♪ suspenseful music ♪
♪
[Edward] [on screen] I like watching you sleep.
It's, uh...
It's kind of fascinating to me.
Um...
Well, I just want to try one thing.
Just stay very still.
♪ slow, melancholy music ♪
♪
Don't move.
[snickers]
[kissing on-screen]
[Billie] That was way better than the book.
[both laughing]
And that kiss, the way he was breathing.
Yeah. They are definitely gonna have
to wet-vac the seats after every show.
- [breathes heavily] - Oh, my God.
- [both laugh] - Hey...
Aw, I just want someone to kiss me like that.
[Byers] Exhibit Eight.
- Mr. Hoy, any objection? - [Hoy] No objection
- to the book, Your Honor. - Received.
[Gia] When she loaned Aaron her Twilight book,
she told him one of her favorite quotes
about how Bella didn't mean to love Edward.
[Byers] We're gonna offer
State's into evidence, Your Honor.
[Gia] And the one thing she knew
was that loving someone gave them
the power to break you.
Are you familiar with that?
Yes. That's my Twilight book.
Now, would you give the jury
a brief overview of the story?
Twilight is about two teenage kids.
One is a vampire. Edward is his name.
And he falls in love with Bella.
And it's a forbidden love because he's tormented
between his love for her and wanting to kill her.
[Byers] Okay, and what is the significance
of this book as it relates to this case?
♪ slow, gentle music ♪
♪
I'm excited to read it.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
I want to know all your favorite things.
"Bella and Edward,
irrevocably in love."
[quietly] That sounds familiar.
[indistinct chatter outside room]
♪
[indistinct chatter outside room]
♪
Hmm.
You feel how fast my heart's beating?
You feel how hard you make me?
Huh?
[Maggie gasps]
[both panting, moaning]
[both gasping]
[school bell rings]
You should go to lunch.
See your friends.
Yeah.
Okay. Um...
Make sure your friends see you.
[panting]
- Hey. - Yeah?
You should wear pants like that more often.
[laughs] Sure.
Easy access.
♪ contemplative music ♪
♪
[Knodel] Ciao, Bella.
♪
[indistinct chatter]
[sighs]
♪
[Arlene] Did you talk to the guidance counselor
about your applications?
I'm gonna do the UND early admission
just to see what happens.
- Good plan, Puppy. - Yeah.
[laughs]
We could maybe take a drive, see both schools,
- check 'em out? - Yeah.
- Hmm, hmm. - [Arlene] Mm.
- Yeah, let's do that. - Yeah.
- [Maggie] I'm gonna head out. - Yeah.
[Maggie] I'm gonna meet Billie tonight.
Ooh.
- Long as you're home by curfew. - I will.
You say that, and then you're not.
Dad, I will be home by curfew, okay?
You better be.
- Bye, Mom. - Have fun, Puppy.
And drive safe.
♪ And when you're in doubt ♪
♪ And when you're in danger ♪
♪ Take a look all around ♪
♪ And I'll be there ♪
[laughter]
♪ I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking ♪
- ♪ Of the right words to say ♪ - ♪ I promise you ♪
♪ I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be ♪
♪ I promise you ♪
♪ But if you wait around a while ♪
♪ I'll make you fall for me... ♪
[laughter]
Mags.
Kurt!
[Maggie and Billie muttering]
Hey. Hey, Kurt, can I have some?
- Uh, yeah. - Thanks.
- What the fuck? - That's right.
What the fuck? You have to drink this.
- Okay. [laughs] - [Maggie] Okay.
- Oh, this music sucks, huh? - [Billie coughing]
What do you listen to? Metal?
Oh, you-you can't appreciate what you don't understand.
[Billie] Death metal is shit, Kurt.
All your taste is shit.
- [Billie laughing] - Well, not my taste in women.
- [laughs] - What do you say, Maggie?
You want to get out of here or...?
- No, Kurt. - [Billie] Oh.
[quietly] We have to go.
- Kurt... - Uh, we're gonna head out.
Well, there-there's more. You'll be back.
See you, Kurt.
[The Vanguards' "Somebody Please" playing]
♪
[Maggie and Billie laughing]
[Billie laughs]
Mm.
So, what the hell is going on with you?
