["It Was Love At First Sight"
by Wesley Bright plays]
[Sera] The one on the left
is Endless Sun.
- [John] Mm-hmm.
- It contains grains of sand
from the beaches of Mauritius.
That's what gives it
that, like, nice texture.
- Okay.
- Then the one on the right,
that one's Parisian Gold.
The pigment comes
from a gilding house in France
that supplied
the Palace of Versailles
with cornicing
for the Hall of Mirrors.
- Really?
- I know. I know, yes.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
[John] Hmm.
Is that a hard "no"
on Tahitian Vanilla?
- Yes, because that's
an ice cream flavor.
- Okay.
- No. Baby, this is
our baby's room.
- Okay.
I want it to be perfect.
I know you do.
I'm just gonna say
it'd be easier
if we knew if it was gonna be
a boy or a girl.
And we'll know in a few months.
- Besides, I'm not refusing
to find out.
- Yeah?
- Just that I can live
with not knowing.
- Hmm.
The fact that you can't is...
- Ah, it's so much fun.
- [chuckles]
- Yeah, I'm getting
that whole vibe over here.
- Mm-hmm.
[chuckles] What do you think?
Um...
[whispers] Parisian Gold.
- Oh, I think I like
the Parisian Gold.
- Oh, good.
- Me too.
- Settled.
[John chuckles]
[John chuckles] Oh.
You're next.
You've been pretty incredible
through this whole thing.
With all the doctors
and all the injections
and all that craziness,
you've been amazing.
Well, I didn't do it alone.
No, I did it alone. A couple.
- [chuckles]
- Yep, all by myself.
You ready?
Yeah, I am. I'm ready.
I mean, I'm terrified,
but I'm ready.
You love me.
You love me too.
[Sera] Logic and statistical
reasoning appear to live
somewhere between exact science
and the infinite unknown.
But nothing could be further
from the truth.
It's really no different
from any other mathematical
field of study.
- And in this way...
- Yep.
[Sera] There's only one answer.
- Okay.
- Guys, check it out.
[light piano music playing]
You know, she and John
used to be a thing.
- [John] Dude.
- Seriously?
- It was a long time ago.
I'm happily married now.
- [Steven] Mm.
Everybody believes you.
- Would you shut up, man?
- [Sera] There's no gray area.
You can't agree to disagree.
It's as binary as one and zero.
Hey.
Hey. [sighs]
You're showing
the Scarsdale house today,
right?
Yeah.
You mind if I tag along?
Come on. It's the last project
we worked on together.
Oh.
I-I don't think
that's a good idea.
[piano playing]
[Sera gasps]
[grunting, panting]
[ominous music plays]
[line ringing]
Oh, f*ck. John, John,
please pick up, please.
[John] All right, guys.
Appreciate it. Nice to see you.
[on voicemail]
Hi, you've reached John Winter.
Please leave me a message.
Oh! [pants]
Hi, you've reached John Winter.
Oh, f*ck, please.
Come on, John. [sniffles]
- [line ringing]
- [breathes heavily]
[elevator dings]
[running footsteps]
- [John] Hey.
- Mm.
Come here.
[John breathing deeply]
[Sera sniffling]
[dramatic music plays]
[John] You love me.
You love me too.
[dramatic music continues]
[John sighs]
I can't stay here.
I know.
[soft music plays]
[birds chirping]
[dramatic violin music plays]
[dramatic violin music
continues]
[music ends]
[John] Listen, the right thing's
gonna come along,
and when it does, we'll know it.
It's been over a month.
A-and everything's
either completely
out of our price range
or it's a teardown.
I promise we're gonna find
the perfect house,
- and we're gonna live
the life of our dreams.
- Yeah?
[Jeannie]
Perhaps you'd be willing
to expand your search area?
Or I could pull a few listings
from the next town over.
No, no. This-this feels right.
This-this feels like home.
Guys, to be honest,
I've sort of run out of options.
But you seem like you really,
really need to live here,
so I'm gonna recommend
you speak to a friend of mine.
Been in this town
for a long time.
He knows everybody,
and he knows
every single piece of property.
If there's anybody
who can help you find
the home you're looking for,
it's him.
[John] Look at this.
It's like the beginning
- of a horror movie.
- [Sera] Tsk.
Hey, honey, I got a great idea.
Let's go visit the dude
we don't know
with the big, scary house
out in the middle of nowhere.
What could possibly go wrong?
You know what? At this point,
we're so desperate,
I'll take all the help
we can get.
- Yeah, I guess so.
- Mm-hmm.
- Holy sh*t.
- [Sera laughs]
Wow.
[light instrumental music
playing]
Welcome.
I'm so glad you decided to come.
I'm Emmett. Emmett Claymore.
- Yeah, John.
- John.
This is my wife, Sera.
- Sera, lovely to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- Thank you for having us.
- Oh, of course.
Please, let's get you inside.
[John chuckles]
[Emmett] All right, here we are.
You don't really see
Jacobethan Revival like this
too much anymore.
[Emmett] Well, well, well.
A man who knows
his architecture.
[John laughs] Yeah.
So when was it built?
Early '20s?
When I first took possession,
she was in sore need of repair.
I spent the better part
of a decade renovating her,
but finally managed
to get her restored.
Oh, it's perfect.
- It is kind of cool, isn't it?
- [John] It is.
[all chuckle]
[Emmett]
So, Jeannie tells me you guys
are looking to buy in
our neck of the woods?
Uh, yes. "Looking-looking" being
the operative word there, yes.
We really, really love it here,
but we keep striking out.
Doesn't surprise me.
Real estate around here
is tricky business.
Most of the homes,
they get passed down
generationally.
So, you're-you're what?
You're sort of an inside man?
Is that it?
- Something like that.
- Got it.
- Okay.
- No, I have a talent
for pairing the right property
with the right people.
And to do that,
I try to get to know
the people that I'm helping.
Right.
I just recently got my hands
on a '98 Margaux,
and I'd hate to drink it alone.
Okay, might I convince you
to stay for an early dinner?
