People are decent, mostly.
I say mostly because
we all know there are some real pricks out there.
People are decent because they never forget how to reach out.
Now and then, they'll even surprise you.
But then again, sometimes they won't.
I wanna be remembered as the awesomest dodgeball player ever.
I wanna win an Olympic gold medal in dodgeball.
This will make the world a better place 'cause
I'll inspire other kids to be dodgeball champions.
And that's what I think about my legacy.
Good, Tommy. A little basic,
but some solid grammar and paragraph construction.
Well done.
Who wants to go next?
Henry? Huh?
Oh, yeah.
We can all talk about making our mark,
but isn't it just comfort food to stave off existential crisis?
I mean, in the end, Tommy, you're gonna realize that
dodgeball isn't even an Olympic sport.
But our legacy isn't what we write on our résumé
or how many commas we have in our bank account.
It's who we're lucky enough to have in our lives
and what we can leave them with.
The one thing we do know, we're here now.
So I say we do the best we can while we're on this side of the dirt.
And that's what I think about my legacy.
Henry.
Remind me again why we can't put you in a gifted school.
'Cause it's better for my psychosocial development
for me to interact with a peer group
in a normal school environment.
Oh, yeah. Okay.
Thank you.
And so that's 3,000 of TannenTech at 76 with a stop-loss at 70?
And, you know what? Give me ten Liffcom with Aluminad.
Uh, two and a quarter.
Okay, yeah. I think it'll work.
Oh, let's just say I had the benefit
of being born into a bull market.
Sorry I'm late.
Buckle up. Wrestle this backpack.
I really wish you'd get a new car.
It's not like you can't afford it or anything.
That isn't the point. And besides...
There's nothing wrong with the old car.
Why won't you let me help?
I only broke one of them. Over.
Which led to an electrical fire. Over.
Waffle irons are tricky. Over.
I just wish I could make something like you do.
Okay. Come on, then.
Okay, what do you wanna make?
A flying trampoline.
You might wanna start small.
Rocket boots.
Mmm, that's kind of hard, too.
Okay. You have to build in a fail-safe.
It's all about timing, setup, covering every contingency.
One little miscalculation, and the whole thing fails.
Like the waffle iron?
Waffle irons are tricky.
What if there are sharks?
Too shallow.
How about piranhas?
Indigenous to Africa.
Henry says South America.
Fine, South America.
But don't you worry,
if anything attacks you,
anything indigenous to our region,
I'll be in here in a flash.
Okay?
Oh, what the heck!
Okay.
You okay? Yep.
Call out the capitals.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Easy.
Augusta, Maine.
Salem, Oregon.
Albany, New York.
Hey, Mom, what is this charge for $147.50 at Funtime Cove?
Uh, bouncy castle for Peter's birthday.
The one that smelled like feet.
Bismarck, North Carolina.
Isn't that one of the other Norths?
Tallahassee, Florida.
Did our financial statement come in the mail today?
Juneau, Alaska. Yeah, I forgot to give it to you.
You should really read it and know what it says.
Annapolis, Maryland. Wrong.
Right.
Cheyenne, Wyoming.
You know it doesn't actually help
when you lean into it like that.
Sure it does.
Look at that. Look at that!
"So he dyed his coat all the colors of the rainbow.
"Then the other squirrels were jealous and sorry
"because he looked punk rock awesome.
"And they learned that real coolness
"isn't about the color of your fur,
"it's about what you've got beneath it.
"The end."
So?
Um, it was well-told.
Hey!
You try writing and drawing something.
It's about something. It's a metaphor.
It seems someone hasn't grasped
the blue squirrel's moral of acceptance.
Young Engineer Award?
When did you get this one?
It's no big deal.
I'd be psyched if I won that.
I wouldn't just toss it in the corner.
You can have it.
Okay. Let's get your little tushies into bed.
You think I'm running a nightclub here?
Can we do movie night tomorrow?
Oh. I can't, hon, I've got the dinner shift.
Mom, I told you, you don't have to work anymore.
What do you mean, she doesn't have to work anymore?
Nothing.
I'm just saying, it's not necessary.
Just stay home and work on your storybooks.
Oh!
I'm sorry.
Are you sure?
Because... I mean, I don't wanna invade
your sense of personal space or anything...
Mom!
Good night.
On or off?
- On. - Off.
Open or closed?
- Open. - Closed.
