud, but I, I, I just, uh...

I can't attend.

It's killing me.

Um, but...

-Well-- -I can't fly, you see, so...

-I can't fly. [sighs] -Do--

And along with the other things--

Would you consider...

I mean, there may be a way

for you to get to the UK without having to fly.

I mean, there's... there's... there's a crossing.

There's... there's a ship, the Queen Mary 2,

that... that goes from New York to Southampton.

I... I happen to know the director of the Cunard Line,

and, you know, they have regular crossings,

um, between... Transatlantic crossings,

and I'm sure... [hesitates]

I'm sure if I spoke to him,

they'd be willing to... to... to give you a state room

and, and whatever you needed.

I mean, in... in exchange for...

perhaps if you did a little talk on the boat,

-um, uh, then... -Oh, well, I don't think...

Then something could be arranged.

And I... just... just hear me out.

I think...

Yes, I think that might be the solution

to be able to get you there, because, obviously, this prize

means so much to you, as it should,

and I know that they'd be thrilled,

uh, if you were able to make it.

And... and it really is... It's a lovely way to travel.

It's a... it's a beautiful ship.

Could I bring guests?

-Yes, of course. -How many?

[dramatic music]

[Eddie] Uh, and my main... my main feeling is just feeling

like I'm a burden on you, and... and...

just, like, shoving myself in here when, you know...

And I appreciate it. Mika appreciates it.

-You know, I invited you-- -And I just want--

May I just remind you?

-I invited you. -Mmm-hmm.

I'm your mom. I'm your family.

What's that for if not to...

[baby crying, woman chatters indistinctly]

I... I still don't understand it.

What... How could... You... You did this company together.

-Mmm-hmm. -And I don't understand

-how he cut you out... -I think he thinks that I--

-...why he would do that. -Well, he...

He used the program that I had developed...

or I... It was my idea. He actually did the...

He was the engineer on it.

I don't know, honey. I really don't know.

I'm clueless, actually,

about what you're going through with this.

That a friend should do this to you is, um,

kind of outrageous.

-It's shock... It's... -It makes me feel violent.

-[chuckles] Mom. -Mmm-hmm. It does.

-Easily. -[baby crying]

Don't let that motherfucker near me.

Why wouldn't you go on this trip?

I mean, it sounds fascinating.

Well, Cheryl needs more prep time before her parole hearing.

Mom, the hearing is six months from now.

Roberta's going, right?

Yes, Roberta's definitely going.

And you haven't heard from Alice since Dad died.

And when did you last see, you know, her and Roberta?

Oh, wow, I don't think we've seen each other

since, um... whoa...

since we all got together in San Francisco.

That was, like, when was that?

Oh, that was...that was over 30 years ago.

Well, you got to go.

You have... I think you have to go,

just to find out why she's reaching out.

And why you two? Why now?

[dramatic music]

-[customer] How are you? -[Roberta] Fine.

[customer] So I am very frustrated right now.

-Oh, dear. -[laughing] I know.

Um, I called ahead... Are you Carol?

No, I am Roberta, as you can see...

-I do see it now. -If you have eyeballs.

[chuckles] I do. Okay, I called ahead

and spoke to someone named Carol,

who perhaps was your manager... I don't know.

And I don't want to get you in trouble,

but she did tell me that you have a peacock blue

panty and bra set.

And that is what I'm here for, and all I am seeing is teal.

So...

Can I just point out that the difference

between teal and peacock is as fine as a hair.

-[both chuckle] -Maybe to you.

I have a really highly developed sense of color.

I'm a designer.

There's too much yellow in this.

Now, let me help you understand.

[telephone ringing in distance]

[knocks on door]

-Hey. -Clovis, remember, I am leaving today

for two weeks, and I'll be back on the 16th, okay?

Wait, you're going away?

[laughs] Yeah, I told you all this in the email

about three weeks ago.

I gave you the whole itinerary.

-I didn't get your email. -I... I think you did.

I didn't get an email from you.

Because I sent it.

Oh, okay, can you get someone to cover you?

'Cause I have you five days next week.

No, but I think you can

because that's your job as manager.

Bye-bye.

[indistinct chatter, billiard balls clacking]

[woman] Who are the other two people she invited?

[Tyler inhales sharply] Um...

They're her... like, her two oldest friends from college.

-Really? -Yeah. So they've been, like,

friends for, like, 50 years.

-Jesus. -Just been chillin'.

Or... or I guess they haven't seen

each other in a while... I'm not sure.

I don't know what... for our generation...

what friendship will look like over a long period of time.

At least, I've only had friends for, like, four years at a time,

and these women have been friends for, like, 50 years,

so just trying to maybe study them and learn...

maybe I can learn something from it, you know? [laughs]

And, what, she's, like, a TV person?

No, she's a writer. She's an...

-Oh. -...an author.

-Oh. -Do you not know this?

No, you didn't tell us anything about this.

What do you mean? You don't know who my aunt is?

Or... You don't?

Alice Hughes, You Always, You Never.

It won the Pulitzer Prize.

It's been turned into a movie and a miniseries

in the last, I don't know, 15, 20 years or something.

What... What... You haven't seen it?

This was... This was years ago?

Or this was recent?

I'm really surprised. It's, like...

Well, you should read it.

It's an unbelievable book and a great movie.

Can you not go? Why... why would you go?

-Yeah. -Aw, thanks.

No, it's not a "thanks" moment.

Well, you... you... I felt so much love from you in that moment,

so I had to say thanks.

No, I got to go. I got to go do, um...

I mean, I just got to go do my thing, you know?

Take... take care of these lovely old women.

She desperately wants to accept the Footling Prize,

but she can't fly, so I've booked her

on the Queen Mary 2 with her two friends and her nephew.

I'm not...

She gets on the boat, she takes the boat,

and then you take the boat, too,

for what purpose, exactly?

Well, for years now, she's been hinting to Sonia

that she's revisiting one of her characters,

and we're hoping it's Rowena from You Always, You Never,

but then again, whenever anyone mentions

You Always, You Never, she slags it off.

If she hated that book so much,

why'd she put it out in the first place?

Well, it was a long time ago, so I can understand...

Know what we're gonna get? Our luck,

we're gonna get a sequel to A Function of the Body.

Well, she did mention she considers that

-to be a much better book. -Oh, my God.

Of course she did. Here's a thought.

How about a sequel to You Always, You Never,

and maybe make it better than the original?

How's that for a bold idea?

I completely agree, which is why

I think I need to be on that ship.

It's a big ask.

It's not just the cost of the trip.

You're gonna be out of the office.

Well, I just don't see that there's any other way.

All right, but if this doesn't work out,

you're gonna wear it.

[sighs] All right.

[suspenseful jazz music]

[inaudible]

[upbeat jazz music]

[inaudible]

[music stops]

[ship horn blaring]

-I feel useful. I feel useful. -[Alice] Yeah.

-It's a wonderful feeling. -[Alice] That's a good feeling.

Sometimes it's a heartbreaking thing

'cause, you know, they won't get parole.

You've been preparing, and the parole board just...

[Alice] Yes, yes.

-[Susan] Anyway, anyway... -You're fighting

the good fight.

-[chuckles] -[Susan] I don't know.

-I think so, yeah. -[Susan] I'm trying. I'm trying.

The main thing is the connection with the women...

-Mmm. -[Susan] Is just such a gift.

-It's everything. -[Susan] It's a gift.

[Alice] What about you, Bert? What have you been up to?

Oh, well...

not much, really, not much. [chuckles]

I don't advocate for anybody except...

I advocate for women's brassieres, basically.

-Just... -[Susan] For what, hon?

[Roberta] I, I, I sell lingerie.

[Susan] Your what, honey? You're in what?

[Roberta] I sell lingerie.

Tyler, you brought the books. I've... I've brought you books.

-[Susan] Oh, how wonderful. -So that I hope...

