Enlightened
2 Seasons | 18 Episodes | TV-MA
Amy Jellicoe was a successful corporate buyer. Then she lost control...and found herself in the process. Laura Dern stars in this HBO series as Amy who returns from a treatment facility after having a breakdown at work. Given a demeaning new position and surrounded by skeptical co-workers, Amy moves forward as an 'agent of change' amid a glut of corporate abuse and corruption.
The Key
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by</b> Mike White<br><b>Directed by</b> Nicole Holofcener</p><p>Amy stays late after work reading the emails on the company server she hacked into with Tyler's help. The next day she tells Tyler that Abaddonn's top executives are all corrupt and that she plans to bring them down publicly. Tyler is reluctant to help her cause, until Amy tells him that they plan to shut down the Cogentiva program and lay off their entire department. Amy reaches out to Jeff Flender, an investigative reporter with the Los Angeles Times, and tells him she has "potentially explosive" information about her employer. They meet at a T.G.I. Friday's in Riverside, where Amy is prepared to hand over the documents to the handsome reporter if he promises front-page coverage. Jeff won't commit until he reviews the documents. The following evening, he tells Amy that her information isn't nearly as explosive as she thinks it is- but there is a story at Abaddonn and with her access and his help they can blow the lid off the company and send its corrupt executives to jail.</p></div>
Revenge Play
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by</b> Mike White<br><b>Directed by</b> Mike White</p><p>Jeff meets with Amy and Tyler in a LA jazz club and reveals the extent of Abaddonn CEO Charles Szidon's corruption. Jeff is convinced that Szidon has paid off a government official to call off a congressional investigation into the company's environmental record. If Amy can get him proof, they can take down Abaddonn.</p><p>The next day, Tyler tells Amy that the IT department is on to them--they know that someone hacked into the system and they'll be going through hard drives to determine the source of the breach. Omar hears them talking and presses them on what they've been up to.</p><p>At lunch, Amy notices an ambulance pull up to the building's entrance and sees her pregnant former assistant Krista carried off on a stretcher. After getting rebuffed on her first visit, Amy finally sees Krista in the hospital and apologizes for her past crazy behavior. Krista tells her she can't really have any stressful conversations in her condition and Amy returns to work. There, she runs into Omar in the parking lot, who is outraged over having just been let go. Inside, a jubilant Tyler tells Amy he killed two birds with one stone by switching Omar's hard drive with hers. As Amy stares at Omar's empty desk and contemplates her friend in the hospital, she considers whether she really is on the side of good.</p></div>
Higher Power
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by</b> Mike White<br><b>Directed by </b>Mike White</p><p>Amy receives a letter from Levi at Open Air-he's clearly not buying into it. He hates his gassy roommate and doesn't get anything out of the group sessions. "For me, God is a beer on the beach," he writes. "Maybe that's f*cked up, but at least it's honest." He goes snorkeling to find the turtle Amy once spotted, but he can't find it; the beach is too polluted.</p><p>After lashing out at his group leader and his therapist, Levi decides to sneak out with two young skeptics, Danielle and Travis. They head to a nearby hotel on the beach with a bag of coke Travis smuggled in with him. Their night of partying turns sour when the drugs run out, and Levi heads back to the facility. His roommate covered for him, but the other two are likely to be kicked out.</p><p>Levi returns to Open Air with a renewed focus. He writes another letter to Amy, telling her he's becoming more engaged in the activities. When asked to meditate on his best self, he thinks of the way Amy used to think of him. "Maybe you're my higher power," he says. "I don't believe in much, but I believe in you." He heads back in the water to look for Amy's turtle.</p></div>
Follow Me
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by </b>Mike White<br><b>Directed by</b> Mike White</p><p>Jeff picks up Amy at her house, where he meets Helen and makes a positive impression. At dinner, Jeff expresses his belief in the power of social media and tells Amy about Roberta, a woman who organized huge corporate boycotts while blogging from a Starbucks in Monrovia, CA. He invites Amy to attend an event held in Roberta's honor. Struck by the inspiring people she meets there, Amy is glowing as Jeff walks her to her car at the end of the evening - even before he kisses her.</p><p>Back in the Cogentiva office, Omar's firing has Dougie on edge. He keeps a watchful eye on Amy and Tyler and yells at them when he spots them whispering to each other and not working. Amy starts a Twitter account and nudges her coworkers to follow her on it.</p><p>When Amy steps out during lunch to visit Krista in the hospital, Dougie tries to get Tyler to admit what they've been up to. Tyler doesn't take the bait and Dougie demands to get on his computer. Knowing they're about to be found out, Tyler prints out emails in which the Abaddonn executives discuss shutting down the Cogentiva program.</p><p>The next day, Dougie calls Amy and Tyler into his office-he knows they switched out Omar's hard drive. Dougie storms out before Amy can explain and she chases him down to share the emails. When Dougie reads what his superiors really think of him-that he's a dirtbag with bad hair-he's stricken. He tells Amy he's down to join their crusade, not because he cares about her cause, but because he wants to f*** them over.</p></div>
The Ghost is Seen