I thought maybe we could mix
a little business with pleasure.
Yes, yes, we'd love to.
- Terrific.
- [John] Yes.
The dining room's right in here.
[Emmett] So, an architect
and a mathematician.
- A seeker...
- Yes.
- ...and a solver.
- [Sera] Mm-hmm.
Infinite possibilities
on one hand.
A single solution on the other.
What I'd like to know
is how you two work that out.
- [all chuckle]
- Well, I'll put it to you
this way.
- [Emmett] Mm-hmm.
- I'm an impossible
know-it-all...
- [Emmett] Ah.
- ...and this one here
is always right.
- [Emmett chuckles]
- You know,
between the two of us,
- we work it out.
- Got it.
So, why move
all the way out here?
I mean, you're young.
I would assume the city
would have more appeal for you.
Well, we're leaving
one story behind.
We're here to write a new one.
Hmm.
Well, then... [inhales deeply]
...here's to this next chapter
in all our lives.
- [John] Cheers. Cheers.
- [Sera] Cheers.
Cheers.
What's, uh, what's all this?
When they originally laid
the foundation for the house,
- the workers unearthed
numerous old artifacts.
- [John] Huh.
[Emmett] Mining tools,
old military weapons,
what have you.
It was all stored in a shed
behind the house
until I moved in.
Once the renovations began,
I myself discovered
numerous other remnants
that had been hidden away
in the chimneys and the walls.
What are we talking about here?
A suitcase full of money?
[Emmett and John chuckle]
- Nothing that exciting.
- No? That's too bad.
But I just couldn't bring myself
to throw any of it away,
so I turned it
into this showcase.
I like to think of it
as a living record of the house
and its rich history.
- It's really cool.
- [Emmett] Yeah.
That's what we're looking for,
you know,
a house with character.
Ah, you know what they say
about old houses.
They're like people.
They all have
their deep, dark secrets.
[Sera] Mm.
So can I please have
a standing playdate
with this house?
- [John chuckles]
- Well, I don't know.
It depends. I mean...
Well, what if the house
were yours?
Should we make an offer?
Yeah, I got, like,
27 bucks on me.
Well, he'd be crazy
not to take it.
- He would be crazy--
- I would, but let's forget
the financial facts for a moment
and just for the sake
of argument...
[John] Yeah?
...what if this house
were yours?
I-I'm sorry, I don't follow.
You just said you were looking
to start a new chapter.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
So, my question is,
can a house make you happy?
Can this house make you happy?
No, no.
It's not the house
that makes you happy.
It's the-- it's the home.
[Emmett] Hmm.
[Sera] How about you?
Has this house made you happy?
It did. Once.
[John] "It did once"?
What-what happened?
What changed?
I guess my home
has become just a house.
Just a house.
[Emmett sighs]
Maybe it'll be different
for the two of you.
You've been incredibly generous,
but we should really get going.
- Yeah.
- What kind of a host would I be
if I didn't let my guests
stay here
after a night of revelry, hm?
- [chuckles] Well--
- Oh, please, listen.
You must stay. The guest rooms
are already made upstairs.
I insist.
You really shouldn't drive.
- I mean, I probably
shouldn't drive at this point.
- No, you shouldn't.
It's settled. [clears throat]
[clicks tongue]
I'm gonna close up down here.
You two have a restful sleep,
and we continue talking
in the morning
because I think I may know
the perfect house for you guys.
[both laughing]
Think about it.
Think about it, okay? Like...
- Oh, having breakfast
in the gazebo.
- Mm-hmm.
- Throwing amazing parties.
- Mm-hmm.
Watching our kids play
in the yard.
- Eh, I mean, maybe a little.
- Shut up.
[chuckles] Do you think
he can really help?
Yeah, maybe he can.
What?
I missed you.
[romantic music plays]
[music fades]
[car engine starts]
[John] Do you hear that?
Yeah, I don't know.
I think he might have left.
[Sera sighs]
[whispers] I don't know.
Emmett?
Emmett, we're taking off.
We just want to say goodbye.
- Where is he?
- I don't know.
[John breathes heavily]
[John chuckles lightly]
[John] "Dear John and Sera..."
[Emmett] It has been a pleasure
meeting you both,
and in the short time
we spent together,
we've shared
a meaningful connection.
You're a lovely couple
with long, happy lives
ahead of you.
In getting to know you,
it's clear you seek change,
a new beginning,
and I'd like to help.
This house represents a past
I wish to leave behind.
My wife used to sit
on that patio every evening,
just to watch the sun go down.
Since I no longer want it,
I'd like to give the house
and everything in it to you.
I do, however,
have one simple condition.
You must never open
the cellar door.
If you observe that condition,
the house is yours to keep.
If you break the contract,
however,
the house returns to me
immediately.
I'm sure this is
but a small price to pay
for the chapter
you wish to write.
The decision is yours.
[John] "Sincerely, Emmett."
[birds chirping]
- [thudding]
- [John exhales sharply]
I just, I-I don't understand.
What could be so unimportant,
you just would leave it behind,
but so important,
you wouldn't want us to see it?
Who cares?
- Who cares?
- Yeah, who cares?
This-- Look at this place.
This-this could be ours
for nothing.
Sera, it's not nothing.
- I don't see the big deal.
- [Jeannie] Yoo-hoo!
Morning, neighbors.
Oh, you guys hit the jackpot
or what?
Jeannie, wha-wha--
what is this? Is this a joke?
What's going on?
No, no, no,
it's not a joke at all.
I handle all of Mr. Claymore's
real estate affairs.
I'm here
to collect the paperwork.
- Did you sign?
- No, not yet.
We're discussing it.
- We're discussing this,
actually.
- Oh, well...
- We can handle that.
- Good, because that
is a nonstarter.
- Got it. Can I talk to you
for a second, please?
- Yes.
[Sera] Oh, come on,
you-you were the one that said
that when the perfect thing
came along, that we would know.
Oh, this is not
what I was talking about.
Sera, come on.
Aren't you just
even a little bit creeped out?
I mean, ask yourself, why?