I hope you'll look at the Realm of the Owl,

-which is her seminal work. -[Susan] Thank you.

[Alice] She didn't write very much,

but the work that she did write is...

groundbreaking, and I think it's important

that we all somehow...

share the work

before we go and stand at her...

at her grave.

[whispers] Thank you.

[Alice] Um, so...

speaking of writing, I'm just...

I'm just not going to be available.

I've got a draft of a novel I'm trying to finish.

I have, uh... [sighs]

This address that's, uh...

You know, they don't give this prize every year.

But we'll have supper together, and we'll--

Good. Yes.

[Alice] You can tell me all the things

that I'm missing out on. [laughs]

Here's to picking up the conversation

where we left off.

-[chuckles] You know? -[Susan] Cheers.

And here's to, maybe,

reconnecting the gang of three we used to be.

[laughs]

Cheers.

-[camera beeps, shutter clicks] -Cheers.

-[Tyler] Yeah, thank you. -Thank you very much.

-[Tyler] Have a good one. -[Susan] Good night. Thank you.

-Good night. -Have a good night.

[indistinct chatter]

Hey, Bert, want to go have a drink later?

No, I can't. [door opens]

[jazz piano music playing]

[cell phone vibrating]

Hey, don't freak out. This is Karen, Alice's agent.

I'm actually on this ship.

Can you meet me in the Verandah bar

in 15 minutes?

What?

Hi.

-Karen? -Yeah, hi.

-Hey. Tyler. -Nice to meet you.

Yeah, nice to meet you, too.

Heard so much about you from Alice.

-Really? -Yeah.

Oh, wow. Cool.

Um, would you like a drink?

Um, sure, yeah. Um, what do you... What'd you have?

Uh, vodka soda.

[Tyler] Okay, um, so can I have a margarita?

-Can you do margarita? -[barman] Yeah, sure.

Oh, it's amazing.

I'm... I'm a guest of a friend who's speaking,

so I... I'm very lucky to get to be on this ship.

-That's wonderful. -I... I wouldn't have been able to otherwise,

-and it's magnificent. -[man] Yeah, yeah.

You know, I was only in the pub.

They have a pub on here.

I was in the pub, and I actually...

I actually managed to sell...

You shouldn't... you're not supposed to do it,

but I actually managed to sell

a big quantity of my shoelaces to a guy in the pub.

-Hmm. -Yeah, yeah.

Turned a profit on the ship.

I, I have already, yeah. I... I've done that.

-I know. -Uh...

We're... we're turning over a lot of money in it.

How, how, how much money would that be?

-Do you want to know? -Yeah.

-I've just met you. I mean... -I want to know.

[Karen] Let me start at the beginning.

Um, Alice has a manuscript that's due, like, really soon,

and, uh, everyone at the agency is getting a bit nervous

and wondering whether it's gonna be finished on time,

whether it's gonna be a sequel to You Always, You Never,

-and the problem is... -Hmm.

...nobody there has seen a manuscript.

I mean, I haven't seen a manuscript.

Have you seen a manuscript?

Um, no, I have not seen a manuscript.

Okay, the thing is...

I was meant to get some answers the other day,

and, and I didn't get any answers,

-and if... and if I don't get... -Mmm-hmm.

...any information soon, um...

I'm gonna be in deep shit.

So this is... this is really important,

and I... I'd really appreciate it if you could...

-Okay, yeah. -...help me out.

I need... It's a really delicate situation,

and, you know, I don't want to approach her

at the wrong time, and I can't really

get close enough to see what her frame of mind is.

-Mmm-hmm. -And, and...

And I thought maybe you could maybe give me a heads-up

as to, you know, how she is,

you know, whether she's okay, how's she's feeling,

and just, you know, and then...

-Right. -Yeah.

[mysterious music playing]

[Alice] Today won't be any different

-than any other day. -[knock on door]

-[Tyler] Okay. -[Alice] And that will be...

I'm going to start work on my manuscript,

and then I'm going to swim at 3:00.

Mmm-hmm.

Butler will bring me... Pierre will bring me

some sort of a lunch, I suppose, at 1:00.

Then I'll swim, and then I'll come back

and work for two more hours.

Six o'clock, I'll start to get ready for dinner.

Dinner at 7:00 and then back to work

or bed or both.

I'll probably work in bed.

And is there anything you need from me

within, uh, working before lunch...

No, most of what I want you to do

is I just want you to...

-take care of them... -Okay.

And make sure that they're happy.

You know, I just don't know what's going on with them.

Mmm.

You know, I tried last night to...

What happened after I left?

Did... did you go out with Roberta and Susan?

-Um, no. -Did they go out together?

Did they speak to each other?

-Did they... -Um, I don't... I don't know.

I was... I just... I just went home

and started writing some stuff down.

-You just went home? -Yeah.

But, Ty... [sighs]

This is... Part of what I... I really do want you

to... to watch out over them...

-Hmm. -...'cause I'm not able to be with them,

and I don't know what they're thinking.

-Oh, okay. -I don't know what they're saying.

I don't know... I don't... I really...

It's very important to me that I know something

-of their state of mind. -Oh.

Okay. Yeah.

-I can... Absolutely, I'll, um... Um... -All right?

-But I just want to-- -You know what?

That makes me think of something, actually.

Can you hand me the manuscript that's over there

-on the... on the couch? -Sure.

-And a pen. -Uh-huh.

-The red pen. -Yeah.

Got two pens.

-Thank you, darling. [sighs] -Here you go.

Is, uh... is this your new book?

[sighs]

Yeah. This is it.

What's it about?

Uh...

it is about trying to catch lightning in a bottle

for a second time.

Nice.

[keys clacking]

[ship horn blaring in the distance]

[cell phone chimes]

She's in her room till 3:00, then she swims,

then back in her room, then dinner at 7:00,

then bed.

-Thanks. -[cell phone chimes]

What are you doing after dinner?

[cell phone chimes]

[sighs]

[indistinct chatter]

[coins clinking, machines ringing]

[dealer] Five. Dealer, 21. Sorry.

[chatter continues]

[Tyler] And I'm so curious to talk to you,

Alice and Roberta, about what it was like

to... to come up together without any technology,

without... to... I can't help but feel like

you have a glimpse into the experience

of what it's like to not...

be obscured by any sort of false selves

or... or to really be intimate

with each other in moments of...

So I kind of feel like I'm... I'm... I'm spending time

with three...

uh, almost, like...

Dinosaurs.

-No. I was gonna say... -[laughing] I'm teasing you.

-Well, I know... -I'm teasing you.

I just think that there's... It is true that

after your generation, I don't know

who will carry the torch for...

what really... What humanity really is.

I don't think it's that different, you know?

I, I know it, it... It's vastly different

when you look at it from the outside.

And what's happened to your generation...

I mean, since you were two, you've been typing away,

and so you've grown up with this thing

-like an appendage on you, you know? -Uh-huh.

But I think that...

depending on what you join up with

on, you know, the computer...

Facebook or Instagram

-or whatever you're joining up with... -Yeah.

...um, or not...

that human communication is basically the same

because humans are basically the same.

[water splashes]

[man 1] So, who should I sign this to?

[man 2] Arabella. It'd be very nice.

That's my granddaughter.

-[man 1] Granddaughter? -Yeah.

[man 1] Yeah, she's only about, 15 years old?

-[laughs] -[woman] Well, she's seven today.

-It's her birthday. -It's her birthday?

-She's on board, yeah. -She's on board?

-She is. -Where is she?

Oh, yeah, she's by the pool.

-By the pool? -Naturally.

[laughs]

Well, that's... Can she swim?

[woman] Oh...

[indistinct chatter]

[elegant music playing]

Okay, so don't look all at the same time,

but does anybody know who that guy is,

sitting behind me to the right?

He was surrounded by, like, a group of fans earlier today.

Oh, I think that's him.

