Mosaic, HBO

Differing Perspectives

HBO original miniseries Mosaic premiered Monday January 22nd, 2018.

#Mosaic season 2 is reportedly in development.

rottentomatoes: 85%

metacritic: 73

imdb: 6.4

***SPOILERS AHEAD***




Olivia Lake, Mosaic, HBO, Sharon StoneOlivia Lake, Mosaic, HBO, Sharon StoneOlivia Lake, Mosaic, HBO, Sharon StoneOlivia Lake, Mosaic, HBO, Sharon StoneOlivia Lake

Children’s book author and illustrator Olivia Lake sustains multiple blunt-force traumas to her cranium resulting in her murder.  Her fiancé Sam Neill is detained as the primary suspect and pleads guilty to aggravated manslaughter.


Olivia Lake, Mosaic, HBO, Sharon Stone“I thought maybe I should put both of us out of your misery.  Oh, but first, I’d like to pretend that I’m not old enough to be anyone’s surrogate mom.  However, more sincerely, I’d like to say you’re kind of like the son I never knew I really wanted.  But first, just look at this beautiful, beautiful house, and, um… that you have offered us for this event.  I mean, come on.  And the seed money that you gave us to start Mosaic or we wouldn’t even be here to start with.  Michael is… you are one of the most sensitive people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.  And that sensitivity has… …turned into being one of the most acute collectors of art, which you could all see if you were lucky enough to have a tour of the Red Room.  Hey, why don’t we auction off tours of the Red Room today for, like, $1,000?  Okay, $1,000, anybody?  Oh, God, thank you.  Yay!  Thank you.  Because we really do need those funds to keep Mosaic going, and… you know, it only takes one person to change a life.” — Olivia Lake

“Hunky bartender– your team or mine?  Reconnaissance, s’il vous plaît.  So, Red Room?  Really?  Great.  Thank you… very much.  Really appreciate that.  Thank you.  Oh, who could possibly do a thing like that?  He could.  I finally got a pen that writes on rubber.  Pour me something tall and muscular.  A lesser nuanced host might have said ‘stiff.’  Thank you.  Oh, I know.  I’m a little old for a children’s author. Ah, so you thought, ‘there’s all these rich people blowing in and out of here… …so I’ll come out, bank some cash.  And I’m from Minnesota… …so I’ll come out here and teach skiing.’  Oh, and then you blew out your knee?  Oh.  Oh.  Oh, I bet that tree just jumped right out in the middle of the road.  You can never trust nature.  Why is that guy looking at you like he’s the boss of you?  Oh, all right, then.  Better go do your thing.  Maybe if I see you next time, I’ll show you yours if you show me mine.  Uh…” — Olivia Lake

“Well, it’s good to see all the homework you did.  It’s nice to know what all this is worth.  And, uh– and the offer, what was that word that you used?  Yes, the 10% vig.  But, you know.  Uh, no.  You know when you’ll know when I’m moving on?  When you’re standing at my gravesite with whatever’s left of my mourners, and then you can negotiate with my dogs or whoever I’ve left this place to.  But, you know, since I’m not dead, why don’t we take this precious moment for me to offer you a piece of advice?  Why don’t you stop dragging dead rats through the cat flap to dump at your daddy’s feet?  Okay?  Okay?  Okay.” — Olivia Lake

“Yeah.  I mean, other than the obvious.  Kirby, Frank Miller, Steranko, Eisner.  Well, yeah.  It’s a long fucking way to fall.  If you’re up there, you better make sure you’ve got something.  Oh, everybody’s got an imagination.  Everybody’s got influences.  My question to you is what’s your own special take on it?  Well, um– well, this place is a mess.  Glade we came up here.  We can clean it up.  Well, you seem strong.  Are you handy?  Oof, is it the mirror or did someone steal my ass?  Mm.  Uh…” — Olivia Lake

“We’re recommitting to the studio.  It’s his idea.  Oh, he’s gonna paint, redo the deck.  We’re gonna discuss the rent, TBD.  Tools are down in the barn.  He’s no Enzo, is he?  I’m a master chef.  Thank you.  Oh.  Okay?  It’s you I love.” — Olivia Lake

