[phone vibrating]
[sighs]
[distant dog barking]
[line ringing]
[phone buzzing]
[phone continues buzzing]
‐ Hey.
‐ Hi.
Is everything all right? ‐ Yeah.
‐ I just, uh...
haven't had a midnight call from you in a while.
‐ Oh. [laughs]
‐ Everything's all right? Nothing's happened, no?
‐ No. Uh, nothing's happened.
‐ Okay.
‐ Oh. [laughs]
Um, I just, uh...
I keep thinking how, um...
how nice to was to see you at the party.
And I, uh, I, I thought...
I, I was thinking, um...
...that I've missed having you in my life.
And that maybe it would be nice to like, um...
have you in it again?
I know we've not, uh... [laughs]
...we haven't really done the whole, um, friendship thing.
But, um...
I guess I was just wondering if we could.
‐ Mm‐hmm. Yeah.
Uh, sounds good.
‐ Okay. [laughs]
[exhales]
[doorbell rings]
[heels clicking]
[door squeaks open]
‐ Hi. ‐ Hiya.
How's things? ‐ Good. You?
‐ Yeah. Good.
[door closes]
‐ This is, uh, this is a nice place.
‐ My hallway.
‐ Uh, yeah, I know.
The, the hallway's great. [laughs]
‐ Ah, come in. ‐ Yeah.
[people chattering]
‐ Hey, everyone. [laughs] This is Connell.
‐ Hi. How are ya?
‐ Hi, I'm Joanna. ‐ Connell.
‐ Nice to meet you. ‐ Good to meet ya. How are ya?
‐ Sorry, that was a bit formal. CONNELL: Oh, that's all right.
GARETH: Do you want some wine, dude?
I've got red, or‐‐
‐ Ah, yeah, no, red, red's good. Thank you.
PEGGY: So, Connell, you were at school with the heavenly Marianne?
‐ Ah, Jesus, Peg.
JOANNA: And you do English, right?
‐ Uh, yeah. Yeah.
‐ And Marianne says you write.
‐ Uh, not really.
JOANNA: I so nearly did English. That course looks great.
‐ Yeah, no, it's been really good, so‐‐ ‐ Really, really good. Yeah.
‐ Connell, what was Marianne like at school?
‐ Uh, s‐‐ Smart.
‐ Well, obviously, but what was she like?
‐ Uh... PEGGY: What, are you scared of her?
Are you scared what she'll say
if you tell us all the truth? ‐ Uh...
‐ Did she go around absolutely annihilating people?
[laughs] ‐ Uh...
yeah. [chuckles] She did do a bit of that, all right.
JOANNA: Knew it. ‐ Thanks for that, Peggy.
Connell, you can sit.
‐ Oh, sorry. Yes, of course. Please. ‐ Thank you.
JAMIE: Well, I think it's all an act.
Deep down, Marianne's just a nice girl.
PEGGY: What about me, Jamie?
Am I a nice girl, deep down?
JAMIE: No, you're a nice girl superficially,
and deep down, you are a fucking monster.
[all chuckling softly]
‐ Too true. JOANNA: So true.
I'm so glad you acknowledge it. [laughs]
PEGGY: Yeah, well, obviously. But he said I'm nice. I come across nice.
JOANNA: Yeah, I think that was... That was a‐‐
♪ "La Lune" by Billie Marten playing ♪
[indistinct chattering]
‐ I don't know what to say.
‐ Everyone is gonna say...
[continues indistinctly] ‐ ♪ Breaking my back in the heart of this land ♪
♪ Feet above water and softened in sand ♪
♪ I could have wanted ♪ [laughing]
♪ Any part of this ♪
♪ But I find the heat is too harsh on the skin ♪
♪ Drowning in light ♪
♪ Need the cold to sink into my soul ♪
♪ My soul ♪
♪ Ignore signs of change ♪
♪ No more ♪
♪ I come back again ♪
♪ I am flawed ♪
♪ Mm‐mm ♪
♪ So why don't we go ♪
♪ I'll never know ♪
JOANNA: Jesus Christ.
Such a little cheat. ‐ I'm not a cheat. I'm just...
very good at pool. There's a difference.
‐ Ah, questionable. ‐ Wow. He's modest.
[laughs] [pool balls cracking]
[all exclaiming] JOANNA: Oh, my God.
Yeah, you are literally insufferable. [all laugh]
‐ All right, come on. Who's next?
Uh, Peggy.
You look like you could hold a cue.
