American Gothic (TV series) Quotations

American Gothic (1995-1996) is an American television series created by Shaun Cassidy, airing on CBS, set in the heart of South Carolina in a small town called Trinity. In this town not everyone are as they seem and everyone seems to follow their leader, Sheriff Lucas Buck... who might not be as human as he seems.

Pilot [1.1]

Lucas: I've heard it said that the American dream is a thing of the past. That the basic tenets of home, job and family are slipping away. Well, not in my town. Where I come from that dream is still a reality. Of course, you have to know who's boss. For those who follow my lead, life can be a paradise. But for those who don't it can be a mighty rough road.

Ben: Why are you doing this to me?

Lucas: Just another lesson in perception, Ben. All guilt is relative, loyalty counts, and never let your conscience be your guide.

Lucas: Look here boy, only two roads in this world and if you're listening to anyone but me, you're on the wrong one.

Ben: You got no conscience about anything, do you?

Lucas: Conscience is just the fear of getting caught, Ben.

Merlyn: Someone's at the door.

A Tree Grows in Trinity [1.2]

Lucas: You told me this was handled.

Selena: Well I'm sorry Lucas, but I just couldn't hurt him.

Lucas: So you kept him as a pet?

Selena: I liked him, okay? To tell you the truth he kind of liked me.

Lucas: This is a real problem, Selena.

Selena: Well look, if the doctor finds him before we do, maybe it's not such a bad thing. Raphael hasn't been eating lately and I've been kinda worried about him.

Lucas: Raphael is a reporter and he's gonna report things.

Selena: He won't say a word.

Lucas: Oh really? What you do, bite off his tongue in a fit of passion?

Merlyn: Why are you still running?

Caleb: Daddy's dead Merli. I've seen his grave, yours too. Everybody's dead.

Merlyn: Not everybody... [indicates the room with the bound prisoner]

Caleb: I ain't going in there!

Merlyn: That man needs your help.

Caleb: He's a monster!

Merlyn: No. Can't you understand his pain, Caleb? He's just hurt. I would think you could understand that Caleb.

Merlyn: Caleb, it's nice to see you again.

Caleb: For me too, Merli. The Sheriff is after me, he thinks he's my Daddy.

Merlyn: Well what do you think?

Caleb: I think he's crazy! This whole thing is crazy.

Merlyn: He wants to raise you in his image, Caleb. You can't run forever.

Eye of the Beholder [1.3]

Judge: Miss Combs?

Selena: Oh, thank you Judge. Well, I'd just like to say for the record, that I admire Miss Emory tremendously. I mean, when she told my class about living in a crack house for two weeks, just to do a first person story and how scary it was, they were all very impressed. I know I wouldn't have that kind of courage.

Damned If You Don't [1.4]

Merlyn: Caleb? You did real good. I'm proud of you. We're all proud of you.

Caleb: You was there? And Momma?

Merlyn: We were all there Caleb.

Caleb: I knew it. I could feel it Merlyn. I was happy.

Dead to the World [1.5]

Gail: [reading some of Lucas' poetry] My heart sings to you like the joy of a thousand trumpets.

Selena: Maybe we'd like to take another pass at this? [indicating Caleb's friend's homework]

Caleb: But we've got practice, the contest is tomorrow.

Selena: Well I'm aware of that Caleb, but I think this is more important, don't you?

Caleb: No!

Caleb: What are you doing?

Lucas: Taking off a claw, you earned yourself a talisman.

Caleb: I don't want that thing.

Lucas: What do you mean? You killed it, you own it.

Caleb: You made me.

Lucas: Son, nobody makes anybody do anything they don't want to do in the first place.

Meet the Beetles [1.6]

Lt. Drey: Miss Coombs is not a witness. She's in my protective custody, as a matter of fact.

Lucas: She does enjoy her handcuffs.

Lucas: It's no secret Hac Weller had a thing for you.

Selena: Well so do you, when the mood strikes.

Lucas: You should be flattered.

Selena: I make the effort. So when some man doesn't come home to his little wife, he must have been with me, is that it?

Lucas: In a world of possibilities... it's a short reach.

