Original subtitles

Oh boy, my boss is lurking around again.

Once he has no reviews to answer,

he's bored and chews everyone's ear off.

Heeey...

The 'investigator.'

What's up? How's the project going?

Can we make babies without women now?

Do you think machines will rise up against us humans one day?

But for sure we can't do it without men, right?

I've been thinking.

I used to sell appliances. I've seen some weird stuff.

I'm not sure if I want kids. I donated semen to the clinic,

many years ago. My dad asked me to.

The other day, I'm lying on my couch.

The Roomba's cleaning the dining room.

Then it heads back to the kitchen, which it had already cleaned.

I came, I masturbated and I left the container there.

So I follow it to the kitchen, it's there, next to the dishwasher...

And I go, "Hey, what's this?", and it goes 'Uh oh...'

So sometimes I wonder,

are little Andreus scattered across the world?

What say you?

- No idea... - I think so.

I'd probably even recognize them.

Or not, I don't look at all like my dad.

Do you?

The two of them were conspiring to explode

to take revenge on me for making them work.

So I grab it, run outside,

and toss it in the dumpster.

Fuck you, Roomba!

Those machines won't kill me.

I'm going to... I have to...

Sure, sure...

- Bye. - Bye.

See them?

The ones moving about in circles?

- And some aren't moving. - They're injured in some way...

No, they're perfect,

but slow. They never reach the ova.

They could, but they don't want to.

They wander aimlessly, like the tourists here in Barcelona.

Or they don't move at all as if they were...

discouraged or

depressed...

And they're not the only ones here feeling that way.

Blanca.

Blanca!

Can we unplug you or want to talk to a family member first?

What?

Nothing.

Your sperm are slow.

Slow...

Yes, 98% have very limited mobility.

Is there no way to treat it?

Well, you can try but this semen will always be bad.

Oh, honey...

Sorry. I wasn't expecting that.

I always wanted a child, you know?

And if I hadn't said no back then...

I got pregnant 10 years ago but...

It wasn't the right time.

- Are they here yet? - No, not yet.

Bring Eva back first when they get here.

Tell her it's a routine ultrasound.

And I'll quietly insert the catheter...

- Neither one is a doctor, right? - No. I checked.

Laura...

I don't like it either.

But what choice do we have?

- Not to... - What choice do we have?

Hector!

Wasn't Blanca supposed to attend to the patients?

- She did. - What?

This morning's couple, too?

It was you? Hey!

- Oh. Yeah. - Damn.

So why did they complain that we treated them

coldly and callously, and so on?

I don't know, maybe they wanted a hug.

They were dummies.

They even mentioned your baldness and bad breath.

I'm not bald. I have fine hair.

Look, Blanca...

I was the one who mixed up the tags.

I feel like shit too!

But I have to deal with it and move on.

And you need to, too. You've scared two patients away.

Andreu will start wondering. Because he's pretty stupid.

But not that stupid.

That's what your worried about? Then you deal with the patients.

I'm not cut out for this.

It was my fault that you screwed up.

I should've just done my job.

But no.

I wanted to save everyone.

Now I can't save anyone.

I haven't had even one result in 10 years of research.

Blanca...

What? I'm 37...

I have no kids, no partner,

nor am I any good at my job.

I'll just do what I'm supposed to do:

put eggs and sperm in vials.

Holy shit.

Good morning.

- Good morning, Eva. How are you? - Good.

- I have an appointment with Dr. Veiga. - Yes. I'll let her know.

Look, I never thought I would show this to anyone,

but these are thank-you notes from families

and little drawings and...

Biel is turning 3 and...

I don't know, they've piled up and...

- I feel bad throwing it away. - Right.

So?

What, 'so?'

He's turning 3.

If our job wasn't to put eggs and sperm into little vials,

none of these kids would exist.

I'm sure that in 9 months

they'll send us two new photos.

Eva and Valerie's kids. And they'll thank you for it, Blanca.

Yeah...

But they won't be theirs.

Goddammit.

Blanca...

Honestly,

what are you doing here?

If this isn't the right place for you, go! Just quit!

But if you don't, you need to move on now.

You want to stay?

I don't know.

Do you want me to stay?

Excuse me.

Hello.

- Hi, Hector. - Hi.

Eva, what are you doing here?

- I was scheduled for an ultrasound. - An ultrasound?

The first one.

- Will I hear the heartbeat? - And Valerie?

Valerie? Who's Valerie?