“Knock, knock.  Oh, I guess it’s hot in here.  Here, honey.  Well, it’ll be our first rag.  Our first rag together.  Okay?  Oh!  Hey, that looks nice.  Oh, for me to– pfft.  Why don’t we drown that thought in a margarita?  So, he said, ‘if you could cook, we could fire the chef.’  And I said, ‘Ernie, if you could fuck, we could fire the chauffeur.'” — Olivia Lake

“Hey.  I’ve been seating myself for decades.  My ass goes here, right?  Olivia Lake.  You didn’t trust what he said?  Professor of geology.  A daughter.  Ogden Ore.  72 million.  And then he… raises the prices.  Trust.  And you know this because?  Meaning?  Dennis Klein.” — Olivia Lake

“His father was some kind of Ponzi guy or something.  I think Eric feels like he has some big karma to unravel.  There he is.  Right there.  What do you think?  Oh, no, you’re not getting any closer, not today.  He’s coming.  Okay, he’s coming down.  Get out– no, wait.  What am I doing here?  I mean, on the premises?  Dennis Klein turned out to be a hell of a wingman.  No, no signals.” — Olivia Lake

“Hey, Eric.  Hi.  Good.  Well, I saw you up there, and… well, you were just right about everything, so I wanted to tell you.  Yeah.  I mean, I just had a hunch and, you know, so I just said to him up top, like, what is up with you?  Overruled.  Oh, cancer.  Yeah.  You’d think he could come up with something more creative.  Yeah, or pica.  Pica– it’s the one where people eat the nonfood things like chalk or drywall or ladders.  Yeah.  Or the one where you get old really fast.  Well, you know, you saved me a lot of money and, um, I feel like I owe you, so let’s say I buy you a drink or something.  Okay.  How about now?  ‘Cause I’m freezing.” — Olivia Lake

“I don’t know, it sounds exciting.  I mean, a new company every few years, a fresh start, learning new stuff.  You know, it sounds… like imprinting, like a duckling.  I find that hard to believe.  That just doesn’t seem like you.  I mean, it’s my head, anyway.  Well, go.  Hunt those heads.  I could eat.” — Olivia Lake

“So, Eric says, ‘he couldn’t come up with something more original than that?’  Than we start riffing on all these weird diseases.  I guess you had to be there.  Anyway, so, he’s here because he’s gonna be carving up some company, but, you know, he’s kind of– he’s had a change of heart and he wants to change his life.  So, I mean, that’s what he’s doing here today.  He was gonna go to Salt Lake City and meet this headhunter, and– but he cancelled it so that he could have dinner with me.  Yeah.  And– look, I gotta go.  Otherwise he’s gonna think that I have been in the bathroom the whole time.” — Olivia Lake

“A mirror?  Oh, well there’s a reason you only hang a painting facing out.  Who wants to see all the wires and tacks and framing?  Oh!  I don’t believe you.  No, you.  You.  You’re an actor.  Well, that’s artistry.  Wrong.  You told me yourself he was a con… con artist.  Uh… me.  Eric.  Tell me about your play.  What was it called?  I love that.  Because I think kids’ art is 100% a declaration of who they are.  I think it’s– it’s maybe the last time we tell the truth.” — Olivia Lake

“‘She takes those kids up the trail, like… three times a day and tells her story over and over.  It’s pathetic.’  Because it was like that for a while.  Even I thought it was pathetic.  You know, when I built these, I… I felt like that North Korean guy.  Like I was building a monument to my own ego.  I mean… just look.  It was like a– like a star just fell down from the heavens and I was holding a basket.  I wrote it all down in 45 seconds and drew it in two weeks, and… that was 26 years ago.  The land or the life?  Well, the land has a crew.  I’ve had to let a lot of them go.  I’ve got a boarder down in the barn.  He helps if I can get him to do anything.  But, yeah, it’s hard.  What are we if not our life?  I’m trying to decide if I should invite you in.  Eric… you gotta let me do this one.  The night lasts longer if we don’t.  That’s what I want.  I would like that.” — Olivia Lake