Why would he give it away?
[Sera] Let's think about this
logically for a-a second, okay?
If we buy a cheap house
just so we can get out
of our apartment,
we're gonna have to renovate
that house.
That's gonna take, what,
like a year, 18 months?
And then there's
the-the-- the permits
and the construction.
And then where are we?
And then there's this.
We're just in.
[chuckles] We're done.
There's-there's no stress.
Baby, we-we sank
all of our savings into IVF.
If we have any hope
of trying again.
I slept for the first time
in weeks. So did you.
Yeah, I did, but...
it is just--
It doesn't make any sense.
It's always gonna be you and me,
whatever we decide. Together.
But, baby, we can heal here.
[light piano music plays]
- All right, thank you so much.
- You are gonna be
so very happy here.
- [Sera laughs]
- You are gonna be
happy here. Yes.
And if there's anything
at all you need, call me.
[Sera] Yes,
I have your number.
Thank you. [light chuckle]
- [Sera] Emailed, yes.
- [Jeannie] All right.
- Thank you. Oh, good luck
with everything.
- Oh, okay, Jeannie, bye.
- Oh, golly. Good luck. Bye.
- Thank you. Bye.
- This place is ours.
- [laughing]
This is ours!
[both laughing]
- [John] Oh, boy...
- Oh, my God.
[kisses]
Oh, my God.
[light piano music continues]
[exhales deeply]
[breathes deeply]
[light chuckle]
Hmm...
[Sera exhales deeply] Hey.
Oh, those don't go in here.
- These don't go in here?
- Uh-uh.
They go in the office.
Oh, is that why
they say "office" on them?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
[John chuckles softly]
- [music fades]
- [crickets chirping]
[piano playing]
[piano continues playing]
[piano continues playing]
[piano stops]
[chill music plays]
[indistinct chattering]
[both laughing]
- [Sera] So happy
you guys are here.
- The house is great.
- [John] Oh, thank you. Yeah.
- [Sera] Thank you.
Well, if you need a refill,
um, booze is over there.
- [woman] Oh, perfect. Awesome.
- Yes.
- [woman] All right,
see you in a bit.
- [John] See ya.
- [Sera] Yeah, yeah.
- Are you kidding me?
This place is incredible.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, it's pretty great.
- Uh, you remember
my wife, Sera?
- [Sera] Hi.
- Yeah, of course.
- Hi. Good to see you.
Hey, I'm sorry we're late. Uh...
- [Alyssa] Hi.
- Hi.
Hi, I'm Alyssa.
I work with John.
Yes. Sera. Yes, I think
we met at a company party.
I got you a housewarming gift.
It's jasmine. It's my favorite.
Oh, that's very sweet of you.
Thank you.
You guys,
please go grab some drinks.
- After you.
- Mm.
Here, hold it.
- Hey.
- [Alyssa] Hi.
What are you doing here?
Well, Zac invited me.
What was I supposed to do,
turn him down?
[exhales] Uh, yeah, well...
Well, you told me
I should move on, so...
- Besides, I wanted to see you.
- [sighs]
I heard about what happened
and I was worried.
I'm okay. I'm okay.
Okay.
Well, you know I'm here for you.
For whatever you might need.
You just have to understand,
the last time,
it was the last time.
And what I need is for you
to leave me alone, okay?
[John sighs]
[Steven] John?
- John?
- Yeah?
You need to come outside
right now.
[tense music plays]
[door closes]
[guest 1 whispers]
What's going on?
[indistinct whispering]
Who is this?
I-I think
we should call the police.
No, no, no, I got it.
Can I help you, man?
Hey, buddy.
What's going on? You lost?
What's going on?
[soft chuckle]
I'm sorry.
It's okay, it's okay.
You gotta burn it down
before it's too late.
What?
You gotta burn it down
before it's too late.
It's not worth the price.
It will destroy you.
[tense music continues]
[Steven]
All right, show's over, folks.
[guest 2]
Did anyone call the police?
Oh, hey.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Good morning.
You must be the new neighbor.
- Yes.
- Kathryn Conrad.
- Hi, Sera Winter.
- Nice to meet you.
We're right over there.
- Oh, great.
- Yeah.
I've been meaning to come by
and say hi in person,
but my husband said
I should let you guys
settle in first.
- [both laugh]
- You both have to come over
for drinks.
- Yeah, yeah, we'd love to.
- Yeah? Okay, great.
- I'm gonna reach out
with some times.
- Okay.
Oh, God, you seem so nice.
I hope you guys stick around.
Yeah.
[John] Hey. Morning.
[tense music plays]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[Kiah] Hey, John.
Yeah?
HR's waiting for you
in the other conference room.
Great, thank you.
[John] Sexual harassment?
Are you serious?
g*dd*mn it.
I cannot believe
I'm gonna lose my job over this.
Look, hey, it's just
a temporary suspension, okay?
Just until they complete
their little investigation.
Are you kidding me?
We both know how this goes.
- It's her word against mine.
- I know, I know. I--
I mean, if I'm such a threat,
why is she coming to my house?
- Why?
- [thuds]
[Steven]
That's all well and true,
but you got a bigger problem.
What are you gonna tell Sera?
[tense music continues]
[door closes]
[piano music plays]
- Hey.
- Hey.
- How you doing?
- Good.
What's all this?
I'm going back to work.
You're going back to work?
Wow, that's amazing.
Yeah, it is,
and it's a good thing too,
because if I had to spend
another day
whiling away the hours
in this empty house,
I might k*ll one of us.
Most likely you.
[chuckling]
What about you?
How was your day?
Yeah, it was-it was good.
You know, it was good.
Good.
- [exhales]
- [door closes]
[piano music continues]
[guest]
There's no way I could do it.
[Zac] Are you kidding me?
For all this?
I wouldn't even question it.
Old man give you a clue
what might be down there?
No, no clue,
but it's probably nothing.
- So why can't you look?
- [guest]
It's gotta be something.
- If it's nothing,
why can't you open it?
- Exactly.
'Cause we've just--
We've put it out of our minds.
