Table Read - More Than One Idiot Brother - Act 3 / Finale

Episode Date: June 9, 2023

ACT 3 / PART 2 (Finale): In Northern Michigan, DUTCH NYBERG learns that her three idiot brothers are scheming to pin the murder they committed on her. Meanwhile, the billionaire, KURT THOR, has also decided she’s the killer and is using all his powers to have her arrested and charged. When DUTCH’S mother chooses to back her sons in their underhanded scheme to have DUTCH take the fall for them, DUTCH’S only chance is to somehow outwit her entire, dumb as shit family, and one of the smartest men on the planet. ____ MORE THAN ONE IDIOT BROTHER: When an industrialist is murdered in an impoverished Michigan backwater, a misfit veteran must choose between saving her three idiot brothers from life in jail, or escaping her toxic family forever. Written by: Pearse Lehane ____ Follow Table Read (@TableReadPodcastLA) on Instagram for more info! Visit: https://www.tablereadpodcast.com/ Contact: [e-mail]   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exterior, woods by Edison Lake, dawn, flashback. A small stream in the woods gurgles towards the lake, mist filling the spaces between the trees, blurring the distance. Reveal, Dutch wearing a blaze orange lanyard, Winchester in hand, gazing intently into the fog. Prey animal sense of smell ain't like ours. They're smelling something as like a slap across the face to you or me. Truth. Why else would a doe snap jump three feet to her right at just a hint of something in the air that she don't trust? Like she'd been slapped in the mouth.

A doe appears in the middle distance. Dutch doesn't move. Scent travels on the air. Air is fluid, can be pressured like a fluid, drawn along like a fluid. Very slowly and quietly, Dutch takes aim at the doe. Come dawn, if there ain't too much wind about, you can guarantee being downwind of your mark by hunting upstream. As the flowing water touches the cool, moist air above, it draws it downstream. Laws of fluid dynamics. Long as the water's coming towards you, so is the wind. Impossible for any animal to get even the slightest scent off your... Suddenly, the doe leaps backwards, sprints into the distance. Dutch is clearly baffled by this turn, walks to the fallen red oak where the doe was standing before it bolted.

What slapped that doe across the face? Terrified or so, because it sure as shit weren't me. Dutch sees a deep hole in the ground where the roots of the fallen oak ripped out the earth when it crashed down. Back in the deep woods, Dutch, unconscious, being dragged by Mort through the woods. Set her down. Mort props Dutch up against a tree.

Wake her up. A liquid is splashed over Dutch's face. She comes to immediately, starts to spit out the noxious liquid. Reveal, Rafe is dousing Dutch from a gasoline can. Jesus Christ, what the fuck? What the fuck? Dutch sees Mama Nyberg, JP, Rafe, and Mort all staring at her. What's that you said to me?

If I thought it'd win him back, I'd thrown you into the range? Huh. Don't have to worry no more about how that might have played, do I? Mama Nyberg nods at Rafe. He shakes a box of matches. What do you want? They want the body, Dutch. We give them that, we walk. You're fucked either way. See, Thor got a real hard-on for you, Mayor got a hard-on for Thor, Sheriff Taylor, well, you get the gist. Thor wants you as the shooter, period. He is, I'm told, unreachable on that point. So give us the body.

We start lighting matches. Your choice. The body? Where? In the lake. Nah, Dutch. It ain't. Wanna know who figured that? Dutch looks at Mama Nyberg. That's right. When Rafe told the sheriff about Edison Lake, old Medine trick, Think you said chicken wire. He ate that shit up. Had to be true.

All that graphic detail. Sandberg's body was in the lake. No doubt. Only when we told Mama the same story last night, she said that ain't Dutch. Dutch? Making the job harder than it needed be?

Weights, chicken wire, stealing a boat? No, that ain't Dutch, Mama said. Dutch buried his ass in the woods. You shouldn't have lied to us. You shouldn't have done that, Dutch. Body's for the law. But first, the watch. My boys rightly deserve something out of this after all they've been through.