“He says he wants to see through all this, but he doesn’t.  You know that, right?  People don’t.  They say they do, but then they don’t.  When they see what’s really there… he won’t– he won’t want to see it or… ha, ha, fucking ha, he does.  And then he will.  And then what happens then?  What happens when he actually sees in?” — Olivia Lake

“In the kitchen.  Oh, you look like you just took a shit on my carpet and wiped your ass on the drapes.  What gives?  Really?  You came all the way over here for something you cannot tell me?  Fuck off.  Wow.  That is awesome that Alyssa didn’t tell me.  I didn’t say life was fair.  He’s on his way over here.  You gotta go.  However much I wish you could, beat it.” — Olivia Lake

“Well, I was intrigued by your text.  Yeah.  I– I can’t believe you quit your job.” — Olivia Lake

“The point is perspective.  It’s an entirely different story depending on how you look at it.” — Olivia Lake

“Well… I read once a long time ago that the difference between living a life of fulfillment and a life of compromise can be one person.  It can be a total stranger, and they just need to… people to see that the way you see things, the way your vision of life… has value, that it’s meaningful.  I never had that, but I feel like, that if I could be that or if someone at Mosaic could be that for one kid somewhere at some time, that my life, my crazy, dopey, lucky, awful life… that it would just be worthwhile, you know?” — Olivia Lake

Artisan.


Nate Henry, Mosaic, HBO, Devin RatrayNate Henry

“Just gonna say a few things that I know and a few things I’d like to find out about.  Anyhow… I got out of a meeting with forensics earlier today.  I made a copy of the report for you to read later.  Maybe it’ll jog your memory or something.  The short of it?  Olivia, she got hit on the jaw on the left side of her face by someone who was right-handed.  I don’t know if you know this, but Eric Neill is left-handed.  Your right hand was red, bloody, and swollen.  But when Tia picked you up at midnight… 11:57 to be exact– and then in the morning when Frank got you in town.  And also Facebook.  You deleted photos of you showing you wearing a T-shirt that was found buried with the body.  You asked Tia– my son’s in her class, by the way– to lie about what happened that night.  And you asked Frank to do the same thing  Twice.  Back then and now.  And finally… we had a guy following you today, man.  As soon as you found out the information on what was found with the body, you left the hotel.  You went to Marcellus county.  That’s where the gardener, Horacio, lives.  He’s the guy you sold the truck to in a hurry when– after the murder.  After Horacio, you went to a gas station on the I-80.  We’ve got some guys going to the gas station now.  They’ve been instructed to search the dumpsters.  You wanna tell me what they’re gonna find or… should I wait for them to tell me? Joel!  Now I go back to the office and I write up a warrant.  I bring it to the prosecutor first thing, and when he signs it, and I do believe he will sign it… then I go and I talk to Judge Warren in chambers and I tell her everything I just told you.  And then she approves it, and then I come back to this hotel room… and you and Laura are gonna have to decide how to play this.” — Nate Henry


Joel Hurley, Mosaic, HBO, Garret HedlundJoel Hurley, Mosaic, HBO, Garret HedlundJoel Hurley

“What happens now?” — Joel Hurley

“Well, I’m sorry.  I’ve been instructed to pour doubles this afternoon.  You got it.  Here you are.  I’m sorry, I know you probably get this a lot, but– you might be the reason I became an artist. …then I moved to New York to get a publisher and an agent, and then blew through half my savings in the first couple of weeks.  And– and a buddy told me about Summit.  Yeah.  Bank it out.  Oh, yeah.  A little skiing, a little hunting, some tennis.  Shoulder.  Rotator cuff, actually.  In a car wreck, of all things.  Oh, you know, I think it was a little more of an insurance scam.  I think it’s because he is the boss of me.  Okay, that sounds great.” — Joel Hurley

“Um, excuse me.  Sorry, um, I saw online that you guys do silk screen stuff? Oh, well, honestly, I just wanted to make a shirt of this.  Yeah, I did.  Yeah.  These are just all the ones that I’ve done since, uh– since I got here.  I’m sorry, we’ll do it in a different place.  Seriously?  Moebius.  ’70s.  ‘Métal hurlant!’  Mm.  Nah.  Eh.  ‘Airtight Garage?’  ‘Arzach.’  Yeah, I guess, but, I mean, ‘Arzach’ is all drawing.  Like, I love that it’s the purest sequential storytelling.  No words.  Do you want another round?  Let’s go, two more.  Yeah, maybe it’s– maybe I’m just not a words person.  Why?” — Joel Hurley