Yikes, it's hot.
Hey, Mom? Yeah.
You double-click here... Easy!
It's expensive.
Then you download the bank statement directly into the program.
Who says you're not smart? No one.
Show me what I just taught you.
I'm not a child, Henry.
Show me.
Okay. That's enough.
Um, let's see.
You just deleted last month.
You're not doing that right.
What? Here, Mom.
Susan.
Oh, great. It's Glenn.
Mr. Sickleman.
Susan.
Hey.
I was wondering, would you mind keeping an eye on your lawn?
Your unraked leaves are blowing over to my property.
It's just hard to keep up.
Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll try.
Sorry, Glenn.
Hey, sweetie. Hi.
Come here.
Hey!
Look at you.
Hey.
Found this in the woods.
Little cops in training, huh, boys?
Sorry, uh, to be a pain about the leaves.
I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but... No, no. It is. I... I get it.
Um, moving forward, I vow to mind my leaf distribution.
Appreciate it.
My future daughter-in-law.
Oh, God.
She's adorable.
But her stepfather...
Ugh!
Glenn?
Mr. Sickleman.
Late again.
Dog ate my car.
Table seven says their eggs are too wet, so have fun with that.
Hey, toots, how's tricks?
Oh, the Feds are all over me.
Had to move money into my Swiss bank account.
And the rates are terrible.
Tell me about it. When I won the lottery,
you should have seen the taxes.
$82,000,000 turned into $16,000,000. What am I gonna buy with that?
Hey, table seven is real.
You sell the castle yet?
Corsica, but I'm having a hard time unloading Monte Carlo.
My boobs are up here. Yeah, geez.
Miss? This isn't what I ordered.
Hey, Susan?
The new payroll gal ain't exactly the brightest.
She mailed your paycheck home
even though I told her you were coming in today.
It's a nice neighborhood you live in.
I always figured you for an apartment somewhere.
Thank God for alimony, huh?
Yeah, right.
I guess I could just set you up with direct deposit if that's easier.
Uh, I don't know. I'll have to ask Henry.
You have to ask your 11-year-old?
Twelve. He's almost 12.
Henry!
I need your help! Morris took your medal!
Hurry! Let's just go!
Hey!
Thank you, Dot.
There he is.
Hey, Christina.
You okay?
Yeah. I'm good.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Henry! Henry!
Peter! Hey! Henry!
Let him go!
Henry!
The medal!
What's your problem, dude? I told you to stay away from him.
He's a little douche bag.
You, you're smart at least. But him?
All right, come on, guys, break it up.
He's a nothing. He's a nothing.
Where were you? Remember that!
I'm sorry. Shh!
Thank you, let's go.
Come on, Peter.
I just said sorry to you, like, a thousand times.
Oh...
I promise I will not let Morris near you again.
Okay? I promise.
I bet I can make you smile.
Mom's home!
Hello?
Oh, my munchkin!
What... Geez, Henry. Just say no.
Surprise.
Sheila!
Aw. Hello, Peter.
Hank.
It's actually Henry.
I think you'd be able to retain at least
one simple name somewhere beyond that haircut.
Nice goggles. They go well with your misshapen head.
Don't you two start already.
Now, I'm gonna pretend all this didn't happen,
'cause I've had a hell of a day,
and Sheila and I are just gonna hang out a little. Okay?
They're gonna get so drunk right now.
I know.
I heard that.
My mom... But my mom was a bitch.
But she was, like, she wasn't.
She would try to... She scared my friends.
How?
You know those, um, like, Dracula teeth?
Yeah. For Halloween? Yeah.
And if a... If a guy asked me out at all,
and he would come over, she would wear her Dracula teeth.
Ugh, God. And then she'd just, like...
Slowly smile, like...
Oh, maybe she was being protective.
She was horrif...
She was being protective.
Aw. She was great.
She was just trying to raise me right.
She failed miserably. But she should win an award.
Please don't let me screw 'em up.
I mean, you just do the best you can, right?
But they're kids, little tiny creatures in the world,
waiting for life to just happen.
I don't know how you do it.
Honestly, I don't know how you do it all by yourself.
Come on. I have Henry.
Find me another male of the species who's more grown-up than him.
I'd like to.
Can I sleep here?
Henry! Let's move it!
There you go.
Hey, sweetie. You okay?
Uh, fine. Why?
What's with the face?
