- Here's a riddle.
"I am inherently worthless...
- "...but highly prized.
- "I will empty out your bank account.
- "I'm all about love.
- "But I have a heart of stone
"and have been known...
"...to prefer to be owned."
- What?
- It's good.
- I have to go back to the library.
- Okay. I don't. - Hmm.
- Off you fuck then.
- Okay, bye. - Bye.
Have fun. - Thanks.
Hey. Heya.
- Sorry, it won't be a minute.
- No, no, don't worry.
Do you need to-- - Yeah. Grand.
- Good day? - Mm-hmm. You?
- Yeah, grand. Grand.
I'm actually-- I'm gonna head home tomorrow.
My dad's picking me up.
- Oh, okay.
Uh, have a good summer.
Yeah, you too.
And best of luck with the rest of your exams.
- Thanks.
- Hey, Bobbi. - He's back.
Yay.
Nailed it. - Good shit.
- I think so.
Hey.
- How do you feel?
- Yay. Summer.
That's fair. Surely.
- Yes. Smart. - Good.
- Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. - Ooh.
More, more, more.
- ...once I start. - Once you--
- Are you like pressuring me right now? - No, I'm just--
- Do you feel that I feel-- - ...just showing interest.
- I should head. - Okay.
Text me when you're home.
- Always, Frances.
Good night. - Good night.
FRANCES and Whip, crack, snap.
An announcement to the females in the room.
- Although we suspect the interest will be wider.
- We are now, thanks to mainstream television.
- Elevated to the status of dominatrix.
Haven't you heard?
- Buckle up, this is the next wave of...
...female empowerment.
You might remember the last one
where we reclaimed the pole
and learned to dance better on it.
Good for exercise.
- I mean, it is... - ...in theory...
- ...in terms of actual muscles...
- ...being exercised.
But is that the point?
- Hey. Oh. thank you.
Mm-hmm.
- That was really great.
Thanks.
That's... that writer.
- I know.
- That's kind of you to say.
MELISSA No, I really loved it.
It was very sweet but ruthless.
- Well, that's Frances. She's the writer.
I'm Bobbi. I'm like her muse.
- Well, I want a muse.
- I don't operate exclusively.
- How long has she been musing for you?
- We started in school.
- We were fucking back then, too, but we don't do that anymore.
We dropped the fucking but kept the poetry.
- That sounds like the wrong way around.
- I know, right?
Where are you from? - London.
You sound-- - New York.
- That's a big change.
- Oh, I know. I was like, "Look at this little baby city."
- I do love living by the sea.
- Do you swim in it? Yes.
And you?
You should try it.
- My name is Jules.
I'm running late.
- I have a little poem for you guys. Mm--
Um--
- It was lovely meeting you.
We should continue this conversation sometime.
- Yeah? Put your number in my phone.
...chase clout for me.
- Did you ever read her book?
- Yeah, I got it, I've just never read it.
- Hmm. It's good.
You'd hate it.
Night, Frances.
Do you do it every day?
- Just about.
- Wow. - Yeah.
- The Irish Sea.
Who fucking knew?
I know, I'm like,
what happens if I just was like, I'm over it?
That was amazing.
- Yeah. Told you.
- Yeah.
Kind of ridiculous.
Yeah.
You'd think I'd know how to open my own door by now.
Come on in.
And you can just... throw your shit there. That's fine.
I'm gonna throw on some water
and, uh, and then
I'm probably gonna jump in the shower, if that's alright.
Yeah, of course.
- It takes me ages to get warm.
Um, there's another bathroom right through there
with some clean towels on the side if you wanna jump in.
- Yeah, thanks. Is that okay?
Yeah, sure. I'm fine.
- Okay, well, help yourself to whatever you'd like.
- Um, can I do anything?
- No. No. Just relax.
Oh, Nick should be back soon.
- Hi.
How's it going? - Hi, I'm Frances.
- Yes. One of the poets.
- Hi. - How was the swim?
- It was good.
- Hi.
- Hey.
- What's for dinner? - Ah, you'll have to wait and see.
- Your house is very cool.
I love it. You two are such grown-ups.
I know.
- How long have you lived here?
- Um, six years? Yeah.
Yeah, I came over when you did, I suppose.
- Yeah. - Bobbi's from New York.
- Oh. Right.
