[birds chirping]
[knocking on door]
[loud knocking]
NIALL: Hello? CONNELL: Hello.
Hi. NIALL: You all right?
‐ Yeah, no, I'm, uh... just here about the room.
‐ Oh, fuck. Aye, he said you'd be around this morning.
I'll come down. ‐ Sound.
[door opens]
NIALL: Hiya. ‐ Hi. How's things?
NIALL: Not too bad, thanks.
‐ Cheers. ‐ Ah, we're just upstairs.
‐ Great.
[stairs creaking]
NIALL: This is it.
‐ Great.
‐ It's usually a bit tidier than this.
CONNELL: It's fine.
So, um, do‐‐ Do I give you the deposit now, or‐‐
‐ [chuckles] You must really need somewhere to live.
‐ Yeah, well, uh, supposed to be starting college on Monday,
so‐‐ ‐ Oh. I'm back Monday, myself.
Trinity? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ There you go. Niall. ‐ Connell.
‐ I suppose I'll move my shit off your bed, man.
‐ That'll be great.
♪ soft instrumental music playing ♪
♪
[indistinct chattering]
LECTURER: Depending on your module, you can access lecture notes online,
assignments and other activities through Blackboard.
Reading lists are available in the early weeks.
I cannot over‐stress this.
Start reading early. Read early, and read often.
And while I have you all here, I should make you aware of the dual be...
[indistinct chattering]
♪
[sizzling]
[housemate chattering in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
[door closes]
STUDENT 1: Just how much empathy Defoe writes her with,
I feel like that's kind of radical when you read his contemporaries.
‐ Also, how many examples of the picaresque novel are there
that center a woman so boldly and without condemning her?
STUDENT 1: Yeah, but also in terms of her class.
GARETH: That's exactly what struck me.
You get this, this really, really complex character,
and I, I think Defoe writes with incredible subtlety,
and, and attention to detail.
It's sort of amazing.
TEACHING ASSISTANT: What about anyone else?
Connell.
[clears throat]
‐ I, uh, thought it was v‐very moving.
Yeah, and, uh...
I, uh...
I just agree with everyone‐‐ everyone was saying, so...
Yeah.
‐ Okay. Thanks.
♪
[car door opens]
[door slams]
[lock clattering]
‐ Mam?
[keys jangling]
[footsteps approaching]
[knocking] Mm‐hmm?
‐ Hey. ‐ Hiya.
‐ Welcome home.
‐ Where have you been?
‐ Just... out.
With a friend, you know?
‐ Oh, yeah. That's fair enough.
[both chuckle softly]
‐ Come here, then.
So good to see you. [Connell chuckles softly]
‐ Here. Thanks very much. See you later. Bye‐bye.
♪
That's you. No bother. All right.
How are ya?
♪
ROB: Oh, I heard about that, yeah. CONNELL: Fifty drinks.
[both chuckle] ‐ So, how many girls have you shifted?
‐ Aah. ‐ Come on.
You must be the only lad doing English.
I'd say you're drowning in it. ‐ No.
[both chuckling]
‐ No, I'm only messing. ‐ Mm.
‐ Are you enjoying it?
‐ Yeah, it's all right.
[chuckles] It's a lot of loafers and chinos
and whatnot. Yeah. [Rob laughs]
‐ Can't be all they all like that, though? It's Dublin. It's exciting.
‐ Yeah.
‐ Least you fucked off outta here.
‐ Well, there's nothing wrong with here.
‐ Don't know about that.
‐ Not enjoying the job?
‐ Ah, it's all right.
Decent to have a bit of money, I suppose, you know? ‐ Yeah.
‐ Bit quiet.
‐ Maybe you made the right call, there.
‐ Yeah? ‐ Yeah.
Not sure college is all that great, to be honest.
‐ Oh, fuck off, would ya? ‐ Ha.
‐ You don't need to...
Right call. [scoffs]
Didn't have your fucking brains, did I?
[both laughing]
‐ Yeah, that's true enough, all right. [both chuckling]
Mm.
‐ Well, just don't waste it.
Have a good time.
‐ Mm. Yeah.
‐ We go again? ‐ Ah, no.
‐ No? ‐ I'm all right.
I should be getting back.
‐ No worries. No worries.
[sniffs]
It's good to see you anyway. ‐ Yeah. You, too.
[rustling]
[indistinct chattering]
[music playing over speakers]
[door slams]
ELAINE: Yeah, drink! [laughs]
[Matt chuckles]
NIALL: All right, man?
MATT: Is this the new roommate?