Uh, nothing. It's just a headache.
Okay.
Hey, sweetie. Need a lift?
You okay?
Yeah.
Now for some bad news.
Zach's mom dropped off donuts for his birthday.
Yeah!
Okay, class.
Time to start thinking about your acts for next month's talent show.
I'm handing out forms now.
So, be sure to bring back parents' signatures.
Henry, where are you going?
Henry!
God damn it, Janice. How much longer does this have to go on?
What else do you need to see?
I believe you mean Principal Wilder.
Henry, we're not going down this road again.
Bruises, exhaustion, decreased school performance?
What have her grades been this year?
You know I can't tell you anything
about another student's grades.
You're under no obligation to investigate.
You need merely report suspicion of.
It's your ethical responsibility as an educator.
I made preliminary inquiries which turned...
So make secondary inquiries. Which turned up nothing.
It's more complicated than that, Henry.
Mr. Sickleman is the Police Commissioner
and an upstanding member of this community.
As if upstanding members of the community don't...
These type of baseless allegations
can have extremely serious ramifications.
Jesus, do...
Do these things mean anything?
I have known Mr. Sickleman longer than you've been alive.
Don't condescend to me.
I'm not gonna subject him to public scrutiny without conclusive evidence.
Fine.
I will handle this without you.
Henry Carpenter, come in. Over.
When do you think Mom's gonna be here? Over.
Sorry!
Where are we going?
We have to stop by Sheila's.
She was supposed to work the morning shift, but she didn't show up.
Stop that.
Sheila!
Hello?
Found her.
Oh.
Lovely. You brought the children.
Hello, Hank.
Sheila. Looking radiant as ever.
Let me guess.
Drinking away memories of that ex
who left you in the lurch with two young boys?
That was you.
Oh, yeah.
I covered for you at work.
Come on. Get up.
No!
No. Have a sip.
You're weakening.
Yay.
Oh, yay. Oh, us.
It's really great how you enable her alcoholism.
Sheila is not an alcoholic.
Yes, she is.
Would you relax?
Honestly, she's such a sharp dresser.
Didn't acid wash go out before I was born?
Compared to some of the shit in her closet... Mom.
That's nothing.
Don't curse in front of Peter.
Like it matters anymore.
"Mom has a two-headed baby."
Bet that made for a trying delivery.
Right in the middle of the damn freezer.
You had all day, you've had all day to talk about it.
Henry.
It's none of our business.
You'll only make it worse.
Hey!
I don't care! Are you kidding me?
Henry. No.
Stop. Come on.
Child Protective Services. How can I direct your call?
Uh, hello? Uh... Hello?
Can I help you? Uh, yes.
Can I have the intake caseworker, please?
A caseworker? That's me. How can I help you?
Oh, hi. Um, I'd like to report a child abuse case.
Okay. Um...
Is somebody hurting you? No, it's not me.
How old are you, honey? Eleven.
And what's going on?
Um... Where can I reach you?
Look, I'm not... I'm not gonna give you my phone number.
That's why I called the anonymous reporting line. Get it?
Okay. Stay calm.
Henry! How can I help?
Um, the address is 3328 Spindle Lane.
And the abuser's name is Glenn Sickleman.
Um, thank you very much. Goodbye.
Wait. Don't hang up. Hold on...
Hey, Henry.
Hey.
For your brother. It's one of mine.
It's, um, very considerate of you.
I hope he likes it okay.
Hey, sweetie.
Henry told me you're gonna do a dance next month.
Can't wait to see it.
Hey, Glenn.
You must be excited about the talent show. Oh.
Yeah. I... I confess, I get a little impatient at things like that.
I... I thought Janie's mom was taking you?
Jenna.
They're out of town that week.
Well, I can, I'm happy to take her.
I'll, uh... I'll pick her up.
Great.
Mrs. Carpenter?
Sweetie, please. Susan.
Henry and Peter, they're lucky to have you.
Thank you.
And your father's lucky to have you, too.
Stepfather.
I want you to stop focusing on academics
and spend a little more time goofing off.
Pick up a bad habit or something.
Gambling, booze, get hammered, rob a bank.
Come on!
You're no fun.
Mom? Mmm.
That woman today, at the grocery store,
you didn't do anything to help her.
I told you, just wasn't our business.
I think when someone hurts someone else, I... I think it is our business.
Well, I know it seems that way,
but there was nothing I could do.