“Man, for me?  What are my influences?  So you know who they are?  Wow, uh… no, I’ve always, you know, believed in ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ sort of things.  Yeah.  I’d like to think so, yeah.  So, this is where it all happens?” — Joel Hurley

“It’s an apartment.  It just so happens to be in a barn.  Yeah, and it’s free.  Well, I mean, I’m gonna have to work in exchange for the rent, but I’ll have complete access to her studio, which I get to use– Olivia Lake’s studio.  And she’s going to look at my stuff.  She’s gonna show it to her agent.” — Joel Hurley

“What do you mean?  Yeah.  Why, is that weird?  Laura, this is– this is huge for me.  Yeah.  Laura… what are you so worried about?  How?” — Joel Hurley

“Come on in.  Yeah.  This was starting to get a little stinky, so.  Okay.  Yeah, I just wanted to make it a little longer.  Some sketching space, and, plus, you know, room for two.  Don’t mind if I do.  Oh.  Oh, she’s early.  Hang on.  Uh, hey!  Hey, there!  Hey.  Right?  I knew you’d like it.  Come on.  Oh, wait!  Laura, Laura.  I wanna introduce you to someone.  Laura, this is Olivia.  What?” — Joel Hurley

“So, her one big book– well, I’m sure you read it.  Everyone’s read it.  No?  ‘Whose Woods These Are.’  You read it one way, it’s the story of this poor hunter who tries to protect his family from this evil monster bear.  You turn it over and read it the other way, it’s the story of this poor bear who tries to rescue his mom from the trap of this evil monster hunter.  Not a bad idea, right.  Pick a direction.  Well, it’s a circle.  They both end up at the same place.” — Joel Hurley


Michael O'Connor, Mosaic, HBO, James RansoneMichael O’Connor

“Um, hello?  Yeah.  Uh, excuse me.  Hi, everyone.  I’m Michael O’Connor.  Hello, everyone.  How’s it going?  Okay, so this is part of the annual fundraiser where the host gives an intro talk.  And this would be the part of the talk where I should say something punchy or comical to break up the tension.  So imagine that this is that.  I grew up with Olivia Lake.  Not Just like you all did reading her book, But I– I literally grew up up the hill from her.  I used to ride my Big Wheel in her parking lot, which is right down there.  She’s like a surrogate mom to me.  So, what can I say about Olivia Lake that she hasn’t already told me to say?  Wait, shoot.  ‘…about Olivia Lake that she hasn’t already told me to say?’  What did I write?  But what– oh, right, okay, so, but why are we really here?  Because this is the time of year that we all have a chance to make a real difference, a difference in the lives of children not just in the Summit area, but all throughout the grater Salt Lake area as well.  So, Olivia Lake began her career as a graphic designer before illustrating several children’s books for other authors when she awoke from a dream with the idea for ‘Whose Woods These Are.’  Hi. Uh, yeah, yeah, okay.  That sounds good.” — Michael O’Connor

“High performance ch– what kind of rare metals?  Why are you showing this to me?  He doesn’t need to know about this. Mm-hmm.  Uh, the vig?  So– so, you’re not interested?  You know, I was thinking, you know my dad, you know how much he loves this whole area how much he loves his views, his pristine views.  But if there ever comes  a time, if ever, whenever you think, ‘hey, you know, it’s time to move on from here…’  Okay.  Okay.  Okay.  Okay.  Okay.  Well… yeah.” — Michael O’Connor

“Is the beryllium real?  So… I’m not sure– so, he… he sent his own father to jail?” — Michael O’Connor

“My father just really loved the pristine views and I wanted to do something nice for him.” — Michael O’Connor