NIALL: Yeah, this is Connell. He's from Sligo.
‐ Hey. ‐ Does he talk?
‐ If he has to. Have a good one. MATT: Thanks, man.
[indistinct chattering]
[knocking]
‐ Sorry, man. Do you fancy a beer?
‐ Uh, yeah. Sound.
NIALL: Sweet. See you in a minute. ‐ See you a minute.
[laughing]
NIALL: Get out. Out. ELAINE: Stop talking. Leave now.
NIALL: Thanks for ruining the night. [group laughing]
‐ I play lots of football,
but like, yeah, what would happen if you got thick like?
Yeah. ELAINE: Get thick.
MATT: Would you jump in for a few scraps yourself, just for the craic?
‐ Ah? No. I'm a lover, not a fighter.
[laughing] ELAINE: Oh, yeah. I don't believe you for a second.
‐ No. [cans popping open]
NIALL: Cheers, lads. ‐ Cheers.
NIALL: Apparently, by the end of the year,
I have to like, do these medical role play things
when they, like, come in and I have to
pretend to actually be a doctor already.
MATT: Squeezing in. NIALL: All right, man?
[indistinct chattering]
♪
‐ Uh... yeah, I, um...
Uh, I, I think the fact that, uh, she gives us a new chapter,
suddenly, out of nowhere from the perspective of Knightley,
having been with Emma throughout, felt...
f‐‐ really remarkable to me. And...
...a moment of balance and care, and, uh...
Uh, s‐something psychological which hadn't really been attempted before, and...
There's also a refusal of any kind of...
moralistic judgment granted to everybody, and I...
Well, I, I, I found that sort of extraordinary, so...
So, yeah.
‐ Great. That's really great.
Okay. That's it for today, but essays in for next week, okay?
‐ Sorry.
Sorry, I think you‐‐ That's yours.
‐ Oh. Thanks.
‐ It's Connell, right? ‐ Yeah.
‐ I'm Gareth. ‐ I know, yeah.
GARETH: How are ya? ‐ Not too bad. How are you?
GARETH: Good, yeah. I was gonna grab coffee
in the Debate Soc if you wanna join. CONNELL: Sure.
STUDENT: Your student fees are being used to pay for a neo‐Nazi
to spread racist propaganda. ‐ Thank you.
GARETH: Just through here.
STUDENT: Your student fees are being used
to pay for a neo‐Nazi to spread racist...
GARETH: It's so boring.
It's such an uncomplicated response.
He's coming here to debate.
This is literally the debating society. ‐ Hmm.
‐ Do we not trust people to form their own opinions?
‐ Yeah. Do you need to debate a Nazi, though?
Like, is there value in giving a Nazi a platform?
It's not like history hasn't heard a fair bit from his kind already.
Like, the debate's been had. ‐ He's not a Nazi, though.
No, look, I just think we need to be really careful with that word.
I feel like people use that word way too flippantly these days.
‐ Yeah, he's a fascist, though, right? ‐ He doesn't define himself as a fascist.
‐ Fair enough. Other people do, so...
‐ And free speech.
‐ [chuckles] Well, yeah, sure.
Should protect it, but, uh...
not really sure that's what the issue is, here.
It's like, by that reasoning you'd have to invite
everyone everywhere to debate about everything, or else their, like...
freedom of speech is impinged. Like, that's just ridiculous.
[chuckling]
‐ You should join the debating society. CONNELL: Oh, I...
really shouldn't.
‐ No, you actually should. ‐ You should.
All right, well, look. We're having a little party at my house tomorrow night.
It's, uh, house 24, just in the Rubrics over there.
‐ Mm, yeah. Maybe. Thanks.
‐ Come to the party. [laughs]
CONNELL: All right. ‐ You definitely should.
‐ All right. I will.
LORRAINE [over phone]: How are you gonna get to know people
if you don't go meet them?
CONNELL [over phone]: Not really my type of people.
LORRAINE [over phone]: And what type of people are they?
CONNELL [over phone]: I don't know. Like... Trinity students.
LORRAINE [over phone]: Sweetheart, you're a Trinity student.
CONNELL [over phone]: Ah, yeah, but not like that.
LORRAINE [over phone]: Listen, if you don't like it, you can leave.
CONNELL: Mm. Sounds a bit pathetic, doesn't it?
LORRAINE [over phone]: Yeah, you're right.
It would be much cooler to stay at home all night on your own.
‐ Harsh words, Lorraine.
‐ Go, and I'll give you a call tomorrow.