I know that's him.

-[Alice] Who? -[Tyler] Who?

[both] Kelvin Kranz!

-Who? -Who is he?

-[Roberta] Kranz. -[Susan] He's a writer.

He's a huge mystery writer.

He's written hundreds of books.

Have you read any of them?

-Oh, all of them. -Almost all of them.

Every one of them. Some twice.

-Good Lord. How is that possible? -Wow.

-How is that possible... -[Susan] It's a thrill...

He's not like you.

Nothing like you at all.

He's a thriller, a mystery writer.

A thriller writer.

Yes, I understand.

What I don't understand...

is how people...

How you can read the... The prose just...

That kind of writing seems to me like...

The prose seems like Styrofoam or something.

But it's plot-driven.

Yes, but the plots are so simplified.

It's like a jigsaw puzzle.

You know, you match the color and the shape,

and then you put it all together.

It's all very pat and neat and done.

And then, you know, it's a picture

that's completely unrelated to life.

Life is a mystery, a true mystery.

-It's true. -It's true.

And yet, I can't wait for the next one.

And also, it's like a puzzle you get to solve.

Maybe I'll go over there.

-No, no, don't. -[laughs]

[Susan] No, not yet. Don't...

Wait until later.

-Thank you. -Ma'am, pleasure.

Why don't we go get a drink tonight, huh?

Oh, I, I can't.

I'm going to the masquerade ball.

Oh.

Sounds like fun.

[clears throat]

[cell phone vibrating]

[Karen] Can you hang out?

[laughs] Fuck, yeah.

[band playing "Let's Dance"]

♪ And if you say run ♪

♪ I'll run with you ♪

♪ And if you say hide ♪

♪ We'll hide ♪

I, uh, saw the manuscript.

Just saw it. I didn't...

I asked her what it was about,

and she was not really interested in sharing,

but she did say that it's about...

trying to catch lightning in a bottle

for the second time.

Wow. Uh...

Lightning in a bottle for the second time, that...

that could mean a sequel.

Right?

Uh, yeah, I suppose it could.

-I think it could mean a lot of things. -Well, that's...

Well, that's pretty exciting.

[Tyler] I thought that was the direction

I was gonna take my life in,

and I went to college,

and I sort of...

I don't know.

The more I separated from my dad,

the more I saw actually how sketchy of a guy he was.

He was, like...

kind of an ignorant human being

in his politics and his...

just kind of the way he treated...

people and specifically, I think, women.

Um...

and, uh...

and...

yeah, and then, uh...

he actually got sent to jail

because he, um...

blackmailed some very important people

at the top of these companies

that... that, uh, that he worked for.

-Yeah. -And so I don't know

if you heard about that.

Yeah, I heard... I heard something about that.

Yeah, that's my dad.

-Anyway... -[both laugh]

-It's okay. -Um...

So...

Are you even or odd? I'm odd.

Um, I'm even.

Okay.

-All right. -Good night.

Good night. Um, see you tomorrow?

Yeah, definitely.

-Okay. -Okay.

[mellow music playing]

[door closes]

[knocking at door]

So it's strange to me the idea

that she would come here and avoid you.

It's very strange to me.

It's very strange because she jumped

at the opportunity.

You know, she jumped at the invitation.

Susan, it took two weeks for her

to make all the arrangements from... In her life

-to be able to leave, but... -Wow.

Well, then maybe she's trying... She wanted

to come here to...

to make you uneasy.

Oh, I don't...

-Or she wanted-- -Do you think she did?

Well, maybe not as a whole, but, you know, some...

Like, when I was a kid,

I would get mad at my parents and yell at them

-to see that they loved me. -Mmm.

Do you know what I mean? I would hurt them.

And when I saw the hurt in their eyes,

-that told me they loved me. -Mmm.

And that was a way of comforting myself.

Mmm-hmm. Oh, gosh, well, that's a horrible,

horrible thought.

I hope that's not... That's true,

and I'm sorry that happened to you.

Well, I did it, so... [chuckles]

-Yes. -Yes, but I don't think you...

I'm sure your mother came through for you,

but I can't imagine that Bud did.

[clears throat]

Right.

Okay, this is the closest

that I've been able to come to a viable candidate,

Murray Dix. He makes shoelaces.

I wish it were a little more glamorous,

but I think he's got dough.

I need you to find out how much dough he really has.

Is it liquid? What's his marital history?

Was...

Did he abuse a wife?

Did he... I mean, am I gonna survive if I...

-Mmm-hmm. -Um... I, I...

Are there any red flags? Did he do time?

That would not be good for... for my reputation,

-among other things. -Right.

Right. Right.

-So can you-- -Yeah, you want me to do

a little forensic deep dive,

-if you will. -Yes, I know you can do that.

Yeah, I got you.

[mellow music playing]

Where is it?

[gasps]

[chuckles]

[sighs]

Oh, my God.

Oh.

-Whoa. -What?

[taps screen]

Okay, that's a blemish.

But he was acquitted.

Isn't that the important thing?

[exercise machines whirring]

[machine beeps]

[breathing heavily]

[indistinct chatter]

-Hey. -Hey.

[huffs]

How's it going?

Yeah, good. How are you?

I'm doing well. [chuckles] Um...

how you feeling today?

I hate my life.

[Roberta] I, I loathe my job.

I...

I desperately want money.

[laughs] I really want money, and I'm not in a position

to meet a guy who has any.

I mean, I get these old codgers

who come into the store, and they want to buy a thong

for their teenage girlfriends,

while I'm old, rotten meat for them.

-They're not interested. -[Susan] Oh, honey.

[Roberta] But, um...

You, you really do believe that Alice and her book

just determined your whole life?

Don't you?

I know I'm not

the quickest person around the place,

but I read Alice's book.

It never crossed my mind that it was you.

It never crossed my mind that it was Crawford.

It never crossed my mind that that mechanic guy...

had anything to do with Roberta.

Nothing. It never crossed my mind.

Even though the character's name was Rowena?

Why would I put that with you?

Well, it crossed everyone else's mind, Susan.

It certainly crossed Crawford's.

And the judge agreed with him, so, you know, what...

I got nothing.

Oh, God, that's so awful.

-Look, he was... -That's so awful.

-I can't believe that. -He was a nice man. He was very wealthy.

He took very good care of me.

-Until... -He didn't.

So are you seeing anyone at the moment?

Um, no, no one right now.

Um, I, um... Um...

Okay, so the weirdest thing happened this morning.

That guy...

I think, was coming out of Alice's room

when I went to go see her for breakfast.

-What? -Yeah.

Like, like, he'd stayed the night?

Oh... maybe. I don't know. Uh, does that--

Do you think they're having an affair?

Again, yeah, I don't know, but it...

I don't know why else... he'd be leaving her room

or why she wouldn't tell me, but...

Maybe she's having a secret affair.

-Good for her. -[chuckles] I know, yeah.

Oh, God.

So I moved out, and I lived on my own for a bit,

and then I got introduced to this guy called Jan, um,

who is a hedge fund manager,

and he works between New York and Zurich.

So we started seeing each other.

And things seemed to be going pretty well.

Uh, we moved in together. Um...

You know, I really...

I felt like I was in a grown-up relationship

-for the first time, like, he's quite serious. -Wow.

Um, like, I felt like it was time that I... that I calmed down.

Like, I don't know why I thought that,

-but, like, in my mind... -Hmm.

...I was like, you know, "It's time to grow up."

-Huh. -Like, "This is it. He's the guy."

-Wow. -"I'm gonna get married.

I'm gonna have kids with him, and I'm just..."

-Wow. -Yeah, "This is the next phase of my life."

-Um, that's what I thought. Um... -[cup clatters]

We talked about children, but he said he wasn't sure

and he didn't know when he'd be ready,

so, you know, he said,

why don't I freeze my eggs?

So last year I... I did that.

Um...

