"(heartbeat echoing, heavy breathing)" "¶ ¶" "(water running)" "¶ ¶" "(heart beating faintly)" "Oh, thank God, you're here." "Are you okay?" "I'm good." "All of the antibiotics that they're using aren't working." "Hi, Max." "(monitor beeping steadily, air pumping)" "They think the pneumonia's turning to staph." "They've asked me if I want to sign a DNR." "(crying):" "Please tell me that we're not there yet." "I won't give up." "I promise." "(crying)" "(heart beating)" "Why don't you go get a coffee or a sandwich?" "I'll figure it out." "¶ ¶" "(panting)" "¶ ¶" "(monitor beeping)" "(rapid beeping)" "(monitor flatlining)" "(screaming)" "(doorbell rings)" "Ramona Royale-- is she in?" "Sir, it is 4:00 in the morning." "I hear she's a night person." "Move!" "Ramona!" "Ramona Royale!" "What the hell?" "!" "Shall I call the police, madam?" "Oh, sure, call the cops, Jeeves." "I could use a snack." "It's fine, Graves." "I've got this." "What the hell are you doing back here?" "I told you already I don't have any use for you." "You were wrong about that." "Who's this?" "(chuckles)" "The answer to your prayers." "You said you wanted an inside man-- she's it." "She manages The Cortez." "Hell's wrong with her?" "She's kind of a drunk." "She'll sober up." "Drunk, huh?" "You want to take down The Countess?" "So do I." "And Iris here is the key." "Nobody gets closer to The Countess than she does." "You did." "We both did." "IRIS:" "You're a movie star." "Was." "You're so beautiful." "Yeah." "Real waste, isn't it?" "It is a waste." "Goddamn shame." "She took that life away from you." "Promised you something better, then took that away from you, too." "I know just how that feels." "You want to make her bleed." "I want that, too, 'cause she did the same thing to me." "Only, in my case, she never even gave me a choice." "Did you give her a choice?" "What do you mean?" "Your mama." "And I know that ain't no case of the DTs." "She been turned." "You do that?" "DONOVAN:" "I did what I had to do." "I don't know if that's oedipal or just mercenary." "Either way... you're intrigued." "You're reckless." "I like that." "IRIS:" "We're all gonna die." "She'll know." "The moment she sees me, she'll know." "She never looks at you." "You're invisible." "Which makes her the perfect inside man." "Right." "NURSE:" "You know you're not supposed to be out of bed." "Doctor." "Can you believe it?" "They thought he wouldn't make it through the night, and here he is begging me for snacks." "Jalapeño cheddar, my fav!" "It's incredible." "(chuckles softly)" "But can I see his chart?" "X-rays are clear." "NURSE:" "Never seen anything like it." "He was in full respiratory failure." "It's a miracle." "Yes." "Yes, it is." "Does that mean we can take him home?" "I don't see why not." "(chuckles)" "Doctor, I don't know what you did, but I know you saved my son's life." "Thank you." "Let's get the paperwork ready for his discharge." "(panting)" "Where the hell have you been?" "You look like shit." "What's wrong?" "What's wrong is you asking me what's wrong." "I just want to go to bed-- is that a problem?" "No, honey." "Not a problem." "It looks like mama needs a little hair of the dog to help her sleep it off." "IRIS:" "What is it?" "Liz's special something' somethin'." "Just drink, honey." "Go ahead." "Ah, that's good." "Well..." "It's good." "it should be." "It's from The Countess's secret stash." "I'm drinking blood?" "With a drop of triple sec." "You know how this goes, honey." "This little cocktail's gonna hold you for the next couple hours, but you're going to need to feed on fresh blood." "Warm, living blood." "Oh, God." "And soon." "For 20 years," "I looked into the eyes of those children, and seen the pain and the fear in their eyes." "God, how am I gonna...?" "Oh, I can't even say the words." "Can I have some more?" "Sure." "(laughs) Look at you." "In your moment of transplendent rebirth." "How exciting to me!" ""How exciting"?" "Give me a goddamn break." "This world holds nothing for women like me." "When you get to be my age, men look right through you." "(chuckles)" "Unless they want something." "It's not just them, it's everyone." "You're invisible, unless you can give them a key." "An extra goddamn pillow." "Ask any one of those guests upstairs who checked them in." "Oh..." "I guarantee you, they wouldn't remember a single detail." "It's ironic." "Isn't