- Is there a problem? - No, no problem.

Eva...

Whenever you're ready...

We can...

- That way? - Yes.

Okay.

Morning, Eva. How are you?

Very good. A bit nervous.

Nervous? But why?

- If it's all OK. - Well, we're soon to find out...

- Ready to change? - Sure.

This way... and take everything off from the waist down.

It's strange, an ultrasound before week 6...

Yeah. Only if the patient bleeds or has pain.

And that's not the case for Eva.

She would've told me.

Everything's fine.

We'll go ahead and do a culture.

Okay.

What if there's a problem that only Angela has noticed?

Which? The embryos were implanted.

And if there was any abnormality, Angela would have told us, right?

Yes.

Unless...

What?

Unless Angela found out and wants to...

eliminate the error.

How?

By aborting them?

But it doesn't matter, because Angela doesn't know.

She doesn't, right?

Shit!

- Will you excuse us for a sec? - Sure.

- Everything OK? - Yes, all good.

Laura.

What the hell, Blanca!

How could you tell her?

Didn't we agree to stay quiet?

Fuck!

The one time I trust someone in my whole life!

I'm sorry.

I can't do it, Laura.

Of course not. and you shouldn't.

I took the Hippocratic Oath.

I knew you'd come to your senses, I'm so glad.

But what if someone lets the cat out of the bag?

Or they discover the mistake?

- That would be... - That would be disastrous.

For the clinic, which would have to close, but also for me.

- It just wouldn't be fair. - For a mistake I didn't even make!

I totally understand.

What do I do?

- What do we do? - No idea. What do you want to do?

What should I do?

I just don't know what to do...

Is everything OK?

Let's continue.

Angela!

What are you doing in here?

Don't do it.

Please.

I know. I won't. Leave.

- What's going on? - No idea.

You'd always regret it.

- I know. - Is everything OK?

You don't have to tell the truth. Don't do it.

Are you deaf?

I won't. I won't!

Blanca...

Can someone tell me what's going on here?

I screwed up, Eva.

What?

What?

How could this happen?

Didn't you say you always double-checked it all?

I do.

In 15 years, it's never happened.

I have a system. - Not a great one, it seems.

Andreu, I've been asking for the electronic witness system for months,

and for the nitrogen room button to be fixed,

and for... - Right, now it's my fault!

- Like it's my fault now? - Well, I guess...

you're partly to blame because...

Excuse me?

It's my fault.

Eva only had one chance to get pregnant

and I talked Hector into the screening.

- A what? - And...

we were very tired because we hadn't slept...

Wait a minute...

Easy now. Are you telling me...

Holy shit!

Are you saying that, after a year fighting

to improve this clinic's image,

it will be remembered for a fucking scam?

The media won't know...

No. No, indeed!

You'll all keep your lips sealed.

All of you.

Especially the patient you just told!

While we're on the subject, Blanca,

why the hell did you tell the patient?

I'm just asking because maybe there's a brilliant PR strategy

I don't quite get because I'm an imbecile...

Am I an imbecile?

No, I didn't want to tell her.

I mean I wanted to.

But I had resolved to keep quiet.

But...

But?

But...

Angela found out.

And she wanted to remove the embryo.

You wanted to remove the embryo?

I didn't want to. It just crossed my mind.

But why would you want to do something so cruel, Angela?

I thought it was best for the clinic.

The best way to avoid a scandal. But...

Sure. Why commit one crime if you can commit two?

Why?

Does the patient know this? - No.

Okay, quiet.

Okay, let's recap.

We have

swapped embryos, right?

And we have

attempted...

attempted what exactly?

Obstetric violence?

Absetric violence.

May I?

About the embryos, Blanca...

Please tell me that only Eva knows about it.

Well...

Eva...

has decided to tell Valerie.

- Olé! - In the end,

she's carrying her baby, she wanted to show her solidarity.

Olé! Olé! Wonderful!

They'll sue us in solidarity!

Andreu, I'm responsible for this situation,

so if I talk to them...

Hell, no!

Hell. No.

You will not talk to them.

Not you, or anyone.

You've done enough.

I'll do it.

Me!

Would you please leave my office?

What happened is undeniably woeful and I'm personally deeply saddened

because in the 30 years we've been operating

we've never made a single mistake.

That you know of.

You've made a mistake.

How do you know there haven't been more?

It's never happened before.

This was clearly human error.

That's why I've decided to refund you in full for the...

the cost of the treatment.