Look, I've got
a great, new house,
I have an amazing wife.
Life is good. Life is good.
- I don't need to look.
- [Alyssa] I don't believe you.
I think you wanna look.
I think you can't help yourself.
[piano music continues]
[exhales]
[music ends]
[breathes heavily]
Oh, God, I have to go.
- I'm super late.
- Oh.
- [Sera exhales] Love you.
Have a good day at work.
- Love you.
- Bye.
- Bye.
[sighs]
[tense music plays]
[Steven over phone]
You still haven't told her?
- It's been two weeks, man.
- [John]
Oh, you don't understand.
She's just so happy
for the first time
in so long. I...
I can't do it.
I just can't do it.
The longer you wait,
the worse it's gonna get.
I just know,
if I could talk to her,
I know I could work
this whole thing out. I know it.
Who, Alyssa?
Are you out
of your f*cking mind?
You can't talk to her.
Hell, I shouldn't even be
talking to you.
Dude,
we all know the truth, okay?
Yeah, the truth is,
is I'm f*cked. That's the truth.
All right,
I'll talk to you later.
[call ends]
[sighs]
[tense music continues]
[exhales]
[clatters]
[thudding]
[exhales]
- [creaking]
- [John grunts]
- [creaks]
- [John grunts]
[straining]
- [music intensifies]
- Ah!
f*ck! [groans]
Goddammit.
[Sera] I was thinking
we could start painting
the upstairs rooms this weekend.
What do you think?
Maybe paint the nursery.
It's a way to manifest
getting pregnant.
Yeah, sure. Sounds good.
Sure.
What?
- John, I know you. What is it?
- What?
You've been trying
to tell me something
since you got home, so spill.
How would he know?
How would who know?
Emmett, how would he know?
That's what this is about?
There's got to be something
down there, Sera.
Think about it.
How would he even know
if we looked?
You only want to look because
you're being asked not to.
No, I wanna know
why we're being asked not to.
Because it's the one condition
on which we get to keep
this house.
- And we agreed to it.
- Pfft.
- We can't not discuss it, Sera.
- You don't wanna discuss it,
my love.
You just want me
to agree with you, and I don't.
So we just ignore it?
Is that it?
[sighs]
[exhales sharply]
[Sera] A butterfly emerges
from its cocoon,
flaps its wings,
and the wind shear
inadvertently sets off a tornado
a thousand miles away.
It's called
the "butterfly effect."
It's a small,
seemingly insignificant
initial condition
which drastically affects
the trajectory of a system.
[breathes heavily]
[line ringing]
[on voicemail] Hi, it's Alyssa.
Leave a message.
[beeps]
Hey, it's me.
Call me back. We need to talk.
It's also one of the foundations
of our next subject,
chaos theory.
[door closes]
Which attempts
to explain how complex
and seemingly unpredictable
systems
have behaviors that can,
in principle, be predicted.
Because there's always,
always a constant
beneath the chaos.
Here you go.
- [distant phone ringing]
- 2424 Cookson Road.
Wow. I really-- I can't believe
you had a set on hand.
Thank you so much.
Well, the prior owner, um...
Paul MacManus,
requested a copy last year.
Called him a bunch of times,
but... [scoffs]
...he never picked it up.
I'm-I'm sorry, Paul MacManus?
I thought
Emmett Claymore lived there.
I haven't heard that name
in a long time. Not since...
- What?
- Must be 25 years ago now.
Had a happy marriage
as far as anyone could tell.
But then his wife...
up and left him. Took their
five-year-old daughter
with her too.
Do you know what happened?
No idea. Ran off
in the middle of the night.
Never saw them again.
Strange business for sure.
[John] Hmm.
Okay. Thank you so much
for your help. I appreciate it.
I know
that this seems theoretical.
Maybe even impenetrable.
I mean,
it's definitely overwhelming.
Knew it.
[Sera]
So let me-let me break it down
into something
a little more relatable,
digestible.
Finite means a set of numbers
where only the start
or the ending is given.
Sort of like life, right?
[creaking]
- It's up to you to decide
how you start...
- [object clatters]
- ...or how you finish
something.
- [clicks]
And then your choices take
you towards that finite value.
And finding
that value in life...
[thudding echoes]
...well, that's entirely
up to you.
Happiness, fulfillment,
contentment.
All you have to do
is make the right choice.
[tools clattering]
[school bell ringing]
But we're gonna have to wait
for that for next week.
So, please, in the meantime,
read chapter two
and email me with any questions,
as always.
[thudding]
[tense music playing]
[John exhales]
[clanks]
[whirring]
[whirring continues]
- [car door closes]
- [light gasp]
[panting]
[car alarm chirps]
[music intensifies]
John?
John?
[John] Yeah, in here.
- Hey.
- You're home early.
Yeah. Uh, I had
an inspection finish early,
so I got out of there.
- Nice surprise.
- Yeah.
[John chuckles] Hi.
Hey, can you help me
with the rest of the stuff
that's in the car?
Yeah, of course. Yeah.
- [thunder rumbling]
- [rain pattering]
[cell phone vibrating]
[gasps]
[whispering] Hey.
[Alyssa] What do you want?
[exhales sharply]
We need to talk.
So, talk.
No, no, no, not like this.
In person.
I don't think
that's a good idea.
You're a threat to me, remember?
Alyssa, give me
a chance here, okay?
Please? Let me talk to you.
Fine.
Tomorrow, two o'clock.
Where?
You know where.
Our favorite place to park.
[call ends]
[distant car horn honks]
[tense music plays]
[car door opens]
What are we doing here?
You tell me. You wanted to meet.
No, no, no,
you know what I mean.
I mean, what are we doing here?
Wha-what?
Well, I-- I just--
I don't understand. Why?
- Why?
- Yeah, why are you doing this
to me?
Because you're a f*cking liar,
John.
I know that I hurt you.
I know that I did. I know it.
And I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry.
But you can't go around
making up stuff about me
that we both know isn't true.
You just can't do that.
We wanted the same thing.
[John sighs]
A life together.
- The house, the kids.