- Yeah, it was a bit of a culture shock at first.
There are, um, a lot of white people here.
Yes. - Yeah.
- I feel like it's a bit better than it used to be, but--
- I mean, it's still
pretty mono... culture. - What brought you over?
Um, my parents got jobs.
They're academics. They hate each other.
Obviously.
Nick's the only person I know
whose parents are still in love.
Mm! - And quite demonstrative.
- Uh, yeah.
- It's quite uncomfortable to be around actually.
- I mean, no one should have to deal with that.
MELISSA Right.
- So Frances studies English.
Really?
- Nick studied English... and French.
Did you like it?
- Yeah, um... yeah, I loved it.
Do you write other stuff, Frances?
Like other forms, prose?
- No. Why not?
Um...
I like the impermanence of this
and, like, the performance thing.
I... feel a bit sick when I think about it lasting forever.
- That's so funny
because I always thought of writing
as about some sort of desire for permanence.
I feel like when I'm writing, I'm trying to get clarity,
and then when I do, I want to keep it.
No, I think I'm trying for that but--
And it... it just doesn't feel possible.
Or maybe I don't want to package it for people to own.
Frances is a communist.
Oh. - Thanks, Bobbi.
Mm-Hmm.
- So, books understood as commodities?
- Maybe, in a sense.
It depends.
I mean, obviously, the really good ones are more than that.
- The rest of us are just grinding it out on the production line.
- You mind if I-- - Oh, please.
Do you need a light? Uh, yes, please.
- I'm not great at these things.
- Me too.
- That was really delicious. Thank you.
Are you, um--
Are you, uh, in something at the moment?
- Um, yeah.
Uh, doing a play.
- Are you enjoying it?
- Um--
I mean, it's, uh... it's nice to be working.
Hmm.
I know people always say that and--
The play is fine.
It's not a very bold choice.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Do you know it?
- Yeah, I-I, um, I read it a long time ago.
But I-I haven't seen it.
- Hmm. - It's melodrama.
Which isn't, you know, it's not a dig. I'm not--
People say that, don't they, in a disparaging way?
But, I mean, that's the point. It's the fun of it.
It's a proper play where stuff happens.
- But, no.
- I should see it.
Uh, like, I liked the play when I read it.
- Yeah, um--
I can get you some tickets.
It's nothing groundbreaking, but--
You're being polite.
- No, I just would really like to see it.
- Yeah, if I take your email, I can sort it out.
What, um, what do you write about?
That's a terrible question. - The worst.
- I'll think of another one. Something lighter.
So are you committed communist?
Not really. No.
Um, I mean, I don't do anything about it at all, uh--
which must make me sound--
- No, not at all.
It's, uh, it's good, I think, in whatever way.
You know, most of us just kind of swim around
in a pretty aimless, comfortable--
um--
I'm not making any sense.
Um, not at all.
Uh, I mean, you are, I think.
...I know! BOBBI That's horrible.
Don't you think it's weird they're married?
Weird how?
You think they're not, like... well-suited?
- Not really.
But, I mean, more like, "Why the fuck would you get married?"
- People get married.
- Obviously, Frances.
- People grow up, get married, have babies.
- Yeah, boring people.
Boring people who then get a fucking divorce.
But she is interesting.
Conscious, smart.
Like, I can't picture them having a wedding
with a dress and those little people on a cake.
Right? - Maybe they didn't.
Maybe she wore a jumpsuit and they had a cheese board.
I don't know.
- It's still fucking marriage.
- You have a crush on her.
- Obviously, I have a crush on her.
- I thought he was funny.
- He barely opened his mouth.
Can you actually imagine them on their own... fucking.
Holding a conversation that lasts longer than two minutes?
- I mean, who knows what happens
between two people when they're alone, Bobbi.
- So I will leave you
in Philip's capable hands.
- Really happy to have you with us for the summer, Frances.
- Thanks.
- See you later. - Thanks, honey.
Great. Uh, you can kinda sit wherever.
Hmm. Where do you sit?
Um, here.
Kind of a hot-desking thing.
Oh. So I can read to you?
- Um, no. You read to yourself... in your head.
- Ah. - And then you write a report.
- So I-I sit here and I make an assessment
on someone's abilities when I'm not qualified.
And I'm fundamentally opposed to the whole notion.
- You said you wanted this job, Frances.
