- A quick fix for Harry's writer's block has unexpected side effects. Two eccentric locals offer Harry a helping hand.
- Harry is inspired, begins to learn the price for his Muse, and pays a visit to the dentist. While Doris begins to panic, a frustrated Alma can't perform on her viola up to her expectations steals one of Harry's pills, and has a hunger problem of her own.—Gislef
- The Gardners get into their car and prepare to leave Provincetown. Harry abruptly has visions of typed words, and Doris notices that he's distracted and asks if he's okay. Harry bends over, gasping, and then says that his screenplay is clear in his head. He gets his laptop out, goes in, and starts writing. Doris and Alma go back in, and Alma practices her viola while Harry furiously types.
Doris approaches Alma, who says that what she's practicing is too hard. Her mother tells her that Alma will get it, but Alma isn't convinced. The girl asks when they're leaving, and Doris says that Harry seems inspired and they have to support him. Alma tells Doris that she saw Harry take a pill, and wonders if she can take one. Doris abruptly tells her that she can't, and that she should continue practicing.
Approaching Harry, Doris asks her husband if he took speed. Harry denies it, and Alma comes out and says that she saw Harry take something. He angrily tells her not to be jealous of his inspiration, when she's lousy, and Alma runs out as Harry tries to apologize for his outburst. Doris swears at Harry, who says the pages exploded out of him and he needs to stay there. When Doris reminds him that he killed a man in their house, he says that he protected them and tells Doris that if she walks out on the job, she'll have trouble getting another one. Doris defends her decorating, and Harry says that they might have to stay another day or two. He asks why she can't just support him, and Doris storms out. Harry goes back to his laptop.
Harry continues working into the night, and Doris and Alma come in. Harry apologizes to Alma, saying that she's much more talented than he is. Doris serves Harry some food, insisting that he has to eat. When he eats her turkey sandwich, he throws up. After Doris checks the sandwich to make sure that it's not surprise, Harry tells them to leave and give him the room.
After Doris and Alma leave, Harry continues writing through the night. The next morning, Doris comes downstairs to find Harry still writing. She reads hi manuscript and says that it's good, and asks to see more. Harry tells her that he's almost done, and Doris says that what's happening isn't normal. He says that the place is his muse. When Doris says that she thought she was Harry's muse, Harry apologizes and says that he's channeling the antihero protagonist.
Harry says that he isn't hungry, and Doris figures that he's taking speed. He relents and goes to the market to get some food. Harry walks to the market and sees three of the Pale Person watching him from an alley. He continues on and finds a Pale person eating a dead animal in the street. The four Pale Persons surround him, but stagger off when Harry yells at them.
At the market, Harry comes to the meat freezer and grabs packages of raw meat. Mikey comes over, and asks how the writing is going and figures that it's well. Mikey walks away, and Karen approaches Harry and figures he took the pill. She says that he shouldn't have taken the pill, and he won't know thirst like the thirst he's going to have. With that, Karen runs off.
Harry returns home and tosses the meat on the counter. He pours the bloody juice into a pitcher, squeezing out of the meat. He then drinks from the pitcher, then puts the meat in a blender, grinds it up, and drinks the resulting "smoothie". Once he's done, Harry sighs in relief and goes back to writing, muttering to himself that it's good.
Up in Alma's room, Alma says that she wants to leave. Doris says that Harry is a lot better writer then he gives himself credit, but doesn't want to get in the way of Harry's writing. Alma asks her mother if she could play better than anyone if she took one of the pills, and Doris tells her that there is no magic pill for greatness. Doris asks Alma for some input on the decorating samples she's working on, and then has Alma go to bed.
Doris goes downstairs and finds Harry at his desktop. She goes back upstairs.
Outside, Austin and Belle sit in a car and watch the house. Belle says that Harry will have to update his diet if he wants to keep feeling inspired, and Austin suggests that they go to the Cape and find a snack. Belle agrees, and they drive off.
