Wonder Man

If we don't reverse the tomography in the next 30 seconds,

Barnaby won't stand a chance.

I know, Wonder Man. I'm trying.

Change of plans. There's too many.

Get out of there. Head to the sanctum now!

- But what about you? -I can't leave Barnaby to die.

- But they'll kill you both. -I don't care!

The Embera people believe if a soul fails to turn right after death,

it winds up in a dark and treacherous place.

Well, I've been to the void.

I've lived in that screaming silence.

I know what it's like.

I lost whatever part was left in me that makes a person a person.

Until Barnaby pulled me out.

No one else ever gave a damn!

It's too late for me.

But you can still walk away.

I'm begging. Please, just walk away.

You got this, man.

You already got the job.

You just gotta go out there and crush it.

Just crush it.

-One step closer to the top. -

Mr. Williams?

They're inviting you to set.

Copy.

-Yep, on our way. -

Yeah, David, go ahead.

Uh, no, I haven't seen it.

Have you asked Isaac in props? Thank you.

The stage isn't far.

Yeah, David, go ahead.

Yeah? Yeah.

"She stands in the door for a beat..."

- What? - "'How was your trip?'"

Okay, who last had eyes on it?

Hey, Kiran.

Hey, Ashley.

Hey, isn't that for American Horror Story?

Sorry. Day players don't get golf carts.

-David, where are we with that blood? -

Yeah, I just got to set.

Hey, what's the status on that mask?

Oh, beautiful. Talk soon.

How is it always Mendocino Farms?

Someone in the writers' room must own stock.

Ugh, I hate choosing lunch when I barely had breakfast.

I mean, how am I supposed to know what my stomach will want?

Personally, I would go for the Smoky Chicken Elote Bowl. No crema.

- -Hi, I'm Lauren.

You must be Professor Harpin.

Yeah. I love the Castle Rock you directed.

-Oh. -Your Sons of Anarchy episodes,

they were the best in the series.

- Thanks. -Ashley. I'm a big fan.

-Yeah, I loved you in the Twilight Series . -Thank you.

-Absolutely. -Okay, so class has just ended

and Professor Harpin's packing up his desk...

- Okay. -...at the end of the night.

And then your colleague Sarah enters from here.

You do the first couplet. "How was your trip?"

Yada, yada, yada.

And then, Ashley, you cross to about here. And Professor Harpin says...

"You do realize, according to legend,

"that's where the Aztec god of death, Mictlantecuhtli,

"was tricked into giving up the bones that became humanity."

Yeah, duh.

Great.

And then Sarah transforms into a monster. Pa-pa-pam.

Um, and... bites off Professor Harpin's head, here.

Any questions?

-Yeah. - Mmm.

Should I switch to that Elote Bowl?

-Right now, it's soundin' pretty good. -

Just one thing.

Yeah, of course.

How long have Sarah and I known each other?

Hmm, that's a good question. What... what are you thinking?

I was thinking we go pretty far back.

Like, maybe we were best friends,

but we had a little fallin' out when she got tenure before me.

Sure. Why not?

Right? It might add a little layer to the scene.

-Totally. Let's try it. -Yeah.

- Yeah? -Great.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- Okay. -

-So... - Mmm.

So, maybe I shouldn't say "Sarah," right?

- What's that? -Well, the script says "Sarah," but...

- Mmm-hmm. - ...if I've been secretly

jealous of her career,

I don't think I would be so friendly, you know?

Maybe I should call her "Dr. Johnson" instead, you know?

Yeah. Let's... let's try it both ways.

-Okay, great. -Cool.

Let's shoot one.

-Oh, and... -Hmm?

I wouldn't let her get that far.

-Who? -Dr. Johnson.

Considerin' our history, I don't think I'd let her

-cross all the way to my desk. -Mmm.

I think Professor Harpin would stop her right about here.

-Yeah. -Mmm. No, no, no.

That is interesting. Uh...

Damn. We're already lit,

so I... I did want your dead body kind of bleeding out

in this moonbeam that we have that--

Uh, we can move the moonbeam.

Uh, it'll only take a few minutes.

If you want it.

Let's move the moon.

-Yeah? -Yeah.

- - Moving the moonbeam!

More, more. Right there.

Last looks!

Should I be packin' up a copy of Aztec Thought and Culture

by Miguel León-Portilla?

Is there a problem, Simon?

No. No problem. I was just...

Just wondering if I should be packin' up a copy of Aztec Thought and Culture

by Miguel León-Portilla?

And what is that?

I'm assuming that's what I'm teachin',

unless you're thinkin' Aztec Civilization by Henry Freeman?

But... that kind of changes things.

Does it?

Aztec Civilization is a quick read. It barely touches on Mictlantecuhtli.

It might fit into an ancient civilization syllabus. But...

Professor Harpin is focused solely on Aztec studies. Right?

Hmm.

Um...

-No. There's no reference to a book. -Oh, but it says...

It says, "packin up his desk..."

-Right. -"...for the night."

Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm.

I think it's implied.

Should we check with the writer, just to be safe?

Who is this bozo?

He had a great audition.

Yeah, but at this rate, we're never gonna make our day.

- Mmm. -Can you get Ryan on the phone?

Yes, ma'am.

And the interestin' thing is, it's all here,

in your words, if you really look at it.

-You think so? -I do.

-Hmm. -Professor Harpin's history

with Professor Johnson

is what makes his death at her hands all the more tragic.

Honestly, I never thought of it that way.

-But it's here in the subtext. -Yeah, I see that.

You found something really interesting.

Simon. Hi. Linda Cox.

- Hey. Hey. -Hi. Really nice to meet you.

-I'm a big fan. -Oh, thank you.

Love all the thoughts that you're bringing...

-Absolutely. -...to this role.

-Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. -Yeah. Thank you.

The showrunner just called, and he is, uh, rethinking this episode.

And he's worried about Professor Harpin's scenes

being a remnant of an earlier version of Ashley's arc.

A remnant?

So, he's cutting your character from the show.

Thank you so much for all your hard work today.

That's a series wrap on Simon Williams!

Shit.

What the hell?

You movin' out?

I thought you wrapped at 5:00.

So, you're sneakin' out?

I'm just trying to prevent this from becoming a thing.

Weren't you showing me pictures of rescue dogs last week

-and complainin' I wouldn't commit? - Yeah. I'm sorry.

I'm just not happy, Simon.