- Yeah.
Like we talked about.
Why can't you just admit
that you're unhappy,
and that is why
you make your way back to me
every single time?
Alyssa.
No one makes me feel
the way you do. No one.
What we have is undeniable.
There's no question.
But I love my wife.
I love her.
And that's never gonna change.
You gotta understand that.
You love me too.
You told me you did.
And we fit together, John.
You know we do.
We know each other's secrets.
You're gonna regret it
for the rest of your life
if you don't chance.
I need you to hear me.
I need you to hear me
right now, okay?
I'm never gonna leave Sera
for you. Ever.
It's not gonna happen.
Get it through your head.
It ain't gonna happen.
Was I supposed to get it
through my head
when you were f*cking me
behind her back over and over?
g*dd*mn it.
Will you shut the f*ck up?
This is my life here.
This is my f*cking life too.
And it's Sera's life.
And I'm gonna make sure
she knows who you really are.
If you go anywhere near my wife,
I will f*cking k*ll you.
Do you understand me?
I will f*cking k*ll you.
Get your hands off me.
[John exhales sharply]
[footsteps receding]
[breathing heavily]
- [engine revving]
- [tires screeching]
[breathes deeply]
[piano music plays]
[sighs]
Hey, I'm gonna go hit the trails
over in Millbrook.
Why don't you tell me
the real reason you're going?
What's that?
You're trying to skip out
on taping duty.
- [chuckles] You caught me.
- [soft chuckle]
- I'll see you later.
- Okay.
- [tense music plays]
- [bird calling]
[vomiting]
[packaging rustling]
- [soft piano music plays]
- [breathes deeply]
[chuckles softly]
[sighs]
[music ends]
[tense music plays]
That m*therf*cker.
[creaking]
[clicks]
[Sera exhales]
[suspenseful music plays]
Oh, sh**t.
- [drawer opens]
- [objects clattering]
Hello?
Sera?
[suspenseful music continues]
[suspenseful music continues]
Oh, what the hell, John?
[suspenseful music continues]
[breathing heavily]
[thuds]
[grunts, sighs]
[door thuds]
[sighs]
What the hell is wrong with you?
All you had to do
was just stay away.
[John over phone]
Yeah, I know I messed up.
I messed up.
I thought I could fix it.
Just ever since we moved
into the house,
everything has gone to sh*t.
Listen to me.
You only have one option.
Let it play out.
[sighs]
John? You still there?
She just left my house.
- Who?
- Alyssa. She just left
my f*cking house.
- Don't do something stupid.
- [keys jingling]
[tires screech]
Hello? John?
John?
[action music plays]
Come on, come on, come on.
[music ends]
[somber music plays]
[engine stops]
[exhales]
[car alarm chirps]
[door closes]
[piano music plays]
Where were you?
I was running. I told you.
For four hours? [sniffles]
[sighs] What's wrong?
I'm pregnant.
Are you serious?
- [chuckles]
- Oh, my God.
- [John exhales]
- [Sera sniffles]
There's something else.
- I didn't go in the cellar.
- No, but you tried.
Yeah, I did. I did.
That-that was stupid. I'm sorry.
We made a promise
to each other, John. Right?
Look, I need to know
that we're in this together.
That I can trust you.
It's not just us anymore.
[sighs]
[hammer thuds]
[dramatic music plays]
[music ends]
[birds chirping]
[Sera] Okay. So, on the left,
there's more of like a deeper,
sagey green.
And then on the right,
it's-it's like minty.
It's lighter.
Which one do you prefer?
Oh. Uh... [chuckles]
Uh, no, I like them both. Um...
- Okay.
- Probably the one on the right.
Yes! Okay, good.
- Um, so, crib over here.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- And then changing table,
rocking chair right there.
- [John] Mm-hmm.
- What?
What?
[inhales deeply]
Uh, I don't know.
This-this feels a bit early.
- Is it too early for all this?
- No.
- You sure?
- Yes, I'm sure.
I love you for worrying,
but it's all good.
I'm stronger than I look.
We're gonna be good.
[cell phone vibrating]
Okay.
Work.
Yeah? This is John.
[over phone]
Yes, it's Mrs. Taylor from HR.
- Yeah?
- I wanted to inform you,
- you've been cleared
in the investigation.
- [relieved sigh]
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
- Are you able
to start on Monday?
- [chuckles] Okay.
- Yes, absolutely, yes.
- Okay.
Of course. Thank you. Um...
I'll see you Monday.
Okay.
[sighs]
Sorry about that.
- All okay?
- Yeah, all good.
Just some drama at work,
but all good now.
Oh, okay.
- Um, will you hold this
on that side?
- Sure.
Thank you.
[loud drilling in distance]
- Hey, hey. Welcome back,
my man. [chuckles]
- [John] Thank you.
There he is.
- Good to see you.
- Yeah.
Listen, what'd I tell you?
Trust the process.
I don't know.
I still don't really believe it.
Yeah, well, apparently,
Alyssa's infatuation with you
was an open secret.
- No one bought her sob story.
- [sneers]
Have you-have you seen her yet?
- No.
- No?
- No, she was out all last week.
- Right.
- "Self-care," they say.
- Right.
I know HR tried to reach her
over the weekend,
but she's-she's ducking
their calls.
I'm guessing she caught wind
of their decision.
But you know who is back?
- You, rock star.
- Me.
- Lunch is on me.
- Okay.
Okay? And we can pretend
all this bullshit
never happened.
- Please.
- All right. Until then,
get back to work.
- Okay.
- All right.
[John] You think
Emmett's gonna care
if we toss his painting?
[Sera]
Uh, remove the painting, please.
[John] Okay.
[Sera] What?
What the hell is that?
[John] Mmm.
[Sera] What is it?
Jesus.
- You're overreacting.
- I'm overreacting?
- Yes.
- We just found a b*llet hole
in our wall.
Why would we not call
the police?
Because there's probably
a rational explanation
that doesn't require
you going nuclear, John.
Seriously.
Hear me out, okay?
Just hear me out.
