Welcome to our World! Where we serve you cookies to ensure you get the best viewing experience on our site.

Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?

Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register

01x04 - Episode 4

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Alice & Jack". Aired: 14 February – 29 February 2024.*
Watch/Buy Amazon


The series follows the lives of its titular characters over a decade and a half.

01x04 - Episode 4

Post by bunniefuu »

Two years ago, you said

you were all f*cked up

and that you'd always be alone.

Would you prefer

if that were the case?

But you said if you could be

with anyone,

you would be with me.

Alice, what happened?

I fell in love.

Alice's happiness now is

only possible

because you showed her that

happiness is a possibility.

I think you should be prepared

for the strange fact that

when Alice is around,

you're never aware of

the passage of time.

Be ready for nothing to make sense,

and yet for everything

to make sense.

Do not be alarmed, my friends.

This is all perfectly normal.

Hey, Danny.

Get out of the f*cking way!

You disappeared, Alice.

I haven't heard from you

for three years.

I was reconstituting.

The price of oil is gonna crash

and when it does,

those of us who saw that coming are

gonna make a bloody fortune.

I did everything you asked

of me at that wedding and more,

and you repaid me with silence.

Do you have any investable capital?

Like cash, or equities?

I sense you don't approve.

Only because you have no idea

what you're doing

and your investment adviser is

a complete psychotic.

If this works out,

I can give Celia

the future she would've had

if we'd never been divorced.

This is why God created

second husbands. Let Mark do it.

I don't want Mark to do it,

Celia's fond enough

of him as it is.

SELL! SELL!

Sell everything!

Sell everything!

YEAH!

Hey.

Sorry, I've only got about

six minutes.

I'm upstairs k*lling

syphilis bacteria, so.

On your lunch break?

Yeah, lunch breaks, nights, weekends.

It's a passion project.

Which is a euphemism for,

"I've got to do it on my own time".

Which is in turn a euphemism for,

"your boss is a soulless w*nk*r".

Maybe.

Anyway, this might

take the edge off.

Oh, my God.

I mean, don't you

Oof, don't you normally

wire these, or?

Well, I thought this

would be festive.

I know, what if, what if I lose it?

It'll be reissued if you lose it.

What if I'm mugged on the way

to the bank?

Don't endorse it till you get

inside the bank.

They're gonna suspect me

of criminal activity.

No, they're not,

but they will treat you differently.

Today, and for the rest of time.

It's not gonna break.

You can be as nonchalant

as you like about this.

You can probably afford to

buy Belgium now.

But thisthis is my

daughter's freedom to find her way.

And I was never nervous.

You said it would happen,

and it happened.

Thank you for coming,

thank you for this.

I just didn't like fighting, Jack.

I didn't like it at all.

And I wanted to come here and

talk the way we used to, and

..and set the world right.

You've done that.

I keep thinking I'm

going to crumple the cheque.

Sorry. Sorry Al,

I I can't do that.

Alice, I'm sorry, I've

I've turned a corner.

I mean, I told you, I told you that.

No, it shouldn't have happened.

I, erm

I meant to just give you

the cheque and then

leave the way that I came.

You only want me now

because you can't have me.

I'm not a f*cking child.

It comes up, you know.

It's there, it's always been there.

It can't help but come out.

Do you know what I mean?

I haven't looked in on those

feelings for a while.

They don't matter.

They don't matter?

Everything's breakable,

Alice. Even this.

Well, I suppose we're even.

Nearly.

Sh! It's Jack, be quiet!

Morning, boss.

Good morning, boss.

What the f*ck is going on?

Are you sitting down?

I'm standing up

right in front of you.

Half an hour ago, a courier

delivered a massive cheque

from Vanth Capital

with an instruction letter

from Alice stipulating it be used

to set up a new pro-bono division

led by you, with no interference

from Saul the Cheap -

who, if you look discreetly

over my shoulder

Jack, I said discreetly,

for f*ck's sake.

..awaits you at the centrifuge.

So anyway Good morning.

What are you doing?

I'm stopping this.

Have you lost your mind?

She doesn't decide

how I live my life.

She's rich. They decide everything.

Mate, she's just made our dreams

come true.

We can do what we want.

We can follow our hearts.