And that's it?

If you want, we can talk about financial compensation

for damages, but I think we can work it out among ourselves.

The thing is, it's not about money.

Neither for me.

I mean, after 6 years of treatments,

6, which is fast to say,

after all this time,

my wife is carrying an embryo that isn't ours.

- Right. - What now?

What do we do now?

You're right to be outraged,

but it's also true that...

Don't you think that wanting our kids to look like us

is a little overrated?

Isn't it a bit narcissistic?

Narcissistic?

Yes, I mean, kids should look like themselves.

And not like their parents.

That age-old argument, 'Look, she's just like her mom.'

'No, he's his dad's spitting image, look at that nose!'

As if it were some kind of contest. Right?

Are you insane?

What are you talking about?

But if genetics is what you're worried about

then, once the babies are born...

you could exchange them.

What?

- What? - Exchange the babies?

Like trading cards?

I didn't say anything about trading cards.

We'll carry them inside us for 9 months.

I will feel it inside me. It will grow in my womb.

And you're asking me to give it to someone else?

- That's madness. - Of course, I understand.

No. We've put our genetics in your hands,

the most precious goods we have,

and what've you done? What now?

We should allow a woman we don't even know,

who might smoke or drink or who knows what, gestate our child?

At her age!

Sorry, but I don't smoke, or drink.

And remember your wife is also carrying my embryo, my child.

We don't want your child, we want ours!

Easy now.

There's no need to yell.

- I think we can find a solution. - There's no solution here.

Look, there's one thing I can do.

I can stop you from screwing up again.

That I can do.

Two patients at a fertility clinic in Barcelona

have supposedly received swapped embryos

through assisted reproduction treatment,

a potentially serious medical error

affecting the IVF procedure

and, according to information obtained by TV3, was disclosed...

Turn up the volume.

At this time, Ginestia Clinic has made no official statement,

but one of the patients has gone public about her situation.

The case has had deep emotional impact

and could have legal consequences.

It might sound like a soap opera,

but what happened to Valerie Lupin is real.

Minutes before her first ultrasound,

the clinic staff informed her

that they had made an irreparable mistake.

They implanted the wrong embryos.

The French patient reportedly received

the embryo of a Catalan woman and vice versa

due to a mix-up when loading the catheters.

How about switching clinics?

Valerie Lupin, one of the women involved,

says she feels like she's living a nightmare.

I dreamed of being a mother for so long

and now I'm pregnant, but with a baby that isn't mine.

Who are the legal parents of these embryos?

Will the babies be switched at birth?

What is it like to let go of a baby you've carried?

- Damn. - What happens when we

leave our genetic material to private clinics?

Our clinics use an electronic witness system.

I don't know what system Ginestia uses,

but I'm absolutely certain it wouldn't pass inspection.

Also, this is a case of obvious negligence

by the embryologist. If you don't have this system

you must always do double-checks,

and they clearly didn't.

Valerie Lupin has announced her intention

to take the clinic to court while those responsible

have thus far declined to comment.

Ginestia Clinic, hello?

Yes, we will issue a statement today.

Ginestia Clinic, hello?

Ginestia Clinic, hello?

No, I'm sorry, no statements at this time.

Hello.

My name is Eduard Canals, I'm here...

Journalists must please wait outside.

No, no, I'm here to see Andreu Pedrés.

I'm a corporate communications consultant.

"Mothers of the Wrong Child".

"Intra-uterine nightmare." That's a good one...

"Ginestia Devastates Catalonia's Fertility Sector".

Holy shit, we're done for.

They'll sue us for millions.

Our insurance won't cover it.

I'm fucking headed for jail!

- Do you mind if I cry a bit? - No, no...

My clients often cry. Here.

Thank you.

Let's see, Andreu.

I think you have two options right now.

The first is transparency,

that is, explain everything exactly as it happened,

show remorse, lay out the corrective measures.

Especially the electronic witness thing, you really blew that one.

And the other option?

...would be to single out one person as the sole culprit

and cast doubt on their credibility.

Who made the mistake?

Technically Hector, but his track record is impeccable.

But we don't have to stick strictly to reality.

The point is to divert attention from the clinic.

Your dad wouldn't have hesitated a second, right?

Hello.

So, I just spoke with Mr. Eduard Canals,

corporate communications expert,

and...

Hector, can you come to my office for a moment?

It's on me, isn't it?

You need a scapegoat, and it's fallen on me.