Even though, like, I thought that I'd be ready, like, now.

Like, I mean, most of my friends have had kids.

-And... -Right.

You know, they've got families and, like...

I don't know, it's funny when you get to this age as a woman.

You feel a bit like

if you're not doing that, you're gonna be...

Well, you're gonna miss your chance

-or you're gonna be, like... [sniffles] -Mmm.

-[voice breaks] ...left behind. -[both chuckle sadly]

-Sorry, it's just... -No, that's all right.

-Are you all right? -Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.

I'm fine. I just haven't really talked about this.

Um...

-Sorry. -Oh.

It's ridiculous, really. Um...

I don't know. [exhales deeply]

It's so crazy, like, you go through your 20s,

and you're, like, "I better not fucking get pregnant

'cause that would be a disaster."

-Right, right. -And then when you hit 35,

everyone's like, "Are you thinking about it?"

Like, should you... "Are you gonna have kids?"

So it all kind of changes so quickly,

and I thought that that was gonna happen,

that Jan and I were gonna get married.

-So it just, like, threw me when, like... -Huh.

...two months ago, he... Well, he just ended it.

And...

-like, I was basically homeless 'cause it was his place. -[gasps softly]

And, um...

Yeah, I'm just... Guess I'm just

still working through all of that.

Um...

-[woman] Good afternoon. -[Roberta] Hello.

Uh, I was given this gift certificate

for a supreme manicure and pedicure,

which is very nice, but I don't like people

touching my hands or feet,

so I would like to redeem it for cash, please.

Unfortunately, we can't do that, madam,

but we can offer you another treatment instead.

Uh, could I redeem it...

Could you put it on my credit card?

Unfortunately, no, because it is a complimentary one,

so we would be able to just transfer it

to a different treatment.

Let me show you what we have available.

For the money that you have, you can have any of these.

Do men get massages here, too?

We do. We do do massages for everyone, yes.

Do you have any men getting a massage at the moment?

We do at the moment, yes, madam.

What kind of massage are they getting?

They have all sorts of... All the different types we do.

At the moment, we have got a gentleman in.

He's having a sports massage.

Ah, well, I would like to have the sports massage.

-The sports massage? Okay. -Yes, please.

[dishes clattering]

[steam hissing]

[clattering continues]

-[Kelvin] They're the same price? -[waiter] Same price, yes.

Let's say we went to the Bordeaux,

just in case.

He went like this.

Now he's going like this.

[Tyler] Why don't you go up to him and, and talk to him?

Tyler, I would never do that.

-He really seems-- -Oh, my God.

You can't be intimidated by Kelvin Kra...

-[whispering] Kelvin-- -[Susan] Oh, my God.

[Tyler] He seems... He seemed really nice

to all the people who were going up to him yesterday.

-[Susan] Really? -It's just...

-Oh, I'm not surprised. -[Tyler clears throat]

I think he's probably a lovely man.

Speaking of writing, how is yours going?

Thank you for asking me that.

Um...

[breathes deeply] Well, it's...

it's not going, actually.

It's not going.

I've been whining to Tyler about it.

I'm sorry for doing that, but I just...

Oh, I've hit a... I've hit a wall.

Sometimes it happens.

Sometimes you hit... You're blocked.

-Well, maybe you should take a breather. -So... Mmm.

You want to have tea tomorrow?

We could go to the...

The Chart Room has a nice tea.

I would love to.

[Karen] Uh, I didn't know whether you'd be up for it,

but have you been to a planetarium before?

No. Never. Or maybe when I was a kid.

Okay, um, do you like stars, planets, the universe?

Yeah, I love the universe.

[chuckles] Okay. Well, hopefully, you should enjoy this.

[narrator] The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious.

The subject of campfire stories,

ancient myths, and awe

for as long as there have been people.

Living beneath the open, dark sky,

the earliest humans were aware of nightly changes

as planets marched across the sky.

The moon waxed and waned,

and occasional meteors flared across the horizon.

Slowly, the simple early observations

revealed patterns that could be depended upon,

leading to the first calendars.

With the yearly cycle mapped out,

settlements in agriculture could develop,

and early civilizations thrived.

At the same time, the first maps of the sky

grouped the brightest stars into familiar constellations,

helping to develop navigational schemes...

[continues indistinctly]

[machinery humming]

Good evening, madam.

-Hello. -Um, how can I help you?

I think you seem to be lost.

Oh, no, no, I'm not lost. I'm just wandering.

Yeah, you're not actually allowed in this area

because this is part of the crew area.

-Oh, okay. -And you're not insured.

So, if anything does happen...

-Okay, where shall I go? -So where would you like to go,

and I can escort you, please?

Okay, no problem.

[waves splashing]

[sighs]

[Karen] Kelvin Kranz is on this ship?

[Tyler] Mmm-hmm.

Wait, is he... Is that a really big deal?

Come on, you have to have heard of him.

[Tyler] No, I've never heard of him.

[scoffs] I mean, he's huge.

Like, the guy's a one-man publishing industry.

-Really? -Like, every single one

of his books gets adapted into a film.

-I mean, every language... -Oh, okay.

...his books have been translated into.

-[Tyler] Okay, Kelvin. -Yeah.

-[Tyler] I see you. -He's massive.

[Karen] Like, bigger than all of them combined, like...

[Tyler] Good for... good for Kelvin.

-[Karen] Yeah. -Good for that guy.

Um, so I had a thought that I was...

Do you... Do you like dancing?

-Dancing? -Yeah.

Like, just for fun?

Like, no, there's a dance club on the boat.

I think it's like a disco-type spot,

and I figured maybe we could go,

if you were interested.

Okay.

[upbeat dance music playing]

♪ Yeah, I think I like How that sounds ♪

♪ What you say we gets to know Each other better? ♪

♪ That sounds good But I don't think ♪

♪ That I can let ya ♪

♪ I don't know, Tell me, is it so? ♪

♪ Do you get a kick Out of telling brothers no? ♪

♪ No, it's not that See, you don't understand ♪

♪ How should I put? I got a man ♪

-[elevator bell dings] -[Tyler] Yeah.

-Thanks for doing that with me. -[laughs]

-It was fun. -It was fun.

-Yeah. -Good night. [laughs]

-Good seeing you. -See you.

All right, have a good one.

[mellow music playing]

[rain pattering]

[door closes]

[Alice] Gosh, I just realized.

Last night I had a dream.

[scoffs] I guess...

Maybe that's why I thought about not...

not losing touch.

I had a dream that a friend of mine

that is no longer alive

came to me.

I was aware that I was dreaming.

I was aware that...

this person was saying to me,

"This is how we'll communicate now."

Oh, no way.

Oh.

Oh, my God.

-Yeah. -Whoa.

Yeah. We never lose...

[clears throat] Never lose people.

[clears throat]

Gosh.

Hey, gorgeous.

Hey.

Do you understand this thing?

[Susan] Do you know what you're gonna say?

I'm gonna say that actions have consequences,

and the consequences on my life of her actions

were unacceptable...

and the least she could do is apologize.

How do you think she's gonna take that?

She'll go...

Well, I... She'll, she'll deny it.

She'll say that... She'll deny it.

She'll say it was based on someone entirely different.

[gasps]

Doesn't that look like Professor Osbourne?

I didn't see him.

It's a dead ringer for Professor Osbourne.

Remember him?

I... How... If I'd seen him,

I wouldn't have reacted like you are.

-Oh, my God. -What went on?

Nothing, nothing. I'm just...

I don't think so.

I had a threesome with him and his wife.

Well...

[laughs] Well, well, well...

[both laugh]

Is that all?

Yeah. It was just a threesome.

It wasn't a foursome or a fivesome...

[laughs]

It wasn't an orgy.

[upbeat jazz music playing]

That can't really be your first time...

Karen.

Heard a rumor you were on the ship.

Well, it's no rumor.