I have heard
that Emmett's wife and daughter,
they left him 25 years ago.
No one has seen them since.
No one.
That doesn't strike you as odd?
So you think
that he m*rder*d them
and they're buried
in our basement?
Yes, I think it's possible.
Well, don't you think the police
would have investigated?
- I don't know.
- You-you've gotta drop this.
You know, I'm not doing this.
I'm not going down
the rabbit hole with you.
This is what you do.
- This is what I do?
What do I do?
- Yes.
Instead of seeking
rational explanations,
you-you leap to conclusions.
And-and most of the time,
it's fine because I love you.
But I can't do this.
The next eight months
are gonna be stressful enough,
so please...
Please just drop it.
Okay. It's dropped.
It's dropped.
[sighs]
[soft music plays]
Two steps forward,
one step back.
You know how it is.
Yeah, that's how that goes.
- [Steven] Uh, hey, Kiah.
- [Kiah] Yeah.
What's going on?
- You haven't heard?
- No.
They found Alyssa's car
abandoned somewhere upstate.
They think
she may have committed suicide.
[indistinct chatter]
[Kathryn] I fell asleep
on the ferry ride home.
- [Sera] No.
- [chuckles] I did.
If it wasn't for some guy
who woke me up,
I'd probably end up in Canada.
[Kathryn laughs]
Okay, I've-I've been meaning
to ask you something.
Um, when we first met,
you-you said something.
Oh, boy. Me and my big mouth.
I hope I didn't say anything
too offensive.
No, no, no. It's the opposite.
You-you actually said, "I-I hope
you guys stick around."
- Oh.
- What'd you mean by that?
Just that we didn't wanna lose
you guys, you know,
like the others. I...
What do you mean?
What-what others?
The other families.
You know, there's been
a handful of 'em over the years.
The MacManuses
were the last ones.
Super nice couple.
Oh, fun, fun, fun.
And then one day,
they were just gone.
No goodbye. No nothing.
- Although, [whispers]
I suspected marital trouble.
- Oh.
- I did. But you two
seem happy as clams.
- [chuckles]
And I get such a kick
running into John
on my daily runs.
Oh, my God, he must love
working from home. Oh!
- Mm.
- I'm sorry?
We cross paths
running around lunch,
but I haven't seen him
in the last few weeks.
Huh.
[ominous music plays]
[muffled]
Is everything all right?
[in normal voice]
Is something going on with John?
Uh, no.
No, no. I, uh... I'm sorry.
I-I-- I didn't realize
how much John was running.
Oh. [gasps]
- It's my yoga instructor.
- Okay.
- And he is so f*cking hot.
- [both laugh]
- I'll be right back.
- Okay.
I'm gonna go namaste him.
[Kathryn laughs]
So good to see you here.
[ominous music continues]
[music fades]
I heard about
that girl you work with.
The news said she was missing.
Yeah.
Yeah, we just found out
about it today.
It's terrible. [sighs]
Do the police know
what happened?
No, I don't think so. I mean...
they talked
to some people today,
and no one seems to know much.
Yeah, we're hoping she's okay.
Yeah. I bet.
[water running]
[suspenseful music playing]
[suspenseful music intensifies]
[sighs]
[music fades]
[sighs]
[light piano music plays]
[objects jingle]
[sighs]
It's the same b*llet, Sera.
It's an exact match.
That doesn't worry you?
Uh, okay,
so it's-it's the same brand.
That doesn't mean
that Emmett m*rder*d his family
or that they're buried
in the basement.
Yeah, but it's pretty damn
compelling, don't you think?
Why would he just leave it
in plain sight?
That makes no sense.
I don't know. I don't know.
- Let's look.
- Fine. You wanna look?
- Yeah, why not? Let's look.
- Why?
Because we'd lose
the house, John.
We would lose everything.
Do you really want that?
[doorbell rings]
[Sera sighs]
[sighs]
Mrs. Winter?
I'm Detective Stark.
This is Detective Weiland.
We'd like to speak
with your husband. Is he home?
Yeah. Uh, hi, I-I'm John Winter.
How can I help you?
We'd like to ask you
a few questions,
if you don't mind.
Yeah, of course. Come on in.
Please.
Uh...
Please.
In here.
Can I get you anything?
A coffee? Water? Tea?
No, ma'am, we're fine.
Thank you.
If you don't mind,
we'd prefer to speak
with your husband alone.
Oh. Uh, yeah, of course.
What's this about?
[Stark] Looking into
a missing persons report.
Do you know Alyssa Hayes?
[John] Of course.
We work at the same company.
[Stark] A friend reported
her missing last week.
- [John clears throat]
- We found her car, but we're
still trying to locate her.
We understand
Miss Hayes recently filed
a sexual harassment claim
against you.
Yeah.
We dated a-a while back,
and, uh, when I broke it off,
she had trouble moving on,
especially after I met Sera.
Last fall,
she made a pass at me,
and I turned her down.
And, uh, after that, she made up
all this stuff about me.
The company did
an investigation,
and I was-I was cleared.
[Weiland] Did you have
any contact with Miss Hayes
during the investigation?
I did. I-I-- I did.
I, uh, called her, like,
a week or two ago,
and I left a voicemail.
[Stark] What about the call
on March 18th?
[John sighs]
I don't know. I'm sorry.
I-I don't know.
According to Miss Hayes's
cell phone records,
you spoke with her during
the morning hours of March 18th.
Is that correct?
Sure, yeah. I wanted
to straighten things out.
It was a 30-second call.
I can't imagine
how much was straightened out.
Yeah, that's true. We, uh,
agreed to meet in person.
[Stark] And did you?
Meet in person?
I mean, you haven't been
in the office for five weeks,
correct?
- So you had plenty of time.
- [John exhales]
Yeah.
Alyssa drove up, and we-we met
in a nearby
underground parking garage.
[Stark] And this is Saturday,
March 18th?
That's what it says, yes.
[Weiland] What time?
2:00 p.m.
Walk us through
your conversation.
[John] No, like I said,
I just wanted to talk to her.