We can go to Cuba, Dominica,

or Malaysia, or Sri Lanka

or the Maldives -

where the problems are.

We can work with those

brilliant doctors who have

everything but the money.

What do I tell Saul?

Tell him he's a soulless f*ck.

Maya.

Jack! Hi, congratulations.

What's happening here?

Yeah, sheshe sent everybody

their money

and then she closed down the fund.

Why?! What the f*ck!

Well, because she's done, isn't she?

I mean, she set records

year-over-year.

Her employees and clients

are all sorted and,

I mean, she's got more money

than she could ever spend,

so I think she's made her point

This is This is crazy.

Where is she?

She wants to travel.

When does she leave?

She left last night.

She didn't say goodbye.

She doesn't like goodbyes,

especially not the ones with you.

What did you think this was?

Some sort of passive-aggressive

power display?

Aggressive-aggressive, but, yeah.

That's what it feels like

No, Jack. She took you

at your word, and she did

a noble and generous thing.

I didn't ask her to.

Yeah, and that's why

it's noble and generous.

She's in love with you, you idiot!

She tell you that?

I'm her friend.

She left something for you

in case you came.

Do you know what it says?

Of course not.

I might build up to it. Mm.

It won't change

what's inside.

Hey, what do you want

for your birthday?

It's months from now.

I want to get a head start.

A sword.

A sword?

Mark says I should try

fencing next.

Does he?

Well, I bet you'll be a fine fencer.

Who's that from?

Oh, erm, my friend Alice.

The lady who almost got married?

You remember her? Of course.

What's it say?

I haven't read it yet. But I will.

Right, come on, let's go to bed.

Hello? Where are you?

I am in the hall. Can I come in?

OK.

Morning. How'd you sleep?

Fine. Are you going in?

I am. Sorry, I have to.

Paul and I are tinkering.

There's eggs downstairs.

Eat them before they themselves

become infectious.

Erm, Mark said if you

had to go to work,

he would take me to

breakfast.

Great. Give us a hug?

Wow.

See you later. Bye.

Don't forget your keys.

Oh, my God.

Celia.

Ihave some questions.

I've waited so long for this.

You're a dancer?

Well, no. I mean,

I was when I was a kid.

For 16 years, really.

But it could have been my job

I suppose, yeah.

What happened?

Things just changed.

Yeah.

But I do it for myself still.

Yeah, dancing's about

the only thing I haven't tried.

You should.

Really? Yeah.

Why does my mum hate my dad?

She doesn't.

I think she's just

..a bit angry.

Why?

Things in the past.

Like you and my dad?

Yeah.

So it was a mistake?

What was?

My mum and my dad getting married.

NoNo.

It was a mistake,

so I shouldn't be alive.

No! That's the farthest thing

from the truth. No.

And your dad would say it's

the best thing he's ever done.

And I'd agree with him,

cos you're here.

And we're meant to be here,

aren't we? All of us. I think.

My mum and my stepdad

say awful things about him.

Yeah.

He doesn't fight back.

No.

Of course he doesn't.

Well

Well, I want to know

what the truth is.

What to believe.

And if there's another side

to this story, I want to hear it.

Well, that's fair enough.

I'm not sure that

it's my place tosay.

I need to know whether I can

trust him. If I should love him.

Oh, my goodness

You know, Celia,

life just isn't tidy.

And it's just really easy

to judge people.

But, erm

..your dad is the best person

I know.

Really?

I don't think I'd be here

if it wasn't for him.

And I wish

I would have given anything

to have a dad like your dad.

Do you want me to teach you

someballet?

Is that weird?

No. YeahYeah.

Yeah? Yeah.

OK.

Shall I?

Take your shoes off.

And then just open your arms out

and that's second position.

And then just bring them back

together again.

You're giving the impression of

a ballerina.

Really?

You are, yeah.

I'll show you a different thing.

See, you can

hold onto me again. OK.

I'm like, I'm like the ballet barre.

You've got it, you've got it.

You've got it!

That's amazing!

Celia, honestly, I think that you'd

be really, really good at this.

Really? Yeah. I do.

Point your right foot.

Perfect! Really? Yeah.

Brilliant. Are you all right there?

Yeah. It's a bit wobbly.

Hello.

Did you forget your key again?

Yeah.