Or, you burned. Rafe lights a match, holds it over Dutch. Do not fucking do that! Get that the fuck away from me! Dutch's terror is palpable. Mort seems to enjoy this, and he laughs darkly at her squirming. Where's the body? Where's the body? Where's the body, Dutch? All right, all right, all right! I'll just, I'll take you to the fucking body! Just get that the fuck away from me! Get it away! Rafe has let the match burn down too close to his fingers.

Rafe flicks his wrist. The still-burning match accidentally falls towards Dutch, who has to dive out of the way. What the fuck, you fucking idiot? Hey, do not call me that! Do not call me that or my brothers that, not ever again, you hear me? All right, all right! All right.

That's enough. Mama Nyberg nods at Mort. He throws a shovel to Dutch. They nowberg nods at Mort. He throws a shovel to Dutch. They now walk deeper into the woods. Dutch carrying the shovel as she makes her way through the forest. She looks back to see JP, Mort, Rafe, and Mama Nyberg all staring at her. The brothers with their rifles in hand. Mort sings Duerme Tenino.

This time there's a creeping malevolent edge to his voice. Duerme te ya, que viene el coco y te llevará. Dutch looks to the path ahead. For a moment, closes her eyes, lets the wind cool her brow. Then her eyes are fierce again. 30 yards further on, Dutch sticks the spade in the ground. How we know this is the spot? That you ain't playing for time. Dutch nods up towards the tree. JP sees Dutch's raggedy ass doll nailed high up on a branch. raggedy ass doll nailed high up on a branch.

This the body or the watch? As mama intimated, I was always an indolent child. Uh, what the fuck's that mean? Hmm. They're in the same hole, idiot. So dig. Dutch wields the spade like a pro. The others watch hungrily as she makes steady progress, deeper down. Then, clank. She's hit something metallic. Dutch pulls the red metal toolbox from the ground,

takes a key from her pocket, rushes to open the lock. This the watch right here. You'll see, just hold on now while I... Bang! JP has fired his rifle into the canopy. You leave that be. J.P. looks at Mort, nods. Mort approaches Dutch, snatches the keys from her hand, shoves her aside. You took my revolver off me that night. Where's it at,

Dutch? I ain't no fool. Nah, I ain't that. Mort makes to open the lock, but he can't figure which key. Dutch looks to her left, sees a fallen tree. The large roots have torn out the soil as the tree fell, creating a large void. It's clearly the same hole Dutch saw before while hunting. What slaps a doe across the face harder than the scent of man? Mort opens the toolbox. Only the top tray is visible.

And yes, J.P. was correct. His revolver is indeed there, within easy reach. You sly fucking bitch. Dutch looks utterly defeated. J.P., Rafe, and Mama Nyberg huddle around Mort. The watch! Where is it? Find it! As Mort tosses screwdrivers and wrenches

from the toolbox, he sees something. Gaffer tape, securing a thin strip of cardboard to the inside of the lid. Mort pulls away the cardboard, revealing that an expensive-looking cell phone has been taped to the lid behind the cardboard along with two blinking GPS tracking devices.

Wait, what are... Before Moore can finish his question, J.P. shoves past him, taking hold of the top tray. It's gotta be under here. Tracking shot, leading up to the hole in the ground by the roots of the fallen oak tree. Only thing slaps a doe across the face harder than the scent of man is the sound of... Reveal.

The hole under the tree is a rattlesnake den. JP pulls the top lid off the toolbox to expose three coiled, three-foot timber rattlesnakes. They immediately strike the air.

Hiss, hiss, hiss. This is an existential terror moment for Mort, who immediately flees the scene as if he was the one on fire. JP, Rafe, and Mama Nyberg jump back. Too late for Mama Nyberg, who's already been bitten twice, once on the chin and once on the arm. Dutch bolts from the scene, disappearing into the woods just as Rafe gets a shot off. Bang! Missing her head by inches.

Mama Nyberg holds her bitten, bloody arm, collapses backwards into a childlike state. JP shoots the rattlers. Bang, bang, bang, bang! Motherfuckers! Motherfuckers! No, no, no, no, no, no! Diabetes! He says, no, don't you know snake venom kills diabetics faster! They're gonna have to take my arm off! Even if I live! Jesus, please, not this!

