Ready to start?
Yes.
And I suppose we'd better hurry if you don't want me to croak on screen.
[chuckles]
Um, please just direct your answers into the camera.
So, what are your thoughts on how San Francisco's changed since the '60s?
Hm.
Not much, actually.
Really?
You don't think the city's changed dramatically?
Well, uh...
we're still people.
Aren't we? I mean...
Flawed...
narcissistic...
and doin' our best.
[Claire] So, you haven't seen dramatic changes in your...
How many years have you lived here?
Yes. That seems...
like the proper place to start, doesn't it?
[chuckles]
I moved here in 1966,
over 50 years ago,
and I suppose it was a different place then,
in some ways.
But in others, of course,
no, not at all.
[crowd] We're here!
We're queer! We won't disappear!
-[phone buzzes] -We're here! We're queer!
We won't disappear!
We're here! We're queer!
-We won't disappear! -[man] Come on!
We're here!
Some construction dude just carried in a chainsaw.
-What the fuck do we do? -It's from Michael.
-"It's Claire"? -It's Claire.
-I don't get it. What's Claire? -She's the one blackmailing Anna.
Is that a sentence I'm supposed to understand?
We have to find Anna.
So, um...
I took the money.
I, um...
I took the money,
had my surgery,
and I bought Barbary Lane.
Uh... It... it became a safe haven for me.
And for many others.
I'm not proud of my choice, Claire.
In fact, I've, um...
I've been living in the, uh...
shadow of my shame for most of my life.
This is why I sat down with you today.
To say thank you.
I'm sorry, I don't--
Ysela told me that you interviewed her.
I know you asked her about Compton's.
And then...
my story came out.
You saw an opportunity to exploit an old woman
and the mistakes she made a long time ago.
Isn't that right?
-You must be going senile. I... -Claire.
Dear.
It's over.
You're an incredible hypocrite, Anna Madrigal.
Pretending to be this wise,
magnanimous fairy godmother to all when...
really, you're a spineless liar.
Is there not room for a person to be both of those things?
No, there's not.
There's only the truth.
Isn't that your whole stupid thing?
Ah. Yes, but...
if you've manipulated the truth...
I mean, I don't know...
is it the truth anymore?
-[Jake] Anna? -[rattling]
-Anna! -Are you okay?
Anna!
-[Jake] Anna, are you in there? -[Margot] Hello?
Do you think I'm an idiot? I see what you're doing.
You think you're gonna save me?
Add me to your little collection of broken people?
You're not broken, Claire.
You're good.
You can still be good.
-Anna? -Anna!
[Anna] I'm all right, dears.
You see, without you threatening to expose me, Claire,
I might not have known the unconditional love
that my family has for me.
You gave me a gift.
Then I guess we're even.
Because tearing this place down
is gonna be the perfect ending to my documentary.
And you gave that to me.
Whoa.
That is dark.
[Anna] You know,
it's never too late to change the ending of your story.
You still have a chance.
You can still be part of this family.
-No. -[claps]
This movie's mine, and it's gonna be great.
And people will finally see me.
So-- So, you wear the vest, like, every day?
Are there-- Are there different colors, or is it just, like, the same, or is it--
What the fuck, Lucas? You're supposed to be filming.
Oh, hey, what's up? How did the, um... the... the interview go?
Jesus Christ.
Hey.
-Why the fuck are you just standing? -Who the hell are you?
I'm the one paying you to demolish this fucking place.
Ma'am, and please know it pains me to call you that,
we're unable to safely begin demolition with all these people here.
-Fucking pussies! -[gasping]
Oh, honey. You must not have gotten the memo.
We don't use that word to imply weakness.
It's denigrating to women.
I'll just do everything by my fucking self.
Lucas, on me. Hero shot.
-Yes? -[clears throat]
Not much, when you got this many people...
Oh!
[Claire yells] Hey, everyone, eyes up here!
Who is this? This that girl with the camera?
To say goodbye to Barbary Lane,
a safe haven to so many,
is this what it's come to?
Guys, it's Claire!
-Is this how little we care that no one... -[Jake] It's her!
...can afford to keep their homes?
She's the one trying to destroy Barbary Lane!
-Ignore him! Lucas, on me. -Huh?