Yeah. Mom, if... If everybody did that,
then there would be no one to look out for the people
who just can't look out for themselves.
So what should I have done?
I didn't want things to get violent.
Violence isn't the worst thing in the world.
What is, then?
Apathy.
I don't know why they would've called. Basically...
Hey, Christina. How are you?
"Sickleman."
Four-hundred foot drop to the south, and deep water to the north.
Here?
Keep going.
Here?
Keep going.
But if I go any further, I'll fall in.
Okay. Now hold up some fingers.
Three.
Roger that.
Yeah, that's what I'm looking for.
How many rounds per minute?
Twelve-hundo.
What's she run? Eight.
Eight hundred dollars?
No, eight hundred drachma.
Funny.
Needs a license, I suppose?
Yeah. Federal.
Yeah. Well, I left that one at home today.
Yeah, I'm sorry, sir. I don't run that kind of establishment.
And what if Domenic sent me?
Be $1,100.
Yeah, okay. Come around back in a half an hour.
Give my regards to Domenic.
Jesus, Mom. Really?
Know why they call me the Can Opener, Henry?
No. But I'm guessing it has something to do with whoop-ass?
Oh, come on.
Turn it off.
Just as soon as I level up on these motherf...
Mom!
Enchilada number one.
Enchilada number two.
How come he gets to be enchilada number one?
'Cause he's older.
It's fine. You can be enchilada number one.
All right. Enchilada number one.
Good night.
Uh, Mom, not again.
Sing it.
Okay. Fine.
Before you, I thought I lost
They called the game, but not for us
Drowned in thought and caught in a stare
Talkin' to things that are not there
Then you took my hand
Transformation began
Commotion where it once was still
Fireworks explode
Front row tickets to the show
This hand, I will never let it go
Your hand, I will never let it go
Good night.
I love you.
I love you, too.
Love you.
That is not a one-way street, you know.
Love you, Mom.
On or off?
- On. - Off.
Open or close?
- Open. - Close.
Mom! Mom!
Mom!
Mom! Mom! God. What is it?
Mom! I'm coming!
Mom! Mom!
Mom!
Henry.
Henry. Henry, baby.
Honey. Oh, my God.
Call 9-1-1, Peter!
I got you. I got... Oh, God, Henry.
He looks postictal, but we've got a strong pulse.
Henry? Henry?
Henry, can you hear me?
Mrs. Carpenter, your son.
Henry? Your other son.
- I need to get some history. - Get him some blood...
- Where's my CT? - Still waiting for it.
Thank you, Kathy.
Mrs. Carpenter, my name is David Daniels. I'm a neurosurgeon.
Hi.
Let's see what's going on with you, pal.
Now Henry, I'm gonna shine this light in your eyes.
Did you witness the seizure? Yes.
What did it look like?
Um, his whole body was shaking and jerking.
Has he been having headaches?
No. Nothing major. Just...
You have? For how long?
Three... Three, four months.
Dr. Daniels, you asked for these.
You said it wasn't anything serious.
Why didn't you say something, honey?
Kathy, we need to take him upstairs.
What? Where are you taking him?
We need to take him to surgery.
Your son has a definite mass, and it looks swollen.
It's abutting some critical structures.
I know this is hard for you, but we need your consent to proceed.
Dr. Daniels, he's seizing. I...
Push one mil of Ativan, stat.
Henry? Mrs. Carpenter,
we need you to sign off on this.
I can't sign this without asking him.
We need parental consent. It's all right, Henry.
- When did he last get his... - There we go.
It's all right.
Come on. All right. Let's go.
All right. You're all right. You're all right.
Henry, we're gonna take you to the O.R.
Mom?
Hey, baby.
Yeah. I'm here. I'm right here.
Is... Is everything okay?
Um...
What about this?
Will you at least eat the brownie?
Hey, kiddo.
Glad to have you back.
You must be Peter.
What do you say, you give me a moment to talk to Henry and your mom?
That be all right?
Yeah, why don't you come with me?
Henry, you've got something in your head right now,
something we call a tumor.
It's not a good thing.
So we had to see if we could remove it
without hurting any part of your brain.
Uh...
It's tricky stuff.
And we were able to get some of it.
Come on, man.
Excuse me?
This kind of rapid onset, cutting right away,
the expression on your face,
the way I see it, it's got to be
a high grade ependymoma or a glioblastoma.