You can tell me all about it and I can live vicariously through you.
‐ Well, if you're gonna live vicariously,
I'd pick someone a little bit more exciting.
‐ I don't know. College party sounds pretty good to me.
‐ All right. ‐ Go.
‐ Love you. ‐ I love you.
[Lorraine ends call]
♪ soft music playing ♪
♪
[indistinct chattering]
CONNELL: Sorry, it's Gareth's party upstairs, is it?
Right. Thanks.
[people chattering]
[muffled bass playing]
[indistinct chattering continues]
[music playing over speakers]
GARETH: Connell, good to see you, man. CONNELL: Uh...
‐ Good to see you. CONNELL: Oh, yeah, how's things?
‐ Yeah, how's it going? ‐ Yeah, no, not too bad. How are you?
‐ Good. Nice backpack. Very '90s.
‐ Ah‐ha, thanks. ‐ You know Jenny, right?
‐ Uh, yeah, I think we were in a seminar together.
‐ Oh. [laughs] ‐ Um, well, let me get you a drink.
‐ After you. ‐ Thank you.
‐ What have we got here? Uh, is beer okay for you?
CONNELL: Yeah. Cheers. Thanks.
‐ So you're not from Dublin, then? CONNELL: Sorry?
GARETH: You're not from Dublin. ‐ Uh, no, I... Sligo.
Yeah. JENNY: Uh, I can see that.
‐ My girlfriend's from Sligo, actually.
‐ Oh, right. Well, uh, there you go.
[laughs softly]
Yeah, you live here, do you? GARETH: Mm.
Yeah, it's not bad for campus accommodation.
CONNELL: Ah, it's lovely, yeah?
Do you have your own room and that? ‐ Yeah. God, yeah.
‐ You're not sharing, are you? ‐ Oh, I am, yeah.
‐ Ah. ‐ Oh, that's, uh, that's brutal, man.
[Connell chuckles] ‐ Jesus.
What do you do if you want to have a girl over? ‐ Or a guy?
‐ Yeah. [both chuckle]
‐ Hasn't really been an issue so far, so...
[all laughing]
‐ Yeah.
Hey, listen, there's some people I want you to meet.
‐ Yeah, thanks. ‐ Come on. Do you wanna...
See you later. ‐ See ya later.
GARETH: Sorry, man.
Down here, somewhere.
Great party, right? ‐ Yeah.
‐ Marianne.
Marianne, there's someone I want you to meet.
This is Connell.
‐ Oh. Right.
Hi.
‐ Connell Waldron.
From beyond the grave.
[chuckles]
‐ When did you take up smoking?
‐ We were at school together. GARETH: No way!
MAN: Gareth! MAN 2: Yeah, here's here now. He's here.
GARETH: What is it? MAN: Come here, man.
You're gonna wanna hear this. MARIANNE: Back in a sec.
GARETH: Okay. Hello?
MARIANNE: Well?
How are you?
‐ Yeah. I'm all right.
Good.
‐ Would you like a drink?
‐ Uh, Gareth gave me this, so...
‐ We can do better than that.
[lid pops]
‐ Nice.
‐ So how do you know Gareth?
CONNELL: Oh, classes together.
You two are going out?
‐ Everyone seems to know him.
‐ Yeah. He's one of these campus celebrities.
‐ [laughs] He loves that.
‐ I believe he's very active on multiple college committees.
[both laugh]
‐ I've missed you. ‐ Yeah.
Yeah, you, too.
I was, uh... I was a bit worried when you left school and that, uh...
I was pretty down about it. ‐ Well.
Never hung out much during school hours.
‐ Oh, yeah. [clears throat]
‐ What about Rachel? You still together?
‐ How'd you hear about that? Through your brother?
‐ Saw photos on Facebook. ‐ Aah. Um...
No, um, we broke up, actually.
‐ Oh.
Sorry.
‐ I don't think we were that compatible, really. ‐ Mm.
‐ What? ‐ No, I just, uh...
I reckon I could have told you that.
‐ Maybe you should have. Would have helped, actually.
You weren't really replying to my texts at the time, so...
‐ Felt somewhat abandoned, Connell.
‐ Yeah, I felt a bit abandoned, myself, didn't I?
You disappeared.
The Rachel thing, uh...
wasn't serious, or anything.
‐ It's not really why I left school. ‐ Right.
‐ More of a last straw sort of thing. ‐ Yeah.
I wondered if that was what it was.
‐ Really? ‐ Mm. Yeah.
‐ Mm. Maybe you're telepathic.
‐ Hmm.