On me!
Jesus, let it go. Everyone knows the truth already.
You think that matters?
The truth is irrelevant.
I can edit all of you out of this.
I can make this story whatever I want it to be.
All right, Evita.
Girl, haven't you heard? We are done being erased.
Oh, a new chant.
-Done being erased. -We're!
-[crowd chants] Done being erased! -[yells]
-Done being erased! -[Ida] Come on!
Done being erased!
Done being erased! Done being erased!
Done being erased!
-Done being erased! -Get the fuck off me!
[woman] Claire Marie Duncan!
Jesus Christ, Claire!
What the fuck are you doing?
This is important, Mom.
I'm an...
I'm important.
-Huh. Barely. -Oh, girl.
[man] Come on, honey. Let-- Let's go.
Doing exactly what you told me to do.
"Find your passion, Claire."
Blackmailing a 90-year-old woman was not what we meant.
[Claire] Sorry I didn't follow in Mom's footsteps.
Would bulimia and hot yoga have been better?
Well, at least my hobbies are socially acceptable.
There you go.
-Ooh, she messy. -Uh-huh.
[scoffs] How many times did I tell you I didn't wanna have kids?
She's a disaster.
Dr. Cordaro always said her wounded inner child could cause a dramatic need--
-I hate you. -Oh, come on, honey.
-I think she's doing great. -Hate you. Shut up!
Shut up. Shut up.
Stop it, you fucking idiot! [sobs]
Oh, wow.
This is...
confusing.
We did it!
[cheering]
Sorry.
[Anna] Isn't this something?
Anna, are you all right?
Hey, um, Michael.
What's up? Can you...
Oh, shit.
[upbeat dance music playing]
Tell us about getting into Claire's parents' house again.
-[Mary Ann] You go! -All right, so I throw this cape thing
over my shoulders, and I start spouting this Italian,
which I honestly didn't even know I remembered.
Thank God for my slutty summer in Rome.
Amen!
And then when Claire's mom brought out those paintings...
Oh, those God-awful paintings.
I wish you all could have been there when we saw her face.
This is the moment when I finally understand why CSI's so popular,
because I'm like, "Zoom in, enhance, enhance."
It was one of the greatest thrills of my life.
-Oh! -No, honestly.
-We were a great team. -Great.
-Yes. -Truly.
-Well, you started it all. -Well...
I only... I had a suspicion.
You're being modest.
You knew, you knew the whole time that something was wrong.
-I had a hunch. -[laughter]
-To Mary Ann. -Hear, hear!
[cheering]
-[man] Yeah! -♪ Run with me tonight ♪
♪ I know you feel Like you're standing still ♪
♪ And I catch you by surprise ♪
♪ We fail, we win, and start again ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Keep on moving... ♪
[Mary Ann] Should we get stoned?
Yes. We're celebrating.
-Yeah. -Where's Anna when you need her?
She's resting. Pretty exhausting day.
Pretty exhausting 50 years.
All right. I know someone who'll have a stash.
♪ This is the good life ♪
My daughter.
Brian, we can't just break into her apartment.
It's not breaking in if you have a key. Come on.
[laughing]
[Brian] Come on!
♪ The good life ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ The good life ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
[sighs deeply]
No Ben tonight?
No, he and I are...
taking a break.
Oh. I'm sorry.
Actually, that's wishful thinking. I have no idea if we're...
taking a break or...
or if we're broken.
I remember that feeling.
Did you, uh... Did you know that was happening?
Yeah, sort of.
Looks happy.
Think you'll stay here now?
I hope so.
I wouldn't want to move away from Anna.
Hm.
Feel like it's my responsibility to take care of her.
What about you?
I don't know.
I've been here my whole adult life. [chuckles]
I never questioned it, never considered another possibility,
and then all this happened, and...
I had to force myself to get used to the idea of being somewhere else.
And I started to wonder...
who that guy would be, you know?
Version of me who doesn't live here.
Maybe he'd be better.
Maybe living here has...
kept me stagnant in all the wrong ways.
Well...
for my money, I hope you stay.
[chuckles]
Thanks, buddy.
You should go talk to her.
Yeah?
Yeah.
This feels wrong.
It's fine.
Ohh...
What if I find a...
