Alienated - Recap

The scene opens with Emmy on the phone with Andy. He claims to have found a tribal oil field in Peru, and says that he has been able to scare away some big shots with his ‘eco-terrorist’ flamboyance. Emmy asks him if that means they have made it, but he replies it’s only him who has made it, as Emmy is busy gorging on Steve lap of luxury eating butter croissants. Emmy argues that she also has her cause – fighting for immigrant rights. Andy adds that all Steve does is play video games, and Emmy should find him a proper way to spend his time.

Emmy gets to the living room, and finds Steve and Fa’ad playing a video game. Puddle is sitting between them, and Emmy gets extremely irate about Steve’s habits. Steve calls Migo through video phone when something snaps in the gaming equipment, and Migo responds enthusiastically. Emmy gets annoyed about Puddle being a part of the lazy habit and begins to turn on her. After Puddle leaves apparently to do something more meaningful in her room, Steve tries to explain how he and Fa’ad were trying to teach her real-life lessons through the video game.

While the men get back to their video gaming fun, Emmy gets to the kitchen with Migo and tries to bring him on her side rather than Steve’s. She argues how important it can be for Migo to take a vacation, especially because he would always paint on empty walls when he was young. Migo argues that Steve really needs him, and their relationship goes much deeper than it seems. Just as Emmy tries to know his needs for being a painter, Steve calls him to get ready for a trip with Fa’ad. Migo rushes.

However, Emmy manages to convince Steve that Migo needs a vacation. Migo is not expecting it in the least, but Steve tells him to take a few days off. While the length of vacation is initially thought to be a week, Migo, who is apparently used to the luxurious household and Steve’s company for sure, doubles it to two weeks. Then Emmy butts in to make it longer, making it a month. Steve easily agrees to let Migo have his say and his vacation period lands up at being a year in the end.

Emmy takes Migo to Steve’s forest cottage and tells him that he can have all the solitude and natural beauty as the perfect setup for a master artist. When he complains about not having his painting clothes, Emmy argues that the place is so private, that he can even paint naked. Meanwhile, Steve has got Mr. Lunt to replace Migo for boxing practice. Surprisingly Mr. Lunt has become a powerful puncher, especially after his meeting with Father Callahan, and is giving Steve a tough time. Back at the cottage, Migo remembers it is Tuesday, and gets ready to help Steve with boxing sessions, but Emmy convinces him to stay put with his painting.

A while later, Andy and Emmy are talking on the phone, when she claims to have gotten rid of Steve’s dependency on Migo. While Andy has been claiming to fight for tribal petroleum in Peru, it turns out that he has headed back to the same cottage where Migo is about to start painting without clothes and a few ducks. Both are shocked to see each other. While they get talking, Puddle finds out Migo’s phone, which Emmy hides behind a sofa.
Puddle heads with her mom to a demonstration. Steve is in the backseat of the car sleeping after getting sloshed. They head towards an immigrant’s rally, where Steve, with no idea about where he ought to be for Emmy’s support, ends up on the wrong side.

When back home, Puddle knows what Steve is up to, but Emmy can hardly imagine. Meanwhile, Migo has been unable to paint a single thing. He is missing Steve, and he is about to sneak into their home one night, when Emmy catches him. Although Migo argues he wants to be with Steve, Emmy sends him off, and Migo is not entirely happy to go.
Steve gets Fa’ad to bring his movie-making equipment, so that he can make an ad-film about the immigration issue. However, Fa’ad soon discovers that Steve is against immigration rights and leaves, saying that he himself is an immigrant, and this projects is completely against his own beliefs. Puddle however makes a video promoting the cause of the anti-immigration side, and nearly manages to cut a deal for quarter of a million dollars with Steve. However, that’s when Emmy realizes that her inspiration has driven Steve in the wrong direction. Steve complains how Migo, an immigrant, has gotten away, made his life difficult, and his absence makes it worse. He insists that all immigrants should be traceable with GPS, so that the rich and white can get them when they need to be driven around. Emmy realizes how much he is missing immigrant Migo, and gets into action.
Emmy decides to get Migo, so that he can save her cause, and get Steve back to sanity. However, Migo has already found his passion, and is painting with enthusiastic strokes. However, Emmy manages to convince him that Steve needs him. Migo is thrilled to hear that. Just as Migo is ready to leave, Andy shows up revealing he is not in Peru or on any real cause.

Steve gets to the rally and begins by boasting about his wealth, which can support the anti-immigration lobby’s cause. The audience applauds his pursing pockets. Steve goes on to say that money alone cannot overcome people’s dreams, because people belong… and Migo joins him on the podium saying ‘with the people they care for’. The crowd gasps, as Migo goes on to say that the real purpose of life is to travel a hundred yards from home, and realize that home is where you want to be… holding up his painting, of Migo playing a medieval retainer to colonial horseman Steve, to an applauding crowd. The non-immigrants start hugging immigrants. And that’s how, as Puddle says, Migo found his purpose, which was to keep Steve from having a purpose.

Written By David Sibert

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