Little Voice

- - Oh, Ella.

Stay.

Okay. Come on, guys.

Good job.

- -

Excuse me. I-- I did not mean to interrupt.

I really didn't. But do you have an extension cor--

Who the hell are you?

I'm sorry. I'm Ethan.

Uh, I just started renting the unit next door,

so I... guess I'm like your next-door neighbor.

You can't just-- This is my private--

I mean, who spies on people like this?

You left your door open.

-I come here for privacy. -Clearly.

-And I don't have an extension cord. -Got it.

That song was beautiful.

It's a piece of shit.

What do you know?

You don't know anything.

- -

-Hey. -

Thanks.

Bess.

-"Best"? - No. Bess.

My name is Bess. Since you... didn't ask.

Bess.

Yeah.

- -

Why, yes, thank you. I would love a drink, Ethan.

Are you sure you don't want to take it to go?

Because I know that you covet your privacy.

Look, I'm sorry. I-- I know I was a...

-I'm not usually like that. -How are you... usually?

I just-- I don't like anyone listening to the songs that I write.

-Ever? -They're for me.

And I promised myself I'd finish that song tonight.

Oh, well, look, I totally get it.

Please, don't let me get between you and you.

Yeah.

So, why older dancers?

Uh... Grace. Who can hold on to it?

And why that?

Maybe because I was raised by my grandfather.

-He, um... -

Yeah. He got addicted to Turner Classics once we got here.

-Smart man. -Mm.

- -

So, Bess...

why do you write music for no one to listen to?

I sing covers. It pays.

I write for myself, like a-- a diary.

Ah, so you are in the closet.

Huh?

You sing them in the closet instead of out there. Yeah.

Yeah. I tried.

It... didn't go over.

That song I just heard was so special.

If I was in an audience, I'd only want more.

They didn't. They made that very clear.

That's a memory I... hope to someday repress.

You don't strike me as someone who listens to what "they" think.

Sometimes I think I should have been born 50 years ago.

Oh, I get it. Mm.

Yeah. Old tango dancers are us.

Yeah. Compared to what everybody's listening to,

I think my stuff seems, I don't know, earnest.

Well, it's such a cynical time.

And I think that takes guts.

Yeah.

Okay, this is a game I played with my granddad to improve his English.

In one word, and you only get one word, who are you?

-Yikes, one word? -Mm-hmm.

Saint C's?

I stole it from work.

Don't tell Saint Cecilia.

Of course you work at a place named after the patron saint of music.

"Mess." Bess the mess.

Mm-hmm.

Not the whole picture.

Hello.

What? Oh, my God. I'm-I'm on it. I'm so sorry.

-You okay? Do you need help? -I'm good.

Excuse me. I'm so sorry. Louie.

Excuse me. Louie! Louie, your counselor called me.

What are you doing here? It's way past curfew. You know the rule.

-That's a horrible rule. -You agreed to that rule.

I didn't agree to that agreement.

Bullshit. You gave your word to your counselor.

Sharon Clifford is debuting in the ensemble tonight.

She just left Aladdin after being a standby

for three years, two months, and three days.

If I'm lucky, I may get her autograph.

Louie, we worked so hard to get you into that place.

You wanna get kicked out after your first month?

There she is. Sharon! Sharon, over here! Over here!

Congratulations, Ms. Clifford, on this momentous night.

Wonder of wonders.

It's "To Louie."

That's me, Louie.

"To Louie and Bess."

-That's my sister, Bess. -Hi.

- Thanks, Louie. -You're welcome.

I-I told him. I said...

What exactly did I say?

I said, "You're not allowed to go, Louie."

-That's not exactly what you said. -What'd I say?

I said, "You're gonna get in big trouble, Louie."

That's not exactly what you said either.

They're gonna kick him out. I called the authorities on the sixth floor.

Why'd you call the authorities?

You're all just jealous I got Sharon Clifford's autograph.

Who is Sharon Clifford?

-What's on your head? -

Don't be frightened. It's just a Clairol home kit.

How do you think I still look 50? I'm 112.

Obviously, I wasn't expecting a late-night call.

I'm glad to see you're back safe, Louie.

Louie's happy to be back safe as well. Sorry you had to come down.

Louie, do you understand what a curfew is for?

-He understands. -No, I'm talking to Louie.

I wanna go home, Bess.

You are home. This is your new home now.

I know that's an adjustment for you.

You've been living with your sister and your father your whole life,

but you're a young man now, and you're ready to live independently.

Not yet. Not yet.

Bess is ready to live independently too.

-Good night, Elaine. -Louie.

I don't wanna live with Phil, Ted and Zack.

I wanna live back with you, Bess.

That really hurt my feelings, Louie.

I have to go into my room and-- and close the door.

It's getting late.

Now, I need to hear that you, Louie--

that you understand that the curfew is for your safety

and that this won't happen again.

If I say I understand, will you leave?

If you understand.

See? He understands. We all understand.

Thank you, Louie.

Good night, everyone.

Tomorrow is a new day.

That's obvious.

But worth noting.

Bess, are you coming?

Bess, there are 82 words in your new song.

That's not nearly enough. The average song has 165 words.

Exactly. That's why I need to go and finish it.

-Not yet. Not yet. -Yes, yet.

God, we're gonna miss the five-day weather forecast for the tristate area.

-I don't wanna watch the Weather Channel. -

I wanna watch the documentary on the Hungarian play Liliom

that the musical Carousel was based on!

-He hogs the TV. Nobody is interested. -It's uninteresting.

-That's what I'm trying to say. -"Uninteresting"?

Do you see why I can't live here, Bess?

Why don't you guys watch the weather forecast

and then the second half of the documentary?

Done. So we're good?

You're going? You're leaving?

You don't wanna watch it with me?

We love Carousel. Don't we, Bess?

We do.

See? She doesn't want to miss it, Phil. Wonder of wonders.

Now, as a bonus, as a preview,

me and Bess here are gonna sing my favorite song from Carousel.

Anyways, there's-- I'm trying to go once a year at least.

Hey. Sorry. Don't let me interrupt anything. I can just--

Oh! No, no.

Ravi was just leaving. He has a very busy day tomorrow.

Actually, I'm not on call tomorrow, so I don't have to leave.

-So, you're a doctor? -We're not all doctors.

I'm not a doctor. I'm an environmental lawyer. Anyways--

Bess, uh, I need to speak with you in the kitchen.

Something got stopped up again.

Ravi, good night. Thank you for all you do, really.