I don't know why I didn't think about that.
I... What with the headaches and the... The blurred vision,
I just thought it was stress.
Large mass?
Uh...
Yeah.
Extended?
Yeah, it is.
Has it spread to critical structures?
Well, we tried to resect it. But unfortunately...
I see.
My MRI?
Irradiate?
I'm sorry.
I'd like to be alone, please.
Sweetie, I don't think... Mom.
Um...
I'd like to be alone.
Okay.
Okay, class, Henry is going to be
in the hospital for a little while.
He's really sick.
So, I thought it would be a nice idea
if we all sent him some get well cards.
Is he gonna be all right?
Well, Tommy...
He has to, doesn't he?
I mean, it's Henry. He's got to be okay.
We don't know just yet.
Hello, Hank.
Hey, fashion roadkill.
What you doin'?
Workin' on some notes.
Mmm. Think you're pretty brilliant, don't ya?
I prefer "precocious."
Shit, Hank. Why'd you have to go and do this?
Henry.
Look, even though we...
I know.
It's called reaction formation.
What?
It seems we have an antithetical relationship.
But we're just behaving towards each other
the opposite of how we really feel.
I think you're pretty, thus, I insult you.
Childish, yes.
But I am a child.
You take care, Hank.
Do you have a 9?
Do you have a 10?
Go fish.
Um...
Hey, Peter, they have good ice cream in the cafeteria.
Would you mind grabbing me some?
Here, sweetie.
So, I was thinking when we get out of here...
Mom, I need you to bring in the financial files.
Oh, don't you worry about that.
They're in the second file drawer in my cabinet.
Not now.
I also need to get a hold of the retirement statements.
Let's talk about it next week.
I may not be here next week.
I'm... I'm just gonna get some water.
I don't want any.
Me, neither.
Peter?
I have to tell you something. And it's very important. Okay?
After...
It's essential that you make sure
Mom reads my red notebook. Okay?
But not you. Just Mom.
I want you to make her yourself.
Peter, I'm trusting you to do this
because you're the person I trust most in the world.
Take care of Mom, okay?
Where are you gonna be?
I don't know.
It'll be good.
Everyone'll want to be friends with you.
Come here.
It's okay.
I'm gonna make everything better.
And if Liffcom gets above 200, dump it.
I think we've leveled down the energy sector, so all good there.
You listening to me?
What?
You need to buy a new car already.
There's nothing wrong with the old car.
Put you in some long-term bonds. Triple tax free.
I said I didn't want to talk about that.
You'll have to read the statements
and check in with Rob every once in a while.
Mom, this is really important.
No. It's not important at all.
Keep an eye on the tech stocks.
You have to watch them closer than the others.
I said I don't want to talk about it. Okay?
I don't give a shit about any of it.
I'm sorry.
I'm scared. I don't know how to...
I don't know how to do it without you.
I don't know how to be a mother.
I never taught you that.
You always knew how to be a mother.
You're the best part of me, Henry.
The best part of me.
Can't...
- Henry? What are you... - Mommy!
Baby, what are you doing?
Henry? Henry?
Hello? What?
What's going on? What's going on?
What is it, baby, what is it?
The window. It's okay. It's okay.
I'm gonna get a doctor.
What is it? Breathe. Breathe.
Mommy. Breathe.
Mom? I want Mommy.
Yes. I'm here. I am here. I am here.
Mom's here. Mommy's here.
Mommy. Mommy.
It's okay. Shh. I want to see the sky.
You want to see the sky?
Look up. Look up, baby.
Fireworks explode
Front row tickets to the show
Mom?
Hey.
So...
I had an idea.
It's just a start,
but it's something.
See, we're gonna eat dessert all week.
Nothing else. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Fuck it. Don't swear in front of me.
Look at this beautiful day.
Mommy?
You didn't expect it all to stop for this, did you?
Mom? It's still beautiful out.
Life goes on, right? Mommy!
What?
Sweetie, I'm sorry.
I...
I'm just having a tough time right now.
It's because when you lose someone close to you...
Don't talk to me like that.
Like what?
Like a child.
Oh.
Yeah.
Oh, God.
I don't know
what to do. I don't...
I don't know.
What would Henry do?
Don't do what Henry would do.
Do what you would do.
What would you do?
I don't know.
Oh.
Am I early?
Um...
I mean, we said 4:30, but if it's not a good time, I can...
