"Jean?" "Jean?" "I was just asking if you want an iced coffee?" "Cappuccino?" "We got the new Nespresso machine." "It can literally make anything." "Oh, thanks, but I'm actually trying to quit." "I find it doesn't agree with me." "Maria makes this great ginger turmeric drink." "It's really good for the skin." "I figure it's a better alternative to Botox." " Oh..." " They're fine." "Relax, Jean." "It's so funny what you choose to worry about." "Actually, I noticed you haven't RSVP'd to Dolly's party yet." "Oh, fuck, I'm so sorry." "I meant to." "No, it's fine." "I just know how much she wants Sadie there, and once she gets her mind set on something..." "What's your theme?" "We don't have a theme, but we're gonna have a magician." "Oh." "Sadie's always been such a girly-girl, so it's pretty straight-forward, thank God." "You know, princesses, Frozen." "Oh, but I do have the best caterer if you need someone." "And it's not Holly Faitelson." "We're just gonna do pizza and cake." "Oh, that's good." "It's refreshing to see someone not get carried away with a lavish party." "Where's the bathroom?" "Just use mine down the hall." "The workmen have been using this one, and they leave the toilet seat up all the time, it's disgusting." "Hey, come on, Dolly, let's go." "I'm coming, Mom." " Thanks." "We'll see you Saturday?" " Yeah." "Oh, and if you end up needing someone, Daphne's Catering, ask for Milana." " Seriously life changing." " Okay, thanks." "I got to ride..." "Dolly, you know the rules." "Please, just one game." "No." "Upstairs, please." "Start your homework." "I'll be right up, honey." "Hi, Jean." "I have been trying to get a hold of you." "I wanted to see what you guys were doing for Dolly's birthday." "Um, please call me back, if you can spare the time, that is, for your mother, thanks." "Love you." "Hey!" "I've been stuck in meetings." "How did it go?" "Good." "Sadie's definitely in for the party." "Well, is Doll happy?" " What do you think?" " Aw, I bet." "Oh, listen, I got Stacey to come tonight." "You wanna go out?" "Actually, I was thinking we could meet in the city, have some dinner, like old times." "Oh, is this a date?" "Maybe." "Well, I'll have Alexis book something." "No, I already took care of it." "I'll text you the address." "Wow, you are on it tonight." " You have no idea." " Wow, bye." "I'm telling you, you didn't pay the check." " No... yes, I did." " How much do you want to bet?" "You already have a pretty big tab." "Shut up." "You're just saying that 'cause you're wrong." "If anything, I might have pretended to be a rebel" " just to impress you." " No..." "But I would have never walked out on the bill." " Listen to me." " Ever." " You were wasted." " You're wasted." "It was Greg's 30th." "We all just literally walked out." " You are wasted." " I swear, if you don't look suspicious, people never suspect anything." " Bored there, Jeanie?" " I love when you call me that." " Excuse me?" " Yes, Ma'am?" "Can I get a tequila on the rocks with a splash of soda and extra limes, please?" "Really?" "You've got an early day tomorrow." "So?" "Come on, let's be adventurous." "Come on, you hardly ate anything." "Here, have the last of the pie." "Oh, so I'm picking up the cake tomorrow, and don't worry, I avoided pink like the plague." "As long as Dolly's happy." "I can't believe she's nine." "Ah, if I could, I'd lock her in a freezer and have her stay that way forever." "Maybe with a little less attitude." "We should've had another one." "Um, have you given any more thought to inviting your mom to the birthday party?" "Definitely not, she's not coming." " Hey, don't get upset, okay?" " Okay, sorry." "Let's not go home." " Seriously?" " Yeah." "I got Stacey to stay till midnight." "You're drunk!" "Exactly, and don't ruin it." "Come on, I wanna try this new place." "All right." " It's cute, right?" " Yeah, how did you find this place?" "I have my ways." "So mysterious, huh?" "You don't know all my secrets." "Mm, really?" "What are you keeping from me, there, Jeanie?" "What are you keeping from me?" "Okay, what do you think?" "First date or affair?" " Definitely