Rafe drops to his knees, holds his mother. It's all right, Mom. I'm here, Mom. I got you. I got you. Get her! Get the watch! Now! JP runs hell's bells into the woods by a narrow isthmus next to the lake. Dutch runs into the isthmus, thereby forcing anyone who comes after her to approach along a narrow stretch of forest that extends out 200 feet into the lake. Dutch reaches into the shrubs behind a white oak,

takes out her.308 Winchester, cracks the bolt. Dutch hides in the bushes, eyes locked on the isthmus path. Woods by Lake Edison. Mort's still sprinting through the woods like a madman. He looks back, then runs, thump, right into the trunk of a tree, is knocked immediately unconscious. Back on the isthmus, Dutch sees JP coming through the woods. He's now in hunting mode, taking short, slow steps. He sees how narrow the path ahead becomes. Realizing it's too dangerous to continue, he disappears behind a deep thicket. Shouts out to Dutch. You think I'm dumb enough to come down there?

You the fool here, Dutch. You're trapped. I'm the one got you right where I want you. Dutch takes aim. Who's the dumb idiot now Dutch? Can't believe you'd do such a fool at. Through her scope Dutch isn't aiming at JP. She's aiming at a cluster of Tannerite targets on a branch above the thicket. on a branch above the thicket. Bang! Boom! The Tannerite targets explode in a massive fireball.

From his hidden position, J.P. is blasted backwards, his Winchester spinning out of his hands into the lake. Dutch stands, walks towards her brother, puts one in the chamber as she goes. When Dutch gets to J.P., she says something, but he can't hear a word from the ringing as she goes. When Dutch gets to JP, she says something, but he can't hear a word from the ringing in his ears. What? Again, Dutch speaks, but JP can't hear her.

What? Say mercy, brother. What? Dutch shoots her brother in the head. Dutch gathers up JP's Winchester from the lake, walks back to her brother's position, aims it to where she'd been in the bushes, fires off three quick rounds, drops his rifle, walks back in the direction of Rafe and Mama Nyberg. In the woods by the rattlesnake den, Dutch sees Rafe on his knees, trying to comfort the clearly fading Mama Nyberg. A branch snaps under Dutch's foot, but she's on Rafe's left side so he doesn't hear. Mama

Nyberg, however, she does hear and can now clearly see Dutch in the near distance. She lifts her hand, makes to point at Dutch, but she's lost the power of speech. Just mumbles nonsense. When JP gets back, we'll get you right out to Dr. Sloan. I promise. As soon as he gets back with the watch, then we'll go, okay? I promise you. Being on his left side, Dutch doesn't have to creep up on her brother. So walks almost casually through the brush.

When she has him absolutely cold, she picks up a stick, throws it onto his right side. Rafe immediately grabs his Winchester from the forest floor, cracks the bolt, but he's aiming his rifle away from Dutch. It seems to dawn on him that Dutch is behind him, and he cranes his neck back to his left, sees Dutch, rifle raised. Dutch nods no. Rafe drops his Winchester. Mama Nyberg looks at Dutch with palpable rage. See the lid of the toolbox?

Cell phone and the trackers? Rafe looks to the toolbox, looks back at Dutch, nods yes. Dr. Sandberg's cell. GPS trackers from the bikes. They couldn't talk to the towers because the toolbox is metal. But soon as it opened... They're coming. No doubt. Last favor, brother. Run. You won't shoot me?

Rafe looks at his mother, then back at Dutch. Had all the time I needed for that. Coming up on your left side. Rafe looks at his mother. Damn! Only... Sorry, Mama. Rafe sprints immediately into the woods. When he's gone, Dutch approaches her mother, kne, Mama. Rafe sprints immediately into the woods. When he's gone, Dutch approaches her mother, kneels down. Schooling your boys in betrayal like that? You never guessed, did you?

Day'd come when they'd maybe turn that schooling right back on you. No way your boys would ever betray you, abandon you. Well, here it is, Mama. Here you are, out in the woods, left by your boys to die like a dog. Never saw that coming, huh? No defeat without surprise. Ain't that what Daddy used to say? Dutch looks from her mother to the burn scars on her hands. Mama Nyberg's eyes no longer afraid, just hateful. My choice was to help my brothers or not. Their choice was to leave me be after or not. I did it for daddy, but I ain't listening to him anymore, Mama. Not because I don't respect his memory.

