Original subtitles

Let me remind us that we are not primarily

in business to make money.

Is Twitter a good financial investment? No.

But is it good for our bottom line? Yes.

And is Musk good for our bottom line--?

Do you need a minute there, Daddy?

What do you want?

I need help!

Well, we'll have to talk about

a quid pro quo, won't we, Leland?

The clergy believes the sisterhood

could help even more with cooking and cleaning

in order to free up the priesthood

to pray and serve the laity.

So, I want to talk this morning

about what our Lord means...

by "service."

Yes, Sister?

She scares me.

Oh, David, um...

I'm gonna need you to meet on another assessment tomorrow.

Okay. Regarding?

Words.

Well, it's the 65th annual Starlight Music Awards tonight

at Madison Square Garden,

and our very own Stuart Lawry

is there to bring us all the exciting details.

Stuart, have you seen Little Nas X yet?

Yes, Joust. Uh, it's...

you, music.

Um, but legit big, uh, big fun.

As tonight... one, uh...

Before it-it, excuses.

One, uh, time, this...

Report, uh...

It looks like a mini stroke.

Some kind of aphasia.

I know, but I took him to the emergency room afterwards.

Um, "No worrisome neurological activity.

CAT scan revealed no stroke."

What about a TIA, a transient ischemic attack?

It's a disturbance--

"--disturbance of blood to parts of the brain."

I-I know, I-I had three doctors explain it to me.

Has he had a recent head injury?

- No. - Even bumping your head against

a medicine cabinet can do it.

It's Kristen, right?

My husband and I, we're very close.

I-I know everything he does, he knows everything I do.

Something's changed in him.

In the last month, it's...

it's strange.

It doesn't mean it's possession.

- No, I don't think so either. - Okay, well...

I read an article about your work,

and how sometimes even the act of exorcism

can have a therapeutic effect on believers.

That article misstated our work.

I-I asked Jennifer to come in and talk with you three

because she has nowhere else to turn.

Can we see your husband?

This another test?

Yes. Have you been taking a lot of tests?

Oh, yeah.

Well, these questions may seem a little silly,

but they help us understand your condition.

- Ready? - Ask away.

One thing I've found is it doesn't matter if I'm ready.

Can you tell me what comes after Monday?

Tuesday.

Does spring come after summer?

No, summer comes after spring.

Unless this is a trick question

and we're talking about the summer from the year before.

Good.

Now I'm going to show you a photo.

Could you describe what you see?

Uh...

Um...

How you doing, Father?

Good. You?

I miss Matt.

Father Korecki.

You must, too.

I think the best thing to do is just... focus on work.

It's the same thing when my father died.

I found it so hard to get back to writing.

You wonder why God let it happen.

Yeah.

The worst time for me is 5:00 a.m.

I wake up early.

And I find myself falling asleep, during the day.

The body needs to recuperate.

May I help you, Sister?

Yes, could you raise your arm?

Excuse me?

No, no!

No! Stop!

How dare you?

So what are we thinking?

I think it's neurological. Possibly a neurostorm.

What-what is that?

It's when the brain can't cope with its inability

to perform a simple task.

Um, the sympathetic nervous system

triggers a fight or flight response,

and the body goes into a state of heightened attention.

Um, and finally, he had trouble

putting sentences together. It was like his brain was--

Sex.

Come on, you know you've thought about it.

I know you have.

Look at her.

Are you okay, Ben?

Uh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Good.

Just standing here.

So, have you ever had experience with, uh,

a possessed person losing language?

Look, uh, we usually end up saying,

"Let's give him an exorcism,"

so let's just give him an exorcism, okay?

We don't usually end up giving exorcisms--

Yeah, we do. Kristen usually ends up thinking

it will work as a placebo effect,

and I just...

Well, we just punt on whatever

scientific explanation I have.

No, we don't.

Yes, they do. All the fucking time.

Well, we're not punting on anything here.

So, uh, what can you look into scientifically?

Well, the usual. You know, environmental...

...stuff.

T-Toxicity.

Could it be a tick?

- Oh. - Yes.

What about Lyme disease?

Very possible. Or Ana...

Um, sorry, what's the word?

Anaplasmosis. You know? Or...

Other tick-borne diseases.