Selena: Well then the next time the mood strikes, I suggest you reach for yourself.

Strong Arm of the Law [1.7]

Lucas: [after hanging Lowell with his own belt] Is that belt too tight, Lowell? Just hang on.

Lucas: [referring to a shovel] These things have a thousand uses.

Lucas: I was a one-man suicide hotline.

Rebirth [1.8]

Merlyn: You don't understand me either Lucas. I mean people thought I was stupid 'cause of the way I acted, but I wasn't. I just saw too much.

Lucas: I know.

Merlyn: And I know what you're trying to do now. You want me to choose to live.

Lucas: There's nothing wrong with that.

Merlyn: Except the baby dies! And then I commit the ultimate sin. And Caleb turns against me? And then you finally won. Well I'm not going to let that happen.

Merlyn: So, what did you do to him?

Lucas: Who Ray? I left him down by your grave. Crying like a baby.

Merlyn: Go ahead, come on. It's your big chance... murder me again, Lucas. Such tenderness... a mercy killing. Isn't that what you told your deputy?

Lucas: You'd had a miserable life.

Merlyn: Oh, I know I did. But I'm not going to let you ruin that for me again.

Lucas: You don't understand me Merli-ann, I'm not going to hurt you. I want you to live. You deserve it. This could be the first day of the rest of your life.

Caleb: Don't you like it where you are?

Merlyn: It's okay.

Caleb: Well, what's it like?

Merlyn: You'll find out someday.

Caleb: No tell me, Merli. Tell me.

Merlyn: It's kinda like you're underwater and you can't touch anything. There's no pain, but there's no feeling either. You just float through everything.

Caleb: Merli?

Merlyn: I wanna hold something! I wanna be held!

Merlyn: It's not fair!

Caleb: What's not fair?

Merlyn: How only some people get to be happy.

Caleb: That's just the way it is.

Merlyn: Well it shouldn't be!

Lucas: See we all have choices to make. And if people are torn, it's only because they're listening to the wrong voice. A voice that would lead them astray, seduce them with hope. Even turn a son against a father. An age old battle between good and evil... care to place your bets?

Resurrector [1.9]

Caleb: I hate you!

Lucas: And someday we'll make that hate work for you.

Inhumanitas [1.10]

Selena: [to Lucas] Well, if you gonna scream, at least come into the bedroom.

Lucas: You starting to get the picture, angel face? He's his father's son.

Merlyn: He's my brother.

Lucas: A blip in the gene pool. He's my son. He carries my spirit and if you kill me, the child becomes the man.

Merlyn: I would kill him before I would let that happen.

Lucas: Do that and you kill yourself. You only exist because of that child's faith. That too will pass when he learns his full potential. He is more powerful than you can imagine.

Merlyn: You can't destroy me Lucas.

Lucas: And you won't destroy me.

Lucas: I'm...

Selena: Scared?

Lucas: Is this what scared feels like?

Selena: I wouldn't know.

Lucas: I wanna hurt somebody, with this feeling. I wanna hurt you.

Selena: As long as I get to hurt you back.

Lucas: Evening, Miss Combs. Feeling suicidal?

Selena: What?

Lucas: Care to join me in a little masochistic nihilism?

Caleb: Why ain't you been to see me?

Merlyn: You think everybody's dead sister comes to visit them?

Caleb: Well I've been worried about you.

Merlyn: I've been worried about you too. Things are never going to be the same again, there are other people who need my help.

Caleb: Well maybe I'll just start listening to Sheriff Buck.

Merlyn: Caleb.

Caleb: Well maybe you got him wrong Merli. He's been nice to me. Like a father. Well he is my Daddy ain't he?

Merlyn: He raped our mother, Caleb.

Caleb: So who are these other people you're gonna be helping?

Merlyn: Ones who aren't as strong as you.

Caleb: They gonna know it's Merlyn helping them?

Merlyn: People see me as they want to, Caleb. You're the only one who's looking for Merlyn.

The Plague Sower [1.11]

Caleb: And what about me? I spent time with Lucas. You gonna make me sick and crazy too?!

Merlyn: Well of course not, I love you.

Caleb: Well then love them too Merli, all of them. All of us down here, we need it.