A vibrator or something?
Well, just consider yourself lucky that you weren't around for puberty.
Well, we could... We could always sneak into Anna's next.
Oh, yeah, let's go and surprise a 90-year-old while she's sleeping.
That'll end well.
-Gotta have somethin'. -Ugh!
Zero weed,
but I did find some peanut butter and chocolate ice cream.
Oh, no.
Vibrator?
Hey, uh, excuse me.
Could you tell me how to get to the airport?
["New Religion" playing] ♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
[laughter]
Hey.
Mind if I steal her for a dance?
Not at all.
My, so formal.
[chuckles]
♪ Open to you if you're willing... ♪
[chuckles]
-Thanks for all your help today. -Of course.
I wasn't sure if...
If...
what?
Nothing. It sounds stupid.
Just say it.
If you hated me.
Jake.
I will literally never hate you.
I missed you.
I mean, I miss being able to talk and stuff.
Well, maybe we could...
I don't know.
Get Saturday burritos one of these days?
For real?
Why not?
Cool.
Things going well with...
Yeah.
It's fun.
How are you?
I'm fine.
Are you?
I'm, uh...
I'm... gay.
Welcome to the club.
[both laugh]
Haven't said it out loud like that yet.
I'm honored.
It's so crazy. I feel like I've spent the majority of my life coming out.
"I'm a lesbian." "I'm trans." "I'm gay."
[laughs]
Remember when you told me you wanted to transition?
-That day in Dolores Park? -Yes.
You were so nervous. You said it with a giant bite of burrito in your mouth,
and I could barely understand you.
And I had to say it three more times before you understood.
-A real Hallmark moment. -[laughs]
-[sighs] -Jesus.
♪ I'm living for the feeling ♪
♪ I got a new religion ♪
♪ Yeah... ♪
I think I'm gonna have a baby.
-With DeDe? -No! [scoffs]
With myself.
I've...
I've wanted to be a mom for so long, and...
I don't know why I keep waiting for someone else, you know?
The world needs more Margots.
You really think that?
You kidding me? Smart, funny,
sarcastic, honest people?
Yes. We need more of you.
Could I be, like, Uncle Jake,
maybe?
I think, whoever they end up being,
they'd be super, super lucky to have an Uncle Jake.
When we're back,
I'll be talking to a talented little girl who can eat fire.
Hi. [chuckles]
I'm sure that'll be a useful skill later in life.
We'll be right back.
[theme music plays]
Did you know?
No idea.
-I don't even know where she got them. -I can't believe it.
Maybe she actually didn't hate me all those years.
[chuckles]
I knew she didn't.
[sighs]
I miss her.
So much. [chuckles]
-I know. -[sighs]
I know you do.
Do you think other people get to see all of her?
I mean, she's so tough, you know?
I worry sometimes that she...
hides that other stuff, like her kindness and loyalty, you know?
Well, the part of her that watches these tapes.
Maybe I didn't teach her how to be vulnerable.
No, you did.
I know you did.
Hm.
I've seen how she looks at Anna.
[theme music plays]
-I hope you're right. -[chuckles]
And we're back.
You really should have told me about my hair.
Bangs were in.
But first...
How do you feel?
Calm.
It's unlike you to be so efficient with your words, my friend.
Perhaps it's all been said.
I doubt that very much indeed.
Oh, what the hell. It's been a day.
[chuckles]
Attaboy.
Whew!
Mm.
At the risk of sounding overly sentimental and having my British passport revoked,
I've become...
quite grateful for your friendship, Mrs. Madrigal.
And I yours.
I wonder if Anna's up.
You think we can bother her for a joint?
[snoring]
Stop right there!
Oh!
Sorry, too soon? Sorry!
[laughs] Sorry! I guess I need to work on my timing a little.
Perhaps when you have the impulse to speak,
you should only act on it 25% of the time.
That's very good advice.
Hm.
Let me help you.
-Here. -Oh, thank you.
Here we are.
You sit here, Anna.
Aah! Thank you.
[sighs] I should get going. It's well past my bedtime.
And technically, we have a curfew at Flamingo Arms.
Please tell Bill I said hello.
And the same to Doris from me.
I'll have to write Doris a note, and she'll likely light it on fire,
but I'll do what I can.