-[camera beeps] -[shutter clicks]

There's a big majority.

I mean, we've got ex-service people.

We've got guys that have come up

through the, uh, self-improvement.

You know, and those guys

are generally very, very enthusiastic

'cause they've spent a lot of money

to, uh, get to where they are.

So, you tend to look after them a little bit more.

You know, they'll... They tend to want to understand

the market.

With the ex-service guys, they're independent.

You can get them to go out and do a job.

They don't need any, um... support

from within the company.

But, you know, my job is to sort of oversee

what's going on and count the money as it comes in.

-[laughs] That's probably fun. -[chuckles] Yeah.

Would you mind if we moved into the room next door?

-Not at all, not at all. -Great. Let's do that.

-Love to follow you in. -I'm meeting someone. [laughs]

I mean, I like the ambition, truly.

But what is your plan?

-I mean, it's interesting. -Well, my plan was to approach her at the right point.

You think that's a bad idea?

I think it's a terrible idea.

I don't think you can approach her at all on this boat.

I think you will scare her away.

[Karen] Mmm-hmm.

I think that she might appreciate your tenacity,

but really...

she's gonna decide what she does,

and it's really out of your control.

-[Roberta] Right, it's what... -[man] Absolutely.

I mean, the shine on the tables.

-The decor is so... -Yeah.

Alice, Alice.

Oh. Hi.

Alice... Sorry, this is Alice Hughes.

This is Vernon.

-Vernon, hello. -Vernon. Pleased to meet you.

-Pleasure. -He's in aviation.

Oh. Well...

Would you like to join us?

Please.

-Oh. -Or no--

No, it's all right.

I was just wandering around the ship

and, uh, passed the florist and thought,

-"Why am I carrying this around like a fool?" [laughs] -[Roberta chuckles]

Let me, um, set it here.

Uh, maybe I'll see you at dinner.

You... Definitely.

-[Alice] Nice to meet you. -Look forward to it.

-[Alice] Pleasure. -Take care.

[Alice] Bye.

She seems nice.

Yeah, she's a very fine writer.

We, we went to university together.

[Kelvin] I mean, it's madness, really.

What, you want her to write a...

-A sequel to... Yeah. -A sequel to this?

I mean, everyone wants her to write a sequel to this.

Yeah, but she's never gonna do that.

The book's her antichrist.

Don't you think?

[cell phone vibrating]

Tyler, it's Roberta. I need your help.

[doorbell rings]

Sorry, sometimes it takes a little while

'cause she could be...

There are two floors, so she could be upstairs.

There... there's two floors?

Yeah. [clicks tongue]

It's a big one.

-Yeah. -[doorbell rings]

Hmm.

So, here's the pen and paper.

Oh, thank you.

Okay.

[Alice] Someday, that book's gonna end.

I, I want to lead you today

on a... on a tour through the landscape

of my inspiration.

Sometimes the sources that a writer uses

are very close to home...

family, friends, enemies.

[laughs]

And sometimes our source is a visitor

from another time, another universe.

Blodwen Pugh...

was a Welsh writer

at the turn of the last century,

the end of the 19th century.

She worked in obscurity.

She, uh, was completely unrecognized

until well after her death.

And even now, she's quite unfamiliar,

even to many in the most rarefied literary circles.

She's, uh...

She's lost to us, except for those

who stand still enough to listen.

The writings, her one rema... her one novel,

which is called, I think it's the masterpiece

of that... of that era

is called "Realm of the Owl."

When I read this novel,

it's... it's impossible for me

not to think what a miracle it is

that this universe emerged.

What a miracle it is

that consciousness emerged.

You know?

And what a miracle it is that Blodwyn Pugh...

her thoughts and experiences...

that they could reach across time...

and reach into my consciousness.

That's a miracle.

Any questions?

[man] Well, I have a question.

I mean, I don't know, it certainly raise to Blodwyn Pugh's

"Realm of the Owl," but I have a question

about "A Function of the Body"

and, uh, specifically when you were inspired to write it,

did you always know you were gonna insert

Georgia's diaries through the book?

Um...

I thought it was, uh...

exquisitely crafted in that way.

And, I mean, everyone knows it's a very personal book.

It's known, so I don't feel badly saying that,

and, I mean, the way you did that

with her... With the loss of her sister,

the ne'er-do-well brother who's sort of a psychopath,

whom you need, you know, whom you need,

and who you're terrified of.

It... The way those diaries worked

just raised it to the highest level

of, uh... of literature for me.

I'm wondering how you... how you... how you did that.

Did you know you were gonna do it or--

[Alice] Oh, thank you.

Thank you very much for that question.

[indistinct chatter]

[elegant music playing]

-My dad, at least. -[Alice] Oh, my.

Oh, my. Oh.

-Oh, your friends have come. -[chuckles]

My friends, I want you to meet Roberta.

-Hello. -What a great pleasure.

-Thank you. You too. Big fan. -And Susan.

-What a good pleasure. -Kelvin Kranz.

-And my nephew Tyler. -Hey. Tyler.

-Handsome young man. -Oh, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

So you all, you're traveling together.

Yes. You have a table full of fans here, you know?

Really? Well, that's fantastic, you know.

-Oh, thank you. -[Roberta laughs]

So you must be all going to "The Toad and the Harrow"...

Oh, well, yes...

Are you taking your friends over?

-Is that what's happening here? -Yes.

But first, we're gonna make a little pilgrimage

to Blodwyn Pugh's gravesite outside Cardiff.

-[Kelvin] Hmm. -The convent.

[Kelvin] How wonderful. That's special.

[Alice] Yeah, yeah, I think... I think it'll be...

sort of special, but, uh...

I wanted to ask you,

how long does it take you to write one of your...

one of your books?

-To... to write one? -Mmm-hmm.

Well, I spend about, maybe,

a month outlining it,

and then, maybe, three months, uh, writing it,

so maybe four months...

At the outside, some of them maybe four and a half.

-Oh. -I try to...

I've never done anything faster than three months.

That's longer than I thought.

-Uh... -[laughs] Well...

That's interesting.

It's a process, isn't it?

Well, I have a certain process.

-It's pretty specific, you know? Um... -Mmm-hmm.

Well, anyway...

congratulations on getting the prize.

Oh, thank you so much.

It's a great honor. I think it's very special.

And what a pleasure to meet you all.

-[Roberta] Thank you. You too. -Take care.

-Thank you. Thank you. -[Kelvin] I'll see you again, yeah.

-And you. I'll see you again. -Ah.

-See you soon. -Take care, bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

-[Kelvin] Have a nice supper. -Thank you.

You too.

-[camera beeps] -[shutter clicks]

What a nice man.

[chuckles]

-Wow. -What a gent, isn't he?

What a gentleman. Classy.

[Alice clears throat]

-Missed you today. -Yes, I know. I'm sorry.

-Why don't we go now? Have a little drink?

-I can't. -Why?

'Cause I'm going to the gala.

Oh, the gala.

Okay.

[indistinct conversation]

[Karen] They're such iconic characters.

[Kelvin] Well, it is perfect for American characters

right now because the border of...

-[Tyler] Hey. -Hi.

-Oh, you're here. Great. -Hey.

You guys have met, haven't you?

Yeah.

-How's it going? Sorry to interrupt. -It's going good.

No, you're not interrupting at all.

We're just finishing up.

-Good to see you, man. -Good to see you.

-Yeah. -Leave you to it.

-So lovely to talk to you. -To be continued?

-Yes. -We'll see each other

-again soon. -Yeah.

-Sorry to run you out of town. -No, are you kidding?

Have a good one.

-How's it going? -Um...

does he know who you are?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, he knows, he knows.

-And that doesn't bother you? -He's cool. Don't worry.

No, he, um... He's not gonna say anything.

-Don't worry. -So you know that

him and Alice are now...

-friends, they're talking. -Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, no, I, um...