Well, Mr. Canals recommended

putting the blame on a single...

The blame is shared, because if it weren't for me...

- It was my fault, Blanca. - But that's not fair.

I don't mind taking the blame and resigning.

In fact, that's what I want to do.

Perfect.

I mean, I'm sorry, Hector, really.

But it's very noble of you to assume...

- Both it has to be both of us. - No!

What I mean is, we can't afford to lose you, Blanca.

Since you...

Since she joined the clinic, we've seen a 15% increase in treatments.

And you're a woman.

What do you mean?

Well, in the public eye, women...

What?

Women, what?

Well, Hector offered, right? So that's it.

So, Hector, we should...

You should speak at the press conference and...

- ...explain it. - Yes, and show remorse as well.

Maybe you could also shed a tear or two...

If you can't, then don't.

There's no need to force it, obviously.

Otherwise, no one will believe it.

Most importantly, it must be made clear

that the error has nothing to do with our protocols.

OK? Alright.

And we should dress up the confession a little.

For example, you could say...

Or...

Actually, I'll just say it.

I'll say that because of the mistake you made,

as we've continued our investigation, we've become aware of other

inappropriate, problematic behaviors...

- Behaviors? - What are you talking about?

Addictions, for example.

- Addictions? - Come on, Hector.

You told me about the joints...

- I was 20. - What about after-effects?

So if you could talk about that a bit

and replace joints with opiates.

You don't have to say 'heroin,'

but maybe fentanyl...

- No fucking way. - Fine.

But I don't like your language, OK?

Leave some legroom, it's not an airplane.

Screw it, I'll attend the press conference too.

And I'll explain everything. - Blanca...

Everything. My share of the blame, yes,

but also the failure to invest in a witness system.

And Angela's attempt to remove the embryo.

- Blanca, no. - Why not?

He wants me because I'm a woman!

I'm not some damn marketing gimmick.

I won't let you go down alone.

We all go down.

Hey. Hi, everyone.

I'm here to say goodbye.

- You're leaving? - Well, you know how the research is going.

And for me, well...

You know how hard it is to find funding

if I get mixed up in this. - Alright.

When things settle down, we'll come get our stuff.

Perfect.

I'm really sorry.

No, I understand.

Goodbye.

Blanca...

Go home.

No, I'm staying with you.

Want to grab a coffee?

I need a cup of coffee.

It's Cris, I have to take this.

Cris.

Blanca, what happened? You're not answering your phone.

Hey, excuse me. Do you work at the clinic?

Could you answer a few questions for me?

- Whose mistake was it? - Mine.

And Hector's, too, and Andreu's.

But he won't face up to it. He's blaming Hector.

And that's not fair.

And I want to go to the press conference and tell the truth.

But if I do, the clinic is done for.

Right.

And my job too.

I won't be able to work again.

After this, I probably won't be able to help you, Cris.

Don't worry, it's...

We'll just keep trying naturally.

We shouldn't lose hope, should we?

Anyway,

unexpected solutions pop up sometimes.

- I don't know. - Yeah, you always find a way.

Even as you were born.

Mom always says you couldn't get out of her belly.

The umbilical cord was wrapped around your neck.

OK...

She didn't think you'd make it but...

here you are.

You found a way.

Yes, but there's hardly a good way out of this.

I don't know.

You helped those women get pregnant, didn't you?

- They wouldn't have without you. - No.

And especially Valerie, who'd been trying for years,

because her endometriosis made it hard for the embryos

to find purchase.

Sorry, what did you say about the embryos?

Blanca?

Blanca?

Can you come back?

I need to perform an adhesion test on the uterus-on-a-chip.

What the hell? Now?

Do we have Valerie's model?

Yes, in the custom endometrial chips.

And we have JAR spheroids to do the test.

But what do you plan to do?

Are the receptivity chips ready?

Yes, in E2/P4.

Just defrost the spheroids and check for adhesion after 30 minutes.

What do you need it for?

- Where are they? - In repository 2, crate 5.

But for what?

Blanca...

Shit...

Damn...

There you are...

Where's Blanca?

You're asking me? What do I know?

Shall we get started?

Where are you?

Help!

Open the door!

Open the door!

Hector!

No!

Good afternoon.

First of all, I want to thank everyone

for coming on such short notice.

Please state your name and position.

- What? - Who you are.

My name is Andreu Pedrés, director of the Ginestia Clinic.

Hector Vidal, embryologist.