We'll have to get you

one of those little grey rocks

you can hide them inside

What happened? Who's angry?

No-one, it's just a better hug.

OK.

Sit down? Mm-hm.

How was work?

Tried and failed

to save humanity again.

How was breakfast?

Didn't go. No?

What'd you do instead?

Nothing much.

Very mysterious.

"Nothing much"?

Mm-hm.

It's making less and less sense,

present company excluded.

Excluded. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Oh, my God. Ah.

Can I just say, I'm having

a really nice time with you?

Yeah. I'm

I'm having a really nice time

with you, too.

Good.

So, there's something

..I should tell you.

Oh, God.

Is this besides the ex-wife

and thethe daughter?

It is. It is, yeah.

OK.

I've been in love with somebody

since 2007.

And she has been in love with me.

Since 2007. Erm

Yeah, we tried dating

when we were young, you know,

but it just did not work out.

And so we ended up leaving

each other's lives for good.

Oh, you're not in touch?

No, we are in touch.

You are in touch.

Yeah, erm

We bumped into each other a few

years ago, coincidentally, in Cuba.

In Cuba?

Yeah, can you imagine?

No.

Anyway, ever since then

we've just been friends.

You know, we see each other

all the time,

we tell each other

basically everything

but there's a line now that

we'll never, ever cross it again.

Andthat's it.

I only tell you this now cos I failed

to tell somebody about it years ago

and that turned out to not be fair.

So, you're in love

with another woman?

Yeah. Yeah.

And she's in love with you.

Yeah.

And you're sitting here presenting

yourself as available?

I am available.

OK, guys, are we ready?

Ready in four, three, two

Here's a phrase

you don't hear every day,

"Celebrated biomedical researcher."

Jack Caine, welcome to

the programme.

Thank you very much for having me.

You've been on quite a run.

Er, I should say first of all

that it's not just me.

Er, there's a whole bunch of us

but, yeah, thank you.

This is 2022, Jack, there's

no such thing as humility.

Tell us, what's in your crosshairs?

Well, dengue fever. Mm.

It's mosquito-borne,

caused by a virus.

About 22,000 deaths a year,

mostly children

and there is no known cure.

Enter Jack and his bunch,

so to speak?

That's the idea, yeah.

So, what's the plan?

You and Rachel Tinsley-Dean

liked each other.

Please. It's show business.

Well, I think you're

a very good match.

You and Rachel Tinsley-Dean,

you look great together.

You and Rachel Tinsley-Dean

sound great together

Why do you keep on calling her

by her full name?

I just like saying her full name.

Rachel Tinsley-Dean.

Rachel Tinsley-Dean.

It's just up here

on the left, please.

Rachel Tinsley-Dean. If you

got married If you got married,

she'd be called

Rachel Tinsley-Dean-Caine.

You can't have two hyphens.

Yeah, it's a real mouthful.

You can't.

I'll see you later.

I'm not supposed to know about that.

Oh, yeah.

I'll not see you tonight.

You're a nightmare.

Alice Long.

Just in time, come this way.

Thank you for coming.

Oh, my God, OK, I've got to go.

Well done on your half of the DNA.

Ah, yeah. You, too.

Oh, God, she's so good.

I mean, she's pretty bendy.

She's loose-jointed, yeah.

If ballet doesn't work out, she

can be a magician's assistant.

I think it will work out.

I think it will.

And I'm really, really happy

to have been part of that.

A big part of it.

It's kind of life-changing,

isn't it, when you just

..put your self-absorption aside and

you focus on the next generation?

Cos you feel like you can

finally, like, just

..I don't know,

breathe or something.

You sound like a parent.

I'm gonna be.

You should be.

No, I'm actually going to be one.

I've decided to be one.

My insemination's next Wednesday.

Well, congratulations.

Thanks.

Wow. When did When did you decide?

It's been evolving and it's been

coalescing, you know.

I just need my own people.

You're my people,

but you're also not mine.

And erm

..I just need my own clan.

A clan of two.

It's not a very big clan but

It'll be a fantastic clan.

Yeah.

Sorry, what is the methods,

means, by which you?

Oh, yeah, no. Erm, turkey baster.

Tur Oh?

Just like Christmas.

Yep. Just pick out of a catalogue.