Tom Davis, Mosaic, HBO, Michael CerverisTom Davis

“Chelation ion chromatography.  It detects trace elements of rare metals.  All kinds.  You remember when we had those guys out here a couple of weeks ago?  I told you I’d let you know if they found anything.  Do you want me to fill you in before your dad comes?  Well… so you can fill him in.” — Tom Davis

“Very.  So… so guys came to us a couple years back– about a year ago, actually.  Down in Redding, a guy named Casey Delacroix and his partner Eric Neill.  They were using pseudonyms.  I never met them, our guys did.  It was just an uninspired attempt at a silver scam.  But I had Darenzo dig a little deeper into Delacroix and Neill.  Turns out he found a case 10 years back or so involving a girl.  24 years old.  Eloise Brand.  A trust fund kid, a ton of dough, and she fell in love with Neill.  Well, it turns out it took Neill nine and a half months to make that happen.  He really worked her.  They were engaged.  And Neill doesn’t deny the relationship.  He says he got cold feet.  But according to Darenzo, the girl’s family came down on him like a hammer.  But the charges were dropped in some kind of bargain that landed Neill’s father in prison.  In exchange for his own freedom, yeah.  So, we have a guy in Turks, John Clifford.  He owes us a little.  He’s gonna reach out to Neill later in the week.  All right.” — Tom Davis

“Stay the course.  Maybe.  There’s a 9:15 out of Salt Lake, connects in Dallas, and then straight on to Marseille.  Give my best to Thelma.  No, I don’t want to risk anything.  We’ll give him some space.  Don’t call him again unless he calls you first.  Your end is what it all always was.  He converts, you get whole.  Either way, your debt’s clear.  Thanks for coming in on this.” — Tom Davis


Laura Hurley, Mosaic, HBO, Maya KazanLaura Hurley

“I– I still don’t understand.  She’s gonna, like, show your stuff to people?  Be like a mentor?  And in exchange, all she wants is help around the property?  She makes me nervous.  I don’t trust her.  Good luck.” — Laura Hurley

“Hi!  Wow, this place is beautiful.  Hi.” — Laura Hurley


Frank Scott, Mosaic, HBO, Jeremy BobbFrank Scott, Mosaic, HBO, Jeremy BobbFrank Scott

“Yeah, we do.  We do the emulsion, do the press, whole thing.  We got a bunch of T-shirts if that’s what you’re looking for.  You drew these?  You drew these yourself?  They’re insane.  I mean, they’re insane.  That’s– okay, okay, okay, okay.  So– let’s– let’s ask some questions here.  Are you Kirby or are you Moebius?  I’m dead serious.  Yeah, that’s good.  Good.  Are you ’70s or are you ’80s?  ‘Métal hurlant!’  Yeah, nice!  Oh.  So, you’re not into the whole, uh… ‘Incal’ stuff with Jodorowsky?  Nah.  Eh.  Well, that’s appropriate.  That’s appropriate.  Okay, so within the ‘Métal hurlant‘ era, are you ‘Arzach’ or are you… ‘Airtight Garage?’  Okay, but you got to admit ‘Le Garage Hermétique,’ that was insane.  Uh, yeah.  Yeah, okay, but that’s fixable.  You just gotta meet somebody that, you know– somebody that maybe is a words person, you know?  That’s easy.” — Frank Scott

“So, what, you gonna sleep in the hay?  Or are you gonna eat the hay and sleep in the horseshit?  Oh, I see.  Well, I’m not arguing against it.  I’m just saying that here you have a bed, you don’t have to eat, that’s all.  Look at your stuff or look at your junk?” — Frank Scott


JC Schiffer, Mosaic, HBO, Paul ReubensJC Schiffer

“I’m wondering the same thing myself.  Yes, Captain.  Oh, actually, I just wanted a single.  Someone who actually thinks I’m gonna write her another check.  Okay, cue Bill Conti.  I think I’m being played off.” — JC SChiffer

“Mm-hmm.  And the talent?  Voilà.” — JC SChiffer

“Really?  Is that what Eric thinks?  What time does he think it is?  Or should I just look at a clock?  You mean that dot among all those other dots?  I’ll let you know when he gets a little closer.  Calm down.  I will be very subtle.  Uh, how about you were looking for him and you wanted to talk to him to thank him?  No, because everything he said about Dennis Klein turned out to be true.  Believe it or not, sometimes the best way to sound like you’re telling the truth is to actually tell the truth.  I will give you a very subtle signal.  It will be very discreet, I promissse.” — JC SChiffer