affair." " Hmm." "Too much passion for a first date." "Do you think I'd know if you were having an affair?" "Well, I would never." "I can't keep anything from you, so I think you're safe." "One look at your face and I'd know everything." "Yeah." "What about me?" "Do you think I would know?" "Hmm." "I think you'd probably pretend for a while that everything was fine, and then you'd have one conversation with me and then just leave." "That's a very specific response." "I do this for a living, remember?" "Well, I hope that never happens." "It won't." "I wouldn't jeopardize this." "You know that, right?" "I can't even imagine my life without you and Dolly." "How far do you think you'd go?" "How do you mean?" "Emotionally, would you... would you fight for me?" "Of course I would fight for you." "I mean... take out a knife and threaten to slit your wrists." "Would you do that?" "What the fuck are you talking about?" "Anyway, that sounds more like you." "I've grown up." "I think." "Popular tonight." "Oh, it's the caterers." " You called them already?" " Just for the quote." "Come here." "She's asleep." "We're good." "Mm, hey baby, mm..." "Keep going." "Don't touch me." "Don't touch." "I know exactly what I want." "I felt alone... outside myself." "And when I woke up, I was turned on." "And whether asleep or trying to, um... you know," "my mind only goes to her." "You know, I try to think of other things." "Like, there's this anchor on CNN." "Or Emily, my ex before Sidney, one time, in Mexico, in this public hot tub." "But they're always replaced by Sidney." "It doesn't matter how the fantasy begins." "It only ends with her." "Sometimes when we try to avoid thinking about something, the more it gets into our head." "So if I tell you not to think of a red apple, what do you think of?" " A red apple." " Exactly." "See, by resisting it, you're actually giving it more power." "The sick thing is that after that dream," "I got off, and when I finished," "I thought of Sidney with everyone but me." "These douchey guys just fucking her all at the same time." "It's like some weird form of punishment." "You can't allow Sidney to have that kind of power over you." "Positive or negative, you're finding a way to fixate on her." "Both of us, in our sessions, we're giving it way too much weight." "I know." "I agree, but I just..." "I don't know how to keep my mind from going there." "Let's talk about Emily." "What was she like?" "Stable and healthy, not at all adventurous." "But I think that's why I found Sidney so alluring, because she was the exact opposite." "Right, but she's also selfish and dangerous." "From what you said." "Finding someone who loves you for who you really are, at your best, at your worst, that's... that's true love." "Not this constant search for adventure." "I almost forgot." "That's great, Sam." "There you are." " Yeah, sorry, we ran late." " You're way too nice." "I see that clock hit 50, I'm like, "See ya, suckers."" "Can you still grab lunch?" "I can't." "I've got far too much going on with the party." "It's crazy." "God, you're not becoming a Connecticut mom, are you?" "No, that is impossible." "But with the drama at school, I figured I should make more of an effort." "Try and crack those power moms." "A mother's dream." "Look, you can't fight Dolly's battles for her or succumb to their politics." "She'll be fine." "She's a super confident kid." "She'll see through all their crap." "Just like her mother once did." "By the way, you haven't told me if you're coming tomorrow." "Sorry, a capella practice." "I can't believe that's not a joke." "Wait till you see us perform." "It's like Pitch Perfect on crack." "It's nice to have a community, though." "It's different to go through life alone, you know?" "Yeah, well, I'm just happy you found your voice." ""Dear Jean, I thought a lot about my outburst the other day, about ending therapy." "And what I'm trying to say is maybe you don't see me for who I really am." "You see someone strong and steady, and may not realize that I look in the mirror and see the Cowardly Lion." "I know we're not friends, but I really value