- What? - You've been a fucking
freak lately.
You... [laughs]
I... Just busy.
- No. - Yeah.
Your head is...
I don't know the fuck where.
Just busy.
Now give me those.
[laughing] What?
How's Knodel?
[laughs]
Huh? Knodel?
- Did you say "Knodel"? - Yeah, why are you so weird
- around him? - Yeah. I'm not...
I'm not weird around Knodel.
- You're quiet in his class. - What?
You never talk in there anymore.
- Yes, I do. - No, you don't. It's like
you lost all your opinions.
And he used to act like you were his favorite,
and now it's like he's acting like you're not.
It's really making me fucking wonder, Mags.
You're crazy. [laughing] You're crazy.
So, there's really nothing going on
- with that flirty fuck? - You are crazy. No.
- Mags, just tell me. - Are-are you serious? No.
- I don't know what-- - Mags.
What?
I said no.
Yeah. He's... uh, he's been helping me with my essays
and talking about that after debate sometimes.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
You know this. I have no one to talk to about my parents,
so I've...
I've been talking to Knodel about that.
- You can talk to me. - I would.
- But you can tell me anything. - Aw.
Hey...
I do.
I'm the one who will help you bury the body.
I'll help you bury the body, too.
Bitch.
So, if something were really going on,
- you'd really fucking tell me? - I'd really fucking tell you.
- [Maggie laughs] - Okay.
- [Billie grunts] - [phone chimes, vibrates]
- You want to...? - Hmm?
Want to...?
Few seconds. Let me finish this.
[Billie exhales]
[laughing softly]
♪ slow, melancholy piano music ♪
♪
[music playing faintly]
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Yeah.
- I'm so happy to see you. - [laughs]
I miss you when I'm not with you.
Yeah. Me, too.
[both laughing]
I can't stay with her anymore.
With Marie.
Not when I have this.
I want this with you.
[quietly] Yeah.
- Yeah? - [murmurs]
I can't leave her just yet, but... soon.
What's soon?
- [laughs] - How long can you wait?
Can we get you through college?
- College? - Yeah.
It's five years.
My kids will be older, it'll be easier.
Five years?
[Knodel] You hear what I'm saying?
I love you.
I want to be with you.
I do.
But it's all on your schedule.
[Knodel groans]
[Maggie laughs]
Your rules.
I can't text you first.
We only talk when you can, I only see you when you can.
[sighs] We-we can't make real plans.
I'm just... [sighs]
I'm just waiting around like fricking Rapunzel.
I'm sleeping in a basement.
[Maggie laughing]
- Ooh. - [laughs]
- [Maggie] I know. - I just can't...
Oh, my hands, they only want you.
Maybe the basement's not so bad.
[both grunt]
- [both laughing] - I can think about you
- uninterrupted. - You got your...
[both laugh]
You know what I was thinking?
What?
How I'm older.
Yeah?
Uh, but you've slept with more people.
I've only been with two people.
My high school sweetheart and my college sweetheart.
- But you... - Marie.
[laughs softly] Isn't that funny?
Um...
- You have more experience. - That...
That guy in Hawaii was... my first time.
I know.
I... I didn't know what I was doing.
But the other times?
Yeah, that's... No.
It is...
[exhales]
It was a guy from school and a guy from work,
both totally forgettable.
Not to me.
I can't stand the idea of them being with you.
[laughs] Oh.
My love.
[Maggie giggles]
[ringtone playing]
[Knodel sighs]
♪ In my dreams ♪
♪ I feel your whisper across the sea... ♪
[Knodel sighs]
Sh-Shit, I... I should... I need to go.
I-I... I don't want to get grounded again.
♪ With my best friend... ♪
Will you drop me off at my car?
Shouldn't I take you home?
You've been drinking.
I'll be careful.
- Okay. - [car engine starts]
♪ Lucky we're in love in every way... ♪
This is my favorite song.
♪ Where we have stayed, lucky... ♪
That's it.
- That's me. - [laughs]
[laughs] That's me.
Lucky to be in love with my best friend.
♪ Ooh ♪
[Byers] Now, you've said that he loved you,
that he was in love with you,
that he was going to leave his wife for you.
[Maggie] Yes, at the time.