Actually, I told him everything,

and he found the whole thing quite amusing, actually.

-Hmm. -Um, and he gave me some good advice.

He, uh... he told me he thinks

it's probably not gonna be a good idea

for me to approach Alice on this trip,

so I'm gonna back off, and, um...

-Yeah, I think he's right. -Great.

[mellow music playing]

[door closes]

[Tyler] Did you get that note, by the way,

that we left in your room?

[Alice] What... A note is nothing.

I mean, she made a date with me,

and, for tea, and I went,

and I interrupted my work.

It's not like I have hours and hours to wander the ship

-and, you know, meet men. -Right.

This is not what I'm here for.

Wait, so you went, and then what happened?

I went to tea at two o'clock sharp,

and there she was, sitting there like a beanbag

next to this dodo who was her date.

And, clearly, I wasn't, you know...

-[scoffs] -So she canceled it?

It was canceled. You didn't meet with her.

Well, I don't know what we were supposed to do,

have a... a meeting with a...

-A dodo? -A person that... Yes.

I shouldn't say that.

He's probably a perfectly nice, unsuspecting man,

who didn't know that he was, you know,

in the talons of a carrion bird.

-But I don't know what... -[laughing]

I don't know what she's... I don't know what she wants,

because I just want to reach her.

Right.

[Roberta] Do you remember when you and Alice and I met

in San Francisco all those years ago?

That's when it all hit the fan.

I just was desperate

to confide in someone,

and the two of you were the closest

I've ever been with, so...

[sighs] When we had dinner

at the bar afterward, you went upstairs

and went to bed, and it was just me and Alice,

and I thought...

"Well, Alice has always been interested

in other people's lives."

And then I made the fatal mistake

of telling Alice everything.

[sighs]

What I realize is...

if you can't keep a secret yourself...

you can't ask anyone else to keep a secret.

It's true.

[chuckles]

Um...

what I'm gonna tell you is this.

Uh...

I didn't go upstairs to sleep that night.

Um, there was a really...

a really cute waiter,

and, uh...

This is a...

double letter, triple word.

-Baby. -[laughs]

-I hate you. -Bow down, bitch.

-[laughs] -Bow down.

[Karen] They have this incredible night together.

They get really drunk.

-They drink loads of cocktails. -[laughing]

Um, and, yeah, they just get on really well.

-They hook up. -Mmm-hmm.

And she doesn't know that this guy

is actually just a bartender.

Like, he's not a rich guy or anything, like, um...

But they fall for each other, and it's this comedy of errors.

-Um, it's kind of a farce. -Mmm-hmm.

But they end up falling for each other,

despite the fact that, you know,

-they're both pretending to be something that they're not... -Right.

...which is kind of the... yeah, the whole thing.

And do you know who plays the guy?

He's this... oh, he's this comedian.

He's so funny. He's got this amazing face.

But it's just such a charming film.

You have to see it. It's brilliant.

-I want to see it. -Yeah.

I'm trying to think of, like...

I was actually in a comedy of errors

when I was in sixth grade, so when you brought that up...

-Yeah. -Hi.

Uh...

Karen?

Hi.

And Tyler?

Hi. Um...

Wait.

So you lied for her because...

you like her.

[laughing] That's...

that's as good a reason to lie as any I can think of.

-[chuckles] -[sniffs]

[exhales sharply]

So...

[clears throat]

[breathes deeply]

You're gonna see her tonight?

I don't know.

Who's that man I keep seeing

coming out of your room in the morning?

Oh, that man.

That man is...

probably the one thing

that keeps me going.

Wow.

-Besides you. -[laughs]

Thanks.

[Roberta] They all take ballroom-dancing classes

on this ship.

So, when they go to the gala,

they want to show off what they've learned.

-[Susan] That's so amazing. -And they take it very...

-Hi. -Hey.

-Hi. -How are you?

What a surprise.

Fine, fine.

Very breezy day to have...

Yeah, I love the fog.

...an intimate little discussion.

You know, I've been thinking about you.

Really?

Um, well, uh, one of the women that I work with, um,

poisoned her husband, who was a batterer,

um, and guess where she got the idea.

From my first wife, of course.

[laughter]

Or maybe my second wife.

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

No, no, but now I know a lot about you.

Yes.

-No. -No? No.

From an early Agatha Christie book.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

Exactly. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

Well, I kept that away from her.

[laughter]

And that's why you still stand.

So you've been thinking about poisoning, but why?

I mean, just because...

Oh, no, because I... This woman was incarcerated

for trying to save her child and herself.

Um, and she didn't want to kill him.

She just wanted to disable him so she could stop the violence.

-But he died. -Huh.

I'm so sorry. That's awful.

Yes, it is awful.

Do you deal with a lot of people who poison?

I do. Oh, no, no.

Not so many... I mean, they take whatever weapon...

-Uh-huh. -...the domes... Is in the person's hand

and, um...

Can I join you? Do you mind if I sit down?

-Of course, sit down. -No, join us.

I've been fascinated by poison lately.

-Why? -Well, I'm thinking

about writing something

about someone who poisons people.

I think it's...

I think, philosophically, poisoning is a...

a very intimate way to kill someone,

and it's also very cruel.

[mellow jazz music playing]

[inaudible]

[music crescendos, ends]

How is that?

Very compelling.

[chuckles]

[dishes clattering]

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct conversations]

[elegant music playing]

-Hey. -Sorry.

-[chuckles] -Sorry I'm late.

-Thank you. -Hello.

[breathes deeply] Everybody well?

-Everybody's well. -Yeah.

-Good. -How is work going?

Oh, well, not as...

not as well as I'd like.

-Thank you. -[waiter] You're welcome.

Oh.

-Where's Tyler? -Mmm.

Not coming.

-[Susan] No? -He has a... a date.

-Oh. -Ah! [laughs]

Who with?

Uh, someone he met on the ship.

-So... -Huh.

[sighs] An older woman...

[chuckles] Apparently.

An older woman? How much older?

Like, in her 80s?

[all laughing]

I would be surprised if that were the case,

but he probably means 26 or...

-Oh. -Oh. Oh, right.

Thirty-six.

Thirty-six would be a significant difference.

Or more. Who knows?

-[Susan] Really? -Yeah.

I can't tell people's ages anymore.

-No, I can't either. -I really can't.

[breathes deeply]

Alice, I don't know what your schedule is,

but if you're free tomorrow before or after you swim,

maybe we could have a tea or a drink.

[chuckles]

Well, I... [scoffs]

I would love to do that,

but I actually have a business meeting tomorrow.

-Oh, sorry. -And I don't know

if I'll even get my swim in.

Who knows how long it'll go on or what will happen in it?

So... But let's do it another time.

-Promise? -Yeah, I'd love to. Great.

-[sighs] Quite a day. -Yeah.

[soft piano music playing]

Wow. Shocking.

Yeah.

How you feeling?

I'm feeling okay, actually. Kind of...

A bit relieved, to be honest.

Yeah.

I should actually say to you, like...

Yeah, I feel like I should apologize a bit.

I feel bad for dragging you into this whole thing.

I know you didn't want to lie to your aunt,

-and I slightly twisted your arm... -Mmm.

...and I feel bad about that,

and... and she clearly thinks so highly of you.

She loves you. She thinks,

you know, she thinks the world of you, and that was obvious

when I spoke to her today.

And I think...

that was probably part of the reason

why she was so forgiving towards me.

-Ah. -So...

thank you for...

Yeah, thanks for everything this, this week.

-Oh, well... -You've been amazing.

And I know I've also, like, completely,

um, inappropriately unloaded a whole load of stuff onto you

that I probably shouldn't have done,

-so I'm sorry about that, and... -Aw.

-Yeah, thank you. -Well, that's... Aw, that's sweet of you.

I appreciate that acknowledgement,

and I...

It's been... It's so been my pleasure getting to know you,

and I was skeptical at first

about what our relationship would look like.