I just need to respect myself more is all. So you know, there's no pleasure in being right about your family. None. Just the time before you say, I'm done, and the time after. Guess what time it is, Mama. Dutch stands, walks to the tree, climbs it, retrieves her doll. As she climbs down, she places the doll in her pocket. Dutch takes a cigarette pack and a lighter from her jacket,

places a cigarette in her mouth, is about to light it when she gets the sharp scent of gasoline from her clothes. Dutch sees the longing in her mother's eyes, the hope in them that Dutch would have forgotten. No, Mama. See, I'm the child of yours. That ain't an idiot. Dutch tosses the cigarette and the lighter,

places her hands behind her head, ready for the police to arrive. In the distance, the for the police to arrive. In the distance, the sounds of police shouting and gunfire. Interior, 12th Police Station, Interrogation Room, Night. Dutch sitting alone. She's now dressed in a blaze orange, prison-issue jumpsuit, smoking a cigarette. Enter Dr. Kurt Thor and Sheriff Taylor. Dr. Thor sits opposite Dutch. Sheriff Taylor sits at the back of the room. Dr. Thor pushes a cell tower geotag map across the

table. Check the tower data. You were right. JP was out on the lake that night. At the gravesite, too. JP's revolver is a match for the bullet in Dr. Sandberg's back. He's the shooter. Ballistics confirm he got a couple off before you fired back today, that is. Only, why, Dutch? Why would your brother, of all people, want to kill you? Guess when he found out, I knew what he'd done. Lost his tiny mind. Right. Only, what I don't get is this. Why didn't J.P. just bury the bikes in the woods with the body?

Why dump the bikes out on the lake? And why were there explosive targets strapped to that tree? Almost like, I don't know, somebody had arranged the scene beforehand. Is this how it's gonna be, Sheriff? Dr. Thor, the real, actual don't know, somebody had arranged the scene beforehand. Is this how it's gonna be, Sheriff? Dr. Thor, the real actual law in town, like the Guttemsons were in the 60s and 70s because they owned the giant lumber mill? Like AMC was the law in the 80s, so got away with having those goons break my daddy's hip

for just talking about maybe, maybe starting up a union? Your father and father before him that ran this office, what you come from, Sheriff Taylor, is a long line of pimps. Saving the town of 12? Shit. You're just flipping the mattresses over is all. Sorry as I am for your mama's tragic

passing, you are doing time for your part in this, Dutch. Accessory after the fact, wasting police time, pissing in the holy water. I don't give a shit. Your brothers, Mort and Rafe, the tales they're telling, my oh my. You mean the cokehead cop fucker and the one that ain't stopped screaming these past 12 hours? Dutch holds her finger up and almost on cue can distinctly hear the sound of Mort panic screaming from the cells. Good luck with that on the stand.

I ain't saying shit till my lawyer gets here. Look at you. Not knowing if you're the candle or the flame. If you're the one burning or being burned. Humor me, Dutch. Speculate. Why did JP go out on the lake? Why did he go when he didn't need to? Why do that? Um... I guess...

In case, Rafe followed J.P. down to the lake, so J.P. threw the bikes in there to make a splashing sound like a body going in the water, but better still, there was no body in the lake. If Rafe flipped, his entire story goes to shit, and if the police dived the lake, JP would know for sure Rafe was the rat. JP wasn't smart, but he was paranoid. Fourth Amendment shit speaks to that. What, you ain't seen his YouTube channel? Mayor Gimbel Knox opens the door. Nyberg's lawyer is here. Okay, send him in.

Oh, Mr. Mayor, you'll want to step in, I think, once she arrives. Mayor Gimble exits. Kurt Thor stares at Dutch, but her eyes are locked on the floor, giving nothing away. Dr. Thor looks at the frosted glass, sees Mayor Gimble approaching, and what appears through the glass to be a very short person. Mayor Gimble enters the interrogation room, followed by a woman in a wheelchair, 31. The woman wheels her chair to Dutch's side of the desk, places a folder on the table. Dr. Thor, actually, I believe you know my attorney.