GARETH: Ooh. ‐ Ooh.
‐ I'm busy right now. Thanks.
[chuckles]
‐ I'll give you a game.
‐ [gasps] Yes. Thrash him, please.
‐ Do my best.
JAMIE: Ready to get absolutely destroyed, Gareth?
GARETH: Are you ready to shut up, Jamie? PHILIP: Oh, God.
Let Gareth win, please.
‐ Are you ready for this, Marianne?
‐ He thinks it's a Diet Coke ad.
[all laughing]
PHILIP [imitating Gareth]: Are you ready for this?
[all laughing]
MARIANNE: Are you hating every second?
‐ Didn't say that.
‐ They're fun. Aren't they?
‐ Sure. Just, uh...
don't think I understand them, is all.
‐ Understand them?
‐ Yeah, I don't know, it's...
I suppose they're just a bit different from my own friends.
‐ What, your friends here, or back home?
‐ Mm, both.
‐ Well...
I know they can be a bit intense, but, uh...
at the end of the day, they're my friends.
It's different for you.
‐ Mm. Yeah.
GARETH: You're welcome.
PHILIP: Oh, yes! [all exclaiming]
PEGGY: Teresa! You look amazing.
[all chattering]
GARETH: Connell, shot?
‐ Can I grab one of those? Thanks very much.
‐ Hi. GARETH: Oh, hi.
CONNELL: Hi, Teresa. ‐ Hi. How are you?
Good to see you again. CONNELL: Yeah, you, too.
‐ Oh, there you go. ‐ Sure thing. Cheers.
‐ Me as well? GARETH: Yeah, you as well.
[Gareth coughs] ‐ Ugh.
‐ I said I was coming for one.
‐ Yeah. So‐‐ ‐ Shots right away.
CONNELL: Yeah.
‐ Hello. JAMIE: Hi.
‐ Thanks.
‐ How are you feeling?
‐ Awful.
You left early.
‐ What did I miss? ‐ More alcohol.
Bad dancing to bad music.
‐ Is there any gossip?
‐ No, not really. Em...
Oh, uh, Teresa and your pal left pretty soon after you did.
Looked very cozy. ‐ Mm.
‐ It's funny. I can't picture the two of you guys, uh...
hanging out in school and stuff.
‐ Well, we didn't, really.
‐ Right. Yeah. That makes sense.
Is he, like...
...smart?
‐ Well, he's smarter than me.
‐ Right.
‐ He's actually the smartest person I've ever met.
‐ Fair enough.
We should probably get to the library.
Yeah, I obviously have a lot of work to do to become...
the smartest person you've ever met, so... [Marianne laughing]
‐ I don't think it's possible, yeah. ‐ Ah, do you not think?
‐ No. ‐ He's the smart person you've ever met?
‐ All right?
‐ Well, well. Walk of fucking shame.
‐ You all right, Elaine?
ELAINE: I don't think I can get you out of this one, Connell.
NIALL: Good night, then.
CONNELL: I'm just gonna grab a shower. ‐ [chuckles] I bet you are.
‐ And be out of your way.
‐ Was it, though? ‐ Good to see you, Elaine.
[Elaine laughs]
NIALL: That man's a dark horse. He'll tell you nothing.
LECTURER: So, rather than looking at modernism
solely as a literary phenomenon,
we can regard it as a historical process,
enfolding within and along with
other significant processes and developments of the 1910s and '20s.
Thank you.
Oh, a bit of housekeeping.
Next week's lecture will be in the Jonathan Swift.
[indistinct chattering]
‐ Hey.
‐ Could I read your Joyce essay?
The one that you got that unprecedented,
like, literally impossible mark in.
‐ Oh. Where'd you hear that?
‐ Talk of the year.
People are competitive. ‐ Yeah.
[Sadie laughs] Right.
‐ I'm going to the literary society later on.
‐ Oh, right.
‐ Yeah, they're looking for new members, actually. ‐ Ah, okay.
‐ You look really sweet when you're concentrating.
You have a really cute serious face.
‐ God, I'm so distracted by this committee bullshit.
There was another argument last night.
Phil went off on Hannah, and I think she might resign.
It's just... It's just so fucking boring, you know?
‐ I, I really need to finish this before class.
‐ Sure. It's fine.
MARIANNE: What's it like?
You're, like, this star.
You're top of the class. ‐ [laughs softly] I don't know what you mean.
‐ Do you enjoy it?
Being recognized like that? ‐ Ah.