And I just felt like... I don't know.

I just really wanted to get to know you,

and, um, I'm excited to hopefully continue to get to know you.

And, uh...

I don't know, maybe, you know,

what our... what... what, uh...

our life can look like... moving forward.

Like, I don't know. There's just...

Maybe, um...

It's just been probably one of the biggest gifts

of the, um... the ship for me

has been, uh...

getting to know you, so...

[sighs] Um...

I was, uh, wondering if, um...

Uh...

I know this is kind of a crazy question, but...

Uh...

If... if maybe you wanted to...

um...

If...

You're not gonna ask me out, are you?

-Um... -[chuckles] I'm joking, I'm joking.

-You just suddenly looked so awkward. -Right. Right.

I did. I was...

I was wondering if maybe I could kiss you

at some point soon.

Oh.

Uh...

Um... fuck.

[breathes deeply]

Oh, shit.

[groans]

-[machinery humming] -[clicking]

[machine beeps]

[whirring]

I, I, I think I, uh...

made a...

a bit of a fool of myself.

In what way?

I just... I... I, um, made some kind of an advance

that didn't... That went un...

Oh.

Unreciprocated.

[Alice] Mmm-hmm.

[slurps]

Well, you can't, um...

I hope you don't regret that.

That's... that's... The trying is all.

You know?

-Hmm. -If you don't try,

if you don't risk...

Mmm. [chuckles] That's good to know.

I mean, it's, it's, uh, you shouldn't be shy

with this kind of thing,

this... this attraction to someone.

I think attraction is...

It's the animating force in the universe, really.

[exhales sharply] That's a fact.

Well, like...

gravity or the pull of the poles,

what pulls the monarch butterflies...

to fly across the world.

If you feel attracted to someone from your heart,

you know... and you look at them

and you feel you can see their soul...

that's, uh...

There is...

[chuckles softly] there's no bad version of that,

to want to be a part of that.

And we should...

Oh, God... treasure it.

It's, it's, uh...

We're lucky to have that feeling.

It's the greatest, it's the fullest...

expression of what it is to be alive.

Hmm.

-So... -Wow.

Do you think you'll, you'll... How did it end?

I mean, do you think you'll try again?

-[chuckles] No. -No?

[laughs] No.

[sniffles] No.

-You know, Suze, I... I am convinced... -Mmm?

...she asked me on this trip

to find out what happened to me after my divorce.

She wants to write about it as a sequel

to her fucking book.

-I know it. -No.

-I know it. -No.

-You've got to ask her. -No.

You have to be direct and ask her.

You know, you heard those things

she said during that talk.

She uses things and people from her life.

Well, I'm... I'm one of those people.

I know you are. I know you are.

But that's what writers do,

and she never meant to hurt you, I promise you.

-She never meant to hurt you. -She doesn't care, Susan.

I think she does care. She cares about you.

And why would she be writing about you again?

She loves you. She's obsessed with you.

She said she uses people from her life,

and she is going to use me in this sequel.

I don't believe that, dear. I really don't.

I know it could seem that way if you twist it.

If you twist it the other way,

you know, she has the same memories we do

of our days together.

They're sacred.

-Yeah. -Maybe not sacred.

That's a little pompous.

But you know what I mean, what we were talking about the other day.

She has those, too.

Yeah, but she's very different now.

I know she is. She really has changed.

She's changed so much. Did she always talk like that?

-No. -She didn't?

Did not.

I wonder why she talks like that.

[laughing] I know.

[cell phone vibrating]

[Karen] Just so you know, she's invited me to dinner

with all of you.

Oh, fuck.

[Alice] Karen's very hopeful

about the publishing business, actually,

I mean, against all reason, in my opinion,

but if you could talk a little about

what the agency is going to do now and in the future.

-[Karen] Well, yes. -The old dead wood has been moved aside.

[Karen] It's been an interesting time.

Um, there have been quite a few changes at the agency,

but I feel very optimistic

about what we're going to be doing going forward,

and I... We've got exciting plans for Alice.

Um, you know, Sonia did tell me that Alice

was quite secretive about her work,

-um, but I had no idea how secretive. -[women chuckle]

Well, I...

[Karen] I mean, I still haven't been able to deduce

which of your literary characters

that you are reviving.

-[laughs] -I do hope it's Rowena from You Always, You Never.

Yes, yes, I would love to know

what Rowena has been up to the last 35 years.

Oh, dear, you know... [sighs]

Let me just say,

-on this subject... -I think everyone cares.

Rowena...

[Alice] I don't think anybody really cares.

What became of Rowena after her disastrous marriage?

Did she find love again?

Did she get another career?

Did she have a child?

Rowena is a beloved literary character.

-What, what... -[Karen] She is. She is.

-[Alice] Bert, Bert. -[Roberta] Yeah.

[Alice] What I want to say about this...

-[Roberta] Uh-huh. -And I... I should clarify for you...

-[Roberta] Uh-huh. -...that whatever character

I write about, is essentially about me.

I mean, honestly, that's what authors do.

-Don't they? -[Susan] Let me... Just...

-I don't think... -And another thing...

...I have ever been at a table

with two more self-obsessed people.

I don't think I ever have.

This is a first.

We care for each other. Do we?

-Do we care for each other? -[Alice] Yes, of course.

[Susan] Yes? Yes. We do care for each other.

This happened in your youth.

This happened so long... In your youth.

And today, this very day,

we have lived most of our lives.

[Alice clears throat]

-[Susan] Right? -[Alice] Mmm.

[Susan] Are you gonna continue this ancient battle

for the little time that remains to us?

Do you even know what happened yesterday

when we were out of communication with the world.

Do you know what happened? You don't know what happened.

Do you know what happened? Does anyone know what happened?

[Alice] No. Well, I was working, so I wasn't...

[Susan] Well, of course you were working.

-You're always working. -[Alice] Yes.

Elon Musk...

sent many, many telecom satellites

into the sky

that look exactly like stars,

exactly like stars.

So now when humans gaze at the night sky,

they won't know if they're gazing at a star

-or at a machine. -[Alice] Hmm.

And we at this table,

at this little table,

we are among the last, the very last,

ever, ever,

to have seen the actual, real,

the honest, truthful night sky

from the ocean.

We saw stars...

just stars.

[groans softly, sighs]

[Tyler sighs]

-Are you packed? -I'm killing it.

Yeah?

-Killing it with the bags? -No.

[sighs]

No, my book. Um...

I deleted it...

from my computer.

I deleted it all.

And I threw the... the hard copy in the recycling.

-Why? -[chuckles]

It's...

You know what?

It's like polishing the vase when the house is falling down.

[Tyler] Hmm.

You don't know. [chuckles]

You don't know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, I'm gonna...

ask you to bring the bigger bags

down for me, okay?

[mellow jazz music playing]

[inaudible]

[Alice] I think the words matter.

I do think they matter... [clears throat]

Which ones you choose

to describe something or to express something.

It takes time to... to, um, worry those into existence,

the right one, the right one.

There's only one that's right.

[exhales] I lament... You know, sometimes

I wait... I wait for a word to come to me.

I wait... I'll wait a week. [chuckles]

No, but it amused me on the ship

how they were so eager that we not use

the word "boat" to describe the ship

because "boat" is sort of a diminutive...

Or when they would say don't call it "a cruise."

It's not a cruise. It's a crossing.

[Susan] Mmm.

Mmm-hmm.

[Alice] And it is a crossing.

It's... You're crossing time zones.

-You feel them. -[Susan] Yes, you do.

Crossing into something unknown.

I mean, it's... The cruise just seems meandering

and... and silly.

Alice...

what I'm trying to reconcile is

who is the real you?

I... I just, uh...

I just don't know who you are anymore.

I mean, does... Does anybody trust you anymore?

And is that hard for you?

I mean, are... are you okay with that?