No, sorry. Can't say that I do. Dahlia Regina. Originally from London, England. Exterior intersection, CCTV footage, day, flashback. A jogger runs toward the intersection. Dahlia looks to her right, crosses onto the intersection. Smash! Dahlia has been run over by a Phoenix 4F driverless auto. Back in the interrogation room, Dr. Thor is absolutely aghast. Lately of Sacramento. Motherfucker. Just thought if I'm to be charged with anything and there's to be a lengthy public trial, might be an idea to get in someone with media experience. You know, to talk to those

TV news people. Coast to coast. Long as the trial lasts. Dahlia here, I mean, she practically bit my fucking hand off. Guess some people just like being on TV. Dr. Thor's mouth literally drops open. Mayor Gimbel, this is for you. Dahlia removes a document from the folder on the table, hands it over to Mayor Gimbel, who's still too stunned to speak. I took the liberty of drawing up some papers. Miss Nyberg's idea. I took the liberty of drawing up some papers. Miss Nyberg's idea.

Mayor Gimbel looks suspiciously at Dutch as Dahlia slides the same document across the table to Dr. Thor. What papers? Contract. Between Thor Industries and the Town of Twelfth. Binding Dr. Thor to build his Phoenix 4F factory here in your town. Set against a bond of $350 million. Only, he won't sign. His Phoenix 4F factory was bound for Tijuana from the start, we all know that. Dr. Thor, I want you to imagine yourself on the courtroom steps, explaining to the media why exactly you refused to sign such a deal.

One negotiated by a woman who will never walk again because of your driverless tech. News cycle after news cycle. You think any town in America will let you test your car after that? On the streets where their children ride their bikes. Every day. Or, we could all imagine this. No charges, no trial, no media. Nobody finds out you never in a million years were going to build your factory in a town like Twelfth.

Because people like Dutch Nyberg are too expensive to employ. But as roadkill, a bargain at the price. Dutch Walks Tonight or a public trial that'll crush your stock price like balls in a vice. Stunned silence in the room. Well, what's it to be, boys? Exterior, Dutch's trailer, morning. Dutch throws a suitcase into the back of her truck, carefully places her saddle next to it,

locks the front door, then hesitates when she sees the.22-250 Winchester brass bullet key ring in her hand. Dutch thinks about this for a moment, then jumps in her truck, starts her up, drives away. Revealed, Dutch's charred, raggedy-ass doll is again cable tied to the front grill of her truck. 12th Main Street. Dutch pulls up next to out-of-town Brown's drinking seat. Dutch knocks the outside of the driver's door. Out-of-town Brown's drinking seat. Dutch knocks the outside of the driver's door. Out-of-town Brown looks up.

Dutch tosses him the key to her trailer. He catches it, looks at Dutch, utterly perplexed. Dutch nods at out-of-town Brown. He nods back, clearly overwhelmed at this act of generosity. Dutch wraps the outside of the driver's door, drives away. By the police kennels, Luna barking excitedly as Dutch bolt cuts the heavy lock. As Dutch opens the kennel, Luna runs out into the field for a quick play, then straight back to Dutch. Dutch kneels down, pets Luna.

Luna, you're coming with me because your old mother is a cokehead. Yes, she is. Yes, she is. mother is a cokehead. Yes, she is. Yes, she is. She's a cokehead. Yes, she is. Exterior, Dutchess Truck, South Lindbergh, day, moving. Being flat Michigan, the roads only go in dead straight lines through deep wilderness woods, fine hunting country. Inside Dutchess Truck, music, reprise, Joan Blondel, My Forgotten Man. Dutch driving, Luna's head out the open passenger window, ears flapping in the breeze. Dutch

absentmindedly singing the words as she takes in the beauty of the forest drive. Then, in the distance, Dutch sees it. The Phoenix 4F followed by the tech convoy coming down the road. Interior, second support vehicle, day, moving. Dr. Thor on a laptop, monitoring data from the Phoenix 4F. Back in Dutch's truck, as the convoy gets closer, Dutch's eyes get darker. She deliberately puts on her seatbelt, turns off the music. Back in the support vehicle, Dr. Thor glances up from his laptop, then right back at the screen. Something twigs in his mind. He looks up the road again, clearly recognizing Dutch's truck. Dutch's truck.