Don't think I'm brilliant or anything like that.
‐ Mm? ‐ No, I mean it.
‐ It's just... no one else does their reading properly.
They literally show up to discuss a book that they haven't even read,
and then they just bang on about it, like, with complete confidence.
And then... people are fools.
‐ And that bothers you?
[scoffs]
‐ I suppose it does a little bit.
No, that's not even it. It's... [clears throat]
What upsets me is it's...
is that I...
barely know what to say half the time, like...
Like outside of this. Outside of work.
Like... Like they don't have to go around and pretend, or...
be anything other than themselves. You know?
And I feel like I'm...
walking around trying on a hundred different versions of myself.
It's just not working, or...
‐ It doesn't seem like that.
From the outside, I mean.
‐ Then I think about home, and...
...school, and fuck, I just...
I can't connect this life and...
and that life. It just...
just doesn't fit.
Huh.
Hmm. Do your friends know about us?
Just, like... what happened at school, or whatever?
‐ No.
Joanna does.
Sort of.
But not the others.
I don't think so.
I mean, they may have picked up on something, but I never told them.
‐ And would you be embarrassed if they found out?
That we were together in school, or whatever?
‐ Yeah.
In some ways.
‐ Why?
‐ Because it was humiliating.
‐ You mean the way I treated ya?
‐ Yeah.
And just the... [sighs]
Just the fact that I put up with it.
Did you ever think about asking me to the Debs?
I know, it's such a stupid thing.
But, uh, I'm curious whether you thought about it. ‐ Um... [clears throat]
Uh, to be honest, uh, no.
I wish that I did.
Yeah.
Would you have said yes?
‐ Yeah.
[moans]
Fuck's sake.
‐ I'm really sorry.
Apparently everybody knew about us, anyway.
‐ Everyone knew what? ‐ That we were seeing each other.
‐ I didn't tell anyone, Connell,
I swear to God. ‐ Ah, fuck, I know.
That's not what I mean. I mean...
My point is is that even if you had told people,
it wouldn't have mattered.
‐ Were they horrible about it?
‐ No.
[laughs softly]
Believe it or not, no one even cared.
I feel really guilty
about all that stuff I said to you about, uh...
how bad it would be if people found out.
Like, obviously that was just...
That was just what was going on in my head, and...
There'd be no reason why anybody would care. I just...
[Connell clears throat]
I think I just suffered from anxiety with those sort of things.
I don't know. It's...
Yeah.
I still think about it all the time. I still...
think about why I acted in such a fucked up way, and I'm really sorry...
Marianne, I... [Marianne sniffles, exhales]
I really am sorry.
‐ I forgive you.
‐ Thank you.
[birds chirping]
‐ What?
MARIANNE: Sorry.
GARETH: We're just...
I thought we were going to a party. ‐ I'm sorry, I just, I...
felt I had to say it.
‐ But we're good. I mean, this is good. Everyone says we're good together.
‐ I mean, that's not a reason‐‐
And do they?
Does everyone really go around saying that? ‐ Yeah.
‐ Do people even care?
‐ Yeah. I think people care that their friends are happy, yeah.
‐ Look, I'm sorry. I just‐‐ I don't think this is working.
It's not what I want anymore.
‐ Anymore. ‐ Yeah.
‐ So you did want this at some point.
Wow.
You are literally like a completely different person right now.
‐ Sorry.
Are you sure you don't mind bringing me?
‐ Sure, I'm going there myself, aren't I?
‐ But, uh, you hadn't promised Teresa a lift?
‐ What are you drinking?
‐ Gin. ‐ And...
‐ Gin. [laughs]
‐ Right.
MARIANNE: She was talking about you.
‐ Right. ‐ You guys fighting or something?
‐ Oh, are we fighting? That's insane. Did she say that?
‐ No.
But she said you were seeing each other.
‐ And that means we're fighting, does it?
‐ So you are seeing each other.
‐ It's casual.
‐ That's exactly what she said.
Did you agree between you that that's what you were gonna tell people?
‐ Not as such, I don't think.
‐ You have such a nice face.
‐ [chuckles] You're getting drunk.
‐ People have said that to me.
That your face is nice. ‐ That's nice of them.
‐ I just broke up with Gareth.
Like, an hour ago.
Is that why you were drinking gin on gin?
‐ Didn't hurt that much.
‐ You all right?
‐ I think I'm just a fundamentally cold, unfeeling person.
I feel absolutely fine. ‐ That's bullshit.