it?" "I'm damned to eternity in this body." "With this life." "This... dark, meaningless little soul." "Right when it's never been worse." "Hmm." "Yeah, I guess it's just me and the one-armed bandit down at Morongo's, every Saturday night till the end of time." "You never know when you're gonna get lucky, honey." "You might try a little violet eye shadow." "It works for me every time." "¶ ¶" "(bus approaching outside)" "(brakes squeak)" "(horn honks)" "Where were you?" "You didn't answer my texts." "I almost died." "No way." "WOMAN:" "Max." "I thought the letter that we sent home was very clear." "No weapons allowed in school." "It's plastic." "It's a sword, no matter what it's made of." "Come on." "Thank you." "Come help with decorations." "Stupid rules." "Pritchard took my witch's wand." "I've got a backup." "I missed you." "So tell the truth." "You weren't really gonna die." "I was in the hospital." "Measles." "I had red spots all over." "Ew." "Are you contagious?" "I'm so much better now." "Ow!" "Did you just bite me?" "There." "We're even." "Now you can taste my blood." "Okay, guys, I know it's Halloween, and we're all excited about the party, but that does not mean there won't be class work today." "So open your books to chapter three, "Synonyms and Antonyms."" "Where are Max and Madeline?" "(students murmuring, giggling)" "PRITCHARD:" "What happened?" "(crying):" "I'm itchy all over." "Oh, you are burning up." "(screams)" "(groans)" "What are you doing?" "!" "Drink it." "Drink it, Maddie." "You're gonna be stronger and feel better than you've ever felt." "Jimmy?" "I don't feel good." "Let's get you to the nurse." "Where's Mrs. Pritchard?" "(students groaning, coughing)" "What?" "Mrs. Pritchard!" "It's not my fault." "(panting)" "Oh, my... (grunting)" "Drink." "It'll make you feel awesome." "(groaning)" "(screaming) No!" "(screaming)" "You know, Patty, your costume is really culturally insensitive." "You have that dot on your forehead." "I'm Hindu." "I love Halloween." "I like the candy, I like the costumes, and I love being scared." "(screams)" "Shit." "(gagging)" "I'm gonna move your hand now, okay?" "Jill, come help me now!" "He's been attacked!" "Patty, put the school in lockdown!" "Lockdown, lockdown." "This is not a drill." "Lockdown, lockdown." "(alarm blaring)" "(sirens wailing)" "(helicopter flying overhead)" "(indistinct police radio chatter)" "I want that perimeter secure." "No one goes in or out." "(crowd murmuring)" "Don't be afraid." "You're safe now." "¶ ¶" "MAN:" "Madeline!" "Daddy!" "Daddy." "Sir, I'm sorry, we have an ongoing situation." "I need to ask your daughter some questions." "Okay." "Madeline, I know you've been through a lot, but you're safe." "No one's gonna hurt you anymore, okay?" "Can you tell me what happened inside the school?" "How many people attacked you?" "Th-There was just one man." "Dressed in black." "He had a mask over his face." "And he cut Mrs. Pritchard with a knife." "Um, and he was a big guy, and he had a mask on his face, and..." "Son." "How are you feeling?" "Are you up to answering some questions?" "Yes, sir." "I know exactly what happened." "You want to explain to me what happened last night?" "Uh, they-they must have drugged me." "Yeah." "Let's talk about the suspects." "John Wayne Gacy," "Jeffrey Dahmer," "Richard Ramirez, Aileen Wuornos?" "Not saying it was them." "Of course it wasn't." "That's who they claimed to be." "It's Halloween, Detective." "Did it ever occur to you that maybe they might..." "Yeah, of course it occurred to me!" "That's not what this is." "Okay, so what is it?" "It's, uh... (mumbles)" "Must be some kind of... copycat blood cult." "Idon'tknow, youcallit whatyou wantto." "It was people who are recreating or are continuing the crimes committed by notorious killers from the past." "(man screams) March-- there was a guy." "One guy called himself March, James Patrick March." "You just check out the history of the hotel." "That's the name of the guy who built it." "And you had dinner with him." "I was in a room with a guy who claimed to be him, a guy who I think is responsible for the five dead bodies on the wall in my office!" "You think he's The Ten Commandment Killer?" "I do." "I do." "Lieutenant, we need to get a-a warrant, cadaver dogs, forensics team." "We need to rip those walls apart, down to the studs if you have to, 'cause the answers