Okay. Then let's do our work.

Come in tomorrow with your...

What you... want.

What you think, wh...

that you would recommend.

Yep. Great.

- Okay. - All right.

Thank you.

What's wrong with your side, Father?

Nothing's wrong with my side.

W-What do you need?

Your clerical collarino.

For the last two weeks,

there has been a bite out of your side.

No, there hasn't.

Well, let me see, then.

Monsignor Korecki warned me about you.

You're reverent, but also occasionally unbalanced.

Then humor me.

I wash and darn all your clothes,

your sheets, I sweep all your floors.

I know all your secrets.

Sister, I don't have any secrets.

Let me see, then.

I can sew up whatever tear there is.

Do you mind?

Not at all.

Father Ignatius. Yes, well, everyone has, uh...

yeah, been quite enthusiastic about the food

in the rectory recently,

and, uh, I think, uh...

that he's doing a fantastic job.

Um...

♪ England swings like a pendulum do ♪

Leland?

♪ Bobbies on bicycles two by two ♪

Leland, I'm here.

♪ Westminster Abbey, the Tower, and Big Ben ♪

Turn down that music.

♪ The rosy red cheeks of the little children ♪

♪ England swings like a pendulum do ♪

♪ Bobbies on bicycles two by two ♪

♪ Westminster Abbey, the Tower, and Big Ben ♪

Leland!

♪ The rosy red cheeks of the little children ♪

Leland?

Leland, what the hell? You can't do this.

Oh, I know.

Oh, it's okay.

I've got you.

I know. That's a good boy.

It's okay.

It's okay. It's okay.

Leland?

Where are you?

Goddamn it. Leland.

Oh, my God.

- No! - Leland!

What the hell?

Make it stop, make it shut up.

You can't just stuff a baby in a closet.

I can't do this anymore.

It won't eat, it won't drink,

all it does is shit and vomit.

How can it shit so much and not eat anything?

Okay, get a grip.

My God, how did men ever convince women

that we're the emotional ones?

I've tried everything!

I tried driving around.

Last night, on the floor,

I made snow angels in its shit

so that it would shut up for 20 seconds.

First, stop whining.

Okay?

Good. Second, we start in on the diapers, okay?

Now, where's your changing table?

My what?

Okay, okay, wait, wait, wait.

I-- First, I want an agreement on the quid pro quo.

- What? - Our quid pro quo.

I want transfusion bottles, I want six of them.

I don't want to be beholden to you anymore.

No, that needs to be administered here.

Oh, bullshit, this isn't a hospital.

You want my help? I want six bottles.

- Three. - Four.

Okay.

Oh, what a stingy old man.

Oh!

Oh, my God.

- Oh... - See? See?!

So, I've taken a look at Mr. Lawry's records.

Of the recent tick-borne diseases,

we have seen a recent rise in babesiosis,

but I've done a study of Stuart's red blood cells.

There's no alteration.

Hmm. And would that affect his language anyway?

It might.

Right, and what about the disease from the, um...?

The one from the black tick.

Hmm. The mountain wood?

No. The, um, what's the word?

The, uh... thingy.

- Thingy? - Sorry.

The tick with the black legs.

Oh, the black-legged tick.

Oh, yes, Borrelia mayonii.

Possibly.

Doctor, could I call you back?

Certainly.

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.

It's been two weeks since my last confession.

I cheated on my wife.

It was somebody at work,

and we swore we'd never do it again,

but I'm worried the temptation is too great, Father.

What do I do?

It's important to avoid any, um...

Avoid any circumstances that lead you to...

Sin?

Yes.

It's helpful to remember the words of...

Ugh!

Who are you? The Demon of Bad Breath?

Why are you even--

Oh...

Sister Andrea?

Sister?

He... Wh...

Sister?

Kristen wants you, Ben.

She does.

You know it.

The way she looks at you.

Go to her.

♪ I said get down with it ♪

♪ Do the jazz... ♪

You can't drown me out, Ben.

I'm in your head.

♪ Gonna watch everybody wag ♪

♪ I said come on, baby... ♪

Go ahead, I can't answer it.

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

Tada.

Renee.

So I asked the liquor store what was the best tequila

for apologizing that you left someone in a field

covered in goat's blood.

And this is the one.

