It's a lot, living with the DeMarco's?
Why do you say it like that?
Like, there's an edge to your voice
when you talk about them.
Is there?
♪ (AMBIENT MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
ELADIO: You know what you doing.
(COMPUTER DINGS)
What?
Eladio? It's Brooke.
We got disconnected.
Give me a call so we can continue.
Damnit.
You've never had a patient get mad at you before?
Of course I have.
What's today really about, babe?
Needing to care for this kid on a deeper level?
BROOKE: You're precious, Eladio.
ADAM: Do you wanna be a mom, Brooke?
(birds chirping)
(rustling)
(opening box, taking out pill)
(puts down box, moves glass)
-(puts down glass) -(sighs)
-(birds chirping) -(truck rumbling)
(truck beeping, grabbing garbage can)
Eladio: Hey, mamita, need a hand?
Top of the morning, Dr. Taylor.
-(laughs) -Here, let me get those for you.
Wait, what are you doing here, Eladio?
Uh, you're never gonna believe it, mami,
but I finally did what you said. I quit.
(light piano playing)
♪ ♪
-(birds chirping) -(dog barking outside)
Huh.
You done well for yourself, doc.
It's like a Neutra-Wexler-Albert Frey fantasy.
-Hm. -If any of those men were women.
Brooke: Come and sit down, Eladio.
Uh, how did you, um,
break the news to the DeMarcos that you were leaving?
Uh, I feel pretty fuckin' ridiculous
talking to you about class struggle
and proletariat uprising and all that shit.
This whole time, you've been sitting pretty like this.
This is us?
Why don't you come and sit on the couch here?
Brooke: Eladio?
Eladio: Is this your house being built in this photo?
Mm-hmm.
-Who's the architect? -My father.
No shit.
I feel so fuckin' good not working
for these motherfuckers anymore.
To wake up to silence, wake up to peace.
Jesus Christ, yo.
Credit where credit's due, you called it from jump.
-No kids? -Brooke: What do you mean?
I don't know. I just, uh,
just expected to see some pictures of kids
-or-- -Please, Eladio.
Sit down.
(sighs)
(laughs softly)
So, here you are.
-In 3D. -(laughs)
Yo, you really gotta get a bus that drops you closer
than Stocker and Crenshaw.
It was a hike up here.
(both laugh)
Anyway, I'm-I'm so glad
I get to thank you in person.
-So, what's next? -What do you mean?
You saw Dr. Ahmadi, right? How did that go?
I mean, she's cool, I guess.
But we didn't really get deep into much, you know.
Just, like, initial intake shit. But you and me?
That's fuckin' war room, yo. Like, what do I do now?
With...?
With the rest of my life.
You told me to quit my job, and I quit my job.
I mean, you lifted the wool from my eyes with that family.
I mean, it was a fuckin'...
"breakthrough" feels like a stupid word, but--
It's a word we use.
What? What's your face?
Hm?
Your language is telling me happy,
but your behavior doesn't seem to match,
and I'm trying to reconcile the two.
-My behavior? -I can't help but think if your excitement
about quitting was the whole story,
you would be able to tell me sitting down,
face-to-face, instead of lobbing it
sight unseen from the other side of the house.
(sighs)
-(thumping chest) -(inhales)
My bad.
Why the apology?
I don't know.
I just feel... (sighs)
I feel fucked up. Like...
like, I-- I don't know.
Two things could be true, you know?
What do you mean by that?
Eladio: There's a lot of reasons to be like, "fuck those people."
There are. That shit's been litigated.
And also...
I don't know, yo, those motherfuckers
are in my life, dawg.
I love them, and they looked sad.
And when it comes down to it...
(scoffs) Yo, it doesn't matter.
I sound like a kindergartener.
"I loved them and they looked sad."
Sometimes, the language of childhood
is stunning in its effectiveness.
I mean, Mrs. DeMarco looked like I was telling her
I had cancer or some shit.
And Mr. DeMarco wouldn't even look at me.
I don't know, yo, I...
What don't you know?
Here's the thing. The...
They didn't ask me where I was going.
Where did you go?
Where did you sleep last night?
Eladio: You remember Supames?
The Thai restaurant owner's daughter?
Well, I called her, and that was it.
She had me over.
She made Lad Na with all the condiments.
The sugar, with the hot chilis in vinegar...
And homegirl said I could stay
until I got an apartment squared.
She's the fuckin' best.
Sounds like it.
I mean, the DeMarcos, they...
they didn't ask me what's next.
They were hurt, but they weren't curious.
I mean, I mean, there was clearly a missing, a longing.
All the romantic shit was there, but
there wasn't the...
the other part.
You know, and that shit got me mad honestly. That...
Can you give the other part a name?
The part where they...
care.
What's next for you could be really profound, Eladio.
It'll take time to adjust, but...
if you're not feeling you need to factor
your bipolar diagnosis into
the possibilities for your future--
Yeah, no, I...
I wanna do that. I will. I just...
I mean, wh-wh-what the fuck happened to family?
Did they mean that, or was it just...