Mm. Mwah!
Adieu.
Bye.
[gate creaks]
Did you get some rest?
A bit.
Well, you're doing better than Brian.
You should have seen how fast he fell asleep upstairs.
Oh?
No, it's... it's not like that.
I very much hope it was, dear.
We'll see.
[wind chimes tinkling]
Hm.
I owe you an apology.
For what?
Lying to all of you for so long.
Letting everyone tell you you were crazy,
when you knew there was something wrong all along.
Well...
someone I know told me to trust my instincts.
I'm very grateful.
Please.
It's the least I can do.
And this is my home, too, Anna.
Is it?
I'm thinking about staying.
I mean, if there's...
there's space for me when all the dust settles.
Wow!
I'd like that very much.
Me, too. [laughs]
These things...
have a way of working themselves out.
Anna.
Yes, dear.
Thank you...
for not giving up on me.
Thank you...
for not giving up on me.
I was so afraid I might lose you all.
[chuckles]
Not a chance.
[sniffles] Oh! Ah.
I think you've outlasted me.
-Can I help get you inside? -Oh, no, no.
It's strangely warm this evening.
I'd like to sleep out here.
Do me a favor. Put the blanket on me.
How's that?
Perfect.
I think I'll go see if I can bunk up with Michael tonight.
I bet he could use the company.
You know... that he and Ben--
Anna Madrigal!
Always the neighborhood gossip.
Goodnight, Mrs. Madrigal.
Goodnight.
Mm.
["Landslide" playing]
♪ I took my love, I took it down ♪
♪ I climbed a mountain And I turned around ♪
♪ And I saw my reflection In the snow-covered hills ♪
♪Till the landslide brought me down ♪
♪ Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? ♪
♪ Can the child within my heart Rise above? ♪
♪ Can I sail through The changing ocean tides? ♪
♪ Can I handle the seasons of my life? ♪
♪ Well, I've been afraid of changing ♪
♪ 'Cause I built my life around you ♪
♪ But time makes you bolder ♪
♪ Even children get older ♪
♪ And I'm getting older too ♪
[phone buzzes]
Hey, Dad, I just landed.
♪ Well, I've been afraid of changing ♪
♪ 'Cause I built my life around you ♪
♪ But time makes you bolder ♪
♪ Even children get older ♪
♪ And I'm getting older too ♪
♪ Oh, and I'm getting older too ♪
♪ Oh, take my love, take it down ♪
♪ I climbed a mountain And I turned around ♪
♪ And if you see my reflection In the snow-covered hills ♪
♪ Well, the landslide'll bring you down ♪
♪ And if you see my reflection ♪
♪ In the snow-covered hills ♪
♪ Well, the landslide'll bring you down ♪
♪ Ooh, the landslide'll bring you down ♪
[wind chimes tinkling]
It's like I thought she was gonna live forever.
None of this feels real. [sighs]
Yeah, that part takes a long time.
You guys should try and eat a little if you can.
She seemed fine last night.
Was it all the stress from the last couple of months, because...
I will fucking murder Claire.
[Brian] No.
The doctor said this just happens, and...
it was as peaceful as you could hope for.
And she lived such a long life.
Do you think she was waiting?
That, like...
having all this stuff about her past finally come out...
gave her some peace?
I've been thinking that, too. I hope so.
Give her some time.
-Mm. -[door closes]
What was she like when you first met her?
Do you remember?
[chuckles] Oh, I'll never forget.
Uh...
I'd, uh... seen the listing in the paper.
And, uh... it took me forever to find the steps.
I must have wandered past six or seven times.
And when I finally got to the top, I remember thinking,
it better be one hell of an apartment to justify that climb every day.
And then I saw her.
[chuckles]
She was sitting right there,
in that chair...
in a caftan.
[Jen laughs]
Just looking off into the distance.
And I-- I started to introduce myself to her,
and she cut me off and...
she goes...
-"Spare me the boring stuff." -[laughter]
-"Tell me the truth." -"Tell me the truth."
You, too?
-First words she ever said to me. -[Jonathan] Man.
We missed the golden age.
You didn't.
Hm.
You know Anna just as well as we did.
Maybe even better.