Can I come in?

Uh, sure, yeah.

Uh, I'm just... surprised.

Why?

I said I'd be here in 20 minutes.

You what?

I said 20 minutes.

Shall we do some shots?

Uh, Renee, you're gonna have to...

go a little bit slow with me here because I...

I think I'm losing my words.

Yeah, you said that on the phone.

"I-I think I'm losing my words, so...

let's fuck."

I what?

Ben, don't play dumb with me.

I could've hung up on you, but... here I am.

Renee, I think I'm losing my mind.

I know. Isn't it great?

How's your mind?

Hmm...

Better.

I didn't call you. By the way.

Then someone is out there imitating your voice.

I'm seeing something.

What?

Uh.... It's a Qareen.

Uh, it's a type of Jinn.

In Islam, it's like an id.

That's cool.

No, I don't mean psychologically.

I mean, like I'm-I'm... I'm really seeing it.

I know. Cool. I channel Jesus.

Oh, my God.

Oh...

If I can go an hour without thinking of that.

You called out my name during sex.

Really? Renee or Jesus?

Both.

Mm.

You know, this Jinn, I...

I thought it was...

like an internal monologue, or something, like a...

like a stream-of-consciousness thing.

But then...

I didn't call your number.

So you think this id called me?

I-I don't know.

But something is happening, and...

I... don't have the words.

What're you looking for?

Um, my last score on an ACIA test.

I self-administered one last night,

and I'd like to compare.

You want to see if you got smarter?

No. I was struggling with some, um, phrases.

I just kept blanking on them.

It's probably nothing but I'm just...

I'm feeling a bit, um...

you know, uh... See? The word just left me.

Kristen, listen...

Ever since the pandemic,

all my patients' ACIA scores have dropped.

Really? Why?

Increased screen time, decreased book time,

lack of in-person conversation, social media.

Wow, so we're all just gonna get...

dumber and dumber until we're, uh...

completely...

No, no, our brains are hardwired to reset

back to a pre-Internet state.

You just need to reduce your screen time

for two weeks, you'll be back to your baseline.

Hmm. And what about kids growing up in this age?

Oh, they're screwed.

Can I just see my file please?

Sure.

- Yeah? - It's Robin.

- Oh, okay. - You asked me to call when Kristen visited.

Robin, I can't hear you, hold on, hold on.

Could you shut up?!

Um, it's-it's been a long week.

A long-ass week.

We're working overtime on this case,

so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind fixing them--

Kristen's voice. It calms him.

Makes sense.

It's his biological mother.

Um, well, let me know if that sounds all right with you.

Okay? Thank you. Love you.

I can't keep playing this over and over again, though.

I saw that you called, I'm just trying to...

I need something from you.

You said Boggs kept his tapes

of the early sessions with Kristen?

I need copies.

I know birthdays shouldn't be a big deal

at this age, but the thing is..

they just really are.

My thoughts are getting worse,

I'm thinking darker things.

I'm having trouble communicating with Andy.

I'll take two bottles now

and two tomorrow.

That should be enough for three months.

Fine.

Every time you need me, that's two more bottles.

- I won't need you. - You will.

This won't last forever.

I hope you're not thinking you'll get free of me, dear one.

You stop IV-ing and you'll look like a prune.

I'll be back for the other two bottles.

That brings up your...

So, the language centers, Broca's and, um, Wernicke's,

and the angular gyrus are located throughout the...

- Um... - Throughout the...?

Well, different parts of the, uh...

Brain.

- Yes. - Yeah.

So you think this is explainable.

I do.

That he doesn't need an exorcism?

Yeah.

Ben?

Oh, I-I went to his place.

Whose?

The guy.

Uh, and I can't find any signs of, um...

...bad stuff.

Can I stop us here for a second?

Uh, are you guys having trouble completing thoughts?

- Yes. - Mm-hmm.

You too?

The other day I struggled with my homily. First time.

My ACIA score went way down.

Uh, I actually didn't need many words last night, so...

Are we concerned that the same thing is happening to...

us that is happening to the...

our guy?

The... assessment?

You think it's catching? This loss of words, like a cold?

Or like a yawn.

Like, like social mirroring. The brain sees a device,

I mean, an action,

in someone else,

and, like a rat, it imitates it.