You know, I, I did used to think that I could read your mind at times.
‐ In bed, you mean? ‐ Yeah.
And afterwards, but...
I don't know. Maybe that's normal.
‐ It's not.
‐ You look really well.
‐ I know. It's classic me.
Came to college and got pretty. ‐ No, you were always pretty.
Very pretty.
You know, um, you're... you're beautiful.
‐ Oh?
Well.
Haven't heard that one in a while.
‐ Does Gareth not tell you you're beautiful, no?
[laughs] Oh, he's a...
He's probably very busy doing amateur drama or something.
‐ Debating. And you're being cruel. ‐ Ah, yeah, I clocked that.
See, I thought I was bad going out with Rachel Moore,
and your boyfriend's a Holocaust denier.
‐ [scoffs] He's just into free speech.
Okay, so we both failed on ideological purity.
‐ Yeah. [laughs]
‐ Are you dating anyone problematic at the moment?
‐ No. Not even anyone good.
‐ Finding it hard to meet people here?
‐ Mm‐hmm. It's, uh...
It's a bit different from home, I suppose.
‐ Mm. Probably why I'm good at it.
I have some girlfriends I could introduce you to.
‐ Oh, yeah? ‐ Yeah.
I have those now. [Connell chuckles]
‐ Ah, not sure I'd be their type.
‐ What do you mean?
‐ Ah, I don't know.
‐ What's not to like about you?
‐ That's a good question.
I don't know.
♪ "Dogwood Blossom" by Fionn Regan playing ♪
‐ ♪ Loneliness keeps you constantly awake ♪
♪ What happens when the passage of time appears ♪
♪ You see yourself as a child and it bring you to tears ♪
♪ You say that you're troubled and you always have been ♪
♪ Uncomfortable in your own skin ♪
♪ So you contemplate the riverbed ♪
♪ Turn off the dark thoughts in your head ♪
[birds chirping]
[footsteps approaching]
GARETH: Coffee? ‐ In the pot.
[Gareth sighs]
[coffee pouring]
[clattering]
[gulps, sighs]
‐ Morning.
[exhales]
[birds chirping]
[door squeaks open]
[slams]
PEGGY: I'd literally kill for a place like this.
I'm so fucking jealous. [Joanna laughs]
JOANNA: Must be tough living in your parents' massive house
in Black Rock, Peggy. God knows how you cope.
‐ You try living with my mother, then.
That woman is a nervous breakdown waiting to happen.
‐ Does she not work?
‐ She's a consultant oncologist.
‐ Wow. ‐ That must be incredibly stressful.
‐ Money is fucking great, though.
What does your mum do, Marianne?
‐ She's a solicitor.
‐ Also good money. Do you get on?
‐ Me and my mum?
Uh, we're not close or anything.
She's quite conservative.
Are you with yours?
‐ Yeah. My mum's great. Sorry.
‐ Sounds lovely. [exhales]
JOANNA: Where's Gareth tonight? MARIANNE: I'm not sure.
Some society thing.
PEGGY: Isn't it so much better when he's not here, though?
‐ Stop it. ‐ Come off it.
We both know he's not worthy.
JOANNA: No, but then, who is?
[indistinct chattering]
♪ "Drop" by Hope Sandoval playing ♪
‐ ♪ The way you drop ♪
PHILIP: Hey, guys.
[Marianne laughing]
‐ How are you doing? ‐ I'm good.
[indistinct] ‐ Um, pretty good.
PEGGY: Where were you now? Why were you not in our lecture?
‐ I deviated. PEGGY: Did you deviate, now?
[indistinct conversations]
‐ ♪ But you've just been thrown ♪
♪ Till kingdom comes ♪
♪ And through bitten tongues ♪
♪ These eyes get stung ♪
♪ With every curse sung ♪
♪ These twisted times... ♪
GARETH: I got a noise complaint.
‐ No way. ‐ Yeah. First of three, apparently.
‐ It was fun, though.
‐ Who was that guy you were talking to in the kitchen for ages?
‐ Connell.
Uh, we were at school together.
‐ He's in my English class. He's a really good guy.
PEGGY: Why? Do you like him, Teresa?
‐ Uh, I mean, what's not to like?
‐ Why don't you give her his number?
‐ Would you like it?
‐ Yeah, why not?
‐ Sure. 'Course.
‐ Wouldn't life be great if you could paint like that?
‐ Would it?
‐ Yeah. I mean, I know they say it's hard to be a genius, but...
I reckon it must give your life some kind of sense of purpose.