[Byers] What'd you think about that?
[Maggie] I was amazed.
I felt special.
I felt wanted.
He was gonna leave
his wife for me, and I...
I thought that said something about me.
♪ slow, suspenseful music ♪
♪
[Byers] You also talked about being a-a good Catholic girl.
- [Maggie] Yes. - [Byers] Well,
that must have bothered you.
The idea that he would leave his wife?
That he would
break his bonds of marriage.
Yes, it did.
I know how sacred marriage is,
and I knew
our relationship was a slap in his wife's face.
But I told him many times.
I did a lot of things with Aaron
that my morals would never have let me do.
And honest...
honestly, love can make you do crazy things.
[Byers] Okay, Maggie, I want to jump back
- because I forgot some-- - Your Honor,
- can I ask a question, please? - I'm not sure I can answer it.
Uh, if-if I feel like someone is staring me down and, uh...
making me feel uncomfortable,
- are they allowed to be in here? - [scoffs]
- Yes. - Okay.
- [Byers] Maggie. - Mm-hmm?
When the sexual encounters occurred in the classroom,
did anyone try to come in, to get into the room?
Yes, one teacher did.
[Byers] Can you tell us about that?
♪ slow, gentle music ♪
♪
- Hey. - Hey.
I thought you said we'd come at lunch.
Uh, no.
Sorry, I thought you said during newspaper.
It's fine. Happy to see you.
[Knodel sniffles]
- [laughs] - I got something for you.
- What, yeah? - Yeah.
Wait, no peeking.
Ah! [laughs]
- Don't peek. - [laughing]
- [gasps] Oh. - Happy Valentine's Day.
[laughs] Oh, my favorite.
- Yeah, I know. - Aw, thank you.
Oh, yeah, one more thing.
What are these?
Moments I liked.
Things that reminded me of you. Yeah.
- Like how our love... - Mm-hmm.
...is also without conditions.
[sighs heavily]
God.
[whispering] I can't believe you read it so carefully.
I love you.
[sniffs]
- Smells like you. - Mm-hmm.
There's a letter in there, too.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Like a... a love letter?
Yeah, like a love letter.
[Maggie laughs]
[footfalls approaching]
[both panting]
[both laugh]
[Maggie] Mmm.
[both panting]
Aaron.
[panting]
I love you, Maggie.
Oh, I love you, Aaron.
I love you. I love you.
- [knocking on door] - Oh, shit, Aaron, Aaron, no.
- [Keller] Knodel? - [clears throat]
[knocking]
Uh, yeah, Keller, come in.
[door handle rattling]
[Keller] It's locked.
[mutters]
Uh... yeah.
[clears throat] Hey, man.
What's going on?
Sorry about that.
I thought you were going to the library.
No, I saw her walking by, and I pulled her in. Uh, mea culpa.
I sometimes check the library when students say they're going.
You haven't been there a few times now.
You okay?
Maggie, we'll catch up in class, okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
- [Knodel] Don't forget your bag. - Oh, yeah. [sniffles]
[school bell ringing]
- [laughter] - [indistinct chatter]
[Nicole] We're going to dinner tonight.
- And then fucking in the car? - Nicole is not
getting her cherry popped in Rick's dad's Taurus
just 'cause it's Valentine's Day.
[Melani] [laughs] Well, it's true.
I know you, you cheesy bitch, you're waiting until prom.
[laughs] Maybe.
[Melani] Wait. He asked you already?
[Nicole] Not officially.
But, I mean, we're together.
- Okay. - What about you, Mags?
- What? - Prom.
- [laughter] - Are you gonna go?
- Uh, no. - What?
- But you love that shit. - [laughs] Sorry. No.
Prom is dumb. I'm not gonna go.
But you love that shit.
No, I'm not gonna go. No. [gasps]
- You're reading Twilight again. - Give me my book back.
- Edward and Bella... at prom. - Give me my book back.
Can I just have my book back?
- In the light-up gazebo. - [laughter]
There's no way that you're not gonna go to prom.
You love this shit.
- You always-- - Give me my book back!
Fuck, Billie, fuck!
Mags, I'm sorry.
I'm okay.
I'm okay. It's fine.
♪ ethereal music ♪
♪
[Byers] How did it finally end
between you and Aaron Knodel?