Like a rat?

What do you mean?

You said "like a rat."

I don't know what that meant.

There's another possibility.

Uh, contagious demonic possession.

I'm not sure I...

One second.

Sister?

Sister, what's... What's up?

There's a demon loose in here.

Yeah, Father Ignatius mentioned that you were in his office,

- examining his side. - No.

Not that one.

Not... that one?

There are two of them.

It's best to handle them one at a time

or they gang up on you.

- Sister? - Father, don't move.

What?

You have something in your side.

I have nothing in my side.

What are you talking about?

You don't see it, Father.

Something is weighing you down.

Sister...

I need you to knock when you come in here.

Now please go.

The world just scares me.

More and more. Everything seems threatening.

Mm-hmm. And Laura's health, how is she?

Her heart, I mean, it's...

The doctor gives us another six months, if we don't operat.

But there's only five percent chance

that she'll live until 18.

I just don't know what I'm gonna do, I just...

Laura is so young and so defenseless...

I know it's not rational, but I just keep thinking

that if I lose her, I would ned

to have another baby immediately.

It's the only way I could handle the void.

The only way... [sobbing]

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

You know...

Andy always wanted a boy.

It makes me think...

of what a son would be like.

Maybe he keeps leaving me because

I don't know...

God, am I even making sense?

I'm sorry.

- Yeah? - Ah-ha-ha-ha!

♪ Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad ♪

♪ Feliz Navidad ♪

♪ Prospero Ano y Felicidad ♪

♪ Feliz Navidad ♪

♪ Feliz Navidad, Feliz-- ♪

Wait. W-W-W-Wait. What the hell

were you doing in a particle accelerator anyway?

Well...

it's a long story, and I don't have the words.

Well, you only need one word.

Stupid.

Okay, Mom.

Can we agree to that and move on?

The question is,

could an ion beam cause a problem in my brain

that is currently undiagnosable?

You're saying it was a test beam, no radiation?

- Right. - And how many megahertz?

74.

Well, look, your worry is not quantum black holes.

It's that quarks would reassemble themselves

into compressed strangelets.

- Which are theoretical. - Yeah.

But I wouldn't them messing around in my head.

Strangelets are a new form of compressed matter.

They could do anything.

You are on the outer reaches of known physics here.

In my head.

Quantum mechanics and the human brain.

Mm. It's like putting a mystery in a mystery.

Great.

Hey, did you ever think

that maybe you're experiencing

the many worlds interpretation firsthand?

What do you mean?

Well, when the beam hit your head,

your world split into two possibilities:

one with just you, and the other one

was where your id is real.

Multiverse theory?

Yes. So in this universe, I'm with you.

And in the other one, you're alone.

Oh, you're blowing my mind.

Good.

Now let me tell you about Jesus.

Oh, no, please, come on.

- Oh. - Mm.

Ah, uh, Jennifer, Stuart Lawry,

this is Sister Andrea.

Oh, yes, I sometimes see you at morning mass.

Oh, of course, of course. How are you?

I think we're about to find out.

Are you all right, Sister?

I'm fine. I'm fine. Thank you for a...

a... a...

We're considering the possibility of an exorcism

or spiritual counseling.

Maybe you could join us.

I-I will. I...

Ah.

Go help your friends.

That-that other demon is more dangerous.

I'm just a little pet. Meow.

- Shut up. - You're hurting me.

You're hurting my tail.

Look at me. I'm not your enemy.

Ow!

Is this where you live?

It's so sad.

Get some flowers or something.

Ow! Jesus. Oh, hey!

It's dark in here. I'm scared. Hey!

What are you doing to Father Ignatius?

That old priest?

I was helping him.

With rocks?

Those were magic rocks.

Helping him to sleep.

He hasn't been sleeping well.

Let me out and I promise to grant you three wishes.

Hey, ah! Hey!

What are you? What kind of demon are you?

I'm just a nothing.

A small pet. Wait, wait.

Hey! Hey, stop it!

What are you about?

I'm about you.

I'm telling the truth.

I'm about futility.

I'm about your life being meaningless.

I'm about the fact that every last kid you taught in school

is no longer Catholic.

They all left the Church.

Every single one.

They looked at your life and were disgusted.