- What happens if I have a shit morning?
Do I just make arbitrary decisions
and we use that as a test of cultural excellence?
- Don't get excited. You write it. I read it.
And if you happen to have an undiscovered genius in that pile...
there may be someone more important who might get to hear about it.
- Alright, then.
- Lean on me.
- No. Just give me my crutch.
- Lean on my shoulder.
- I don't wanna lean on your shoulder, Maggie.
I want my crutch.
Are you gonna give me my crutch
or do I have to get down on my knees on the floor and crawl?
- Here, take it!
Take it.
...before, but it was disgusting.
So how was the play?
- He was good.
Um... yeah, the play was--
Yeah. - Awkward.
- Can't believe you went without me with me.
Was Melissa there?
- Um, I didn't see her.
- Makes sense.
She thinks Tennessee Williams is mannered.
- Yeah, I mean, that's the point, though, isn't it?
Like... like it's not like it's accidentally mannered.
Like, I feel like that's pretty obvious.
- Okay, Frances, now you're being annoying.
- Yeah. Sorry.
Oh, I think our food's ready.
- Fuck.
Frances?
Are you okay?
- Yeah, just period pain.
Have you got any painkillers in there?
- Um, no.
Okay, hang on.
Do you need anything else?
- No, no, no.
You go home.
- Um, Frances.
- You stayed.
- You suffer.
I'll make you some tea.
- Thank you.
How you feelin'?
- Better.
- Stop staring at yourself. - Yeah.
Sorry.
Hey.
Come on.
Ready?
- This poem is called Diamonds.
Here's a riddle.
- My best friend...
- ...is inherently worthless...
- ...but highly prized...
- ...who'll empty out your bank account.
But what they did do, and we'll quote from their report here,
which is much better than anything we could ever make up.
All of these lectures revolve around the diamond engagement ring
and are reaching thousands of girls
in their assemblies, classes, and informal meetings
in our leading educational institutions.
They spread the word, they said,
using wives and daughters of political leaders.
- Any woman who can make the grocer's wife
and the mechanic's sweetheart say...
"I wish I had what she has."
- Do you get a feeling that we are still kneeling
under the heavy midst we've been told
so stones can be sold.
- And if a diamond's a thing, put it on a ring,
but don't sing to me about love being enshrined in its class.
I won't be your audience. I'm out of your grasp.
- Hey. That was brilliant.
Thank you. - Hey.
Well done.
- Thanks. - You wanna buy me a drink?
Yeah, of course. Be my pleasure.
After you. - Thank you.
- So what did you think of the play the other night?
- Yeah, it was good.
I thought you were very good.
Thanks.
- Don't you feel a bit conflicted?
- Generally or--
- You're playing a gay character and you're a straight man.
- Is Brick gay?
Bisexual, maybe.
- You make it sound like gay is the destination
and bisexual is like a stop on the way.
Not quite there.
- Hmm. - I mean, Frances is bisexual.
- Jesus Christ, Bobbi.
- You've probably totally offended her.
- I promise, I feel very conflicted, Bobbi.
- Okay. - And I apologize.
Well, as long as you're self-flagellating and having an awful time.
Melissa, I need you to meet someone. Okay.
Philip, Melissa. Melissa, Philip.
Hi.
- I'm sorry I was late.
- Thanks for coming.
- I really liked it.
Yeah.
I don't really know how to be articulate about it beyond that.
But--
I liked it.
I think it would have been better if I'd said nothing.
I'll craft you an email.
It'll be full of compliments and--
be in complete sentences.
- But won't require us to make eye contact.
- Right.
- We could try, though.
Good to see you!
- This is... amazing.
-Hey, Frances. -Hey.
- People think in couples.
You have to work really hard to resist it.
He's clearly into you.
- He's nice actually.
I'm just not sure what to do yet.
I kissed Melissa.
- I've never had sex with a man before.
- It's important you know how happy you make me.
- We only know him because he's married to someone interesting.
- Melissa's not that interesting.
- There's nothing else that I should know about with Nick, is there?
When did you stop being in love?
- I don't think I did stop.
- You're saying you still love her?
- Were you going to tell me?
Frances. I want to keep seeing you.
- I'm in love with you and you obviously don't feel the same.
I don't really know how to do this anymore.
I thought that maybe I wasn't capable of love.
That isn't true.