It was right around his 30th birthday.
[indistinct crowd chatter]
[sighs]
[line ringing]
[sniffles]
[ringtone playing]
Hi. Happy almost birthday.
Yeah, sorry. I'm, I'm at Spitfire.
I don't have much time.
Marie planned a surprise party for me that I don't... want.
She invited, uh...
[sniffles] oh, God, all of my friends from...
college, from elementary school,
high school, everyone I know.
Well, it's...
it's your 30th. It's a, it's a big deal.
You should have a nice party.
Yeah, everyone in my life
is here except the one person that I want to be.
The woman I love.
I'm sorry. I...
I'm, like, having a day. [laughs, sniffles]
Just a second.
Look, um,
look, some of the teachers, uh, they've been noticing
that you've been staying after school a lot.
And they were just talking like they were worried about you,
but Keller's acting really suspicious.
Uh... okay.
You deleted all of the texts, right?
Yeah, yeah, I did.
And you didn't tell anyone, Maggie?
Not even Billie?
No, I haven't.
I just don't want
to lose you.
Anything you want me to do, I'll do it.
- I love you. - I love you.
[laughs]
I guess I'll see you at school.
And I have something very special for you.
For your birthday.
All I need is you.
[Byers] And what happened after that
phone call?
♪ dramatic music ♪
♪
[ringtone playing]
Hey.
Happy birthday.
[Knodel] It's over.
She saw your text.
It's over.
I got to go.
[sighs]
[Byers] How was your emotional state
after he broke it off with you?
I was devastated.
I had
anxiety and panic attacks.
I ended up dropping out
of college and...
I just... I felt like I wasn't going anywhere.
Like I was...
I suddenly was nothing.
[crying]
[sniffles]
Maggie, are you back in school now?
Yes,
at MSUM studying social work.
And is there something about your social work program
that made you decide
to talk about all this?
Yes.
I was thinking about my future clients.
And how when they say to me...
"You-you don't understand
how hard it is to stand up for yourself."
And now I can say, "Yes, yes, I...
I do.
I understand.
And you know what?
You can do it anyway."
[Ness] Hey.
- Hey. - You did great.
I know. [chuckles] Thanks.
Hey, who is that gray-haired woman?
- She was the one glaring at me. - Yeah.
That's Knodel's mother.
Fuck. God, I just...
yeah, I never thought of him as having a mother.
They all do.
Hey, do you want the victim's advocate
to come and sit with you tomorrow?
- I hate that word "victim." - Okay.
Survivor? Striver?
- Excellent driver? - [laughs]
Or I can sit with you.
No.
Or your mom? Or Billie?
No, I want you all in there.
There you go.
♪ hopeful, ringing music ♪
♪
[Arlene] I was thinking
we should do Colorado again next Christmas.
Like, the whole family.
- [Mark] Yeah. - [Maggie] That'd be nice.
Gonna be hard to get away, with the job.
What job?
You didn't tell 'em?
What?
Your dad got a job.
- Congrats, Dad. - Aw, that's great.
It's a warehouse job but part-time. On call.
Check in the night before, see if I'm needed.
No guarantees.
Hey, still.
Yeah, hmm, it's great.
Yeah. And you were great today, too, Puppy.
[chuckles] Wasn't she?
Yeah.
His lawyer tried to tear you down,
and you stood right up to him and said, "Not today."
[laughs] Not today.
Not today, David. [laughs]
Whose idea was it to say that?
Say what?
- Hmm? - Alcoholic.
That your mother and I--
Dad.
You knew Byers was gonna bring it up.
But your mother? Shh.
To shame her like that?
Dad, please. I, I told you.
Since I talked to him about it back then,
his lawyers were gonna bring it up.
We said it first to show that it's nothing to be ashamed of.
- [Arlene] Mm-hmm. - People struggle.
- Yeah, and here we are now... - Yeah.
...trying harder and doing better.
Thank the Lord.
[man laughs]
You taking good care of them? Hmm? [laughs]
- Hey. Bye. - [soft laughter]
[mocking] "You taking good care of them?"
Shut up, Maggie.
He's being sweet, just making conversation.
Yeah.