And so who's the lucky guy?

Steven Foster. Steven Foster.

38, of Watford.

Mm-hm.

Etymologist.

Whoa. Fancy.

Yeah. He's really nice actually.

I met him.

Five stars on Yelp.

You know.

And my kid will beat me

at Scrabble, so, win, win.

That's the dream.

Jesus. I'm I mean

..I'm delighted for you.

Thank you.

Do you think I'll be

an all right parent?

No.

I think you'll I know

you'll be an amazing parent.

Oh.

Yeah.

The only one who'll be happier

than you will be the kid.

Guaranteed.

This is brilliant.

A baby?

Yes.

Which she plans on raising alone?

Yes.

Alice?

Yes. Oy, yoi, yoi.

Hey! I knew it was

all going too well.

I knew there was too much peace

and quiet in our little circle.

A lovely, cortisol-free six years.

You guys don't give Alice

enough credit.

For what, the Abyss?

You know she's gonna be calling you,

like, every five minutes.

I really don't think so. Well, I do.

Just don't get sucked into it.

Don't get sucked right back into

that Alice Dysfunctionality Vortex.

I completely agree.

Everyone would agree.

Even Pandora would.

She'd say. "Dear God

don'tdon't open that."

We'll insulate you. We'll help her

find a baby nurse,

a nanny, a cook, a concierge doctor,

an errand runner,

a full-on launderer,

a cleaner, even a therapist,

one that's got a few partners

so that, you know,

there's always someone on call.

Yeah, maybe put that last one first.

Oh.

You guys need to stop

because she's going to be great.

OK. OK, well, you know,

we just only hope so.

For her sake, for the child's sake,

and for your sake,

because here what now, we've got

some news. Go on baby, tell him.

Er, Rachel Tinsley-Dean

wants to go out with you.

What is wrong with everybody?

She does not want to go out with me.

She called the office

and asked for your mobile.

She asked for my mobile?

Yeah.

She probably wants to go out

with me, then.

Did you give it to her?

I said I'd ask you

and that's what I'm doing.

Celebrated biomedical researcher.

It's probably a bad idea. You don't

mix business and pleasure, right?

Are you joking?

No-one would ever have sex.

Listen, either you take her out

for dinner,

or I will k*ll you with

my bare hands.

Well, no, don't look at me.

I'll hide the body.

OK.

I heard your shoes,

all the way down the hall.

What about Horton for a boy?

Yeah, there's no good answer

to that.

What about Hester for a girl?

I think maybe let's move away

from the 'H's.

Right. OK. Noted.

So So this Steven guy? Mm-hm?

Is he kind of like

part of the family now?

No.

He's an etymologist. Mm-hm.

Etymology's like a 24/7 career path.

Right.

You know, nouns popping up,

left, right and centre.

In other words though, youyou

don't want him around.

Do you know, Maya, not

everyone needs a dad, really.

In other words though, ifif

this Horton/Hester

was to have a father figure,

it could only be Jack?

You might recall that Jack

already has his own kid?

But in other words Will you stop

saying "in other words"?

In other words Maya.

In other words Oh, my God.

In other words, you're

coming up with excuses.

Jack has the biggest heart of

anyone, there's plenty of room.

Jack and I are really good friends.

And it's taken 15 years

and a random meeting

halfway round the world

to find that out.

And I'm not gonna mess it up

by asking any more of him.

OK.

What do you mean "OK"?

OK.

Do you not want to, like, argue

with me or something?

Do you want me to argue with you?

No.

Well, then, OK.

Okey dokes.

Okey dokes. Let's eat.

My mother told me,

when it comes to men,

find the handsomest nerd you can.

Is that what she did?

Yeah.

And they've been happy

their entire lives.

Oh, wow.

They must be very proud of you.

They worry. It's television

so it's superficial,

dumbed-down and money-driven.

Everything's superficial,

dumbed-down and money-driven.

Not everything. Not what you do.

I was lucky. I had a guardian angel.

What happened to her?

How do you know it's a her?

The way you said it.

Sorry to be forward.

I work 105 hours a week.

When I'm drawn to someone,

I declare myself

..gather information

and take a decision.

I do not have time for, erm

Bullshit?

I was gonna say inefficiency,

but also that.

