"People in the Rain," is the sixth episode of Mr. Mercedes, aired on Audience on September 13, 2017.
The episode was written by Dennis Lehane and directed by Jack Bender.
Summary[]
Hodges struggles with the past as it concerns his daughter, Allie. As Deb attempts to make a change for the better, Brady interferes. Robi continues pressuring Brady to impress their bosses. Hodges connects with Janey's cousin, Holly.
Plot[]
Bill takes out his files on Mr. Mercedes and vows to find him.
Brady is in bed in his basement workshop and gets up to check his surveillance photos of Bill. He gets the license plate number of Bill’s car and then goes to a cabinet and builds a C4 bomb with a homemade timer. Once he’s done, Brady puts it in a bag and puts the bag in his Civic. Robi calls to remind him about the meeting with the bosses, and Brady goes inside, leaving the car keys on the hook by the door.
Bill goes out to his car and sees Ida unpacking her groceries. He nods to her and drives over, and she apologizes for being petulant the night before. Ida says that she was concerned about her bruised dignity and goes inside.
Brady cleans up for the meeting and asks Deb for help with his tie. When she doesn’t answer, he goes into her bedroom and discovers that she’s gone. Brady checks the kitchen and finds her empty vodka bottles in the garbage. He goes outside and discovers that the Civic is gone, and calls his mother.
Deb drives down the street and drops her cigarette onto the floor next to the bag. She reaches down and picks it up.
Brady catches the bus and tries to call Deb again. He gets her voicemail and leaves a message to call him. As the bus continues on, Deb drives by.
Bill drives to the house of Ken Brock, who lives across the street from the Hartsfields. Ken is working on his car, and Bill explains that he’s a PI checking on car break-ins two and a half years ago. He explains that Ken was the first one to file a report, and Ken says that someone moved his car. Bill figures that the first victim often knows the perpetrator, and asks if Ken has any enemies. Ken says that his enemies would have broken the window or kept the car, and tells Bill about the weird people on the street. Janey says that her mother had a stroke, and Bill tells her that he’s on his way.
At the store, Robi tells Brady that he has to show he can fill in for him. He ties Brady’s ties and they drive to the meeting.
Deb parks outside of a hair salon at a strip mall and braces herself to go in. A man, Chaz Chapman, is coming out and recognizes her. Deb explains that she’s considering getting her job back, and Chaz tells her that he owns the bar next door. Chaz offers to mention to the salon owner that Deb is getting back in the game, and invites her to have lunch with him.
At the hospital, Janey’s aunt Charlotte figures that Bill questioning Elizabeth gave her the stroke, and wonders why Janey invited him there. Janey says that he’s a friend, just as Charlotte’s daughter Holly comes over and asks for a pen to make a journal entry. Charlotte tells her to ask her father for his pen, and Holly starts complaining about how she can’t switch pen colors. Bill comes in and Janey goes over to greet him. She says that everyone is on edge, and introduces Bill to Charlotte. Holly yells for her pen, and Charlotte tells her to work on her emotional regulation skills. The girl storms off and when Dr. Wells comes over to tell them about Elizabeth’s condition, Bill offers to go after Holly.
Bill finds Holly outside sitting on a bench and smoking. She asks him not to tell Charlotte that she’s smoking, and she thinks that Holly quit. Bill borrows a cigarette from Holly, and she chats about why people go to hospitals both to be born and die. She talks about how she knows eye contact is important in personal conversations, but says that her neck hurts so she turns away from Bill. Bill gets up and sits on her opposite side but avoids looking at her. When Holly says that Olivia was killed, Bill asks her how she knows but Holly refuses to answer.
2005
Bill is called when his daughter Allie is picked up. Pete warns him that two strict officers picked her up and booked her for speeding and DUI.
Now
Bill suggests that they get a sandwich for everyone, and doesn’t see any reason to ask Charlotte.
Robi takes Brady to the restaurant to meet with the two corporate men, Josh and Jake. Brady sees that his mother has texted him back, and the two men ask about Brady’s management skills. He imagines cutting their throats, and then tells them that his core management philosophy is responsibility. When Robin encourages him, Brady imagines stabbing him in the throat. He talks about how people are supposed to behave, and imagines killing everyone else in the restaurant. When Brady imagines Deb coming in, he kisses her and cuts her stomach open, and then pulls a bloody toy fire truck out through the wound. He tells the men that a manager’s job is supposed to manage the people under him, and he says that order needs to be restored. Brady excuses himself to use the restroom, and Robi tells them that sometimes Brady gets low blood sugar.
In the restroom, Brady goes into a stall and curses when he reads Deb’s message. Robi comes in and says that the corporate men left. He tells Brady that he fucked both of them, and Brady calmly washes and dries his hands. Brady prepares his story and then says that his mother is missing and his brother died when they were kids. Robi is shocked, and Deb has been drinking ever since. Brady apologizes for c coming in when he shouldn’t have, and Robi tells him that his mother bailed on him when he was 2. He says that Brady shouldn’t have come in and says that they’ll find another candidate, and tells Brady to find Deb. Brady convinces him to let him take a store van out to look for her, and Robi tells him that he owes him big time.