No, I... I...
I just forgot, and...
I don't usually make house calls,
but I wanted to see how you and Peter were doing.
Thank you.
Is... Is Peter home?
Yeah, yeah. Come, come in.
Hey, there. Hey.
I just wanted to make sure you were all right.
Are you all right?
No.
What's wrong?
My head hurts.
It does?
Where?
Here, let me take a look.
Hmm.
I think your heart hurts, kiddo.
I thought my heart was down here.
I'll give you my card.
It's got my cell number on the back.
If your head hurts like that again,
just give me a call.
Deal?
Deal.
Ma'am, you work here?
Excuse me. Uh, ma'am?
Hey, um, is this regular or Diet Coke?
Hmm.
Diet.
Susan? Uh...
Can I, uh...
Yeah?
Maybe you came back a little too soon.
What? I'm fine.
No...
No, you're not fine.
Uh...
Your boy sent this from the hospital.
He says you have, like, $680K in a checking account,
even more in stocks and bonds.
Says in there that you can afford to take a break.
And I think you should.
He...
He was a smart kid.
Look, this isn't a request, Susan.
I'm sorry.
Hey!
Are you... Yeah.
I'm great. I'm fine.
Yeah, I've... I've gotta run, I've...
I dented the grill on my Maserati again.
Can you believe it?
I had to fly a mechanic in from Milan to, um...
It's a whole thing.
I... I have to get home to my two boys.
Does anyone wanna trade for a piece of fruit?
Want the last cupcake?
I'm home!
Mom! Mom!
Yeah?
I think Henry wants us to kill Glenn.
Mr. Sickleman?
"Keep in mind that not everyone goes through all five stages,
"and you don't necessarily go through them in order.
"Each of these theories emphasizes the vital importance
"of remaining busy through the grieving process,
"and putting oneself to task."
I don't think the task they had in mind was killing Glenn.
Mr. Sickleman.
Just turns my stomach to think he would...
Do what? I didn't understand it all.
Uh, just not being a good parent to Christina.
I'm gonna call Child Protective Services.
"Why calling Child Protective Services is not a plausible option."
Well, there has to be someone else we can call to handle this.
He already tried everything.
Oh, come on, Peter. There gotta be stuff he didn't think of.
Stuff Henry didn't think of?
This is ridiculous.
There has to be another way to help Christina.
"Why there's no way to help..."
I'm not having this conversation with you.
We have to. It's Henry's dying wish.
We are not murdering the police commissioner,
and that is final.
I get that the investigation is closed.
That's why I'm trying to see if...
Right.
"Won't harass an upstanding member of the community"?
You sure you don't mean "powerful"?
No, that doesn't make any sense.
Oh, just...
Yes, I understand that the caseworker
has to be within the same region,
but I was just hoping to get an outside opinion, that's all.
I'm sorry, it's out of ourjurisdiction.
We are talking about...
We are required to follow standard operating procedure.
Right, but isn't there a point where
standard procedure is less important than...
Ma'am, I'm sorry. You can file an appeal...
Seriously?
Damn it!
I love you.
Uh...
No...
Oh, God, sweetie... Oh, no!
Oh, God, come on.
Come on.
Hello?
Glenn.
Hi. Um...
I was calling because...
Because...
I'm gonna get to the leaves.
Those leaves on the lawn.
Uh-huh.
You've said that before, Susan.
Yeah.
But now, I'm on it.
Hi, Mom. It's me.
Breathe, Mom.
Obviously, if you're listening to this, I'm not around anymore.
I'd hoped to do it all myself, but that's not an option now.
I hope you're not mad at me for sneaking out.
But, I had to make sure that everything was taken care of.
I know you rely on me, Mom.
Now I have to rely on you.
I need your help.
Everything you need is right here.
It can't be left undone.
We have to make it better.
And Mom...
Yeah?
I'll be with you the whole time.
Okay.
We're gonna walk through it together, step by step.
One little miscalculation, and the whole thing fails.
Let's start by stockpiling some cash from ATMs.
Don't act all weird.
The camera's behind that little glass square up top.
Don't look.
Good.
Withdraw $500.
How's that enough?
I know it doesn't seem like enough,
but if you hit another ATM right away,
you can get around the daily limit.
The next ATM's at Longbow and Swan.
You're gonna go right at the intersection.
Your other right.