our relationship, Jean, and I'm hurt."" "That's it." " It's a wonderful letter." " Really?" "Hmm." "I was so nervous on the train coming here." "I kept debating about this Cowardly Lion part," "I thought maybe it was too much." "And I, uh, I thought maybe I shouldn't use any metaphors." "No, it's great, really." "And not only because I want you to be open with me, but because it's exactly what I want you to share with Rebecca." "Oh, I'd be such a mess." "Look at my hands, I'm still shaking." " You know, I've been thinking, Claire." " Yeah?" "With Howard passing, is it possible you tightened the reins on Rebecca?" "I mean, she's all I've got left." "Right, but it's a lot of pressure to put on anyone." "After all, you didn't just lose a husband." "Rebecca lost her dad." "And I have a feeling that maybe... maybe there wasn't enough room for her grief with yours." "Now, I know how complex the mother-daughter relationship can be, but as the mother, you sometimes have to take responsibility." "You don't want it to get so bad that she doesn't return your calls or do anything real with you." "What's your daughter like?" "I..." "I don't usually disclose, but she's spirited." "Has a mind of her own." "She's actually having a birthday this weekend." "Oh, how nice." "What are you planning?" "A princess-themed party." "You know, just your typical nine-year-old girl." "That's nice, enjoy it." "It's gone in the blink of an eye." "Trust me." "Oh, no, that shouldn't go there." "No one will see it." "It's not for anyone else, Mom." "You know, I..." "I don't think you have to have anybody here, any company, huh?" "It's just a transition." "Maybe I don't want company." "Maybe that's the point." "I thought by now you'd be moving to the suburbs." "Oh, really?" "Well, you just don't get me, do you?" "That's not who I am." "You don't want to go through life alone." "Look, I'm sure Michael would understand." "You know what?" "I'm..." "I'm not taking relationship advice from you." "I mean, come on." "I just don't want you to turn around and have nothing left." "I'm still waiting on the employee interviews." "I called again." "They should send a dropbox soon." "Well, I just need them by Monday, okay?" " Got it." " Thanks." "Oh, and a Katherine Wallace called." "She didn't say what it was about, but she sounded like..." "Okay, um, did she leave a number?" "Uh, yeah, I put it on your post sheet." "Okay, thanks." "Have a good weekend." "Enjoy the party." "Let me know if there's anything you need." "Okay, thanks, Alexis." "Hi, Barry." "I'm here to see Rebecca." "She's not expecting me, but I thought I'd drop these by for her." "Rebecca moved out six weeks ago." "Didn't she tell you?" "She hasn't mentioned anything." "Where did she move to?" "Did she leave an address?" "I don't know." "A few things have still come for her in the mail." "Okay." "No, no, no, it's all right." "Thank you, Barry, thank you." " I'm sorry." " I'm sorry, too." "It's gorgeous." "I was going to tell her after her party, but, well..." "People think being alone is the scariest thing in the world." "They're wrong." "Lying to yourself is far worse." "Happy birthday, Jeanie." "When was the last time you saw her?" "Two months ago?" "It was around my birthday." "She stopped by to drop off a present, and we spoke for, like, a minute." "And why are you so afraid to talk to her, Allison?" "Do you know that look?" "The one where the person you love most is completely disappointed in you?" "Or they no longer see you as their kid, but as an individual, and they don't like what they see?" "Did you ever think it was your mom who disappointed you?" "Avengers assemble!" " Assemble, Avengers!" " Avengers assemble!" "Assemble!" "Well, hello there, Captain America." "Ah!" "Now Loki's here." "Don't let him get ya!" "I'm not the bad guy." "Mommy's the Hulk." "Where've you been this morning, Hulk?" "Oh, just out doing errands." "Picked up the cake." "And I got money to pay the magician." " Right." " You look great." "And I got some extra candy for the piñata and the goodies." "My God, you are on it." "That's so hot." "You like that, huh?" "You