The next morning, Harry is writing and Doris is chopping carrots in the kitchen. He comes out and says that he doesn't sleep, and he talks about how something opened up in his mind that led to a palace. Harry says that he sent his screenplay off to Ursula, but still wants to stay a couple of more days. Doris tells her husband that she and Alma are terrified there, and asking for them to stay a week is too much.
Harry insists that the man he killed was just a thief looking for electronics. Doris doesn't accept his excuses, and Harry tells them to leave and he'll stay. His wife figures that he'll write himself to death, and cuts her finger with the knife she's using. Harry runs over and sucks on her bloody finger, and Doris tells him to stop. She shoves him away and they stare at each other.
Harry drives to Austin's house, where Austin is shooting a shotgun at birds. Austin greets him, and Harry asks him what was in the pills. The younger man says that no one knows but the Chemist. When Harry asks who the Chemist is, Austin invites him in for a drink and ignores his question.
Inside, Austin talks about how the town had an economic downturn and people had nothing to do but get hungry and high. The Chemist started experimenting with different drug recipes, and the pill only works for someone if they had talent. The Pale Persons took the pills but don't have talent, and became a "flesh phantom" who is never satisfied.
Harry describes how he's changed, and wonders why. Austin says that the drug depletes the minerals in their world. They have to replace the minerals, and Austin says that Harry will need fresh blood from humans. Harry says that he isn't doing it, and Austin tells him that he won't be able to write without the pill. When Harry storms out, Austin figures that he'll be back when Harry learns how successful his script is in Hollywood.
Harry returns home and apologizes to Doris, and says that they can leave the next morning. He suggests that they go out and have dinner like they planned before, and Doris says she'll take pictures of the rooms and finish her design virtually. She tells Harry that her job is important, and she worries sometimes that Harry thinks she' isn't good enough.
Ursula calls and tells Harry that she's angry that Harry has been holding out. The agent says that the executive greenlit the pilot show, and Joaquin Phoenix immediately said he'd sign on. Ursula tells Harry that Netflix might sign for the full series.
Once Ursula hangs up, Harry tells Doris that they're going to be rich and they hug. Harry has an idea and goes to write at his laptop, and Doris kisses him and then leaves him to write. Harry loses his idea and is unable to write, then leaves. He drives to Austin's house and goes in, and an unsurprised Austin is waiting for him. Belle is also there, and Austin figures that Harry is there for the drug, the "Muse".
Harry says that he just needs one more to finish his screenplay. Belle tells him that there's nothing more addictive than success, and Harry won't be able to live without Muse. Harry says that he knows, and asks what he has to do. Austin gives Harry a pill, and Belle and Austin bare their fangs and say they're going out to eat.
Austin drives Harry and Belle through the night, and Harry calls Doris and says that he was invited to a writer's group. Once Harry hangs up, he figures that Doris will leave him. Austin says that once things settle down, Doris will forgive him. Belle says that they come up to Provincetown in the winter, pop some Muse, and crank out brilliance. Harry wonders how long they eat, and Belle says that they can go a week between "good feeds". She and Austin can get a good feed from draining one body, and they feed on the people who are drains on society. They use Craigslist to find addicts who are selling random things, and the cops figure the addicts are killed by dealers.
Belle tells Harry that there are two rules. Never feed on anyone in Provincetown, and the new sheriff Burleson is nosy and has no appreciation for the artist's struggle. Second, never take one's gloves off.
Mickey lets Karen crash in his cabin, and she assures him that she's not contagious. He asks if she wants to get high, and talks about the shark in 'Jaws' trying to get revenge on Quint. Karen joins in, and Mickey says that movies are his life but he's never been able to finish a screenplay. Mickey has some Muse that he stole from Belle, and suggests that they take some. Karen refuses, saying that they turn people into bloodsucking murderers. Mickey figures Karen doesn't think he has talent, and Karen says that what she is is better than being like Belle. Karen breaks into tears at the thought of what Belle makes Karen do for her.
