LRF NOW Original Series: Can You Hear Me? - Season 1 Episode 1

 

Can You Hear Me?
Genre: Drama / Dark Comedy
Executive Producer: Emerald Fennell
Writer: Mo Buck
Based on the French-Canadian series

Season 1 Episode 1 - Girls from the Block

Cast:
Emma Mackey …. Amy
Danielle Brooks …. Shauna
Maya Hawke …. Cass
Haley Bennett …. Amelie
Algee Smith …. J.D.
C.C.H. Pounder …. Shauna’s Mother

Amy (Emma Mackey) waits impatiently in an office at the community center, while her best friend Cass (Maya Hawke) waits for her in the car. Cass is reading a book, but is disturbed by cell phone, as she received a text. She reads the text quickly and opens the window and throws up on the ground. She throws her cell phone on the passenger’s seat. Amelie (Haley Bennett), Amy’s young counsellor and therapist enters the office. She asks Amy how it went this week and Am starts reading on the posters in the office to answer, while carefully watching the way she speaks. She tells Amelie that she may not have to come by next week, she’s feeling much better. Amelie reminds her that the court ordered 12 meetings with her about anger management because she hit a man with a hamburger and broke his jaw, so clearly, she has a problem. It’s only been three weeks and she missed one appointment. Amy says she thought the buns would weaken the impact and starts to get angry, but retains herself. In the car, Cass receives another text from a man named Kevin, asking her to answer, because it’s been a month since she talked to him last. She throws the cellphone on the seat again. Amy says her only meeting with Amelie changed her world view and she doesn’t feel anger anymore. She tells Amelie that she likes her a lot and Amelie expresses her doubts. In her head, Amy thinks about beating up Amelie and her pompous attitude. Cass is growing impatient in the car and hits the horn. In the office, Amelie says that she can go and Amy says sarcastically says she’ll be back next week, because she enjoys their meetings too much. After she closes the door, she turns around and flips her the bird. When she gets back in the car, the horn on Cass’ car is fainting. Amy complains about Amelie, saying a 12-yr old raised in cotton wool with her cutex and grass juice is trying to tell her how she feels, she has no idea how her life is and never will, but Cass doesn’t answer.

Not far away from there, Shauna (Danielle Brooks) tells J.D. (Algee Smith) that he is late again and it’s unacceptable. J.D., who looks stoned, tells her the concept of time is strange to him, and he is taking care of his little brother. She asks him how many brothers he has, because it’s the third time this week he has used that excuse. He doesn’t remember how many he has, and he simply gives her a kiss on the cheek. She forgets him, bewitched by his charm.


We cut to Amy having sex in the back of a van with man when she receives a call. She answers and it’s her mother asking her where she put her cigarettes. She has no idea. Cass is still waiting for Amy in the car and tries to use the horn, but it’s dead. She gets a call on her cell phone and chooses not to answer. When Amy is done having sex, the man gives her 20$ and she runs back to the car. She asks Cass to go see Shauna now.

The enter the burrito restaurant where Fabiola works and are welcomed at the register by J.D.. Cass doesn’t know what to order and J.D. grows impatient. Amy starts to argue with J.D. and Shauna comes from the back and yells at Amy to calm down. She whispers that her boss ain’t far.

When they finally get their food, Amy tries to tell Cass that she should speak a little, it’s been a month since she didn’t have a conversation. She can’t just build everything up inside, or else she’s going to explode like she did and get arrested. Cass shakes her head in approval. They are joined by Shauna, whose shift his over. She asks Amy what’s in her hair and they are disgusted to find out it’s sperm from Amy’s latest hookup. They leave the restaurant disgusted as Amy tries to get it out of her hair.

They all go back to Shauna’s place, where she lives with her mute and wheelchair-bound mother (C.C.H. Pounder). They wonder what they should do tonight. They suggest renting a movie and it’s Shauna’s turn to rent. She says she doesn’t have money and Amy is surprised to hear that because she’s always working. She says she should stop giving J.D. money, he uses it for his MDMA anyway. She starts wondering why she’s always going back to him, and the girls start a shouting match and Cass is amused by it. Amy finally apologizes for sticking her nose in Shauna’s business and suggests to “do the subway” tonight and Shauna says she doesn’t feel like it, so Cass and Amy should go alone. Amy says Shauna should come, it’s too long for them to make money when she isn’t there. People love a big black woman signing, it’s like they’re on vacation. Shauna is still not sure, and Amy says they’ll do her Christian song. Shauna finally accepts and they leave for the subway.

The girls sign Christian songs in the subway. Shauna’s voice is powerful and beautiful. Amy does the back vocal and Cass, still not speaking, claps her hands. People give them money as the pass.

Some time later, the girls are walking on a train track, celebrating their haul. Amy tells her yet again that she shouldn’t date J.D.. Well dating a strong word, he calls once in a while, they fuck and she goes back to her mother. She deserves better than a man who comes in her home, doesn’t flush his shit and steals her 20$. Shauna says she’s not sure it was him who stole 20$, maybe it was her sister. Amy says the next time he steals 20$ from Shauna, she’ll stick his ugly face in his limp junkie diarrhea. They laugh and get out of the train track as a train is coming.

Some time later, they are all in Cass’ car and Amy comes back with a couple of movies, but with all the money. They ask how she did it and she says she flashed her tits to the horny teenager. While they look at the movies, Cass receives a text from Kevin again and he tells her to answer immediately or else she’s going to regret it. Cass starts to have a panic attack. Amy tries to calm her down and Shauna starts to pray in the backseat. Cass starts crying and Amy grabs Cass’ cellphone and shows Kevin’s text to Shauna. Shauna starts signing the Amazing Grace and Amy tells her to stop, it’s not the time. Shauna says it’s always the time. She asks Cass what he did to her as she cries in her lap. Shauna starts signing the Amazing Grace again as the episode ends.


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"It’s not often we get to hear from Mo Buck these days, so anytime he submits something new is a big deal. That’s why I’m happy to say Can You Hear Me is a chilling, haunting show featuring flawed but realistic people. It’s not pretty, but it’s not supposed to be." - Mitchell Parker, New York Times

"Mackey's Amy was easily the highlight of the pilot. Hopefully her co-stars, Hawke and Brooks, are able to keep pace as the season goes on because they couldn't manage it in the pilot. The character interactions in this pilot are good, but it is definitely lacking in the story (or even story set-up) department. Mo Buck's a good writer, so I expect him to work that out." - Donovan Vaughn, The Plain Dealer

"Can You Hear Me? tried a bit too hard in its attempt at modern edginess in the pilot. In doing so, it definitely sacrificed the likability of its characters at times. The trio of leading ladies are mostly good in this episode. While this first episode doesn't do a great job at grabbing the audience with any of its plot threads, it did grab me enough for me to continue tuning in with its strong relationships between the main  characters." - Ron English, Saginaw News