Prodigy

Do you always play alone?

Challenging yourself can teach you quite a bit about who you are.

Plus, I always win.

Or lose.

A matter of perspective.

Olivia.

Lovely to see you.

And you, Jimmy.

No one's called me Jimmy in years.

Well, that's too bad. It suits you.

Not so sure about that these days.

Well, you'll always be Jimmy to me.

Do you have time to grab a cup of coffee?

Catch up a little?

I'm afraid we're on a tight schedule.

No time for chit-chat.

All right, just give me a moment.

How you feeling about all this?

Well, this process is a little different.

But you think you're ready?

Well, I do think I'm ready for anything at this point.

I hope so.

Wait. Pocket.

Again.

Arms up.

Yeah, I'll be getting that back, yes?

You are not to touch the subject.

Do not leave anything near the subject's hands.

If the subject makes a request,

you are to seek my permission before granting the subject anything.

I uh, I mean no offence,

but, uh, is all this entirely necessary?

If you have a problem following these rules,

then I suggest that you conduct your evaluation

from inside the control room per my original recommendation.

No, that won't be required.

Do not, for any reason, release the subject from the restraints.

In the event the subject escapes the restraints,

drop to the floor and cover your head.

Do not attempt to leave the room.

Do not attempt to re-restrain the subject.

-Understood? -Yeah.

-Understood? -Yes, understood.

Dr Fonda.

I see you've met Colonel Birch.

the military is assisting in this case.

I hardly think "assisting" is a sufficient term.

Thank you for that clarification, Colonel.

All right, so show me what we've got here.

This is Dr Keaton, our director of psychiatry.

Yeah, nice to meet you, Dr Keaton.

Always a pleasure to meet a fellow shrink.

Well, I hate to disappoint, but, uh, technically I'm a psychologist.

Oh. Oh, well, we can't all be perfect, eh?

When the light is green,

you are go to zap that little fucker.

And this charming young man is Ryan McCrosky,

our chief technician. Ryan, this is Dr Fonda.

Hey.

Dr Warner is our resident biochemistry expert.

Ah, nice to meet you, Dr Warner.

Likewise.

It's time.

If you don't mind, Colonel, I'd like to walk Dr Fonda over myself.

Be my guest.

You'll have to excuse them.

It's my fault they've had to spend so much time

in that little room.

Well, you're the boss.

All clear, Agent Price.

Thank you, gentlemen.

I know this all seems a bit strange, but...

please try to go in there with an open mind.

Well, if I couldn't do that, I wouldn't be here.

Thank you, Jimmy.

Hello, Eleanor. my name is James Fonda.

-I am here to-- -I love the sweater vest.

Well, thank you. I'm not all--

You have it all.

worn loafers, second hand slacks,

tattered briefcase.

I'm not quite sure I follow.

But the truth is in the details.

The lines on your face.

Your posture.

Distinct lack of concern with your hairstyle.

Did Miss Olivia send a bargain bin find in with me?

How quaint.

You're a very observant young lady.

I assume you have experience with troubled youth.

Most likely from bad neighbourhoods.

What makes you say that?

That must be challenging work.

I imagine the return rate isn't particularly high in those situations.

It must wear on you, not being able to save them.

It does, but it also makes each success

that much more satisfying.

and that's so conducive to a satisfying home life, I feel, is it?

It is hard for me to imagine your loving wife

allowing you out of the house in your...

current state.

My wife?

It is, unless she isn't around anymore.

You shut her out, didn't you?

To look at you, I'd say you shut most everyone out.

Is it easier to keep them away

than to risk getting hurt again?

That was quite an evaluation, Eleanor.

Don't call me Eleanor.

What should I call you?

Ellie is better.

All right.

Ellie does suit you.

Spare me your pandering.

I'm well beyond your usual trust-building exercises.

I agree, again.

Then let's skip the formalities and get straight into it, shall we?

Into what?

You are an analyst, are you not?

I am.

And you have my file?

I-I do.

And you've got nothing for me?

No diagnosis?

Well, perhaps I'm not as perceptive as you.

But, uh, to be honest,

I haven't even read this.

Is that right?

Relax. He's bluffing.

He wouldn't go in there blind.

It is.

Is this common practice for you?

Arriving woefully unprepared?

If I had read this, it would have coloured my perception of you before we met.

Now personally, I prefer to hear from the individual in question

rather than focusing on a particular problem they have

or mistake they made.

Even if said individual is a maladjusted pre-pubescent?

All the more so with children,

As they aren't usually given enough credit

when it comes to expressing their own anxieties.

I was right about you.

You were right about a lot of things.

I have worked with children.

Often from rough neighbourhoods,

and I'm not particularly concerned with my hairstyle.

I don't believe, however, that qualifies me as a, uh,

bargain bin find.

The other shrinks they brought me

wore designer suits and fancy watches.

A watch is a, uh, funny device these days.

I have a friend who is obsessed with fancy watches.

Eventually, after years of hard work,

he rewarded himself with one.

and it was beautiful.

but the problem was after about a week,

it was nearly two minutes slow.

He wound it, set it.

Another week went by, same problem.

He was always losing time.

Yeah, my father gave me

this watch a long time ago.

It's not flashy by any means.

But I'll tell you what, it's never lost a minute.

Yeah, a time piece may have aesthetic value.

At its core, though,

it is a single function device.

Shiny or dull,

all that matters is how well it tells the time.

And you can tell the time?

Never lost a minute.

You stand to lose more than time in here.

Well, I'm willing to take that chance if you are.

Perhaps.

But certainly not on an empty stomach.

You hungry?

Peanut butter and banana on whole wheat with chips

or celery.

So specific.

I take it with apple juice.

I'll see what I can drum up.

And Jimmy?

No crust.

I assume you have the means to prepare Ellie's lunch.

-McCrosky. -what the hell?

What do you think?

She's an extraordinary child.

Well, perhaps this is old hat for all of you,

but you can't deny how remarkable her intellect is.

Her intellect is not what concerns me, doctor.

What does concern you?

I'm more concerned with the patient's personality disorders.

Disorders?

I think we can both agree that she suffers

from a severe superiority complex.

Well, given her advanced intelligence,

one might excuse some feelings of superiority.

Oh, not when it escalates to...

You really didn't read the file.

No. Like I uh, told Ellie,