[Michael] True. She was more open with you guys.
I think she felt safer with you.
[both chuckle]
-Really? -[Michael] Mm.
[Mary Ann] He's right.
Oh, no, I-- I saw how she delighted in you.
How you live your lives.
[Brian] I think she always felt slightly, um...
disappointed in us.
-[laughs] -Well, more than slightly, in some cases.
-[laughs] -Huh!
But she talked about you all the time.
She did?
She was always telling us stories of when you first moved in.
-How excited you were. -Oh.
-How she tried to set you up with Brian. -[chuckles]
Well, it just goes to show you that she was a terrible matchmaker.
[all laugh]
[gate opens]
[clears throat]
Please forgive, uh... my intrusion. I...
[sighs] Well, I only just heard, and I thought I'd--
Sam.
Welcome. Here, please, sit.
Thank you.
We were just sharing memories of our dear Anna.
Oh!
Yes. Thank you.
Sam, what did you think of her when you first met?
Well...
I thought...
"What a pain in the arse."
[all laugh]
[laughter outside]
-[mouth full] These are delicious. -Yes, a woman named Doris made them.
She doesn't care for me at all, but she loved your Anna quite a bit.
-[chuckling] -Cookies were invented for sad days.
Anna told me that once.
How that woman survived for as long as she did
on a diet of pot and sugar, I will never know.
Sometimes I think she really was magical.
Me, too.
Well, that's how we all ended up here, right?
Magic?
I've always thought so.
I don't think I've ever said this out loud before, but...
I always felt like I'd been summoned here.
Exactly.
Anna didn't believe in coincidence.
So neither shall we.
Hear, hear.
[knocking at door]
Hey.
Wait, wait, wait, wait! Uh... Please.
It's important. Look, Claire doesn't know I'm here.
Uh, I'm really sorry for just showing up like this.
I know I'm, like, the last person in the world you wanna see right now.
Well... after Claire, I guess.
But, um... Look, I-- I had no idea that she was a psycho.
I mean, I don't even know if I'm gonna get school credit for my internship.
-So... -What do you want?
Oh, yeah.
I thought you should have this.
This is Claire's documentary?
Sort of like a rough cut I've been puttin' together.
-I don't want it. -Well, no offense,
but I think you should watch it.
Turns out you can still make a cool thing even if you're insane.
Kind of like van Gogh, I guess.
It's kinda...
beautiful?
Okay.
Well, see you around.
[Michael] The way Jake looked at me this morning...
[Ben] He must have been so scared.
Yeah, he was.
But I was, too.
And then I saw the way he was looking at me...
and I realized, "Oh, my God.
I'm the adult now."
I mean, I know I've always been, but...
Anna was there, you know?
Anna had the answers.
And now...
Look, you don't have to take on anything you don't want to.
It's not even that. It's just, the whole generation above me is gone now.
The-- The ceiling between me and death...
just evaporated. [laughs]
Just like that.
And next it'll be me...
and Mary Ann and Brian.
[chuckles]
[sighs]
Christ, I spent so much time avoiding talking about my age around you.
And now look at me.
Michael, I need to apologize to you for those things that I said at the river.
-It's okay. -No. No, it's not.
Really.
It is.
What now?
I don't know.
[sighs]
Can we just...
keep walking?
[chuckles]
Yeah.
[ship's horn blares]
[footsteps]
Talk about déjà vu, huh?
How are you holding up?
Ugh.
It's probably a ridiculous question.
It is, yes.
You?
I am...
tremendously sad...
and very glad you are back.
I just don't know what to think.
How do I make sense of any of this?
I don't know, Shawna.
I-- I wish I had answers for you, some wisdom of some kind, but...
I'd just be making it up.
I'm trying to stop that.
[ship's horn blares]
[Mary Ann sighs]
I stayed with Robert.
What?
Robert? My...
My Ro-- In Connecticut?
[chuckles] Yeah.
You're serious, aren't you?
Well, I'd say "dead," but it's a little inappropriate, considering.
Oh!
-Did he make you eat the pizza? -He did, yeah.
-Bourbon? -Absolutely.
Oh, God. I have many, many questions.
You and me both, lady.
I am really sorry, Shawna.
I know.
You do?
Just took me a second to believe it.