The Beast Within [1.13]

Lucas: Hey, we understand. Caleb lost his Daddy too. I've tried to be there for him, but he just keeps... resisting. Maybe this little adventure will make him realize how important a father can be.

Gail: There's a lesson in everything. Isn't that what you said to Caleb? What's our lesson here? What is it that we're supposed to learn from this little adventure?

Lucas: Patience, I guess.

Gail: No. Patience is a virtue. You wouldn't be interested in that.

To Hell and Back [1.14]

Caleb: I don’t care how American it is, I hate apple pie.

Merlyn: Do you know what happens to dogs when they die, Caleb?

Caleb: What happens to 'em?

Merlyn: They get to run free all day long. And in the night time, they get to rest at the feet of their masters.

Lucas: No, sir, it's just that it ain't easy being me. And I imagine it ain't exactly a walk in the park being you, either.

Matt: You don't know anything about me.

Lucas: I know you've got more than your share of demons.

Matt: You don't know anything about my demons.

Lucas: Of course I do. I know you're still beating yourself up for puking on little Claire's Christmas presents when she was six.... For missing her school play three years in a row, even though you absolutely meant to be there. But you know what they say - the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Lucas: [to Matt] By the way, I know you think you came down here to work off your debt to society, to do penance for that...terrible tragedy. But I got news for you, my friend: You didn't choose Trinity. Trinity chose you.

Learning to Crawl [1.15]

Lucas: Either the appetite goes, or it becomes voracious. Pleasures disappear, tension comes over the face and body and the addict takes over the soul.

Lucas: Caleb, this... romantic love thing.

Selena: What do you know about it?

Lucas: From observation, quite a bit. It's really an addiction. No different than booze or drugs or cigarettes. And when you're in its clutches you no longer see the truth. You become totally selfish.

Selena: Look who's talking.

Lucas: And selfless at the same time. It makes you... stupid. Take Miss Coombs here.

Caleb: She's not stupid.

Selena: Thank you, darling.

Lucas: In love you've got to go straight to the heart.

Selena: That's why they invented the dagger.

Lucas: You know what a conscience is?

Caleb: It's like, when you do something wrong and it bothers you?

Lucas: Well, not me.

Merlyn: Hello Caleb.

Caleb: I'm dead, ain't I?

Merlyn: God's plan works for us all.

Caleb: Always figured I'd be afraid.

Merlyn: Well you belong here.

Lucas: Couldn't agree more. Although it may just be that your timing's off a little bit. You see Caleb; your sister isn't telling you everything. You still have a choice.

Caleb: Why didn't you tell me Merli?

Lucas: Cause she's afraid Caleb. She's afraid if you live a long and healthy life, you'll make all the wrong choices. See, there's that word again, choice.

Caleb: You don't want me to go, do you?

Merlyn: I love you Caleb. It's your choice.

Triangle [1.16]

Gail: You know what pregnancy is? It's an uncontrollable tumor growing inside of you. Saps all you strength, has its own agenda. And after nine months it goes into remission and your body rejects it.

Selena: What did you do, Lucas?

Lucas: You know me better than that love. I don't do anything. Things just happen.

Selena: Lucas wrote the book on keeping women in the palm of his hand.

Gail: What page are you on?

Selena: Oh, Lucas keeps me in an entirely different library.

Gail: The public?

Gail: You don’t have a heart. You’re not even human.

Lucas: Some would consider that a positive, not a negative.

Lucas: We're meant to be together, you know that.

Gail: No! None of this was meant to happen!

The Buck Stops Here (1) [1.17]

Gail: [to Selena, about Lucas] You’re more dead than he is.

Caleb: You ever heard of the "all seeing eye", Merli?

Merlyn: Yes. What's your point?

[Caleb points to his forehead]

Caleb: It's right here.

Merlyn: This is Lucas' voice I'm hearing.

Caleb: Novus Ordo Seclorum. The old order of the ages is born anew. That's me too.

Merlyn: Caleb, Lucas is a part of you. But that don't mean you have to be like him.

Caleb: I know.

Merlyn: The day will come you'll have to choose your path and I want you to be strong enough to resist his influence.