[music playing faintly]
♪
[Mark sighs]
- [Maggie making kissing noises] - [laughter]
[Maggie] Come on.
Give me that.
Aw, I got you, Dad.
[Mark humming]
[tapping nearby]
[humming]
Hey. You ready? It's time to go.
Oh, shoot. I, uh... lost track of time.
- Two shakes. - Mm-hmm.
[both humming]
Always liked that tune.
Still do.
- It's beautiful. - Yeah. Turned out good.
Hmm, where you gonna hang it?
- That's for you to say. - Why?
- It's for you. - No.
- Yeah. - No.
So, you know, you'll always have family with you.
Hmm.
♪ haunting music ♪
♪
[bailiff] All rise.
[Byers] There's been a Twilight book entered into evidence.
Ms. Wilken suggested that she loaned it to you
so you could read it, and you gave it back to her
with a bunch of notes in it.
Did she ever loan you such a book?
She did not.
Did you ever
write sticky notes, put them in the book,
and give the book back to her?
No.
So it's your testimony you didn't write this note?
"Seventeen. You seem older.
How many days left?" And there's a smiley face.
That's not your note?
Uh, that's correct. I did not write that.
Okay, well, what about this note? "The wait for you
is sometimes unbearable." Did you write that one?
- No. - Ms. Wilken testified
that when she was in your basement, the heat was off.
And this note reads, "I turned the heat off, remember?"
And you had nothing to do with this note?
- No. -"I can't wait for the day
where we would actually cuddle together while we fall asleep."
- Did you write that sticky note? - Nope.
[laughs]
"No one should look so tempting in sweats."
Write that?
I... No.
- Okay, how about this one? - [laughs]
"Being able to fall asleep together
in a euphoric state sounds pretty awesome.
Sounds pretty awesome." Uh...
"I can't wait." Did you write that note?
No, I did not.
Your Honor, I'm going to object to more of this.
It's just cumulative.
The witness testified
he didn't write any of these.
Overruled.
Thank you, Your Honor.
[Byers] "It is amazing
how the emotions parallel us so much.
Whether it's desire, fear,
or nervousness or laughter,
I know our lives are better than any script.
And the best part is, we are only writing chapter one."
You didn't write any of these notes?
No. I-I've never...
I've never read this book.
[Byers] According to the phone records
that we have in evidence,
there were 93 calls, lasting 35 hours,
between you and Ms. Wilken in that three-month period,
many of which were initiated by you.
Some were after midnight, three were two hours long.
One of them was four hours long.
And it is your testimony that the contents
of that conversation were only about
Ms. Wilken's family
or her personal problems?
Yeah. I assume we were talking about
something related to her, yeah.
Your testimony is
that that is all you talked about?
Yeah. My concern for her, yeah.
I had the best of intentions.
I really wanted to... [sighs]
...wanted to help her.
♪ slow, pensive music ♪
♪
[Gia] There are people who will say that nothing
that happened was against her will.
That she was 17.
In another few months it wouldn't even be statutory rape.
But imagine a girl who has idealized
a fairy tale love story,
reading notes effectively saying,
"Yes, yes, I am your vampire lover,
and you are my forbidden fruit.
We are your favorite love story.
For the rest of your life,
nothing will taste like this."
Can you imagine?
[judge] You can step down now,
Mr. Knodel.
Court is adjourned until Monday morning.
[bangs gavel]
[rock music playing faintly]
♪
I didn't know you didn't save any of the texts.
Like, not even one for insurance or whatever.
I know how it sounds and how it looks without them.
Like I'm making it up and...
I just didn't want him to get into trouble.
- It's just too bad is all. - How's that?
Well, just him going down, being such a great teacher and all.
- Oh, my God. Jordo, what? - You're the one who told me
to bring it up. You told me to talk about it.
- I know. - You said that. You remember?
I know, I did. But I thought he coerced you.
Meaning what?
Meaning... meaning nothing.
No, say it.
It's just... Okay, he was on the news last night.
He's being dragged through the mud.
His whole life is fucked up because of what was essentially
a consensual relationship.
- Lines were crossed. - Yeah.
- For sure. - Yeah.
And maybe he shouldn't be a teacher anymore,
but I'm just wondering,
does he deserve to have his entire life
fucked up over what happened with you?