I wanted to let her know
how this was impacting my life,
my career. Uh...
At one point, she agreed
to drop the allegations
if I went back with her.
I-I refused, and she got
very upset, and she drove off.
[Weiland] Was that the last time
you saw her?
Yes.
According to phone records,
her cell pinged a tower
in this neighborhood
the following day.
Like I said,
the last time I saw her
was when she drove off.
[Weiland] What about you?
Where were you on March 19th?
I'm sorry.
Am I-am I a suspect here?
- [Stark] It's a simple
question, Mr. Winter.
- Okay.
Where were you
during the afternoon hours
of March 19th?
Here. I was here.
Can anyone corroborate this?
[tense music intensifies]
Yep. Yes.
I was with him.
We recently found out
we're pregnant,
so, um, he was home.
We're just finishing up
some house projects.
Congratulations.
We'll be in touch.
[John exhales]
- Sera--
- Don't.
I didn't tell you
about the allegations
because they weren't true.
So you continued to lie
by pretending to go to work
for a month.
Oh, God, yeah.
That was stupid. I'm sorry.
Why don't you tell me
the real reason
you kept it a secret?
What do you mean?
Remember the company party
right after we got engaged?
I had to leave early.
When you came home,
you smelled like sex
and jasmine.
It's jasmine.
It's my favorite.
I chose to look the other way
because I-I really wanted
to believe
that you were the man
you said you were, but...
you're full of sh*t, John.
[John] Nice to see you.
[dramatic piano music playing]
[Sera]
Alyssa was telling the truth.
But it wasn't
sexual harassment.
It was very consensual.
You were f*cking her
all this time, weren't you?
And worst of all...
you were f*cking her
on the day we lost our baby.
[no audible sound]
[dramatic piano music continues]
That's why you didn't pick up
the phone, isn't it?
Isn't it?
Sera, please.
I just lied to a f*cking cop
for you, John.
- I didn't ask you to do that.
- No?
Well, what did you want me
to say?
"Oh, I'm-I'm so sorry, officer.
I have no idea where
my husband was that afternoon."
Well, you know where I was.
I was running.
- I told you that.
- You were running?
- Yeah, I was.
- You were running.
No, of course.
Yes, you were running.
You think they'd buy that?
I'm trying to protect you.
I don't wanna have to spend
the next 20 years
explaining to this baby
why their father's in jail
for m*rder.
Wait, you don't think
I had anything
to do with it, do you?
Doesn't matter
what I think, John.
They think you did.
Ask me.
- I don't wanna ask you, John.
- Ask me.
I don't want to ask you.
[footsteps receding]
[dramatic instrumental music
playing]
[Emmett] One simple condition.
You must never open
the cellar door.
[Alyssa]
I think you wanna look.
I think you can't help yourself.
- [John] How would Emmett know?
- [Sera] We would lose
everything.
Do you really want that?
[John] There's got to be
something down there, Sera.
We're gonna find
the perfect house,
and we're gonna live
the life of our dreams.
- [Sera] Yeah?
- [Emmett] You know what
they say about old houses.
They're like people.
They all have
their deep, dark secrets.
You gotta burn it down
before it's too late.
It's not worth the price.
It will destroy you.
- [John] I'm telling you,
that house is cursed.
- [Sera] You only want to look
because you're being asked
not to.
Prior owner, uh, Paul MacManus.
- [John] Paul MacManus?
- [clerk] Paul MacManus.
Called him a bunch of times,
but he never picked it up.
[tense music playing]
[tense music continues]
[brake creaks]
[knock on door]
[Paul coughs]
[music ends]
It is you.
Can I come in?
- I'm sorry.
- [door closes]
- I'm going through a divorce.
- It's...
[Paul] It's hard to concentrate
on anything else.
[John] I'm not gonna take up
too much of your time anyway.
Oh, it doesn't matter.
What do you mean?
I can't tell you
what you wanna know anyways.
Why?
You think you're ready
to listen?
Oh, I-I don't think I have
too much of a choice anymore.
[light piano music plays]
At first...
all you see is perfection.
Life you always dreamed of.
[John moans softly] Sera.
[no audible sound]
And like you,
we took our Faustian bargain.
Yeah.
Perfect life.
All for the low, low cost
of your soul.
For me, living in the house
flattered my sense
of invincibility.
It enabled me.
Taunted me.
"Oh, you live
in this beautiful place.
Surely you can handle
a drink now."
But I was only deceiving myself,
hiding behind the alcohol.
Until I found myself
on the slippery slope
of lies and shame.
Ending in a shattered marriage.
You came to the house
to warn us, didn't you?
I came there
to burn the f*ck down.
So there is something
in that house.
It's not the house.
It's us.
The things we hide.
Our secrets.
We cover it up,
we pretend it doesn't exist,
but it's always there.
But he k*lled them, didn't he?
Emmett.
His wife and his daughter.
That's what's down there.
No, it's not about Emmett.
It was never about Emmett.
It's the worst of us.
Then what's down there?
What's inside? What did you see?
That's my biggest regret.
What, opening the cellar door?
No! Not opening it.
You have one choice.
You break the contract.
You open the door to see
the truth inside yourself.
It's the only way out.
[dramatic violin music plays]
Sera!
- Sera!
- [Sera] Up here.
[music ends]
[sighs]
[scoffs]
[John] What are you doing?
[Sera] I'm painting the nursery,
like we planned.
[breathes deeply]
We can't do this anymore.
Sera.
We can't. We can't stay here.
We gotta get out.
Sera, listen to me.
- I've been a liar.
- John.
No, no, no. Hear me out.
I have been a liar
and a shitty f*cking husband,
and I hope to God
one day, you can forgive me.
Please.
I don't care.
I don't care, John.
I'm trying to protect our life.
The one we deserve.
The one we agreed to.
The one we always dreamed of.
Look at you. Look at you.
You're just covering it all up.
I mean, don't you see?
It doesn't matter what shade
of green you paint the nursery.
This house will always be
what it is. A f*cking cage.
- It ends right now.
- No.
John.