“Hi!  You home?  I can’t tell you.  Okay, I can tell you.  Eric spent two days last week in Mosaic.  In the gallery.  Alyssa told me this.  It’s a secret.  He was apparently grilling her all about the business schmegegge, which is what those VC guys call it when they’re not out headhunting.  She thinks he wants to pitch you on the idea to take Mosaic and build it out to a whole bunch of offices in a whole bunch of cities.  You have to swear I didn’t say any of this to you.  Oh.  So she gets kudos for keeping this a secret?  I’ll just be squatting under the table.  Shh.” — JC SChiffer


Eric Neill, Mosaic, HBO, Frederick WellerEric Neill, Mosaic, HBO, Frederick WellerEric Neill

“No, I– yeah.  So, um, you got my name from…?  So… yeah.  But the owner won’t sell?  Downsizing.  So, what do you want me to do?  And why do you think I’m particularly– what’s my end?  She must really love this place.  I get half up front.  Who handles my expenses?” — Eric Neill

“Um, excuse me.  I looked over and I’m like, ‘that’s the face from the book I worshipped.’  And I’m really sorry, but I heard what your friend was saying.  May I?  I won’t stay long.  I’ve got a 2:00.  Eric Neill.  Hi.  Yeah, of course you are.  Um, hmm.  My guess is if you Google him… he’s a geologist?  Right, so you’ll follow a few links and they’ll take you to a university website, and there he’ll be.  But let me guess– does he have a sick relative, an ex-wife, or…?  Perfect.  So you’ll dig a little deeper and you’ll see something about her car accident or– anything– spina bifida, some rare blood disease.  ‘Damn,’ you’ll say, ‘the poor guy is telling the truth.’  So then you’ll Google– what was the company he told you about?  Right.  And you’ll see ginormous profits to Ogden Ore for recommissioned silver mines.  But you get a call.  He’s having second thoughts.  He doesn’t want to screw his bosses at the school, but in your brain, a tiny voice will be whispering, ‘Ogden Ore made–‘ whatever figure he gave you.  ‘Which buys a lot of brushes,’ you’ll be telling yourself.  And so you’ll say, ‘the school will be fine.  They just made–‘ whatever he said they made– ‘on their own consulting fees.’  And that’s when he knows your hooked.  He lowers them.  Because it’s all about… oh, man.  This was my life growing up.  My father was a higher class version of our friend here.  Ponzi stuff.  Horrible.  People’s pensions, college funds, retirements.  Yeesh, it’s 2:00 already.  Damn.  But that’s my cross to bear, and I hope I’m wrong about, uh… Dennis Klein, yeah.  Anyway, it was a real pleasure.  Good luck.” — Eric Neill

“Oh, hey.  Oh, my rear end should not be this sore from four runs.  How’s it going?  You looked him up?  And normally, you would have trusted that, but the part of you that wanted him so badly to be right… exactly.  That’s what they do, man.  They ride you through your own doubts and come out the other side like a surfer.  Hey, what was the, uh, kid thing?  No.  Right?  Like tick Lyme.  Wait, what is that?  I like that.  Exactly!  Pictures of the kid at Disneyland or meeting Lebron.  A drink would be great.  How about now?  All right, I love ski culture.  Nobody steals anything.” — Eric Neill

“It is.  It was.  It’s not, actually.  It’s bad, what I do.  I mean, it’s not illegal, but it’s– at the end of the day, basically I did four years of college and two years of business school to be a… glorified Grim Reaper.  That’s what restructuring a company is.  You decide who lives and who has to go home and break the news to the wife and kids.  Well, that’s actually why I’m here.  I’m trying to get away and do a little rebooting, which is why– I’m really sorry, but I gotta run.  I’m meeting a headhunter in Salt Lake and I’m already… um, but this was… you know what?  I’m too hungry to drive to Salt Lake.  How about you?” — Eric Neill