Is it too much to hope that things
were a little different with Jeremy?
-And with him, I found myself explaining. -What'd you say?
I told him that I wanted the word "friend"
to mean something deeper between us.
I didn't want it to be predicated on
proximity or convenience.
I didn't want the reason we fucked with each other
to be because he needed me to do his day.
You know, I-I wanted us to be on the--
on the same plane, as equals.
I wanted it to be a choice to see each other.
I didn't...
I didn't want it to be conditional anymore.
I understand that.
Eladio: I don't know, yo.
I tried texting dude, like, six times yesterday,
and nothing.
I was like, "Oh, word."
-Give him time. -I just don't like being lied to.
He said we were friends.
She said we were family!
They said it first! I didn't!
And everybody's like, "Ooh,
Eladio's all ooey-gooey whatever."
Nah, man. (scoffs)
Like, I can get there,
and certainly I have a tendency to switch into that mode,
but first and foremost, I'm guarded.
Because, literally, because of this shit.
And that's, yo... (sucks teeth)
And-and you said it.
Yo, you were the one that saw. You were the one that told me
-to get the fuck outta there. -Uh, to be clear, Eladio,
I never told you to quit your job.
W-what?
I never told you to quit your job.
Uh, I mean...
You...
-Not in so many words-- -Not in any words.
You told me to give myself the same dignity I give to Jeremy.
I did. That's absolutely true.
(sucks teeth)
Yo, don't do that shit, yo. Y--
You know you meant more than that.
I just tell Mrs. DeMarco I prefer not to flip the fuckin' pancakes
on Saturday morning.
You told me I have superpowers. I mean...
what'd you think I was gonna do? (laughs)
-That conversation wasn't abstract. -No, it wasn't,
but dignity and superpowers...
You built your own bridge from my words
to your decision to quit, and that's the piece
I'm interested in.
Bridge? Hardly.
A tiny leap, at best.
But to quit without giving any notice?
Not even a day or a few weeks for them to make arrangements?
It means that you really wanted to go, El.
Yeah, when I got the idea in my head. Yeah, fuck, yeah.
You-you're making it sound like I left them high and dry,
when it ain't like that. Not at all.
Well, who's taking care of Jeremy?
His fuckin' parents! They are!
They live there, by the way.
It's not like I left them in the lurch.
I left them to their life.
To their son.
-I understand that. -I thought you cared about me.
I...
I don't-- I don't understand this energy right now.
-What is this? -I do care about you, Eladio.
But not enough to help me figure out what to do in this new,
exhilarating fuckin' chapter in my life.
You don't even seem happy for me.
No, no disrespect,
but I am not a life coach.
Or a career counselor.
What, that bars you from giving advice?
Even Dr. Melfi told Tony Soprano
what to do in the once in a while.
I'm not asking you to write me a letter of recommendation.
I'm just asking for your opinion
because you know more about the world than I do.
I'm asking for your opinion on what to do with my fuckin' life.
And I will stand beside you.
I will let you lead the way.
Now, if I'm out in front pulling you along,
what help is that gonna be to you?
'Cause it would prove that someone loved me enough
to throw a rope back no matter what crazy-ass rock face
-I'd hung myself out on. -No matter what?
-You're talking about unconditional love. -Yes.
Exactly.
Yes.
People think it's unattainable.
It-it's not that hard.
I've done it.
I've loved that way. I do it all the fucking time.
Like a mother loves her son?
No! Like a son loves his mother!
(sighs)
(scoffs)
The first time I flew into Los Angeles,
I had no clue what I was lookin' at.
I mean,
I was sittin' on the side of the plane where you could see
the Hollywood sign over there.
That I recognized.
Everything else was just some Labyrinthian shit--
elaborate and confusing.
Yo, I bet if I was up there now, it'd be different.
The grid would snap into place,
and every landmark would serve up some memory.
Good, bad.
Who fucking cares?
(wind chimes tingling)
I haven't been home in so long.
I hate her guts,
but I would forget it all tomorrow if she would just...
Eladio, I...
I don't know what you're supposed to do.
I'm sorry, I don't.
Come here.
(sighs)
-What's your mom like? -Mine?
-She was a product of her time. -"Was."
-Past tense. -Indeed.
Siblings?
We're just two lost souls on the highway of life.
(soft laugh)
(singing): We ain't even got...
♪ A sister or brother ♪
Both (singing): But ain't it just great...
♪ Ain't it just grand ♪
♪ We got each other ♪
(both laugh)
Yeah.
Oh man.
That reminds me of Jeremy.
"Damn Yankees" does?
Eladio: No, musicals in general.
"West Side Story" was on his romance reel.
That dude must've seen that "Somewhere" shit,
-like, 9,000 times. -(soft laugh)
Am I making a huge mistake?
Should I be trying to get my job back?
-You having that thought? -No.
Of course, I'm having that thought.
I mean, what the fuck am I supposed to do?
You keep apologizing for not having the answers,
and you're supposed to help me.
-You said that's your job. -I'm doing my job, Eladio.
You just don't like how I'm doing it.