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by</b> Mike White<br><b>Directed by</b> James Bobin</p><p>Amy goes through Charles Szidon's emails but she doesn't find anything incriminating. She tells Tyler they need to get into the Abaddonn CEO's personal computer, which he likely uses to send the more sensitive communications. Tyler offers that he knows Szidon's assistant, a woman he's seen working out at the gym named Eileen, and Amy thinks they might be able to turn her against her boss. Tyler awkwardly introduces himself to Eileen, but doesn't have the courage to ask her out. Dougie steps in and tells Eilleen that a bunch of people are going out after work-and she's coming with them.</p><p>At the bar, Amy tries to convince Eileen that Abaddonn and Szidon are corrupt beyond repair, but Amy finds her to be a true company woman. She finds another opening though, when Eileen asks if Tyler is interested in her. A "learned extrovert," Eileen prefers Tyler's shyness to Dougie's in-your-face pick-up game, and they bond over the fact that they both like music. In the office, Tyler goes to download music onto Eileen's machine, and Dougie spots an opening to get into Szidon's personal emails when Tyler connects her computer to the network.</p><p>Tyler and Eileen go on a date and end up back at his sad apartment. Eileen wants to know if he's a good guy or if he's going to hurt her. She believes he's "sad and sweet" and decides to stay the night. The next morning, Amy tells him they hit the mother lode-secret emails to senators and all types of government officials-and it's all thanks to him. Amy couldn't be happier, but Tyler feels conflicted about betraying Eileen's trust.</p></div>
All I Ever Wanted
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by</b> Mike White<br><b>Directed by</b> Todd Haynes</p><p>Amy arrives at Jeff's apartment with the new documents she got from Szidon's computer. As Jeff reads through them she peruses his belongings, impressed by his exciting life. Finally, he looks up and says "F**king gold, Amy. It's like the Wikileaks of Abaddonn. " He tells her, "I'm so happy, I could kiss you"-then does. Jeff invites her to stay over, and Amy, head-spinning, agrees. They spend the next day together living the life that Amy's been imagining-going to a cafe, reading Chomsky in bed, and talking about important issues.</p><p>Back in the office, Tyler tells Amy he's worried that when word gets out, Eileen is going to realize they hacked her computer. Amy invites Jeff to come out to Riverside, but while's she's getting ready there's an unexpected visitor at the door-Levi is back, claiming his head is on straight now. They go for a walk and Levi tries to convince Amy that his epiphany was real. He gives her the letter where he names her as his higher power, telling Amy he's ready to be the person she always wanted him to be.</p><p>Amy's not emotionally prepared for Levi's return and tells him "I don't want the same old story, I want a new story." She returns home, where Helen is entertaining Jeff in Amy's absence. Amy goes to her room and begins to break down; Helen comes in and holds her. After Amy calms down, she and Jeff leave for dinner, driving away as Levi approaches the driveway.</p></div>
No Doubt
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by</b> Mike White<br><b>Directed by </b>David Michord</p><p>After another night spent with Jeff, Amy enters the office to find Dougie blaring rap music and lighting up a joint. He's just received word that Cogentiva is being shut down and now he "doesn't give a f**k." Tyler tells Amy that Eileen might be able to get her the community outreach job at Abaddonn she's always wanted-she's already used her pull with Charles Szidon to get Tyler back into IT-but Amy thinks it's too late.</p><p>Amy goes to see Krista before she gives birth, and her old assistant is genuinely happy to receive her. Amy tells Krista about the exposé on Abaddonn she's been working on with Jeff, and though she's surprised, Krista wishes her the best. Amy then meets Levi at a bar, where he's drinking water. Levi is ready to give her the family she's always wanted, but Amy tells him that's changed. Levi wishes her a "nice big life" and storms out.</p><p>Eileen arranges the meeting between Amy and Szidon at the CEO's country club. Szidon is impressed by Amy's passion and candor, and offers her the job she'd been angling for...with a salary of $100,000. Amy is struck by his offer and goes to Jeff to discuss whether they can do more good from the inside. Jeff isn't hearing it; the story's running next week and there isn't going to be a job for her at Abaddonn after it does. Also, he thinks it would be "bad form" if they were perceived to be in a relationship when the story breaks. "I think we both knew all along, we just gave into feelings," he tells her. Heartbroken, Amy gets up to walk out and tells Jeff, "But I didn't know all along."</p></div>
Agent of Change
<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Written by</b> Mike White<br><b>Directed by</b> Mike White</p><p>Amy calls Tyler to let him know the story is going to run and he needs to prepare himself. He comes clean to Eileen about what Amy is doing-and his role in it-and she storms out of his house. Helen gets upset when Amy breaks the news about her blowing the whistle at Abaddonn. Amy offers to move out and Helen takes her up on it.</p><p>Jeff alerts Amy that someone leaked word to Abaddonn about her involvement in the exposé and Amy immediately suspects Krista. She confronts Krista - just after she's given birth - and Krista's family removes her from the room.</p><p>Dougie is saying goodbye to his Cogentiva group, when H.R. arrives to take Tyler away. Amy realizes that it was Eileen who told Abaddonn about the story. She collects her documents and hard drive and tries to leave the building but is stopped by security. Escorted to Szidon's office, she tells Eileen it was her idea, she shouldn't blame Tyler.</p><p>Amy is grilled by H.R., Abaddonn's legal counsel, and Charles Szidon. They press her for information about what she gave to the L.A. Times, threatening to sue. Amy says, "I have a car that doesn't work and I'm $20,000 in debt, so knock yourself out." As an incensed Szidon screams at her, she calmly replies: "The only thing I feel is satisfaction."</p><p>Amy calls Jeff to tell him the news, mentioning that they're going to sue her. "We always knew that would happen," Jeff says, but Amy didn't know that. Adrift, she ends up at Levi's, wondering who she really is. "You're just full of hope," her ex-husband tells her.</p><p>The Abaddonn exposé runs on the front page, where Helen reads it, proudly. Eileen and Tyler get back together. Amy sees the paper at a café and walks past it, off to the next stage in her life.</p></div>