[dramatic violin music plays]
- No. No, John, stop!
- [chains clanging]
John, please stop.
You'll ruin everything.
John, just stop.
Just listen to me.
Stop!
Enough!
Enough! It's done!
- Enough. I'm opening
this f*cking door.
- No.
- No. Stop it, John!
- [panting]
[Sera grunts]
[footsteps]
[John breathing heavily]
[John groans]
What?
I couldn't let you open it,
John.
Sera.
[Sera] You know that.
When you open a door,
you have to be prepared
for what you might find.
[phone rings]
[ominous music plays]
Alyssa.
What did you do?
She came to the house that day.
[grunts, sighs]
[door thuds]
[sighs]
[creaks]
[footsteps]
[ominous music continues]
[Sera] Get out of my house.
No.
All of this
was supposed to be mine.
Get out.
You don't deserve this.
You're f*cking crazy.
You don't deserve this.
Ah! [panting]
- [grunts]
- [body thuds]
[panting]
[grunting, whimpering]
Help me.
I was defending myself
and our unborn child.
I started to call the police,
but there was too much at risk.
[breathes heavily, sniffles]
And no one I could trust.
Help me.
[whimpering]
- Please.
- [Sera] Our perfect life
was at stake.
Help me. Please.
I knew what I had to do.
[Alyssa gasps]
[dark music plays]
[grunts]
[Alyssa grunts]
- [music fades]
- [Sera breathing heavily]
[Sera]
I needed to clear my head.
[piano playing]
To find a path forward.
I weighed my options,
considered the causes
and effects.
And from the chaos, clarity.
[piano continues playing]
[Sera exhales]
Alyssa. She just left
my f*cking house.
You were driving her car.
[tense music plays]
I couldn't just leave it here.
[revving]
I managed to lose you
at the turn.
Come on, come on, come on.
I abandoned it where
no one would find the body.
And then I took her phone,
and I uploaded
a few last pictures.
[water sloshes]
And I emailed the firm
asking for some time off.
"Self-care," they say.
[Sera] I got rid of my clothes.
It was all going perfectly.
Until somehow, I missed.
One b*llet.
- What the hell is that?
- [Sera] Right through
the painting.
It was easy
to predict your reaction.
[John] There is a b*llet
in our wall.
[Sera] Because there's probably
a rational explanation.
Please, drop it.
Or so I thought.
No!
You just couldn't
leave it alone.
[Sera grunts]
So, now, you know the truth.
[John exhales]
We're gonna get you
a really good lawyer.
Hey, John.
[g*n c*ck]
[ominous music plays]
Don't be stupid.
You don't get it, do you?
If you make that call,
you'll be going to jail
for m*rder, not me.
Sit.
Sit!
[John exhales sharply]
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
You're not seeing
the full picture.
You lured her to our house,
you m*rder*d her,
and then you hid her body
under the stairs.
You even nailed it shut
so that no one would find her.
I had no idea until the police
started snooping around.
[ominous music continues]
And then I found
that phone of hers you kept.
And I put the pieces together.
I realized
you k*lled that poor girl.
When I confronted you,
you attacked me,
and I was forced
to do the unthinkable.
I shot my husband
in self-defense.
[John scoffs]
When the police arrive,
they find me hysterical.
I tell them everything I know.
I lead them to Alyssa's body.
"It's...
a terrible tragedy,"
they all say.
And then I raise our baby
in the house
we always dreamed of by myself.
Or you say nothing.
Nobody's the wiser.
We stay in this home,
our baby on the way,
our promise kept.
What about Alyssa?
A tragic disappearance.
Most likely suicide.
Whatever the case,
we'll weather the storm.
We'll survive this together.
Or I'll survive it alone.
There's only one answer, John.
But the choice is yours.
What's it gonna be?
[music fades]
[piano music plays]
[indistinct chattering]
[Kathryn] Oh, my God,
look at this. It's so cute.
St-- A little baby.
Are we dying? I'm...
You know, old friend,
I'm proud of you.
You had a hell of a year.
But you-you came through
to the other side.
[soft chuckle]
- Oh, pictures.
We haven't done pictures.
- Oh, yes!
Everybody up, everybody up.
By the way, you ever, uh,
you ever find out
what was in the cellar?
Oh, yeah, that's where
all the bodies are buried.
[Steven chuckles]
Hey, everybody,
let's get pictures.
Everybody in. Come on.
- Sera, I almost forgot.
- Yeah?
Some guy dropped off
a gift for you.
- It's on the piano. Mm.
- Oh, thank you.
Why are you being
such a sourpuss?
I'm sorry.
No, no, I'm good, I'm good.
Smile, okay?
- Yeah, I'm happy.
- Cheer up.
Baby, there's something here
for us.
[Kathryn] And if we could have
all the attractive people
up front, please,
that would be great.
Here we go, lining up.
Oh, my God, look at this group.
[John exhales]
"Dear John and Sera..."
[Emmett]
Congratulations to you both.
I hope this wonderful news
helps to realize
the ideal life
you were seeking.
By starting a family,
you have transformed this house
back into a home again.
For this,
I am eternally grateful.
I understand you both faced
many challenges
to make this happen.
I trust it's all been worth it.
My gift to you is the key
to the cellar door.
Whether you choose to use it
is entirely up to you.
But I believe you already know
what's inside.
Wishing you both the best
as you continue to write
new chapters in your life.
Sincerely, Emmett.
Oh, you two,
get in here for photos.
Oh, my God. [laughs]
I know what they were doing.
- [Sera laughs]
- Okay, get in the photo.
Perfect.
That looks great.
Okay, here we go.
And...
happy, happy.
Big smiles. Cheese!
[camera shutter clicks]
I'm dying. I'm dying. Okay.
[speaking indistinctly]
Yes, yes, yes, okay.
Everybody in, everybody in.
[dramatic instrumental music
playing]
[dramatic instrumental music
continues]
[music ends]
[piano music plays]
[music ends]
[instrumental music plays]
[music ends]
[light instrumental music plays]
[music ends]
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Cellar Door (2024)
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