Listen, I'm sure you have doubts about this.
You think? It's goddamn insane is what it is, Henry.
Good. Get all your swearing out, not in front of Peter.
- It's a bad influence. - It's a bad influence.
Park across the street behind the green dumpster.
You came here?
Jesus.
I'm the worst parent ever.
Remember the security camera's field of vision.
It's in the diagram.
Mom...
You got this.
I need a Nemesis Vanquish 7.62
with a Litton Ranger Night Vision scope,
a suppressor, and three extra 10-round detachable mags.
Think you can handle that or should I take my business elsewhere?
Suppressors are illegal for civilian use.
Let's see what Domenic has to say about that, huh?
Yeah. Domenic.
Look, chief, all due respect,
I got a plane to catch,
so why don't you just name your price, and I'll get out of your hair?
Plywood is only slightly thicker than the human skull.
And these rounds fragment on impact,
making them pretty much untraceable.
Slow, steady pressure on the trigger.
You see that? Good job, Mom.
You're getting there.
At first, I couldn't imagine doing this,
but then I see that look in her eyes,
like she's still in there.
Barely hanging on.
Nice shot, Mom. Look at that grouping.
Now make sure you collect the shells before you get out...
Need anything?
I'm good.
Well, don't burn anything down. Remember that electrical fire.
Waffle irons are tricky.
Hey, Glenn.
Hey, Susan.
I'm sorry I haven't, uh...
Oh, no, don't, uh...
Um...
About your son, I, um...
Yeah, thanks.
Look, I was, uh... I was hoping to get your advice
on something that I'm trying to deal with.
Oh.
Do you mind?
Hey, sweetie.
How are you?
How's school?
Fine.
Except math.
It'll get easier. Soon.
Susan?
Uh, yeah, so, with everything that's been going on this last month,
I, uh...
Well, it's got me thinking,
if God forbid something were to happen to me,
being a single parent,
I want to have arrangements made for where Peter would go.
Do you have anything like that set up?
Well, I'm...
I'm pretty healthy.
I try to stay fit, um...
Guess there's always the proverbial bus.
But, um...
No, I...
I've never really given it much thought, you know?
Even after Christina's mother passed away?
Nope.
Can't offer
much, um,
on that front.
Uh, why?
Just, you know, your line of work.
You guys seem to have all your ducks in a row.
Yeah. I'm sorry, I can't be much help.
Mmm.
What's that?
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot...
I, uh, need you to sign off on the talent show night
if I'm gonna take Christina.
You know how Cavalry Elementary loves their forms.
Yeah.
Okay.
Great.
So, I'll pick her up tomorrow. Okay.
Around 6:00? Yeah.
Witnesses are required for guardianship papers.
So, I backdated them and forged
Miss Schwartz from up the block's signature, since she died last year.
Mmm. Poor Mrs. Schwartz from up the block.
Also, I bought a new car for you.
There's nothing wrong with the old car.
I know, I know.
But it's safer, and it'll make a less conspicuous getaway car.
You just need to pick it up.
The address is in my notebook.
Fine.
Mom?
Oh, hey, honey.
What are you doing?
I was just, uh, finishing up on some work here.
Okay... Let's get you back to bed.
You ready for tomorrow?
The big talent show?
Kind of.
What are you gonna do?
A magic trick.
Wow.
What's it gonna be?
It's a surprise.
Sounds exciting.
What if it doesn't work?
Well, you prepared for it, right?
Yeah. A lot.
Mrs. Ramirez even let me use the art lab.
Well, then you shouldn't be nervous.
You've laid down the groundwork,
and when it comes to the time,
you'll just have to trust it'll all go smoothly.
If Henry did it, there'd be nothing to worry about.
It'd be perfect.
Baby...
What? Tell me.
Sometimes I think it should have been me.
No.
How can you say that?
People would be less sad, then.
Listen to me.
If anything happened to you...
I...
I don't know what I'd do.
Henry was amazing...
But you...
You're just as special.
And the fact that you think you're any less important to me,
isn't just wrong, it's...
It's stupendously wrong.
Okay?
Everything has to be timed to the second.
Every movement, every angle, every footstep.
There's no room for error.
This never happened.
You were never here.
Not even here now.
You're a ghost.
Like you.
Peter!
Come on, let's move it! It's your big night!
Hey...
You're gonna play it cool up there on stage, right?