That said,

I would like to make the following statement:

In the 30 years since the Ginestia Clinic...

Could you speak up?

Yes, sorry.

In the 30 years since the Ginestia Clinic

was founded by my father, Manel Pedrés,

we never made a single mistake.

Not one.

However, as a result of this,

we've conducted an internal audit to determine who is responsible.

And, in the end, we know that it was human error

caused by a single person,

the clinic's chief embryologist, Mr. Hector Vidal.

Yes...

It's true...

It's true that I entrusted Hector with a huge responsibility,

Mr. Vidal,

and, inexplicably, he has failed me.

And not just me and the patients but the clinic too,

and my father, who trusted him 15 years ago.

That's it.

Right...

I'm solely responsible for what happened.

In 15 years, this had never happened to me,

I wish I had an excuse, but I screwed up.

Sorry.

Sorry, one moment.

Wow.

Everyone here is partially responsible.

We've made a very serious mistake,

I don't condone it...

Excuse me, could you speak up?

Yes, sorry.

Thanks to the chip-based uterus,

a research project that the Ginestia Clinic

has kindly hosted, led by Carla Escudero...

Thanks to this project

we discovered that, in an endometrial model of Valerie

with COX-2 over-expression and low LIF,

JAR trophoblast spheroids

showed no adhesion.

What about the comparative receptivity model?

There we see elevated V3, restored HOXA10, and decreased MUC1

with an adhesion rate of 72%.

With validated heterologous receptivity control?

Yes, yes, in triplicates.

Can you explain so we can all understand?

Right, and at the same volume, please.

Yes, sorry.

Basically, the uterus-on-a-chip study shows that the embryo

that we had chosen for Valerie

didn't match her uterus.

So it wouldn't have implanted, and she wouldn't have gotten pregnant.

On the other hand, we saw that she did with Eva's.

And the embryo of the French couple

will be able to develop thanks to Eva's uterus.

And if we confirm these results in the future,

the uterus-on-a-chip could prevent unnecessary transfers,

early abortions,

and even greatly reduce treatment time.

Sometimes this happens in science.

A mistake can lead you to an unexpected solution,

to a discovery that we would otherwise

never make or take years to attain.

Thanks, Blanca.

And now, as director of the clinic,

I would like to confirm that with this discovery

the Ginestia Clinic is now a pioneer in innovation,

which has always been our motto,

research in the service of patients.

Are you trying to exonerate yourself for the error?

- No... - What happens next?

Will the babies be switched at birth?

So you confirm you don't use an electronic witness system?

Will the Department of Health inspect you?

So, you're using a new discovery as an excuse to avoid blame?

Is that what you're saying?

No further statements...

We'll find a way.

Tomás.

Could you give me a ride home?

Thank you.

Honestly, guys, I'm not sure if we did the right thing or not.

As for me, I don't know,

I can promise that we'll get the electronic witness system

and fix the nitrogen room system.

- Well, we've made a breakthrough. - Absolutely.

Early data suggest an improvement in the implantation rate.

No, all of this is perfectly clear to me.

I meant the journalists, who might be a little confused.

I'm confused too: Am I supposed to resign?

Or have you already fired me?

Or I come back in tomorrow, as if nothing happened?

You come back in.

And Blanca won't go either. You're staying, right?

No, no, if you want...

Angela?

- What you almost did was bad. - But I wouldn't have!

But I'm leaving anyway.

What?

I wouldn't have done it but...

I was close. - But you'll be back, right?

- I mean, I wasn't... - I don't know, Laura.

I should have taken time off ages ago, and today

I realized that I've reached my limit.

I can also say that we have a few months ahead of us

of peace and quiet,

and we can use this to make improvements...

Yes.

I want you to stay.

Of course I want you to stay.

I almost had a heart attack after all that happened today.

NEARLY ONE MILLION BABIES ARE BORN EVERY YEAR WORLDWIDE

THANKS TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTION.

- Sorry, the press conference is over. - Yeah, I know.

- I'm looking for Andreu Pedrés. - Oh, he's over there, straight ahead.

Wow.

Hello.

Sorry, this isn't easy.

You donated sperm at this clinic 20 years ago, right?

Yes.

I know they promised you anonymity but...

Your computer system isn't as secure as you think.

So...

I found you.

What?

Well, we all found you.

So, some years ago you donated sperm a few times...

Several times.

However many times my father asked me to, five, I think.

Can I give you a hug?

Man, we're going to go bald...

Daddy...

What are your names?