Dutch points at the passenger footwell. Jump down there, girl. Go on now. Luna hops off the seat, sits into the footwell. Dutch locks her eyes on the road, accelerates hard. Support vehicle. Dr. Thor sees that Dutch is speeding up. You've got to be kidding me. Dutch's truck.

Dutch reaches back to the control panel over her shoulder, aggressively pulls down the red lever. Behind the tow bay of Dutch's truck, the 15-pound tow hook falls onto the asphalt, dragging a quarter-inch metal cable behind it. As the hook bounces across the lanes, it causes the metal cable to flip from side to side like a snake. In the support vehicle, Dr. Thor grabs a mic handset from the dash. Shut it down! Shut it down!

Shut what down? All of it! Everything right now! Sir, I don't see any anomalies on the data on our side. Then Dr. Thor sees it. The flailing metal cable and hook whipping across the road behind Dutch's truck. You've got to be fucking kidding. Inside Dutch's truck. Dutch pulls a second lever on the control panel, causing the hydraulic arm to pitch out to the left. This causes the flailing metal cable to lash across the road. The 15-pound hook flips up, smashes through the windscreen of the Phoenix 4F, which engages its emergency brakes, causing a massive, violent pileup between the Phoenix 4F and the support convoy vehicles.

The Phoenix 4F is shunted into the woods, where it is violently mangled into the trunk of a tree. The 15-pound hook is still inside the Phoenix 4F, meaning when the metal cable runs out of slack, the driver's door of the Phoenix 4F is ripped off the vehicle. The flying door shatters the windscreen of Kurt Thor's car, causing the airbag to deploy in his face. Dutch's truck is violently shunted to the left by the force of the door being pulled off the Phoenix 4F, but Dutch easily rides the drift,

then brings the truck to a gentle stop. Dutch pets Luna, who doesn't seem at all bothered. Good girl. glass becoming stuck under the airbag as it deployed. Dazed, he steps out of his car. Dutch walks to the back of her truck, hits a red button, causing the metal cable to be recalled along its spool, dragging the door of the Phoenix 4F along the road towards the rear of Dutch's truck. Dr. Thor sees this, shouts up the road to Dutch. Technician number three, twenty, takes Dr. Thor's arm. Dr. Thor violently shoves technician number three away. The cable has now fully retracted, meaning Dutch now has the mangled door from the Phoenix 4F, replete with the Thor Industries logo pinned to the back of her truck. Dutch stares fearlessly at Dr. Thor. Une personne intelligente.

Got one thing right, motherfucker. Dutch gets back in her truck, drives away. Dr. Thor looks back at the wrecked convoy. Technicians times ten now fighting multiple fires with CO2 extinguishers. Fuck! Later that day, inside Dutch's truck. Dutch driving, Luna asleep on the passenger seat. They're approaching the Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, U.S. border toll station

along I-75. A border guard, 30, waves Dutch into the inspection lane. Close to the inspection lane, later, Dutch and Luna, sitting on the grass verge as border guards, times five, make a thorough, deep inspection

of Dutch's pickup. One of the guards gives Dutch a bemused look when he sees the door to the Phoenix 4F on the back end of the 15-pound hook. The sun is going down before Dutch is waved back to her vehicle by a pissed-off-looking border guard. Dutch gets back in her truck with Luna, drives away.

Exterior, rural road, southern Ontario, sunset, moving. Dutch pulls over to the side of the road, gets out of the truck, walks to the front grill. Dutch cuts the cable ties on the raggedy-ass doll. She looks up and down the road, no one watching. Dutch tears the head off the doll, revealing inside a $40,000 Rolex Daytona, rose gold, black dial. Dutch pockets the watch, winks at Luna through the windscreen. Luna barks at Dutch. Dutch tosses the doll by the side of the road, gets back in her truck, drives off into the sunset. Fade out.