And there's no need to panic, 'cause panic never got anyone anywhere.
Just stay focused, stay calm,
and remember your Lamaze breathing.
Good?
Okay.
Don't be nervous.
It's gonna be great.
Peter, what are you doing?
Why would you do that?
Henry would've thought it was funny.
Henry was 11.
He was a genius.
But he wasn't a parent.
Okay?
Come on.
Hey.
Hi, uh...
Hi, I, um...
There you are, all surprising-like.
I invited him. I wanted him to see my trick.
Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you knew.
Uh...
I hope, uh...
Is this okay?
Yeah, sure. No problem.
But, um...
I have to be a parent volunteer tonight.
So, um, I'll have parent volunteer things.
Okay.
Uh...
I'll just, um...
You okay? Yeah.
Yeah? You look great.
Don't be nervous. I won't.
I'll be watching you.
Peter?
Peter.
Good evening, parents.
The students are ready.
I am so proud of these kids.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the Cavalry Elementary School Talent Show!
You gonna step to me? I kick you in the knees
I'm the baddest, meanest mad dog mother you're ever gonna see
Blink twice, you miss me Chicks, they try to kiss me
Suckers, they see me and flee me
After I kick 'em in the shorts, get lost dorks
'Cause you're all tidbits But me, I'm the shiznits
Okay, Mom, this is it.
On my three.
One, two...
Three.
C-A-V-A...
R-Y!
Don't panic.
No matter what, don't panic.
I'm not panicking.
This is for my sister.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch
Like me
I once was lost
But now I'm found
Time check.
37. 12.
Line your body up with the rifle to reduce recoil.
Wait till he's exactly where you need him.
Eliminate all distractions.
Shit.
Even trigger pressure.
Remember your training.
Smooth exhale.
Don't tense up.
Steady, Mom.
Steady...
Mom, take the shot.
Do it! Now!
No.
You're just a child.
What the hell is going on here?
I know what you've done.
Emergency room visits,
school absences,
bruises,
calls to Child Protective Services
that all just got swept under the rug by your brother.
Henry documented all of it.
And you never even knew he was watching.
Who you think they're gonna believe?
I don't know, Glenn.
I can afford a scandal. How about you?
I'm gonna call my chief,
have him bring you in.
Whatever happens to me won't change what you are.
I will go to the FBI.
I will go to the newspapers.
I will make sure that you never lay a hand on that little girl again.
And I will make you answer for what you've done.
Look at me.
Look at me!
I want you to see who you're up against now.
That can't be right.
Oh, my God.
Hey, Stan.
Hey.
It's Glenn.
Um...
Listen, I need you to handle something for me.
Um...
You're gonna hear some
insane, uh,
accusations, you know, so...
I know, Glenn. We got a call.
What do you mean?
A call?
From who?
The school principal.
We heard from the district.
It's too wide, Glenn.
We're gonna have to open up a case.
And now, introducing Peter the Great.
For my magic trick
I'm going to make my brother reappear.
When I'm done, he's gonna be here, right among all of us.
Please work.
You know, as a scientist, I never believed in magic.
But after that, well...
Peter the Great. Dr. Daniels.
Um...
Will I see you soon?
I hope so.
Uh...
Do you mind watching him for a second?
Of course not.
I'll be right back, sweetie.
What happened?
Glenn Sickleman took his life tonight.
Oh, my God.
The social worker asked to see Christina alone for a moment.
Oh, sweetie...
In the best interest of the minor child,
the court hereby orders that permanent custody be awarded
to Susan Carpenter, effective immediately.
Sometimes a good story will remind you
of who you want to be.
Maybe that's why there are so many.
Stories about good and evil,
stories about the triumph of the human spirit,
stories about living and dying,
and how you got to do one in spite of the other.
Well, this story,
it's about you and me and my brother,
and the girl who lived next door.
But it's not my story anymore.
It's yours.
"One by one, its petals dropped to the ground,
"and then the leaves, and then the bud, and then the stalk,
"until it seemed the flower was gone.
"But it wasn't...
"Because the flower melted into the soil
"and made it rich so the whole garden could grow.
"The end."
I loved it.
I loved it, too.
Thank you.
Okay, let's get you into bed.
You're okay?
I'm almost finished painting your room.
It'll be awesome.
Good night, enchilada number one.
Good night, butterfly.
On or off?
On. On.
Open or closed?
Closed. Closed.