are in there!" "I'd stake my reputation on it." "You're gonna have to ante up more than that because your reputation's shit." "(sighs)" "Let's be honest, it has been for a while." "What's that supposed to mean?" "It means I probably should never have signed off on that marginal psych evaluation you received five years ago after your breakdown." "That was different." "Our son had been taken." "I was under a lot of stress." "This job is stress, John." "(sighs)" "I'm sorry." "I'm gonna have to do what's right for the department." "You're firing me." "Your pension will be safe." "Nothing is safe." "Nothing." "¶ ¶" "(bell dings)" "(clears throat)" "How can I help you?" "We're wondering if you had any special rates for, like, influencers." "I beg your pardon?" "Uh, well, um, I used to shoot for Entrez-Vous Magazine, and I heard that Will Drake took over, and he's liked a shit-ton of my Instagram pics." "We would like a room." "And a discount." "(chuckles) Look, I'm sure you can't get the full rate at this hour on Hallo-friggin'-ween." "Oh, we are so over trick-or-treaters." "Our-our neighborhood used to be kind of rad." "But now it's just Strollerville." "Everyone started pooping out kids." "So many brats." "The doorbell would not... stop... ringing." "We just want to hide out and smoke out and not deal with a zillion randos." "I hope this suits you." "Wait." "Hey, w-wait." "No, we-we want to stay in one of the rooms that Will Drake has redone." "Well, they're all more or less untouched." "This is a hard no." "I'm out." "No, babe, can we try and make this work?" "Justin, you keep dropping us in these situations." "Can we get, like, way better sheets?" "I mean, poly-blend?" "I'll see what I can find." "(groans)" "Are these the only towels?" "They're made of, like, sandpaper or something." "I'll send up some extras." "Can you just, like, review all that we just asked you for?" "Like, out loud?" "We just want to make sure that you heard us right." "(sighs)" "They're treating me like an imbecile." "(elevator bell dings)" "¶ ¶" "Oh." "Hey." "Out for the evening?" "Mr. Drake doesn't appear to be in." "If you happen to see Will, remind him he's invited to Demi's this evening." "Will do." "(sniffing)" "Is there...?" "Can I do anything?" "You seem nervous." "You smell different." "And you're sweating." "Oh." "It must be Halloween." "It's all the people in the costumes." "It's just..." "Keeps me on edge." "Must be." "(phone ringing)" "Front desk." "Yeah, uh, I want to order some room service." "I'm in the mood for a plate of artisanal cheeses and a full-body red." "Oh, and get an order of grilled romaine-- super yum." "Uh, and an order of grilled romaine." "Uh, I'm sorry." "Make sure it's organic and non-GMO." "I-I don't think we have anything like that..." "Well, just tell the chef to grill the lettuce, throw in a little parm, lemon juice, cracked pepper." "(stammers) I can't do that." "Our-our cook barely speaks English..." "Uh, what I'm hearing is that you're not even willing to try." "So, um, I'm gonna make things really simple for you." "There is a restaurant renaissance happening downtown right now, so all you got to do is pick up the phone, order out, and bring in some pâté for Christ's sakes." "Hey." "What did they want?" "Pâ..." "Pâté." "Bitches want pâté?" "Pâté they shall have." "Oh, oh, man." "I don't understand how cat food can smell worse than cat poop." "(laughs)" "Those fancy kids are gonna know that we're messing with them." "They eat their salad cooked." "I mean, they're, like, gourmets or something." "They need to believe they're the kind of cool that eats pâté in a shit hotel on Halloween night." "They will swallow whatever we put in front of them." "(pops lips)" "You don't miss a thing, do you?" "You see everything when the world doesn't see you." "Guilty as charged." "We worked together over 20 years, and we haven't had this much conversation combined in all that time." "Well, you had your son." "Yeah, well, you're being generous with me." "I'm not homophobic." "I'm not gay." "And you see?" "That's why I stayed away." "'Cause I-I look at you, and all I see is questions." "Well, you can't offend me." "Ask away." "Uh-huh." "So, how does something like this happen?" "How does a married man from Topeka wind up as Liz Taylor in the Hotel Cortez?" "HernamewasTracy." "Shemarriedme  becauseshewas30 andneededto