Well, you're not really doing much of anything.
Like, as far as I can tell.
Okay...
(sighs)
Then I think you should go back to working for the DeMarcos.
-You do? -See? That.
That right there. You're already questioning my judgment,
already resenting my opinion. That's why it doesn't work.
Now you're playing games?
-This is my life. -Exactly.
Your life.
If there's one thing every therapist knows it's that
the most powerful truths are the ones
people come to on their own.
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
-Eladio... -You don't wanna
fuckin' take responsibility for your actions.
Alright, you wanna live in a fuckin' vacuum.
You think you can say whatever the fuck you want to people,
and, yeah, fuck the consequences. It don't matter.
You know, it's not on you 'cause you was just talking.
If-if I tell someone tomorrow
that they're a worthless piece of shit,
and that the world would be a better place without them,
and two days later, they go and kill themselves,
am I completely as devoid of responsibility
as you are in this moment?
Just from your perspective 'cause I'm genuinely curious.
Actually, it's the care I put into my words
that is upsetting you right now.
Your therapist isn't going to say
the exact thing you want to hear.
Now you're my therapist.
-What does that mean? -Fam,
you got a full-ass PhD on that wall over there.
You playin' dumb is a fuckin' joke.
I don't think I like the way
that you're talking to me right now.
Okay, well, sorry,
but like also reality's a thing.
I'm not sure we're gonna get a lot of work done in here today.
Huh. I never took you for a coward.
I'm not comfortable with this.
Wanna pretend there's still a screen between us?
That way, our shit doesn't have to actually get real.
Here, I'm sorry, Dr. Taylor.
I can't hear you. You're still on mute.
-You won't even let me get a word in edgewise. -Honestly,
I don't super give a fuck about boundaries just as long
as the lack thereof is acknowledged and consistent.
Look, you wanna be my therapist and just my therapist,
that's fine, but just commit to that.
You wanna be my surrogate mother
and play out this savior fantasy,
that's fine, too. Frankly,
I could use a little saving. But you can't just
flip the script whenever it suits you.
Mommy shit whenever you're feelin' it,
talking in the middle of the night and offering to pay
my medical bills, but then when I need to lean on you,
you're like, "Oh no. That's inappropriate.
I'm just a therapist."
You fuckin' told me I needed to change my life--
No, I didn't! I fucking didn't!
And if you would stop twisting my words
for five fucking seconds
and listen, you would realize that--
(sighs)
Eladio, I...
(sighs)
I'm sorry.
I don't know where that came from.
You good?
Brooke: No.
I, um...
I don't think I am.
(Brooke sighs)
Okay...
Okay.
That's okay.
-(opens drawer) -(rustling papers)
(slaps paper down)
(clicks pen)
(sighs)
(puts down pen)
What's that, my diploma?
The American Psychological Association
has a code of ethics, Eladio.
Therapists terminate therapy when it becomes apparent
that a patient no longer needs assistance,
is not likely to benefit,
or is being harmed by continued counseling.
That last one?
That's where we're at.
W-wait, what?
There are many options. Good ones.
Affordable ones.
I know that the DeMarcos are no longer paying for your therapy,
and I'm going to make sure you find
the best sliding scale therapy
out there for you.
No.
No, no, I-I don't wanna start over.
I don't wanna tell someone else all my shit. You know all my shit.
-We've done the work. -And you deserve better.
There is no better. You're the best.
I'm not. I'm... Not for you.
-How do you know what's best for me? -I-I don't wanna argue.
I just don't understand what's happening.
I will make sure
to find someone who understands you,
who pushes you, and who will take care of you.
That person is you!
Eladio...
You are...
(sighs)
You are very smart.
Very perceptive.
Everything you said was right.
-I don't care about that. -Doesn't matter if you care.
You see what's in front of you, and what you said
had the sting of recognition.
I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't intentionally
cross a line or do it with relish,
but I did cross a line.
That doesn't seem fair.
Different jobs have different expectations, and, um...
(inhales)
-I'm failing you. -I don't believe that!
-You saved me! -(sighs)
You saved me from the misery of that job.
You-you aided me in coming to realizations
that I wouldn't have come to without you!
I can't treat you anymore, Eladio.
Nah.
Nah, nah, nah. You-you-you can't...
You can't quit. Not-not-not this far in the game, yo.
-Eladio-- -I'm fucked up!
That's why I'm here.
And now you're sayin' that you're fucked up?
That's fine, okay?
I'm not scared of that.
Alright, I'm down for that, too. I don't give a fuck.
But you said you-you were never gonna abandon me.
I know I did.
That's not what this is.
That shit goes both ways, okay?
'Cause I'm not gonna abandon you either.
Nah.
(money rustling)
I'll see you next week.
♪ ♪
(door opens)
(door shuts)
♪ ♪
♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
Hey, it's Johnny.
Come on in.
I wanna know how you see our relationship.
What do you mean?
How would you describe our relationship to a friend?
We're perfect for each other. You got your shit,
I got mine, and it matches up.
Is it okay if I disagree with you right now?