[sniffles]
You know, I came to this conclusion while I was away.
That maybe you-- you and I are kinda the same.
I would consider myself very lucky if that's true.
I should get some sleep.
Night.
Mouse?
[Michael] Hi, babycakes.
No Ben?
No, he went home.
-It was nice of him to come. -[sighs]
It was.
You need anything?
What are we gonna do?
I don't know, sweetheart.
It's just, none of this makes sense without her.
I know.
Hey.
You mind if I sit?
-Shawna-- -I'm so mad at you.
Yeah, I know, and you should be.
[sighs]
-I-- I-- I never meant to-- -Please don't.
I'm not ready.
I missed her.
I know.
[sniffles]
I'm so sorry.
I never got to say goodbye.
I yelled at her the last time I saw her.
A person who...
Hey, hey, hey.
-She knew. -Yeah, what if she didn't?
She knew.
She know how much you loved her.
How important she was to you. She knew.
[chuckles]
It's your Peter Pan phase.
It's right before the mermaid phase.
Dad.
[inhales]
Ohh... I'm gonna tell you something, kiddo. I'm never...
never gonna take for granted you calling me that ever again.
[sighs]
-I think I'm gonna go away for a while. -Really?
You just got back, but...
Well, Anna left me some money, and I...
I just think I should travel and...
Like, figure out who I am away from this place.
Mm.
And how to be attracted to people that aren't insane.
Mm! [chuckles]
Like, last time, I felt like I was running away.
This... This time, I feel like I'm running towards something.
Just not... sure what that is yet, so...
[sniffles]
Well...
I guess I always knew this would happen one day.
[clears throat]
It won't be forever.
You'll call?
Yeah, I'll call.
You'll call a lot?
Uh...
Sometimes.
[laughs and sobs]
You're a really tough negotiator. I'll take that.
[sighs]
[wind chimes tinkling]
[birdsong]
[bleep]
[Anna] I would love to announce that I'm a person without regrets,
but, alas...
I am not.
I have regrets. Many of them, in fact.
Things I wish I'd done better.
Times I wish I had more grace.
Moments...
that required more kindness than...
I was able to summon.
No, I don't believe a life lived perfectly is the goal.
A life that has produced scars and wrinkles
and a heart open enough
that's bound to get broken a few times...
that's what I'm after.
["It's Okay to Cry" playing]
♪ I don't mean to reproach By saying this... ♪
It started out as a cross-dressing club with waiters-slash-hookers in the '40s.
And then it was a Latin leather club.
That place saved my fuckin' life.
It's more than just an apartment, obviously.
We're sitting on top of layers and layers of queer people sediment.
♪ It's okay, it's okay, it's okay ♪
Was that weird?
[Michael] You know, once you feel seen by someone,
like Anna Madrigal makes you feel seen,
you don't wanna leave.
Everything that made me me came from Barbary Lane.
[Shawna] I-- I-- I don't really know how to describe what that is.
♪ Oh, was that a teardrop in your eye? ♪
♪ I never thought I'd see you cry ♪
♪ Just know whatever hurts It's all mine ♪
-♪ It's okay to cry ♪ -♪ It's okay to cry ♪
♪ Oh, I can see the truth Through all the lies ♪
♪ And even after all this time ♪
♪ Just know you've got nothing to hide ♪
-♪ It's okay to cry ♪ -♪ It's okay to cry ♪
♪ To cry ♪
-♪ It's okay to cry ♪ -♪ It's okay to cry ♪
♪ Oh, was that a teardrop in your eye? ♪
♪ I never thought I'd see you cry ♪
♪ Just know whatever hurts It's all mine ♪
♪ It's okay to cry ♪
-♪ It's okay to cry ♪ -[laughter]
♪ Oh, I can see the truth Through all the lies ♪
♪ And even after all this time ♪
♪ Whatever it is Just know it's all right ♪
-♪ It's okay to cry ♪ -♪ It's okay to cry ♪
[Anna] I read something once that our souls have chosen this exact life,
that death comes after you've fulfilled your prescribed journey.
There's something I quite liked about that.
It's a bit of magic.
Isn't it?
Ah, there you are.
Okay, ready?
[chuckles]
On three.
[all] One, two, three!