No, what are you doing, Sister?

I'm about Paul.

You know what he's doing now?

He's dead. He's buried.

The only thing left of him is his broken heart.

He only had six months of happiness,

that summer with you.

You're the Demon of Grief.

I prefer to be called Tommy.

But sure.

Let me go.

Father Ignatius needs me.

He has no other comforts.

His grief is his comfort.

I don't believe you.

Sometimes pain is what sustains us.

Think of Paul, what you gave up.

You loved him.

He would've given up everything for you.

But you wouldn't give up God.

Tell me... was it worth it?

Does God hold you the way Paul did?

Huh, Sister?

I-I-I wrote down some notes from our last, um...

visit to the doctor.

Jennifer, are you finding that...

Stuart's frustration with words is spreading to you?

Yes.

Yeah, we are, too.

Something is going on here.

You need an exorcism.

Yeah, baby. Give me all your words.

There's a demon who got hold of your husband.

A parasite who lives on his words.

And now it's grabbed onto you, David, and also to you two.

The sooner the exorcism, the better.

He becomes stronger with each word.

It's our last meeting, Andy.

You've been so patient.

Tomorrow...

...you are a man.

Remember those first few months

after each of the girls was born?

How every breath seemed like a miracle?

How worried you were?

I want you to have those feelings again.

I want you to be closer together.

Children bring life.

And you always wanted a boy.

You wanted a boy to play catch with.

To introduce to Pink Floyd.

To explain why the Mets matter.

But...

...always there were girls.

Always there were girls.

Tonight you'll put Laura to bed at 9:00 p.m.,

like every other night.

This is her beddy-bye pouch.

You'll put the pouch next to her pillow,

kiss her on the forehead and go.

At 3:00 a.m., you'll wake...

and reenter her room.

She'll be sleeping soundly from the herbs in the pouch.

You have to be very quiet.

You'll go to her feet,

remove her right sock,

take the needle,

and inject her between the toes.

This is for her benefit.

The drugs will bring on the cardiac arrest

that she was supposed to have two years ago.

God never wanted her to live this long.

Afterwards...

you'll go outside...

put the needle in the trash can.

And go back to sleep.

When you wake up, everything will be taken care of.

Say okay.

Okay.

Yep, I let him out.

We demons help each other.

Come on, talk.

Tell me how scared you are.

Let's hear it. Go ahead and speak.

Yeah, that's right.

Every time someone explains themselves,

it fills me up.

- Mom, Mom... - Tell us a story.

- Mom! - Okay,

no story tonight.

Do the spider family!

- Yes, the spider one. - Yeah! Do it, do it, do it.

What do you think?

Oh, my gosh, all right.

- Okay, okay. - Yay!

All right, all right.

All right, all right, all right.

Okay, snuggle close.

Once upon a time,

there was a spider family,

with four spider daughters

who couldn't get to sleep

because every night they heard...

Boom.

Boom. Boom.

Monster's getting closer.

So the spider girls started to cry.

"Tell us a story, Mom."

"Make the monster go away."

But every time, they heard...

Boom.

Boom. Boom.

Monster getting closer.

So the mom started to tell a story about a monster family,

with four monster daughters

who couldn't get to sleep

because all the while they heard...

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Until the daughters started to cry,

"Tell us a story, Mom."

"Tell us a story."

So the mom started to tell a story.

Once upon a time, there was a human mom

who saw a spider family,

so she got out of bed...

she grabbed a shoe, and...

Splat!

All right, that's it. Go to bed.

In your bunks, in your bunks, ready, set, let's go.

Sleep tight.

- Thanks for that. - Good night, love you.

You'll probably have nightmares. Okay. Good nighty.

- Good nighty. Mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah. - Good night, love you.

- Don't let the bedbugs bite. - I love you all. Good night.

- Good night, Dad. - Good night. Love you.

- I love you. - Good night. Love you.

It's pretty, Dad. What is it?

That's a gift

for the best daughter that anybody could ever imagine.

You're the best daddy.

I'm so glad you're home.

Hmm?

Sister.

Father.

How are you?

Fine.

Did you want to...

look at my side?

No.

I want to talk to you.

About what?

About Monsignor Korecki.

Matt.

I-I don't...

What do you mean?

I miss him.