Well, he fucked up my whole life,
so, yeah, he does, Jordo.
[Jordan] Closing arguments start Monday, right?
- [Maggie] Yeah. - Well, I guess we'll see then.
I'm getting more beer.
♪ ominous music ♪
♪
[wind whooshing]
- Hey. - [Arlene] Hey.
You really slept, huh?
[Maggie] Yep.
[sighs]
You okay?
Your dad left a note on the counter,
uh, saying he got up early to go see Father Bert.
But he never came to bed last night.
Did you call Father Bert?
Your dad hasn't been by.
Maybe we should call the police.
♪ atmospheric music ♪
♪
[siren whoops]
Finally.
[car doors open and close]
Shouldn't have taken this long to come take a statement.
[Maggie] Oh, fuck.
This the Wilken residence?
Mm-hmm.
They were sending a squad car.
Police officers to take our statement.
- Mrs. Wilken? - Yes.
Um...
Come in.
I'm Detective Stokes, this is Detective Holt.
Why don't you both have a seat?
What's happened? Why are you here?
Well, ma'am, this is always difficult.
Just tell us, please.
Well, ma'am...
You can say it.
He killed himself, didn't he?
Yeah.
Yes.
He was in the Catholic cemetery in Moorhead.
- No. - He killed himself.
- No. No, no, no. - And based on the time,
he must have decided to get there very early.
Don't you dare say this is something he decided!
The man I married didn't choose this!
[crying]
Oh, no.
[sobbing]
♪ contemplative music ♪
♪
Aw, Mags. Mags.
- Can I have some? - Yeah.
[both laugh]
You okay?
[Jordan] Mags.
[crying] Oh, fuck, come, come...
Thanks for coming.
- [Jordan] I am so, so sorry. - Me, too.
[Jordan] For everything.
[Maggie] It's okay.
[chuckles]
All right.
[exhales deeply]
- Could I bum one? - Yeah.
Okay, two seconds. All right, two seconds.
Hey.
All right, yes. Hey.
Hello.
He was so proud of you. You are strong.
[sighs] I'm strong.
- Yes, you are. - [chuckles]
You're going to be fine.
[sighs] Yeah.
[indistinct chatter]
- He spoke to you? - Yeah.
Spoke to you that night, didn't--
[Bert] I spoke to Mark after Mass on Friday.
He just seemed so down, uh...
He asked me if he should go to the hospital.
He asked you that?
- Yeah. - What did you say?
I told him I thought he should go home and get some rest.
I...
You told him to go home?
He was at the end of his fucking rope.
- Um, Maggie... - No, no, no.
You were responsible for him, he trusted you. You...
Yeah, but he promised he was okay.
You could have saved him, but instead you just
left him to die all alone. You did that!
And you have to fucking live with that
for the rest of your fucking life.
He has to fucking live with that! He's a fucking...
[Bert] Pardon me, Arlene, I'm so...
[Gia] The day of the verdict,
one of the jurors was hospitalized.
The judge asked the remaining 11 if they'd reached any decisions.
[sniffing]
On three of the five counts,
they unanimously found Aaron Knodel not guilty.
The judge declared a mistrial on the two remaining charges.
Prosecutors later dismissed them.
Knodel was free to go back to teaching.
For work missed during the investigation and trial,
the school board awarded him full back pay.
Teacher of the Year forever.
[crying]
♪ somber music ♪
♪
[door shuts]
Hey.
Thanks for staying.
Had to.
To celebrate your baller move of cursing out a priest.
[soft laugh]
[exhales deeply]
You're not watching this. What was on?
Uh, nothing. Just some...
something stupid on your DVR.
One of my dumb shows, you mean.
- Yeah. - [laughs] What was on?
No. Never mind.
[laughs] What are you...?
No, let's watch something else.
["Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine playing]
[Edward] Shall we?
You're serious?
Oh, why not?
♪ Wide on my plastic ♪
♪ Cops closed the fair ♪
♪ I cut my long baby hair ♪
♪ Stole me a dog... ♪
See, you're dancing.
[Bella] At prom.
♪ wistful music ♪
♪
[laughing]
We can't do this.
Okay.
[laughing]
♪ dramatic music ♪
♪