marrysomeone." "(door closes)" "What are you watching?" "You have the weirdest taste in TV shows." "Isn't Cosby on tonight?" "Thursdays." "Imarriedherbecause wewerethesamedresssize." "WhenI washome, Iwaslikeaman walkingbetweentheraindrops." "Norelease fromtheconstantburning." "It's for your trip." "This is a 707." "I fly a 757 to Los Angeles." "It has only two engines." "TRACY:" "Don't you have to pack?" "ButI hadtheroad." "Iwasamedicalrep forEliLilly." "Itwasagoldenageforus ." "Weusedto schmoozedoctors." "Tookthemgolfing, tookthemoutfor steaks, tostripclubs." "Plentyofalcohol tonumbmyself." "Buttherealreleasecame  whenI wasfinallyalone inmyroom." "We're taking Schwartz and Siegel to the Palm at 8:30 and then to Crazy Girls." "This time, we're all wearing rubbers so we don't stain our slacks." "(laughter)" "Nothing like an L.A. lap dance." "Yeah." "You in, Nicky?" "Oh, no, thanks." "I'm all about room service and a good night's sleep tonight." "Don't watch too much porn." "Yeah!" "(both laugh)" "¶ As we fall in love ¶" "¶ And I just can't seem to get enough... ¶" "Forthosefirstfew moments inthoserooms... (laughs) ...Iwastransformed!" "¶ And when it rains, you're shining down for me... ¶" "Hey." "Uh, yes, hello." "Can I get a-a glass of champagne, please?" "Youknowwhat?" "Bringthewholebottle." "(chuckles)" "Thank you." "Andthere'snothinglike whisperinga secretaloud, ifonlyto yourself." "Theslip,thatfur , thosetinyrooms-- theyweremy furlough." "Freedom." "(knocking) MAN:" "Room service." "Yeah." "Thank you." "Can you leave it outside?" "I just got out of the shower." "I'll bring you the tip later." "(tray crashes)" "(chuckles)" "What are you doing here?" "Get out." "Get out of my room!" "This isn't what it looks like!" "(shushes)" "I've been watching you, love." "I saw you come into the lobby." "You dress like a man, walk like a man... but you smell like a woman." "It's Paco Robanne." "Not your skin." "Your blood." "(crying)" "(sobbing):" "Oh, my God." "You're so..." "You're so beautiful." "Why do you cry, love?" "I'm so ugly." "No." "You don't lack beauty." "You lack commitment." "Let me help you." "Become who you were born to be." "A goddess." "(whispers)" "¶ ¶" "LIZ:" "Iwasherlivingdoll ." "¶ Her hair was Harlow gold... ¶" "You need a smoky eye." "Like Donna Mills in Knots Landing." "Hmm." "¶ Her hands are never cold ¶" "¶ She's got Bette Davis eyes... ¶" "What is your name?" "Well..." "Nick Pryor." "No." "With that white slip and shame-wrapping fur," "I christen you Liz Taylor à la Butterfield 8." "¶ And she'll tease you ¶" "¶ She'll unease you ¶" "¶ All the better just to please you... ¶" "Let's go to The Roxy." "You can borrow one of my Halstons." "I'll call up Mick Jagger." "I... ¶ She knows just what it takes... ¶" "I can't go out like this." "Oh, honey." "Goddesses don't speak in whispers." "They scream." "No, no." "I'm sorry." "Okay." "So we're not ready to scream." "How about a tiny yelp just to warm up the pipes?" "Go down the hallway..." "Oh, God." "...and fetch us some ice." "¶ And she'll tease you... ¶" "Ineverfeltsonaked inallof my life." "¶ She'll unease you... ¶" "Theshameof nudity." "¶ Just to please you ¶" "¶ She's precocious... ¶" "Butalsothefreedom." "¶ Just what it takes to make a pro blush ¶" "¶ She got Greta Garbo standoff sighs ¶" "¶ She's got Bette Davis eyes... ¶" "IwasVenusintheclamshell." "Iwasagoddess bornupontheworld." "¶ She'll let you take her home ¶" "¶ It whets her appetite... ¶" "What in the holy hell?" "What is this, Nicky?" "Are you a fag?" "Holy shit!" "I took a sip of his Sprite on the plane." "What if he has AIDS?" "(sighs)" "How could you let me do that?" "I'm..." "I'm not gay." "You are so toast at the office, man." "And if you think Janet isn't going to tell Tracy..." "Do you have AIDS?" "I need to know." "Tell me, you goddamn faggot!" "I'm not gay!" "Look at me, you piece-of-shit bastards!" "See me and go to hell!" "Howdy, boys." "We have two selves:" "the one the world needs us to be-- compliant-- and the shadow." "Ignore it, and life is forever suffering." "Mmm." "IRIS:" "She didn't...?" "Infect me?" "No." "She hired me instead." "I never went back to Topeka." "I kept the fur." "I send the money though." "I did... till the kids turned 18." "We don't speak." "You're so brave." "You are!" "Oh, come on." "Don't you get it?" "Stop ignoring yourself." "Especially now." "It's time to stop