“Well, no, you’re more like pieces of a mirror.  ‘Who does the public see me as’ is one piece.  ‘The socialite, life of the party’ is another piece.  Artist piece.  Confident, mature woman.  Vulnerable little girl.  The charity.  But what’s behind it?  That’s what I’m curious about.  Me.  And I don’t know for sure because I’m not an artist, but my sister is one.  Well, she wants to be, but she wouldn’t tell you that.  She’d tell you she has no interest.  About my sister?  Okay, since we’re baring all, I once, in middle school, did a one-man show.  So lame, but I learned my lesson fast.  And my mother was a decorator.  And my dad, definitely not.  Oh, my God.  You’re right.  He’s probably the best artist of all of us.  Ugh.  Where was I?  That’s right.  The biggest piece under the 85 million pieces of Olivia Lake– loneliness is what I see.  That’s the thing everything else is covering up– the desire to connect and the inability to, for whatever reason.  Am I close?  Too close?  Ah, I was too close.  We’re changing the subject. “The Impersonator.’  It was me doing a bunch of lame impressions– famous people, other kids at school, some characters I made up, but essentially they all ended up sounding like vampires.  Why do you ask?  That’s probably true.  Oh, my God.  I think we’re keeping these people from going home.  I’m so sorry.  We’ll take the check.” — Eric Neill

“Why would they write that stuff?  Uh… what?  No, you were just trying to make something kind of permanent out of what always felt like a one-time, fleeting… miracle, really.  I read somewhere the whole story came out of a dream.  Is that…?  So, it doesn’t feel like it came from you.  ‘Cause if it did, why can’t you get there again?  But, hey, look, it got you all this.  Which is insane.  And I’m guessing it must be a– a lot to maintain.  Well, both.  And the life?  You know what I think?  I appreciate that.  I would like to call you, though, if that’s okay with you.” — Eric Neill

“That’s what I’m curious about.  Well, maybe that’s why you do art.  Like– I don’t know, I’m not an artist, but maybe deep down you’re lonely and your art is a way to connect, to bridge.  I don’t know.  Are you lonely?  That’s the biggest take I get.  I’m just kind of wondering if you’re… sort of all alone out here.” — Eric Neill

“Report back?  Okay, here’s what you’re gonna report back.  Olivia Lake is not a Nespresso machine.  You don’t just punch in a cartridge, push a button, and expect… boom.  And I’m working my ass off.  Who is this client, anyway?  She’s a fucking human being, okay?  and I’m beginning to wonder if your precious client actually isn’t one.  Look, just let me do my job or give me the high sign and she can have her money back minus what I’ve already spent.  I’ll talk to you later.  I’m working on it.  Jesus Christ.  Goodbye.” — Eric Neill

“Hey.  I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch the last few days.  I had some work stuff.  May I?  Since we met, I’ve been thinking about you, about some stuff you said.  You said that the book happened once in 45 seconds, 26 years ago, so my question to you is what if the entire book was only the first chapter in what your actual legacy turned out to be?  So, the story of the legacy of Olivia Lake– what is it?  From a dream Olivia imagines a classic.  On the strength of that classic she images a charity where thousands of kids have created things from their own dreams already.  So, what’s next?  I quit my job, and there’s no going back, it would appear, which ushers in chapter three.  It’s not about me.  So, chapter three.  I went by the gallery on Monday and I see all these groups of kids come in and look at art and show their own art and make art, and I’m thinking, ‘why are they bussing them in from Salt Lake?  Why don’t they just open one right in Salt Lake?’  And then I think, ‘Why just Salt Lake?’  So, my pitch to you is what if chapter three in the legacy of Olivia Lake is phase one: five cities– Salt Lake, Cheyenne, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix.  Phase two: five-year plan.  Phase three: 20-year plan.  And just ’cause it was late and I was getting punchy… told you I’m not an artist.  Thoughts?  What do you think?” — Eric Neill


Petra Neill, Mosaic, HBO, Jennifer Ferrin

Petra Neill


Alan Pape, Mosaic, HBO, Beau Bridges

Alan Pape


Melissa Henry, Mosaic, HBO, Zandy Hartig

Melissa Henry




Mosaic, HBO

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