‐ We weren't meant to be.
Wasn't a good fit.
‐ Feel like I could have told you that myself.
‐ Do you?
Hmm.
[indistinct chattering]
MARIANNE: Hi. Sophie!
‐ Hi!
‐ I'll go find the fridge, all right?
SOPHIE: You made it! ‐ Hi. [laughs]
SOPHIE: You look so nice. ‐ Ooh, hi, hi, hi.
JAMIE: Hi. How are you? MARIANNE: Fine, how are you?
JAMIE: Yeah, good.
‐ [laughs] What are they, like‐‐
I might go and say hello, but I'll catch you in a bit.
SOPHIE: Okay.
‐ Hey. Hi.
ALL: Hi! Hello!
‐ You look fantastic. PHILIP: Mm‐hmm.
‐ Is this new? MARIANNE: Yes.
‐ Hi. How are you doing?
‐ I'm great.
I'm great. PEGGY: Of course she's great.
She just lost 10 stone of boring. JOANNA: [laughing] Oh, no.
‐ Peggy, that's terrible.
JOANNA: Poor Gareth. ‐ Ah, he'll be fine.
[all laughing] ‐ Where's Connell?
‐ Em, I don't know. I think he's inside.
Probably looking for Teresa.
‐ Yeah. PHILIP: Yeah, I heard they hooked up.
That's cool. [coughs]
‐ You're such a baby.
[all laughing] ‐ I'm not having that again.
♪ "Nikes" by Frank Ocean playing ♪
‐ ♪ Sippin' pink‐gold lemonades, Feelin' ♪
♪ I may be younger, but I'll look after you ♪
♪ We're not in love ♪
♪ But I'll make love to you ♪
♪ When you're not here, I'll save some for you ♪
‐ No, it was good.
PHILIP: I'm gonna nip down now. Do you want a beer?
‐ Yeah, I'll take another one of those. Is that all right?
PHILIP: Yep. CONNELL: Sound.
MARIANNE: You've been off with Teresa.
‐ Have I?
‐ Mm. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
You're completely out of it, are you?
‐ You smell like perfume. ‐ Hmm.
Yeah, well, uh...
Teresa's not actually at the party, so...
[both laugh] As in, she's not really here.
‐ Come here.
Do you like her better than me?
‐ Mm? No.
To be honest, I don't really know her that well, so...
‐ Was she better in bed than I am?
‐ You're drunk, Marianne.
If you were sober, you'd never ask that.
‐ So it's not the answer that I want.
‐ Mm. Obviously it's the answer that you want.
[Connell chuckles]
Aah... ‐ [whispers] Let's go upstairs.
‐ Yeah.
Mm‐hmm. Yeah, we actually are upstairs, Marianne.
[both laughing]
‐ I want you to fuck me. ‐ Yeah.
Hmm.
Not tonight. You're wasted.
‐ Is that the only reason? ‐ Yeah.
That's it.
‐ Otherwise you would? ‐ Marianne. [chuckles nervously]
‐ I'll give you drugs.
‐ [laughs] You don't even‐‐ Marianne‐‐
You don't have drugs.
You should go lie down.
‐ Just kiss me.
‐ Goodnight, Marianne.
I'll be here in the morning.
PEGGY: You okay?
‐ Hmm.
[birds chirping]
[muffled music playing through walls]
[distant indistinct chattering]
‐ Hey.
[brakes squealing]
[engine running]
Sorry about last night.
‐ Ah. Forget about it.
‐ I think it would be a bit difficult for us to stay friends
if one of us kept trying to sleep with the other one.
‐ Mm.
[engine turns off]
[engine rattling]
[birds calling]
[door clatters open]
[heels clicking]
‐ I'm gonna have a shower. ‐ Cool.
Make some coffee.
[water running]
[exhales]
[Marianne pants]
‐ [whispers]: Come to bed, then.
[Connell breathing heavily]
♪
[Marianne moans softly]
[Connell exhales] [Marianne moans]
♪
[pants]
♪
It's not like this with other people.
‐ I know.
I think we'll be fine.
♪ "Make You Feel My Love" by Ane Brun ♪
‐ ♪ When the rain is blowing in your face ♪
♪ And the whole world is on your case ♪
♪ I could offer a warm embrace ♪
♪ To make you feel my love ♪
♪ When evening shadows and the stars appear ♪
♪ And there is no one there to dry your tears ♪
♪ I could hold you for a million years ♪
♪ To make you feel my love ♪