Mickey has a collection of Karen's paintings, and says that he bought them at a thrift shop. Karen is surprised they were sold, and Mickey tells her that they're good. He assures Karen that she's talented, and tells her to imagine what she'd be on Muse. Karen tells him that she wants that, and could make everyone respect her. She puts her heat on Mickey's chest, and says that she doesn't want to be like Austin and Belle. Mickey says that he does and goes to get the pills. Karen asks what happens if Mickey isn't talented, and he tells her that anything is better than the dump he's living in. He takes one and waits.
The trio pull up to a house and go to the door. When Austin knocks at the door, the man Joey says that he has the objects he put on Craiglist. He invites them in, and Belle draws a knife and cuts Joey's throat. Harry watches as Belle and Austin drink Joey's blood, and he joins them after a second and feeds.
Later, the trio drive back into town and Belle asks Harry how he feels. He says that he's better, but still wants to kill himself out of guilt and shame. Belle assures him that the art he's going to put into the world will inspire, and they gave Joey a chance to be part of that. They're all feeling the crystal meth in Joey's blood, and Belle says that they'll have to get Harry to Dr. Feldman so he can get a proper set of teeth to feed.
The next morning in Provincetown, Harry goes to Lark Feldman's tattoo parlor. She explains that tattoos are her real gift, and she went to dental school to make her parents happy. Once she took the pills, she became such a good tattoo artist that she abandoned dentistry.
Lark escorts Harry into the back where she has a dental chair. She says that she invented the fanged teeth, and Harry tells her to talk him through the process. First she makes a mold of his teeth.
Alma is playing her viola but can't get the song to come out the way she wants. She goes downstairs.
Lark gives Harry gas to he doesn't feel the pain when she files.
Alma gets the Muse from Harry's bag.
Lark begins drilling.
Alma takes a pill. She then goes back and plays perfectly.
Harry works on his screenplays.
Harry looks at his newly-filed teeth.
Doris puts sample up on the wall.
Mickey discovers that he can't write.
Alma finishes her song and collapses.
Doris wakes up from her nap.
Alma wakes up, and goes back to playing.
Doris goes to the bathroom to get a glass of water, and looks at herself in the mirror. She then goes to Alma and asks her to take a break because she has a headache. Alma says that she has to keep practicing, and tells her mother that she doesn't understand greatness because "fine" is good enough for Doris. The girl says that for people like her and Harry, "fine" is failure.
When Doris asks Alma why she's being so cruel, Alma ignores her and tunes her violin. Her mother says that she knows Alma is going through a lot, and Alma says that she doesn't want to leave. She accuses Doris of being jealous of her and Harry, and Doris doesn't understand art or inspiration. Alma says that her and Harry have found something that helps them be great, and they don't want to leave. When Alma tells Doris that she would be the same if raised by another ordinary woman, Doris orders her to her room, says that they're leaving eh next day, and breaks into tears.
Harry is jogging along the shore, and comes to a hustler beneath a pier. He draws a knife and kills the hustler.
Doris goes to her bed and sleeps. She wakes up and finds her. The viola is on the table next to her bed, and Doris takes it to Alma's room and discovers that her daughter's bed is empty. She goes to Alma's practice room and puts the viola back. She goes down to where Harry is writing, and says that he has blood on his chin. He dismisses it as a shaving cut, and says that Alma went for a walk. Doris is shocked that Harry let Alma go out alone, and Doris asks if he's lost his mind.
Harry says that he's killing himself for his work, and she's getting irrational when she's pregnant. Doris says that she's going to find Alma and then leave without Harry. Harry goes back to writing.
Doris walks the streets, calling to Alma. She goes to the graveyard, and sees the Pale People among the stones. Alma is kneeling at a tombstone, and when she turns, Doris realizes that her daughter is feeding on a dead animal.
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