know how I feel about that soccer mom stuff." " You're not even kidding." " Unh-unh." " So it looks good, right?" " Mm-hmm." "And I thought I'd set up the caterers outside." "And what about this?" "Should I put this..." " Can you think of anything else?" " Mnh-mnh." "Okay." " What's all the commotion?" " Just through here." "I didn't know we were getting a tent." "Yeah, where's Harold?" "Did you put him away?" "Hey, it's just a party, okay?" "Relax a little." "Oh, my God." "I wanted a haircut." "But we talked about it, right?" "Why would you disregard that and go do it yourself?" "I wanted to look like me." "I don't know what I'm doing here, honey." "I'm not trained in this." "Turn around, please." "Hey, it's Grandma." "She wants to wish you a happy birthday." "Always has the best timing." "Hi, Grandma, hi." "How's the birthday girl?" "Are you excited for your party?" "Mm." "I cut my hair." "Mommy's trying to fix it." "Oh, I'm sure she is." "Oh, hey!" "I'm so glad you guys made it." "The house looks fantastic, Jean." "And, oh, you look stunning." "Come on outside, everything's set up." " Did you do all of this yourself?" " Yeah, basically." "That is very impressive." "Hey, wait up!" "There's a very special birthday girl who's going to assist me." "Is there a Dolly?" "So glad you used Milana." "It's pretty affordable, too, right?" "Welcome, Dolly." "Could you tell me when to stop?" "What... yeah, yeah, she's great." "Thanks for the rec." "Can you put..." "I love the way Dolly dresses." "It's so original." "Yeah, we think it's important that she expresses herself." "That's the psychologist talking again, isn't it?" " Is this vintage?" " What?" "Oh, this, uh, it's from a different life." "Dolly, will you inspect the deck?" "Are you getting it, hon?" "Dolly, hit the deck of cards." "Is this your card?" " No." " Yes, it is." "No?" "Honey, what's going on?" "What's going on?" "He's lying to us." "No, he's not lying, honey." "He's a magician." "That's what they do." " It's just a trick." " I don't want to be tricked." "He should be honest." "That's what you tell me." "Well, yeah, of course, it's always good to be honest, but, honey, this is just a game, okay?" "It's not real." "Now just go be with your friends." "Go on, enjoy the party." "You're not mad at me anymore?" "Oh, honey, no, I'm not mad at you, 'cause you're my girl, right?" "And I'd do anything for you." "Give up everything just to make you happy." "Fine, but I wanna do the next trick." "Go on, then." " Hey." " Hey!" "I can't believe you came all the way out here." "Well, you said it was important, and I couldn't seem to send it all." "That's great." "Hey!" " Hey, Jean!" " You must be the famous Alexis." " So nice to finally meet you." " You, too." "I'm sorry to interrupt." "You must be completely overwhelmed." "No, not at all." "Can I get you something?" "No, no, I just came to drop this off." "But, um, it's a lovely party." "Ah, yeah, all Jean." "Oh, I didn't want to come empty-handed." " It's just a book." " That's really thoughtful, Alexis." "Thank you, we don't buy her enough books anymore." "Hey, stay for one drink, okay?" "It's a long trip back." "The bar's right out front." " Okay, yes." " All right." "Huh?" "She's not your type?" "You're a fucking liar." "She's everyone's type." " I even might consider it." " Oh, what?" "She's not." "Okay, listen, she's attractive, fine." "But even if I was on the hunt, she's young, and she feels young, okay?" "Good, 'cause if I lose you to your assistant," "I'd be mad at you for making me part of the cliché." " We were just..." " No, it's fine." "Can I bum one, please?" "Thanks." "Thanks." " I need to know if I can return it." " We're not gonna open it." "What are you doing here, Mom?" "Dolly invited me." "I mean, it's her birthday, so I thought I'd honor her wish." "Never disappoint." "Oh, Michael." "Oh, God, you're so attractive." "Aw, it's nice to see you, Nancy." "Everything looks lovely." "Well, I think I'll get the cake." " Right now?" " Mm-hmm, seems like the right time." " Yes!" " Oh, really?" " We're ready for the cake." " Mm-hmm." "That is the famous