I miss him, too, but...

I don't want to talk about it.

Then let me.

Sister, no, please.

I was thinking...

how funny His Holiness was.

Oh, I agree.

I just remembered that he used to take socks

and make puppets out of them, remember?

Yes. Oh, he... he was insufferable that way.

He would have religious arguments

between two sock puppets.

The last conclave,

when he did Cardinal Dolan's voice, remember?

"I just published a biography.

I hope you'll take a look at it."

That's good. That's very good.

Do you know what his favorite song was?

No, what?

"I Will Survive."

Does it hurt, talking about him?

- Definitely. - Mm.

Yeah, very few people...

want to talk about people that died.

Why is that?

I don't know. Emotion?

We're afraid of hurting.

But you know what's funny? I'm hurting,

but it makes me smile.

Matt made me smile. And, um...

I haven't smiled like this since, uh...

a long time.

Thank you, Sister.

I've been so quiet about him,

uh, so hesitant to talk about Matt

because...

I know.

Love makes us do that.

Yes. Love.

Why are we so alone?

Will you be there tonight, Father?

No, Father Dement will.

Thank you, Sister.

I-I...

I'm sorry I judged you.

We judged each other.

Maybe I should go to the exorcism.

Yes. Yes. Please.

I'm sorry, what?

Kris... Kristen, it's hard to hear you.

Andy had a coronary issue.

I've been at the hospital all day.

Oh, my God, uh, how is he?

The doctors think he'll survive, but, um...

yeah, tell David to pray?

Definitely, yeah. Uh, keep us posted on his condition.

Okay. I will.

I'll talk to you soon. Bye.

All holy martyrs, intercede for us.

St. Sylvester, St. Gregory,

St. Ambrose, St. Augustine,

St. Jerome, St. Martin, all holy doctors.

St. Anthony, St. Benedict, all holy virgins and widows,

make intercession for us!

Be merciful.

Spare us, O Lord.

Graciously hear us, O Lord.

- From all evil deliver us. - What are you seeing?

A demon.

From all sin, from your wrath...

What does it look like?

From anger, hatred...

Large.

I'll be right back.

Something's wrong with Kristen's husband.

She wanted you to pray for him.

- What's wrong? - His heart stopped.

- Oh, my God. - Yeah, and...

No! - Be merciful.

Graciously hear us, O Lord.

We sinners, we beg you to hear us!

Sister?

S-Sister, are you okay?

We beg you, hear us!

Suck up more words. Why not?

What's going on?

What's...?

- What's going...? - Stuart? Stuart, are you okay?

I think... I think so.

What happened?

So, how did it happen?

I mean, my words are all back.

Ours, too.

The exorcism seemed to work.

How's everything over there?

Um, yeah, it's, uh...

It's hard to tell, I...

I found a hypodermic needle on Andy.

Wow.

Yeah. I know.

You need anything?

No, thank you, I'll, um...

I'll just stay in touch.

All right. Bye.

Okey dokey. Bye-bye.

- Hey, baby. - Hey.

Hey.

How you feeling?

Good, good.

Think I'm waking up.

What happened?

I don't know.

Last night, I... I don't know.

I found you on the...

on the floor of the girls' room.

And you had a needle in your hand.

Oh, God.

I think we need to look into

an addiction treatment program, Andy.

No.

Baby...

Baby...

I think you're in denial.

It's something else.

It's something worse.

Wh-What do you mean?

I don't know, but I need to stay away...

from you and the girls.

Baby, you can get into a 12-step program.

And we'll get you sessions with Dr. Boggs...

Oh, no, we're beyond that, Kristen.

I'm scared that I'm gonna hurt you.

I have to go.

But...

Where?

There's a psychiatric hospital

in upstate New York I've been researching,

the Lexer-Miller Institute.

No, no, no. Baby, you don't need that.

That's for psychotics.

Kristen, I need to recover.

I don't know what it is...

but I need separation from you.

All of you.

Oh, my God.

What are we gonna do?

I don't know, I just need time.

- I just want our old life back. - I know.

We'll get it back.

- Okay. - Okay.

- I love you. - I love you.

We just have to keep talking.

- Yeah, yeah. - Yeah.

- So we'll talk. - We'll talk. Uh-huh.

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org