OK, there's something I should

probably tell you.

Oh, God. Hang on.

Go.

I've been in love with

someone for 15 years

and she's in love with me.

The woman that came to the taping.

How did you know that?

She came to the taping.

Also, I have aa daughter.

With that woman?

No. With my ex-wife.

Golly.

You're a lot for a nerd.

Sorry.

So, this woman?

Alice.

We've never managed to stay in

a romantic relationship together

for longer than about 11 minutes so

a long time ago we decided

to just be friends.

We have everything

apart from the physical,

basically, and that's the way

that that will stay.

Mm-hm.

ButI guess my point is that

I am not a completely clean slate.

We're adults, Jack.

Anyone without a clean slate

just hasn't been trying.

Pardon me?

Besides which, it's not like

I'm asking you to marry me.

It's all right. I mean, I just

want to enjoy your company.

OK, I'm with you so far.

And if Alice is the love

of your life, that's great

because work is the love of mine.

There you go, there's my confession.

So, if you're interested in me, I

I say let's begin.

Alice.

I just feel like I've

Have I forgotten something?

Well, don't worry about that

because I haven't.

I've got everything.

I've got scones.

Scones?

Yeah, well you never know

and they travel well.

Come on. OK. Goodbye, flat.

One of us is leaving,

two of us might be coming back.

If we don't go now,

the police will come.

OK. Did I set the alarm?

Yeah, it's on.

That's amazing. Come on.

When did I do that?

I did it. Go.

Morning.

Mm, hi.

Hello. How'd you sleep?

This is a good bed.

It is.

Hm.

Where did you get it, if I may ask?

I don't actually know.

It was a house-warming gift.

Nice house-warming.

Mm-hm, it was.

So, I go dark on Fridays.

Cyclical depression, is it?

My show.

Ah. Which means Thursday night is

my next avail if you're free.

I am free.

And if I was not free,

I would become free.

I like you.

You OK?

Yeah.

It's dumb.

I'm listening.

You remember Alice?

Yeah, she's being inseminated in

about an hour.

Clinically, you mean?

Yes, sorry, clinically.

Wow. Good for her. Mm.

Hm, I've thought about it.

You have?

Mm. For when they kick me

out of the business.

The joys of parenting without

the prison sentence of marriage.

But can I ask you something?

What are you doing here?

What do you mean? Well, if your

relationship is really what you say,

then shouldn't you be by her side?

Moral support and so on.

What kind of friend are you?

She didn't ask.

Of course she didn't ask.

She didn't want to cross a line.

Your relationship means

too much to her and she didn't

want to place undue weight.

Really?

How can some people

be so smart in some ways

and so daft in others?

Itit wouldn't have been

placing undue weight,

I would have liked to be there.

Well, then why didn't you suggest?

Well, because I didn't want to

place undue weight on her.

Mm, that's the problem

with respect.

Too much of it

and everything gets f*cked.

Do you know where

she's getting it done?

Yeah, I mean I Yeah, I mean,

I could call her.

Calling is half-arsed.

Real friendship is full-arsed.

It's rush hour, I'm not going to

get there in time.

Which is why you own a bicycle.

You all right?

Mm-hm, uh-huh.

Sure?

Well, do you want a scone?

Not right now.

OK.

Hi. Do you mind if I just

pop out for a minute?

Is it for a cigarette?

No, it's not for a cigarette.

Then it's fine. Thanks.

Do you want me to come with you?

I'm OK.

Hey, I'll wait here in case

they come and if they do,

I'll come get you. Great plan.

OK.

Alice.

Alice, Alice.

Oh, my God. Jesus Christ.

Did I miss it?

Has it happened already?

They don't just punt you outside

right afterwards.

No, it hasn't happened yet.

Phew!

I can't believe I made it.

You can actually get here in like

18 minutes if you ignore the lights.

Oh, well good to know.

I'm sorry, I should

have asked to come.

I was I was standing on ceremony.

I'm sorry.

I would've asked you to come,

I almost asked you to come.

It's exhausting isn't it,

being in love?

It's f*ck' brutal.

You're not alone, Alice.

You've never been alone.

From the day we met,

you've had a clan.

Do you think maybe you

better pick up your bike?

Yeah.

Just for pedestrians and stuff.

Yeah.