Alexis." " Nice to meet you." " Say hello." "I'll make you take a good one." "No, Daddy." " Thank you." " Nice to meet you, Dolly." "Yes, yes, go, go." " She's so sweet." " A little shy." "♪ Happy birthday to you ♪" "♪ Happy birthday to you ♪" "♪ Happy birthday, dear Dolly ♪" "♪ Happy birthday to you ♪" "Go on, make a wish." "Over here!" "Pass it to me." "What will it be next, her own bathroom at school?" "I'm sorry, we can be accommodating, but I am tired of bending over backwards." "We all have our own things to worry about." "I'm sorry, are you kidding me?" "Oh, Jean, no, I was just saying that..." "I've done nothing but try to make a nice party for you guys so you can day drink and bitch about your husbands." "And what, you think you can disrespect me and my daughter?" "Jean?" "Hey." "No, I'm not gonna play this game anymore, and I'm not gonna pretend that this is acceptable, 'cause it's not." "We're all just lying all the time by pretending to be friends and not buying into the politics." "And you, with your stash of pills, and your obsession with appearances." "You're the reason why my little girl has to be scared of being judged." "And today, on her birthday, when she's supposed to be joyful and innocent, she has to answer to people like you?" "I'm sorry, I'm not gonna let you take that away from her, 'cause you're just not that powerful." "And you know what the ironic thing is?" "I wanted today to be perfect because I actually cared what you think." "But now I realize I'm better off, because I'm nothing like you." "This is for babies." "Oh." "Yeah, someone doesn't know kids." " I'm not three to five." "I'm nine." " Of course you are, cookie." "You're becoming such a big girl." " Mommy?" " Hmm?" "Did you not like my party?" "Yeah, I loved your party." "Oh, honey, I'm sorry if I was upset for a moment." "Sometimes it happens, even with mommies." "Do you want to know what I wished for?" " A hoverboard." " No." "Okay, good, um, a trampoline?" " Nope." " Okay, I give up." "I wished for the magician to make you happy." "Oh, honey, listen to me." "I am happy, and I don't need a magician for that." "I have you and Daddy." "And that's more than enough." "Now let's go to sleep." " I love you." " I love you, too, Mommy." "You know, you didn't have to do that." " Did you even hear what they said?" " It doesn't matter." "Dolly didn't hear it, and it's her party today." "Right, but she's fine." "She doesn't know what happened." "I'm not gonna let them talk like that about her." "I'm obviously gonna want to protect her." "And I don't?" "Well, no." "You don't know what it's like." "You're always working." "You don't do the pick-ups." "You don't do the drop-offs." "You don't deal with those monsters." "So you can't presume to know." "Just like I don't know what you deal with at work." "Well, that's right, you don't." "But it's interesting that little miss Alexis shows up today." "She was just doing her job." "But yeah, go ahead, make that about you." "I guess it's not enough that you hijacked Dolly's party already today." "Really?" "What should I have done, Michael, huh?" "Just, just pretend like nothing happened?" " Pretend Michelle said nothing?" " Yep." "Well, I don't operate like you do." "We can't all just live in denial." "No, but we do live in a society with certain rules like control your fucking impulses." "I know you think you can say whatever you want all the time, but it doesn't work like that." "Trust me, I don't." "But what I really don't understand is, why do you even give a shit?" "It's like you're a completely different person lately." "You seriously don't get it, do you?" "You just think I'm being frivolous." "I don't think you're being frivolous." " I think you're being selfish." " I want her to feel special today because I know what it feels like to be so fucking invisible all the time." "But you are so far up your own ass that you can't even see it." "That's really mature." "Why don't you just own up and take responsibility?" "Isn't that what you tell your patients?" "Oh, fuck off, you don't know the first thing about therapy." "I'm gonna go to sleep."