Caleb: I know Merli, I know. Don't worry. The buck stops here.

Requiem (2) [1.18]

Merlyn: What's happened with my brother?

[Lucas is alive in his coffin]

Lucas: Notice a little change have you? Now why don't you help me out of here and I'll explain everything over a cup of java?

Merlyn: I want you to die.

Lucas: You may get your wish, Merli-ann. But what you seem to have forgotten is that Caleb will just pick up the sword. If he hasn't already.

Merlyn: His behavior is changing.

Lucas: And I'm only sick. Imagine how charming he'll be after I suffocate. Get me out Merli. I get healthy and Caleb will turn around. But if I die, you'll see a monster in that child like you've never known before.

Caleb: I smell a ghost.

Merlyn: You don't have to be this way. You have a choice.

Caleb: I think I smell a sermon too.

Merlyn: I'm your sister, Caleb. I'm just as big a part of you as Lucas is.

Caleb: You are nothing but ashes. I'm tired of your preaching. I'm tired of your white dress and I don't want to see you no more. So why don't you just go somewhere and decompose.

Merlyn: Caleb, what are you doing?

Caleb: Taking what's mine. And if you just try to stop me, you might die twice.

Merlyn: Well, at least you're alive. And since I helped bring you back, you're going to do the same for Caleb.

Lucas: Are you suggesting that we had a deal.

Merlyn: Yes.

Lucas: News to me.

Merlyn: Look I don't have time for your games, Lucas. Gail is pregnant with your child.

Lucas: So? That's just a little insurance policy, case the boy don't go my way. An heir and a spare.

Merlyn: The heir is about to eliminate the competition.

Gail: What's happened to you?

Caleb: I guess I've seen my potential. And I ain't willing to share it. You can't have no baby, Gail.

Caleb: Lucas?

Lucas: It's all right, son.

Caleb: What happened?

Lucas: You fell.

Caleb: Where's Merli?

Lucas: Gone.

Caleb: Gone where?

Lucas: I believe she's part of you now. There had to be a sacrifice, Caleb. One of us had to go... and it wasn't going to be me.

Lucas: You listen to me boy. I know what you're feeling. Believe me, I live with the rage every day of my life. It's part of who we are; it's what we feed on. And one day the world will know your power. But not yet, Caleb. As soon as I'm healed, the hunger that's driving you will disappear and you'll be as you were. And when it's your time, I'll gladly step aside. But I'm not ready to do that yet. And you're not ready to make me.

Potato Boy [1.19]

Lucas: You know what a mentor is?

Caleb: Half-man, half-beast?

Lucas: That's a Minotaur. A mentor's like a father, a wise advisor.

Caleb: You want to be my mentor?

Lucas: I'll help you find the way, Caleb. Growing up's like groping in the dark, sometimes you need someone with a flashlight.

Lucas: Poor Ben. He feels cheated. Sold his soul and now he's all alone with what might have been. Well, too bad.

Lucas: Everyone needs to feel safe. Some folks would lay all of Trinity's troubles at my doorstep, but hell; might as well blame the trailer park for attracting lightning bolts and tornados. I mean, I had a hand in certain things. But everybody's got free will... I just give them enough rope to hang themselves. Course their lives would be a whole lot easier if they'd just take my hand, just say yes.

Ring of Fire [1.20]

Gail: Then what? you own my soul?

Lucas: I don't want your soul.

Matt: [to Gail, imitating Lucas] I killed your folks, and I'm sorry...now how about a little kiss?

Selena: [teasing Gail] He’s got strange taste, doesn't he, Miss Emory?

Cast

Gary Cole - Sheriff Lucas Buck
Lucas Black - Caleb Temple
Paige Turco - Gail Emory
Brenda Bakke - Selena Coombs
Sarah Paulson - Merlyn Temple
Nick Searcy - Deputy Ben Healy
Jake Weber - Dr. Matt Crower
Christopher Fennell - Boone
John Mese - Dr. Billy Peale
Alex Van - Deputy Floyd
Lynda Clark - Rita Barber
Tina Lifford - Loris Holt
Evan Rachel Wood - Rose Russell