‐ You'd never have a normal life, though.
‐ Yeah, but who wants a normal life?
‐ I do.
‐ No, you don't.
‐ Maybe.
[scoffs] I don't know. Don't know what I want.
‐ Yeah, that's all right.
‐ Is it?
I mean, you already know what you want to do, Joanna.
You already know what you're gonna do your dissertation on. You're all set.
‐ Yeah, but that is not normal, and shouldn't be copied.
I think most people don't have any idea what they want
or what they want to do with their lives.
‐ You're just being nice to me.
‐ No, I reckon half your friends from school
probably have no idea what they want to do.
‐ I didn't really have any friends in school, as such.
I was a loner.
‐ Really? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Oh.
What about that guy from the other night?
‐ Connell?
Uh, he, he wasn't like...
a friend, exactly.
‐ Mm.
EOIN: It's disclaimed there's no such thing as the truth.
I just find that very destructive.
‐ I'm sorry, I don't think that's a fair reading.
‐ Something is either a fact, or it's not. It's either true, or it's not.
How do you put that aside? ‐ I don't.
But understanding how we decide which facts are disseminated,
how we assess different planes‐‐ ‐ So basically gravity is a social construct‐‐
TEACHING ASSISTANT: Sorry, um, excuse me, but Marianne was still speaking.
Carry on, Marianne.
‐ This isn't about negating the existence of fact.
Like, obviously, gravity is real.
But it's still valuable for historians to study
the development of discourses around gravity,
so we can learn how knowledge is produced,
and, and by whom, and within what structures.
That's all.
‐ So he's bullshitting about how gravity isn't even real,
and Marianne absolutely annihilated him.
It's like a cat playing with food.
‐ I bet it was.
‐ I mean, no, it wasn't.
The tutor had to step in so I could make my not very groundbreaking point.
There was zero annihilation.
‐ You emasculated him, Marianne.
He's gonna be your enemy for life. MARIANNE: That's not what happened.
‐ She'll have the white.
‐ Uh, can she not decide for herself?
‐ I don't know. Can she?
GARETH: Yeah. She definitely can.
‐ White, please.
‐ It's this fucking game they play.
‐ I hate making decisions. GARETH: Really?
JAMIE: And I'm good at knowing what she wants.
And what she wants is a glass of white.
And when she's finished, she's gonna have another glass of white.
And then she's gonna have a cigarette. ‐ Maybe.
‐ Anyway, that guy sounds like an idiot.
‐ He is. ‐ He's not an idiot.
‐ Well, I am constantly amazed at how many people in college just aren't that smart.
‐ Come on, mate. JAMIE: No, I'm serious.
GARETH: It, I mean, I think that might just be your experience on your course,
'cause it's certainly not my experience.
JAMIE: Yeah, because you're doing English,
and it's not that hard to waft an opinion out of your arse about a book.
GARETH: Nice. Nice. JOANNA: Whoa. All right, let's leave it.
‐ I'm just gonna go and check on the rice. JAMIE: No, we can have a‐‐
We can talk about it. Why can't we talk about it?
All I'm‐‐ All I'm s‐‐
[steaming on stove]
‐ Sure you don't want some?
‐ I'm all right. Thanks.
PEGGY: I won't tell Joanna.
‐ I'm still all right.
‐ I'm gonna go meet Christian. The one with the girlfriend.
‐ What are you gonna do when you're the sensible girlfriend,
and your boyfriend's off fucking and taking drugs with students?
‐ When am I gonna be the sensible girlfriend?
‐ That's a fair point, Peggy. [snorting]
[silverware scraping]
[dishes clattering]
JOANNA: Sure you don't wanna come? ‐ I'm gonna stay.
I'm exhausted.
‐ Okay. Thanks so much, again. I'll see you tomorrow.
MARIANNE: See ya.
‐ I'll stay with you. Help you clear up.
‐ No, honestly, it's fine. You go.
‐ Right. Come on. Pubs are closing.
‐ Okay.
See you later. ‐ See ya. [chuckles]
‐ Bye, Marianne.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[spits]
[clicking on phone]
[phone buzzes]
♪ soft piano music playing ♪
♪ "Undertow" by Lisa Hannigan playing ♪
‐ ♪ I wanna swim in your current ♪
♪ Carry me out, up and away ♪
♪ I wanna float ♪
♪ On every word you say ♪
♪ Want to be underneath your weather ♪
♪ Every cloud and ray of sun ♪
♪ I wanna float ♪
♪ In between everyone ♪
♪ In between ev... ♪