taking shit." "Scorch the damn earth before you." "How about you start by teaching that hipster couple some manners?" "REPORTER:" "Authorities are still piecing together the details..." "IRIS:" "Room service." "Entrée." "REPORTER:" "Eyewitness accounts describe the assailant..." "JUSTIN:" "Just put it anywhere." "...heavy build, dressed in black." "Whoa." "Are you okay?" "You seriously look terrible." "I-I'm not trying to be a dick." "I just don't know if you're ill or something." "It's common courtesy to tell us if you're handling our food." "I'm not sick." "Where's the romaine?" "WOMAN:" "You're kidding." "I tried to tell you on the phone..." "So no green vegetables?" "JUSTIN:" "I don't think she's the vegetable type." "At least the pâté is somewhat decent." "(woman giggles)" "We're a little high on edibles." "He's not usually this awful." "JUSTIN:" "Awful?" "You know who's being awful?" "(door slams) Will Drake is being awful, with this puke brown carpet and that cracked tile in the bathroom." "I get it, you can't refurbish every room at the same time, but how about trying to start with hiring some hot waitstaff?" "We should've gone to the Ace." "That place is teeming with hot young Dominicans and Harajuku fabulousness." "Oh, my God." "You almost sliced off my toe." "Are you Alzheimer's?" "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "It was just..." "It was an accident, that's all." "Uh, I think it was deliberate." "You know, you've been hostile ever since we checked in." "JUSTIN:" "100%." "That's reckless endangerment." "We can make sure that you never work again." "It's really a matter of public safety." "You are clearly a danger to society." "Oh, my God." "Somebody help!" "Oh, my God." "Help!" "You think the world didn't exist before you were born?" "!" "You've suffered nothing!" "You have no idea what it's like to be gutted!" "To scrape yourself up off the floor!" "I matter!" "(panting)" "(sighs softly)" "Oh." "Shit!" "(laughs)" "Well, hello." "What are you doing here?" "How'd you get in?" "How'd I get in?" "You practically dragged me up here." "Or don't you remember it that way?" "(Sally laughing)" "(panting)" "(lighter clicks)" "You need to go." "What?" "You need to go." "Oh, you prick." "You're gonna pull that shit after the things we did?" "Something real happened here." "And it wasn't a dream." "I don't remember anything." "Anything at all." "You're a goddamn liar." "Oh, yes, you are." "You remember everything." "Everything you did." "And it's gonna happen again." "And again and again." "And you can't stop it." "'Cause it's our destiny." "And you can't fight destiny." "(door closes)" "(elevator bell dings)" "I want to thank you, Liz." "Sincerely." "Your words truly resonated with me." "Aw." "That's sweet of you, doll." "No, really." "I feel changed." "Deeply." "(chuckles)" "Finally." "(both laugh)" "Well, I did think you might let the girl at the Lancôme counter give you a makeover." "But... sure, this is good, too." "You think I went too far." "Not at all." "Not... at... all." "Oh." "I hope this isn't plasma." "This red is the Grenache blend" "(laughs): they never had a chance to finish." "Ooh." "Well, I guess I've come through it." "(sighs)" "In fact, I'm sure of it." "Sure of what, honey?" "It's ironic." "Hmm?" "But I never knew how to live until I died." "That dress fits you so well." "Always been one of my favorites." "Holden, doesn't your mother look pretty?" "Give her a little kiss." "Mommy... you're just like me now." "Yes, baby." "I'm just like you." "Does that mean you'll stay with me forever?" "As long as your mommy obeys the rules, she can stay as long as she likes." "It's very simple." "You'll care for the children, bathe them, keep them out of harm's way as their new governess." "The old one was terrible for years." "I should've removed her long ago." "Of course, if you feel this burden's too much to bear..." "No." "No, it's no burden." "Marvelous." "Then it's settled." "John lives in the hotel." "I haven't told him anything." "What if he sees me?" "You'd be amazed, the wondrous possibilities that can begin with a simple hello." "(chuckles softly)" "Now, Holden," "I believe it's past your bedtime, darling." "But we've only had a minute together." "You misunderstand, Alex." "You and Holden will have... forever." "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "(coffin closes)"