You seem to be okay with that.

What do you mean? Because I write from my life

and from...

Oh, yeah, you write from your life,

but you write from others,

and, and, and those others experience it

as a kind of betrayal.

-You obviously... -Well, you know, you... [scoffs]

[whispers] Betrayal.

I think that you perhaps betray

the people that you love the most...

because you know that you have the expectation

of forgiveness.

The people that you don't know very well,

trying to seduce or impress,

you treat them much more tenderly.

That's my experience.

Ah. But it's harder to forgive

when you're wallowing

in the middle of the debris of what your life used to be.

It... It, it requires a greater

expanse of spirit than I think most people have.

Did you come on this trip to, to...

berate me or to forgive me or to...

extract something else?

An apology or...

to reconnect, maybe,

our friendship?

Why did you say yes?

I wanted an apology.

I wanted you to at least acknowledge

the damage that you caused in my life.

[softly] Oh.

And...

And I wanted to extract...

a little compensation for it.

Because if you

were going to write a sequel,

I would tell you everything

about the last 35 years.

I would give you all the sordid, squalid details.

You would have...

You would have a great book.

And all I want...

is 30% of the profits.

Wait.

[sputters] What did you... What did you just say?

Well, I think you heard me.

And I think it's fair.

Oh, my God. I just, um...

I realize what this is about. This is not about...

This is not about love. This is about money.

I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that.

[groans]

I'll give you a check.

We really lost each other, you know?

Yeah, we did.

I loved you when you were Al.

Uh...

Well, I'll see you tomorrow.

[dramatic music playing]

[music ends]

-Excuse me, Tyler, uh... -Hey.

I'm Dr. Mitchell. I'm Alice's physician.

Come in, please.

What's happening?

-Um... -Is she sleeping?

I'm very sorry to inform you,

but your aunt passed away in the middle of the night.

Oh, no.

Alice had a serious condition called...

-Fuck. -...deep vein thrombosis,

and it's a blood clot which can travel

-up to the lungs, the heart, or the brain. -No...

Right now we're not sure which

until we get a coroner's report.

I'm very sorry.

Um...

The coroner as well as the police are headed here.

If you'd like some time

to spend with her before they get here.

Yeah. That would be great.

Okay, I'll be right outside.

-Thank you. -You're welcome.

Yeah.

[door opens]

[Mitchell] She had told me of her wanting to go to England

to pick up the Footling Prize,

see Blodwyn Pugh's gravesite,

and also discuss her at the awards ceremony.

She had at one point intended to fly.

Uh, I certainly said that that would not be a good idea

to travel by plane.

It wouldn't be a good idea to travel at all.

I strongly advised her to stay in New York,

but as you all know, Alice is Alice.

And she's very strong-willed,

and, ultimately, she wanted to go.

So, I then discussed with her perhaps

I should come along with her

to help her with the medication.

The medication that we typically use

in this situation is a blood thinner,

but it needed to be injected.

I would give the injections in the morning

and in the evening.

Could I just interrupt to ask

if it could have been brought on

by an emotional discussion,

an emotional encounter?

[Mitchell] Um, most likely not.

These things are, as I said, unpredictable in nature,

and they can happen and it doesn't have anything

to do with what's going on in someone's personal life.

So, no.

[Roberta] Shall I go rebook our flights now?

[Susan] Mmm.

Oh, my goodness sake.

[Roberta] Well...

-[Susan] We've got to... -[Tyler] To when?

-[Roberta] Tomorrow? Uh... -[Susan] Maybe the next day.

We've got to pack Alice's stuff

-and then pack all our stuff. -[Tyler] Whoa.

I don't know. I was... I was sort of...

It doesn't feel right to me to, to, to leave

or to, to, to book the flight right now.

I feel like we got to...

The trip isn't over.

Like, the... We should visit Blodwyn's grave

like Alice wanted us to.

She brought us here.

She chose us.

The three... Just us three.

Personally, for me, I...

[sputters] My life... I ca...

Everything that's good in my life

feels related to Alice in so many ways.

I... I've been so ashamed of the family that I come from,

and for so long...

until I met Alice.

And...

I can't leave here without going to that gravesite.

I'm just...

It would feel like... I'd... It would make me sick.

[Alice] ♪ My laughter is dim ♪

♪ My step loses its lightness ♪

♪ Old countryside measures ♪

♪ Fall soft on my ear ♪

♪ I only remember the past ♪

♪ And its brightness ♪

♪ The dear ones I mourn for ♪

♪ Again gather here ♪

♪ From out of the shadows ♪

♪ They lovingly greet me ♪

♪ And wistfully searching ♪

♪ The leafy green dome ♪

♪ I find other faces ♪

♪ Fond bending to greet me ♪

♪ The ash grove The ash grove ♪

♪ Alone is my home ♪

Does anybody want to say anything?

Tyler, I don't even know the woman.

I don't even like her writing.

This is for Alice.

I guess we should go, then.

[Susan] Mmm-hmm.

I need a drink.

[mysterious music playing]

Isn't there an editor or a fellow writer,

someone who could do something with it?

[Karen] Honestly, it's...

I don't know what it is or what could be done with it.

I guess you could call it experimental.

We could post it online and charge people to read it.

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable doing that.

Look, whatever this is, it's clearly

in a very embryonic stage,

and it's not meant to be published.

She was trying something out,

and she didn't get to see it through.

Yeah, but people might find that interesting.

Her readers, literary scholars.

Look, maybe someone else can help you.

You said she gave it to you.

You can take it wherever you want.

You don't need me, not for that.

Roberta, we need you on the floor.

Yeah, I'm coming, Clovis.

I'll be right there.

I'm coming.

Yeah, Mom...

Should I send it back to you?

I'm coming. Gah.

What?

Uh, no, no, no. Keep it.

Uh, give it to Tyler.

Um...

How about... how about this?

How about a sequel?

A sequel with real people, real people's names,

places, about what happened in my life

after the publication of You Always, You Never?

How about that?

Roberta, if you were ever to write that book,

I'd love to see it.

[Susan] I just don't understand

-the whole agent thing... -Mmm-hmm.

...but, um, I spoke to Karen... [sniffles]

...and she said that, um... because she represents you now,

she couldn't represent me.

-No, no, no, no. -Yeah.

-Well, okay, but she can find you an-- -It's a conflict.

Okay, but she can find you an agent and a lawyer, but...

Look, you should use my old agent.

-That's perfect. He'd love to represent you. -Oh.

-Okay. -He should be so lucky.

-Oh. -Because the deal's 50-50.

We're just gonna split it 50-50, right?

Well, that doesn't make any sense at all.

-Why? -You are the writer.

-It's not 50-50. -Well, yes, it is.

I mean, unless you want more.

-I mean... -Don't be absurd.

...you don't need an agent.

[both laughing]

You're better than your agent.

Look, I am so happy to be doing this.

This is my idea. We're splitting it 50-50.

That's done. Forget it.

Let's just move on and try to start.

Do you have some--

This might be interesting,

but it turns out that the main ingredient

in antifreeze is ethylene glycol.

In antifreeze?

In antifreeze. Wait, now...

Which is not only incredibly toxic

but also very sweet.

Ah.

So that...

people, when they want to poison someone,

have used it a lot.

And now 17 states require the manufacturer

to add something to make it taste very bitter.

Mmm-hmm,

which leaves 33 states where they don't.

-Exactly. -If my math...

So I was thinking maybe as part of her plan,

she either lives in a state that doesn't have the law...

-Okay. -...or moves to one.

And then moves to one.

[mellow music playing]

[Alice] When I read this novel,

it's... it's impossible for me

not to think what a miracle it is

that this universe emerged,

what a miracle it is

that consciousness emerged...

And what a miracle it is that Blodwyn Pugh,

her thoughts and experiences,

that they could reach across time

and reach into my consciousness.

That's a miracle.

[music crescendos]