Deb has lunch with Chaz and sticks to water. They talk about old times and Chaz says that he got remarried and his wife’s sister was killed in the Mercedes massacre. Deb tells him that she gets visions of the future, and feels that Mercedes is going to be caught soon. Chaz drinks some beer and Deb stares at the glass.
Bill and Holly drive back from the restaurant and Holly sniffs the sandwiches. He invites her to eat one while they’re driving, and Holly worries that she’ll spill in his car. Bill tells her to go for it, and Holly starts eating. She then tells Bill that Olivia heard voices saying that she killed the people at the city center. Holly insists that she’s not crazy, and Bill tells her that he doesn’t think she is. She explains that Olivia took pills and wasn’t happy but wasn’t sad. But then Olivia stopped taking the pills because the voices said that she was living a lie. Bill asks Holly if she knows anything else that will help him find Olivia’s killer.
Chaz drives Deb back to the mall and he has her open his bag. There’s a bottle of whiskey and sex toys inside, and Chaz says that he just wants the bottle and the toys are for later at the nearby motel. Chaz offers her a drink, and Deb says that she doesn’t drink anymore. As they get out, Deb asks if he’ll put the word in for Jamie. Chaz tells her that he was just being polite, and Deb burned a woman while doing a dye job when drunk. Jamie almost lost the shop when the woman sued. Deb stares at the salon for a moment, and then goes into the liquor store next door.
Brady finally spots the Civic at the mall and sees the liquor store. He goes inside and the clerk says that he saw Deb earlier and bought a bottle of water. Brady thanks him and orders a bottle of premium vodka. As he drives home, he sees Brady and Holly drive past and follows them.
Brady and Holly pull into the hospital and park. Bill sees Janey sitting outside and goes over to check on her. She hugs him and Bill apologizes. Holly goes inside with the food, and Brady parks a few spots down from Bill’s car.
Janey tells Bill that Elizabeth died and she was too busy to see her in the home. As Bill reassures her, Brady glares at them and grabs the C4 packet. Holly offers Janey a sandwich and her condolences, and then goes inside. Bill tells Janey that he likes Holly and hits the lock fob on his car. The horn beeps a second time as Brady intercepts the signal.
That night, Brady comes home and finds Deb making tea. He points out that she took the car and that she didn’t warn him. Brady points out that she ditched all of her vodka, and warns that quitting cold turkey is dangerous. Deb admits that she went back to the salon but they’re not hiring, and she met Chaz. Brady asks if he fucked Deb, and then apologizes for saying something shitty. He points out that she hasn’t driven for a couple of years and has been drunk since then, and drove around looking for her. He fakes concern and says that he can’t lose Deb, and she’s all that he has. Deb says that the salon will never hire her back and says that he’s stuck with her, and that she won’t need the car keys to drive into town anymore. Brady says that he bought her a present and goes out to the car.
At home, Bill looks at a map showing the locations where cars were broken into. He figures that he’s getting closer and looks at a photo of a young Allie.
2005
Bill’s wife Donna arrives at the station to check on Allie. He tells her that she’s sobering up and was booked. Donna asks him to use his influence to get the charges dropped, but Bill warns her that he can’t. He points out that Allie has robbed from them to pay her drug habit, and eventually is going to run someone over. The couple go into the holding room with Office Benedento, and Bill tells Allie that Benedento will escort Allie to Processing. Allie appeals to Donna, who just stands and cries. Benedento prepares her for processing, and Donna begs Bill to stop it. He ignores her and Allie pleads with them, saying that she has a sickness and jail won’t help her. Bill and Donna say nothing, and Allie describes a painting she might sell of people in the rain. Benedento takes Allie away.
Now
Brady comes back in with the bottle of vodka and gives it to Deb. He says that she can wean herself off of the alcohol and pours her a drink.
Bill calls Allie and gets her voicemail. He says that given that it’s her birthday, he thought he’d try again. He wishes her a happy birthday and hangs up.
2005
Bill watches from a window as Allie is put on the bus with the other prisoners. He mutters to himself for her not to cry, and Allie breaks into tears as she gets in.
Now
Bill stares off into space.
In his workshop, Brady watches Deb on his monitors. She finally drinks the vodka and pours herself another glass, and Brady smiles in relief.
Credits[]
Starring[]
Cast[]
- Brendan Gleeson as Bill Hodges
- Harry Treadaway as Brady Hartsfield
- Kelly Lynch as Deborah Hartsfield
- Jharrel Jerome as Jerome Robinson
- Scott Lawrence as Peter Dixon
- Robert Stanton as Anthony Frobisher
- Breeda Wool as Lou Linklatter
- Justine Lupe as Holly Gibney
- Mary-Louise Parker as Janey Patterson
- Holland Taylor as Ida Silver
With[]
- Ann Cusack as Olivia Trelawney
- Katharine Houghton as Elizabeth Wharton
- Makayla Lysiak as Barbara Robinson